Our Tastes-- Pliny the Elder

Pliny the Elder. This taster was a special gift from Andy Mc and Missus. I had to post my own pic for absolute proof of this beer moment. Pouring a seductive nose of sweet pineapple cantaloupe golden melon with little indication of anything else. Bitterness is by far more suppressed than I thought it would be. Since reading of the Elder and Younger I've concocted this high abv enamel stripping beer charring its way across my palate. But no, the unassuming dark straw color and light mouthfeel breadiness envelopes the 8% abv perfectly (hence the 100 on ratebeer). Funny though, this beer is brewed year round and is readily available across Northern California. Bottled 2/11/16 and clinks in Andy Mc's glasses like meat and potatoes I could drink this all day, well at least until I had to take a nap. I rank this beer moment with my first Utopias, Speedway Stout, Westie 12 and Raspberry Tart. Go find and have this beer fresh!!

Our Tastes-- STA 6 Alberts

6 Alberts is a session IPA given to us by Straight to Ale. I've really started enjoying these session IPAs. This one pours a lightness that reminds me of a west coast IPA or blonde. A very respectable white thick froth and nose of sweet heavy citrus (more orange) pine. The taste and mouthfeel is a dry full bitterness. STA has taken the "monkey" astronaut to a whole new level. During space exploration between 1948-52 six primates were used experimentally. Bet they didn't have this 4.2%abv bevvy on board or maybe the Citra and Amarillo combo would have helped them through their tests. Then again neither of those varieties were available then. Poor monkeys.

American Craft Beer Week (was last week!)

(and this was my initial entry until the week blew by me!) Let's all set a goal to have a craft of our choosing each day this week. The Brewer's Association celebrates Craft Beer Week each year around the 3rd week in May. So my first taster this week will be a score by Junk's fiancée (to call her Junkette or Wee Nay Nay is still to be decided for blogging purposes) KBS. Somewhat of a rarity between Happy Endings and AleSmith Speedway Stout (I went with beers of the same style, one of which I have had and am currently cellaring plenty and the other only once). 

Poured into a goblet with an opacity matched only by an overdue oil change. The tan head was a given but the nose was multifaceted with bourbon, oak, EtOH, vanilla and thick syrup. Taste of this 12.4%abv cave-aged beast is chocolate coffee heavy and a strong out breath of warm alcohol. As I give it thought the nose matches that of vanilla wafers dipped in bourbon heavy vanilla pudding. It's the smoothness o the smell that gives you false hope of having 2 of these. Mouthfeel is full to say the least. To be able to have one of these is a life moment that should be savored each year IF you can get your hands on it. My is of a quiet house and my first run since the twins. 

Brew Batch #72 Ikigai

Racked this ole boy over to a gravity of 1.020+ 0.002@75F with a 3 inch yeast bed gobbling up a half gallon. BUT the taster on it has slight hops and about 12% abv sneaking up on raisins. So I put it on some Chinook, Cascade and German Perle on it for about 30 days to see what happens. By then I'l have a wood decision.

UnImpeachable Pale Ale

I've had a couple of Salty Nut Brewery's beers like Hopnaughty and Imperial Moustache Red, but they might as well go ahead and double down on UnImpeachable Pale Ale in the fermenter! I'd have 2 pints of this rarity just to say I had it! And yes, I've already placed an order for the T-shirt;)

2016 Hop Season

Hop Season is now in full swing with the emergence of Sunbeam . Pushing it's way through a nice layer of compost, still with only one large crown, I'm hoping for more than the one cone I've harvested in the last 5 years. I'd take pics of Nugget and Zeus, but Nugget busts out each year and seems to be growing well. The 3 Zeus plants have branched out into about a dozen crowns now. Boy, it'd be great to brew and Zeus, Nugget IPA in August!