New Beer Sunday (week 624)

Mmm, a doppelbock...

Excellent first post, plus I'm always happy to hear of an American doppelbock, there needs to be more.

Cheers!

 

This Sunday I have another beer from Fantome: "La Dalmatienne". When I opened it I could already tell there wasn't going to be much carbonation. The best by date is 2018 so it should be quite fresh but maybe the yeast hasn't carbonated it enough yet (if that makes sense).



The smell is heavily acidic, citrus-y and was noticeable as soon as I uncorked the bottle. It's a mix between cider and lemonade with a hint of spices and funkiness.

The taste is much more balanced and noticeably better once the yeast from the bottom of the bottle makes it into the glass. Lots of citrus upfront that balances out with some spicy-ness and the classic Fantome yeast taste.

The mouthfeel is quite full once the yeast is in the glass.

Overall it's a tasty beer but the smell is so intense that it's not something I would consistently buy. Definitely an interesting beer though! Hopefully everyone is enjoying their New Beer Sunday, cheers everyone!

 

That first one went quick. On to #2, this one being Elysian Space Dust.



Crystal clear golden beer with a nice, thick, mostly white foamy head that leaves nearly a full curtain of lacing.

Nose is immediately bitter with onion, garlic and an almost funky, sulfur tainted earthiness. It all melds together to create that "dank" thing very nicely. A little bit of warming unlocked a citrus element as well.

Taste brings the citrus thing immediately to the front while following it up with garlic onion dank. Big-time bitterness throughout.

Finish is moderately dry with a big layer of bitter lingering on the tongue, like a pungent gossamer.

 

Wow! I really liked the "standard" Narwhal. This one sounds amazing!

 

Ha! Guess my intended focus was on the number of VA breweries collaborating on the overtly Stone beer vs focus on number of total collaborators. I hope you got my intent and accept the ribbing on my less-than-clear/accurate phrasing .

Side note: if I recall/understand correctly, Ardent was one of the breweries that got to produce Arrogant Bastard when it was on the road a while back, so this isn't their first time working with Stone after they entered the area.

 

Great job, it's hard to follow the pros who lead this thread, it's quite daunting. Only makes me realize how much I left out. A wordsmith I am not, but quite a few make it look easy, it's not. Great effort on your first, and a thread I read every Sunday as well.

 

New Super Brunch Sunday

Happy Sunday all. I had to travel to Athens yesterday for a swim meet. My son won the breaststroke, and we finished 3rd overall. He also finished 3rd in the butterfly with his beat time, but got his first DQ ever as he got caught in between strokes at the wall and created a new one that they didn't go for. I also got there plenty early so I naturally stopped by Jackie O's to drink a couple and grab some bottles, and then we ate at the brew pub after. Had several new tasty beers as usual, including a citra and mosaic hopped "Next Level Kolsch" but my favorite yesteday was this:

A blend of 1-3 year old red and brown sours. Bonus review:
4.34/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

From a tulip glass in the taproom

It is a sort of muddy/turbid brown with some reddish hues. Thick, frothy light tan head. Much larger and not as fizzy as I would have expected.

It smells tart, with some apple cider like sourness and dark fruits. Noticeable wood and some yeast.

The sourness is very consistent and not overbearing. To me it tastes like musty oak, red grapes, cherry, plums ?, red apple, and a touch of balsamic vinegar. Fairly sharp yeast bite, but very well integratd and wonderfully blended flavors.

It is a lot lighter bodied than the appearance may suggest and very easy to drink. A little bit of lively carbonation and a nice crispness.

I have not had a lot of Flanders, but this is easily as good as, or better than some that I have. Tons of barrel character. Highly recommended

Now for today's new addition to the collection



4.21/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter

It is a shiny/glossy jet black color. The head initially was a dark cinnamon color with some distinct redness. Reminded me of a FBS. It is fairly thick, but slightly fizzy. It recedes into a thin khaki brown ring and leaves some very spotty lacing behind.

It smells outstanding. A lot of maple syrup, bourbon, vanilla, a bit of coffee, some chocolate and roasted barley, and just a hint of smokey, seared meat.

The maple dominates the flavor, and it's pretty sweet from start to finish. I get a strong amount of chocolate malt too that combined with the bourbon comes across like a milk chocolate. Very Twix like with some caramel. The coffee is fairly subdued. It offers a bit of bitterness along with a light charred smoke to keep it from being too sweet to enjoy. As far as the bacon, it comes across as a crisp candied type, but while detectable, it is very, very subtle. There is a bit of a dark, sour fruit in the aftertaste that is almost reminiscent of an infected flavor, but I have seen it mentioned in several reviews after noting it.

The body is a hair lighter than I would prefer, but still a very solid medium, and pretty creamy smooth. A syrupy/sticky lingering feel. My lips feel like they are stuck together. There is a bit of prickly carbonation that brings it down a hair though.

Overall, this was outstanding. No shortage of maple here for those seeking it. The coffee could be a little more prominent, but I love the light compliment from the bacon. It is restrained enough to let the beer not become gimmicky and a smoky mess. Speaking of restrained, the only thing keeping me from a 4.5 in taste and overall score is the touch of sourness and accompanying slightly prickly feel

Cheers!

 

Here we are again. Super Bowl Sunday. The day of days. I can't believe this is the 8th super bowl I'm seeing the Patriots play. It's incredible. Still feels like Christmas. I never would have thought this were possible after the years of suckage in the 90s. It's like a dream come true.



Anyway, on go my first beer. Glasstown Brewing's The Big Breakfast. It's a coffee porter with maple syrup. Has a really nice coffee flavor without being too bitter, a hit of dark chocolate. What really makes this beer special is that maple syrup. It's not that fake syrup shit this has that classic Vermont maple syrup flavor and it isn't cloying at all, it cuts through the light bitterness of he coffee. Outstanding brew, one of the best dark brews I've had in a while

 

We had the pleasures of that room a year ago, need to get back.
Cheers

 

Put a beating on my palate Friday night at the Extreme Beer Fest in Boston. Amazing event that allows you to push yourself out of you're own comfort zone and try new (and odd) styles - imperial everthing, barrel-aged-anything-you-can-think-of, triple IPAs, fruit infused-who-knows-what...with mostly everything hovering in the 10-15% ABV range. All that being said - I feel like a pilsner:


Haven't used this glass in a while either. Crux Pilz from Crux Fetmentation Project in Oregon. Limited distribution in MA due to the festival.

Love at first sight really - clear golden pour with a pourus/frothy head that lingers. After all those dark concoctions it's a sight for sore eyes. Aroma is spicy hops, biscuity malt and a touch of lemon. Taste is right there and it absolutely lights up the palate with bright flavors and a seamless flow of malt to hops. The malt provides a blank canvas for the saaz hops to paint a beautiful aromatic and flavorful picture. Ends with a snappy pop and a clean finish. Perfect. Happy Sunday all!

 

Hello to another New Beer Sunday. Also, welcome back @cavedave.

Now to the main show.

Avery White Rascal

As I say below in my review, this beer surprised me - it tastes, to me, like a hefe. I was surprised. It is very good, and I'm glad I picked this one up.


4.15/5 rDev +12.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This beer pours a murky golden color. The head was thick - 4 finger, and very frothy. There's also carbonation bubbles in the beer. The nose is very interesting - it almost smells like a hefe to me. It has the same banana sweetness to my nose. The taste is, well, I know it isn't a hefe, but it's tasting like one - it really does to me. It has the taste and feel of one, which is strange to me. Feels not watery at all. Very strange, interesting, but damn good beer.

467 characters

 

Lagunitas 2016 One Hitter Series, High West-ified Imperial Coffee Stout. As a rule I'm not a fan of flavored Imperial Stout coffee or otherwise. This beer however has been getting a load of great reviews on this site so when I saw a single for sale i took a shot. I'm glad i did. The coffee flavor and aroma are there but they don't overpower the beer, it still tastes like an Imperial Stout. The beer is also aged in Rye barrels which is another nice flavor that lets the Stout be the main flavor. A very enjoyable beer , should have gotten a 6 pack.

 

I hope to participate in a BIF, but, no way I'm doing it till it warms up - don't want the beer freezing.

 

Well we appreciate having you back as much as we value @JackHorzempa stepping up to the plate. And wow. Our infamous dabbling with alliteration leaped long and linguistic today leaving us lamenting a learned new level. Cheers, Dave!

 

Very excited for this up coming round! Past four have been a lot of fun with lots of good beers in all styles!

 

First up today is from @2beerdogs in the ninja box he sent in round 4 of the BIF, La Cumbre A Slice Of Hefen. It might be slightly past its Best By date by a few weeks, my fault not his, but it is still a great hefeweizen, definitely if you like hefes that have that great banana/cloves combo from the yeast.

4.05/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thank you 2beerdogs for this
16 oz can poured into a hefeweizen glass

A- A hazy golden amber with a two finger white head

S- Bananas, cloves, some earth spice, wheat, hints of lemons

T- Wheat, mild lemon tartness, some bananas, cloves, and a nice earthy spice.

M- Smooth, light to medium body.

O- A solid example of a hefe. Worth picking up if you enjoy the style

Thanks again @2beerdogs, cheers!

 

Time of course for another brew!

Birthday Bomb! | Prairie Artisan Ales


Prairie Artisan Ales - Birthday Bomb! by imbibehour, on Flickr

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Poured from the bottle into a large snifter glass.

Very inky viscosity out of the bottle and hitting without a sound. Jet walnut brown and nearly black, with a faint red purple like hue along the collars edge. Minimal head creation, but what is created is ultrafine bubbled and very dark mocha. Dissolves quickly leaving no top and a faint pencil collar.

Aroma is an impressive mix. Dark chocolate notes and a very nice coffee roast angle. A hit of chili seems to be present also, but the beers aroma hits more a sweet and bitter cocoa quality mostly. Hints really thick sensing flavors but also even touches of smoke character which adds wonderfully to the base chocolate coffee and peppery flavors. Great stuff on the nose here.

Whooee, that mouthfeel I must say on first sip. Velvet thick and luscious mouthfeel but hits just a hair of sugar syrup. However, the flavors just coat everywhere with lots of surprise. Light icing and powdered sugar and coffee notes grasp everywhere in a full dark chocolate coating. Rich amounts of dark cocoa, and a good chewy hot pepper light accent. Cake like batter and cream flavors also, just ironically like a birthday cake, for a nice light vanilla richness.

Excellent specialty brew, turned out real nice, just wish it looked a little better but often these type of beers in the looks department get that way sometimes.

look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5 | BA Generated: 4.48

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Cheers!

 

This isn't the beer I had say 8 or so years ago, the beer that made me gasp at what the possibilities were with IPAs.

My palate has shifted no doubt, but this beer is not the same beer it was then. It's just not. The beer back then was one you'd never say one can was enough, see you next year. It was a beer to chase. It was bright fruity, I'd say about what a truly fresh Abrasive brings to the table. What it is is IMO a mess of a Dipa, it's too sweet, and I'd agree it's too sweet leaning toward orange, while another Dipa I loved in Maharajah is now sickening sweet towards candied cherries. I used to love both, now I don't care for either , even if it was free I'd pass.

 

Happy Super Bowl Sunday, BAs! Very happy to be in NBS this week after missing the last few weeks due to travel. 2017 has been a great year for beer in Nashville and TN, due to the new beer laws, and many breweries have really stepped it up. Bearded Iris has released three great DIPAs in the last month, so may I have your Attention Please!


look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This was moderately hazy but not turbid like an NEIPA. A golden-orange color with a one-finger foamy white head that left nice lacing in the glass. Very tropical aromas: tangerine, pineapple, and mango. There was a tiny hint of malt. The taste was more complex, with big fruity flavors but also a nice dank, herbal presence that I enjoy. It's well-balanced with a dry, bready malt. As billed, this has a very soft and yes, "pillowy" feel. Better IMO than the big-name NEIPAs I've had. The bitterness is there but also "soft." This is a great beer. Cheers!

 

Onward to beer 3 on this here Super Bowl Sunday (is that a copyright infringement?).

Stone collab with Odell and Marble

Megawheat Double IPA



Looks nice. Clear as a bell in all its regal yellowness, providing a massive white head that I probably agitated too much, but it did leave behind quite a massive lace pattern.

Nose is dank with green onion, slightly soapy and finishes with an undeniable sugary sweetness.

Taste jumps out of the gate with a massive dank punch. More garlic than anything else until tangerine banana pear ( ya, that's what I said) provide a slight deviation from that dankness. Finally, the finish suggests maybe a slight bit of ABV fueled heat that leaves behind a sweetness on the tongue.

Aside from the aforementioned, there's also a peppery quality on the rather flat, wet finish.