New Beer Sunday (Week 786)

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. I hope everyone is well today. As in other parts of the country, the past few days have been almost surreal in North Jersey. It's like a ghost town. At church today there was maybe 20% of the the normal attendance. The roads are so empty it's spooky. While I certainly don't want to contract COVID-19 and am taking the normal precautions, I'm less concerned about the virus itself than with the economic effect. I'm particularly worried about having to shut down our business in the event one or more employees is affected.

On to a cheerier subject! My first NBS review today is Curtain Call, a DIPA brewed by Brix City here in New Jersey. It's DDH with Galaxy, Waimea, and Rakau and has a really good balance of tangerine, stone fruit, white wine grape, pine needles, and a bitter, hoppy finish. Brix City is one of those breweries that has made the jump from relative mediocrity to consistently fine beers - particularly its IPAs and Stouts. Here's my full review:

4.28/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Reviewed two weeks after can release (3/2/2020). Poured into a Brix City teku glass. It pours an opaque, pastel tangerine color with a large, fluffy, bright white cap and thick, clinging lacing. Its fragrant nose features tangerine, honeydew, passion fruit, and lite pine and floral hops. It opens with tangerine, peach and stone fruit from the Galaxy hops but the initial sweetness is quickly balanced by tart, almost bitter lemon and grapefruit, dry white wine, resinous pine, and a slightly bitter hop bite from the Waimea and Rakau hops. The balance between sweet, bitter, and tart is excellent. This ale is thick and creamy with a pleasant level of carbonation, and it drinks very easily at 8% ABV. Overall, Curtain Call is very well conceived and executed: super flavorful and highly drinkable. Another fine offering from Brix City.

Hope you're all relaxing after the stressful week and enjoying your new beer(s) today. I'll be back shortly with a new to me Russian Imperial Stout. Cheers, NBS!

 

I informed my wife that I picked up my birthday gift from her. Cascade Brewing is a favorite and their Pumpkin Smash (a sour, like all others there ) was a 2014 project and new to me.
The brew presents as a cloudy, deep amber bottle pour we itch a wisp of foam that dissipates quickly. The aroma is sweet, tart and spicy (allspice mostly). The flavor is full with sour peaches, grapes and apricots. The spice flavor is detectable, but appreciably, minimal. The mouthfeel is smooth and of medium weight. -very good, and worth the wait.

 

Happy Birthday!

 

Afternoon NBS beautiful day here- yes I was outside. Lucky enough to grab some of this.
Proclamation Insignificance TIPA
Pours a beautiful sunny orange with a really nice foamy white head that lasts about 5 minutes leaving plenty of sticky lacing.
Aroma is sweet candied tangerine, peach, pineapple, pear, grapefruit and pine.
Taste follows with tropical notes, juicyfruit, lemon, tangerine. The sweetness is candy but not darker malt and is balanced by a grapefruit pith bitterness.
Feel is medium/thick and creamy with hop oils coating the tongue. Carbonation is light. Its surprisingly easy to drink for 10% alcohol which hangs in the distance.
An extremely well done Triple. A beauty of a beer from here in RI.
Cheers!

 

Greetings all, and I sincerely hope all is going well with you all and your loved ones. We're doing fine, ourselves, but last night we heard the news that a town near here went into lockdown, so we've set our own household to defcon 2, limiting who our 17yo sees, getting stocked up, and all that jazz.

Today I'm enjoying a really nice beer sent to me thanks to the generosity of @ovaltine not too long ago-

Bare Hands Fourteener, an imperial stout made with 14 malts and 2 classic American hops.

It's right up my alley, that's for sure. I really love hoppy stouts, and although this one does feature that unmistakable interplay between the roast malt flavors and piney/floral hops, it's a lot less 'in your face' as the more notable examples. Which is all well and good, because the malt base here is also more intricate than you'd see in the more forceful Storm King, for example.

The overall slant of the beer is rich, warming, smooth and creamy. There's some edge from the roast malt and bittering hops, but it's just enough to keep things lively and moving along. Toffee, molasses, figs and cookie dough seem to be getting as much of the spotlight as the dark chocolate malts. Not too much coffee going on here, if at all. Ultimately this is all very well knit and cohesive, extremely well conceived and executed. I've had enough porters and stouts that lean this way to have seen where they usually go wrong, and that is that they build up a cloying caramel-like quality by mid glass; but this one thankfully has enough hops and a deft touch to pull it off with flair. Lovely stuff! A- (4.3). Thanks again, Mike!

 

Happy Sunday NBS players. Another beauty of a spring day here on the island. All things seem to be pointing towards warm weather with all the birds and insects out and about. Pretty bummed about the delayed baseball season but its gotta be health first I guess. Stopped into the grocery the other day and pretty much saw the worst of humanity with all the hoarding. Hopefully people start to understand that helping and giving works out much better during a crisis than only non-needed self serving needs.

Also, still not in love with the change up in hosting format. If the great oversee powers, that felt the need for all this imposed shake up, find that not only did their changes not increase participation but instead causes the opposite-decreased participation- will the thread be returned to run as it always was with the normal format?

My new beer today is from the great ba known as @Lingenbrau and its a big one. The Rusty Nail, a barrel aged imperial oatmeal stout brewed with licorice, and cinnamon bark, from Fremont brewing. Also, happens to be my first beer from the said brewery. Figured will everything seemingly going to hell that there isn't much point to sitting on it any longer. The brew checks in at 13.9% abv and no apparent bottle date.

A black ink color on the pour with a frothy head of brown bubbles. The nose is rather floral and it reacts of cinnamon, sugar, and spices. The initial sips have a somewhat mellow start to the drinking. Rich and lush chocolate malts upfront with a waves of that cinnamon carrying right over from the nose that builds on the way down. The mouth feel is really prominent right away and displays a rich, silky feel with just an incredibly smooth flow. No bite, and no alcohol burn whatsoever despite its high abv. The barrel is balanced really well but still offers nice notes of bourbon and sweet oak. Additional notes of oats, caramel, molasses, brown sugar, and anise/licorice.

Overall, just a fucking wow beer. It seems so simple and straight forward such an eloquent beer and so refined. Gonna enjoy the rest of the bottle but a borderline 5'er for sure,

 

My contribution will be one that many of you likely have already tried, but I have not.
Heady Topper from the Alchemist, after a few hours of burning invasive vines and such, an IPA seemed the best thing. And thanks to @Mikexw I had something new to me.
It was imminently quaff able, and though it instructs the drinker to drink from the can, that was partially ignored so I could see the beer.
Unfiltered golden goodness, fresh hops abound and rolled over the palate. The aroma was wonderful, the appearance honey like (if honey was carbonated)

 

Strange times, the office closed for the next three weeks, so working from home (yea right!), the stores are ransacked but my cellar is in good shape so no problem there.
Old Nation B43, Brut IPA. I’m a big old school IPA guy but this one is quite good pours a pale yellow with moderate carb, head recedes quickly, no lacing, aroma is vey nice hoppy, grass, lemon, very dry finish, no sugar - easy drinker

 

Surly Barrel-aged Darkness Imperial Stout (2020), 12% ABV. Pours black with a four finger tan head that left lots of foamy lacing. Nose is chocolate, bourbon, leather (belt, not shoe), and slight tobacco. Taste is chocolate, malt, slightly sweet, slightly bitter. Excellent mouthfeel, overall outstanding. I've had BA Darkness for five years now, and this ranks right up there with 2016 which I really liked. This is the most chocolate-tasting one.

4.54/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

The coronapocalypse continues. My employer is encouraging work-from-home so I'll be doing that for a while, and it will take all my willpower not to crack some craft whilst I do.

 

Good afternoon NBS. First up today 2SP/Hardywood/Wawa Coffee Cake Reserve, stout with coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar and coconut.

4.14/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

32 oz crowler poured into a tulip

A- Black with a three finger mocha head.

S- Chocolate, some coffee, touch of vanilla and coconut, some cinnamon.

T- Chocolate, coffee, some vanilla, cinnamon, touch of coconuts.

M- Smooth, medium to full body, low carbonation.

O- A tasty coffee and I nice tweak to the original beer. Easy to drink, only issue is the carbonation is too low.

I hope everyone is feeling well and staying safe. I’m ready for the next two weeks, got a lot of big beers to try, cheers!

 

NBS #2: Nitro Kalashnikoffee, a Russian Imperial Stout, from Icarus Brewing in Lakewood, New Jersey. Icarus brews a series of RIS beginning with Kalashnikov, which is a local favorite. The CO2 coffee variant, Kalashnikoffee, is excellent so I was anxious to try this one. The Facebook page says to give it a shake before pouring. I'm glad I only gave it one because the nitro head is enormous. Maybe it's because of the silky quality of the mouth feel but this version seems sweeter to me than the original. I detect more brown sugar and honey. I also really like the pecans. On nitro, it drinks far too easily for 14.5% ABV. If it weren't for the strong coffee presence, I think I'd have another tonight to prepare for the madness of work this week. Here's my full review:

4.36/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Canned on 3/10/2020. Poured into a stemless snulip at close to room temperature. It pours a very dark cola color with a huge, light khaki-colored nitro head. The fragrant nose features freshly-brewed coffee, roasted malt, brown sugar, honey, and nuts. Wow, it this tasty! It opens with rich, fresh coffee, brown sugar, and pecans. As it warms in the glass I'm also tasting honey and hints of dark fruit. The flavors are distinct but rather mellow and they blend very well. At the finish there is burnt coffee, and bitter, earthy char more reminiscent of the standard version of Kalashnikoffee. I think this variant is a bit sweeter. Being on nitro it's smooth as silk with low/moderate carbonation, and it certainly doesn't drink like it's 14.5% ABV. I really have to pace myself. Overall, this variant has the same big flavors as the original but it's more easily drinkable.

 

Happy Birthday! I hope it's a really nice day for you.

 

Back again with Hoppy Pils from Sloop Brewing.

3.95/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 160z can with a barely legible date code that I think says 12/19/19 to a Nonic.
Light golden body with tiny bubbles rising throughout the session. A head of multi-sized bubbles, but... some sections of the foam have imperceptive small bubbles, like no head I have ever seen. Almost looks like whipped cream.
Fresh green grass meets the nose.
Sweet malt and prominent, but now over-board hops. Actually, based on the name I was expecting more hop flavor. Maybe the 4-months in the can attributes to this?
Mouthfeel is typical Pils, subtly oily, plenty of carbonation.
Nice variation without too much style departure. Someday maybe I'll get a fresh one.

 

That is a wonderful beer, and I like how you put it. Phil was nice enough to share one with me and family one time. My GF's brother-in-law grabbed a quick sample and returned to the dinner he was preparing while we were savoring each sip.

About 45 seconds later, he came rushing back in to ask what beer we were having and to look at the bottle and say, well... "Wow!"

Rusty Nail is a beer I'd buy my max and get the GF to buy her max to have at least one for us and one to share, if I am ever lucky enough to come across it. Cheers!

 

Hey what's going on?!

Well.. as you all know things are very different now for all of us. So I hope you are all doing well and ok. It's going to be a tough long slog, but we will all get through these changing times.

Lots of things for me have been upended, but things could be worse.

The irony is not lost on me that I went on a good beer run not too long ago to stock up.. heh heh.

I'll hope to always have beer and share it with you all.

What has been new for our hero today? Well, getting caught up on my reviews... the following..



Poured from the can into a Spiegelau IPA glass. Canned 01/20/2020.

Opaque, and very solid orange to lemon yellow colored looking body. Head creation is a light off white color, with a good amount of lacing and bubbles at three plus finger height. Some retention, but manages to settle quickly for an IPA with some decent lacing. Solid looking IPA.

Juice bomb on the nose? Somewhat. But a good solid note of light citrus, kind of zesty and oily more than juicy orange scented, with touches of perhaps a light bit of herbal spice. Touches a hint of malt sweetness for balance also.

Pretty straightforward on the palate. Light touches of orange on first sip, mixing with maybe a bit of lemon bitterness. Hints slightly oily but with a simple malt backbone that isn't rich or creamy but not wet either. Flirts with a touch of spicy mixing hop finish as well too.

A decent if somewhat straightforward IPA.

Final Rating: 3.99



Poured from the can into a Spiegelau IPA glass.

Simple straightforward opaque, somewhat solid but not quite turbid orange solid body color. A good solid three finger white tall head makes an appearance with some spotted lacing.

Quite a good hop aroma, but also a bit varied unexpectedly. Seems like I am getting a lot on the nose here, citrus, dank and earthy tones, tropical fruit, spicy herbal bents, really all over the map. After some time, it seems to focus on a nice simple sweet herbality with perhaps some fruity orange kicking in. I wouldn't call this complex, more jumbled, and somewhat all over the place but at least pleasant.

Palate seems to take a different road. First sip an impression is a little less complex, but also a hint of wetness. Light fruity flavors of tropical fruits, not so much distinct with a touch of herbality, in an almost wet like session quality.

An okay IPA pretty much but one of several that's on the hazy bandwagon. Aroma at least is interesting.

Final Score: 3.83

Cheers!

 

Continuing my trek through the Guinness 200th Anniversary box.

#3 is
Guinness Antwerpen Stout
ABV: 8.0%
IBU: 52

The history of this beer is interesting.



Look is the patented great Guinness stout look: deep dark color under a thick, tall, tan, cream head, with decent retention, leaving lots of strings and disconntedted islands of lacing down the glass, forming a domed top to the head.

Aroma is faint. I can coax out perhaps a little dark malt, that's about it. Disappointing.

Taste starts out mild and dry, transitioning to a slightly sweet middle, and a dry, moderately bitter finish. The bitterness lingers into the aftertaste. The flavor is (fortunately) more pronounced than the aroma. Roasted malts with slightly sweet dark fruits, hints of chocolate, and a decent tannic bitterness.

Mouth feel provides a good body with carbonation.

Overall, a decent export stout, good flavor, decent body, weak aroma. IMO, not Guinness's best.

L: 4.0 | S: 3.25 | T: 3.75 | F: 3.75 | O: 3.5 | Rating: 3.60

 

Ive been loving everything Ive had from them. How you doing anyway brother?