New Beer Sunday (Week 706)

Industrial Arts - Autumn Landscape 2018

At the moment, this beer doesn't appear to be listed on BeerAdvocate yet.

What a great surprise and a very interesting beer for me. Industrial Arts has a series of seasonal lagers called "landscape" that feature NY State grown ingredients. I think I featured their Summer Landscape here earlier this year. I've never clicked with anything from the very well regarded Industrial Arts. This is the first big exception so far.

The can said this was a "harvest lager" at 6.1% ABV and little else. I didn’t know what to expect from that. After I drank it, I found that the web tells me that this beer features local floor-malted pilsner malt, "special Bavarian Munich malt" and a little bit of local rye malt. Hops are local Brewer's Gold and Mt. Hood.

I wasn’t expecting an “Oktoberfest” due to the label, but this immediately felt like a great interpretation of one. It was a dull, clear amber. It was dry, toasty, and clean. There was a really big punch of earthy spice character. I initially attributed this to the use of hops, but in hindsight and now knowing the ingredient list, the rye must have played a part here. The drinkability is dangerously high especially considering how spicy this is.

First off, I simply enjoyed this beer. Secondly, I was really engaged by the approach. This feels a lot like an extremely successful twist on an Oktoberfest, but it doesn't announce itself as such. This is very unusual for an American lager. It's par for the course for other US beers to dress up in the Bavarian flag and go with stereotypical German imagery that flirt with kitsch. The feel and the ABV of this beer are right in the zone, but the level of the spicy quality makes it veer onto it's own course slightly.

I have no idea if the brewer was intentionally inspired by Oktoberfests or if I'm bringing something unwelcome to a beer that's just supposed to be about local ingredients. Either way, this is how I see the beer (going strictly with first impressions), and I love this idea. Looks like I need to buy some to see how I feel about the beer without the fun of trying it for the first time (the can I had was at a weekend gathering).

After having this lager, I drank a "session IPA" that I've had in the past. I'm not naming names but I could have easily included it for NBS anyway since I didn't recognize the beer in my glass. It was opaque. I'd bet money that this particular beer didn't used to look like that when it was first conceived. How many times has this happened to you with local IPAs? Around here, I feel like certain old beers are looking quite different. Anyway, it's amazing how much more drinkable the 6.1% clean, spicy Industrial Arts lager was when compared to the heavy, murky session IPA. At the moment, I have such a hard time finding any decent drinkability in a NEIPA.

@cavedave @utopiajane @TongoRad

 

This sounds really nice! Too bad the nearest place that carries Von Trapp beers is something like a 3 hour drive away. Though it could be worse, I could be multiple states away from their distribution area... maybe they'll expand a bit further south in the not-too-distant future.

 

Thanks for picking up my slack - was at Guadalupe Brewing earlier and between the heat aand the beer, it was nap time!

 

NBSx2, New "Belgian" Sunday.

Silver Moon
Tropic Zombie- Belgian White IPA.





Somewhere between the yeast infused cloudy yellow Belgian Tripel and the classic grapefruit and pine focused bright orange IPA lies this, Tropic Zombie. Capped by a thin an quickly receded white head, a ring of white bubbles tightly pack themselves around the perimeter, while a paint brush strokes leaves a short cut across the surface.

Heavy on the Belgian influence, a clove and banana yeast dominates the aroma. Underneath, suggestions of honeydew, orange blossoms, and dried herbs like oregeno fight to be noticed.

A struggle ensues as melon and orange battle over spices and yeast once more. Banana, blueberries, clove, and wheat bread all play their part, but it's a losing battle to the aforementioned.

It's feels spot on for what you would expect. The sweet and savory Belgian qualities of simple and restrained fruit flavors and bold spicy yeast, and the citrus and melon of an IPA, all met with balance, like an accelerating tachometer from sweet to bitter. Before the final sticky sweet residue, a floral pop keeps it interesting.

This is a unique beer. I'm glad I bought a six pack. While I think it may not be outstanding right now, I believe it will grow on me from ounce to ounce, can to can. It's well executed and delivers on expectations, and is definitely a welcomed change of pace.

After my official review, I gave Tropic Zombie a rating of 3.9, with an rDev of +1.6%.

Cheers everyone.

 

Alright, my last new beer of this Sunday is this rather-large and probably rather-weird beer from Pipeworks. Behold, BaklaBot!



Look at his huge honey bear!



I picked this one up on a whim from the butcher shop I mentioned earlier in my first post of the day here on NBS. The pork came out pretty good, by the way... kind of a ginger-leaning teriyaki-citrus marinade I stumbled upon. Anyway, this is a "golden stout" brewed with honey, lemon peel, coconut and vanilla bean, with natural pistachio flavor added (I assume by way of some kind of weird extract... whatever, it is what it is, right..?). I expect I will be highly-critical of this beer. Let's get right into it.

Pours a dark amber color with a retentive beige head that seems to stick around at about a half-finger. Semi-cloudy surface atop a deep, garnet-red color when held up to light. Honestly a beautiful looking beer. Lots of small, solid particulate stuff floating throughout the body, but it's not at a detriment to the whole honestly. Dang nice looking. Probably not a "golden stout," but... hey, that's not even a style so who cares?

The nose is surprisingly... accurate? Like, wow. Amazing! This actually smells like baklava! Drizzled with honey, the almond elements making their presence known alongside the pistachio and light citric notes from the lemon peel. I'm incredibly impressed by how exacting this is. I mean, hell, it even smells like phyllo dough. That's intense dedication to the concept of a baklava beer! I've had a few adjunct-laden big bombers by Pipeworks, and I must say that they generally have really solid treatments of their additive flavors. S'more Money S'more Problems was a very accurate (though slightly too hot) rendition of a s'mores stout, and Jones Dog Sundae remains one of the best neapolitan ice cream-flavored stouts I've had (though I definitely need to give Untitled Art's a good shot some time soon).

The flavor profile is heavy on the honey, nutty flavors, ethanol, sweet malt and vanilla-like creaminess. I'm loving how all of the different elements interplay here; whether we're talking about the way the doughy flavors from the yeast work with the bright lemon note or the way the subtle sweetness of the coconut plays off the deep honeyed malt in a surprising and satisfying way, there's only one way to cut it... this is an insanely dope beer!

The feel is slick and smooth with a nice heft to it from the malt base. Long, lingering flavors with some chewiness. The alcohol is pretty well-hidden here, I must say... but I'm definitely starting to feel it. And it feels good! I'll probably pick up another bottle of this soon... it's that well-done! I feel like I need a scoop of vanilla ice cream with this one. Damn...



Have never listened to this but my buddy recommended I give it a shot. Solid melodic thrashy death metal with chuggy elements and some "modern" stuff going on. I remember this being somewhat of an underground metal hit when it first came out but I never got around to it for some reason. Solid stuff.

 

I totally agree! I think Sapsquatch is one of the two best beers ST ever produced!

 

@Eziel is the man! Hooked me up with this one that was on my wants list and it didn’t disappoint. Very sweet from the port barrels, in a good way. Much better than the regular. Viscous and black as hell, with a small bit of dark brown foam. Nose gives way to candied plums as if this were an English barleywine. Very smooth at this ABV.


Thanks for this one, brother!

 

I didn't realize Founders discontinued Curmudgeon. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

Poured into a 13 oz Tired Hands Teku glass not sure when it was canned. Pours a very cloudy pinkish orange with a finger plus sticky white head that leaves big thick streaks of lace behind.4.5

Smell is tart cherry, boysenberry, vanilla, apricot, and a healthy dose of grapefruit rind. 4

Taste follows more aggressive and assertive, immediately apricot, tart black cherry, boysenberry, vanilla, and grapefruit makes your entire palate pucker and make you beg for the next bold sip. 4

Mouthfeel is a big medium, plenty of life, definetly a bit dry, and not for everyone, but I am not backing down from this boldly bitter and sour treat. 4

Overall this I think I could get used to and it is nice to have something so different and I can actually see the appeal on this bitter juice bomb. 4

 

I got this one courtesy of Mr. Maurice. It’s a barrel aged strong ale that is trying to mimic the flavors of a Neapolitan I’ve cream milkshake. Well, ladies and gents, it delivered as promised. Deep garnet color with a pale tan bit of head. Nose is marichino cherries all day. Taste has all the workings of a barrel aged strong ale, but finishes like a strawberry and vanilla shake. Chocolate is kinda missing, but I’m not mad. This is way better than I expected.

 

For my first new beer Sunday I thought I’d pick something memorable. When perusing my local liquor store, one beer stuck out. Flying Monkeys Juicy Ass IPA stuck out because I have the humor of a child .

This was shockingly good, such an easy drinking Sunday beer. Would definitely recommend!

 

Great review, and I'm really glad you enjoyed it! I was just commenting last night about the hoppiness of that beer; definitely up there for an O'fest, but not really at pale ale levels either. It comes across to me like a hefty Vienna lager, which is a legit approach to the style, imo. And a damn tasty one, too .

 

Welcome! Glad to see you joining the thread after seeing your thoughts in other threads.

In this thread, we’d love for you to give us a little more details about the beer. You seem to have some fun with the reviews you have done, I’m guessing we’d love joining in the fun with you.

Cheers!

 

Sorry, no new beers for me today, folks. My son and I spent the day saying goodbye to summer at the Mountain Creek Resort and waterpark. I did have high hopes for this place:

And there were several Ramstein tap handles, but the black lager was tapped out. So I just consoled myself with a few glasses of the lovely Pils and went about my business . Be back with something next week, I'm sure.

 

Nice find! That looks like a giant puffball, C. gigantea, or possibly C. cyathiformis. Should def. not be eaten unless a POSITIVE ID is made. Not a lot of flavor but it is mild with good texture when ripe, and picks up the flavors of the dishes to which it is added. Not a hard ID at all, but as with all mushrooms, it shouldn't be eaten if it grows from a lawn to which chemicals have been applied, and to repeat, it must have a POSITIVE ID.

 

Another fun filled day that began with running the Broncos 7k this morning comes to a relaxing conclusion. A trip to Denver on Thursday and a stop at Mister B's produced this pint can of Pure Project Crystal Ships from San Diego CA. It's dated 08/14/18 and poured in my trusty Storm Peak glass.

The look is a medium thick and creamy orange juice color. A finger of creamy foam is present along with moderate lacing. The smell is fresh squeezed orange juice, pineapple, mango, passionfruit, floral and peppery spice. Taste is orange/pineapple juice, mango, passionfruit, floral and something slightly minty in the finish. The feel begins creamy smooth and finishes dry.

It looks and tastes like the NE haze has made it's way west in a big way. This is as solid as any I've had thus far and would recommend it to anyone that's a fan of the style. My score is 4.49 / rDev+4.7%. I was surprised the rating wasn't a bit higher.

Time to kick back and probably drift off to sleep! I'm looking forward to finally doing some serious grilling and chilling tomorrow. Have a great week and until next time.....

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/44253/321297/?ba=Prager62#review

 

No plan to eat them. Mushrooms are something I never learned much about. The size is unusual. Typically they are the size of the plastic baseball when they pop up. These are maybe twenty yards behind the house on the edge of my field. Hard to miss!

Thought they might have something to do with @utopiajane not having any beer...alien spores or some such ;-)

 

I have found C. gigantea bigger than basketballs. And having seen the many extremely strange forms and habits of fungi I have long been convinced they are aliens. Funny you mention @utopiajane as she is someone to whom I have mentioned this belief.

 

Well Hellooooo Late Night NBS.
I should say it's more of a New Beer chased, and found. Got old, New Beer as old beer was a bit of a letdown. Many years go by, New Beer again. New Beer found. New Beer is promised that she will not be held on to for too long. New Beer safely stowed in fridge. New Beer tumbles out of fridge. New Beer's demise brings a tear to my eye...
Story of demise mentioned here on NBS. Months go by, and very thoughtful and kind NBS'er @Vidblain surprises me with a lovely box that among other things, includes that once old New Beer. That beer is CBS.
I thought I was going to pop it today, with my dad and brewing partner, but alas it's going to age for a few more weeks. But not much longer than that.
What's the moral of the story? There may be a few here.
A) There are good people out there who hear people's stories and try to put a little kindness out into the world.
B) Good karma begets good karma.
C) No moral. Sometimes bad shit happens, sometimes good shit happens..
D) Don't hoard your beer, drink it!

Thanks to Chris for the kindness.

 

The Final Entry for Happy New Samuel Adams Beer Sunday, It's Gonna Be a Long Trail (Week 706)!

Whew! Wotta day. I went to see "Operation Finale" & got kinda sidetracked on my way home, causing me to lose a chunk of the day. I returned to pick up with some hidden, forgotten gems, including:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35/80458/?ba=woodychandler#review
&
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35/80554/?ba=woodychandler#review

but now I find myself unable to continue. If I recover & the thread is still open, I have one more in this series. If not, I will continue on WBAYDN & I already have a partial theme for next week. See yinz then, if not before!