New beer Sunday (week 617)

Straffe Hendrik Wild 2016 by De Halve Maan

The Brett on this one is through the roof. I love me some funky aromas but this is waaaay beyond what my palate and I can handle. I love barnyard and horse blanket aromas but this beer offers aromas reminiscent of barnyard-next-to-a-burning-landfill and horse-with-halitosis-blanket. Even though this is meant to be a Tripel-with-Brett beer, I cannot identify anything Tripel-ish about it. Lots and lots of burnt rubber. Apart from the Brett the only other noticeable flavors/aromas are those of intensely bitter quinine. Did I drink this too fresh? I thought that Brett needs time to fully express but this is just a few months old. Is this beer going to get even more Brett-y as it ages? Was it "more" infected than intended? I'm seriously reluctant to believe there are people out there that would enjoy this. The place I bought this from is infamous for not storing beers properly so could it be that these extreme aromas/flavors are the product of transport/storage errors?

 

Something may indeed be different with the 2016. First time I had the 2015 it was fairly fresh. Then had again a year later. The brett only seemed to show much, if any, during the 2nd one, which was still recognizably a Tripel, and it certainly did not seem as funky as other aged Brett beers I've had. I've got two more bottles in the basement waiting their turn, but my experience to date, with the 2015, was fairly different than what you're describing with your 2016. (But I haven't had the 2016 to make a more useful comparison, since I haven't gone looking for it with those two bottles of 2015 waiting their turn in the basement. )

 

Good morning New BSers! Thank you @utopiajane for starting us off with another insightful beer review. It's pleasing to see that Smuttynose is making something flavorful besides their porter variants.
Well, it rained and was foggy all last night, depleting our snow cover to about four inches with an armored surface layer. I'll crunch my way out to the shed later to deal with today's project of recycling the dirt from all the jardinieres: the plant remains will go onto the garden to rot away.
Today's new breakfast brew is:



Received from Josholson666 in NBS BIF #4
Bottle dated 072113 at 42 degrees into a hand washed and dried JK snifter; allowed to warm to 50 degrees
Aroma – very strong and sweet of malt and honey,
Head average (Maximum two cm, aggressive pour), tan, creamy, rapidly diminishing to an irregular five to nine mm ring and a partial layer with a rocky island
Lacing – poor. Narrow partial ring with a couple of stalactites, actually pretty good lacing for a barley wine.
Body – nearly opaque dark honey with slight effervescence and a mass quantities of floaties
Flavor – actually somewhat weaker than the nose would have led me to expect. It is moderately sweet with some caramel flavor and ends just slightly bitter. No hops, no alcohol, no diacetyl.
Palate – medium, creamy, soft carbonation

Overall, a seemingly mild take on the English barley wine style. I’m sure that three years ago this probably had much sharper flavors before age mulled and dulled them. Still, this is a respectable brew.

Appearance 3.75, Aroma 4.25, Flavor 4, Palate 4, Overall 4. Rating 4.05, rDev +0.5%.

 

Other reviews of the 2016 version are mostly positive, which is what makes me suspicious that mine was subjected to bad transport/storage conditions. Not sure how Brett behaves in such conditions (whatever these may be) so hard to make an educated guess. I have stored 3 bottles of this in my "cellar" so I'd be curious to see how they taste once they've sat for a while.

 

I don't suspect they'll be a whole lot different unless it was a single bottle thing. The funk from Brett only develops with time, while it seems to change with time I don't think that change is to reduce its presence. While the changes can be accelerated by warmer storage temperatures (e.g., at your retailer) it doesn't seem it would be impacted by transportation in the case of your beer since all the imported Belgian beers with Brett will have been basically transported the same way and under the pretty much the same conditions before they get to us. Did the others who rated the beer actually write a full review (such as yours) or just do ratings only?

 

You make several good points. I will actually write to the retailer to explain that there may be a problem with this beer and that they should check how they store it. Other BA reviewers provided ratings only so I have no idea what they thought about the amount of Brett specifically.

Maybe I will use the remaining bottles to prank friends of mine that don't know much about beer but have been open to trying some of the "craft" stuff I drink... They'll run screaming

 

Ahh, too bad. That's the major reason I ignore ratings without the written reviews. I've no real sense of what others think the beer is like and why. I've seen lots of low scores on beers I enjoy and high scores on things I didn't like.

 

An old new beer!

About a year ago a very good friend gave me a bottle of Saranac Single Malt Bourbon Barrel Aged Scotch Ale. Since this beer is ‘high test’ with an ABV of 10% I said to myself: self, maybe you should age this beer for a year before drinking it. So, I listened to myself and here we are.

This will be a very interesting beer for me. I have had plenty of bourbon barrel aged beers (including my homebrewing with bourbon soaked oak cubes) but they have been where the base beer was a Porter/Stout. This is the first time I will be drinking a bourbon barrel aged beer where the base beer is a Scotch Ale. It will be intriguing to see how this base beer does with bourbon barrel aging.

There is lots of information on the back label of the beer bottle:

“Our single-malt is a high gravity scotch ale aged in bourbon barrels for a full depth of flavor. This is a rich and complex beer with underlying bourbon-like notes. You’ll find noticeable vanilla and caramel character in the aroma and flavor.

· Style: Scotch Ale

· Alc/Vol: 10%

· IBUs: 32

· Color: Dark Brown

· Aroma: Malty, Warming

· Mouthful: Medium-full”

Boy, with all of this information there is really no need for me to write-up a review.

Well, let’s see after one year of aging whether the Saranac provided verbiage still holds up.

Served in my Gulden Draak Tulip Glass:

Appearance:

Pours a deep mahogany color with a one finger off-white head.

Aroma:

The first aspect which is apparent to me is a bourbon-like aroma. I then pick up a sweet maltiness smell.

Taste:

Wow! There is a lot going on here!! I am picking up the same aspects of the nose: bourbon-like flavor but there is a lot more on the flavor side. I am getting flavors like caramelized sugar, and then dark dried fruit flavors (e.g., raisins, figs, dried plum,…). As the beer warms/opens up I am able to perceive some subtle vanilla. The flavor profile is complex in both the breadth of the flavor profile but also in that it comes across in waves (first one, then another and then another…).

Mouthfeel:
Medium bodied, low-moderate carbonation with a nice pleasant sweet-ish finish.

Overall:

I really enjoyed drinking this beer! There were lots of complexities here but everything meshed and complemented very, very well!!

Cheers to my friend for giving me such a wonderful beer!

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @RobH @utopiajane

 

Good morning all on this windy, rainy, sleety, snowy day. Well, just a bit of snow but that's rare around here so worth comment.

Time for a regional, Ghost River Oktoberfest out of Memphis . . .



Score 3.84
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Light clear gold color with white cap and step lacing as the glass is drained.

Aroma is primarily sweet malt, a bit caramely, with spicy floral hops in the background.

Taste is rich malt forward with the lightly sweet malt backed up by slightly roasted munich malt which gives it a bit of a toasty roasty taste. Hops hang in the background until the finish where they put a snap closure on the aftertaste. Malt comes right up to the edge of over richness when pulled up short by the hops which hold a firm grasp on the lease.

Texture is fuller than medium but it's a restrained weight.

Overall this is a good effort deserving a B grade. It doesn't really do more than what the other B grade Oktoberfests do but it's worth more than a tick. Or at least a tick.

 

This was a pretty darn good barleywine fresh. Big yet drinkable. Age tends not to be that great for Schell's beer. I know as I've tried many times. Drink 'em fresh if you gottem.

 

I homebrew a bit with Brett (I have a Brett'ed Belgian Pale Ale fermenting right now). FWIW, I suspect that storage conditions were not the reason for your beer being so funky. As Tom (@drtth) made mention. warmer conditions could accelerate the Brett produced flavors but I really doubt they would exacerbate them.

Now, what kind of conditions could result with a beer being more funky vs. others (or a previous version of the same beer)? One aspect could be how the Brett is utilized during the brewing process. It seems to be 'popular' for many breweries to first pitch with a beer yeast and let it ferment out and then later add the Brett (either as a secondary and/or during bottling). In contrast you could perform a co-pitch where you add both the beer yeast and the Brett at the same time for primary fermentation (this is the method I use). The other variable for co-pitching is the ratio of the amount (number of cells) of beer yeast to Brett yeast. Oh boy, I am probably telling you more than you want to know.

In summary, your 2016 version as compared to a previous version may be a result of a differing fermentation aspect at the brewery which may be due to intentional circumstances or maybe not.

It still would be worthwhile to communicate with your retailer if for no other reason than to make them aware of the situation. They may obtain complaints from others for example.

If you really want to find out whats up here, I would encourage you to send an e-mail to the brewery. Describe what you experienced (perhaps cut & paste what you posted) and inquire whether the flavor profile you experienced was the brewery's intended flavor profile.

Cheers!

P.S. My previous times homebrewing via a co-pitch with Brett yielded a very funky profile from the 'get go' (i.e., no need to age or wait). The level of funk was consistent even after a couple of years of aging. There were no burnt rubber flavors but plenty of barnyard flavors. I really enjoyed drinking those beers. My wife referred to those beers as being "horse piss".

 

Cold and snowy yesterday has transitioned into warm and rainy today with just bare traces of snow peppering the lawns. Digging on the overcast day and mild temps, though tonight's prolly gonna freeze up some o' that wetness.

Fortified for today's drinking regimen with a hearty dose of fish oils and whole grains...

Apple, cherry, maple, and oak-smoked pastrami-seasoned salmon on Ezekiel toast...

Then busted out something new from local brewer, Barrier...

Tantō IPA. 7.1% abv, NE-styled, and just awesome. Hazy golden body with an off-white head as big as you want it to be. Lace trails down the glass as aromas of citrus and grain waft to the nose. Soft-bodied, medium-light weight and smooth, with just a murmur of carbonation on the tongue. Citrusy flavor characteristics are gently muted and balanced with a clean, fresh malt base. Mild floral elements suggested as well. Finishes super-fast with an aftertaste that calls for another. Unfortunately, a one-can limit where I shop...


Just so we're clear, it's tantō, not Tonto... lol

Sorry, kemo sabe...

The tanto is a short bladed Japanese dagger, used mostly for stabbing, though it's bladed edge could also slash effectively. It ranged from 6-12 inches in length.

By way of comparison, the wakizashi was a single-handed sword, 12-24 inches in length, used for close quarter-combat, beheading downed foes, and occasionally, seppuku... Paired with the more familiar two-handed katana, which ranged from 23-28 inches, it comprised the daishō, the paired swords that identified one as a samurai in feudal Japan.

*end lesson*

Anyways, it's brunch-time now...

Digging into some phyllo dough-wrapped leeks and feta...

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

 

Another amazing beer from @jzeilinger, thanks brother! Pours a very dark chestnut with a massive 4 finger head that leaves a large tan ring of lace as settles into a thin layer of bubbles. 4.25 Smell is back strap molasses, deep dark chocolate, oaky vanilla, rum soaked raisins, and dry roasted coffee. 4.25 Taste still molasses, some tobacco, smoke, rum, oak, vanilla, dark dark chocolate, leather, and strong roasty coffee. 4.5

Mouthfeel is a little thinner than I prefer about medium, moderate carbonation, definitely on the dry side, and drinks bigger than its 10% ABV, but still very approachable. 3.75

Overall this is a very good stout, wanted a little bigger body to help balance this very complex stout. Absolutely would recommend this to fans of barrel aged beers. 4

 

And I'd bet you didn't ask her how she knew so much about "horse piss."

 

Good Sunday morning friends,
OK. In the 30s Friday and Saturday, today in the high 50s towards 60, and tomorrow again a high in the 30s. We're at the bottom end of all that snow, and while I like some snow, I'm happy it stays points northward for a bit longer!
I tasted two new North Carolina beers last night at a family get together: White Street Kolsch (Wake Forest, N.C.) and Mother Earth Brewing (Kinston, N.C.) Juniper Rye IPA. The Kolsch was damned good. Bright yellow, little white head, smelling like bread, with some grassy hay and cracker notes melding aromas and tastes. This beer is quite good. Really getting towards real Kolsch right there north of Raleigh! The Juniper Rye is subtle, quite dry and very nicely aromatic...spruce, but not sprucy. This beer is very clear, pitches a beautiful white cap and is truly thirst quenching. The spruce spicing and rye underpinning are well done, posing as nicely rendered new pieces within an excellent (and fresh) IPA. I could drink several of either of these beers.
An English study has determined that repetitive and canned Christmas music in retail settings is"tantamount to a subtle form of torture" for employees and customers alike. So good luck out there! To add to my Christmas AM playlist of Vince Guaraldi and James Galway, I thoroughly intend to include this lovely piece from Jerry Douglas..........Cheers all!

 

New English Barleywine Sunday

Greetings NBSer's,
Woke to -21 F outside. Figured this is a good day for a big beer. Searching through the stacks I came across the 2016 version of the generous gift from, I believe, larryi86, and figured that today is the day to take a good long time to savor a 13.3% abv beer.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26753/115704/?ba=garymuchow#review
My review -
"Thanks to larryi86 for this 2016 version.
Sweet bourbon aroma with some alcohol and corn. A little intermingling of candy sweet malt and caramel, but mostly bourbon upfront.
A nice tan heads leaves before too long leaving a small bubbly haze on top. The dark amber shines nicely in the light with a brown red gold glow.
Bourbon is still dominant but there is more blending in the taste with the barleywine character showing greater presence esp. up front. An immediate warm shot to the gut and a ping in the prefrontal cortex ("ping"), but that's to be expected with a beer this size. A very long finish of alcohol warmth with enough hoppy bitterness to notice it - it's kinda' nice and then the bourbon. The wood character shows but it tends to be background and not much for any vanilla (and just as I write this the vanilla shows - must have needed a little opening up), more character presence than flavor.
Moderate but not much bigger heft, but nicely smooth and carbonated just enough.
This is a quality drink. While the bourbon is bigger than I prefer, it's still in the range of balanced as enough of the barleywine character shows through.
I may edit this some through the day, as I anticipate a many hour process to get through this one."
With a 4.03 score -
Best to all. Keep warm.

 

Good morning NBS, thanks to Maria for the kick off and as always the insightful,
thoughtful review. To I must give high praise to @jhartley for the great tips while visiting Orlando. We flew down to surprise sister in law on her big birthday. Back to WMass later today. Enjoyed several offerings from the area, and today's new beer is from Funky Buddha, a delectably drinkable sweet milk porter, amped up with cocoa nibs and vanilla. Thanks again Jeff.
Cheers all



Nib Smuggler

Funky Buddha Brewery
American Porter / 6.30% ABV

3.96/5 rDev -3.2% | Avg: 4.09
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured, recently purchased bottle into a short snifter .
A - Translucent dark cocoa colored, carbonation is gently feeding a quick to dissipate cap.
S - Vanilla forward, rich cocoa, dark sugar, lightly toasted malts, all balanced well.
T - Strong cocoa, the vanilla and toasted malts blend with ease. Bold and defined by the two major components.
F - Lite baby, gently carbonated, a bit slick. All very delightful. A long cocoa, vanilla linger.
O - A wonderful offering, near perfect in the holiday season. Sweet, flavorful, just enough vanilla not to overrun the cocoa. Worth seeking out