New Beer Sunday (Week 687)

Last one, another @jhavs beer and @Ozzylizard glassware joint.



Note: I watched the John Kimmich video about this beer before I tried it - Mosaic/Columbus hop combo. I am ready to eat my arm to get at this beer.

4.38/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a cloudy copper color with a big ol’ tan head. The nose is dank citrus hops, with a spicy component tacked onto the back end.

The Mosaic hops dominate the taste, with dank citrus flavors drawing your attention, but there’s a spicy flavor from the Columbus hops that is a really nice dance partner for Mr Mosaic.

The feel for this 5.0% ABV beer outweighs the ABV - how does Alchemist pack this much flavor and body into this low-alcohol beer? I’m flummoxed.

This is outstanding, IMHO, approaching world-class.

 

I saw something interesting in a style I’ve had before, but this is my first actual purchase. I loved the New Glarus fruited beers I’ve tried, so I saw this Flanders Red Oud Bruin from Ommegang.

So it’s Rosetta ale aged on cherries, 5.6 abv. Beautiful pour almost purple in color, thick creamy head and it held nicely till the end. Nose is fruit a bit funky, like old over ripe cherries. Tart sour cherries obviously, tastes like over ripe fruit, not really funky but just a hint, light body, nicely carbonated. Pleasant finish a bit bitter, I thought it would be sweeter but it’s kinda dry, taste like a cherry pit maybe. Refreshing sipper of a beer, not expensive, worth a buy. Very similar to NG Oud Bruin, and for someone who doesn’t particularly like sour or funk I really like this particular style.

 

Good evening, everybody! What a beautiful day we had today. I had a bunch of work to get caught up on, but I didn't let that stop me from enjoying it- I just took my laptop out onto the back deck and worked from there. I the old days I would have had to drag out the whole drafting table, so God bless modern technology .

I think I've earned a beer in any event. Here's an interesting one from our BIF, sent to me by @jdell15 :


Great Raft Brewing Farmhouse Slang, a saison with brett and dry hopped with galaxy.

The aroma starts out quite unique and intriguing. The hops aren't playing up a floral/fruity aspect of the beer but instead are coming across as quite dank and earthy. Right up front is a dark evergreen, borderline rosemary quality. Some barnyard comes on next, while underneath it all are some subtle fruits- kumquat and apricot. But through it all, and especially after a bit more swirling, there's a spicy yeast signature that serves to tie it all together. Interestingly, it manages to seem pretty light on its feet, tonally, despite the heavy nature of these aromas.

The first sip, however, brings an almost unexpectedly heavy footfall. The funk and dank evergreen qualities are huuuuge, and that funk is mostly sweaty. And there's a gigantic smash of bitterness and slight woody astringency that seems to magnify those characteristics, like sucking on tree bark. Thankfully there still is some citrusy lightness and spritzy carbonation to lend some needed lightness as counterbalance.

The personality I'm getting here is kind of fauvist in nature- somewhat flamboyant yet mostly wild and beastly, barely tamed. I do enjoy stuff like this from time to time, but even so each sip does feel like a punch in the palate. As such, I'm finding it hard to put a number on it. Let's just say that if you're into this kind of thing it's a happy A- (4.0); but don't go into it looking for a refined beer in the end.

Thanks again, Jake- this one was a really cool trip in the end!

 

Rainy, dreary day in the Deep South, and time for a new beer thanks to @superspak.

This is Odd Side Ale’s Rye Hipster Brunch Stout.

I read the label, and was a little nervous. A stout with maple syrup, coffee, and bacon aged in rye whiskey barrels. Nothing seems to overpower, and the flavors complement each other nicely.

Recommended for sure!



Poured from 12 oz bottle dated 11/5/2017

A: Dark brown tending towards black with 1-2 finger tan head with nice retention and leaving good lacing.

S: Rye whiskey, rich dark coffee, baking chocolate, vanilla, and hints of smoke.

T: Spicy rye whiskey, coffee, chocolate, maple syrup, and vanilla. Subtle hints of smoky bacon.

M: Medium to full body with average carbonation. Alcohol is apparent but appropriate for the ABV.

O: Excellent stout. I cringe sometimes when a brewer mentions bacon on the label, but this is very well done.

 

Happy New England IPA Sunday!

Got some new Juice on the block in the form of Long Trail Brewing Co.

Man looks like everyone is getting on this hazy train.

This is VT IPA canned 4/3/18

Beer Specs:
Our take on the hazy, hoppy style coming from the Green Mountains. VT IPA features late additions of Citra and Amarillo hops that deliver distinct notes of tangerine, mango, pineapple and grapefruit.

Flaked oats provide a smooth mouthfeel and hazy body while aromatic Munich malts give a subtle touch of biscuit and cracker flavors to balance the juicy hop profile. VT IPA marks the first widespread release to utilize a new yeast strain with juicy esters that complement the hop bill.
End Specs:

Guys they a great job on this one. I expected a water down main stream approach but what I got was a damn solid take on the style. Appearance is spot on, almost beyond haze. Nose is full to tropical citrus fruits with a touch of lemon grass. Body is creamy med to full and velvety. Looks like they might have learn something after all being around all those VT breweries.
4.25 caps out of 5.

Cheers!

 

Let's do another...

Mispillion River Brewing - Not Today Satan IPA

Canned on 1/28/18
7.3% ABV
Can Description: "That is why a lot of folks claim Billy, from Human Resources, was appointed the new Lord of Darkness. Like Billy, this beer is a little unexpected. The unholy joining of El Dorado, Centennial, Columbus, Cascade, and Mosaic hops and 7.3% ABV leaves souls begging for a drink of water."
Appearance - I'll let the photo speak for itself, but i'll add there's a slight touch of haze and moderate lacing as I worked through the glass.
Aroma - citrus grapefruit and orange rinds, grain, and touches of of peach stone fruit and grape musk.
Taste - Initial sweet grains with undertones of stone fruit and a touch of almond, reminiscent of a red ale, which seems to match the red color. The sweet malts quickly dry/fade out into an bouquet of hops - grapefruit rind, pine sap, and grass. There's a slight spiciness like rye malt, but there's no mention of rye used in this beer, so I'll assume that's coming from the hops. The hop bitterness lingers and builds up on the palate as I work through the glass. I'd put this in the old school "west coast" IPA category.

 

This was insane!! Head retention/lacing lasts for years. Perfect appearance. Flavors of huge lemon, orange, grapefruit, banana, bubblegum, peach, pineapple, pepper, clove, and light pine hops/yeast; with balanced wheat, white bread dough malts; herbal/floral/grassy hop, and yeasty earthiness. Similar/muted aromas. Very mild pine/herbal/grassy bitterness and yeast spiciness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very creamy, silky, bready, velvety wheat mouthfeel that is perfect. Slight sticky hops and increasing bitter/spicy dryness. Wowowowow. Refreshingly drinkable. Very flavorful/rich for the ABV. This is basically just Weihenstephaner hefe with American hops for added character. Perfectly balanced yeast complexity, hops, and pale/wheat malts. Blew my mind away! I need a case! I'd put this equal to the base hefeweizen easily. Need to revisit that review as well. Best in the style I've had. 4.56


Last beer from @MacMalt I believe. This was delicious. Amazing head retention/lacing on the glass. Flavors of big lemon, orange, citrus zest, cracker, white bread dough, and lightly toasted biscuit malts; with some herbal, grassy, light peppery noble hops. Similar/muted aromas. Light-moderate herbal, grassy, spicy, citrus zest bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and body; very creamy/bready/grainy malt mouthfeel with some sticky hops. Slight resins and increasing bitter dryness, never astreingent. Very flavorful/refreshing, 7%. Perfectly clean lager flavors. All noble hops. Not quite the hop punch I expected; but the balance between clean Pils/Munich malts and earthy hops is really great. I am a big fan, well made stuff. 3.91


Best before my 31st birthday, randomly. Awesome IPA. Great head retention/lacing on the glass. Aromas and flavors of big tangerine, grapefruit, lemon, peach, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, guava, berry, white grape, citrus peel/rind, and light pepper/pine hops; with moderate toasted biscuit, light honey/caramel malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel, herbal, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and body; balanced creamy/bready malts and sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Slight resins, increasing bitter dryness, no hop astringency. Very drinkable, never overly aggressive, 6%. I love it, glad I got a 4 pack. It has Nelson hops as advertised, but also Denali, Lemon Drop, and Mosaic. Very juicy and fairly dank hops complexity; nice bready malt backbone, and not overly sweet. Hoping to see more Port cans available soon. Not as impressive as Wipeout/Mongo, but well worth buying again. 4.1


Cheers, have a good night NBS.

 

New Beer Sunday: A New IPA

Evenin’ NBSers,

Well, with a pretty full day of pruning, weeding and bundling for the trash behind me (and after a quick shower and dinner), it’s time to relax with another new beer and some music.

This evening’s new beer is the Captain Lawrence Orbital Tilt — Mosaic.

As usual, my review, subject to revision until I finish the beer, can be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/user/beers/?ba=drtth


The aromas/flavors of this beer include some tropical fruit, some stone fruit (e.g., peaches) against a background of bready malt sweetness as well as some pine, citrus and earthy bitterness. This is a well balanced beer so all the aromas and flavors get a chance to play without being overwhelmed by the others but the fruitiness from the hops is the star of the show while the rest are the supporting cast.

As with last week, this evening’s original cast recording of a musical is also technically not an American musical in that it opened in London’s West End. But since this one holds the record as Broadway’s longest running musical….

The original cast of Phantom of the Opera included Sara Brightman and Michael Crawford.

Music of The Night

Cheers. all!

 

Happy CANtinued Damn You for Being with the Best Multiple New Hookers with Tea on Sunday When There's Beer, Bro. Woody! (Week 687).

I had a great day with so many Hookers CANming to visit me!

I CANtinued, from where I left off, with: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/696/262369/?ba=woodychandler#review

followed by: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/696/258233/?ba=woodychandler#review

and then: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/696/46224/?ba=woodychandler#review

before taking a break to go to dinner with my mother & uncle, then returning to watch PDs 2 & 3 of Game 6 between the Pens & Flyers.

After the game ended, I began the wind-up to my day with a revisitation of/to: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/696/20389/?ba=woodychandler#review

which was new in a CAN.

From there, the finish line was in sight and my seCANd-to-last Hooker for the day came down from New England, stunningly clad in purple: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/696/261703/?ba=woodychandler#review


My last Hooker of the day showed up with chocolate: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/696/78144/?ba=woodychandler#review


Wotta parade of Hookers! I had a Blonde, a CANfused Czech/German, Belma from India, one who showed up late, another who liked the outdoors in the Meadow, a tall drink of beer & one with a sweet tooth. Mission acCANplished! I am off to a bottle share next Saturday & I may not be home in time to participate next week. 8=(

It is now Monday, acCANding to GMT, which is how this site operates. That being the case, I will be CANtinuing my CANtics in the current WBAYDN. See yinz inna funny pages!

 

Finally getting a chance for beer after running some errands and trying to keep the peace between my 9 and 5 year olds. Being stuck inside for the rainy day takes it's toll on them.
Got this one in a ninja box from @CanConPhilly I managed to stop at Tired Hands last fall and have to say it's one of my favorites so far. This is my first 'milkshake' from them and it's peach so this should be right up my alley, thank you sir!


Pours a hazy orange with two fingers of white head.
Smell is peach, citrus, a little bit of dank hiding in there too.
Taste follows, peach, orange/tangerine, herb, and vanilla on the end.
Medium to full bodied, smooth and creamy.
Overall another great beer from Tired Hands.

 

Grilled some chicken and sausages for dinner and enjoyed the (finally) nice weather. Put the kids to bed and popped open my second new beer tonight. Also, courtesy of @2beerdogs. My first Bottle Logic. Gave a small glass to Mrs. Strohme2



500 ml bottle. 2017 release
Pours an oily brown with medium soapy bubbles. Highlights of ruby around the edges. No lacing left.
The nose is raspberry jam, Belgian chocolate.
Wow. This beer is complex but so simple. Layered but so well put together. Soft chocolate notes mixed with raspberry jam. A perfect raspberry truffle. Flawless balance between the two. No heat, no booziness. Finishes with a rich milk chocolate and just a bit of roast. Smooth bourbon finally makes an appearance. It’s mellow but there.
Huge, thick and chewy mouthfeel. Velvety and slick going down. Coats the tongue.
This beer is great, a big beer with big taste without the flaws some big beers tend to have.

 

Thank you to @cjgiant for kicking off this NBS. Today I am having a Lupu Luau IPA from Dogfish Head. I have been in a Jimmy Buffett mind so this seemed like a great call. It was a unique beer for sure, not one I really enjoyed but others may. Seemed like the flavors just did not work together and it had a bad bite. So I will just have to sail on into another beer and Come Monday it will be alright


3.49/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Hazy gold with rich foamy head and very nice lacing.
N: Coconut, malty sweetness, minor hops, and grainy tones.
T: Follows the nose, you get a sweetness up front with coconut muting the hops and a mild grain feel.
M: Light/Medium
O: I was not very impressed. The coconut came off as chemical to me and muted the hops. It was a little sweet also. I would probably not buy this again because it was a mess in my view, nothing stood out but off flavored coconut.

 

Hello New Beer Sunday!!!

Spring has finally sprung! The snow has melted (except where it was piled up, or shaded).

64 was the temp listed on the sign at the bank next to work, it's gorgeous outside, and I was stuck in work all day. I really can't wait till early May when I get some time off from work to get outside and grill, and enjoy the beautiful (finally) weather.

So what better way to enjoy the nice weather, than with a nice new beer.

Spontane Coolship Wild Ale from Wild Mind Artisan Ales in Minneapolis. 5.8% ABV.

So, a coolship, from what I've read, cools off the beer where it's exposed to wild yeast, and such. Now, I wouldn't expect south Minneapolis to have much in the way of that, but they do, hence, this beer.

So how is it?

I like it a lot. Very wild, tart and funky tasting. The tartness really kicks in as the beer warms up. Reminds me of tart cherries. It is quite good, and pleasing. It is a slow sipping beer, even though it's a lower ABV, because of the flavor. You want to savor it, and the flavor really lingers.

Review:

4.25/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a very clear, lighter golden color. There's almost no head. What little there was, was white. No lacing on the glass with the minimal head. Retention was minimal.
The nose is very floral, wild smelling, and funky in a good way.
Taste - nice sourness up front. It is a wild sourness to it. Slight tartness to it, like tart cherries. The tartness increases as the beer warms up.
It's a 5.8% beer, but it's actually quite full bodied. The tartness really lingers on my palate.
Solid coolship wild ale. Really hits all the good notes, and, if you're a fan of the style, I recommend it, if they have it again.

614 characters

I really don't know if there will be another, I'm really savoring this beer, and will be working on it for quite a while.

 

Now up another tasty beer from @y2kawakami, The Dissident!
4.31/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Big thanks to y2kawakami for this
22 oz bottle, 2017, poured into a teku

A- A clear lighter ruby red with a two finger off white head

S- Tart cherries with a mild sweetness, some candi sugar, touch of vinager, oak, touch of red wine.

T- Nice balance between tart and sweet cherries leaning a little heavier on the tart side, oak, touch of tannins, some red wine, mild candi sugar sweetness.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- A very nice Flanders, cherries are well done. I really enjoy this, the base seems to have a little bit of a Quad like character.


Cheers!

 

Checking one more for the evening.



Double Shift's Abby Royal.

Pours a clear burgundy with a finger of white foam. Aroma is plum, fig, and raisin layered over caramel, and bready, biscuit malts. Bourbon hides just behind the curtain in this aromatic production. Flavor profile is plum, raisin, bourbon, toffee, and caramel with biscuit and bready malts behind. There is a tinge of Belgian yeast easters, but it's faint. Bourbon is decent, but it blends in well with the remainder of the flavor profile. Mouth feel is medium in thickness with a soft fizzy feeling. Overall, modest Belgian dubbel notes with a hint of bourbon mix to form this Midwest beer.

Score: 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | BA Score: 4 | rDev: 0.0% (first review/rating)

 

First one of the night after a long day of spring cleaning. This beer is courtesy of @CanConPhilly

Manayunk Rise and Grind



Poured from a 16 ounce can. Pours a dark brown with about three fingers worth of foamy lighter brown head. Smell is hard on coffee with a bit of maple as well. On the first sip the coffee overwhelms everything else, but as it warms, the maple starts to play a little more. It has a fuller feel, which makes sense at 10.3%. Overall a nice beer.

 

Good early evening, NBS. The first officially beautiful day here in the kingdom. I finally managed to extricate the motorcycle from the remains of the Shelter Logic, errr, shelter... No major issues, and to my surprise plenty of life in the battery, tires only needed a small puff and it looks like take the bike to work tomorrow. YAY!!!!

Taxes...we are in the no deductions to speak of besides charity zone so it is never pleasant to pay taxes all year and then give even mo' money to the state and the feds. Not much to be done about it, but I find it ironic that we have to set up an account to save up for the purpose of paying taxes...

OK...the legit new beer today in a side-by-side with a new beer fir the missus...



Lousy picture of the containers but the beahs look pretty good! The missus...Sprindale Pearly Wit on the left. For me, Pipeworks Ninja vs. Unicorn DIPA on the right. Gonna call it NvU because that while thing is a pain in the ass to type...

So I see a lot of people diggin' the NvU, and I spotted it at Yankee Spirits so I gave in to the hype and picked up a single. OK...short version, the hype is justified. While I don't think it is better than other similar beers, I think it is a damned fine, well made brew that makes me wish I had picked up more. It is an everything you want and nothing you don't for the style. It looks like the picture...kind if like hiney that is just beginning to crystallize and going a bit cloudy. Big citrus aroma, slightly sweet malts. The aroma is intense, but not overpowering. Definitely says "drink me". The taste is exceptionally smooth and well-rounded, with a well-tempered bitterness. Mostly orange and tangerine, but grapefruit comes to play eventually, with a very nice invasion of pine. An apple note, and a hint of tropical fruit. Nice level of sweetness. It is soft on the tongue and smooth on the finish, only moderately drying. Medium bodied, maybe a touch oily. If you get the impression I am ejoying this brew and finding it worthy, winner, winner chicken dinner. Well above 4.0...just a question of how far.
.

 

Oh, taxes! Where do I start? Its been a challenge to begin my career while working as an independent contractor. I've had to learn alot very quickly. On the plus side, we've gotten a refund the past few years. This year was the first time that we owed and it was manageable.

Now onto the beer! Blot Out the Sun is an imperial stout by Three Floyds, courtesy of @ovaltine. Thanks to you I feel like I've tried the large majority of Three Floyds offerings.



Pours a deep black, allowing no light through. Tan head dissipates to thin layer, copious lacing on glass
Nose is roasty- coffee, dark chocolate, a fair amount of hops on the back end and slight astringency.
Taste is tootsie rolls, coffee, some subtle notes remind me of nuts and dark fruit. No heat detected considering the abv.
Mouthfeel is big, oily, and thick, finishing with some light carbonation. I like this aspect alot.
Overall, solid imperial stout. Thick, smooth, roasty.

As a side note, I love the name and artwork. It looks like it could be a metal album cover. I'll be saving the label for sure. The Simpsons quote on the side is also a really great touch

 

Actually pretty quiet around these NBS parts today!
I decided, against my better judgement, to continue trying to clear space for YET ANOTHER box of Michigan goodness from @FlintB that is apparently headed my way, and boy howdy am I glad I did.

Pigeon Hill's Your Mom on French Toast may sound kind of gimmicky or overloaded (word to @richj1970 about the concerns surrounding potential muddles, and also on the fact that Rye Hipster brunch was another skvjdflghdvklsfhvsdk;ljf;osg standout from Michigan that I got to try recently), but perish the thought. Sneak preview: this thing is damn delicious.



This one pours EVEN MORE beautiful than the No Rules from before. Almost obsidian black body with a massive two finger (no uncouth jokes) head of mocha brown foam that seems content to stay stacked, and surely seems sticky as it clings to the glass at every sip leaving webs of lacing. Gorgeous.

Nose is sweet with roasty malts, but doesn't really give discrete flavours, more just kind of a melange of 'roasty and sweet.' The sweet is more vanilla though the maple comes out more as it warms.

Flavour begins with a swell of sweet that brings in more of the maple syrup, though the commit seems to be as much to the syrup as the maple. Like, more IHOP than small Canadian farm. Roasty and charred malts come in shortly thereafter and you get big coffee bitterness that serves as the perfect foil for the sweet start.



The beer I keep thinking of while I drink this as a comparison is Double Stack from Great Notion, and I pretty comfortably prefer this one.

Thank you Brian for sending this one along as part of your ridiculous generosity. It's been one of the standouts thusfar among a stellar cast of Michigan* beers.

Conveniently, this song came on my shuffle while I was writing my review. I mean, I have to have this be the soundtrack. Thematic tie-ins make me all bubbly inside. Almost enough to make me wish I had gone a different direction with the first post so I didn't just double up on Keak, but he's great and it's not the end of the world if the same artist shows up twice!

 

Greeting All:

No complaints about taxes here. Most of my tax frustration is local. School levies for a poorly managed district. But what else is new?

Today I have three new ones. Not that I spent most of the day drinking beer, but I did, I just happened to have these in the DBF. And I am closing in on a review milestone, so today I had focus.

Ninkasi Pacific Rain. Light fruity and easy drinking.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/14400/267238/?ba=RJLarse#review

No-Li Big Juicy. A lot like the name, tastes like sweetened grapefruit juice.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/936/211310/?ba=RJLarse#review

Top Cutter IPA. A really good IPA with an eastern Washington agricultural theme. What could be better?
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/14400/267238/?ba=RJLarse#review

Spectacular spring day here in the Columbia Basin. Might play some golf on Friday.

Until then,

Happy Trails!