New Beer Sunday (Week 745)

I'm in on the Mas Agave bottle share!

 

I was gonna review this today, then I was gonna go a different direction, now I'm back in Juicifer mode.

I'm giving myself beer whiplash.

 

A-Pours a nice amber color with a nice head and lacing
A-Aroma has citrus hop and mango hints
T-The taste follows the nose with citrus hop and mango flavors
M-A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A good IPA

 

That's a lot of goats.

Thank you.

 

Feel better soon!

 

Grimm Destination Neon

There’s a romantic beauty to opening up a beer. The pop of a cork. The hiss of a cap. The crack of a can. Obviously, the association with what will follow is a huge impact on this. We are all Pavlov’s dog.

For me, the least beautiful opening is that of a canned NEIPA. There’s just something about seeing the door of a can extended down and submerged in the yellow murk that looks really unappealing. I’m sure that part of a can isn’t called a door, but someone here can hopefully tell me what it’s called.

Despite that, Grimm sure knows how to make these beers. Once in the glass, it’s a lovely opaque apricot color. Couple of white particles hanging about but nothing too bad. Head is nice. There’s not much in the aroma. Body is pretty full. Flavors of a generic tropical fruit medley combined with white bread and a firm bitterness. I have never agreed with the entire “low bitterness” claims of NEIPAs. Some of the ones with lactose provide that impression, but those are another animal.

This is quite a nice beer. My issue with many NEIPAs is that they put too much focus on appearance, feel, and aroma at the expense of taste. I appreciate how the value of the former attributes were given a boost, but beer is for drinking above all else. This one doesn’t fall victim to that. The one downside to the beer is a slight abrasiveness. The label recalls early MTV.

 

Wow, that’s cool. I didn’t know that and will check it out!

I always love watching the alchemist ones.

EDIT: just checked it out. They hit what they were going for and I’ll have to look those up from now on when having a beer from them. Thanks!

 

Good morning BAs! I have to admit I’m envious of my brethren who have partners who like beer and share in this “hobby” of sorts...

Today’s new to me beer is from Lakewood Brewing Co., Garland, TX - “French Quarter Temptress”, a Milk stout brewed with lactose sugar and vanilla with coffee beans rested in in bourbon barrels, with chicory added:



Pours black with ruby edges; creamy tan head; long lasting cap, heavy ring, moderately heavy lacing and thin legs. 4.75



Strong roast coffee and burnt wood nose; smokey. 4.5

Roast coffee bitterness, coffee, charred beef tips, smoke, with vanilla on backend; sweet caramel milk toast malt base; no bourbon. 4.25

Medium lite body, moderate minus carbonation; no warmth or astringency; there is a lite smooth almost creamy mouthfeel that is quickly supplanted with a chalky dry wooden finish. 4.0

Overall a bit wooden/burnt for me - otherwise a very good tasting milk stout with lots of roast coffee. 4.25

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

Greetings, fellow NBSers, and thanks to @cjgiant for getting us going this first weekend of June.

Sunny, clear and already 67° as of my morning walk in the city where Artfest is sprawling over Coeur D'Alene Park and suburban lookey-loos are firing up hipster ire by grabbing all the parking spots along the streets in Browne's Addition, while also blocking driveways, shouting at lawful neighborhood bicyclists and gaping in astonished cluelessness at the Pacific Avenue roundabout.

In answer to cjgiant's question, someone I often have a couple beers with will be meeting me and a couple other friends at the above mentioned Artfest. It's entirely possible beers will be consumed at nearby neighborhood watering holes, either The Elk, PacAve, or possibly a little further afield at Iron Goat Brewing or Steadyflow Growler House. Probably nothing will be reviewed under such conditions. When I'm at home, where I usually do my BA reviewing, I am alone as I live alone.

Speaking of Iron Goat, while I drink my morning coffee ration and make my breakfast, here's a new beer I drank on Friday, a brett IPA using Motueka and Vic Secret hops:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29334/419680/?ba=woemad#review
This was way more approachable than I was expecting and I made short work of that 750mL. It went really well with the warm weather and the fact that I had worked my last day until Tuesday.

I'll be back with at least one new beer that will have been dispatched this actual day.

 

My first date with my wife was for an after-work drink. She ordered DFH 90 Minute, and my heart skipped a beat. So the obvious answer as to who is my drinking companion is my wife. We mostly like the same beers, although she is nowhere near as enamored with stouts as I am.
I've also been fortunate enough to meet up with some BAs for drinks. Just this past week @DoctorZombies and his wife stopped to visit on their way to Los Angeles. Dave presented me with this great beer from Texas, Yellow Rose Smash IPA from Lone Pint Brewery. It was bottled 05/07/19 and is 6.8% ABV.
The beer is a bright gold color with a little haze to it. There is a moderate white head that leaves a bit of lace.
Nice aroma, about equally divided between sweet malt and citrus, with a little bit of tropical fruit.
Caramel, grapefruit, a little orange, and a little pineapple for the taste.
Nice balance between the hops and the malt.
I would like more of these.

 

What he said, @Roguer! Wish I could join y'all, but it looks like my only visit to western Washington will be in August, meeting up with the rest of the fam for a flight to Hawaii!

 

NBS beer #1



The Abyss (Rum Barrel-Aged)

Deschutes Brewery
American Imperial Stout / 14.10% ABV

4.17/5 rDev +3% | Score: 4.05
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2017 limited release

L-The beer pours black and silky with a 1 finger mocha head. The head recedes to a uneven film leaving legs of lacing on the glass.
S- The rum is up front and moderate in intensity. There is a chocolate presence beneath the rum which is noticeable as my nose adjusts to the rum.
T- On the palate the rum blends better than it did on the nose. In addition to the rum and chocolate, still the two biggest presences, there is a some coffee in the linger after sip. There is a definite warming from the abv and I'm beginning to feel the 14.1% about half way through my glass.
F- Mouthfeel overall is a solid medium. Carbonation is light. There is a considerable linger on the tongue for a medium mouthfeel.
O- This is really good. The 14.1% abv is well hidden. If you like rum barrel stouts and happen to see this one I'd advise you pick it up.

 

New Stasis Sunday

Today’s new brew is only one of many highly coveted beers that @2beerdogs graciously bestowed upon me in our last NBS BIF. My research came up with a translation of this “Milk Drunk”. I’m guessing I am missing some sarcastic blending or usage of Leche.

While I will say that the “Layers of Influence” and “Jam the Radar” seemed to stray into the overly sweet, overly adjuncted (new verb of the day), so called pastry stouts category, this one reminds me more of the first 3 I had from them. More balanced and insanely drinkable. Thanks again Derek!




4.45/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A 2018 release packaged in a 500ml bottle.

While filling the teku halfway, it is a viscous stout that produces a fairly frothy, brown head that not only has great retention, it never disappears. There is a constant film on top that tapers up to a thicker, cap sized ring around the glass.

First thing I can smell is definitely cinnamon. Tequila is also noticeable. To me it seems more like a white tequila because I tend to think it gives off more gin like floral notes. Otherwise there is a hint of a sriracha like pepper sauce, and chocolate.

Wow. The flavors really pop. A bit of tequila (aged this time) up front followed by chili peppers that deliver way more flavor than heat, but just enough bite to offset the sweetness and play off the, by far most dominant, flavor of cinnamon that is there throughout. It rounds off into a cocoa powder like chocolate with a touch of smokiness and lingering baking spice. As it warms, there is some vanilla in the finish too. Very nice combination of flavors. My only knock would be the sweetness starting to creep up the ladder as I make my way through it.

The body stands out the most. Which was the case for the very first beer I ever had of theirs. I said at the time that they were in the league of Bourbon County and Firestone Walker. Lush, velvety, and significant, yet so easy to drink. There is some tingling from the peppers.

Personally, I think that a touch more heat would put this right there, if not ahead of Mexican Cake for the best spiced stout I have had, but it is definitely at a level that it should appeal to everyone.

 

I’ve noticed some NEIPAS I’ve had were abrasive on the finish, since I don’t keep notes at all I just depend on my horrible memory. But I’m wondering if perhaps the use of wheat could be the culprit? I don’t like that kind of finish either, it doesn’t ruin the beer but it knocks it back a peg or two. I’m neutral on wheat, sometimes it works great other times I get a weird flavor off it, depends on the brewer, but I get the same things from Simcoe/ Mosaic hops too sometimes.

 

Good morning NBS
A truly new beer this morning as I have never sampled a beer from either of these breweries.

The review:
11.2oz bottle coded L18538D poured into a tulip glass at fridge temp 6.1% ABV. The beer pours hazy peach colored amber with little light penetration and quite a bit of yeast sediment from my overly ambitious pour. The head is nearly white in color and settles to thin cap and leaves plenty of lacing. The aroma is mild with barnyard funk, clove and bubblegum. The taste is more grain centered to me with the rye and pale malt prevalent at first. Toward the middle, the yeast and hops take over with clove, white pepper, citrus and mild funk. Very mild bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with well above average carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, excellent. This is a beautiful beer in every facet. Every component is well integrated and complimentary making the total greater than the sum of the parts.

My answer to @cjgiant's opening question would best be answered by posting a George Thorogood song, but I'll expound. I live in suburban southern Indiana. I have two high schoolers. I refuse to drink and drive on principal, but especially as an example to my kids. That pretty much rules out any drinking away from home here. I will say that from the minute I stumbled across this virtual bar, I was all in. Mostly positive conversation about beer and life with like minded individuals is a blessing for those who have no public transportation and no decent local breweries or craft centered bars.

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

 

I didn’t know I multi quoted this, hit a wrong button I guess , but to complete the thought; How did the know who was going to win the goat race?

 

A-Pours a hazy golden color with a nice head and lacing
A-Aroma has pineapple and mango hints
T-The taste follows the nose with pineapple and mango flavors
M-A light bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A good Pale Ale

 

In answer to the opening question from @cjgiant, as many of you know I often share beers with my daughter. Her tastes are very similar to mine at this time and can share anything with her. My wife loves stouts so I share with her as well although not as often.
This beer, Edmunds Oast Sour Blueberry came courtesy of @Dragginballs76. It pours a purple-red with a half inch pink head that settles to a thin ring pretty quickly, no visible carbonation and a couple of spots of lace. Smell is on the mild side with notes of blueberries, so unless and just a hint of funk. Tastes of mild sour blueberries, slightly acidic, a bit of funk, blackberries, moderate tartness and no hint of malt. Light bodied and carbonated, lingering dry and tart mouth feel and finish.

 

Poured into a 13 oz Funk Teku glass canned on 3/25/19. Pours a very hazy dark yellow with a half inch sticky white head that leaves plenty of lace, as it slowly settles. 4.25

Smell is apricot, pineapple, peach, and tangerine. 3.75

Taste follows pineapple, apricot, peach, tangerine, and actually some bitter grapefruit lingers. 3.75

Mouthfeel is big, slightly gritty, gentle carbonation, and at 8% goes down easy enough. 4

Overall earth shattering no, but still very solid, I wonder a month ago what it was like. Solid stuff. 3.75 Thanks @Nachos4two for this one also.

 

Thanks for the open, and for a couple of your thoughts...

I don't really mind if there is the occasional "cheat" of posting a beer consumed on the previous Saturday, etc., but it should be the exception, and not common. Or this becomes the "New Beer This Week" thread... Actually, after typing this, I realize I really don't care either way; it's just my engineer's "follow the rules" instinct, I guess.

I do strongly entourage the tasting notes part, though, for this thread. There is a thread for just posting what you are drinking, with tasting notes optional (WBAYDN). If you don't want to (or can't take the time for other reasons), post there. The members there will appreciate it!

I had purchased Founders Más Agave a couple weeks ago, intending it for NBS, but ultimately, I couldn't wait, (plus I had a few others in the queue - including the one I plan for today). But, I'd be happy to engage a discussion of the beer, and I can even save my remaining one to "refresh" my memory!

Back later with my beer for today.

Happy Sunday, everyone!