New Beer Sunday (Week 762)

I'm not there, of course, they don't look bad on this end.

Could you contact the brewery and let them know there's a problem with their cans? They might not know there's a problem with that can run.

 

New Beer 2. The first bottle of this didn’t impress me at all.Second one seems a bit better. It’s big and bold and has that West Coast malty/bitterness balance down well. Definite alcohol presence. Enjoyable, yes, but it’s a bit too malty and boozy for me. Think I enjoy the “regular” better.

Not new song, but new show. Inside Bill’s Brain on Netflix is amazing. Watched all three episodes since last night.

 

A-Pours a hazy yellow golden color with a nice head and lacing
A-Aroma has tropical and citrus hints
T-The taste follows the nose with tropical and citrus flavors
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A well balanced IIPA

 

Good morning and happy New Bland Sunday, BAs. Not a whole lot going on this weekend, which is nice. Went to an Oktöberfest event at The Oregon Zoo yesterday which was a dud other than the there beer and lightning show that ensued. Today, just kicking it in the rain before I gotta drop Thing 1 off for a play date. In the mean time, it's new beer time.

Fresh Hop season has been quite a good one this year, with the first release that I had being the one to beat (Occidental, Fresh Hop Pilsner). And as much as I've enjoyed most, I believe that the Pilsner or Pale Ale reigns superior as a host versus the more popular IPAs and such. Though I will mention Zoiglhaus Oktöberfresh was quite a delicious surprise. Anyhoo…

Ecliptic
Altair- Fresh Hop Pale Ale





Aside from the insane amount of floaties suspended in the pale orange body, Altair is still a handsome looking beer. Perhaps that's due to my expectation of having those raw delicious ingredients being typically visible for the style. Above rests a comfortable looking pillow of eggshell white foam, that lazily descends leaving frothy lacing everywhere.

Odd as this may be the first fresh hop beer of the year that the aroma didn't explode at the crack of the can. Actually, I have to dig my nose in deep to discover the melon and rubber notes. Overall, it smells a bit dirty and damp. Don't know how else to explain that one.

Again, this doesn't attack the taste buds either. Kind of funky as it continues an earthiness and even vegetal likeness. The closest thing to citrus I can muster up with is dried rind. Yeah… green peppers, even mint. This thing is all "earthy" despite it's homage to Aquila.

Perhaps the best thing about Altair is the feel. It has a nearly perfect Pale Ale feel. Light to medium body, a middle ground carbonation, great balance that leans into a wonderful lingering bitterness.

Altair doesn't quite match up to most of the fresh hop beers I've had this year, but it's still quite a good Pale Ale. I'll gladly enjoy the rest of this sixer, but that will most likely be the end of it.

After my official review, I gave Altair a rating of 3.64, with an rDev of -0.5%. Cheers!

 

Few new ones on deck today, fellow NBSers! I figured I'd start off with a weird coffee beer because it's apparently International Coffee Day... that's as good an excuse as any, eh?



As expected, this has a gorgeous pour. I mean, that's kinda the point of nitro beer, after all, isn't it? The color is basically like a deeper blonde hue with a huge, frothy head of consistent white foam that laces constantly. There's pretty much nothing remotely bad looking about this... crazy nice looking!

Obviously, though, it's not ultimately a good thing if the beer only looks good... it must smell and taste good as well! This being a "blonde stout" already seems like an iffy prospect, considering I could never quite fully get behind the idea, but perhaps the nitro treatment will help. At first, I couldn't get much from the nose but it started to develop complex notes that reminded me a lot of cinnamon French toast after a while. Interesting, and I can definitely pick up the vanilla. The coffee must be a lighter/blonde roast, though, because it's very muted to my senses. Though, I guess a White Russian cocktail uses coffee liqueur anyway, so whatever.

The flavor is definitely not as intense as it could be, and it's probably the lack of carbonation contributing to that fact. It has some milky vanilla cream flavors with a bit of light baking spice, suggestions of milk chocolate, and a bit of bright coffee in there, but honestly, this is pretty weirdly bland. The nitro treatment is well-done, and is sensible for what they're going for, but it just tastes really plain and doesn't have a lot going for it. I probably should've expected this, though. Flaked oats, vanilla, lactose, nitro... just about the perfect roadmap to an insanely smooth beer. Which this is... to a fault, kinda. Do you like the idea of an 8.9% coffee vanilla milk stout without any of the roasty maltiness a typical stout would have? You might dig this. It's definitely a one-and-done for me, though.

 

Howdy from Scotland, NBSers!
I am currently in the Orkney Islands and loving everything I've seen/done so far. Totally amazing, beautiful country, nice people (as if that doesn't apply to everywhere). And the cask beer/pubs... My god! I knew I'd like it even though I don't have tons of experience with either but there was definitely a skeptical part of me that wasn't sure if it would be as good as people act like it is. But I'm here to tell you that it is indeed that good.
I went for a long hike today along the Eastern coast of the southernmost big island. It prevented me from my original plan of doing a remote NBS from Orkney brewing but it was well worth it. Saw a lot of cool landscapes in addition to some family-related and historical stuff. And a bunch of seals. It was excellent!

After all that walking I need a beer though and so since I have internet again I am going to take advantage and post this. I will try to get through people's posts as well but we'll see how things go.

This is one I've lusted after for a while and found seemingly fresh on the shelf last night. I still plan on seeking it out on cask when I'm in London in a few days, but for now this will have to do.

It pours clear and gold with a couple fingers of beige head. Good retention, okay lacing. The aroma is bread crust, light orange peel character, simple earthy hop bite. The flavor follows suit with a slight lingering bitterness, and I do mean slight. A nice effervescence gives it a little crispness, medium body, lingering malt finish. This is a very nice beer with a good balance between golden promise malt and some hoppy fruitiness/zip. It practically drinks itself and I don't know what more to say. Very nice.
One of the things I often notice with classic and old-world beers is that they are so "tight" that it is a bit tricky (or at least it seems like it) to review precisely because they are so balanced and at one with themselves that it doesn't seem like a lot is going on. It is, but in the right places. This (and a lot of beers I've had here so far) do exactly that. I usually call this togetherness and have seen some other good candidates for terms on here. Maybe one day I'll really nail it, for now though I'm content to just enjoy the second pour.
Cheers, BA!

 

Commonwealth Hapi



A-Pours a hazy light amber color with a nice head and lacing
A-Aroma has tropical and citrus hints
T-The taste follows the nose with tropical and citrus flavors
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A good IPA

 

This was Barrelled Souls Prerequisite

 

I could, I have & my pleas have routinely fallen on deaf ears. Them = dead 2 me.

 

Currently sitting on the couch watching what has turned into a fun game between the Lions and Chiefs. There is still the second half for the Lions to shoot them selves and blow it, don’t worry Chief fans.

This beer is from @bstoos from the Sloppy Seconds V2 BIF. He generously sent this want along with others that have been chilling in the fridge.


16 ounce can, packaged 8/15/19. Poured into tulip glass. Thanks to bstoos for this want!

Pours a bright golden orange, finger plus worth of fluffy off white head. Thick crown ringing the interior of the glass along with spotty webs of lace.
Huge nose. Juicy grapefruit, mandarin orange, overall perfume of citrus.
Taste does not follow the nose but leads it down the bitter path. Still juicy but more white grapefruit flesh and pith, lemon peel, underripe peach, spruce tips, crackery malts. Prickly bubbled mouthfeel. It’s not a mouthfeel I particularly enjoy and it’s enough to detract from my overall score.
Overall, a wonderful example of a hazy full of flavor.
4.34 rDev -1.4%

 

Peabody Heights Grain Birds

Happy Sunday, BAs. Today’s tasty new brew comes to me courtesy of @bl00 (aka White Jesus).

Billed here as an English Barleywine, Grain Birds pours a ruddy, leathery brown with just under a finger of sandy tan head. It has decent head retention and leaves modest lacing.

Orange peel, raisins, dates, leather, light toffee and light hops all make appearances in the nose.

Leather, dates, vanilla and bread pudding show up front in the taste. Modest pine bitterness mixed with the orange peel and just a peck of alcohol in the finish. This has plenty of complexity, and a very nice balance of sweet and earthy flavors.

It’s light-to-medium bodied with a slightly creamy feel and moderate carbonation.

This is a really well executed beer. The orange peel lends an almost Christmasy feel to it, although with none of the over-the-top spices. It’s definitely worth seeking out. Many thanks, Dan.

 

Next up is from Adroit Theory. It’s labeled as one of them NEIPAs, but I can’t resist the unparalleled artwork, so I almost had to buy it.

Misanthropic Apathy



4.05/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy, pail yellow with not much of a head but whats there is foamy and stark white. Nose pops with lemon, dandelion and a little earthy clay, maybe sand. Taste begins with bitter dandelion and doesn’t really give in until finally something citrus creeps in and brings with it a maltiness as well. Taste and feel gang up as the taste and burn of boozy roll in and leave a little sweetness and a lot of lingering, prickly heat

 

Then you're 100% in the right. I remember when I went to a brewery, and they turned their red/amber into a pumpkin beer. The flavors clashed severely. I mentioned that to the brewtender, and he looked at me like I just grew a 2nd head.

I've not been back, and won't go back.

 

I was in Chicago on business this week; teaching a class on warehouse and transportation management. Thursday was my birthday and my teammates responded with balloons and a delicious chicken meal catered in during the lunch hour. There was also a birthday cake. Very nice. At the end of the day, as we were in the parking lot; my two teaching compatriots presented me with two beers. They'd gone out of their way the day before to try to find ones that I might never have tried. They succeeded. I was very touched. I brought them back home in my suitcase and am having them today. Here's the first one:

Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen - Oude Geuze



Had this from a 375ml bottled on 2018-11-12. My overall rating is 4.34

A - Almost-opaque amber-orange with just a slight white head that disappears right away

S - Wonderful funk from the Brettanomyces yeast and Lactobacillus bacteria, lightly sour, grass/hay, lime, guava. Inviting

T - Lemon-lime, bread crust, tart and nicely-sour, grass/hay, light pepper,oak tannin and floral/herbal tea. Finishes bone dry with some lingering citrus.

M - Light body and carbonation.

O - A delicious, well-balanced Oude Geuze that is a delight to sip

 

Congratulations to your family and to the lucky dog that just became a member! A wonderful blessing for you all!

 

Well doesn't this just make me want to "pick it up!"... we get Ska Brewing now in MA? And the first beer from them is an Oktoberfest?! I'm so into it!



I don't think I've had a Ska beer in like 7 years, and the only time I ever had it was when a friend of mine brought some back from a trip to Colorado, so this is exciting... pours a gorgeous deep amber color, likely brought on by a ton of dark Munich malt. Slightly cloudy body. The pour is topped off with a nice, retentive, and voluminous off-white head that leaves behind spotty/soapy lace here and there. Good legs and very frothy. A nice looking amber Märzen!

Nose is toasty and comforting immediately... toasted bread and bright floral hoppiness melds with a little nuttiness and a touch of dusty yeast. Slight notes of apple and apricot, probably also from the hops, along with a suggestion or two of caramel. Very apropos of the season, and the smell sets the stage for this to be yet another good American Oktoberfest!

On the tongue, this is definitely hoppier than I expected, with a Noble-type aspect that includes undertones of herbal and floral flavors that meld well with the lightly bready and caramel-esque grain profile. I'm surprised how bright this one is and how easy to drink it remains despite being 6.1%. That's right; this is actually a full perfect stronger than BA's entry says it is! I'm assuming it varies a little per batch or something. Anyway, this is really solid! Super easy to drink, quite bright and snappy, well-balanced, and enjoyable. Not a malt bomb like some American Ofests can be. Recommended... grab some if you can before the Oktoberfest season is officially fertig!

 

After a great weekend of Belgians through Zwanze Day, my pour today is a bit disappointing.



Phase Three was opened recently from the former brewer at More, and have had many excellent offerings since opening at their contract brewer in anticipation of a new brewpub. I was hoping this pour would be similar to the Strawberry Marbles brewed at More. This offering is currently highly rated on BA, and I do admit to having issues with too strong vanilla forward offerings. While Strawberry Marbles was balanced well, the sweetness of the vanilla, strawberry and lactose in Strawberry Chantilly was unfortunately overwhelming, vanilla far too strong, and no balance. I may be in the minority, but I look for a more balanced NEIPA, such as M-43 (Old Nation), Le Jus (Alarmist) and others.

Glad I gifted the second can I had, will go to Phase Three for other non lactose/vanilla beers in the future. Not every beer can be great, but I appreciate the ability to try new offerings and find great pours over dozens of styles for future purchase.

Cheers, and enjoy the final day of the MLB regular season!

 

Lupulin Antsy In Our Pantsy BBA American Strong Ale, 11% ABV. Pours dark brown, with a 1+ finger beige foamy head that dissipated quickly, leaving no lacing. Nose is bourbon and maple syrup, taste follows - borderline cloying sweetness, almost no bitterness. Many will find this too sweet, but I like it. Excellent mouthfeel, overall outstanding.

4.42/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

We're having a cool, rainy, and windy fall day here in tropical South Dakota. We decided to forego the usual grilled steaks today, and went with vegetable beef stew in the crockpot.

 

It's good to see that your branch of Lupulin is brewing as good beers as the home branch.