New Beer Sunday (Week 703)

Pipe Dreams U Juicin Bro out of Londonderry NH a juice bomb of a NEDIPA. That is what the can says and yes they finally brewed a IPA that really impressed me. Great start @cjgiant Craig, cheers for your efforts along with @lordofthewiens for many of us BAs favorite weekly thread.

Poured ice cold into one of my favorite Tired Hands Teku glass, canned in the last 2 weeks. Pours a dark amber orange with a massive 2 finger head that leaves big thick off white waves of lace behind, with some excellent retention. Doesn’t look like your average NEDIPA because of color and not totally hazy. Still a gorgeous beer. 4.75

Smell is guava, apricot, mandarin orange, pineapple, and some grapefruit rind. Really balanced and pleasant. 4.5

Taste is what you would expect guava, apricot, maybe some stone fruit, tangerine, pineapple, and a nice balanced shot of grapefruit. 4.5

Mouthfeel is bigger than most, moderate amount of life, but fairly soft, not dry but sticky as it coats my entire palate with hoppy greatness, and very easy drinking at 9% ABV. 4.5

Overall great name, awesome art work, and this one is a winner. I really dig this one and will be grabbing more of it soon. 4.5

 

New Beer Sunday: A Belgian Pale Ale

Mornin’ NBSers with an alert to persistent perceptive pursuers of pale potables. Also thanks to @cjgiant for his start up this fine Sunday

Today’s weather here is expected (yet again) to be spotty with possible scattered showers and a thunderstorm in the area with highs in the low 80s and a feels like in the low 90s. (Booor-ing--)

I visited the Mandated Reviews thread early on, an interesting set of points being made. Probably time to go back and look to see more of what others thought. I personally prefer reviewing to just ticking because it is an investment in future enjoyment (I know better which beers to buy again) and in saving money (I'm less likely to buy a beer I didn't care for more than once).

This morning’s new beer is the Hoppy Table Beer from Allagash, a brewery known for consistent quality and skill at producing a range of Belgian style beers.

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

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4/237285/?ba=drtth#review


The aromas/flavors of this beer are nicely complex with the bready pale malt, some coriander, some spicy white pepper a touch of grapefruit zest and some earthy bitterness to finish in a dry ending after the light sweetness has faded away. Definitely worth a try and I’d be happy to use it as a Table Beer to go with a dinner and evening’s conversation with friends.

Cheers, all!

 

I have a great new local little brewer who grew out of a home brewer. Microbrewery but good. Here is this weeks release

Coconut blackout by second wind brewing

4.43/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Blackout imperial milk stout (made with locally sourced 72% dark chocolate) with coconut flakes and whole vanilla beans added

Black motor oil , two finger brown foam cap settles to islands and some lacings, recedes to a ring

Aroma of dark chocolate, roasted malts , whiff of coffee

Taste of dark chocolate , coconut, vanilla , finishes with coffee and roasted malts

Smooth mouthfeel , low sudsing

Delicious beer

 

Poured into a 13 oz Tired Hands Teku glass canned on 7/12/18. Pours a slightly hazy orange red with a massive 2 plus finger sticky off white head that leaves plenty of thick rings of lace as it slowly settles into a thin layer bubbles. 4.5

Smell is apricot, candied sugar, tangerine, honeydew, pine resin, and grapefruit. 4.25

Taste follows bold apricot and candied sugar lead the way, tangerine slides in next with some mellon, pine, and grapefruit. 4.5

Mouthfeel is big, gentle carbonation and that is the way I like my NEDIPAs, sticky from the insane amount of fresh hops, and at 9.6% ABV goes down way too easy. 4.75

Overall this is a really tasty beer, these breweries keep popping up and brewing some high quality stuff, I will be watching this brewery also.4.25

 

Something old, something new - Yuengling

Let’s discuss the old part as in the oldest brewery in America: Yuengling Brewery

“It was the year 1829 when Americans were getting used to their newly elected president, Andrew Jackson, that David G. Yuengling, an immigrant from Wurtemburg, Germany, settled in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and started a brewery.

Originally named The Eagle Brewery, today the Yuengling Brewery is still identified with the qualities of strength and pride, symbolic of the American eagle. Each Yuengling label still bears the eagle trademark chosen by young David Yuengling so long ago.”

http://beerhistory.com/library/holdings/yuengling.shtml

From the Yuengling website:

“1829 Lord Chesterfield Ale and Porter are introduced and continue to be brewed to this day.”

So, according to the Yuengling website Lord Chesterfield Ale was an original beer of the brewery with production in 1829. That beer would indeed have been an Ale since Lager yeast had not yet arrived to the US. There are a number of accounts as to who was the first person who brought Lager yeast to America but I will discuss just one:

“It is widely held that Jonathan Wagner produced the first Lager made in North America in the year 1842 in a "miserable shanty on the outskirts of Philadelphia." (According to Beer, It’s History and Its Economic Value as a National Beverage by F. W. Salem).

The earliest that Yuengling could produce a lager would be sometime in the 1840’s.

So, what is the ‘new’ part you might ask? It is a new year-round beer of Yuengling Golden Pilsner:

“Yuengling, America’s oldest brewery, just unveiled a new beer that’s set to be sold all year long. This marks the first time in 17 years that the Yuengling brewery has released a beer that’s available year-round.

As is obvious from the name, the beer will be a pilsner. The classic ‘Lager’ style of beer that we know is based on the original pilsner style, so this isn’t a very shocking move from Yuengling who produces a famous Lager.

The Golden Pilsner is a German-style pilsner and it will be brewed using Hallertau and Saaz hops (German noble hops). It carries an ABV of 4.7% and an IBU of 18 which means this will be a very drinkable beer.

“We listened to our consumers, we did some consumer research focus groups, our marketing team went out, we’ve been under experiment now for about 18 months looking at different brands and different styles, and the refreshment category was certainly one that we wanted to get into.”

“It has subtle hop aroma and flavor to it, a good balance between the maltiness and the hops,” Jennifer Yuengling said. “It has a smooth flavor, it finishes very refreshing.”

https://brobible.com/gear/article/yuengling-golden-pilsner-new-beer/

For today’s drinking experience I will be conducting a two stage taste test: first a triangle taste test followed by my typical side-by-side taste test.

Triangle Taste Test

Since Lord Chesterfield is an American Adjunct Lager (yes, it is indeed brewed using lager yeast) and Golden Pilsner is an all-malt lager a triangle test of two differing beer styles may not make too much sense but I will be doing this anyway. The purpose of the triangle taste test is to see if the taster (which is me) can blindly identify which two beers are the same and which is the differing beer. My wife volunteered to be the proctor here so, here we go:



Well, not too surprisingly I was able to distinguish the two beers which were the same (Lord Chesterfield in this case) vs. the one beer (Golden Pilsner).

Now, onto my ‘regular’ side-by-side taste test.

Served in two Spiegelau Lager glasses:

Appearance:

Lord Chesterfield: Gold color with a BIG billowy white head. This beer has very good head retention and forms a Belgian Lace as the beer is consumed.

Golden Pilsner: Ditto

Aroma:

Lord Chesterfield: The most notable aspect on the nose is a subtle but noticeable hop aroma. This beer is dry hopped using Cascade hops. There is not much malt/grain aroma on the nose.

Golden Pilsner: A pleasing combination of bready (from the malt) and spicy (from the hops).

Taste:

Lord Chesterfield: The flavor is not quite as notable as the aroma. There is some aspect of malt/grain there and the hop flavor is a tad more muted than the hop aroma. A low/medium bitterness.

Golden Pilsner: The flavor follows the nose with a subtle yet pleasant balance of bready and spicy flavors. A low/medium bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Lord Chesterfield: Light-medium body with a medium-dry finish.

Golden Pilsner: Ditto

Overall:

Lord Chesterfield: Within the context of an AAL beer this beer is a joy to drink. The highlights are the hop aroma and nice head retention. If you are looking for a nice thirst quenching beer in these ‘Dog Days of Summer’ this is a good choice.

Golden Pilsner: This beer is well balanced between the malt flavors (bready) and hop flavors (spicy). The flavor level is low/moderate and this beer indeed fits with the “refreshment” category. I enjoyed drinking this bottle of beer.



Heretofore my favorite Yuengling beer is (was?) Lord Chesterfield. I have only experienced one bottle of Golden Pilsner but I intend to purchase a 6-pack of Golden Pilsner for further/continuing research (and enjoyment). A BIG PLUS of Golden Pilsner is that it is packaged in brown bottles vs. those stupid green bottles they use for Lord Chesterfield and Traditional Lager – GREEN BOTTLES ARE STUPID!!!

I highly recommend this article by Lew Bryson about Yuengling: http://allaboutbeer.com/yuengling-so-much-better-than-it-was/

Cheers!

P.S. My wife also enjoyed tasting these two beers.

@rotsaruch @RobH @tzieser @FBarber @Crusader @KOP_Beer_OUtlet @meefmoff

 

Nicely done.

I'd say we're pretty consistent with each other on this one.

Here's what I concluded with in my review:

"Overall I found this more enjoyable than I had anticipated. While the aromas/flavors are not intense they are definitely noticeable and the beer is clean, slightly crisp and fairly refreshing. Generally I prefer a Pils with a bit more intensity of flavors and some more crisp dryness in the ending, but I expect to be repeating this beer because it’s simple, enjoyable and well suited for an evening out with friends sharing dinner and conversation."

 

Imperial Stout of Impending Doom by Shortfuse Brewing in Schiller Park, Illinois.
Poured from an undated can into my trusty DFH snifter, how's that for class! It's a very dark inky brown with a brown head that faded quickly to a ring, minimal lacing but left a nice oily residue. I thought I was pouring a Ten-Fidy.
Aroma of roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, tobacco and leather.
Taste matches the aroma, with some hop bitterness and a slightly sweet chocolaty finish.
Very thick mouthfeel, not a lot of carbonation after the pour and a potent 10.5 abv.
I've had several beers from Shortfuse before, all IPA's, most good but not memorable, IMHO this is pretty damned tasty. My check was 4.29.
Cheers and enjoy your beer!

 

NBS is off and rolling so I'll join the ride with one of my favorite styles . . .





Very attractive amber gold color with white froth and good lacing.

Deep aroma of sublime caramel malt with floral, spicy hops.

Malt forward flavor that is exceedingly rich, almost to the point of being bold, but hops are not forgotten here, rather they show at the beginning like dancers on the stage swirling around the main action and remain until the end being ever present and adding to the overall experience. If this were the only beer I've had from this brewery it would make me a fan of the place.

Medium-full texture with balancing carbonation.

The overall impression is of great complexity and style. In short, greatness. Forget waiting for October just give me this year round.

 

Nice write up on the beers Jack, both sound like tasty brews.

On the topic of Lord Chesterfield Ale I came across this picture of a "promotional trade card" from a picture book on Yuengling which suggests that Lord Chesterfield Ale was a new product in the 1930s post repeal period and modeled after a Canadian ale.

"Here's news that will please you! A Canadian type Ale has been added to the Yuengling family of malt beverages - an Ale that satisfies that longing for something different-an Ale that tickles the palate-an Ale that is full bodied with a noticable degree of tartness!"

"To suit the taste of thousands who like a malt beverage with quite some tartness, Yuengling's Brewery has ready for delivery a CANADIAN TYPE ALE,

Lord Chesterfield ALE

It has just the right tartness for those who want a rich, full bodied beverage with a tang to its taste."

 

Good morning everyone. and Cheers! I have been moving furniture since this morning so hence the fashionably late appearance. I had Yuengling's Golden Pilsner too this week! It has grown on me and I think that it is a good beer. Let me tell you why.

Pours golden. Clear and bright with a fat head of white foam that lasts leisurely. Falls in sheets clinging until it finally gives way to impudent streaks. Nose is crackery and herbal. The word distinct is the clue to the identity of these hops. They have a sweet flower petal and a little pepper. A faint whiff of sulfur combined with some dms. Taste is good and firm. Moderate bubble and a hop softenss that asserts just a touch of bitterness in the swallow. It's got everything in the finish except the hops.



As it warms you notice just a little sweetness in the finish and because of that you can taste a little bit of citrus form the hops. The distinct herbal from saaz was lost in the finish but the grassy hop stays on the palate. It keeps this beer form a better score and it makes the malt taste like graham cracker instead of bread. The finish lost a little something because of it. It also kept it from being dry.

I am going to be pairing this beer with all kinds of food. starting with wings after I move my dresser. Cheers!

 

Good start to NBS, @cjgiant. Personally, I like to write reviews (and read them also). Not so much to guide me in a purchase, more so that I like to read and write. I would like to see a thoughtful review, not one that reads "This is a great beer. Crushed one last night at my local bar."
Anyway, I digress. Yesterday I bought a 4 pack of Prairie Deconstructed Bomb! with the intention of drinking them and reviewing them while I watched the PGA Championship. It's early morning out here, so I went with the coffee version first.
The beer is black in color with an almost non-existent head.
Coffee is the first aroma to strike my nose, followed quickly by some chocolate. There is a hint of alcohol.
The taste followed the nose. Espresso coffee, bittersweet chocolate, and a touch of bourbon.
A very smooth, drinkable beer. It could stand alone. I was surprised at the level of chocolate in this version; it almost matched the coffee.

 

A-Pours a very nice clear deep amber color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has resounding harvest hop hints
T-The taste follows the nose with an abundant harvest hop flavor
M-A light bodied well carbonated beer
O-A very nicely balanced harvest ale from Troegs

 

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

Cheers!

 

Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale from Sierra Nevada. Sorry for the recycled picture.
2018 version poured into a Chimay Goblet. Pours a light to medium brown with ruby red highlights, a one inch creamy tan head that left nice blotches of lacing. Smells of lightly roasted malts, toffee, raisins and hops. Taste is far more bitter than I expected, somewhat sweet roasted malts, toffee, raisins, dates and alcohol. This beer is meant for sipping and needs to be drank at near room temperature. Full bodied, lightly carbonated, lingering dry and bitter finish. I think I will be sitting around the house for a while after drinking this on.

 

Completely agree about this beer and am glad I bought more than a single. I was not sure what to expect going in, but it is a delicious brew. To me, it has substance without being overly "heavy".

Dawn of the Dunkel is also worthy - give it a try if you can get it. They are apparently doing a series of beers focused on these styles.

 

A-Pours a hazy light orange color with a generous head and lacing
A-Aroma has nice hoppy and tropical fruit hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a nice hoppy and tropical fruit flavor
M-A light bodied well carbonated beer
O-A nice hazy hoppy refreshing beer

 

Good morning NBS
New beer, old mug. I've enjoyed all of the SN Oktoberfest collaboration beers so far. Let's see what they've done this year...

The bottle is dated 7/23 and the pour is on the pale side in natural light with a rusty highlight that makes it appear darker than it really is. Aroma is yeasty with subtle grassy hops. I believe this is a first for this series, as the others have had unmistakable hop aroma. The taste is surprisingly light malt with a grassy & floral hop undertone that comes on mid palate and persists after the swallow. Mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with adequate carbonation. The finish is dry and slightly bitter. Overall, very good. It may take a couple 12 packs for me to reach my final verdict on this one.

Cheers all!

 

A-Pours a very clear golden with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has nice lemongrass hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a nice lemongrass flavor
M-A light bodied well carbonated beer
O-A nice refreshing lager beer

 

Happy Sunday, NBS crew! I have a fridge full of RVA goodies due to my recent $1 Megabus jaunt down that way, and many of them are new to me. So I have plenty of NBS fodder (or is it foeder? ) for today. Starting with this one I just barely managed to get. Was the last 4-pack in their cooler.

Valhalla - Triple Crossing
DIPA - 8% abv
Purchased for $18/4 at Triple Crossing
Canned 7/31/18 (12 days ago)
Score: 4.4 (+1.4% rDev)



The review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34442/258276/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
Another great TC DIPA. I gave this a 5 for body, since I don’t know of any other brewery that pulls off as creamy of a body as Triple Crossing does. Just a pleasure to drink. Although I doubt I could pick it out blind if put against any other of their DIPAs.