New Beer Sunday (week 540)

Yeah, I believe it. Even when visiting Gettysburg its hard to imagine the scope and intensity of the battle. When asked "Where's the battlefield?" by tourists, some of the locals are fond of responding "You're standing on it." regardless of where in Gettysburg the question is asked. To this day farmers are still unearthing artifacts during plowing season.

 

I'm off to a late start tonight, which officially means that summer's here. It's the time when the kids get messages late in the day to meet somebody else up at the bowling alley, or wherever, because 'no school tomorrow' and all that, and your son is all "please, dad, canyoutakeme, pleasepleaseplease!" So, yeah, I couldn't say no this time around...

My new beer tonight comes to me by way of one of my local beer guys and his vacation in Las Vegas. He loved drinking Coronado's Islander IPA the whole time, and decided to start carrying some of their line when he got back. Somehow that struck me as a pretty cool way of doing things, so I'll be checking out these guys as well now that they are in stock.

First up for me is their Mermaid's Red (not the Islander IPA), because that's just how I roll -

Whoa- old school alert on the nose! C-hops and deep caramel up the wazoo. It's bringing me back to when St. Rogue Red was a whole new experience. What's pretty great is how multi-faceted it really is after that initial blast. Lots of pine, for sure, but also orange peel, toffee, dark bread crust, those fruitcake candies, even a hint of cocoa. It's all so creamy yet lively as well. There's a pretty nice see-saw ride on the palate between the hops and caramel malt, with the malt winning out at the end. It could use a touch more bitterness, but that's a minor quibble. It's pretty smooth and drinkable overall. A lot of the flavors from the nose are repeated, although the main impression I am left with this time are those fruitcake candies. Caramel and orange peel come on very late and linger on the finish.

This. Is. Exactly (!!!) what I was hoping for when I picked up this beer, without a doubt. This kind of beer may seem old-fashioned these days, but to me it's more of a classic ride. And it's well-made, to boot! I'll do my part to make sure it stays on the shelves around here, that's for sure. A- (4.25)

 

Saving the big stick for last, this magnificent beverage. NBSers, ovaltine has left the building. Have a stupendous Sunday night.



4.25/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Look: amber cloudiness, 2 fingers of off-white head.

Smell: B-O-U-R-B-O-N up front (in all caps), then vanilla, carmel and toffee plus some earthy hops. Wow.

Taste: more bourbon, but the vanilla flavors from the oak don't allow it to overwhelm a non-bourbon drinker. Then the caramel and toffee flavors kick in ..... exquisite.

Feel: smooth bourbon, with creamy notes from the malts.

Overall: my favorite - by FAR - in the planet series. They hooked me with Two Hearted many moons ago, and they continue to brew great stuff. World-class brewery, IMHO.

 

So now onto the main bottle of the night,

Iron Horse Brewing's Quilter's Irish Death



So based on the BA reviews (which I had to read due to the discussion over this beer in the NBS hints and hauls thread) I'm really not sure what to expect. So here we go...

Pour is a dark ruby with brown and amber towards the outside of the glass. Almost black in appearance until under some light. Off white head that dissipates into a slight ring around the edge of the glass. Slightly vigorous second pour yields a marshmallowy light fluffy head, reminiscent of a nitro pour.

Smell hits at first with coffee and toffee. Moves into a raisin sweetness. Some slight earthy and leathery notes in the background. Honestly a very complex nose. As the beer warms a larger malt character comes out, increasing the perceived sweetness.

Taste starts off with a flash of candied dark fruit sweetness. Moves into a slight boozy, leathery, nuttiness. Finishes with a taste reminiscent of if a quad and a stout had a baby. Roasty malt mixed with some yeast esters providing an odd sensation to me that tastes like if you baked a candied date...or something like that... I could see how some would say this beer is a little too sweet, but I enjoy it. Flashes right on the end with a slight chewy leather character. Ever so slightly.

Mouthfeel is rich and creamy. Not overdone, but nice. For a dessert beer.

Overall, I actually enjoy this beer, it is for me a dessert beer though. To sweet to pair with a main course, but would be prefect after dinner.

 

Really diggin' that glass. Bocks are one of my favorite styles, but it's hard to find them around here. Every now and then a local boutique place will get a new one or so, but it doesn't happen often enough. I can't imagine what a whole "Bock Fest" is like.

 

This one came to me by way of @JackHorzempa , and it's been one of my favorites ever since. I'd sure love to check out a Bock Fest myself . Hopefully soon enough.

 

Like I said on the NBS thread, that used to be listed as a stout (and I swear the packaging once said that as well), so I think that was what created a lot of the "controversy." I'm definitely more a savory than sweet guy, and when I had it I thought something along the lines of "WTF is a stout doing tasting like this?", and I think a lot of other people thought that as well. It's been on my mind as something I need to revisit and is readily available in my neck of the woods, which is how it found it's way into your box. Really glad it didn't turn out too traumatic for you!

edit: Oh, and I don't know a thing about that brewery, but that glass looks super cool.

 

Maybe in 2016 you can schedule a visit to Sly Fox?

http://www.slyfoxbeer.com/index.php/front/bockfest

@TongoRad

Cheers!

 

Next new beer is a barelywine, sorry I mean triple IPA, Founders Devil Dancer. I feel in the last few years there has been a shift in big IPAs, when I joined BA about 5 years ago I feel that something like this was a little more sought after, but now it's all about super fruitier hops and a lot less sweetness...that being said I still enjoyed this, and very happy that @garymuchow sent me this long time want!

3.89/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Big thanks to garymuchow for sending this
12 oz bottle dated 5/5/15 poured into snifter

A- A slightly hazy reddish amber with a two finger off white head.

S- Earthy/piney hops, some wet grass, caramel malts, cherries, hint of citrus, smells like a really hoppy barelywine.

T- Piney finish, really sweet caramel malts, hint of fruits, faint citrus, alcohol is well hidden, hints of floral/grassy hops.

M- Full body, a little syrupy.

O- This is more on an over hopped barelywine than even a triple IPA. Some where between DFH 120 and Olde School but "low" alcohol. The big plus for this beer is how well hidden the alcohol is hidden.

 

New American Munich Helles Sunday (week 540)

Wow didn't think I would be posting today/tonight, but the weather in Vermont took a turn for the worst and flooded us out of our campsites during the night last night in Vermont. I stayed the latest of all of us today, but it was still raining at 1:00 this aft. and it looked like I wouldn't get to enjoy a last mountain bike outing, so I too headed back home. Huge tastings last 3 nights, with great Vermont beers, and others, being consumed with gusto. For this reason I decided to try a low ABV beer from the amazing box of beers sent me by @gopens44. Gold Leaf Lager from Devil's Backbone, a brewery I have wanted to try. Munich Helles is a great style, refreshing and plenty of flavor, and not done well by brewers in my part of the country.

Really digging this, still a few sips left, would sum it up as a good, solid, refreshing beer, that starts out sweet, ends with some light spiciness that is tasty, and is refreshing all the way.

Thanks @gopens44 for this yummy beer, man, really hitting the spot right now. Hope you also have a A Great American Beer in your glass. Cheers!

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18539/46792/?ba=cavedave


Dug this on the ride home, digging it now

 

I will agree with that. This is definitely not a stout. If it had a little bit more yeast esters to it, I would call it a quad. A little bit more nuttiness, an Imperial Brown ale. So I think the overarching "American Strong Ale" fits about as well as anything.

 

As a 16 year old I attended a basketball camp at Gettysburg College and environs. The history oozed from the place. Hoot Gibson wanted me to come to UVA later, and my grades were just fine, but I balked. My brother was at UVA and a great scholar. My mind often drifts to the history of Gettysburg and how meaningful that Summer was. I dream about places around the battlefield and end up knowing why I went to Richmond to play ball. As much as it pains me, my family was Old South, with majors dead at The Battle of the Wilderness and Chickamauga. These are things that just are true. These guys were nice German boys doing their duty. God bless them all! Holy crap! It was a shitty cause.

 

That link surprised me when they advertised an actual goat race. Oh well. Throw it on my list of beer fests to go to...

 

Yeah, I read a number of your reviews when I noticed a pattern going through your list of reviewed beers. Thought this would be in your sweet spot, glad I was right. I love it too. The name has to do with a take off on Duck Duck Goose and the fact it is a collab with Finback brewery

Oh, and we did quite well in the beer acquisition front in Vermont. By we, of course, I mean you and me. Your box #2 is guaranteed to please.

 

Woohoo! When I tried to check in the beer on Untappd it was only showing up under Finback at which at which point I realized it was a collab. I'm a fan of Finback so that made it even more enjoyable.

Thanks again, sir!

 

If you ever see a few week old bottle or fresh on tap, you may find it a lot more like what you'd expect. Very pungent, skunky, and citrusy. One of the many things I like about it is that the hop flavors stick around much longer than say Stone OG or SN Bigfoot. Completely agree about the ABV; Extremely acidic, but very little booziness. I'll stop there before I get any more tempted to crack one Cheers!

 

Made a trip to Denver today to renew my OUC CVLT membership at TRVE and also hit my favorite bottle shop in the city. Picked up a few things including the latest CBC release from Bull & Bush. I bought two bottle of Colorado Barrel Collective #3: Barrel Aged Fyfe's High Ale and decided to crack one open right away fro NBS. I also got this sweet new glass in the mail yesterday and thought it fitting to break it in with this beer.




A: Pours a deep copper/amber/caramel color with a thin khaki head that dissipates quickly. 4.75
S: Aroma is burnt sugar, toffee/caramel, oak/vanilla, traces of smoke and whiskey. 4.25
T: Smoked peat hits up front with a splash of sweet caramel malt and very subtle whiskey notes. Oak and vanilla mingle in the middle with traces of coconut and toffee and then the sweetness kicks back up in the finish. 4.5
M: Slightly thinner than expected for 11%, less residual sugar than anticipated. Carbonation is on point though, slightly below average (in a good way). Sweetness lingers on the tongue as it warms and creaminess intensifies. 4.25
O: Balanced sums it up nicely, this beer is not overpowering in any aspect. Barrel notes are understated but complimentary, sweetness is present but not dominant, and the subtle smoked peat element is surprisingly well incorporated. 4.5

rDev: 0% (n/a) since I am the very first review

 

Oh, I opened it. I also opened a crowler (32oz) of Pizza Boy Sunny Side Up (11%). Fortunately I had some help as my Dad was one of the guests (we weren't sure if my parents would make it today) so I drank about half of each of those two throughout the afternoon. I'm now deciding what else to open for my night that will be spent packing some boxes going to various BAs.

NBS Review of Bois Fume (I've had SSU before) incoming when I have time to write it.

ps - Cool to know we (virtually) shared the Sunny Side Up Also, I agree (from experience) about it being a good breakfast beer. I've spent a couple Saturday/Sunday mornings with my Sunny Side Up Mug full of it.

 

I really wish you had told me that before I sent out your box.