Yes, Craft Happiness is different. The IPAs are specially crafted, and then directed/themed toward a particular cause. For instance, Dune "is brewed to bring awareness to beach upkeep and preservation."
"Amazing what a minute can do."
Beer name of the day?
Doin' Thyme
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
I see you, Brewery Bhavana:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/article...new-breweries/
devildeac, might be time for a short road trip:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/49659/
Waaaay too long waiting to review this. From last week:
Follow Your Heart Southward-Casita Cerveceria
The last beer this "gypsy" brewer ever brewed at Hill Farmstead before returning to his roots in eastern NC and starting to brew again at Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery. It wasn't ready when he left Hill Farmstead last year so he had to return this winter/spring to pick up/bottle/transport the concoction back to NC.
A new, local bottle shop, Falls Village Wine and Beer, got a couple cases of this from the head brewer, accountant, marketing director, distributor of this new brewery and it apparently wasn't moving too quickly at $22/500 ml bottle () so he had a "rare" beer night last week and poured 6 ounce aliquots for $7 each. Glad he emailed me with the notification.
This beer was amazing. Pour was thick and black with a thin rim of a mocha head. Seductive nose of dark chocolate, espresso and bourbon. Immediate tastes of semi-sweet chocolate, chewy fudge. Strong but not overpowering dark roast coffee was present with a bit of nuttiness, dark, dark caramel, molasses hints of vanilla and a warm, boozy finish. It is an imperial stout that was bourbon barrel-aged for a year with pecan coffee on cocoa nibs with vanilla added. I'll guess IBUs about 50 and the ABV was 11% so I sipped my portion for about 30 minutes. Maybe more. Name your favorite BBA RIS and this one will equal or better it. Beyond decadent.
For you folks in NC, if you ever see any Casita Cerveceria brews on tap or in cans, buy one or several. You will not be disappointed. The several products I've sampled so far have been excellent but that comes as no surprise considering where the founder learned his craft.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
Streamside Mango-Neuse River Brewing Company
NC Beer Month is gone but I have a few leftovers .
This was a ~$4 pint can from a local brewery (about 7 miles from our house) that I never sampled until visiting the new bottle shop mentioned in the post above and the owner offered 10% off a mixed 6er so...
Pour was a hazy sunshine hue with a mildly sour nose. It is indeed a sour ale. Not Belgian/Flanders/Rodenbach or Destihl Brewery (IL) sour but, nonetheless sour. Maybe Realemon meets Dole mango/orange juice? It most resembled a gose to me with a slightly salty palate, a mild pucker, lemon sour and a hint of mango and papaya sweet. I'll guess IBUs about 10 (it's sour, not bitter if that makes sense) and the ABV was 4%. Maybe pair with a sweet and sour dish? Not sure I'd re-visit this but would certainly include this joint on a brew tour of Raleigh, next door to Nickelpoint Brewing and about 3/4 mile from Sub Noir (if they still exist) and a mile from Lynwood Brewing Concern and another 1/4 mile from Big Boss Brewing.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
Stardust to Stardust-North High Brewing Company
Traded some NC brews for some Ohio brews about 10 days ago and this was one of them.
"This Imperial IPA is inspired by some of the greatest music ever made and crafted with the best interstellar hops we could find."
Or:
"Brewed to celebrate the life of David Bowie, Stardust To Stardust is brewed with Galaxy, Apollo, and Comet hops." (And Bravo hops, too.)
The pour from a 12 ounce can was cloudy yellow with a modest, foamy head. Pineapple-y and grapefruit-y nose with the same tastes plus a bit of rind and resin. Mild light brown sugar sweetness. IBUs at 72 and the ABV is 8.8%. Round up some mildly spicy fare with a glass of this. Looking forward to trading a couple and sharing a couple and having another all to myself in a couple weeks.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
Coincidence?
Grove-Brewery Bhavana
My first BB beer and I'm impressed. Very impressed.
Pint can for about $5.50 (a bit spendy) with my 10% mixed 6er discount at Falls Village Wine and Beer, the new store about 1.5 miles from our house, and bought a couple weeks ago during NC Beer Month.
Color was orange-yellow and appearance was hazy. Real hazy. It's labeled an IIPA but with the tropical juicy, fruity aromas and an ABV at 8%, I guess it's really an imperial New England style IPA. Tastes are a potpourri of tangerine, pineapple, grapefruit, zest, pith and mango. Bursting with juiciness. No IBU to be located so I'll venture about 50. I'm not sure I'd spend $20+ on a 4 pack of this but I'd certainly like to visit the restaurant and brewery (both voted among the top 50ish new restaurants and breweries in the US last year) and have an entree and a pint draft of this.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
Cosmic Opposites: Black IPA-Casita Ceveceria
Brewed and canned at Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery.
Pint can for about $4, with the 10% mixed 6er discount, bought in April, NC Beer Month.
Pour was almost stout-colored as expected. Consistency, appearance and mouthfeel was thinner, again, as expected. Nose of over-toasted pumpernickel and coffee and tastes of the same with a fair amount of piney/resin-y bitterness and a bit of grapefruit. Brewing with Mt. Hood, Chinook and Columbus hops are likely the culprits for those tastes. It'd be interesting to use a different assortment of hops (Simcoe, Citra, Mosaic to name a few) and see if the tastes changed to more tropical/citrus fruitiness. Oats listed on the can, too, so there is some smoothing/silkiness to the tasting. I suspect the grain bill is black/patent/Chocolate malts among others. No IBUs listed so I'll guess 70. The ABV is 7%. Interesting to try/taste but I won't revisit. Will list in the category of a well-brewed ale for the style but not one of my favorite IPA variations.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
An explanation of the style, aka American Black Ale:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/style/175/
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
I’ll come down on the flip side of the coin.
I really like a (good) black IPA.
Stone’s “Cascadian IPA” started what became a pretty flash in the pan trend- you don’t see too many black IPA offerings.
I wonder how newer hops might evolve the style. My last black IPA memory is a mix of roasty coffee and dank hops, which melded pretty well.
I wonder if citra, mosaic, etc would stand up, get lost, or really clash in a black IPA.
Of course you would, if you're reading this thread. So, here's a list of 19 breweries to seek out. Some recognizable names, including Mystery and 3 Floyds. And a new name (to me, at least): Fonta Flora in Morganton, NC.
"Amazing what a minute can do."