New Beer Weekend #21

One more for the weekend. My second beer that I've had from Revolution Brewing is Ryeway To Heaven, a rye ale aged in rye bourbon barrels. This can was a journey, and a truly enjoyable one.

4.58/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Look - A deep mahogany topped with a thick head. One of the few beers I've had that left distinct legs on the snifter.
Smell - All rye bourbon and barrel on the nose.
Taste - Big hits of spicy rye up front with a malty sweetness beneath. Notes of prune and raisin and oak. Brown sugar flavors provide sweetness, but the finish is not cloying. It is a drier finish than I was expecting.
Feel - Full bodied and slick with medium carbonation lasting for the entire glass.
Overall - A true triumph. This beer is deeply complex, but also drinkable enough to be inviting and accessible. Fantastic.

 

Evergrain - Moire Eel.

 

Well Hello Late Night NBW (Sunday)
I need to shout the praises of @JayORear and @TongoRad . These 2 fine gentlemen were very generous and thoughtful with their fermented fragile freight. Not one, but two boxes graced my porch this week.

For the first, I hit this DDH Pale Ale from the geniuses at Tired Hands. Thanks Jay.

The Light That Spills Out Of The Hole In Your Head

Golden tinged yellow to peach in hue. White foam bursts nearly 3 fingers in height. The retreat still has good retention with slight lacing.
Aroma explodes with creamy orange and tangerine. Hints of grass, weed, and a "gristy" malt note.
Taste follows the nose pretty faithfully with some added notes of grapefruit and a wink of peppery spice. More subdued than the nose.
Light bodies, but a bit fluffy. Carbonation is active.
Overall, love it. But was hoping the flavors would be as bold as the nose. Having said that, still a damn fine take on a PA.
4.05/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Coming back with a lager from Von Trapp via Michael.

 

Got my threads crossed up and posted my review in WBAYDN, when I meant to put it here:

16oz can served in a big snifter. Dated...no date that I can see. Came in my last Tavour box, so probably not that old.

Pours a hazy pale yellow with a medium to small head. Smell is muted, vaguely tropical.

Taste is also vaguely tropical, slight banana, a little "homebrew flavor," kind of boozy.

Mouthfeel is medium to thick. Overall, it's a decent hazy IPA.

I liked the pun and the "moire" part of the pun, and the label.

 

This can was dated 12-05-2019. I got it in a trade about a month ago. After having this and Deth's Tar I'll pick up their Deep Wood beers any chance I have. I still have a Straightjacket and Ten Year Beer in the fridge.

 

Kane - Cognac Vanilla Sunday Brunch (2020)

Courtesy of @acurtis - thank you!

500ml bottle - 2020 release - poured into a balloon stem at 50°F.

4.0/5 Pours a somewhat thin, deep cola-mahogany brown, sitting coal black in the glass. A half-finger of foamy khaki-tan head forms, quickly settling to a thick collar. Some micro streams of effervescence can be seen feeding the collar.

4.5/5 Nose: The aroma unfurls with a gentle balanced roast, compounded by a clear presence of coffee. The coffee is well-integrated, smooth, and lacking any sharp edges, simply translating as beans. Vanilla beans are definitely there - floral, fruity, and heady. There's a border of maple that really starts to open up, smelling like maple fudge, and underneath it all, the perfect amount of cinnamon. Just a dusting - a garnish almost. There's some okay spirit barrel, and while it's more sweet and mellow than bourbon, I wouldn't immediately assume cognac. andEvery single element comes through, and the way they're all balanced and blended together is nothing short of beautiful. Chocolate, caramel, fudge, coffee, vanilla, maple, and cinnamon.

4.25/5 Palate: At first, you're greeted with cocoa and vanilla - very much like a vanilla stout. It's a very concentrated delivery, and everything all hits at once. The malt lends a big Dutch cocoa note, and some nice roasty bits, with ultra floral vanilla trailing close behind. The vanilla is just like FO. The coffee actually takes a back seat here, which seems like a good thing due to the healthy roast level. The maple is definitely there, but it also seems to hide behind the roast and vanilla a bit. It becomes very clear that this is a cognac barrel - immediately, it's much sweeter than bourbon, and there's no charred oak. Sweet, fruity, leathery cognac, with some dried fig, date, grape, and sultana notes. Oaky, but not charred. The sweetness almost becomes cloying, but then the coffee swoops in, and cuts it down woth roastiness. Malty roast follows, and the maple and coffee fall back, leaving vanilla, roast, and once more, just a dusting of cinnamon, with a thin oaky trim. Surprisingly clean, dry finish. Nearly a minute later, the aftertaste flares up with cinnamon, coffee, and splintery oak.

4.0/5 Mouthfeel/Body: This is mostly where the "porter" thing comes into play. It's definitely not a big, fudgy, chewy batter stout. Would I call it "thin"? Well, by today's stout standards, others definitely would. Is it actually thin? Hell no. It's a big, rich, sweet, dense dark beer, and it definitely has some weight and heft to it. It's heavy, it just isnt viscous or chewy. Leaves a big stickiness around the lips. Effervescence is low, naturally, but there's enough there not to think twice. Drying finish.

4.25/5Overall: This is a bucket list bottle of mine. Cognac and vanilla - music to my ears. Am I glad I traded for it? Hell yeah! Am I disappointed with it? Hell no! Is it a life-changing stout (porter)? No, but it definitely has its unique flair. The cognac treatment makes for an interesting profile, and the balance of coffee, vanilla, maple, and cinnamon is very impressive. It's a touch sweet, but finishes nicely. It's a touch thin, but it's still bold. There's some depth, nuance, and interesting progression of flavours, and the vanilla is nicely done. A solid A-

Overall: 4.27/5

The balance of "adjuncts" here is just brilliant. The touch of cinnamon, the vanilla/roast interplay, the smooth, fresh coffee, and its return in the finish, and the beautiful maple wrapper. It really is supremely balanced. It's a touch sweet, and a touch thin, but I think it ultimately accomplishes what it set out to, and it's just a fun beer. I womder how bourbon barrels would treat it, but for what it is, it's a very nice brunch stout (porter).

Cheers! And 19 minutes to spare!

 

Coppertail Free Dive rated 4's across the board. Not special but solid for sure.

 

And I'm back...

Trösten a Rauchbier by von Trapp Brewing in Stowe, Vermont
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22512/63797/?view=beer&sort=&start=0

My first von Trapp, courtesy of the esteemed @TongoRad

A beauty to behold: a deep burnt brown hue capped by a bountiful, fluffy off white head that slowly recedes to a nice film. Scattered curtains of lacing.
Notes of roasted nuts, chocolate, and brown bread abound. And a most nuanced smokiness gently plays along with all of this.
Sweet and substantial malt notes begin. Chocolate and deep brown bread. Reminds me of the squaw (I know we need to retire that term) bread that I used to get as a kid when we would travel US 395 and hit Schat's bakery on our way up into the Sierras. A nutty roastiness and gentle char leaves room for a distinct, yet smooth smokiness. And then there's a spice note that nods toward pepper, but then steps back. It really is a nuanced gem, a lot going on here. And it's ALL good.
It's crisp, but smooth. Creamy but actively carbonated. Somewhat sweet and smokey, but a dry finish. I"m all over on this one. But fantastic.
One of the smoothest rauchbiers I have ever tasted. This would be a great entry level for some who might be scared off by some of the more strongly smoked rauchs out there.4.34/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Thanks Michael!

 

And to your point, the beer is very aptly named. May we all move forward in 2021 safely and kindly.

 

Brought home a growler of Trosten years ago without tasting first and it was one of the best surprises and most enjoyable treats of the haul!

 

Great post Derek!

And I'm with you guys on that beer- it's one that is very enjoyable for both smoke novices and hardcores alike.