New Beer Sunday (Week 741)

New beer #2.

The Hanging Garden - Foreign Objects
IPA - 7% abv
Canned 4/19/19 (16 days ago)
Purchased for $4.99 at Whole Foods
Score: 4.14 (+1.2% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/50313/357348/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
Super-tropical nose and taste. Pineapple and tangerine really stand out. This one doesn’t look or feel all that great, but it tastes really nice and is an easy drinker. Although this isn’t their best beer, Foreign Objects have yet to dissapoint. Also the lower price point here (about $2 less a can) makes this easier to swallow

 

Maximum happiness


Pours a clouded, saturated yellow color with a bigger, spongy head.


Smells of a luscious fruitiness consisting of ripe mango, lime zest and water melon. Atop of this there is an ice bonbon quality, together with a perfumy flower quality and cucumbers.


Drinks truly refreshing with a medium carbonation level, developing a light effervescence after the swallow. The beer does drink quite smooth though, with an immediate creaminess, which lasts till the end.


Tastes a little less fruit forward than the nose indicated, with some caramel and bread dough acting as a foundation in this, mellowed by a fantastic creaminess. Brings some oranges to the palate, together with dry lemon and a hint of blueberries, without getting very complex at any given point. Finishes a bit more on the sweeter side with an intensifying lemon appearance among riper mango and oranges.


Tasty ipa with a good mouthfeel to it, which produces a solid flavor profile without anything special sticking out on its own too much.

 

Hola Amigos!

Estoy aquí para tomar cerveza!!!

Que tal!?

What's going on all?? No Tex-Mex for me today but for all my Latino/a friends a big thumbs up and maybe hopefully see you this year? We shall see!

Till then I am discovering in my life that weekends are just too short, over before I know it. Busy one this time filled with many activities and friends. Going well... but... I want another one...

and so I wait. But the nice things is new beers seem to be around.

Hockey playoffs are getting dicey, and the rains and pollen counts have certainly taken their toll on our hero, but I wouldn't change a thing.

What's new for our hero today for beer??? Let's take a look.



Poured from the can into a Spiegelau IPA glass.

Nice classic orange amber body color, with good clarity, and hints of carbonation. Head creation manages a good three fingers, but is soapy with little retention and settling to a big bubbled collar rather quickly.

Good hop aroma on the nose. Hits classic old school citrus and pine notes, with more emphasis on pine to perhaps some herbal tones in there. Mixing a little bit of caramel sweetness for balance and perhaps a touch of tangerine like fruit as well.

Palate doesn't bring much surprises or faults either. Nice bit of malt balance and a touch of thick oil hop bitterness and oil slickness. No butter or anything, but a good oily resin of hop flavors mixing pine and needles with some orange zest and fruit. Finishes quite quickly, much peppery burn in the front of the palate, and not much else on the finish. Faint touches of malt sweetness aching to get out.

Well, another just solid across the board seems like old school DIPA. No complaints here.

Soild 4.00 Across the board.

Cheers!

 

Greenport Harbor - Velvet Sea

Greenport quickie #2. This seems to be a spring seasonal that’s made with local malt and hops. Beyond that, it’s hard to understand its reason for being. It’s not VERY different from the last beer. This one is an adjunct cream ale. This beer is richer and more luxurious than the previous one... even though the ingredients would create the opposite expectation (flaked corn in this beer vs wheat in the previous). The firm bitterness doesn’t really mesh with the beer.

 

Little Log Cabin Sunny Day

Happy Sunday, BAs. Just got back from Tired Hands General Store, where I passed on TacoHands — even though I think it is a top-notch novelty beer.

Opted instead for my first try at Tired Hands’ new offshoot Little Log Cabin. While the hell a brewery in suburban Philly would opt for that motif is beyond me, but whatevs. People seem to enjoy it.

Sunny Day is a DIPA with oats and lactose sugar, double dry hopped with Galaxy, Mosiac and Simcoe. These beers are supposed to represent a return to simpler times, or some such nonsense. Seems like a lot of junk in there for that, but I’m old and crotchety.

The beer pours a cloudy, creamy-looking light orange with a fat finger of soupy antique white head that leaves thick lacing.

It has a big aroma with distinctive clementine, as well as vanilla, grass and herbs.

It’s creamy tasting with lots of citrus, then an herbal, very slightly bitter finish that prevents it from being overly sweet. The Galaxy works really well with the other hops, IMO.

It has a big, full, creamy mouthfeel with moderate carbonation.

This reminds me of what well-crafted New England IPAs used to taste like a few years ago before everyone got in the game. I guess it is “comfy” and a throw-back in that regard. Great example of the NEIPA substyle.

 

Miami's Finest...

Evil Twin and J. Wakefield collab, 15.5% abv imperial stout brewed with Heritage Scandinavian vanilla seeds, macaroon extra special coconut and cave matured coffee sap; 4/12/19 canning...

Pours pitch black, kicked up very little tan foam... Extra sweet dessert-type stout - little too sweet and rich for my tastes - definite fudgy, coffee and vanilla stout - coconut subtle as a sweet, chewy, almost nutty and herbal element... Needs something to dry it out or air it out for me, but fans of dessert stouts will love it... Full-bodied, represents all advertised ingredients, though my palate can't appreciate what cave aging does for coffee any more than I can tell that the vanilla is Scandinavian lol... Little sticky, boozy chocolate and molasses lingers on the finish...

 

New beer #3. It’s totally @Roguer ’s fault that I went out in search of this beer yesterday

Nitro S’mores - Southern Tier
Imperial Milk Stout - 10% abv
Purchased for $5.29 at Monde Market
Score: 4.32 (+1.4% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3818/409769/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
Andrew, I must say...you were so right on this one. Not a sugar bomb like many of the ST stouts. Instead, this is a luxurious, layered adult dessert, with chocolate, vanilla, graham cracker, and a hint of marshmallow (which I think your palate took as banana...I trust yours more than mine). Even though my pour was terrible, this eventually settled into a nice looking, smelling, and feeling stout. I will be buying more. Thanks again Andrew for reviewing this in a way that made me want to seek it out!

 

NBS beer #1



Fayston Maple (Chocolate Tart Cherry)

Lawson's Finest Liquids
American Imperial Stout / 10.10% ABV

4.34/5 rDev +1.6% | Score: 4.27
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

L- The beer pours a dark brown to black with a modest half finger of mocha foam. The head recedes to a thin ring with large central island. Lacing is minimal.
S-The nose is roast mixed with dark chocolate up front. With some gentle swirling the tart cherry comes to the fore.
T-Like the nose the first thing I notice is the roast and chocolate. Midway before the chocolate and roast fade away the tart cherry rises up and takes over and lingers to the end of the sip. Really nice job here.
F-Mouthfeel overall is a solid medium. Not heavy by any means, but thick enough to enhance the flavors to linger on the tongue. Carbonation is light but far from still.
O- A really well done fruit addition highlights the base beer rather than overshadowing it. I didn't get any maple here, but I didn't miss it either. If you like tart cherries and imperial stouts this is definitely worth your time. Recommended.

 

Still working my way through multiple boxes sent to me by the very generous BA @strohme2 . I will hopefully have multiple beers from Justin today. First up is this one, with one of my favorite flavors in the whole world, coffee.
Electron Brown from Old Nation. On the can it is described as an espresso bean double brown ale.



The pour is dark translucent brown. In the glass it appears extremely dark brown, bordering on black, like a walnut wood stain. A spot on color for a brown in my opinion. The nose is straight cold brew coffee with maybe some caramel and earthy tones popping up every now and again. Taste is great, dark coffee. My one hiccup with this beer is a slight metallic taste on the finish that I could definitely do without. The metallic taste vanished quickly and only slightly detracts from the taste. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and somewhat creamy which I was not expecting from a brown. Overall this is a well made brown ale that I would gladly drink again!

 

Good afternoon, NBS.

Overcast and dreary today with on and off rain. Happy I got a mow in yesterday. First of the season.

As is always the case when I do this: Full disclosure that I had a can of this beer on Friday, but I’m reviewing it here today as I currently drink my second and final can.

WeldWerks Brewing

Juicy Bits

A 6.7% New England IPA brewed with Citra, Mosaic and El Dorado



Look: All about the orange with the appearance of this beer. Pale orange in color with an eggshell head that fills my teku to the brim. It settles and starts to thin out after a few minutes, but leaves a ton of lacing in its wake.



The beer is opaque. No visible carbonation. An inviting beer with the matching liquid and label colors. Based on the name and can art, I am pleased with the appearance.

Smell: My first impression of this beer is orange creamsicle. Orange citrus with a moderately sweet creaminess. A hint of sweet tart candy, one of my favorite aromas in a NEIPA. Mosaic shows mostly as tropical fruit mango with a hint of the green oniony side, which I also love. It’s not jumping out of the glass, but it’s pleasant.

Taste: An orange forward beer. Sunny D, a bit of earthy tea with some white watermelon flesh. Some sweet, tropical fruit mango flavor as well.

Mouthfeel: Creamy with low carbonation. It dries out quickly. An orange pith flavor that adds some additional layers to the beer, but I could see how one might view this quality as a detractor from the “juicyness.” I’m a little on the fence myself, but it doesn’t take away so much from the beer, and overall the mouthfeel is still nice.

Overall: I enjoyed drinking this beer. It’s been a long time want of mine so I’m happy to have the chance. I would love to try out some of the bigger versions of this beer, but I love that this “low” ABV version exists and I would definitely drink it again.

4.02/5 rDev -6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

 

Greenport Harbor - Far Out There

Third and final Greenport quickie. The wording on the can and some listings imply that this isn’t a static recipe. The can also states “Hopped Up IPA.” That seems rather redundant. When I popped the can, I instantly thought “The last thing I really want to drink is another NEIPA right now. I quickly changed my mind. Despite having had NEIPAs from some major players in the game this week, I’m enjoying this one just as much, if not even more.

Beautiful foamy head. Just fantastic in that detail. Tastes like an extremely dulled down mango pineapple smoothie. Sweet with a bitter finish. Little bit of hop bite. Really nice but too expensive. This would shock some folks on Long Island, but when Greenport makes a nice NEIPA they tend to be really nice.

 

Time for new brew numero dos!



Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass.

Deep red color, mixing bronze and rust like hues and appearances, and mostly opaque with a nice glow. Lots of snapping carbonation off the pour, a light tan head, somewhat khaki in color. Head eventually settles to a simple but slightly bowled collar.

Really nice aroma. Big whiffs of thick bursting sour cherries, with a mix of vanilla and thick malt qualities. Minimal sensing acidity on the nose, hints almost a black forest cake character. Really well placed nose and nothing overly excessive either.

Palate sticks to simplicity. Chewy almost taffy like flavors, but a simple light body propels the flavors. Candy cherry with a mild sense of sourness, and more of a bitting almost bitterness and pithy quality on the finish. Hits a little herbal sharp and almost menthol in some ways as well. Excellent mellow woody tones, which just give a slight push to the light body.

Very nice foedered(sp?) brew. Glad to see these offerings from Right Proper bottled up!

look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4 | BA Score: 4.06

Cheers!

 

Rainy day, picking up bottles before making my detailed reviews this Sunday. 2SP has a flight of fruit versions of The Russian, apricot, cherry, blueberry and raspberry.

Blueberry: a little smoother and more better blueberry flavor than I remember the bottles had, nice balance between the base and blueberries.

Raspberry: Lots of tart and juicy raspberries that work really well the the base.

Apricot: Nice amount of apricot, a little tart fruit, base comes through more than blueberry and raspberry.

Cherry: Not getting a lot of cherry and the little bit of cherry kind of clash’s.

Ranking Raspberry, Apricot, Blueberry, Cherry.

Cheers!

 

New beer #4. First from this brewery. Thanks @Franfab !

Protocol - Phase Three
DIPA - 8% abv
Score: 4.02 (-0.2% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/55985/411518/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
So much potential here. Love how this looks, and the nose is inviting. Taste isn’t quite there yet. Danky orange with a lot of chalkiness. But still, this seems like something that will be great once dialed in. Thanks again Frank!

 

Golden Nugget, from Topping Goliath is new to me and to the East Coast. The deep orange can pour holds a dense haze and 2 cm of fluff. The aroma is mostly pineapple and mango, but the flavor is pine resin dominated in the first pour and trends toward tropical esters as more yeast swirls into the glass. The mouthfeel is smooth and the hop bitterness is moderate. This is a full-flavored IPA with a firm malt base and a range of hop flavors, really enjoyable.

 

Happy Sunday NBS players. Another gloomy and wet day here on the island. It's been pretty much raining for two weeks straight here. Staying on the couch for the afternoon with some Mets bball and a little dinner prep.

My first new beer today is from @Roguer and the three boxes he sent me for the NBS BIF #Nine. It is Athena, a Berliner Weisse, from Creature Comforts. It also happens to be my first ever beer from the brewery. The brew checks in at 4.5% abv and has a 3/1/19 canning date.

A golden yellowish color with murky clarity and a thick head of white foam. I mostly get that musky and sour wheat smell on the nose-which comes off rather off-putting for me as per the style. A very light start on the drinking with lip puckering tartness that seems to mellow the more I consume the liquid. A crisp flow that finishes slightly sweet. Notes of sour wheat, lemon, white wine, and spoiled grapes. A light mouthfeel that stays crisp and refreshing with good body and full flavors despite it's the low abv.

Overall, it's ok but I'm still pretty put off by the pronounced sour wheat flavor. I get it's appeal thou-crisp, light, refreshing, and flavorful. Still, not a style of beer that I will seek out or continue to drink. Cool to try,

 

NBS beer #2



Maple Tripple Ale

Lawson's Finest Liquids
American Strong Ale / 12.00% ABV

4.41/5 rDev +0.7% | Score: 4.38
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 08/2018

L-The beer pours a dark amber with caramel accents in the light. The head is a minimal 1/4 finger of pale white foam which quickly recedes to a thin ring. There is no lacing.
S-Nose is well....maple with some sweet caramel. There is a bit of alcohol noticeable behind the sweetness. It smells like a fancy piece of adult candy.
T- This beer lives up to it's name. It's sweet, but not as sweet as the nose would imply. It's strong at 12% and the maple is natural, strong, and present. There is a clear maple candy type linger at the end of the sip.
F- Mouthfeel overall is on the lighter side of medium. Carbonation is very light. The mouthfeel being on the lighter side a benefit rather than a detriment to the overall drinkability. If it were thicker it might become a chore to drink. As is it's perfect in my opinion.
O- If you've ever bought a "maple" beer and failed to find any, than this beer is for you. It's an up front and in your face maple slap to the palate. It's going to be too sweet for some, but if you like maple and strong ales in general you will not be disappointed. Highly recommended for maple lovers. I'll be stocking up when it's released each year.

 

Back with New Beer Numero Dos. Again, had the first of my two cans on Friday, and going for the second can now with a full review.

Sticking with NEIPA, but going from single to double here, NBS. Probably my last of the style for today, at least until much later tonight.

Drekker Brewing Company

Freak Parade

8.2% DIPA brewed with (same hops as the last one with Citra swapped out for Vic Secret):





Look: Pale golden straw in color. An eggshell head that once again fills my teku to the brim. It settles and starts to thin out after a few minutes, but leaves very thick strands of bubbly lace in its wake.



The beer is opaque and there is no visible carbonation.

Smell: Tropical fruit mango and pineapple with notes of orange and lemon citrus with an ever so soft garlic pulled straight from the ground with some dirt. I think there’s some spearmint.

Taste: On the tip of the tongue this beer is citrus forward. Sweeter notes of orange, lemon and some lime. The thought of Sprite keeps popping into my head. Not the feel of the soda, but rather that lemon/lime flavor. There is a nice bready note.

Feel: This beer is somewhat dry, but with the higher ABV there is some more residual sweetness and bready malt notes that allow the dryness to work here. Really nice. Maybe the dryness is just my palate today with these beers.

Overall: A very nice and smooth NEIPA that hits all the desired aspects.

4.28/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

We are dog sitting today for our friends. This is Shea Shea. My dog’s Bae.