New Beer Sunday (week 548)

Pale ales, India Pale Ales, Double IPAs. Oh, the things you can drink with a handful of glasses. It makes me kerschnickered. It gives me a buzz. There'll be doppelbocks, eisbocks, brown ales and Goses. Blond ales and pilsners and things with “dank” noses. With plenty of hunting, you can drink down some whalez. I am the Beerax. I speak for the lagers!

If it just sounded like I was possessed by the ghost of Theodor Geisel, youtube (that’s a verb now, right?). “Avery Bullock Dr. Seuss.” That should explain everything. Well, almost everything. The American Dad reference is actually a reference to The Lorax. There, that explains everything (except why I chose to do my NBS intro that way). Anyhoo, it’s time for one of my entertaining, self-indulgent NBS reviews.

On the docket: 22 oz. bottle of Abita’s Strawgator (Strawberry Doppelbock)

Poured into: German style wheat glass, etched with the logo of NNPTC (Naval Nuclear Power Training Command). Three of these were given to me as a gift from my now-honorably discharged brother.


S: A burnished gold body gives support to a spongy but thick off-white head. The lacing it leaves on the glass as it recedes reminds one of aboveground pool-lining vinyl, in a rounded but grid-like pattern. Good head retention, about a thumb’s width. Bubbles well up from the bottom leisurely, as if on a Sunday stroll down the main street of a Southern village on a hot day.


A: A waft of strawberry and banana, much like a smoothie, greets the nose. Doughy malt and sweetness is a close second. Sniff gently, and one can also detect fruity esters and just a faint hint of alcohol. No discernable hop presence in the aroma.


T: Strawberry again in the beginning, plus a tiny taste of spice from the yeast. Like the aroma, doughy sweet malt follows joined a trace of bubblegum. It ends tangy, sweet, and just the smallest bit of dryness and bitterness. The German Perle hops get lost in the bayou until the beer warms up a bit. This is certainly of the dessert side of the beer scale.


F: Slick, full and creamy. There’s enough carbonation present not to make it a chore to drink, but on the flatter side.


O: An interesting take on the style, certainly not traditional. There are no real roasty, chocolate notes here- more like strawberry shortcake. Between all the aspects, you have the smell, sight (almost), and taste. Think of this as a heavier version of Abita’s Strawberry Harvest Lager. It’s better consumed (I say) a little cooler, as it’s a bit more crisp. As it warms up, the sugar is a bit more apparent.

S: 4.25 A: 4 T: 4.25 F: 3.75 O: 4

Suggested food pairing: Summer salad with strawberries and almonds, strawberries and cream, strawberry shortcake a la mode… you see where this is heading

And hey, don't forget to check out my beer blog.

 

Hello, fellow NBS-ers! I hope everyone's enjoying their Sunday! Already I'm seeing some great stuff here & also over at WBAYDN, today is off to a great start! As always, it's a pleasure to be here sharing my thoughts on a new beer or two with you all & of course reading all of your thoughtful, insightful, interesting new brew reviews.

It's been a nice day so far here, ran some early errands with the GF & now the two of us are attempting to tidy the homestead up a bit, between beers, of course

So who would've thought that before noon today, there would have already been a post featuring a beer that plays on the heart/tart pun? @smakawhat , you beat me to it! Granted, not the same brew, but I still don't think I'm getting any points for originality :-) Anyway, I give you...

Bruery Terreux Tart of Darkness


First, some BA stuff:

A: 4, S: 3.75, T: 4.25, M: 3.75, O: 4, BA says: 4.02

My official review:

750ml bottle into my Duvel tulip.

A: Pours a nearly-opaque black with vibrant amber highlights around the edges when held up to bright artificial light. 3/4" light-tan head that recedes quickly. Retention is just above average, lacing is poor.

S: Very mild overall. I primarily detect a promising amount of lactic tang along with some plummy & figgy fruit character. There is perhaps a milk chocolate note as well, with a slightly boozy anise quality. This is a much more muted nose than I was hoping for/expecting, although what's there is quite nice.

T: Comes on with a pretty strong lactic tartness that lingers into the mid palate. The mid palate itself features vinegar & a musty grape quality along with fairly pronounced oak. Underneath that, I'm finding bright overripe strawberry & cherry. The finish is again sharp & pleasantly tart with a bit more of an oaky anise quality. Not the deepest-flavored Bruery Sour that I've tasted, but it's definitely well-crafted & enjoyably tart.

M: Lowish-to-moderate carb married to a light, slightly creamy body. It's all rather appropriate given the flavor profile.

O: This brew is really quite enjoyable. The sourness brings a nice brute-force to an otherwise straightforward palate.

So, not only is this my first go-round with Tart of Darkness, it's also my first crack at a beer labeled as a 'Sour Stout'. I find that classification interesting, as this beer simply doesn't resemble a Stout to me except in a few token ways. It does have a Stout-like appearance, although I'd be inclined to say it looks more Porter-ish & it does feature a slightly creamier mouthfeel than I'm used to for a Sour. Beyond that, however, the notion of this being a Stout of any kind is lost on me.

All that aside, I'm really happy with this beer. I've been craving a truly 'sour' Sour for a while now, after using up my supply of Lost Rhino Sours & being unable to find any Sour in the Rye - so when this bottle popped up on one of my local shelves, I knew I had to get after it.

I should add that this brew takes on a bit more of a nutty character as it warms, which I'm really enjoying. Another Bruery Sour masterpiece.

I hope to be back with another new one at some point today, 'til then...

Wishing you all good beer & good cheer!

 

Hello to everyone at NBS!

My new beer for the day is La Tache, a wild ale brewed by The Ale Apothecary, some mad genius out in Oregon. Picked this up several months ago in a bottle shop in Corvallis. At $32 for a 750 bottle, probably the most I've ever spent ( or will spend) on a beer. Normally I'm a bit of a tightwad, but was feeling unusually happy and spendthrift that day, thinking I'd cellar this away for a special occasion. Well, today at brunch that special (family related) occasion arrived.

This beer pours a beautiful hazy yellow into a teku glass. Very carbonated, kicking up a lively head of foam. The nose is citrus, pear, a bit of funk, all very pleasant. Can almost nose feel those tiny bubbles hovering over the rim of the glass. The taste is quite delicious. More refreshingly tart than over the top sour. Wow, this is really good. Pear, citrus, a little funk, a suggestion of oak, a dry finish with a hint of hop bitterness. This beer inhabits the borderland between a wild ale and a really good Bret saison, and that's a place I'd love to spend some time. The mouthfeel is light and bubbly - the words "sprite" and "effervescent" come to mind.

Really glad I got to try this one, but doubt I'll run across it again since it is pricey a bit hard to come by. Cheers!

 

New small Saison Sunday

Greetings again NBSer's,
as summer nears an end I will also slowly work back towards weeks in a row of a regular routine. A bit of a whole week this week then some time off again. September...yea, then it'll be back.
Refreshingly cool here in SCMN after pleasurable storms last night followed by a blast of cool air.
A small saison (as noted in the new bjcp designations). This is highly complex, but not quite as fruity and refreshing as I like this style. Nonetheless worthwhile.
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22167/124595/?ba=garymuchow

I'll probably be lurking and maybe I'll contribute again.
Best to all.

 

31 degrees ... wow!

We had a day earlier this week when the high temperature topped out at about 75, and we nearly held a parade.

Sweet photo spread!

Unfortunately though not surprisingly, the heat is back here in Texas, but that day of 70-degree weather earlier this week really got me ready for the fall and some good fall-season beer. And football, of course.

Hard to say what weather fits this one because it’s a new 13TH CENTURY beer for me this Sunday:


Didn't take chances with this one and had a second glass ready for the sediment pour.

yucky stuff ... but we've seen worse


Looks more or less like a beer, no?

Professor Fritz Briem’s 13th Century Grut is quite the experience ... one I prepared for. I had a bottle of the brewery's historic Berliner weissbier earlier this year, so between that experience, reading up on the Scottish gruit and the fact that I bought this rarity at Jester King’s bottle shop (where 70% of the stock qualifies as a “sour”), I knew this beer would likely be a wild ride. Boy is it! The first sip tastes like biting into a ginger root then swallowing a bunch of dirt -- and I mean DIRT, not the good English fuggle hops or anything approaching foodstuff. Yeeech! I don’t drainpour, but that first sip tested my resolve.

The palate is a wonderful thing, though, and by the third sip, my taste buds began to recalibrate and the beer began to warm a bit and some of the wonderful notes in the nose began showing up in the beer -- spearmint, basil, rosemary and a light sweetness to help make it drinkable. The combined effect is very much like a green tea or herbal tea, and there’s no mistaking the fact that the ginger dominates all -- aroma, flavor, hell, possibly even mouthfeel. It’s a force.

And the nose on this thing is worth the price of admission. Anybody who doubts you can smell multiple and varied things in one beer needs half an hour with this sucker. There's 10 different notes if there's one, including lemon, oregano, thyme, Sprite and probably elderberries, or what I imagine elderberries smell like -- something tree/bush twiggy like.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23495/44016/?ba=Premo88
4.04 (+5.5% rDev)

I would only recommend this beer to the highly adventurous. A good 1/3 of the way into the pint, it’s actually very nice ... almost what I’d imagine ginger beer tastes like (I’ve never had any). A slight lemony tartness is helping, and it’s much, much less bitter than that first sip. The awful dirt flavor is gone.

Likely this beer is a one-and-done for me. But I’d be very open to trying a different gruit, if and when I can find one. Anybody else ever wrestle down a pint of this stuff?

Cheers!

 

Never tried that style before, but your post was very nuanced & informative - I think that I may have to seek one out now. :-)

 

I checked the list for the style and it says I had one but when I click through the pages, nothing shows up? A retired one? It's freaking me out.

Found it: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/116083/?ba=Bitterbill

And yes, it's retired.

 

Yes it is afternoon here in slightly overcast central NH today but all in all not a bad day. Thanks to Maria for getting us started on this NBS. We ventured out early this morning to bike the Northern NH Rail Trail which runs from just north of Concord all the way to Lebanon for a total of over 50 miles. We start in Boscawen and followed the trail to Webster Lake and then headed back as the sky were looking more threatening by the minute. So only about 25 miles in total but a nice leisurely ride. I started the day by these beautiful sights in the garden this morning.

Our morning glories are living up to there name this year. And well the marigolds aren't far behind.

And well this bunch of tomatoes is running a little later than others
My New Beer for this Sunday comes from Allagash Brewing and is there 2015 Confluence a dry hopped ale with Brett.

This beer poured a pale golden yellow color with a nice lacy white head when poured into my tulip glass. A great looking beer from the first pour. This was bottled on 6/14/15.
The nose of this of course is somewhat overshadowed by the Brett used in the fermentation but not as totally as a lot of other Brett beers that I have had. There are some malt overtones with a perhaps a slight bready aroma. There are also some fruit aroma of perhaps pineapple and some other citrus fruits.
The taste is crisp and fairly clean not over powered by the brett funk as some beers are. There is a little funk but with the great blend of malts and the final dry hopping it does not overpower this beer.
The mouth feel is crisp clean and actually a little dry but very enjoyable in this style beer.
This is another great beer IMO from Allagash and I will have to seek out a couple more bottles as I only picked up one this time.
Were off to a Lobster boil at a friends house later this afternoon so not sure if I will make it back for another post this afternoon but do have another beer in the fridge for that purpose.
Cheers to all and have a great NBS

 

I need to check out something from Proclamation.

 

An overcast, drizzly day here in southern Maine. My sister and brother in law came down yesterday. We had a good round of golf, dinner at When Pigs Fly, and some card games. They've left, and I got the lawn mowed before it got too wet. The youngest is packing; we're taking him back to WPI tomorrow morning. Empty nesters again!

I decided to try Stone Thunderstruck. It's gotten a lot of hype. I thought it was a very good IPA, but not as good as some reviewers have claimed.

In a snifter the beer was a clear golden color. There was a small white head and no lace.
Strong citrus aroma, a little bit earthy.
Grapefruit! Resinous and earthy.
A nice, hoppy beer. Would drink it again.

 

Jacks Abby of Massachusetts and Otter Creek of Vermont collaborate for Joint Custody Nouveau Pilsener. This beer was released for the first time in July 2015 so it is new. Although several BA members have been posting photos of it for weeks. They are experimenting with a new variety of German hop to brew this one. Both breweries put out nice beer so seeing the two of them together is something exciting for a fan of New England beers.

Hazy olive-yellow pour under a tremendous, soft white head. German pilsener malt sweetness is abundant and the hops are fruity and citrus like. But they don't come out that way so much in the taste. Same breaded sweetness but the hop bitterness is pretty solid and lingering but it reminds me more of cantaloupe. Only available in the Northeast for a short time. Otter Creek is taking the lead on the distribution.

 

Brett Saisons? Yeah I like'em!
Jester King El Credo has a nice tart funk aroma from the Brett with plenty of cedar wood, yeast, grass, and some floral hops and herbs. More citrusy, lemon scents complete the nose.

Taste starts off with a funky and cedar wood flavor with a lemon and tartness about it. A nice citrus, lemon and floral hops with a wet straw/grass funk. Good amount of yeast, wheat, and some light spiced hops to finish it off.

Excellent Saison by JK and it reminds me of Jolly Pumpkin Bam Bier, but with cedar.

 

This brewery just started distro to my area. Any recs on what I should pick up?

 

Great pic!

 

Going to have a blizzard in September this year?

 

Good morning/afternoon NBSers. Quite a busy week just gone and ahead for yours truly. Taking a trip out to Northern Virginia this coming week for a few days for work so trying to have a chilled out Sunday ahead of that. Will start to look later at what beers I might be able to land out there that I can't at home

I have had this beer in my fridge for a few months and thought it would be timely to crack it open, what with summer seemingly coming to something of an end, with mild weather and feel of fall coming into the Chicago area.



Poured into my Half Acre dimpled mug but also poured a little into one of my tasting glasses so as to make sure i'm not missing anything.

The mug pour kicked up a fine foamy, pillowy head....glad I chose this vessel as Baume looks wonderful in there. I don't use this mug as often as I should but plan on using it plenty for the Oktoberfest style ales that I will be getting into soon!

Onto Baume...



This beer is flagged as a chocolate rye stout. The rye notes definitely play a big part here and provide a spiciness and savory aspect to what could have been a very dessert forward, chocolate stout. The body is medium - full, pleasantly coating the mouth. I'm getting pumpernickel rye bread here - almost like rye toast with a sliver of chocolate spread on it, washed down with a pot of diner grade coffee. I've had this in hand for a good few months but still get a liberal dosing of the hops in here that provide another level of complexity here. Overall it seems to me like this sits between a stout and a brown ale. As it warms plenty more toffee notes and a little nuttiness comes in. To be honest, I care not too much for the labeling but more on the quality of the beer and this for me is a hit! I'm beginning to get a taste for rye beers, and this is one that uses that base very interestingly indeed.

 

Whereabouts in NOVA? Perhaps I could buy you a beer :-)

 

Flying visit into Ashburn! Hoping to be out there by Thursday night

 

Not much of a hike for me, BM me if you find yourself with some free time :-)
Speaking of free time, if you get the chance, definitely check out Ashburn's own Lost Rhino:
http://www.lostrhino.com/
Also these guys:
https://www.facebook.com/OcelotBrewing
Haven't made it out to this one yet, but I've had a few growlers of their AMAZING IPA lineup :-)