New Beer Sunday (Week 747)

Corsendonk Blanche

My next three beers are tangents to the dubbel tasting yesterday. Corsendonk has a nice mixed four pack that I picked up for the tasting. It includes two beers I really like - their dubbel and tripel, and two beers that are new to me (and I don’t know if they sell those two in the US in a format other than the mixed 4 pack.) I’ll get all fancy-glass for these.

This is the witbier. The head is the stuff of dreams. It smells of coriander. The taste is like a lemon Italian ice without the sugar. I think this is a sign I should let the beer warm up a bit… which won’t be easy... too late, I failed. The feel is like air.

This isn’t a complex witbier with layers of earth in the taste. This is like a whipped citrus dessert with a delicate flavor. The damn thing screams summer beer. Wits aren’t a go-to for me, but I’m really charmed here.

 

Other Half - Triple citra daydream


Pours an entirely hazed yellow color and a smaller, bubbly head.


Packs a pleasantly intense sugar glazed citra punch on the nose, softened by orange zest and a lighter grassy note. Develops a prickly exotic fruit note of ripe mango and fresh cut passion fruit, adding a pleasantly, lighter zing to the aromas.


Drinks utmost soft, creamy with a refreshing effervescence after the swallow. This has doubtlessly one of the smoothest mouthfeel I‘ve ever encountered in an Ipa so far, hiding the high abv in this in a perfect fashion. Due to its intense thickness the beer takes a little longer to drink, apart from this, this goes down amazingly easy with an outstanding hop intensity.


Tastes of a slowly starting, steadily increasing lime intensity, starting off with a candy sweetness, becoming more fruity then, while finishing quite bitter. Offers additional oranges, light notes of papaya and fruit sorbet coating rock sugar. Finishes with a long lasting bitterness, soothed by the crazy creaminess and the rock sugar, allowing a note of passion fruit to add in.


This is intense, while at the time the beer drinks surprisingly easy. The citra hops produce a fantastic depth, highlighted by the unreal creaminess, together with a long lasting, intense bitterness. Definitely a fantastic display of the citra hop, representing the style perfectly.

 

I agree. Hadn't thought of it since none of the first three had a year. Do we know they will be different each year though?

 

Thanks to @jhavs for sending me my first fruited Hill Farmstead sour beer as part of the Sloppy Seconds BIF.

Hill Farmstead Flora Plum (2018 Harvest)

A Farmstead Wheat Ale Aged in Oak (Wine) Barrels with Plums



Look: The first thing I notice is the beautiful color of this beer. It’s pours a translucent and slightly hazy appearance. The color matches what I would describe as the pale, pinkish orange color on the inside of a plum. If I had to name the color in would say “pink champagne.” Bone white head that settles to a thin layer across the top, a thing ring of bubbles around the edge. One of the prettiest, and most uniquely colored beers I have ever seen. No visible carbonation.

Smell: Fruity, acidic, funky, all in unison. Peach and plum fruitiness with lemon acidity and white vinegar. The funk comes through as body odor and hint of plastic. Sweet, floral aromas. A touch powdery. Some light berry notes including strawberry and raspberry. There is a dry, crackery, wheat-like component to the beer. The most complex aspect of this beer.

Taste: On the tip of the tongue some lemon zest and juicy plum sweetness. Then the tart acidity takes over. Tart, unripe plum, plum skin, lemon warhead. The beers dried out quickly. There is not really any funk coming through on the flavor profile. I assume the wine barrels used for this beer held white wine as opposed to red wine.

Feel: Low carbonation and very light on the palate. Very dry with tart acidity hitting the jowels.

Overall: A delicate and highly drinkable beer. It’s not the most intense or complex saison that I’ve had, but it’s right up my alley with the fruit and acidity. It’s a beautiful expression of plum. It has some funk on the nose, but the flavor profile relies exclusively on the fruit and acidity. Really excellent. Clean and crisp.

4.32/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

 

The style I’ve purchased the least of, without a doubt. I don’t even think I’ve seen this beer, but it sounds tasty.

 

I meant to have this yesterday for the dubbel tasting but our nephews birthday party turned into an all day affair of swimming and Busch, not a complaint. I don’t have a lot of experience with dibbled and have only had one other that I recall, but have much more experience with quads and tripels. This one is Westmalle dubbel and based on the reviews I read yesterday, I will enjoy it.



Best by date is 12/27/19. Appearance is a dark misty opaque reddish brown, mahogany? color with some sediment visible. Tons of reddish brown head fills the glass and it took 3 pours to empty the bottle. The aroma is dark fruits, roasted malts, and a sweet bready aspect, maybe rye bread? Some of the sweetness comes from the dark fruit but some is also coming from the back end with the bready scent. Taste follows the nose, with some vinous like dark fruits up front. I was surprised not at the dark fruits but at the wine like characteristic it took on. I was expecting sweeter, but this is not unpleasant and I really like it as i get used to it. Malty backbone and bready malts show up on the finish with what I’m picking up as that rye bread like flavor. Mouthfeel is very smooth, a little sticky, silky, medium. It’s crazy that all that carbonation from the head doesn’t show up at all in the mouthfeel, again not complaining at all. Overall this beer is fantastic, and one where the sum is greater than the individual parts. Everything I could have hoped for in a dubbel.

 

I don't know.

 

Thanks to @cjgiant for another great NBS start, and happy Father's Day to all the dads in BA, especially @ONUMello! Congrats!

Today's new beer (and glass) is courtesy of @FFFjunkie as part of his Sloppy Seconds BIF, which has beer lots of fun. 3 Floyds describes this one as "a lactose oatmeal stout brewed with peanut butter and cocoa nibs." As a fan of peanut butter beers, I was looking forward to this:


A great looking beer with a mahogany hue and a thick foamy tan head that stuck around for an eternity. With my first whiff, all I smelled was a large dose of fresh peanuts. Closer inspection revealed vanilla and milk chocolate. A really enjoyable aroma. The taste departed some, with a more restrained peanut flavor, allowing the other flavors to shine. Roasted grain, chocolate, vanilla, and milk sugar were all there, and the sweetness was held in check by floral hops. Bitterness was medium, lingering on the finish. Medium bodied with a slightly sweet finish as expected. This was an outstanding beer - the only thing I would change would be to dial up the PB flavor a bit more. Thanks, Dan!

 

Happy Fathers Day to all BA Dads and Dads of BAs! It's been a nice day for me. We FaceTimed with our daughter who is overseas for 10 weeks working on an archaeology project, and then my son, who lives in North Carolina, called and we had a great catch-up. I wish I could spend more personal time with them but I'm immensely proud of them as young adults embarked on their careers.

I'm joining @zid and @cavedave in reviewing Industrial Arts Brewing Company's Summer Landscape, an "Historical Lager." I bought some at the brewery yesterday. Let me say first that I don't drink lagers that much any more. But the IA "Landscape" series has been uniformly excellent. And this one is no exception. There is little corn malt sweetness but lots of lemon peel, lager yeast, and spice. It's so much more complex and flavorful than a typical AAL, which doesn't surprise me. Industrial Arts may be better known for brewing hazy, fruity, NE IPAs (think Wrench and Torque Wrench) but I think a beer like this is much closer to the brewery's heart.
They should be very proud. Here's my full review:

4.34/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Canned on 6/5/2019. Poured into an Industrial Arts' pint glass. It pours a slightly hazy, golden straw color with greenish hues. Myriad tiny bubbles ascend the glass. The foamy, milk-white head dissipated slowly. The nose has a nice balance of corn, lemon peel, lager yeast, and floral spices. It has a much better smell than a typical AAL. Similarly, the taste is far more robust and complex. The spiciness is strong up front, along with tart, slightly bitter, lemon peel. At first, I tasted little corn malt but it slowly emerged as the beer breathed in the glass. It finishes with a strong dose of spicy bitterness. The taste is miles beyond a typical AAL. The feel is as lite, crisp, and clean as you're likely to encounter. It features lively carbonation, and with an ABV of 5% it's built for summertime drinking. I don't drink much lager these days but this one is maybe the best I've ever had. Like all the Landscape series, it's lovingly and skillfully made. I'll assuredly be drinking a lot of this fine lager this summer.

I hope you're all enjoying your new beer(s) today. I have a Stout from the West Coast warming up (literally) in the bullpen. Cheers, NBS!

 

Congratulations!

 

Omnipollo Agamemnon, 12.5% ABV. Pours black with a slight ring of brown bubbles. Nose is maple and coconut. Taste is roast malt bitterness, slight maple, coffee, coconut, and a lingering graham. Decent mouthfeel, overall excellent.

4/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

 

Enjoying coconut macaroons by the bruery on tap at the shelby pub and grill. Has a nice roasty sweet chocolatey, coconut flavor. Not too thick, which is nice cuz this place just poured me 12 oz of it. Had chicken and waffles with faygo rootbeer syrup for dinner at another place. Good day of eating and drinking.

 

Other Half - Slice the pies


Pours a slightly clouded red to lilac color with a small pink head on top.


Smells pretty intriguing on the nose with a unique blend of ripe, sweetened sour cherries and slightly herbal fruity hops. Papaya, big chunks of fresh cut oranges and sweet pineapple add to jammy blueberries and an additional note of flowery vanilla.


Has a soft mouthfeel with a surprisingly light body to it and a challenging interplay of sweet cherries and bitter hops, equally defining the finish of the beer.


Tastes of overly sweet, jammy cherries and blueberries from first glance, amped up by wooden, sweet cinnamon and lots of rock sugar. There is a recognizable hoppiness in this, with unriper blueberries, lime and mango, but they don‘t manage to bond successfully with the sweet adjuncts in this. Finishes with carrot syrup and a softdrink-like sweetness to it, while leaning heavily on the fruits, establishing a long lasting, sticky, one-dimensional sweetness.


This pushes too far without being able to taste either like a good sour or a good ipa.

 

Thanks for the start today, @cjgiant. In answer to your nosey question, I do quite a bit of drinking at my basement bar, which would have been a concession from my wife when we redid the basement, except for the fact that she really wanted a bar too.

To the beer. I’m really enjoying Phase Three, the hot new brewery in the Chicago area, and I’m glad my favorite beer store owner gets distribution. I enjoy how they do releases of pairs of beers, so you can do comparisons. I’m just reviewing Perpetual Sounds, their double IPA with Mosaic and Amarillo.

Very cloudy appearance, almost muddy, dark orange with gold hues. Creamy and long lasting head and lacing. Very strong hop smell, juicy, citrusy, and a slight bitter tang. Taste is subtly juicy, not too overpowering. Citrusy with notes of orange and lemon, slightly tangy, slightly sweet, bit of a bitter tang. Medium bodied, mouth watering, mild and super sippable. A most excellent beer. Maybe their best one so far, but I seem to say that each time of a new release.


Favorite new song.

 

Onto New Brewery Sunday with this “Hazy IIPA” from Untitled Art in collaboration with Narrow Gauge. I’ve not had any beers from the latter.

Once again, courtesy of @Buck89

An 8% Nelson DIPA.



Look: The beer pours an opaque golden amber color. No light coming through here. The initial head is gone, with sporadic bubbles on top of the beer and a thin ring of bubbles around the edge. No visible carbonation. I’d like to see more head, but with “Hazy IIPA” printed all over the label, I’m pleased with the look.

Smell: Tropical fruit. Sweet and juicy pineapple. More of an earthy sweetness. I have not had it in a really long time, but this seems to remind me a bit of durian. I’m trying to pinpoint the other fruit aromas and that makes the most sense to me and it’s the sweet, funky fruitiness that takes me there. I had a candy once with the fruit that also reminds me of this beer. So yes, a little funky and footy, but super delicious. No indications of 8% ABV.

Taste: I’m really loving the flavor profile of this beer. Tropical fruit, including the pineapple, mango, durian. It’s sweet and earthy. Zero indications of 8% ABV. The beer slightly dries out on the finish.

Feel: Medium carbonation, super smooth and creamy with a semi-dry finish.

Overall: Absolutely love this beer. Single hop Nelson with a lot going on. Hits on all aspects but none of the issues faced by some breweries trying to make a NEIPA and forcing the effort. Just a delicious, well crafted beer and way too easy drinking beer.

4.49/5 rDev +10.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

 

NBS #2. Progressing from a lite, crisp lager to a BIG BA Stout, Fremont's BA Dark Star with Coffee from Seattle. This came to me from the amazingly generous @woemad's latest BIF box. Fred, I'm humbled. I also feel like I'm gushing today. Industrial Arts' Summer Landscape was one of the best Lagers I've had and this is, by far, the best Oatmeal Stout I've had. The longer I sip it the better it tastes. Nice balance of bitter char and sweetness from the oats and caramel. The bourbon is powerful but not overwhelming. Here's my review:

4.59/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2018 release. Received from @woemad in a BIF box. Poured into a pub glass. It pours a dark walnut with cola hues at the bottom of the glass. The creamy, medium mocha-colored head faded slowly leaving a thin film of lacing inside the glass. It's highly aromatic with roasted malt, oatmeal, bourbon, freshly-brewed coffee, caramel, nuts, cocoa, tobacco, and earthy char. The taste opens with notes of both fresh and burnt coffee, oats, bakers chocolate, burnt nuts, leather, and char. As the glass breathes and warms, I'm noticing more caramel sweetness and just a hint of black cherry on the tip of the tongue. The bourbon is clearly evident but it doesn't overpower the other flavors, which are nicely balanced and nuanced. Despite the burnt notes there is surprisingly little bitterness at the finish. This Stout has a thick, creamy mouth feel with low/moderate carbonation. There is no escaping the 13.6% ABV, which is more than just warming. Sip this one slowly. Savor it because it is one of the best Oatmeal Stouts you'll encounter. Thanks, @woemad for the chance to drink this exquisite Stout.

Great beer today!

 

Happy Father's Day everyone! To answer @cjgiant 's question. I like beer everywhere. Most seems to get drank in my living room by the recliner or in the study. But I also enjoy it out at bars & of course my Hot Tub! The best place is at a bonfire or backyard BBQ bullshitting with friends and family. On to the beer;

Prairie Rainbow Sherbet, another sour from them, not bad 4.0 overall

Pours an effervescent & hazed gold ZERO head retention.

S: Orange sherbet, grapefruit

T: Follows the nose, with plenty of dryness, plus a little lime & saltyness up front. Almost like lemonade with just a a kiss of lime with plenty dryness and some tartness once warm. Finishes tart, a little sour with lemon and lime

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation

Pretty drinkable with of plenty sour citrus. This will go down a treat in the pending hot weather

 

Back for an evening run of reviews.

This is Transient Anachronism base beer(no fruit). 2016 vintage. Fantastic sour. Poor head retention and minimal lacing as expected. Aromas and flavors of big tart/sour lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, mango, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, peppercorn, oak, 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 lactic tart/tang/sourness, and yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation, light-medium body, and fairly crisp/clean finishing. Balanced bready/grainy wheat, lactic acid/tang, and oak tannins in the mouthfeel. Light-moderate increasing acidic/tangy/tannic dryness; no puckering sourness. Very smooth, not overly lactic, zero warming 6%. Fantastically well rounded Brett/Bacteria complexity, with great oak barrel presence, and pale/wheat malts against acidity. Minimal residual sweetness from crisp acidic/tannic dryness. Everything I would want to see for a wild ale. Aged wonderfully. 4.25


Cheers

 

This is my first from Fat Heads, a brewery I have been wanting to try for awhile now and I’m pretty excited. This is Benjamin Danklin.



The look is crystal clear burnt orange color with a moderate amount of bone white head which leaves good lacing. Aroma is huge sticky, resinous pine up front followed by tropical grapefruit and pineapple. Taste is impeccable; bitter pine is balanced perfectly sweet tropical fruits and the aftertaste is looooong and smooth. Mouthfeel is on the fuller side of medium, creamy, and sticky with a dry finish. Overall this is very refreshing and delicious. I look forward to more from these guys.