Blind BIF 7 - Visually ImPAIRed - Reviews

Glad you enjoyed this one! I've yet to have it, but this brewery/guy are doing some pretty cool things. If you had identified the juniper berries, I probably wouldn't have bothered to blind the rest of your bottles.

 

Blind Beer #1, poured into a Bruery Snifter:




A: Pours a deep translucent gold with slight brown and red hues. There is about a half finger of head that fades quickly. The foam settles into a thin ring along the edges of the glass. There is minimal lacing as it drinks. 4.0

S: The nose is peppery (peppercorns), with a bit of added spice, and some sort of tartness. It doesn’t smelly like yeast funk, but there is a weirdness in there that I just can’t seem to put my finger on. 3.5

T: It starts out smooth with a lot of fresh cracked pepper to start. As is moves towards the middle of the beer, I get quick brine like tartness, and then I get a bit of spice towards the finish. I reminds me of a Bloody Mary. 3.0

M: Medium bodied beer. It’s clean to start, the flavors transition nicely, and the heat lingers for a bit. I’m a big fan of the pepper notes, but there is something about this beer that makes it hard to drink. It’s that acidic bite. 3.5

O: This beer isn’t terrible, but it’s just not my thing. I love the pepper in it, but that funk/tart/whatever it is that is in there is a bit off-putting. I’m happy to have tried this, especially blind, but I don’t think I’d want to drink it again. 3.0

My guess: Some wacky hybrid Bloody Mary beer.

The reveal: Short’s Bloody Beer. (Specialty beer fermented with roma tomatoes and spiced with tellicherry peppercorns, celery seed, fresh horseradish and dill.)

Damn. No joke. Short’s nailed it. This beer tastes just like a Bloody Mary. Haha. 1 for 1. So far so good! Big thanks to Abraxel for this one.

 

Wow, I hope you just drank that now. That sounds perfect for a Sunday morning!

 

I did, but i am hangover free his Sunday. Decided to take it easy yesterday.

 

Blind Beer #2, poured into a Bruery Snifter



A: Pours a dark Coca-Cola like color. It’s a translucent brown/black with ruby red hues around the edges. There is only a bit of head, and it widdles down to a thin ring around the edges of the glass. 4.0

S: The nose is basically sweet malt and barrel aged alcohol. The get a few whisps of caramel, maybe a bit of toffee, but that’s it. It’s just a beer brewed with dark malts and then aged in some sort of barrel. 4.0

T: The beer starts off with some malty sweetness, a touch of caramel, and booze. The alcohol heat is nice, but all I get is sweet and smooth booze. There is no complexity to this beer. 4.5

M: Full bodied beer. It’s sweet and smooth to start, gets a kind of stinging in the middle, and returns to a smooth finish. 4.0

O: I like this beer. I’m a fan. It’s not the most jam packed full of crazy type beer, but it has great barrel flavor and it’s smooth. I’d drink this again, no problem at all.

My guess: Some sort of barrel aged beer. I want to say BA barleywine, but I don’t think that fits exactly.

The reveal: Wolverine State Brewing Co. – Massacre (Imperial dark lager aged in bourbon barrels).

Wow. Awesome. Great beer to try blind. I really enjoyed this beer. It’s not overly packed with packed a ton of different flavors, but if I was in the mood for a BA beer. I’d grab one of these. Solid stuff. I’m happy to have tried it.

 

Blind beer #3, poured into a Bruery snifter:




A: Pours a cloudy red/purple/brown with very little head. The foam that does show up is off-white and lines the edges of the glass. There is no lacing as it drinks. 4.0

S: This is sour. I get sour cherries, raspberries, apple cider vinegar, and funk. It’s just a sour mess. 3.5

T: Mmm. This is nice. It starts with a great mix of sweet and sour. I get a lot of fruit up front (cherries, raspberries, apricot). There is a vinegar tartness that cuts through this beer from start to finish, but it’s just right. It’s not overpowering, as I would have expected form the nose. The finish reminds me of plums mixed with sour patch kids. 4.5

M: Medium bodied beer. It’s sour but drinkable. Everything mixes well together on the palate even before the lingering tartness takes hold. 4.5

O: Really solid. I’d drink this beer again. I really enjoyed how the fruit sweetness maintained a presence through all that sour. 4.0

My guess: It has to be some sort of fruit forward American Wild Ale, or a Flanders Red. But I have no idea what the actual bottle is.

The reveal: Jolly Pumpkin – La Roja Grand Reserve

Nice. I’ve wanted to try this beer for quite some time. Glad I was just recently gifted another bottle. Can’t wait to see how it develops. Thanks abraxel!

 

And we are off! Drank this one last night. Typed from notes.

Blind beer #7 from trxxpaxxs. 750ml poured into my new Pretty Things glass!

Untitled by mateolibbeysi5, on Flickr

A: The beer pours a murky red/brown with a nice dirty cap of head that dissipates into a thin film that stuck around throughout the session leaving a trail of spotty lacing. 4/5

S: It would appear we are in sour country. The nose is tart with layers of brett, barnyard funk and hints of dark fruit. Layers of oak and tannins become more pronounced as it warms. Smells great. 4.5/5

T: Not as tart as the nose had led on but it still has a crisp funky bite. The oak and hints of green apple skins come forward as it warms. Pretty sure this is a Flanders of some sort. 4/5

M: The carbonation is bright and bubbly for this medium bodied beer. The finish is dry and snappy on the pallet leaving lingering layers of funk and oak. Very good. 4.5/5

O: Overall this is a very tasty beer and one I would look forward to having again if the opportunity presented itself. 4/5

*I'm pretty sure I have never had this beer before but it reminds me a bit of Deschutes Dissident with a bit more balance.

The reveal: Jolly Pumpkin Mara Caibo Especial (Special Brown Ale) batch number 955&956 (01-18-12). I love this brewery and this is another winner in my book. Great way to start off this Blind BIF Tom and I can't wait for the next one!


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Blind BIF #10 from trxxpaxxs. 750ml poured into my Pretty Things glass. From last night and reviewed from notes.

Untitled by mateolibbeysi5, on Flickr

A: The beer pours a murky dark brown with red highlights. A small cap of head settles quickly into a thin film that left a trail of spotty lacing throughout the session. 3.5/5

S: Once again we are in sour country! Big wafts of lactic sour/funk mix with layers of dark fruit (cherries?) Touch of oak comes through as it warms. I'm also picking up hints of tobacco, leather and maybe some dark bakers chocolate. 4/5

T: This is very sour with layers of oak sprinkled with hints of leather and tobacco but the sour dominates. The barrel becomes more pronounced as it warms and it becomes a bit vinous which makes me think this might have been aged in wine barrels. 4/5

M: The carbonation is spot on and the finish is dry with lingering flavors of oak and tannins left on the pallet. 4/5

O: Overall this is an aggressive sour with plenty of Pucker. I am wishing I had shared this one now, but hey, 1st world problems.... If i was offered another pour of this I would not hesitate in the least.

* I feel like I've had this before but I can't place it. I'll go with The Bruery Tart of Darkness based off flavor profile and bottle shape

The reveal: The Bruery Marron Acidifie. Pretty damn close. A new one for me. Thanks again Tom.


Untitled by mateolibbeysi5, on Flickr

 

Blind Beer #7 from trxxpaxxs. 750ml poured into a Deschutes snifter. Shared with my buddy Bo out at the bottleshop.

Untitled by mateolibbeysi5, on Flickr

A: The beer pours a bright golden yellow straw color with a large cap of white head that held great retention leaving a trail of spotty lacing. 4.5/5

S: Looks like another ride on the funk train. Nice layers of barnyard funk and lemon zest/peel. Very light and delicate with a touch of oak as it warms. 4/5

T: Pure barnyard funk with hints of lemon zest and a hint of white wine/oak. Nothing overpowers and it is a wonderfully balanced brett forward beer. Very good. 4.5/5

M: The beer feels a touch under carbonated which leaves the overall mouthfeel a bit thin. The finish is dry with lingering flavors of oak, funk and lemon zest. 3.5/5

O: Overall this is very tasty beer that I would love to have again. I could see this being a fantastic beer in the summer heat. Good Stuff. 4/5

*I'm feeling pretty confident with this one. I'm pretty sure it is Jolly Pumpkin's Oro De Calabaza.

The reveal: Boom!!! Jolly Pumpkin Oro De Calabaza. I've had this beer a number of times and it remains on my wants because I have enjoyed it every time. One of my favorites from Jolly Pumpkin.

Batch #1023 (5-22-12)


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Nicely done on the Bloody Mary! I was a little hesitant about that one because I had no idea what you'd think of it while blind, but how could I resist confusing the hell out of you?

Massacre was a pleasant surprise for me, too -- Wolverine is doing nice things with lagers, but I was worried their first barrel-aged beer would be a bit of a mess. They did pretty well, though, and I figured there was no way you could ever guess it was a lager

And of course La Roja GR is delicious (lots of Jolly Pumpkin moving around in this BIF, I notice). Hopefully I'll have the strength to age one of my bottles, too...

 

Blind beer #11 from trxxpaxxs. Split three ways with my buddies Bo and Johnny out at the bottle shop.

22oz bottle poured into a Deschutes snifter.

Untitled by mateolibbeysi5, on Flickr

A: The beer pours a deep dark mahogany red and it pours almost still. Very little head what so ever. 3.5/5

S: Loads of smells here. Big candied plum, toffee and dark caramel malt mix with layers of back strap molasses and hints of leather and tobacco. The barrel becomes more pronounced as it warms and I am getting a good deal of maple syrup with hints of vanilla. There is a lot going on here and I'm digging it. This one will be a sipper. 4.5/5

T: The flavor really follows the nose with big hits of candied malts mixing with layers of the barrel. Brown sugar and leather/tobacco show up again and I'm still getting a good deal of what I feel is maple barreling. This is a sweet beer and I'm glad I have split it with friends. A full bomber would be quite the chore. 4./5

M: The beer is a touch under carbonated which is appropriate for the style of beer in my opinion. There is a nice coating of flavors that linger on the pallet. Good stuff. 4/5

O: Overall this is an excellent beer and I would love to find another one for future tastes. 4/5

*I have certainly never had this one before. It reminds me a good deal of a well aged HotD Adam but it has the twist of the Barrel aging. I'm going to guess that this is a BA Old Ale and my first instinct is to say North Coast BA Old Stock but I know that it can't be because of the bottle shape. I'll go with a recent beer I tried from the East Coast - Southern Tier Cuvee Series 2 but I'm sure that's a brick.

The reveal: Smuttynose Ry(e)an Ale. I have never heard of this beer but I will be seeking out more of it for sure now. Good stuff. Thanks again Tom.


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whew!!!!! what a sunday with my bro libbey. fantastic delicious beers that I may never had tasted or might not be able to have again

 

Someone blinded this for me the other day and I also enjoyed it and had similar difficulty having ANY idea what I was drinking.

 

Blind BIF #8 from trxxpaxxs. 22oz bottle split with my buddy Bo and poured into a Deschute's snifter.

Untitled by mateolibbeysi5, on Flickr

A: The beer pours a clear orange/red that almost seems to glow. There is an initial cap of pure white head that dissipates quickly into nothing. No lacing to speak of. 3.5/5

S: Looks like we are hopping back on the sour train. It appears to be a raspberry sour train and my love for all things tart and raspberry will probably be reflected from here on out. Hint's of oak mingle with fresh raspberry skins, lacto barnyard funk. Awesome. 4.5/5

T: Initial blast of sweet and tart raspberries with layers of lemon zest. The oak and the funk come forward as it warms. Very balanced between the funk and the raspberry tartness. Delicate and lovely. 4.5/5

M: The carbonation level is a touch low which leaves the mouthfeel a bit thin but the flavors that hang around are fantastic. Super dry and snappy finish with flavors of raspberry tartness and oak lingering after each sip. 4/5

O: Overall this is a world class sour and should be pursued accordingly. I would drink this every day if I could. I'm so ****ty for raspberry sours....

*I'm pretty sure that I have never had this before but I will go will Jackie O's Dynamo Hum.

The reveal: Goose Island Lolita 2011! Wants have now been updated to include this beer. My first sour from Goose Island and it did not disappoint. I will be actively searching more of these out Tom, thanks again!


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I had a feeling you'd like that one. Cheers!

 

I wanna do reviews toooooooo! *stomps*

 

There was no way I could go to bed tonight without getting started

Following instructions, I poured bottles 1 and 2 from ShogoKawada into pint glasses.



Appearance:
1 - Slightly hazy, orangey-straw-yellow, with around a finger of head that quickly subsides into a thin film, but never disappears. A touch of lacing. 3.5
2 - Not-quite-crystal clear golden amber (clearer yet darker than #1), with around a finger of head that quickly drops, but it leaves a sheet of lacing down the glass. 4

Smell:
1 - Smells like malt and some clean bittering hops. It's a pretty simple, subtle aroma -- I'm thinking an all-malt pale lager? It's not particularly exciting, but it's definitely pleasant. 4
2 - This one has more going on: nice caramelly malts, maybe a touch of esters or phenols or something that seems like it comes from the yeast. There's also something a little off, but I can't place it. Maybe diacetyl? It is a little buttery. The more I smell the more I notice whatever that slightly unpleasant off-flavor is. 3

Taste:
1 - Similar to the smell; a very simple, slightly dry malt backbone with a bit of clean bitterness as the only hop contribution. There's definitely more flavor than I'd expect in an adjunct lager (still thinking all-malt lager, maybe a non-authentic pilsner, who knows), but it's still pretty subtle. 4
2 - Slightly sticky, tasty, caramel malt, barely any hops to speak of. It might be a märzen. That poorly-described "off flavor" that I smelled is also present in the taste just a little, but I still can't tell what it is. It reminds me of some pumpkin ale which I didn't particularly like, but I might be totally making that up. 3.5

Mouthfeel:
1 - Thin-to-medium mouthfeel, with a bit of a carbonation bite. 4
2 - Kinda thin, but nice and smooth. There is carbonation, but it just nibbles playfully. 4

Overall:
Both of these are perfectly pleasant beers, though neither stands out. I like the somewhat dry graininess and bitterness of #1, but the more complex, sweet malt of #2 is also nice. I'm thinking #1 is an American pilsner, and #2 is an oktoberfest.

Let's see...

#1: Revival Brewing Co. Imperial Octoberfest Lager
#2: Newport Storm Oktoberfest

Oh man, I should've guessed they would be the same style. #1 did not seem like an oktoberfest at all, but it was still tasty. #2 definitely seemed like the right style, but I actually didn't like it quite as much as #1. Weird.

Regardless, I notice that both of my pint glasses are suddenly empty. Definitely enjoyed both. Thanks, Shogo!

 

Some striking color on those. The Revival is the new kid on the block 'round here, the Regenschauer is the old standby. I agree- the bitterness of the Revival threw me for a loop too.

 

Here are my first 2 reviews...

Bottle #1

Poured from a blinded 12 oz bottle into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: This beer pours a very dark brown color with a quarter finger of tan head. There is less head than bottle #2. The head sticks around pretty well, but doesn't leave lacing on the glass. 4

Smell: This one is extremely sweet. Much sweeter than bottle #2. I'm picking up some dark fruit and lots of molasses. I'm also getting some caramel and a mild alcohol burn. There is a hint of smoke in the background. 4

Taste: Just like the smell, this one is extremely sweet. I'm getting more dark fruit than the smell with the molasses notes more in the background. There is a slight bitterness in the finish along with a burn from the alcohol. There is a touch of smoke here as well. I'm thinking this one is barrel aged, but it has some age on it. 4

Mouthfeel: The body is thick and rather syrupy. There carbonation is tingly and smooth. The finish is dry and the beer sticks on your tongue. 4.5

Overall: This is a really sweet beer. It packs an alcohol punch, but it still manages to be smooth. I'm going to guess this is a barrel aged old or strong ale with some age on it. 4

Bottle #2

Poured from a blinded 12 oz bottle into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: This beer pours a very dark brown color with a half finger of tan head. The head sticks around throughout the pour, and leaves some lacing on the glass. 4.5

Smell: I'm getting some hops up front with a strong dark fruit sweetness in the background. Lots of malt, but the hops still stand out. The sweetness is way less than bottle #1. 4

Taste: Like bottle #1, there is a strong sweet malt presence, but here there is a hop bitterness throughout each sip. I'm getting some caramel/molasses along with a mild smokey note. The finish is quite bitter from grassy hops. 4

Mouthfeel: The body is on the thick and syrupy side of medium, but not nearly as thick as bottle #1. Lots of tingly carbonation and a dry finish. 4

Overall: I enjoyed this beer, but not quite as much as bottle #1. The bitterness could have been a bit smoother. I would definitely have another one in the future. I'm going to guess this is a fresh, non barrel aged version of the beer in bottle #1, but who knows. 4

The reveal...Bell's Batch 9000 (bottle #1) and Batch 10000 (bottle #2).

This was a good one to get things started, thanks!

 

1a. & 1b. are pt size bottles that say to "drink fresh." Im thinking this could be good.

1a. pours a hazy, golden honey color. Half an inch of white head falls quickly, leaving spots of lacing, a ring, and an island.(4.0)
1b. pours a clear, golden, copper color. Half inch of head falls quickly, leaving spots of lacing, a ring, and island.(4.0)

1a. has a butterscotch aroma, with metallic notes, whiffs of straw, I also detect sour dough, and faint hints of orange. Not what I was hoping for!(3.0)
1b. smells like orange confections...mmm, mmm. Very nice balance between sweet, and nose tickling citrus. Im also picking up faint floral, and some herbal aromas. Much nicer than the other beer.(4.5)

1a. taste oxidized or aged? It is dry, like the bitter part of a pecan.(2.5)
1b. has hints of citrus/orange, apricot danish, and pepper...very nice balance between sweet, and bitter.(4.5)

1a. has a medium body, it is bitter, yet creamy, withe minimal carbonation.(3.5)
1b. is slightly bitter, with a medium body. It has just enough carbonation to mix things up. Easy to drink.(4.20)

Overall 1a. pretty much sucked! Either old, bad, mistreated, etc...(2.5) I was hoping for PTE!!!
1b. was a much better beer. Easy to drink, balanced, much fresher...(4.4) I was hoping for PTE, maybe blind pig?

Oh...1a. is PTE from 4-17-2012; thats a sin isnt it?
1b. is a PTE with no date stamp???

What a way to start off!