Revolution Brewing (2020)

Looks like Sanctuary 19 ("Cursed Man") is gone already.

I'm still sitting on my crowler; thoughts from anyone who's had it? Also, I'm hoping they just keep dropping Sanctuary beers this way. It's an introvert's dream.

 

Not literally, I hope, because that seems mighty uncomfortable.

 

I really liked it. Boozy, complex, and oakey. Pretty dry for being 17%.

Idk those crowler cans are hefty.

 

You are going to get your friend drunk so he puts his Deep Woods in your receptacle?

 

Yes. He does it the Ryeway - his Deep Wood is Supermassive - going all the way into the Mineshaft. I'm not crazy - no need for a Straight Jacket since I wear a Very Special Old Jacket.
And when I'm near Deth, let Billy be my Gravedigger, as I take that Apple Brandy Ryeway to Heaven.

 

what a graceful cuvee. X out of X!

 

So are you the growler or howler type?

 

Blackberry Finn is up next at the Brewpub...I had this at Jim & Marty's Deep Woods talk at the brewpub last year, I believe! I found it quite tasty (although I had about 48oz of VSOJ that night, so maybe I shouldn't trust my notes). Per Rev's description:

"A dry British barleywine with blackberries. Aged in bourbon barrels for 18 months and finished in Jameson Irish whiskey barrels for an additional 4 months."

Hoping they offer crowlers of this one!!

 

Holy crap! I just poured myself a Thundertaker and the freaking kitchen smells like the inside of a bourbon barrel. My wife in the other room said "What did you just open?"

<takes first sip>

Sh*t, this is really f**kin good.

 

Having one right now, and...yeah.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if this was the best Deep Woods beer of 2020 / 2021.

And if it ISN'T the best...we're in for some real treats.

 

Sooo...I was not as wowed by Thundertaker as everyone else seems to be. Cold out of the fridge, after a few sips I was worried I wouldn't even like it. Sweet and lots of dark fruit/raisiny vibes. Once it came up to temp that toned down some and became more enjoyable with some vanilla coming through, which I was expecting on some level because that's a note I always pick up pretty strong in Blanton's. The mouthfeel felt pretty standard for the DW we've come to know over the last few years. I will say, the nose on it was incredible from start to finish. For me, the sweetness was hard to push through and I wish there was a little more dryness blended into the beer. Overall enjoyable in the end, but I just can't give the high praise others are.

I'll only add that I had it after a few other beers that were spread out over the evening so maybe I need to revisit it with a clean palate.

 

right there with you

 

You're both NUTS.

 

I can totally see that. It is sweet, but not in an over-the-top (e.g. Southern Tier) kind of way, at least for my palate. I'll also say that I didn't get a lot of Rev's DW beers last year. Anything above 12% tends to linger in my fridge, so I only had one 4-pack each of DT, Cafe, and Ryeway. So this was kind of a special treat for me.
When I took the first sip, I thought "dang, this might last a while." But I just finished off the glass and even with the sweetness I kept taking another sip, then another, then another. For the sake of comparison, a typical BBA PW bomber takes me about 5 hours to solo and this went down in just over 40 minutes, so there's something to be said about this beer's drinkability.

 

Knew I couldn't be the only one.

 

Not going to get to FUPA Fanboy God status with a well constructed reason why you don't agree with everyone else. Come with some more heat next time.
Glad to hear some differing opinions. I still need to try a second can so we'll see how my opinion changes with that.

 

I'll be honest, I had mixed feelings toward it after the first can. But like you, it was already after a few different beers so I held off on forming an opinion. The second can delivered on what I expected with the barrel aroma and flavors dominating.

I've never been accused of NOT liking dark fruit flavors so I enjoyed it, but I certainly understand that kind of flavor being a 'yay or nay' type of deal. Let us know if perception changes after your next can. Curious if you'll have a similar experience to mine.

 

I believe a gathering of two nuts is called a scrotum...

 

If the sweetness was hard to push through, how do you drink stuff like Straight Jacket or Ryeway to Heaven? The sweetness of Thundertaker reminded me a lot of Ryeway.

 

isn't that the expectation for a standard BW though?

Thundertaker is a bit of a mixed beast, so while I haven't had it yet, my thoughts on it will depend on how well the flavors blend together, and secondarily, what flavor profile I prefer in a BA beer.

if it's unbalanced and too sweet, then it misses the mark a bit for me, even though I tend to like sweeter beers.