New Beer Sunday (Week 719)

From Barrier...

7.6% abv IPA...

Canned 11/12/18...

Double dry hopped with Mosaic, Idaho 7, Nugget, and Rakau hops...

Medium gold and hazy with a finger or so of head... Floral and citrusy aromas presents some fruits suggestive of grapefruit and lime, and a tangy, pithy undercurrent and an air of pine hovering over... Medium-light feel, ample carbonation; has a mild pixie dust-like sweetness that brings a little peach to the profile, then turns drying and smooth on the finish; mild bitterness... Solid IPA...

Cheers...

 

Westbrook Rinse Repeat Simcoe-Amarillo IPA, pretty nice, 3.99 overall

Pours a hazed gold with 2 fingers of pearl colored head. Nice head retention & lacing

S: grapefruit & mango

T: Follows the nose, tangerine &dryness as well up front. Orange peel, a little grassiness & dryness as this warms, a little mango as well. Finishes with & sweet citrus & a little grassyness

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation, pretty good balance

A nice IPA, pretty drinkable

 

It really is, isn't it? In some cases, like this, we get pretty spoiled out here. Good on you @cjgiant for spreading that kind of love.

 

A couple nice guys from Montreal came into the store and surprised me with two new-to-me beers from Dieu du Ciel!
This past summer I had asked them if they could get DdC's Solstice d'ete-Cherry. Lo and behold they delivered that as well as this interesting Mango Berliner Weisse.




341 ml. bottle.
Moderate pour yields an over one inch light orange head over an opaque orange body with no lacing. Head is gone in minutes. Nose of sour wheat and mango. Taste of mango, wheat, and slight citrus; finishing with mango. Feel is thick with a sort of mango nectar. Overall, a unique and very enjoyable offering from Quebec and is like a Mango Mimosa. Cheers!

4.24/5 rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

It's been a great day so far, and I'm going to cap it here. Visited some new styles and sipped on a quality coffee beer. Now I'm onto a big-name NE IPA, that I probably shouldn't let sit around any longer.



Lawson's Double Sunshine.

Pours orange with a clarity that is nearly translucent with the first 12oz of the beer poured into the glass. It turns to a starburst opaque translucence when the final ounces are poured into the glass. Head is a finger and a half of white foam. Aroma is orange, tangerine, papaya, and light guava. Tropical citrus notes are heavy and out front, with biscuity, earthy, nutty malts and herbal hops adding a big backdrop. Flavor profile is orange, tangerine, papaya, and guava with notable herbal, floral hops and biscuity, earthy, nutty malts. Despite the naming of 'Northeast IPA', the hops are much stickier and less sweet than others of the style. Malts still serve as a backdrop, but not an after thought. It carries a quality balance between hops and malts, while leaning lightly towards the sweet side. Mouth feel is medium in thickness with a crisp texture that touches on effervescent. Overall, very flavorful and surprisingly balanced. Reviewed per the New England IPA style due to its style listing on its profile at the time of review.

Score: 4.25 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4 | 4.25 | BA Score: 4.23 | rDev: -9%

Personal notes: I rated this one fairly low compared with its BA rating, but I want to explain one thing - I am reviewing per the Northeast IPA style, due to its current listing on the website. Some may not consider it a NE IPA, but as that's what it's listed as on the site, that's what I'm comparing it to - and it doesn't crack my top list of the style. If it were labeled as a Double India Pale Ale, my rating would increase. As is, it's not carrying the sweetness or mouth feel I expect from the NE IPA style. I understand styles are a point of contention, and I'm not going to get into that. I will review per the style it's listed as and leave it at that. I'd be happy to revisit at a future date, but here are my thoughts for now.

Cheers!

 

Hello, NBS friends. I’m reviewing two beers tonight, first up is a local beer that’s spicy and exotic, courtesy of hops from WAAAAY down under.





4.09/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful golden sunshine color with a sudsy white head that dissipates almost instantaneously. The nose is magnificent, with bright, exotic, tropical citrus aromas and a subtle biscuit malt note.

The tropical flavors dominate the taste, literally - the biscuit malt note has been vanquished by the exotic hop warriors from New Zealand. This is a really nice APA, if a bit one note.

 

Good Evening NBS,
The story of this beer goes back 2,000 years ago when the ancient Greeks attacked the Jews. The Jews persevered and we commemorate the victory by lighting the menorah for 8 nights.
Shmaltz Brewing has every year since 2014 released one version or another, of a Hanukkah Beer. This year's version is brewed with the regular 8 malts and 8 hops but also had chocolate added, and is a dark ale.
Shmaltz Chanuka, Hanukka Pass the Beer

(Menorah in background)
12oz can into tulip
No date code
Pours a deep dark brown with thick tan head
Chocolate, yeast
Chocolate, chocolate malt, yeast notes, floral hop finish
Light bodied, creamy, low carbonation
Overall an easy drinking 8% beer, that could use some more body.

Cheers to all!

 

All bottles are opening, blending is happening soon!

VAT 108

4.41/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

375 ml bottle, bottled 12/20/18, poured into a flute

A- A slightly hazy golden copper with a two finger white head

S- Sour, lemons, barnyard funk, white wine, hints of stone fruits, touch of wheat, oak

T- Sour, barnyard funk, oak, white wine, lemons, touch of peaches, dry

M- Smooth, medium body

O- A very nice geuze, easy drink, love how sour it is


VAT 110

4.21/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

375 ml bottle, bottled 12/15/16, poured into a flute

A- A fairly clear amber/copper with a two finger white head

S- Tart, some barnyard funk, some vanilla and cognac, touch of caramel and some light fruits

T- Tart, light fruit, some barnyard funk, cognac, touch of vanilla, earthy

M- Smooth, medium to full body

O- A good sour, but more Flanders like than a geuze, this barrel seems really different


I can’t wait to blend these, I would rank them 108, 91, 110 and finally 92. All are really solid, but 108 tastes the best and 91 easily has the best mouthfeel. I found it really interesting how the different foeders impact the base beers, cheers!

 

Happy (Not-Really) New Taking the Central Waters Sunday (Week 719)!

Awww. My NBS got derailed because I was not diligent in vetting my line-up. Of the four (4) that I had selected, three (3) were vintages! 8=( Still, waste not, want not, so I pressed on with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/652/16062/?ba=woodychandler#navigation
&
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/652/40775/?ba=woodychandler#review


That's it for this week,kids!

 

Hello New Beer Sunday!!!

Hello from Boarder View Lodge on Lake Of The Woods.

The fishing was good today, but slower than the reports from the previous days. We didn't get our limit, but a lot of fish is going home.
Now to the beer

Bourbon County Vanilla.

Ok. This beer is totally delicious. The vanilla just amps this beer to a new level. Hard to believe it's almost 15%. The beer goes down smooth silk. My friends are also enjoying it.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1146/53980/

This is my only new beer I brought on this trip, so I will see you all next Sunday for NBS.

 

#2, I’m literally quivering with excitement to try this. Since I read about this, I was more excited for seeking this out than any other beer but two: Zombie Dust and King Sue. This more than met my expectations.



4.59/5 rDev +8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I love - LOVE - Oreos, so this beer is in my sweet spot (pun intended). Jet black pour, dark tan head, very sudsy and breaks apart pretty quickly - the travails of brewing a beer with cookies.

The nose is sweet chocolate, and some creamy notes. Am I sensing a dunking event?

The taste is big chocolate, massive creamy notes, it’s literally an Oreo cookie in a big imperial stout. I’m in love.

The mouthfeel is rich, creamy, and decadent, and I get zero alcohol, which is not possible in an 11.9% ABV beer, IMHO. I am SOOOOOOO glad I have a 2nd one of these to see how it ages.

 

Whiner beer. Awesome fruited wild saison. Great head retention/lacing. Aromas of big juicy/fairly tart/tangy peaches, apricot, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange, pear, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, and peppercorn; with moderate wheat, cracker, white bready malts; light lacto/musty funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderately fruity/lactic tartness, fruit tang, and peppery yeast/oak spiciness on the finish. Medium-plus carbonation, medium body, and fairly crisp finishing. Balanced bready/grainy malt, lactic acid, fruit tang, and light oak tannins in the mouthfeel. Light-moderate increasing acidic/tangy/tannin dryness, no puckering. Very drinkable. 6.5%. Awesome balance of juicy/jammy fruit and Brett/Lacto/Saison yeast complexity; nice oak foeder presence, and pale/wheat malt backbone against acidity. Minimal residual sweetness from lingering crisp dryness. Really spot on stuff. 4.1


Another new local BBA Stout. This was fantastic! Great rocky head retention/lacing. Aromas and flavors of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, spicy rye, nuts, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, and dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of smoke, char, molasses, raisin, prune, fig, date, herbal/grassy/peppery hops, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate roast/char and herbal/spicy hop bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; very creamy, silky, bready malts; some sticky hops, chalky char/roast, and oak tannins in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing bitter/tannic dryness, no acrid/astringency. Very smooth, no warmth of 6.7%. Identical to the base beer; with nice added barrel complexities. Not a ton of barrel, but adequate. Great well rounded rich English malt complexity with added molasses; balancing English hops, barrel presence/integration, and mild fruity yeast notes. Spot on Foreign Export style as expected. 4.25


Cheers, have a good night NBS...

 

Happy New Beer *

Another fun filled busy weekend. I managed to hit a couple of stores for beer in my travels and picked up a few new hazebro singles from Weldwerks in Greeley. This is a rather good one I'm finishing by the fire now.



Here's my official two cents worth if you care to read on. I hope your weekend and new beer was satisfying.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/38773/376413/?ba=Prager62#review

 

So, now on to the Solstice d'ete Cerises (cherries)
I had a glass of the magnificent Solstice d'ete Framboise for reference. Will be blending that (and this!) later, but not with each other. You'll see...




341 ml. bottle.
Bottled 2018-09-11.
Moderate pour yields a 3/4 inch light pink head over a cherry red body with scant lacing. Nose of sour wheat and cherries. Taste of cherries and sour wheat which equals tart cherries. Nice feel and overall, not as aromatic or flavorful as the raspberry version, but still a very good Berliner Weisse. Cheers!

4.24/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

Oh...? Is that a new categorization that I've somehow missed?

 

Kane's Apple Brandy Driftwood


L:750ml bottle poured into a snifter glass. Pours dark black. An agressive pour yielded less than a finger of head with almost no lacing. 4.5/5
S: mostly apple with some vanilla, chocolate, maple, and some brandy boozy scents. 4.75/5
T: Apple brandy, maple syrup, molasses. Very little heat compared to other Apple Brandy stouts I've had. 4.75/5
F: Low carbonation and a full, almost chewy, mothfeel 4.5/5
O: Fantastic barrel aged brown ale. If you enjoy apple brandy this beer is as good as it gets. 4.66/5

 

Goof early evening, NBS. Another great kick off from @cjgiant . A rainy day here in the kingdom. I have to admit...I am secretly happy since the conditions forced cancellation of an outdoor event at the church. Too much music coming up over the next three weeks to get sick standing outside.

Great day yesterday with the grandson. Christmas tree selection, and we took him to the Enchanted Village now run by Jordans Furniture that used to be in Boston when I was a kid and was something I never saw. He will be two on Thursday, and this holiday stuff is getting very real for him. He doesn't talk much, but he is singing "ho, ho, ho...who wouldn't go" on infinite loop. He loved the displays and "what's that" was the question for the day.

OK...Double-shot New Beer Sunday? Whats going on here?



The wife forced me to pick her a beer and she wanted something new. So I figure I can't lose even ending up with the "loser". Now, it is a frustrating, futile task for me to pick a beer for her. Of almost 300 beers tried, she has liked I think 15% or so with no discernable pattern other than an IPA of any kind usually sucks, but she likes 90 minute. My beer spreadsheet exists to help me statiscally unravel this Sphynxian riddle... I hate picking beer for her...but as the Borg said, resistance is (equally) futile.

She ended up with the Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad which I thought was pretty hot and boozy. She thought the Allagash Pictavia had a lot more alcohol taste. Well, all righty then...

The Pictavia is supposed to be a Belgian take on a wee heavy or scotch ale, by what I gather. I remember hearing a story it was the first beer brewed by Tod as an Allagash brew...true or not, don't know. It is aged in scotch barrels, and that is actually quite clear in the taste. The pour is pretty much headless, and a cloudy, mahogany color. It is malt heavy on the taste and pretty sweet. Smells of toffee, caramel, barrel wood, peat, maybe a touch of smoke. Been a long time since I had a scotch, but it is hitting those notes from the memory bank. The taste is strong and intense overall. Sweet, malty, a bit tart. I will agree with the missus that it seems more boozy than it actually is. Fruits of the dark fruit cake variety, strong caramel. It is thick feeling and pleasantly warming, minimally carbonated.

Overall, I like the beer. The flavors are intense, and it drinks heavy. Nice for a cold night and warm fireplace. It will be a little short of a 4.0 for me. It is slightly rough around the edges and the flavors haven't melded into a cohesive whole...not yet, anyway. Age will help this beer out.

 

Last new beer tonight i have sent out half of the case I bought and not had this yet. I really like the regular BBA Dark Age so when I saw they released it with coffee I had to have some. The girl at the brewery told me this is replace El Pariso which I am fine with. There is a signifigant sweetness i picked up that I did not get in the regular. @Vidblain / @LloydDobler did you guys notice this or is it me?? Anyway I really liked this one. If I had a complaint it would be the mouthfeel was just ok a little thicker and this would be money but I am a little picky.




Appearance 4.25 - Pours black with nice tan head that settles to a thin ring and film across the top. A couple spots of lacing.

Aroma 4.25 - I am not sure I have picked up the coffee aroma in a WW beer that I get in this one. It is almost a sweet smell, maybe it is the combination of the bourbon barrels and the coffee but regular Dark Age does not have a sweet aroma like this. Roasted malts, coffee, toffee, molasses, chocolate, bourbon. I am not sure I have had a coffee stout that smelled this sweet either.

Taste 4.25 - The coffee flavors I am used to are more noticeable in the taste. Great cold coffee with a touch of vanilla, bourbon very mild though, oak, roasted malts and chocolate. The same sweetness sticks out in the taste that I detected in the aroma.

Feel 4 - Medium bodied, carbonation is nice, little heat from the alcohol.

Overall 4.23 - this is much different than some of the other coffee stouts I have had. I think it is just a little sweeter which works well.

 

Side by side of the blends I made. The first is mixed heavier with 91 and 108, my two favorites, the other is heavy with 92 and 110.


The first is really tasty, love what 91 added to the mouthfeel, a really nice blend, great sour flavors, nice funk and the cognac feoder for 110 add a nice touch.

The second blend is pretty close to the first blend. I’m really surprised how close the blends are given how unique each bottle was.

I know I’m not giving formal ratings to the blends, the 8% ABV is getting to me, but both blends are in the 4.25. Based on what I tried today I think I will have to revisit the regular Oude Geuze, I wasn’t a fan of it years ago, but each of these bottles and the blends are great. Cheer NBS!