New Beer Sunday (Week 763)

How does this much goodness happen every week? Man, do you NBSers get it going in here!

I've only been able to peek in a couple times today because it's been super busy for me meeting with a best friend, discussing ideas of all kinds over breakfast and shopping and making plans for future cool events.

But now ... with all apologies to NFL Sunday ... a new-to-me beer:



Karbach's Crawford Bock, 4.5% ABV, 15 IBUs (best-by 11/22/19)
malt bill: 2 row, medium crystal, Munich, black malt
hops: chinook, cascade

sold at all Houston-area Major League Baseball ballparks and (I'm hoping) Gerritt Cole approved ...


Yes, sure. I'm a lifelong Astros fan who grew up on J.R. Richards, Joe Niekro, Caesar Cedeno and the great Nolan Ryan. To say I love this beer's label doesn't begin to state it.

But the beer inside the beautiful orange-sicle retro uniform design is pretty decent. It's not what I'd call a German bock, though that style is arguably among the most confusing of our 110 or whatever we're at these days. This Crawford Bock tastes a lot like a good Vienna lager, plenty of toasted notes including grain, peach and bread, but just lightly toasted. There's nothing "dark" about this beer like some bocks can have. It's closer to the Shiner Bock macro-beer world. In this case, though, it's not overly grainy if you like barley malt. In fact, it has a lot of barley malt flavor in it with just that right touch of crystal malt (I think) to give it the peachy/English pale ale bread-malt sweetness we all love.

The review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26762/401984/?ba=Premo88#review
3.95 (+14.2% rDev)

Hopefully, my allegiance to the Houston Astros isn't causing me to overrate this beer. It's honestly pretty dang good, no medicinality or off notes. And at 4.5% ABV, it's another good sub-5% option brewed within easy reach of my fridge, something there simply can't be enough of for this fan of the true session beer.

Hope your Sundays are going well and have a great week!

Cheers!

 

Don’t let that one put you off of trying the Oude Kreik version which I think you’d enjoy more.

 

Hello New Beer Sunday!!!

A quick check in here after my little nephew's birthday lunch. The little guy is 20! It was fun, but, after dealing with his crazy grandmother, I need a beer.

This isn't my first new beer of the day. I stopped in Roets in Jordan, MN for the first time, and had one there, but I couldn't get a signal for my phone, so no review there.

Now I'm at Wild Mind in Minneapolis, and a new beer that I added into the system.



Fall from Wild Mind.

This is a black IPA. It has a nice hop flavor and texture combined with dark chocolate flavor. Really a good combo for me.

Review link
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46325/443470/


One and done here, but I will be bringing stuff home to break the souls (I hope) of my recipients of the Sloppy Seconds BIF.

 

Brooklyn Brewery's Post Road Pumpkin Ale.



3.59/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

An average pour from a 12-oz. bottle produced a finger of light beige creamy foam with below average retention and long blotches of lace. Clear golden-orange color, bright in sunlight.

Very light smell of pumpkin spice, baked pumpkin and bread. Toasted wheat and biscuit.

Light taste of toasted malt and pumpkin battle for 1st place, with some caramel and pale malt. Semi-sweet with medium-low bitterness, faint spice replaces hops. Drys to neutral as bitterness rises to average at the long finish. Spice and a touch of salt linger.

Medium body with average carbonation, alcohol is well hidden. Lager-like in looks and attenuation. Light on taste and smell yet well balanced.

 

A new-to-me from Dieu du Ciel! served with leftover salmon, vidalia onions, garlic, and baby spinach over brown rice.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1141/87732/



750 ml. bottle with no date.
Vigorous pour yields a 1/4 inch white head over a bright, golden body with no lacing and head is gone almost instantly. Nose of apple, oak, and slight funk. Very nice semi-dry apple flavor finishing fairly dry and crisp. Near flat with hardly any carbonation. Overall, a tasty offering from our friends up north and it would be a fantastic pairing with a VT cheddar, or any cheese for that matter. Cheers!

 

#2 for me today is what I would call a fall beer. But, mostly it is the 3rd in the Leaves of Grass series from Bell's.

Bell's III: Oh Captain! My Captain! (Leaves of Grass Series) German Schwarzbier
ABV: 5.5%
IBU: 35


Aroma is smoky chocolate, with some citrus adding brightness.

Look is deep brown with ruby edges and highlights with a backlight. Tall tan thick creamy head, slowly fading leaving clingy lacing. The head sinks in the middle forming an concave dome.

Smoky roastiness hits initially in the taste, followed by the several fruit flavors mixed in, including berry with the citrus. There is a toasted bread malt foundation that provides good heftiness to the flavor.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth.

The smoky flavor lingers in the aftertaste. Enjoyable and easy drinking. Very nice fall beer.

Addendum: I notice several of the reviews say there was little smoke. I get noticeable smoke in this beer; it is not overwhelming, it is well controlled, but it is most definitely smoky and not just roasty. Maybe it has to do with serving temperature.

L: 4.25 | S: 4.0 | T: 4.25 | F: 4.0 | O: 4.0 | BA: 4.12

 

Speciation in Collaboration with Transient - Side Shift

Biere de Coupage with Blackberry and Boysenberry (American Wild Ale)

First rating or review on this beer. My second new one of the day, also courtesy of the very generous @Joplamp! Thanks so much!



Look: The beer pours a barely translucent, deep crimson color. A light pink foam rises up, then subsides to a thin layer across the top and a thin ring around the edges. No lacing. Some visible carbonation streaming to the top. A very attractive beer from the fruit.

Smell, Taste and Feel: Prominent sweet berry jam, some bright lemon juice and a touch of white vinegar. A slight must stops short of any perceivable “funk” as I go in for the first sip. A flash of jammy, berry sweetness on the tip of the tongue. Shifts to a drier, more tart berry. Also some fruit skin. The more bitter, dry, gritty flavor from plum or grape skin, for example. As the beer warms up the aroma does takes on a slight, powdery, floral, barnyard funk. This is aspect is very soft and only comes out as the beer warms. Also, a faint sulphuric / matchstick note. Back to the flavor, a tart and acidic lemon / berry juice hits the sides of the palate nicely, but I’d put the overall level of acidity in the medium to mid-high range. Not overly acidic and nicely drinkable. The beer has a low level of carbonation, aqueous and dries out in the finish.

Overall: This beer is delicious and a very well executed fruited sour. I think the nose offers some more complexity than the flavor of the beer as I’m not getting any funky tasting notes, but’s it’s delicious and highlights the berries beautifully.

4.3/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

 

Damn, I'm not used to recognizing many beers you post but I just saw this one a couple hours ago at the bottleshop I visited here in London!
I didn't get it though and now that I read your review I'm bummed I didn't

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Sippers and commentators. I just returned from a brief trip to North Carolina for an annual church/family reunion in the southeastern, swampy, rural part of the state, as well as spending some wonderful time with our son and daughter who live in the Research Triangle. It was a busy, fun, and exhausting 2+ days. The place where the reunion was held is in a very rural area where the paternal side of my family has lived since the early 18th Century. Almost everyone in the community is related by blood. Down there, even 3rd or 4th cousins are considered family. I'm on the management committee of the old church building. Built in 1828 on the site of an earlier church (and before that a grog shop), it's no longer used, except for an occasional wedding but 4 generations of my family are buried in the yard. As a boy, my Dad lived briefly on his grandmother's farm nearby. It's a life totally different from mine in New Jersey and I enjoy re-connecting with folks down there and eating "real" southern food at the amazing covered dish. There's also a short church service. It's really special worshiping in the same structure as my ancestors.

This is a photo of the old church building.




I also managed to drink some beers (when I wasn't in a dry county), including a number new to me. I have several reviews to write. But for NBS today I'm reviewing the second variant of Rushing Duck's Farms, Friends, and Felines, a BA American Strong Ale aged in maple bourbon barrels. I previously reviewed the honey variant, which was mind-blowing.

This variant is very sweet but I wouldn't describe it as cloying. The barrel is strong but not distracting. Rushing Duck excels at these types of blends. Here's my full review:

4.57/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed approximately 6 weeks after bottle release. Poured into a snifter glass. It pours mahogany with dark cola hues. The thin khaki head dissipated quickly. It's highly fragrant with notes of roasted malt, chocolate, maple syrup, tobacco, and bourbon. The taste is very maple forward; it's initially very sweet. I can also taste the bourbon immediately; it's strong but it's not overpowering. At mid-palate I begin to note the other flavors, particularly chocolate, caramel, burnt nuts, and a hint of dark fruit. It finishes with subtle bitterness. All of the flavors blend seamlessly This ale is rather thick and viscous with a low level of carbonation, and the 11% ABV is warming but the alcohol level isn't distracting. Overall, as expected, it's a superbly crafted Strong Ale from a brewery that is highly skilled at such offerings. The only negative to me is its sweetness but that seems to be desired. I preferred the honey variant but that's not a criticism of this delicious ale.

I hope you're all enjoying your new beers. Your reviews, as always, are informative and really fun to read. Sorry for this looonnnnggg post. Cheers, NBS!

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Thanks to @cjgiant for this weeks introduction. Normal week of work. Had to do a double load of laundry today to make up for missing last week. Still have half a basket left over. Had a bunch of beer boxes land last week, so I currently have more "new" beers in the fridge than not. Probably the first time this has happened in a year. Need to finish packing up a trade box today or tomorrow to ship out. Review 9200 coming up during the week most likely.

Beer:

From @larryi86. Tired Hands Death Tripper. This was fantastic. Opaquely hazy. Lasting rocky head retention/thick foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big tangerine, red grapefruit, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, mango, honeydew melon, berries, citrus peel/zest, wood, peppercorn, and pine hops; with moderate wheat, cracker, white bread dough, biscuit, light toasted malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation/body; creamy/bready/grainy malts, and some sticky/resinous/rindy hops in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing lingering bitter dryness; no hop astringency. Very smooth/soft, not aggressive, minimal warming 6.7%. Fantastic Galaxy, Simcoe, Columbus profile. Very juicy, vibrant, dank, and earthy hops; with a great balanced wheat/oat/malt backbone. Light residual sweetness with lingering resin dryness. Spot on stuff as expected. 4.23


Cheers

 

That doesn't sound like any India Style Pale Lager that I've had before.

 

I visited the brewery and met the owner earlier this year. Great guy, fun space to drink, and great Belgian style beers. His Uncle is a real monk up at Monks Corner, who makes beer, and that’s why he named his brewery Munkle. You’ll have a great time!

 

Oct 6, 2019: 1st reviews of new beers.
Vild Bits | Carton 4.34/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
1st review. Wild is a happy place for Carton, and since I live in town, a happy place for me, because you want to savor while fresh and new.
a) Beet evident in the red color, mostly clear, thin headed pink brew body. Extra points for natural pink color.
s) Sour deserves some fall veg, and gets it year where the beet sugar plays with the beet dirt, battle perfumery with mud.
t) Follows the lovely transitioning taste see saw from sweet beet and perfume to deep wet fall earth, grass, yeast, orchard, all brightened by the dill. This genius combination rivals Context 1.
f) fizzy, yeasty, light.
o) To not be missed, to savor and favor.
Brut Puncher | Carton
4.05/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
1st Review. Billed as Fruited and Brut-ed Pale Ale with 6.5% ABV, SRM 5 and IBU 25. In brut trend and carton trend of fruit/veggie additives, which is working well here and in their sours, like Vild Bits and Context 1 (an all-time favorite)
a) Hazed apricot apa body with scant head or lace, but nice color.
s) faint, fruit, dry, dry white wine-like.
t) More fruit juice, fruit punch. A bit of fallen fruit dankness.
f) but seriously dry and crisp, like a fresh pressed cider. Nice unique, fresh feel.
o) dry bruts with fruit work here, and it's a new beer sensation
Pelican Inn Pale Ale |Lagunitas
3.92/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
The Pelican Inn, Muir Beach, is the first stop on Highway 1 north of San Francisco as it winds across the Marin Headlands, past Muir Woods (a must see Redwoods grove), down Green Gulch Valley by the Zen farm, to the sea. HIking trails spider in every direction and 2 pocket beaches nestle beneath the bulbous headlands and the hip community Muir Beach.
a) Clear brassy golden body, lacy head .
s) English influenced Pale Ale, hops and bread.
t) Follows the hops and bread theme, fresh yeast, almost soapy, juicy, crisp extra bitter finish.
f) Mid, crisp, bitter finish.
o) A perfect pub food beer .

 

Thanks for the review! I have one of these sitting at a buddy's house waiting for us to crack it. Probably at the Halloween party this year, should be a good time. I figured it would basically just be a boozy mess, good to hear it's at least enjoyable. To me it looked like they took inspiration from their new sister brewery, Firestone Walker. Cheers!

My second to last entry is Ommegang's Dubbel Merlau. This is a pretty interesting brew... a version of their Dubbel (which I've never particularly cared much about) co-fermented with Merlot grape juice and aged in French oak. Fun sounding stuff, in theory. How does it hold up during tasting?



Pour is pretty gorgeous. Brick red bordering on ruby with brown-ish undertones and a definitive, hazy appearance. Massive off-khaki head that builds to about 4-5 fingers with an aggressive pour right down the center. I never follow the Ommegang "don't pour the yeast" advice, so excuse my barbaric nature for this one Crazy nice lacing and alright legs. I'm in. All in.

The nose is deep treacle and toffee with a light diacetyl/buttery note and some influence from dark fruits such as plum and red grape. Makes sense considering what's happening here with the co-fermentation. Decently-prominent heavy toast French oak with some more caramel and earthiness at times. Raisin, molasses, herbal spices... you kinda know what I'm getting at here. I feel like if you know anything about the individual components, you probably know what this is like.

Flavor is quite nice. Pretty much a strict improvement over the (not very special) Ommegang Dubbel. I'm into it, but doesn't seem like something I want more than one bottle of. Strong maltiness with a good stiff oakiness and earthy component, which melds well with the dark fruit and Merlot grapes. Lively carbonation and a brighter-than-expected finish that lingers a bit longer than expected. Apricot and apple esters coming out as it warms, but mostly just suggestions of these fruits at the end of the day. A dark, grape-inflected Belgian dubbel with an oaken, semi-tannic finish is pretty much what you're gonna get here. If that sounds good to you, for sure pick it up. Like I mentioned, it doesn't seem like something that demands repeat pours, but I'm appreciative of the concept and execution, plus digging the fact that this wasn't released as some ungodly 750 mL abomination. 12 ounce servings is perfect for such a creation.

 

Huh, I was not aware that anyone at Mepkin Abbey was brewing. Interesting. Looking forward to my trip to Charleston.

 

Thanks! I’ll look for it!

 

Boulevard 30th Anniversary Ale isn't a boozy mess, but is notably wine-forward. If you like dry wine BA beers like Napa Parabola, you'll like this. Still sipping it warm. While I didn't beat it up too bad in the review, I wouldn't seek it out again either.

Our family likes to camouflage Christmas presents when we wrap something that would otherwise be obvious, and the tube this comes in will be great for that!

 

Yeah... generally when the brewer declares the style on the label that is different from the style indicated here on BA, I'll suggest and edit. However, after having tried the beer, I think German Schwarzbier is correct, rather than Black IPL.