New Beer Sunday (Week 719)

Poured into a 13 oz Weyerbacher tulip glass canned on 10/23/18 and 8.5% ABV. Pours a very clear orange with a two finger sticky white head that leaves scattered patches of lace all over the place. 4.5

Smell is pine resin, tangerine, kiwi, and grapefruit rind. 4.25

Taste follows it hits you right in the puss with pine and grapefruit but not overly bitter, because tangerine and kiwi kind softens the finish a tad. 4.5

Mouthfeel old school dry, plenty of prickly carbonation, a solid medium, and at 8.5% extremely approachable. 4.5

Overall this great, 5 years ago I would have scored it even higher, before all the haze ruined my palate. @jzeilinger thanks man, you know I still dig an old school bitter DIPA and this thing dare I say reminds me of Pliny The Elder. 4.5

 

One helluva descriptor! Having stained much wood, I can pretty well figure exactly how it looks!

 

Well since we were started off with tales of handshake ticks and BA generosity, I should probably follow in that path!

I was down in Southern California recently to visit friends/attend a wedding. Driving down the coast was beautiful, and I was lucky enough to connect with fellow NBS regular @2beerdogs for a couple of drinks. He wasn't going to let me leave the sunshine state without a box 'o beer because he's thoughtful like that. Included in that box, among many other things, was this treat from Brouwerij West, a brewery I thought I'd never heard of before (then I looked at some of their other options and recognized the label from Mor Mor from when I lived in California).

Ask the Dust is a NEIPA, a style of which I'm not the most fond (as I've stated on these pages before), but this is a really well done one.

Even before opening it up, I find the label art super compelling on this one. I know that has nothing whatsoever to do with the contents and whether they're good or not, but I just had to get it out there: I don't know specifically why, but I think the can art is gorgeous.



Anyway, once I did finally crack it open and start to pour, I was immediately struck by the soft nose that began to escape. Nothing particularly discrete, but a pleasant blend of soft citrus and a little tropical sweet spark dashed on top.
Transferring it to the glass (courtesy of @Dragginballs76) it initially yielded a massive head. Settling in to a more reasonable two to three fingers of stiff white head almost the consistency of whipped egg whites it felt like the way it held its peaks. Incredibly sticky lacing and gorgeous retention.

The flavour follows much the same blueprint as the nose, offering a soft melange of light citrus and subtly sweet tropical notes.

Body is incredbily soft and full with just enough carbonation to give it some life.



As stated above, NEIPAs are not really my style for the most part, but this one is really really well done and quite enjoyable. I would highly recommend snagging one if they make it again.

Thanks Derek for sending it my way!!

Cheers.

 

JW Lees Harvest - Lagavulin Whisky Cask - 2015

My next barrel aged English barley wine is this beauty. This variant somehow escaped me over the years. I'm glad I looked inside some of the cases at the beer store because these weren't on the shelf. With this beer, I've graduated from Hardy's 8.45oz to a 9.3oz sized bottle. I don't normally care for the cask aged Harvest beers but I adore the regular version. This beer is an exception to that and it also seems to be the one that causes the most hate around here.

With this beer, we actually have head. The aroma is fruit and a very slight hint of smoke. The taste is enveloping. Wow. It's quite sweet but not terribly cloying because it's balanced by some bitterness and a dry finish. This is very rich, chewy and bready. It's liquid herbal honey. This one really hit the spot. It's unique but the elements are cohesive rather than off-putting. A beauty.

 

Interesting point about living within 20 miles of birth. I do, and Mrs. lizard as well. I've traveled pretty much over all the US and part of the world, living in SC, AL, and DE (Deutschland, that is), but still really like PA, despite the godawful weather. If I were greatly younger, I'd probably move to TX, AL, or DE (Deutschland again).

 

Thanks, Craig, for getting this thread off to a good start. We spent Thanksgiving week in California visiting our daughter and grandsons, and had a great time. Now that we're home, it's time to start decorating for Christmas. We will be having a full house, with the aforementioned daughter and grandsons coming and two other sons (with one significant other) also being here. All this madness will be over the course of eleven days, and there's not much overlap. We don't usually get this much action over Christmas.
My new beer for today is Luna de los Muertos from Tractor Brewing in Albuquerque. It is a bourbon barrel aged aged RIS with an ABV of 8.2%.
In my teku glass the beer is deep black in color with no head.
Aroma of roasted malt, chocolate, vanilla, a little bourbon, a little spice. Very pleasant aroma.
Great taste. Chocolate and vanilla with a hint of bourbon. Late peppery spice.
A little thin in the mouth, but the nice finish makes up for it.

 

New beer #3.

Waiting For The Gloom - Tired Hands
IPA - 6.66% abv
Canned 11/21/18 (11 days ago)
Score: 3.85 (+21.1% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28383/372143/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
I get the low reviews. This beer looks putrid. Dirt-green and not at all appealing. But the taste and smell are typical (decent) Tired Hands. I think earlier reviewers just got turned off by the appearance. TH should really have released this on Halloween as a “Slimer Snot” ipa and it would have been received much better.

 

Good afternoon NBS and thanks @cjgiant for the start. Another wet day in WMass, Todays offering is new to MA in the last year. Bells Best Brown is a real delight, just right on this wet cool day. A bit lighter in body to Smuttynose Old Brown Dog, my regional reference for Brown Ales. Balanced kept coming to mind during the experience, which in the scheme of things I value quite a lot.
Cheers all

Best Brown Ale

Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
American Brown Ale / 5.80% ABV

3.94/5 rDev +2.9% | Score: 3.83
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle dated 9/24/18 into the test glass
A - Opaque deep copper color, Disciplined carbonation supports the slightly off white cap. Lacing the glass uniformly from top to bottom.
S - Slightly grassy hop notes, chestnut, light toasted malts, hint of brown sugar.
T - Malt forward, but delicate, wheat toast, earthy hops, a faint touch of orange, and caramel,
M - Medium in body, start is semi sweet, again well balanced, a slide to bitter in the center, a beautiful finish, slightly sweet and dry.
O - A very good brown ale, balanced in every aspect, So glad that this is available in our area, The flavors and aromatics line up, no real surprises and that alone is welcome. Fine offering from talented brewers

 

Hitachino espresso stout
..solid black color
..medium light carbonation with a just above average body with a slight oily feel
..aroma is a mix of espresso, roasted malt, and fresh made black coffee
..taste is deep and rich, like a shot of espresso. Following is roasted malt, milk and dark chocolate in the background
...overall it's a very good coffee stout

 

Bells is the first brewery I think of when I hear the word balance. They always know how to find it. Yes, sometimes it might leave you wanting more of a particular element based on palate preference, but definitely not being able to say it's not balanced.

 

On staple beers like a brown ale or ESB the canvas is really hard to hide flaws, and I appreciate that in these styles. Bells has this one down for sure. Balanced and beautiful.
Cheers

 

Lighter shade of orange gold with large white cap.

Fairly strong aroma of herbal, resinous hops, citrus and bready malt.

More malt in the initial taste than I was expecting followed quickly by hops. Hop flavors closely match the scent. Hops build as the glass empties but they increase in firmness rather than bitterness. Clean, fairly complex that finishes with a lingering hop aftertaste.

Medium full texture with balancing aftertaste.

As IPAs go it's a good example that they should look into adding to the year round regulars.

 

Good afternoon everyone (morning still in Seahawk land). Before I get much further, here’s a cheers and well needed post cleanup beer wishes going out to all my friends, family and BA’s in Anchorage. That was a massive earthquake and thus far no deaths - a testament to not only the engineering accomplishments in Alaska but also the spirit of oneness that exists in AK that sets the stage for neighbors helping neighbors in crisis. Don’t think I can ever do justice in words the spirit of community that I experienced while living there.

So, on to my first beer of the day, a barrel aged barley wine I’ve been sitting on since I received it from @mj0126 in a fantasy baseball related box

Kane Object Permanence



4.14/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Massive velvety beige head sits atop this dark, barely burgundy tinged beer. Nose hits with molasses, caramel and dates in near equal balance with maybe hints of vanilla in the background. Taste starts out just barely tart before moving into a toasted sugar with cherries taste. As this warms up the cherry moves a bit more to raisin as it’s joined in full force with the bourbon, offering a somewhat thin body and dry finish.

 

New beer #4. Thanks @JBowenGeorgia !

Kentucky Beer Dad - Atlanta Brewing
BBA Lagerwine - 11.8% abv
Canned 8/22/18
Score: 4.34 (+1.6% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/864/374564/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
This little bastard tastes like the holidays. Bourbon-soaked christmas cake for lack of a better descriptor. Booze is present but not overwhelming, and the dark fruits and molasses are the stars of the show. Save any of these that you have left for Christmas Eve/Day!

 

Kulshan Transporter Brown Porter

Afternoon, BAs. Today’s (hopefully first) new beer comes to me from Washington by way of @beertunes in the recent NBS BIF.

Transporter pours a lovely, red-hued mahogany color with two-and-a-half fingers of tan foam head that leave thick, messy lacing.

It has a wonderful aroma of rich roasted malts, dry and yeasty, with hints of chocolate, coffee and a much lighter hint of red wine twang.

The taste adds a little creaminess to join the malt, so it’s much less yeasty and dry than the nose suggested. Light coffee impressions from the malt create a little bitterness that linger in the aftertaste.

It has a very creamy, medium-bodied feel with modest carbonation making the beer incredibly easy drinking.

This is an exceptional brown ale. It’s easy to put back, but loaded with malt depth to ponder over if you’re so inclined. It’s no surprise to me that this is so award-winning...



Thank you, Terry. This is one of my favorites from the several boxes you sent.

 

Two roads no limit hefe.
.. around a medium body with plenty of carbonation that fades a bit
.. aroma is a little weak but there's grain,yeast,citrus peel and spice
...taste is almost identical to aroma with there being some sweetness and the citrus being a little more pronounced
..overall it was good but kind of like going on a date with someone who isn't the-one-. I tried to make it work but it didn't really do much for ne

 

I got one of these from John as well, should I let it warm a little was it better closer to room temp?

 

Buxton & Evil Twin - Anglo Mania - 2014

In keeping with the British barley wine theme, I'm moving away from the classics and over to the new breed of English brewers. This beer wasn't in my earlier pics of my current barley wine hoard because it was a late addition. I'm not 100% certain that I never had this beer before, but I'll use that uncertainty as an excuse regardless. I don't believe I've had this one in the past.

This is a SMASH beer - single malt, single hop. The bottle claims that it's "all English" in this regard but frustratingly does not mention what malt and hops. Why would a brewer advertise a beer as being a SMASH beer but not mention the malt and hops? I am left with no choice but to assume that the brewer used the most inexpensive malt and hops possible.

This is a big beer. The color is dull dark cherry/brown. Great head with swamp muck level lacing. It tastes like many American brewed barley wines that are classified here as "American barley wines." The hops here are aggressive. This is especially great because the brewer's marketing is pushing this as "English" to the point of a fetish. I don't see this as a failed attempt by the brewer to fit within a restrictive style guideline, but rather, an example of how people put too much stock in the differences between the two categories. I wouldn't say these English brewers made an "American barley wine" even though it drinks like one. beyond that, this is a malty brew with a dessert-ish quality. This hasn't suffered with age, but I wouldn't be surprised if the astringency has become a bit more amplified as a result of it.

 

Good afternoon BAs , a completely dreadful weekend of rain and it's just plain soggy and a bit warm for Dec.

So onto a beer that I very rarely ever go to, but this one is very new and it's Guiness BA in Bulleit Bourbon barrels, and it clocks in at a solid 10% Abv. This in no way shape or form resembles any Guiness I've ever had, taken blind I'd never ever guess that. And I've never had their Antwerpen Stout. There's plenty of barrel notes, pours black obviously, looks like a normal Guiness pour, it's holding a slight head around the edges till the end. . I'd say medium body nowhere near as viscous as say Bcbs, not as sweet, but I'd say it's taste profile does lean that way. I get more chocolate, not any smoke or char that I can tell. The Bourbon really is the star in this beer and I'm a big fan of barrel forward beers, if you like bourbon you should like this beer because it's certinly more than just influence. I would guess the barrels were very hot and wet. I bought it as a single from TW. I kinda like that it's not super high abv, super thick stout, it helps the drinkability, especially in the afternoon. IMO a winner at a pretty decent price point compared to the competition.

 

New beer #5. Thanks @JamFuel !

Amazing Haze - Stigbergets
NE IPA - 6.5% abv
Best before 4/16/19
Score: 4.17 (+0.5% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/37002/253766/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
This is competitive with the best NE IPAs. Low bitterness, lots of hop flavor, and quite hazy. I’m quite enjoying the chance to drink Sweden’s best!