New Beer Sunday (Week 754)

One more, Tired Hands/Side Project Here & There Mega Blend.

4.32/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750 ml bottle poured into an Ourison glass

A- A murky reddish purple with a large pink head.

S- Sour, plums, oak, some blueberries and peaches, hints of vanilla, fruits skins, mild funk.

T- Sour, plums, blueberries, some tannins and funk, touch of oak, hints of vanilla, peaches.

M- Smooth, medium to full body.

O- A nice sour, fruits work well in this.


Cheers!

 

Hello Late Night NBS
I've already chimed in with a little more of the personal happenings in life, so I think I'll say thanks to those who have already tolerated and/or commented.
As for beer...I popped this one
The Meddler by Odell. An Oud Bruin.

Thanks to @hophound for this one.
Not a style I go to much, but I'm always down.
Pours a ruddy crimson tinged brown in color. Tan head, retention is pretty good. Moderate lacing.
Smell begins tart cherry, some leather, slight vinegar notes, and smooth caramel notes.
Taste begins with the cherry, but then some meaty plum and raisin come in, followed by some wood, leather, then a tartness that comes back with cherry and muddled berries, followed by a malty balsamic glaze.
Feel is medium to almost chewy. Somewhat active carbonation.
Overall, for a style I don't get much excitement out of, this has a lot going on. Would definitely revisit.

3.85/5 rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

 

Citrus Commander is a collaboration from Jolly Pumpkin and Jester King. The hazy, deep ruby-amber tap pour shows 1 cm of visible effervescence and a rich sour-cherry aroma. The flavor includes oak-aged orange and lemon, stone fruit and tartness from wild yeast. The flavor persists pleasantly in the finish. This is great.

 

I enjoyed that one as well man. I love that cotton candy thing some beers have going on. I just wish I could figure out what makes that up so I could seek out more of the same!

 

Folksbier - The Morning Dew

I can’t say this with certainty due to a lack of direct experience with their product, but I think Folksbier is yet another case of a brewery that had an initial vision of making beer more in tune with an old world sensibility, but ultimately ended up catering to craft sensibilities too. I’ve certainly lost count of how many times I’ve heard or seen this. This brewery happens to be in Brooklyn.

Right on cue is this canned APA. Very pretty and simple can art. I guessed to myself “It’ll probably be opaque.” Yep, sure is. It’s a dull yellow grapefruit juice look-alike (except for the head). Doughy and with a muted pineapple flavor. Like if tiny little pieces of overripe pineapple were smushed into pieces of Wonder Bread. Then add a little astringency to the mix. Not bad though.

 

In for the night, finishing the day as it started - Rinse/Repeat - Topaz Nelson El Dorado, from Westbrook Brewing Company, Mt. Pleasant, SC:

Opaque deep gold, fluffy white two fingers of foam; long cap retention and heavy lacing. Mango, papaya, orange nose; a little onion as it warms. Taste follows nose; lightly bitter; fruity. Medium minus body, moderate carbonation; no astringency. Overall there’s a good fruity finish with a lite bitter linger; very enjoyable.

4.75/4.0/4.0/4.0/4.0

Canned 7/1/19. Great tasting...I should have bought more at the brewery yesterday. Cheers and good night from Jacksonville, FL!

 

This is the first barleywine I've reviewed and I think actually the first barleywine I've had period. Not sure how I missed out on the style for so long. Starting with a classic...



2019 Firestone Walker Sucaba
Bottled Jan. 2019

A rare use of my Chimay chalice. Pours dark brown-red, almost black, with a persistent ring of cream-colored head (4.25)

The nose is fig, prune, cherry, chocolate, coffee...This is one of those beers where you could list 10+ notes and not be bullshitting. There's a lot going on here. Mostly dark fruit, mocha, and rich bourbon/leather (4.5)

The taste follows. Mulled fall fruit, dark chocolate, and a very refined bourbon profile. It's almost refreshing and bright, which is crazy for both the ABV and the depth of mocha and bourbon notes that it simultaneously features. The initial fruitcake taste is very reminiscent of a Belgian quad. I'm impressed (4.75)

The mouthfeel is medium+. Mild carb and a long finish (4.5)

Overall, I understand the acclaim. This reminds me of a great Belgian quad and is similarly complex and worthwhile (4.5) - 4.59/5

 

Good evening NBS
I received some big (in multiple ways) lagers from @woodychandler this week and thought I'd share

The review for Neshaminy Creek Ziegemeister:
Crowler complements of @woodychandler poured into a mass krug at fridge temp 8% ABV per label. The beer pours hazy rusty amber in color with light khaki head. The head recedes to a thin ring and island. The aroma is faint with a little yeast and toasted malt. The taste is semisweet toasty malt with a bit of earthiness coming through half way before a mildly bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with adequate carbonation and a semi dry finish. Overall, good. Always a treat to sample a new Maibock.

This was my first beer from this brewery. I've seen their beers posted frequently on WBAYDN and (incorrectly) assumed they were IPA only. I'm only the 12th rating on this particular beer, which reminds me why I've been steering clear of IPAs lately. Although I'm just one person, I'm going to "vote" for diversity in my beer choices with my beer budget. I'll still buy a fantastic IPA fresh if I trust the beer or brewery. The rest of the time I'm seeking out classic styles that I enjoy even if they are not popular. I find that I enjoy mediocre classic styles infinitely more that mediocre IPAs. Enough of my ramblings. Cheers all & enjoy the new beer in your glass tonight!

 

Hello New Beer Sunday!!!

The Benton County Fair is FINALLY in the books, and so is a 90+ hour work week. Next week will be a lot shorter, and I even have a day off - the first since July 1st. I'll be headed to the land of Schell's that day, and can't wait to take the brewery tour again.

That will be my trip, at least till next month, when I'll finally get regular days off, because the restaurant will be closed on Sunday.

Now to my first beer.

Beerlao Lager.

I was expecting a hot mess, but it wasn't bad. It didn't knock my socks off, but it wasn't bad either.

Review:

3.15/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Pours a light golden color. 1 finger white head. Retention isn't the best, but not too bad. No lacing on the glass.
The nose is light, but somewhat of a skunky malt.
Taste - Better than the nose. Malty, slightly sweet, but not too much there.
Body is about what's to be expected for this beer. Not too watery.
Good beer to get a check, and, probably, a good beer on location, but nothing I'd get again.


I'll try to get one more in, if I'm up to it.

 

Holy crap.
I actually drank a new beer today. So, with all due haste.
WW and Pinthouse Pizza collab, aka "JUICY FISH" - a big, creamy double IPA. 8.3%
Tropical, pillows, dank, pineapple, but dry enough to not betray a sweet 'imperial' palate finish.
If I had to score it, now, and I won't - it would be in the 4.3-4.45 range.
I always try a second one before I actually formally score and assess but if you see this thing.
GET IT.

 

Welcome Back to Happy New Russo-Japanese-Vietnamese-Chinese CANned Beer Sunday, CANrades (Week 754) (добро пожаловать обратно в С новым русским-日本人-Tiếng Việt-中文 Пиво воскресное, товарищи (неделя 754)!

Phew! That first one was a big one! Naturally, I followed it up with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/401/400364/?ba=woodychandler#review

& then, it was time for a break! After I awoke, I CANtinued with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/401/432059/?ba=woodychandler#review

These Russian babes are da bomb, yo! Next came the initial one's little sister:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/401/432059/?ba=woodychandler#review


Wotta doll! But now, it was time to set sail for JaCAN, beginning with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/716/399841/?ba=woodychandler#review

CANtiunuing with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/292/399842/?ba=woodychandler#review

& ending my trip to JapCAN with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/292/399843/?ba=woodychandler#review

The JapCANese girls were never as anxious to try & marry as their Phillipina & Thai CANterparts so I was not heartbroken to leave Nippon for (hopefully) more welCANming waters. I'll be back! Plenty of wide open Western Pacific to explore at this point …

 

11.0% abv.
19.2 oz. can.
What could go wrong?

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13839/31323/



Yikes!
19.2 oz. can.
11.0% abv.
"Freshest by
12/17/20"
Moderate to vigorous pour yields a 3/4 inch creamy white head over a fairly bright, golden body with sticky lacing. Nose of citrus, pine sap, and slight, damp bud. Taste mirrors nose with a malt character and pine bitterness throughout. Bitterness is not too much but it is surely up front and personal. Nice feel and overall, abv is not too well hidden and I won't be driving anywhere tonight. Hey, pick one up, lose your car keys, and you won't be disappointed. Cheers!

 

Evening’ NBSers and fans of newly introduced IPAs.

Evening NBSers and a suggestion for fellow BAs who like to try a new beer that is both seasonal a in it’s very first release.

Suffice to say today unexpectedly turned into a very hectic day of coping with a whole series of completely unexpected events. Coping with such a day is something else even though one knows that sometimes s… happens.

Time to decompress with a “late night” new beer and a review, if only because my brain is still buzzing, and I would not get to sleep any time soon this evening. It’s big plus that I can expect to enjoy this new beer, from Troegs because I am close enough to the brewer that I’ve been able to get several beers soon after they were bottled quite. For example a few years back, when we still had the beer-by-the-case-only law, it was the only way to get a reasonable quantity of Troegs annual Nugget Nectar. The unexpected fringe benefit, however, was that for at least 4 or 5 years I would get that full case and know that it was almost a certainty that every single bottle was from the same batch of beer. Thus I actually had an opportunity to start when the case was almost brand new, e.g., I don’t recall that I ever bought a case that was at more than a week old, and then I could drink it on a schedule, say one every other day or three, and discover my own sweet spot of as the beer ages in the bottle. Further more, that “experiment” could be replicated a year later and it was then possible to discover that the sweet spot was mostly the same from year to year. My personal sweet spot was that the beer was just a bit harsh during the first two weeks after bottling but then every thing became well integrated and was as good as I could ask for in the aroma/flavor profile for that beer. I haven’t really done much of that since the case law went a way.

This new beer is “Field Study” and is meant to be a summer IPA.

My review is in progress and can be found here.



Basically the aroma profile is a nice mix of “old” and new in that upfront there’s citric zest but there is orange and/or tangerine, there’s tropical fruit such as pineapple, melon and maybe also a bit of peach. In addition, as the fruit flavors start to fade a bit some crackery malt sweetness starts to show itself a bit more then it too starts to fade but the a touch of pine resin inters the mix to fade away mixed with the fruity flavors. Definitely drinkable and the every hop flavor is firmly present but not intense so that the overall impression is that this is indeed a summer IPA.

Cheers, all!


Footnote: Whoops, almost forgot. Another unique thing about this beer is that the the malt is grown in PA and malted at a Maltings here in SEPA.

I've just discovered that the review I thought I entered I currently not showing in my list, I'll try and fix that and post a link for anyone who chooses to read it as well as the summary.

 

Good evening NBSers. Spent the day with the boy and the dogs on the little one’s first birthday. They chewed apart a couple hamhocks, and we all played with squirt guns and ran through the sprinklers.



Now everyone else is asleep so it’s time for a beer.


Pours moderately effervescent. Nose is brandy, red wine, grape must, and plum. Taste follows with some booziness, caramel, bready malt and big vinial notes. Mouthfeel is thin to moderate. Overall very enjoyable and one of the best brews I’ve had from Wasatch.

Ironically this episode is on now. Cheers fam.

 

One more weird thing just happened. When I clicked Post Reply for the above post I was 100 % sure there was a link posted above and the review had been entered. Tried to go do a bit more editing of the review and discovered there was no link above and the review wasn't there but I damn well know I pasted the draft in, rated it and then clicked the Submit Review then I went to my list of reviews page and it wasn't there!!!

Did the process again and here is a real link:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/694/412453/?ba=drtth#review

Puzzled as hell but recognize rest is what I need now and maybe lster I can sort out what just happened. Curious. It's either a system error, slightly new format of pages,me, or some combination of those things. I'm shelving my curiousy till later in the week.

 

Just tried that one earlier this month. Cheers.

 

Jack’s Abby & Mikkeller NYC - Oatis, My Man

Hello Late Night NBS. Today was a day of quick impressions for me. Quantity over quality. On that note, here’s one more beer. This collaboration beer is an “oated helles lager.” Both of these brewers are capable of making a good lager. My first thought here is that the beer is giving me a much better first impression than the Sierra Nevada Helles. In this beer, the bready malts come through. I wouldn’t have known oats were used if they didn’t advertise it… but the body does seem to reflect this. It seems a bit more viscous than your average Helles. Has a touch of honey flavor, but this isn’t a sweet beer. Herbal hops in the backseat. Cheers.

 

I LOVE WHEATWINES! BREWERIES, MAKE MOAR!

 

Whoa! This beer is Yuuuuge! Massive bourbon barrel flavor happening. Canned in November of 2018, this could really be something when it's allowed a year or two to mellow a bit, and I wish I had one to set down. OTOH, if not for that crazy porchbomber @ovaltine, I wouldn't have one at all in it's 14.8% alcohol glory (no, that is not a typo; like I said, it's YUUGE!).

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22072/161851/?ba=woemad#review