New Beer Sunday (week 482)

Great to see you're carrying on the NBS thread Maria!

 

@utopiajane , Will you be trying a new beer yourself today?

 

Maria:
Appreciate the addition of some "female perspective" to this highly male-oriented website!

 

I'll add something in a bit. I'm laughing somewhat at the Wegmans comment, because when I first moved to where I live now, I walked through my local grocer (Kroger), and thought, "Hey, this is a decent beer selection" and now, several years later, I walk in there and mutter, "Why can't they get anything in here, it's just the same old stuff." I'd tried everything I'd wanted to try after a few months.

I've got New Belgium's Summer Helles sitting in the fridge, haven't had that yet, so that's probably what I'll add.

 

Let me tell you about a new beer. Lakefront's Johnson IIPA. What is so great about an IIPA? This is Lakefront's first IIPA in their 26 year existence! They brew many Lagers and a solid IPA among other good offerings.

This one is exceptional since the recipe for Johnson Double India Pale Ale features six different hops: Galaxy, Mosaic, Citra, Simcoe, Centennial and a new variety from New Zealand called Rakau, which has apricot and pine notes. It is so juicy and sweet up front with mango, apricot, and passion fruit. There is a good chewy malt caramel middle and it ends with a piney and grapefruit bitter finish. Just a terrific IIPA with flavors I truly enjoy.

Only released a few weeks ago, the warehouse is already out of this beer. It went quickly, and I have been making some noise on social media for LFB to add this one as a seasonal to its rotation. They did it with a limited barleywine that you can now buy in 4 packs, so my hope is that this will follow.

 

This a bit of a departure from what I normally drink. This is an extra pale lager, but aggressively hopped to give it some bitterness. It is quite light in color. The taste is dry and crisp with hints of lemon and lime (almost like Sprite, as weird as that may sound). It left the palate clean and refreshed. The premise of this beer is that they make it when they are able to obtain a hop variety that they don't normally get. There is a place on the label for the hop variety used but it was blank . This would be a great summer beer as overall it is light and refreshing, yet full of flavor. My wife brought this back from Boston with her a few weeks ago.

 

They system is down!! Ergo, we go outside and mow the lawn!

Well what's up for our hero today? Everyday almost is like a new beer Sunday! Maybe even more than one! Lots of goodies to choose from, but what fits the bill? And where for did thouzed Karma go and change?

It has been some strange wet weather, hoping this will make my herbs, and tomatoes grow. I think my rosemary is a casualty, but we'll see. Thinking of the hop vine soon.. too... mmm goes in the cucumber patch!!

Just back in for the mow, and this isn't quite the lawnmower beer but it worked for some other reasons I'll explain later...

What's our New Beer Sunday?

Grassroots Arctic Soirée - Grassroots Brewing

Review here or just read below: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23205/105157/?ba=smakawhat


Grassroots Brewing - Arctic Soirée by imbibehour, on Flickr

look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5 | Final score 3.69

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass. Good simple pop off the cork.

Out of the bottle comes out practically transparent. The body fills with barely any head production but comes off as a perfect looking color of red grapefruit juice. Head is fleeting barely a finger before it dissolves into a simple faint white collar and thin puck on top. There's very little noticeable carbonation, some comes up. Looks like a classic lambic.

Once again the body color seems to switch the brain in the same direction. Fruited grapefruit, and other citrus dominate the nose. Some floral notes quite a bit as well which is a nice compliment. Very zesty citrus oil smelling as well.

Palate comes with a big of jarring carbonation. Huge mineral notes of Perrier like water that take away much of the fruit qualities hidden on the nose. Lots of palate sting, and a bit wet and watery for oak aging as well. Subsequent notes of fruit come out with more sips as the carbonation levels get me more customized to it. Fleeting citrus finish. Strange hint of brett on this which comes out more earthy and dirty than dry and hot.

Overall it's not that bad, but it comes off more as citrus flavored soda water a bit too much, and not much hint of saision/brett quality. Hard to picture this one as barrel aged too, but it certainly feels like a nice light summer drink. Good attempt, but there is much potential here and room for improvement.

---

Well finished mowing and this is not quite the lawnmower beer, but it feels like a perfect summer light quencher. It hasn't been to hot, but I am boiling so it feels real good right now. Also I got back from the Farmer's market today and of course the wife had to get up early for these:


Farmer's Market Strawberries by imbibehour, on Flickr

2 pints of strawberries! I jokingly said, it's like getting up early to go for the seasonal beer release right?! Like you are up for that killer strawberry ale right! Sure enough... we were there right when it opened and people in line... buying them.

By the way I am not the biggest strawberry nut, but these are VERY good, nice sweet and tartness to them. Actually these pair VERY nicely with the beer and it's light bodied citrus and fruit floral qualities. Even better I am having some camembert and dome soft cheese with the rustic Italian bread... ah now this is how you make a beer taste better.

Morels and pea shoots, with a side of rib eye are on the horizon for dinner. Wife saw them at the market and I immediately thought of @cavedave , so I said yeah ok we'll grab some. Looks like good things on the horizon, and always more good beer and food to come. Even better..

Tomorrow is BREW DAY!!

Cheers!

 

Sunny springtime delight on the long island off the coast of the new York...

Prairie Artisan Ales Puncheon Farmhouse Ale Fermented in Oak Barrels

Real nice saison - pale lemon pith citrus, dry oaky wood, rustic with hints of flowers and herbs.


"Skin Up Pin Up" off the Spawn soundtrack, featuring Mansun and 808 State

Cheers, NBS!

 

Same here, not available in my market but my brother went to the dells yesterday and grabbed me a couple of four packs, told him he could try one and he came back with 6.... He must have really liked the first one!

Really tropical and great, I may have rated it lower then many other DIPAs but it is in my top 5 I have just been lowering my scoring as of late, right up there with NG IIPA, Abrasive, TG Sosus and Lagunitas Maximus for me!

Lakefront My Turn Johnson DIPA
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/741/119227/?ba=nickapalooza86 Really great beer, get it if you can, no idea if it will ever be back but they should make this year round!

Oskar Blues G'Knight
Then sampling my second can out of the 4 pack I got of Oskar Blues G'Knight, which was another winner! If it were not for the price it would be a staple in my fridge! Nice blend of Hops and malt!
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2681/8919/?ba=nickapalooza86

 

A couple beers -- Smells Like a Safety Meeting by Dark Horse, and Brontide by Stillwater.

Smells Like a Safety Meeting by Dark Horse

Bottled 4-29-14 and poured just 19 days later 5-18-14. This is one of the fresher IPAs I've had for awhile, so I'm looking forward to this. $2.49 single poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint.

Appearance: Pours a burnt orange color with a moderate haze. Off-white creamy/and soapy head that's about half a finger in height. I like the color on this. There's also a thin wall of lacing throughout the first half of the glass.

Smell: Oh man, love that citrus. It's citrusy with loads of tropical fruit aromas. Juicy as hell and sweet. Definitely a pretty big IPA. I'm a good boy (or a no-life?) who hasn't smelled weed before, so I don't know about that, but all I do know is that this smells great.

Taste/feel: The very definition of bittersweet. There's an intense bitterness one moment, but then a rush of malty sweetness with the tropical fruit hop flavors. A Fruity Pebbles sort of flavor in there as well, particularly when it gets a little warmer. The finish is really dry and slightly bitter. I really love the mouthwatering initial sweetness of this beer followed immediately by that big IPA bitterness I'd expect. For some reason it comes into the mouth a little on the thin side (...ahem), but the feel overall is medium in texture and low-to-maybe-medium in carbonation.

SLASM is a very good beer, plain and simple. There's a great, significant tropical fruity hop presence that I love, a solid, sweet malt flavor, and a nice bitterness. As it warms just a bit, it becomes more sweet than bitter, and becomes even more drinkable. This is listed as a standard IPA, but with its significant malt profile (and just the color of the beer, even), I'd label this an Imperial IPA, personally. Regardless of that, it's a beer any hop fan should seek out.

This beer comes together in a huge way after about 10-15 minutes out of the fridge. One of my very favorite beers. I wasn't nearly this impressed when I first poured it, but wow.

4.43/5 rDev +10.2%

Brontide by Stillwater

$2.49 single can purchased at Fairway Sav-Mor in Eastpointe, Michigan. Poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint. 3/20/14 bottling date on the bottom of the can, so about two months ago.

Appearance: Black with some ruby coming through when held to the light. Looks to be filtered and crystal clear. Soapy brown head that's about a finger high.

Smell: Like an old trunk, predominantly, with some roast and chocolate undertones. There's definitely an unmistakable Saison funk on the nose here. There's also a faint amount of banana, with nuttiness? I don't know, the more I smell, the more I get.

Taste/feel: Hm. Well, that's pretty good. Banana, roast, chocolate, slight nuttiness. Chalky sort of finish on this with a porter-like roast aftertaste. Slight tang, probably from the yeast. The feel is about middle of the road. A slightly prickly carbonation with a moderate texture.

Not a bad beer at all. My first from Stillwater, and I enjoyed it. $2.49 for a single though? That's a bit much, but this is a very nice and drinkable dark Saison. Pretty tasty.

3.64/5 rDev +2.8%

 

New Oatmeal Cream Stout with Vanilla Bean Sunday

Greetings NBSer's,
And special "hi" and thanks to our hostess this Sunday, UtopiaJane.
Can I bitch for just one moment? I love living in MN, but it took us until the middle of May to have a glorious day (all day, not just part of a day) in the 70's. I can't believe how much my mood is elevated just by sun and warmth, but man do we have to wait for it here. It's been over 6 long months to get here. They say patience is a virtue, but being tested like this is hard.
Okay, enough of that. Good to have that off my chest.
Lots of time outside this a.m. getting outside work done and now I've earned this soft and light stout.
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16333/88933/?ba=garymuchow

No music addition today from me, but I like Wooden Ships for a Sunday afternoon selection. (Jefferson Airplane also does a nice version with some very tasty guitar work by Jorma).
Best to all this week.

 

Greetings fellow NBSers! A warm, sunny late late spring day here in the Fourth Corner of America. Congratulations are in order to Utopiajane and Cavedave for taking the helm here on the USS NBS! I didn't get to participate due to a road trip to watch the Mariners lose an ugly game to the Devil Rays, then I hit a couple breweries, and went to an Iron Brewer competition at a great bar, Beveridge Place Pub.

My first entry of the day is from a small brewery in Ferndale, WA, Menace Brewing. They also own the fun little bar where I'm sitting right now, The Local. http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/32830/121514/?ba=beertunes