New Beer Sunday (week 526)

Drinking a Great Divide Orabelle, a Belgian-style Tripel with orange peel and coriander. Cheers!

 

Lair Of The Bear
Mammoth Brewing Company
Russian Imperial Stout / 9.50% ABV
4.32/5 rDev +9.1% | rAvg: 3.96
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

16.9 ounce bottle poured into a Belgian tulip glass

A: Pitch black with a nice mocha colored head, head vanished fairly quick, getting some nice lacing on the glass,not much carbonation, lots of tiny bubbles in what is left of the head, looks really good.

A: Not much on the nose, bourbon, some chocolate, hint of alcohol on the finish, pretty mellow it's not bursting with bourbon aromas.

T: Bourbon, a really nice chocolate sweetness finishing off bitter, very easy drinking, smooth, the chocolate really lingers with a dry finish, some alcohol burn on the end, but this taste really good.

M: Nice creamy medium mouthfeel with a dry finish.

O: Very impressed, nice balanced barrel aged stout, easy drinking, nice creamy mouthfeel, the barrel does not dominate the flavor but complements the chocolate notes in the beer. I would love to try the base beer, if you love barrel aged stouts this one is definitely worth a try.

 

Prairie Apple Brandy Noir
Prairie Artisan Ales
American Double / Imperial Stout / 12.00% ABV
3.75/5 rDev -15.3% | rAvg: 4.43
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12 ounce bottle poured into a Belgian tulip glass

A: Black with some light coming through on the edges, mocha colored head, dissipated fairly quick, some lacing, looks viscous, looks good.

A: Things got weird here, an apple maple sweetness up front, picking up some slight chocolate aromas, not getting any of the barrel aromas but I am not sure what brandy is supposed to smell like, I don't drink brandy, but the apple is definitely there.

T: Barrel and apple character up front, some nice chocolate notes in the middle, smooth finish, for 12% the alcohol is well hidden.

M: Nice creamy mouthfeel, not a lot of carbonation on this, drinking really smooth.

O: Honestly, I'm a bit confused and thrown off by the apple brandy aromas and flavors, it has a really nice mouthfeel and appearance, but the apple brandy is not sitting well with my palate. I love barrel aged stouts but I'm on the fence with this one. I want to love this beer but the apple brandy causes me to step back and reconsider. I really enjoy barrel aged stouts with chocolate and/or coffee added but apple brandy doesn't appeal to me.

 

Good even NBS! Hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Hoping for some warm weather soon, still haven't ridden my bike outside since the accident last fall. Of course trails won't be ready til mid April at this rate, at least I can hope for sooner. Some gravel path action is needed soon. Super busy work lately too, the beer takes the edge off

Here's today's new beers!

So, I've pretty much had all of Avery's lineup reviewed, but never this one(in a formal review, maybe had it on tap before a long time ago). Never seen it fresh(date code clearly seen YYDDD). We are talking about finding 1 year+ six packs on the shelf. Anyways, I saw this in singles with a 9/16/14 code today, and thought I'd let it slide. Glad I did. Very nice IPA. Aromas and flavors of grapefruit, pineapple, mango, lemon zest, orange peel, pine, and floral/grassy hop earthiness with moderate light caramel/toasted bread malts. Good amount of pine/citrus rind bitterness on the finish. Very nice juicy hop character with good malt support that isn't overdone. Good malt/bitterness balance. Very smooth and moderately crisp/sticky mouthfeel and finish. No complaints. Very well rounded C hop flavors. This uses Munich malt as apparent by the toasted bread quality, might have to give that a shot some time; I usually use a couple pounds of Vienna in my house IPAs. 3.9


Wow, so this is pretty much like a hoppy version of Schlenkerla Marzen. Aromas and flavors of big wood smoke, caramel, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, light char, herbal, pepper, light pine, and woody/hoppy earthiness. Fair amount of earthy/spicy bitterness on the finish. Very smooth, crisp, and slightly creamy/hop sticky in the mouthfeel. Great balance of the smoked/bready malts and earthy hop character. Extremely drinkable and almost refreshing. Super clean lagering as usual, zero esters/fruitiness as expected. I still have to say I prefer Urbock, I mean it is a BOCK after all. My rating puts this right in line with the Marzen version which completely makes sense. I am probably going to buy more of this though. 4.22


Just feeding the English Barleywine addiction over here; I think Barleywine's are my new favorite style now(even American's fresh or aged, depends on mood). Best AFTER 2/24/15. Nice head retention and lacing on this one for the ABV. Aromas of huge caramel, toffee, toast, molasses, brown sugar, brown bread, raisin, plum, fig, date, apple, light licorice, and light oak/vanilla/herbal notes. Maybe even a bit of nuttiness. Lovely aromas, like damn. Great malt and yeast fruitiness balance with light-moderate barrel character as expected. Taste follows along with the aromas perfectly, with a bit of stronger vanilla and slightly tannic notes going on. A light oaky/tannic bitterness on the finish. All around outstanding complexity of malt, yeast fruitiness; and lighter, but noticeable barrel character. Light carbonation, quite full on body. Very creamy, smooth, and slightly slick/sticky. No booziness, a light-moderate amount of cozy warmth after the finish. This is incredible. I am going to make sure to buy more when it becomes available again. 4.32


Cheers! Have a good night NBS

 

Drinking a Kentucky Rye Barrel IPA. Cheers!

 

If you ever need more don't hesitate to BM me

 

Finally time to make my NBS appearance, tonight I'm going with a beer that was graciously sent my way by @Kramerbarthomer as part of the most recent round of the ongoing Locals BIF:

Prairie Artisan Ales' Apple Brandy Barrel Noir


Really nice beer we have right here. Apple brandy comes through to start but then fades quickly and this turns in to a really excellent Imperial Stout. Thick and creamy with chocolate, coffee, and dark fruits throughout. Really glad I finally got a chance to try this one, thanks again Mike!

 

It's more like a reunion.

 

The smell on this guy is phenomenal. It's more nostalgic than anything, reminding me of my very first barleywines, Old Guardian and Bigfoot. I don't think Bigfoot smells like this to me anymore, and I haven't had OG in a while (but I got an Extra Hoppy in the fridge).



Yes, it is sweet and might be cloying to some palates, but everything is integrated to become this sweet malted hop cocktail. The alcohol helps to counter that sugar, but this will be brilliant with another year on it. I really want to go grab a 4-pack and age it over the next 4 years. This is one of my favorite ET beers.



A-/A

 

Almost picked that one up today as a "repeat" - it is a nice porter!

 

Life is definitely better with a noble canine in it.

 

You were definitely in God's Country. And Porter looks divinely content, nose out the window. The canyons around Moab are stunning. I remember going to that brewery when they had to brew everything below 5%. They were really brewing with 2 hands tied behind their back. Does that place still look like it's out of the old west, hitching post and all?

 

Just opened up the last of the mixed six-pack that I picked up on a visit to Salem to see my sister last Sunday. My birthday is still a few months off, but...


...tonight I'm having Shiner's "Birthday Beer" anyway. XD

Very loud "pfft!" the instant I twist off the cap, and even in the bottle it smells extremely chocolatey. On further sniffs after pouring, it actually is reminding me a lot of chocolate cake, which (considering the cake on the label) is probably exactly what they were going for.

And it tastes... a lot like chocolate cake right away, and then some roastiness comes in, and then that fades away leaving a chocolatey aftertaste that hangs around for a long time. I've gotten little hints of chocolate in some of the darker beers I've had before this, but this is way more chocolatey, to the point where the chocolateyness is the main flavor and the roasted barley is coming in a distant second.

Might just have to get some more of this for my actual birthday in June, especially considering that it's apparently a limited edition thing that's only going to be around for 2015.

 

Maui: Lorenzini DIPA


4.03/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Look: 4 - Pours a clear amber orange liquid with half a finger of whitish slightly orange head. Tons of small floaties dance evenly in the liquid from top to bottom.

Smell: 4.2 - There is a big tangerine nose right up front with slight citrus backing.

Taste: 4 - Big tangerine front end which quickly rolls into a slightly biter blood orange finish has a long lasting slight bitter hoppy aftertaste. no alcohol detectable.

Feel: 3.5 - Very thin mouthfeel for a double ipa. Wet finish with a long lasting tangy bite.

Over all: 4 - A very different take on the typical DIPA. Definitely get all of the blood orange and tangerine advertised on the can. To me it could have used a better malt back bone, that and the thin mouthfeel just kind of kill it for me. Its rare a beer looks and smells better than it tastes and feels, but this is just that. However the big tangerine and blood orange flavors with the long lasting after taste save it for a solid 4. Definitely worth the purchase of a single if you get a chance, and that is just what this was.

 

You turned me on to Boat...Solid session.

 

Now I see the beer in your pics!!! What happened earlier?

 

Carton is a real good brewery.
They continue to impress me with each new release

 

Community: Legion


4.32/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Look: 4 - Pours black with slight tan head. very slight lacing.

Smell: 4.5 - Up front big dark fruits like dates and raisins backed by bready and chocolate aroma.

Taste: 4.25 - Dark fruits, dates, raisins and a slight hint of black cherry, followed by a bready bitter chocolate concluding with a warm alcohol finish.

Feel: 4 - Silky slick medium bodied with long lasting warm alcohol warmth.

Overall 4.5 - My over all may seam a bit high but I really like the way this comes together in the total composition. Who knows I may edit it later, although I think this will do some wonderful things with some age on it. I had wanted to try this beer for some time. (just due to the name and label alone) I was really excited to find it here and it didn't disappoint one bit. Like I said I am really looking forward to aging some, it really seams made for it.

 

Amen. I just walked downstairs to get a glass of milk and Otis was sitting in my chair, looking down the hill. I have such a good feeling about this hound that I keep trying to comprehend. And I've had great dogs! (Or they've had me).