Ymm, Beer

[devildeac]

With their expansion/west creek brewery they are planning on delivering from Virginia to Atlanta. Should see a lot more from them your way.

I'll wager we see very few of their Virginia Roots and/or Barrel Series or their Pilot Batches. But a fella can dream...

[devildeac]

Brueprint Caldementum Benedictus
Belgian Style Quad

What kind of lunatic brewery cans a 14% ABV beer in 16oz tallboy cans?

Brueprint, that’s which brewery.
First things first- no carbonation at all on the pour.
No date on the can.

Appears to have been filtered, no sediment at all.
Looks like a brown ale with perhaps some ruby highlights under light.

Smells like raisins, dates, and figs- lots of dry fruit sweetness.

There must be a ton of residual sugar in this beer as only a very tongue numbing finish gives away exactly how high the alcohol content.

Pretty much what you’d expect from a quad in terms of flavour profile.

Would make an excellent after dinner beer.
The rest of the four pack may sit until fall or year end. With no discernable yeast sediment, not really expecting this beer to change with age.

Brueprint continues to mature and offer really great, true to style beer.

Caldementum Benedictus-Brüeprint Brewing Company

"Fermentation of Benedict" is their translation on the can.

I don't have much else here, folks, as fuse covered just about everything above. Many thanks for including this in my recent Brüeprint 4 pack trader!!

I did pour mine aggressively last PM, sharing with our son, and managed a thin rim of a head and some really fine sediment at the bottom of my chalice.

Maybe a bit of dark rum flavor? Lots of warming, boozy flavors, too, without barrel aging. Almost syrupy. IBUs were 42, a bit high for the style but really not discernible.

This was an outstanding Belgian-style ale.

QFE: 14% ABV, a record for me for a NC-brewed beer. Until we had our night cap 30 minutes later...

[devildeac]

Top 12 states for # of craft breweries from 2017:

CA-764
WA-369
CO-348
MI-330
NY-329
PA-282
OR-266
NC-257
TX-251
FL-243
OH-225
IL-200

I don't recall the source.

[devildeac]

Some graham crackers or Oreos would have been tasty with the Westbrook Key Lime Pie Gose that I just finished.

[devildeac]

From 5/18/14:

Sculpin-Ballast Point Brewing Company

Consistently listed as one of the best IPAs in the world, last nights 12 ounce bottle, my first ever, made me long for what I've been missing. I think I found a 6er of this in Lexington, Kentucky last fall and this was yet another garage discovery. I've had a couple other Ballast Point brews but don't think I had ever seen this in any of my beer hunting expeditions.

Poured a light orange-yellow with a small head, this had scents of citrus and stone fruits and tastes of mango, grapefruit, orange and a bit of bready, caramel-y sweetness, too. Extremely well-balanced beverage with IBUs of 70 and an ABV of 7%, this was fine for sipping and tasting and would also accompany any mild to moderately spicy foods such as curry or Szechuan dishes. I'm not sure I'd age this so I have 3 bottles remaining that I'm not quite sure what I'll do with yet, having already given my son the first two bottles from the collection. Hmm...

From tonight:

Sculpin (canned on 5/18/18)-Ballast Point Brewing Company of Constellation Brands

Nope, not purchased, but "collected" from our older daughter and her husband for my weekend dog-sitting fee. Yes, shameless, but still thirsty .

I don't think they've change this much in 4+ years with plenty of citrusy, tropical juiciness still present and a bit of a sting at the finish.

[devildeac]

The Law-Durty Bull Brewing Company

Drink local!

This 500 ml bottle was my December, 2017 Beer Club offering and Friday evening was a "perfect" time to share this 15% ABV monster with our son after we divided the 14% ABV Brüeprint Caldementum Benedictus, the top two ABV brews we've ever had that were NC brewed.

Labeled as a "strong ale" (D'oh!), this one was really difficult to fit into a "defined" beer style. Poured into two snifters, the color was a minimally hazy, yellow-orange with a very thin head. The nose was orange-y, booze-y and vinous. The alcohol burn was prominent early and with each ensuing sip. There were "elements" of sherry, DFH 120 Minute IPA and orange liqueurs throughout our 45 minute sipping. A pairing with some strong/pungent cheeses might work but I think nursing an aliquot of this for a nightcap was the best choice. I briefly (and somewhat foolishly) considered splitting a 12 ounce bottle of the DFH 120 to close out the evening tastings but we both quickly decided we'd rather sleep in our respective beds than on the floor or kitchen table . Untappd lists IBUs at 68, so not a hop bomb and probably a bit low to achieve a better balanced beverage. I think this may have been on the shelf for about $15 but was my ~$7.50 monthly Beer Club allotment to close out 2017. Here's the Untappd story/explanation:

"This beer, brewed as a collaboration between Durty Bull and The Glass Jug, was originally brewed by Matt and Chris as a 20+% ABV homebrew long before either worked in the beer industry. They decided that, if they were ever able to open beer businesses, they'd knock the ABV down to a barely legal level and call it, "The Law." Here we are folks, witnessing a dream made reality. Cheers!

Sip this one slowly."

[devildeac]

From 9/6/17:

Green Zebra-Founders Brewing Company

The 2017 beverage brewed for the annual ArtPrize competition in another town that calls itself Beer City, USA. Other artful brews have included Mosaic Promise, Pale Joe, Spectra Trifecta and Inspired Artist Black IPA.

This year, they brewed a gose and flavored it with the expected sea salt and (perhaps) the unexpected watermelon. Three words: liquid Jolly Rancher. Pour was a faintly pink-tinged straw color with a brief, thin head. Yep, there are mild watermelon aromas and even more prominent watermelon tastes, along with a pinch of salt and sugary Jolly Rancher candy. IBUs pretty low and standard at 10 and the ABV also about as expected at 4.6%. This would be good with a fruit tray. I haven't had an Anderson Valley Briney Melon for over a year and I think I'd prefer that one but I'd be willing to participate in a side-by-side to refresh my memory.

From minutes ago:

Green Zebra-Founders (Mahou San Miguel) Brewing Company

Well, Bottle Revolution included a 12 ounce can of this in my July 4 pack so I had to drink another one. Darn shame I didn't have a Briney Melon for a comparison.

I don't think they changed it any since last year. Pretty pleasant and surprising pairing with a pepper jack/colby blend cheese quesadilla for dinner tonight. Certainly worth a single to try but not one I'd buy several of unless it was a tasting/sharing/trading session.

[devildeac]

Mo (bottled on 7/3/18)-Maine Beer Company

I'm going to try and "unbreak" fuse's heart here.

Fresherer is indeed much betterer.

Now this is what I remember MBC products tasting like.

Poured from a 500 ml bottle into a standard pint glass (I realize it's a 16.9 ounce bottle so don't worry folks, there's actually about 2 ounces left downstairs as I type). Appearance was a bit hazy (it's a bottle conditioned American Pale Ale) and yellow-straw in color. Moderate creamy head that lingers and lingers. Grapefruit and mango aromas. Zesty citrus on the palate, including more grapefruit, a bit of rind, some sourdough bread, hints of resin and some papaya. Moderately hoppy, but not harsh, about as expected for the APA style, guessing IBUs around 50 (can't find that stat anywhere). ABV is 6%. Both these are a bit high for a pale ale and closer to IPA territory. I could imagine a lob-stah roll and some slaw with this ale, an outstanding example of the style.

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Now, I can't wait to sip Peeper later this week.

[devildeac]

American Pale Ales top 100 from beeradvocate:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/lists/style/97/

How many have you had?

[luburch]

American Pale Ales top 100 from beeradvocate:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/lists/style/97/

How many have you had?

Only 3

[fuse]

American Pale Ales top 100 from beeradvocate:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/lists/style/97/

How many have you had?

Just five, all 3F and MBC.

This list reinforces a need for a Hill Farmstead to NC pipeline. Every time I clicked on a “hop name” beer I held out hope it was a single hop beer I had consumed. All of them were Hill Farmstead.

[devildeac]

American Pale Ales top 100 from beeradvocate:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/lists/style/97/

How many have you had?

Just five, all 3F and MBC.

This list reinforces a need for a Hill Farmstead to NC pipeline. Every time I clicked on a “hop name” beer I held out hope it was a single hop beer I had consumed. All of them were Hill Farmstead.

Nine for me.

I keep working on budwom for that pipeline but every time he visits NC, he insists on flying, despite the fact he has a nice vehicle to drive.

It'll be interesting to see if any of the Casita Cerveceria brews start appearing on some of these lists with one of their former brewers now "crafting" his wares in NC at the Duck-Rabbit facility.

Tree House and Trillium seem to have a lot of ales on these lists, too. We need to pay mattman a few extra $$ when he drives to New England next summer in his Dukemoblie and loads up with Alchemist, Hill Farmstead, Lawson's Finest Liquids, Trillium and Treehouse brews.

[devildeac]

Just five, all 3F and MBC.

This list reinforces a need for a Hill Farmstead to NC pipeline. Every time I clicked on a “hop name” beer I held out hope it was a single hop beer I had consumed. All of them were Hill Farmstead.

Check #65 again. I coulda sworn I split a 6er of that with you some time. If not, we're Chicago bound on September 5...

[devildeac]

Beer name of the day:

Doofenschmirtz from Weyerbacher



WTH?

[devildeac]

https://www.pintpass.com/

Yes, please.

Where/how do I enroll?

[fuse]

Beer name of the day:

Doofenschmirtz from Weyerbacher



WTH?

Certainly hope its an homage to the great cartoon Phineas and Ferb.

[fuse]

Check #65 again. I coulda sworn I split a 6er of that with you some time. If not, we're Chicago bound on September 5...

You are correct, I misspoke/typed.

[devildeac]

You are correct, I misspoke/typed.

Shame on you for overlooking a NG beer. Perhaps you were thinking of Two Women and/or Totally Naked when you reviewed the list.

[thedukelamere]

American Pale Ales top 100 from beeradvocate:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/lists/style/97/

How many have you had?

Count me down for 9:
Zombie Dust
Pseudo Sue
Mosaic Hop - Pseudo Sue
Deal With The Devil
Lizard King
Alpha King
Space Station Middle Finger
Born Again Yesterday Unfiltered Ale
Temporal Purgatory

I didn't realize the Pseudo series was so highly rated... I guess I need to track them down again and savor them a little more.
Also, I feel like I missed an opportunity last December when Mrs. LaMere and I shipped off to Boston for the BC game... We went to Harpoon Brewery to drink our post-game sorrows away, while Trillium appears to be closer to our hotel. 12 in the top 100? That's good drinkin.

[devildeac]

Count me down for 9:
Zombie Dust
Pseudo Sue
Mosaic Hop - Pseudo Sue
Deal With The Devil
Lizard King
Alpha King
Space Station Middle Finger
Born Again Yesterday Unfiltered Ale
Temporal Purgatory

I didn't realize the Pseudo series was so highly rated... I guess I need to track them down again and savor them a little more.
Also, I feel like I missed an opportunity last December when Mrs. LaMere and I shipped off to Boston for the BC game... We went to Harpoon Brewery to drink our post-game sorrows away, while Trillium appears to be closer to our hotel. 12 in the top 100? That's good drinkin.

Impressive list. I might have to do a bit extra beer-hunting while in Chicago (again) next month for any Toppling Goliath products. Considering The Field Museum is in Chi-town, they'd better have some Sue-related ales, fake or real.