The Mouflan Flies!

Another one from the cellar..  Holding onto this one for well over a year now...

Tröegs - Flying Mouflan.  A huge-ass barleywine at 9.3% ABV and 100+ IBUs.  They call this unique in that it's "2 different beers in one."  You can apparently get a huge, bold hoppy sonofabitch if drank right away.. and a mellowed our barleywine if aged..  hmm..  that happens with anything really hoppy, right?  But never heard of this in a bigger, darker beer... so let's cracking this flying bastard open..

Rich black/brown pour and a thick head..  A lot of the hop kick here that was mentioned still remains, nice and piney, a bit citrusy.. but a ton of malts here too, very sweet and rich.  Butterscotch, molasses.. some raisin and plum too.  The taste is big, bold, smooth and aggressive.  Definitely gave way to the malts over time, but the booze aged well as well.  I liken this to a creamier, lessened version of the Double Bastard by Stone.  The malts are huge and the booze kicks out your two front teeth... time to sing that stupid Christmas song!  Molasses, caramel, roasty malts, faint chocolate, candi sugar, sweet fruits..  only the slightest hint of hops at the end, a fleeting bitterness mixed with a tiny bit of spice.  Overly sweet, boozy finish.. a very bold barleywine-ish beer.  I say so because it was a mix of that, an American Strong and an Imperial IPA...  sip on this one and savor it.  Too complex to really nail down!

Abita 25th

Slowly getting through the cache I'm hoarding.. which will no doubt grow once I think I'm making a dent..  Tonight it's the 25th Anniversary offering from Abita.  

25th Anniversary Vanilla Double Dog.  a 7% ABV amped-up version of their TurboDog with a vanilla kick. Wicked dark pour with a fluffy, yet sticky head.. huge nose coming from this.  Roasty, chocolate, faint vanilla notes.. picture a vanilla brown ale with an attitude.  Smooth, but with a nice bite to it, this hits you with the malts from the get go.. brown ale theme here again, or the baby brother of a stout.  Roasted malts, rich chocolate, hearty bread.. it's all there, but in a nice balance.  Vanilla sweetness in the finish, but unfortunately it's that cheap-seeming artificial vanilla taste, and the faintest bit of a floral hoppy note.  Overall, pretty nice.  I would be lying if I said I was fully impressed..  to me, for a 25th anniversary brew, you go big and you go for the wow factor.  However nice this was, however balanced it seemed, it lacked that wow...

Homebrew Cider

Once again.. it's nice to know other homebrewers!  Out of the beers I was given a few months back, it's time to try some homebrewed cider!

For the life of me I cannot 
remember the difference between these.. I think it was just a difference of when they were brewed though.. hmm...  Either way, they were vastly different, as evident from the pictures.  The first one looked more like a Woodchuck Pear Cider..super pale, wicked faint nose.  Sadly this one came out like watered-down apple juice.  Wasn't terrible, but not great really either..  The 2nd one had a bit more traditional cider look and a bigger nose.  This one actually had faint spice in the nose and taste, fuller body.. would have maybe considered this to be a brewer's first test batch for a production cider maybe..  Could use a bit more body, alcohol bite and spice..


I hear cider is tough to pull off at home.. any thoughts??

5.31.12 - the Spruce

I'll be honest.. I'm posting this one 'post-humously'  I'm dating it on the day I drank this.. but I forgot I had it.. took the picture with my phone and completely slipped my mind!  Sorry for the dishonesty, guys!

Harpoon 100 Barrel Series - # 39 Vermont Spruce Tip.  An ale at 7.0% ABV and 38 IBUs brewed with spruce tips from the great state of Vermont (Should be a great, big DUH if you read the name of the beer.. just clarifying).  A very very nice pour that my lowly (not really.. 8mp) camera phone doesn't do justice.  Incredibly clear and deep color, nice thick head..  exemplary!  Nice nose on this fella too..  mild caramel malts, hint of vanilla sweetness and nice kicks of essentially forest..  woody, nutty, piney notes.  Smooth and a bit light in body, the malts hit first.  A bit sweet, a bit robust and nutty.. slight piney hop bite hits next, dry and sharp..  the spruce is mixed in here as well giving it a log-cabin inspired taste.  Very woodsy and full, yet nice and crisp..  Slightly boozy but in a good way.  Not much to the finish.. just dry and a touch of sweetness.  The spruce was present, but I feel like it could have been more dominant.  Maybe too little was used or it would be showcased better in a different style.  Much more present than in my most recent homebrew at least..  A slightly different take on the American IPA style..  but glad this isn't a 'permanent' offering by them.

5.29 - The Nectar

Just a random night, but this ain't your random beer.  This guy was selling outta stores left and right, often times on the same day as delivery.  No, not some super exclusive nano-brew, or even micro-brew.. no folks, this is from a big name brewer!

Troegs - Nugget Nectar.  a 7.5% ABV 93 IBU Imperial Amber.   Yes, you can call it a 'one-off' cause they brew it once a year.. but in HUGE quantities.  People just scoop it up though!  So if you didn't find it, or stock up, tough titties!  This gives you the quintessential amber pour (as one would expect) and a nice head.  The hop aroma just pours from this brew, full on pine and citrus with a decent amount of caramel malt to back it up.  Underlying lemon peel, melon, grapefruit.. to name a few.  Simple and complex at the same time.    Sorta sweet, full taste upfront that is merely fleeting.. a powerful kick of hops comes swooping in to dominate the taste, but not overpower it.  It's bitter and balanced with grapefruit, pine and citrus hops.. fairly sticky.  If not for the caramel/toffee and sweet biscuit-y malt backbone this could be mistaken for an IPA.  Lingering dry bitterness on the finish with just a touch of sweetness and almost no sign of the 7.5% ABV.  A huge beer that leaves nothing to be desired...kudos!

5.25.2012

Friday night..  got plans all weekend, so might as well stay in and catch up on the collection a little, right?

5.21.2012

No Monday Night Trivia tonight.. but the C's are on!  Let's have a beer!

Boulevard Beer - Saison Brett 2011!  Been sittin on this fellow since last summer, couldn't stand waiting any more.  A special saison based on their Tank 7, but dry-hopped and bottle conditioned with multiple yeast strains including the lovely Brettanomyces.  8.5% ABV and 38 IBUs... with hands down the fluffiest, hugest, most beautiful head I've ever seen!  Gorgeous golden straw in color, the saison aroma just bursts from the glass!  The Brett shines here - a touch of funk, honey, pineapple.. super bright brew.  A touch of spice and some nice, smooth doughy malts.  Super crisp in taste, just enough sweetness to balance some of the spice.  Citrus, tropical fruit, some grass and moist funk.  Touches of a faint tartness and zero sign of the 8-plus ABV.  This is scary good, once you wait the 15 minutes for the head to subside that is!  A beautiful saison with just enough Brett to set it apart, not overly tart or funky.  Would've loved to have aged another even further... sad face.

May the 4th Be With You!

Yep.. I just made the Star Wars pun..  don't hate!  I'm backing it up..  by drinking a Star Wars themed beer.  What's that you ask...  yep, I got you interested now huh!?

Keep you hanging on....

Ok fine...

New England Brewing Co's - Imperial Stout Trooper!  (or is it the Storm Trooper you're looking for?...  we're they wearing funny glasses?  oh, OK, they were?  then yes, this is the one you're looking for!)  a beast at 9.2% ABV and 50 IBUs..  never heard of the brewery before and some awesome gals reserved a bottle for me without me even asking!  I feel so special!  A blacker-than-black pour with a fluffy chocolate head..  the nose on this is intense.. tons of roasted/burnt malts, black chocolate, espresso and a heavy dose of booze.  Taste follows suit, but with the booze kick right up front..  Drink this on the cold end folks.. when it warms it's like a strong Black Russian - pure vodka booze taste.  Underlying chocolate malts with hints of bourbon, vanilla, smoke, espresso, oak and toffee.  Crazy huge taste, crazy huge booze..  I guess that goofy nose is hiding alcohol behind..  Thanks, CBC!

Mopey Thursday 5.3.12

It's been a shitty few days, weather sucks, feel like I'm in a funk...  so beer!

Random Monday Night

Not enough cash to go out, plus I'm exhausted..  so let's drink in!

Dogfish Head - Robert Johnson Hellhound on My Ale.  A tribute to old-school bluesman Robert Johnson, who would have been 100 last year and his 'Hellhound on My Trail' song.  For the 100th mark, they made a 10.0% ABV 100 IBU brew with 100% Centennial hops at 100 kilos/100 barrel.. to accentuate, they added lemon peel and flesh (also a tribute to Johnson's mentor - Blind Lemon Jefferson ) - thanks, Dogfish Head website!  Hugely fluffy head and a nice golden orange/yellow color..  the malts hit the nose first.. faint but sweet..  bright hoppy notes here - citrus, grapefruit.  Don't think the age coulda affected this.. only a few months old, but the taste is straight-up kick-you-in-your-nuggets booze!  Some malts here n there, caramel mainly, and twangs of hoppy bitterness in between the vodka-like bite...  When I could taste beer, it had that characteristic Dogfish note..  again, I doubt age could've played a role here.. but I've only read good reviews..  hmmmm?