New Beer Sunday (week 458)

Discussion in 'The Bar' started by mattcrill, Dec 1, 2013.

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  1. JamesShoemaker

    JamesShoemaker Initiate (0) Sep 21, 2012 Michigan

    Hey NBSers!

    Well, I lived in MI for twenty two years, but it took a five day Thanksgiving vacation at my parents' to crack this Kalamazoo classic.

    [​IMG]

    Very smooth, just a hint of roast, some really nice rich flavors. Cheers BA!
     
    #21 JamesShoemaker, Dec 1, 2013
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  2. offthelevel_bytheplumb

    offthelevel_bytheplumb Maven (1,277) Aug 19, 2013 Illinois

    Howdy NBSers! It is beautiful here in Chicagoland, clear and temps in the 40s. That fits in really well with my day, because I have no real responsibilities today. This beer has taken up my time for a short while: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/287/794/?ba=offthelevel_bytheplumb. Unfortunately, the Bears didn't get the memo. Man, they are so pathetic! The only sports franchise that stinks more than the Bears is the Cubs. Luckily for me, I'm a White Sox fan at least.:wink:

    I, like DIM, also gave into the GI hype. I personally feel worse about the fact that I am now officially a black Friday shopper. The difference between DIM and I is that all I had to do was go to 3 stores within 5 miles of my house to get my supply. I was able to get 2 4-packs of the regular BCBS, 1 4-pack of the barleywine, and 1 bomber of the Backyard Rye. I plan on being back later on with my review of the Backyard Rye, so stay tuned.
     
    #22 offthelevel_bytheplumb, Dec 1, 2013
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  3. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Hello NBSers!

    So as previously mentioned, I spent a good portion of my football Sunday at Buffalo Wild Wings, enjoying their mediocre (but not terrible) tap lineup, and some awesome football. I enjoyed a Sam Adams Rebel IPA, which was underwhelming but ultimately OK. I fixed my palate with a SN Celebration on tap, and then I tried samples of the following two beers:

    -Leinenkugel's Snowdrift Vanilla Porter: First off, I'm a Leine fan; I'm not a hater because of the big-boy takeover (pretty sure a bunch of us just bought a ton of BCBS, so let's not be hypocrites). That said, this beer is...well, it's just not good. Overwhelming vanilla extract flavor - almost medicinal. I even let the sample warm up; no dice. This is one of the worst -rDevs I've had in a long time, but I just don't see what other people like about this beer.

    -Blue Point White IPA: Now this was something different. Tasted like a Wit, complete with spices, but it had a nice hoppy profile that balanced it out nicely. Not quite outstanding, not quite amazing - but very interesting, and well made.

    OK, so now I'm at home, and can enjoy any of the ~$200 of beer I bought before football kicked off. What do I go with?

    -Back East Brewery Misty Mountain IPA: Not exactly a local brew, as they're located in NW Hartford (at least an hour away), but an in-state brew, nonetheless. I had some kind of amber ale from a growler by Back East at a tasting, so I figured I'd give a six pack of their IPA a try.

    Verdict?

    Ehh, mouthfeel is a crushing disappointment here. It's got a good hop profile, and a decent and thankfully not over-strong malt backbone, but it just comes across as watery. Fairly crisp flavor; no standout hop flavors, just a good overall hoppy taste. Really, though, feel just kills this beer. I'll try it again out of a glass for a full review later; this is my first taste, after all, and from the can.

    I doubt there will be another new beer today, but based on an overall underwhelming Sunday, I may go back to an old faithful later on tonight. In that event, you'll probably see me in the WBAYDN thread. :wink:

    Cheers all!
     
    #23 Roguer, Dec 1, 2013
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  4. GRPunk

    GRPunk Pooh-Bah (1,841) Apr 5, 2007 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah

    New Dark Mild

    Wrapping up another great weekend in West MI. Today brought blue skies, temps in the low 40s, and a near complete melting of the 2-3 inches from early in the week.

    Found out the website utilized by the Michigan Brewers Guild for their winter festival tickets was three shades of crazy. Unfortunately, it sounds like a lot of enthusiast members got locked out of purchasing tickets and missed the opportunity as they were gone in 3 hours. Glad I didn't waste my time, and hope to find a way to attend again this year. Ahh, the price we pay as our hobby becomes more popular. I guess it's the trade off for more widely available, quality brews.

    Today's new beer was really solid. It hasn't received the best reviews, but I stick by my take on this one.

    http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/342/101383/?ba=GRPunk

    [​IMG]
     
    #24 GRPunk, Dec 1, 2013
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  5. MarkJBurch

    MarkJBurch Initiate (0) Jun 24, 2012 Pennsylvania

    #25 MarkJBurch, Dec 1, 2013
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  6. mattcrill

    mattcrill Pooh-Bah (1,845) Mar 16, 2004 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah

    New Northern English Brown Sunday​
    http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3239/7652/?ba=mattcrill

    I don't get excited about brown ales but this one was an "instant classic" for me...ahem...to quote a phrase that's being thrown around quite a bit in these parts today.

    This had enough malt character to venture into "porter" territory for me. Which is probably why I liked it so much.

    Cheers and Happy NBS everyone!
     
    #26 mattcrill, Dec 1, 2013
    BBThunderbolt, cavedave, MarkJBurch and 12 others like this.
  7. JamesShoemaker

    JamesShoemaker Initiate (0) Sep 21, 2012 Michigan

    New Berry Weiss Sunday!

    Hey again BA! I've run out of the beer I brought, so now I'm just grabbing whatever's in parents' fridge. This is my first Saugatuck beer and boy, is it pretty!

    [​IMG]

    It looks like a pineapple Lifesaver coming out of the bottle, smells about the same, but tastes nice and crispy. Not my favorite style but this beer is definitely sessionable and tasty. Cheers BA!
     
    #27 JamesShoemaker, Dec 1, 2013
    garymuchow, BBThunderbolt, MarkJBurch and 11 others like this.
  8. Mikecap

    Mikecap Pooh-Bah (2,098) May 18, 2012 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Hey all, I hope it was a great Thanksgiving and (hopefully) long weekend off from your typical endeavors. I was lucky to get back to the family up in RI where I got the chance to enjoy some great family, food, and of course, quality craft beer. Like others on this thread, I was a sucker and wasted time Bourbon County hunting, but I look forward to trying my bottle of barley wine and coffee soon! Now it's back to Louisiana for a few more weeks til Christmas…

    As far as my first new beer today, I went with this Double IPA from Two Roads in Connecticut:

    http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30437/88207/?ba=Mikecap

    Really dug this one, and I'm glad I was able to pick it up while I was home. My first from these guys and also I believe my first beer from the state.

    Cheers and happy Sunday!
     
    #28 Mikecap, Dec 1, 2013
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  9. bluejacket74

    bluejacket74 Grand Pooh-Bah (5,305) Jul 4, 2005 Ohio
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    New Pumpkin Ale Sunday

    Happy NBS everyone! I just finished a bottle of Uinta Oak Jacked Pumpkin Ale, and here's my review: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1416/72838/?ba=bluejacket74

    I thought it was a good pumpkin beer, not overspiced like a lot of pumpkin brews are are. And the oak barrel aging helped too, neither the oak or the spices were overpowering which made this good to drink. I'll have another new beer review on here in a while, and I'll post my pics to the "What are you drinking now" thread later. Cheers!
     
    #29 bluejacket74, Dec 1, 2013
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  10. SanFranJake

    SanFranJake Initiate (0) Nov 2, 2012 California

    While I started with a Sucks, I've moved on to something new, c/o my man @Pando.
    One of those beers that I see people rave about but was never, for some reason or another, on my wants.
    But @Pando knows my liking and this gem showed up in our most recent trade and I must say, it's great!
    It's not Imperial Stout weather here in the Bay Area (close to 70) but the weather notwithstanding, I can see how this is enjoyable at any point.
    I had thought about stashing this but I saw a recent thread where a couple of guys said this was actually best fresh, so with that:
    [​IMG]
     
    #30 SanFranJake, Dec 1, 2013
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  11. RJLarse

    RJLarse Pooh-Bah (2,375) Dec 30, 2005 Washington
    Pooh-Bah

    >>>>>> New American Porter Sunday <<<<<<

    Checking in with this rather ordinary porter on this first Sunday of December. Pin Up Porter from Southern Oregon Brewing (SOB for short).

    http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/17116/43785/?ba=RJLarse

    Good not great. I think the Deschutes Black Butte is better and far more available.

    Today is a long Sunday, all about waiting for Monday Night Football. One of the better match ups of recent weeks, and of course we will be rooting for a Seahawk win.

    Mild and breezy today, with temps in the upper 40's. Figures after two frosty afternoons of putting up Christmas lights and doing other seasonal chores, we finally get some relatively warm weather. But the chores are done, so let the holidays, and the Seahawk playoff run begin.

    Happy Trails!
    [​IMG]
     
    #31 RJLarse, Dec 1, 2013
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  12. richj1970

    richj1970 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,687) Oct 26, 2012 Alabama
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    #32 richj1970, Dec 2, 2013
    Mikecap, garymuchow, BBThunderbolt and 11 others like this.
  13. Shroud0fdoom

    Shroud0fdoom Initiate (0) Oct 31, 2013 Maryland

    Ok, this is a new beer for me.
    [​IMG]

    I was disappointed with this ale. http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/48/104967/?ba=Shroud0fdoom

    If this was aged in whiskey barrels.. It might have been in a 36 hour aging period. I do not like to "hate" on a beer, but this one left me wanting more out of it. I guess that's why I am disappointed the most. Plus the 20 dollars I spent on it makes me a little bitter as well.
     
    #33 Shroud0fdoom, Dec 2, 2013
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  14. kemoarps

    kemoarps Grand Pooh-Bah (3,256) Apr 30, 2008 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    New... things to do with Japan... Sort of... Sunday!
    Japanese Classic Ale by Kiuchi Brewery

    So a friend of mine does martial arts with a fellow who owns a forge. Said gentleman offered to teach me how to use said forge and essentially how to smith. This is something I've had a passing interest in for quite some time. Suffice to say it's quite exciting. The forge owner is primarily interested in making knives, which is fine by me, and my first project has been a knife that I'm making for my brother for christmas, but eventually I'd like to branch out. He is a disciple of the Japanese school of smithing (as opposed to like european? I guess? I don't really know too much about the differences and that) as well as his martial arts. I figured that was as good an excuse as any to reach for my second Hitachino Nest beer ever while at the booze-a-hol store and listen to Japanese metal.
    This is based on an English IPA, and aged on cedar casks (which is what sake is traditionally aged on I guess?). The cedar aspect is what really sold me on this one, as I grew up amidst the cedars. My mom refers to my childhood home (where they still live) as Cedar Grove North (we live on the north end of our island). Cedar trees, cedar wood, these are important components of my growing up. We burn cedar traditionally as part of our religious ceremonies. ...I'm just saying cedar has been a big part of my life, so I was excited to try a cedar-ized beer. It's actually a combination I've long contemplated when mentally formulating my grand homebrew schemes (which, duh are gonna be so good they'll end up being bottled for sale etc...). Anyway, the beer is a bit on the sweet side for an IPA, but I really enjoyed it. The cedar came out more in the flavour than in the aroma, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit.

    In the spirit of a Japanese beer and a Japanese-inspired blacksmith, here we have some Japanese music.

    I can't get the picture from the forge to work. Sorry to disappoint you all, I know you had your hopes up :wink:
    Cheers all, glad everyone's got a good brew in their glass!!
     
    #34 kemoarps, Dec 2, 2013
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  15. Greywulfken

    Greywulfken Grand Pooh-Bah (5,815) Aug 25, 2010 New York
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Winding down this first night of December with...
    [​IMG]
    EvilTwin's Imperial Biscotti Break Bourbon Barrel Aged
    [​IMG]
    I can say confidently that if you like Imperial stouts that are BBA, or are a fan of IBB, you're gonna dig this beer.
    [​IMG]
    My first pour needed to sit a bit to warm, but gave off an immediate aroma of dark malt and bourbon...
    [​IMG]
    Despite the abv and style, not a heavy or boozy beer.
    [​IMG]
    Elegant and welcoming.
    [​IMG]
    Cheers!

     
    #35 Greywulfken, Dec 2, 2013
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  16. alex_hart

    alex_hart Initiate (0) Feb 28, 2013 Oklahoma

    New rediculously stout stout Sunday for me!
    [​IMG]
    The malt bill is ridiculous on this. I gave it 6 months (per the advice of my local beer guy), and im glad I did. Kinda wish I had given it another year or so honestly. The booze punched me right in the face. At this point it really reminds me of the '13 DL i had in the summer with the sweetness trying to mask the booze. I'm enjoying it more and more as I drink it (but I think that may be because of the high abv skewing my perceptions). I appreciate the different nuances they put in to the beer, but it just didnt do it for me as much as I was hoping it would. This seems like the far lesser of the two crazy-beer-brothers that are the 120 min and WWS (120 min might be one of my all time favorite beers), but I am very happy i had the opportunity to try it! Cheers NBSers!
     
    #36 alex_hart, Dec 2, 2013
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  17. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Man, your review really echoed mine. I can get Road 2 Ruin pretty easily, but I haven't much seen the point. It's good, and if it were a single IPA, it would be even better. But compared to the DIPAs we can easily get? It starts to lose some of its luster.

    I like it, but as long as there are other great DIPAs readily available (e.g. Resin, DirtWolf), I won't be revisiting it soon. Glad to see you grabbed a CT brew; check out NEBCo if you can. :slight_smile:

    Cheers!
     
    #37 Roguer, Dec 2, 2013
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  18. Shroud0fdoom

    Shroud0fdoom Initiate (0) Oct 31, 2013 Maryland

    I enjoyed both IBB and IBBN. So this will be in my radar for a while.
     
    #38 Shroud0fdoom, Dec 2, 2013
  19. Will_Edgar

    Will_Edgar Zealot (704) Oct 23, 2013 Iowa
    Trader

    New Beer SUUUUNNDDAAAYYY! Bear Republic Racer X. This is "YUM!" in a glass. Tropical fruit and floral flavors blend really nicely with the malt bill. Cheers!
    [​IMG]
     
    #39 Will_Edgar, Dec 2, 2013
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  20. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    NEW BARLEYWINE SUNDAY.

    Well I do feel like a bit of a tool for geeking out about the Bourbon County releases (plus now I'm jealous of offlevelbytheplumb), I have to say this is really damn good. I called a few places after work yesterday with no luck. I tried a couple more this morning and was off on a beer run at 9:30 am. Yeesh. :flushed:

    I don't feel like reviewing this tonight, so I'll be brief. Big, boozy, some stout characteristics, sweet, and chewy. Beautiful. Lives up to the hype for sure.

    [​IMG]

    Cheers!
     
    #40 DIM, Dec 2, 2013
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