New Beer Sunday (Week 710)

@JackHorzempa the yuzu I have had most prominently in beer. Both the saison and the IPA. Cheers. Sea salt and menthol?

 

I for one appreciate the work that @cjgiant and @lordofthewiens put into my favorite weekly thread and knowing Doc is now on West Coast time and he goes out of his way to kick this thing off early for all of his East Coast Brothers and Sisters.

Down to NBS business. This one is brewed with Cacao nibs, vanilla beans, and coffee added and aged in bourbon barrels weighing in at 11.5% ABV. Pours a midnight black on a overcast Fall evening, with a finger plus light brown head that leaves thin waves of lace as it slowly settles into a thin film of brown bubbles. 4.5

Smell is exactly what I signed up for, coffee grounds, dark chocolate, oaked vanilla, and just a hint of Smokey sweet bourbon tickles the nose. 4.75

Taste follows dry roasty coffee, deep dark chocolate, a hint of dark fruit, vanilla, and oaky bourbon so amazingly balanced and complex. 4.75

Mouthfeel is large, moderate life and that is what I want and expect, a tad dry, and extremely approachable at its heft. 4.75

Overall this is a top tier BA Stout as often happens with Clown Shoes, $12.99 and always well made and incredibly tasty. Really highly recommended and planning on sending this sauce this week to @jzeilinger because he will love this one as I do. 4.75

 

Moning y'all. Great start today, wish I could join you all but I am going to an execution, err, wedding today. Hopefully my good buddy V. fares better than the last friend whose wedding I attended, who started divorce proceedings (no joke here) a week after the wedding. Actually, these two seem better suited to each other than any folks I know. Both wildly creative types, and glad they are staying in the area after tying the noose (she's moving north)... err, knot. See ya next week. Cheers!

 

Cassian Sunset fro Central Waters. Refrigerated for 20 minutes prior to pouring. Pours a very dark brown with a massive tan head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring and left large spots of lacing. Smells and tastes of dark roasted malts, rich coffee, vanilla, cinnamon and bourbon. Additional flavors of black licorice, tobacco, brown sugar and some dark fruits. Full bodied, lightly carbonated, smooth mouth feel with a slightly dry finish from the cinnamon. I really enjoyed this beer but when the cinnamon fades I know that I will like it even more.

 

Good morning New BSers! Well, it's another day here in NW PA - only picked up ten apples this morning so it looks like the season is finally winding down. I've already wiped out the yellowjackets that were infesting my yard. @lordofthewiens, thanks for today's start. The early start should be beneficial for a lot of us, particularly our UK and Euro-brethren.
Pets. As a child, I was allergic to mammal dander, so any dogs were kept outside, a practice that will get you arrested today. Now that my immune system is breaking down and I can tolerate mammals, any puppy I would get would probably outlive me. Fortunately, I've always liked reptiles and have had, over the years, many turtles and some lizards. Currently, there are two sibling male Trachemys scripta elegans (red-eared sliders) that generate amusement for Mrs. Lizard and me. There were three, but the third was a troublemaker so we took him back toTexas to the private pond he came from.
Today's New beer:



$ 13.77 (Including tax and discount)/750 mL bottle ($ 0.542/oz) from Spec’s, DeZavala, San Antonio, TX. Reviewed 9/30/18.
“Batch #2 – January 2018” on label. Stored at 42 degrees and served at 55 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 4.
Body – Appears initially as reddish-brown and translucent. When held to the light, a clear burgundy appears.
Head – Large (Maximum 6.5 cm, controlled center pour), tan, initially dense, average retention, diminishing to a four to five mm ring and a complete layer with a large butte-like center.
Lacing – None.
First pour – Brown, clear.
Aroma – 3 - A bit of toasted malt, no fruit, no yeast.
Flavor – 4 - Begins with a bit of sour fruit, ends with a lactic acid tart bite. Not picking up any yeast. No alcohol (4.4% ABV), no diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 3 – Medium, watery, lively carbonation.
Impression and interpretation – 4 – Overall, a very drinkable brew. The sourness/tartness both attenuate as I approach the end of the bottle.

Rating 3.66, rDev-7.2%.

Batch #2 is only 4.4% ABV while Batch #1 was 5.5%.

 

Hotbox coffee porter
..solid black color
..medium light carbonation,a little more then I expect in a porter. Body was a bit thin
..aroma is malt,black coffee, roasted malt and roasted coffee beans
...taste followed the nose for the most part. It was two dimensional, malt and coffee, wasn't overpowering in the flavor department
.. in all fairness I've had so many barrel aged stouts that having a decent coffee porter was an adjustment. Other than been a little thin this was a very decent offering

 

Happy Sunday, NBS crew! @lordofthewiens alas I am not allowed to have any pets in my current building, but I’ll just throw this out there from my old place in South Philly a few years ago.


The NBS BIF has provided me with so many beers from so many people. Also thanks to a few trades, I have beers in my fridge from at least 10 different people. Therefore I’m going to try to follow these guidelines today:
1) Only drink new-to-me beers (easy)
2) Only drink beers that I didn’t buy myself (BIF or trade)
3) Only drink 1 beer from each person

With those rules in mind, I’m starting today with this one from @Jimmy_Kneecaps , who was kind enough to send me my first Bearded Iris brews last week.

Voltage - Bearded Iris
IPA - 7% abv
Canned 9/10/18 (20 days ago)
Score: 4.07 (-3.6% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/39925/368911/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
Holy pepper grinder! I’ve heard “peppery” in beer reviews before, but this is my first time truly getting that flavor. This really is a pepper-forward beer! Perhaps it’s the Taiheke hops that contribute this flavor, as I’ve never tasted these particular hops before. Also there is Nelson in this, which lately I have been disliking, but the Nelson here is actually tasty (rather than tasting like old socks). I don’t love-love this beer, but I appreciate what it brings to the table, and I’m greatly enjoying it.

 

Thanks to @lordofthewiens for the great start to this weeks NBS. I have a new brew for later on today.

Cheers!

 

A week? It's not often that you see the Irreconcilable Beginning case brought forward! Must've been a crappy honeymoon.

 

Good morning NBS
I traveled over to St. Louis this weekend to watch my son's soccer team and picked up a couple months worth of NBS goodies in the process. This is a $4 bomber from Trader Joe's and an obvious attempt to replicate the success of well known beer

The review:
22oz undated bottle poured into an oversized Xocoveza pokal at fridge temp 10% ABV. The beer pours dense very dark brown with chocolate tan colored head. The head recedes to a cap and leaves plenty of lacing. The chiles, cocoa nibs and cinnamon listed on the label all make their way into the aroma. The taste is basic stout accented by the chiles, chocolate and cinnamon. The beer is very balanced without sweet or bitter notes. The chiles act as the finishing touch keeping the beer from finishing sweet or undry. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and adequately carbonated. Overall, very good. I am a fan of pepper & chocolate infused stouts and this is a good one.
edit: The date on the bottle became evident as the condensation evaporated. 8/17/18 laser etched above the independent craft logo on the label.

If you've been out of Xocoveza for several months like me, and have a Trader Joe's nearby, you might want to give this a try. It doesn't match the complexity, but it's available and the price is right.

@lordofthewiens makes an interesting point in his opening comments. Your views on animals come mostly from your family and culture. We had pets around the farm growing up, but it not the same thing that I witness now in the suburbs. I was never really an animal person and it wouldn't surprise anyone who knows me. My wife always had cats and I've always ignored them. We obtained one for my daughter's 11th birthday to be her companion through middle school and beyond. She (the cat) is a grumpy little thing that has decided I am her person. She is normally sitting right beside me when I'm reviewing a beer.

I'm back to work on nights tonight so I'm out. Enjoy your Sunday and the new beer in your glass!

 

We almost kidnapped him some months before the wedding when it became apparent to all his friends that he was about to marry a psycho bitch from hell. Thing is you never really know what a person is like from only casual contact. In this case, though, we were right. After the divorce we told him about kidnapping him, and he told us we should have done it.

 

Evil Twin's Art is Anything You Can Get Away With DDH IPA (7% abv)...

Medium-gold beer, opaque with orange hues and a fat fluffy head... On the nose and across the palate presents impressions of sweet grapefruit juice and dry pith, pale melon flesh, and a hint of green mango skin... Sweetness is moderate, fading to mild as a moderate bitterness settles in... Softer, fuller start loses some weight and closes with a lean feel and a sharp tingle of citrus... A solid IPA; doesn't offer any particular characteristics to set it apart from the crowd, but it is certainly well-crafted and clean finishing...

Brewed and canned by Westbrook Brewing; 8/3/18 canning...

Here's to new beer in your glass, cheers...

 

A-Pours a very dark opaque color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has coffee, chocolate and malt hints
T-The taste follows the nose with coffee, chocolate and malt flavors
M-A medium bodied moderately carbonated beer
O-A nice stout

 

New beer #2. Thanks @JBowenGeorgia ! You found me a new meat beer! I’ve only ever had a small handful that taste like this.

Alpha Abstraction - Wild Leap
DIPA - 8% abv
Score: 4.04 (-3.8% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/49548/364803/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
You see that buffalo looking thing on the label? Take that literally. This is the meatiest ipa I’ve yet tasted! It seriously tastes like liquid food. I read the other reviews, and no one else mentioned this, so might just be my super-taster palate. I get tons of garlic, onion, cheese, and hickory-smoked georgia barbecue. Absolutely no citrus of any sort. This has happened before to me with beers that use older Citra hops, so I assume that is the case here. (Also, to be clear, I quite like this.)

 

Good morning, NBS friends. I’m leaving for the airport soon for a work trip, so I must participate early. I’m not complaining.

The launch by @lordofthewiens today strikes close to my heart - the ovaltines are dog people, always and forever. I’ve always had a dog, and always will.

Our latest, Ranger, joined the family in August 2012. He was 3 months old and weighed 9 lbs. He came to us as a rescue in Minnesota from Tennessee - he and his 5 siblings were abandoned at 2 weeks old. Now he’s our latest (73 lbs) baby. Here he is a few minutes ago enjoying his happy hour (a Frosty Paw!!!) as I get ready to enjoy mine .....



And here’s my happy hour, courtesy of @TongoRad in NBS BIF #8 (glassware courtesy of @beerloserLI in NBS BIF #4) .....



4.42/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A gorgeous, hazy burnt orange on an aggressive pour with a dense light tan head, this is the picture I have in mind when I think “DIPA.” The nose has some resiny notes, but the tropical aromas noted on the can (orange, mango, and papaya) are more prominent. And there is a pronounced malt component. Oh yes, most pronounced.

A healthy pull from the glass introduces the participants that will be dancing on the palate - the tropical fruit flavors and the substantial malt. They’re in perfect balance - hop assault up front, smoothing malt for a slow, smooth finish.

This is world-class, IMHO.

 

New American-brewed Marzen Sunday for me:


Shiner Oktoberfest, 5.7% ABV

Pretty standard fare all around for a Marzen, nothing out of bounds in any direction with a little caramel in the nose and a nice earthy hop bite that clamps down about midswallow and pushes the malt sweetness to the aftertaste. The malt flavors aren't quite as toasted as the average Marzen, just enough to keep it in range of the style.

The review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/143/60642/?ba=Premo88#review
3.98 (+18.5% rDev)

I don't own a dog but love them and am very lucky to get to puppy-sit a friend's dog a few times a year:

Huevos the puppy dog ... his human mother found him in her apartment complex parking lot in Dallas in the summer of 2010 and rescued him. He's barely 10 pounds and looks like the quintessential yappy little dog, but he rarely barks if ever and loves meeting new people.

Hope your Sundays are going well!

Cheers!

 

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Love my dog Tuukka, named for the Boston bruins goalkeeper. He is a keeper.

Love my new beer, Society & Solitude # 8 from Hill Farmstead

4.5/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Armsby Abbey poured into a chalice

Hazy yellow orange with a one finger white foam cap

Aroma is mango, juicy fruits

Smooth mouthfeel

Great beer, repeatable

 

Sharing NBS with my daughter. Agrestic No.003 an American Wild Red Ale Bottled on 7/5/2016 and served at fridge temperature. Pours a clear reddish brown with a quarter inch light pinkish head that settles to a thin ring and leaves virtually no lacing. Smells of oak, cherries, lemon and sour funk. Tastes of tart cherries, lemon, oak, vanilla and a sour funky finish. Light bodied and carbonated, mildly dry and puckering finish.

Along with a pic of the bearded dragon we are taking care of for a friend to stay with the theme of the day.

 

Good morning NBS and thanks to @lordofthewiens for the introduction. We have had dogs here most of our lives as well. The adjustment after losing the last one (healthy old age) has been the hardest. So currently we are without. Keep up the good work with the adoptions.
Today's offering is from Prairie Artisan Ales. I have had my share of Saisons, Farmhouse ales and always passed this over. Well that wont happen any more. A well constructed and flavorful offering. Heading to the Northampton Brewery for their Decktoberfest celebration Always a good time.
Cheers All
Prairie Standard

Prairie Artisan Ales
Belgian Saison / 5.20% ABV

4.1/5 rDev +2.5% | Score: 4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into the the test glass, included the yeasty base at the end of the pour.
A - Initial pour was quite clear with gentle carbonation that fed a thick white frothy cap. Color of goldenrod is quite beautiful
S - Musty grapes, mesh with light toasted grains, hints of melon rine and grassy hops.
T - A shift from the aromatics, sweet grains, and less melon, more white pepper, a touch of clove, apricot and sourdough crackers.
M - Medium in body, sweet start, then a wave of not quite tart rolls through, the finish is dry and reminiscent of dried pineapple slices.
O - What a nice offering, complex and compelling. The saison model twisted a bit with this one. Fruity in the nose, grainy and dry on the palate. Very enjoyable offering