New Beer Sunday (week 525)

Tried it on Friday. Feel in love with this beer as I worked through it. For, me it began with a coffee cordial note not unlike Victory at Sea, but the stout came through about halfway through. Far more than I would have expected, and in that I regard I appreciated what Boulevard did here. The X series is off to a fine start. Thanks for sharing, and cheers to you both!

 

Good morning, stout saviors and dunkel disciples. Crack your pints and raise your steins one more time for your much anticipated but never duplicated beer review from your favorite NWNJ Cicerone-in-studying, Sir John von Shoemaker…

For you are all equally blessed. For I have the pride, the privilege, nay, the pleasure of introducing to you to a beer geek, sired by beer geeks. A beer geek who can trace his lineage back beyond Michael Jackson. I first met him atop a bar stool near Boston, talking to God, asking his forgiveness for the kegs of swill he first consumed, before seeing the light. Next, he amazed me still further in Petaluma when he saved two whalez, from the horror of hipster harlots and their would-be ravishing on Ratebeer.

In Belgium he spent a year drinking Hoegaarden just to better understand where MillerCoors went wrong. And so without further chilling of the beer mug, and with no more ado, I give to you, the seeker of strong ale, the protector of Czech pilsner, the advocate of Americna Pale Ale, the one, the only, Sir John von Shoemaker!

This NBS blessing bestowed by Firestone Walker’s §ucaba. Poured with vigor into my Lucifer snifter.

Sight: A dark amber, with an SRM of maybe 30 or so. Red highlights. Tan head that sits smooth and creamy. It eventually dies down. Lacing thick and generous.

Smell: Oak, vanilla, caramel. Malty sweetness. Dark fruit suggesting raisins, dates, or figs. All the hallmarks of a BBA English Barleywine.

Taste: Mimics the aroma, plus a mature presence of booze, more evident as it warms up. The chill I had on it makes it a little crisper, as it were.

Feel: Smooth, creamy. Long finish, due in part to the barrel aging. Luxury in a glass. Pulling air through it a-la a “wine taste” gets me a little more length, and even makes me cough a little from the booze. A confusing treat.

Overall: None of you know, but I’ve been chasing this whale (at least to me) for some time. I remember years ago when I just missed a tapped keg up at The Yard House at the Palisades Mall in West Nyack… and that was before I understood what BBA English Barleywine was. FW, I commend you, and now, I can let this one go. Excellent example of the style.

In honor of catching my white whale…

 

Love the Static X song choice. Were you hoping that Boulevard, or think they should, "push" the coffee?

 

Would be nice to see this one show up in UT.

Cheers!

 

I bought this on a whim, and wow, what a great beer. Subtle... except for the abv. Good drinking, and I might, like you said, look forward to it next year.

 

I'll echo Jane's sentiment, welcome to NBS.

 

I've already got it on my to do list for tomorrow: call shop and ask him to set me a few more aside

 

I've always seen this on the shelves at my local Shoprite Liquors. Now I know to buy it. Correction- the regular was what I saw. the BBA is a different animal. Either way, I'll grab it when I can.

 

New Barrel Aged English Style Barley Wine Sunday!


Courtesy of @gillagorilla

Not going to give details about my day, had an outburst at the job today. I said some things I shouldn't have, but I always say what's on my mind. Let's get down to Basics, the new brew.

I've had a few brews from Against the Grain, but never a malted beer. So I'm giving this on a go. First she pours gorgeous, murky dark brown body with very minimum lacing around the glass. Looks pretty outstanding so far. Let's get the aroma on this brew. This smells like a Barrel Aged BarleyWine. Caramel sweetness that's anchored by Oak and Vanilla. Alcohol is detected but not boozy. Some clean toasted brown bread and cereal grains making the background enjoyable. Smells pretty good. Let's work the Taste buds out now! Banging! This tastes amazing, vanilla and toasted oak slams the palate without remorse. Caramel and cereal grains (toasted oats) in the under flow of the Bourbon Notes. Nice ample sweetness to make this very enjoyable and not cloying or boozy. This finishes dry with subtle bitterness and faint alcohol. More caramel and bourbon in the aftertaste. The feel is medium bodied with nice soft scrubbing carbonation.

Overall: This is a tasty little brew that has me aching for another bottle. The booze on this brew is balanced with the sweetness that makes it enjoyable and not over the top. There is nothing really negative to say about this brew. No off-flavors, not infected, sweet enough to make this a great night cap. It is a heavy hitter that gets my vote. All the flavors are balanced, you get the Barrel notes and the Malt complexity. This isn't a wow beer, but far from being generic. All in all, this brew is Recommended!

Grade: A-

Musical Narration:



"The stories are always the same and the excuses even more familiar. Another generation of slave and masters coughed up and reswallowed. Another stagnant continuum of the status quo. Increments of time are the barriers of this isolation. Over these walls there isn't a life worth pursuing."

 

Head keeps getting steady action... ROFL.

 

Happy sunday everyone! Another 90 degree day here in Orange, but to me any weather is stout weather

This one was sent over to me by @TurkeyFeathers and was just one of many beers in an incredibly generous box. Very grateful for the generosity I've received from all these awesome BA's.

Anyway, onto the review:
This pours a heavy black with a beautiful mocha head. Very nice lacing on this. I get almost only roasted chocolate and coffee aromas on the nose along with a bitter smell also. I taste coffee, cocoa, roasted malt, some wood flavors, and dark fruits. As this warms up I'm liking it more and more and the chocolate really starts to shine. The feel of this beer is a creamy and thick stout that goes down incredibly smooth. Overall awesome beer and I'd definitely like to age one of these to do a comparison.

4.38/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Cheers all!​

 

Any weather IS stout weather. Good man, good beer.

 

New Green Waxed, Non Roll off the Tongue/ Usuer Friendly Named, IPA Sunday
Spent most of my Sunday washing the wife's car and spending some time getting ready for softball/baseball with the kids. Got this new Skilz hit away tee. I was kind of worried for $125, but it is pretty well constructed. Finally sitting down to enjoy the weather with the wife and this new brew on the deck.
This beer has been whispering to me in my sleep ever since @SanFranJake sent it to me last week, but I managed to hold out till NBS. Who doesnt want to crack opena waxed IPA?



Guess which one is mine.

4.44/5 rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A deep golden, almost orange pour out of a waxed bomber. Very cloudy with a huge, frothy off-white head that leaves significant lacing behind.

Aroma is sweet bready malts initially. Then grassy, floral, and citrus hops. It has a slight skunkiness to it reminiscent of some pilsners.

A lot of sweet carmel malts up front to match the nose. Then the hops remind you it's a west coast brew. Surprising amount of citrus though. More sweet than sour, like pineapple and mango. The sweetness from the fruit and malts is almost candy like. Still some classic pine flavor too. Solid bitter aftertaste. I didnt check the abv, but alcohol is not noticeable.

Very creamy, full bodied IPA. It leaves a nice oily resin coating on your tongue. Carbonation is just about perfect.

This is a kick-ass, well balanced monster of an IPA. I would have called this an east coast style DIPA at first glance and smell, but it really is a hybrid of east, midwest, and west coast. This is world class in my opinion, and one of the top 10-15 IPA/DIPA/TIPAs I have had. Surprised by some of the scores. I need more of these.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/870/78414/?ba=WesMantooth

 

Nah I just remembered Static X and thought Stout X would be a good pairing. I'm not skilled at linking my beers with my song choices. Sometimes I intellectualize them too much, not today. x and x.

 

4.1/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

From a 375mL bottle into an oversized wine glass. 2013 bottle.

Not much head on this---as a matter of fact, none at all. Just an odd-shaped lace formed in the middle of the glass. Carbonation ripples upwards and sticks to the side of the glass. The beer looks cider-like, a tinge of amber altering the golden color that can be seen at the base of the glass. 4.25

It smells of tart cherries and apples. Vinous with a touch of sweet vanilla. 4.25

Starts off with a bit of peach or apricot taste before becoming vinous with a flavor like white wine. A burnt cherry flavor weaves in and out. The finish is an earthy funk. I find some nice flavor here, but the fruit doesn't have the pop that I want. It becomes less pronounced, unfortunately. 4

Tart and vinous, in case I hadn't mentioned either enough. A slight funk but it's tasteful and not overdone. The body is light and this drinks pretty refreshing, like a lemonade perhaps, but with a touch of maltiness mid-palate. 4.25

It's 3F so of course it's good, but it doesn't have the fruit flavors of the Golden Blend nor the delicate sweetness that brew had.

 

Great review. I was in Ireland years ago, "good craic" was a pronouncement of a good night out. Great to see you enjoying a high abv ipa.

 

Understood. Sometimes my connections are obvious, sometimes they're cerebral.

 

As we say in Ireland, slainte!!!

 

A beer so new I had to add it to the site!
I stopped by Market Garden with some coworkers last week and picked up this to go. I'm not sure I've ever seen a label on a growler before! I have to work 12 hours on St Patty's Day so had to celebrate a little today.

Market Garden Brewery The Irishman's Enforcer
Fantastic nose. Full of everything dark you could enjoy in a Imperial Stout. Unfortunately the 9.5% is not well integrated and this shows a lot of heat, to the point it masks most of the other flavors. Interestingly the alcohol was not obvious on the nose. Still glad I tried it as it supports a local brewery and Cleveland is well known for its St Patrick's Day festivities, even if I can't join this year.

 

Yes, and don't forget, póg mo thóin.