New Beer Sunday (Week 677)

They have some connections to your area, past employ at Tired Hands and another brewery IIRC. I think cans showed up by you before they did here.

 

That glass situation you've got going on there looks amazing. Is it all one piece, or is it actually a sort of nest for the glass portion?

 

It’s all one piece. This was the prize for winning Day of the Dark a few years back. Speaking of which, I owe @LeperJim a thank-you box. I need to get on that.

 

Lagunitas cappuccino stout.,color is completely black. Body is about medium as well as the carbonation. Overall there wasnt a complaint about the feel. Aroma is black coffee,malt,coffee grinds, and some cocoa. Fairly bitter beer with that coming from the coffee and cocoa with not much hops affecting that. A little dry,not sweet but you definitely get a huge hit of coffee from it. Overall I enjoyed it and would get it again

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to mislead. I have NOT been to Rodenbach - I meant the look of reverence on the dude on the label (as well as the starting beer gut) could have been me, worshiping at the foeder.

 

I'd heard stories about spotters sitting in the parking lot at State Line Liquors in Elkton, MD, and notifying the PA state police about staters buying and returning to PA as well as rumors about the store notifying the police as well. So far, all my jaunts there have been without incident...

 

Yeah we get similar stories here in SE PA typically involving some of the liquor stores over in South Jersey or places like Total Wine which is just over the border in DE.

 

I find it absolutely ridiculous that these laws exist in PA and that they go to these types of extremes to try and enforce. It's almost like you are trying to smuggle shit in from foreign countries!

 

Such laws exist in most States. Including yours, e.g.:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/dining/drinks/interstate-wine-sales-shipping-laws.html

That's one reason it is illegal to sell beer without a license.

Also the lookout for PA enforcement is mostly focused on the bootleggers who will load up a van with less expensive booze from out of state to bring it back into PA for resale.

 

Picked this one up solely based on that 2016 GABF bronze medal hanging on it, well that and the fact it mentioned being brewed with Simcoe and Mosaic hops, I'm a **** for that combination!
Pours a mostly clear golden orange with a finger of white head.
Smells of grapefruit, orange zest, and resinous pine.
Taste follows citrus up front, some mango, finishes with resinous, earthy hops, a bit 'dank'.
Light to medium bodied with good carbonation.
Overall a pretty tasty brew that I'd be glad to try again.

 

Well now, I learned something new today.

 

BTW, one thing to keep in mind is that bringing alcohol into one state from another can indeed be very much like trying to smuggle it in from a foreign country. Each state has its own set of alcohol laws.

 

Thanks to @cjgiant for the great start to NBS. My new beer is one from Clown Shoes, Snow on the Maple Tree. It is an imperial stout aged in maple bourbon barrels and clocks in at 12.9% ABV.
The beer is black with no head to speak of.
Aroma of maple syrup, chocolate, bourbon, and vanilla.
Taste follows the nose. There is also a hint of tobacco and some late pepper.
Very smooth, very sweet.
It gives CBS a run for their money.

 

New Cheap High Gravity Lager Sunday!

Today is a good day. With heavy rains and flooding going on in the backyard. I love drinking coffee with my window open listening to the rain fall... but the reason I’m here is for this Beer!

Earthquake High Gravity Lager!



I’ll just paste my review for my thoughts/description.


24 ounce can into a Pint Glass.

Let’s get this party started! Some know that I’m a fan of HG Lagers and I like a Cheap Buzz on a Rainy Sunday Afternoon. So I’m being as honest as possible with this brew. For starters, this brew pours absolutely gorgeous for being a Lager...not Worldclass but very Outstanding! Nice deep Medium Honey Body, with some particles floating around. Transparent with decent clarity. Nice Soapy White Head that sticks around for a while. This looks exactly what I desire in a Lager...except the few particles bobing around.

The Aroma is slightly above par than other HG Lagers. Dense Sugar and Honey notes with a Rustic Grain approach. Slight Fruity Esters are present with a Cherry and Grape vibe. No noticeable booze going on. Smells pretty aight.

Da Flavah? Oh man...this hits the Palate with full force Sugar. The Fruit notes hit me second with a Cherry and slight Red Apple mixture. Some grains come through with a wet hay appeal. Some Astringency is there but not offensive. This finishes syrupy and wet...not like a Lager should. Aftertaste of slight witch hazel Astringency. The feel of this brew is decent. Nice medium body with soft carbonation.

Overall: This isn’t a bad Brew for being a Cheap HG Lager. No booze is detected and feels pretty good on the palate. Now I will pick apart what I dislike in this brew. The taste is one dimensional (not that it’s a bad thing) but that initial blast of sugar sweetness isn’t balanced. The syrupy finish doesn’t help either. When you have a sweet HG Lager, a dry/bitter finish would help cut that sweetness...this doesn’t give that option. I can’t argue, I bought this with a Steel Reserve and my till came under 4 dollars. If you want a decent HG Lager that isn’t too offensive, then this beer is worth a shot!

Grade: C+

Cheers my New Beer Sunday Crew!

 

Today is NBS - New Bell’s Sunday

Beer #1 - Larry’s Latest Sour Ale

This was surprisingly great. Color is deep gold/light amber. Head barely happened. Tastes of pineapple, restrained sourness, and a small touch of dough. Hops also add a nice zippy quality.

The beauty here is the fantastic balance with a little depth.

 

Happy New Beer Sunday everyone. I have travelled multiple times with beer / wine from Europe to the US or vice versa and have had my bag checked by the TSA nearly every time. However I have not had any problems yet with bottles being broken / confiscated so I guess the people at the TSA are doing a good job with being gentle as they check for contraband. Anyways I hope to continue to have such good luck in the future and today I am drinking a Weizenbock from Held Bräu called "Holler Busch":



The apperance is a dark, cola colored brown with a thick brown head.

The aroma is sweet and malty upfront with a bit of orange and chocolate notes.

The taste is sweet malts upfront with a bit of roasted malts that follow. Afterwards there are flavors of orange / citrus fruits and a bit of wheat. Mainly the flavors are sweet with a tiny bit of bitterness.

Overall it's an interesting Weizenbock. I think there are other Weizenbocks that represent the style much better but it is still a tasty beer. It tastes similar to the chocolate oranges that you can buy at Christmas time and reminds me more of a citrusy Doppelbock rather than a Weizenbock; but it's still an enjoyable beer. Hopefully everyone else out there is able to enjoy a new beer on this fine Sunday!

 

This murky glass holds Fokker DR1 an American Farmhouse ale (named for a German tri-plane?) from Barrier Brewing. The hazy red-brown tap pour starts with a mere wisp of foam, then quickly to no visible carbonation. The aroma is pleasantly wine-like with a bit of vinegar. The flavors include raisins and vinous notes, mellowed by wood. There is a slight sourness. It is served at about 55 deg. F, which helps to enhance the flavors. This is very easy to drink and quite pleasant.

 

The witbier is all about marriages. Spice married to fruit, hops to dryness and malt to the finish. I paired today's beautiful strong wit with White Bean and Tomatillo soup with Kale and Orange. I tried to mirror the beer in every way. the tomatillo giving a light but almost imperceptible signature tartness overall, a slight pour of the honey I infused with orange to just sweeten it to the palate. Everything roasted and just softened including the garlic. A few beans left whole to give it bite to marry with the kale. A little lime zest but no juice to drown out the tartness form the tomatillo. I made only two tortillas and crisped them in oil infused with oregano. I fried the beans in it too. Oregano was my highlighted herb today. Cheers BA's!

 

Good morning all, as it's minutes until it's afternoon here. I'm sipping on something new this morning before I head out to do a photoshoot with a couple friends. It's been a while since I've had one of the heavy hitting NEIPAs. It's amazing how much better put together these are versus other options. While I won't be breaking down differences between this and local offerings, I'll provide my review and then thoughts on the matter below (and a local alternative!)



Tree House's Green.

Pours an opaque, bright orange with a hint of yellow. Head formation is one finger in height after a slow, conservative pour straight into the glass. Head is white, with good retention and lacing. Aroma is a citrus minefield, sprinkling notes of orange, papaya, and mango over a doughy biscuit malt base. Aroma is well crafted, with a modest appeal. It's not loud, or brash, or over stuffed with citrus puree. Flavor profile is orange, papaya, mango, lemon zest, and a dash of grapefruit. Flavor profile packs considerably more notes than the aroma, carrying the 7.5% ABV beer well. There is a touch of bitterness at the finish of this beer. Malts are present, but stuffed well behind the hops storyline. Malts hit notes of biscuit, and bread. Mouth feel is just a touch fizzy, and grainy, but otherwise crisp. Its medium thickness leaves a little residue on the tongue, generating a long lasting flavor and presence on the palate. Overall, a well crafted, balanced NE IPA. It hits balanced citrus notes well, without being over the top or a show-off.

Score: 4.25 | 4.5 | 4.75 | 4.5 | 4.75 | BA Score: 4.64 | rDev: +1.1%

Personal notes: Hmmm, this tastes a little familiar.... Oh! That's why! It reminds me a lot of the new local brewery "BKS" and their Antithesis IPA. Never the less, Green is incredibly smooth and indulge worthy. Unfortunately, both the BKS beer and this are difficult to come by, otherwise I may always have a supply in my fridge.