New Beer Sunday (week 520)

This is probably the only beer I'll drink today, so I had to make it early and I had to make it count. It just turns out that NBS started extra early as well, so the beer gods are making this perfect.

I have had most of the Yetis so I have been waiting some time to try this, and I finally have. $10 for a bomber and it weighs in at 9.5% ABV.

The beer is opaque and the color of the darkest dark chocolate imaginable. The dark mocha colored head dissipates quickly leaving a thin collar and very light lines of lacing.

The aroma is excellent. I get a perfect balance of dark chocolate, oak barrel wood, and a hint of peppery spice, perhaps from the alcohol. There is a wonderful soft marshmallow sweetness in the middle of the aroma that really gives the beer some balance.

The taste follows the aroma. I get more of a chocolate or cocoa note from this than coffee, probably because of that little nugget of sweetness in the middle of the body. Very woody, oaky, and dry otherwise. The finish is a little bit boozy, but even so it took awhile to pick up on. It does leave a rather tangy, bitter aftertaste. The mouthfeel is pretty smooth for such a high ABV and woody beer. This is a great sipper for sure.

PS: Exactly one year ago today, I fractured my fibula and had to have ankle survey, which put me down for 3 months. So cheers to good health and of course New Beer Sunday

 

I like the convenience of it, but I think, given we pick up a day every year (2 in leap year) that 521 would be closer to ten year (in days). That said - no reason not to celebrate both weekends. Heck - since if I didn't actually do the math, we should probably include week 522 as well, to be safe.

 

Ratchet Blended Saison, a collaboration between Prairie and Siren. This was a major gusher. I lost about half of it when I opened the bottle.
It is a turbid mustard color with a good deal of sediment.
Aroma of fruit and grass. Faint sour odor.
Taste of fruit and funk.
Nice sour mouthfeel.
Good beer; wish I hadn't lost so much on opening.

 

I wrote ankle survey I meant ankle SURGERY. The Yeti is playing with my typing. I wish the edit button was available for more than 15 minutes ......

 

Either that, or it was one hell of a long and onerous survey. I think I'd rather have the surgery, myself .

 

Hell, I was jealous. We haven't started ankle surveys yet in Cackalacky!

 

Hello New Good Morning Beer Sunday!

My first today comes courtesy of the very generous @SomethingClever -

Due South Cafe Ole Espresso Porter (with vanilla)

This is probably not the best circumstance in which to review a beer, next to the cake and all, but in honor of the 10th Anniversary of NBS I shall endeavor to do my best. So, after a quick sip of water:

Clean dark-roast coffee comes on first and pretty much dominates the nose. Underneath I am getting hints of vanilla, but it is subtle and playing a supporting role. Things shift a bit on the palate, as the coffee, strong for a flash, quickly gives way to flavors of malt-toffee-molasses, with the vanilla coming on at the finish. For a porter the mouthfeel is medium-bodied, and there is a good deal of bitterness to keep things interesting and moving along. It is a very easy-drinking beer, nothing is overdone, while at the same time being noticeable and interesting. Lovely stuff, A- (4.1)

Some morning music-


Have a good one- see ya later!

 

Hello all...

My dry-athalon is over and a bit of cash has been raised for testicular cancer so January has been a pretty successful month all in all.

So at the start of February I decided to cash in my Christmas present which was a decent voucher for the real ale store. Swamped for choice I decided the only sensible thing to do was get a case of fine beers from the USA (All of them new to me) and a case of Stout and Porter my all time two fav styles.



Saturday morning they arrived.... Deciding what to go for first was a hard one but as there was a double up on Anchor porter I though I may as well have a wee tipple on Saturday and review it today... (Okay so I'm bending the rules here I know, I can only say sorry and beg forgiveness.. :-) )

So here it is my first really good beer from the US (well after Sierra Nevada Torpedo that is) as up and until recently I have only really had access to Macro beers from across the pond... Anchor Porter and before I go to the review I just have to say, bravo well done, kudos to you Anchor this is a fine, fine beer!


4.54/5 rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Rich dark brown verging on black with slight ruby tints against the light. Thick latte foam head with pretty good retention that leaves sticky clumpy lace.

smell - Chocolate and toffee are the first things to strike me here but there is also some really great fruity aromas like a fruit salad at this. Plenty of banana and cherry so there is also an element of banoffee pie here. Put simply this beer smells great.

Taste - Rich and luxurious coffee flavour with great toffee mixing with some wonderful dark chocolate bitterness. Mild smokey roast malts mixed with that great fruit profile identical to the aroma, banana and cherry dominating but evidence of prune coming through at the end. Excellent sweet bitter balance and again put simply a great beer.

Mouth feel - Seriously smooth, silky even with a full body and very decent lingering power! This one is neither drying or cloying just smooth and tasty.

Overall - Very well balanced and packing lots of flavour this beer paired very well with Dutch pancakes with loads of cheese. If this beer is a hallmark of Anchor's brewing then I have high hopes for the steam beer and barley wine!

Happy Sunday all...
(second posting for this song today but it is a deadly tune and has a smashing video)

Guid Forder!

 

Hi NBS crew.

May not be joining in today as I've just surveyed my stock in the basement and found there is nothing there new but still a number of repeats that should be given tender loving care. So if I'm not back this evening hope you all enjoy!

 

Cheers to all and a Happy Ten Year Anniversary to NBS and to all who have kept it going strong for 10 years! That is simply remarkable and congratulations to you all! Special Congrats to @cavedave who is the perfect host for today's thread.

New Surprise Saison Sunday

So I never expected to see a beer from Almanac in my local shop. I live in NY. But I did and here she is . Saison Dolores.



3.71/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours hazed an a perfect shade of pale straw yellow. This color has a vibrance that is unique. Soft head of white creamy foam that lasts and a few furtive stray bubbles to chase each other to the top. Nose is a light bit of honey, sweet floral and a fruitiness that is not very strong. Some fragrant rye. Melon I would say. Sweet green herbal and a touch of pepper and spice. The yeast on the nose is a touch funky. Taste is good but I am not tasting much of that faint fruit I observed on the nose. Since the beer was dry hopped I would say that perhaps it has faded a bit. The middle of the beer is still fruity and juicy but you cannot name any fruit from the taste. The yeast is funkier on the palate than on the nose and does impart a bitterness to the flavor because the fruit flavor is so faint. The herbal is sweet though and makes up for that a bit. Body is creamy and a lighter shade of medium. There's some good carbonation in this but is drinking a little flatly at times. As t warms a dry cracker comes to the palate. Finishes dry and with the bitterness and funk to linger in the aftertaste. Rye adds spice and there's a bit of pepper. Some of the malt sweetness comes to the finish to to save it and so does the herbal.

Cheers everyone and lets all hunker down for marcus! I can't see over the snowbanks now. >< Oh well! I guess I can even that up by not seeing the bottom of my glass today .

 

Well at least you can console yourself with the thought that there are little boys named "Marcus" out there who are very excited to have their own storm... :-)

 

Well, the Seahawks suffered a ‘hiccup’ last week; maybe because Nugget Nectar ‘beat’ Global Warmer?

I still think that Marshawn Lynch had a helluva game so in tribute this Sunday’s beer is BEAST MODE.

In a past thread Shane (@Sixpoint) had a lengthy (but accurate) description of this beer: “2015 next-generation American Craft Porter”. If a groundhog can be a prognosticator of winter weather then why can’t Shane be a soothsayer of beer styles?

So, without further ado, let’s get down to brass tacks and do some drinking!!

Appearance

A beautiful dark mahogany brown color with tinges of some red with a big fluffy off white head.

Aroma

Wow! A lot going on there!! There is some chocolate, some coffee, some caramel, and a big bouquet of hoppy citrus with maybe just a bit of tropical fruit as well. Everything just plays together beautifully!!

Taste:

Wow again!! The taste follows the nose but in a multi-dimensional way! The first impressions I get are the dark malt qualities of chocolate/coffee/ caramel but on mid-palate the hop flavors of orange, grapefruit and even a bit of lemon come into the mix as well. The finish showcases a nice dry finish with some toasty qualities and the hop bitterness comes into play as well. As with the aroma, a beautiful mix of flavors and other beer qualities.

Mouthfeel

A nice medium body to accompany all of this beer’s various flavors.

Overall

Utilizing the Tony (@boddhitree) scale this beer is WOW-WOW-WOW!

Now, maybe if Pete Carroll had one of these beers at halftime there would have been a different result at the Super Bowl!?!

Oh, and the perfect beer glass for this beer is a can shaped glass.

Cheers!

Well, the Seahawks suffered a ‘hiccup’ last week; maybe because Nugget Nectar ‘beat’ Global Warmer?

I still think that Marshawn Lynch had a helluva game so in tribute this Sunday’s beer is BEAST MODE.

In a past thread Shane (@Sixpoint) had a lengthy (but accurate) description of this beer: “2015 next-generation American Craft Porter”. If a groundhog can be a prognosticator of winter weather then why can’t Shane be a soothsayer of beer styles?

So, without further ado, let’s get down to brass tacks and do some drinking!!

Appearance

A beautiful dark mahogany brown color with tinges of some red with a big fluffy off white head.

Aroma

Wow! A lot going on there!! There is some chocolate, some coffee, some caramel, and a big bouquet of hoppy citrus with maybe just a bit of tropical fruit as well. Everything just plays together beautifully!!

Taste:

Wow again!! The taste follows the nose but in a multi-dimensional way! The first impressions I get are the dark malt qualities of chocolate/coffee/ caramel but on mid-palate the hop flavors of orange, grapefruit and even a bit of lemon come into the mix as well. The finish showcases a nice dry finish with some toasty qualities and the hop bitterness comes into play as well. As with the aroma, a beautiful mix of flavors and other beer qualities.

Mouthfeel

A nice medium body to accompany all of this beer’s various flavors.

Overall

Utilizing the Tony (@boddhitree) scale this beer is WOW-WOW-WOW!

Now, maybe if Pete Carroll had one of these beers at halftime there would have been a different result at the Super Bowl!?!

Oh, and the perfect beer glass for this beer is a can shaped glass.

Cheers!


Well, the Seahawks suffered a ‘hiccup’ last week; maybe because Nugget Nectar ‘beat’ Global Warmer?

I still think that Marshawn Lynch had a helluva game so in tribute this Sunday’s beer is BEAST MODE.

In a past thread Shane (@Sixpoint) had a lengthy (but accurate) description of this beer: “2015 next-generation American Craft Porter”. If a groundhog can be a prognosticator of winter weather then why can’t Shane be a soothsayer of beer styles?

So, without further ado, let’s get down to brass tacks and do some drinking!!

Appearance

A beautiful dark mahogany brown color with tinges of some red with a big fluffy off white head.

Aroma

Wow! A lot going on there!! There is some chocolate, some coffee, some caramel, and a big bouquet of hoppy citrus with maybe just a bit of tropical fruit as well. Everything just plays together beautifully!!

Taste:

Wow again!! The taste follows the nose but in a multi-dimensional way! The first impressions I get are the dark malt qualities of chocolate/coffee/ caramel but on mid-palate the hop flavors of orange, grapefruit and even a bit of lemon come into the mix as well. The finish showcases a nice dry finish with some toasty qualities and the hop bitterness comes into play as well. As with the aroma, a beautiful mix of flavors and other beer qualities.

Mouthfeel

A nice medium body to accompany all of this beer’s various flavors.

Overall

Utilizing the Tony (@boddhitree) scale this beer is WOW-WOW-WOW!

Now, maybe if Pete Carroll had one of these beers at halftime there would have been a different result at the Super Bowl!?!

Oh, and the perfect beer glass for this beer is a can shaped glass.

Cheers!

 

Happy Birthday NBS, to all those who hosted over the years a special thanks.
Clearly beer advocacy demonstrated here for sure.
Today a walk through the mind Mikkeller, a spontaneous, elder flower offering.
I really liked the beer, it is challenging for sure, in a really good way.

Spontanelderflower
Mikkeller ApS
Lambic - Fruit / 7.70% ABV

3.83/5 rDev -3.3% | rAvg: 3.96
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2013 vintage poured from the green glass bottle into a Hill Farmstead tulip.
A - Golden straw colored, gentle champagne sized carbonation pokes its way up to create, a quickly dissipating fine French lace cap. The cirrus cloud lacing of the glass completes the picture.
S - Edible flowers, elder for sure, warm honey, English dinner bisquit, some acidic sharpness, white peppers, hints of aged citrus. Bright and complex aromas, brings to mind a rich field of flowers late in the day. That could be midwinter longing on my part!
T - Light biscuit, honey, green grape, sea salt, chalky. A confounding group of flavors support active discussion for sure. The salinity or chalk element caught me off guard. Fascination layers keep you coming back.
M - Starts out tart, quickly moved aside by light sweetness, then that chalkiness rolls up the sides of the tongue, feels super dry. With time slowly the honey dew, green grape trickle back in and linger for a long while.
O - What a conundrum of delight this has been, a treat for sure. Take time and engage this beer. Big and bright, sweet and sour what's not to like.
Cheers

Some quick snowshoeing then off to some Quebecoise music this afternoon.
Keep those feet stomping!

 

Oops. Welcome back BeerDrinkersWorldTour!

 

brilliant! look at the head on that beer :-)

 

I found a bottle of §ucaba at my local bottleshop last week and hopped on it immediately -- I haven't seen it in these parts before. After waffling for a bit as to whether I'd cellar it for a while, I decided that I just couldn't wait.

It's got a wonderful depth of malt and a big barrely vanilla character that practically overshadows its other traits. Once the initial big oak and malt fade from the palate, a huge booziness fills the void in a way that is just a bit too much for me. It really is an excellent beer, but it's a bit hot -- perhaps I should have let it rest a year after all (something which I really think would have been impossible for me). But, having now tried it a first time, I will probably look for another bottle so that I can sit on it until the booze fades a bit.

Overall score 4.28 -- still a fantastic beer, but rated a bit lower than site average. I will reevaluate when I get a chance to try this guy with some age.

 

Yep, BIG and fluffy. You gotta love it!!

Cheers!