New Beer Weekend #230

Fair State FSBC10


Appearance: Black, pretty big head with good staying power.

Smell: Roasted malts, a bit of dark fruits, pretty light.

Taste: Starts pretty sweet, chocolate and maple, with the maple getting stronger through mid-drink. Kind of a fruity note in the finish. Lasting sweetness.

Overall: Congrats to Fair State on 10 years, one of my favorite breweries. This is a quite sweet imperial stout that is almost overwhelmed by the maple. Stops just before the line of being too sweet. Bonus points for the awesome little 7.5oz can that was $3.50 for a can. I'd rather do that than spend $30 on a 4 pack of 16oz cans for my impy stout needs.

 

This was actually Friday night, just haven't been home much.

Bare Hands - Phantom Ships & Seas

16oz can served in a snulip. PKG011623. Got it from @ovaltine in NBS BIF #18.

Pours dark with a medium sized hard head that settles into a thick ring and a broad, thin island with a couple tiny little lumps in it. Active carbonation is there, but not huge. Smell is roasty coffee and dark chocolate, a nutty, almost coconut vibe.

Taste is similar -- tons of roast, now the nuts are almost burnt, not coconutty. Definitely on the bitter side of big stouts.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied or a bit thinner. Overall, very nice. Almost RIS territory, but leans more toward clean bitterness than black licorice.

 

Welcome everyone to New Beer Sunday #1034. Have a bit of trepidation regarding this one. Not because of the brewery, not because of the style (IPA), but rather the half dozen additives for this holiday beer, which I was fortunate (hopefully) to snag the final can from my beer store. Bought this for science and for the Holiday Beers Tasting thread for which we all have one last day to dive in and enjoy.

This is the first time this beer was released (beyond perhaps a taproom only version) as it was just entered into the BA DB a few weeks ago. A little peeved that I hit submit and it didn't save my text, so two reviews hopefully the second and current version is enjoyable for the reader. This is also the first review in BA.

Hop Butcher For The World Holiday Train

3.68/5 rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75



12/15/24 - (Can - Home) (Chicago, IL) Can Notes: Purchased single can on December 13, 2024 at Beer on the Wall Park Ridge. Purchased at store temperature for $4.55 including tax, refrigerated upon returning home before opening this morning. 16 oz canned 11/21/24, can stamp "Seasons Greetings". 6.5% ABV, Citra & Amarillo-Hopped India Pale Ale brewed with Rooibos tea, ginger, cinnamon, almonds, pistachios & orange peel. Tasting Notes: Juicy Orange, Holiday Spices, Candied Tropical. Artwork by Dan Grzeca. Brewed and canned by Hop Butcher For the World in Chicago, Illinois and Bedford Park, Illinois.

Appearance: 2/3 of can poured into a Hop Butcher For The World Teku glass. Bright white head leaves a razor thin cover over the base and a creamier buildup around the rim. Base a brown yellow color, does not look appealing at all, after looking white to yellow while poured. 3.0

Aroma: Lots of added flavors noted, but in terms of what I smell, its limited to pineapple, citrus and tangerine. Above average strength and enjoyment, wonder where the "Holiday Spices" are. 3.75

Taste: Starts off with a lead of citrus and pineapple, backed by egg-nog and pistachio. As this warms, it becomes more of a standard Citra-Amarillo IPA, tropical fruits front and center. Enjoyed it fresh, enjoying as it warms. 3.75

Mouthfeel: Drinks light and easy, and or below the 6.5% ABV. No bitterness to contain the sweet flavors, drinkable, but could have used a bit of bitterness. Light to medium body, faint slightly prickly carbonation, citrus pineapple finish. 3.5

Overall: Started off "weird, weird, weird", but they somehow pulled off my first "egg-nog" flavor in a beer, albeit brief and better than it may sound to those who do not love egg-nog. In the end, the hops shine through, it's more of a standard IPA release than the half dozen additives would lead one to expect. I am enjoying and glad I pulled for today, and would be OK with a pour of this each Christmas season. 3.75

Last new beer planned for the weekend. Cheers!

 

The tree is up and decorated, as well as the house (both inside and outside). Finishing up Christmas cards today.
This flurry of activity calls for a beer, specifically this Mexican Hot Chocolate Milk Stout.
This beer is black in color. A modest tan head that reduces quickly to a ring. No lace.
Aroma of chocolate, vanilla, weak spice.
Taste of chocolate and vanilla, with a little bit of chili.
Thin mouthfeel, not much of a chili burn.

 

Well, I forgot about this one in my fridge a bit. It came to me thanks to @beergoot

Nelson Pale - pFriem Family Brewers - Hood River, OR - American Pale Ale - 5.9%

This is damn tasty. The hops have held up very well. I am thankful I got the chance to try it. Thank You!
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29573/718580/
4.19/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From a 16oz can canned on 9/19/24

This beer is a fairly clear looking beer in the glass. It is a nice golden color. Tons of carbonation rising in the glass to produce a 1 finger white head. The head retention is pretty good and lots of sticky looking lacing on the glass.
The aroma is a hop aroma with a hint of pine to it.
Taste - The flavor is also dominated by the hop used. I get some pine hints in here. I get some hints of sweetness on the back and there's also a good bitterness on the back.
The body is somewhat bubbly. It is nice and full feeling. Smooth and the bitterness does cling in my throat.
This is quite delicious and a pleasure to try.

I probably have one or 2 more in me today. Cheers!

 

Great review, Jon! I'll have to visit Mudhen during the winter months. It's just too crowded in Wildwood during season. It makes a good pairing with Anglesea Aleworks, which is only a few blocks away. Cheers!

 

Always like sharing the NJ good ones with you; and likewise; I’d love to visit but Wildwoods a good hour and fifteen for me. I’ll settle for the singles I’m able to snag at total wine. Got their imperial stout, yellow flashing lights, for a future NBW this winter.

 

Well, this wraps up my Tonewood experience courtesy of a surprise @jonphisher porch gift. Many thanks, Jon, these were all good and several were outstanding! Today's in particular was a cut above the rest and something special. I definitely didn't do it justice with my review.

I'm planning on a holiday beer trip this week and will send you a message once I have the beers in hand; I have a few in mind that I think you'll enjoy.

On to the beer!

Tonewood Modern Country
4.7% Rye Lager



Pours a translucent straw gold with a two-finger bright white head that leaves a coating. A bit of sediment left in the can that after letting it warm and pouring into the beer leaves everything cloudy (and as expected ramps up the aroma and flavor).

What a blend of aromas: grapefruit, deciduous forest, wildflower meadow, spicy rye, fresh bread.

The taste for me starts out all Pilsner. Fresh-baked bread drizzled with honey, biscuit, cracker, all with a herbal note. Through the middle honey sweetness and floral notes come to the fore, setting up nicely for the big rye kick at the finish. Through the aftertaste I get earth, wood, and rye bitterness that leaves you ready for the next sip.

Despite the great taste, the feel may be the best part. It's simultaneously smooth, coating, creamy, and effervescent. Feels heavier bodied than it is. It's not nearly as thick, but the same kind of feel as mango juice.

Overall, this is simply fantastic. It's got a bit of everything. Sweet, earthy, woody, floral, bready, plus rye. And that texture! Pilsner? Nah, they should make this their house beer and call it Oaklyner.

 

That one, I agree, is something special; I told them that as well. Just tows the line between rustic and clean; new school old school; so well. I'm sad it is all but gone now. Maybe once I share that o' so perfect name with them it'll return as their house beer

-----------------

As far as beer, if you like em' I'm sure I'll enjoy them just as much, looking forward to it whenever it works out. Thanks for letting me send you a little gift pack, and I'm glad you liked them.

 

Finished this late last night. Not a great capper for the evening. Not bad, just not great.
I would have liked a little more depth.
Zeit
A collaboration between Põhjala and Weihenstephan.
I would have liked a little more depth.

Amber in color with a sandy head that rises just shy of 2 inches and quickly retreats to a thin film.
Nose is ripe with deep fruit notes that are warm and boozy: port wine.
Flavor is a fully committed ride in a Tawny Port barrel. Rich, fruity, and warmly boozy.
Mouthfeel is medium heft with a slightly oily drop on the back end.
Overall, this is tasty but it's almost one dimensional.
3.65/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

 

Did you find that one at Windsor? I haven't been in weeks.

 

Garden Path Fermentation Amber Dreams of Electric Sheep Foudre Conditioned Bierre De Garde, 6.0% ABV; 3.61 overall

Cheers to @snaotheus for this

A mini-gusher up opening Pours an effervescent & somewhat murky amber with a thumb of beige colored head. Minimal head retention & lacing, never comes close to clearing up

S: Pears, white grapes, hints of cinnamon

T: Follows the nose, dryness & green apple skins as well up front. Some caramel on the edges, more pear & white grape notes, mostly musty notes, a touch of funk too, some lemony notes & much oaky dryness once this beer is warm. Finishes a little tart/ a little sour with a little pear & golden delicious apple

MF: Light/medium bodied, fairly lively carbonation that flattens out over time, a little grainyness

This was a little too disjointed for me, drinkable, but not by much. True to the style, but just not bringing the flavor to my liking

 

A new-to-me Beer'd Brewing Co. beer, although its been around since at least 2020.

3.91/5 rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a 16oz can dated 11/07/24 to a Nonic at fridge temp.
This has a foggy (yes foggy) deep gold body. It has a uniform-sized bubble head of white that is approximately 1.5”. The head fades rather quickly, but leaves a full layer and laces aggressively.
My initial sense from a whiff is melon, but as the session goes on I’m picking up resin.
The taste seems to change during the session also. Melon and citrus initially, but pine comes on strong. Alcohol is there on the finish. The 2020 BA database entry says 9.3%, but my current can says 9.0.
The mouthfeel is light as is the carbonation.
Labeled as an Imperial IPA, this seems to be in the West Coast style more than anything, but it is certainly not clear bodied. It's good but not great.

 

Happy I took a chance on this, it ended up the favorite thing I've had from Societe - cheers!

4.27/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Packaged in October, 2024 - enjoyed on December 15th, 2024 - poured from a pint can into my Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Nearly clear Naples yellow body fed by a steady stream of micro-bubbles forming three fingers of dense cosmic latte stiff peaks. Rocky lacing; superior retention.

Candied orange, wild grass, and complex yet subtle tropical notes in the nose. Bright and lasting.

Sticky, deeply resinous flavor profile with potent bitterness shot through with grapefruit and evergreen. Light caramel and toast from the malt which adds heft and balance. Neutral yeast. Long fairly dry finish.

Medium bodied, crisp carbonation, refreshing yet slightly warming.

Excellent, fairly traditional WCIPA - more aggressively flavorful/hop-forward than other offerings I've had from Societe.

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Savorers and commentators. Last week I was very disappointed by the BCBS Macaroon Stout. It was an expensive drain pour. Today, I'm reviewing the Vanilla Rye variant. While it is vastly better, and I rated it overall a very good 4.46, I am not blown away by it. I will say that the longer it breathes in the glass the better it tastes.

Poured at 58°. Its color is nearly ink black. The fizzy, dark-mocha head dissolved very quickly leaving a modest ring. It has a delightful smell of roasted malt, chocolate, vanilla bean, molasses, brown sugar, tobacco smoke, nuts, and subtle but noticeable rye whiskey. When first sipped it seemed quite hot and bitter but allowing it to breathe in the glass is helpful. The vanilla notes are strong and add slight sweetness to the earthy char that dominates the base. As it warms more there are additional notes of bakers chocolate and acidic coffee. While the whiskey barrel influence is strong it doesn't overwhelm the other flavors. The mouth feel is creamy but not quite as viscous as I'd hoped. There is no escaping the 14% ABV. It is potent and should be sipped slowly. Overall, Vanilla Rye is a fine BCBS variant and I strongly prefer it over the Macaroon Stout. But for me it is not a "wow" Stout.

4.46/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Next up is a Celebration clone which should be interesting. Cheers!

 

Cloudburst - Dirty Forest Hippie Vibes

 

Happy NBS! Today I’ll be cross posting with the Christmas beer thread, but I had this page up so I will review it here first-

I’m generally a big fan of Oddsides so was looking forward to drinking this Bock style beer to see what spin they might have put on it.
To my surprise, they didn’t. As far as I can tell this is pure bock; malty with a little bit of hops, your standard caramel and bread, a little molasses to round things out. The sole drawback is it’s not as deep of flavor as I expected. (The flavors read more like a 4-5% ABV, not 7.2)
The feel has just enough body to keep me from just slamming it (That’s the proper way to drink lagers, right?)
OA, glad I tried it but probably won’t be an annual purchase.
Still have my international one to go (Yeah, I know officially that was yesterday, but the weekend didn’t quite go as planned)
Cheers! Back a little later-

 

Prairie Not the Gumdrop Buttons! Milk Stout with Vanilla Coffee & Gingerbread Flavor, 9.5% ABV; 3.74 overall

Pours an effervescent mahogany with a fast-falling mocha colored head. Below average head retention & lacing

S: Cocoa, cinnamon, coffee once warmed up

T: Follows the nose, kind of dry, vanilla & nutmeg, so yeah gingerbread up front. Coffee starts bleeding through as this beer warms up, more gingerbread notes, some booze pricklyness as well, plenty of dryness. Finishes dry with cocoa, vanilla & generic gingerbread spices

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation, body thins out a bit as this beer warms up

The beer sounded great in theory, but for me it's just another generic Imp Stout release from these guys, nothing more



I now see a fly swatter lurking in the background of my carefully staged picture

 

When I heard that Industrial Arts Brewing Co. had overtly cloned Celebration I was intrigued to say the least. Even for a solid brewer like IA it is a big undertaking to recreate an iconic and much-loved beer. As much as I like IA, they couldn't pull it off. For me, what makes Celebration (especially when fresh) special is the balance of caramel malt and pine sap and bitter citrus. "Selection" doesn't have the caramel presence which makes it one-dimensional. It is not a bad Red IPA but it simply suffers by comparison, which is self-inflicted.

3.69/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Have a great week, everyone. Cheers, NBW!