New Beer Sunday (week 582)

A pretty nice relaxing Sunday here ba and I didn't realize I would be doing so much walking but a few extra miles on the beach was well worth it. Another month and I'll be knocking beers back in the sand and hitting the waves. Spending the rest of the evening on the couch.

My second, and final NBS, for the today comes right out of the NBS BIF #3 box from the one and only @Prager62 . It is my final offering from Greenbush brewing and I have to say that I have been rather impressed by them. If I ever make it to Michigan this will be on my list. I think Delusion is my favorite but I also really enjoyed Rage. I love the beer names and the label art too.

The beer is Barrel Aged Doomslayer, ale with maple sap aged in whiskey barrels. 9% abv, a bottle date of 1/11/16, and the base ale is apparently an American brown ale.

The pour is a slick dark brown/burgundy color with a slight tan head. The nose is decently floral with whiskey, oak, and booze. The initial sips yield a boozy, sweet flowing ale, and a big rush of barrel characteristics the finish. Big notes of oak, bourbon, whiskey, dirty malts, and maple syrup. I really get a sort of cherry oak flavor which is very pleasant. The mouth feel is pretty full bodies, and sticky. The beer drinks big and lets you know the 9%abv is there at every sip.

Overall, this is crazy good stuff. With the base brown ale you wouldn't think it would work so well but it really delivers on all fronts. I'm really impressed. I'm right around 4.5 but I might go a bit higher.

 

I hope to get to another BIF box later tonight, but I'm still working, and hopefully making the guinea pigs happy; they are just gonna love what I prune from the sage bush.

Here's another quickie

Pabst's revival of Old Tankard. Very English feel to this ale, lots of dates, white raisin, toffee, candied orange peel, floral hops. Dangerously drinkable. Another success, if you include the Ballantine beers. Plus it fills a needed niche. Way to go, Pabst!

 

Now onto my first Creature Comforts, courtesy of a generous pal, a very nice Tropicalia.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34456/118865/?ba=cindyjeffsmith#review

 

Back with my first “new” beers of the day.

I say “new” beers because the first is something I’ve had on tap, but never in a take-home format. It’s a Belgian “abbey-style single ale” brewed in north Idaho, and was created in order for it’s brewers to distribute to the Utah market, clocking in at 4% abv:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28798/218632/?ba=woemad#review

It’s odd but drinkable, though the body was a little heavy for something so alcoholically light. This version has apparently since been found lacking by the owner/brewer, and is being clearanced out of the brewery cheap. I’ll update when I have a bottle that I know is of the new version.

Next up was an “Imperial Red Ale” brewed in the capitol of Wisconsin, and was included as part of @Ri0 ’s NBS BIF #3 box. Red/amber ales are pretty much my least favorite style of beer, so I expected to probably not care for it. That’s not what happened, but I’m not entirely sure what DID happen, as this is the most unusual beer I’ve had in a while, even after the Utah-inspired Belgian light ale/ambery thing noted above:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30629/95678/?ba=woemad#review

My apologies if the score seems a bit harsh compared to that of others. I’m thoroughly flummoxed by this beer. Definitely not what I expected, and I’m still not sure I’ve even described it properly, but it was considerably more complex than I expected, in ways I’d never have expected, if that makes any sense.

 

When I saw this in the fridge, I figured it was meant to be. Time to fire up the grille.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24745/225280/?ba=GRPunk#review

Too bad I can't get the photo to upload to photobucket.

 

Enjoying a Deschutes Porter for the first time. Very tasty!
https://instagram.com/p/BEUR1RHmw7b/

 

Here's to hoping you Dad's condition improves soon. My Dad's less than a year from 70 now, and while both my parents are in pretty good health and look great for their age, they've each got issues that could change that in a hurry at this point, so I'm trying to always keep that in mind whenever I see them now.

 

I love that one. Sooo Deliscious!!! Perfect on a hot day.

 

So my bro gives me a can of this barleywine he bought this weekend. A canned barleywine I ask? Hey, I'll try anything! A twelve ounce can of Lawyers Guns & Money Barleywine Style Ale by Crazy Mountain Brewing, Edwards CO. Pouring this gold can in my 13oz. snifter to check it out.

Pours a cloudy dark gold with floaties leaving a small amount of off white foam. Smell is caramel malt along with some pine and grapefruit. The flavor is once again caramel malt forward with pine, grapefruit and floral esters. Feel is slick and resiny with a bitter hop bite.



A barleywine in a can? I was skeptical, but sign me up for this tasty $9.99 four pack. Perfect for the yard, camping or water. I've seen it but never pulled the trigger. I'll keep it in mind in the future. My score was a 4 / rDev +3.6%.

Cheers friends, I'm hoping for another later when I'm done visiting my bro.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23315/83261/?ba=Prager62#review

 

Thanks I appreciate that. It's hard for me my dad's 80. Bit my family has been decimated over the last 5 years- I lost my mom at 69 and my youngest brother at 47. So it's me - my bro and dad left. So I try to keep things in perspective although as many psychs have said: "death is a part of life" still hard for me to accept......

 

The first of a few new ones for tonight.
I can't believe I waited so long to try this newest release.
Looks like all the others.
Smells of pine, flint, gravel, with some tropical fruit coming in and out. Weirdness #1.
Tastes nice, but not as well balanced as other releases past. Weirdness #2.
Mouthfeel is just fine.
Overall, this leaves a little something to be desired as it has some of the attributes I sorta don't like.
Uneven and unbalanced are words that come to mind...
I haven't had them all by a long shot but, this is the worst Enjoy By I've had so far.
There has to be a "worst" one, correct?

 

Is that the standard Black Butte or one of the anniversary variants? What was it you liked about it beyond it being tasty?

 

I have to admit I think last years version was alot better- more in the 4/20 mold if you know what I mean. Dank and weedy.
I agree this years doesn't have alot of character - just alot of alcohol that goes down easy. But personally I like some flavor along with my beer....

 

Alvinne Wild West (2015 Plum Edition)

Beautiful day here in southeastern Pennsylvania. Got some yard work done; spent some time with the fam; now it's time to crack open a beer.

Had one of Alvinne's wine barrel aged quads earlier this year and it was phenomenal, so a month back or so I decided to splurge on this Bordeaux barrel aged golden blonde ale that was fermented with the brewery's Morpheus house yeast and on plums for five months.

I can see the yeast at the bottom of the bottle, so did a very careful pour in a tulip glass, which revealed a cloudy brownish orange color with just a tiny wisp of white head that quickly disappeared into the thinnest of crowns.

Plums dominate the aroma, with some sourness and a touch of dry yeast in the mix. It has a very tart and sour taste. Plum is front and center, with the skin and all -- juicy and mouth puckering. There's definitely oak in there, and maybe a little depth from the red wine, but at this age this beer is really all about the plum.

It's medium bodied, with just a touch of creaminess. This isn't a must-have, but it's solid. Plummy.

 

BOMB! First time seeing one of these in person was when my brother in law dropped this off in a mix sixer (including two wicked weed beers) of beers that I have never had before and that are not distributed to CT. Very grateful to get a chance to try this beer.
Look: Dark Black, small tan head, a little lacing 5
Smell: Mostly chocolate, with a touch of vanilla and alcohol 4
Taste: Starts sweet, but it ends less so. Chocolate and vanilla flavor, with a warming touch of alcohol heat and a slight dark fruit flavor 4.5
Feel: Smooth, creamy, really nice, but maybe a touch too thin. 4.5
Overall: It's a well made big beer, with a great chocolate flavor, but I would have preferred more complexity. 4.5

 

This post is awesome in a few ways. "Old world" beer and that of one who helped produce a beer I truly enjoyed.

Speaking as a more wordy, if not specifically chatty NBSer, I'll second this encouragement and further it to: feel free to tell us your non-technical experiences with a beer. Thanks for the review!

Welcome to NBS (I think, forgive me if I missed prior posts).

 

That's awesome I was wondering about that beer.

 

hope everything ends well for your dad! cheers

 

Another Happy New American IPA Sunday Brew!

No rain since last time, watching the Wings/TB game now, Detroit was pissed after game 2. Always a joy drinking a brew from this brewery.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2210/215677/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

Thanks. In the end the palate started to feel a bit 'sugary' after 16oz., but that's not a fatal flaw. For an inexpensive ($6.99 a 4-pack), fresh English Pale Ale I still see myself getting more from time to time. They definitely got the right 'feel' to the beer, and it is pretty much what I was hoping for.