New Beer Sunday (Week 737)

Galaxy Dry Hopped Pseudo Sue.
4.46/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours an opaque orange with a one inch white head that is well retained and leaves a lot of spotty lacing. Smell is predominantly citrus fruits with some herbal and tropical motes along with some pine. Tastes of orange, orange peel, tangerine, mango, peach along with some resin and herbal notes. On the light side of medium bodied, well carbonated, mild to moderate bitterness and a soft mouth feel.

 

Hello all!

Even though I’m from Indiana, I’m not crazy about basketball. I used to be, but it’s just not the game I love anymore. (Although I will admit liking college more than pros)

Anyway, the first new beer of this Sunday for me.


Beer: The Gadget
Brewery: Urban Artifact (Cincinnati, Oh)
ABV: 8.3%

Pouring from a 12 oz. can into a wine glass, this beer pours out like a thick and murky, dark fruit smoothie. It forms a finger worth of thick and active, berry colored crown leaves a smoothie like, heavy wall of sediment as it recedes. 4.25

The nose carries dark berries and an acidity to the nose. The fruit smells very real and un-artificial. Not getting much or any vanilla or sweetness. 4

The taste follows the nose well and once again delivers those pure berry notes. Natural raspberries and blackberries dance together on top of a bed of tartness. Almost a jammy presence, and with the dry finish it makes it like eating a biscuit that is smothered in jam. I still don’t detect vanilla, but it might add a little creaminess to the mouthfeel that wouldn’t be there without. It’s hard to tell. 4

It’s slightly tart all the way throughout, while showing a creaminess before finishing dry with that slight biscuit presence. Smooth for a beer of this kind with an ABV of 8.3%. 4

Overall, this was an interesting try. The thickness was really shocking as far as the looks go and I really appreciate the pure and naturalness of the fruit in it, also enjoying how it blends with the dry biscuit like finish. 4

Cheers NBS, can’t wait to see what you bring to the share!

 

Poured into a 16 oz Flying Dog Snulip glass canned on 2/19/19. Pours a very attractive slick black with 2 finger mocha head that leaves plenty of thin webs of lace as it slowly settles with excellent retention. 4.5

Smell is very one dimensional and that isn’t a complaint, fudge, vanilla bean, coffee, and some caramel. 4.5

Taste follows very rich fudge, vanilla bean, expresso, and caramel. 4.5

Mouthfeel is bigger than average, plenty of life, not really dry, and at 8.8% ABV goes down very easy, but is loaded with flavor. 4.5

Overall this is just an excellent beer. Tasty and one dimensional, well done Tree House. 4.5

 

New beer #2. Thanks @jhavs ! I sampled this a few months ago, but this is my first time having a full pour.

Martian Moon House - River Roost
DIPA - 8% abv
Canned 3/25/19 (13 days ago)
Score: 4.3 (-2.7% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/44112/255246/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
Not at all how I remembered it from the fall NBS share at @thebeers place. Granted I was rather drunky-faced by the time we opened this. It’s got an incredible, full body. Drinks like a stout. The taste is a pleasing combo of melon, grapefruit, and pineapple. River Roost knows their shit. Thanks again Jon!

 

The one thing I really appreciate about the HF cans is that they're 12 oz. To me this is a style that tends to disappear after the 8-10 oz mark anyway- heavy immediate impact but no complexity- so those extra 4 oz. would be kinda useless.

 

That looks delicious! Oh my, the sludgy body. I’m all about beers that drink like you’re eating a biscuit Sounds like a Burley Oak JREAM.

 

Noted.

Even knowing what the beer was, the sludge surprised me!

I’ve not had any of the JREAMs but know people are crazy about them.

 

Features cacao nibs and chocolate and vanilla extracts - a collab with Christopher Elbow - 8.7% abv, best by date of 12/20/19...

Pours a ruddy brown, hazed to a uniform translucence under a coupla fingers of off-white foam... Nose and palate receive impressions of hearty malts, watery hot cocoa, and muted citrus, with the chocolate and malts kinda melding together while the citrus runs subtly throughout... Medium-light body has a bit of tingle and leaves a little bit of shellac behind...

I'll say that the beer does what it says, but I guess I prefer a chocolaty stout, or an amber or pale ale that isn't chocolaty, or something like that... A top-tier beer would overcome my personal biases, and though this beer is good, it's not that good...

Still worth checking out if you're a fan of chocolaty and malty "pale" ales...

Cheers...

 

The JREAMs live up to the hype in my experience. The biscuity middle is the best thing about them. Always full-bodied, fruit-forward brews without being too sweet.

 

Makes sense. I never thought of it that way. I usually just guzzle down those last few ounces, but there was no guzzling needed on that HF can.

 

Good morning NBS
I have a nice line up of Indiana beers to share today. First up is a Bock from a brewery that is becoming a favorite of mine...

The review:
16oz canned 2/28/19 (38 days ago) purchased cold at the brewery and poured into a 500mL mug at fridge temp. 7.2% ABV 25 IBU per brewery, but the can is not labeled. The beer pours bright ruby tinted medium brown in color with light brown head. The head recedes to a film and thin ring. A few spots of lacing are left on the glass. The aroma is rich with nutty toasted malt. The taste is more semisweet toasted malt up front transitioning to a mildly bitter, nutty, toasted raisin bread finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, adequately carbonated and mostly dry in the finish. Cleanly lagered with no off scents or tastes. Overall, very good.

It's always seemed odd to me with the German population in Indiana that we had no holdout brewery producing authentic German styles. Other Hoosier breweries have dabbled in lagers and failed miserably while 3Floyds makes a great lager at 9-11 bucks a bomber. Daredevil is the first brewery to really put in the work and provide quality lagers at $12/4 pack. I'm always really happy when I get a chance to swing by the brewery when driving through Indianapolis for a sausage sandwich, pint and some 4 packs to go.

Here's a picture of the can if anyone wants to add it the the database. I'm afraid my technical skills are not up to it.

Cheers all and enjoy the new beer in your glass today!

 

I love Daredevil and the fact that, like you stated, they are producing lagers (and other quality offerings) like this at a reasonable price.

Nice review!

 

Doing a few chores around the house as my wife should be home tonight from a week of vacation with her mom. Gotta straighten up and get rid of the empties from a little share Friday.
May as well have some coffee.

Pours black with two fingers of mocha head that hung around for a bit before settling into a thin ring.
Smells of roasty coffee, some chocolate, overall nice roasty aromas.
Taste follows, lots of coffee, some chocolate, a bit of bitter roastiness on the end.
Full bodied, decent carb level.
Overall a pretty tasty coffee porter, would love to try several of the different coffees side by side.

 

Semper Guzzlum!

 

Whiskey barrel-aged rye ale... 12.9% abv, best by date of 2/10/21...

Poured a deep brown with ruby accents, and produced a finger or two of light tan foam... Has sweet, malty flavors like chewy dates in booze and vanilla syrup, with lighter airs of rye and oak and whiskey... Medium-bodied, a little sticky, sweet and almost syrupy, but afforded some drying and lightening courtesy of oaky tannins and wood notes...

A little tacky and sweet for my tastes (usually) in a non-stout beer with this much body and heft, and yet nonetheless, a really cool brew...

Cheers...

 

Dogfish Head "Slightly Mighty" NBS review, and a side-by-side with Da Shootz!

I finished an 8-mile hike this morning on this warmish Spring day here in Pennsylvania. Lots of flowers in bloom and the trees are budding and flowering. Taking a lunch/beer break now and then it'll be back to the great outdoors to power wash the stucco. A couple of beers are certainly hitting the spot.



The Slightly Mighty was canned on 2019-03-27 and the Da Shootz! exactly 1 month earlier.

First, the new Slightly Mighty review from today, which got an overall score of 3.74 from me.

A - Clear gold with a 1-finger pillowy-white head and mild, sheeted lace. Looks good.

S - Mango, pineapple coconut. Light, white bread. Flowery spice. Aroma is subdued but pleasant.

T - Initially, it tastes of sourdough bread and grass/pepper spice.. Then some light pineapple flesh and coconut add a bit of flavor and sweetness before the mildly bitter and dry finish.

M - Light body and medium carbonation.

O - It's a palatable brew with suggestions of an IPA although I was hoping for more sweetness. I guess the monk fruit they use for sweetness and body isn't magical! It reminded me of the new Da Shootz! 4.0% beer from Deschutes so I decided to try them side-by-side.

Side-by-Side - Slightly Mighty and Da Shootz!

A - Slightly Mighty looks nicer being clear gold vs almost-clear straw and has a better head and lacing.

S - Slightly Mighty, with its tropical overtones, is significantly better. There's not much to hang your hat on with Da Shootz!.

T - Da Shootz! tastes like a good quality, watered down Pilsner. It's not as bitter and I like the way it finishes cleanly. Slightly Mighty is more flavorful and bitter but I preferred the Da Shootz! aftertaste.

M - Slightly Mighty definitely has a fuller feel, which I preferred. It's a quite-noticeable difference over the more watery Da Shootz! although on a hot day, I might feel differently

O - In this side-by-side, Slightly Mighty is the victor. Both are decent beers and I appreciate the effort to produce quality 4.0% brews. Of interest, after completing this tasting, I went to the fridge and grabbed a Straub Amber Lager, which is 4.1% and a perennial in my fridge. It's nothing fancy but is well-brewed and I enjoyed it's caramel sweetness after these more bitter brews. Straub Amber Lager ($21 for 24 12oz cans) is almost half the price of Slightly Mighty ($39 for 24) and also less than Da Shootz! ($35 for 24). The Straub brew will probably continue to garner more of my hard-earned money but I'm glad to add these two new brews into my rotation of low ABV brews.

My previous, full review of Da Shootz! from 2019-03-16 can be found here:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/63/367046/?ba=Tucquan#review

My previous, full review of Straub Amber Lager from 2018-05-13 can be found here:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/880/81025/?ba=Tucquan#review

 

A-Pours a nice clear amber color with a nice head and lacing
A-Aroma has grapefruit and hop hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a nice great fruit and hop flavor
M-A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A good India Pale Ale

 

I was looking forward to this one and I'm glad I didn't wait any longer . . .

Shimmering hazy gold color with white cap and lacing.

Aroma of tropical hops layered on top of sweet malt.





Full, complex, malt/hop taste bursting with tropical hop flavors. I can identify the fruit influence without saying anything specific, such as mango or papaya stand out, because the whole is so seamlessly working together. The hops are almost incandescent here with a bitterness held well in check. Really stunning achievement so much that I don't see how they could pack any more flavor in there.

Full, mouth filling almost chewy texture with balancing carbonation.

There is a largeness about this beer that's frankly impressive. The only thing I would add is some appreciative others to share the experience with me.

 

This is my favorite of what Sweetwater brews.