New Beer Sunday (Week 734)

Kane Vengeful Heart

Happy Sunday, BAs. After watching eggboy remixes for much of the morning, I’m loving the name of this American-style barleywine from Kane in New Jersey. The beer itself? Not so much.

Don’t let my photo fool you. It pours a murky and gross-looking brown with a canned pumpkin pie-filling hue. Close to a finger of solidly-tan head lasts a decent while for the style and leaves thick lacing.

It has a very fruity aroma. Pear fruit cups, apple and some fainter mixed tropical fruit stand out most. There are hints of caramel and pine beneath.

The taste features toasted bread and caramel, more of the pear and some light and lingering piney bitterness in the finish.

The mouthfeel is very full and creamy. It seems still at first, but does have some slow-building carbonation to it. This is my favorite aspect of the brew.

It seems like they’re trying to do a New England-style barleywine hybrid with this, but for me it’s a miss. It’s not awful, but it’s missing the malt complexity — and the pear and tropical fruits seem out of place. The label says to store cold and drink fresh. I’m going to sit on my other can a year or two and see if the flavors meld any better with time. 2/11/19 canned on date.

 

New Beer Sunday: Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Afternoon NBSers and a suggestion for those who wonder how well the Italians are doing with beer these days.

This afternoon’s new beer is Super from Birrificio Le Baladin in Italy.

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

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1675/4774/?ba=drtth#review


The aromas/flavors of this beer include lots of fruits, some biscuity malt, some almond and a bit of vanilla. The fruits include apricot, green apple, a bit of orange and a bit of banana. Way in the background there’s some light earthy, grassy bitterness to keep the sweetness from cloying. On the whole an enjoyable, drinkable version of the style and one I’ll be looking to find again.

Cheers, all!

 

Cheers fellow NBSrs! I’m staring this afternoon off very well due to the generosity of @JBowenGeorgia . John, many thanks for this new and more importantly delicious beer! It’s very well done in my opinion.





Hope you all are enjoying this fine Sunday as well!

 

Left hand raspberry milk stout
..above average body with a thick creamy feel. Light carbonation, overall a really nice feel to this one
...solid black color
...aroma is raspberry jam,the real homemade type,not artificial. The fruit is very dominant but very pleasing. There's not much after the raspberry jam but there is some sugary sweet roasted malt and black coffee.
...taste is definitely raspberry forward but not as intense as in the aroma. Again the coffee and roasted malt,mild as it may do show up.
..its an interesting dessert beer where its main attribute is how real and sweet the raspberries taste and smell. Not a knock a few back after mowing the lawn on a hot day but very good late on a cold night after dinner

 

I just realized this beer is listed as an American ipa not a New England IPA. It sure does blur the line...

 

Nice opening, and sharing Doc. May all your teams play well, and all your beers be tasty! Cheers!

 

Posted my obligatory Irish beer (and glassware) beer for the day, on to fun fridge finds starting with this Rum King from Indeed Brewing



4.25/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Big billowing tan head doesn’t completely disappear as what does recede leaves great lacing, what stays behind leaves a mustache. Despite a foam hat, plenty of pleasant aroma starting with vanilla, nougat and sure enough, rum. Taste follows a different path as chocolate, toasted marshmallow and finally roasted malt and coffee dominates prior to a bold rum alcoholic finish leaves in front of dryness and a lingering, cloyingly sweet aftertaste.

 

Figured it was jolly in nature, just wanted to cover my ass and assume a wee bit of ignorance if it meant death to someone or something

 

New beer #4. Thanks @FlintB !

Extinction Line - Speciation
Sour - 7% abv
Vintage 2018
Score: 4.28 (+1.7% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/48069/358060/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
Highly acidic. It burns going down, which personally I love. Akin to chugging some vinegar. Quite tart, with lime and pomegranate creating some wonderful sour flavors. Citrus hops provide balance. Light-bodied. If it was 20 degrees warmer I’d be joyously drinking this outside. Thanks again Brian!

 

Happy Sunday NBS players, and happy St. Pats to all you Irish bastards. A sunny and cool day, here on the island, but nice to have the temperatures starting to head towards spring. Another rather lazy Sunday and I don't foresee that changing till tomorrow. No new Irish beers on hand but I do have a couple of big stouts.

My first new beer today is Baker's Dozen, a cinnamon/chocolate Imperial stout w/ chili peppers and a hint of vanilla, a collabo between Fat Orang Cat, and Decadent brewing. It's also contract brewed/canned at Great South Bay- so technically it is a long island beer. The brew checks in at 13% abv and no apparent canning date.

A thick black color on the pour with a fast and almost non-existent film of brown bubbles. Chocolate malts, on the nose with a hint of spices. The drinking hits right over from the nose with a big and thick malt presence. Very smooth and lush on the flow with a subtle bitter finish. I get more of the decadent sweet flavors up front with fudge, cocoa, brown sugar, and a mix of lactose/vanilla flavor. The peppers have a subtle kick on the finish but with very little lingering heat. Full bodied but really smooth and creamy with a slight stick to it. Despite all of that going on, it is crazy drinkable, and I've barley stopped to notice its high abv.

Overall, wow this is excellent and right in my wheelhouse. The base is so pronounced and all the additional flavors play nicely in the background to keep every sip interesting. Easily in the low 4's here to possibly higher. The best part is that I can currently buy single cans. Will be grabbing a few more this week.

 

Today’s new beer is “Straight Jacket” an English style BBA Barleywine from Revolution Brewing, Chicago IL... beer and proper glassware courtesy of @Number1Framer :



I’ve been fortunate to have drank several beers from Revolution’s “Deep Wood Series”, and I’m excited to try another barrel aged high gravity beer from one of my favorite breweries...

Canned 01/04/19. At 58 degrees pours ruby brown (SRM 24) with rocky yet fast fizzy pale tan foam; thin ring,quick cap, both of which disappear completely; thin legs and soapy dots of lace on swirl. 4.5



Sweet caramel malt, light earthy hops, and boozy bourbon aromas. 4.75

Bourbon and sweet caramel malt foremost upon entry; oaky barrel middle; very lite earthy hop bitterness; bourbon/malt finish. 4.75



Smooth silky medium full body; sticky feel; moderate minus carbonation; warming (13.1%) with some barrel dryness. 4.5

Overall, I like everything about this Barleywine; it has a great balance between the barrel notes and malt, and there are hops that add to the nose, taste and feel; it is deceptively easy drinking for the ABV, and tastes so good I want to drink my other can, now! 4.75

Sometimes Barleywines come off as too sweet, or if barrel aged, too boozy or woody... for me, I like sweet and I like boozy, and what makes imo a great offering is, can the hops find their place among the whole and contribute across the board in a meaningful way? Revolution may be my new fanboy brewery...sorry CW...and watch out FW!

Cheers y’all!

 

Flying dog lucky sob Irish red ale
...dark amber color
...medium carbonation with just under an average body
..aroma is malt,grain,cracker,a little sour
...taste is malt forward followed by a sour grain mash and a little cracker
...not overly complex but it's a decent malt driven ale. Not overly complex or too malty which made it work well with food

 

Ok, so I just found this brewery existed today, a few blocks from my previous living quarters (and not too far from my current one). So happy New Brewery Sunday, folks.

I should’ve invited the whole WBAYDN thread here yesterday, if only I knew about Settle Down Easy Brewing Company. Apparently established in 2018 and added to this site beginning of this year. I just asked the bar manager, and they opened Nov 16th. The brewery was apparently getting some advice from other local breweries in being responsive on social media (like Google reviews), and they think it is paying off. I may ask more questions as business allows.



So we are starting with flights, and I’ll give a brief synopsis of my first one. First beer was a mistake as I misinterpreted the brown chip (red ale) for the tan (Kölsch). The beertender did mention that Virginia Creeper is their most popular so far, and it is pretty tasty.

Virginia Creeper (red ale) - nice clear light brown more than amber, sheets of lace. Blurred lines between red and brown, with a caramel note that leans it towards the former and a little punch of piney bitterness.

Remington’s Run (German Pilsner) - clear golden with lazily rising bubbles gliding to a sparse cap, though there is some decent lacing from the thinning collar. A little floral/fruity nature to the nose. The taste is a little more of a slightly hoppy American lager in taste, with just the idea of some bready malt coming through and not bringing the noble hop bite I expected in the end.

DuPH (American amber lager) - Pronounced Duff, with obvious homage in the name, though Yuengling was mentioned by the beerkeep who was being helpful to us new customers. I’d be curious to do a side-by-side. With the obvious disclaimer that I haven’t had Yuengling in a while so I am going off that fickle memory thing:

This beer seems not as clean as the traditional beer from PA, but also a bit smoother. Actually a bit more of a husky malt profile, with a nice neutral bitterness to balance it. Not bad.

Sweet Scoville Sting (honey chili ale) - actually a very nice nose that gives the pepper flesh up easily, disrupting the honey/caramel malt that manages to sneak around it. Taste opens with a not-too-sweet amber malt profile not unlike the DuPH but with a little less husk. Something provides a little tang before the vegetal pepper takes over. No heat on any sip, and only the lightest of bite by the time I finished the sampler. A real easy drinking chile beer.

So all of these beers were quite easy on the palate, clean and far from overpowering you. They actually have only one beer over 7% on the board.

Cheers guys and gals, hope y’all have an easy Sunday afternoon to settle down with a new beer.

 

Nosh Sabro a 7.5 ABV Hazy IPA from Twin Elephant. TE Brews a series of single Hop IPAs call Nosh. The hop used here is a new (just released in 2018) one called Sabro. The brewer uses the Nosh series to learn how best to use a hop. The grain bill is 75% pale malt and 12.5% oats and wheat. This brew pours a hazy gold with a thick white head. It has a powerful aroma of coconut and tropical fruit but also cedar and mint. The taste follows the aroma but the cedar and mint are stronger in the taste. The mouthfeel is medium but lacks the softness that oats usually give a beer. The finish is dry and minty. This beer did not make a great 1st impression but by the end of the pint I was thinking it was a pretty good beer.
Spoke to the brewer who says he is getting 50/50 feedback good and bad about the Sabro hop. He will use it again but only blended with other hops.

 

Woodgrain Raspberry Chocolate Truffle, 8.6% ABV. Pours black with a one finger foamy light brown head that left no lacing. Nose is strong chocolate and raspberry. Taste is mainly slightly tart and slightly sweet raspberry, with moderate slightly bitter chocolate. Excellent mouthfeel, overall outstanding.

Being St. Patrick's day I am putting green food coloring in all of my beers today. Can't see it, but it's the thought that counts.

 

My (probably very unpopular) opinion is that 'regular' StraightJacket is miles above the longer-barreled, specially blended, and highly sought after VSOJ for exactly all of the balance reasons you mention. SJ is a wonderful harmony of every element whereas VSOJ jumps the shark a bit with the extended aging and select barrel blending coming off as a glass of boozey brown sugar to me. That little bit of bitter balance on the backend makes SJ perfect fresh or a with a little time on it. Just a winner all around!!

 

Southern tier thick mint imperial stout
...solid black color
..body is above average,thick creamy feel with medium light carbonation
...aroma is roasted malt,mint,chocolate, alcohol coffee,and espresso
..taste is chocolate and mint followed by roasted malt and coffee
...overall it's a very good dessert beer,high abv shows up a little in the taste but still fairly well hidden.
...

 

Starting off locally at Columbia Kettle Works in Columbia, PA with their Sets in the West IPA on-tap, with an ABV of 6.7%

Lancaster County, PA is blessed with more craft breweries than perhaps any other county in PA, and PA produces a LOT of craft beer. Columbia Kettle Works opened in 2014 and it is the craft brewery in my county that I visit more than any other. They started small but have continued to grow because of the high quality and variety of beer, friendly service and good food. In fact, they recently opened a 2nd location in downtown Lancaster. I always feel like Norm on Cheers when I go in here.

Anyway, Sets in the West is a new beer for them and for me. I'm really enjoying it right now.

A - Clear gold with a 1.5-finger white head and great lace
S - Earthy hops that are lightly dank. Light pine. Orange flesh. On the mild side.
T - Orange peel marmalade on a toasted biscuit with caramelized edges. Plenty of pine. Earth and pepper spice. Very dry.. No lack of bitterness. West Coast style for sure.
M - Medium mouthfeel and carbonation. Substantial. Very good.
O - While the aroma is on the light side (but nice); the flavor is right up my alley when I want a West Coast style IPA, which I prefer to NEIPAs.

It's worth seeking this brewery out if you are in the area!

It's one and done for me but I'm getting a 32oz growler to go for later. Right now I'm headed to the mighty Susquehanna River for an afternoon hike along the Northwest River Trail, which is just a few blocks from the brewery. Great for biking too. It's worth seeking this trail out if you are in the area! Here's a link and a photo.

http://nwrt.info/

 

My favorite college is Clemson University because of its proximity to the town of my childhood, 10 minutes. Growing up in that small farm town, folks lived and died with the football team. We’ve been really proud of them over the past few years as they have risen to prominence in football and I hope they continue to have success because it is fun for me to watch. Anyway enough of that, on to the beer. My first foray into the NBS BIF has been awesome already. @kemoarps hit me with this crazy Secret LIF box and I have been salivating over this beer ever since. No time like the present. Thanks a bunch for this one Kestrel, it is amazing!

2018 Dark Star Coffee Edition from Freemont


Pitch black, thick, and oily. Dark dark dark brown around the edges and no light coming through. Half finger of mocha colored head dissipated quickly into smaller islands of lace that rest on top. The aroma is crazy layered and intense. The slightest hint of bourbon tickles my nostrils first, followed quickly by fudgy chocolate and a bitter roast underneath. Layers and waves of flavor hit some warmth and bourbon tingle the tongue to mix with dark chocolate, bitter coffee roast, and fudge. The mouthfeel is tricky, feeling chewy at times, but never thick. There’s no trace of the alcohol content in this. The barrels have lent the perfect amount of bourbon flavor without overpowering other elements. This is fantastic, and has achieved perma-want status! 4.79