New Beer Sunday (Week 773)

Sam Smith‘s Winter Welcome Ale


Pours a crystal clear, lighter brown color with a small, beige head.


Smell is defined by caramel, toasted malts and lighter licorice, with a faint copper appearance.


Has a light and refreshing mouthfeel with a bubbly effervescence during its finish.


Tastes of bakers chocolate, sweet caramel and spicy licorice, together with cardamom and anise. Has a roasted malts middle part with just a caramel nuance to it, balanced by matured, dry hops. Finishes with maintaining hops, less caramel and a rustic grain flavor, creating a short and clean aftertaste.


Well balanced beer with a nice, spicy, bitter twist to balance the sweetness in this very well.

 

Hello New Beer Sunday!!!

I'm starting a bit later today than planned. I needed to help a friend pick out some beer for his sister-in-law. Thankfully I know what she likes, and we got her some Belgian Lambic beers. She's going to flip when she gets them. Looking at my list of styles, I've never reviewed that style on here. I'll have to rectify that in the near future.

But now on to the main event, my new beer. This one was kindly sent to me by @FFFjunkie . I've also never had a beer from this brewery before.

Bottle Logic Brewing Darkstar November. The bottle says it's 14.1% ABV, and it's the 2017 release.

Damn!!!!!!

Damn!!!!!!

This beer is just out of this world amazing. It pours like motor oil. Actually has some head, and it lasts for a bit. The smell hit me as I opened the bottle and poured it. Up close the aroma was even better. Taste is just out of this world. It's so smooth, but also thick as hell. It also hides the 14.1% ABV VERY well.

I'm blown away by this beer, and I can't thank @FFFjunkie enough for sending this to me. You rock!!!!

Review:

4.72/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Info on the bottle:
2017 release. 14.1% ABV

Pours pitch black, and is a very thick pouring beer. There's a 1 finger brown head, and the head retention is good for such a high ABV beer. The head dissipates into a brown ring around the edge of the glass, with no lacing.
The nose is rich and thick. I get a nice hit of molasses. Strong barrel aroma, but it's not overpowering.
Taste - woah! Deep molasses flavor. Some maple. Some chocolate. Some caramel. Rich barrel flavors mixed in, and part of it all.
Thick as hell, smooth as hell. Almost no alcohol burn. Hard to tell it's a 14% beer.
Damn tasty and amazing beer from Bottle Logic.


If this doesn't knock me out, I may become a teenager again. Some of you might know what I might have next based on that.

 

Two new ones today, and they are quite different from one another. Up first is Springdale's new collaboration sour IPA with Stoneface Brewing out of Newington, NH. It's called Buddy Movie and features orange peel and lactose. No ABV listed (once again, why is this legal? JA/Springdale should know better), btw, so no clue what I'm getting myself into, but I doubt it's above 6.5%.



Well, that is an amazing label, for sure. Pretty nice pour, too. Big, fluffy head of bone-white foam on top of a slightly-hazy (well, for a modern IPA, I guess... this would've been considered incredibly hazy like 6-7 years ago, but I digress) yellowish-orange-golden beer. Once the head sinks to about a finger of tight bubbles, it leaves behind pretty decent but spotty lace without much consistency, as well as pretty decent legs. Alright, let's get into this one.

The nose is on-point, with light notes of orange blossom honey and wheat-like malt blending nicely with the tangy acidity I can tell is present to some extent, as well as bright scents of grapefruit, tangerine, and orange rind. Slightly funky and cheesy at times, but it seems overall successful at what they wanted to achieve. I'll probably have fun drinking this beer, if nothing else, and that counts for something!

First few sips, though, were absolutely awful. I'm not sure what it was, but it tasted like rusty, vegetal dishwater even from a newly-cleaned and dried glass. After it opens up a bit, the ugly flavors round out quite a bit, leading to an actually-tasty palate of floral elements (really hibiscus-like, I think) with superb orange peel tanginess. Slightly sour and tart in the mid-palate with just enough lactose to keep it smooth in the finish. The hops feel herbal and floral instead of fruity and dank, like the breweries involved wanted you to focus on the actual orange peel first and foremost. I think that is probably one of the most notable elements here, so kudos to them if that was the case. I also have seen nothing about this beer anywhere (it was canned less than a week ago), so it must not have been a hyped-up release. For me, it's a one-and-done for sure, but once I got past that initial gross flavor (I dunno if it's like the way the lactose interacted with the acidity of the orange addition?), this turned out to be a good beer. Definitely struck a good balance between citrus, sourness, moderate hoppiness, and a cleaner feel. I'll be back with one more in a little while. Hoping it's a good one (and I do have high hopes!).

 

Well surprise, surprise, surprise . . . . my son-in-law acquired a growler of a fine IPA at lunch at Mad Mex near Pittsburgh with my daughter and we are enjoying it at my house.

Fat Head's Brewery - Plataversary IPA (2019). This is Mad Mex's 26th anniversary beer. My overall rating = 4.15



A - Lightly-hazy gold with a 1-finger white head and good lace

S - Very aromatic. You can smell it from 3 feet away. Moderately dank, pineapple and onion.

T - Pine, orange and grapefruit, pineapple, onion, earthy spice. Appropriately bitter.

M - Medium body and carbonation. Resinous.

0 - Very high quality West Coast style IPA that is worth seeking out each year. I could have used less onion in the flavor though since I'm sensitive to it.

 

First time I've seen that glass type called Nordic. I have one from a local nanobrewery and didn't know what to call it.

 

Going to see my sister this week as part of a business trip. Will have most of my wife’s side of the family in town next weekend. festivities start with the 2nd annual Pub Crawl in Plymouth, Mass next Saturday. At Christmas dinner, I have some stouts that I have saved which will be opened ( Firestone walker, Bourbon County, etc. ) After dinner, the girls have a Yankee swap and the guys have a mixer sixer. The guys trade beers. As my nephews become young men ( an of legal drinking age) we each bring a cherished six pack and explain the finer notes of that particular beer. We then trade beers based on the presented beer’s attributes. A great way to try new and different beers.


My new beer is Trillium’s Cutting Tiles - Mosaic Double Dry Hopped

4.23/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Canned 12.6.19, opened 12.8.19

Hazy amber orange liquid, one finger big soapy white big bubbled foam cap, fair retention,quickly settles to a ring with a few islands

Aroma is sweet mango, citrus, tropical fruits, lemon, whiff of pine

Taste is mango , tropical fruits, peach

Medium sudsing, hop nibble, hoppiness lingers but doesn’t sharply bite, semi dry finish

Good beer

 

Good afternoon, NBS. Today I have the pleasure of enjoying and sharing with you two variations of the same beer, one aged in Bourbon barrels and one in Rye barrels. Both courtesy of @Oconomowocian !

I was planning to separate the comments for each beer, but they are so similar to one another I decided to combine them.

Raised Grain Brewing Company 2019 Anniversary Stout



Look

The beers look the same. They pour opaque black, with a finger or two of tightly packed light brown foam. Before I start drinking, the head settled down to a thin layer across the top of the beer, leaving thick streaks of lacing on the glass. Very attractive looking imperial stouts. No visible carbonation. As I drink the beers down just wonderful streaks and blots of lacing.

Smell

Both beers have sweet malt aromas with gentle and warming hints of the 10% ABV, along with oak barrel characteristics. About as much I desire. Both also have a fruitiness to the aroma, but this aspect is more intense in the bourbon barrel aged version. I would call it fresh plum. A lot of charred oak on both beers. The rye version seems sweeter to me, which provides a more well-rounded aroma when taking the high level of char and oak into consideration. Both are very nutty. Walnut. Also with prominent espresso aromas.

Taste

On the tip of tongue, some semi-sweet chocolate that provides a nice balance between sweet and bitter. Chocolate cherry cordial. Some vanilla and sweet bourbon notes. The sweetness shifts quickly to a dry and bitter stout. The finish is long and dry with a lingering oak and espresso bitterness. I think that the rye version is little sweeter and bit more complex due to some rye spice, but not much.

Feel

Both stouts are medium bodied. Rounded feel. Warmth in the pipes with a touch of sticky sweetness on the lips. The bitterness defines the finish on both. It lingers forever.

Overall

Both beers are very enjoyable and great examples of whiskey barrel aged stouts. They start out semi-sweet and quickly shift to dry and bitter, both of which are defining characteristics of the beers. In a sea of pastry and additive-laden impression beers (I enjoy both), it is refreshing to have a drinking beer that showcases the base stout and the influence of a Whiskey barrel for what it is. Nothing more, nothing less. Drinkable for the ABV, huge barrel and oak presence, great base stout.

Cheers!

 

Good afternoon NBS and thanks for the start today @cjgiant. As for the holiday prep, got tree today, shopping not started, my wife and I have family largely within 40 miles. Last night my siblings had our gathering, good stuff, week after Christmas we gather with a majirity of her siblings, usually good stuff.
Todays offering is from our friends at Brick and Feather, Half Light Sunbeam is an all Citra based IPA at 6% feels is excellent, aromatics scream OJ, but the grain choices are where this stands out. I like the fact the grains can stand on their own against a strong hop presence.
Cheers all

Half-Light Sunbeam

Brick & Feather Brewery
New England IPA | 6.5% ABV

4.06/5 rDev +0.2% | Average: 4.05
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 32 oz growler, procured at the brewery an hour ago.
A - Marigold colored backdrop, translucence allows for some carbonation sightings. A loose knit froth of snow white resdie top side. During the experience small spotty lacing hangs on the glass.
S - Orange, tangerine, red grapefruit skin. a wiff of sulfur, and peach
T - Sweet malts, fresh squeeze OJ, Orange Julius style, English tea biscuit, some honey as well
M - Soft water profile, hints of chalk add to a wonderfully dry finish.
O - A very good IPA from a very talented brewer, Citra hops on full display, The malt base is rock solid, avoiding the trap of being to sweet.

 

I plan to taste the last 3 from my St. Bernardus gift box today, ending with the Abt 12.

It will be interesting to compare notes!

 

NBSx2, which I'm going to have to give credit to my compassionate and rediculously helpful neighbors for tackling that truckload of mulch with me over the last 48 hours. Good people.

Moonraker
Foam Walker- Imperial Coffee Nitro Stout with Sea Salt





I love coffee. I love sea salt. In my experiences, the two are a match made in heaven. Foam Walker pours exactly as you would hope. Pitch black like it came straight from the freshly brewed pot. Clean looking, and once the magic of the nitro gets the job done, a beautiful mattress of tan foam rests to keep all that coffee goodness blanketed below. (4.5)

Now this smells magical, that is, if you're a fan of coffee. Wonderful and bold cold brew aromas, and believe me or not, salinity is detectable. Like dark chocolate bark drizzled heavily with a coffee syrup, topped with delicious sprinkles of our favorite seasoning. (4.25)

And it tastes even better. As mentioned above, it boasts notes of high quality dark chocolate complete with coffee filling. But the sea salt is just right. Clearly enough to detect, and compliments the other delicious elements rather than overpowers. The finish has a very English stout like mineral water or even metallic bite, that once again just plays so well with the rest of the cast. (4.5)

The smooth and creamy nitro texture is just perfect for the style. Almost like drinking just the foam off an espresso. It starts sweet, has a nice bold roasty and toasty centerpiece, and is finished with that metallic and salty goodness. Damn, this is disappearing quickly. (4.5)

Fantastic brew. Sure, I get it. "If I wanted coffee, I'd just order a coffee." Well I disagree. I can't think of a better cold morning brew than this style. I'll gladly replace my daily morning kick starter with something like this, but I don't think that would receive a warm and fuzzy welcome with work. (4.5)

After my official review, I gave Foam Walker a rating of 4.44 with an rDev of +5.5%.

Cheers

 

I really enjoyed that beer, but I lack the wording to convey what I’m experiencing. Maybe that the trick with a better beer, it’s terrific, but you don’t know why.

 

The Christmas shopping is complete so time for a beer or two. First up is my first beer from Beer Tree. Euphoric Colors is a sour ipa conditioned on passionfruit, almonds and vanilla.

 

So nice you had it twice!!

 

I don't really pair beers with the holidays but I do tend towards the stereotypical season matching. Cold weather has me reaching for darker and richer things more often and that was in force today when I picked up a kriek and Guinness's new Bulleit barreled stout. I'm going to save the big stout for later and dig in to Kriek Des Jacobins from a brewery with a very long and mysterious name. 4.5% ABV.




I don't have much kriek experience but I do love Ommegang's Rosetta and have enjoyed everything I've had from Rodenbach.

Look: Deep mahogany with a tan billowy head about an inch high. Once it dissipates you can very easily coax a new thin head of tiny bubbles with just a couple of swirls.

Smell: Lots of sour cherry along with some rhubarb. You really can smell the sourness. Some earthy, almost root beer like aromas as well. Maybe some raisiny brown bread too.

Taste: The cherry comes across more tart than sour, and there is a lot of it. Very natural tasting though - no artificial or overly sweet notes. I'd say the taste is more one dimensional than the nose. Not much else going on beyond the tart cherry, but it's a very balanced tartness.

Feel: Very full mouthfeel for a 4.5% ABV brew. Moderate carbonation. Clean finish with just a little pucker in the cheeks.

Overall: A straightforward, tasty beer. It feels less complex to me than Rosetta, but what's there is a pleasant and very drinkable. Actually more of a warm weather refresher than a cold weather comfort beer I'd say.

Cheers all!

 

Pelican Brewing - Mother of All Storms 2012


I think this is my first time posting in the NBS thread. This was a huge want for me when I got into trading 10+ years ago. For some reason I never lined up a deal for it, however somewhat randomly I ended up with a chance to acquire some just a couple months ago via trade thanks to @Mike

Probably not ideal to be trying a 7 year old bottle as my introduction to the beer, but whatever.
Overall it is excellent. Dark mahogany with a thin, short-lived head. The nose is muted, which isn't a huge surprise. I'm also slightly congested so that doesn't help. Taste is beautiful. Lots of rich flavors - all very well integrated. Subtle and complex. Getting what you'd expect from an English style BW...toffee, caramel, vanilla, tobacco, glimpses of dark fruit, suggestion of hop/tannic bitterness in the finish. Mouthfeel is good. Slight but appropriate carbonation. A little thinner than I'd like, but I think that's acceptable given the age. All in all it's delicious and I'm really happy to be sharing my Sunday with this beer. I'll probably cork it and finish it up in a day or so.

 

Hopfenstopfer Just another NEIPA


Pours a bright, hazy yellow color with a solid, spongy head atop.


Smells of ripe, tropical fruits, together with a wet grass note and a slice of lime. Offers additional aromas of cactus juice and orange zest, creating a pungent, complex, fruit forward nose.


Has a lighter, well carbonated body, providing a nice refreshment throughout.


Tastes of mango, pineapple and oranges, wrapped up by bitter limes. Has a slightly metallic more watery middle part with all the fruits, exept the limes, quickly receeding. Finishes light, with lighter notes of mango and oranges and maintaining, bitter limes.


Flavorwise this is top notch, the aromas do a great job as well. The only thing lacking in this is the mouthfeel, which is too thin for the style. Given how unpretentious and cost effective this is, I really think this is great though.

 

Starting today with, as mentioned earlier, a beer from the St. Bernardus gift box. This is my second beer from the box; the first was the Tripel, which I tasted last Sunday.

St. Bernardus Pater 6
ABV: 6.7%
IBU: NA



Aroma is sweet with a fruit aroma I can't quite identify, spicy.

From the front, it is a dark brown, with more of a tea appearance with a backlight. Abundant carbonation. From a controlled pour, a 1/2 inch off-white to tan head, thick and creamy, that does not hang around long, leaving just a little lacing right above the falling head.

Feel is moderate to thin, with good tingling from the carbonation.

Taste is fruity, again, perhaps raisins, with a hint of pepper. There is moderate bitterness in the middle that diminishes but which does continue into the finish and aftertaste. The finish is quite dry. The taste is relatively simple for a Trappist ale, IMO (not that I've had a lot of experience with Trappist ales, so maybe the comparison is only to my expectations...)

Overall, this is a good beer, but in my opinion, not up to the rating on this site.

L: 3.75 | S: 3.75 | T: 4.0 | F: 3.75 | O: 3.75 | BA rating: 3.85