New Beer Sunday (Week 690)

Poured into a 13 oz Tired Hands Teku. Pours a hazy orange yellow, with a massive 2 finger sticky white head that leaves a thick wall of lace behind, canned on 5/03. 4.5

Smell is loaded tropical fruit apricot, passion fruit, lemon zest, coriander, pineapple, and grapefruit rind. 4.25

Taste follows fairly bitter and that isn’t a complaint. Apricot, passion fruit, and pineapple upfront with some lemon/grapefruit in the rather bold finish. 4.25

Mouthfeel bigger than average, plenty of life, not dry but sticky from the huge amount of hops, and at 7.8% ABV it may drink a little bigger, but still insanely approachable. 4.5

Overall this is a tremendous NEDIPA from the legendary Tree House, that is far from one dimensional. It really uses the Nelson hops well and leaves a massive coating of hops sip after deliscious sip. 4.25

 

Yes, yes, I know what I've got, I know who makes it and I know (or at least think I know) it's intended marketing position. It isn't something particularly special which I would like to have for NBS but it is new to me so here are my impressions.



Very light golden color with fine beaded white cap.

Very mild aroma of fresh grain with mild bready highlights.

Flavor is much deeper than the scent implies. More bread than grain and the bread tastes fresh and clean without any off notes. I don't know if it's hops or carbonation that give off the slight palate prickle but suspect it isn't hops.

Light medium texture with balancing carbonation.

Overall it's fine on it's own and doesn't need lime, salt or any of that yet I think it could stand up those things well. There is just enough there to match, which is to say not fight or overcome, most any dish from delicate seafood to beef chilli. On my value scale it's not quite worth an import price but if this was designed as a Corona beater I think it succeeds.

 

Cheers Doc and thanks for getting us started today! I lost my mom too at a pretty early age. My mother could make a person laugh and laugh. It was one of the things I loved about her. She was bilingual and used to make all kinds of jokes that seems to be just between the two languages we spoke at home. My parents especially my mother had the awful habit of omnipresence in my life which I resented up until my mid thirties. She used to be with me always side by side which to me meant that she thought I was smart.

"When the chips fall, that's where they may."

A long time ago my mother took me to Atlantic City. I saw lots of people walking invisible dogs. They were holding these novelty leashes with wires in them that boast a dog that isn't really there. Years later I saw an episode of the Twilight Zone about a man and his dog. Both are dead and both approach what they think is the gate to heaven. The alleged Saint Peter says to the man "You can't bring that dog in here!" The man says things like "This dog's been my friend through thick and thin. I love this dog and he loves me. If he ain't allowed then we're just gonna haff ta move on."

Turns out it wasn't the gate to heaven after all. Smart dog.

I remember thinking that every man could follow his own invisible dog into heaven. I laughed and laughed. I also learned this classic "sing-along" song written in 1925 by Harry Woods. It was on the boyscout list of approved campfire songs and I still sing it now and then.

. . . travellin' along, singin' a song . . .(that's me singin'=)



Island Gose by Ellicottville! Happy There She Gose Again Sunday!



Pours hazy yellow amber with a fast falling head of creamy off white foam that made a good stand. Malty nose with the light scent of fruit. herbal and a soft floral. A minerally scent. Drinks just acidic with a hearty yet refined cracker malt. Just a hint of salt int he finish. prickly bubbles, soft body, lightly fruity. The earthy coriander is feather light. Low bitterness. The body of the Lepzinger gose is what this beer reminds me of. It has the white rock like mineral taste of salt. There is also a light tropical scent. Finishes light, refreshing and tart. The floral and herbal on this hop seem to be perfectly matched. Mouth watering tartness sweet lemon peel.

Cheers you all and Happy Mother's Day.

 

New Beer Sunday: A German-style Pils

Mornin’ NBSers, with a heads up for fans of German style Pils beers. Also thanks to @lordofthewiens for today’s start.

Weather here today is expected to have rain and drizzle through out the day with the high temperature in the low 60s.

So we'll be combating what could be depressing by having a mother’s day treat. We’re gathering up lots of extended family--adults and kids--and planning on a Mother's Day ride on an old fashioned train. There are at least three different short haul runs revived by local train buffs that operate within easy driving distance from here, including one that operates right across the street from the PA Railroad Museum. This is the day's special treat for all (although we will not be "taking advantage of" the dining car lunch adventure given the size of the group we have who are planning on the train ride today).

This morning’s new beer, while the Quiche is baking, is Fader from Half Acre brewing. I'll be drinking this one to the memory of my mother and my grandmother (her mother), both of whom helped shape my life and path into the future. They may be gone, but they are not forgotten.

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

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18006/291105/?ba=drtth#review


The aromas/flavors of this beer are clean, crisp and refreshing. The slightly sweet bready malt and the lightly grassy, floral and lightly bitter notes from the hops compliment each other very well. The finish is fairly long and ends in that light dryness that invites another sip.

Cheers, all!

 

Happy New Rock & Roll Beer (& Other Stuff) Sunday (Week 690)!

& a happy day to all yinz mothers & muthas! You may remember that I was CANtemplating attending today's NOFX Punk In Drublic fest today in PHL, but it became one of those things that the more that I thought about it, the less I thought of it. Many standpoints came into play, both logistically and monetarily & I gave up. It would have meant out & back to PHL in one day + a 30-block subway ride each way, accompanied by rain in the forecast, followed by a workday tomorrow. Plus, not only was it a spendy admission. but the fest ends at 1600 with beer for $10 (!) thereafter with the concert not ending until 2100. I just couldn't justify the outlay. 8=(

My vaunted Mom-Za is back for the time being. She owns the family home where I grew up here in Lancaster, PA but she also has her own place in Chico, CA & spends the bulk of her time out there. She is 85 y/o & in declining health so she is spending more time back here with her brother, Uncle Steve, who is nearby and her sister, Aunt Kathy, down in DC. I can put up with her in small doses but we have always had an uneasy relationship & I joined the Navy to put some distance between us when I graduated high school. Her nickname is taken from a **** spy spoof novel that I bought while on our annual family summer vacay to LBI, NJ. Mom-Za was the female head of the agency, ala Archer's mother. Haha!

My best friend from childhood now runs Attic Treasures, a shop that acts as a haven for all sorts of used goods & with both a brick & mortar store & an online presence, he is doing a good business. He contacted me recently when he scored "some beer glasses". I did an eye roll as I have as many shakers as I really want, but when I saw all of his German and Euro glasses in .20, .25, .30 & .40-L sizes, my jaw hit the deck! I just cleaned all of them & will be using some of them over the course of the day.

Naturally, I am starting with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/147/287430/?ba=woodychandler#review


And so begins the day. I'll provide intermittent damage reports throughout the remainder. Rock on!

 

Good morning NBS & thanks for the opening remarks @lordofthewiens
My mother is 62 years old and has never drank a beer in her life. She is still surprised sometimes that the beer I drink doesn't turn me into some kind of deviant criminal bent on destruction. My entire family is of the same persuasion. One thing my family & I can agree on is supporting holy causes...

The review:
11.2oz bottled 12/15/16 bb 12/15/21 (purchased room temp a month ago) poured into an Orval chalice at fridge temp 6.9% ABV. The beer pours bright orange amber in color with tight khaki colored head. The head recedes to a thin cap but leaves no lacing. The aroma is yeast driven primarily with some hints of clove. The taste is sharp and grassy with little malt character. The hops are nearly gone and the yeast flavors of funk, bitter pineapple and barnyard are dominating. The mouthfeel is thin bodied, highly carbonated and extremely dry. Overall, unique and good. I have a feeling I would like this more fresh with a bit of the dry hops left before the yeast takes over.

There you have it. I have a whole 48 hours off after last night's shift before starting another work week and there is much to do. Enjoy the new beer in your glass today friends & call mom if you can!

 

Taping into a barrel aged imperial stout from Missouri. Nice morning out on the screened-in porch for a bit of sipping. Breakfast with mom to follow shortly after.



Mark Twain Brewing Company's Passport to Russia.

Pours black with very little foam or fizz. Still isn't a great word, as there is a little liveliness to the bubble up, but not much. What foam is there is caramel in color. Aroma is a hearty one-two of roasted and toasted malts quickly followed up by bourbon and a kiss of char. Caramel and toffee both become more evident as the beer warms. Flavor profile is deep and dark, hitting notes of roasted, toasted, and caramel malts. Toffee and molasses find their way into the mix. All is layered over a bourbon note kept on low simmer. Mouth feel is medium-thick with a velvety, creaminess. Overall, it drinks pretty hearty, with loads of depth to the straightforward imperial stout base. Time in the barrels was well spent, adding a kiss of bourbon that only comes off a touch hot in the aroma.

Score: 4 | 4.25 | 4.5 | 4 | 4.25 | BA Score: 4.31 | rDev: +7.7%

 

Ska Brewing Rue B. Soho Grapefruit Lager
5.1% ABV

This beer is interesting in the fact that it's probably one of the best smelling beers I've ever stuck my nose in. It literally smells like fresh grapefruit rind has been liquified. The taste is slightly less flamboyant, but it certainly has tons of citrus, and grapefruit notes abound but it is very one-dimentional. The beer has one flavor, and one flavor only. It goes down light and easy.

Now I'm about to watch the last match of the Premier League season, and I will call my mom soon I promise.

 

Nice start to NBS this week @lordofthewiens.

Cheers!

 

New Saison Sunday (Week 690)
Greetings fellow NBSers from on the ridge in Mid Hud Val, NY. Cloudy day after some rain earlier and y'day that hopefully will bring some more morels up from the ground.

Hope you don't mind some sharing this Mothers Day, but this has become a close knit group, and I feel comfortable with the closeness, and emboldened by the anonymity. Kind of a sad and moralistic bit of sharing, so please, please bypass next two paragraphs if easily upset.

My Mom died 5 years ago at average age for her generation, though she came from a line of long lived folks, including my Great Grandmother, who died at 95, and my Great Grandfather who died at 103. She was an obsessively mean, high IQ maniac to whom nothing was ever good enough, and who was violent with her children, and her husband, prone to fits of depression that took the form of lashing out, an ever-angry, ready to snap, high and mighty Queen. My Dad stuck with her to the end, his end that is, but she ended up estranged from everyone she knew, locked into a 4,000 SF house she hoarded, and didn't clean, for 6 years after Dad passed. My sister and brother and I bitterly hated her, and had little to do with her, mainly because of how she continued to treat my Dad when it was only the two of them, even as he died with cancer.

This is Mothers Day, and please pardon me for painting such an awful picture of a mother, but after she died my brother and sister and I were together and had the horrible realization that we were probably the worst children, and my Father the worst husband, that my Mom could have had. Looking back it was easy to see my Mom was mentally ill, had been for most of the time the family knew her, and so much so, and such a proud hard woman, that she was unable to seek help for herself. And we, her family, did nothing to help her. We felt offended, angry, and hurt, when we should have been uniting together to get her treatment. We did nothing as she got progressively worse, little by little through the years, this woman we were supposed to love, and only at the end, after we'd had to have police break down the door with a court order for her to receive a mental evaluation, and rolled her out strapped into a gurney, did we even begin to care for her in the way that should have started almost half a century earlier. Only at the end when her mental illness made it impossible for her to tell Dr.'s she was in pain and dying did we realize the immensity of our failures. All the hatred I had for her has turned to regret that beams home this Mothers Day, regret for not doing something, anything, when there was time and hope for the woman. I am the oldest sibling, and I still have faint memories of Mom as a kind, loving mother, presumably just before mental illness made that impossible for her, and I lift this glass with y'all this Mothers Day for that Mom I loved and who loved me, that Mom I failed to protect.

Hill Farmstead E, 2014 Bottling wine barrel aged.

...Slightest hints of hormonal funk join a panoply of vinous flavor, overripe peach and pear notes, bright grapefruit notes, lemon-limey funk, lightest bready sweet, and a finish that gains some righteous citrus pith. Lightly tannic, delicious oak flavors join the party at sip end. Very complex and satisfying, perfectly balanced, simply superb...

Read the rest of the story here

Hope you also have a Great American Beer in your glass. Cheers!

 

A widely distributed ‘NEIPA’

Firstly: Happy Mother’s Day everybody!!

Today’s beer is another widely (near nationally) distributed so called ‘NEIPA” beer: New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze IPA. I think it is noteworthy that this beer has no reference to “New England” in its labeling but instead is more closely aligned with the newly defined Brewers Association category name of Juicy or Hazy IPA. Perhaps New Belgium had insight into this naming by the Brewers Association and they decided to be ‘on the right side of history’ with their branding?

Below are some details on this beer from the New Belgium website:

“Tasting Notes

Visual: Deep pale orange with an opaque haze.

Aroma: Very strong hop aroma of citrus (lemon, some orange, lime and grapefruit) and tropical (guava and pineapple), with light grassy and caramel-like malt aroma.

Flavor: A little sweet initially, becoming smoothly bitter.

Mouthfeel: Clean finish.

Body: Medium body.

Beer Facts

ABV: 7.5%

IBU: 42

Yeast: American Hefeweizen

Calories: 230

Hops: Citra, Cascade, Centennial, Simcoe, Nugget

Malts: Pale, Wheat, C-80, Oats”

As a homebrewer a couple of details ‘jumped out’ for me:

Yeast

They list “American Hefeweizen” which I assume is the yeast strain that Widmer uses in their Wheat beers. Below is a description of WLP320 American Hefeweizen yeast which is available to homebrewers:

“Used to produce the Oregon style American Hefeweizen, like Widmer. Unlike WLP300, this yeast produces a very slight amount of the banana and clove notes. It produces some sulfur, but is otherwise a clean fermenting yeast which does not flocculate well, producing a cloudy beer.”

I have read numerous posts that the yeast that Widmer obtained is an Altbier yeast strain they originally obtained from Zum Uerige.

It seems that many (most?) of the breweries that are producing Juicy/Hazy IPAs are using certain English Ale yeast strains (e.g., the Boddington’s yeast strain. Whitbread yeast strains,…) so this yeast selection my New Belgium is a little bit different.

IBUs

It has been discussed (including by me – read below) that these Juicy/Hazy IPAs are more lowly bittered than ‘regular’ IPAs. With a value of 42 IBUs this beer is consistent with that theme.

One of the challenging aspects in discussing the so called ‘NE’ style IPA is that there was no agreed upon definition of this sort of beer until the recent update (2018) definition in the Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines.

I have opined in a number of past BA threads my thoughts on this topic. Below is a copy of something I have posted previously:

My crack at defining the attributes/qualities for the so called 'NE' style IPA:

• Low/moderate bitterness
• A turbid/murky/opaque appearance
• A soft/velvety mouthfeel
• A quality that some (many?) folks like to describe using the terminology of "juicy"

So, I will drink my can of New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze IPA with the above criteria in mind.

Served in my Gulden Draak tulip glass:

Appearance:

Golden colored with a turbid/murky/opaque appearance. There is a BIG fluffy white head.

Aroma:

There is a general sense of “fruity” in the nose with nothing specific that I can detail. The aroma is noticeable but I would not use the terminology of “Very strong hop aroma” that New Belgium utilizes. Maybe if the beer was fresher? My can has a best by date of 24 June 2018.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with general fruit flavors accompanied perhaps with some citrus. There is also a slight bit of dank in the flavor profile as well. This beer has a quality that some folks would describe using the word “juicy”. There is a low/moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

There is a soft mouthfeel.

Overall:

I think this beer is very good.


So, needless to say but this beer is consistent with the criteria I itemized above and to boot it is a tasty beer. I would not state this beer is the equivalent of a beer from Tree House, Trillium, Tired Hands, Bissell Brothers,… but it has the benefits of:

· You do not have to wait in a line at a brewery to purchase this beer

· I paid about $13 for this 4-pack while the beers from the aforementioned breweries are typically in the high teens for a 4-pack of their beers

I would recommend this beer to others but I must confess this is likely a one-time purchase for me. I can buy Sam Adams ‘NEIPA’ for several dollars less than this beer and I enjoy drinking that beer even more.

Cheers!

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @chipawayboy @RobH @Domingo

 

Happy Sunday, NBS crew! Yesterday was a fun day. I spent most of the day in Brooklyn, and snagged a ton of NYC beers which I will be enjoying and sharing over the coming weeks. The Other Half release was the highlight. Barely any line, and 8 cans to choose from?!? My personal paradise.

Due to limited backpack space, I only ended up picking 5 of them. This being one of them. First review on this bad boy! Itsa spicya meataball.

Spicy Meatball - Other Half feat. Cellarmaker
IIPA - 8.6% abv
Purchased for $22/4 pack at Other Half
Canned 5/3/18 (10 days ago)
Score: 4.26 (-0.2% rDev)



L - 2.5 finger pillowy, yellow-white high-density head takes minutes to even budge. Body is a murky, dirty brown-orange. If this was supposed to look like meatballs, then mission accomplished.

S - grapefruit, papaya, pine, slight dankness. A little floral.

T - surprisingly bitter grapefruit. I assume this is Cellarmaker’s influence. A slightly dank middle, mixed with pine and dirt. A spicy kick (yeast burn?) on the finish. Zero sweetness, moderate bitterness, low booziness.

F - typical medium body, with slightly higher carb than usual for OH.

O - I like the OH / Cellarmaker combo. The increased bitterness makes this a delight that won’t offend old-school ipa lovers. Still hazy and creamy though.

 

5 New Four+ brews from NorthEast this week 13 May 18

Well Earned | Bronx NY
4.2/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Thrilled to earn the place as the 5th reviewer of Well Earned. Every brewer might be measured by their Pilsner, and that's what makes the Crisp, Pivo, and Prima - all stand out as examples of their brewer's subtle craft, but this Bronx Pilsner tops them all as my #1 Pilsner tasted so far. Well earned indeed - Try 24.
a) Creamy head ascends to a convex top, then recedes leaving sheets of lace above the hazed creamy golden veiled body that lifts distributed, pin point bubbles slower and as delicate as champagne.
s) Fresh cut grass, hop spice, floral, nectar, pollen, spring, fresh baked white bread, dough, clean, yeast. Very refreshing and great with food or as the first beer.
t) Crisp, lemony, grassy, herbal, w lemon rind, and base of fresh baked bread in a flower shop. bitters cleaning into the very dry finish, and crisp. I suppose it's time for a blind taste test between Bronx and Crisp both built on NYC's Adirondack water
f) Close to perfect, light without being thin. Excellent finish that pairs well with food and invites another, well earned.
o) Tied for the best with the Crisp a close 2nd so far. Love this brewer.

Delight | Carton NJ
4.2/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Happy to be first poster of Delight, which is... delightful.
A) On tap at Carton. Cider body of the first crush, not much head, late fresh hopping, perhaps kills the sticky lace and head.
S) Big, makes big first impression of yeast, scat, orchard, cider factory floor, cherries, orchard fruit, some wood and shellac.
T) BIgger, rotating all the flavors above in a tangy cartwheel of flavors including rose water I’m told.
F) Like a Belgian, sexy, yeasty, sweet but saved by the bitter hops

Irish Coffee | Carton NJ
4.1/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Great in the series in which Yirgacheffe is my fave. This one is for mint and cookie lovers. Sweet. ABV less hidden due to whiskey barrel aging, but great for meditation, conversation and perhaps sedation.
Seduction?
A) Clear deep yellow body, not a lasting head and no lace lower carbonation.
S) Big but taste is bigger of upfront coffee, mint, whiskey and wood. No hops.
T) BIgger savoring the subtle mint and drink it slow at cask temp.
F) Unlike others I feel the ABV but it’s that Irish Whiskey barrel thing.
O) Must try the entire series. But lemony, Russian yergechef gets my top vote.

French Toast | Decadent NY
4/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Odd and original, as promised, it's sweet as french toast. At the Park Slope coop for $3.28 for 16 oz
a) Hazed in the current way, throws up a finger of foam, that slacks to film and not much lace.
s) Mamma!!! Syrup dominates aroma, totally original, worth a sniff. Spice, bread, toast -too. Strange in a good way.
t) The maple syrup flavor dominates but not over done nor phony. Original, a great diner or breakfast beer comes into bitter.
f) Smooth, abv hidden, nice body.
o) For originality must try 1 or half of one.

Von Trapp Bock Bier VT
4/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Best nose and flavor on a goat beer ever. Bock on!
a) ruby stained mahogany, low carb, low head, no lace, pretty color.
s) Best aroma on a bock ever! Malty goodness, wood shop, hops.
t) Bigger and more: malt, sweet molasses, wood shavings, hops, a candy and wood taste.
f) Without bubbles it's still tingly on tongue, with a nice sweet tongue wrapper and drying finish just in time.
o) One of my fave bocks (tho box not my fave). (too sweet for me)

 

New beer #2. Traded for this in line yesterday.

Greenferrari - The Veil
DIPA - 8% abv
Canned 4/16/18 (27 days ago)
Score: 4.11 (-5.5% rDev)



L - 2-finger sparse white head recedes in about 2 minutes. Body is an opaque dark orange.

S - cotton candy, funk, cheese, pine, dank. Weird.

T - dank cheese with a spritz of orange. Sweaty socks. Piney middle. Medium-low bitterness, no sweetness, low booziness.

F - medium-full body with lowish carb.

O - very strange. Not even a month old, but I assume this is not what it tasted like fresh. I kind of like it, but it’s an odd duck.

 

thanks for the opening Doc. -lucky to have a mom today. She's a toddler (physically) of sorts, but she's up for whatever activity or trip she can manage. My wife lost her mom as a child; it helps provide perspective.

I am watching NCAA lacrosse and lit a fire on a very cool day for May (visited mom yesterday).

My new brew is Torque Wrench, a DIPA from Industrial Arts Brewing.
The cloudy tangerine colored can pour has an aroma that bursts forth with sweet notes of pineapple, mango and orange. The flavor matches the nose exactly, but is less sweet. The richness of flavor is special. Hop bitterness is moderate is Citra-like.
A fine effervescence persists oddly and contributes to the mouthfeel which is smooth and clean with a little tingle.
The 8% abv is not detectable. This is a very flavorful brew.

Happy Mother's Day to all.

 

Dave, that's quite a tale. My Mom was great, but it all ended badly. Dementia is an unreasonable adversary, utterly deniable, and fleeting back and forth between worlds, sometimes like the person you knew and then this new very strange character in the body of your mother.
My Dad died at 58 in 1976, a war hero and really an amazing man who was happy just to be alive. The emotional scars from being an infantry officer in The Philippines made him a very singular, yet very successful man. My Mom never could recover from his early death. She became a great Grandma to my children, lived very nearby, and we saw each other weekly for decades. Things were great. It all crept up slowly. She remarried and our socializing continued for years. Eventually, as time marched on, the great old house began to be diminished. She denied anything was needed and insisted on keeping everything the same. They were targeted by a scammer who had befriended them and fleeced them for about 100K, right under our noses. She thought the crook was their friend....The story goes on, but we had to move them. It became ugly and has stained our lives with guilt and bewilderment. Thing is, she made no plans and refused to be helped. I swear that my children will not go through anything like this.......

 

New Beer Sunday: A Witbier

Afternoon NBSers with a suggestion for those looking for a refreshing summer beer, a Witbier with a bit of American Hops flavor.

There’s time for another new beer before heading out to catch our train and I’m not driving the van, so…

This new beer is the Summer Catch from Cape May Brewing.

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

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25890/237666/?ba=drtth#review


The aromas/flavors of this beer include both orange zest and a bit of grapefruit. There’s a solid bready base from the wheat and malt as well as some peppery, spicy herbal bitterness. The bitterness takes a long time to fade away. A tasty enough beer that is enjoyable and worth trying. However it won’t bump the Allagash White out of top slot on my list of favorites to repeat.

Cheers, all!