New Beer Weekend #81

Do you:

1. Have an interest in one of those teams? Or,
2. Really, really love soccer that much? Or,
3. Just not know what else to do when bored?

(just teasing...)

 

I'm jealous that he can watch it. I feel like I pay for a million streaming services, but FuboTV isn't one of them (I think it's on that or BeIN, which I also don't have)

 

Dude! Those are serious national teams! Mendy and Mane on Senegal. The Egyptian King Mohammad Salah.

 

Yeah... just having a little fun.

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. This weekend marked the third anniversary for one of my favorite local breweries, Untied Brewing Company. In honor of the occasion, Untied brewed one of its biggest IPAs yet. In fact, I don't recall another TIPA. 3rd Trip Around the Sun is an adventuresome recipe with Kveik yeast and a hop bill of Citra, Strata, Galaxy, Cashmere, Nectaron, Enigma, and Nelson Sauvin hops. Despite the complexity, it comes together very well!

Poured into a tulip glass. It pours a hazy, bright tangerine color with a half finger of foamy, milk white head and thick, clinging lacing. The smell is big and fruity with orange/tangerine, pineapple, lemon, lime, nectarine, and ripe melon. There is just a whiff of vanilla in the background and some subtle notes of cannabis - particularly as it warms. It's a really nice aroma. The taste opens with an initial burst of sweetness. There is peach, melon, and tropical fruit from the Galaxy, Enigma, and Citra hops. But the initial sweetness is quickly balanced by dry, tart lemon and grapefruit. The Enigma and Nelson hop combination adds a touch of Pinot Gris, and the Strata contributes an earthy, herbal quality. The hop bill adds clean bitterness throughout. I believe the Kveik yeast adds more subtle orange/tangerine. It's slightly astringent at the finish which should mellow quickly in the can. This ale is medium-bodied with pleasant carbonation and I wouldn't guess its ABV is 9.9% It drinks more like 8%

4.34/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Congratulations to Matt and his team at Untied Brewing Company! Wishing you great success as you start your 4th trip around the sun!

 

Good afternoon NBW
Busy weekend for the Jkblr family. We visited my son at Purdue on his birthday yesterday and my sister-in-law (who shares that birthday) today. About 8 hours in the van over two days. Home now with new beer...

Freigeist Ottekolong

16oz can brewed & packaged by Urban Chestnut St. Louis, MO. There's a tiny stamp of 21-10-25 on the bottom which I can only assume makes this can about 14 weeks old. Five percent ABV per label and poured at 40° Fahrenheit into a stange glass. The beer pours hefe-hazy, nearly opaque in a honey amber color. The head is very light khaki and settles to wide ring and uneven cap. Slight lacing. The aroma is mild with pils malt, honey and orchard fruit. The taste is more of the same with pear, apple and slight honey sweetness laid over pale malt with a grassy, floral hop finish. Medium bitterness. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, very good beer. A good bit different than a standard kolsch with bold flavors and the mouthfeel that comes from unfiltered beer.

Cheers all! I was able to procure a Bell's Box of Hearts mix pack in my travels, so I have a couple more new to me beers to get to. There's also the cellar fridge which has been calling me all month long...

 

Hey what's going on!?

Here's my new beer for the weekend. Or perhaps one of many...



Poured from the can into a Spiegelau IPA glass.

Classic turbid but nothing too chunky looking in the body appearance. Dark custard yellow, hinting toward orange, with a super creamy bright white head reaching a good three plus fingers. Top is holding on thick like cake frosting. Big clumps of lace, and an aggressive chunky style.

Very fun hop aroma. Thick sensing with a big thick rich pineapple note with major dank earthy tones. Hints almost lactose and milkshake like but nowhere as sweet and much more pungent and earthy dense. Very enjoyable, goes for subtlety but with great reward.

Palate is a real nice fun romp. Dank and earthy, sweet and juicy all rolled into one. First hitting with tropical mushy tones of pineapple and melon sweetness, even hinting some vanilla in the mix. Chewy and juiced up body goes then for earthy and smokey pine like flavors also shortly there after. Rich earthy finish with a thick smoke and rich fruit flavors.

Excellent palate and feel, with a simple and enjoyable NEIPA like take on things. Nicely done.

look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25 |

Cheers!

 

Happy Birthday Cheers to both of you!

 

Another cellar pull with Vivant Wizard Burial Ground. Seems like 2017-2018 was a time I keep setting aside malty beers that age well, glad Cellaruary is motivating me to open some. So far all have been been great!
4.29/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

16 oz can, 2017, poured into a tulip

A- A clear brownish ruby red with a small tan head.

S- Bourbon, some dark fruits, toffee, some vanilla, oak, hints of caramel.

T- Dark fruits, figs, some raisins, bourbon, some vanilla, oak, slightly earthy, caramel, some toffee.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- A well done Quad, nose is a little weak but the taste checks all the boxes for a quality Quad.

Cheers!

 

I feel badly about last week when I said I had one more in me then promptly fell asleep about an hour after that post... can't really make it up to you all either, this week. I had a few beers on deck for today, but two out of three of them were old as hell (my bad for not checking dates, but they also were stouts which tend to be good for longer... quick taste-tests indicated that they would not be worth wasting my time pouring, drinking, and reviewing). This one is a bit more recently-packaged, and I am excited for it.



I've had a handful of Framinghammer variants in my time drinking Jack's Abby's beers, but this one stood out to me because of the process. It's juuuust this far away from being shark-jumping, with the maple syrup BBA-aging and the additions of vanilla and cinnamon, but I do love me some French toast, so I'm hoping it satisfies in that regard.

Pours a very nice deep-brown color topped with a finger-and-a-half of mocha-colored head that eventually settles to a half-finger of a more khaki-tinged foam. Intense lacing and legs here, and the retention is quite fantastic. I'm liking the approach already.

The nose is hugely redolent of bourbon-laden maple syrup with a deep, grade A amber maple element and some robust leafiness. The cinnamon is present but not overly-aggressive, which is nice. Sometimes, these spiced beers that want to behave like a common food/dessert really get the mix all wrong for whatever reason. I'm less convinced by the vanilla addition, but it's surprisingly downplayed so perhaps that is why. It really does seem mostly like BBA maple in this one, which is probably good news for folks who enjoy the sweeter side of imperial stouts and porters.

Flavor profile is deeply woody with some prickly spice that brings the cinnamon addition to mind, while the mid-palate is rich malt that transitions rather sharply to a dry, earthy finish that feels a bit hollow. Not bad, but it almost seems like the vanilla here is too-little-too-late because it arrives after the entire thing has zipped away on the tongue. Almost feels like a slight hint of whipped cream due to how ephemeral it is, though it's not diacetyl-ish... just sort of unsatisfying. There isn't much to complain about here overall, however. It is a solid entry into the Framinghammer variant oeuvre. I am enjoying sipping on it and find it to be satisfying for what it is. Perhaps not the sweetest or most flavorful beer in the general realm of things like this, but it does fine by that token, and it actually feels like a well-made Baltic porter just like the original, so I guess credit must be given for that.

 

Yes, the suture, instead of pins and plates. Lots of factors went into our decisions and I trust our vet, he's been doing it for 40 years. He took care of my cat when I was a teenager now 20 years later he's caring for our dog. He said in all his years he's only had one suture fail to hold where he had to redo the surgery. One of the nicest people, and our dog loves him. He has such a calming energy, and it brings down her energy down substantially. No other vet handles her as well as him, we are lucky.

 

My last new beer of the day comes from the seemingly endless supply of beer I received from @FBarber in the BIF #14: Good Morning Munich, a Helles Lager from Art History Brewing in Illinois. I'll confess that I seldom drink this style but Good Morning Munich is as good a Helles as I've had. It pours ever so slightly hazy with a half finger creamy, bright white cap and thick, soapy lacing. It has a great nose with lots of toasted, whole grain bread and hints of caramel and spice. The taste is spot on with doughy bread and caramel up front and a hint of spice at the finish. It's superbly balanced. The mouth feel is surprisingly creamy with appropriate carbonation. The 5.2% ABV is perfect for the style.

Frank, this is another stellar beer! You may have convinced me to drink more Helles Lagers.

4.34/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Have a great week, everyone!

 

Greetings All from the Great Northwest where we are sunny and 46 degrees. The groundhog can bite me.

Today we have Wonderland Trail from Two Beers Brewery in Seattle.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/17005/197366/

A very good IPA. Crystal clear with a nice flavor.

 

Good day Advocates! This is a very nice change from all the fruity IPAs we have these days. Malty, bitter, fairly creamy & dry is where this Rye lives and at 5.8%ABV it's drinkability is slamtastic. Hoping folks are digging their Extreme Beer Boxes. Cheers!!
Summit Frost Line Rye
4.04/5 rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota
12oz can EB date 5/23/22 into a pint glass.
L: Pours a burnished copper/iced tea color w/a light khaki creamy 1.5" head. Very good retention and active carbonation with thick lacing & banding.
S: Heavy sweet caramel malts, grains, lightly floral, a suggestion of brown sugar, a hint of cocoa.
T: Same as aroma then long even firm bitterness that lingers. Very clean tasting.
F: Med-bodied comfortably well balanced moderately creamy mouthfeel w/a rather fast & drying finish.
O: A very simple tasting and easy drinking refreshing Rye Ale that is malty, bitter & dry. It is excellent in it's style.

 

Stonecloud Brewing Ocean Fruit Double Milkshake IPA, 8.0% ABV; 4.36 overall

Pours an effervescent & hazed gold with a thumb+ of eggshell colored head. Sheets of lacing & above average head retention

S: Citrus and tropical fruits

T: Creamsickle flavors, a little lime & some tangerine notes up front. Taste swings less sweet as this warms, more tangerine & lime, some vanilla on the edges, plus a little dryness, just a touch of leafy hops. Finishes with sweet orange, vanilla. and a little lime & leafy hops

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation, nicely balanced

Nicely done Milkshake DIPA. I love these when executed correctly

 

Finally attempting to have a new beer today. This one again courtesy of @snaotheus.

Single hill brewing - radiant slumber (smoked helles)



Pours a clear light pale with sudsy soapy white head, settles no a think opaque layer of white.

Nose is a strong woody smoke, gives me the bacon note that some smokes seem to remind me of. Also get some tangy bread note.

Taste follows the nose pretty much to a tee. The tangy bread note is the hops combining with a bread note, gives it almost like a sourdough taste without the sour.

Light body and very easy drinking beer, quite refreshing. It has a lively carbonation but comes off very smooth not biting. Just the faintest amount of bitter from the hops.

This beer is very nice to drink, at first the smoke was very prominent but as I sipped it more and accustomed it became much more nuanced. If anyone’s been to tired hands brew cafe this beer reminds me of being there, the smoke and the bread. Thanks for sharing Ryan!

—

Earlier today I got to my favorite breweries newer bigger brewery, it is a beautiful building. You basically are immersed in the brewhouse, here was my view sipping one of their lagers today. @snaotheus and @BBThunderbolt

Tonewood Brewing…so happy for them, they’re a really special place.

 

That is what we are worried about, but our plan is to pretty much limit her ability to act crazy. Leash for bathroom for the foreseeable future and walks to bring down energy, we are really hoping it works out if we continue our method.

 

Was at Southern Yankee Brewing in Houston today. They had a kriek-bruin on tap that I was interested in.

Get Down Cherry Brown. 6.1% ABV



Pours a dark brown/ruby red color. A one finger beige head forms with good retention. Light lace is left behind.
Aroma is sour, almost like maraschino cherry. Toffee and toasted malts. Which makes for an interesting, if not particularly complex mixture.
Taste wise, cherry and acidic sourness up front. A touch vinegar like, but very light in that regard. Malts come in, with toffee and light sweetness. Toasted and baked bread, mixed with the pretty pungent acidity up front, and it is all really well balanced and enjoyable.
A medium body with crisp carbonation. A bit prickly even. The acidity also gives the perfect amount of puckering pull that I just love. It is just daring me to have another. Really easy and enjoyable to drink all around.

This is a pretty damn good kriek bruin IMO. While not perfect for the style, as they didn't mature this in wood barrels, and call it a "young bruin." Whatever, great to see a brewery tackle something like this. Its not the perfect clone of Liefmans, but still incredibly moreish, enjoyable, and unique for the Houston area. So yeah, I really like this a lot.

Overall score is 4.18, and easy A- for me.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/54216/588771/?ba=champ103#lists