New Beer Sunday (Week 704)

#2, another #DrinkLocal option, this is an imperial wheat with a boatload of fresh fruit, specifically mango and peach.





4.35/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I can type a lot of words here. I can wax eloquently about the look as this imperial wheat is poured, I can talk about the aromas and the taste and the mouthfeel, and I can tell you that all of those components explain why this is a really excellent beer.

But that wouldn’t capture the essence of this beer - it is all about the mango and the peach. This 9% ABV beer has no alcohol heat - as in zero - because the mango and the peach obliterate anything within 50 miles of this beer.

It’s not for everyone (if you don’t like mango or peach, run like your clothes are on fire), but this beer is exceptionally well done, IMHO. I’m glad I have 3 more cans to enjoy.

 

It's been a long weekend, starting with my dad coming out Thursday afternoon to watch our daughter Friday morning while our nanny took a day off. We took him out to dinner, then my wife suggested we hit up the local beer shop since he's never been. Needless to say, we both brought a bit home. Friday afternoon I took off to hang out with him and we took my daughter on a 3 mile hike, the last 1.5 miles of which involved 500+ steps. Needless to say we needed to quench our thirst with some brews at Ithaca Beer Company.

Today I had to go to a birthday party for a 4-year old, followed by doing some yard work, cleaning the gutters, and doing some chainsaw work on a recently fallen tree. I was pretty beat after that and decided a couple of new beers were a worthwhile reward. Both beers were picked up Thursday night.



First up today is a well deserved Oatmeal Stout from Buried Acorn. This is a brewery from Syracuse I hadn't heard of before, I think they're pretty new. Pours a dark color, almost black, with a tan head. Has hints of coffee, but is thin for a stout. Overall, I liked it and will definitely be looking out for more from these guys. I must have liked it because my wife was surprised how quickly I was opening beer #2.



Beer #2 is Chrysalis Into Beauty by Foreign Objects. I have loved every beer I have had from these guys and have a hard time passing them up despite the price, so take this review with a grain of salt. Pours a golden color that's not clear but not quite hazy. Smells like a fruit I can't identify, maybe pineapple(?), with the taste following. I think one of the reasons I like their beers is they are almost creamy and quite thick, with this one being no exception. Overall, once again, the new Foreign Objects beer is excellent. I am going to try to go back tomorrow and hope that the other two I hadn't tried are still there so I can pick them up for later this week.

 

Hi everybody! Great to be back with a new beer.

Yesterday was a ton of fun for us because we were visiting my folks up in the Catskills, along with my brother and his kids; so there was a hell of a lot of eating, drinking and game playing. My oldest will be moving into a new apartment this Friday for his senior year at school, so this was the last chance to visit the grandparents, and boy did we make it count. We all kicked off the summer on Memorial Day weekend with a crawfish boil- and yesterday we used that very same crawfish boiling liquid (which was in the freezer the whole time) as the base for a kick-ass seafood/andouille gumbo. It was the perfect way to bookend the season.

Right now it's yet another dreary rainy Sunday here, but I have been sitting on the perfect pick-me-up sent to me by @Vidblain not too long ago, some more Viking-inspired madness by Hammerheart Brewing:

This one is Hokansons Öl, a 10% brown ale aged in aquavit barrels with added lingonberries.

Right off the bat I'm getting a nice combination of wood, dark chocolate, spice and pulpy fruit- nothing too overdone in that mix, either. And after a few more sips, yep, this is an Imperial Brown first and foremost. Next on the list would be the wood, offering depth and a tannic backbone. It's a fairly rich beer, finishing nicely dry for the gravity, and a spry medium-weight mouthfeel to it. Alcohol definitely lends a warming presence and makes itself known, but never rises to any sort of obnoxious level.

Oddly enough, when I decide to make the berries my focus they make themselves known; but other than that they are more like a subroutine running in the background, offering some necessary counterpoint to the other more ragged elements in the brew. Oddly enough, the aquavit spiciness here, as well as the fruitiness may just as well have come from yeast and malt, that's how natural and well-incorporated they seem.

I'm really enjoying this, just like all of the other Hammerheart beers I've had. It seems like the brewer and I are on the same wavelength when it comes to using potentially strong flavors, but in a very refined manner overall. At the moment this is a very pleasing A- (4.35), looking forward to nursing the remainder of the bottle. Thanks again, Chris!

 

Third and final new beer for the day...

Son of Sapping Mammoth...

Bottled 7/31/18, a collab between Maine Beer and Half Acre, special feature being it was brewed with "Midwest-grown grain..." Medium-pale golden yellow body, hazy but translucent; fat white head left lotsa lace behind... Grassy and grainy but with a sweet light pine resin coating the fruitier elements... Amply carbonated, moderately sweet with a very mild citrus but drying as it finishes... Mildly bitter, very smooth... Nice feel and a clean fresh taste that lingers nicely...

That'll do me over here, folks - may your beers be new and your farts deadly...

 

Omnipollo Zodiak Multiverse NEDIPA. This was fantastic! Amazing head retention and thick soapy lacing the whole glass. Aromas and flavors of big grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, orange juice, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, guava, gooseberry, citrus peel/zest, and light pepper/pine hops; with moderate wheat, biscuit dough, light honeyed malt sweetness; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Very mild pine, zesty, herbal, floral, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; very creamy/silky/bready/grainy malts and light sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing lingering bitter dryness. No hop astringency. Amazingly smooth/soft finish, minimal warming 8%. Assuming this is just imperial Zodiak. Simcoe, Citra, Centennial hops. Insanely juicy and lightly dank/earthy hop complexity; perfect wheat/oat/malt backbone, not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. Hope I can find more! Really limited(I had to add it), but they hopefully will make a new batch. Stellar stuff for the style. Should revisit the base beer again. 4.28


Keeping the NBS JP tradition going. Got 5 more new ones from them last week. This was excellent. Slight gusher opener. Fantastic head retention/lacing on the glass. Aromas and flavors of big tart grapefruit, cherry, fruit skin, lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, passion fruit, mango, melon, berries, citrus peel/rind, red/green apple, white wine, peppercorn, pine, oak, hay, straw, floral, and grass; with moderate cracker, white bread dough malts; lighter notes of leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate peppery yeast spiciness; pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, grassy bitterness; and light fruit/Brett tang/tartness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation, medium body, and fairly crisp finishing. Balanced bready/grainy malts, sticky hops, oak tannins, and light fruit tang/acidity in the mouthfeel. Moderate increasing bitter/spicy dryness, minimal hop astringency. Very smooth, minimal warming 6.9%. Spot on wild saison as usual. Amarillo, Cascade, & Citra hops. Great balance of juicy/dank/earthy hops/fruit with classic JP house funky Saison/Brett complexity; nice oak presence and pale malt backbone. There are 2 other variations on this collaboration. Another one with just grapefruit, and then a blend of both. 4.03


Cheers, have a good night NBS.

 

The second, and last, new beer of this Sunday comes courtesy of @Lingenbrau and it's a stone cold stunner.

New American Strong Ale (catchall) Sunday

Hair of the Dog - Cherry Fred From The Wood



Lingenberry hooked it up with the glass too, because he's the best.



4.37/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12oz Bottle

2017

A giant thanks goes out to Phil for always keeping the Hair of the Dog faucet flowing. Thanks, buddy! Cherry Fred is still, like some of the past variations. There's not a sound as the cap pops. With that said, this is still a great looking beer. It's dense and slightly murky. The darkest of reds even hinting at some deep purple highlights. It looks elegant yet bold, much like my interpretation of everything Hair of the Dog.

The nose on this beer is absurd. Figs, dates, and bing cherries get it going. There's a slightly oxidized brown bread maltiness combined with a touch of graham cracker. Soft oak and a bit of mustiness surround the giant malt driven body. It's a touch leathery, even earthy at times. This beer smells like you should be sipping it in a wood paneled, leather bound library next to a roaring fire and bear skin rug. Your smoking table next to you with a copy of The Sun Also Rises. When beer brings you to a place, it's a good thing and rare.

The cherry is ridiculously well done. Brown bread and soda bread make up the giant malt base. The fruitiness mentioned above is present in droves in the flavor profile. Fig & date with a rich, dark cherry presence. The oak is on the peripheral and a slight oxidation adds a ton of depth. Old leather is nuanced as is a bit of dark berry sweetness on the swallow. This is a really great beverage.

I find it necessary to ding the feel a bit because it's still. With that said, I don't know of a beer that could pull off no bubbles as well as this. The body has some weight up front with a velvety feel. There's no stick or overly sweet finish though, it cleans up nicely. What there is, is a welcomed boozy spice on the swallow that dries up the overall finish. This stuff is dangerous.

What can I say? Hair of the Dog packages a beer with no bubbles and it is still a masterpiece. There's great dark fruitiness and depth present in this beer while remaining dangerously approachable. 750s of this guy would be perfect for the Winter holidays. What a great beer. Thanks again, Phil!

 

What's that Kolsch?

 

Having a GT gose by anderson Valley. It's a bit dry for me, not enough salinity either. Tastes like a sour beer version of a gin and tonic. Not my cup of tea, I prefer their briney melon gose to this variant.

 

I would never presume to tell you what to drink, but Daisy Cutter is my favorite APA.

 

@lordofthewiens the last time was in Las Cruces (07)High Desert was the only game in town. Not that it mattered just completed the Bataan Death March Memorial on Whitesands ( well worth checking out) & was shattered from doing the 26.2 miles with a 4lb ruck. 3 beers & I was ready for bed. Slept about 10 hours straight.

Today's first beer: Marshall Brewing's Volkspils ( North German style ). Way too hazy 3.64 overall. Had higher hopes


Pours a hazed honey color with a thumb of pearl colored head. Good head retention & pretty good lacing, way too hazed

S: Bready, grassy, pears

T: Follows the nose , a little pear as well up front. Grassy bitterness starts to dominate as it warms, along with some astringency. Finished dry, grassy with a little lemon & pear

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation, a little grainyness to this. Could be be better on the balance, but not way off

Drinks easy, but kind off style a little

 

Loving some Revolution Double Barrel V.S.O.D., thanks @bstyle!

4.6/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Thanks bstyle for this
12 oz can, dated 1/4/18, poured into a snifter

A- Black with a very small mocha head

S- Bourbon, oak, dark fruits, roasted malts, dark chocolate, vanilla, some caramel, a little boozy.

T- Dark fruits, combo of figs and cherries, bourbon, chocolate, fudge, roasted malts, vanilla, oak, caramel, minimal booze for 17% ABV and very well balanced.

M- Smooth, full body.

O- Another great version of Deth’s Tar, very balanced and easy to drink given the ABV.

I have to say these Revolution Barrel Aged Stouts are just as good as any Bourbon County I’ve tried, cheers!

 

NBS #3 on the day. Might as well keep it going! It's hot here, and I need something thirst quenching...

Matchless
OWL- Old World Lager (A Czech Lager)





OWL is difficult to judge appearance wise. Was an Old World Lager slightly unclear? Was it as clean as the Czech Lagers of today? I don't know, but this is a good looking beer nonetheless. The almost clear straw golden color on bottom tapers into a subtle clouded light orange above, and is crowned with a foamy white cap. The lace and surface retention are very respectable, and overall the beer looks welcoming.

As does the aroma. It is billowing with Saaz spicy and floral signatures, and underneath lies a simple and delicate bread, and a sweet doughy yeast. As its looks implied, the aroma matches the invitation.

One sip, and I cannot believe this is a beer from a relatively new Washington brewery. I would say this tastes as good as many Czech Lagers I've had, and even better than most. Dried wildflowers meets freshly baked biscuits, and it's all topped off with just a dab of honey. A spicy and peppery finish make this demand another sip after sip.

The texture may be the only flaw, if you can even ding it too much. It's the slightest bit heavy and just a tad under completely crisp and dry, yet still exceptionally drinkable. Balanced, but resting its elbow on the bitter side of the fence, and overall full of aromas, flavors, and textures that seem hard to achieve at such a low 4.4% abv selling point.

We have another winner here from the brewery that is famous for its IPA game. Much respect when lagers are met with this quality end product. Sold.

After my official review, I gave OWL a rating of 4.37 with an rDev of +4.8%.

Cheers.

 

It’s the new Other Half kolsch, “Kolsch is My Cologne.”

 

Picked these up at the brewery yesterday.
Two phones and a digital camera and this is the best pic from the bunch! I've had Holy Cow before so this will be a review of their new saison, "Zomerbier."

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46317/365150/







Moderate pour into an Alchemist taster glass yields a 3/4 inch white head over an ever so slightly hazy straw body with some sticky lacing. Nose of citrus foremost with a real nice floral thing going on as well. As it warms, a bit of funk appears on the nose. Pretty amazing aromas! Taste follows with the citrus notes joined by an earthy funk and spice coming in the middle through the finish, Wow! Very nice feel, a citrusy late finish, and overall a wonderfully refreshing offering from the Waterbury crew. 8 months in the making! Cheers!!!

4.46/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

 

What’s up BA? After a long day of chores around the house, it’s time for a new beer.

Today’s choice is Avery Brewing’s Plank’d which is billed as a rum barrel aged imperial coconut porter.

A tasty high ABV imperial porter that showcases the rum barrels nicely but fails to deliver much coconut.



Poured from 12 oz bottle dated 6/24/2018

A: Very dark brown with smallish one finger head. Decent retention settling to a thin ring and leaving some nice lacing.

S: Aroma is dominated by sweet rum and vanilla although bits of coconut come through in the end.

T: Again rum taking the driver’s seat, but mixed with molasses, vanilla, and coconut.

M: Full bodied with fairly light carbonation. Alcohol readily apparent and finish is a little sweet.

O: Very nice BA imperial porter. I wish the coconut was more pronounced, but otherwise a tasty brew.

 

I compare pale ales to Sierra Nevada's. Always have, always will. Its 50 ibu's have always seemed perfect. It balances pine and citrus, and has a lingering bitterness that lasts as long as you deem appropriate between sips. Daisy Cutter did the same. Mirror Pond is probably the only other one I can think of that makes me think of a (near?) perfect pale ale.

 

Another Happy New American DIPA Sunday!

This one is pretty tasty, one of the best I've had from them.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/38773/361300/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

Great review. You're a damned poet.

Funny thing about the Fred's I've come to find is that the variants are intentionally still. Original Fred is carbonated (by way of bottle conditioning), but the others are not. It's weird, but I agree with you, it works. And it works well, but it is hard to ignore.