New Beer Sunday (Week 717)

I'm game for that. I always enjoy a good Saison and some of our local breweries are producing quite a few of them.

 

Great review. It sounds fantastic!

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Short week coming up for us. Looking forward to family visits on Wednesday. Usual new beer haul yesterday, and will have some from Ohio next week. I have been addicted to reading Wikipedia and learning about scientific history and advancement lately, just a random thing that has been keeping me amused. The geologic history of earth is just mind blowing to think about; among other things like space etc. It's amazing what we have done in only 1 century, vs all others.

Anyway, New Beer:

Very nice American brown. Great head retention/spotty lacing. Flavors of big caramel, brown sugar, brown bread dough/crust, spicy rye, toasted biscuit, and nuttiness; with lighter notes of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, dark fruit; herbal, floral, grassy, peppery hop; and yeast earthiness. Similar/muted aromas, a tad too fruity/yeasty. Light herbal, floral, grassy, peppery hop; roast bitterness, and rye spiciness on the finish. Medium carbonation/body; creamy/bready/grainy malt; light sticky hop and chalky roast in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing lingering hop/roast bitter dryness, no cloying/astringency. Very smooth, 5.8%. Textbook style example as expected. Nicely rich and well rounded English malt complexity; mild fruity yeast and earthy hop balance against sweetness. Not overly roasty or bitter. Reminds me of Bells Best Brown a lot. 3.88


Fantastic NEIPA. Opaquely hazy, lasting head retention/thick soapy lacing. Aromas and flavors of huge mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, red apple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, watermelon, coconut, blueberry, gooseberry, guava, citrus peel/zest, and light peppercorn/pine hops; with wheat, white bread dough, light honeyed malt balance; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; very creamy/silky/grainy malts; light sticky/resinous/rindy hops in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing lingering resin dryness, no hop astringency. Very smooth/soft feel, minimal warming 7.3%. A barrage of hop varieties: Azacca, Mosaic, Motueka, Citra, Vic Secret, Amarillo, Galaxy, Cashmere and Moutere. They are all fairly similar as a whole, anyways. Super juicy and fairly dank/earthy hops; perfect wheat/oat/malt balance; mild residual sweetness with lingering resin dryness. This is spot on stuff for the style. 4.23


Cheers

 

American versions are certainly much more common than they were when the thread started. Unfortunately, the Belgian ones are much harder to come by these days with the influx of new locals taking over shelf space previously dedicated to imports. The Fantomes and the De Rankes and the De Glazens are harder and harder to come across than back in the day.

 

Good afternoon and happy New Boozy Sunday, BAs. First off, to throw my two cents in again about @cjgiant 's NBS-wide tasting proposal, I am of course down. Wether it be the potentially suggested SN beer (we all buy beer anyway, might as well go to a good cause!), or as @joe1510 mentioned Sasion Sunday (showing some respect to the historical foundation is a novel idea), I think it sounds like a winner.

Alrighty... No hiking this week, but even touring Portland's infrastructure has had it's highlights this week. Here's some pictures taken from various pump stations throughout the city...







Anyhoo, been a very nice (weather) week and that continues today. I find myself passing on classics often while perusing the beer isles, and decided that needs to change. Classics still occupy our shelves for good reason, and it's time to start re-taking advantage of that. I've had Samichlaus before, but really only remember the Helles. It's probably been more than ten years since I've had this beauty, so it demanded some respect, and a proper review.

Brauerie Schloss Eggenberg
Samichlaus Classic Bier- Doppelbock




(And I know... I have beautiful hands.)

Samichlaus Classic is stunningly beautiful. The colors of autumn blend seemlessly in the glass with picture perfect clarity. Garnet, auburn, and light brown highlights shimmer without competition for attention as the lightly tanned bubby foam above flees entirely from the scene. (4.25)

Golden and red raisins jump from the glass. Plum and cranberry juices along with light caramel promise for a potentially sweet experience. Lying deep below, a simple and pleasant white bread adds comfort. (4.5)

The flavor couldn't mirror the aroma any more perfectly. Cranberry juice without the tartness takes front and center before allowing the raisin blend to shine. Black mission fig and burnt sugar on white bread linger on and on before a mild pepper spice finished it all off. (4.25)

Dense, syrupy, and oily, this beer is no joke. The almost lack of carbonation makes this so incredibly rich, but still manages to be smooth. Sweetness is showcased here, bitterness be damned. The warmth of alcohol creeps in with a burn throughout the chest. (4.25)

This is a delectable beer, demanding to be sipped and savored. A doppelbock on steroids without the rage. The sophistication of a debittered barleywine, if there were such a thing. Not an everyday beer that's for sure, but it's delicious, no question there. (4.25)

After my official review, I gave Samichlaus Classic a rating of 4.31 with an rDev of +7.2%. Prost!

 

Now I have to try this beer! First, I'm actually part Estonian (I'm not making this up). Second, I love it when someone in the metro area refers to the "Football Giants", which I totally get. Thanks for the review, Gent. Cheers!

 

One of the benefits (and there certainly are detriments) of living in New Jersey is that we get good distro of European beers. I'm glad the local brewers, such as Kane, Rushing Duck, and Twin Elephant, are brewing Saisons because we can compare them to the real thing.

 

The beer is bells BBA expedition stout, poured into a dragon's milk snifter (meh, close enough)

Appearance is pitch black with khaki head and sticky residue more than lacing.

Smell is chocolate/caramel candy, bourbon, light coffee. Heavenly, not hot smelling.

Taste begins with a rush of bourbon, creating a little heat at the back of my throat. This is followed by heavy roasted malts, coffee and chocolate notes in the middle of my tongue. Theres a thin layer of candybar like sweetness on the perimeter of my tongue in the aftertaste.

The body is thicker than the unaged version, reminds me a lot of BCBS in flavor and feel. Not a beer to quench your thirst obviously.

Overall I'd have to rate this close to perfect. I can't even think of a way to improve it... it's one of the best of it's kind.

 

Giving this Bell’s Bourbon Barrel Expedition Stout a whirl

4.46/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

About as nice a looking head as possible, thick light brown foam that pulls back fairly quickly, leaving a nice, sticky lacing. Smell is quite complex, as chocolate, molasses, vanilla and anise play equal role. Taste is similar but more pronounced as dark chocolate, vanilla and molasses coat the mouth with a little bourbon poking in on exit. Feels pretty thick, and leaves behind the taste of having just done a shot of a lighter, blended whiskey.

 

Now onto a new IPA. I think @superspak already tagged this one today, but I'll give it a whirl.



Evil Twin's This Must be Where IPAs go When They Die.

Pours an opaque bright-orange with two fingers of white foam. Head retention is good, as is lacing. Aroma is citrus, tangerine, and papaya. There is a dry biscuity, earthy malt behind that carries a light bitterness. A kiss of honey adds a little sweetness. Flavor profile is tangerine, papaya, mango, and orange with a strong earthy malt and barley backdrop. Honey sticks to the tongue and sweetens up the back end. Great balance and dynamics between the hops and malts. Mouth feel is a little fuzzy, and touches on chalky on the back end. It has a medium thickness. Overall, a surprising amount of malt showing through this, especially for being double dry-hopped.

Score: 4.25 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4 | 4.25 | BA Score: 4.23 | rDev: -0.2%

 

Mammasilenus has run out to do a few errands so I've taken the opportunity to plop down in a chair to get some REAL work done...



Pappy's Porter from The Alchemist, Stowe, VT
4.17 rDev +2.2

From a 16oz can, undated. Served in an imperial pint pub glass.

Pours a thin looking, unhighlighted black with a big, puffy, lumpy, three-finger-plus beige head. Retention is very good leaving a lumpy cap and scattered wads of lacing. (4.0)

A sharp, roasty nose of charred grain and chocolate-covered cherries. (3.75)

Taste is acridly bitter and charred initially, with chicory, over-steeped black tea and wood ash, before slowly smoothing out with dusty cocoa powder and dried cherries. Roasty, toasty, tannic, bitter and dry as the dickens. (4.25)

Feel is powdery-smooth-almost-silky, dry, medium bodied and well carbonated. (4.25)

Nice. I started out thinking I was tasting the coffee notes I expect in a porter before I really got that it was more of the tannic, bitter character you get when you leave the tea bag in the cup too long. (4.50)

 

Okay, let's do one more!

From the bottle: "Brewed for Ibis Bakery and celebrating their first anniversary at 1624 Grand, KMCO - Mareitt is brewed with local, raw Darby white wheat sourced from Ibis. Showcasing the breadth of flavors found in simple ingredients, we fermented this Grisette-inspired beer using a Kveik strain of yeast. During fermentation, this yeast produces radical aromas of bright citrus, orange and tangerine to compliment the earthy, wheaty components of the base beer."



acquired via trade from @Harrison8 , thanks, man! poured from a brown 500ml bottle into a tulip glass.

A: i decanted this pour, reserving the sediment for later. Mareitt pours a clear-amber color witha fluffy white head that quickly dissapates into a thin lacing. 4/5

S: big aromas of white grape, tangerine and just a hint of wheat. very interesting 4/5

T: in all honesty, i haven't had many grisettes over the years and i have not tried a beer brewed with this yeast strain, so this is all a bit new and unique to me. it's quite pleasant and similar to the nose. lots of vinous, white grape-ish flavor with a bit of tangerine. white wheat flavor is certainly there and adds a nice rustic quality to the flavor of the beer, which punches well above its 3.9% ABV. nice and clean finish to boot; this is a nice table beer. 3.75/5

M: thin body, quite crisp and finishes dry. very enjoyable mouthfeel. 4.25/5

O: this was a fun little beer. i only say "little" because of the ABV because this one packs a lot of flavor nuances. much more fruity and refreshing than i was expecting while somehow still being rustic enough to be a good table beer. very good! 4/5

 

Cheers, Mac. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did. Two wins in a row! Woo hoo!

 

Happy, new Double IPA Sunday

Things are chilly in West MI. The sky was full of sun, but temps still maxed out in the upper 30s.

Friday and Saturday were full of youth sports. Yesterday the wife and I hit up the Beer, Wine, and Food festival in downtown GR. While there weren't any festival specific releases, there were still lots of good drinks and eats.

Today's new beer is a super fresh DIPA from Bell's. Great balance out of a big beer.

Lampshade Party Ale
12 oz. bottle (pkg. 11/05/2018) $2.80 Copper Vine-poured into a Bell's imperial pint glass

A- A very liberal pour creates 2-1/2 fingers of khaki head that's foamy and dense. The body is a clean, deep gold that nears bronze with light carbonation. The head sustains at a full finger as thick, foamy rings are left on the glass.

S- Plenty of fresh hops create a grapefruit aroma that mixes with sweet malts to form the sugary-sweet breakfast of my youth. Other tropical fruits at play (pineapple, mango?) peachy?

T= Great balance from bold hops and a solid malt backbone. Definitely grapefruit with sweet Hawaiian roll bready flavor.

M- Medium-full body. Smooth alcohol warmth. Light, hoppy tingle.

O- A super fresh, balanced double IPA. The cool, retro label appears to be different from bottle to bottle.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/287/361341/

 

Good evening, NBS!

I'm currently on vacation in Florida and without a computer, so this will be a quick post!

I'm a fan of mead - I love fruited meads particularly, and Garagiste is killing it at the style. I stopped by this morning and had a flight.



I'm adding this post in hindsight so my tasting notes aren't easy to recall. The Reboog Guayaba was terrific - plenty of peanut and the guava jelly plays nicely with the peanut saltiness. I found myself quite dried out and thirsty afterward. Lots of salt; very savory and sweet. I don't clearly recall my tasting notes of the others so we'll call it there.

Stopped for a Popinski at Angry Chair, had some Ramen at Ichicoro (fantastic!) and now headed to a friend's home for a few days.

Plenty more vacation to come. Hope everyone enjoys a pleasant week to.come - have a wonderful, safe, serene holiday!

 

Caribou poured into a 13 oz Teku glass canned on 11/01/18. Pours a very hazy yellow with a half inch white head that leaves minimal lace behind. 4

Smell is dank marijuana, papaya, apricot, and ripe pink grapefruit. 4.25

Taste follows very aggressive grapefruit, weed, and papaya. 4.25

Mouthfeel is a solid medium, very gentle carbonation, a tad sticky, and at 8.6% goes down easy with a ton of flavor. 4.25

Overall just another awesome treat from Foam. 4.25

 

Wasatch Polygamy Nitro Porter, 6% ABV. Pours black and seemingly bubble-free, with a slight tan nitro head. Should have been more aggressive on the pour. Nose is malty and a touch of dark fruit. Taste is roast malt, a bit sweet, dark fruit, with a very slight bitter close. Pretty flat. Overall meh, not much flavor.

 

My entry for NBS today is a Citra dry-hopped sour pale ale from Invasive Species called Bowl Cut.



This one came to me from @HeartofMiami and is a style I haven’t yet fashioned a taste for, but hopefully I will be jumping on the bandwagon soon. This pours dark gold and has a soapy, foam topping. The nose is distinctive Citra hops but so sign of souring bacteria at all. My first sip contains a punch form a puckeringly sour liquid. Lemon and lime are in the forefront with almost no hoppy characteristic. Very thin feel with low carb. Overall I thought this was pretty good, but now I know to enjoy this when I want a sour beer and not a hop bomb. Thanks Jarred!

I finished a short day of work and got home to an angry wife. I hadn’t finished the basement floors, to no fault of mine. She didn’t order enough flooring and the rest won’t be here until tomorrow. So now I get to enjoy a beer before Xmas decorating. Wish me luck!