New Beer Sunday (Week 769)

Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere a Wet Hop IPA. I'm surprised I haven't drank this beer before but what can one do. This is one good looking brew. It has a golden amber body and a thick white lasting head. Strong aroma of malt and hops. The taste is malty with hints of caramel, There is also a nice Cascade Hop flavor. The mouthfeel is medium. The finish is hoppy and a little bitter. Another top shelf beer from Sierra Nevada. This is the 3rd wet hop ale for me this year. All 3 were good but different. All 3 used Cascade Hops. The other 2 were from local breweries, Twin Elephant and Cricket Hill. The 2 local used only Cascade Hops. SN used Cascade and Centennial. Cricket Hill used hops from NY State the other 2 used West Coast hops. It would be great to do a side by side by side but not possible now. Maybe next year.

 

Next porter up:

Founders Porter
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 45



Deep black, impenetrable even with a backlight. 1 inch+ thick, creamy, bubbly khaki head, which develops a rocky, pitted surface as it slowly recedes, leaving strings of lacing circling the glass.

Mild aroma: dark fruit with coffee, roasted malts, hints of chocolate.

Feel is silky, but a bit thin.

Taste is roasted malts and coffee front and center, some fruit flavor - plums, perhaps - underneath. Bitterness begins right away and continues and lingers into the aftertaste, but it is not overpowering. Finish is moderately dry.

The overall is a well-done porter, with a stereotypical taste, which is in the end relatively simple.

L: 4.5 | S: 4.0 | T: 4.0 | F: 4.25 | O: 4.0 | BA rating: 4.06

 

It's cold but sunny here near Pittsburgh, PA. I went for a long hike in the woods, where except for a couple mountain bikers, I had the place to myself. This 2,000 acre park by my house provides me with year-round hiking opportunities with a lot of variety of trails. I definitely earned my beer calories! I decided to spend them on this 9.0% Imperial Stout from Harrisburg, PA, which was gifted to me by my son in law.

The Millworks - People's Imperial Stout



Had this from a 12oz 2019 can with no date. My overall score = 3.70

A - Opaque dark brown with a light-brown 1.5-finger head and good lace.
S - Espresso latte with a drizzle of chocolate syrup while eating well-toasted bread with dried cherry preserves. Appealing.
T - Charred grains with acerbic roasted bitterness. Dark roasted coffee with a splash of whole milk. Prune, dried cherry and dried fig. Black pepper. Strong black tea. Tannin. Light caramel sweetness partially mitigates the charred bitterness in the finish.
M - Medium body and light carbonation. Chalky and astringent from the tannin.
O - Too much charred bitterness for me. A little less char and some more sweetness would've gone a long ways to letting me enjoy the submerged dried fruits and caramel that I'd hoped for in the aroma. Looked and smelled really good though.

 

Today’s new beer is from @CanConPhilly who has consistently sent me good beer for about 2 years now. This one is no different.



death tripper from tired hands

appearance is a beautiful opaque, dense looking bright yellowish orange. Moderate amount of eggshell colored head rests on top. Scent is the exact amount of ripeness you could ever want in the following fruits: peach, pineapple, orange, tangerine. Also there is some bubblegum lurking behind all that, which really excites me as I love that taste. On the taste there is BIG bubblegum, pineapple, peach, and some mint. Great flavors all blended nicely together with some light bitterness behind it and zero hop burn. Mouthfeel is beyond medium but not quite full. Soft and pillowy with an adequate amount of carb. Overall this is a great ipa. Thanks again Matt!

 

I believe that beer’s ABV is “just enough.”

Half Acre is the real deal, IMHO. Glad you liked that, I did, too. An easy drinking, well-executed IPA.

 

I was glad to finally get some here in Pittsburgh, PA. One of my annual favorites and I think the 2019 is as good as ever.

 

Craig, you got us started on the right foot today.
I had to get used to a different recycling style when we moved to New Mexico. In Maine everything went into one container that was then picked up. Here, no glass allowed. Fortunately the recycling center is just two miles up the street. Now, like you, I just have to remember to drop off the glass weekly (or biweekly when I've forgotten). Maybe another reason to drink cans, since they can go in my regular recycling.
Today's new beer is a gift from @2beerdogs. Derek, for some unknown reason, has been extremely (and I mean extremely) generous to me, and this seemed like a good beer to review. Turned out to be one of the best beers I have ever had, so thank you Derek!
Today's new beer is Details and Dialects, a barrel aged peach cobbler strong ale, from Bottle Logic. The label says it is a "strong ale aged in bourbon and rye whiskey barrels and then finished with peaches, Vietnamese cinnamon, and Madagascar vanilla," and it is a very apt description.
In my Duvel snifter the beer is a murky brown color with a tinge of red. There is a small tan head that receded rapidly, leaving just a small whirlpool in the middle of the glass.
Aroma of fresh peach, cinnamon, vanilla, and a little booze.
Taste follows the nose. The peach just explodes, and the cinnamon and vanilla are very complimentary. There is some barrel presence.
Big bodied, alcohol (14%) barely noticeable.
My highest-rated beer in quite some time, maybe forever!

 

A new NEIPA by Idle Hands, yet again named after a baseball term (one that I didn't recognize because I don't pay enough attention to the sport/its history, apparently). Backwards K is a 7.1% beer with a focus on Mosaic and Cashmere hops. Cashmere is a newer hop that leans into complex elements of melon, coconut, and spice. Should be fun to see how it works with Mosaic here.



Pour is as expected for an IH NEIPA. Just-about-opaque orangey yellow with a fluffy head that sits lifelessly (yet retentively) on top. Great legs and soapy lace with a super-hazy surface as well. Not bad, definitely on par with stuff like Four Seam and Splitter.

The nose is slightly dank, funky, and piney with a sprinkling of spice notes and a touch of melon/tangerine fruitiness. This doesn't have a very aggressive nose though, for some reason. It's surprisingly dialed back smelling for something with a Mosaic focus, honestly. Some slight earthiness and citrus peel once I pour the rest of my can in my glass. Hmm.

Luckily, this has a more impressive flavor profile for sure. I get that nice solid kick from Mosaic immediately, with some transitional elements of pine resin, cedar wood, and mango before flavors of ripe honeydew melon, gooseberry, tangerine, and guava poke out toward the finish. Very hop-saturated around the close of each sip, but not super bitter. It's also not really... juicy either, though. Has that dank and resinous Mosaic profile with a slight backing of tropical fruit and baking spice. Kind of tastes like Six Seam's little brother or something, but without the more-aggressive malt bill. Pillowy body throughout until the slight spike and spritz in the finish. Well-made beer but nothing spectacular, I don't think. Idle Hands got a new head brewer recently (I think they're on like their fourth or fifth guy at this point) and he has some huge shoes to fill. I don't quite think the new recipes they've had going since he joined have been amazing, but perhaps it's just me. Hope everyone's enjoying their new beers on this Sunday! I took tomorrow off from work just cuz, so I'm headed to a buddy's house to hang out with some friends I don't see as often anymore. Curse you, adulthood! Cheers!

 

Fair State FSB: 2019 Part 1, 13% ABV. Pours thick and black with a three-finger brown head that left no lacing. Nose is marshmallow and chocolate, taste follows, plus honey graham crackers, quite sweet and no bitterness, truly a pastry stout. Excellent thick and smooth mouthfeel with light carbonation. Overall outstanding, to near-world-class. The best s'mores beer I've had.

4.48/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Enjoying NBS while watching the Vikings lose

 

This would really be an All Day IPA, I’m guessing maybe a sub 7% abv beer without the Founders ridiculous session label, which imo is just a bitter bomb. The Mosaic Hero was outstanding too, a I’m saving the last Lost Nation beers for the Eagles game. Then I’m dry to next Friday.

 

Hello again NBS
This is more like it...

The review:
12oz bottle PKG 10/31/19 (17 days ago) poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at fridge temp 11.01% ABV per label. The beer pours mostly bright in a copper & honey amber color. The head is khaki colored and recedes to a firm cap leaving a little lacing. The aroma is moderate with notes of candied orange, grapefruit, pine, toffee and toasted & caramel malt. The taste is semisweet caramel with pronounced bitterness throughout. Additional flavors of cherry, grapefruit, pine, oak, caramel and toffee pop in and out on each sip. The mouthfeel is medium plus bodied with average carbonation and semi dry finish. There's plenty of hops oil and residual malt to keep it from being dry, but it's not sticky sweet either. The alcohol is hidden in the nose, but evident late in the palate. Overall, very good. Think red tinted American barleywine and you're on the right track.

I had no idea this was hitting distribution this year. Last review on BA was two years ago. Really nice and getting better as it warms a bit. I'm out for several hours. My son's year end soccer banquet is tonight, so hours of emotional senior parents torn between the joy of a state championship and their "little boys" being all grown up and moving on. I'm happy my son and his friends are making good decisions and entering their next stages in life.

Cheers all and enjoy the new beer in your glass tonight!

 

Hey what's going on?!

Been a bit of a dull weekend, I guess I can't complain. Sitting around, getting lots of good cooking in, and dealing with some crazy cats.

Luckily I have had a good chance to stock up on some many new beers to get in. Fridge is quite an interesting smorgasborg of breweries and styles which makes things interesting.

I always say, "Variety... is the spice of life!"

Well with that what's first for our hero today?



Poured from the bottle into a Spiegelau IPA glass.

Nearly crystal clear looking body appearance, with a color somewhere between pale amber and orange. Lively carbonation reaching a solid eggshell white, creamy, but full thick easy three finger head. Dollops of cream like lace and pill like lacing adorn the glass. Nice looking brew.

Mix of botanicals and hops on the nose for sure. A lively mix of juniper, coriander, and crispy malt caramel aromas. Hop angle seems to go a little floral to tea like which is a good quality to the added herbs.

Palate seems to go in a different direction. A bit of a weakened and wet mouthfeel, that brings a bit of herbal heat on first sip. Hot hits of ginger like flavors and herb at first. Subsequent sips get into more rind and citrus peel like character. Dried out lemon and citrus peel, with hot zest like bitterness that washes pretty quickly on the palate. Nice aftertaste of good minty like herbs and malt sweetness to match.

Some very neat flavors, but strangely doesn't seem to have as much hop character to discern from. Neat tasting brew though.

look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4 | BA Generated Score: 3.97

Cheers!

 

I'm happy to hear you found that one as enjoyable (and interesting) as I did. I see that one as potentially very polarizing. As for me, I feel like they nailed the homage to peach cobbler. Reminded me of the cobbler my grandmother used to grace me with (minus the ice cream).

 

Wow, what a gorgeous head.

 

Good afternoon NBS BAs! My wife has been a collector and part time dealer of mid century modern furniture and porcelain/glassware/art for years...

Understandably, she insists I pack and move it myself...I have been diligent, using our RV, and a friend’s p/u truck, and in a day or so, our apt. will be empty of her collection (don’t get me started on what’s in storage ).
This coming Friday the professional movers get what remains...until then, beer me:

I’m happy that the Lagunitas’ Willettized Coffee Stout, aged in Rye Oak Barrels arrived here in SWFL yesterday:

I’m enjoying this beer so much, I’ve opened a second as I write this review:



and beer #2, warmed up to 55 degrees:



Poured at 55 degrees; two fingers of creamy mousse like light tan then changes to dark tan head sits atop a black with ruby edges body; ok to minimal cap retention; solid ring; moderate heavy lacing; medium legs; lace remains soapy down the glass as beverage is consumed. Nose is chocolate, rye whiskey, oak and vanilla; roast coffee as liquid warms. Taste follows nose; add layers of sweet dark fruit - cherries and plums; and bitter roast coffee, as liquid warms; toffee/coffee finish. Moderate carbonation, medium body; warmth/face flushing from 12.4%; dry rye, but not wooden, tongue coating. Overall, for me, the rye/barrel oak notes are not too drying; multiple layers of fruit and malt flavors are well balanced; the body is a tad thin, but dangerously so...I’m on my second!; so much flavor and bang for the buck at $13.99 a 4/pk...another winner from Lagunitas!

4.75 | 4.5 | 4.75 | 4.5 | 4.75

Cheers gang!

 

Here is a Tree House beer that is new to me - I Will Not Be Afraid. I have to say that personally I have never had a MEH beer from those people. I don't know about all the other over hyped breweries personally, but I do think TH deserves all the hype they get.

4.45/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

I poured this from a 16oz can dated 10.30.19 into my favorite stout glass that is diagonally cut for aroma enhancement.
A completely opaque black body sits below a robust brown head. The head fades, but lacing persists. Some of the brownest foam I have seen on a beer in quite a while. Luckily my glass doesn't hold 16 oz, so I was able to keep refreshing the head despite the fade.
And that body opacity....... based on the can art, they could have called this Black Hole at the Center of the Galaxy.
The aroma brings me back down to earth. Sweet chocolate, milk chocolate and even dark chocolate. There is a hint that some of the nose is from the malts. The can notes imply that many malts were used.
Taste with this one goes hand in hand with the mouth feel. Swiss miss on steroids. Like as if you put caramel, dark chocolate and a touch of coffee in your Swiss Miss that you made with whole milk, not water. For a 9.3 ABV the alcohol is practically undetectable.
I shared this with 3 people present, including one that does not drink beer and they were all impressed.

 

NBS x 3. Next up comes courtesy of @thebeers . Thought this would be fun to enjoy on its first birthday, but the day before being a Sunday felt just as appropriate.



Tired Hands
Quaggy- Fruited, Dry Hopped, Mixed Culture Saison





Cascading from the bottle, Quaggy looks like lemon juice. In the glass, Quaggy looks like lemon juice. A vibrant but clouded straw yellow with only a perimeter ring of white bubbles is about all she wrote.

Acidic aromas mostly comprised of lemons, lime, and green apple skins. Touches of passion fruit, orchard fruits and old, damp wood. An interesting yellow curry like spice to it on the finish, which is a first for me.

Starts off… hold a sec. Wow, does this thing punch your tongue with some acidity! Anyway, moving on… Lemon and line once again take lead. A touch of funky passion fruit and peach flesh leads into that similar musty barnyard siding, and yet another first, a kalamata olive finish. I've experienced some olive like notes, mostly in stouts, but nothing quite like this. For what it's worth, I absolutely love kalamata olives.

Thin bodied, light carbonation, and puckering tartness. A little earthy feeling, meaning dirty on the lips, and any sweet or bitter elements are nearly undetectable thanks to the lovely sour dominance.

If this wasn't so tart, this thing would be gone in seconds. It just straddles that line of being insanely drinkable, but I'm glad it's not. I'll enjoy sipping on this for a while.

After my official review I gave Quaggy a rating of 4.14 with an rDev of -1.0%. Cheers and thanks again Arthur!

 

Based on your review, I will be looking for this one!