New Beer Sunday (Week 671)

Comparing it to Black Forest Cake has sold me on it.

 

Sacher Torte is the ultimate but you can't get the genuine anywhere but in Austria.

 

Indeed, and the very best is still the Sacher Torte from the Hotel Sacher in Vienna.

 

Wrappin' up the year NBS people! I know from your posts that there were some good Sunday surprises this year. Thanks to @utopiajane and @cavedave for keeping us going into this year and thanks to @cjgiant and @lordofthewiens for bringing it home. There is no higher calling on this website that maintaining a thread that motivates people to try new beers at least once a week.
Today I have Trout of Solace from Trout River Brewing in VT. Full confession- Never heard of the beer or the brewery but my son and I decided we had to buy it based on the label art alone! Notice that the trout is not really hooked, but he has a surprise for the angler. Come to find out, it is hopped with "007 The Golden Hop" (yes it exists, Google it) along with Citra and Ekuanot.

4.09/5 rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16oz can (no date found) to a nonic.
Golden color with slight haze. Frothy beige head with multi-sized bubbles that laces nice. Maybe its the can art , beer name and the brewery name, but the head reminds me of the the foam that sits in a still eddy where the trout like to sit in a decent running river.
Mild aroma, citrus and funk. But the taste is a different story, sweet citrus front, nice bitter middle with that the malt takes it away at the end.
Mouth feel is the story of this one. Not thick but oily and effervescent, really satisfying for an IPA.
Overall- Great beer, but no so great I would seek it out.

 

Dogfish Head Midas Touch

This is one of those beers that I knew I needed to try since I never bothered to give it a shot for too many years. This is in their "ancient ale" series... which is a great marketing concept, and a great concept for producing unique beers... but (in my opinion) not something that people should treat like an accurate window onto the past. That's putting too much burden on this concept even if the makers sell you on just that.

This beer is a clear light amber. It has a brightness that's remarkable. This beer should appease drinkers who want to actually taste a list of promised additives. Honey and grape juice? Yeah... in abundance. This is one sweet beer. It delivers in that regard and is well made, but not something I'd get again. Dogfish Head just seems obsessed with chasing wine.

 

The Straub sounds worth finding. Thanks for the report.

 

There's a lot more science and knowledge of the past behind those beers than most folks realize. So it can also be viewed as "experimental" archaeology given the chemical analyses that go on behind the scenes.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-sunday-week-671.553301/

 

Sounds to me like a date with the Googles and a recipe search!

 

Looks delicious!

 

Another great Hazy ipa from revision. They are killing it.

 

Greetings NBS. My first post in this thread, I'm hoping that 2018 brings me plenty of opportunities to share in this thread weekly.

Today I'm drinking Konkey Dong from Hoof Hearted Brewing. I'm enjoying this at the Hoof Hearted Brewery and Kitchen in Columbus, OH.

Poured into a 0.4 cL glass, the beer is hazy and looks like orange juice, with just a hint of foam around the rim. Nose is pineapple, citrus, juicy. The taste follows the nose with a nice hint of bitterness to balance the tropical sweetness. Mouthfeel is pillowy soft and it has a surprisingly medium-thick body.

Overall this is a beautiful representation of a NE IPA from Ohio.

 

Good afternoon, NBS crew! Starting a bit later today due to the inevitable drunken mess that lies ahead tonight. As to @cjgiant ’s opening question, I went back through my ratings and these 3 beers came out on top in 2017:

1) The Veil/The Answer - Fire Emoji (5.0)
2) Perennial - Abraxas (4.75)
3) Fieldwork - Galaxy Sauce (4.6)

Was lucky to have multiple pours of the latter last week in Berkeley. Will likely never have my #1 again, since apparently it was a 1-off.

Onto my first new beer of the day, this one hauled back from SF.

Device - What the Haze
NE IPA - 6.5% abv
No visible canning date
Purchased for $3.99 at the Craft Room in Oakland, CA
Score: 3.87 (-4.4% rDev)



L - 1-finger airy head recedes quickly. Body is a deep yellow with only a bit of murk.

S - citrus, some hay/grass.

T - biscuit, hay/grass, and citrus. Minimal booze. Medium bitterness.

F - medium body, low carb for an ipa.

O - this reminds me a lot of Daisy Cutter, which is a positive. Not sure how this qualifies as a NE IPA though...besides the tiniest bit of haze in the appearance, the smell and taste are traditional.

 

Was lucky enough to try The Bruff when in CA. I loved that one. They really are doing great things. Better than what’s in my glass currently.

 

Back at it here NBS players. Getting back a bit to giant's opening on 2017 highlights, and thinking back, I really got to try a tone of great beers. A vast majority came from the NBS BIF's and relationships made through this site. Got to try a bunch of great beers from Michigan and Wisconsin. Specific beers would probably be Old Nation M-43, and finally getting to try Surly Darkness. I was very glad to get over to the Greenpoint brewery and was very impressed with the Other Half expansion and that they now make enough beer where you don't have to be in line at 6 in the morning to get it. I hope Sand City goes this route over the next year as well.

My last new beer today is Finder, nesipa, from Shipyard brewing. The brew checks in at 7% abv, with a 12/1/17 canning date, and it features citra, mosaic, and el dorado hops.

A rather orange/apricot color on the pour with a subtle white head. Hazed with a bit of sediment floating around. The nose is full of tropical fruit. Tangy and soft plush hops upfront with a smooth flow and finish. Lots of those typical tropical fruit notes with lemon, lime, orange, pinapple, mango, and grape. Mouth feel is moderate. Smooth and very easy drinking and the bitter is again the typical minimal. I like the fact that they did not use Nelson hops but there is a good amount of malt which seems to add to a clashing/off-taste on the finish of each sip.

Overall, just not really that good of an example of the style. It's got the typical feel but it's just not executed well enough. The hops don't pop enough and the that off-taste really getst to you. I'm in the 3.5 range here players. I'm switching over to the other beer drinking thread for the rest of the day. Until next week of course.

 

Years ago, there was a Trout River Brewing Company in Lyndonville, Vermont, it operated between the years of 1996 and 2014. However, the owners sold the label and those brands to three homebrewers in Springfield, Vermont. In 2016, they moved the brewery to Springfield where they now brew some of the old recipes and this is one of their new ones altogether.

 

Any thoughts. Things to describe the beer
Thanks

 

Sierra Nevada Go West IPA

Poured into a Ringwood Brewery 1/2 pint mug it looks fine. The aroma is a bit thin imo. Taste is quite hoppy but different to me. The mouthfeel is pretty decent. Overall I would say just it's a bit above average.
Look 3.75, Smell 3.25, Taste 3.5, Feel 3.5, Overall 3.5
Rating 3.46 -9.4%

 

Brickway Bella Diva, 8.6% ABV, 55 IBU. Pours light black with a one finger tan head. Aroma is malty and sweet, taste is malty, with a moderate bitter roasted malt close. Not picking up the advertised chocolate. OK mouthfeel, overall very good.

 

Happy New Year, fellow New Beer Samplers. And thank you to @cjgiant and @lordofthewiens for hosting this thread all year. I'd like to conclude the NBS year with something profound, or a least clever, but given the craziness of 2017 I wouldn't know where to begin. Rushing Duck is one of my favorite breweries for various reasons but primarily for its consistently excellent beer served in a wonderful setting. The brewery celebrated its 5th anniversary this year with a couple of amazing BA Barleywines and probably the hoppiest DIPA I've ever tasted. Today, I'm reviewing the BBA version of its seasonal Russian Imperial Stout, Ded Moroz, a Russian term which, according to Wikipedia, literally means "Old Man Frost," often translated as "Grandfather Frost." Ded Moroz brings presents to children and often delivers them in person on New Year's Eve, so it's appropriate to drink it today. Rushing Duck is really good at brewing high ABV, barrel-aged beers that are surprisingly delicate. Here's my review:

4.43/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Winter 2017-2018 release. Poured from 750 ML bottle into Rushing Duck Belgian glass. It pours almost jet black with dark walnut hues when held to the light, and almost a finger of creamy, cafe au lait colored head and lacing. Lots of barrel on the nose, along with molasses, burnt coffee, dark chocolate, brown sugar, and nuts. I tasted the bourbon immediately and it is warming but not overpowering. It nicely compliments the molasses, coffee, and black cherry and plum notes that really add to the character. All of the tastes blend beautifully. This stout has a silky, moderately viscous mouth feel with light carbonation, and the 11.2% ABV is amazingly well hidden. Overall, this is simply a superb BA Russian Imperial Stout. Rushing Duck is particularly adept with brewing high gravity, high ABV beers that are surprisingly delicate and where the barrel compliments the other tastes without overwhelming them.

I wish you all a healthy and happy 2018 filled with good times and good beers!