Blueberry Smoking Wood by The Bruery

11043107_10102435330824470_7921038035839086774_o 10974666_10102435331228660_8753003098432424969_o Rating: 6/5

Blueberry Smoking Wood by The Bruery is a 12.8% ABV Smoked Imperial Rye Porter Aged in Bourbon barrels with Blueberries, Cacao Nibs and Maple Syrup.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Bourbon Smoking Wood aged on Blueberries and cacao nibs with maple syrup.

==Introduction==

Only at the Bruery for a limited time growler fill. Thanks to my friend Richard Avila for hooking me up with this one. We tried it at our visit to the Bruery and thought this beer was pretty damn delicious. I was glad I agreed to take a small growler home with me so I could bring this one forth to the site. I don’t know if this variant will ever see a bottle release but for now, if you are in the area and visit the brewery, here is what you can expect. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, whiskey, rye bread, blueberries, oak, smokey notes, campfire marshmallow smores, graham crackers, anise, bacon, toasted coconut hints, Milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers chocolate, dark fruit raisins, blackberries, cherries, currants, figs, molasses, cinnamon, crème brulee, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, brown sugar, BBQ honey glazed jerky and blueberry fudge cake.

Flavors:
Rich Dark fruits forward of blueberries, blackberries, currants, raisins, figs, raspberries, dark cherries, dulce de lechec carame, vanilla, oak, campfire smoke, bourbon, maple syrup, molasses, anise, bacon, toasted coconut, marshmallow smores, burnt sugar, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, bakers chocolate, cinnamon, flan, Mexican Custard/Jericalla, beachwood oak, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, rye and sourdough bread, BBQ honey glazed ribs, crème brulee, Blueberry fudge cake, coffee cake and Irish cream.

Aftertaste:
Rich dark fruit blueberries, maple, vanilla caramel, dark chocolate, smoked oak, BBQ hints, marshmallow sugars, flan and bourbon. No alcohol in the taste, A sipping beer with a full mouthfeel, Pitch black body and yet very smooth. Syrupy and creamy mouthfeel.

Overall:
Raising the original to a newer level of flavor, the Blueberries, chocolate and maple really raise the levels of awesomeness of the beer. You still get the same flavors of the Smoking Wood Bourbon Barrel Aged, but the blueberries drag it into some rich dark fruit world of sweet goodness. So much going on here but like I said before, if you are around the area, surely, give this a try. Cheers!

Anime Corner:
Rera from Samurai Showdown/Spirits was used in this pairing since I wanted to get an aspect of the smoking wood and the forest or campfire smoke like I have done in the Whiskey Rye and the Bourbon barrel version of these beers. Essentially that covers the smoking wood part but the blueberries are all her with the colors she wears of the blue and the red pendant she wears being a cherry. Rera is a ninja, she is pretty damn sweet looking which represents the sweet and smooth flavors but her attack comes from the alcohol she brings along with her wolf Shikuru.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/wFSvW9E.jpg
http://blog-imgs-61.fc2.com/a/d/a/adasokuniji/3VfCdydp0oh6HPc7e23be79.jpg

Artisanal Reserve The Saint by Crispin Cider

577986_10100941019471400_1378749172_nRating: 5/5 *Cider wise, cant really compare to a beer rating other wise it would be lower, yet, delicious and actually bit of complexity to it 😀

Artisanal Reserve The Saint by Crispin Cider Company is a 6.9%ABV Natural Hard Apple Cider made with Belgian Trappist Yeast and Organic Maple Syrup.

Label:

Experience a sweetly floral to herbal aromatic bouquet and an elegant yeasty flavor with a sustained mouth-feel that develops complexity on the palate. Naturally fermented with Belgian Trappist yeasts using a premium apple juice blend, not from concentrate, with no added malt, spirit or grape alcohol. The Saint’s artisanal Cloudy Filtration style uses racked unfiltered apple wine smoothed with pure organic maple syrup, a touch of apple juice, no added sugar, colorants or sorbate or benzoate preservatives, and is filtered cold for bold, crisp refreshment.

So, I don’t often review ciders. The last time I did it was by the same company. Which was fantastic!! Even if it was made under registration Tenth and Blake Beer Co. – MillerCoors. I guess when it comes to ciders, it is in a whole different category. I have had some pretty awesome ciders in the past and got to review maybe 2. This is the third although the first one I need to pick it up agai to pair it with some nice anime artwork :). One of the best ciders I had long ago was the Black Currant Cider by Fox Barrel Ciders although they don’t make that anymore. They make a cinnamon and black currant once so I’ll probably review that one. Anyway, on to the review :). Fragrance coming off the cider is that of champagne or like a warm sake, some bread, cinnamon apple crisp and honey. The flavors are pretty good. Craft beers use basic ingredients to create flavors that make you guess. This actually uses the apple cider with the Belgian yeast to do something similar and extravagant. The immediate flavor I get is apple pie full of brown sugar crisp, caramel, raisin, alittle bit of banana esters (yes, that’s the Heavenly hand of God here [Trappist yeast at work]), maple, wood, candi sugars and overall just a apple pie aftertaste. Damn, this must be what it’s like to have an apple pie in a bottle. Just really good. You won’t have to look for awesome flavors here, it is easier to find them, although, complexity in other flavors will show up as you go along…lol not really craft beer but a craft cider to make it just that more enjoyable for the overall population. Belgian Trappist yeast inspired…hard to go wrong there.

Robert Johnson’s Hellhound on my Ale by Dogfish Head

556710_10100937538113070_1163956106_nRating: 4.75/5

Robert Johnson’s Hellhound on my Ale by Dogfish Head is 10% ABV Double India Pale Ale Brewed with Lemons

Label:

2011 marks the 100th birthday of Mississippi Delta bluesman Robert Johnson who, according to legend, sold his soul down at the crossroads in a midnight bargain and changed music forever. Dogfish Head pays tribute to this blues legend by gettin’ the hellhounds off his trail and into this finely-crafted ale.

Hellhound is a super-hoppy ale that hits 100 IBUs in the brewhouse, 10.0 ABV, 10.0 SRM in color, and dry-hopped with 100% centennial hops at a rate of 100 kilos per 100 barrel brew-length. To accentuate and magnify the citrusy notes of the centennial hops (and as a shout out to Robert Johnson’s mentor Blind Lemon Jefferson) we add dried lemon peel and flesh to the whirlpool. To read more about Robert Johnson go to www.robertjohnsonhellhoundale.com
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Been searching far and wide for this one. I gave up on the search a while back until I had happened to find a bottle of this bottle recently. The fragrance of the beer is more floral and maltier than super hoppy and piney. Citrus is there but it is quite light. More caramel and breadiness in the smell . The flavors of this beer are of caramel, lemon, grape, orange, mango, bready, oak wood, some earthy and piney notes which provide the bitterness. Although it seems like the malts hide the bitterness of the 100 IBU flavors. While this is still a great ale, do not expect a lot of bitterness and hoppy flavors.