New Beer Sunday (week 622)

Greetings NBS! For this week I have two offerings that are new to me, the first being a double IPA from one of America's most sought-after breweries, Tree House! This can was split with my roommate Chris, who got the can from a work buddy of his who just so happens to make TH runs every couple weeks. Hoping to see more TH in this apartment soon, as I never really have time to get down there.



Pours the expected opaque deep orange color with a nice full looking head that settles down to a couple fingers in my glass. Leaves no real lace, honestly, but if I re-rouse the head it leaves a shimmering trail of foam on the inside of my glass. Looks pretty nice anyway, just wish it were a little more extraordinary.

Nose is heaaaavily weighted toward pineapple juice with papaya, orange, mango and slight pine alongside light notes of blueberry and raspberry. This really pops out of the glass, damn. Some sticky apricot here and there as well. Just overall very nice.

On the tongue, it's a bit more bitter and even spicy, especially compared to its sister beer, Haze (which I also had for the first time last week!). Some earthy spice, pine and measured bitterness among the lush, dense tropical and citrusy fruit flavors. Very pulpy, with pineapple and orange being the most pronounced elements. As with many Mosaic-focused beers, this kind of feels all over the place at times, with the blueberry from the nose getting lose on the palate, traded off for some dank notes in a sense, but this is overall much better than the majority of Mosaic-focused IPAs I've had, and the chewy feel helps bring some heft to the proceedings. Bitter and dry in the finish. Mouth-coating feel and a very solid, flavorful linger. As expected, this is very, very good.

 

I should have let it warm more before posting, it keeps getting better, with the honey really popping. You can sometimes find these openers on Ebay, though they don't come cheap, $15 to $35 depending on condition. I collect them. They are small, look cool, and work great.

 

I have two of those glasses as well and I love them. I think they do fine for both lagers and ales and i think they do everything they claim with the curved lip and the thinner bottom.

 

Rooting for Green Bay. My college cross country and track coach is a big fan having originating from somewhere up north. After having a stroke and heart attack and returning to coaching all in the same year (2016), I'm hoping the Packers can give him a title. I am turning to a beer I've heard a lot about, but never tried. Perhaps the toughest beers to review are those well-received by the community here. I'll give this a go.



Sierra Nevada's Celebration IPA.

Pours a foggy ruby-red with a finger and a half of white head. Head retention is moderate with great lacing left behind. Citrus, pine, and spruce hops dance together in a decidedly hoppy, but balanced aroma. Flavor profile is pine, spruce, and citrus hops with biscuit malts. As per the Sierra Nevada usual, this IPA is hoppy, but sublimely balanced and approachable. Mouth feel is a little fizzy, but otherwise smooth. It has a medium thickness. Overall, a sublime IPA with great balance. It features some pleasant earthy hops. Easily approachable for even the most novice of IPA drinkers, and yet complex enough to tickle the taste buds of the seasoned.

Score: 4 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4 | 4 | BA Score: 4.16 | rDev: +0.2%

And... in the time I took to write the review, the Packer's offense and defense have both been picked apart. Hopefully Rogers can scrounge something up for coach.

 

New Style-tick Sunday

Ok, as football starts, I decided to pop this beer to start the early evening/late afternoon. This beer was reviewed by @zid last week, and I will compare notes after drinking and reviewing.

This beer's cork did pop out of the bottle with the loud sound of a champagne cork. A rush of air also brought forth a fragrant fruity floral note to my nose. I decided I had to do the obligatory pour into a champagne glass:


Not surprising that the bubbles outran the body up the glass. I ended it perfectly as the bubbles perched atop the glass rim, contemplating life outside the confines of glass. they all decided to rejoin their friends. The head fell moderately, without leaving much lace, into a soapy medium large rim atop a vibrant, very clear golden body.

The nose reminds me of a slightly more fruity version of Brooklyn's Local One. Peach and apple with a slightly more acidic note to them than sweet. There is a sweetness in there, though, and in my mind it seems to be coming from the yeast. This sweet note is sorta like a apple juice or maybe a white grape juice, and sits in the back like the lightly yeasty note I am getting that likely blends them in my mind.

(note: a little lighter and with less haze than this photo indicates)

My very first sip and I thought this was much sweeter than I expected, even given the nose. The beer does have a heavy effervescence, but it's from smaller bubbles than your champagne (much smaller than soda).

Given a few sips to adjust and analyze, the opening is actually a little dry with some dry grass in there - reminiscent of a saison. This is not the only note, however, and that apple juice (ok, maybe dry apple cider is a better description) is also in there. The back of the taste strengthened that sweetness a bit though, as well as bringing the yeast I smelled to the party. There is also a very light banana note midway through the end taste, and a little maybe clove?

A very interesting beer, as I seem to get drier and sweeter impressions with each sip, sometimes mirroring what I am focusing on. It's likely to be a strange taste to most beer drinkers, and I could see it being a hit or miss to any one individual, though I figure if you took a larger swath of beer drinkers, this would not be generally well received. I think the sweeter aspect of it would likely be the main culprit for this.


In re-reading @zid's review, the most glaring difference seems to be in carbonation. I found it to be higher than you average beer, though it did "feel" softer than the amount of carbonation that I felt I was encountering.

 

New Pils Sunday



Captain Lawrence 6th Borough Pilsner

Happy Sunday, BAs! Made a quick stop by Captain Lawrence Brewing while on the road for work and decided to try this tasty Czech pilsner.

It poured pale yellow with a thin white head.

Doughy malt and a kiss of lemongrass in the hops where present both in the aroma and the taste. There was a very slight herbal, zesty quality in the taste as while. Mildly bitter, and nice and dry. Light to medium bodied with medium carbonation.

I generally prefer German pils, but I thought this was very solid. Liked it enough that I grabbed a six pack to go. Cheers!

 

Beer: Slanting Lights by Springdale, 5.2% ABV, oak aged beer with Plums
Appearance: Thick tan creamy looking head, lots of lacing. The beer is a muddy brownish color, very cloudy. 4
Aroma-vinegar,light plums, a touch of malt. 4
Taste: It is a very mild and clean tasting beer. Has a nice mild bitterness, very little funkiness, and very little plum. The sour reminds me of a blend of citrus acidity and vinegar. 3.75
Feel: Creamy head and prickly carbonation balance each other very nicely. 4.5
Overall: An enjoyable beer, but could use a little more complexity, would not have minded a little more plum flavor and aroma as well. I did not get any barrel characteristics. 4
Calculated to 3.95

Happy NBS everyone. Look forward to going back and reading some of your posts.

 

Interesting. But what a tragic way to go! Sad.

 

Time for my second, and final beer of the day.
Pokemans & Jackie Chans from Oliphant Brewing.

Delicious. Grapefruit, and other citrus. Good choice for a closer.
4.21/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This beer pours a very murky golden color, you can only see light through it. The head was white - 2 finger, and did linger for a bit. Some lacing on the glass. The nose is citrusy, somewhat mellow, but there. The taste is orange, citrus, maybe grapefruit. Yeah, more grapefruit on the second sip. Feels fairly thick for this style. Lots of citrus, as I said before. For an IPA lover, this is a good choice.

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See you all next week for the next New Beer Sunday.

 

Good NBS, gang. Thanks for MC'ing today, Jack! I'm a fan of Belgian Quads and have been wanting to try Sierra Nevada's Ovila Abbey Quad for a couple of years now. While I see a lot of SN's Dubbel on the shelves, I always seem to miss out on this one - that is, until now. I seem to like it better than the average reviewer. It has a nice flavor of plum, raisin, and molasses but it's a little sweet for casual drinking. Here's my review:

4.14/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 12/7 oz. cork and cage bottle into tulip glass. It pours a dark walnut with mahogany hues and a finger of creamy, khaki-colored head and lacing. The head persisted through the pour which is attractive. It smells of roasted malt, plum, raisin, brown, molasses, and some faint chocolate and spice. It's nicely aromatic. It's quite sweet, almost cloying, with robust tastes of brown sugar, plum, and raisin, and a hint of chocolate. It's flavor profile and sweetness gives it a cordial quality. The alcohol taste is subtle. This Quad is viscous and creamy, pleasantly carbonated, and the 10.2% ABV, while noticeable, doesn't burn. Overall, I enjoyed Ovila quite a bit. Given it's sweetness, it's more of an after-meal sipper than a casual drinker.

Enjoy your day and your beer, everyone. As always, I'm enjoying your reviews!

 

Some rain showers this afternoon, so why not run by the local shop and try some new beer.

First up SN Tropical Torpedo. A really nice fruity IPA.



Poured on draft at the local shop.

A: Clear pale yellow with smallish one finger white head. Short retention and moderate lacing.

S: Tropical fruits with some earthy hops. Mango, papaya, and pineapple.

T: Tangerine, mango, and pineapple. Lots of tropical fruit and subtle hops.

M: Medium to light body and average carbonation.

O: Nice easy drinking IPA. Really well done.

 

I used every fresh clove I had left in the house. I wish I had more since I'm a garlic lover too!

 

Agree, my favorite glass.

 

Hey Now! Happy New Monkish Sunday everyone! Funny thing about Monkish...When they started, they used to have a sign on their front door that read "No MSG, No IPA"! They wanted to be a stellar Belgian styled California brewery in the heart of Torrance, Los Angeles County. And they were. Then they started to make IPA's anyway, and now people line up daily just to see if they are releasing another of the masterpieces on a whim of a notice. This is only my third of their extremely limited and near impossible to acquire canned offerings, and again it does not disappoint. And because I love him, I'm sharing this beauty with my main man @mra949 .

Monkish- Biggie, Biggie, Biggie
Triple IPA. 10.1% abv.





A: Opaque light orange with a frothy white head. Like a straight up Orange Julius!!!

A: Orange whip, vanilla, grapefruit, pineapple, mango, and a touch of pine at the end.

T: Followed the aroma almost perfectly. A touch more pine than expected, in a good way. Absolutely sublime.

F: Like a frothy creamsicle! So smooth, decadent, creamy, medium to full bodied, good amount of bitterness but not overwhelming. The best part of this beer in my opinion.

O: Monkish continues to dominate this style for the West Coasters. Absolutely wonderful TIPA, and hides the 10.1% like it's a 5-6% session beer. Truly another gem.

Cheers everyone, and I'll see you all soon!

 

I'm surprised how hard it was to find it here in New Jersey. We usually get pretty good distro from Lagunitas. I was fortunate to find it on draught; was shut out of bottles.

 

5 New Dark Winter Beers that I rated higher than BA AVG - here’s why...
Zonkers Stout/ Snake River
4.36/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Best 6% stout ever, sets a new high mark.
A) rocky, jagged head that lasts and laces over a jet black body.
S) Best part, char, coffee and chocolate duking it out along with hop bitterness and a major, fruity, prune like malt base.
T) Abundant, following the smell, a charred, woodsmoke feast with coffee and chocolate on the simmer, and a long drying herbal, pruney finish.
F) Just weighty enough without being heavy and that long, slow dry finish.
O) Could make this my go-to beer, or could be black & Tanned with any beer for great improvement. Try 24. A personal best.

Stone El Camino (Un)Real
4.07/5 rDev +4.4%

look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Right down my alley (hoppy dark ale) like Arrogant Bastard, or an hoppy stout, but ultimately too fussy, and what's it got to do with El Camino other than it's a north-south collaboration? A certain amount of fussy weirdness, but love the experimentation by three of my favorite brewers.

A: Pours a big brown-black body, thick, with rich dark head that fades slowly, leaving a dotty lacing.

N: BIG! Over a powerful malt and hop combination, there's all kinds of char, stink, earthy, fermented seeds. Remains peaty and earthy as she warms.

T: FOLLOWS the smell, and it's rich and creamy, thick, malty, dark bread, caramel, chocolate, figgy sweetness, and abundant, multi-faceted, complex taste. Chewy and malty overall - there's all the elements involved: spicy, stinky, hoppy, figgy, alcohol, liquore, after-dinner booziness. Remains earthy, as in wet compost to the end.

F: Great feel, at once thick, luscious and smooth, with good carbonation, and nice drying bitterness.

O: Big bitter on the finish, with a hoppy bite, earthy and musty hop. Smoky. Probably good to cellar.
Midnight Sun | Ithaca
4.05/5 rDev +6.3%

look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
For creamy, charred, coffee like black lager - this is the best I've had.
A) Pours opaque, murky black The head is khaki, creamy and lasting, clinging and lacing.
S) Nose is malty, with wood smoke and charcoal, and finishing with a prominent peppery hop. Floral, fall earth, and more wood smoke twisting in a maple syrup distillery sending steamy, sweet shoots in the air.
T) The creamy malt balances all that's charred and bitter here. Hops offer grass, fall earth and pepper.
F) Creamy feel, with bright hops that bitter and dry the finish. Dries more as it warms.
O) Wins my Black Lager award. Try 24.
Monk's Blood | 21st Amend
3.87/5 rDev +1.8%

look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I guess I was in the mood for sweet.
A) Dark ruby, modest haze, tan lasting and lacing head. Looker ruby.
S) Coffee, Grain house, wet malt, must and figgy sweetness.
T) squashed, slightly fermented, coffee soaked fruit cake and berries. Cola like, with just enough peppery bitters to finish.
F) Too sweet, but oddly, scrubbing and bittering saves it.
O) Awesome alternative to the style, Try 6.
Winter Pale Ale | The Bronx Brewery
3.82/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Happy to be 4th review of this Winter Ale from a favorite local brewer, widely available now in mixed 12s at WFM.
A) Full haze, burnt orange, short-lived thin head, but lots of lacing. (In a snifter - how else a winter warmer?)
S) Subtle candied ginger, with a bit of clove and spice, slightly belgian. candy store.
T) Best part - follows smell, great ale body amplified with ginger & clove.
F) Solid, medium bodied and carbonation; crisp; dry finish. Good evening beer.
Company loved it. Warmer.

 

One more while I see if the rain will slack off some.

Green Flash - Cellar 3 Divine Belgique

A nice triple but heavy handed on the pepper and clove. It's good but glad a didn't buy a bottle.



Poured on draft at the local shop.

A: Golden yellow with one finger white head. Short retention and light lacing.

S: Banana, clove, and fruity yeast esters.

T: Traditional Belgian yeast with a strong dose of black pepper and cloves. Some banana sweetness lingering.

M: Medium body and light carbonation. Just a touch heavy for a tripel.

O: Enjoyable tripel but glad I opted for the draft pour instead of a full bottle.

 

Ya, so, the Falcons are really good and the Packers have run out of magic. Time for a new beer.

Black Husky Dogfather pours a deep dark golden color with a 1 finger white head and some nice lacing on the glass. Definately Mosaic hops with a heavy does of ripe pineapple, passionfruit, and some mango. Taste follows the aromas and offers a bounty of tropical flavors along with some sweet honey notes, but is kinda weak. Nice and clean with moderate carbonation and a dry finish. A nice effort but the flavor seems to lack the punch to make this one great.

 

Hey, everybody- it's time for a break from football, and things are not looking good in Packers land. Hopefully we get a better second half. I'm all locked and loaded for a long afternoon on the couch, with the cooking already done, and a freezer full of junk food. On the not so junky side I made some keema mattar-

mostly because my wife said that she didn't want chili, and wanted something different. So Indian chili it is, then (can't stray too far from football food on a day like this...)

My first beer of the day comes from Riegele, the German brewer who teamed up with Sierra Nevada in 2015 for that great Oktoberfest

This is their Privat, and it's a fantastic beer. Malt and hops are well balanced yet full flavored. The hops are decidedly spicy, almost intensely so, but the malt packs such a strong punch, bready and nearly toasty despite the golden color, that those hops are kept in check. The flavor and body are full and rounded, with a sharp and clean crack of bitterness providing for a clean finish. I wouldn't surprised if this beer features the same Steffi malt that SN used in their O'fest, the flavor is so similar. Midway through the glass (OK...after 1 bottle ) and those big flavors are still quite potent, and the spicy hops haven't dropped off one bit. These guys mean business, and pulled off a powerhouse of a pale lager with style to spare. Solid A (4.5), and get some if you see it.

 

Good afternoon, NBS crew. Feels like a lazy day. My dog has been throwing up. Last time that happened it was pancreatitis. As that can be caused by high levels of fat intake. I'm hoping the large pizza he ate on Friday isn't making him sick. He did throw up a large, dead weed, so I'm hoping that was the issue, and he's good now. It may mean a vet visit tomorrow.

I was going to open an Enjoy By 2/14/17 for NBS today. But after that opening, I'm going for something aged in wood - Petrus Aged Red from Brouwerij De Brabandere.



Poured from a .33l bottle coded 42165. The beer pours deep brown/amber with a small tan head. The head dissipated quickly leaving a small amount of lacing. The smell is strong sour cherries up front. I'm also getting some oak. There is a very wine-like quality to the smell. The taste was surprisingly sweet. The cherries come through strongly and the oak is there also. There is very little sour flavor and a little alcohol taste underneath. The mouthfeel is smooth but highly carbonated. This reminds me of a highly carbonated cherry cough syrup, and not in a good way (if that's possible). I won't be buying this again.