New Beer Sunday (Week 786)

Finally time for beer #4 from the Guinness anniversary box. (And my St. Patrick's day photoshopping...)

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
ABV: 7.5%
IBU: 47



Deep dark color topped by a tall thick root-beer float of a head which leaves disconnected strings of lacing. Head retention is great, forming a mound-cone top.

Aroma is sweet, dark fruits, molasses, roasted malts, coffee, chocolate. Rich.

Feel is smooth with a medium-full body.

Taste repeats the aroma, a rich interplay of molasses, coffee, chocolate, roasted malts and a tannin bitterness. The finish is dry, with the tannin and bitterness lingering. Despite the overall dry finish, the aftertaste has a touch of sweetness returning to the mix.

Overall, a great, robust stout. Watch the alcohol, though, because it is hidden well, but will sneak up on you. Best of the box.

L: 4.25 | S: 4.0 | T: 4.0 | F: 3.75 | O: 4.0 | Rating: 3.99

 

Tonight's beer is Ganache from Allagash.


I swear it had a bubbly head on it. Very dark, almost black.

Sour raspberry smell is dominant. It is backed up by subtle Allagash Brett funkiness. A bit of chocolate, a little red wine, dark fruit.

Raspberry jam dominates the taste with a little chocolate that seems to accumulate. Very little Brett character, mostly sour. Seems to be a clash of character here. Is it a sour or a BDA? The BDA is losing the fight.

Feel is medium, mild carbonation, and a salty note comes in that doesn't belong.

As an Allagash junkie, I find this disappointing. More like how do we recover a screw up rather than created by intent. Feeling a 3.5-ish territory, honestly.

 

Well, the sun is out in Vancouver and suburbs. After a lovely walk on the trail around the end of Burrard Inlet, time for a well earned sip. The Bakery, is a lovely new brewery opened on Canada Day 2019 in Port Moody, BC We were there for the opening and is now a regular haunt. Popped in today to find a fresh batch of sours. One particular sour seemed quite popular and right up my alley, as it was matured in a Rum barrel ( and I love rum too). So, here are the details:
"Aged in a rum barrel, this unique amber sour is brewed with molasses to emphasize the rich burnt sugar notes of dark rum. The sour base provides a citrus backbone that pairs perfectly with the rum." Couldn't agree more. ABV 5.4%, a single barrel release. Lovely amber colour, not too sour on the palate and definate notes of rum and a very small hint of sweetness. Unfortunately, I got the last two bottles. One to go....
IMG-0193.jpg

 

Finishing my night with something big, The Bruery White Chocolate. This is something I had been on the fence about buying given the high price but a store near me dropped the price to $5 so I picked it up. With it being 3 years old I wasn’t sure how the vanilla and cacao would hold up, but those flavors are still in there and it is a great beer.

4.46/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle, 2017, poured into a tulip

A- A clear amber with a two finger off white head.

S- Bourbon, caramel, chocolate, some vanilla, hints of stone fruits.

T- Caramel, chocolate, bourbon, some vanilla, stone fruits, touch of oak.

M- Smooth, medium to full body, chewy.

O- Even at 3 years old it still has nice white chocolate flavors. The alcohol is well hidden, surprisingly easy to drink.

Cheers NBS!

 

I agree. It must be daylight savings time, cold weather, full moon, who knows. I have been posting IPA beers with citrus hops, grapefruit flavors and light colors as my personal favorite. But, after a friend brought over "boot tread" from ALDI last week, (a rip of Fat Tire), I have been buying it and Fat Tire. I am guessing as temperatures rise, I may reach for a more citrus flavor, but for now, I am doing an amber ale!

 

Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass canned on 3/2/20. Pours a very attractive hazy yellow with a 2 finger sticky white head that leaves a wall of lace with excellent retention. 4.5

Smell is tangerine, guava, pineapple, and apricot just strait up juicy. 4.5

Taste follows tangerine, pineapple, guava, and apricot really balanced and delicious. 4.5

Mouthfeel is above average, perfect gentle carbonation, a tad sticky but not dry, and 6.7% really crushable.4.75

Overall a friend gave me this and I knew nothing about it, might be the best beer of the weekend. Just a great NEIPA. 4.5

 

Neshaminy Creek Brewing - From London With Love. A one off hazy IPA per the brewery. I'm curious if smaller breweries in other parts of the US avoid defining their heavy IPAs as NEIPAs. None of the local breweries use NEIPA as a style, although that's essentially what they are. Anyway.....

This was fruity with dominant citrus orange aromas and flavor. 8% abv was well hidden. Feel was not as creamy/silky smooth as most hazy IPAs, but it was tasty and enjoyable nonetheless. Cheers!

 

Nope.

 

You need to send her out for beer !!

 

My pleasure, and I'm really glad you enjoyed it! That series is about to enter its third year, and each entry thus far has been fantastic in their own way. They are the local beers that I look forward to the most these days.

 

Split a can of Southern Tier Blackwater Series Nitro Hot Cocoa Imperial Milk Stout with a friend. Canned on 12/11/19, 10% ABV. Opening it caught me off guard, no widget but it acted like there was one at first and for a brief second thought that it was going to spray out ha ha. Poured super silky smooth and creamy, took a minute for it to settle. Very good taste and exactly as described: hot Cocoa with marshmallows. Solid beer!

 

Today’s new to me beer comes courtesy of @Ocalafox who brought beers home from his recent trip up north, to Florida recently - thanks!!

First up, Kettleheads’ “#Cold Yellow And Hoppy”, DDH w/Simcoe, Tilton, NH:



Pours Opaque almost cloudy deep gold/peach juice color; one finger of mixed bubbles; good cap retention; solid ring; soapy lace. Cat pissy/earthy pineapple hops nose; onion; earthy onion/cat piss nose gets stronger as liquid warms. Taste is semi sweet malt base, no real bitterness to speak of; pineapple, guava; onion as beer warms. Soft fluffy creamy mouthfeel from oats and lactose additions; lite hop burn; moderate minus carbonation; juicy and filling; a lot of oaty fullness in mouth; no warmth. Overall, tics the boxes for NEIPA look and feel; astringent, but no hop bitterness taste; creamy juice box pineapple finish; somewhat better tasting than many other NEIPA style offerings I’ve tried, but the aroma is off putting as is the taste...I probably would not drink again.

4.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 3.5

 

That one sounds amazing!!! And Icarus wasn't on my radar.

 

I love your pics!

 

Welcome Back!

 

Dang $5. I'm not surprised the flavors held up. I've had it with a few years on it, and it was decadent. But $5 would make that taste downright divine.

 

Indeed. I hope to hear from Phil soon. And maybe get another handshake with him this summer.

 

Thanks!