Ymm, Beer

[duketaylor]

New Belgium Summer Helles:

From the brewer:
"Light, bright and easy drinking, now is your chance to drink in the festival season. First brewed to celebrate 40 years of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, it has since become Planet Bluegrass’ signature New Belgium offering (under the name Summer Bliss). This Summer Helles pours a brilliant gold, with soft, white foam. The aroma is fresh grains and honey with a spicy-herbal twang. This danceable lager carries the pleasant sweetness of pale and German Pils malts, and levels off with the light and noble bitterness of Hallertau and Tettnang hops. Summer Helles finishes crisp and dry, and is sure to refresh even the thirstiest reveler. Grab your banjo, crack a bottle and let the pickin’ shine."

Had this a few days ago at Keagan's in Short Pump, it's 4.7% ABV and I'd guess IBUs of about 30. I find it a bit underwhelming as I think it lacks body and tastes watered-down. Won't try it again, save your cash on this one.

[mattman91]

Per Wicked Weed's Facebook, I will be able to enjoy a pint of the French Toast Stout a little early this year. They are barrel aging most of it for the winter, but they saved a small amount for a cask tomorrow night. I had this for the first time at the Asheville Winter Warmer in January, and yes, it does taste as good as it sounds

[devildeac]

Brett on the Dancefloor (draft)-Fiddlehead Brewing (Shelburne, VT)

Tap takeover (sort of) at The Farmhouse Tap and Grill just off Church Street in downtown Burlington, VT. Lunched with the legendary and lovely DBR poster budwom today and his much lovelier wife after about a 4 mile stroll in the rain along the shores of rainy, overcast and cool Lake Champlain this AM. We divided a 4 beer sampler and this one was first as we moved from middle-of-the-road ABV to high gravity.

Fermented with 100% Brettanomyces yeast and dry hopped with Citra and Simcoe, this poured a medium, cloudy orange with a modest foamy head. Luscious aromas of grapefruit zest and other citrus, the tastes resembled a Sour Patch Kids or Warheads grapefruit candy with the typical Brett barnyard/horse blanket funkiness. IBUs given as 60 and the ABV at 5.9%, both in line with the IPA style of beers. Highly flavorful start to the midday meal.


http://www.fiddleheadbrewing.com/beer/

[devildeac]

Second in the sampler was:

Rang Duce, a hoppy American wheat ale. This really most resembled a blending of styles combining the IBUs and ABV of a traditional IPA with a standard wheat ale. Poured a cloudy golden hue with aromas and tastes of orange peel and other citrusy fruits. Some bready/malty/light caramel-y sweetness with a definite bite-you-back hop forward presence. IBUs a stunning (for a wheat ale) 75 and the ABV an equally impressive 7.2%, also high for a wheat ale. I guess those stats put this beverage into the imperial wheat ale category. This was a nice pairing with a bacon Angus burger and mixed green salad with a light apple cider vinagrette dressing. Interestingly, we both agreed this had a bit less character than the Brett IPA from above, despite its higher hop and alcohol content.

[devildeac]

2nd Fiddle DIPA is up third. This was a bit disappointing as I generally really like this style. Poured a cloudy, yellow-golden with a modest head and all the requirements for an IIPA with IBUS of 80 and ABV at 8.1%, the mild citrus notes in the nose and on the palate were still a bit lacking. Still, it was a pleasant pairing with the meal.

[devildeac]

Circle 3 is their offering of the Belgian tripel style and this was our final 6 ounce sample from the meal. Cloudy orange in color, the scents were floral and sweet and the mouthfeel was smooth (IBU only 27) and minimally boozey despite its generous ABV of 10.5% I'd guess this had typical European hops like Saaz, Hallertau and/or Tettnang, and tons of pale, crystal and caramel malts along with Belgian candi sugar. There were also hints of black pepper and spice from the Belgian yeast and perhaps a bit of orange zest. Made a nice "dessert" beer with its sweetness but dangerously easy to drink.

[devildeac]

Here's one they didn't have on the menu but have featured in their taproom in the past:

"Hef-You

A deliciously refreshing unfiltered Bavarian style Hefeweizen."

I kid you not. Interesting name.

[duketaylor]

Yes, it is carried here locally, but sells out very quickly and a 12oz. bottle goes for $12. Whoa!! Will determine which distributor here carries it and will have them (hopefully) hold me some once it's back in-stock. Luckily, I know all the distributors, unless from out-of-town. Will check tomorrow and update.

[OldPhiKap]

Allagash Curieux. Bourbon barrel-aged Tripel. Just got a growler, holy-flippin'-moly.

One of the most complex beers I have tasted, and mean that in a good way. Summer sweet, hazy gold, finish at tip of tongue and mid roof. Mad yum. 11% ABV.

Way different than my typical IPA.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Per Wicked Weed's Facebook, I will be able to enjoy a pint of the French Toast Stout a little early this year. They are barrel aging most of it for the winter, but they saved a small amount for a cask tomorrow night. I had this for the first time at the Asheville Winter Warmer in January, and yes, it does taste as good as it sounds

Did we have that at tailgate one year? We've had some excellent breakfast inspired brews before.

[mattman91]

Did we have that at tailgate one year? We've had some excellent breakfast inspired brews before.

Doubt it. Wicked Weed opened January 2013 (I think), and last winter was the first time they brewed this. I don't think they bottled this one either.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Doubt it. Wicked Weed opened January 2013 (I think), and last winter was the first time they brewed this. I don't think they bottled this one either.

This is what we had!
DDBaconMaple.jpg

[mattman91]

I don't know if I have linked these guys before, but the NC Beer Guys do a nice job of promoting NC Beer. They were recently back in town at Twin Leaf Brewery to talk to owners Tim and Steph. They pretty much operate the whole facility by themselves, with the help of a couple bartenders.

[mattman91]

This is what we had!
DDBaconMaple.jpg

That looks very interesting. I have seen some funky Rogue beers, but I never have the courage to try them

[August West]

That looks very interesting. I have seen some funky Rogue beers, but I never have the courage to try them

Smells wonderful. Taste, save your money. AW.

[killerleft]

Allagash Curieux. Bourbon barrel-aged Tripel. Just got a growler, holy-flippin'-moly.

One of the most complex beers I have tasted, and mean that in a good way. Summer sweet, hazy gold, finish at tip of tongue and mid roof. Mad yum. 11% ABV.

Way different than my typical IPA.

I don't have the experience to really rate beers, but when I tasted the Allagash Curieux (on tap at Mad Hatter's in Greensboro), I knew this was special. Smooth, boozy in a good way, and hard to quit drinking, except I had my monitor.. er, wife to govern my consumption. Another thing that kept me from drinking too much was the $8 price for eight ounces.

Why, I haven't been this sure about something being very, very good since the first time I watched Manny Ramirez bat for the Burlington Indians rookie league team way back when.

[fuse]

Allagash Curieux. Bourbon barrel-aged Tripel. Just got a growler, holy-flippin'-moly.

One of the most complex beers I have tasted, and mean that in a good way. Summer sweet, hazy gold, finish at tip of tongue and mid roof. Mad yum. 11% ABV.

Way different than my typical IPA.

I've rarely seen Curieux on tap. Awesome, awesome beer.
If you like that, try Mother Earth bourbon barrel aged Tripel Overhead if it is available in your area.

[fuse]

I don't have the experience to really rate beers, but when I tasted the Allagash Curieux (on tap at Mad Hatter's in Greensboro), I knew this was special. Smooth, boozy in a good way, and hard to quit drinking, except I had my monitor.. er, wife to govern my consumption. Another thing that kept me from drinking too much was the $8 price for eight ounces.

Why, I haven't been this sure about something being very, very good since the first time I watched Manny Ramirez bat for the Burlington Indians rookie league team way back when.

Everyone who has had a beer has enough experience to rate beers (or at least describe what you liked/ didn't).

Everything I put on this thread is just my thoughts, I'd never pretend to be an expert.

Tough sledding when your monitor clamps down ;-)

[fuse]

Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth- my only initial advice is label your beer:-)
I either guessed wrong, or devildeac gave me 2 stouts- the beer looked the same in the two bottles I had left.
I'm looking forward to trying the golden also.

I didn't stop the pour before getting a good bit of thick sediment- I should have been paying more attention.
As a result, what might have been an impressive head dissipated quickly.

Very thin coffee colored head.
Nose a little bit boozy, some wood and sweet notes- no discernable hop aroma.

Inky deep brown in a pint shaker glass, with a good bit of sediment throughout.
I wait a bit for the beer to warm up and the sediment to settle a bit.

The first sip has a dark fruit sweetness followed by a dry mild coffee finish.
The fruit sweetness and coffee flavours mask the roastiness one might expect from a darker malt profile.

This is an easy to quaff beer. I'm not clear on the ABV, but the lingering warmth on my tongue suggests something north of 8%. I don't think this is a big (12%+) beer, but it's big enough.

The beer comes across a little thin in mouthfeel, but with the fruit, wood and coffee notes, it works well- a heavier mouthfeel might tip the scales to make it either cloyingly sweet or possibly too astringent.

The cherry notes become rounder and softer as the beer warms up, adding nuances almost like layers of a fine wine. The thin head leaves some really nice lacing on the glass.

I think duketaylor brewed this around December last year. Again, I think it has held up well.
I really enjoyed it as a pre-dinner dessert.

Thanks devildeac and duketaylor!

I got doubly lucky- while sorry to miss the golden ale, I am glad my vision even through brown glass was spot on when I could not tell the difference between the stout and golden. Turns out I got two stouts! Thanks duketaylor and (sorry!) devildeac!

[OldPhiKap]

I don't have the experience to really rate beers, but when I tasted the Allagash Curieux (on tap at Mad Hatter's in Greensboro), I knew this was special. Smooth, boozy in a good way, and hard to quit drinking, except I had my monitor.. er, wife to govern my consumption. Another thing that kept me from drinking too much was the $8 price for eight ounces.

Why, I haven't been this sure about something being very, very good since the first time I watched Manny Ramirez bat for the Burlington Indians rookie league team way back when.

Oh, I thought you meant an ankle monitor. My bad. Must be the crowd with which I run.

(Reprobates, but a group for whom proper English is paramount. Don't ask. Don't judge.)