New Beer Weekend #32

Celebrating with my brother-in-law. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor (glioblastoma) over three years ago, and given 9-15 months to live. Well, he's still around and his latest MRI looks great! We are all very thankful.
I reviewed a sour yesterday, and will do the same today. This is Slush, from Prairie Artisan Ales. It is described as a sour ale with strawberries, raspberries, lemon, and lime. ABV is 6.1%.
A dark pink color with a light pink, rapidly disappearing head.
Sweet fruit aroma.
Taste of strawberry and raspberry.
Slightly tart.
Not fruity enough, not tart enough.

 

They had a half dozen or so offerings at my bottle shop in Northern Virginia. I grabbed one to try, and while I forget which, I know it wasn't the one @Roguer reviewed. Maybe I'll share one with the GF later tonight and give our opinions. Not exactly like old time, @Roguer - but similar, I guess

 

Gotta say, three months probably didn't do you any favors on that one. When I lived in SoCal, that was probably the everyday beer I drunk the most, often within a week of canning. Fresh, it's a bright, lovely beer from beginning to end. A little flummoxed by the low-ish score on mouthfeel; I always found it to be really zippy and full. Hopefully someday you'll be able to experience a fresh can. (Or, even better, a pour at the source, along with the best BBQ Chicken nachos I've ever had!)

 

A surprise beer run by the my wife yielded this fine brew from Garnerville, NY.

Pint can, package date of 9/4/20. Extra pale ale...”bright & snappy citrus”.

Pours a hazy yellow straw with a creamy white head, moderately laces the glass.

Nose is citrus forward, grapefruit and orange rind with a grassy hop presence.

Flavor is simple...citrus rind bitterness and lemon zest up front, giving way to a floral hop flavor that sees you to a crisp finish.

Light on the palate. Carbonated appropriately for the style. Mild lingering bitterness on the aftertaste.

Overall, I really enjoy this. That being said, I would really like to sample some a little bit fresher to see if the hop profile comes through a little differently. After having a taste of spring here within the last week, this is exactly what I wanted. I’m no authority on interpretations of style, but I do find this to be a good one. Worth a try if you’re into pale ales.

Cheers BA’s!!

 

Boulevard Imperial Cask Cuvée Imperial Stout, 13.8% ABV. Pours thick and extremely dark brown, with a ring of brown head that left no lacing. Nose is wine, bourbon, dark fruit, tobacco, vanilla, and chocolate. Taste follows, strong chocolate and wine prevailing, quite sweet, lightly bitter, with chocolate aftertaste. Excellent dry mouthfeel from the wine, overall world-class. Very complex, evolving as it warms.

4.61/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

My new highest-rated Boulevard, though barely edging out Rye On Rye Maple. Really incredible, as complex as Abyss. I usually just buy new-to-me singles to review, but I'll try to get a pack of this.

 

Phase Three Pressed: Coffee & Hazelnut Imperial Porter. This can is a touch over a year old. Their Pressed series of imperial coffee porters are always on point and I don’t expect anything less with this one.

Pours like motor oil into the glass. Pitch black color with a finger of dark mocha, reddish-tinted head that dissipates surpirsingly slow for a 12% beer. 4.25

Aroma is definitely reminiscent of Nutella with the coffee more in the background. There’s a bright hazelnut note that doesn’t come off artificial and loads of dark and even some milk chocolate. The chocolate presence is almost like fudge. The coffee presence I’m sure has decreased due to age, but what is there isn’t acrid or green pepper like I can get in other aged coffee beers. Caramel, nougat, and roasted malts round out the aroma. 4.5

Taste definitely follows the aroma. This is almost like Nutella flavored coffee if there was ever such a thing. Big Ferrero Rocher vibes on this one with the enormous hazelnut and chocolate presence. Crazy that they can get that much chocolate in a beer purely from the malts. The coffee is a little more present in the taste than in the aroma. Milk chocolate ganache, bright roasted hazelnut, bittersweet chocolate chip, dark chocolate fudge, coffee, caramel, roasted malt, slight vanilla, light nondescript fruitiness. It’s sweet, but there’s a slight touch of alcohol on the finish actually dries out the beer a bit. 4.75

Full body with a dense, silky, creamy feel. Low carbonation which achieves that soft, silky feel. Drinks like a big thick pastry stout rather than a porter. 4.5

This is yet another great addition to the Pressed series. Probably top 3 for me in the series along with the maple and vanilla variants. It’s not even about the coffee in this one, it’s the awesome hazelnut and chocolate presence that mimics Ferrero Rocher chocolates. Shaun at Phase Three is a wizard when it comes to dark beers and this beer is evidence of that. 4.5
Score: 4.59

 

That beer used to be released by them every February in bombers. I always made it a point to grab a few every year. That beer single-handedly got me in to hoppy Ambers. I agree, it’s awesome! Really happy they brought it back.

 

Troegs Grand Cacao - it's nice to see a new year-round Stout in the mix, as I just don't think that there are enough (well at least maybe new ones; what is out there is enjoyable). Pours a large head that leaves a nice lacing. Carbonation looks and tastes minimal. Smell has the chocolate going on but something else in the mix, almost a little Lager-ish. Taste is soft and a little thinner than I expected but good, nice chocolate notes and some balance and not overly sweet at all. Opens up as it warms and pretty good, I would gladly drink this one again and recommended.

Hops: Galena
Grain: Pilsner, Munich, Caramel, Chocolate, Special B, Roasted Barley, Oats
Yeast: House Ale
ABV: 6.5%
https://troegs.com/beer/grand-cacao/

 

I was on the verge of grabbing a Welly out of the fridge, as I still haven't tried it yet, but seeing as how @Roguer just reviewed it, I pivoted to another Fox Farm beer. This one is Bower, their Kolsch style ale. I could have sworn that I've had this before, but if so, I definitely didn't review it or leave any digital footprint to reflect that I did, so maybe this is my first time?

Overall, this was a good beer that is pretty on point for the style. Very easy drinking, which is what it should be.

look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mostly clear, golden straw color with two fingers of foamy white head. The head receded quickly at first, but the last half inch hung around for a while. I did not wait for it to completely go away before proceeding. Aroma is grainy with light fruit aromas. Taste is a nice balance of malt with some light bitterness. Dry and crisp. Medium bodied. Crisp and clean.

 

The Feds and the State accepted my return, so beer it is.
Goose Island Prop Day is the annual (usually) celebration promoting (that's what it needs) the Bourbon County Stout release. I entered the raffle and won. This one came with the Proprietor's bottles along with the stemless glass.
Myster8 ?
Goose was pretty coy about this beer. I assume it was another experiment used to fill old bottles.


The "?" is not on the bottle. It is on a clear label.(If you care. Interesting to me. Obvious, as I thought about it.)
The back label merely identifies a barrel aged ale with coconut, and indicates that it develops in the bottle up to 2 years. I'm never going to know.

The review:
16.9oz bottle drink by 30OCT22 A Prop Day 'extra'.
Poured into the stemless shows a black body with cola highlights at the edge. No head develops. The accumulating bubbles dissolve away leaving only white floaties that I will resign myself to believe are tiny coconut remains.

A smooth, warm, pleasant bourbon aroma dominates what becomes a coconut and cocoa inspired flavor in a silky, creamy, full presentation.

Restraint is the answer to this mystery. An interesting foil to the generally aggressive take on Prop flavors. Not too much coconut. Not too much chocolate. Not too much bourbon, in fact I would prefer more booze.

An easy sipper.
Slainte!

 

Happy Sunday, NBW! Here's Double Grazing Clouds from Mountains Walking.

16oz can served in a big snifter. Canned on 12/21/20. Bought it from Tavour.

Pours very hazy whitish-yellow with a small dense head, moderately carbonated. Smell is fairly mild, mostly unripe tropical fruit and citrus pith.

Taste is brighter, tropical juice, pineapple core. Maybe some melon rind.

Mouthfeel is medium, almost creamy. Overall, pretty good, but not blown away.

 

Stranger Than Chocolate & Coconut and it is. This is a 5.5% Porter.
3.85/5 rDev -3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a fridge-temp can dated 12/22/20 to a tulip.
Body is black with brown edges. Medium head of multi-sized dark-tan bubbles, but it is fleeting and laces minimally. Glass tilts yield a brief oily bubble cling.
Coconut aroma is strong with an aged cherry background.
Taste is similar. Its funny I get the advertised coconut but the chocolate (bitter if there is any) is overrun by a sweetish aged cherry flavor. Tastes like some cakes I have had.
Body is light, but oily and coating.
Not to shabby, but certainly something you need to be in the mood for.

Here is a just-poured foam shot with a small portion of the can art.

 

With Fox Farm specifically calling that beer a "best bitter," I think you are right in moving it out of the ESB category. Bitter has the following subcategories: ordinary, best, and strong (with the ABV increasing respectively). I'm not one to think of ESB as an actual style, but rather, a particular beer - Fuller's ESB... which is a "strong bitter" rather than a "best bitter."

 

Alright, one of my favorite parts of the week is here! Starting off with Finback's new Test Pattern IPA, a 6.6% hoppy beer with Zappa, Azacca, and Mosaic hops, canned on 1/27/21.



Test Pattern pours a yellow-gold color with a fully-opaque body, and it's crowned with a very well-formed head of rocky white foam that leaves behind some intense lace patterns as it fades from the initial three fingers to a finger-and-a-half. Great legs and retention here, for sure.

I am pretty familiar with Azacca (not usually a big fan, but it can surprise me at times) and extremely familiar with Mosaic (duh), but I don't know very much about Zappa hops. I had a beer from Orono Brewing about a month and a half ago that utilized this new varietal, and I recall from research I did for that beer that Zappa is apparently known for notes of spice, mint, passion fruit, and pine which seems rather random and not very cohesive. Makes sense considering it's (ostensibly) named after a musician who couldn't really be pinned down to one style or genre. Anyway, the nose here is giving off a lot of bright lemon, mango, grapefruit, gooseberry, and some light spruce-type dankness. Interesting for sure, and I'm definitely looking forward to sipping it.

Though this is almost exactly four weeks old, it's tasting pretty dang fresh in my opinion. Some nice tangelo and grapefruit rind, freshly-peeled lemons, and hints of wheat-like malt that provides a decent-enough backdrop for the hops. This doesn't really punch me in the face with hops, but some of the subtle notes of Mosaic (including just a hint of dank as noted in the nose) are doing good work here. This is pretty refreshing for a Finback IPA, as they usually tend to be kinda heavy and weird, even for the lower-ABV ones. Quenching hop flavors and a bright temperament lend this good drinkability, and I think it sits firmly in the "above average" category when it comes to these guys' output.

This will be my only normal beer for the day... up next I am doing a face-off between two beers with Oreos in the recipe. One is a stout, one is a sour. Will either be good? Who knows? Beer is dead.

 

Afternoon NBW. On a quick side note. Is it me or has this thread taken a nose dive recently? (Participation-wise to be clear) Starting earlier than usual for me. Strange too because I think I had my last beer last night around 2am. Got my excercise in and my chores done so its time to listen to some, and then play some music. First a new brew from Proclamation. Dave Witham recently passed away from cancer and an icon in the industry was lost way too soon. The beer is named Chip Mendelson - Daves alter ego- Im assuming at events, parties etc.
So this DIPA is named as such.
Pours a very hazy almost turbid orange with an eggshell colored head that has fair retention that recedes to a thin cap leaving some clinging clouds as it recedes.
Aroma is strong citrus- lots of grapefruit and tangerine. Then cantaloupe, passionfruit/guava, light pine and even a touch of estery banana and bubblegum.
Taste follows with lots of citrus, some tropicals, little sweetness and a very good dose of bitterness from grapefruit and orange pith. As the beer opens up more of those fruity yeast esters appear. Theres a ton of flavor here. Classic Proclamation.
Feel is full and thick without dragging it down. Its creamy in the mouth yet a tingling remains with hop oils on the tongue, drying out. Its very lightly carbonated and aggressively bitter. 8.7% shows no signs.
Like the man himself,
Its a big bold beast of a beer that makes no attempt to be shy. They crammed this beer. Delicious and a fitting tribute.
Cheers

 

I’ve been keeping an eye out for this one. I know it’s around. Just not at the local store I go to. I plan to give it a try when I do see it

 

Finally getting into this one sent from @2beerdogs in the last BIF. Not a style I frequent, but glad to have had the chance at this,very tart, funky, peach, sour apple, some acidity on the tongue, dry and bitter finish, love it, thanks Derek!

 

Ok, before I maybe get into Hubbard's Cave, I decided to redeem my local-ish first reviews with the latest Sam Adams Dogfish Head beer - a[nother] dip into the hazy ocean by them. The GF had a Hazy-O before I grabbed her a refill (so she enjoyed it) and decided to grab one myself...


So, a hazy beer with oat, including milk - does oat milk provide anything like lactose? I'd largely assume not, so I think that it's more marketing than anything. As a side note, I've just recently tried oat milk, and I might buy it again, but I can't see where it would add to a beer.

Ok, so it has a look of a New England-ish hazy IPA, but with a nice head. Nose is actually fairly citrusy - tangerine/orange - off the bat. There's a hint of rotting citrus bitterness. I will take an aside to say I don't dislike this note and have no better way to explain it than with a negative connotation. Soft fruit notes start to come out as well.

So I find this a decently interesting smell against the somewhat cardboard background I get from the oat (which I get in many a NE IPA). The feel is lighter than what I usually get from a top-tier cloudy IPA producer, but still a solid medium. It isn't a very soft beer in the same comparison, being crisper and allowing the carbonation to have some influence.

Taste is actually like an old school APA with some citrus pith and a little pine. It does present some tropical aspects to me, but they are what divert this towards new school rather than them driving the beer with some old school aspects. The oat notes bring a little dry bread, nutty, nearing woody aspect in the end notes - something oddly granola-esque.

So I wasn't sure what to expect from this - but I am pleasantly surprised. I think the foray of the Grateful Dead influenced beers helped lead to this beer. I think I might enjoy a side-by-side of this with something from the American Beauty series (my term, at least).