New Beer Sunday (week 555)

Happy NBS and football Sunday everyone.

Swore I wouldn't do another DIPA at 9am on a Sunday but I couldn't help myself (and I need a break from pumpkin beer).

Today’s new beer is Avery’s Raja DIPA. Picked this up thinking that they were now canning their Maharaja DIPA but see this is a different beer (lower alcohol as well).

L: Light golden and clear. Nice fluffy head that lingered. Nice lacing remained as I sipped.

A: Tropical fruits, peach, apricot. Hint of pot. Reminds me of Lagunitas’ IPA’s which is a good thing.

T/F: Taste is tropical, with some citrus zest. Not overly bitter. Medium bodied (maybe a little on the thin side) and medium carb. Alcohol is well hidden. And it’s refreshing.

O: Not really complicated but really good. Very crisp and clean and has a nice juicy mouth feel going for it. Hides the 8% pretty well. I prefer this to Maharajah just due to the lower alcohol (and not being 22oz) Never been blown away by Avery but this is good stuff. However the price point (I think I paid well over $3 for the can ) is pretty outrageous. That may keep me from throwing this into my permanent rotation. Might get overlooked by some as it's not from a fancy new brewery but I'd recommend it.

Ended up with a 4.1.

Happy Sunday.

 

6.8% alcohol. 69 IBU.

4.24/5 rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Tango Delta Tangerine IPA has a thick, off-white head, a clear, slightly bubbly, orange-gold appearance, and moderate lacing left behind. The aroma is of perfume-like hop oil, white bread, nectar, and juice, and the flavor is of white bread, strong, but not harsh, bitterness, pine, citrus, and sweetness. Mouthfeel is medium, and Tango Delta finishes on the dry and drinkable side.

RJT

 

Greetings friends,
I'll try to get back later, but I'm hanging out with my best friend visiting from New Orleans. His older sister is critically ill, so we are spending time with him today. Everyone have fun!

 

Second Week of October – Wet Hopped Beer time (isn’t it?)

So, I went to a couple local beer stores looking for six-packs of Wet Hopped beers (in particular Sixpoint Sensi and Victory Harvest Ale) and no luck.

I really want to drink a Wet Hopped beer so I decided I will just have to drink my homebrewed Wet Hopped Harvest Ale.

There is a very looooong story behind my Wet Hopped Harvest Ale so I will do my best to be succinct in my story telling.

Chapter 1: The Mysterious Hop Plant

My sister sent a hop rhizome to my wife as part of a birthday present 4 years ago. The package was drop shipped from gardeners.com and all that the plastic bag had on it was a label of “Hop Rhizome”. My job was to dig the hole and toss the hop rhizome in it; a hop rhizome looks like a twig. That hop plant grew well with little maintenance; no fertilizer, no watering, etc. So, what variety of hop is this plant? I have no idea. In correspondence with Stan Hieronymus (author of the book For the Love of Hops) we sort of guessed that maybe this is a Cluster Hop Plant?

Chapter 2: The brewing of Wet Hopped beer

This is my third year brewing a Wet Hopped Harvest Ale. My ‘base beer’ is an American Pale Ale and I use wet hops added to the boil. This year I had two helpers: Gary and Rob. As I was conducting the boil I instructed these two fine fellows to collectively pick about 12 ounces of hop cones. After about 15 minutes they both came in with their pickings; Gary’s amount was twice the size of Rob (Rob is a slacker). I weighed the harvest out and there was just over 20 ounces of very fresh wet hops. So, at the end of the boil I added the 20+ ounces of wet hops to the wort and let it stand for 40 minutes. This was an end of the boil aroma addition.

Chapter 3: Beer!

There is a saying that brewers make wort and yeast makes beer. Well the yeast did indeed make beer out of this. My beer has been bottle conditioning for a little over 2 weeks so it is carbonated and ready for a first tasting.

Chapter 4: Let’s Drink!!

Served in my Spiegelau IPA Glass:

Appearance:

Pale colored with an orangeish hue. A firm white head sits on top of the beer.

Aroma:

The first thing that hits my nose is pleasant spicy/herbal aromas from the hops. The aroma level is medium. Not much there in terms of malt aroma.

Taste:

The taste pretty much follows the nose with flavors of spicy & herbal from the hops. A moderate bitterness which provides a bit of firmness to the beer.

Mouthfeel

Medium bodied with a dry finish.

Overall

The most prominent characteristic of this beer is that it has great drinkability. After finishing this beer all that I could think was: I would like to have another.


I will let this beer further condition for another few weeks before really ‘going to town’ on drinking this beer; I think it will get even better with some additional bottle conditioning time. Hopefully in the next week I will be able to track down Sixpoint Sensi and/or Victory Harvest Ale so will continue to get my Wet Hopped beer fix satisfied.

Let’s talk about Wet Hopped beer a little bit. Some people may ask: what’s the big deal about brewing with wet hops (fresh hops)? The analogy that I like to use is a cooking analogy and using fresh herbs vs. dried herbs. For example, there is a world of difference between fresh basil and dried basil (I LOVE fresh basil). I would not claim that the level of difference between wet hops and dried hops is large but it is indeed a noticeable difference.

I have seen folks describe Wet Hopped beers as having a ‘green’ taste which I have difficulty relating to since green is a color to me vs. a flavor. I think they are referring to a chlorophyll induced quality to the beer. I can report that for my palate, my Wet Hopped Harvest Ale did not have any flavors that I could associate with the word ‘green’. Maybe this aspect is hop variety dependent? Maybe it is process dependent (e.g., dry hopping with wet hops)? Or maybe a function of whether the hops were harvested early vs. late in the season?

Cheers to my Mysterious Hop Plant for producing a tasty Wet Hopped Harvest Ale!

P.S. For your viewing pleasure a photograph of some hop cones and hop leaves and the beer sitting under the arch trellised hop plant.

@LeRose @SFACRKnight

 

Goooooooooooooood morning NBS!
Much appreciation to our matron of morning mischief and to the innumerable institution of imbibing believers beckoned by the bellows of sol herself.

Or something.
The holy offering of this fine Sunday takes the form of the last two Texas beers I acquired via @BullDoza in NBS BIF#2 (shameless plug: I HIGHLY recommend joining up the next time one of these thins rolls around. Great fun on all ends). Lakewood brewing, based in the outskirts of Dallas, makes a wonderfully enticing little (ha) milk stout by the name of Temptress. The original, as I learned, thanks to the consideration and charity of Nick is a fantastic rich and creamy stout. Well, it turns out they also release(d) a series based on said original titled the Seduction Series. Nick was kind enough to include the Mole edition in his box, and.... well you'll have to read on to find my opinions on this variation, but spoiler alert: This.
What I'm getting at is that I tried the original and the Mole back to back or side by side, or orthogonal by diagonal, or... well you get the point.

Lakewood Temptress and Lakewood Mole Temptress
--Early on, the nod went easily to the base beer. Original poured an inviting velvety satin-black with a nice finger of dark brown head. Beautiful lacing followed. Soft and seductive, it easily lived up to its name.
The slightly-southern-ier version, on the other hand, exploded on to the scene. Literally. After sitting in the fridge for the last few months, it suffered the jarring physical activity of being carried about ten feet and gently set down on my side table. Then it sat still for the twenty minutes or so it took me to formulate some oh-so-important opinions of its progenitor. Then I attempted to open it. I spent a decent amount of time mopping up the floor and the coffee table, but thankfully the dog had the good sense to not be curled up underneath my feet this time.
Further, once that got sorted out, and it finally made its way to the glass, there was negligible head and it took on an unbroken black nature that filled every corner of this shapely glass with a substance at once murky and completely opaque. There was something almost sinister about how it assumed the shape of the glass, but offered only vague glimpses into a dimension the human mind was not meant to comprehend. I've never thought to describe a beer as 'Lovecraftian' before, but this almost achieves that level.

--Aroma introduces a significant plot twist later on, but first, the basics. The original was enjoyable, if a little basic. A soft roasty chocolate spends a few intimate if fleeting moments with molasses and alcohol, bringing in tinges of dark fruit. Already though the mole version is striking out on its own and creating a new world. While that first original kind of gives a comfortable winter time by the fire with cocoa or coffee kind of feeling, this one brings together the cinnamon and a masterful blend of chiles (that almost-smoky/roasty character of the chipotle is the one I recognize because it's one I have a strong connection with back home etc) and cacao/chocolate. They come together to bring back memories of soft summer showers south of the border in a tobacco dryers hut. Magnificent transformation, and really sets the tone for the next step.

--The first thing I couldn't get over about the original was just how soft and creamy smoothe and drinkable and inviting it was. Chocolate meets with coffee with whitecaps of vanilla sweet before settling into a long roast mocha finish. Mole takes this suggestion that Lakewood knows how to blend flavours and create a seamless transition and carves it into Stone. Not an accident. I love cinnamon in real life (and most baking spices for that matter). Many of the (otherwise fantastic) beers I've had that featured cinnamon felt like it was just cinnamon dumped on top, drowning other flavours or at the least presenting it in an unbalanced sense that distracted from the total. Not so here. I've never had a better balanced, more enjoyable mole beer. And I've tried a fair number. The cinnamon is easily the big splash at first, but it never feels overdone. And it seamlessly hands the reins to the chocolate which eventually cedes to the heat of the peppers. Again, that roasty/smoky character from the peppers just meshes with the already roasty base and doesn't miss a step. The heat steps in augmented by the small but fierce carbonation to make its presence known, but then just as easily it steps back and lets the rest of the players demonstrate their roles in the next sip.

You may have guessed if you've made it this far, but I am a huge fan of the Mole variation of Temptress. The original was very good. I was quite impressed, though not surprised, as it's one that had been on my radar. I had high hopes for the mole version, but after the initial gushing, and then the disconcerting pour, my excitement was somewhat tempered. Now, after having finished both glasses, the only animosity I hold towards either is not about the mess the spilled beer made, but about those fleeting few ounces I had to sacrifice. The original is very good. The mole version is increyible.

Much much much thanks to Nick for sending BOTH of these along.

Thematically

 

I think you're right that it's difficult to truly pin down the descriptors appropriate for the fresh hopped beers which further this season's bid for greatest-of-all-times-of-year, but nebulous or not, there is something about the process and about the freshness that imbues the associated brews with... something.
Also, that's a beautiful little plant you got going there. And the last picture looks like a wreath I'd prefer over any traditional one I've ever encountered.
Ultimately, cheers! Congratulations on what sounds like an unequivocally enjoyable beer, and I hope that your predictions towards bottle aging are correct and it just continues to grow into it's even vaster potential!

 

Good morning New BSers! Thank you Maria for starting today's thread! Well, the sun is finally burning off the fog here in NW PA and it looks like it might warm up to compatible with life temperatures by sunset. Gotta clean the gutters again now that most of the leaves from my sycamore have fallen. Of course my neighbors' oaks and maples haven't dropped leaves yet so I'll have to do it a couple more times. Coming back from Erie yesterday I saw a couple painted turtles sitting in logs along I 79 so winter isn't quite here yet although I haven't seen any ground hogs for at least a week so it's getting close. Still picking tomatoes and the squash are almost ripe so the longer the frost holds off the better.

Today's New breakfast Beer is:



This is the second Lichtenhainer I've ever had, so at least I had some idea what to expect. It's pretty much a lightly-smoked Berliner Weisse.

Undated bottle at 42 degrees into a weizen
$ 12/500 mL bottle at Blackwell’s
Aroma – light smoke and faint yeast phenolics
Head small (two cm, aggressive pour), off white, frothy, diminishing to two mm ring and partial layer
Lacing poor – few small islands of tiny bubbles
Body medium yellow-orange, cloudy; sediment in bottom of bottle, some of which broke loose
Flavor begins tart with some smoke, apple not evident, ends the same; no hops, no alcohol, no diacetyl
Palate light to medium, watery, soft carbonation

Appearance 3.5, Aroma 4.25, Flavor 4, Palate 4, Overall 4. Rating 4.01. Avg 3.89 rDev +3.81%

A decent beer, but I wouldn't pay $12 for a 500mL bottle again.

I did notice that the earlier beers I've had were contract-brewed at Goller in Zeil am Main but this one is brewed in Hagen-Dahl at Vormann.

 

Hey what's going on?! Time to get in a new beer. What's new for our hero today?

Allagash Hugh Malone - Allagash Brewing Company


Allagash Brewing Co. - Hugh Malone Ale Belgian IPA by imbibehour, on Flickr

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass. 12 oz. bottle.

Big winner in the looks department. Giant classic Belgian frothy rocking head, bleach white and bright with soft creamy clumping and big staying power. This sucker isn't budging at all, but leaves a whipped up foam of peaks and valleys all on the top. Body color is classic slightly opaque lemon but with a big hint of green hue to it. A complimenting rising carbonation in the middle hits finely as well. Great looker.

Aroma comes with classic and big hop notes. Wonderful spicy florals, big almost cedar like perfume notes with fruit and roses. Dialed down sweetness, but just a hair of sucrose classic and small honey, which balances with this big hop angle note real nicely. Possible phenols of spice going on here too getting into woody clove qualities as well. Real complex and diverse.

Palate manages to bring the goods with no big surprises other than greatness. Slightly moderate carbonation, creamy mouthfeel just a touch also, with large pine dryness in the mid palate. Finishes with big warmth of hop heat, spicy, black/white pepper accents, and just a hair of orange like fruit. Mid level sweetness in repeated sips of bready and honey like malts. Garden like hop freshness, aftertaste goes from floral, sage, mint and quite varied.

A great tasting Belgian IPA for sure.

look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5 | BA Generated Score : 4.48

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Really glad they put this in a 12oz bottle since I've always put trying this beer off for so long, and never pulled the trigger on the larger more pricier volume.

 

Maria, I had to quickly take that picture when my wife was out running errands. She does not view the placement of indoor furniture outdoors as being "civilized".

You won't rat me out, will you!?!

Cheers!

Jack

 

Good morning BAs. Never too early in tge morning for a BBA stout! I acquired this as an extra from a trade so long ago, I'm not sure who it was from.

Anyway, with Red beans and rice going in the slow cooker, I figured I'd start off big for this day of NFL action. Went 4-2 in college spreads yesterday, so my 3 covers today in the NFL are ARZ, GB & my beloved Saints.



Now to the brew. This is MobCraft's PetriChor Russian Imperial Stout aged in Elijah Craig 12 yr barrels. I gave it straight 4's across the board. Nothing blows you away with this one but, overall, it's just a solid BA RIS. Smell could've been 4.25, but I just started thinkng of all the better BA RIS' and I couldn't put it in the same category. There's nice aromas of dark fruits, molasses, caramel, toffee and bourbon. Feel is heavy and viscous. Like I said, a really good beer, just not in the 4.25 + range.
Cheers

 

OOOHHHHH.... Abraxas!!!


....Wait a minute....

 

Following last week's theme my first NBS beer is a one that most will have already tried, but is new to me.



St. Bernardus Prior 8

Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
Dubbel / 8.00% ABV

4.04/5 rDev -2.7% | Avg: 4.15
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

L-A deep brown amber with a half centimeter eggshell head. Reduces to a thin film of bubbles with spotty lacing.
S-malty with alcohol presence.
T- sweet bready malts are the first presence noted followed by smooth alcohol warmth. Not harsh in the slightest.
F-light prickly carbonation leading to a soft medium mouthfeel. It coats the tongue and the flavor lingers as a result.
O-If you are looking for a smooth easy drinking Dubbel than this is your beer. Personally I find many american Dubbels are just as good and easier on the wallet. Still I'd drink this beer anytime it was offered as it is no doubt tasty.

 

Abraxxxas with inserted Xs.

It's still an "OOOHHH," cause I like the triple X beer better than the single X beer. Let's leave it at that.

 

Greetings Fellow NBSers, & thanks to our hop-loving hostess for getting us going,

51 degrees and “fair” in my fair city by the falls. There were sporadic showers yesterday, many of which I either slept through (I got off an extra shift around 6:30AM) or ignored while watching my alma mater make a rare appearance on non-premium television.

The football gods have been smiling upon me, though I suspect that may now end. My Huskies beat USC at their place on Thursday, giving me a solid 1 ½ days of bragging (WSU beat Oregon last night [?!], so <POOF> that’s gone), and yesterday my Eagles overcame a lot of triple option craziness and a mid-4th qtr deficit of 35-20 to beat Cal Poly in overtime 42-41. Today the ‘hawks have a tough one in Cincy. I’ve been a doubter of Andy Dalton like nearly everyone else till this year, but the kid’s getting it done now. I just hope he forgets that fact for a day…

Because my hours of wakefulness were all goofed up thanks to filling in on the graveyard shift at work, I was awake at midnight of this New Beer Sunday. My first choice was a lager that was well named: The Grouch turned me into one: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16334/79783/?ba=woemad

This beer can be summed up in a word, and that word is: “Yaaarf!” I didn’t yarf, but if I hadn’t drain-poured, I might have. I think this beer was my first drain-pour in at least a year, and it went out and earned that distinction!

Avoid.

For the love of god, avoid…

 

Maine Beer Company's Beer III...

*so I missed Beer I and II?*

In honor of Blossom, the turtle...

A black IPA/American black ale... Features Citra, Lemondrop, Cascade and Falconer's Flight hops. Malts present some cocoa and black coffee notes. Hops produce citric undercurrents, offering something akin to that lemon peel in espresso taste. Medium-light feel with ample carbonation, a little roasted bitterness on the finish and aftertaste. Absolutely fits the bill for a hop-forward black ale, with a modest 5.5% abv, probably something fans of the styling will really enjoy.

Cheers, NBS...

 

That is a style I have never heard of, and am now intrigued. I'll have to see if I can talk one of the local bottle shops into ordering it.