New Beer Sunday (Week 791)

Way to step up and nice job, but can go back to 2 BAs opening this on alternate weekends, please. Poured into a 16 oz thin pint glass no clue when it was canned, but thinking late February of 2020. Pours a slightly cloudy yellow with a bunch of floaties and a 2 finger sticky white head that leaves a bunch of this streaks of lace with solid retention. Sorry floaties is a turn off these days. 3.75

Smell is mango, tangerine, apricot, and grapefruit rind. 3.75

Taste follows very muted mango, tangerine, apricot, and a little hint of grapefruit, nothing bad but still these days I would expect more and better. 3.75

Mouthfeel is bigger than medium, slightly soft and sticky not dry, and goes down easy for 8%. 4

Overall 5 years ago this would have been a better score, but Foley Brothers needs to get caught up. You can have haze without the sperm looking floaties and for 8% the flavor has little going for me. Nothing bad, just really average these days. 3.75

 

A-Pours a nice straw golden color with a nice head and lacing
A-Aroma has nice citrus hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a pleasant citrus flavor
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A good IPA

 

Goooood morning, NBSers, decided to crack open an upslope "local" brewery from Frisco, CO this morning. Outer Range Brewing's In the Deep Steep DIPA - their usual 9% but this one is DDH with Motueka hops. An amazing beer, for more, I'll share my points and notes below. Cheers!

Outer Range In The Deep Steep DDH Motueka (9%)
4.34/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Note: NOT RETIRED - part of a rotating DIPA series, this one was (April 2020) DDH Motueka hops
L - an unfiltered, not murky juice, look; fantastic head, lacing, great smuggled in weight of 9% - ouch. But smooth.
S - tropical resin aromas of pineapple, citrus, grapefruit, and even some grape-y notes to the nose here. Motueka can give too many tropical notes that when handled poorly can remind me of mango, but that is not evident here. Good dry hopping.
T - Where this batch of In the Deep Steep shines - well done, ORB, maybe the best tasting bitter-yet-tropical DIPA I've had in 5-6 months? Smooth as Navaja, but much brighter in its Pacific hops rendition. Fabulous tropical fluff here, but with good back palate bitterness.
F - Fabulous - not overly carbonated, smooth, amazing mouthfeel - becomes slightly richer, sweeter, but not hot or boozy, as it warms. Amazing finish.
O - maybe the best DIPA I've had from ORB.

 

I visit my local farmers market on Saturday's. Only 10 people allowed in the store, mask and gloves on. The one that I visit is close to Mayflower Brewing and I swung by there. They have a walk up window and will mix samples. I have some fresh Mayflower to review coming up.

My review of the week is hardly local, I was supposed to visit Yellowstone and Grand tetons National parks later this month. Was going to visit Melvin brewing on this trip. Those plans have been....indefinitely postponed. Sunrise is local and over Plymouth Bay .MY NBS is Citradamus by Melvin

4.3/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Can poured into a pint glass

Two finger yellowish Ricky foam cap, good retention, excellent lacing - look at this LACING!

Aroma is citrus, orange, tangerine, Orange pith, whiff of lemon, whiff of lime

Taste is citrus, pine hops, orange pith

Good Frothy sudsing , pine hop taste lingers

Good beer

 

Poured into a 13 oz Teku glass canned on 4/3/20. Pours a hazy orange yellow with a 2 finger sticky white head that leaves thin streaks of lace as it slowly settles. 4.25

Smell is ripe melon, guava, herbal slightly earthy, peach, and apricot. 4

Taste follows once again some herbal thing that is pleasant but that is the only way I can describe it, cantaloupe, peach, guava, lemon, and apricot a little bitterness but nicely balanced. 4

Mouthfeel is a solid medium, gentle carbonation, sticky not dry, and at 6.8% ABV goes down very easy. 4.25

Overall this is another tasty NEIPA from this rotating hop series. $11 for the 4 pack and really well made. 4

 

Ocelot Trouble No More

A-Pours a murky golden color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has slight citrus hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a slight citrus flavor and weird after taste which I think must be from the flaked barley used in the brewing process
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A decent IPA

ps-I forgot to identify the previous beer, it was Ocelot Nebulous.

 

I am happy to be drinking this 2020 BA Darkness along with @MNAle today. The appearance is black with a four-finger tan head. The smell is bourbon, raisins, chocolate, dark fruit, and cherry. The taste is raisins, chocolate, bourbon, dark fruit, cherry, vanilla, and marshmallow. The feel is thick and full, and leaves a nice bourbon flavor lingering. This BA stout has so much going on. It has a complex flavor that is quite unique. I really like Darkness, but this version is so much more vibrant. I had the 2019 version yesterday, and I believe they are quite similar. Both of the beers are incredible! I usually pick up one bottle per year, but I still see it on the shelves locally. I may have to get a few more bottles.

 

It's been over a month now since I've gone to work, or had to put gas in my car. It's important to find a bit of positivity when there is so much negativity and uncertainty in the world right now. Last week in this thread I mentioned that my wife and I lost a close friend, and just wanted to say thanks to everyone that offered their condolences or reached out personally. It was a tough loss, but the world continues to turn and we're finding ways of moving on even if that loss lingers. It was very surreal to watch a memorial service at home on the couch in gym shorts and a hoodie. On the other hand, it was great that so many of his friends, family, and coworkers could be a part of it thanks to technology. And it was nice to be able to sip some homemade limoncello that was gifted to us by the deceased during the service in his honor. I'm sure he would have wanted it that way.

@JackHorzempa mentioned the importance of drinking locally right now. I made a run around the city on Friday to pick up some more rations for the fridge. In keeping with finding the positives, it was nice to be able to make my purchases before leaving the house. Each brewery had their orders ready to go with no contact at all. On the bright side for many locals, they're selling out of their beers even more quickly than usual. Pittsburgh had at least 2 releases this week that sold out in minutes. It's nice to see that the local scene here is supporting the breweries to this degree. I'm thinking that one of the bottles I picked up with be reviewed later today for this thread. However, the NBS BIF has given me so many new beers to try that I have to mention some of them for my first post today.

Yesterday was a fairly chilly day by late April standards, but today will be quite a bit warmer. I'm slowly transitioning into drinking beers that make me think of warm weather, but last night was not the night for that. I decided to savor my supply of stouts just a bit longer and wallow in the dark depths of some expected and unexpected flavors.

First stop(thanks to @2beerdogs) was Bottle Logic's Pie Vs. Pie, an sweet stout conditioned on pecans and cacao nibs. The pour was gorgeous with a lingering thick head. The aromas were of big chocolate notes and roasty nuttiness. The chocolate did not translate as impressively to the taste, but the pecans did. There was also a touch of molasses in there for good measure. It was sweet for sure, but I expected a much more cloying sweetness. This was the perfect way to start the night, but is not something I could drink on a regular basis.

I'd usually switch things up at this point, but I received a can from @FBarber that I've been very excited to try. This was my first taste of anything from Spiteful Brewing, and Barrel Aged Malevolence Chocolate Caliente was a hell of an introduction. The listing on BA says that it's "only" 10.5%, but my can was labeled 14%. Thankfully it came in a 12oz. can. This was a bourbon barrel aged RIS with chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, an chiles. I wasn't sure quite what to expect, but this ended up being one of my favorite uses of chiles in a beer that I've had. They were perceptible on the nose and palate without being overwhelming. The chocolate was rich and luxurious. The bourbon was also present throughout, but was in check enough that even my wife enjoyed the sips she had(and she hates bourbon). A bit thicker viscosity would have made this damn near perfect. Excellent beer!

4.27/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Look - The pour appeared thick and was very dark with a two finger tan head.
Smell - All roast and cocao, very pleasant.
Taste - The big chocolate notes in the aroma did not translate as substantially to the taste. The nuttiness of the pecans were there, as well as some molasses.
Feel - A moderately thick mouthfeel. For how sweet it was I didn't find it cloying on the palate.
Overall - A good sweet stout that achieves a nice viscosity without employing lactose. I enjoyed the nuttiness, but would have liked just a touch more cocao.

4.56/5 rDev -0.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Look - Very little head with almost zero retention, and no signs of much carbonation. Opaque black in color.
Smell - Chocolate, bourbon, with underlying notes of cinnamon and vanilla and subtle chiles.
Taste - An almost perfect blending of Mexican chocolate and bourbon. The chiles were quite noticeable, but did not overwhelm in terms of flavor or heat. The same can be said of the bourbon.
Feel - Mouthfeel was a touch thin on the palate but enjoyable.
Overall - The aroma and flavors were so big and well balanced that I found myself focusing almost purely on those aspects. I would have enjoyed a bit more body on the palate, but that in no way detracted from my enjoyment. This is among the best beers I've had to employ chile peppers.

Hope everyone enjoys their Sunday.

 

Still way too early for me, especially for such a big beer. (I usually enjoy these kinds of beers as "settle in for the evening" beers.) I'll probably start with something lighter at, or after, lunch. So, I'll join you with this one a bit later - mid afternoon, perhaps. Save some!

Anyone else want to join in on an informal "2020 BA Darkness" tasting today?

 

I did a trade once for a number of collabs that Outer Range released. There was one each done with RAR, Bearded Iris, and Dancing Gnome. They were all IPA's and each one was killer. I've got to try more of their work.

 

Ocelot Sidewalk

A-Pours a hazy golden color with a nice head and lacing
A-Aroma has nice citrus and red berry hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a pleasant citrus and red berry flavor
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A good IPA

 

Ocelot Italics

A-Pours a nice straw golden color with a nice head and lacing, and a few minute floaties
A-Aroma has nice lemongrass and floral hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a nice lemongrass and floral flavor with a little peppery hint (perhaps due to the floaties)
M-A light bodied very well carbonated beer
O-A good Italian styled Pilsner (peppery floaties!?!)

 

Definitely agree on the 2 person opening. Everyones done an excellent job so far but there was something about that that now seems missing.

 

Good day NBS!



Spring is finally here and this sour makes me dream of summer which is practically right around the corner. This is quite refreshing and would have been great to enjoy outside. The aromas and flavors match with apricot, lemon and light wheat/oak/vinegar. Where this beer really shines is the mouthfeel. As soon as it’s poured you can see plenty of tiny carbonation bubbles racing upwards (I wish I could upload a video not just a picture). These tingle the tongue as well, and along with a light body and tartness make this downright mouthwatering. Cheers!

 

Ocelot Helles Awaits

A-Pours a very nice clear golden color with a nice head and lacing
A-Aroma has nice lemongrass and floral hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a nice lemongrass, light malty and floral flavor
M-A light bodied very well carbonated beer
O-A good Keller Lager

 

Staying local, I picked up a couple crowlers and a growler from T or C Taproom here in Las Cruces yesterday. First on the list is their Irish Red, 5.6% ABV and canned 4/12/2020. Pre-quarantine I had their imperial version, and was looking forward to this.
A garnet colored beer. There is a small light tan head with a bit of lace.
Not much aroma. Some fruit and sweet malt.
Not much taste either. A little caramel, some late hops.
Light-bodied.
A very ordinary beer.

 

A new beer today is Rolling in Clouds, an IPA from Finback
This very fresh can pour, opaquely cloudy, pale yellow hosts a 1cm foam cap. The aroma includes orange, pineapple and mango. The flavor matches the nose, is quite rich, and includes a minty note. The brew is a bit sweet. The hop bitterness is moderate. The mouthfeel is extraordinarily smooth. This is very good.