New Beer Sunday (Week 773)

Cheers from Tennessee! I continue to work through a plethora of outstanding beers from the imitable @FlintB and I was excited to crack this one open today. It's easing the pain after today's Titans loss.



This one lived up to my expectations. As you can see, this one is a looker with an opaque dark brown color and a thick and sturdy tan head, reflecting the wheat presence. The aroma was fairly pronounced for this style and presented roasted grains, milk chocolate, floral hop notes, and faint coffee. The taste largely followed suit with a thick and rich chocolate presence that was balanced with soft, floral hop bitterness. The coffee flavor was subtle and most noticeable on the finish, after the chocolatey malt notes faded away. The feel was full and velvety. I really think the wheat enhanced this aspect. Slightly sweet with a slight warming on the finish, but not boozy. Overall this was an outstanding Imperial Stout, but the coffee seemed to be dominated by the chocolate notes. Quite alright with me! Cheers!

 

American Solera Magic Jar Amarillo, 4.0% ABV, a Saison. 4.17 overall

Pours an effervescent gold with a thumb of ivory colored head. Zero head retention & lacing

S: Yeasty, barnyardy, some lemon zest

T: Lemon, grapefruit, dryness and grassyness upfront, I almost think I taste some Spelt in this. More dryness, faint yeastyness, & tart lemon as this warms, some leafy hops. Finishes dry with lemon, some grassy hops

MF: Medium body, delicate carbonation

An interesting Saison, these guys certainly know how to make them, pretty drinkable

 

Mickey's?

Great review!

Ah! Looks better than a Mickey's

God that's a tasty beer! I have one in my fridge staring at me right now and am half tempted to crack it.

 

A Gin Barrel Saison from Hermit Thrush is a special new beer today. The Optically clear pale amber tap pour hosts a thin foam ring and an aroma of wild yeast and oak. The flavor is dominantly vinous and oak influenced. Subtle herbal notes include ginger and juniper. The flavor is full and a wild yeast funk is noted. The finish is very dry. This is a pleasure if it is in your preferred range of taste.

 

Happy New American Impy Stout Sunday!

Pretty nice day here on the Western Slope, cloudy, around 33 at the trailhead. Having a pretty tasty brew today, don't really see alot of Odell around here. Probably be back with another brew, most likely not new though.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/267/446973/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

Thomas Hardy’s Ale – The Historical (Aged for Six Months in Fine Scotch Whisky Barrels) – 2018



(I look forward to eventually getting the new iPhone with the portrait mode kinks worked out!)



Look: Not the murkiest of English Barleywines. Pretty translucent. Brown/ruby brown. Like iced tea in the glass. Huge, thin, light brown bubbles struggle to form, and quickly disappear. Indications of a still beer. The color itself is very nice. Zero visible carbonation and lacing.

Smell: Yeast heavy with a very big freshly baked bread aroma. Fruit cake. Raisin and date. The 13.7% ABV hits from the beginning and especially as the beer approaches room temperature.

Taste: On the tip of the tongue some raisin and sweetened black tea. Bready. Fresh hazelnut. Not the most complex of Barleywines. Pretty much straight sweet dark dried fruit from front to back with some alcohol bite along the way.

Feel: No carbonation. Very warming. Nice feel, but definitely a bit too hot on the palate.

Overall: Pretty good, but leaves complexity to be desired. The question is whether or not I buy more. Probably not considering the amount of beer already stashed away in my basement.

 

New Winter Warmer/Abbey Ale and Belgian Dark Strong Ale Sunday

Had a couple new brews today. The first was a disappointing one from one of my favorite local breweries: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23737/454468/?ba=bluejacket74#review





I posted my review above but it was a big bottle of meh.

My next new brew was a lot better! https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18149/307357/?ba=bluejacket74#review



On BA it's listed as a Belgian Strong Dark Ale but it reminded me of an English Style Barleywine because of the malty sweetness.

Those were my only new beers today, cheers and Happy NBS everyone!

 

Poured into a 16 Hop Slam Snulip glass canned on 11/19/19. Pours a slick black with a 2 plus finger sticky mocha head that leaves spotty lace behind as it slowly settles. 4.75

Smell is strong roasty coffee, deep dark chocolate, vanilla bean, and toffee. Really aggressive and I am personally loving it. 4.75

Taste follows it sucker punches you with some of the most potent coffee flavor I have ever had in a stout, dark chocolate, vanilla, caramel, and toffee. Just wow the intensity is amazing. 4.5

Mouthfeel is big, gentle carbonation, a little dry but with the amount of coffee that must have gone in I expect that, and at 10% ABV it goes down easy and because of the intense flavors hard to stop sipping. 4.5

Overall this one has a wow factor, reminds me of Southern Tier beers, but minus the artificial flavors you often get from them. I am getting high and low at the same time. A must purchase if you see it in my opinion. 4.5

 

It is pretty damn delicious. I have a '14 as well and it probably won't be long before I find a reason to open that one too.

 

Seahawks won, about 1/4" of snow has fallen, and I'm now at Hidden Mother Brewing, where I just finished my 1st Sahti ever, Knotty Sahti, apparently a collaboration with Mockery in Denver.

No idea how it would match up with an authentic Finnish example, but I dig it. Certainly, it's got the right amount of carbonation (none at all). Light, despite it's flatness, fruity and tart, I can't help think it'd be outstanding in warm weather.

 

Hello NBSers, on a seasonally correct evening from Northern Indiana (i.e., it’s cold). The launch from @cjgiant is also seasonally correct, of course. The holiday season I here, which means family, friends - and, hopefully, some good beers.

As a matter of fact, our son is coming in tonight (he has to work Christmas Eve and the 26th), so I’ll be busting into my cellar for some good stuff to share. I have three BCBS variants from this year that I seriously doubt will make it to Christmas, and I have a plethora of phenomenal beers the last four NBS BIF’s that will also be enjoyed, including beers from @Ozzylizard, @JBowenGeorgia, @SammyJaxxxx, and @2beerdogs.

Tonight, though, I have a world-class offering from @larryi86 and the recently completed NBS BIF #10. Note the package dat (May 2015). This is venturing toward whale territory.







4.44/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slightly hazy golden color with an off-white head that dissipates quickly, per the style. This is a gorgeous beer. The funky notes lead the nose, as expected, and there’s also oak and vanilla notes - and an unexpected malt note. On second thought, given the color, it’s not surprising this beer has a more significant malt component.

The taste is all about the funky flavors and the vanilla and oak melding with the malt flavor to yield a wild ale that is balanced with a substantial body and all the requisite funky, fruity flavors.

This beer is perfectly executed, which is not surprising given the brewery and their prowess.

 

In my opinion, this about sums it up for all Hair of the Dog offerings. Just like the appearance of those dogs adorning the labels, truly only something that loving and supporting parents (and patrons) can appreciate. But the aromas, flavors, and textures that they pull off are what make them my favorite brewery. Cheers

 

Fall Coffee Stout from Maine Beer Company.

4.22/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Pours a very dark brown but not quite black with a two inch mocha head that left excellent lacing. Smells of coffee, dark chocolate, roasted malts and a bit of char. Taste is dark roast coffee, dark chocolate, roasted malts, licorice, a bit of cream, oak and char. Light bodied and highly carbonated for a stout, mouth feel is on the thin side, slightly dry and bitter finish.

 

NBSx4. Whoa. I can't remember the last time, if ever, that I've contributed four new beers in one NBS. Guess I better reevaluate myself...

Block 15
Maple- Robust Porter





Nearly pitch black with walnut highlights, Maple is capped by a smooth khaki foam that manges little to keep surface coverage, but does leave spotty lacing.

I'm not getting maple on the aroma, but there is a little brown sugar likeness underneath that heavily roasted grain. It smells a bit metallic when really getting in deep with it.

Nope. No maple. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but considering the labels promises, this falls very empty. Much like the aroma would imply, chocolate, heavily toasted white bread, a dash if brown sugar and a minerally finish. Stretching hard, I could detect a little tannic wood and black licorice like spice.

Great feel. Slick and smooth with enough carbonation to make it pop. Nicely bittered and very "robust".

In all honesty, I'm glad this does not exude "vanilla, caramel, and maple" like the can promises. What it is us a really solid, higher abv Porter that is just right on a cool December day like today. Hard to rate this... As a maple induced concoction: Fail. As a Robust Porter: Big success.

After my official review, I gave Maple a rating of 4.04 with an rDev of +0.2%.

Cheers.

 

#2, I’ll join our friend @meefmoff and review the latest offering from an iconic brewery that knows stouts.





4.35/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Deep mahogany brown color with a sudsy tan head after an aggressive pour, this beautiful beer features the barrel aromas right up front, and there’s also chocolate notes and some stone fruit. Wow - didn’t expect this, especially the barrel notes being so forward.

The chocolate is really forward on the taste, and it’s a rich chocolate flavor that eases into the barrel notes, and then finishes with the stone fruit flavors, which are substantial as this warms.

This is really outstanding, IMHO, and worthy of multiple tastings - I’m really curious to see how this will evolve as it ages.

 

This is an Evil Twin/Westbrook collaboration. Mexican Cake is made by Westbrook (South Carolina). Modern Times is out of California. This beer is also brewed and bottled by Westbrook.

 

Cool that we seem to have perceived this beer very similarly. And thanks for providing an actual decent picture!

 

Flying Dog Shotgun Bang

This is in the style of a Belgian tripel with the addition of salt and pepper. The beer is really pretty. Orangey gold and surprisingly clear. I was expecting a kick of salt and pepper based on previous spiced beers from Flying Dog, but this one plays it pretty straight... and it's a surprisingly decent tripel. The salt and pepper probably blends in with the yeast contribution and the result is a tripel with a spicey character - not unlike some tripels that do not have such additions. It's full and warming. A nice surprise but not a future repeat buy... even though it's nice to see a beer like this available as a six pack. My only issue is that they call this 9% beer a table beer on the label.