New Beer Weekend #290

You beat me to it by moments! I’ll delete mine as yours is so much better.

 

Another beer intended for warm, summertime drinking!

Last weekend I discussed Sierra Nevada Springfest IPA on a day where the high temperature didn’t even ‘crack’ 20 °F.

Today’s new beer is Tonewood Wading Out American Lager. The naming & graphic on the can makes me think of spending time lounging in a tube floating down a river on a warm/hot summer day (preferably with a beer in my hand).



Well, just like last weekend the actual weather here (Philly area) is inconsistent with warm weather drinking. We are entering another Arctic blast of very, very cold weather. Brrr!!

Below is how Tonewood describes this beer on their website (with some emphasis in bold by me):

“WADING OUT American Lager 5.2%

Brewed with Flaked Corn, hopped lightly with Tettnanger, Refreshing, Crisp Sweet Corn & Orange Blossom …”

On the back of the can the following details are provided:

“Style: American Lager

Hops: Tettnanger

Malts: 2 row, Flaked Corn.”

In the above it would have been more accurate for Malts to be listed as Grains since Flaked Corn is not a malted product.

Served in my Polish Pilsner glass:

Appearance:

Straw yellow with a white head.

Aroma:

On the initial pour there are light aromas of herbal/floral and in the background some white bread aroma (cracker-like).

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose light flavors of herbal/floral and in the background some white bread. As the beer opens up there is also a bit of citrus (lemon-like) flavors as well. There is a light bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Light bodied with a dry finish.

Overall:

I enjoyed drinking this beer, it is very good contemporary AAL beer.

Unfortunately, this six-pack was a bit pricey for me at 13 bucks so not likely to be a repeat purchase for me.

It would be interesting to conduct a side-by-side tasting with this beer and Yuengling Lord Chesterfield. Hmm?

Cheers!

P.S. On a related note, I will next week once again be homebrewing my annual batch of Classic American Pilsner. Similar to Wading Out I will be using some Flaked Corn as part of the grain bill but I will be using the ‘traditional’ American malt of 6 row pale malt. And my hopping will differ in I will be using an American hop for bittering (Cluster hops) but using a German imported hop (Hallertau Mittelfrüh) for the flavor and aroma additions; and it will be more generously hopped.

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @RobH @jonphisher

 

So I had a new to me beer that is from 2022, namely one of the four BCBS “Easter egg” 12 oz bottles.
@FBarber sent me one of each and I’m just getting around to drinking them.
Yes, my cellar is a bit out of control.
I grabbed one at random and it turns out I pulled the Wild Turkey edition. So after unwrapping the electrical I popped the top and poured.

The pour is stout black and in 2026 it doesn’t have much in the way of head or lacing.
The taste is even better than normal BCBS, all the bourbon, chocolate, coffee and dark brown sugar of the regular and some additional bite and warmth of the whiskey.
The feel is nicely viscous, I had expected thinner but it’s held up well.
OA, looking forward to trying the other three.
Thanks Frank!

 

Have a good NBW. Slept all day after being up all night again. I wrote up some more place reviews on BA last night, have to work on getting those done soon now, since everything will be closed in 5 years at this rate /s I have a lot of writing to do between Books, Beers, and Places.

Been a busy week of reading once again. Today I am 40% through The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand. I have to finish that soon, I have at least 5 books due at the library in less than a week and 1 of them is The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris which is another 27 hour mammoth. I am still about 75% in reading nonfiction this year.


Rock Wall Brewing Locken's Tropical Pineapple from Aldi. Fantastic head retention and soapy lacing for the style. Aromas of big authentic pineapple juice/flesh, cracker, white bread, herbal, floral, grass, and light peppercorn/pine. Taste follows with authentic pineapple juice/flesh, cracker, white bread, herbal, floral, grass, and light peppercorn/pine. Light pine, herbal, grassy, spicy bitter finish. Medium-high carbonation, light-medium body, and crisp/clean/refreshing finish. Balanced bready/grainy malt and sticky hop mouthfeel. Lingering bitter hop oil dryness with no astringency. Very flavorful for the ABV. Big on authentic pineapple flavors, balanced with a spot on base Kolsch. Perfectly clean lagering, with minimal yeasty notes. 4.13/5


Cheers

 

Cheers to @Beersnake for starting us off.

Greenhouse Aleworks Milkweed Doubly Hazy IPA w/ Eldorado & Idaho 7 hops, 8.0% ABV; 3.84 overall

Pours a hazy gold with 2 fingers of eggshell colored head. Above average head retention & lacing

S: Guava, passion fruit, mangoes, some citrus, very faint peach & cantaloupe late

T: Guava, white grape skin, pomelo & green melon up front. Green melon, pink grapefruit & dryness as this beer warms up. Finishes a little dry with some pineapple, white grape & pink grapefruit & just a little cattyness

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation, good balance

Drinks alright, Idaho 7 usually doesn't wow me, certainly the case here, but this 4 pack won't last long

 

Back-to-back Indicative of my late start

River City Brewing's Rob's Spoon Full of Count Stoutula Exquisite Imperial Stout w/ Cocoa Flakes, Chocolate Malt, & Caramel, 14.0% ABV; 3.59 overall

2024 offering pours a slightly effervescent & thick mahogany with a sliver of tan head. Plenty viscous, no head retention or lacing

S: Carob, plums, some fusel notes, a touch of iron. opens up a little more once warm, caramel & chocolate shine trough

T: Sweet dark & milk chocolate, a little vanilla & caramel & some booze smack up front. Salted Plum/ Li Hing Mui notes, a little dark cherry, vanilla & chocolate, with woody hops as this beer warms up. Finishes with chocolate, caramel. woody hops, some rough alcohol notes, salted plums & vanilla

MF: Very chewy, slight carbonation, very sticky on the lips & teeth, warming

This is alright, but like most of this series, under carbonated. A sipper to be sure, this may be my least favorite from these guys. Flavor is good, everything else lags

 

Went to Point Brewery last weekend and brought home a mixed 6 pack, so here's the first of the reviews.

Point Special Lager

Appearance: Clear yellow-gold, small but dense head.

Smell: Light hay.

Taste: Mild sweetness, moves into light corn, hint of fruitiness, finishes with more light corn. Easy drinking.

Overall: Pretty standard easy drinking lager, not too sweet, nice light mouthfeel. Might have to get a 6er during summer for a lager showdown.

Point Bock

Appearance: Clear amber, ok head.

Smell: Toasted bread, maybe a slight roasty note.

Taste: Mild sweetness followed by mild toasted bread note. Feels kind of foamy. Finishes with a pretty solid toast note.

Overall: Pretty decent bock from Point, the mouthfeel is a little weird, like too carbonated but not fizzy. Lots of toasted bread flavor.

Two decent beers to start, Point Special gets the edge of this pair.

 

One of my best friends is their cleaning chemical supplier and developed/modernized their cleaning and sanitation programs. He speaks very highly of the people and their dedication to improvements. He's also seen the brewery ghost first hand...doesn't talk about it much...and when he took my behind the scenes we didn't spend much time one particular area - won't say he was scared, but something definitely creeper him out! The place has Hogwarts-esque mazes of stairs and navigating is a challenge. I admire the dedication it takes to maintain and upgrade older facilities.

 

Whoa!

Larry, that is one of the more interesting brewery stories that I have ever heard.

But, I suppose a brewery location is as good as any other for a ghost to hang out. And maybe better if a ghost is able to obtain a 'ghost's share' of the beer?

Cheers!

 

Good day BAs!

Off to a chilly start, currently 6F/-7C after a balmy 20F yesterday - what's sad is I don't even notice the cold any more - numb digits is now the norm. The turtles just give me dirty looks because it's too warm inside for them to brumate but they know...

Today's New Breakfast Beer:



KBS Iced Latte from Founders Brewing. 4-pack of 12 fl oz bottles from Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA. Picked up 05/02/26, $ 22.00/$ 0.458/fl oz. On room temperature shelf at distributor, stored at 40 F at home. Reviewed 07/02/26, review 3687. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stamped on rear label “BOTTLED ON 05.28.25.” Stored at home at 40 degrees F. Served at 53.9 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 57.7 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Deep Gold (SRM 6), hazy.
Body – Medium Amber (SRM 12), opaque. Under direct light, medium amber with particles in suspension. When rear-lite, same color but the quantity of particles barely allows light to pass.
Head – Average (Maximum 1.2 cm, aggressive center pour) Soft Honey, high density, short retention, dropping to a 0.15 cm crown, constantly being renewed by spotty carbonation, and a rocky partial cap.
Lacing – Poor. Faint, barely visible irregular bubble glyphs.
Aroma – 3.5 – Slightly sweet cocoa, no hops, no coffee, no vanilla. No bourbon barrels. No alcohol (11 % ABV, as marked on the label).
Flavor – 3.5 – It begins slightly sweet with faint caramel. No hops. No bourbon, no coffee, no vanilla. No alcohol. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Moderate gastric warming. Ends barely bittersweet with a ghost of oak.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium: Tending toward syrupy: Soft carbonation.
Style: Follows the vague BA style description.
Final impression and summation: 3.75 Uncredited label art, basically the standard KBS label. Disappointing, like many of the KBS variants.

Rating 3.58, rDev -11.4%

 

How would you compare this to Troegs Penssylvania Lager (presuming you have had it)?

 

Cheers @Beersnake and New Beer mavens. New Trail's IPA game has been resurging as of late, but my high hopes for Cold Creek were a bit too high



Cold Creek

Imperial IPA | 8.6% ABV
New Trail Brewing Company in Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Reviewed by beerdedking from Pennsylvania

3.81/5 rDev -1.8% | Average: 3.88
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
This was good yet missing the boldness of New Trail's better DIPAs. Signs of this were apparent on the pour which was just ok with less foam than expected. Scents of citrus and tropical fruits came forth with twinges of dry yeast. Flavors came in a bit underwhelmingly yet fine enough. Dank Citra with tart grape and berry notes were the highlights. This seemed a touch thin for an 8.6% ABV Double Hazy IPA. Pretty much across the board, I expected more out of this given its weight, and although there was nothing wrong in any way, New Trail is capable of better WOW DIPAs. This one leaned towards middling.

 

I have yet to drink Troegs Pennsylvania Lager.

Maybe @jonphisher can provide his input here?

Cheers!

P.S. FWIW I am a fan of Yuengling Lord Chesterfield when it comes to AAL beers from non-mega breweries.

 

Thanks, Jack. I bet you're right, @jonphisher is likely able to make a comparison!

 

Here is my review, from a previous NBW...a short snip it I think its a perfectly constructed beer. Looks were close to perfect, nose and taste present unique depth to me; that goldilocks zone of perfectly simple yet not so if you look. My personal wish was that the abv was a tad lower, but it is highly drinkable beer. I think it is well priced to if I remember what my dad said, he's the one who grabbed for me.

I would've had more by now but it is still only in PA, hence the Sunshine Pils in my fridge

-------

Oh wait I see now, comparing Tonewood to PA Lager @beerdedking the AAL is much more noticeable in Tonewoods. Troegs is all malt and decocted so it presents a heftier fuller mouthfeel while still remaining drinkable, Wading Out has a much lighter body and leans more refreshing for me personally, while still having good nuance.

And per your tag last night friend, no about Troubles End WC Pils, I reached out and they said they don't distribute where I asked, bummer.

 

How’s this for good fortune? One of my son’s friends who lives in a different part of the city invited my son over to play today. My wife, sharp as a tack, made an inquiry about one of my daughter’s friends who lives in the same neighbourhood, and lo and behold, she can play there as well today. The kicker, and why I’m relating this engrossing tale to all of you, is that these friends live about a 5 minute drive from my favourite Toronto brewery. So, having volunteered to make the ‘long’ drive over to drop them off and ‘sacrifice’ my Saturday, I’ve now got a few hours to ‘suffer’ at Godspeed for a beer and a leisurely lunch. I’m driving, so the imbibing will be limited.

First up is Sanft, Godspeed’s first foray into the world of German style Pilsners.



A lovely cloudy straw gold pour with a significant bubbly head. The head fades slowly and the beer laces well.

Strong herbal and grassy notes on the nose with a little fresh tea biscuit in behind.

The tongue enjoys the same notes with a fairly significant bitter bite and a strong effervescence and long finish. The slightest verbena note peaks in as well.

Light but substantial body. Really enjoyable.

Another winner from Toronto’s best brewery.

I plan to grab some of their recent smoked offerings, their Dieu Du Ciel! collaboration beer, their pitch lined strong lager in honour of the cooper at Urquel, and their hommage to La Fin De Monde for enjoyment at home… and sharing on this thread.

Cheers!

 

What an awesome post, it is a beautiful thing when the stars align like that. Thanks for taking us on a trip to the brewery with you. I'll patiently wait for post #2.