Tag Archives: Senkanseiki

Points Unknown IPA collaboration by Stone, Ecliptic and Wicked Weed brewing companies

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10842149_10102637064628310_7666711505277713039_oRating: 5.25/5

Points Unknown IPA collaboration by Stone, Ecliptic and Wicked Weed brewing companies is a 9.5% ABV Double India Pale Ale blended with a Belgian Tripel that was aged in barrels that had wine and then had tequila in them for 4 months.

Label:
In creating our latest collaboration beer, It wasn’t easy deciding how best to pool the resources of brewers from three spatially distant points within the brewing universe: Portland, Oregon brewing legend and Ecliptic Brewing founder John Danis, and Luke and Walt Dickinson, the hop-and-funk brewmaster duo behind Asheville, North Carolina’s Wicked Weed Brewing. It seemed no single beer could adequately convey all that they and Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele bring to the brewhouse. So, this veritable triad of power opted to brew TWO beers: a traditional Belgian-style tripel and a West Coast imperial IPA. Doing so allowed them to work within the parameters of all styles while taking things in interesting directions, adding a touch of Southern Califomia style and petting into the spirit! The tripel was transferred into barrels that originally housed red wine before finding a second life as vessels for aging tequila. Four months later,that beer was excavated, then blended at a one-fifth to four-fifths ratio with the freshly brewed double IPA to create the beer you now hold: a hind of the traditional and the new, presenting a variety of diverse flavors that coalesce into something more unique than any one beer our trio could have conceived. Its eventual flavors were a mystery to even the group of master brewers who created it, but now they await the palates of those thirsting to venture to points unknown within the rapidly expanding craft beer galaxy. In other words: You.

“It’s been sweet to work with these fine brewers and take this beer out of sight!”
John Harris // Founder & Brewmaster, Ecliptic Brewing Co.

“Creativity is at the core of how my brother and I approach craft beer John and Mitch have been laying this foundation for years, and getting the chance to work with them has been truly inspirational.”
Walt Dickinson // Co-Founder & Brewer, Wicked Weed Brewing

“What a great experience, combining two of my favorite beer styles while brewing with two of my favorite breweries!”
Mitch Steele // Brewmaster, Stone Brewing Co.

==Introduction==

Another interesting release that will see national distribution. Based on the information given, this is probably some IPA that came by to visit this reality from like the 9th dimension of craft beer existence. It really intrigued me especially since it is a Belgian Tripel IPA but also aged in wine and Tequila. Go figure the complexity. Either way, Lets hope we can make it back to this reality at hand as it seems this buzz trip is headed where no palates have gone before. It’s On! Cheers!

Aromas:
Citrus, phenolic, Belgian candi sugar, grapefruit, herbal, grassy and floral hops, Peppercorns, wine, tequila, mezcal hints, stone fruits like peaches, apricots, mango hints, exotic fruits like passion and dragon, oak , vanilla, caramel, strawberries, caramel, vanilla, lemon peel, pear, honey dew and Danish cream.

Flavors:
Citrus, grapefruit, herbal, grassy and floral hops, Peppercorns, Wine grapes, tequila mezcal hints, oak, Belgian Candi sugar, Stone fruit peaches, apricots, mango hints, dragon fruit, passion fruit, apples, starburst candy, caramel, vanilla, lemon peel, pear, peaches, banana notes, pineapple, honey dew melon, biscuit bread, honey, raspberries, strawberries, white grapes, Danish cream, bubble gum, rum hints, clove spice and tangerines.

Aftertaste:
Tequila mezcal, sangria hints, wine hints, citrus, stone fruit peaches, herbal and floral hops peppercorns and candi sugar linger. No alcohol in the taste, golden brown clear body, moderate to sipping drinkability, crisp, refreshing smooth yet creamy.

Overall:
An exceptional IPA that pretty much takes what you believe an IPA should be (Hoppy) and turns it into so many different flavors that it is all over the and yet supremely enjoyable and reminding you that the hops it does have are different for sure. It seems to be more of a tripel than it is an IPA but still an IPA and the Tequila and Wine…. damn it was a mission to cover this beer. Very enjoyable and something beyond a regular IPA. Find this one!

Anime Corner:
Hikoujouki, Senkanseiki and Wo-Class from Kancolle/ Kantai Collection were used in this pairing as the points unknown as not only represent three freaky creatures but also the colors work with the beer artwork. First, the girl on the left is Ecliptic as her hair curves with the phases of the moon. Stone in the back with the girl having horns is synonymous of Stone’s gargoyle and finally, Wicked Weed on the right having a big bug. Bugs live in weeds. Anyways, they are wicked (As in Awesome). Yeah they totally look like they aren’t of this world, complimenting the beer perfectly.

Sources:
http://e-shuushuu.net/image/?image_id=621596

No. 19 Barrel Aged Series Rufus Corvus by Avery brewing

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10433107_10102152760827010_5207325096843776489_nRating: 5.45/5

No. 19 Barrel Aged Series Rufus Corvus by Avery brewing is a 6.83% ABV World Class American Wild Ale with 65% aged in Cabernet Savignon barrels, 9% Ale aged in chardonnay barrels and 6% Zinfandel barrels.

Label:
The Sour Trinity
Pediococcus
Brettanomyces
Lactobasillicus

No. 19 An artful and massively acidic blend of two major projects and further enhanced with several orphan barrels from the corners of our barrel aging cellar. All Ale involved was barrel aged for a minimum of 8 months and a maximum of 24 months.

Pucker up, buttercup!

Bottled: April 7 2014
Production: 858 Cases
___

Avery Barrel Aged series definitely sells out quick here in California to the point that sometimes I miss out on such great beers. Aaron from www.beermetaldude.com introduced me to this beer. A sour using the vast variety of souring bacteria used in sour beers but then taken to another level using a variety of oak wine barrels. This was truly an honor just like that of the 5 monks. I cannot wait to try this monster and see how it goes…. wish me luck!

Aromas:
Wine grapes, port wine, funky oak, earthy notes, vinegar notes, wine and cheese party, dark fruits like plum, raisins, currants, berry skins, caramel, vanilla, lemon peel, lime, salt, dark cherry, plum sauce, port wine, chardonay, raspberries, rye bread, brown sugar hints, pecan hints and hazelnut.

Flavors:
Dark fruit raisins, plum, wine grapes, salt, lemon, lime peel, dark cherries, plum sauce, Concorde grapes, vanilla, port wine, chardonay, wine grapes, caramel, rye bread, stone fruit peach, pear, apples, funky, earthy notes, good cheese and wine, raspberry vinaigrette, hazelnut, smoked wood, leather, tobacco, berry yogurt, raw berry seeds, mild cheesecake notes in the back, brown sugar, pecan pie dryness, and very mild flan.

Aftertaste:
Ridiculously dry leaving only some sour notes, caramel, dark fruit skins and earthy funk. No alcohol in the taste, a puckeringly mouth feel, sipping beer, pitch brown bordering the black and purple abyss of a body.

Overall:
Very Rich and complex sour. Possibly the ultimate complex and balanced sour. Only the truest sours can be appreciated by palates with an achieved open level of taste. This is sour but it is rich beyond comprehension. Sours are only a handful of my favorites but this takes it a certain level I have not experienced before. It is like the Cardinal Poles of tasting. You have your extreme Smokey, Extreme Sweet, Extreme Bitter and Extreme sour but at the same times, the poles blend and while one pole is the most dominant, in this case the Sour pole, the other sides are so balanced that that they make the sourness be very complex. I would highly recommend this one if you love sours, especially puckering and sweet complex ones.

Anime Corner:
Battleship-Symbiotic Hime and Wo-class from Kantai Collection were used in this pairing to represent the dark void of the sours and the creatures you typically don’t see. The 2 characters and the monster in the background represent the 3 bacteria: Lactobasiliccus,Pediococcus and Brettanomyces. The colors also represent some aspects of the dark fruit and complex flavors as well. While Doing this review, I could only think of Caius Ballad’s theme (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8vXYBEvSow) from Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightning Returns. As the characters stumble deeper and deeper into the chaos and mainly this character being the embodiment of Chaos, it is synonymous with exploring deeper and deeper into the sour world of super complex sour beers like this one presents.

Sources:
http://www.wallpaperup.com/uploads/wallpapers/2013/12/02/182227/d837c3da88727616dae561894aed45ee.jpg

2014 MASH by the Bruery

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10507124_10102061173623500_2930308288137729552_oRating: 5.95/5

2014 MASH by the Bruery is a 12.4% ABV English Barley Wine aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
TO HAVE NOT

An English-style classic with rich flavors from time spent aging in bourbon barrels.

Mas is delicately rich and malty ale, best enjoyed fresh , but may evolve pleasentyly over time if cellared properly.
___

This beer was released by the Bruery in 2013 and re-released for 2014 to the Reserve society. This beer was something I was always curious about but mainly let it slide because I was not a member at the time and something I through I could get better for. As it turned out, now I finally had a chance and I wanted to see if this beer was really worth it. A barrel Aged Barleywine. I could only start to think of Bourbon County Barleywine. At 750ml, I had to get it for sure. So here you go, the MASH review from the Bruery!

Aromas:
Dark fruits like raisins, plums, dulce de leche caramel, old bananas, clove spice, toffee, plantains, macaroons, toasted coconut, hazelnuts, almonds, pecan pie, chocolate, toffee, macamadamia nuts, rocky road ice cream, custard, brownies, chocolate cake, rye bread, maple, mocha, capirotada raisin bread pudding, cinnamon, and condensed sweetened milk.

Flavors:
Rich toffee, dulce de leche caramel, toasted coconut, macaroons, marshmallows, rich bananas, clove spice, crème brulee, flan, plantain, almonds, pecan pie, chocolate, hazelnut nectar, toffee, macamadamia nuts, rocky road ice cream, custard, brownies, chocolate cake, rye bread, mocha, dark fruit raisins, plums, capirotada raisin bread pudding, cinnamon, condensed sweetened milk and maple.

Aftertaste:
Bananas, caramel, dark fruits, butterscotch, rye bread, chocolate hints, almonds and toasted coconut macaroons linger. No alcohol in the taste, medium to full bodied, a sipping beer and syrupy mouth feel yet smooth.

Overall:
Undoubtedly exceeding my expectations. The Bruery making a fucking Barley wine that can actually compete with even the world class ones and yet not recognized due to its availability!? Unheard of!! This should definitely be world class as it definitely proves what the true English Barleywine can truly be like. As I look at the EBWs from before this one is definitely one of the top ones! Highly recommended!

Anime Corner:
Senkanseiki from the Kantai Collection was used in this pairing to pair with the colors of the label and the evil that the beer represents. Evil in the sense that it is very good, it is too damn good making you want to drink the whole bottle. However, despite its richness and deliciousness, this one must be taken lightly and savored a sip at a time. The colors of the artwork resonate with the awesome flavor complexity of the beer ranging from the dark cherry, coconut, dark fruits and so forth. The strength of Senkanseiki can also compliment the strength of this beer’s ABV. So much can be said about this delicious treasure but the best part of this is leaving it to you, the reader to make of it what you will!

Sources:
http://e-shuushuu.net/images/2014-06-12-654736.jpeg