New Beer Sunday (week 606)

I too thought that the Cherimoya beer kind of fell into its own category somewhere in between existing ones. It was not a great beer, but was not off putting either. I thought it was one of the more unique ones I have tried recently. Enough so that I threw one in my BIF box.

 

New Beer Sunday: A German style Dopple Sticke Alt

Evenin' NBSers, with dopple special greetings to those who prefer things done in the old way.

Well I guess I misunderstood about some sunshine here today. None at all. Throughout the day it was cool and cloudy and there were a few scattered showers this am.

This evening's new beer is called The Devil's Secret and it is from the Apocalypse Ale works down in south central VA not too far from Roanoke. The beer is a Dopple Sticke Altbier and the result of a collaboration between Apocalypse and the Devil's Backbone, a somewhat better known brewery also located in VA.

As usual my review, subject to revision both this evening and tomorrow evening, can be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31089/167546/?ba=drtth#review

The beer comes in a 22 oz Bomber size bottle so I'm saving half of it for tomorrow evening. (My hand re-shaped cork recycled from a cork and cage bottle works perfectly well at corking the bottle and retaining carbonation for a day. Also I refuse to associate drinking a whole bomber in a singe setting with either adulthood or manhood. )

This beer shows off lots of dark fruit, some dark bread flavor, chocolate, and some toffee sweetness. It has a reasonable mouthfeel, but for my tastes the sweetness is a bit too prominent throughout the beer but especially in the finish. I’d like a bit more dryness along with the earthy bitterness provided by the hops. Also, looking at my reviews of what few Altbiers I've had suggest to me there should be more bitter dryness towards the end of the finish.

Since I'm having a German style beer I've got some Wagner on the player this evening. Wagner seems to have been a fairly arrogant, nasty guy and not much of a critical editor of his own work. Yet he still managed to write some really great music. Currently I'm listening to some excerpts from one of his longest Operas, Die Meistersinger von Neurenberg. The particular piece linked to below is the orchestral introduction to the first act.

Die Meistersinger: Prelude to Act one

Cheers, all!

 

I had a Saranac mixed pack several years ago that I really enjoyed. I recall it being much better than many of the Sam Adams lager boxes. I think the Black Forest, or some Schwarz, was in it along with some sort of Chocolate that was pretty decent. I may try to grab this one. Curious what they are differentiating between the Marzen and Oktoberfest

 

#2, no more chanting. New brewery and a new beer for me, this is a spice bomb.



It pours like a "regular" porter, and it smells like a "regular" porter, but the taste is in no way a regular porter. Between the Hatch chiles, the peppercorns, and the smoked barley, this beer is looking to smack you between the eyes with a 2 x 4.

Mission Accomplished.

I really like this, but if you don't like spicy stuff, avoid this. It'll light you up. Rated 4.12.

 

Funny, I sorta stopped paying attention as I sipped the last bit of my glass, watching golf, and I found myself just enjoying the last sips - not wowed, just happy to be sipping it. It kinda reminded me a bit in a general/parallel sense of Passion Fruit Kicker by Green Flash (which is a wheat beer with a little dose of passion fruit).

 

Greetings and Happy Sunday to all, monkeys and non-monkeys alike! I had an interesting day digging through old boxes, and by old I mean old. This is stuff that I haven't seen or even thought about in decades- mostly from when I was young and single. My wife figured it's about time to confront the junk, though, and see what could be put out at a garage sale, what could go on eBay, and what could be thrown away- so that's what we did all day. My main job was box wrangler .

The funny thing is, my wife seems to have developed a great eye for what can be sold and what can't. Prime example- a 'vintage' used 7-11 matchbook . Seriously. The stuff people will pay money for...Well, I just had to remark about how my hasty packing style (essentially, everything on a shelf or drawer just went into the box without thought) will wind up making us some big bucks in the long run . I just wonder what people are paying for halfway burned candles these days. Oh, yeah...vintage candles .

So, anyway, the little fellow in this photo has finally been re-discovered, and he ain't going anywhere:


And the first beer he helped to open comes by way of @jhartley - Coppertail Brewing Unholy, a Triple.

The nose has a great sweet and spicy thing going for it, bright with citrusy sunshine. I'm also getting some wildflowers and a lot of creamy vanilla. The first thing to hit my mouth is a serious slap of bitterness, straight out of left field. This is one hoppy Triple! After a few more sips I am getting accustomed to the bitterness enough to enjoy the spiciness and fruits. Lots of apricot and lemon, clove and vanilla. Mouthfeel is moderately full, and the finish is beautifully dry. Most of the flavors tend to vanish like cotton candy, although there is a lingering citrus peel quality that just won't quit.

Obviously they are going for an American take on the style, and pull it off fairly well. The flavors blend together nicely, and they get the feel and finish just right. Not much alcohol burn either. The more I drink, the more the whole feel of the beer stays in Triple territory, so that's a plus as well. But, personally, I'd like to see the bitterness turned down a notch or two, and they'd have a real winner here. Quite nice, overall A- (4.0). Thanks again, Jeff- it's the perfect beer to wind down the week with. Cheers!

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Thanks to @cavedave for getting us started off this week. Not much going on here, made another new beer haul yesterday. Review 4700 is coming up on Friday. Another pleasant work week ahead of me(hopefully).

New Beers:

Awesome red IPA! Aromas and flavors of big tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, peach, passion fruit, papaya, mango, orange peel, light pepper, and pine hops; with moderate caramel, honey, spicy rye, and toasted bready sweetness; with herbal, floral, and grassy hop earthiness. Moderate pine/rind/spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium bodied; sticky/resinous mouthfeel with some grainy creaminess; a touch of honey slickness. Light-moderate increasing resin dryness; no lingering hop astringency. Super juicy and pretty dank on the hop character. Feels like Simcoe, Citra, and Amarillo; huge fan of this hop profile! Will probably grab it again this week. (PS this was my 900th Michigan beer review) 4.1


This was really nice! Aromas and flavors of big pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, peppercorn, and clove spice; floral, grassy, piney hops with a hint of citrus; and caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, and spicy rye malts. Moderate pine/herbal/spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium bodied; balanced hop stickiness and bready malt creaminess in the mouthfeel; touch of resins. Light-moderate increasing bitter dryness. Honestly not too much of an IPA from an expectation standpoint(American Hops); but I really liked this one a lot. Pretty much just a pumpkin ale with higher bitterness from Noble hops; which is completely fine, because it works well with all the spice flavors. Very easy to drink; not overdone or astringent on bitterness or spice. I have had a couple other pumpkin IPAs that use American citrus/tropical hops, and they can work very well also. (Griffin Claw Norms Pumpkin Spice and North Peak Hooligan being the ones coming to mind). 3.9


Wow! This is fantastic. Aromas and flavors of big tart lemon, lime, green apple, red grape, raspberry, white wine, vanilla, toasted oak, hay, leather, musty funk, pepper, and light white vinegar; with a fair amount of honey/bready malt. Balanced malt and tartness/spice on the finish. Medium-plus bodied; balanced malt creaminess and acidity in the mouthfeel, with a touch of wine barrel tannin. Lots of barrel presence, but very well balanced with the Brett flavors. Malty but not too sweet. Some light dryness from acidity/tannin. Really loved this one a lot! Minimal warming alcohol; very drinkable for 10.2%. 4.35


Cheers, have a good night NBS!

 

one of 2 new beers today..this was first..nice pour..opaque with a really thin tan head..aroma of bourbon,chocolate,coconut,oak...tastes of all previous with a hint of vanilla..but thinner than i expected..so a bit disappointing..but still not bad..but not worth $26 bottle IMO

 

Their Marzen is richer, darker and more complex than their Octoberfest. I was scratching my head as well. I believe a marzen can be brewed without being considered a 'Fest' beer but they are both labeled as 'fest' beers. I would guess marketing was the reason. And it worked. I bought 2 cases.

 

Hello New Beer Sunday!!!!

I wasn't here last Sunday. The reason is that I was enjoying New Beer Saturday WAYYYYYY too much at my friend's birthday party. Actually, I think I finished up around 1:30 AM Sunday, so I guess it turned into New Beer Sunday.

Did I mention I had WAYYYYY too many beers. It was bad the next morning.

Oh, well. To this week's New Beer Sunday. I think it also might be my first from this brewery.
The Brewing Projekt East Meet West Tripel Style Ale brewed with Ginger.

It weighs in at 9%, but it sure as heck doesn't drink like a 9%. It is fairly light and refreshing, but also is very flavorful. I'm not too used to ginger - I like Mary Ann - but it is damn good.

Will there be another new beer for me tonight? I'll decide after this one.
4.16/5 rDev +4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This pours a fairly light golden color. The head was fairly thick, but not overly so. The nose has hints of orange, to me. It also seems to have other fruit notes as well, probably the ginger. The taste is fairly light at first. There's some citrus favor. It must be the ginger (though I'm a Mary Ann). It doesn't taste like a 9% beer, it is fairly easy drinking, and enjoyable. Fairy full body feel. Delicious.

★ 411 characters

 

Don't limit yourself. You can be a chocolate snob, too.
Seriously, though, I hope everything works out for the best.

 

Greetings All!!! And thanks to @cavedave for the glorious start.
While I like Monkeys With Bombs, I propose the next NBS BIF should be called Boxageddon cuz some serious end of days boxes have been raining down like frogs and locusts!!!

 

Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Belgian Style Quadruple Ale, 10% ABV. Pours thin and dark brown, with one finger white head, not much lacing. Nose is alcohol and fruity sweetness. Taste is very sweet, a bit fruity, slight bitter close. OK mouthfeel, and overall pretty decent. I like this better than the BA Barleywine and BA Cherry Stout, as good as the BA Scotch Ale, and not quite as good as the BA Stout and BA Cassian Sunset.

 

Glad to hear that you liked it!

 

Greetings from the kingdom here is SE Mass...dreary, drizzly, just freakin' rain already SE Mass... Bumming a little over the local sports team performances this past week and weekend, Plus my UW Badgers...virtually had it handed to 'em and can't pull off the win. But life goes on, there will be more games, and it is just a distraction anyway.

In contrast, real world stuff. One of my team members lost his mother two weeks ago, and his wife last weekend. Both to cancer, both ill for some time. He is a "permanent temp", so he doesnt come under our rules. He has been two weeks without pay, no bereavement leave, three sick days. My guys raised up close to $800, and we delivered a bunch of food. Yeah...money may sound insensitive, but at least we got his rent mostly covered for a month and he and the boys arent going hungry. Certainly reminds one of what matters and how much you can take for granted.

On to the beer, and I have to tell you I went and looked at the reviews for this one because I am in a knd of unusual place for me. I'm not confused or wonderijg what I missed. I think this beer is just a hot mess. Literally. And I am not in agreement with most of the reviews concerning Ballast Point Barmy, a 12% American Strong Ale with apricot and honey. This is a fabulous beer visually...looks like carbonated brandy. It's Jurassic Park amber, no head to speak of, but a steady mist of super-fine bubbles rising up through the crystal clear liquid. Looks stunning. And it is on the higheay to hell from there. I get mostly honey on the nose, almost no apricot, lots of alcohol, and a little malt. To me, the taste is at least a small train wreck. Initially booze-like. Then kind of a honey flavor, and an artificial, nasty apricot flavor that lingers and turns unpleasantly sour, astringent, and bitter. And honest folks, ya cant make this shit up...my tongue is going numb. Not diggin this stuff at all, feeling a sub-3 score coming on. Glad I only bought one, do not recommend.

As always, thanks to our gracious hosts @cavedave and @utopiajane who set the expectation for this thread each and every week.

 

New Quad Sunday



Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad

I've eyeballed this one for quite a while, but never pulled the trigger on a bomber. Now that it's in the twelve ounce bottles, I couldn't resist.

BBQ pours an orange-and-brown-tinted ruby red color with a thin tan head when poured into a wide-mouthed goblet. The head eventually dissipates to a wispy island floating in the middle surrounded by a small crown.

Dates, raisins, prunes and smooth, creamy vanilla-and-toffee bourbon all stand out in the aroma. These continue to the taste, along with some white wine grapes, earthy hop bitterness and a kiss of alcohol burn. There's a touch of green apple and some oak in the aftertaste, too. It may not have world-class malt depth, but it's pretty damn close.

It's medium bodied with, perhaps, a tad too strong carbonation. I'll definitely be picking up more of this. Delicious.

Have a great week, BAs.

 

Had an (expected) visit from my mom and sister earlier today, which led to a (very much unexpected!) trying of several new beers at one of the local breweries...



First thing I notice when I walk up to the bar at Blue Lab -- the right side of the menu is full! Last time they had I think only one beer listed on that side, along with the "regulars" on the left (an English-style pale ale/bitter and IPA, an Irish Red, and a stout.) On top of that, the entire list on the right side is beers I've never tried. My sister and I each decided to get a flight of the five(!) variations on their saison -- the regular version on the far left, and then variations brewed with pears, ginger, and blueberries, and finally what they called the "3-Way" which was made with pears, ginger, and blueberries. I'd been thinking I needed to try more saisons lately -- today I finally got a chance to do so. XD

The base saison I really liked -- right away it was one of those "wow, this is really nice!" sorts of beers. A good bit of tart/sour in there right away along with yeasty flavors, light grainy malt, and a bit of funkiness popping up every now and then. The pear version was similar to the original but a bit milder all around, with the slight fruitiness in there seeming to "tame" the sour a bit. I could definitely taste the pears, though, especially in burps for some odd reason. The ginger was similar -- rather than the tartness standing out more like the regular saison, there was more of a spicy thing going on from the ginger that stuck out more. Blueberry seemed to be the weakest of the variations overall, though maybe it just didn't stand out because I'd already finished the regular, pear, and ginger before having it -- it was still good, with a bit of fruitiness from the blueberry mixing in with the sour flavors. I had expected the fruit to stand out just a bit more, I guess -- it certainly stood out in terms of color, as you can see from the picture. The 3-Way was probably my favorite of the bunch overall (my sister and the bartender both shared that opinion, as it turned out) -- everything just came together really well, the fruitiness of the two fruit variations, the spice of the ginger, and the sour/malt/yeast flavors from the base beer all mixed up together.

And my mom actually liked the pear one enough to sneak more than just one sip from my sister's glass -- she doesn't drink beer much, but occasionally we manage to stumble across one she actually likes, and it seems like that happened again today. XD

Once the saison flights were all gone, I ordered a half-pint of the Oktoberfest beer (marzen/amber style) that they had. Pretty nice -- this was definitely not an overhopped version, definitely more malt-focused, but it didn't come across as "too sweet" to me at all either despite not being on the pale/hoppy end of the spectrum (it was more toasty/biscuity with a slight sweetness like malty beers tend to have sometimes, not like sticky caramel sweetness. The toasted-grain/biscuit-like flavors definitely stood out more than the sweet.) Also got a sample glass of the green chile beer, which was also nice -- you could definitely taste the green chiles, but it didn't seem especially spicy at all (I imagine it'd probably be the sort of spiciness that builds up more and more as you drink; green chiles in general seem to be a "little bit doesn't seem spicy at all, but if you eat a lot all at once..." sort of thing so that would make a lot of sense.) Apparently a lot of people locally have been coming in and getting growler fills of that one specifically to cook with -- my sister commented that it'd probably make really nice ingredient for beer-battering fish, possibly for fish tacos. And now thinking about the possibility of green-chile-beer-battered fish tacos, I'm starting to feel hungry again even though I ate nearly half of a pizza earlier today... XD

 

Perhaps we can get Home Depot to sponsor given all the money they make off damaged porches. I spent $200 on concrete alone!

 

Getting started working through my box from @Prager62 . Starting with Sinister from 18th Street Brewing.



The description says it's sadistically hopped with Falconer's Flight, Zythos, and Cascade. I'd definitely call this more of an East Coast style DIPA. It's a bit too 'balanced' for my personal tastes; there's a fairly strong malt presence. That being said, while there is some alcohol present, I would still say it's fairly smooth. Not a bad beer for what it is. I'm glad I tried it!