New Beer Sunday (Week 656)

Holy crap!!! Does @TongoRad see this?

OK, so as we cool down, try to recover ... time for New Conroe-Brewed Pale Ale Sunday:

"with blood orange flavor" ... not "with blood oranges"

and with beet extract and the "natural flavor" coverall

So an examination of the can says Southern Star's Blood Belt is an orange soda with 6.8% ABV. And you know what? It's a pretty dang good one.

The review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16759/254955/?ba=Premo88#review
3.96 (+0.5% rDev)

The aroma is orange juice. Not "like" orange juice or orange juice with other notes swirling around it ... orange juice. Scores 5 for truth in advertising and for smelling so good!

The flavor is more complex with orange juice dominating the second a swallow hits your tongue through midswallow, and then comes the Pine Belt Ale piney hops, washing it down in the aftertaste and leaving a nice backbite that helps tame some of the "natural flavor" film that tries to coat your mouth.

I dig it. I also won't be drinking much more than this 6-pack because I fear what sugars might be in it, but Southern Star should take a bow for giving the discerning beer drinker a chance to read the can, see what's what then make their choice. And if somebody hands me one of these, you bet I'm drinking. Good stuff if you're into orange soda.

@RedhawkPoke: Sounds like you got a handle on your scene. Roughtail has my attention. My four-pack of Hoptometrist is just past that super fresh sweetspot, but there's not even a question about the quality of the beer. Super sturdy with no skimping on ingredients.

@ovaltine: If you don't mind some malt in your DIPA, Hoptometrist is probably worth a look. I hate to give a recommendation on something I'm so new to, so proceed with caution (I won't tell Mrs. O either way ).

Cheers!

 

Good day NBS faithful! It's another sunny summer like day along the southern shore today. A perfect morning to take the mutts out for a frolic along the beach. They had a great time swimming, chasing frisbee's and just being dogs. While it feels like August with temperatures in the 80's, the signs are all around of what's just around the corner. With that said let's get to a beer that reflects the coming season.

I didn't get around to this one last weekend, so let's kick things off with this bomber of Rum Barrel Aged Pumking from Southern Tier. The date is Vintage 2017 240 15:22:06, the abv. is 9.5% and I poured it in my Pumking glass for the occasion.

It pours a pale orange that borders gold producing a creamy finger of white foam. It slowly settles to a thin cap leaving a little lacing behind. The smell is buttery pie crust, nutmeg, allspice and faint rum. Taste is allspice, nutmeg, pie crust, pumpkin flesh with a blast of rum, perfume and wood in the finish. The feel is medium syrupy thick with a creamy feel. It's slightly dry in the finish.

While it smells a lot like base Pumking, there's enough rum in it to remind you it's not. I personally would have preferred a little more. That aside, it's still an enjoyable beer that's ready to drink now. My score is 4.04 / rDev+2.5%.

Watching the Bears get beat down by the Bucs while I'm in the midst of backing up the photos on my phone. I'm looking to make a switch after being an Apple guy since they came out. I've grown tired of storage issues, clouds and other issues so I'm finally defecting to a Galaxy Note. I'm sure it will be a radical change, but I guess that's the one constant in life?

A quick nod to @lordofthewiens for bringing back memories of softball/beerball. I played a lot of 16 inch in Chicago in my younger days and I'm reminded of it every time I look at my hands and all the crooked fingers. We were pretty serious about the games and all the heavy boozing came after the game at our sponsors bar. Great times and memories!

Have a great Sunday, I leave you with a shameless pic of the mutts on the beach and the official scorecard......


https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3818/144099/?ba=Prager62#review

 

NBS Hall of Fame-level post IMO and those puppy dogs! It's been said before, will be said again: What a crew!!!

 

Ha! I haven't seen that Mahr's brew in a while, actually . Fantastic beer, though- I'll have to make a point of tracking some down soon.

 

Good afternoon NBS! First of two offerings for today.

Some of the leaves here are starting to turn colors, mostly black gum and Virginia creeper with a splash of red amidst the mostly green foliage of the mountains. The weather might be warm but fall is a coming (Friday actually. We plan to bring it in with a camping trip).

First beer up is Brothers Craft Brewing, Fairgrounds Fall Ale, classified as a pumpkin ale. Generally I like pumpkin ales, though I can certainly see why some folks are turned off with the overly oppressive spice and artificial pumpkin flavors. This one has a nice balancing act, kind of like a homemade pie versus a store-bought mass produced pie.

Look: Deep amber, almost bronze in color with about two fingers worth of white head.

Smell: Toasted malts, cinnamon, cloves, and earth.

Taste: Spices, subdued enough to feel natural and well blended, with a nice malty almost crust like flavor.

Feel: Creamy, medium body. Slight hop bitterness.

Overall: Surprisingly good. It nicely blends together so you get spice up front, melding into the crust flavors. The creaminess gives it a good body to hold the flavors, much like eating a piece of pumpkin pie. I may have to make this a yearly purchase.

 

I caught some morning sun, per your recommendations. The guy on the right was starting late and you can see him at the bottom of his web still building it. The guy on left may be the giant I relocated off my trash can a couple days ago, but I didn't want to ask him in case he was still mad about it.

 

Agreed, it's an outstanding brew and Triple Crossing has been really on a tear lately. Love Surprise Valley, as well as Green Dreams, and Clever Girl.

 

Well thank you for the very generous and undeserved complements. We just try to enjoy life everyday and not take things or ourselves too seriously around here.

 

Wow! You can definitely see the detail in their handiwork now. Nature sure produces some fine architects!

 

Truth you speak.

BTW, Abraxas is one of my favorite beers ..... ever. I split a bottle with Little O last Thanksgiving. It should be a felony to make a beer that good.

 

My next new beer is one I have been trying to pick up for a few months just because it sounded interesting. Palmetto Brewing Ghost Rider an APA brewed with cherries and lowcountry ghost Peppers. I know with it being brewed with ghost peppers I should not complain at the taste but I was hoping. The aroma makes me think there will be more to the taste than just heat but I was wrong. The flavor and feel are nothing but hot peppers, really reminds me of Habanero Sculpin. Unless you just really like hot beers with no other flavor i would steer clear of this one.



Appearance 4 - Pours light amber color with off white head that quickly dissipates.

Aroma 4 - Peppers stand out first, light citrus orange and some grapefruit light malt and caramel notes.

Taste 3.25 - There is alot of heat at first, maybe some light malts I cannot really tell the peppers just over power too much.

Feel 3.25 - Hot, just alot of heat on the front and end and middle. Lingering heat.

Overall 3.48 - The aroma was promising, I was hoping for a light heat with other flavors but there is nothing but hot peppers.

 

Good afternoon NBS and @lordofthewiens, that was a fun introduction.
Today is late summer for sure here in WMass, sun has an intensity that is more July than mid September. Bottled an all grain ESB this morning that done so now time for a beer.
Todays offering is from Hill Farmstead, the Difference and Repetition series, excellent body, composition and flavors.
Cheers all

Difference & Repetition 4

Hill Farmstead Brewery
American IPA / 6.00% ABV

4.15/5 rDev -0.7% | Avg: 4.18
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a recently purchased, undated can into the modified tulip glass.
A - Clouded straw color, conceals the gentle carbonation. A lose knit froth, however provides evidence.
S - Tropical elements, pineapple, papaya, then peach and white grape skin.
T - Semi sweet malt, then back to the tropics, adding to the aromantic list some pine sneaks in there.
M - Medium in body, water profile acts as a delightful canvas, palate response to sweet malt is quickly met with a wonderful bitter balance, finish is dry and has a bit of chalk. Lingering flavors are stone fruit .
O - An excellent addition to the series, this version has more white grape skin on the palate, blending well with the tropical fruits from the Simcoe and Citra

 

Ok, I seemed to enjoy this a bit more than you, though I agree the coffee isn't a powerful aspect in the brew. I thought it subtle and interestingly included, however.

Agreed, with the head becoming somewhat creamy until I started sipping. No lacing, medium collar lasts.

I got a bit more coffee in this, more as it warmed. It wasn't strong or very bold - more like a lighter roast pumpkin coffee. I think it was decently integrated with the pumpkin bread scents that had a nice sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

My palate mostly disagrees here, I didn't find this to be overly sweet at all. The sweetness is there and gained a bit with warmth, but I was expecting at least a moderately sweet beer - and perhaps that's the difference. I actually think the coffee, which is light and plays hide-and-seek appearing up front and reappearing in the back as a light astringent bitterness, acts to tame the pie spice and sweetness a bit. In between I get dry pumpkin bread.

I had this beer perhaps incorporating the coffee with the base beer in mind. Much like some brewers treat the coffee in a cream ale, the coffee isn't meant to be overpowering. I can't actually say what Southern Tier was going for, but I found this a fairly decent integration of the coffee - not attempting (or maybe I could say accomplishing) to make it a coffee beer.

A fun "virtual tasting" for me. I'd have to say if you like Pumking, this is worth a try. If you are neutral to lower and thought this might be an alternative to enjoy, I'd say try to find a taster or throw one in a mixed six rather than committing to a 4-pack - I wouldn't bet on it changing your mind.

 

Happy Sunday NBS players. A bit of a heat wave here on the island. Sunny, humid, and muggy as all hell the past few days. Spent most of the day watching the early games and redzone along with tracking fantasy stats. Since I have the Jets game coming up I figured I should get started with some drinking to numb myself a bit.

It's funny how some weeks I feel that I have too many new beers and others it seems that I don't have any. This week is a case of the later. My new beer today is India Golden Ale, a dipa, from Breakside brewery all the way from god damn Oregon. I grabbed it yesterday when realizing I had nothing new. The brew checks in at 8.1% abv and no apparent bottle date.

A golden amber color on the pour with hazy clarity and a fluffy white head. On the nose I get sweet hops. The drinking starts with lots of nice citrus hop upfront. A rather smooth flow with a slightly bitter finish. Nice bitter hop notes of pine and resin with a bunch of fruit notes such as lemon, orange, grapefruit, and grape. Pretty hop forward but the malt does have some presence on the back end. The mouth feel is moderate bodied with a slight white wine feel to it. The hop flavors really stick and linger nicely.

Overall, nothing mind blowing here but I would call it a pretty decent drinking ipa for sure. I'm right around a 4.

 

Loving this Eagles/Chiefs game (go Eagles) and all this Breaded Iris @Grizzarky hooked me up with. Now up Chasinf Rainbows Two, 6 weeks old, hops are drinking like it is fresher
4.19/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Thank your Grizzarky for this
16 oz can, dated 7/31/17, poured into a teku

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

S- Dank, citrus, some tropical fruits, touch of wet grass.

T- Piney/dank, citrus, some tropical fruits, grapefruit, pineapple, some biscuity malts. The more I drink this the more bright, fresh hops I get

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- A really solid IPA from Breaded Iris. This seems like it might have been canned a little on the green side with how hoppy it still is after 6 weeks. Great, slightly abrasive, fresh hop quality to this.

Cheers!

 

Beer #2, Pronto IPA by Sierra Nevada.

Found this at Trader Joes, almost seems to be flying under the radar as I didn't see any mention of it in the beer releases forum and it only has 22 reviews to it. Anyways, here's the review:

Appearance: A cloudy yellow-orange color with a thick, white head about three fingers deep.

Smell is hibiscus and tropical fruits.

Taste is tropical fruits up front, notably mango, then caramel, grapefruit, and fades into floral notes. Mild to no bitterness, sweeter side for an IPA.

Feel: Medium body, low carbonation.

Overall: Juicy beer. Really kind of surprised me as I'm used to more bitter, west coast style IPAs from SN. Grows on you though, at first the hibiscus seemed to be overpowering but as I've worked my way about a third of the way through the bottle, it began to really blend in nicely. Hard to beat the price, I think it was $5.99 for 1pt, 8oz.

 

Another 2 new beers this Sunday. Both are Imperial Stouts and that is about all they have in common with each other.
# 1 Weyerbacher Sunday Mole Stout 11.3% ABV
#2 Evil Twin "I love You With My Stout" 12% ABV
Both beers look the way an Imperial Stout should look black with a thick brown head. Then one goes East and the other goes west. Beer #1 is loaded up with added flavors, Coffee,Coco, Cinnamon and peppers. The coffee and Coco over power the other 2 flavors that don't show up until the finish. This is not what I want in an Imperial Stout but I knew that going in. I picked up a single because I enjoy comparing beers.
Beer #2 is a "plain Jane" Imperial Stout just what this BA looks for. Roasted Barley and a nice off dry after taste. Well done the best Evil Twin brew I have drank.

 

Yesterday was Dogfish Head "Olde School Barleywine". Today is Dogfish Head "Burton Baton" Double/Imperial India Pale Ale. Thanks for sending your beers to Texas. May the good Lord bless each and every one of you in Milton, Delaware for your great beers and your service to the beer nerds of the world. Surely some of the world's finest beer comes from Delaware.




A deep copper color and excellent head. Nice lacing. Good carbonation. Smooth hoppy aroma. I taste fruitiness like dates and the oak wood comes through, just a tiny bit of unobjectionable bitterness on the back end. Very smooth mouthfeel for a 10% ABV DIPA. Overall this is excellent and worth the $16 price for a 4 pack. Dogfish Head is truly a Standard in brewing. Well Done. Hopefully this will continue to be available locally. It is surely near the 90 Minute IPA I have come to adore. It's the reason I finally overcame my distaste for IPA's and in only recent months. Now I can't get enough of them.

 

Lost Forty Gose the Traveler, 3.65 overall:

This is the 2017 Pro/AM "Natural State Winner by Chris Poe

Pours an effervescent gold with fast falling beige head. No head retention or lacing

S: Tart wheat & a little lemon

T: Follows the nose, dryness as well, a little salt as well, some lime too up front. Tartness, lime & a little salt as this warms. Finishes tart & quenching

MF: Light body, lively carbonation

A decent take on the style, drinkable enough

 

That beer is fantastic fresh, they usually put a little sticker on the top of the 4/6 pack rings. Not super sticky though, could easily fall off