New Beer Sunday (Week 671)

Love the glass and the beer.

 

Zaftig Shadowed Mistress

I’m not sure what a “shadowed mistress” is but it doesn’t sound like a good thing. This “American strong ale” is an interesting beer. More interesting than fantastic, but very enjoyable regardless. This should appeal to fans of American barley wines with personality.

This bottle is a year old. Color is mahogany while pouring but opaque black in the glass. Feel is thin. Tastes of licorice, chocolate, and oranges. This one is very hoppy. There’s a burnt quality, bitterness, and some tartness. I would have enjoyed it better if it was richer and less tart. Goes down easy.

This one was unique and had a lot of personality. A very interesting beer and a nice experience.

Cheers eveyone.

 

Evil Twin Sumo in Sidecar Apricot IPA. 7.0% ABV. 3.95 overall

Pours a very effervescent gold with 3+ fingers of rocky cream colored head, & floaties. Decent head retention & lacing, plenty of floaties

S: Apricot, some citrus late to the party

T: Follows the nose, some pomelo & dryness as well up front. Apricot jammy sweetness builds as this warms, along with dryness, along with a little mandirin orange & pomelo. Finishes dry, jammy with some sweet & sour citrus ( mandirin & sour orange juice )

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation, lovely balance

Pretty drinkable, not huge on apricot in this style, but this well-executed & in balance

 

Howdy all and NBS sundry!

It's full-on winter yucky here in the Brazos Valley — "yucky" meaning just cold enough and plenty wet enough to drive us golfers off the course and indoors for more than a week. We're supposed to get four or five straight freezes at night starting tonight, so my bougainvilleas are coming inside later today ... Midnight the Cat will be super happy to see his buddies.

I got off the late shift early Sunday morning and opened a gem sent from @TongoRad:


these photos suck (sorry!) ... but that octopus beanhead is something

Rushing Duck's Imperial Beanhead, a coffee porter

Make that a big, bold, beautiful coffee porter. It's packed with coffee like no beer I've had. The first few sips taste like coffee ... no alcohol, nothing else, just coffee, like a coffee soda. Over time the ABV builds up a nice background warmth, and as it warms and you get into the pint, sweet notes of chocolate show up. But overall this is the coffee-est coffee beer I've tried. Reminds me a ton of some of the better cold-brewed coffees I've tried.

Two side notes:

1. The can says it is brewed with lactose, which makes me think "milk stout," but Imperial Beanhead is not a milk stout. At least not as far as I can tell. The mouthfeel isn't thick and lumpy; the flavor isn't jacked up by sugar. The lactose seems more like a smoothing-out agent than a major player.

2. If porters are meant to be lighter bodied than stouts, then Imperial Beanhead is properly labelled a porter. It's not overly thick, no heavier than about midweight.

The review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29800/216043/?ba=Premo88#review
4.77 (+16.1% rDev)

I rated it awfully high, but I love coffee and I love beer — and I reward breweries for truth in advertising. Can says "coffee" on it, and it doesn't lie. It's like Rushing Duck brewed a great pot of coffee, hit it with a magic beer wand and canned it. And then Michael sent it to me. Thanks, Michael!

Hope everybody had a good Christmas and has a fabulous 2018!

Cheers!

 

Brickway Imperial Stag, 10.3% ABV. Pours dark brown with a nice two finger tan head. Aroma is coffee, vanilla, and vague spice. Taste is coffee and roast malt, with a moderate bitter close. Very good mouthfeel. Not picking up much spice taste and does not taste like a holiday. Overall excellent.

 

Great start. I believe you and @lordofthewiens have followed @utopiajane and @cavedave with style and grace. I'm grateful to have this little corner of BA continue seamlessly. And I thank you two for stepping up, when Maria & Dave decided it was time to pass on the torch.

As for new old, I went to BA's Extreme Beer Fest LA, and was blown away by many a great beer, some of which I'll mention here:
The Purple Kriek by de Garde
The Bull Abides IS from Bolero Snort Brewery
Buzzworthy IS by Smog City

and many others. I just need to look over ma' notes.
Be back soon.
I wish you all health, love, peace & happiness (with a tad of prosperity thrown in).
And of course...Great Beer!
Cheers All!

 

1st beer of the last day of 2017 comes to me via @bl00.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25811/315206/?ba=woemad#review
It's a fairly easy drinker at 5% abv, with a fairly low key, lemony, floral and dry herbal hop flavor. I would love to drink this on tap outside a bar on a warm day. I'm thinking it would be very sessionable in such circumstances.
Thanks, Dan!

 

I really enjoyed your post today. Cheers and Happy New Year.

 

Hello New Beer Sunday!!!

I am posting from work today for several reasons.
1 - it is cold as hell outside, so it's slow. It is so cold I refuse to use Fahrenheit, and am using the Kelvin scale, because it sounds better (251.4833333 degrees Kelvin, windchill of 237.5944444)
2 - Vikings game on, so it's slow.
3 - New Years Eve, so it's slow.
4 - I've got a party after work to go to, so I need to do it now.

So on to the new beer.

Dogfish Head Sea Quench Ale

Delicious, but would be amazing on a hot, summer day.

3.91/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a murky, lighter golden color. The head is 1 finger, white, and the retention is poor. Minimal lacing on the glass.
The nose is a funky, sour citrus aroma. Very pleasing.
Taste - Citrusy, sour, slight hint of salt.
Feel - I get a nice carbonation feel. This beer has a decent body, which I wasn't expecting from a low ABV beer.
I really like this beer, and it would be amazing on a hot, summer day.

406 characters

Well, this is it for this Sunday, and the year. May the new year bring you all great things.

See you all next week for the next New Beer Sunday, and Happy New Year!!!

 

Happy New Years Eve NBS players. A rather frigid cold day here on the island after catching a few inches of the white stuff yesterday. I use to be a good/avid skier but the more I age I find my tolerance for the cold is less and less. I don't know how you mid-west bastards do it. Staying inside and watching the Jets season come to a welcomed end.

I've never been a big fan of new years eve. It's like a second birthday reminding you about the finite of passing time. Staying home, having a little dinner, and drinking a bunch of brews. Make it go backwards and then I'll get out there with the freaks in time square screaming and cheering.

I've got a few new beers today and since I don't have to be up at all tomorrow I plan on having them. Now, despite my efforts to get them not to, my brother/sister in law always get me an xmas gift. They also do not know much about craft beer aside from that I enjoy it a lot. This year they got me the Ommegang 20th anniversary pack. Very nice and appreciated but I am just not a big fan of belgian style beers. The good thing is that the two big ones are barrel aged so I'm hoping that helps. If anyone wants the saison bm me your ad and it's yours. I simply will not be drinking that one.

My first new beer today is Barrel-Aged Three Philosophers, a quad style ale from Ommegang brewing. The brew checks in at 9.7% and has a bb date of 28July2020. Corked and caged too so it's a fitting day to pop some corks I guess.

A dark amber/ruby red color on the pour with a very full and foamy off-white head. On the nose I get spices, malt, and a sweet berry tone. The barrel is right upfront on the very first sips. Nice notes of the bourbon, booze, and charred/dry oak. A fairly smooth flow with a slightly bitter finish. The spices of the base quad really seem to hit on the end of each sip with a nice touch of the sweet cherries. Additional notes of clove, banana, cinnamon, caramel, brown sugar, toast, chocolate, and sweet dried fruits such as raisins, figs, and plums. The mouth feel is light/moderate. The ample carbonation seems to keep it towards the lighter side but the body is not lacking at all. It has a sort of mixed feel between the dry and sweet which seems to keep it interesting.

Overall, I would say it's ok but I am still just not a fan of this style. The good thing is that it doesn't taste overly belgian and the barrel really helps. Gun to my head, I would call it a 4 but there is no way I am going to re-purchase this so that just doesn't really equate. I'm probably best to just give no score. I respect that others really enjoy this and enjoyed trying it. Anyone want the abbey too?

 

Glad you enjoyed it! The coffee comes from Java Love Roasters in White Lake, NY- you'd really dig that place too if you're ever in the area. And that just may be a possibility if you're into checking out the Woodstock Museum at Bethel Woods .

 

Fantastic stuff!

Muddy Waters says time to get on that "Stuck Sparge Blues".

 

Next up is this Needsamonth from The Veil. Not sure if it actually needs a month or not, or if that was a tongue in cheek goof of a name since that's what everyone says about all their beer. Either way, I rolled the dice and finally am getting this tried out at about the two and a half week mark...



4.4/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

One of the nicer looking Veil offerings I've had, as it has a more vibrant opaque orange to it than most others I've seen. Throw in a head and lacing that almost looks like an artist's rendition, and you have a very attractive beer. Nose at first whiff was a monster kitty litter dank stinger, but once the head subsided more depth appeared in the form of tangerine and an unmistakable malt backbone. Taste is tangerine, grapefruit, garlic (its gotta have Mosaic, right?) and a malt induced syrupy sweetness to it which rounds everything out pretty well. Body is a bit thicker than I expected, as it matches that syrupy thing, plus it's somewhat dry on finish with both a dank bitter and sacharin sweet after taste. Overall it's a very good product.

 

NBS! Good bye and good riddance to 2017. Thanks for providing a place I can find friends and solace every single week! The beer doesn't hurt either. Ending the year with a beer brewed in 2013, sacrificed just before its 5th birthday.



2013 vintage poured into a snifter
A: Reddish-brown with a thin head
S: Cherry, caramel, malt, yeast, a bit of oak
T: Matches the nose note for note
M: Full-bodied, a touch sweet
O: A decent barleywine that has aged well; the oak shows its presence nicely at this age but the beer is also a bit sweeter/maltier than I'd prefer.
Overall I'm right around its slightly under 4 average.

Hoping all of you have a great 2018 and enjoy at least 52 new beers next year!!

 

I agree. Being said, I'm underwhelmed by low spice "pumpkin" showcase beers and find most pumpkin pie beers contrived and clotting. They are a nice concept, but I've tried like hell to enjoy them, only to find that I guess I'll never really dig them.

 

Haha not gonna post it but I already started it and sent first verse via BM to @rgordon I will add you to conversation

 

NYNBS volume 1-



Derailed Black Cherry Cream Ale

Erie Brewing Co.
Cream Ale / 5.00% ABV

3.73/5 rDev +16.9% | Score: 3.19
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

L- The beer pours a light pinkish gold. The head is a finger and a half of large white bubbles. The head recedes quickly to a thin ring.
S-The nose is almost exclusively tart cherry.
T- The tart cherries in the nose are the first thing perceived. They are strong enough to make this seem like a wild ale. The longer I drink the beer, the more the tartness fades and some sweetness lingers in the finish of the beer.
F- Mouthfeel overall is light with a prickly carbonation. The tartness does not limit the drinkability in any way. Something that you could consume in multiples on a hot summer day.
O- More fruit beer than cream ale really. Still it's not something I'd shy away from on a hot day. It's an interesting amalgam of styles. Part Cream ale, Part fruit beer, and part sour.

 

New Belgium Abbey Dubbel

I don't have dubbels often. Only a couple a year at best. For me, the best ones remind me of Schwartzwelder Kirschtorte... aka German Black Forest Cake.



Surprisingly, this beer... actually delivers. I'm getting all that chocolate, cherry, alcohol, and sweetness. My first (and hasty) impression is that this dark ruby colored beer is the best US version of a dubbel that I've had. How many US brewers are planning on introducing a straight-forward dubbel in 2018? Hmmm? I'm thinking the numbers are probably gonna be low. The number of people who will post in 2018 that New Belgium makes average beer? Probably quite a few. Cheers.

 

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/20680/55401/?ba=Bitterbill#review

Who better to get beers in trades than BA?
NOBODY!

Prost and have a Happy New Year!