Halle Berry's pet Octopus: NBS BIF 8

I shared this last night with a friend, so I didn't get the chance to post it over on WBAYDN?, or here at the time.


Goose Island Brasserie Blanc

I didn't immediately add my review, but I did note my ratings and my overall impressions. As such, my site review is a little sparse by my standards. Instead of linking to the review, then, I'll just tell you what I thought:

This was a really good brew! The rating here was 3.78 prior to my review (with 17 ratings and only 1 review, despite being a 2017 bottle). Only 3 of the ratings are above 4.0, and just barely.

But me? I loved it! It really struck me as gueuze-like, which is exactly what I was hoping for. There's a little bit of funk, and the grape notes aren't overpowering.

I gave it a 4.17, good for an rDev of +9.7% - pretty damn high for me.

Thanks Dan!

 

I recommend three different senders for you.

 

I kind of do the same thing. Funky Buddha isn't exactly around the corner from my kids, but it's a lot closer than it is to Georgia, so I drop in every time I visit if I can. Hill Farmstead was about 5 hours away from my home in CT, but I knew that once I left I was not going to be making the trip again, so I'd make it a day trip - with about 11-12 hours of driving overall once I'd completed my Vermont circuit - 3-4 times a year.

 

That would be a good LIF: favorite caption.

Not saying I'm doing it; I need to restock my "cellar" (it's a closet) before I attempt to send out any more boxes.

 

You've seen Portlandia, right? The better question is: why doesn't every coach in Oregon look like that?

 

Soooooo many of the brews @FFFjunkie sent me are big bottle, special beers, and it doesn't feel right to crush too many of those myself without sharing. I've got a couple of beers from him lined up for New Beer Sunday, and I'm looking for opportunities to share a few others.

Long story short: there are only a handful left that I'm willing to kill both: 1) on my own, and 2) not on New Beer Sunday.

........so let's crack one of those handful open, shall we?

(This, naturally, follows a pot of bourbon barrel aged espresso, also courtesy of Dan.)


4 Hands Madagascar imperial milk stout brewed with vanilla and aged in bourbon barrels

You might notice a theme with the beers Dan sent me: lots of stouts, lots of adjuncts, lots of barrel aging. He stalked his target well.

This is nothing less than delectable! I love vanilla, and this is an absolute vanilla bomb - so much so that the barrel influence, and the malt base, are shoved nearly into the background.

Relatively low ABV for a BBA imperial stout (sub-10%), and that shows, in particular on the nose: it's not the slightest bit intimidating or aggressive. I think that actually hurts it a touch on mouthfeel, though; it's slick, somewhat lively, with a long, wet finish, but seems a touch lacking in heft and body. It's possible it will thicken up as it warms.

Really, really phenomenal brew, and well deserving of the stellar rating it has on this site.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27870/112968/?ba=Roguer#review
4.59 / +3.1%

Cheers!