New Beer Weekend #299

While at Esker/Hart Artisan Ales earlier today I also had a new American IPA single-hopped with Peacherine. I have limited experience with this hop but it has been very positive. I bought cans but I think I enjoyed the draught pour a little more.

It pours a dense, turbid, pastel orange color with a finger cap of fluffy, milk-white foam and a thick film of lacing. The smell is big and fruity with lots of ripe peach and stone fruit, along with whiffs of lemon, grapefruit, and floral hops. Its taste is equally impressive: sweet peach and nectarine, along with some tart citrus, including lemon and lime. There is a sweet, creamy malt base and I also taste some pine sap. There is mild, clean hop bitterness throughout. This ale has a luxuriously thick and creamy feel with fairly mild carbonation. The 7.5% ABV gives it good substance. Overall, for a single-hopped IPA this has big flavor and is thoroughly enjoyable.

4.33/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On draught I would give the taste a 4.5. Esker Hart is a gem of a brewery in a quaint little town that is a throwback to the New Jersey I experienced growing up in the '60's and '70's. It's located near a great hiking trail. The facility is small and the brewery doesn't distribute as much as it did when it gypsy-brewed. It's about a 40 minute drive from my home via rural, back roads. I have no excuse for not visiting more often. I'll review one of Esker Hart's Stouts on NBS tomorrow. Cheers, NBW!

 

Great opening, Ian!

 

Her Way or the Highway, a West Coast style Pilsner brewed by Twin Elephant Brewing a local brewery in North NJ. I never heard of this style before and assumed it meant a hoppy Pilsner and was right. This beer was poured from a 16 ounce can into a large glass. It’s light gold in color with a thick and lasting white head. There is a nice but soft aroma of malt. The malts used are 2 row Czech floor malted and Pilsner. This beer tastes great, it is hoppy but far from a hop bomb. The hops used are Amarillo and “2025 pink boots blend” . The finish is dry and a bit hoppy. A German lager yeast is used. Overall this is an excellent brew and it will be even better in the summer.
Twin Elephant Brewing list’s the ingredients used on the cans. I wish more breweries would do that.

 

In my first NBS BIF, @superspak was my secret sender. I still remember how blown away I was to receive the amazing beers he sent me - particularly the ones from Michigan. For me, return fire to Ian was intimidating to say the least.

 

Ettaler Curator Dunkler Doppelbock (US Import Version)
Klosterbrauerei Ettal

3.94/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Drinking out of a small snifter.
Pours a reddish-purple with a thin head.
Smells some of molasses.
Fair mouth feel.
Malt forward. Sweet taste of dark caramel and molasses.

 

I like the sticky resinous feel of this one.

 

Inspired by @Victory_Sabre1973, HammerHeart Brewing Nordland. A smoked Kveik lager. Courtesy of @Mdog. The look is a peachy, dense, wheat color, with minimal white foam. A little bit of carbonation appears. The smell is smokey, spicy, sour, sweet, fruity, woody, and bitter bread dough. It is unique, and very inviting. The taste is doughy, smokey, sour, and sweet, with a bit of white grape, almond, pine cone, and burnt toast flavors. It is just right, on a cool spring day, where the sounds of birds surround me, and you can smell the earth coming back to life. The mouthfeel is bready, thick, and crisp, with lower carbonation than most lagers. Overall, I adore this beer. I feel it in my Nordic soul. @Mdog spoils me so. Owner/head brewer of HammerHeart Brewing, Austin Lunn, was at the Emperor concert I attended last week. A lot of guys in Minnesota attending a Norwegian black metal concert have a similar appearance to him, so I introduced myself to not Austin Lunn more times than I wish to admit to.

 

Enjoyed this immensely, I've had the regular version, but the Barrel-Aged version is a 1st for me.

4.29/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Thick, black, oily looking mess, great brown head, even some lacing!
Snot factory, says dark roast, dried fruit, cocoa maybe a bit of vanilla.
Taste buds agree, some woody notes, some booze, caramel. Thick'n chewy texture. Terrific slow sipper.

 

Shout out to @superspak and a thank you for the inspiration and for keeping New Beer Weekend going. I appreciate you starting this thread and giving everyone a space to share and enjoy. Horns up!

Sip of Sunshine IPA by Lawson’s Finest Liquids

Format: 19.2 oz can
Born On: March 16, 2026
26 days from packaging

Opened: 4:52 PM

Appearance:
Pours a dark straw to deep gold. Not fully clear and light does not pass cleanly through the glass when held to a screen. Head forms briefly and falls off rather quickly, leaving a thin ring of carbonation foam around the edges. Light lacing is present and slowly slides down the glass.

Aroma:
Initial pass brought a bright, melon-like fruit note with a dank edge. As it warmed, that fruit character faded, shifting toward a more resinous, hop-forward profile with a slightly earthy quality. At closer range, the aroma presents more volatile and concentrated.

Taste:
First sip at cooler temperature was clean, with bitterness landing mid-palate. As the beer warmed, the bitterness built more into the finish and lingered longer. A light dank character leads into a citrus-leaning bitterness on the back end, giving a subtle puckering sensation without any sourness. The progression remains steady from sip to sip.

Mouthfeel:
Medium body, around a 6/10. Carbonation is appropriate for the style, supporting the hop profile without becoming overly lively. Smooth overall with a noticeable but controlled alcohol warmth.

Overall:
Drinks easy for 8%. Alcohol remains a background warmth and never dominates. The beer holds together well across temperature, with the main shift being a more pronounced bitterness in the finish as it warms. Built on a light, slightly bready malt backbone that allows the hop profile to lead. Cascade, Amarillo, and Mosaic come through in a balanced, composed way.



Score: 4.10 / 5

Notes: Tasted from approximately 45°F up to mid-50s in a rocks glass, observing progression across temperature.

 

Yeah, do breweries change recipes, and hop crops vary year-to-year...
Have you had it recently? Are you able to get it and give it a try?

 

Great to see you enjoyed your 1st Sip! Abundance of Citra in that one!

 

Sometimes but not always, breweries will change the recipe but a gesture of transparency is letting the beer drinker know about that. And yes, I can get it because it has been quite a few years since I had it.

 

La Trappe Blond from Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven B.V.

From a 330ml bottle dated BB 06 2026, so maybe not the freshest bottle out there. Poured into a tulip. A bit of a gusher. paper towel were involved. A two finger tan head on a hazy reddish blonde. The head soon disappeared. Some lace rings.

Smells of fruity, bready malts. The taste follows the nose. Spicy. Peppery. Moderately sweet up front. a dry finish.

A medium/light body with good carbonation. A tingling texture. Overall a decent, easy drinking Belgian Blonde.

3.86/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

 

Appreciate that! I can definitely see that now, especially with how the citrus comes through more as it warms. Really enjoyed how it developed over time.

 

I would be interested to do a side by side with this and the "Stainless" edition of the same beer. I have only tried the stainless version so far.

 

Rainy day today, nothing to do but sit around and watch golf and review beers, lucky I have a bunch in the queue. Two more from @cheeseheadinMinneapolis here.

District 1 Kil'd Kenny


Appearance: Clear dark red, small head with poor retention.

Smell: Dark fruit, earthy.

Taste: Follows the smell, balanced with mild dark fruit and earthy hops. Almost a slight roasty note. Very light body. Finishes earthy.

Overall: Very easy drinking Irish red, not a style I usually go for these days but used to drink lots of Killian’s. This is a step up from those days and still very sessionable.

District 1 Kevehefewinsteweizen

Appearance: Clear with particles in suspension, ok head.

Smell: Floral, cloves.

Taste: Sweet, bubblegum with some clove in the middle, light bodied.

Overall: Super drinkable, seems on the border of the hefe/american pale wheat styles. Seems like it would be a good summer beer but a little low on flavor for a hefeweizen.

 

I’m not sure where else to review this bier, so I will put it here. I found this on the clearance rack a couple weeks ago.
The brewery (dated 1866) is permanently closed according to Google Maps, and was never in the BA database as far as I could see.

look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5
overall: 3.5

Memminger Brauerei Hell
From a 500ml can, 4.9% ABV

Pale straw colored pour with decent clarity, and a thick head that has some retention before a collar forms and leaves some patchy lacing.

Somewhat weak and neutral on the nose.

Lightly toasted malt, bright, with soft caramel flavor. Lightly bodied mouthfeel, with a weak hops profile and mild bitterness.

I don’t think it would taken much to have made this a better beer. And of course It’s a shame to see a 140 year old brewery close.
Nosing around on the internet, it appears the reviews were not very high. I’m sure that has a lot to do with it.

 

Howdy NBWers... a small contribution. How had I never had this? Ugh.

Pizza Port Swami's WCIPA. 6.8%
and canned 3.11.26

4.32/5 rDev +5.4%

look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A beer that needs no further notes, or an introduction, really.
L - If you don't like the pure, crystalline, clear, high CO2 bubbly appearance on this, the ample head, or the lacing, you're one sick ass puppy.
S - Maybe one of its weak points, not redolent with aromas until an hour passes by, but grainy, grapefruit, a tad of blueberry and some holy grains pass under the nose. Almost has a whiff of straight barley, interesting.
T - Solid, pine, malt backbone presence, almost a ghost or inspiration for so many Midwestern IPAs that have a heavy grain grist (Two Hearted, Space, etc...) - just a tad of unbalanced bitterness but I'm here for it.
F - Great mouthfeel, balance, bitter at the back palate, and jumps off a cliff like Dave Mustaine. Solid.
O - A beer that is better in its sum than in its individual parts. Fantastic. Reasonable price, too? In this economy? Amazing.

 

This might be a memento mori. Heavy Seas Lost Navigator. Imperial Cold IPA. Lotta words there, not sure how they all meld together. Picked it up as part of last year's Frozen Seas mixed pack.
Bottle dated 11/25.
Full disclosure(s). Actually drank it last night, but to me the weekend starts on Friday. And as it was the second of the 3 in the box I must have had it before. But taking a mulligan.
Not a ton of aroma, and same with the head. Yes it was old, but did not have any bad juju about it.
Took a sip and the mouthful was heavy ( sea?) and viscous.
Taste-wise, nothing old or off about it. Billed as a WC IPA, initial Pliny vibe. But strongly reminiscent of Green Flash Green Bullet, my long lost love.
Heavy Seas does this to me every few years. They put out that seasonal mixed-pack and by the time I find it the brews are one-and-done.
I do have one last one down in the cellar. Bittersweet.