New Beer Sunday (week 573)

Hey again NBS crew. Had an extra from a recent trade and enough time to write a review so I'm dropping in again. Cheers!




3.67/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a can into an IPA glass - not sure the age of the can but has a "best by" with the 2016 clear. Pours clear amber with a slight opaque quality. Amber color with a fizzy head that foam and recedes quickly.

Nose is malt and citrus juice - big orange and a bit of tropical notes. Not much else here, definitely skews to the sweet sign of the fruit on the nose.

Flavor is big on the bitter, with the citrus notes definitely present. Malt a bit more forward than I'd like - not sure if it's more of a balanced brew with big bitter and big malt or if the hop character has fallen off a bit due to age. It's fine, but it's nothing overly juicy, dank etc. The malt profile is definitely nice - not so much bready here so much as a sweetener to the overtly bitter hop profile.

Feel is nice. Nothing out of line here - big drying hop bitterness cut by the malt. The carbonation level is ice and tight to add to the bitter - helps keep the malt in check for sure. I'm glad I had the chance to try it.

 

Time for more beer!

Horti-Glory - Wicked Weed Brewing


Wicked Weed Brewing - Horti Glory by imbibehour, on Flickr

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Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass. Bottled October 2nd 2015.

Deep clear and dark brass orange body, with plentiful and slow rising carbonation throughout particularly in the middle, a favorite spot of mine. Nice creamy simple but bright white two finger head, with lots of crown forming cling along the sides. A pretty thick puck with lots of carbonation leaving and repopulating the head for quite some time.

Aroma manages a bit of honey sweetness but a very dominant peanut butter and biscuit malt note. Thick and moderately sweet aroma with a big honey floral note throughout. Doesn't come off with much brett quality unfortunately but is an interesting aroma to say the least.

A real interesting palate on this brew. Honey coating feel without a syrupy rush and a mouthfeel filled with huge amounts of mineral and rocky carbonation. Real evident on the swallow creating a real surprising balance between thick sweetness and dry bone farmhouse aftertastes. Mid palate is a bit sweet not overly so in honey and a sage like green herb quality. Light bodied but with not much hinting funk notes on the beer. The peppery finish and bone dry qualities at least bring some of that classic farmhouse flavors.

Overall though a pretty unique creation with a real spectacular mouthfeel.

look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4 | BA Score: 4.02

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Did you just wish VD on all of us?!?

 

I enjoyed this one! I also added the beer and uploaded the pic to BA. Odd since this is not distro'd to WI

 

What's up NBS players? Happy Valentines day. Lots of frozen snow abound on just a very bitter and to the bone cold here on the island. On Tuesday we are expecting temps in the 50's. Not doing much to much today just some of the typical vday stuff at home with my fiance'. Flowers have been delivered and I'm making dinner tonight.

My new beer today is H.L. Rex, a session pale ale, from Monocacy Brewing in Maryland. The beers is just 3.7%, 30ibu's, and I can't seem to see any sort of bottle dating. Getting this out of the way before some bigger beers later.

A nice pour of golden amber color, major clarity and medium carbonation. A nose that is fairly average with hops, malt, and a sort of winey character. The drinking starts out very light, as can be expected. Decent hop character upfront with lots of malt too. Flavors of bread, cracker, spices, grain, and some slight citrus fruit as well. Bitter and hoppy on the finish. The mouth feel is light, airy, and crisp. It does walk the watery line a bit but I feel it holds up rather well.

Overall, nothing earth shattering but I like it. Crisp, refreshing, a bit different, and very sessionable. I'm hovering in the mid 3's to low 3.
Untitled by BrianStakey, on Flickr

 

It looks like you've been shaking the money tree- I'd hide the evidence if I were you .

 

Wife is working today so figured it would be a good day to join in the NBS festivities. Grabbed a mixed six and we'll see how many actually end up being consumed here. First up is this 'gem' from Green Flash.



Won't go through the whole rating but this doesn't look like a typical pale ale to me, a little copper in color. Smells like bright citrus and tropical fruit. Taste is similar but very muted. Overall comes off a bit generic but is still very refreshing.

Cheers!

 

Got my shower beer goin, chocolaty coffee/espresso goodness!

 

No work tomorrow means a second new beer for today (and let's face it, probably several not new beers between now and bedtime).

So, second NBS from Stone: Pataskala red IPA. Another winner. Stone's take on a red IPA is tasty of course. Pours a dark amber color. Bursting with citrus hop aroma mingled with a bit of malt. Taste is very similar. Has that citrus bite comingling with a little malty sweetness. I love massively dry hopped IPAs, as this one is. Many other IPAs out there that I like better, but I appreciate this one as a unique red IPA. Cheers!

 

Not really a first time for me, but this is the first time I have had it really fresh, so I am calling a do-over.
It says 'drink within 60 days' on the bottle (bottled in January) so the fact the last time I had this it was 8 or 10 months old was probably unfair to the beer!



750ml bottle (dated Jan 2016, consumed early feb)

L - Pours motor oil thick and viscous. creamy 1/2 inch mocha head that leaves no lacing or ring
S - Freshly brewed coffee dominates but a hint of caramel and toasted malts comes through in the background
T - Sweet up front, with sharp coffee, and quite a bitter finish - astringent, like over-brewed coffee
F - Medium full, coating and creamy. A bit sticky on the finish

Overall a very flavorful and well done coffee stout. $18 a bottle is absolute bullshit, but it is tasty none the less. I won't buy another of these though - Founders breakfast is a better beer, and I could have a couple of 4 packs for the same price as this one bomber.
Rating 4.34

Either way, I am enjoying the hell out of this, and hopefully it will help perk me up a bit for the afternoon!
It is definitely sleepy town around here this afternoon:

 

Thanks for stepping in @JackHorzempa ...and putting your heart in it.

 

I've picked up quite a few new beers lately, so I'm going to switch gears to something on the lighter side that a good friend hooked me up with. Going with Mazzie APA from Pollyanna Brewing in Lemont Illinois. A twelve ounce can with a 5.4% abv. poured in my 13oz. snifter for the taste drive. Let's go!

Pours a brilliant gold color with a finger of white foam and appears on the slightly hazy side. The aroma is mild passionfruit along with some grapefruit and mango. I'm picking up some butyl in the back. Flavors consist of passionfruit, mango, mild grapefruit, butyl, and a bit of malt. The feel is resiny, semi bitter and rather dry.



My second beer from Pollyanna and I'm quite pleased once again. A solid APA that while on the lighter side doesn't sacrifice flavor. A nice offering that affords a very adequate hop fix without all the alcohol. I'll definitely have more around as the weather warms up. My score was 4.1 / rDev +4.9%.

I'm going to finish this with some leftover pizza from last night. I leave you with no pizza, just my scattered random thoughts about this beer. My apologies........



http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34507/120921/?ba=Prager62

I love history so I'll include this for the curious.



I normally don't post music here, but I guess I'm feeling romantic today. Playing on V 103 Chicago....

 

What kind of parrot is that? I have a Blue Quaker Parrot and a cockatiel. My Blue Quaker is not nearly that cuddly.

 

Hello NBS. Today's new to me beer is Cpt. Lawrence Frost Monster Imperial Stout.
Pours dark with 1/4" brown head. Smoky roasted flavors dominate. Wouldn't guess it clocks in at 12%. Perfect brew for an 11 degree day. Doesn't have the mouthfeel of many Russian Imperial Stouts, but still a nice brew.

 

Sunday Morning Stout



Happy Valentine's Day, beer lovers.

Drove up to Weyerbacher for the first time this morning and stood in the single digit cold for almost an hour with a bunch of fellow travelers to get my case of this stuff. I know many think that's nuts, but I had some fun doing it. Also got to enjoy the two variants they had on tap -- Wake Up Call and Siesta -- both of which were great.

Back home, SMS pours a deep, dark brown -- approaching black -- with three fingers of late-developing, thick, lush cola-colored head. At first it seemed like there was almost no head at all, and them it just exploded over the glass top. Won't be making that mistake again with this one.

It's sweet smelling -- more like a lactose, milk stout thing -- with a whiff of bourbon in the back and roasted dark malts, nice coffee and perhaps some cinnamon. The bourbon is much stronger in the taste, but still not as hot as other BBA stouts I've had, especially given this was bottled less than two weeks ago. The coffee pops more in the taste, too, with the malt exhibiting a slightly smokey quality. It's medium-bodied for the style.

This is a beer I'm going to try a couple more times before I actually review it. Honestly, I was expecting something much hotter. It's got much less bourbon character than KBS or Backwoods Bastard. It's nowhere near as smooth as BCBS either. Had regular Sunny Side Up for the first time last month, and as a coffee stout, SMS isn't even in the same class.

This isn't bad, and I'm sure to enjoy drinking through my case this year, but with this first glass, I'm not sure it lives up to the hype.

 

New American Wild Ale Sunday (week 573)
Greetings fellow NBSers from on the ridge in Mid Hud Val, NY. Well, chilly morning of work today, was -10 when I got there. Actually felt worse y'day, it was in the low teens, but the wind was blowing a steady twenty MPH, with some hellacious gusts that were incredibly bone chilling. Had on multi layers but at times felt like I was naked in a freezer. You would think that my neighbors would put off recycling this weekend, but they did not, they are as serious about it as am I. To all of you who also take moments to care for our Mother, thanks.

Drinking an absolutely magnificent beer. Wish I had another one in the cellar, as this baby strikes me as one that might be different and even better with a bit of age on it. I guess I have had this bottle for about 5 months. Super funky, bright, with plenty of hops still going on, and a delicious tartness with hints of sweet that bring all the flavors together beautifully. If you love a funky treat, don't hesitate to pull the trigger if you see one of these babies.

Hope you also have a Great American Beer in your glass. Cheers!

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30356/122766/?ba=cavedave



Evidence Black is the new band for whom I write lyrics. So psyched to have gotten this finished product, can't stop listening to it. Sorry to say all the paperwork isn't finished yet, so I can't put any of the music here. Will give you a "taster", the first four lines of the title song, Lies, and you'll have to make do.

I love to hear the lies that you tell me,
You make the world all shiny and new.
Give me a hopeful, happy illusion.
Don't make me live what's awful and true.

May be back with another new beer in a bit, after I thaw out in all ways possible.

 

Hopefully your son outgrows that early morning tendency...My eldest daughter never did.

 

Sounds like you're as happy as I am!
Cheers to you and Martha!

 

Green Cheek Conure.

I have 2, and they are both super cuddly and attached. One was hand raised from hatching but the other one came from a shelter / rescue and was pretty abused before animal control rescued her (lost a leg, all sorts of bad treatment) but she is also incredibly cuddly.

The species is known for being very personable and playful - they generally really like people; my two are both girls (if you get a male and female they fall in love and want nothing to do with people!). They do take over your life though and are sooo much work - I always tell people they are more work than having 2 dogs! They need a ton of attention and play time - mine are out of their cages and with me whenever I am home; a minimum of 3 hours every week day, and often 6 or 8 hours on the weekend. It has taken a lot of time and dedicated effort to get them to be like this with people! They are never in their cages if I am at home - they are constantly out with me.

Oh, and they are naughty - really headstrong and willful - don't give a damn what you want them to do, they carry on with whatever they are interested in! I have 25 more years of them flying into my cereal every morning and then biting me when I try and get them out...

 

Getting settled in to watch some Sunday afternoon hockey. Was going to be cooking a big dinner but family had to head south a day early to avoid the wee bit of snow and ice we have coming in tonight. Though I would use the unexpected free time to tick off a few beers on this frigid Sunday. First up is a local Pils.



Here are my notes on this one:

3.51/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured a hazy pale gold with a big white head. The head remains around the edges and leaves bits of lacing here and there. The aroma is grassy, flowery and yeasty. The taste has a tangy malt sweetness with a flowery finish and a spiciness that I wasn't really expecting. There is also some cracker and hops at the finish. This beer reminds me a lot of a Belgian ale.

Cheers all. Be back in a bit.