New Beer Sunday (Week 717)

Thanks for the great review. I happened to have this for the first time just a couple weeks ago myself and agree it is impressively delicious (not to mention dangerously drinkable).

I wasn't expecting much due to the connotation that comes along with the 'Malt Liquor' descriptor on the label here in the states. I mostly bought it for the relative novelty of a 14% non-dark beer and I wonder whether those words might scare off some folks who'd otherwise give it a shot.

 

Paradox of the Powerful

8.5% DIPA from Southern Tier, the sixth in their "Science is the Art" series... Pours a medium gold color and close to clear under a coupla fingers of ivory foam... Brewed with Citra and Simcoe "hop dust" and whole flower Mosaic hops, this beer unsurprisingly presents an array of floral and fruity impressions, ranging from the tropical to the citric, and gets a little aeration by way of pine currents... Up front, the fruits and flowers seem light and clean, but a honeyed sweetness creeps and weighs it down a bit toward the finish...The body is light-medium-feeling and smooth, with a little bit of sticky shellac on the finish... 10/28 canning...

Cheers...

 

Radaberpilsner
..gold color
..medium carbonation and around medium body
. Aroma is bread,cracker,yeast,grain
Taste is similar,a bit of a sour bitter taste but not unpleasant
..overall it's a decent beer when out for dinner with limited choices

 

On the small of your back.

 

Nicely done.

Eh, ok enough done, I guess.

 

Yeah. Where else would I get one?

 

New Beer Sunday: New England IPA

Evenin’ NBSers with a heads up for SEPA fans of locally brewed beers worth trying.

This evening’s new beer is A.C.E.S. from a Philly brewery called Urban Village. (The name of the beer comes from the hops used: amarillo, centennial, enigma & simcoe.)

As usually, my review subject to revision until I finish the beer, can be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/47787/368989/?ba=drtth#review


The aromas/flavors are full of citrus, both grapefruit and some other citrus. There’s also some tropical fruits. In the background there’s a lightly sweet malt backbone and some pine. The light bitterness has both some citric and earthy character. I think I’ll be looking to have another one of these.

No music on the player tonight. We’re watching the Eagles lose to the Saints.

Cheers, all!

 

Thanks! The insane thing to me is the quality, history, and availability of something like this so easily available for FIVE F*@#ING DOLLARS and how it's so completely overlooked! Taken for granted, actually. 14% is a hefty commitment for a Sunday afternoon, especially for (as you mentioned) its dangerous drinkability. A task I was happy to take on.

Cheers!

 

Yes! The price tag was indeed the kicker. Just an all around pleasant surprise.

 

Awesome post! Love rye as well.

 

What beer?

 

Greetings, NBS friends. I have a couple of beers for your perusal tonight. The first was issued a month or so ago, and is a long-time want for me. The fact that it’s now available in cans speaks to what is hopefully greater and wider distro.



4.75/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

This looks very similar to Double Sunshine, a very hazy burnt orange color with a dense, foamy light tan head. Absolutely gorgeous, IMHO.

The nose is dank tropical fruit on PED’s - huge amounts of pineapple and grapefruit, and an earthy herbal note, too.

This translates to the taste, with the pineapple most prominent, but the earthy herbal note is note far behind , and then there’s a bit of alcohol burn, which is common to the style in my experience, but not off putting in any way.

I’m not a huge fan of triple IPA’s, but this is magnificent. It’s a hop bomb for sure, but it’s also exceptionally balanced, which is a challenge for a hoppy beer with the gravitas this one has in spades.

 

Happy New Berliner Weisse Sunday!

Pretty nice day on the Western Slope, around 44, sunny at the trailhead. Lot's of people riding today. Having a tasty brew. Picked up the usual chicken tacos. Watching some Enterprise reruns.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24300/241738/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

I was involved in some recent talks in the Industrial Arts brewery thread about their upcoming Winter Landscape seasonal, which is slated to be a black lager (one of my favorite styles), and also some other regional NYS black lagers that are available. It was with that in mind this weekend when I spied this one from Ithaca on the shelves, and just had to pick it up.

Midnight Sun Black Lager

So, I didn't even get to put the bottle down before I had this one pegged as being essentially a porter fermented with lager yeast; the careful and judicious use of roast malt, and fine harmony of flavors, that you'd associate with a schwartzbier or other continental beer in the black lager family are most definitely not a part of this beer's makeup. Like I said, I immediately got a strong whiff of 'espresso' from arm's length.

So we're just going to have to take this one on its own terms going forward, which is fine by me since I kinda dig porters, too . Flavorwise I'm getting a nice blend of the aforementioned espresso and dark chocolate, with some clean toffee-like malt underneath, amber rum, and touches of sweet spice here and there. It's got a milky fullness at first, but finishes dry with a clean snap of bitterness. But there are also some issues, at least at first, that have nothing to do with style or expectations: that 'old coffee' twang and astringency on the finish. As I am down half a glass their impact is diminishing, but still present.

Overall it's a slightly flawed, but pleasant enough beer where I can take off my evaluating cap and just enjoy a few glasses casually. So, on those terms it gets a solid enough B+ (3.85), but could also stand for some improvement.

 

I've found "black lager" in American brewing vernacular to be a crap shoot at best, like you've stated. It's a pretty loose term around here. Some are good regardless. Most, not so much.

 

Many thanks @cjgiant, great start as always. Regarding a potential NBS tasting of Resilience, I know at least Russian River and Revision have committed to the project. The Revision participation should help wider distro availability. I fully expect Bear Republic to join the effort. So I think you've found a GREAT idea and simultaneously supporting a GREAT cause!

First of likely several contributions from me today is Faction's Hipster Conformant industrial lager.



L: Light golden with 3 fingers of variable density white soapy head with great retention and left minimal spotted lacing.

S: Pleasant grain forward nose, hints of citrus hiding underneath. Citrus increases in prominence as it warms.

T: More citrus dominant than the nose. Finishes very clean.

F: Low body with moderate carbonation, light on the tongue, crisp on the swallow.

O: Really nice lager, will definitely buy again.



BA score = 4.14, rdev = +3.5%

 

Oh yeah, and I find that the ones who do get it right are to be treasured.

 

Indeed.

 

#2, keeping things on the lighter side, I love the base beer, so I’m literally quivering with excitement to try this.



4.53/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Jet black pour that shuts out the night, the dark tan head is so dense, it looks like a nitro. The first thing apparent on the nose is the barrel - it is big and it is boozy and it is bourbon. But there’s also char and dark chocolate and, dare I say, stone fruit?

The taste confirms - stone fruit, which tames the barrel a bit, and spruces up the char and dark chocolate quite nicely, and lends balance to the mouthfeel, which is creamy and just the slightest bit spritzy at the same time.

I’m glad I have a couple of bottles of this to age, because I think it will do so exceptionally well. As it is, this is world-class, IMHO.

This was a pretty extraordinary beer night for this beer nerd. I’m glad I could share it with as fine a group of folks as I could imagine anywhere. You are all stellar.