Milky Way (pint can)-Trophy Brewing Company
Half quart after the above tasting last week. Totally worth the $2.50/16 ounces poured last PM. Two were deposited with our son over the weekend so one can remains.
Color was almost dark chocolate with a smaller-than-expected tan head. As this warmed to near room temperature over about an hour, it really tasted more and more like a Milky Way bar with a few grains of salt. Ymm, liquid candy .
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
Tiniest Giants-Trophy Brewing Company
Night cap last PM. It was a long drive back yesterday with a 90 minute hiking stop at Pilot Mountain and I was thirsty .
Not sure what the difference is with Gentle Giant except draft vs cans and this one has an ABV of 11% and perhaps a bit more viscous along with more dark chocolate and less espresso tastes. The draft and to-go lists don't discuss any ingredients, nor do the cans. Quite happy with this $3/12 ounces purchase with one remaining in the fridge and the other two being traded in Columbus, OH, this weekend.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
Give Your Hops Away-Southern Pines Brewing Company
Drink local, even if NC Beer Month is over. I still have a few more singles remaining.
Psychedelic pint can containing some pretty tasty hazy juice, aka a New England IPA.
Pour was a cloudy orange-yellow with a moderate, foamy head. Citrus and tropical aromas? You bet! Mango, papaya, guava, pineapple flavors with a bit of rind and skin? You bet! Bitterness minimal as IBUs are 30. IPA standard ABV at 6.1%. Hops include Citra, Galaxy and Idaho 7, the last two being new to me. Grains are wh*at and oats for hints of orange and a smooth mouthfeel. Lactose added making it almost a tropical shake-style IPA. No fruits added. I think this was about $3 for the half quart can. I couldn't find this on their website so it must have been a one-off in March or last month. Certainly makes trying another Southern Pines brew or three rather appealing after some average products tasted early on in their career. A tip of the snifter to Tripping William for some of his Southern Pines reviews in the last couple years.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
Rumor has it that Black Tuesday has arrived in NC.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
Kreamsicle Kölsch-Morgan Ridge Railwalk Brewery and Eatery
WTH? A flavored Kölsch?
Have I jumped the shark?
Part of my mixed 6er or actually two 6ers a couple weeks ago from a new wine and beer shop near our house and highly recommended by the owner. Still drinking local a few days after NC Beer Month ended.
Pour was a pale, orange-yellow and the nose was all orange cream soda or a frozen creamsicle. Really. Tastes were the same with orange juice (blood orange puree added), a bit of orange rind (peel added) and vanilla ("aged" on vanilla beans) with essentially no bitterness (IBUs were 8-no typo) and ABV was 5%. A rather pleasant beer that set me back less than $3 for the pint can after the 10% mixed 6 pack discount. I'd share another with family/friends with a fruit plate or maybe a sweet and sour entree.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
NC Beer Month is over but a friend shared this link with me today. See any y'all like?
https://www.ourstate.com/announcing-...eid=03b6ada228
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
Graeter's-Braxton Brewing Company
"An irresistible collaboration between two handcrafted families."
This limited special release is a black raspberry, chocolate chip milk stout and the brewing is done with lactose, cocoa nibs and raspberry puree.
Poured from a 12 ounce can last pm, it appeared a beautiful, ruby-dark brown with a moderate reddish-tan head. Smell? Is there such a thing as a raspberry chocolate soda? Tastes? Dark chocolate-dipped raspberry jellies? Moderately sweet but with a cocoa finish. IBUs at 30 and ABV was 7% so on the edge of an imperial milk stout. Sipped from a Founder's snifter over 45 minutes as it warmed to near room temperature. No pastry/cake necessary. Might be better than Love Ninja I (or is it II?) from Asheville Brewing Company and the Rubus Cacao I had last year from Mad Tree Brewing.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
Espress Yo'self-Southern Pines Brewing Company
Yep, it's May and I'm extending NC Beer Month by several days, maybe a couple weeks .
Half pint can for about $3.50 with my 10% off build your own 6er discount a couple weeks ago.
Pour was almost black with a single finger (index, not that finger ) thick tan head. Strong coffee aromas and a mixture of dark chocolate, java, burnt grains and molasses tastes. Almost imperial milk stout sweet but no info to be found to verify any lactose as an ingredient. Mild bitterness with IBUs at 30 (on the can) with ABV at 8.3%, so an imperial stout by any standards. SRM of 56-yea, it's that dark. Needed a splash of half and half . There's a bit of sediment in the last 1/4 ounce so be careful if you pour aggressively . Hoping Tripping William will try this after his next 18 holes in the NC Sandhills.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
Sierra Nevada Otra Vez Lime & Agave
4.9% ABV
6 IBUs
Poured a light golden color with the smell of lime prevalent. Decent but to me it seemed a little flat. Overall it was pretty good and you can definitely taste the lime but the flatness of it threw me off a little. A good light beer to have after sweating up a storm working out or working in the yard I guess.
"The future ain't what it used to be."
It's a gose and those tend to "bubble up" quickly when you pour them and then the head disappears quickly. It's an old German style beer that has been "revived" by a number of US brewers. Might be interesting to "side-by-side" with some other goses from other breweries like Anderson Valley, Westbrook, Southern Tier and Victory to name a few. Might be a difficult style to learn to enjoy.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
I had an Anderson Valley Briney Melon gose last night, and liked it quite a bit. It initially had the nose of a Jolly Rancher watermelon candy, but then got increasingly salty/briney as I kept drinking it. I definitely have to be in a "gose" mindset to drink one, or will get thrown off if I think I'm drinking a traditional lager or blonde/cream ale.
"Amazing what a minute can do."
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.