New Beer Weekend #120

Good evening, NBW/S. When I was a kid, we would call our current weather Indian Summer...warm, nearly summertime temps after a hard frost.

It was a day to face mortality, in a way. My mother in law can no longer live by herself and has been in assisted living for several months. My wife (and I) and her sisters started clearing out her last apartment today. Now, MIL is one mean-spirited, miserable *itch, but the task is still emotionally difficult. Keeping some things, but a lot going to charity. One thing not going to charity is a Yamaha Clavinova digital keyboard and box upon box of sheet music. Its not about "stuff", but as a family of musicians the missus and I can't see letting something of that quality go where it won't be appreciated or end up in the chipper. How she ever bought it we have no idea, but maybe it helps explain why she never had two nickels to rub together.

Anywho...what's in the glass you might ask? Beer for picking thru random sheet music with, of course!



Obscura - a Baltic Porter from OEC Brewing. It's an 8% brew using debittered dark malts, hopped with fine Europea noble hops, fermented warmer in open tanks for a week and a half using lager yeast, then cold lagered before packaging.

Well, that's nice. What's it like? It pours a kind of muddy dark brown with reddish highlights. The tan head is scant, falling quickly to a few little islands.

On the nose, it is very roasty. There's some semi-sweet chocolate going on, a little caramel note, a vague spiciness, coffee, and a little charred smell just short of burnt acridity.

The taste opens with the chocolate coming through nicely, then the roasty toasty malts come to play, coffee brings that slight char with it - mercifully well short of the unpleasant levels that taste can deliver. The vague spice note is showing up as a very light licorice note. There is a mild hop spiciness - very mild. Ever so slight malt-driven bitterness. I can convince myself there's some vanilla in the taste. Actually has a slight tartness to it.

The feel is quite light versus other Baltic porters I have had. It's soft and aside from a lingering chocolate taste, it's dry and clean. Eventually the alcohol delivers a little warmth.

Good stuff. Well made and everybody plays nice in the pool. Quite a lot of flavor in a super smooth beer that isn't super heavy even with the 8% alcohol. It's going to be around 4.0 - 4.2 for me.

 

I said I was done, and I am. This beer is from earlier today. I shared it with a good friend who had it before when he lived out in Washington. It was as good as he remembered, and it was a pleasure to share, and was another from @Beersnake1


Field to Ferment - Fremont Brewing - Fresh Hop IPA - 6% ABV

This was delicious, and a pleasure to try. I am happy it was sent to me.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/20680/509749/


4.25/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This is copied from my Untapped, with some edits.

Slightly murky golden pour with a white head. There was decent retention, and some lacing on the glass.
Aroma is slightly dank, earthy, grassy, with hints of melon sweetness.
Taste - a hint of a bitterness starts this off. The melon then comes into play. with a turn to grassy and earthy. I did not get a dank flavor in this beer. There's also a hint of pine.
The body is quite full and smooth.
This is a delicious fresh hop beer.

Now I will leave for tonight, but will be back later tomorrow.

 

Victory Dark Thunder Storm King (Imperial Stout with Coconut & Coffee) - $12.99 for a four pack of 16 oz cans (BB 10/05/23) and since I enjoy the original and have yet to meet a Stout/Imperial Stout I didn't like I grabbed a pack.

Pours a dark black, frothy head. Smell is similar to the original but I pick up coconut on the nose, not much coffee. Taste is the opposite, coffee and hardly any coconut and it's just barely there under the surface, hops are there too and show up at the end to dry things out a bit and it's not sweet at all...very well balanced. This is excellent stuff and I prefer this to the original. I'm going to age a can along with a bottle of Narwhal I have waiting and will revisit at a later date but the other two cans probably won't be lasting too long. Budmo!

 

Ozark beer Co. Bear State Golden Lager, 5.0% ABV; 3.67 overall

Pours an effervescent gold with a pinky of pearl colored head. Minimal head retention & lacing

S: Breadyness, lemons & grainyness & floral hops once warm

T: Follows the nose, some grainy & grassy notes, a little floral hop, plus dryness up front. Very dry, some lemon & soapy hop notes, some sweet grainy notes as this warms. Finishes dry, with some some apple juice notes & soapy hops

MF: Medium body, fairly crisp carbonation, skews a little sweet

Serviceable lager, but nothing special

 

I’d planned on opening this one much earlier this afternoon. Life intervened and here we are.

Cascade Vernal Equinox Barrel Aged Sour with Plums and Black Tea, courtesy of @snaotheus.



Pours a slightly hazy orange/pink with a quickly dissipating head. No lacing to speak of.

The black tea is at once noticeable on the nose. Mixed stone fruit rather than the advertised plum follows. A little sweet note is there as well.

On the tongue, the plum really comes out. Sweetened tea follows. A hint of tartness. I’m not getting much wood, or any of the spiciness that is advertised on the label.

Very light bodied. Refreshing.

This was quite nice. I was a little worried when I saw ‘Cascade.’ My limited experience with them has been with their rather tart big 750ml bottles. I was worried this might follow suit and strip the enamel off my teeth. Not at all. This was unique, pleasant and refreshing. Thanks Mr. Snothaus!

 

Remarkable north German style pilsner. Very pale and dry, crisp, snappy; notes of lemon zest, oyster cracker, bell pepper flesh, and white pepper. Very similar flavor profile to Bierstadt Slow Pour Pils. If you're unable to get the former but see this instead, give it a try! You'll like it.

 

I finally get to weigh in with a new beer!
This one is sent to me by @woemad - who seems to be mentioned a lot today, slinging Spokane tastiness all over the USA.
Fernhopper WCIPA

Poured bright yellow orange or whatever color a nearly ideal WC IPA is. The billowing head, nearly white, dissipated slowly and left regular lacing.
The aroma was very mild for my poor damaged nose but I did get some nice hoppy smells.
The taste was solid IPA, not altogether certain I would have guessed it was WC
But the citrus was obvious and the piney aspect even more so. Very enjoyable.
The feel was nicely carbonated in a way to accent the bitterness without adding more bitter. Not sure if I explained that well but there you are.
OA, very good IPA, I’d gladly drink it whenever I had the chance.
Thanks Fred!

 

Founder's French Toast Bastard, 11.1% ABV; 4.0 overall

Pours an effervescent crimson/chestnut with rapidly falling tan head. No head retention or lacing

S: Vanilla & Cinnamon

T: Follows the nose, some maple & dryness as well up front, damn sure tastes like French Toast up front. Warming booze, more cinnamon & vanilla as this warms & a powdery dryness. Finishes very dry with a hint of maple, but mostly cinnamon & a little vanilla

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation, warming

I like this but don't love it, just too much Cinnamon

 

Another new one. I wanted something strong for this colder weather. This hits the spot.
Rich caramel/butterscotch sweetness, toasted rye bread, brown sugar, plums/figs/raisins, alcohol warmth. Woof. Dangerously smooth for 12.2%.

 

Late night start to New Beer Weekend for me due to returning from FOBAB. Many great beers this weekend, nice to see my favorite win a Gold (Saint Dekkera Reserve Sour: Ronciere - Which I'll post here tomorrow.

This evening, something nice and easy though advertised with flavors not typically found in a Polish Pilsner.


Goldfinger Polish Pils Series Marynka & Lunca Hops



Can Notes: Single can purchased last week at Beer on the Wall at store temperature for $3.75, refrigerated upon returning home until purchase. 26 oz canned 10/10, 5.1% ABV. Marynka & Lunca Hops. Pineapple, citrus, herbal.

This beer is part of our rotating Polish hopped Pilsner series to pay homage to our brewery's Polish Origins and to showcase the beauty of hops that come from there.

Appearance: Multiple pours into a large pilsner glass. Clear golden base, bright white lacing leaves clumpy lacing throughout. Mild carbonation sustained throughout. 3.75

Aroma: Mostly lemon grass and noble hops. Smells like a typical Polish Pilsner. 3.5

Taste: Similar to the aroma, though with the Pineapple noted by the brewer. Tastes different, I personally would prefer the taste of the aroma sans the pineapple, but will not ding it for coming across as advertised. Not familiar enough with the two hops listed to know how they impact this offering. 3.75

Mouthfeel: Slightly salty (strictly note for my weird Pils palate), thin to medium body, light prickly carbonation sustained throughout. Very light and easy drinking, clean finish. 3.75

Overall: Different take on a Polish Pils, digging the traditional aspects, note the pineapple which brings a twist. Glad I tried, and will consider future beers in the series, but for now I prefer Goldfinger's standard Polish Pils. 3.5

 

That's got to be a great feeling to be in the house. I was unfazed by the 10 moves Uncle Sam made me do. Once I became the primemover I hated the task.

 

Poured into a 13 oz Snulip glass canned on 10/14/22. Pours a very hazy yellow orange with a half finger sticky white head that leaves thin streaks of lace with nice retention. 4.5

Aroma is peach, mango, mandarin, passionfruit, and apricot. 4.5

Taste follows peach, mango, mandarin, passionfruit, and apricot. 4.5

Mouthfeel is above average, not sticky or dry, soft creamy carbonation, and at 8.2% big in flavor but easy going down. 4.75

Overall another very well made NEDIPA from one of my favorite in Maine. Cheers all and enjoy your extra hour. 4.5