New Beer Sunday (Week 755)

Brasserie Silly - Scotch Ale

This is my last Belgian-not-Belgian... this time flipping the concept with a Belgian take on an import style. I’ve had this beer before, but it was so baddly oxidized from age that I can only count this as my true first time. Back in the day, “Scotch ale,” as it was called when exported, was a successful export product, and Belgium loved it. Belgian brewers tried making it themselves and here is a result.

The beer is a deep dark reddish walnut stain color. The head is small for a big “Belgian” beer. The taste is intense... a bit too intense. Flavors of dark bread, stone fruit, and syrup dominate (with licorice in a tiny role), but there is some bitterness that attempts to balance things out and the body is nice and light all things considered. This is a beer with a lot of personality. One can really sense the approach of both cultures coming together in the brew. This isn’t a beer for multiple pints although it can be treated as such for those with a sweet tooth. Not one I’ll revisit anytime soon but an interesting treat regardless.

 

Afternoon all. Here for my second week in a row after some time off. Im on a roll so I will keep this train moving.
My beer is from a State way out yonder. I havent nearly exhausted my local options. That being said I run a kitchen in a brewery so there are always options. I have the unique pleasure of being able to sample all kinds of experimental and small batches that the public will not get to drink. I also have lots of beer to cook with which is pretty cool.
You know the brewery that you rarely see in your parts but if you happen to spot it the trigger is immediately pulled without further thought?
This be one.
Melvin Hop Shocker
Brewed with Mosaic and Simcoe Lupulin Powder....Holy Shit!
Immediately upon opening the can the aroma hits.
Pour is just what I expected, and love about this brewery. A golden but clear (no haze!) Liquid that springs a voluminous head that lasts quite some time. Its a beautiful beer.
Aroma is big with a sweetness that hits right away; candied grapefruit, orange, pineapple, papaya, good buds, pine and yes, candy corn. Theres an underlying earthy/grassy/damp mushroom aspect that I sometimes get from Simcoe. Just a kaleidoscope of aromas.
Flavor follows with all of the above and a piney grapefruit like bitterness that just rounds out this explosive mouthful of flavors.
Feel is so balanced. No cloying sweetness. An amazing lighter than you would expect body for an 8% that shows no sign of its beef. Its a beautiful dry finish that makes you yearn for another sip.
This ones easy. Fantastic brew.
Get some.
And on the menu this week:
Cheers, what a day!

Grilled local Halibut|Julienned Simmons Farm Veg|Baby Heirloom Tomatoes|Herbs|Light Wine Sauce|Hawaiian Black Salt

 

Happy Sunday, everybody! I'm just getting in from a nice day spent with my family up in the Catskills. We didn't get to hit up any of our usual breweries because there just wasn't enough time (I had to get off to a late start because I needed to wait for my new stove to be delivered and installed), but a quick stop in Monticello netted me a few interesting beverages. I may be doing one of them later on today, while the other (a crowler of a superb wild ale from Rushing Duck) was consumed yesterday. Big thumbs up for The Wanda Project, and worth looking into if you ever run across it.

Here's a quick shot of how we spent a good part of the late afternoon:

it was all supposed to be tortelloni, but wound up being cheese-stuffed pasta of various shapes and sizes. If it looks like they were made by several children and heavily imbibing adults, well, that's exactly how it went down. But it was also a hell of a lot of fun, goofing on each other the whole time; plus the looks didn't effect the taste, which was fantastic when all was said and done.

Right now I'm having an ESB that @zid was nice enough to share with me. (And it looks like I'm not the only one doing extension cord repair work today )

The Angel and the Sword by Civil Life.

The nose is quite pronounced, with a decidedly English character to it, so that's a step in the right direction. Big toffee, toasted bread crust, dried flowers, Nutella and dried berries are all coming on fairly strong. Same with the flavor, which is quite bold. Too bold for my tastes, and nearly bordering on cloying at first, while the finish is pleasingly dry. Nutty seems to be the dominant flavor, followed by an angular toasty quality.

I'm sorry to say that this one's not really doing it for me- there's a heavy-handedness that's working in direct opposition to any drinkability that it does have going for it. And it's not something I'd be reaching for again, in the end. A low B- (3.0).

Thanks again, Chris- I really do enjoy trying beers along these lines, even if they do wind up being not my cup of tea.

 

Second beer today is from @strohme2
Yep I’ve still got beers from him.



This one is Cerise from Founders taproom only release.

Appearance is a rubyish clear liquid with about a finger and a half worth of white foam with a pinkish tint. Aroma is tart cherries. I. Taste of this beer is very similar to rubaeus with cherries and a little tart but nowhere near sour. Mouthfeel is very smooth, light, with a slight bit of pickling that coats the mouth. Overall this is a slightly better rubaeus with a sweet aspect at the end. Thanks for the chance Justin!

 

Back again, finally read the full contents of @cjgiant OP. I had AC issues for many years, where I would constantly blow time delay fuses every week during the summer. Was 2-3 years ago I had them replace the whole compressor and it hasn't blow a fuse since then. Something messed up with the current load on the mains, but nothing to worry about now. I have been hitting up breweries to get growler fills every few weeks, so not really running out of MI beers to review; will have been in my Apt for 8 years next month. 24% of all beers I have reviewed have been from the home state.

Another MI beer. Austin Brothers Steve Murkel. This was incredible! Opaquely hazy green color. Lasting rocky head retention/thick foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of huge mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, blueberry, gooseberry, citrus peel/zest, wood, and light peppercorn/pine hops; with moderate wheat, biscuit dough, light honey/toasted malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Mild pine, citrus peel/zest, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body. Very creamy, silky, bready malts; light sticky hops, and slight lingering resins/rinds in the mouthfeel. Lightly increaisng lingering bitter dryness, no cloying/astringency. Amazingly smooth/soft, minimal warming 6.7%. Amazing Citra, Mosaic, Idaho 7 profile. Extremely juicy, vibrant, and lightly dank/earthy hops; with a perfectly balanced wheat/oat/malt backbone. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. One of their best yet. Will buy a 4 pack for sure. 4.28


Cheers

 

#3, also from Wisconsin, also from The Brewing Projekt, also a hazy pale ale, this time with Mosaic hops.

The Brewing Projekt Hustle Mosaic Pale Ale
ABV: 5.5%
IBU: NA



This is the sibling beer to my #2 beer, Flow. In fact, they were purchased in a mixed 4-pack, 2 of each.

Aroma is tropical - pineapple, dank, and earthy.

Slightly muddy burnt orange color, so hazy nothing comes through from the other side but shadows. Tall white head from a fairly vigorous pour, bubbly, fading moderately quickly, leaving stringy bubbly lacing and an uneven top.

Feel is smooth and soft with a medium body.

Taste reflects the aroma, with the dank and earthy taste stronger than in the aroma. Tropical fruit, but I would not describe it as juicy by any means, and not as identifiable as pineapple (or any other specific fruit) as in the aroma; just a "generic" tropical taste.

Finish is very smooth and soft, no bitterness anywhere. The dank and earthy flavors remain into the aftertaste.

Overall, a decent enough pale ale, and definitely in the "New England" style, given the haziness, lack of bitterness, and smooth, soft mouth feel, and more faithful to the style than its sibling. But, not one that will stand out in a crowded field of hazy choices. Of the two, I prefer the Flow Citra Pale Ale, but neither are up to the standard of Toppling Goliath.

L: 3.75 | S: 3.75 | T: 3.5 | F: 3.75 | O: 3.5 | Calculated BA rating: 3.6

 

Foam Bonus Track 14 (Gose)

Happy Sunday, BAs. Today’s new beer comes courtesy of the generous @FlintB. TBH, I didn’t look at the can too closely and thought I was opening an APA — but this definitely hits the spot on a summer evening.

It pours a lightly-hazed, peach-tea color with a fat finger of white head that’s quick to fizz away. There’s no lacing or even a crown to speak of.

The aroma is characteristically sour with restrained grapefruit and a slight floral, tropical note — like a very mild passionfruit. I’m guessing that is from the dragon fruit addition?

It’s tart tasting with relatively strong cracker malt character and nice dash of salt. Very slightly sweet. The grapefruit and passionfruit-esque elements are there, but both in the background.

The feel is light bodied with a nice burst of carbonation upon swallowing.

This is fine gose and quite refreshing, but not on the same level as Foam’s NEIPAs, IMO. Thanks, Brian, for sharing it.

 

Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass, canned on 7/23/19. Pours a very hazy attractive orange yellow with a finger plus sticky white head that leaves big thick streaks of lace with nice retention. 4.5

Smell is apricot, tangerine, pineapple, nectarine, and grapefruit rind. 4.25

Taste follows some bitterness throughout from the apricot, nectarine, and grapefruit with pineapple and tangerine still making it tropical and easy drinking. 4.25

Mouthfeel is bigger than average, moderate soft on the palate, a tad sticky but not dry, and at 7.8% loaded with flavor but very crushable. 4.5

Overall these guys have impressed me with all of the beers I have had so far from them. 4.25

 

River's Edge State Fair SMaSH. Excellent ISA. Great fluffy head retention/foamy lacing. Flavors of big red grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, mango, honeydew melon, citrus peel/zest, wood, mint, peppercorn, pine, light onion hops; with moderate cracker, white bread dough, light toasted biscuit malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Medium-plus carbonation, light-medium body, and fairly crisp/clean finishing. Balanced bready/grainy malts and sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Light lingering resins/rinds, light-moderate increasing bitter dryness, no hop astringency. Very flavorful/refreshing, not watery for 4.1%. Awesome Centennial profile. MI Goodrich Farms hops, a bit more dank/earthy than expected. Very vibrant, juicy, dank, and earthy hops; with a great clean pale malt backbone. Mild residual sweetness with crisp dryness. No complaints. 4


Cheers

 

Howdie, NBSers. I was all set to honor the request made by @cjgiant in the thread opener and go with a local beer as my first beer this evening.

And then Mrs O and I ran a couple of errands, and I tripped over the 2019 SN/Bitburger Oktoberfest collab.

Goodbye local beer, hello to one of my favorite styles, breweries, and recurring series of beers. Time to reconnoiter on my beer selections for tonight.





3.81/5 rDev -3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Just a gorgeous beer on an aggressive pour, with a clear, dark copper colored body propping up a rich, dense tan head.

When I popped the bottle open, I immediately got a strong caramel aroma, which was expected given the caramelized malts describes in the beer’s profile, but I didn’t get any bready or grassy notes from the Pilsner malt.

The taste is a pure caramel/toffee fest - I get the slightest smidgen of noble hop flavors, but the caramel and toffee flavors literally beat any other flavors into submission. That’s not a terrible thing in a marzen, but the previous collabs in this series were not so malt driven, they were more balanced with a discernible hop presence.

Having said all that, I’m glad I have a 12-pack of this, because I think it will be a great fall beer in Northern Indiana as the days and nights shift to autumn temperatures.

 

For Winds Road from Allagash is a wild ale-The clear, golden tap pour hosts a nose of oak and apricot. The thin effervescence diminishes immediately. The flavor is moderately tart with oak and stone-fruit prominent. There is a vinous quality. The brew is not acrid or bitter at all This is a superb sour.

 

Like @cjgiant, we also do not plan on living long term in the Beltway. However, we spent nearly three years there and may move back at some point. And I'll be in downtown DC for a few days this week. We've also lived in Michigan and Arizona. Each place has its plusses and minuses.

This beer has been one I've wanted to try for a while, so I bought it without hesitation when I saw a bottle last time I was in GR. Once I got home and looked, I realized it has a batch number 19 with a date of 10-03-16. I'm not sure how this type of beer holds up and I've never had it fresh. If anyone has thoughts on aging this beer, please let me know. Here goes...



The beer pours a beautiful, clear golden tan with a very quick, thin, white head and no lacing.

The smell is classic farmhouse funk, but subtle with lemon coming through strongly.

The taste is astringent lemon (almost like you'd expect cleaning solution to taste like - but in a goodish way) and a bit of earthy, musty funk. Very unique flavors.

The mouthfeel is thin, minimally carbonated, and bone dry.

Very happy I got a chance to try this. I would buy it again if I saw it fresh.

 

Another IPA with Nelson, Hill Farmstead Society & Solitude #11, thanks @bl00 for this!
4.48/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Thank you bl00 for this
12 oz can, dated 7/8/19, poured into a teku

A- A hazy golden straw with a two finger white head.

S- Citrus, some melons and tropical fruits, a little earthy, dank.

T- Melons, citrus, herbal, slightly tea like, piney, a little dank, a little tropical, bitter finish.

M- Smooth, medium body, creamy.

O- A very nice IPA, great balance, really tasty.

Cheers!

 

Resilience Ponyhawk. This was excellent. Lasting rocky head retention/thick foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big tangerine, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, blueberry, gooseberry, citrus peel/zest, wood, mint, peppercorn, and pine hops; with moderate cracker, biscuit dough, light honey/toasted malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; creamy/bready/grainy malts, some sticky hops, and light resins/rinds in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing lingering bitter dryness, no cloying/astringency. Very smooth/soft, minimal warming 8%. Awesome Simcoe, Mosaic and Galaxy profile. Extremely juicy, vibrant, and fairly dank/earthy hops; with a nice sized bready malt backbone. Light residual sweetness with lingering resin dryness. Not overly sweet/heavy. Mostly like a West coast style DIPA. Really big fan. 4.03


Cheers

 

Ok lets do it again.
Beer'd This Side of Paradise DIPA.
One four pack left....
Pours a clear amber/gold with a nice 1/2 head that lasts a few with lots of world map lacing.
Aroma is a bit muted, but then again I had that Melvin explosion awhile ago.
West Coast in nature- grapefruit, pine and maybe a tad of tropical fruits.
Taste is lots of grapefruit, damp pine and some more lemon. Not huge like I might have guessed. Really drinkable and not much of a hint of the 9.3%. Theres not alot going on here. But that's not to say its bad. Its like a summer DIPA. I may have some palate burn as well but Ive been on the wagon for 3 days last week.
Good beer but not the big bomb Ive expected from a brewery I truly love. Finishes really nicely with good carb and dryness. Buy it. Try it. And see for yourself.

 

#2, this is relatively local (90 miles away). New Holland has done a nice job with the Dragon’s Milk brand, and this is no exception.





4.39/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This pours black with a lot of mahogany colors on the edges, with a sudsy tan head on top. The nose ..... is sublime. The maple is really forward, but it allows the oak to share the stage, and there’s also chocolate and roasty nutty aromas as well.

The maple is the initial flavor as well but the oak presents itself magnificently as a vanilla flavor, and there’s also chocolate and nutty flavors and that I can best describe as Nutrella flavor.

The mouthfeel, though, is a bit thin for a beer this big (11% ABV). But what a treat to drink.

 

Happy New Belgian Saison Sunday!

Pretty nice day here on the Western Slope, at the trailhead, some sun, cloudy, windy, around 81. Having a pretty tasty brew, interesting. Made some chili, watching some old AG reruns. Might be back with another new brew.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25436/118341/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

Damn, Larry. That looks and sounds delicious! You must be knocking it out of the park at your new(ish) gig. Always enjoy hearing from you my friend. Cheers!