NBS BIF #13: Peninsular Envy 2 (The Rocket-Ball Inception)

I hit Contemporary Fashion for QC purposes. Very tasty stuff. Cascade was pretty much the first brewery to do sours in a big way in the PNW. I think some of my fellow degenerates on the NW forum that are based in Oregon consider deGarde to have since eclipsed them, but what I've had from Cascade seems to more than get the job done (And unlike deGarde, they actually distribute to Washington).

 

Ok, well I have to thank @woemad for this beer. It's a blind review, and here it is.It's after dinner, so time for a beer. I hope I'm not too far off the target.



Mystery/Blind review:

This beer pours a nice dark brown color. There's a 2 finger tan head. The head retention is pretty good, and there's some pretty nice lacing on the glass - 4.25
The nose is somewhat minimal. I do get some slight, very slight, malt/biscuit aroma. Very light. I'm going to guess this is a milk stout of some kind 3.75
Taste - There's a creamy flavor going on here, so I guessing there's lactose in this beer. A nutty flavor is something else I think I'm getting. 4
Body is creamy, it is decent, if it's what I think it is - a milk stout. I don't think it's a strong beer from the feeling, guessing around 5%, or so. - 3.75
I'm not sure what this is, but I think I like it. Like I said, I'm guessing milk stout as the style - overall 4


Reveal in a bit, while I enjoy this beer. Thank you!!!!!

 

We get the deGarde bottles over here on the Wet Side.

 

Okay, I’m reviewing this live, but first a note about the glassware from @WunderLlama: I really like Teku glasses, but they always feel so ..... dainty. I am terrified, as a “not very dainty” beer nerd, that I am going to shatter them every time I utilize them.

That is not a concern with this particular Teku. An aluminum baseball bat isn’t as sturdy as this mudder trucker.

On to the beer, also from @WunderLlama. It is magnificent.





A nicely hazy golden orange color with a sudsy bone white head, there’s a hefty candied orange note and a lot of mango on the nose. Very nice.

That candied orange note is prominent on the taste, and the mango is angling for its place in line as well. There’s also a nice pineapple flavor, which provides some balance.

At 9.8% ABV, I figured this would be a one and done for me, but I’ve worked my way through two pints and can still (relatively) function. What a pleasure this is to drink. Rated 4.35.

 

What have I done?

That is a plaintive wail, BTW.

 

Reveal:

Icicle Brewing - German Chocolate Cake Ale - 6.5% ABV

Well, I was somewhat in the right area here, though a bit off. All I know is I liked it. Thank you so much for this mystery beer, @woemad

 

Medic! I've been hit!!!!!


Mrs Wunderllama and I are celebrating our wedding anniversary today .She returns from seeing son #2 and I hear her upstairs, “ Beer Box! Beer Box!”

Time to shut down work ( for now) and see what is all of the ruckus. It is indeed a beer box. Filled with west coast beverages. But first, the casualty, the Teton Vally real idaho bbq potatoe chips are barely out of the box and , “ You don’t mind if I open these do you?’” This IS grounds for divorce and 2nd degree manslaughter in at least 17 states. I acquiesce and I concur, “ These are pretty damn good chips.” The bag is emptied by dinnertime. Here’s the important stuff,



Melvin 2x4 -love this brewery and this beer -I was planning to visit there in 2020 and some how the year got away from me…..

Melvin barrel Aged Ruckus - bring the ruckus!

Roadhose brewery - The walrus -new to me brewery
- Outcasty Sweet potato porter-interesting!

SunRiver Wood Series- mexican Mocha stout -new to me, cool bottle -new brewery

Fremont
2019 The Rusty Nail - waxed and everything , looks cool
Disco Wolf
Dark Star
Sky Kraken

A Fremont pint glass

and

a silver 12 oz can of liquid

Mrs WunderLlama states “ I wouldn’t drink it”

But, this is a true mystery beer and I will !!!!!

I love the joy and happiness that BIF boxes bring, thank you @colts9016 . I am looking forward to savoring this box!

 

Happy anniversary to you and the Mrs!

 

So, they've made that beer for a good long while, and it tastes the same as it always has, but, they've given in to recent trends by making the name smaller and pointing out the dessert beer features. It was barely mentioned back in the 22oz bottle format days (and we rarely saw it over here on the Wet Side of the state), but now it's regularly available.

 

Happy anniversary! Glad everything is intact. Enjoy.

 

It's back to the world of IPAs here as we have a boring but productive day of chores around the house.
The first can of Hop Butcher for the World that I opened from @FBarber was refreshingly crystal clear. This one was the opposite. I'm not convinced that if you shone a flashlight through one side that you'd see any light come through the glass!



Largely inspired by the conversation about Riwaka hops the other day... I'm honestly surprised that this beer isn't more highly rated here on the site (4.14 is still objectively a good score, but given the inflation implicit within the style/profile and the brewery, I'm surprised the people aren't more hype for it). It seems like it should be right in that wheelhouse for the haze. Very well done, and once again, Thanks Frank (TM)!

 

Happy Anniversary, my beer nerd friend. This is me and Mrs O on the day we got engaged (Christmas Eve 1989). 31+ years later, she still allows me to hang out with her. I am a blessed beer nerd, on many levels.

 

Well, maybe start going a little easy on it, so those of us in eastern Washington can get a shot at some!

 

We don't get a ton of it, but it's not uncommon.

 

From your review, it sounds like it tasted a little more muted than is typical. I thought it had a respectable date, freshness wise. Maybe it was stored improperly where I picked it up. My apologies.
Incidentally, Icicle also brews an imperial version that they don't package, called Darker Persuasion. I've heard rumors of a version brewed with raspberries that I'd love to try, but I don't know if that one makes it out of Leavenworth.

 

Congratulations! Seriously, that’s awesome.

 

Enjoying this wonderful IPA from @Mbgreg tonight, never had this hop combination before and the more I had the more I liked it.
Good beer, thanks Mark!