New Beer Weekend #144

Okay bare with me, a long post on a Mystery Beer sent by @sulldaddy for BIF 17. Before pics

<a href="https://imgur.com/MBscFxj"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/MBscFxj.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>



I guessed BA Porter or Stout North of 12% ABV. Turned out to be





Tree House Tree of Life Coffee ( Barleywine ) 11.8% and Barrel aged. 4.22 over all. Now to go retrieve my words

Pours a fairly thick chestnut-hued mahogany with a modest caramel colored head. Some head retention & lacing

S: Cakeyness, a little barrel, raisins, figs. Cinnamon, once warm

T: Follows the nose, a little Baker's Chocolate, a touch of coffee, just as much caramel, a touch of woody hops up front. Warming booze mixes with sweet coffee & caramel, plus a little pine once this warms up, some vanilla too. Finishes with pleasant warming booze, vanilla, pine & caaramel

MF: Smooth as silk body, pretty chewy, some carbonation, warming, excels across the board in this category

Certainly presents sweet, never had a Coffee Barley Wine, so I will just say I really like the flavors & it was very drinkable despite the heft. If I was looking at this a straight Barley Wine I would mark it lower; would I drink this all Winter long? Hell yes! I enjoyed the ride

 

Greetings, fellow NBWers, on this April Sunday,

It's pretty overcast here in the wilds of Spokanistan, with temperatures close to 60. We're still periodically having rain showers turn into gropple showers around here, but the amplitude of such showers is decreasing, so I guess we have that going for us.

Yesterday I ventured over to the Gem State for some goodies for @Rug that are not obtainable here. Came away with a pretty good haul, and sampled a number of beers at some locations I've yet to visit before in Hayden and Coeur d'Alene. For that reason I'm moving a little, er, slow today re: beer. I'll be hitting something from @russpowell and his box of Arkansasian and Oklahoman goodies that he blew up my porch with last weekend.

Until then, here's the post re: the Mystery Beer that I hit last weekend from the NBS BIF #17 thread:

 

Bare with you? I mean, I like you, Russ, but I'm not sure I'm ready to take things to that level...

 

In all seriousness, a coffee barleywine sounds amazing. I'd definitely hit that given the chance!

 

Just shows how much more the beer universe can expand

 

'

Or is it Bear? I got a B in one class& an A in another English class in my University of Maryland overseas classes. Bear ( bare ) in mind that was me about half this age...

 

Loquacious or verbose I read every word with relish. AzfromOz is a real pleasure and clever to boot!

 

More from @woemad, going from Fluffy Puffy Sunshine earlier, we now have Dirty Sunshine. So, Double Sunshine??



My first from Humble Abode. The aroma threw me a bit, there's not really much happening and it oddly floated between WCIPA and NEIPA, just some mild bitterness and fruitiness. Things improve in taste, but it still remains firmly planted between styles. Lots orange juice, peppery hops, and pineapple up front, with more of a lemon zest, peppery hops, and grapefruit pith vibe on the back end. It ends up a bit slick and sticky, but still remains drinkable. It's certainly not better than the Fluffy Puffy Sunshine from earlier, but it sure as hell isn't a bad beer to spend some time with

3.93/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

 

Oooooooh, didn't know there was an oak version. Sorry to have missed it.

 

Time for a quick review while my dough rests.
Proclamation Insignificance
TIPA in honor of their 1000th batch of beer.....And if you've ever experienced a Proclo TIPA you know they rarely let you down. They are one of masters of squeezing the most hops into beers while still keeping them highly drinkable. Enough blabbing lets.see what s going on here.
First this beer as far as color goes is just plain ugly. It looks like day old warm cider. But! The head of beige is quite creamy and surprisingly lasting.
Well here we are an absolute blast of fruits. I mean it's hard to identify all going on. The pineapple, pear, passionfruit and peach hit first there is mango, some citrus and the malt seems honey light caramel, adding a sweetness to the fruit bowl. However bang! Here comes that really bracing bitterness. Wow this is some big boy beer. There is slight alcohol but considering the abv not bad. I can usually drink these big ones fairly fast. Not this baby this is a sipper. Heavy body, low carb. Does dry.with bitterness on the finish.
Diggin it.
Cheers and happy 1000th Proclo!

 

Back with my first (and possibly only) new beer of the day, and it's fantastic!


https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/44536/336200/?ba=woemad#lists
Damn, this is good! Really refined, the bourbon barrel aging definitely is obvious, but it doesn't dominate, and there's very little alcohol "heat."
I've long been a fan of when a brewery makes a beer like this and puts it in a 12 oz serving, which to me, is just the right amount. I'd never heard of this beer or this brewery before @russpowell used it to assault my porch, but now I am definitely a fan. Thanks, Russ!

 

In the PNW, a lot of brewers have attempted the hazy New England style and more or less have created their own sub-style, which I personally refer to as Juicy IPAs. They tend to be more of a hybrid of the old school West Coast style and the New England hazy IPA. There's a few that get closer to the New England style (and I think I've included one in the box; YMMV), but I would say the majority of hazies done in this part of the country are more along the lines of the two you've hit this weekend.

 

Welcome one and all to New Beer Sunday #948! We are one year away from the magical New Beer Sunday #1000 weekend.

I am back with my second Goldfinger Pilsner, though this Pilsner doesn't look like most other Pilsners and is listed as an European Dark Lager on Beer Advocate.

Goldfinger Black Pils



Can Notes: Single 16 oz can purchased 3/1/23 at store temperature for $3.50 at Beer on the Wall, refrigerated thereafter. Canned 2/6/23, 5.0% ABV. Brewed and packaged by Goldfinger Brewing Company, 513 Rogers Street, Downers Grove, IL.

Black Pilsner: Crisp, Aromatic, Slightly Roasty. This naturally carbonated lager is rooted in family tradition. Brewed like our ancestors did in 19th century Krakow. Na Zdrowie!

Appearance: Several pours into into a large nonic glass, creamy tan white foam a lingers awhile with each pour leaving thin spiderweb like lacing and a firm cover over the clear bronze tan lightly carbonation base. Looks similar to a root beer float. 4.0

Aroma: Sweet roasted malts lead, caramel, mild to medium in strength. One note. 3.5

Taste: Stronger and more depth than the aroma, starting with a nice milk/dark chocolate with a slight lead over a bready (rye/pumpernickel) nice roasted malt. Getting a light grassy backing as well, and generous hops provide a bitterness which restrains cloying sweetness. Definitely works for my preferences. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Dry and bitter is the primary attribute, light fizzy carbonation, body light and watery. Drinks at or slightly above the 5.0% ABV, dry bitter lingers. 4.0

Overall: This drinks more like a stout (Bell's Kalamazoo Stout or North Coast Old Rasputin) in terms of the bitterness / hops component, than a typical lager. Somewhat of a departure, IMO, from the listed style, though definitely in my wheelhouse. If you keep these factors in mind and purchase accordingly, you should enjoy this offering. If a more traditional take is what you are looking for, I would search elsewhere. 4.25

I enjoyed both Goldfinger Beers this weekend, which is usually the case with this brewery. Finally caught up with last week's thread, as these BIF weeks are longer to get through, but I enjoy reading all the reviews. Planning to enjoy this week's thread this evening.

Cheers!

 

Had a few new brews today, started off with the 2 Urban Artifact Small Batch Society beers that were new to me:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/40297/651611/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/40297/229870/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



And now working on my second can of this good local collab pale ale:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/37078/651729/?ba=bluejacket74#lists




Happy NBW and cheers until next weekend!

 

There are two movies that I've gone back to at the theaters and re-watched immediately after seeing them the first time. More recently, it was Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Much earlier, when I was in college, it was 12 Monkeys, which makes this Saltfire beer, sent by @colts9016, very exciting to me.

Appearance after a somewhat aggressive pour is a slightly hazy (unfiltered, maybe?) orange-copper, with a decent head that dissipates fairly quickly, likely due to the high ABV (9.1%), but leaving behind persistent lacing. Aroma is surprisingly tropical, with a distinctively strong lime (!) note that rides atop some pineapple and even orange. I had expected a more herbal dankness given the Simcoe and Mosaic. Taste follows the nose, with pine and grass asserting itself, and the lime becomes even more prominent, to the point where I'm not sure my palate knows what to do with it . . . it's somehow un-integrated and little distracting. Mouthfeel is zippy and dry, making the whole thing more easily quaffable than you'd expect. Still, that lime thing is taking over, to the point where I almost get a gin-and-tonic impression. I wouldn't call it a bad thing, and the high alcohol is barely detectable, but, unlike the movie for which it's named, I doubt I would rush right out and experience it again. Very glad to finally try Saltfire, and there's more Saltfire in Jammin's stellar box, which I will report on as I drink them!

 

Juicelius 6.8% ABV NEIPA from Tree House.

Appearance is a murky dark orange juice color. Has a thick 1&1/2 inch head with good retention that retains a thin layer throughout with nice lacing.

The aroma of this beer is fantastic! Big bright aromas of fresh mangoes,peaches,guava and tangerines. As I bring glass to my mouth to drink I get a big nose full of the aroma!

Beer has a medium creamy mouthfeel with just a touch of carbonation.

Taste follows the nose with semi-sweet guava, mangoes,peaches and passion-fruit. Definite hint of sweetness upfront, but not overly sweet IMHO.

Finish to me is a little short. Get a bit of hop bitterness but wish it lingered longer.

Another excellent Tree House beer. Has tons of flavor for a 6.8% ABV beer, love the aroma and the hop profile, wish the finish lingered longer and had a little more bitterness to it.

 

One more from @sulldaddy New England Brewing Co. Fuzzy Bay Ducks IPA, 6.2% ABV; 3.97 overall


Pours a hazed honey color with one finger of cream colored head. Pretty good head retention, okay lacing

S: Grassyness & citrus; expected more nose

T: Follows the nose, some lime, sweet breadyness, mango & a kiss of pineapple up front. Green melons, a little dryness, grassyness, lime & a little tangerine as this beer warms. Finishes a little grassy & dry with green melon & a kiss of pineapple

MF: Medium body, pretty lively carbonation, good balance

Super drinkability, I feel liked this would've knocked my socks off 10 years ago, still solid

 

Thanks again for keeping the NBS clock ticking!
Cheers

 

We love both of those films
Cheers