New Beer Sunday (Week 730)

New, from the makers of "Becky Loves the Smell."

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/32283/398839/



16 oz. can
Moderate to vigorous pour yields a nitro-huge, pure white head that settles down after a few minutes. Slightly hazy golden body with sticky lacing that lasts. Nose of slight dank hops and slighter coffee. Flavors of coffee and finish of hop and coffee bitterness. At the bitter end it resembles a "coffee light and sweet." Interesting, and I would have again.
Cheers!

 

Thanks. I would guess the wheat contributed to the overall smoothness of the feel and the easy drinkability, but I didn't get any of the typical wheat spiciness.

And, thanks to everyone for the warm welcome!

 

Oh nice!

 

Excellent Amber lager. Awesome creamy head retention/lacing. Crystal clarity. Aromas and flavors of big caramel, brown sugar, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, nuts, and light roasted malts; with some herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery hops. Light-moderate herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery hop; and slight roasted bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation/body, and fairly crisp finishing. Creamy/bready/grainy malts, some sticky hops, and slight chalky roast in the mouthfeel. Light-moderate increasing bitter dryness, no hop astringency. Very flavorful, pretty refreshing, not watery for 4.6%. Perfectly clean lager flavors, zero fruity/yeasty notes. Very clean and rich dark/bready malt complexity, with balancing earthy hops. Mild residual sweetness with lingering dryness. This nails an Irish Red as a lager; aside from the missing yeast fruitiness of course. Glad I got the 4 pack as expected. 4.08


Cheers

 

Stillwater's Extra Extra Double Brut IPA...

Medium yellow-gold and hazy with a finger or two of white head on top... Up-front with grassy hops and sweet white grape juice, this dries quickly into a funky, yeasty, and dank with a citrusy shellac... Moderately bitter with a rough "brut-ness" across the softer citrusy and vineyard fruit notes... Mildly sweet and moderately drying; medium-bodied, smooth, and soft... Straddles the line between a "regular" DIPA and Brut IPA a little bit but that's fine by me... Cheers...

 

Happy New American Impy Stout Sunday!

Pretty nice day on the Western Slope, around 36 at the trailhead, sunny. Picked up this one today, pretty tasty brew, a nice sipper, not much coconut though. Watching some Ray Donovan, season 6, this shit is going down hill pretty fast, nothing like the first 3-4 seasons.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28226/323554/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

#2, this sledgehammer of an imperial stout (14.8% ABV) from Revolution is lighting me up whilst I grill chicken outside on a blustery evening in Northern Indiana.






4.44/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The pour is as black as a December night in Northern Alaska, black to the edges with a smidge of mahogany brown on the outer limits, all supporting a rich tan head.

The barrel leads the nose (I always notice the barrel first because I don’t do whiskey/bourbon well - at ALL - as a stand-alone drink, but LOVE it in big beers), and there’s also char and dark chocolate, but what I’m loving is the dark stone fruit and coffee combo pack. Just wow.

The stone fruit is more forward on the taste, and then the dark chocolate and barrel notes are noted, with big vanilla flavors, and then the roasty coffee brings the curtain down. The mouthfeel is chewy, as expected in this gargantuan beer.

This is a magnificent beer, IMHO. I only wish I had purchased more.

I don’t normally post music in this sacred thread that is my favorite on this site, but this is appropriate tonight.

 

Good evening(?) And happy New Belgian-ish Sunday, BAs. Not a whole lot going on again. The Missus was in Utah over the weekend for her grandma's 85th birthday, so I've been stuck at the helm, watching the kids and juggling graveyard shift. If that doesn't call for a beer, I don't know what does.

Mazama Brewing
Grand Cru- Belgian Strong Ale





An inviting, comforting looking beer boasting a bright golden orange body with a clarity that reminds me of an overall appearance of an orange Jolly Rancher. Small bubbles crawl their way to the surface, supporting a sturdy white foam speckled with those classic tanned Belgian yeast blotches. Lovely cascading foam laces the glass.

Somewhat of a tart, green apple skin is noticed initially. It almost gives off a wild farmhouse scent. Only a touch of clove spiced orange marmalade is detected, but the big twist comes next. Dried urine. Like the piss smell you can only be fortunate enough to embrace in the back alley of your favorite dive bar or music venue. Perhaps waiting in line for bottle returns at your local Safeway with all the neighborhood, um..., “characters” puts it in better perspective.

The flavor is much more pleasant. Lemony, but a little more sweet. More like Meyers lemons, as it has, once again, an orange candy sweetness to it. A more prevalent spice profile suggests clove, anise, and black pepper. That Belgian yeast influence is obvious, but more subtle than your classic Grand Cru's. A light herbal, peppery, and fusel alcohol finish lingers just right.

“Light” is good word to describe this beer on all accounts. A light, soft bubbly carbonation is the perfect airy vessel for a wonderful balance of light sweetness, bitterness, and spiciness. The light alcohol warmth. This drinks like a 5% lager, versus its 10% disclaimer.

Well, this is no game changing Belgian Golden Ale, but it is a good overall experience. This is a style I once held at the top of the craftsmanship of the trade. I still do, in some regards. At the very least, I owe this beer credit for inspiring me to revisit the classics of Belgian influence.

After my official review, I gave Grand Cru a rating of 3.9 with an rDev of +1.3%

Cheers.

 

The last of the four different TH cans from my buddy, Rob.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28743/378613/




Canned 02/08/19.
Different colored label, still 8.1% abv.
Moderate to vigorous pour yields a one inch white head over a hazy light golden body with sticky lacing. Nose of citrus (orange, grapefruit) and tropical fruit (mango.) Taste of sweet citrus and tropical fruit with a nice and easy bitterness on the finish. Wonderful! Nice feel and overall, glad for the opportunity to try this and cheers to Rob for the hookup!

 

I was literally just getting ready to ask where you were at today. Always enjoy your reviews. But this one I could’ve done without reading the dried urine. Hah.

Cheers!

 

New Beer Sunday: American Strong Ale

Evenin’ NBSers with a report for fans of Winter Warmers and/or Christmas beers.

This evening’s new beer is simply called 22 and is the 22nd Anniversary beer from Weyerbacher. While it wasn’t released as a Christmas beer or as a Winter Warmer style, it has many similarities to those beers. This particular bottle has been resting quietly in a friend’s cellar since Jun of ’17 and so has well over 18 mos. of bottle age on it.

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

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/392/288061/?ba=drtth#review


The aromas/flavors of this beer are filled with spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla all riding on a bready dark caramel malt background that has some dark fruit in it. There’s little or no bitterness showing and the alcohol shows only in it’s warming effects. An enjoyable sipping beer for a cold winter evening by the fire with a good book. Lots of interesting complexities in the aromas/flavors and I’d be happy to have more of this nicely drinkable beer.

On the player this evening is some music in a style popular during the Renaissance.


Cheers, all!

 

Outstanding IPA. Great fluffy head retention/foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big juicy mangoes, tangerine, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, melon, guava, berries, citrus peel/rind, wood, light peppercorn, and pine hops; with moderate cracker, toasted biscuit, light honey/caramel malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation/body, and fairly crisp finishing. Balanced creamy/bready/grainy malts, sticky hops, and light resins/rinds in the mouthfeel. Light-moderate increasing bitter dryness, no hop astringency. Refreshingly smooth, not aggressive, zero warming 6.2%. Fantastic Comet/Simcoe profile. Very juicy, vibrant, and fairly dank/earthy hops; with a great balanced bready malt backbone. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. Very east coast style IPA taste. 4.15


Cheers

 

Evening NBS not drinking tonight had a big share last night and allergies acting up today so just checking in seeing what's new and exciting cheers all.

 

NBS Beer #3



Leather Bound Books

Mayflower Brewing Company
Baltic Porter / 8.00% ABV

4.01/5 rDev -0.7% | Score: 4.04
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

canned 12/26/18

L-The beer pours a dark brown with lighter tan edges. The head is two fingers of mocha froth. The head recedes to a thin film with fantastic lacing on all sides of the glass.
S-The nose is chocolate which seems to alternate between sweet and dark. I'm not sure why but it reminds me of an ice cream float. Some vanilla perhaps and some cola probably contributes. There is a bit of roast under all this, but it's definitely in the back round.
T-A better balance of roast bitterness cuts some of the sweetness in the nose. Some cola and chocolate are noticeable, but the balance is quite good here on the palate.
F- Mouthfeel overall is medium, maybe a tad light for the style. Carbonation is restrained, but not flat.
O-A beautiful beer which had me worried about sweetness. No worries on that front. A nice example of the style and worth a purchase if your looking a good porter.

 

Delicious IPA. Fantastic lasting fluffy head retention/thick soapy lacing. Flavors of big grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, mango, watermelon, red apple, berries, citrus peel/rind, wood, light peppercorn, and pine hops; with moderate wheat, cracker, white bready malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Similar/muted aromas. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation/body; creamy/bready/grainy malts, some sticky hops, and light resins/rinds in the mouthfeel. Light-moderate increasing bitter dryness, no hop astringency. Very smooth, nicely soft, minimal warming 7%. More hazy than true NEIPA. Feels like mostly Amarillo, El Dorado. Very juicy, vibrant, and lightly dank/earthy hops; with a great balancing wheat/malt backbone. Mild residual sweetness with lingering dryness. Another well made offering as usual. 3.91


Cheers

 

Thanks! And sorry. I tell it like it is though.

Cheers!

 

Thanks to @lordofthewiens for kick starting the thread.

@JackHorzempa I too think of The Crusher. Huge Bugs Bunny fan here, and Road Runner, Tom & Jerry and,all those cartoons now deemed politically incorrect for one reason or another. Also a Three Stooges fan as well.

@MNAle - welcome aboard!

Our pastor started the sermon with an oldie but goodie. Two old timers, Sam and Fred, sat in the park every day and talked baseball. As they were getting on in years, one day Fred asked Sam if he thought there was baseball in heaven. Neither knew, but each pledged to return to tell the other whenever they reached the pearly gates. Well, Fred passed away and Sam continued to sit on their park bench waiting for word about angelic baseball. One day, Sam hears his named whispered on the wind...Fred is that you? Yes, Sam, it's me. Well, Fred...what's the story? Fred answers I have good news and bad news...good news is there is baseball in heaven; bad news is you are pitching on Friday.

Supposed to start some weather here tonight, so I think I'll have a beer.

Jack's Abby Eis Maker, a bourbon barrel aged lager wine clocking in at a hefty 13%.



The beer pours a muddy red brown color with a fast-falling khaki head. Not overly bubbly, but what little foam remains clings and the beer itself sheets gracefully over the glass.

The smell is super malty, sweet, dark fruitiness, vanilla, smoky bourbon. A little leathery, maybe a little tobacco. Caramel, toffee, and cooked sugars. The dark fruits like sweet dates strengthen with warmth, and the bourbon notes counterbalance nicely. Bready, rich malts.

The taste is rich and decadent, following the nose exactly. It is sweet and malty, caramelized sugars, dark fruity goodness of Medjool dates not the crappy dehydrated ones. Biscuity and bready, but more towards a brown bread yet not quite there. Everybody plays nice in the sandbox here. Nicely layered, well-executed beer.

It's medium to heavy in the body with a pleasing warmth.

This is a one and done in the Maker series, unfortunately, but if I see any hanging around I will be buying it. Excellent beer, gonna land well in the 4's for me. A pleasantly surprising, delicious, luxuriant beer. Simetimes bigger is so much better. It kind of reminds me of two of my favorite beers...Allagash Curieux for the bourboan barrel treatment and Pretty Things Grampus for the ridiculously extravagant malt profile.

Cheers!

 

One of VG's best!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/47666/397219/



375 ml. bottle.
Somewhat vigorous pour yields a 1/2 inch white head over an ever so slightly hazy golden body with no lacing. Nose of funk (blue cheese, cellar floor), citrus (grapefruit), and earthy rose petals?!? Flavors of grapefruit and something close to savory earthy herbal woodiness. I don't know, it's really good. I didn't get much rose petal until I smelled the empty bottle and lo and behold, rose petals! Finish of some kind of semi-sweet minty thing going on? I still don't know, it's really, really good. These aromas and flavors are rather new to me. Nice feel and overall, yet another fine, enigmatic offering from Greensboro Bend, VT. Cheers to Vasilios and Chaga!!!

 

This from Aslin Beer Company is just stellar. Thanks Ian Sherman for this gem. Pours a very attractive hazy orange with a solid finger plus sticky off white head, with excellent retention, and leaves a thin wall of lace behind.4.5


Smell apricot, guava, dank weed hints, tangerine, pineapple, and a little grapefruit rind. 4.5


Taste follows apricot, guava, tangerine upfront with grapefruit, marijuana, and pineapple notes in the balanced yet bold finish. 4.5


Mouthfeel is big, enough carbonation but gentle and really sticky, and at 11.1% this stuff is amazingly drinkable and balanced. 4.25


Overall this is an amazing NETIPA that is balanced and really flat out tasty. A true stand out in my opinion. 4.5