New Beer Sunday (week 574)

Ohmygod! I had that book as a kid - Herbert Zim if I have any memory left!

 

Did @SammyJaxxxx send you any Regular Coffee? Had that at Extreme Beerfest a couple years back and was enamored. Then I heard such good things about Boat and 077XX. The one you mention intrigued me when I saw it recently on WBAYDN. Too bad I don't get to Jersey much (well, that might not be that bad ).

Actually this just reminded me, my friend who does go to Jersey to visit home gave me a beer this past week. Guess I got one more NBS beer at least. Stay tuned....

A welcome to NBS is I believe in order, no? Well done, IMHO!

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Thanks @cavedave for getting us started today. I finally brewed a beer after not doing so for 3 months, yesterday. American brown ale I made in 2014, all centannial/amarillo hops. Power went out mid boil, but I didn't do a bittering addition, so it didn't affect the final beer. 6 ounces of hops in the last 15 minutes for 40-50 IBU. Just starting to see some activity now after 24 hours since pitching. I think I am going to use dry yeast more often now, at least for clean ale yeast beers. Thinking about checking out the new dry Belgians too. Anyways, here are todays new beers:

Excellent stuff! Aromas and flavors of big juicy pineapples; with hop flavors of grapefruit, tangerine, peach, mango, lemon/orange peel, and pine; with light-moderate honey/bready malt and floral/grassy hop earthiness. Good amount of pine/citrus rind bitterness; smooth and crisp finish; moderately sticky/resinous mouthfeel. Good dryness on finish with zero hop or fruit astringency. While I wouldn't put this over Regular, Grapefruit, or even Habanero; this was still highly impressive across the board. Great balance of the pineapple puree and classic Sculpin hop character; with good hop vibrancy. 4.1


Incredible! Aromas and flavors of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, mint, fudge, caramel, molasses, bourbon, toasted oak, vanilla, and some herbal notes from the mint. Light-moderate herbal/roast bitterness, bourbon/oak spice, and cooling mint character on the finish. Great bitter/sweet balance. Full bodied creamy/silky mouthfeel, with some light sticky/chalky roasted notes as well. Dangerously smooth with only lightly warming alcohol for 10%. I thought the balance of the coffee, mint, and barrel character against the stout grain bill was pretty much perfect. 4.3


This was an excellent imperial brown across the board. Aromas and flavors of big caramel, brown sugar, coffee, brown bread, toasted oats, nuttiness, and light vanilla/cream lactose notes; with some subtle dark fruits notes, likely from the coffee character and not the yeast. Light herbal/woody hops. Light herbal hop and roasted coffee bitterness; bit above medium bodied; nice creamy mouthfeel with a bit of silkiness and chalky roasted coffee character in the mouthfeel. Extremely smooth, balanced, and well rounded in complexity. Another winner from Clown Shoes. Glad this is year round, will definitely have it again. 4.1


Cheers! Have a good night NBS

 

Good evening, all, and Happy New IPA Sunday! This is one I've been on the lookout for, and a fresh one miraculously appeared in the singles cooler just today: Ballast Point Pineapple Sculpin, bottled 2/08/16. I don't run across too many beers that rate a '5' on appearance, but I can't find anything wrong with this one. It pours an incredibly clear light copper color, with a voluminous white head that lasts quite a long time and leaves lots of sticky lacing in my scrupulously clean stemless wine glass. I did this a disservice by sampling it while struggling with sinus issues. However, during my fleeting moments of clarity, I could pick out a few things. The pineapple notes are there on both the nose and palate, but they are not overpowering and they complement the piney hops nicely. Good balance, finish is quite bitter with a bit of sweet pineapple juice on the aftertaste.


As they say, there's no disputing about taste. Not everyone is going to like this one, but it appeals to me on several levels. It's a solid IPA in its own right, but the added elements integrate very well with the base beer. And the Vitamin C can't hurt, right?

Prost!

 

Wow! Quite an active New Beer day. I'm late to the party as is often the case. Today's New Beer is Old Raspy aged in Wheat Whiskey barrels. I think a few weeks back I reviewed the Rye Barrel version. Found both to be good, not great.









And my thoughts on the brewski:

4.04/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

I started a review and lost it, so here's my second attempt.

I poured a 500mL bottle into an oversized cognac glass.

The pour was deep brown before sitting in the glass like engine oil. I poured vigorously and a monstrous head resulted. Lace abound, in patches and streaks and as the head settled, it formed into a plateau. A sight to behold. 5

Smell was oaken whiskey with notes of chocolate and vanilla. Booze didn't dominate, but everything else still felt subdued. 4

The flavor starts off booze-dominant, overwhelmed by whiskey. It's not as bothersome here as in other overly boozy brews. I immediately notice a bitter dark chocolate finish. That I like. Strangely, there's a citrusy, orange peel flavor that keeps popping up here. Unexpected and peculiar, but welcome. Warmth doesn't completely open this beer up, but vanilla and sweet malt and creamier milk chocolate flavors start to peek in. Yeasty notes were more prevalent early on but eventually fade almost completely. Overall, I do feel the barrels bested the base beer here, but I still enjoy this. 4

Flavor and palate both reflect an immense amount of booze. Creaminess manages to establish a foothold despite the astringency and inject some sweetness into the solvent, spicy mix. Touches of dry bitterness also show, but even on the finish, a whiskey bite dominates. 3.75

Too hot for me. In years past, I'd have bought multiples of this to age one and see how it developed. I've sworn off that practice for the most part, so I'm not sure I'll ever experience this beast with some age. Unfortunate, because that is what I think it most needs, some aging.

 

Enjoying this Mikkeller Foret du Centre light toasted. Cheers all.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13307/108785/?ba=cindyjeffsmith

 

Well I do say, those are radial tires...er uh, WERE radial tires.

 

Good evening NBSers! I'm late to the party today, but with just reason. Hopefully everyone had a great weekend. Short and simple this time around. Cheers!

Da Beer
Avery Brewing Company - Pump[KY]n
Batch No. 2, 15.0% ABV



Da Re...view
Bottled Novemeber 7, 2015. 15.0% ABV.

Bottle into a Madtree snifter. Burnt orange/rustic brown on the pour and settles as a very dark brown in the glass. Faint & spotty ruby-colored highlights when held to a light source. Initially held close to 1/2 a finger of bubbly, off-white foam. This, however, dissipated within seconds. After a minute, I'm left with a spotty, bubbly lacing. Good lord, the nose on this beer is like a final boss battle in a Playstation video game. Absurdly huge, ridiculously complex, and inherently thrilling. I'll do my best to describe this thing, but I somehow feel unready and/or unworthy. Wet, boozy pumpkin carvings, caramel, vanilla, black licorice, sweet whiskey, charred oak, chamomile, cardamom, cinammon, nutmeg, and ginger. Probably one of the most complex aromas I've encountered. I'm pleasantly surprised that there's very little booziness to the smell. Let's hope theste follows suit.

Onto the tasting! Oh my goodness. Before naming anything specific, I'll say this straight up - this is the best pumpkin ale I've ever had, hands down. Huge, huge amounts of burnt baking spice, nutmeg, cinammon, ginger, cardamom, black licorice, pumpkin squash, charred oak, sweet whiskey, vanilla, and walnuts. Good lord, people. What a monster of a beer this is, and incredibly well-balanced. I can say for sure that this is the highest ABV beer I've had to date, and there is virtually zero traces of alcohol in this thing. A little burn on the finish, but I could almost chock that up to the massive amount of spice crammed into this behemoth.

In terms of feel, this beer is essentially a solid, or at least a non-Newtonian fluid; that is, inherently chewy, infinitely dense, like drinking a boozy, Christmas-fueled, gelatin-based, flubber-inspired spice-bomb. I am amazed that someone could pull off a beer this good, at this ABV.

I've been debating on buying this beer for a couple months now. At $10.99/bottle (12 oz.), it was definitely a gamble. Fortunately, it was well worth it, in my opinion. This thing needs to be in a museum somewhere.

Da Scores

4.71/5 (rDev +14.3%)
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

 

NBS BIF #3 GAME ON!!! Don't pass to that guy, he fu$&in' sucks!!! HAHA.
Can't wait. And, thank you for including me in the list of peeps who'd happily try to convince someone to join in. Think about it, Folks. Many a participant, and even a few looky-loos, have been impressed by the intellect, wit, kindness, generosity of spirit, and dare I say camaraderie that abounds here. Now add to that...BEER & HAIKUS!!! Can I get an "AMEN?!?"

 

That's the one. @russpowell said he had one too. The book's as old as I am, which means we're all...pretty old.

 

Okay, new beer that I've never heard of before my friend gave it to me (the acronym is too long). I see this beer is actually from Philadelphia, not Jersey as I assumed. The beer is Baby Got Hops from Manayunk Brewery.


This beer looks really good in the glass (the can's color scheme on the other hand ). Th SA glasses are nucleated, but a really nice froth lasted most of the pour with some lines of lacing. The nose is what killed my official score. I get some bitterness in grassy form early, with a little pine later. But I also get a grainy smell, and don't get the citrusy nose that the can suggests I might. This can has no date, but I'm guessing it's within 2 months pure conjecture on it's BA addition date of early January.

The malt sweetness, sort of honey like early and a little tropical fruity in a mid-taste transition, holds up against the bitterness of this beer for most of the pour without conflicting with it (as amber ales seem to do on my palate). Grassy hops up front yield to a pine needle bitter finish with a too brief run through orange citrus and the aforementioned tropical notes. Decent tasting, but not up to the 4+ for me as it is for others.

As the beer warmed, the mostly pine, somewhat grassy bitterness seemed to grow and stick on my palate more and more. I sort of liked the cleaner finish I was getting earlier in the pour. Ended up at a 3.75, which seems about right for how I feel about the beer.

 

LAWDAMERCY!

 

Amazing how islands, beaches, beautiful weather and tranquility will change one's perspective of what a good beer is. Most of the beers I love in the states, I'd hardly be able to enjoy if basking on a beach day after day.

Enjoy your vacation sir!

I love the concept of this 4-pack if I understood it correctly. The same beer with 4-different coffee variants. Man I need to try this. And seeing your later comment about roasts, I have to disagree, I love the lighter roasts. But cheers either way!

7 Hop is one of the few Rogue beers I've enjoyed. I think my Rogue experience was deeply affected by the fact I started off trying one of those weird donut beers they brewed, that even as a noob to the craft world tasted disgusting to me. On top of that, when my daughter was born, I decided to splurge for the $17 Morimoto Imperial Pilsner and discovered that was not the way to celebrate such a life milestone. Thankfully I had also purchased a Van de Keizer Blauw, a beer that to this day I will always associate with special occasions.

 

Je Retourné à Partir de Bonne Nouvelle Bière d'Hiver Dimanche !

Mon dieu! Winter came on and attacked me as if I had personally done it some wrong.

It began by taking its revenge:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/6045/73609/?ba=woodychandler

then, it took jubilation in my pain & misery:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30/3295/?ba=woodychandler

but I am heartened in the knowledge that Mud Sale season is nearly upon us, here in Lancaster, County, PA:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/21396/109329/?ba=woodychandler

Ah, ma amour, Marie, asks "Mais, ou est une biere Francais en La Nouvelle Bière d'Hiver Dimanche?" I hate to disappoint her if I can help it, so I pulled out a:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/309/17291/

Did I mention that Marie is Quebecois? I was overcome by her beauty & her accent on my last visit to Montreal to watch hockey & so I exported her to Chez Woody to keep me company (especially during the cold months of d'Hiver). She is a large woman who acts as a small generator & so I rarely have to turn on the furnace once she is turned on. This is my homage to her today:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1141/14735/

At this point, c'est la nuit. I bid adieu to New Beer Sunday (week 574), but I ask of you, loyal citizenry, what would you like me to concentrate on next Sunday? A day of Peak Organic? A day of gluten-free beers? Something else? These are all possibilities, but I value your input (as does Marie). Let me know!

 

Smitten Golden Rye Ale by Bell's
ABV 6.0% IBU 50 SRM 5

Pours a slightly hazy light amber with a one finger head that melts into a thin lingering layer with slight lacing and persistent carbonation. Aromas of spicy/sour rye and grapefruit. Flavors of citrus, pine, and spicy rye.

 

Must've been some sort of Scholastic book purchase deal perhaps? I can only speak for myself, old...

 

Can we call this LNNBS? Thanks to @cavedave for the great kickoff. At this point I will assume the usual plethora of fantastic posts exist and I will catch up later. Not that today was overly exciting. Pretty nice spring-like day here in paradise. After church, went grocery shopping only to remember that we had an entire pan of baked stuffed cod to finish. Good that it made the shopping easiet, shorter, and cheaper! Mostly napped thru the Daytona 500, caught the first half of the Celtics, then headed to the musician's union meeting...only 19 of us left in our local so trying to find a way to survive and it ain't lookin' good...

Good week for beer. Burned a couple of my leftover 2015 vacation days. Visited Jacks Abby at their outstanding new digs. You can actually park, the bier hall is spacious. We tried their chicken wings and a pizza from their very pretty copper wood fired oven. The food was good, but a bit on the expensive side in my opinion, but I live in the woods so what do I know? Saturday we realized that Trillium's new brewery in Canton is a 14 minute easy ride from my mother in law's place. Even from the taster cups, it is readily apparent that this brewery is absolutely worthy. Stay tuned for future installments!

So tonight's victim is Jacks Abby Baby Hammer. It is a Scwarzbier, and as the name implies it pours a deep coffee black with a thin beige crema. Surprsing cling to the glass. Not much on the nose...faint coffee, a hint of sweet malt and that is all she wrote. The taste is very tame. Despite the deep color, there is no hint of the acrid, roastiness that might be expected. The beer meets the style very well. While the flavor is rich in the malts with a very distinct bitter note, there is just a hint of coffee, maybe a wisp of chocolate as it warms, and a definite hop presence. Carbonation is a little low, and the beer is light in body. It is like a refreshing version of a stout but without the heavy duty stoutiness. It is dry and clean, easy drinking. I am feeling about a 3.8 rating on this, but I have a growler to ponder over so will take my time. I think the name is a little misleading...it set my expectation that this was a riff on Faminghammer and it definitely is not.

 

Went and saw....and thought...



Kern River Brewing