New Beer Sunday (Week 687)

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Big thanks to @Dragginballs76 that's the last of the ipas. Been saving what i thought was the best for last and i was not disappointed.
Heist brewing uberquenchl

4.7/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Pours hazy orange. Foamy, medium white head that fades slowly with lacing.

Smells tropical, pineapple, melon, orange, grapefruit and malt.

Tastes mango, guava, pineapple, grapefruit, citrus peel, light orange and caramel malt. Finish is quite dry with citrus peel and melon linger. Medium body and creamy medium carbonation.

 

NBS beer #1



I'm a big fan of the Helles style, so I was really pleased to finally find this one.

Alpenflo

Sixpoint Brewery
Munich Helles Lager / 4.90% ABV

4.24/5 rDev -3.6% | Score: 4.4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

L- The beer pours that classic golden and clear. The head is two fingers of fluffy white bubbles. This recedes to a thin film leaving patchy lacing in its wake.
S- The nose is pleasantly balanced between malt and hops. The malt is light and crackery. The hop presence is light and slightly herbal. Only the faintest hint of DMS is present.
T- The flavor profile is beautifully clean and balanced, with the nose translating to the palate. Light malts and light spicy/herbal hops make this one drink quickly.
F- The mouthfeel here is near perfect. It's light and finishes not quite dry. It's an easy drinker that can and will be enjoyed in multiples.
O- A beer that screams to be enjoyed on a hot summer day in the backyard or at the beach. A very well done American made Helles. This should be a staple in Sixpoint's lineup.

 

New beer #2. Thanks @RedhawkPoke ! Received as part of NBS BIF #7.

Coffee Nemesis - Elk Valley
Imperial Stout - 9% abv
No visible canning date
Score: 4.19 (+5% rDev)



L - this beer is a gusher! Explodes out of the can. 2-finger hazelnut head atop a black body.

S - chocolate, coffee, toffee, molasses, caramel, roast.

T - smooth coffee, covered in chocolate. Caramel biscuit middle. Low bitterness, low sweetness, low booziness.

F - medium-full, creamy body with medium carb.

O - a rather great coffee beer. I dig this a whole lot. Would never have guessed this was 9%.

 

???

What are your impressions of the new beer that you are having today?

 

Diving into a collaboration "farmhouse wheat beer fermented in an oak foudre" this morning while I pack up a trade and an extras box.



Jester King + Live Oak Brewing Company's Foudreweizen.

Pours a slightly foggy orange with a finger of white fizzy-head that dissipates quickly. Aroma is lemon and orange zest, oak, lemongrass, and peach. Aroma comes off a touch sour, preparing the palate for a sip. Flavor profile is peach, lemon zest, oak, and biscuity, bready malts at the back. There is a light sourness to it, just enough to lightly tension the jaw, but not pucker the face. Mouth feel is smooth, and when combined with the light touch of carbonation gives it a crisp feel. It has a medium-thin consistency. Overall, its splendid smoothness, mixed with a light sour twinge makes this a lovely sipper even with the lower ABV. It's a pleasant, but not drastic, twist on standard wheat and foudre beers.

Score: 4 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4.5 | 4.25 | BA Score: 4.26 | rDev: -2.1%

Bonus review. Recently logged several beers that I had taken notes on in local breweries and stumbled upon a beer I rather enjoyed both sampling and writing about, so here it is:

Boulevard's Test Chocolate Cookie Stout.

Wow.

Pours black with a finger of dark khaki foam that continues to bubble up for a moment after the draft pour is done, but dissipates pretty quickly. Aroma is a mix of baker and milk chocolate, with cream, lactose sugar, and roasted malts behind. It has a pretty hearty aroma, warning the sipper that this is no dainty stout. Flavor profile packs a punch, knocking out notes of baker's and milk chocolate, toffee, and roasted and toasted malts. Cream comes through a little weaker in the flavor profile compared to the aroma. Mouth feel is thick and velvety forming a hearty, lovely texture. Overall, "just amazing" according to my notes. Chocolate is very apparent and wonderfully done. It tastes like a blend of Oreo-like cookies, but without being overly sweet or sugary.

Score: 4.25 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.25 | 4.5 | BA Score: 4.46 | rDev: +0.0% (first review/rating)

Why hype up another dessert stout? Because simply put - I think this beer deserves it. It's not cloyingly sweet, nor does it come off as fake or artificial. It's just a damn good stout loaded up with chocolate and cream.

 

I had way too much to drink on Friday, need all of yesterday to recover, but I’m ready to go for today!!! @FlintB hit me with a massive thank you box and I finally get to try some Transient IPA. First up is Transient Friends Forever since my 4-pack holder had a broken tab and it feel out, I guess I will just have to drink it now
4.13/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Big thanks to FlintB for this
16 oz can poured into a teku

A- A very hazy golden orange with a small white head

S-Dank, some wet grass, citrus, some stone fruits, some tropical fruits.

T- Stone fruit, floral, citrus, touch of tropical fruits, dank.

M- Smooth, medium body, a little creamy.

O- A really nice IPA, I usually am. It a fan of El Dorado hops but it works in this.

 

Got home last night after a 3 day stay in Cape May NJ. There are many good reasons to visit Cape May and beer has become another one, There are 6 breweries open now, one is opening in May and others are planed. I visited 3, Cape May Brewing, Cold Spring Brewing and & 7 Mile Brewing. All the beers were at least good. My NBS beer is Coastal Evacuation an 8% ABV DIPA. Good brew , It's a bit hazy with an off white head The aroma and the taste are about the same Malt and hops, The mouthfeel is full the finish a tad sweet, Nice stuff

 

That looks more like a meteor strike than a boo boo! That wound needs some ocean water.

 

Oh, definitely. These days you have to be extra careful with open wounds. I know two people in the past month or so who were too casual and wound up with a serious antibiotic-resistant infection. One of them was actually mrsa, and that guy wound up in the hospital hooked up to intravenous ab's, and needed surgery to remove all of the dead skin afterwards. All from simple little cuts from doing the gardening and such. The advice they were given was to clean them out immediately next time and apply hydrogen peroxide or alcohol right away. Scary stuff!

 

Happy Sunday NBS players. A beauty of a, dare I say, spring day here on the island. Sunny as all hell with temps at 60 right now. Not doing to much today other than enjoying the weather, some Mets b-ball, and slowly working my way back home.

My first new beer today is Revialists, apa, from NOLA brewing. Thanks again to @colts9016 for this one via the nbs bif box. I never made it down to this brewery during my trip last year to Nola. The brew checks in at 5% abv and I cannot make out the exact can date other than its 2018 year.

A pale, orange color, on the pour with foggy clarity, ample carbonation, and a foamy white head. The nose is light with bready malts. A mix of sweet/tangy hops hits uprfront, on the initial sips, with a decent backing of grainy/spicy malt tones. A nice smooth flow with a fairly subtle bitter finish. Nice fruit notes of peach, grape, mellon, and apple. Pretty decent balance that seems to sway a bit more to the hop profile. The mouth feel is light/moderate. A crisp, refreshing, and semi-dry feel that seems to drink a bit bigger than its abv.

Overall, this is pretty good stuff. The minimal bitter really seems to take on more of the modern hopped up ipa profile. But it’s really nice drinking if you’re looking for a low abv option. I’m right around a 4 here players-which seems to be right in line with its ba score.

 

I really like this one. Glad you liked it.

 

New beer #3. In terms of the latest drop of Foreign Objects ipas, I rank Wet Gravity #1, Chaos Therapy #2, and this one #3. Still good though.

Death Posture - Foreign Objects
Ale with hops - 8.1% abv
Canned 4/3/18 (19 days ago)
Purchased for $6.49 at Beer Heaven
Score: 4.0 (-1.2% rDev)



L - 1.5 finger offwhite head atop a murky yellow body.

S - grapefruit, pine, caramel malt, dank.

T - piney dankness. Grapefruit is there too. Some harshness in the middle. Moderate bitterness, no sweetness, low-moderate booziness.

F - medium body and carb.

O - dank-forward, but also lots of other nice flavors going on. I prefer their more citrus and tropical-forward brews though.

 

There's a saying here in the Ohio River Valley, "hold my beer." It usually means the individual speaking these words is about to do something ill advised or blatantly stupid. @cjgiant, hold my beer...

I couldn't resist a side by side of these two, but 12% + 10.5% = trouble. I'm entering my NBS post now and will put in a review for Rye on Rye later.

Facts from packaging: RoR bottled 7/23/17 with a best by date of 12/4/19 12% ABV 33 IBU
6P canned 3/7/18 10.5% with a label advising that up to 18 months of cellaring is OK.

Looks are nearly identical with muddled, red, brown amber color and short lived off white head. Rye on Rye has some snow globe activity, but I purchased it warm 6 months post bottling. 6P retains just a bit of head, RoR does not.
Aroma is faint on both with vanilla, oak and rye present.
Taste is rye dominant in the Boulevard sample both with rye malt and rye barrel. There is a caramel rye sweetness as well. The 6P beer is even more rye malt focused than RoR. With 6P there is a touch more spice and, less overall barrel (specially rye). 6P is smoother, more oaky.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, medium lowly carbonated and mostly dry on RoR. The is some alcohol heat showing up in the taste. 6P is medium bodied, adequately carbonated and mostly dry as well.
Overall, both are excellent beers. The RoR is a bit more barrel focused and abrasive. The 6P is smoother and more malt focused (and economical). I recommend both really. Be advised that if you're not a huge barrel aged beer fan the Righteous Ale is pretty mellow right out of the gate and doesn't need to age. The Boulevard is more in your face with the barrel.

Hope you are enjoying the new beer(s)? in your glass today friends! I'm out for a long while. Cheers!

 

NBS beer #2---the dreaded lactose addition



Lushsicle

Frost Beer Works
American Double / Imperial IPA / 8.00% ABV

4.37/5 rDev +3.1% | Score: 4.24
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

canned 04/04/18

L-The beer pours somewhere between gold and orange. It's hazy, but not to the level of many NEIPA's. The head is a good 3 fingers of off white irregular bubbles. As the head recedes there is a thick curtain of lace left behind.
S-The nose is similar to regular lush with those wonderful tropical fruits reminiscent of pineapple and mango.
T- Here is where I start to take notice of the lactose addition. Normally the nose translates brilliantly with waves of juice. In this iteration those flavors are muted slightly, appearing, but not quite popping like they normally do. Bitterness is also a touch less sharp, leaving the whole feeling slightly less bright than the base beer.
F- The lactose does have the desired affect here. The overall mouthfeel is creamy and full. Carbonation is similar to the original in that it's light and allows the beer to coat the tongue.
O- A decent variant of one of my favorite DIPA's. The lactose addition is mild and does not overwhelm the beer. The lactose does improve the mouthfeel, but at the expense of some of it's tropical brightness. I'd drink either readily, but still prefer the original.

 

New Beer Sunday: A New Hefeweizen

Afternoon NBSers with a heads up for those who are interested in enjoying the results when collaboration beers work.

I’m done with my first round of yard work--some pruning and some garden weeding--so I thought I’d treat myself to a rare mid-day beer and a special treat for lunch as part of my prep for the afternoon round of chores. I’m currently fixing some Weisswurst and some soft pretzels that will have sweet mustard on the side. (Soft pretzels with mustard are actually a popular food item in this area of the country so you can buy a reasonably well done batch that are frozen and ready to just heat and eat).

This afternoon’s new beer is the Weihenstephaner/Sierra Nevada collaboration, a Hefeweizen called Braupakt (Brew pact).

As usually, my review, subject to revision until the beer is finished, can be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/252/326172/?ba=drtth#review


This beer is a very nice combination of two brewing traditions with what seems to be the best of both playing nicely together. The aroma/flavor profile include stone fruits (peach, apricot), some citrus, a bit of caramel, some banana and clove along with some light earthy bitterness. Everything works well in this beer for me and I’d say it is an excellent example of what a collaborative brew can be at its best. As @JackHorzempa and others have pointed out this beer is a home run and one to seek out. (BTW, a bit of a warning, don’t forget when doing your pour that this beer is a Hefeweizen and creates a head that shows it.)

Cheers, all!

 

Beer number two is Tired Hands HiFi brewed in collaboration with their friends at the record store in Ardmore, PA for Record Store Day, so it only feels right to drink this with the Record Store Day release I picked up yesterday, Rage Against The Machine - Democratic National Convention 2000.

4.38/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

16 oz can, dated 4/20/18, poured into a teku

A- A hazy light golden straw with a two finger white head.

S- Watermelon with some rind, tropical fruits, some cantaloupe, some citrus, mild earthiness and a little piney.

T- Citrus, melons, mainly cantaloupe with some watermelon, piney, slightly earth, no noticeable malts and no alcohol.

M- Smooth, light, very dry.

O- A very enjoyable IPA from Tired Hands, love how dry this is.

Full shot of the label

With the RATM vinyl

Cheers!

 

Megalodon from Burnt City Brewig in Chicago.
From an undated can, pours a foggy yellow, frothy white head and some nice lacing. Citrs and pine aroma, flavors follow with some sweetness in the finish. Not too shabby, called it a 3.75.

 

New beer #4. I’m surprised how much I like this. Guess I’m a scotch fan?

Islay - Goose Island
Scotch Barrel Aged Imperial Stout - 13.4% abv
Bottled 12/5/17
Purchased for $4.99 at Beer Heaven
Score: 4.29 (+4.2% rDev)



L - massive 3-finger mocha head atop a deep dark black body.

S - smoke, peat, charred bacon, liquid smoke, burning animals.

T - bacon-forward. The smoke here is intense but I like it. A bit artificial tasting but not overly so. This tastes like a liquified meat smoothie. Peat all over. Low bitterness, low-medium sweetness, low booziness.

F - full bodied with minimal carb after the pour.

O - I get the low reviews, but I personally love this. 13.4% is extremely well hidden. It’s like a meal and an after-dinner drink all in one.

 

I took this school vacation week off to burn my five extra V-days from last year. oh and to be with the missus, of course! We managed a trip up to Jack's Abby and enjoyed nine new beers between the two of us - tasters, of course. We had their fantastic coal oven chicken wings and a pizza with arugula and a hefty dose of prosciutto...delicious. Dissappointed to find that Springdale opens at 4 pm though...bit of bummer there. Highlights were the Blood Orange Wheat, Pearl Wit and a red/golden sour from Springdale, Dawn of the Dunkel (which had a nice root beer aspect to it), Dinkel Herb (a kellerbier which is a new style for us), and Good n You frresh tapped from Sprindale. Split decision on Graham Cracker Framinghammer, one one beer that made no sense that was Heavy Trommel ( another kellerbier but I fail to believe it is supposed to taste that way - unbalanced). So a good trip overall. Nine beers sampled in all, and only one that was not to our liking.

Two other new beers during the week from Smuttlabs.

Smuttlabs Nott which I found confusing. Dark saison...not really, but not in the porter/stout family either.

Smuttlabs Red Wine Barrel Stallion that is a delicious concoction with nicely layered flavors. Ample malt character, excellent contribution of tannins and wine flavors, nice oaky presence.

I will be bacl this evening with a proper NBS post. Until then, happy Sunday and may your glass be full.