New Beer Weekend #183

Hello everyone, it's time for another New Beer Weekend. Tell us what you're drinking, give a review, a picture if you can.

For me, I'm having Surly Holiday Party, their last release of the 2023 bottle project. 4 different beers released quarterly for $100 total. How did I think this one rated?

Appearance: Black, starts with a good head but fizzes like a soda and it disappears, a little strange.

Smell: Dark chocolate with vanilla barrel note, bit of cherry/booze in back.

Taste: Moderately sweet, the coconut comes through in the middle, well balanced with chocolate. Syrupy mouthfeel.

Overall: The last beer from the 2023 Surly bottle project is a winner. Nice rich chocolate and coconut flavor, well balanced, not harsh or boozy. Good stuff!

 

There is no such thing as too many IPAs, right?

Well, based upon the number of IPAs (mostly Hazy/Juicy IPAs it seems) at my local beer retailers, the answer is “yes” to the above question. And from my readings, IPAs are the most popular selling craft beers.

I generally prefer ‘regular’ IPAs to the Hazy/Juicy IPAs. I enjoy drinking one well-made Hazy/Juicy IPA but these beers tend to lack ‘drinkability’ for me so after that one beer I have no desire to drink a second one. In contrast I enjoy drinking ‘regular’ IPAs and after finishing that one beer I crave to drink a second (which may occur or not).

Thanks to a post by @oneeye , I became aware of variety 12-pack from Fat Head’s: Head Hunter IPA Hoppy Variety IPA. I am a BIG fan of the year-round Head Hunter IPA so buying this variety pack is a ‘no brainer’ for me.

Today’s new beer is: Double Dry Hopped IPA. I visited the Fat Head’s website to learn the specifics about this beer (e.g., which hop varieties are used, etc.) but I came up empty. I did find:

“Double Dry-Hopped Head Hunter: The beer is made with a second dry-hopping round. Dry hopping is a process used to enhance a beer’s aroma.”

https://www.cleveland.com/entertain...ery-launches-head-hunter-variety-12-pack.html

On the can it provides the information:

· 7.5% ABV

· 80 IBU

Well, let’s see what a double dry hopped IPA from Fat Head’s tastes like.

Served in my Spiegelau IPA Glass:

Appearance:

Golden yellow with a BIG white head.

Aroma:

A vibrant aroma which is mostly citrus but in the background there is a subtle hint of dank.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with mostly citrus flavors but also that hint of dank and even some floral on the mid-palate. There is a notable bitterness.

Mouthfeel

Medium bodied with a dry finish.

Overall

This beer is very good – excellent. For my palate this beer has drinkability!

Cheers!

@rotsaruch @RobH @KOP_Beer_OUtlet @JayORear @ESHBG

 

Not only a new beer for me, but a new style.

Minuet Grisette from Shacklands brewing in Toronto
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31674/608476/

Poured a 355ml can into a tulip. A scant one finger fine white head on a slightly hazy amber lemon. The head diminishes to a thin layer.
Fruit in the nose.
Very mildly tart. Less fruit than the nose. Lightly funky. more fruit up front as it warms. A long, dry finish.
Very smooth. a light body and moderate carbonation.
A very nice farmhouse style ale. Light and refreshing. A surprisingly big flavour for a low ABV brew.

look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

 

Founders Brewing KBS Spicy Chocolate. I like the sound of this one. The color is pitch black, with thick brown foam, which quickly disappears, leaving a coffee-like appearance. The smell is strong, and travels well with the arctic winds of the frozen tundra of Green Bay, WI. Coffee, chocolate, and bourbon blend well with sweet and spicy pepper scents. The flavor is very coffee-forward. I think the most of any KBS variant I can think of. Chocolate and bourbon follow. I tried to detect pepper flavors, but that did not occur until far on the back end. The heat is a slow build. When it arrives, it is rather mild. The mouthfeel is a bit thin. It is oily, smooth, and syrupy, with light-medium carbonation. Overall, this is a decent addition to the KBS lineup, but it is not one of my favorites. I like mole beers, but there are better ones available.

 

It’s a twofer!

 

Dang it all, I live 30 minutes from the freaking brewery and I *still* have not seen that beer available here. And the double oaked variant? I first learned about it here, not from the brewery.
Bizarre distribution patterns.

 

Do you have a canning date, Jack?

 

We have a daughter and grandson visiting for the weekend. He's two years old, very active, and fearless, so we have to be careful about him playing with our dogs. They're very friendly and love people, but they've never been around an active two year old. So far, so good.
My new beer is Citra IPA from Jeremiah Johnson Brewing Co.
The beer is gold with a slight haze, Huge off-white head with plenty of lace.
The aroma is a little subdued. Citrus fruit, faint pine.
Nice taste. Grapefruit and orange, some late pine.
A balanced IPA.

 

I hear you. Toppling Goliath Brewing used to self-distribute two-day-old beers to my area. Now it would not be a surprise to see @AzfromOz post one of their new releases before I have the opportunity to do so.

 

Salutations, my fellow novelty seeking weekenders. I'm enjoying my first saison of 2024, a "new" recipe from El Segundo, although the ingredients and ABV remain the same as their previous take on the style, called "Aileron," so whatever refinements they made are likely fine indeed.

Homage Brewing is doing their annual cellar release today (at their Chinatown location) with lots of rare $40+ barrel/fruit aged saisons and wild ales making a brief appearance, but the rain was sufficient to deter me, so I'm allowing my wallet to take precedence over my palate with this $3.50 pint:

3.57/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Best by July 8th, 2024 - enjoyed on January 20th, 2024. Poured from a pint can into my Brasseurs de Garde tulip.

Lightly hazy pale straw/flax body with an active ivory cap. Low, fluffy lacing; decent retention.

Citrus and floral aroma with hints of banana and white tea. Gentle phenolic yeast character - no real funk.

Flavor follows the nose, with the pilsner malt and bright lemon-y wheat character taking over in the crackery dry finish. Residual tangerine peel with a hint of noble-hop spiciness throughout. Slight medicinal/menthol notes perhaps (vapo-rub?). Stylistically a bit muddled sometimes suggesting witbier and hefeweizen.

Sufficient carbonation, but a little thin while still being warming (dextrose doing its job here I guess).

Decent, but leaning too heavily towards the "refreshing" side for my tastes - somewhat anachronistic as there are many superior domestic takes available these days.

 

12/7/23.

I bought the 12-pack a week+ ago and I immediately placed all 12 cans in my refrigerator when I got it home. The beer tasted fresh (e.g., a vibrant hop aroma) to me.

Cheers!

 

Just as I suspected. Even though Wisconsin is a Jordan Love pass over the Mississippi River from Toppling Goliath Brewing, we cannot get their good beers. But there are probably kangaroos who are drinking fresh King Sue.

 

Sierra Nevada Hop Bullet Magnum Edition, Imperial IPA. 9.5% ABV.



Pours a clear golden/orange color. A dense white rises with excellent retention. Rings of lace left behind, and this is a looker.
Aroma of citrus, floral, pine, resin like in the nose. A simple aroma, but I'm enjoying it.
Taste wise, all the citrus, floral, pine flavors are here. A touch of melon like fruits as well. Pine resin like, and a touch of candied sugars. Lingering herbal bitterness brings this all together.
A medium to full body. Crisp carbonation at first, but that becomes very smooth as this breaths. There is a chewy, resiny, stickiness here, and works for the style. Some alcohol heat. Though this is a nice Imperial IPA to sip on. I'll be enjoying the six pack and maybe get another.

I have heard some criticism that this is too sweet. While I do get a bit of candied sugars mid palate, it doesn't linger at all for me. Its also no more or less so than many other examples of an Imperial IPA. Overall, a very nice example of the style, and I would expect nothing less from Sierra Nevada. Another hit from them as far as I'm concerned.

Overall score is 4.02, easy A- for me.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/683765/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Hey! Busy day…I’m finally getting around to posting my review of this morning’s new to me beer - Prairie Artisan Ale’s “Bourbon Barrel Double Paradise”, a BBA Imperial Stout with “Double Coconut and Double Vanilla.” Sounds right up my alley. A Tavour purchase received yesterday…Let’s go!



Bottled 10/31/23. Poured at 51°. Brown fizzy head; poor cap retention; thin ring; small island of micro dots; on agitation, a few spots of lace; no legs; black body with ruby edges; a few flecks of coconut. Nose is chocolate fudge, coconut with boozy exhale ; more coconut as beer warmed. Chocolate entry with some coconut; bourbon in the background; vanilla in the finish. Smooth silky feel; medium body; mouth warmth/bite on tip of tongue from 15.7% abv; light carbonation; not adjuncty. Overall, not much bourbon here, mostly semi sweet chocolate fudge followed by coconut, then vanilla; boozy (which I like); honestly, I was hoping for more…

4.0 | 4.25 | 4.5 | 4.25 | 4.25
Score: 4.34 rDev -2%


A very good beer, but I was expecting more depth and flavor from Prairie on this “Double” flavored beer…Cheers y’all!

 

3.96/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Jack's Abby Brewing BA Framinghammer - Mapledoodle: received a 500 ML bottle via the Barleywine/Stout BIF from @Mikexw 11-4-23. 2022 edition; consumed 1-20-2024.

Beer poured dark brown with a very nice tan head.

Nose is some mild to medium roasted malts with a hint of cinnamon and maple.

Taste is a large malt base that has some roast to it. Cinnamon takes over and dominates. As i continue to sip this i am getting some maple. Finishes a touch sweet with the barrel presence not overtly noticeable but helping to balance things out in the end.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth.

Overall a cinnamon dominant beer that was fun to try. Thanks Mike!