New Beer Sunday (week 571)

My favorite thread to post in each week! We're enjoying a cloudy but unseasonably warm mid-50s in NEOhio today. Warm enough I'm comfortable outside in a t-shirt for mid-winter. It always puzzles me how that's comfy now but I'd be bundled up at this temperature in the summer. Perception I guess. Anyway, the warmth made me crave hops so I opened an imperial IPA. Oops, I missed that it was best during the summer, go figure. Hopefully this week I will have time to do a cellar inventory since I don't think I ever have and check brewed on or best by dates to keep things fresh. CHEERS!


Despite my comment in the overall section, maybe this did well with the additional age given the average!

3.95/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a tulip; reviewed with the disclaimer I previously missed its 'enjoy by 8/15/15' stamp
A: Medium orange color with a 1.5 finger head
S: Lots of citrus and floral notes, along with the coriander the label mentions
T: Citrus, tropical fruit and floral/herbal notes
M: The palate doesn't come across as sweet of boozy but it shows here. Fairly full-bodied and a bit of alcohol comes through
O: Overall a nice ale and I'm sure it would have been even better fresher

 

Yeah, I started it a fridge temp but never write my review until it warms to cellar temp. I feel that is the best way for me to get the best experience with a beer. I try to review on where I feel the sweet spot is.

I guess I just expected way more fruit because of the label and the aroma. It is a good beer but not a great one for me. I think I tend to appreciate more citrus and malt in my IPAs but I do love a hop bomb now and again.

 

Despite hating the college that resides in Eugene, Oregon, I have to say Ninkasi is a quality brewery. Tricerahops and Total Domination are two of my favorites from them. A couple years ago they teamed up with local brewery Iron Goat for a one-off Triple IPA called Goatörhead that was absolutely devastating. I hope you see a lot of their offerings.

 

It's nice to take a break from the IPAs, after a week of Hopslam! This is a tasty change of pace, huge head, banana, sweet with an effervescent mouth feel, 7.7 ABV.

 

Back with a Black IPA/Cascadian Dark Ale from 12/Twelve String Brewing (they themselves spell out the name on their schwag, but when the set up a facebook page they did it as 12 String) in Spokane Valley:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27007/212583/?ba=woemad

This tastes like a hoppy PNW IPA that happens to use dark malt. I think it's like what a brown ale would taste like if you dumped a bunch of hops into it. I dig it, but those who prefer such beers a little closer to a stout might be disappointed.

 

What's up NBS players? A pretty easy going Sunday here and also pretty weird without any nfl football (pro-bowl doesn't count). Lots of sun here on the island and a fairly warm day at that. A big reduction in last weeks snow but there is still plenty around to remind you that we're still in the heart of winter.

My new beer today, is really my new beer for the weekend, since I got into a few of them yesterday. It's Meltwater IPL from Captain Lawrence brew co. here in NY. Brewed with cascade, and mosaic hops, and it comes in at 5.9%, 45 IBU's, and a bottling date of 1/14/16.

A golden/yellow straw color on the pour with good clarity and moderate carbonation. A nose of hoppy flowers with citrus makes for a nicely floral smell. The drinking starts with bitter hops really hitting the palate right away. Tangy and smooth with a dry pale malt finish to remind you that it's a lager. Plenty of citrus and tropical fruit tones really shine with lemon, lime, orange, and mango. The mouth feel is moderate, crisp, and full of flavor.

Overall, a really solid brew that combines the two styles nicely. I really enjoy how the mosaic hops really come on strong but the finish is so pilsner like. I'm in the low 4's all around.

 

Next up is another one from Two Brothers in their Revelry offering



Right away I see the head fade off to a thin layer on top this straight up red and clear beer.

Nose is just not vibrant at all. We're nearly at room temperature yet all I get is a little bit of bubble gum gone floral slightly.

Taste picks up activity real fast as this is sweet with that bubble gum, sharp with pine and mango, then a quick turn towards pine on finish.

Mouthfeel is very full bodied and excellently created in my opinion. Very superb finish bar none, with just a subtle hint of dry spiciness.

Very nice beer.

 

The next beer for me is from Unibroue - and one that had some high ratings (and as I recall, a somewhat similar price tag). Listed here as a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, the label adds "on Lees", on top of it saying the name is Trois Pistoles:


First off, I didn't throw it into a goblet, but I also steered clear of the Xed out glassware of a pilsner glass. Hope choosing a Teku didn't affect the beer too much .

Second, this beer poured a nice mid-brown as it flowed from the bottle. By the time the glass filled, it was a much darker brown with perhaps a burgundy tint to it. The head is lovely and lasting. Nose is on point to what I was expecting - some dark fruit, raisin, with a little bit of red wine notes.

The taste leans a little more Belgian that the nose suggests, with a yeasty and lightly banana-laced flavor. The feel is really light in this one, floating atop the moderately high carbonation. That lightness is a little unexpected, and makes the beer very drinkable but also feeds some of the opening cola notes. The flavors overall are of a fruit dessert/breakfast bread (banana/date bread), but the heft behind such denser breads is not mimicked in the feel.

A solid offering, but I couldn't bring up my rating to the average rating, as I expected a little more depth and heft as a slow sipper, and this was a lighter and more drinkable offering than expected.

 

I heard someone mention Tricerahops in the same vein as SOS and Heady - not sure how accurate that is but I hope so too. Cheers!

 

Hello NBSers. What a difference a week makes! Today, it was over 60 degrees in parts of South Jersey. For NBS, I'm trying Weez, an American Black Ale from Maine Beer Company. It was recommended by one of my favorite bottle shops and it is quite good.

4.18/5 rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into tulip glass. It pours jet black with a two-finger, frothy khaki-colored head and extensive lacing that did not dissipate . It's a very attractive pour. It smells of dark roasted malt, burnt coffee, and hoppy pine. The taste is a really nice blend of roasted, earthy malt , peat, burnt coffee grounds, bitter hops, and a hint of citrus. This ale is medium in body, moderate in carbonation, and 7.2% is the perfect ABV of a beer of this style. It's much more substantial than a session ale but it's light enough to have a couple of glasses. This ale would pare well with a hamburger or roasted meat but it's fine for casual drinking, as well. A very well crafted Black Ale from an excellent brewer!

 

When was your Third Coast bottled?

 

My first NBS beer for today is this Hoppy wheat ale from BBCo.



Chasing Rabbits

Burlington Beer Co.
American Pale Wheat Ale / 5.80% ABV

3.78/5 rDev -4.3% | Avg: 3.95
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Canned 01/13/16.

L-Pours a hazy yellow with a 3/4 inch white fluffy head. Lacing is spotty and diminishes rapidly.
S- The nose is citrus and rind and leaves no illusions that this beer is anything but hoppy.
T- The taste and nose are the same. Hops while not at the IPA level are certainly the front and center star of the beer. Wheat malt is faintly detectable behind the hops, but not til the very end back end.
F- The beer coats the tongue and the mouthfeel is medium. Carbonation is on the low side.
O-This beer is not complex in any way. Although it is one dimensional in it's flavor profile, it has a place as a bridge beer for those trying to get into the IPA craze. Think of it as step 2 on the path to learning to enjoy IPAs.

 

Ya know, I didn't even look, but now that I do it says 9-4-14. That's surprising, considering how much life it seems to still have.

 

New American Stout

Hello all! Around 40 and rainy here in Milwaukee today. Today's brew is from Uinta - from the Crooked Line series - Stompin' Grounds. It's a stout brewed with coffee. It is wonderful, to say the least. I loved it - scored it 4.5 across the board. It is rich and smooth. The coffee certainly stands out, but enhances rather than overwhelms a well-made, well-balanced American Stout. The 8% abv is very well-covered. I certainly recommend it!

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1416/208007/?ba=jwc215

Cheers!

 

Hello all NBSer's. Hope you're all enjoying this fine afternoon. Thanks Maria for your outstanding review and "roll call".
I have not been able to find that ST Single Hop beer around here but I am a Mosaic fan. I can take it as a single hop and still enjoy it- so far. I did like Long Trails take on that in SMaSH series so I'm inclined to say I would like that also.
Also congrats @smakawhat on the new job. I am kind of searching myself. I am employed currently but would like to make a move. Which as we all know isn't very easy. Anyhow I picked up a 12 of this brew in cans and have a had a couple over the last week and thought I would share it virtually since I freakin love it. But then again I cant think of one I don't love from:
JACKS ABBY CALYPTRA SESSION IPL.

The beer pours beautifully with a wonderful hazy golden color huge foamy white head that lasts for minutes. Significant rings of lacing remain after each sip reminding you to take another

Wonderful aromas of pils malt and bready yeast all surrounded by huge citrus aromas of oranges, lemons and limes. And then some tropical notes peak through with floral/blossom aromas.

Taste is clean pilsner with bursts of hops that dry the back of the throat. Citrus oils linger on the tongue. Just enough complexity to fool you into thinking this is not a session.

Body is Medium/Light and this is where the beer distinguishes itself as a session. The Carb is on the lower side. Could use a touch more would be my only minor complaint, but with the rest of the package I'll live with it. 4.9% ABV

Another Lager winner from JA. If this is available in cans year round I will be drinking this all summer- And now. Another clean, crisp, well crafted beer made from quality ingredients from Jacks. Highly recommended if your a lagerhead like myself.
I pulled out something different for New Old Vinyl Sunday-
Todd Rundgrens "White Album". The first side is all covers- Hendrix, Dylan etc. And his version of Good Vibrations is absolutely astonishing. Side Two originals. Todd can rock. But he can also play the acoustic lie the best. Chord inversions and open fingerings abound. Great voice and producer too. Give a listen.
As always Thanks for taking the time to listen. And I'm always learning new and exciting things, and beers, by reading your posts so Thank You all and Bottoms Up!

 

Vitus is a great beer. Pretty much my ideal of what a Wheatbock should taste like. I'd love to see more American versions of the style.

 

I am back with another new beer today. I bought this on a whim but I am glad I did. The idea of spruce tips in a beer was intriguing to me so I thought I would give it a shot. Here it is in all its glory, Grimm's Super Spruce gose.


This is the review I tapped out while drinking this. I have a few swallows left and I wish I had bought the other bottle they had at the shop.

4.34/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A cloudy pale gold pour with a decent 1 inch white head. There was only the faintest spots of lacing left behind on this one. The smell is super bright with lemon, salt and a hint of spruce in there. The spruce is really pleasant in the aroma and has a very fresh and different smell than the typical pine scents in beer. The taste is very like the aroma with the lemon showing up first and the nice faint spruce taste right behind it. The finish is salty and tangy but clean. There is moderate carbonation and a lighter mouthfeel on this one. This is a really different beer but also a really good beer.

 

Great review! Thank you. I've always found Jefferson Airplane to be a great soundtrack for drinking good beer. When I'm at the shore in the summer, I often listen to the airplane while sitting on the deck and tilting a few. There's something special about Kantner's music, Balin's and Slick's vocals, and Kaukonen's and Casady's playing. Maybe it's just my age but they were really great!

 

@SawDog505, I don't think I've ever read a review that includes marijuana as a description of the smell but it's really evocative. I've got to try this!

 

Congratulations, @smakawhat! Best wishes and I wish you both professional success and personal happiness!!