New Beer Weekend #133

Oh, I would not critique another’s opinion as that is exactly what it is. Apologies if I came across as doing so!

 

No doubt in my mind! As befuddled as it may be right now.

 

Absolutely not! I was just stating that I totally respect your opinion my friend- totally the opposite.

 

Ok, so I stopped at a Binny's in Champaign, IL yesterday evening and bought a bunch of obscure stuff. Indian Malt Liquor anyone?

Old Monk 10000
650 mL bottle MFG 10.12.2021 (you have to get your malt liquor ticks when opportunity knocks, 15 months old at sampling) poured into a giant mug at fridge temp 8% ABV. The beer pours mostly bright light amber with off white head. The head recedes to a thin cap, but leaves no lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring stale, dusty grain and vegetable oil. The taste is semisweet slick malt with sucrose sweetness, orchard fruit and a hint of floral hop. Minimal bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a fairly undry finish. Overall, average malt liquor, but not super enjoyable...

Cheers all. I'm likely out at this point.

 

Day 2, this is the big brother of my local’s flagship beer. Can’t believe I missed this when it originally released 4 years ago, but I will make up for that this beautiful winter evening in Northern Indiana.





4.28/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours nearly clear copper color with a dense, creamy white head that laces the glass nicely. The nose is dank citrus, a bit of pine, and some malt sweetness.

The taste is led by some resiny pine, a big slice of tangerine, and some mango, with a nice malt sweetness lingering in the background.

The mouthfeel is crushingly dry, on point for the WCDIPA style. This is not quite as good as the original WCIPA version, IMHO, but it is worthy of your consideration.

 

Wayfinder - Hell
Technically, this is the second time I've had this beer -- I shared one with my brother in law earlier today. I'm a rebel.

16oz can served in a little dimpled stein. Dated 12/09/22.

Pours clear light yellow with a small head. Light carbonation. Smell is lager yeast and grain. Grassy/leafy, with a hint of lemon.

Taste is a nice grainy honeysuckle sweetness and a string bitter, spicy/earthy finish, super clean, very well balanced.

Mouthfeel is very light, clean, crisp. Overall, really nice beer.

 

The Bruery actually sells cappers that fit their huge bottles... but good luck solodoming that BT!

 

Bemidji Brewing Stout


3.78/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75



Can received in BIF 16 from @Victory_Sabre1973 new brewery for me

Brewers Notes: This big oatmeal stout focuses on the rich and flavorful malts produced by England's best maltsters. A base layer of Maris Otter and Aromatic malts provide gentle biscuit and toast flavors while Roasted Barley, Golden Oats and Extra Dark Crystal malts create bold flavors of roasted coffee, molasses cookies, and dark chocolate.

Poured into a Spiegelau stout glass, dark brown cola luquid capped by a two finger taupe foam caps. Recedes with horizontal Lacings.

Aroma is roasty, coffee

Taste is roast malts , baking chocolate, coffee

Lighter body for a stout , hint of bitterness on the finish

Good beer

 

Regular jesus duclaw brewery
....solid dark brown appearance.
...close to medium carbonation with about an average body.
...aroma is a nice mix of roasted malt,some chocolate, coffee
..taste has a very mild sweetness but it relies mostly on the bitterness to make the biggest impact. Otherwise it stays true to the aroma.
...overall a really good beer,not sure it would be everybody's idea of a perfect porter but I found it to be enjoyable

 

Good Sunday evening, all. I'm gonna cross over into a couple of threads here with tonight's deviation from the stout box.

Classic beer - I think so by what I understand. Cellaruary worthy - not the oldest beer in the castle, but bottled in 2020 so it's getting there. Cellared "properly" - hell no...it was lurking (appropriately enough) in my pantry cupboard...



Sierra Nevada 2021 Bigfoot. I have never had any vintage of Bigfoot before, so I won't be playing the it's not as good as <whatever year> game. It is what it is. Spoiler alert , it's pretty damned good.

Initially poured pretty clear, but it certainly has some cloudiness to it. Kind of a deep amber coppery reddish color with a short khaki head. Said head becomes a chunky cap that persists and sticks handsomely to the glass.

The smell is not the malt assault I expected. It's there for sure - but it's more of an overall intensity that impresses. Grapefruit, pine-like resin, floral, fruit, caramel, and hefty whiff of unhidden alcohol. Yeah...I'm gonna dig this!

I can't explain it, but to me this beer is intensely flavored and mellow at the same time. It's an onslaught initially - fruity, bready, sweet, bitter, grapefruit in spades, caramel or toffee, a bite from the alcohol. The pine resin ramps up at the end, and there's a bitterness that almost resets the pallet, but not quite as the other flavors linger. It's a flavor blast, but it peaks quickly and all the disparate flavors build into the whole - starts all wild and jagged but melds together nicely and tames itself.

Feel is full-bodied, low carbonation. A bit of lingering pine and bitterness. A bit sticky on the lips, tingly finish.

Overall - I fully get the hype and love for this beer. There is just so much going on and it is incredibly intense. As Nigel Tufnel would say, the numbers all go to 11. This beer strikes me as an exercise in excess, and if they keep making it I will buy it as an annual treat. Easily 4.25 or higher, but I know I have to curb my enthusiasm just a tad.

 

Hey NBWers
A new brewery, Crooked Mouth, opened hereabouts, ~ 5 weeks ago.* Stopped in a few days ago as I was passing by, but they had just sold all their canned wares, hadn't gotten the cash flow such as they could have their own growlers & crowlers, the new can shipment is still on backorder, & I had nothing, as I needed all the space in my car, so had cleared out the ever-ready growlers [ never know when beer might happen, eh? ], so had to pass. Well..... tonight I remembered to stop by, prepared.

OK, bad news first, this , Quackenbush , is supposed to be a rye IPA. I was hoping for a Hop Rod Rye/Wookie Jack sort of thing (that's no longer available here ) . Given that it's a new brewery, & still getting things dialed-in, I was expecting a home-brew iteration of the above-mentioned standards, not-quite-primetime, but holding some hope for future batches to be better. If it was better now, great!
Uh.....nope. That's not to say it's bad beer - it is quite easy-drinking & enjoyable, but rye IPA of my dreams...? , definitely not . Comes across as a brown ale, with some IPA elements.

L: Translucent amber, with one finger of ivory head, that leaves a thin ring , a tiny bit of surface sheeting, and a few spots of lacing. .

S: Smells of slightly-sweet bread, with a hint of fruitiness. Slight spiciness at first, that fades away with the head.

T: Taste is almost old-school IPA meets Brown Ale , with slight dried fruit (apple +pear) , brown bread /molasses/toffee, with a hint of citrus rind and rye spice at finish. Light bitterness - could use a bit more.

F: Feel is medium, smooth, with moderate very,very fine carbonation tingle. Light drying effect after finish.

3.36/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.25
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/64491/639447/?ba=mikeinportc#lists

Now the good news : Casper , a basic cream ale .
Guy at the counter/brewer said they miscalculated with the new system, & it was more bitter than intended (~40 IBU, instead of 25), but it still came out OK, & should be spot-on with the new batch. OK..... I'll play along, but..... it's better than OK, & is quite good. There is a bit of dank+green onion flavor that lingers after finish - guessing that is where the extra IBUs make themselves known, but otherwise , it's right there. Nice one.

L: Translucent gold, with one finger of coarse white head, that leaves some surface sheeting, a 1/8" ring, and a thin ring of lacing.

S: Smell is sweet toasted grain, a little fresh biscuit, a hint of honey, and some light floral aroma (the usual late summer mix - goldenrod/bedstraw/aster) A hint of dry bread crust and corn, as it warms, and the head fades.

T: Taste is dry bread crust, a hint of sweet toasted grain (as in the skin of a toasted corn muffin) finishing with hints of honey, noble hop spiciness, and the floral element present in the aroma . Moderate bitterness. Slight dank + green onion aftertaste, that lingers awhile.

F: Feel is medium-light , smooth, with light, very,very fine carbonation tingle .

4.17/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/64491/639445/

I also got the dry Irish stout. Might have time & inclination to come back with that later, but not sure.
* For old-time habitues/visitors of the Twilight Zone, Crooked Mouth is in the old Pat Mitchell's Ice Cream building.

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

Late to the party yet again, but my weekend has finally started. I might as well start this off right, well sort of. The beer I'm having was sent to me, but I have no clue who did send it to me. This makes me feel really bad because I'll not be able to tag the member who sent it. Whomever sent it, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.


Barrel Aged Cookies & Cream - American Imperial Stout - Untitled Art - 12.4% ABV

This is a very interesting beer. It seems to me, as it warms more, there is a lot more vanilla in it than there was when I first started. It is a very thick and creamy beer, with a nice barrel burn on the back. This is a very delicious beer.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/47802/522390/

4.28/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Nice pop on the opening with a hint of smoke. Pitch black pouring beer. This beer looks almost like motor oil when pouring. I did a fairly aggressive pour, and it yielded barely a 1 finger brown head. The head dissipated rapidly into a ring around the edge of the glass with no lacing.
The aroma is quite strong with lots of lactose. I also get a good amount of chocolate, vanilla, and a cookie like aroma.
The flavor starts out very creamy, and this creamy flavor from the lactose lingers. Along with the creamy flavor, chocolate also comes into play with some vanilla notes. The chocolate leans more toward sweet rather than dark chocolate. The backside is where the barrel used for this beer hits with a smooth bourbon flavor. Caramel hits in that part as well.
This is a two toned beer. Very smooth and creamy feeling up front. The back a burn from the bourbon barrel hits. That burn tells you it's a sipper, and to take it slow. Very thick and creamy body.
This is a very interesting and delicious beer. I am not the biggest into sweets, but this isn't too crazy for my taste.


I may try for another later this evening. Cheers all!

 

12 percent brewery snappy lager.
...cloudy pale orange appearance
....medium carbonation with a body thats also about average.
...aroma is grain,cereal, mild citrus in the background. An earthy buckwheat honey is there as well.
Taste is a slight bitter bite thats quickly replaced with a malty, honey sweet flavor. Then cereal and grain take over and linger in the aftertaste.
...this was fairly inexpensive and I think they were presenting it as a basic lager but it has been a really nice beer to have

 

Cloudburst - Based on a True Story
Bending the rules again, since I shared two of these with my brother in law during my daughter's birthday party earlier today.

16oz can served in a curvy Fremont glass. Dated 1/31/22. Bought it yesterday at Chuck's Hop Shop Seward Park.

Pours super hazy, pale whitish-yellow, big three-finger fluffy head that settles to a lumpy layer with some very pretty lacing. Smell is tons of citrus pith, somewhere between lemon and orange. Bright, floral, resinous.

Taste is mostly in the same vein -- juicy citrus, something vaguely tropical, mild bitter resin finish, something orange-juliusy about it.

Mouthfeel is super dry, airy, quite fluffy. Very nice beer.

 

Last beer of the weekend


Paint branch by 7 Locks brewing. A home state brewery I had never heard of.

They call it a Bohemian Pilsner but to me it’s more representative of a Zwickelbier.
It has a strong lemon flavor that I’m not a fan of.

My overall score ended up at 3.44.

 

Westbound & Down Barrel-Aged Western Justice '21 (Imperial Stout aged in Weller, Eagle Rare 10, Handy and Dickel barrels for various periods and then blended).
Pours like motor oil. Pitch black in the glass and barely produced a head. Aroma is chocolate chip cookie, some dark chocolate, slight coffee, big caramel, big vanillin, some coconut, oak, bourbon, fig, plum, molasses. Taste brings dark chocolate brownie batter, some Hershey's syrup, lots of caramel, plenty of vanillin from the barrel, some coffee, slight coconut, some tobacco, fig, date, roasted malt, charred oak tannin, smooth but bold bourbon. Huge depth of barrel character without being boozy. Full and dense body. One of the better straight up barrel aged stouts I've had in some time. The barrel character and base stout are absolutely top notch.
Overall: 4.59

 

Well, this is likely it for tonight, and it's something I was so happy to pick up at the brewery a couple of days ago.


Blessed Harvest - American Imperial Stout - Bad Habit Brewing - St. Joe, MN - 10.5% ABV

My state is a dumpster fire, and getting worse by the day with gasoline poured on it - oops can't have that, maybe solar and wind poured on it to be carbon neutral when it's -30F.

A small good thing that happened last year is a law that allowed breweries to sell other formats besides 64oz growlers and 750ml howlers. I picked this up back on Thursday at the brewery in a 12oz bottle. As an old man, while I love heavy beers, I'd rather them be in a smaller size. This is perfect for me.

This beer is interesting. It's listed as an Imperial Stout, but reminds me more of a Scotch Ale. I truly don't care what it's listed as, as long as it tastes good, and it does. BTW the bottle says it's a stout. I'll add it to the notes for this beer.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/42984/636823/

3.99/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Picked up at the brewery in a 12oz bottle - FINALLY!

A bit of a hiss when opening up the bottle, and a hint of smoke. The beer is black pouring, semi thick looking. The head is tan looking and 1 1/2 finger. The head retention is decent, but there's no lacing on the glass.
Well, there's an interesting aroma here. Spices, but that doesn't seem right. I think I'm getting caramel. I know I get barrel notes here in the aroma. Toffee, coffee? I like it, but I'm just having a tough time figuring out the aromas.
The flavor is full on barrel right away. It then mellows to caramel, and toffee. I get a good deal of smoke that hits here as well on the back side. Nutty flavor.
This does seem lighter bodied right away, but it does have a burn from the barrel that tells you to slow down.
This beer is something I do like, however, at the same time, it confuses me. Maybe that's a good thing? I am enjoying it.

 

Destihl Brewery Dead Head Series Looks Like Haze DDH Hazy IPA, 7.0% ABV; 4.32 overall

Pours a hazed gold with 2+ fingers of pillowy eggshell colored head. Rings of lacing & nice head retention

S: Citrus & tropical fruit

T: Green melon, passion fruit, pomelo & some dryness up front, plus a touch of guava. Sweet orange, guava, kiwi fruit, some powdery dryness & a little pineapple as this beer warms, just a little lime as well. Finishes with sweet orange, green melon, passion fruit & powdery dryness & a kiss of pineapple

MF: Medium body, creamy carbonation, great balance

Great drinkability, I like this more than the masses. I will buy this again, if fresh

 

Happy Birthdays, Mike!