New Beer Sunday (Week 656)

I too have had this beer in my sights for a long time, and it took a 3 party trade to make it happen earlier this summer. Florida gets/brews a few great, big Stouts, but most of the higher rated big guns get little/no distro this far South. Keep searching - Cheers!

 

I've had a coupla of Blue Point's barrel releases, but not much else - yesterday really enjoyed their Beach Plum Gose, and today, going from beach plums to seaweed, their Prop Stopper Seaweed IPA...

Medium gold body, essentially clear, with a tall off-white head... Solid IPA action, got some citrus fruit, light pine shellac, bit of caramel sweetness - nothing weird or briny or seaweedy - maybe a hint of salt on the finish - very well done and super-enjoyable; sweetness, bitterness, and carbonation all in moderation, medium-weight feel... I kinda figured this'd be up my alley, and it is... Good IPA action; recommended...

That's it for me here, NBS - see ya over in WBAYDN, cheers...

 

Happy NBS! I had the past week off and I am sad that it went by so quickly. I did find a free small boat trailer that I will convert into a Kayak trailer. It should be a fun little project.

I often find myself browsing the beer isle just to see what I can find. If I see a beer that has coconut on the label, I will probably purchase it. This is how I cam upon my new beer for today.

Dugges / Stillwater Cocoa Cacao pours a bold dark brown with a very cascading brown 2 finger head that slowly fades without any lacing. The aroma is all vanilla and chocolate with very subtle coconut. The flavor is full on brownie or chocolate cake batter with extra vanilla and coconut flakes. It is sweet and delicious, but would be even better with the vanilla dialed back a bit. Feel is medium, rich and smooth with soft carbonation. Just call this dessert in a glass and sip it slowly.

 

I have had seven different brews (six IPAs/DIPAs and one lager) and thought most were outstanding. The ones that come to mind are Surprise Valley, Quiet Storm, and Clever Girl.

 

I saw that at Totalwine in Allen on Friday, and almost grabbed it, but I already had (2) 4-packs and a mixed 6er, so I decided discretion was the better part of valor, i.e., I didn't want Mrs. O to pop a gasket when I walked in the door, so I put it back. I think I'll have to grab it this week based on your recommendation.

 

Good Sunday NBS! Getting started very early today (7:00am my time ) before the football action commences. Looks to be a nice day of football, beer, and good grub. I'm sure some others will be doing the same!

Anyway my new beer today is a very reasonably priced oatmeal stout courtesy of Elysian Brewing - Drangonstooth stout clocking in at 8.1%



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22oz bottle poured into a snifter. Bottled 8 months ago.

Pour is pitch black with tan colored finger head. Head dissolves quickly leaving some lacing.

Smell is heavy on the lactose, vanilla, and roasted malt. A little chocolate and coffee.

Taste is very similar to smell. Nice chocolate and fudge flavor with some roasted malt. Coffee, lactose, and vanilla just as in the nose. Almost like a marshmallow in a way. Has a little bitterness to it.

Feel is disappointing. Drinks very thin and doesn't have that rich and chewy feel to it that I like in my stouts.

Overall a decent beer and well worth the $5 I paid for it! Just a straightforward oatmeal stout.

4.09/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

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Cheers all!

 

I also made home made maple walnut ice cream! I'll tell you a funny story too. =)



Oh do the fairies like to tell me to clean my stove. I was making maple walnut ice cream and I have no photos so please use your imagination. I was trying to do too many things at once and my habit is to wash my dishes while I cook; so that by the time I am done cooking everything is already clean. Well, my maple syrup boiled over. As I took the pan off the burner the liquid was still flowing out of it.The flame caught all that flowing sugar once I let the air in to do that. As the sugar appeared to burn upwards it made a giant black burnt sugar fountain suspended in mid animation that stuck to the gas burner plate. I then had to clean the whole damn stove. Cheers!

 

New beer #2.


Southern Tier - Cold Press Coffee Pumking
Imperial Pumpkin Ale - bottled 8/15/17 (33 days ago)

L - big off-white head with a neon-orange translucent body.

S - pumpkin spices and sugar are still the most prominent smell, but there is some coffee there as well.

T - very similar to regular Pumking. Extremely sweet with an abundance of pie spices. Coffee is subtle.

F - highly carbed, thick oily body.

O - I used to really like Pumking. Not so much anymore. I thought this coffee version would be an improvement on the original, but the coffee barely makes an impression.

 

After a hot mid morning mowing the lawn, it's time for a new brew.

Vermonter Weiss by 14th Star Brewing.



Vermonter Weiss

14th Star Brewing Co.
Berliner Weissbier / 3.40% ABV

3.72/5 rDev -4.9% | Avg: 3.91
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Canned 07/14/2017

L- Pours a clear yellow gold with a bubbly half finger white head. This dissipates quickly away to nothing. No lacing is present.
S- Nose is primarily lemony lacto sourness.
T-What you smelled in the nose you get two fold on the palate. At 2 months old the pucker factor is medium in intensity with that lemony lacto sourness.
F- Light and acidic. The sourness gives the beer a dry finish. Carbonation is adequate.
O- A good representation of the style, but not overly complex.

 

Ok, kickoff for week #2 of the NFL. I have my $20 of daily fantasy in (this is not much, as I do not play as an alternative to a retirement plan - just to have a small amount of "skin in the game"). Beer and sports... I think I will get into @lordofthewiens story in my next post.

For my first post, I shared two beers with the GF that were gifts from one of our regulars, @Wasatch. A good while ago when visiting the PNW I was able to tick of the state of Wyoming, with the brewery that brewed both beers. Wyoming was mentioned mentioned earlier on NBS, but geography dictates these are completely different references. The lower ABV beer of the two involves math (perhaps), a subject in which I have an ongoing battle with a couple BAs (although they might not be aware of it). The other is a high ABV DIPA that I have seen quite a few WBAYDN posts featuring.


Hubert APA from Melvin was a nice, balanced APA that I thought might have a little wheat in it. The label seems to indicate that this has some aspects that lean to IPA. I didn't think the nose showed too much hop presence, but I agree with the label that the taste is pretty true to the APA standards. The one aspect that leans towards IPA is the bitter aftertaste - thought the herbal to grassy to even pine needle bitterness slowly creeps into the late taste as the beer nears room temp. The GF liked this beer more than the next beer...

Melvin's 2x4 is a DIPA clocking in at 9.9% ABV (2x4 equals eight, though @jzeilinger will probably try to tell you it equals wood - he is obsessed with wood). It is the higher rated of the two, and I rated it higher as well, but not by much. This beer had a notable heat I took to be from the alcohol content. Luckily it was worse in the nose than the taste. The fairly smooth feel floats a citrus rind malty opening that yields to a piney to resinous back end and aftertaste.

Two enjoyable offerings that I would be willing to grab again the next time I am in the Melvin distribution area.

 

Clever Girl has started making the rounds around NoVa, and it is a quite enjoyable beer.

Ok, I might have to dig this out to do a comparison for one of my next posts.

 

Would love to hear your thoughts! I had hoped that the coffee would be more prominent, alas.

 

First off thanks to @lordofthewiens for getting us going and thanks for the great story I look forward to these very Sunday. I have a few new beers to review today the first one is a beer I got from @FFFjunkie Offcolor Brewing Yuzu Fierce. I have had several beers brewed with yuzu so far and this was by far my favorite. The flavors are light and crisp and it is so easy drinking. Thanks Dan.

Appearance 3.75 - Pours light yellowish watered down color with thin white head no lacing.

Aroma 4 - Great lemon/lime aroma, light straw with just a touch of funk. It almost smells like a sprite.

Taste 4.25 - Taste still has the same lemon/lime but with more of an earthy taste. There is still a bit of funk there but also a slight sweet taste.

Feel 4 - Light side of medium bodied well carbonated slightly sticky feel on the back of the mouth at the end.

Overall 4.09 - I really liked this beer, easy drinking light citrus flavors.

 

Planned to search out a bottle of this but maybe not after reading your review. I was hoping for a good amount of coffee.

 

There will always be more beer...the ire of a wife when returning from a beer shopping trip should be avoided...the "eyebrow" is bad enough...good decision - Cheers!

 

New beer #3. Long-time want. Finally getting to try it!

Bissell Brothers - The Substance
IPA - canned 8/25/17 (23 days ago)
Score: 4.43 (+3.5% rDev)

L - 3 finger head lingers for several minutes. Pale orange body doesn't look like most of the hyped NE IPAs everyone is clamoring for.

S - citrus. Nose is rather faint.

T - waves of semi-bitter orange assault the palate. A bit of grassiness and dirt taste, which I love in an ipa. Only moderately sweet.

F - higher carbed than most NE ipas. Medium-full body.

O - As an ipa, this is near-perfect. There are better NE IPA's out there, but not many. I see now why people rave about this one. A perfectly balanced ipa.

 

Still summer in the deep South. When we get into the middle of September, I expect things to cool off, but it hasn't happened yet. People are getting overheated and making bad decisions. Like that fifty mile bike ride I did yesterday. I guess work and those Southern Tier IBA's they were pouring at our Greek Festival pushed me to the edge, and the bike ride finished me off.

This is a collaboration with Resident Culture Brewing, who I haven't found In Charlotte yet, but am eager to try. Looks like a NEIPA, and is low bitterness, but the flavors are muted and there is more than juice going on. I pick up some floral notes and some biscuit along with the usual citrus IPA hops.
4.03/5 rDev 0% | Avg: 4.03
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
I drank a crowler alarmingly fast, so obviously I don't hate it. These kinds of experiments, along with their hazy IPA's keep me coming to Heist whenever I'm in Charlotte.

 

Stopped at 2SP before the Eagles game, was just going to grab bottles and go, but the bartender twisted my arm so I grabbed 8 oz of their Patina Reserve. 2SP's best saison to date, funky, oaky and tart, hints of peppercorn and light fruits, touch of white wine, I would rate it between 4.25 and 4.5. Better than Antonym from the which took bronze at GABF last year in Belgian and French Style Ale.

Now up Bread Iris Jigsaw, big thank to @Grizzarky for this. Love this beer, I would put this at a similar level to Alien Church, which for me is not something I take lightly.
4.53/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Thank you Grizzarky for this
16 oz can, dated 8/15/17, poured into teku

A- A hazy bright golden straw with a two finger white head.

S- Mango, pineapple, citrus, tropical fruits, passion fruit.

T- Juicy, pineapple, citrus, some mango, finish is slightly dank/piney.

S- Smooth, creamy, medium body.

O- One of the better hazy DIPAs I've tried, bitterness in the is nice a mild, but juicy hops. I really feel like keeping this under 8% ABV helps this beer, definitely would be keeping this well shocked if I could.

 

Hey what's going on?!

Well new beer that's what of course!

I am totally exhausted but just relaxing right now and taking it easy.

I was a the H Street Festival yesterday (for those who know DC), great times and vibe.. LOTS of people!!

Totally bagged and I had to go mow the lawn (get off it you kids!) and it seems the humidity wont go away either. Funny... seems like the Summer was just over last week...

With that though, I made it down to a craft beer store joint I don't always have the opportunity to make to. There were much goodies, some I am hoping to partake with all of you for NBS!

As a previous post I made in another thread, I am coming up to personal review #4000 and seeing if I can work on something special for it.

So let's get started, what's new for our hero today!

Olde Suffolk English (Strong Suffolk Vintage) Ale | Greene King / Morland Brewery


Greene King / Morland Brewery - Olde Suffolk English Ale Aged in Oak Vats by imbibehour, on Flickr

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Poured from the bottle into a snifter glass. Clear bottle, hopefully dodging the skunk monster here.

Deep garnet red body, with excellent brown mahogany like wood colors. Head creation is about a little more than a finger, and a khaki color like cream consistency. Collar is made quite thick pencil size and creamy too, with a thin whispy puck showing quite a decent amount of body clarity. Some leopard like lacing adds some nice eye candy as well.

So for the nose is there any light struck quality? At first I thought there might be, but it doesn't seem so with some exploration. Small amounts of crisp toffee like aromas, and touches of berry like fruit. A small muted toasty nearly nut like quality but has more wood quality to it. Very creamy sensing, like a matching strawberry and cream character that starts to dominate. Very neat brew. Faint touch possibly of skunk.

Palate seems to stick to basics, but done real nicely. Light crisp body matching a waffery toffee flavor and slight caramel bar quality. Much of the hinted fruit quality seems not noticeable, more of a light wet mineral and hard water like presence which gives only so much depth. Faint wood char, slightly sticky resin flavors as well. Quick drinking, but creates a desire for more.

I call Session drinking old ale! Feels almost light and poundable, but with far more power and richness.

look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25 | BA Generated Score: 4.23

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Cheers!

 

Believe it or not Mr. Wulfken, as I recall, Mikkeller and San Diego have quite the history! As a young aspiring brewer, Mikkeller frequently contacted Peter Zien of AleSmith for brewing tips and info. After a long career for both of them and maintaining a strong friendship, Mr. Zien contacted Mikkeller to offer him the opportunity to move into AleSmith's old brewery during transition as a more 'permanent' home. And viola! Mikkeller San Diego is born. Cheers!