New Beer Sunday (Week 659)

He certainly seems to have a good outlook given the circumstance, and hes absolutely right. Cheers to him.

 

As my cousin Bobby in Austin would say, "Holy smoke, good golly". What an amazing array of beers and great discourse. In all honesty, I would posit that the mystery beer gambit from the BIF participation, is very cool and the best use yet of anonymous social media ever.

 

He does not drink so I had 2 at Haw River Farmhouse Ales before we moved his stuff today. Thanks!!

 

Ok, started on the first blind beer. Gonna pour some in a hydroflask so I cannot see what it looks like. Once I make some decisions, I'll pour into a glass to see if I have a different take on it, then I'll guess what it is.

Aroma:

Me - dark roast, coffee, chocolate
Wife - coffee

Flavor:

Me - stout/porter, some kind of hint of pepper or spice (jalapeño?)
As I drink it, I think I pick up some kind of light pepper or spicy finish...really strong on the nose but blends nicely with the beer. The mouthfeel is really nice. There's a little carb but smooth and easy to drink.
Wife - barrel-aged?

Where I'd drink this: a cool evening

Picture:


Me - "ok, I got the dark part correct"
Wife- "wow, this looks like shoyu (soy sauce). its not my thing"

Answer:
Kane Port Omna - stout aged on coconut, cinnamon, and lactose

This is very drinkable and smooth but carries so much flavor for <7%. I think the cinnamon flavor drowns out the coconut or the coconut has faded over time. This beer is definitely something I'd keep in my fridge during the winter. Definitely enjoyed this one @SammyJaxxxx

 

Thank you! I might not drink smoked beers often but I never shy away from them, and this one was really good, kind of reminded me of a smoked version of Narwhal.

 

Now that I have knocked out the mystery beers for the day, on to another beer from the awesome box @LloydDobler sent my way.

Here is the haul in all its glory:


The next beer for today is:

Refraction from Tranisent Artisan Ales:


L: Kind of a muddy yellowish color with very small off white head.
S: Mosaic hops and some citrus smells up front. Not to much else going on.
T: Not a ton going on with this beer, I can taste the mosaic hops, but they are not over powering, the other flavors are hard to pick out. Nothing off with the taste, but not overly appealing either.
F: This is classified as an extra pale ale on the can and the feel is a little heavier than a pale ale, little lighter than an IPA with a smooth finish.
O: One of those beers I could take or leave, if it was offered I would drink it, but definitely would not search it out.

 

It struck me as though they modeled it after a Czech Black Lager rather than a Schwartzbier- and then kicked up the hops a notch. I get the same vibe from Moonlight's Death and Taxes.

We used to have Herold Black Lager imported into the US, and that one really had that roasty liquid velvet quality down pat. If I could only go back in time I'd give myself a slap for (1) thinking a $10.99 sixer was expensive and (2) thinking it would always be around. Here's hoping that American brewers will continue to pick up the slack!

 

Glad you enjoyed. I was just kidding about the infected part; wanted to mess with your blind test a little bit, hope you didn't mind =) Looks like you caught the coconut once it warmed up some. Hoping the 750 wasn't too much or you had someone to share with. Cheers!

 

Well, I made it through "Indigenous Peoples Day Weekend" (barely!) MY weekend began at 6:15PM when I could finally lock the doors and hide from yet another thirsty leafpeeper! Home now and thought I would engage in a touristy type activity with a touristy type beer!

There's even a frickin' leaf on the frickin' can!?!?!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30697/303391/




Vigorous pour from the can yields a one inch plus, light tan head over a mahogany brown body with some sticky (syrup?) lacing. Nose of malt and maple syrup. Taste mirrors nose with a definite 7% alcohol presence. Nice feel and overall a fairly enjoyable experience. Cheers!

4.02/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

 

Loved that beer!

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Thanks to @cjgiant for the great introduction and getting us started off this morning. Another normal day for me with the usual laundry, bottle returns, and grocery run. Really nice weather today also. As with many in this thread today, I was part of the BIF. I received a box last week from @jdell15 . There were no mystery beers, but I was informed that I would be getting another box that would have one soon. I already reviewed a few of them in the last few days. Tonight will be 100% BIF beers, as would only be appropriate.(and as I have done in the past).

Made another few hauls of new beer this weekend again, a few really big wants thanks to the great store connections I have. The hauls continue to get smaller every time, as expected. Getting tougher to find new beers, so I have been resorting to grabbing most of the stuff I passed up for a long time(mostly Belgian stuff). Still haven't reviewed any of the macro lagers or lime-a-rita stuff yet though lol. Maybe eventually, who knows.

New Beers:

This one has only 1 review. Really new brewery. Really good witbier. Aromas and flavors of lemon, orange peel, coriander, pear, apple, peppercorn, clove, and light banana yeast; with moderate wheat, cracker, white bread dough malts; herbal/grassy spice and yeast earthiness. Light herbal/grassy bitterness, yeast spiciness, and slight wheat tang/tartness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation, light-medium body, and fairly crisp/clean finishing. Balanced bready/grainy wheat and yeast/spice stickiness in the mouthfeel. Light-moderate increasing bitter/spicy/carbonated dryness. No astringency. Very refreshing and flavorful, 5%. Overall: perfectly balanced yeast/spice/malt flavors and spot on stuff for the style. Not as heavy on the wheat creaminess as I hoped for, but definitely adequate. Never watery feeling. Really clean and well made beer. 3.78


Fantastic IPA! Amazing head retention and thick lasting lacing on the glass. Aromas and flavors of huge grapefruit, tangerine, peach, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, lemon zest, orange peel, citrus rind, light pepper, and pine hops; with light honey, lightly toasted biscuit malt balance; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Moderate pine, citrus rind, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation/body and fairly crisp. Balanced bready/grainy malt creaminess and sticky/resin/rindy hops in the mouthfeel. Light-moderate increasing resin/rind dryness, zero hop astringency. Refreshingly drinkable, never overly aggressive. Super vibrant and dank hops; great bready malt backbone with no residual sweetness. The hop bill on the label already told me I was going to enjoy this. Perfectly balanced citrus/tropical Falconers Flight and dank/piney Columbus. This was a big winner, absolutely love this. Reminds me of Blackrocks 51K IPA a bit actually, but more tropical. 4.28


Holy cow this was amazing. Aromas and flavors of huge nutty dark roasted coffee, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, vanilla, toffee, cream, and toasted dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, char, and herbal hops. Light herbal hop and roasted coffee bitterness on the finish. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; very creamy, silky, velvety, and rich mouthfeel that is amazing. Slight chalky roast, hop stickiness, and dryness. Very mildly warming 10.5%, insane smoothness. This gives Founders Breakfast Stout a run for it's money, not going to lie. The nutty/fruity coffee complexity is enormous, and the rich base stout malt complexity is completely on point. Mouthfeel was just crazy, I could taste some lactose in there. Maybe some oats were used too. Highly impressed. 4.35


Very tasty Belgian strong dark ale. Bottled 11 months ago. Great head retention and lacing on the glass. Aromas and flavors of big raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, apricot, red apple, red grape, and orange peel; with balanced caramel, brown sugar, toasted brown bread malt sweetness; with lighter notes of nutmeg, peppercorn, clove, ginger, cinnamon, banana, bubblegum, cocoa, toffee, herbal hops, and yeasty earthiness. Light herbal bitterness and yeast spiciness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium full body. Bready/grainy creaminess and light yeast/hop/spice stickiness in the mouthfeel. Slightly increasing bitter/spicy dryness, no cloying sweetness. Very smooth, minimal warming 8%. Overall really enjoyed this, but expected way more spices from the description. Super stone fruity and sweet, not as peppery on the yeast as I would have preferred. Well balanced malt and yeast flavors. Good all around complexity. Thumbs up. 3.78


Cheers, have a good evening NBS!

 

Here's the text version of what I've received from @WesMantooth:
1xFat Head nonic pint glass
1x12oz Fat Head Sunshine Daydream
1x12oz Fat Head. Head Hunter
Box #1
1x12oz Jackie O's Mystic Mama
1x12oz Rhinegeist Knowledge
1x12oz Columbus Creeper
1x12oz Columbus Bodhi
1x12oz Brew Kettle White Rajah
1x12oz Hill Farmstead Double Galaxy
1x16oz Alchemist Focal Banger
(This is the only one I've had before. This time I'll hit it right away, like, say, in a few minutes)
1x32oz Buckeye Lake Shovelhead
1x12oz mystery beer

Food items:
Not sure how @WesMantooth figured out I'm primarily a vinaigrette guy when I do salad at home.
Salsa is always a welcome thing in my home.
Box #2
1x22oz bomber of Wolf's Ridge Clear Sky Cinnamon Toast Brunch
1x22oz bomber of Wolf's Ridge Terre du Sauvage
1x32oz grunt of Wolf's Ridge Buchenrauch
Wolf's Ridge glass
cumulative 8oz of Uncle Mike's Beef Sticks, in both Original and Spicy Hot flavors.

 

Good evening NBS, we are off tomorrow, so it is a brew day with an all grain
Scottish Ale on the docket. In the mean time tonight ends with a very nice offering from Allagash. The Sixteen Counties is billed as a belgian pale ale, I can see that.
Cheers
Allagash Sixteen Counties

Allagash Brewing Company
Belgian Pale Ale / 7.30% ABV

3.9/5 rDev -3.7% | Score: 4.05
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a modified tulip glass.
A - Wonderful dark honey color, lines of carbonation hang to the glasses edge as they move top side. a big cap of white froth recedes into a thin self leaving cirrus styled lacing.
S - Winter grains, a touch of honey, roasted corn and a strong yeast presence, make for an interesting aromatic portfolio.
T - Orange blossom, some fall honey, a bit of phenols, and some not so well hidden alcohol comes off the palate.
M - Soft water profile, palate coating is just a bit oily, the gentle carbonation works toward drying things out, a linger of semi sweet mixed grains hangs quite some time
O - The offering is pretty rich for the senses, there is a bit of mismatch between the nose and the palate, that said, i would certainly try this again to review.

 

I make that Burial trip at least six times a year if you ever need more, not sure if I sent you a Skillet Donut but it is great. I will be headed back next month.

 

Saxapahaw is a particularly soothing place. My daughter lives just south out of Chapel Hill and we often take the old Greensboro/Chapel Hill Road home. On the way back is Saxapahaw and Haw River Farmhouse Ales, back through the old Uhwarrie mountains, heading north and west. This is my favorite road anywhere. The hell with interstate highways!

 

Here's one. My 7 year old grandson after school is getting ready to do his home work. So he pops a soda , and he doesn't like it, and tells my daughter it tastes funny . And it was a Stadler Radler that was in my beer fridge. Lol,

 

So this is not even close to my favorite style, but something said screw it. These are one of The masters in the style and this is an exceptional brew. Poured and got a very attractive tanish head that leaves one thick ring of lace, as it slowly settles into a thin thin layer of bubbles. 4

Smell is fig, vanilla, clove, caramel, toffee, banana, and some wood. 4

Taste follows dark fruit, clove, toffee, caramel, oaked vanilla, bourbon, and a touch of chocolate. 4

Mouthfeel is a big medium, plenty of life for the style, a touch dry, and a sipper that is so complex that at 11.5% ABV goes down quicker than it should. 4

Overall this is a world class Belgian, that is very controlled with the bourbon, but wonderfully balanced and so darn complex, I may toss one in my cellar for a rainy day. 4

 

Shared that Focal Banger from @WesMantooth with a couple friends.

Now I'm hitting my first from Jackie O's.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1432/56126/?ba=woemad#review
Reminded me of a slightly malty take on an old school west coast IPA.

 

They do some amazing beers!!

 

Any thoughts you care to share?