Ymm, Beer

[ricks68]

The Hop Nasty = really good XIPA

Inner Th-IPA = acceptably tasty.

6277 Pale Ale = meh. Too much "funk."

Their signature beers are the Saison of Love and the Patcha Mama Coconut Porter. Excellent. Otherwise others can be also good.

ricks

[fuse]

Good question. I would love doing a side by side comparison. I think the DBC may be a little more forward with the coconut.

If you see it on tap, or in cans, I would certainly recommend picking it up.

Inspired me to crack my last can of Burial Bolo Brown.
Really tasty stuff!

[mattman91]

Inspired me to crack my last can of Burial Bolo Brown.
Really tasty stuff!

It sure is. Rick mentioned the One World Coconut Porter...forgot all about that one. I may be making a trip over there soon to refresh my memory

[Tripping William]

It sure is. Rick mentioned the One World Coconut Porter...forgot all about that one. I may be making a trip over there soon to refresh my memory

I don't believe it was on tap yesterday. At least I don't recall it, whether before the first pint or after the third ...

[fuse]

Cracked into my first Burial Skillet Donut Stout.

Opened with a loud pop.

Pouring has been a useless exercise in filling a snifter with foam.

Once the foam "beerifies"(tm) it is amazingly good.

Smells like a rich cup of coffee and tastes like layers of chocolate and coffee.

Awesome- thanks ricks68!

[mattman91]

Cracked into my first Burial Skillet Donut Stout.

Opened with a loud pop.

Pouring has been a useless exercise in filling a snifter with foam.

Once the foam "beerifies"(tm) it is amazingly good.

Smells like a rich cup of coffee and tastes like layers of chocolate and coffee.

Awesome- thanks ricks68!

But did you put a doughnut in the glass? If not, you have failed

[ricks68]

But did you put a doughnut in the glass? If not, you have failed

And it has to be a cake-like donut, not a Krispy Kreme type.😊

ricks

[fuse]

But did you put a doughnut in the glass? If not, you have failed

If this is failing, can't wait to taste success.

Didn't come with special instructions

[Tripping William]

But did you put a doughnut in the glass? If not, you have failed

And it has to be a cake-like donut, not a Krispy Kreme type.😊

ricks

If this is failing, can't wait to taste success.

Didn't come with special instructions

Had one on-site yesterday (doughnut-on-a-stick and all). Brought home a half-dozen cans. But I can't wait to taste the 750ml bottle of Haysaw Saison aged in Pinot Noir barrels. I will wait, but my patience will be severely tested.

[mattman91]

And it has to be a cake-like donut, not a Krispy Kreme type.😊

ricks

Better yet, it should be from Hole in West Asheville

[ricks68]

Better yet, it should be from Hole in West Asheville

That works for me, though Vortex has really improved lately.

ricks

[devildeac]

Cracked into my first Burial Skillet Donut Stout.

Opened with a loud pop.

Pouring has been a useless exercise in filling a snifter with foam.

Once the foam "beerifies"(tm) it is amazingly good.

Smells like a rich cup of coffee and tastes like layers of chocolate and coffee.

Awesome- thanks ricks68!

But did you put a doughnut in the glass? If not, you have failed

Ha! When I shared the bottle with our younger daughter and her husband over Christmas, I pre-planned and sent him out for a bag of Hostess or Tastykake chocolate mini-donuts and served all of us our portions with a mini-donut stuck on the end of the straw protruding from the top of the glass.

[ricks68]

Go to Bhramari Brewhouse on FB and check out the pic of their menu today for VD. OMG! We are pretty upset that we have been black-iced in all day will not be able to leave our house probably until Tuesday.😦

ricks

[devildeac]

Grapefruit Harvest IPA-Abita Brewing

This was our younger son-in-law's 12 ounce contribution to our shrimp and grits, grilled asparagus and mixed green salad with Feta, Craisins, candied pecans and strawberry salad victory dinner last PM. Poured a light orange-yellow with a small head. Nose of (drum roll) fresh squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice and tastes of the same with a bit of bready, light caramely sweetness and a little bite. Paired well with the meal. I do take issue with the labeling as at 6% ABV (pale, pilsner and caramel malts) and 40 IBUs (Cascade hops), it's really not an IPA and falls into pale ale territory. I'm not that fond of Abita but not a bad beer and worth a 12 ounce bottle to taste/share and venture into the expanding fruited IPA or pale ale field.

[devildeac]

From 1/18/15:

Love Ninja-Asheville Brewing Company

Take ABC's World Beer Cup award-winning Ninja Porter (which I must admit I've never tasted), add a squirt of raspberry juice and a couple tablespoons of fresh brewed coffee and you have your Valentine beer. Ricks68 delivered this last week as we dined the day after he attended the Miami MBB game. Poured a dark brown with ruby highlights into a pint glass and formed a medium-sized foamy head that fairly quickly disappeared. Nose was coffee and mild chocolate and palate-pleasing tastes encompassed the same with some dark caramel and a slight, pleasant raspberry finish. Snooped out the IBUs (not listed) at 27, about as expected, with the ABV discovered to be 5.25%, also not listed. The bomber, which I'll be sipping over two nights, has no dating but it's a new release (heck, mattman didn't even know it had hit the retail market) and can't be more than a week or two old. Fuse might even find pleasure in my extra Love Ninja.

From last PM:

Love Ninja (bottled 12/22/15)-Asheville Brewing Company

Same name, different year, different beer. It's still a porter with a dark brown-reddish pour and a modest head divided 3 ways from a bomber last PM and served with our own individual home-baked chocolate lava cakes with a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream on the side. This year's variety (not labeled Part 1-more later, obviously) is made with strawberries, cocoa powder and vanilla beans. The aromas are milk chocolate/cocoa and the tastes are the same with the strawberries and vanilla as pleasant but minor players. There's a hint of coffee but that's not listed as an ingredient. IBUs of 26 and ABV of 5.6% and it paired really well with dessert. Thanks to ricks68 for the delivery last weekend.

94e187d0f8442fe25dcc72539fc4bebb_320x320.jpg

Love Ninja Part 2 will be sampled later in the week...

[devildeac]

Winter Ale-Goose Island Brewing Company

Goose me!

Clear, medium to dark brown pour from a 12 ounce bottle with a modest, light tan head. Nutty and toffee aromas with milk chocolate, slightly burned caramel, toasted almond and pumpernickel bread tastes. Somewhat "thin" for a winter ale at 25 IBUs (Fuggles hops) and ABV at 5.3% (2-Row, Caramel-60, Wheat, Dark Chocolate, Victory malts). Made a decent pairing with light to medium hors d'oeuvres before a local theatre performance of Grease.

[devildeac]

Winter Porter (bottled 11/12/14)-C*rolina Brewing Company

Drink local!

Churning out good ales since 1995, this is one of the early breweries in the area. Their offerings range from a summer ale/Kolsch to a barleywine and all on the lower ABV-side for their respective styles. This selection was no exception. Poured a dark brown with a small tan head, the aromas were cocoa and coffee and dark breads with tastes that mirrored the scents. This was a decent pairing with desserts of chocolate chip cookies, coconut balls and brownies. Not a good idea to keep session beers for this long and the slightly flat, almost cardboard-y mouthfeel kept me from finishing this. Not a Ycch, Beer but I'd re-consider tasting a fresh bottle or draft to see if it was outdated or simply not very good beer.

[devildeac]

Barrel Aged Chocothickfreakness (draft)-Steel String Craft Brewery

Drink local!

d0bfdfbf0ed527afad90c91fc0391c64_320x320.jpg


Quite a nightcap after a Duke win, conversation/dinner/dessert with family and a night of Valentine's dancing on Saturday with the lovely and vivacious Mrs. dd. Served at the brewery in the town of Carrboro in a 10 ounce tulip. Appearance was black with a small beige head. Baker's chocolate and whiffs of coffee to start and all sorts of other chocolates upon tasting to accompany some blackstrap molasses, licorice, a couple drops of espresso and a very subtle bourbon finish. We were in a bit of a hurry so this was mostly sipped cold, not the best way to enjoy an imperial stout. I was slightly put-off by the licorice (probably not an additive but just a flavor from the heavily roasted grains) and a tad disappointed by such little bourbon presence but still found this to be an excellent concoction. I'll guess IBUs around 50 and the ABV was 10.5% so you can't enjoy many of these. They did bottle this but I was waaaaay late for that opportunity/party.

[fuse]

First, let me thank mattman and devildeac for getting me
the first Twin Leaf 1521 Mexican Imperial stout.

There must be something in the water in Asheville as I had just as hard a time pouring the 1521 as I did the Burial Donut Skillet stout.

Took me almost 5 minutes to get through the wax followed by about 20 minutes worth of pouring into 2 pint shaker glasses, four inches of foam at a time.

Not much of a nose.

Nice dry chocolate followed by a lingering pepper burn.

I know the target was "mexican chocolate with pepper" and I'm generally of the opinion that pepper and beer don't mix and land on Yechh, beer for me.

The 1521 proves to be the exception to the rule.
The pepper does not really add or detract from the flavour (hah, ricks68 ;-).

It does add a tingle to lips and tongue that, while not painful, holds your attention long after you finish your sip.

Theobroma would may a good side by side tasting.

Happy to have had this chocolatey, spicy delight.

[ricks68]

First, let me thank mattman and devildeac for getting me
the first Twin Leaf 1521 Mexican Imperial stout.

There must be something in the water in Asheville as I had just as hard a time pouring the 1521 as I did the Burial Donut Skillet stout.

Took me almost 5 minutes to get through the wax followed by about 20 minutes worth of pouring into 2 pint shaker glasses, four inches of foam at a time.

Not much of a nose.

Nice dry chocolate followed by a lingering pepper burn.

I know the target was "mexican chocolate with pepper" and I'm generally of the opinion that pepper and beer don't mix and land on Yechh, beer for me.

The 1521 proves to be the exception to the rule.
The pepper does not really add or detract from the flavour (hah, ricks68 ;-).

It does add a tingle to lips and tongue that, while not painful, holds your attention long after you finish your sip.

Theobroma would may a good side by side tasting.

Happy to have had this chocolatey, spicy delight.

Have you had the Highland Black Watch I sent you yet?

ricks