New Beer Sunday (Week 674)

Greetings All from the Great Northwest.

Bummer of a Championship weekend. My rooting interests have either lost or are on the way to losing. I guess it will be cheese steaks for the Super Bowl?

Meanwhile today we have Scale Breaker IPA from 10 Barrel Brewing. A well balanced brew with a sweet evergreen finish.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16873/308951/

Yet another reason to get down to Bend Oregon.

Loved the opening on home ownership. We are preparing to remodel a kitchen that we have owned for 25 years, but the cabinetry probably dates back to the 1930's. Going to be an interesting experience. Plan to have it done by the end of March. If we don't end up in divorce court first. ;-)

Happy Trails!

 

dude, you move a LOT! Witness protection?

 

I got one of these in my fridge. I bought it at the brewery and the beertender warned me to give it several months before drinking because it was very rum forward.

 

Yeah, my buddy told me to wait at least a month.
I did!

 

+ what you're having is likely not fresh. Still good, but not quite what I remember, when it first appeared. Anyway, it makes a nice palate-reset , between IPAs, or a good I-just-wanna-have-a-beer, when I get home at the end of the day.

 

I hope I didn't give off the impression that I didn't like it because I definitely enjoyed it! Maybe you're right that it's unfair to compare it to a Munich Helles, but the German malt and German hops are what made me think in that direction. I'll try to come at it from a different angle next time I have it.

 

Good evening, everyone! Tonight, for NBS, I will be reviewing ALL LAGERS. More specifically, all of the lagers from the Samuel Adams lager variety pack. (Aside from Boston Lager, which I've had hundreds of times)

First up I decided to go with the Kellerbier.



It comes in a hazy, transparent reddish brown color, with a big rocky off white head. The retention is surprisingly long--staying at full size for at least several minutes. This left plenty of glass lacing along the way down.

The aroma rich toasted brown bread, slight caramel and toffee, grassy hops, as well as woody, earthy, and herbal. It also smells strangely smoky, as if they used smoked malts.

The taste follows the nose precisely. Toasted brown bread, burnt sugar and toffee upfront, the sweetness kept in check by a crisp grassy bitterness that sneaks in. It's woody, earthy, and smoky in the background. It finishes slightly sweet, but well-balancing. Smooth, surprisingly crisp and supremely drinkable.

I really enjoy this. It's like a more complex Brooklyn Lager. I think this is my favorite Kellerbier thus far. I don't care for the previous ones I've had, as they were all too sweet. Well done, BBC!

P.S. It also paired very well with my sausage dinner.

 

No, work.

Which is sorta the same thing.

 

Next up is the Smoked Lager.



It looks very dark brown, with red highlights. Topped by a foamy off white head. Moderate retention leaves a thin film, and sheets of lacing are left behind.
It smells like a campfire. Wood smoke and bacon grease. Not much else, to be honest, except for a big brown bread malt backbone.
Okay, so the smoke is more restrained and subtle on the palate. The beer opens up like a bock with rich sweet brown bread, toasty, with some toffee. Hints of molasses and licorice as well. Then the smoke comes in on the finish, light but it's there. Hints of bacon and pork. Finishes fairly clean with a just of touch of momentary smokiness lingering.

Well, I think this is my first ever smoked beer, aside from Stone Smoked Porter. It's not bad, but I don't think it's something I would want regularly, either.

 

The good LNBA @HorseheadsHophead going all lager style has me kinda excited

I'm sticking with New RIS Sunday tonight:

Bell's Expedition Stout, a Russian imperial stout

No official review tonight because my 6-pack's born-on date is 10/31/2017, so it's still a bit raw. Boy is it ... that first swig tastes like a burnt hop forest, tons of super dark malt and bitter hops. The aftertaste may be offering a view into the future, though, for it smooths out into a molasses/brown sugar/dark chocolate kind of thing that's sweeter, easier to handle. It's impossible to say how I will rank it right now, but it seems very similar to fresh Sierra Narwhal but without the vodka heat. In fact, because I'm not picking up much alcohol taste/burn, I'm really digging it ... the flavors are strong and heavy and just sit down right in the middle of your palate and don't move. The aftertaste is incredible.

By the way, the aroma is tamarind. Not tamarind soda, not very sweet ... like the rind of a tamarind. Crazy. Never smelled a beer with this note.

Based off this fresh bottle, I'd rate it 4 look/4 aroma/4.25 taste/4 feel/4 overall, but it's way too early in the game to chisel that in stone. I like it fresh like this, but let's see what happens in 3 months, 6 months and a year-plus in the fridge.

Cheers!

 

It's certainly an interesting beer, in that it tempts you to look at it from a couple of angles. If the copy on the can is to be believed, the recipe may be rooted from their German heritage, but it was also made to be a lighter, easy drinking version for the brewery workers.

And even if that part is bunk, it still describes the feel of the beer to a t anyway. And even helps to appreciate it on its own terms, in a 'glass half full' kind of way- so that's all I was getting at.

 

Dogfish head red & white
A- pours a dark hazy golden orange with lots of floaties

S- red wine and apple juice

T- sweet and tart apple juice with red wine notes

M- medium

O- good beer, smell is a little better than the taste

 

Dogfish head miles Davis bitches brew


Bottled on 11/18/15

A- pitch black with medium brown head

S- very muted coffee, not much else

T- dark and milk chocolate, coffee, honey notes mid palate

M- medium to medium full

O- very rich chocolate. Kinda one dimensional. Probably much better fresh

 

Is that Welsh???

 

Left hand milk stout. Pours almost completely black, medium-light carbonation and an almost oily slick feel to it. Not as creamy a feel as most milk stouts I've had before. Aroma is black coffee and bakers bitter cocoa. Taste is coffee and bitter cocoa, a dry and bitter finish. Needs to warm up to appreciate the flavors that come out then. Overall good but feel I need to try another bottle to give an honest opinion

 

Next up is the Coffee Black Lager.



Might I say that I like the label on this one. Most of Sam Adams' labels bore me, but I like the bear with a cup of coffee.

Anyway, the brew looks black save for a tinge of ruby red at the bottom of the glass. Topped by a frothy beige head with long retention, and it leaves lots of beautiful lacing.

The aroma immediately gives off cold brew coffee. It's not exactly a fresh, roasty, nutty coffee--but neither is it watery, thin, or burnt and acrid. It's just a nice pleasant dark roast, a bit grainy, with just the tiniest bit of blackberry/blueberry. I also get chocolate, burnt toast, roasted grains, and earthy/metallic hops.

Wow, this tastes really nice. It's very balanced and drinkable, not harsh at all, and neither overly bitter nor sweet. A nice smooth silky cold brew dark coffee flavor, a bit nutty, some bittersweet dark chocolate notes and roasted grainy malt. It's got a great feel to it, too. It's very easy-drinking, while not being watery or thin, either. It reminds me of a Left Hand beer--which is a compliment, as Left Hand are a brewery I hold in very high regard. It reminds me of their Hardwired Coffee Porter.

I like this a lot. If they sold this in six-packs at a reasonable price I would buy it. This is my favorite of the mixed pack so far, although I'm admittedly a sucker for almost any coffee beer, as coffee is my favorite non-traditional beer ingredient. However, I'm saving what may be the best for last--Noble Pils.

 

It might be based on Welsh, but it is a Lovecraft quote and I presume a fabricated language.

In his house at R'lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming is the "translation". So Cthulhu lies waiting beneath the ocean waiting to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting planet. @LeperJim is either brave or foolhardy to venture there...or there is a lot more to Jim than we mere mortals can fathom...

 

Good evening, NBS. Glad to finally be here.

My new beer for tonight was a gift.



Freingeist Ehrenfeider, an unfiltered altbier purchased at the grocery outlet by my mother for me. Wonderful woman. The only review of this says it costs $.99. Reminds me of the cheap beer prices in Germany.

Don't see a date anywhere, so who knows how old this is. There's a decent layer of sediment on the bottom of the bottle.

It pours a hazy light brown with golden highlights. Finger of off-white head reduces to a lasting frothy cap. Chunky lacing sticks to the glass.

Smell is toasted brown bread, toffee sweetness, something fruity like raisin, light hop spiciness, maybe a wisp of smokiness, or maybe I'm just looking for it as it's described on the bottle.

Tastes toasty, bready, a little sweet. I wouldn't notice the smoke if I wasn't looking for it. Not much hop flavor, but it could be the age. No off flavors, but a bit acerbic on the tongue. Smooth, creamy mouthfeel with light carbonation. Dry.

Not the best altbier I've had, but definitely going down easily and worth all $.99 of its asking price.

 

Didn't think I was going to get in a new one today, spent the week dodging the flu that someone shared with my youngest son(luckily I think I missed that one) and didn't manage to pick up any new ones this week. I wasn't in the mood for one of the big stouts I'm sitting on but did find a lighter one in the beer fridge so here I am.
As far as homeownership goes I've recently thought of looking for a few acres to build on away from the confines of an HOA. I bought the house I'm in at a great price in 2012 when the market low and based on recent sales I could double my investment. I like the house and neighbors, but the damn HOA is a thorn in my side. I work second shift and don't always have time to cut the grass before it's 4" tall nor trim the shrubs as often as they would like but I still keep it respectable. I think the main issue is the president living behind me doesn't like it when I let my puppies out at 1AM when I get in from work and they bark, I don't like it when he lets his out at 6AM and they get mine barking in the house so I guess it evens out. If he wants peace and quiet he should do like I'm doing and look to build away from people.
Anyway, on to the beer.

Pours a dark brown, almost black with a finger of tan head.
Smell is all roasted, dark coffee, dark malts, dark chocolate, and a bit of coffee.
Taste follows, lots of espresso like coffee, roasted malt, and bitter chocolate. Getting a bit of caramel flavor in the aftertaste. Not as sweet as I would expect of a milk stout.
Feel is on the light side of medium, somewhat creamy. Seemed low carbed when chilled but as it warmed it prickled the tongue slightly.
Overall another good Cigar City beer, not mind blowing but better than most milk stouts I've had.

 

Well, here we are. Noble Pils. Everyone says this is a great pilsner, I have not yet had it, and I love pilsners--so let's see what I think of it.



Comes in a clear golden color. Slightly darker than most pilsners I've had. The head is surprisingly small even for the semi-aggressive pour I gave it. The head is white and lasts for a few minutes before dying down into a thin ring, which leaves some spotty lacing.
Smells very mineraly and metallic. Notes of green pepper, grass, lightly biscuity malt, perhaps a touch of orange peel.
The flavor gives me minty and grassy hops upfront, along with notes of bell pepper. Leans slightly sweet with that toasty, biscuity malt, despite the initial hoppiness. There's a bit of apple, honey, and perhaps even strawberry. Not cloying by any means, though. It's still crisp and crushable. It does that have metallic flavor throughout, though, which I don't particularly care for. It's well-carbonated, and finishes lightly dry and just slightly bitter.
Overall, a bit disappointing. It's not bad, but at this point I've had many examples of better pilsners.

Well, then. That's concludes the Sam Adams lager variety pack for me. My favorite beer from the pack, then, is the Coffee Black Lager.