New Beer Sunday (Week 740)

Hello very early NBS, as an evening shift worker I enjoy the early start. I can check in a beer when I get in from work and not feel bad I get caught up and don't get to post later in the day.
Like Doc I firmly believe in vaccinations, I also believe if you or your kids are sick with something I can catch or my kids can bring home fron school you should be greedy and keep it to yourself by staying home.
Anyway, I got a box from @CanConPhilly just before heading into work today. It made working some OT a little easier knowing I had something from one of my favorite breweries awaiting my return. Glassware also courtesy of Matt from NBS round #8.

Pours a hazy golden orange with a finger of white head that hung around for awhile.
Smells of sweet orange, some pine, and mango as well.
Taste is lots of sweet, candied citrus up front. Mango and pine transition into a lingering dankness. Not quite as dank as I had expected from the can art and thankfully nowhere near the bongwater taste of several 'dank' beers that I've had.
Medium to full body with good carb levels. Very smooth, alcohol is well hidden.
Overall another tasty one from Tired Hands, I wish we had a brewery that consistently pumped out the quality they do.

 

REALLY early this time, but it's incidental! I am drinking the new Port Brewing Citra Swell...



This is a Citra and Idaho 7 hopped IPA that clocks in at a cool 6% and is the first new Port IPA in quite a while. I've been seeing them move to cans recently (including non-IPAs like Board Meeting and Old Viscosity!), so this new brew is exciting to me.

Pours a mostly-clear yellow color with a tight and controlled head of bone-white foam. Never really gets over two fingers, but the lace and legs are superior to most modern IPAs! You can tell this is a well-made West Coast IPA right from the outset. If held up to light, there's a lot of hop and yeast sediment, but it's suspended so gracefully that the only way you'd notice it is if you tried to! Excellent lace and legs here. Superb!

The nose here smacks of Idaho 7 right off the bat... this hop is polarizing because it is complex yet distinctive, with some elements that I've found to be a little strange. Its notes of black tea and papaya really come forth here, though. Light pineapple and mango flesh with some solid undertones of tangerine and melon. Both I7 and Citra do some work in this beer, but contrary to the name this feels suuuuper I7 heavy. I guess "Idaho 7 Swell" doesn't have the same je ne sais quoi (and it also, ya know, sounds dumb).

Flavor-wise, this is quite nice. Punchy citrus and tropical elements (papaya and mango) meld with the light grassy and tannic structure of I7 and also fall in line with a nice malt backbone that feels svelte and impressive. It's not quite noticeably crackery or biscuity, but it has just enough "oomph" to carry through to the finish with each sip. Speaking of which, this drinks nice and crisp, with good flavor but not much lingering bitterness. I recommend this new Port IPA to everyone looking for a new-school IPA with an old-school flair... I am impressed by their restraint while utilizing a new hop in concert with a hop given as the namesake of the beer itself.

 

Having one more before calling it a night, huge thanks to @FlintB for some truly awesome MI goodness! My first from HOMES and it doesn't disappoint.

Pours a clear ruby red with a thin pink head that disappeared rather quickly.
Smell is tart cherry, light funk, the fruit really dominates here.
Taste is tart cherry, pleasantly puckering not overly sour. Also getting light funk, a bit of oak, vanilla, and a hint of spice. This has me wanting a slice of Grandma's cherry pie.
Light body, effervescent carbonation that quickly dies down. Very well balanced.
Overall a world class fruited sour IMO.

 

*taps microphone*

Is this thing on? Testing... testing... I guess I'm the only one here. This will be my last early NBS entry today. I have a few more, but I'm gonna sleep for a while before I get to them.



Pours a clear golden color with a thin, retentive ring of white foam acting as a head. Solid but not impressive lace. This is way more pedestrian looking than I thought it'd be.

Not gonna lie, I'm excited for this one. It's a low ABV saison base with a bunch of wheat malt, grapefruit juice and zest in the brewing process. The recipe for a superior, drinkable warm weather farmhouse ale. The nose has some light funk, a touch of crystal malt, sugared red grapefruit and tangerine all vying for attention.

On the tongue, this is funkier than expected... it's got the rustic yeastiness of Allagash's saison with some enhanced white pepper and zesty citrus. Damn, I am impressed by how forward with the citrus this is! For a 4.5% beer, this absolutely nails what it's going for.

Feel is dry and puckering... as I mentioned, it's citrusy and rindlike with immense grapefruit character. Earthy notes with some slight pepper and a medium-dry finish. A crushable yet flavorful brew. I'll be picking this up again!

 

Great start,Doc, and morning all. Am off to work early so as to clean my crap out of the office, since today is the last day of my unretirement (agreed to be avail. to fill in though),

Not sure if I will be joining today, it depends on the reliability of one certain musician with whom I am scheduled to get together to start putting music to two songs I wrote. Pretty sure I have a new beer down in the dunge...err, cellar.

I do want to add my congratulations to @lordofthewiens on an excellent post. For me there is no decision easier to make re: vaccination. I had an uncle I loved who contracted polio about a year before the vaccine came out. He was left permanently crippled, and I had to listen to him curse God my entire life that he missed getting a vaccine that could have saved him from the pain, suffering, and limit to ability that his disease caused. Those who know me know I am extremely far from PC when discussing anti-vaxxers. Whenever I read something by one of these...emm...misguided souls, immediately memory of the tortured life of my uncle comes to mind.

Hoping to join y'all and looking forward to reading all the deliciousness sure to occur here today. Cheers!

 

Thanks to Doc and you all for the openings!

This beer is something special of the specials. It's a traditional brew finally coming in the real NA version. Here there has traditionally always been a "NA " ABV 2.5-2.8% version of the domestic big beers, hoping others are following suit with this one! Then I would be able to kind of have the beers I've been growing up with. So waiting for Karjala, Koff, Aura, Lapin Kulta and Lahden Erikois to do the same. You will see more of these traditional can outfits if they do.

Karhu ABV 0.0.
Opening the can, mild smell. Central pour in a lager glass, three fingers of white head, promising bubbling sound. Light copper color. Smell malt. Taste malt and lager hops, aftertaste of bitter pleasant. Medium carbonation, light mouthfeel. Good and balanced beer.

4 / 3.75 / 4 / 4.25 / 4

 

New Beer Sunday: American IPA

Mornin’ NBSers with a heads up for the Carb/Calorie conscious. Also special thanks to @lordofthewiens for his thoughtful start today.

The weather here today is supposed to be mostly cloudy all day with the possibility of a shower or two and a high temperature in the low 60’s. I’d been hoping that after yesterday’s sunny comfortable weather we’d be seeing more of the same, but such is not to be....

This morning’s new beer is the Dogfish Head Slightly Mighty which is intended to be low cal and low carb while still having some flavor and body.

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

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/64/387571/?ba=drtth#review


The aromas/flavors of this “IPA light” are firm but not intense and include citric zest, a bit of tropical fruit, some pine resin and a bit of bready malt. There’s a bit of sweetness in a nice balance with the light bitterness. The bitterness is still noticeable as the long dry ending fades away in the back of the mouth. I’d say Dogfish Head has hit the target they were shooting for with this beer. It’s light, crisp, refreshing and easy to drink as a summer time refresher—an IPA light with a reasonable amount of body and a fair amount of flavor. I expect to be having more this summer.

Cheers, all!

 

Good morning New BSers. Well, it's yet another rainy day here in NW PA but the potential snow didn't materialize, at least in my area. @lordofthewiens, thanks for today's opening thoughts. While I know the the benefits of vaccines - I force the whole family to get every one that comes down the road - I'm saddened professionally when I think how many clinical microbiologists will never see a positive CSF culture from N. meningiditis or H. influenzae in the real world. We ceased performing CSF antigen panels probably 20 years ago (Except for C. neoformans - we had an ER doc that had to have that done on every CSF sample). Of course, the goal of medicine is to keep people breathing (and screw the bacteria, fungi, and viruses who are only trying to make a living). But I digress.
Today's New Beer is the Mystery Beer from @jdell15 in NBS BIF #9:



Excellent production values on that glossy label, incidentally.

Here we go! While the cap is inked out, it looks like one from Coop Ale Works. Slowly working the unmarked cork from the neck, a faint “Pfft” occurs. So I’m standing over the sink of no reason. Slow pouring begins – initially the pour is amber and clear but by the end has become muddy. The aroma is “dark fruit” and caramel, so I’m thinking Belgian Dubbel or quad. Using my usual aggressive center pour, no head is formed. The first sip: sweet, “dark fruit”, caramel, some complex alcohol flavor and bite (but no ethanol) and just an ephemeral ester or two. Only a slight gastric warming occurs. The palate is medium, almost creamy, and some soft carbonation. I’ll follow my nose and proclaim it a Belgian quad.

And the REVEAL:



It's listed as a Belgian Dark Ale on BA. I was close, but no cigar, which is OK because I no longer smoke them.

 

Good morning NBS
I'm a little out of my typical range here this morning. I saw the farmhouse ale and assumed Saison, but here we go...

The review:
375mL corked bottle coded 284 D2 1203 poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp 6.3% ABV. The beer pours mostly bright, light golden amber in color with off white head. No lacing. The head recedes rather quickly to an island of tiny bubbles and thin ring. The aroma is moderate in strength and offers over ripe fruit, brown sugar, red wine, oak and a hint of tartness. The taste is tart and mildly sweet malt with accents of ripe fruit and brown sugar before a mildly oaky and unbitter finish. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with above average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, very good. Not overly sour or vinegar-like with a real malt presence some nice notes from the barrels.

Interesting experience. All the ingredients in this beer comes from SN's farm and are certified organic. A bit pricey at $9 a bottle, but certainly unique. Cheers all, I've got to get some sleep before another two nightshifts.

 

You guessed quad but it’s listed as a BSDA and so you’re saying “close, but no cigar?” Please give yourself that cigar and then throw it out since you no longer smoke them. I know... it’s a waste, but it’s giving credit where credit is due. If the brewer decided to call that beer (that uses “Trappist yeast”) a quad, then it would be listed here as such.

 

Happy Sunday, NBS crew! Down to my last Hill Farmstead beer from @jhavs walloping. I did my damndest to make them last!

Dharma Bum - Hill Farmstead
Simcoe IPA - 6% abv
Canned 4/1/19 (27 days ago)
Score: 4.29 (+1.2% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22511/287066/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
This beer has given me a greater understanding and appreciation for simcoe hops. I associate simcoe with heavy dankness, as many of my most-available simcoe single-hop beers are dank city (Other Half, I’m looking at you). This one is dank, but there are plenty of other flavors too, like pineapple, earth, and blue cheese. These varied flavors accompany the usual stellar HF appearance and body. Thanks again Jon!

 

On the way to Cape May!

If you remember this song you are no spring chicken.

Which brings us to a new beer from Cape May Brewing: Cape May Lager.

There is a nice discussion about the development of this new beer on the Cape May Brewing website; a few snippets:

“American Light Lager beers are still the #1 selling styles in the US, and 80% of the beer sold in the US is not craft beer,” explains Director of Brewing Operations Jimmy Valm. “As an industry, we need to make more converts to the gospel of craft beer, and, instead of berating these drinkers and teasing them about their preference, we need to brew the kinds of beers they like. Just better than the macro-breweries have been doing.”

And:

“It’s a ‘Pale Lager’ as opposed to a Helles, or a Pilsner, or a Lite Lager, or a Vienna Lager,” Brian says, “so it’s kinda vague in what to expect. It was nice to have the freedom to not be locked into anything stylistically, but once again made it challenging to design.”

It was made even more difficult because “Pale Lager” isn’t really a thing, at least not as far as accepted beer styles go. Furthermore, “lager” is as broad a term as “ale” — neither term really refers to a specific style. All beers are either lagers or ales: it all depends on whether the yeast lies on the bottom of the tank and ferments up or floats on the top of the wort and ferments down. Lager yeast — Saccharomyces pastorianus — hangs out at the bottom of the tank and ferments up.”

“I think of this more as a hybrid Helles and Pilsner, but that’s not a style either, so we went with ‘Pale Lager’!” Brian says. “It’s pale and tastes like a lager, so it makes sense to me.”

Also:

“We also add a touch of Melanoiden malt, which gives a little bit more color to the beer. Melanoiden is also intensely flavored with notes of honey and biscuits, but in our recipe, it isn’t even 5% of the total amount of malt used, so it gives the brew just a little extra zing. It helps give the beer a bit more flavor without being overpowering.”

https://www.capemaybrewery.com/blog/cape-may-lager/

Dale (@nc41), you might be interested in knowing that on the can it details “Pale Lager” in red on the front.

This beer is 4.8% ABV and has 20 IBUs.

So, what exactly does a Pale Lager taste like?

As the wise owl would say: “Let’s find out”.

Served in my Polish Pilsner glass:

Appearance:

A medium golden color with a three finger white head.

Aroma:

The aroma is subtle, a combination of some malt aroma accompanied with a bit of spicy/herbal hop aroma.

Taste:

The flavor sorta follows the nose with a combination of malt and herbal/spicy flavors. There is a depth of malt flavor from the melanoidin malt addition – stronger than what comes across on the nose. A low/moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Light - medium bodied with a dry-ish finish.

Overall:

This beer is well brewed per the goals of the Cape May brewing team. It has the qualities of being crisp and clean with notable malt flavors and some herbal/spicy hop flavor. The melanoidin malt aspect is not exactly a favorite for my personal palate but I suspect that others will enjoy drinking this beer.

Cheers!

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @brianhink @CapeMayBrewCo @RobH @Crusader

 

New beer #2. Both @Dragginballs76 and @Roguer were kind enough to send me a bottle of this new-to-me concoction, so I will thank both of you guys. Very generous!

Last Buffalo in the Park - Funky Buddha
BBA Porter - 13% abv
Score: 4.44 (-2.4% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31805/153905/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
Liquified Mounds bar. It really is an apt description for this. You can smell the coconut from across the room! And it is the key player in the taste as well. Not getting much coffee, but a lot of milk chocolate. Barrel is present throughout the sip, but coconut is left to be the star. Booze only apparent on the finish, which is impressive for 13% abv. No booze at all on the nose. Quite a grand beverage, that is going to take me a bit to finish. Thanks Mike and Andrew!

 

A-Pours a dark color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has vanilla and maple syrup hints
T-The taste follows the nose with vanilla and maple syrup flavors
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A good Stout

 

Thanks to @lordofthewiens for the great start to this weeks NBS. Will be back with a brew later on.

Cheers!

 

A-Pours a very hazy golden color with a slight head head and lacing
A-Aroma has generous tangerine hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a nice tangerine flavor
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A good Imperial India Pale Ale

 

I thought the same thing when I had that beer. I honestly hadn't had many Simcoe beers that I loved and I was shocked at how different that one tasted and how much more I enjoyed it than previous ones I had had.