New Beer Weekend #10

Uh, MY, Cards made the playoffs, and are going to disappoint some Sandy Ego Daddy's.

 

I've got a few pages to wade through, but figured I'd post my offering first.

New beer to me (and I think BA) today comes from Berryessa Brewing in Winters, CA. Station 26 is a 5% APA brewed as a fundraiser for CA Firefighters. 100% of proceeds will be donated.

For those unfamiliar with Northern CA, the LNU Complex fire encompassed Lake Berryessa over the past few weeks. Acreage burned over 375K. Image source: Napa Valley Register



Can dated 09/23/20 into a tumbler, gifted from a friend.

L: Bright golden with 2+ fingers of medium-density frothy white head with great retention and left mixed sticky lacing.

S: Floral and herbal forward, subtle sweet bread in the background.

T: Follows the nose but with more prominence of the malt backbone. Finishes with limited bitterness, mild acidity, and hint of sweetness that lingers.

F: Low-medium bodied with moderate carbonation, slick on the tongue and swallow.

O: While the label calls this an APA, it seems more like an English Pale. Worth noting there's a beer by the same name in the BA database that's under that style (though at 4% ABV). So maybe this is simply a bit of liberty exercised by the marketing peeps? Though the ABV difference leaves me inclined to feel otherwise. Nevertheless it's an OK beer but a great cause.



BA Score = 3.62, rev = 0.0

 

I´ve just realized the three beers I did in this thread are 4.5%.

Beat that.

 

Up to my 4th new beer today San Juan Yachter’s Daughter, thanks @beertunes! I might have been sitting on this a long (about 6 months) but it is still tasty and doesn’t seem past it’s prime, but the look might be impacted by that.
3.99/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thank you beertunes for this
16 oz can poured into a pint glass

A- A slightly hazy golden copper with a small white head.

S- Pale malts, slightly sweet, hints of citrus, some earthy hops.

T- Pale malts, some corn-like sweetness, citrus, earthy.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- A nice easy drinking Helles, good balance.

Cheers!

 

Actually everyone is drinking beers from @beertunes, am I missing something?

 

Mrs O and I have company tonight (her best friend and her best friend’s husband who happens to be my beer sensai), so no reviews, just know that we enjoyed four lagers this evening, two from Suarez and two from Fox Farm, all new to us, and all from @Roy_Hobbs. Here is one of the four.

 

That is one ROCKY cap.

 

Hills Farmstead Marie
Courtesy of @Roy_Hobbs
N- well, I wish I could tell you but my sniffing skills lack the refinement for this. It smelled like beer!
A- For an unfiltered beer it is remarkably transparent, lovely amber color with white head and lacing.
T- Very mild(?) compared to my normal choices, and surprisingly flavorful. Distinct malts up front with the slightest bite in the swallow.
F- crisp and clean, very crushable and refreshing.
O- Wow, who’d think lagers could be tasty? (Rhetorically asked) I was surprised how much I enjoyed it, now I need to try some others so I can actually rank them.

Happy Sunday all!

 

Closing out the weekend here. Sat thru the Patriots game, trying to get interested in the Celtics game. Not really into it.

So three this weekend and I am closing with a good one.



The can says stout. BA says BSDA. I think BA is incorrect. It would be unlikely of Allagash to produce a beer and totally miss the mark for the style, especially a BSDA. So I will go with stout where this beer succeeds in fine fashion.

Pours dark coffee color, not quite black. Some faint red highlights against the light. Rocky tan head that falls to a massive island and and perimeter ring lying at glass' edge.

Smells immediately of roasted malts followed by coffee and some cocoa. A bit of vanilla and some floral and herbaceous hops.

The taste is pleasing to me. Strong dark malts, just a little cocoa and some bitterness. Almost a vegetal and more herbaceous hop note than floral. It blooms as it warms, the flavors building in strength but remaining in harmony. I get a bit of charred smokiness on the finish that I enjoy. As it lingers, I am getting an impression of Swiss Miss hot cocoa - with marshmallows. Not strong, just there on the palate and in the nose after the swallow.

Medium bodied, a little slick, carbonated like a stout. Although there a slight aftertaste, it is a clean finisher, nice dryness. Slight alcohol warmth.

This is a good one, and I will call it a stout and score accordingly. For one thing, I do notice I write more when I enjoy a beer! This one is worthy, so if you see it while it is around give it a try. An easy 4-plus in my book.

 

Good evening NBW
12 hour work day complete and now to finish up my Taxman Brewing reviews for the weekend

Declaration - billed as a farmhouse double india pale ale on the hard to read can label
The review:
12oz canned 8/24/20 ( 34 days ago) poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at fridge temp 9% ABV 45 IBU. The beer pours hazy peach colored amber with sticky off white head. The head recedes to a thin cap and leaves spider web lacing 360 around the glass. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring bubblegum, candied orange, grapefruit, peach, pineapple etc. The taste is barely sweet honey & biscuit malt with a big fruit salad punch before an earthy moderately bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, great Belgian DIPA with the bubblegum yeast notes woven seamlessly into the fruity hops.

I would choose this beer 10 out of 10 times over the other gimmicky beers I reviewed Saturday. Cheers all!

 

Since the brewer calls this beer a stout, if you suggest an edit to the beer listing, and provide evidence of what the brewer calls it, the edit will most likely be approved and the entry changed.

 

Plank-Bier Heller Weizenbock
3.75/4.25/4.25/4.25/4.25/4.25
Overall 4.22
16oz canned 8-3-20, opened 9-27-20.
Look
1 finger off-white head of dense foam. Falls quickly to 1/4" cap and holds.
Orange-gold and fully opaque. No lace (could be my mug).
Smell
Banana and clove - spicy yeast. Fruity, ester-driven aroma with a subtle honey and bready malt base underneath.
Taste
Spicy clove, banana, fruit - plum / apricot.
Light sour flash. Full of flavor - tasty beer.
Feel
Full body, medium-high carbonation.
Lengthy finish, full of fruit, spice, dough...ends up off-dry.
Overall
Very Good to Outstanding.

 

Yes. NBS BIFs. Next one will be in the spring, Easter-ish.

 

Thought this would be fun cause of the American vs German Oktoberfest talk today in controversial opinions thread...



ramstein Oktoberfest...
Somehow I found this in distro not sure how the store got it but was happy they did so I could try.

A really pretty beer dark amber and crystal clear almost has a red hue to it too in person. Poured super vigorous carb, was almost fizzy carbonation head dissipated instantly.

Smell is toffee/sweet and almost like a popcorn thing going on. Taste follows at first it is very rich and roasty but turns into a subtle lingering sweetness. Mouthfeel is pretty nice, smooth but the carb is a little intense in my opinion. Finishes dry and clean but the lingering sweetness works agains that finish.

Overall, a very pretty beer that has a rich deep flavor to it. Good quality beer but not a personal favorite of the style.

 

I am just a casual visitor and might get lost in details...Anyway you seem to be the man! Nice beers too.

 

Ok, we have sent a Reinheitsgebot inspector over there. Please stay quiet and don´t tell anyone.

 

Round #2 and knock out punch

Stone Ruined Again TIPA
12oz can stamped RVA 07/30/20 ENJOY 11/27/20 poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at fridge temp 10.8% ABV. The beer pours mostly bright medium amber in color with light khaki head. The head recedes to a thin cap and leaves a little lacing. The aroma is mild caramel and piney hops. The taste is big caramel and big piney, resinous bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium plus bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. No obvious presence of the ABV. Overall, good TIPA, but excellent time machine to my early craft beer years. It's not overly complex, but that's okay by me.

There you have it. Cheers all!