Ymm, Beer

[fuse]

Brewery Bhavana Cellar Door Number One

The base for most of their foeder aged beers.
Never before packaged solo.

I expected there to be a lot of sediment in the pour, and was happy to be completely disappointed.

A lot darker than I thought- a grade B honey or maple syrup amber.

No head at all. Hunted for tiny bubbles, and they are present.

A sour, oaky nose. A sweetness I have difficulty placing- grape jelly?

That grapey sweetness is the forward palate, with a mild vinegary sour finish.

A pretty amazing base for some pretty amazing Brewery Bhavana beer.

Going to go great with pork barbeque in a short while.

[Tripping William]

Just finished this, and it is a really interesting beer. The rum barrel aging is very evident, just on the nose (and you can quadruple it on the palate). Pours a golden brown, with a fairly small off-white head. My only criticism is a harsh aftertaste that is a little off-putting. Not sure I’d go out of my way to track this down, but if you like a dark rum, this beer should intrigue you.

From 1/6/19:





You're welcome! I hesitated a bit dropping one in the case given its "hot/big" nature but still thought you'd appreciate/enjoy it. Looks like we had rather similar tasting impressions. I think Tripping William has a review of this somewhere under "search thread," too. I've got one remaining and I'll wait past that one year date and have another tasting then.

Sure enough ...

[devildeac]

The next family tree box from Hardywood was announced. Pickup 5/31. Saved the BBA Barleywine from the first box for tailgating. Really liked the banana bread ale from the first box.

This one -
Barrel Aged cassowary with cocoa nibs and coconut. 13% abv 25oz.
Breakfast barleywine with maple and coffee 11.5%. 25oz.
Margarita sour - imperial Berliner style margarita sour. Two 16oz. Cans.

Haven’t really done any sours but my daughter likes them so maybe a share there. Not big on coffee beers, maybe a trade there. Will probably age the cassowary a bit before indulging.

That's quite a haul. I must admit, I've never had a barleywine with coffee *or* maple.

[devildeac]

no.2-(Cultivated by) Brewery Bhavana

From the back label:

"An expressive blend of our Brett and sour cultures, this juicy, nuanced, wine-forward beer was aged for eight months in a single Italian Sangiovese puncheon, then hopped with one of the world's most sought-after hops: Nelson Sauvin."

From my tasting, dividing a 750 ml bottle over two nights:

I could probably quite after a one word review here: superb.

However, this elixir deserves a few more words. A vigorous pour each night brought forth a reddish-amber beverage with a very thin, off-white rim of bubbles. Nose of fruited, apple cider vinegar with palate-tickling flavors of sour cherries, tart raspberries, slightly underripe strawberries, undergirded by some wet straw and all interwoven with seductive vinous notes, interestingly, both red and white from the barrel-aging and the choice of hops, respectively. I'll guess IBUs 10 or less and the ABV on the label is 6.5%.

This is from the their Cellar Door series, made available first to members and then offered to the public, if any remain, I guess.

A loud, huge, prolonged thank you to fuse for including me with his purchases of extras last year (and again this year)!

f1f50e30f26bda6af31b3a6f7e968044_640x640.jpg

[richardjackson199]

After all the beverages richardjackson199 "allegedly" bought yesterday, I'm hoping he's still conscious...

Yeah I shared all beers with my stepdad and brother as we visited Mom for Mother's Day. So we had fun tastings, but I never had more than 3 a day so unconsciousness was averted.

Without further ado:
1. Go Ask Your Mother - NE IPA - Casita Cerveceria in collaboration with Wilmington Brewing Company - Can - ABV 7.3% but you wouldn't know.

I'd rate it 3.5 - very good, not great. My stepdad liked it better. If you drink this be patient. It starts with a carbonated taste, like that 0 IBU idea. IBU not listed, but it's very low.
Then the juicy flavor comes in and lingers, making this a complex beer.

I thought the 0-IBU carbonated seltzer taste was too much at first, almost tasting watered down. The "Mark It Zero" one I had previously from Wooden Robot was much better.

And the lingering tropical citrus flavor that came later wasn't good enough IMO. At $15.99 for 4 big cans, I would recommend not buying this one if you see it. It's good, but not worth it given better choices out there. But it was a fun beer for Mother's Day weekend.

2. The Decapitation of Morbidity - IPA - Burial - 7.2 % ABV - 50 IBU - Draft

I'd rate it 4.25, and I may not be rating it high enough. This beer was outstanding. It's double-dry hopped, hazy, and smooth grapefruit/pineapple flavor (but not sour, tart, fruity, or sweet). It's 50 IBU, but too smooth to be bitter. Get this one if you see it. It's so good it has wow factor after you taste it. Burial beers are expensive, but the ones I've had have been so outstanding they're worth it. My stepdad also agreed this beer was much better than the Casita, and he really liked the Casita. If there is a better brewery in NC than Burial, I'd like to try it! The 2 IPA's and Imperial Stout I've had from them have been 3 of the best beers I've tasted. I'll try to taste more from Haw River, Fullsteam, Bond Brothers, and Casita if I can find them. But for now Burial is my #1.

3. Wicked Weed Funkatorium - La Bonte Pear - 6.5% ABV - No IBU - American Wild Farmhouse Ale - Bottle

From Label - "Fermented with Brettanomyces culture, then blended with a portion of golden sour and onto a half pound per gallon of whole pears" Bretty aroma is there.

I'd rate it 4.0. Like the cherry one I tried, this is an outstanding sour beer. It's subtle, dry, mild bitter, tart, and delicious with slight acidity. It's the type of super-friendly beer that can teach someone to like sour beers. The pear is very, very subtle (maybe too subtle) that you notice at the end. So it's not juicy or sweet at all, which is good. It's very refreshing.

As good as this beer was, and it's just outstanding, I thought the Ferme de Chien (Cherry) Wicked Weed Funkatorium was even better (4.25) if you want to try one. The cherries are naturally tart/sour, so work perfectly in this beer.

But Budweiser has not screwed up these beers. These are nothing like that lame copper lager I tried which tasted about like something I would expect from Budweiser. These are too good to pass up. Unless, you think Corporate Big Beer is the Wicked Weed of the West - "I'll get you my pretty (little craft brewery), and your little dog-fish, too!"

Cheers!

[fuse]

New Glarus 2018 Wild Sour Ale going down with Mother’s Day (winner, winner) chicken dinner.

[fuse]

Allagash Ganache
Dark Brett ale aged on raspberries

Pours like a porter.
Smells like vinegar.

Tongue curling sour yields to rich raspberry mid palate before becoming sour on the finish.

Delightful.

[devildeac]

Yeah I shared all beers with my stepdad and brother as we visited Mom for Mother's Day. So we had fun tastings, but I never had more than 3 a day so unconsciousness was averted.

Without further ado:
1. Go Ask Your Mother - NE IPA - Casita Cerveceria in collaboration with Wilmington Brewing Company - Can - ABV 7.3% but you wouldn't know.

I'd rate it 3.5 - very good, not great. My stepdad liked it better. If you drink this be patient. It starts with a carbonated taste, like that 0 IBU idea. IBU not listed, but it's very low.
Then the juicy flavor comes in and lingers, making this a complex beer.

I thought the 0-IBU carbonated seltzer taste was too much at first, almost tasting watered down. The "Mark It Zero" one I had previously from Wooden Robot was much better.

And the lingering tropical citrus flavor that came later wasn't good enough IMO. At $15.99 for 4 big cans, I would recommend not buying this one if you see it. It's good, but not worth it given better choices out there. But it was a fun beer for Mother's Day weekend.

2. The Decapitation of Morbidity - IPA - Burial - 7.2 % ABV - 50 IBU - Draft

I'd rate it 4.25, and I may not be rating it high enough. This beer was outstanding. It's double-dry hopped, hazy, and smooth grapefruit/pineapple flavor (but not sour, tart, fruity, or sweet). It's 50 IBU, but too smooth to be bitter. Get this one if you see it. It's so good it has wow factor after you taste it. Burial beers are expensive, but the ones I've had have been so outstanding they're worth it. My stepdad also agreed this beer was much better than the Casita, and he really liked the Casita. If there is a better brewery in NC than Burial, I'd like to try it! The 2 IPA's and Imperial Stout I've had from them have been 3 of the best beers I've tasted. I'll try to taste more from Haw River, Fullsteam, Bond Brothers, and Casita if I can find them. But for now Burial is my #1.

3. Wicked Weed Funkatorium - La Bonte Pear - 6.5% ABV - No IBU - American Wild Farmhouse Ale - Bottle

From Label - "Fermented with Brettanomyces culture, then blended with a portion of golden sour and onto a half pound per gallon of whole pears" Bretty aroma is there.

I'd rate it 4.0. Like the cherry one I tried, this is an outstanding sour beer. It's subtle, dry, mild bitter, tart, and delicious with slight acidity. It's the type of super-friendly beer that can teach someone to like sour beers. The pear is very, very subtle (maybe too subtle) that you notice at the end. So it's not juicy or sweet at all, which is good. It's very refreshing.

As good as this beer was, and it's just outstanding, I thought the Ferme de Chien (Cherry) Wicked Weed Funkatorium was even better (4.25) if you want to try one. The cherries are naturally tart/sour, so work perfectly in this beer.

But Budweiser has not screwed up these beers. These are nothing like that lame copper lager I tried which tasted about like something I would expect from Budweiser. These are too good to pass up. Unless, you think Corporate Big Beer is the Wicked Weed of the West - "I'll get you my pretty (little craft brewery), and your little dog-fish, too!"

Cheers!

This is great stuff, rj. I might have a La Bonte review on Ymm, Beer from several years ago. I'll try to "search thread." If not, it's just crazietalk...

You're going to have to plan a trip to Raleigh and visit Burial and Brewery Bhavana, about 6-7 blocks apart.

[thedukelamere]

I return from my unnecessary self-imposed exile with an update on Dark Lord Day '19... With our 4 tickets this year, we'll be walking away with 16 bottles of DL19 as well as 4 of the following:

2019 DARK LORD VARIANTS
(RyeBADL) Dark Lord aged in rye barrels

(xBBA xDVR)Dark Lord aged in bourbon barrels + Divine Rite malt whiskey barrels

(xRBA xDVR) Dark Lord aged in rye barrels + Divine Rite malt whiskey barrels

BBADL Dark Lord aged in bourbon barrels

BROSURE Dark Lord aged in ruby red port barrels

CAVALEIRO OF VARNOV Dark Lord aged in Calvados barrels

CHEMTRAILMIX Dark Lord aged in rye barrels with cinnamon + pink peppercorns

FRENCH VANILLA MILITIA Dark Lord aged in Sauternes barrels with vanilla, cocoa nibs + coffee

LOADSTAR Dark Lord aged in Sauternes whiskey barrels with toasted coconut

LOUNGE AGAINST THE MACROMACHINE Dark Lord aged in bourbon barrels + finished in tequila barrels with Mekong cinnamon, cocoa nibs, guajillo peppers + tangerine peel

MARSHMALLOW HANDJEE Bourbon barrel-aged Dark Lord with vanilla beans

REPTILEFUND Dark Lord aged in bourbon barrels and mezcal barrels

’RRARI CROCHET Dark Lord aged in port whiskey barrels with vanilla, freeze-dried strawberries, cocoa nibs + toasted coconut

At first glance, my top picks would be 1) Handjee 2) Chemtrailmix 3) 'Rrari Crochet 4) Loadstar, although if we get 4 Handjees I know now to sell a couple and pocket some cash for bargaining!

They still haven't released the schedule of which previous years' variants will be on sale at the various tents throughout the day, but I'm starting to get pumped for this Saturday. Between this and the GOT finale it'll be a weekend to remember

[devildeac]

I return from my unnecessary self-imposed exile with an update on Dark Lord Day '19... With our 4 tickets this year, we'll be walking away with 16 bottles of DL19 as well as 4 of the following:

2019 DARK LORD VARIANTS
(RyeBADL) Dark Lord aged in rye barrels

(xBBA xDVR)Dark Lord aged in bourbon barrels + Divine Rite malt whiskey barrels

(xRBA xDVR) Dark Lord aged in rye barrels + Divine Rite malt whiskey barrels

BBADL Dark Lord aged in bourbon barrels

BROSURE Dark Lord aged in ruby red port barrels

CAVALEIRO OF VARNOV Dark Lord aged in Calvados barrels

CHEMTRAILMIX Dark Lord aged in rye barrels with cinnamon + pink peppercorns

FRENCH VANILLA MILITIA Dark Lord aged in Sauternes barrels with vanilla, cocoa nibs + coffee

LOADSTAR Dark Lord aged in Sauternes whiskey barrels with toasted coconut

LOUNGE AGAINST THE MACROMACHINE Dark Lord aged in bourbon barrels + finished in tequila barrels with Mekong cinnamon, cocoa nibs, guajillo peppers + tangerine peel

MARSHMALLOW HANDJEE Bourbon barrel-aged Dark Lord with vanilla beans

REPTILEFUND Dark Lord aged in bourbon barrels and mezcal barrels

’RRARI CROCHET Dark Lord aged in port whiskey barrels with vanilla, freeze-dried strawberries, cocoa nibs + toasted coconut

At first glance, my top picks would be 1) Handjee 2) Chemtrailmix 3) 'Rrari Crochet 4) Loadstar, although if we get 4 Handjees I know now to sell a couple and pocket some cash for bargaining!

They still haven't released the schedule of which previous years' variants will be on sale at the various tents throughout the day, but I'm starting to get pumped for this Saturday. Between this and the GOT finale it'll be a weekend to remember

With that list and your report last year, I hope you're able to remember anything...

Have a great time!

[devildeac]

From 7/12/15:

La Bonte-Wicked Weed Brewing

Sour blonde ale meets Brettanomyces fermented farmhouse ale, age gracefully together for a while with some plums and live happily ever after at the Funkatorium. Mattman91 gets huge props for including this in our May trading session. It was a 500 ml bottle I divided over 2 nights after a 12 ounce gose each night, making a very nice sequencing of beverages and styles. Poured a cloudy, lavender-tinged straw hue with a bit of funky, mustiness up front followed by some light berry, apple and pear aromas. Initial sourness upon tasting gave way to mild floral bitterness with a light plum, winey finish. This sounds rather complex and it really was. Makes me think of what an ale would taste like if Southern Tier and Catawba Brewing collaborated with their Plum Noir and Sour Zombie, respectively, with just a splash of Plum Noir (it was an imperial porter) being added to a generous aliquot of the Sour Zombie. Minimal bitterness, guessing IBUs of 20 with a very sessionable ABV of 6.5%. This was actually La Bonte 2.0 as the original was an apricot-based ale. Wouldn't hesitate for a moment having a draft of this or purchasing/trading for another bottle of yet another outstanding concoction from Asheville's South Slope.

From 9/25/15:

Bottle Mixx barrel-aged beer night on Thursday.

Five-4 ounce samples for $10

First up:

La Bonte w/figs (draft-aged in oak foeders)-Wicked Weed

Poured a cloudy orange-yellow with a small head, this sour ale is brewed with Brettanomyces yeast, Lactobacillus bacteria and figs and then in their oak vats for a month or three. The oak aging adds a bit of coconut and vanilla to the flavors and "softens" the sourness some as the plum version I had from mattman91 was a bit more sour I seem to recall. No bourbon or winey flavors here. Fig presence is pretty minimal. I'll guess IBUs about 20-30 and the ABV is 6.5% so it made a nice stater for the tasting.

Attachment 5523

Yeah I shared all beers with my stepdad and brother as we visited Mom for Mother's Day. So we had fun tastings, but I never had more than 3 a day so unconsciousness was averted.

Without further ado:
1. Go Ask Your Mother - NE IPA - Casita Cerveceria in collaboration with Wilmington Brewing Company - Can - ABV 7.3% but you wouldn't know.

I'd rate it 3.5 - very good, not great. My stepdad liked it better. If you drink this be patient. It starts with a carbonated taste, like that 0 IBU idea. IBU not listed, but it's very low.
Then the juicy flavor comes in and lingers, making this a complex beer.

I thought the 0-IBU carbonated seltzer taste was too much at first, almost tasting watered down. The "Mark It Zero" one I had previously from Wooden Robot was much better.

And the lingering tropical citrus flavor that came later wasn't good enough IMO. At $15.99 for 4 big cans, I would recommend not buying this one if you see it. It's good, but not worth it given better choices out there. But it was a fun beer for Mother's Day weekend.

2. The Decapitation of Morbidity - IPA - Burial - 7.2 % ABV - 50 IBU - Draft

I'd rate it 4.25, and I may not be rating it high enough. This beer was outstanding. It's double-dry hopped, hazy, and smooth grapefruit/pineapple flavor (but not sour, tart, fruity, or sweet). It's 50 IBU, but too smooth to be bitter. Get this one if you see it. It's so good it has wow factor after you taste it. Burial beers are expensive, but the ones I've had have been so outstanding they're worth it. My stepdad also agreed this beer was much better than the Casita, and he really liked the Casita. If there is a better brewery in NC than Burial, I'd like to try it! The 2 IPA's and Imperial Stout I've had from them have been 3 of the best beers I've tasted. I'll try to taste more from Haw River, Fullsteam, Bond Brothers, and Casita if I can find them. But for now Burial is my #1.

3. Wicked Weed Funkatorium - La Bonte Pear - 6.5% ABV - No IBU - American Wild Farmhouse Ale - Bottle

From Label - "Fermented with Brettanomyces culture, then blended with a portion of golden sour and onto a half pound per gallon of whole pears" Bretty aroma is there.

I'd rate it 4.0. Like the cherry one I tried, this is an outstanding sour beer. It's subtle, dry, mild bitter, tart, and delicious with slight acidity. It's the type of super-friendly beer that can teach someone to like sour beers. The pear is very, very subtle (maybe too subtle) that you notice at the end. So it's not juicy or sweet at all, which is good. It's very refreshing.

As good as this beer was, and it's just outstanding, I thought the Ferme de Chien (Cherry) Wicked Weed Funkatorium was even better (4.25) if you want to try one. The cherries are naturally tart/sour, so work perfectly in this beer.

But Budweiser has not screwed up these beers. These are nothing like that lame copper lager I tried which tasted about like something I would expect from Budweiser. These are too good to pass up. Unless, you think Corporate Big Beer is the Wicked Weed of the West - "I'll get you my pretty (little craft brewery), and your little dog-fish, too!"

Cheers!

Looks like I found 2 prior tastings of La Bonte, neither of which was the pear version. Sounds tasty!

[fuse]

Another good “Fullsteam Monday” where a good lunch was had with good beer.

There were 2 hazy IPAs within a half a percent alcohol of each other, with similar descriptions. They were fun to taste and compare/contrast.

[devildeac]

Last night's beer, a trader from fuse. Thanks!!

Beer on Points-Fullsteam Brewery

Lots of Duke-related stuff about this American style IPA.

Location: Durham (local!)
Founder: Sean Wilson (? Duke grad-couldn't find more info but I'd bet fuse knows more than I do )
Why: Reunion 35, Class of '84 (food points, beer points, etc)-both clearly designated on the label of this 12 ounce can, along with a Blue Devil logo
Canned: 04/10/19-perfect timing for last month's reunion

Poured vigorously to create a moderate, foamy head atop an orange-yellow brew. Mild nose of pine and grapefruit with similar tastes along with some resin and a hint of sweetness. I'll guess IBUs about 60 and the ABV is 7%. Would pair well with spicy fare.

This is a crowded, crowded field and Fullsteam creates many, many fine beverages but this one does not stand out, even locally. I'll blame my palate for this, probably because I'm tired of the "C" hops which I'd guess there are plenty of in this brew. I am grateful that fuse saved one for me after being tipped off by another friend from her reunion that this was available.

The friend was CathyCA and that's not crazietalk...

(She ahem-ed me so I guess she wanted credit .)

[devildeac]

Imperial Vanilla Porter Aged in Rum Barrels-BreckInBevRidge Brewery

Sometimes it's better to ask forgiveness than permission.

Story: The original version of this was probably one of my favorite beers a decade or more ago and become one of our son's favorites several years ago, too. He saw a 4 pack of this imperial rum barrel-aged version on the shelf of his favorite craft beer stores a couple months ago and asked my opinion. I reminded him Big Beer had bought Breckenridge Brewery several years ago and he put on his sad face and decided not to purchase. Well, when we visited last month and he had a $15-20 beer debt to me, he grabbed the $10.49 package and inquired again about the purchase and I agreed, knowing he'd get a couple bottles of a beer he really wanted. Wise move. Excellent elixir.

I poured this with vigor from a 12 ounce bottle into a snifter and created a moderate, foamy tan head. Three aromas: vanilla, milk chocolate and Bacardi 151. Mouthfeel was a bit thin, but that's fine as it's a porter, not a stout. Robust baker's chocolate, vanilla and booze were the first tastes. There are hints of coffee (not added) dark caramel and wood, then more very warming rummy sensations. After about six ounces, I began to wonder whether I had floated a couple (?) tablespoons of Bacardi 151 onto a regular strength vanilla imperial porter. IBUs of 18 and the ABV is a warming and numbing 13.4% hence my 60 minute consumption time for this big sipper.

I've given richardjackson199 a fair amount of chain-yanking recently for his Wicked InBev Weed purchases, but, I'll shamelessly admit that this was an excellent beverage despite its AB-InBev ownership, made even better given the cost of $10.49 for the litter of 4.

[LasVegas]

I’m not going to read this giant thread but if you are ever in Vegas...banger brewing has a jalapeño beer that is great. El Heffe. Perfect amount of spice.

EL HEFFE (JALEPEÑO HEFEWEIZEN) – 5.2% ABV
AMERICAN HEFE INFUSED WITH FRESH ROASTED JALAPEÑO, SERRANO, HABAÑERO, AND GREEN AND RED BELL PEPPERS. AROMATIC ON THE FRONT FINISHING WITH A HINT OF SPICE.

[devildeac]

I’m not going to read this giant thread but if you are ever in Vegas...banger brewing has a jalapeño beer that is great. El Heffe. Perfect amount of spice.

EL HEFFE (JALEPEÑO HEFEWEIZEN) – 5.2% ABV
AMERICAN HEFE INFUSED WITH FRESH ROASTED JALAPEÑO, SERRANO, HABAÑERO, AND GREEN AND RED BELL PEPPERS. AROMATIC ON THE FRONT FINISHING WITH A HINT OF SPICE.

Looks/sounds like a lot of heat.

humantorch.gif

What are some other good Las Vegas/Nevada breweries?

[fuse]

I’m not going to read this giant thread but if you are ever in Vegas...banger brewing has a jalapeño beer that is great. El Heffe. Perfect amount of spice.

EL HEFFE (JALEPEÑO HEFEWEIZEN) – 5.2% ABV
AMERICAN HEFE INFUSED WITH FRESH ROASTED JALAPEÑO, SERRANO, HABAÑERO, AND GREEN AND RED BELL PEPPERS. AROMATIC ON THE FRONT FINISHING WITH A HINT OF SPICE.

So LasVegas, this is completely unfair and I hope it does not discourage you from contributing further...
🥵🤢🤮🤮🤮

The slightly longer story is it is a rare chili beer that I find palatable/enjoyable (not that it has stopped me in most cases from trying them).

Do you find this beer spicy/hot or flavourful?
For example, Birdsong Brewing Jalapeno Pale Ale is not particularly spicy hot, and it does capture the pepper taste and smell of biting into a fresh jalapeno.

I’m now scratching my head if I have had a pepper hefe. Ale, pale ale, IPA, lager, stout, for sure yes.

Thanks for sharing! Any other Las Vegas beers we should seek out?

[accfanfrom1970]

Zaftig BBA Wee Heavy Scottish Ale. Super malty, British hops and roasted barley. 10% abv. Another gift from Ohio, thought I’d finished them all. An excellent example of Scottish ale. Hints of dried fruit maybe fig? And not too boozy.

[fuse]

Taxman Reserve Subpart Funk

Pours a deep rusty gold just shy of amber with a thick head.
Got maybe half the 500ml bottle (bottled on 3/1/19) into a shaker pint glass.

8.2% ABV, 15 IBU

Nose is apple, apple cider vinegar and straw.

Bracingly tart to start, mid palate is somewhat sweet like applesauce.
The finish is dry, and sour.

Really nice doesn’t do Subpart Funk justice.

Perhaps borrowing a paraphrase from Game of Thrones: “We shall never see its like again.”

Thanks devildeac, and cheers! 🍻

[devildeac]

Zaftig BBA Wee Heavy Scottish Ale. Super malty, British hops and roasted barley. 10% abv. Another gift from Ohio, thought I’d finished them all. An excellent example of Scottish ale. Hints of dried fruit maybe fig? And not too boozy.

Yea, Zaftig makes really good beers and they claim "none under 7% ABV" but I've looked at their website and I think they have one or two under that figure. Ask your sister if she got any Ol' Rugger for you last month or any of the variants...