New Beer Sunday (week 581)

Me too! All looked well up until this past week when everything took a dump. I call it paying the freight for that mild snow free winter.

 

Probably should have included this in my post - my BIF box - thanks again @foundersasap

 

Absolutely loved the melon version.

 

Thanks for the reminder to vote. When does the voting end? Today? I have some pics to review. Damn.

 

So the funny thing about BIFs is that they have these half-lifes or evil (in a good way) spawns, in the form of additional BIFs. One of those happens to be a box of smoked beers that @TongoRad sent me that included the phenomenal Schlenkerla Fastenbier and this gem:



Also a new brewery for me, Forgotten Boardwalk. Here are my thoughts and thanks again to Michael!

4.07/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 ounce can into an English pub glass.

What? How does this pour so damn thick and viscous. I thought it was a 14% stout based on the pour. But only 5.7. Well then. Pitch black body in the glass with an ashy khaki head that's frothy and creamy. Beautiful lace as the head sloooooowly recedes.

Morro Castle smells like my type of place. Smoked out. Ham and campfire. Milky chocolate and caramel to boot. Light sweetness, but mostly just assertive smoke.

Hershey's chocolate syrup is the first thing I taste. Lots of chocolate on this and I'm not complaining. Smoke seems to take a back seat here, playing a supporting role and contending with some bitter and spicy hops for my palate's attention. Yeast also tries to enter but the finish again delivers chocolate. I like what I'm tasting, though I wouldn't mind more aggressive smoke/ham flavor.

The feel is a bit schizophrenic for me, as it can be sweet, viscous and rich in one moment and bitter and yeasty and dry the next. The two don't seem to have quite melded together or just don't want to play nice with one another. As a result one sip is rich and delicious and sweet, while the next feels overly bitter. 3.5

A real pleasant surprise and I'd gladly drink a few of these.

 

I had hoped to end the voting today but I won't cast that in stone but I'd really like all the votes in early next week at the latest so I can ship on the following Monday.

 

Good afternoon, everyone. I've been busy all weekend at my son's college rowing event so I pulled this bottle of Avery The Czar from the back of the fridge. It's one of those bottles that I look at frequently but there was always something more "special" for NBS. It was bottled in 2014 and I have no basis to compare it to a fresh bottle. It's a competent RIS that has all the elements I like except for a rather thin body. Here's my review:

4.02/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottled in 2014. Poured into a stout glass. It pours a dark mahogany - nearly black - with a creamy light tan head and lacing. It smells of roasted malt, dark chocolate, vanilla, and oak. The taste features mocha, cocoa powder, dark fruit, and a hint of molasses. It has an earthy, rich flavor. There is a slight bitterness at the finish. For a stout, it's rather thin in body but with a moderate ABV of 8.5% it is extremely drinkable. Overall, it is a good RIS that touches all the bases but it isn't in the top tier with the likes of Parabola, Ten Fidy, Narwhal, and Bell's Expedition.

I think I grade RIS on a curve because I like the style. Enjoy your new beers today!

 

New Farmhouse Ale from NBS BIF #3 Sunday
Greetings NBSer's.
I wont' add too much from all the posts about the BIF other than stating it's a grand time and a great way to get beers you would otherwise not have access too. Thanks to @beertunes for getting the thing going and generally being a great instigator and host.
I have the pleasure of reviewing a really interesting ale sent from @cjgiant. This is a well hopped saison with probably the best aroma I've come across in a long long time. Great complexity of yeasty fruity spice with hoppy fruitiness. Just super.
The rest of the beer doesn't meet that standard. Not it's bad, although the bottle noted "subtle bitterness" which is like saying MN winters are cool. But the flavors are complex and interesting and the feel is fine (I mean that in an enjoyable manner, not just satisfactory).
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25696/164838/?ba=garymuchow#review

Best to all this week.

 

I am an idiot. didn't even read the neck label. Sorry.

 

Back for another and showing some love for @2beerdogs generous box of fine beers and I wasn't even his NBS/BIF target. Thanks Derek! I'm sharing this undated bomber of June Lake Brewing Hutte DIPA rated at 90 IBU's with an abv. of 9.5 percent. Pouring this in my Four Fathers glass for the taste just like @SammyJaxxxx !

Pours a hazy reddish gold with a half finger of white foam that settles into beautiful lacing. The smell is grapefruit forward with pine and cheesy yeast esters. Flavor is once again dominated by grapefruit along with some pine and a hint of floral. There is a hearty dose of malt in the finish. The feel is resiny oil with a slick malt backbone.



A dangerously drinkable DIPA with a balanced mix of hop bite and malt sweetness. A change of pace from the juice bombs that are taking over. I'd gladly drink this again if I ever get my butt out to California again! My score was 3.93 / rDev +0.5%.

Here's the review gang.......

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35865/149576/?ba=Prager62#review

 

Like you, I may have had a lot of beers, but I'm not a hop expert. Having said that, after a couple local places debuted single hop pales and IPAs made with Comet last year, the only one I enjoyed was a homebrewed IPA a friend made, and he finished that off with Ahtanemum hops (I'm probably spelling that wrong). It's a hop that seems to promise much initially, but not pay off too well.

 

I'd only ever had it on tap, so wasn't sure how the bottle would affect the beer, if at all (3 Stars bottles have been hit or miss with me). When I had this the first time, I found it interesting and pretty decent - though the hops probably could've been a little more subdued. Next time I have it I'll need to re-evaluate the nose based on your review. Cheers!

 

OK, review for the correct beer here: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31527/120990/ . I thought it was a bit spicy and fruity, not to mention cloudy, for a Pilsener!

 

A Big Lebowski-themed beer label! I love it!

 

I'm going to strongly encourage voting today. This is @smanson56 's baby, and he can do it how he wants, but I'm strongly in favor of not dragging things out. My suggestion is to get your vote to him no later than Tuesday, and the earlier better.

 

Incidentally, those are dead soldiers from @Ri0's still ongoing onslaught in the background. When I've dealt with all of his bif box, I'll be posting a necropsy photo.

 

The weather has been a bit spasmodic recently and the cold snap yesterday left me in the hankering for something rich and warming. Thankfully, I had just the thing waiting for me and I have been very excited all day to finally try this. With over 6 months already on it, I was slightly dismayed at buying it and again when pouring it as I knew I wouldn't be able to have a full aging experience with it. But when I tasted it...



L -- Jet black with a thick, frothy mocha colored head. Not a ton of lacing on this one as the ring that develops around the edge as the head recedes doesn't stick. 4.5

S -- Roasted sweet coffee, plum, molasses, dark chocolate. 4.25

T -- Roasted malts of coffee and chocolate, tons of them. Not cloyingly sweet either, but there's a definite sweetness that helps to balance out the roasted notes. Lots of stone fruit flavors in this and it melds together incredibly well. I keep thinking to myself that this should taste sweeter than it does while being very happy it does not. 4.5

F -- Viscous is the best description. Thick and creamy and just full enough that you don't go through the beer quickly, but it also doesn't feel like syrup. 4.5

O -- Really fantastic. This is damn near a perfect beer for a cold and dreary night. Or just dreary. Or night. Or day. Or you've already caught my drift and realized I'm saying this would be great whenever. 4.5, overall rating of 4.44

Loving all the BIF tastings and the appreciation everyone has for the efforts their senders/ninjas pursued to provide these beers. Happy Sunday everyone, and godspeed for the week ahead.

 

North Coast Pranqster, 7.6% ABV, 20 IBU, Belgian Strong Pale Ale. Lots of head that lasts. Nose is slight citrus, smells "fresh". Taste is also citrus, not much bitterness, carbonation moderate to heavy. Very drinkable - could put a number of these away on a hot day, and the alcohol would sneak up on you since it doesn't come through on the taste. This would be good to serve guests who are used to BMC, though would be good to give them a heads-up on the 7.6 %ABV. This is going on my favorites list. Another warm Spring day in South Dakota, excellent for a walk and grilling.

 

been trying to get a hold of this since it was released not too long ago..and was well worth the chase..huge Brandy on the nose..inky black..thin light brown head..decent lacing..initial Brandy flavor gives way to chocolate,coffee,espresso,vanilla &
alcohol soaked dark fruits..i've had the non-BA BQE and the Bourbon Barrel aged BQE..but this..you'd be hard pressed to
find a better Brandy Barrel Aged stout anywhere...this is THAT good..worth seeking out for all of you that are interested

 

Wow, that is an excellent rating! I'll have to look for this one.