New Beer Sunday (week 579)

Sounds fantastic. Thanks!

 

Interesting! Do you agree with @WesMantooth's assessment that it's a quick fader? Cuz to me (and maybe it's just my palate) it seemed like that ZD was on the cusp of greatness, but wasn't quite as fresh and bold as the PS. I'm wondering if my target will say the same thing about Topcutter vs whatever IPA he might wish to compare that to.

 

Some nice New Jersey hoppy goodness from @SammyJaxxxx was the perfect companion to my evening.

 

New American IIPA Sunday (week 579)
Back again with another new beer from a brewery that I said I would never pay so much again (for another IIPA they made) but this one was 1.50 less per can, so it's still expensive, but I reached into pocket. Glad I did. It's a very delicious and complex beer, bright aromas and flavors that run the gamut from orange zest and peach to cat pee (in a good way), and is quite easy drinking and refreshing.

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

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/32893/186293/?ba=cavedave



And hey, Rog, @Roguer , Cheers buddy, this one's for you. Be well and safe!

 

I've had ZD that was 2 months old and tasted good to me. I'm not super sensitive to hops, so I'm not the best person to ask. Glad you enjoyed both!

 

I will first reiterate my on record position on "freshness". 95% of the time it is way overrated. Also, a beer bottled March 3 is not anywhere close to "old" in my world. That being said, there are some beers out there that while still quite enjoyable, are not the same as a 2 week old verison. Jai Alai is my go to example. Still a very good beer a month old, but compared to 3-7 days... crazy different. I was going to guess that ZD had a noticeable drop off for me in the 3-4 week range. I found this out by trying to save some for The Walking Dead once.

 

New American Stout Sunday.

Evenin' NBSers with special salutations to all you seekers of suitably satifactory stouts.

Weather here today has been mostly cloudy with confortable temperatures. Lots of popping in and out of the thread today to look at what others have been having while doing some digging though an oversupply of books to see which can be donated to support the local Goodwill store. (Yes I actually did say "oversupply." It is possible to have too many.... )

This evening's new beer is the the Long Trail Unearthed Stout.

As usual my review, subject to revision until the beer is finished, appears here:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/94/192253/?ba=drtth

This is basically a good stout with all the right stuff in the aromas and flavors (e.g., roasted malt, dark chocolate, a touch of char) but I don't find it stands out from the field of other good American Stouts. While it has made my "willing to drink again" list it's not going to be on the list of regulars to make the rotation in my fridge. (But I also have to say it's better than I'd expected from Long Trail based on the beers I had from them some years back. So it seems they have stepped up their game in recent years.)

No music at the moment since the Virginia-Syracuse game is still going on, but isn't particularly exciting since VA is pretty much dominating the game. That's fine for Cavaliers fans but doesn't make for a game that keeps you riveted to the TV.

Cheers, all!

Edit: Spoke too soon the score gap has been closed, reversed and it's looking like Syracuse will pull this one off!

 

Back with number 2 today from the BIF box also with thanks to @TongoRad.

I had the privilege to visit Singlecuts last month while I was in New York, and complely enjoyed several of their beers. Really nice taproom but a bit of a walk from the subway.

This is Mo' Shuggie Soulbender IPA.

Wow! This is an outstanding IPA. Dank juicy citrus all day long without being overly bitter. Highly recommended.



http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30452/148304/?ba=richj1970

 

Howdie, NBSers, and welcome to drinking REALLY local (as in down-the-street local) .....



These guys have been around for a few years. They bounce around with their "mission statement" a bit (they started out saying they were going to brew beers true to the brewing spirit of Mankato from the '50s and '60s - and then put out 2 IPA's within the next 6 months or so), but I've not had anything from them that was bad, and I've had some things that were pretty excellent. This imperial red is the latter.

Pours a beautiful clear chestnut red with a couple of fingers of tan head, the aroma is primarily toffee. But the taste yields some hoppy flavors that fit really well with the toffee malt flavors. One of the young beer ninjas I've helped cultivate in the area recommended this VERY STRONGLY to me ("Dude, you've GOTTA TRY Imperial Red!!!!!"), and I'm glad he did.

Rated 3.96 here: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27979/165659/

 

Well Bumblebee got drunk, so he had to let someone else introduce the next beer.

Crooked Stave Surette Provision Saison.
This is an interesting beer. It might be better suited for a hot 80 degree day, instead of a 50 degree day. Still delicious, though.

 

Hoppy NBS
1st bottle BIF #3 --- Hop Devil IPA from Victory
from @Ozzylizard
3.77/5 rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to @Ozzylizard for this PA gem. A nice fresh one at that. NBS BIF#3
Rich amber hued liquid pushes up a meaty buttermilk biscuit colored head 2 fingers-plus high. Slowly recedes to an afterthought. Smell hints at a little malt sweetness after a wash of piney, grassy hops that move to citrus. Taste is more of the same with a finish that lingers with the piney notes. A good old school IPA. Mouthfeel is full enough for my taste. Overall, a very good IPA.

 

Man, I sure hope you don't think I'm crapping all over this beer, cuz I actually really like it, and would drink a ton of it were 3F to start distributing to WA. I'd drink it over just about any local pale ales I can care to name, maybe even Field 41 (this statement will probably come back to haunt me on the PNW Forum...)

 

Hey NBS crew. After a nice Easter that still involved a lot of driving in some nasty weather I was in the mood to close out the evening with a big stout. This fit the bill, was new to me, so here we go. Cheers!


4.36/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured near black into a stout glass - held to a light the ruby hues are really present. Really a very nice color here. A couple inches of foamy tan head forms but does recede to a thin cap relatively quickly. Decent lacing at first but it dissipates as well.

Nose is traditional Imperial Stout - big roast malt bill with coffee and chocolate notes. Bit of tobacco but not much more depth. Standard, but good.

Flavor follows but is really nice. Malt character is big on the roast aspect. The chocolate/coffee notes are more subtle and it's more nuanced than expected. Touch of ripe dry fruit here, maybe prune, but not much and really just a really solid big Imperial Stout.

Feel is great - carb level is about perfect. Tight, a touch thin but high enough to add a nice lightly bitter note to make sure this doesn't come across too sweet. Definitely not on the thin side but not overly viscous - it's right where I'd want it and expect it for such a high ABV but without any barrel aging here.

 

I'm back with one more from @Josholson666 , this time with help from Percy the Wonder Pig

Summit Old Blaggard
Very solidly in the English Barleywine camp- rich, toffee-like nose, with slight floral and citrus elements for balance. Dates come on with a bit of swirling, maybe some berries as well. Not nearly as heavy as it sounds, either- somehow it manages to be fairly light on its feet.

Moderately full palate with a noticeable snap of bitterness at the end; it seems they are going for muscular yet lean, but that's a difficult tightrope to walk. Hopefully that fades as it warms, because it's just a touch too high at the moment (top shelf of beer fridge, maybe 50F). As to the flavor, it's all toffee, dates, white raisins, caramel, with candied orange peel coming on at the finish. Rich and well-balanced flavors, but just a hair away from decadent.

After a 20 minute break, it has warmed up and come together a lot more nicely. A vanilla quality has even developed that really brings it all together. Now that's more like it! Even Percy approves, and he's been delivering candy all day. In the end it's a high A- (4.35), and I would happily make this a regular beer if I could. Thanks again, Josh!

 

I sure didn't mean to put words in your mouth, and I apologize if that's what it seemed like I did.

I'm not a freshness ****, myself. Other than what's brewed locally that I consume on tap (Impaler, Head Butt, Riverkeeper, to name my absolute faves), even things that reach Spokane from western Washington tend to have a few weeks on them, and I certainly wouldn't turn up my nose at them.

 

No way! It seems you really enjoyed, based on your reviews, the #1 and #2 rated APAs on BA.

 

Nice- I was hoping this would be a new one for you. I remember that NBS when you were posting from Singlecut, and didn't recall this beer being mentioned. The timing worked out perfectly, then- glad you dug it! This is one of their best, imo. Cheers!

 

No need to apologize at all. Zero (or less than) offense taken. I just wanted to make sure I didn't seem like I was the fresh overlord either, or dogging on Rio's gifts at all. I am an advocate of shut up and drink the beer!

I have agreed with many people that there are beers that have noticeable deterioration in a relatively short period of time, but on the other side of the coin, to insist that "ALL" hoppy beers are better fresher without exception is too much of a blanket statement. I have had several that I think are better 2-3 weeks after bottling/canning. In fact my BIF target has one of them (Roller Blabe)

 

Beer I received from @JDAWG71 for NBS BIF #3 served in a pretty little snifter he sent as well! Figured I would drink the IPA as fresh as possible instead of waiting for our 4/10 BIF NBS post fest!



BEER STATS
Reviews: 11
Ratings: 98
Avg: 3.47
pDev: 14.41%
Bottle poured into my new snifter, great logo, my go to glassware type.

Look: Amber, looks like an old school IPA, foamy off-white head that settles into a nice thin cap. Thicker around the edges ringing my glass and coating the sides with sticky lacing when I sip. Clear, no haze.

Smell: Malty up front, caramel, can tell there was probably a heavy crystal addition to the malt bill. Not much in the ways of late addition hops lending to the aroma.

Taste: A touch of caramel sweetness eases you into an very drinkable brew with a bitter finish that gives the tongue a subtle little bite. No huge up front hop flavor. This brew seems to follow the English Style IPA mold with a malt presence absent from a lot of new phase American IPA's. The bitterness is easy going, and balances the sweetness of the malts.

Feel: Medium body, coats the mouth a bit, moderate carbonation.

Overall: If your a fan of old school or English IPA, this is a good one to try. Its not trying to join the new hazy juice bomb craze, and there is nothing wrong with that. Easy to drink, nothing off-putting, good!

3.5/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

 

Tonight's second entry is my first beer from Wicked Weed. If only I could have grabbed some of their Barrel aged offerings I would have been ecstatic! Maybe next time....

Freak of Nature DIPA- bottle dated 2/22

Pours a burnished slightly hazy gold with a two finger off white head that lasts and leaves lots of queen Anne's lacing.

Aroma is clean pine and citrus and a mango/tropical with a light bready malt presence and some dank weed (really)

Taste follows with a solid but crisp bitterness that is in perfect harmony with the pine and citrus and just enough malt to support this tasty blend of hops- West Coast style. Flavors linger and each sip commands another with zero hint of the 8.5%. Really delicious IPA.

Perfect carbonation with a medium body and wonderful Bitterness that doesn't overpower.

Fantastic DIPA! Love the Hop combo. Dig the pleasant bitterness. Thinking this is Citra based. Whatever it is I wish I had another. Bottoms up!