New Beer Sunday (Week 694)

See Delight, inscrutably named imperial stout (11% abv) collab between Mikkeller San Diego and Barrier and Thin Man, featuring coffee, cinnamon, and lactose...

Pours a viscous inky black, producing a big, thick head of dark brown foam cascading into the jet black body... A solid take on the imperial stout... Leans toward the sweet end of the spectrum, but not too far... Rich, bittersweet chocolate malts provide the firm backbone, with a mellow coffee flavor running throughout... Impressions of licorice and vanilla circulate freely, with a burnt char around the edges affording some drying to the beer... The cinnamon is very mild, and puts just a hint of tingle on the back-end, but it is easily lost in the big, dark body of the beer...

What I assume to be a Julian date on the can indicates it was brewed on the 129th day of the year, 5/9/18... Real good stuff but fairly pricey - IIRC, about $10/can...

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

 

Family gathering

ABbaye de bon saint chein

4.24/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Wine bottle, 2014 edition

Poured into chalice

Iced tea appearance , no foam cap

Aroma of raisins , oak , fig, tartness

Taste is wine like , grapes , oak ,

Tartness, bit sour

Good beer

 

Trillium Permutation Number Forty-Four. A Galaxy and Columbus hopped IPA. Canned 11 days ago.



The nose is tropical bubblegum. Big new school aromatics. Rich candied sweetness. The taste mostly follows. This drinks a little big for 6.4% ABV, but in a good way. Kiwi, citrus, and Juicy Fruit. A surprisingly substantial malt presence that adds some sweetness but doesn't intrude or steer the beer away from its fruity leanings. The mouthfeel is near-perfect for the style. Overall, this is awesome. Is there a better NEIPA brewer?

 

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

 

Alagash James bean
..pours a cloudy amber color
..above average body,has an almost thick creamy feel
..Aroma is bourbon,caramel and coffee
...Taste is bourbon first which seems a little sweet with a small alcohol burn. There's caramel and a mellow,non bitter coffee,vanilla finish
..Overall it's an excellent beer,not overpowering on the bourbon but still very noticeable. It seems like an unusual mix of flavors at first but to me it all comes togethor well

 

This looks absolutely amazing!

 

Man does not live by Wrench alone.

This time last year, Industrial Arts was releasing various iterations of its IPA called State of the Art, each brewed with a different hop profile. Some were outrageously good and I became a big fan. Since there was no distro in New Jersey, I made frequent trips to the brewery. Then, IA brewed Wrench and Torque Wrench and the rest, they say, is history. I love them both and I can even find cans of Wrench (and occasionally Torque) nearby. IA became defined by the Wrenches (not a bad body of work). So I was intrigued when they released State of the Art 296. It's dank as hell and really, really good! Here's my full review:

4.34/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Canned 6/6/2018 so 4 days old when reviewed. Poured from 16 oz. can into Industrial Arts pint glass. It pours a hazy, golden-straw color with almost a finger of fluffy, bright-white head and lots of soapy lacing. The nose is crisp and features lemon peel, grapefruit, onion, and fairly subdued hops. Wow, this is this dank! I think it's the dankest State of the Art variant so far. Lots of onion and tart lemon and grapefruit up front but as the glass warms there's a hint of bready malt. The feel is fairly light and crisp with pleasant carbonation and an easy-drinking 7% ABV. This is remarkably good. Think a lighter, crisper, lower ABV version of Waldos' or Nimble Giant. I think Industrial Arts has a winning formula here!

Anyone in the area should try this wonderful beer. I'll keep buying, and drinking, the Wrenches but this is worth driving up to the brewery to drink and purchase. Way to go, Industrial Arts!

 

Happy Wrap-Up to/of New Flying Dog Beer Sunday (Week 694)!

Wow, I really need to get an early, running start more often! Today has been highly productive as the result of my nocturnal beginning. Following my opening salvo, I proceeded to:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/68/323622/?ba=woodychandler#review

Having exhausted my Brewhouse Rarities & feeling exhausted myself, I laid down for a nap & returned to:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/68/341958/?ba=woodychandler#review

which led to the find of the day:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/68/341957/?ba=woodychandler#review

OMFG, was that good! How could I stop now? On to:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/68/341956/?ba=woodychandler#review

& now, it was time for another nap. I awoke to:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/68/323996/?ba=woodychandler#review

& slid home with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/68/337378/?ba=woodychandler#review


All's swell that ends swell! Wot's that? NO assignment (currently) for tomorrow? It's still early? Lemme close this out & I may be back with more … stuff!

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone had a good Sunday so far. Did my usual bottle returns, grocery run, and laundry as usual. Even made it back with more new beer.

Lager review of the day. I've reviewed all of the widely available macro ones at this point; except for a handful of malt liquor, and all of the Chelada things. I bought them all yesterday. I am trying to learn to enjoy the tomato thing. Anyways, this was really good! Awesome head retention and soapy lacing on the glass. Aromas and flavors of cracker, corn, white bread dough, lightly toasted biscuit, and light honey/nutty malts; with some light herbal, grassy, peppery hops. Touch of fruity aromas, but not overwhelming. Light herbal, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation, medium body, and fairly crisp/clean finishing. Bready/grainy malt and light sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Light-moderate increasing bitter/carbonated dryness. Very flavorful/refreshing, 4.5%. Never watery. Perfectly clean lager flavors, minimal fruitiness. Very clean and nicely rich malts/grains and solid earthy hop presence for the style. Not overdone on adjuncts, plenty of barley presence. This is even better than PBR(same brewery too). Right up there with MGD as my favorite AAL easily. Seriously top tier style. 3.81


New brewery to me out of Benton Harbor. Very nice White IPA. Great head retention and thick foamy lacing on the glass. Aromas and flavors of big lemon, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, red apple, melon, coriander, peppercorn, clove, citrus peel/rind, pine, and light banana hops/yeast; with moderate wheat, cracker, white bready malts; herbal, floral, grassy hop and yeasty earthiness. Moderate pine, citrus rind, herbal, grassy bitterness; and peppery yeast spiciness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation, medium body, and moderately crisp finishing. Balanced bready/grainy malts and sticky/resinous/rindy hops/yeast in the mouthfeel. Moderate increasing bitter/spicy dryness, minimal hop astringency. Very smooth, not overly aggressive, 6.4%. Just a touch too bitter, spicy, and drying than I'd prefer. They nailed this for the style expectations. Some breweries seem to think making an IPA with wheat makes the style. This has the Wit yeast and spices as it should be. Great balance of yeast, spices, and dank/vibrant/earthy hop complexity; with a solid pale/wheat malt backbone. This style is in need of a revival nationwide. 3.9


Cheers, be back in a bit NBS

 

Hello NBS. Today I am trying Prairie's Deconstructed Chili Bomb!

This beer clocks in at 11.8% abv.
Look: Pours pitch black, with motor oil like viscosity. Barely a fingers worth of head, but with nice ring retention. Pleasant amounts of residual lacing.
Smell: Huge roasted malt and chocolate aromas. In fact, that is just about all I get on the nose. Slight hints of dates and figs, with slight nuttiness like pecan and walnut. As it warms, chili spice becomes slightly more pronounced, especially when I really get a big whiff on it. Chocolate/malts dominate the smell.
Taste: Chocolate and roasted malts are the superstars of the flavor. Notes of coffee, butterscotch, toffee and caramel also present in the background. Not so much chili pepper flavor, but more the heat feeling from the peppers, like pore-opening if that makes sense. Aftertaste is chocolate and malt, with smoked nuts. Slight dark fruit sweetness. Chili becomes less shy as it warms, and really balances out well. I am thoroughly enjoying this.
Feel: Medium in body and weight. Low carbonation with a nice sticky property which coats the entire palate.
Overall: This is really enjoyable. As I drink it, I get more "hot" from the peppers, but it is super smooth and likable. I thought vanilla was going to be my favorite, since I am partial to vanilla in stouts, but I prefer this one.

Look: 4.25 Smell: 4.50 Taste: 4.50 Feel: 4.00 Overall: 4.50 Final Score: 4.44

 

Moving along...



Poured from the can into a Libbey style pilsner glass.

Fairly clear bodied, with a brass dark gold color, even touches of orange slightly. Head creation though is quite weak, with poor retention and heavily soapy appearances. Pops and dissolves to a quick thin collar, which also afte some time dissapears nearly enitrely. Good amounts of pinhead to fine carbonation.

Clean lager like aroma. Slightly herbal hop but more emphasis on sticky pasty yeast qualities. Very subtle tones, not very distinct, but at least nice.

Palate seems to contain more subtle notes. The body and mouthfeel is a little slippery, almost syrup like but not quite. A strange amount of flat tasting like carbonation, but some lively herbality. Good finishing hop herbal presence, a bit large though. Does come off that clean in quality on the finish, a touch of sugary malt, if it weren't so biting herbal.

The beer seems a little strangely flat, if with some prickly carbonation. It's also a bit hop forward which while nice is a bit overdone. The base character and malt quality isn't really shining through on this. While drinkable and acceptable, there's room for improvement.

look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25 | BA Generated: 3.4

Cheers!

 

Good afternoon NBS and thanks to @lordofthewiens for the start today, your approach to the golf, and aging challenge is always a good reminder for me.
This is day 2 of Western Mass Beer Week, I attended a slow pour event at Brick and Feather, fantastic treatment of several fantastic lagers.
Home now enjoying this offering from the Lost Abbey, a saison of excellent quality, and depth.
Cheers all

Red Barn Ale

The Lost Abbey
Saison / Farmhouse Ale / 6.70% ABV

4.1/5 rDev +4.1% | Score: 3.94
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 ml bottle dated 8/2/17 into the test glass
A - Goldenrod colored backdrop with a slight haze, can not hide the very active carbonation. A towering cap of white loose knit froth resides as a statement through the experience.
S - White pepper, pineapple roasted, lemongrass, candied fruit buried in a musty handful of fresh earth.
T - Spicy tropical thread, with the focus on ginger, papaya, pineapple, lemon reduction. Nice variety with everyone getting along well.
M - Medium in body and a dominant prickly carbonation acting as the muscle in this experience. The start is semi sweet, then an ashen dry wave rolls through. Finish is delightfully dry with those spicy elements joining forces to linger a bit.
O - A very well executed, dusty, saison with a hint of mineral and fruit. As this bottle has some time on it, I am excited to find a fresh version to balance this experience against. Well worth effort to find and enjoy

 

A-Pours a 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 nice IPA

 

It's become blustery in Middle TN with a few unexpected pop-up T-storms that have cooled it outside significantly and unfortunately caused a delay in the Vandy-MSU baseball game and is wreaking havoc on the CMA Fest. This situation calls for a Scotch Ale, courtesy of @cjgiant!


This beer was a murky, rusty-brown color with a modest tan head. The foam shrank quickly but it did leave a persistent cap. A sniff revealed a slightly sweet, malty aroma as expected. Some caramel and a bit of stone fruit. There was a nice, slightly smoky/peaty aspect to the malty taste, serving as a nice counterpoint to the sweet caramel. Not overstated but just enough to keep it interesting. Medium bodied and remarkably easy to drink. All in all I really liked this one. A great sipper while listening to the thunder. Cheers!

 

Ok, last time I saw a beer from this brewery at my bottle shop, a sip of the beer just didn't win me over enough to grab a growler. I probably had enough beer in my cart or fridge already, because I knew Equilibrium from a few states north of here was fairly well regarded and I hadn't been able to confirm the hype. I believe that Sunday someone posted a beer from them and I promised to not make the same mistake twice.

I'll have to admit, the quick sip I got at the beer shop didn't have me won over - but it came across as a citrus juicy offering and whether or not I would end up liking it, I figured I could easily finish it (or have the GF do so). So with that as a background, i give you dHop2:


The beer sitting in my glass is a bruised peach liquid in which I see a couple of suspended globules. Atop the body is a frothy/foamy white cap that gives a solid opening lace that it cannot sustain on the way down the glass.

Nose has a nice pine resin aspect to it, and that comes out to me first - even as the beer is still a little more chilled than it should be. Peach, orange, tangerine juice notes start to take over before I get too deep into the glass. These seem to morph the pine note into more of a fresh-cut grass note.

The taste open with a light grain note and gets a little oat-like aspect shortly into it. There is a fruit-blended orange juice flavor that enters between these two non-hop aspects. The juice is nice, but doesn't get to be full-on "juicy" seemingly from the dulling aspect of the oat. Tangerine and peach peach join the orange, with a hint of pineapple and mango in lesser degrees are all well blended. A piney to lightly spicy bitterness takes some time to grab hold, as the beer's fruit juice aspect holds most of each sip. The resin does tend to stick a little, giving this medium full beer a little staying power - though not anywhere near an overpowering one.

A nicely balanced NE IPA, the juicy aspect is fresh, the oat isn't too distracting, there is a light piney bitterness that restrains the fruity/malty side and adds a mild bitter-leaning end

 

Happy New American Impy Stout Sunday!

Pretty nice day here on the Western Slope, sunny, around 93, slight breeze. Having a tasty brew, too much chilies in this one though. Picked up the usual chicken tacos. Still got some Next Generation reruns to watch. Will be back with another later on.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24300/289297/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

Good afternoon fellows NBSrs! During a quick break from working I had the pleasure of this beauty from @Samdaddy . Thanks my man!




Appearance is a hazy dark apricot and poured with 2 fingers of off white head.

Aroma is all overripe tropical fruit. Mainly papaya, mango and pineapple.

Taste follows nose. Overripe tropical fruit galore.

Feel is soft, smooth and full. Carb is moderate.

Overall a fantastic triple ipa worth trying if you’d get the chance to. Easily the best triple I’ve had yet. It’s an easy 4.5/5.

Cheers all!

 

Think you and I are in agreement on this. Sometimes it seems to lie a little too much on the malty side, other times that sneaky peat (ha) aspect is at a perfect level where the malts do shine but don't get tiring. Luckily, considerably more often than not for the about 8 I've had so far, the latter holds true.

 

Now up Waikiki Aloha Spirit that made its way from the 50th state to the 1st state thanks to @y2kawakami!
4.02/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Thank you y2kawakami for this
12 oz can poured into a pint glass

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

S- Sweet bread, some pilsner malts, some earthy noble hops, touch of citrus.

T- Sweet bread, some pale malts, some earthy hops, touch of citrus.

M- Smooth, body is a little on the watery/light side.

O- A tasty and easy to drink Blonde Ale. Simple and straightforward, but has enough flavor so it’s not boring.

Cheers!

 

Good afternoon/evening/whatever, NBS! Glad to be here today, and glad to have an excuse to pop this one open.



Russian River's Consecration, bottled 07/18/16. Bought it from my local several months ago, but I can't say where it was in between. Does RR hang on to them that long?

Ale aged in cabernet sauvignon barrels with currants added, refermented in the bottle, 10% abv.

Pours a ruddy brownish red. Clear, with an off-white finger of foam which dissipates rapidly, despite being fed by a steady stream of small bubbles from the bottom. The yeast sediment is firmy stuck to the bottom of the bottle, and the careful pour that the label suggests proves unwarranted.

I'm not really a wine drinker, but the initial aroma is strongly red wine-like.

The taste, as well, is quite winey. Dark fruit, oak tannins, grape skins, and alcohol on the back end. I give my sister a sip (she's a wine drinker), and she says it tastes like "beery wine". And indeed it does. I don't particularly pick out black currants, but I imagine they're a part of the dark fruit flavors.

Lively carbonation, and smooth sipping. Wine flavors and alcohol linger. Very dry.

For sure an interesting beer that I am enjoying. Maybe I should get into wine, but I really don't need another alcoholic beverage in my life to obsess over.