New Beer Sunday (Week 746)

Every BORIS variant I've had has been excellent. Its a really well put-together beer. RIP to your liver, though hahaha

 

Bruery Mischief

A-Pours an Amber color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has citrus, resin, fruit and spice hints
T-The taste follows the nose with citrus, resin, fruit and spice flavors
M-A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A good Belgian Strong Pale Ale

 

Von Trapp's Pilsner

An aggressive pour yields about two fingers of foamy white head. that fades slowly leaving nice lacing around the glass. Hazy yellow golden in color. 4/5 The nose is grass, lemon peel, with some cracker malt notes. 4/5 Taste is more grassy lemon flavors with some bitterness and a nice crisp finish that lingers.4/5 Light-medium body and carbonation. 3.75/5 Overall a nice pilsner. 4/5 for a BA generated 3.98/5

 

Scarily similar/accurate. It's always nice to meet fellow people with linguistics backgrounds!

 

As a few may know I have been refraining from IPAs/DIPAs for a bit for a few reasons but occasionally I just want something hoppy so yesterday I mixed a six with half being hoppy beers. This doesn't count because it was before midnight but it was new to me so I will mention: Lagunitas Super Cluster. I have seen it around and was aware of it but never bothered trying but glad I did, liked it more than I thought that I would.

Now these two definitely do count, as they went with dinner earlier: first up was Wyndridge Farm Brewing Endless Horizon IPA , 6.4% and 60 IBUs, 16 oz canned on 5/2/19. Farm Made in PA on the label so I said what the heck. WOW was this one good! As soon as I opened the can I could smell the juice and it looked like OJ. The taste was very nice and it contained many fruity notes but had the bitterness to keep it interesting, would gladly drink this one again.

Next was D9 Hakuna Matata Tropical IPA, 16 oz can best buy 11/17/19. I was not a fan of this and it was too old school for me, tropical with the caramel notes that for my palate just clash too much, I didn't finish this one. But if you are a fan of the old school IPAs you may dig this one.

 

It’s crazy how much the base changes when put in the barrel. I actually have a few more hoppin frog beers to review, but not today!

 

Late afternoon here in the upper midwest. A hot and windy Saturday has given way to a cool windy Sunday, threatening to rain, but never quite delivering on the threat, beyond a few sprinkles.

Today's beer is
Bell's I: Song of Myself (Leaves of Grass Series)
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: NA

Bell's is an outstanding brewery, and their occasional diversions into classical music or literary themes is an interesting aspect of their personality. Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass is the unifying theme of this series.

Leaves of Grass is a collection of poetry that is not just one thing. The collection grouped under this title grew throughout Whitman's life. The first edition was little more than a booklet of 12 unnamed poems. The final edition contained nearly 400 poems.

It is also suggested that the title is a pun. "Leaves" is the term for pages of printed literary works, and "grass" was a publisher's term for something insignificant.

Song of Myself is the title given to the first of the unnamed poems in the first edition of Leaves of Grass. There has been plenty written about this poem, to anyone interested. It has been called the greatest American poem. It has also been called a lot worse.

Anyway, on to the first beer of this series.



Grassy, crackery, and mildly citrus aroma.

Tall, white, thick, and creamy head. Yellow-gold cloudy color with plenty of rising bubbles. Head leaves a thick, sticky lacing as it slowly recedes

Feel is a moderate to thin, some body on the tongue.

You can definitely taste the hops, citrus: orange, grapefruit, grassy, with cracker malts behind, and a moderate to strong bitter middle and finish. The bitter aftertaste lingers.

A very interesting beer; a mix of German flavors with an American IPA character.

Well done, well balanced, and different enough to be intriguing. Get it while it is still available. Strongly recommended.


L: 3.75 | S: 3.75 | T: 4.25 | F: 3.5 | O: 3.75 | BA: 3.93 | Estimated rDev: +2%

 

I'm back with another one. Hopefully this one hits the spot more than the previous one did. This one's outside what I normally seek out and regularly drink, but is a style I do enjoy from a brewery I like,so I have high hopes. A Gose from Vrooden.

It pours pretty murky with very short-lived head. Meh. The aroma hits you with strong floral funk, sage, coriander. The flavor follows with light tartness, a rich full-but-light-on-its-feet malt character, lime; there is a lovely little tingle and a touch of saltiness at the finish. It is very easy to drink and refreshing, active carbonation. This is a very nice beer. It is not the most attractive but is very nicely balanced and refreshing while still being a little substantive. Very enjoyable and great for a hot day.

Just sunbathing here with my drinking buddy (one of them at least) before starting dinner.

Santé!

 

Summer Vacation has begun. Time to NBS.





Warm, sunny weather has given way to rain and mild temps. Not to fear, the weekend has been full of graduation parties, fire pits, and youth sports.


Today’s brew feels like a throwback to the gateway beers of the mid-90’s (I’m so old)!


https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/287/96291/?ba=GRPunk#review


Bell's Sparkle Berry

16 oz. can ($3.70 from Copper Vine) pkgd 051719, poured into a Bell's Nonic pint


A- The body is a clean, deep red-pink that shows moderate carbonation. The head is pinkish and a bubbly 1/2 finger before it settles to a light film. Bubbles continually break the surface. Light rings and spots are left on the glass.


S- A mix of sugary sweet and tart. Lots of raspberry. Seems pretty natural, like a raspberry juice cocktail. Some underlying bready malts are apparent. You really have to dig for any hint of booze. Almost sherbet-like.


T- All sorts of raspberry. It starts sweet and melds into a really (pleasantly) tart finish. It really doesn't change much from start to finish. If you like raspberries, and I do, this beer's for you. It almost loses the "beer" quality, but not quite.


M- Lots of carbonation. Very tart and dry finish, just short of puckering. The ABV is well hidden. Medium body overall.


O- Brewed for "K-zoo Pride," Bell's can be proud of this brew. Super fruity, sweet and tart. A pint is probably the right serving. This would have been a gateway type of beer for me some 25 years ago. Just short of too fruity (dangerously close at the end of a pint). Good warm weather, thirst quencher.


A- 3.75 S-4 T-3.5 M-4 O-3.75

 

Sour Michelada. This should be interesting. Excellent stuff. Poor head retention/no lacing. Aromas and flavors of big tart/sour lemon, lime, orange, citrus peel/zest, peach, pear, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, coriander, sea salt, peppercorn, chili peppers, Tabasco, hay, straw, and grass; with some wheat, cracker, white bready malts; light musty/lacto funk and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness; light coriander, chili pepper, Brett spiciness on the finish. Medium-plus carbonation, light-medium body, and moderately crisp/clean finishing. Balanced grainy wheat, lactic acid, fruit tang, some salinity, and light sticky spice in the mouthfeel. Moderate increasing acidic/tangy/carbonated dryness. No pucker. Zero warming 5%, mild increasing pepper heat after the finish. Very smooth, flavorful, pretty refreshing, not overly lactic/salty. I was expecting some tomatoes/garlic etc, but definitely none of that going on. This is basically just a uniquely spiced citrus gose, but they did a damn good job. Not overwhelming on peppers. Would buy again. Great balance of vibrant citrus, Brett/Lacto complexity, and salt/spices; with a solid pale/wheat malt backbone against acidity. Zero residual sweetness with crisp acidic dryness. 4


Cheers

This is just one of those bands you can listen to for the rest of your life. This album is one of the best Prog Melodeath albums ever made.

 

Happy New American Impy Stout Sunday!

Pretty nice day here on the Western Slope, sunny, 66 at the trailhead. Having a pretty tasty brew from these guys, a sipper, but very drinkable. Catching up on some older eps..

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/47802/406969/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

@lordofthewiens have you developed a Green Chile addiction yet? I pretty much pick one up prior to going there. A Green Chille Burger is superb IMHO, but not on your diet if memory serves me. I put that stuff on anything I want add some zip to. The military sent to all the Garden Spots there; Socorro, Elephant Butte & Holloman AFB. I was living up in Colorado at the time, so didn't see a ton of difference other than lack of altitude & heat. Still a cool place to visit. That Museum at White Sands Missile Range is cool & I still haven't visited the Trinity site.

 

Deschutes Black Butte XXX; 4.13 Overall. Maybe if I cranked my AC up it would've scored higher? Summer is creeping in here. Mid 80s with like humidty

Pours an effervescent & ruddy Mahogany with one finger of mocha colored head. Average lacing & below average head retention

S: Dark fruit, boozeyness once warm

T: Figs, a little charred grain, caramel & oaky booze up front. Dark chocolate, oaky dryness, caramel & a touch of mint as this warms & a little vanilla as warms. Finishes with oaky dryness, a little caramel & boozey figs

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation

A very nice iteration, that conceals its considerable heft. Will probably age well, might pick some up if I see it again

 

NBS beer #2



Martin Wasp

Fiddlehead Brewing Company
Bohemian Pilsener / 4.80% ABV

4.09/5 rDev 0% | Score: 3.92
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

L- The beer pours clear and golden straw in color. The head is pure white foam of about 3 fingers in height. The head eventually recedes to a thick ring leaving patchy lacing in it's wake.
S- The nose is pilsner malt, floral hops, and just a hint of sulfur.
T- This is a pilsner. The malt presence is absolutely beautiful. The noble hops ride out and just crest over the malt leading to a superbly drinkable balance.
F- Mouthfeel overall is light. Carbonation is light medium. The beer leans just barely towards a dry finish.
O-This beer is basically everything I want in a pilsner. It's not quite as hoppy as Von Trapp, Pivo, or prima but for me I'm loving it. Recommended.

 

Trying to figure out the picture insert again...

 

Fantastic wet hopped IPA as expected. Lasting rocky head retention/thick foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of huge tangerine, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, blueberry, gooseberry, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, and pine hops; with moderate wheat, cracker, biscuit dough malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation/body, and fairly crisp finishing. Balanced creamy/bready/grainy malts, sticky hops, and some resins/rinds in the mouthfeel. Light-moderate increasing bitter dryness, no hop astringency. Very smooth, not overly aggressive, minimal warming 7.4%. Amazing Simcoe, Citra, Mosaic profile. Extremely juicy, vibrant, and fairly dank/earthy hops; with a great balancing bready malt backbone. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp resin dryness. Another easy winner from Lagunitas, will buy a 2nd pack. The hop bill is everything I love. 4.23


Cheers

 

My weekend begins with a new beer brought to me today at work by my friend Rob, who lives down in the Mad River Valley.

thttps://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/17980/421162/



16 oz. can.
Canned 06/07/19.
Moderate pour yields a one inch white head over a slightly hazy, golden body with some sticky lacing. Nose of peach, tropical fruit, slight citrus, and even slighter pine resin. Taste of slight tropical fruit, candied orange, and pine with a finish of pine resin bitterness. Nice feel and overall, sorry hazebois, no juice bomb here! Another tasty offering from Waitsfield, VT and would have again. Cheers!

 

I'm happy to rejoin NBS after several busy out-of-town weekends recently! We've had off and on T-storms all weekend which has caused some chaos for the CMA attendees and bachelorettes, but have brought some welcome cooler temps for the rest of us. I'm just hoping that they go away long enough for Vandy to punch their ticket to the CWS next week!
Today's new beer is courtesy of @zekeman17. As far as I know, this is my first can-conditioned beer. Thanks, Jeff, for both the beer and also the proper glassware!


On the initial pour, prior to pouring the yeast in, this was a mildly hazy golden color with a large and frothy white head. Great foam retention as expected from a Saison. A nice spicy aroma with peppercorns and lemon grass along with dough and faint floral elements. The taste followed nicely. Lots of lemon and lemongrass on the palate along with black peppercorns, lavender, flour, and white bread. Dry and clean on the finish. Carbonation was bright but not as high as I would expect in most bottle conditioned seasons. Overall, a delicious beer. Thanks, Jeff!