End of the Eras

I ran across some #10 Amber Waves and #12 Steam Style tonight on the big clean up and remodel, and as I tried them cold...so were the tastes, after I got past the 1liter of foam. So alas these soldiers were the last of the 12oz bottles other than the RR series of beers. Nothing but bombers and kegs.

Our Tastes-- Rogue XS Imperial Porter 2008

And the hits just keep on coming. Going back to 2008 we pick up the XS Imperial Porter. Filling the same pint with opaque brown and frothy tan head this one has a nose of sweet hop as opposed to sweet malt. On tasting the true hops set in, apparently 100% Summit hops were used, quite a departure from I am used to. The other day The Enabler burnt some toast and he said it tasted amazingly similar. Made with 2-row Pale, C120, C150, Kiln coffee, black and chocolate malts to give 133º Lovibond to go with 78 IBUs. Oh, and the 8.2%abv and sweet bottle denoting 0.75L didn't hurt! As of 2010 this one is longer available in the swing top ceramic crocker but now known as Double Mocha Porter (where the original was beefed up from).

Our Tastes-- Rogue XS Imperial Red Ale

Having quite a few of the XS series to go through we're trying a couple right now. XS Imperial Red Ale filled a pint glass with mahogany color and copper accents. The head is flattening (expected). his one is a bitter monster that hangs on the sides of your tongue like an African mountain goat. Malt is the initial taste though followed and lingered by pure warming EtOH. 9%abv, mmm, mmm. Made with Great Western Harrington, Klages, Hugh Baird Crystal, Black, Munich, Chocolate malts and rolled oats. Then hopped with Willamette, Cascade and Chinook. Dry hopped and given 58 IBUs, the site says to have a 7oz nip, sorry out of little nips, had to have a big nip. (typing nip is fun;)

Our Tastes-- Chimay Ale (Red)

I'm currently waiting to see if a thunderstorm will blow through and keep me from cutting grass, so why not have a quick taster of Chimay "Red" Ale. Pured slightly chilled in Chimay goblet, true to the Thirsty Monk form of delivery. Pouring a particulate medium to dark mahogany with plenty of frothy white head and after making sure to suspend a rather deep yeast bed, hence the particulate part. The nose nothing extraordinary having only the hints of raisins and slight plum I have come to expect out of a Belgian. Mouthfeel is medium and after swirling around in the mouth there is a slight bitter candied taste with little alcohol and yeast that leaves behind a relatively crisp palate. 7%abv. I think it best to try a bottle as soon as you can of the self. I figure it's already GTG when it's bottled to try it fresh! Maybe there will be a different experience.

Our Tastes-- Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale

Now with it's own category, we try Stone's SSRA (for short). For me this beer is a great starter for Junk's own category. It is the "Darth Vader" of all beers that I have tried. Black as the dark side of the force, with a hop bite of the light. Thank you, Capt. HopHead for touching down on runway StoutMouth, continue your flight, climb and maintain. The nose is striking of malt with a true dichotomy of bittery, piney hop smack. 8.7%abv Black IPA originally brewed as 11th Anniversary ale. And the complexity of the beer itself has been my 1st exploration into highly hopped dark beers. Chinook, Simcoe & Amarillo to give it 90IBUs. This is a keepsie!

Brew Batch #41 Single Hop Bitter

After what seems like an eternity, I resume brewing with special guest The Enabler. Knocking out a bitter tonight made only with Fuggle. Guest check in call by Junk. Everything was smooth as usual with 4oz of Fuggle in and the wort chiller working harder than we are. Took 20 minutes to drop the wort from 198F to 98F. FG 1.036+ 0.003 @82F. Hopefully this will crank out a nice session beer in about 4weeks. Next stop...something a little hoppier.

Our Tastes-- Double Dead Guy 2008

Though the bottle appearance has apparently changed, the appearance of the beer is as follows: a medium to dark copper with cloudiness, aroma is more malty with notes of warming alcohol. A flattening head. Tastes of bitter pine explode with a bit of surprise since it can't be smelled prior to tasting and the warming note (to put it lightly of EtOH, 9% to be exact). Made with 2-row, Munich and C-15, it is an evolution of Dead Guy. Cascade hops ONLY in this one. Pretty much the same Maibock as Dead Guy, but Double Dead Guy.

Our Tastes-- Rogue Mocha Porter

Closing in on finishing all of the Rogues I have cellared away we swill Mocha Porter around today with The Enabler. A nice nose of sweet malt and bitter cocoa with a color of crude or BP gulf water. Taste has a good roast and coffee smack to the lips. Made with Northwest Harrington & Klages; 135-165, 95-115, and 70-80 Crystal; Beeston Chocolate, Black, Munich and Carastan malts. Hopped with Centennial and Perle, (which I guessed more as Fuggle). No abv info but it's a poke in the ribs to the hibernating stout bear. Just enough to make the ole boy shift weight.

TnDC Field Trip #16 Las Vegas Cont'd

Lee's Discount Liquor rewards us with New Belgian Trippel and Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest. Trying the Trippel in a tulip with p-i-l (Pop-in-Law) and color is a light clear straw with foamy dissipating head that gives way to a slight malt no hopped aroma. Taste is smooth, clean with a touch of coriander, the 7.8%abv is nonexistent. The SN heads back to AL with me.

TnDC Field Trip #16 Las Vegas

Currently having a Stone IPA draft at the M Resort. A straight up bitter IPA with a classic white head. Color is a clear light brown and there is a pronounced big C aroma that I can't quite put my finger on. BTW, it's official I'm 4mins into this beer and have hop nose in one of the hottest driest places in America and it's confirmed with a check of the website. 77IBUs, Columbus, Chinook and Centennial so that's 3 big C's. 6.9%abv.

Next up is draft Speakeasy Big Daddy IPA pours a flattening white head with clear dark straw color. Nose is strong sweet pungent pine. It's still hot... 330pm and it's 96F but feels like 91 go figure!! 13% humidity means it's cooler than actual. Sorry for the side note, but I may be having a heat stroke. Website seems to have no current link to this brew but it's good and cold and 6.5%abv.

Now at Veloce Japanese restaurant having CA rolls, Godzilla rolls, Las Vegas rolls and nigiri Red snapper which is on the way soon. We'll be having some sake, Jozen Mizunogotoshi-Junmai Ginjo. Yeah, not sure what to say there, just trying something different with the sushi. All I know is that it's cold and tastes fairly good.