New Beer Sunday (week 513)

I had my beer yesterday, but it seems like forever that I've gotten in on a NBS thread, so I had to cheat to get in. I had New Belgium's Salted Belgian Chocolate Stout. Unfortunately, it's not as good as it sounds.

Bottle popped open for a family Christmas party. I wasn't expecting to be blown away, but I expected better than this.

I'll just say that this beer is a disappointment. "Salted Belgian Chocolate" is nothing but a misnomer ... a phrase used to increase sales. Well, it suckered me in, but the truth is, there's nothing salty about this beer. It really just tastes like an average, pretty standard, "solid" stout. I actually feel almost as if it's a Porter -- it's a tad on the thin side for the ABV and style with a bit of a smokey flavor. There's some decent chocolate in there and the alcohol is hidden very well, but it's just a forgettable beer. I've rated it overall as "good", but that's kind of generous. I guess I'm mostly let down because the name makes it sound unique, and in a bomber, I expected something special ... but it isn't. I'd tell you to pass on this one, it's not nearly as exciting as the name may lead you to believe.

3.55/5 (-4.8%)

I think I'm gonna open my Short's Aphasia right now and report back again.

Cheers, BA!

 

SUNDAY HEADLINE!

"NEW BEER SUNDAY # 513 & WBAYDN #792
CROSS THE STREAMS ON THE FIRST ANNUAL
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE DARK!"




Final tallies for the most "Likes" in their FIRST post will stop at noon tomorrow.

Winners will be announced later Monday evening when I humbly interrupt WBAYDN #793. Winners, among others, will be tagged in this post.

Prizes will be sent out ASAP anywhere on the planet with a mailing address.

Cheers!

 

Hello all!

My new beer (and brewery) for the day is an imperial stout from To Ol called Goliat. This is a huge, tasty, chewy, coffee stout, lots of roasted malt and java on the nose and taste. Quite enjoyable!

Music for the day is JT's Songs from the Wood

Hey, where's the thread for Christmas beer lineup this year?!

 

No cheating with this one! Drinking it now.

Short's Aphasia

Bottled 12/8/14 and poured 12/21/14 into an over-sized Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass (presumably 20 or 22oz glass). I had the BBA'd variety at HopCat Detroit's opening, so I figured I'd give this a try too.

Appearance: A hazy mahogany/ruby brown color with half a finger of a sand colored head. Nice color to this beer, with pretty decent lacing as well. (4/5)

Smell: Like others I've had in the style, it smells sort of like a damp trunk with some chocolate at the bottom -- how that equates to being a good thing, I'm not sure. There are also some overly ripened dark fruits, and a sort of gritty earth/dirt smell, too. (4/5)

Taste/feel: It's probably just me, but this actually has a pretty mild flavor. There are some dark fruits and a little sweetness initially, with a little "chocolate trunk" through the middle. The finish has the earthiness I got in the aroma, with a lingering bit of alcohol warmth on my tongue. I only really notice it on burps, but that's when I get a little bit of hoppiness that was (understandably) missing from the BBA'd version of Aphasia. The order of what I smelled translated to how I tasted things with this beer. That seems strange to me. The feel is really nice for Aphasia -- maybe moderately thick, but with a subtle prickling carbonation. (4/5, 4/5)

I was a little underwhelmed with this beer at first, but sipping on it as it warmed up lead me to giving it straight 4's. As is the case with most beers, the BBA'd version of Aphasia is better than the regular. The thing is, this is much cheaper, and still very enjoyable. Surprise, surprise -- another great one from Short's.

4/5 (-2% rDev)

Happy Sunday, BA.

 

I have made a deal with the devil...

...my soul for a new beer every Sunday forever. A good deal except they will be just have to be consumed a little above the recommended serving temperatures.

I will admit the home brewer in me was seduced by the abv. I did not expect that it could be hidden, but hoped it would not be center stage.

 

I am gonna go English today. From a UK brewery that's just over 2 years old. Curious that THAT brewery found its way to the not so notable beer distro state of Wyoming but it is what it is, eh? Gotta finish my excellent bottle of Avery Tweak first.​

 

What she said. Many of us have stretched the definition of Sunday!

 

I was looking for something dark today. Something filthy black, like the color of dirty motor oil. Something as black as coal. Enter: Pothole Filler Stout from Howe Sound Brewing. This black beauty is brewed with black strap molasses, and has 9% ABV. I believe I already described the look, although it's worth noting that the mocha colored head leaves a beautiful foamy lace picture on the glass not unlike a world map.

The nose is inky, oily, and leaves a faint aroma of sweet molasses in your brain. The brew tastes equally as rich, with those trademark imperial stout notes dancing on your tongue: dark roasted malts, bitter burnt coffee grounds, black licorice, and molasses.

Pot holes, coal miner nutcrackers, imperial stouts. The only thing else to darken my day will be a Chiefs loss to the Steelers. Cheers NBSers!

 

On a side note, I have gone vapor vs smoking cigarettes. Better for me and better for my drinking beers as the flavours of the beers are not adversely affected like with the ciggies. Cheers to me.

 

Howdy, all!

I get the sense this 'day of the dark' is supposed to be celebrated with a dark beer.


Well that works out nicely.

Never gotten around to trying this before. But it's holiday time, and my wife is down for a big beer at noon, and all feels right with the world. =]

Great!

It's sweet, toeing the line, but falling just on the right side of it. Some nice coffee in the 'first taste', mingling with chocolate; smooth velvety follow-through, mildly bitter, and consummate 'stout roast' flavours emerge. It's well put-together, with more chocolate coming through as it warms. A nice 'dessert beer'. What providence those clementines are on hand.

Looking forward to watching all of your New Sunday Beers roll in on New Beer Sunday. Cheers!

 

"I thought you said crossing the streams was bad..."

"Not necessarily there is a distinct possibility we might survive.."

 

Okay I'm finally going to try a good Aussie beer. I know they exist in abundance but here in the UK we only get the dregs...
So tonight I'm sampling Coopers, as I'm determined to drink a beer from every nation on earth over the next year.. Tall order but I'm giving it a go..

So today

3.81/5 rDev +20.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Appearance - Light slightly hazy amber in colour with a fizzy foam head that dies almost instantly to a heavy lace cover. Mild fizzy CO2 bubbles in the glass throughout.

Smell - Light floral tones and light malty sweetness and light hops. The overall aroma is of sweet water and biscuit.

Taste - Lightly burnt and malty flavour of light caramel biscuit with some lightly bitter hop nip in the follow through that makes this very well balanced and tasty.

MF - Pretty good body to this one, it has a fizzy tingle as you drink from all that CO2. There is also a light linger but it is long lived.

Overall - Well balanced in the flavour but off style in some of the categories having said that it is still very drinkable and very tasty.

Guid forder... and happy day of the Dark

 

LOL

 

Oh feck yes. Coopers brews some fine beers, I think their Best Extra Stout is their best. Cheers!

 

I just found this at Walmart...... not too bad.