New Beer Sunday (week 628)

Nice glass.

 

Thanks! I had no idea when I was studying photography years ago that it would come in handy posting pics on a beer site.

 

Thanks for such an interesting beer and review, Maria! I checked my BA records and find I've only tried one Gruit, Dogfish Head's Kvasir. I can't help but think of this guy.

 

Second Self Mole Porter paired with an Oliva Connecticut... Drizzling rain and mid 50s here... Sorry I don't have photos but can't seem to successfully upload them... The mole spices are strong here... Nice beer that holds up to the cigar despite its low ABV...

 

Some may recollect that I like a BOMB! now and again for breakfast, so today's new to me beer on this sunny Sunday afternoon is Prarie's "Bible Belt", a collab with Evil Twin (is it not a matter of time before ET hooks up with every major regional brewer?), purportedly an "Imperial Stout aged on Coffee, Vanilla, Chilies, and Cacao Nibs", and tipping the scales at 13%:

Poured into snifter and warmed to 54 degrees (wife gave me a kitchen grade thermometer for bday last month and I love it!). The date stamp is a little blurry, but I think I read 3/19/16:



Inky black pour with dark tan foam; a little clarity under fairly quick cap which leaves a solid ring; small oil slick after reduction; some clingy lace from ring as beverage is consumed; upon swirl, some viscous "legs" are created. 4.25

Spicy pepper and chocolate cake nose; peppery retro nasal exhale. 4.25

Flavours of spice, chilies, chocolate, black pepper, bittersweet dark chocolate to start; some coffee (finally) in the finish; didn't find the vanilla...4.25

Smooth and silky, warming mouthfeel; heat from alcohol present, but barely so; lite carbonation. 4.0

Hot chilies sauce linger and a little thin at 13%; coffee is an afterthought; I enjoyed this stout, but I felt like I was drinking a wimpy BOMB! ; not sure what Prarie gets out of this collab...perhaps a gateway to the imperial coffee stout craze? I think FBS and Peche Mortel have nothing to fear...4.25

Cheers!

 

Wow, thanks for posting this song! I've always liked J.J. Cale but the connection with Dire Straits never occurred to me. But thinking about it I agree with you 100%.

 

Little cold snap coming on through here. Good excuse for a stout, as if we really needed an excuse.

This week it's Hardywood's Bourbon Barrel Sidamo, the base beer is Sidamo, a coffee beer with a great flavor so easy choice to give the barrel aged version a chance. One of those few times I think that barrel aging is not the right choice for a beer. It just about wipes out that great coffee flavor and leaves behind a slight bourbon flavor but a sharp alcohol burn. May mellow out fine as it ages, but I think they were best without the barrel.

Full review below:


3.83/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a jet black color with minimal brown head, dissipates rapidly and leaves almost no trace. Smells of chocolate, molasses, coffee, and malts. Tastes of a lighter chocolate, not quite dark chocolate but almost not quite milk, leans towards milk though. There are some notes of vanilla and coffee, dark fruit, and bourbon. Detectable note of alcohol throughout and the first few sips left a lingering burn, nothing too harsh but certainly more noticeable than other BA stouts. Overall, it's a solid BA stout but I think this is a case where the base beer is significantly better as the barrel really washes out what was a beautiful coffee flavor.

 

G' afternoon NBS-ers! Hope everyone is having a great Sunday! Hope all my fellow NBS BIF-ers are reinforcing their porches!


Enjoying this tasty beer with Pops courtesy of @mschrei


Appearance: Darker than I thought it would be: Dark golden orange with a thin cap of tiny bubbles leaves little to no lacing in the glass.

Aroma: Dank orange and hops, a little pine.

Taste: Spicy orange juice! Love that Amarillo hop!

Mouthfeel: Medium with that spicy orange and citrus lingering on palate.

Overall: A delicious IIPA! It's always great to get some Pipeworks beers and this one is tasty!

Cheers!

 

Happy New Beer Sunday!!! Sidecar Orange Pale Ale from SN. Decent pale, not overly impressed, would like more orange flavor. Maybe it's just my extreme pallet but when I see orange I want smack you in the mouth orange, should dominate the taste. Same goes for any beer with a flavor name, coffee needs to tastes like an iced coffee, raspberry needs to be dominated by raspberry. I'm like that with everything. If a recipe calls for a tablespoon of minced garlic.....Oh hell no!! I'll put in 5!!!!

 

Lindemans Faro, 4.2% ABV, 12 IBU. Pours thin and amber with not much head. Nose is sour, taste is sweet apple,some sour, with no bitterness. Decent mouthfeel, overall very good.

 

Your image isn't showing up for me, but enjoyed the review.

I started studying photography to post beers, yin/yang

(Kidding, no studies... yet)

Aha!!! I thought I had 97 styles, now I have 96. DFH Kvasir was originally a Kvass, so i guess I now have multiple Gruit, and no Kvass

 

Love your pics, Jim!

 

Happy NBS. Stoked to try this Westbrook Rum Barrel Black Panther and it did not disappoint. Cheers all.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24134/258916/?ba=cindyjeffsmith#review

 

Favorite thread of the week, hands down. Such great engagement. NBS = New Belgian Style blonde ale from Russian River. Gifted a few bottles from a buddy in Cali. Blown away by the effort and generosity.

For some reason I assumed this was barrel aged and blended with brett so my palate was prepped for a musty-sour-funk assault but not the case. As a result the initial sip came off as quiet and unassuming. After relacibrating myself to reality this beer has shown itself to be beautiful in its simplicity.

Golden pour with a fluffy head that lingers. That familiar fruity-spicy-estery Belgian yeast coming to the fore. There is a crispness throughout the sip that makes this so pleasant. Slight tartness by way of a kiss of green apple that adds to the fruit and bubble-gum profile. Such an easy drinker. Real light and slightly spicy hops.

Cheers to extending the weekend!​

 

Happy New Belgian IPA Sunday!

Did a nice little hike today, cloudy, sun peaked out a few times, around 53, little breezy. Having a pretty tasty brew today, probably the best from the brewery, so far. Checking out some spring training games today on tv.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24075/258877/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

Okay, twist my arm; I'm back. This is Hopsmith Pale Lager from Old Forge Brewing in Danville, PA. It's a really nice APL although with the frigid temps this probably isn't the best day to drink it. I have a warm place in my heart for this brewery because it's located near my alma mater and I feel all warm and fuzzy when I stop there. That said, they brew some good stuff. This is the ultimate lawn mower beer. Here's my review:

3.72/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Can not dated. Poured into pint glass. It pours a crystal clear golden color with a thin, milk-white head and extensive lacing with nice retention. Not much of a smell; mostly cracker malt with a faint whiff of citrus. It has a nice, lite, crisp taste of cracker, lemon peel, and dry, bitter hops. It's lite and seriously drinkable at 5.6% ABV. It's only the first week of March but I feel like cutting the lawn and pounding a few cans of this really nice APL.

 

Ok, those of you on the edge of their chairs with breath bated as to where we went next...

It's Ocelot Brewing!! I grabbed a Sunnyside Dweller (previously reviewed today), and it was decent as always with perhaps a little more bite of peppery spice in the hop profile. Also grabbed a Baltic Porter and a Vienna Lager (both very solid and enjoyable). I skipped the Altbier because... IPA!

First off, Thought Control (not pictured) was on. Grabbed a growler (Montueka hops remind me of Sorachi Ace).

Then the Mi Corazón was sampled. before focusing too hard, I noticed a decent tropical/citrus juice note to it. The menu says Citra and Galaxy hops. Juvenile Success was good but less impressive with Mosaic and Azacca.


Once I got the pour, my thoughts were "confirmed," this is a NE IPA. Grabbing one in a glass I get to keep, I noticed the following things:

• It's an ugly, but I've seen worse, body, with a nice head
• The nose is amazingly fruity, but with bitterness foreshadowed
• The taste flips the nose, bitter with a fruity accent
• The feel isn't as smooth as the more acclaimed NE IPAs I've had, but I like it more

My review has this quite high (only review as of this post). I think it's deserved, but given that I e had two local attempts at this "new style" that are quite tasty, is it an easier style to produce? Or am I hitting good breweries that just go after the style? Lots of people ordering behind us we're ordering this beer.

(Random side note, the guys from Aslin were here sipping beers. They are trying to get a place to serve on premise beer. Hoping they do soon!)

@CanConPhilly

 

Southern Tier Brewing - Barrel Works Series: Manhattan
American Strong Ale - 14.1% ABV



4.6/5 rDev +13.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle into a snifter. Bottle dated November 2016 printed on the label.

Pours a darker mahogany color that turns bright red when held up to the light. The aroma is cherries, citrus, and bourbon. The taste is sweet and tart cherries up front with a lingering booziness in the finish from the high ABV and barrel aging. The mouthfeel is perfect for this beer: thick and syrupy.

Overall, this is a fantastic brew that is extremely well made. A supper for sure at 14.1% ABV, it was good down to the last drop.

 

Couldn't agree more on this beer!!