New Beer Sunday (week 568)

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass bottled on 11/08/15. Pours a beautiful ruby red with a half inch off white head that coats the sides of the glass with lace. 4.75

Smell is caramel, toffee, tangerine, pine, biscuit, and faint grapefruit. 4

Taste follows nicely starting with caramel, toffee, pine, and finishing with tangerine and grapefruit way more aggressive taste than the nose would have led on. 4.25

Mouthfeel is large for the style, the right amount of life, not really dry, and excellent drinkability for its 8.5 ABV. 4.5

Overall this is really nice, excellent balance with malts and hops. I am always a fan off hoppy red ales. 4.25

 

Got called into work for 6:30 so this is my last of the day. This is Beau's Le Coeur Noir (the black heart) black ipa. This beer is absolutely fantastic. It isn't as complex as Black IPA's I have tried in the past but it didn't need to be either. Its a pretty simple straight forward black IPA and is one of the better ones I've tasted. Cheers!
4.08/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance - this beer poured black with 2 fingers of tan head the head fades leaving over half a finger that does not fade and carbonation seems lively,

Aroma - leafy, earthy, piney hops, roasted malts, and coffee. this smells absolutely delicious.

taste - The flavor is exactly the same as the nose just amplified.

Feel - This beer is medium bodied with lightly sharp carbonation and goes down very bitter.

Overall - This isn't the most complex black IPA I have tried, the flavors are a simple hybrid of a west coast IPA and a nice coffee stout and They mesh Beautifully. I'd definitely recommend this beer.

★617 characters

 

Hey NBS crew! Thought I'd pop by since I'm trying something new today.



Friend from Dallas sent me this - first I've had from Community Brewing. Typically price is a factor for me but since it was free I might be giving it a touch more credit than normal, admittedly. Cheers!

4.43/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle dated March 2015, poured into Spieglau stout glass.

Pours black, zero light penetrates. About 1/2" foamy dark tan head forms and recedes relatively quickly with some thin lacing.

Nose is fantastic - no big bourbon/whiskey aspects but vanilla is huge. Toffee and raisin/dried fruit with roasty (far from burned) malt notes.

Flavor is big on toasty malts and vanilla. Subtle chocolate comes through with the raisin pretty forward (maybe this developed from a bit of time in the bottle?). No real whiskey notes but the barrel is there - I get more white oak whiskey than char from bourbon. It's definitely not boozy but the alcohol definitely brings some warmth.

Nice weight and viscosity - thick enough to have a nice body but not syrupy or overly thick. Carbonation is right on - no huge sweetness needing to be offset but it definitely needs to be lifted off the palate a bit and it is. Carbonation here keeps it all in balance.

Overall, really nice stout. It feels really analogous to Expedition (which I had again yesterday) but the barrel notes are really more wood than booze which I think works really well here. Was afraid cracking it open on a warmer-than-usual January day but it's great for a cool, not freezing day. I could easily put more than one of these away in a sitting if I had more!

 

Cheers NBSers: A sweet porter for a somewhat bleak rainy day.

3.79/5 rDev +5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours an almost jet-black with 3/4 finger on quickly dissipating head... fair bit of carbonation for a porter. Very faint aroma of toffee. Tastes sweet toffee, a hint of nutty in the finish. On the dry side. Very tasty...enjoyed with baked salmon for lunch...excellent.
Enjoy.

 

Greetings, fellow NBSers,

It's 30 degrees and cloudy, so it's a hell of a lot more pleasant in the city that is "Near Nature, Near Perfect" and (once the Seahawks are done) nearly obsessed with the 'zags than in Minnesota, currently on my TV screen. So far, Vikes look a bit better, but so did the Packers last year. Go Hawks!

Anyway, today I'm working on getting rid of the seasonal backlog in my fridge, starting with this Belgian beauty:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/259/39286/?ba=woemad

Not as deliciously complex as Abt 12, but still an extremely tasty beer from the folks at St.B, and with no sign of the 10% abv, it's dangerously drinkable.

 

What's up everyone, Missed out the last couple nbs's with the holidays an well life. But today I'm here having a beer or three with yous!!! Usual crappy weather here in CT. Unseasonably warm today though but in New England give it a minute it'll change.
Well today brings my Seahawks wildcard game and this to enjoy during it

Pretty vigorous pour gives to a huge head, smell of burnt cherries. Taste comes up a little short, on the stout end its good, right up there but somethin weird here taste almost liked the cherries were cooked???? Overall it's not bad and I would try it again. Another good beer from steady habit. See ya'll next Sunday and GO HAWKS!!!!!

 

Good afternoon all. Already got today's hockey game behind us, so time to enjoy watching people enjoying some -2 weather football before the "big" game (for me anyway....) comes on at 4:40.

I'll be smoking a roaster, Peruvian style later, maybe I'll mix in some pix of that as well progress. I was inspired to cook chicken that way based on the visit I made to Alpaca Chicken in Raleigh. Seriously, if you are ever that direction, go there. EPIC chicken and sides. For realz.

On to beer #1.

Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold.



I forced this foamy beige head that receded fairly quickly, leaving behind lazy, opportunistic lacing. Beer itself is boldly golden and very clear with just a dash of effervescent action.

Nose is mega corn straight away, setting up a pathway for bready malts and just a tickle of heat.

Taste has tons going on right away. Corn, earthy hop, cracker and something a little berry like. Finish is primarily a nondescriptive bitter with a bit of astringency.

Mouth feel is medium bodied and super dry on finish.

This one is fun, no doubt about it.

 

My best friend in New Orleans hates Cam Newton, which is not surprising. Cam is a show boat, but he can play a brand of football that's all his own. People in Charlotte love him for what he does off of the field. He's like Cassius Clay, acting all of the time and damned good. There are a bunch of classy guys on the Panther's team and they play old time NFL football, and play clean. I love Russell Wilson and wish he had never left N.C. State. Go Seahawks.

 

fnext up is a scotch ale



the color seems typical, clear copper with real sudsy head 4/5

biscuit, some whiff of smoke, and a cotton candy scent 3.5/5

big maltiness with some caramel. bordering on cloying.almost cola - like. 3.25/5

medium mouthfeel, a bit chewy.lasting sweetness with finish. 3.25/5

really not my style. wouldn't buy separately . 3.5/5

 

Happy New Saison Sunday, everyone. Just finished up a full morning of chores -- sink full of dishes, haircut, groceries, taking down the tree. Thought I was finally going to get to watch some football, but my daughter had claimed the TV for some Disney movie. Didn't have the heart to boot her out of the room (at least for teams I could care less about), so it's time for a beer.

Trillium's Trillium Farmhouse Ale pours a slightly-hazed pale gold color with a thick white head that lasts.

Typical saison aroma -- lemongrass, a little white pepper, banana and wheat -- with a touch more sweetness than usual. It has a distinctive mouthfeel that's crisp up front and hefeweizen-like on the backend.

The taste is similar to the nose, with the wheat quite prevalent, some very slight orange juice and a somewhat metallic aftertaste. Pretty solid, but there are so many superb saisons nowadays, particularly in southeastern PA, that I wouldn't necessarily go out of the way for this one.

Cheers.

 

Good Sunday NBS, Thanks @cavedave for the welcoming comments and the reminder to stay focused.
I dont know what to say about January in WMass, rain and near 50 as I brewed in the garage today.
It sure is good for brewing efficiency but my ice ax is crying the blues! We made the 30 minute trip to 2 new
breweries here Honest Weight in Orange MA then Brick and Feather in Turners Falls both off to exemplary starts.
Today's entry is a Saison from Honest Weight, nice graininess, driven by yeast esters, supported by a nice base malt.
Very nice indeed.
Cheers all

Fast Friends

Honest Weight Artisan Beer
Saison / Farmhouse Ale / 5.00% ABV

3.73/5rDev n/a | Avg: 3.73
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a fresh growler into the modified tulip glass.
A - Wonderful clarity, a hint of haze, not out of line. Slinky trails of carbonation meander through a
lemon yellow backdrop. A loose knit cap of white mixed size spheres stitch across the top. No lacing.
S - A clash of lemon zest and ash start things off, late season grains, spelt, winter rye, follow up,
the slightest aromatic hop in the middle tries desperately but cannot compete. A clear yeast ester from
what I suspect is the French Farmhouse strain. White pepper and muted funk finish things up.
T - Dusty dark grain, old bread in a good way, sunflower seed, and honey on toast, traces of lemongrass,
white pepper, and dried kumquat. Refined flavors and well displayed.
M- Soft water profile, fine use of base malt all feed into a fine experience. The Esters from the yeast will
in time take this over, delightfully dry throughout the experience. This offering cries for runny cheese to go with it. the palate feel is light and the coating is quickly cleaned up by light carbonation. Linger is soft lemon drop and forever.
O - A very nice saison, peppery and dry, hints of fruit, with a great body. The brewers have expressed themselves in a most delightful way.
Cheers

 

Or to it...

 

You did it, you madman ! I'm happy to see that it was all you hoped it would be, and that I may have helped steer you in that direction. Hope you bought two . Great review- cheers!

 

Hello NBSers,

Weird day here in NJ. Off and on pouring rain, but sunny and warm now. Got caught in the rain during my daily jog, but damn, it felt nice. Anyway, house chores done and now it's time to relax and watch NFL playoff football. The only upside to my Giants not making the playoffs (again) is that I can watch the games in a relaxing way.

Was able to get the new Sam Adams Rebel Raw, so I'm trying it today.



So it does indeed look hazy, just like the can tells us. It has a nice aroma, bit of citrus. Granted, my nose is not good at sniffing out distinct aromas, but it was a bit muted. Taste is of bitter citrus hops. Pretty straight forward. A bit of alcohol bite only comes in later when this beer warmed up. Earlier I thought it hid the 10% well. The mouthfeel is where this one impresses me. It's thick and creamy. Very nice. Overall, I'd call this a cool, high ABV DIPA in a 16 oz canned format. Not nearly as good as similar offerings like Bissell Brothers Swish, but hey, I can only get that once a year. I'd buy this one if it was regularly available locally.

Cheers!

 

Greetings NBS!

Watching the Seahawks and Vikings stumble around in inhumanely cold conditions. So it's fitting that my new beer for the day is a winter-warmer type beer: Hofbrau Winter Spezial. This, I think, is actually a doppelbocks. Pours a reddish-brown with a light tan head. Nose is brown sugar, caramel, malt and spice. Taste follows suit, with some raisins and a slight hop finish. A little alcohol at 8.4 ABV to warm things up. One of the better holiday beers I've had this season.

Cheers!

 

Hey, NBS! Spending most of my day "collaborating" on a homebrew with a friend who has quite the setup. I still do stovetop brewing and make do with what I have in brewing my beers. I'm not to worried about it, and do relax when I have my home brews, but this is a fun and interesting way to brew beer. I am learning a few things, confirming a couple other and hoping they all improve my beer in the future.

He was doing a smoked beer (which he's never done), and I got a little input on the malt and hops additions. Mainly I'm just helping and learning. We overshot our initial gravity (seemingly got a better yield tan anticipated). I'm sure I'll let you guys know how it turns out at some point.

For inspiration, we grabbed a smoked beer, one I'm surprised I've not had (or at least not reviewed), and much like @rgordon, it's from Stone:


First off, this is definitely a porter, and a solidly constructed one, in my opinion. Dark toasted bread, roasted malt, and of course a nice dose of hops from Stone. Early on I didn't get much smoke in the taste, though some came out in the nose. Warmth helped the smoke come out to both senses. The smoke seems to me to act like more darkly roasted malts were used more so than it being an "adjunct". The smoke notes themselves reminded me on some smokey tasting stouts I've had (that weren't bills as smoke beers).

Either way, this lovely looking beer was definitely a solid brew, with tight integration of the smoke. Hope our beer comes out as well (with perhaps a little more bite to the smoke ).

 

Well, I'm back again, and I guess I'll keep on the Goose Island train; that Festivity Ale was just a disappointment to me.
Hopefully, the Winter Ale will fare better...so let's see...


Poured from a 12 oz. bottle, bottled on 11/02/15.
Nice brown body with a finger of light eggshell brown colored head that fell down to a thin cap on the top.

Definitely getting some chocolate, nuts and a milk-coffee aroma. Not a lot of discernible aromas on this.

Tastes like a brown ale, chocolatey, mild coffee, nuttiness.

Light creamy mouth feel, nice amount of carbonation, mild lingering flavor, not bitter.

Overall, this is an enjoyable Brown Ale; a style that isn't always a popular one here but is an easy go to drink style for me. This is a decent beer that might lend itself to a chocolate addition, maybe.

Cheers!

 

I'm staying in the great lakes region, quite literally for #2.

Great Lakes Commodore Perry IPA



Nice white frothy head over an otherwise ordinary looking clear yellow IPA. Very involved lacing, as after the head receded, we have a full curtain of lace all around.

Nose is really muted. Only thing I'm getting is maybe some malts and grainy bitter smells.

A fairly long pull of a first swig invites immediate bitterness in the form of something between olives and corn. Not my favorite IPA signature, but it seems solid in effort so I get it I guess. A few more swigs in and I discover a biscuity characteristic that isn't huge but it's there hiding behind the bitter and slightly earthy exit.

Mouth feel is medium bodied and very dry throughout. Sheet of bitter solidly resting on the tongue.

Not my cup of tea, but it's not poorly crafted by any means.

 

O.k my 3rd today, I am going for it. Poured into my 13 oz tulip glass not sure when it was bottled. Pours anattractive mahogany, with a 3 inch light tan head that settles rather slow and leaves behind a little lace. 4

Smell is nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar, and vanilla. 3.5

Taste follows lots cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, with hints of vaniila and brown sugar in the background. 3.5

Mouthfeel is a little thin, not even medium, could use more carbonation, not dry, and easy drinking. 3.25

Overall I was hoping for more, not my favorite style anyway, but still wanted more. 3.5