New Beer Sunday (week 621)

Good evening, NBSers. I really like the base beer , so I was really looking forward to this.



This is phenomenal, IMHO. The barrel is really present on the nose, but it retreats a bit on the taste, allowing the cocoa and and vanilla and orange peel to really shine through.

This is an 11% ABV beer that drinks like one of half that potency. It really shines as an example of a brewery that takes an excellent base beer and then amps it up about 8 notches without turning the beer into something that burns the skin off of your skull. This is just a pleasure to drink. Rated 4.39.

 

Thanks to Chris for this!



4.06/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Moderate pour yields a one inch head that dissipates down to a ring in a few minutes with lacing that hangs around for a bit longer. Nose of tropical fruit, citrus (grapefruit), and pine. Taste follows with a nice grapefruit bitterness. Overall, another nice job from these guys!

These last two beers make up my first experience with Magnify Brewing from Fairfield, NJ and I'm very impressed!

 

Has anybody else mentioned how awesome that kitty cat is in the background?

If they did, I apologize.

If they didn't, WTF NBS?!!? That cat is AWESOME!

As you were ...

 

Now up Tired Hands Blousrison. This is Ourison with 2 pounds of blueberries per gallon. Ourison is one of my favorite sour Saisons and with how much I've loved their fruit Emptiness beers I was hoping this for a little more out of this but it is still a solid beer.

4.17/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle poured into an Ourison glass

A- A clear ruby red/purple with a two finger purple head.

S- Kind of chalky/musty blueberry, tart, oak, funky.

T- Sour, blueberries/blackberries, oak, tannins, some funk, some almost yogurt like flavor.

M- Smooth, light body

O- Regular Ourison is better but this is still a decent take on the base beer.

Cheers!

 

Victory Jubilee

This is Victory's 21st Anniversary beer. Victory lists the style as a Biere Brut. I'm not sure if it really is. It's not everday that you come across beers like this though. It's worth noting that I saw a label for this online that stated "Biere de Champagne" instead of Biere Brut. I bet it's just a case of avoiding the term Champagne.

Victory states that this was made with Champagne or "sparkling wine" yeast. I'm under the impression that process matters to this style, much the same way that a lager should be lagered. A Biere Brut is riddled and goes through disgorgement. It's an expensive and time consuming process that requires special equipment. That's why the cost of these beers is usually so high. Victory's beer is not expensive. There's no mention of process here. Did Victory acquire special equipment just for this beer? My insinuations are obvious, but the truth is that I have no idea how this beer was produced. Maybe I'm being misleading. If one feels that the process is optional to this style, then it doesn't matter so much.

The beer is surprisingly lacking in the carbonation department. The aroma is of apples. The taste is shocking. It's a new beer, but I'd swear that it tastes like a very old Belgian pale ale. I don't mean this in a good way, but this beer is still pretty good and easy to drink regardless. It's incredibly drinkable for the ABV - 12%. In fact, the ABV is definitely the most impressive thing about this "beer." You don't feel it at all. There's an earthy quality here as well. The hops feel continental. It's a fruity beer.

EDIT: This beer goes great with chocolate chip cookies.

Cheers.

 

New Beer Sunday: A Wild Wild Ale

Evenin' NBSers, with special greetings to Wild Ale fans.

Well, now that the Greenbay-Dallas game is over (and I've got my heart beating again ) it's time to pull together my Wild thoughts.

This evening's new Wild Ale is both a new beer and it comes from a new brewery. Urban Family out in Seattle has done a collaborative beer called Flat Earth Theory with a Korean brewery.

As usual my review, subject to revision as I finish the beer, can be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28192/251593/?ba=drtth#review

This is a quite nice tart ale that is also a great introduction to a new brewery. As with most wild ales there’s not much of a head and the carbonation is very light. But the tart flavors and aromas here are well supported by some background malt sweetness and traces the barrel used for aging and the white wine it held. While this beer was a bit pricy it does say good things about the skills of the brewers. The beer is also of interest in that it is both a collaboration between Urban Family and a Korean brewery, but is also one that uses a berry native to Korea which I'd never heard of before. Time to do a bit of berry research I guess.

Cheers, all!

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Technically a holiday tomorrow for me, but I will be working at home. I put in 4 hours overtime this afternoon. Thanks to @utopiajane for getting us started off this morning. I have been absolutely swamped at work, but I have still been putting in the hard work of bringing everyone new reviews daily over in WBAYDN and here every week. #5000 will definitely be coming this week, as I have been in overdrive in the last couple weeks. Not sure what beer it will exactly be just yet; but I got a bunch of Firestone Walker BA bottles from a friend last week, so probably one of those. We will see. I have a lot of stuff to choose from. Other than that just hoping work doesn't kill me this week. I have 4 projects due by mid week. I got most of the biggest pain in the ass one done today. Feeling pretty confident with the numbers and such. I need to work on some international emissions certification data for another huge issue that came up last week. Sounds like they might not be able to sell the diesels right now. At least I have a plan to get these done on time, and with good confidence.

Time for some much needed new beer:

This was awesome. Insane head retention and lacing on the glass. Aromas and flavors of big tangerine, pineapple, peach, apricot, mango, melon, passion fruit, papaya, grapefruit, and light pine hops; with moderate caramel, brown sugar, toffee, toasted biscuit, light nutty/roast malt sweetness; with floral/grassy hop earthiness. Light pine/grassy balancing bitterness on the finish. Medium-plus bodied. Balanced bready Munich malt creaminess and hop stickiness in the mouthfeel; a touch slick. Slightly increasing dryness from subtle lingering bitterness. Seriously delicious! The hefty malt presence makes the hops feel super juicy, and this is really drinkable since is not all that bitter. No cloying sweetness. Great stuff! 4.13


Great Baltic porter! Aromas and flavors of big dark chocolate, cocoa, nutty dark roast coffee, caramel, toffee, vanilla, toasted dark bread, and light smoke/char; with some light raisin/plum yeast fruits and cinnamon/clove/peppery spice. Hint of licorice. Moderate roast/char and herbal/peppery bitterness on the finish. Medium-full bodied; very creamy/bready in the mouthfeel; with a fair amount of spice stickiness and light roast chalkiness as well. Increasingly drying from roast/char/spice notes, but never acrid/astringent. Very smooth sipper, minimal warming 10%. Very unique with the cardamom in there, but it works well and doesn't overwhelm the base style flavors. Quite a bit more drying though. Really rich, complex, and well balanced; spot on stuff. 4


Really nice Belgo IPA. Aromas and flavors of big tangerine, apricot, grapefruit, pineapple, mango, melon, pear, lemon zest, orange peel, peppercorn, clove, pine, and light banana/citrus rind; with some cracker/bready malt balance; herbal, floral, grassy hop and yeasty earthiness. Moderate pine/rind bitterness and peppery yeast spice on the finish. Medium bodied; moderate sticky/resins and a fair amount of grainy malt balance in the mouthfeel. Moderately dry and crisp finishing. No hop astringency. Very drinkable for 7%, pretty refreshing. Pretty standard stuff, minimal complaints. Just enough malts going on to balance the bitterness. Great balance of hop and yeast character. The website says this is all Nelson Sauvin hops, which took me by surprise. Feels more like C hops with all of the citrus peel/rind and piney notes. Oh well. Will grab again, anyways. 3.9


Really nice fruited wild ale. Aromas and flavors of big tart raspberry, cherry, lemon, lime, green apple, apricot, white wine, oak, vanilla, hay, straw, pepper, and musty/leathery funk; with some bready/light honey malt balance; and light bourbon/vinegar notes. Moderate fruity/lactic tartness and yeast/tannic oak spice on the finish. Medium bodied; balanced lactic acidity, wood tannins, and grainy malt in the mouthfeel. Medium-high carbonation and a very crisp/clean/dry finish. Never puckering. Quite refreshing with the modest acidity. Was hoping for more Raspberry presence overall; but the balance of Lacto, Brett, and bourbon barrel; along with the malt presence is pretty spot on. Really enjoyed this one a lot. 3.9


Cheers, have a good night NBS

 

Officially second NBS of the day. Sorry for the mishaps earlier. I don't have much to say this time around other than the cleaning is all done, and man what a game!!! Sorry Big D fans. Anyhoo, next up:

21st Amendment El Camino (Un)Real
Dark Ale brewed with fennel seeds, chai seeds, peppercorns, with figs added.
9.5% abv, brewed in collaboration with Stone and Firestone Walker.





A: Pours a smooth, clean dark brown to black with the deepest shade of tan head that is sticky and persists around the perimeter at almost a centimeter high.

A: Smells of dark chocolate, and NyQuil. Yes, NyQuil. I can only assume the fennel, chai, and peppercorns are to blame.

T: Yup. You guessed it! NyQuil. But definitely a more subdued and chocolate infused version. Not quite as intense on the burning disgust front as the affomentioned. I don't like NyQuil, so I'll be interested to see if I finish this.

F: Smooth, coating, medium bodied, pretty bitter... Bleh!!! Nevermind. Drain poor! Well, guess I should still finish the review.

O: 21st Amendment beers have always been hit or miss for me, and they are all exceptionally bitter. This was a miss, and was surprised to see it pass through the finger tips of Stone and Firestone Walker alike as a sellable beer. No thanks.

Cheers everyone, and I will see you all soon!

 

Mild aroma: coffee and dark fruit
While the aroma was mild the taste is most definitely not! Lots of coffee, cream, brown sugar, and vanilla. A hint if licorice in the aftertaste. Sweetness gives way to a bitter and spicy finish with a bit of alcohol burn. Moderate-thick bodied. This is a great stout, drinks like a big imperial but it's only 8.5%.

 

Just checked out Twin Elephant for the first time a little over a week ago. What a beautiful taproom they built and a great vibe in there. I really enjoyed the hefeweizen I had. The taps seem like they rotate so often that I wonder if I'll ever get to have that beer again but I will be back regardless.

 

I just tried this alongside some Prosecco. As can be the case, the differences between the two were exaggerated... but the differences were obviously mightier than any similarities (hops vs. grapes). Regarding the finer points, the alcohol in the 10% Prosecco was much more apparent than in the 12% beer.

 

Pours black as can be, leaving plenty of wisps of lace and settles slowly into a thin layer of brown bubbles. 4

Smell is char, dark chocolate, vanilla, oak, leather, tobacco, dry coffee, and maybe a little hint of bourbon. 3.75

Taste follows smokey char, roasty expresso, dark chocolate, oaky vanilla, tobacco, leather, and very little bourbon except for the smoke.3.75

Mouthfeel is on the large side, creamy at room temperature, mild carbonation, definitely a tad dry, and very drinkable at 11% ABV. 4.75

Overall this is a solid imperial stout, bourbon is very mild, loaded with smoke, the feel is the highlight. 3.75 Thanks @Rcruz9230 for this bottle.

 

What's up NBS players? A bit late here with my post but better than never right? A nice cold winter day here on the island with the smell of fresh powder from the previous evening.

A pretty busy day for myself as I hit Spider Bite brewing co for the first time. An xmas groupon gift from my soon to be sister-in-law. Got to to have two tasting flights and a 32onz howler to go. A pretty small operation that really boggles the mind as to their future existence. I really give credit to all the small time brewers who take that leap to try and make their dreams come true. It really makes me reflect and value my own job security and ask myself would I ever have enough balls to take such a chance? Sorry, lots of beer in me talking right now.

My new beer today is 10,000 Foot Beard, an imperial scotch ale, from barrier brewing here on the island. The brew checks in at 9% abv with no bottle date.

A very dark brown pour that reflects a ruby color in the light. A nice white head that leaves some serious lacing. The nose is full of peat, and malts. Very malt heavy on the initial sips with a pretty smooth and clean finish. A pretty rich malt build with good flavor tones of peat, caramel, vanilla, and a slight smokey flavor. The mouth feel is on the light/moderate side. The flavors stick nicely but the body is perhaps a tad light. The 9% is dangerously hidden well.

Overall, an ok take on the style for which seems to be a rather dead style? It's really malt forward and the flavors do deliver, but it's just not wowing me. Perhaps a ba version is coming? I'm in the 3.5/4 range here.

 

Pretty sure this is a first for NBS. Nicely done!

 

Good evening NBS! I wasn't expecting to post today given my work schedule but I got off early and had agreed to pick friends up from the airport so I had to stop at Fat Heads for the first time. Yes, I live in Cleveland and had yet to male it here (sitting at the bar as I post, I live on the complete opposite side of town. I know I'm a bad BA)


Hop Marauder, a brewpub exclusive. This was released about three weeks ago and given how fresh it is I can't imagine how good it was then. Full of fresh tropical fruit and orange peel. Lively mouthfeel that hides the alcohol well. I would love to see this make it into a bottle- a full throttle West coast DIPA that shows Fat Heads is brewing better than ever.
Cheers!

 

Been running around all day, and jury rigged a new built in dishwasher as a portable one. Will be building a cabinet for it this week.



A friend of mine traveled to Vermont and brought me back some goodies, one new one, von Trap and Hoppebrau Hoppy Marzen. Hopped with Madarina Bavaria and Huell Melon. Let's see if it competes with some of the other hoppy lagers I've tried recently.



The color is the definition of amber for me, a lot of ambers I see are too red or Brown, but this has that "rusty gold" color. Frothy two finger head, off white, ample lacing. Constant stream of bubbles and great head retention. A haze that just obscures the image through the glass. Definitely a beauty of a beer.

The aroma is bready and sweet. Hops contribute a delicate orange herbal scent. There's a hint of toffee, rose, peaches, and grass.

The taste is very floral up front, which I've found, for me, to be common in hoppy lagers. The malts hold a solid lightly sweet toffee flavor throughout. Hops move from rose like floral to orange and then fade in a herbal bitterness. Everything is delicate except for that last punch of bitterness.

This brew is exceptionally smooth, fairly crisp, and the carbonation is a little low for me, almost like it's nitro but it's not. Dry on the finish.

I like this and the IPL von Trapp did, but preferred Jack's Abby hoppy lagers. This is a great beer though and the only thing I'll really knock on is the carbonation/mouthfeel. It's got a nice lager yeast influence and a solid interplay of malts and hops. Lagers have always done better with old world hops for me but some of these new hoppy lagers are really finding the sweet spot for the lager yeast to work with the more intense fruity and floral new world hops, and good examples like this one provide that and excellent overall balance.

Cheers!
Marc

 

Hello LNNBS. I'm still making my way through the NBS BIF boxes from @WesMantooth. I think I still have eight beers left, including some serious heavy hitters, this one included.



This is the 2015 version served close to room temperature. It pours black as dark as the label with a very small amount of dark brown head around the edge. There is a little lacing left behind. The smell is an amazing sweet bourbon. It's really strong and great enough I almost don't want to stop smelling it and take a drink. The taste is dark, charred, bourbon with a sweetness the really compliments it. There is a lingering alcohol feel the end. The mouthfeel is velvety smooth, with very little carbonation. It's a little thinner than I expected. Overall an excellent beer, although a little more of the char taste than I normally like, but that's a minor criticism of a great beer.

 

New one. Worth it.

 

Hey what's going on all?!

Big day out on the town for a bit of theatre today. Been a good weekend too, saw Moonlight recently, great film, and had a great barrel aged cocktail at the Watergate Hotel for dinner and a show. Living large!!!! good times.

Been busy but luckily things should be a bit low key this week (hopefuly). I've been planning and organizing my latest vid for favorite beers of the year for 2016. Quite some interesting surprises in there that were a bit unexpected. Script is ready, and I am hoping to shoot it tomorrow and luckily put it together on my channel.

I did have a new beer earlier in the day, but I had to run out and couldn't post it then. So here it is now.

What's new for our hero today? as today is still not over yet folks!

Ramstein Imperial Pilsner | High Point Brewing Company


High Point Brewing Co. - Ramstein Imperial Pilsner by imbibehour, on Flickr

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Poured from the bottle into a Libby style pilsner glass. Best before April 2017.

Light foaming created bright white head of just about a finger, but dissolves rather quickly to a small bubbled top and creamy white collar. The body color at one point seems to shine, but then eventually gets a bit dull and has just a touch of haze to it, somewhere between lemon gold, and actually the beer kind of looks orange in a way. Very nice tiny amounts of fine carbonation, no streams, but slow following bubbles.

Clean aromatics give way to lighter herbal hop presence. For an imperial this is pretty subtle on the nose, but also forgoes aromas of huge alcohol or big phenols so far. Light malt sensing base, a bit of chew density just barely but the grain aroma seems lighter almost like a regular pils. However, for imperial this does aim for the lower end of the abv spectrum at 7.

Very different angle on this brew. Good sensing malt backbone, but forgoes bready for more of a thicker body minus syrupy texture and flavors. Slight pasty yeast character with minimal sweetness. The hop angle on this is pretty minimal but it’s a bit surprisingly large and slowly lingering on the swallow, giving to herbal spices that really build but very slowly. Very subtle flavors, but definitely there's some power behind this pils.

It's a bit unexpected as I usually find and Imperial pils to be considerably larger in every aspect, but this one is sort of just dialed in just a bit less so. Nicely controlled, but also a bit subdued, which seems to be the key here. In the end leaves me somewhere in the middle, but otherwise well put together. Easily the most easiest drinking Imperial pils I've had to date.

look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75 | BA Generated Score: 3.84

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Cheers!

 

Good evening, all, and Happy New American Malt Liquor Sunday! Thanks to @utopiajane for the awesome opening review. I don't know what possessed me to pick up this Mickey's "grenade" the other day. Maybe it was the price. Maybe it was the full moon. I don't really know. At any rate, I'm trying it for the first - and most likely the last - time. Not that it's that bad. In fact, it fits within the style description very nicely. It smells and tastes pretty heavy on the adjuncts. There is not much bitterness to balance out the sweet character. There is an odd metallic component to the aftertaste, with some lingering sweetness and astringence. It is on the low side of the ABV range for the style, a little watery with decent carbonation. Still, it is actually quite drinkable, and I'm off the reservation on my rating for it (3.17/5, rDev +17.8%). So why am I not drinking this again? Because I have to work my way through the rest of the malt liquors in the cooler at the gas station first.