Ymm, Beer

[duketaylor]

I saw in the paper a few days ago that both A-B and MillerCoors had announced ingredients of their flagship brands after 40,000+ people had signed a petition requesting it. MillerCoors listed corn as one of the ingredients in Miller Lite. Budweiser has rice in it. Just an FYI. I have yet to make any brews with corn, but did buy some for future use.

[devildeac]

I saw in the paper a few days ago that both A-B and MillerCoors had announced ingredients of their flagship brands after 40,000+ people had signed a petition requesting it. MillerCoors listed corn as one of the ingredients in Miller Lite. Budweiser has rice in it. Just an FYI. I have yet to make any brews with corn, but did buy some for future use.

IIRC, after reading the article linked upthread, that millercoors was using corn syrup in their brews and the response was kinda/sorta no big deal. I'm not sure even Dogfish Head uses corn in any of their concoctions and they've been know to use just about anything.

[fuse]

IIRC, after reading the article linked upthread, that millercoors was using corn syrup in their brews and the response was kinda/sorta no big deal. I'm not sure even Dogfish Head uses corn in any of their concoctions and they've been know to use just about anything.

Big hullabaloo about nothing.
Disclosing water, barley, rice, corn, etc isn't a huge deal. If they publish spices, types of malt, ratios, etc then it might be interesting.

GMO/non-GMO would be interesting, too.

The food blogger that forced this has some decent PR muscle but the outcome is pretty weak.

[devildeac]

Big hullabaloo about nothing.
Disclosing water, barley, rice, corn, etc isn't a huge deal. If they publish spices, types of malt, ratios, etc then it might be interesting.

GMO/non-GMO would be interesting, too.

The food blogger that forced this has some decent PR muscle but the outcome is pretty weak.

Had to look up GMO. Yes, that would be interesting.

[mattman91]

IIRC, after reading the article linked upthread, that millercoors was using corn syrup in their brews and the response was kinda/sorta no big deal. I'm not sure even Dogfish Head uses corn in any of their concoctions and they've been know to use just about anything.

Actually, they have...but not a very conventional way. I envy Sam Calagione's life...

Side Note: Would spit be considered an adjunct?

[OldPhiKap]

Brew Dog Punk IPA

Picked up a growler recently, broke the seal watching futbol. Odd beer, still thinking about it. Tastes more like Shock Top than an IPA, and is certainly orangy. Fruit nose.

[devildeac]

Actually, they have...but not a very conventional way. I envy Sam Calagione's life...

Side Note: Would spit be considered an adjunct?

Note to self (and others reading this segment of the thread): do not buy any DFH chicha when it arrives on the shelves of your favorite specialty store.

I guess spit would be an adjunct. Wonder if the GABF would create another category in which brewers could enter their best spittle lager or ale.

[fuse]

Having good friends visit means...

Growler of RBC Hell Yes Ma'am
Mother Earth 2013 Fig & Raisins
Mother Earth 2011 bourbon barrel aged Tripel
Goose Island Pere Jaques (thanks devildeac!)

Been a Belgian style kinda night! Good fun!

Inspiring me to consider buying more Mother Earth Bourbon Barrel Aged Tripel. Spectacular beer!

[devildeac]

Windowpane Peaches 2013-Mother Earth Brewing


As promised from the beer list upthread, we started the evening with a double/imperial wheat ale brewed with North Carolina peaches and aged in chardonnay barrels for 3 months. This plan yielded>>>>>>>>peach wine!!!! Well, not quite but the immediate olfactory sensation was ripe peaches followed by a bit of citrus and a sweet, fruity vinous aroma. First taste was also peaches with a bit of orange and tang from the wheat. Pour was a medium, slightly cloudy orange with a small head. I couldn't find the IBU anywhere but I'd guess about 10-20 and the ABV on the bottle was 8.2% so the 5 of us partaking of this corked and caged 750 ml bottle started with a relative heavyweight. We had veggies and ranch dip and a Mexican layered taco dip so the pairing was not ideal as this would have been great with a fruit tray or some warm brie and jam.

This ended up being the favorite of everyone tonight except for me as I liked the next brew a bit better...

[devildeac]

Having good friends visit means...

Growler of RBC Hell Yes Ma'am
Mother Earth 2013 Fig & Raisins
Mother Earth 2011 bourbon barrel aged Tripel
Goose Island Pere Jaques (thanks devildeac!)

Been a Belgian style kinda night! Good fun!

Inspiring me to consider buying more Mother Earth Bourbon Barrel Aged Tripel. Spectacular beer!

My older son-in-law had a growler of Hell, Yes Ma'am last weekend when he and my daughter had friends over. Nary a word from him on a review and not a drop saved for me. He can buy his own damn lunch tomorrow.

[devildeac]

Windowpane Fig and Raisin 2013-Mother Earth

This Belgian dubbel style ale was served from a corked and caged 750 ml bottle between our first and second courses. Poured a light to medium mildly opaque brown with a nose of dark brown sugar and dark, dried fruits. The tastes matched the scents as expected with the North Carolina figs and raisins included in the brew. I didn't know North Carolina produced those fruits. Booze perception was moderately prominent as this was aged in North Carolina apple brandy barrels and was also 9% ABV. I'd guess the IBUs in the 30 range, typical for the style. It made a nice starter for our burgers off the grill, broccoli salad, fruit salad and chips. Would also pair nicely with ribs and brisket. This was my personal favorite of the evening but was less well received by the others. I thought the Windowpane Peaches was also very good.

[duketaylor]

My farmer down in the Hill's son has a sausage business, which is doing well. I brought home some beer brats a few weeks ago (frozen) and have them thawing out in a bath of one of my homebrews and teriyaki sauce for grilling this evening. Love cooking with beer, looking forward to them later. May have to find a brew or two to pair with them Happy Father's Day to those of you out there!!

[devildeac]

Theobroma 2009-Dogfish Head

An ale that almost defies characterization. From the brewer:

Theobroma is a celebration of chocolate, the food of the gods.
This Ancient Ale is based on chemical analysis of pottery fragments found in Honduras that revealed the earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink used by early civilizations to toast special occasions.
The discovery of this beverage pushed back the earliest use of cocoa for human consumption more than 500 years to 1,200 B.C. As per the analysis, Dogfish Head's Theobroma (translated into "food of the gods") is brewed with Aztec cocoa powder and cocoa nibs (from our friends at Askinosie Chocolate), honey, chilies and annatto (fragrant tree seeds).
It's light in color, not what you expect from your typical chocolate beer (not that you'd be surprised that we'd do something unexpected with this beer!).
This beer is part of our Ancient Ales series -- along with Midas Touch, Chateau Jiahu, Sah'tea and Ta Henket -- so step back in time and enjoy some Theobroma.


From my lips:

Poured a cloudy, cocoa color with a negligible head. A bit of caramel and brown sugar sweetness on the nose with the same upon tasting along with light flavors of cocoa and a very mild, warm and peppery finish. Ingredients listed above. I guess I'd plug this into the double bock category with its IBU listing as 8 (no typo) and ABV of 9%. No grains, hops or yeast varieties listed. This was the least favorite of the tastings last PM and that's why I'm left with the last 6-8 ounces to finish tonight, which I will gladly do. Not my favorite DFH brew but I sincerely appreciate many of their other brews and interesting ideas and formulations.

[devildeac]

Worth posting again as my son chose this to share from the "cellar" last PM as our night cap:

World Wide Stout (circa 1999)-Dogfish Head


I think this was my last bottle of this from a case I bought about 15 years ago. I say that because no date was on the bottle, only a ©1999 on the label.
IIRC, this was about $7/12 ounce bottle and worth every penny. The elixir was pitch black with essentially no head and no sediment. I shared half the bottle with our son one night last week and finished the bottle myself over the next two nights. Served in a dessert wine glass at near room temperature, this ale pretty much defies description as a grain beverage and really resembles a port. Aromas of unsweetened chocolate, espresso, raisins, figs and dates are present with a vinous fragrance, too. Tastes match the scents quite closely. IBUs are 70 and the ABV is not listed but I think was 18-20%. I think I have a couple more bottles from 2007 or 2008 and, if I see it again, would readily purchase another few bottles which are likely ~$9 by now. Exquisite beverage.

Last one from that year.

[mattman91]

Theobroma 2009-Dogfish Head

An ale that almost defies characterization. From the brewer:

Theobroma is a celebration of chocolate, the food of the gods.
This Ancient Ale is based on chemical analysis of pottery fragments found in Honduras that revealed the earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink used by early civilizations to toast special occasions.
The discovery of this beverage pushed back the earliest use of cocoa for human consumption more than 500 years to 1,200 B.C. As per the analysis, Dogfish Head's Theobroma (translated into "food of the gods") is brewed with Aztec cocoa powder and cocoa nibs (from our friends at Askinosie Chocolate), honey, chilies and annatto (fragrant tree seeds).
It's light in color, not what you expect from your typical chocolate beer (not that you'd be surprised that we'd do something unexpected with this beer!).
This beer is part of our Ancient Ales series -- along with Midas Touch, Chateau Jiahu, Sah'tea and Ta Henket -- so step back in time and enjoy some Theobroma.


From my lips:

Poured a cloudy, cocoa color with a negligible head. A bit of caramel and brown sugar sweetness on the nose with the same upon tasting along with light flavors of cocoa and a very mild, warm and peppery finish. Ingredients listed above. I guess I'd plug this into the double bock category with its IBU listing as 8 (no typo) and ABV of 9%. No grains, hops or yeast varieties listed. This was the least favorite of the tastings last PM and that's why I'm left with the last 6-8 ounces to finish tonight, which I will gladly do. Not my favorite DFH brew but I sincerely appreciate many of their other brews and interesting ideas and formulations.

You have to love DFH.

"Off centered ales for off centered people"

[devildeac]

12%? Check. Over 100 IBUs? Check.

Say goodnight, fuse.

Pours a deep amber. The nose is all boozy, almost like a barleywine.

Bitter for days, with layers of bitter.
I can't identify the individual hops or how many types, but based on the different bitterness up front, mid palate, and on the finish I'd say at least three.

There is some dry wood at the end, too.

Double, Triple, Imperial- whatever the label, sometimes an imbalanced beer can be palatable, and other times just bracing. The Founders website says ten hops dry hopped- at least one of the hops is strongly astringent.

I'm a big fan of Founders beer. Devil Dancer may not hit my palate right- I'd say it is a good beer, perhaps too big a beer for me (or this particular moment).

Devildeac, I'm glad that you shared this. It's always interesting to consider yourself a hophead and find there are still beers out there that might elude our senses and ability to appreciate.

I thought Devil Dancer reminded me of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, and I felt crazy for thinking that- for sure as a barleywine, Bigfoot would be relatively low in bitterness/IBUs.

Sierra Nevada's website says Bigfoot is 90 IBUs. I don't know if that is consistent year to year, but I was surprised.

Devil Dancer is a big beer- even at 12oz, I'd recommend sharing with a friend. If you like Bigfoot, I think you'll like Devil Dancer.

This is worth a couple old reviews along with a new one.

From 7/30/10:

Still celebrating :

Devil Dancer-Founders Brewing

Saw this for the 1st time a couple weeks ago and remember bluebeer (or was it rmd?) mentioning it at some point but never was able to find it until now. This is described as a triple IPA or IIIPA, I guess. Lots of piney/herbal hops with a bit of citrus and a bit of the malty sweetness of a barleywine, but, make no mistake about it, the IBU of 112 (no typo!) and the ABV of 12% scream bitterness at your palate from the 1st taste to the last drop. Not for the faint-tongued but, if sipped as an after dinner drink (would also pair nicely with spicy dishes) from a wine/brandy glass at cellar temperature, it is a very enjoyable ale. I think CB&B has one of these and my son has the 3rd. The 4th will be cellared until at least this fall but I'm gonna try and "hide" this with some old 120 Minute IPA, Samichlaus and Bigfoot and wait at least a year before having the last member of the $20 ( ) four pack. If you can procure some, it's worth the few extra $$ to have one now and then trade/age the remainder.

[devildeac]

This is worth a couple old reviews along with a new one.

From 7/30/10:

Still celebrating:

Devil Dancer-Founders Brewing

Saw this for the 1st time a couple weeks ago and remember bluebeer (or was it rmd?) mentioning it at some point but never was able to find it until now. This is described as a triple IPA or IIIPA, I guess. Lots of piney/herbal hops with a bit of citrus and a bit of the malty sweetness of a barleywine, but, make no mistake about it, the IBU of 112 (no typo!) and the ABV of 12% scream bitterness at your palate from the 1st taste to the last drop. Not for the faint-tongued but, if sipped as an after dinner drink (would also pair nicely with spicy dishes) from a wine/brandy glass at cellar temperature, it is a very enjoyable ale. I think CB&B has one of these and my son has the 3rd. The 4th will be cellared until at least this fall but I'm gonna try and "hide" this with some old 120 Minute IPA, Samichlaus and Bigfoot and wait at least a year before having the last member of the $20 ( ) four pack. If you can procure some, it's worth the few extra $$ to have one now and then trade/age the remainder.

From 3/14/11:

Devil Dancer 2010-Founder's Brewing

(ACC MBB officiating tirade in middle of beer review. Read at your own discretion/caution.)

There were multiple reasons to savor this celebratory brew last PM. First, I like the name . Not much additional explanation needed for that one. Second, it is an IIIPA, or a Triple IPA. As in three malts/yeasts/hops and/or fermentations. Or, as in 3 consecutive ACCT championships . The third reason was the bitterness. This hop bomb rocks your palate at an IBU of 112, right about the same amount of bitterness registered by unc fans after the 75-58 thrashing they took yesterday, complaining that the refs gave us the game with all our favorable calls, despite the facts that we had more PF than them at 20-16 AND less FT at 15-22, IIRC, while we led the entire freaking game. Plus, the fact that the 3 asshats wearing whistles and light blue and black stripes shirts chose to stop a fast break we had to review the tape and then ignore zeller's zelbow. That one really pissed off Mrs. DD who rarely complains about the refs or resorts to unsavory language. She came upstairs 3 separate times to chafe about that one. Oh, back to the beer.

The hops were citrusy, the malts massive and the ABV was 12%, just enough to sip and savor over an hour or so at cellar temperature out of a goblet. One of these high gravity ales for the 'hole fans plus a couple glasses of spoiled whine would be just the right amount of beverages to send them back to Hades where they belong. Oh, and the perfect food pairing with this would be roasted lamb .

[devildeac]

Thomas Hardy Ale 1993-exquisite-like a fine port

Devil Dancer 2013-lotsa hops and ABV.

More later. It's been a long, enjoyable (birth)day today.

Never got to the 1994 Sam Adams Triple Bock. That'll be Thursday.

[fuse]

Had the Foothills June IPA- another fruity delight. I find myself really liking the Foothills concept of a new <inset beer style here> per month, but I find myself wishing they would do a twelve pack annually to allow both more opportunity to sample as well as do comparisons.

Second was an aptly named sour cherry cider. Tart does not do it justice. I was unprepared but enjoyed it immensely.

Mattman, I see Wicked Weed is going to do a rhubarb saison. I'd be interested in your opinion, as that would be a beer style I really like with a vegetable(?) I really don't care for.

[mattman91]

Had the Foothills June IPA- another fruity delight. I find myself really liking the Foothills concept of a new <inset beer style here> per month, but I find myself wishing they would do a twelve pack annually to allow both more opportunity to sample as well as do comparisons.

Second was an aptly named sour cherry cider. Tart does not do it justice. I was unprepared but enjoyed it immensely.

Mattman, I see Wicked Weed is going to do a rhubarb saison. I'd be interested in your opinion, as that would be a beer style I really like with a vegetable(?) I really don't care for.

First of all, I love Foothills Jade. I get it almost every time I'm at Barley's downtown.

Secondly, the rhubarb saison was made with 75 lbs of rhubarb and was done in collaboration with Fonta Flora Brewing in Morganton (these guys make some pretty excellent brews as well, so I'm sure it will be tasty!)

They also have three new beers coming out for the World Cup...

From their Facebook Page:

Country of Inspiration: Mexico
Concept: A light, spicy beer brewed with cilantro.
Ingredients of interest: Anaheim, Fresno and Habanero chilies, and cilantro.

Country of Inspiration: Germany
Concept: Traditional Bavarian Hefeweizen made with two uncommon German hops.
Ingredients of interest: Mandarina Bavaria and Huell Melon hops and Bavarian Hefeweizen yeast

Country of Inspiration: Australia
Concept: A 7% ABV ale brewed with 5 types of New Zealand or Australian hops and Lemon Myrtle.
Ingredients of interest: Orbit, Green Bullet, Wakatu, Pacific Gem and Pacific Jade hops and Lemon Myrtle.

Not sure if these will be bottled/distributed

Another cool tidbit...Luke Dickinson, head brewer of WW recently brewed a batch with the folks at Sierra Nevada...should be out next month. Be looking for Tater Ridge Scottish Ale

All of this info is from their Facebook page, so you may or may not have seen this.