New Beer Sunday (week 524)

What a great weekend! Something about the sunshine and warming temps just puts one in a more positive frame of mind. When Spring finally gets here I'll have a lot of work to do around the house, but bring it on, I say!

Right now I'm starting my evening with one of Jack's Abby's traditional lagers; can they do these as well as they do more modern styles? In this particular case the answer is a resound 'Hell yeah!'.


Their House Lager (Landbier), which is based on the Franconian table beers, is simply outstanding. While not as hoppy as a Pils, and not as richly malty as a Munich Helles, they have found the perfect middle ground here nonetheless. Between the fresh grassy hops and biscuity/doughy malt profile, overall balance and slightly minerally clean finish, it's a genuine pleasure to drink. I can see going through a case of this in no time. The fact that it's unfiltered and seems to be bottle conditioned lends even more authenticity to its appeal. Big A from me (4.65)

 

I felt the same way about this. The scales are just tipped way too far to the rum barrel side. It squashes a lot of the flavors of a great base beer. Really good, but not what I had hoped for.

 

I usually don't review beers but I made an exception for this one.
Poured into a Teku Glass and slightly over celler temp.

Look: The color is right on par with other stouts, a dark, almost black, brown. But the head was a beautiful dark brown with left a bit of lacing for me to stare at as I drank it.

Smell: lots of coffee with a bit of chocolate and roastiness.

Taste: Oh. My. God. Lots of bitter coffee with just the right amount of chocolate to cut the bitter to an appropriate level. Long coffee at the end as well which was wonderful.

Mouthfeel: Seemed it was a bit thin for me but I usually prefer thick body stouts. Still pretty good.

Overall: An amazing coffee stout that blows the regular out of the water. My general comparison for coffee stouts is FBS and never had a stout outdone that one like this one has. Wish I would have picked up another bottle.

 

Hello NBSers! Adding a third review of Blushing Monk from Founders to this week's postings.

Gorgeous deep ruby color with a quarter inch of very pretty, light pink, frothy head. Lacing is thin and short lived. The aroma is unabashedly big raspberry jam.

The flavor is much like the aroma-- a huge dose of raspberry jam flavor that is tempered only slightly by a tickle of the Belgian yeast. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say the flavor is cloyingly sweet because the yeast flavor at the end saves it a bit, but only a bit.

As others have noted, as far as mouthfeel, there is definitely a syrupy quality to this beer. It reminds me a lot of an Italian soda with perhaps a bit too heavy of a hand on the syrup.

In addition to the yeast flavors, what saves it from being just a treacly mess of jam juice is that it is very light and lively. In addition, nothing in the body or flavor would alert you to the rather hefty 9.2% ABV. I don’t know that I think this was worth the price (I paid $16.99 at Whole Paycheck, this is the suggested retail price from Founders).

I had this beer back in 2011 and liked it then and was interested to try it again as I feel I’ve developed different tastes and perspectives since then. I’m enjoying it, though happy to just have the single bottle.

If I had to summarize, I’d say if Hello Kitty brewed a Belgian fruit beer, it would be much like this. It’s cute, it’s pink and it’s not going to tax your palate very much. This isn't a put down, but I think this is an “accessible” beer for people who are just dipping their toes into Belgian yeast flavors because the sweetness of the raspberries does a pretty good job of masking what might be more challenging flavors.

Happy Sunday evening, NBSers!

 

Bells - Jupiter

 

My final new beer today, featuring more bourbon barrel action...

Boulevard's Bourbon Barrel Quad 2014

Drinking and capping it off as I go, getting lots of wet fruit and bourbon vapor...

Suggestions of vanilla and cherry interspersed throughout...

Boulevard's 3-for-3 in my book - highly recommended...


Closing notes...



Cheers, NBS...

 

'Bout time you joined in on the fun on this thread bro!!

 

Also just tried that and definitely agree. Its a very tasty beer and nice change of pace.
IMO Jacks A can do no wrong.....

 

I did a doppelbock taste-off last year with some German examples and Troegenator, and felt the same way about it. A surprisingly good showing; although the other beers were ultimately better, Troegenator didn't really stand out as an inferior copy.

This particular beer, though, is on another level- that malt character is pretty much spot on, and that's where you can usually tell.

 

Ahhh.. chess. I used to play, and used to be decent (this is way back in high school). Occasionally try an online game or so, but it never seems to work out, as it's not an immediate response/reward game, so people lose interest (plus I was never that good at "speed chess").

For drinking "on site", I wish I could get Parabola for under $30 (side note: I wish I could get Parabola at all after my one and only time finding it). Here, ABC On ("on site") is generally a 100% markup from ABC Off ("to go") for those places that have both.

My girlfriend tells the story about how I wanted to sidetrack our beercation to Portland Sierra Nevada Beer Camp (Portland) to visit a brewery that "only made lagers". She thought she was making a sacrifice because I had heard such good things about the brewery. She's also now converted (on Jack's Abby beer, not on lagers in general ).

Got a second NBS coming, but this post has gotten long enough, I will make another.

 

I can't BELIEVE you took so long to try this beer! Seriously ?!?

 

Hey, man, that ain't on me! Boulevard's first ever delivery to the area was just this week... lol

 

Finally got a break in the weather this weekend, and it makes me hopeful that spring is truly on the way. After too much yard work today, it was time to fire up the grill and crack open a new beer.

Today's choice is Barrel Aged Bigfoot. I was pleasantly surprised to have run into this one at the local bottle shop this weekend, and grabbed one immediately. Barleywines are a favorite style for me, and barrel aged all the better.

Overall, this is a touch boozy, but has amazing aroma and flavor. Lots of sweet whiskey, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, and vanilla. Not quite as much of a hop bite as I was expecting but I think the whiskey is overpowering it somewhat.

I need to go back by the store and pick up another bottle...





http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/34129/?ba=richj1970

 

Hello everybody. Thanks for inviting me to yet another NBS. Starting to run out of these treats sent by @wisconsinbeer1, as this is the last of the TG pale ales from that box. I'm a pretty big SW fan and as soon as I saw this label, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Luckily, its more than just a pretty label. The contents inside live up to the expectations and the reputation TG has built for itself. I've never tried these hops before but I'm definitely getting some floral flavors with a slight lemony note weaved in there. Very smooth, drinkable, and well rounded. Would definitely purchase this again if it were available to me. BTW...does this constitute #properglassware???


"It's light speed, kid"


Ever since @KarmicSkrambl8 posted some tunes by The Civil Wars last night I've been checking this duo out. I'm actually very impressed. Not generally my style of music but I have to give credit where its due...these two have talent. I can't believe this is a cover of the Jackson 5 song. It sounds nothing like it and (imo) is the better of the two. Thanks Karmic.

Cheers!

 

Having missed last week because I was golfing in FL with guys who might not even realize there is a craft beer industry, I feel the need to post a second beer this week (yeah, that's the justification). The weather was the worst we'd had for this annual trip (with one place near us getting 8 inches of rain in one day), but still better than back here at home (2x + y degrees warmer). The lack of craft beer put a little dent in the worthiness of the trip, but not much.

The 2nd beer today is Lickinghole Creek Estate Series Mango-Habenero Brown Ale. I am a big proponent that the American craft industry could do more with brown ales. In this case, I think they need to "redefine" the style instead of sticking to it, based on the market research I've done. Adding more boldness to the nuttiness, or even working towards a porter/brown ale hybrid I think would be very interesting.


This beer pours nicely, the head is still creamy atop the beer I poured about 15 minutes ago. The nose tends a bit towards the vegetable, just enough to balance or even hide any nuttiness. There is a note of pepper, one which is stronger in the taste, which surprisingly, however, lacks any real heat. This is a very interesting and enjoyable beer, and I think it fits into my "re-definition" concept. I don't know that it will win everyone over, but it's a winner in my book.

 

Had the unfortunate luxury of closing my store last night at 10 and opening this morning at 7. Worked my shift and then came home and tried some beers that I had not gotten around to trying yet. First one was Sierra Nevada's Porter. It was a nice balanced porter, with a medium to thinner body. This beer is not intended to have all the bells and whistles and it works. The next beer was the Nooner Pilsner which was a very refreshing beer and I could see myself downing a bunch on a warm summer day.

The real reason why I'm posting for New Beer Sunday is because of this Funky Buddha Maple Bacon Coffee Porter that I just cracked open.

A: Pitch black pour with a thin khaki colored head. The head quickly dissipates into a ring around my glass.

S: Smells of black coffee and strong maple syrup. A hint of smokiness is also picked up. Reminds me of breakfast, which is obviously the intention. I've had coffee beers and maple beers, but the medley of the two in the nose is divine.

T: Black coffee is first, followed by bacon covered with maple syrup. The saltiness from the bacon flavor works very well with the sweetness of the syrup. This is definitely one of the best tasting beers I've ever had. Sometimes with beers you're searching for the flavors within the beer, but with MBCP the flavors are very pronounced and straight forward. No guess work here.

F: A fairly heavy mouthfeel for a porter, but thinner bodied than a stout would be. The maple flavor lingers on my pallet until I take another sip.

Overall: This is one of the most enjoyable beers I've ever had. The flavors are unique for a beer in the sense that it tastes like I poured maple syrup in a cup of coffee and dipped my bacon in it. I wish these were more readily available, especially in my neck of the woods. I'm definitely going to savor every sip of this.

 

Although I was first this morning I'm not last tonite. Have to blame my wife for this one. I'm finally sittin down to enjoy a beer or 3. Somebody order a new patio set although our deck had a good five ft of snow on it so....... I spent a good 3-4 hours shoveling that shit off for her. Technically it's not her fault she's Polish. Anyway on to my beer I just got this last nite from a trade w/ @jfpaolone. Taste just like the other 1000 iPas out there but I LIKE it. Plus the cans cool. Oh I almost or got everyone has to watch this video. This guy cracks me up

 

How is it Alabama got this beer, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a four-pack of the regular Bigfoot recently
? I am aging 3 of the 4, as per a certain number of recommendations (and the fact my recollections of enjoying the beer years ago were not the highest). Hope to find this sometime to also enjoy.