New Beer Sunday (Week 648)

Good afternoon, all, and Happy New English Fine Ale (sic) Sunday! Thanks to @lordofthewiens for those thoughtful opening reflections. I wanted an English brew for the final round of The Open today, so I picked up a couple of them at the grocery store yesterday. I decided on this Old Speckled Hen for New Beer Sunday, served in this thistle glass that I also picked up yesterday. The glass may not technically be #proper, but this is The Open, after all, and it'll be heading back to Scotland soon enough.


The label notes on this are spot-on. It's malty, with big toffee character. As I let this warm in my mouth, a whole lot of other flavors began to emerge. There were notes of orange, tart apple, pear, plum, and peppery spice. The finish is dry, with lots of spice clinging to the tongue. According to the label, this is "Especially fine with English roasts, sausages, and pies." I didn't have any of these, so I paired it with hummus and pita chips. It was especially fine with these as well.

Malts: Crystal, Pale
Hops: Challenger, Pilgrim, First Gold, Goldings
ABV: 5%
Rating: 4.04/5 (rDev +16.4%)
Review here.

Cheers!

 

We had a litter of 7 rabbits at work 2 yrs ago, in an empty tree pot. Somebody was going to take them home, but waited too long. At that stage^, they're on their own. Good luck.
Ps : Thanks for the review. I was on the fence about that one,Friday, & decided to go for something else.

 

New Beer Sunday: A new Mash-up DIPA

Evenin’ NBSers with an alert for seekers of alternative interpretations of the DIPA.

Phew, what a relief. Today saw us moving out of the longest, hottest, most humid heatwave of the year (so far). While much more comfortable than yesterday, this has still been a day to have access to an air conditioned building for taking an occasional break. Today we did not have an air quality alert so some outdoor activity has been possible and it’s just now that tonight’s thunder storms and rain are starting to move through the area.

Having started the day with a cup of coffee it somehow seems symmetrical to finish out the evening with a coffee flavored beer. This evening’s new beer is the Stone Mocha DIPA, which the brewery freely admits is a Mash-up of two styles but one that they say remains on the DIPA side of a fairly fuzzy line.

As usual, my review, subject to revision until I finish the beer, can be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/147/233603/?ba=drtth#review

This beer has a fairly complex melange of aromas and flavors. There’s plenty of coffee, some cocoa, and the hops chime in with some citric and resinous piney notes. But the hops are more in the background than the coffee. What background sweetness there is serves only to keep the bitterness under control as it eventually moves to the back of the palate and then slowly fades. I’m glad to have tried the beer. I might buy another one someday, but for me this is a once in while beer to remind me of it’s complexity.

Tonight’s Bach-to-Bach listening is his 5th Brandenburg Concerto.

Bach's 5th

Cheers, all!

 

Looking good! We've been making fresh bruschetta every week with ours, plus the occasional popping a couple straight up . It's been awesome!

 

One more new beer for today courtesy of @Dragginballs76 . Many thanks!
I find this beer very interesting. I've never been the biggest fan of Sierra Nevada. I will say that after having this beer from them I'm very glad to see them doing different thinks and dare I say "taking risks"? My opinion is that they executed this beer better than I would have thought. Excellent integration of wine and beer.

The beer:




The Review:



Cheers all and enjoy what's left of New Beer Sunday!

 

Howdy BA's
I tried this offering from Brewmaster Jack today and it's pretty tasty
Smell is slight pine and tangerine notes
Appearance is darker amber slightly cloudy, thin head and medium lacing.
Mouth feel is lightly fizzy and semi dry to smooth. Definitely not a sipper
Taste is what I would call a west coast style, it's not a hop bomb. There is some dankness and some fruit but its subtle
Over all I liked it for its drinkablity and taste. It's bite lingers for a second but dissipates to slightly sticky finish

 

Haha! Ive actually got a "warren" in my back yard. (Not my brother whose name is Warren). I have 6-8 rabbits mimimum at anytime and yes they eat everything. They dont drink any water though because they get so much from plants. Another thing is the mother will only come back once a day to check on her babies. Theyll probably be there for awhile, although rabbits succomb to lots of predators. Hawks, foxes and domestic cats and dogs love them. Good thing they can reproduce um, like. Well you know.

 

Time to step it up with the dark beers to 11.5% with some Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Bourbon Maple Syrup Barrel Aged!
4.54/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle poured into a teku

A- Black with a two finger mocha head

S- Tons of bourbon and maple syrup, chocolate, fudge, vanilla, touch of coffee. Coffee seems very light compared to other versions of IBB.

T- Coffee, bourbon, maple, caramel, chocolate/fudge, some oak, less hot and more balanced than the nose.

M- Smooth, full body.

O- An other great version of IBB. Nose reminds me more of Even More Jesus but has that great coffee flavor in the taste.

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Cheers!

 

A Hoboken man...ah. Jersey boy myself.

 

Howdy, NBSers. I love the "old friends" theme today. I have a half-dozen "take a bullet for them" friends, but the guy at the top of the list is a guy I've known since we were 5 years old.

We grew up next door neighbors, went to the same grade school, high school, and college (IU-Bloomington). We share a fantasy football team, communicate regularly (multiple times a week during football season), and see each other a couple of times a year, and our wives and kids are friends. After 49 years, he's still the same guy I met in December 1968, which is a great comfort.

My first beer tonight is in line with @Premo88 and his thoughts on the dearth of posts earlier today - it is HOT out there, and here in North Texas, especially so. And this is the day Mrs O and I chose to "freshen" the mulch in our flower beds as we get our home ready to sell. 15 bags of mulch later, I need a "quencher" beer. This beer sent to me by @beertunes in NBS BIF #5 WGNaBP fits the bill perfectly.



3.71/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pour yields a pale straw-colored beer, very long got tan head that dissipates in seconds.

Aromas are light, grassy hops and some malty sweetness. The taste has the grassy hops, but there's an additional lemon note that melds well with the grassy notes and the malt sweetness.

I wouldn't stand in a line to acquire this, but I'd pound a few of these after mowing my grass or sitting at the beach.

 

Great reflective opening post by @lordofthewiens.

His message has been with me since early this morning. In that time I have been reminded that the majority of my true friends over the years have been blood relatives, specifically cousins and one departed Uncle. In fact all but one of the Groomsman at my wedding were blood relatives. I have known this for a long time but today I realized that other than my wife, my 13 year old daughter is presently my closest friend, (she is mature for 13 while I am immature for 43) which fits my MO. I honestly spend more time with her than anyone I know.
I of course also realize that this will eventually come to an end so for now, I am living it up.
I am a fortunate man!

Now beer.
I struggled with the decision of what to open for NBS and settled on a bomber of Heavy Seas 21st Anniversary Ale that has been living in the beer fridge for some time.


A Baltimore brew made with Domino sugar processed in Baltimore and aged in rye whiskey barrels from Sagamore Distillery in Baltimore.


I am really glad that I did. I have seen a few of these bottles collecting dust at local bottle shops. Tomorrow I will be scouring said Bottle shops for HS 21st Anniversary Ale "shelf turds" to be crass!

4.27/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 9/8/16
22 oz. bottle poured into a nonic style pint glass.

The body is a dark tarnished copper that at first looks rather murky but upon closer inspection is actually quite clear. A conservative pour yields one inch of bone white, fine foam that quickly dissipates to just a thin crown leaving only thin lines of lacing. The appearance is rich though not exciting but is very much to style.

Subdued, the nose is a bit disappointing. However, the attendant aromas, caramel malt, a sweet note that is not quite dark fruit but probably sugar and the slightly boozy whiskey barrel combine for an inviting introduction to a fantastic taste. The tang of white oak soaked in whiskey provides a nice balance to the sweet caramel, toffee and sugar. The hop character that is missing from the nose, most likely due to the age of this bottle is present in the mild bitterness that is well balanced with the sweet malty flavors. The finish is fairly short with a light bitter, woody aftertaste. Some heat is present but less than you would expect for 10.5% ABV.
As far as body goes this is on the low side of medium. The carbonation is mild but seems to unite with the also mild bitterness and booziness to give a bit of tongue bite at the finish. Otherwise the mouth feel is smooth and light.

This reminds me of a lighter version of the Olde Ale style, particularly Founders Curmudgeon or North Coast's Old Stock Ale. The sweet booziness but generally lighter. I'm sure the hop character has faded as this bottle is 318 days old. I'm not sure whether this the perfect age or if it just my preference or possibly both. Either way this was a memorable beer for me.

 

ZipLine Kölsch, 5.4% ABV, 24 IBU. Pours thin and pale hazy yellow with a thin white head. Nose is malty and light grass. Taste is malty, a bit sweet and a very slight hint of bitterness. Outstanding smooth mouthfeel and overall outstanding. This is the best Kölsch I've had so far, could put a lot of these away in a sitting.

 

It has been a string of nothing but long and strenuous days this past week, and the calendar doesn't clear up for another 5 days. I matched my highest weekly mileage PR of the past two years - this time with 2 days off. Also worked an extra 20 hours this week, which makes it the most I've worked in a week since beginning full time. Saying I spent this week running and working would be an understatement. Fortunately, there's enough day light to squeeze in a new-to-me brew in my favorite weekly thread. It's been a week or two since I've posted, which broke my nearly year-long streak of reviewing a beer on Sunday. Intro done, it's time to drink! Cheers.



St. Bernardus's Tripel.

Pours a rich, semi-dark orange with a foggy, haze to it. Head is a finger high of white foam that sits and retains exceptionally well. Few rings of lacing left behind, but most gets absorbed by the hearty head. Aroma is alive with bright Belgian yeast esters, banana, clove, biscuits, and bread. Flavor profile is a smooth deliver of banana, clove, and Belgian yeast esters. Flaky, doughy biscuit and bready malts shine through, especially towards the end. Mouth feel is medium in thickness, with a filling, velvety, creamy texture. Overall, a delight to drink. At 8%, it's starting to hit the middle-high end of the ABV spectrum, and yet it drinks incredibly smooth and easy.

Score: 4.5 | 4.25 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.75 | BA Score: 4.49 | rDev: +6.1%

 

That sounds perfect! I'll be joining you in that routine soon enough. This is my first year with these Juliet hybrids, and I'm very impressed. They are like half-sized Roma tomatoes, and grow in clusters like cherry tomatoes; very prolific, meaty and tasty, but the early ripening just may be the best part .

 

My apologies for that not being a better offering. I bought them on recommendation. I remember the one I tried having a hard bitterness to it. I will drink my remaining one and compare it to your notes.

 

Greetings All from the Great Northwest where it is HOT. Temps in the upper 90's.

I just returned from a week long trailer trip through north Idaho, British Columbia and Montana. I reconnected with some old favorite beers, and picked up some new specimens along the way. So if NBS for me has a BC, Montana feel for a few weeks that will be why.

Today we have Shake A Day IPA from Big Sky Brewing. Super sweet and fruity. https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/751/220526/

At my local watering hole (there is only one) they have a shake a day dice game. It's for local residents only. They get mad when some one passing through wins. Las Vegas was not built on that attitude. ;-) $1 for 4 chances to roll a natural 5 of a kind. I figure the odds are about 1200:1 so I only play when the pot gets to about $300. And I never win. ;(

Yep, only 1 bar in town. Nearest red-yellow-green traffic signal is about 40 miles away. We do have a caution light in the middle of town. Ah, rural America. God bless the USA (and get us to the end of the current administration). Amen.

Until next time

Happy Trails!

 

hahahaha ... awfully ambitious

I never doubted the NBS crew, though I do appreciate @ovaltine and his understanding. It's so f-ing hot today here in the Brazos Valley, where it's been hot for weeks but today, man ... today was THE day the blast furnace got lit.

Almost 7:30 p.m. and the heat index is still triple-f-ing-digits:



Hope you're cooling off somewhere breezy!

 

I guess now I'm a teacher's pet.

Teacher's Pet from Wild Mind Artisan Ales in Minneapolis.
Is it time for breakfast? I guess so.
It is rich, boozy, coffee, chocolate flavored. Damn good.

4.23/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This beer pours a nice, rich, thick, black color. The head was 3 finger, and a nice shade of brown. No lacing on the glass.
The nose has nice notes of chocolate, and coffee. Some malt.
The taste has a noce coffee forward flavor, with a hint of chocolate.
Nice boozy feel, but not heavy. Not watery.
Damn, I know what my breakfast is going to be till the growler is empty. This is an amazing beer.

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#2, I am not obeying the demand made in the name of this beer .....



3.95/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

The pour is gorgeous - jet black, 2 fingers of tan head. I'm drooling like my dog drools when I cook a ribeye on the grill.

The aromas, though, fall short. The first thing I get is booze. Okay, this weighs in at 11.1% ABV - there's gonna be some booze. I also get the cinnamon and some heat from the chilies and peppers, but no vanilla - and this will need vanilla to give it some body.

But the taste has no vanilla. The booze is present, and so are the chilies and peppers, and the cacao nibs join the party, but somehow this big beer tastes thin.

I'd drink this again (I'll look for next year's iteration), but this beer could've been so much more with just a little more gravitas.

 

Harviestoun Ola Dubh (Special Reserve, 18).

This is one insanely tasty beer. It pours jet black with a tan head (more than I was expecting in size) but one that goes away pretty quickly. The nose is smoky and with hints of whiskey. The taste has a string bittersweet base, with notes of whiskey, dark chocolate, peat, and some smokiness. Much more drinkable than I was expecting for a beer of this strength and style. Viscous mouthfeel and with little carbonation. Really tasty stuff and a beer I'll be looking to buy more of.