Against the Grain- Bierepoix

Bierepoix was my next brew classified as their whim beer. A biere de garde that was slightly more brown than the previous ESB. A 6.8%abv "Christmas dinner" in a glass. The nose on this one was bland but the ingredient list included celery, carrots and onions?! By far the most interesting beer all night. Apparently they do a Chef Collaboration series and this beer is 3rd in such line. Chef Andy Myers of the Anchorage Café helped to concoct the traditional French mirepoix (again looking this one up) flavors they put in this one and for giggles threw in some thyme, coriander, orange peel, and local sorghum. Oddly enough in the 6oz taster each veggie hint was present. I may only be able to knock back a pint of this one but it was definitely a good one to try.

Against the Grain- Ludicrously Terse

A couple of weeks ago I was treated to a new brewery in Louisville, KY by my sister and brother-in-law called Against the Grain. Without being able to decide on just one brew I tried a flight plus the bonus beer and this may be the best flight of beers I've ever had! The beers as you can see on their website are broken down into main types of beers, the name of the beer and the specs on it. This is also easily viewed on the huge chalkboard menu that hangs in the dining area. First up, Ludicrously Terse their session beer (at the time) an ESB of 4.6%abv. Color of tea with very nice mild bitterness and an excellent example of the style. Apparently my mom-in-law liked it above all others but has not given up her stance on wheats/wits at this point. Odd grain bill with the use of Maris Otter barley malt, melanoidin (I had to look this one up), honey and victory malts. Bittered with New Zealand Pacific Gem and and late addition of Czech Saaz. Fermented with a London ale yeast for balanced mineral and fruity notes.

Brew Batch #51 ESB (a.k.a Evie's English)

Prepping for our BaByQ, Merry wanted me to knock out a batch of brew. Well since this rarely happens I jumped on an impromptu batch of English Style Bitter, low abv, low bitterness, in the hopes of converting a few folks. Hopefully it'll turn out okay, I've never slapped a batch together and brewed in 8 hours. OG 1.042+0.00 @64F. From here on out Evie's English.

Dave Gish

Wanna brew or sip to good tunes, check out our bud David Gish.

Brew Batch #50 REINKE'S REVENGE 2012

Racked over Reinke's 2012 this morning. 1.022 is where it has fallen to. This may make it a bit higher than normal on abv. Swill has a definitive difference of hop, so I went ahead a dry-hopped with an ounce of Styrian Goldings and Target. 

Our Tastes-- Blithering Idiot

The last of the brews on Junk's taster list for the night is another Weyerbacher beer. We sip Blithering Idiot Barleywine Ale out of some Mikaso tulip glasses. Color is a cloudy deep dirty copper brown with an unapparent flat head. The nose likens too a bunch of raisins and figs up the ole nose. Taste is a malted blossom on the sweet parts of the tongue. "It is a sipper", Junk ca. right now. Weyer recommends you lay a few down for 5 or so years to bring forward more complexity in this 11.1%abv jingle bell shaker!

Our Tastes-- Heresy

Another Weyerbacher brew, Junk's hanging tough and trying his list. Heresy has a heavy raisin nose with a jet black color in it's brandy snifter. Taste is huge of vanilla beans. A grand heavy stout aged in oak barrels with great overtones of that same woodiness. This 8%abv smooth drinking stout is made by aging Old Heathen Imperial Stout in Kentucky bourbon barrels. I miss this one already, good news is they release it every February.