New Beer Sunday (week 547)

Hello Friends, greetings from Ottawa, Canada's national capital, where the temperature is an insufferable 99 when you factor in the humidity. I'm a fat Canadian...I'm not built for this.

Today's new brew for me is Scotty Karate. Managed to get myself a few bottles from 2014, even though I realize the new batch will be out in a few weeks. Still, it was worth it...see the review below.



A: Pours a deep yet translucent brown with nice finger worth of head that breaks leaving little behind. As the sun comes through it appears a bit more red. 4.25

S: Typical of most Scotch Ales I have had...heavy on the malts and molasses, with a nice balance of dark fruits (figs, raisins etc.) and licorice/anise. 4.25

T: Much of the nose carries through, especially the malts and the anise. There is a definite smokiness to this beer as well. A very nice balance of flavors. 4.0

M: Medium body, smooth and medium/low carbonation. The alcohol is really well masked in this beer. 4.0

O: A nice Scotch Ale, and I love the label design to boot. I think this one may have mellowed a little as it is a 2014 sample, but it is still quite a good beer. 4.0

Overall: 4.08 rDev +2.8%

 

Forgot the picture!!
Must have had a senior moment!

 

Baking hot outside, but inside?

Welcome to Elysian's The Dread Imperial Oak-Aged Stout

Big chocolaty malt and oak impressions up-front on the nose and tongue; starts a bit sweet, finish dries somewhat; a little sticky, some sweetness like molasses; a little woody tang lingers behind. Full-bodied and smooth, bittersweet; leaves some coating behind with a hint of char. A well wrought ale. Perhaps not ground-breaking but recommended nonetheless.

Cheers...

 

I love Spiteful's labels and their brew names...I have had a few chats with their marketing team and found them to be great folks. Nice to see someone enjoying their brews!

Cheers!

 

I ought to forward this to my folks in the hope of providing them with some perspective. They complain their grandchildren live 250 miles away, and are pressuring me regularly to get a job in the same town with them when I only live 150 miles away.

 

99 in Ottawa? Lord have mercy. The world is turning on it's ear. Here in Greensboro, down in the trees, the temp at the house is 74, officially closer to 80. It is a lovely day, but a huge Ash limb just fell next to my grill, crushing a nice Rhododendron. It could be much worse. I'm cutting it up now. Cheers!

 

HI THERE!



My princess and I are leaving the security of the leper compound and journeying to a birthday party...



It's a theme party...


(I love this movie!)

: )

But before riding out, here's my NBS beer.

Oooooo! Has anybody had this yet? Maybe I'm the first?! Thanks to that former Disney child-star @WesMantooth I have this 4BEAN Porter for party-tune-up consumption.

Despite its outward dark monotone color it explodes in Disney Technicolor in my mouth! Reds, blues, greens, yellows, and purples. It's like Snow White & the Seven Dwarves are partying in my mouth!
(Don't think about that too long.)

Complex layered flavors...and yes, I'll say it, ROASTY! (and vanilla) The malty mouthfeel allows the delicious aftertaste to linger. It's Porter goodness!!



Have great day. Have a great Disney day!!!
We're off!

"You know it ain't easy learning to be like me."
~ Baloo

 

Great post, LJ! Try not to have too much fun at that party

 

Rock Art Limited Access DIPA from Morrisville, Vermont. 7.5% ABV. 75 IBUs. This is a fairly new beer since it was first introduced in April 2015. It is my first time having it. I believe it can only be found in Vermont.

I installed Windows 10 on my computer this week and I am still getting used to it. I have been concerned that some of my favorite websites, like this one, might not respond well. So far so good although I have found myself having to check what I type because sometimes I get delays on some of the letters I key in. It is harder to copy images from Untappd for me to post here. I have to grab the URL from the source codes. There is no choice of 'copy image URL' like there used to be.

The pour is a murky, sediment filled amber-orange with modest off-white head that fades back after a short time. Loads of tropical, orange, citrus esters on the nose with a subdued malt breadiness under it all. Medium body. Same tropical taste but there is a more grapefruit like finish that lingers on the backside.

 

Gansett Black Cherry Del's Shandy

it's not at all beer like, more like a substitute for a piece of cherry pie


I need to switch to real beer soon, but maybe first ll mix this w the lemonade one

 

There is no substitute for cherry pie.

 

Holy heatwave, Batman! That shall not deter me from getting into it with a 10% monster, however. I have here a nice little number brought to my attention earlier this week by @bubseymour after @breadwinner and I were discussing Columbus hops. An all-Columbus Imperial IPA? Yeah- I'm all over it-

Flying Dog Single Hop Columbus

The nose is earthy and dank, but not overly so, and it's lightened by touches of apricot and honey in the background. Hops are much more prominent on the first sip, where orange rind dominates out front. The 'weedy' dank pineyness comes on mid-palate, and it's fleshed out with a spicy marmalade quality, almost like a chutney. The feel is moderately full and satiny, but eventually it is marred by the heat of alcohol. The finish starts out with a lingering piney bitterness, but the alcohol eventually overtakes it and stays too long.

Yeah, it is supposed to be a strong beer, but I think it's a touch too hot to make it to the 'A' level. Still, I love these hops, and they really did showcase their rustic charm in an attractive way. B+ (3.85), will buy again (and will enjoy the other bottle in my fridge. Soon ).

To everyone else in the midst of the hazy heat wave-
" Be brave, be firm, and above all, be Cool."

 

Sherbie!!! What a cool kitty. Nice looking brew, too ...

I've been waiting for this New Farmhouse Ale Sunday for six long days:



Jester King's Vernal Dichotomous, a farmhouse ale brewed with kumquats, rosemary, lavender and spearmint ... and would you believe the spearmint shows up? I would've lost so much money betting on that, but it's in there, a nice minty note that works very well with JK's tart, musty barn flavor profile. Like many of JK's brews, this one is a blend of an older ale with a newer, the younger beer featuring the kumquats for referminting and the older 2012 brew containing the herbs.

The nose is a carbon copy of every other JK farmhouse ale I've tried (save the big imperial stout), but the flavor is unique ... it's a very nuanced unique, for it has all of the typical tart lemony/kumquat flavors of the other JK ales, but the spearmint is shockingly, and refreshingly, different. It's also a nice amount of sweetness, especially on the back end ... like *REAL* sugar sweetness ... in a farmhouse ale?

Methinks my palette is beginning to adjust to the world of sour beer.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24018/179991/?ba=Premo88
4.13
(not enough reviews to calculate rDev yet)

Label shots:



I can't believe how much I like this ... two years ago, I wouldn't have even bothered trying. I'm going to need a second job if I fall in love with these farmhouse ales much more.

Cheers!

 

Just wanted to wish everyone a great NBS. I don't have a new beer today as we've been here at the White Mountain Boogie and Blues Festival sine Friday. 3 days of world class blues it doesn't get much better!

 

Good afternoon NBS, starting my Sunday with a local pale ale that was canned a little over a week ago.
Mispillion River Space Otter
3.96/5rDev n/a
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz can, dated 8/5/15, poured into a pint glass

A- A clear golden amber with a three finger white head.

S- Citrus, herbal and floral hops, biscuity malts.

T- Citrus, slightly dank finish, faint sweet tropical fruits, biscuity/sweet bread malt backbone, nicely balanced.

M- Smooth, medium body, carbonation is slightly high.

O- A nicely done pale ale, pretty tasty. Worth picking up, easy drinking (404 characters)

Actually kind of reminds me of Pinner with some more maltiness, cheers!

 

Welcome to the family.

 

Greetings IPA imbibers and Doppelbock drinkers, I got a late start, but I'm here. It's a cloudy and humid 86 out here in NWNJ. I swore I heard thunder a little while ago, but I've yet to see the rain.

It was a hard decision on which to review today, and while I considered Stone's Thunderstruck for a review, I opted for a different brew.

On the docket: 750ml cork & cage Ommegang’s 2015 Belgian Independence Day Ale (Belgian Tripel)

Poured with vigor, but not so much as to upset the yeast at the bottom of the bottle.

Aroma: An immediate waft of clove-y, spice and fruity esters drifts off the head. There’s a bit of brightness, orange peel, grains of paradise, perhaps even star anise- all telltale signs of a Belgian style Ommegang beer. It also boasts some slightly sweet notes- the Mandarina hops. Mandarina’s signature is “tangerine” and I do get a bit of it here.

Sight: Cloudy gold like that of yellow car lights, a big puffy, airy stark white head, microscopic but busy bubbles rise to the top. The head recedes to a small cap.

Taste: The foundation of Belgian beer spices show up immediately. Also present is a bready malt, with a touch of sweetness. However, this is a dry, crisp beer. It’s got a medium bitterness, and at 9.2%, a kiss of booze. It’s not glaring and heavy-handed, but enough to remind you’re drinking a high-gravity beer.

Feel: Dry, but fairly full bodied for a beer this alcoholic. It’s just a little creamy, but not sugary, syrupy or cloying. Excellent carbonation, the bubbles scrub your tongue, making it ready for the next sip. Long finish.

Overall: I appreciate a modern twist on a traditional style, so the dry-hopping with the Mandarina hops are a welcome tradition. Other than this addition, it tastes pretty true to style. Very drinkable, the alcohol sneaks up on you. This is an excellent offering by Ommegang.

 

An addendum to my usual post this week:

I've started a beer blog through Wordpress. Those interested, please visit and feel free to offer constructive criticism.

https://johnshoemakersbeerreviews.wordpress.com/

 

Good afternoon, NBS. This week I got to be annoyed as well as elated. First off, I have moved most of my stuff into my GF's place. This will allow me to get the place updated with some repairs and updates, but not until my friend uses it for a couple months before moving into another place. I am wary of being a real landlord (debating what to do with my place eventually), and this pseudo case of it isn't helping. Overflowing sink causing some water damage. It will get taken are of, but is still a hassle.

Luckily later in the week the GF and I got to meet up with our virtual friend @MUTINY and his GF. Happy to say that, despite both of our apprehensions as to how well it would go, I had a very enjoyable time. I am sure there was some eye rolling when he and I got into BA-specific conversation, but I know my GF had fun, as well. I was happy the virtual conversation transferred easily to real conversation.

Anyhow, on to beer #2, to be consumed before I bottle my "Scalded Foot Ale". This one is simply called AleSmith IPA, simple enough:


I could not find a date on this thing, and the label - as it were - is coming off.
The beer pours golden, maybe toward the darker end, with a nice fluffy white head that lingers and laces.
Nose is tropical initially, pineapple and mango, with a sort of sugary sweetness.

The taste started a bit grassy on my first sip, but seems much more balanced in subsequent drinks. The beer seems clean, but with the bitterness so up front, it's harder to tell. The tropical notes aren't as sweet as they seem in the nose, and a more green-grass than pine (but a combo it does seem) hops taste takes over. The lingering taste is more pine, however.

There were some characteristics of this beer that made me wonder about it's age. I don't think it's OLD, but I'd be surprised it was inside of a month. That said, the items amounted to fuzzy edges around an otherwise solid beer. Glad to have AleSmith coming around, and I'm assuming I'll get another shot at this, and want to hold my official review until I have another chance at it.

 

For the title round on my NBS card this Sunday, I have a very impressive offering courtesy of @kemoarps

Fremont Brewing The First Nail Imperial Stout

First picture is just the bottle, but the wax is pretty impressive with the long drip





Most impressive immediate fragrance is old fashioned licorice before a little chocolate pipes in.

Taste is huge chocolate, hints of anise and bound together with molasses. The cinnamon is there, but not as a lead actor but rather as an accent to the chocolate.

The feel of this beer is nothing less than geniusly creamy and silky smooth. Thick, creamy and lots of sweetness lingering. Like drinking chocolate cake batter.

Excellent beer, pure and simple.