New Beer Sunday (week 585)

Glad to hear it wasn't infected, like some are reporting of last year's vintage. I have a bottle, but like all robust, dark beers in my fridge, it's on hold until I knock out the ones @Rio and @SammyJaxxx have sent me.

BTW, I approve of the Legend Soundtrack, mostly because of the Bryan Ferry-David Gilmour collaboration found on it. For a long time, that soundtrack was the only way to find it.

 

It's deceptively hard to find without actually enlisting the aid of maps beforehand, or at least it was the first time I went there, which was a couple of years ago. Next time I'm over there, I might stop at their distributor (Odom - their warehouse is about 100 yards away from the brewery) and demand to know where they're sending their bottles.

 

I meant to say NBS BIF related. This was definitely the first time I'd had this beer. First time I tried to spell the name of that Mexican appetizer (I'm still spelling it wrong, but I'm obstinately refusing to look it up) too.

 

New Lagunitas Sunday

rDev -8.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Very pretty beer. Bright, clear golden yellow. Hige bright white frothy head leaves sticky lacing all over the place.

Not much to report on in the aroma department. It has that signature Lagunitas yeasty base and some tartness.

Tastes like lemon and grapefruit rind. Very tart, but not overly sour. There is some white grape, and candied flavor. Reminds me of eating a handful of Sweet Tarts. A mixture of the grape and pink. A decent floral hoppiness and some bready malts. The lingering aftertaste is better than when drinking it.

Fluffy, slightly chewy body reminiscent of Sumpin Sumpin. Finishes dry though.

A good beer, but nothing great. Probably one and done for me. Would probably make a decent gateway sour.

 

Next up is one I've been looking forward to ever since it emerged from the box I received from @clake.

Get Wheated from Other Half Brewing and Bunker Brewing



First off, what a totally rich and creamy head. Like the foam on a latte. North of translucent and creeping into opaque territory is this murky orange brown beige beer.

Took a while to get the aroma to break through the creamy barrier, but when it did I received a nose full of sweetness up front with a hint of Ameretto which moves on to become a grainy yet tangerine sweet bitter.

Taste is full of sweetness as well, but the bitterness has a bit more control over this sensation. Alongside a very noticeable heat, the malty sweet combined with grapefruit bitter.

Finished dry despite maintaining the creaminess throughout the decently carbonated and medium bodied feel. Some cloying sweetness on the tongue and a haunting bitterness that doesn't seem to stop.

This is a remarkable and artfully done wonder.

 

Happy NBS, everybody, and a toast to all of the mothers out there- the ones that hold us all together and bring out the best of us!

At the moment I'm enjoying a great beer to celebrate the re-appearance of the sun around here-

White Birch Raspberry Berliner Weiss

This is pretty much exactly what I expected when I picked it up- nicely tart, with a lemon peel/bready finish, initial hit of fresh raspberry aroma, but pleasantly lacking in any overdone cloying syrupy sweetness. It's straightforward and chuggable, with no off or unpleasant side flavors going on. If anything, maybe it's too one-dimensional, so it stays in the B range for me, but enjoyable nonetheless. (B, 3.65)

Cheers, and enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

 

Ahh, what the heck. I'll make my first "New Beer Sunday" post. The beer is Mikkeller's Nelson Sauvin. This beer was purchased to celebrate a recent achievement, and also to sample a beer style that is often mentioned as one of the more difficult beer styles to find: bier de champagne. I'll give my opinion as to why this beer style doesn't get produced more afterwards, but now it's time for pictures.

First Glass (and an attempt at being artsy):



Second Glass (much more straight forward):



Onto a review.

Its look is good, with a dark, murky copper sitting below an off-white bubbly head. Head retention is moderate, with a good bit of lacing left behind early on in the glass. Pretty standard so far. Aroma, taste, and mouth feel are really where the "de champagne" part of the style defines itself. The aroma evokes memories of New Year's Eve parties, right after the corks are popped (about the only time I ever sip a champagne). Bright bubbly notes, with fruit, champagne yeast, and pine hops permeate the air before diving in for a sip. The taste is really quite strange, as it features some traditional champagne notes, complimented with light fruits, and a bit of pine hop notes hidden behind. Definitely polarizing in the flavor department. It gives the impression of being sophisticated, while still remaining a beer. I'm at a loss for what else to say. Mouth feel is bubbly, and effervescent with a medium body. It also tastes quite dry. Overall, it's a solid beer, but it is a bit polarizing to sip on. Then again, this seems to be a beer made for sharing, and not consuming all to yourself (my dad doesn't like trying these "crazy" beers).

So now why doesn't more of this stuff get made? Well, first of is production. Just read about how long it takes for one of the beers in the style is made, and you'll see why they don't make much of it. Second of, it's not entirely fun to drink on your own. The bubbly nature of the beer lends itself to being shared, which means it wouldn't make much sense to purchase and consume by yourself on a Thursday night. It seems more like a "special occasion" beer. Last of, it's expensive. It's justified considering how it's made, but dang does it get pricey. I enjoy good beer, but I don't enjoy paying a $1/oz. I'll do it to celebrate occasions or try a new style, but not for an average Friday night. Perhaps we'll see more of it on the top shelf of the liquor store in years to come, but after sampling a bit, I can see why not much of this stuff gets made or sold.

Overall, I'm definitely glad I was able to find a bottle and try it. While I enjoyed it overall, I can't say I'll be picking up any of it except maybe for a New Year's or wedding event.

 

I love the way you roll!

 

Straffe Hendrik Wild

So let me apologize straight off for the quality of this picture. This bottle was a gusher and I hurried to get a picture so I could clean up. Then as one does, I neglected to actually look at it until I'd finished my glass. Ah well.



A: Pours a golden color with a thick, sudsy head. Very cloudy with sediment. Also worth noting that this bottle will gush pretty fiercely when opened. 3.0
S: A spicy fruitiness dominates up front. There is a slight unfortunate undertone that I can only describe as urine like. While that did gradually fade away leaving a nice overall smell it was still a pretty big turn off for me. 1.75
T: Thankfully, this does not taste like it smelled. Strong yeasty flavor up front. Finishes with a nice spicy fruitiness with a slight bitter aftertaste. 3.5
F: Very carbonated, medium body 3.75
O: Overall, this is an ok beer with a couple of flaws: the gyser upon opening and the unplesant aroma. It drinks fairly easy for the ABV and if you can get past the smell its worth a shot, but I don't think I'll be getting this again. 3.0

Composite: 2.98 Average: 3.74 rDev: -20.3%

I remember a few weeks back seeing a topic about which aspect of a beer, taste aside, could make or break a beer. At the time I would have said the only real deciders for me were taste and price; everything else is important, but if it tastes great I figured I could overlook other flaws. This was the beer that changed my opinion on that. I did my best to not let the aroma color my view of the other elements, but overall it really did kind of ruin this one for me. In the end, this really brought home how non taste elements of a beer can end up being just as important to the overall experience.

 

my NBS offering in the here and now


Reissdorf Kolsch

clear straw with some carbonation and a fluffy white head 4/5

I get a subtle hop aroma! this is a nice dry tasting beer, I love the sweet biscuit and honeydew flavors I get
from the yeast ,very drinkable! 4/5 and 4/5

thin mouthfeel, crisp and smooth 4/5

one of my favorite styles! many more kolsch's in my future for sure cheers!




and a proud pic of my pond!

 

This is quite a treat. The pepper heat isn't too noticeable at a year old but it's rich and thick and chocolatey.



Cheers!

 

Old Stock Reserve Whiskey Wheat. Now i loves me some Old Stock and the Reserves even better. Think this is my favorite so far. Killer brew. Cheers all.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/112/183584/?ba=cindyjeffsmith#review

 

Enjoying one of the Barelywines from @strohme2's box.
Blackrocks Gnomes
4.03/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thank you strohme2 for this
12 oz can, 2015, poured into a snifter

A- A murky ruby red with a small light tan head.

S- Dark fruits, some toffee, a little bready, some mild earthy hops.

T- Dark fruits, raisins, brown sugar, toffee, toasted malts, floral/earthy hops, better balance than the nose.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- A tasty Barelywine, glad the taste is more balanced than the nose.

★394 characters

Cheers!

 

Hey NBS friends, Thanks Maria again and Happy Mothers Day to you and all Moms. And to my Kim who continues to be one of the best of all time to her children. First forgive me if much too much of this post involves words about my Mom. You see my mother was truly an angel. The one that made you smile, brought everyones mood up and was able to light up a room with her presence. She was a fantastic interior designer and was an accomplished chef and cook who actually wrote a small cook book and was featured in quite a few others. She and dad ran a highly successful country inn in Vermont in the eighties. So the day is bittersweet for me. Not a day goes by I don't think of her but more thoughts come forth on this day. You see I lost her 5 years ago at the age of 69 to a FLD - a terrible and debilitating disease that has all the symptoms of Alzhiemers but progresses at a much more rapid pace. 2 years after the diagnosis she was gone. I'm sure many of you are familiar with the symptoms- its a painful way to lose someone and hurt a family. Eventually they don't know who you are and cant communicate with you. Funny thing is there are certain things deep within the memory that don't fade until the end. With mom it was music. Even when she couldn't speak or recognize you when we played " Afternoon Delight" or " The Impossible dream" she would muster a half smile.
So to all of you and your Moms- or anyone whose mom has passed on I toast with you to the happiness they brought us all.

And for the beer!! I needed something bright and shiny and very springlike. Like a fresh baked pie...........

Wicked Weed Brewing Brettaberry Tart Farmhouse Ale

Poured @ 50 Degrees a wonderful rosey berry color with a foamy pink head that is about a 1/4" and lasts longer than expected leaving rings of spotty lacing.

Aromas of fresh strawberries dominate with red wine vinous tones and yes a pie- like doughy malt presence. The funk is quite subdued the Brett style although there are some hay like nuances. Waves of fruit shine in the aroma with some floral notes.

Taste is very strawberry wine like with nice tartness in the front with a refreshing mouthful of blueberry lemonade sweetened with honey and some sour on the back end. Again hay like funk with just a touch of crust- like biscuit malt and some hay with a touch of yeast. Deliciously fruity and crisp.

Feels tart, crisp and clean in the mouth with a medium body and medium carbonation. Finishes dry. Alcohol is perfect @ 5.5%.

Well only my second farmhouse style sour from WW and I love these people. They come so close to putting summer berry pie in a bottle on this one. A clean refreshing tart rather than too sour on the style. I cant wait to get my hand on another sour or BA beer from them. Their IPA which I had the pleasure of trying was also outstanding. With increasing distro around here my wishes may come true.....
And to all you Moms I hope yours do as well - today and in the future.

For New Old Vinyl Sunday of course -even though its been posted- I'm spinning one of my favorite Paul Simon tunes.
Enjoy the reggae relaxing vibes from Steve Gadd on this tune. To you Mom!
And as always thanks for taking the time to listen. (Had to post my fave mom pic. My wedding 1993. She's 53 looking like 38)

 

Everything I have had from Carton is fantastic. Now a 12% cream ale??!! I must have this.

 

that was a well thought out thing to say man ! cheers !

 

All SoS hype is waranted. Great beer. If I walked into the store and saw it and Heady, its a no brainer. I am buying both If my wife is with me I go with SoS

 

Celebrating the end to a beautiful warm sunny weekend here in TN. Getting ready to grill some Mother's Day steaks and I decided to crack open a special one I've been saving for a while. My wife loves big beers and bourbon, so I'm excited to share this one with her:


Fun to pour with a viscosity like motor oil. Jet black with hints of brown around the glass edges and capped with a modest tan foamy cap. Smells like a bourbon barrel covered with caramel. Rich taste with toffee, caramel, vanilla, cocoa, oak, bourbon, and plum. For me, the large feel is the best part. Like butter. Just beautiful. Cheers to all the Moms out there!

 

Happy Mother's Day!
Happy New Fruit Beer Sunday!

Pretty nice day here in GJ, cloudy, sun came out alittle bit, windy, some rain. Did a nice little hike today, in a new area, and met a very nice family. Did not like this brew, drain pour. Will definitely have another shortly.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/205/217756/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

Happy Mother's Day and Happy NBS! First new brew of the day was Fantôme Saison D'Erezée - Été: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/738/8984/?ba=bluejacket74#review






I was afraid this one was going to be a gusher considering what I've read about this beer before, but it ended up being pretty much the complete opposite with very, very low carbonation. With that being said it wasn't bad to drink, but it's not one of the better Fantôme brews I've tried.

Not sure if I'll post my next new brews here tonight or not. A buddy gave me some of the Leinie's shandies to try, so I have 3 different cans of those up next. But I'll still check to see what everyone else's new brews are. Cheers everyone!