New Beer Sunday (week 590)

I'm flying back to Albuquerque, but will bet out in NYC plenty. Another NM to NY drive will happen eventually, so I'll look you up.

Holy Mountain wowed me in Seattle. This beer sounds spectacular.

Picon! I'd been hunting for that too. My dad's wife is of Basque descent and the Basque population in the western United States (especially in Nevada) have a drink of their own called Picon Punch. Have you had that?

 

Cool! What are they?

Sounds f-ing awesome! What are you fishing for? I grew up largemouth bass fishing and bay fishing for speckled trout, flounder and red fish (red drum) in the Gulf of Mexico, so I'm mostly fish illiterate when it comes to anything north of the Red River.

24 12 oz. beers, huh? How long a trip? Those three bottles will definitely help fill out a session.

 

Ok, time to continue on NBS. Another beer I picked up today - New Glarus Bubbler. I've been looking forward to it ever sice it was announced. I love hefes. If I were forced to only drink one style of beer, it would be a hefe.


3.98/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

It pours a murky golden color. The head was moderate. The nose has the standard hefe smell - banana. The taste is fairly standard for a hefe. It's got banana notes. It also has a bubbly feel to it from the carbonation. It is delicious hefe.

 

Calibrachoa.



I really wanted to get some more Fuchsia this year but we were too late in the season and they were all sold out. By far my most favorite flower, they bloom upside down and they're absolutely spectacular, IMO.





Better luck next year.

 

I like to say, #notadaygoseby

 

Another brew tonight and it's also from NY, or NYC to be exact. Threes Brewing's Day of the Dead IPA, courtesy of @RobNewton :



4.31/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 ounce can poured into a snifter. 6/1/16 can.

A- Not beautiful looking to me. Hazy pale straw color. Actually cloudy. Maybe a tad murky. Pale white wispy head. 4.25

S- Lovely aroma though. Sweet mango and pineapple. A distinct mineral quality. Pilsner-like malt. The light malt with its biscuity allows the tropical flavors to pop. 4.5

T- Interesting. Not nearly as mango and pineapple heavy, though those fruits are there. They're just more biter and unripened. Again, I get a minerally flavor, floral yeast, and a light, bready, crackery malt. 4.25

M- The bitterness is surprisingly aggressive here. Light and easy-drinking feel otherwise. Fruity, a touch sweet. 4.25

Threes does some killer brews and this qualifies. Not flawless but pretty damn good.

 

Well Hello NBS Late Night.
Wow, I have a lot of reading to catch up on. You all have been busy here.
School year winds down in fits and starts. Some of you folks might think we teachers get "the summer off." Well I gotta say in my first week "off" I have already met with 2 of my teammates planning for next year. And I'm heading back to my school near the end of June for a week long art and music camp that really enriches our kids' lives. Many teachers come to this event, some traveling from other parts of California, to VOLUNTEER their time. It's really something to behold.
We are also planning to meet after music camp 2 of those days for more planning, as well as in the first week of August. And then we're back at it, school year begins 2nd week of August. I'm not complaining, but I do get a little tired of people saying, "Yeah, but you get 3 months off in the summer."

Anyway, packing to head out to Chicago tomorrow. Then on to northern Indiana to visit my uncle. Dad is coming with me (uncle is his little brother) which is a nice surprise for my uncle. But, I'm pulling the old Maxwell Smart double-double cross. My brother, unbeknownst to both my uncle and my dad, arrives about a half hour after us. This should be fun. I'm bringing some good beers from So Cal. My brother is bringing some New Mexico offerings.
And hopefully I'm going to have my second NBS meetup with our very own @Prager62 . I have a few things to drop on him.

Anyway, as far as new beers go...last night I tried dozens at the OC Brewer's Guild First Annual gathering. Many a good beer was sampled. Even tried a category I had never heard of, a grisette. Similar to a saison, but, well, different.

As for now, I'm enjoying a RIS with caramel coffee, from Phantom Ales, in Anaheim.
It's called Darth Czar (w/caramel coffee)
4.19/5 rDev n/a
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Deep brown hue, khaki head rises to two fingers from a vigorous pour. Slowly recedes to a scattered slick on the surface. Very little lacing.
Smell is glorious. Caramel coffee is right there. So spot on. Underneath you catch whispers of char and peat.
Taste is a real balanced waltz between the roast of the coffee and the sweet of the caramel. They really go back and forth, sharing the spotlight, and almost through contrast, they highlight their partner. The caramel notes have a depth though. Much more complex than just "sweet." Slight wood notes on the finish.
Mouthfeel could be a tad more hefty, but I'm not complaining.
Overall, this is one great take on an RIS.

 

beautiful shots. I can see why it's your favorite.

 

Those flowers are absolutely amazing. (Totally explains why they sell out so fast also.) If anyone is interested in getting some, you need to start looking around Mother's Day at your local specialty greenhouse.

 

New Belgian Sunday!

I decided my theme for the day was going to be Belgian. I started off with a "crafty" beer I have had my eyes on and I was glad to have finally grabbed a single of.

Blue Moon Belgian Table Pils

Best by 9/19/16

BA has this logged as an American Pale Lager. While I am not going to put this in Pilsner Urquell territory, I would definitely say this was made within the Pilsner style. It did have a witbier twist, which I am assuming was from the orange peel addition, I found this to be exactly what I expected from a Blue Moon Pils, if not better.

It was biscuit malt with grassy hops, with a twist in the finish. Blue Moon tends to be priced near Sierra Nevada, so given the choice I am taking Nooner all day long. However, this was by no means a disappointment. $7/6pk is not rare for this brand, and at that price this is a beer worth considering if the circumstances are right. 3.98/5



Destihl Flanders Red

Best By 12/16/16

Full disclosure, this is only my second beer in the style, so maybe it is not one I have a great understanding of. I really enjoyed my first, which was Rodenbach Classic. It took me a minute to understand what I was dealing with, but I came around to understanding the sour, acidic style. Or, so I thought. This one came across way to acidic for me. The aroma was very good, lending to a sweeter red wine with some tart, acidic notes, and a presence of sweet male that suggested it would round this beer out. I was wrong in my interpretation. For me, this beer's acidity did not play well with other flavors. It dominated, and did not allow the malt to shine, which seems like a shame. That acid did help cut the rich funk of the Limburger cheese I paired it with, though. Maybe this is indicative of the style, and it is just not my kinda thing. But, overall, I did not particularly enjoy this one, and it makes me hesitant to revisit the style. 3.58/5

Now, for my last two of NBS, I move to a distinctly Belgian brewery located in my homestate.



Brewery Vivant Zaison

Bottled 5/20/16

This beer intrigued me because I love a good saison, but I had always felt that the bright, refreshing nature of the style was a major part of the appeal. Recently, though, I have tried Ommegang's Hennepin and Boulevard's Tank 7, which are both >7.5% and very well done. This beer, while missing some of the styles best features, still hit the mark for 10/3%. The body was reminiscent of an imperial IPA, and it surprisingly worked. There was also this OJ quality to it that I enjoyed. But, at it's core it was still funky. The funk may not have been the key player, but it kept the beer tasting like nothing else I have had before. This won't satisfy my craving for a saison, but I did really enjoy this beer paired with my chicken waterzooi.

3.94/5


Final Belgian, and nightcap beer...

Brewery Vivant Wizard Burial Ground

Released in December of 2016

This beer was not inexpensive, so during the winter months I waited for the time to seem right to crack this one. It never came. Then, today I decided my meals and beers would be themed with a Belgian influence, so naturally this was the right moment to finally try this brew. Man, IDK how I waited this long! This beer is great. Truth be told, the more I drink BBA stouts, the more I realize the style is not always for me. The focus on the barrel takes away the roasty, dark-fruity, and dense characteristics that draw me to imperial stouts. On the other hand, I have learned that BBA barleywines/old ales are more in line with my palate. This beer, rivals any BBA beer I have had, and the barrel compliments the base style much like the barleywines I spoke of. The aroma is to die for; caramel, oak, and plums in harmony. The candi-sugar notes in the front with the plum notes in the middle are finished perfectly by the bourbon, alcohol, and oak notes on the finish. This paired amazingly well with the Belgian waffle with vanilla ice cream I had with dessert. This 16oz can approached $8, so it is not likely something I will ever have in abundance. But, it was so well-executed that I will definitely aim to grab another one come December.

4.3/5


Cheers, NBS!

 

OH! So pretty