Ymm, Beer

[devildeac]

Birthday celebration, have sampled Ardent Sweet Potato and Sage Saison 6.4% abv and 28 ibu’s. Troegs Grand Cru ale brewed with honey and cherries 11% abv with spicy Belgian yeast, Hardywood’s Trickery an imperial milk stout aged in apple brandy barrels at 13.5% abv, and last the Double Barrel GBS from Hardywood at 14.8% and 55 ibu’s. All the GBS set owners got one. DukeTaylor if you can find one, get one. It is spectacular to me. Last year was bourbon barrel aged and rum barrel aged. This one is bourbon barrel aged and brandy barrel aged. I can only imagine it will be even better a year from now. Full reviews to follow. Have to finish and sleep/sober up.

I'm shocked .

[Tripping William]

Birthday celebration, have sampled Ardent Sweet Potato and Sage Saison 6.4% abv and 28 ibu’s. Troegs Grand Cru ale brewed with honey and cherries 11% abv with spicy Belgian yeast, Hardywood’s Trickery an imperial milk stout aged in apple brandy barrels at 13.5% abv, and last the Double Barrel GBS from Hardywood at 14.8% and 55 ibu’s. All the GBS set owners got one. DukeTaylor if you can find one, get one. It is spectacular to me. Last year was bourbon barrel aged and rum barrel aged. This one is bourbon barrel aged and brandy barrel aged. I can only imagine it will be even better a year from now. Full reviews to follow. Have to finish and sleep/sober up.

I’m a big +1 on the Double Barrel GBS. That stuff rocks.

[devildeac]

Winter Warmer-Sierra Nevada Brewery

Not quite what I was expecting when "lager" is in small letters on the label but this clean, dark amber/light brown pour with a medium tan head emitted aromas of almonds and earth. The tastes were nutty, over-cooked caramel-y, herbal and toasty. IBUs stand at 29-standard stats-with the ABV at 6.7%, almost in the imperial lager range. Fuse was correct, this is a fine winter brew that would be tasty with ribs, brisket, beef stew or a bread pudding.

[fuse]

A surprise trip to Southern Peak this evening opened with their Egg Nog milk stout.

This turned out to be a tasty mistake, as it was their 8% holiday milk stout mixed with Southern Comfort Egg Nog out of a carton.

Decent flavour, really heavy and not one you’d have more than one of.

On to the next...

[fuse]

Peak City Pilsner

Clean and fresh, just what was needed after the egg nog stout.

Southern Peak always seems to be packed, tonight was no exception.

It was fun to watch a table full of eight “beer bros” do a gift exchange, including a couple Hardywood GBSes of some sort, an Abyss, a Brewery Bhavana Cellar Door #1, a few assorted Firestone Walker boxes, and a white waxed 22oz bomber I could not discern the label.

A fun at a distance validation of white whales we all seem to pursue.

[devildeac]

BBA People's Porter (bomber)
BBA Cherry People's Porter (crowler)
DFH Oak-Aged Vanilla World Wide Stout (bottle)

OMG! What an evening! Shared with family. More later today.

[Indoor66]

I'm shocked .

Didn't know that the thread had moved on to North Africa.

[devildeac]

I’m a big +1 on the Double Barrel GBS. That stuff rocks.

Ymm, Beer delivers again.

[Gooch]

Birthday celebration, have sampled Ardent Sweet Potato and Sage Saison 6.4% abv and 28 ibu’s. Troegs Grand Cru ale brewed with honey and cherries 11% abv with spicy Belgian yeast, Hardywood’s Trickery an imperial milk stout aged in apple brandy barrels at 13.5% abv, and last the Double Barrel GBS from Hardywood at 14.8% and 55 ibu’s. All the GBS set owners got one. DukeTaylor if you can find one, get one. It is spectacular to me. Last year was bourbon barrel aged and rum barrel aged. This one is bourbon barrel aged and brandy barrel aged. I can only imagine it will be even better a year from now. Full reviews to follow. Have to finish and sleep/sober up.

Had the Troeg's Mad Elf (not sure if it is the same as above) gifted from my brother-in-law. I anticipated it would be super-boozy at 11% but was very smooth and the cherries weren't too strong. I recommend it...although I don't recommend letting your brother-in-law drink three and then sitting down to a "spirited" game of cards with all the young cousins...

[devildeac]

Had the Troeg's Mad Elf (not sure if it is the same as above) gifted from my brother-in-law. I anticipated it would be super-boozy at 11% but was very smooth and the cherries weren't too strong. I recommend it...although I don't recommend letting your brother-in-law drink three and then sitting down to a "spirited" game of cards with all the young cousins...

Yea, I'm not sure I've ever seen/heard of a Troeg's Grand Cru before. The Mad Elf style reminds me of the grand cru style. The description sure sounds like Mad Elf with the 11% ABV and cherries added. Our son greatly enjoyed his 6er earlier this month.

[Tripping William]

Yeah, yeah; Johnston County; blah, blah, blah.

This is a good beer. A really good beer. Scottish style aged in bourbon barrels, which imparts notes of vanilla and toffee. Dangerously smooth drinking at 8.7% ABV. From the label, looks like one of their seasonals. Worth tracking down.

[fuse]

Bond Brothers Table beer

Yes, its true, there was a convergence of DBR beer drinkers at Bond Brothers today.

Opened with a table beer. A quality clean and fresh Belgian style single.

[fuse]

AMB Edge of a Dream Spiced BBA Stout

Surruptiously shared in the Bond Brothers tap room with devildeac.

Inky black pour in a small sample glass.

Had a bit of a minty / spicy nose.

Major concerns pre-sip about peppers in beer.

Turns out to be a very heavily spiced beer, lots of cinnamon and vanilla, that masks the pepper.

A very fun beer to share, glad that devildeac brought it to enjoy.

Thinking there will be a review of the BBA Cherry People’s porter a bit later.

[mattman91]

Did I miss something?

Expanding outside Western North Carolina: For a few local breweries, the time was right to build beyond the region where they got their start. To satisfy the demands of its growing Triangle customer base, Hi-Wire Brewing brought its Fun Zone to Durham, and Burial Beer Co. announced a taproom in Raleigh’s Transfer Co. Food Hall. Meanwhile, Thirsty Monk went all the way to Portland, Ore., and Denver to add new brewpubs to its portfolio.

[devildeac]

Yeah, yeah; Johnston County; blah, blah, blah.

This is a good beer. A really good beer. Scottish style aged in bourbon barrels, which imparts notes of vanilla and toffee. Dangerously smooth drinking at 8.7% ABV. From the label, looks like one of their seasonals. Worth tracking down.

Ooh, thought about this one and bought a pint can of Brueprint BBA Scotch-style ale last week instead, along with a few others. Might have to make a return visit...

[devildeac]

AMB Edge of a Dream Spiced BBA Stout

Surruptiously shared in the Bond Brothers tap room with devildeac.

Inky black pour in a small sample glass.

Had a bit of a minty / spicy nose.

Major concerns pre-sip about peppers in beer.

Turns out to be a very heavily spiced beer, lots of cinnamon and vanilla, that masks the pepper.

A very fun beer to share, glad that devildeac brought it to enjoy.

Thinking there will be a review of the BBA Cherry People’s porter a bit later.

Yea, this was a real pleasant surprise. Thinking Tripping William, when he's not in Moore County, might search this one out when he "heads for the mountains."

[devildeac]

Did I miss something?

I *think* I posted that factoid a month or two ago that Burial was opening a taproom in a new food court in downtown Raleigh early next year.

[devildeac]

People's BBL Aged Porter-Foothills Brewing

Previously reviewed. Still excellent. Amazingly, this got the bronze medal in last night's 3 beer tasting...

[devildeac]

People's BBL Aged Cherry Porter (crowler)-Foothills Brewing

A tip of the tulip to Tripping William for posting on Ymm, Beer that this was available. I likely don't even know this exists w/o his notification.

Crowlered 12/22 at Falls Village Wine and Beer with a 20% discount because I asked the very nice owner if this was on his discount list and he said, "Sure!"

Shared 3 ways last PM. Poured a dark brown with a thin, creamy, tan head. Seductive aromas of chocolate, cherries and bourbons. Even more decadent tastes of the same, including dark milk chocolate, dark cherry juice, a little sweet/a little tart, a splash of coffee (not added), vanilla (not added) and mild, warming bourbon notes. He "Sharpied" 70 for IBUs (seems a bit high) on the label and 6% for the ABV, which tasted about right. Hoping fuse and the Love Ninja enjoy this soon (tonight or tomorrow) and find it equally enjoyable.

[devildeac]

Oak-Aged Vanilla World Wide Stout (bottled 07/26/17)-Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

I believe this is my first bottle of this elixir since buying a case in northern KY just over a year ago. Three of us shared this last PM and you'll see why with the stats.

Poured into snifters and it appeared almost black with a minuscule, tan head. Even more seductive nose than a BBA cherry porter () with dark chocolate, dark caramel, vanilla, toasted coconut (not added) and charred wood with tastes to match along with some black strap molasses (not added), a drop of coffee and a very warming alcohol burn. DFH claims 70 IBUs but I'd have never thought that high as this is one smooth brew. I've seen the ABV quoted at 16-17.5% and it is boozy without any booze barrel-aging. It probably took us 30 minutes to finish our 4 ounce aliquots in the wee hours this AM. $10 a bottle? Totally worth it! This one should age very, very nicely.