New Beer Sunday (week 577)

Love the song choice!

 

I've been meaning to pick one of these up. You provided the impetus. Thanks for the review!

I really need to get a hold of this. I love everything Omnipollo and have been impressed by the two Tired Hands beers I've had.

Awesome write up.

 

Greetings all and happy time change Sunday,
Well, I've stopped drinking, now in my second week. I've done this before, but this was the toughest yet. I'm doing this for a variety of reasons, some likely upcoming surgery being prominent amongst those reasons. So, rather than posting about new beers, I'll be lurking about and reading my favorite forum through and through. I'll need to keep up with my friends and most likely will continue to make silly jokes. My average Scrabble score has soared! Cheers to all and I'll report back to keep in touch and to say hello. Dick

 

After the Bigfoot tasting last night and dealing with the temporary sorrow of UVa losing in the ACC Championship, I figure I'll start a little light today, in a second. Before the beer I want to mention that we hit a microbrewery yesterday that is fairly new, and definitely new to us, Aslin Beer Company. Although it wasn't Sunday, maybe it's close enough? We had been hearing more and more about them on local sites and social media, so glad to hit them up. The little place (that wasn't that easy to find, by the way, as the map gave up too soon when claiming "you have arrived!") was fairly busy yesterday.

They had 5 beers on tap, two of which we thoroughly enjoyed, one that was decent, and two that were ok - but were a tad sweet in our opinion (although the GF liked the sweetness of the milk stout, I thought it was a little over the top). Yesterday's WBAYDN has my pics of the NE IPA Stellar Parallax that was the big seller; and in a I've-never-seen-this-before, I added the beer here and it already has 5 hads (and 3 reviews, including mine)! Looking at the list on this site, it looks like they might not be repeating beers too often, if at all, yet. Will have to return, and as they have a Crowler machine, maybe include an offering in NBS BIF #3.

Anyhow, onto today's new beer:


Stillwater Moneytree$ - I am a fan of Gose, preferring them to have a certain level of tartness and salinity to really hit home to me. This beer claims to be a hybrid of the Gose style and a session IPA, apparently. Let's see how that goes.

The half pours above were fairly clear. Nice amount of head, and that stuck around. I finished the pours, as you see in the upcoming pics, and the beer got considerably more cloudy. That's fine with me for the style, as was the head retention (though little lacing occurred).

The nose started foreshadowing that this isn't a normal Gose. I got more earthy herbal notes than tart and salt. The closest to any fruit note was a watemelon rind like note. In truth, I was thinking more of a farmhouse ale than either an IPA or a Gose.


The taste finally proved that this was not the Gose I was looking for. The lightly tart saline water opening was a tease, as it quickly faded into an earthy to even woody like bitterness. It did seem to miss the funk that could complete my farmhouse impression, but it's earthiness isn't outside of what I've found in some Saisons. As the beer warms, the opening notes leech further into the mid taste, but that earthiness also grows dirty and grassy and stronger. One step forward, one step back.

Oh well, this attempted hybrid didn't work for me. I'd have rather it stuck to one or the other (preferably the Gose), but the combination - and at the very least this execution - doesn't work for me. Maybe I'll get to that howler of Aslin beer we brought home for NBS soon.

(Sorry for the extra long post, even for me )

 

Missed this last year (it's first year?), but found a random single this year - as in, yesterday - of this year's release, dated 01/25/16 - in a store I rarely frequent, as I got a haircut ( a 'once-every-1-2-years' kinda thing)...

Haircut before and after...

--> that 'before' pic was from November, so it was longer for the 'cut...

Enough of me...

How 'bout dat weather? Cool and grey here, though Spring has her marks all over the past week or so. Daylight savings and official start next week and all... I'm partial to the cooler weather (summer's become tropical of late on the island long, despite our moderate latitude) *global warming*), so I'm delighted with the day...

Oh, yeah - the beer

There it is...

Drank it slow, prolly spanning a coupla hours (no kidding) - done now, and reporting... Bourbon barrel coffee stout, 17.5% abv ... Avery's high-grav beers are pricey ($14.99 for this one), but reliably good. The chocolate is like syrup, the bourbon casting vanilla vapors all over it; coffee radiates throughout, amply sweetened as if by boozy molasses. The body is medium-full, a little bit of stick on the finish, and nary a hint of char or rough flavor. the alcohol does sing through, adding a tingle not of carbonation but of heat, and for my tastes, exactly what I expect. A little on the sweet side, but representing all the advertised elements in a big drinking stout. Worthy of the ratings...

Cheers, NBS...

 

I agree with everything you said about this beer except I thought it a little darker in color and felt a little "heavier" than I'd expect for the style. Did enjoy the beer, quite tasty.

 

Good Morning NBS!!!
Muchisimas Gracias Maria. As always a festive beginning.
Cool and cloudy here in SoCal. We're looking at a bit more rain today. THANK GOD!!! We need it. Also, it's funny to hear the panic in the traffic reports when SoCal residents are befuddled, and a few terrified, by the idea of driving in a 1/4 inch of rain. Ah, you folks that understand REAL weather must be constantly entertained by us out here.
I'll chime in later, with a new beer...and a NBS BIF #3 Hint...

 

Good morning BAs. Had a great day yesterday for Family Adventure Day and was so worn out by the time I got home I didn't even beer anything. So this morning, I will be cracking open a valuable extra (gem) from a recent trade - Ozark Brewing's 2016 Bourbon Double Cream Stout (BDCS).

Unfortunately, for some reason, its not showing up here on BA (?) This is the follow-up batch to Ozark's immensely popular first run of BDCS last year (which by the way is on BA). 10.2% alcohol by volume



L: 4.25; As you can see, this beer pours a murky dark, dark brown color with some mocha-colored head forming from a semi-aggressive pour. That head foams up about a finger and a half's worth and then settles without leaving much lace.

S: 4.5; Oh but YES! This thing rings in aromas of dark chocolate, walnuts, pecans, oak, raisins and other dark fruits and a solid splattering of bourbon!. Sweet bready malt, like sweetdough rolls are also in there. So far, so good.

T: 4.5; Taste is exactly what you would want. (BCBS? hunh?) Good balance of sweet malt, bourbon, nuts, dark fruits and oak. This is soooo good!

M: 4.75; To me, this is where this beer rounds the bases instead of a long double. The rich, creamy feel is balanced perfectly with the amount of booze and other flavors mentioned above. Not to thick for style, probably on the heavy-medium side of the spectrum - but not full bore heavy-bodied. Just so much velvety creaminess in the sip.

O: 4.75; I have to say, never heard of this beer before it arrived in a box but daaaaaaammmmmnn! I am certainly glad I did. This is one of the best BBA stouts I've tasted. It can definitely hold its own with the big boys. Awesome beer



This is the Real Freaking Thing, for sure

 

Greetings, NBSers! Well, even though I lost an hour, I still managed to get everything I needed to done. Kids playing next door, wife catching up on her girly DVR shows, and I'm trying a new beer while out on the patio. Life is good.

Today's new beer is Otra Vez, a gose by Sierra Nevada. Pours pretty light, lots of carbonation. Aroma is salty and that strange prickly cactus kind of sweetness. Taste is very similar. It starts off refreshing, but then that weird cactus taste comes in. For you Jersey folks, this reminds me of a more subdued version of Carton's Dune Fruit, the one and only Carton beer I haven't liked. That taste reminds me of vomit or acid reflux. Not good. This isn't as pronounced as the Carton beer, but me no likee. Oh well, can't like 'em all I guess.

 

Good day NBS fans! A cool and rainy day around this neck of the woods calls for something befitting the conditions. I picked up a four pack of Moody Tongue Brewing Bourbon Barrel Aged Chocolate Barleywine when I was at Binny's in Chicago a few weeks back. It was a Valentines Day release that sold out rather quickly and I was shocked to see a lone four pack out of place on the shelves with IPA's. It's on the higher side at nearly $30 a four pack, so maybe someone changed their mind and dropped it? I took it as a sign and scooped it up. Let's pour this 9 percent abv. delicious sounding dessert in my 10oz. snifter and see if I made a wise purchase?

Pours a brown color resembling Lipton tea leaving a trace amount of light tan foam. The aroma is big whiskey and some caramel. A little dark cherry, wet wood and some char in the back. Flavor is bourbon forward delivering vanilla, oak, tobacco, dark cherry, and finally faint chocolate notes. The feel is thin with some mouth tingle from carbonation and alcohol heat.



Wise decision? In my opinion yes. My first beer from Moody Tongue and it's a winner. This beer drinks much larger than the 9 percent on the label with great bourbon flavor. Being a chocolate lover, I wished for a more prominent chocolate presence, but the vanilla and dark fruit flavor delivered. I'll be on the lookout for this again! My score was 4.25 / rDev -1.2%.

Being a Chicago beer historian and collector, I was excited to see this beer came out of the Pilsen neighborhood in Chicago. The area derived it's name from a brewery that operated there from 1903-1962. It hosted one of the more prominent outdoor beer gardens in the city that was appropriately named Pilsen Park. Here's a few artifacts from my collection for those that are interested.



Have a great Sunday gang. I'm going to enjoy the rest of my Moody beer on this moody day. Sorry, I couldn't resist! Here's the official scorecard.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35410/196177/?ba=Prager62

 

Great beer. Personally I find it just as good as BCBCS and, given the increased price of that beer and the infection this year, Tweak gets the nod. Also, it seems you're paying an extra two dollars due to being an NY resident.

 

I really enjoy this as I do most goses. I like the cactus addition. It seems I'm in the minority there. I will say, when I had it on tap at the Torpedo room it was more impressive than from the bottle.

 

Thanks, Maria!

Word. Plus, whatever NY pays, LI pays a dollar on top...

 

I have only had this beer once on draft but the flavor of the Prickly Pear comes off as a Watermelon Jelly Rancher candy for my palate. I happen to enjoy Watermelon Jelly Rancher so I enjoyed this flavor contribution to Otra Vez.

Cheers!

 

I haven't had that many goses, but this is the first one I haven't liked. First SN beer I didn't like for that matter.

 

Interestingly I bought that on Friday and had it in my hand for today and changed my mind and grabbed New Beligium Hoppy Blonde instead.

 

I didn't get watermelon. But I recently tried Watermelon Dorado from Ballast Point and hated that too. Handed that one off to the wife.

 

My top 7 Red Ales AVB Rate Variance

• Tröegs Nugget Nectar 7.5 4.4 2%
• Great Lakes Nosferatu 8 4.28 5%
• Tröegs Hopback Amber Ale 6 4.11 2%
• Global Warmer 7 4.1 4%
• Riverwest Stein Beer 5.68 4.1 8%
• Dawn Of The Red I.R.A. Ale 7 4.07 4%
• Green Flash Hop Head Red Ale 8.1 4.04 1%

Recent Red Ales / American Ambers that don’t make my top 7:

Trout Town Rainbow Red Ale - Roscoe
3.92/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pleased to write 2nd review of this odd, original red- IPA. I'm giving a 4 for originality.
A - Pours a very dark, cloudy amber and a persistent and lacing khaki head, leaving a thicker film, collar and lace. 4
S - Toasty/malty. fruit malt nose, more malt that hop, a bit of pine and a bit medicinal and sweet.
T - Sweet, rich bready malty brew, with lots caramel, almost cola like, and follows a slight drying hop finish.
F - Sticky, almost sweet. Strange.
Must try. Not wanting another, but love original woodsy brews like this.

Great Lakes Conway's Irish Ale
3.75/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Loved reds when I first found craft, but have moved more toward blacks and hops, so allowing my bias to flow.
Poured from a bottle into a tulip pint glass, named Duvel.
Appearance: Pours a clear dark reddish, amber color with a finger of tan head that leaves a layer on top of the pour, but laces too insufficiently.
Smell: Lots of bready caramel malt sweetness. Wood, cedar.
Taste: Follows small, the malt is really the core with hints of bread, wood, cedar and caramel. Enough spice and nut to keep it interesting.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with lower carbonation. Dry finish.
Overall: Likeable, could be 5.5% ABV instead, but denser and more woody than most. Good food beer.

Broken Red Ale - Broken Bow
3.33/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
All Broken Bow beers are minerally (NY water) and slightly sour.
You must try this odd red ale - one of my fave styles done here the oddest way. Just above Yonkers.
A: Pours a dr. pepper cherry bronze color w dotty film and lace.
S: Smells of mostly sour, with caramel, cola, cherry, and dark fruits. Sweet and no hops.
T: follows smell but more tart, cidery, almost peppery on top of a caramel, grape and cherry base. Too odd for me, but fun. Good with peppery cayenne dark chocolate.
F: Thin, fizzy and continued on the border of cider, soda.
Overall - Weirdly enjoyable. Try 1