New Beer Sunday (Week 773)

Prairie Pirate Noir


Pours pitch black with a solid dark brown head, which receeds to a small ring of lacing at the rim of the glass immediately after pouring.


Smell is of camp fire, banana mousse and old, spicy wood together with a big load of licorice. This got an additional salt and rock sugar interplay, topped off by roasted malts and lighter caramel, creating a complex, intriguing nose.


Drinks soft and smooth, heavy bodied with almost no carbonation to speak of. This leads to a challenging and complex, as well as enjoyable drinking experience throughout.


Tastes of bitter chocolate, glazed caramel and boozy rock sugar among a truly spicy and warming old rum barrel impression. Got a scorched malts quality to it, highlighting the wooden barrel effectivly, adding more chocolate and oily licorice to the flavors. Finishes heavier on the rock sugar, together with a prominent warmth, some cold pressed coffee and old wood among wafts of chocolate.


Great ba imperial stout - this hits every mark and the barrel use convinces throughout. I like this way more than their Pirate Bomb since the the Rum barrel itself provides just an awesome depth of flavors, with no adjuncts needed.

 

And with that, Goodnight!

 

Hey, don't be naughty here. Besides, it's cold here. Hard to return fire when it's below 0.

 

Good afternoon NBS.
Thanks Craig for the holiday startup.
Just finished watching the Giants win their 3rd game of the season. A good solid ass kicking was much needed to help ease the pain. More importantly like him or hate him Eli goes out with a win at home. Cant say I didnt shed a tear. He did win two Superbowls and has some great stats in passing and TDs. Anyhow those of you who have followed a team, whether it be football or any other sport your whole lives know how it becomes embedded in the fabric of your life. You remember times in your life when events occured that coincided with team happenings. The Giants are for me a team I grew up with and always brought us together on Sundays either by phone or in front of the TV, or going to the yearly games with my brothers. I watched them win their first one with the whole family, and "the helmet catch" game was the last one I watched with my 2 brothers before my youngest brother Roger passed. So its emotional in that respect. Anyhow I have a beer from a generous box sent by the IPA Man of the Mountains @SawDog505 and I am excited!
Kettlehead Brewing Quest DIPA
Pours a turbid amber gold with a 1/2" foamy head that settles within minutes to 1 creamy ring with some spotty lacing.
Wow immediately upon opening the can the wonderful aroma hits hard. Nothing dissipates as the aroma of crushed pineapple, passionfruit, peach and citrus - grapefruit and orange permeates your senses from the glass.
I detect a hint of spruce pine as well.
Taste follows with tropicals, stone fruits, grapefruit/citrus and dank bud and pine. Im liking the fact that I detect just a tad of a shade darker than pils malt? Great lingering flavors.
Feel is medium/full creamy body with very pleasant bitterness and a lasting tiny bubble carb that helps dry this out nicely. No alcohol- and highly drinkable.
Well now I understand you love for this brewery Tim! Fantastic DIPA that I thank you for kind Sir. I will surely return the favor. Looking forward to trying the rest of Kettlehead and the beers you sent. Thank You my friend.

 

Come on bro I know you can do better than that! Tell us some more about those 2 beers.

 

Sure thing. My notes were not too sour and more sweet than I thought. Definite lactose that gave it body. The passionfruit dominated, no hints of nuttiness from the almond. I’m guessing it may have been double dry hopped.

 

NBS #2. Tribute, a Belgian Tripel brewed by Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co. in Croydon, Penna. This is a fairly unique Tripel insofar as it is orange-forward. It has an almost orangeade quality and there is also more sweet malt presence than I expected. The coriander and Belgian yeast became more apparent as the glass warmed. I didn't notice any banana, which I like in a Tripel. While there's nothing wrong with Tribute, I'd prefer La Fin du Monde, which is equally accessible, any day. Here's my review:

3.78/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from undated can into a tulip glass. It pours a hazy, honey-orange color with a half finger of foamy, bright white head and lacing that dissipated quickly. On the nose there is sour lemon and orange, along with the obligatory coriander and pepper. While I'm not tasting any banana, there are whiffs of honey and sweet malt. The taste opens with a lot of orange/tangerine and it has more fruity sweetness than other Tripels I've had. The coriander and Belgian yeast become more pronounced as the glass warms and it finishes with a peppery, hoppy bitterness. It has a full mouth feel with a pleasant level of carbonation, and it's potent with an ABV of 9.3%. Overall, Tribute is a fine offering but I'm simply not a fan of the sweet orange.

 

Any thoughts on that treat you want to share?
Cheers

 

Please share your thoughts on those beauties
Cheers

 

I grabbed a bottle of Guinness's new (I think?) Bulleit Barrel Aged Stock Ale today and didn't realize that it's actually a stout/barleywine blend! I'm even more excited to check this out now. It clocks in at 10% ABV and was a very reasonable $4.50.




Look: Very dark, but if you hold it up to the light you can just see some light coming through revealing an amber hue hiding in the inky blackness. Thick off white head that lingers a bit.

Smell: Lots of chocolate, and surprisingly it's more of a milk chocolate aroma. Some booze that's between bourbon and brandy. Maybe a hint of smoke?

Taste: Wow, TONS of chocolate. It almost tastes like a cold hot chocolate with roasty stout notes. Figgy/pruney flavors as well. Some definite bourbon, and yet more chocolate, on the finish. A little hop bitterness too at the very end. As it warms it's starting to trend from milk to dark chocolate. Never close to too sweet at any point though.

Feel: A little thin for its ABV perhaps but not thin per se. Feels substantial in the mouth with more carbonation than many barrel aged beers (which I appreciate). Finish is more sharp and clean than round, though it does coat the mouth a bit.

Overall: Really digging this! I like it better than the Lagunitas Willetized as it's less sweet and I don't care for coffee in bourbon beers. To my palate the stout character is much stronger than the barleywine character, but I think it does add a nice complexity to what otherwise might have been a more simple chocolate bomb.

 

Hidey ho, Sunday beer folks!
It is suddenly cold and windy here and I am back from a trip to suburban hell where I ate an insanely ample and delicious and late breakfast that is still sustaining me with the inlaws and helped them put up a rack to store our bikes through the winter. Mighty nice of them to lend us space, and even nicer to not have to deal with two bikes taking up space here in the apartment.
I'm getting a late start, but as to today's theme I am not much of a seasonal tradition guy with my holiday beer consumption. That said, I do tend to go for the stronger, darker stuff this time of year. Additionally, since those aren't the beers I ordinarily go for right off the bat I end up drinking down my cellar a little if I can. I guess it's winter cleaning. Much better than its springtime counterpart.
This week I have one of those types of beer but not ones that have been hanging out for long. Dieu du ciel! just released their winter pack and I'm working through it. I've only had one so far (a Brett old ale) and it was supremely enjoyable. The one I'm going to have today is one of the fancy DDC occasional releases that I've yet to have. The bourbon barrel-aged version of their barleywine.

It pours darker than I remember the non-barrel version being. Murky brown with a nice, finely-bubbled beige cap that leaves nice subtle lacing. The aroma is pretty noticeable upon cracking the bottle. Filled with dark fruits, some nutty oxidation, caramel, dark bread. The flavor is a nutty, treacley, buttery, caramely, toasty, ever-so-slightly-roasty experience with a touch of vanilla-bourbon notes and some bitterness and alcoholic warmth to finish it off. The feel is nice and dry for as strong as it is with a fluffy feel to the carbonation and a complex, warming finish. This is an incredibly nice beer! It is bold but smooth and has a lot of complexity without resorting to just being big. It is actually fairly approachable for the style, I'd say. But that is not to say that it doesn't nail it.

Especially after coming in out of the cold on a Sunday night, putting on some music and sitting by the tree. My kingdom for a fireplace!

Santé tout le monde!

 

Happy CANclusion of New Oliver Beer Sunday & New DELMARVA (+ DC) Beer Sunday (Week 773), MK II!
My next move was:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46063/272273/?ba=woodychandler#review
,
then: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46063/395244/?ba=woodychandler#review

& then: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22150/436715/?ba=woodychandler#review

but now, right now, I have:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/50628/408038/?ba=woodychandler#review

I'll try to get back later with more … stuff, but inna interim, I gotta see a man about a dolphin!

 

NBSx3. Family is all gone except for me and the boy, who is passed out in the stroller. Time for another beer.

Portland Brewing
In The Groove Black Vinyl Lager





Pretty good looking beer here. Not exactly black, but a very dark brown color with decent clarity. Capped by a rocky khaki foam that smooths out and hugs the perimeter leaving little spots of lacing behind.

The aroma is simple, yet appropriate and pleasant. Burnt white bread crusts over a dash of dark chocolate, with a nutty, woody finish.

We got some flavor folks. Charred bread still steals the show but unexpected notes of blackberries and brown sugar play quite nicely. Still has a little of that aforementioned nuttiness along with a metallic finish.

Well carbonated, perhaps even a bit too much as it's extra bubbly and filling. Burp. Comes full circle starting off toasty, has a quick dash at sweet, then back to a roasted bitter finish. Burrrrp! A light medium body, but there is a minimal slickness to it. Buuuurrrrrrrrrrrp! Did I mention it's fizzy?

A fun beer, but it's not gonna be replacing any of my Schwarzbiers any time soon. Might have another go at this though, as I've been meaning to hit this brewery up.

First review of 3.78. Cheers.

 

Stories of my demise have been overblown.
Final new beer of this day. I picked up a 4 pack of this on Black Friday, to hopefully help my BCBS sources. That being said, I'm enjoying this.


Gillian from Goose Island.

I'm dinging this, and my review will say it better.

4.3/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a murky, but semi clear golden color. 3 finger white foamy head. The retention isn't the best, and it forms a nice fomay ring around the glass.
The nose hit me as I opened the bottle, and looking at it from a distance. It's wild and quite funky smelling. Up close it is like a sweet, but yet, wild and funky. Very pleasing.
The taste is kinda sweet. I was expecting more wild and funky based on the nose. It is, but more sweet that I was expecting. There's a lot more going on with this beer than I can accurately describe.
Bubbly, and champagne feeling. It's a 9% beer, but not feeling like it.
Wild and funky ale. Damn tasty, and recommended.


And, this is it for this week. Next week I'll be posting from Lake of the Woods, and 1 of my new beers will be from out in the middle of the frozen lake. Now I just hope the fishing is still amazing.

Probably will be. See you all then.

 

2nd beer today is my 3rd beer from the St. Bernardus pack:

St. Bernardus Prior 8
ABV: 8.0%
IBU: 23



Aroma very similar to the Pater 6. Dark fruit, spice, slightly sweet.

Look is murky coffee brown with a 1/2 inch thick off-white head. Head retention is a bit longer than the Pater 6, but still ends with a fairly thick cap.

Body is moderate, with less carbonation feel that the Pater 6. Creamy.

Taste is rich, dark fruits, starting slightly sweet, with some bitterness in the middle which fades by the finish. The taste has a nice interplay between the fruits, the spiciness, and the underlying malt sweetness. The finish and aftertaste are semi-dry. The flavors have a lot going on: cherry, perhaps fall apples, sweet bread, and more. Very nice and complex.

Overall, this is a much better beer than the Pater 6. More complex, more flavorful. Very, very good.


L: 3.75 | S: 3.75 | T: 4.25 | F: 4.0 | O: 4.25 | BA rating: 4.08

 

"Go west, young CAN!"

Excellent. I love that. It's a great beer. There's a whole new world if you start really diving into those classic Belgians, and they are mostly all worth trying. They definitely open up as they warm a bit. That's the main disadvantage of those small bottles. On the one hand, it's great not be shit-canned after a single beer. But on the other hand, a 750 forces you to drink it over a period of time where the temperature, carbonation, oxidation and your own intoxication shift multiple times. It makes you really appreciate the complexity of something so simple. I don't know how much you have had of those types of beers, but if you're intrigued I personally love dubbels. I think they kind of strike the perfect balance. Cheers!

 

New Beer # 2 courtesy of @SawDog505
I do have distro Resilience her but for aome reason have always passed them by.
Ponyhawk DIPA
Pours a golden opaque with decent head that settles to a thin ring leaving lots of spotty lacing
Aroma is grapefruit, orange, onion/garlic and a bit tropical.
Taste follows with citrus and citrus pith, pine, sweet bready malts.
Feel is medium, solid bitterness, oily.
Carbonation is good. Slight alcohol heat. A little hot pepper and harsh on the finish but not terrible by any means
Not sure why Ive passed this by but its certainly a good DIPA although not on the level of the Kettlehead brew I just had. Good stuff and Im thankful to have the opportunity to try it. Thanks again @SawDog505 !

 

I’ve had two dubbles, and this was my first quad. I think I like the quads a bit more, but I agree, it’s really a simple beer done right.

 

How do you get me to contribute to New Beer Sunday? Simple. You pair up my favorite local brewer with my favorite local coffee roaster for a dedicated coffee milk stout. While the two have worked together in the past, this one features artwork directly from Oddly Correct's new mug branding. It's a beer I couldn't pass up, so let's dig into it!



BKS's Fear Not Black Coffee with Guatemala El Embajador Coffee.

Pours black with two fingers of caramel-khaki colored foam. Head retention is good with a thick ring of foam lingering long after the pour. Aroma is 50/50 stout and coffee, with the stout coming through with notes of roasty, toasty, nutty, earthy, very light bready malts. Coffee is slightly earthy with floral qualities. It's a solid medium-roast with a moderately bold quality. Chocolate comes on towards the finish, adding more sweetness, but not enough to push this beer into dessert territory. Flavor profile is rich roasty, toasty, earthy, caramely malts with a hint of toffee. Woven between every malt is ever-prevalent coffee, with chocolate, earthy and very light floral qualities. Mingle the toffee with chocolate and the modest, pour-over-strength medium-roast coffee for a splendid blend of light sweetness and acidity. Balance is sublime, with the richness of the underlying stout unhindered by the coffee, and yet the coffee manages to resonate despite being tethered to a double milk stout. Mouth feel lands at 'thick' right on the nose, especially for a milk stout. Texture is lightly creamy, with modest effervescence that does little to bubble or fizz up on the tongue. Overall, a splendid pairing of coffee and beer, allowing each to resonate within their own area, and yet cohesive within the dynamics of each sip.

Score: 4.5 | 4.75 | 4.5 | 4.75 | 4.75 | BA Score: 4.64 | rDev: N/A (only review/rating)

Personal notes: BKS is my favorite local brewer, and Oddly Correct is my favorite coffee roaster. The consistency and quality both bring to their respective markets is unparalleled within our community. Sure, there are other great brewers and other great roasters, but these two have established themselves as standards of their craft within the local community. But despite my oozing of joy for these two to pair up again (all BKS coffee beers use Oddly Correct), I will admit I'm a little biased here. Oddly Correct has allowed me to try many and many new coffee varieties over the years (on my own dime, not gifted), and BKS was the first in the city to really nail the NE IPA game (at a time when the forums would complain about the prevalence of NE IPAs, and yet we had none of relevance of our own). Shortly afterwards, they began pumping out some of the best coffee beers within our local market. Despite my shortcomings with my bias, I still think this is one to remember. It reminds me of Tree House's Double Shot, my favorite coffee beer (and scored very similar), and with that, I hope we see more editions of this beer paired with various coffee offerings.

I also enjoy that Fear Not Black Coffee is just coffee and beer. There is no orange zest. No vanilla bean. No barrel. It's a damn good milk stout paired with damn good coffee. And I enjoy that simplicity.

Cheers.