Let’s start with the bad news- we missed last week’s Friday Four Pack because one of our Sales Engineer’s was out for a family wedding.
The good news is we’re back this week ahead of the holiday weekend to bring you the four beers we’re most looking forward to for this long holiday weekend.
Phase Three Brewing- Triadic Harmonies (10% TIPA w/ Centennial, Citra, Amarillo, and Simcoe Hops)
Let’s kick things off with a bit of a curveball. When I originally cracked this beer, I was expecting a big, clear, bitter west coast beer. I was pleasantly surprised when Triadic Harmonies poured a pleasant hazy amber peach. On the nose, I was greeted with a piney, berry, dank, and on first taste, got the bitterness I was expecting. It quickly smoothed out though and I picked up a very pleasant alcohol warmth. This 10% hitter finished soft, almost tropical, and much less bite than anticipated. Extremely well done.
Hop Butcher for the World- Face Peeler (10.25% TIPA w/ Riwaka, Motueka, Idaho-7, Strata, and Centennial Hops)
Starting to see a theme here? We’re into big beers for this long holiday weekend. It’s tough to meld 5 hops into something that is discernible, but the folks at Hop Butcher manage to do just that. With Face Peeler, we have a beer that pours relatively flat, with not much retained head. I don’t mind that. And in the glass, it reminds me a little of apricot pineapple juice. The New Zealand hop varietals really pop- Riwaka and Motueka- and we’re immediately getting a nose of cotton candy lemonade and heart shaped Runts on the palate (am I the only one who remembers heart shaped Runts?). The finish is pillowy soft and sweet without too much residual sweetness. At 10.25%, this beer is dangerous.
Mikerphone Brewing- Hit Single Select Vol 2 (13.33% Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Stout)
The temperatures seem to be dropping and the days of big dark beers are here again. This big ole’ barrel aged stout took a nice 24-month slumber in Pearse Lyons Reserve Single Malt Whiskey barrels. Pouring like a black abyss, we’re immediately met with a huge oaky nose. We get wood, some more wood, and then even more lumber on the nose. As it warms up, it develops a velvety leather aroma awash with maple syrup and baking spices. On the palate, it’s initially thin, which was a little surprising. Hit Single Select picks up the heat though and you’re immediately enveloped with sweet maple and a chocolate caramel that resonates nicely with rye spice. An incredibly complex beer, we scored this a 4.5 out of 5.
Goose Island- Birthday Bourbon County Brand Stout 2020 (14.6% Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout)
We poured this one to celebrate a very special 1 year old’s first birthday. This beer spent 12 months in Old Forester’s Birthday Bourbon barrels. Birthday Bourbon is released each year on the birthday of found George Garvin Brown. The bourbon is chosen from barrels aged for 11 years from a single production date. Throw Goose Island’s base imperial stout in there and let them rest for 12 months and what do you get? You get a beer that pours a rich, chocolaty molasses and oozes leather and tobacco. It reminds me a lot of my Grandfather’s pipe. On the palate, I get tons of fruit and black licorice. This beer then finishes with softer hints of vanilla sheet cake and frosting. It’s amazing the flavors Goose is able to pull from wood, beer, and bourbon. The perfect beer to celebrate a very special birthday.
So there are our four beers for this weekend. Two triple IPA’s and two big barrel aged stouts. We’re closed on Monday and hope you enjoy the long holiday weekend as much as we enjoyed tasting these beers. Cheers!
