New Beer Sunday (Week 640)

Thanks, catching up on all the things need catching up, re-fixed washing machine, snuck some practice in, day is going well. Hope yours is too! I agree it is great to see fine beer coming from that area, especially in the styles you mention. Hope to hit it on a Thursday, so much better when there is room to enjoy and not a lot of people.

Have you been to Burger Loft in New City yet? Another one that friends are talking about visiting, as they have a great tap list as well as serve District 96. Might be closer to you than me.

 

True, though it was the sampler that had me liking/intrigued by this beer enough to get a full pour. In the sample, it had a juicy nose and a late bitterness that I thought should be explored more. That said, and as posted, the bitterness was more than initially perceived.

 

Good afternoon, NBS. A salvageable day here in SE Mass. I rarher enjoy this 60 - 70 degree temperature we are in. Small, partial cookout...partial because everybody sat inside to eat, but hey... whatever floats your boat andmelts your butter.

First new beer, and no picture due to the in the moment thing, was Sixpoint Sweet Action. I thought I had this one before, but it isn't in my notes or on the site so I am counting it as new. An enjoyable beer, and I guess it has to be called something so it is a cream ale...it feels more pale ale with some cream ale elements, but OK. Poured a pretty, deeper gol with a decent head that retauned nicely. Typical citrus smell, but then plenty of bready malts and a surprising hiney sweetness waft out of the glass. Plenty strong, too. The taste is quite well restrained and smooth. Enough citrus follows a malty initial taste to layer the flavors nicely. Just enough grassy and herbal, a touch of resin, and a pleasant bitterness. Enjoyable beer, feeling 3.75-ish on this one.

The OK everybody has gone home and the cheeseburger is lonely beer, sticking with the Sixpoint varity pack, is Bengali..



Lightly cloudy, ample head that retained and cling tenaciously to the glass. This seems a pretty straightforward creatin from Sixpoint, ticking all the right boxes for an American IPA. I get a lot of orange on the nose, just a little pine and just a bit of floral. Taste follows for me. Orange and orange rind, an illusion of sweetness and that citrus oil tingle. Some resin, a little earthy. The flavors of orange and orange oil linger, not unpleasantly. A bit of residual sweetness. This is a solid beer. Nothing earthshattering, but I am OK with that. It is going to land in the 3.75 range as well.

Well, i can read posts, or maybe pick at oeftovers and try another beer...hmmmm...life is full of choices!

Cheers!

 

NOT okay to have more than one on NBS?!? Eeek! Don't give anybody any ideas! I'm usually skating on thin ice as it is. ;=)

Nah, I usually try to get in as many as possible, but my new 2nd shift job has become limiting for me. Drink and review a couple for me.

 

I'm not a fan of non-citrus non-sour fruit beers in general, but never say "never". That said, I could never bring myself to pull the trigger on this one. A friend gave me one, so........to science! Cheers!
It's not Rubaeus, or petit sour Raspberry (Crooked Stave), but thankfully, it's not a drain-pour either.


2.99/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Pours slightly hazy reddish orange-amber with thin off-white head, leaving a narrow ring of lacing.

Smells like raspberry.....something. Dried raspberries? Raspberry yogurt? Raspberry-flavored filling in a jelly doughnut. That's it!. Nothing else noticeable.

Flavor is light pils/basic lager bready malt, a mild touch of (unsweetened) raspberry, with a touch of bitterness on the finish.
Thankfully, not cloying, or particularly sweet, as I was expecting.

Feel is thin watery/oily, with very fine, light carbonation.

Overall, not horrible, but I don't expect to have it again. A gift, among other beer, from a friend, or I might never have tried it. A step above AALs, but a small one.

 

Good afternoon, all, and Happy New American Wild Ale Sunday! (Or is that Swedish Wild Ale Sunday?) Thanks to @lordofthewiens for another great start to the NBS festivities. This is Omnipollo Nautilus, a sour ale brewed with blueberries, vanilla, and lactose sugar. Very sour, with some nice hoppy bitterness to balance it out. Aromas and flavors of blueberry and vanilla as expected, with a little lemony citrus. Not at all sweet. Medium body, with a dry finish and and a touch of sour fruit on the aftertaste. Maybe it's because I've developed a taste for kombucha. but I thought this was delicious. Maybe it's because I've developed a taste for kombucha of late, but I thought this was delicious.

4.35/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

While watching the race today, it occurred to me that we should all be driving Indy cars. We could go around slamming into each other at 200 mph and no one would get hurt. So what if cars cost three million dollars? If it saves one life...
#NonSequitur #SpeciousReasoning

 

Well Hello NBS Friends and Fans.
Yesterday I went to the Scottish Fest in Costa Mesa, CA. This is a Memorial Day weekend tradition for me. I need to get my bagpipe fix at least once a year! But it was really something incredible to see more veterans participating in the games. And a few of the gentlemen were amputees, and even one double amputee. But it must be noted that these men were competing in the caber toss, and the weight throw (over the bar-for height). My daughter and nephew were very inspired. Maximum respect to our esteemed veterans, and to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service of this great country.

I am busy finishing up report cards. And you know what helps me finish report cards?
New Beer Sunday, along with the requisite new beer.

We have a very well respected brewer in So Cal by the name of Evan Price. He made a name for himself at Taps (a great place for both beer and food), as well as helping local brewery Noble Ale Works rise in quality and popularity. Well, he has taken that big step of starting his own brewery, Green Cheek Beer Co.
El Segundo collaborated with him for this beer.
Beginner's Luck Double IPA
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25920/282752/

Pours a straw to gold hue with a fluffy white head that rises quickly and recedes within a minute or so. Leaves a thin, scattered ring of small clumped bubbles. Mild lacing.
Nose leads off with pithy grapefruit that's almost harsh, and them some pine. Not getting much more than that.
Taste has a bit more going on. Again, the flavor's initially pithy grapefruit, then more subtle citrus peeks through. Getting a floral hint of lemon blossom, some honey tones represent, and tone things down a bit. Pine comes through too. But then it comes back to a mix of the grapefruit and bitter pine. A tad of alcohol warmth too.
Body is a tad slight. Carbonation hangs along for the ride.
Overall, a decent beer but I'd like to see the hop notes meld together a bit more agreeably. Also, I'd like to humbly posit that a tad more malt backbone would improve this DIPA.

I know great things will come from Evan in his new venture. In spite of not overwhelming me with this first release, I will definitely try anything he puts out.

 

Well good afternoon or evening NBS and thanks for the am kickoff again @lordofthewiens. Gonna drop a quickie because I'm grilling some flank steak and it looks like it may rain any minute. Funfact: if you are ever looking for a great flank marinade check out the one in the Weber Grill "cookbook" that comes with their kettles. I've been using it for years. Really simple but the acids really tenderize the meat and the soy leaves that blackened crust with a nice rare inside.
Today's brew Night Shift Annie Oatley- pale ale with oats, Simcoe, Citra and Mosaic.
Pours a hazy orange/gold with a large bubble 3/4" snow white head that diminishes and leaves some spotty lacing.
Aroma is everything you would expect: pineapple, passion fruit, fresh grapefruit and orange/lemon with a hint of pine and grass.
Taste follows with a wonderful blend of fruits with the softness from the oats and a perfect piney bitter finish.
Feel is that softness, dry and bitter finish. Crackling bubble carb makes this a quenching easy drinker.
If they had had a case I would have bought it. Never had a bad NS brew so I had faith this would be tasty. Just looking at the hop combo made me drool. This one did not disappoint. Its like Whirlpools big brother- that clean drinkability, but with more complexity.
If you see it don't hesitate. Have a great night and as always thanks for taking the time.

 

Getting my evening underway with Other Half's single hop IPA, Riwaka...

6.5% abv, canned 5/19... Pale golden yellow haze, like juice in the glass, with a huge head of ivory foam... Big grapefruit aromas, maybe a hint of peppery spice or herbal lemon peel, but mostly grapefruit... The flavors brought that zesty grapefruit again, softened by sweeter fruit impressions of melon, banana, and orange... Low bitterness, moderate sweetness, and a tingle of tartness... Medium-light, airy body, soft and smooth... Clean finishing, bright and light - a real nice refreshing beer...

Here's to new beer in your glass, cheers...

 

9+% Brews. New and Nice.
Fastback Racer | Bear Republic

4.4/5 rDev +5%. ABV 10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Love this brewer and this TIPA. Citra and Ekuanot (formerly Equinox) are the hops with Rye, Munich and light caramel malts.

A) Pours light amber cloudy color with 2 fingers of frothy white crown. Steady retention and lace.

S) Sharp Citra, lemon zest, grapefruit, rock candy, marmalade, floral, perfume, pine, herbal, grass, and long resin.

T) Follows smell with more flowers and resin. Hides ABV well. Solid. Lemon, flower store, pine, citrus marmalade, grass, herbal, sugary pineapple.
F) Oily texture with a long, medium, sugary, juicy finish.
O) One my favorites. Try 24.

Puff | Sixpoint
4.3/5 rDev +2.9%. ABV 9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Already a 6 point fan, this beer may top all their others.
A: Pours a cloudy golden honey body with a dense two finger foamy off white head that lasts, rings, and laces stained glass.
S: Strong aromas of resin-pine-dank hops with juicy aromas of citrusy grapefruit, pear, herbal, and mango hops. A bit of honey, and light caramel malts.
T: Upfront its caramel malt, like syrup, laden with honey sweetness that is followed by strong flavors of the tangible veiny resiny, piney, herbal, pear, and mango hops. The hops offer juicy sweet resin, syrup, that turns bitter and tight as they should. Lovely see saw flavor profile. Slightly bitter sweet candy, like dried candied orange peel.
M: Heavier than medium body, creamy upfront, sticky middle, and dry finish.

O: Despite its strength, on a saturday on memorial day weekend, I opened another to enjoy with my dinner, which it rendered as a bountiful accompaniment (Organic chicken on organic greens mostly from my spring garden, including green onions, olives, basil, cilantro, parsley, mint.)

Shinshu | Carton
4.2/5 rDev +3.7% ABV 9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Strong Miso component will turn some away. I myself prefer their sushi inspired Saison, Hangju, as much better sushi beer. This one is built for steak, sauce, teriyaki & hibachi.

A) A hazy, orange-honey body w loads of lace.
S+T) Abundant smell and flavor. Of miso, lactose, yeast, some saucy, dark spicing. The miso offers an earthiness, a dirt and spice note. Like Hangju, plenty of pepper at the finish.
F) Feel is medium with lots of carbonation.
O) Cream ale matched with saucy, rich, deep, dark foods.

Ale Of The 2 TUN | Hermitage
3.8/5 rDev -0.3%. ABV 9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Very roasty, almost a burnt coffee dominant flavor and smell.

A - Pours opaque, black body with 1 finger tan head of loose foam. Flattish, thin rings, not much retention.

S - Coal-fire, peat-fire smells of roasted malt, burnt coffee and burnt molasses/ sugars.

T - Smoke, char, roasted malt, burnt molasses and booze. barely some pine bitterness.

M - It was sharp, sweet then drying, smokey, and smooth. Whiskey dry finish.

O - On the smokey, whiskey side.

 

Happy New American Pale Ale Sunday!

Really nice sunny day on the Western Slope, did a nice little hike, around 70. Having a tasty brew, looks more like a NE style brew, but the taste is not there, thanks Nate. Definitely nice to have gotten a chance to try it. Rockies are most likely going to win this game. Maybe another new brew later on.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/38773/283240/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

Me too! Don't be afraid to make it a Two Beer Sunday =)

 

Some solid entries here so far, including one in the original post that influenced which glass I chose to pour my NBS beer into! I only have one beer for today unless I go through my cellar to try to find some stuff I've been holding on to. Not a bad idea cuz I'm running out of allocated room and I also don't have work tomorrow thanks to the holiday. Without further ado, however, I present to you...

Merrimack Ales Saison-esque Warehouse Ale


This brewery is from my hometown and place of residence, good ol' Lowell, Massachusetts! The monument on the label is of a Lowell canal worker. The Merrimack Canal was dug out in the early 1800s and powered the textile manufacturing industry here with hydraulic power. This beer is dedicated to those workers, which I think is cool. It's also deemed a "warehouse ale," which actually isn't an original claim: Rising Tide (Portland, ME) also makes a series of saisons deemed warehouse ales, but ah well. Still kind of a quaint term; kind of a riff on "farmhouse ales" since they are obviously not made on farms but rather in more industrialized facilities. On to the beer!

This was brewed with barley/rye/wheat/oats, so it's a multigrain saison, one of my favorite specific sub-concepts in saison/farmhouse/rustic ale brewing. The ABV clocks in at 5% and the label claims 30 IBUs. The pour is a really hazy, nearly entirely-opaque deep orange color with a fairly retentive yet soapy head of bone-white foam. Lace from my initial pour seems pretty dang solid, too. Specks of black particulate matter line the bottom of my glass, but they're pretty small and innocuous, so not a big deal. Probably just remaining grain/yeast matter.

Nose is sufficiently spicy and clove-y with some phenolic notes and a good helping of rye-like nuance. Feels a little honeyed as well, but with tempering earthiness and a blanket of rustic yeastiness. Slight white grapefruit and orange as well, under the malty temperament that this presents with initially.

Flavor is very, very spice-forward with strong clove, rye and caraway flavors. Lots of yeast elements too, with some breadiness and crackery malt. A bit rounder and smoother toward the middle, but finishes with a surprisingly heavy kick that actually feels hoppy and citrus-y. Less rustic here, but has a dry yet lingering finish that brings some more estery notes along for the ride. Feel is fuller bodied than expected for a <6% saison beer, but it's pretty welcome as the carbonation is fairly detailed as well and the flavor is well-rounded and interesting. I think it gets a little rough and overly-yeasty here and there, actually, especially towards the end of the can, but for $11 a 4 pack of tallboys, this is a good deal and a cool little beer made by some pretty talented up-and-coming brewers... and it's super local! I'm down.

EDIT: Cuz sometimes people talk homebrew here, I figured I'd throw up some pictures from yesterday's brew session my buddy and I had. We made an NE-style double IPA recipe with some unusual hop choices, because being the same as everyone else is boring

We used Irish pale malt (a malt our LHBS owner swears by), a bit of Golden Promise barley, flaked barley and flaked oats. Hops in the boil were Zythos and Mosaic, with Galaxy in the whirlpool. It will be double-dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin and Summer hops. We're going for tropical fruit, berry and citrus here with the unique Sauvignon Blanc-esque quality from Nelson for added interest.

The yeast we chose is a strain called Juice from Imperial Organic Yeast. It comes in a ready-to-pitch can... we're excited to see what this one does for our beer, as the company claims its "juicy esters can accentuate and complement new fruity and citrusy hops." Hell yeah!


Ewwwww, gross looking


Another post-yeast pitch look before it went under-wraps for fermentation. Soooo much settling within the first 10 minutes. Started outgassing within a half hour from pitch, too. Hoping for a solid fermentation!


I'll try to remember to let you guys know how it comes out! Sorry for the big post!

 

New beer #2, also courtesy of @TheIPAHunter. Outstanding! Tropical fruit all day long. Easy to drink and deceptive for a DIPA. My full review is here. Cheers!

 

New Witbier Sunday (Week 640)
Greetings fellow NBSers from on the ridge in Mid Hud Val, NY. Beauty day here today and a beauty beer to enjoy as well. Ommegang Fruition. Very typical look for a wit, and the smell is reminiscent of others, but when the mango hits in the taste you know this is a horse of a different color. Mango and crispy wheat and that tart clovey yeast Ommegang use make for a really tasty beer I am enjoying number three right now. The whole story is here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/42/243140/?ba=cavedave#review


Hope you also have a Great American Beer in your glass. Cheers!

 

'Nother Barrel (aged) Stout!

Hard to miss the comments that pop up in the forums right around the release of KBS that are along the lines of - its not worthy of the hype/price, there are local options just as good if not better, etc. Whether you feel this is the case, or you think KBS is truly remarkable and unique, or your perspective lands somewhere in between, I think we can all agree...it's a great excuse to buy a local BBA coffee stout and compare

Clown Shoes Breakfast Exorcism (checks the local, BBA and coffee boxes). 22oz bomber.




Looks like most excellent BBA stouts - minimal head that doesn't last, deep black body that speaks to the thickness and heft of the beer. The aroma bursts forth from the bottle and creates a 12 inch radius of decadent oak, espresso and chocolate. As is my experience with Clown Shoes barrel aged beers - the heat is noticeable but nicely integrated. The coffee (which is a MA favorite used by a few breweries including Trillium) is strong but not bitter or acidic. It adds a nice sweetness and earthiness to the chocolate and char of the stout. The barrel brings oak, toffee and subtle vanilla. It all works beautifully.

How does it compare to KBS? For me it's impossible to tell - they're both excellent beers that will rise above one another based on how my palate is doing a particular day. KBS has more chocolate while Breakfast Exorcism has more "barrel." I can say, however, that this bomber was $15.99 compared to the $20+ being charged for the same format of KBS. Perhaps this is what the rub is all about...

Happy long weekend, BAs!

 

Good day NBSers and happy New Bad ass brew Sunday! Thank you @lordofthewiens for that great intro, happy birthday to @jkblr , and glad you liked that stout @SawDog505 ! Smog City is a very underappreciated brewery around here in my opinion.

I don't know w a whole lot of ex military, but I do honor one of my old best friends every year. Sean Grilley was one amazing man, husband, guitarist, band mate, brother, son, and friend. He joined the military and became an MP shortly after 9-11, only to get killed on his first duty in Iraq. Sent to disarm insurgents from a building, he and is squad were gunned down immediately upon approaching. He was 23 years old.

After a long day of breakfast at the in-laws and lunch with the neighbors (which were both...interesting), it's time for a beer that was graciously provided by @mschrei . Thank you Matt, and I also raise this in Sean's honor.

Pipeworks / Reed Wheels
Roll Out IPA





My favorite part: "Hi, Phil." ... that's me .


A: Pours a clear ginger ale good with a tightly bubbled foamy white head that persists and laces well.

A: Smells of sweet mango, papaya, and lime with a mild hint of floral and fruity esters.

T: Very unique flavor. I'm not familiar with Cashmere hops, but I'm getting a lot of lime followed by mango, and kiwi and some herbal and floral notes.

F: Very crisp and dry, heavily carbonated, has a bit of a prickly and spritzy feel to it, somewhat earthy, chalky and balanced. Does leave some slick mouth coat despite its dryness.

O: This is an interesting IPA. To me, it tastes and feels like a cross between an IPA and a Biere de Garde, which in my opinion is wonderful as I love both styles.

After my official review, I gave this a 4.2 rating with an rDev of +0.2

And my last little bit. I did this last month and plan to do it every final NBS of each month. A good way to control my OCD /hoarding tendencies. All the amazing (and some not so amazing) NEW beers that I've had coming from some generous BA's as well as personal acquisitions. My neighbors and I had quite a May.





Cheers everyone, Happy Memorial Day, and I will see you all soon!

 

New Beer Sunday: A new Pine-forward IPA

Evenin' NBSers with special greetings to those persistent pursuers of the presence of pine.

The family activities and chores are completed for the day. So now it's time for both a new beer and to thank @lordofheweins for his reminder of why we celebrate memorial day.

This evening's new beer is the Evergreen IPA from Peak Organic Brewing.

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

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13884/238205/?ba=drtth#review


Before descibing what I think of tonight's beer, it's time to dedicate this beer to the memory of those who did not come home from their military service to this country.

<Quietly stands. Raises glass in salute.>

"To absent friends...."

<Takes a sip of beer. Sits again.>

Now on to my thoughts about the beer.

This is a beer that promises a lot of pine and resin in the aromas and flavors. It definitely delivers on that promise. There also seems to be a bit of grapefruit citric character and some light moderating sweetness and hints of malt from the malt backbone, which remains way in the background. However, after the first half of the beer I’m finding that it is a bit unidimensional. There’s little or no change from that pine and resin dominance that would serve to break the monotony a bit. I’d certainly drink it again if offered or if my choices were somewhat limited, but I don’t think I’ll be going out of my way to find it again.

Cheers, all!

 

Thank you