New Beer Weekend #142

Magnify egg hunt
...appearance is creamy pina colada, with a frothy head.
...medium light carbonation with the body being about medium.
...aroma is pina colada with cream and whipped cream. Theres some vanilla but going by just the aroma I wouldnt guess its a beer.
....taste is sweet,pineapple, cream,whipped cream and some vanilla. Again,not very -beer-like,if the alchohol was higher it wouldn't come off as a virgin puna colada.
...overall i have to judge it by the idea of did it taste like advertised and it most definitely did. For what it was it was remarkably well done.

 

A tasty IPA in my books. Been my favorite beer from the box so far. I'm a mosaic fan boy so this is right up my alley. Would be something I'd purchase if I had availability.

Juice Jr IPA - Great Notion

4.55/5 rDev +5.3%
4 / 4.5 / 4.75 / 4.25 / 4.5

 

Anchorage Brewing, The Calling, 7% ABV

A mixed culture sour ale fermented and aged in Missouri oak, with saison yeast, brettanomyces, and a "house" mixed culture. Dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin. Finished on passionfruit, peach, & key lime.

Listed here as a Wild Ale, and I think that fits better than the catch all Saison style for this.



Pours with a light haze, a golden/yellow color. A two finger white head forms with good retention and lace left behind.
A fruit medley in the nose. Peach and lime are up front and most noticeable. With some pie crust. It is enjoyable, if a bit muddled..
Taste wise, again a sweet, fruity, "juicy" medley of peach and lime. Other generic fruits that I can't really pin down. The bottle just says passion fruit, so yeah that works. Cinnamon and pie crust. Just a touch of acidity.
A medium body and spritzy carbonation. I would like this to finish drier. Not hard to drink, but becomes a bit of a muddled fruit salad after a while.

I would like more of the characteristics to come from the Brett, mix cultured yeast, and hops. Though I mostly get the added fruits. While that is far from bad, I have had many Saisons and Wild Ales that pull similar characteristics better without all the added fruits. Again, not bad at all, but less than the sum of its parts for me (as they say).

Overall score is 3.62, solid B
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24903/622569/?ba=champ103#lists

To be fair, I didn't read the label closely enough I guess. I saw the fruits in small print on the label, but thought that was just tasting notes jargon, which I don't always agree with what is actually put on the label. So I didn't pay it all that much mind, then after I bought it noticed the beer was "finished on" those fruits. I'm assuming they meant, they just used those as additives. Anyway, if I had noticed that at first, I probably would have passed on this. Especially for the price. Anchorage is not cheep ha.

 

Welcome one and all to the 2023 Easter Edition of New Beer Sunday #946. My second weekend beer is sold by Maplewood, and I believe was brewed and canned by Great Central Brewing Company who produces many of Maplewood's beers. I really enjoy GCBC's beers and much of what they do for Maplewood, and therefore have no reservations picking up these offerings.

Maplewood In Dark Trees



Can Notes: Purchased single 16 oz can at store temperature at Beer on the Wall on 3/2/23 for $2.97, canned 1/17/23 @ 2:59:34 PM, refrigerated upon bringing home until today. 5.0% ABV, Dark Czech-Style Lager. Brewed by Maplewood Brewing Company on can, though per the Federal COLA label registry, Great Central Brewing Company is the brewer of this beer.

Appearance: Primary pour into a large stein. Dark brown to black clear base, creamy generous head lingers a few minutes before leaving a root beer float like creamy generous cover over the base and spotty soapy lacing in its wake. 4.25

Aroma: Caramel, roast malt, brown sugar. Mild in strength, sweet. 3.5

Taste: Similar to the aroma, though little complexity with just a sweet malt and brown sugar offset by a flavorless hoppy backing. Everything seems muted. 2.75

Mouthfeel: Light fizzy carbonation sustained throughout. Light watery body, balanced as hops mutes malt sweetness though without any reward. Easy drinking, bitterness and mild dryness lingers with brown sugar. 3.5

Overall: This isn't my type of style, though I have enjoyed well executed versions more than this one. Wish the hops delivered flavor, or the malt was allowed to shine with more complexity and fuller flavor. One and done for me. 3.0

Well, I unfortunately flip flopped my beer selection, wish I saved the Art History until today. I'll finish this, but very glad I only have one. Malt styles, meh.

 

All right, back at it, and on location at Wild Mind Ales in Minneapolis.

Deep Unreal - Imperial Stout- 12.5%

I am so glad I was able to get a half pour of this, because a full pour would be ridiculous for me. This is a thick and full bodied beer. Lots of cinnamon that shows throughout the tasting. Nice coffee flavor. Vanilla, maple, caramel, toffee and chocolate also show up. This is good, but 5oz is plenty, even if I weren't driving.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46325/640676/#navigation

4.43/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Poured from the tap at the brewery. This beer looks very thick and pitch black - no way light will shine through. The head is a beautiful shade of brown. No thickness to the head, as expected, and no lacing on the glass. When I swirl the glass to smell the beer, the beer seems to cling to the glass.
The nose is a decadent mix of maple, chocolate, caramel, toffee, and a ton of bourbon from the barrel.
In the flavor, there's a decent amount of cinnamon that the nose didn't let on. The cinnamon starts it off and continues throughout. I get vanilla that seems to hit on the backside. There's a hint of sweetness up front, maple. Faint chocolate, caramel, toffee. The coffee hits, but not overpowering. Some barrel, but not a lot, just enough to know it's here.
Thick as all get out. Smooth, creamy, full. The cinnamon provides a burn that lingers. There doesn't seem to be an alcohol burn, but it's probably mixed in with the cinnamon.
This is a sold beer, but a sipper and in small quantities. I got a half pour, and it's plenty.


This is the only one here. I will be back home later for another round.

 

I really like the label art. It reminds me of Yellow Submarine.

 

I really wanted to like the Cold IPA style because I like Lagers and IPLs but many that I have had so far completely fall apart for me as they warm and about halfway through the glass.

I am with you and I can't drink too much Lager because it's sweet. I prefer the Light, Premium, LC, etc.

 

Back in the 80s my Mother in Law would always bring me 3 cases of Yuengling Porter when they visited relatives in the Pottsville area. I loved that beer.

 

Magnify certainly brews some unusual beers! I didn't try this one but I appreciate that you reviewed it against the brewer's intent rather than in a vacuum. I noticed that the ratings range from 4.25 to 1.37. Quite a spread! I'll be reviewing another of Magnify's releases this week (not Egg Hunt, LOL) shortly. Cheers!

 

The Lost Abbey ~ Genesis of Shame
Oak Aged Brett Ale with Peaches
6.5% ABV ~ 2017 release if I recall correctly.

Brewer's Notes: Beginning with a blonde sour with Peaches aged in Foeders for the past 18 months, Genesis is blended with a fresh Belgian-inspired blonde ale, resulting in a light and refreshing brew with just a hint of peach goodness.

Oak aged Brettanomyces ale with peaches

Thankfully, there is no shame lurking in this bottle of beer. In fact, there’s nothing but delicious goodness waiting for you. We’ve blended oak aged beer from one of our foeders, married it with a fresh blond base beer, and kissed the whole thing with peaches [not from Eden’s Garden, mind you] to hopefully deliver us from that hell known as shame.

My Easter Sunday themed selection BA!
Mixed reviews on this one, so here we go...

The cage tears apart upon twist and the cork is removed with ease here; nearly pushing out all on its own...which to the trained LA imbiber is premonition of what is to come ha! Not quite an erupting gusher per say but a constant billowing of lively Brett head eventually reveals a hazy looking honey blonde body.

The aromas are fairly muted with soft fruits up front along with a touch of yeasty bread and a distinct stainless steel/metallic note. I get musky white wine grape and white peach mostly. There is some mild sour cream like twang noted.

The flavors deliver in a similar fashion with no real oaky barrel presence detected. Perhaps a touch of vanilla likeness. Mild and subtle notes of fermenting fruits. Suggestions of white grape skins with a soft peachy essence. Slight dusty Bretty-ness but nothing very standout and rather mundane overall if we are being true to the review. A touch of doughy malt with the alcohol completely masked here. But again a noticeable metallic note building up within the finish.

The mouthfeel is the highlight (sadly) with that smoove creamy, well refined feel, that only Brett bottle conditioned beers seem to produce. Lightly drying factor on the exit.

The real "shame" here is that this beer has all the potential and promise on paper that it just does not achieve. Needs more of everything advertised; the oak, the fruit, and the yeast.

I will note that as I take my time with the drink and temps begin to gather, those steely notes do dissipate. What you have is a fairly nice drinker however quite understated in the sour ale department.

Cheers New Beer Weekenders

 

Yes,magnify brews some funky beer but its usually solid and well done.
I agree about not reviewing in a vacuum,if its fruity pebbles marshmallow sour and whipped cream beer did they do that well. Im not comparing it to goose island stout.
Hope you and your family enjoy the holiday

 

Bottom Ferment kölsch - Ferment Brewing Company

4.22/5 rDev +6
4.25 / 4 / 4.25 / 4.5 / 4.25

Excellent representation of the style imo

 

A NJ classic resurrected...

This used to be a chased down beer in NJ, I remember driving to stores on delivery days, and visiting the whole in the wall size brewery years ago to buy this and Boat. Well, times have changed, it suddenly was always around and then just like that it isn't around much down here anymore; the hazy revolution has pushed masterpieces like this to the wayside. Lucky me though, I stumbled upon super fresh supply trying to find a beer for a trade request, grabbed a single for me and my trade partner.

Upon first sip it was like I was drinking this beer for the first time, mind blown, taste buds all perked up and just an amazing experience...at that moment I figured I'd try and take you all along for the ride...as a "new" beer cause that is how it felt, and I've never jotted down my thoughts on this masterpiece.

Carton - 077XX aka o’ dub (east coast IIPA 7.8%)



Pours a mix of pale and bronze, mildly fluffy, but dense white head; very good retention with above average lacing.

The nose is so biting, in a pleasant way, on this beer…prominent resin and sappiness; all the biting aspects of pine without the aromatic needle smell, hiding behind there is a mildly fruity and orange smell to it with an green dankness trying its best to poke threw.

Taste carries a nice mild malty sweet presence that the nose does not hint at…after that the orange like fruitiness, and the sap bites on the finish; dank in aftertaste.

Medium body, prickling sappy bite immediately upon each sip that just coats the whole tongue; it then finishes incredibly dry with another wallop of hops in the form of substantial bitterness. This goes down so remarkably clean and easy; combine that with it’s intoxicating sap and pine, a dangerous combination for this guy.

I should be ashamed at myself for being part of the reason I can’t find this much anymore. Now I either have to drive way out of the way or order home delivery; which this single is tempting me to. What a glorious glorious hop experience on a great and filling weekend.

————

I love this time of year, cool nights with semi warm days…garden coming back to life…raspberries showing so much green again, garlic about six inches high, lettuce heads half formed, snap peas climbing fast, radishes and arugula sprouting…the forest slowly coming back to life, and birds oh so loud before it gets god awful hot this summer…another freeze tonight before 4 days of 80 this week, mind blown…

Have a beautiful week everyone! Cheers!

 

We used to get Carton in CT a few years ago. I walked past this one a few times but man does that look/sound good. I did drink a lot of their IPAs in particular and maybe some crazy imperial cream ale all of which I quite enjoyed. I love that crossover west-coast-meets-East-coast ipa. A lot of what NEBCO does here is very reminiscent of that.

 

Cahoots 5 BBA Imperial Stout, 15% ABV. Pours thick and black with a slight tan head that left no lacing. Nose is bourbon, vanilla, and chocolate. Taste follows, moderately sweet, slightly bitter oak, with bourbon burn. OK mouthfeel, though under-carbonated. Overall excellent.

4.19/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Still waiting for the ether bunny, but this will suffice until he shows up.

 

Good Sunday afternoon and Happy Easter, New Beer Sippers and commentators. I've noticed a good number of Imperial Stouts and other high gravity brews being reviewed this weekend and I want to join in. Saturday Cartoons is a collaboration between Magnify and Bottle Logic Brewing. I have the highest regard for Bottle Logic having received numerous World Class Stouts through the NBS BIFs. Although better known for IPAs, Magnify is no slouch at brewing Stouts either. One characteristic is the almost motor oil viscosity. Saturday Cartoons is actually a blend of 50% Imperial Stout and 50% Barleywine, aged in 12 year Elijah Craig Barrels with coffee and maple syrup. It's a monster at 14% ABV. It was just released this week along with another Imperial Stout collab with Bottle Logic called Dessert for Breakfast.

Warmed to 64°. It pours a very dark walnut - nearly black. The medium-mocha-colored head fizzled away quickly (not surprising given the alcohol level). The nose is very aromatic with roasted malt, milk chocolate, fresh coffee, maple syrup, nuts, and soft but noticeable bourbon. Its taste is much more coffee-forward; strong and acidic. Beneath is earthy, nutty char, maple syrup, and a hint of tobacco. The Barleywine component comes through with notes of molasses and raisin and I can readily taste the barrel influence. While not overpowering it adds heat to the blend. The mouth feel is luxuriously viscous and creamy - almost chewy. The carbonation is lite and it drinks its full 14% ABV; it's definitely a slow sipper. Overall, as a blend of BA Imperial Stout and BA Barleywine, Saturday Cartoons is decadent and flavorful but borders on overpowering. I would pair it with sharp cheese.

4.26/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

I don't think I can handle another review after imbibing this big Stout. Have a great week, everyone. Cheers, NBW!

 

Happy Easter nbs. I am over at Julia's parents house. We had some light breakfast and went to the book loft and staufs coffee. Back for Easter dinner before heading home.






My first WV beer giving me all 50 states plus DC. Big timber double bit ipa. This was awesome. Lasting rocky head retention and soapy lacing. Moderate haze. Best before 5/15/23. Aromas and flavors of big red grapefruit, tangerine, peach, pineapple, passion fruit, guava, berries, citrus rind, pepper, pine, cracker, bread, herbal, floral, grass. Large sized pine rind bitter finish. Medium carb and body. Balanced bready grainy malt and sticky resinous hops. Long resin drying finish, mild astringency and warming 8%. A bit crisp on resins. Very vibrant and dank hops with a clean malt backbone. Feels like a lot of Columbus and Simcoe hops. 4.13


Cheers

 

100%, I got to try sea hag and g bit before and I agree similar takes on hoppy beers. If you see this one, which hopefully you do someday, don’t hesitate.

 

To me, O'Dub was always special but because Carton kept releasing differently-hopped "Dubviants" the original kind of got lost which is a shame. I rarely see fresh O'Dub in my area either. You've got me in the mood to seek some out!