New Beer Sunday (Week 685)

Back with another from @superspak ‘s BIF box.

This time, Boss Tweed from Old Nation. Having thoroughly enjoyed M-43, I was super excited to see this in the box, and it delivers on all fronts. Highly recommended!



Poured from 16 oz can dated 3/13/2018

A: Completely cloudy orange tinted yellow with smallish one finger head. Moderate retention and light lacing. Looks a little like a pineapple smoothie.

S: Pineapple, orange, mango, and ripe melons mixed with subtle herbal notes.

T: Pineapple juice, orange, mango, and grapefruit. Extremely juicy with an acidic tone. An herbal component that I can’t quite place my finger on.

M: Medium body with prickly carbonation. Soft texture that is typical of a NEIPA.

O: Excellent DIPA. Looks like I need to track down some more beers from Old Nation.

 

Hey there my BA amigos!

I have two Other Half collaboration beers to share with you today. To me, most collaboration beers usually disappoint. I’m happy to say that both these beers were excellent and I’d be happy to have them again (unlikely but hey, it’s worth mentioning)


Other Half x Hoof Hearted- “Yeah, From The Chairlift!”

Poured from a 16oz can into a tulip glass. Hazy blonde in color with a thick white head. Aroma is of modern fruity hops, mainly peach and pine. Flavor is heavy on the tropical fruits; pineapple and tangerine notes. Dry finish. Overall this is a good collaboration between two popular breweries. Well done 4.3/5





Poured from 16oz can into a tulip glass. Hazy light orange in color with a thick white head. Aroma is bursting with citrus and tropical fruit (mango). Flavor is equally as fruity as the nose suggested; notes of peach, nectarine and a bit of honeydew melon. Clean, slightly dry finish. Overall another great Other Half collab that I’d love to see again 4.5/5



Cheers everyone!

 

I'm starting in on my Mystery Beer from @jdell15 -


Very preliminary, but this really needs to warm up a bit, even from the beer fridge. I'm getting the feeling that it's still pretty closed at the moment. But initial suggestions are of bitter dark chocolate, something woody or vinous or smoky (maybe all three ), and something spice-like, but probably not Belgian. Yeah, that's all pretty vague at the moment, but I'm going to watch the tube a bit, and enjoy this as it hopefully opens up much more. Be back later!

 

Excellent Gose. Great head retention for the style. Aromas and flavors of big juicy/tart/tangy raspberries, fruit skin, cranberry, strawberry, lemon, lime, pear, green apple, red grape, rose, sea salt, coriander, hay, straw, and grass; with moderate wheat, crackery malts; light pepper, lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness, fruit tang, and light yeast spiciness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation, light-medium body, and moderately crisp finishing. Balanced bready/grainy malt, lactic acid, and fruit tang/tannins in the mouthfeel. Light stickiness and salinity. Moderate increasing acidic/tangy/carbonated dryness, mildly puckering. Very flavorful/refreshing, 4.2%. Another spot on Gose as expected. Great balance between the Lacto, raspberries, and rose hips; with a solid pale/wheat malt backbone against acidity. Not overly salty or lactic. Fruit does not dominate the beer, still tastes like the style intended. 4


More @MacMalt BIF beverages. Excellent NEIPA. Opaquely murky green color once again(same as Gathering Clouds). Aromas and flavors of big tangerine, grapefruit, peach, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, berry, citrus peel/zest, and light pepper/pine hops; with balanced wheat, biscuit dough malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Very mild pine, zesty, herbal, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; very creamy/bready/grainy wheat/oats and some sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing lingering bitter dryness, no hop astringency. Very easy drinking, 6.8%. Spot on soft feel for the style. Great showcase of Kohatu, Vic Secret, & Rakau hops. Very juicy and lightly dank hop complexity; balanced bready malts and not overly sweet. Was not as impressed as I was with the Gathering Clouds, but this is spot on stuff. 4


A super local brewery to me, 10 minutes to downtown Pontiac. This was very good. Flavors of big grapefruit, tangerine, peach, pineapple, apricot, lemon zest, orange peel, citrus rind, pepper, and pine hops; with moderate caramel, toasted bread malt balance; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Similar/muted aromas. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; balanced creamy/bready malts and sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Some resins/rinds, increasing bitter dryness, no hop astringency. Very drinkable, never overly aggressive, 6.5%. This is really enjoyable. A bit malty, but not overly sweet for an IPA. Classic Chinook, Columbus, Cascades. Balanced juicy/dank hop complexity; and dark/bready malts. Look forward to more from them. They are still really new, so doing pretty well IMO. 3.78


Cheers, have a good night NBS.

 

From an IP trade this past winter.
My first Fonta Flora and I'm impressed!



Moderate to vigorous pour yields a less than 1/2 inch white head over a slightly hazy golden body with no lacing. Head dissipates down to a very thin ring in a matter of minutes. Nose of funk and fruit. I have no knowledge of paw-paw whatsoever, but the beer smells like a cross between sauvignon blanc grape from the wine barrel and some kind of kiwi-like fruit. Tastes sour with wine-like flavors dominating the palate. Good feel and overall, an interesting offering from Fonta Flora (my first!) Cheers!

4.16/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

 

Turning Point Single Hoptions IPA

Evening, BAs. It's been such a fun thread today, I think I'll have at least one more new one from the generous @r0rschach. Thanks again, John!

This comes from what I understand is a new brewery -- or at least a newly-canning brewery -- called Turning Point. I had one other from them that was really tasty (Shake Zula with Apricots). This is one is built around enigma hops.

Single Hoptions pours a hazy orange color with a finger-and-a-half of off-white head that's relatively quick to settle into a decent crown and some sloppy lacing.

It has a big, spicy hop aroma with a burnt herb character, and a little tropical fruit behind.

The taste follows the nose with mango and other tropical fruit hiding behind big, toasty herbs. There's a slightly chalky bitterness that mixes with the tropical juiciness on the backend.

Medium bodied feel with a great prickliness from the carbonation.

This is an interesting IPA. You'll either love the hop profile here or you won't. I just had another herb-forward IPA that I liked quite a bit better. To my taste, the burnt quality here is a little much. I probably would have preferred the enigma mixed with one or two others to mute that characteristic a little. Nonetheless, it's still a high-quality beer that's a pleasure to try. Cheers!

 

Its been a busy weekend! Went to a wedding last night and today was filled with recovery from that along with house hunting. I'm off to a later start beginning with a mystery beer from @ovaltine

Hoppy smell detected immediately upon opening the can. Pine and citrus notes
Pours a nice honey color, head is large bubbles. Copious at first it settles to around half inch.
The beer smells of bread, slight citrus and mint notes. Some sweetness and funk on the back end.
Taste is lime, grapefruit, followed by bread and mint notes. Sweet notes give way to a more bitter and dry finish that reminds me of brett.
Mouthfeel is medium, was more effervescent but becomes flat as the beer sits.
Overall this beer is an interesting one, not bad at all but a few elements clash. My guess would be a belgian style IPA. Glad to try something different, I love the mystery beer aspect of the BIF. Its really helping to grow my appreciation for different styles. Thanks to @ovaltine for both the beer and the glass!

 

Hello, NBS. Good to join you.

Spring has sprung around here, a couple weeks behind schedule. Looking forward to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Kings made it this year, but I can't say I'm overly enthused to be facing Vegas in the first round. Playoff hockey is the best hockey!

Anyway, on to beer!



Novel seeing Jackie O's on shelves around here. My first beer from Ohio. I can say I've visited the state, and the Jolly Green Giant statue within, but that was on a road trip taken before the beer journey.

Dig the bottle art. Reminds me of Mike Mignola.

No bottle date so far as I can see. 10.5%, cool but not cold.

Pours cola brown from the bottle, but sits black in the glass. Mocha cap stays the whole way down, leaving minimal spots of lace.

Smells of roasted malt, char, toffee, chocolate.

Initially too boozy and thin, but halfway through my palate adjusts/the carbonation dies down enough that it becomes like drinking a glass of rich dark chocolate with a hint of molasses.

I was disappointed until the second half, which was beyond delicious. Go figure.

 

That beer is ..... Jade from 18th Street Brewery in Hammond, IN.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31042/116356/

 

Good evening NBSers!

This has been a frustrating week for me. On Tuesday @larryi86 hits me with an amazing box of east coast hops:



All new breweries and new ticks for me, so excited! Which is where the frustration comes in. I wake up Wednesday sick as a dog, to the point where I have to miss work. I immediately begin a rest and hydration regimen with only one goal in mind: getting my face in a glass full of those hops.

Long story short: mission accomplished. My senses are mostly back online, but still, maybe take this with a grain of salt.

Lush Life from Tired Hands, an extravagant triple IPA canned 3/26. My first brew from Tired Hands.



Pours like extra murky grapefruit juice. Robust fluffy white head with high retention. Cracking the can gave me a blast of green hops, but as it settles into the glass I get pineapple, mango, and cut grass. Extremely creamy on the palate, oats definitely in play here. Touch of vanilla, more citrus juice, and finishes with grapefruit rind.

Nice beer, glad I got to try it. A lot to unpack here... and it's gone.

Thank you Larry!

 

Awesome! Thanks for linking. Great label art on a really cool beer.

My next brew tonight is Tomorrow Who's Gonna Fuss? by Singlecut.
Pours a hazy gold color, head dissipates quickly
Nose is resiny, pine, bread, lemony notes, slight alcohol.
Taste is lemon, orange, vanilla, big bitter notes follow.
Mouthfeel is full, but not too thick. Soft carbonation.
Overall I'm finding that I love the triple NEIPA style. Great balance of bitter, sweet, and big,

 

Hello NBS! I am back from running some errands, and decided to open up Rainbow Dome from Grimm. Here is my opinion of the brew.

Drank from 16oz tulip glass. Bottled during January of 2018.
Notes on the bottle: Best served at 40-45 Fahrenheit. Best served in tulip or wine glass. Keep refrigerated, and drink fresh.
This beer is 5.4 ABV.

Look: 4.0
Nice translucent yellow color, very vibrant. Hazy a slight hazed or unfiltered look. I achieved about 1 & 1/2 fingers worth of head on a slow pour. No lacing left in glass.

Smell: 3.75
I pick up on tangerine, pear, papaya, and apricot (though I know there is apricot since it says on the bottle). Some peach, lemon and grapefruit also present. The thing that is off putting is the hop aroma, which combined with the things noted above, I don't find all that appealing. As I get a big nose on the beer, I can pick up on some oak smells.

Taste: 3.75
I appreciate that this beer is more sour rather than tart. The apricot is actually detectible, couple with a pear and tangerine presence. The dry hopping adds a nice addition to the taste. It isn't necessarily bad, it just isn't up to par compared to other Grimm offerings I have had.

Feel: 4.0
Light and crisp, with a medium feeling body. Carbonation seems moderate to high, bordering more on the high side. It coats your tongue, and leaves a residual sticky residue.

Overall: 4.0
This is an easy drinking offering, but not my favorite from Grimm. I wish I could pick up a little more oak character on the taste, but it isn't a deal breaker. For 5.4ABV, its light and east to drink, but hard to justify being a little more on the pricey side.

Final BA Score: 3.84
Cheers!

 

Greetings All from the Columbia Basin where it is not as wet or windy as forecast.

Today we have March Forth.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/936/277616/?ba=RJLarse#review

Not a great IPA. The orange flavor feels a bit forced.

We are in kitchen remodel week 6. It has turned out pretty well, and we are down to the small, but time consuming stuff. I am ready to wrap this project and start working outdoors. And maybe play some golf.

Until next time,

Happy Trails!

 

Hey all, happy NBS, and thanks for the early-morning intro, @cjgiant. I’ve been enjoying everyone’s posts as I checked in periodically throughout the day. My first beer for today is a local German-style Pilsner that I actually had about 9 hours ago. I scribbled down my review at the time, but I’m just now sitting down with enough time to share it here, after adding this one to the database. I really enjoyed this one from St. Boniface in Ephrata, PA.

Commonplace Pilsner-





Here’s my official review-

4.21/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Look- pours crystal clear pale gold with a billowing head that settles to about 1/2 finger

Aroma- begins with a somewhat sweet light bready note followed closely by spicy and grassy hops

Taste- follows the nose w/the same malt and hop qualities, along with a firm hop bitterness. The grassy notes also have a pleasant subtle fruitiness to them, an almost grape-like quality, that I really enjoyed. The spicy hops sort of dance around in the background but are definitely noticeable.

Feel- light bodied with medium carb and a dry bitter finish

Overall- solid take in a German-style Pilsner with the aforementioned unique subtle fruity quality to it that really enhanced the drinking experience and made me want more and more.

 

Mystery beer time! Courtesy of @WesMantooth from the NBS BIF.
Duff beer!

I really wish I could've done this without even seeing the color because I would've bet money it was gonna pour black as night. Smelled the bottle before I poured it and thought, oh cool a nice adjunct stout! Coffee and cinnamon hit me right off the bat and then go to pour it and was totally surprised.

Blonde stout? I've had some blonde coffee ales before but the cinnamon is so strong in a great way. Getting lots of sweet chocolate/vanilla dessert flavors as it warms up. Mouthfeel is great, really works well and makes you think you could session this beer and get all the nice familiar coffee stout flavors without the hefty body. I could crush this beer on the reg.

I love the choice for the blind beer because this is a headscratcher for sure and I'm really digging it, whatever it is.


Ahhhhhh there it is. Clear Sky cinnamon toast brunch version from Wolf's Ridge. Love the name! Can't wait to try the dire wolf, this is the first tick from Wolf's Ridge for me.

Awesome choice for the blind beer man! Really enjoyed it!

 

I did make some more mental notes as the beer warmed, and it's just about gone now. Here's the order I wrote them in:

- Color is more brown than black, yet the style is elusive. If I had to pick something it would be Imperial Brown Porter. Flavor favors chocolate malts, with a slight nod towards espresso.
- Gravity is moderate, not a whiff of alcohol at all. 7.5% to 8% if I had to guess, no more.
- Hints of dark fruits deep down are akin to prune or even tamarind. Not as an added ingredient, however, there's a more natural yeast/malt character there.
- It's been driving me nuts, but this beer seriously reminds me of something I've had before. And now it has come to me......Stone Vanilla Smoked Porter(!!!).
- There's an astringency on the finish, and the base beer seems to be way too dry to compensate. This part reminds me of the Brown Malt that we has available to us in the 90s, and of a porter I made that had the same issue. That beer took forever to condition, and I'm getting the same quality here. Bitterness also seems too high as a result.
- The smoke is subtle, yet overly 'charred' at the same time. I doubt German smoked malts are involved.
- At its best at nearly room temperature, where the flavors are more rounded and not as angular as when even slightly chilled.

So, yeah, my guess is that it's a Vanilla Smoked Porter of some sort, and the spiciness I originally detected is actually from the vanilla beans.

And now, the reveal:



7% Smoked Vanilla Stout from Belgium (should've gone with my original instinct on that one ). I may have danced around it, but am pretty happy at how close I got . Maybe it's the smoked wheat malt that's giving me that quality that wasn't quite working for me.

But in any event, this was a real thrill and pleasure to try to grapple with. In the end I still think the beer needs some tweaking, but I really appreciate how @jdell15 managed to send me a beer that simultaneously played to my preferences yet also threw me a curve. Thanks again, man, this was a great experience!

 

I bought a mixed pack too thinking that one was the Mosaic or Simcoe, but got stuck with the same very mediocre beer.

 

My favorite thing about all the variants the Clear Sky Cream Ale is how the cream ale still comes through amidst the adjunct flavors. That, and it’s nice to get those coffee, vanilla, and cinnamon flavors in something that isn’t 12-15%.

 

Last one for tonight is another brew courtesy of @ovaltine

Pours a deep black with mocha head
Berry on the nose, followed by dark chocolate and coffee
Taste is chocolate, berry, coffee on the back end intermingles with some berry and grape notes
Mouthfeel is medium, lively carbonation for a stout. Finish is drier.
Overall, this is very tasty. Fruited stouts can be hit or miss for me, these flavors taste natural and are well balanced. Thanks again @ovaltine!