New Beer Weekend #189

Let me open my iPhone calendar, anyone else plan to come visit while I have it open… visit to tonewood always includes one beer and your choosing of take home cans from me.

Shoot me a message when/if you make it out.

 

Sympathies to your Friend & family & to you.

 

Great name. I remember doing the Bataan Death March Memorial Ruck March ( cool event ) at White Sands NM. The Chaplain was trying to do an Invocation and the Coyotes in the hills pretty much drowned him out despite the use of a PA system. We all got a laugh.

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Stout fanciers and commentators. It's the first spring-like day of the season here in North Jersey and I toyed with the idea of doing NBS outside. But it's only early March and the sun is on the other side of the house so I'm ensconced in the Elbow Room.

I'm surprised that no one has reviewed 2023 Scotch Ralphius from Free Will Brewing Co. yet. In fact, it wasn't even in the BA database so I added it. For those unfamiliar, Free Will Brewing in Perkasie, Penna., is best known for its annual release of a BA Russian Imperial Stout called Ralphius (named after a dog) and each year there are numerous variants. This one is aged in Scotch Whisky barrels (I'm not sure which ones). And like the base Ralphius and every variant I've tried, it's exquisite.

Poured at 59° The color is a very dark walnut with almost a finger of creamy, medium-mocha head and lite lacing. On the nose is dark chocolate, caramel, toffee, burnt coffee, tobacco smoke, char, and noticeable Scotch Whisky. Its taste is big and bold featuring acidic, burnt coffee grounds, earthy, burnt char, pipe tobacco, with balancing chocolate and caramel sweetness. As it warms I also notice a hint of molasses. The Scotch influence is strong - providing some additional sweetness - but it's significantly boozy and not quite as smooth as some of the other variants. Like the others, however, the mouth feel is delightfully viscous and creamy with modest carbonation, and it drinks big at 14.9% ABV. Overall, the Scotch variant of Ralphius is another classic Russian Imperial Stout.

4.43/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Given the gravity I'm glad this stout is packaged in a 500 - rather than 750 - ML bottle. Cheers!

 

Doubt I'm the first to ask this, but how do you consistently get such massive soft-serve-like caps on your pours? I thought I knew what I was doing, but whenever I see your photos I feel like I need a video tutorial ;-)

 

Yeah it's a pain. I try to do it more frequently but...

 

So I guess I should get used to it then haha

 

Kros Strain Double Barrel Barrelywine: Volume 10 - Maple, Barleywine, 13% ABV. Barrels are Buffalo Trace and BLiS Maple Bourbon. Pours deep-brown, with a one-finger brown head that left no lacing. Aroma is bourbon and maple. Taste is bourbon, maple, and barley, moderately sweet, slightly bitter. Decent mouthfeel, overall outstanding. Definitely let this one warm.

4.42/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is the third Kros Strain BA Barrelywine Barleywine I've had and they've all been incredible. Three more to review.

 

I think my next pour is Blimey That's Bitter...stay tuned in WBAYDN

 

Tag me, I wanna see the results of this experiment…

 

Let’s have an “attempt a @beergoot pour” NBW next weekend…mark it NBW fam.

 

I had to cleanse my palate after the BA Stout. Next up is Galaxy Dreamtime Haruspex from Foreign Objects Beer Co. It was gypsy-brewed in Carlstadt, New Jersey but I bought it at Foreign Objects' "Nerve Center" tasting room in Monroe, New York, last week. I didn't realize until I popped it that it's a variant of the original - DDH with Galaxy. I have to say that Foreign Objects is an unusual operation but the beer (mostly hoppy IPAs and big Stouts) is uniformly good.

Canned on 1/18/2024. The color is a dirty tangerine with more than a finger of creamy, eggshell-colored cap and lots of thick, soapy lacing. A fragrant, fruity nose featuring grapefruit, lemon, pineapple, peach, and a whiff of more tropical fruits. The taste largely follows with notes of tart lemon and grapefruit balanced by pineapple and soft peach. I cannot tell what hops beside Galaxy are used but there is a sharp, resinous pine taste and a biting hop bitterness throughout. Flavorful but definitely in your face. I like the mouth feel: fairly thick and creamy with pleasant carbonation, and it's highly drinkable at 8% ABV. Overall, this is good stuff!

4.14/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Have a great week, everyone. Cheers, NBW!

 

Yet another SN Littel Thing. It's only 0.5% stronger than the Dank Little Thing, but the difference is big. This is a true not very hazy double IPA with a nice bready hoppy smell and a warm, spicy, fruity, and boosey taste. So far, this is the 6th SN Little Thing, and the most recent ones are getting more interesting. It's also good to see that SN as well as Founders are now releasing limited runs in 6-packs rather than mixed 12-packs. Yes, they are marginally more expensive, but I don't need to buy 9 filler beers to try a new one.

 

Arbor Brewing, Table Talk, Czech Dark Lager, beautiful deep brown pour with dense khaki head, nice coffee aroma, toffee, nuts a bit of vanilla, malty goodness, this is a well crafted beer! My target BIF 18, likes this style.

 

Posted this a bit ago in the Belgian Beer Appreciation Thread. New to me beer and brewery.



It opens with a little skunk aroma during the lively pour. The body is pale-gold, not quite clear and is topped by a huge bone-white head that leaves some lace and has great retention. After sitting for a minute the nose switches to zesty/spicy hop aromas with sweet indicating malt, yeast and alcohol aromas coming through as it warms. The flavor is more malty than expected, honey, dried light fruits, sweet at first, with a dry-ish spicy finish. It has a creamy, medium-weight body that drinks pretty smooth. This one has some age on it (bottled 7/19/22) and I imagine it to be a different beer fresh, but as is, it’s pretty damn enjoyable.
Cheers!