Conversations with Local Beers

Ready... set... DRINK!

"Hello again, Red Oak. How are you?"
"Oh yeah? That's nice!"

"Oh, you want me to drink your beer? Well, if you insist."

"Hm, this isn't your normal brew."

"Battlefield Bock, you say?"

"Oh yes, I do indeed love it!"

This is an example of a conversation that I typically have with my beers. Don't you judge me. But yes, Red Oak has more than just their signature namesake beverage. Battlefield Bock is a Bavarian style bock that I enjoy even more than the original amber lager. It pours very dark and with caramel head. Instantly you get a whiff of chocolate. Two of my favorite things just happen to be beer and chocolate, so Battlefield Bock has me from the get-go. The taste is similar to the smell: chocolate and malty. No hops really found, which is not a negative at all. It seems like it should be heavy, but it's not. Not like a thick stout, but with some of the characteristics I enjoy from a stout. It's mild, sweet and very drinkable.

"Good job, Red Oak."

"What's that you say, little Greensboro brewery?"

"Oh, you're welcome!"

"Oh, nice of you to join us Sweet Josie."

"Yes, I know you're from Raleigh, like me."

"I'm enjoying Battlefield right now, but... wow! You're pushy."

"Okay, okay. Let me see what you got."

Lonerider's brown ale, Sweet Josie pours a dark brown (a little darker than most brown ales I've had) with slight flashes of amber. It looks nice enough. Has a bit of a toasty-roasty smell. Yeah, I said it: toasty-roasty. I got some chocolate taste in there and more hops than my previous glass o' goodness. There is definitely more hops present in this one, however. Still, the drinkability is high and I could see myself getting in trouble with this girl.

"Sweet Josie, what are you doing later?"

"Yeah? You dirty tramp, you."

"Hey there, Aviator! I didn't know you were from the outskirts of Raleigh- in good ol' Fuquay-Varina."

"Yeah, I agree. There really isn't anything else going on there."

"A beer? For ME? Why, thank you!"

HotRod Red is Aviators Irish Red. A very bright red pour with an off-white head gives way to a light aroma of malt. Very slight hops. Actually, the aroma isn't strong enough to pick up anything else. The flavor has more hops than the smell, but in a good way. The hoppiness and the malts are blended fairly well. Also, the finish is nice - clean and not much lingering. Decent little beer from the brewery outside of Raleigh.

"Yes, Avaitor, ya done good."

Let the Catch-Up Begin...

Looking through my beers notes, I've noticed there is a lot of catching up to do. This is okay. I'm taking a sabbatical from beer. Oh, don't fret. It's temporary. I'm on a diet of sorts right now. I only drink it if it's clear - this means water... and vodka. Calories, my friends, calories. So, this gives me ample time to pick up the pace of my beer blogs without constantly adding to my list - and waistline.

Let us start with the Highland Gaelic. giggle nearly every time I say the word Gaelic. So, ordering this got me a look from my server that said, "Grow up, dipshit, and drink this while you're at it." I obliged and was happy to do so. I do love a good amber ale, after all. It looked nice. They don't call it an amber for nothin' and this one followed suit. It poured a coppery-brown with just a light head. It smelled surprisingly sweet, however. Brown sugar and hops is the best I could get out of it. I'm not sure if it was just that simple or if I was still chuckling as a read the word Gaelic over and over in my head. The taste was a mix of malt and fruits that ended on a bitter note. Every once in a while I could taste that sweetness of that brown sugar smell. Decent beer. I liked.... GAELIC..... Okay, I'm done.

I clearly felt the need to step up my game, because I jumped into something a little stronger. Victory Yakima Twilight is the product of that leap. This one rings in at an 8.7%abv.

I was a little confused by the name, because it too much resembles an anime cartoon shown on late night Cartoon Network. But, I tried it for two reasons: 1. It's an IPA and I said I wanted something stronger and 2. I have to try 200+ beers anyway, so why not. When I poured it into the glass I was instantly taken aback. This was not a typical IPA. This was a BLACK IPA (also known as a dark IPA). Instead of the usual light, hazy characteristics this beer poured a reddish-brown. I stared at it for awhile. I'm scared at this point. I'm not racist in my beers, but because I don't like being snuck up on and I feel has already done so. Now what? Oh yeah, smell it. Hops, instantly. Duh, I know, it's an IPA. But this was an extraordinary smell of hops. Very strong and almost spicy. A little hint of caramel, but only slightly. The sweetness comes out more in the flavor and then the bitter hops hits you at the finish. A little citrus zest is thrown in there for good measure. All in all, I really enjoyed it.

Oh, and the name - NOT an anime. It actually comes from the Yakima Valley in Washington where the hops are farmed. The Yakima Valley is home to about 75% of the hop acreage in America. So, BAM! mo-fos. Knowledge.

And to round it all off, we have Founders Dirty Bastard.

This Scotch Ale from Michigan weighs in at a respectable 8.5%abv. This beer poured a nice deep, dark red and had a lot of earthy tones in the aroma. The dark sweetness is subtle, but very pleasant. It had a beginning taste of dried dark fruits - cherries maybe. Bitter chocolate a little bit of sweeter vanilla. Basically, I loved it, as I do most beers from Founders.

Now, as mentioned before, don't you dare think I've stopped my quest. I haven't- especially since I'm a paid member at FS and would never let that go to waste! But I'm a vain girl and need my break to let my body recover. I say this while I sip vodka and soda, so clearly my liver is not included in this recovery. Happy drinking, all!