New Beer Sunday (Week 710)

up next another great beer from @FlintB look at the wonderful color on this!! Speciation Monotreme open fermented sour ale brewed with pea flowers and dry hopped with galaxy and summer. Both of these beers have been very tart but very well balanced.




Appearance 4.5 - Pours murky grey color with nice white head that lasts a good bit. Spotty lacing all around the glass.

Aroma 4.25 - The galaxy hops stand out to me which seem odd in a sour ale. Little bit of funk, some tart lemon and some nice earthy tones.

Taste 4.5 - The taste is much different than the nose lets on. Lots of tart lemon to the point of puckering, the galaxy hops still coming through strong good bit of funk as well.

Feel 4.75 - Feel is smooth initially giving way quickly to a puckering tartness, great dry finish.

Overall 4.47 - Another well done sour from these guys love how the pea flowers give it this beautiful color.

 

Hey what's going on?!

I am finally getting in a beach weekend with some sun. East coast weather this summer was a drag. Way too much rain, I mean it was like Seattle but worse.

Actually.. we have gotten more rain then this year

So me I made it out to California..

Where my West coast Ba peeps at!

Took a little time for some beer searching but I found some nice new West coast goodies. Also reached out to El Segundo and had a good chat, but had no time to stop by..

So here is what's new today!



4.19/5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the can into a shaker pint glass, boo hiss... canned September 24 2018.

Golden pale body color with real nice clarity. Fine carbonation ti a three finger somewhat soapy head. Minimal retention but a nice off white simple puck.

Simple but good hop aroma. Light citrus and touches of zest. Hints grapefruit and orange, but with more bitterness than sweetness character.

Real nice juicy palate. Chewy touches of wheat and orange, with tropical earth and grassy flavors. Mid palate mint and basil, with a light grassy aftertaste. Lovely rich mouthfeel giving real supportive flavors.

Cheers!

 

@PatrickCT is attempting to murder me. I have photo evidence. Here's more.

Two Roads
Ok2berfest





Ok2berfest as just as purdy as a lot of them out there. Vibrant and glowing orange color with good clarity, and a sturdy off white foam that let's it's presence speak for itself by not going anywhere. Unfortunately, it doesn't hold true to its original stance as it leaves very little lacing.

The aroma is wonderful on this one. Lots of toasty notes. Toasted bread, toasted nuts, toasted spices, toasted caramel... well, caramelized caramel. Whatever. Overall, this smells toasty and sweet.

Great flavor. White bread crusts with lots of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg like spice, and a mildly red apple fruitiness, all the while maintaining that toasted cereal grains taste and just a pinch of Noble hop finish along with what I percieve as fresh oak. Lovely.

A rich medium bodied beer with a soft and smooth carbonation. A little more filling than your average O'fest beer, which I am really enjoying. It's supremely balanced as well and finishes just dry enough.

I think this may be one of my favorites of the season this year. Love everything about it from the can art to the feel, but what's most important is where this shines. Flavor.

Thanks again Patrick!

After my official review, I gave Ok2berfest a rating of 3.98, with an rDev of +7.9%. Prost!

 

New beer #7. Thanks @thisischuck01 !

Jarrylo + Mosaic - Other Half
IIPA - 8.5% abv
Score: 3.86 (-7.4% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33510/368563/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
The main tastes I get out of this are licorice, bandaids, and matchsticks. Plus various vegetables, especially turnip. I really don’t know what to make of this. It doesn’t taste like beer at all to me, more like a veggie smoothie that claims to be healthy. Probably just me though.

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Normal stuff for me as usual. Running out of stuff to review again, so hopefully will see some new stuff this week. Got a NBS BIF box coming tomorrow which will help, and I am sending a 34 lb box out.

This is good. Awesome head retention/lacing on the glass. Aromas and flavors of cracker, white bread dough, lightly toasted biscuit, light corn grains; with light herbal, floral, grassy, peppery hops. Bit of skunky aromas/flavors, but not overwhelming. Light-moderate herbal, floral, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation. light-medium body, and moderately crisp/clean finishing. Bready/grainy malts and some sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Light-moderate increasing lingering bitter dryness, no hop astringency. Very flavorful/refreshing, 4.8%. Not watery. Very clean lager flavors, minimal fruity/yeasty notes. For being over a year old this help up pretty great(noticed the cap Julian after the fact). Very clean pale malts/grains, and solid earthy hop presence/balance. Not overdone on adjuncts. 3.61


Fantastic sour! Great fluffy head retention/lacing on the glass. Aromas and flavors of big tart/sour lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, citrus peel/zest, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, guava, blueberry, gooseberry, green apple, white wine, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, and light peppercorn/pine hops; with moderate wheat, cracker, white bready malts; light leathery/musty funk, white wine vinegar, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate lactic tartness; light pine, herbal, floral, grassy bitterness; and peppery Brett spiciness on the finish. Medium carbonation, light body, and fairly crisp finishing. Balanced grainy malt and lactic acid in the mouthfeel; light sticky hops. Light-moderate increasing acidic/spicy drying, no pucker/astringency. Killer Citra/Ekuanot showcase as expected. Very juicy and fairly dank/earthy hops, balanced Brett/Lacto complexity; and a solid wheat/oat/malt backbone against acidity. Loved it. 4.2


Cheers, be back in a bit.

 

Another excellent new to me beer courtesy of @jhavs



Look is a hazy orange color with a small off white head that is sort of thin and leaves quickly. Decent lacing.

Smells of orange, tropical fruits and mosaic hops.

Taste is a great mix of mosaic hops with orange and pineapple notes.

Superb feel on this one. Full-bodied and a nice dry finish.

Another excellent overall beer here.

 

It’s not you, it’s him

 

Poured into a 13 oz Tired Hands Teku glass not sure when it was canned, but maybe less than a week ago. Pours a beautiful almost completely purple with a 2 plus finger sticky slightly haze infused off purple head that leaves thin, hazed off white lace behind. 5

Smell is papaya, blueberry, boysenberry, and white grapefruit. 4.5

Taste is what you would expect, blueberry hits the palate first, papaya, boysenberry, and grapefruit just assault the entire palate making your taste buds dance. 4.75

Mouthfeel is a solid medium, plenty of carbonation, not dry at all, and at 8.8% ABV I am trying to slow down but it is so tasty that is a tall order. 4.5

Overall this is so different and tasty, it makes you wonder why it has taken so long for me to try a blueberry IPA and I trust they are out there, but this one really just dazzles. Thanks @jzeilinger for this spectacular can. 4.5

 

Greetings all and thanks to our host for inviting us to pair two of my favorite things together.

Mr. Brax here is a rescue from Texas and we know his mother was a golden lab since she was found abandoned and pregnant, but his remaining parentage is unknown. He was billed as a lab/shepherd mix but we've come to think he actually has a lot of hound in him - specifically black and tan coonhound. He generally has an oddly unexpressive face but he's actually a bundle of happy energy who will run for hours on end if given the chance (extra pic included for proof). My hat is off to those of you doing the good work of fostering without becoming pet hoarders (which is what i fear would happen to me).




On the beer half of things I have a beer from Burlington Brewing Company called Creatures of Magic. It's an oatmeal NE IPA clocking in at 6.5% ABV. I know I've had and enjoyed stouts from this brewery before, and I'm starting to worry that I actually might have had this hoppy offering before and simply don't remember it. The can art is very abstract so it doesn't make recognition memory particularly easy. I should also mention that my hay fever has been killing me so take my tasting notes with even more of a grain of salt than usual.



It pours a hazy, bordering on murky, yellow orange that still manages to just stay on the attractive side of things. If it was a little less yellow it would indeed look a lot like a glass of orange juice. There's a frothy head of large-ish bubbles that retreats to a ring pretty quickly. Smell is kind of a hard to pin down in terms of specific fruits but it brings to mind both tropical and the lemon/orange end of citrus notes. It also has a vaguely raw grainy smell that I sometimes pick up in NE IPAs. I don't know whether the oats are contributing to that here but perhaps they are. Taste definitely has some of that oaty/graininess as well as a good bit of lemon, but not really much else. There's a solid, but not lingering, bitterness that starts right up front and hangs out mostly mid mouth rather than in the throat or cheeks. Finish is rather dry with very little aftertaste. Mouthfeel is somewhat thick but also a bit sharp and effervescent. Not a poster child for the soft mouthfeel.

There's a pleasing bitterness to this beer but the flavor was a bit one note and muted to my admittedly somewhat under the weather palate. I'll be curious to try it when my nose and sinuses are feeling more cooperative. Cheers!!

 

To be fair, I know I’m an outlier in tasting meat in certain Citra beers. But pretty sure I’m not the only one either

 

And the matchsticks in the Other Half — were those wooden matchsticks or paper matchsticks?

 

I’ll give you that one. No other reviews to compare mine with.

 

Happy Sunday, New Beer Samplers and commentators. And thanks @lordofthewiens for leading off with a subject near and dear to my heart. 17 months ago we lost our beloved 14 year old Boston Terrier, Burnside. I've lived with dogs all my life but she was the first dog that was truly "mine." We knew we were going to sell our home and downsize so we decided to wait until we'd settled in to the new house before adopting or rescuing a new Boston. Our house is in the apex of renovations now and should be done by Thanksgiving so we're starting the process of searching for a new Boston Terrier. I really cannot wait!

On to beer. I'm digging into the incredibly generous BIF box I received from @Vidblain. It included a crowler of Rain Drops, a 7.5% NE IPA hopped with Citra and Mosaic brewed by Barrel Theory Beer Company in Saint Paul. Yes, this is my first Minnesota beer! Chris also sent me the mug in the photo. Rain Drops is stunningly good and would give Tree House a run for its money. Thanks so much, Chris!

4.49/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I received a crowler from @Vidblain in a BIF box. Crowler dated 9/10/2018. Poured into a Barrel Theory mug. It pours a turbid, dirty apricot color with a half finger of foamy, bright white head and lots of foamy lacing. I could smell it the moment I popped the top. The nose is a fragrant blend of tangerine, lemon, peach, cantaloupe, and subtle floral hops. It's ridiculously tasty! The fruit is front and center with tangerine and melon notes, along with lemon and grapefruit. There is also a touch of lactose/vanilla that adds both sweetness, creaminess, and a bready feel. I really enjoy a blend of Mosaic and Citra hops and here it's outstanding. It's highly flavorful and bitter but without a strong bite. The bitterness complements the sweet fruit perfectly. This ale has a delightfully creamy mouth feel with pleasant carbonation, and 7.5% is an ideal ABV; it gives it character but doesn't distract from the drinking. Overall, this is an absolutely sensational New England IPA. They just don't get much better than this!

I hope you're all enjoying your new beers today!

 

After reading this it dawned on me that the two most fun weddings I ever attended resulted in short and disastrous marriages. I'm glad my late father-in-law (who I really liked!) didn't have enough money to pay for for a "big" wedding. His daughter was and is the love of my life and we've been happy together for 34 years.

 

902 Brewing in Hoboken is not considered in the top tier of NJ brewers. But I really like this stout. I think it's the best beer they've brewed. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

 

Greetings, fellow NBSers, and thanks to @lordofthewiens for starting things off.

58°, mostly cloudy and somewhat breezy. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of watching my Eagles and Dawgs beat their respective opponents. Today, my 'hawks are down by 3 at halftime to the freaking Cardinals, who came into the game with the worst offense in the NFL.

Last week I was suffering from beer ennui, due to my attendance at the Inland NW Craft Beer Festival at Avista Stadium the previous day. Was there from 1 to 7 and had enough beer that I couldn't bring myself to have another until this past Thursday, when I had Iron Goat's Goatoberfest, which was very good. I also paid an overdue visit to Whistle Punk, and had several from them.

Today I'm going with a wine barrel aged saison from Aslan.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31399/359257/?ba=woemad#review
upload image to link
Without the barrels I think this would be a pretty good saison, but the wine barrels add another level to it. Very tasty stuff.

 

Howdy, NBS. Dogs loom large in my life, having had a dog job for over a decade now. In addition to that, I also do some side work for a local rescue. All of you who have rescued are brightening my day.

I adopted my girl ten years ago. I am (happily) childfree, and she is definitely my fur baby. Watching her grow old and grey is bittersweet, but I knew before I even signed the paperwork that she's going to break my heart one day. Hopefully that's still several years away. Here she is giving sad eyes as she begs for food.



Today's beer is the awkwardly-named The Clamour and the Clangour from WI's Campanology. It's in the Berliner Weisse style, with blackberries added.



Pours a hazy purple pink. A finger of fizzy pink head fades as soon as it forms.

Smell is tart and wheaty. Taste follows, lemon and tangy wheat. There is some generic berry sweetness that I am unable to place as specifically blackberry. A bit sour, but not as puckering as most Berliners I've tried.

Ample, spritzy carbonation takes the edge off of the sour. Light bodied and refreshing at 4.5% abv.

It's ok overall, but I wish there was more berry to cut through the tangy lemon flavor.

Cheers!

 

Again into the ninja box from @thebeers , this time for a Forest & Main Sticky Thoughts. As there was no description on the can, and given the name, I was expecting an IPA. I was surprised at the blackness that emanated from the can: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27273/368230/

 

Another great new to me beer from my trade with @jhavs, thanks Jon.



This is one nice looking beer. Deep orange color, and super hazy. Big amount of thick white head with tons of lacing.
Citrus, mango and tropical fruits are the main smells.
Citrus dominates the taste here with some melon and tropical fruits. Also getting some mango flavors.
Has that insanely soft and smooth mouth feel that Treehouse seems to nail.
Really enjoying this beer.

 

Happy New Oliver, The Belz Are Ringing Beer Sunday (Week 710), Part Deux!

I managed to get in one more before leaving for my opening shift:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46063/236002/?ba=woodychandler#review

but I don't like onesies posts, so I decided to wait until I returned home to catch yinz up. Just like last Sunday, I was first cut after just four (4) hours & I am not sure that it is worth my time to continue that shift. Anyway, my time away gave an Admin time to approve several pics, so I was able to pick back up with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46063/235989/?ba=woodychandler#review

& one more to hit the (sorta) halfway (4 of 7) point:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46063/373051/?ba=woodychandler#review

I'll be back after the last three are in the books! See yinz then.