New Beer Sunday (Week 763)

Temescal Pils. Very nice Czech style. Gusher can, but nothing lost. Great fluffy head retention/foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of lemon, cracker, white bread dough, lightly toasted biscuit; with some herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery hops. A bit of muted fruity/yeasty aromas, but not overwhelming. Light-moderate herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Medium-plus carbonation, light-medium body, and fairly crisp/clean finishing. Balanced bready/grainy malts, and sticky/resinous hops in the mouthfeel. Moderate increasing bitter dryness; no hop astringency. Very flavorful, pretty refreshing, zero warming 5%. Very clean lager flavors, minimal fruity/yeasty. Great balance of clean pils malts and earthy noble hops. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp dryness. Very well made. 3.88


Cheers

 

Always love reading your posts, Jack.

 

Couldn't agree with you more: "...your generosity was surpassed only by your company."

 

It's been a hectic but fun weekend and I'm happy to finally enjoy a new local beer for NBS!

Bearded Iris recently released their first wet hopped IPA, featuring Citra with help from Simcoe and Mosaic:


This one's a winner. The look was a very hazy dark golden color with a medium sized white head. The foam left some nice lacing in the glass. The aroma and flavor lined up very well in this one. This was a great Citra showcase, with loads of ripe orange and citrus notes accompanied by a subtle dank undercurrent. There was a slight grassiness as well, perhaps a result of the wet hops. Bitterness was moderate and soft as expected. The feel was also soft and I didn't detect any astringency. The finish was all citrus. Outstanding and highly recommended. Cheers!

 

What a coincidence... I have a bottle of Napa Parabola in the very same closet at my friend's house as the 30th Ann. is sitting in... might have to do a deadly side-by-side comparison. Thanks again!

Alright, last one, and it's a doozy. Commonwealth has seemingly been exceptionally good to me lately, and this is definitely one of the biggest beers I've had from them. Earlier this year, I had a single can of Chinchilla that clocked in at over 11%, but yeah... this sounds nuts as well.



Chocolate Gâteau is a 10.2% imperial chocolate stout with blackberry, mulberry, vanilla, and lactose. Geeeeez guys. Alright. Now that I've got my head on straight from that insane list of adjuncts (combined with the late realization of what I'm in for here, to be honest), let's see what this is like.

Pour is very rich looking. Tar-black with a big ol' head of mocha foam that builds up to like five fingers at its highest point. Wonder if the berries caused this to ferment a bit crazier than they intended. Could be that they added the sweetening adjuncts to curb that tartness/acidity? One thing's for sure; this looks nuts. Good drippy lace and solid legs throughout.

Nose is cinnamon spice blended with strong qualities of dark berry. The blackberry and mulberry don't seem to provide much in the way of acidity, but their sweeter and more succulent aspects are very much focused on. Baker's chocolate, slightly-roasty grains, and a backing creamy sweetness (likely from the vanilla) really bring this to fruition. Definitely a desert beer, but it actually seems like it could be a drinkable one.

My first few sips are definitely "dark berry infused stout" right off the bat, though there's a decent creamy finish and a light successive bunch of notes of spice, chocolate, and roastiness that makes themselves known in the mid-palate. Super smooth and barely tastes over, say, 7%. This is a daaaangerous stout. It actually feels light and airy though somehow decadent just like a gâteau would. Wow. I'm impressed by this one. Would I want another? I mean, sure, under the right conditions. Not an everyday drinker though. It actually isn't as rich or prohibitively-sweet as one might imagine it would be. Strong, though? Sure. This beer demands respect, and also simultaneously smacks down most "pastry stouts" with sufficient aplomb. Greatness.

 

BeckToberfest by Bay State Brewing Co.
Cleaver name and cool can, that's about it.



3.74/5 rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

An average pour from a 16-oz. can yields a finger of creamy and rocky foam, off-white with a hint of orange. Long retention contributes to the irregular blotches and spots of lace.
Cloudy pale orange color, almost murky.

Wheat toast and cracker begin the smell with pale malt in the background and faint hops.

The taste is semi-sweet and mildly bitter at first. Prominent citrus and dry grape juice hide the malt. The faint malt is both toasted and grainy. A slight rise in bitterness at the finish as it drys to neutral. A mild bitter aftertaste lingers briefly.

Medium-low body, average carbonation, smooth and session-able. A new style is born! The New England Style Festbier, not a Marzen, it's a juicy Festbier. Not true to either style.

 

Evening NBS and Thanks @cjgiant for the morning call to arms. Been spotty on NBS with Restaurant/Brewery hours. Watching the kid again was exciting. My Giants fell to a talented Vikings team and with the Pats up next, and living close to Beantown the next week shall be painful. Im going to break ranks here and go with a new one just canned 9/24 from Sixpoint.
Shatter DIPA w/ Strata, Idaho 7 and CTZ. Hmm interesting indeed.
Pours a golden hazy orange with a beautiful cap of white foam that hangs for quite awhile leaving lots of sticky world map lacing. Really nice looking brew.
Aroma- Pow! It is huge with lots of tropical notes: mango, overipe pineapple, guava, passionfruit. Citrus notes of ripe orange/tangerine, some grapefruit, deep dankness of a joint left in a room with a closed door some slight cat pee as well. Pretty crazy.
Taste follows with overipe tropicals, ripe berries, some white grape/gooseberry which I dig and seem to get from Idaho7. Some herbal and green piney notes as well. Its definitely a little different and tasty as well.
Feel is lighter than you would expect for almost a NE style IPA in its look. Its an easy drinker for an 8.7%.beer and there is a touch of alcohol but it finishes quite dry with a nicely bitter finish. ( although the can states 25 IBUs?)
If youre looking for something a bit different and also dig Idaho 7 in your IPAs, which I do, check out this tasty Strata based brew. Peace and Love in the house and Skol to Ginger Baker!

 

My understanding was that his Uncle had homebrewing experience, don’t know if that was at the abbey or elsewhere. Cheers!

 

Now I'm back home, and decided to pop this open.

Junkyard Brewing Double Pineapple Shake-O-Matic.

I was worried, since it was canned a month ago. I shouldn't have been. This is just a tasty, pineapple IPA, that is just delicious. Another tasty creation by Junkyard.

Review:

4.01/5 rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a dark golden/orange color. 2 finger white frothy head. Head retention is quite good. Some lacing on the glass as the head dissipates.
The nose is not extremely strong, but I do get pineapple from the hops.
Taste - Nice and tasty pineapple juice. That's what I get. Just pure pineapple.
The body is creamy, and juicy. It's an 8%+ beer, but is very easy drinking,
Just a very good IPA from Junkyard.


I'll see if I've got another new beer in me after this.

 

#3 and (probably) last for today. I've been meaning to review this one for several weeks, so today is the day.

Founders Underground Mountain Brown
IBU: 30
ABV: 11.9%



Aroma of roasted malts and coffee. Also subtle hints of vanilla. Bourbon is present, but not dominant.

Thick, creamy, tan head leaving thick sheets of lacing as it recedes. Opaque deep brown with a front light, tinges of ruby around the edges with a back light.

Medium to thick body.

Taste is as the aroma: roasted malts are dominant, then the coffee. But the taste mellows in the middle, a little sweet, allowing the more subtle flavors of vanilla and bourbon to come through. I get a little oak, a little alcohol heat in the throat, and, again, bourbon.

Fairly bitter middle and finish. The finish is roasted coffee and dry. Bitterness lingers into the aftertaste. But evening this out, the smooth flavor of vanilla and subtle bourbon remain on the tongue and throat.

Exceptionally good.

L: 4.5 | S: 4.0 | T: 4.25 | F: 4.25 | O: 4.25 | BA rating of: 4.21

 

Hello, NBS beer nerds and connoisseurs. I have been mulling the question @cjgiant offered on on his excellent OP, and I’ve decided I’m non-seasonal seasonally adjusted in my beer consumption.

What I mean is, when it’s fall, I look forward to Oktoberfest beers and brown ales and imperial red ales and the like - but if I see one of those in July (and Oktoberfest beers are available in July on the regular thanks to SN) and I like it, I grab it.

And, with magnificent breweries like Founders offering extraordinary beers like FBS and KBS pretty much year-round, why wait?

And then there’s the whole SN Celebration conundrum - you can drink that in February, and it’s spectacular - and it’s a fresh-hop IPA available in October.

So I am very opportunistic and predatory in my beer drinking - if it’s something I have vetted and think I’ll enjoy (I’m the guy standing in front of the beer cooler looking at my phone - sorry), I buy it, regardless of the style or season. I know what I like and I like what I know.

On to beer #1, the brewery is new to me, and for some reason, these New York breweries are showing up in Northern Indiana. Whuddathunkit?



4.17/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

The pour reveals a hazy golden colored beer with little bits of floaties levitating under a voluminous off-white head. Lovely beer. The nose is tropical fruits, primarily pineapple, some tangerine - and coconut. A decent amount of coconut. Very enticing.

The coconut is even more prominent on the taste, and it is complemented very well by the pineapple and tangerine flavors, and the mouthfeel is relatively firm for the style.

I don’t know if the brewery was going for a tropical hazy IPA, but they produced one that is a leisurely, pleasurable tropical flavor ride. This is well done in an understated way, if that makes sense.

 

Happy New New England IPA Sunday!

Really nice day on the Western Slope, sunny, around 64 at the trailhead. Having a pretty tasty brew, nice to see this brewery around here. Should be back later on with another new brew.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/48813/371438/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

#2, continuing the New York theme, this may be the best beer I’ve had this year.

Yep, I said that.





PS: Since I’m having a dessert beer, here’s Ranger enjoying a Frosty Paw. That is the doggie equivalent of a dessert stout. Approach at your own risk.



4.6/5 rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First warning - this is really sweet.

I like sweet, especially in imperial milk stouts that are brewed as a dessert stout.

So away we go, with a pour that is black as onyx, minimal leakage on the tippity top of the edges, and a condensed tan head.

The nose is the best cup of hot chocolate that you’ve ever had with vanilla added - and then more dark chocolate dumped on top. This has now entered “colossal milk stout” territory.

The taste is all about the chocolate, of course, but it’s the vanilla that moves this into “world class” territory, IMHO, lending a creamy mouthfeel and texture to this beer that is not usually found in the imperial stout style. A decadent delight, IMHO.

 

Free flight via Beer on the Wall frequent buyer program.

#4 and #6 brewed by Solemn Oath, Kidnapped by Vikings and Ravaged by Vikings (skipped the third Viking, a NEIPA). Both were similar pours, but I preferred the stronger (8 vs 6 ABV) Ravaged slightly more based on a more complex taste profile of pine, citrus and grapefruit.

#11 was my first Reverend Pour, was slightly above average. An interesting concept of a wheat beer fermented with apple cider and pears in oak spirit barrels, it looked and tasted like a sweet lemonade. Setting aside the sweetness, grading to style I didn't get much of anything outside of lemon and slight citrus (no wheat, apple or pears). Will try another standard pour from this brewery down the road, but not this one.

#7 was my favorite of the bunch, local brewer Maplewood's Cuppa Heavy 'Nilla. I am OK with vanilla, but it needs to blend well and not overpower. Maplewood delivered, resulting in a rich creamy pour, complex maple, vanilla, cinnamon pour, sweet but somewhat balanced by the coffee and dark roasted malt. ABV strong at 12.5% but well masked throughout (granted it was only 4 oz.).

Overall very pleased with the trip to Beer on the Wall, wallet pleased I dropped nothing but the tip.

I leave you with my favorite rock band of all time, to honor both my four pours and on behalf of a great rock and jazz drummer who passed this weekend, Ginger Baker.

 

Hofbrauhaus' Festbier.



German beer with sort of German food. Brun Klops (brown meatballs).

3.54/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

An average pour from a 11.2-oz bottle yields a finger of off-white soapy foam with average retention and small blotches of lace. Pale orange-amber color, clear and bright,

Herbal old-world hops greet the nose with toasted and caramel malt, as with the taste.

The taste is semi-sweet with low bitterness, faint apple and citrus help balance sweet and bitter. Malt presents is low with pale barley malt and toasted wheat bread, faint caramel.
Drys a little as bitterness reaches average at the quick, almost crisp finish with a faint bitter aftertaste with a hint of pepper.

Medium light body, average carbonation. Alcohol is well hidden, smooth easy drink that warms well. True to Festbier style, do-able in the 1/2 liter format.