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I would never wait that long for a pint of beer. I have also enjoyed hopslam a lot more than pliny the elder so I'm not all about the hype or BA/ratebeer stats
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I feel like you're guaranteed to be let down after waiting in line 12 hours for a beer. We all want to try it, but sometimes we forget that it's only beer.
Speaking of let downs: Bell's Hopslam. Great beer? Sure. Worth driving all over for/fighting for/rationing/spending large sums of money on? I don't think so.
Speaking of let downs: Bell's Hopslam. Great beer? Sure. Worth driving all over for/fighting for/rationing/spending large sums of money on? I don't think so.
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^ lol I can do 1.5 hour wait but not 9:30 am. This isn't Vegas.
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Just cracked open a Two Hearted and took a few sips. I feel like this is just as good as Hopslam. Flavor profile is obviously different, but if this was as scarce as Hopslam is it would garner just as much hype (if not more, in my opinion). I'll post full reviews on both later tonight or tomorrow.
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Triple play tonight.
Bombers have me by the balls at the moment. Sadly if two of the three are let downs, I'm sticking to what I know. I also picked up a "Stone" Grapefruit Slam IPA bomber.. I'm mad at myself at the moment. We shall see if one of these can blow me away
First up
La Cumbre Cafe con Leche
7.5% Abv
It's listed as a milk stout with coffee. o me it's basically a sweeter version of left hand milk stout with a kick of coffee and some dark chocolate bitterness throw in at the end. Mouthfeel is moderate but the sweetness does make it feel chewy. Coffee and hops come in towards the aftertaste. The initial taste is just very sweet all around with some subtle hints of chocolate. Not boozy at all. This ones a very tough call. I don't think it's worth bomber price again. The lactose makes it feel like a nitro beer as carbonation is muted a ton. Price may be the ultimate deterrent.
I've grown away from the nitro feel of beers where they taste a touch uncarbonated. This beer sorta feels like a sweet kick followed in the aftertaste with coffee and hops.. I actually prefer the taste left in my mouth, if that's even a thing lol 93/100
Two more to go........
Bombers have me by the balls at the moment. Sadly if two of the three are let downs, I'm sticking to what I know. I also picked up a "Stone" Grapefruit Slam IPA bomber.. I'm mad at myself at the moment. We shall see if one of these can blow me away
First up
La Cumbre Cafe con Leche
7.5% Abv
It's listed as a milk stout with coffee. o me it's basically a sweeter version of left hand milk stout with a kick of coffee and some dark chocolate bitterness throw in at the end. Mouthfeel is moderate but the sweetness does make it feel chewy. Coffee and hops come in towards the aftertaste. The initial taste is just very sweet all around with some subtle hints of chocolate. Not boozy at all. This ones a very tough call. I don't think it's worth bomber price again. The lactose makes it feel like a nitro beer as carbonation is muted a ton. Price may be the ultimate deterrent.
I've grown away from the nitro feel of beers where they taste a touch uncarbonated. This beer sorta feels like a sweet kick followed in the aftertaste with coffee and hops.. I actually prefer the taste left in my mouth, if that's even a thing lol 93/100
Two more to go........
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I'll second that notion. Two Hearted > Hopslam. Two Hearted is one of my all time faves
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Found a 6 of Flying Dog Dogtoberfest today
Was super stoked to find an Octoberfest in bitter cold Feb
Was super stoked to find an Octoberfest in bitter cold Feb
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Sucaba at 10 am. On a mini vacation for my gfs birthday.
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Has anyone tried tools **** art. I want to try the beer because of the name
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^never heard of them. Price seems up there for a bomber. I'd definitely look them up online before going any further
2 of 3. Ran out of time last night.
La Cumbre Project Dank. Batch #3 1/31/14 bottled date.
It may seem like overkill seeing the same beer being reviewed all the time. But it's a touch different every time. Similar to say a Stone 'Enjoy by' series, this one is done in much quicker succession.. I almost can't keep up.
Their blog breaks down the differences for those interested in the behind the scenes of IPAs
http://blog.lacumbrebrewing.com/2014/01/project-dank.html
Compare that to how elevated is created
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/recipe-critique.150973/#post-2146765
Quick review/notes about batch #3:
- It appears their use of southern passion (or lack thereof this time) makes quite a bit of difference. This one lacks a bit of that mango sweetness seen in batch 1 and 2, and just more of a earthy citrus blast. I tried to do a breakdown of batch #3 vs. elevated, because to me this one tastes the most similar to elevated. The prior two seemed to carry through with some more tropical notes.. Batch #4 may be available today or tomorrow. I need to take a course in hopping. It's safe to say, they've won me over. They've taken it to a whole new level. I taste differences but would love to pinpoint where and how it's happening. I may just need to stop the analysis and enjoy what there is to be enjoyed.. Don't ask why lol.
3 of 3
Red Ryeot review:
Not many reviews out on this one just yet. Supposedly same hop profile as elevated Ipa. Nice bright red color... It's basically a red IPA with some rye in it.. Not sure what rye is supposed to taste like or do to a beer. It seems a bit thinner in the mouthfeel than dank and elevated. ABV around 7.3. I'm smelling then tasting some sweet burnt caramel flavor, and some earthy bitterness (i've grown away from the earthy bitter beers. I drink them but dont favor them a whole lot. Im still waiting to be wowed. I'm all about that tropical IPA at the moment.. It reminds me of a Marble Red Ale just a touch. I had to crack open a elevated to do a comparison... I'm not sensing much of a tropical fruit note to this beer at all (even if it supposedly shares the same hop profile). The dankness, if any is present, is subdued quite a bit. Dank, a trait of both elevated and project dank. Not sure if 'watered' down is the correct term, but the mouthfeel seems a touch off..
Had this been any other brewery and a staple product as a standalone, it would be deemed as "GREAT". Having it come from LC, and with competition with other hoppy beers, I say this one is probably around a 91 or 92/100. Another great one in their arsenal for sure. Not really wowed. But would drink again.. But not in bomber form. I need to go to their brewery and sample a bit before this crazy bomber price commitment.. Lesson learned.. If you guys see me post another non project dank bomber here, I give you permission to come to my house and slap the hell out of me.
If anything, this beer is right at the level of elevated, but suffers from smaller batch sizes and higher MSRP. I can't place a "worth it" stamp of approval. I likely wouldnt trade this either.
I might go at the stone Grapefruit IPA tonight..
2 of 3. Ran out of time last night.
La Cumbre Project Dank. Batch #3 1/31/14 bottled date.
It may seem like overkill seeing the same beer being reviewed all the time. But it's a touch different every time. Similar to say a Stone 'Enjoy by' series, this one is done in much quicker succession.. I almost can't keep up.
Their blog breaks down the differences for those interested in the behind the scenes of IPAs
http://blog.lacumbrebrewing.com/2014/01/project-dank.html
Compare that to how elevated is created
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/recipe-critique.150973/#post-2146765
Quick review/notes about batch #3:
- It appears their use of southern passion (or lack thereof this time) makes quite a bit of difference. This one lacks a bit of that mango sweetness seen in batch 1 and 2, and just more of a earthy citrus blast. I tried to do a breakdown of batch #3 vs. elevated, because to me this one tastes the most similar to elevated. The prior two seemed to carry through with some more tropical notes.. Batch #4 may be available today or tomorrow. I need to take a course in hopping. It's safe to say, they've won me over. They've taken it to a whole new level. I taste differences but would love to pinpoint where and how it's happening. I may just need to stop the analysis and enjoy what there is to be enjoyed.. Don't ask why lol.
3 of 3
Red Ryeot review:
Not many reviews out on this one just yet. Supposedly same hop profile as elevated Ipa. Nice bright red color... It's basically a red IPA with some rye in it.. Not sure what rye is supposed to taste like or do to a beer. It seems a bit thinner in the mouthfeel than dank and elevated. ABV around 7.3. I'm smelling then tasting some sweet burnt caramel flavor, and some earthy bitterness (i've grown away from the earthy bitter beers. I drink them but dont favor them a whole lot. Im still waiting to be wowed. I'm all about that tropical IPA at the moment.. It reminds me of a Marble Red Ale just a touch. I had to crack open a elevated to do a comparison... I'm not sensing much of a tropical fruit note to this beer at all (even if it supposedly shares the same hop profile). The dankness, if any is present, is subdued quite a bit. Dank, a trait of both elevated and project dank. Not sure if 'watered' down is the correct term, but the mouthfeel seems a touch off..
Had this been any other brewery and a staple product as a standalone, it would be deemed as "GREAT". Having it come from LC, and with competition with other hoppy beers, I say this one is probably around a 91 or 92/100. Another great one in their arsenal for sure. Not really wowed. But would drink again.. But not in bomber form. I need to go to their brewery and sample a bit before this crazy bomber price commitment.. Lesson learned.. If you guys see me post another non project dank bomber here, I give you permission to come to my house and slap the hell out of me.
If anything, this beer is right at the level of elevated, but suffers from smaller batch sizes and higher MSRP. I can't place a "worth it" stamp of approval. I likely wouldnt trade this either.
I might go at the stone Grapefruit IPA tonight..
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I really want to try some Heady Topper/ Double Sunshine. Anybody willing to trade? I can offer Elder, or anything else you can find in NorCal. Thanks in adv.
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Got off early.. first of the night.. cheers NT
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I have off work tomorrow because of the snow, so I'm chilling with a McSorey's or two tonight.
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One of my favorites, last night.
I know the caffeine isn't supposed to be of a significant amount, but man, I couldn't sleep for anything! Maybe it was just from being off a good buzz, but I sure couldn't get to sleep until almost 4am!
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I can't believe I haven't had this before... Awesome brew
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I find 90 minute a little too malty for my tastes. I'm currently drinking a Hi-Res out of the same exact glass though.
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beer week started i can twait till my off day. gotta find the bast tap takover in my area.
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I find 90 minute a little too malty for my tastes. I'm currently drinking a Hi-Res out of the same exact glass though.
I absolutely love this glass lol..too fancy. I want more.
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My Wednesday:
I have never had Pliny and I have a few bottles of 2014 Sucaba. Local spot had a few bottles of 2013 so I picked that instead of more 2014.
-J-
I have never had Pliny and I have a few bottles of 2014 Sucaba. Local spot had a few bottles of 2013 so I picked that instead of more 2014.
-J-
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Enjoy that Pliny my man!
I just cant get into barleywine at all. Someone told me it reminded them of church wine, and ever since then I can't get past that.
I just cant get into barleywine at all. Someone told me it reminded them of church wine, and ever since then I can't get past that.
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Review time:
Still sticking to my "drink more German beers" resolution. I've had the Aventinus Eisbock about 4 times now and enjoyed it a lot, so I had high hopes for this one. Pours a murky brown color with a hint of transparency the upper 1/3 of the glass. Soapy head that dissipates at a moderate pace. Aroma on this one is dark fruits, banana, clove, spices, and a little bit of that bubblegum smell from the yeast. Taste is similar. Big sugary sweetness from the banana, fruit and bubblegum flavors. Got more pronounced and enjoyable as it warmed up. Easy drinking, with an alcohol warmth that has no real booziness on the taste. Drank my first one on Monday and I already bought another. Out of all of the German beers I've tried I'd say this is at the top, followed by Schneider Weisse Aventinus Eisbock, Weihenstephaner Heffe Weissbier, then Weihenstephaner Vitus. 9.4/10
Next one is a little bittersweet. On one hand, I'm really happy Bell's has made its way to Long Island and I'm glad to get my hands on one of its most sought after beers. On the flipside, I was promised a 6'er from da God at the beer distributor I frequent, only to find out that they didn't get any at all and about 1/2 of the distributors in a 10-mile radius only got one case. As a result, I was only to get ahold of 2 bottles. This beer pours a beautiful golden amber color with a somewhat effervescent head that dissipates somewhat quickly. The aroma on this beer is honestly unreal. Light tropical fruits, a sweetness from the honey, and a light maltiness. Definitely one of the best smelling beers I've ever given a whiff to. Taste is where things start to fall apart for me. Don't get me wrong; this beer is GREAT, but for the hype it garners it simply didn't live up. All of the aromas on the nose are there and more pronounced, but it's a little maltier than I had hoped, with a bitterness in the aftertaste that I didn't fully appreciate or understand why it was there. I generally feel like I notice the bitterness up front on most IPAs, then it transitions over to the malty sweetness in the aftertaste. Maybe I'm just nitpicking at this point. Regardless, this is really good, really drinkable, and really tasty. Would I buy this regularly if it was a year-round release? Sure. Is it worthy going crazy over? Not so much. 9.5/10
Lastly, this beer was initially purchased as consolation for the lack of Hopslam. I had heard a lot of good things about this beer, but I got so fixated on Hopslam that I barely cared about this. Also, every beer distributor around me is now LOADED with this. At least 8 cases at each place I go to. This beer pours a light amber color with a somewhat soapy head that dissipates at a moderate pace. Aroma on this isn't as nice as Hopslam's but it's still pretty damn fantastic. Mango, papaya, tangerine, some malt sweetness. Quite nice. Taste is where this beer shines. Same tropical fruit flavors, a pretty big floral character, and a little hop sweetness on the end. This beer is exceptionally crisp and smooth. This is one of those beers where I find myself saying "damn." after every sip. This beer would have so much more hype if it wasn't as accessible. Bought a 6'er yesterday and after drinking one I went out and bought another 6'er today. This is the new go-to beer for me. Will be seeing again. 9.7/10
Still sticking to my "drink more German beers" resolution. I've had the Aventinus Eisbock about 4 times now and enjoyed it a lot, so I had high hopes for this one. Pours a murky brown color with a hint of transparency the upper 1/3 of the glass. Soapy head that dissipates at a moderate pace. Aroma on this one is dark fruits, banana, clove, spices, and a little bit of that bubblegum smell from the yeast. Taste is similar. Big sugary sweetness from the banana, fruit and bubblegum flavors. Got more pronounced and enjoyable as it warmed up. Easy drinking, with an alcohol warmth that has no real booziness on the taste. Drank my first one on Monday and I already bought another. Out of all of the German beers I've tried I'd say this is at the top, followed by Schneider Weisse Aventinus Eisbock, Weihenstephaner Heffe Weissbier, then Weihenstephaner Vitus. 9.4/10
Next one is a little bittersweet. On one hand, I'm really happy Bell's has made its way to Long Island and I'm glad to get my hands on one of its most sought after beers. On the flipside, I was promised a 6'er from da God at the beer distributor I frequent, only to find out that they didn't get any at all and about 1/2 of the distributors in a 10-mile radius only got one case. As a result, I was only to get ahold of 2 bottles. This beer pours a beautiful golden amber color with a somewhat effervescent head that dissipates somewhat quickly. The aroma on this beer is honestly unreal. Light tropical fruits, a sweetness from the honey, and a light maltiness. Definitely one of the best smelling beers I've ever given a whiff to. Taste is where things start to fall apart for me. Don't get me wrong; this beer is GREAT, but for the hype it garners it simply didn't live up. All of the aromas on the nose are there and more pronounced, but it's a little maltier than I had hoped, with a bitterness in the aftertaste that I didn't fully appreciate or understand why it was there. I generally feel like I notice the bitterness up front on most IPAs, then it transitions over to the malty sweetness in the aftertaste. Maybe I'm just nitpicking at this point. Regardless, this is really good, really drinkable, and really tasty. Would I buy this regularly if it was a year-round release? Sure. Is it worthy going crazy over? Not so much. 9.5/10
Lastly, this beer was initially purchased as consolation for the lack of Hopslam. I had heard a lot of good things about this beer, but I got so fixated on Hopslam that I barely cared about this. Also, every beer distributor around me is now LOADED with this. At least 8 cases at each place I go to. This beer pours a light amber color with a somewhat soapy head that dissipates at a moderate pace. Aroma on this isn't as nice as Hopslam's but it's still pretty damn fantastic. Mango, papaya, tangerine, some malt sweetness. Quite nice. Taste is where this beer shines. Same tropical fruit flavors, a pretty big floral character, and a little hop sweetness on the end. This beer is exceptionally crisp and smooth. This is one of those beers where I find myself saying "damn." after every sip. This beer would have so much more hype if it wasn't as accessible. Bought a 6'er yesterday and after drinking one I went out and bought another 6'er today. This is the new go-to beer for me. Will be seeing again. 9.7/10
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If Sucaba tasted like church wine I wouldn't be an atheist.
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Last pour of the night.
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If Sucaba tasted like church wine I wouldn't be an atheist.
Maybe our church has good wine?
I dont know, maybe I haven't had a good barleywine before. I've tried Sierra Nevada's and Lagunitas', and wasn't a fan. Will sucaba change my mind?
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Ah. I think I see the issue here. There's a BIG difference between American Barleywines and English Barleywines. American Barleywines are sticky, piney and hoppy. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot is an example of this style. Not the biggest fan of this style, myself. English Barleywines, however, are sweet and malty with flavors of caramel and toffee. Virtually no hop presence. The difference is night and day, and English Barleywines (such as Sucaba) are far superior, in my opinion.Maybe our church has good wine?If Sucaba tasted like church wine I wouldn't be an atheist.
I dont know, maybe I haven't had a good barleywine before. I've tried Sierra Nevada's and Lagunitas', and wasn't a fan. Will sucaba change my mind?
