New Beer Sunday (Week 745)

On a side note, I tried adding the Edmund's Oast Sour Blueberry to the data base and was unable to. I got an error message that "availability doesn't exist." Any ideas out there? @Todd

 

My drinking companions are my neighbor most often and my old friend from high school when he is in town. All of us normally share a few when we get together and the company is good. I am attempting to organize a larger bottle share next weekend at my place, so we will see how it goes and I’ll update y’all on the next iteration of NBS.

For now I’m trying not to chug this very generous gift from @Coronaeus from the NBS BIF #nein.

This is the coconut variant of Peche Mortel. I’ve had the base which I thought was fantastic and I don’t have any reason to believe this will be any different.



Look is an oily pitch black with about a finger of mocha colored head which lingers for a minute or two and then dissipates to a thin ring that remains present throughout. The aroma is bitter black coffee (I love it) and some earthy tones, also maybe some burnt coconut. On the taste the same bitter black coffee is present, but there is a sweetness that follows it throughout the palate that I’m thinking is from the coconut. The feel is pretty thick and slightly chalky with a dry finish. Overall this is outstanding as expected, I love coffee and I’m sure I’ll love the other peche variant that I have. Thanks again Peter! I’d also like to point out very quickly that I have met some of the most generous people through BIFs and highly recommend on the fencers to join one quickly. I think there are some sign ups open right now!

 

Dale, do you perceive any "abrasive" qualities in wheat beers (e.g., Hefeweizen, Wit, American Wheat Ale,...)?

Cheers!

 

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

 

Hi, Craig!

I usually drink by myself because no one will drink with me. Hell, no one will even hang out with me. I really am a terrible person.

New Wild Ale Sunday

Half Acre - No Apprehension





No Apprehension is a glowing, beautiful ruby red beverage. Good clarity and while backlit it shines like a gem. A fizzy foam reaches a finger in height on the pour and crackles. The head is off white with a soft pink tinge. The head crackles down to a ring rather quickly, which is to be expected from the style. It's appetizing for sure. (4.25)

The nose is loaded with clean, mouthwatering wildness. Wet stone and fresh cut straw start it off. That minerality always gets the salivary glands working. A touch of raspberry stems and seeds brightens it up a bit. Clean graininess sets the foundation with a whisper of cereal like sweetness. It's musty and brings an orchard like dewiness. This beer seems to push all the right buttons. (4.25)

The flavor follows the nose. It's bright off the back with that wet stone and a vibrant yet balanced acidity. Straw and wildflowers bring up the middle with a well done brett addition. Must and cobwebby old splintered wood bring some character. Raspberries are soft and bring not only the flesh but the stem and seed astringency as well. The malt base is clean barley with a soft graininess and sweetness while the aged hops add a bit of character on the swallow. This is a well balanced, well put together libation. (4.25)

The body fits the style well. There's some moderate heft at the front that's quickly consumed by effervescence and made both light and airy. It moves quickly and leaves a dry finish that continues to grow with each drink. A soft vibrant acidity remains after each sip while a touch of tannins helps the drying aspect. This beer can be slammed or pondered, your call. (4.25)

No Apprehension is another fine beer from the fine folks at Half Acre. A deft hand was used to brew this concoction. There's a perfect balance between the acidity, sweetness, and the wild factor. It's approachable yet complex. Half Acre has really been knocking it out of the park with their sour program of late. Pick this guy up. (4.25)

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

 

Speciation Common Descent

Happy Sunday, BAs. Today’s new beer (and glassware, which I’ve already used many time) comes to me courtesy of the generous @Joplamp in the Dongfest BIF. This is my first beer from Speciation, and it is a great one.

Common Descent pours a hazy, pale straw with a thin white head that fizzes away to nothing within seconds leaving the absolute thinnest of crowns and zero lacing.

It has a lightly tart aroma with key lime most prevalent, as well as a hint of orange.

It is light tasting with a strong, relatively-clean wheat element standing out before a short-lived burst of tartness — again, lime is the most prevalent with a touch of orange behind — comes through in the finish, followed by more wheat in the aftertaste. Almost bready in some aspects, and it is certainly more wheat-forward than I’ve ever had in a Berliner Weisse. The fruit additions are particularly lovely — very artfully executed. There are hints of vanilla, mineral water and even some very slight barnyard funk, as well.

The feel is just a tad heavier than light-bodied, fairly clean and appropriately fizzy.

The fruit flavors in this are marvelous, and the wheat character is quite a bit more pronounced that what I’ve typically found in Berliner Weisse. The wheat isn’t necessarily better, but it makes for an interesting change of pace and does complement the fruit nicely.

This is a real pleasure of a beer — perfect on a warm weather day. Thanks for sharing it, Jordan.

 

Glad you enjoyed it. You’ll be needing to revisit some of the other videos in the near future. Probably. Maybe. Maybe not. I’m not sure.

 

Haven’t participated in this thread in a while. Until I got a job that requires me to work nights, my most consistent beer drinking companion for a while was @oach and the Oswego Thursday Night Beer Club members (including @oach’s ever present Christmas tree). Unfortunately I haven’t been able to get there for a few months. Maybe sometime soon.

Anyway, my entry for today is a variant of one that I’ve wanted to try for a long time-Wild Onion’s Drago Bourbon Barrel Aged Russian Stout, this one with coffee. The brewery was a little too far away for me, and I never saw it distributed in the places I frequent. So when my favorite beer store owner told me he got some, I made sure I got 2 of the regular and 2 of the coffee for myself and an extra one of each for a lucky trade recipient.

Appearance is a standard stout. They’re my least favorite style of beer to review in terms of appearance. Aside from hues and the head and lacing, there’s very little in terms of degrees of judgement. This one is dark, a little tanning around the edges, and there was very little in the way of foam and almost no lacing after a while.

I really enjoy the smell of this beer. It may be the best quality of it. Well balanced notes of bourbon barrel and coffee hit me right upside my nostrils.

Taste seems to present the bourbon barrel more. Tangy barrel presence right in front and then the burn of the booze in the back of the mouth, with subtly bitter coffee in the middle.

Mouthfeel on this one is pleasant. It’s bold but not overpowering. There’s a hint of oiliness to it, but nothing like soy sauce. It’s a mouth filling beer, hits the taste buds everywhere, and it’s slightly mouth watering.

Overall, this is an excellent beer. I didn’t review the regular version last night, but I may have enjoyed that slightly more. I would recommend it to anybody who enjoys the style.

I know I rate high, and I completely was off the charts on this beer, but to be fair I was only the third rating and second review.
A: 4 S: 4.5 T: 4.5 F: 4.25 O: 4.25 T: 4.4 +17.6%



Thanks for letting me participate. New song to go with the new beer.



Happy Sunday, all.

 

BS sixth anniversary
...murky brownish black color
...around a medium body with below average carbonation.
Aroma is bourbon, alcohol, burnt brown sugar, roastedmalt,,oak,earthy
...taste is a little too heavy on alcohol wood,and bourbon at first,like they were competing in a dysfunctional way. As it warmed it got really nice,mutl flavored with each complimenting one another. Bourbon became sweet but the earthy wood taste kept it in check
...not something I would drink every day but a top notch beer

 

That's an awful cute pup there in the background. I'm sure he or she would never consider drinking that beer if you're not looking!

 

I’ve been trying to drink some of the Beers of Fame that have thus far escaped my glass and today that brings me to DFH’s World Wide Stout

This is very well made. Tons of barley for sure and that leads to full aromas and flavors of malt, chocolate, molasses, raisin. I don’t see the abv on the label; while its page here says 15-20% it’s amazingly well hidden. Full-bodied but fairly smooth. I bought this bottle at retail fairly recently but the bottle date is 11/1/16 so clearly it ages well. My score increased across the board from a 4 look to a 4.25 smell/taste/feel to a 4.5 overall is the sum is better than all of the parts.
Cheers!

 

I’m glad you liked it. When I had in on draft, I though the coconut was very much there but really in the background. Probably my favourite of those I’ve had from this year’s variants. Cheers!!

 

Bock Me & Bock Yinz! I Almost Forgot That It's New Evil Voodoo Twin Ranger Beer Sunday (Week 745), Phase Two!

Set phasers to "Stun", lads! I am all Bocked up!

I owe @jkblr a shipment of Bocks & while BTs will not be among them, I have a nice assortment of CANs & Crowlers getting ready to head his way once I CAN get my s**t in one sock.

In the interim, while attending Hunger-n-Thirst's 6th Anniversary celebration yesterday, I wandered into their bottle shop, where I hit upon:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/7282/47234/?ba=woodychandler#review
&
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/7282/65548/?ba=woodychandler#review

8=O The day just got lit, real & woke, yo! I expected the Spanish Inquisition after attending Musical Services as Otterbein Church https://otterbeinlancpa.net this morning, dressed in my finest monk's robes, but I didn't expect a 5-Lb. sledge to the back of the head! I think that I may need a lay-down …

 

Good afternoon NBS, and thanks to @lordofthewiens for the start today, My number one beer partner, is also my partner of 29 yrs this year, She has a propensity towards stouts and porters, and never gives me crap about how long it takes me to do NBS each week! Today is a brew day here Big Imperial Stout is almost ready to Sparge so I will get going.
The offering is from Daisen G in Japan, a 2016 Barleywine I picked up in Kyoto, I love this beer.
Really traditional English style, but a really interesting touch with the hops and yeast, adds a candied Kumquat in the background which I find delightful and complimentary.
Cheers all

Daisen G Barley Wine

Daisen G Beer
British Barleywine / 8.50% ABV

4.13/5 rDev +11% | Score: 3.72
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle I brought back from a Kyoto trip, into the test glass, 2016 vintage.
A - Dark Tan in color, a thin cap is quick to leave. Carbonation wanders up he glasses edge to feed a thin ring of proof.
S - Big barley presence interestingly mated up with a beautiful floral thread, also get some kumquat, in there as well, as it warms there is some blond tobacco, and rich earthy element that is exquisite.
T - Surprisingly, this has a delightful delicate fruit touch, again kumquat, then more English Barleywine elements, toffee, some caramel, cigar wrap tobacco. all balanced quite well
M - Medium on the palate, with a semi sweet start, then a nice wave of tart touches down, to be washed out quickly by the traditional sweet slick Barleywine tradition.
O - I wish I had purchased another bottle! This is a very good barleywine with all the traditional elements , I love the kiss of fruitiness, assumed from the hops/yeast used. as no fruit is mentioned, A really nice and well executed offering.

 

I saw your post in WBAYDN and came right here for your thoughts. I’ve been meaning to buy this but haven’t pulled the trigger. I really enjoyed their 5th anniversary so I had high hopes for this beer. I’ll be picking it up. Thanks.

 

OK, it's after noon, so time for a beer. Just came in from a bit of yard work, so I'm ready.

Toppling Goliath Scorpius Morchella Double IPA
ABV: 7.8%
IBU: 100



Aroma is a bit subdued. Grapefruit. Touch of pineapple. A hint of something kind of sweet - vanilla maybe.

Beautiful tall fluffy white head from a vigorous pour, receding within minutes to a bubbly cap and ridge, leaving spotty lacing. Nice looking, very hazy, too dark for orange juice, closer to pineapple juice color (but nice looking - not the ugly hazy brown-orange-brown you see too often). Too hazy to see anything through it, even with backlighting. No chunkiness evident, though. Just thick looking.

Mouth feel is a relatively smooth, middle ground between thin and substantial. No carbonation evident on the tongue.

Taste mirrors the aroma, but stronger. Grapefruit, with a bitter middle and finish. Despite the rating of 100 IBU, it is not the palate-crushing west-coast bitter, but more like a good midwest India Pale Ale - strongly bitter, but not overbearingly so. The aftertaste has a lingering grapefruit flavor with the bittering lasting well past the flavor.

Quite enjoyable. A seasonal I'll look forward to every spring.

L: 4.25 | S: 3.5 | T: 3.75 | F: 4 | O: 3.75

Since I haven't entered a review of this yet, I don't know the rDev, but given the overall 4.4 composite rating of everyone else, I'd estimate it at ~ -14%. I found it to be very good, but not outstanding.

<rant> OK, now for a bit of a rant. The tendency of members here to enter (or worse, "correct") the style of any hazy IPA or DIPA to "New England IPA" means the style designation has little meaning in the beer listings here beyond "hazy ale." I've stated before that in this "NEIPA - how good is it" debate, I'm at a disadvantage, since I've only had access to the local and national attempts, not the "gold standard" ones from NE.

Nonetheless, nearly all of the so-classified "NEIPA"s from Toppling Goliath that I have reviewed, including this beer, are hazy, late or dry hopped, unfiltered IPAs (or DIPA in this case), NOT NEIPAs - at least not according to my palate. (As an aside, IMO, calling King Sue and Fire, Skulls, and Money NEIPAs is almost comical.)

Since the brewer simply calls this beer a Double IPA, maybe we should take him at his word and quit calling everything hazy a NEIPA. </rant>

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Swiggers and commentators. Thanks @cjgiant for hosting today's festivities. My wife and I were classmates in college and drank an awful lot of beer together back then. She cannot drink wine due to an allergy. While she doesn't drink a lot of beer now she likes IPAs, especially fruity ones (like the one I'm reviewing). She also has an uncanny ability to identify the ABV. She often asks, "why does the ABV have to be so high?" Unlike me, she doesn't like malty beers but I'm slowly working on that.

@r0rschach sent me a box this week filled with fantastic Texas beer, including several from a local brewery, Turning Point. All come highly rated. This is Azor Ahai, a fruity TIPA hopped with Vic Secret and Sabro. I really enjoy Vic Secret and am just becoming familiar with Sabro. This ale is super tropical and sweet. John, thank you very much for the opportunity. I'm looking forward to trying some of the stouts you sent. Maybe later today. Here's my full review:

4.38/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Received from @r0rschach in a BIF box. No canning date evident but since the beer was added to the database on 5/19/2019, it is quite fresh. Poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass. It pours an opaque, turbid pastel color between yellow and tangerine. It sports a large, fluffy, milk-white head and abundant lacing. It's a very attractive pour. The nose is highly floral with notes of lemon, lime, grapefruit, a freshly-cut flowers. The taste is highly fruity and delicious. Up front there is pineapple, mango, and ripe honeydew melon, along with tart lemon and grapefruit. It also features a creamy sweetness; I cannot tell whether it is from lactose or oats. At the finish there is a hint of spice. The Sabro and Vic Secret hops are highly flavorful and only mildly bitter. This ale is plush and creamy - almost pillowy, with a pleasant amount of carbonation, and its 10.5% ABV isn't apparent at first but sneaks up on you. Overall, this is a delightful TIPA. It's on the sweet side but highly flavorful and with a terrific mouth feel. I'm very glad to have tried it.

I hope you're all enjoying your new beers on this early summer afternoon. Cheers!

 

Leffe blonde
..clear light amber color
...at least average carbonation with around a medium body,maybe a hair thin
...aroma is a strong,really pleasant mix of cereal,grain,malt citrus peel and fruit,spice and bubblegum
...taste is everything a Belgian should be but it has an astringent bitter aftertaste. Otherwise wise it's a really easy to sit k beer that went down smoothly
..overall I would pick this up again but the aftertaste was a little bit of a turnoff