New Beer Sunday (Week 756)

Sip of Sunshine an 8.0% ABV IPA from Lawson's Finest Liquids. This is also my 1st beer from this brewery. .Lawson's is a highly respected brewery in Vermont that just started selling it's beer in NJ. Sip of Sunshine is rated 100 World Class on BA. Poured from a 16 OZ can into a stemless red wine glass. The beer is golden yellow with a thin but lasting head Strong and pleasing aroma of fruit and hops. The taste is well balanced tropical fruit with a strong malt backbone and a bit of pine. The mouthfeel is medium the finish is pine and a little bitter. Overall an excellent brew one of the best IPA's I've ever had. A rare beer that IMO lives up to it's hype. I think I'll be trying any Lawson's I sell on tap or in store from now on.

 

Hofbräu Premium Lager - German Helles
Hofbräuhaus Pittsburgh

Yesterday, I went to the "South Side" of Pittsburgh for some hiking along the Monongahela River interrupted by lunch at Fat Head's and a stop for another beer at Hobrauhaus. The beer I'm trying for the first time today is this Premium Lager, which I brought home in my knapsack in a growler.

The day started with a train ride on the "T", a walk over the river on a bridge, and then a decent walk from Station Square to Fat Head's on Carson Street, where I had lunch and two beers; Head Hunter and Strange Magic (reviewed yesterday https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/19544/414785/?ba=Tucquan#review)

Note, I am not pictured in these photos:





After a fine lunch, I headed up river until I got to the Hofbrauhaus









I proceeded to order the Premium Lager with Key Lime flavor (not reviewed). It hit the spot after 7 miles of hiking.




I also ordered a 32oz growler (double-walled stainless) of their Premium Lager (Helles), which I am having right now. Here's my review. Overall score is 3.77

A - Clear gold with a 2.5-finger white head and nice lace.
S - White bread, honey, white grape, noble spice. Inviting.
T - Sourdough bread, herbal, light white grape, hint of pepper. Not as sweet as indicated by the aroma and hence on the more bitter side for a Helles.
M - Medium body and carbonation. Fairly dry.
O - It's certainly a decent Helles but not in my top 10

 

Awesome! I love that beer and vividly remember the first time I had it. I love that it really covers all the bases of what I like in an IPA (for me at least). Just like you said, it is a great balance between older and newer characteristics in the style.

 

I enjoyed many days of unsupervised fun ( and occasional terror ) in the 60’s and 70’s. Bikes ( always avoiding the daytime pack of dogs) little rowboats in the creek and bay ( some were derelict boats that we found, “fixed” and hid in the tall reeds. One required 3 boys, two to bail while one rowed.
- some epic , 5 day acorn fights with forts and cached ammo.
Kids have schedules now.
My first new brew is Progenitor from Crooked Stave, a Golden Ale with wild yeast. -initial bottle pour is clear and golden, but the final yeast dunk produces a deep yellow-orange cloud. There is a 1/2 cm foam cap that dissipates quickly. The aroma is of hay, light lemon and Brett-like funk. The flavor includes grapefruit and tangerine. The wild yeast character dominates appropriately. This brew lacks the breadth of flavors of other Crooked Stave offerings. Perhaps that is because the Progenitor is the starting base for some of the other brews.

 

NBS beer #1



Curiosity Seventy Three

Tree House Brewing Company
American Imperial IPA | 8.3% ABV

4.26/5 rDev -2.1% | Average: 4.35
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

canned 08-07-19

L- The beer pours a hazy yellow orange with a large 4 finger white head. The head persists in a thick covering for a very long time. Lacing rings the glass giving the beer a gorgeous appearance.
S-The nose is all sweet citrus. There's orange, tangerine, and touch of lemon. Intensity is high moderate.
T-On the palate the beer is a little less sweet than the nose. The same elements are present with the orange being the strongest. The beer has just enough pithy bitterness to finish nicely dry.
F-Mouthfeel overall is medium full. Dry finish keeps you going back. Carbonation after the initial pour is very light.
O- This is a big thick creamy DIPA. The flavors are by no means innovative, but overall the beer is enjoyable just the same. I personally think the beer might be a little heavy in mouthfeel, knocking down the drinkability just a touch. Recommended.

 

More Citra than All Citra by Other Half

This is the triple dry-hopped version of the All Citra Everything, and I'm very excited to finally be trying this. No date on this can, but these were released yesterday. At 10.5%, this is one of the heavier OH IPA offerings.



Look: Extremely murky bright yellow body; just over a finger of head; head retention slightly better than expected for the style given the abv.
Smell: One-dimensional, but pungent and pleasant; oranges for days.
Taste: Follows the nose; orange and mango overload.
Feel: Relatively thick heavy body; creamy texture; alcohol is exceptionally well-hidden, considering the abv.
Overall: A very impressive big IPA that takes a fantastic Citra base to an entirely new level. One of Other Half's best IPAs for sure.

4.75 | 4.25 | 4.5 | 4.75 | 4.5 ||| Overall: 4.48 (rDev +3.2%)

 

Wow- you totally read my mind with those song selections, and Kentucky Avenue is guaranteed to always bring a sniffle or two. Eddie Grace's Buick would be a great pretend band name, too .

 

Happy Sunday, NBS crew! Today I am drinking a new beer that @Roguer generously sent me quite a few months back. Not sure what I was saving it for, but this 100 degree sweat-your-balls-off day felt like the perfect timing to crack it open .

The Love Below - Funky Buddha
BBA Stout - 12% abv
Score: 4.4 (+0.5% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31805/174254/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
The barrels are the star here. The underlying beer appears to be one of their thicker chocolate stouts, but the time spent in both bourbon and cab barrels morphs this into a tasty, boozy, sonnofabitch. It’s hotter than most Funky Buddha’s I’ve had, but I absolutely love the interplay between the bourbon and red wine. With each sip, the 2 barrels alternate in prevalence, and I keep tasting new things. The advertised cherries are barely detectable, though, which I am fine with. This is a pleasure to down. Thanks again Andrew!

 

A- Pours a very dark color with a slight head and lacing
A- Aroma has cocoa and Cabernet grape hints
M-The taste follows the nose with a cocoa and nicely added very generous Cabernet grape flavor
M-A medium bodied moderately carbonated beer
O-A well done Imperial Stout

 

Jacks Abbey Framinghammer S’mores

4.14/5 rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Nice big head, nice bit of lacing as well. Black opaque body. Nose has a bit of cinnamon sorta spice, maybe it leans towards Mexican chocolate? Either way, it morphs into graham cracker. Little bit of alcohol heat as well. When I first poured it there was an undeniable apple barrel schnapps thing happening but it faded ad it warmed up. Taste is mostly that graham crackers thing until a little chocolate comes in, just before the heat dominates. Overall, thicker than not and a little sticky sweet on exit.

 

Brewdog cocoa psycho
...solid black with almost no head
...low amount of carbonation with an above average body,slight slick feel
...aroma is heavily roasted malts, dark cocoa, black dark coffee, boozy
....taste is earthy,wood,alcohol, slightly, astringent,
..overall an excellent imperial stout

 

Foam Canvas Pale Ale

Happy Sunday, BAs. Today’s new beer comes my way courtesy of the generous @FlintB.

Canvas pours a hazy, yellow-orange with two fingers of off-white head that leave spotty, soapy lacing.

Tea, light citrus and pepper show in the nose.

It has a nice, full flavor for an APA, with creamy orange citrus and pepper most prominent, and a little mineral water, too. There’s a relatively clean finish, with just a kiss of earthy, tea-like bitterness and lingering citrus pith.

Strong, tight carbonation fizz stands out in the feel. It’s not too hefty, but still comparatively full bodied for the style.

This is a tasty, refreshing brew perfect for a summer afternoon. Thanks, Brian.

 

Other Half Double Dry Hopped space dream


Pours a hazed, saturated yellow with a medium sized head, receeding quickly after pouring.


Smells of ripe peach pulp, lighter orange rind and juicy pineapple. The luscious perception of this is enhanced by fresh cut limes and almost overripe mango, joined by a whiff of skunky weed.


Has a velvet, creamy mouthfeel with a lower carbonation to it, which sparkles up slightly during the beer‘s finish.


Tastes of bitter limes from the very beginning, accompanied by fresh picked oranges and slightly sweeter tangerines. Turns even dryer then, with unripe pineapple, a slice of kiwi and early harvested passion fruits. Finishes smooth with mellowed limes which lasts pretty long on the tongue with no other hop flavors remaining.


This has an unusual and pleasant lime defined bitterness for a beer of this style, defining its flavors from the start till the end. Its soft mouthfeel smoothes the bitterness very well, gently enriched by a lighter, refreshing fruitiness.

 

Childhood? My folks had survived two world wars and were experiencing a Cold War. Most of the comic books, tv and movies were war stories and westerns. Of course we played "Army" most of the time. I didn't get to play with the rough kids who conducted BB Gun wars, but threw my share of dirt clod grenades.

I didn't have a sibling close in age, so I had to horn in on games with the neighborhood families or go on my own fishing trips or bike rides. I was fortunate to live in a town surrounded by forest and small enough that I knew everyone. I came out of it pretty skilled with guns and bows, but not that interested in hunting or archery now.


On my vacation last month my only beer destinations were Pizza Boy and Tree House. Otherwise I just drank or bought beers that I encountered on my other travels. I rarely get fresh Two Roads, so when I saw some three week old Two Juicy in a supermarket I picked them up.

I can see the objections to the NEIPA label on these. No soft mouth feel and not that juicy. In fact it has an unusual Lemon Pledge smell and taste. With that out of the way, I rated it as
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30437/232407/?ba=Reef#review
4.2/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

There are a lot of other fruit and pine notes and it is a good looking beer with strong carbonation. I thought it was a satisfying DIPA with the good features outweighing the bad and would buy it again.

Cheers!

 

After seeing @aleigator review the DDH Space Dream, I decided to go for one more.

Other Half - Space Hallucinations, which currently happens to be the culmination of the Space Dream series. This can was packaged on 08.14, and has "PROTOMOLECULE" written near the date. (The Expanse shoutout?)



Look: Deep yellow murky body; tightly packed off-white head; excellent retention and lacing for the style.
Smell: All kinds of bitter citrus notes; this is neither the most aromatic nor the most enjoyable smelling big IPA, but not bad by any means.
Taste: More sweet orangy than I would expect from a TDH all-Galaxy IPA, some bitter grapefruit qualities do come out on the back end. The taste is very pleasant overall.
Feel: Creamy full body, extremely well-hidden ABV (OH most often nails this part, especially in the Daydream-type releases)
Overall: Absolutely solid big DIPA that drinks surprisingly easily for a 10.5% beer. For me and my palate, this happens to be one of those beers where the final product is better than the sum of its parts. I'm now very much looking forward to trying the other beers from this series.

4.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 ||| Overall: 4.38 (rDev -1.6%)

 

Very attractive clear gold color with bountiful white cap and lacing.

Aroma of sweet grain, bit of caramel, some tropical fruit and something darkly herbal.

Taste on entry is definitely citrus, I can identify mango and something else like tangerine zest along with a very spicy herbalness which has a sharpness like green bell pepper. There is a hop presence that adds zing to the thing without being too intrusive. More body than expected and a slight tartness from beginning to end.

Fuller than medium body with balancing carbonation.

It's different, easy to drink and very refreshing.

 

Good Afternoon and Evening NBS and BA!

Thank you to @lordofthewiens for the fun topic.

We played a ton of games in the neighborhood as kids. Such great times. Street hockey, manhunt, and kickball were probably the most popular. When we played street hockey and a car would pass by we would all yell “car, car, c-a-r, stick your head in a jelly jar!”

My personal favorite game was “alligator tag.” One kid was “it.” Confined to the street as the “alligator.” All driveways were “safe zones” and you’d have to get from one driveway to the next by crossing through the street and getting past the alligator. Everyone was on roller blades, or skates.

One game we played in the school yard was “red ass.” Basically, wall ball except the loser had to go face and hands against the wall while the rest of the players launched the ball at, well, I think you get the point. Barely allowed back then, and certainly not today!

First up today is from Alluvial. Barrel Aged Aurox Imperial Stout with Sumatran Coffee and Maple.

Two weeks ago I reviewed Barrel Aged Vanilla Aurox. It was excellent and I rated it 4.05. The feel and toned down vanilla prevented me from going into World Class territory. Let’s see how this one goes.

Thank you to @Orca_Whale for both beers!







Look: The beer flows dark brown from the bottle. It struggles to form a head, but with an aggressive pour a finger of light brown, creamy foam. Black and opaque. No visible carbonation. The head eventually disappears but for a light brown ring of foam around the edge of the glass. No lacing.

Smell: Straight maple syrup covered pancakes with creamy and sugary coffee. The nose is oozing with maple. Sweet and bready. It’s not a complex nose, but it’s decadent. A hint of warmth. A memorable “breakfast stout” aroma.

Taste: On the tip of the tongue, sweet maple and slightly sweetened, hot brewed, dark roast coffee. Mid palate the sweetness steps aside and the bitter coffee and bold, roasty and toasty base stout flavors come through. Dark chocolate, cocoa powder, faint cinnamon dryness. Behind the bold bitterness is a dark dried fruit flavor of date.

Feel: A little thin for my preference with an 11.5% Imperial Stout. Low carbonation and smooth. Warm and dry on the finish. Sticky on the lips.

Overall: First, I like this beer better than the vanilla version, because the additional ingredients, in this case maple and coffee, really shine through. A lot. I would’ve liked more vanilla in the other.

Second, I love this series because the beers are for drinking. There is an excellent base stout here that complements the added flavors, creating a complex drinking experience. It’s not straight maple or coffee. It’s a great Imperial Stout. They made a beer that fits into a hyped up category that drinks like a stout first.

I criticized the vanilla for being “acrid” and “rough around the edges.” I was referring to the toasty and dry flavors highlighted above. I would dial back that comment now. After having the second beer, I’m opening up to the fact that the base beer here is just a bold and toasty, big ass stout that I love. Again, not a maple or coffee bomb. Not a barrel bomb either. In fact, the barrel influence on both beers seems subtle.

4.42/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

 

Growing up it was all about bikes. We had a summer of some serious street hockey but had to be careful not to shoot the puck (tennis ball) on the lawn of this old guy’s house. He was the “get off my lawn” guy and actually called the police on us for trespassing which was one of us going to get out ball from his grass.

Opened up this one from @kemoarps which he sent as a LIF from the NBS #9 BIF. Thanks Kestrel!

500 ml bottle with no date seen. Assumed within freshness range when it was generously sent by kemoarps, thanks! Poured into a tulip glass.
Poured a garnet color with deep purple streaks. Fingers worth of red tinged bubbles. Raspberry jam with seeds on the nose. There is also a lemon or yogurt tartness I pick up.
More of the lactic tartness first followed by light but earthy boysenberry. Raspberry comes in second but hits at the finish. Red wine notes, more of a tart finish without the acidic finish. Medium bodied, easy drinking and keeps my interest through out the beer. I’m fairly brand new to sours and this one hits all the levels for me as a good beginner sour.