Ymm, Beer

[devildeac]

The Footman-White Rabbit Brewing Company

Drink local! (Angier, NC)

Pretty much nailed it as above except the bomber 3 of us shared tonight was divided half for the post below and half "straight up" and had an overly generous foamy, tan head despite a slow, careful pour. Perhaps a bit more coffee perception in The Footman than in the Creme Brûlée from Southern Tier.

The Footman Beer Float

Took a scoop of Breyer's extra vanilla ice cream and plopped it into a 12 ounce glass and then added ~4 ounces of The Footman to it, about an ounce at the time, as I learned several years ago that beer poured into ice cream foams incredibly. Very pleasant combo with the competing vanilla and chocolate (and coffee and dark caramel) flavors dueling for time on our taste buds.

[Tripping William]

In order to increase the page-count for 2016, I probably should do this in multiple posts. But I'm too lazy to be that inefficient.

(1) Bull City Burgers and Brews. Thanks to fuse & DD for the tips; we ended up here for lunch. Their Burger-O'-The-Day (with a grilled jalapeno pepper and stuffed with pimiento cheese) was fantastic. The Gateway Golden Ale (which Mrs. Tripping ordered) was almost flavorless. The Parrish Street Pale Ale was better. Nothing that really blew me away. In hindsight, I probably should have done their wee heavy Scotch ale offering. My bad.

(2) Fullsteam's Facebook page said they opened at 2:00 p.m. When we showed up at 2:30 p.m., they looked at us as if we had emerged from the Millennium Falcon and told us they weren't open until 4:00 p.m. Oh well.

(3) Toro Pizzeria for dinner. Deep River 16-ounce cans with this meal (although I ordered an apertif, as it were). Mrs. had the Joco white winter ale, which was really, really tasty. A Belgian dubbel style, brewed with which sweet potatoes and roasted marshmallows. A nice hint of winter spice to the Belgian style. I ordered the Ponsysaurus Fig Saison as a starter. Nice depth to this beer, and a nice mahogany color. With dinner (a fantastic pizza with lamb meatballs and crispy kale), I had Deep River's Riverbank Rye-It pale ale. A nice bitterness and pine notes, balanced with citrus. Very tasty.

(4) We visited Haw River Farmhouse Ales in Saxapahaw for the first time on the way home. Great space in an old cotton mill, right by the river. They are doing some really innovative/funky stuff with their beers. Had a four-glass sampler. My favorite was the St. Benedict's breakfast dubbel (wonderful coffee notes), but the Belgian chocolate stout was also good. Definitely need to make a return trip.

Happy 2016 to all.

[devildeac]

In order to increase the page-count for 2016, I probably should do this in multiple posts. But I'm too lazy to be that inefficient.

(1) Bull City Burgers and Brews. Thanks to fuse & DD for the tips; we ended up here for lunch. Their Burger-O'-The-Day (with a grilled jalapeno pepper and stuffed with pimiento cheese) was fantastic. The Gateway Golden Ale (which Mrs. Tripping ordered) was almost flavorless. The Parrish Street Pale Ale was better. Nothing that really blew me away. In hindsight, I probably should have done their wee heavy Scotch ale offering. My bad.

(2) Fullsteam's Facebook page said they opened at 2:00 p.m. When we showed up at 2:30 p.m., they looked at us as if we had emerged from the Millennium Falcon and told us they weren't open until 4:00 p.m. Oh well.

(3) Toro Pizzeria for dinner. Deep River 16-ounce cans with this meal (although I ordered an apertif, as it were). Mrs. had the Joco white winter ale, which was really, really tasty. A Belgian dubbel style, brewed with which sweet potatoes and roasted marshmallows. A nice hint of winter spice to the Belgian style. I ordered the Ponsysaurus Fig Saison as a starter. Nice depth to this beer, and a nice mahogany color. With dinner (a fantastic pizza with lamb meatballs and crispy kale), I had Deep River's Riverbank Rye-It pale ale. A nice bitterness and pine notes, balanced with citrus. Very tasty.

(4) We visited Haw River Farmhouse Ales in Saxapahaw for the first time on the way home. Great space in an old cotton mill, right by the river. They are doing some really innovative/funky stuff with their beers. Had a four-glass sampler. My favorite was the St. Benedict's breakfast dubbel (wonderful coffee notes), but the Belgian chocolate stout was also good. Definitely need to make a return trip.

Happy 2016 to all.

Other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln (bad, dd, bad).

Glad to oblige with some helpful hints. You got a nice taste of the Triangle with your choices. I've never had a Ponysaurus brew, nor have I had the JoCo White Winter Ale and there's not many of the Haw River brews that I've sampled but the few I've had have been unique/enjoyable. They have a ballroom there that Mrs. dd and I visited once and danced the night away to the tunes of one of Raleigh's big bands but it's about 45-50 miles from our house and they seem to have more concerts now than dance events so we've not returned. Great setting.

[Tripping William]

Other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln (bad, dd, bad).

Glad to oblige with some helpful hints. You got a nice taste of the Triangle with your choices. I've never had a Ponysaurus brew, nor have I had the JoCo White Winter Ale and there's not many of the Haw River brews that I've sampled but the few I've had have been unique/enjoyable. They have a ballroom there that Mrs. dd and I visited once and danced the night away to the tunes of one of Raleigh's big bands but it's about 45-50 miles from our house and they seem to have more concerts now than dance events so we've not returned. Great setting.

Ah, the play. We thoroughly enjoyed BofM. I recognize, though, that it won't be everyone's cup of Starbucks. It's really raunchy in spots, and highly irreverent throughout. Kind of like the Stanford band of live theater....

[fuse]

In order to increase the page-count for 2016, I probably should do this in multiple posts. But I'm too lazy to be that inefficient.

(1) Bull City Burgers and Brews. Thanks to fuse & DD for the tips; we ended up here for lunch. Their Burger-O'-The-Day (with a grilled jalapeno pepper and stuffed with pimiento cheese) was fantastic. The Gateway Golden Ale (which Mrs. Tripping ordered) was almost flavorless. The Parrish Street Pale Ale was better. Nothing that really blew me away. In hindsight, I probably should have done their wee heavy Scotch ale offering. My bad.

(2) Fullsteam's Facebook page said they opened at 2:00 p.m. When we showed up at 2:30 p.m., they looked at us as if we had emerged from the Millennium Falcon and told us they weren't open until 4:00 p.m. Oh well.

(3) Toro Pizzeria for dinner. Deep River 16-ounce cans with this meal (although I ordered an apertif, as it were). Mrs. had the Joco white winter ale, which was really, really tasty. A Belgian dubbel style, brewed with which sweet potatoes and roasted marshmallows. A nice hint of winter spice to the Belgian style. I ordered the Ponsysaurus Fig Saison as a starter. Nice depth to this beer, and a nice mahogany color. With dinner (a fantastic pizza with lamb meatballs and crispy kale), I had Deep River's Riverbank Rye-It pale ale. A nice bitterness and pine notes, balanced with citrus. Very tasty.

(4) We visited Haw River Farmhouse Ales in Saxapahaw for the first time on the way home. Great space in an old cotton mill, right by the river. They are doing some really innovative/funky stuff with their beers. Had a four-glass sampler. My favorite was the St. Benedict's breakfast dubbel (wonderful coffee notes), but the Belgian chocolate stout was also good. Definitely need to make a return trip.

Happy 2016 to all.

Shame about Fullsteam.

Haw River beer is quite excellent.

[mattman91]

Here are a couple new breweries set to open this year in Asheville...

Whistle Hop Brewing

Blue Ghost Brewing

There is also a chance that Bhramari could open sometime this year

[devildeac]

Here are a couple new breweries set to open this year in Asheville...

Whistle Hop Brewing

Blue Ghost Brewing

There is also a chance that Bhramari could open sometime this year

Yea, I see you waited until 2016 to post that comment about Bhramari .

[mattman91]

Yea, I see you waited until 2016 to post that comment about Bhramari .

School obligations will unfortunately keep me from being an employee, but I'm sure I will be able to pencil in a few monthly imbibing visits if they ever open. Hopefully Ricks68 has some inside info on an opening time frame.

[ricks68]

School obligations will unfortunately keep me from being an employee, but I'm sure I will be able to pencil in a few monthly imbibing visits if they ever open. Hopefully Ricks68 has some inside info on an opening time frame.

Hopefully a couple more weeks. That's all I can say. It's verrrry close. I would post some pics but I can't download pics for some reason.

ricks

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Hopefully a couple more weeks. That's all I can say. It's verrrry close. I would post some pics but I can't download pics for some reason.

ricks

Well, I can guarantee you at least a handful of loyal drinkers - assuming some strong Duke decor in at least one corner.

[ricks68]

It's official: we are opening on the 12th of Never!! (Or just after that.) Maybe.

ricks

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

It's official: we are opening on the 12th of Never!! (Or just after that.) Maybe.

ricks

https://youtu.be/bpj0t2ozPWY

[devildeac]

In case y'all didn't have any plans for this date:

http://sourbash.brownpapertickets.com/

[mattman91]

In case y'all didn't have any plans for this date:

http://sourbash.brownpapertickets.com/

You do realize you just told us all to go to hell, right?

[devildeac]

You do realize you just told us all to go to hell, right?

Carrboro, man. Our younger daughter and her husband have a Chapel Hill address but they tell everyone they live in Carrboro, for obvious reasons ( -they're both Duke grads).

[devildeac]

The Dweller (2014)-Green Man Brewery

Mattman on top of it with this one. Thanks!

The story (recounted but not redacted):

Fuse, mattman and their special guests and I met at Raleigh Brewing and exchanged ales almost a year ago and mattman felt guilty that he had been overly gifted with our brews so he went and purchased a buncha fancy Beer City beverages and returned the favor to me in May during our visit there, assuming of course that I'd deliver the "extras" to fuse, which, amazingly, I did. This bomber was kindly included in the package.

The beer:

Poured a dark, dark brown with a modest-sized, beige head, this imperial stout was cellared (no mention of bourbon, wine or any barrels) until they thought it ready and it was released in late 2014. Medium roast coffee and dark chocolate aromas up front with complex, heavy notes of semi-sweet chocolate, espresso, black strap molasses and licorice on the taste buds. I have no clue what the grains and hops are or any additives but the tastes could be there from any or all of the aforementioned ingredients. I'll guess IBUs of 50 and the ABV is listed at 10% so I was happy to have sipped this over 3 nights this week. Serve this all alone or with a portion of any chocolate/caramel dessert.

Dweller-01-400x400.jpg

[devildeac]

Originally posted 11/16/14 but worth recycling-annually:

The crown jewel of Brunchgate yesterday, worth a repeat posting from March, 2010:

Backwoods Bastard (2014 version)-Founder's Brewing

This is a fascinating creation. My guess is that it is a variation of their Dirty Bastard which is a scotch type ale with a bit of peat and smoke. This blends nicely with the oak aging in whiskey barrels which gives it a bit of vanilla, a bit of oak and a moderate amount of boozey bourbon flavor. There are a ton of dark cherries in the brew with very mild bitterness and an IBU of 50. The ABV of 10.2% makes this quite a sipper so I'd serve it at cellar temperature in a snifter with a plate of fruit or some soft, mild cheeses for dessert. Might be heavenly with some chocolate covered strawberries. This was another August West contribution that 4 of us shared and tried to squeeze the last drop or two out of the 12 ounce bottle when we were done.

Backwoods Bastard 2015

Shared a 12 ounce bottle of this with our son last PM from a 4 pack that ricks68 hunted down in October. Many thanks! Tasting impressions are little different now and I'll be anticipating cellaring/trading the other 3 during the coming year or two. I enjoyed my aliquot with a variety of hand-smoked cheeses that we received as a Christmas gift.

[devildeac]

Lindley Park-Olde Hickory Brewing

Another of ricks68's delivery items last fall. Profuse gratitude expressed again.

I could probably stop after luscious and decadent but when you sip 6 ounces of liquid pleasure, made with raspberries and honey, a more thorough description is warranted. Poured from a bomber and shared with our son last PM, it appeared almost black, tinged with ruby highlights. Small, tan head that disappeared quickly to reveal dark chocolate and berry aromas covering more dark chocolate, sweet honey, raspberry and boozey (bourbon barrel aged) flavors on the palate. Frighteningly smooth and dangerously sippable at 10% ABV with my guess at 40 IBUs. Don't bother with any cakes/pies/pastries/baked goods with this beverage, this is your dessert. (Well, maybe a sliver of Black Forest Cake would work.) After sharing a Bolo, a Backwoods Bastard and half a bomber of this yesterday, we couldn't sip any more so I'm left with about 11 ounces all for myself tonight. Woe is me.

[devildeac]

Not Your Father's Ginger Ale-Small Town Brewery

Why am I not surprised after Not You Father's Root Beer? I was offered one of these by a guest at our grandson's 2 year old birthday party and was pleasantly surprised. Poured a clear ginger color, smelled like ginger and tasted like sweetened ginger. Hmmm, I may be on to something here. No head at all and just a bit of zing from the, wait for it, added ginger. I'll guess IBUs around 10 and the ABV is listed at 5.9%. This would make a nice pairing with mild oriental fare (Lo Mein, sweet and sour chicken/pork/shrimp) or grilled entrees. What next, Not Your Father's Sprite/Cola ? Worth a taste but I'd not buy a 6er of it.

[devildeac]

Little Sumpin' Sumpin'-Lagunitas Brewing

Now this is a bit embarrassing as I don't think I've ever sampled this wheat (almost double) IPA until tonight and it was a leftover from a gathering our son had at our abode a couple weeks ago with some of his buddies .

Poured a straw color with a modest foamy head that lingered through the consumption phase. Bouquet of citrus and tropical fruits to start and finished with some mango, pineapple, Juicy Fruit gum, orange (from the wheat, I'd guess) and grapefruit with a moderate hop bitterness and a bit of light brown sugar sweetness. With IBUs of 64.2 and and ABV of 7.5%, this is flirting with an IIPA designation. A fine ale for celebrating an ACC win or with some spicy Indian or Chinese cuisine.

beer_103006.jpg