Mystery 12 Pack and Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale

Sorry for the unintended hiatus! I have very recently regained my sense of taste and smell after having sinusitis for about a week. And it's just in time to enjoy the many beers that grace my home region of the Lehigh Valley (mid PA/NJ). The hardest part about buying beer is choosing what to get. Very few beers of the Utah and PA/NJ market overlap, leaving me with an incredible variety. It's is absolutely wonderful and intensely overwhelming! I want to try everything, but I simply don't have the time or alcohol tolerance. So what do I do?

I was perusing the liquor store, when I stumbled upon a stack of boxes labeled only as "Craft Beer Variety Pack". I asked a nearby attendant, "How do I know what's in here?" to which he replied, "That's the beauty of it. You don't." I'm a sucker for three things: beer, puppies, and the potential for finding diamonds in the ruff. Five minutes later, I was hauling my $16 mystery 12 pack out to the car. I brought it back to my parents house, and slid it onto the table with a giddy grin. Zoe the adolescent yellow lab mirrored my Christmas morning-like excitement, and gave a nice pose next to my prize. 

I sliced the box open, hoping so hard that the beer-santa granted me a dope box of brews. My first hint was a top view of all the caps, most of which I recognized. It was enough to let me know I got a pretty killer box! 

I pulled out the most recognizable first, and loudly exclaimed to the not nearly as interested household members each time I discovered that "I got exactly what I waaaaantedddddd!" 

Here's my mystery haul!

Weyerbacher Last Chance IPA, River Horse Belgian Freeze, River Horse Hop Hazard, Stone IPA

Virgin Island Tropical Mango (is this even beer?), Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale, Founders Breakfast Stout, Saucony Brewery The Saucony Sessions

Smuttynose Vunderbar! Pilsner, Summit Winter Ale, Chimay Doree, 21st Amendment Back In Black IPA

There's lots of awesome breweries, and I've only had two of these (a few years back, though!). There's one or two I'm certain will taste like doggie doo doo, but there's more than a few I think will taste great! These beers would have cost me upwards of $25-$30 separately, so I think I've lucked out! 

Here's my first taste of the box...

Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale

BG Poured from a 12 fl oz (355ml) bottle into a stemmed tulip, 7.2% ABV, Bottled 12/11/14

A Ebony in color with deep ruby highlights. Half a finger of head shows up momentarily and leaves the party just as fast. I noticed the absence of strong “fzzzsstt” when I opened this one, and there’s some dried gunk around where the cap was set. Maybe it had a bad seal? We’ll soon find out. (Light carbonation doesn't mean the beer is off.)

A Melanoidin, raisins, caramel malt, dark plum skin, a hint of chocolate, brown sugar. There’s some hefty floral/piney hops hiding beneath that malt, too! 

T Hints of roasted malts and lightly sweet, burnt sugar balance on the front before the bold, piney/herbal hops smash through like the kool-aid man. Toffee, toasted walnuts, those blackened bottom-of-the-pan scrapings that taste so good, almost mint-like hops, and finally smooth coffee.

M Creamy, low carbonation, full body, the hops are a bit tingly!

A Long aftertaste of fresh coffee

C Malt bomb meets hop bomb! It’s delicious, but prepare for your palate to be destroyed! Piney/herbal hops punch right through the middle of this roasted malt fest, and a delicate balance is achieved between the two extremes. A gentle, roasted coffee flavor rounds out the finish. This is on the bold end of IBAs. Could this be a double IBA? Let’s not give anyone any crazy ideas… But do let this warm up a bit before you imbibe. It gives the malt characters a chance at balancing the explosive hops. =)

FP Rosemary lamb chops cooked rare with roasted fingerling potatoes and mint pesto. Loaded potato skins (no green onion). Rich chocolate cake with espresso bean dust.