New Beer Sunday (week 631)

Haha! Very well done! I was almost searching for the pour pic!!!

 

Welcome to the Left Coast, by way of the high desert.

 

Before the days of innumerable internet distractions, not unlike fine novels before television, this BA community thrived and relied on wordsmiths to guide us. I'd suggest reading one such gentleman's beer reviews: @TheLongBeachBum

He, along with MANY other early trailblazers, kept the punk rock heart of craft beer fiercely pumping. I'm proud to be in THAT generation of beer heads. Stay golden Ponyboy!

malty

 

Another great brew from NBS BIF #5 care of @TeemuWPG

Collective Arts IPA Number 1



4.36/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Can poured into a snifter.

Pours a slightly hazy yellow straw. Slightly off-white and foamy head. Head settles quick. Tons of lacing clings to the glass. Thick collar remains for the entire time I drink.

Aroma is a bit muted, citrus, hint of toastiness, tropical fruit.

Flavor is full of citrus, tropical fruits, pineapple and passionfruit. The malt flavor is a bit cracker-like, and gives a nice balancing feel. Bitterness comes through as grapefruit peel.

Moderate carbonation and medium body, dry, refreshing.

Overall a tasty brew, may be my favorite from Collective Arts so far. Balanced flavors.

 

Back from dinner, and time for another beer from NBS BIF #5 thanks to @cavedave.

I had tried one Grimm beer previously and they had been on my list to seek out more. For one reason or another, that didn't work out until now.

This is Grimm's Afterimage. If hazy, juicy, delicious DIPA's are your thing, then this should be on your list to grab if you can. Excellent beer! Notes below.



Poured from 16 oz can dated 3/10/2017. Big thanks to @cavedave!

A: Hazy golden yellow with a finger frothy white head. Lasting retention and heavy lacing.

S: Big tropical fruit aroma that hit me as soon as I poured it. Pineapple, mango, passion fruit, and tangerine. Just a touch of pine and earthy hops hanging around at the back.

T: Juicy fruits with a hint of pine. Lightly sweet mango, pineapple, and passion fruit. Kissed with a touch of stone fruits like peach and apricot.

M: Medium body with average carbonation. Soft and creamy texture that reminds me of a milkshake.

O: Excellent DIPA. Extremely drinkable and highly recommended.

 

New beer (for me): Green Flash West Coast IPA. Don't know why I never tried this, but this is one the of best examples of the style of IPA that used to be all the rage before the coming of the haze: big, brash. citrusy. and aggressively bitter.

 

Boulevard Love Child No. 6

This one pours a murky orange-brown with a thin soapy white head that's quick to dissipate.

Bigly sour aroma with strong oak and a touch of apple cider. The taste follows the nose. Intense sourness up front, again with strong oak and a hint of cider sweetness, then a somewhat chalky finish. A hint of tart cherry juice on the backend, too, when it warms. Lime-like acidity. Pretty tasty, mouth puckering stuff.

Medium bodied with a bite in the back of the mouth from the strong sourness.

This is a one note beer, but it's a delicious note. I'm loving it. Bet it would pair well with food, too.

Another gem from @jdell15 and the NBS BIF. Cheers to Jake for this, and again to our hosts.

 

First, a ginormous shoutout to @cavedave and @utopiajane for their exemplary service to the NBS community. I've only been visiting this thread for 2 years, but it's my favorite thread on this site - by a lot, and that's a credit to Dave and Maria.

Also props to @cjgiant and @lordofthewiens for ascending to the NBS throne. They have big shoes to fill, but I have no doubt they are up to the task.

I have a couple of beers today, courtesy of @beertunes and the full-fledged donnybrook known as BIF #5, WGNaBP. First up, Everybody's Local Logger.



3.85/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Really nice spin on a Euro Pale Lager, this is a gorgeous beer, golden yellow, slightly off-white head, some lacing follows down the side of the glass as I pound this like a 16-penny nail.

The smell is grassy hops, of course, but there's a distinct sweetness, in assuming from the malt bill. That sweetness is present on the taste, too, and makes this really crushable.

This is a nice introduction to these guys. Wish I had a couple more to slam down.

Next, Dawn Patrol from Asian Brewing.



4.24/5 rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Wow. I did NOT expect this. A "Pacific Ale" from a brewery I've never tried, it pours a MURKY copper color. A light tan head. This looks like no APA I've ever seen.

The smell ..... some hops, but a tropical component that is really cool: mango, pineapple, passion fruit, citrus. Yum. And the taste follows the aromas, with the mango and pineapple really shining.

I was doubtful when I poured this, but it surpassed my expectations - by a lot.

Huge props to @beertunes for the box he sent - all beers I'd try again and again. Well done.

 

I'll be glad to read "The Long Beach Beer Bum". I'll find it right away. But I gathered my love for the heart of craft before punk, somewhere around "Sunshine of Your Love". There has been a fierce desire for ever better beer going way back. NBS has reached an amazing group of people. I could never have imagined that this wondrous modern beer world could possibly be happening and driving business to boot. There is power in beer! Kentucky/Carolina was a classic. Cheers!

 

New Breakfast for Dinner Sunday

I received my NBS BIF #5 package from @jhartley this week. Here are da beers.


I have already sampled a few, but there was no decision to make for my NBS review. I think we all knew where this was going, right @cjgiant ?





4.48/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A 2017 bomber poured into a snifter

It seems to have a medium viscosity. It is a dirty black with a moderate light tan head that settles into a fine ring around the glass soon after pouring.

The aroma is insane! It just slaps you in the face with genuine maple syrup and smoky, crisp, candied bacon. There is coffee here, but it is the least noticeable aspect. I would go with 60% maple, 30% bacon, and 10% coffee.

Flavor wise, I get the bacon up front followed by rich, sweet maple syrup amd molasses. There is a creamed coffee taste that is very smooth along side of some lightly charred barley. It finishes again with more lingering maple glazed bacon and a touch of smoke. I am tempted to go a notch higher with the taste score, but I feel like the base beer is just a little weak from a porter standpoint. It is a hair watery and I don't think the malts fight through quite enough.

The body is about medium, but a lot in part too the hefty amount of syrup I believe.

The aroma and lingering flavor will haunt me. I am admittedly a huge maple fan, but very few beers deliver a noticeable amount of quality flavor. The bacon probably surprised me the most though. It is very prominent yet restrained enough at the same time. This is a world class flavored beer that is just behind CBS as far as maple beers go.

Cheers to @cavedave and @utopiajane for your work!

 

Hello new beer Sunday from Baudette, MN. Fishing was a blast today. we did get our limit of 4 walleyes. The weather was perfect. My friend is cleaning the fish, so I'm doing NBS. My beer is 3 Floyds Alpha King. It had a nice nose with a pleasing hop aroma to it. the taste is a bit more balanced with the hops and malt. Feels good going down. A good beer for cooking our beautiful fish up. Can't wait to enjoy them. see you all on the next beer from a cold north paradise.

 

Greetings NBS fans! I'll start by thanking @cavedave and @utopiajane for taking their turn piloting the NBS platform. You've both done a great job using your knowledge, wit and skill with words to make this a special thread. I'd also like to extend a warm welcome to @lordofthewiens and @cjgiant for accepting the stewardship and taking it forward. The quality of the content and character of the participants keeps me coming back!

Another busy weekend is coming to a close and I'm glad to finally be home with my beverage of choice. A stop at Half Acre in Chicago today netted me a four pack of Heavy Gem/Humanimal Stasis DIPA. The pint can is dated 03/15/17 and the abv. is 8.5%. Let's pour it in my Half Acre ballon chalice for the review.

Pours a slightly cloudy but brilliant looking dark gold leaving a generous finger of creamy white foam. It slowly settles revealing some thin lacing. The smell is dank weed, passion fruit, pineapple, fresh rubber and floral esters. Taste is dank and juicy with passion fruit, grapefruit and floral notes. There's a healthy dose of resiny pine that pops in the finish. The feel is light but quite tingly on the palate with a pronounced bitter and dry finish.



A cornucopia of huge taste that should satisfy the most demanding of hop heads. Tropical fruit, floral, weed, pine......it's all there and drinks bigger than the 8.5% abv. Count me in as a fan of this, my score is 4.34 / rDev-1.6%.

Have yourselves a great week, I'm out for tonight and leave you with the official scorecard.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/48631/272344/?ba=Prager62#review

 

Good evening NBS!

@cavedave and @utopiajane I'll miss your co-hosting, but as a fellow writer I can appreciate the need to take a reprieve from it. NBS has been one of my favorite threads since joining, one that has helped me to find a load of new and tasty brews, as well as help me to start appreciating writing better reviews to match the care that went into crafting such deliciousness.

Originally I wasn't anticipating making an entry to this week's NBS. Yesterday I brought over some awesome stouts to a good friend of mine to share and while away a warm spring evening and usually I don't want a beer the next day. However my daughter decided that today she was going to fight taking a nap and have a more frustrating day so when I found the new release for Stone's Enjoy By series, figured it must be destiny.

No entry next week. We're traveling to visit the in-law's and her grandparents don't drink so out of respect I don't either. Also there is no internet there and spotty, at best, cell reception. At least it's far enough away that I'll be able to pick up some beer I don't have access to out here and with any luck will have a few new entries for future NBS.

Without further ado, Stone Enjoy By 4/20/2017.



Pours a brilliant, clear, orange color with about a finger or so of white head.

The best part of this beer is the aroma. There are only a few beers that have that strong aroma upon cracking the seal. Bright and strong tropical aromas from the moment the cap came off. Also notes of citrus, in particular tangerines and oranges, with a little hint of peaches. Smells delicious and could not wait to get a taste.

The taste was more subdued than the aroma, with notes again of citrus. A noticeable bitterness through, nothing overpowering just made its presence known. Notes of pine. Alterations between the hops and the malts. Lingering bitterness afterwards.

Medium body that feels about right.

Overall I think this is well worthy of the praise the series receives. Certainly glad to have grabbed a six pack and considering going back for another.

 

They are fun reads, what I've looked up so far. I thought I was wordy at times... but I can see I would have some work to do to get towards these reviews, though I'd probably still fall short.

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Thanks to @cavedave and @utopiajane for hosting us for all of these years. Hope to still see both of you around the thread in the future, even though you won't be hosting. Much of the same story as last week for my Sunday. Laundry, bottle returns, beer haul, and some overtime work. Work doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon, even though one of my extra vehicle programs got cancelled. Just gives me more time to concentrate on the current pilot builds. Report crucial deadlines are next Monday, I got some number crunching to do this week. As with last week, I have some beers from the NBS BIF from @Roguer. I will be only doing a couple, as I mostly have large format bottles left. I am starting to run low on new beers again, a new hunt will commence probably next weekend. We will see how the week progresses. My BIF Target has 30 lbs out the door tomorrow. Lots of BBA beer .

New Beers:

Very nice fruit beer. Flavors of big lightly tart apricot, peach, pear, apple, wheat, lightly toasted biscuit, and light honey; with some herbal/peppery hops, and a bit of yeast earthiness. Muted aromas with balanced fruit and malt notes. Light-moderate herbal/spicy bitterness and light fruit tartness on the finish. Light-medium bodied bready/grainy mouthfeel; with light hop stickiness and fruit acidity. Very crisp, clean, dry, and refreshing finish. Very well balanced between fruit and malt flavors. Very flavorful for 5.1%. 3.88


Awesome stuff! Aromas and flavors of big lemon, peach, pear, apple, fruit peel, peppercorn, white wine, oak, clove, and oak; with moderate wheat, crackery, white bread malts; with some herbal/floral/grassy hops and yeast earthiness. Moderate peppery yeast/tannic wine barrel spice and herbal bitterness on the finish; touch of tang/tartness from the wine as well. Light-medium body and medium-high carbonation. Crisp, clean, and dry finish. Balanced grainy malt and hop/yeast stickiness in the mouthfeel; touch of tannins/acidity. Mildly warming 10%. This is super easy drinking, and amazingly well balanced between yeast/wine barrel notes; with a decent malt backbone, minimal residual sweetness. Very well attenuated for the ABV. Great all around Belgian complexities. Awesome style example. Will grab again for sure! 4.1


Amazing stuff! Aromas and flavors of huge tangerine, red grapefruit, pineapple, peach, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, guava, berries, lemon zest, orange peel, citrus rind, pepper, and pine hops; with some cracker, biscuit, light honeyed malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Moderate pine/grassy/citrus peel/peppery bitterness on the finish. Light-medium bodied; crisp and drying finish; balanced bready/grainy malt creaminess and hop stickiness in the mouthfeel. Increasing lingering bitter resin/rinds and dryness; zero hop astringency at all. The mouthfeel is pretty much perfect. Super smooth drinking; fairly aggressive bitter/dryness, but never overbearing on the palate; even by the end of the glass with lingering hop oils on the finish. About as refreshing as an IPA can get. Dankest of dank on hops; and fairly juicy. Just enough malt support, no residual sweetness. Zero warming ABV. Incredible IPA. Might be my next homebrew keg, if I can figure out how to evenly whirlpool temps on a stove. Citra and Mosaic are always available. 4.4


"Expired" yesterday. Insane DIPA! Aromas and flavors of huge tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, papaya, passion fruit, mango, melon, guava, peach, apricot, berries, white grape, lemon zest, orange peel, and light pepper/pine hops; with some cracker, biscuit, light honeyed malt; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light pine/herbal/grassy/spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium-plus bodied, balanced bready/grainy creaminess and hop stickiness in the mouthfeel. Lightly incrasing dryness, zero hop astringency. Just insane dank and juicy stuff going on. Super vibrant. Great malt balanced with no residual sweetness. Wow, not as amazed as Double citra, but still amazing. I might send a thank you box out soon, hint hint. Just a life changing BIF from Roguer over there. 4.47


Cheers, have a good night NBS!

 

We, collectively, bow to you Sir. You created, nurtured, grew, and set the standards of what is expected of us. Thank You friend.

 

To Øl Pineapple Express, 10% ABV. Pours medium viscosity and black, with a 5 finger persistent tan head which left foam instead of lacing. Nose is coffee, light pineapple, and alcohol peeking through. Taste is malt, some coffee, slight pineapple, and a moderate bitter close. Slightly heavy carbonation, decent mouthfeel. Overall excellent.

 

Greetings All from the Great Northwest, where Gonzaga Basketball is the topic of almost every conversation.

Today we have a Wit from Post Falls Idaho.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28798/96002/

A decent wheat ale but a bit on the dry side for the style.

Rainy and cool today, we have yet to see that Chamber of Commerce spring day. But it's early.

Go Zags!

 

Time for one more from BIF #5.

This is Finback's Oscillation and comes to me thanks to @cavedave.

Coming on the heals of Afterimage, this is much cloudier and lighter in color. Much smaller head with shorter retention and less lacing. Aroma is a little subdued.

All of that considered, this is an outstanding DIPA. NIce and juicy with very little bitterness.



Poured from 16 oz can dated 2/23/2017. Thanks to @cavedave!

A: Very cloudy pale yellow with smallish one finger white head. Fairly short retention and light lacing. Almost like pulpy pineapple orange juice.

S: Aroma is a little subdued, but focused on juicy fruits. Pineapple, mango, grapefruit, and apricot.

T: Flavors following aroma with fruit notes dominating. Pineapple, mango, grapefruit, and oranges. Little to no bitterness, and easily crushable.

M: Medium to light body with soft carbonation. Alcohol extremely well hidden.

O: Outstanding DIPA. I need to work out a visit to Finback on my next NYC trip.

 

New Beer Sunday: A Belgian style IPA

Evenin' NBSers, with special greetings to those among us who enjoy the benefits and bounties of intercultural interaction between brewers.

Well, as predicted, there was no sun visible here at all today but at least the "honey-do" list is shorter than it was.

This evenin’s 2nd IPA, being hoisted in salute to our retiring (but not shy) Co-hosts @utopiajane and @cavedave, is also from the Flying Dog brewery down the road a piece in Maryland. It's their Tropical Bitch, which is a seasonal variant of their Raging Bitch. This is the second time Flying Dog has brewed this beer so this is the 2017 version rather than the 2015 version. This second brewing has a different line up of fruits featuring Mango and Tangerine which are keeping company with the tropical fruits.

My review, subject to revision until the beer is finished can be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/68/199774/?ba=drtth#review

Lots of lacing and persistent foam on this one. The aromas and flavors definitely have some mango and other tropical fruits along with some tangerine zest. The malt sweetness controls any rough edges and contrasts with the touches of citric and hop bitterness quite nicely. On the whole this is a tasty IPA, whether Belgian style or not, and I may pick up another one some day if the mood strikes. That said, I’m not going out of my way to look for one, nor do I really want to have two in a row, but I certainly wouldn’t turn one down if offered.

An interesting bit of trivia about the Belgian style IPA is that it actually did originate in Belgium. The first Belgian IPA was brewed by a Belgian brewer and was the Urthel Hop-It. It was originally brewed in Belgium but the brewing of Urthel beers has since moved to the Netherlands. The brewmaster, Hildegard van Ostaden, reports first having the idea to develop a Belgian IPA while touring some breweries here in the US. In that beer, released about 2004 she used some "special aromatic European Hops." Her Belgian IPA turned out to be a relatively popular idea, so examples of the style have only increased in number since then.

Cheers, all!