New Beer Sunday (Week 747)

Good morning NBS, hope everyone has a good end of the weekend. Had a migraine yesterday afternoon, so took a 6 hour nap and been up all night as a result. Did not review any new beers yesterday, which is rare. Songbirds were up at 4AM. Got a nice new beer haul yesterday from a couple friends. I am going to be their outlet for all the beer they can’t drink.

Pulling out a rare one from the cellar for the morning. 2016 vintage. This was fantastic. Poor head retention, no lacing as expected of 17%. Aromas and flavors of huge caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, apricot, red apple, and brown bread/dough; with lighter notes of licorice, molasses, cocoa, leather, tobacco, wood, peppercorn, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light herbal, grassy, peppery hop bitterness; and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Light-medium carbonation and super full body; very creamy, silky, slick, syrupy, bready malts; light sticky hops, and bourbon/oak tannins in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing bitter, tannic, spicy alcohol dryness; no cloying sweetness. Smooth slow sipper. Mild increasing warmth of 17%, minimal lingering barrel booze. This is definitely the sweetest beer I've ever had from them. It's surprising that the barrel didn't take over the beer like with the "Days Of The Week" series. Those are really boozy and drying on the alcohol presence. Fantastic balance/complexity between super rich malts, fruity English yeast, and bourbon barrel presence/integration. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. Got smoother as it warmed up. Thought most of the Anniversary Old Ales were a lot better FWIW. I have a 2016 Hoarders Cuvee in the fridge for another day. 4.2


Cheers

Been on a Black Metal addiction all week.

 

Lagunitas - Newcastle Brown Ale

Back in 2000, who would have thought that Lagunitas would be brewing Newcastle Brown Ale? The times they are a-changin’. I still remember the exact moment many years ago that a friend of mine handed me a Newcastle and said “You gotta try this beer, it has much more flavor.” He meant compared to any other beer that people brought to the party, but I wonder if anybody today will be saying the same thing about this new “reimagined” version of Newcastle compared to the previous.

This beer is a very inviting and pretty dark brown. It’s hazy and dark but still feels luminescent. Nice big head. The first sips feel more aggressively roasty than what I remember… with a bit of hop character. This sits on top of a separate flabby foundation. Remarkably, the two halves eventually come together though. This disjointed quality could have been a case of me adjusting to the beer. Regardless, once cohesion set in for me, the beer became very enjoyable. It goes down very well thanks to a dry finish and light body.

This entire shift in Newcastle strikes me as a bad gamble, but personally, I like the results. I’m enjoying this beer MUCH more than the last few times I had a Newcastle. If I had this beer blind, I would certainly think that it was made by an American brewery, but I wouldn’t have guessed Lagunitas. When they created the recipe for this, I don’t think they took the job lightly.

 

NBS BIF beer from @Coronaeus with a glass from @TheDoctor. The electrical tape came off pretty seamlessly. This was fantastic. Fantastic lasting fluffy head retention/thick foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, dark roasted coffee, coconut, caramel, brown sugar, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, charcoal, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate pine, herbal, grassy, peppery hops; and roast, charred, coffee bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; balanced creamy/silky/bready malts, sticky hops, and chalky char/roast in the mouthfeel. Light lingering resins through the glass. Light-moderate increasing hop/char bitter dryness. No cloying, acrid, astringency. Dangerously smooth, not overly bitter/charred, minimal warming 9.5%. Fantastic balance between rich malts, fruity/nutty coffee complexity, coconut, and earthy hops. Mild residual sweetness with lingering bitter dryness. Definitely would benefit with some cellar time as with the base beer to smooth out the resinous hops. Coconut is not overwhelming at all, very well integrated with the base beer. Looking forward to the other 2 variants that I was sent. 4.23


Cheers

 

New Beer Sunday: Fruit and Field Beer.

Mornin’ NBSers with an alert for SE PA folks about a local beer, along with a special thanks to @cjgiant for today’s start

Father’s day is a good day to relax and think about how you are doing at the amazingly complex and rewarding job of watching/helping/hoping that those kids grow up to be better people than you are yourself.

Where do I like to drink? Well my first choice would be one of two countryside English Pubs in Leicestershire, England, but since that's a bit of time aconsuming trip for just an evening out, I follow my Daddy's advice, "Son, be a practical drinker." (Drink practically anywhere you've got friends to share it with.")

The weather here today is expected to be partly sunny but with a few periods of t-storms moving through. The highs are expected to be in the low 80s—a good day for a summer refresher.

This morning’s new beer is #ICANTEVEN from Evil Genius and is a Watermelon Ale.

My review, almost finished, can be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29022/345399/?ba=drtth#review


The aromas/flavors of this beer are almost entirely about the watermelon. There’s a bit of malt and wheat in the background along with some slightly herbal and citric character. The watermelon tinged herbal and citric bitterness persists for quite a while before it leaves a light bit of dry watermelon to close out the show and persist for a very long time. If you’re a fan of watermelon and summer refreshers this is worth a try. The brewer has hit that mark in that it is a refreshing summer beer just as Watermelon itself can be. I could see having it in the cooler for a summer party on the porch, especially for folks who like watermelon but think they don’t like beer.

Cheers, all!

 

Good day New BSers! Thanks, @cjgiant, for starting today's thread. It's another wet day here in NW PA, i.e. another typical morning. I usually drink at home alone - Mrs. Lizard consumes about six mixed drinks a year and HATES beer. When we travel, we balance quilt stores (I sleep or read in the car) and brew pubs, breweries, and alcohol outlets (She eats and offers suggestions "Don't you think you've had enough?"). Nope - just kidding! In beer stores she wanders around finding beers and pointing them out to me "Have you had this one?" "Didn't you say you liked this one?" "I'll buy you a case of Schlenkerla" The last one is too good to pass up! By doing most of my drinking at home, I can control costs (Tracking by spreadsheet) and somewhat control beer storage conditions. Besides, this way she knows where I'm at and I can avoid having run-ins with the police.

Today's New Breakfast Beer:



Received from @jdell15 in NBS BIF #9. Reviewed 6/14/19. Thanks Jacob!
On bottom of can “Batch No. 1351. Best By 23/May/201x”. 12 oz can. Stored at 42 degrees and served at 54 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Dark brown, clear.
Body – Dark brown/black, opaque. When held to the light, still opaque. Very slight effervescence.
Head – Large (Maximum 5 cm, aggressive center pour), dark tan, medium density, good retention. Slooowly diminishes to a four to six mm crown and a thin partial cap.
Lacing – Poor. A few irregular small islands of tiny to small bubbles. Not unexpected with a 9.3% ABV brew.
Aroma – 3 – Initially weakly vinous and grapey. Oddly, no bourbon, malt, oak, or rye. After the brew sits for about ten minutes, some roasted malt makes an appearance.
Flavor - 3.5 – Begins with a bit of grape flavor which is quickly smothered by a malty bitterness. This malty bitterness builds to become the dominant flavor and rules the aftertaste. A weak gastric warming occurs then slowly fades. No bourbon, no oak, no rye. No hops, no dimethylsulfide, no diacetyl.
Palate – 4 – Medium, almost creamy, soft carbonation.
Impression and interpretation – 3.5 – Surprisingly grapey and vinous, surprisingly very unwhiskey-like.
Rating 3.46, rDev 0% (First review).

 

Excellent session IPA! Great fluffy head retention, spotty foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big tangerine, orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, honeydew melon, berries, citrus peel/rind, peppercorn, and pine hops; with moderate cracker, white bread, light honeyed malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, grassy, peppery bitterness; and light fruit tang/tartness on the finish. Medium carbonation, light-medium body, and fairly crisp/clean finishing. Balanced bready/grainy malts, sticky hops, some resins/rinds, and light fruit tang/acids in the mouthfeel. Moderate increasing bitter/tart/tangy dryness; no hop/fruit astringency. very flavorful/refreshing, not overly aggressive, not watery at all for 4.5%. Awesome Ahtanum, Cascade, Chinook, Columbus, Mosaic, Simcoe profile. Super juicy, vibrant, and fairly dank/earthy hops/citrus; with a great clean pale malt backbone. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp resin dryness. One of the better session IPAs I've ever had. Brewdog just keeps pumping out great beer! Glad I got the 6 pack as usual. 4


Cheers

 

Sounds interesting. Can't really read the label in your picture.

 

I had this a couple weeks ago from @Coronaeus as well. I thought the coconut was a great accent to the base without overpowering it. I didn’t get any pine or hop aroma or flavor though, for that I am grateful since that is kind of a turnoff in stouts for me. Glad you enjoyed it as I did!

 

Brewdog Clockwork Tangerine. You already reviewed it in August 2018, and I mentioned the brewery in the review

 

Doesn't mean I remember reviewing it or that I can read the can label from here.

 

Another from @Coronaeus in the signature glass! I've never had a lambic glass before. This was fantastic. Poor head retention, and minimal spotty lacing as expected for the style. Aromas and flavors of big sour/tart/tangy plums, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, melon, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, peppercorn, hay, straw, and grass; with moderate wheat, cracker, white bready malts; lighter notes of leathery/musty/lacto funk, white wine vinegar, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness, fruit tang, and yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Medium carbonation/body, and fairly crisp finishing. Balanced creamy/grainy wheat, lactic acid, fruit tang, and oak tannins in the mouthfeel. Light-moderate increasing acidic/tangy/tannic dryness. No puckering/astringency. Very smooth, not overly lactic, 5.8%. Fantastic balance of juicy plums, and Brett/Bacteria complexity; with great oak presence, and pale/wheat malts against acidity. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp acidic/tangy dryness. Not quite funky/barnyard enough to be a true gueuze style feel. Still really impressive American style sour/wild all around. 4.2


Cheers

 

Ugh! That electrical tape. The guy who sent me that must have used a whole roll on 6 bloody bottles!

I’m glad you enjoyed it!

 

When did you have your first Cream Ale?

Firstly: Happy Father’s Day everybody!

When I was younger, just reaching drinking age (and perhaps even a bit before ), a beer that became very popular in the Philly area was Genesee (Genny) Cream Ale. This was before the craft beer (called microbrewery back then) revolution and most beer drinkers were drinking beers like Bud, Miller High Life (and locally Schmidt’s & Ortlieb’s). I had no idea what “Cream Ale” meant but this beer was basically in the ‘ballpark’ of the popular beers of that time. I must confess I was not a big fan of Cream Ale then but it was an OK beer for that time and when you are young and a particular beer is the cool beer to drink I just went with the flow. Genny Cream Ale was a ‘thing’ for a few years but then some other beer came along and became the next cool beer (maybe it was Molson Golden Ale that supplanted it?).

I am much more informed about beer styles now so I know what the Cream Ale style was/is. The thumbnail history is that when lagers started becoming the more popular beer type in America during the latter 1800’s breweries that specialized in brewing ales created a new beer style to compete. They would describe these ales using a number of names: Sparkling Ale, Present-use Ale and Cream Ale. These beers would be light in color, lighter in body and similarly hopped to be like the popular lagers of that time.

Well this brings us to today’s beer which is Dock Street nicethingsCream Ale but wait there’s more! This beer from Dock Street is ‘kicked up a notch’ like Emeril Lagasse would say – it is brewed with Blackberry puree. On the side of the can it states:

“Alc 4.5% by Vol., 15 IBUs. Cream Ale brewed with Blackberry puree. Those boys are back at it again, and this time they threw some blackberries in there. Brewed with flaked corn to make it easy drinking, and fermented nice and cool to make it oh so smooth.”

At the bottom of the front label it lists:

“Brewed in collaboration with West Philly Rapper Chill Moody”.

The only West Philly Rapper that I am familiar with is Will Smith (aka The Fresh Prince): “In West Philadelphia born and raised…”

Enough rapping here, let’s drink!

Served in my Gulden Draak tulip glass:

Appearance:

A hazy light purpleish color with a BIG off-white head.

Aroma:

The aroma is subtle, a bit of fruity smell of the blackberry puree.

Taste:

The flavor is predominantly bready/biscuity malt. The blackberry aspect is very much in the background – barely perceptible. A low bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Medium bodied with an off-dry finish.

Overall:

This is a nice, enjoyable beer. The blueberry aspect is subtle with the most striking feature being the color of the beer. I wonder if I drank this beer blindfolded whether I would even comment “blackberry”.

Cheers to Dock Street for a well crafted Blackberried Cream Ale!

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @RobH @nc41

 

Good morning BA
I'm still in a Dubbel mode thanks to @zid's tasting yesterday, which was wonderful. Let's keep this party going...

The review:
11.2oz bottle bb 4/12/13 poured into a chalice at fridge temp 8% ABV. The beer pours super chunky (it was purchased last week at room temperature and I didn't check the date). The color is medium brown and the head is a very light brown. The head recedes to a thin ring and island. The aroma is fairly strong for the style with big brown sugar and dark fruits. The taste is fairly oxidized burnt sugar with a strong alcohol presence for 8%. The dry finish offers just less than medium bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with just above average carbonation. Overall, too old and degraded to score. The beer shows promise if I see it fresher and would have to age well under the right conditions. Scored to the current average, but will actively seeking out again for an update.

This beer is currently ranked #23 in the dubbel category here on BA with a 4.02 and I can see that. Sometimes when I travel to a store that has an actual selection of imports I get too excited and forget the basics (like bottle dates).

Cheers all and enjoy the new beer in your glass today! Happy Father's day to all you fatherly figures as well!

 

Today I am pulling out one that I am very excited about, and one that couldn’t fit the day any better.

From @TheGent , we have

Beer: Lineage Rye
Brewery: Trillium (Boston, Massachusetts)
ABV: 6.9%

This beer pours out mostly clear, other than very small sediment floating throughout and forms a little over a finger worth of rocky, bone white bubbles. Crown dissipates rather quickly, leaving only an outer ring attached to the glass and a small island.

The nose carries a plethora of fruit for the prominence. Notes of peaches, apple skins, pears all dance throughout while letting a slight rye spiciness linger throughout.

Vinegar presence is the host of the show, coming out and taking the stage first, before introducing you to the special guest, earthy rye. The band of fruit composed of somewhat funky peaches, tart apple skins and pears sits in the background, careful in their position as accents to the show. They don’t overpower, but keep a presence throughout as well.

It’s tart, naturally tart. It’s not something that will peel the enamel off of your teeth, and I like that about it. Other than that it keeps a medium body throughout, light enough to be refreshing and without being too filling for what it is.

Overall, it’s a treat. I like how all the layers mix and how nothing remains too constant. Everything leans on each other for support and it doesn’t ever feel like any one aspect is weighing in too heavily.

Thanks Anthony and happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there.

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

 

That’s a good looking beer right there, I haven’t had a Dock St beer in ages.

 

Dale, you might be interested in knowing that Dock Street Brewing is expanding: in the process of opening a second brewery in South Philly.

https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2018/06/06/dock-street-brewery-south-philly-washington-avenue/

I was at the Sly Fox Brewpub (Phoenixville, PA) last evening and the bartender informed me:

• This weekend they are opening a tasting room in Reading, PA
• They have located a place in Malvern, PA for another tasting room
• They will be opening two new locations in Pittsburgh: one will be a brewery and the other a tasting room

The number of new breweries & tasting rooms opening in PA is something else!

Cheers!

 

Thanks @cjgiant for the great start to this weeks NBS. Will be back later on with a new brew.

Cheers!