New Beer Sunday (week 557)

Okay, my last new beer from @5EKF from a nice box of goodness where nothing was a fail. The myth, the legend (in somewhat appropriate glassware... design-wise, at least - I think):


Three Floyd's Zombie Dust
Again, there is a corollary in that I have had a 1oz taste of this in the past, so it's not completely new to me . That said, the beer is a very nice APA, and I'm probably not the first to say it could easily be classified as an IPA. The Citra hops show both their citrus nature and their bitter/green/almost dank nature. This particular pour showed a little more grapefruit and citrus atop a medium, lightly sweet bready malt backbone.

Glad to have a full pour of this and I will grab more should the opportunity arise.

 

Done with another week at work at the new job and no sign of awful managers (at least not of the "firing people for BS reasons" or "expecting everyone to basically do robot slave labor for them" variety) or any other major problems, so I'm thinking this one will actually stick. And even if it doesn't last as long as the job before last (the last one only lasted a week so it doesn't count for much), it pays much better than either of them, so I'll actually be able to save up some extra money this time around just in case bad stuff happens. No more "entire paycheck vanishes the moment the bills rolls around" for me!

Also, I'm having the last untried new beer in my fridge...



Fairgrounds Fall Ale from Brothers Craft Brewing, formerly 3 Brothers. This will be my first beer from them, actually -- I've seen a few of theirs around but for some reason never picked any up. Bottling date is in mid-August of 2015, so not another "accidentally aged" beer like I had earlier this week. XD

Looks pretty nice -- it's a dark orangey-brown color (more orange when pouring, darker and more brown in the glass) with an enormous fluffy light-tan head of foam. I just barely managed to fit the whole bottle in the glass, as you can see from the picture above. The foam also seems to hang around pretty much endlessly -- it's shrunk a good bit from its initial mountain size, but is still as thick now as many beers' heads are before they start to shrink away. Interestingly, it's not perfectly clear like a lot of the beers I've been having lately -- with the help of a light, I can tell that although I can see bubbles rising up, the beer itself is actually decently hazy. Not anywhere near opaque of course, but still a bit of a surprise. The smell is also nice -- it's actually pumpkiny. I don't mean pumpkin-spice-y, either, but like actual pumpkin. Interestingly, I didn't realize this was a pumpkin beer when I picked it up -- the only indication is a small circle on one side saying "our pumpkin ale" -- I figured it was a spiced-but-not-actually-pumpkin sort of thing. But yeah -- the smell is sweet and pumpkiny. Actually not getting any strong spice presence from the smell -- I'm assuming that'll be coming in when I get around to tasting it, though.

Oh, yep, the spices definitely come through more in the flavor. Really well, actually. I can taste at least two distinct spices in there right away, though I know there's a few more than that going by the label. There is definitely cinnamon in there, I know that for sure; I can't identify the others by name, though. Also a bit of the pumpkiness on the end. It's like... spices, sweet, a little more spices, sweet+pumpkiny, and then everything fades away, leaving very little aftertaste of any sort. Coming across very dessert-like -- it's sweet with pumpkin pie/Christmas cookie sorts of spices, but not to the point where they're overwhelming, just to the point where they are definitely present. There's this really nice creamy sweet/spiced flavor that comes in right before where the aftertaste would be if this had much of an aftertaste -- I really like that, whatever it is. Mouthfeel is also nice, especially the first half of the glass where there's still an enormous layer of foam on top which makes it feel really smooth and creamy and helps the "dessert-like" feel come across even more. Gets just a tad thinner and pricklier feeling once you drink enough that the foam starts to go away (mostly left clinging to the sides of the glass -- loads of lacing here!), but never to the point where it's not still a generally pleasant "beer-y" feel.

I'm actually pretty impressed with this one. Bought a random single bottle just to try it, but looking back I wonder if maybe I should've just gone ahead and gone for the six-pack instead -- I may just have to grab one to replace one of the six-packs in my fridge when I end up emptying one of them, because this is definitely a beer I'd like to have again. It's actually not far off from what my expectations were last year when I tried pumpkin ales for the first time -- maybe not quite "liquid pumpkin pie" but close enough, while still not overdoing it with the sweetness or spices. Really good beer in general, and I'd have to say by far my favorite pumpkin ale so far, even beating out the pumpkin porter I had earlier in the week.

 

I'm coming to the end of a long weekend, and feeling like a little well-earned dessert. Just this past Tuesday my wife and I decided to do a weekend garage sale, hopefully to get rid of some clutter before packing things away for the upcoming winter season. Next weekend is Halloween, and I don't trust the weather after that, so it was this one or nothing. Surprisingly, we did rather well for such little planning time. And even though this morning looked like it would be a washout, by noon the sun parted the clouds and we were out there again.

So here's something I've been holding on to for just such an occasion-

Stone 24 Carrot Golden Ale

It's a gimmick beer, but it's my kind of gimmick beer; we take carrot cake seriously in this house, as the refrigerator magnet can attest to . So how does it stack up?

The nose has a graham-cracker-like malt platform supporting a sugary sweetness, and there's a spicy presence hovering over the whole thing. At this point it resembles the distinctive Stone saison yeast signature more than carrot cake; it's not as evocative as I had hoped it would be. After a bit of swirling some dried fruits, like white raisins, start to make their presence known. Things totally change gears on the palate, where a much more savory/malty character takes over. This is where I'm starting to get reminded of carrot cake- just a bit, but it's there. The finish is pleasingly dry, and the spices linger.

If I had gone into this without knowing the flavor profile they were going for I really doubt I'd have guessed. It's much more 'Belgian Ale' in nature than 'carrot cake'. With a good pumpkin beer you are reminded of pumpkin pie as soon as you smell it; that's not happening with this one. That yeast signature is just too prominent, and any added spices seem muted in comparison. It does work as a beer, though, and I will enjoy the remainder of the bottle on that level. Solid B from me (3.65).

Enjoy the rest of your Sundays. Cheers!

 

This beer is on my list to try, but I've not pulled the trigger yet.

How was the flavor unusual?

Did you like it? Not like it? What were some of the things you smelled and tasted in the beer?

 

That brew Sounds like a Winner in my Book! Plus cool Atmosphere!

 

I thought to myself...I haven't Seen your "Beer Throwdowns" in a while. I'm glad to see you at it again. Cheers Brother!

 

It's f---ing hot due to the presence of habanero peppers. Definitely a beverage to sip, not gulp, for me as I am not a spicy food aficionado. People that love really hot, spicy food may find it more quaffable, I dunno. I don't hate it, but I don't love it. It's interesting and I am glad to have tried it. I suspect it is a beer that would be best consumed with food rather than just drunk by itself. What food that would be, I dunno.

 

Good evening, BA! A dreary and wet morning in NJ gave way to a mild, sunny afternoon, and now a cool, calm fall evening. I had a good friend from out of town come stay with me this weekend and he has been my beer partner in crime for many years. Each time we get together we like to travel and check out a new brewery or craft beer bar. We decided to keep it local yesterday and visit the nearby Demented Brewing in Middlesex, NJ. Cool taproom with a demonic theme to it.



The beers were decent in general, but nothing groundbreaking. I really enjoyed their Scarlet Knight, a malty red ale, which I have had before. They are a rather new brewery but showed some promise, so I'm sure they will work out some of the kinks and only keep improving. Ok... time for a new beer!

Oude Gueuze Tilquin à l’Ancienne



Gueuzerie Tilquin is actually not a brewery, but a gueuze blendery. They purchase fresh worts brewed by Boon, Lindemans, Girardin and Cantillon and ferment them in oak barrels. This beer is a combination of 1, 2, and 3 year old lambics and is unfiltered and unpasturized.

Removing the cork unleashed the loudest pop I've ever heard from a bottle of beer. Light amber in color with a soft white head. Carbonation is high, with a constant stream of bubbles rising up from the bottom of the glass. Good head retention and some patchy lacing left behind.

The aroma is a citrus fruit explosion, predominantly orange and lemon. Earthy, with moderate sour acidic notes.

Gone is the fruit upon tasting, as it gets replaced by the classic "barnyard" funk, light malts, and even a hint of vanilla. It's sour but balanced.

Light bodied, tart, and effervescent, it is remarkably easy to drink despite its complexity. A well balanced, beautifully blended gueuze. I don't see myself purchasing it often given the high price tag, but I may try to find a couple more bottles to age. Definitely recommended.

look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Final score: 4.34/5

 

Stone Thunderstruck IPA
SUPER TROPICAL

 

Next up, #1's little (but more flavorful, IMHO) brother.



4.17/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Look: classic APA, burnt orange, a bit cloudy, 2+ fingers of off-white head.

Smell: some malt, but also lists of citrusy hops, with orange aromas really coming through.

Taste: again, classic APA, but the orange citrus flavors kick thou up a couple of notches.

Feel: bright and tangy, bubbly on the palate.

Overall: if I had regular access to this, it would always be in my beer fridge. A great representation of the APA style.

 

Greetings All:

Checking on from the great northwest with an Oktoberfest from the heart of Texas. Shiner Oktoberfest
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/143/60642/

A decent fall brew. God help me, but I think Sam Adams is as good an O-Fest as can be had. I really liked a brew called Okto from Widmer, but I didn't find it on my grocer's shelves, or even Total Wine and More, this year.

Seasonal here in the Columbia Basin. A mix of sun and clouds, hopefully with rain on the way?

Until next time

Happy Trails!

 

noble galaxy showers dipa, this one is good, hopy and juicy.

 

New Beer Sunday: A New Bourbon Barrel Aged American Strong Ale

Evening NBSers with a greeting to those who like tasting and testing out the effects of the Bourbon Barrel on Beer.

Haven't been online much today. With and early light rain and then overcast skies up until mid day it seemed a good day to do some gutter cleaning. So after a trip to the gym this morning I spent a couple of hours with a ladder and training a couple of the kids of some close family members on climing the ladder and cleaning out leaves from the gutter. So naturally it cost me more time and money than if I'd done it myself, but sometimes other things are more important than time or money. In this case it was the chance to get a couple of maturing family members to pay attention to ladder safety. Both of the boys successfully memorized the two basic rules of climbing a ladder.

Rule 1: While climbing a ladder keep at least one hand on the ladder at all times.
Rule 2: Always follow rule number 1.

Later on, the wife and I had a chance to meet up with a friend passing through town and so took him out to a local Pizza place that also does really really good Philly Cheese Steaks. It was his first ever and gave me an opportunity to have one myself--first in a long while. I also got him to learn the two basic rules of ordering a Philly Cheese Steak.

Rule 1: Since Philly Cheese Steaks don't travel well, only order a Philly Cheese Steak within 25 miles or less of the city of Philadelphia.
Rule 2: Always follow rule number 1.

This evening's new beer is the Stone Bourbon Barrel Aged Arrogant Bastard. Now that they've put it in 12 oz bottles I decided to try it out. There are some of the Stone beers that I've not tried yet simply because I've not seen them on tap and I'm usually not in the mood to buy a 22 oz Bomber sized bottle if I expect to be drinking it all myself.

As usual my review (which is subject to change until the beer is finished) appears here:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/147/142974/?ba=drtth

Basically this beer is what I'd expect from a Stone beer, well made, complex, interesting and lots of hops. That said I personally don't think that beers like the Arrogant Bastard show at their best after being Bourbon Barrel Aged. I've given it fairly high marks as the oak, hops, bourbon, dark fruits all show nicely, but its not a beer I expect to repeat since I definitely think something like the Wyerbacher Insanity Barleywine comes together much more nicely as a complete package.

Cheers, all!

 

Lagunitas Doppel Sticky

I was hoping this would be hoppy and it was - bitter and full of fruits and juice, too...

Classified as an altbier. I don't know shit about altbiers other than what I've read on the site. My only other altbier was Sierra Nevada's Alt Route, which was somewhat like a hoppy brown ale, whereas as this is rather like a sweeter, denser IPA. Hoppy, smooth, and relatively full-bodied, with lots of pale fruits and juiciness. Plush on the tongue with a little fuzz of carbonation. Not sure if this fits the bill for the style, but a real good brew for fans of fruity, soft IPAs...

Cheers...

 

Yes the sweetness was just a whisper to the sour

 

Ballast Point Pumpkin Down .... tasting the last of the mixture of pumpkin beers I bought my wife who loves everything pumpkin
Look: Amber, redish, looks like a what I expect a scottish pumpkin ale to be
Smell: Nothing overwhelming, some maltiness
Taste: I like this scottish style, not heavy on spice or pumpkin, just enough to make it different
Feel: not thick or heavy or over carbed, goes down easy, no real aftertaste or stickiness

Decent pumpkin brew, will appeal to those who like scottish ales, but probably not enough pumpkin for those that love that, but I enjoyed this fall offering and would drink it again

 

Late start - but had to get one open after watching that Cowboys game earlier!

Toppling Goliath's Hopsmack. This is a beer...it's a beer, that...just, damn. It's good.

Picture:


Adjusted rating: 4.62, +2.9

A: Soft, hazy, orange. Mimosa/OJ color and look. Great looking beer. All that needs to be said.

N: Tropical and juicy. It certainly "smacks" you out of the glass. Pineapple. Mango. Subtle, sweet bubblegum like aroma in there. Some orange finds its way up my nose also.

T: Pops with the tropical flavors. Big pineapple. Stone fruit that wasn't on the nose shows up. The fruit and juiciness slowly give way to the hop bitterness. Perfect bitterness to round it out on the back.

F: Feels like it looks: Soft. It manages to coat the palate, yet is delicate. I want it to just stay where it is, but it's dangerously drinkable for an 8%. Very close to the top shelf IPAs of the NE that I've had.

O: Awesome. Just an incredible beer from TG. Exactly the kind of IPA I enjoy, but just don't get out of the brewers here in Texas. This one was a treat.

Cheers to all!

 

Been MIA from NBS here for a while, so damn busy recently, especially on Sunday's for some reason. To make it up I'll do a double-barrel post this evening:



Oddside Ales - Mayan Mocha Stout & Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Mayan Mocha

Let's start with the base version. Pours quite dark, slight off white head that disappears quickly. Coffee, cinnamon, and nutmeg on the nose....but taste wise it's just not there. Coffee and cinnamon dominates, a bit of heat from the habaneros on the finish but this comes across as a badly unbalanced beer. Not terrible but not as good as it could be.

Now for the BBA version. Same dark appearance, light brown head that sticks around for a bit. Nose is coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sweet bourbon. Bourbon comes through strongly on this one, works with the coffee and cinnamon to smooth things out, comes across as much more flavorful and balanced than the base version.

Overall I was underwhelmed by the base version but I love the BBA version.

Also, if you don't wander over to the BIF forums at all please take the time to check out this LIF thread:
http://www.beeradvocate.com/communi...sc-flood-victim-steinhaus-relief-fund.342076/

It's a great cause and you get a chance to win some awesome beer, thanks in advance for taking a look!

 

Do I have time to sneak one more in? Super stoked to get to try this amazing Bourbon Barrel IIPA from my favorite brewery in the whole wide world. This beer is Country Boy's Knotty Pine IPA, that's aged in oak bourbon barrels. The result is a culmination of overly ripened fruit, toasty malts, and delicious Kentucky bourbon.

Country Boy Constant Sorrow BBA IIPA



Review

Super excited to try this. 750 ml bottle into a New Belgium snifter. Hazy golden pour, and settles a vibrant, deep amber in the glass. 2 fingers of sticky, bubbly white foam on top. Great retention throughout the remainder of the beer. Interesting aroma - more like a sour than an IPA. I get pears, peaches, apricot, sour grapes, and paw paw fruit. Very sweet/sour smelling with no aroma of pine or hops. Faint barrel notes but not profound at all.

Upon tasting, I'm met with a very dense, syrupy beverage. Very creamy and frothy on the palate. This beer has the weight and mouthfeel of a barleywine. Taste wise, it's very different, but amazingly good. Sweet, over-ripe fruit (banana, pears, peaches, grapes, paw paw) along with strong notes of caramel. Defined bourbon notes near the finish, but it's very well balanced and not overpowering at all. Only a slight alcohol burn on the finish. Like many of CB's BA beers, this has the flavor without the astoudning booziness.

Overall, this beer is great. It's tough to describe, though, as it's nothing like a typical IIPA, being barrel aged & whatnot. It's almost like a BBA scotch ale-ipa-barleywine hybrid. Hard to describe, hard to find, but damn tasty. The guys at Country Boy never fail to amaze me with their barrel aging program. Makes me proud to be from Kentucky.

For those taking notes, this beer is Knotty Pine aged in oak Bourbon Barrels.

Scores

look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Weighted score: 4.35/5 (+1.6% rDev)