New Beer Sunday (Week 676)

Wow, I'm surprised this beer isn't on BA yet... in fact, wait a second: NONE of the Tinkers are on BA! Guess I've gotta change that! Ahem... anyway, the Tinker series by local boys Merrimack Ales is a rotating-hop showcase with the basis of a 4% hoppy blonde ale. I guess you can think of it as a session IPA with different dry-hops each time in a sense, but it's kind of different in overall feel and drinkability. Allow me to elucidate...



This one is dry-hopped with Simcoe and Chinook hops. I'm expecting hefty pine and moderate citrus atop the crisp and light blonde ale base. My past experiences with Tinker have differed from "session IPA" expectations mostly in how drinkable the beer is via the overall feel. Past Tinker entries have been surprisingly balanced; not hop-water like a lot of session IPAs. As such, I think there will likely be solid balance here, and surprising flavor for a 4% ale.

Pour is quite nice... a vibrant sunburst-orange color with some honeyed aspects. Head is compact but retentive; about a finger-and-a-half with spectacular tiered lace appearing as it settles. A great looking brew, to be sure!

The nose has quite a bit of pulpy grapefruit with some light rindlike notes, dank and grassy components, pine resin and light earthy spice. Very expressive for its strength, that's for sure! Light tangerine and even apricot in there as well. Damn, this just smells awesome! No off-notes or anything. Just feels super well-balanced.

On the palate, this is extremely tasty with strong flavors of orange, grapefruit peel and light stone fruit with some dank/grassy notes following through from the tongue. I'm impressed by how well-balanced this is... I get some light, smooth maltiness toward the mid-palate along with a creamy, supple carbonation. The finish of each sip seems very lightly bitter with a mostly simple and conclusive endpoint. Very drinkable... almost reminds me a little of Trillium's "Small Bird Series" beers... sessionable and definitely hoppy. Great job once again, Merrimack!



Energetic alternative rock from Australia! Love it.

 

Happy Super Bowl day to all. I do have a major complaint about today, which is how in the hell are the Eagles in the super bowl but there's no marathon of "It's Always Sunny..."? Talk about wasted opportunity..

So first up is "All the Action" from The Answer



4.44/5 rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Opaque pale, dingy orange juice looking thing with a brilliant white frothy head. Nose really is pretty subtle. That's not to say it's non-existent, as mango, green onion and salt seem to be the harmonious fragrance, just not beating up the nostrils. Taste is where the roller coaster cart goes over the big plunge, as explosive grapefruit, onion and dandelion are so very much there in a dandy little balanced blend. Then just like a coaster, it comes to a quick abrupt halt as there's virtually no after taste. Great beer all around.

 

Hello New Beer Sunday!!!

Quick post, since I am at a party. There will be a game playing. There is also the movie Stripes playing.

I'll be watching Stripes.

Now for the beer.



Warpigs Lazurite.
This is a delicious, easy drinking IPA. It is a good choice for the party, and the only new beer here for me.

Review link

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/39185/172907/

I'll be back later when I get home from the party. See you all then.

 

4.01/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A: Beer pours an almost pitch black body with very minimal head that quickly fades away. Almost no lacing was present while drinking.

S: Beer has a very strong bourbon aroma. Also noticing some plum like smells and a small amount of vanilla.

T: The bourbon is the first thing I notice. The beer also has some chocolate sweetness that counters the bourbon characters.

M: Very smooth drinker. Nice full mouthfeel present. The bourbon kick is there but melds well with the overall mouthfeel.

O: Very easy drinker for a double digit ABV. Head and lacing were missing but overall a nice solid beer. Bourbon, however, seems to dominate the other aspects of the beer.

 

Happy NBS. Trying this very nice Prairie Paradise. Cheers all.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30356/235533/?ba=cindyjeffsmith#review

 

Hello, NBS friends, and thank you to @lordofthewiens for the launch and reminding me that, as a Vikings fan since 1970, Super Bowl Sunday should be a day of mourning for me.

Instead, I’ve celebrated Super Bowl Sunday as long as I can remember. I don’t gamble (Mrs O and Iare notorious for going to Vegas and “risking” $50 over the course of a week), but I wager $100 every Super Bowl (go Iggles +5!!!!!), drink a beer or 3, and generally enjoy the day immensely. Today will be no exception.

First up in my beer day, this excellent IPA out of Columbus, IN. Props to @Prager62 - his recommendation of this beer swayed my purchasing decision, and he was correct as usual.



4.25/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This pours a hazy orange color that edges closer to the brown side of orange, with a rich, fluffy white head. The first note I get on the nose is zesty orange peel from the Mandarina Bavaria hops, accompanied by tropical fruit aromas.

The taste has loads of dank, ripe oranges, some mango, and a peppery flavor that first presented itself as a smoky flavor, but sharpened to spicy pepper as the beer warmed.

Most Citra-hopped IPA’s are dominated by that varietal in my experience, but the addition of the Mandarina Bavaria hops took this beer a direction that I didn’t anticipate, but really enjoyed. An exceptionally well-executed IPA, IMHO.

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Thanks to @lordofthewiens for getting us started off this week. Another normal weekend as usual, just finished up the laundry for the week. Had a nice busy week at work. Been really enjoying my job lately, despite all of the workload. Finally found out my Sr Manager is looking for a new person for our team so I can stop doing the work of two people. Usually if you are working on a new vehicle program, that's all you do. I am doing a new program, plus the carry over of the Pacifica and the JL Wrangler. Finally did my taxes today, Turbotax is always worth the money. Quick and easy. 2017 was a good year with all of the overtime I was putting in. Have not been doing much OT this year so far, since I don't have to make early morning drives to the assembly plant like I did last year with the pilot builds. I can manage all the plant data from the tech center now. Made a huge new beer haul yesterday, so I am going to be busy for a while again. My 6300th review will be this week.

New Beer:

Fantastic saison! Aromas and flavors of big tart lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, red/green apple, papaya, mango, melon, guava, berry, peppercorn, hay, straw, grass, and light musty funk; with light-moderate wheat/crackery malts and yeasty earthiness. Moderate peppery yeast spiciness and light-moderate lactic tartness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation, light body, and moderately crisp/clean finishing. Balanced grainy malt, lactic acid, and sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Moderate increasing tart/spicy/carbonated dryness, no pucker/astringency. Very flavorful and insanely refreshing, 4.5%. Never watery for the ABV. This is absolutely killer. Amazing well rounded tropical/funky Brett complexity, nice earthy hop presence, and solid pale malt backbone. I love Brett Saisons, and this just nails it. 4.25


Excellent IPA. Amazing lasting head retention and thick soapy lacing the whole glass. Aromas and flavors of big tangerine, lemon, grapefruit, peach, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, melon, citrus peel/zest, and light pepper/pine hops; with moderate lightly toasted bread, light honeyed malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel, herbal, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation/body; bready/grainy malts and some sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Slight resins/rinds, light-moderate increasing bitter dryness, no hop astringency. Extremely drinkable with the mellow bitter finish, 6.5%. Really great juicy and lightly dank hop complexity, with a nice bready malt backbone. Tastes like Citra and Amarillo. Really delicious. 4.03


Wild Kvass, only have the damn Happoshu left to hit 104 styles. This is their first 100% wild yeast beer, no lab grown stuff. This was outstanding! Aromas and flavors of big lightly tart lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, red/green apple, melon, white wine, oak, hay, straw, and grass; with moderate cracker, rye bread dough malts; and lighter notes of pepper, oaken vanilla, and leathery/musty funk. Light-moderate peppery yeast/wine tannin spiciness and lactic tartness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation, light-medium body, and moderately crisp finishing. Balanced bready/grainy malt, lactic acid, and wine tannin in the mouthfeel. Moderate increasing tart/spicy/tannic dryness, no puckering. Very flavorful/refreshing, 3.2%. Just pils malt and bread, fermented with yeast they captured at Taum Sauk mountain in Missouri. Really awesome mix of Brett/Lacto character, great wine barrel presence, and a nice solid bready malt backbone. Never overly lactic/tannic. Absolutely loved this as expected. They have been doing nothing but great things so far. Will keep seeking out the stuff that hits distro. Might end up trading for others eventually. 4.15


Cheers, be back a bit later NBS.

 

That can reminds me of this one:

 

Love the bottle stopper.

 

Thanks a lot! Here's a better look

 

Boulevard Flora Obscura

This “dry-hopped porter” (a new Boulevard seasonal) essentially drinks like a “black IPA”... but to me black IPAs were always simply hoppy porters so we’re all good here.

The hop impact is strong with this one. Tastes of orange/citrus and has a nice bitterness in the back. It would be better if the porter elements were more evident, but as it is they’re pretty drowned out. Not at all bad but not what I’m after.

 

Happy New Saison Sunday!

Pretty nice day on the Western Slope, trailhead had about 47 or so, valley around 54, cloudy. Having a pretty tasty brew, surprised me. Have not bought that much from them. Picked up a marinated pork taco, marinated pork tostada. Right now watching the Super Bowl, but Andy Griffith (Barney Classics) is also on.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18990/292468/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

#2, another Indiana beer, this is brewed in @Prager62 neck of the woods.



4.25/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pour is a “soft” black with mahogany brown colors on the edges, and a rich tan head. Aromas are cocoa and ripe cherries. My mouth is now officially watering.

I don’t get any oak on the taste, but I do get tart cherries and chocolate. This is an RIS by name only at 8.8% ABV. It is really enjoyable, but it’s a smidge thin. With more gravitas, this would be world-class, IMHO.

 

Had a tough time composing my first beer photograph in the snow with my new camera. It was 15 minutes after sunset, so I was left trying to guesstimate where my logos were facing, and how the shot would turn out. I'm decently pleased with it. I can tell you that I am pleased to be sipping on this beer, which is just one piece of the treasure I hauled back from my travels this weekend.



Lost Forty's Snake Party.

Pours a murky, opaque burnt-orange with a finger of just-off white foam. Head retention is fair, with good lacing left behind. Aroma is citrus, papaya, resin, and pine. The mixture of citrus with forest notes is a pleasant twist in the NE IPA world. Both balance well. Flavor profile is an orange, and clementine opening, with a resin, and pine finish. The resin and pine hops have a twinge of bitterness to them, finishing this beer with a slight bite. There is a little bit of a herbal hop note in the middle. Mouth feel is medium-thick with a velvety, soft feel. Overall, this beer gives a nice feel and presence, all while managing to get NE IPA's signature citrus hops to share the teeter-totter with more west coast IPA hop notes - pine and resin.

Score: 4 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4 | 4.5 | BA Score: 4.26 | rDev: +3.1%

 

Well Hello Before Late Night NBS!!!
For those of you in cooler (or downright colder) weather, I'm sorry to complain about the heat out here. But here it goes...IT'S FRIGGIN 80 degrees here. I get so tired of "winter" in SoCal.

Anyways, loving the score so far...Eagles 15, New England 6.

Trail Magic by Treehouse
3.75/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to choobaccaHB for this gem of a pils.
Clear golden straw in color. Fluffy white head.
Clean pils nose. Cracker, slightly lemony note, with a gentle spice note, pepper maybe.
Flavor is sweet initially, crisp and clean, with a nice transition to bitter.
Mouthfeel maintains a smooth balance of slick and carbonation
Overall, I find this to be a very solid offering for the oft-maligned and under appreciated pilsener.

 

Zero Gravity Extra Stout

Here’s quickie number four and I’m starting to pay less attention to what I’m drinking. Sorry.

I had a version of this before, but I’m definitely considering this one to be a “new” beer. I saw this from cask once, ordered it, and wish I read the fine print. I thought: “there’s no way there isn’t coffee here.” Read the description and realized it was a cask version with added coffee and vanilla. Whoops.

This normal version checks a lot of boxes before I opened it up. It’s a good brewery and the old-fashioned nature to this one is very pleasing.

As I said, I sorta downed this without letting it register much. Thin and light body. Clean, roasty, relatively dry. Solid, but failed to really make an impression. I might love this one in a hypothetical blind side-by-side with like-minded beers, but I didn’t get a good handle on this. I’m more drawn to the lagers from this brewery. I can say with confidence though, that a cask version of this beer without the additions would be my favorite iteration.

 

I've made the mistake, too. About three years ago I nearly killed poor @cavedave with a Buffalo Bayou beer everybody in the Greater Houston area just swore up and down was the greatest gingerbread stout of all times (it wasn't ... still isn't). I took my first sip of it *after* sending a bomber to Dave and thought "Oh, F!"

Fortunately, the lads and lasses here on NBS have generous and forgiving hearts. I send crap to @TongoRad now sometimes just to test him and that palate of his. Michael doesn't back down from a challenge.

Speaking of challenges, thanks to @lordofthewiens for his Super Bowl intro, a challenging time for many of us and for many different reasons. More on that after this New Belgian Beer Sunday:

Brouwerij Huyghe's Delirium Noel, a Belgian strong dark ale

Many of you have had it; I'd imagine some of you weren't impressed based on it's relatively low score for the style (3.88). And I can see why right off the first whiff of aroma — loads of earthy yeast. My bottle is about 6-7 months old, which I'd call still fresh for the style, so the big, dusty yeast presence doesn't surprise me.

It's also why I like it ... or why I'm digging it let's say. There's lots of good "lighter" dark-malt notes of peach, fruitcake, sugary dates, maple syrup — but that earthy yeast flavor keeps those in check without the overall flavor taking on the full candy-sweet aura that many great quads/Belgian strong darks take on.

With that said, I won't drink another bottle of this one this young. If I buy another bottle, I'll age it at least a full year and try to hold onto it for 2-3 years. Maybe the malt doesn't settle in and take over, but it'd be cool to find out.

The review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/180/2347/?ba=Premo88#review
4.12 (+6.2% rDev)

OK, Yankees, NFC East rivals and all other haters. Avert your eyes, for below is a pictorial essay on some of my favorite Super Bowl moments. There's *many* *many* more, and they begin in 1978 in New Orleans from which my earliest memories of watching football begin (I remember being sick with worry over Tony Dorsett's bout with the cold/flu on that year's Super Bowl Eve):

*runs for cover as he yells over his shoulder*

Cheers!

 

Greetings All:

Drinking a nice coffee porter and watching the JT halftime show.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/20680/317221/

The Stone Squirrel Coffee Porter is better than the show. But I'm more a country and western fan.

On to the second half. Go Eagles!

 

My favorite part about traveling is the new experiences, both those while I'm there, and those I get from hauling new beer home. Another beer out of the folks at Lost Forty. This will be my last for today.



Lost Forty's Wandering White Hop.

Pours an opaque dull-orange with 3/4 of a finger of white foam. Head retention is okay with a few strands of lacing left behind. Sediment is sitting at the bottom of the glass immediately after a full 12oz pour from the can. Aroma is a staccato hit of pine, herbal, and spicy hops with a sprinkle of biscuit and earthy malts behind. Overall, it smells like you've just started digging a fire pit in a lightly wooded, evergreen forest. Flavor profile is herbal, spicy, and pine hops, all with a bitter quality. Biscuit, and earthy malts help curtail the bitter finish ever so slightly. Mouth feel is medium in thickness, with a fizzy, somewhat harsh feel. Overall, bitter biting forest-like hops over a light bed of malts. It has a short and staccato aroma and flavor profile, encouraging quick and abundant sips.

Score: 3.75 | 4.25 | 4 | 3.75 | 4 | BA Score: 4.02 | rDev: +2.6%