Ymm, Beer

[accfanfrom1970]

#88
Rhinegeist - last one from Cincy and my favorite. Sent sister back to Kenny's and she picked up the 6 they had left.

DOUBLE OAKED MASTODON - BELGIAN STYLE DARK ALE AGED IN BOURBON AND WINE BARRELS
A looming leviathan of mammoth complexity, this malty megafauna bellows notes of white pepper, banana, peach and apricot. Hibernating first in freshly used bourbon barrels and then red wine barrels, this beast of a Belgian Style Dark Ale gains an epoch’s worth of tannic depth and oaky wisdom.

Medals: Gold, 2016 Commonwealth Cup; Silver, 2017 FoBAB; Gold, 2018 US Open Beer Championship

ABV: 14%
IBU: 28

Aged: 12 Months in Bourbon Barrels, 6 Months in Red Wine Barrels
Hops: Magnum, Challenger, Hallertau
Malts: Pilsner, Belgian Abbey, Belgian Candi Syrup, Belgian Aromatic

[accfanfrom1970]

#89
A classic - Curieux
Allagash Brewing Company

Notes: First brewed back in 2004, Curieux was our first foray into barrel aging. To make Curieux, we take our Tripel and let it age in bourbon barrels for seven weeks. Once that time is up, we take the beer out of our cold cellars and blend it back with a portion of fresh Tripel. The resulting rich, golden ale features smooth notes of coconut, vanilla, and a hint of bourbon.

So good I traded DD four local 750ml bottles of his choice for four of these he found much cheaper in the midwest...Total Wine and Krogers have it here but $17-$18 a piece.

Best side-by-side was tailgating and August brought a new bottle and a five year old bottle of Curieux. The 5-year old was better...

[accfanfrom1970]

#90
Boulevard

BOURBON BARREL QUAD - BARREL-AGED ALE

Based loosely on the Smokestack Series’ The Sixth Glass, this abbey-style quadrupel is separated into a number of oak bourbon barrels where it ages for varying lengths of time, some for up to three years. Cherries are added to make up for the “angel's share” of beer lost during barrel aging. Selected barrels are then blended for optimum flavor. The resulting beer retains only very subtle cherry characteristics, with toffee and vanilla notes coming to the fore.

ALC/VOL 12.2%
IBUs 26

Another go-to beer, readily available and reasonably priced. I have this a lot more if it wasn't for Hardywood, Ardent, Veil, etc. etc.

[accfanfrom1970]

#91
My favorite Boulevard beer -

RYE ON RYE - BARREL-AGED RYE ALE

Why Rye? This assertively flavorful grain is more often associated with whiskey than with ales. Even in that arena, it has largely been eclipsed by corn and barley, the sources of bourbon and scotch. But when we procured some seasoned barrels from our friends at Templeton Rye, we asked ourselves, “Why not?” Why not brew a rich, tawny rye ale, then mellow it in the warmth of charred oak rye whiskey casks? Two kinds of malted rye provide spicy sweetness, giving way to notes of vanilla, charred oak and the citrusy tang of Citra and Styrian Golding hops before easing into a dry, lingering finish.

ALC/VOL
12%
IBUs 33

[accfanfrom1970]

#91.5 but then Boulevard came out with this Rye on Rye variant - RYE ON RYE MAPLE

"When we received a shipment of barrels from our good friends at the Templeton Rye Distillery we knew we had something special. These weren’t just any barrels. Before they made their way to Boulevard, they were used to age Templeton Rye 4, then filled with Vermont maple syrup for two months, then re-filled with whiskey to create Templeton Rye Maple Cask Finish.

They were the perfect vessel for our brewers to take Rye on Rye — a complex yet approachable ale that defies categorization — to the next level. Exactly what that level would be was up to our barrel wranglers, who regularly tasted from each barrel, waiting for the magical mingling of beer, maple syrup, and whiskey.

Aged to perfection, this newest iteration of Rye on Rye is bold and complex, with aromas of maple syrup (duh!), caramel, butterscotch, hazelnut and oaky vanilla that emanate from the glass. The finish on each sip is deceptively smooth for a beer with these epic levels of robust booze character.

ABV: 13.2%
IBU: 16
Malt: Pale malt, Cara 50, Rye Malt, Cara Rye, Munich
Hops: Magnum, Bravo, Styrian Golding
Yeast: House Scottish

This year’s blend comes from aging our Rye on Rye base beer four different ways:

31% - Templeton Rye Maple Cask Finish barrels
35% - Templeton 4 year barrels
27% - Templeton 4 year barrels with Maple syrup added after 8 months
7% - 2018 Rye on Rye, double barrel-aged

[accfanfrom1970]

#92
While we're on the maple theme - my favorite from Founders -

CURMUDGEON’S BETTER HALF - OLD ALE BREWED WITH MOLASSES AND AGED IN MAPLE SYRUP BOURBON BARRELS
ABV: 12.7%
IBUs:35
RateBeer Rating: 99

What tames an old ale like Curmudgeon? The tender embrace of oak and sweet maple, that’s what. The result is Curmudgeon’s Better Half, a harmonious matrimony of our deceptively smooth old ale brewed with molasses and time spent aging in bourbon barrels that have previously held maple syrup. Because all counterparts should be sweet, rich and utterly delicious.

[accfanfrom1970]

#93
Dark Lord - 3 Floyd's -2020

I found and edited this review which captures my thoughts...

"I like the mystique surrounding this beer. Only available once a year. Only available at the brewery in Indiana. Rated super highly. Many derivative versions that are also rated highly, if not higher and single bottles that trade for hundreds of dollars in private circles on the internet. The multicolored waxes that adorn each year's vintage. The black wax that adorns mine signifies 2020.

Poured out a heavy dark brown, nearly black, with a creamy one inch head that dissipates into a ring around the glass. Scents of dark raisins and other fruits, a bit of vanilla. Upon sipping, I'm greeted by raisin and rich sweet chocolate, and a bit of cherry. Perhaps a chocolate covered cherry. Notes of char and leather are present. Coffee is used in this brew but it's not too strong. The brew is mostly a sweet wash, with just a little bit of bitterness to balance it. Dark Lord is thick and syrupy, just the way I love my stouts. Overall this is a beer to enjoy as a meal in and of itself, as it is hearty and rich, bold and strong at 15%ABV.

I've read that this stout was there before stouts really came into their own, and that the overall field has risen to meet the standards this beer once set. It's better than some stouts, but in fact it is comparable to others. So while once upon a time some may have journeyed far and wide to experience this flavor, I think one can obtain beer just as good as this without searching too far from home. However, what an experience! And I feel like I've now joined a secret club. The Dark Lord club."

[accfanfrom1970]

The Dark Lord Vintage guide:
Red wax = 2004
Orange wax = 2005
Gold wax = 2006
Silver wax = 2007
Black wax = 2008
White wax = 2009
Green wax = 2010 - 15% ABV
Yellow wax = 2011 - 15% ABV
Red wax = 2012 - 15% ABV
Orange wax = 2013 - New Label 15% ABV
Blue wax = 2014 - 15% ABV
Maroon wax = 2015 15% ABV
Black with glitter flecks wax = 2016
Green with silver glitter = 2017 - New Label
Silver wax = 2018
Magenta with glitter = 2019
Black wax wrapped label = 2020

I still have 2017 and 2018. Thanks to DD and the mules! Well worth the effort, $$ and adventure to join the "Dark Lord" club.

[accfanfrom1970]

#94
Better than the annual Dark Lord was my variant -

Trump and Pump - Dark Lord aged in barrels soaked in Sauternes, a French dessert wine commonly served with foie gras, adorned with another Draxler painting. 15%abv.

Black in color. No head. Lots of sweetness. Molasses, dark fruits, toffee, sweet cherries, and oak. Tons of port/wine flavors. Caramel and vanilla. Raisins.
Full bodied. Sweet and syrupy. This beer is really awesome if you are looking for a dessert stout. Impressive, and released in spring 2016. Aged great.

[accfanfrom1970]

#95
Goose Island - Bourbon County. This one started the BBA genre' and I couldn't be happier. A classic and well worth purchasing every year.

"The Original Bourbon Barrel aged Imperial Stout. Our primary focus every year is to make this beer the best that it’s ever been, with the best ingredients, which includes the finest of bourbon whiskey barrels. This year’s Bourbon County Stout is aged in a mix of bourbon barrels from a variety of whiskey distilleries. Barrel-aged for a year to develop the complexity that only time can provide, Bourbon County Stout boasts a unique blend of flavors such as fudge, vanilla and caramel — topped off with a rich, complex mouthfeel."

I still have the 2017/2018/2019 set and a couple from 2020. Hopefully, if all goes well, I should retire the end of 2022 and start drinking these at 5 years old, one a year

[accfanfrom1970]

5 to go...but there will be some cheating, or going over 100

I still have Vasen, Isley, Garden Grove and Veil breweries...and that's just here in Richmond.

[devildeac]

Happy to see Hardywood views their one-off hit beers about like Founders does their one-off and one-more-off CBS

Yep; CBS brewed as a one-off about 5 times.

[devildeac]

This one was one of my favorites from fuse's delivery. Low Cat 3 for me and just loved it. The malts really stole the show with the flavor and the bitterness was well balanced rather than overpowering.

Fullsteam, always good/very good, seldom "world class," but, that's fine as I like their beers a lot and have for many years.

[devildeac]

Sadly all New Glarus's are long gone before I figured this out.

But that just amps up the anticipation for next time even more

That *may* be coming up sooner than you think...

[devildeac]

I was probably still drinking Bud Light back then... Not sure if that beer tasted more like #1 or #2.

That was before I discovered this thread and was kindly welcomed even though my first post was a beer from Wicked Weed

Wicked Weed still brews very good beers but most of us choose to support the Independent Craft Brewers Association almost all the time.

[devildeac]

Blue Mountain - A Hopwork Orange

Blue Mountain-Dark Hollow

[devildeac]

Sure but Baltic porters didn't count because they're really lagers.

Fair enough though, Baltics aren't the best style for many of our audience. But my Hardywood Baltic Sunrise is on tap tomorrow, but well after sunrise.

Would you pair a toaster pastry with that dark brew?

[devildeac]

This is quite true. I remember drinking Old Chubb cans from Oskar Blues when they first came out. We tried them at our poker home game as 2002 was back in the NLH poker heyday. I thought the cans were inferior to bottles when I first saw them, but quickly changed my mind when I tried Old Chubb. I should have had more Dale's Pale Ale, and thankfully there is still time to rectify that.

I was going to mention that I thought I had some sort of barrel-aged Old Chubb in the past but, upon further review, that was was fake news.

[devildeac]

Classic American craft:

Attachment 12934

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Clean and crisp, but we can do better posting than that so I'll compose a better, more complete review in a bit, without any artificial enhancement.

[devildeac]

Back to JackieO’s in Athens Ohio. If you’re ever in the area, they have a restaurant and brewpub in downtown Athens. A taproom in their brewery on the outskirts of Athens. Recently they opened a taproom in downtown Columbus.

When we stopped by for a flight, a meal and some purchases for you a couple years ago, we discovered they have 2 places in Athens. Thanks for the tip about Columbus as we were not aware of that development.