New Beer Sunday (week 628)

A beautiful beer from one of my favorite breweries (not because I live 45 mins from them.) if Beau's ever send Bog Father down to NY try and grab one. It's their "imperial gruit" brewed with spices and hops lol. I always found that to be odd but it tastes fantastic.

 

Good afternoon to al the NBS followers and many thanks to Dave for getting us started on the right track early this morning.
Given the return of winter time temperatures this weekend and with the wind chilly well below zero yesterday and today I took the opportunity to visit a few southern NH breweries yesterday and even made my way into Maine to pick up a few more. Just upping my ammo supply for this round of the NBS BIF. Ended up hitting Barreled Souls, Banded Horn in Maine and Great Rhythm and Smuttynose in NH. Had a great lunch at Hayseed at Smuttynose! So with my travels I was able to pick up a few new beers and for today I have chosen Dolce from Great Rhythm Brewing in Portsmouth NH. Listed as an American Imperial Stout.

Poured from a 16oz can picked up at the brewery yesterday. Pours a rich black color with a brown head on top that disappears quickly.
The nose is rich with the roasted malt aromas with some chocolate and coffee coming through in the background.
The taste is strong with great malt flavors with more chocolate coming through here and nothing from the coffee that was in the nose.
To me this is a better than average interpretation of an American Imperial Stout. Rich malt flavors coming through and a nice smooth finish.
The mouth feel is smooth. Perhaps a little on the thinner side for an imperial stout but not so much that it detracts from the beer.
4.16/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

 

Pours a golden honey color with a small head.
The aroma is very tropical as expected, you get pineapple orange grapefruit passion fruit and other citrus. The flavor is more of the same with a nice light crackery sweetness. This is a nicely done version of the regular torpedo, it really mellows out the pine that I got on the regular version. It's a solid IPA
4/5

 

Why is it infamous?

 

Thanks @cavedave for the boisterous start. I am going to continue a theme from last night and make this a New Barleywine Sunday.

Adnams Tally-Ho Reserve 11.2 oz bottled 2012 9% ABV. This is the best thing to hit this Old Tom glass in a very long time. The pour is murky, coffee brown with minimal tan head. Fades to a ring with impressive lacing for a 5 year old ale. Smells of toffee, dark brown sugar and dark fruit. Taste follows with balanced sweet and bitter working together perfectly. Mouthfeel is great with good carbonation, no floaties and full, soft feel. Overall, excellent. I was a little worried because my "cellar" conditions are not perfect. I have learned the hard way that 3 years is about as long as I can hang on to most things. This is going on the repeat buy list. Drink well

 

Typo, I mean't Famous! thanks for catching that XD

 

Quick initial review while out.

Incredible Pulp from Boneyard.


At Worthy Burger.

Blood Orange Pale Ale

Nice light base brew, fresh citrus accentuates the citrusy hops. Crisp and refreshing.

 

It's nice to see that.

 

Unfortunately, I had the beer before I was comfortable reviewing beers. However, I rated it a 4.25, which means I liked it a lot. I don't remember my thoughts on the style though. My brother had one too. I'll ask him if he remembers. Send me one and I'll give you my opinion!

 

Thought someone was drinking El Guapo from O'Connor. That may be infamous.

 

Wonderful beer! Wondering why I didn't grab another from the store last week (though the fridge is pretty full).

Anyhow, this AM's beers had me itching to get out. Unfortunately Lost Rhino was out of Double Z (my GF is not as disappointed as I, @jvgoor3786). They did have a few things to review, though.


We started by sharing Ice Breaker, a DIPA we have had before but I rated a straight 3.5. Sadly, that review was optimistic. I was intrigued by the low ratings, but I think they are deserved. The beer has no flaws (maybe a little heat), but really lacks any personality. Better than my home brew from this AM technically, but at least mine had an (admittedly abrasive) personality.

The foreground beer in both photos is this year's LoCollaboration. This brewery is located in Loudon County (LoCo), along with a bunch of other breweries. They get together from time to time as brewers do to produce beer.

This is a sweet milk stout that I feel could use a little more roasted malt note, maybe a little char, in the taste. The lactose isn't hiding, which is good. It's enjoyable and easy to drink with its light carbonation and heft, though it is sweet-leaning. My full review (of my 100th added beer, it turns out) is here.

The background of the right photo takes the LoCollaboration beer and turns it into a peanut butter milk stout. Not sure if all the collaborators did something with the base beer or not. The peanut butter is prominent in the nose, and is quite nice when combined with the sweetness from the base beer. The additive is easy to recognize in the taste, too, but not as prominent as the nose. It does distract from the sweetness a tad, making it at least as enjoyable as the base beer, if a tad thinner.

Edit, a slightly different way of involving music and beer I'm not sure is novel, but I hadn't seen it before:


See if you guys can guess what's next on the outing...

 

Second round sees a DIPA from Clown Shoes, as Space Cake is next up.



Nice enough to look at. Slight haze to a bright yellow beer, foamy beige head with lacing that is somewhere between spotty and sticky.

Nose has two things right away - grass and candy maltiness. Further study allows for a little lemon .

Taste begins on the malty side (checks date, bottled on 1/17/2017, maybe a touch old but not unreasonable for me) that gives way to tart, lemony, grassy brightness. Maybe a teensie bit sweet, as there's a caramel thing going on in the finish.

Medium bodied, dry finish and some lingering sweetness but nothing even approaching hot or astringent.

Not bad.

 

I just finished the bottle. If I had a climate controlled cellar, this beer would be on my top 5 list for long term experimentation. I'm finding many do not hold up. Cheers

 

A new beer for me and it's by Red Oak brewing in Whitsett Nc. All they do is original German beers, the head Brewer trained and lived in Germany for over a decade, they're a micro micro brewery and they do it right , no shortcuts.

So this is their 1516 Hellers Bock/ 7 % Abv. Pours a nice deep gold maintains a small head till the end with nice lacing. Easily enough carbonation , but not enough to distract, it makes this very easy drinking. Not much on the nose, maybe it's me I'm fighting allergies. The malts the star, from the first hit you know it's done right, rich is the word I'd use for this, but the small hop hit comes at the end and prevents it from finishing too sweet. Very easy drinking beer and for a 7% beer probably dangerously so. No perceptible alcohol here. Over all it's like every beer they brew, it's as good as can be done, no shortcuts, no cheap ingredients, a bit pricy but it's worth it.

 

Anniversary beer from a solid brewery, had to get it.
"enjoy by Jul 17"
Pours a really thick head, beautiful, seriously, look at the picture. Slightly hazy. (My picture looks like there are floaties, but that is just bubble grouping, need to clean my glassware better.)
Hoppy aroma, not too fruity, not too bitter. Taste is balance in the front with a prominent Pils malt. You are fooled for a fraction of a second that this is a Pilsner and then the hops kick in.. oh this is an IPA and a pretty good one! Interesting beer. At 6.1% I think I'll have a few more.

 

Breakside's Wanderlust, an IPA -crystal clear, golden bottle pour. Aroma is of citrus hops, Bitterness is moderate up front. Orange is prominent in the flavor and a there is a light resin note. This is a well-balanced and enjoyable IPA. I have enjoyed some other Breakside offerings a bit more, but I will try this again.

 

Good afternoon NBS, Dave that was great opening and reminder. We are in an era of beer riches for sure. Today's offering is from one of those great American brewers. The blending and barrel touches of this offering display that creative drive Dave pointed out in his opening.
The Civil Disobedience series is one of my favorites. Enjoy the Sunday and keep a great beer near.
Cheers all

Civil Disobedience #19

Hill Farmstead Brewery
Saison / Farmhouse Ale

4.09/5 rDev -3.5% | Avg: 4.24
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from 750 ml bottle dated 10/20/2016 into a large goblet.
A - Apricot honey color, gently carbonated, rushed out of the bottle then settled in. A thin white cap of tight spheres resides at the edge of the pour.
S - Pineapple, winter wheat, apricot, some rine ash, chalk, green apple skin. Complex to say the least. Reminiscent of Rhine river Riesling, a touch of minerals as well.
T - Melon ripe in the sun, White wine grape, beautiful touch of barrel, fruits including apricot, guava, warm pineapple, a bit of toast, delicate graininess. apricot jam.
M- What a delicate touch, round in body, full on the palate and yet gentle, soft water and near perfect carbonation matched to the volume of the offering. The finish is forever, and evolves with each sip, desire and hope are all that remains.
O - This blended offering with Arthur and Florence as the base is an enriching experience. The Arthur is forward, and passive, Florence and her friends from the other "threads" add complexity. The touch of barrel ices the cake. The mouth feel is remarkable, soft, and fully coating, then a dry mineral finish.
Complex and delightful, rewarding in every way.
Worth seeking out

 

Studying for the Certified Specialist of Spirits exam. On the whiskey chapter, so why not drink a Barrel Aged stout right?


Schlafly From the Ibex Cellar BA Imperial Stout
Appearance is very very dark, but there is some clarity at the edges, so I wouldn't call it quite black.
Small light khaki head with almost no retention, but pretty lively carbonation for such a big beer.
Smell is big vanilla, light coconut, milk chocolate, toasted oak, and cocoa that gives a feel of fresh mocha.
Taste is soft sweet chocolate. Not a lot of bitterness to speak of from the roasted malt. Oak tannins and again lots of vanilla.
Pretty light on the mouthful for an imperial BA stout. Refreshing carbonation adds to the drinkability.

Solid beer and a different take on the style. Would drink again, but not close to being a favorite.
Cheers!

 

@jkblr I love Tally-Ho, wish I could get that in Texas.

@cavedave agreed that simple can really be amazing.

Anyway, Bell's just hit Texas for the first time. While I am no stranger to most of their beers, I picked up some Am I Right or Amarillo, an IPA made specifically for our market Review to come shortly.