New Beer Sunday (week 627)

Thank you all! Probably won't be around much today, but had to get one in while he was (finally) sleeping. It's funny how nature makes you forget these things . Cheers!

 

Congratulations @Lingenbrau A beautiful family you have, cherish ever moment!

 

Congrats @Lingenbrau and thanks @utopiajane for another lovely kickoff! I'm fighting a cold and already had a beer yesterday, so I'm gonna do a New Saturday evening Beer if y'all don't mind! Picked up a brand new IPA from Insight, not even on their taplist or website, so not enough info for me to add to the site yet. Anyway, here we go.

Double Dry Hopped IPA from Insight Brewing

Sorry for the poor pic, I wasn't in a real photogenic mood!

Lovely nose on this, indicative of the late-addition double hopping, nice and fruity nose, still plenty bitter to help balance the juicy notes. Nice slightly-more-golden-than-copper body that pour minimal head, thanks to the growler. Taste is nice, slight bitterness from the hops and a decent little malt backbone, definitely some "juicy" characteristics, and I should've asked but I would guess this is made with mosaic and maybe simcoe hops? Anyways, real tasty brew that I would give around a 4.10 whenever it gets added to the site!

I DO have the day off of work so if I'm feeling better I mayyyyy come in later and crack another one. Cheers all, have a wonderful Sunday!

 

Congrats lingenbrau. Hope all is going smoothly.

My new beer today I've been saving for two weeks for this. I enjoy dark horse and old nation m-43 is one of the best ipas in Michigan and this is a collaboration between the two.



The German hobo
11.9 abv 58 ibu
Style. Malt liquor. i don't know about you but i don't see that very often in craft beer.

look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours cloudy amber with a medium, creamy, off white head that lasts a little while.

Smells of caramel malts, light dark fruits, light grassy and earthy. Hints of apple and pear. Touch of alcohol.

Tastes caramely, fruity especially apple. Moving to a bready and darkfruit taste and slight bitter. Finish is pretty dry with a lingering almost citrusy bitterness. Medium body and creamy lower medium carbonation.

Overall it was a a decent beer. I'm used to the cheap malt liquors. This was better than those but i would have never guessed it's style to me it tasted like a Scottish ale with a good amount of hops and the high alcohol is hardly noticeable even as it warms.

 

Congratulations! That is beautiful. I remember my wife saying, "I don't give a damn about natural child birth, give me drugs!'. My kids are 35 and 31. It's amazing. I know that I don't need to tell you to have fun with the time that will fly by, but have fun. Big cheers my friend!

 

Last week we were hitting record warmth in February with sun and low 60's. Reality has returned with cold temps and snow on the ground. All that means is that I have to open the big stouts in my cellar!

Today I am crackin' a bottle of 3 Floyds Crack the Sky. It pours an obsidian in color with a 2 finger mocha head. Slowly fades into a nice cap and thick collar and spotty lacing on my glass. Roasted malts, coffee, cocoa and rich dark chocolate blend with the vanilla oakiness. Flavor is loaded with bitter chocolate, cold pressed coffee, hints of roasted malt and cocoa. Some bitterness from the hops makes an appearance in the middle. Sweet molasses, with vanilla and bourbon are faint. Thick body, chewy and sticky. Rich, smooth and creamy. Sensational. An absolute gem of a stout from 3 Floyd's that has a great coffee forward flavor.

 

Happy NBS to all. Finally I have a Sunday free from most every external pressure or commitment, so I'm hoping to tip back several NB's today. Starting with further proof that I'm a sucker for metal marketing, as I am enjoying this..

Unibroue A Tout Le Monde Saison, which of course is a Megadeth thing, as evidenced by Vic on the label.



Looks picturesque. Translucent, effervescent golden beer with a thick, firm, clingy white foamy head.

Nose begins with just a bit of funk until light clove steps in. Hints of pepper and something crackery round out the smell.

Soapy, lemony tart at first that opens up a bit further with that ever so slight funk. Peppery happens on exit, alongside a strong club soda finish.

Body is super light, dry, highly carbonated and crisp.

Not bad, but very little depth.

 

Well, this Sunday is off to an upbeat start! Wasn't sure when I'd be feeling a beer today, but the time has come. Today's beer is one we bought for the hotel last week but never got around to drinking. Let's hope the travels from the DE store where we bought it hasn't harmed it at all.


Lord Hobo Consolation Prize
The beer did not quite fit in the glass I poured it into. I noticed when I put the remnants of the first can into the second glass that it was very cloudy and lighter. If you do a full pour, I am guessing you will get a cloudier body than I did.

As it sits, though, this is a very nice pour - a dull golden with a slight lean towards orange. A translucent haze still exists, even without the extras from the bottom of the can. Head is white, and grows to a medium level with this pour. It stays for a few sips across the surface, and against the glass for the pour, providing some nice lacing.

Nose has a little malt backbone - maybe a medium dark cracker - upon which a more tart than bitter scent comes through. Deconstructing it isn't the easiest thing, but I'd go with a combination of tangerine, ruby grapefruit, and little tropical note.

Taste opens like the nose - medium cracker with a mildly tart marmalade layer upon it. Initially that tartness held my attention, but when I searched a little deeper I got a tropical fruit skin bitterness as well. In some sips, I get a hint of green onion more than that "bitter skin" note. The beer has a nice carbonation level to support the above medium body in this beer. There is a nice, fairly clean ending to it, as well.

I like this beer enough, but would prefer a little more bitterness than juicy tartness. It seems to maybe be in between being a juicy IPA and a stronger, more classic DIPA.

 

New Beer Sunday: A nice Coffee beer to drink with food.

Afternoon NBSers, with special salutation to all you seekers of creamy coffee flavors.

Weather here is chilly but otherwise gorgeous.

Once again the flamily is out shopping for some clothes so I'm prepping my own lunch and targeting a repeat of a baked Frittata with the Cheese being Pepper Jack rather than Cheddar as it was last week.

While waiting for the bake to finish it's time for a new beer. Today's mid day new beer is one of the Victory Blackboard series and is a Cream Ale with Cold Brewed Coffee.

As usual my review, mostly finished until I have my 3rd and 4th bottles over the next week or so, can be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/345/260778/?ba=drtth#review

This beer is all about the Cold Brewed Coffee in its aromas and flavors that are definitely there but they are mild rather than strong. There’s a bit of malt sweetness noticeable to smooth things out a bit, but the light bitterness in the finish seems more from the coffee than from any hops. If you insist your coffee must be strong and black or your beer strongly flavored then you probably won’t enjoy this beer since it will probably seem too mild or too watery. For myself, I'm finding it quite nice as a take on a coffee beer and think the use of a Cream Ale was decided so the coffee could be showcased. If you think you want to try this beer, do so soon as there are reasons to think it won’t be brewed again given that is part of the Victory Blackboard series.

A bit of coffee music to go with the beer.

Cheers, all!

 

Morning NBSers. Excuse the blurry photo with this one. I think my camera phone got overwhelmed by Zlatan's imposing figure in the frame. I'd noticed this beer come up a few times in previous NBS installments. Quite the conversation starter. Given that I was able to grab a single the other week it seems like a good time to join the discussion.



Frootwood. Founders once again going to a fruit forward format for an ale that might be even more polarizing than Lizard of Koz - Mango Magnifico - Big Lushious....say what you will about their special releases but they often land upon something that demands a fairly lively reaction. So I digress, but here's my reaction to this one....

From the pour you are greeted with a pink to light red toned ale with a frothy head that reminds me of the bubbles you get on the top of a hot tub at a mid range business hotel. Might sound offputting but you know you are going to get into it anyways. The smell is akin to a freshly opened bag of throat lozenges.

Taste wise, this is kind of all over the place. Obviously the cherry is prominent but it isn't the out and out cough medicine feel you might expect. I'm picking up a little of the barrel and maple syrup, though with the slick yet light at the same time mouthfeel leaves an aftertaste akin to accidentally tasting suntan lotion when eating food at the pool in a tropical setting. Little bit of a filmy coating left with you.

My review might sound skewed towards the negative but I honestly find it to be a really interesting offering from a brewery that keeps trying something new. Buy again? Maybe not but i'd give it a go in another year or so, see how things are ticking along. Would likely pair well with a cheese and meat charcuterie board.

 

Terrapin Single Origin Coffee Brown Ale - Costa Rica (Terrazu)
American Brown Ale - 6.1% ABV



4.01/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. This is the fourth and final beer that I've tried in the next Terrapin single origin coffee series. The first series was with coffee stouts featuring coffee from distinct origins around the world. The second series that this beer is part of is four different coffee brown ales.

Pours a dark brown color with light tan head. The tasting notes on the bottle is milk chocolate, cherries. The nose definitely features tart cherries and chocolate from the Costa Rican coffee varietal. The taste has a touch of tartness/acidy up front with some roastiness from the coffee in the finish.

 

New American Strong Ale Sunday



Fremont 2014 BBA Abominable Winter Ale

Happy Sunday, BAs -- and a hearty congratulations to @Lingenbrau on the beautiful new son. Most babies are ugly and you've got to pretend they're cute to the new parents, but that one is actually good looking. I'm sure he and his older sibling are too young to remember you drinking beer from paper cups, so no worries there, either.

Today's beer comes to me from the generous @kemoarps from the last NBS BIF. I'd been waiting for the "perfect moment"to open it this winter, but with the weather starting to warm up so quickly, figured I better get a move on. There's still a bit of chill in the air, so no time like the present.

This vintage bottle of B-Bomb pours a ruby-tinted dark brown with a half finger of khaki-colored head that's quick to dissipate but leaves a permanent wisp across the top.

Bourbon with vanilla notes; caramel and chocolate malts; and a definite mulled red wine character, with muted cinnamon and nutmeg, mix together in the nose.

Amazing taste, with smooth chocolatey goodness that's improved by slightly-nutty caramel and vanilla notes. The wintery spices and vinous qualities from the aroma are still present, but hide in the back at this age. The bourbon is definitely still there, though, adding a sweetness and a pretty strong alcohol burn.

It's relatively light bodied, but still creamy and smooth mouthfeel.

Thanks, @kemoarps. This is an outstanding beer. Can't wait for the new NBS BIF to start this week.

 

Let me add my congratulations to those offered by other folks. A new child is always an event for wonder and joy.

 

That's exactly like I saw things at 12:30 this morning!

 

Glad to see more of these Asheville breweries distro to GA, planning a trip there in March so trying a few different ones lately to see where I want to go first (WW and Burial are tops so far).
Lieutenant Dank, just the name conjures up images of stumbling around with sea legs only to be reminded "But you don't have any legs Lieutenant Dan". That or earlier in life smoke filled rooms I'd stumble out of, anyway on to the review...
Pour was a clear golden color with thick sloppy head, smells of the typical fruits, pineapple, grapefruit, orange and a little resin. Taste follows with a little candy/bubblegum in the middle and more of the piney resinous finish. Big rings of lacing chase the liquid to the bottom but this thing was so drinkable they never caught up before it was gone. Very tasty!