Ymm, Beer

[devildeac]

Both their blonde ale (reviewed unthread) and their brown ale are tasty as well.

I knew that name/brewery sounded familiar.

[devildeac]

And, batting in the clean-up spot for the afternoon:

Insanity-Weyerbacher Brewing

Some old reviews from 2011, 2012 and 2013:

Insanity (2011)-Weyerbacher Brewing

(February, 2012 review) Even smoother than the March, 2011 tasting. And I still have one bottle left to sample next year . Oak/cask/bourbon barrel aging has made most of the barleywines I have tried so much softer on the palate by giving them vanilla, woody and dark fruity flavors in addition to the whiskey tastes.

Here are my 2011 notes:

Insanity-Weyerbacher Brewing

From the brewer: Insanity is made by aging our perfectly balanced Blithering Idiot Barleywine in oak bourbon casks. This incredible combination creates a mélange of flavors from rich malts, raisons, and dates to oak, vanilla, and bourbon. Insanity will be yours this February!

From my lips: This is the style/manner in which most barleywines should be made. I'll guess an IBU about 70-80 but the ABV is 11.5% for an incredible malty backbone and balance. Quite smooth and luscious and even reminding me of another favorite of mine, Dogfish Head's Immort Ale, with some maple syrup notes. Marketed in 4 packs at about $13 for the grouping. The pour is slightly cloudy and deep reddish-brown, the head is modest and it should be served about 55-60 degrees in a snifter/goblet and sipped after ACCT victories

From the last bottle of the 2011 litter from January, 2013:

This just gets better with age. Not much better, but much like Sixteen, I thought this was a bit smoother and richer than my 2012 tasting. I split a 12 ounce bottle with my son-in-law a couple weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed this nightcap. So, if you see a 4 pack, buy it and set aside one for each of the next three years and enjoy one shortly after your purchase.

And the 2015 edition:

I'm not sure of the age of this 5 ounce taster as it's listed as a winter/spring seasonal, but the draft version sounds/tastes even smoother than the bottled versions I've had in the past. Very little bitterness as I discovered the IBUs are only 34 so this 11.1% ABV barleywine aged in oak bourbon barrels is truly a malt monster. Mildly syrupy/caramely with lots of vanilla and oak tastes and a gentle whiskey finish. Nice way to complete lunch and the sampler which was $7 for 20 ounces of high gravity brews.

[fuse]

Post #8000 dedicated to fuse because he found this ale, Tripping William and ricks68 because they like the style and to all the rest who have contributed the prior 7999 posts!

Phantom Ship-Heavy Seas Brewing

This is part of their Uncharted Waters series and it's a bourbon barrel aged triple style Belgian ale. Pour from the bomber was a very slightly cloudy golden with a moderate, fizzy head that disappeared somewhat quickly leaving a bit of lace on my Ommegang tulip and on the beer. First up are banana, orange and clove esters. Next are peach and orange tastes with some mango, pineapple, white pepper, candi sugar, vanilla, oak and a hint of bourbon at the finish, but only as it warmed a bit. Hops: Styrian Aurora, Hallertau Mittlefruh. Malts: 2-Row, Munich Malt. No adjuncts listed. IBUs at 37 and 10% ABV on the bottle but it's dangerously deceptive and I could easily down a bomber in an hour or so but am limiting myself to half tonight. I think the Triple Overhead bourbon barrel aged by Mother Earth is better but this is still a very good beverage at $10 for 22 ounces and would accompany a plate of fresh berries very nicely on a warm summer evening.

Prosit!

Had this tonight. Good, a little thick/syrupy. Nice bourbon nose. Easy to drink, not close to my favorite of this style- Mother Earth Tripel Overhead.

Worth finding and trying if you like the style.

[devildeac]

Pinot Aged Brett beer? Yes, please!

Smells sugary sweet, a little vinous/ red fruit with some mild straw funkiness.

Wonderfully complex as wild ales tend to be.
Definitely some nice Pinot smoothness and cherry like fruit mid palate, with a dry, musty delightful finish.

It's a shame there's so much good beer to choose from in the Triangle.

Huge hit- thanks devildeac!

Pretty Polly-Steel String Brewing

More local drinking!

I divided this 500 ml bottle designated as an American wild ale over a couple nights last week, found I had little to add to fuse's notes and forgot about it until this AM and thought I'd echo his tasting review to remind folks how appetizing this was. Reminded me of a "blend" of the Catawba Sour Zombie (blonde ale) I had during our Asheville visit in May and a pink Zinfandel perhaps. I'll guess IBUs around 30 and the ABV was listed at 7%. It was tantalizing by itself and would be delectable with a plate of melon slices and berries.

[fuse]

Discovered an unusual pairing combination- pad thai and Anderson Valley Kimmie, Yink and the Holy Gose.

Opened on a lark, turned out to be a nice balance.

[mattman91]

Way overdue reviews from Innovation Brewing in Sylva. I sampled a flight of 5 different beers on the way back from a weekend getaway in Tennessee.

Centennial Saison - Started off with this light refreshing saison. I don't remember the ABV, but I'm pretty sure it was in the low 5's. Very easy drinking and fit the style perfectly. This one has the Ricks68 stamp of approval, as he has bought at least 2 growlers of it

Apricot Gose - Fuse, I'm sure you would have loved this one. I have had a few of these before, but it is a little hard to get used to. Amusedcupcake loved it and said it tasted like pickle juice. I couldn't get much of the apricot flavor as I found the saltiness to be a bit overwhelming.

Gallia Belgian IPA - Now we're talking! This was one of my favorites. We have had discussions of the Belgian IPA style here and most would agree that either the Belgian yeast qualities overpower the hop bite or vise versa. To me, they found the perfect balance of the two elements. The Belgian yeast notes collided wonderfully with the floral hop profile.

Hops N Robbers IPA - Well balanced, complex, easy drinking IPA. I think the ABV was around 6.8 and I would guess the IBUs to be in the low to mid 70s. The bartender said Hops N Robbers is brewed with Centennial, Chinook, and Cascade hops.

Midnight Rye-der - Awesome name, awesome beer. It is exactly what it sounds like, a black IPA brewed with rye. Probably my favorite of the flight. Around 7% ABV and an estimated 80 IBUs. Malty and a little bit of spice, presumably from the rye, with just the right amount of hop bitterness on the back-end to make it just right.

[devildeac]

Way overdue reviews from Innovation Brewing in Sylva. I sampled a flight of 5 different beers on the way back from a weekend getaway in Tennessee.

Centennial Saison - Started off with this light refreshing saison. I don't remember the ABV, but I'm pretty sure it was in the low 5's. Very easy drinking and fit the style perfectly. This one has the Ricks68 stamp of approval, as he has bought at least 2 growlers of it

Apricot Gose - Fuse, I'm sure you would have loved this one. I have had a few of these before, but it is a little hard to get used to. Amusedcupcake loved it and said it tasted like pickle juice. I couldn't get much of the apricot flavor as I found the saltiness to be a bit overwhelming.

Gallia Belgian IPA - Now we're talking! This was one of my favorites. We have had discussions of the Belgian IPA style here and most would agree that either the Belgian yeast qualities overpower the hop bite or vise versa. To me, they found the perfect balance of the two elements. The Belgian yeast notes collided wonderfully with the floral hop profile.

Hops N Robbers IPA - Well balanced, complex, easy drinking IPA. I think the ABV was around 6.8 and I would guess the IBUs to be in the low to mid 70s. The bartender said Hops N Robbers is brewed with Centennial, Chinook, and Cascade hops.

Midnight Rye-der - Awesome name, awesome beer. It is exactly what it sounds like, a black IPA brewed with rye. Probably my favorite of the flight. Around 7% ABV and an estimated 80 IBUs. Malty and a little bit of spice, presumably from the rye, with just the right amount of hop bitterness on the back-end to make it just right.

Good stuff, mattman. I liked the name Hops N Robbers. Perhaps a bit more than Midnight Rye-der and almost as much as the Lonerider beer, And the Hops You Rode In On. One of my favorite all time beer names (that is suitable for posting) is a barleywine called Cereal Killer.

[mattman91]

Finally tried the new Oskar Blues IPA On Saturday. I'm embarrassed to admit that I over indulged on other drinks before I was able to try it out, so I cannot yet give it an endorsement.

I lost my wallet in the Uber car, which really sucked because it had all of my credit/debit cards and driver license. I had planned a trip for the following day to go to Oskar Blues but was unable to go because of my lost ID.

Lessen learned...drink responsibly.

[Tripping William]

Way overdue reviews from Innovation Brewing in Sylva. I sampled a flight of 5 different beers on the way back from a weekend getaway in Tennessee.

Couldn't spork, but great review. We'll definitely need to pay a visit to Innovation next time we're that far west.

[Tripping William]

I knew that name/brewery sounded familiar.

Saw yesterday that Blind Squirrel also has bombers of an IPA in distribution. I'll have to pick one up before long.

[devildeac]

Couldn't spork, but great review. We'll definitely need to pay a visit to Innovation next time we're that far west.

I covered you with the sporks.

Apparently, a few (lot?) of folks/brewers/restaurants in Asheville are boycotting Bell's Beers due to their lawsuit against Innovation for name/copyright infringement.
They must not have read DBR policy as the inappropriate use/citation/posting of copyrighted material here only results in 1 infraction point and no legal fees/depositions/court appearances.

[devildeac]

A great find from CameronBornAndBred that he shared with me/us on another board:

http://www.pastemagazine.com/article...nd-im.html?a=1

Beeradvocate and ratebeer have something similar for many different styles of brews.

[grad_devil]

I covered you with the sporks.

Apparently, a few (lot?) of folks/brewers/restaurants in Asheville are boycotting Bell's Beers due to their lawsuit against Innovation for name/copyright infringement.
They must not have read DBR policy as the inappropriate use/citation/posting of copyrighted material here only results in 1 infraction point and no legal fees/depositions/court appearances.

I grew up in Jackson County, where Sylva is located, so I've followed this - but not closely.

It seems these two parties just need to sit down over a tall pint. Innovation went to the media when Bell's asked them to withdraw their trademark application, since their name is close to two (non-trademarked) slogans that Bell's uses ("Brewing innovation since 1985" and "Inspired brewing").

Bell's responded via social media: https://twitter.com/BellsBrewery/sta...29531699548160
Innovation responded in kind: https://www.facebook.com/innovationb...55657244592313

This well-written summary thinks they both need to chill and quit acting like children.

[fuse]

Way overdue reviews from Innovation Brewing in Sylva. I sampled a flight of 5 different beers on the way back from a weekend getaway in Tennessee.

Centennial Saison - Started off with this light refreshing saison. I don't remember the ABV, but I'm pretty sure it was in the low 5's. Very easy drinking and fit the style perfectly. This one has the Ricks68 stamp of approval, as he has bought at least 2 growlers of it

Apricot Gose - Fuse, I'm sure you would have loved this one. I have had a few of these before, but it is a little hard to get used to. Amusedcupcake loved it and said it tasted like pickle juice. I couldn't get much of the apricot flavor as I found the saltiness to be a bit overwhelming.

Gallia Belgian IPA - Now we're talking! This was one of my favorites. We have had discussions of the Belgian IPA style here and most would agree that either the Belgian yeast qualities overpower the hop bite or vise versa. To me, they found the perfect balance of the two elements. The Belgian yeast notes collided wonderfully with the floral hop profile.

Hops N Robbers IPA - Well balanced, complex, easy drinking IPA. I think the ABV was around 6.8 and I would guess the IBUs to be in the low to mid 70s. The bartender said Hops N Robbers is brewed with Centennial, Chinook, and Cascade hops.

Midnight Rye-der - Awesome name, awesome beer. It is exactly what it sounds like, a black IPA brewed with rye. Probably my favorite of the flight. Around 7% ABV and an estimated 80 IBUs. Malty and a little bit of spice, presumably from the rye, with just the right amount of hop bitterness on the back-end to make it just right.

Thanks for sharing.

I'm not a huge apricot fan (for example, I don't drink Aprihop) and that would not stop me from trying it. Great reviews!

[Tripping William]

I grew up in Jackson County, where Sylva is located, so I've followed this - but not closely.

It seems these two parties just need to sit down over a tall pint. Innovation went to the media when Bell's asked them to withdraw their trademark application, since their name is close to two (non-trademarked) slogans that Bell's uses ("Brewing innovation since 1985" and "Inspired brewing").

Bell's responded via social media: https://twitter.com/BellsBrewery/sta...29531699548160
Innovation responded in kind: https://www.facebook.com/innovationb...55657244592313

This well-written summary thinks they both need to chill and quit acting like children.

I covered you with the sporks.

Apparently, a few (lot?) of folks/brewers/restaurants in Asheville are boycotting Bell's Beers due to their lawsuit against Innovation for name/copyright infringement.
They must not have read DBR policy as the inappropriate use/citation/posting of copyrighted material here only results in 1 infraction point and no legal fees/depositions/court appearances.

Professionally, I'll remain Switzerland on this (or is that "Wake Forest" on this?). Just here for the beer.

[devildeac]

I grew up in Jackson County, where Sylva is located, so I've followed this - but not closely.

It seems these two parties just need to sit down over a tall pint. Innovation went to the media when Bell's asked them to withdraw their trademark application, since their name is close to two (non-trademarked) slogans that Bell's uses ("Brewing innovation since 1985" and "Inspired brewing").

Bell's responded via social media: https://twitter.com/BellsBrewery/sta...29531699548160
Innovation responded in kind: https://www.facebook.com/innovationb...55657244592313

This well-written summary thinks they both need to chill and quit acting like children.

Ya mean like this:

http://averybrewing.com/collaboratio...itigation-ale/


A great story:

"Salvation. The name of two intricate Belgian-style ales, created by us, Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing and Adam Avery of Avery Brewing.

After becoming friends a few years ago, we realized we both had a Salvation in our lineups. Was it going to be a problem? Should one of us relinquish the name rights? “Hell, no!” we said. In fact, it was quickly decided that we should blend the brews to catch the best qualities of each and create an even more complex and rich libation. In April 2004, in a top secret meeting at Russian River Brewing (well, actually it was packed in the pub and many were looking over our shoulders wondering what the hell was going on), we came up with the perfect blend of the two Salvations.

Natalie, Vinnie’s much more significant other, exclaimed, “We should call this Collaboration, not Litigation Ale!” “Perfect,” we shouted! We celebrated deep into the night (or is that morning?). Fast forward to November 14, 2006. After talking about it for over two years, we finally decided to pull the trigger and Vinnie made the journey to Avery Brewing to brew his Salvation exactly as he does in his brewery."

[Tripping William]

I purchased a 12-ouncer of this at Stella Brew a while back just based on the name alone. You may have to enlarge the image to read the back-story printed on the bottle. Pretty stout stout, too, and it had to be given the price-point.

11116914_448047305352297_1838680851_n.jpg

[devildeac]

I purchased a 12-ouncer of this at Stella Brew a while back just based on the name alone. You may have to enlarge the image to read the back-story printed on the bottle. Pretty stout stout, too, and it had to be given the price-point.

11116914_448047305352297_1838680851_n.jpg

There's a lot of funny/entertaining stuff reading the fronts and/or backs of beer can/bottles labels. Lagunitas and Stone products come to mind. Thanks for finding/sharing.

[fuse]

Ghostface Brewing is coming to the Triangle area (Raleigh?).

I tweeted at them I didn't think Twisted Pine (who makes the Ghost Face Killah pepper beer) would appreciate it.

Crowded name space in the beer world.

[fuse]

Westbrook Gose Redux

I bought a six pack early this summer.

I tend to think of Westbrook as "gose to the extreme".

It is Keystone bitter beer face puckering sour.
Can you like something and it still be uncomfortable?

Fighting through every sip of a 4% beer is an every time surprising experience.

Still recommended. I really like sour beers and would say Westbrook is a good beer. I wish I could put into words how Westbrook gose hits my palate differently than other sour beer.

Cheers!