New Beer Sunday (week 543)

thanx for the info cheers

 

Howdy NBS pardners! I've got a new thing or two lined up, and I'll be back after a while to check in with them. But first a couple things. Y'all may remember last Sunday I mentioned that I was going to Seattle to meet up with a bunch of other BA members for a bottle share. It was certainly a success, with 30+ folks showing up, and 50+ beers being shared. The Toronado Seattle was a great host, and we had a lot of fun. I didn't get to try everything, you never can at these things, but here's the list of what I did get to taste:

Barrel Roll #5 by Hangar 24, Darkest Hour by Anchorage, Cellar Cuvee #10 by Jackie O's, Lunker by Steel Toe, Pentagram by Surly, Grey Monday by The Bruery, Seviin by Surly, Cellarman batch 3 by Sante Adarius, Raspberry Lambic 2013 by Upland, Quel Que Chose 2010 by Unibroue, Bourbon Barrel Black Maple by Jackie O's, The Duo by de Garde, Extremely Angry Beast by Clown Shoes, Apricot au Poivre Saison by Nebraska Brewing, Cable Car by Lost Abbey, Jaunt by O'Dell, Hunahpu's by Cigar City, Black Ops by Brooklyn, Black Gold by Central Waters, Home Sour Home by Rare Barrel, Oude Tart 2013 by The Bruery, Black Tuesday by The Bruery, Rochefort 8, Eclipse by Fifty Fifty, Funky South Paw by Jackie O's, Arthur by Hill Farmstead, Lunker 2014 by Steel Toe, Special Rouge by de Garde, and Another World by Rare Barrel. Plus, a pint of Hop Venom as a palate refresher.

My favorites were the Cellarman, Upland Raspberry, Black Ops, the DeGarde's, and Rare Barrel. There were no clunkers though, everything was great. Plus, all the BAs were a fun group to meet, and we're already planning the next one. I strongly suggest getting a bunch of people you've never met face-to-face before together. It'll be fun!

The other thing is, I'm looking for a favor. My friend Lis drove her husband Jason, our friend Justin, and myself down, and basically played the adult while we had fun. She's not a huge beer person, but does like sours and fruit beers. She has loved the New Glarus stuff I've shared with her over the years. I'd like to see if anyone can put me in touch with someone who would be interested in a semi-regular trading situation. I'd like to score some NG stuff for, Lis, and I'd like some too. I don't like going into the trading forums, and I'm hoping to set something this way. Any help would be truly appreciated.

OK, enough for now, be back later with a beer to report on. Cheers!

 

New Belgian from Brooklyn Sunday

Quintaceratops

Belgian-style quad from Brooklyn Brewery...

...a bit more abv than their Quadraceratops quad (which I've not had)...

...and it's aged in rum and bourbon barrels...

$23.99 on Long Island.

Long Island is currently smoldering under hot and heavy skies.

Long Island is also waaaaay overcrowded.

The barrel-aging lightens the body of the beer significantly, airs it out and breathes in some boozy vapor.
The rum came immediately to the fore, followed shortly by the bourbon; alternating and eventually merging thereafter...

Fruits, lightly dark and soft, and chewy toffee; residues of booze wash over subtle spice suggestions...

A really nice quad - a bit pricey - and while I would recommend it, it's not as good as the St. Bernardus Abt 12 a bunch of folks are gonna be drinking tonight...

Found a new vid for one of my favorite Therion songs off their Les Fleurs du Mal album (featuring covers of pop hits from France in the 60's; sung in French), "Initials B.B.". One of the big movers and shakers on the scene back then was Serge Gainsbourg, and this song was his tribute to Brigitte Bardot, one of the sex symbols of the time. The Therion version video, in keeping with the album's theme of depravity and perversion, features gratuitous breast exposure and is not safe for work, the wife or the kids. But you might like it You can also listen to the song, sans boobs here, and the original Serge Gainsbourg video (from 1968!) here.

That's all I got today, NBS - here's to new beer in your glass - cheers...

 

Hope you're not as disappointed in it as much as I was and lots of others.

 

Hey all what's going on?!?!

Can you believe this??? I don't just have no new beer today... I am OUT!! HOLY MOLLY I HAVE NO BEER AT ALL...ok wait.. I have some Natty Bo lawnmower beer.. but that's not new to me..

It is hotter than hades, and lately been busy with some minor traveling and cavorting.

I don't have anything to post but it looks like the gang here at NBS has got it covered. Some nice tasty looking brews I must say and tripel is one of my favorites too @utopiajane

So maybe I find some new goodies I might have a late night posting later.. we'll see

Cheers!

 

Good afternoon all,

Like most Sundays we started off at hockey, then the gym, and finally tennis. So upon getting home I cracked open this 3 Brothers Drift



3.84/5 rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Terrific starting at the pour, as this pale golden translucent ale delivers an awesome frothy head that conforms well to the lacing expectations that such a head creates.

Not a ton happening in the nose but there is a little more malt than hop initially, as the taste jump starts the aroma of grassy hops

Taste follows the nose precisely as grassy hops are barely supplanted by a thin maltiness.

Feels a little thin but in a positive way as what we have here is so dangerously crushable that there should be a warning on the can. (533 characters)

I also need to shout out to @kemoarps
for this morning's brunch as I proclaim my own NSS or, New Sauce Sunday thanks to his generosity in his box to me!



On my hash browns



Part of this nutritious brunch!



More to come soon as that Drift disappeared almost instantly!

 

Good morning NBS!

I got to take a little trip down to Indy yesterday as a proxy for Upland sours, and decided to make a day of it.

Went to a great little music shop called Arthur's and was a small weak moment away from walking out with a beautiful new Reverend Club King RT...but I knew beer purchases were coming so I decided to wait on the guitar.

Next I went to Sun King for a nice tour and a few brews. Picked up some of the previous King's reserve, Afternoon Delight, a BA Doppelbock, as well as some of my favorites from them. Because of laws regulating barrellage limits and self distributing, Sun King had to pull back to a donut shaped distro area around Indy. Well the laws have changed and I have been assured that I will be able to get their stuff up here in NW Indiana soon. Yippee!

Anyway...My new beer today is GFJ (Grapefruit Jungle) from Sun King



Pours a nice amber/ orange color with a fluffy beige colored head.

Aroma of grapefruit is forefront, with some other tropical fruit making an appearance. Mango, passion fruit, tangerine, and orange. There is hints of a nice pine resin in the background.

Taste is fruity, but balanced with a bitterness that lingers and coats the tongue.

Mouthfeel was not a thick as I was expecting. I think I would have liked this a little more chewy.

Overall a great beer that has a nice balance between tropical flavors and a piny bitterness.

Cheers!

 

I'm a little late to the party today, but I'm here. I let my proverbial "hair down" yesterday on WBAYDN and bled my adjunct soul all over the place. It's time to forgive past sins and cleanse my palate with local, fresh craft beer. Beer Church is in session. (you can thank me for that pun later).

Wichita Brewing Company's IPA In Session. Or I think the menu list had it as In Session IPA. Either way, this is a session IPA, and it weighs in at 4.3% ABV. It's a totally new beer to me. I didn't have many options on the menu that I haven't tried. Thankfully this is a low ABV beer, as I like to keep it light on Sundays. This was the perfect grab. Let's do this:

The beer is a lovely light copper color, very clear. The cream colored head settles down to a wisp with a collar of bubbles and it leaves classic bands of lacing. Very nice. When I opened the growler, I was overwhelmed with fresh citrus. Orange and grapefruit nearly knocked me on my feet. Out of the can glass, however, I get less citrus and more pine. Tons of fresh evergreen pine trees ... weird how the citrus changed? The beer tastes like Pinsol, or at least I am assuming I know what Pinesol tastes like. There's an ungodly amount of grapefruit rind in the finish. Pine, grapefruit ... this is a bitter beer for sure. The mouthfeel is medium to light in body with a clean, dry finish.

Overall, it's a very bitter and light IPA. No review on BA but it gets a 4.0 overall from me. I'm actually not the biggest fan of session IPAs anymore. The lesser malt bill seems to take something out of them. I liked them at first, and yes there IS a ton of taste in them, but I prefer at least a little body and balance. This beer is good -- I do like it. It's a bitter one, but the low ABV makes it go down easy. Time to watch some Royals baseball here in a while. Cheers NBS friends

 

Hello, advocates of beer! This beer was sent to me, from Germany!

3.25/5 rDev -16.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Schönramer Pils has a very thick, frothy, white head, a hazy, straw appearance, with some ascending bubbles, and heavy and impressive lacing left on the glass. The aroma is of sweet, mild cracker, and the flavor is of white bread, sweet malt, and fairly prominent, grassy hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is light to medium, and Schönramer Pils finishes crisp and refreshing.

 

I think I see where the issue lies ... and I am very close to being with you on it. To quote 5,000 other posts: "there's a time and place..." - and I enjoyed the Busch regular posts yesterday. Barely related, I am growing into loving balance and finding and enjoying the nuances out of "meh" that make a beer good (per my definition). More on point, glad to see you keeping your word and joining us on NBS.

@Greywulfken - a refresh caught your edit - glad I no longer have to debate if I am going crazy
@smakawhat - what!?!? no new beers? maybe you've had them all, given your posts and stats (sadly - I was looking that I have less and less options each week).

Last thought for this post - so pissed I will miss the end of the Open, there is such a huge logjam of who can win this thing.

 

Well got a new box of brews coming but not till Tuesday so it goes... patient waiting.

 

My wife and I did a lot of outdoor work yesterday. Later, we went to see Trainwreck. Enjoyed it a lot, particularly the opening and closing scenes. Turned out to be a raunchy, sweet movie.
Today I expect to be a lazy ass. I played golf this morning, and now I'm watching The British Open. Would love to see Spieth or the amateur win.
I am going to emulate @Greywulfken for my new beer, and am drinking Quintaceratops.


In a goblet, the beer was a dark brown color with a smallish tan head.

The aroma was dark fruit and booze.

A little more expression in the taste. Plums and raisins, rum, some coconut.

Smooth, easy-drinking. The 10.9% ABV is not at all noticeable.

Good beer.

 

I really appreciate that, thank you. I might miss next week but the NBS claws are firmly planted in me. I did't have a new beer this morning, so I waited until the brew pub opened at 11 am and I just had to ...

 

You mean me having Quadraceratops and Quintaceratops mixed up? Dude - I'm so glad I caught it in time - I was all messed up - that's what you get for drinking a quad after breakfast, eh? lol

 

Good afternoon NBS! Have a lot of new beers laying around, so time to start drinking them and enjoying some tasty brews. Starting with a beer I have been wanting to try since I first time I heard about, Mikkeller Beer Geek Cocoa Shake.

4.39/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

330 ml bottle poured into a teku

A- Black with a small dark mocha head.

S- Great rich creamy chocolate, cocoa, reminds me of hot chocolate.

T- Bittersweet chocolate, cocoa, roasted malts, faint coffee, mild hop bitterness.

M- Smooth, creamy, full body.

O- An other great beer in Mikkeller's Beer Geek series. Alcohol is very well hidden. I really like this, feel it would be better and a little more balanced if they added coffee. (437 characters)


Not as good as Vanilla Shake, but still a great beer, cheers!

 

What's up nbs. Real heat wave of summer here on the island. Not doing much at all except drinking beers and heading to the beach.

My bif box is still going strong thanks to @rgordon . My new beer is another nc beer. Irish walker, barley-wine, from Olde Hickory Brewing.

Dark and murky pour with a ruby brown color. Nose is pretty floral with candied fruits, syrup, and sugars. Dry and smooth on the first sip with a candied sweet finish. Fruit notes come out the more I drink. Hints of dates, figs, and raisins. The malt sweetness really adds balance on the finish. Mouth feel is medium and slightly sticky. The 10% hides dangerously well which is why I'm going to plug the second pour for later this evening.

Overall, a very enjoyable example of the style. I'm in 4/4.5 range.

 

Are you in on the St. Bernardus mass tasting later? I think the Abt 12 is either the best or peer to anything else out there. I randomly grabbed this quad (the Quintaceratops) yesterday, while completely forgetting about the tasting today *unprepared*

 

You and me both. In order for me to responsibly commit to this, I'd have to go buy a bottle and cut off my drinking now. Not gonna happen. I'll watch from the cheap seats, as they say

 

On to my next NB for this S. This one comes from @kemoarps and is quite the tasty one to say the least!

Crikey IPA from Reuben's Brew

4.09/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Another great looking beer here with a ginourmus off-white foamy head that leaves behind an equally foamy lace. Color is light caramel and perfectly clear.

Nose seems a touch muted but starts to wake up further along into the beer, as we get a little citrus (specifically lemon), and hints of pine.

Taste is quite simply wonderful as it begins with a bold almost pungent earthy hop that gives way to lemon and olive.

Highly carbonated and fairly aggressive on the tongue with all the bitter.

Overall, this is a delightful beer!