New Beer Sunday (Week 670)

JDub's Brewing Atocha
Rum Barrel Aged Imperial Stout - 11.8% ABV



4.21/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

22oz bottle poured into a snifter. Pours a pitch black color. The spiced rum barrels are immediately evident in the nose along with cinnamon and chocolate. The taste is sweet up front with cinnamon, bittersweet chocolate, and a lingering warmth and booziness from the high ABV and spiced rum barrels. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, maybe a tad bit thinner than I'd want for this type of beer. Overall, a really solid brew that was perfect for the occasion (Christmas Eve). I have a feeling this beer would age wonderfully.

 

Used to see those in Arkansas, not in a few years, a shame as it matches up well with almost any beer in its style. Never had the patience to let one sit that long...

 

I just bought it a little while ago, I say within a month, go figure. They ABV is hidden very very well with 3 years on it, almost non-existent.

Cheers!

 

Love the nose on this. Right from the pour I could smell it from about 3 feet away.

 

New Beer Sunday: A New Biere du Noel

Evenin’ NBSers and once again, wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season to all.

Well the weather here today was pretty much as expected and I don’t think we’re looking at snow for tonight or tomorrow.

Now that everything around the house is ready for Santa’s Arrival (the stockings have been hung by the chimney with care) it’s time for a new beer from Two Roads, their Holiday Ale. The brewery says of this beer:

Two Roads Holiday Ale is inspired by the little known Biere de Noel style, a subset of Biere de Garde, both of which originated on small farmhouse breweries in the north of France. Biere de Noel, which translates as “Christmas Beer”, tends to exhibit a more malty profile than a typical Biere de Garde.

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

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30437/88641/?ba=drtth#review


While I’ve not had many of the Biere de Garde style beers, I can certainly agree with the brewery's statement that this beer has a more malty profile. The aromas and flavors are filled with rich malt (e.g., some chocolate and dark bread) and sweetness that is all backed up by some hints of dark fruits and earthy, spicy hop flavors that, for me, show up just enough to prevent the beer from being too sweet for sipping. I expect I’ll be adding this beer to my list of Holiday Ales to try again next year and see if it can earn a spot on my short list of holiday season beers.

This evening’s American Musical has been delayed in favor of some very traditional Christmas music.

"Hallelujah" chorus from Handel's Messiah, performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Note: Some years back, while visiting Salt Lake City, I was able to score a couple of tickets to a live performance by this Choir. It really is the case that the acoustics in the building where the Choir performs are superior. For example, on a tour of the building earlier on the day of the performance we attended, the Tour Guide demonstrated the acoustics of the building by continuing to talk in a conversational tone of voice as he walked from the back end of the building, where we were standing, down the entire length of the long aisle to the stage area. He then asked us to listen. He waited for complete quiet and then proceeded to drop a pin, which we all heard at the other end of the building. In this building you could literally hear a pin drop.

Cheers, all!

 

They used to have a cartoon bear that did the TV commercials. It was good cheap beer back in the day.

 

Merry Christmas All:

I'm in the Holiday haze, so this one seems appropriate today.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/291724/

A good IPA. A little light and fruity for the dark days of winter, but OK.

And the Seahawks are still alive in the playoff hunt. So for now all our Christmas dreams are still dancing in our heads.

Until New Year's Eve....

Happy Trails!

 

Happy Holidays, NBS friends. It’s a special day, so time for a special beer. I muled this back from South Bend for this day and this thread, and I was as nervous as an expectant father as my checked bag came to me at DFW this past Wednesday. It came through with flying colors, so I have the pleasure of reviewing this on my favorite thread on this site. Thank you all for indulging me.



4.69/5 rDev +0.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I’m not going to wax poetic about this beer, but it exceeded my expectations. The pour is absolute black, a veritable black hole allowing zero light to enter, with a tan head that edges towards brown, and is by all appearances rich and creamy.

The first aroma I notice is the barrel, but the sweetness of the maple follows immediately, and then the layered chocolate notes hit. Wow.

The taste has a significant amount of heat at the end, and there’s a definite maple presence mid-palate, but the biggest surprise to me is the depth of the chocolate - there is cocoa, there is milk chocolate, there is dark chocolate, just an array of chocolate flavors across the full spectrum of chocolate flavors I can discern. And, just underneath all of this chocolate decadence, a slightly bitter note from the coffee. Welcome to the party.

The feel is rich, as you’d expect, but not overtly so. This can be your primary beer, enjoyed over an hour by yourself, or it can be a dessert beer shared amongst (NBS) friends.

Exceptionally well-executed, IMHO, and worthy of the praise it receives. I loved Mornin’ Delight by TG, and this is better, again IMHO.

Happy Holidays from the ovaltines - this pic is from 5 years ago, and Ranger is just now forgiving me for the antlers.

 

I have subscribed to the winter solstice theory myself. Being an outdoors man and a summer guy, I rejoice when the shortest day of the year passes, and the coming weeks and months are brighter. I makes sense to fix Christmas shortly after that date.

 

Kept this beer for a special occasion, today was special. Christmas Eve and my daughter's boyfriend ask us for our blessings and her hand in marriage. So we are excited for her future as she graduated college last week and now engaged.

This beer is beautiful to look at, dark, inviting, creamy head that retains well. Smells of chocolate, and the taste is warm, chocolate, bourbon, maple, all blending well without any taking the stage. There is a desert like quality and alcohol warming as the beer is enjoyed each sip. I'm glad I got to savor this whale and hope you all had one too! Merry Christmas to all of you. Cheers

 

Hamms, the beer refreshing. No lies there.

 

Fireplace...

That's about it...


Half Pints Brewing - Burlywine 2017

 

#2, from one of my favorite breweries, bonus is it’s from a Minnesota brewery, and a beer I’ve been holding for nearly 2 years.



4.27/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This doesn’t look like a Berliner Weisse, with the copper color and the fluffy tan head, but the aromas are definitely to that style, with a fruity, spritzy aroma.

The taste is also aimed at the Berliner Weisse style, but there’s a component (cherry maybe?) that goes beyond the style. How a beer that weighs in at 3.9% ABV that has this much flavor and body is beyond me.

 

Sorry your new beer was a dud.
I've come to the conclusion that I prefer adding pepper myself, to an un-peppered beer, rather than have it go through the brewing process. It is cleaner/clearer/more distinct. I can adjust it to my own taste , and decide what particular pepper flavor. I do like to taste some pepper, not just heat.

My favorite version (so far): ST 2XPRESSO + Datil pepper sauce. I hope ST brings it back, but Troegs Java Head is close.

 

Here's that IPA from Ludlam Island

Starts out fantastic. Saturated pineapple, passion fruit, weedy danknees, and grapefruit peel, satin mouthfeel, dry finish. But flavors and aromas start to disappear midway through the glass, and a burn in the back of the throat develops, while a raw doughy flavor comes to the fore.

This is all typical of the style, in my experience. Stick to a half pint and it's a good beer.

 

Merry Continued New Christmas (Eve) Beer Sunday (Week 670)!

I soon realized that I had amassed a number of bottles of Flying Dog beer, so I decided to keep on keepin' once I had run through my initial beers that I set aside for the day. I continued with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/68/310682/?ba=woodychandler#review


before finishing up the initial set of choices with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/68/297626/?ba=woodychandler#review


Having segued into IPA land, I continued the trend with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/68/290851/?ba=woodychandler#review


Next up was another from their Single Hop Series, reminding me of how much I enjoy beers from this brewery:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/68/291088/?ba=woodychandler#review


I really seem to have amassed a number of Flying Dog bottles, so I decided to continue the trend by getting sort of silly and outside of my comfort zone:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/68/112953/?ba=woodychandler#review


But now, it was a case of no turning back! I could not resist another of their pepper-spiced beers & so I had:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/68/312702/?ba=woodychandler#review


& now, I have had enough for one day! It is time to snuggle up with my current sugarplum for a long winter's nap in the hopes that old Saint Nick will leave me a big whack of money. If not, I'll still be here next week for another rotation.

 

Interesting day at work today, to say the least. We surpassed our best year ever with a week to go! I grabbed a can of this on the way out and was pleasantly surprised.



https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10607/309274/

Moderate to vigorous pour yields a 1 and a 1/2 inch tan head over a very dark brown body with some lacing. Nose of roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, and an ever-present whiskey aroma. Taste follows nose very nicely with the bourbon not quite as apparent on the palate as the nose. Nice feel and overall, a very nice BBA Porter. Cheers to the other boys of Brooklyn for a job well done!

4.21/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

 

I've heard the Messiah performed live numerous times, but never in the Mormon Tabernacle. I'm jealous.

 

Very nice to see you guys having these beers on Christmas Eve, and I'm really glad to see you enjoying them. Cheers!

 

I had a Hop Hands in Oct from Tired Hands at a local bar when I was in PA. What a great nose on that beer, looked great, the first few sips were nice enough, bitter fruit, about halfway thru the glass turns out that about all it was. Just bitter as hell to the point of being a distraction, I'm not much for malty IPAs either, but that beer needed a ton more balance. Plus it was expensive, and a one trick pony, so I definately get it that 8 oz was enough.