New Beer Sunday (Week 703)

When did Ballast Point change their name to Down The Road Beer Company?

 

Happy New American Porter Sunday!

Pretty nice day on the Western Slope, around 92 at the trailhead, hazy, barely see the Grand Mesa. Having a pretty tasty brew. Picked up some chicken tacos, gonna watch some reruns of Boston Legal and something Star Trek, probably Deep Space Nine.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/63/355374/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

#2, an English Style Robust Porter from Tapistry.



3.19/5 rDev -20.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The pour yielded a foamer of a head - literally 5 minutes before the head receded to a “normal” level with a rich tan head that would not quit. Hmmmm .....

The nose has some char, but there’s a component that doesn’t fit the style - like a Belgian yeast. The taste has loads of that flavor - the Belgian yeast leaves an estery flavor that isn’t something you find in a porter.

I can drink this, but there’s something off. This is not an award-winning Porter by any measure, IMHO.

 

Back after dinner with another one from Southern Grist.

This time it’s DDH Mixed Greens 29. Also very well done, but I might prefer Insert Juicy Pun more.



Poured from 16 oz can dated 7/27/2018

A: Hazy orange tinted yellow with 1-2 finger white head. Moderate retention and lacing.

S: Peach, apricot, mango, and pineapple.

T: Soft citrus with peach, apricot, pineapple, and papaya mixed with some white grapes.

M: Medium body with average carbonation. Slightly bitter finish.

O: Very nice IPA. Another nice offering from Southern Grist.

 

# 2 beer for NBS today. I was really worried about palate fatigue after that first one was so good but I had to give this a go. I had this awhile back probably a year or so ago but Lamplighter is always experimenting with new hops and recipes and this one is no exception.
Rabbit Rabbit DIPA brewed with Citra, Amarillo and Idaho7 hops.
Pours a hazy golden yellow with quite a large head that lasts for minutes leaving spotty lacing.
Aroma is huge tropical with pineapple, guava, passionfruit, melon, some citrus with subtle gooseberry notes. (I know what these taste and smell like- used to pick and eat them when I was a kid.) Some sweet onion peeks in as well- in a good way. There is a bruised fruit note from a touch of honey malts?
Taste follows with lots of ripe pineapple and tropical fruits and some sweet peach and melon. This beer is a tad sweeter than my last one but that is balanced with a piney bitter resin. The depth and complexity of flavors is fantastic and lasts.
Feel is medium bodied. Hop candy resins fill the mouth and are gently washed away by pleasant bitterness and a nice carb. Finishes nice and dry for the style.
This is another superb effort from Lamplighter. I just love these Idaho 7 hops, has to be my new favorite hop. They add a new depth and complexity to beers Ive had. What are your thoughts? Anyway a great brew for # 2!!!

 

Cigar City Cyclopaedia (Apple Brandy-Barrel Aged)
English Barleywine - 12.2% ABV




4.39/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottle poured into an El Catador snifter. No bottling date visible on the bottle or label but this bottle is approximately six months old. Bottle #6 of the 8th edition of Cigar City's barrel aged bottle club.

Big notes from the apple brandy barrels on the nose complement a sweet, malty barleywine base. The taste hits you up front with a lingering sweetness and a smooth malty finish. Again, the apple brandy barrels like the aroma really enhance the barleywine flavors adding another layer of complexity. Overall, Cyclopaedia is a really tasty barleywine that I enjoyed. Another great addition to the El Catador series.

 

New Beer Sunday: Russian Imperial Stout

Evenin’ NBSers, with a report for fans of simple, solid no-frills Stouts.

This evening’s new beer is the Rabid Duck from Duck-Rabbit brewing.

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

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/9790/27249/?ba=drtth#review


The aromas/flavors of this beer are mostly about the aromas/flavors from the dark roasted malt. There’s lots of dark chocolate, some dark roast coffee and a bit of caramel. The flavors are big and fairly complex and also show a bit of dark bread sweetness along with just bit of almost burnt bitterness. A solid, enjoyable RIS.

Tonight's music currently on the player is by the 20th Century American composer, Samuel Barber, and is probably his most popular work.

Adagio for Strings

Cheers, all!

 

Excellent fruited pale lager. Nice head retention and solid lacing on the glass. Aromas of big juicy/lightly tart/tangy cherries, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, and citrus zest; with moderate cracker, white bready malts; and light herbal, grassy, peppery hops. Light fruit tang/tartness and mild herbal/grassy/zesty bitterness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation, light-medium body, and moderately crisp/clean finishing. Some bready/grainy malts and light fruit acidity/tang/tannins in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing tart/tangy fruit dryness. No puckering. Super flavorful/refreshing, 4.7%. Perfectly clean lagering, no yeasty notes. As if I needed another summer beer, this was very impressive. Very juicy/jammy cherries and vibrant limes; with balanced clean pils malts, and mild earthy hops. Getting this again! 4.05


Continuing the NBS tradition, JP/La Sirene collab. This was outstanding! Fantastic rocky head retention and thick soapy lacing on the glass. Aromas and flavors of big lightly tart lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, passion fruit, mango, melon, berry, red/green apple, white wine, citrus peel/rind, peppercorn, pine, oak, hay, straw, herbal, floral, and grass; with moderate wheat, cracker, white bready malt; light oaken vanilla, leathery/musty funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, grassy bitterness; peppery yeast/oak tannin spiciness; and light Brett tang/tartness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation, light-medium body, and moderately crisp finishing. Balanced bready/grainy wheat, sticky hops, and oak tannins in the mouthfeel; light lingering resins/rinds and acidity after the finish. Light-moderate increasing bitter, tart, spicy, carbonated dryness. No pucker/astringency. Very flavorful/refreshing, 4.6%. Chinook, Cascade, Crystal, Galaxy, Vanguard hops. Amazingly balanced juicy/dank/earthy hops and classic JP house Saison/Brett funk; nice pale/wheat malt backbone and oak presence. I will have 5 more JP to review later this week! This is a killer hoppy session saison, they have been nailing pretty much every new collab in the last year. 4.18


Cheers, have a good night NBS.

 

Been awhile since I've done a two-fer on NBS. Good thing Heater Allen beckons the call.

Heater Allen
Coastal- Amber Lager



Coastal (Coastal Common, as it used to be called) pours a perfect shade of amber orange, just on the cusp of rust. Appropriate to the oxidation process, it looks relatively clear but tainted just a bit. The barely off white cap lingers around the coast of the glass once settled, and leaves decent rings of lace from head to toe.

This is filled with subtle, but wonderful aromas of caramel drizzled bread, and dark fruits. Raisins and fig barely scratch the surface, but once noted you cannot let go.

The flavor is much more toasty than it's implied scent would indicate. Otherwise, the caramel, toast and bread are there, dark fruits...just barely. But new to the party are peppery spices and dried floral notes that linger on well into the aftertase.

This starts off smooth and semi-sweet, but has a good dose if bitterness to compliment that floral finish. It's bubbly carbonation gives a percieved dryness allowing for sip after sip. However, if times is allowed, the sugary sweetness coats in time giving it an unusual and unpredictable body.

The other site claims this is the #1 Amber Lager in the country. I don't know if that's saying much to most,but it would mean something to me. And on that note, I do think it is good, but once again Heater Allen is hit or miss for me, and this one doesn't grab me wanting for more, even if I did find it enjoyable and a refreshing change of pace. Prost!

After Imy official review, I gave Coastal a rating of 4.03 with an rDev of +8 3%.

 

I didn't think of doing a cuvee until I had finished the first bottle. Would have been good to try.

 

High 90s so far.

 

Great story!

 

Happy Sunday, BAs. Like many NBSers, I appreciate a good beer review. They're more helpful to me in selecting a beer than just a score. As a memory-jogger to myself, my own tasting notes are much more useful than a score. And I've found that, while sometimes I want to just drink a beer and not dissect it, taking the time to think about what I'm experiencing in a beer and to put it into words does help me appreciate beer better.

I find I do my best beer reviewing alone at home. The worst are when I'm out to eat with my wife. She hates it, rightly thinking it's antisocial. I nonetheless do often get some notes jotted down anyhow and can easily grab a photo or two. Such was the case tonight when we went out to eat at Slab in Portland, Maine.



Barreled Souls/Magnify 4x Magnification

First up was a collaboration DIPA from a Maine brewery I've never tried before and a NJ brewery I visited for the first time last weekend.

4x poured a lovely, cloudy, orange-tinted yellow and had a creamy off-white head that left heavy lacing.

Tangerine, clementine and cream were big in the aroma, with a little crackery malt behind.

It was creamy tasting with the same citrus from the nose and touch of herbs, as well as a touch more of that cracker malt and an almost sloppy kiss of alcohol. Mild bitterness mixed with a hint of spearmint and berries in aftertaste.

The beer was full bodied with a nice burst of carbonation cutting through upon swallowing.

I thought it was a great New England style DIPA to kick off my time in Vacationland.



Barreled Souls Big Bang

My second and final beer for the evening was a barleywine from Barreled Souls. It came ruddy brown with a finger of creamy, light-tan head that also left heavy lacing.

Fig up presented front in the nose with cherry and earthy hops behind.

The super creamy mouthfeel was the first thing I noticed upon sipping it, again with some nice carbonation cutting through.

The flavor was fruity tasting at first: medicinal cherry, fig, a touch of candied orange. Strong caramel malts showed mid-palate, and then a very bitter, borderline ashy, aftertaste.

This one reminded me of a higher-caliber Troegs Mad Elf. Pretty intense, but a fun sipper.

I'm off to Allagash tomorrow. Hope you all have a great week.

 

Hello NBSers. I've always enjoyed doing reviews as long as I have a real computer or laptop & a solid internet connection. Now that I am older, it is very helpful as my memory sucks & seems be getting worse. This keeps me from buying repeat mistakes by consulting my reviews.

The Abyss from Deschute ( Tequila Barrel aged ). Liked it alot, did not make me fall in love... 4.21 overall

Bottled 9/14/17

Pours like motor oil, ebony with a sliver of brown head. Viscious, minimal head retention & lacing

S: Dark fruit, a little booze & vanilla

T: Dark fruit, carob, smoke & a little Tequila Twang, plus dark chococlate up front. Figs, carob, raisins, barrel dryness & chocolate all there as this warms, along with smokeyness, some booze bite too. Finishes dry with dark chocolate, hints of tequila/boozeyness

MF: Chewy, slight carbonation, this is a sipper

A very nice itteration of this, but wasn't as impressed I hoped I would be. The the nose is the real short coming I suppose

 

So we are sitting on the porch of our vacation rental with no power. It will supposedly necessitated around 9:30 or so. You know, t'would be truly peaceful but for whoever the hell is running a generator...and I should be more gracious since there are many valid reasons for running a generator besides convenience.

We ventured in to Keene, NH this morning and enjoyed a stroll around Main Street. Extremely walkable, plenty to stick your nose into. Visited an excellent book store - yes...real books. Had a tremendous Thai lunch, made our way back to home base and drowned some worms dock fishing. The water is about a foot deeper than when we got here late yesterday. A third of the dock is now underwater, most of the neighboring ones are completely under.

So this new brew was picked up in Keene in a local artisan type store with a tiny beer cooler. Belgian Mare Brewery is located in Alstead, NH. It is a naturally wood fired brewery. How it would be unnaturally wood fired I don't know. Three barrel brewery that appears to operate seasonally. Interesting reading on their web site.



This is Mill Hollow Saison. The web site says it is a truly classic said in brewed with two strains of yeast. I do hope one of those strains is supposed to be brettanomyces, because this beer has that signature loud and clear. Pours as you see it...a billowing, pillowy, stiff head over a copper gold base. Quite lovely, and the head falls graciously leaving a thick trail of lacing. The smell is funk...no doubt about it even if somewhat unexpected. More typical saison aromas join the fray with some lemony notes and mild peppery spice. Just a bare hint of malt.

The taste...well, it isn't bad. The opening note is da funk, followed by a fairly tame, typical saison brew. I don't think the funky earthy flavors are necessarily intended to be dominant since they really aren't what I consider strong. It is just that everything else is playing second chair, maybe third or alternate back up in the practice room. It is all there. Bready dough, mild citrus, peppery spice that builds a bit. Just could use a bit more of these players.

Not overly carbonated, almost medium body, a bit dry and astringent.

That said, not a bad beer for nine bucks, just a typical saison with a healthy helping of funk happening. This will land around 3.8 or so on the BArometer. It is a good beer, but for me it just seems to lack some liveliness somehow.

Thanks to our host @cjgiant for the kickoff. I already said my piece in the reviews thread, no need for a rehash here.

 

My man @bstyle definitely crushed me with the sours this week, last new beer for today Side Project/Angry Orchard Burk.

4.34/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Thank you bstyle for this
375 ml bottle, blend 1, poured into a flute

A- A murky dark red/brown with a two off white head.

S- Cranberries, apples, oak, hint of vinager, touch of wine, some sweet caramel malts, definitely sour.

T- Really sour, apples, cranberries, some cherries, caramel malts, vinager, oak, touch of wine, some leather.

M- Smooth, light to medium body.

O- A very nice Flanders, definitely will make you pucker.

Cheers!

 

I posted in the other thread that I usually don't do reviews for many reasons. I also don't get the chance to drink much on Sundays. Today I am having a Lord Hobo - Glorious, which is a galaxy pale ale. I did have it last night, too, but that's close enough for government work to Sunday. My wife is putting together her tenure file due on Wednesday, so after our soccer game this morning I got to spend the second straight day with our young daughter, which is always enjoyable.

Anyway, on to the beer. Last summer I was real excited that Lord Hobo started distributing to central NY as I had just been exposed to it a few weeks prior while in Boston. I tried a bunch of their beers, but somehow never got around to this one. Pours a unfiltered (hazy?) yellow color, which is unsurprising. The smell is subdued citrus, maybe (I'm told my sense of smell is terrible). Taste is a stereotypical pale ale with a bit more citrus flavor, but it's very muted. I was expecting a bit stronger flavor. Overall, it was a bit less than I was expecting, but I am a sucker for galaxy hops, and it was decent. Probably won't buy it again due to the price, but I wouldn't turn it down.

 

New Going Green Sunday

I decided to grab a single of this one just for the novelty. My expectations were low. They were met.

3.31/5 rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle with a best by date of 9/2/18

It is a dark burnt orange to copper color. Mostly clear. Pretty wispy head that disappeared quickly.

The aroma is weed. All weed. Like a left over bowl from the night before. Gradually as it warms and you get used to it, there is a bit of citrus there.

Surprisingly, the flavor is not the same other than the lingering flavor which is a very dank, bitter, burnt resin. I don’t feel like I just smoked a joint, but did at some point in the day. Otherwise it is just a pretty flat tasting beer. A little orange citrus and floral flavor on top of a fairly matly base. It srikes me as an old Two Hearted combined with a skunky Euro lager like Heineken.

A bit of prickly carbonation up front with a decent amount of body. Smooth finish, but a lingering drying effect. It is right where an American IPA should be body wise, and probably the best quality.

This one is tough to rate. As an American IPA, I would say very average. At best. Than again, they seem to have delivered on the “HPA” front. I am sure that like the lingering flavor of a cigar that I still enjoy the next day, there are people who like the taste of a quality marajuana. I never have personally, and haven’t known anybody that does, but this would be one to check out if you do. Definitely the most dank beer I have had. Definitely not one of the better ones though.

 

Hello New Beer Sunday!!!

Another long day at work in the books, and finally home. The best part about being home is the beer, and, of course, today, new beer. This one has been looking at me for a while, and I finally bought it. I'm glad I did.


Even More Jesus from Eviltwin Brewing.

I know a lot of you on here have had it before. First timer here, and it has knocked my socks off. So rich looking, and the look and aroma match the flavor. Deep - dark - complex - amazing.



4.54/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

This is a very thick beer. It pours like motor oil - pitch black. It has a 2 finger dark tan head. The head retention is quite good, and there is some lacing on the glass.
The nose is filled with really rich chocolate, coffee, and caramel. I also seem to get some raisin in the aroma.
Taste - After letting it warm up, I get a rich, deep, coffee flavor up front. It is complimented on the backside by the chocolate and raisin. The coffee does linger throughout, and really hits again later on, after the other flavors hit.
Really thick bodied. It really coats my throat all the way down, and doesn't let go. There's also a warm feeling from the alcohol that really compliments the thick body well. It's not a harsh alcohol feel, but more mellow, and warming.
I'm a believer in Even More Jesus. This is a very high class, world class beer, and I'm glad I finally got it.


Will there be another beer? Not sure yet. We'll see how this one finishes up.

 

Hey what's going on!?

Been spending the weekend up in rural PA a bit, nice little stay up there and spent a good amount of time at The Whip, and stopped by another Inn for some pints.

Back at home, still much rain... when will this ever end... I've also returned home to discover the deer have eaten just about EVERYTHING I've planted!!! ARGGH... sigh...

But still there's always beer. what's been new for our hero today?! A few things,.. but let's start here!

Aslin Beer Co. - Unicorn Vomit



Poured from the can into a Spiegelau IPA glass.

Thick rich lathery, off white and khaki almost colored head, with fine swiss cheese bubbles and a large solid three to four finger tall top. Interesting body color, milky orange a bit, with a touch of glow but forgoing massive turbidity. A bit of almost melon red like in color strangely, with big tangerine highlights.

Nose is quite unexpected. A sort of spicy to herbal hop front, with a touch of bittermelon like character also. Touches of sour fruit a little but mixing also some very crispy almost jolly rancher sweetness but ever slightly. Tangy, almost penny candy, with well hidden alcohol. Not sure where this is going, but very interesed.

Palate is sort of what to be expected. Nice light bodied with bitter herbs and melon. Very good watermelon flavor on the finish, but manages to weaken the mouthfeel in a hint of watery touch. Large amounts of pine and astringent bitterness on the finish, comes out slowly but grows large and hits unmistakeably hard.

Neat tasting watermelon beer, fun creation, and surprisingly drinkable even at this high ABV. Bitterness is definitely getting a little off kilter though.

A 4 Score across the board..

Cheers!