New Beer Sunday (week 601)

New Beer Sunday: A New Wit in Town

Mornin' NBSers and thanks to @utopiajane for the start.

August seems to be the month for family travel as we have some more out of town guests. So I'm not sure I'll be around much today to read about some of the beers folks have lined up but will be looking through today's thread later on for ideas about things to try and things to avoid.

Weather here today expected to be warm and muggy. (In otherwords, "uncomfortable." ) Hopefully it will be temperate enough by early evening for the planned picnic dinner in the park/arboretum not too far from here.

While helping one of our guests fix breakfast for all, I'm having the Stone Citrusy Wit.

As usual my review, mostly complete is to be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/147/222187/?ba=drtth#review

On the whole I give this beer above average marks in that it seems a well made Wit that hits it's target. The citrus flavors substituted for the traditional Curacao orange are definitely noticable. But that all said I'll probably be giving it a pass in the future as I'm much more fond of the Curacao orange in a Wit beer than I am this Tangerine and lime leaf combination from Stone. (In other words it has not displaced the Allagash White from my have-some-often list. )

The person leading the breakfast charge is trying out a new recipe he found online and which I'm keeping track of for possible future use since it sounds tasty. This is to be a grilled breakfast, so we've fired up the grill to try out this experiment for both of us. Basically you start with some pizza dough and make 8" circles with thick edges. After that has grilled a bit to firm up and create grill lines you add in lots of shredded cheese (your choice) leaving a shallow depression in the middle. Then as the cheese warms you break an egg into the "hole" in the cheese and cook the whole thing until the egg is done. Serve on a plate with a side of sausage gravy to be poured on top. (Clearly not finger food. )

Cheers, all!

 

Not a lager or pils but new to me . . .



Beautiful shiny copper colored ale with a thick white cap and good lacing.

Aroma is of bright, spicy hops covering rich malt. The hops carry a darker shade of the spectrum while remaining in sharp focus. Malt is light caramel that comes across as clean rather than sweet. Hard to say which comes first, malt or hops, as they appear to be blended together so well.

Taste is tasty. Hops are present from start to finish but they work with the malt rather than disguising it with a hop tang. Finish is clean, crisp and leaves a mildly flavorful hot note in the aftertaste. The whole displays a complexity that falls seamlessly together so well it makes the effort appear effortless.

Body is medium-full with a rounded character that shows no sharp edges.

Overall this is a very well balanced brew that touches all the bases.

 

My parents came to the real world a week or two ago and we went out to the mountains and found some water. It was awesome. Or at least as awesome as a weekend with my parents can be (I love them dearly: they are wonderful people, but I just can't really stand to be around them for very long at a time).
What does this have to do with today's NBS? While picking up supplies for the weekend, I picked up this bottle of Commons' Boysen. Both my mom and my dad gave me a hard time about grabbing a fruit beer, but I thought I'd remembered hearing some favourable things about the brewery, and, well, I love berries! Boysenberries are in the upper half of my berry hierarchy, so I thought this would be an interesting exploration. Spoiler alert (and one of the few times you'll hear me admit this): my parents were right (just not for the reasons they thought).

Popping this beer and pouring it into a glass I am surprised by how deep and dark it truly is in the glass. Thickly opaque just shy of black (but more rusty brown than the truly reddish edges I was expecting), it is capped by an inviting and persistent silky head that lingers for a bit before fading back into it's full liquid state. Decent but not great lacing.

Upon initial opening, the nose brought a burly bouquet of berry sweetness that is actually almost more cherry (and a touch medicinal/popcicle) than any true berry. Allowing the beer to settle into it's new abode in my glass and digging in with my nose I find this syrupy sweetness has been wholly replaced by a generic grainy maltiness with some yeasty edges and an almost tobacco-like darkness to its soul. Joseph Conrad would be proud.

Starting while still cold, this dark grains/bit of yeast force is again the dominant factor, though there is a hint of berry dashing at the corners, perpetually just out of sight. Allowing the beer to warm doesn't really seem to invite the complexity I was hoping for, but to simply allow space for the alcohol and medicinal sweet qualities to step forward. It's billed as a farmhouse ale with berries but it reminds me much more of some underwhelming old ales I've had that feature much more of a brown than a colourful palette to the palate. Instead of tart yeast/etc meeting sweet/tart berries as I had (foolishly?) hoped for, I was met with some ill-disciplined leather and tobacco with a sickly sweet crest that gives me anxiety for the next time I wake up.

I dunno. It's kind of a mess. Some of it is on me and my expectations, but at the same time...
At least the body was enjoyable. Heavily carbonated which makes sense but isn't my first most favourite characteristic, the intervening liquid is light enough but silky smoothe and the real highlight for me.

I would not pick this up again. I'm glad I tried it, I suppose, but would far rather be drinking something else. This happens sometimes! But it's informative even in its sins (in the original translation of missing the mark).

Hope your liquid journey is no less informative, but maybe a little more enjoyable!


Cheers

 

Today is a study in proper glassware with Defiance Brewing's Joe Man Bun German-style pilsener. ABV 5.5% And for whatever reason, I believe I've reviewed more Defiance beers on NBS than any other other brewery. I don't have any idea why that is.

I first poured it in my Defiance balloon glass, and saw that the head was completely flat. Then I poured a second can into a fluted pilsener glass. Here's the results after some time passes, there's more head retention in the pilsener glass:


So here's my thoughts from drinking from the proper glass:

Look: Pale straw yellow, clear, with a soapy white head that recedes to a chunky film. Lacing is initially good, lots of thick webby bands.

Aroma: Balanced with a good sweet cereal grain note up front then the nose gets really spicy. Saaz hops?

Taste: Balanced again. Starts off with a huge dose of malty sweetness then the hops emerge with dried grassiness and a really nice spiciness. The finish is slightly bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, slightly dry.

Overall: It was much better out of the proper glassware. 3.7 overall rating. This review is probably one of my least descriptive, but it is what it is. This beer is sweet, grassy, and spicy. Oh, and what is a "man bun"? Here you go:

 

Summer of Pilsners – My first crowler ever!!

I have a very good friend who gave me a present of a crowler of Victory beer labeled as Air Drop.

I hope that I can accurately relate the story behind this beer. Bill Covaleski is one of the co-owners of Victory Brewing Company (or he used to be before the Artisanal Beverage Ventures business deal) and he traveled to Australia and New Zealand a year or so ago. One of the purposes of the trip was to learn more about the hops grown there. He met lots of folks including an impassioned bunch of fellows from New Zealand. These fellows came to the US recently and attended the Craft Brewers Conference in Philadelphia. Since they were in the area they came to Victory and helped brew a beer that features New Zealand hops. Pretty exciting, huh?

I went to the Victory website to learn a bit more about this beer:



“Air Drop

Enjoy Air Drop, our collaboration brew with Garage Project available at all of our brewpub locations.

Composition

Malt: Pilsner, Acid

Hops: Southern Cross, Motueka, Nelson Sauvin, Riwaka, Pacifica

ABV: 6.10%

Flavor

This beer is loaded with hops, intense aromas of citrus rind, meyer lemon, pine, light fruits (pear and white grape), with hints of tropical aromas lingering as well. The flavor is bold, with a pronounced initial bitterness coupled with the juicy hop flavors that mirror the preceding aromas. There is a subtle malt sweetness, and a distinct Pilsner crispness that finishes the experience on your palate.”

So, how well does New Zealand hops work in a Pilsner? To quote the wise owl: Let’s find out.

Served in my Polish Pilsner glass:

Appearance:

Golden colored with a two finger white head.

Aroma:

The first impression is the hop aroma of herbal with some Pilsner malt aroma as well.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose. There is herbal/earthy hop flavors with just a bit of spicy flavor as well. The hop flavors are accompanied by a Pilsner Malt backbone.. There is a firm bitterness present.

Mouthfeel:

Moderate carbonation, light- moderate body with a very pleasant dry finish.

Overall:

This beer features the New Zealand hop flavors but is nicely accompanied by the Pilsner Malt backbone. I like this beer.

Cheers to Victory and the Garage Project for brewing a very unique and intriguing Pilsner!!

@zid @rotsaruch @KOP_Beer_OUtlet @Ranbot @nc41

P.S. If you want more information about the New Zealand fellows (Garage Project): http://garageproject.co.nz/pages/about

 

Good 7:45 morning NBSers! I'll be back later with some new brew but first, some housekeeping: NBS BIF #4, Monkeys With Knives, is on! As those who have participated in the past can attest, this is a lot of fun. If you would like to sign up, or just have questions, please check out this thread: https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/nbs-bif-4-sign-up-and-questions-thread.444700/ I'll be doing pairings next week (after Labor Day), we'll be shipping late September, with an 'official" share date of October 9. if that day doesn't work for you, there is some wiggle room (@gopens44 , I'm looking at you ).

On a more personal note, I got a couple more reviews up, if you're interested: http://www.taptrail.com/bellingham-brewed-reviews-gruff-brewing-belgian-blonde/

http://www.taptrail.com/bellingham-brewed-reviews-north-fork-doolittle-sour/

Be back later with beer!

 

7.5% alcohol. 85 IBU. Introduced in 2011. Brewed in Pennsylvania.

4.1/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tröegs Perpetual IPA has a medium, off-white head, a mostly clear, bubbly, golden appearance, and moderate lacing left behind. The aroma is of fruity hop oils and sweet, white bread. Taste is of sweet white bread, white bread crust, and citrus rind hop oil. Mouthfeel is medium, and Tröegs Perpetual IPA finishes dry and drinkable.

RJT

 

Good morning New BSers! Hello from sunny and warm Crematoria (AKA TX) - sooo much nicer than NW PA! Here I sweat like a peeg (To quote Tuco (Eli Wallach's best role, IMHO)) and love every minute of it! Mrs Lizard and I brought the girls down to rehome them in a private pond down the road in Seguin - they're only four years old but are getting too big to overwinter inside.



Yesterday we hit Jester King - it was kind of a slow day there.



We stopped to pick up some Fen Tao for the next NBS BIF but the bottles sold out before we got there. There was still some on tap, better then last year's version. Oh well, still got some stuff for the next BIF.

Then on down the road to Blanco to Real Ale. This year there was a sign along the highway showing the way. If it was there previous years,I missed it. A decent SECOND FLOOR taproom exists with food available at a food truck outside - there is an elevator if you have trouble with stairs.





Today's New Beer:



$ 3.02 (Including tax)/16 oz can ($ 0.189/oz) at Spec’s in Shertz, TX
Undated 16 oz can at 42 degrees into a hand washed and dried JK snifter
Aroma – roasted malt and caramel
Head small (Maximum < two cm, aggressive pour), light brown, thin and frothy, diminishing to a three mm ring and thin layer
Lacing excellent – complete rings of tiny bubbles
Body dark brown/black, opaque
Flavor – dates and figs, caramel; no hops, no alcohol, no diacetyl
Palate full, creamy, soft carbonation

A very tasty Baltic porter/RIS style beer, flavorful and chewy

Appearance 4, Aroma 4.25, Flavor 4.25, Palate 4.25, Overall 4.25. Rating 4.24, Avg 3.92, rDEV +6.0%

Incidentally, yesterdays New Beer Saturday post:

 

My new beer of the week...

Pipeworks Simcoe IIPA

Had a bottle on Friday and it was so good, I ended up grabbing a couple more.

One from that couple happening right here, right now, true believers...

I've gotten berry aromas and flavors in beer before, but nothing as distinct as this...

On the nose, berry and citrus are quite clear...


These impressions are substantiated and clarified with the sip...

Blackberries and lime are the flavors I get most strongly, with an almost earthy character, somewhat suggestive of mild pine, rounding off the flavor profile. The body is neither light nor heavy, with an ample amount of carbonation washing the tongue. Slight drying on the finish lingers behind, clearly calling for another sip.

I'm glad to be encountering more of the Pipeworks IIPA series. I've had the Citra, Mosaic, and Amarillo so far. Citra's probably (barely) my favorite, with Simcoe and Mosaic vying for second, and Amarillo maybe just barely in third - but they're all really good. It's gonna depend on your hop preferences obviously, and this Simcoe IIPA really gave me a much greater appreciation for the hop.

Here's to new beer in your glass - cheers, NBS...

 

Pours a mostly transparent pale straw color with a big, fluffy white head, some of which sticks around the whole way through and lots of lacing.

The smell is full of cracker like malts, musty wet hay, sweet malts and pine; it makes you want to dig in.

The taste mostly follows the nose with cracker like and sweet malts dominating. The feel is crisp and clean all the way though and the finish is slightly dry with a hint of pine. Overall, try it!

 

Another beer to send my dad on a mission to bring down this week. Sounds good, does it follow the style of Jack Abby IPL given the hop billing?

 

That breakfast sounds amazing!

 

Holy Hell!!! I'm hungry now!!! I'm cutting and pasting your "lite breakfast" on to a Word doc. Thanks!

 

Simians with Serrated Swords.... (if this BIF gets too BIG for the original name)

 

Trop Hop a Tropical IPA from Twin Elephant Brewing. This beer is not what I think of as an IPA but it tastes so good that I don't care. Trop Hop is 6.3 ABV and loaded with Citra hops. It's a pale orange color like what you would get if you added to much water to frozen OJ concentrate. There is a nice white head and a mix of fruity aromas mango citrus ect. The tastes is very fruity starts a bit sweet and end a bit tart. The finish is Citra Hops . I enjoyed the beer a lot ended up drinking 3 pints of it. Another fine beer from a young Brewery that seem to have it's act together.

 

Dale, Victory Air Drop is only available on draft at the Victory Brewpubs. Does your dad live near Downingtown?

I have only had a few of the Jacks Abby IPLs and this beer did not taste like any of the beers I had.

Cheers!

 

First NBS offering of the day is technically my second beer from my Ohio haul. One many of you will be familiar with but a first for myself.



Great Lakes Oktoberfest

Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Märzen / Oktoberfest / 6.50% ABV

3.96/5 rDev -1% | Avg: 4
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Best by 11/02/16

L-The beer pours an orangish amber and clear. The head is quite modest despite a fairly aggressive pour. It is white and stands one cm. Lacing is mostly non existent and the head eventually disappears completely. High marks for clarity and color but a deduction for the lack of head retention.

S-The smell is pretty clean as you would expect with hints of brown bread. The most pervasive element of the nose is a generic sweetness. No alchohol is perceived.

T- Up front on the palate you get the brown bread perceived in the nose. You do get a hint of sweetness in the mid palate. Fortunately the hops enter at this point and to a good job of balancing the sweetness with a spicy earthy quality. Although the beer first seems like it might get cloying, the finish does turn dry as the hops make their presence felt.

F- The mouthfeel on this one is medium. The carbonation is prickly but overall fairly light.

O- The beer falls squarely within style guidlines for a Marzen. The only real flaws I see are the lack of head retention and overly sweet nose. This may be do to the slightly higher than normal abv for the style. The beer certainly falls on the sweeter side of ledger, so those who dislike sweetness in their beer should probably look more at Festbiers rather than Marzens.


I'd like to give a shout out to North High Brewings Cucumber Wheat. I couldn't find it on their website, and I don't believe it's in the database here. The first of the Ohio beers I consumed was the growler purchased at the brewery. It was described to us as "straight up cucumber juice", and that was no lie. Really light, easy drinking, and refreshing summer brew. If you hit up the brewery and are looking for something light and different give it a go. It was easily the biggest surprise of our trip.