New Beer Sunday (week 609)

While I enjoyed your story, and I am glad you got to try the wonderful beer that is Boat, I have one problem.
Why good sir? Why did it take you The better part of a month to drink it?

 

Hello All!
Happy New Beer Sunday! It has been a few weeks, but I am happy to be back. I've been traveling a bit to NH and Southern MA on my weekends, and in my travels I have hit a few breweries and brought home some faves to enjoy.
My choice to share with all of you today is Old Man Oatmeal Stout brewed by Woodstock Inn Brewery. I picked this up at a Shaw's in Concord, NH. The label on the bottle creates a nostalgic feeling for me. The Old Man of the Mountain is a monument from my childhood. It was a sad day when it slid from the side of the mountain out of existence, but only in concrete form. Today, it still exists on signs and NH collectibles.



This definitely challenged me in the reviewing department. I learned from this beer that I still have a lot to learn about, well, beer.
I took this oatmeal stout from my refrigerator and let it warm a bit on my bar before pouring it. When I removed the cap, I inhaled the deep aroma of bread baking and a slight whiff of sweet malty-ness.

The above event is not what made me realize I still have a lot to learn. It is what happened next . . .

I thought I poured poorly, so I tried again . . .

Hmm. The brew was all head. Though a lovely, foamy, mocha colored head! When it settled a bit this is what I had in my glass. It resembled a good cup of espresso.

So, these pours pushed me to reevaluate my knowledge of beer, especially stouts. I think besides Samuel Smith this is the only oatmeal stout I have tried at home; the others have been on-tap at local taverns.Today after I have saved my plants from the damp cold and finished baking my pumpkin muffins, I will curl up with The Oxford Companion to Beer and see what more I can discover about stouts.

Well, anyway, despite my confusion about whether the pour was user error or natural of an oatmeal stout, here is my review . . .

Once poured into a snifter and allowed to settle, the aroma opened up to a sweet malty-ness and roasty-ness. There is a bite of unsweetened, dark chocolate. The feel was smooth, almost like a nitro stout. It is advertised as unfiltered, which, I'm not sure if that is the same as a nitro stout, or even has anything to do with unfiltered brewing. Another thing I need to read more about. I discovered it to be creamy with a wet finish.
.
Overall, the beer is lovely to drink and easy at 5.13 ABV.

Cheers!

 

Damn, didn't know the OMITM had collapsed. Remember seeing it as a kid in the early 80s. It kicked whatever that similar thing in Virginia is's ass.

 

Good afternoon all. Was hoping to get started a bit earlier but better late than never, right?

First up is Sexual Chocolate from Foothills.



Big dark beige head, very foamy and leaving behind wicked sticky lacing. Beer itself is predictably black and opaque.

Raisin and molasses dominate the nose, obscuring anything else, save for maybe a splash of fig on exit.

Taste has a molasses thing up front with an accompanying chocolate character, finishing out ever so slightly smokey.

Chalky bitter chocolate aftertaste in this surprisingly thin stout. Overall it's pretty good but not mind melting.

 

Well, I started the day with a Belgian Blonde, and now I can't seem to avoid them (don't tell my GF). Adroit Theory has two on tap, and this seemed more interesting in its description:

This beer is actually quite hazy. You can see the head in the photo, a couple minutes after the pour. This does fade to a medium rim, but also provides nice lacing.

Nose is citrus and floral. I actually get a hibiscus note of it (and were it not for beer, I wouldn't be able to claim that). I also get a non-astringent lemon Pledge note - you know, kinda like what ir smells like after you've wiped it up and left the room for a couple minutes.



The description of birch is what intrigued me, and I tell you what, there's definitely a wood note to the beer in the taste. It's a little stronger earlier, but it definitely could be birch (why does iPhone keep correcting that to bitch?!?!). I love birch beer, and there's a root spiciness to this flavor.

By mid-glass, though, the lemon has grown to be the primary aspect of this beer. The end notes bring in a slightly woody bitterness and a softer citrus notes (orange blossom? eh, maybe).

Honestly, the lemon on this almost leans it into the sour realm. It actually comes across more similar to a Berliner without the wheat malt.

I never expect an Adroit Theory to be a straightforward style interpretation, and this was not close to the Wicked Weed from this AM in many aspects. The other Belgian Blonde was a grapefruit beer, and seemed more like grapefruit added to a clean base beer (based off a sip from the GF's sample).

 

May be posting a few to NBS today. Due to a series of lucky, yet uncommon events, my beer fridge has many beers I have never had before. Hey, I'm not complaining.
Starting with Broad Brook's Porter's Porter

Nice foam at pour but fades to surface clinging head 1-bubble deep pretty quick. Mild cocoa aroma becomes prominent dark chocolate on the tongue. Kind of like eating one of those 70% cocoa bars. If it wasn't highly carbonated the bitterness might be too much and if it wasn't as bitter the carbonation would be too much. Mouth feel pretty much makes this a porter, not a stout (I know the line is blurry).
At 5.3% this is a good alternative when a high ABV, highly rated stout is not an option.

 

Happy NBS. I'm going to get right to the new beer on a fabulously warm October day in WI. Hard to believe I am out on my porch in a t-shirt. This beer is courtesy of @SammyJaxxxx

Hazy light peach color with a 2 finger white head. Plenty of webbed lacing all over the glass. Smell is big on fresh, juicy tropical notes from the Mosaic hops. Plenty of mango, pineapple, passion fruit, along with citrus. Some nice sweet honey and wheat to balance it out. Not quite a juicy as the nose, but very good with some tangerine, grapefruit, mango, pineapple. Nice mouthfeel with excellent carbonation. Very sticky and juicy. Excellent IPA.

 

I remember this fuckn' brew, very tasty. Enjoy!

Cheers!

 

One more, you say?

Okay.


Brexit from Montgomery Brewing in Montgomery, MN. Not used to the style, but it's not a bad beer to finish off my NBS.

3.25/5 rDev n/a
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a dark amber color. The head is fairly thick and frothy - 3 finger. It isn't a very clear beer. The nose of it is, well, minimal. Very minimal. The taste is bitter, but not overly so. It is balanced out with almost a sweetness on the backside. Very interesting beer. Not used to this style, but I like this one, so far.

★ 336 characters

 

My birthday is Tue so figured i'd grab something i been waiting to open for about a year..this was worth the wait..Fudge,chocolate,whiskey,vanilla,tobacco flavor..opaque with a medium light brown
head..aroma of whiskey,fudge,vanilla,molasses..Happy Birthday to Me!

 

Another beer before I head outside and do some leaf raking in the yard.

Thanks to @larryi86 for this Tired Hands Key Lime Pie. Color is a dirty yellow and cloudy with a 3 finger white head. A good amount of webbed lacing on my glass. Aroma is faint citrus, some lime pie filling along with sweet malt that kind of resembles graham crackers. Flavor is somewhat confusing on the pallet. It is semi sweet up front with the malts, hints of caramel and cracker with a touch of vanilla. Finish is citrusy and has some tart lime. Feel is a bit watery and light with some soft carbonation. This was enjoyable, but more of a novelty than a repeat drinker and I'm glad to have tried it.

 

Enjoyed watching Matt Staffords late 4th drive for the win! Took the Suzuki VStrom out for what may be one of the last rides of the year.

Time for a NBS BIF4 beer from the generous @thebeers
Draai Laag Simon Girty, a strong dark Belgian at 8%
This is one complex brew, initial hit I thought I was drinking a sour, it has a very sour fruit aspect but then as we go on, I'm getting some sweetness, honey, cocoa, with almost no aftertaste finishes clean. Very different from the few Belgians I've had. Enjoyed it Arthur!

 

Hi everyone. It's a beautiful Fall afternoon in North Jersey. I promised my wife I'd help clean the basement today since the Giants played so early. Now, my allergies are going crazy with the dust so I've repaired to the deck to drink. My sneezes are scaring off the critters in the woods behind the house.

Thanks Maria for leading off with an IPA. I'll follow suit with Singlecut's Softly Spoken Magic Spell. This is a superbly balanced DIPA that deserves its World Class BA rating. Here's my review:

4.49/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle dated 9/28/2016. Poured into IPA glass. It pours a murky honey color with orange hues, and two fingers of foamy, egg-white head and lacing with great retention. It's a lovely pour. It has a rich aroma of lemon, grapefruit, sweet tropical fruit, onion, grass, and floral hops. It's dank and has a great balance of citrus, onion, and hops. It also has a significant malt presence and you can taste the sweet tropical fruit at the finish. Everything blends and balances extremely well. This ale is medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, with a fairly creamy mouth feel that is pleasing. The 8.6% ABV is just right for a DIPA and gives it substance without being overwhelming. Overall, this is a terrific DIPA that deserves its "World Class" rating.

Cheers, my friends!

 

Happy New American IPA Sunday!

Pretty nice day here on the Western Slope, did the usual Sunday hike, around 67, partly cloudy/sunny. My first from this brewery, a pretty tasty well balanced IPA, the price was right. WS starts Tuesday! Watched some of the Eagles/Vikings game. No NHL games on Sunday when you don't have the NHL Center Ice package anymore.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16873/53808/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

Happy Sunday BAs! It's an overcast rainy day here in San Diego which I am thoroughly enjoying because we don't get many of these. I headed out this morning with the intent of picking up a bottle Mocha Marlin from Ballast Point that I have yet to try. I stopped by BevMo as it was convenient with the other errands I was running, but to my surprise, they didn't have it. As I looked around the store I stumbled upon a rye coconut stout called The Patsy from a local brewery called Barley Forge. It was very fresh (bottled 10/13/16), which is becoming more and more important to me lately, so I decided to take a chance on it. I'm very glad that I did...

Served in a Stone Brewing snifter from a 12 ounce bottle. Bottling date of 16-10-13.

Pours a dark brown with just a bit of light khaki head. The nose on this is absolutely insane! I pick up a bit of spice from the rye, TONS of toasted coconut, and a little bit of roasted coffee. Taste is similar with the rye spice up front, followed by coconut and chocolate. Not picking up much coffee in the taste, but there is a hint of vanilla towards the finish. Feel is average for a stout of this ABV, slightly under-carbed if anything, but it works. I would say that I prefer Death by Coconut over this slightly, but this is an impressive beer nonetheless. Overall, a fantastic brew and I'm happy that I have five more of these to enjoy! Cheers BAs!

 

Back with some cheese, salami and Harbor Ale from Greenport Harbor Brewing.

Pretty cool label, who knows what it means.
Pours a little more opaque than some of the other reviews I read. Head is pretty with bumpy hills, valleys and uneven bubbles. Aroma is bready alcohol. Taste is well balanced at first, but with a slight ash-like finish. Not sure I would buy again, but not horrible.

 

Greetings, fellow NBSers, and thanks to @utopiajane for thoughtfully getting us going, as always,

Had several new beers over the past week. Iron Goat unveiled a Lemon Sour Ale (good, but not quite as flavorful as the uncarbonated taste I received a couple weeks ago, courtesy of an employee), and I tried a IIPA from Perry Street that was top notch (Perry Street just popped onto a lot of radars by winning Gold at GABF for their IPL in the session category). Yesterday, once powersleeping after working a graveyard shift was completed, I made a drive to North Idaho to obtain a couple bottles of a ba Dubbel from Selkirk Abbey, along with some beers and schwag for a couple other folks. The one glass I had of the Dubbel was extremely fine. I bought one bottle for myself to properly review and one for a certain BA who has long been raving favorably about SA when he's not encouraging supporters of midwestern junior ursines to quickly depart from the grassy expanse extending from his domicile.

Today I'm having an atypical PNW IPA brewed a couple miles from my employer. A running-themed IPA, Shin Splints, with a fairly Europeanish malt and hop bill, is drier and more herbal than most such beers around here, and is the first regularly produced ale (and first ever IPA) from Orlison, which until now has been almost exclusively a brewer of lagers.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/20173/247539/?ba=woemad#review

Not bad, but anyone expecting a typical, juicy hop bomb this area is known for will probably not react well.

Got a couple more that might make an appearance today. If not, have a great week!

 

G' afternoon NBS-ers! Helluva day today! The Eagles won much to the chagrin of @Josholson666 . The wife was able to stay home a little later than usual from work. And I went to the urgent care center; turns out I have Submandibular lymphadenopathy. Gonna have to lay off the beer consumption for the next week or so; they put me on Biaxin and Prednisone. But as long as this mouth pain and this golf ball sized swollen gland under my jaw goes away I ain't gonna mind!

Aw 'ight enough of that shit!

Today's entry comes, again, from @beertunes :

Iron Goat Head Butt IPA

(I apologize for the crooked picture)

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a Snorkel glass. No date that I can find.

Appearance: Deep golden orange body, finger's worth of head full of tiny white bubbles. Large islands of lacing all over the the glass.

Aroma: Getting plenty of citrus, mainly orange with a little earthiness. Definitely getting some malt presence as well.

Taste: Oh, yeah plenty of orange in this! Pine and some grass makes itself known as well.

Mouthfeel: Kind of light which is surprising. But very easy to drink with a light amount of carbonation and a juicy finish.

Overall: This is a good beer to drink on a hot day in my opinion. Not overly bitter and decently balanced. A minimal amount of lingering bitterness is there, but not bad. Very tasty.

Cheers!

 

Happy New Beer Sunday!

This week I'm trying a new hoppy farmhouse wheat ale from Kent Falls Brewing.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/37192/247934/


This beer pours a nice cloudy gold color with a large creamy frothy white foam head that sticks around for a while. As I poured the last bits of the bottle it became a touch murkier with just a very small touch of hardly noticeable dregs falling to the bottom of the glass.

The aroma of this beer is strong saison yeast with moderate earthy barnyard funk, spice and tartness. I pick up some banana, clove, vanilla, mildly smoky earthy woody barnyard funk, some white peppercorns, tart lemon notes, crackery wheat, with tropical citrusy hop notes of white grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, tropical mango, guava, passionfruit, with piney minty earthy herbal grass.

My first impressions of the taste were that of a modern hoppy Gueuze (if there is such a thing). Some mildly smoky earthy woody barnyard funk notes reminiscent of an old cork come out, with saison yeast notes of banana, clove-like spice, vanilla, white peppercorns, crackery wheat, tart lemon, balanced with hoppy notes of grapefruit, orange citrus, pineapple, tropical mango, guava, passionfruit, with piney minty earthy herbal grass. After pouring the bottom remnants of the bottle the taste and feel became a bit juicier.

The beer drinks medium-light bodied, creamy and juicy feeling with moderate low carbonation that isn't very high or active, while still remaining present.

Overall this is a very nice and unique interesting beer. It has wheat notes, farmhouse notes, funky brett-like notes, and tropical citrusy piney hops to help bring it all together. It feels balanced and full-flavored while not going overboard and remains drinkable. Some interesting smoky barnyard notes that remind me of Lindemans Gueuze Cuvée René come out, along with Azacca and Amarillo hops providing some subtle tropical citrusy fruit flavors making this a really unique and interesting brew. I'm looking forward to more Kent Falls offerings.

Cheers all and Happy Sunday!

 

Hey Good afternoon all you NBS friends!
Thank you Maria for a spectacular start up a usual. I'll be shorter and to the point since this is all done on my phone today - computer screen is shot. Dropped the damn thing right on the corner. Windy beautiful day here today and the Giants won after a snoozer of a game. I'll go on record saying like nothing about these Sunday am London games.
A couple new beers from Guinness caught my eye. Not a fan of previous "experimental" beers (Guinness Blonde for example) or the stout for that matter but this sounded interesting.
Guinness Rye Pale Ale
Pours a cloudy amber gold not unlike tea with a amber finger head that hardly lasts with very little lacing.
Smell is of slightly sweet malts, lemon and orange citrus and very little sign of pepper from rye. It's a weak aroma honestly.
Taste is again lots of lemon with tea notes and a with the signature Guinness yeast flavors with some black pepper on the finish.
Feel is tongue coating flour like with good carbonation and body is thin and on the watery side.
What the hell I gave it a try. It's not terrible but I swear this tastes so much like unsweetened iced tea it's unbelievable. "Hopped with Mosaic and Cascade. Really?
I am sure my other Guinness selection will be better since it's sticks to their roots. Have a great week and thanks as always for taking the time.