New Beer Sunday (week 624)

Mornin' NBSers, with special thanks to @cavedave for the early start up and the good cheer he always brings to his intros.

@cavedave, glad to hear you feel your hiatus has had some beneficial and positive effects! While I've had a version of two of the beers you mentioned in your intro, my line up today is no where near as exotic as most of those.

I recently discovered that New Belgium is doing a couple of Gluten reduced beers that might just be of interest to folks who have at least some degree of Gluten intolerance that is not total. I've been at a loss for which beers, in any, to suggest to a few of my friends who have that issue and I'm hoping for positive experiences with the New Belgium beers.

So I expect I'll be back later on today with reports on the New Belgium Glutiny Pale Ale and their Glutiny Golden Ale.

Cheers, all!

 

Morning @cavedave and welcome back. Cheers everyone. Today is not only new Beer Sunday but also Superbowl Sunday. So, I thought I would make it a two beer Sunday at least.

Guinness Rye pale Ale.



Pours hazy and orange with a brownish hue. Soapy white head that fell pretty fast. Lovely flourish of bubbles to watch.

Nose is vibrant and crisp with rye. Breaddy, peppery, cracker. Hops are citrusy and bold. Sweet orange and herbal.spice. Grasses.

Drinks so lightly and with good crisp bubbles. Malt is more biscuity than you might think and that gives it a graceful bearing because it's a got plenty of malt to satisfy the palate. Hops are juicy just like all the bold IPA's we talk about that have that quality . The flavor is fresh orange! It's perfection. The herbal form the cascade help it to taste like orange by lending their sweet grasses and relaxed bitterness. Crisp firm malt and small bubbles that bite a little. Plenty of pepper and light orange from those hops with a lasting bitterness that makes it all give way right at the end. Drinks with plenty of malt texture and bountiful citrus.

I love this beer and I think this shows off mosaic and cascade hops at their best. Most people see those two hops in IPA's and together they taste just like fresh orange. I think it's cheeky and a little wry that the brewer has shown you that on a malt that we would not think of as subtle enough to bring out those flavors. Rye is a powerful and fragrant too and this beer has a very fresh taste. I paired this beer with my homemade country white bread for a nice sammich. BBQ Chciken Sammich.

Cheers you all and Happy New Beer Sunday!

 

Thank you @cavedave for the great start, and welcome back to the Land of the Beer Drinkers.
The only ones I recognize in your preamble are chica and sahti. I'll have to look the others up.

My wife and I are spending the week in Florida visiting a variety of relatives (in-laws, sister, and daughter). When we left Maine yesterday it was 20 degrees, and when we arrived in Tampa it was 80. Fair trade. Some golf today, followed by the Super Bowl. I know there are a lot of Patriots haters out there, but I will be rooting strongly for them.

When we arrived in Tampa, our first stop was Cigar City. Some Jai Alai, some Raspberry Grove (a sour) for my wife, and my new beer for today, Raspberry Halo.
It poured a dark brown/black color with a minimal tan head.
Sweet fruit and chocolate aroma.
Strong raspberry taste, dark chocolate. Noticeable alcohol.
Heavy beer, lingering raspberry aftertaste.
This was overall an enjoyable beer. I found it to be a little too fruity for me.

 

Not sure if you are on a mini-quest for scientific purposes, but Craft Brewers Alliance (if you consider them "craft") has the Omission line, and Stone has Delicious IPA (though in both cases I think they are the kind of product that remove the gluten versus not using any in the original ingredient list).

I'm sure there are others, I believe a couple local places have made one here and there.

 

Let’s ‘Slam a Can!!

Welcome back Dave!

It’s that time of the year again: Bell’s Hopslam was recently released.

First let me provide a BIG thank you to a good friend who gifted me with this can.

I have had this beer a few times before on draft but this is a first for me in several ways:

• My first time drinking this beer from a can
  
  
• My first time drinking this beer so fresh

I suspect that the second bullet is likely a more important aspect. All of my previous drinking experiences were at least one month after the release timeframe and in all probability a couple of months. For hoppy beers, time is not an ally for peak of beer drinking flavor.

Permit me to first discuss some history about Hopslam and how this beer was distributed in the recent past. The Wholesale Distributor for Bell’s in Southeastern Pennsylvania is Shangy’s in Emmaus, PA. Shangy’s also has a license to be a retailer (what we call a Retail Beer Distributor in PA). Well, Shangy’s the Wholesaler would provide the majority of Hopslam to Shangy’s the Retailer since their records indicate they were the largest seller of Bell’s beer. Does this have the appearance of the fox guarding the henhouse to you? Well, the net result was very little Hopslam was distributed to non-Shangy’s retailers. Most craft beer drinkers would drive to Shangy’s in Emmaus to purchase one case of Hopslam. There was a rule of only one case per car so carpooling was disallowed. This was how craft beer Extreme Exuberance was practiced then. Today you get to wait in lines for hours at beer releases like they have weekly at Tired Hands.

In case anybody was curious, I never drove up to Emmaus to buy a case of Hopslam. Between gas and tolls (PA Turnpike) that was too much money for me (also the travel time would have been several hours).

It probably is not necessary to discuss the hype associated with Hopslam but needless to say this is a highly sought after beer and folks are willing to pay BIG BUCKS to buy this beer.

Below is the description for Hopslam from BA:

“Starting with six different hop varietals added to the brew kettle & culminating with a massive dry-hop addition of Simcoe hops, Bell's Hopslam Ale possesses the most complex hopping schedule in the Bell's repertoire. Selected specifically because of their aromatic qualities, these Pacific Northwest varieties contribute a pungent blend of grapefruit, stone fruit, and floral notes. A generous malt bill and a solid dollop of honey provide just enough body to keep the balance in check, resulting in a remarkably drinkable rendition of the Double India Pale Ale style.”

I will not discuss my previous drinking experiences with Hopslam since as I noted above they were less than fresh.

Drum roll please!! How does a fresh can of Hopslam taste?

Served in my Spiegelau IPA glass

Appearance:

Golden colored with a BIG white head.

Aroma:

The dominant aroma is citrus but there is some sweetness there as well. Kinda reminds me of candy orange slices.

Taste:

The flavor pretty much follows the nose. There is citrus accompanied by sweetness. There is a firm bitterness as well. There is just a very tiny bit of alcohol perception here.

Mouthfeel:

Nicely carbonated, medium body with a soft mouthfeel.

Overall:

I enjoyed drinking this beer. It was on the hairy edge of being too sweet for my palate but it did not cross the line.

I think that folks who are aficionados of the DIPA beer style would enjoy this beer more than me. When it comes to hoppy beers my personal preference are IPAs. I sometimes find DIPAs to be too cloying. As I mentioned above Hopslam approached that aspect.

This one can will suit me for 2017. Maybe I will drink one can next year too?

@RobH @rotsaruch @nc41 @KOP_Beer_OUtlet @Ranbot



Do you remember eating these:

 

Thanks. Hadn't noticed yet that those beers were out there.

No science... but I won't recommend something like a particular beer to friends that I haven't tried and enjoyed myself.

So now I've got a few more to check out, in the interests of friendship, of course.

 

I'm not much for the no gluten trend but I worked in a vegetarian restaurant for quite a while back in the states and so I ended up trying quite a few and Glutenberg from up here in Quebec is the one that I found to taste the most "like beer" to me. They've really taken off since I first tried them at a festival here a few years back and I am pretty sure that they are now available in some parts of the US.

 

Another one to look for. Thanks!

 

I'd almost go go tea total if Gluten Free was my only option. Would love to hear otherwise. As i know someone in that boat, The 2 I tried had horrid mouthfeel. Maybe reduced is a different animal?

 

Thanks cavedave for getting NBS off on a great note.

Cheers!

 

Like New Belgium Glutiny, Dupont's Foret Libre is gluten reduced as opposed to gluten free. That beer is a treat rather than a sacrifice... so barring the issues of availability, freshness, and price , it's king of the special occasion beers in that category.

 

This pretty much sums up this beer for me, though the honey (I am fairly certain as I have gotten this in other honey beers) in the beer actually gives it an ever so little tartness within the sweet, if that makes sense. Also, my grandparents always had some form of jellied candy around .

@lordofthewiens - if they ever make it again, and I keep hoping they will, DFH makes a Sahti caked Sahtea (with an apostrophe in there somewhere). I have seen a couple others on WBAYDN, but none by regionally or larger brewers. Also, anyone recall the beverage the one BA posted from Africa a few weeks back? Can't recall if it was a "malt" beverage and could fit in the list.

 

I've had DFH Sah'tea and another sahti, Lammin Kataja Olut. Not sure I'm a big juniper fan.

 

Thanks. Yeah, I agree about that on being very good and it is going on my list to recommend. Problem is finding it on a semi-regular basis.

 

LOL - my apologies on my poor reading - I read the only two you hadn't heard of. I'll pay more attention from now on, but it might make more sense if you read my post in that light .

----
My first entry on this Super Bowl Sunday is a Stone beer, brewed at their new location in Virginia. This beer was brewed "in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Virginia" - which at least for promotional purposes (on both sides) means brewed with the Governor of the Commonwealth. Hardywood Park and Ardent Craft Ales (originally a home brew coop) were also involved, probably more at the production level .

Our governor has generally been considered quite a friend of beer and specifically craft beer since he's been in office. (Note: we do have a AB brewery in Williamsburg)

It's not hard to figure out, if you know Stone's attitude, how they tied themselves into Patrick Henry on Give Me Stout or Give Me Death on the back label. They tied in their revolutionary love for tasty beer as well as their love of collaboration. They also got into the fact that this beer is "aggressively hopped" and contains Virginia blackberries and raspberries. Anyhow, I figured I'd pour this three-Virginia collaboration (four if you count Stone, which I do not... maybe 3.5) into two glasses from other Virginia breweries and see how it rates.


Finally, the review:
Well, you can see the nice head that this beer produces. a basic medium light brown, foamy that falls to creamy. Basic dark stout body. Lacing is fairly heavy early.

I thought I got a little berry smell when I first opened this beer, but upon closer inspection, I am not so sure. This stout's nose is heavy on the roasted notes, including even a bit of char. The hops seem to add a little piney edge to the nose.

Oh yeah, sort of no surprise that this beer is, as stated, "aggressively hopped." Sure, the roasted coffee notes come out up front - but a big wallop of piney bitterness hits before mid-taste. The berries don't seem to be putting up much of a fight against this aggressor. I get maybe the lightest tart berry note nearer the end, but I feel it may be like the initial whiff I got upon opening the beer. With some warming, the harshness of the bitterness fades a little, but the berry flavors stay indistinct although I think I may sense their presence more than actually taste it.

Ok, so this is a big hoppy American stout in my book. It fits right in with the Stone flavor profile, so if you are a fan I bet you won't be disappointed. On the other hand, if you like berry flavors and want to see them have a say in a beer, you may be disappointed.

 

First off welcome back to one of our most respected BA'S @cavedave ! Poured at near room temperature into a 16 oz snifter not sure when it was bottled. Pours a very attractive near pitch black, with a beautiful dark tan head that leaves plenty of lace behind. 4.5

Smell is roasted expresso, vanilla, dark chocolate, molasses, leather, sweat pipe tobacco, and a little tart cherries. 4.5

Taste follows rich dark chocolate, vanilla, dry roasty coffee, pipe tobacco, leather, and just a kiss of dark cherries in the long lingering finish. 4.25

Mouthfeel is a little bigger than medium, very creamy and silky smooth at this temperature, enough carbonation, a little dry, and very drinkable at 9.4% ABV. 4.5

Overall this is a very nice stout, with a lot going on. The cherry juice is very subtle, but it is a factor. Thanks @jzeilinger for this very complex and tasty stout. 4.25

 

Wow- that sounds right up my alley; thanks for the heads-up. Too bad there are no bottles available close by, but a couple of bars have it on draught. I'll have to act quick .

 

Something with a bit of a bite this morning . . .



Score 3.99
look: 3.5 | aroma: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Hazy, light lemon honey appearance with thick white cap.

Aroma is of fresh, tingly sharp hops that sing the higher notes. A brighter, citrusy tone than I was expecting from the West Coast hops description used by the Brewer.

First taste, mouthful actually, I don't sip, brought a delightful combination of these singing hops riding on a substantial wheat body. The hops are there alright, from start through finish, but they never dominate serving rather as seasoning for the main course. Fairly complex, clean, simple flavors melded together seamlessly, finishing with a hop flourish in the aftertaste.

Lovely, creamy full texture.

With a prominent hop cone featured on the label and the word Hopscape writ larger than Samuel Adams, one would expect a larger than life hop flavor. Not necessarily so in this case. Instead I found a fairly hefty wheat ale with hops leading the parade but not playing loudly enough to drown out the other band members. My Bud Light drinking friend only took a sip (very ladylike) and said she detected lemon. Here again, Sam Adams has produced a solid wheat ale with enough complexity to make it interesting for those of us who look for more in our beer.

 

I rarely participate because I very rarely have a new beer to share.

But today I do. It's of all things a Double Mosaic from Brueprint Brewing in Apex Nc. Of all things because single hop Mosaic usually isn't my thing, I usually find them a bit on the cat pissy side a goodly amount of the time, although they blend beautifully.

So this is a Dipa using all Mosaic hops and clocks in at 10.1 Abv. The nose is terrific, it's light and very fruity definately a surprise. The taste really follows the nose it's light and bright and showcases what a Mosaic hop can be. Surprisingly it showcases fruit, it's not a bit on the dank dark side, really little if any pine. For the abv it's not sweet, it has enough malt to balance the hops, but the balance is there. I'm going to get another 32 oz growler today, I would say this beer is sensational, and I'd highly recommend it. I'm not a hop snob but I'd say my palate with respect to hoppy stuff is narrowing a bit, mediocre to good IPAs are being replaced with Pils. But there's always time for something that's above he rest.