New Beer Sunday (week 620)

Next up today is another terrific beer from @st9647v3 , Sunday Morning Stout



Thick, opaque blackness with a thin latte colored head. Lacing is a fizzy curtain that slips down the glass pretty quickly.

Nose is a big fat pot of coffee. Fresh brewed ice coffee, black with one sugar. On exit there's something somewhere between molasses and chocolate, but I can't decide which.

Taste is a triple attack to the tongue with the coffee, a touch of tart and a slick sweetness. Second swig carries vanilla and bourbon, while further investigation brings out a bit of dark fruit, but no single characteristic overwhelms. For having so many potentially dominant flavors, the fact that balance is balls on makes this a thoroughly impressive beer.

Body is a little thinner than I'd have expected but not wildly thin. Finish is dry with a little lingering alcohol heat and a little sweetness in the aftertaste.

Fantastic beer!

 

Found this in the "Three Floyds Releases" thread in the Great Lakes forum; thought you might find the information useful:

So, apparently, it's a blended BA stout with BA coffee added.
I really loved that beer and enjoyed your review as well. Cheers!

 

Once again I have the smoker running. Today it's turkey and pork for my wife and me to eat all week. I'm watching the football game while I watch the smoker. I have a mountain of laundry to put away later, but I'll sit and relax for now.

Today's new beer is Austin Beerworks Fire Eagle American IPA. This comes to me from a friend who went to Texas over Christmas. The can is dated 12/19/16. I love when people think of me on vacation. It lets me try beer I'd otherwise never get.



Poured from a can dated 12/19/16. The beer pours an amber color with a three finger white head and great glass-coating lacing. The smell is grapefruit, lemon, with subtle pine. The taste is dank, oily resin. The citrus is very light and difficult to find, but there is some lemon underneath. There is a bitter, hoppy lingering aftertaste. The mouthfeel is oily, smooth, and thicker than expected for 6.2% abv. Overall a decent IPA, especially if you like dank, piney beers.

 

Urban Chestnut Brewing's Winterroggen, a Rye Ale.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24764/262119/?ba=russpowell#review

Has all the classic clove/green banana/bubble aspects, but not enough rye for my liking. 500 mL bottle went down rather fast.

 

Ormond Brewing Matanzas Imperial Brown
Imperial Brown Ale - 11.0% ABV



3.35/5 rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

22oz bottle poured into a snifter. Pours a dark brown color with a creamy light tan colored head. Toffee dominates the nose and the taste has a lot of sweet molasses up front lingering well into the finish. Also, there is a good amount of warmth in the finish from the alcohol. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with an above average level of carbonation. Overall, not a horrible imperial brown but I would say it is closer to the average side than good.

 

Happy New (old) Homebrew Sunday!

Thanks @JackHorzempa for the great start in beer history. Kind of funny how things align, as today is probably my most Horzempa like NBS post yet. First off is the Stroh's. My favorite piece in the Lingenbrau Biergarage happens to be this bad boy:



And second, I'll me reviewing for my first time...a homebrew! I brewed this beer back in summer of 2013. I've included the original documents for my recipe, schedule, and results:



And now, the story. I've been a musician playing in bands, performing, and recording since I was 15...about 20 years now! Well that all came to an end last night as I played my final show at the world famous Doll Hut with one of my old favorite hardcore punk bands M.D.C., and it was a blast! We are expecting our second child next month, so it's finally time to hang up the studded belt and retire the Vic Firth 5bs.

We brewed this beer together before Gasoline Kills' first show as a party favor. I was not yet in the band as we recently had our first child. Fast forward two year, and there I was behind the traps again. My brother, one of the guitarist/vocals, happened to save a couple of these beers, and gave me one. I have never tried it!!! Until today. So now I give you:

Lingenbrau- Gasoline Kills
An Imperial Stout conditioned with Coffee and Maker Mark soaked oak cubes
10.1% abv, 99 IBU, 40 SRM



Despite having a lousy 66% brewhouse efficiency, a 82% attenuation gave this beer some good gusto, with a respectable 1.015 final gravity.

A: As expected, this pours pitch black with a bubbly deep tan head that recedes rather quickly. Very clean beer...No floaties!

A: Lots of oak, little coffee, a touch of alcohol, and sweet molasses. Roasted malts and a little bit of an oxidized aroma finish it off.

T: Tons of roasted malt dominate the flavor, followed by an earthy and woodiness. Minimal alcohol flavor (surprisingly), and truth be told, I'm a bit disappointed in the lack of bourbon and coffee. Oak comes through with warmth.

F: Rich medium feel just barely missing the desired creamy mark. Good bitterness, but not overly bitter. Alcohol warmth comes at the end of each sip. Easy to drink though!

O: I am very happy with how this came out, and pretty happy with how it's aged. Unfortunately, I cannot compare to when fresh, but all the same. Would love to try this side by side with Old Rasputin, cuz respectfully that is what this reminds me of!

R.I.P. Gasoline Kills (2013-2017)



I'm the sexy one.

Cheers everyone, and I will see you all soon!

 

Damn, sounds like a helluva find - awesome!

 

Let me begin this by saying my wife went with my to the beer store and she saw this and wanted to try it. The six pack was reduced and was $5 so I figured what the hell. The best by date is 2/22/17 so I am giving a shot and see what I think. Terrapin Cranberry Pumpkinfest clocking in at 5.5% ABV and I am sure out of season. The aroma is pumpkin for sure, the taste is pretty two dimensional pumpkin and cranberry juice. It was well worth the $5 I paid so I am happy and she likes it so it was a win/win!!






Appearance 3.75 - Pours deep amber color with thin tan head that quickly dissipates leaving hardly no lacing around the glass.

Aroma 3.75 - Pretty pumpkin forward hints of cranberry there is also a good amount of allspice and nutmeg it is for sure a pumpkin beer with cranberry added.

Taste 4 - Let me start by saying I do like pumpkin beers, the pumpkin flavor is pretty good in this one. I can also tell that the cranberry juice is there much more in the flavor than the aroma. It adds a tart sweetness that plays well with the pumpkin. The flavors are pretty simple, pumpkin and cranberry juice not much else.

Feel 3.75 - Pretty light bodied seems like the carbonation is a little on the high side but pretty refreshing.

Overall 3.85 - I was surprised and not expecting much from this beer pretty good flavors and just the right amount of tartness.

 

Hello New Beer Sunday. I think it's one and done today, though the 1 is a 32 oz growler. Today's brew is Smoked Wheat Erryday from Oliphant Brewing in Somerset, Wisconsin. DAMN good. Easy to drink. Delicious.

4.4/5 rDev n/a
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This beer pours a dark golden color. When poured from the growler, there is no ead, but there is carbonation in the glass. The nose is very rich with a "wheat" aroma - very rich and pleasing. The taste is very wheaty, but also has a very pleasing smoke flavor. Fairly easy drinking beer, but very rich in flavor. I will gladly get more the next time they have it on tap.

370 characters
If I'm back for more later, it will be another offering from Oliphant.

 

Damn, terrific post. As a musician that has had a career of only false starts, I am simultaneously in awe and envy over anyone that is able to fulfill their dream. The rush of being on stage is the one high I've never been able to replicate.

Beer looks fantastic too, but I'm a bit more entranced by that label - money to say the least!

 

Brau Brothers X R-I-S 10 Year Anniversary Beer, 9% ABV, 71 IBU. Pours thin and black, with a three finger tan head on an aggressive pour, leaving foamy lacing. Not much nose, a bit of malty sweetness. Taste opens sweet chocolate, a bit tangy from carbonation, with a moderate bitter close. Carbonation is a bit heavy, and it's a bit thin, so mouthfeel is just OK. Overall OKish. I was surprised to read on the bottle that it is whiskey barrel aged, as there was initially no whiskey nose or taste. Gave it a chance to warm, picked up some whiskey taste, but no improvement.

 

It's really different. There are lots of BA Stouts out there but the aging in red wine barrels gives it a different character. Midnight Sun doesn't distribute in New Jersey. I bought this bottle in New York.

 

Family event over. It's time for a second session. I'm opening with another sour, and then will move onto a stout. When I had my first sour, I distinctly remember thinking "wow! I need more of these!" Well, my wish has been granted even if it was about a year and a half later. Turns out they're good every once and a while. Either way, I am looking forward to trying more Crooked Stave. Shall we?



Crooked Stave's St. Bretta with Gold Nugget Mandarin.

Pours a foggy straw with a twinge of orange. The beer turns from slightly foggy to murky and opaque when completely emptying the bottle. Head forms up a little over a finger, and is white. Lacing is completely absent. Brettamyces and sour funk give the aroma an immediate punch, with wonderful juicy orange, and citrus notes underneath. Flavor profile follows closely with the aroma. Sour funk punch up front, with more and more orange and citrus notes popping out as the sour funk taste fades. A nice, and balanced dynamic between the two notes. A subtle biscuity malt finish rounds out the flavor profile well. Mouth feel is bubbly, with a medium consistency and thickness. Overall, a fun, funky ale. The citrus and orange stand out on this one well, even if plenty of sour funkiness happening.

Score: 4 | 4.25 | 4 | 4 | 4 | BA Score: 4.06 | rDev: +0.0%

 

Ok, the NFC game is not very exciting, but at least it's still competitive. I was going to do this beer earlier, but it slipped my mind as I had pulled it from the cellar fridge to the upstairs fridge. As I was looking for snacks, my memory was jogged (speaking of, my memory is having a rough day, today - if you've been paying attention ).

This bee is from Terrapin, called All American Oat Pale:


The beer bottle says that this is a farm collaboration with three of the brewery's suppliers, indicated in the right-side picture. The bottle also indicates that the Terrapin website has a place to vote for your favorite beer from them, which I presume only has limited releases on the ballot, as they say they will bring the beer back for a limited release again in 2017. That must've ended in 2016 (printing on bottle seems to indicate that maybe), as the URL is not useful.

You guys can see the pour - similar to the Tropical Torpedo from before, with a much more subdued head. The lacing is a little prettier on this beer, however.

The nose initially seemed like I was in a mill, with lots of grain presence. The oat was noticeable, but a lot of dry grass as well. I started noting a little bit of a greenness in this mix eventually, and eventually made out a little citrusy note.

My first few sips of this, I was unimpressed. I initially felt they threw some grains in a glass, let them soak for a while, and pulled them out. The oat was prevalent, but the beer seemed very thin and the overall impression bland. I know it's a Pale Ale, but this one seemed like weak tea.

Thank goodness I didn't only get a sample, because I may have missed an enjoyable beer. It's not a game changer, but there is actually some nice nuances in this beer. First off, the beer does still have an overall grassy, tea-like graininess to it. However, the oat adds a little flair to this (and that feel we discussed elsewhere, @TongoRad). Also, that citrusy hop note does help balance the beer - and after all, it is a Pale Ale, balance is part of the goal.

I would still say this beer is malty for most of the taste, though it is not at all "sweet" - it's that the malts make up an obvious portion of the taste profile. In the very end, a little pine wood sneaks out from the balancing hops and lingers to add a little more definitive bitterness and pique my palate for another sip.

 

Good afternoon BAs! After a cold weekend, a coffee stout seemed like a great NBS beer. Keeping it local again: Mocha Stout, Blackstone Brewing Co, Nashville, TN


look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Blackstone has been around since 1994 and I believe that they are the oldest craft brewery in this area. They make a great BA imperial stout called Black Belle, and they generally do stouts well. This beer was brewed with local coffee from a place called Frothy Monkey, which is my wife's favorite coffee place in town. A nice viscous stream out of the bottle and nearly black and opaque on the pour. The frothy tan head settled very slowly into a wispy cap. Milk chocolate was the predominant aroma, along with freshly brewed coffee and roasted malt. The chocolate really shined on the palate, but it was not overdone or overly sweet. Just the right balance between bitterness and tart. It played well with the coffee and roasted malt, and all of the flavors were restrained enough to keep it complex and interesting. Moderately bitter with little hop presence. The feel was slick and silky. Really nice! Cheers!

 

Awesome, and glad to hear the show went well!! Was hoping to pick you out as the one with the snifter of a BBA Quad .

 

Thanks! Yeah, there is nothing quite like that feeling right before the first note is played on stage. It was definitely bittersweet last night, but I emptied the tank and left it all out there. Oh, and that label was our logo. Cheers!

 

Haha! Yeah, a little hard to pull off at venues like that. Something about PBR and punk rock. It's just a must. But like I said, I'm the sexy one ! (Middle with the Bad Brains sweatshirt)

 

Way to go out on your terms. That's a a sexy looking homebrew!

 

Next, a Friegeist Salzspeicher, a sour porter with raspberries. Different, not one I will buy again though

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10574/249603/?ba=russpowell#review