New Beer Sunday (Week 766)

Care to share the name of her podcast @lordofthewiens ? I listen to (mostly) beer podcasts during my commute and at work. I’m always looking for something else to listen to.

Moving on, I received this new beer from @thisischuck01 in the Savages BIF.
According to the rules of the BIF, any blind beer received must be drank first before moving on to the rest of the box. Charles crushed me and I want to get to some of those tomorrow (or later today). Plus, I follow the rules. Here goes.


**Mystery Beer Review**

I rolled the can before I opened it just in case.
Pours a soft yellow with peach undertones, fizzy white head. Clear body.
Nose of dough, lemon cake, lime.
Taste follows. Lemon/lime, soft, lightly floral, slightly sweet finish.

Effervescent body, clean and crisp. First thought was a lager but the lemon lime/7up taste is throwing me. Gose? No salinity. Golden ale with citrus zest? Possibly but a nice clean finish leads me to say no. Going with a lager here, very light in alcohol. Honestly, I would not be surprised if this was one of those NA craft beers.

This would be killer in the summer.

Reveal?



I have it at 3.84, rDev of +3.5%.

 

I got back from a trip late Saturday and by the time I made it home and unpacked, it was after midnight and a new beer from a local (and really good) brewery seemed like just the thing. I made some tasting notes and just now typed them up for a review.

Of interest, I listen to a lot of podcasts, primarily about science and comedy; although I do routinely enjoy "The Session" from The Brewing Network. My leisure reading habits lean towards mystery and science fiction and at the moment, I working through the excellent Nero Wolfe mysteries by Rex Stout in chronological order. The mystery/beer podcast mentioned by lordofthewiens sounds like one that I'd enjoy. On to the beer:

Insurrection AleWorks - Looking For Owls



Had this 8% DIPA near Pittsburgh, PA from a 16oz can; not dated. My overall rating = 4.04

A - Mostly-hazy with a 1-finger white head that drops quickly leaving light lace

S - Dank, pineapple, orange candy. On the mild side.

T - Wheat toast with pineapple and orange peel marmalade. Herbal and pepper spice. There's some orange candy sweetness in the finish to help balance the piney bitterness but it does finish pretty dry for a DIPA.

M - Medium body and light-medium carbonation. Substantial, prickly and moderately resinous.

O - It's a good, West Coast-leaning double IPA. The flavor wasn't as dank as I expected from the aroma. Works for me.

 

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass canned on 9/19/19. Pours a very attractive hazy orange with a finger plus sticky white head that leaves loads of thin lace behind with excellent retention. 4.5

Smell peach, pineapple, papaya, mandarin, and apricot. 4.25

Taste follows peach, pineapple, tangerine, papaya, and apricot very tropical and very little bitterness. 4.5

Mouthfeel is big for 6.5%, soft creamy mouthfeel, sticky not dry, and drinks bigger but very crushable. 4.5

Overall this is another great beer from this brewery. As good as any beer you can purchase on shelves in my opinion. 4.5

 

Good day New BSers! It's starting off a rainy sunday here in NW PA. @lordofthewiens, please share the name of your wife's podcast with us.

Today's New Breakfast Beer:



$ 6.00 (Including tax)/bomber ($0.273/oz) from Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA. Reviewed 10/27/19.
Undated bottle. Stored on the shelf at the store, stored at home at 42 degrees and served at 55 degrees.
Appearance – 3.5.
First pour – Amber, hazy.
Body – Dark brown, opaque. When held to the light, some penetration occurs at the top, showing dark brown and murky.
Head – Medium (Maximum 3.2 cm, aggressive center pour), tan, initially fizzy but settling into a high-density head with a few rocks, short duration, diminishing to a two to four mm crown fed by effervescence with a thin partial cap.
Lacing – None. Not unexpected at 9% ABV.
Aroma – 4 – Malt, dates, figs, brown sugar.
Flavor – 3.5 – Begins with medium malt flavors and approaches cloying. The nose does not directly translate to the taste, the taste being more muddled and of generic dark fruit. No alcohol (9 % ABV) flavor or aroma, no diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide. Gastric warming does abruptly occur after the first swallow but does not repeat.
Palate – 3.5 – Full, almost creamy, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.25. (-0.25 point for undated personal container). Drinkable, but not really a good example of a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. The price is appropriate.
Rating 3.57, rDev -9.4%.

 

Slightly hazy golden color with good cap and lacing.

Aroma of fresh, bright, juicy hops.

Taste is a burst of fresh hop juice, so to speak, that strikes me as fresh and lively. Predominately citrus flavors with some floral touches. Complex and well balanced.

Medium texture with balancing carbonation.

A very capable brew that checks all the boxes.

 

I’m back, but with moderation. Enjoying a few on the weekends from here on out.

Today I’ve got one from the generous gent himself @TheGent

Beer: Nitro Basic Coffee
Brewery: Carton Brewing
ABV: 8%

Pouring from a 16 oz. can into a PAA mug, this beer pours a pure, clear golden color like an apple juice. Over a finger worth of tightly packed, tingy yellow bubbles form on top and stick around with persistence.

The nose carries in a lingering, roasty coffee mixing with different spices and a sweeter side of cream. Ginger, cloves, slight nutmeg with the sweet, creamy aspect being vanilla.

The coffee takes a backseat in this one with the mix of all the spices, but is still able to be found. It’s almost like a fall/seasonal spiced coffee. I could see drinking this at a pumpkin patch or picking out a Christmas tree in the colder months. Vanilla presence comes across as a creamer.

There is a slight warmness that stays consistent throughout the drink, which is surprising since the 12% versions have no alcohol evident whatsoever. Creamy, with a medium body but a full sweetness.

Overall, while this might not be my favorite of the Carton coffee series, it’s a damn nice touch to a fall morning. And saying it’s not my favorite in the Carton coffee series isn’t really saying anything with how much I love all of them. This is a welcomed brew to evolve the coffee game even further and make it have a seasonal feel to it.

Huge thanks Anthony, I appreciate the chance to try it!

 

Nice review! I feel pretty much the same way about that one. I like the relatively low ABV and it’s a nice and unique enough supplement for other Autumn-spiced beers.

 

Good morning NBS and thanks @lordofthewiens for the reminder that a good second act is key in this life. We attended the Great Pumpkin Festival at Cambridge Brewing Co, yesterday. Boy do they know how to throw an event. 46 draft options, 6 special openeings 3 per session. The costumes were amazing.
Today's offering is a straight down the middle, Bourbon Barrel stout from Heretic. My first exposure to this brewery. A very good stout treated well in the barrel
Cheers al

Incubus

Heretic Brewing Company
American Imperial Stout | 12% ABV

4.16/5 rDev -1% | Average: 4.2
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 2016 version, 22 oz bottle into the test glass
A - Chalkboard dark, gentle carbonation supports a thin ring of off white froth.
S - Cola, raisin, fig, barrel contributions are really focused, vanilla, char, molasses, add roast and dark barley.
T - Roast barley, cocoa, (interestingly not prominent in the nose). The bourbon barrel comes in strong here, with strong vanilla, and char. Both are prominent. A touch of anise, blackberry and mint add a layer of complexity.
M - Medium to lite in body. A bit slick of a start, then a quick wash of alcohol, acts as the clean up crew, The finish is semi sweet and nicely bitter like a good dark 80% cocoa bar.
O - A very good and nicely treated Imperial, the barrel does not overrun the base beer. Quite good texture as it warmed.
This being a 2016 is nearing the end of any benefit of aging.

 

Something old is ‘new’ again!?!

A few weeks ago I discussed a blind tasting of three locally produced Oktoberfest beers: Sly Fox, Stoudts and Workhorse.

Today I will not be putting my blindfold on but will discuss a new brewery’s beer of Mainstay Oktoberfest along with an old favorite of Sly Fox Oktoberfest.

This will be an intriguing tasting since there is a lot of common history here as regards the head brewer/co-owner of Mainstay Brewing and Sly Fox. Below is something I posted recently on this topic:

“Sly Fox Brewing opened up in 1995 and in my opinion they really came into their own when they hired Brian O’Reilly as their head brewer in 2002 (not that the beers were ‘bad’ prior to then). Brian just seemed to have a great touch in brewing lagers such as Helles, Pilsners, etc. Even though Brian has left Sly Fox to be a co-owner of Mainstay Brewing his many years at Sly Fox has left a great heritage of brewing knowledge and talent at Sly Fox Brewing.”

Mainstay opened in the fall of 2018 and will be celebrating its one year anniversary in a few days. I wonder if they will have an event for this.

I really should not be speculating prior to drinking the Mainstay Oktoberfest but I just can’t help but wonder how closely this beer will be to Brian’s ‘baby’ of Sly Fox Oktoberfest. Or will he decide to do something ‘different’ here?

Firstly, let’s see what is published here.

Mainstay Oktoberfest

From the untapped website:

“A traditional fest beer brewed to honor lager beer tradition. Darker kilned Munich malts give this beer a deep cooper hue while Tettnang and Hallertau hops add a gently spicy balance.”

Sly Fox Oktoberfest

From Sly Fox:

“Oktoberfest

German-Style Lager

13.8 OG 25 IBUs 6.1% ABV

This traditional Oktoberfest beer celebrates the arrival of Fall. It is a medium-bodied, smooth and malty brew made with German Vienna malts and German hops.

AWARDS:

Bronze Medal GABF 2013”

Well as the old saying says “The proof is in the pudding” so let’s drink!

Served in my Spiegelau Lager glasses:

Appearance

Sly Fox: Light golden colored; off-white head.

Mainstay: Medium golden colored; off-white head.

Aroma

Sly Fox: A combination of bready malt, some sweetness along with just a tiny bit of fruit and spice.

Mainstay: A dark bready malt aroma accompanied with an aspect of sweetness. The hop aroma was quite subdued.

Taste:

Sly Fox: Bready malt character dominates. The hops do not stand out explicitly but there is balance there; a moderate level of bitterness. The finish is bready with just a hint of sweetness.

Mainstay: The dark bready flavors dominate but there is indeed a noticeable sweetness component. Low/moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel

Sly Fox: A medium mouthfeel and a medium-dry finish.

Mainstay: A medium mouthfeel and a medium-dry finish.

Overall

Sly Fox: I really liked this beer! It epitomizes the quality of good balance between malt & hops.

Mainstay: I really liked this beer too. It was more-ish with dark bready flavors and increased sweetness but it was less-ish as regards hop flavor. Maybe the sweetness aspect overwhelms the hop flavor contributions?

Cheers to Sly Fox and Mainstay for producing tasty Oktoberfest beers!

@ KOP_Beer_Outlet @rotsaruch @ @RobH @NeroFiddled

 

A-Pours a dark color with a nice tan head and lacing
A-Aroma has generous chocolate and Bourbon hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a very generous and well balanced chocolate and Bourbon flavor
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A great Imperial Stout

 

Thanks @lordofthewiens for the great start to this weeks NBS. Will be back with a new beer later on.

Cheers!

 

A-Pours a dark color with a nice tan head and lacing
A-Aroma has generous cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla and chilies hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a very generous and well balanced cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla and chilies flavor
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A great Imperial Stout

 

Soggy Sack Wet Hop Ale from Cricket Hill Brewing in Fairfield NJ. First a little bit of background on this beer. On 09/09/19 people from Cricket Hill drove to Penning's farm in Warwick NY. They harvested 40 LBs of Cascade Hops and drove back to the brewery. It's a 45/50 min. drive. At the brewery the brewery started brewing a batch of their American Ale. Once at the brewery the hops were taken off the vines and put into sacks. When it was time to add the hops the sacks were put into the brew kettle. Hence the name Soggy Sacks. The ale was 1st served on 10/17/19
I drank this yesterday at the brewery. It's a fine brew . Soggy Sack Wet Hop Ale has an ABV of 5.7% . It pours a cloudy gold color with a thick white head. It has a really nice aroma some pineapple and fruits There if some malt in the taste but the hops are the what this beer is about. They do a fine job showing off hints of several things. The mouthfeel is light and the finish is long lasting and dry. Overall a very enjoyable beer. To bad it can only be brewed once a year.

 

From our virtual bar mate @scream, the limited 6th Anniversary (2018) release from 3 Sheeps Brewing, Sheboygan, WI - “BBA Uber Joe”:









A fast fizzy greyish tan head leaves no ring or cap, at 55 degrees; liquid is brown with ruby see through; micro dots of lace and thin legs on swirl. Chocolate, vanilla, coffee and a hint of bourbon with boiled peanuts in the nose. Roast malt, nutty, cocoa; whispers of vanilla and coffee; cocoa nibs/ bittersweet dark chocolate; no bourbon. Medium minus body, moderate minus carbonation, lite dry oaky tongue coating; little warmth from the abv. Overall, the flavors are well balanced and the drinking is easy and deceptive for the abv; I read on line that the abv is either 12% or 14%...the bottle says 18%?...drinks/feels more like an imperial brown, and I didn’t find Bourbon in the nose or taste; still, I enjoyed drinking this beer, and would drink again!

4.0 | 4.0 | 4.25 | 4.0 | 4.0

 

A-Pours a light amber golden color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has citrus and tropical hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a citrus and tropical flavor
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A good NEIPA

 

What's shakin', NBSophiles?
It is a rainy fall day here in Montreal and I am just dinking around doing house things and getting some things ready for winter. Luckily I can do most of that without getting wet. Without really planning to I have ended up with a lot of dark beers and beers than I don't immediately gravitate to, so I think that's what I'll be drinking today. For my first beer, I'm going to have a sour made with blueberries that I got a while back in the Canuckistan BIF. This one is out of British Columbia and I'm pretty sure it's the first beer I've had from Parallel 49. I explicitly said I wasn't nuts on sours and the guy who drew me took it upon himself to send a bunch of sours. However, they have been mostly good so far, so this one could go either way.

It pours clear, pinkish-violet with a brief off-white head. Meh retention; some fat lacing swoops.
Aroma features a firm acetic twang, earthy sugar underneath, some oxidation. Interesting flavor with light crisp sourness, a surprising amount of subtle blueberry pseudo-sweetness, nutty malt whiff at finish. This almost seems smoky/ashy as I progress through the glass. Even my burps are ashy. Dunno what the deal with that is... It is dry with moderate carbonation, just sour enough to be sour, but is not shocking. This is a tasty fruited sour overall. It is definitely oxidized but not to the point that it takes away from it. Regardless I'll bet it's be really nice fresh. I am kind of taken aback at how the blueberries came through. I'm far from experienced as I don't often drink fruit beers but I've always read that they are delicate and it is really hard to get flavor out of them. Anyway, this is a pretty solid beer that accomplishes what it sets out to. It could certainly be a little more complex in some ways, but it is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.
In other news:
I just got word that my tour this afternoon was canceled so I hope to be back with more beer soon!
Vive l'automne!

 

Good morning NBS, rain day here but it should be a lazy one. Hoping the Eagles actually show up to play today. First beer today Austin Brothers Triple Berry Sourbet, thanks @strohme2!

4.23/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Thank you strohme2 for this
16 oz can, dated 9/12/19, poured into a pint glass

A- A hazy reddish purple with a small pink head.

S- Sour, tons of berries, raspberries, blackberries, some blueberries, lemons, lots of lactose.

T- Sour, raspberries, blueberry skins, blackberries, lemons, some lactose, hints of earthiness.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- A well done lactose sour, fruits are big and bold, lactose isn’t over done.

Cheers NBS!

 

Happy Sunday, NBS crew! I love Other Half and Burley Oak, so was very excited when @thisischuck01 gave me a can of this collab. Haven’t had a Jream in several years, so this almost-Jream scratches a persistent itch.

All Jream Everything - Other Half + Burley Oak
Imperial Sour Ale - 8% abv
Canned 9/27/19 (30 days ago)
Score: 4.19 (-4.8% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33510/441273/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
I’m all over the place on this one. It looks ugly, and is way over-carbed, to the point that it spewed out of my glass (with a gentle pour, mind you) and made a giant mess on my table. The smell is amazing. Tropical smoothie beach drink that you’ll notice even on the other side of the room. Taste isn’t as good as the nose. Sweet banana (almost candied plantain) dominates, leaving the coconut and mango in the background. As a coconut fiend, I wish they had used less banana or more of everything else. On the whole, it’s an enjoyable beer, that I would compare more to a fruited Tripel than anything Other Half or Burley Oak make individually (including every other Jream I’ve tried). Glad for the chance to experience this weirdo. Thanks again Charles!