New Beer Sunday (week 619)

New year, new beer...

Per the label, a collaboration (the sixth, apparently), this one between Boulevard and Firestone; involves a blending of 4 of their beers (two from each brewer): Imperial Stout X (featuring tart cherry) and Bourbon Barrel Quad from Boulevard, and Stickee Monkee and Velvet Merkin from Firestone Walker. 12.5% abv; best by September 23rd, 2018...

Caged cork cap connotes class...


Popped, and pouring...


Presented...

I've had all of the component beers except the Stout X with tart cherry - and up front let me say, I'm not a big fan of cherry in beer, which is why I didn't purchase it. As expected, the cherry notes come across on the nose and tongue immediately, accompanied by a melange of dark fruits like fig and plum, and some boozy notes of vanilla and wood. The body is medium-weight, the carbonation slim, and a hint of alcohol drifts across the palate. The chocolaty aspects seem most subdued, becoming more prominent on the back-end of the sip, as fruity barrel-aged barleywine and quad aspects take the fore. It does have a classy vibe, reminiscent of Three Philosophers from Ommegang, and it is definitely an enjoyable drinking experience.

Edit: Fixed the spelling on "tongue" and tacking on a proprietary second-pour pic...

May all your new beers in the new year be good ones - cheers...

 

Would like to see that show up here.

Cheers!

 

I still read books and write with a fountain pen. My son says I have an 18th Century set of mind but I raised him so what does he know.

 

Happy First New Beer Sunday of the new year!
My wife and I actually made it to midnight, not a common event. Today we are relaxing, one (or both) of us will be watching football. Later I'll be cooking the traditional New Orleans New Year dish, Hoppin' John.
I went to my favorite beer store, Spruce Creek Provisions, yesterday to restock the beer fridge. One of the beers I picked up is Vertumnus, from Banded Horn Brewing Company in Biddeford. In Roman mythology Vertumnus is the god of seasons. This beer is their Veridian IPA in a new form. It is described as a dry-hopped ale aged on oak with Brettanomyces.
It is a murky orange/brown color with a small white head. Not very visually attractive.
It has a sweet fruit and citrus fruit aroma, some vanilla, against a funky background.
Lemon and melon taste. Vanilla. Wet blanket.
Light to medium bodied. I keep thinking to myself that there is something missing about this beer, but I can't put my finger on it.

 

Poured near room temperature bottled on 11/17/16 brewed with raspberries and blackberries and coming in at 9.5% ABV. Poured aggressive down the center of my 16 oz snifter and leaving behind big thick foamy lines of lace and taking forever to settle, magnificent retention. 4.75

Smell is berries not over the top at all, molasses, leather, char, dry coffee grounds, cocoa powder, and a hint of anise. 4.25

Taste follows some berries upfront, molasses, leather, vanilla, dark chocolate, coffee grounds, oaky char, and once again a little hint of anise. 4.25

Mouthfeel is where this beer shines, a large slightly creamy body, moderate carbonation no complaints, maybe a touch dry, and excellent drinkability. 4.75

Overall this beer really surprised, the berries are involved but very subdued and amazingly complex. I am a fan, I will get a few more bottles one for now and one for the cellar, just because. 4.25

 

Happy New Beer Year Sunday 2017 (Week 619)!

I'm not going to have a chance to do too much on this site today. The Browvens are on the road at The Bungholes which means that Th' Stillers/Klowns game is NOT being televised locally. We are too close to BAL & by NFL rules, BAL away games trump Th' Stillers. I am going for traditional Pork & Sauerkraut before (& possibly after) the game and I will be at either Buffalo Wild Wings or a local sports bar for the game itself, thus limiting my reviewing time. In the interim, I began with:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/651/185926/?ba=woodychandler#review

and moved on to:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1416/247110/?ba=woodychandler#review

I'm off! Have a great day & I'll try to return, but no promises.

 

really liked that one...

 

Would like to see that one around here.

Cheers!

 

Wow strong start this morning as usual. Licking my chops to join in, but after a long night at work it'll have to wait as I've got a long day of driving ahead of me to pick a precious few days on the island with the family as we do our Christmas thing and ring in the new year with a traditional sweat lodge. Now that I've finally got a car perhaps these voyages back to the island need not be so scarce!! Doubtless that was on my dear mother's mind when talking me into buying this damn gas converter... Or at least so she can see my pup more often!

 

Happy New Year! We're off to a good start here, just got power back on after Thursday /Fridays snowstorm. 16 in of wet heavy snow, trees were down everywhere. 5 more inches of wet snow last night. First beer of 2017, Banded Horn Vertumnus. It's essentially their Veridian IPA aged with Brett and Oak.



The beer pours a slightly hazy golden color with a tinge of orange, half finger of white foamy head that dissipates to a thick halo and hangs around.

Aroma is apple, pear, barnyard, Hatfield, notes of oak and fresh cut grass. There is a lot going on here.

Taste has a big herbal bitterness held up by a strong Brett funk. Bitter apple, oak, tannins, tea, grass, a green hop presence. A tinge of sour. I think there's more back there but it's hidden behind the bitterness and Brett.

The mouthfeel here is awesome, medium body, smooth, moderate and sharp carbonation. Slightly astringent.

Overall it's reaching into the too bitter category, and the Brett could be restrained to let the oak and dry hops shine a little more. It's not bad really, just not put together perfectly. It's got a certain oversteeped tea character that takes over the flavor.

Cheers!
Marc

 

Hey what's going on?!

HAPPY NEW YEAR all beer fans! I hope you all were safe out there last night.

I am finally getting myself a bit grounded after the Holidays thank god. I drove up to Maine and parts of rural New England to see a bunch of in-laws. Fun but exhausting. Up the way, and down back home, since I had the vehicle I really stacked up and hit many stores in my radar looking for new beers and was very excited by what I found. I've already started making a dent in them and nicely enjoying many of them.

I have some news. As some of you know 2016 was the year I lost both my cats to cancer very unexpectedly. My wife and I knew that we had to get furballs in our life again. So to make a long story short... Ladies and Gentlemen... may I introduce Pepper and Nutmeg.. we got them last Friday and they are just adorable and rapidly adjusting to their new home, one boy one girl both just under a year old.

Pepper And Nutmeg In Tower by imbibehour, on Flickr

Pepper And Nutmeg In Tower by imbibehour, on Flickr

Lots of high energy let me tell you.

Ok so back to beer my amigos! Had to stop off half way down the East Coast and found myself in New Jersey (YEAH SO WHATS IT TO YUH?!).

Anyway.. was very happy to get this beer I am reviewing now, and it's quite good.

What's new for our hero this first NBS of 2017?!!!! let's see!

Ramstein Winter Wheat | High Point Brewing Company


High Point Brewing - Winter Wheat by imbibehour, on Flickr

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Poured from the bottle into a curved wheat ale glass. Probably a bit of overkill for a 12 oz. bottle but hey gotta live large and in the moment.

Deep burnt red and brown body color, with an opaque character. Tan bubbles make a cascade sligtly, but not a big rush off the pour. Two finger creamy tan head, fine and chocolate like topped whip cream. A few extra dregs added lighten the body. Supper slow ultra fine carbonation that is really just crawling barely up the glass.

Deep phenolic nose, with hints of fig raisin, lots of clove and nutmeg. Real big spicy banana quality going mixing with a spruce/pine herbality that is quite impressive. Slight spicy hot but not from alcohol. Very different bock and quite the impressive aroma.

Very tasty palate. Light bodied but also has a caramel feeling mouthfeel, and this nice touch of faint peppery carbonation. The mid palate really coats rich with a milk chocolate like base and mixing banana flavors. Through in the creamy texture and it's banana split flavors abounding (not unlike Korbininan). A noticeable difference in spice like tones as well. Carbonation really brings out great nutmeg and cinnamon flavors mixing in with the chocolate qualities. Even a slightly drying finish hints at baked brown spices. Clean finish, and great after aromatics on the swallow of hot cinnamon.

Wow, what a very different take on a Weizenbock. Very memorable brew.

look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25 | BA Generated Score: 4.24

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So Cheers to all of you and good luck in the new year... May we have many new beers together

Salud!!! From me and Pepper.


Pepper and my IPA by imbibehour, on Flickr

 

Fountain pens are the best. They promote clarity of writing and thoughtfulness. Just as does a well made beer.

 

Good morning everybody. Looks like a great start today. I would like to wish you all a happy New Year. To echo @utopiajane and others this is a great community and makes me thankful for the past year and happy for the new one. I think I'm going to be enjoying a couple of my favorite 2016 beers that showed up at my bottleshop this past week as if by magic while I pray for my fantasy team. I'll be back to check in and drool over your beers either way. Cheers and happy NYBS!!

 

One of these days I need a tour of your cabin.

 

Greetings friends,
Thanks to Maria for the lovely start. We walked early and the woods were quiet, even the normal cadre of crows cackling away was missing. Looks like a lot of folks just might be sleeping in.
2016 was an interesting year. It kind of reminds me of 1968 minus the assassinations. I lost some friends this past year like in no year so far. But dang, I'm a freaking optimist and I am determined to continue reading, travelling, learning as many different things that I can. We are all a lucky people! A journey to Great Britain is in the works and I'm eager to return after a number of years.
Today's beer is Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock 6.5%. This baby pours a deep brown with lovely reddish edges, tossing a big frothy, bubbly head that sticks around fairly well. This is smoky instantly, even looking smoky if that's possible. It reeks wonderfully of old wood fires set deep in Time, something akin to genetic memory. It reminds me of something that I cannot quite place, but which is prominent nonetheless. This beer is smoky, toasty, fire oriented, and is beautiful in the glass.
The huge maltiness and rich satisfying initial sip is contained within a capsule of smoke, sweet malt. and more smoke which balances the malt. Sweet to dry smoky bread in a glass. This is a roasty, toasty brew with caramel and tons of smoke through and through. I'm glad that I like wood smoke. This one is not for the faint-hearted and is likely an acquired taste for many. Please have this beer with North Carolina Barbeque, or some spicy take on pulled pork. It works perfectly, like scampi and cool Fino Sherry. Aecht Schlenkerla crafts beer like no one else, and I love them all.


I had the great good fortune to see Joe Cocker on his Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour in the Spring of 1970. It was Jubilee Weekend at UNC Chapel Hill, also with James Taylor and many more great acts. Playing with Cocker's band was Leon Russell. We were blown away by the whole act, but Leon was amazing and damned if we didn't catch a great piece of music history up close. Truly unforgettable. RIP Leon. Damned cigarettes This song is now for all of us.

 

HAPPY FIRST NBS OF THE NEW YEAR!

@utopiajane amazing review and Baltic Porters are very difficult for me to find in stores. I have had a couple and really enjoyed them. I think there is a Smuttynose BP hiding in a store around here that I need to track down.

There is nothing exciting going on today around here, so let's just get to the beer! I was so excited when I bought Abraxas last year (2016) in my local shop. This was one of the top stouts and I finally had a bottle. I decided to let it sit thinking it had a big pepper kick.. Let's find out what I learned about it.

Color is obsidian with a paper thin tan head and no lacing. Aroma of weaker coffee, a bit of pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, dark chocolate, toasted malts, maybe some vanilla. All the aromas are together and pleasant, but not as strong as I would have expected from other reviews. The taste is a very nice roasted malt stout, but lacks coffee flavor. There are notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, dark chocolate, and faint spicy pepper. I thought this would be more spicy, but it is rather mild. The feel is medium, but seems a bit thin for a big stout like this. The carbonation is also somewhat lacking. I found this to be quite good, but I was expecting much more based on the reviews. My fear of a spicy beer when fresh is partly to blame. My rec is to drink it fresh!