New Beer Sunday (Week 666)

Happy New American Porter Sunday!

Did a nice little hike, some clouds/some sun, around 57. A couple of new trails up there now, for sure. Most likely I will take the bike on one of them next year, the dirt is really soft right now, but someone, or 2/3 has been on it already, but then again I might be in that area tomorrow, I'll wait till it packs down alot more. Having a pretty tasty brew, and some nice marinated pork tacos. Bronco's are making a comeback.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/63/289917/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the long holiday weekend. Thanks to @lordofthewiens for getting us started off this morning for this special edition week 666. Had a nice family visit weekend as usual, and a little too much crappy food lol. Glad to be back on my normal routine again. Made a massive haul in Ohio of all new beers, so I will be set for well past 6100 with what I got. 2 Cases of 12 ounce singles, and 1 case of Bomber/750ml. Lots of sours in the large format, was not cheap in the slightest lol. Got back home around 2 and got unpacked and took my bottle returns back, they were piled up from this weekends cellar clearance enjoyment. Also finished up the laundry to get me through the week. I missed last week, but it didn't get too overloaded.

New Beers:

This was okay. Fantastic head retention and lasting thick soapy lacing down the glass. Crystal clarity. Aromas and flavors of cracker, white bread dough, biscuit, and mild herbal/grassy hops. Some pear/apple yeast fruits in the aromas, but not too overwhelming. Minimal herbal/grassy hop bitterness on the finish. Fairly crisp/clean finishing. Medium carbonation and light body; bready/grainy malt and light hop stickiness in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing bitter dryness. Refreshing/flavorful for 5%, never watery feeling. Fairly clean on lager flavors; mildly fruity/yeasty. This grew on me through the glass. An enjoyable Euro pale lager. Fairly clean pils malt flavors, with just enough hop balance. A bit too fruity/yeasty aromas, but not awful. 3.34


Excellent session IPA! Great head retention and lasting lacing on the glass. A bit cloudy. Aromas and flavors of big tangerine, grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, papaya, melon, berry, citrus zest, pepper, and pine hops; with moderate cracker, biscuit, white bready malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation/body. Balanced bready/grainy malts and sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Slight resins/rinds, increasing bitter dryness, zero hop astringency. Extremely flavorful/refreshing for 4.9%. I loved this. Got a pretty unique hop profile with the Loral/Equinox, along with Columbus/Simcoe; but it strikes a great balance between citrus/fruity/earthy notes. Outstanding body/mouthfeel for the ABV, never watery. Would definitely buy again. Nicely juicy, vibrant, and light dank hops profile; great balancing bready malt backbone. One of the better session IPAs I have had. Really well made. 4.05


BA Imperial Coffee Milkshake. This was awesome as expected. Aromas and flavors of big milk chocolate, cocoa, nutty dark roast coffee, caramel, vanilla, cream, toffee, and toasted dark bread; with lighter notes of coconut, bourbon, oak, dark fruit, smoke, and herbal hops. Very mild herbal/roast bitterness on the finish. Light-medium carbonation and medium-plus body; nice creamy, silky, bready malt mouthfeel. Minimal chalky roast, oak tannins, or dryness. No cloying sweetness. A touch thinner than expected, but not bad. Very easy drinking, minimal warming 8.5%. Not as much barrel as I hoped for, but solid. Basically like a richer Woodward Bold coffee Milkshake. Same coffee company, different blend of coffee. Loved it equally as much as that one. Great fruity/nutty coffee complexity and base beer balance. 4.1


Excellent DIPA! Fantastic lasting head retention and thick soapy lacing on the glass. Fairly crystal clear. Aromas and flavors of big peach, pineapple, apricot, passionfruit, papaya, mango, melon, tangerine, grapefruit, lemon zest, orange peel, and light pepper/pine hops; with moderate honey, biscuit, light caramel malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; very creamy/bready/grainy malt mouthfeel, with a fair amount of sticky hops. Lightly increasing bitter dryness. Very slight resins, no hop astringency. This is definitely on the malty side of DIPAs as with Maharajah, but its not overly sweet/heavy feeling for 9.7%. Mildly increasing ABV warmth. Dangerously easy drinking. Super juicy fruity/tropical hop complexity, balanced malt backbone. Unique hop character with Idaho 7, Simcoe, Vic Secret, and Columbus. Not that strong on the Columbus or Simcoe character overall. 4.03


Cheers, have a good evening NBS!

 

Thank you, @lordofthewiens for the launch on this special day. The amount of time I spent considering beers to bring to the virtual table for the 666th NBS ..... was significant. I finally settled on this Wicked little BA sour from a brewery that is my first beer from this brewery, and from a brewery that many think sold their very brewing soul to The Devil himself .....



4.34/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Burgundy highlights punctuate a coppery-colored beer with a light tan head that fades in seconds. The red wine barrel is prominent on the nose, as are the blackberries and raspberries. Smells magnificent.

The taste is funky and sour, with raspberry and blackberry notes dominating (obviously), but there's also an earthier note that stops this short of Puckerville. The mouthfeel is sublime, with a spritziness that keeps you reaching for your glass. Just an excellent representation of the style, IMHO.

 

New bunch of brews Sunday

Happy NBS everyone! Didn't really pay attention to the week number and the theme this week so I apologize for that. Here's my new brews for the day:

Started off local with Rockmill's Farmhouse IPA: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23737/280594/?ba=bluejacket74#review



Then had my favorite brew of the night, Urban Artifact's Milkman: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/40297/253053/?ba=bluejacket74#review



Next was Falls City Streetlamp Porter: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22779/314297/?ba=bluejacket74#review



Then some Warped Wing Esther's Lil' Secret (2017): https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33939/310622/?ba=bluejacket74#review



As an added note, I made my first trip there on Friday and it's a great spot to drink and hang out at. If you're ever in the Dayton, OH area it's a must visit brewery!

And for the last of my new brews, was Country Boy's Key Lime Cougar Bait: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28188/287241/?ba=bluejacket74#review



Cheers and Happy NBS everyone! I'll probably be participating more since I'm off work every Monday for the rest of the year.

 

Hello New Beer Sunday!!!

It's good to be here an hour earlier now that my restaurant has switched to winter hours on Sundays.

So, what beer do I pick for this beastly NBS 666? I can only think of one great choice for me.


The Beast Grand Cru - 16.8% ABV!
Oh, yeah, I'm feeling the beastly presence.
This is one intense beer, but I am surprised that even though it is 16.8%, it really isn't a harsh 16.8%. Somewhat mellow, actually. Delicious, and I'm glad I have a chance to try this retired beer.

4.04/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer lists the ABV at 16.8% ABV, which was released in July of 2016.

Pours a reddish color. Some clarity. Almost no head, but what was there was white. There were also a lot of floaties in the glass when poured.
The nose smells of cherries, and a hint of barrel ageing.
Taste is actually quite smooth up front. I do get a cherry flavor, and then a healthy alcohol burn on the backside, but not as harsh as expected.
Feel is full bodied, and a decent alcohol feel.
A delicious, and unique beer. I'm glad I got a bottle, since it is retired now.

555 characters

With this ABV, I can't see myself doing another new beer, so I will see you all next week for the next New Beer Sunday!!!

 

New Beer Sunday: A Stout, A Dubbel, A Stout?

Evenin’ NBSers with a special note to those who are fond of hybred beers.

In keeping with today's #666 theme it’s useful to note that sometimes humans play tricks on the Devil and get away with it.

For example, according to myth and legend, Jack o' Kent was a Welshman who excelled at playing tricks on the Devil. In one story Jack asks the Devil's help in building a bridge and promises him that he can take the first soul to cross the new bridge. Once the bridge is completed Jack tosses a fresh bone to the other side and a hungry dog runs over the bridge to get the bone. (Graham Seal (2001). Encyclopedia of Folk Heroes. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1-57607-216-9)

This evening’s new beer is a potentially confusing one for Devil or mankind in that it is a hybred between a Dubbel and a Stout. The beer is the Hell Hath No Fury Ale from Bell’s Brewing.

As usual my review, subject to revision until the beer is finished can be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/287/20604/?ba=drtth#review

Bell's Hell Hath no Fury Ale can easily be seen as a trick played on the Devil who likes things in proper order and nestled into well defined categories. As described by the brewery, the beer is actually a hybred style that was originally imagined along the lines of a Belgian Dubbel, but by the time everything all came together it became more like a roasty stout with it's coffee and dark chocolate well integrated against the background of a fruity and clove-like character from the Belgian yeasts. Based on what's in my Devil tulip glass that's what I'm finding here.

Tonight’s American Musical Original Soundtrack recording is The Sound of Music with Mary Martin and Patricia Neway as part of the original cast.

My Favorite Things

Cheers, all!

 

Ok, finally got home from a long day at the atore, cooked some chicken and turnips for me and the wife for dinner, and am giving her the "Ready in 5!" warning so I can bang out a review real quick.

Like I said, how do you fight the 666 Beast? With Even More Jesus, from Evil Twin! Of course, pouring this stuff would make you think that the liquid came straight from the murkiest parts of the River Styx itself. Not black, but as deep brown and as opaque as it comes, and THICK! Not much head, but a decent amount of carbonation.

For some reason, I expected this stout to be a bit sweeter. It's chocolatey, yeah, but more like cocoa then Hershey's. Both in the smell and the taste, there is a dry, bitter quality that comes off like heavily toasted grains with a bit of coffee. Not much residual sugar or fruitiness, contrary to what the label suggests. I'm surprised it's not barrel-aged, because there's a lot of woody, charred oak flavor to it.

The most remarkable thing about this beer isn't the flavor, but the lack of heft. 12% and thick as any beer I've drank, I expected it to be a real booze bomb, a necessary sipper. However, I was swishing it around in my mouth to taste it and gulping down mouthfuls and it goes down like it was half as strong as it is...okay maybe not half as strong but I've I certainly tasted boozier, harsher beers with much lower ABV.

Overall, a winner, though perhaps not something I'd rush towards again, since if I'm doing a stout this intense, I prefer a bit more mellow sweetness like Dragons Milk, or The Abyss - different, I know, but it's a preference thing.

Anyway, l'chaim and happy NBS:666! And to add to the irony, tonight's TV viewing will be the new western drama, Godless on Netflix.

 

Howdy all! I'm home from dropping #1 Son back off at school, and am finally ready to partake of some NBS #666 brew. As happenstance would have it, I came across something today that seems tailor made for the event.

And now that it's poured, the smell of smoke hangs warmly in the air; but, ironically perhaps, the source is an American brewer famed for producing Abbey Ales-

Ommegang Smoked Porter

Just a few sips in, and I love this beer: glad I have a crowler! It's everything you could want in a porter, a great balance of roast malt (dark chocolate), toffee, dark fruits, toasted pumpernickel and dried flowers. The roast leads the way, but everything else gets a turn in the spotlight. The mouthfeel is full and creamy, but it finishes nicely dry. There's a reasonably solid yet clean smack of bitterness. And smoke? Yeppers. It's there in the aroma and finish, mild but noticeable, woven perfectly with all of the other elements. It's made for quantity drinking, and that's what I plan on doing. Right now it's at the low A range (4.4), but could move depending on how I'm feeling after a few pints.

Captain Obvious said to play this:

 

Firestone Walker's Bravo

L: Poured into a snifter. Light brown color with very little whitish head. 4/5
S: Tons of oak and bourbon, toffee, rasins, with some caramel. 4.25/5
T: Oak and bourbon with some alcohol heat that fades as it warms. 4.25/5
F: Medium body with light carbonation. Very easy to drink. 4.25/5
O: A very good beer that let the bourbon and oak flavors shine compared to barrel aged stouts. I think it really improved as it warmed up. 4.25/5 which resulted in a BA generated 4.24/5.

 

I think The Lord of the Flies was just conjured.





Alchemist Beelzebub

This stout feels like it was partially made as a fantasy for beer geeks, and partially to disappoint them. A real deal with the devil. It's so nice to have a stout that's made with such big personality... and it not touching a bourbon barrel or coconut or whatever. Hallelujah! Whoops, wrong expression for today.

It looks like that beer geek fantasy stout - black black black, really dark head, impenetrable thick pour, lacing. The hop aroma hits instantly upon opening like a modern IPA. This beer seems to be bursting with hops. There's an English fruity quality to it, and a little tartness... and both are needed to counterbalance the overwhelming dark baker's chocolate. This is roasty, ashy, and bitter in a big way. I wonder if there are smoked malts in this. What’s amazing is how well it all fits together. This is a drinkable beer and it manages to be so because of its own internal balance of bigness. More of an ashtray stout than a “dessert stout” or pastry or whatever, but it balances its elements better than others. This is one hoppy stout that’s a joy to drink.

Cheers.

 

I've tried quite a few San Diego style ipas and pale ales which are usually light in body and color, light malt presence, crisp with fruity and citrusy hops. But I think this is my first Dipa in this style. It kinda smells a little like booze but u really can't taste it. I can't believe these are 9%. Its like a double Luponic Distortion or a session Dipa or somethin. I approve.

 

Clownshoes Breakfast Beast. This is my offering to this thread. Nothing else left in the fridge even comes close to meeting out theme.

4.1 Overall. As usual Clownshoes kills it, the only real letdown on this beer, the nose, not bad but not up to par with the rest of the beer

Pours an effervescent ebony with a pinky of caramel colored head. Decent head retention & lacing

S: Faint coffee & chocolate notes, both pick up a bit as it warms

T: Dark fruit, a little chocolate & coffee, along with dryness up front, some hints of raw barrel as well. Some vanilla creeps in as this warms, plus barrel dryness & a little bit of Baker's Chocolate, a touch of fig too, faint mocha sweetness too. There is also some Andes Mint going here as well. Finishes with coffee, a little chocolate & mint & some dryness

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation, thickens as this warms

A well constructed Imp Stout that smooths out all the rough edges, very drinkable. Coffee is very understated, but present. I wish the nose matched the flavor

 

#2, maybe the best name for a beer ..... ever (Black Crack). You could say ..... it’s devilishly good.



4.25/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A body black as onyx props up a creamy tan head. First thing I get on the nose is caramel and vanilla, then a subtle bourbon note.

The taste is creamy, like a milk stout, with dark chocolate notes joining the caramel and vanilla (which is now obviously coming from the barrel). The mouthfeel is full and rich. I wish I’d purchased a case of this (stupid “Limit 1 per customer” crap!).

 

Greetings All:

Shaking off a football hangover from yesterday' Apple Cup. Not sure where those WSU Cougars were (maybe locked in a storage shed somewhere?). They didn't show up for the game.

Closing out the harvest holiday weekend with an Oktoberfest from high atop Snoqualmie pass. Dru Bru Oktoberfest.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/39742/
It was good.

Back to the day job tomorrow and headlong into the Christmas season. It feels like this next month is going to happen fast.

Happy Trails!

 

Appearance: Dark brown. One finger of tan head.

Aroma: Coffee, dark chocolate

Taste: Very smooth and nicely balanced combination of chocolate, coffee, roasted malts. Hint of ashy flavors more noticeable at first, then less dominant. It says "sweet stout" on the bottle but thankfully it is not super sweet. It has just the right touch of sweetness to counter the ashy taste of the roasted malts.

Mouth feel: Medium body. Very nice.

Overall: Very nice, quaffable stout. Refreshing. Many of my favorite stouts weigh in at 11% or more alcohol by volume, whereas Bells Special Double Cream Stout has 6.10% per the Bell's website. Too bad this isn't a year-round offering from Bell's as I can imagine it being a staple in my fridge.

 

@TongoRad they had about 3 cases left at Roger Wilco in Pennsauken, NJ. If you're close, give it a go, if not maybe we can arranage a trade. Cheers

 

Happy NBS and congrats to #666. No new beers related to the beast here, but several new dark beers, so hopefully that suffices for the celebration.

Just spent the holiday weekend visiting relatives in NJ. Went dry out of respect of someone in the family who struggles with alcohol, so I'm looking forwards to cracking into a couple of new brews I found while I was up there. First up is King Porter Stomp by Cape May brewing. I spent a lot of my childhood in Cape May and have relatives who live down that way so I've been looking forwards to trying beers out of this brewery.

Pours a solid, black color with a thick head of light tan foam, clings to the glass and leaves plenty of lacing behind. Smell is coffee, chocolate, and plum. Taste is milk chocolate at first, vanilla, coffee, toffee, brown sugar, and a dark chocolate finish. A little bit of hoppy bitterness towards the end that lingers after finish, but isn't really off putting. Creamy for a porter, kind of like whole milk level creamy, so gives the drink an almost Hershey's chocolate milk feel. Pretty nifty porter, packs in a lot of flavors and has a nice feel to it.

 

With all the devils here today I was going to open a Big Bad Baptista to combat all the evil. Instead, I found this bad boy. A tail of defeat where the Devil loses in the most famous competition in history.

This is my first time with Lost Abbey and it did not disappoint.

Lost Abbey
Devil Went Down To Georgia
Ale aged in Bourbon barrel with peaches and black tea.





The beer pours a deep reddish/brown with minimal head and no lacing.

The smell is a seemingly perfect balance of chocolate, dark fruits, and bourbon. Nothing overpowers.

The taste starts and ends very sweet with nice peach flavor on the finish. The middle had strong bourbon, raisin, and milk chocolate flavors.

The mouthfeel is slightly thick with minimal carbonation. It's incredibley smooth with a of carbonation at the back of the throat.

Overall this beer is really great. It's an almost perfect blend of flavors with an amazing mouthfeel.

 

Jackie Os Elle here. Happy NBS

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1432/290204/?ba=PittBeerGirl#review