New Beer Sunday (week 628)

Spring seems to have sprung in the Peach State, the yellow bells are blooming, sunny high 60s. Unfortunately I observed the majority of it looking up from class work and out the window, trying to finish up the online portion of my class before I have to renew my program access. Had to take a break to make a beer run and thought I'd have a beer before I get back to it. Got these in the mail this week for a fishing trip I'm headed on next week.
Maybe I should have chosen a more sessionable brew as I really don't feel like getting back in the books. Have been wanting to try this one for awhile. Not doing a lengthy review but man this was like a hop puree with a little malt thrown in to keep it in check. Smell was definitely hoppy, poured a little more vigorously than I should have and had to slurp a little foam before it went to waste. Taste followed, hoppy bite for sure, citrusy, resinous liquid gold. Good carbonation, good feel, overall another great brew! For the NBS #5, my target will get some of these beers and at least one of those pictured are on their wants list...

 

Xingu is not a schwarz, for sure. Close your eyes and you think you're drinking an English pale ale. No dark malt presence in anything other than the color. (do they add food coloring?)

The neighborhood is quite colorful. I'll take a wide-angle shot sometime and show NBS just how colorful. (it's not my neighborhood but I do enjoy my time here )

 

New Beers Sunday: A Belgian Strong Dark Ale and a Doppelbock

Evenin' NBSers with special greetings to those who still have a few beers from the holidays left.

Gorgeous weather here today but very chilly for most of the day.

Going to be talking about two new beers that were part of the day this afternoon. A few days back I was chatting with one of my beer buddies when we both realized that we each had a large format bottle of a new winter holiday season beer that had been forgotten and left in the basement. So out of that chat we hatched the idea of a small bottle share between the two of us to be spread out over more than a few hours so we could both enjoy and chat about the two beers, as well as take a break between the two to help reset the palate.


The first beer we opened was from the Blue Mountain Brewery in Virginia. It's brewed for the holidays and released well before Christmas. The beer is called Blitzen and it is a BSDA.

My review of Blitzen can be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16352/86834/?ba=drtth#review

This is a reasonably well made Belgian-style Strong Dark Ale. The balance among aromas and flavors is a bit different than I’d expected, with more sweetness up front than I prefer, but the dark fruits (plum, cherry, possibly a bit of fig) are in there and the finish eventually becomes dry with a touch of earthy bitterness. Thought it was worth having tried once and it would probably be a repeat once in a while if they were local to this area rather than “a fer piece” down the road in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.


The second beer we opened was from the Pittsburgh Brewing Company all the way over on the other side of PA from SE PA. The beer is Penn Brewing's St. Nikolaus Bock Brewer's Reserve and is a Dopplebock.

My review of this Brewer's Reserve beer can be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/125/39722/?ba=drtth#review

This is a pretty good Doppelbock that I look forward to having again, both on its own and next year in a side by side with a fresh one and the bottle that is aging in my basement. It’s got the mahogany color. The aromas and flavors are rich with dark bread, dark fruit and there’s some maple/chocolate sweetness. The earthy bitterness from the hops is more noticeable than I’d expected but not really unpleasantly so. I’d say this one is a keeper and I’ll be looking for it again late this year when it is to be brewed again for the holidays.

Cheers, all!

 

As I venture into the boondoggle that is BIF, I offer a couple of new beers to me, my NBS brethren. First up, this exquisite fruit beer from Founders.



4.46/5 rDev +12.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

After the "Mango Magnifico Debacle of 2015," I approached this with some trepidation - but I should've remembered that Founders also brews Blushing Monk and Rubaeus, which I love, so my angst was misbegotten.

The pour yields a beer that wants to be brown, but the cherries lend this a red hue that makes it bred.

The first thing I noticed was the HUUUUUUGE carbonation - bubbles all OVER the place. The cherries are really present on the nose - but the barrel creeps in to soften it a bit.

The cherries are forward on the taste - very tart (which I like), but then, just as this ventures into Puckerville, the maple barrel gets off the beer nerd couch and tells the cherries to take a step back, and the sweetness from the maple reins this into perfect balance.

I drank this after a long cardio workout, and the feel made this 8% ABV dangerously chuggable - a light, effervescent 8% BA fruit beer, if that's possible.

This is a pleasure to drink - I'm heading back to the beer store tomorrow to clean them out (it's taken on "shelf turd" status after sitting in quantity for 3 weeks).

 

Went to a Tedeschi Trucks concert with my sister a couple years ago. Had never heard of them, but I was blown away by the guitarist. And his wife was impressive on the vocals.

 

Condolences

 

Moving to a more complex brew. Shadow Mountain from Modern Times.

A tart saison aged in red wine barrels with Boysenberries.



This came from the great BA @warrendietrich2001

And on to my review:


4.45/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

750ml Bottle poured into fluted snifter.

Pours ruby purple, transparent, thin whisp of head lingers as a few small floating islands and minute collar ringing the glass.

Aroma of tart boysenberries, sweet tart candy, light oak barrel.

Flavor is tart up front, hint of sweetness and fresh berries followed with rich oak and sweet red wine. Wine flavor comes through more as it warms, rich tannin.

Effervescence makes it feel pretty light, but not without sufficient body.

Crisp and refreshing. Moderate sweetness and barrel notes keeps the tartness under control making this a very enjoyable brew.

 

Rubaeus was great, if Blushing Monk is like Rubaeus on steroids it has to be phenomenal! Got one bottle of this (was the limit at my bottle shop, sold out less than a week) and have been eyeing it in the fridge debating on when to enjoy it.

 

New Revolution Sunday

A late contribution, but I have been working on mine all afternoon/evening. I wanted to get enough down time and water in between these beers. The biggest observations that stood out to me were the darker color and heavier body of the mosaic, the fact that I wasn't wowed by it over the others (being that I favor citra and mosaic hops), and that I think the original Hero still stands the tallest.


4/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can dated 2-1-17 poured moderately into a stemless wine glass

It is a deep gold color. Ever so slightly foggy. Big egg shell white, thicker head with decent retention and some spotty lacing.

Smells really grassy with a little bit of tropical fruit. More green than fruity.

The flavors go the other way. More fruit forward. Passion fruit, peach, and mango. A grassy, green herbal taste on the back end with a solid bitterness. Solid malt base. A lot of grain flavor but easy drinking. The bitterness is a little too strong in the aftertaste, but this is a solid, citra like ipa.


3.94/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz can dated 2-1-17 into a stemless wine glass.

It is a deep gold color with a fairly thick off white head. It disappeared fairly quickly, but a decent ring does remain around the glass.

The aroma is subtle and smells like orange and grapefruit with a bit of a floral note. A little bit musty, but not much jumps out.

A solid amount of orange flavor. A combination of sharp, ripe rind and juicy sweetness. Some airy/fluffy almost pale malts. A light bitterness with a hint of floraly hops in the end. Definitely more chewy in body than the other Heroes, but not heavy. Reminds me of a Two Hearted in a lot of ways. Very good beer.



4.05/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz can dated 2-3-17

It is a very cloudy dark gold, to copper color. Large, frothy, off white head with great retention.

It smells pretty earthy/musty with over ripe tropical fruits and a significant biscuit/doughy backdrop. Slightly peppery. I would describe it mostly as mango, pineapple, and melon or grapefruit.

It is very spicy. Almost rye like. A lot of mango, some melon/cantelope, papaya, bready malts with a bit of berry like sweetness. A solid bitterness in the end.

Much heavier bodied than the other Heroes. Almost to an imperial level. Smooth though, with appropriate carbonation. The peppery tinge is a bit strong. Not a lot of resin feel.

This one is much darker, and produces a better head than the other variants. Outside of the spicey bite though, the Mosaic hops just don't pop like I expected. Very good, and my favorite of the variations, but probably not better than Anti Hero in my opinion.

 

One thing that makes that beer interesting is that it's sort of a collaboration with an English brewer. It takes much inspiration from bitter/IPA and the hops are all Bramling Cross.

 

Happy Sunday all! Been a lazy day around here but now enjoying a beer that I've been wanting to try for quite some time...

Barrel Aged Ten Fidy!

Pours pitch black with a lovely chocolate head that laces itself around the glass. Nearly a perfect look for a stout.

Smell is of roasted chocolate, hickory spice, subtle vanilla and a hint of coffee. Can't pick up very much of the barrel.

Taste is excellent. More coffee and vanilla combined with rich chocolate and lactose. A hint of bourbon to complement a lovely fudge and oak flavor.

Feel is ridiculous as expected. Thick and chewy with very little carbonation. The lingering head is a great addition to the feel of the beer.

Overall this was such a treat to have. The only criticism I could come up with is the lack of the bourbon but besides that it is nearly a perfect beer especially when factoring the look and feel of it.

4.57/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5


Cheers!

 

I really should be drinking a Russian Imperial Stout today as it is the 5th anniversary of the last Kate the Great Day. Oh well, maybe later; for now, let's get after it!. I'm not sure if this has been available in the US before as I'm pretty sure we just received it for the first time in VT.



Gentle pour yields a 1+ inch white head over a golden, slightly hazy body with nice lacing. Nose of slight tropical fruit, spice, and yes, that Unibroue yeast is present. Taste follows with a grassiness, nice even smoothness, and soft mouthfeel. Nice semi-dry finish. Overall, I'm glad this came my way!

4.1/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice!

 

Good evenin NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Thanks to @cavedave for getting us started off this morning. Still been busy with work, but a little less stressful. Put in another 6 hours overtime this afternoon, so I have been enjoying the bit of extra money coming in the last couple of months. Made a huge beer haul last weekend and a trade landed on Thursday, so I am well overstocked on the new beers for now. Still getting some other new beers here and there, during my usual weekly local store runs as well.

Today's new beers:

Really nice porter! Aromas and flavors of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toasted oats, and dark bread; with lighter notes of nuttiness, toffee, smoke, and herbal/spicy hops. Light-moderate herbal/spicy hop and roasted bitterness on the finish. Medium bodied with nice bready creamy/silkiness, with some light hop stickiness and chalky roast in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Very easy drinking. Well rounded in malt complexity and properly hopped for the style. Spot on stuff all around. 3.9


Great pale ale! Nice webby lacing on the glass as you drink. Aromas and flavors of big juicy mango/melon fruit; with pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, peach, lemon zest, grapefruit, orange peel, citrus rind, pepper, and pine hops; with some cracker, bready malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Moderate pine/rind/spicy bitterness on the finish. Light-medium bodied; balanced sticky/resinous hops and bready/grainy malt in the mouthfeel. Moderate crisp and increasing resin drying finish; zero hop/fruit astringency. Gets quite aggressive on the bitter/dryness through the glass, but this remains completely refreshing to the end of the glass. Very bright/dank hops and juicy mango flavors; with a nice solid malt backbone. Would definitely buy this again. 4


Amazing English barleywine! Aromas and flavors of huge caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread, raisin, prune, plum, cherry, fig, date, berry, apricot, red wine, and toasted oak; with lighter notes of molasses, nuttiness, licorice, vanilla, tobacco, leather, and herbal hops. Light herbal bitterness and tannic wine/oak spiciness on the finish. Very full bodied, creamy, and silky mouthfeel; lightly slick, syrupy, sticky, and tannic. Ever so slightly drying from tannins, zero cloying sweetness. Complexity and balance of the whole beer is absolutely killer. Balanced raisin/dates and dark malt sweetness; nice port wine barrel presence, without being too overwhelming or tannic. Just enough hops to balance. Pleasantly warming 13.5%, zero booze. Blew me away. 4.35


Awesome sour! Aromas and flavors of big tart/tangy apricots, peach, lemon, lime, green apple, white grape, plum, cherry, hay, straw, pepper, and toasted oak; with moderate wheat, bready malt balance; and lighter notes of musty/leathery funk, vanilla, and slight apple cider vinegar. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness and light yeast/tannic oak spice on the finish. Medium bodied with balanced grainy malts and acidity in the mouthfeel. Slight tannins, minimal puckering. Moderately crisp and drying acidic finish. Impressive sour complexity; extremely well balanced and drinkable thanks to the mellow acidity and malty balance. A refreshing finish for 7.3%. Loved it. 4.1


Cheers, have a good night NBS.

 

Good evening, all, and Happy NBS! A big "thank you" to @cavedave for that enthusiastic opening to the day's festivities. I picked up a single of SA Rebel Juiced IPA last week and let it sit in the fridge while I finished off some fresh King Sue, DDH PseudoSue, and a couple of other things. Now it's time:


From my review: "Golden amber color, two-finger white head that left some sticky lacing. Aromas and flavors of mango and orange, with a hint of grapefruit zest. Spicy hop bitterness, with a light malt backbone providing balance. This is quite good and pleasantly drinkable, either by itself or with food."

The ratings for this are all over the map, and I understand that it's not going to have universal appeal. But there were several things about this that I really enjoyed. I detected a spicy and somewhat floral hop character. It isn't piney or resiny (both of which I love, BTW). There is a lasting bitterness on the finish that I thought was quite pleasant. The fruitiness is there, but it complements the other characteristics of the beer so that it doesn't stand out. Overall, well done and a solid offering from the Boston Beer Company.

4.01/5 rDev +12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

 

#2, from cherries and maple to coconut and coffee .....



3.99/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've been looking forward to this for awhile. As stand alone components, I don't like coffee and I REALLY dislike coconut, but I love both in beer.

The pour reveals a jet black body with a gorgeous tan head - beautiful beer. The coconut is very apparent on the nose, with the coffee and vanilla lurking in the background.

The taste ..... is a bit off. I don't know if the vanilla sweetness tossed on top of the coconut is shifting this into "cloying" territory, but something is.

I'm glad I tried this, but I wouldn't try it again - and I've got the peppermint version in the beer fridge. Given the difficulties of integrating mint into beers, I'm not doing cartwheels at that thought.

 

The Crusher crushed my thoughts of class work so thought I'd crack into another new one. Why not? I've been wanting to try this one, it's in my fridge so bottoms up!
Pours a clear, light orange with thick head (again, had to slurp some foam before it hit the counter don't want to waste this goodness). Smells of citrusy hops, tastes follows, man this is good! Good carbonation and overall very tasty but it didn't last long....what's next?

 

Great memories. I miss Lowenbrau. Probably haven't had one since 200ish. Sounds really good right now

 

Looks like a Beau's bottle from Canadia, eh?

 

I am not good at all at fake accents, but I can teach you how to say "razer blades" with an Australian one (assuming it translates to Wisconsinites) Just say rise up lights real fast.