New Beer Sunday (Week 720)

Very happy with this one, BA’s. I’ve wanted to try Lord Hobo for sometime, and finally we got a fresh one. This Virtuoso pours a dark pumpkin orange, not at all hazy as the style suggests. Aroma and taste are juice IPA’s ala Other Half/Tree House, meets your generic north Eastern Hazy beer. Very unique, happy to try it, and I look forward to trying more from Lord Hobo:

 

My wife never appreciates it when I tell her the whole plot in the first two minutes of the movie. I like pointing out how they always get interrupted in the first attempt at a kiss.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed!! have to get a regular Pickle your way. Its amazing, and I think better then the BA version

 

Busy day today but having one now that the kids are in bed while catching up on the thread. This is Wild Leap Alpha Abstraction Vol. 4, the fourth in the series featuring Denali hops.

Pours a hazy golden orange with two fingers of frothy white head, lots of lacing.
Smells of ripe pineapple, citrus.
Taste follows ripe pineapple, sweet orange, very little bitter citrus.
Heavy side of medium bodied, smooth, no trace of the 8% ABV.
Overall a pretty tasty one. For a brewery that has been going just a little over a year they are putting out some pretty good stuff.

 

Ok, so I'm late to the thread, but here are two beers I tried from a recent box I received, from a non BA member. I was mainly looking for a beer, any beer, from the second brewery I mention, but he ended up sending 3 awesome cans along with it.

First we have 4 Noses Brewing - Summer Whimsy. Poured from a 12 oz can; canned on 9/20/18
Pours a Hazy yellow, it honestly looks soft and velvety. Dense. I'm liking the look of it. Keeps a substantial head for a while.
Smells like straight up pineapple, a bit of peach.
The can says, more then once, that the brew contains no fruit. WHICH IS WILD
Because this tastes exactly like you would think an IPA brewed with watermelon tasted like. Soft and silky (rather then velvety aka dry), smooth. tastes lingers. just really really nice.


Next up, and the main event for me....

Parallel Thoughts - Primitive Beer.

This is a blend of one and two year old american lambics aged on cherries. And its still. BECAUSE ITS FROM A BOX.
Poured from a 1.5L box. wow.

Don't know the color (it was dark, I actually shared this at my favorite NYC beer bar, Gold Star Beer Counter)
But wow. This is the everyman, everyday lambic. I can't wait to try more from these guys. And I still have more to taste, Because the box means it never touches air until its poured!!!!
So So crazy.

Delicious, light funk, subtle cherry, and a bit of sour. Refreshing and oh so delicious. A bit of fruit, a bit of funk, and a bit of sour. Absolutely perfect. really makes u understand the "we drink beer because its safe than water" days, this stuff won't give u a hangover or get u too drunk at all, as its user 6%.

Can't wait to drink more. Really really like it.

Couldn't write down a full review as I tasted em, but next time!

 

I've been holding this beer for a long time. The best after date is 12/08/16 - two years from yesterday. I've been holding it for some occasion and today is the day. Today is my grandpa's 90th birthday. He passed away yesterday. He's struggled with health problems for a while, but cancer finally got him. He and I were very close. He taught me woodworking, @jzeilinger. He also taught me a lot of other lessons I won't go into here. He really exemplified the Fruits of the Spirit.

I will tell you one story. I don't ever recall seeing him drink alcohol except one time. It was last summer at my brother's wedding. He asked for a beer. The choices were Bud Light and Two Hearted. I figured an 89 year old non-drinker in poor health should stick with the Bud Light. I gave it to him, and he said he enjoyed it.

We're headed to Michigan in a couple days for the funeral.



Deschutes Abyss 2015

Pours a deep, thick black with no head or lacing.

The smell is oak and red wine with a little chocolate and bourbon.

The taste shows the red wine and some black liquorice. There's also a strong leather/char taste. It's pretty bitter on the finish.

The mouthfeel is thinner than expected but still velvety.

A very nice beer although less depth of flavor than expected. I'd like to try one that fresher to compare.

 

You know, it’s crazy. I’m pretty sure those were brewery only releases up here. I am repeatedly astounded by their distribution footprint.

 

OMG, lambic in a box! I love this idea. Sounds like it would be much easier to ship too.

I've got one more for tonight- Duclaw Retribution Stout, Chocolate Caramel Cookie variant



Pours quite black, 2 fingers of toffee head slowly fade. Mix of medium and fine bubble.
Smells like salted caramel, brown sugar, cocoa, graham cracker.
Taste is chocolate cookie up front, some coffee mingles in. Bitter notes of dark chocolate follow. Traces of caramel, pretzel.
Mouthfeel is near creamy, slight tingle of carb.
Overall, the nose is amazing in this, taste doesn't quite follow, but its solid. Glad to have the chance to try this. I would strongly consider picking up another can to age a bit to see if it smooths things out a little. Definitely worth a try if you have the chance though.

 

NBS x2, LNNBS x1, BAIS x1, LBRx 1177, LMNOP, BLT, LAMBDA LAMBDA LAMBDA.

Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB)
Barrel Aged Motherland- Imperial Stout afed in bourbon barrels



Dark as sin, or at least as a moonless winter solstice night. Not one shred of light can penetrate its abyss like blackness. A thin creamy tan ring with a paintbrush stroke across the surface is the only contrast.

Sweet booze and rich black strap molasses sting the nostrils. A touch of vanilla and charred wood cover an even lesser chocolate and sopping tobacco leaf.

A seamless transition that is even more pleasurable to taste. An overall equal balance of said ingredients. Wood is a bit more pronounced than expected and there is a dark fruit leaning towards fig, that is dusted in that chocolate. Vanilla, tobacco, leather, and syrupy molasses, all the usual suspects hold their own, but this sweet slathered fruit is what sets this apart.

Slightly slick, smooth, and sweet initially. Actually, it's pretty sweet in general other than just a touch of toasty roasty bitterness that hangs on by a thread. It's actually a tad thin feeling, but this may just be the barrel influence stripping it from a velvety perfection.

I'm quite blown away by HUB here. I've always been a fan and solid supporter, but these special releases usually seem hit or kiss to me. This one is a home run.

After my official review, I gave Barrel Aged Mother Land a rating of 4.33 with an rDev of +3.1%. Cheers.

 

Doing this once a week is harder than I thought it would be. I missed last week due to an awful 10 hours in the emergency room for my son. He is ok. He was born with an extremely rare medical condition that requires we be extra cautious when certain things happen. You sort of know going into the hospital that the likelihood something is wrong is very very low, but of course you go anyway and when your fears are allayed, you breathe a sigh of relief.

Today was a much happier day. He and his twin sister turned 2 today. We had a small morning party for them with friends and family. They were spoiled with so much stuff I have no idea where it is all going to go.

Anyway, beer time came late this evening, after they came down off the cake high and finally went down for the night. Tonight it was an IPA from a small New Brunswick brewery called Hammond River. Vegas Smash IPA.

Look: light copper with light head and minimal lacing. Filtered.

Aroma: the aroma suggests a malt forward IPA. Light caramel, toast, grassy hops and even a little apple.

Taste: very different from the aroma. Citrus pith. Indistinct herbal notes. Very minimal dankness.

Body: moderate. Finishes fast.

Overall: a decent beer. Nothing I would track down. I’ve liked what I’ve had from this brewery in the past, but this one misses the mark just a little. They do get some bonus marks for the laser jet label!!

 

Happy Finish of New Barrel-Aged Beer Sunday (Week 720)!

I pressed on with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/267/33503/?ba=woodychandler#review

& finished with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29858/179494/?ba=woodychandler#review

& now, I'm finished! Holy Barrel Aging, Batman! Let's do something less impactful next weekend!
BTW, heartiest congrats to @bl00 for being my 10,000th Like! I love all a yinz, but he was #10K!

 

Cheers to Grandpa. My condolences.

 

Almost forgot about New Snack Sunday! Consider https://www.universalyums.com/ I am signed up but I could deal with more snacks & such & fewer candies, but caveat emptor. Still, lotsa nice, very different snax.

 

Hello Late Night NBS
Well, I've been too busy with family stuff and yes, work stuff, to enjoy a beer. I look forward to perusing your insights though. And as often happens, I'll probably add a few to my "WANTS" after some of your eloquent opining.

Cheers All.

 

Thanks for sharing. I feel for you. I miss both of my grandfathers daily. I wish you solace in your memories, and comfort in knowing that he had a profound impact on you, and that you surely did on him as well.