New Beer Sunday (Week 694)

Good morning, all, and Happy New/Old American Brown Ale Sunday! While on a trip back to Ohio a couple of years ago, I grabbed a Palo Santo Marron for ticking purposes. I didn't pay too much attention to it at the time. I decided to revisit it after it showed up here not too long ago. This is a big (12% ABV) brown ale aged in vessels crafted from the wood of the bursera graveolens tree, or "palo santo" ("holy stick") in Spanish. This tree belongs to the same family as frankincense and myrrh, and is widely used in South American folk medicine. The beer is exceptional, with lots of warm caramel and vanilla plus notes of chocolate and tart black cherry. Very low bitterness, and not as much alcohol warmth as I expected given the high ABV. The sweet spot seems to be just above cellar temperature, at which the aromas and flavors really seem to come alive. ¡Salud!



4.49/5 (rDev +7.4%)
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Full review here.

 

A-Pours a very nice light amber color with a generous head and lacing
A-Aroma has abundant hoppy hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a resonating hoppy flavor
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A well balanced beer

 

Hello and happy NBS! A cool and raining morning in Southern Wisconsin which makes it great for enjoying a stout.

Raised Grain Black Walnut pours a jet black, with a 2.5 finger almond colored head. Fades slowly and leaves a cap with a good amount of lacing on my glass. Starts with deep roasted malts, a bit of nuttiness, the moves into coffee and dark chocolate sensation, then fades to a multitude of toasty, roasty and caramel malt flavors. Smooth, rich, full- bodied feel with good carbonation. This was definitely worthy of the medal it won.

 

New beer for me from Hi Wire Brewing comes with a cool warning on the can that it contains alcohol.

Let me add up front that this beer imo is just terrible. It was canned on 5/11 so it’s certainly fresh enough, I think they forgot the Amarillo and Citra they advertise, it’s supposed to be a DIPA clocking in at 8.3 abv, what it is is a malty mess of a beer. I was at the pool and it was kinda hot popped the top took a sip made a face and gauged the buzz wasn’t worth it and poured it out, came home and poured out the other 3. I hate malty ipas and taken blind I’d guess it to be 8-9 months old, buyer beware this beer comes with a very high yuck factor. Let me also add that the only redeeming thing I could think of is that it would be OK to keep around to serve up for a beer mooching brother in law, it would serve him right, you couldn't cook with it it would ruin the meal.

 

New beer #2.

Promise Ring - High Branch
IPA - 6.2% abv
Score: 3.77 (-9.2% rDev)



L - 3-finger yellowish head atop a translucent orange body.

S - orange, pine, candy.

T - sweet orange candy. A very odd anise/licorice taste follows. Piney middle. Low bitterness. Moderate sweetness. Low booziness.

F - medium-full body with average carb.

O - the sweet licorice taste ruins this for me. Not sure if this is a flaw or intentional, but it clashes with the hops and distracts from the other qualities of this brew.

 

Hey what's going on!?

Well we still are partying it up good down here in the DC area!! It's just a high that wont die right now, I'll be ready for the parade on Tuesday.

In the meantime I got lots of beer.. LOTS OF NEW BEER! and I am way behind... so this is the perfect excuse...

What's NEW for our hero today?!?!?



Poured from the crowler into a nonic pint glass, approximately 16 hours after canning.

Minimal head creation, barely half a finger of eggshell white like colored head. A simple puck does manage to stay though the entire time. Body color is going in that NE vein, not totally turbid, But an almost banana to lemon yellow and pale grapefruit colored body. Looks like grapefruit juice.

Slightly fruity nose, but aroma is a little bit closed and neutral. Small touch more in esters than hop it seems on first whiff. Creamy and chewy sensing sweetness, with perhaps a tropical hop bent, but it's a little tricky to tell.

Palate seems to maintain this quite neutral presence. Simple backbone, forgoing the sense of chewy and textured sweet senses on the nose one would expect. Slightly prickly, a touch of orange citrus hop, but also mimosa like faint carbonation quality. Finishes a bit dry, almost parching. Good hop warmth on the finish though, with a bit of dry herbality that lingers.

This seems more like a dumbed down IPA than a regular solid pale ale. Decent but there's room for this to be better I think.

look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75 | BA Generated Score: 3.7

Cheers!

 

Founders PC Pils
..around a medium body and carbonation
..Aroma is bitter pine,citrus,grapefruit, and a bit of hay
..Taste follows the nose,bitter pine definitely dominates with grapefruit,then citrus coming through
..Overall it really fell short as a pilsner,more of a pale ale or even an ipa. It was good but didn't seem to be what I expected

 

So I was up at Chuck's, right? This is a little while back. But not too far. OK, maybe a little further than it should, but that's just the way this story goes, yeah? So anyway, I was up at Chuck's right, and was soliciting suggestions from the dude behind the counter (because I'm indecisive always, and as annoying as it may be, will often try and pick the brains of the folks who have a deeper knowledge than myself, if they seem to have the time). I narrowed it down to a couple of thoughts and asked him if he had any insight into them/preferences/etc. He nods thoughtfully and tells me I should definitely give the Radio Face a shot. Cool. Haven't had it before. His buddy behind the counter slips by behind him in passing and shakes his head. Keg just blew. Too bad. We're discussing backup plans when buddy comes pops back up and hands me a blank crowler. Says that's all he's got left and I should just take it, since I didn't get to try it on tap. Hell yeah I'll take it. Free beer is always appreciated. So now here we are.

Radio Face from Standard Brewing. Never stopped in there, but I walk by every couple of weeks or so. May have to rectify that one of these days.



Pour comes in as a murky amber colour that is definitely murky/dirty, not that colloidal crazy of the day. Derrty, in the parlance of Mr. Haynes. Finger or so of foamy white. Nice white cuff/collar after settling. Moderate- lacing to mark the passage of time.

Nose is initially a muddled mix of earthy hops, grainy malts, and vinous verdance (once again from the hops, if anyone was seriously confused). With the passage of time, the flavour becomes a little more focused, but less so the aroma.

Speaking of that flavour... First impressions are of and old old old school IPA with a stark contrast of grainy malts and earthy hops honing in to a pine bitterness. First impressions cane deceive, but they can also reveal an unprejudiced honesty of impression as well. That was a fun way to say nothing. Warming and further exploration does not necessarily CHANGE this first impression, but it does flesh out the details: it finds depth and a breadth in the broad archetypes described above. Earthy as a character arc. Pine bitterness as a finale/destination. Grainy malt backbone. But emerging from this high contrast black and white xerox of so much is a mosaic of texture and character. This is no longer cel shaded, it gains a dimensionality and depth previously elusive. Earthy notes begin to evoke specific memories and analogues: specifically there is a floral sweet veneer polished over the rough edges that make me think of specific garnishes and herb garden: nasturtiums without the spicy kick, cantaloupe orange with all the sugar stripped out, basil minus the basil-ness. Comes to a blunt point of sappy pine bitterness which carries through to the end.

There's a lot of little floaties leftover here from what I'm assuming is late hop additions?


(this picture doesn't even do it justice... as usual)

My dad always said I had the perfect face for radio (when I was a kid, I thought it would be cool to be a radio host [listened to way too much sports radio as a little kid]. My dad thought he was funny.). I don't think my dad would enjoy this one much as he's pretty much turned away from hops and bitterness in general in beer as he's gotten older. As for myself... yeh. It's alright. Glad to have tried it, but not one that would cause my eyes to light up if I saw it on the list somewhere. Maybe if I'd gotten to try it fresh on tap as opposed to out of the can my thoughts would have been different, but reasonably speaking, likely not. And there's nothing wrong with that. A decent old school IPA from a local brewery that looks to be a pretty promising space, that may prove to be convenient for me to visit from time to time? That sounds like a totally reasonable combination.

 

New beer #3. Wow!

Game Over (Black and Blue) - Barrel Culture
Sour ale aged in wine barrels - 5.5% abv
Score: 4.56 (+0.9% rDev)



L - beer explodes out of the bottle before the cap is even fully off. Massive fizzy head atop a translucent maroon body.

S - raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, wine, oak, vanilla.

T - highly acidic and tart mixed berries. Quite puckering. Wine barrel is very present mid-taste. Oaky finish. Low bitterness. Low sweetness. Low booziness.

F - medium-light body with very high carb.

O - a delicious brew. Just be ready for the acidity, if you have issues with acid.

 

New Beer Sunday: An American Amber/Red Lager

Afternoon NBSers with an alert for fans of Amber/Red Lagers or who’d like to have some of the proceeds from their beer buying help to support the Folds of Honor Foundation. This is a Foundation that provides scholarships to the wives and children of disabled or fallen veterans.

This afternoon’s new beer is the Budweiser Freedom Reserve.

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 definitely include some light molasses along with the malt. There’s also some sweetness here that is showcased against a background with a touch of nutty character and a bit of semi-dry earthy, spicy bitterness. While not intense these flavors and aromas are firmly there and help to create an easy drinking beer that I’ll probably have a few more of while it is still available.

Cheers, all!

 

Sierra Nevada summerfest 2018 lager
...about a medium body
. Aroma was a light lemony scent followed by some grain and a little bit of malt
..Taste was similar, mildly bitter but that seemed to be what dominated
..Overall it was okay, the mild bitterness dominated and it felt like it might have tasted better if it allowed the grain and malt to show up more

 

Good afternoon NBS, starting my day with some coffee. Enjoying some Central Waters Peruvian Morning thanks to @FlintB!

4.31/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Thank you FlintB for this
12 oz bottle, 2018, poured into a mug

A- Black with a small mocha head.

S- Coffee, some bourbon, chocolate, touch of caramel malts.

T- Rich roasted coffee, dark chocolate, some bourbon, dark chocolate, hints of dark fruits.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- A very tasty coffee stout, definitely focused on the coffee, worth seeking out.

Cheers!!!!

 

As a night shifter for life: welcome! Blackout curtains are your friend, and yes they really do make that much of a difference. White noise background can help too if your household or immediate surroundings tend to be particularly.... lively during the daywalking hours. It's amazing how different a character places take at 0300 vs 1500. Anyway, hope night shifting works out as well for you as it has for me.

And on that note, forgive me, but I should probably head to bed. Cheers!

 

Wow! There are a of beers on display today that I have not heard of - so that means I have not tried them either. I live in New Hampshire where the weather has been perfect and will continue to be so for the next few days. Sunny, no humidity, 70 degrees! I took a drive out to one of my favorite quiet spots called Riley's Pond in East Concord, NH and listened to the chorus of frogs burping around the lily pads.

So I am burping thanks to a fairly new beer from the von Trapp Brewery in Vermont. Yes, descendants from the "Sound of Music" family. This is their Double IPL, a limited edition released in early Spring, with an 8% ABV. The von Trapp beers can be found around New England and maybe into New York State. Of that I'm note entirely sure. So some members might have heard of this unlike all the beers I hadn't heard of as I scrolled through the postings. Average looking light amber but bold pine sensations greet the nose as well as a white bread sweetness. The taste is about the same with a lingering bitter finale. The body is smooth and better than medium. I bought the four pack for $9.99.


At Riley's Pond, East Concord, NH.

 

Isn’t there a Fight Club sort of rule that one never speaks of the yips? Maybe that only applies to speaking of others...

 

I have to work nights about one week a year. I've never had a problem with switching my sleep and always have found a brew when I get home helps me sleep well during the day. I just got back from a fantastic trip to Norway and had no problem sleeping (albeit during normal overnight hours) with the 24/7 midnight sun out.
As far as sports... I'm trying not to think about them for a bit. Ohio is a great beer state but other than our 2016 upset (and yes Lebron is still great) our professional teams could all use a bit of help. Particularly the Columbus Crew to keep them where they belong.
That being said let's get to the beer! I have nothing going on today and quite a few beers that are begging to be opened so this should be post one of several on today's NBS thread

MXD FRM = mixed fermentation. There's a lengthy description on the label but I didn't get any useful information from it... that being said the beer is quite tasty and well made with a nice mix of citrus, berries, yeast/malt/herbs on both the aromas and palate. Light, tart and complex. My review 4.16 just a bit above average. It's tough to find anything Jackie O's doesn't do well and this being their house sour base I'm very much looking to try a few of the barrel aged variations the've come up with

 

Picked this up a few weeks ago. Looked exciting enough.



4.13/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Doesn’t look any different than any other RIS I’ve had, as the pitch black beer produced a short lived dark copper head. Nose starts up with carob, caramel and vanilla but ends abruptly with what, sassafras? Wish that I could have realized more depth before the sassafras overwhelmed. Taste starts off with the sassafras (have I said sassafras enough yet?) but finds its way to to a silky European chocolatey vanilla, finishing with the boozy side. Probably mostly a heat factor as by the time I get to the barrel its just an alcohol taste. Never got anything coffee-like out of it though. I think they really nailed the feel though, as its got a real Goldilocks balance.

 

New beer #4. Thanks @thebeers !

Hipster Catnip - La Cabra
IPA - 7.2% abv



L - 2-finger fluffy white head atop a translucent yellow body.

S - herb, grapefruit, lemon, candy.

T - grapefruit, dough, pine, vegetal hops, cotton candy. Smooth middle. Mild bitterness, moderate-low sweetness, low booziness.

F - medium-light body with medium carb.

O - a very easy drinking, well balanced ipa.