New Beer Sunday (Week 694)

It's on to another new beer..

I am on IPA overload... I need to switch gears...



Poured from the bottle into a snifter glass.

A good rich lathering head, goes towards mocha but then settles to a more lighter tan color and a solid two finge top. Great creamy top with milkshake like consistency. Body color is a classic opaque and deep rich walnut black, almost hinting red, and very solid. Great looking brew.

Nice simple nose. Fruity nose of ester faint like strawberry, touches with lighter roast and maybe a hint of char coming in as well. Touch of light dark cocoa powder bitterness also. Pretty solid.

Very nice tasting palate. Lots of dry roast flavors that hit on first sip. Rich coffee like bitterness, and dry roasted malts permeate. Aftertaste almost has a piping warmth, and a bit of fruity hop bitterness that really lingers. Excellent lingering finish, one that mixes fruity hop and bitter roast qualities, making a nice coffee like fruity richness in flavor. Mouthfeel doesn't get quite into silky territory, but supportive and solid.

Got to love just a nicely done Russian Imperial. Delicious.

look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25 | BA Generated Score: 4.18

Cheers!

 

Discovered a new , small local brewery near me, Second Wind Brewing In Plymouth, Mass. Took the visiting nieces and nephews out for a pint to start their Saturday night pub crawl.

Blackout Imperial Milk Stout brewed with lactose and dark chocolate ( 7.8%abv) 35IBU - Jet black liquid poured into a 10oz glass. Brown foam ring. Few lacings . Aroma of roasted malts , whiff of chocolate. Taste of roasted malts and chocolate. Slight sweetness . Good beer. Good new brewery.

 

Old Bakery's Pour Over Coffee IPA.

Pours a foggy brown similar to a watered-down cup of coffee. Head forms a finger in height and khaki in color, with modest retention. Aroma is light roast coffee layered over herbal and pine hops and biscuit malts. Coffee is at the forefront, but the whole thing feels a little muddled. Flavor profile showcases more hops than the aroma, with herbal, pine, and floral notes that mingle well with light roast, light body, and high acidic coffee. Mouth feel has a little harsh carbonation at the back with a smooth feel otherwise - like iced coffee. Overall, coffee is fair, but seems off when layered over the hops.

Score: 4 | 3.75 | 3.75 | 4 | 3.75 | BA Score: 3.79 | rDev: -0.5%

 

It has been a good week, as some of you have already alluded to. As only a few of you know, last year Ted Leonsis sold me a minority stake in the Washington Capitals. As such, I say with great pride that "my Caps" have finally broken through and won the Stanley Cup. I also want to say thanks to the support of fans like @VABA and @imbibehour.

I jest, of course. I actually am Ted - I just use Craig as my online persona. But since this is not a hockey owners' forum, let's get to the beer...

On Friday, I dropped by my main bottle shop like I usually do heading into the weekend. This shop has tastings on Friday evenings - sometimes of bottles/cans, other times of draft offerings (even though they always openly offer sips of anything they have on tap). Well two days ago, a new brewery to the suburban DC area, Rocket Frog, had a pseudo-tap takeover. I tried a few of their brews and took three home. I really liked their golden ale, and slowly appreciated their Saison more and more as I sipped it.

A write up in Virginia Craft Beer magazine (note: I am guessing that since the article is in the current issue, it is not yet on the website, but I'm betting it will be eventually) led to some insight that they want to focus on Belgian styles as well as satisfying their own enjoyment of IPAs.

We decided to stop by yesterday, and found a mix of average to above average beer. The offerings were well constructed and gave the impression of having a professional brewer behind them - someone who was comfortable with production-sized batches.

Ok, so to start the day we are going with the IPA I grabbed in a Crowler on Friday, Cosmic Trails. We got some much unneeded rain last not in the form of a storm. The clouds are still hanging around keeping things cool, but last night's precipitation has taken the humidity to the near unbearable range. I mainly mention that to point out that this IPA is actually fairly clear - despite my losing efforts against cold glass and 75% humidity. There's a light haze on this about perfectly golden body. The head is frothy and not quick to leave.


Nose is tropical - not too juicy but with a fructose-like sweetness. This is countered by a a scent that indicates some of the fruit has been left on the counter too long - and is starting to turn towards the rotten side. I use this "rotting" term often as I don't have another way of describing it, and I almost never mean it as bad as it sounds. There's much lighter hints of peppery herbs and maybe even a little pine needle.

I recall this beer being a little more fruity in the sample size we had at the brewery. This pour is a mix of melon, mango, and papaya but not as sweet as I was expecting from the nose. There is a little bite that doesn't seem to all be coming from the moderately soft carbonation. A little tangerine comes though mid-taste, muted by a pithy balancing bitter note.

Lacing is strong. The back end is a mix of tangerine and tropical (still nothing in-your-face), and eventually a little pine bitterness sneaks into the lead. A lingering peppery note also crosses the finish line.

A more balanced IPA, but it is definitely an IPA. Their flagship Angry Alice IPA I felt was a little more of a slightly hoppy APA. This one isn't clobbering you with bitterness or squirting juice in your face, but it has a subtly interesting hop profile and remains easy to finish and refill your glass.

 

Grimm Crystal Sync

My theme today is tea beers. The label states that this is a “dry-hopped saison ale brewed with Earl Grey tea.” If it wasn’t stated on the label, I wouldn’t think of tea while drinking this beer.

Carbonation is nice and subtle. The beer is a very hazy yellow. Body is thin. The hops zing in this one. Mainly grapefruit, but with some lemon and underripe peach. There’s a little bit of earthiness that sticks out when it wants to and a lingering bitterness. This beer is interesting in that it feels very delicate and oddly aggressive at the same time. The end result of that combination is that it goes down easy, but it doesn’t feel like it completely succeeds at it while doing so.

 

Bell's Lager of the Lakes a Czech Pilsner. This is for lack of a better term a by the book Pilsner and that is a good. It pours a pale gold color with a thick white long lasting head. It has a nice bready aroma with a hint of grass. The taste is malty, The mouthfeel is light and crisp. The finish is bitter but not overpowering so. A fine craft Pilsner by any standard and a great summer brew,
Bell's is a brewery I had always hoped would come to NJ and I am happy that it did,

 

Now up some Tired Hands Grafted Oblivex. This is my last review of cans from Tired Hands’ Six Anniversary can release and my least favorite, I will agree with @CanConPhilly that Only Void Retrospective and High Tripper are the best two best from the release.

4.1/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16 oz can, dated 5/25/18, poured into a teku

A- A hazy golden copper with a two finger white head

S- Dank, some grapes, citrus rind, sweet orange peel, some sweet malts.

T- Citrus, citrus rind, dank, touch of grapes, sweet malts, some wet grass.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- Gets a little better as it warms but still a little too sweet, my least favorite beer from the Sixth Anniversary cans.

Love the ladle though, full picture of the label, cheers!

 

New beer #5.

Electri-Fly - Wild Ride
IPA - 6.3% abv
Score: 3.62 (-5.7% rDev)



L - 1-finger yellow head atop a translucent orange body.

S - caramel malt with some citrus.

T - sweet caramel with a little citrus. High sweetness, low bitterness, no booziness.

F - medium-light body with average carb.

O - overly malty but not bad.

 

Shipyard w/ Tiesta Tea - Fireberry

This is beer number two in my tea theme today. The label claims that this is a “revolutionary beverage experience.” How nice. It’s a blend of Shipyard’s “Wheat Ale” and Tiesta Tea’s Fireberry tea. It claims it’s infused with Yerba Mate - a herb that’s used for a caffeine stimulant and its nutritional value. This matter-of-fact can art is totally different than what’s on the Shipyard website.

This beer is a very hazy copper. Once the head dies down, carbonation is subtle. It really does taste like a beer mixed with a sweetened fruity tea drink. I was immediately thinking I was drinking hibiscus, so I looked up Tiesta Tea Fireberry and sure enough it contains hibiscus. Turns out, the flower on the can is hibiscus, but I’m too ignorant a dude to have known that. Hibiscus is one of the top billed ingredients, but the tea contains a lot of other items. In case anyone is wondering, I’m not getting any diacetyl.

I think the producers pulled off this blended beverage pretty well. I could see it succeeding very nicely at a summer party in an ice-filled cooler. One would have to like the idea of a spiked floral and fruity tea though. ABV is 4.3% If it was a lot higher, this would be a dangerous beverage in hot weather.

On the subject of golf, my wife and I took our two kids to play miniature golf yesterday. Midway into the second hole, my 7 year old decided to give up. He felt like he couldn’t handle it and didn’t want to try anymore. After totally failing to convince him to just have fun and soldier on, I fortunately told him that we weren’t going to keep score anymore. Those were the magic words. He joined us and had a great time. I was very proud of him when he got two hole-in-twos. Since he didn’t get any hole-in-ones, I made him clean the garage when we got home. I might be kidding about that last part.

Cheers.

 

Maybe I won't accept an invitation to play golf with you, after all. I'm afraid of what you'll do just to win a couple Nassaus.

 

New beer #6. Thanks @larryi86 ! This is incredible.

Bourbon Paradise - Prairie
BBA Stout - 16% abv



L - trace head atop a pitch black body.

S - smoke, vanilla, chocolate, faint pepper.

T - chocolate and vanilla wonderland. Bourbon in the background. So god damn smooth. Low bitterness. Moderate sweetness. Low booziness.

F - full bodied with minimal carb.

O - a stone-cold stunner.

 

Hey! Hope you are having a great Sunday. Been trying to catch up on chores outside but the heat has finally done me in. Time for a new beer thanks to @superspak from NBS BIF #007.

Odd Side Ales - Zure Kers. A cherry wheat sour that is drinking nicely on this summer day.



Poured from 500 ml bottle with no visible date.

A: Clear cherry red with a slight pinkish hue. Smallish one finger white head that settles fairly quickly but a thin ring hanging around for a while.

S: Cherry preserves and sourdough bread mixed with tart lemon. A touch of oak as it warms.

T: Sour cherries, lemon and lime, cracker malts, and a subtle earthiness. Flavors are significantly less sweet than the aroma suggests.

M: Medium body with light but lively carbonation.

O: Nice fruity sour with a good tart bite without being a complete pucker. Refreshing on a hot humid southern day.

 

Happy Sunday NBS players. A rather grey but nice spring/summer day here on the island. The seasons seem to be a bit late this year, as it’s almost July, and I’ve yet to go to the beach. On the north fork visiting my snow-bird parents who are down to a good 2/3 months up here. The bonus is stopping at Greenport Harbor brewing on the way.

My new beer today is Sailing Solo, single hop ipa featuring Citra hops. The brew checks in at 6.8% abv.

A murky straw yellow/vanilla color with a fast white head. Hop forward on the nose but not terribly floral. Big tangy and fruit hops up front with a creamy/juicy flow and minimal bitter finish. Really nice fruit notes of mango, grape, orange, lemon, and mixed berry. Crazy juicy and creamy feel.

Overall, just awesome stuff. This is other half level stuff and about the closest thing to all citra everything that I’ve had. I’m in the 4.5/5 range here players.

 

Thank you very much to @lordofthewiens for kicking off this NBS. What a fantastic day so far, woke up around 5am and was out working on the yard before the heat set in. Arizona is a unique place, you go from perfect to unbearable in hours, the joy of the desert. Been spending the day knocking out repairs and other items so its time for a new beer and some music. So with Pink Floyd cranked up it's time to do the same with my glass, today it will be Triple Barrel by Big Bad Baptist 2017 release. I have to say, this is amazing stuff, wish I had snagged a few more.




4.59/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Jet black with a rich tan head and amazing lacing.
N: Loads of coconut, chocolate, coffee, and whiskey.
T: Follows the nose, very rich coconut flavors with a nice coffee mix and soft whiskey throughout.
M: Medium/Full.
O: This is my favorite by far of the series. Outstanding flavors and nothing is over the top. Exceptional!!

Cheers all, and have a great Sunday !!!

 

4 unusual new beers week of 10 June 18
Série Signature IPA | Les Trois Mousquetaires
4.15/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.2
At Bier Market Montreal. Winning me over as #2 in a flight. 7 Oz. Must visit.
A) Light golden yellow with a white head that lasts and laces tidal rings.
S) Aroma is citric, dank with fruit & mystery. (Which is good)
T) Unusual profile, the malt comes in force with caramel wood shop/ pine shellac finish. ‘
F) Medium carb and weight, but pleasant tickly peppery feel and finish. Unusual.
O) Quebecoise IPAs win by being different and more northern european.
Guayabera Citra Pale Ale | Cigar City
4.15/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
I love a beer at 5.5% that tastes stronger and more robust, this could be an every day IPA
BREWED & CANNED BY OSKAR BLUES BREWERY. (My favorite brewer)
A) Over a clear golden body a robust lasting head that laces well.
S) Robust and ample. Onion and earth first, along side mango and grapefruit, both the front and back of the flower shop.
T) Seesaw’s through the manifold flavors in the aroma. On a caramel malt base. Nice bittering dry finish.
F) Woody, with a long drying finish.
O) Excellent, better than the 7+% Jai Alai (also great and their flagship)
Elvis Juice | BrewDog | Scotland
4.09/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
So far I've liked this brewer's craft.
a) Deep ruby amber color, clear, with off white firm finger of head that lasts but not much lace.
s) Mostly the natural hops citrus going on with a bit of the grapefruit add. Lots of floral and blossom perfume.
t) Starts sweet, grapefruit marmalade, honey, caramel malt. Landing then in a tight, crisp, gripping bitter finish.
f) Medium bodied, medicinal/herbal, clean finish.
o) Loved this and recommend it be tasted blind along side Sculpin Grapefruit.
Dragons & YumYums | Dogfish | Delaware
3.62/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Experiment as you will, if you dont handle fruit and veg into beer well, over time the stick, head, smell, and feel suffer.
DFH has lovely experimentation here, which if you have a sweet or fruit tooth, must try, but otherwise these beers are done better elsewhere, as say on occasion by Carton. APA is my fave style this might have used some salt, lower ABV and been a gose. As it is, it's a ghost of a pale ale. Thin, sweet, lightweight. But Interesting as a soda or a fruity wine sparkler/rose. That said, this is a heck of a food beer for seafood, lobster roll, oysters, salmon, etc. or a first half pour with salad or appetizers. It's an American Pale Apertif!

a) Flat, clear, pink red body, supporting short lived head. Nice color for a rosé.
s) Mineral water.
t) Tastes of fruit salad including carrot juice, tart kiwi, strawberry, cherry, lemon, orange, passion fruit, melon, pear. Summery, refreshing, not cloying but absent are hops, bitters, and malt - which is why we drink beer.
f) Thin, mineral water, akin to fruit essence soda water.
o) Experimental and the last of the red-experiments from DFH or unknown brewers that I'm going to taste and review.

 

Sorry no pics, but do have a new beer to both BA and myself...Great Notion Juice Invader. A well executed hazy IPA featuring Mosaic and Galaxy hops. Nose is super tropical and heavy on mango and cantaloupe. Taste brings some added citrus dimension, minimal bitterness with mild astringency. Great soft and fluffy mouthfeel. BA score of 4.33, full review link here.

 

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

 

Happy Sunday, New Beer Savorers and commentators. Well, for the umpteenth consecutive Sunday, it's cool, grey, and damp here in North Jersey. I literally can't remember the last nice Sunday weather-wise. We're impatiently waiting for a lot of renovation work in our new house, including the construction of a deck, so I've been enjoying my new beer area in the basement.

Today's first review is appropriate for the weather. Unironic Tweed, a 10% American Barleywine brewed by Rushing Duck in collaboration with Community Beer Works and the Brewery at the Culinary Institute of America. I hadn't visited RD for a couple of months and was surprised that bottles were still available. This may be the best American Barleywine I've ever had. I generally prefer the English variant. It features all the tastes I like in a Barleywine without the bitterness at the finish. And for 10% ABV it's really drinkable. I only bought two bottles and I hope more are available on my next trip. Here's my full review:

4.49/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into Rushing Duck Belgian glass. It pours a lovely ruby-cola color with a half finger of long-lasting creamy, ecru-colored head and a thin sheen of like-colored lacing. The smell is wonderful: sweet malt, caramel, brown sugar, raisin, and fig. It's a classic Barleywine aroma. The flavors are big and bold. It opens with caramel, brown sugar, and butterscotch, then segues to raisin, fig, and a hint of plum. Each taste is distinct yet they blend very nicely. It also lacks the bitter aftertaste I often notice in an American Barleywine. It features a rich, chewy mouth feel with moderate carbonation. One of the best features is that it's not overly boozy for its 10% ABV. Often, the ABV in big Barleywines us distracting. Here, the alcohol feel is almost delicate. While the idea of a "crushable Barleywine" is oxymoronic, Unironic Tweed is as drinkable as they come. Overall, this is a terrific rendition of style and another example of Rushing Duck's versatility and attention to detail.

I hope you're all enjoying you new beers today. I hope to join you again shortly.