New Beer Sunday (week 497)

I really dug Hoptologist. Simtra was good but the whole 11%DIPA/TrIPA didn't go well for me. But that raw hop flavor on Hoptologist was banging!

 

Joe Hill or Joe Bean?

 

The Hoptologist and Citra Pale were my faves...

 

Rockmill (collaboration with Seven Sons) Urban Cowboy

I actually had this in the wee hours of NBS as I'm working evenings this werekend so cracked this when I got home just after midnite. Overall an average "Belgian stout". A bit different (more yeasty, less bitter) than most stouts. Not sure I'd get it again... but it's a one-time limited offering so I doubt I'd have that chance. It does make me want to check out Seven Sons the next time I'm in Columbus.

That being said this beer made me question the whole 'limited edition' thing that's becoming, it seems, more and more common. Only 1500 bottles of this were made. On one hand I feel lucky to have gotten one, but also feel bad at most 1500 people will be able to try this. Unlike many I don't care if I don't get to try something super limited but seeing that on the bottle just made me give the whole practice some thought. Don't really know where I'm going with this, just a little stream of consciousness writing.

 

Just finished my third new one for today. Man do I miss drinking lol. Not my favorite taste like a bud kinger to me, maybe my taste buds are fading. Well on to the next one. And I am trying two of each NB today just to be sure (and it's been awhile)

 

...ereht did uoy tahw ees I
But what is the gum you like? I NEED TO BE AHEAD OF STYLE!

 

Back with my 3rd (and last) new beer of the day.

Earlier today on the NW Forum there was a thread about this beer that made me wonder if I would like it.

Turns out I do:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16077/123651/?ba=woemad

Predominantly citrusy IPA, but it's no fruit cocktail that's been fermented into a tooth-shattering can of pruno. Balanced quite nicely while giving hop heads what they want

 

That's a great pic, but how was it?

 

In to my fourth new beer today, well done. New holland is new to us here in CT ( about a month now). Every beer I've tried so far has been good. Well balanced between the pumpkin and the ale not overwhelming. 4/5

 

New Polish Sunday

I wish I had a polish sausage. I'm really hungry right now.
AAAnyway... Weather is largely overcast, but dry here on the great Salish Sea. The rain yesterday morning threatened to chase off one of my dearest HS friends' wedding ceremony, but by the time she and her (now) husband were standing under a stunning flower display, the sun was out in full force and the deep blue sky was only just splashed with the occasional cotton-ball puff of white. Beautiful display (having grown up on the island, the idea of holding a wedding indoors seems... odd and unnatural to me. I only just now, typing this out, realized that that is probably a minority opinion), great people, and amazing food (many strong cooks in her family... and I'm always glad that the guy who does the smoked salmon is a good friend of mine/my family's. Social gatherings give me anxiety, and it's always good to be able to just step out back and help out with the massive grill/smoker for a bit before delving back into the morass of humanity decorating the legion hall.

Todays new brew is a style I've never had, but one I've been intensely curious about ever since reading a piece on it on this very website some months(?) ago. I've also never had anything from 3Floyds. A disappointing state of affairs, considering I expected to be able to get ahold of them when I was living just a couple of hours away in Missouri. No such luck. Though this is not them specifically, I'm still going to count it...
The first thing that jumped out at me was just how dark it was. For some reason, I had it in my mind that it was a much lighter coloured style (in my mind, that came from the article/thread I mention above, though I don't feel like looking it up to see if it's there or if I made it up). This was more the colour of coke (classic, not schedule II, get your mind out of the gutter). It presented with a massive, SOLID head and good retention and lacing. Nose was crisp with a smidgen of sweet milk and chocolate, and a little bit smokey and burnt, but these came out in spades once it hit my tongue. Charcoal, ash, smoke, but tied up neatly with a crisp fresh finish and that elusive suggestion of sweetness that never really manifests. Less bitter than acrid, like cold pressed coffee. Feels like it should be served in flagons on a long wooden table in a boisterous stone room, smoke from the fires that ward off the nights chill.


Busdriver has always, to me, been a dude with a decent amount of talent, and undeniable creativity who I could respect, but that I never really enjoyed listening to the end product. This video's dope, though. This week it was probably going to be either this or something from Dr. Octagon, and Kool Keith tends to be a little more... NSFW, so I figured this was a safer bet.

 

Hi, NBS participants:

Nice and smooth, slightly dry, enjoyed sipping it slowly while it rained outside. Actually had this for breakfast but just got to the internet.

 

New Belgian-Style Stout Sunday

Happy NBS everyone! For my first new brew of the day, I tried Brooklyn Brewery Cuvée Noire: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45/121014/?ba=bluejacket74



This was a good Belgian Style Stout/Belgian Strong Dark Ale, whatever style of beer you want to call it, I liked it. This one was bourbon barrel aged, so I think it was the first barrel aged Belgian Style Stout I've tried. I have another similar styled brew coming up (but not barrel aged), and I'll make sure to post it on here later. Cheers!

 

I liked this one a lot too, but I thought the Seventh Son brewed version was better. There were slight differences between the batches brewed at each brewery, and I thought the Seventh Son one was more of a traditional stout compared to the more Belgian Styled Rockmill one. They were both good!

 

First new beer for today, Troegs Hop Knife, http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/694/127866/?ba=larryi86. Really like this IPA, can't what to pick up more!

12 oz bottle, dated 8/14/14, poured into a tulip

A- A clear golden amber with a two finger white head 4.25

S- Hints of tropical fruits, citrus, pine, resin, caramel malts, nice balance. 4.4

T- Citrus, some tropical fruits, pine, resin, earth bitterness, caramel malts, again very nice balance. 4.4

M- Smooth, medium body, crisp. 4.25

O- A very nice IPA and very east to drink. Worth checking out if you enjoy IPAs, definitely will be picking more up soon! 4.3
Final score 4.36

 

I love em too, they're great!

 

Greeting NBS'ers! I hope that everyone is having a marvelous pre Labor Day... um day.
So I tried FW's Double Jack shortly after arriving here in AZ and decided that I needed to try Union Jack as well instead of just heading straight for the big names I could never get before the move. So here it is.

A solid IPA, refreshing with a nice bite to it. But with just enough malt to keep the bite from dominating too much. Went well with our early dinner.

Eggplant Parmesan with a from scratch tomato sauce.

While it turned out quite well the union Jack may not have been the best IPA to use as a base. The bitterness lingered and gave just the slightest aftertaste. Something sweeter next time I think. Now for a tune for the rest of you to cook to.