New Beer Sunday (week 624)

Happy Super Sunday! I won't use the B word as the No Fun League doesn't like unauthorized commercial use of their trademark. They don't need any free promotion from me as you'd have to be living under a rock to not know what today is. Joking aside, a nod to @cavedave for kicking us off and educating us about the benefit of resetting the palate. I've contemplated it myself this year. Enough small talk, on to the beer!

A trip to Binny's Beverage Depot last weekend yielded a bottle of the highly coveted Perennial Sump. It's a 750ml with no apparent date and the abv. on the label states 10.6%. It was recently released so I know it's fresh. Let's check it out!

Pours a black as night thick oil leaving a baby finger of mocha colored foam. It settles to a thick ring around the glass with some moderate lacing left behind. The smell is all about robust fresh coffee! A little dark chocolate, but not much else and I'm fine with that. Taste is fresh brewed dark roast coffee, sweet dark chocolate, some dark fruit and a touch of wood. Feel is oily and thick but quite creamy.



Damn! This is how a stout should look, taste and feel. The coffee addition is extra icing in this dessert beer. It leaned a little on the sweeter side than I would have preferred, but that's splitting hairs. My score is 4.69 / rDev+7.6%. I've wanted to try this for years and finally had fate put me in the right place at the right time. The limit was one, but I gladly would have handed over $17.99 for another.

Enjoy your day, the game and new beer adventures. I don't have a horse in the race other than rooting for my numbers in a couple of pools. Some extra beer money would be appreciated! My bro is coming over later and I'm going to fire up the grill to cook a giant meatloaf. There's going to be some serious caloric intake and I'm glad I got that morning run in.

Cheers, here's the official scorecard......

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25888/113523/?ba=Prager62#review

 

New Beer Sunday: A Gluten Reduced Golden Ale

Afternoon NBSers, with special greetings to those who know folks with a Gluten intolerance but do not have Celiac Disease.

Well, after a trip to the gym, most of the Super Bowl Sunday (SBS) chores are done so it's time to start prep of some snacks and goodies for this evenin's game.

As I sort of indicated earlier, the first of the two new beers for today is the New Belgium Glutiny Golden Ale. (This one should have less "beat up those tastebuds" effect than a Pale Ale. :-))

But first, to clear up a couple of things based on what I've learned from chats with a buddy at work who has a Gluten intolerance.

Folks with Celiac Disease are gluten intolerant but not all folks with gluten intolerance have Celiac Disease. Also gluten intolerance or sensitivity isn't an either or thing but seems for non-Celiac Disease folks to depend on the level or amount of gluten. The US FDA defines reduced gluten for beer as being at or below 20 ppm. So gluten free beers can not be made with Barley, Wheat or Rye because they will always contain some gluten. However, if the brewer does use Barley, there is some sort of enzyme that can be used somewhere in brewing that reduces the Gluten ppm (probably by a chemical change in or breakdown of the protein) to somewhere below that 20 ppm so the beer can be made with grain and be labeled as Gluten reduced.

TL;DR: Gluten free and reduced Gluten are two different things.

That all said, my review, still in progress and subject to revision, can be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/199865/?ba=drtth#review


Overall this beer is just fine. The flavors and aromas include some grapefruit and lemon zest, some bready malt and a bit of grassy hop bitterness. While I’m not going to run right out and buy another, I’d certainly not turn it down if offered and for sure would feel comfortable with recommending it to someone who has a Gluten intolerance but who is OK with having a Gluten reduced beer (i.e., something below the FDA recommended parts per million for Gluten).

Cheers, all!

 

Dale, my personal drinking experiences are 180 degrees out of phase with yours.

As I made some mention in my post, in the past the only chances I had to drink Hopslam were on draft (quite some time after the release date). I would order a small glass of Hopslam (for a HUGE price) and those beers were sickly sweet to my palate. I did this over a number of years and my experiences were consistent.

This beer was canned on 011617 so it is basically 3 weeks old. While it was on the sweet side it was not sickly sweet to my palate.

Some retailers in PA are charging 25 bucks for a 6-pack of Hopslam. Needless to say but I will not be buying 6-packs of this beer. I have little doubt that others will.

If my memory serves me correctly Michael (@TongoRad) just purchased a second 6-pack of this year's Hopslam?

Cheers!

 

You know I was just thinking about this today. Great minds must think alike. And the timing couldn't be better. One of the best stouts from NH gets released the end of Feb. 2/25 so you can be assured that there will be a bottle of that in the box that goes to who ever is my lucky recipient!

 

Ok, closing in on the big game - time for another new beer, this one from a state south of the last beer I had. Wicked Weed hit our area late last year, and for the most part they seem to be sending their specialty beers and stuff from the Funkatorium. These do have the supposed benefit to the brewer of being higher priced, but for the most part they are outside of what I want to pay for them ( > $1 per ounce on most). I enjoyed the beers I had at the brewery's sites, and will patiently wait to enjoy them there again when I return.

There are a few beers, however, that make it up here that come in four packs that are more reasonably priced, and this next beer is one of those, Bedeviled - a Belgian-styled golden ale.


I was being careful on the pour and did notice a little trail of yeast near the end of the pour and tried to decant. The beer has a light haze to it (maybe chill), but I can easily see my finger on the other side of the glass as I grab it.

Lively carbonation doesn't explode but yields a nice couple of fingers of white foam. Thick tufts of soapy head collects at the edge. A sheet of this stuff is left against the back wall as I take a sip.

The nose is that of a spiced white ale, minus the wheat notes from said beer. I get coriander, Belgian yeast, and a lighter hay-like note when I inhale.



Taking a sip, there is a little prickly carbonation but also an alcohol bite that hit the front of my tongue. I have to push the beer to the back of the tongue to start getting the spice and yeast from the nose.

As the beer gets closer to my throat I start to notice a grassy to maybe lightly herbal bitterness. It helps the beer fill out its feel, and my tongue appreciates a different sensation from the opening bite.

Just as my palate is settling in and enjoying the balancing to almost bitter nature of the beer, it flips itself over again. I am getting the apple/pear and the Belgian yeast again. There's even just a little tart note like one of the apples was of a tart green variety - it breaks through but can't compete with the masses.

I appreciate this beer, but I'd have liked it if that bittern phase of the changing tastes stuck around a little longer. Or maybe if the sweet fruit notes flipped position with it. I must say that if I am just sipping the beer aimlessly, I don't notice the bitterness or the fruit as distinctly as when I was analyzing it - which is good.

 

I've shipped beer in many BIF's and never had a problem with it getting frozen during shipping. Biggest thing to remember is to ship on a Monday so it doesn't sit over the weekend. Package it well and you don't have to worry. Yes I've shipped beer to MN and other cold locations during the winter. Don't let the weather stop you from joining in.

 

Greetings, fellow NBSers, and thanks (and welcome back to the land of the drinking) to @cavedave for getting us going today.

For the record I have heard of chicha and sahti, though I've had neither. In fact I seem to recall an awkward moment in one of Michael Palin's travel specials (Pole To Pole, perhaps?) where he was in a South American tribal village and given something along the lines of chicha to drink, and told because of being a special guest, he was getting some featuring the spit of the three eldest women of the village...

No chicha for me today. I'm starting off my NBSBS with Leavenworth Whistling Pig (Leavenworth isn't a brewery ; it's a line of beers produced by Fish Brewing of Olympia, WA), a canned wheat ale from the other side of the state that was given to me by my dear friend and co-worker, Shannon, as a birthday beer last week.

While I always appreciate a free beer, this was well past a prime that may have never been that great, anyway. About 3/4 of the way down, I had to bail on it.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/684/12320/?ba=woemad#review

I'll definitely be back with another one today. Right now I gotta get things ready for some Salsa Meatloaf in the slow cooker.

 

Lindemans Gueuze Cuvée René, 5.5% ABV, 16 IBU. Pours thin and golden, with a huge foamy white head on a careful pour. Nose is lemon sour, taste follows. Excellent mouthfeel, overall decent. First time with this style, and though it's not a new favorite, it is not vile like some other sour beers I've had. I prefer their Framboise and Kriek. Like their other beers, it is sealed with foil, a cap, and a cork - and is in a very thick and heavy bottle.

 

Yeah, I've really enjoyed this one better than the last two years. The hops have some pop to them and the residuals are just where they need to be; it's coming off as a lot more fine tuned. Plus, it's difficult to really get to know a beer with only one or two tries, so as long as it's more available this year I figured I'd just dive right in.

 

My first beer trade ever, I received a 2015 BCBS and 2015 Backwoods Bastard as an extra. I remember literally letting out a shriek, as I had just missed buying both of those, and had even attempted to trade for BCBS, but we shot down every attempt. Since then, I've traded a few time, but nothing has felt quite as special as that moment, until my last trade. The sender had just vacationed to Vermont, and in his outgoing ways, sent me a few cans of the "good stuff" from Vermont. When I opened up the box to find this beer in there I, once again, let out a shriek, only this time I did a few laps around the house to calm my hands from shaking up these beers. I picked up the glass shortly afterwards just because I love matching glassware. So today, I'm diving into something I didn't think I would find, at least not without traveling or trading way to much for. Cheers.



The Alchemist's Heady Topper.

Pouring Heady Topper from the "Drink from the Can" pint can reveals a hazy, fiery orange liquid with a foamy, tightly laced, white head. Head foams up quickly, peaking at 3 fingers with an aggressive start and conservative finish. Retention on the head is great, lasting even through a half dozen sips. Lacing bubbles around the glass, with great retention. Aroma is steeped in layers of citrus, with notes of orange, lemon zest, and papaya. Biscuit malts bunch up just behind the hops to form an assertive, but refreshingly delicate hoppy aroma. Flavor profile opens with a smooth crescendo of citrus, orange, lemon zest, and biscuit malts. A hoppy start flexes and reshapes itself into a malty finish - with a little resin hop at the end to stick to the palate. Mouth feel is smooth and somewhat filling with a medium thickness. Feel certainly has a presence, but is still light enough to be enjoyed swiftly on a blisteringly hot day. Overall, a sublime IPA with plenty of flavorful body, and presence. The lack of a bitter stinging finish makes this an easy beer to enjoy for folks both new to IPAs and old.

Score: 4.5 | 4.75 | 4.75 | 4.5 | 4.75 | BA Score: 4.71 | rDev: +1.3%

Personal reflection: This beer is supremely delicious. I have been fortunate enough to try some Treehouse beers, Sip of Sunshine, and Second Fiddle. In selecting one of the elite IPAs for my own personal consumption, I think I'd pick Sip of Sunshine and then Heady. The minimal packaging with a memorable logo for Heady Topper is top notch. Simple enough to be understated, and yet a strong enough logo to be difficult to mistake.

 

Ah, I misinterpreted. IMO it's still too sweet, it's not the same beer it was 8-9 years ago. It was a revelation at the time. If it was a great beer I'd buy it, especially since it's a once a year beer. I just think this beer went off track years ago. Like Maharaja, it's just off.

 

Hi friends!
So good to see our man @cavedave back at hosting this awesome thread. Loved all the great reviews so far.
New Beer Sunday coinciding with super bowl.
I'm starting my beer adventure with a new beer.
Allagash Century Ale: 8% ABV Brett Saison!
As the name suggests, combo of brettanomyces and saison yeasts were used for ferment this for 1 year in Steel.
As I pop the cork, I was expecting the gusto of a typical saison and exuberant effervescent overload but it didn't happen. Nice strong pop but no overflow. Pours a lovely golden clear color and has the wonderful carbonation that gives it the everlasting head.
Aromas of Brett/ saison funk along with some ripe tropical fruits comes. Very pleasing and finishes with some notes of crackers/bread crust.
As I sip it starts with bright acidity and touch of funk. Quickly the flavor settles into the yummdiddlyumptious (nod to Roald Dahl) barnyard funk with bright passion fruit, apples, limes, graham crackers. The biscuit malts lends a nice backbone to the tropical party hosted by the yeast and the experimental German and American hops.
Overall the yeast is the king of this beer.
Finish is dry and keeps you wanting more.
When I drink a beer like this, it reminds me of the extensive effort needed to pull this off. While I love the "trendy" New England "juicy hop bombs" ( I will be following this with just that ) a well made beer like this makes one respect the brewer and the brewery tremendously.
Cheers!

 

Happy Super Bowl LXI New Beer Sunday (Week 624)!

Wordy Woody here, reporting from the Peanut Gallery, where things are never dry (other than the wit) & brevity is met with levity! Yes, I do try to read the previous posts before weighing in.

I had an early-morning visit from the Porter: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/98/226110/?ba=woodychandler#review

I then journeyed off to lay in supplies for this auspicious occasion & upon my return, I prayed to a god: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1199/162643/?ba=woodychandler#review



and now that my Crock Pot Roast is simmering away, I will really get down to business! I shall report back on my adventures this evening.

In the interim, if anyone knows how to score either/or/both Chica & Chicha, lemme know! I have a yen. Or a pound. A drachma, if need be.

 

Yes!!! My grandmother ALWAYS have those orange this in a glass bowl that she probably bought in the 1930s , I am sure it would be worth a bunch of money today but it's long gone. Ate those damn things til I got sick in the early 70's....

 

Hey NBS. It's been a busy weekend so far with birthday parties and a marriage conference at church. I'm planning on relaxing the rest of the day. No big plans for the Super Bowl. Thanks to the very generous @oach I have a bunch of new beers to review. Going to hit at least one of those today starting with Pipeworks Lil Citra.



Poured from a one pint can with no visible date, although based on the other Pipeworks I acquired recently, I'm assuming this is about a month old. The pour produced a thick, fluffy, white head that stuck around for a few minutes leaving decent lacing. The smell is all citra in front with a slight malty, piney smell coming through underneath. The piney, malty presence is stronger on the taste, although the citrus still dominates with orange rind and lemon. The mouthfeel is a little thin, but existed for a session ale. Overall a nice, easy to drink beer with good flavor.

 

Bare Hands Orange Blossom Bee Hop

Beautiful to look at and an excellent marriage of beer and honey. For those of you that are on the fence with Hopslam, seek this one out.

 

Welcome to NBS! That was a great review. Hope to see you here in the future.

 

My first ever NBS post was an aged BA Scotch Ale (Backwoods Bastard) and was quite amazing. Today I have another and the results are not the same.
I have to admit I did have this beer fresh and didn't rate it. Plus I liked it much better when it was fresh.
Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale

4.13/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle into Libbey Tulip
2016 Vintage, sitting in the cellar since September 2016 (about 5 months)
L- pours dark brown, appears dark black in glass, with thin tan head, nice lacing
S- rich malty aroma with hints of bourbon
T- smooth marshmallow malt, with plenty of bourbon and vanilla, a bit of an alcohol burn and surprisingly some oxidation as well
F- medium bodied, light carbonation
Overall this was a great Barrel-Aged Scotch Ale....fresh, aged I don't like it as much, but still pretty decent

Cheers!
*Edit* updated my rating and review a bit