New Beer Sunday (Week 711)

Hello Late Afternoon NBS!
I love @cjgiant 's idea of coordinating a single beer/multiple member trying. I know it would take some coordination to involve more than a few people. But i'd love to do it.

As for me, I've been breaking into the glory (aka @superspak 's box) I received from our NBS BIF #8.
First, a festbier.
Roaktoberfest by Roak Brewing Co.

Golden amber hued and somewhat opaque. White foam rises almost a finger high, but quickly retreats to a meek white ring.
Smell begins with a rustic white bread note, a bit crackers, and some grassy, herbal notes. But one thing that jumped out at me was a hint of mineral water. That subtle taste is so distinct. It reminds me of when you have something from Hill Farmstead, the water is SO apparent...and glorious. I think that's what I'm getting here. A light peppery note peeks through as well.
Flavor is cracker, biscuit, mild sweetness akin to damp wheat bread. These are kept in line by a mild, drying hop note. Slightly earthy, and again I pick up a very pleasing mineral note. Reminds me of a Helles I once had in southern Bavaria.
Mouthfeel is medium to light. Carbonation is on the low to moderate side. Slightly slick on the finish.

3.71/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
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Next, we move on to some luscious hops. The beauty known as...
Old Nation's New Orthodox Series.... Cart Horse.

Poured from a can dated 09/08/18 Thanks superspak.
Pours a deep, opaque, pureed apricot in color. White fluffy head rises, then retreats to a thin film with a slight fluffy white ring. Patchy lacing.
Smell is pure bliss. Peach, apricot, pineapple, juicy mango, and floral plumeria finish.
Taste is more tropical leaning and dry. Pineapple, grapefruit, papaya, with a slight onion note on the back end.
Mouthfeel is medium and the carbonation keeps everything alive. Slick finish with a gentle warmth.
Overall, a great NE IPA. The aromas are the absolute star.

4.11/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

 

Hey all, my first new beer for today is Nailed It! and it came to me courtesy of @TongoRad. It’s a nitro dry stout that’s a collaboration between Industrial Arts and 2SP-



This is one odd duck of a beer. It sure does look like a stout- almost black with a rather large tan head for a nitro beer. The nose is sort of stout-like as well with a lightly burnt char note, some bakers chocolate , but then there’s also a pretty noticeable fruity/citrusy quality to it that reminds me of a black IPA. The taste however, shows little resemblance to any stout I’ve ever had. It starts off innocently enough with the aforementioned char and bittersweet bakers chocolate but that is quickly taken over by a juice-like citrus flavor, sort of like someone dumped an NEIPA into my stout when I wasn’t looking. That probably sounds bad, but it actually works quite well for me, and I’m really enjoying it. Thanks for this one, Michael!

 

I’ll have one heading your way come Tuesday

 

NBS beer #3



Brooklyn Oktoberfest

Brooklyn Brewery
German Märzen / Oktoberfest / 5.50% ABV

3.61/5 rDev -0.6% | Score: 3.63
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

L-The beer pours a deep crystal clear amber. The head forms 2 fingers of off white bubbles which recede to a thin ring with large central island. Lacing is minimal.
S-The nose underwhelming. There is a faint malt presence which comes across more bready than sweet.
T-The malt presence is a little more prominent here than on the nose. The hops never really break the surface and the beer finishes dry with that slight sweetness.
F- Mouthfeel overall is light. Carbonation is medium and slightly prickly.
O- The beer comes off as a slightly less sweet version of Sam Adams Octo. The mouthfeel is pretty lacking which is also a detriment. A middle of the road octoberfest which is drinkable, but otherwise unremarkable.

 

Thanks for the opening act @cjgiant. Shocked. Devastated. The feeling I currently have as my Giants finally play a complete game and lose on a 63 yard field goal....on grass!!! Please break the curse whoever bestowed this upon us! What better time for a beer from the most generous @colts9016. All the way from Idaho!
Opening the "curve ball" mystery beer.
Of course I see its from Anderson Valley on the top but I have to open the damn thing. Ive had a couple of their beers but not too many and none recently.
Pours a deep brown color with a nice tan 1" head that lingers for a few and settles leaving spotty lacing.
Smell is Belgian caramelized sugar, barrel,dark fruits; plums, black cherries, raisins and and maybe a hint of orange peel.
Taste follows with dark fruits, candy sugar sweetness, caramel and lightly roasted malts. I do feel a tad of some sort of citrus again. Not much in the way of hops but there is just a little bit of bitterness from oak tannins that rounds out this big mouthful of flavor. Tasty stuff.
Feel is medium to full bodied with a decent tiny bubble carb that tickles the tip of the tongue. Finishes surprisingly dry after the sweetness subsides. Not cloying and has lingering flavors.
At first sniff I was pondered briedly Oud Bruin, a style I havent had alot of. But sincerly I thought this was a Barleywine from the get go. Truth be told the cap gave quite a hint - knowing a little about beer I am aware of this AV Barleywine notoriety.
And the finals- I was off with the barleywine assesment. I kind of surprised myself picking out the orange. Bourbon- which I love, I didnt specifically pick out but I did get barrel so I give myself a "C" for that. All in all I love these "cocktail" beers and this one is super delicious. Thanks again Jammin!!!

 

Tin Roof Brewing Co.'s Uber Fruit, 4.5% ABV Berliner Weisse with Blackberries. 3.47 Overall

Pours a chablis type color with one finger of pinkish head. Zero head retention & lacing

S: Berry tartness throughout

T: Tartness, hints of berry sweet tarts up front. Tartness & dryness as this warms, a little berry kool-aid flavor as well. Finishes a little sweet, a little tart & dry

MF: Light body, subtle carbonation

An alright take on the style, refreshing, but not one I would buy again

 

Battery Steele Brewing Onsight #5 experimental nedipa. A beautifully made 8.2% NEDIPA from the guys out of Portland Maine. This is now my favorite yet hands down.

 

NBS x2. Once again, courtesy of the infamously famous and famously infamous, @joe1510 . Thanks again!

Prost Brewing
Dunkel- Dark Frankonian Style Lager





A very deep mahogany beer. Crimson and chestnut highlights along with beautiful clarity make this beer pleasant to look at. Despite a vigorous poor, not much to say for the head. A thin khaki ring hugs the end with a swirl of islands hanging on to the surface with desperation in hopes of not being sunk. At the end of it all, a handful of little foam dots are sprinkled to the sides of the glass. (3.75)

Brown bread with a medium toast is abundantly clear. A little dark fruit like fig lies underneath along with very lightly roasted coffee beans. There is an earthy and meatiness to it as well, but hard for me to pinpoint with an appropriate description. (4.0)

I can't help but take a big first sip. This is very robust. Much more than I was expecting. Squaw bread comes to mind, with some added brown sugar and a thin slather of stone fruit jam. Roasted grain and again a very light coffee influence give a well rounded experience. A minimal floral and spicy finish complete the picture. (4.25)

It's a little lacking in carbonation, but it's silky body might actually benefit from this. Its medium weight and nice balance make it easy to drink, but also give an opportunity to savor between sips thanks to a fuller finish. The little bit of spice on the end compliment the bready sweetness wonderfully. (4.25)

A delicious dunkel. A style that rarely is seen except for in its hefe-inspired bretheren. A dunkel lager is a true gem of a style. I'd like to even point out that one of my all time favorite beers happens to be in this category by the name of Bayreuther-Aktien Landbier (Frankisch Dunkel). This is a damn fine representation of the style, and reminded me of this favorite of mine quite well. (4.25)

Thanks again, Joe. Prost!

After my official review, I gave Prost Dunkel a rating of 4.16, with an rDev of +2.5%.

 

New beer #6. 4th in a row from @FlintB ! Drink em it you got em.

Salarium - Transient
Farmhoise Gose - 4% abv
Score: 4.31 (+2.4% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34258/241784/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
Aggressive as fuck. This beer is a pineapple lover’s dream. Quite acidic, but it is a pineapple showcase. Also perfect to drink outside on one of the last nice weekends of the year. If Transient was available here, my wallet would be in trouble.

 

Many thanks @cjgiant for the great intro! I'd be definitely interested in a coordinated wide-distribution release NBS effort, but can't completely commit due to lots of upcoming travel.

My initial offering today in a new recipe NEIPA from Revision Brewing. Elevation Calculation is a DIPA at 8% sporting a hop bill of Mosaic, Citra and Simcoe. Hell, if they added in some Amarillo and Nelson it would check all the boxes in my 'Top 5 List' of favorite hops. Can is 11 days old.



L: Pours murky dirty yellow bronze with 1+ finger of medium density white head with great retention and left substantial windshield lacing.

S: Very prominent tropical nose, mango, papaya, passionfruit, and nectarine, some floral undertones.

T: Not as dynamic as the nose, but very enjoyable. Adds in a little dimension from some grassy elements, but for the most part follows the nose. Finishes with limited bitterness and astringency, subtle acidity, clears palate quickly.

F: Medium bodied with low-medium carbonation, very creamy on the tongue and swallow.

O: I've enjoyed many of Revision's hazy recipes, but this one might lead the way. Nails the mouthfeel and the nose is great!



BA Score = 4.48, rdev = -1.3%

Glad I've got several more of these, and quite stoked to have Revision close and frequently fresh.

 

Really digging this fine rye IPA from Barrier.
And no, it’s really NOT a NEIPA.
It does have the softer mouthfeel of that style, and bitterness is restrained, but it doesn’t have the haziness/opacity or predominantly tropical hop notes typical of a NEIPA.

 

Happy Sunday, New Beer Samplers and commentators. It's Mystery Beer Sunday, aka Christmas come early. My wife and I were away this weekend and our plane landed at Newark Airport at 3:37 this afternoon, in time for me to race home to open a box I received from @Vidblain on Friday. It was the second box he sent me. The first was loaded with fantastic hoppy beers from Minnesota and Wisconsin. This box is all stouts. The mystery beer has no label but there is an envelope containing the identity.





Here goes:

An ink black pour with almost two fingers of creamy, mocha-colored head and a thin sheen of lacing. It's a beautiful pour. 4.25. It doesn't smell barrel-aged but there is lots of roasted malt, burnt coffee, char, nuts, and just a tiny whiff of vanilla. 4. However, It doesn't taste like a straight-forward stout. There is definitely some barrel. Rye? Red wine? There is earthy char, burnt coffee, and a hint of chocolate. There is a definite sourness and it finishes with a nice note of bitterness. I'm drinking it at room temperature so the glass isn't warming but I'm nonetheless noticing more sweetness as I sip. It's complex . . . and really tasty! 4.25. It has a medium-bodied mouth feel with light carbonation, and the ABV is warming. 4.25.

Okay, the reveal.




I'm totally unfamiliar with this brewery but this Russian Imperial Stout is really tasty. It appears my stream of consciousness review isn't too far off. Here's the brewer's description:

Second Round: Molten Lava Cake - Imperial stout conditioned on cocoa nibs, French sea salt, vanilla beans, and cinnamon before aging in rye whiskey barrels.

Chris, thank you for this, and all of the other delicious beers you sent me. I still have a lot to drink and I'm looking forward to it. You are very generous!

For any NBS regular who hasn't participated in the semi-annual BIF, it's an absolute blast. The beer you receive is wonderful but the best thing is the comraderie, which is priceless!

 

When I get some I will send you a message.

 

Last year I thought that Czig's was the best Marzen brewed in New Jersey. I haven't had it yet this year because Industrial Arts' version just blew me away and I bought a bunch of it but I'll be picking up some Czig Meister soon.

 

Alright, time for my third new beer for today... I had no idea Banded (formerly Banded Horn) was going to dip into the fruited sour side of things, but they surprised me by releasing a nectarine/strawberry sour under the name Charms & Hexes!



This says it's "batch #1," so perhaps the Charms & Hexes denotation is an overarching tag meant for their fruited sours? If so, reminds me of Idle Hands' Kill Your Idles series of fruited lactose sours. Anyway, let's jump right into this one.

Ugly pour right off the bat... medium golden with absolutely no head to speak of. I mean, I know that lacto (esp. kettle-souring) can kill your head retention, but this is just non-existent right from the first pour. It doesn't even build up to anything. Anyway, the beer is opaque and... well, not much else to say. Not my favorite pour in this sub-style, that's for sure.

The nose gives off a very nectarine-forward vibe... super juicy citrus and stone fruit notes with a lemony lacto-twang. Yum! As with all Banded beers, this lists the ingredients on the back (one of my favorite proclivities of small breweries thanks to my homebrewing instincts and general beer-nerd-ness; I'm sure many reading this post will attest to the same!)... this beer uses only Heidelberg malt and white wheat as a base. I don't know what Heidelberg is off the top of my head, but some Google searching reveals that it's essentially a neutral, Pilsner-esque crackery malt. With some white wheat added, presumably for stability and roundness, this seems like a really nice little base for a fruited sour!

The initial sips of this give me the same exact feel (other than the crunch/snap, of course) of biting into a fresh nectarine! Super juicy, with some light orchard fruit notes (kind of apple-like with some apricot as well) and, of course, the refreshing flavor of strawberries providing some depth toward the mid-palate transition. Damn, this is nice! The sourness is perfectly dialed-in; it's not bracing or painful, but it works with the fruit addition(s) on order, bringing some character and interest to the proceedings. Wish I had more of these! Nice, medium-bodied feel with a moderately-lingering finish of fruitiness and cereal grains. A wonderful fruited sour! More, please!

 

Next NEW beer, some hops this time.
I received this beer from @CanConPhilly who bullied me into accepting this box of beer. How dare he! And, he put really amazing beer in there too! The nerve...


Singlecut 18 Watt.
The review-
16 ounce can with mostly unreadable date stamped on side of can. Label says to pour into wide mouth glass, I follow directions, poured into wide mouthed mason.
Pours a hazy, milky, dirty orange with
just off white head. Some light lacing on the glass. Big nose of citrus, grapefruit, zest, soft tropicalness of guava.
Taste starts as bitter white grapefruit, grass, floral, and ends with a bitter finish. A bit of pepper too. The nose and taste do not match up. That’s just fine with me. Smooth initially, finishes sharp and drying mouthfeel. Creamy and light carbonation.
Overall, this is a big flavored, big little beer. Glad to have tried.
4.24 rDev +2.7%