New Beer Sunday (Week 751)

Great nature pics!

 

A-Pours a semi hazy amber color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has orange peel and coriander hints
T-Taste follows the nose with a nicely balanced orange peel and coriander flavor
M-A light bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A good Belgian Witbier

 

I was surprised to see the @JackHorzempa post from NS. Turns out my first new beer today is from Breton Brewery in Nova Scotia, a gift from my sister-in-law's Independence weekend trip to the Canadian province. We tried to hint to her to get some Big Spruce, but beggars can't be choosers.
This is Island Time Lager, supposedly a Helles according to the can, but drinks more like an AAL.

3.68/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 16oz can dated 6/4/19 to a Pilz.
Large white head fades rather soon and does not lace the glass. Body is a deep gold.
Aroma has a hint of Saaz but that could be my imagination.
Taste is a nice clean hop front and malt finish.
Oily body feel is kind a distraction to this otherwise fine beer.
Okay, but not the best Helles.

As far as closed breweries go, Old Burnside that was in Hartford closed this year after 18 years. In my opinion their beer couldn't hold up in today's hyper-competitive market. I'm a little nostalgic for them, but not much.

 

Made a huge ass beer haul today, around $500 . Made my usual monthly visit to Rustic Leaf, had a 16.3% stout on tap only, 5 ounces. Only an untappd check in for this one. Got 2 other crowlers for later review.

Was called: $20 is $20. This was amazing. Aromas and flavors of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, molasses, caramel, toffee, vanilla, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of licorice, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, and yeast earthiness. Mild herbal, roast, char bitterness on the finish. Light-medium carbonation and super full body. Very creamy, silky, velvety, bready malts; Light slickness, sticky hops, and chalky roast. Lightly increasing lingering bitter dryness; no cloying, acrid, astringency. Dangerously smooth/soft, mild increasing warmth of 16.3%, minimal lingering booze. Amazingly well rounded super rich English malt complexity; mild earthy hops, and restrained fruity Nottingham yeast. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. One of the smoothest stouts I've ever had for this ABV! They nailed it as expected. 4.35 adjusted BA score


Cheers

 

Agree with space price, it is prohibitive in Arlington, but it may also have been Mad Fox’s downfall.

I was not aware of the other two you mentioned.

 

Great post!

I’ve never been, but have enjoyed several beers from Big Spruce. I have some of their big stouts collecting dust in the basement. I think I’ll dust one off for next week.

It’s funny, I noted to a friend recently how some of the better Canadian breweries are in places that are three hours from nowhere. Big Spruce is one of the better Nova Scotia breweries, if only for consistency in quality, and it is way out I. cape Breton. In Quebec, one of the better breweries is Auval, which is a long way from anything. Here in Ontario, one of the better wild beer makers is Half Hours on Earth which is a long drive for 99.9% of the province’s population.

I will be following your reviews. I’m hoping to see some Loyalist City or Hammond River stuff from your time in Saint John. I’ve liked most of what I’ve had from both. I’m hoping to see what you think, assuming you were able to try something from each.

Cheers.

 

New Strong Ale Sunday (Week 751)
Greetings fellow NBSers from on the ridge in Mid Hud Val., NY. Hot and dry here, there are no fungi in the woods, I was lucky to be able to get out for the last day the few that popped were fresh, and still have some in fridge, but all the hundreds of smalls I left behind are crispy and dead and there are no shrooms at all right now in the woods.

North River is the last brewery I can remember closing around here, the case of a few factors combining to cause their demise. The main factor was a strange one, in that they were located on the busiest commercial road in the busiest city in Dutchess County, yet were hidden from view. I do wonder how Blue Collar Brewery and New Hyde Park Brewery stay in business. Well, New Hyde Park is in a well to do area, and is part of a catering hall setup that pays the bills despite their crap beer, I guess that explains them. But Blue Collar is in a crappy area and has sucky beer, and is not too far from a better area, where an excellent brewpub with excellent beer is located. They are a mystery.

Have been steadily if not rapidly keeping my vow to drink down the cellar and next victim is this 9 year old strong ale I am digging quite a lot right now. Bell's Batch 10,000

from review:
A surprise hit of alcohol warmth and spice accompanies some herbal bitter to balance well all the sweet components of the aroma. A touch of sherry in this, unsurprisingly, that adds an interesting flavor. A bit more alcohol than optimal, even after all these years, but a well blended and very delicious mix of age softened goodness.
Read all the other details here: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/287/63989/?ba=cavedave#review

Hope you also have a Great American Beer in your glass. Cheers!

 

A quick check in now while I am out for a quickie at the BBQ spot around the corner. I plan to have another after the kids retire for the evening.



Sawdust City Juicin IPA.

The bartender, who I know a little, told me it is her favourite beer of all those she has pulled in 29 years of slinging suds. High praise!

A lovely hazy straw with a nice pillowy head that dissipates slowly and leaves a nice lacing as the beer is consumed.

Stone fruit, tropical fruit and bubble gum on the nose. Very enticing. Fresh.

Tongue follows nose nicely. Peach, nectarine, mango, passion fruit all co-mingling like keys at a key party. Slightly bitter finish that is welcomed.

Medium body, and nice for style.

This is indeed a very good beer from a brewery that does tend to do a good job on most of their offerings. Recommended for those who like their IPAs hazy and juicy.

I can see why the barmaid likes this so much

 

Dude, I am a lover of words, enchanted by language all my life, and your use of the word translucency was wonderful. Cheers!

 

I've been waiting four years to try this beer again. The first time I only got a small share at a busy party and could not fairly evaluate it. This is another gift from an in law, who said they we're bad.

4.74/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a bottle dated 6/18/19 to a Nonic.
The aroma is amazing. It hit me while I was pouring, while bringing it to the table, sitting down, all before I took an intended sniff. Lemonade, tangerine, green herbs, orange peel.
Medium head that laces well on top of a deep gold slightly hazy body.
Taste is orange aid with a dry hit in the middle malty sweet taste lingers with a reminder of the citrus wack.
Carbonation is appropriate, cleaning the reasonable body well but not like a fizz fest.
A beer that deserves its reputation.

I don't have another brewery demise to share on my second posting, but I'll tell you I've been to a few lately that I feel may not live long.

 

Dogfish head 90 minute ipa
...dark amber color
...strong aroma of rich malt, dark fruit, some grain and cracker. Hops come off as a grassy earthiness. The malt totally dominates the aroma
..taste is malt and dark fruit forward yet stays away from being too sugary or cloying. Strong hops are there but again malt is the driving force in aroma and taste

 

Fresh water. Pumpkinseed sunfish, related to bluegill. Edible, but you need a bunch of them. You thinking of the mola mola, ocean sunfish?

 

I am about your same age, and we were privileged to grow up in a time when English reached a pinnacle of ability to communicate artfully, and the culture hadn't yet moved away from appreciation of it. I spend a lot of time writing creatively, it is a great pleasure. Cheers!

 

A-Pours a dark color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has fruity and malt hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a light fruity and malt flavor
M-A medium bodied lightly carbonated beer
O-A decent Barleywine

 

Cantillon Saint Lamvinus, 7% ABV. Pours a beautiful deep red, with a one finger pinkish head that dissipated while I got a good picture, leaving no lacing. Nose is light grape and wine. Taste is dry wine with some tartness, and not much bitterness or funk. Feel is decent, good carbonation and dry. Overall excellent. I know this is highly rated, but I'm not loving it.

4.1/5 rDev -9.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

@cjgiant opened the NBS thread today asking for input on any local brewery closings and our thoughts on it. While the Sioux Falls metro area has seen a doubling of craft breweries in the last 18 months, one didn't make it - Hydra. While others thrived in other parts of town, even though they were the only brewery on the West side they just didn't seem to have momentum. I only got in there once and it was only OK. I struggled to find one of their beers I wanted to try. I'm not sure the reasons for their closure, though I expect that lack of popularity compared to competitors and location were a big part of it. I believe they also misfired in an attempt to open a branch taproom in town, and it wasn't well executed or well received, and quickly closed. The good news is that Minnesota brewery Lupulin bought their brewery/taproom and will open "soon".