Blind Barleywine Tasting

Last minute gathering for a Barleywine tasting. Dave, Sam, Megan and I did the judging. While Candice, Sam's girlfriend, was kind enough to do the pouring! I have really wanted to try alot of these beers so last night was great opportunity to do so. I set it up sort of a bracket style, and we sampled 4 barleywines at a time. We sampled 11 barleywines, probably a few bottles to many, as most of us were beat up a little at the end of the night and the next morning! Goose Island King Henry won by a landslide and in the final 4 got #1 votes by all 4 judges!! #2 and #3 were very close with Dry Dock Bligh's Barleywine and Pelican MOAS taking those spots; #4 2011 Firestone Walker Abacus; #5 and #6 were 2012 FW Sucaba and Troegs Flying Mouflan. Other barleywines in the mix: Three Floyd's Behemoth (which is a blonde barleywine, lower in alcohol and more hops; very good but not really a fair comparison to the others in this category), Hebrew 15:15 (good, maybe a little hot/sweet; needs some age), Schlafly Reserve 2010, Duck Rabbit and a 2007 Stone Old Guardian which was a bit of a disappointment. Good times, would love to do another blind tasting sometime but good on barleywines for awhile unless there is half the amount of bottles. Nice hair Megan!!

2012 New Year hauls!!!

Haul #1 from John (johnsaulrubio) in Austin: 4 pack of Buried Hatchet Stout (good stuff back for seconds! and in a can!), then a nice Jester King Brewery Black Metal, Farmhouse Black Metal, Das Wunderkind and Farmhous Wytchmaker. Typically not my styles but have heard good things and interested in trying. Extras: BCS and Real Ale Sisyphus Barleywine out of Blanco, TX.
Haul #2 from Greg a second trade from Birmingham, MI. a trusty 6er of Hopslam, in return I sent FiftyFifty Eclipse Grand Cru and Dry Dock Wee Heavy!!!

Haul #3 with Dan (CaptCleveland/ 2nd trade with) I recieved 4x BA Blackout Stout, 2x Hopslam, 2 Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Brew Kettle White Rajah and extras: FIS and Flower Power. I sent FiftyFifty Eclipse 18year, Class V Stout and Ghost face Killah.
Haul #4 from Rob (robtobfest) from Connecticut (x3) received a 2011 NE Imperial Stout Trooper, Sebago Barleywine, Mainer Beer Co. Peeper Ale, City Steam Blonde on Blonde and S.Tier Eurotrash Pilz for Eclipse 4 Roses, Odell Red, Mountain Standard and 2x Myrcenary.
Haul #5 from Eric (EricCioe) who now resides in Missoula sent 2x Hebrew Gensis 15:15, Bitter Root Nut Brown Ale and Single Hop Ale, Sweetwater IPA, Casco Bay Brown Ale, Sanders Chocolate Stot , and D.Carnegie $ Co. Porter, a Swedish beer in return I sent a big package of Colorado and Michigan beers.

Tasting #5

Small Intimate tasting to end the year with 6 people: Big Dave, Dave, Aaron, Shawn, Megan and I. Higlights include Founders CBS, FW Parabola, Abacus and 14, Ballast Sea Monster, Kern River Just Outstanding and Class V Stout, Goose Island Big John.

1 Year BA Anniversary



From Steve (MrHirschybar) in Riverside, CA he was kind enough to pick up my Black Tuesday I ordered online! Also 2x Kern River Just Outstanding and Class V Stout, a Citra IPA, Ballast Sea Monster and Victory at Sea, and HOD Adam and Doggie Claws.

Great box from Keith (McNuts) in Raleigh: Pelican Mother of All Storms Barleywine (#2 English Barleywine behind Dry Dock's Bligh's), 3x Brooklyn BCS (1 '10), Laughing Dog The Dogfather Imperial Stout, FBS, Wake n Bake, Harpoon Barleywine and a Sweetwater Brewing Happy Ending Imperial Stout! Really knocked off some random wants here!

 

Courtesy of Morgan (Msquared2) from Mineral Springs, NC
Terrapin Wake N Bake is probably my favorite breakfast stout!!



Courtesy from Tom (trxxpaxxs) from Buffalo, NY

My final trades of the year! Have made over 40 trades in the last year (probably closer to 50)!!!
Tom sent the mix 5 pack of Sixpoint beer as well, great trader!!  He also sent a good serving of some of my favorites: FBS,  Blackout Stout, Flower Power, Expedition Stout and Brooklyn BCS in addition to a few I haven't had: Goose Island Big John Imperial Stout and Middle Ages Dragonslayer Imperial Stout out of Syracuse, NY.

Midwest hauls

Dave and I combined to make a trade with Chris (Kgristoff) of Rochester Hills, MI. We sent 2x BA Yeti, '10 Abyss+ extras and in retrun got a Founders CBS, Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel 4D, 4x Bell's Expedition Stout, 4x Backwoods Bastard + extras.



Dan (CaptCleveland) out of Ohio sent 4x GL Blackout Stout***1/2, Backwoods Bastard+ Flower Power, GL Christmas Ale, and Expedition Stout! I sent 2x Dry Dock DIPA + Just Outstanding, 2x Mountain Standard.



Ft. Collins Tasting #4

Had a great tasting with 7 people in attendance (6 BA's). Really knowledgable brew consumers. Beers had: Hunahpu's, Surly 5, Hellshire I, Zhukov's, Bligh's, KBS, Blackout Stout, Speedway Stout, Pumpking with Choklat, Voodoo beer from Rogue, BCBCS, Old Rasputin XXII, Good Gourd + more......

November hauls

Haul sent by Josh (jjcote) from Dover, NH. Sent Odell Bourbon Barrel Stout, Friek, 4x Mountain Standard and 4x Myrcenary+ Bell's Third Coast Ale and Ten Fidy in return 4x Weyerbacher Insanity (barleywine), Portsmouth Bottle Rocket IPA, Berkshire Coffeehouse Porter and Lost Sailor IPA, Cadillac Mountain Stout, Maine Beer Co. Zoe and Lunch+ Gandhi Bot, DH Double Crooked Tree, Harpoon Triticus (wheat wine) and Hop'solutely. Nice haul!!

 Trade #1 with Todd (beerwolf77) out of Milwaukee. Simple, quick, great little trade. Sent BA Yeti, Friek and Rumpkin for New Glarus Black Top, Cigar City Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout, Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout and 2011 Surly Darkness .

 Trade #2 with Gregory (TheBandit1) from Birmingham, Michigan. Not real sure where that is? Sent 4x Ten Fidy and a Mountain Standard in return for 4x Founders Breakfast Stout, 2011 Backwoods Bastard + Dark Horse Oatmeal Stout Ale (I know thought those were 2 different styles) and Bell's Third Coast Ale.

 Trade #3 with Matt (monkeymagic72) from Chino, CA. I sent Rumpkin, BA Yeti, Friek and 2x Mountain Standard in return Ballast Big Eye IPA, Sculpin IPA and Starlin Porter, Bootlegger's Black Phoenix**1/2, Just Oustanding and Alesmith Wee Heavy

Trade #4 and my third trade with this individual was with Vince out of Philly. Don't have what I sent out, because it was a long time ago. He sent out a package that was LOST! So unfortuanetly he had to re buy and re send beer! Vince is the man! He sent Cigar City Zhukov's and Jai Alai IPA, Ballast Sea Monster, Troegs Perpetual IPA **1/2, Founders Breakfast Stout, Allentown Brew Works Hop'solutely an imperial IPA weighing in at 11.5 abv!, Flying Fish Exit 13 Chocolate Stout out of New Jersey, Long Trail Coffee Stout out of Vermont and they were effected some by the flooding, Big Black Voodoo Daddy! and New Holland Rye P.A. Hatter.