New Beer Weekend #296

My second new beer for today

O'Hara's Irish Stout Nitro

14.88oz nitro can stamped BB 28 DEC 2026 poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp 4.3% ABV. The beer pours dense black with medium brown colored head. The head recedes to a half inch cap and sticks. Slight lacing. The aroma is mild with ashy, dry roasted malt and hints of very dark chocolate. The taste is more dry roasted malt with flavors (IMO) muted by nitro. There's a hint of coffee and dark cacao before medium bitterness. The feel is thin bodied with typical nitro feel and a dry finish. Overall, good dry stout that would probably be better with CO2...

That's all for me today. I'm going to pair this up with some Irish whiskey and see how that works for me.

In regards to the opening question, I have ticked all the styles, at times, but currently lack six. Three are historical European styles I will try at first opportunity. The other three have some variation of sour, smoothie or IPA in the title and I'd rather take a kick to the groin. I love drinking through different styles as way to educate myself about what beer can be. That said, I found in my initial tackling of all styles around 2021 or so that sours, smoothies and fruit punch are not for me.

Cheers all!

 

Happy NBS! I finally have the opportunity to join in today.
My first will be one that @Resistance88 sent me in a recent assault on my porch. He found out I like dark lagers so he sent me a really good one.

The pour is stout black with a very large tan head that left curtains of lacing.
The taste is toast and coffee, figs and bakers chocolate. There is some herbal hops that lend a lightness to the flavor.
The feel is not crisp, but light and easy quaffing.
OA, it is a very good dark lager that I would be happy drinking on a regular basis.

 

That's a classic. Their Reality Czech lager is even better.

 

3.81/5 rDev 0%

look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 16 ounce undated can into a tulip glass at 48.2 degrees F.

Appearance- Straw, moderately hazy, white creamy head, slightly above average head retention, above average lacing.

Aroma- Passionfruit, clementine, cantaloupe, between weak and medium strength of scent.

Flavor- Passionfruit, candied orange, honeydew, cantaloupe, medium strength of flavor.

Mouthfeel- Medium body, average carbonation, moderately creamy, mildly bitter, moderately dry finish, mildly mouth warming.

Overall- Straw and moderately hazy with slightly above average head retention and above average lacing. The bouquet was a tropical mix of passionfruit, clementine and cantaloupe, with no pine character. The flavor was tropical as well with a slightly more complex flavor profile, but still no pine. The mouthfeel consisted of medium body with moderate creaminess, mild bitterness and a moderately dry finish. Overall, this beer doesn’t really fit into the West Coast IPA style that is promised. It has citrus character, but that is really the only box checked. It’s hazier than I would expect, with no pine character, low bitterness and much drier at the finish than desired.

 

Good evening BAs! Today’s new beer I’m surprised to find I haven’t had before - Revolution’s “Gravedigger Billy” a BBA Scotch Ale:



Canned 10/28/25. Poured at 53.4°. Tight white head; quick cap; island of microdots; solid minus ring; some spotty lace; deep, amber color with gray edges, and excellent clarity; medium legs on swirl. Bourbon and caramel entry; boozy retronasal. Taste follows nose; sugared raisin; fig; semi sweet caramel finish. Alcohol burn on tip of tongue; silky feel; medium minus body; moderate minus carbonation; full mouth warmth from alcohol. Overall, a fantastic bourbon barrel aged scotch ale; just the right amount of sweetness and bourbon.

4.25/4.5/4.75/4.5/4.5
Score: 4.54 rDev +7.5%

A beer I would happily drink again. Barrel and base compliment each other for a tasty drinking experience. Cheers y’all!

 

Do we know who’s leading us off next weekend?

 

Back at home after the Timbers match. It sure would be nice if I had one more New Beer around the house. That would put me at 375 reviews, which would earn me a few BA points. *browses the fridge, mentally catalogs the storage space...*

 

I vote for you!

 

I would @Whyteboar but I volunteered for the following; oldest has a night game this coming Friday.

 

Wow - got a lot of catching up to do on the thread. Thanks for the open, @Beersnake . Good question - I do have definte style preferences but I'd also lean into the Pokémon thing and say gotta get 'em all - but only to a point. I don't hunt, but if I run across a style I haven't tried I will grab it. Same applies to breweries and brands although I have definite favorites there, too. So I'll say I'm a mix and will always look for new beers for the weekends regardless. How's that for fence-sitting?

No new one yesterday- wasn't feeling the review thing so had an Ordinary Bitter from Sideareal Farm that I've had before. Grandson, tractor, and I piled up brush to tidy up the yard after the winter beating so we can burn some of it next weekend. We (mostly he) built a little prefab cold frame to hopefully help the eggplant, tomato, and pepper seeds we planted today adjust to outdoor life when the time comes. Papa may have been just a little optimistic (carried away says the missus) on seed purchasing but I'll get over it...

Speaking of brewery binkies...



Barreled Souls Wisdom 2025. The label says Old Ale but there's a "double barrel aged" Wisdom 2025 in the database as an English barleywine - original Wisdom is an Old Ale so maybe I'll suggest the style change. Regardless, it's time for the big boy undies - it's a beast at 15.8%. Aged in Henry McKenna bourbon barrels and then in Barton 1792 barrels. Total dwell time 25 months, 15 days. Bottled 9/29/2025, bottle 834/1440. Yeah - that pile of purple wax - not a fan...purple is fine, wax not so much.

Reader's Digest spoiler alert - holy shit!

Pour appears thick and sinister - black and heavy viscosity. Very short khaki head that lives the thinnest ring in the glass. No lacing but the liquid leaves glorious legs on the glass.

The smell fills a goodly area - sweet tobacco, brown sugar, oak, a vinous character like port wine or sherry, as yet unspecified fruits of the dark sort. There a mild spiciness. Bourbon is present but not dominating - amazing with all that time in the barrel (sorry Croce fans). It's pretty amazing.

Oh what a letdown on the taste - yeah, NO. It's a good one without even trying hard. Its sweet but in just the right proportion for me. Sweet bourbon, dark brown sugar ( could maybe go Belgian candy sugar), caramel, light tobacco, fruit that includes black currant, figs and dates and raisins, oh my. Oaky tingle and a nicely balancing vanilla. It does have that Tawny Port or sherry thing going on - a definite vinous taste. There's a little kiss of milk chocolate. There's just a bit of spiciness - a little bit peppery or maybe cinnamon or clove or anise - but not much. It's there but not definite at all. With more sips I'm getting a little maple sugar flavor - dont know how that fits the equation but I like it.

This is smooth as silk and pleasantly heavy on the palate. I think I can finally use the word "chewy" - it's got some heft to it. A tad bit of stickiness on the lips. Nicely under-attenuated. The ABV reveals as a little tongue tingly sensation. I reckon this would have been insanely "hot" a few months ago. Now? Just pure indulgence.

I keep thinking I've hit an apex with Barreled Souls and I get something like this. It's only a question of how close to 5 it gets (probably ought to write the formal review after I get off the euphoria cloud here) and I totally wish I'd spent another $20 for a second bottle. It would age spectacularly.

 

So, as @Dimidiata used to say,”On Sunday’s we drink barleywines”
I strive to have a new (to me) every Sunday but it’s getting harder.
@russpowell to the rescue - I contacted him for a special request (which he fulfilled in spades!)
A relatively new one from Ozark Beer Company.which they call an American Barleywine, and it’s really not quite like any other one I’ve had. But I very much enjoyed it.

The pour is a murky brown color, I am reminded of a strong iced tea with copious amounts of sugar. Murky is an appropriate term.
The taste is first, sweet. Brown sugar and toffee leads the way, a little molasses and fresh, warm bread. A little bourbon floats around the edges.
That is over simplified, but it is all I have.
The feel isn’t viscous, but it certainly has enough body to carry the flavors.
OA, this may be the most decadent barleywine I’ve ever had.
It’s rather a shame that Ozark Beer Co. doesn’t distribute far and wide because they do some seriously good beer.
Sadly, all for me this weekend,
Cheers all!

 

just thought it was interesting it had the same format and even mentioned what state the users were from. thought maybe they were onto something together lol

Right forgot it shows that in your beer review here. They both must've just copy pasted their review on here and bolded it all, like:

Reviewed by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts

4.65/5 rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
11.2 oz bottle

Pours hazy amber orange with a huge creamy frothy off-white foam head. Smells like dark honey, light caramel, toffee, charred brown sugar, molasses, toasted bready malt, dark dried fruits, some raisin, fig, dates, plum, apricot, apple, pear, lemony orange citrus, exotic sweet spices, peppery clove, mild barnyardy farmhouse funk, wet hay, straw, and floral earthy herbal grassy hops. Tastes really complex and interesting, like bruised apples, pear, overripe banana, apricot, red plum, berry, cherry, raisin, fig, dates, dried fruit, dark amber honey, light caramel, toffee, charred brown sugar, molasses, toasted bready cereal grain malt, hints of roast, lemony orange citrus, lime peel, almost minty cardamom, coriander, slight medicinal clove, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, white pepper, wet hay, straw, with floral earthy herbal grassy pine. Feels medium-lighter bodied, smooth and slick with creamy moderate carbonation. Overall a real nice and unique Belgian pale strong ale.

 

Hell Yeah! Crank up the jams and enjoy. And congrats on #100.

 

Dig this, after doing the research. I lack only the low alcohol/NA as a style. Might have to do something about that tomorrow

 

Picked up some more of these today. Barleywines, especially locals are rarer than Hen's teeth here

 

22 Months in the barrel