2014 Pala I Fiori Cannonau di Sardegna

20160904:
This wine had a full-bodied smell. There was a sour taste, but the wine was smooth. As I sipped more and more, the wine seemed to become more sour. 6:41PM PT

It had a fruity taste. 7:48PM PT

[20160923 Quick Edit]

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2014 Pala I Fiori Cannonau di Sardegna

Relevant Links:
Cannonau i Fiori (Pala Website)

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Website Information:

I FIORI | CANNONAU DI SARDEGNA
Denominazione Di Origine Controllata

Grapes: - Cannonau 100%.
Vineyards and training method: Vineyards "Is Crabilis" (Ussana) and "Acquasassa" (Serdiana), low espalier, traditional alberello.
Age of the vineyard: 35 years.
Yield: 80 quintals/hectare.
Soil Type: Clayey, calcareous of medium hill rich in texture 150/180 m above sea level
Vinification, Maturation, Ageing: The grapes, after a soft pressing are left to macerate with the addition of selected yeasts for 6/7 days. After the maceration, the fermentation continues at controlled temperature. At the end of the fermentation, the refinement continues in cement and stainless steel tanks for about 6 months, afterwards it is bottled and refined for 2/3 months in the bottle, before being put on the market.
Tasting: Intense ruby red colour with violet hints, very clear. Very intense, fresh and immediate aroma with notes of ripe red fruits and vegetables. Dry and smooth to the palate, good structure and nose-palate persistence.
Matching and service: cold meat starters, main courses with savoury seasonings, white and lean red meat, medium seasoned cheeses. Serve at 16/18° C, uncorking at least 30 minutes before pouring

TALES FROM THE WINERY
Cannonau is the main red grape of Sardinia, the DOC Cannonau is one of the most well-known.
It's a flower that grows here in the vineyards...that's why we called I Fiori (the flowers) in range with the other classical traditional wine varietals of Sardinia.

The Flower on the label is the Acquilegia Nuragus, one of the two hundred endemic species of Sardinia, a symbol of its diversity. It grows in the Gorroppu Canyon (Gennargentu National Park) and there are only ten plants left and protected. His original color is the one used in the Nuragus label.

New Belgium Pumpkick

20160830:
The beer initially had a nutmeg taste - or whatever it is that typically goes into pumpkin/fall beers. Unfortunately, the taste which followed wasn't as good. 10:14PM CT

[20160916 Quick Edit]

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New Belgium Pumpkick

Relevant Links:
Pumpkick Spiced Seasonal Ale (New Belgium Website)
Pumpkick | New Belgium Brewing (BeerAdvocate.com)
New Belgium Pumpkick (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

Pumpkick
Spiced Seasonal Ale

What’s that bite of tartness doing in a pumpkin beer? Adding the unexpected kick of cranberry juice to brighten this traditionally spiced seasonal ale. Pumpkick is brewed with plenty of pumpkin juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, but it's the cranberries and touch of lemongrass that send your taste buds sailing.

Available in August-October 2016.

TASTING NOTES
VISUAL Amber with a light sheen to heavy haze, off-white foam and lacing.
AROMA Big pumpkin pie spice up front: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and clove. Cranberry and other red fruits back it up with lighter notes of pumpkin, floral, and sweet-bread like malty notes.
FLAVOR Pumpkin pie sweetness with a very light sourness that finishes with an ever-so-slight bitterness.
MOUTHFEEL Cloying and coating with spices. The finish is dry.
BODY Medium body.

BEER FACTS
ABV 6.0%
IBU 18
YEAST Ale yeast
HOPS Nugget
MALTS Pale, Munich, Caramel
FRUITS/SPICES Pumpkin juice, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, Cranberries, Lemongrass

Sierra Nevada Tumbler

20160830:
This beer had a malty, sugary smell.

Some hours later I gave this beer a sip and it was just okay - nothing special. I thought about pouring the remaining half out. 10:47PM CT

[20160915]

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Sierra Nevada Tumbler

Relevant Links:
Tumbler (Sierra Nevada Website)
Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (BeerAdvocate.com)
Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

TUMBLER®

Roasted, rich, and perfect for an autumn afternoon.

Tumbler is our take on the classic brown ale – full of roasted malt flavor but delicate on the palate and perfect for crisp fall days. Layered with notes of chocolate and toasted bread and a hint of smoke, Tumbler is the ultimate autumn beer, so grab a seat and watch as the leaves come tumbling down.

OVERVIEW
ALCOHOL CONTENT 5.5% by volume
BEGINNING GRAVITY 13.6° plato
ENDING GRAVITY 3.5° plato
BITTERNESS UNITS 37

INGREDIENTS
YEAST Ale yeast
BITTERING HOPS Challenger
FINISHING HOPS Challenger, Yakima Golding
MALTS Two-row Pale, Caramel, Chocolate, Smoked

FOOD PAIRING
CUISINE Baked Ham, Roast Pork, Smoked Salmon
CHEESE Gouda

New Belgium Citradelic

20160826:
The beer smelled like orange juice, it was a wonderful smell. It was hoppy, but not bitter like the IPA, Surly Furious, I had the other day. Actually, the beer's smell reminded me of some sort of fruit juice containing mango (e.g., Tropicana mango).

However, unlike the nose, the beer tasted slightly lighter than the average IPA. I tasted the tropical flavors towards the end. It's possible the Brussels* sprouts I had eaten had altered my perception of taste. 11:25PM CT

*I was surprised to learn today (20160915) that it's "Brussels sprouts" and not "brussel sprouts." One article cites using a lower case 'b' is appropriate, due to the vegetable being so common and now removed from its association with the city of Brussels.

[20160915 Quick Edit]

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New Belgium Citradelic

Relevant Links:
Citradelic Tangerine IPA beer (New Belgium Website)
Citradelic | New Belgium Brewing (BeerAdvocate.com)
New Belgium Citradelic (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

Citradelic
Tangerine IPA

Tune in and hop out with New Belgium Citradelic. Set adrift on a kaleidoscopic wave of hoppiness brought to you by a mystical marriage of Citra hops and tangerine peel, which elevates each sip onto a plane of pure tropical, fruity pleasure.

Citradelic’s namesake hop and fruit combine to jam with visions of additional hops like citrusy Mandarina Bavaria, tropical Azzaca, and fruity Galaxy for a colorful explosion that’s grounded by just a touch of malty sweetness. Bored by the status quo? Expand your palate with a pour of Citradelic. Launching January 2016.

TASTING NOTES
VISUAL Bright golden orange in color with a light sheen.
AROMA A blend of citrus (orange fruit/candy), tropical fruit (pineapple), and pine hop up front. Lighter are the herbal and caramel notes.
FLAVOR Starts mildly sweet and transitions to a well-balanced bitterness.
MOUTHFEEL Smooth start, lightly dry and a clean finish.
BODY Medium body.

BEER FACTS
ABV 6.0
IBU 50
YEAST Ale yeast
CALORIES 170
HOPS Nugget, Crystal, Centennial, Azzaca, Cascade, Citra, Chinook, Galaxy, Mandarina Bavaria, Simcoe
MALTS Pale, Caramel 120
FRUITS/SPICES Tangerine infused orange peel

Surly Furious

20160825:
The beer had a lovely IPA and/or grassy smell. It had an orange color. It definite had a hoppy taste.

The beer was not that harsh. IPA lovers would enjoy it.

It had a crisp, sharp taste with every sip. It tasted grassy. 7:32PM CT

The surly furious was actually quite bitter. As such, it is best suited for frequent IPA drinkers.

For the end of the beer, I found I wasn't a fan because it had too much flavor, but I could see why an IPA lover would absolutely enjoy it. 7:47PM CT

[20160915 Quick Edit]

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Surly Furious

Relevant Links:
Furious (Surly Website)
Furious | Surly Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)
Surly Furious (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

Furious

HYBRID OF AMERICAN IPA AND BRITISH ESB STYLES.
YEAR ROUND CANS AND KEGS

An amber-colored ale with citrusy hoppy aromas and flavors, balanced out by a chewy caramel malt backbone (sweetness), with a refreshing bitter finish.

MALT 2-row, Golden Promise, Aromatic, Medium Crystal, Roasted Barley
HOPS Warrior, Ahtanum, Cascade, Simcoe, Amarillo
YEAST English Ale
OG 15º Plato
COLOR 27 ºSRM

Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale

20160825:
This beer was a bit warm (purchased and left in the open air for between 30 minutes and an hour). There was a slight bitterness.

The beer might have tasted better if it were colder, because then it'd have been less bitter. Otherwise, the beer reminded me most of a Natty Boh. However, as it stands, I'd certainly rather have a cold Natty Boh than this partially cold can of Goose Island 312.

[20160915 Quick Edit]

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Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale

Relevant Links:
312 Urban Wheat Ale (Goose Island Website)
312 Urban Wheat | Goose Island Beer Co. (BeerAdvocate.com)
Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

312 Urban Wheat Ale

BREWER'S NOTES
Inspired by the city of Chicago and densely populated with flavor, 312’s spicy aroma of Cascade hops is followed by a crisp, fruity ale flavor delivered in a smooth, creamy body that's immensely refreshing.

RECIPE INFORMATION
Style: Urban Wheat
ABV: 4.2%
IBU: 18
Color: Hazy Straw
Hops: Cascade, First Gold, Mt. Hood
Malts: 2 Row, Torrified Wheat

AVAILABILITY
Year Round
Bottles: 6 & 12pks, 22oz
Cans: 12pks
Draft: 1/6 & 1/2bbl

AWARDS
World Beer Cup Awards:
2008: Silver – English-Style Summer Ale
Great American Beer Festival:
2010: Gold Medal – English-Style Summer Ale
2008: Bronze Medal – English-Style Summer Ale
2007: Gold Medal– English-Style Summer Ale
2006: Gold Medal – English-Style Summer Ale

New Holland Incorrigible Reserve

20160824:
The beer had a red color. It had a deep, fruity, sour smell. It tasted bitter and there was a strong taste of alcohol. I detected some sour notes but I was distracted.*

After several sips, the drink settled into being a nice sour beer. It was tasty. 8:36PM PT

"I love this sour taste. I can't stop drinking it. And done." 8:54PM PT

*Transcribed as is. I can't recall if I was distracted by the bitterness/alcohol taste or by conversation.

[20160912 Quick Edit]

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New Holland Incorrigible Reserve

Relevant Links:
Incorrigible (New Holland Website)
Incorrigible Reserve | New Holland Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)
New Holland Incorrigible Reserve (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information: (for Incorrigible)

Incorrigible
White Sour Ale

Incorrigible celebrates the beauty of mischief. Wild yeasts and bacteria run free in our sour-aging cellar, the House of Funk, creating vibrant sour and acidic character in this delicate, yet complex wheat beer. The refreshingly tart session beer will tease your palate with a subtle, layered nuance.

Beer Style: White Sour Ale
Degrees Plato: 11.5
Alcohol by Volume: 4.5%
IBUs: 2.8
Grains: 50/50 Wheat to Pale
Hops: Williamette (added to mash), no hops in boil
Yeast: WLP029 (Kolsch)
First Brewed: 2013
Pairings: charcuterie, duck, bright salads and fruit

Firestone Walker Velvet Mocha Merlin

20160815:
This beer tasted mellow, a surprise considering it's been sitting around since Winter 2014.* It had a nice coffee flavor. It was a bit watery, like a stout, but it also had some carbonation.

Comparing the Firestone Walker beers we had against each other (Wookey Jack, Velvet Merkin - 2014, and this one), Josh and I concluded this one was the best of the three. As an observation, it also had lowest ABV. 11:07PM PT

*Part of the 2014 Winter Bundle consisting of Double Barrel Ale, Union Jack IPA, Wookey Jack, and (Limited Edition) Velvet Mocha Merlin.

[20160904 Quick Edit]

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Firestone Walker Velvet Mocha Merlin

Relevant Links:
Firestone Walker Beer Archive
Velvet Mocha Merlin | Firestone Walker Brewing Co. (BeerAdvocate.com)
Firestone Walker Velvet Mocha Merlin (RateBeer.com)

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Website Infromation:

Velvet Mocha Merlin

Our beloved Velvet Merlin aged with cocoa nibs and Intelligentsia Espresso Beans.

All of the smooth textures and roasty dark chocolate goodness of our seasonal Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout with the added infusion of Intelligentsia Coffee House aromas and cocoa dusted chocolate truffle flavors.

This brew makes debut in our 2014 Winter Bundle pack - the only way to find this elusive collaboration.

Brew Notes:
Style: Coffee Infused Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 5.5
IBU: 27
Color: 65 SRM (Espresso Black)
Fermentation: Stainless steel
Malts: Maris Otter, 2-Row Pale, Roast Barley, English Dark Caramel, Medium Caramel, Carafa Malt, Oats
Hops: 100% US Grown Fuggle Hops
Availability: Draft and 22oz in 2014 Holiday Winter Bundle & Firestone Walker Brewing locations only

Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin

20160814:
After the Wookey Jack, my friends and I shared this Velvet Merkin. Unfortunately, as it would happen from time to time, I forgot to take notes. It's particularly unfortunate in this situation because I bought this bottle (at the same time as) to compare with the Velvet Mocha Merlin (and Velvet Merlin). With that being said, it technically doesn't matter anyways because I've kept both bottles for over a year beyond their intended consumption date.

Even without notes, I recall the beer had a strong alcoholic taste. And, if I were to guess, the beer's sheer strength distracted me from taking notes and I was likely unable to discern its former flavors.

(2014 Vintage; released September 2014)
[20160904]

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Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin

Relevant Links:
Velvet Merkin (Firestone Walker Website)
Velvet Merkin | Firestone Walker Brewing Co. (BeerAdvocate.com)
Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

Velvet Merkin
Bourbon Barrel-aged Oatmeal Stout

Next vintage coming Mid-September, 2016

Velvet Merkin is the beer that almost wasn’t…Indeed, this vintage oatmeal stout’s comical (or is it scandalous?) name went off the grid for several years, but now it’s back due to popular demand. Velvet Merkin is aged for a full year in retired spirits barrels from Heaven Hill, Woodford Reserve and others, yet manages to offer mind-­boggling balance and restraint. You will wig out when you taste Velvet Merkin’s rich milk chocolate, bourbon and espresso flavors, preceded by aromas of vanilla, coconut, toasted oak and mocha.

Beer Information:
ABV: 8.5
IBU: 33
COLOR: 80SRM
FERMENTATION: British Ale (House)
MALTS: Maris Otter, 2-Row Pale, Roast Barley, English Dark Caramel, Medium Caramel, Carafa Malt, Oats (15%)
HOPS: 100% US Grown Fuggle Hops
Availability: 22oz and very limited draft

Awards:
2011 Gold Medal, Great American Beer Festival
2010 Gold Medal, Great American Beer Festival

Firestone Walker Wookey Jack

20160814:
First, I should note that this beer is at least a year old. It, along with a handful of other bottles of beer, was purchased prior to my reduced consumption of beer.

In any case, this beer had a carbonated mouthfeel and a bitter taste. In addition, there were some coffee notes and/or some rye notes hanging out in the background. 11:01PM PT

[20160903 Quick Edit]

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Firestone Walker Wookey Jack

Relevant Links:
Wookey Jack (Firestone Walker Website)
Wookey Jack | Firestone Walker Brewing Co. (BeerAdvocate.com)
Firestone Walker Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

Wookey Jack
Black Rye IPA

A riff on the familiar Black IPA style, Wookey Jack is gnarly on the outside yet refined on the inside. Malted Rye and a dash of Cara Rye impart a spicy grain quality to the palate, while double dry-­‐hopping with Citra and Amarillo hops brings a citrusy dimension to the aroma profile. The brewing team also claims to have incorporated a bit of “Wookey Dust” into the recipe. The beer is black in color, but if you close your eyes and taste it, you’ll say it’s a true IPA. Wookey Jack is unfined and unfiltered to retain its woolly natural texture and character.

Unless indicated otherwise on the code date, our beer is best if enjoyed within 120 days of its bottling date.

Beer Information
ABV: 8.3%
IBU: 80
COLOR: 45SRM
FERMENTATION: 100% Stainless Steel
MALTS: Pale Malt, Malted Rye, Dash of Cara-Rye, Midnight Wheat from Briess, De-Bittered Black Malt (Weyermann - Germany/Patagonia malting - Chile), Dash of Wookey dust
HOPS: German Magnum (bittering), Citra & Amarillo (flavor/aroma and double dry-hopped)

Availability
12 oz bottle, 22 oz bottle, draft

Awards
2013 Gold Medal, Great American Beer Festival (American-style Black Ale)
2012 Gold Medal, Great American Beer Festival (American-Style Black Ale)
2012 Top 25 Beers, Draft Magazine
2013 Gold Medal, Great American Beer Festival

Dogfish Head Namaste

20160814:*
This beer had a banana, coriander sort of smell. It had a cloudy, yellow appearance. It had a strong carbonation.

After tasting some of my friends' drinks, I returned to the Namaste and the carbonation was still strong. I found it had a wheat taste. Furthermore, unlike the smell, the beer lacked a banana taste. 5:55PM PT

*It's likely I've had this beer before, but I'm unable to hunt down any old notes on it.

[20160903 Quick Edit]

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Dogfish Head Namaste

Relevant Links:
Namaste (Dogfish Head Website)
Namaste | Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (BeerAdvocate.com)
Dogfish Head Namaste White (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

Namaste
Our Belgian-style white ale bursting with good karma

ABV: 4.8
IBU: 20
RELEASE: Year Round
ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: 2009
STYLE: White Ale

A witbier bursting with good karma. Made with dried organic orange slices, fresh-cut lemongrass and a bit of coriander, this Belgian-style white beer is a great thirst quencher.

Namaste was originally brewed at our pub in Rehoboth Beach with our Italian friend Leo from Birra del Borgo. It was a tribute to our friends at 3 Fonteinen brewery in Belgium, who had devastating production loss (1/3 of their annual production) in 2009. You can read more about the original brewing of this beer here on Sam's blog.

ENJOY
GLASSWARE Shaped Pint
CHEESE PAIRING Goat
FOOD PAIRING Roasted turkey, Caesar salad, pasta with cream sauce

EXPERIENCE
COLOR Golden straw
AROMA Citrus & cloves with subtle coriander notes
FLAVOR Balance of citrus & sweet malt notes with slightly spicy finish
MOUTHFEEL Quenching and zesty

Avery Raspberry Sour

20160802:
This sour was sour. It tasted like cranberry juice. Actually, maybe it tastes like raspberries, but I don't know what raspberry juice tastes like.

It's sour like a Warheads (a brand of sour candy). 1:31AM PT

[20160827 Quick Edit]

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Avery Raspberry Sour

Relevant Links:
Raspberry Sour (Avery Website)
Raspberry Sour | Avery Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)
Avery Raspberry Sour (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

Raspberry Sour

BOTANICALS & BARRELS
BARREL-AGED SOUR
6.5% ABV

Luscious ripe red raspberries are elegantly intertwined with a bountiful amount of lactic acidity and delicate barrel nuances to cultivate this stunning sour ale.

Availability
22 oz Bottle
5.16 gal keg

Descriptors: Oak, Tart Red Raspberry, Lactic Acidity
Malt Varieties: Aromatic, C-45, Sinimar, Dark Candy Sugar, Special B, 2-Row
Yeast Varieties: Westmalle Belgian Ale
Hop Varieties: Bravo
Dry Hop Varieties: N/A

Samuel Adams Nitro Coffee Stout

20160801:
The beer has a strong coffee smell with a creamy taste.

The initial taste was better than the final sips which were more bitter. The final sips also tasted less like coffee and the mouthfeel was more watery.

Josh liked it though; he liked it more than the Belching Beaver Here Comes Mango from yesterday. 10:28PM PT

[20160921 Quick Edit]

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Samuel Adams Nitro Coffee Stout

Relevant Links:
Nitro Coffee Stout (Samuel Adams Website)
Samuel Adams Nitro Coffee Stout | Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams) (BeerAdvocate.com)
Samuel Adams Nitro Coffee Stout (RateBeer.com)

Belching Beaver Here Comes Mango

20160731:
The beer smelled like nectarines. Josh detected mango. It had a cloudy yellow orange color.

It had a citrus and tropical taste, followed by a strong IPA flavor end on every sip.

Josh enjoyed it and I let him have a greater share. He's been liking IPAs more over time.

[20160821 Quick Edit]

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Belching Beaver Here Comes Mango

Relevant Links:
Here Comes Mango | Belching Beaver (BeerAdvocate.com)
Belching Beaver Here Comes Mango (RateBeer.com)

Sierra Nevada / Ballast Point Beer Camp Electric Ray

20160723:
Unfortunately this beer smells like all the sugars have undergone whatever process they undergo over two years time and the taste reflects that.

Oddly - and I'm only assuming the beer is normally bitter - the intense alcoholic sugars are reducing the beer's bitterness. Yeah, after all, the beer has a bitterness rating of 70 IBU. And while I taste some bitterness, the beer doesn't taste like it's 70 IBU.*

There's no bitterness on the sip, but it comes in the aftertaste. When it comes it a piney, complex sugar taste. 8:13PM PT

*Red and lite lagers (e.g., Bud Light) are around 10 IBU, Belgian tripels are around 30 IBU, and IPAs are generally 40 to 70 IBU.

[20160819 Quick Edit]

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Sierra Nevada / Ballast Point Beer Camp Electric Ray

Relevant Links:
Sierra Nevada / Ballast Point Beer Camp Electric Ray (RateBeer.com)
Electric Ray: India Pale Lager (Beer Camp Across America) | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (BeerAdvocate.com)

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Electric Ray India Pale Lager

Collaboration Partner: Ballast Point Brewing Company San Diego, CA

As ever, San Diego’s Ballast Point looked to the sea for the inspiration behind Electric Ray. A play on the fish’s scientific name—Torpedo californica—this beer pays homage to our mutual home state, as well as to our Hop Torpedo, the source of much of the big flavor in this high voltage, hopforward Imperial Pale Lager.

Ballast Point brought their homebrewing dreams to the big leagues and started brewing professionally, but they never forgot their roots. They still run a successful homebrewing supply shop in San Diego. A love for hops and the ocean inspire incredible brewed and distilled offerings, and their oneofakind labels boast some beautiful, and sometimes gnarlylookin’, fish.

ABV: 8.5
Beginning Gravity: 18.0
Ending Gravity: 2.7
Bitterness Units: 70

Yeast: Lager
Bittering Hops: Cascade, Zues, Nugget, Northern Brewer
Finishing Hops: Amarillo, Crystal, Centennial, Cascade
Malts: Two-row Pale, Pilsner, Oats, Munich, Caramel

Electric Ray is an IPL—
Imperial Pale Lager— combining intense citrusy and floral American hop aroma with the clean, crisp, classic malt body of a robust blonde lager. It is both traditionally dryhopped AND torpedoed with wholecone American hops for an intense grapefruit and roselike nose.

Fieldwork Ancient Mariner

20160714:
This beer has a nice sour flavor. It is cloudy yellow in appearance and has little carbonation. It has an orange-lime smell. It has a clean and refreshing, lemon taste. It's good and light. It definitely has a citrus taste. 5:51PM PT

After eating a slice of pizza (Long Bridge Pizza), the beer tasted more bitter. There was also less of a citrus flavor. 6:07PM PT

Overall, the beer was amazing despite a couple moments of bitterness 6:20PM PT

[20160819 Quick Edit]

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Fieldwork Ancient Mariner

Relevant Links:
Ancient Mariner | Fieldwork Brewing Co. (BeerAdvocate.com)
Fieldwork Ancient Mariner (RateBeer.com)

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Internet Information: (Ratebeer.com)

Ancient Mariner is our chance to have fun with two things we love deeply, the Gose style of beer from Leipzig Germany, and traditional flavors and ingredients from Baja California. The bright lime saturated nose jumps out of the glass to taunt you to take your first sip. As it gets closer to your nose, subtleties of white pepper and cardamom begin to follow behind the lime, and as that first taste hits your palate, the heavily salted Gose pops on your taste buds with the salinity working as a megaphone for this absolutely crushable Lime Gose. A large dose of imported maize not only helps make this beer as dry as possible, but pairs with our house pilsner malt to create a grain profile similar to a corn tortilla. Ancient Mariner may have been dreamt up while fishing off the coast of Mexico, but at 4.6% it can be crushed wherever its Captain sees fit.

Headlands Pt. Bonita Rustic Lager

20160709:
This beer has a light banana smell. It's light, has medium carbonation, constantly fizzing in the glass, has some bitterness, and has more taste than what I'd expect of a pilsner. It's also bitter relative to any pilsner I can remember. 12:46PM PT

The beer is... I keep thinking it tastes like an Almaza but that might not be true.* Maybe it tastes like a cheap pilsner. Is Budweiser a pilsner?** its a bit bitter like that maybe. or maybe the carbonation.

The bitterness is not as noticeable while eating the pizza (Long Bridge Pizza). With that being said, it still is bitter and...

I was about to say it's a little hoppy, but it doesn't have flavors typical of a pale ale. It's more just carbonation and this... This beer's bitterness is too much for me to handle.

*An Almaza is in fact a pilsner/pilsener and like the Pt. Bonita I also characterized the Almaza as having a banana taste.
**No, it isn't. However, Budweiser is a pale lager and apparently a pilsner is a type of pale lager.

[20160817 Quick Edit]

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Headlands Pt. Bonita Rustic Lager

Relevant Links:
Pt. Bonita (Headlands Brewing Website)
Point Bonita | Headlands Brewing Co. (BeerAdvocate.com)
Headlands Pt. Bonita Rustic Lager (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

PT. BONITA

Pt Bonita is our Bohemian Pilsner. It’s nice and spicy from the rye, 14%, and it has just enough noble hop character and body from the rustic grains. It’s light, crisp, refreshing and it’s named after the Point Bonita Lighthouse in the Headlands, in case you couldn’t figure that out on your own.

Hops: Liberty, Saaz and Crystal
Malt: 2-Row, Pilsner, Munich, Rye
5.3% abv
38 IBUs

Sierra Nevada / Bells Maillard's Odyssey

20160706:
I can smell many sugars and the alcohol. I can taste... it's a dark, kind of malty taste, but I guess not overly malty. It's more of a sugary, almost chocolate and coffee taste.

There's little to no carbonation. There's eventually some bitterness. It probably tasted better when it was new.

The aftertaste is more malty than I first detected. But the taste is rather clean. In the end, the alcohol had more of a presence, but apparently all those tastes were there.

According to the label, flavors I didn't detect were toffee, caramel, and dark fruit.

[20160816 Quick Edit]

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Sierra Nevada / Bells Maillard's Odyssey

Relevant Links:
Maillard's Odyssey: Imperial Dark Ale (Beer Camp Across America) | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co (BeerAdvocate.com)
Sierra Nevada / Bells Beer Camp Maillard's Odyssey (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

Maillard's Odyssey Imperial Dark Ale

Collaboration Partner: Bell's Brewery, Inc. Kalamazoo, MI

Rich, dark, and roasty. That was the concept Bell’s beer guru John Mallett aimed for and, true to John’s vision, Maillard’s Odyssey is exactly that. Its name honors the Maillard reaction —the “browning” of sugars and amino acids—that creates the wonderful caramelized toffeelike and roasted flavors so abundant in this beer.

Bell’s has done a lot to raise the Midwest’s craft beer bona fides. They are masters of many beer styles from their portfolio of topnotch American stouts all the way through to the alpha acid assault of their Hopslam Ale. Bell’s constantly reinvents beer styles and refines recipes with artful mastery and an oddball slant.

ABV: 8.5
Beginning Gravity: 20.5
Ending Gravity: 5.1
Bitterness Units: 40
Yeast: Ale
Bittering Hops: Magnum
Finishing Hops: Sterling, Cascade
Malts: Two-row Pale, Munich, Caramel, Chocolate, Wheat, Oats, Roasted Barley

Maillard’s Odyssey is a robust dark ale layered with complex malt flavors of toffee, caramel, chocolate, coffee, and dark fruit. This maltfocused concept spawned a daunting grain bill featuring 10 different grains including pale malt, Munich, chocolate malt, oats, dark wheat and roasted barley for a rich, semisweet and intense experience.

Myanmar Lager Beer

20160619:
As expected, the restaurant had a slim selection of beer which included a choice which represented the overall ethnicity of the food being served: a Burmese beer to go with Burmese food.*

Myanmar Lager Beer

The beer had a likable pungent smell. I reasoned that either I've come to enjoy the smell of lagers (which I historically didn't) or that this one smelled exceptionally pleasant.

The taste was delightfully light and there was a highly carbonated mouthfeel - perfect considering I just came in from the blazing heat. On the flipside, there wasn't much of a taste.

In any case, it was so light, I had downed half of it before realizing I should save some for during and after the meal. 3:33PM PT

Myanmar Lager Beer - Lacing

*According to Wikipedia.org, the military government changed the country's name from Burma to Myanmar in 1989; Burma is to Burmese as Myanmar is to Myanma.

[20160627 Edit]

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Myanmar Lager Beer

Myanmar Lager Beer - Back of Beer Bottle

Relevant Links:
Products Page (Myanmar Website)
Myanmar Lager Beer | Myanmar Brewery and Distillery (BeerAdvocate.com)
Myanmar Lager Beer (RateBeer.com)

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Website Description:

MYANMAR BEER

Myanmar Beer was launched on 24th October 1997 in Quart followed by Draught in February 1998 and Can in March 1998 with 5% alcohol by volume. On December 2013, Pint was introduced into the market with same great taste.
Myanmar Beer reflects the strong local values of the Myanmar people, and the rising aspirations and sense of belonging to the country and patriotism. It has become one of the symbol Myanmar is proud of. Myanmar Beer provides you the new lens to experience everything afresh.

Small Town Not Your Father's Root Beer

Small Town Not Your Father's Root Beer

Relevant Links:
Not Your Father's Root Beer (Small Town Brewery Website)
Not Your Father's Root Beer (5.9%) | Small Town Brewery (BeerAdvocate.com)
Small Town Not Your Father's Root Beer (5.9%) (RateBeer.com)

20160611: [20160618 Edit]
The Not Your Father's Root Beer initially tasted so much like root beer that I thought the waitress made a mistake. However, upon taking a second sip, I tasted the beer's bitterness.

Unfortunately, this bitterness detracted from the drink's sweet taste and gave it a more root-like, medicinal taste (think traditional Chinese medicine).

Among the flavors listed in the beer's description (I looked it up on my phone), I'd take a wild guess and blame the sarsaparilla for all this bitterness (or perhaps the anise).

Some reviewers say the beer was too sweet, but I only thought the beer had an average level of sweetness. Regardless, the drink left a clean palate.

Overall, it was an interesting experience, but I don't think I would ever get it again. 9:08PM PT

The strangest part about this beer was that it doesn't taste like a beer with root beer flavor, but like a root beer with a bitter alcohol flavor. 9:28PM PT

The beer sometimes reminded me of some beer or drink I've had before. And while the taste was on the tip of my tongue, I was at a loss on why the flavor seemed familiar.

In any case, the beer did become increasingly sweet towards the end, though the bitterness remained. 9:53PM PT

Analysis:
While drafting up this post I was reading some articles and came across some passages that made me wonder if the taste I was trying to pinpoint came from my experiences with malt liquor. Along those lines, one review (on RateBeer.com) reads: "Every once in a while there’s a weird aftertaste that seems to happen with most of these hard sodas that I find somewhat disagreeable."

Then I read one review (on BeerAdvocate.com) which, like myself, described the unpleasant flavor as medicine: "[F]or an instant at the beginning of the sip [it tastes like rootbeer]; that impression is almost immediately displaced by an overwhelmingly unpleasant medicinal or phenolic flavor reminiscent of Band-Aids or Lysol." Well, I can't say I know what Band-Aids taste like, but the flavor was definitely unpleasant.

Actually, sarsaparilla has a bitter, medicinal taste, so it could be sarsaparilla. I suppose licorice is also a bitter flavor which might be part of the bitter taste, but I don't recall the drink tasting anything like Jagermeister (the epitome of licorice-taste alcohol).

Remark: Apparently there's some talk over whether or not this drink is a beer. Erring on the side of caution, I'll ambiguously label this post with both 'beer' and 'malt beverage.' In the end, the above is a series of observations which don't require knowing whether the drink was a beer or malt beverage. However, the assumption at the time was that the drink is a beer.

Website Information:
NOT YOUR FATHERS ROOT BEER – 12 OZ BOTTLE

Tasting Notes: Silky, smooth and satisfying finish is unmatched in flavor. It appeals to craft beer aficionados as well as those who don’t typically drink beer but crave something unique.

Not Your Father’s Root Beer is a category-defining craft specialty ale brewed with unique spices. Brewer Tim Kovac’s creativity and painstaking commitment to flavor complexity results in an unmistakable offering that masterfully blends hints of sarsaparilla, wintergreen, anise, and vanilla. A smooth and balanced Ale, NYFRB has broad appeal – from discerning craft beer drinkers to non-beer drinkers.

Description: Ale with the Taste of Spices
ABV: 5.9%
Profile: Bold, Sweet, Smooth, Spicy
Serving Temperature: 38°-50°F
Availability: Year Round
Package: 12oz Bottle, 6 Pack | 12oz Can, 6 Pack | 16oz Can, 4 Pack

Ballast Point Big Eye

20160611:
This beer had a hoppy smell. It did not, however, have as hoppy a taste. With that being said, it tasted hoppier than a pale ale.

Ballast Point Big Eye

I was wondering if the beer was actually a bit warm. Then again, the weather was quite warm. 1:47PM PT

Drinking more of the beer after finishing my sandwich, I began to believe in my earlier observation: due to the temperature of the liquid, the beer tasted a bit harsh. In different words, the hoppiness stood out and dominated the milder flavors.

The beer finished with the same sort of popping taste - soft start with a bitter taste that comes and goes.

Ballast Point Big Eye

The taste is familiar, but different from a typical IPA. I wonder if it's how the Ballast Point Sculpin IPA tastes (as of 20160619, my guess is probably not). 2:13PM PT

[20160619 Edit]

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Ballast Point Big Eye

Relevant Links:
Big Eye (Ballast Point Website)
Big Eye IPA | Ballast Point Brewing (BeerAdvocate.com)
Ballast Point Big Eye IPA (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

BIG EYE
INDIA PALE ALE

The beer that helped put San Diego IPA’s on the map.

Our Big Eye IPA is a big hoppy brew, thanks to the abundance of American Columbus and Centennial varieties we use to flavor and dry hop. While the English originally added extra hops to preserve their beers for sea travel, we do it for the love of all that bold, intense flavor that makes India Pale Ale one of our favorite styles.

AVAILABILITY: Year-round in 12oz. Bottles, 12oz. Cans, 22oz. Bottles, & Draft
ALC. BY VOL.: 7%
BITTERNESS: 71 IBUs
FOOD PAIRINGS: Hawaiian–style Tuna Poke, Panang Curry, Cured Meats

Brewer's Notes:
If you have fallen for the IPA style like we have, Big Eye will be a welcome addition to your repertoire. You’ll revel in Big Eye’s bitter, hoppy flavor thanks to the American Columbus and Centennial hops that are used to flavor and dry hop our flagship IPA. We thank our hops every day that the English loved their bitters—or else the IPA style may not have been born to help the beer survive the journey from Cape Hope to India back in the 18th century.

Awards:
Many.

Almanac Saison Dolores

Almanac Saison Dolores

Relevant Links:
Saison Dolores (Almanac Website)
Saison Dolores | Almanac Beer Co. (BeerAdvocate.com)
Alamanac Saison Dolores (RateBeer.com)

Lagunitas Sucks

20160529:
I loved the hoppy smell; there was a complex mix of sugars. Meanwhile, the taste was reasonably hoppy. Overall, it was a great beer and I would recommend it to IPA lovers.

I also enjoyed the balance of this beer.

At 12:59PM PT, I began feeling the effects of the alcohol.

The beer had a sugary aftertaste. I love beers with this sugary aftertaste.

Besides the beer being tasty and strong... er... I don't know where I was going with that. I think I should have some food.

As a side note, yesterday I waited in line near the craft beer stand for the ID checker guy to skip me a couple times in addition to being meticulous. It was fine when it seemed like he was checking girls before guys out of courtesy, but then when he started checking IDs of guys who had come after me, I got a little agitated. Anyhow, it was much nicer coming to the Lagunitas vendor near the Lagunitas Stage where there was no line and no wait for getting a wristband.

[20160703 Edit]

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Lagunitas Sucks

Relevant Links:
Sucks (Lagunitas Website)
Lagunitas Sucks (Brown Shugga Substitute Ale) | Lagunitas Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)
Lagunitas Sucks (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

Sucks
Brown Shugga' Substitute Ale

This beer is a 'cereal medley' of barley, rye, wheat, and oats. Full of complexishness from the 4 grains, then joyously dry-hopped for that big aroma and resinous flavor.

ABV: 7.85
O.G.: 1.07
IBU: 63.21
Availability: unLimited Release
Introduced: 2011
Sold As: 6pack, 12pack, keg
Pair With Pork loin, Humboldt Fog & Crackers

E. K. Ross would have enjoyed our suffering in 2010 when we saw we couldn't brew our Brown Shugga. But in that time of deepest despair, as is common to artists everywhere...broke, hungover, abandoned by the muse, and prepared to take a job at Arby's, we found in that darkness, the spark of inspiration that would yield up this nearly sanctified recipe!

Fort Point / Freigeist Manzanita

Fort Point / Freigeist Manzanita

Relevant Links:
Freigeist Charred Manzanita Ale | Fort Point Beer Company (BeerAdvocate.com)
Fort Point / Freigeist Manzanita (RateBeer.com)

Lagunitas BottleRock Fusion Ale

Lagunitas BottleRock Fusion Ale*
*Lagunitas Fusion 37

Relevant Links:
Kickin' Off Summer With Lagunitas at BottleRock (Lagunitas Website)
Fusion 37 | Lagunitas Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)
Lagunitas Fusion XXXVII (RateBeer.com)

2014 Apothic Crush

20160521:
The wine had a deep red smell.

While the wine initially tasted smooth, it later had a sour taste which was beyond my liking.

[20160625 Edit]

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2014 Apothic Crush

Relevant Links:
Apothic Crush (Apothic Website)
2014 Apothic Crush (CellarTracker.com)

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Website Information:

The first taste entices, stimulating the senses. The next taste ignites, arousing the passion.

Flavor Notes: Red Fruit, Caramel, Chocolate

A decadent red blend that combines red fruit flavors with notes of caramel and a velvety smooth mouthfeel.

Leinenkugel BeerGarten Tart

20160521:
Having just had some wine out of a flute, I poured my beer into the glass (after I rinsed the glass with some of beer) and got a look at it's color and head.

Leinenkugel BeerGarten Tart

The beer had a wheat smell and a subtle sour taste amid the carbonation. Upon a second sip, I reiterated that it was tart and had a wheat taste.

[20160708 Edit]

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Leinenkugel BeerGarten Tart

Relevant Links:
Beergarten Tart (Leinenkugel Website)
Leinenkugel BeerGarten Tart (RateBeer.com)
BeerGarten Tart | Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)

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Website Information:

Beergarten Tart

Balanced, refreshing, subtly sweet, and tarty. This is our American take on a classic German biergarten favorite.

Leinenkugel’s® BeerGarten Tart starts out with a snap of tartness balanced by a subtle sweetness from pale malts. It’s our take on a Berliner Weisse, a classic German biergarten summer favorite. Brewed with American wheat, BeerGarten Tart’s light body and refreshing finish are perfect for warm summer days.

ABV. 4.80%
AVAIL. Apr-Jul

Pairs with: club sandwiches, pasta, salads or pizza flatbread

Leinenkugel's India Pale Lager (IPL)

20160521:
This beer had a hoppy taste with a good amount of carbonation. However, there was not as much flavor as the average IPA.

[20160601 Edit]

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Leinenkugel's India Pale Lager (IPL)

Relevant Links:
India Pale Lager (IPL) (Leinenkugel's Website)
Leinenkugel's IPL (India Pale Lager) | Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)
Leinenkugels India Pale Lager (IPL) (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

India Pale Lager (IPL)

A hoppy lager with five varieties of hops and smooth finish

Everything you love about hops comes through more clearly because IPL® is a lager instead of an ale. We brew ours with five varieties of hops including Mandarina Bavaria from Germany and Citra® from right here in the U.S. We taste citrus, tropical fruit notes and a little spicy pepper followed by a refreshing crisp finish. Give it a try and see what you discover.

ABV. 6%
IBU. 57
AVAIL. Year round in select markets

Pairs with: Wisconsin cheese curds, salmon or trout, and lemon cake.

New Braunfels Spread Eagle

20160519:
The Spread Eagle was amazing. It was sour - the kind that isn't bitter - and packed with a cherry flavor. 6:04PM CT.

New Braunfels Spread Eagle Bottle

[20160708 Edit]

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20160522:
Today I had the pleasure of drinking more of the Spread Eagle. It's amazingly good.

A Taster of New Braunfels Spread Eagle

[20160708 Edit]

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New Braunfels Spread Eagle

New Braunfels Spread Eagle Bottle - Back

Relevant Links:
Spread Eagle (New Braunfels Website)
Spread Eagle | New Braunfels Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)

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Website Information:

Spread Eagle
Doppel Saur Berliner Dunkel Weiss

Spread Eagle is our DoppleSaur Berliner Dunkel Weiss. What??? It is a soaring, screaming saur experience. We add our house lactobacillus culture twice to produce a predatory level of saur flavors that will rip your tastebuds to shreds. Spread your wings, party your lips, and wet your beak.

New Braunfels Eis

20160519:
Getting a sample of Eis, I noted that it had a nice sour taste. It was more sour than the New Braunfels Uber. 6:04PM CT

[20160708 Edit]

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20160523:
The beer had a sour smell. Matching the nose, it had a sour test. However, there was also an odd, possibly chocolate taste.

[20160708 Edit]

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New Braunfels Eis

Relevant Links:
Eis | New Braunfels Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)

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Label Information:
Front:
unpasteurized ; unfiltered ; bottle-refermented
Local Beer ; Local Taste
New Braunfels Brewing Company
Eis
Sour Farmhouse Eisbock
alcohol by volume 9.5 international bitter units 27 finishing gravity ?
1 PINT 9.4 FL OZ ; STORE DARK AND KEEP REFRIDGERATED

Back:
Before the advent of modern refrigeration and chemical sanitation the bier of the day would have had a very different character than the beers of today. More rustic, more artistic, more real. The recipes would have been similar, but the final flavors would have changed between batches. Our line of German farmhouse ales is how we imagine biers of the local German farmhouses would taste a few hundred years ago. Each bier is fermented with our house saccharomyces yeast cultured from the native yeast of Weihenstephaner, Germany. At bottling, we add our indiginous [sic] wild yeast and souring bacteria to condition with the residual sugar spared during primary fermentation. Flavors develop naturally and artistically in this bottle before release.

BAUERNHAUS BIER by New Braunfels Brewing Company

A farmhouse approach to German ales

Eis is an 85% wheat weizenbock brewed with a modified decoction mash and then freeze-distilled to condense the flavors. Dry, earthy and unexpectedly smooth for a 9.5% ABV bier. Eis highlights the wild yeasts in our indiginous [sic] culture. Pairs like a boss with rich baked dishes, aged cheeses and challenging life choices.