New Beer Sunday (Week 723)

Old Nation M-43 NEIPA

Happy Sunday, BAs. Today’s first new beer is a long-time want that came courtesy of the generous Master Packer @LloydDobler as part of NBS BIF 8.5. I enjoyed the Old Nation Cart Horse I tried from him last night. This one is even better.

M-43 pours a pale banana-orange smoothie color with three fingers of yellowed white head. The head lasts a good while and leaves soapy lacing.

Creamy citrus stands out most in the aroma. There’s a little grass and mango behind.

Wow. It’s much fruitier up front than the nose let on, with fairly strong bitterness on the backend. I’m getting guava, papaya, strawberry and tangerine followed by a fairly unique, dull herbal-grassy bitterness that comes across just slightly chalky. There’s a hint of mineral water, too.

It has a full, creamy mouthfeel with some soda water carbonation.

This is very pleasant and easy drinking. An all-around excellent NEIPA. Thanks, Chris, for the chance to finally try it.

 

New Beer Sunday: American Imperial IPA

Afternoon NBSers.

Some reflections on the old and coming new year in beer are triggered both by @cjgiant in his intro and by the IIPA on deck.

Next up for New Imperial IPA Sunday is Trellis Buster from Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project out in Denver. The brewery says of this beer, “Brewed with more hops than we have ever used in a single beer, this resinous trellis-busting hop bomb is bursting with bold character.”

There are folks who think any “innovation” (e.g., trying out of new ingredients or new combinations of ingredients in a beer is a dirty word) and that “new” beers that involve “innovation” are to be criticized and avoided because of a failure to live up to and respect the “traditional.” From one perspective that may seem reasonable at first, but often it seems the hate mostly because the combination is new to them and not what they expected or wanted.

While it is clearly the case some innovations don’t work well, on the other hand it is “innovation” that brought us many of the great beers we enjoy today. Our local Classical Radio station says it well in the subtitle to a weekly program, “Reminding us that all music was once new.” Similarly, all of today’s “traditional” beers and beer styles were “once new,” and that what constitutes “tradition” depends upon “where you put your eyes.” Pilsners were once an "innovation" and new. So for me the the bottom line is that there are lots of “innovations” and some stick around while others disappear and are forgotten…

My personal take on the importance/value of “innovation” was once expressed this way:

“In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd.” — Miguel de Cervantes


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

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25191/266244/?ba=drtth#review


The aromas/flavors of this beer are full of citrus and citric zest all intertwined with lots of tropical fruits and a touch of resin. The malt sweetness provides a backdrop that serves that serves to soften and smooth out the citric zest and resinous bitterness. Another beer that is drinkable and enjoyable. So I’d say that this beer is an innovation from Crooked Stave that works well.

All of which leads to my choice of music on the player this leisurely afternoon—The Man of La Mancha


Cheers, all!

 

Great year for me and my family

My eldest son and his wife gave me a grandson in the spring. My youngest son married a wonderful young woman in the fall. My business is booming and I look poised to repeat or exceed that in 2019.

My highest rated beer of the year was Marblehead Lighthouse by Trillium closely followed bt Treehouse’s Something, somewhere incredible is waiting to be known

My new beer of the week is Gay head lighthouse from Trillium

4.49/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Canned 11.27.18, opened 12.22.18, poured into a teku glass

Hazy orange liquid , two finger soapy off white foam cap, sticky lacings, settles to a ring

Aroma is citrus , candied orange, tangerine, pineapple, whiff of spice

Taste is tangerine, pineapple,

Hop taste lingers but does not bite

Good beer

 

Ommegang Brut IPA This is the 2ond Brut IPA that I have drank. The 1st was from Twin Elephant a small local brewery. Ommegang calls this a sparkling India Pale Ale and it is bottle conditioned for 2 weeks before being released. It is brewed with Pilsner Malts and hopped and Day Hopped with Mandaria Bavaria, Calypso and Citra hops. The brewery recommends it be served at 40 degrees. Served in a red wine glass this beer is a hazy pale yellow gold. The head is thick and made of tiny bubbles. The aroma is all sorts of fruit with slight hints of pine. The taste follows the aroma and there in no malt to speak of. The mouth feel is lite. This beer is very carbonated almost like sparkling wine. The finish is also very dry and like sparkling wine. I enjoyed this beer a lot but it is different and not for everyone. It could be an awesome summer brew.
.

 

#2 for the day, but 1st today for NBS (and last): TRVE's Decreation (NE)IPA - 5.6%
On tap in COS (Brewer's Republic)
A - Turbid, exact to the style that most hazebros enjoy. Decent lacing, too, and head retention considering its low ABV.
A - Nicely subtle citrus-weed balance, with some effervescent lemon in the background.
T - Where the beer shines, frankly. For its weight it tastes 1-1.5% "heavier' with good citrus and hop notes, not overly bitter, great balance, could be a daily drinker for me.
M - Good mouthfeel, nothing mind-blowing, but good balance and good acidity. Keeps you coming back for more.
O - One of my first TRVEs and I'll be back to try more; had tried a couple of their drier sours, too, which were interesting but a little subdued on tartness.
(Not scoring here; need to ponder more).
Cheers!

 

This year has been a great one for me. I got married in March and got both my vehicles paid off last month. As far as my beer hobby goes I completed my first trades this year which were great successes as wel as participated in my first BIF. The BIF was one of the best experiences of my year and something I definitely plan on doing again and again. I was blown away by the generosity I experienced in BIF world, y’all are maniacs. Speaking of BIFs, I received this beer and many others from my wants list in a retaliation box from Big Mike. Thanks again @Mikexw and everybody in the rookies BIF for making it An unforgettable experience.


This is Sucaba from Firestone Walker. 2018 vintage and my first BA barleywine I believe. My rating is 4.47 and I think a little below the average.

The look is dark and opaque, like a cherry stain on wood. There is some ruby around the edges when held up to light but no light penetrates the body. The aroma is subtle and subdued but layered like a ************. Molasses, caramel, toffee, bourbon, maybe some plum or raisin hiding way in the back. Taste is exactly the same, molasses, caramel, and toffee up front, followed by just a hint of bourbon, then some dark fruits. Mouthfeel is a bit creamy with a dry finish and no trace of alcohol. Overall this is exceptional and worthy of its rating.

 

New Fruited Sour Sunday

This one comes from a relatively unknown little hands on, do-it-yourself brewery down in Southern IL. Most all of what they do uses ingredients either from their farm or foraged. Most of what they brew involves the use of herbs and flowers for bittering as opposed to hops.

Scratch / White Rooster - Wild Blueberry

"A beer brewed in collaboration with our friends at White Rooster in Sparta, Illinois. Brewed at Scratch and fermented with our house yeast, the beer was finished with White rooster’s mixed culture in a chardonnay barrel for 18 months. After the beer had developed a beautiful complexity from the microflora during barrel aging, we refermented the beer on Southern Illinois-grown blueberries."





WIld Blueberry is a beauty. It initially takes on that deep purple/blood red hue but when even slightly back lit tends more toward garnet. It's fairly dark and it's muddled enough to keep from seeing through the body. The foam is surprising on a beer of the style showing exceptional staying power. A finger-plus on the pour, the purple tinged finely bubbled foam eventually crackles down to a silky smooth cap. That cap is as low as it goes.Wispy drink lines are left after each sip. (4.25)

The nose sports all kinds of wild funky depth. Bacteria riddled oak gets it moving, bringing along that cobweb heavy old attic funkiness. A welcomed lactic acidity runs the middle along with faint blueberry, skins and stems and all. Each swirl of the glass brings about more pronounced berry fruitiness. Sweet floral wildflowers and rain soaked rock minerality add a ton of depth. There's a good play between sweet and sour with the sour winning out. It's all around musty and rustic. (4.25)

The nose led the way and the flavor follows in stride. Splintery old dry oak starts it off. The lactic acidity brings on a touch of yogurt and the added blueberry brings a touch of sweet berry flavor. It's musty from front to back with that softly sweet wildflower character. The vinous quality is more pronounced in the flavor and fits the whole exceptionally well. Rain soaked rock and tannic stems, skins and barrel wrap this one up. Very good. (4.25)

The feel, as with all Scratch, is dialed in just right. It's moderate in body with a fairly spritzy carbonation. There's a bit of stick upfront but that gets washed away by both the bubbles and tannic, dry finish. For the depth and complexity and even alcohol for that matter, this one goes down exceptionally quick. It should be a sipper to appreciate all the complexities but it's hard to set this one down. (4.25)

Scratch hit another homerun, as did White Rooster, with this collaboration. Their house culture is magic. It's funky and lactic without being over the top barnyard or battery acid. It's even handed and layered with a great play between sweet & sour while the barrel aging is handled to perfection. (4.25)

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

 

Give me a shout if you ever want to do recon in Colorado.

 

New Imperial Stout Sunday

Happy NBS everyone! For my first new brew of the day, I started out with Evil Twin's Bozo Beer: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24300/107284/?ba=bluejacket74#review





I liked it a lot, and wasn't as boozy as I was expecting either for being 17.2% ABV. Now I'm deciding what to drink next, so I'll be back on here in a while!

 

NBS beer #1



Aslin / Old Westminster Winery - Do You Want To Make It Pink

Aslin Beer Company
American Brut IPA / 7.00% ABV

3.68/5 rDev +2.2% | Score: 3.6
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

L-The beer pours gold with a pinkish tinge depending on the lighting. The head is a very modest half finger of big white bubbles. The head recedes quickly to a thin ring. No lacing is present.
S- Nose is very white wine/ champagne like. Duh...I know. Think white grapes and that musty smell I get from the yeast.
T- Flavor is less wine like than those nose. It's a little duller but with similar qualities. A decent dryness is present, but not overwhelming.
F-Mouthfeel overall is light. Carbonation is prickly and medium in intensity. Dryness invites further sips.
O-Nose is good, but it's lacking something in the flavor department. I've had better examples to be sure. Not recommended. Aslin makes much better beer than this one. Buy those instead.

 

Nothing for me today, Santa or maybe Krampus brought me an unwanted present over Christmas; Gout. Broke the shit outta Doc' orders yesterday, trying will my Sooners to victory, but we ran into a more complete team. You all have one for me, I am gonna try to be a good boy until I am sure this is in the rearview & I am sure I will have dial it back a little to a lot in 2019.

 

I am going to post this beer my wife and I shared on Christmas day. Every once in a while, a beer seems significant. Often that is for reasons other than the beer, which is true in this case. Bonus...this beer is exceptional in my opinion, well worth the $20 tag.

Here is my official review of Spencer Bourbon Barrel Aged Holiday Ale, specially brewed for Yankee Spirits.



We had the good fortune to attend a tasting and seminar given by Father Isaac who is pretty much the face of The Spencer Brewery. It was not only one of the best beer talks I have ever heard, it was given by one of the most impressive people I have met. Fr. Isaac somehow manages to, well, manage his life of faith and his life in the brewing business which are each kind of contradictory full time responsibilities in their own right. His knowledge of brewing science is extensive. His passion for all aspects of brewing is infectious. His historical knowledge of Trappist brewing and modern day brewing business realities - wow. Yet it is all kept in perspective with his life of faith, humility, and service. We consider ourselves incredibly fortunate to have met this wonderful man and enjoyed the chance to talk with him personally. We have penciled in the Abbey open house for 2019.

I should be back with a legitimate contribution to the thread. Cold day here, lazy football afternoon, chili simmering on the stove. Plenty of beers to pick from.

 

Bell's Arabicadabra. 5.5% coffee milk stout.



Bottled 2 months ago and served at 50ish degrees.

The look is near-black with a tan head that sticks around (4.5)

The nose is intense for the ABV. Big coffee and nutty sweetness (4.5)

The taste is coffee, milk chocolate, and a milk stout base which comes across as marshmallow and sassafras (4)

The mouthfeel starts medium+ but thins out a bit on the backend (4)

Overall, very nice for the style (4.25)

 

Good afternoon, NBS, and best wishes to you all on this last Sunday of 2018.

I've had a very slow start today - I'm on the ninth day of my holiday vacation and really letting the time get away from me. I tend towards being a night person when allowed, and I've definitely been staying up later than I should be - going back to work (Wednesday) is not going to be pleasant.

This last week has been an interesting one - Christmas with my family wasn't unpleasant, but wasn't what I'd hoped. The plus side is that every holiday and special occasion I spend with my family is great motivation for me to sell my house and leave the state! We've also had some particularly unpleasant weather here - lots of snow and rain, followed by a hard freeze, so the roads are quite icy and my driveway is about three inches of solid ice at the moment. Hmmmm. I plan on spending the early part of 2019 working on home repairs to get my house on the market, and also researching areas I'd like to live.

To that end, I might have mentioned a plumbing project - my dad and I spent the better part of two days this week cutting all of the galvanized and copper plumbing out of my house and replacing it all with pex. Neat stuff, pex - I'm a fan. I was hoping that I'd see an improvement in water pressure, but that unfortunately hasn't happened. The water tastes and smells a whole lot different though, and it's HOT suddenly. I suppose those changes will do! The most satisfying thing about this project is how much money I saved myself, doing the work rather than contracting it out - only set me back about four hundred dollars, versus quotes for several thousand. Whew! Next projects: need to replace some woodpecker and squirrels damaged wood trim on the exterior of the house, do some taping and mudding and painting in the second floor, and etc. I'm sure something else will come up - it always does!

Anyway. Beer.

I'm enjoying a sour from Burley Oak today, courtesy of @dprice - thank you again, DeShawn!



Oops - a bit of blur on the can there. I'm enjoying a Banana Bread JREAM today,

I've thus far had two or three different varieties of JREAMs - thus far, what stands out to me is just how sweet they are. This particular brew is a pleasant yellow gold that smells remarkably like bready banana - every time I drink it, I taste that nice brown crust on banana bread and can't believe how the captured the adjuncts so accurately. The banana is light enough that it's more in the nose than in the taste, but it's certainly there - a creamy, bready taste is far more forward than anything. The sourness hits me on the sides of my tongue while the sweetness extends the length and onward - it's thus not quite so sour as it is distinctly sweet. It's almost more of a sweet, fruit beer than anything - though it definitely is sour as well.

So creamy and drinkable - this definitely does not taste sessionable to me though. Too creamy, too rich, and just a bit exhausting for my taste buds. I think this beer is best shared - a whole can is a bit much.


That's it for now - cleaning up around the house still after finishing my plumbing, but I'll likely be back later with another beer. Hope everyone enjoys their Sunday!

 

Toppling Goliath Sosus. A Mosaic NEIPA.
I had this on draft Thursday and it blew me away and I had to find some for home. Only the third store I hit had it, and in bomber format only.

My review-
4.56/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured from an undated bomber to a nonic.
Hazy yellow gold with a gorgeous froth that fades to non-contiguous lacing at half-glass.
Taste is musty pineapple in the best sense. Starts pineapple, fades to pure mosaic, back to sweet juice then the afterglow is pure pucker dry. Alcohol is fairly hidden until the end of the session.
Mouth chew is moderate which seems to fit well.
I really love this beer.

Couple of internet search notes-

• The brewery never calls this an NEIPA (Double IPA only), not on the bottle or their website. But BA lists it as an NEIPA, and it clearly is.
• A search for only "Sosus" yields many articles about a US Navy sub detection system. Way down the page the first reference that is not that, is this beer.
• If you search "Sosus of Pergamon" this yields - "The only mosaic artist ever recorded in literature".... by none other than Pliny the Elder.

 

The holy trinity of New American Hop forward Ales is finally complete!

First there was Wrench then came Torque Wrench and now finally we have Pocket Wrench. And I could not be any happier with this brew.

Tropical, Dank, Fruity and Crisp. Full of tons of hop aroma and flavor with just enough body to keep things interesting especially at the ABV.

A welcome addition to the family!