New Beer Sunday (week 554)

So I'm back already...

Next up is Bare Hands Double. Thai.P.A.

One of the more unique beers coming out of my part of the country. They add lemongrass, kafir lime leaf, galangal, and a few other things. They have a regular and double version. The double version ups some of the spices added.


Pours a relatively clear golden orange color. Slight head chalk white head that forms a slight film on the top.

Smell is of a nice pine resin mixed with tropical fruit. Lime and slight lemon present along with the grapefruit and orange. A nice tropical bouquet. Some slight spice notes in the nose as well.

Taste follows the nose fairly closely. The spices come out full force right up front. A blast of citrus, lime and orange, along with an odd mix of spices that I must admit that I don't dabble in much and can't pick out precisely. But they are there. Imagine Thai spice fruit salad. Very refreshing with a hint of a kick. Finishes with a pine resin coating the tongue and lingering spice.

Mouthfeel is on the heavier side, but in line with the style. Nice malt backbone shows in the mouthfeel, but plays a major backseat to the flavors.

Overall a great beer and an interesting one to boot. I've liked everything I've had from Bare Hands and this is no exception.

Cheers!

If you're ever in South Bend, IN for some reason, it's definitely worth the short drive to granger to check this place out. They can do it all. Great hoppy beers, and they make a really nice malty styles. They have a Russian Imperial, Mail Order Bride, which I have a BA version of lying around somewhere....might have to break that out next week...

 

Well a late entry for me on this NBS as we were off to the NH Food Truck Festival at the Redhook Brewery this morning. Lots of food trucks and we had VIP admissions so we got in an hour before the big crowd. Lots of great food to much to explore it all but had some curried goat at the Jamaican truck that was pretty good. Maybe a tad on the mild side for the way I like my curry. Only Redhook beer and I had a couple of Octoberfests and they were well not as good as Sierra Nevada that's for sure.

My new beer this Sunday as much as I hate to say it was influenced by the add they had in the latest BA Mag. Shed Brewing had a 1/2 page add for there Profanity Ale ( A F!@#ING Hoppy Brew with an obscenely malty backbone) And wouldn't you know I found a mix pack with this included while shopping on Saturday and it was even dated 9/15/15. I had to buy it the add was etched in my brain.

As you can see this beer pours a dark brown color with a thin creamy tan head in my tulip glass.

The aroma to the nose is nothing but hops, man was I shocked, lots of citrus and tropical overtones. There is only a slight sweet aroma from the malt hidden in the background.

The taste to me was a huge surprise not the malt bomb I expected but this wonderful hoppy flavor and even though it has a malt background the combination of the 2 works very well together. Great amount of bitterness and a little sweetness in the back of the mouth for the finish.

The mouth feel is pleasant with a nice amount of carbonation. No long lingering malt flavors.

I would have to say this is one of the most surprising beers I've ever had out of a mix pack so much so that I had to drink a second one to make sure the first was the real deal. A well done beer from The Shed Brewery. Now I hope I can find it either in a 6 or 12 pack.

What a beautiful fall day this turned out to be here in central NH and I got to make a couple of stops coming back from the food truck fest and was able to pick up a few more new beers so I hopefully will return with another.

 

Just back from visiting my mother, had a nice lunch with her at Frontier in Brunswick. We had our biweekly discussion about her moving down here to live with us. She's adamant about not doing that, but she's 90 and getting frail (physically, not mentally). I'm glad she's able to live independently now, but the time is approaching when she'll need some help.
Back home, drinking Dorado from Ballast Point. So glad BP came to Maine.
The beer poured a hazy apricot color with a minimal off-white head.
A nice aroma of citrus and tropical fruit, faint pine.
Very much a citrus taste. Grapefruit and tangerine primarily. A little papaya and a little pine.
Pleasantly hoppy mouthfeel. The 10% ABV not at all noticeable.
Another winner from Ballast Point.

 

Good for you. That fuckn' shit is not even in GJ!

Cheers!

 

I added a couple of bottles of this to a batch of chili I made yesterday and it worked pretty well at least it was better used there than me trying to drink the bottles I had left from a 6 pack.

 

Greetings, all! I have just returned from S. Jersey where the family was visiting #1 son for Family Day during his first year at college. We wish the weather could have been better, that's for sure, but it was just great seeing each other again. I even noticed a subtle but definite change in him towards being more mature and independent already. All in all, a very worthwhile trip.

Here's my first beer on this fine early Autumn day-

Almanac Citra Sour
First things first- this shit is off the goddamn hook! The nose is intensely fruity at first, and not fresh fruit, no, there is the roaring presence of cling peaches in heavy syrup right off the bat. Plus other concentrated fruits as well, such as pineapple, guava and preserved lemon. But there's also so much else going on underneath- flowers (carnations?), spices (coriander, pepper, even a hint of mustard seeds), white wine (almost sancerre-like), white raisins and a touch of oak. Pure freakin' dynamite. The palate is no letdown, either- it's as rich and full as the nose promises. The balance of flavors does shift wildly towards the winey/grapey side, as the oak starts to dominate on a loooong finish characterized by the tug of war between citrusy sourness and toasty wood. The next instance the aroma is as fruity as before and the cycle starts anew, with the exception that the palate is getting fruitier as I go on. Pricey beer, but worth it. A+ (4.85).

Enjoy the remainder of your Sundays, everybody, and keep up with those great contributions. Cheers!

 

Yeah, it kinda sucks!

Cheers!

 

Spent Saturday in Miramar watching the air show with the family, which included the awesome blue Angels. Then ended the day at Ballast Point for dinner, who knew it was only 10 minutes away?!

While there I picked up a growler of Fathom IPL. Since I rarely buy bombers I have never picked this up, which is surprising because I love a good IPL.

Beer pours out an ultra clear orange/copper color. Fluffy head that dissipates to leave a foamy rim around the glass. The aroma smells of bright/piercing orange/tangerine and citrus with underlying notes of pine. Smells like cascade hops. Also, get a touch of sweet caramel and grainy malt notes. No fruity esters that I can tell. Also, starting to get some floral aroma as well. Tastes is hop forward with dominates notes of citrus, floral and pine. Getting some good bitterness that builds. The bitterness doesn't hit you up front but builds and lingers a bit. Getting some caramel sweet malts that sticks around on the palate. The beer finishes so clean, crisp and refreshing. This is what a good IPL should be like. Consisting this is 7% I could drink this all day and find myself passed out in a corner somewhere.

Overall I am really enjoying this. Hoppy with a good balance of malt that is so easy to drink I'll would have no problem drinking this all day.

My son on my shoulders watching the blue Angels.



My stop at Ballast Point for dinner. I recommend the pretzel with beer cheese and buttermilk friend chicken...mmm



Growler of Fathom.

 

A crisp Fall day. Perfect for a nice barleywine on the deck. Victory Brewing Co.'s Old Horizontal.
I've been impressed with Victory Brewing's offerings.

4.33/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 22 oz. bottle into snifter. The color is an attractive orange-amber with a thick, creamy egg white head and thick lacing which doesn't dissipate. This looks like a perfect autumn beer! The smell features malt, vanilla, bourbon, and cherry. The taste is delightfully complex: bourbon forward with malt, vanilla or caramel, honey, and cherry, and finishing quite bitter. I agree with other reviewers that the taste improves as the ale assumes room temperature. This is a medium-bodied ale with pleasant carbonation. It's very boozy - maybe a little too much so. Overall, it is a fine barleywine. I'm interested in knowing whether age will make it smoother with less bitterness at the finish and less alcohol burn. Victory Brewing Company produces some excellent ales and stouts.

 

I've used Ghost Face before as well, kind of wished I had just returned it to the bottle and capped it but part of me really enjoyed punishing it through drain pour for offending me.

 

Another Lazy New Beer Sunday #2

Brick Mason Imperial Stout - Red Brick Brewing Company



4.24/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This stout is impenetrably black; strong light directed at the edges reveals that it is murky and effervescent. It pours to a nice thick, sticky-looking pebbly brown head that leaves moderate rafts and spots of lacing in its wake, but diminishes quickly to a collar and a haze. On the nose, it is moderate in intensity: a delicious blend of chocolate ice cream and molasses sitting on top of some oaky tones and booze. Flavorwise, it presents itself as a very nice blend of bright, sweet caramel and toffee with lesser amounts of cocoa. The finish is toffee-like and boozy, slightly sweet and very warming from the alcohol, with lingering coffee and chocolate notes that last a minute or two. The big mouthfeel is commensurate with the full body, and the texture is very creamy and quite sticky. The carbonation, while lively, is unobtrusive; the alcohol is apparent, but in a very good way. Very nice balance between sweetness and roast.

★ 938 characters

OldManMetal, A moment ago Edit Delete

 

Well I'm late to the picnic today due to having to work. In line with that theme the first beer I'm going to review today is a classic which most will be familiar with. I may be the last drinking age male in the state of Vermont to actually taste this beer.

Heady Topper

The Alchemist
American Double / Imperial IPA / 8.00% ABV

4.67/5 rDev +0.2% | Avg: 4.66
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

L-A hazy golden peach color with a full inch of white fluffy head. Lacing clings to the sides in layers as I drink.
S-Citrus is plain as the nose on my face. That would make it very plain for those not familiar.
T-There is the citrus you would expect. There is no bitterness what so ever which I find amazing. It's not complex or groundbreaking (anymore), it's simply incredibly well done.
F- A pretty good level of carb. Certainly not full or silky. What you would expect from an DIPA.
O-I now know why people wait in line for this beer. It isn't anything groundbreaking anymore. It's too old for that. It is simply an exhibition of doing something as close to perfection as possible. The can states "So drinkable it's scary", and I think that's about the perfect summation.

 

So hungry...

 

Samuel Smith beers have always been to me some of the best looking out. Always a sight for sore eyes.

Outstanding review.

 

Seems "cedar" is today's word of the day. Seen it many reviews already.

 

That's a very tasty brew! Wished it showed up in GJ, we do get other's from Victory. It's been a very long time, since.

Cheers!

 

Very Nice, would be cool to see it in CO.

Cheers!

 

Overcast but not gloomy Sunday afternoon here in Albuquerque. Not sure what impact the weather had on the International Balloon Festival but last night's Balloon Glow was a perfect temperature and didn't get rained out.

I got a big package from Massachusetts last Friday which was an awesome way to return from Chihuahua, Mexico where I drank mostly Sotol and wine over beer (except for a bucket of Coronas in a bar, haha). One of the brews in the MA box was this gem from Vermont, Lawson's Super Session #2:


4.31/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 ounce can into a tulip glass.

Hazy golden and copper body with a sticky, sudsy head. Streaks of lace develop as the head recedes. Trickles of carbonation are visible. 4.25

Smells mighty fruity. Tropical. Passionfruit and pineapple and mango and honeydew and canteloupe and a strong floral presence. This resembles juice more than a beer. So sweet and juicy. 4.5

Damn, would have really loved a juicy flavor to match the nose, but such doesn't occur. Much more piney with grapefruit peel than tropical, although touches of the melon and floral qualities peek through. Still, I'm liking this. Tart orange juice enters the picture and it develops more of the lovely tropical flavor. One thing I'll say for sure, for a low ABV session, this holds plenty of flavor! 4.25

Light-bodied, refreshing, zesty, bitter with only the mellowest of sweet hints. Very drinkable and still plenty to take in. 4.25

This was damn good. Loved it. Wish I had a sixer!

 

New DIPA Sundnay


Finally trying the last IPA from Hoof Hearted that I have yet to sample. Canned at about 11:00 this morning. This brewery already makes a beer that I find very similar to Heady Topper, and this one is no slouch either. The best part is how they are making some world class beers, but don't take themselves seriously (in case you couldn't tell by the name of the brewery). Not sure why the picture looks like it was taken on Mars, but here you go.


4.3/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

From a same day canning into a Hoof Hearted Teku glass.

It pours a murky, unfiltered pale orange. Looks like orange juice. Definitely had the east coast thing going on. There is a big fluffy white head, but it dissipates pretty fast. A little bit of lacing.

Aromas are mainly tropical fruit with a little bit of sourness. Going to say pineapple and orange. Also a solid amount of dankness. Not medicinal, more yeasty/earthy. Like a mineral water, or limestone. I call it musty.


Tastes like pineapple juice with a splash of mandarin orange. Zesty and rind like, sweet and sour. The hops are fairly subtle initially, but continue to build into a solid and lingering bitterness. There is a biting spiciness that stings the back of your throat that is like a fermented, or alcohol soaked chunk of pineapple. Not what I would call pepper though.

Very crisp feel. It has a little bit of that Belgian yeast thing. Otherwise, a very smooth textured body reminiscent of a wheat beer, but not as full.

Honestly I could probably copy and paste my score/review for Hill Farmstead Society and Solitude #5, because this beer is almost a carbon copy. A very raw, unfiltered, natural tasting ipa with wonderfully balanced flavors. This brewery is making some great beers.