Rating: 5/5
Rating: 5/5
Ngongo by TheBruery Terreux is a 7.2% Saison Farmhouse Ale
We teamed with our friends at New Zealand-based Garage Project for this refreshing oak foeder-aged saison as part of our Foeders with Friends series. Called Ngongo (the Maori word for “nectar” and “honey”), this saison features lemon balm, chamomile and New Zealand wildflower honey, plus California wildflower honey for bottle conditioning
Funky, fruity, farmhouse and citrusy goodness
Rating: 6/6
Homebrewing Project #23 B by Nubis Sanctum Ales is a 10% ABV Belgian Trappist Apple Cider brewed with Burnt Dark Candy Sugar and Arizona Wild Flower Honey Oak Aged in Flor De Caña Gran Reserva 7 Rum.
Label:
Sangritinieblas De La CazaVampiros
“The Vampire Slayer’s BleeDarkness”
My Name is Miriam and I am a 3rd generation Vampire Slayer from La Legión De Los ManzArcángeles or “The Legion Of The Applarcangels” This… is my story… I come from a holy land of pure sauce, Cideraven; sent on a mission from God to destroy the Malum, or demon apples from Eden.
The Malum spread its evil across this world after the unveiling of the Garden of Eden. Draining purity and morale from the souls of the living like vampires ravenous for blood. Having trained for years under my master Claire Farron, I have taken it upon myself to destroy all Malum since her disappearance fighting Malum Ex Machina, the snake and leader of the Malum.
After many agonizing battles, I was blessed to find my master at last. Unfortunately the Malum still persist. I leave you this liquid made from the cleansed Malum to protect and purify your soul. Til we meet again…
Chapter 3 Ends.
Ingredients: Water, Apples, Burnt Dark Candi Sugar, Wild Flower Honey, French Oak, Flor De Caña RumGran Reserva 7 & Trappist Yeast
==Introduction==
Just in Time for HALLOWEEN!!!! Project #23 comes from an original recipe inspired by Crispin’s 15 Men Rum Aged Cider with Wild Flower honey and dark candi syrup. I reviewed the cider long ago and so loving that cider, I wanted to create my own. Coming up with a recipe which in the end, ended up being a partial mead/melomel and way darker than the one Crispin made got me thinking. If their cider came out clear and mines came out dark, did they really use Dark Candi sugar? It almost seems illogical to as I love Crispin’s ciders and that one was amazing. My recipe was first brewed in April 2016 and bottled in September 2016 after aging for 4 months. Although, the oak was sitting in Rum since February. I came to the conclusion today that what I actually had made was something very special and mines would be even more flavorful than that Crispin version I had tried. This I had to prove to myself so I had finally let it sit for about a month bottle conditioning now ready to present this beast I have created. Cheers!
Aromas:
Rich vanilla, oak, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, dulce leche caramel, dark fruit raisins, plums, prunes, sweet wine grapes, cherries, marshmallows, waffle cone, honey comb, chocolate smores hints, rocky road ice cream hints, molasses, hazelnut nectar, walnuts, almond joy notes, pecan pie, fruit cake, brown sugar, apple pie, rum hints, ginger ale and rich sangria.
Flavors:
Rich Vanilla, flan, crème brulee, oak, dulce de leche caramel, marshmallows, sweet caramel and candied apples, chocolate, honey, port wine, sangria, sweet wine grapes, dark fruit raisins, plums, prunes, black berries, cherries, currants, raspberries, Belgian dark candi sugar, coconut hints, Malibu rum hints, cinnamon, fruit cake, ginger ale, dark chocolate hints, milk chocolate hints, agave hints, peppery hints, coriander spice hints, bananas, clove spice hints, Concorde grape, Danish cream, Turkish delights, ambrosia, apple pie, rocky road ice cream hints, hazelnut nectar, brown sugar, walnuts, almond joy notes and pecan pie.
Aftertaste:
Finishes somewhat dry with the rich oak, rum, honey, dark fruits, chocolate, rock candy, fruit cake, cinnamon, port wine, flan, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, pecan pie, apple pie and rocky road hints. No alcohol in the taste, but that ABV sneaks up! Dark Crimson, blood red clear body, crisp, soft, smooth, velvety and syrupy mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.
Overall:
Literally, the best cider I have ever made and to much of the ciders I have had, the best cider I have tried. I really think things start to kind of blend in with the wine and mead category but it blends so damn well into this dark oblivion and bringing in the rum and Belgian Candi Sugar just takes it to another level. The aging process changed this cider into something I would never have imagined. With a wine like appearance and taste that is so damn complex, especially for a cider, I really feel I made something really wonderful. Something that I think I will definitely try to make again.
Anime Corner:
Miriam, from “Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night” which is the new upcoming Kickstarter series by Koji Igarashi (Godfather of the Castlevania series). Based on the progress, artwork and tribute to the castlevania games, Miriam is literally a bad ass!! I know this game won’t be released until 2018 but I figured I wanted to pair her with this. She is damn perfect!! Just look at this cider. It is Rum aged and her outfit is similar to that of European royalty but also a captain of pirates. It is made with Flor de Caña or Cane Flower Rum. Essentially representing the roses that surround Miriam. The cider is dark crimson blood red so it fits the theme not only for a dark and bloody cider but also the Castlevania series and Koji’s vision of an awesome tribute game.
Sources:
http://40.media.tumblr.com/0b13732a8486fe83ea1e0c17240659cc/tumblr_no751qv3xO1s2ut1zo6_1280.png
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CE1G2sxWEAABEKc.jpg:large
http://orig10.deviantart.net/b7fe/f/2015/141/3/c/bloodstain12_by_phamoz-d8u6ybd.jpg
https://cdn3.patreon.com/1/patreon.posts/3493771155782837701.jpg?v=TvlqMZT9g_j78u6zUBvoddAO_Kx-CsMn-2eaeEye8ts%3D
Rating: 4.75/5
High Five by Smog City is a 7% ABV American Amber/Red Ale brewed with 5 different types of honey.
==Introduction==
Got a growler fill at Smog City during the Infinite Wishes event. I was not intrigued at first since I didn’t know what this was made up but when I did the research on spot and verifying that it is made with 5 different kinds of honey, I had to bring it to the site. Definitely very unique as I have not seen a beer that uses variants of an ingredient. It would be like making a beer using different vanilla beans, which would make for a very delicious brew ofcourse. But even so, a 5 honey variant seems even more unique as I have not heard of over 5 different types of honey. Let’s see what this one is about, cheers!
Aromas:
Biscuit bread, vanilla, caramel, rye bread, floral, citrus and piney hops, wild flower honey, banana hints, coriander spice, grape hints, trail mix hints, dark fruit raisins, raspberries, cranberries, pomegranates, blackberries and brown sugar hints.
Flavors:
Wild Flower Honey, Orange Blossom honey, Eucalyptus, Agave nectar, Mezcal hints, biscuit bread, vanilla, caramel, rye bread, floral, citrus and piney hops, dark fruit raisins, raspberries, cranberries, pomegranates, blackberries, figs, dates, grapes, trail mix, granola bars, maple syrup, leathery notes, chardonnay, mead, coriander spice, banana hints, grape jam on biscuit bread, green tea hints and honey dew melon.
Aftertaste:
Finishes with dark fruit flavors raspberries, honey, agave nectar, rye bread, caramel, toffee and brown sugar. No alcohol in the taste. Clear Dark Crimson light body, smooth, crisp, refreshing and creamy mouthfeel with an easy drinkability.
Overall:
A very good and delicious Amber. There is something very different about this brew since you can sense the honey but it is so complex. I have tried like 2 or 3 different types of honey before but never 5 and some of the honeys used actually do give way to other flavors that were not part of the beer as the ingredients. With the blend, it gives birth to these crazy fruit and flowery flavors. A must try for sure!
Anime Corner:
Original bee girls and Suzumebachi from Bleach were used in this pairing to kind of give the sense of different bees produce different kinds of honey which is true. But also, different kinds of flowers produce different honey variants too. With the brew around the whole honey bee theme, I figured it worked very well especially since the colors of the artworks also show some of the colors of the fruits and flavors that this beer has.
Sources:
http://blog-imgs-42.fc2.com/o/t/a/otakunanikki3/moe2019127620sample.jpg
http://rule34-data-009.paheal.net/_images/124e02ff31983a36be6818776db47153/988561%20-%20Bleach%20Suzumebachi.jpg
Rating: 5/5
I’m So Honey Right Now by El Borracho Homebrewing is a 7.8% ABV India Pale Ale brewed with extra Citra and Wild Flower Honey.
==Introduction==
My friend and Homebrew brother, Will Carranza, created another awesome brew and requested I’d give it a shot. He used some Wild flower honey which was given to him and extra citra to this concoction. The results were this honey based and orangey IPA. With many brews on his profile, I think Will is definitely moving up the ranks of the greatest homebrewers. Let’s take a sip and see what this one has to offer, cheers!
Aromas:
Rich citrus, grapefruit, tropical fruit mango, papaya, biscuit hints, honey, biscuit bread, caramel hints, wild flower honey, stone fruit apricot, peach notes, kiwi, strawberry hints, passion fruit, dragon fruits, lemon grass and floral notes.
Flavors:
Lots of tropical fruit, papaya, mango, guava hints, honey dew melon, kiwi, strawberry hints, passion fruit, dragon fruit, floral, grapefruit, grassy, piney and herbal hops, tangerine candy, lemon peel, grapefruit peel, biscuit bread, caramel hints, wild flower honey, stone fruit apricot, peach notes, lychee, peppery notes, lemon verbana, minty hints, toffee hints, and starburst.
Aftertaste:
Lingereing tropical fruit, wild flower honey, citrusy and grapefruit hops, biscuit notes, and toffee hints. No alcohol in the taste, golden honey crimson medium to full body, smooth, crisp, refreshing and frothy mouthfeel and easy to drink
Overall:
A perfect IPA. A great job to my Homebrew brother for pulling this one off. So much candied hops and honey. While the color is a little darker due to the wild flower honey, the color is not offsetting to show that this is an IPA. I think is one of Will’s best IPAs so far. However, with the variety of hops out there and the passion for homebrewing experimentation, there is no limit to creating more brews like this one and maybe more exceptional ones.
Anime Corner:
This original character was used in this pairing as I wanted to pair with the name of the label. I am so honey right now showcases the seductive nature of what is sweet and temptation. A representation of honey and being covered in it almost to the point of implying that she is sexually active leaves a lot to the imagination.
Sources:
http://img0.joyreactor.cc/pics/post/Няши-в-еде-Anime-Няши-Anime-Anime-Adult-2182333.jpeg
Rating: 5/5* Cider Rating
Crispin 15 men by Crispin Cider Company is a 6.9% ABV Hard Cider brewed with Wild Flower Honey & Dark Candi syrup and then aged in Rum Casks
Label:
On a Dead Man’s Chest
Buccaneers & Buried treasure.
Mutiny & Murder. For the love of adventure and a barrel of rum. Drink and the devil had done for the rest.
An epic saga of Colfax classic apple wine matured in dark rum casks, then laced with wild wildflower honey and dark candi syrup.
15 Men rolls strong like a deep ocean swell with notes of burnt caramel and oak, gentle hints of ripe fall apples, vanilla, and exotic floral fruit carried on the trade winds.
Before pouring, give a solid bottoms-up tilt and swirl to disperse sediment evenly and experience the complex aroma and bouquet.
==Introduction==
It’s been a very long time since I brought a cider from Crispin for review. When I saw this one at Ramirez liquor, I wanted to give it a shot since I feel after creating a cider similar to the Saint, creating something like this maybe awesome. Basically, the inspiration to create a rum barrel/oaked cider will help me gauge how I can do more cider experiments. This one seems very delicious. I am still wondering why the cider is not dark as the dark candi sugars usually leave some liquids dark. Possibly a subtle amount was added as to not dilute the color into darkness! Cheers!
Aromas:
Tropical rum hints, oak, golden apples, marshmallow hints, wild flower honey, waffle cone, floral notes, white raisins, vanilla, cane sugar, candy sugar, dulce de leche caramel, plum hints, peach hints, pecan pie hints and sweetened condensed milk
Flavors:
Crisp Apples, vanilla, cane sugar, candy sugar, dulce de leche caramel, rum hints, oak hints, maple, marshmallow hints, wild flower honey, waffle cone, floral notes, white raisins, plum hints, golden apples, peach hints, pecan pie hints, hazelnut hints, cherries, strawberry hints, coconut hints, bubble gum, banana hints, sweetened condensed milk hints and Danish cream hints.
Aftertaste:
Finishing dry with a nice honey caramel and slight hints of oak and rum hints, candi sugar and white raisins. No alcohol in the taste, clear to medium golden apple body, crisp, clean and refreshing and super easy to drink despite the ABV. Even so, do take your time with it to enjoy its infinite subtleness.
Overall:
Damn delicious and complex little cider. The flavors are not super overwhelming but the hints are super complex which was kind of hard to find but became apparent as the cider became warmer. I think that is why I was able to find this one very delicious. The fact that something like this can be replicated makes me want to brew my own cider in accordance to Crispin’s ingredients. This is how I was able to make a similar yet stronger version of “The Saint”. Definitely give this one a shot if you love ciders.
Anime Corner:
Selvaria Bles from Valkyria Chronicles and the original character pirate girl were used in this pairing to pair with the pirate theme of this cider. The colors may correlate to the flavors of the beer as they do not correlate to the color of the cider or the label although some colors may do. The dark candi sugar, oak, rum and wildflower honey definitely goes with the colors of Selvaria and the pirate girl for sure though.
Sources:
http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/12/127673/1868893-230ae2915dd2a565897e25fb2deef206.jpeg
https://anime-pictures.net/pictures/get_image/414864-1000×1333-gang+road+joker-tob-long+hair-tall+image-black+hair-fringe.png
Rating: 4.95/5
Hop Squeezed Tropic Hunter by Nubis Sanctum Ales is an 11% ABV Double (Triple) India Pale Ale brewed with Mango Puree, Arizona Wild Flower Honey, Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo and Simcoe.
Label:
The Last Mango is in Captivity. The Galaxy Hops, are at peace… as they were not harmed in the making of this beer…
Tropic Hunter S.A.M.U.S (Savor Analyze Monitor Unite & Save)
Log OG:1.100 FG:1.020…
Login METROIPA…Accepted…
Transmitting Data—->
“My name is SAMUS. I first encountered the Mango-troid colony on their home Planet Citra Zest. It was there that I was introduced to the rich delicious Nectar these creatures produced. These creatures though harmless had offered me something I’ve never seen in all my visits through the Galaxy of Barley way. The Mango-troids, after pollination which would involve squeezing sugars from fruits and hops, would then leave behind a secret bitter sweet liquid that was gold in color and aromatic like the tropical fruits of the Planet 4U2EAT. My mission… To collect a sample of this ambrosia and present it to the lab for analysis. Here is what this liquid is composed of:
Ingredients: Water, Malts, Amarillo, Simcoe, Mosaic & Citra Hops, Freshly made Mango Puree, Arizona Wild Flower Honey, Candi Sugar and San Diego Super Yeast.
As I completed my mission, a Mango-troid followed me back to my ship. I think it is a baby. So it seems I was able to produce enough of the ambrosia with the help of the Mango-ling that I am providing some for your research as well!
SAMUS Over And Out… Cheers and see you next mission!”
End Transmission…
==Introduction==
Project#9 is my attempt at brewing a tropical double IPA and an inspiration from El Segundo’s Power Plant as well as the Sure Bet Double IPA from Pipeworks is this beer right here. While studying a good recipe for a couple months and buying ingredients bit by bit, I finally was able to create my first ever IPA in the similar recipe to tribute to some of my favorite tropical/leche nestle Triple IPAs out there. I have no idea if my beer can even top the Pliny the Younger but I hope it can beat the elder atleast. Either way, it was a lot of work, a great learning experience and one damn great beer I was very proud to make. Cheers!
Aromas:
Mango hints, Wild flower hints, rich citrus, rich pine needle, herbal, floral, grassy and grapefruit hops, tropical fruits like guava, prickly pears, papaya, passion fruit, dragon fruit, lychee, pineapples, apricots, stawberrries, raspberries, cherries, tangerines, tuna fruit, stone fruit peaches, creamy vanilla, caramel, agave notes, sweetened condensed milk, tangerine gummy bears, citrus peels, grapefruit peels, coconut hints, marshmallow and tres leches/3 milks cream hints.
Flavors:
Rich Mango, Wild flower honey, agave notes, tropical fruit like dragon fruit, papaya, kiwi, honey dew melon, strawberries, passion fruit, prickly pear, papaya, guava, piney, grassy, grapefruit hops, citrus, tangerine oranges, orange peel, grapefruit peel, sweetened condensed milk, caramel, toffee, vanilla, stone fruit apricots, banana hints, raspberries and cream hints, orange gummy bears, mild coconut hints, tres leches/3 milks cream hints, almonds and macadamia nut hints.
Aftertaste:
Lots of Orange peel, Grapefruit peel, Mango hints, Wild Flower honey hints, caramel, gummy bears, tangerines, tropical fruit hints, and stone fruit hint with left over piney hop goodness that pops for a bit. Slight alcohol in the taste, Golden Amber Honey full body, silky, syrupy, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel and a moderate drinkability
Overall:
While I give it 5 stars for the rich flavors I still was disappointed slightly that my carbonation was definitely not on par. There is a slight amount of head but not a lot of carbonation. Call it beginners foil but also a great learning lesson. Don’t get me wrong, I really love this beer it is damn scrumptious but with the carbonation it would have been way better. Either way, I know for next time and surely, next time I make an IPA and do secondary, definitely pitching some extra yeast to compensate for the high ABV but also the yeast viability after those several weeks after fermentation finished. A perfect yet “semi flat” yet super tropically delicious masterpiece.
Anime Corner:
Samus Aran from Metroid was used in this pairing as I wanted to give representation of the whole tropical colors and flavors as shown in the label by the metroids being the mangos and Samus squeezing them extracting this very IPA. The idea was solid and I lived it. I give more details in the label description but the shine of the beer in its strength, love, passion and dedication to making one of the best tropical IPAs I could. The lil’ metroid baby sure loves to help out Samus(Squeeze)! But I digress. Maybe the condensed milk like hints were… nah it couldn’t be 😉 …
Sources:
http://genzoman.deviantart.com/art/Metroid-259341497
http://planetgameboy.de/images/db/58621.jpg
http://orig09.deviantart.net/4d4e/f/2015/045/d/1/metroid___samus_be_my_valentine_by_genzoman-d8i0z23.jpg
Rating: 4.8/5
Les Fleurs Du Mal by New Braunfels brewing of Texas is a 5.7% ABV Sour Hefeweizen aged on lemon grass and bottle conditioned with Texas Wildflower Honey.
Label:
The Flowers of Evil
Sans Cesse a mes cotes s’agite le demon
Good cannot exist without a little evil to define it. Right lives astride wrong destruction. Destruction creates rebirth. This beer started life as a sweet, refreshing hefeweizen last winter. After a hot open fermentation and cold winter’s breath of evil, this beautiful saur creature has bloomed to life.
___
A special gem comes our way straight out of Texas from the special dark chapters of beer lore as provided by Aaron of www.beermetaldude.com. A sweet donation especially since there was only 11 cases of this beer released out to the public. New Braunfels brewing focuses on a variety of German inspired styles from what I have seen so far and the Shiva’s Tears I tried was very awesome. Now with this one, I really wanna see what this is about especially since it is a Heffeweizen that is aged as a sour, something that I have not experienced before. So let us try out and see what we can find.
Aromas:
Funky notes, lemon grass, sage spice, wine grapes, old mango, peppercorns, farmhouse hay, biscuit bread, vanilla, oak, honey, earthy notes, phenolic notes and brown sugar.
Flavors:
Lemon grass, flowers, lemon peel, biscuit bread, wine grapes, vanilla, citrus, oranges, peppercorns, funky farmhouse hay, earthy notes, old mango, pineapple, honey, oak, stone fruit tart apricots, hibiscus, toasted wheat bread, lavender, phenolic notes, mild bubble gum hints and clove spice.
Aftertaste:
Funky lemon grass, tart pineapple, earthy notes, wet hay, wheat and stone fruit apricots. No alcohol in the taste, a sipping beer despite the low ABV, medium to full honey colored body and medium mouthfeel.
Overall:
This beer is very good if you enjoy sours and farmhouse ales as it borderlines that tart and biscuity area that hovers over the likes of the nice French Saisons. This beer reminds me of the Carnivale Ale from The Lost Abbey as it has some notes of that but this one takes it a different direction of flavor as it is technically still a hefeweizen. I have never tried anything like it but just the ability to move a heffeweizen into other territories of style is just and amazing feat. Highly recommending this one and thanks to New Braunfels Brewing Company for making this one.
Anime Corner:
Remilia Scarlet from the Touhou Project series was used in this pairing to pair with the skulls and the flowers and how the representation of evil flowers can be seen in the form that they look pretty but when you taste them like this beer can be really deadly. Dare to take a sip?
Sources:
http://www.imgbase.info/images/safe-wallpapers/anime/touhou/7468_touhou.jpg
Rating: 4.45/5
Sprung by Five Stones brewing of Cibolo Texas is a 6.2% ABV India Pale Ale Hancrafted with heather tips, dried Elderflowers and Wild Flower honey.
Label:
Spring has “Sprung” in South Central Texas many years before the official change on the calendar. Often times it is a very short season but welcomed nonetheless. Some of the most beautiful landscape in our great nation is during Spring in Texas when all the wild flowers are in bloom. In honor if this time of year, we brewed Sprung with heather tips, dried elderflowers and wildflower honey keeping a balance of natural floral flavors in mind. We hope you enjoy it while the season is here…Cheers!
___
Another Five Stones has made it to the site thanks to the donation of Aaron at www.beermetaldude.com. This beer is an IPA brewed with Elderflowers and Wildflower honey so I really think it is a best representative for the season. Well, while we are no longer in Spring and IPAs usually tend to give more of a malty flavor with age, I think the bitterness of the flowers may help here. We will have to see for sure, but so far, everything I have tried from Five Stones of Cibolo Texas has been, Amazing!
Aromas:
Very floral, citrus, grapefruit, piney and grassy hops, pineapple, stone fruit apricot hints, caramel, biscuit bread, toffee hints, hibiscus, flowery spices, herbs, cantaloupe, honey dew melon, rye, hazelnut hints and dragon fruit.
Flavors:
Citrus, floral, piney and grassy hops, caramel, toffee, biscuit bread, coriander, pineapple, peppercorns, sage, basil, honey, hazelnut hints, mild rye, honeydew melon, mild guava, kiwi, dragon fruit hints, herbs, hibiscus flowers, lavender and cantaloupe.
Aftertaste:
Citrus, honey, flowers, biscuit bread and piney hops linger. No alcohol in the taste, medium honey body, easy to medium drinkability, creamy mouthfeel, crisp and refreshing.
Overall:
Very good IPA focusing more on the floral and mild stone fruit component than the super hoppy aspects of the beer. While the taste is more malty, it was just as I thought, some of the flowers, spices and tropical hints were more pronounced than hops of other beers. While I cannot say how this beer would have been while it was fresh, at this point in time, it still taste very good and has maintained itself. So if you had tried this one when it was fresh, you won’t be disappointed now. Unless you are a true hop only hop head then I cannot speak for you as I have not tried this fresher. Either way, awesome beer from Five Stones.
Anime Corner:
This original artwork of a bunny girl rocking out was something that seemed to stand out and pair with the label. While I had tried this beer later in the year, the night time rock is what comes to mind when trying a beer that is in the fall vs. the spring. I really think this is the darker side of the bunny and when Spring passes and is Sprung loose it Falls into the night.
Sources:
http://37.media.tumblr.com/38f9e7852c129fb1c9679486958b85df/tumblr_n7desrkGU81qlodbjo1_500.jpg
Brewerianimelogs (Anime and Beer Lore) 