New Beer Sunday (Week 708)

I love that beer, and it's pretty unique and different at the moment; but I guess we'll see how this whole thing plays out eventually . To me, it's not all that different from the typical American IPA, but perhaps that it's made with refinement and restraint is its real calling card. Either way, though, I'm really glad to see you enjoying it as much as I am. Cheers!

 

Back for another one.

I am now finished with some week-prep chores and ready for another new beer while enjoying the Packers game. In the interest of maintaining a theme and giving myself as much of a juice break as possible my second NB this S is going to be a black IPA from Hill Farmstead.

It pours dark mahogany with a couple fingers of fizzy tan head. Good retention and rings of lacing.

Citrus and juniper hit the nose right away. As it warms a little there is a background of maple and toffee.

In the flavor department, the malt holds off at first letting a biting, resinous snap of grapefruit pith hops take over and then there is a rush of rich chocolate in the finish.

This is a soft-feeling beer with moderate carbonation and a hop-shellac finish.

This beer is about as balanced as could be. Both sides are assertive, but neither ever fully takes the wheel. There is probably more hop presence since there is a lingering hop oil presence, but the malt side is very nice as well with rich chocolate and caramel notes.

I don't get people's dislike of Black IPAs. Yes, they were maybe a little gimmicky, but I have had some that were absolutely excellent. Interestingly (to me at least) all the best examples in this style I've had have been Québécoises. Maybe it's cause we're 5 or so years behind the curve. This one is very nice though. A veritable yin and yan of a very good Brown ale and a very good West Coast IPA.

Here's my "real" review.

Santé!

 

Nope, this isn't a normal IPA. It's a lactose IPA with Hüll Melon and Ekuanot hops. That sounds like something I'm not really going to like, but I guess I'll go into it with an open mind. I feel like they should probably have declared this has lactose in it on the label, but maybe Maine state labeling requirements don't include that stipulation. Still seems weird to me. I smelled the lactose as soon as I cracked the can and had to go to the beer's page on RT's site to verify.

Pours a translucent yellow-orange color with a dense, thick and frothy head of white foam. Beautiful pour, to be honest. The head is just immense and it sticks around for what seems like forever... damn! I've had some other beers I would describe in this manner, but it almost looks like a whipped/meringue-esque cap of suds on this one. I'm impressed right off the bat.

As I mentioned, upon sniffing this one I noticed the milky, creamy, vanilla-ish lactose note right off the bat. Whereas the beer I previously had today used vanilla to mimic a "smoothie" like element, this one just goes straight for the smoothie without any beating around the bush. I personally am not a huge fan, but I will say that the hop combo does some good work making it seem desirable. Hüll Melon in particular gives off some awesome strawberry-creme and honeydew notes that work well with the less-bitter approach for this one. I've never been a huge fan of Equinox hops (too grassy/herbal/peppery for my taste in a lot of recipes), which I have joked with friends were renamed to Ekuanot specifically to distance themselves from that association, but I guess it seems to work well here. Gives some mellow papaya notes that I dig. Not much else here... really forward with that lactose element. We'll see how it translates on the palate.

*takes a sip*

...nah. Not a fan. Waaaaay too much residual sweetness. It's a shame because I really liked the first IPA in this pseudo-series, Jewell Island. I would describe that one as a pure juice bomb with intense aromatics and heavy-handed tropical flavors, but this just kind of feels boring. The grain bill is crackery and crisp, but the hops don't do much for me. Hüll Melon is very subtle, and the grassy, green pepper-like Ekuanot kind of pick up the slack in an unfortunate and unwelcome way. I assume that some people really dig this beer, but this style is so hit-or-miss that I find myself not wanting to bother with it.

Feel is detailed, though, surprisingly. Fine carbonation and good heft on the palate do lend some saving graces to this chalky and overly-muted IPA. I wish I liked this more, as I really like most of Rising Tide's output, but I'm finding myself stranded on an island here. I'll finish the can, but I'll never have a desire to revisit this one again.

 

On to a brew I shoulda hit while our summer was actually here, Kulshan Raspberry Gose. Oly is not judging me my fault: . I sent one to @SouthernSips in a recent LIF box:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28281/370629/

 

My first thought: woah! They're canning Nelson Sauvin now??

Second thought: Oh, that price makes sense.

Thanks for the review! I visited this beer while celebrating my graduation. It was my first and only Biere de Champagne. Makes me want to try DeuS, someday at least.

 

More local beer. This time, I'm visiting something brand new. BKS is a brewery that opened late last year, and quickly became notable for their NE IPAs, after all, they're the only ones in town producing them outside of limited seasonal releases. They've continued to push the bounds of local beer, offering up fantastic milk stouts with local coffee, maple syrup, and more, and serving up some of the best local sours - something they fly under the radar for, in my opinion.

My most recent visit, I picked up one of the beers that's gone through their new cask system, marking the second review on Beer Advocate of BKS's Biere de Ferme beer, and the first review of their peach version. Fou Foune of the Midwest, with Missouri peaches? Quite possibly.



BKS's Biere de Ferme.

Pours a straw color with a finger of white head that is more fizz than foam. Aroma is lively biscuit, toast, and bread malts, with light lactic sour bite. Fleshy peach is the only deviation from the subtle, nuanced blend of malts and light sourness. Flavor profile is fleshy peach nectar spread over toast, bread, and biscuit malts, and washed down with a sip of chardonnay. There is a lactic sour twist the duration of the flavor profile, but it doesn't serve to distract from the beer. Peaches linger on the tongue as if each sip was a bite into a tart, sweet peach with juices drippy from the corners of the mouth. Mouth feel is fizzy, with a dry, effervescent finish. It has a medium thickness. Overall, a splendid base beer is met with fleshy, natural-tasting peaches. It's a superb blend.

Score: 4.25 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.75 | BA Score: 4.54 | rDev: N/A (only review/rating)

Personal notes: Reviewing new beer is tough, especially local options from breweries that hit with nearly impeccable accuracy, but trying to set aside bias - this beer is superb. It's the first and only beer that has made me reminiscence on my Brussels visit, and my consumption of Fou Foune, and not in a "I wish I was there" way.

 

My first in the style as well and look forward to trying others. I just hope the price point is better. Hell, I know it won't be.

 

I had this just 'cuz it's my 900th beer on Untappd. I usually look for something off the wall on these rare 100rd occasions. I have a 25oz can that cost a $1.89.
It poured a clear pink color with a pale pink head that was gone in a flash.
Snot locker got the clam juice, tomato and citrus, as did the licking device.
The 2nd pour into my Lagunitas Mason Jar was a cloudy hot pink, similar to those NEIPA's, except for the color of course.
I expected this to be a drain pour, much to my surprise it was rather tasty. Maybe an ounce of Tequila or good Vodka might have helped.
I called it @3.25.
Enjoy your beer!

 

Good morning/afternoon/evening NBS. A couple of new IPAs for me today. Starting with this collaboration by New Glory (Sacramento, CA) and Bare Bottle (San Francisco). This double NE-style IPA is hopped with Simcoe, El Dorado, Amarillo, and Centennial Hops, and sits at 8.1% ABV. Unfortunately, New Glory doesn't date their beers, which is the biggest negative of this beer. To my knowledge, it was canned within the last 10 days.



As you can see, it pours opaque, with 1.5 fingers of bright white frothy head. Head retention is above average for double IPA's, and there is quite a bit of lacing left on the glass. Smell is typical for the style in intensity, and is what one would predict based on the hop profile. Lots of citrusy and floral notes. Taste follows as well. It's pretty bitter for a NEIPA from start to finish, with lots of grapefruit up front. I love it. It's juicy, but you know you're still drinking a beer, not a glass of Minute Maid. Feel is very well executed — soft and creamy. Carbonation is about typical for NEIPA's, and there is no apparent alcohol on the tongue. Both of the collaborating breweries are among the hot up-and-comers in the NorCal IPA game, and this beer shows why this is the case. It ticks every box.

Final Rating: 4.38 (rDev is 0%, since I'm the first person to review this). I know this rating is high, but I simply can't find much wrong here.

Cheers, all!

 

That really doesn't sound like an IPA. Great description of what sounds like too many pieces. A well made India Pale Ale doesn't need to try this hard. If you ask me.

 

Hot and humid temps have us hanging out inside watching horrible “professional” sports team - I’m looking at you Tigers and Lions! Headed to work later tonight so I could only cram in 1 new beer today.
Deschutes Schwarzbier-Collaboration with Bells.

12 ounce can with best by date of 3/16/19 printed on bottom of can. Poured into (dirty!) Lagunitas mason glass. The beer pours a medium chocolate brown with a nice tan head of half a finger. No lacing observed. Baker's chocolate, diner coffee, smoke/ash, walnuts on the nose. Smoke, bark, bitter chocolate, a ton of roastiness and bitter walnut finish. Medium bodied, slightly creamy and I thought it felt like a bigger beer for it's reasonable abv. The lingering finish of a walnut bitterness or Brazil nuts (what Mrs. Strohme2 said) is somewhat off-putting and that's what knocked it down a tad for me.
3.82

 

What is up NBS! Hey thanks to @lordofthewiens for the roll call. Hope alls well down in your new abode.
Weather is just perfect and my Giants arent on until late so I am chilling outside after an ass kicking at the restaurant last night. Beer time.
Brewmaster Jack Trial by Combat IPA with passionfruit.
Pours a cloudy golden hue with a huge pillowy white head that lasts leaving quite a bit of lacing. Nice.
Aroma is yup passionfruit, ripe pineapple, peach and some pine. There also a hint of some bready malts.
Taste is that tropical fruit that is a bit sweet but has a nice pine resin bitterness that rounds it out. It has some darker fruits in the middle that I cant put my finger on that is subtle, but adds aome depth to the lasting flavor.
Feel is medium bodied and it seems there is a softness from oats. The carb fades slightly as the beer goes down. The bitter finish is nice and dry. No hint of the 8% except in the stomach and the mind.
Not a major fan of fruit added IPAs but BJ has made this combo work. Its not their first with passionfruit either so I think theyve figured this out. An easy pleasant drinking DIPA that is well brewed. Everything Ive had so far from BJ has been good. Try their beers if you have the chance. Speaking of that my BIF target will get the chance.....and the glass.
Below is a feral cat that showed up about 3 or ao months ago. Shes a cool looking cat and now I can actually touch and pet her and she hangs with me for NBS. Cheers NBS family! One of the best albums of all time IMO. Check out history on this song. It has to do with Peter Fonda. Really.

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. Among the things I like best about Märzens is that they are truly seasonal and that they vary from year to year. Every fall I hope to find the season's "It" Octoberfest. I think I've found mine for this year: Industrial Arts' Autumn Landscape, brewed with Germantown Pils, Special Bavarian and rye malts, and Brewer’s Gold and Mt. Hood hops. This isn't a typically mild, sweet, caramel Festbier. It features lots of burnt rye toast and spicy, bitter hops. It has much more character than, for instance, the Bell's Octoberfest I reviewed last Sunday. This is really first rate. I need to buy some more. Here's my full review:

4.12/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Canned on 8/23/2018. Poured from 16 oz. can into seidel. It pours a hazy, honey-amber color with two fingers of long-lasting, creamy, bright white head and lots of lacing inside the glass. The nose features brown bread, rye, spice, and just a hint of caramel. The taste opens dry, burnt, and decidedly bitter with notes of burnt rye toast, pumpernickel, hint of sweet caramel, pepper and spice. The Brewer's Gold and Mt. Hood hops are flavorful and bitter but without a strong bite. The taste has a lot more character than a typically sweet, caramel festbier. For the style, it's mouth feel is rich and creamy, with pleasant carbonation, and the slightly higher than typical 6.1% ABV gives it a nice character. Overall, this is a first rate American Märzen with a big, bold taste and lots of character. Most other Festbiers will seem rather pedestrian.

I hope you're all enjoying your new beers today as we remember our family and friends in the Carolinas. Cheers!

 

You're right: It's not different from others in the big family, but I'll be danged if it doesn't tick off the *exact* notes signature to its subset style. Reminds me exactly of the NEIPA you sent me — I've had that kind of beer in other American IPAs, but not every American IPA I've had hits the signature notes of that subset style.

Btw, can I put in an order for a couple cases of this one below? New American-made German Pilsener Sunday!:


Zero Gravity Craft Brewery's Green State Lager, a German pils, 4.9% ABV

The review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/9784/103635/?ba=Premo88#review
4.51 (+19% rDev)

Only reason I didn't give this 5s across the board is a firm belief in objectivity. Seriously, this beer is fantastic with a wonderful bread-malt open that's sweet and fruity (peach/apricot) but not cloyingly so and a building bitter hop backbite that balances just how you need it to. It's up there with Real Ale's Han's Pils and Live Oak Pilz and all the rest of my favorites ... and for what it's worth, it reminds me most of a Bitburger that's about "half" old — super fresh Bitburger's hop bite can be green/grassy to me; dead Bitburger's hop bite is almost nonexistent; between those two Bitburger has a less green, more earthy bite.

Beers like this one make me want to punch people who say "I don't care for lagers" square in the nose. Normally I'm not a violent person but ... well ... in the immortal words of Gob Bluth: C'mon!

Thanks again, Michael! You knew I'd love this one and you were right!

Cheers!

 

I'm watching Oly for the afternoon,and we got back from a walk a bit ago.He's napping,and I'm drinking this: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/7406/71890/

Oly, seems ambivalent

 

Greetings NBSers. Nice warm sunny day here. My thoughts go out to all those in the Carolinas to include my Sister & her Brood.

First beer is Prairie's Color Block IPA ( 8.2% ABV ) a Hazy ( no really ) IPA with Orange Zest, which dominates this beer in a good way. 3.99 overall


Pours an effervescent & slightly hazed gold with a thumb of pearl white head. Great head retention & lacing

S: Orange peel & other citrus notes

T: Sweet & sour oranges, a little dryness & faint grassyness up front. A mix of orange sweet & sour, dryness & just a little mango as this warms. Finishes sweet & sour with a mix of tangerine & blood orange, plus some dryess

MF: Medium body, delicate carbonation, good balance

Was expecting sweeter, but this tang & sourness makes this plenty drinkable. ABV is nicely disguised

 

We’re incredibly lucky, it’s like the Triad had an anti polarity magnet that repelled the storm. You couldn’t draw it up any better. But it’s sad the rest of the state got hammered, I’m sure my daughter lost about everything possession wise, but my grandkids are safe that’s the most important thing.

 

Great brew. And I agree with your lager assessment.

 

Might as well type up an NBS review for my new IPA #2. And it's a big IPA... What we have here is Revision's Hops in A Can. This is their first attempt at making a hazy triple IPA. So let's start with the facts: 10.5% ABV, 75 IBU (courtesy of Citra, Simcoe, Amarillo and Mosaic hops), and a canning date of 08/30/18. The inscription next to the date reads: "Yes, Weed On." No thanks, not my thing. But let's get back to the beer.



(In a spirit of full disclosure, I'm usually not the biggest fan of IPA's as heavy as this.)

Pours sort-of hazy, but not completely opaque. In fact, putting the glass in front of the light, I can still see the shape of my finger through the glass. As you can see, there is about one finger of head, on my semi-aggressive pour down the middle. Head retention is good overall, and by far the best I've ever seen for a 10%+ IPA. Half of an hour in, there is still a tiny layer of it left on the whole surface, and there is a thick ring of bubbles around the edge. The lacing is fantastic as well, best I've ever seen for a "triple" IPA (I've had about 20 beers that claim to be triple IPAs).

As for the smell, I'd say that grapefruit is the most dominating note, but honestly, it just smells like a big heavy IPA. I don't have the best sense of smell, so that's the best description that I can give.

Taste is surprisingly pleasant for an 11-percenter. It's full of deep, juicy citrus notes that quickly remind you that Citra is the dominating hop here. It's a bit resiny, kinda reminding you of the older times.

Feel is also pulled off quite good. Though it doesn't look the part for a typical NEIPA, it's got the feel. The beer is soft and pillowy, with light-to-medium carbonation. Alcohol is VERY well hidden. I can barely tell that this is an alcoholic drink, which imho is the best possible praise for a 10.5% IPA.

Overall, this is a huge success. I was worried when buying this, since the store owner said he hated "how boozy this was." I didn't get any of that. Instead, I got a pleasant, juicy, and very drinkable big IPA. It's a good day!

Final Rating: 4.32 (rDev +3.6%)

Cheers!