New Beer Weekend #133

Discussion in 'The Bar' started by AzfromOz, Feb 4, 2023.

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  1. AzfromOz

    AzfromOz Pooh-Bah (2,671) Aug 22, 2020 Australia
    Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I promise not to use my timezone advantage to start this thread every week, but someone's gotta do it, and if not me, then who? No-one trusts a European to start anything, and I sure as hell need to get in before a New Zealander looks at this thread! :stuck_out_tongue:

    It's Saturday arvo here and I'm three-quarters through an awesome new beer. It's called Time Traveller, by Fox Friday, based out of Tasmania, the island to the south of the continent that maps sometimes forget and which the rest of Australia tries to ignore.

    I have scribbled some notes and thought I'd share them with the good folk of Beer Advocate. If the beer is a time traveller, then let's run with that theme...

    It's deep gold, almost copper in its look, time-travelling back to the old west coast colour palate, now with a bit of Added Haze(TM)! The head is fluffy, bright-white and looks likely to collapse at the slightest nudge of the flux capacitor. Stream upon stream of bubbles are visible in the stem of the glass, drawn inexorably upwards like plot devices towards a time paradox.

    On the nose, it's crafted like the brewers of misty yore, conveying a cruisy journey down the sensory wormhole. There's a creamy caramel malt base with dank, piney hops. It has the classic bitter beers of the mid-teens (the planet's age, not mine!) written all over it.

    So far so good. The look and the smell are definite throwbacks. But surely it'll serve up boring old sweet juice once it's in my mouth, and kill off my reverie, right? Wrong! Hello bitterness! Oh, bitterness, how I've missed thee! My mouth is screaming, my tongue is numb and my head is spinning. It's 1989, I'm 16, I'm having my first beer, and it hurts. Now it's 2015 and I'm back in the golden age of dank, forcing myself to smile as my mouth puckers and my teeth melt from the weedy bitterness. Wherever I am, someone keeps hitting the chronometer and time, my memory, and time travel allusions are jumping all over the place. This one is pine, menthol, shampoo, weed and terribly-over-fermented pineapple. It's fucking brilliant!

    The mouthfeel is more bitey than a possum in a monorail car. It's prickly, carbonated and backed up by a decent dose of hop burn. It's the Biff Tannin of the beer world and it'll beat you down if you don't stand up to it. But why would you want to? Just do its homework and enjoy the ride!

    Wow. Time Traveller indeed. This one harks back to a time when dank was King, haze was sin, and real men ate their beer with a fork. It doesn't hold back the bitterness, doesn't try to hide it with juice or haze and all the while ducks and weaves away from missile-toting Libyans with ease. If this beer was a time travelling movie it'd star the T1000, a Delorian and the Fonz and the Happy Days Gang, and they'd all be giving the screen the finger. 2023 is not worthy of this beer, but send it back a few years and it'd be cruising at the front of the bitter pack.

    Cheers!

    [​IMG]
     
    #1 AzfromOz, Feb 4, 2023
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2023
  2. SawDog505

    SawDog505 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,666) Apr 9, 2010 New Hampshire
    Pooh-Bah Society

    [​IMG] Honestly @AzfromOz you get it going early and you do a great job. Thank you. Currently -17 outside and I am ready to sip some new beers. I stopped at Belleflower in my work travels this week.

    Poured into a 13 oz Teku glass not sure when it was canned. The color is actually yellow, with a 2 finger sticky white head that leaves plenty of thick streaks of lace, with excellent retention 4.5

    Aroma is mandarin, mango, a little dank aroma, peach, apricot, and maybe a little grapefruit rind. 4.5

    Taste follows mandarin, mango, a little weedy, peach, apricot, and grapefruit really tropical and bold flavor. 4.5

    Mouthfeel is above average, not sticky or dry, soft carbonation, and at 8.2% easy going down but body and flavor is big 4.5

    Overall this one is pretty darn tasty. I would grab again for sure. 4.5 Cheers
     
  3. Ozzylizard

    Ozzylizard Grand Pooh-Bah (5,825) Oct 5, 2013 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Good day BAs! And thanks to @AzfromOz for starting this weekend's thread! And real men ate their beer with a fork. Damn! That made me laugh and feel nostalgic! And "Happy Days" was total BS.

    Anyway here on the tundra of NW PA (6 F, -15 C)it feels like time for a second cold beer of the morning - Founders' Mas Agave Clasica Grapefruit - by far the weakest of the three. However, today's New Breakfast Beer is:

    [​IMG]

    Another excellent gose-style (sort of - double the ethanol of a real gose) that's been sitting on the room temperature shelves of my local distributor for nearly two years.

    Mas Agave Clasica Prickly Pear from Founders. 12 oz bottle. Purchased from Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA, on 30/01/23 for $ 14.50 (Including tax) a four-pack ($ 0.302/oz). Stored on room temperature shelf at store and 34 degrees at home. Reviewed 04/02/23 (Review 3030). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
    Printed on back label “BOTTLED ON 03.26.21 0602 6” and “2021 Release”. Served at 35.7 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 43.3 degrees.
    Appearance – 3.25
    First pour – Deep Gold (SRM 6), clear.
    Body – Atomic Tangerine (SRM 12), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear lite, same but translucent.
    Head – Average (Maximum one cm, aggressive center pour), white, high density, short retention, quickly receding to a 0.0 – 0.5 mm bubble ring, and a rocky partial cap.
    Lacing – Fair. Torn bands of very tiny bubbles much past torn curtains, leaving an archipelago of linear islands.
    Aroma – 3.5 – Faint whiff of prickly pear fruit and salt. No hint of tequila or mezcal. No hops, no yeast.
    Flavor – 4.5 – Acidic, very lightly smoky, slightly sweet but refreshing with a bit of salt. No ethanol (9.7 % ABV as marked on label) aroma or taste. No particular barrel flavors. Slight gastric warming occurs. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Tequila/mezcal most prevalent in the aftertaste.
    Palate – 3.5 – Medium, slightly syrupy, lively carbonation.
    Final impression and summation: 3.75 Nearly two years old but still carries some prickly pear flavor. Actually quite tasty – not as good as the lime version but still better than any other prickly pear beer I’ve consumed.
    Rating 3.94, rDev +0.5%

    Yes, a rare two-beer morning!
     
    #3 Ozzylizard, Feb 4, 2023
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2023
  4. Roy_Hobbs

    Roy_Hobbs Pooh-Bah (2,289) Jan 21, 2017 Connecticut
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    @AzfromOz another brilliant opening to the thread!

    I'm going to sneak one beer in early then hope to be back with at least one more later this afternoon. Today's breakfast beer is courteous of @Ozzylizard. Vanilla Coffee Bourbon Barrel Dark Apparition from Jackie O's.
    [​IMG]
    4.31/5 rDev -0.7%
    look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
    Super dark brown / black in appearance with a small amount of tan head that receded to a thin ring somewhat quickly. Basically, it looks like a stout. Aroma is glorious. Vanilla leads the parade, but chocolate, barrel and coffee are all there as well. Very inviting.

    The taste has the same elements as the nose, but in different proportions. The barrel is more pronounced, and helps balance out the sweetness of the malts. The vanilla is a little more subdued, and I'm not getting any coffee. Nice, full mouthfeel.

    Overall, this is a very good beer. Well balanced and a joy to drink.
     
  5. SawDog505

    SawDog505 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,666) Apr 9, 2010 New Hampshire
    Pooh-Bah Society

    [​IMG] Poured into a 16 ounce Snulip glass not sure when it was canned. Pours near pitch black with a 2 plus finger light brown head that leaves plenty of thick streaks of lace with excellent retention. 4.25

    Aroma is dark chocolate, dry coffee grounds, bourbon, vanilla bean, and toffee. 4

    Taste follows dark chocolate, bourbon, coffee, vanilla, and toffee 4

    Mouthfeel is above average, a tad dry, gentle carbonation, and at 12% huge flavor but it goes down plenty easy. 4

    Overall this is tasty, not for everyone, but I would recommend. 4
     
  6. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Brrr! It feels like Winter today!!

    [​IMG]

    With the exception of a couple days around Christmas we have been having a pretty mild winter (so far) in the Philly area. But yesterday and today it is indeed wintertime. Right now the air temperature is 18 °F and with the wind chill it feels like 10 °F. A good time for a Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Ale.

    From the brewery’s website:

    “Winter Welcome Ale

    This seasonal beer is a limited edition brewed for the short days and long nights of winter. The full body resulting from fermentation in ‘stone Yorkshire squares’ and the luxurious malt character, which will appeal to a broad range of drinkers, is balanced against whole-dried Fuggle and Golding hops with nuances and complexities that should be contemplated before an open fire.

    LIMITED EDITION SEASONAL BREW

    6% ABV

    Best served at about 51°F (11°C).

    Ingredients • water, malted barley, yeast, hops, carbon dioxide.”

    To the best of my recollection this is the first time I have read a brewery explicitly list “carbon dioxide” as being an ingredient.

    So, what does a beer which ‘includes’ carbon dioxide taste like?

    Served in my tulip pint glass:

    Appearance:

    Amber colored with an orange-ish hue and a khaki colored head.

    Aroma:

    I am picking up mostly candied fruit but there is also some toffee and a slight hint of biscuit.

    Taste:

    The flavor follows the nose but the flavor is dominated by the malt flavors: caramel-like sweet-ish flavors. There is a low/moderate bitterness

    Mouthfeel:

    Medium bodied with a creamy mouthfeel.

    Overall:

    This beer is good - very good. I enjoyed the flavors but the highlight for me was the mouthfeel. A nice beer to enjoy during today’s frigid weather.

    Cheers!

    @rotsaruch @RobH @KOP_Beer_OUtlet

    [​IMG]
     
  7. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Well, the maps may forget but everybody knows about Tasmania due to it very famous mascot:

    [​IMG]

    Cheers mate!

    P.S. And please keep up the good work in starting NBW; to box out those Europeans and Kiwis. :stuck_out_tongue:
     
  8. beergoot

    beergoot Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,596) Oct 11, 2010 Colorado
    Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    ...you do NBW a grand service by opening...
     
  9. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Shouldn't the greeting be G'day BAs? :confused:

    Cheers!
     
  10. Mdog

    Mdog Pooh-Bah (2,245) Jan 7, 2004 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Surly You Want This Smoke
    [​IMG]
    Appearance: Clear yellow, slight chill haze, good head.

    Smell: Barley, whisp of smoke.

    Taste: Mild barley sweetness, then a little bit of smokiness and slight grassiness. Light smoked ham in the finish. Light feel, easy drinking.

    Overall: Saw that Surly had a smoked helles on the taplist, so headed over. Brought home a crowler for review. Good stuff, they are going for the Bamberg style and I think they hit the target. Nice and balanced, with apparent but not overpowering smokiness. Yum!
     
  11. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,757) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Good morning, BAs! Minimizing my time outdoors today for obvious reasons, but I've still got to make a beer and wine run today, at a minimum. Kicking off my new beer weekend with the last 2022 Jack's Abby BA Framinghammer variant I picked up a few weeks ago.

    [​IMG]

    These beers are always a bit of a conundrum. On the one hand, they're always a little disappointing. On the other hand, objectively rating them, they're still really damn good. Back to the first hand, and sometimes they can get a little cloying. Other hand: that really seems to be more due to the double digit Baltic porter base beer than any of the additives.

    Is this one the best of the bunch? Naw, but it really does come together quite well. The flavors are all very complementary. Nothing clashes, nothing stands out too much. Tasting notes of prune, vanilla, cola, chocolate, bourbon, corn, and oak.

    Oh, and it's not a gusher, but holy foam, Beerman!!! That was after not only a moderate pour, but a careful second pour. This thing was nearly all foam from the get go, and I was a little surprised it didn't come foaming out of the bottle when I heard the audible pop when removing the cap.

    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26520/628773/?ba=Roguer#lists
    4.07 / +1.5% (3rd full review / 8th overall rating)

    Cheers, Weekenders! Thanks for kicking off the thread, @AzfromOz . You're doing a great job, and you make early-rising and early-drinking New Englanders like @SawDog505 and myself from feeling too bad about kicking off the thread ourselves. :grinning:
     
  12. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Sounds like that beer was in the Goldilocks 'zone'.

    [​IMG]

    Cheers!
     
  13. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Remember to bundle up:

    [​IMG]

    Cheers!
     
  14. beergoot

    beergoot Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,596) Oct 11, 2010 Colorado
    Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    TRVE Brewing Co. -- Funeral
    Imperial stout
    ABV: 12.0%; pouring temperature: 59 °F; canning info: n/a
    Source: local purcahse (Coaltrain Fine Wine, Craft Beer & Spirits)

    [​IMG]

    4.21/5 rDev +5%
    look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

    Tar pit black body, opaque; thin yet lasting light brown head, semi-creamy; spidery fingers of foam streak the glass. Deep aroma of dark roasted malt, molasses, dried dark pitted fruit. Rich flavor; dark and sweet grains; bitter and milk chocolate; fine boozy undercurrent; nice presence of light phenols and scorched grain bitterness. Heavy body; dense residual sugar presence, thick and velvety; bone-warming alcohol warmth permeates the body; sticky.

    Rich, decadent, flavorful.
     
  15. seakayak

    seakayak Pooh-Bah (1,757) May 20, 2007 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Zero Gravity Little Wolf Pale Ale, 4.7% - sipped through chattering teeth on this frigid sunny day. Power went out at 3am, back now, but it was -11 outside and 51 inside this morning! Cheers! :grimacing::beers:

    -Look: a deep-orange color with a fine clumpy head.
    -Aroma: candied orange, mango, apricot, mild pine.
    -Taste: sweet candied-orange, light citrus, one pine needle.
    -Feel: sticky, slightly chewy, low carbonation, round and soft.
    -Overall: a very enjoyable orange-dominated pale ale! :beer:

    [​IMG]
     
  16. BigIronH

    BigIronH Grand Pooh-Bah (3,718) Oct 31, 2019 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    [​IMG] Bonfire Brown. Smoked brown ale from Saugatuck Brewing Co.

    Pours a very nice cola brown with some amber hues in the light. A full oatmeal head present itself and retains a one finger depth. Sheets of lacing are left behind. Nose is nutty, smoky, roasted malt, some lemon rind, and a touch of subtle vanilla. Taste follows suit with a smoked almond profile followed by an overtoasted piece of raisin toast. Feel is soft, velvety, and delicately mouth coating. Overall, I’m very happy with this. Maybe as much as I’ve ever been with a beer from Saugatuck. Cheers NBW.
     
    brewskis, MacMalt, kemoarps and 27 others like this.
  17. ChicagoJ

    ChicagoJ Grand Pooh-Bah (4,073) Feb 2, 2015 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Thanks @AzfromOz for kicking off another weekend of New Beers!

    If my flight goes well, my New Beer Sunday will occur in Las Vegas, Nevada. Picked a light and easy style for today’s new local selection brewed here.

    Goose Island No Plans

    [​IMG]

    Can Notes:
    Purchased single 12 oz can at store temperature from Beer on the Wall for $2.00 after tax, refrigerated upon return home until opening. No canned date, 4/15/23 listed as best by, not sure what GI 0802 code means. Tasty Time Pale Ale. Classically Relaxed. 5.6% ABV. Contains Wheat. Brewed and Packaged by Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago, Illinois.

    Appearance: Pour and than top off pour into a pint nonic GI MBA glass. Clear light yellow straw color base, light carbonation, creamy generous bright white head leaves soapy lacing and significant cover over the base. 4.0

    Aroma:
    Nice biscuit bready combo leads, pine, ground black pepper and citrus backs nicely. Nice strength, enticing. 4.25

    Taste: Hops lead here, citrus and a light pine. Biscuit malt flavor follows, mild floral grassy backing as well. 4.0

    Mouthfeel: Very light and easy, light to mild carbonation adds to the watery light base. Drinks super easy, light to mild bitterness contains any sweetness, brewed well, clean finish. 4.25

    Overall: This is a solid offering by the folks at the Fulton brewery. Would pick up a six pack of this for a nice, clean refreshing pale ale that hits my preference for aroma and taste. Pick up that Fulton / Clybourn brewery taste with this selection. Well done! 4.0
     
  18. lordofthewiens

    lordofthewiens Grand Pooh-Bah (5,891) Sep 17, 2005 New Mexico
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Thank you, @AzfromOz for getting this thread off to a great start. You write well and I enjoy reading what you have written.
    It's a nice day here, with temperatures hitting the upper 60s. Seeing what the weather is like in New England just reinforces our decision to move from Maine.
    Today's new beer is Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel. My daughter recently bought me a mixed 4 pack. She did good!
    A medium brown color. One inch off-white head, with some lace.
    Aroma of banana, sweet malt.
    Taste of banana, brown bread, caramel.
    Medium mouthfeel.
    Very nice beer.

    [​IMG]
     
  19. seakayak

    seakayak Pooh-Bah (1,757) May 20, 2007 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Harpoon New England Pale Ale, 5.5%, Limited Release - pretty can! Cheers! :beers:

    -Look: deep orange with a large-bubbled foam.
    -Aroma: bright orange citrus, musty pith, dry grass.
    -Taste: full orange and mild lemon, shortbread cookie - nice!
    -Feel: Moderate carbonation, thin, a bit watery.
    -Overall: I must like Harpoon's yeast, because this is pretty good! :beer:

    [​IMG]
     
  20. augustgarage

    augustgarage Pooh-Bah (2,357) May 20, 2007 California
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    [​IMG]

    I'm sure I've had a few bombers of this (on Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner) many moons ago without any critical consideration (though I preferred Arrogant Bastard), but this reboot may as well be new to me. Pretty good, but much like their recent anniversary Imperial IPA, I consider it a poor value in my market ($15.99/6-pack):

    3.83/5 rDev -10.7%
    look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

    Packaged on 12/21/22 - consumed on 2/4/23. Poured from a 12oz can into a goblet.

    Clear Hunyadi yellow body with a thin off-white cap receding to a lasting collar and surface slick. Very fine sandy lacing; faint, sticky, glossy legs. Decent retention.

    Tangelo, candied ginger, and faint forest floor notes in the nose. Subdued (possibly more potent when super fresh?).

    Resinous, grassy, herbaceous, hop-forward palate entry. Slightly tart/grainy center leading into a medium-dry, faintly woodsy finish. Citrus (grapefruit, orange, with a touch of lime) grows stronger as the ale warms up a bit. Slow, lumbering, persistent earthy/grassy bitterness throughout. Hints of caramel and cotton candy at times.

    Oily yet a little thin with soft carbonation. ABV well concealed, though I wouldn't go so far as to call this refreshing.

    More than the sum of its parts in some ways - a show-case for traditional American hops, though presumably in such large quantities during the main boil that the contributions of any late additions (flame-out, whirlpool, dry hopping) are obliterated, though you don't pick up this beer for subtlety.
     
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