New Beer Sunday (week 517)

Heya, NBS!

Super-amped for the games today - ultimate goal is a Seattle Superbowl win, so a loss today will dampen my spirits some, but as I mentioned in WBAYDN, I find none of the current teams objectionable. My least likely contender is still Indy (despite that Denver win), but if they knock NE out and clear the way for a Seattle win in a coupla weeks, then that's just dandy

Rainy and gray, but warmer than yesterday - prolly in the 40's or so - I dunno, but I got the window open and it feels just fine. Then again, I'm more of a cold weather guy, so I'm no great judge

Checking out one new beer today, Southern Tier's Tier de Garde, a Belgian IPA featuring grapefruit peel. I dig grapefruit impressions in beer, from peel or pith or hop doesn't matter to me, so I was counting on a win here.

Not a big fan of the Southern Tier stout favorites, Mokah, Choklat, Crème Brulee, and Jahva (though I really liked their 2xPresso - being a fan of espresso with lemon peel), but I've really enjoyed their pale ales, and this follows suit.

Well-executed, assuming the meshing of American and Belgian IPA-stylings was the goal, which was a success in my book. Don't know what hops or yeasts were used, but this ale had nice Belgian accents on an American hop profile, and an undercarriage of fresh, clean malt grains.

Been drinkin' Backwoods Bastard this week, which is great, but it really left me craving some crisp hops. Tier de Garde definitely fit the bill. Lotsa of grapefruit-forward citrus action; hoppy, clean, bright, and fresh...

Cheers, folks...

 

A to the Men!

 

You are correct! Cannot wait for next pay check! I picked up Two Four Roses variants, that set me back a few. At room temp though...these are World Class!

 

I have yet to try Nooner, but Jever is one of my favorites. I was lucky enough to drink quite a lot of it fresh during the late 90s, and was going to school in northern Germany for a summer.

 

Glad to hear about Nooner, I got a bottle ready to go as well... perhaps today

 

Also, Nice Selfie! I wouldn't have thought that you weren't a fan of the BlackWater Series...

 

Hey What's going on?!?

It is RAINING... and cold... and lousy... but it is not dampening my spirits. I've been busy actually catching up on films quite a bit as Oscar season goes off in earnest. I used to be a big movie nut and write about film, but haven't gone as much with the time I have. My wife and I have been hitting the theaters a lot lately and its been a good run... Force Majeure (yeah ok not nominated) Imitation Game, Foxcatcher, Gonna head out for some warm Ramen for lunch and then see The Theory of Everything later this afternoon... perfect movie day... getting spoiled on some good performances... Hoping Boyhood gets best picture.

Anyway lets talk about beer shall we

Well what's new for our hero today... well... Christmas IS NOT OVER folks... and it's always good times to bring out the #properglassware out of the woodshed.

Corsendonk Christmas Ale - Brouwerij Corsendonk


Brouwerij Corsendonk - Corsendonk Christmas Ale by imbibehour, on Flickr

Review here or read below: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/41/140/?ba=smakawhat

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Poured from the bottle into a Corsendonk tulip.

Deep mahogany red body, with a real dark mocha to tan three finger head. Some clarity with real nice slow rising carbonation coming up in this glass. Big ring and island clumpy lacing in the middle, with fine bubbles in its makeup, and also some rings an sheets of lacing down the sides. Very impressive, how a proper glass makes a beer look like a winner.

Solid nose, if not sensing obvious. Mild sense of candied sugars, but some real nice phenolic spice clove action with mild caramel. Hints slightly fruity plum a bit with a very sharp aroma but not overpowering or over the top. Quite nice.

Palate really delivers. Classic Belgian character with a nice fruity angle. Dark bread and raisin match together with a big champagne dry carbonation. Real nice warmth and heat to this as it comes off like a Christmas quad practically, thick malted, rich brandy like warmth. Very playful carbonation that gives to a champagne like body, but has the malt thickness take over with brown sugar and spices.

Real nice Belgian dark that comes off more like a Christmas quad. Excellent Belgian brew

look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5 | Final Score 4.4

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Good morning & afternoon, fellow BAs, and thanks to @utopiajane for starting us off,

Nearly 40 degrees and partly sunny in the city where Bing Crosby's hairpiece resides behind glass in the student union building of a certain local university. I think this is the first time I've seen blue sky in 4-5 days. Pretty excited about today's games, one a bit more than the other.

Currently sipping coffee after breakfast this AM. I'll probably crack open my first new beer around 11 as I slip into pre-game mode, as kickoff is an hour earlier than normal at "the CLink." Today will feature two beers I haven't had that came from my brother:

First up will be Great Divide's Claymore (I'd asked for a bottle of Silver City's Fat, which doesn't get distributed where I live,but he didn't know where to find it so he got me this instead), but after the game, regardless of the outcome I'll be opening a 2013 Silver City BBA Old Scrooge, a beer not listed on Beer Advocate. I don't know much about it - it's listed at SC's old brewery as an Old Ale, at their new one as a barleywine, but neither is a BBA version, and the abv doesn't match up to the current one, but it was brewed too recently to be the one brewed at the old location (brewing shifted to Bremerton in 2010). Anyone who knows more about this beer can feel free to chime in.

Hopefully the Old Scrooge will be consumed to celebrate a return to the Super Bowl, but if not, I'll use it to wash away the taste of defeat and toast an awfully great season for a team at one point all but written off.

 

We are getting the worst of the freezing rain here in northern NJ, it seems; everything outside is covered with a wet, slick glaze. Just going down to the street to get the paper was an adventure in and of itself this morning. That's OK, though, because we're well-stocked and don't have to be anywhere .

I will start things out with a nice coffee stout, courtesy of @creepinjeeper -


Pig Minds Joe Daddy- coffee does dominate the nose, but there are sufficient secondary elements to keep it from being too one-note; cocoa, molasses, caramel and just a hint of lemon peel. The palate is smooth and sweet, and the molasses becomes quite a bit more assertive. Snappy bitterness and citrus pith bring up the rear, allowing the coffee and dark chocolate to take over again, lingering for a good long while. There is a great balance of flavors here, but the sweetness is coming across to me like someone put one too many sugars in my coffee, keeping it from hitting the top tier. A- (4.25)

As to the rest of the day, well, I hear there is some sports event of some sort. My new buddies are even staking a claim to their part of the couch-

That's Percy and Bruno. Give 'em a little hay and carrots, and they'll be snacking the afternoon away right alongside the rest of us. We have to work on their fauxhawks, though...

Some "football" music to set the mood ( )-

 

I've been meaning to pick that one up- I loved Grand Arbor last year. They seem to have the right touch for branching out into the Belgian styles.

 

Any time you want some Wet-Side stuff that doesn't reach over to the Dry-Side, let me know.

 

Well it's been quite a week here in NH and with freezing rain on this Sunday what more can you expect. I scored a growler of Founders CBS this Wednesday but sort of sadly it didn't make it to new beer Sunday, but it was great while it lasted.
My new beer Sunday is Old Rasputin XVII thanks to my local bottle shop that had a few bottles on Friday. Thanks Bert!! This beer poured very dark with a thick brown head. The aroma was wonderful with the bourbon barrel coming through to the nose. The mouth feel was creamy and smooth. It doesn't get much better than this. I have to rate this higher than the CBS from earlier in the week. And to finish today off I've got a brisket going in the smoker and we'll be having bacon wrapped burnt ends about the time of the Pats game! This is why we were put here on earth!

 

Hey, I know that song!

...but from these guys...

Cheers

 

Hell, I still owe you from the last time you did that. Plus, you never got back to me about wanting some "Guilt." Already had some or not your thing?

 

“…drinks like candy coated nuts IMO…”

That sounds like one intriguing beer!!

Cheers!

 

Thanks - lol - and yeah, I dunno - I'm totally the exception to the rule, but they all came off a little too much for me...

 

Awesome- I love it!

 

I am enjoying a Hop Trip by Deschutes..very enjoyable with similar flavor to Celebration but a little lower abv. The hop flavor is a mix of tangerine/pine and malt has a toasted quality. This is worth trying if you like hoppy beers 6% or lower!