New Beer Sunday (Week 708)

Time for another brew!



Poured from the can into a Bruery tulip snifter glass.

Pours oily and chestnut brown out of the can, with a thick lathering forming head. Body fills with a dark walnut nearly black color, sitting below a rich creamy nearly three finger tan head. Big crown of a puck settles the glass, with a nice beautiful round cling.

Fun and inviting aroma. Besides coconut and some milky chocolate actually as opposed to dark, there's a touch of almost fruit to this, and maybe even a hint of ferrous metal? Strangely the metal doesn't really dominate but it's almost a metallic smelling twinge accenting fruit and vanilla. I am not sure what that is.

Palate shows some very big winning. Rich lathery and cake like body full of flavors. Dense cocoa powder and coconut, mixing with almost white vanilla like icing quality. Slight touch of actualy red cherry quality as well, like the entire cake is there as well. Touches a little caramel that might be drizzled with a touch of bourbon with a chewy profile as well.

This is one real fine put together brew.

Final Rating: 4.44 / 5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cheers!

 

New Beer Sunday: An American IPA

Evenin’ NBSers, with an alert for those looking for to try one of those newfangled milkshake IPAs from a brewery with a reputation for doing fairly good beers.

This evening’s new beer is from Prairie and is called Color Block. The IPA is described by the brewery as being a milkshake IPA so I finally get to try one of these infamous, somewhat controversial beers.

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

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30356/324585/?ba=drtth#review


The aromas/flavors are up front about citrus and there seems to be more than one variety of citrus and zest. There are also some tropical fruits here and the tropical fruits seem more forward in the flavors than in the nose. There’s also a bit of vanilla and the mouthfeel is fairly smooth. Definitely a drinkable, enjoyable beer that is well balanced with both sweetness and some bitterness showing. But that said, given the excitement that some display about the Milkshake IPA—both for and against—I must confess I don’t see what all the excitement is all about on either side, so my reaction is that I’m left feeling just a wee touch of the Peggy Lee effect.

Peggy Lee — Is that all there is?

Cheers, all!

 

Greetings, fellow NBSers, and thanks to @lordofthewiens for getting us going today.

High 60s in Washington's second city, cloudy and a bit blustery. Not ideal weather perhaps, but not too bad. Certainly I'll take it over what's happening in much of the South right now. All of you dealing with Fran and it's aftermath, you are in my thoughts.

Last week for NBS I opened a bomber of IPA from a small central Washington brewery that was unfortunately infected, so I decided to forego NBS, as my other beers of the day were not new to me.

After work yesterday, I listened to the two college teams I root for on the radio while drinking a bomber of Orlison's Snowplough. Probably the last time I'll have a beer from that local brand, as they're now full-time contract brewers for No-Li.

Today, after lunch, I hit a Helles Lager from Andechser that I picked up on my trip over the border into Idaho. Andechser's Doppelbock is probably my personal #1 white whale beer, and nothing from them seems to hit Washington, so I gave it a shot.
[https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/911/105785/?ba=woemad#review=https://postimg.cc/8jXj8mdr][/url]free image sharing
Pretty good, no flavor bomb, but extremely drinkable stuff.

 

KITTY!!!

My cats have been smothering me since I got back...

and also knocked a bunch of crap off the shelves and walls... cause ... well that's what they do...

 

Hello New Beer Sunday!!!

Another long work week done, and I've got to get ready for the next tomorrow. I've also got to enjoy summer while I can here in central MN, because it will be cold as hell before long. At least the 90 degree days the past couple have helped with that.

If I were on a lake fishing it would have been even better.

But enough about that. Time for some beer. A new beer, of course, and one that just got released this week for the first time ever.

Selke Pale Ale from beaver Island Brewing.

This beer was brewed to help St. Cloud State University celebrate it's 150th anniversary. It's named after George Selke who was President of, what was then known as St. Cloud State Teachers College, from 1927-1943.

So how is it?

Well, I was quite impressed with this beer. At a little over 4% I wasn't expecting much flavor, but there's a lot of it packed into this beer. Really damn good. I will be buying a 4 pack of it.

4.16/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a clear golden color with a 1 finger white head. The retention is quite good, and there's a bit of lacing on the glass.
The nose is actually quite hoppy. Citrus aromas are top dog in the aroma.
Taste - Nice citrus flavor from thew hops. There's some pine mixed in, but the citrus seems to be on top with this beer.
Body is actually decent for such a low ABV. Not only that, but the hops linger.
Damn, I wasn't sure what I was going to get into with this beer, but I'm quite impressed, and I will be picking up a 4 pack of this beer. Today, as I am drinking this, it is a hot day, and this beer is going down quite good with the heat.

I just finished up this beer, and I will be opening up another beer shortly. Will the next one wind up in my BIF #8 box also? We will see.

OOPS! I let something out of the BIF bag.

 

Finishing up this very good beer as I watch the Giants attempt to dig out of an early 10-0 deficit.

Cheers, NBS!



3.81/5 rDev -8.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

L: This beer pours translucent with a slight haze to it. Golden and amber. Pours with a loose one finger head that settles down to a ring of foam around the edge of the glass and thin pool of foam in the middle. Some lively bubbles floating up.

S: This smells like many oak aged Belgian style sour ales that I’ve had. Specifically, it’s reminds me a lot of a milder Boon Mariage Parfait. The funky, earthy and fruity notes stand out to me as compared to the acidity, but they’re moderate. Funky notes come through as sweet, floral, powdery, lavender, with fruit notes of fresh cherry, white peach and Granny Smith apple. Those aromas are most prominent, but there are also some brighter and fresher notes of vinegar and lemon juice. There is a mild oak aroma.

T: This is a very approachable beer. It is moderately acidic and funky, and light on complexity. A great starting point for someone seeking an introduction into oak, wild fermented beer. Some citric acidity in the form of lemon juice. Bay leaf earthyness. The finish is dry.

M: Low carbonation and thin.

O: Overall, this is a very drinkable beer. I do find the moniker “sour saison” interesting as this does not drink like a saison to me, but rather it drinks like a Belgian gueuze. I say this because there are no spicy and yeast forward aspects that I often expect from a saison. Not to say this isn’t a saison, but including in my comments for anyone who might read saison and expect such notes. Regardless, it is a nice beer. Easy drinking. And balanced enough to work with many different types of foods. This is a good table / food beer.

 

This beer is growing on me and morphing. As it warms, I'm getting a bit of Ovaltine aromas and flavors.



Poured from a 750 ml. bottle which had the following on the label:
"Hats should be removed before drinking!"
Moderate pour yields a huge tan head which caught me off guard! Dark brown body with nice lacing. Nose of dark malt, roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate, and dark chocolate. Taste of all kinds of chocolate, but leaning towards the unsweetened end of the chocolate spectrum. Good, slightly silky, feel; and overall a nice offering from Mikkeller brewed and bottled at De Proef. Cheers!

3.99/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

 

I look forward to it.

 

Dude, you consider it a drain pour, yet give it a 4?

And folks wonder why I never look at the ratings.

 

Up next a beer from the big city of Dallas...... Wisconsin!

Vienna Woods from Valkyrie Brewing

I've submitted the change to a still brewed request with the site. I picked this up in the mixed case I got the last Time I was at Valkyrie back in June. It's a long haul for me - 2 1/2 hours, but I love the place. The vibe is great. The beer is damn good, and the best part - damn cheap. Yeah, they've doubled the price of a 10oz pour to $2, but the case is still $32 for 1 or $60 for 2.

So how is the beer?

Well, it's ok, but nothing special. The aroma is lacking. The flavor is better, but not a lot there. Not a bad beer, but not one that will be taking up many spaces in my next case (or 2) the next time I'm there.

3.5/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear amberish color with a 1 1/2 finger slightly off white head. The head is frothy and the retention is very good. There's some lacing on the glass.
The nose is quite lacking. There's really nothing there. Just a slight aroma that's slightly sweet.
Taste - A slight sweet caramel flavor. A slight citrus flavor - very slight. Not a very strong flavored beer.
Feel - Not bad. Decent body. Slightly creamy feeling. Some carbonation feeling.
It's ok, but nothing I'd get too many of the next time I go to Dallas and get a mixed case of beer from them.

Maybe one more tonight. We'll see.

 

Good evening all, been a busy day for me. Just now getting a chance to sit and enjoy a beer during the game.



To start my wife and I are splitting a crowler of Peach Melba from Rotunda Brewing. They're located near Hershey, PA and work out of a restaurant called Batdorf. I was hoping to include a can of their Sweettart sour series to my BIF targets, though unfortunately the cans do quite poorly when unrefrigerated.

Appearance is a pinkish tinted amber
Aroma is sugar, graham cracker, peach
Taste is tart, then sweet and fruity. Some cookie notes linger.
Mouthfeel is thick
Overall, I love these beers. I'll swing by Rotunda any chance I get, its a shame I can't send these out (how about an IP meetup, BA'ers?).

 

Smuttynose pumpkin ale
... color is dark orange, amber
...Body is about medium with just above average carbonation
.. aroma is malt, grain, cereal, spice, pumpkin/squash
..taste is similar but the spice that's mild in the aroma is dominant in the taste and creates a biting effect.
It's also a little sour and not at all sweet
..overall it's been one of my least favorite pumpkin beers

 

@ovaltine 's aromas change as he warms up too.

 

14th Star's stab at a Red Wine Barrel Aged Berliner Weisse.
I like it!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31551/364378/



Moderate pour yields a fleeting 1/4 inch white head over a bright light amber body with no lacing. Nose of citrus, oak, and ever so slight funk. Taste of citrus, red wine tannins, and oak. Nice feel, and overall, a real nice red wine barrel aged berliner weisse from St. Albans, VT. This would go great with just about any meal you can think of. Cheers!

4.24/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

Oh Man! That opening joke was awful.

On the theme of animal jokes: Did you hear about the cat that ate a ball of yarn? She had a litter of mittens. ;-)

So today I am having Pub Beer. A craft lager from 10 Barrel brewing.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16873/95838/

A good enough lager, far better than a macro. It has the floral perfume scent and flavor of a macro, which is an acquired taste as opposed to the fruity ales. And the can reminds of some generic beer beer we used to get back in the late 1970's and early 80's.

Breezy here in the Columbia Basin, with fall temperatures into the upper 60's.

Happy Trails!

 

Well, another, and bird is the word.

Bird Up from Oliphant Brewing in Somerset, Wisconsin.

Somerset is well known during the summer for it's tubing down the Apple River. I did it a couple of times as a kid. I had no idea that I'd be going there for beer as an adult, and I wish I could go there for what will be an amazing party that will be selling a beer as Darkness as my heart.

But, on to this beer. How is it?

UMMMM, I'm pissed I only picked up one crawler when I was last at Oliphant a month ago! This is damn amazing! Holy cow! The flavors pop out and explode in my mouth. They mix well together, and it's a damn amazing beer. I shouldn't be surprised coming from them, though.

4.49/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very clear light golden color. The head is white, 2 finger, frothy, with ok retention. Nice lacing on the glass.
The nose is really rich, and strong. The spices - turmeric and the lemongrass really assault the nose and don't let go. There's also a malty aroma that mixes in well with the spices.
Taste - It has an almost peppery flavor up front. The turmeric really hits hard, but it is very good fit with the lemongrass. They seem to compliment each other, and balance each other out.
The body is great. The flavors feel great all together. They kind of pop on my tongue, and in the back of my throat.
Damn, This beer is awesome! Too bad I only have one crawler of it. They knocked it out of the park again.

3rd beer, and one that is a 750ml crawler means that's probably it for me for NBS.

See you all next Sunday for NBS, and throughout the week for WBAYDN.

 

Rogue dead guy ale
...color is a cloudy dark amber .
... Body feels just a bit thin with slightly just above average carbonation.
.... aroma is syrupy malt, molasses, and a grapefruit, hop smell that doesn't seem to fit
.. taste is similar ,malt totally dominates and is a bit sugary sweet . A grapefruit mild hop taste shows up and lingers after the finish
..overall it's okay, the dominating malt flavor didn't really work for mepicture uploader

 

A great Pils or a simple lager really is a thing of beauty, and there's no place to hide. They're also very tough to find, I think a lot of breweries shy away because of the difficulty.

 

Hofbrau Oktoberfest
.. appearance is a clear gold yellow
...Body is just a little thin with maybe just a bit over average carbonation.
..aroma is grain, cereal, yeast, .malt, and some grassy floral hops.
..taste is very similar to aroma. There is a mild sweetness that balances out well with the grassy hop taste
...overall it's it's a pleasant easy to drink beer that I would try again

 

Hello NBS. I know it’s a late post, but it’s a new beer and one I’m excited to share. This brew is the lovechild between Pipeworks & Brewski Brewing Company named Brewnicornski (an IPA brewed with galaxy and citra).

L: 4.50 completely hazy and murky. Golden yellow in color. Huge amounts of head formed from a fairly simple pour. As I drink the beer, heaps of lacing is left behind which is something I really like.
S: 4.25 Big aromas if lemon, grapefruit, and tangerine. Slight earthyness to the smell, with minimal hop presence. Mostly citrus on the nose.
T: 4.25 follows the nose. Full on citrus initially, with a subtle hoppy finish that meshes with a lingering orange-like sweetness. The after taste is similar to that after drinking orange juice. Hops are slightly piney and lemongrassy.
F: 4.75 incredible. Just as I want a majority of my NEIPAs to feel like. Soft, smooth, pillowy and full. Great heft to the beer. Not as gritty as it would look. Very enjoyable.
O: 4.25. A very well made brew. Something I would drink again if given the chance. The nose and flavor aren’t anything groundbreaking per say, but the mouthfeel is something to write home about. Apologies for any typos, I’m writing from my mobile. Cheers NBS!
Final BA Score: 4.32