New Beer Sunday (Week 711)

Seems to be. Looks as though the web page needs an update....

 

Next up, another from @Roguer. This time a beer the polar opposite of the first.


First off, I normally won’t order this beer at a brewery/bar but Mrs Strohme2 does so I shared it with her. I asked her about her thoughts on the beer. I quote “ mmmm! Tastes like a berry lime gose!” Gee, thanks, even I could’ve come up with that gem. Anyway, my review:
16 ounce can dated 6/28/18. Poured into tulip.
Pours pink orange hue, 1.5 fingers of just off white head. The nose is light aromas of cherry, citrus, tart acetic bite.
Taste is at first a tart cherry, then tartness, lime, light funkiness. Everything about the beer, taste wise, is light.
Mouthfeel is light, effervescent, the bubbles carry away the beer from tongue.
3.65 rDev-10.3%

 

Anyone else notice NBS is out posting WBAYDN today? Highly unusual for 7 hours into each thread.

 

I am full of complaints today. One, I don't like to drink anything besides German marzens during Oktoberfest. However, @mschrei sent me a wonderful box of beer and it is only fair to give him his due.
Two, I don't like to participate in any thread started by @cjgiant.
Having said all that, thanks for letting me jump in here.
Pipeworks Black Raspberry Dreamsicle.
I am scared of these beers. I don't know what to expect. They have silly names. They have silly colors. I am getting old and I don't like change. So when I finally manned up and pulled this from a fridge full of Paulaner I was pleased with both my courage and with the beer itself.

Thanks, Matt!*
Plum colored body and cloudy. A nice, dense one and a half finger head with a purple tinge to it.
The aroma is a lovely combination of fruit from the black raspberries and pine from the hops. Very delicate, very balanced.
The taste, at its base, is a typical Pipeworks. Light malts, bigger hops. There is a dankness in the taste that doesn't come through in the aroma. The black raspberries mingle nicely with the hops and the lactose softens the sharper edges of the hops and fruit.
Soft, pillowy mouth feel. Light body and medium carbonation.

*not really.
Cheers, all!

 

Glad you liked it! Looking forward to what you think of the JK sours as well! Cheers!

 

Happy New Kellerbier Sunday

I've decided to approach today's NBS a bit differently. Back when NEIPAs initially seemed to become part of everybody's lineup, people here joked that Kellerbiers would take off next. Those jokes weren't very serious and they were often met with "I sure hope not." Well... with the success of the "craft" pilsner combined with the NEIPA phenomenon, we've actually seen a big increase in the use of the term Kellerbier. The last time I went to the beer store, I was able to buy four different 16oz cans of beer labeled as "keller" in some shape or form. This would have been unthinkable half a decade ago.

I decided to buy all four of those options, and then added to them one can left over at my house... and the result is a blind tasting of those beers today. Most of these are "new" beers for me. The St. Georgen Brau is not a new beer for me, but it is new in this canned format. I've always had it on draught in the past. This beer is part of importer B United's attempt to bring over European beers in their tanker, and then can them over here in CT. I included this beer in this tasting as a sort of control in the experiment... since the others were new American attempts. I also had the Jack's Abby Franconian Kraft before. This can was the last one from an old four-pack.

Kellerbier doesn't really adhere to the modern idea that all beers of a style adhere to a specific color, taste, etc. Examples can range quite a bit. Partially due to this idea, I was very much looking forward to this blind tasting. I had no intention of ranking these according to some sort of style guideline. I simply balanced what I would want in these beers with how much I enjoyed them. I had these in opaque glasses - so I was unable to see color while drinking. My impressions:

St. Georgen Brau Buttenheimer Kellerbier - soft feel, slight bitterness, toasty malt, strong coffee flavor

Jack's Abby Private Rye Kellerbier - soft feel, wonderful malt character - slightly sweet, bready and round, fantastic dry finish, orange, the most subtle beer of the group

Jack's Abby Franconian Kraft Kellerbier - fruity, oxidized, sweet, old, tastes like an abused import

Mikkeller San Diego Building Blocks (Keller Style Pilsner Beer) - hoppy, herbal, bright, firm bitterness, fruity, orange, grassy, tastes like a "craft" pilsner but very herbal, the lightest feeling of the group

Foreign Objects Eine Nachtliche Halluzination Ungespundert Keller Pilsner - very hoppy, seriously plant-like hop contribution, bitter leaves, sweet malt profile, bright citrus, lingering bitterness, bold

My favorite of the group was surprisingly the Jack's Abby Private Rye. The bready finish on that one was wonderful. I wouldn't expect such subtlety from a beer advertising rye. My least favorite was Jack's Abby Franconian Kraft, which just didn't hold up due to its age. It's unfair for me to include it, since it was the oldest beer here... but at the same time, it shouldn't have been THAT bad with just an extra 5 months on it. This guy got old fast. The three in the middle were pretty much a toss up. I was very surprised by how much I didn't like the St. Georgen Brau in this context. The malt profile was odd. Foreign Objects is a local brewer. In the past, I've only had their thick IPAs. This beer was seriously bold... and delicious (if you like bitterness). It easily had the smallest head formation of the group.

@TongoRad

 

Afternoon Pils . . .






Pale light yellow gold color with white cap and lacing.

Aroma of rich bready malt and floral, spicy hops. Hop brightly is particularly noted in the scent.

Taste is hop forward in a stronger dose than I usually get even in North German styles. Noble hops certainly but used with a generous hand. Malt doesn't get lost in the shuffle but it does stay in the background. Hops are grassy and spicy with a emphasis on the spice. Close to remaining in balance but it's at least 60/40 in favor of the hops.

Medium texture with balancing carbonation.

Yes it's an American version and yes, the hops are a bit much for food matching but the overall flavor is quite nice and I particularly like the way the brewer has kept the beer dry. This is close to outstanding.

 

Priming for the Eagles game with Microphone Check 1.2 DIPA. Wish I had someone to share this with it’s a 25 oz bottle. A much more traditional 8% DIPA using Citra hops, again this is a super easy drinking beer. Thick dense head, retention is there, nicely bitter too, not too aggressive but the fruit and bitter balance. Super turbulent almost, no shot at light penetrating this. Very nice beer, I love the trend to the non filtered IPAs, easily a buy if you can get it.

 

Bcbs is barrel aged
Hopslam is hoppy and made with honey
Celebration is Centennial hops.

hmmm The trouble with widely distributed beer is that everyone has had them. =) I prefer style tastings.

 

Happy Sunday NBS players. A warm but overcast fall day here on the island with the sun starting to peak out. Spent most of the week down in Bermuda. Our second time there, and it was just as good as the first. Might become a yearly trip as It is our favorite island spot by far. Back to the grind on Monday and I don't have any vacation time lined up until late November. Watching mindless football all day and dare I say the Jets are on their way to an impressive victory.

I'm game for the group tasting. Not sure what the selection should be but clearly something with wide distro.

I have a couple of new IPA's but we'll see if I can actually get to them both. My first new beer today is Winner Winner Chicken Dinner, a NEIPA - apart of their Prime Series, from Great South Bay brewing. The brew checks in at 7.5% abv and features Amarillo and Mosaic hops. No apparent canning date but it was released late Aug/early Sept so probably around there.

The pour yields a murky off yellow color with a fast white head of bubbles. The nose is nicely floral with a mix of tropical fruit. The drinking hits with soft and plush hops upfront with an ever so slightly bitter tropical fruit feel. The lack of sugar sweetness really helps and the fruit flavors have a ton of depth. I really get a pretty pronounced stone fruit flavors with mango, and peach. Additional fruit notes of lemon, orange, melon, and grape. The mouth feel is moderate. It really has a juicy feel that's crisp but also and underlined creamy feel to it.

Overall, crazy good hop juice. It's not often I fall asleep on the locals but I'm guilty here. Perhaps they learned some stuff from the Root + Branch guys? I'm in the low 4's here players to possibly slightly higher,

 

Hey buddy, how is life treating you? Good to see you here today.

 

This is one of two I have left from @CanConPhilly. I have been excited to try this one as the others he included from tired hands were exceptional. This one is called invasive I: spotted lanternfly. I hope there are no lanternflys in this beer. Here we go.

It looks the most glorious shade of mango orange, and entirely opaque with a billowing white head on top from a moderate pour. It smells delicious; a lot of citrus fruits with lightly piney hops playing in the background and maybe a hint of garlic? Taste is sweet, all juice here but you won’t hear me complaining. Minimal hop burning on the end and there’s that garlic again in the finish. The garlic doesn’t jump out, it’s hidden, but it’s there. Could be the hop combination? Anywho it doesn’t detract from the overall experience for me as I like to cook with garlic a lot. The mouthfeel is creamy, between medium and full, but closer to medium. Overall this is outstanding and I’m glad you included it Matt! Look forward to doing business again sometime soon

 

Greetings fellow NBSers! I'm having limited internet, and no computer, where I'm house sitting today, so I'll do a better post later. But, I have been hitting up some BIF brews, and will continue to do so as Red and I watch NASCAR.

 

Watch yourself you may wind up with some variants I still got your address!!!

 

No worries I got him!!

 

I was rummaging around the grocery store, looking for an interesting beer. Dang, I found this American/German hybrid. Sierra Nevada/Weihenstephan Oktoberfest.
This lovely brew has a bright copper aspect. The nose is engaging, sorta like rye bread and sits in the glass steeping nicely. This is a dry style Oktoberfest, has a broad beam of malt covered up by spicy hops in a nice melding that brewing artists can achieve. I would buy this beer year round.


I don't count sheep anymore, this works like a dream....

 

I recently participated in the NBS BIF an amazing group of people. @SammyJaxxxx sent a phenomenal box of goodies. I was thinking over the last couple of days about this site. I have been fortunate to meet people who have changed my life in ways I could not begin to describe. Out of the many here a few off the top of my head. @FFFjunkie, @beertunes, @FrankenMiller, @Dragginballs76, @Vidblain, @Houser. @LloydDobler Your post and banter on here have been a much need humor. Today I will be trying Fruity Pebbulls and Vale of Jocassee will post more in a few.

 

It's not easy here either which I find strange. One bottle limits usually. It's good but I'm not chasing.

 

Good afternoon BAs and happy New Bye-bye Oktoberfest Sunday. Craig, ( @cjgiant ), you know better than most that I am always down for a theme day. Say when and what, and I'm there.

This week's gone by with very little excitement. Clean up from last weekend and Halloween decorating, so sorry, no adventure pics...

But I would like to share once again how much I love this city. How many local grocery stores have an anniversary party with vendors and free food including beer, complete with representation!? Wolf Tree makes some great stuff, and here we got to sample their Spruce Tip (a nice smooth brown ale with a big spruce tip influence and a sweet background to balance), and their King of the Forest (the barrel aged version of Spruce Tip, transformed by wild yeast into an Oud Bruin. Quite delicious!).



Anyhoo, now it's time for a new beer. I have spoken praise about the man behind this beer many times. Once again @joe1510 has delivered a very generous gift, and I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the last day of the official Oktoberfest this year, than with one of its style that has quite the reputation.

New Glarus
Staghorn Octoberfest





Right out of the can, it's obvious that this is special. It cascades into what becomes a gorgeous glowing body of amber, with a proudly displayed off white foam resting on top. The clarity is brilliant, the foam coarse then smooth once settled. A thin blanket remains shimmering, along with a ring around the perimeter with spots nestled here and there. Just about exactly what I want an Octoberfest beer to look like. (4.5)

The aroma is again what I'd hoped for. Simple yet masterful. Bready with only touches of spice and caramel. A few peels of apple skin and that wonderfully clean and unmistakable German lager yeast. (4.0)

Typically, the aroma can tell you what to expect in the flavor. This does just that, but on a magnified level. The initial breadiness is toasty and sweet. Golden raisins take on more of what I thought would be caramel, but not before being tossed in a bowl of cinnamon, to be just lightly dusted. Not a spicy finish as I was expecting, but very much so on a level of a field of dried wildflowers. (4.25)

The barely over light body, soft carbonation, and smooth balance make this dangerously drinkable. Just a tad on the sweet side, but the dry finish and mild floral contributions allow for it to mostly go unnoticed. (4.0)

This is a real pleasure to drink. I'd gladly take this in 12 packs all season long. I'd have to considering how quickly this one is going down. Every element you'd like to have in a classic Octoberfest is well represented here. (4.25)

Thanks again, Joe. Prost!

After my official review, I gave Staghorn a rating of 4.18, with an rDev of +5.8 %.