New Beer Sunday (Week 725)

Enjoyed sun and blue skies as I finished packing up the holiday decorations for the year. Beer and ladders don’t mix (usually).
Opened up this mystery beer from @CanConPhilly ’s NBS BIF 8.5. I knew he was up to something with this. Actually, I found out the surprise from another form
of social media but, thankfully, did not remember the beer name. Still, this-

Whoa, wtf? The review:
16 ounce can. Poured into tulip. Blind review, part of canconphilly’s NBS BIF 8.5 box.
Huh, pours a slightly murky, grayish green with black floaties. Or sinkies.


I had some previous knowledge of what this would look like. Even with expecting it, it still is surprising. Different to say the least! Hard to rate based on this appearance.
Aroma of soft melon, guava, hint of citrus.
Definitely unique. Watermelon, berries, melon, floral, grape skin, green strawberry.
Way thin, watery. Prickly finish. I’m being generous at a 3.5 here.
The reveal!:

For my first gloomy IPA, ( new category here!) its not bad. Definitely should put instructions on the label to roll the can or pour half, swish, and pour the rest. Glad to try this ! Thanks Matt!

3.7 rDev -.3%

 

You may have just highlighted a time/space paradox. I'm really hoping you didn't just end the universe over a beer!

 

Okay I'm on too mystery beer #1 or #2 depending on how you look at it thanks to @2beerdogs.
This beer really surprised me as after opening it I thought I knew what it was but this beer actually has much better coconut flavor than another I had just tried in this style.

And on to the reveal.

And now for my review.
Amelia

Moonraker Brewing Company
New England IPA / 7.00% ABV

4.21/5 rDev +4.7% | Score: 4.02
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This beer pours a light hazy golden yellow color with a thin white head. The nose says one thing coconut and it lasts forever. The taste is well to say the least coconut but in a good way because it tastes like real coconut. Did I say I like coconut. The lactose gives it a little extra sweetness. The hops settle in the background for the most part. The mouthfeel is about what you see in NEIPA with good carbonation and nice smoothness. To me this is a well done beer and a great example of this style.

 

New Beer Sunday: German Kellerbier / Zwicklebier

Afternoon NBSers with a note for folks local to PA, Pizza Boy has done a Kellerbier worth giving a try.

While waiting for the Eagle’s game to start, this afternoon’s second new beer is the Blanc Slate from Pizza Boy Brewing, which is located in Central PA, just on the other side of the Susquehanna River and a bit north of the State Capital, Harrisburg. The name of the beer appears to derive from the fact that only Hallertau Blanc hops are used in brewing and dry hopping the beer. (I don’t recall having had a beer before that used these hops, so….)

As usual my review, subject to revision until the beer is finished, can be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18316/377561/?ba=drtth#review


The aromas/flavors of this beer are clearly fruity, floral and tropical. There are some characteristics of white wine grapes, some grapefruit, lemongrass, berries and pineapple. The crackery malt sweetness and the grassy hop bitterness play well together but it is the bitterness which closes out the dry show in the back of the palate. i’ll be looking to have this enjoyable, drinkable beer again and could see adding it into my regular rotation.

Cheers, all!

 

New beer #7. Thanks @woemad !

Lucille - Georgetown
IPA - 7% abv
Canned 12/10/18 (34 days ago)
Score: 4.02 (-3.4% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4378/60992/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
2/2 now on these Georgetown ipas. Full of flavor and very easy to drink. I slightly prefer the Bodhizafa ipa I had from them last night, but it’s a close call. Thanks again Fred!

 

Twin Elephant does a really nice job with Belgian-influenced beers.

 

Nice review and history lesson Jack! I first had Hop Wallop back in 2008 - good, but I was more of a Hop Devil fan. Hopefully the new iteration will get a new listing in the BA data base - lower EtOH, different hops, arisen after being dead for six years, etc.

 

Trying this very nice Hubbard's Cave "It'd be a lot cooler if you did". After getting hooked on Avery monsters this seems like a "session BA Barley" at a "mere" 10% . Aged 12 months in Woodford Reserve barrels...and it paid off. Smooth as all hell. Pronounced bourbon and barrel notes w/o being overpowering. 4.35 for me. Cheers all.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/42755/381631/?ba=StraightNoChaser#review

 

Your opinion follows most, I think, including mine.
I consider Bodhizafa the more "modern" of the two. Lucille, IMHO, is an excellent representation of the more old school approach to the west coast IPA.

 

So far, folks have been reviewing this 'new' beer in the existing listing:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/345/14916/

Cheers!

 

I don't think a hex was necessary!

 

Retirement can be a wonderful thing if you have something you enjoy to fill your time. I know you really enjoy gathering mushrooms. Some people I know retire and do nothing. I think that's really bad for one's health because subconsciously you're telling your body it's not needed any more. I'm convinced that my Dad's early retirement contributed to his early demise. I guess in your case the key is whether going back to work will allow you to do the other things you want to do. If you can reconcile the two and make $$, then that's a good thing. Good craft beer is expensive! Either way I'm sure you'll make the right decision. Cheers, man!

 

That is the ugliest beverage - beer or otherwise - that I have ever seen.

I must have it.

 

Hi all!!
Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture at all.
But today I tried Black Forest by Alewerks Brewing Company out of Williamsburg, VA. It's an Imperial Chocolate Stout aged on Montmorency Cherries in Bourbon Barrels.

Pours a translucent brown (unlike most stouts I've had lately that are always leaning to black, wether opaque or not). Settles in the glass dark and opaque, with a small but good looking head (tons of different sized bubbles) that sticks around for a while, in part due to being replenished by the constant streams of bubbles...this likely won't be one of those inky/oily brews.

Smells incredible. One of the first times I completely smell everything thats in it...smells like roasted cherries dipped in dark chocolate. Seriously yummy, eve though I usually don't love fruit in stouts i'm looking forward to this one. honestly, this winter has been good for my perception of fruity stouts, I keep on drinking good tasting ones.

Taste follows. Chocolate and pleasant barrel, with a really surprising but nice hit of cherry at the end. Makes it feel like I'm eating cherries while drinking a stout, something I'm now gonna have to do. Started drinking too cold, but as it warms it gets significantly better, with more barrel coming out and the cherry turning from a fresh fruit to a jammy chewy one instead. Overall, excellent.

Really hope I get to try this one again, its pretty darn great. I've had this bottle since June 2017, would love to try one fresh!

 

So if the beer was retired in 2013 or thereabouts, it makes me wonder about all the reviews in 2015 and 2016.

 

Enjoying this Decadent Mango Coconut Smoothie. Thats definitely what it is! 4.25 for me.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46611/376008/?ba=StraightNoChaser#review

 

I'm happy to finally check in to NBS after a fairly productive day around the house. It's been rainy, but thankfully not snowy here in Tennessee, as we (ahem) don't handle the white stuff so well.

While I'm quite partial to California West Coast IPAs, I haven't had many outstanding NEIPA haze bombs from the Golden State; thus, I'm really enjoying a recent beermail box full of hazy Monkish offerings. This one is called Planets Gotta Roll, and is full of Galaxy, one of my favorite hops:

look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
This one was canned on 12/14/18, so about 4 weeks old. I chose my most fancy SoCal glass to keep up appearances. It was a good looking NEIPA with a very hazy/slightly turbid bright yellow color and a frothy white head. There was a potent tropical fruit aroma with pineapple, mango, and some tangerine. The taste was as expected: huge tropical flavors leading with pineapple and finishing with sweet tangerine. Only a hint of astringency on the finish. The bitterness was there but not really noticeable if that makes sense. The feel was exceptional and the best aspect of the beer. Very soft, almost as if the beer melted on the palate. An absolutely world class NEIPA and highly recommended!

 

Good Hex play
Cheers Doc

 

Good afternoon, NBS. Let's get right to it.



Looks like Alchemist made another SoCal drop! I'm excited for this one. Focal Banger out of an undated can, of course, but assumed to be quite fresh. 7% abv.

Pours hazy and opaque, pale gold. Two fingers of fluffy white head take forever to recede. Lacing is chunky. Looking good so far.

Smell isn't popping as I expected, but it smells bright, citrusy and inviting.

Tastes bright, citrusy and oh so bitter. Long-lasting, old-school bitterness that goes on and on. Smooth, sippable, crisp, and a little drying. Tastes like sunshine. And bitterness.

Overall delicious, but not mindblowing.

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Finally got approved to be a site editor today, after asking about it around T-day time. Been nice to be able and clean up the database on my own free time, instead of submitting hundreds of edit/pic requests as usual . Will keep me busy aside from the reviews. Made a couple mini beer hauls over the weekend, finding new stuff is nearly impossible now. Got a bunch of random import lagers today.

Beer:

Very nice American Blonde. Great fluffy head retention/foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of lemon, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, melon, red apple, citrus peel/zest, and light pepper/pine hops/yeast; with moderate wheat, cracker, white bread dough malts; herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. A bit muted aromas. Mild pine, herbal, floral, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation, light-medium body, and fairly crisp/clean finishing. Bready/grainy malts and light sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing lingering bitter dryness; no cloying/astringency. Very flavorful/refreshing, 4.8%. Not watery. Very clean pale/wheat malt showcase; with restrained fruity yeast, and solid citrus/earthy hop presence/balance. Spot on style example. 3.88


Cheers