Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Congrats on Denver's Last Beer (for now), Ben! :al

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Lone Pine Space Metal Dinosaur

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

It's a porter? A stout?


;) :lr

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

You know me ... DIPA. Damn good, too! I only bought two 4-packs for my pepper stash, might need more!

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

I've got a couple hundred bottles of some really good dark stuff squirreled away, so I should be good for a while

(Tom look away)

I did make the rounds today to load up on IPAs. I try not to keep those around for too long as I've had some that I forgot about and a couple months later didn't taste as good as they should have, but they'll be good to have around in case I need to stay inside for any period of time

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Inbound Angry Chair TBBW 6 bottle set plus an extra double barrel rocky road, also a bunch of treehouse coming in. That already added to the stash I'll be fine till next year. Just need a few oranges to fight scurvy.

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

I forgot the oranges!

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Newest River North Single Cask release from earlier today, this was a Mr. Sandman aged in a Basil Hayden's barrel, really liked it. Even managed to get a travel buddy to come to the brewery with me for the pickup

https://i.postimg.cc/J4LDgbng/IMG-20200411-130307.jpg

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Home-brew, a hybrid Belgian-American pale ale. I call it "In Brewges".

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Love the name :tu

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Thanks!

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Just got a few more Angry Chair bottles and the 7 days of the week set by Cycle. Will need this pandemic to end so I can do a share.

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Working on a (cellar) cleanse, going through and drinking one from each brewery that I have lying around. Yesterday was day 5, been a good week so far. Not gonna rate, but since I can't share a pour with any of you fine people I'll try to keep you updated so it's like we're drinking together

Day 1 was River North, went with a newer release from them, Double Cinnamon Double Avarice. They state that it's called double cinnamon because it uses both types of cinnamon (ceylon and cassia) not because it is over the top cinnamon, so I gave it a try. The 17% ABV almost cuts through the cinnamon, but for me there was still too much. I have a couple others of these, the double avarice's are meant for long term aging according to the brewery so I'm curious how time will subdue the cinnamon profile, could be cool

https://i.postimg.cc/ydNkCd6s/IMG-20200517-213621.jpg

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Day 2: Ballast Point

2018 Victory At Sea, aged in High West barrels. Decent stout, although not too much to write home about. I thought these were pretty good when they came out, didn't get much rye then and don't now but I think "pretty good" is still fair

https://i.postimg.cc/8zjGG6My/IMG-20200518-182714.jpg

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Day 3: Fremont

Picked up this bottle of 2019 B-Bomb when I was grabbing a BA Darkstar last year, this was my first time having it and I really enjoyed it. Technically not a stout but it'll keep you warm

https://i.postimg.cc/5yy1G6Vv/IMG-20200519-152601.jpg

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Day 4: Three Notch'd

This is a collaboration we picked up a little while before moving from VA to CO. It is a collab between a Charlottesville brewery, the coffee roaster across the street (out favorite coffee) and Breckenridge distillery. The ABV was a little lower than I would have expected (5.9%) but it was pretty good. The other bottle we picked up when it was released sat around... and around... I almost threw it away because I figured after a while (I think about 6 years) that there wouldn't be much left since it wasn't too robust to start with, but I was pleasantly surprised when I finally poured it. It tasted like faint milk chocolate with a light splash of espresso, very easy to drink since there wasn't too much to it but really enjoyed the unexpected subtlety

https://i.postimg.cc/HkwG6QyR/IMG-20200520-192532.jpg

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Day 5: Cerebral

One of my local favorite breweries, maybe the best stout game around other than a few select River North releases (although Cerebral doesn't put out too many). This year's release of BA Work From Home was different than most, usually it's a big event with waffles and tons of breakfast stouts, this year it's an online ticket you buy and redeem at the brewery for a bottle while standing 6 feet away. They did do a second release a couple weeks later so I was able to get two bottles, I miss being able to sample these at the brewery so I don't need to crack open expensive bottles to see what this year's tastes like.

Anyways, that's exactly what I did here, and I'm very glad I did. This is an amazing beer, the non-BA versions are pretty easily available around town in cans but the BA brings the balance that the regular is so desperate for. First taste is maple syrup, then comes the chocolate and the bourbon, things only get better as it warms up. Sometimes I bit** about the prices at Cerebral who are quickly becoming in line with Weldwerk prices (this was only $22 but some of the high end bottles are up to $40 assuming you can click the link fast enough), but then when I actually bring myself to drink them I remember that it's often worth it

https://i.postimg.cc/RZ7FwJVV/IMG-20200521-172142.jpg

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Good stuff, Ben! I still have several in my cellar that are from you, I need to set down the bourbon for a couple days and have a little sipping party of my own.

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Attachment 18977
Enjoyed this little guy recently. Man Florida is slaying stouts.

Got some different ones coming in next week hopefully.

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Love the label too. :r

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Looks good! Only Angry Chair I've has was a collaboration with Untitled Art, a Chocolate Vanilla Maple Imperial Stout. A little too sweet for me but very well made

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Day 6: Oskar Blues

"Smoker, Joker, Midnight Mocha." When these came out in 2018 I was overzealous and bought a case of a dozen, then quickly realized that 12 stovepipe cans of Mocha BA Ten Fidy was a lot of Ten Fidy. I stashed them and pulled out two or three from time to time, I think I may only have one left after this one after some intentional thinning (and purchase of subsequent BA Ten Fidy variants). Really love this beer, the coffee part of the mocha has started to fade but the chocolate is sticking around for a little longer. It's still very noticeable but I could see this being more nuanced with some more time

https://i.postimg.cc/t43PY6Sh/IMG-20200522-190835.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/kg3KJscJ/IMG-20200522-203620.jpg

Oskar blues has fun with the messages on the bottom of their cans, if you drink one of their beers don't forget to check. Saw one posted online recently from a beer canned one 4/21/20 and a note "364 more days"

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

:ss :lr

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Day 7: Avery

Double Barrel Maple Stout. Syrup syrup syrup booze. The 15.3% ABV cuts through the sweetness of the maple, although it's still a touch too sweet. I think I brought one of these to a herf last year, not sure who got some but this beer has gotten better since then. Looking forward to trying one again in 2 years

https://i.postimg.cc/PJcSSDY6/IMG-20200523-172823.jpg

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Day 8: Adroit Theory

Demogorgon. Adroit theory is one of the top breweries experimenting with the dark stuff (at least in my opinion), located in middle of nowhere VA. If you live in Virginia I think you can order their stuff shipped to you, otherwise it's pretty hard to get outside of going to the brewery or finding a good bottle shop in VA. This particular can tasted like equal parts lime gose, tripel and oyster stout. The squid ink adds a unique saltiness, they use it in a number of their stouts. I didn't look too close at the can when I poured this and assumed it was a stout, I was very wrong which caught me off guard. I probably should have known that, given that I had this at the brewery when I picked it up, but in my defense I had about 13 10+% ABV samplers that day. Then I got a ride to the airport for a very interesting flight :)

https://i.postimg.cc/L8VbpJps/IMG-20200524-172752.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/zGNc6n4M/IMG-20200524-172806.jpg

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Day 9: Victory

Java Cask. Another one that I didn't read closely, thought this was a stout but a closer look shows a "BBA blonde coffee stout." Quite a bit lighter than I was going for, but actually quite pleasant

https://i.postimg.cc/c47Sv4Sp/IMG-20200525-172344.jpg

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Get off your keto as$ and drinking some fuc*ing stout

:tu

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Great reviews, Ben. I like several of Avery's offerings, but that one ain't gonna touch my lips (phrasing).

It's not that I'm on my ass. I'm on my ass with bourbon. I just need to transition to stouts for a couple days. :D :r

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Brewery 10: Crooked Stave

Gift Of Time: Black Friday Edition. After thinking long and hard about it, I think this line contains some of the best stouts being made that I'm aware of. So far there have been three releases, aged 24/36/44 months in various Heaven Hill and Angel's Envy barrels, this is the middle one released Black Friday last year. My day went beer shipping, whiskey shopping, drop the wife off at the mall then to Crooked Stave for this release, it was a pretty good day. This beer is as dark as sin and very boozy, but the oak is the key man mellowing everything out, it's absurdly balanced. Crooked Stave typically specialized in sours, but the few times a year they put out a heavy stout I always take notice

https://i.postimg.cc/9MXbqSCf/IMG-20200527-193718.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/MGSdzHLV/IMG-20200527-194026.jpg

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Brewery 11: Aslin Beer Company

Moonshield. Aslin is an interesting brewery in Alexandria VA, I heard a story that their weekly releases got so popular in their old congested location and the lines caused a fire hazard so they had to move to a new location. I never went to the old one, but the new one is beautiful, huge warehouse like taproom with arcade games and TV's all around, and a massive to-go cooler. This particular beer is an imperial stout with raspberry, white chocolate and vanilla. Sweet but not too sweet to drink, I like some of their other stuff a little better (they have a stout with lemon that is way better than it sounds) but regardless a great pour

https://i.postimg.cc/DfHH4qYK/IMG-20200528-183721.jpg

I'm slowing this down from daily to a couple a week as I start getting into the deep end finding new breweries that haven't already made the list. I'll keep going as long as I can, only counting bottles I had when I started the series, and see how many different breweries I can get to if I dig deep into the back of the shelves. There's some scary (and fun) bottles back there

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Love the reviews, Ben...and stouts! My Man! :D

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I wonder if Dave (Jbailey) has ever had this one? :D

https://i.imgur.com/zmdZ3fT.jpg

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Is that from six point? I want it! :)

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:r Perfect! :tu

I haven't had a beer in years. That means I have a few bottles that got some age. I tried the Breakfast Stout from Founder's and man oh man, smooth as silk and tasty as "all get out".

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Hootie, we need to find that for you! :al

Love me some Breakfast Stout, Greg, but I'm definitely drinking 10 times more bourbon right now. Though rarely 12 oz. at a time. ;) :r

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Pôhjala cocobänger. Imperial stout

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Old Nation B-43. Brut IPA. :tu

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Brut IPA is still a thing? That trend hit real hard and everyone was doing them, then suddenly they just disappeared. Everyone thought they were going to be the new NEIPA.

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

These guys still do it, and a heckuva good job. First time trying it. Tastes similar to their NEIPA, M43. Supposedly lower in carbs. Idk, I just like it.

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Ten Bends Northern Heights

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I like a good Brut, I agree a lot of them dried up around here too but the ones that made good ones kept them on the menu, I'll usually get one if I'm looking for something lighter

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Brewery 12: Dogfish Head

World Wide Stout. I picked this up recently when I was digging through the cooler at my favorite bottle shop, for some reason they manage to get their hands on aged stuff (particularly DFH). I noticed two different labels for their WWS so I checked the dates, sure enough some were 2019 and some were 2016 so I grabbed a couple of the 16's. Typically I find DFH's higher ABV stuff ages really well (you may have heard me talk about the magic of old 120 minutes) so I was excited somebody did the hard part for me.

Poured this up last night and was a little disappointed. I was wholeheartedly expecting to try this and go back to buy everything else they had, but while I did enjoy it I didn't have that urge. It was good but it had an underlying maltiness that was a little hard to get past. At least they have truth in advertisement with the label "Brewed with a ridiculous amount of barley."
Having tried a few of the other variants (vanilla oak, bourbon barrel aged) I think that this needs some wood aging to round everything out. I find this with a lot of stouts, often without the barrel aged component the amount of malt they need to get the ABV up is overpowering. See: Cerebral above, their Work From Home stout is ok, but the BA version is one of my favorite stouts. I think that's similar here, I won't be going back to buy more but I'll hang onto the extra I have. I tend to grab a bottle of an interesting DFH when I go into a liquor store and they don't have what I want but I want to give them some business so I have a couple of the others with a few years, I'll probably keep buying the BBA version when I see it at a decent price and stash it away

https://i.postimg.cc/pL8Z7tjT/IMG-20200610-193929.jpg

Side note: If anybody sees the Utopias barrel aged WWS please let me know :tu

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Great review, Ben, even if it was a little disappointing.

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Still enjoyed it. I have a couple bottles of very malty ale from DFH that already have 5+ years on them, gonna let those sit for the long haul and see if that malt ever dissipates. I'm guess it will be very minimal but could be interesting

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P.S., UPPS says your package won't arrive until Monday. Hope it's that soon as USPS has been a little wonky lately. :hn

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Brewery 13: Great Divide

Barrel Aged Yeti. Great Divide is one of the original Denver breweries, used to make a stop at one of the locations every time I visited Denver, moved here and ended up living less than a mile from their barrel bar where they do all the aging for a few years. Many nights were stumbled home, all in search of the elusive sasquatch. They have come out with so many different variants of this, some (vanilla, chocolate oak, espresso, oatmeal, double) have worked out better than some others (chai, thin mint, harvest), but I always go back to the standard Barrel Aged Yeti

This was as enjoyable as every other time I've had it, rounded out profile but enough booze to remind you the alcohol is there. Always consistent, this is on my go to list for when I'm really not in the mood the be disappointed

https://i.postimg.cc/RhPRJc40/IMG-20200611-193505.jpg

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

Goose Island's representative is in the beer fridge :tu

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Anyone tried Dragons Milk White?

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I have not, Julian, but I've hard some poor reviews from friends who are fans of the regular release.

Re: What beers are you enjoying II?
 

hehe ... I was kind of dubious and couldn't bring myself to buy it.