New Beer Sunday (Week 671)

Time for another beer, while I wait for my green been casserole to finish baking in the oven.

Sierra Nevada Trip In The Woods: Cocoa Coconut Narwhal. Pours a dark coffee brown with a 1.5 finger tan head. Excellent retention that leaves a fat collar and good amounts of lacing on my glass. Aroma is heavy on dark chocolate with some bourbon soaked chocolate covered coconut blending with roasted malt. It starts off semi sweet with a coconut and chocolate cake. The bourbon is faint and more of an accent which does wonders for the flavor. Some vanilla and marshmallow along with hints of caramel. Great carbonation for the style, smooth and very silky mouthfeel that is medium in body. An overall delicious beer from SN.

 

Happy New Year/Beer to all! Thank you to @cjgiant for hosting the conclusion to another year. It only seems fitting that it falls on New Years Eve. I'm horizontal on the couch after coming home from running a frigid 5k along the Chicago lakefront this morning. I signed up weeks ago when we were still enjoying balmy 45 degree temperatures, but that's how it goes around these parts.

It's a special milestone today as this is beer number 1000 for me. I only reviewed a little over half of them, so it's a bit jaded. A good friend who is new to the site and more of a lurker gave me this one for Christmas. A 2017 bourbon barrel aged Personal Chain Letter imperial stout from Pollyanna Brewing of Lemont IL. There is no date or abv. on the label. Pouring the contents into my 14oz. snifter for the occasion.

Pours a medium thick dark cola brown producing a few centimeters of tan foam. It settles to a thin ring with no lacing present. A bit of oily residue can be seen on the glass. The smell is bourbon forward along with dark chocolate, brown sugar, vanilla and oak. Taste is bourbon, vanilla, dark chocolate, figs, tobacco and prominent oak in the finish. The feel is medium thick and creamy smooth.

A top notch stout that exhibits some complex bourbon barrel characteristics. It tastes a couple points higher than the 10.10% abv., but the creamy smooth feel makes it dangerously drinkable. No idea on the cost, but I'm craving another! My score is 4.38 / rDev+4.8%. Thanks @Bigcountry26 for your generosity!

Not sure where the rest of the day is headed? Enjoy the festivities and new beer! I leave you with a picture of frozen Lake Michigan and the official scorecard.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34507/308552/?ba=Prager62#review

 

Pretty standard Hazy ipa. Nice citrus. Very smooth.

 

NYNBS volume 2....why the hell am I drinking summer beer when its 3 below zero edition....



A River Runs Gruit

Rock Art Brewery
Scottish Gruit / Ancient Herbed Ale / 5.20% ABV

3.94/5 rDev +9.1% | Score: 3.61
look: 2.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

canned 08/08/2017

L- The ale pours the color of apple cider. The head is minimal, and what's there quickly disappears. This may be the ugliest beer I've consumed. It looks like the water your kid cleaned their paint brushes in those old paint with water books I had as a child.
S- As ugly as the beer is, the nose really shines. This is coming from someone who doesn't drink tea, or even like the smell of candles that use flowery scents. The chamomile really shines here. The lavender is detectable but thankfully not overpowering. Overall its just a really nice sweet flowery scent that doesn't stray into harsh. Really unique in my experience.
T- Rock art describes this as herbal tea-like and I can't really dispute that with my limited experience. If I were a tea drinker I would enjoy this quite a bit.
F- Mouthfeel is medium. Carbonation is very light, but by no means flat.
O- Overall the beer is not really to my personal liking. If you are a fan of herbal teas and things of that nature, this may very well be your jam. My wife raved about it so take the scoring with a grain of salt.

 

I think we made it through December
I was absolutely exhausted by Christmas Eve and didn't even think about drinking a beer for two days after that. I'm lucky to have friends in a quiet corner of West Virginia who welcomed me, put me up for a few days, and restored my well being.

On my way back down south, I stopped in Charlotte to try some new beers. There are way too many breweries and bars to cover there, so I just pick a few to try each trip. The day after Christmas I stopped by Legion and Resident Culture in the Plaza-Midwood neighborhood.

Legion Brewing Easy Rye-der IPA

Rye IPA'S are one of my favorite subcategories

4.28/5 rDev +0.5% | Score: 4.26
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25


Pours a golden hazy color with a creamy finger plus head. The head sticks around and leaves a thick curtain of lacing and a persistent blanket on the surface. No floaties.
Plenty of citrus and rye aromas once the can is cracked. Grapefruit, apricot, pineapple.
Taste has prominent rye notes up front, along with the citrus. In the background are some savory tomato and spice flavors.
Medium bodied, smooth approach, no alcohol burn, plentiful carbonation, splits the difference between bitter and sweet.

It was a good afternoon and I thoroughly enjoyed both breweries.

The next day I spent the afternoon in the NODA neighborhood and drank more amazing beer, leaving plenty to try on my next trip. I'm amazed at the abundance of beer and have no desire to rank them. I just wish them all well.

Now I'm back home, enjoying the beers I picked up last week, and wishing everyone a great 2018.

 

Happy New year my friend! I have to tell you that over the years your quick wit, your clever banter and your wonderful writing have inspired me . When friends have a good rivalry it is like sailing not like winning and losing. cheers!.

 

Home now, got a turkey in the oven for dinner and slowing down on the drinking in hopes to make it to midnight. First full review of the day Trillium Broken Angel.

4.08/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle poured into a tulip

A- A fairly clear golden copper with a two finger white head.

S- Tart apples, pears, some herbal tea, some peppercorns, hints of bananas and cloves.

T- Pears, touch of banana, peppercorns, herbal tea, some tart apple.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- A decent Belgian Strong Pale Ale, enjoyable and easy to drink.

 

New beer #2.

Zellige - 4 Hands
Moroccan Coffee Stout - 7.5% abv
“Best By 3/11/18”
Purchased for $3.99 at Monde Market
Score: 4.22 (+3.2% rDev)



L - 1-finger mocha head atop a deep dark brown body.

S - cinnamon, nutmeg, a little coffee.

T - exotic. The spices hit you first, but it’s not the usual pie spice or christmas mix. Definitely some other spices in here. Coffee and bittersweet chocolate hit next. Very low bitterness. Slight alcohol burn on the finish.

F - medium body and carb.

O - This is a good alternative to Xocoveza. Same underlying concept, but the spices here are of a more unusual variety.

 

Picked up SA American Craft Lager pack and am really looking forward to letting the palate reset with these beers. And drinking a bit lighter this New Year eve. Noble Pils is a very crisp and refreshing pilsner, pours crystal clear with an awesome parade of carbonation elevating to the surface, a balance malt and hops mix with a bit slightly dry finish. This is a beer I would keep in stock if SA would produce it regularly, great beer. Enjoy your new beer and party well tonight.

 

Wouldn't that be Anchor, not Sierra Nevada?

 

That beer is a 5 for me in appearance, too bad it did not work for you Brian. Happy new year!

 

Duh, call me stupid

 

Hey what's going on? ?

I am about ready for New Years Eve.. and after diggin some Black Tuesday I am settling now for somethin simple.

Right now, we will have some friends come by for festivities, and I will settle in for much drink and merriment.

Let's just start off with something simple shall we...

what's new in our beer fridge today????



Josephs Brau Winter Brew | Trader Joe's Brewing Company



Poured from the bottle into a pokal style glass.

Real nice looking dark amber style bock lager. Deep red with chestnut brown hues, and a creamy three finge tall khaki like head. Good staying power up there too with a creamy appearance, and nearly island top crown. Fine bubbles, and a touch of sheeting lace. Very nice looking big bock.

Aroma is kind of ordinary however. Dry grains, and a faint touch of powdery like caramel senses. Plays a little with milk chocolate angles and even a touch of powdered cocoa. Howeve, that powdery quality seems to be in every facet of the aroma on this beer which comes out weird, almost like an instant drink.

Palate is quite neutral and very dumbed down. Touches of light caramel on the front palate, following an almost steely washing milk chocolate flavor. Thick bodied and nicely supportive but the base flavors are just not really noticeable. Bigger doppel character not really noticeable, if perhaps a touch of slight heat which is tolerable.

Comes across like a very dumbed down bock with little character and flavor. Drinkable and perhaps cheap, but not giving up the goods.

look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25 | BA Generated Score: 3.4

CheerS!

 

Doc I would bathe in that sauce, one of my all time favorites.....

 

It has been a great pleasure to be your brother-in-beer as well. Thanks for the kind words!

You also have been an inspiration with your off the cuff nature and incisive ability to say things in a way that lets me, and I assume all of us, see deeply not only into what you describe, but into you, and that makes it so much better. Happy New Year my friend! Cheers!

 

A very eloquent and thought provoking post from the ultimate player. I always enjoy reading them and I'm with you on enjoying another low key evening. Cheers!

 

Another from Beer Santa @TongoRad:



Forgotten Boardwalk's Morro Castle, a smoked porter

Pours classic black-and-tan. The initial aroma is sweet with some chocolate and red wine, but the first sip is pure earth ... bitter, yeasty, woody ... like chewing a charred chunk of pecan or oak wood from the BBQ pit. And then it gets interesting -- as it warms, the sweet nose gets smokey, and the big earthy/smoke flavor grows sweeter. At times the nose and flavor combined make the beer come off like a light rauchbier ... at least for me I'm picking up that much smoke (not a ton of peat but a little). The flavor never gets too sweet and settles into a mix of lightly sweet red wine/dark chocolate up front followed by a wall of earthy charred malt.

The mouthfeel is fantastic. Light but well carbonated for a truly "moreish" quality.

The review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/36798/140171/?ba=Premo88#review
4.07 (+5.2% rDev)

Thanks again to Michael!

Cheers!

 

Drinking this while watching the Seahawks - with the exception of Tyler Lockett - do absolutely nothing for nearly one half of a football game.
Bit of a foamer at opening.

It soon settled down.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/41563/209371/?ba=woemad#review
BA calls this a Biere de Garde. Seems more like it merits a Wild Ale tag. Whatever it's called, it's very tasty, and I'm grateful to @WesMantooth for being able to drink it.

 

That can art is awesome...

 

So it has been a crazy week and finally home and ready to discuss beer without taking time from my friends and family. This is a Rye IPA called Short Bus and a Amber beer beer called 7 blended together and Aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels. Pours a rusty red color with a 2 plus finger off white head that leaves tons of lace behind as it settles into a thick layer of bubbles that surrounds the sides of the glass, nice retention for sure. 4.5

Smell is caramel, toffee, Rye, vanilla, oak, and some bourbon unusual, but different in a nice way. 3.75

Taste is bolder and more clear. Caramel and toffee start the party, a tad stale but really not a bad thing, just feel like it needed a few more months in the aging process. Rye, Oaked vanilla, mild grapefruit, and Bourbon. 3.75

Mouthfeel is a tad thin, meaning not even medium, very gentle carbonation as is Kettlehead's weakest link in my opinion, maybe a tad dry, and at 7% ABV goes down easy enough. 3.5

Overall I am enjoying this beer, but I think they should have let it age longer and every thing would have made it blend better. 3.75