New Beer Sunday (Week 751)

To answer the question posed, it had been a while since I'd heard of a local brewer closing their doors. That was until this spring when less than 2 year old Dog River Brewing closed it's door due to rising costs (rent, ingredients, etc..) and a flat revenue stream put a quick end to the geographically closest to me brewery. My wife and I went there once and were rather unimpressed, not bad mind you, but not noteworthy either. Bottom line is that you'd better be very good straight out of the gate or provide something the already established giants of the state don't already provide.

NBS Beer #1



Pineapple Space Cake

Clown Shoes
American IPA / 7.70% ABV

3.79/5 rDev -4.8% | Score: 3.98
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

canned 04/29/19

L-The beer pours a reasonably clear golden amber with a 3 finger off white head. The head recedes to a thick film leaving patchy lacing behind.
S- The nose is heavy up front with the beer's considerable malt presence. Behind that there is a lesser amount of sweet pineapple. Rounding out the nose is a bit of alcohol which is fairly consistent with my experience with regular Space Cake.
T- The taste rather than being layered, comes at you mixing the malt and pineapple. The hop bitterness rides underneath these flavors and takes over at the back half of the mid palate.
F- Mouthfeel over all is a solid medium. The bitterness provides a touch of dryness to the finish. Carbonation is on the lower side of medium.
O- A decent DIPA with a slight variation on the original. The pineapple is pretty subtle, but definitely there. All in all though this one seems to just average overall and my memories of regular space cake are generally more positive than this one. Worth a shot for the tickers, but I'd stick with the non adjunct version for regular drinking.

 

Ok, lets do the vacation update first. The grandson went home from Bridgton, ME yesterday. We had a great week with him. Since they live in our house, its hard to be grandparents. Well, this week we were. He went from standing ankle deep in the pond to "me swim over there"...meaning headed to the neighbor's dock fifty feet away. Thought he was quick on the ground...double quick in water. But he knew the rules...no going on the dock without one of us or without his life jacket. Caught a couple of sunfish, went out in the canoe, ate an entire bowl of soft serve ice cream all by himself. Took me until Wednesday to realize I could put him in the little kayak and float him around - somewhere he came up with the idea he was a "good pirate...me happy in boat".

So we are now on to lovely Liberty, ME on Cargill pond. We caught seven species of fish on Long Lake including two bass that probably should have been keepers. Last evening, we just casted off of the two docks on the property and pulled in eight large mouth bass. Warm but windy here today, so no canoe or kayak yet, but if we can catch them from the docks, this is gonna be one lazy vacation!

To the question of the day, living in a rural area there is only one really local brewery. They bought a defunct home oil business building and are creating a taproom with food. Big enough that I expect brewing will move there, but he isn't calling it a brewpub... In the immediate area, seems like more are opening and expanding versus closing. There have not been any near to me closings that I can remember. Ah...Bucket went under last year but were replaced by Smug pretty quickly and Smug is doing well in the same tough location. There are quite a few more that have opened within a 20 mile radius, so we will see what shakes. I don't see how they can all survive, regardless of beer quality.

Will be back with a new beer this evening. We will be hitting up Lake St. George Brewing at some point and probably The Pour Farm, which looks interesting. Tonight will likely risk another one from Barreled Souls...hopefully no pennies used in brewing.

 

Hey what's going on?!

Been a fun but hot weekend, lots of sunshine... and deer eating my garden.

Finally had enough and put up some netting. Sure enough found there presence from last night but the netting did it's job. Not to worry there's enough food for everyone.

My hop vine is also going bananas, and growing into my cherry tree. Oh well.. see you in August.

Till then there is always beer.

What's new for our hero today?



Poured from the can into a nonic pint glass. To IPA or not to IPA? That is the question…

Simple opaque body of dull yellow, and nearly gray with a solid appearance. Flirts with turbidity but not quite getting there. Big fistful reaching bight white head with excellent retention. Creamy fluffy top and lots of soapy lacing.

Real nice subtle aroma. Hints a floral to tropical note that has this wonderful mellow perfume scent to it. Flirts with a light pineapple but more exotic into papaya and maybe even mango. Wonderful juicy sensation coming off as well.

Palate goes more towards basic. Subtle good flavors of pineapple and a touch of actual grass on first sip. Simple bodied and neutral mouthfeel and presence making for easy drinking. Hop forward but not entirely, as it's a bit more subtle on repeated sips. Flavors mold more toward tropical but then get a bit earthy particularly on the finish and possibly some juicy orange.

Pretty nice solid brew. Definitely feels more in the pale ale vein but a good hop forward one.

look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cheers!

 

Dogfish head world wide stout
..solid black with a thin light long lasting tan head
.. just above average body with a slight oily feel. Light medium carbonation which seemed a little high for the style but still overall had a decent feel
...aroma is roasted malt, molasses, earthy,pear, black coffee, bitter dry espresso sweet bourbon
...taste is bourbon candy,molasses, dark fruit, black coffee, earthy,peat
..overall it was an excellent beer, alcohol was really hidden well,especially considering how high it is

 

Surly Nokken.



“Dry-hopped Scandinavian-style farmhouse ale aged on birchwood with honey added.”



Very good! Will have to get a fresh can and do a proper review.

 

Happy New "CAN We Visit the Cape & Drink Some Beer, Aunt May?!?" Sunday (Week 751), Part Deux!
July, for me, is usually the saddest month. My late-Pops went into a steep decline with his last hurrah being able to attend his childhood friend's annual 4th of July picnic. He did not look well that day & on Sa, 07 July 2001 he was admitted to Lancaster General Hospital (LGH) & he passed three weeks to the day on Sa, 28 July while I was attending the State College Brewfest. I think that he knew the end was near & did not want me on-hand to witness it. 8=(

He was an avid bicyclist & a founding member of the Lancaster Bicycle Club (LBC), back in the very-early 1970s. He frequented the Trexlertown Velodrome & even followed the Tour de France twice, bringing his bike over on an organized tour to follow behind the peloton! He passed before the travesty of Lance Armstrong & fellow-Pennsylvanian Floyd Landis brought shame to the event. I scattered some of his ashes at Trexlertown & at both the Arc de Triomphe & the Eiffel Tower so that he could be present for the finish of the tour each year. I still watch the TdeF each year in his honor.

Too maudlin? He was a joker & loved to make puns & recount stories. One of the annual club rides was from Lancaster to Cape May, NJ, followed by several sag wagons, a stay at a B&B or such in Cape May, and then a ride across the bay on the Lewes ferry & then either a bike or car ride home. One of the classic stories was of Neil Xxxx, a hairy, hippie-type with a long beard, who was unable to make the ride over & down so he drove & checked in on his own. The story has his wife, Eileen & several club members bursting in on him, as he languored in a bubble bath (!), to inform him that their reservation did NOT begin there until the following day & that they were housed at a nearby motel! Apparently, it was quite the sight. At Pops' funeral, his brother-in-law, my Uncle Steve, remarked "There is no need to feel sad about Jack's passing since there are too many humorous stories to keep us laughing in perpetuity."

I usually feel sad in July, especially as the 28th nears, but not this year. Having been diagnosed with Stage 1 Prostate CANcer (ironically) & had a prostatectomy to CANbat it (the proof of its efficacy will come on M, 29 July following a blood test on M, 22 July), I have faced my mortality as did he. He was 68 y/o, his brother was 59 y/o when he passed of a heart attack while training for an Iron Man triathlon (!) & I keep telling cousin Colby of Ballast Point BC that recent history does not bode well for us.

What does bode well for all of us is the prevalence of CANned craft beer! Cape May is JUST starting to make landfall in Lancaster in terms of their distro, but I frequently get to PHL & its environs, which are ripe with CMBC beers in CANs. Up next is the answer to "Are you ready for another CANned beer, Bro. Woody?":
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25890/319553/?ba=woodychandler#review

I was feeling unfulfilled so I moved on to something seasonally apropos:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25890/237666/?ba=woodychandler#review

but I still was not where I wanted to be. 8=( Next up:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25890/71147/?ba=woodychandler#review

Break time! I need to CANtact the brewery. I'll be back with more … stuff!
@CapeMayBrewCo

 

I am a huge fan of this beer and there's another pack in my fridge that I am sure will be gone soon too.

 

Afternoon, NBS. Spent the day so far watching this great Wimbledon final which is at 7-7 in the fifth set as I write this review. World class tennis. While I won’t be upset with the outcome I am rooting for King Roger.

The Rare Barrel - Small Acts

Grisette-Style Beer Aged in Oak Barrels





Look: This beer pours a hazy, translucent, pale straw color. A lively beer, with many streams of tiny bubbles rising to the surface. A bone white head that disappears with no lacing. A lot of sediment pours from the bottle.

Smell: Pear, honeydew, peach, grassy, herbal, crackery, hay. The yeast presence is delicate, but complex, with soft phenolic, fruity, floral, barnyard notes all playing together.

Taste: Slightly tart, dry and tannic on the palate. Upfront notes of peach juice, peach skin, lemon zest, lemon juice acidity and watered down white vinegar. Some saison earth and spice.

Feel: Moderately carbonated, light on the palate and defined by a dry, tannic feel. A standout aspect of this beer.

Overall: A moderately tart and acidic saison that is pleasant to drink. It’s a mild beer with the aroma and feel really standing out.

4.09/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25

overall: 4

 

Happy Sunday NBS players. A rather perfect summer day here on the island- warm and sunny with a light breeze and low humidity. A nice lazy day with some possible beach action this afternoon. Watching the Men's finals now and will be of course watching/listening to Mets bball for some unknown reason. I have two new beers today but we'll see if I actually get to them both.

Have yet to see a brewery close here but its' bound to happen just based on simple statistics. In fact two of the founding breweries in my area- Greenport Harbor, and Long Ireland- are actually celebrating their 10 year anniversaries. There continues to be plenty of growth too with a bunch of newbies opening up and more slated to open doors over the next year. To the point that I'm actually slacking behind on visiting them all.

My first new beer today is from one of the newer breweries in my area. Although about the only think I've liked from them is their physical location in my former town's old fire house. This is Sticky Bandit, a nesipa, from North Fork Brewing. It featured locally farmed hops- magnum, cascade, chinook, and el dorado. The brew checks in at 6.9% abv, and displays no canning date.

A cloudy yellow color with amber highlights and a sustained ring of foamy white bubbles. Light citrus on the nose and not very potent. The first few sips hit with a rush of hops upfront. Rather bitter for the style with light/muddled notes of the citrus fruit. I mostly get flavors of lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit. Decently bitter on the finish, as well, with notes of pine and resin. A moderate mouth feel that drinks dry and crisp. No lingering sweetness at all and some definite white wine notes too.

Overall, this isn't half bad. Not you're prototypical nesipa but I really like how bitter it comes across while still remaining crisp and very drinkable. The ba score is pretty over-rated by homers at the moment but I'm probably gonna score it in the mid 3's/4 range.

 

I am enjoying these vacation tales as I labor to get ready to take two weeks off. My new beer comes from Roanoke, Virginia, near where I was raised. The amount of good beer being produced there comes as a pleasant surprise to me. The unanimous recommendation for Parkway Brewing was their Baltic porter, Raven's Roost. It is named for a Blue Ridge Parkway overlook near Wintergreen resort.

I agree with the hive mind here. Strong, long lasting head, inviting toasty coffee and chocolate aroma, slight hop bitterness and dark hop roast. Easy drinking. I'll be picking more of this up in my next trip to Virginia.
4.24/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

 

NBS beer #2



Sunhat

Clown Shoes
Belgian IPA / 7.00% ABV

3.92/5 rDev +0.8% | Score: 3.89
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

canned 05-20-19

L-The beer pours a slightly hazy yellow with a large 3 finger head. The head recedes to a thick film which clings high on the sides of the glass. Moderate lacing is present around the glass.
S-The nose is a mix of citrus, pine, and yeastiness of moderate intensity.
T-On the palate the beer is much closer to NEIPA than to Belgian IPA. The most prominent flavor is the citrus presence in the nose. The yeast is very mild on the palate and only glimpses present themselves. The pine is also much more restrained here leaving the pleasant citrus to linger on the back end.
F-Mouthfeel overall is medium. Carbonation is light. The finish is more wet than dry.
O- I'm not the biggest Belgian IPA fan so the light yeastiness was a pleasant surprise. Belgian IPA fans will find this one quite tame. Recommended for those like me who want to try the style, but not be bludgeoned with phenols.

 

A-Pours a dark color with a very generous head and lacing
A-Aroma has nice fruity and spice hints
T-Taste follows the nose with a fruity and spice flavor
M-A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A good Belgian Strong Dark Ale

 

At Twin Elephant Brewing, Spindle an American IPA This beer is both hoppy and hazy. It pours a hazy gold with a thick white head. The aroma is complex various fruits and little malt. The grain bill for Spindle is malted oats, crystal oats, white wheat and blended pale malts. The hops used are El Dorado, Idaho Gem and. Citra. The taste is also complex and powerful. Fruits and grains dance around and nothing stands out. The mouthfeel is soft but full. The finish is dry. This beer is 6.9 ABV. Overall a very enjoyable brew on a warm and sunny afternoon.
A brewery named Demented closed recently in North Central NJ . It opened about 5 years ago and the beer was not much good. After a bit the owner hired a brewer (from Carton) and the beer became much better. The owner however seem to alway being in disputes with the ABC and the bars in Midlesex. It turned out that their were a number of financial problems also. The place is GWTW.

 

Good morning and happy New Blonde Sunday, BAs. To answer @cjgiant 's inquiries; Yes. Three well established breweries have closed in my local area this year alone: BridgePort, Burnside, and Alameda. Burnside being the "newest" at 9+ years. Sad to see them go, and I will miss beers like Black Bear XX, Hop Czar, Old Knucklehead, and Ebenezer, but unfortunately they have become lack luster according to the insatiable "What's new?" connoisseur. As there are an insane amount of breweries in Portland and the surrounding areas, I don't worry too much about what's coming and going. I'm sure a surprise will come here and there, but the support from each neighborhood to their local establishments still seem quite devoted.

Alrighty. What else. Got back from vacation last Tuesday. Had to cut it short which was a bummer as it was just plain gorgeous:









Been a busy week since. Completed a very nerve wracking task at work this week, which was a huge weight off my shoulders. No more losing sleep on that one. Crazy weekend too, with a work picnic, concert, and Street Festival yesterday, kiddo-sitting this morning, and tons of housework to do.

Now that my inner Craig has once again surfaced, it's time for a new beer.

Block 15
Wandelpad- Belgian Style Blonde Ale





A beautiful copper tinted yellowy orange body with a touch of chilled haze. The off white memory foam pillow on top slowly descends, leaving a more coarse surface coverage and a respectable amount of spotty lacing. It looks proper, inviting, and refreshing. (4.5)

Everything you'd want from a Belgian Blonde escapes from the glasses surface: pepper, dusty grain, dried grass, a pinch of clove, and a drop of honey. Once again, this is hitting all the marks promising for a thirst quenching experience. (4.5)

Wildflower honey takes first notice but is quickly replaced by rustic flavors of toasty dried bread crusts, hay, dirt, and bitter citrus peels. With each sip, lemon and orange seem to develop more and more. The finish is peppery, spicy, yeasty. (4.0)

Perhaps a tad more bitter than expected, but that is fine by me. I think a little more sweetness might be more aligned with the style, but as is, this is a refreshing beer. Just enough sweetness to carry into an extremely dry and nicely bittered finish. (4.25)

I'd say this is a good Belgian Blonde. Great actually, but it does kind of cross into the Saison spectrum a bit. Ultimately, it's a refreshing beer hailing from a less often explored style, so hard to knock it much. (4.25)

I seem to like this beer much more than my predecessors. Granted, it's not a popular style, and credit to those who actually reviewed it giving it much higher marks than the "tickers". I gave Wandelpad a rating of 4.23 with an rDev of +14.6%

Cheers!

 

Stoneface Brewing Company RIS

Barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout



Look: This Stout pours an opaque, pitch black color. A thick head of light brown foam that settles to a ring around the edge of the glass, leaving strands of lacing in its wake. No visible carbonation. A great looking stout.

Smell: A nice stout nose, but rather subtle. The first thing I pick up is a bit vegetal like fresh pumpkin. The bourbon barrel treatment is evident with notes of heavily toasted coconut, some vanilla and a woody note. Milk chocolate and a soft nutmeg spicyness. Some heat from the ABV.

Taste: Up front the beer is semi-sweet and smooth with some milk chocolate The finish dries out a little bit. It’s long with prominent woody, nutty, toasty, moderately bitter flavors.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation and velvety smooth.

Overall: This beer is really nice. It’s not the biggest and boldest BBA RIS I’ve had. But, the bitter and toasty finish to the beer is really nice and something I really enjoy in this style.

Thank you to @jhavs for the chance to try this new brewery!

3.97/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 |

overall: 4

 

A-Pours a semi hazy amber color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has lemongrass and malt hints
T-Taste follows the nose with a lemongrass and malt flavor
M-A light bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A decent Belgian Saison

 

Any pics of those Sunfish? I've had the pleasure once or twice. Ugly as sin but so friggin cool! First time we caught one I thought is was a bag floating around the surface.