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A bit of Norfolk flavor tonight: Benchtop Proven Theory IPA

Color: Gold and hazy. Was advertised as a New England-style IPA and it definitely achieves the visuals.

Nose: This one stood out to me and really seemed to have a bright and vibrant nose on that initial opening/drive-by sniff. I've had similar beers that wowed on the first sniff and then became more muted as they warmed/were exposed to oxygen, but PT kept vibrant for the entire hour that I was consuming it. Very resilient nose to this one, and I admire that. Rich with tropical fruit notes, an overarching citrus character, and just a touch of pineyness that imbued the overall sensation as having just a touch of dankness.

Taste: Opens with a cluster of tropical fruit notes, mango being the most prominent among them. There's a bit of slightly tart citrus too, and then some hop bitterness that is initially a bit biting but mellows if you let the beer warm a bit. As time goes on this one tends to still feel a bit elevated in IBUs but fairly pleasant.

Mouthfeel: Moderate, with a slightly silky character if you let it rest in the mouth.

Finish: There's a pale malt note, followed by some muted tropical fruit notes and slightly bitter citrus. Finish was a bit disappointing considering how vivid the first half of the beer was, but overall this is a beer worth drinking if you dig IPAs and with a bit of fruity and citrusy flair.

I wish I could say that I made the trip to Norfolk for this one, but I instead got a crowler off a 1/6 keg at my local establishment. The Proven Theory is a year-round fixture of their taproom though, so feel free to stop in off Colley near the hospital if you fancy it. I'm big into rye so I will have a pint of the Chelsea-Tidewater Grissette next time I'm in town if I can.

You can now order beer (and wine) from Prime Now. The selection is decent but they mostly seem to be the staple beers (very few seasonal offerings). Guess I'll stick with my trips to Bottlebox.

Pretty jealous of the current selection at bottlebox. Two NE-style IPAs, a BA scotch ale, and a BA milk stout (and a BA version of my favorite imperial milk stout to boot). Damn. Wish I lived close. Not all that impressed with most of Mad Fox's stuff but they can brew some really good specialties when they choose to.

In other news, I read in the most recent VA craft beer mag that BenchTop won gold at the Great American Beer Festival for their gose "Mermaid's Scorn". Haven't had that one yet but it sounds interesting.

Had my first beer by Oozlefinch today: the Cows At Large milk stout. Don't really feel like doing a full review right now, but some interesting points:

- feels less thick than most milk stouts I have had
--up there with Ardent's milk stout as far as consistency and mouthfeel...very drinkable

- has kind of a bittersweet earthy thing going on
--not to the level of peaty, but definitely not swinging to the sweeter side of the spectrum

- there's some roasted malt, and underlying hop bitterness, some lactose, and some sweet malt contributing to an overall impression of smooth and just bitter enough
--balanced IMO

So the last two weekends I have investigated heavier dessert beers. The two standouts have been Prairie's Paradise Imperial Stout and Epic's Big Bad Baptista.





First, the Paradise.

Color: Very dark brown, effectively black.

Nose: Vanilla, sweet malt, some coconut, touch of chocolate, touch of roasted malt
This beer smells like a dessert beer should smell; sweet, rich, and strong.

Taste: Vanilla, some roasted malt, coconut, and some sweet malt (very sweet)
Kinda torn on the taste here. On one hand, it is absolutely delicious; there is a complex mix of flavors that blend well and culminate in a beer that is deep, dark, and sweet. On the other hand, it is almost too sweet. Perhaps I didn't address it properly as a dessert beer before I started, but I just had a hard time getting past the level of sweetness. It wasn't cloyingly so, but it was almost there. I hadn't had a proper dessert beer for months when I sampled this so I suppose I just wasn't acclimated.

Mouthfeel: Heavy, creamy, and slightly warming (13% ABV)
Slightly warming is actually impressive for a beer of that ABV; the sweet/dark/deep dynamic the beer has going almost completely hides the alcohol bite. With something that high though you're bound to get something in the mouthfeel at least. My baseline for dessert beer is the Southern Tier Blackwater series, and I would put the mouthfeel of this Prairie dark beer on the same level. Creamy and heavy with a subtle underlying kick.

Finish: Roasted malt, some chocolate, some coconut, and lingering malt sweetness with a touch of warming
When you're getting a beer like this to the finish, you have to really savor. Take a breath right before you swallow, then swallow, and then release the exhale through your nose. (Retronasal olfaction) This finish of this beer is sensational if you really focus on getting the retronasal olfaction. I find that roasted malt in the finish is really amplified with RO, although with this particular beer the coconut comes through strong. RO is crucial for full enjoyment of a dessert beer like this served at any sort of on-premise establishment, as they are going to carefully limit how much you are poured (likely a small snifter glass if they are generous). Savor every sip as they say. (Luckily I got a crowler of the stuff from my local craft beer establishment...)

Overall, I get positive vibes from this one. Definitely a sipping and/or sharing beer at any quantity. (ie. Drink-in-place caliber stuff. Remember me and Victory Java Cask?)

On to the more recent of my dessert beer adventures: Epic's Big Bad Baptista.

Color: Dark brown
I let this one sit in the snifter glass for a little while between sips, and it had an odd surface carbonation thing going on. The little bubbles formed a splatter pattern with jagged edges instead of just being uniformly spread. Kinda cool.

Nose: Vanilla, cacao nibs, cinnamon, some sweet malt, touch of roasted malt, some chile spice (vague because I don't have much experience with that flavor note)
It has been years since I had the standard Big Bad Baptist, but I remember it smelling dark and malty with a touch of underlying bitterness. (Not unrefined in any sense, just with a bit of an edge to it.) This comes across as something sweeter, a touch oakier (being BA), with that bit of spiced Mexican coffee to give it both novelty and genuine character.

Taste: Cacao, cinnamon, some vanilla, touch of oak, some roasted malt, some coffee
This one tastes like a dessert beer with an interesting bit of spice character added in. Complex but not too warming on account of the ABV or the Mexican coffee. Sweet but tempered by the spice. Actually quite pleasant.

Mouthfeel: Heavy, warming (11% ABV)

Finish: Cinnamon, vanilla, cacao, coffee, touch of vanilla, and lingering spicy coffee note with roasted malt
Embrace the RO for the finish on this one. You get a bit of everything: opening cinnamon note, Mexican coffee, and then that lingering blend of sweet malt, roasted malt, and coffee with the touch of oakiness. There's a lingering touch of spice with roasted malt. If you go RO you get a strong vein of vanilla in that opening mix. One of the more interesting RO experiences I have had on a beer lately and especially on a dessert beer.

At that ABV still a sipping/sharing beer, but this one is a bit less high-stakes. (It isn't "do or drunk" Java Cask level.) Between the Paradise and the Big Bad Baptista though, I would choose the Baptista. That bit of spice character sets it apart, but I do respect the coconut note from the Paradise (summer is coming!!!).

Sipping a collaboration between my local establishment and Aslin that prominently features Nelson Sauvin hops (might be a single-hop DIPA now that I think about it...) and I was wondering if anyone here had a strong opinion about certain kinds of hops. This was my first time sampling a beer that featured Nelson Sauvin prominently and I have to say that I really like these hops. In this particular beer it has that bit of piney dankness in the nose, just enough grapefruit citrusy hop note, an intriguing herbal spiciness, and a touch of white wine sweetness at the end. The last time I got this into a hop variety was at the beginning of my beer adventure all those years ago with a single-hop Simcoe DIPA by Weyerbacher. (Alas, they retired it sometime between then and now )

I have my hops I like and my hops I don't like, but I feel almost every variety has its place. I think mosaic is my favorite right now, but almost anything blended with Citra is great. I can't stand cascade or Amarillo by itself, but blended with other hops (especially Amarillo and simcoe) they tend to do better for me. Hops also vary by crop year. 2015 and 2016 of Galaxy hops were a little too earthy for me, but the 2017 crop was more on the tropical end where it used to be. Try hazing face from benchtop for a good example of 2017 galaxy hops. I think this batch of natural juicy from them uses citra and galaxy as well.

I haven't had Hazing Face yet but I did like the hops they used for Proven Theory (kinda tropical from what I remember). I'm still wrapping my head around the bittering hops/flavor hops/aroma hops designations and popular usage, something that I hope to gain experience in and better understand before I schedule my first try at the Certified Cicerone exam. Mosaic was one of the more pleasant hops experiences that I have had and I go out of my way for single-hop mosaic when I see one. Honestly have not gotten into Galaxy despite seeing and hearing a lot about them. Might pick up the new recipe Old Bust Head Wildcat IPA that uses Galaxy next time I see a six. Hazing Face is also something I will try to get my hands on.

I revisited O'Connor's Ibrik Imp Stout tonight and it is just as profound of an experience as the first time a year or two ago. Something about that Turkish coffee, man. I'm not up to snuff with my spice vocabulary and knowledge base right now so I couldn't tell you exactly what I am tasting and at what levels, but it is most certainly a unique coffee stout experience. I sampled the chocolate & coffee Blue Mountain Barrel House Dark Hollow earlier in the day and compared to Ibrik, the coffee used in the Blue Mountain brew is tannic and biting. Both the same ABV (10%) but Ibrik has that coffee X-factor that I have not seen replicated by anyone regionally.

(01-26-2018 08:46 PM)CameramanJ Wrote:  I haven't had Hazing Face yet but I did like the hops they used for Proven Theory (kinda tropical from what I remember). I'm still wrapping my head around the bittering hops/flavor hops/aroma hops designations and popular usage, something that I hope to gain experience in and better understand before I schedule my first try at the Certified Cicerone exam. Mosaic was one of the more pleasant hops experiences that I have had and I go out of my way for single-hop mosaic when I see one. Honestly have not gotten into Galaxy despite seeing and hearing a lot about them. Might pick up the new recipe Old Bust Head Wildcat IPA that uses Galaxy next time I see a six. Hazing Face is also something I will try to get my hands on.

I revisited O'Connor's Ibrik Imp Stout tonight and it is just as profound of an experience as the first time a year or two ago. Something about that Turkish coffee, man. I'm not up to snuff with my spice vocabulary and knowledge base right now so I couldn't tell you exactly what I am tasting and at what levels, but it is most certainly a unique coffee stout experience. I sampled the chocolate & coffee Blue Mountain Barrel House Dark Hollow earlier in the day and compared to Ibrik, the coffee used in the Blue Mountain brew is tannic and biting. Both the same ABV (10%) but Ibrik has that coffee X-factor that I have not seen replicated by anyone regionally.

Proven theory uses both citra and mosaic only and it is definitely heavy on the mosaic. I have the certified beer server cicerone certification. It was a piece of cake. Just know your beer styles and understand draft line and glass cleaning. The certified cicerone certification is a bit tougher as it has essays and a tasting portion.

I brewed Ibrik the first year O'Connor made it (I brewed beer there back then). I believe it was about 3.5 years ago. The spices are cinnamon and cardamom, but I'm sure the type of coffee they use now can vary how the spices play in the beer. We used a roast from 3 ships back then, but I'm not sure what they use now.

(01-26-2018 09:52 PM)Fatmonarch Wrote:  

(01-26-2018 08:46 PM)CameramanJ Wrote:  I haven't had Hazing Face yet but I did like the hops they used for Proven Theory (kinda tropical from what I remember). I'm still wrapping my head around the bittering hops/flavor hops/aroma hops designations and popular usage, something that I hope to gain experience in and better understand before I schedule my first try at the Certified Cicerone exam. Mosaic was one of the more pleasant hops experiences that I have had and I go out of my way for single-hop mosaic when I see one. Honestly have not gotten into Galaxy despite seeing and hearing a lot about them. Might pick up the new recipe Old Bust Head Wildcat IPA that uses Galaxy next time I see a six. Hazing Face is also something I will try to get my hands on.

I revisited O'Connor's Ibrik Imp Stout tonight and it is just as profound of an experience as the first time a year or two ago. Something about that Turkish coffee, man. I'm not up to snuff with my spice vocabulary and knowledge base right now so I couldn't tell you exactly what I am tasting and at what levels, but it is most certainly a unique coffee stout experience. I sampled the chocolate & coffee Blue Mountain Barrel House Dark Hollow earlier in the day and compared to Ibrik, the coffee used in the Blue Mountain brew is tannic and biting. Both the same ABV (10%) but Ibrik has that coffee X-factor that I have not seen replicated by anyone regionally.

Proven theory uses both citra and mosaic only and it is definitely heavy on the mosaic. I have the certified beer server cicerone certification. It was a piece of cake. Just know your beer styles and understand draft line and glass cleaning. The certified cicerone certification is a bit tougher as it has essays and a tasting portion.

I brewed Ibrik the first year O'Connor made it (I brewed beer there back then). I believe it was about 3.5 years ago. The spices are cinnamon and cardamom, but I'm sure the type of coffee they use now can vary how the spices play in the beer. We used a roast from 3 ships back then, but I'm not sure what they use now.

Passed CBS with a 90% last April when I was working for Total Wine. Vowed to make Certified Cicerone within a year of that pass but I won't be ready until June or July at the earliest. Finally found something I am good at and now the struggle is bringing full force to bear on it. Grunt level at a distributor now and trying to forge my path onward and upward. Picked up a bunch of books (Mosher's Tasting Beer (text and audiobook for listening between stops), Methods of Modern Homebrewing, Oxford Companion to Beer, The Brewmaster's Table, World Atlas of Beer, The Beer Bible) and have been reading through them when I have time. As my posts here exhibit, also sampling beer at least on a weekly basis. Wary of paying for the official online Cicerone courses as I don't make much money right now.

Really interesting that you brewed Ibrik. Much respect, as it definitely tastes like a complex beer that is not easy to brew. Always have been jealous of people with that skillset. I passed on the chance to get into brewing back in college (a bunch of guys in my intro-level geography/analytics course formed a campus homebrewing coalition a few days after we did a project on the history of grains internationally) but my experimentation in the meantime has shown me that brewing is not my forte. I've been working my way back into beer from the outside since then.

Not doing a full review right now, but had this year's Lagunitas Olde Gnarleywine tonight. Not nearly as hoppy as I expected it to be, especially considering it is an American Barleywine. (I think I might have posted a quip a year or two ago about the 21st Amendment Lower De Boom that expressed my distaste for overly-hoppy barleywines) This one is fruity on the nose, mostly raisin with an earthy sweet malt and a touch of toffee & caramel. Toffee/caramel is a bit vague for me right now, having recently received a bit of a knock on the ol' sniffer that hasn't fully healed yet. Subdued and sweet overall, which is a surprise for me personally given my history of running headlong into West Coast brews hoppier than my preference. Over the years I have developed a respect for the darker and heavier Lagunitas brews. Still haven't gotten around to some of their hoppier offerings like Hop Stoopid and Maximus, but I will try to pair that with a more informed understanding of the specific hops varieties that they utilize. That and I generally don't venture north of 70 IBUs on a non-imp stout unless it is for purely academic purposes.

Had my first beer brewed with plum nectar (I know, right?) tonight: Fortuna Mirabelle. Just happened to spot it hiding on the bottom shelf at a bottle shop I visit a couple of times a year. I've never had a bad Polish beer so I figured I would give this one a shot simply because of the novelty.



Color: Gold and slightly hazy. Decent head for a fruity beer.

Nose: Sweet and sugary plum with almost a perfume character to it. Very pleasant if you like bright sweet smells.

Taste: Plum, plum, and more plum. If there's anything more there then I wasn't able to dig through the sweetness to find it. Tastes like it would be a plum shandy if it were any lighter in body. Not bad by any stretch (plum has a nice grounded sweetness that doesn't fly too high) but definitely a one-trick pony of a beer.

Mouthfeel: Light and crisp. Would be a good beer to have in the collection for a hot July day, but this one would have expired in March.

Finish: More of that sugary sweet plum with some pale malt towards the end. Noticeable lingering sweetness as well, but not the "coating on the teeth" kind.

Overall, I am glad that I went for this one. Not the sort of thing that I could drink all the time (and certainly would have been more fitting if I were drinking it a few months from now) but an interesting February diversion anyway. I will see what other Browar Fortuna beers I can find stateside. My running hierarchy of Polish beers:

1) Zywiec Porter
2) Browar Witnica Black Boss Porter
3) Komes Baltic Porter
4) Zywiec Lager
5) Browar Fortuna Mirabelle

I feel like I'll have to plan some international travel if I want to drink Polish beer at its best though. It has to come such a long way before I get my hands on it here

Over the last few months I have developed something of an interest in barrel-aging, namely the mainstream oak & bourbon barrel fascination. But after reading through a solera system/fractional blending article a dozen times (and consuming a few solera sours) I find their way of doing things to be even more interesting. Going to have to visit one standout, The Referend (NJ) at some point when I can schedule a few days off. Going to have to plan 4-5 days to further explore the Mid-Atlantic beer scene honestly

(02-23-2018 09:09 PM)CameramanJ Wrote:  Over the last few months I have developed something of an interest in barrel-aging, namely the mainstream oak & bourbon barrel fascination. But after reading through a solera system/fractional blending article a dozen times (and consuming a few solera sours) I find their way of doing things to be even more interesting. Going to have to visit one standout, The Referend (NJ) at some point when I can schedule a few days off. Going to have to plan 4-5 days to further explore the Mid-Atlantic beer scene honestly

Grisettastone from the aptly named America Solera Brewing is on tap at the birch. It's not so much sour as it is tart (from Brett), but it was my first solera beer that I know of. Had it last night, loved it. I'm not sure how much longer it will be on, but if you see it, give it a shot.

Almost bought a bottle of something by American Solera today but went for darker beers instead. Got Hardywood Baltic Sunrise, Bourbon Barrel Baltic Sunrise, and 3 Stars Habeus Corpses (along with a crowler of Lickinghole Creek Heir Apparent). The two Hardywood ones will be good for a side-by-side comparison, but the real star of that haul is the Habeus. Gin barrel-aged "Old Stock Ale". I have heard good things and I couldn't let this one slip away.

*Did sample a dry-hopped sour by Collective Arts that was decent.

I haven't had the chance to try anything by Isley Brweing yet but I might stop in at their new VB location if it is open by Memorial Day. I've really been into Ballast Point's Peanut Butter Victory at Sea this winter so Isley's Choosy Mother seems like a lighter, not-going-to-know-me-over version of the peanut butter porter formula. With the warmer weather approaching that sounds good. But then again they have the Boozy Mother, which is a high-ABV BA version. Decisions, decisions. (Might have to go to Richmond for the latter, though.) I read in the VA craft beer magazine that they are hoping to partner with universities during the offseason to offer classes on commercial brewing at the VB location. Pretty cool.

Green Flash VB is closing, auctioning off everything;
https://thefullpint.com/beer-news/green-...r-auction/

They tried to keep up with the Joneses;
https://www.brewbound.com/news/leveraged...capitalize

That sucks. I like Alpine and their Cellar 3 sours a lot. Really good spot too, though sometimes with too many uncontrolled kids. Hope another brewery scoops that spot up.

(03-24-2018 07:52 AM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  Green Flash VB is closing, auctioning off everything;
https://thefullpint.com/beer-news/green-...r-auction/

They tried to keep up with the Joneses;
https://www.brewbound.com/news/leveraged...capitalize

That sucks. I like Alpine and their Cellar 3 sours a lot. Really good spot too, though sometimes with too many uncontrolled kids. Hope another brewery scoops that spot up.

The ultimate downfall was their inability to keep up with current craft beer trends. It wasn't like green flash did not have the talent or resources to brew new stuff, the upper management would not deviate from what made them successful the last 15 years. They failed to adapt to the changing craft beer climate. The Sales suffered when they could not compete with other breweries that were making beer that was new and innovative. Once sales started slowing down, they started sending old beer into the market which furthur dug their grave.

I haven't been with the company for a couple months now, but the entire vb production staff was laid off this week with zero warning and zero severance. Those were hardworking guys that had nothing to do with the poor business decisions that were made, yet they are paying the price.

(03-24-2018 09:59 AM)Fatmonarch Wrote:  

(03-24-2018 07:52 AM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  Green Flash VB is closing, auctioning off everything;
https://thefullpint.com/beer-news/green-...r-auction/

They tried to keep up with the Joneses;
https://www.brewbound.com/news/leveraged...capitalize

That sucks. I like Alpine and their Cellar 3 sours a lot. Really good spot too, though sometimes with too many uncontrolled kids. Hope another brewery scoops that spot up.

The ultimate downfall was their inability to keep up with current craft beer trends. It wasn't like green flash did not have the talent or resources to brew new stuff, the upper management would not deviate from what made them successful the last 15 years. They failed to adapt to the changing craft beer climate. The Sales suffered when they could not compete with other breweries that were making beer that was new and innovative. Once sales started slowing down, they started sending old beer into the market which furthur dug their grave.

I haven't been with the company for a couple months now, but the entire vb production staff was laid off this week with zero warning and zero severance. Those were hardworking guys that had nothing to do with the poor business decisions that were made, yet they are paying the price.

I'm sorry, that's awful. I'm sure your former coworkers will find work quickly but that's a scary position to be put in. Really low ethics displayed by their ownership group. You gotta treat your people better than that.

Awful to hear that the Green Flash thing went down like that. No good at all.

As for something positive from Virginia Beach, I had the Reaver Beach City of Bones IPA today. Good color, lively nose, tastes lower-IBU and very approachable. Also Single-Hop Citra, which I like. Kinda makes me curious about their Ghost Ship Citra Pale Ale if I can ever get my hands on it.