New Beer Sunday (Week 709)

A-Pours a light clear golden color with a generous head and lacing
A-Aroma had pleasant fruity and yeasty hints
T-The taste follows the nose with fruity and yeasty flavors
M-A light bodied very well carbonated beer
O-A nice Belgian beer

 

Hey what's going on?!

Hope everyone is well. Back in the groove and I am low on new beers!! oh man time to go shopping soon!

Still working on my fresh pasta technique, but also had a great food weekend last night diving into some excellent BBQ out in rural VA and fantastic Vietnamese food closer to home. How's that for America baby!! gotta love it!

The rain has come and it's a pretty slow gray day, so it's perfect to crack this sucker open. Quite a nice one too.

what's new for our hero today?



Poured from the bottle into a Bruery tulip glass. Vintage 2018.

Dark oily chestnut brown out of the bottle, filling with a deep mahogany brown body color. Snapping tan head, making two fingers but dissolves very quickly off the pour, with virtually no collar.

Exquisite aroma. Even while opening and pouring the beer just bursts alive. Thick rich nougat smelling, with hints of earthy walnuts/hazelnut smelling quality. Deep dark cocoa and rich almost coffee scented chocolate bar quality. Wine port like aromas particularly with woody barrel notes all over of oak, even a strange touch of soft cinnamon character without the burn. Big, impressive, controlled, not ovepowering but just giant and salivating. Woah.

Palate tuns things a bit down to earth. Large aromatic flavors are taken over a bit, mostly through a very port and wine like body and flavor, but still a great one. Soft dark cocoa, with large fruity booze qualities more like brandy than bourbon. Earthy touches slightly, but forgoes nuts in flavor in the mid palate for more berry and cocoa tastes. Nougat aftertaste, almost like a sticky almond but not a sweet, touches with the high booze but tolerable still. Mouthfeel while silky is just a touch fizzy lacking a lasting coating to make the flavors last and linger. Tends to flirt with fizz just a hair making for a bit of distraction.

Neat take on a Black Tuesday variant, nearly magical, but the flaws are really nothing major to bring it down in enjoyment.

Final BA Rating : 4.51 / 5

look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

 

Mmmm. I wish we got that here in Quebec. That's one of my favorites.

 

New O'zapft is Sunday

While I have not been to Munich yet, I have been to the largest American Oktoberfest celebration in Cincinnati several times. There is a good variety of imports and American made fests, but I have been disappointed in the amount of IPAs and such recently. I didn’t make it this year as my wife and I instead decided to go to Hawaii for our 20th anniversary. I think it was a good trade off. I have plenty of pictures if anyone wants to see any. My mother in law is the only person I know who actually wants to see vacation pictures.

The first new bier for today is one of 2 American made Marzens that I haven’t tried before.


3.88/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

From a 16oz can that has a blurry stamp.

It is an amazingly clear, an beautiful amber/copper color. The dirty white head is kind of a dishsoap looking consistency, but has great retention and some lacing.

It smells just a tad metallic and there is a bit of alcohol noticeable on top of some toasted bread and a bit of caramel like sweetness.

Tastes pretty solid. It is initially sweet with a doughy bread followed by more of toasted grain flavor. A little bit of a toffe and nuttiness too. It is fairly hoppy. A citrus, even lemon like, and apple flavor with a lot of bitterness and a little spice, but more bitter.

The body is on the lighter side of medium, and while easy to drink, almost comes across as a bit too watery. The carbontion, spiceiness, and dryness is all very nice though.

I probably changed my score back and forth on the aroma and especially taste 4-5 times. I am not surprised at the hop levels based on their regular lager, and I hate to knock it for being too hoppy since most American versions are way too sweet and cloying, but it is just a touch to bitter and to hard on the palate for the style. Really has a lot of qualities of a pils that makes it drink as much like a blonde Oktoberfest despite its color. That being said, probably one of the better non imports I have had and I would gladly pick this up.

Prost!

 

New beer #5 . Thanks @thebeers ! I’ve been waiting years to try one of these.

Blueberry Shape of Haze to Come - Neshaminy Creek
DIPA - 8.8% abv
Score: 3.83 (-0.3% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29021/369999/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
Lots of appealing blueberry flavor, but it swings towards medicinal after a few sips. I agree with @thebeers , the regular Shape of Hops is better than this fruited variant.

 

I have never been to either the GBAF or Oktoberfest, but I hate crowds. Well not so much crowds, but waiting in line or waiting period. However, if I won a trip to either I would not pass it up.

Today I have a fairly new beer from Single Cut. Double Dry Hopped Mo Shuggie. Worked hard on my house painting project today so I made a small snack to go with it.


4.06/5 rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16oz can dated 9/7/18 to a nonic glass.
Amazing head of multi-sized bubbles that leaves heavy lacing, fat enough to wonder how it hangs on to the side of the glass. Translucent gold color, hazy but not cloudy. You can change the color by putting your hand behind the glass, but in no way can you see that it is a hand.
Smells slightly like astringent pineapple , if you can picture that. The hops are strong with this one.
Taste follows aroma, but sadly I'm not really in love with this flavor. Not bad, but just not my hop I guess. Pretty skillful representation of these hops though.
Mouth feel is nice and creamy. Carbonation plays only at the back end allowing the enjoyment of the coating capability.
Not a fan of this hop, but this is a well executed beer.

 

Thanks to Uncle Sam I've been to the GABF (04) & several Oktoberfests ( I did have to cross the English Channel a few times ). All the Merican versions I have been to made me sad. I'm sure there are some great ones up North & out East though

First Beer up Fiddle Head Rarefied Hoppy Wheat Ale via @Lone_Freighter. Nice take on the style. 3.98 overall


Pours a hazed straw color with a thumb of pearl colored head. Good head retention & lacing

S: Grassy, a little citrus, fades as it warms

T: Orange juice, light breadyness, just a little tangerine up front. Pomelo, dryness, & little lemon as this warms. Finishes citrussy, a little dry, with just a little tartness

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation, nice balance

Drinks easy, good take on the style

 

I'll ask my friend at Mutual. They are not generally too swift about the beer they carry. I'll let you know.

 

Another beer that I am late to the party with. Hootie from Sixpoint. Pours a hazy burnt orange with a half inch white head that settles to a long lasting ring that leaves spotty lacing. Smell is rather mild with some citrus and grassy/earthy notes. Taste is rather muddled with the grassy/earthy notes dominant, some citrus, a bit of lactose sweetness and a bit of oak.Medium bodied, light carbonation, moderate bitterness and a dry mouth feel.

 

Good afternoon NBSers! We have an absolutely beautiful autumn Sunday here in Michigan, so I've fired up the grill and popped a bottle.

I'm starting with Omelas, a farmhouse from Tired Hands, sent to me by the great @CanConPhilly :



Pours a light cloudy straw color. Generous fluffy head with great retention. Nose delicate citrus/lemon, with just a hint of hay and funk. It is fairly yeast forward on the palate before finishing with a touch of hop bitterness. I'm getting a bit of black pepper here as well. I'm thoroughly enjoying this one.

Thank you Matt! I've had Tired Hands hops before, but this is the first I've had the pleasure of trying something else... and the style couldn't possibly be more in my wheelhouse.

And how cool is this cork?!?



Regarding the original question, I haven't been to either GABF or Octoberfest, but they are both on my bucket list. If anyone ever needs a travel companion...

 

Greetings all and a tip of the cap to @cjgiant for getting things rolling today. His commentary reminded me why I'm not a fan of beer fests at this point in my game. I can have terrible self control for food and beverage when it's all set in front of me and usually have serious regrets the next day. I can't and don't want to deal with serious hangovers anymore. That's not to say it doesn't occasionally happen. I'm more of a fan of bars with good tap lists and takeovers where I can indulge with a good meal. Enough of my lack of self control, let's get to a new beer!

A failed attempt to camp overnight in the White River National Forest yesterday was foiled by the droves of leaf peepers that descended upon the very popular Maroon Bells in Aspen. So behold Plan B which was a trip over Independence Pass to Leadville, with Frisco and Outer Range up the road. There's always a new beer to be had there, so behold their latest they collaborated with Weldwerks of Greeley CO labeled Down The Hill New England-style DIPA. It's 8.5% alcohol by volume and list citra and 5 experimental hops including HBC 522, HBC 568, HBC 640, HBC 644, HBC 685. Let's pour this mystery with hops that read like the periodic table of elements in my Outer Range pint glass to see what agricultural science has yielded!

Pours a brilliant hazy yellow producing a thick finger of creamy white foam. It settles ever so slowly to a couple centimeters leaving thick lacing behind. A beauty to look at! The smell is much like many Outer Range and other hazies with that signature spice/floral profile I get. There's also orange zest, pineapple, malt and yeast. Taste is slightly sweet orange slice, pineapple, mango, grapefruit and a hint of vanilla. The feel is super soft and creamy with a slight acidity and bitterness in the finish.

Once again I got to add a new beer and be the first to review. That happened a lot when I vacationed here. My score is 4.5/5 and yes I really enjoyed it. It may well be one of the best hazebro's in Colorado in my opinion.

More football and porch time planned the rest of today after some earlier electrical work. Enjoy your new beer adventures, here's the official scorecard for mine.....

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/38773/371840/?ba=Prager62#review

Working on a phone can suck sometime with screens jumping. Mods please move to appropriate NBS thread.

 

Happy NBS BAs

Todays new beer is a fantastic American Pale Ale By Grimm Brewing

Flash Forward canned 9/6/18

Cheers!

 

That Augustiner on its hometurf is a world beater IMHO

 

It is pretty darn good in the ol' US of A too!

Cheers!

 

New Oktoberfest Sunday Continues


3.56/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

16oz can stamped 7/26

It might be copper in name, but not in color. More of a burnt orange. Pretty foggy with a thick, frothy cream colored head.

It smells floraly. Too much. I get a strong perfume aroma from it. Other than that, there is a rich dough.

Tastes really malty with a lot of dough, but not really much in the way of toasted notes. Not too sweet though for all the malt. More like honey. It transitions to a floral, pear, and cereal (like Cheerios) grain. It definitely tastes a lot better than it smells.

Body is a touch on the hefty side. Strikes me as much as a Maibock. Has enough of a crisp bite.

Not a bad beer by any means, but nothing I would seek out and kind of disappointing based on my Jacks Abby experiences.

 

Interesting. Seems early in the year for a Bock based event.