New Beer Sunday (Week 682)

New beer #2.

LGA 2 LGB - Other Half feat. Monkish
IIPA - 10% abv
Canned 2/21/18 (25 days ago)
Score: 4.07 (-5.4% rDev)



L - 1.5 finger bright white head atop a dark, muddy, completely opaque orange body.

S - orange, some booze, some candy sweetness. Not a lot going on here.

T - boozy right from the start. Candied citrus next. Some tropical fruit flavors. Very, very sweet and boozy. Low bitterness.

F - medium-full body with typical low carb.

O - I much prefer the Monkish take on this beer. This one swings too boozy and sweet for my liking.

 

Half Acre's Daisy Capra double APA...

Clear medium-gold beer under a few fingers of thick ivory foam... Aromas and flavors suggestive of orchard fruits, ripe melon, and chardonnay... Soft and almost creamy feel - rather full-bodied, even for a "double American pale ale" - moderately sweet and bitter at the same time - definitely get some white wine grape and fruit sugars - faint pine resin lays a smooth shellac across the palate, and rounds off the overall presentation... 2/22 canning...

Cheers, NBS; here's to new beer in your glass...

 

A-Pours a nice reddish amber color with a nice head and minimal lacing
A-Aroma has nice blueberry hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a nice blueberry flavor and a nice tartness
M-A light bodied very well carbonated beer
O-A nice refreshing beer

 

Happy New beer Sunday everyone
River horse chocolate porter
Appearance.. solid black color
Body.. fairly thick and creamy,above average carbonation. Carbonation feels like the over the top you would find in soda and it takes away from the body
Aroma.. fresh made black coffee, bakers chocolate, yeasty while grain bread
Taste.. very similar,coffee is slightly bitter as well as the cocoa taste and the bitterness lingers. It's a little sweet but just enough to balance the bitter coffee
Overall.. the high carbonation knocks this down a bit on the scoreboard but it's still very solid and an enjoyable beer,glad I got an entire six pack and not just a single

 

BOOM! goes NBS! I've heard nothing but good things about this beer and finally saw a bottle on the shelf.



It definitely lived up to expectations.
A: Pitch black with a thin tan head
S: Very aromatic. Strong coffee, chili, cocoa and vanilla; everything the label says it's brewed with
T: Matches the nose; the cocoa & vanilla here are more intense than the coffee/chili; everything is quite bold and balanced
M: Full-bodied, smooth, the alcohol is very well hidden
O: Completely delicious, worth seeking out

 

Hidey ho neighbourinos!

Completely forgot yesterday was St. Paddy's day, which was all as well, since I had to work anyway. But I didn't even have a drink yesterday morning in celebration when I got home! But I DID accidentally take my purple potato shepherd's pie for lunch. Didn't even realize the coincidence until I saw how many people on the book of faces were making shepherds pie in celebration of a misunderstood holiday.
@woodychandler goodreads is great... I make great use of it myself, though your reading goals far outpace my own. I decided to set a more modest total-book-goal for myself this year so that i would not be disincentivizing myself to finally take a stab at some of the longer books that have been languishing on my list. I highly encourage anyone who has even a passing interest in their local library and what it has to offer to check it out. I especially like trying to discover new material using the suggestions based on what I've previously read/rated. You definitely have to approach with a bit of a critical mind, but I believe one should do so to most endeavours which they undertake.
This morning I finally let Maria's inspiration move me to take a picture of my dinner/...whatever you want to call this meal. The maple ham I picked up on a whim from the deli counter is just blowing me away. So good.

Also: any thoughts/suggestions/etc about making your own cheese? I've always wanted to, but have never made it happen. That ricotta looks delish (as per usual), and I was wondering if you had any insights to give us novices a peek in the right direction.

--

Impaler is a DIPA from Iron Goat, which, if my shoddy memory serves, is somewhere with which our very own @woemad may be well familiar.
Speaking of the conversation about can dating above... I couldn't find any indication of date on this here bottle. *shrug*

This one pours a classic deep amber with not a whole lot of see-through-ability, but not in the 'hazy' way that the kids are into these days, more just... a lack of transparency. It's got that glossy finish, but it doesn't have that crisp clarity through that would let you make anything out on the other side, word to RHCP and Macklemore. I may have been a touch impatient with the pour, and it yielded a massive soapy head the colour of bleached almonds with decent retention and a devastatingly handsome level of lacing.



I was a little underwhelmed by the nose. Creamy and sweet to lead me in, I keep coming back to sweet green fruits and a sticky-bun-sweet

Sweet pastry/bready malts form the backbone for the flavour as well. The hops express themselves a little better here, though. Tending towards bright and sweet I keep coming back to descriptors like floral and fruity. For some reason green apple keeps creeping in to the edge of my brain, but it really isn't an appropriate descriptor here.
Eventually the finish carries that bright fruity sweetness and pulls the ol' switcheroo into a smoothe bitter finish.
You ever been bumping along an old country road approaching an intersection and the driver doesn't start slowing down until later than you would expect? And you're anticipating this jolting *skrrrrr* stop as the brakes engage and you go from moving forward with your frame of reference to your frame of reference (the vehicle) stopping and you continuing forward? But then they engage the brakes and slowly let them up as you come to a complete stop so you know you're not moving but you never feel that transition from 'movement' to 'not movement' even though you were expecting to feel it and expecting it to be jarring? Well, that's my overwrought and overlong analogy of the day to describe the finish on this beer.
It's smoothe and dangerously drinkable for something at 8.5%.

As I investigated each individual component on its own I kept coming back to the word underwhelmed, or at best, just whelmed. I think part of it had to do with expectations (one of the best lessons I was ever taught, but still have trouble implementing, was 'don't have expectations' basically just let whatever it is, be what it be. But then this was also from the second wife of my best friend's surgeon father [she was his nurse for whom he left his wife/my friend's mother), so who knows where the lesson truly lies...), and it's entirely possible that if it were more fresh that its components would blow me away (but we'll never know on that last point... DATE YOUR CANS/BOTTLES, especially IPAs!). But the more I set aside the aspect of trying to explore each nook and cranny, the more I just enjoyed drinking a really easy to quaff old school DIPA.
I would gladly drink this one again, and I think my overall impression/memory going forward will be of more favourable than the initial impressions/each component as I tried to break it down.

Anyway, hope all y'all are enjoying your seasonal transitions.

Peace!

 

Canned on 3/12/18 called From The Morning from Tired Hands English Breakfast Tea & Honey Double IPA 8% I believe it said. Leaves big thick rings of white lace as it slowly settles. 4.5

Smell you actually get a hint of the tea immediately but not a ton, guava, passion fruit, pineapple, tangerine, and just a little hint of grapefruit. 4.75

Taste follows just the most delicate hint of tea before the onslaught of tropical flavors, so so incredibly juicy and a slight dank ness to it, with mild bitterness that just tantalizes your entire palate. 4.75

Mouthfeel is soft with just the right amount of carbonation, bigger than average, juicy not dry, but a tad sticky from all the fresh hops, and insanely approachable for its ABV. 4.75

Overall this is absolutely awesome, as juicy as it gets, thanks @TheIPAHunter for this gem. 4.75

 

Good Morning NBS
This may be the last reviewable beer my wife brought back from Memphis a few weeks ago. The rest are too old to be fair. My rule is, if you date it and it's old, I don't review, but if it's undated, I'll call it like I taste it. Judging from the BA activity, this one came out in late December.

The review:
12oz can bb 6/30/18 poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at fridge temp 6.3% ABV. The beer pours bright gold in color with off white head. The head recedes to a film and leaves some lacing. The aroma is tropical fruit salad with nothing definable. The taste is semisweet caramel with an earthy undertone. There is a hint of stone fruit in the mildly bitter finish. Mouthfeel is medium to thin bodied, adequately carbonated and mostly dry in the finish. There is a little resiny stickiness on the finish that is pleasant. Overall, good. Galaxy hopped beers sometimes don't work for me. It would have been nice to try this one fresher.

Enjoy the new beer in your glass today BA!

 

While I gave up golfing long before cracking the mediocre level I have always liked it as a metaphor for life. No matter where you are there is the optimal shot - you just have to figure what it is and execute - simple, just like golf.

This beer was chosen via a FaceTime call with my wife who had some business in WI earlier this week and stopped in a store up there. So much easier than having all the options read over the phone. Thanks dear and thanks Steve Jobs.

My choice was made on the basis of previous positive Central Waters offerings. Satin Solitude looked good off the tee but unfortunately ended up in the rough.

An imperial stout by name but clocking in at 7.5 abv barely made it tall enough to go on the ride.
Vigorously poured into the Spiegelau generated a tan head atop the mink brown beer with orange highlights. 4
Semi-sweet chocolate aroma with a touch of burnt sugar. 4
Muted flavors trying to be coaxed with warming offered only basic sweet/roasted sensation with a slightly bitter finish 2.75
Carbonation did not enhance - added a roughness that accentuated wateriness. 2.75
This a good stout but to call it an imperial is pushing it. 3.5

 

New beer #3. Picked this up after trying the Omnipollo version last week. I like this one much better.

Even More Pecan Pie Jesus - Evil Twin
Imperial Stout - 12% abv
Purchased for $5.99 at Monde Market
Score: 4.27 (+2.6% rDev)



L - 1-finger mocha head atop a black body.

S - Yum! Caramel, molasses, pecan, chocolate, coffee, fudge.

T - follows the nose. Rather sweet but not cloying. The flavors here come off as more natural than Omnipollo’s take on this style of beer. Moderate alcohol in the taste.

F - full body, low carb.

O - A wee bit boozy, but this beer delivers on its name.

 

Great brewery, I like it there a lot.

 

No Nor'Easter in 2 whole days in Coastal Massachusetts!

Toppling Goliath found in Massachusetts

Pompeii

4.5/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Can poured into a teku glass

Clear honey amber, solid two finger white foam cap, settles to a solid layer with sticky lacings

Aroma of citrus, mango, orange, candied fruit, hint of pineapple

Good citrus hop taste, I get the dark , earthy notes. Full rich flavor

Hop taste nicely lingers on the tongue, low sudsing

Excellent beer, repeatable

 

A-Pours a very nice golden color with a nice head and lacing
A-Aroma has banana and citrus notes
T-The taste has some citrus as well as wheaty-malty flavors
M-A light bodied well carbonated beer
O-Nice refreshing easy drinking beer

 

Hey what's going on!?

Man is it Spring yet??? NO... apparently... jesus... It's nicer today, but I was at my first MLS home soccer match yesterday... IN THE FRIGGIN SNOW!!!! ugh... come on man...

And now they are talking about some crazy stuff on Tuesday..

oh heck with this it's time to have some tasty beer!

And this my friends is no slouch... I am heading out later for a show...



Poured from the bottle into a teku glass.

Sudsy top, and a bit of a quick snapping fizzy dissolve on first appearances, as a tan head at two plus height fingers dissappears to a very fine pencil thin collar. Body color is a purplish ink quality, Seriously opaque without a hint of light getting through it at all. One part fascinating, the other a little visually lifeless.

That nose though is no slouch. This litteraly smells like a cinnamon roll. Doughy bread and sharp sweet cinnamon on the nose, mixing in with a pastry sweetness that gets into large marzipan almond notes. Crisp sensing brown sugar as well, practically feels like the crystals are jammed up my nose. This is though quite sweet smelling and it's a bit much, but still enjoyable for an aroma.

Palate makes a big change and impression. Rich amounts of varried flavors, all big and complicated. Marzipan, black licorice, touches of dark chocolate, cinnamon pastry swirl including the icing sugar, wine grape character and acidic soft coffee qualities that mix with a cherry fruit flavor. My mouth is exploding. Mouthfeel is big and round rich, silky but flirts with a bit of syrupy qualities, including a taffy like stickyness that gets even into bitter molasses. A little bit of fizz cuts through as well to break up the thickness too. There's also a good touch of charring bitterness on the finish which neutralizes and balances much of the sugary content for an excellent experience.

Real impressive brew, they sure didn't fool around with this one, but it's also a lot to deal with making for a bit of a roller coaster ride. But it's a dam fun one.

look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5 | BA Generated Score: 4.5

Cheers!

 

Just to balance things, I actually felt my Mom, Dad, and Uncle Seth smiling and celebrating from heaven last night as two free throws were missed by Houston followed by a buzzer beater three pointer to win for UM. Go Blue!

Will be back later, hopefully again able to take pics, (no guarantees), but definitely with a new beer to try!

 

My backup team was Creighton, which I chastised the committee for forcing them to play UVa in round 2. Ha! Joke’s on me.

My fellow UVa alum who I chat with about sports all the time got his second degree from Michigan. So he and @jvgoor3786 are with you on there

 

Terrapin oatmeal imerial stout
Appearance.. solid black
Body..creamy,thick, and about medium to slightly below medium carbonation which seemed perfect for this beer
Aroma.. espresso, cocoa, and what seemed like cream and powdered sugar.
Taste.. very similar to aroma, fresh made espresso up front then cocoa, then the cream,powdered sugar and malt finished. Mildly bitter as well as a mild sweetness but far from too much or being overpowering.
Overall.. this was excellent, I guess it could be considered a dessert beer but unlike most in that category I could definitely have more than one in an evening. The only thing stopping me would be the high abv which was really well hidden for the most part

 

Central Waters Brewing Co., Amherst WI Brewer’s Reserve “Rum Barrel Coconut Porter “, courtesy of @Number1Framer :



Poured Black/Cola brown with ruby edges at 58 degrees; thin fizzy tan cap disappeared immediately leaving tiny white flecks floating on top; no retention, ring or a spot of lace; no legs. 3.5




Boozy rum and coconut; smells like a pina colada; Capt’ Morgan on the exhale. 4.0



Rum, sugary raisins, coconut, more rum, lite caramel malt base that’s almost cola like; sweet coconut creme pie finish. 3.75

Moderate minus carbonation; medium minus body; slick tongue coating; some warmth from the 12.2% ABV. 3.5

Overall, sweet verging on cloying; lots of rum and coconut which seem out of balance with the base; for those who like coconut rum, this beer drinks a lot like a Capt’ Morgan Coconut Rum and Coke. 3.75

While I personally enjoyed the boozy nature of this beer, it’s my least favorite of the Brewer’s Reserve series. Maybe some age will help? Oh well, more b-ball and beer on today’s horizon. Cheers!