New Beer Weekend #185

I’m gonna dedicate one to you later today or next weekend…your recent comments in another thread have me searching for something when shopping today or this week

 

Starting to get my tax stuff in order, and it's a pain in the ass. At least I have a new beer to help me, and this is Blackberry Gose from Hamburg Brewing Co.
Pink/purple color, clear. Small, quickly disappearing pink head. A little bit of lace.
Faint berry aroma.
Faint blackberry taste. Slightly tart.
A very ordinary beer.

 

What comments? Is this gonna be a surprise?

 

Good afternoon NBW
My beer fridges are quite full at the moment, but I couldn't pass on this four pack yesterday.

Spicy Chocolate KBS

12oz bottled on 12/27/23 poured into a tulip glass at fridge temp 12% ABV. The beer pours impenetrable black with medium brown colored head. The head recedes to a thin ring and island leaving a ring of lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring chocolate and coffee up front with additional notes of chile pepper, cinnamon, oak and vanilla. Bourbon is always absent from these variants from using (I presume) barrels that have held regular KBS once or twice. The taste is semisweet chocolate fudge with mild chile heat, coffee, bourbon and oaky/vanilla flavors playing supporting roles. Medium bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium plus bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish with the touch of chile heat and slight warming ethanol perfectly countering the chocolate fudge sweetness. Overall, very good.

Honestly, this is my second favorite of the series behind the Mackinac Maple Fudge.

That's all the new beer for me this weekend. Trying hard to limit consumption, yet still reduce inventory. I'll be hanging out in Cellaruary off and on until next weekend. Cheers all!

 

I’m happy you are enjoying it.

 

Apologies for giving everyone the middle finger…

This is “Bad Bitch Baltic” by Devil May Care Brewing Company in Winnipeg, Manitoba. On the can, it indicates that it was ‘Wickedly Brewed By Brave, Beautiful Babes’ for International Women’s Day 2023. This was sent to me back in the fall.



Pours a deep dark brown with a moderate mocha head that dissipates slowly.

The nose is dark cold brew coffee and sweet milk chocolate. The former really dominates the aroma.

The taste follows the nose closely. Lots of cold black coffee. Mild chocolate and some toasted cereal notes. A hint of bitterness on the finish.

The body is light. The ABV is noticeable with a slight boozy hit from time to time.

Overall, this is fine. I’ve had much better Baltic porters. If you like strong black coffee notes in your Porter, this for you. I’d prefer they were balanced out with other flavours. Perhaps I’m a bit of an old fogey, but the middle finger on the label isn’t my thing either.

I’d be happy to have this again, and will certainly try others from this new to me brewery when I get the chance.

Cheers!

 

Yes and yes

 

Hey what's going on?

I am taking in just some coffee enrichment right now, otherwise not much else new

Latest from our hero:



Poured from the can into a nonic(k) pint glass.

Wonderful frothy forming three to four finger tall head, grasping with thick snapping bubbles and a creamy pockmarked light mocha to tan colored top. Slow settling to a surprisingly very dark walnut black with a real unique redness color to it. Quite a nice looking stout, and love this red color angle it seems.

Great nose. Mily and roasty coffee, with a rich sense of earth and fresh grounds. Goes for more earth and dark chocolate flavors on the coffee angle than fruit, which compliments nicely the dark roasted malt aromas of dark chocolate and a slight bit of nut as well. Heavily coffee forward which is done real nicely.

Palate takes a bit of a turn. The mouthfeel is a bit thin slightly wet giving little pleasure to some of the thick sensing aromas. Mild coffee and less malt richness or creamy character expecting from the oats. Light coffee roast and notes, slight mineral tinge with the light body in the aftertaste. Mild touches of chocolate, slightly hinting milky than dark.

Really unexpected palate as the aroma seemed to hint at much more flavor and body. Drinkable, but makes for a slight underwhelming experience. Excellent coffee notes though.

look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Cheers!

 

Drekker/Half Brothers collab One Way Out NEIPA, 6.2% ABV. Pours hazy pale yellow with a 2.5 finger white head that left lots of foamy lacing. Aroma is malty with tropical fruit and citrus. Taste is bitter grapefruit, pineapple, orange zest, slightly sweet, moderately bitter. Decent mouthfeel, overall excellent.

4.23/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

If the cellar includes beers that have been hiding in the fridge for a while, then I'm working on whittling down my cellar.

 

Brasserie de Saint-Omer (France) Biere Blonde

3.12/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

50 cL can, poured into a plastic Hellfest 2022 ‘Corner Lounge’ cup, on a chilly Sunday afternoon in Toulouse, France.

Inspired!
I was out on a stoll, saw an old gal sitting on her door step. Empty can of this.,. swill.,, on the sidewalk in front of her, one in her hand (other hand holding a cigarette.,), one more to her left, on deck.
She looked content and glazed AF.,

There’s a little market, 2 doors down, only place to get beer or wine on a Sunday, here in ‘La Vie en Rose’. I knew where old Sally got her goods.

So I assassinated my pride, went on in, bought a can., dumped it in a plastic ‘Hellfest’ 2022 cup.
(Try everything, right?)
1,50€.,. worth every cent.,

Review it? OK.,.
Pours nice. Foamy top.
Stinks like Colt 45.
Tastes like sweet Colt 45, mixed with OE 800, splash of Budweiser’s corn mixture.
Mouth is full, medium carb.
Overall, beer can create its own atmosphere. I felt like a teenager trying to cop a buzz.
But it was nice.,. dammit.,.

 

Glad you enjoyed this one Doug!
Thought i would check out a few new brews this afternoon. The first one is Highland Pilsner. Onto the review:
Beer poured pale golden with a very nice long lasting head that is leaving lacing.

Nose is very nice as the floral German hops shine through.

Taste is very nice as the light pilsner malt base works well with the noble alpha hops that leave a nice spicy bitterness; 7/10 on my scale.

Mouthfeel is light bodied and very refreshing.

Overall i just may need to get a sixer as this is one well-made pilsner! Rated 4.25 across the board.
Cheers!
Tom

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Sippers and commentators. Last Sunday I had intended to review an English Barleywine called Reflections of Reality from Forest & Main Brewing Co. in Ambler, PA, but I just wasn't feeling up to a big beer. Little did I know my tiredness was attributable to a bout of covid. With lots of rest all week I've now recovered and tested negative so I'm getting back to Reflections of Reality. Overall, it's a first rate English Barleywine notwithstanding a rather thin mouth feel for the style.

Bottled on 11/9/2023. Poured at 58°. The color is cloudy, dark iced tea and it sports a modest, foamy, ecru-colored head that fizzled away rapidly. It has a good Barleywine nose featuring caramel/toffee, raisin, brown sugar, cola, and roasted malt. The barrel influence on the smell is delicate. The taste follows although the effect of the Heaven Hill barrel aging is more noticeable. The base Barleywine is soft and fairly sweet with a strong caramel/brown sugar presence but it's balanced by notes of tobacco smoke and earthy, nutty char. The flavors are highly complimentary. The mouth feel is on the thin side with appropriate carbonation, and the 12% ABV gives it good substance without overpowering. Overall, Reflections of Reality is a very fine English Barleywine. The label art is a bit disturbing. It's well-worth seeking out.

I now regret having purchased only one bottle at the brewery in December.

4.31/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I don't want to over do it today so this will be my only review. I hope to be fully up to speed for the next NBW. Have a great week, everyone!

 

Don’t take this as undermining - if a hop changes in the recipe, but the beer brand doesn’t change, it wouldn’t warrant a new entry. If a beer is sold as a new name or variant, it would warrant a new entry. This is how I understood it.

 

Onto the second NBW brew, this is Lower Falls IPA also from Highland in Asheville, weighing in at 3.9 ABV. Onto the review:

3.86/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Beer poured hazy gold with an okay white head.

Nose is nice as i am getting citrus and tropical fruit.

Taste is a very light pale malt base that gives notes of orange, lemon, and mango. Finishes balanced; 5/10 on my bitterness scale.

Mouthfeel is light bodied and very refreshing.

Overall this is pretty good, can see enjoying one floating down the French Broad River! I have not had a wow beer from Highland yet but they crank out consistently good brews that are reasonably priced.
Cheers!
Tom

 

Coppertail - Unholy American Trippel

12oz can served in a snulip. If there's a date, I don't see it. Got it from @Mr3dPHD

Pours a mostly clear brassy golden with a small-to-medium sized dense, fluffy head. Smell is wet grain, yeast, a hint of banana.

Taste is nice, not exactly conventional. Definitely has the yeast and banana I expect from a tripel, but drier than I was expecting, Earthy / grassy hops seem to be making a surprisingly strong appearance as well.

Mouthfeel is medium to thick without being heavy, sticky, or cloying. Overall, quite enjoyable, though not very conventional.

 

Never saw it before, which explains why, when I did, I grabbed it and ran for the register!

 

Last one of the day, this being from Blowing Rock in NC, Big Chocolate Porter. Onto the review:

3.79/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Beer poured brown with a nice off white head.

Nose has hints of chocolate and light roasted malts.

Taste is s light but substantive malt base that gives notes of chocolate. Hopping is definitely there but lightly done and balances nicely. Finishes with a touch of cocoa.

Mouthfeel is light bodied and both smooth and refreshing.

Overall a pretty solid beer. If you visit Asheville/Western NC, be sure to journey out to Blowing Rock to take in that attraction and then go to the Brewpub in town for a bite to eat and a pint. They make solid beers but am not aware of any wow beers.
Cheers!
Tom

 

Stonecloud Brewing Brown Ale, 6.0% ABV; 3.91 overall

Pours a ruddy chestnut with Thumb of tan head. Some head retention & lacing

S: Toasty, some leafy hops

T: Follows the nose, dry, a touch of woody & peppery hops up front. Toasty & dry with woody hops as this beer warms up, some leafy hops as well. Very dry finish with woody & grassy hops, plus toastyness

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation, well balanced

Nice old school brown, easy to drink