New Beer Sunday (week 565)

Well Stated!! This is a great brew that showcases sour cherries in a drinkable fashion.

 

This thing is a beast! Pours a beautiful reddish orange, with a 3 inch white head that leaves little to no lace. 4.5

Smell is tart cherries, clove, vanilla, and booze. 3.25

Taste follows very bitter cherries and booze, holy lord will time mellow this out? 3.25

Mouthfeel is medium, more carbonation than I expected with a brew of this size, very dry, and a true sipper. 3.5

Overall this is enormous and not for your average beer drinker. Very curious what this will turn into with age? 3.5

 

Uinta Brewing Jacked B Nimble
Imperial Black Pumpkin Ale - Bourbon Barrel Aged
11% ABV - Bottled 9/15/2015



3.81/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

750ml bottle poured into a snifter

A- Pours a dark but not pitch black color with a light tan colored head with excellent retention and lacing.

S- The nose is largely pumpkin spices, with some malty sweetness, a hint of molasses, and some faint notes from the barrel that increase as the beer warms in the glass.

T- The taste is sweet with the pumpkin spices coming in up front making way for a good dose of warmth from the alcohol in the finish to go along with a lingering sweetness. This one may be a little too boozy fresh, I think it may benefit from some aging.

F- The mouthfeel is medium-full bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

O- Overall, Jacked B Nimble is a pretty solid twist on your typical pumpkin beer. In fact, the warmth from the alcohol and the barrel aging almost make you forget you are drinking a pumpkin beer after a while. It is solid fresh but I reckon that this will get even better with some time.

 

Hello, NBSers, and welcome to the day after The Day Of The Darkness. First up, delightful APA.



When I first started REALLY hanging here on BA and participating on the forums and in threads (instead of just vetting beers that I was considering for purchase), one of the brewers I noticed that really intrigued me was Maine Beer Company. The beers I saw on WBAYDN were beautiful and always raved about.

So imagine my surprise when, whilst visiting The Hop Leaf in Chicago with a buddy I've known since I was 5 years old (back in the dark ages, otherwise known as 1968), I saw they had Maine's MO. I bought, I drank it, I loved it. And after a great evening of drinks and food, my buddy told me that a beer store across the street from The Hop Leaf had Zombie Dust. So off we trotted to the beer store .....

Where they had this, Mean Old Tom, and King Titus. I grabbed all 3, plus the ZD, and fled the store like my hair was on fire to get the beer on ice (I'm a beer nerd - I travel with a Coleman cooler in my trunk). I had Mean Old Tom yesterday to kick off my TDOTD festivities yesterday, and now Peeper is kicking off my NBS festivities.

And what a gorgeous kickoff - slightly hazy, as golden as the sun is on a brilliant July day. The aroma is floral hops, and that follows on the flavor, but I'm also getting something similar to Lemondrop hops. Not a lot of malt, but that wouldn't fit with this hop profile, IMHO. Just a magnificent example of the style, IMHO. Rated 4.25 here:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/20681/51512/

 

Always loved Weheinstephaner original, never tried this one. Really tasty. cheers all

 

Happy New Peppermint Imperial Coffee Porter Sunday, all - a day late and $1 short, as usual. I had another one in mind for today's NBS festivities, but I saw this at the grocery store on the way home from work and decided it looked... well, interesting. Popped the cap as soon as I got home and - POW! I could pick up the aroma from across the kitchen! Beautiful pour of the deepest brown and a dark tan head that leaves some spotty lacing:


I poured this at slightly above fridge temperature, but I noticed that the aroma and flavor profile did not change much as it warmed. There is a touch of mint on the nose, but the aroma is predominately burnt coffee and dark roasted malts. There is a little more bitterness on the finish as the temp increases, and the flavors of dark roasted espresso beans begin to emerge. You can't help but wonder: Where is the alcohol? This is some dangerous stuff, indeed!

Despite the name, don't expect a peppermint bomb. There is just enough of a tinge of peppermint to justify the name, and it balances quite nicely with the sweetness and coffee bitterness. I drank the entire bomber without intending to do so, which is a tribute to how complete and balanced this is. Now I'm heading off to the pantry for some cookies to pair with this intense - and insanely good - cup of joe!

Rating: 4.21 / rDev +9.9

Prost!

 

Here we have Bourbon Barrel Stout from Anderson Valley. Was $9.99, and I am not a big fan. It's 6.9%, what kills it for me is the watery body and unappealing nose. Drinks OK, certainly getting some dryness and bourbon from the barrel. But apparently this weeks NBS is just destined for mediocrity for me.

Cheers BA!

 

One last one as I head into... Wait!?! Summabitch!

Ok, whew! This one wasn't nearly the difficulty that the Schlafly was. Where was I?

Oh yeah... as I head back into the darkness that is the work week. At least it's only 3 days this week. Expectations high on this one, so let's see what Bourbon Barrel Aged Plead the 5th (BBPt5) can do for me:


Pours very dark, but looking pretty flat as it goes in the glass. As I stop the pour, a little wave of deep brown head rises to the surface. Thin ring is what I end up with, but agitation shows the beer isn't completely flat.

Initially and strangely I get a banana nose. I see where I get it later when it becomes a cream pie-like note - coconut instead of banana. Interesting. Really I expected a stronger scent, but there's a mocha coffee/vanilla/coconut nice smell, but I'm forced to look (or sniff) for it.

The sip, and wow is this rich, but balanced. Dark chocolate brownie, vanilla, the coffee powder you get on tiramisu come together early. The bourbon shows up fashionably late. A woody bitterness grows slowly and I'm left with a nice warm sensation on my palate. I wish the flavors washed over my palate a little more on the feel. The flavors are well constructed, I'd like to savor them more.

Gonna let this warm even more and adjust my ratings as I do. I have another of these (thanks to @beergorrilla) to help with an official review at a later date. Cheers, and happy holidays, NBS!!

 

That beer from your description is right up my alley. Id love to try that one!

 

Just got back from watching the Packer game at a local bar. Had this beer named "212 Boiling Ale", and though the brewery listed online is named the same as the bar I was in (212 Boiling Point) they are clearly not a brewery, and online reviews are East Coast. Maybe it is brewed for them. It was served cold, contrary to the name - thank god. One finger head, lasted a few minutes which is pretty good for head. Couldn't find much info on this other than it is an American Amber/Red Lager. Seems decent enough, not too bitter, some initial taste of burnt toast.

 

#2, this excellent porter.



Beautiful on the pour, all the classic porter notes, aromas are dark chocolate and coffee. The taste - the dark chocolate is REALLY present, just wave after wave of decadence. Some coffee and caramel, too, but the dark chocolate rules the day. It's a bit more effervescent than a traditional porter, but that doesn't detract from the excellence that this beer possesses.

I'm trying to convince Mrs. O that we need to make a Vermont/New Hampshire/Maine tour this spring, and maybe stop at a couple of breweries.

Maybe.



Have an excellent Sunday evening, NBSers.

 

SA Sparkling Ale...hadn't had anything from SA in awhile but wanted cheaper 12 pack so picked up the winter selection today
I like this one, would drink again, tasty low abv light beer. Looks like any light beer but has a little pale Ale hop flavor and nice carbination

 

AWWW be nice now!

Nice - Flying Dog Brewery


Flying Dog Brewery - Nice by imbibehour, on Flickr

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass.

An exceptionally crystal clear beer, almost too much as it shines with a very light gold, nearly American Adjunct looking, with a watery looking disposition. Easily see a fine small amount of carbonation in the middle, but there is no head creation off the pour on this thing at all. A faint collar is left but manages to stay, missing much of the classic rocky and big head and lace. Looks shiny and nice I guess.

Aroma manages a little off. Hints of bile quite a bit, some strange bready tones and some basic candi sucrose. Not horrific but really not that great either. This so far is not driving well.

Well at least it tastes better than it looks. Slight chewy malt backbone on the palate, quite a good amount of sweetness and spice in the mid palate. Slightly fruity front with some good sugar, with a big spicy clove angle. Finishes a bit spiced hot strangely, nearly feeling like white pepper. Hints of apple and pear just a bit, with an easy drinking of somewhat wet feel.

Seemed like this was going downhill but it just manages to save itself, but there's better to be had out there by far in this style.

look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5 | BA Generated Score: 3.37

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Can I get another in?!? who knows.. definitely some Christmas beers in my fridge.. I really do seem to gravitate to Belgians during this time too. Strangely I prefer Naughty to Nice on this one even if it is quite out there and a Belgian Dark. Fun to try em both though!

 

Hello once again New Beer Sunday peeps.
12 hours at work, training the new guy in, and it went very well, so well, I won't have to be there the whole day next Sunday. Though, I might be ice fishing, so the issue of being at work would be moot.

Now to the beer

Carnal Knowledge Double Oatmeal Stout from Tyranena Brewing

Nice dark colored. There was minimal head. Get hints of chocolate in the nose.

Taste - Interesting. At first it seemed a bit mellow, but then it kicked in. The chocolate, and caramel flavors were delicious. This is a very good beer for a cold winter night, it warms you up.

4.25 out of 10

 

Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams) Merry Maker Gingerbread Stout.



4.15/5 rDev +10.1% look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25 This beer pours dark with a thick, tall, dark tan head. Great looking pour. Head dissipates fairly quickly leaving decent lacing. There's a strange metallic smell I'm picking up. Not sure why that is. First taste is strong nutmeg and cloves with that strange metallic taste underneath. The 9% ABV is hidden pretty well. As advertised, it tastes a lot like a Gingerbread cookie. A little thin, but despite the metallic thing (which faded as it warmed), I really enjoyed it.

 

I pass by this all the time at Wegmans for $9.99 a bottle. Can't bring myself to buy one yet. Maybe I'll buy one and cellar it???

 

Im at my inlaws with more inlaws than I like to be with for a period of this long. I need this beer tonight. You'll also note the wrong glassware, also related to being at the inlaws.

A nice IP trade procured this NBS beer today. Odd Side Ales Hipster Brunch Stout, a BB aged imperial stout with coffee, maple syrup and bacon. Interesting, yes, could be delightful or horribly wrong. I've heard the hype so I knew what I was in store for.

Deep, dark pour with a cappuccino head. Beautiful pour. Smell is sweet, coffee and vanilla, chocolate. Taste is much of the same. A well rounded beer, so smooth. This is a special beer. The best from OSA. Worth the hype.

 

New Beer Sunday: New Winter Warmer, the Deschutes Jubelale

Evenin' NBSers, with special seasons salutations to Winter Warmer Welcomers, and a special thanks to @utopiajane for her kick off of this thread with a Holiday season Beer.

Well after a few days of record breaking warm temperatures the last two days have been seasonably cold and windy. Yesterday was overcast all day but today we at least got to see the sun. The forecast shows us on track to set another record for warm temperatures on Christmas day so there's no chance of snow being on the ground.

Well the mouse in the house has won a draw so far as it refuses to take any of the bait offered in 5 different traps of two different designs set at various places around the house. I'm thinking it has too much freedom to return to the wild since there's no snow or freeze out there to keep it inside. So the mouse hunt saga continues.

After realizing I'd almost reached a tick milestone of 100 beer styles here on BA I started looking at what it would take to get to 100. Not too long ago I got the Anchor American Dark Wheat and that brought me up to 99. After figuring out what remains I've got number 100 picked out and will probably tackle it early next year. Interestingly enough it will be one of the easiest styles to find and one of the lowest of the low in the ratings, but one which I'd probably not try if it weren't for the tick. Anyway, more about that next year.

This evening's new beer is the Jubelale Winter Warmer from Deschutes which I've not tried sooner simply because Dechutes has only been distributing to PA for just over a year. It seemed an appropriate choice for this particular Sunday.

As usual my review is subject to revision until I finish the beer and is in progress here:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/63/2178/?ba=drtth

I have had a chance to be listening to a bit of holiday music at one or two times throughout the day and came across a recording by a group I once had a chance to see/hear perform live on their home turf. Impressive music, impressive performance and impressive building--when it is totally empty you really can be at one end of the building and hear a pin drop at the other end.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

 

Damn!!! Fro Michigan to NY to your mouth in days...FRESH!!!

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again; and looking forward to a short week ahead. Thanks to @utopiajane for getting us rolling again this week. I just have some data reports to publish at work again this week, then I am set until the turn of the year. I'm in automotive so we get a full holiday break because of plant shutdown every year. My whole family gets to together in OH only at this time of year. (Sister is in MO, Mom in ND, Dad is at home base in OH).

Here are today's new beers:

Outstanding Berliner weisse! Aromas and flavors of big lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange peel, green apple, wheat, cracker, hay, straw, grass, and light yeast funk/earthiness. Moderately tart and light spiciness; with very smooth, crisp, and moderately dry finish; with a pleasantly acidic mouthfeel with a touch of wheat creaminess as well. Medium-high carb and light bodied. This had a great balance of tartness and malt character; has a nice amount of malt presence overall for 3.8%; not bland or watery whatsoever. I loved this stuff. The nose was enormous on yuzu fruit and tart/acidic notes. Very vibrant and fresh smelling. I wouldn't mind picking up a pack of this when I go back to Ohio later this week. So refreshing. 4.22


This has been in my fridge for a while, 9/23 dating. This was very good overall. Aromas and flavors of grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, peach, mango, lemon zest, orange peel, and pine hops; with moderate light caramel/toasted bready malt and floral/grassy hop earthiness. Good amount of pine/citrus rind bitterness; with a very smooth finish with moderate hop stickiness and slight creaminess in the mouthfeel. Nice moderate dryness from bitterness as well. Very drinkable as expected of 6%. Overall this was very enjoyable. Aromas were a bit weak, but this is a well rounded IPA with nice hop complexity. 3.78


2014, batch 9. This is incredible! Aromas and flavors of big tart lemon, lime, orange, green apple, pear, white grape, pepper, leather, oak, light white wine vinegar, wheat, cracker, hay, straw, grass, and musty funk/yeasty earthiness. Moderate peppery yeast spice and fruity/acidic tartness; with a very smooth/crisp finish with moderate acidity and slight grainy/stickiness in the mouthfeel. Medium carbonation and body. Well balanced acidity against light pale malty sweetness; good dryness. Incredible complexity and wildly funky across the board. The acidity and overall flavor profile of this is very similar to many Gueuze I've had in the past; but still retains a lot of that spicy saison character. Amazing stuff. 4.3


With Xmas coming up this week, I figured I'd crack something festive open. I still have a few Oktoberfest/pumpkin beers to review, so it's pretty much guaranteed that I will still be reviewing Christmas beers into March. The reverse seasonal creep. Anyways, this was really nice! Aromas and flavors of big milk chocolate, cocoa, peppermint, caramel, toffee, toasted dark bread, and light coffee/smoke/nutty malts; and a touch of herbal hop/mint earthiness; with a light-medium amount of cooling peppermint notes. Balanced bittersweet finish; with nice medium bodied creamy/silkiness in the mouthfeel. Well rounded porter complexity with nice presence of peppermint leaf notes. Cooling qualities of the mint on the finish slightly build up through the glass; leaving a pleasing feeling on the palate. Overall really minimal complaints at all. This was delicious and very enjoyable. 3.9


Cheers! Have a good night NBS.