New Beer Sunday (Week 769)

Poured into a 13 oz Snulip glass, pours a very attractive near pitch black with a finger of khaki head, that leaves little if any lace. 3.75

Smell is like butterscotch candy, vanilla, and caramel, simple but very pleasant. 4.25

Taste follows but not as good as the smell, butterscotch, caramel, and vanilla and possibly some hints of booze, but just does not do the nose justice. 3.75

Mouthfeel a tad thin, creamy, and drinks like 10%.3.75

Overall I was hoping for more, not bad but after the Milkshake I was hoping for much more. 3.75

 

A rare for me second post here...I pulled this beer out days ago for today’s tasting...and so glad - Bourbon County Brand Bramble Rye Stout:



Poured at 57 degrees; black with ruby edges; fizzy fast tan head; thin ring, no cap retention, no lace; thin ring, thin legs on swirl. Jammy raspberry nose up front with a whiff of booze; strong blackberries!. Taste is blackberries,sweet raspberries, chocolate and whiskey. Medium full plus body; moderate carbonation; jammy fruity tongue coating; minimal warmth from 12.7% abv. Overall, not what I was expecting - the flavors are juicy, fruity and berrylicious and fun!; smooth and worthy for a fruited Stout; Impressive, if you like fruited stouts.

4.25 | 4.5 | 4.75 | 4.5 | 4.5

 

Aww Shucks, guys.
Thanks!

 

Frobscottle from Foulmouthed Brewing.
An American Wild Ale, not my 1st but my 1st rewiew.



4.06/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A strong pour from a 16-oz. can resulted in a finger of fizzy off-white foam(a hint of orange) with short retention, spots of lace slide away. Orange-straw color, cloudy and translucent.

Tart smell of raspberries hits the nose with crackery pale malt and a slight fruit funk.

Low bitterness and neutral on sweetness with a nice balance of sour and tart tastes.
Faint herbal hops and some spice arrive as a saccharin/tart bite builds in the middle.
Artificial raspberry taste blends with sour grape; apple and cherry almost add sweetness.
The finish is fast and clean, sour candy lingers on the palate. Oats add some smoothness.

Light body with reserved carbonation which adds to the soft and even feel. Alcohol is well hidden. Sessionable, not too tart, sour or sweet.

 

Hello Late Night NBS

I've been busier than a one-legged man in an asskicking contest.
Tonight I'm popping a Brut IPA from Chapman Crafted. Let it be known, I am not a fan of Brut IPA's in general.
Früt by Chapman Crafted

Hops: Citra, Amarillo, Mosaic, Idaho 7. With Peach added.

Golden, crystal clear with a continuous flow of tiny bubbles feeding a fluffy, loose white cap that dissipates quickly.
Aroma has a bright citrus notes that immediately bring a honey/buckwheat malt note.
Taste goes in a different direction. Fruity and dry. Peach and apple initially, then the dryness comes back in with an ever so light crackery malt undertone.
Mouthfeel is light, carbonation is less than expected based on the bubble action. Dry on the back end.
Overall, I found this to be a pleasant Brut IPA. But I must note that after drinking and reviewing I noticed the canning date of 4/03/19...So take this review with a grain of salt. I'll seek it out again with a fresher version.

3.58/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

 

He hit me with that a few years back. That whole damn series is friggin' amazeballs.

 

Back from hanging with friends (they started watching The League, which is my bail-point, plus children were around... not a sports fan, and don't really like kids)... good times.

Big ol' flavored imperial stout time! Pipeworks is known for their IPAs and hoppy beers, I think, but they're secretly super good at unusually-flavored strong ales and stouts. I absolutely loved Jones Dog Sundae and Bakla-Bot, for example... hoping this is as good, if not better!

Baked And Layered is an ostensibly German Chocolate Cake inspired imperial stout with chocolate malts, lactose, cacao nibs, toasted coconut, and vanilla, clocking in at 10.5% ABV. This was canned 10/11/19, for the record.



The pour is scary and intimidating with a pure-black liquid decanting into my glass followed by deep-brown head forming atop this very liquid. Yikes. The foam settles down to a quarter-finger of suds that leaves behind absolutely no lace. Like a ghost... in and out with no trace! Retentive, though... no surface foam to speak of, however... I liked the initial pour but the way it ends up is a little inconsequential.

The nose is extremely rich. It smells almost exactly like a nice, decadent slice of German Chocolate Cake! Slight coconut (and I do mean it; this has a very moderated toasted coconut aspect... definitely not like sunscreen as some stouts w/ coconut can be) melds with intense roast and cocoa to create a nice, deep, sensational scent that I definitely enjoy. Some wizardry is going on here, for sure... this is so spot on and only gets better as the beer warms!

Flavor is absolutely incredible! Wow, this is intense. Tons of roast upfront meld immediately into warming alcohol, coconut, cocoa, and sweetening vanilla/lactose. Thick and chewy mouthfeel. Caramel and chocolate graininess really does build up an immense mid-palate here, and there's almost a smokiness to how everything combines. Cross that with the intense ethanol presence and this is just about one of the best flavored imperial stouts I've had recently, alongside Hubbard's Cave French Toast. Man, this is great stuff. One is enough for me, though. I feel like I'll be tasting this beer forever

 

I’d certainly give it a go. Drinking wonderfully!

 

Good evening NBS
I'm starting into the seven Helles style lagers in the Costco mixed case. First up...

The review:
500mL can stamped EXP 05/2021 (19 months from now!) poured into a becher glass at fridge temp 5% ABV. The beer pours bright light straw yellow with nearly white head. The head recedes to a film and leaves some lacing. The aroma is bready with pils malt and floral hops popping through. The taste is bready, with pils malt front and center before a firmly bitter, floral & grassy finish. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. There's a hint of mineral/metallic taste, but it's way in the back and it wouldn't be noticeable in casual drinking. Overall, good. Nice version of a Helles and one of the better beers in the Costco mixed case.

Cheers all!

 

Really enjoyed reading your take.

 

I think I just dedicated myself to some kind of black cult... my second flavored imperial stout in a row for NBS. Thank my lucky stars that I took tomorrow off from work!



Hubbard's Cave Salted Caramel Imperial Stout, clocking in at 12% ABV and featuring (you guessed it) caramel, salt, and lactose.

Pours a dark brown color which border black quite closely. A smallish head of khaki foam builds atop this nice-looking body and leaves behind a decent sheet of lace. Kinda soapy and inconsistent, but not awful by any means. Not much in the way of legs, but what're you gonna do? You're a salted caramel imperial stout in a big world, ya know?

The nose is, well... amazing. Southern Tier, you can give up your claim-to-fame of flavored imperial stouts now, these guys have robbed you entirely of that distinction. This is perfect... a salted caramel chocolate bar without much in the subtext. Ever had a Caramello candy bar? This smells exactly like that. The slight mineral note from the salt is likely to come across even stronger on the tongue, and I'm excited for that. This brewery just knocks flavored stouts out of the park. It's almost disturbing, actually. Who are they? Should they be allowed to do this?

First few sips are in line with what's expected, and I'm amazed. Immense chewy caramel/sweet toffee blended with light cocoa, roasty notes, cold-brewed iced coffee, vanillins, and earthy notes that coalesce into a salty, minerally feel toward the end of each sip. God damn is this great!. It's just so uncanny how perfect everything about this is. Who is responsible for this brewery?! Did they sell their soul to be able to create spot-on flavored stouts? It's sweet and intense with a decadence that completely bespeaks its ingredients, but it is so well-put-together that I'm just at a loss for words. How the actual fuck, though?! I'm at the point where I'll just blanket recommend Hubbard's Cave flavored stouts to anyone remotely interested in the flavored side of dark beer. They're just so good at it, and so consistent that I'm left scratching my head. How?! Is this even legal?! Cheers BA!

 

Another New Beer Sunday!

I am pouring a beer new Christmas release, Anchor's 2019 Our Very Special Ale. This is my first go at this series and I am glad to have picked this up from The Beer Temple. Very fortunate to have beers like Anchor available in Chicago.



Bottled 10/15/19.

(4.25 Appearance) This is a dark brown pour, off-white bubbly head leaves creamy lacing
(4.25 Aroma) Cinnamon, nutmeg, pine, malt chocolate aroma, very nice.
(4.25 Taste) Mirrors aroma, blended malt cocoa, pine, cinnamon, nutmeg, spices.
(3.75 Mouthfeel) Thin body, light fizzy carbonation lingers throughout, easy clean finish.
(4.00 Overall) Overall very good balanced interesting pour.

It's that time of year and I pull out my favorite Christmas song to accompany this pour. RIP Kristy!

 

The 4th out of the four 2019 OoD.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/32763/449797/



500 ml. bottle.
Bottled 17 OCT 2019.
Moderate pour yields a nearly one inch tan head over a black body with sticky lacing. Nose of all kinds of chocolate including milk, dark, bitter, and unsweetened; dark fruit and cinnamon; and a bit of caramel, vanilla, oak, and bourbon from the barrel. Taste mirrors nose with all the flavors coming through famously. As it warms, the barrel asserts itself in a most wondrous way. Nice velvety feel and overall, this could be the best of the OoD Series, so far! Complex and highly drinkable.
Cheers to our pals from up north!!!!!

 

Night cap and the fulfilling moment of what my interlude on page 1 suggested. A celebration beer and a beer worth celebrating. A 3 oz pour of something I've been saving for over a year just for a special occasion like this weekend. My favorite brewery, and this one of a kind offering.

Hair of the Dog
Don- Barrel Aged Double Barleywine





One year, one month after acquisition, it's time to pop the top and indulge with some Don. The color is what you'd expect from HotD, a rather ruddy, rusty orange. As indicated by the description, he is completely flat. Not a single bubble, so sound from the flip top as it's let loose, nothing.

The aroma is absolutely insane on the alcohol front. The rum barrels perhaps stand out the most. A splash of orange liqueur is the only subtlety.

But the flavor... Wow, the flavor. Clearly not for everyone as it truly rings spirit vs. beer, but this is where subtleties DO shine. Fig, plum, and grape followed by waves of orange marmalade and honey slathered walnuts. Maraschino cherries join the fruit bowl as it warms. The complexities are endless as each sip warrants more focus and attention to minor details. It demands you to push through to see what's next.

Sweet, sticky, sappy, bitter, thin, bright, flat, harsh, warming. Damn this is one intense beer.

Here's the tricky part: approach this as an ale, cocktail, or spirit? I pick cocktail. It's a friggin Top Shelf Long Island, Manhattan, and Barleywine rolled into one. It's hot of booze, it's sweet, it's bitter. It's fun, unique, brash and bold. At any rate, people will absolutely love or absolutely hate this. A beer that needs to be explained before ordered, but for those seeking out the truly extreme, here's your "beer". Highly recommend taking small draws which the flip top cap accommodates, or at very best, share this with a well thought out selection of friends.

Cheers.

 

Happy CANtinuing New CANming Straight Outta The Bronx This Sunday, yo (Week 768) from Gun Hill & Heading for Brooklyn (Week 769), Part Deux!
I am not a sour/tart aficionado, so I was kinda dubious about:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34149/419057/?ba=woodychandler#review

OMFG! It is a TOTES disservice to CANsider it as a "Sour Ale", but that was the brewery's choice. It is a CANtastic "Fruit & Field Beer"! The actual blueberries are given CANother dimension from the fruitiness of the hops. Looking for a great Summertime beer? I've found one!

Okay, having gushed about that one, it was time to walk a little bit & board the #2 train, followed by a short jaunt onna B61 bus into Brooklyn for some:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10607/411209/?ba=woodychandler#review

Man, am I hitting it lucky tonight or what? Lightly tart fruited beers & I'm really enjoying them?!? The FBI is going to start looking for alien pods in my basement if this CANtinues ...

Next,
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10607/411208/?ba=woodychandler#review
, then:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10607/411207/?ba=woodychandler#review

Phew! I need a beer after all of that. I went with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10607/381877/?ba=woodychandler#review

That was a beer, all right! I'm wrapping up here for this week. Next week sees me in a deep downtime, so CANything may happen! Stay tuned.

 

Thanks for the research!

I'm certain I've had other beers with Saphir in it. Maybe Live Oak's Italo Pils or their Kleines Bier. Seems like it was in a pilsener and not a pale ale.

Today was a ton of fun at Taylor's relatively new watering hole The Loose Screw. They turned part of the old high school building into a 40-tap craft beer bar, and Ma Premeaux and I enjoyed a wee run through a few of their beers on the board. I live-posted Austin Beerworks' Peacemaker blonde ale. Below is a bit more from the day:

Two Wheel Brewing's Azaccalypse Now, an American pale ale, 6% ABV, 40 IBUs

Mom said "garlic" to open with; I new she meant "grapefruit." But I gotta say, grapefruit peel does have a hint of a lightly sweet as-its-cooking garlic note to it. It was a very tasty beer, not overly bitter and easy to handle all around with a late-arriving bit of biscuit malt to make the end interesting. No official review for now but it's easily a 4+ brew, maybe up to 4.15.

After the blonde ale and an American-hopped pale, we took a blind turn down a road that could've ended in a quick cliff :

Community Beer Company's Snickerdoodle, an English pale mild with Maris Otter malt infused with vanilla bean and whole cinnamon sticks, 5.2% ABV, 15 IBUs

Shockingly good! Utterly shocking. It truly does taste like a shortbread/butter cookie with a little vanilla sweetness (and softness) and the lightest touch of cinnamon, but they did not add sugar in any form, so the brewer's deft touch with the malt is allowed to shine. At times there's even the taste of a little toffee/caramel drizzle over the cookie. I nursed that pint the final 20 minutes of game clock of Cowboys-Lions because I didn't want it to end! The barkeep said it was very good without being over the top, and she nailed it.

Again, no official review, but it's at least a 4.15 and maybe 4.25 for me. Great brew for this time of year.

Ever think you'd be allowed to drink beer in school?



ohthememories



The place was dead as Jacob Marley for the noon kickoffs this Sunday, but apparently they do quite well every Thursday-Friday-Saturday. And every other Sunday they host a food truck and a bi-weekly drinking club that gets the joint mostly full or better. I hope they make it. It's a nice little oasis in tiny Taylor, TX, and a great complement to the town's brewery/brewpub the Texas Beer Company.

Sorry to hog so much cyberspace, and thanks for indulging me!

Cheers, NBSers!