New Beer Sunday (week 524)

Happy New American Barleywine Sunday!

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/158/20931/?ba=MadCat



So I am finally back home in NJ after nearly two longs weeks, just got back yesterday morning. After trying so many new amazing beers in San Diego (some of which I still need to transcribe notes from) I am back to more mundane offerings. As I'm sipping this I'm thinking to myself, I should throw my bottle of Rodenbach Grand Cru in the fridge... as you might guess, I spent most of my trip taking an adventure in sours. I'm also now actively looking for an extract recipe for brewing a small sour batch at home, so if anyone has any suggestions, hints, or recipes, I'm all ears.

I seem to have brought some warmer weather back with me, though I have been inside recovering from Red Eye jetlag and tackling a huge house cleaning project with my wife to host a little Sunday lunch get together. Poor timing on our part, but it was still fun. As I relax at the end of the day contemplating things, I am sipping on Old Ruffian barleywine, from Great Divide. This is an excellent example of the style, though much more hop forward and bitter than I was initially expecting. This is making me wonder if it is worth aging the rest of the four pack or if I should drink them fresh. Again, if you have experience with this I'm willing to listen. I might age at least one in hopes that the bitterness gets toned down a smidge and it becomes a little more balanced. I think I'm going to save my other hoppy barleywine for next week's NBS.

Cheers!

 

I like the great divide.. I've tried their Yeti Stout. It was sippable and flavorful!

 

Failed to post NB#2S earlier this afternoon:



Ran across a few of these and—although they're getting a bit up there in age—figured it was worth picking a couple up to find out what 'Tasmanian' does to 'IPA'.



In a word—good! Some nice interesting funkiness—my wife thought durian?, but I'm not sure; maybe papaya??—from the galaxy, and bursting with aromas of the tropics, whatever that means. Funny how associations work. For both of us, the first thought was 'tropical!'

It reminds me of SN's Boomerang, although everything's just a bit turned-up, and the tropical element is much more coherent.

And—

—yes, you really do want to try that beer! Here's hoping some finds its way to your neck.

 

Hello Again! The first had with Thai food and it just hit the spot. I am not really much into Saison/Farmhouse Ales, but I think that might change after this one. The color was a vivid beautiful yellow with a creamy white foam top. The smell was that of spices nothing standing out too much. Taste was refreshing and a great lime-like overall feel.



Moved on to dessert. I was looking forward to this one. Poured, very dark brown, almost resembled
Coca-Cola, nice thin cream colored ring on top. It smelled like smoked chocolate. Loved the chocolate
in this, but I think it ends there. It's quite thin even for a lower abv(it's 5.65%), Not sure if it might be
the batch or what, but there is an glass cleaner, filmy taste to it (I am pretty meticulous about hand
washing/drying my glassware, but it did cross my mind). Big fan of Prairie, so will this again to make sure.
Can't win them all but I can think off hand of 5 better reasons to give Prairie my money.
Cheers again!

 

@smakawhat This is pure prose, ala Dean Moriarty, just missing the beebop soundtrack:
[/QUOTE]
"Rocking three finger tan white head, light and fluffy looking as a feather with excellent pinhead carbonation. Rocking clumpy retention and lacing to match as well and not going anywhere. Body color is a burnt rust orange, opaque yet glowing with a classic roaring middle column of carbonation, and some on the sides of the glass, creeping up to repopulate the head wonderfully. Aggressive, take no prisoners, near perfection and a shocking good looking brew."

 

I can't wait for those Ruffian 4-packs to show up here. And speaking of barleywines..


First off, can anyone confirm that a code of 335 14 on the neck is the Julian date? I am guessing so by the citrusy flavors I'm getting, but Devil Dancer was citrusy after a year, so I can't be sure. Citrus up front, a lot of raisiny dark fruit next, then just a little bit of caramel, finally a piney resiny finish. No hint of 10.3%. I had somewhat high hopes for this based on the ET I've tried, and it surpassed them by far. Very, very good. Been a little sour that 2015 Bigfoot is not yet here, but this sure helps.



Pairs nicely with how much I'm enjoying the new Modest Mouse album. Cheers NBS!

 

So very awesome....your welcome and thank you. They are phenomenal for a change of pace and vocally do some stellar work. Unfortunately, they have parted ways---but what limited offerings they have created are truly worthwhile.e the

the ability to share and learn and connect...love the BA site for that, amongst other things



Cheers to you...and all..

 

Ballast Point Victory at Sea. Right away both taste and aroma is dominated by coffee. Haven't had too many beers that are this coffee forward (Surly Coffee Bender comes to mind). This thing is roasty as hell, too. Tastes like it was dry hopped with cigar shavings. I'm glad this beer has made its way to WI and I am able to try it, but I'm not sure if it's something I'm going to revisit given its price point. Perhaps my mind will change by the time I am through with this six pack, but for now I'm thinking that there is already an Imperial Coffee Porter made right here in WI by Tyranena that I like better. And as far as porters go, I'll gladly snatch Edmund Fitzgerald up for basically half the price everytime.

 

finally trying this one out of the bottle:


Buffalo Bayou's Gingerbread Stout is a second-tier prize in Texas ... maybe third-tier ... it's not bourbon-barrel aged Temptress or Hellfighter, not in the class of Jester King's best and brightest, not equal to a fresh growler of Live Oak hefe, but it has a very loyal-if-smaller following from all I've gathered.

I tried it at the brewery in August and didn't like it. Tasted like liquid licorice ... black, bitter, yucky for someone who hates licorice.

Trying it now out of the bottle? It's better. Still VERY gingery, and make no mistake -- this isn't a facsimile of Starbuck's gingerbread latte nor like drinking liquified gingerbread. This IS ginger ... lots and lots of ginger and almost to its detriment. The darker malt is there but having a hell of a time adding much to the presentation other than a general roasted/burnt quality, which only boosts the bitterness of the overload of ginger (and, yes, gives it a licorice kind of flavor).

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28255/78677/?ba=Premo88

3.66 (-5.7% rDev)

The base stout here isn't terrible, and I'm betting that a good year in the back of the fridge might be long enough to let the malt have a fighting chance against all that ginger.

I sent a bomber of this to @cavedave for our NBS BIF, and I fear I owe him a Buffalo Sunset or something better. It's not the worst thing ever, and as I sip it, I find it growing on me at least to the point that I'll enjoy finishing the bomber. But if you've not opened it yet, Dave, I say don't! Let it age. Unless you REALLY like ginger.

Hey, you know what *IS* good? Gouda cheese. Know how I know?



Midnight the Cat wouldn't leave me and my Gouda alone. Cats!!!

Cheers, y'all!

 

Prairie Limo Tint
Prairie Artisan Ales
American Stout / 5.65% ABV
3.25/5 rDev -7.7% | rAvg: 3.52
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

12 ounce bottle poured into a Belgian tulip glass

A: Black, mocha colored head disappeared fairly quick, looks pretty watery, no lacing, I would like it to have more head retention, just looks sexier with head.

A: Lactose is big up front, picking up a slight oat aroma, no roasted malt aromas or alcohol on the nose, I think this is the beer's strength, smells great.

T: A sweet, lactose creamy flavor, slight oat smoothness in the middle, slight chocolate bitterness at the end, slight alcohol burn, sticky finish. The chocolate is there but just not as noticeable as I would like.

M: The beer's weakness, very thin, has a strange stickiness, I was expecting more of a sweet creamy smooth mouthfeel, it leaves a sticky coat. No carbonation.

O: I was expecting more but this disappointed. I paid $4 for a 12 ounce bottle that's $24 a six-pack, way overpriced. I did not get the chocolate I was expecting but it's okay, the price just throws me off, this should run about $9-10 a six-pack, no more. There's better or equal milk stouts on the market for this price.

 

I'm finally back with a beer that I actually had today.

This is the 2015 Riverkeeper IPA from River City, a brewery that is located about a dozen minutes or so worth of walking from my place. It is a re-formulation of a previously existing beer of theirs (hence the 2015 in the name) brewed in support of a local charity dedicated to mitigating the effects of man on the Spokane River. I had a sample of this a couple of weeks ago. I was really impressed by it then, but the grunt I brought home today wasn't quite the revelation I thought it was then:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34277/160640/?ba=woemad

As this is essentially my neighborhood brewery (at least until Iron Goat relocates nearby - then I'll be living across the freeway from an honest-to-god brewery district ), I will be having this again, no question. If it turns out this was an abberation or the victim of the fact that the keg was changed just after I walked in, I will revise the score. Until then, I'll consider it a decent local IPA but not something to be sought out as if a holy relic.

<edit: BTW, if my computer wasn't so old school it was practically analog, I'd be extending @rgordon's musical contribution with a clip of something from King Crimson's Red album. I've been drawn back to it for about two weeks now. For those of you who are music geeks but who only know of John Wetton as the frontman for Asia, check it out. Robert Fripp of KC has likened Wetton's and Bill Bruford's work from this era of Crimso to a "flying brick wall.">

 

New Saison Sunday

Hey NBSers,

The High Desert is famous for luring the foolhardy into thinking it's an early Spring only to crush those ideas with a snowstorm, but damn if it's not a great time for some Spring-like activities. At the very least it puts me in mind for a light refreshing beer like today's choice.

Petit Azacca by de Garde of Tillamook, Oregon



Petit Azacca pours a slightly cloudy apricot color, with an active fine white head. The legs lead me to believe it's fully attenuated. This saison retains the same "house" yeast character of de Garde's other saisons, which is to say that it offers a tart, bright profile with minimal fruity "Belgian" esters, (many saisons are a turn-off to me because of that yeast profile). The aroma is full of that lactic tang, but the dry-hopping rounds edges with notes of stone fruit and pear/apple. I'm not terribly familiar with Azaccas yet, but the difference between this and their Petit Desay suggests I should get my hands on more examples: they contribute a flavor apart from the typical citrus, pine, grassy/herbal profiles of most others. Finishing dry, it practically begs for another sip to play on. 4/5

 

Good evening NBS! Hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Not too much going on around here this weekend, I am still waiting on 2 batches of beer to condition. It's finally going to be 40-50s weather this week. Might be inclined to get my bike out of the closet and not ride the trainer for once. Here is todays new beers!


This is an outstanding quad. Appearance looked good. Very clear deep brown; head retention wasn't spectacular, but I still got a nice lingering cap of lacing and streaming carbonation. Enormous aromas of raisin, prune, red grape, date, cherries with balanced molasses, toast, and brown bread/sugar malt sweetness. A fair amount of clove/peppery yeast spice as well. Really awesome nose. Taste of big raisin, prune, red grape, date, cherry, molasses, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, light chocolate, pepper, clove, and yeast earthiness. Fair amount of earthy yeast spiciness on the finish balanced the sweetness nicely. Well carbonated with a fairly crisp finish with some light slickness. Not overly heavy. Alcohol is well hidden, a light-moderate warmth does linger on the finish; but its still very smooth going down. No booziness. Incredible. 4.32


This is absolutely insane. Pretty much opaque hazy brown color; solid head retention, light spotty lacing. Looks nice. Aromas of huge raisin, plum, caramel, toffee, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, butterscotch, coconut, vanilla, bourbon, oak, light chocolate. Insanely well balanced aromas with spot on complexity similar to other top tier BBA Barleywine I've had. Taste of big raisin, plum, caramel, toffee, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, coconut, butterscotch, bourbon, oak, light chocolate, and oak/toasted earthiness. Some light oaky bitterness on the finish cuts through some of the sweetness, but mostly the bourbon spiciness that goes along with it. The barrel/malt balance and complexity is just downright perfect. Nice light-moderate yeast fruitiness that compliments it all without being over the top. Lightly carbonated with an extremely creamy and lush mouthfeel that is wonderful. Light-moderate warmth lingering after the finish; but no booziness. Looks like I just got my mind blown by a barleywine again. 4.72


Great IPA. Fairly crystal clear in appearance, good head retention and lacing. Aromas of bright grapefruit, tangerine, lemon peel, citrus rind, pineapple, peach, pepper, and pine, with some slight bready malts. Taste of grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, peach, lemon zest, orange peel, pepper, pine, and herbal/grassy hop earthiness. Good amount on pine/grassy bitterness on the finish. Very bright on hops with supporting pale malt in the back. Smooth, crisp, and sticky finish. Great stuff, no complaints. Centennial and Mosaic hops are nice things. 4.1


Cheers, Have a good night NBS

 

Red Brick Atomic Frog Double India Pale Lager. Cheers!

 

Been feeling under the weather the last few days so I won't be partaking tonight. Everything looks great though everyone, reading all of these post and looking at the pictures is making me wish I didn't feel like garbage!

 

3....2......1......lift off.



Modern Times has become my favorite "new" brewery. They don't make a bad beer and have a great variety from hoppy, sours, stouts, and Belgians. This is a new release that just hit the shelfs this week.

Pours a crystal clear golden yellow. Just a perfectly clean looking beer with some night frothy head that is leaving some lacing. The aroma is on point. Hits you with that dank, slightly astringent aroma followed by grapefruit and sweet marmalade like citrus. Some bready/biscuit malt as opposed to caramel like malt flavor. Flavor is a well balanced ipa that is dank, slightly tropical with citrus and grapefruit. Maybe some hidden pine in there as well. Super easy drinking and not too bitter. Actually on the lower end of bitterness for MT's IPAs.

This beer hit on all points and would recommend this beer to anybody who likes IPAs.

 

That review is on point. As you know I am a huge MT fan. Love this beer because I just don't see good interpretations of this style that are available around the same price point and not bombers or 750s. Great pool and beach beer too! Wish I drink one of your beers on Sunday so I could have reviewed them but they were too good I like I dusted them in a week.

 

I'm not quite enough of a SW geek to know if that's an Imperial or Rebel pint glass, but it's awesome that such a thing exists either way (I have a friend who has an ice cube mold of Han Solo frozen in carbonite, and am a little envious if it). BTW, who is TG? In my region, that's Terminal Gravity, but it's obviously not a beer from them. And, DOH! There went a SN pint glass and one from Lost Coast. The downside to being both irredeemably clumsy and the possessor of a hardwood floor.