New Beer Sunday (Week 672)

I picked up that 12 pack recently, and for $18 it was a hell of a value. I enjoyed all of them, but thought the West Coast Hero was the best. Denali was up there, too, and probably the most 'unique', like you say.

 

Hey what's going on?!

No I am a reverse snowbird... I head North when it get's to dang hot in the DC area, which is pretty much all the Summer time. Now this doesn't always work out.. I had to head to Canada for Christmas this year. Just brutal cold... But then after one point, cold is just cold.. it's all the dam same... Particularly escaping it.

Anyway... The Bruery has been certainly making a mark in the DC area of late, and I for one am happy to be a guinea pig in their endeavors.

This brew wasn't on BA so I had to add it to give my thoughts. What's new for our hero today?

Humulus Terreux With Mosaic Hops | Bruery Terreux



Poured from the bottle into a Bruery snifter/tulip glass.

Rock big and frothy light white colored head right out of the bottle. Fills a solid fistfull with very fine bubbles and a creamy top. Beaming and quite clear colored body appearance, a bright to lemon yellow almost peach color like look. Big retention, like a giant piece of shaving cream left to drink on top.

Earthy and pine like hop tones on the nose, but the brett is really the star. Shimering funk like aromas with a nice hop mix and pairing, large amounts of thick herbs of dried out sage. Makes my mouth just water. Great stuff. Touches a little bit of juicy tropical notes just barely.

Palate brings some solid goods. Sharp but not steely or medicinal brett hits on first sip, bringing a good light pepper flavor and some yeasty green herbs. Hops immediately take over and come running in. Full on earthy to pine like qualities mixing in for a good compliment to the earthy brett tones, comes out like a funky forest of flavors. Less tropical sensations than anticipated, but a still impressive hop flavor. Body is a bit neutral and flirts with wetness.

The brett is quite the star here, but it's very impressive. Much of the hop character is a bit overshadowed by it, but I don't really care, it's more of a bit supportive player and that's fine with me.

look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25 | BA Generated: 4.24

Cheers!

 

Reviewing Veil's Natureboi this weekend. Got it as an extra with another BA'er this weekend. As a life long wrestling junky I had to give this one a proper review. Ric Flair was never a favorite of mine, but I can't remember a time without the Nature Boy. On to the review.



4.43/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Beer pours a murky orange yellow body that is almost identical to orange juice. Not much head was present but lacing stuck around nicely.

S: Very fruity aromas coming off the beer. Reminds me a lot of oranges and Juicy Fruit gum. Also getting a faint amount of grapefruit but oranges are the commanding smells.

T: Very hoppy beer. Picking up a nice amount of oranges and other tropical flavors. The beer has a nice amount of citrus flavors present in a smooth drinker.

M: Beer is very thick and creamy for an IPA. Very little bitterness. Flavors and feel meld well together to balance the beer nicely.

O: Very nice beer. Not much head was ever present. The feel and taste were personal highlights of a very solid beer.

 

Looks like you and @JackHorzempa have got it goin' on today! Very nice both of you.

 

Thanks for the pointer. Looked up their web site. Great pics and interesting looking beverages.

 

Good afternoon NBS, feeling this some tart saisons. Starting with Tired Hands Individuation: Faces. It is a blended saison fermented in various oak barrels. It was bottled in March 2016 and aged for 18 months in the barrel before it was sold.

4.15/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750 ml bottle poured into an Ourison glass

A- A clear amber with a three finger off-white head.

S- Tart, some peppercorns, nice funk, oak, touch of sweet bread, slightly floral.

T- Tart, lemons, touch of wine grapes, oak, funk, some peppercorns, touch of slightl sweet malts.

M- Smooth, dry, light to medium body.

O- Another tasty saison from Tired Hands.

 

Happy Sunday NBS! We are out for my mother in law's birthday and I decided on a nice local IPA today. Paladin Taverns best IPA. Overall a nice winter IPA but it's a little cold out for it.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/44428/216668/

 

Ommegang candi stout. Solid black, just above medium carbonation as well as a medium body/feel. Aroma is smoke,char, malt, and some cocoa and coffee. Taste is similar, smoke and char totally dominate, dry taste and finish. Nothing candy like with this beer, but still a well made stout that works really well as long as you are in the mood for this type of stout. Still I enjoyed it and could recommend it,I just think it wouldn't be everyones cup of tea...or beer

 

The wife and I scouted several retirement locations in the SW (including Cabo) and we visited Panama (too hot) and Ecuador (too rural), and then we moved to St. Pete 2 years ago. We absolutely love it here. Next time you visit your daughter in Tampa, set aside a day to come here and Mrs. Z and I will show you guys around!

Just got back from second long walk with the dogs...bright warm sunshine, blue skies, light breeze and 59 in the shade, (just sayin’ Doc...I’m sitting here with the balcony door open...), my kind of winter... So a Christmas Belgian White Ale from TO OL, brewed/canned at De Proef Brouwerij, Belgium - “Santastique”:



“A hazy Belgian White Ale brewed with Corriander, Cardimom,Lemon, Lime and Orange zest.”

Pours deep gold (6) with white fizzy foam; quick cap; a tiny bit hazy due to a plethora of dusty floaties; spotty lace. 3.25



Lemon rind, orange juice nose; a whiff of corriander. 3.5

Flavors of lemon, orange peel and very very lite spice. 3.75

Lite body, lite carbonation; watery. 3.25

Overall a very litely spiced Christmas beer with a citrus spin; super easy to drink; very lightly flavored and a lasting orangey nose; I like it; the beer is a pleasant change up from many of the over spiced Holiday offerings I’ve had recently; I’m a fan of this brewery, but at $5.29 5/dl I’m one and done. 3.5

Cheers!

 

I had this one when it was released last year and I have one in my cellar waiting to be cracked open in a few weeks.

 

Passaic Drift a 4.7 ABV Hoppy Lager from Twin Elephant. 2 weeks ago I wrote about a brew named for the Raritan River in NJ. This beer is also named for an NJ river The Passaic which flows about 50 yards East of the Brewery. I just hope they did not pump water from it to brew this beer.
Passaic Drift is brewed with Pilsner malt and flaked rice so I guess it's an AAL. German Lager yeast is used along with both Lemon Drop and Calypso Hops. AAL or not it's a very nice beer. It pours a pale gold color and is a bit hazy. There is a nice white head that leaves lacing, The aroma is bread and Lemon. The taste is about the same as the aroma but more lemony. The mouth feel is light and the finish is dry. A enjoyable beer that very drinkable.

 

Stillwater's Super Hop.

Pours straw yellow with a hint of fog to it. Head formation is one finger in height and white in color. Head retention is alright, with a few strands of lacing left behind. Aroma is papaya, mango, citrus sugar, and light and flaky biscuit malts. Flavor profile is a breadth of tropical citrus notes, including papaya, mango, tangerine, and passion fruit. While the aroma is a sugary sweet quality to it, the flavor profile is more balanced out with malts. Biscuit malts make up the malty base. Mouth feel is medium-thick with a smooth, velvety-crisp feel. It feels quite refreshing, with a little more body than a summer-crusher IPA. Overall, a nice IPA with good traits in all categories. It's highly refreshing and tasty.

Score: 4 | 4 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4 | BA Score: 4.13 | rDev: +5.4%

 

Poured slightly chilled and it didn't give much of a head, but every sip just coats the sides of the glass with beautiful lace and reminds me why most of us are head over heels in love with beer. Gorgeous.... 4.75 Smell is biscuit, gram cracker, toffee, caramel, dates, hint of must, and oaked vanilla. 4.5

Taste follows caramel, toffee, and dates stand out most, but it is mind numbing how truly complex this is, a real masterpiece. Oaky vanilla and rum soaked raisins keeps drifting in, as I fight myself to slow down sipping it. 4.75

Mouthfeel is boardering on large, soft carbonation as you would expect from a beer like this, maybe a tad dry, and for 11% ABV a sipper that is hard to slow down with because of its complexity. 4.5

Overall this is a style I rarely drink, but this is just an incredible beer. Very surprised I haven't seen it at all on WBAYDN. 4.5

 

Greeting NBS faithful! It's hard to believe one week of 2018 has already passed despite the bitter cold and lake snow that made parts of it feel like being locked in a walk in freezer. Hell, that would have been more comfortable!

As @lordofthewiens discussed in his opening about snowbirds, I think about it every winter, then just put on an extra layer and tough it out. I ran 6 miles this morning in what felt like spring at 18 degrees. A 15mph head wind had me cursing for a couple miles, but it passed before my breaking point. I spend a great deal of time outdoors and still enjoy the seasons. A few breaks during winter would help, but they're almost nonexistent around here with many cloudy days produced by open water still present in Lake Michigan. I'm not a fan of humidity, desert brown and triple digit temps, so I'm looking towards the Denver area one day. Snow and cold, but definitely more scenic and outdoor friendly. Closer to the desert if I have a change of heart in 10 years. Enough of that, I'm ready to drink!

Our resident artist and all around good guy @LeperJim that is a regular on the WBAYDN thread was generous enough to send me a Christmas box. This bomber of Hopping Frog of Akron Ohio T.O.R.I.S. The Destroyer triple oatmeal Russian imperial stout was part of the carnage. There's no visible date, but who cares with a 13.8% abv. Pouring the contents into what else? His glass of choice!

It pours a motor oil dark black producing a centimeter of mocha foam that quickly disappears to form a thin ring. While no lacing is present, there is a thick brown oil clinging to the glass. The smell is dark roasted malt, burnt brown sugar, figs, dates, raisins, bakers chocolate, mild tobacco and char. Taste is decadent dark chocolate, roasted malt, brown sugar, figs, dates, tobacco and a hint of char. The feel is chewy thick and oily with a velvety smoothness that masks the high alcohol content very well.

The verdict? The epitome of what the style should smell, taste and feel like. It harkens back to the time before barrel aged madness and this style was 'the shit'. This is a hearty meal in a glass, yet there's a strange drinkability that could lead to trouble if consumed too fast. I drank a glass rather quickly and I'm feeling a warm glow. I loved Stone IRS and I think I just found it's big brother. My score is 4.53 / rDev+5.1%. I've passed this beer in my ignorance a few times. Never again. Thank you Jim for your continued generosity!

I'm going to keep my rear on the couch, finish this beer and hope the second half of this so called NFL playoff game gets entertaining. Cheers to the new beer in your glass! As always the official scorecard......

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/14879/240756/?ba=Prager62#review

 

Wow! Another great side by side review/post. You guys are killing it today!!

 

Dank as in marijuana-like?

Cheers!

 

Ok, going out is done, appetite is sated. Onto a beer I have been meaning to have for about a month's worth of NBSs. The beer is from Ardent Craft Ales, a Richmond brewery I think I've posted a beer from in this thread before. For a reminder, this brewery began as a homebrewers' co-op before becoming a production brewery:

We visited their tap room in Richmond what is now about a year and a half ago, and their beers started hitting the NoVa area around summer last year. I have had the BBA version of this beer (there are at least two versions in BA), which was okay. Let's see how well I feel the base beer performs:

Pours nice and dark, with at least two fingers of light tan head. This head does provide some sheets of lace interrupted by clarity against the glass where I took a good draw.

Nose is muted when cold, but I get an earthen root note along with some very lightly charred malt. There's also a bit of wintergreen forest that is dormant in the cold of winter.

Taste starts with a lightly spiced roasted malt flavor. I'd forgotten this was a rye ale, and that little spice reminded me. It also made me re-evaluate the nose (the beer is also warming), and I do get a little bit of rye bread - maybe in replacement of my initial description of "earthen root" notes. There's a coffee astringency to the flavor as it rolls over the tongue. I'm not sure if there's a hint of citrus rind bitterness nearing the end, but at 60 IBU it is possible there is a little hop influence here. Warmth smooths the fairly dry beer and brings a little bit of a bitter chocolate aspect to the flavor.

I'd say give this one time to warm, as the dry bitter coffee feel cleans up a bit and becomes a little smoother with some bitter chocolate. The rye does play a bit more up front, and its influence lasts into a warmer beer as well. Nicely done, IMO.

 

I guess we are sort of Snowbirds, we moved from Colorado to Oklahoma 9 years ago & are now even further south in Arkansas, one of the main reasons we moved is Mrs. Powell hated the cold & wind, some times the snow, not the only reason though.

First beer up is a Lost Forty Brewing's Wandering White Hop Belgian Wheat Ale. A decent take on the Wit Style 3.99 over all


Pour a hazed honey color with 3 fingers of pearl colored head. Stays hazed, great head retention & pretty good lacing

S: Citrus, mango, great nose on this, juicy-fruit shows up late

T: Dryness, a touch of juicy-fruit, grassyness, orange zest. Pomelo, grassyness, a touch of rubber band & drynesss as this warms, some white pepper. Finishes w ith grassyness, white pepper & a little orange zest & just a little clove & juicy-fruit, plus just a little coriander

MF: Medium body, semi-firm carbonation

Drinks pretty easy, nice take on the Wit style

 

Hello BA's, hope you're warm. Today I have Hazy Little Thing from SN.
3.9/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a can dated 12/07/17 to a diagonal-cut snifter.
It is hazy, completely opaque but will pass light. Head is medium after a vigorous pour, fades to not much but lacing. There are quite large sediment pieces visible at the bottom of the glass.
Aroma is mild citrus/hop. I wonder what this was like fresh instead of 4 weeks old.
Taste is hoppy, citrus, pine sap, not too bitter, but not too fruity either.
Mouth feel is the great on this, maybe because of the oats added or maybe psychological due to the appearance.
Overall- alright.


I have read other's comments on this on various threads. Seems Connecticut is again late with a new SN release. This baby is a month old. I agree with previous comments that your first impression before smelling or tasting is that his is a SN version of NEIPA. But while hoppy and hazy it is not fruity. (Although, as I said, my can was not fresh). If we all agree on this, SN is taking a big risk jumping on the unfiltered band wagon without the rest of the fruit effect. Afterall, we constantly see BA's who don't like NEIPA's complaining that they can't get past the haze.
Watch out for the sediment!