Blind BIF 7 - Visually ImPAIRed - Reviews

Stu can explain the origins of 1a, he has been giggling with glee about this pairing.
1b has a date stamp (10/4, I think?), but they missed the white box. It's either above or immediately on top of some words nearby.
I'm glad you enjoyed the good one! The other pairings are less mean (probably!)

 

Oh, I was indeed giggling with glee. And yeah, the other one is just a bad stamp job.

Anyway, the April bottle has an interesting origin story. Every week a group of friends have a tasting at a local bar, and the bartender is in the group (while working, it's on a typically slow night). One night last month some guy brought a PtE back, saying it tasted like crap and he wanted his money back, no receipt. The bartender was busy right then and didn't want to deal with it, just told him to take a bottle out of the cooler. The guy did that and left.

I didn't actually see this happen and was curious why there was a random bottle of PtE on the bar. The bartender explained to us, and I checked the date and saw the "4-17-2012". Everyone there agreed that the dude was an idiot, bought some beer a long-ass time ago, forgot about it, then pawned it off by being a belligerent asshole. Rather than throw it out I took it home, figuring I'd find some use for it.

Enter this BIF. With the opportunity to pair a 6-month-old PtE with a fresh bottle so easily presented, I couldn't help myself, especially since "killshots" are a tradition of the BIF. That bottle simply had to go in. But don't worry, that's by far the worst beer in there!

 

My killshot story has some humor as well. The original killshot was accidentally opened while I was wiping it off to dip in wax. Too bad the VEX peach vodka crap from Canada would have been awesomely horrible.

 

Blind Beer #6 and #7 from Retail1LO 16 oz can poured into a Hess Imperial Pint glass

#6 Pours a clear deep golden color with an 1 1/2 of head that quickly falls off to about 1/4 inch of head with great lacing. 4.25
#7 Pours a cloudy deep golden color with an inch of head that falls off slowly to a 1/4 inch head with great lacing. 4.0 A bit of sediment in the second pour, wasn't expecting that.

#6 Smells of grass or hay and very earthy possibly oak nose with light caramel malt. Very well balanced 4.5
#7 Smells of Hops, light citrus aroma with a sweet caramel malt. Very well balanced. 4.5

#6 Taste of hops and malt perfectly balanced. Slight alcohol burn. More an earthy/oak imperial pale ale type taste. No pine or citrus notes. Really enjoyable. 4.5
#7 Taste is off. Tastes old and stale. Still very carbonated as bubbles are fine and consistent and head remains. My nose and mouth are fighting right now because I feel like I should be tasting hops but I'm getting stale malt with a little hops bite. As I continue to drink I am thinking more Pale Ale than IPA. 2.5

#6 Medium to full body with great carbonation and a crisp bitter finish with a lingering wood feel. 4.0
#7 Medium body with great carbonation with what's looking to be about a 1/8 inch of sediment forming on the bottom of the pint glass. Actually reminds me of some of the latest Port/lost abbey hoppy offerings except it's actually carbonated. 3.0

#6 Great beer over all. Reminds me of something like a Great Divide wood aged anniversary beer or a oaked unearthly. Doesn't taste like either beer, more crisp and a little less wood but those were the first beers that came to mind when I drank this. 4.25

Guess... I have no idea but I would guess some oaked imperial IPA

#7 Overall not great, but potential and not undrinkable. I was really looking forward to it based off of initial pour and smell. Not sure if this is intended to be a kill shot or not. 2.5

Guess... based on the 16 oz can I'd guess Daisy Cutter well past its prime drinking date.

and the reveal:

#6 Boy King DIPA from Coast. This is a great beer that I really enjoy from a brewery that I had not previously heard of. Thank you for this!

#7 Heady Topper wasn't expecting that. I was at the cannery in August and picked up three 4-packs. I can see the similarities in the smell but not at all in the taste. Couldn't finish it. Had to drain pour what was left in the reveal picture.


Untitled by usofar, on Flickr


Untitled by usofar, on Flickr


Untitled by usofar, on Flickr


Untitled by usofar, on Flickr

 

That's really interesting you had to drainpour the Heady Topper. We picked that up fresh at the cannery 4 weeks ago. Drank one two nights ago and I still thoroughly enjoyed it. How much of the look of the beer turned you off? Heady has a ton of floaties, and I think it's part of the reason the can suggests you drink it FROM the can. But no...the Heady was not your kill shot.

 

Can't be the age then, ones that i brought back i drank 6-8 weeks later. Maybe just a bad can? The flavor was definitely not right, i don't think it was just a visual thing. It tasted stale. I would say maybe it got hot in transit, but the other beer was pretty much perfect. I appreciate you hitting a want though! Heady Topper always will be a want!

 

You've got a lotta wants in that box, bud. Yeah. That was probably just an off can. I may not have stored it optimally in the time I had it.

 

I'm easy to please, but you certainly have me excited about what's to come! Except for the one labeled chug... IF there's anything that yells kill shot in a craft beer exchange it's the word chug! I'm saving that one for when friends are around and making one of them go first!

 

Video the chug and post it here.

 

It was not horrible, not really good though. It was hard to enjoy the fresher one with the bad taste in my mouth. Nicely played.

 

Glad you liked the pairing of Olde Guardian. I love the boisterous nature of a fresh bottle; however, with a little time it morphs into a totally different beast. Yes indeed Olde Guardian becomes a silky smooth beer with time. I still have a very strong preferance for a fresher bottle.

 

I've drank a lot of HT (cases worth), and I can definitely say that it holds up a heck of a lot better than the vast majority of IPA's out there. There are some IPA's I don't even bother with after a month, but I can comfortably drink HT at 2-3 months. So I wouldn't chalk it up to 4 weeks of age.

Bad cans could happen, but the only can variation I've encountered is floaties - some are chock full, others don't have much.

<shrugs>

 

Someone's got box 1/2 on their porch!

 

On to bottle 3! This is the only one in the box without a glassware suggestion, so I just grabbed ol' reliable.


A - Near-black with lots of chestnut highlights, and a fizzy head that quickly drops to a ring. No persistent lacing to speak of. 3

S - Coffee roastiness (can't tell if it's actual coffee or just roasty malt), meaty smoke, and maybe a touch of fruity sweetness. Interesting... I'm a little hesitant, but it's growing on me. I'm tentatively guessing a smoked porter, but I doubt it'll be so simple. 3.5

T - Buhh, not what I was hoping for. It doesn't have all that much flavor, and what's there isn't all that great. A little acrid bitterness, a backdrop of cola, and a light coating of ash (or something). It's not a drainpour, but I'm not lovin' it. 2

M - Pretty thin, with minimal carbonation. The lingering ashiness doesn't help much. 2

Overall... not a fan! I have no idea what this is (I'll guess it's supposed to be some variation of porter?), but I can tell you I won't be looking for it again. 2.5

And the reveal... Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout from Cape Ann Brewing Company

Gotta say, got neither pumpkin nor stout (nor fisherman, but I doubt that's an ingredient) from this beer. I'm pretty sure dat ash was actually the added spices (now that I know, I can pick up some cinnamon and nutmeg, maybe) but that doesn't change my impression.

Oh, well. Thanks, Shogo! On to bottle 4!

 

Bottle 4 from ShogoKawada, a bomber that I poured into a tulip because I don't own any wine glasses...


A - Very hazy, bright golden yellow, with a wonderful, snow white, long-lasting head. Lots of chunky lacing down the sides. Looks pretty damn good. 4.5

S - Some nice grainy, bready malt with Belgiany esters and a touch of slightly dry funk. There's something else I can't place (that's becoming a theme for this BIF), but it's certainly not a bad flavor. 4

T - Hmm, interesting. That grainy malt backbone is still there, but very much in the background. Some dry funkiness (maybe brett?), perhaps some oak or other wood influence, and subtle fruity sweetness. That fruitiness might be from the yeast (I'm thinking Belgian pale ale), but I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess this spent time in wine barrels, though that might be the "wine glass" suggestion messing with me. If only I knew shit about wine, I might be able to detect more. 4

M - Just a little thinner than I'd like. A prickle of carbonation. On the whole, though, it seems fitting. 4

Overall, I definitely like this beer, and I'm not sure I've had anything like it. I'm probably embarassingly off the mark, but I think this is a Belgian pale ale with a little brett influence, aged (but not too long) in wine barrels.

I just googled "belgian pale ale brett wine barrel" and came up with this beer... If that's right I might just shit my pants from pride.

The reveal... Craison from Buzzards Bay Brewing (or is it "Just Beer"? The bottle says Buzzards Bay but the internet says "Just Beer")

My pants are safe and unsoiled. Regardless, I like this beer! It's a tasty and pretty unique saison. I'm not sure I've ever had a beer made with cranberries, and I have no idea why it made me think wine barrels. This BIF is making me feel inadequate in my tasting abilities. But I'm having fun! And apparently I get to add this one to BA Thanks, Shogo!

 

Im skipping 2 a/b, and opt for a pint bottle that says to "drink soon." Mmmm

Pours hazy, honey to orange in color. After an aggressive pour there is about half an inch of loose white head. The head falls to a bubbly ring that leaves spots of lacing.(4.0)

It has a fresh, clean, mild aroma that is pleasant. Not complex by any means, but its components (yeast, grain, hops) are all present. Floral with hints of orange, lime, biscuit dough, and just the faintest presence of wet dog.(4.5)

Though not bad, its flavors do not match up to its nose. I taste some lime, triple sec, and water. It just seems to be missing something.(3.5)

It is lighter in body, with light carbonation. Though its not heavily hopped, it doesn't have the body to support the hops. Leaves a resinous feeling on my tongue.(3.5)

Overall its an easy drinking beer. Bring me a 6 of these to the golf course. Its very well crafted, just a bit underwhelming. Reminds me of SN celebration ale, only watered down.(3.75)

Don't tell me RR is making an all day ipa?

Its a Russian River-It Takes A Lot Of Great Beer To Make A great Wine...WTF?

 

Here go bottles number 3 and 4.

#3
Poured from a blinded bottle into a Chimay goblet.

Appearance: The beer pours a very dark brown color. The edge is red where the light comes through. There is hardly any head at all, the small layer that does show up is tan. 3.5

Smell: Lots of roasted malt here. I'm getting a burnt note and some coffee. In the background there is some dark fruit that compliments the coffee smell quite nicely. 4

Taste: This is a very smooth coffee stout. Right here I'm going to guess that I have a Founders Breakfast stout. Lots of roast gives the beer a slight bitterness. There is just enough sweetness to back up the bitter coffee and roast, but the sweetness doesn't dominate at all. I'm also getting come mild dark chocolate and dark fruit. The finish is full of coffee and leaves you wanting more. 4.5

Mouthfeel: The body is just on the thick side of medium. The carbonation wasn't apparent from the pour, but it is very thick and smooth when you take a sip. The finish is dry as the beer coats your mouth and sticks around for a while. 5

Overall: This is a fantastic coffee stout. The only thing that keeps me from giving it a 5, is that I would like just a little more sweetness. I'm just nitpicking at this point. Very smooth and quite easy to drink. I'm very happy to have tried this one blind. 4.5

#4
Poured from the blinded bottle into a goblet.

Appearance: This beer pours a very dark brown color. The light at the edge is less apparent than #3 because there is more head on top of the pour. There is a thick layer of creamy tan head that fades to a large ring around the glass. The head leaves just a little lacing on the glass. 4.5

Smell: Much sweeter than bottle #3. I'm getting roasted malt along with a coffee note. Along with the sweetness, I'm picking up some bourbon along with a faint coconut note. There is also some dark chocolate and dark fruit in the mix. 4.5

Taste: The taste isn't quite as sweet as the smell. There is a lot more coffee here than I picked up in the nose. I'm also getting some bourbon, but the coffee is the dominant flavor. Flavors that show up in the background are dark fruit and bitter chocolate. The finish has some alcohol heat and a strong roasty bitterness. 4

Mouthfeel: The body is just on the thick side of medium. The carbonation isn't quite as smooth as bottle #3, and is a bit less pleasing. The finish is really dry. 4

Overall: This is an extremely good beer. I would guess it is a KBS. I would have liked the sweeter coconut notes to come out more in the flavor. The bourbon note is very nice while still letting the coffee do it's thing. I would have more given the chance. 4

The reveal....I was right! Founders Breakfast Stout and KBS. It looks like the KBS was from 2010. I thought that's what I was drinking, but I started to doubt myself when I was enjoying the regular version more. Both beers are wonderful, two of my favorites. Thanks so much and I can't wait to open the third pair!!!

 

Just Beer is what Buzzard's Bay was, that's their new name.

A couple of whiffs from me in the start... you'll finish strong though, trust me.

 

Righteous. Time to kick this shit off. We're running the gamut tonight! Thanks for all the beers, phelps!

Beer 1A


Poured from a 12 oz. WIDEMOUTH can into a Surly Darkness tulips.

A - Pours a orange/golden hazy shade with decent carbonation. Minimal lacing. The beer is very resinous, as there's like...an oil slick like film that's
definitely not from the glass. 3.5
S - Nose is pretty one dimensional. Very malty nose. There's a small floral quality about it, but barely worth mentioning. 3.0
T - The taste is very floral and malty. I can't get any citrus or pine out of it at all. 3.0
M - The mouth is EXTREMELY dry. Without much more of note going on. 3.0
O - This is a decent beer. Nothing stands out good or bad. I could drink this again. 3.0

I have no clue what this is. Going to take a stab since my sender is in AZ and say it's an IPA from Marble. Reveal? Lumberyard IPA! Nice local.




Beer 1B


Poured from a 12 oz. Widemouth can into a Surly Darkness tulips.

A - Pours golden straw color with a thin head and minimal lacing. 3.5
S - This...is weird. This smells like straigh butterscotch. WTF. 3.0
T - Taste is interesting. It's sweet up front with a decent amount of bittering at the back. There's a decent amount of citrus to this too. It taste a bit...old. 3.0
M - The mouthfeel is both bitter and sweet and it lingers for a good while. 2.5
O - This is an odd beer. I know it's an IPA...but I'm not sure where they were gong with this. My drinking partners couldn't even finish. lol 2.5

I have no clue what this is either. Can't even venture to guess. Survey says? Hop Knot by Four Peaks. Nice, another local.