New Beer Sunday (week 598)

Grimm Dreamweapon

This is going into the Stange too. I'm not washing another glass.

What do Grimm and Singlecut have in common? Hmmm? Let me count the ways:

1) both are popular New York City based brewing companies with beer geeks
2) beer geeks use some of their beers as examples of "New England IPAs" outside of New England... do you folks know what I mean when I say "New England IPA" or is that meaningless?
3) their packaged beers are bloody expensive
4) beer geeks didn't give a DARN about these breweries until they shifted a lot of focus to IPAs
5) they name some of their beers after musicians/songs/albums (at least I think Grimm does this too)

How are they different:

1) Singlecut has a brewery and they bottle there
2) Beer geeks complain about the price of Singlecut beers but barely complain about the price of Grimm beers. Is this because they are better? I don't think so. I think this is the case because it's much harder to get your hands on a Grimm can. Why complain about price if you are also hitting as many stores as you can to grab as many beers as you can?

On to the beer!

The beer is a little hazy but there is a lot of visible floating particulate. It's unappealing. Taste starts with strong fruitiness. Tangerine and cantaloupe. The finish is quite bitter and lingers for a long time. Malt is in the far backseat here.

Frankly, I just don't care for most Grimm IPAs. They don't click with me at all. This one might be my last stab.

 

@drtth , I think you're starting to get the hang of this!
(I kid, I kid )

 

Sheesh! I began to feel a bit much earlier and thought that I would have a brief lie-down, but then I awoke like Rip Van Winkle with a beard, my wife gone & my daughters in college.

I opened the day with a Mint Julep:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/68/182922/?ba=woodychandler#review

but then I needed some Special Sauce:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26749/116703/?ba=woodychandler#review

Suddenly, my reefer began to make a "RAR" noise & so I drank:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31849/206863/?ba=woodychandler#review & https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31849/154654/?ba=woodychandler#review

but then things went Poffo on me & I had to take a break:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26850/176739/?ba=woodychandler#review

 

LATE NIGHT NBS!!!!!!!!!!!!

My busy Sunday included this new-for-me Jester King/Green Bench collaboration beer, Beachtime Sportzketball, a grisette refermented on loquats:

(Shakespeare at Winedale theater barn in the background)




Two words: kumquat beer. My bottle is not "fresh" by our American IPA/DIPA standards, but it had quite a bit of fruit flavor ... that earthy, not really lemon, not really orange kumquat flavor that always left me wondering as a kid, "Why am I eating this?" Because Paw-Paw had a kumquat tree, and there they were, ready for the picking, that's why. Duh!

The earthy flavor in Sportzketball tasted more like orange peel than dirt or hay stacks or grain sacks or musty barns ... and the fruit sweetness really showed up in the nose. It did have hints of Jester King's signature oak/dusty musty barn flavor, but only hints. Pretty tasty brew all in all.

the review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24018/236941/?ba=Premo88#review
3.91 (+2.1% rDev)

A best friend and I made it to Winedale for King John, the last of UT's Shakespeare at Winedale busy four week run of plays this year. And we celebrated:

Here's what Best Friend Anita thinks of Jester King brews:

I agree.

Winedale is always fun, and it was extra cool getting to see a history play. The English major geek in me had quite the time:



Hope your Mondays and your rest of the weeks go well!

Cheers!

 

Well Hello Late Night NBS.
Sadly, I did not get to go to the "new to me' brewery; Brouwerij West. So I will not be reporting from there tonight. However, as I was inspired to share some high quality Belgian inspired beers with a friend that is born again (in a beer sort of way) due to living and traveling in Europe for a few years. So I popped his New Glarus cherry with Serendipity.
He was blown away. Here's my take:

This was one glorious drink. And if the narrative is true, then somebody caught lightning in a bottle. Pours a deep, dark burgundy in color. Aroma is a cacophony of fruit. Cranberry, cherry, and maybe even pomegranate. Taste is full and fruity. Tart and crisp that moves toward a buttery mouthfeel. But the fruits really shine, varying from tart raspberry, cherry, cranberry, some sweet apple, and an elusive hint of spice. Mouthfeel is almost buttery, silky, awesome. Slight carbonation stays active. Overall, it's stunning.