New Beer Sunday (week 516)

Bainbridge Island, eh? Had any beers from Silver City yet? I'm particularly fond of Fat (formerly Fat Bastard until someone's lawyers got involved) and Whoop Pass, and I got a bourbon barrel aged winter seasonal from my Bro' this Xmas that will get opened when the 'hawks season ends or they win the Super Bowl.

 

I was sitting next to someone where I was drinking last night who could have been the inspiration for this beer's name.

 

Good.. Late afternoon NBS'ers..

Today has been a great day. Much warmer it seems, but with storms on the horizon. Kiddos and I enjoyed a lazy football sunday, and cleaned up the house. They tried to unclean it!

Reached into the fridge for a beer today that was new, and one I've wanted to drink for a while. While I would have enjoyed to share it, I don't think I'll have that chance any time soon, and didn't want to wait, so.. glutton I will be.

2012 vintage Cigar City Bourbon Barrel Big Sound.. a scotch ale.

Pours a dark, crisp and clear brown, almost black at the core with a minimal head, but a nice ring of lacing around the glass.

Nose is full of vanilla, burnt sugars, coconut, pecan pie, dark fruits and some tannic roasted/oak notes.

Taste is.. smooth. First thing that comes to my mind. It's smooth, it's silky. Dark fruits first, soaked in a vanilla laden booze. Very caramel like, creme brulee even. The finish is great.. TONS of vanilla and the ever loved coconut notes from the barrel. Some spice and oak from the barrel as well, and there's a warm, but inviting hot booze finish on the beer. Has a sweet finish to it, almost to the point of being.. maybe more sweet than I care for.

Mouthfeel is like above.. it's smooth. Carbonation is low, and to style. Beer is so smooth it appears thin, but utimately has a great medium body to it, enough to keep it from getting too cloyingly sweet.

Overall, I really love this beer. Scotch ales are a favorite of mine, and any barrel treatment is an instant want for me. I haven't had it fresh, so I can't comment on how it changed since it was bottled in 2012, but with some good age on it, it's a fine beer.

 

Happy NBS! Picked up quick overtime at work this AM, but was able to leave at 3pm for a change! Happy to try Trillium Double Dry Hopped Melcher St. IPA. First, can't be happier that Trillium is back open. Secondly, the IPAs created in that brewery will give Heady a run. Thirdly(?) This DDH IPA is 14 days from bottling and super fresh. Pours golden color with good white head that fades in my Sam Adam IPA glass. The smell is all fresh dank Citrus hops. The taste is the smell +++ which I find hard in a beer (how often do you smell coffee and taste acidity?) and a sign of a great beer! Overall, Im glad I picked up 3 bottles as these are going, going, gone...
PS-I love local beer, PM me if you would like some Trillium (or JA, NightShift) in exchange for your local beer...Just Sayin
CHEERS NBS'ers!

 

What's up NBS players. Decent break in the frigid cold with some decent sunshine here on the island. Had a god damn wild turkey out by the bird feeders this morning. Getting shit done around the house and watching the games all day.

My new beer for today is another from Two Roads brewing. Road 2 Ruin, their double ipa with a decent bottling date of 12/09/14. The pour is pretty one. Golden amber, nice clarity, and a fluffy head. The nose is on the subtle side and I get mostly sugary hops. Hoppy and smooth on the initial taste. Plenty of subtle notes of citrus and pine and a decent amount of malts which really give it a sweet tone. Slightly bitter on the finish but pretty smooth and not much of a bite despite the labels claim. Nothing crazy but a solid average double and I think the 85-87 beer rating is spot on,

 

New Ancient Malt Liquor Sunday!

Yeah this is the brew I'm talking about.



Thank you @gillagorilla I've never tasted Midas Touch before and he gives me one! Well without further interruptions this is what I think about this brew!

First off this brew is a few Months old. Never really found the time to drink this, so why not on NBS. This brew pours Gold like it's Namesake. Not much head but that's because I tilt my glass at 35 degrees, cause I'm a boss! Lots of floaties but I'm not judging. Little alcohol legs are present that seem to coat around the glass. Pretty to look at but how does she smell? This smells like a a craft version of Malt Liquor! Sweet grains hit the front of the nostrils with honey graham in the background. Some fruit presence that just gives hints to you. Yeah, it's like a really solid Malt Liquor. The flavor first hits the palate with grape fruitiness then follows with a rush of grains and honey. There's a mild hint of floral in the flavor, I wish it was more pronounced. That part I really enjoy. This finishes semi-dry with slight bitterness. Very interesting and enjoyable. The feel on this brew is medium-light with active Carbonation.

Overall: This isn't really a special brew. What I like the most is that there's a minimum alcohol heat to this brew that makes it Devilish. You could get Hammered Smashed Face with this brew. It's interesting with the ingredients yet not really leaving new paths. Still enjoyable and drinkable considering it's hefty ABV. All in all this brew is Worthy.

Grade: B+
Musical Narration:



Cheers my fellow New Beer Sunday Crew!

 

New Weisse Sunday

Hey NBSers,

The second week of 2015 finds the High Desert cold and clear, with lots to anticipate. Starting to plan for COBW 2015, the beginnings of a hop cartel in Central Oregon are taking shape thanks to @milesmayhem 's initiative, and it won't be long before the first visit of the year from Washington friends (having a ski resort next to our beer-drinking town doesn't hurt). Being a fairly recent transplant to this beautiful area, any chance to host visitors means an excuse to research cool places to go and new things to try.

Today's new beer comes from a trade with @distantmantra. Despite all the awesome beer in Bend and Oregon in general, a few breweries still make me homesick for Washington, and Fremont is at the top of that list. Simple beers with nowhere for flaws to hide, complex big beers with adjuncts and barrel aging, this brewery knocks them all out of the park. Can they play the berliner game as well as my Oregon favorites like 10 Barrel and de Garde?

Sour Weisse by Fremont Brewing of Seattle, WA.



I have a memory from two years ago, walking in the snow to escape a little cabin fever and deciding to stop at a watering hole. De Garde's Bu Weisse was on tap, and though it didn't seem like a snowy day beer, their beer was/is rare enough in these parts that I didn't want to pass up the opportunity. Instead of the traditional dark and boozy to warm one's belly, light and tart matched the bright snow and bite from the cold to offer a different experience suggesting berliners weren't just for summer thirst quenching. I don't always feel like a big beer, but having a flavorful 4% beer style to enjoy in hot or cold is like found money.

This particular beer pours a hazy lemon yellow with a little bit of chartreuse around the edges when held to the light. Watching the carbonation dance in combination with the haze produces a chaotic tornado-like effect. A meringue one finger head appears and quickly exits stage left, with only a shadow of itself lingering. Legs reveal minimal residual sugars. The aroma is all tart wheat. The taste delivers the same, and rates low on the pucker scale. The tartness pulls back quickly after the initial hit, and the rest of the ride is soft wheat prickled by carbonation in the middle of the tongue and a little residual tart zing on the sides. A retronasal hint of floral honey. The mouthfeel is soft and rounded like cumulus clouds, which sounds strange in a beer with a sharp, tart flavor, but there you have it. In addition to raw wheat and Thomas Fawcett wheat, Fremont threw in some rolled oats too, which probably helps to explain that fluffy element (thanks to @Texwild for including the grain and hops info on their labels, because education matters). The finish is dry, and I could not detect any hop presence. Fantastic execution of the style, 4.25/5.

 

For anyone who loves any sport, to have witnessed the Chancellor's performance was pure beauty. The guy has to be the best athlete I've seen , maybe ever. Michael Jordan could get to that place, but vaulting over the line twice in a row is truly unbelievable! Go Seahawks!

 

I love Coconut notes from the barrel too. One of the reason I loved Sucaba and earlier batches of Insanity!

 

I didn't even know this was a thing. Fremont continues their march toward being a certified walez brewery, er, I mean, MOVE ALONG, NOTHING TO SEE HERE!

 

I usually like Troeg's stuff. This was a big disappointment. Way too sweet for me. Not a fan at all.

 

Yes! Even the ones that are a bit watery yet the nuances just slam your taste buds!

 

That's why I love Calypso hops, that fresh Pear Meat flavor is outrageous!

 

Ladies and gentlemen, my first post for NBS!

Currently watching the Colts vs Broncos game with @Smaxy and sharing this guy! I've been waiting some time to open this guy. Actually, for a while it was at my parents house in California. I figured I'd leave it out there so I would be forced to age it . I ended up bringing it back over Christmas and sure enough I haven't been home two weeks and I'm opening it.

I'm pretty impressed. I was nervous about the pomegranate and cranberry flavors, but they have been pretty mellowed (I assume) over the past 7 months or so. It says 50% aged in bourbon barrels, but I'm surprised its not more. The barrel character on the nose is pretty pronounced. Not as much in the taste. Still retains that classic Black Butte feel; somewhat thin, but a great roasted, slightly chocolate-y taste. Overall, solid beer.

Fun facts: I'm not sure if you can tell from this picture but I accidentally poured a ton of sediment in my glass (the one on the left)! Oh well. It never killed anyone. Also, when @Smaxy and I did our Vermont trip and bought these glasses at Hill Farmstead. When we bought them, the guy turned to my friend and said "Does that glass look ok?". And my friend looked at it, noticed a little nick in the glass, so the guy got him another one. We assumed that the new one was fine, but when we got home, we noticed it was slanted to the side. You can kind of tell in the picture. My buddy is kinda bummed, but I insist its got character!



Enjoy your last day before the week fellas!

 

Well, if you like a beer that slams taste buds with nuance, then you'll love Deep Six!

 

Happy new beer Sunday to everyone. My first NBS post. Weather here in Denver is cloudy and cool with slight drizzle starting to happen. My new beer for today is tango delta tangerine ipa from horny goat brewing. Drinking from the can because that what I do doing football. Nose is straight citrus juice. Almost no hops present but then the taste is a very pleasant mix of orange and tangerine rind with hop notes though out the middle of the mouth. Finish is clean and sweet and very dry for being brewed with juice. Overall I am impressed. Cheers

 

New Barleywine Sunday

Afternoon, NBSers. It was a long week of work for me and my wife, and we're both looking at another long week starting tomorrow. So we've been enjoying a relaxing weekend at home, cooking, baking bread, and working on our relatively new house. It seemed like a perfect time for something nice from the cellar:



Kuhnhenn's 2014 Bourbon Barrel Aged Barley Wine Ale

This is about as good as a BA English barleywine gets (though it didn't unseat what I think is the king of the style, Mother of All Storms).

BBBW pours clearer and thinner-looking than I was expecting, with absolutely no head. Aromas are fantastic: old-smelling wood; ripe cherries, dates, and raisins; a little bit of vanilla; and a nice touch of straight alcohol.

But the taste is where this one heads to another dimension: an incredible blend of wood, alcohol, red fruits, and butterscotch. Everything the nose promised, and more. Mouthfeel is surprisingly light and on the thinner, vinous side. Essentially no carb.

A world-class English barleywine, and a great way to wind down the weekend. Loved the strong wood presence, the slick mouthfeel, and everything about the way it tastes.

Cheers,
Mike

 

The coconut flavor from a barrel is the reason I enjoy BA beers.. Backwoods Bastard has tons of it fresh, hence why I'm not fond of it aged, as it drops off faster in that beer. BA Narwhal was loaded FULL of the coconut notes from the barrel, probably my favorite.

Have never had a Sucaba, so thanks for the heads up, I should seek it out!

 

New Imperial Stout Sunday

DuClaw Black Jack



Appearance: Pours a pitch black color. The head is two fingers high, and tan in shade. Retention is okay, but the nice texture and excellent lacing left on my glass redeems its aesthetic appeal. (3.75)

Smell: Big roast here, exactly what I like in an imperial stout. Beneath the roasted coffee goodness lie notes of dry chocolate, brown sugar, and mild hoppiness. It isn't very deep, but it makes the most of its few notes extremely well. (3.75)

Taste: There's a good hoppiness here - not up to Storm King standards (obviously), but the opening flavors of mint and pine really do a good job of counteracting the chocolaty, roasty mid-taste. And is this one ever chocolaty. Licorice stays in the background throughout, thankfully never overpowering the faintly sweet finish. I'm even getting some smoky touches. This features a good mix of boldness and balance, not to mention it's easy to drink. (3.75)

Mouthfeel: For an imperial stout, this is very light - even detrimentally so. Still, it's crisp, dry finishing, and almost refreshing (!) This does accrue sweetness on the palate, however. Carbonation isn't strong, but it helps the beer go down more easily. (3.5)

Overall: DuClaw doesn't always make good beer...thankfully, this is one of their better brews. This is an imperial stout designed for drinkability over excessive bigness, and it's so much better for it. Maybe we should call it a stout and a half? Whatever it is, it's a rock-solid imperial stout. (3.75)

3.73/5: Not a royal flush, but definitely a four-of-a-kind

 

Real talk: Sucaba wasn't that amazing to my taste buds. I'd almost call it insipid. Backwoods Bastard is freaking fantastic, though!