New Beer Sunday (Week 766)

Good afternoon, east coast NBS crew. Not much into listening to podcasts, though I’ve never tried it during a commute, which might help keep my attention a little better. Visiting my favorite local brewer today for a couple.

Something I have started doing online is playing chess again. It appears speed chess is the popular thing, but I enjoy the ability to take my time going through the mental analysis of the game in front of me. So I’ve been playing the one move per day games that usually go a tad faster, unless I’m playing an overseas player.

So for today...


Ocelot beer Checkers & Chess, a hazy IPA with Galaxy and Kohatu hops.

Bit more cloudy than Ocelot’s normal haze, but about the same pale color. The haze turns it to looking like a white grapefruit juice, we’re it not for the foam atop it. Some spooky lacing congregates across the grass... 'tis the season, I guess.

Nose is that oat-tinged tropical note of many a cloudy, juicy IPA. A little sweetness is involved as well as a tinge of grapefruit zest. Taste brings the oat and sweetness in the opening, but the tropical isn’t so evident. There’s a little more acidity to the fruit aspects, but not specifically citrus.

Feel is medium with a mild dose of oat rawness. A mildly fruit tangy NE IPA that is decently put together but sits in with a large group of similar offerings.

Cheers, all!

 

Poured into a 16 oz stemless Snulip glass, best before 5/21/20. Pours dark brown with a 1 inch light tan head that leaves thin wisps of lace as it slowly settles with solid retention. 4

Smell chai, vanilla, almonds, cinnamon, and some nutmeg. 3.5

Taste follows chai, almonds, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 3.5

Mouthfeel is a touch thin, not dry, creamy, watery, and obviously no carbonation. 3.5

Overall I always expect big things from Left Hand dark beers, nope this one was a huge let down. 3.5

 

Good afternoon and happy New Bonkers Sunday, BAs. Had a wonderful day out at Mt. Hood yesterday. Took the kiddos to an amazing pumpkin patch with a corn maze, all kinds of games, and incredible views.





Later, we went to perhaps the most beautiful setting for a brewery, or any other establishment really, that I can think of; Solera Brewing in Parkdale. This is the second time I've been here, but watching these giant cumulus clouds dissipate as they converged on the mountain, leaving insanely gorgeous views of our prized peak was somewhat of a religious experience. To live in a city that I love and have these surrounding only an hour away (or less) is truly a blessing.





Anyhoo… It's Beer:30. I've decided to continue this high-on-life weekend with an annual beer that I've been seeking since we've relocated. Block 15 is unquestionably one of my most revered local(ish) breweries, and though kind of silly and dare I say gimmicky, I haven't been this excited to crack a bottle in a long time…

Block 15
Snozzberry- Wild Ale with Snozzberries





First of all, there is no way to move forward without first acknowledging the bottle. Upside down labels? Yellow, drizzly wax from the base flowing upwards? Silly, and the perfect ode to the classic film the title references.

Alright, just to avoid frustration for anyone who actually cares to read the silliness:



Snozzberry looks light pink cascading from the bottle, but amassed into a solid blend of red and purple. The white washed pink fizz above is gone in a flash leaving no trace behind.

A waft of cranberry juice, very acidic, with a grapefruit back drop makes up the majority of the aroma.

Flavor follows closely with a smorgasbord of berried fruits. Raspberry and blackberry dominates over cranberry and sour apples. There's somewhat of a soft tropical presence as well. Guava comes to mind. A simple and light cracked grain fades in the finish.

Light, bubbly, and tingly, just as I expected. A Fizzy Lifting concoction, complete with enough carbonation to fill the belly with tons of gas. Sour, but not puckering, and very clean feeling.

What did I expect this beer to be? Well, kind of crazy I guess. A funky color, perhaps purple or green? To smell and taste like candy coated berries? To feel light enough to make my float away? Well, yeah kind of… But on a more realistic approach, I just expected this to be crazy and unique. What it turned out to be is a good fruited wild ale that I will likely revisit given the opportunity.

After my official review, I gave Snozzberry a rating of 3.96 with an rDev of -6.4%. Cheers!

EDIT:. Oops! Almost forgot to give @jzeilinger a shout out for the Hurricane glass! Thanks again man!

 

Hello New Beer Sunday!!!

Quick one, hanging out with friends over in Cheesehead land, and at Pitchfork Brewing. They're moving to a new location soon, so my last time at their original spot.


Oktoberfest.

This is an interesting beer. I do like the flavor. Good for the style.

Review link

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31853/447045/


Probably wait till I get home later today to post again.

 

A-Pours a vibrant hazy orange golden color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has mango, citrus and tropical hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a mango, citrus and tropical flavor
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A well balanced NEIPA

 

Alright, here goes nothing. Up next is a fruited wheat beer. It was brewed with passion fruit, kiwi, and mango, dry-hopped, and then re-fermented with Brett yeast. You may know the base beer for this experiment as Witte by none other than the highly-esteemed...

Ommegang Brewery! This is called Fruittanomyces.



Upon uncorking this 750 mL bottle, I was met with a rather intense pop, but the beer didn't gush whatsoever. My first pour was very heady, of course, however, with tons of lacy foam rising quickly to form a huge, three-finger cap atop this pale, cloudy wheat beer. Awesome legs and superior retention, of course, but we can thank Brett for that. Dry-hopping must've lent some nice lace here as well. Overall, a great appearance, but I expected about as much... you just need to be a little patient with it.

The nose is funky, rustic, and lightly-fruity. Classic Brett brux nose with some earthiness and leafy hops popping up here and there. The kiwi seems musky and deeply-tropical, while the mango lends a little bit of brightness to the proceedings. Can't quite pick out the passion fruit, but I'm sure it figures in somehow (perhaps moreso on the palate, I'm hoping). Light phenols and notes of apricot, peach, and apple as well. Orchard/pit fruit jumps out a bit more than anything really "tropical" to me after a while, but I can still pick the mango out pretty handily.

On the tongue, bracing carbonation upfront paves the way for a lithe wheat beer base to dazzle the tongue while the funkiness of Brett plays up some surprisingly saline/savory notes mingling with the esters and intense dryness. I suppose some of the passion fruit/mango comes out decently-well here, but the fruit is really not the star of the show... this is mostly a Brett wheat beer right out of the gate, and that comes with it some caveats. If you're expecting a deeply fruity and juicy beer, this will definitely not be one to reach for. The subtle fruit notes and the way the fruit additions play with the well-established Brett here are more in line with where a potential purchaser/drinker's expectations should lie. A fun and lively beer, but perhaps a little too dry and intense for its own good, especially at under 6% ABV. I will enjoy my bottle but likely will never seek it out again. For what it's worth, I really enjoyed the previous Foundation beer I reviewed today and would probably be likely to re-buy that one. I may have one more today if time permits... Cheers!

 

A-Pours a very nice clear amber color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has slight apple juice, cinnamon, spices and vanilla hints
T-The taste follows the nose with an apple juice, cinnamon, spices and vanilla flavor
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A good Cream ale

 

First holiday ale sighting I believe...

 

I am back for another and am riding out my first lazy Sunday since spring. I've missed it. Just screwing around and maybe watching some football later on to really complete it. Watching it rain. I've "got to" make dinner at some point, but otherwise I am as free a little bird as I can be, as it were.

This second new Sunday beer is one I brought back from London: The Kernel's Export Stout. This one has an uphill battle to my heart right from the get go, since when I think of an export stout I immediately think of Zonker which is one of my all-time favorite beers, is a classic of American craft as far as I am concerned and is just a hell of a well-made beer. In addition, I got another dark beer from them while i was there and it was very, very good. So needless to say, I have high hopes. Let's see if they're misplaced.

It pours thick and jet black with a big, beautiful, barely brown styrofoam head that leaves huge rings of lacing. Lovely. The aroma is mainly milk chocolate and smooth coffee roast. The flavor follows right along with mocha, espresso crema, brown sugar, old wood. It is medium bodied and even the tiniest possible bit on the thin side when you consider the ABV, soft medium carbonation, lingering roasty finish that doesn't get out of hand.

This is a very nice beer that is pretty straightforward and "together" insofar as its components. A really nice big cocoa flavor dominates and it is generally speaking very enjoyable.
Santé!

 

Peeptoad from Tilted Barn. Finally made it down there yesterday. Great place, so far great beers. The Eagles are making me happy, the Pats are up next.



Peeptoad

Tilted Barn Brewery
American Pale Ale (APA) | 6.2% ABV

4.19/5 rDev -0.9% | Average: 4.23
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A medium strong pour from a 16-oz. can yields a finger of white soapy foam with average retention and irregular spots and blotches of lace. Turbid pineapple juice color.

Fresh and dank hops greet the nose with unleavened bread and crackery malt.

Neutral on sweetness with mild bitterness; hop flavor is revealed as citrus (lemon mostly), grass (fresh cut and lawn mower bag) and pine. Pale malt taste is big and rich and adds to the body. Elements from the smell are stronger with added apple and unripe cantaloupe.
The finish is quick and clean as it bitters and drys a bit. The aftertaste is bitter and short.

Medium body with average carbonation, smooth with bold fresh flavors. Session-able and well balanced. New England style, juicy opaque and very hoppy. Outstanding in every way.

 

Was sorta thinking the same. My TV’s guide says a couple Lifetime channels have started airing Christmas movies already, though.

 

Hey what's going on?!

Finally the clouds have broken, my cold seems to be lifting, much needed rain has past and I am ready for game 5 of the World Series!

With that comes some very much needed beer needed to review that has been ACHING to be drunk and rated. Pick me pick me! it screams from my lonely fridge. Let us partake in some goodies after some much needed yard work.

What's new for our hero today? Let's mix this up!

Obolon Pshenychne (Оболонь Пшеничне)



Poured from the bottle into a wheat ale glass. Hoping to dodge skunkaroo!

Pretty much looking like a hefe here, real nice light bodied amber lemon color. Touch of mild unfiltery looking haze, and some ample carbonation. Very big fluffy white and foamy classic head, eggshell whip looking appearance too. Yup this looks like a hefe, and stand three fingers with pretty simple retention.

Aroma has dodged the skunk monster of green bottle lore luckily, and we are left with some slight oddities. Hints a faint lemon but comes with a very kind of chemical like sourness strangely. Minimal tangy presence of lemon and not much wheaty chewy malt character or big fruitier estery quality.

First sip brings some real shocking surprises. This has got to be easily the weakest mouthfeel on a hefe I have ever had. Mineral water like body, I am not kidding, where's the malty chewy wheat? Palate manages a faint hint of banana to clove like character to bring it back. Lots of big mineral and watery flavors that mix in, hinting touches of more classic flavors. Finishes quite gaseous.

A hefe for sure but a real odd one, that lacks an extreme amount of body and depth. Drinkable, but very forgettable, almost a slamming cheap hefe you don't want to think about too much.

look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5 | Generated Rating: 2.77

Cheers!

 

Today I have a Fox Farm NEIPA made with spelt and oats.

4.2/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 16oz, 5-week-old can to a Nonic.
Apricot-juice appearance sits below a 1-finger head of white and multi-sized bubbles. Head fades quickly, but laces the glass nicely.
Aroma is musty citrus, slightly dank, with a little bit of bite to the nose.
Taste follows smell. Dankness is there, tang is there and the finish is musty.
Mouthfeel is nice, medium body, probably due to the inclusion of oat in the mash.
Overall, pretty good dank NEIPA.

 

My wife is watching one now...

 

May have seen a Celebration the other night, I thought it was from last year though...