New Beer Sunday (week 475)

Discussion in 'The Bar' started by mattcrill, Mar 30, 2014.

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  1. mattcrill

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

    Good morning bishops of brown ale and pastors of pale ale! I hope this message finds you ready for another Sunday of all things good, fermented, malty or hoppy in your perfect pints, snifters, and goblets today!

    Weather in Central OH continues to be less than spring-like. We were hit with a bunch of snow flurries last night and it appears that March will be both in and out like a lion regardless of the old saying. At any rate, the spring and summer seasonals continue their assault in spite of the temperature.

    I'm still finding New Belgium offerings that I didn't know I had in the past. I picked up a sixer of their Trippel yesterday assuming that would be today's NBS offering only to find that I had one years ago. Not sure if that's a good thing or I'm just getting old?

    I hope your new beer adventures will be more successful than mine today. And without any further delay...today is the day and this is the place for you to TRY a new beer and TELL us about it here. Please find a beer that's new to you, drink it, and give us a GOOD description of what you had. A good description is our simple "pay to play" guideline to keep this a unique offering, avoid plagiarizing other threads, and ensuring we don't get locked down so we can enjoy another successful week in our 475 week run. Feel free to garnish said description with a linked review, pics, videos, and other trappings you might find while surfing the interwebs. Thanks for keeping NBS fresh, informative, and fun.

    Good day and good drinkin'.

    Peace, love, and malty-ness,

    Matt
     
    #1 mattcrill, Mar 30, 2014
    2beerdogs, offthelevel_bytheplumb, CHADMC3 and 17 others like this.
  2. Roguer

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

    Morning! Been excited for this thread, as always, and ready to enjoy New Sierra Nevada Sunday.

    Today I'm going to try each of the three brand-new (to me) beers from Sierra Nevada's 4-way IPA pack. Then, given enough time and palate and sobriety, I may try out one of the Shorts DIPAs I just got in a trade. We'll see.

    First up, I waffled between Nooner and Snow Wit. I ended up opting for the latter, based on what I guessed would be a more delicate malt and yeast profile, and a less aggressive hop profile (ABV aside). Either should make a good lunch accompaniment.

    So, here's Snow Wit:

    [​IMG]

    Absolutely gorgeous beer, although you may not be able to tell from the pic. Excellent aroma, too, everything coming together quite balanced. The flavor fits that bill as well: extremely balanced.

    http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/113857/?ba=Roguer
    4.03 / +6.3%

    I have to say, I like this more than a standard Belgian Wit (not my favorite style), and more than most Belgian IPAs (also not my favorite style, although I had one the other day - Belgian Coast IPA - that was surprisingly good).

    What I would not pick this as a great example of would be an American IPA. It definitely comes across closer to a Wit than an IPA. That said, I think it's an excellent example of what exactly that style - Belgian IPA - can really mean, and how well it can be done.

    I realize I rated it a bit higher than others, but I was definitely impressed. No single aspect was less than "Outstanding" in my book. Still sipping on it, about 40 minutes later. Looking forward to the next ones in the series, later today.

    As mentioned on WBAYDN?, I'm still quite obsessed with SW and Porcupine Tree.



    I look forward to your offerings and musings. Cheers, NBSers!
     
    #2 Roguer, Mar 30, 2014
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  3. DIM

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

    NEW BALTIC PORTER SUNDAY

    Hey Matt and NBSers, baseball season is here! Looking forward to tomorrow, going out with a good friend to drink beer (some new) and watch some ball. But this isn't NBM, so here is what I enjoyed well past midnight while finishing a wonderful book about the three Dimaggio brothers who played big league ball.

    http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/345/87404/?ba=DIM

    [​IMG]

    Dreary today, so the family is going to the antique mall behind Stoudts brewery just for a chance to get out of the house. Cheers guys!
     
    #3 DIM, Mar 30, 2014
    Last edited: Mar 30, 2014
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  4. garymuchow

    garymuchow Pooh-Bah (2,878) Aug 31, 2001 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah

    New American Black Ale Sunday

    NBSer's,
    A peek at spring today in SCMN with warmth up to 60 (first since October apparently) and most of the snow being gone by the end of the day. Able to sit out on my deck and enjoy some warmth and sunshine. Looking forward to that. Not necessarily looking forward to full-time work this week after taking most of the past week off.

    UJane recently reviewed my NBS contribution. I like it quite a bit more than she did. This is a pretty exceptional beer. Incredibly complex and balanced. Really a good piece of work.

    http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13014/114153/

    Best to all this week. I just finished last week or started this week very well with this beer.
     
    #4 garymuchow, Mar 30, 2014
    offthelevel_bytheplumb, CHADMC3, BeerKangaroo and 13 others like this.
  5. Roguer

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

    Now 2/3 of the way through the new entries from the 4-way IPA pack from Sierra Nevada: here comes Nooner Session IPA. Very appropriate, since it's the noon-time hour.

    [​IMG]

    Not bad at all; tasty, drinkable. Not really great, though. It has the same piney hop profile you expect from Sierra Nevada, and I guess it fits the bill, but I think I'd normally just go for a regular IPA, or straight for a SNPA.

    http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/113858/?ba=Roguer

    3.73 / +0.8%

    Now that the review is done, I can see how well it accompanies a late lunch (Llunch, spoken "Yunch," which I just made up, and will immediately abandon, because it is horrible) of brie, horseradish cheddar, and white cheddar. Sadly out of grapes, but this will do.

    [​IMG]

    Answer? It accompanies it all very well.

    Cheers NBSers!
     
    #5 Roguer, Mar 30, 2014
    offthelevel_bytheplumb, 2beerdogs, CHADMC3 and 16 others like this.
  6. drmcleod10

    drmcleod10 Initiate (0) Oct 14, 2013 Missouri

    Good morning Matt! Today in St. Louis it's sunny and should get up to 70. I should be drinking a lighter beer, but today's new beer is the compilation from Evil Twin/Prairie Artisan Ales - Bible Belt
    http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30356/115939/

    [​IMG]

    I was lucky to find a place here with no bottle limit and picked up 8 of the last 16 that were left. Really excited that within the last few months we've started getting all of Prairie's offerings less Pirate Bomb! (new batch probably has not been brewed yet)
    Had heard good things about this one as it has bomb! as the base beer and you can definitely taste it. Anyways have a 3:06 tee time today to play 18 at St. Albans in St. Louis.

    A - Dark as night just like all the prairie stouts. Little to small half a finger light mocha head with decent lacing

    S - Smell is of malt chocolate coffee with little hints of pepper from the ancho

    T - Taste is much the same.. bitter coffee malt, dark chocolate, with little to no hints of vanilla. Really didn't get too much heat in this.. slightly less than bomb!

    M - Chewy, smooth, and velvety. Full bodied with little carb

    O - Another delicious prairie stout. Wasn't as keen on this as bomb! but have 7 more bottles to open and we'll see if i come back and re-review this. The coffee is a little to bitter and the upfront taste seemed a tad too malty.

    With that being said. I think a side by side with bomb! Pirate and Bible are in the future

    Anyways, hope everyone has a great day.

    Cheers NBS!
     
    #6 drmcleod10, Mar 30, 2014
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  7. Act25

    Act25 Pooh-Bah (2,965) Nov 8, 2010 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah

    New Beer Weekend: A visit to SW Ohio yields 4 malty brews. A taste off for non hoppy, sweet malty beers from Kentucky, Ohio, Mexico and Seattle.

    Kentucky Bourbon Pale Ale 3.6

    A: Perfect mahogany pour into a snifter. Not much head lasting, but plenty of lace. 3.75

    S: A little bit of beer stink, malts, sweet, no hops. Not much aroma. 3.25

    T: Best part of this beer. Clear bourbon back drop, which is filled with malts, caramel, sweet apple / raisin fruits, and a bit of finishing tingle. 3.75

    MF: Low carbonation, great finish, but would like more weight in a beer of this ABV and with this bourbon profile.



    O: It's better than their bourbon stout, enjoyable, nice to find at an airport.


    Christmas Ale

    3.6/5 rDev -8.3%

    look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5



    Christmas Ale - Freshness date of today.

    A: Nothing special in the mahogany, amber body, not much head retention or lace. Average.



    S: Nothing in the smell surprises. A sweet, malty caramel body with some dark, faint fruit.



    T: Follows the smell, but more densely flavor packed. More malt over hops, and none of the spice or honey is heavy handed. A bit of cherry and peach on the mid- to finish. Better as it warms, but frankly, a little too cherry-cola, Dr Pepper, OHIO to my decidedly coastal palate.



    Good balance. I'd rather a winter ale sticks its neck out further.



    MF: well crafted like everything this brewer does, and you can feel it in the body and the finish.



    Trader Jose Dark Lager

    3.4/5 rDev +2.4%

    look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25



    A: Pours a clear, dark mahogany body with a short white head and a little lace. 3.5



    S: Prominently sweet-smelling, malty nose with notes of caramel, toast, and lots of raisins, dark fruit.



    T: Dominant sweet caramel, with hints at toast, grain, nuts, char, and fruitiness. toasty finish. 3.75



    MF: Medium and carbonation.



    Drinkability: If you like caramel, malty beers, this is a good session ale. Great price, great flavor. Best beer I've ever had from Mexico. Better than Modelo or 2X amber. Can some one share a better beer from Mexico?



    Red Hook ESB

    3.3/5 rDev -3.2%

    look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25



    Red hook not my cup of tea, despite being rather tea like. I do like Winterhook.

    A: Brass, dark copper color with almost no head, and rising pin point bubbles, a tiny lace. Date = 10-13 in 3-14

    S; Nose is barely present. Pale malty, caramel, a little fruit, but like a flavored soda water.

    T: Best facet of this beer and it gets better as it warms. ESB is a session beer, and so too is this.

    MF: "quinine-like" one review wrote - and I agree - it's a tea/ soda like experience, too thin for this reviewer.



    Mid-pack at best.
     
    #7 Act25, Mar 30, 2014
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  8. DIM

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

    #8 DIM, Mar 30, 2014
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  9. Premo88

    Premo88 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,682) Jun 6, 2010 Texas
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    New Belgian tripel (new for me :slight_smile:

    http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/202/656/?ba=Premo88
    4.38/8.4% ABV

    [​IMG]

    awfully good ... and awfully potent for a beer so sweet and easy

    [​IMG]

    25.4 ounces is going to take me awhile because that 8.4% isn't a joke -- and it's the worst kind: you can't taste it! i want to suck this thing down, it's so drinkable

    The head is crazy ... foam nearly pours out of the bottle:

    [​IMG]

    classic label:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    The brew is like candied orange with some lemon tossed in ... at times I'd swear I'm tasting some grassy hops (all flavor, no bitterness). Could that be the wheat? I don't know, but I like it much more than I expected.

    Cheers!
     
    #9 Premo88, Mar 30, 2014
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  10. Roguer

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

    Finally, we reach New Sierra Nevada Sunday beer number three: Blindfold Black IPA.

    [​IMG]

    This is really tasty, and really hoppy, but it seems like the dark, roasty, chocolatey malts are really front and center. It reminds me more of a hoppy stout (e.g. Storm King, FIS) than a true black IPA (e.g. Wookie Jack). Maybe that's just me; maybe it's just my palate.

    http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/113859/?ba=Roguer
    3.86 / -0.8%

    I like it, but I expect that this malt/hop balance will only skew further in favor of the malts as it warms.

    So, of the three new SN IPAs, I think Snow Wit may have been my favorite, although I certainly like Blindfold quite a bit, as well. It's very close. Blindfold will make a better late night beer, while Snow Wit will make a better thirst quencher on a warm Summer day.

    Love to see the reviews above! I'm looking forward to cracking Tripel Karmeliet one of these days soon.

    Cheers, all!
     
    #10 Roguer, Mar 30, 2014
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  11. Ri0

    Ri0 Initiate (0) Jul 1, 2012 Wisconsin

    Good afternoon. I have been preoccupied with the nice weather and reading all the wonderful stories about WI basketball reaching the Final Four. It's been a fun weekend.

    Alpine Nelson is a terrific IPA. The hops are tropical and musty with some bitter grapefruit and pine. The malt backbone is clean and dry with the rye coming through. Highly recommend this unique take on the IPA.

    [​IMG]
     
    #11 Ri0, Mar 30, 2014
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  12. utopiajane

    utopiajane Grand Pooh-Bah (3,982) Jun 11, 2013 New York
    Pooh-Bah

    The black IPA is a bit elusive to me. Loved your review :grinning:
     
    #12 utopiajane, Mar 30, 2014
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  13. mattcrill

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

    #13 mattcrill, Mar 30, 2014
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  14. waratdenison

    waratdenison Aspirant (299) Sep 18, 2013 Illinois
    Trader

    Been a good day for new beers. Was traveling for work this week and picked up some beers I cant get in Chicago

    White Rajah - really nice, love the smell. My wife thought I was drinking juice at first.

    Hop JuJu - Really big hoppy beer.

    Not new but always worth mentioning Bourbon County Propriator always a great beer to drink.
     
    #14 waratdenison, Mar 30, 2014
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  15. Mikecap

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

    A rare siting on NBS of a beer from my home state! Cheers to that, Matt!
     
    #15 Mikecap, Mar 30, 2014
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  16. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Greetings fellow NBSers! I'd like to start with a shout out to all the folks helping with the search and recovery efforts in Oso Wa, which is about 45 minutes away. A special shout goes to all the hard working K-9 teams, both dogs and humans are pushing themselves to their limits. Cheers all!

    We had some hard rain this morning, but it's cleared off nicely here in my neck of the Fourth Corner. I watched the NASCAR race earlier, and am getting ready for the MLB opener in a while. Here's my first entry: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/859/110929/?ba=beertunes

    Since it's Opening Night, there is only one possible musical choice:
     
    #16 BBThunderbolt, Mar 30, 2014
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  17. Premo88

    Premo88 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,682) Jun 6, 2010 Texas
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Roguer --> next time you feel like a tripel, the Tripel Karmeliet should do you fine. It llived up to the hype. I'm glad I finally grabbed one (and I need to try that Sierra Nevada pack ... I always enjoy Sierra Nevada's stuff)

    a post Stewart-Haas victory celebration brew:

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    from Dallas, Texas ... a pale ale with a couple twists:

    [​IMG]

    some English malt and wheat ... a different twist but honestly, American hops overtake most brews they go in, and this one is more or less standard bitter-hop ale fare

    [​IMG]

    I love these labels. They're showing up on some of the DFW-area breweries, and they're cool but they're missing the most important thing: born-on dates.

    http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30949/112207/?ba=Premo88

    3.24/6.0% ABV

    it's bitter enough with enough IBUs to enter that border range between pale ale and IPA ... and like I say in the review, it's got too much of that American DIPA caramel thing that I'm not a big fan of. But all in all it's not bad, and I wonder if this brew isn't fantastic fresh out of the vat.

    Community Brewing Co.'s Vienna lager was really good and this isn't bad, so I'm going to keep trying their stuff.

    And Midnight says he's due a NBS appearance. He's saying "Cheers!"

    [​IMG]
     
    #17 Premo88, Mar 30, 2014
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  18. jwc215

    jwc215 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,443) Dec 6, 2005 Arizona
    Pooh-Bah

    #18 jwc215, Mar 30, 2014
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  19. NiceTaps

    NiceTaps Pooh-Bah (2,138) Nov 21, 2011 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah

    [​IMG]

    New American IPA Sunday!

    Greetings to the NBS gang from a soggy Jersey Shore. The weather this weekend can be reported in a word; Rain!
    Anyway, it's been a busy day that included some volunteer work this morning ( real volunteer work, not that court appointed community service stuff...:wink:), and a visit to a grieving friend whose Mom passed yesterday.

    Here's my new beer for today, it may even be the first Schlafly offering that I've had: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/583/52766/?ba=NiceTaps

    [​IMG]

    It goes good with Cheez-Its! Groovy.

    American IPA, American Flag, American roots music:


    All the Best , Everyone!:slight_smile:
     
    #19 NiceTaps, Mar 30, 2014
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  20. Roguer

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

    It's a four-fer New Hoppy Sunday! I'm trying out a DIPA provided by @beer-wheezy as a trade extra, and it is not disappointing!

    Short's Brew Superfluid

    [​IMG]

    Man, this is one juicy hop bomb! It reminds me of Hi-Res in that regard. It's almost too juicy, but it is very drinkable, and it makes it pretty unique. Plus, I get some starfruit and peaches on the back-end, which is a pretty unique finish for me from a beer.

    http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/9629/95198/?ba=Roguer
    4.19 / -0.7%

    Yep, outstanding is an appropriate term for this beer.

    Cheers, NBSers!
     
    #20 Roguer, Mar 30, 2014
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