New Beer Sunday (week 539)

New Beer while I sweat Sunday. Already made pancakes and took my dogs for a walk. Plan on taking my girls to the aquitic center this afternoon. Not a bad way to spend Father's day.

I picked 4 of these at the latest New Glarus Brewery release. Already traded one, but plan on keeping the others to enjoy.

Starts off with a tart and sour aroma and moves into a musty funk. Fresh lemon juice, green plum, sour musty grape along with wet hay and horse blanket funk. While the funk is there, it is less than I expected. Maybe it will increase with age?

Huge bright sourness that is not over the top. Lemons. green plum, and citrus tartness. Funky horse blanket, oak and wet hay. Quite pleasant as the flavor blend together well. Light crisp finish with mouth puckering sourness. Carbonation is perfect and the finish is slightly dry.

Incredible work on this one and I can only hope we will see it again in the future. Maybe there could be enough for a small Thumb Print release. I would be in heaven with a case of this beer.

 

I look forward to this later today.

 

Well Good Morning NBSers.
Salutations to all of the Fathers out there, and all of the wonderful Mothers who help us and inspire us to be our better selves. Thanks to @cavedave for such a fine start.
Our June Gloom is burning off earler than is should here in SoCal and it's feeling like summer has firmly arrived. I was truly blessed to have a pre-Father's Day Father's Day with my Pops yesterday. My wife, 2 awesome girls, and I took him to the Stone World Bistro in Escondido. First time for Pops. He really enjoyed it. The gardens were sublime. Butterflies flitting about. My girls trying out their summersaults (sic?), and of course sampling a few (just a few cuz I was driver) brews.

I am blessed with a very humble father. Typical of a lotta the good folks from his home state of Indiana. Not a person to talk about his successes, but will definitely share about failures (or perceived ones) and shortcomings. As stated by @Hopportunistic earlier, I strive to be even 1/10th the man he is. My girls and my wife sing my praises, and I do appreciate it, but I feel like I am just in the shadow of this gentle, loving, strong example of the complexities of fatherhood. And as a teacher, I see some great fathers, as well as those who break my heart. So to all of you out there who REALLY give fatherhood your top priority, I say "Cheers."

Be back later with a few today!

 

I hope you enjoy the spanking...

 

Good morning yet again, here's Round #2. I didn't think I had anything left worth reviewing on NBS, but I opened my fridge and remembered I saved this 5.9% ABV Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers for today. Good thinking last night, huh??

It's already too hot outside to do anything, even taking photos of beer isn't worth it

I'm having a good beer day. I've made my way through 3 Not Your Father's Root Beers ... I love it, but I have to admit the sweetness is taxing on the palate. I needed a break. I chose another good beer though, and one that may kill my palate in another way. Let's find out:

Look: A decidedly dark coffee colored body with a ton of ruby color found through the light. I'm half-way through the first pour, and as I look down on the beer, I can see through it on the edges ... perfect porter color all around. The head is a cream color that retains well, it settles to a thick film. Lacing is light and eventually non-existent.

Aroma: I get some fudge-like chocolate notes here before being whisked away by dried-out chipotle peppers. The pepper aroma really does smell wonderful and there is this dry grassiness about it, very earthy. I like it.

Taste: The rich chocolate beginning holds true, again -- more of a fudge-like taste and very roasted. The pepper comes in immediately and tastes dry and spicy. It's hard to explain what I mean by "dried out" but this is unlike some of the pepper ales I have had in the past. There really is a nice roasted taste about it ... I get more of a bitter coffee presence in the finish.

Mouthfeel: About right for a porter, not too thick, yet not paper thin either.

Overall: I will admit, I like spicy beers. And I love spicy stouts and porters. Stone did not disappoint on this. I almost forgot that it's a "smoked" porter ... I think the chipotle peppers take some of that smokiness away but as it warms, yes there is more of a smokey element about it. It blends perfectly well with the heat. The ABV makes this very drinkable, but the spiciness counters that ... it's a good sipper, and the heat does linger, trust me. I love spicy foods, so I can take a lot of heat. The spicy peppers blend well with the roasted malts ... I like this combination in a beer, but definitely just a bomber, I wouldn't want this all day LOL I rated this 4.21 which is good for a +11.4% rDev. This beer was right up my alley. I'm not always great with Stone beers, but sometimes they really impress me.

Okay I'm done for NBS today. I'll keep reading though. I had a great beer weekend, I'm pretty happy with my choices today. I only have 13 beers left to reach 1,000 reviews, and I already have my 1,000th review beer sitting in my fridge, and I will unleash that on NBS in two weeks if I plan it right. After that, I may stop reviewing altogether, but that's something I will expand on then. I won't stop posting on WBAYDN or NBS though, so don't worry -- not that you did.

Here is a song I have had on my mind lately -- don't know why. I seem to be hitting the topic of "age" in my musical selections today: ... "time makes you older, even children get older, I'm getting older too"

 

This brew pours an opaque light straw/copper color with a 1 finger head some of which lasts until the end as a collar. Very hazy with a good amount of carbonation and light lacing.

The smell is complex with orange and other fruits; possibly peach. Swirl it around a bit and you will get thick bready malts along with some caramel. There is also a strong yeasty smell.

The taste follows the nose with thick bready malts mixed with caramel, orange and other fruits. Then there is a slightly frothy yeasty taste The finish is slightly dry and just very lightly hopped. The feel is thick, bready and chewy.

Overall this is an excellent beer.

 

Thank you very much for that. I've always loved that tune, but haven't heard it in a while. My daughter and son are in their 30s now and I cherish every moment that they give me. We had a great dinner last night with our kids, two grandkids, granddogs everywhere and I'm very happy. You could put me, my son, and father in a line-up and marvel at the resemblances.

 

Happy Fathers day, BA. I was thinking about cracking open a bomber, but just went with this Old Ale instead. This'll possibly maybe be my last beer until my Vegas and Seattle trip, so hopefully it's pretty good. I'm not expecting a whole lot though, mostly because Arbor has never blown my mind.

Beer Review #743: Jackhammer Old Ale by Arbor Brewing Company

Appearance: Slow pour into the glass still gave a surprisingly large head, soapy and creamy in consistency, with a beige tinge to it. The beer is a slightly hazy ruby brown-ish color, pretty much what I'd expect from the style. Lacing is spotty. (4/5)

Smell: Something not quite Old Ale-like in here. I'd assume it's the malts used, as this smells like a brown. It also comes off a bit cheap in quality, like there are some adjuncts in there somehow, somewhere. Additionally, there's some alcohol on the nose, which is never a problem for me in Old Ales, but with the somewhat low-quality aroma coming out of this beer, the alcohol almost comes off as a muted rubbing alcohol sort of aroma. As it warms up a dark fruit jam smell becomes apparent and really spruces things up, thankfully... without it, this would basically smell like a rubbing alcohol infused brown ale. (3.5/5)

Taste/feel: Yeah, eh. It just doesn't really taste quite like any Old Ale I've had before, and that's not a good thing. It just doesn't have a ton of flavor like I'd hope given the style/ABV. It has the usual suspects of dark fruits and some sweet malt, but it comes off as pretty average. The two things that bother me the most are the strange moderately metallic bitterness on the finish, and the mouthfeel. Jackhammer goes in slightly creamy, but then comes the too-high carbonation, and, bizarrely, the beer finishes thin. The flavor that's there isn't bad, but the thinnish mouthfeel and bitter finish make this a pretty forgettable Old Ale. (3.5/5, 3/5)

The price isn't too horrible at $2.49 for a single, but the quality still isn't quite there.

 

First of all - a happy Father's day to all you sacrificing, loving, thoughtful, and honorable fathers out there. Also a BIG UP to all those who are not fathers, but take care of their own fathers and/or act in a fatherly way each and every day! cheers to that...

As far as new beer for me, just brought this gem back from Alabama last week....was a nice surprise! This is a hard style to pull off and make it taste dynamic, and they have done so. Perfect amount of fruity esters and just enough of a hop bite to make it interesting, without overbearing. I see myself crushing a few more today!

cheers BAs

 

My Dad was a peaceful scholar in Richmond and became a serious warrior. He brought his entire platoon out of Leyte, alive and well. I have letters from his group of soldiers that tell me how smart he was, how careful and protective he worked, and a letter from George C. Marshall commending his crew for defeating the Japanese at Leyte inland.

 

@rgordon - your father sounds to me like the kind of man that the term 'hero' was invented for. Even that short paragraph about him was inspiring to me. I wish you, & your family, the very best on this Father's Day.

 

Really nice, Thank- You.
Talk to you all later!

 

Me again. Boy is it humid! Today I bought a rare style for me and that is sweet stout or milk stout. It's just so darn sweet is why I think I stay away from the style. This one is no exception. Who wanted to know about milk stouts that taste like chocolate milk? This one sure does. It's so creamy and has no edges on it as far as flavor goes. It is sweet and finishes sweet with just enough hops bitter thankfully, to make me forget all that lactose.



3.54/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours black and opaque with a thin tan head that fell fast and left a ring. Nose is roasty malt and a creamy sweetness. No hops. Milk chocolate. Taste is smooth roast and a milky creaminess. The chocolate is milky and light . The hops bitter the finish just enough. There are literally no edges to this beer. It is so creamy and smooth. Some coffee comes to the nose as it warms and is a lovely earthiness in the flavor. leaves with that roast to linger faintly and lots of cream.

Cheers!

 

Thank you. He was very cool, looked like Paul Newman, was a helluva golfer, and a great businessman, but his war experiences put him in a different place. All he told me was that the M-1 Carbine made them survive.

 

I spied that bad boy in the background in your earlier post & have been waiting for this review ever since :-)

 

Hey what's going on?!?!

busy busy busy... ugh...

But with the warm humid days, and big hot showers... good beer is never too far away.

what is new for our hero today?!?

let's see...

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Stone Pale Ale 2.0 - Stone Brewing Co


Stone Brewing Co. - Stone Pale Ale 2.0 by imbibehour, on Flickr

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass. Good till August 7th 2015.

A big off white four finger and fluffy topped head. Thick with big retention and staying power, aggressive but not overboard, and very uniform. A gorgeous crystal clear amber body color, glowing like bright brass but with classic orange and bronze shine. Minimal rising carbonation, and a great appearance.

Wonderfully toasted malt aroma. Slightly hints to faint brown sugar, but more crusty dark bread crust qualities. Slight hints of oily grapefruit like hop presence as well, and mild sensing caramel. A nice big toasty and fruity controlled treat.

Big juiced palate on first sip. Hits the gullet and just doesn't want to stop. Mid fruit grapefruit and caramel light toast in the middle of the palate. Baked brown crust bread finish with oily grapefruit and marmalade like hop bitterness. Very mild sweetness, but with a full big juicy body, and great controlled toasty aromas that grow. Bready and bakery toast crust all over, with a nice West coast like fruity angle.

Overall a real nice toasty treat from Stone, and a good solid very enjoyable pale ale.

look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25 | Final BA generated score: 4.29

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I love the name and that goofy photo. Such a good pun. Shockolade! That fellow on the cow . . . that's just funny.

 

I know what you mean, my grandfather fought hard in Korea, came home, & basically never spoke of it, to anyone, ever. We can never see what they saw, or feel what they felt. But for them to come home, start families & raise strong children is truly proof that they were the 'Greatest Generation'.

 

For those of us needin reading glasses, what beer is it?

 

I'd buy a bottle JUST so I could display that label proudly