Ymm, Beer

[mattman91]

Okay, so I’m a sell-out for rum barrel aging. This is a delicious ale, aged in rum barrels with ginger and molasses. Pours a golden brown, and has a great nose of wood and vanilla. Smooth drinking, and a complexity of flavor. Might be the last WW beer I drink. Or not.

Dilly, Dilly!

[fuse]

Honestly, this is hands-down the best sour I have had. Pours a beautiful gold with a thick, foamy white head. Superbly balanced, with some fruit notes offset by white pepper flavors. Dangerously quaffable at 8% ABV. I wish I had three or four more of these.

I know you mentioned buying this upthread, I had never heard of it. Will now be looking out for it.

[fuse]

Dilly, Dilly!

I have to admit for me this was a well played laugh out loud response 🍻

[fuse]

Tangentially related, the new “Raleigh” Improv in Cary is nicely done.

Had a couple Foothills Hoppyums while enjoying Ken Jeong.

[duketaylor]

Ala Devil's Backbone (which sold for $73M per a good source).

Disappointing to see this, but not surprising as the big boys can't afford to keep losing market share.

[devildeac]

Funny, I saw this today and almost bought it. By your report, I may need to go pick it up.

I'd trust Tripping William on this one. Completely. I'll bring some additional evidence to the court room, err, beer room tomorrow.

[devildeac]

Ala Devil's Backbone (which sold for $73M per a good source).

Disappointing to see this, but not surprising as the big boys can't afford to keep losing market share.

When? Here ya go:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...hip/309733001/

[devildeac]

Moo-Tella (2017 Reserve Series)-Terrapin (MillerCoors) Beer Company

Speaking of sell-outs...

Here's the story:

https://www.ajc.com/business/terrapi...bSNva22m31eAL/

Here's the beer:

Shared 3 ways last PM (in brand new 5 ounce Christmas gift snifters) from a 500 ml bottle from our younger son-in-law.

This is liquid hazelnut chocolate cake.

Dark brown pour with no head. Nutty, chocolate-y nose and smooth, triple layer cake-like tastes as above. IBUs at 30 and ABV was 8.5%. I actually liked the Raspberry Truffle W-n-B and the Tart Cherry W-n-B a bit better from last month but not much better.

[devildeac]

Dropout-Land Grant Brewing Company

Previously reviewed but this was our finishing beer Friday night (12 ounce can shared 3 ways) and I thought it finished with a bit more unsweetened 70% (?80%) dark chocolate/cacao bitterness than my prior review.

[devildeac]

Saturday's line-up was even better...

More later this AM.

[devildeac]

OMQ!-Frankenmuth Brewery (since 1862)

(Oh My Quad!)

A Belgian-style quadrupel ale.

Traded with our next door neighbor this week for a Cowboy Bernie (reviewed quite a bit upthread).

Poured from a bomber into 5 brand new tasting glasses before dinner last PM. Color was dark amber and aromas were pretty typical for the style with caramel butterscotch and earth. Palate-tickling done with medium brown sugar, a bit of milk chocolate (not added), cherries (not added), more caramel, toffee and hints of herbal hops. IBUs were 35 and ABV was 11%. Most family comments (5 tasters) were good and I'm in agreement. There are plenty of better quadruple brews on the market but I was still happy to receive and share with the loved ones.

beer-1534442_225b0_sm.jpeg

[devildeac]

From 12/9/18:

Polyflora-(collaboration) Central State Brewing (IN) and Brewery Bhavana (NC)

"Best sour I've ever had."

-devildeac II

I'm not sure I could name my favorite sour but this was outstanding. Huge thanks to fuse for trading a few weeks ago!

Poured from a 500 ml bottle into a couple snifters last PM with dinner, a bowl of homemade chicken tortilla sour. Color was pinkish-yellow and a bit cloudy with a thin, fizzy head. Gorgeous nose of lemon-lime and pink zinfandel (red and white wine barred-aged for 9 months). Mild lemon-limeade pucker to start, smoothing to very vinous notes mid-palate with a dry, slightly sweet finish from the NC wildflower honey and Indiana malts. I'll guess IBUs about 20 (sour, not really bitter) and the ABV was 6.4%. Good pairing with the soup but thinking this might be a good choice with Italian pasta dishes.

Posted again only because I tried a food pairing with this and Mrs. dd's other-worldy chicken parmesan and because fuse and I have discussed over the years how very few beers pair well with Italian entrees. I'd like to add another to that very short list. My taste buds thought that the wine barrel-aging might make this a good beverage to accompany the meal and it was reasonably well received by the other 4 victims, err, tasters, also. Trying to match some other brews from cabernet barrels with Italian entrees might be interesting, too.

[fuse]

Foothills Cherry Porter

Served with a great deal of gratitude from a crowler courtesy of devildeac.

Cracking the can released room filling bourbon and cherry.

Carbonation was good on the pour with minimal head.

Opaque brown in a Shiner Cheer shaker pint glass.

Been a while since I’ve had a BBA People’s Porter, the nose is way boozier than I recall- massive waves of bourbon interlaced with cherry liqueur, maybe a whiff of chocolate. I could sit and smell this beer all day.

First sip, and this may be the best Foothills beer I’ve had (and they make some pretty amazing beers I’ve been lucky to try).

An underlying woody dryness weaves through layers of bourbon, root beer, cherry, with an almost cherry cola finish.

[devildeac]

Foothills Cherry Porter

Served with a great deal of gratitude from a crowler courtesy of devildeac.

Cracking the can released room filling bourbon and cherry.

Carbonation was good on the pour with minimal head.

Opaque brown in a Shiner Cheer shaker pint glass.

Been a while since I’ve had a BBA People’s Porter, the nose is way boozier than I recall- massive waves of bourbon interlaced with cherry liqueur, maybe a whiff of chocolate. I could sit and smell this beer all day.

First sip, and this may be the best Foothills beer I’ve had (and they make some pretty amazing beers I’ve been lucky to try).

An underlying woody dryness weaves through layers of bourbon, root beer, cherry, with an almost cherry cola finish.

Brings a huge smile to my face and a flutter to my heart to read this. Happy to be of service.

[devildeac]

Adult Daycare (crowler)-Bond Brothers Beer Company

Gifted to me Friday afternoon during a beer exchange and tasting session at Bond Brothers. Bows humbly and thankfully to fuse.

Shared 5 ways for/with dessert last PM at the devildeac abode.

Pour was a dark brown with the first serving generating more foam than beer. No worries as I refilled our older son-in-law's 5 ounce tasting glass twice to make up for the too generous head. The remaining servings had smaller, tan heads. Seductive nose with the expected aromas of dark, dried fruits from this Belgian-style quad brewed with cherries. Amazingly complex tastes with dark brown sugar, dark rum (not barred-aged), dark caramel, brown sugar and a generous dollop of cherry jam. I'll borrow fuse's phrase "cherry cola" to further enhance my description. A caramel-covered cherry truffle might work, too. IBUs? Who cares? Well, probably about 30. The ABV was a very dangerous 10.5%. This was well received by all tasters, all of whom wanted an extra ounce or three. Another superb concoction from BBBC.

[Tripping William]

Brings a huge smile to my face and a flutter to my heart to read this. Happy to be of service.

Me, too. And not just because I get to avoid some seedy ten-pin joint ....

[devildeac]

And, continuing the lovefest for brews from the "Twin City," here's another gem from last PM:

BBA Coffee-Infused Sexual Chocolate-Foothills Brewing

First, there was Sexual Chocolate, then BBA Sexual Chocolate, then (brewery only) Sexual Chocolate variants, now there is commercially available BBA Coffee-Infused Sexual Chocolate and I am extremely grateful to August West for finding a bomber of this several months ago and purchasing for me, trading $$ for beer at a tailgate. I'm even more grateful not to have met in a suspicious area of that fine city at an equally dubious location to have to obtain this product, without offense to the delivery person (), but more on that later, too.

Three of us shared this last PM and all noted the viscous, almost inky pour with a thin, tan head. Love at first sniff with freshly brewed java, dark chocolate (not added) and bourbon. Palate-coating flavors of the same with dark caramel, molasses and a warming, boozy finish, all enhanced as our samples warmed over 30-45 minutes. IBUs at 75 but not bitter like an IPA, just heavily roasted grains. ABV was 9.6%, about the same as the original Sexual Chocolate. An alcohol-laden, liquid, after dinner drink/dessert/coffee.

[devildeac]

Me, too. And not just because I get to avoid some seedy ten-pin joint ...

Speaking of...

Dead and Berried-Foothills Brewing

Completing the Winston-Salem brewery "affair" was this bomber that was obtained at the above-mentioned joint .

Pour was even darker that the above review with an even thinner head. Three of us also shared this bomber. There were no coffee aromas but dark chocolate and dark berries were present. Silky/smooth mouthfeel with a hint of coffee (not added) but robust semi-sweet chocolate, black strap molasses and blackberries (added) were quite prominent along with the expected bourbon notes, all of which became more flavorful during our 30 minute sipping. A tad less bitter at 62 IBUs (not a really perceptible difference) with the ABV a bit higher at 10.5%. A liquid blackberry cobbler with fudge sundae topping and a tablespoon of booze drizzled over it?

Many thanks to Tripping William for the delivery/meet-up, risking his reputation *and* life in the process!

[devildeac]

I hope no Raleigh city workers are harmed next week as they empty our large, full-to-overflowing, blue curbside container.

[Tripping William]

And, continuing the lovefest for brews from the "Twin City," here's another gem from last PM:

BBA Coffee-Infused Sexual Chocolate-Foothills Brewing

First, there was Sexual Chocolate, then BBA Sexual Chocolate, then (brewery only) Sexual Chocolate variants, now there is commercially available BBA Coffee-Infused Sexual Chocolate and I am extremely grateful to August West for finding a bomber of this several months ago and purchasing for me, trading $$ for beer at a tailgate. I'm even more grateful not to have met in a suspicious area of that fine city at an equally dubious location to have to obtain this product, without offense to the delivery person (), but more on that later, too.

Three of us shared this last PM and all noted the viscous, almost inky pour with a thin, tan head. Love at first sniff with freshly brewed java, dark chocolate (not added) and bourbon. Palate-coating flavors of the same with dark caramel, molasses and a warming, boozy finish, all enhanced as our samples warmed over 30-45 minutes. IBUs at 75 but not bitter like an IPA, just heavily roasted grains. ABV was 9.6%, about the same as the original Sexual Chocolate. An alcohol-laden, liquid, after dinner drink/dessert/coffee.

I haven’t had this one yet, and let the distribution window get away from me. Hoping to find some at some point. Even if it risks my “reputation” ....

Glad you enjoyed this & the Dead & Berried.