New Beer Sunday (week 472)

I hope your issues can be resolved!

 

It's your first post, don't let it be your last! Always welcomed.

 

Well, I honestly don't know if I've ever had a beer that used Yakima hops, so this was a great formal introduction. I like these single hop ales because it clearly identifies what the hop in play is bringing to the table. I liked the Yakima - had a real "dank" character - meaning, earthy/musky/husky/musty - and the ale's malt bill had a clean, grain-forward character that provided a solid foundation. I'd return to it .

Cheers, man!

 

We're going to miss you for a week. I hope you have a speedy recovery!

 

New Belgian Strong Pale "Whale" Sunday!

Hello gang, I'm here to tell you that I love slaying a Whale. No, no not an actual Whale, but a Rare beer that has been on your beerdar for a long time. That is my definition of a whale. This beer has been on my Beerdar since 2008. Now I am sharing my experience with you guys and gal. The weather today at work was pretty ok. It was windy, yet very pleasant in the sun. So coming home I needed to do my Cardio ( Winter has been too good for me).
Anyway, sorry to bore you guys and gal, to death. Time for the beer!



My review is here for your enjoyment, or annoyance.
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/201/817/?ba=Shroud0fdoom

@Greywulfken this is for you!

Horns Up, Salut!

 

WHALEZ! I love what you said about your review being "there for your enjoyment or annoyance."

 

Almost like Ministry's Greatest Fits.. I find that funny as well. P.S. I'm glad you liked Big Eye. It just gets outcasted because it's not Sculpin.

 

New Double India Pale Lager Sunday (week 472)
Greetings NBSers, from an above freezing day on the ridge in Mid Hud Val NY. The pic below indicates the foolish implement that was the cause of my having to be back in town today, damn thing ran out of fuel, a frantic mssg. informed me. Good thing wasn't below zero like it's been a bit this winter.

Picked up this beer on way back home, so glad I did, it is stunningly delicious. I noticed after my glowing review many other folks have the same opinion. If you see this baby, treat yourself well and grab some.

Hope you also have a Great American Beer in your glass. Cheers!
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26520/99033/?ba=cavedave

 

From the Buffalo Brew Pub (http://www.buffalobrewpub.com), both were new to me:



This is a nice fruit-forward beer with light malt base and hints of tropical fruit in the hop blend. Pleasant and easy to drink. Would be nice on a warm summer evening. Summer is going to come... isn't it...?


This was outstanding! I've seen it at the EBC brewpub many times but always opted for something else, this time I tried it and was very pleased! It's a nice balance of sweet with just enough hops to make it not too sweet and the cherry and chocolate are definitely there but not overpowering. Served on nitro very smooth and quite delicious.

 

Not posting a pic but this
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/113080/
As a life long SNBC fan, I had to grab this and give it a try and for $5.49, gotta say, wow!
Very fruity, sippable, tasty and enjoyable. Lower abv makes this not sessionable per se but were this offered in a six pack I could easily get into four or five w/o a thought.
Poured the first half into a Stone IRS snifter and nursed it for 25-30 minutes and when I finally went back for a refill, the bottle still netted me a good finger-plus of rich creamy head.
I'll definitely be grabbing more of these and I recommend you do the same!
Slainte!

 

Love love love this beer!
I have a standing request with my buddy in Grand Rapids to grab this for me when he sees it for trades or outright buying. If you didn't know and looked at the label, the 12% would leave you giggling.

 

Trying a new one from Smuttynose

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/141/43132/?ba=Chickenhawk9932

 

Greetings All:

Cleaning out the DBF on this relatively spring day. I do believe I saw 60 on the outdoor thermometer early this afternoon.

So I came across this Bonfire Winter Warmer that had been lurking in the back of the fridge since early December.
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/20680/104223/?ba=RJLarse

A nice brew, even on a spring day.

As I said, warm and mostly sunny this afternoon. Grass is starting to turn green. I got started on the seasonal pruning this weekend. I have over 100 trees of various species on the property, so pruning is a bit of a chore. Nice to get outside however. Beats last weekend, sitting inside and watching the snow fall.

Happy Trails!

 

New American Pale Ale

Man I've been busy. I'm glad to get back into an NBS this week.

I finally got over to Grand Rapids Brewing Company last night. Better than the last incarnation in many ways, worse in some too. I'll have to get around to a review soon.

Today was perfect. Blue skies, temps allowing for a continued thaw. I got in a long run and wrapped up a ton of chores/errands before popping the top on today's NB.

It was decent. I'd like to retry it on tap or in a fresh bottle. It seems like the hops may have fallen off.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/9629/109432/?ba=GRPunk

 

Pours one and two of Bear Republic's Apex DIPA

Another super offering from Bear Republic - bitter and smooth, slightly chewy and well-balanced; lots of pine and citrus and resin and pith hop action. Pick one up if ya spot it.

That's all I got today - hope y'all enjoyed yer beers today (as if, right? )

The song is Hours of Decay BTW

Cheers!

 

This beer is simply fantastic!

 

Hello all,
No pictures today but was finally able to cross another Scotch Ale (my fav style) off my want to try list.
Today I was able to try BA's #17 best Scotch Ale...Lake Louie's Reserve Scotch Ale. It did not disappoint! One thing that is always fun with a new brew is getting a flavor profile unlike any you have had before, to be unique. Lake Louie hit the mark on that aspect and in a good way! Actually, while I can explain most of the flavor profile, there was something wonderful I couldn't put my finger on. Deep rich malty flavors of caramel and some dark fruit. Nice heavy mouth feel. My only community paint is that the flavor while amazing wasn't hugely complex. That being said, I give it a 4.5/5 and it has moved into 2nd place as my favorite scotch ale from my home state of Wisconsin.

Cheers!

 

Tale of two Flemish Red Ales: The Duchesse De Bourgogne 4.6 (wine like, complex, must try again) blew away Rodenbach 3.5 (cider like, thin & flat, didnt finish).

Duchesse De Bourgogne 4.6
Look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
My first Flemish sour, and a favorite.
A: The look is a 5. Deep, dense, thick, lasting tan head that lasts forever, starting as a pillowed crown and becoming a weathered sand castle.
Ruby Brown body, loads of lacing. A perfect pour.
S: puts you into the wine cellar with all the smells, wine, wine spills, oak, char, sawdust, concrete floor, mold, humidity, age.
T: This is three beers in one and so even at $7 a bottle is reasonable value. Smooth, soft, and tannic like wine. Chewy like wine, with body, in concert sweet and sour, fruit and malt, twin forces arise to treat your mouth to an utterly new sensation totally gratifying. 10s of flavors (as evidenced by the review) but dominant are burgundy pinot noir, cherry, balsamic, and jam. It rides on sweet bread and despite all this meditation complexity, it finishes clean. This is a must try, and a much try! One of my favorite firsts ever.
F: Leaves your mouth in a lovely kissing place like a great chewy wine or beer. You must let it warm. Also I drank my first one at the same pace as I'd drink 2 glasses of wine. Very slowly. And getting closer and closer to 55 degrees.

A-bro wrote " I must pause for a moment and thank the beer gods …Top of my list, an art performance… " I agree!

Rodenbach 3.5
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The other Rodenbach styles are rated 100. However, this one not much for me.
A: I poured it several times to study the head because it seemed the bottle had flat off despite a 12/17/14 date. On 2nd pour, aggressively into a tulip, a nice dense foamy tan head appeared. But it failed to last and atfer that it leaves some dotty lacing, and again feels thing and flat.
Murky, muddy, red-brown body.
Smell: I get cider, decaying wood, vinegar, and prunes. I dont get enough malt and fruit. I dont get enough complexity or strength, but it betters as it warms.
Taste: Follows the smell dominated by cider and fruit balsamic vinegar. Some oak, and hard underneath. Hint of vanilla? Got to let it warm, but it never rises above prune cider for me.
Mouthfeel: Thin-bodied. Low carbonation. Slightly sticky mouth feel, but not cloying.

Drinkability: A half portion might be ideal aperitif. Otherwise, I put this aside to drink a more approachable beer profile and finish it at a warmer temperature. Definitely want to split it with some one, or maybe even save it to cook with tomorrow.

I prefer beers that I want to finish now

 

Happy New Coffee Chocolate Raspberry Stout Sunday! (because it sounds better than new fruit / vegetable beer sunday)

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1924/28938/?ba=MadCat

So up for today is a beer I was looking forward to, DuClaw's Naked Fish, labeled as a chocolate raspberry stout. Sounds awesome, right? Well, I poured it, and immediately realized I needed to read the rest of the label. Strong whiff of coffee... oh the side says its got coffee. So its not the beer I was expecting, but I've had chocolate raspberry coffee before, so I'm still game. But, it is a disappointment. Get plenty of coffee and chocolate, but no raspberry, just some residual sweetness. Would be a decent coffee chocolate stout (though there's better), but severely disappoints since I get zero raspberry. How can they do such a fantastic job with chocolate peanut butter porter, but bomb what I would think would be easier? Such as life, I have more beer that is hopefully better, but not for tonight. Gotta drink up my stouts and other winter stuff now that the snow has melted!