New Beer Sunday (Week 735)

Greenville has a really nice downtown with some great restaurants.

 

A new beer traded to me by a coworker...

The review:
12oz undated can poured into a perfect pint glass at fridge temp 8% ABV 60 IBU. The beer pours very dark brown with no highlights and fluffy light brown head. The head sticks around and leaves a good amount of lacing. The aroma is smokey dark chocolate. The taste is rich dark malt laced with smoke up front before showing off some chocolate and mild roast mid palate. The mostly dry finish offers medium plus hop and roast driven bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with medium carbonation. Overall, very good. The cherry smoked malt leads the way here, but I love a good smokey beer.

It's always nice when people know what you like. I was happy to be able to trade a Aecht Schlenkerla Lentbeer for this one to someone who I know will appreciate it. Thanks Danny.

There's no picture in the database and I've given up trying to add them with my phone. Here's an image if anyone is up to it.

 

Dave, I'm following in your footsteps today, but that one will be my last beer of the day. I know you're just pasting the style name as it's listed here and BeerAdvocate is using these odd country names, but I bet Chief would enjoy you calling it a New York Bock instead given it's makeup. Speaking of which:
@keithmurray , unfortunately, Spring Landscape is only getting New York distro.

 

Happy Sunday and NBS all. My first Sunday off for a few weeks so Im planning on trying some brews.
Ive some really nice sours and wine barrel aged brews from Almanac but this will be my first IPA.
Loud! Hazy DIPA w/Mosaic, Cashmere and Simcoe.
Pours a hazy golden color with a nice creamy head. The head settles after a few and leaves some spotty lacing.
Big aromas of pineapple, passionfruit, orange, lemon, grapefruit, cantelope and bruised thyme.
Taste follows with lots of tropical fruits, citrus, apricot and some clove like fruity esters. Getting an almost licorice/anise like finish. Not offensive just a little different and interesting.
Feel is medium and there is decent carb thoughout. It finishes rather dry with no hint of the 8%.
For me a nice take on a "hazy" IPA. Worth a try and a repeat buy.
Be back in a bit. Cheers!

 

Carlow O'Hara's Irish Red

Before I get to the Bocks, I had the above Irish beer while out for lunch today. Brewer's product pic... mine was draught. I didn't care for this one. It was a dull brown color but came alive with pretty highlights in the right light. It had a surprising roasty flavor. Thin and prickly but a touch oily. It managed to provide an odd balance between sweet, dry, fruity, and acidic... but ultimately didn't come together in that respect (hurting drinkability considerably). This felt DOA.

 

Alright, bottle number two is Foeder Phor from Wander, aka Terry (@beertunes)'s favourite brewery. And in fact I picked this one up at the brewery the last time I was drinking with him up in the City of Subdued Excitement.

Pour on this one initially presents as a dark brown, with rosy edges when held up to the window. Working down into the glass though, when there's less liquid between my eyes and the other side of said glass gives it more of a rusty/copper (old old penny not new) type appearance. A respectable initial head settles down to the classic ring with some galactic swirls in the middle. No lacing to speak of.

Nose starts off with some light notes of dark fruits. Almost reminds me of like a raspberry liqueur type character. Spice and wood come in as well to bring that initial raspberry impression over more in line with the cherry listed on the label. Tobacco makes a distinct appearance as well, though as it warms, it leans more into the alcohol and a sweet rich almost cognac like character.

Flavour lines up with this with tobacco leaves and some of the old ale character of leather, but brighter and livelier. Rich wood carries through and there's some dark fruits which I would initially describe as more fig or prune if I hadn't read the label and could recognize the cherry found therein. Oak certainly runs beneath all of these notes bolstering them where it sees fit and carrying its own weight through the finish which is tart oak and cherry.

I was only so so on this one at first, but as I sip through I find my appreciation building and my final estimation is considerably higher than my first blush. Even just a 500ml bottle feels like a bit much for a single sitting, but as a slow sipper it makes me wish I had an overstuffed chair, a cigar, and a crackling fireplace.
Definitely glad to have grabbed it when I was up in Hamsterdamn.

 

Poured into a 13 oz Funk Brewing Teku glass canned on 2/28/19. Pours a very attractive hazy yellow orange like a glass of half oj and half pineapple, with a finger plus sticky off white head that leaves big thick rings of lace as it slowly settles. 4.75

Smell is papaya, tangerine, pineapple, and a little grapefruit really nice and tropical as hell. 4.5

Taste follows tropical front to back, papaya, pineapple, tangerine, passionfruit, and grapefruit all so well balanced and crazy juicy. 4.5

Mouthfeel is big, soft with gentle carbonation, sticky from all the fresh hops, and at 8% ABV so easy drinking. 4.75

Overall this is a treat, surrounded by a ton of hype and is in my opinion is worthy of its reputation. 4.5

 

I see @zid tagged you that it's NY distro only, which it is, but I will give a shout out anyway to my friends Danny and Glenn at K&E, in New Paltz, where I got it.

 

It's been a pretty great weekend here in Nashville. Temps are warming and trees are blooming everywhere. We had a small shower this afternoon but we have had otherwise beautiful conditions outside and constant hoops inside that have kept my mind off my taxes! I normally don't pull for the TN Vols but I absolutely love their basketball team this year. Today's game was a roller-coaster but I like their chances if they can play like they did in the first half today.

Anyway, today's new beer is Sixpoint's DDH Hi-Res:



Thanks to Sammy for the photobomb. This was a great looking beer: a pre-NEIPA standard of haziness and a bright golden color. A normal pour produced a medium white head that settled fairly quickly. The aroma was fantastic and evident from just cracking open the can. Very tropical with faint resin. Tropical and citrus flavors arrived first on the first sip. Things then escalated quickly, with a rush of sweetness from the alcohol and malt, and also hop bitterness that tried to keep up with the sweetness. The sweetness overpowered the hops, even with a late appearance by dank, earthy elements. The finish was less boozy than anticipated, and seemed to hit the right FG target for an 11% IPA. Overall it reminds me of Hopslam without the overt honey aspect, and I'd honestly prefer an OG Resin. Cheers!

 

Einbecker Mai-Ur-Bock

Yes @cavedave my friend, Today is NBS (New Bock Sunday).

Einbecker has been a bit of a gap in my beer picture and I wanted to correct that. The brewery is one of the oldest around and although the brewer’s Pilsner is their big seller, they specialize in Bocks… which originated in Einbeck (the town),

This is their spring seasonal Bock… a Maibock with an “Ur” in the middle. “Ur” meaning original.

I couldn’t tell you how old this beer is. I’m a pessimist (or a realist), so I automatically assume it’s old before opening it… but I still decided to buy it anyway. Who knows.

Beautiful ultra-clear amber color. Yep, smells like a German lager that’s gotten old. Tastes of mild cider with a nice firm hop bitter bite buried in the mix, and a little bit of caramel. Rich but drinkable. A touch of alcohol but smooth. Still quite nice despite the likely age.

 

Topping off my afternoon so to speak and since this one's new . . .



Clear but very dark amber gold color with large tan cap and lacing.

Aroma of very lightly roasted malt and dark chocolate with a toffee center.

Taste on entry emphasizes the roast element of the malt followed by a very firm hoppiness. Not too bitter, more like dark European style chocolate, but firm nonetheless. The different flavors are simple but well matched.

Medium texture with balancing carbonation.

Don't know quite what to make of this one. It sorta reminds me of the Heineken Dark of about 30 years ago but the hops here are firmer and heavier. A diminished version of Guinness perhaps with a little less of everything but 50% more ABV.

 

Looking forward to "hearing" your thoughts.

 

Happy NBS. Trying this very nice Eviltwin Grand Cru Cuvee. 4.34 for me. Cheers all!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24300/382605/?ba=StraightNoChaser#review

 

Gulden Draak 9000 Quadruple.


Look: a wonderful golden, amber with a steady stream of small bubbles, forming a picture perfect white head that shows no signs of vanishing.

Smell: big yeast, sweetened spicy notes, ginger, cloves, light fruity bits as well.

Taste: stays consistent with the nose, but with a subtle wine like characteristic from the yeast. Also picking up some banana and wheat flavors as well.

Feel: silky smooth, slightly thinner than I really prefer, but enjoyable regardless.

Overall a wonderful brew fully living up to my expectations.

 

Einbecker Ainpockisch Bier 1378 Naturtruber Ur-Bock

Einbecker Bock #2. This one is a year-rounder for them. It’s also an “Ur,” since Einbecker is fond of that distinction. This is their unfiltered Bock. I have no idea what Ainpockisch means, but here’s a story from the brewer:

Wikipedia calls this beer a Doppelbock, BeerAdvocate calls it a “German Maibock.” Before the style update here, the Maibock category was “Maibock / Helles Bock.” Today, Beer Advocate has done away with that slash but their description of German Maibock states that such beers are also called “Heller Bock.” I'd be happy calling it an unfiltered Heller Bock.

It’s a very hazy deep gold. This is full-bodied and tongue coating. It’s quite dry. Tastes of bread crust, a tiny bit of orange marmalade, and a lovely, gentle bitter finish. No major alcohol presence. No signs of age. This is an awesome beer. Based on first impressions, perhaps my favorite “new” beer in a long time.

Here’s the Einbeck-drinking Martin Luther as a Playmobil figure. I’d buy that.

 

4 NJ-NYC 4+ Top rated IPAs & and a Porter
Southern Hemisphere | Paradox - NYC
4.34/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Wow! yeah! My first review of the brewer and 5th of this fine DIPA. Blind taste against anyone.
a) Hazed light golden body with retaining head and lace. Sudsy.
s) Galaxy and Nelson hops prominant on the lemony, papaya nose.
t) The flavors burst forward in tropical, fruity, citrus, chalky goodness - balanced by the hop bitter. Bright, inviting.
f) Chalky, powdery, yet clean and drying in the finish. Nice mouth tickle.
o) Go forth and blind taste vs your fave DIPAs.

077-07603 - Ekuanot | Carton - NJ
4.34/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Rare Odub
a) pours a hazed honey body with bright white head that last and laces.
s) As usual, on a caramel base with cracker malt, float lemon, grapfruit with some pine and floral hops.
t) Tart grapefruit and lemon upfront. Bitey / bitter astringent IBU of 80. SWEETER, calmer as it warms.
f) Always nice mid-level mouth feel.
o) Try 24.

Revolution Porter | Tonewood NJ (can say Revolution because it was decided here in Jersey battles)
4.2/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Sum greater than the parts, this is one of the best porters, better than Anchor, Sierra, Bells, Great Lakes. NJ rocks for craft. My first from brewer, thrilled to be 4th reviewer.
a) Without doubt the best looking as it lofts a creamy, textured tan head that lasts and laces over a bronze tinged black body.
s) The only mark at4. Has the tell tales of coffee, roast, char, and chocolate with hop finale. Better as it warms.
t) I thrill to accompany this with a pasta and bean casserole with veg. Follows smell but with muscle. Smokey, bitter, masculine, flavorful. I'd be in for a case.
f) Clean and drying, no lingering sugar, good weight and carb.
o) Would include in any best of porter's blind tastings. Award winning. Try 24.

DDH Hi-Res | Sixpoint - NYC
4.2/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Never disappointed by sixpoint. Better than its cousin Hi-res. Powerful. Alcoholic.
Liquor-like and one of most original Imperial IPAs I have I enjoyed.
A: Like all six point a looker. Dense head, lacing, retention, clear amber body. Nearly perfect.
S. sharp, w bit of tropical sunshine, behind the hop orange rind, marmalade front, Juicy like the taste.
T. Hip caramel candy. Hop candy. Heads up the sunny Cliff where hops twine the fence around the citrus grove and pines bow in the salty, briny breeze. Oily, dense, flavor packed.
F. Sweet clean liquor. How could a nectar be so bitter and sweet at once? Paradox. Love the brewer. This may be their best. A new fave. A new best 3IPA?
The 11% sneaks up on you. Paradoxically good, but only if you go slow.

 

Howdy, seventh-day neophiles!
It is another in a short string of springy days here in Montreal. I am doing the usual after brewing a beer this morning and heading out for groceries a while ago. Nothing much. I'm going to be in for the rest of the afternoon and hopefully I'll get to log a couple new ones on here with you folks.
The first one today is a sour courtesy of @Ozzylizard from the last NBS BIF. This is my first beer from Vivant and I am excited since I have heard good things about them. Luckily I also have proper glassware thanks to the aforementioned BA, so even if it sucks it will still at least look good!
Fussy Dutchman:
This is where I would ordinarily put a picture but since imgur is choosing to be shitty at the moment I will leave it to your imaginations....
It pours very nice looking. Perfectly clear ruby color with a nice little cap of foam. The aroma is immediately apparent with tart apples, light funk and a complex earthiness from the barrel. The flavor follows but the main thrusts are reversed. An earthy, faintly vinous/woody character is up front with a light tart bite underneath. This is a light-on-its-feet, dry, sour that is wholly enjoyable and was a great to try. Thank you kindly, Señor Lizard!

Here is my official review.

Cheers!