New Beer Sunday (week 515)

There is only one word to describe the conditions outside here in SE MA today and that is crappy. A little snow last night gave way to half-hearted rain that was basically fog and drizzle by headin to church time. So football, cooking, beer.

Cooking Holy Mole Chili, a recipe from a friend who has won medals with this stuff. Unusual...no beef. Chorico and chorizo are the meats. Non-natives of this area probably don't know chorico...it is a spicy Portuguese pork sausage. Similar to the Mexican chorizo, but different flavors. Prep was onerous...much chopping and browning and deglazing. The good news, deglazing with Theobroma from our friends at Dogfish. You have to sample, right? Gotta know those flavors.

I used half a bottle that was 18 months old. Not much pepper, nicely sweet and chocolate flavors hanging in there. The paucity of pepper is fine...there is a ton of peppers in the recipe. The fresh bottle knocked my socks off in comparison. Pepper forward, laid back chocolate. Reminds me of the spicy Mexican hot chocolate drink. The beer isn't highly carbonated...neither bottle. Seems very smooth, but I wouldn't say creamy. I like this one a lot, but it falls in that category mentioned by @JackHorzempa ...I don't quite know what it is nor how to describe it. Sometimes that just leaves me muddled in my opinion but this beah heah I do like. Interesting that both beers tasted fine, but the flavors are completely different between aged and reasonably fresh.

 

Read post #1.
We are a bit different in that we give descriptors of the aromas and flavors of our beer. We want others to imagine what it would be like to drink the beer. It's really cool because many times the descriptions will have some of us go out and buy the beer to try.

 

A can of Revolution Brewing - Rosa, thanks to @Knapp85 for this one.



Pours a very clear pinkish red color with a nice fluffy pink/white head and lots of carbonation. Smells like: Hibiscus, melon, white grapes, and light floral. The taste is nothing short of "unique" with berries, hibiscus, pears, honeydew, light floral presence, with some tartness. Nice medium body with mellow carbonation, and a lingering mild berry sweetness. Rosa rates up there with one of the most unique beers I've experienced and definitely the last one of these for me. Beautiful color and glad to have experienced it, but no thanks!!

 

Grettings to you, New Year's Nonic Nabbers and Resolution Making Muggers, its time for my first NBS of '15. It's a confusing 44 degrees outside in NWNJ (the forecast said 61 today in the dead of winter). Did you miss my verbose, hyperbolic reviews and ample music pairings? Well, good news: I'll be doing more of the same here. Coming out of a lazy Sunday after a heady sermon this morning, and trying a new tavern in the area, I retired to my beer office and cracked open this gem...

Fuller’s Vintage 2014, bottle #136346

Poured forcefully into a Duvel snifter

Sight: Great Odin’s Raven, that’s a ruby red beer. When held up to the light, the burnished brown gives off dark cherry highlights and sits under a thick tan cushion (think J-Lo’s assets). Bubbles make their way to the top of the glass from down below. Lacing has not appeared, since I’m taking sips often.

Smell: Sweet malt and fig/raisin. I don’t get any hops in the aroma, but I’ve read that’s not at all uncommon from old ales. Sort of reminds me of an English barleywine.

Taste: Wow. Malty goodness, more fig and or raisin. Just a hint of hop bitterness on the finish. Sweetness greets you in the front, perhaps a bit of caramel or butterscotch. A hint of some sort of fruit from the yeast? After a few minutes in, I can better experience the drying effect of the hops. The back of the bottle states Fuller’s used three hop varieties: Goldings, Liberty, and Cascade. The first for bitterness, the second and third for zest. Well said.

Feel: Coating and oily. There’s a very slight fizz to it, so low levels of carbonation. Fine by me. I’d say a medium-plus body.

Overall: I truly enjoyed this, and the fact that it’s bottle-conditioned and will reach its peak in 3-4 years screams to me that I should grab one more, for that express purpose. Keep it up, Fuller’s, I doff my hat to you.

Up next? A piece that's aged well, like the Fuller's I'm going to buy another bottle of:

 

Awesome 'shroom picture.

 

He's (Beertunes) right, you know.

 

Exhibit A: Xocoveza.

 

I think I agree with your previous description of earthy for the most part. I find myself relying on "earthy" to describe an indistinct dirt-like quality (usually lightly drying); I have seen (and used) wet leaves, and seen (but not used) leather and dank, all of which I think are probably terms others would use for whatever I am tasting.

I have also used the term "meadow" which is even more obscure but it's something I use when the beer isn't quite floral, maybe had some green wood notes, but isn't really "dirty/earthy". Maybe a better term for this would be "herbal", although that term is broad, I think it could encompass any/all herbs that don't have their own distinct notes (i.e. dill, not that I get dill in any beer). Maybe I will have to make that switch in terms.

Also, I will be trying the same Sierra Nevada that started this conversation here shortly, so I can "verify" any earthy or paper for myself .

 

Look at this guy making an appearance in NBS!

 

Happy NBS to you all!
The pic above is an Italian take on an English Barleywine and the job was well done right down to the lack of carbonation and strong Port flavours.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1675/75692/?ba=Bitterbill

 

Now for something a bit different.

Funky Gold Mosaic reeks of sour rotten tropical fruit and some wet hay funk. A bit of lemon peel along with musty Brett.

I note flavors of dry white wine with some sweet tropical notes. Lemon peel and Brett to give it the right amount of funkiness. Somewhat of a flavored Berliner style.

 

Happy New Year's all, first NBS of new year. Warm day here in the nation's capital, although still quite damp. Might be a while after today before we get to head out without a jacket, judging from the forecast. Caps win this year's winter classic in an exciting way; UVa survives a scare (and bad 2nd half) to stay undefeated at #3 in nation (doubt that will last, especially in the ACC), and the NFL playoffs are off.

Only a couple of posts between my cracking this open:


I did get some citrus rind from the nose in this one early, but also some noble hops-like notes, but I also got a bit of fresh grass. I wouldn't use "earthy" for this beer, myself. I think the major hops flavors I get are citrus pith and grass, maybe a little melon in a warmer version of the beer, but I think the light malt comes through nice and crisp as well. The feel is actually kinda of light, but with a nice drying component. In _some_ respects (and at colder temps), it reminds me a bit of a nicely-hopped Czech Pilsner. Maybe I'm crazy.

 

This one's so new I had to add it to BA.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34447/152916/

 

TWO New Beers Sunday:



I like wheat beers when I'm in the mood, wheat as in hefewiezens, but these bock-wheat brews are FANTASTIC!!! I'm so in love with this style, and I definitely am enjoying this beer.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/72/224/?ba=Premo88

4.48 rating/ 3.2%+ rDev

It's a Belgian dubbel made by Germans. Seriously ... it's sweet, dark dried fruits (plum, dates, figs more than raisins, but there's a raisin note in there too) ... it's well carbonated and relatively light ... it hides the alcohol completely. Give me more!

I'm doing a taste test with this beer and Chimay Red or Rochefort 6 ... head-to-head. I've got to see how close they are because about the only thing I can detect that's just a bit off the abbey ales is a slight wheat sourness, big emphasis on the "slight."

On to playoff football ...

... Cheers!

 

Decided on a IPA to enjoy while watching the Bengals - Colts game. I bought a six of Wachusett 'Green Monsta' IPA up in Massachusetts recently. The name is an obvious referral to the Left Field Wall at Fenway Park. Poured from the bottle into an IPA appropriate glass, this brew has a thick, cream colored head, with nice lacing as the beer is quaffed. The body is a deep amber color. The aroma is quite enticing, reminding me of a walk in the hemlock ravines of the Berkshire mountains nearby. The first sip revealed a great balance between the citrus notes and bitterness of the hops, which are identified on the label as Cascade, Amarillo, & Centennial. The 6.1% abv is barely noticed. Overall a deeelicious west coast style IPA that I would be happy to drink again! Time for the Cowboy - Lion game!

 

It really was beautiful to see up close.

 

New Black Ale (Made in Michigan)

All things seem appropriate for the last day of Christmas Break. The kids let us sleep in. We went out for an awesome (albeit somewhat expensive) brunch. We came home to blowing snow and grey skies. After shoveling and hanging with the kiddos, it's time to relax with a new beer.

A few years back I did a yearlong string of NBS with Michigan beers. With a new year, I thought I might give it another run. Today's offering is a good one from Short's (I can always rely on them for something new). While I didn't get a ton of chai, it's still pretty solid.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/9629/112407/?ba=GRPunk

 

Happy New Marzen Sunday!

Went out for a nice hike, still plenty of snow on the ground, low 30s, cloudy. Saw this in the store, kinda thought I never had it, give it a shot. Not too bad, a slight attempt at the style.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28908/139026/?ba=Wasatch

Cheers!

 

You bet. The deep humus down their by the creek has always been so fresh smelling, affirming and full of life. There was once a goldfish pond close by that my Mom often took me to see, over 50 years ago, and it smells the same if not better. It is now overgrown with Wisteria and Time. I remember the place so well because I told my Mom that she was like a sister and she never forgot that. I was probably 9 or so.