New Beer Sunday (Week 675)

There's one of those in my cellar, has my son's name on it though.

 

New beer #3. Another miss for me.

Buck Snort - North Country Brew Co
West Coast style stout - 7% abv
Canned 12/6/17
Purchased for $2.29 at Monde Market
Score: 3.43 (-10.9% rDev)



L - 2.5 finger hazelnut head atop a black body.

S - roast, bread, citrusy hops. Smells more like a black ipa than a stout.

T - soy sauce, roast, smoke. Citrus and dirty/earthy hops. Quite a bitter finish. No sweetness. Very little detectable booze.

F - medium body with higher than average carb.

O - I just can’t get past the soy sauce in the taste. That aspect ruins a stout for me, and this one has it in spades.

 

I didn't end up caring for this all that much but wow did it indeed have an unexpectedly strong coffee taste and aroma. And I also got more of grocery store/Folgers kind of coffee than of anything fancy as you say.

I did enjoy the coffee taste on the front end but for me it didn't mesh well with the ale taste on the backend.

 

I agree, with higher-quality coffee in smaller amounts, this would have been a contender. That’s why I like Mocha. The IPA aspect is more apparent, and the coffee is higher quality but less dominant.

 

I made mention in my first post to this thread that I recently purchased a craft lager variety pack from Sam Adams. So far I have only drank two bottles from that pack.

Last month I purchased a variety pack from a Pennsylvania small(er) brewery of Straub Brewing. This pack was branded as Adventure Series #3. I thought some folks might enjoy reading my impressions of the four beers that are in this pack.



http://www.origlio.com/beverage/adventure-series-3

Odo Pilot Pilsner

This beer was branded simply as German Pilsner in the past. This beer tasted the same to me as the past versions. I think this beer is good but if they offered it as a standalone 6-pack I personally would not buy it.

1872 Pre-Prohibition Lager

This beer is different from prior versions. It is lighter in color with a more crisp character. In my opinion this version is what I consider to be a Classic American Pilsner. Prior versions were closer to the spectrum of a Vienna Lager. My guess is that they backed off a bit on how much Munich Malt they used in the grain bill. I have enjoyed drinking the 1872 Pre-Prohibition Lager in the past but I think this version is better (i.e., an improvement). I would very much like to be able to buy this beer in a standalone 6-pack.

Ancient Alt Altbier

I have had an Altbier for Straub in the past. It was a seasonal they branded as Groundhog Altbier. I was not a fan of the Groundhog Altbier of the past. In contrast I am a fan of this version of an Altbier (I discussed it in a past NBS thread). I would very much like to be able to buy this beer in a standalone 6-pack.

20 Rock Doppelbock.

I think that Straub did a very good job with this beer! It has a pleasant maltiness with lots of depth of flavor. I would very much like to be able to buy this beer in a standalone 6-pack.


Cheers!

 

@CanConPhilly , no disagreement there, that was my favorite from the pack. It was so unique and enjoyable.

 

Jack is it Straub or another brewery perhaps that makes all the cases I look at vicariously and jealously? Man that is a good case! Cheers!

 

Well, at least you will shortly be drinking a tasty Altbier!

Cheers!

 

No anniversaries to celebrate at this time. However, I have been happily married for a long time and appreciate and enjoy the marking of each year. My wife and I have built beautiful life together filled with a wonderful family. That's worth celebrating! Now, on to my new beer..

Went to Berlin a few summers ago. Had never tried a Berliner Weiss, the perfect opportunity on the River Spree. I try it straight up, with green syrup and with red syrup. I'm in the city that perfected the style, but, nope to a style that I enjoy. Fast forward to a few weeks ago and I search BA for beer stores in Albany. Put on my beer hunter hat and score some local brews I have never had plus a bottle from Grimm, a well regarded brewer that I have never tried before. Unfortunately, the only style is a Berliner Wiesse. I give it a try, here's the rest of my story....

Grimm Artiasnal Galaxy Pop! A dry hopped Berliner Weisse style ale brewed with Galaxy hops, vanilla and milk sugar.

Chilled Bomber poured into a teku glass

Hazy straw in color, one finger white foam cap, quickly settles to a white ring, very good lacings

Aroma of citrus, pineapple

Taste...interesting! Citrus hop on the first sip then the Berliner sour tartness kicks in then creamy sweet vanilla lingers thru the tartness

Medium sudsing, sour then creamy, really interesting beer

I like what Grimm has done with the style. Builds off of the traditional and puts an American , innovative spin on this beer. Very clever.

Good beer, like it, not the usual suspect, repeatable and recommended

 

A cloudy day in New Hampshire but it is also one of those rare January days when the temperatures got into the upper 40's. Two days in a row of 40+ degree weather but dropping back off tomorrow.

For now I'm checking out a brand new beer from a brand new brewery called the True North Ale Co., of Ipswich, Massachusetts. This is their North Shore Session IPA, which has one written BA review (mine) and two ticks. It is 4.7% ABV and 35 IBUs. This was canned 1/3/18 which is under 4 weeks ago. Big floral, pine characters with a lesser citrus character. Big bitter bite that made it feel more than 35 IBUs. Hopheads should like it but I bought it in Massachusetts. I don't believe it is outside of that state.

 

Have enjoyed catching up with all you lucky folks able to drink beer. Got a call a few hours ago that the acoustic quartet is getting together tonight, and me unpracticed for a couple of weeks. So I have been practicing and also keeping up with the excellent beers being enjoyed here, and enjoying along with y'all. Beer drinking and keeping a good beat do not mix well, to say the least.

Cheers y'all see ya next Sunday!

 

Amen. Cameron can be daunting and the Cavaliers were nearly perfect. My brother is a UVA grad, a UNC trained doctor, lives in Durham and is now a huge Duke fan. That and the Carolina/State game yesterday both were old time ACC basketball and lovely to watch. To heck with Syracuse and Louisville!

 

Abbaye de St Bon Chien 20th Anniversary edition (on tap locally) allows for a treat that is less expensive than a full bottle.
-hazy rose-amber tap pour with a 1-mm foam ring. The aroma is acidic with raisin notes, but the flavor, while arrestingly strong is not overly bitter. This is sour, but with a distinct cherry-pit tone; more dried fruit and oak compliment the vinous flavors. This is indeed very special. The high a.b.v (11%) is not noticeable.

 

A-Pours a dark opaque color with a slight head and lacing.
A-Aroma has licorice hints.
T-The taste follows the nose with a subtle licorice flavor.
M-A medium bodied.
O-A decent beer.

 

Happy New Brett Beer Sunday

Barrier Axilla

I plan on contributing two brett beers today. The first is from a local brewery by me - Barrier. They produce some beer that I've really loved.

Axilla is a brett saison that's been aged at the brewery for 14 months. It was released recently. The beer is shockingly clear. It just glows. The brett really hits you immediately. At first, it's dry and earthy. When you get further into the glass, pineapple starts to show up and the earthiness gets toned down. A hoppy bitterness also shows up. Without that bitterness, this one would feel a lot like a white wine.

This doesn't particularly feel like a saison even though it's blonde and very dry, but it also doesn't particularly feel like something other than a saison either, and I suppose that's more important. Unless you would call a "brett beer" a type of thing... in which case this beer certainly fits. It seems like it exists solely to feature brett. Feels like a clean pale lager that was invaded by strong brett and a healthy dose of bittering hops. It's a nice beer and a case of "it is what it is." I'd happily consume more if the bottle was bigger (and it used to be back when it was bottled for the first time... I'm guessing this is the second time that this beer has been brewed and released).

@Greywulfken

 

Greetings friends,
I'm a touch rusty, or is that roasty? Anyway, I bought this beer at Trader Joe's back before Xmas and it's been floating around down in the fridge. Today was the day. Rainy and not cold, but Scotland like and windy and dark, all day.
Trader Joe's Quinquagenary 2017 Vintage Ale. This is a big yeasty ale, but rather light on its feet. Pours slowly blowing a huge frothy meringue cap that wiggles. It is black and truly opaque, a roasty, spicy, easy drinking dark ale! From Unibroue, this dark ale is Belgian through and through..On the nose it pitches some squarely clove and cinnamon notes, a decent bit of roast and, frankly, alcohol. It rates at 9% but really doesn't seem like it..It is smooth and easy, and a bit of a creeper, warming and friendly. Full roast flavor, deep,, yet very easy to down. This is a fine ale that I would buy and enjoy anytime..
Mipso is a local group.. Three of these young folks are Morehead/Cain scholars, having studied at UNC. The old time music scene is alive and real around here.Cheers friends!



https://photos.app.goo.gl/FHOHlagGU0jvfa6T2

 

Good Afternoon NBS,
It's been a few months since I've last posted on this thread, but I'm glad I can join today.
When I bought this beer I had in mind to try to drink it fresh so i can compare with the bottle that I already have aging in the cellar.
Bell's Expedition Stout 2017 Vintage

12oz bottle into Libbey tulip
Bottled on 8/31/17...5 months ago
L- pours a midnight black, with a nice dark brown head, that dissapates into a ring of lacing
S-dark chocolate, sweet dark fruits, slight roastiness
T- black chocolate, sweet molasses, dark fruit, subtle coffee on finish
F- this beer is smooth drinking despite 10.5% ABV, has a nice thick feel to it as well
Overall this is a very drinkable Imperial Stout, that is way too sweet for my liking. This is relatively fresh at about 5 months, looking forward to drinking my 2015 vintage soon
Cheers to the new week!

 

Good NBS afternoon. With all weekend things addressed and duly slowed to a more thoughtful mode by @cjgiant and his opening remarks, I find myself looking more forward toward things (last tuition payment, last mortgage payment, etc.) that I will be able to fondly remember in the future. But for the here and now ....

I grabbed the last six pack of these a little because it looked lonely but more because of "Double" in its named showed some promise and it sounded interesting (and so many song videos that will pair well with it on WBAYDN). The 10/??/17 bottling date was not revealed until the bottled was emptied but I don't think it would have deterred me.

Slightly hazy, chestnut mare colored with a hard to coax toasted marshmallow head make a quick appearance retreating and leaving a thin cap and scant lacing. 4
Faint herbal aroma. 3.5
No sweetness to speak of despite its warm hues. While cold the herbal component continues and for a short time until the bitter, dry finish pushes its way through. But as the beer warms (possibly to a more traditional serving temperature) the flavor swells and the finish is less pronounced. 4
Medium fullness with a bit of spark from the carbonation. 3.75
A good example of the with some strength to make it a bit hardier. 3.75
Composite 3.81 which felt pretty accurate.