New Beer Sunday (Week 644)

One last semi new beer, Tired Hands Undertow. I had a small sample back in November and was really hoping they would bottle it, my wish came true!

4.22/5 rDev +10.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

750 ml bottle poured into a flute

A- Dark brown/black with a two finger mocha head.

S- Tart, mild funk and yogurt like quality, blueberries, some roasted malts, hints of chocolate, some wine grapes.

T- Sour, blueberries, roasted malts, some oak, some funk, hints of chocolate, some grape must, touch of yogurt.

M- Smooth, light body.

O- A great dark sour with blueberries, worth seeking out.

Can't wait to pick up more, cheers!

 

I picked up one pack of Blenheim (the hot version) and really enjoyed it. (I can like intense ginger... not necessarily in beer... but I liked the Beer Camp beer). When people just smelled the Blenheim they'd usually give me a look like I wasn't for real.

 

Two Brothers Pinball

It's always a rare treat when I stumble upon some Two Brothers beer in my area. This is a very nice "drinking beer." It has a mild bitterness and some tangerine flavor without being overdone. This beer expertly balances that to arrive at a beer that goes down really easily, but doesn't feel compromised in its makeup or character. The can says "juicy," and while everything is relative, I think many people picking this up will be disappointed if they are buying it for that word.

 

I learned this past week that I don't adapt as well to sleep and work schedule changes as I did in my younger days. I've never really been a 'morning' person and have spent the last ten years or so working second shift (3PM-11PM normally), works great for me. I don't need to set or be woken by the shrill of an alarm clock and I get to eat lunch at school with my little ones weekly as well as attend all the school functions. Well customer demands forced a change in my shift last week so I had the pleasure of working 3AM-3PM. We are a supplier for GM and when they need something they expect us to jump through hoops and hurdles to get it done. I made it through the work week but didn't accomplish anything else, in my younger days that wouldn't have been a problem. Then Friday my boss asks me if I could work 3rd shift this week and I agreed, it wasn't until that I realized that would cut into my NBS....ugh.
I did have one new beer earlier in the afternoon while grilling and before taking (trying to) a nap.

Wasn't sure how the vanilla bean/orange would work with this one they had me at triple IPA. Poured a mostly clear dark orange with two fingers of dense white head. Predominately smell the orange with hints of vanilla. The vanilla orange combo was definitely there in the taste, orange Creamsicle like. Medium to full mouthfeel with decent corabonation. Personally I would classify this one in the dessert category, a little sweet for a big IPA.

 

Welcome back! I'd definitely say that review was squarely on the "flow" side. Thanks for joining in .

 

Thanks for accepting the likes of me, Poo-Bah.

 

Its now after dinner. My Moroccan Chicken Stew turned out really well. It is now well and truly hot this evening. Not the sort of weather for stouts, quads, etc, but tolerable for a "Kaskade Fresh" "Premium Lager." It comes from Kulshan, a brewery I wish were distributed this side of the Cascades (with a "C").

A nice basic lager that, while not a flavor bomb, would make an excellent lawnmower beer on a hot day like today.

 

A little background: The owner of Farmstrong, Mike Armstrong, was the longtime brewer at Skagit River Brewing. A couple years ago, the owner of Skagit decided he wanted to focus on the restaurant side of things. He sold all the brewing equipment to Mike, who now produces some of Skagit's beer under their original names, and has renamed others. This beer was formerly known as Trumpeter Stout. It was a longtime regional, under-the-radar favorite. it holds up very well over time (IIRC, I've still got a bottle of '09 Trumpeter in my cellar). The barrel aged versions have varied, but when they're on, they're great.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1394/17404/

 

This is the view of Angle Inlet out the front door of the cabin I'm staying in. After the amazing elk burgers and walleye, an amazing beer is in order. Sherpas Survival Kit from Forager is in order.




Such an amazing beer. Rich. Chocolatey. Coffee. Just damn amazing.

This might be the last new beer for NBS. I hope you all have had an amazing day. Enjoy!

 

Man, that review was fantastic!! I found myself drinking/tasting the beer as I read the review. You have a gift with words (not only the funny and sarcastic jokes) and I hope this phase of describing beer like this lasts a bit longer this time.

 

Greetings All from the Great Northwest where Summer is in full swing. Sunny, with temps in the mid-90's.

Today we have Juiced IPA from Sam Adams. Overly sweet in my book.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35/255872/

Had he brew kettle fired up today. I have been working on a couple of Deschutes Red Chair clone recipes. The first was off the mark, lacking the caramel sweetness. Second batch was better, but both were extract brews. Today is an all grain attempt. We'll know in a month or so.

Until next time,

Hoppy Trails!

 

Thank you. I appreciate that.

Beer...it's my muse.

 

I just got off work for the evening and the conclusion of 7 straight so my weekend is just beginning

This is definitely Belgian in style- what I associate with their yeast strains certainly showed. Fairly floral, a bit bready, a bit of banana on the palate and a bit of fruitiness from the chokecherries. That being said I've had chokecherries and get little to none of the acidity/bitterness/flavor I typically associate with them in this beer. Those are all qualities I associate with various beer styles and I think could add a nice touch if they showed more prevalently here. Overall a decent saison regardless, just not quite what I anticipated going in.

 

Whoa! Farmstrong needs to start getting that beer across the mountains!

 

Weihenstephaner Kristallweizenbock

I'm late to the party with this one, but better late than never. The head on this one is a thick foam in the lovely German way. This beer is a glowing gold / light amber. It looks rich in every way before you even lift the glass. The taste delivers on the visual promise.

It's as if the brewers decided to load both barrels - one shell for drinkability, and the other for flavor impact. These two things can clash with each other ordinarily, but here they are racing with each other... trying to outdo each other... and the whole thing manages to remain cohesive. What an accomplishment.

The beer hits hard with clove at first, moves into bubblegum, and turns into peach as it warms.

 

Ending my night with an at least 6 or 7 year old Samuel Adams Wee Heavy I had aging in my cellar. Quite a nice end to my weekend. While not a new beer for me per se since I did have this beer fresh when it was first distributed national, or when it first showed up in 4 packs for the first time in my area at least 6 or 7 years ago. This is the last bottle from said 4 pack. And I've never had this beer after being aged for this long, so in that sense it is a new beer I guess for this Sunday. It aged fantastically too by the way!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35/56400/?ba=neenerzig#review

Eric