New Beer Sunday (Week 705)

Stumbled across a few of these at the local beer store during my last visit...


I've had a few American takes on the style before now, but this will be my first actually-from-Belgium saison! Cork says 2017, so I assume it's not too terribly old. I really have no idea what to expect from this beer (aside from lots of bubbles and the possibility of Belgian yeast flavors), but I've heard the name mentioned so many times on here as one of the "classics" that I figure I had to try it at some point.

Appearance-wise it's hazy, pale-orange, and bubbly, with a huge layer of soap-bubbly foam on top that wants to stick around for quite a while. Smell is light but nice, seems to have a little bit of a fresh leafiness to it. There was some skunkiness upon first pouring but I'm not noticing it now. Just a green bottle thing I suppose (I did go for the one in the back of the shelf to cut down on potential skunk, but it's hard to avoid entirely sometimes.)

Taste is... hard to describe, but very nice! Seemed like some fruitiness, some maltiness, some yeasty stuff going on, and some hop bitterness and spicy/leafy type flavor on the end. All the flavors seem to kind of blend together in a way that makes picking out individual things a little tougher than it is in a lot of beers I've had. Not noticing any skunking in the flavor at all, so I suppose these bottles didn't get a lot of sun -- it was just that brief whiff you get from green bottles that have had a little bit of exposure. Super drinkable, too -- the second sip was more of a big gulp. Surprisingly refreshing to drink for a 6.5% ABV beer... I would not have guessed the alcohol was that high if the label hadn't told me so!

Overall, I'm pretty impressed by this beer -- glad I picked up that bottle and gave it a try!

 

New Beer Sunday: An English Barleywine

Evenin’ NBSers, with a report for fans of solid no-frills but tasty Barleywines that have stood the test of time.

This evening’s new beer is the English Barleywine from Duck-Rabbit Brewing. The beer was entered into the database back in 2006.

As usual, my review, subject to revision until the beer is finished, can be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/9790/34284/?ba=drtth#review


The aromas/flavors of this beer are mostly about the caramel and/or toffee from the malt but there’s also some resin and a bit of citrus. There are some dark fruits and a bit of nutty character as well. A good solid drinkable barleywine from a brewery that seems to have consistency nailed down.

Tonight's music currently on the player is Edvard Grieg’s piano concerto.

Grieg Piano Concerto Adagio

Cheers, all!

 

NBSx2.

Matchless and Fort George Brewing
Fancy Stuff- Brut IPA





All the rage these days I guess, eh? My Fancy Stuff was begging for this fancy hurricane glass, courtesy of @jzeilinger . Thanks again Jeff!

Fancy Stuff pours aglowing soft yellow. A bit odd of an opacity to it, as most Brut beers I have seen have been crystal clear and brass colored. This is still a pretty looking beer though. It has a rocky foam of a white head, which also unfortunately resides to a forgotten state.

The smell is simple and fresh. Citra is quite noticeable, giving off waves of lemon and lime, and is backed up by honeydew melon. A simple crushed cereal and white rice sweetness support the malt end of the picture.

Following the aroma, the flavor boast with simple grain sweetness. And unlike the aroma, the grain dominates, not the hops. A good helping of lemon and lime zest carry on in the finish.

It's a well carbonated beverage for sure. Spritzy almost. Well balanced too. Starts sweet, finishes with just a touch of bitterness and finishes exceptionally dry.

Overall, this is like a Pilsner with some pazzazz, as the Frau puts it. I agree, but maybe more like a Kölsch. It's crisp lively body, simple sweet make up, and light hop flavor make it very enjoyable and exceptionally easy to drink.

After my official review, I gave Fancy Stuff a rating of 3.9, with an rDev of +3.7%.

Cheers everyone.

 

Do you think that that beer would be better placed in the “American” barley wine category here?

 

Alright NBS, back again. This time with Faith No S'more by Alvarado Street. This is an imperial stout brewed with chocolate, marshmallow and graham crackers. Let's dive in.

L: 4.50 Pours darn near pitch black. A tan bubbly head of about 2 fingers formed during the pour, but didn't last long. Pretty much no lacing on this glass. The head can be revived, but settles rapidly. Color-wise, it looks appeasing.
S: 4.50 Huuuuggee notes of graham cracker and marshmallow. There is a slight Hershey chocolate smell on the nose, but the afore mentioned ingredients are the stars of the show.
T: 4.25 Chocolate upfront, with a nice mix of marshmallow. The finish is sweet, most likely from marshmallow. Not much graham cracker, but it is tasty nonetheless.
F: 4.00 Moderate carbonation, medium in body. A tad thin for my liking, but still enjoyable.
O: 4.25 Very tasty. It is very sweet, and I can see how it would be almost too sweet for some. Still, I am glad that I tried it. Cheers NBS.

 

Boulevard sixth glass quadruple
.. deep reddish brown color
..Just above a medium body with plenty of almost champagne like carbonation. May sound odd but the carbonation was very fine but still added to a thick full feel
..aroma is candied dark fruit , malt ,raisin bread, yeast, and as it warmed a bit of Apple and pear
..taste was similar, dark fruit forward but followed by yeasty dark bread. Malt was also very prominent and as it warmed a mild pear apple flavor showed up
..Overall I thought this was first class and I would definitely seek it out again. Only bad point is the carbonation faded if you drank it slowly taking away from the feel a bit
...paired it with a filet and some fresh vegetables and it complimented very well

 

Happy NBS Advocates!

Today's New beer is a very interesting one from Allagash

Two Lights is brewed with Sav-Blanc Grape must and fermented with Champagne and Lager yeast.

It's an incredible beer! This beer delivers exactly what I wanted from a white wine forward wild/farmhouse ale.

Cheers!

 

Yes. After finishing the review I filed a proposed change that included the Brewer's description that specifically mentions an American Hop variety.

 

Hello New Beer Sunday!!!

Totally exhausted in a way after a long week at work, and getting ready for a longer week at work starting tomorrow. The weekend, which for me is Thanksgiving (unless a miracle happens), can't come soon enough. Yes, even though that means it's cold and snowy as hell!

So time to go for my new beer,and it's large, and it's going down way too fast!


Vanilla World Wide Stout.

Yeah, I know a lot of you have had it, and it's killer. So smooth, and easy drinking. Dangerous as hell.



4.48/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours pitch black with a 1 finger brownish head. The retention is decent. Minimal lacing on the glass.
The nose is strong with a combination of vanilla and the aromas of the barrel aging. Both aromas are about equal, but work very well together.
Taste - Starting temp - 70 F - The barrel is up front, but is quickly replaced with a strong, yet smooth vanilla flavor. There's a nice alcohol burn, that's not harsh, but there, on the backside.
Decent body, though I would expect a bit thicker, considering the ABV. Nice coating of my throat on the way down.
Solid BA stout that delivers all the way.

601 characters

I'm surly as hell tonight so there might well be another new beer, even though this is so big. See you for the next one!

 

Had a few earlier today with a friend before hitting Taco Mac. This one was courtesy of @LloydDobler

Transient Vacillate #7
Pours a hazy purple hued red with minimal head.
Smells of a tart fruit medley. A blend of raspberry, cherry, blueberry with neither really outshining the other.
Taste follows with the tart fruitiness. Definitely a sour beer but balanced with the fruitiness. As with the nose, no particular fruit steals the show. Faint notes of oak. Quite tasty!
Medium bodied, well carbed. Dry finish.
Overall an excellent fruited sour. Very well balanced.
Thanks Chris for that lovely beer!

 

Ok, still surly and worn out, but mellowing out. This new beer is doing the trick.

Guayabera Citra Pale Ale

Damn, it's really hitting the spot, and it's mellowing me out.

4.21/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a murky golden color, with a 2 finger white frothy head. The retention is quite good, and there's some lacing on the glass.
The nose is really deep and tropical. Way more than a citrus aroma. Hard to describe, but it is a rich aroma.
Taste - This beer is mellow, and it's a lot more mellow than the nose would suggest. Up front it is a smooth, I'd say, not grapefruit, some citrus. Hint of lime, but a citrus I don't know - the can says tangerine. On the backside there is a slight hop bite.
Decent body. Just about right for this style of beer. The hops do linger, and I like it.
Delicious, solid IPA. I almost think this is better than Jai Alai. Don't get me wrong, it's awesome, but this is more approachable than it.

Ok, now that I'm mellower, this will be it. 2 amazing new beers is a good way to end this NBS. Enjoy your beers. Enjoy the new ones, and the old friends in WBAYDN. See you all in the nest NBS, and throughout the week in WBAYDN.

 

I thought so too the last time I had it. I don’t remember if I submitted a change request for that one. Cheers.

 

It was another sunny and hot day where I just wanted to chill at the community pool, but the boxes still lying around said otherwise. On the bright side more progress was made and it's feeling more like home everyday. Some clouds moved in before sunset and there's a comfy breeze making for great porch drinking. I'm thirsty, so let's move on......

Popping the top on a $4.99 16oz. single of La Cumbre Sun Fade Hazy IPA with a date of 08/08/18. Pouring it in my trusty Storm Peak glass because it's one of a handful that didn't get packed away. Let's check it out......

Pours a beautiful radiant yellow like sun kissed orange juice. A couple of creamy fingers of foam is present as is some heavy lacing. The smell is orange zest, pineapple, mango, floral and malt. Taste is orange/pineapple juice, passionfruit, mango, floral and some sticky malt in the finish. The feel begins creamy, quickly turning acidic with a dry finish.

I've had some good hazebro's out here and this one doesn't disappoint. The feel is slightly harsh and I can't help but think it may smooth out in a few more weeks with a best by date of 11/06/18. That's been my experience with some in this category. I'll definitely be looking for this again. My score is 4.26 / rDev +0.9%.

That's prolly it for me. I'm gonna finish this beauty and enjoy the breeze. Have yourselves a great week. Here's the official scorecard.......
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24659/354060/?ba=Prager62#review

 

Good evening, NBS!

Just a couple direct responses:

@superspak - that's my favorite Rhapsody album! Granted, I haven't listened to much power metal for a few years now. I got way in to Demons and Wizards (Touched by the Crimson King particularly) and then I just sort of forgot about power metal. Well - sort of. I went to a Warrell Dane tribute a couple months back (Iced Earth headlining), and I suppose you could call Sanctuary power metal-y at times? Though mostly just good old thrash. Anyway.

@Lingenbrau - beautiful photos! Those tree roots are wild!

I've been up to some great self-destructive activities this week! I've been discussing doing the Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin' Challenge for a while now and finally decided to pull the trigger with a coworker on Friday. This ended up being... um. "Unwise". For some reason, I'd been under the impression that the time limit was significantly longer. Well, for those who don't know, the challenge entails eating a dozen very hot wings in six minutes. SIX. I don't generally even eat more than six wings, and I'm sort of a slow eater. Welp, I decided, what's the worst that happens? I eat some wings and miss the time? Eff it.

Well...



4:57 later - challenge completed! My friend and coworker beat me handily - he was apparently fifteen seconds away from beating this particular location's record. Shocking, and kind of disgusting, eh. Welp, after wiping away the snot and tears and sauce, I was feeling pretty decent - I eating a lot of spicy foods so this wasn't really that big a deal.

But, the following day was Mornin' Delight release day at Toppling Goliath - about a three hour drive away. Let me tell you, my stomach was not feeling so great on Saturday. That was a fuckin' long ride, dudes.

Mornin' Delight was one of the better-ran beer releases I've attended recently - TG seems to have their shit together these days. I ended up running in to a fair number of folks that I know, but unfortunately missed out on a lot of handshakes with the Newbies. I had zero cell reception about an hour out from Decorah and continued to have zero reception throughout the day. I have no idea why they don't have public wifi at TG - I'm sure it would have been overloaded, but still, it would have been helpful. Decorah's cellular coverage isn't great - this has been a theme with every visit I've made. Time to look in to a new carrier.

Anyway. Great time, cool people, awesome event.

Today, I'm getting an early start on the Newbies anniversary. This beer is courtesy of @wolfpac255



I had some suspicions about this bottle immediately, because I could have sworn that I'd seen a similar bottle format from a recent Mikerphone release - the cap matched the profile as well. After popping the cap, my suspicions seemed to be confirmed - I still wasn't certain exactly which beer it was, but my money was on Mikerphone. The nose, even when cold, is pungent, rich, syrupy maple - very, very promising. Have I mentioned that I love maple stouts? Anyway, I wasn't sure exactly which Mikerphone beer I was dealing with. My guess was some variant of Bean Spirit.



Shockingly, I was correct - the bottle is Mikerphone's barrel-aged Smells Like Bean Spirit. This bottle has me really surprised, honestly - the beer is creamy, rich, mildly acidic, featuring fantastic smooth coffee, roasty, and just sweet enough that it's not cloying and obnoxious. The flavors are all quite well-balanced, no specific adjunct or flavor profile aspect drowning out any other. The coffee lingers on the back of my tongue a bit, and not unpleasantly so - there's certainly a bit of the acidity there as well. The barrel becomes quite a bit more apparent as the beer warms - lots of dry wood and a tangible bourbon presence.

This is a stellar stout, and blows away non-barrel-aged Bean Spirit any day in my opinion.

Thank you for the chance to try this fantastic beer @wolfpac255 - very much appreciated!

By the way, I'm subtly trying to show off my new glassware in these photos. It's a Will Ralston glass, and it's a fucking cool one - sturdy, smooth, well balanced, and the artwork is beautiful and vividly colored. Yes, it's quite similar to the Jester King Snorkel glass (my favorite glass) - but different enough in size, color, and general design. I like this glass a lot and recommend others look at Will's artwork and glassware. I am betting his tattoo work is sick, too - I may need to swing in there next time I'm visiting Sarasota...



That's it for me today - cheers, NBS, and have a great week everyone!

 

This'll be my last new beer tonight, Supah Sik Spells...

Also from Mikkeller in San Diego, another DIPA (8% abv), and, just like the Stacks of Haze I had earlier, my favorite of the day... Medium gold body is closer to clear than a lot of what I drink these days; coupla fingers of white foam on top trailed fluffy lace clouds down the glass... Elements of fruit and pine at play here, with the fruits suggesting a variety of tropical and orchard fare, and the pine having a nice resinous shellac effect on the palate... Sweetness is very mild, bitterness moderate, and carbonation soft in this smooth, medium-lightweight beer... Julian date reveals a canning date of 7/24/18...

Cheers, NBS...

 

Pours an almost black with small tan head.
Smells of dark roasted malts, bourbob barrel, faint coffee and maple notes.
Taste is the same. Roasty malt and barrel are prevalent, coffee is faint, maple shows itself in the finish.
Medium to full bodied.
Overall a tasty one.

 

Only eclipsed by Rye Hipster. Fantastic beer!

 

I did the Blazi'n challenge about 15 years ago, and I took, almost the whole time. Why? Because I was enjoying it. I love the heat, and even as an old fart, I still do.

Congrats on completing it, and hope you enjoyed TG MD release, and I hope, someday, I can make the trek there for it.