New Beer Sunday (Week 657)

Busy day for me, so I'm way behind but for good reason. Made it to Taylor, TX, to see mom and my sister's family and after lunch took mom to Texas Beer Co., a pretty cool brewpub where we enjoyed three of their beers and tons of stories.

Brazos Amber Ale

Cascarillo Hoppy Pale Ale ...
... the head was sticky:


We started with the Sabine Amber Lager — very good with lots of caramel/toasted peach flavor, a nice ESB-like layer of earthy hop balancing bitterness but a super soft mouthfeel that made me wonder if the bartender had given us the ale instead of the lager.

The review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46321/304365/?ba=Premo88#review
3.98 (no rDev)

Then mom said let's compare lager to ale, so we tried the Brazos Amber Ale — almost similar to the lager save for a much sweeter dopplebockesque nose (loads more caramel and almost toffee), a slight creamed corn note in the flavor and a much fuller, crisper mouthfeel. Again, I wondered if there was a slipup, possibly with the taphandles being mislabelled. The mouthfeel and nose made the ale better than the lager, but the creamed corn note in the flavor dropped the ale just below the lager for me (no offense, creamed corn lovers! ).

The review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46321/304370/?ba=Premo88#review
3.95 (no rDev)

And finally we dove into the Cascarillo Hoppy Pale Ale — a wonderful APA with bitter, bitter pine, grapefruit and all kinds of orange ... orange peel, candied orange, whatever orange you got ... and a thin but consistent layer of biscuit malt giving it some sweetness to smooth out the lingering bitterness. Very impressive brew for the little brewpub in tiny Taylor (pop. 11,000-something).

The review:
4.13 (no rDev)

I'll be revisiting Texas Beer Co. again and again. They serve lots of beer from other breweries, sell bottles/cans to go and do growler fills ... and mom loves the place, so everybody wins!

any place that taps into these is my kind of place:


Cheers, NBSers!

 

My second beer tonight comes courtesy of @jhavs

Hill Farmstead Difference and Repetition



4.53/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12 ounce can.

L- A lighter orange with a smallish white head. A nice hue of orange.

S- I smell some fruit, but it's not overpowering. It's a nice, pleasant smell.

T- Delicious citrus taste. I notice grapefruit the most. The aftertaste is soft and not at all bitter.

F- Such a soft feel. Smooth and very easy to drink.

Overall a very tasty beer I loved from the first sip.

 

Hey all, my new beer for today is one that I brought back from a recent trip to Portland, OR. I shipped a bunch of beer back to myself, and of those I've tried so far, this one really stands out and is making we wish I would've tried some more Breakside beers while I had the chance. The beer I had from them tonight is Bourbon Barrel-Aged Aztec, and it's outstanding! Here's the beer-



And here's my BA review-

4.42/5 rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Look- Deep mahogany brown, 1/2 finger head that dissipates to a thin ring around the edge of the glass

Aroma- very complex with raisin, leather, tobacco and bourbon, all very distinct but in equal measures with no one aspect dominating

Taste- Follows the nose, but with an underlying sweet chocolate taste and a quick blast of pepper heat upon swallowing. The sweetness and heat linger a bit. Again, very complex and balanced nicely.

Feel- medium bodied with a long sweet finish

Overall- very nice drinking experience. Smells and tastes incredible. A lot of nicely complimentary flavors and aromas going on, with no single one stealing the show.

 

Here are the results of my tasting :
(spoiler alert both were great but very different)

Beer#1
A: Amber with a white/beige head, great lacing
N: pine orange rind, Rye all very subtle
T: Rye, Rye and Rye. Spicy from the get go. Sweetens as it warms almost a butterscotch
MF: Drinks big but clean
O: Drinks big but not heavy. Screams for a cigar or smoked salmon to accompany it. Excellent representation of the Rye.

Beer #2
A: Golden with a white thick fluffy head.
N: Citrus, candied fruit, jolly ranger
T: Rye is there in the background. Sweet citrus fruit dominates. Rye moves forward as it warms
MF: Light bodied, clean the Rye sticks around longer than you think
O: Very enjoyable Great porch drinker.

Time to pour another and see which is which

 

Greetings All:

First Rule IPA from Ninkasi.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/14400/282416/
A fruity IPA long on sweet short on malt.

A cool and rainy week past, but warmer temps in the forecast. I'm not ready to let go of summer just yet.

Until next time,

Happy Trails!

 

Beer #1 was Carton Red Rye Returning
Beer #2 was Industrial Arts Rye Works

Both excellent beers and very different

 

I'm on to another new one.
This is a collaboration between Carton and Burial called Own Benefactor

Now I will tell anyone that will listen that Carton Boat beer is probably the best beer ever made.

I know @augiecarton is no fan of the "Double Dry Hopped" label, but if there was such a thing as DDH Boat, this is what I imagine it would be.

The Kolsch backbone is there but it is coupled with a plethora of hops. This beer is a real nice treat.

 

Busy day but FINALLY getting around to review a beer. Doesn't seem like the weekend is nearly over, where does it go? This one was released Friday but I was unable to make it to the brewery, luckily I have a friend that did.
Creature Comforts first released this beer about a year ago but I was unable to make that one as well so I'm glad to get it this time. It was the first canned brewery distro only offering they had released. I made the next one and haven't missed one since.

Crescendo is a bit of new hop variety for me El Dorado, Galaxy, and Grungiest.
Pours a pale yellow orange. Healthy white head that lingers for awhile.
Smells of citrus, more lemon zest than orange, some sweeter melon, honeydew, pineapple and a touch of pepper.
Taste starts with the honeydew, maybe a bit of pineapple. Finishes with a more bitter zesty lemon. Some alcohol presence.
Overall a decent beer but if I were given the choice between it and Duende, I'd pick Duende every time.

 

Good evening, all, and Happy New Pumpkin Ale Sunday! A friend of mine got this Jacques Au Lantern in one of his Craft Beer Club packages. I wasn't expecting much, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Nice, warm pumpkin pie flavors, with good sweetness and body from the pumpkin. A little alcohol heat as it warms complements the flavor profile. I like it. YMMV.


3.63/5 (rDev -1.4%)
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Review here.

 

I actually made it back...it is still Sunday here, and I have the trifecta of new sitting in my hotel proper plastic glassware. New brewer, new beer, new style.

2016 vintage...



Decants a fabulously clear chestnut brown color with a third cup of off-white, foamy head. The smell wafts across the room...malty, boozy, almost a vinegar note, lots of honey, some dark fruit, caramel, earthy, and a nice floral with mild citrus top note.

OK let's do this...and holy cow is this ever tasty. Waves of flavor. Awesome wild honey notes, mild citrus, nice level of bitterness, caramel, peppery, pine, dates, brown sugar, floral, earthiness, slightly sweet, and hello alcohol but just a bit. The citrus is coming through as tangerine or orange. For carrying so much flavor, this beer is not coating the tongue...pretty clean with a pleasant and evolving taste after the fact. Some citrus, very mild peppery spice. Alcohol hit in the back of the throat, not shy at all. Very intensely aromatic after the swallow which just adds to the experience. The wild honey flavor comes back balanced by tangerine...weird sounding but it is certainly a pleasing effect.

I guess you can gather that I am diggin' the hell outta this beer. It honestly feels like a reward after a long, arduous work week featuring take out meals and long hours. This will land north of 4.0...just have to decide how far. I wish I had time to stop on the way back to the airport and smuggle a couple (or ten) home for...ahem... research purposes. You know, in the interest of science...

One and done, it really is late for this East coast body that is pretty worn out...plus I just want to sip and savor this one.

 

Well Hello Late Night NBS

What a great beginning @cjgiant . I've often wondered. "Why "equinox" and not "equi-day"?

Well I'm too busy to bore y'all with my goings on. However, lest it be said, "This muggle really gave one of their little Harry Potter fans quite the birthday party last night. Sometimes it feels really good to see your children have so much fun in a literate, cultured, positive way.

And there was beer...Thanks to a surprise ninja strike from @Buck89
Homestyle IPA from Bearded Iris Brewing of Nashville, Tennessee.

4.13/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a muddled overripe peach in color. Fluffy white head abounds. Three inches of foam invites. Sticky curtains of lace initially, then fall off to a smooth, scattered lacy curtain.
Aroma is smooth and subtle. Some citrus along the lines of sweet lemon and orange. Also getting some melon notes, thinking cantaloupe and honeydew. Also a nod toward pineapple.
Taste brings forth all of the nose in a gentle dance. Really a gentle juicy drink. Hop bitterness is practically nonexistent. Finishes a tad "earthy."
Mouthfeel is medium, fluffy, and carbonation stays along in a chillaxed way.
Overall, this could be a daily slaughter for me. I don't know of another IPA that I would describe as so subtle, yet it still excites. Really a lot going on in a balanced, complex, yet smooth IPA.

 

I've been all new beers tonight

Carton/Burial Own Benefactor
Boat on steroids-that is a great thing

Magnify Dew
A Wet Hop that is good not great

The Collective Brewing Project
Brett shake IPA
Thought this was really good

Trillium Little Rooster
Great beer

 

Octoberfest? http://www.belgianbeerme.com/oktoberfest-bamberg/