New Beer Sunday (week 630)

Cheers Dave and thank you for the wonderful start today!

I am looking at rapidly disappearing snow as we should be back int he 50's soon but it sure was nice while it lasted. Today I have a beer that I pulled form our threads. I do enjoy the reputation for only drinking lagers and when our very own @HorseheadsHopHead touted this beer in several threads, I went out and bought it. What I have noticed about the IPA lately is that there are two schools of thought. One, bitter is better, and two balance is better. This beer demonstrates the latter.

Happy Everything Old Is New Again Sunday



4/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a perfect golden yellow with well defined bubbles to be seen constantly on the rise to greet a fat creamy head of white foam. Just a little haze. The nose is spicy, grassy and has lots of lemon. A good neutral malt can be seen on the nose. The reason I say neutral is because it does not smell breaddy nor does it smell sweet. You can get a sense of it though. as the beer warms a light tropical note begins to emerge and as it comes just a little bit forward it is sweetly tempting. Drinks with perfect balance and a small tingle from bitterness and bubble. Crisp impeccably clean finish. That is where the lightness int he body can be glimpsed; in the fact that the beer is clean rather than the idea that the malt is missing or too light. There is enough malt to satisfy the palate but the beer remains hop forward int he drink. Finishes crisp and spicy with hops outlasting the malt but not over crowding it with bitterness. The bitterness is firm and the mouthfeel is like silk. The malt is creamy, round and finishes first. The hops linger a bit longer and show you softness, a little spritz from those bubbles and that tiny tropical sweetness. Exemplary and very food friendly.

My personal pass or fail test for any IPA is does it pair with the tomato? The tomato is especially acidic, somewhere between fruit and vegetable, and roasted or dried can impart a powerful sweetness. If the beer can be paired with the tomato both roasted and raw , then the bitterness was balanced, the flavors not too tropical and the roundness of the malt present.

Cheers you all and Happy New Beer Sunday!

 

OK, technically I had this last night (it may or may not have been already Sunday in some parts of the country - too drunk to tell). I wouldn't normally post this here (or in the WBAYDN thread) but this beer just so happens to represent my 1000th beer on BA and simultaneously my 100th beer style (my first Biere Brut). Let me tell you, this thing at 12% kicked my butt. I may be a lightweight but did not expect this to get me so tipsy so quickly. Woke up with one hell of a hangover. Should have drunk more water.

It pours clear orange with a huge head of good retention. The nose has some champagne-like elements. Not sure if I'm imagining it but there are some vinous notes too. Some candi sugar as well. The taste is like an overly carbonated and overly sweet Tripel. Thick mouthfeel. The alcohol levels are well concealed at least while the beer is cold. Not sure how this compares to the better examples of this style (DeuS) but it was a very interesting beer.

Victory Jubilee Biere Brut

 

I am very interested int his beer. If you will notice that in tasting your natural evolution is to notice hops first and be smitten with them. Then the malts start to attract you. You become familiar with different kinds of malt and their different flavors. Then finally the yeast and the attributes that it can impart. The yeast is the most elusive to pin down on the palate imo. The idea of a bier brut is similar to the idea of a bier de garde,or how it used to be for the gose style. You have only heard of it but never tasted one. Now with victory making this beer I can get a chance to see the champagne yeast for only the second time in over 1100 beers. That is a point I want to make about tasting. it can take you a very long time and you should never be finished! Cheers!

 

Love this thread, it starts a new week for me instead of closing one out. I have two new beers for today, but as always I don't drink till noon because I get killer sleepy. Also making ham and cabbage today, the wife's going to the movies with the girls and all the grand kiddies. Peace and quiet.

 

New Beer Sunday: A Coffee APA

Mornin'NBSers with special greetings to all you coffee cravers.

Thanks for the start up @cavedave. I don't envy your weather right now so here's hoping you stay safe and warm indoors and let nature run its course outdoors.

The weather here is not nearly so extreme as it is for folks up North, but it is still colder than normal and we still have snow on the ground from our brush with the Nor'Easter. Fortunately the long range forecasts tell us that our roller coaster ride with temperatures here is about over. (I don't much care for weather in the 50-60s one day and in the 20s two days later. )

Well I found yet another local new Coffee beer to try today. This completes a run of 3 coffee beers, each featuring coffee and each using a different base style. As was last week's this particular beer is also from Neshaminy Creek brewing and is called Coffee J.A.W.N. (The J.A.W.N. stands for Juice Ale with Nugget.)

As usual my review, subject to change until I finish the beer, can be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29021/217312/?ba=drtth#review

This is definitely a coffee beer for someone who likes both beer and coffee. The base APA aromas and flavors of citric zest, touches of pine, and a bit of tropical fruit all show here but are kept in a supporting role to the dark roast coffee. What sweetness there is from the malt takes the edge off the coffee and hop bitterness but does not conceal it. Think i’ll go looking for a second one and revisit my review. That all said, I’ll don’t think I’ll be drinking as much of this beer as I do the base APA from this brewery. While the coffee variant is a tasty variant, I think I prefer the basic J.A.W.N. from Neshaminy Creek. I also think that the relative strength of the coffee aroma and flavor might make this beer a bit more unidimensional as the hops fade a bit. So I'd say if you find it, go for this one fresh or not at all.

Cheers, all!

 

Appreciate hearing your thoughts about this beer. I was thinking of cracking mine fairly soon, especially after seeing the level of carbonation in your pictures. However, I'm thinking now it may still be a bit sweet for my tastes since I prefer Brut Champagne over other levels of sweetness. Guess I'll hold on to my bottle a while longer in hopes it will be a bit more Brut when I try it. Thanks for sharing this. (Pretty sure it was Sunday somewhere in Europe when you did your first pour. :-))

 

Good morning New BSers! Thank you, @cavedave, for today's start. You have my sympathy for the snow - I enjoy looking at it on the tree branches but think it really sucks on the roads and driveways. Since today is reveal day for NBS BIF #5, We're Gonna Need a Bigger Porch, first my haul from @THSdrummer, all MO breweries and beers I've never had before, as well as something new for my beer mat collection and the ability to now seal those breakfast bombers.



Today's New Beer from this selection:




From @THSdrummer in NBS BIF #5.
Undated capped 750mL bottle at 42 degrees. Served in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter at 54 to 57 degrees.
Aroma – wet grain, must, slight acetic acid. Lasts but weakens significantly.
Head small (Maximum < two cm, aggressive pour), white, fizzy. Like Nicolas Cage, gone in 60 seconds. An irregular one to three mm ring remains with a thin partial layer fed by the effervescence.
Lacing – none.
Body – Light yellow, slight chill haze, effervescent.
Flavor – very light slightly vinegary start, wet grain, some tannin from the barrels. More of raw grain rather than malted grain. Hops are not evident, nor are alcohol or diacetyl.
Palate – light, watery, soft carbonation.

I like this better than most saisons I’ve tried – maybe because of the mustiness or maybe because of the spelt. Trying to emulate a more basic version of the farmer’s brew to me seems a more pure goal than trying to enhance the flavor for market purposes. Although, I'll bet those original saisons had some seeds from weeds mixed in as well.

Appearance 4, Aroma 4, Flavor 4, Palate 4, Overall 4.

 

Greetings friends,
Thanks again to Dave for getting things started; snowbound, but nimble as ever! Also, I would like to thank Chuck Berry for his enduring artistry and the cultural glue that was his life and music. His performances were always pieces of living history.
On Friday afternoon, Martha and I went downtown to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, the 36th anniversary of our first date. We had a couple of beers at the perfectly funky Gibb's 100 Brewing Co. in Old Greensborough- the south side of the tracks on South Elm Street. (Then) I had been eyeing her for quite some time, but worked up the nerve- after an even par round of golf, urged on bio-rhythmically, I'm sure- walked into the deli where she worked and asked her if she would go have a beer. We had two green Michelobs, but I could have been drinking creek water I was so happy. We never parted, were married in June 1981. Our daughter was born about a year later. I was 30 and had never thought about marrying anyone. I was and still am smitten. Soon thereafter, we went to see John Prine at Aycock Auditorium at UNC-G. I borrowed a friend's 1969 candy apple red convertible Plymouth Fury. That was a helluva car, it was a beautiful day, and we were treated to a young John Prine on top of his game, spinning yarns that we both love more all of the time. He's played here twice again since then and we there each time. We had a nice 36th first date St. Patrick's celebration. Gibb's 100 is a very cool place.
We bought a six-pack of newly packaged Gibb's 100 Guilty Party ESB Amber Ale cans. Says IBU 39 SRM 14 and 5.1% right there on the can! The beer pours a beautiful amber/brown, very active pitching up a beautiful creamy white cap. You never really know what an ESB may be, but this one is a keeper. The first sip is roasty malts, caramel, but with zero sweetness. The grain is really pure (English and Belgian), and the crispness from the very cool little bead (and hops) keeps it all alive and inviting. This is truly an English inspired ale, is utterly delicious and satisfying and I will surely get more soon. The aroma is like the taste, pure, clean roasted malt, balanced away with the notable and floral Goldings hops. The sip lines and lacing are classic. This is a "drinking" beer, not a cherished closet-hidden dark and brooding prize, but a beer for right NOW and for several! This is the kind of beer that made me fall in love with ales and English beer in particular. This beer needs no rating, it needs to be drunk. Highly recommended. Cheers all!

This is John Prine about the time we first saw him. He's not only damned funny, but he's quietly one of the greatest American songwriters. See him if you ever get the chance.

 

This storm was quite a hassle to clean up! Luckily my driveway is pretty short, but just nowhere to put it all, plus I had to dig 100 foot paths to the chicken coop so the little buggers could get fed.

I'll start with my NBS BIF #5 haul pics and post a beer I'm drinking a bit later after I finish off some house projects. These all came from our friendly neighbors to the north care of the great BA @TeemuWPG


I'm fairly certain I will not be able to drink all these today (and next NBS), but who know's! The day is young!

 

What is better than a new beer on NBS? Two new beers on NBS!!

Firstly, let me give a ‘shout out’ to Maria (@utopiajane) for ‘reminding’ me that it has been a while since I conducted a side-by-side tasting.

Permit me to start off the discussion with a story.

A few weeks ago I attended a German beer festival at The German Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. One of the breweries providing beer was Veltins and a brewer from the Veltins Brewery was even in attendance pouring their beers. One of the beers he poured was Veltins Grevensteiner and I enjoyed that sample beer! I took a business card from the importer Sales Rep (the importer is Artisanal Imports) with the goal of inquiring where I can buy this beer. Flash forward a couple of weeks and via e-mail I came to learn that my local Retail Beer Distributor (walking distance from my house) recently received one case. Well, I went over and bought a 4-pack (16 ounce cans).

Veltins Grevensteiner description:

There is an interesting story on the back of the can:

In the 19th century, the brothers Carl and Anton Veltins brewed an exquisite beer in their brewery in Grevenstein; a beer which gained popularity far beyond the borders of their homeland.

With Grevensteiner, Brauerei C. & A. Veltins has now continued the story where the brothers left off. Our naturally cloudy Grevensteiner Original is a smooth rural-style beer, brewed using spring water and freshly harvested hops. Traditional malt gives out beer its amber-colored aroma. Brewed in accordance with the German Purity law.”

Yup, lots of marketing-speak in that verbiage but I like it nonetheless.

On the Veltins website there is a wealth of information on this beer. Below is some of that information for those of you who like ‘gory’ details (I like ‘gory’ details):

“Facts

Type: tradtional kellerbeer

Colour: dark orange/amber

Smell: caramel malt with fresh fruit

Taste: malt sweetness with light, roasted flavours

Foam: silky and smooth

Bitterness: full-bodied

Original gravity: 12,5°P

Alcohol content: 5,2 vol. %

Calorific value: 45 kcal/100 ml or 187 kj/100 ml”

And:

“Grevensteiner Original taste

The beer presents itself in a palely amber colour with orange reflections and a mellow soft head. The complex flavour is firstly dominated by caramel with a slight undertone of honey, roasted almonds, and fresh fruity flavours that bring tastes of green apple to mind. Grevensteiner Original appears very crisp and elegant despite its round and malty-sweet body. A smooth toasty character paired with nutty flavours opens a distinctive finale, which unfolds impressions of butterscotch.

Dr. Wolfgang Stempfl

Beer sommelier”

But wait, there is more!! I made mention in the beginning of two beers. It has been quite some times since I discussed a side-by-side tasting in NBS so I figured: why not today.

The second beer is my homebrewed Amber Kellerbier. This is my first attempt at homebrewing an Amber Kellerbier; I based my recipe on creating a sort of Mahrs Ungespundet Hefetrüb. I will not use the term “clone” here since I made no genuine effort to specifically clone this Mahrs beer. It is more appropriate to say this homebrewed beer was ‘inspired’ by Mahrs Ungespundet Hefetrüb.

I am not skilled at writing marketing-speak so I will let my below tasting impressions doe the ‘speaking’ here. One comment I will make is that this beer is very fresh; only three weeks from bottling day.

Served in my Spiegelau Lager glasses:

Appearance:

Veltins Grevensteiner: Amber colored with a slight haze; BIG white head.

Jack’s Kellerbier: Lighter amber colored with a slight haze; BIG white head accompanied with excellent head retention.

Aroma:

Veltins Grevensteiner: Bready/toasty malt aroma but a bit of caramel as well.

Jack’s Kellerbier: Enticing aroma; a pleasant combination of bready malt and herbal/spicy hop aroma.

Taste:

Veltins Grevensteiner: Flavor follows the nose with bready/toasty malt flavors and some caramel. Moderate-low bitterness.

Jack’s Kellerbier: Flavor follows the nose with a mix of bready malt flavors and herbal/spicy hop flavor. Moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel

Veltins Grevensteiner: Moderate carbonation with a smooth medium body; an off-dry finish.

Jack’s Kellerbier: Same.

Overall

Veltins Grevensteiner: This beer features malt aroma/flavor. I enjoyed drinking it. It has the quality that Germans would describe as süffig (drinkable). I will be buying this beer again.

Jack’s Kellerbier: A very tasty mix of bready malt and herbal/spicy hop flavors. Very well balanced between the malt and hop flavors. I will definitely be brewing this beer again!!

Cheers!

P.S. For those looking for a Winter of Pilsner discussion: Last evening I had a draft pint of Ayinger Premium-Pils (my first time drinking this beer). It had a sweet Pilsner Malt aroma/flavor with a bit of noble hop character. It was a pleasant beer but not something I will go out of my way to drink a second glass/bottle of this beer.

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @zid @guinness77 @FBarber

 

And away we go . . .



Score 3.71
look: 3.5 | aroma 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Relatively light gold with white cap. For some reason I seem to want these red fruit flavored weisse beers to have a reddish color but that's just me.

Aroma is definitely raspberry. Not an overflowing scent but dry, tart one. Don't notice much else.

Ooh, flavor is tart. Sorta sweet tart and jammy doing a nice dance on the palate. Tartness is more citrus like with raspberry hanging in the background. Simple flavors that last through the finish. I find little in the way of hops but didn't really expect them. Not complex but flavorful.

Light medium texture offset by enough carbonation to balance.

Calling something raspberry jam then making it tart is a bit misleading but I'll give 'em a pass. If you like sour cherries, and I do, this sort of thing is just the ticket. Don't think I'll have more than one at a sitting though cause I don't like too tart too much.

 

Blue Point's Colonial Ale, is an amber ale brewed with a "George Washington-inspired recipe. Molasses and spruce tips are included in the brew-process. During a visit to the Blue Point taproom in the late autumn a bartender mentioned that the "parent company" assigned a brewer/advisor to assist-encourage with small side-brew projects, perhaps this is one.
The brew: -dark red-brown, optically clear bottle pour with a 1 cm foam cap. The aroma is largely brown sugar-molasses with some pine. The molasses flavor does dominate and the spruce tips used for bittering are easily detectable. The body and mouthfeel are both very light. This is an interesting experiment, but one was enough for me.

 

Thanks cavedave for getting us started today. Will be back later on with some new brews from NBS BIF #5.

Cheers!

 

Congratulations Jack. I would say that from your comparison the only difference is the absence of the almond flavor mentioned. When you said butterscotch I was immediately frightened and intrigued. I think that for the style amber lager, commercially, I have not seen the color of that beer. Usually a bit darker and without much complexity in the flavor . You will notice that the new bjcp has reclassified the amber lager category which is why a beer I reviewed today (but not on NBS) was listed as an amber but in my notes I say "I reviewed this as a vienna lager." Here is an article illustrating this new category. Cheers !

http://www.winning-homebrew.com/European-Amber-Lagers.html

 

Cheers, @Ozzylizard . That's the beer I was really wondering how you'd enjoy. That's probably the local brewery I'm the most proud of, so when I found out they had taproom exclusive bombers that hadn't even been reviewed on Beer Advocate, I figured it would be a perfect choice for a New Beer Sunday share.

I have a bottle in the back of my fridge that I'll get around to sometime. I've got some fresh hops lined up first though. I'll check in with one of those a bit later today.

 

Maria, as a clarification it was Dr. Wolfgang Stempfl who made mention of almonds and butterscotch. I personally did not perceive either of those flavors in the Veltins beer.

Both of the beers I discussed today would fit under the BJCP style of Amber Kellerbier (Category 7C).

Cheers!

Jack

 

Got this from a Dr. I work with canned on March 7th and weighing in at 5.5% ABV. Pours a bright hazy yellow with a half inch of sticky white head that leaves behind webs of lace. 4 Smell is guava, papaya, earthy herbal hops, pinapple, and grapefruit rind, fairly big for its ABV. 4.25

Taste follows so deliciously tropical guava, passion fruit, pinapple, a herbal if anyone understands what I mean by that, and a little shot of grapefruit in the very balanced finish. 4.5

Mouthfeel is fairly light and it works perfectly, very mild carbonation once again not complaining, not dry but lush as all hell, and as drinkable as any beer on earth. 4.25

Overall this is another excellent North East IPA, very sessionable and extremely tasty. Well done! 4.25

 

Thank you and here is a website that has broken down the pdf for you. Here is a place where you can find each category individually rather than opening the ntire pdf. (that is the reason I have not read them yet- I dare you all to put the 2015 guidelines into use so that I do not have to open that pdf ever!)

https://beerrecipes.org/BJCP-2015-Style/25/7c-amber-kellerbier.html