New Beer Weekend #301

Let’s Wander Back

Today’s new beer is from a ‘new’ brewery: Wander Back Beerworks Future Proof German Pilsner.

Wander Back Beerworks is in the process of opening their brewery in Vineland, NJ. While awaiting their build out to complete they are temporarily brewing out of Hidden Sands Brewing Co.'s facility in Egg Harbor Township, NJ.

There are three principals involved in opening Wander Back and they all have backgrounds at Cape May Brewing:

· Christopher Henke: co-founder of Cape May Brewing

· Justin Vitti: Cape May Brewing Co.'s general manager of sales and distribution

· Brian Hink: Brewer at Cape May Brewing

I had the pleasure to get to know Brain Hink in the past when was working for Cape May via discussions on BA. Brian used to be a regular participant on BA threads. He even offered to give me and my wife a private tour of Cape May brewing a number of years ago while we were down there for a week’s vacation in Cape May. I learned a lot during that private tour, Brian patiently answered my numerous questions.

I have been sorta following this new business venture with the hopes of trying one of their beers. To my great joy I saw their beers on the shelf of my local Retail Beer Distributor and I immediately picked up a four-pack. I have enjoyed the beers produced by Brian (and the Cape May brewing team) in the past so I have high hopes for this beer.

Served in my Polish Pilsner glass:

Appearance:

Straw yellow with a BIG fluffy white head.

Aroma:

An enticing combination of is bready/cracker-like Pilsner Malt aroma and hops aromas of herbal/spicy.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with bready/cracker-like malt with a pleasing balance of herbal/spicy flavors from the hops. There is a notable bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Medium bodied, smooth mouthfeel with a dry finish.

Overall:

I enjoyed drinking this beer, it is very good. A tasty, well balanced German Pilsner with drinkability.

Cheers!

@jonphisher @Giovannilucano @brianhink

P.S. On a related note, Wander Back won a gold medal at the recent World Beer Cup competition for their Helles beer. Quite an accomplishment especially since there was quite a bit of competition with 156 entries:

“Category 45: Munich-Style Helles, 156 entries

• Gold - Wander Back Lager, Wander Back Beerworks, Vineland, NJ
• Silver – Lager, Noble Twist, Saugatuck, MI
• Bronze - Kirkland Signature Helles Lager, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR”

 

Great write up and summary Jack, if I do not grab the helles this weekend it will be on the docket for a future NBW.

I agree, quite an accomplishment in that category; really neat stuff for Wander Back.

I’ve run into Brian twice at local tastings at bottle shops; he’s always out and about. A great person who was happy to chat and talk beer.

 

Thanks to @Whyteboar for kicking off NBW #301!

Revolution Peach Brandy Barrel D.B.V.S.O.J English Barleywine, 15.8% ABV. Pours very dark brownish black, with a 2+ finger light-brown head that left no lacing. Aroma is peach, rum, bourbon, toffee, oak, and faint chocolate. Taste is peach, rum, bourbon, and toffee, slightly sweet, slightly bitter, no alcohol burn. Excellent thick mouthfeel, short of chewy, overall world-class. The name should be Peach T.B.V.S.O.J. since it's aged in bourbon, rum, and peach brandy barrels. While this is outstanding, it's somewhat less than regular VSOJ.

4.71/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Great spring day, spent some time removing things from our relatively unused 29-year-old covered deck, which will become a 4-season porch over the next couple of months. This is the project my wife has wanted since we built, and we're finally doing it.

 

Have a good NBW. Thanks @Whyteboar for starting us off this week. I had a doppelbock from @FBarber four years ago from Goldfinger: Złotonator, it was awesome. I would love to try more of their lagers. I still have the brewery hoodie he gave me from there too

Happy Friday. I had another late night and slept most of the day. Finally got a new Air conditioner and it has digital control and a remote. I finished Black AF History by Michael Harriot in less than 1 day. 4.75/5. A pretty funny/satirical historical account of the history of the US from the black point of view from pre-1619 to the modern day. He used some interesting anecdotes such as a conversation like ELI5, but with a baby that knows nothing about civil rights. A bit of slang here and there. The Authors narration is amazing and emotionally performed. Talks about his family history for personal perspective, and includes plenty of facts about black heritage like what real fried chicken should be, pit bbq, and the definition of soul food. Also amazing explanation of the two party system as a transformation of civil rights views and north vs south. Loved it!

I just started The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King: 4.5/5. Extremely readable young adult style fantasy. Amazing characters and story about a kingdom and the Antagonist is a magician happens to be Randall Flagg like in the Stand. Very easy to follow and memorable story. Also the audiobook is amazing with the narrator. He gives Flagg a really creepy lisping voice, and his 2 headed parrot sounds like Gilbert Gottfried as Iago.

Boat sleeping on his banana, and Roxy sleeping on my desk. She does it alot and always comes over to try and smell my beer


Ranger Creek Texas Bourbon Barrel Series Imperial Coffee Ale from @Ozzylizard . Canned 8/31/2022. Poor head retention and no lacing for 11.6%. Aromas of big nutty medium roast coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, bourbon, toasted oak, biscuit; light vanilla, coconut, cocoa, and a bit of booze/yeast earth. Taste follows with big nutty medium roast coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, bourbon, toasted oak, biscuit, herbal, grass; light pepper, vanilla, coconut, cocoa, and yeast earth. Light-medium herbal/coffee bitterness and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; creamy/silky malts; with lingering sticky hop and bourbon/oak tannin drying after the finish. Lingering warmth and booze of barrel and 11.6% into the gut. Very impressive, minimal complaints. Plenty of coffee still present and plenty of strong barrel integration. Probably the same base beer as the imperial brown from the BBA series. I liked this a little bit more. 3.97/5


Cheers

 

Great opener @Whyteboar, thanks.

Enjoying a Cabin Fever from Drowned Lands, Warwick, NY, a sessionable 10% Foeder Aged American Barleywine.

Pours a ruddy reddish brown, the pour yield a few bubbles and that's it. Snot machine gets a bit of fruit, molasses, woody, flavors are similar, some burnt sugar and nuts. Sticky mouthfeel. It finishes a little sweet. It is what the world needs, more Barleywine's.

 

Don't ask me why, but I picked up a new bottle of Lagunitas Hop Stoopid. I haven't had one of these in probably a decade...and surprised to see I haven't put a review down. So, I can't really do a comparison with and old review, versus what I think now...which I think is kind of what I was going for. Anyway...I saw this fresh at my local bottle shop and sure, why not?

Hop Stoopid, 8% ABV, Double/Imperial IPA.



Pours a clear copper orange color. A dense white head forms and recedes after a minute to leave some lace behind.
Aroma up front is a flora, orange, citrus, pine/resin mix. That hits all the old school IPA markers, as it should.
Tastewise, again, that floral, orange/citrus up front. Pine and resin is more noticeable, with a full on caramel malt and sugary sweetness. Its almost like candy to me. I would like some more bitterness lingering.
A medium to full body. Moderate carbonation. The resin/syrupy and chewy like body also seems oddly thin at the same time. Still enjoyable for an old school trip down memory lane.

I have a feeling that if I reviewed this 10-15 years ago, I would have said this was too bitter. How tastes change ha. As is, I find the sticky malty character takes over the floral/citrus/pine after a while. Which makes this more of a chewy sweet mess. While I don't want to say this is a disappointment, I was expecting more old school bitterness. Which I didn't get.

Glad I tried this again after all these years, but once is probably enough for a while...overall score is 3.7, solid B
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/220/35738/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Tonewood birdie
...clear very pale light gold appearance with a thin but lasting head
...medium carbonation with a just below average body which added up to a nice light refreshing feel
...aroma is bread, white bread dough,citrus and floral. Roasted grain,mostly rice is definitely present and adds a nice touch
...taste has some mild bitterness with an equally mild sweetness. Some citrus,floral, rice as well as roasted rice
...overall an awesome beer

 

NN/ABW
Anticipating a wild wknd with 2 metal shows, so good night to lay low and crack this with 'breakfast for dinner.'
Love the reg version, so was hoping this to be similar. And it is. Really captures the deep, roasty, comforting aroma. taste, and body of an old skool, classic Northwest porter. Looks good, too!
Cheers!

 

Mahalo to @Whyteboar for getting us going.

Prairie Swede Dreams Sour with Lingonberry, 5.0% ABV; 3.75 overall

Pours a chill-hazed honey color with 2+ fingers of cream-colored head. Minimal head retention & lacing

S: Loads of berries, not much else, some pear notes, fades once warm

T: Sweet red berries, some gooseberry & currant as well along with Golden Delicious Apples up front. Some tartness on the edges, but mostly sweet berry we can say Lingonberry I think I've had it one or two times, but also sweet blueberry & some tart. Finishes a little tart, mostly sweet with berries & pears

MF: Medium body, restrained carbonation, a little sticky on the teeth

Refreshing, easy to drink but not one I'd buy again

 

I saw this on the shelf today and thought about buying it. I did not, though now I wish I had.

I looked at your review compared to my review of Hop Stoopid, and they seem somewhat similar - though I got a bit more bitterness, but my language indicates it wasn't drawing my face in upon itself.


(I should've waited to use that video for a review of an old school Stone IPA - but who know where they are heading these days).

Side note: another OT game??

 

Shop bottom rough season dark lager
... dark mohagany appearance with an off white head
...body as well as the carbonation both come in around medium.
...aroma is roasted malt, dry cocoa, very dark chocolate, earthy and molasses.
...taste has some syrupy sweetness but the roasted grain and malt gives it an almost dryness.
..overall this brewery can be a bit hit and miss but this is really well done

 

Julia making Pork loin in Instant pot. More cat shots:


State of Brewing Maguires Draught Stout from Aldi. Bottled 3/31/2026. Great fluffy head retention and spotty foamy lacing on the glass. Aromas of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, nuttiness, dark bread/crust, toast; light herbal, grass, dark fruit, molasses, diacetyl, and yeast earthiness. A bit too yeasty, but nice English style nose. Taste follows with dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, toffee, nuttiness, dark bread/crust, toast; light herbal, grass, wood, peppercorn, pine, dark fruit, molasses, diacetyl, and yeast earthiness. Light-medium herbal, spicy, roasted bitterness, and light yeast tang/tartness on the finish. Medium carbonation and light-medium body; balanced creamy/bready malt, sticky hop, and chalky roast mouthfeel. Lingering hop/roasted dryness, with no cloying/acrid/astringent flavors. Irish feeling yeast as I have seen in Dry Stouts before, on the upper limit of fruitiness and diacetyl for the style, but a very good easy drinking beer. 3.78/5


Cheers

 

2022 River City Brewing Rob's Exquisite Baklava Imperial Stout ( With Almonds, Walnuts & aged in Basil Hayden Barrels, blended with Buffalo Trace Barrels 2 & 3 ), 16.0% ABV; 3.9 overall

Pours a sludgy cola/mahogany color with instantly disappearing cocoa colored head. No head retention or lacing, some residue ( nuts? ). Plenty viscous

S: Solvent & chocolate, then Bourbon, figs & raisins late

T: Dark chocolate, some Bourbon, cherry tobacco, a little vanilla, almond & honey up front. More dark chocolate covered cherries, Bourbon, & leafy/woody hops, salted plum, a little booze bite once this beer is warmed up. Finishes with rich dark chocolate, barrel, salted plum, dark cherry & woody hops

MF: Chewy, low-level carbonation. Carbonation picks up a fraction once this beer is warmer

Not a bad take, but more barrel than Baklava, a sipper to be sure. More carbonation would help, this whole series has this issue though

 

Interesting Blend