New Beer Sunday (week 588)

#2, this magnificent Coconut Stout from Saint Archer.



Two notes:

1. Apologies for the horrible picture.

2. I don't like two foods, green peas and coconut. I've never seen a green pea beer (thank the beer gods), but I've had a couple of coconut beer (Death By Coconut comes to mind), and I loved them. This is better than them all, IMHO.

It pours, looks, and smells like a BA stout, but the coconut kicks this up 2-1/2 notches - and at 13.4% ABV, this doesn't need to be kicked up any more than it already is. Simply phenomenal, IMHO.

Rated 4.44. Have a fantastic rest of your weekend, NBS friends.

 

I'd really love to see more American attempts at a traditional Altbier, as opposed to the version typified by Alaskan Amber.

 

New Milk/Sweet Stout Sunday

And for my last new brew of the day, I had a can of the Stillwater/Arizona Wilderness collab Stillwater is nothing big bunny is everything: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22150/223702/?ba=bluejacket74#review




I'll be back on here later today or tomorrow morning to check out everyone else's new brews. I always like checking out what people are drinking on NBS!

 

Hey, remember a little while ago, I said I'd be hitting a new PNW IPA? I didn't know then, but it turned out to be a lie. No such beer was placed in the fridge due to general ineptitude.

Instead I'm making do with an old favorite.

Back with something Midwestern after dinner.

 

What's going on NBS-ers?! Thanks to @cavedave for getting us started today!
Been away for quite a while and thanks to @punxsybob for stopping by for a visit last night while he's on vacation and dropping off some of his growler fill of Say What?! from Stable 12 Brewing! Which gives me the opportunity to join in tonight!


This is a bourbon barrel aged version of the breweries Belgian Russian Imperial Stout.
Poured a deep black used motor oil color and consistency. No head, which I assumed that there would be a little less carbonation after a transfer from a growler. Then again at 12.5% I wouldn't expect a whole lot to begin with.
Aromas of bourbon, Belgian yeast, cocoa, roasted malts.

Big bourbon taste up front; bakers chocolate, cocoa, deep roasted malts, some oakiness and some funkiness from the Belgian yeast. This is really nice.

Mouthfeel is full even with an almost total lack of carbonation that I mentioned earlier. Not a whole lot of alcohol burn, just nice and smooth. Again, the missing carbonation makes it almost like a light syrup; but I ain't hating on it.

Overall, I am really digging this one! You could almost chug this one down and not even have a hint of that 12.5% abv; not suggesting it, but this is really nice. Balanced flavors, nice mouth feel, really nice beer!

Cheers!

 

I'm just about to get a slice of cake for dessert, so some coffee seemed to be in order.

Santa Fe Java Stout

This one leaped out at me because just tonight at dinner my wife and I were reminiscing about our trip to Santa Fe in the mid 90s. In particular, it was the hike up to the Ceremonial Cave at Bandelier National Monument that we were telling the kids about. From my point of view, I heroically overcame my fear of heights and rickety ladders to get to the top, and it was all worth it in the end; from hers, it was a story about this nerdy drama queen holding up the line for everybody. As they say, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, but my side is definitely more inspirational .

Anyway- we were drinking Santa Fe beers on that trip, so tonight seems about right to have some more. This sample comes by way of the generosity of @ONovoMexicano .

The nose is impressive- especially to this coffee beer skeptic. The beer side shows through quite nicely with a rich nutty/caramel malt base and slight dried flower hop aroma lending an airy quality. The palate is also about peaceful harmony and coexistence, while adding a richer mouthfeel than expected. Ultimately it finishes lean, dry, and easy to drink. Again, the coffee comes on first, but then the malt and hop qualities take it the rest of the way. If anything, I'm also getting a really nice dark cocoa aspect on the finish reminiscent of chocolate malt- nice job on showing the supporting players here. The 8% abv is right in my perfect wheelhouse for a stout, too- not too heavy, not too sweet.

Personally, I still think I would prefer a straight stout just like this one, especially if I were to have a few in a row. But their craftsmanship is clearly evident here and worthy of respect. (A-, 4.35). Thanks again, Clay!

 

@cavedave @TongoRad - thanks for the great info. Gonna post a random whirlwind of random info:

• Still want Lost Nation Gose
• Great time at Barnhouse Brewery, including cursory talks with brewer who was sweeping floor as we left. He is expanding capacity soon, and dealing with actually dealing with "public" (infer best Ron White impression here)
• Hit Adroit Theory and, for today at least, was very impressed by their infusions. Great host led us in all the right directions on what to try. 3 howlers I cooler heading home
• Parkway from near my hometown has a coffee pale ale. And it's damn good!! It's a balanced coffee-infused pale ale that doesn't fuck that much with the base

Had pics for a real review post, but that's the past (read: forgotten by feebl @cjgiant brain):


That Two-Headed Calf is a must try if you hit the brewery. Sadly I can't give a good review at this point, but I will say maybe time away from this brewery made me appreciate it more when I came back. They still lack general feel / depth, but the flavors are there in their different beers atop their fairly signature base.

Cheers all! And extra thoughts to all who lost their lives defending our country's ideals. Let us never forget them or the ideals they died for.

 

Very well said. Since I recall you're a former USAF guy yourself (IIRC), let me thank you personally for your service. As for John Wayne, I'm a little surprised you didn't dust off the old avatar for the occaision!

 

Three new beers today! At Odell's Small Batch Revival I had a Limitless Strawberry Blonde and a very interesting and funky Wooden Tusk Oak Aged IPA. Also enjoyed a great band, the Yawpers. Now I'm ending the night with Adam From the Wood. Leathery, chocolaty, woody, delicious!

 

New Beer Sunday: New Hazy IPA

Evenin' NBSers with a special hello to those persistent pursuers of new IPAs.

The weather here was good for most of the day as our heat wave drew to an end. However, the rain has started as the Tropical Storm that left so much water down south is moving up the coast towards us. Fortunately I got the errands and chores finished before the rain and made my wife happy by picking up some dinner from the local Pizza place which does a great job both with Pizza and with Philly style Cheese Steaks. While good pizza can be found in many places a proper Cheese Steak is only really found in Philly and the surrounding 'burbs. (Natually the best place to get a Cheese Steak is a matter of heated debate but if you are a politician and hope to get the Philly vote you'd better be seen having a Cheese Steak at either Pat's or Gino's. Neither does the absolute best but they are the most well known and do a reasonably good one. )

This evening's new beer is called "The Rites" from a small GA brewery that is fairly new and this beer is new not only to me but to showing up here in PA and to being produced at all. Orpheus Brewing didn't start off with an IPA as a flagship beer and Orpheus seems to have distinguished themselves with a sour beer filled with Plum flavor (which I'll be sampling and reporting on in the future ).

As usual my review of this new beer, subject to revision until the beer has been finished can be found here:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34960/211980/?ba=drtth#review

The brewer set out to make a beer that would not be clear (it isn't) and would reflect some of what the beer is like before filtration and clarification. Its a quite nice beer with lots of interplay among various hop flavors (e.g., pine resin, citrus zest and flavors) but with malt sweetness in the background that softens the bitterness and then disappears into that dryness that invites another sip. (Probably more malt sweetness in the finish than many will care for but I like it and know that I don't have LTS from too much hops. :-))

There's no music on the player tonight as there is at least one Memorial Day concert on the TV so that takes priority.

Cheers, all!

 

Hilarious story. So much for living up to the stereotype of the friendly Canucks.

 

Good evening, all, and Happy New Dank Hoppy Bitter Hazy IIPA Sunday! Thanks to @cavedave for another eloquent kickoff to the NBS festivities. My new beer for today is @Sixpoint Puff. I'd been waiting for this one to land in Iowa, but no luck as of Friday. I finally scored some in Ohio yesterday. First impressions: beautiful hazy dark orange color, with a luscious resiny hop aroma that permeates the room:


Despite the hop-forward character and the high IBU (108), I found this to be extremely well balanced and easy to drink. The aroma and taste remained consistent from the first sip to the last. I often find a resiny, bitter finish to be off-putting, but it was quite pleasant with this one. The malt sweetness is there in the background, providing a nice counterpoint to the hoppiness. This was definitely worth tracking down, and it definitely lived up to the hype.

 

Greetings from the kingdom. After a miserable, suddnly hot and humid day yesterday, today was right in the wheelhouse for the missus and me. Low seventies,nice breeze, much gardening accomplished as a result. Rising Tide Gose was the planting beer...not a new one.

Here we go...the missus participated today by digging into the vault and cracking a Pretty Things Baby Tree quad. So that has been around a while. I did sample...not oxidized or aged, but pretty much an average quad. My wife said it lacked the plum and figgy flavor she expected. She was right...its there,but not very well developed. Hooray, Missus LeRose!

Gracing my goblet is Avery Brewing Company Raspberry Sour. It pours a ruby red color with a finger of tan head that lasts and leaves some beautiful lacing on the glass. The aroma...well, sour hits me, then raspberry that seemed a bit jammy rather than fresh, a tea note, and a bit of malt. The taste...I' m going to go with tasty, balanced, fairly smooth, dry. No doubt it is sour, but not a lip pickering sour. The raspberry confuses me because I get tea notes that remind me of fresh, but sweetness and almost a buttery note that says jam. Not diacetyl, by the way. It is a pleasing balance of the fruity raspberry with the attention getting sour. Good choice after a day outside in the garden. Perky enough carbonation, dry on the finish. I enjoyed this beer and I am feeling it landing around 3.8 on the BA scale.

@cavedave...great kickoff as always. I think we all share the thoughts of respect for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

 

Sixpoint Brewery Puff
Double IPA - 9.8%



4.56/5 rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Puff is described as an unfiltered pour from the Resin tanks that is then dry-hopped. I think both Resin and Hi-Res are both fine beers but not anywhere close to being near the top of my favorite IPAs.

12oz can poured into a snifter. The hops are predominately piney with some citrus notes as well. The hops are fresh and pungent and the taste features a good dose of sweet malt that is balanced perfectly with a nice amount of hops in the finish. There is also very little warmth from the high ABV that makes this dangerously drinkable. Overall, the best beer that I've tried from this brewery and a beer I am already planning on picking up more of.

 

The sun is setting, the grilling over for today and I'm sharing a dessert beer with my brother. We're tasting a bottle of Blue Island Brewing Co. Lost Weekend Barleywine. No listed abv. on the bottle and a long 14 digit code stamped towards the base of the bottle that I'm never in the mood to figure out. Date coding shouldn't require a damn handbook. I purchased it in April at the Open Bottle in Tinley Park Illinois. Let's have a sample!

Pours a light caramel brown leaving a half finger of dirty white foam. Tiny carbonation bubbles float to the surface. The smell is a simple mix of sweet caramel, floral esters, banana and rye spiciness. Flavor once again is sweet caramel forward followed by floral notes, banana and rye spice. The feel is slick and spicy with a slight bitter finish.



A good barleywine that lacks the complexity of the top dogs. I've heard the rumors comparing this to the infamous Hi Fi Rye and don't taste the connection other than the brewer. It shines more as it warms and I wouldn't hesitate buying another bottle next time around. I'd be curious to taste a barrel aged version if one is in the works. My score was 3.97 / +14.1%. My brother the Miller Lite drinker and occasional craft drinker liked it as well.

Here's the score, have a great abbreviated week!

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/39604/217512/?ba=Prager62#review

 

Last new beer tonight Clown Shoes Mangö.
4.08/5 rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A- Clear golden yellow with a two finger white head.

S- Mango juice, hints of malts and some earthy spice.

T- Mangos, Pilsner malts, hints of biscuits, earthy spices. Mangos aren't as big as the smell.

M- Smooth, light body.

O- An enjoyable, easy drinking beer. A cool twist on a kölsch, worth trying first you like mangos.

★ 369 characters

Cheers!

 

Here with the last beer of the night.
Really glad I'm getting to try some beers from this brewery been wanting too for awhile.
I think the coffe may have fell off a bit in this beer which is kinda if a bummer but it still is amazing
Jackie O's Champion Ground Bourbon Barrel Aged Coffee Stout.

L: Pours a thick black some light shows throw the edge of glass. Tiny tan head didn't stick around.

A: Bunch of chocolate. Vanilla bourbon wood character. Roasty malts. Some coffee.

T: Chocolatey roasty malts upfront. Then alot sweeter than smell would make you think. Some dark fruits or green coffee with a bunch of vanilla bourbon. Still not a ton of coffee.

F: Soft and smooth not as thick as I was hoping for. Still proper tho.

O: I thought it was really good. Tho I think the the Coffee has dropped off some. The bourbon character was perfect IMO.

 

I'm glad you posted this - I will be on the lookout for this one. Even though Harpoon revamped their label design, I'm still surprised to see that they changed the 100 Barrel look.