Ymm, Beer

[fuse]

We left points on the field, err, beers in the coolers, too. Among those receiving a DNP-CD* were Curieux 2013 and 2015, Big Luscious and Blushing Monk. Oh, my. I hope none of them will transfer to other coolers and will consider returning next year.


(*Did Not Partake-Consumer's Decision)

Not that the tailgate list was not impressive (it was). Side by side of Curieux 2013/15 reads like a missed opportunity. Great beer.

[devildeac]

Not that the tailgate list was not impressive (it was). Side by side of Curieux 2013/15 reads like a missed opportunity. Great beer.

Looks like it'll have to be a 2016 side by side of the 2013 and 2015 Curieux. And, guess what? Yep, you're invited. We ran out of time and functioning liver cells yesterday.

[devildeac]

From 10/18/11:

Pumking-Southern Tier Brewing

What a great name! A new brew store in Raleigh, Bottle Revolution, had a case of this one Friday night and it was gone the next day so I was happy to see dpslaw have a bomber of one of these to share at Saturday's Brunchgate. The base is an amber ale but more on the imperial basis as this brew is 9% ABV and the IBU appear to be low, guessing 20-30. There was not much of a head but it was clear and crisp. There are NO spices added to this ale so the malts, yeast and pumpkin provide all the flavors and the pumpkin is very prominent but certainly no overwhelming. This would have been great with some of allenmurray's pork loin or pulled pork from the TB'CC but it was fine with the tacos and burritos. Certainly one of the better fruit/vegetable brews I have ever tasted, along with Weyerbacher's Imperial Pumpkin Ale. An excellent selection by dpslaw placing 2nd IMO during our informal tasting Saturday. I would certainly be pleased to sip on another one of these.

From 10/26/14:

Pumking (draft)-Southern Tier

Finally got my seasonal taste of this imperial pumpkin ale with apologies to August West who dropped a bomber at the last tailgate before we could open it in the proper manner. This was a shared 10 ounce draft at Tyler's in Derm last pm prior to CTC. I coerced one of our friends into ordering it as I offered to divide my Jack O'Hammered with him and he graciously consented. Served in a snifter with a somewhat surprising clear, light yellow-orange color, it had a smallish head and had a very subtle spicy nose but there are no added spices, just two malts, two hops and pumpkin. I thought it tasted a wee bit like a carrot-pumpkin juice. The "base" ale most closely resembled a Belgian golden ale with low IBU, guessing 20-30 or less, and high ABV at 8.6%. The bomber would be good to share with 4-6 others before, during or after trick-or-treating or with Thanksgiving dinner next month, certainly pairing nicely with squash soup before dinner, the obligatory sweet potatoes/casserole with dinner or a slice of pumpkin or even pecan pie after dinner.

From tonight:

Pumking-Southern Tier

I caved. Tom offered a 12 ounce bottle (new for 2015) of this at tailgate yesterday and didn't want anything in return but I had an extra Pumpkin Spiced Edinbrue and twisted his tongue, err, arm, until he relented and added it to his cooler.

Overall, not much different that prior reviews but I'm calling pumpkin seed shenanigans on their "no added spices" meme because this sure as unc-ch tastes like a blend of vanilla, clove, allspice, mace and whatever else Grandma had on her pie recipe but I will admit that pumpkin is the primary taste here, a welcome and well-remembered factor in my affinity for this ale.

And, with that, I think I'm finally and thankfully done with my 2015 pumpkin ales.

12oz_4pack-182x300.jpg

[ricks68]

Chose this as my post game victory celebration beer. One more game this season.

On a related note, if ricks68 or mattman could let me know when registration for the Beer City Cup opens in Asheville, I would really like to bring a team to compete.

Nose is watermelon, sweet and juicy memories of summer.
I'll disagree slightly with the esteemed devildeac in that I enjoyed this as much as my memories of 21st Amendment. I've not had the Double D (another Johnston County bias on my part).

The mint is really subtle, with a mild kick at the finish.

Where I will agree with devildeac is on the Burial marketing strategy.
Both beers I have tried so far have been numbered bottle limited editions.
Both are excellent beers which command an unreasonable price.
I don't begrudge Burial the approach.
I also don't know much about Burial in general. I suspect they have at least one outstanding limited edition (Donut Skillet Stout?) which drives reputation and consequently, price.

Thanks ricks68!

I think the Moon series may not be so hot compared to the other Burial brews. I got those for you guys because they are generally not what I go for, but something that you might like. The other Burial special brews have been consistently outstanding. Try the Bolo in the cans I got you, and it's not even one of their special brews. By the way, you should already know that Skillet is in cans at some of your local shops (if you can get it before it flies off the shelves after each delivery)

I'll give you more constructive feedback when I have more time later. Enjoy.

ricks

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Asheville Brewing has been my favorite haunt for nearly 20 years. Their original location on Merrimon was my go-to in college, and they were one of the very first to get into local brewing here after Highland started brewing in the basement of Barley's Pizza.

Over the years, their Shiva IPA has been a mainstay for me, and while other places may brew better beer, I remain loyal to the staff and comfort.

Having said all that, they have recently relocated the last of their brewing equipment to their downtown facility. To commemorate, they have a series of "Mothership" releases paying hommage to their humble beginnings brewing in the theater box office.

Yesterday I samples number two in the series, the Mothership Stout. If you are familiar with the Love Ninja seasonal they produce each February, it is quite similar. Heavy, chocolatey, with a raspberry undertone, this beer has a twist. There's a hint of ghost pepper hiding in there that kicks in on the back of your palate. Nothing like the powerful burst of jalapeno present in the Fire Escape - much mellower.

Strong beer served in 10oz pours, this guy is a nice way to end your evening and remember how far brewing in Asheville had come in 20 years.

[ricks68]

Asheville Brewing has been my favorite haunt for nearly 20 years. Their original location on Merrimon was my go-to in college, and they were one of the very first to get into local brewing here after Highland started brewing in the basement of Barley's Pizza.

Over the years, their Shiva IPA has been a mainstay for me, and while other places may brew better beer, I remain loyal to the staff and comfort.

Having said all that, they have recently relocated the last of their brewing equipment to their downtown facility. To commemorate, they have a series of "Mothership" releases paying hommage to their humble beginnings brewing in the theater box office.

Yesterday I samples number two in the series, the Mothership Stout. If you are familiar with the Love Ninja seasonal they produce each February, it is quite similar. Heavy, chocolatey, with a raspberry undertone, this beer has a twist. There's a hint of ghost pepper hiding in there that kicks in on the back of your palate. Nothing like the powerful burst of jalapeno present in the Fire Escape - much mellower.

Strong beer served in 10oz pours, this guy is a nice way to end your evening and remember how far brewing in Asheville had come in 20 years.

Thanks. I will have to try these before they are gone.

ricks

[fuse]

https://instagram.com/p/-KQlLql3S2/

For my Asheville friends. Details on Wicked Weed Angel of Darkness release.
If anyone can score a bottle for me that would be awesome.

[fuse]

New Holland released a bunch of Dragon's Milk special editions.
Most were gone from Tylers.

I did get to try the Dragon's Milk with raspberries.
Skipped the one with chilies.

A velvety smooth high alcohol chocolate raspberry delight.

I don't know where I will find bottles or have opportunity to try the others.
Find them if you can.

[ricks68]

Watermelon and Mint Blonde Ale-Burial Brewing


I've seen this called Harvest Moon elsewhere but that's not on the bottle anywhere, which BTW was a 750 ml capped and wax-dipped top container that took a modest amount of cutting and carving to finally get opened. Poured a light golden color with a modest amount of sediment and this was the first of two servings and I was gentle with decantation. Generous amount of watermelon aromas with mint in the background. Tastes were watermelon candy, rind and mint and perhaps a bit of orange. No hops or grains listed anywhere. I'll guess IBUs of 20 and the ABV was 6.1%. Very interesting beer/concept to try but rather spendy and I'm not looking forward to the sediment in the 2nd half of the bottle tonight. I like the Hell or High Watermelon from 21st Amendment and Double D's (no relation to me) Watermelon Lager from Deep River Brewing better in my limited tastings of watermelon ales. Paired nicely with a turkey, bacon and cheese wrap and some sour cream and onion chips for dinner last PM. Thanks to ricks68 for searching out and purchasing.

I think I sent you a picture of a scroll that was attached to each bottle that I forgot to include in the delivery that had Harvest Moon as the name of the beer. Also, it was only available at the brewery. In addition, Mrs. Ricks and I decided to draw down our massive 170 bottle beer trove tonight by also trying this beer for the first time to see how our evaluation compared to yours and fuse's. We were in total agreement that it greatly surpassed the 21st Amendment version we tried last year. It had much more body and superior aromas compared to what we experienced with the 21st Amendment watermelon. While we agree the 16 dollar pre-tax price too hefty, we also agree it was a darn good beer, and a very tasty experience. I suggest you retry a can of the 21st for comparison, as a lot beer has passed through your system between tastings, possibly (probably) affecting your memory.😉

ricks

[ricks68]

Chose this as my post game victory celebration beer. One more game this season.

On a related note, if ricks68 or mattman could let me know when registration for the Beer City Cup opens in Asheville, I would really like to bring a team to compete.

Nose is watermelon, sweet and juicy memories of summer.
I'll disagree slightly with the esteemed devildeac in that I enjoyed this as much as my memories of 21st Amendment. I've not had the Double D (another Johnston County bias on my part).

The mint is really subtle, with a mild kick at the finish.

Where I will agree with devildeac is on the Burial marketing strategy.
Both beers I have tried so far have been numbered bottle limited editions.
Both are excellent beers which command an unreasonable price.
I don't begrudge Burial the approach.
I also don't know much about Burial in general. I suspect they have at least one outstanding limited edition (Donut Skillet Stout?) which drives reputation and consequently, price.

Thanks ricks68!

As you have surely read my evaluation of the Burial watermelon, I will not repeat it here. I did want you to know that Burial is far, far and away not a "one trick pony", and has been getting premium prices on all of its limited releases because of its very limited brewing system in relation to demand for its brews. The entire Moon Series of monthly releases are not even on tap! They were on a 1 1/2 barrel system until less than a year ago, and still cannot keep up with a lot more fermenters and a new 10 barrel system. Skillet has not been available in any form for almost a month now, and that is in the most demand. You're lucky I was able to procure the Bolo for you, as this is the first batch they have ever canned. Too bad I couldn't get any Piston for you, as the 10 barrel batch was only available on tap and was gone in about 3 weeks. If my suspect math is correct, that's about 4000 10 oz. 9% pours of just one of their dozen or so beers on tap. A lot of the time, the place is mobbed. Boy, I just hope we will do half their business! Seriously.😆 After we open, I will still be spending serious time over there.😊 (Probably with Mattman in tow.)

You really need to come visit. Kids and dogs are welcome at most breweries in AVL, too.😄

ricks

[ricks68]

Holy cow! I just checked Burial and the Bolo is no longer on tap for tomorrow, and they only have 9 beers listed. Most appear to be limited releases for us to try again.😊 (More than obvious that it's my favorite brewery, isn't it)

ricks

[devildeac]

I think I sent you a picture of a scroll that was attached to each bottle that I forgot to include in the delivery that had Harvest Moon as the name of the beer. Also, it was only available at the brewery. In addition, Mrs. Ricks and I decided to draw down our massive 170 bottle beer trove tonight by also trying this beer for the first time to see how our evaluation compared to yours and fuse's. We were in total agreement that it greatly surpassed the 21st Amendment version we tried last year. It had much more body and superior aromas compared to what we experienced with the 21st Amendment watermelon. While we agree the 16 dollar pre-tax price too hefty, we also agree it was a darn good beer, and a very tasty experience. I suggest you retry a can of the 21st for comparison, as a lot beer has passed through your system between tastings, possibly (probably) affecting your memory.😉

ricks

170 bottles?!?! That's more than 14 cases of the large format beers . You and Mrs. ricks68 have a lot of sipping to do which will be made even more difficult by your frequent trips to Burial (and WW and Catawba and One World and Pisgah and ABC and ...) and your soon-to-open Bhramari Brewhouse. I may have to find a single of Hell or High Watermelon this week or next to reacquaint my tasting apparatus.

[fuse]

As you have surely read my evaluation of the Burial watermelon, I will not repeat it here. I did want you to know that Burial is far, far and away not a "one trick pony", and has been getting premium prices on all of its limited releases because of its very limited brewing system in relation to demand for its brews. The entire Moon Series of monthly releases are not even on tap! They were on a 1 1/2 barrel system until less than a year ago, and still cannot keep up with a lot more fermenters and a new 10 barrel system. Skillet has not been available in any form for almost a month now, and that is in the most demand. You're lucky I was able to procure the Bolo for you, as this is the first batch they have ever canned. Too bad I couldn't get any Piston for you, as the 10 barrel batch was only available on tap and was gone in about 3 weeks. If my suspect math is correct, that's about 4000 10 oz. 9% pours of just one of their dozen or so beers on tap. A lot of the time, the place is mobbed. Boy, I just hope we will do half their business! Seriously.😆 After we open, I will still be spending serious time over there.😊 (Probably with Mattman in tow.)

You really need to come visit. Kids and dogs are welcome at most breweries in AVL, too.😄

ricks

Always appreciate the opportunity to try a new beer.
Also appreciate your generous nature in looking out for us.
So it does not get lost in beer review opinion / sentiment, let me make my feelings plain:
thank you, Thank you, Thank You!

[devildeac]

Always appreciate the opportunity to try a new beer.
Also appreciate your generous nature in looking out for us.
So it does not get lost in beer review opinion / sentiment, let me make my feelings plain:
thank you, Thank you, Thank You!

My sentiments exactly, which is why, when I embark on ale-hunting expeditions (aka beercations), I visit local breweries/package stores, note/taste what they bottle/can for purchase and make sure I have 4 packs or 6ers of several different (usually local) varieties for the return trip to trade and/or re-sell to other beer geeks so they can then tickle/delight their palates or relegate my purchase/selection to the Ycch, Beer thread. All a part of the journey for me.

[ricks68]

Always appreciate the opportunity to try a new beer.
Also appreciate your generous nature in looking out for us.
So it does not get lost in beer review opinion / sentiment, let me make my feelings plain:
thank you, Thank you, Thank You!

You're very welcome. I just got into how startling good the beer really is at Burial------and this is coming from someone (and Mrs. Ricks) who much preferred Grey Goose martinis to their previous experiences of beer being bloating, foul tasting, and downright plebian. (And that included side adventures into the world of Blue Moon, Samuel Adams and Abita---which are very good and definitely NOT foul tasting)

The craft beer here in AVL is just so remarkable. All we need now is some real Texas BBQ----and I have some little known info that there is that possibility also in the future.😆😆

ricks

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

You're very welcome. I just got into how startling good the beer really is at Burial------and this is coming from someone (and Mrs. Ricks) who much preferred Grey Goose martinis to their previous experiences of beer being bloating, foul tasting, and downright plebian. (And that included side adventures into the world of Blue Moon, Samuel Adams and Abita---which are very good and definitely NOT foul tasting)

The craft beer here in AVL is just so remarkable. All we need now is some real Texas BBQ----and I have some little known info that there is that possibility also in the future.😆😆

ricks

Admittedly off topic... what is your take on Buxton Hall? I have heard mixed reviews.

[fuse]

It's not often I miss a Duke basketball game, but when I do, it's for a rec league soccer championship :-)

While I have a couple bottles in the fridge, I started with Apex's own bourbon barrel aged Midnight Brue (imperial stout). Roasty, wonderful, deceptively easy to quaff.

Epic Hopulent on Nitrous followed. I'll just say beers on nitrogen are fun.

Duck Rabbit Little Hoppy Bunny (black IPA) was next.

The finisher was Hiwire Coffee Milk Stout (Strongman?). First time trying, have a bottle courtesy of ricks68 in the fridge. Like drinking an iced coffee. The only regret is I think the coffee and adrenaline prevented me from sleeping very well.

Still smiling. Undefeated season (all wins and ties) ending in a championship.
You can still realize childhood dreams :-)

[devildeac]

Received quite a treasure trove from ricks68 yesterday.
Thank you kindly, sir.

Quite a few (strawberry leaf, watermelon mint) have a distinct summer flair to the naming so I likely will hit them first.

No head, very effervescent, pinkish- orange in the glass.
My better half got the front pour, there is definitely sediment in the glass, guessing raspberry seeds and pulp that made it past a strainer.

A bright citrus nose, fruity orange, lemon and raspberry.

The first sip is a delight. Tastes more like a shandy or a Radler, or even a raspberry lemonade with a mild kick.

No discernable hops, almost a grapefruit pith bitterness on the finish.

I'm trying to recall what Burial beer I may have had prior. I don't think it is my first Burial beer- even if it is, a darn good start.

Thanks ricks68!

Raspberry Belgian Blonde-Burial Beer

Hmm, raspberry lemonade is a pretty accurate analogy here. Maybe a raspberry lemon soda given the bubbliness of this concoction would be a bit better. Not much else to contribute to fuse's fine summary above. I'd guess IBUs of 10-20 and the ABV is listed at 6.1% so this would be nice with a fruit/soft cheese plate for your first course or a mixed fruit/berry tart for your dessert. I found very little sediment but I only had about 250 ml from my Allagash tulip last PM and hope the remainder tonight decants relatively "cleanly." A very flavorful, delicate golden/blonde ale. Many thanks to ricks68 for including this in his recent delivery.

[ricks68]

Admittedly off topic... what is your take on Buxton Hall? I have heard mixed reviews.

We think it is excellent. Sides are very inventive and change constantly. Uses the entire roasted pig, including the drippings. The most well-known and respected (considered "local") chef (and now owner). Outstanding fun service. Very large dining area that is usually pretty full. In the middle (if there really is one) of the South Slope----that's THE main brewery concentration. (Most info above for those outside of AVL) Non-excellent reviews may be from those that go for more traditional food. (i.e., outside of the AVL style.)

We should go sometime with our better halves.

ricks

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

We think it is excellent. Sides are very inventive and change constantly. Uses the entire roasted pig, including the drippings. The most well-known and respected (considered "local") chef (and now owner). Outstanding fun service. Very large dining area that is usually pretty full. In the middle (if there really is one) of the South Slope----that's THE main brewery concentration. (Most info above for those outside of AVL) Non-excellent reviews may be from those that go for more traditional food. (i.e., outside of the AVL style.)

We should go sometime with our better halves.

ricks

My business partner who frequents 12 Bones says he feels it is small portions and pricey, but I am always willing to try a new BBQ joint.

I also recommend Bonfire BBQ - new place on Patton Ave. Worth checking out.