New Beer Weekend #73

I have a Kvass from Jester King (I think) sitting on my shelf. I'll bring it up next month. We'll split it.

 

Nice to see that it didn’t disappoint. Cheers!!

 

Poured into a 16 oz snifter canned on my anniversary 10/13/21. Pours a very attractive milky yellow with a solid finger sticky white head that leaves thin streaks of lace, with nice retention. 4.5

Aroma cantaloupe, peach, mango, pineapple, and apricot. 4

Taste follows cantaloupe, peach, mango, pineapple, and apricot pretty well balanced. 4

Mouthfeel is a little above average, not sticky or dry, soft gentle carbonation, and at 10.2% you get a little hint of alcohol, but it still goes down rather easy. 4.5

Overall this is unique and pretty darn solid for me. Thanks @jzeilinger for this can. 4

 

Good day BAs! Back for today's entry into the NBS portion of NBW - thanks @jkblr for starting off the thread - that's what was missing from my previous post - and congratulations on hitting 114 styles! I'm stuck at 112 - may have to go back to England to pick up one and Japan for the other. But then, with the upcoming style realignment, it may be moot.

Anyway, today's NBS entry is another from @Roy_Hobbs and NBS BIF #14:




Steel Rail (2021) from Berkshire. Received from @Roy_Hobbs in BIF #14. 12 oz can. Stored at home at 38 degrees. Reviewed12/12/21. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Can stamped on bottom “BORN ON 08/24/21”. Served at 44.7 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 51.4 degrees.
Appearance – 3.
First pour – Pale Straw (SRM 2), clear. As the end of the can approaches, some sediment rises.
Body – Straw (SRM 3), Hazy. When rear-lite, translucent with many very tiny particles and much effervescence.
Head – Average (Maximum three cm, aggressive center pour), white, diminishing to a three to six mm undulating crown fed by effervescence and a thick complete cap with tiny rocks.
Lacing – Fair.
Aroma – 3.25 – Initially weak hoppiness, no malt, no yeast.
Flavor – 3.25 – Taste follows the nose but slightly grainy as well, no malt, no yeast. No ethanol (5.3 % ABV, according to website, NOT marked on container) taste or aroma. No gastric warming. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Some slightly bitter maltiness builds on the aftertaste.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium, watery, soft but lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.25 Not sure what makes this an “Extra Pale Ale” – certainly neither the aroma nor taste. Maybe it’s the unfiltered remaining yeast?

Rating 3.28, rDev -8.1% Thanks, Ross, for sending this, but it doesn't really do it for me.

 

Cool

 

I too enjoy this canned offering from Schell's. I wonder if the B & L Bar in New Ulm has it on tap? It's most definitely one of the lightest Doppelbocks I've ever had and curiously the ABV on the labels of the 6pk I got is 6.1%. Not that it really matters that much. The plot thickens....Cheers friend! Oh and we only got 8" of snow from that storm.

 

Good morning, NBW folks. Had my company holiday party last night and I am happy to report two things. I don't recall doing anything too foolish, and I actually recall the whole evening (keep your comments to yourself, @jvgoor3786).

So, this fine Sunday morn, I am having a small, yet expensive (if I recall) beer from the same brewery that our esteemed colleague @cavedave reviewed earlier - good to see a review from you, sir.

As I brought the bottle up, I noticed the name and thought to myself, "Dude, didn't you just have a big bottle of this?" So, yes, apparently I call myself "dude," and I did in fact have Florence earlier this week. However, this version is "aged in oak puncheons" (bottle conditioned since February of last year).

First thing I noted was difficulty removing the cap, and then this thing:

which loosened with a distinctly champagne pop that didn't scare away our typically skittish girl cat.

I then poured slowly, since I needed to split this little devil into two glasses to share, which yielded distinctly different appearances. Betting you can guess which one was the first pour. So a quick analysis of the two pours from the same bottle:


Appearance shown above, the scents of the first, clearer pour is a little more acidic and fruity, with light oak notes. The second pour has a little more oak with some yeast and funk replacing the bright acidity of the first pour. Small differences but notable, in my mind.

The first pour's oak profile is ever so slightly stronger in the taste than its nose portended. The reverse happens in the second pour, restoring the yang to the opening yin. The second pour is actually a little more earthy with muted fruit notes. The first pour is cleaner with a crisper tart note, but it isn't sour or even powerfully tart.

I am getting nectarine (so that carried through from my thoughts on basic Florence) with some soured white wine (that isn't vinegar yet) in the first pour. The same nectarine flavor is in the second pour, but is paired with some grapefruit slices (including peel).

So I gave the option to the GF, and she chose the first pour, saying the second pour "seems a little more bitter to me." Overall, for the price/volume, I enjoyed regular Florence more, and am not getting that the extra aging added much more that some tartness and wafts of oak. Dude,maybe having them side-by-side would have been a good idea.

 

Good Morning NBS/nbw and thanks to @jkblr for hosting this week.
Also great job getting to all the styles, quite an accomplishment.
To all those impacted by the recent storms, or sincere well wishes.
Todays offering is from our friends at Lost Nation Brewing.
This Czech style dark lager, is full in body and texture. Sweet and pleasantly dry.
I very much enjoyed this one

Temnota

Lager - European Dark | 7% ABV

Lost Nation Brewing
Morrisville, Vermont

4.19/5 rDev -2.8% | Average: 4.31
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16 oz can dated 10/27/21 into the test mug.
A - A dark mahagony color, testing the black / brown color border. A solid pour yields a frothy mocha cap.
Said cap is quick to exit. During the rest of the experience, carbonation assembles as a ring clinging to the glass perimeter.
S - Dark malts, a hint of roast, some very delicate char, Earthy woodsy hop aspect.
T - Touches of brown bread, light brown sugar, again with an earthy element, There is a wonderful pumpernickle craker grain that bounces off the sweet brown bread component.
M - A bit slick to start, then the carbonation cleans that up. Semi sweet beginning quickly moves to center with help from beautifully balanced hops. Finish is just dry enough. Linger is dark and dry.
O - A very good lager, rich, medium weight, solid body. Cries out for a winter roast dinner to go with it.

 

Below freezing last night, now warming up.
Today's new beer is Our Special Ale from Anchor Brewing. I try to get this every year, and I really enjoyed this one.
A very dark brown, nearly black, color. Persistent tan head, some lace.
Aroma of roasted malt, spice, some earthy hops.
Nutmeg and cocoa in the taste, little bit of hops.
A very pleasant beer.

 

Speedy recovery for your pup. How is she doing with the "cone of shame?"

 

My first pour had a bigger head but here's a decent drop from good old 'Sconni:
Leinenkugel's Toasted Bock
3.71/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12oz can RB date 02/28/22 into a 12oz Becher glass.
L: Pours dark crystal clear mahogany/brown with a fairly creamy uneven 2.5 inch+ beige head that recedes over time to edge foam. Good fine carbonation and minimal sticky lacing.
S: Toasted caramelized malts, lightly floral, caramel candy. Very clean and simple.
T: Toasted malts, caramel, light toffee, light citrus zest, a hint of red apple peel, gently sweet with a suggestion of bitterness, fruit zest lingers for a second at the finish. Flavors are light and thin with minimal hop taste.
F: Smooth, slick, soft light-bodied mouthfeel with a moderately clean fast finish.
O: Overall an easy drinking approachable Bock that is par for the Leinenkugel course. Smooth, gentle, refreshing and pleasant tasting and very good in it's style.

 

Hello NBW (old school NBS 1/2).
Looks like great minds think alike. @jkblr and @Roguer Maybe next time a game of rock, paper, scissor.

For me, a popped by GameCraft Brewing yesterday because I was "in the area." That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Here are my thoughts on their Doppelbock:
Goat Simulator

On tap at the brewery.
Deep dark amber in hue. Almost brown. A sandy fluff of head caps the beer with decent retention and very scattered slight lacing.
Nose brings light malt, hints of brown bread, but not really sweet.
Flavor comes through with a little bit of toasty brown bread, slight earthiness, and a barely noticeable toffee sweetness.
Mouth feels on the lighter side, mild dry sweetness on the finish.
Overall a pretty nice, slightly less sweet than usual, take on the style.
3.73/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

 

Hope you feel better soon brother. Cheers!

 

Not horrible, we've been pretty relentless with it which has helped I think. Only break I gave her was just out of my laziness this morning after I brought her out, she was cozy without I was making breakfast. My only concern is the better she feels the more effort she'll put in to getting it off. She is one stubborn relentless girl and that is why we love her

Incision looks great so I'm hoping we can start to keep it off when were around sooner than later. Night and work time its gonna have to go back on.

 

Sounds like we had a very similar experience with that beer, Doc - that cocoa flavor in combination with the nutmeg really made it for me.

 

Thank you, you've helped me make up my mind on what to dip into on this sunny but cold Sunday morning.
I've never had a happoshu before. Honestly, the description on the website doesn't really tell much, and even less appealing.

Me, You, Happoshu! is from Pelican Brewing down on the coast. I've never been, but they supposedly have some of the most beautiful sunset views over the mouth of the river... We've driven up and down the coast a couple of times since my partner's brother lives just north of the bay area, and we'll be heading back down to see him at some point, so maybe I should try and tee things up to find this splendid view for myself!!



Pour is a beautiful crisp clean absolutely clear apple juice golden. Small head is clean white. A few outlying puffs of lacing, but not much.

Nose is an interesting sweet concoction. There is honey there, but it's not the fermented honey I'm used to getting in honey beers, this has the sharp sweetness of fresh honey, and I don't know if that's partly influenced by the neutrality of the rice (what makes a man turn neutral, Kiff?), or played up by the sweet floral note of the hops or what, but that's what it is. The hops offer more sweetness, of the floral variety, and they remind me of smelling clover flowers as a kid.

The taste is easily predicted by reading the preceding paragraph. Honey sweetness leads in, but is less pronounced than on the aroma. The hops take more of the lead here, which may be an american twist on the style. Floral sweetness, and a bit of that strange but enjoyable twist that makes me think of star fruit (I haven't tasted actual star fruit in probably 20+ years, but I get a hint of it every now and then in beers, and *pop* my brain identifies it very clearly as star fruit and brings back memories of sampling one while meandering through the aisles of the local grocery store when I was a wee lad. Crazy how the brain works* sometimes). Anyway... clover flowers and star fruit. If you only had two descriptors, those would be the two. Finish is earthy bitter with a touch of lagering.

Carbonation is forceful and overwhelming. There's a harshness that feels acidic.

I've never had a happoshu before. I'll try another one, but this doesn't sway my opinions one direction or another with any sort of weight. I have no idea how well it tracks with the style in general, but independent of all that... it's an enjoyable enough brew. Not one I'd seek out again, but one I'd drink if it was handed to me kind of scale.

Cheers!!

 

Howdy NBWers
Emperor Julius from Tree House


Poured from a can dated 11/23/21 unlimited power

Thick orange juice colored with a creamy dissipating head to soapy lacing

Orange, tangerine, mango and sweet candy jolly rancher type aroma

Taste is really good and layered, strong mango and orange, some candy notes some lingering tangerine.

Mouthfeel is chewy. The flavors are layered from creamy start, kind of dank middle and semisweet finish. Low carbonation but a little prickle on the tongue

Overall it's a nice easy drinking typical juice bomb but done really well. Well layered, pungent aroma and tasty

I rated it 4.5 across the board 4.5 rDev -2.4 %