New Beer Weekend #107

Gee, thanks for bursting my Kvass bubble @FBarber & @JackHorzempa . The JK Kvass is #2 here for the style. Not sure if Scratch located downstate will brew one in the future, but I'd definitely pick one up if I came across at The Beer Temple. like to try this if they do, and perhaps one more from a trusted brewery not served in a plastic bottle.

@bluejacket74 , your Bruery BA Stout weighing in at 19.2% ABV is truly Savage! Based on your review, I hope to come across this bomber one day.

Welcome everyone to New Beer Sunday #911! After enjoying my #2 rated Kvass, I wanted to avoid a letdown, and hopefully this #1 rated Tripel will live up to high expectations.

Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V. Tripel Van De Garre



Bottle Notes: Purchased 6/3/22 for $17.99 + tax at The Beer Temple at store temperature, refrigerated upon purchased through today. 25.4 oz bottle, 11% ABV. Bottle without a date but with a code 17KU 10:27 on the cage. Product of Belgium. Brewed and bottled by Br. Van Steenberge B-9940 Ertvelde, Belgium. Imported by WIN-IT-TOO Inc., Middleton, Massachusetts.

The is the house beer for the famous De Garre pub in Brugges, Belgium. The pub is well concealed down a long alley where only beer lovers in search of this gem can successfully find it. This beer is brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge, famous for other big Belgian ales Piraat and Gulden Draak. The De Garre glass is as distinctive as the beer with a doorknob base and rounded chalice supporting such a big beer. Brewed using a traditional Belgian tripel base with three times the amount of malt allows the brewer to achieve the 11% ABV.

Appearance: Multiple pours into a chalice. Orange tan somewhat cloudy base, medium carbonation, generous egg white head lingers a few minutes before leaving soapy lacing and a creamy cover over the base. 4.0

Aroma: Strong fresh banana leads, followed by citrus and tangerine. A bit of spicy pepper backs, strengthens as this warms. Wonderful blend. 4.5

Taste: Taste even bolder than the strong aroma, consistent with banana, vanilla, tangerine, citrus, lemon, raisins. A fruit extravaganza. Banana is not my favorite fruit flavor, but it would be if this was one. Taste remains consistent, at least for these first 15 minutes. Absolutely fantastic. 5.0

Mouthfeel: Very creamy, light and airy, persistent fizzy carbonation adds depth. About 5 oz in, still drinking lighter than the high ABV. Then it hits me about 15 minutes in. Taste flavors sweet, but this drinks slightly sweet despite the heavy malt build. Banana yeast lingers and is wonderful. 5.0

Overall: It's sadly been a while since my last Tripel, but this has me really excited to pick up more on a consistent basis. This is a World Class offering, near perfect to perfect on several measures. Drinking wonderfully, everything in proper measure, very creamy rich and delicious. An outstanding Tripel, so glad I picked this up two months ago. Well worth the price of admission! I'm going to cork the rest for later today, just want to savor it all day. 5.0

I took @beergoot 's advice and issued a 5.0 overall. A four second dilemma (4.75 vs. 5.0). Go ahead Frank and Jack, tell me how bad Tripels are. (I kid)

Hope you are having an equally great beer day/weekend!

 

Smuttlabs West Coastin' DIPA.



A nice amber pour with a light tan head, which sticks around.

Aroma of toffee, caramel, pine.

Taste follows nose.

Medium body, lively carbonation. Dry, resinous finish.

Toffee is a nice flavor in a DIPA.

 

Good day BAs! Off to another New Beer Weedend/Sunday (depending on your recidivist tendencies)! I decided to finally wipe out this malingerer in my beer supplies:



Because of the age of this brew, I decided if it was exceptionally bad, I wouldn't post a review. However:
The Iron Tankard from Terrapin Brewing. Purchased from a small store in Athens, GA, for an unknown price for a 650 mL (22 oz) bottle. On room temperature shelf at store, stored at 37 degrees at home. Reviewed 07/08/22. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Bottle appears undated but is bottle number 3708/4884, hand-written on the label, of Session One of the Georgia Theatre promo series. Served at 42.6 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King Snifter. Final temperature 54.5 degrees.
Appearance – 3.5.
First pour – Medium Amber (SRM 12), muddy.
Body – Milk Chocolate Brown, opaque. When rear-lite, same.
Head – None (Aggressive center pour). A few tiny bubbles continually break the surface. After I finished the first glass and poured the rest, it produced a 0.4 cm wheat cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 4 – Very weak malt. No hops, no yeast.
Flavor – 4 – Fermented raisins with a bit of acetic acid twang, no malt, no hops, no yeast. No ethanol (9.4 % ABV according to BA, NOT marked on label or box) aroma or taste. Mild gastric warming. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium, watery, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.75 For being god knows how old, this has held up well. How old is it? Well, they had recently moved into the new location on Newton Bridge (2007) but hadn’t sold out to Miller-Coors yet. Under state law at the time, they couldn’t even tell me where I could buy their beer. So yeah, this one has been sitting around for a while.
Rating 3.87, rDev -0.8%

This bottle had a 0.7 cm oxidation ring in the neck and a four cm anaerobic (please except my electrons!) band around the bottom of the bottle. It's old! The first review of this beer is in 2010. Back from the days when a trip through the south meant a stop at Terrapin Brewing, pre Miller-Coors sellout, when their Rye Pale Ale was still one of my favorite brews. When we'd over-night in Athens, searching for beer stores. Back when dinosaurs roamed.

 

Good morning NBW. This Sunday I awoke early and had a hankerin' for some chili nachos. Having almost none of the ingredients (and absolutely zero of the main ones), off to the store I went. The meat topping is simmering away now. I often hear advice on cooking with an alcohol you would want to drink (ok, mainly the saying is being applied to wine, but still), so I took a quick sip of today's beer before dumping in half a can or so and it had me looking forward to finishing the can and having another.

So I combined a can and a half of Crooked Stave's Von Pilsner into a large mug for this review. I've had a few Crooked Stave beers in the past, I was sure it was mostly their saisons, specifically recalling some of their brett-fermented beers. Then I saw I had rated this one three years ago, though I did not review it then. Since I wrote up a portion of the review here already, I'm going to go ahead and bend the rules and post it.


Original rating was 3.96 with smell the only thing scoring below a 4. I think my look score is pretty inline with what I'd say now, as the pale yellow matte (thanks to a moderate "keller" haze) body looks nice enough. The head forms well and lasts enough for lacing to stain the glass wall. The nose is light but pretty solid with a light bready note joined by a whiff of lemon and a distinct dry grassy bitterness.

A light body has a softness to it, which is nice, but it doesn't seem to want to let go once my sip is done. Compared to the nose, a little less bread and a little more citrus notes open the beer. The grass and slight grain husk bitterness takes over mid-taste. The grass turns a little more herbal by the end of the taste, and that herbal bitterness is what lingers in the end.

I see @Roguer's review and here's yet another case where we're pretty close on our impressions. Overall, I wished it cleaned up a little better, but it is a pretty refreshing, nicely flavored Pilsner.

 

Just back from catching our dog who escaped from his inescapable harness. He thought it was a game. I finally got his attention with some food and my son grabbed him. Now he's grounded while I try to figure out how he did it.
This new beer is part of my Beer Drop shipment. Psycho Penguin from Odyssey Beerwerks in Arvada, CO. ABV is 5.85% for this vanilla porter.
The beer is a very dark brown color with some red around the edges. A modest tan head that subsides quickly.
Aroma of vanilla, faint roasted malt.
Vanilla taste, hint of chocolate and porter.
Thin mouthfeel.

 

Good morning NBS/nbw and thanks to @Mdog for hosting this week.
Tomorrow we bring team #1 and our first grandchild to the airport ending a wonderful 4 week visit, with any luck and good planning we will go out to see them for Lunar New Year in late January, early February 2023. I swear that 11 month ol grew over the weeks here.
Todays offering id from Notch Brewing, A delightful Bavarian Style Wheat beer that fires on all cylinders, Perfect for these dog days of summer.
Cheers all

Voll Projekt: Hefe Weisse

Hefeweizen | 5.4% ABV
Notch Brewing in Salem, Massachusetts

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.06/5 rDev -2.9% | Average: 4.18
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a can dated "born on" 07/06/22 into the test glass.
A - Lovely clear goldenrod color, excellent clarity, gently carbonated. Initial pour yielded a 1" white cap, which quickly exited.
S - Certainly classic in the banana, and hint of clove, Add to that a simply elegant grainy thread, and there you have it
T - Sweet grain, banana, a bit of spicy white pepper, lite bready element.on a side note the burps are spicy banana!
M - Delicate, light on the palate. being gently carbonated the texture is smooth, with a lemongrass linger
O - A lovely warm afternoon beer. Well done in every aspect

 

The best advice I can provide is my recommendation to avoid Kvass beers in plastic (soda type) bottles. Maybe Kvass beers in 'better' packaging (like Jester King used) are a 'safer' bet?

Absolutely no worries here since we are both fans of the Tripel beer style. In fact, Frank (@FBarber) started a recent tasting thread for Tripels:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/tripel-tasting-thread-march-25-27-2022.665973/

Cheers to Tripels!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yea, beer, that’ll help you think logically!

 

Drekker BRAAAAAAAAins Frosé Double Fruit Smoothie Sour, 6.1% ABV. Pours thick and opaque orange with a half-finger light-orange head. Nose is vague fruit, vanilla, and lactose. Taste follows, not a lot of flavor, slightly sweet, faintly sour. Decent mouthfeel, overall meh.

3.89/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

 

Never miss a Sunday show…

Fitting my final beer of the weekend in before heading to Atlantic City for Phish. Most people enjoy a beer at a show, this nut case has mastered the art of hydrating perfectly without having to hit the head in the venue; my streak has been going for a long time now. With my craziness explained here is my beer of the day, an “artisanal american lager.”

Schilling - Grafton Metro



Very light pale straw color, slight little cloudyness, white head, random splotches of lace from initial pour; decent retention.

Nose is an instant shot of lemon like citrus, there is some graininess with some plain cereal as well. The sweetness is unique in that it is almost zesty as well.

The taste has the similar unique sweet note I got from the nose; it is cut more by the cereal and grain though and takes the backseat as opposed to the aroma.

Light body with a nice mouthfeel; it is super light and easy to drink but isn’t watery in the least. There is a little hoppy feel on the tongue but I’d hesitate to call it really bitterness. It has a very nice drying sensation that really makes you beg for the next sip. This beer drinks nicely cold, I’m not sure if I will enjoy as much as it warms up. Im drinking it quite quick so I may still win!

Really cool beer, it is unique and different. If you like a good drinking lager I would recommend this beer.

see all you lovely folk next weekend and we’ll do it all over again. Cheers.

 

Clock Out

6% stout by Working Class Brewery

The body pours a very dark brown with a small head. Some minor lacing throughout.

Nose and taste feature peanut butter. The peanut flavor is earthy, not sweet. A bit of chocolate and malty char is present in the taste preventing this beer from being a one trick pony.

Mouthfeel is average and carbonation is light. I wish this stout were more stout in char and mouthfeel. That’s no knock as some folks may find those characteristics fine the way it is. My preference is for chewy stouts. Still this one is an easy drinker. I hope to try on tap someday.

 

Got a much bigger variety of styles from Treehouse this week. Today I'm reviewing a Kellerbier with some very nice can art.

Poured from a 16oz can stamped PEACEFUL 07/08/22 to a Pilz glass at fridge temp.
A light gold body sits below a healthy ultra white head which fades fairly quickly. Tiny bubbles nucleate and rise up the body throughout the session.
The aroma is very bready with an allusion of lime rind in the background.
The taste is grassy and sweet on the sip and nicely hoppy on the finish.
Mouthfeel is fairly light with a hint of hop oil.
This beer was a pleasant drink. I wish I had another right now.

 

Steve Austin’s Broken Skull American Lager from El Segundo Brewing. Company, 4.8 ABV. This beer is a straightforward uncomplicated Lager and it’s an excellent one. 4.8ABV it pours a golden color with a thick white head. There is a slightly sweet malty aroma. The taste is malty and dry. Mouthfeel is medium the finish dry and lasting. A fine beer and very refreshing on a hot and muggy Sunday afternoon in NJ.
By the way this beer was not brewed in El Segundo CA. It was contract brewed by New Realm Brewing inVirginia Beach.

 

Hello folks! Today I have two new-to-me IPAs, and they're both courtesy of Mast Landing. One is a solo endeavor and the other is a collab with a well-liked IPA-centric brewery from New York... any guesses on who it might be?

Well, you'll have some time to think because I'm going to start with this one, Extra Wavy Days! This is a DDH DIPA clocking in at 8.1% ABV. It was canned on 7/21 in honor of the first day of their recent fest. Although I did not attend, it seemed like it went well, so there's always next year!



EWD pours a solid-looking orange-yellow color with the "normal" haze for the NEIPA style these (wavy) days. The head is sizable and leaves behind shimmering lace patterns in a predominantly "drip"-like pattern. Decent legs and moderate surface coverage even after ten or so minutes in my glass. No issues with appearance here.

The first scent I pick up upon bringing this up to my nose is ripe mango followed by juicy pineapple. Very tropical in those ways right upfront with huge guava and passion fruit bringing up the rear guard. Impressive hop saturation in this one, without being too overtly "fruity" or cloying in any way. Some light cherry and even plum here as it warms, but these aspects stay behind the brighter, more "typical" IPA fruit elements we've come to expect. Can't wait to taste this!

Oh, yeah... this rules. Actually, EWD might be one of the best ML IPAs I have had in a long time (though it's obviously not as good as Pantless Thunder Goose, duh). It has very intense fruit flavors of guava and mango right in the beginning of each small sip, followed by crazy papaya/pineapple and slight hints of herbal and grassy undertones. Tangerine pulp and some deeper fruit like the orchard-types mentioned above as it warms, mostly towards the finish, which is moderately-dry. Good feel and just a hint of ethanol presence to let you know this ain't a sessionable little IPA. Hope your day's going as wavy as mine! Back soon with another (and probably more plastic robot model pictures because I enjoy spamming you guys with my creations!)

 

My bro just took over a restaurant there. Spinneys

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Swiggers and commentators. Generally speaking, I like hot summer days and I don't mind humidity but I admit this summer has gotten the better of me. The drive back from the Shore was miserable and cutting what's left of my lawn wasn't fun. The thought of sitting outside watching my beer get warm was more than I could take so I surrendered to to the cool, dry basement bar. I had a bunch of new beers yesterday but my first "official" review is a Helles Lager from Cape May Brewing, Boat Ramp Champ. Ideal for post-lawn mowing.

It pours a slightly hazy, honey-straw color with a finger of creamy, bright white head and thick, clinging lacing. It's effervescent with lots of tiny bubbles ascending the glass. The smell is appropriate: grainy, toasted bread with spice and a whiff of citrus. Its taste is also spot-on: bready malt sweetness balanced by lemon peel and spicy hops. It has really nice clean bitterness. The mouth feel is crisp, clean, and lite with lively carbonation, and the 5.5% ABV is perfect for drinking while partaking of summertime activities. Overall, Boat Ramp Champ is a straight-forward, well-made local Helles Lager. You can't go wrong with it.

3.79/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I'll be back soon with a South Jersey BA Imperial Stout that I'm anxious to try. Cheers!

 

I guess you made the rounds when you were in RI!

 

On vacation with friends and family this past week…..everyday on vacation is a New Beer Day!!!!

I knew I would have “help” working thru my beer cellar . Carted up a bunch of these beers with me Downeast and sampled some local brews as well . My notes on these newbies….

Brewers reserve imperial stout by old schoolhouse brewing



4/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bomber received in Bif15 from @snaotheus, a new brewery for me , thank you!

Poured into a pint glass produces a massive three finger brown foam cap over black motor oil

Aroma is roasted malts, baking chocolate

Taste is roast malts, baking chocolate, cocoa

Mouthfeel has a gentle bitter nip at the finish

Good beer

+++++++++++++++++++++



Scottish Export by Airline Brewing Company

3.83/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75




New brewery for me

Brewers Notes: A grainy, rich, caramel malt focus is balanced with a touch of bittering hops, then finishes with sweet heather on the nose and tongue.

Can poured into a goblet

Iced tea colored liquid with a taupe one finger foam cap

Aroma is sweet and malty

Taste is sweet and malty , not grainy

Good beer

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jumping Rise by Boothbay craft brewing
3.75/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75



Can poured into a pint glass

Clear golden active carbonation streams two finger rocky white foam cap

Aroma is lemon citrus, crackery malt, whiff of pepper spice

Taste is light lemony, crackery malt , hint of pepper spice

Sudsy , clean, light , crisp

Good beer
+++++++++++++++++
Barrel aged imperial stout by Big Block Brewing



3.73/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle received from @snaotheus in Bif15

Dark cola liquid , brown one finger foam cap settles to a ring

Aroma is bourbon,

Taste is bourbon, roast malts , red wine, port, winey notes. The wine taste is offsetting to me , not a flavor profile that I appreciate in my beers

Nice beer

 

That is a great beer! I’m with you on our summer too, it started out quite nice but I feel like our AC has been working overtime for a month now.

Looks like we finally have a break by Thursday down here.