New Beer Sunday (Week 691)

New Beer Sunday: A New Brown Ale

Mornin’ NBSers with quick alert for folks looking for an easily drinkable Brown Ale where some hops show and the malt sweetness does not cloy. Also special thanks to @cjgiant for today’s start up.

The weather here today is expected to be relatively nice compared to the last several days. The high should be around 80 with cloudy skies for most all of the day and the possibility of an occasional shower. This is fine with me as I’m fed up with multiple days of continuous gray skies, temperatures in the 60s and lots of rain moving through here.

Currently prepping the ingredients for a localized version of a full English Breakfast. Included will be Eggs over easy, some pork sausages (bangers), some fried pork roll slices (they're a NJ thing ), plenty of baked beans, some fried tomato, some hash browns and a batch of sweet potato wedges (not authentic but a personal favorite substitute). So while assembling everything before the final round of cooking figured I'd start with heating the baked beans to get them ready and try a new Brown Ale.

This morning’s new beer is the Brooklyn Brewing Brown Ale.

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

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45/146/?ba=drtth#review


The aromas/flavors of this beer are filled with toasted caramel malt, with some chocolate, coffee, nuttiness and a light herbal character. The light bitterness in the palate allows just a touch of sweetness and chocolate to show in the quite long semi-dry ending. That clean finish helps to invite another sip. I’ll probably be buying more of this one.

Cheers, all!

 

Cheers you all and Happy New Beer Sunday! Thanks Crag for getting us started this morning. When I first started tasting beer the style that captured my attention was the pilsner. It was and continues to be a contemporary favorite. Another contemporary beer that is a favorite style of mine is the kolsch. You might call it the most subtle pilsner if that is how you interpret the style. It seems to be a beer that has the idea of regional innovation built into it just like the pilsner. In a way it also seems to demand that style itself be observed and that history be acknowledged with it's appellation designation. It has become the inspiration that brewers have been following even today with all their improvisations on the IPA to include two famous regional versions in the US that have reached epic proportions and international acclaim. Those would be the West Coast Style IPA and the New England Style IPA.

Today I have a kolsch that to me seems to be the most authentic I think I have ever tasted from the United States. One pertinent characteristic of the kolsch style is that it must use pilsner malt and can use up to 20% wheat adjunct. Just like the kolsch itself the style guidelines are evolving. If you tend to be an historian this is where you could say that tradition and definition might be lost. You will also note that some kolsches can be called weiss and without reading the guidelines that might be your only indication that wheat was ever used. The kolsch can be brewed with hard or soft water and that also is important to the regional variations that we find and their different nuances. In the original guidelines the style says that authentic examples are availalble only from Germany and the newer version online seems to say that many American versions are also authentic enough to demonstrate the style.

May I please present Bronx Brewery's Kolsch Golden Ale.



The pour is pale straw color gold with a slight haze. White head that reduces to a film and ring. A few loose bubbles. Nose is perfection. That subtle white wine like fruity ester from yeast framed amidst crackery malt and spectacularly peppery sweet hops. You can almost smell their resin. Light floral and graceful minty coolness instead of an herbal. Drinks like Sunner did the first time I ever tried it. I admit I think it tastes different this year even though I did not have any last year. A touch of sticky resin and a small bitter on the tongue as hop flavor abounds on a firm malt. All that noble hop flavor is really sensational. Even the water is perfect in this beer. I wonder if it was specially treated. Cheers to Bronx brewery for a beer that I plan to have in my cart as long as it lasts!

What'd I say!

 

What online reference are you referring to?

 

Up early on a Sunday - achy back, hot - I figured, fuck it - and got up...

Had some Ibarra-styled chocolate and walnut bread pudding for breakfast...



Anyways, it being Sunday, and me having a new beer on-hand...

*pop*

Allagash's James Bean...

"Ale Aged in Bourbon Barrels with Cold-Brewed Coffee"



...One day after having Swiftwater's Kaffe Cafe Koffie tripel...

--> a coffee-infused Belgian-style tripel...

Anyways, onto the James Bean...

Represents the bourbon barrel aging and coffee infusion right off the bat, with coffee, whiskey, and wood notes on the nose and palate... Softer fruit impressions are of murky orchard and stone fruits, pale, fleshy, and sweet, with some brighter points of berry... Sinews of vanilla wind through as do the coffee flavors - reminded me a bit of Dannon coffee yogurt's flavor, aided by the smooth feel... Medium weight, low bitterness, moderate sweetness, moderate carbonation... Uses "Speckled Ax" coffee, featuring Ethiopia Amaro Gayo beans...

Similar to the coffee tripel yesterday, but with the bourbon adding that bourbon barrel element to the mix - can't say it necessarily made this a better beer than Swiftwater's non-BBA tripel (with a lower 7.9% abv), but it was certainly equally enjoyable... As with the Swiftwater, if you like pale ales with coffee, and here, bourbon barrel aging, its sure to be something you'll really dig...

Here's to new beer in your glass, cheers...

 

The bjcp. I like the way that the use of the old 2008 guidelines is easy to use. All you have to do is google bjcp kolsch for instance and you will get the entry from 2008. If you want to see the 2015 notes they are lost inside other peoples posts like beer recipes, or you have to scroll the entire pdf. I have not found one entry listed first for the new guidelines like it is demonstrated here.

It's a peeve of mine actually. Morning.

 

Ridgeway Seriously Bad Elf

Continuing from last week when I had Ridgeway’s Bad Elf, I’m moving up the ladder just a bit and stopping at their Seriously Bad Elf. They call this one an “English Double Ale” on the label and it hits 9% ABV. For me, we’ve gotten to barley wine territory, but Ridgeway has reserved that term for their 10.5% Criminally Bad Elf (which I will not be visiting).

Confusingly, while the label says “English Double Ale” the Ridgeway website calls it both a “Double” and an “English Triple.” The Shelton site claims that it’s the brewer’s interpretation of a Belgian Tripel.

The beer is an orange-ish amber, and it’s strikingly clear. Based on a comparison with the picture from last week, this beer seems to be more gold than Bad Elf. It looks like toffee, and the flavor doesn’t shake one off of that comparison since it’s overwhelmingly sweet. The feel is slick but not viscous. The head dissipates very quickly. There’s a strong herbal/woodsy character, but the sweetness threatens to drown it out. This beer feels exactly like what it was designed to be - a “double” version of Bad Elf. It possesses the same flavors, but with the malt/ABV ramped up… and not for the better. It’s like they took the weaknesses of Bad Elf, and amplified them.

If this is modeled on Belgian Triples, then it’s in the company of the worst US brewers’ interpretations of such beers - which can feel like sweet dessert beers and little else.

 

A craft brewery makes an AAL beer!

There have been some engaging BA threads on the topic of AAL beers lately. I think that now would be a good time to discuss a new AAL beer from Sierra Nevada that they brand as Sierraveza.

AAL threads for the interested reader:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/blind-american-adjunct-lager-tasting.571117/

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/an-observation-on-aal.571784/

This beer is not available as a standalone beer. You need to purchase the Sierra Nevada Party Pack (12 pack) to obtain 3 bottles of this beer.

On the back of the bottle is a story:

“Inspired by the classic cervezas served ice cold by the beach, we created our own take on these easy drinking beers born south of the border. Sierraveza is golden and crisp, with a balanced malt flavor and a hint of floral hops that will have you calling out for another round.”

I would characterize that marketing spiel as being ‘interesting’:

So, Sierra Nevada is ‘selling’ this beer as being a beer from Mexico rather than highlighting the “American” part of the AAL beer style. I suppose that ‘credit’ goes to beers like Corona for making this a popular choice?

It is also interesting that they are ‘selling’ “calling out for another round” when there are only three of these beers available for drinking in the pack. I suppose we could purchase multiple packs to create a “round’?

I also think it is worthwhile to mention they detail the aspect of balanced malt flavor with zero mention of the fact that corn (grits) were also used to brew this beer. I suppose this is sorta consistent with how Mega breweries market their beers? Except that on the Budweiser label they do list rice as part of the ingredient list:



Let’s transition to discussing the specifics of this beer from the Sierra Nevada website:

“Overview

Alcohol Content: 5.0% by volume

Beginning gravity: 12° plato

Ending Gravity: 2.5° plato

Bitterness Units: 18

Ingredients

Yeast: Lager yeast

Bittering Hops: Sterling

Finishing Hops: Sterling

Malts: C-15, Steffi Pilsner, Grits


So, how does an AAL brewed by a craft brewery taste? Note: I did not drink this beer “ice cold” – I ignored that part of the story.

Served in my Polish Pilsner glass:

Appearance:

Straw colored with a three finger white head which dissipated fairly quickly. The beer left a Belgian Lace as the beer was consumed.

Aroma:

The first impression is the aroma of bready Pilsner malt. That is pretty much it.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with a sweet-ish malt flavor. There is a light-medium bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Light - medium body with a dry-ish finish.

Overall:

I found this beer to be refreshing. There was a nice, pleasant Pilsner malt backbone. I personally did not perceive the “hint of floral hops” that was published in the story. As I consumed the last sip I enjoyed that sip as much as the first; for me this is an indicator of a well brewed AAL beer.

Cheers to Sierra Nevada for deciding to make a quality AAL beer!

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @SierraTerence @Crusader @THANAT0PSIS

P.S. I followed this beer with a Classic American Pilsner – an AAL beer that Americans drank circa 1900.

 

Chandeleur Island is the largest in a chain of barrier islands that form a semi circle separating the Mississippi Sound from the Gulf of Mexico. The group was so named in the year 1700 by Spanish explorers seeking the mouth of the Mississippi River. Long known during my lifetime as a destination spot for bird watchers, picnickers and surf fishermen they present a charming view of the Ocean beyond as opposed to the placid waters between islands and shore. That's why we don't surf in Mississippi, the waves hitting Gulfport and Biloxi are too small to ride to any real effect. Just the right size for cavorting children though.

Gulfport is still a relatively small town (you have to drive to Biloxi to find a Walmart) that provides a quiet setting for the Chandeleur Brewing Company which is just a few blocks from the beach. Or you can climb up a couple flights of stairs and view the Ocean while sitting in the shade and not get sand in your shoes.

Chandeleur makes a basic wheat ale in flavored expressions this being the tangerine version.





Appearance is a slightly hazy medium gold color with small white cap.

Aroma of ripe tangerine with a biscuity malt backing.

Flavor on entry is not as tart as I expected, more a restrained tartness, followed by a mild white bread, biscuit taste that is nicely counterpointed by a slightly sweet yet mildly sharp tangerine essence.

Mild to medium texture with balancing carbonation.

A good deal more drinkable than I expected, this one is far less tart and sour than it's sibling versions flavored with pineapple or mango. Tart enough to notice that first and just sour enough to make things interesting. Very summer time and relaxing, something that reminds you of an afternoon on the beach though you may be many miles away.

 

Left Hand Blackcurrant Nitro
4.7% ABV

I had to post two photos to compare as the Nitro did it’s thing. What a spectacular pour it was. What an array of colors. Here’s my official review:

Poured into a Left Hand Irish pint glass.

Look: Transforms from a light pink to a deeper pink then purple color as the nitrogenation does it thing. It leaves a tight, thick foamy light pink colored head. Great head retention with thick sheets of lacing.

Aroma: Not a lot going on here. Slightly metallic with small traces of blackcurrant fruitiness and tart.

Taste: Also extremely muted like the aroma. More tart and tanginess come out, tastes a bit like fresh raspberries. A very light tart taste overall with a soft, fruity finish.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth, and even a little thin.

Overall: One of the strangest beers I’ve ever had as it’s one of the most visually stunning beers while at the same time having almost little to no flavor in comparison. Nice tart notes, but it’s all spread too thin.

Final Score: 3.65

 

Maria, FWIW I view the Kolsch style as being similar to the Helles style with the difference being that since a Kolsch is brewed using an ale yeast (i.e., a Kolsch yeast strain preferably) at ale fermentation temperatures the resulting beer will have subtle esters (e.g., a white wine like aroma/flavor). In contrast the Helles will be more 'clean' (i.e., absent of esters) since it is fermented with a lager yeast strain at cool fermentation temperature.

Cheers!

P.S. I will soon be discussing a side by side (by side?) Kolsch tasting in a future NBS thread.

 

So this a beer many don’t know about and what a shame. Had a coach from minors team baseball team snag a few of these gems Friday on its bottle release and wow. Pours a gorgeous pitch black with a nice two finger mocha head that leaves a big thick circle of lace around the entire glass. 5

Smell is loaded with roasty coffee beans, deep dark chocolate, oaked vanilla beans, toffee, and just a gentle kiss of bourbon clears those Spring Sunday morning sinuses. 4.75

Taste follows and it is bigger than 9.5% ABV because the bourbon kicks you in the puss immediately, Oak, strong black coffee, toffee, vanilla, and oh did I mention bourbon already and not over the top, but enough to know they don’t know how to retest a beers ABV after it hangs out in bourbon for a half a year or more. Drinks more like 11.5 or 12 and I am not complaining at all! 4.5

Mouthfeel is on the bigger side but slightly creamy and that is probably because I have this gem just above room temperature, with just the right amount of life, a tad dry and that is normal for a stout like this, and as I said drinks much bigger than its 9.5, but still easy drinking because of how complex it is. 4.75

Overall this is a treat, one of those beers that few know about and that is a good thing for me, but I have had many of the greats in this style and this will stand up against all of them. World class! 4.75

 

Jack, I greatly respect your views and opinions and love your sense of humor!

 

I am looking forward. Morning Jack! I am thinking of doing some cooking today and making this Two Beer Sunday! I think the bjcp says a step mash is preferred and th en it does mention two different fermentaion temperatures with lagering times ranging form 2 weeks to a month? Correct me if I am wrong. I am not going to look it up again right this minoot! Cheers!

 

Good morning New BSers! @cjgiant, thanks for starting the thread today - it's been a typical week here in NW PA - each day is a continual threat of rain which sometimes actually comes to fruition, usually about the time I'm 10% into mowing.
Well, today Mrs. Lizard boards her ship for her Caribbean quilt cruise, pretty much an annual thing. But that's OK, because it means I can go on what's becoming an annual separate vacation, a beer run to Germany - WAHOO - Bockfest im Deutschland! There's not really a Bockfest that I know of, but bock season starts in October, so WAHOO!
Today's New Breakfast Beer, one I've added to the data base and am the first to review, to the best of my knowledge.



$ 15.70 (Including shipping)/750 mL capped bottle ($ 0.618/oz) from Tavour, Seattle, WA.
“Bottled 02/27/2018” on back label, stored at 42 degrees and served at 44 degrees in a hand-washed and hand-dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 3.5.
Body – Dark orange-amber, translucent.
Head – Average (Maximum two cm, controlled center pour), off white, medium density, average retention time, diminishing to an irregular two to four mm ring and a thin complete layer.
Lacing – Fair. Narrow rings of tiny bubbles connected to the ring by thin columns.
First pour – Light yellow, hazy.
Aroma – 3.5 – Initial aroma is over-ripe apples. As it warms, this aroma mellows.
Flavor – 3.5 – Begins with some generic fruitiness and a touch of sweetness from the added pear juice, no doubt added to balance the astringency of the oak-barrel tannic acid. Some malt manages to make its presence known. No alcohol, no diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 3 - Thin, watery, lively carbonation.
Impression and summation – 3.5 – I first had Logsdon brews (Cerasus and Seizoen) in 2012 when I was in Hood River. At the time I found them to be bitter and barely drinkable. However, I was only six years into my “craft beer” journey and had not yet learned to appreciate some styles of beer. Since then I have tasted many styles and flavors of beer and have added farmhouse and wild ales to my favorites. There is nothing “wrong” with this beer, indeed it could be thought of as the typical farmhouse/wild ale. That is, it’s an average take on the style(s), despite having added pear juice, IMHO, to mellow out the oak barrel tannic acid. Would I buy it again at the paid price point? No. Would I buy a four pack for $ 14? Absolutely.
Rating 3.45, rDev 0%.

 

Thanks @cjgiant for the great start to NBS this week. Will be back later with a new brew.

Cheers!

 

One of my favorite beers from Allagash.

 

A-Pours a nice brownish amber color with a very nice head and lacing
A-Aroma has resplendent amounts of bourbon, malt and dank hints
T-The taste follows the nose with generous bourbon, malt and dank flavors
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A very well done Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Red IPA that has a very nice but not overpowering kick

 

Another good start to NBS, courtesy of @cjgiant. Maine thus far has had an insignificant spring. One day of nice weather, followed by cool, cloudy, and rainy weather. Not as much rain as the mid-Atlantic region, but enough. Did I mention cool? I had frost on my windshield yesterday morning. This weather has played havoc with my golf course. It is quite verdant, but wet enough that there hasn't been much mowing. The end result is fairways that look like rough and rough that looks like US Open rough. Tee shots get no roll (or they plug). The extended forecast looks like things will be improving, and I can't wait for some consistently warmer weather.

My new beer for today is Breakfast Exorcism from Clown Shoes. It is their imperial stout, Undead Party Crasher, aged in bourbon barrels, with Kalledevarapura Espresso added, and clocks in at 11% ABV.
In my snifter it is pitch black with a teensy tan head.
Aroma is all booze and coffee. Both strong aromas, almost like they are competing with each other.
Taste follows the nose. Bourbon and espresso. I think the bourbon is less apparent than the aroma suggested. The coffee is stronger and it lingers on the palate.
This is a full-bodied beer. It tastes better than the aroma implied.
Another great beer from Clown Shoes.

 

Always wanted to get my hands on that brew, very impressed with their beers.