New Beer Sunday (Week 724)

Good blustery afternoon, all, and Happy New BBA Imperial Stout Sunday! Great opening by @lordofthewiens today. I, like many of you, am not big on new year's resolutions. However, I did make up my mind to have cataract surgery early this year. I had it scheduled in '18, but decided to wait because of the out-of-pocket expenses. With my vision deteriorating, I figure it's time. I'd also like to pave my back yard to keep the dog from tracking mud all over the house, but that only happens for maybe 11 months out of the year on average. Besides, I rent. Anyway...

I'd been searching high and low for Michigan Maple Jesus ever since I heard it existed. I mean, an imperial stout aged in maple syrup bourbon barrels? What could possibly go wrong? I was so desperate that I was planning to make my own version of it by French-pressing Even More Jesus with some Jack Daniel's barrel chips soaked in Jim Beam Maple. (I'm still planning to do this, BTW.) Then one day in December, I found some in the singles cooler at the grocery store. I bit the bullet ($13.99/12 oz) and bought ONE. I've been saving it until after my 12 Days posts were completed. Today's the day. Poured cold into this dainty long-stemmed tulip, a really aggressive pour yields a thin head of dark tan over a deep mahogany colored body. No highlights, 'cause it's lightproof. Aromas and flavors are very bourbon forward, with the beer settling into a nice balance at room temperature. The roasty malt character is not overpowering, no char, a little dark fruit, a smidgen of coffee and molasses, a hint of licorice, and faint notes of maple syrup lingering on the finish. There is also some tannic astringence and a bit of barrel sourness. It will be interesting to see how my home-crafted (read: bastardized ) version stacks up.

4.5's across the board.



The nice thing about this dainty glass is that I can get a lot of pours from this ungodly (NPI ) expensive bottle.

 

I was a bit reticent to submit this beer to this august council of beer nerds, but then we had a congresswoman state very publicly her desire to impeach the MFer, so I decided, “WTF” (pun SOOOOOOOO intended).



4.35/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

The pour yields a very hazy sunshine-colored beer with a billowy white head. Pop the top on the can and dank citrus hop aromas literally leap from the pint can - grapefruit, pineapple, passion fruit. A lovely bouquet indeed.

The aromas translate even better to the taste, with the grapefruit and passion fruit more forward than the pineapple. I have no idea what the hop bill is for this (and I expended some effort to secure that information), but I’d guess Mosaic is a solid suspect based on the color, aroma, and taste.

I love the Mosaic varietal, so this beer is in my sweet spot. Very well done, IMHO.

And the name of the beer ..... sublime.

 

I did that and I felt like Hagrid asking to get into the vault "you know what in vault you know which"

 

So I rolled the can around a bit for second pour after reminder from @thebeers


Crazy! Activated charcoal adds to the gloom!

 

What accounts for the greenish hue is a mystery — but the beer is also conidition on activated carbon, so if it doesn’t settle too much, can appear a little darker. Not the best Tired Hands IPA, but not bad for a gimmick beer.

 

Yep, like that!

 

I liked! Very interesting. Thanks!

 

This was awesome. Lasting head retention/soapy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big red grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, guava, berries, citrus peel/rind, spruce tips, wood, mint, peppercorn, and pine hops; with moderate caramel, brown sugar, toasted bread malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, woody, floral, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and body. Balanced creamy/bready malts and sticky hops; some resins/rinds in the mouthfeel. Light-moderate increasing resin dryness, no hop astringency. Very smooth, not overly aggressive, 7.5%. Feels like a lot of Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic. Very juicy and fairly dank/earthy hops/spruce; with a great balancing malt backbone. Mild residual sweetness with lingering resin dryness. Loved it, not overdone on the spruce at all. Melds perfectly with the hop profile. 4.1


Cheers

 

I think there are several examples of you and I reviewing a beer one-two in some order. I always appreciate your reviews!

This is a great beer (just starting on the second half). For as boozy and bourbon-like as it smells from the instant I cracked open the crowler, it retains a beautiful balance. I was half prepped to take a shot of whiskey neat prior to my first sip, but this is more balanced than that. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers!

 

#2, I could drink this beer every day for the next 30 years. Plus, any beer that comes in a box is going to tug on my beer nerd heart strings - especially when the beer includes a copy of the Dead Sea Scrolls.





4.5/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Your journey with this magnificent beer begins with a pour that reveals a perfectly clear mahogany brown-colored beer with a frothy tan head. If anything, it looks like an imperial barleywine.

Yep, I typed that.

The nose is naturally led by oak and vanilla notes from the barrel, and there are also toffee and chocolate notes, as well as some coconut. I am salivating.

The taste features the barrel flavors, of course, but the rich toffee notes are the star of this for me, which comes from FW allowing Stickee Monkey and Bravo (a quad and an imperial brown ale) to comprise 2/3 of this world-class.

That is yet another data point that illustrates why they’re one of the best breweries in the world, IMHO. I wish I had a keg of this beer.

 

I distinctly recall when one of the major online beer retailers (not the sites with listings from personal users) listed Adam and Fred. I thought about it for a day and missed it. Still regret that. Two classics at the tip of my wants list.

Hair of the Dog is classic, and big abv classic at that. I hope to try their stuff in 2019.

 

Definitely worth the cost

 

Definitely ordered that beer on a date about two weeks ago. It was a bad date, but a good beer. I agree with your thoughts on the beer!

Cheers!

 

Happy New American Strong Ale Sunday!

A pretty tasty brew, but a little bit too sweet. Still on the Sopranos.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1199/385921/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

Review 7800. This was amazing. Great head retention/spotty lacing for the ABV. Aromas and flavors of huge dark roasted coffee, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, molasses, brown sugar, toffee, fudge, vanilla, cream, bourbon, toasted oak, roasted nuts, and dark bread; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, raisin, prune, fig, date, smoke, char, leather, tobacco, herbal, and yeast earthiness. Light booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Mild herbal, roast, charred, coffee bitterness; and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Light-medium carbonation and very full body; very creamy, silky, velvety, rich mouthfeel that is amazing. Light slickness, sticky hops, chalky roast, and oak tannins. Lightly increasing lingering hop/char/tannin dryness; no cloying/acrid flavors. Dangerously smooth, mild increasing warmth of 14.8%, minimal lingering booze. This was definitely better than the base beer! Perfectly balanced between rich malts, fruity/nutty coffee complexity, and bourbon barrel presence/integration; with mild fruity yeast and earthy hops against sweetness. Was definitely less bitter/charred/drying than the base. Glad I bought a handful as expected. Still love both. Spot on style examples all around. 4.35


Cheers

 

I’ve been following along today even though this is my first post. My wife required my assistance today getting her classroom ready. She’s a kindergarten teacher and tomorrow is their first day back from Christmas break. No resolutions for me, I change things when they need changing. Don’t wait for a special day to make changes, they won’t hold true if your heart isn’t in it. Anyway this beer has been eyeing me from the back of the fridge for over a month now. It’s bourbon county brand stout vanilla from Goose Island.

The appearance is black, no frills here. Not even any head. Only a thin ring forms even after a moderate center pour. The aroma is big vanilla up front followed by chocolate, bourbon, and an essence of sweetness. As it warms the bourbon falls off in the scent and gives way to more sweetness. The taste is spectacular, following the nose exactly but amplifying it very tastefully and not overdone. The flavors all blend together expertly. Vanilla begins the symphony but gives way quickly to decadent, rich, sweet chocolate. Bourbon darts in and out quickly flashing between the chocolate and fudge brownie. The finish is vanilla and chocolate sweetness. Mouthfeel is slick and creamy, but never chewy or overwhelming but fuller than medium. Overall this is fantastic, 10/10 would recommend.

 

Can’t wait to try mine. I’ve never had Bravo, but Stickee Monkee is by far my favorite of the barrel aged series I’ve had from Firestone Walker (Parabola, Sucuba, Velvet Merkin, and even XXI)

And the toffee notes are what I loved and remember from it.

Cheers!

 

Fogbelt - Zephyr Margarita Gose

Canned on 6/20/18. Really old can, older than I realized when purchased. Must have been at local grocery store for a while. Still glad to try something new from a local brewery.
L: Pours amber in color. More transparent than I am used to with typical gose beers, but it isn't deal breaking by any means. About a half finger of an off-white head with no lacing.
S: Definitely pick up lime with mild yeast presence. Slight astringency to the beer. Problem is, the smell is almost non-existent. As I really shove my nose in the glass, I think I detect oak, but not entirely sure.
T: The redemption point in comparison to the smell. Lime with a defined salinity are the two domineering flavors. Oak present on the finish and even more so in the after taste. Flavor is tart but transient. As I become acclimated to the drink, I am really starting to appreciate the lime. It tastes natural and refreshing.
F: Light in body and weight. Somewhat higher on the carbonation scale. Nice feel and is refreshing.
O: This would be stellar on a summer day. It's light, crisp and refreshing. Has just the right amount of tartness and salinity to make me want more. I would definitely buy again. Can’t go wrong at 4.5 AbV.

4.04/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

Heavyweight right here ladies and gentlemen!
Very impressed with the complexity of this BBA Porter.
OAK!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28609/384407/



16 oz can.
Canned 11/28/18.
13.0 % abv.
Moderate to vigorous pour yields a 3/4 inch tan head over a 99% black body. No lacing and head is down to a ring in a couple minutes. Nose of oak first and foremost, followed by chocolate, vanilla, and caramel; but that oak, damn! (I'm a sucker for pronounced oak.) Bourbon on the nose and palate as it warms. Taste of chocolate, vanilla, and caramel. Near velvet feel and overall, as this warms it goes from real good to excellent. Cheers to these guys once again!!! That oak though...

4.45/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5