New Beer Sunday (Week 772)

Thanks for the start @lordofthewiens and enjoy the trip with your family.

My first new beer this Sunday is Bourbon County Brand Mon Cheri Stout. I’ve got a third of the bottle left at this point and will likely cork it soon.







Pulled from my fridge at 37 and began the review 15 minutes after. Sipping on it now for over an hour.

Look: The beer pours viscous and black from the bottle. A finger of light brown, loosely packed head forms but quickly dissolves to the sound of soda fizzing away upon first pour. I’m left with a thin ring of light brown foam around the edge of the glass. The liquid is opaque and pitch black, with some hints of burnt sienna around the edge when held into the direct light. A nice looking stout, though some head retention would improve the appearance.

Smell: Upon first whiff a huge amount of milk chocolate. Thick and fudge-y smelling. There is a fruity brightness as well that reminds me of Cella’s cherry cordial candy. That sweet, cherry/chocolate syrupy note. Like the liquid inside the chocolate. Dark, dried fruit. Figs and dates. A sweet grainy aroma. Burnt sugar / brown sugar. Based on the tasting notes they’ve nailed the aroma. The beer does not smell “hot.” A nice achievement for 14.1%.

Taste: Wow. Upon first sip this beer drinks like a granola fruit bar. Unreal. The dark, dried fruit on the nose is brighter and comes through more as raisin / white raisin on the palate. The granola aspect really shines through a lot. Sweet and grainy. Some vanilla. Like something you’d expect from a Cliff bar or Basic 4 cereal. There is some tartness that comes through as fresh cherry. Never artificial, offputting or diverting from the sweetness and roast of the base stout or flavors added by the bourbon barrel.

Feel: Pretty thin for my preference with a 14.1% bourbon barrel aged stout. Sticky sweetness on the lips which is nice, but overall lacking on the palate.

Overall: Upon first whiff from the bottle this beer screamed granola bar with dried fruit. It’s hard for me to turn on the beer after such favorable initial impression. The alcohol is non-existent on the aroma and subdued on the flavor, but for some pleasant warmth in the pipes. This one really delivers for me.



Catch you all on the flip side after my nap

 

You are certainly fortunate to have had interesting stages in your varied in-law progression. This most current group is the best yet and good for you. I fell in love with my wife the first time I saw her. She is a Greta Garbo clone. It's a long story but for brevity's sake, I was 30 and she was 22. We've been married 38 years and it's my only marriage. I was better friends with her mother than any of her (my wife's) five siblings, and that has instructed me strongly in my life. Cheers to you for your obvious happiness. It's all kinda like golf, the more one practices the luckier one gets.

 

I know that I would like that beer. I love the original Fischer, the wines and history of Alsace, and understand that beer's a departure from lots of tradition. Kudos to them!

 

Good morning NBS
Post nightshift new beer

The review:
12oz canned 11/01/19 (37 days ago) poured into a snifter at fridge temp 10% ABV 32 IBU. The beer pours dark brown with orange highlights and medium brown head. The head recedes to a thin ring and a single layer of bubbles. Minimal lacing. The aroma is malty with oak barrel and light citrus notes. The taste is more malt & honey with citrusy, boozey barrel coming through mid-palate and sticking around until the mildly bitter finish. The alcohol presence in the aroma and taste actually grow as the beer warms, but seems to be intentional and well integrated. It rides a line between balance and too much. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with just less than medium carbonation and a dry, oaky finish. Overall, good, but not great. I applaud Taxman's willingness to experiment with all types of spirit barrels. I've not had a bad beer Vault Series beer from them. I have another can to share or age for a while. I predict this will be better in a few months.

@lordofthewiens, speaking of in law's. I've probably told this story before, but I'll share again. My wife and I were young & in college when we met and she wanted to bring me home to meet her folks. It was winter, a four hour drive and started snowing immediately after we left with her driving. She slipped and slid all over the road for hours while I asked her to slow down or let me drive. She let me know about 15 minutes before we reached her folks home that her dad didn’t let her drive in snow and it was her first time. He offered me a Coors Light about 5 minutes after we hit the door. I drained that can in one drink and then realized that was my first impression. We'll have been married 23 years later this month and I couldn't have joined a better family.

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

 

Happy CANtinuing New Oliver Beer Sunday (Week 772)!

Last week was all new Oliver B.C. beers from BALMD where my mate Steve Jones toils in modest obscurity. Not only did I not run through them all (nor did I CANticipate doing so), but I also found some more over the course of this past week. One even requires a pic, which is on the to-do list for the day.

Speaking of which, does anyone else take & resize pictures for this site? I have a CANbined 1,265 Beer & Place pics under my belt. I have gotten very good over time, thanks to a good camera, a tripod, a light stand & umbrella & a LOT of exbeerimentation. I use resizeyourimage.com & while it CAN be tricky at times, I have mastered its subtle nuances. The approval process is MUCH quicker than it used to be & I have a standing policy that none of my beers shall be Crack!ed or Pop!ped open until an approved pic is in place. There was a recent flap about copyright infringement & I CAN proudly say that all of my work, no matter how off-centered or tilted or what-have-you, has been my own.

No in-laws. I never married. Ann & I were both on active duty & when she got out, she had had enough of the life & did not want to be tied to me & my budding career. 8=( Lynn proved to be too crazy even for me. 8=( Linda Lou left me while I was on deployment to marry someone else! 8=O Finally, Deb & I were separated by too many miles & parted amicably. I am fairly happy in my bachelor existence.

Back, briefly, to pics. I really dig @Shanex 's entry today. I have not made it that far east in France, but that is where my mother's father's family (Kirsch) hails from. I have adopted Metz as my French Ligue 1 football team after reading about it & Nancy in an anthology of war letters. Check out the jigsaw puzzle in the acCANponying pics:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46063/236006/?ba=woodychandler#review
&

All right! That is enough to get us started. I'll be back later with more … stuff!

 

Do you know what “Axe Man” means?

Last week I discussed how some Surly beers became available in Pennsylvania for the first time via a business called Brew Pipeline. I previously discussed Surly Furious and this week I will discuss the second brand that became available: Todd the Axe Man.

I have heard of Surly Brewing before, primarily via BA thread discussions, but frankly since these beers were not distributed to my area I really did not pay much attention. Now that I have purchased them I am a bit more ‘in tune’ here.

So, who is this Todd dude that is listed as part of the brand name you might ask? Well, I have come to find out that it is the first name of a brewer that used to work for Surly. His full name is Todd Haug. He apparently left Surly under some ‘interesting’ circumstances back in the fall of 2016 and is presently working for 3 Floyds Brewing which is now being distributed to PA. Maybe this beer will get me motivated to purchase some 3 Floyds beers?

Now, the second question you might ask is: If Todd has been gone from Surly for 3 years why are they still naming this beer after him? In a recent BA thread post Bill Manley of Surley mentioned that they are now calling this beer just “Axe Man” and will deplete their existing inventory of cans which list Todd the Axe Man (like the cans I purchased) with the shortened brand name.

Let’s circle back to the question I posed above of what does “Axe Man” refer to here? I would have guessed Lumber Jack but I would have been wrong. In the jargon of Heavy Metal music apparently the guitarist is referred to being the “Axe Man” and since Todd Haug enjoys playing Heavy Metal music on his guitar he is the Axe Man here.

You learn something new every day, eh?

I went to the Surly website to learn more about the beer:

“IPA

Color: Straw-Gold

Hops: Citra, Mosaic

Malt: Golden Promise

OG: 16º Plato

Yeast: English Ale

IBU: Low

ABV: 7.2%”

On the back of the can some descriptive text:

“This bright IPA has hop character as intense as a thrash metal guitar.”

And:

“Pour this in a tulip glass and let the aromas and flavors assault your senses.”

Enough about the ‘music’ here: let’s drink!

Served in my Gulden Draak tulip glass:

Appearance

A golden color with a slight haze and a fluffy white head.

Aroma

The hop aromas dominate with mostly tropical fruits but a subtle onion aroma as well, There is not much in terms of malt on the nose.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with mostly tropical fruits but there is onion noticeable in the background. There is a low/moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel

Medium body with an off-dry finish.

Overall

This beer is pretty good for the most part. I am personally not a fan of onion flavor in beers but at least the onion aspect is a ‘lesser’ quality in this beer.

Cheers!

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @RobH @BillManley

 

Had this one last night and agree if you are a smoked beer guy you with get this beer, if not then a low score may be in order. I enjoyed this beers malt and smoke complexity and will enjoy the last 5! @TongoRad

 

Good morning and happy New Barleywine Sunday, BAs. I've actually got quite a few of the style resting below, so who knows, maybe I'll get to more than one of them today? Anyway, been a pretty chill weekend. Picked up the tree where we took some pics with some Christmas Alpacas, then had a nice "relaxing" day decorating said tree that was graciously (un)willing to give it's life for my kids enjoyment. Today, other than my psycho son being up since 2:40 am (hence my "early" contribution), nothing. Just the way I like it. Time for a brew.

First George
Sign Of The Wolf- English Barleywine, Cognac and Bourbon Barrel Aged



You know... As I began to think about this review, something dawned on me; "English" Barleywines are few and far between, even worse, I hardly ever come across an actual British one these days. Another thing is how versatile the style actually is. No two look the same, and hardly ever do they smell, taste or even feel the same. My favorites range from almost orange candy sweetness to heavily toasted and quite bitter. Looking forward to this one from Astoria, Oregon despite its "Virginia" roots.



It's not pretty, but the toasted caramel appearance is appropriate, comforting, warming. There's no perfect clarity, if anything, it's rustic, primitive even. But beautiful. Amber highlights shimmer around the edges, with oranges and reds blending into that walnut brown, like the turning fall leaves of our deciduous friends. A thin pillow of lightly tanned foam disappears almost immediately giving no option but to look at the still liquid itself.

For a beer that's aged in Cognac and Bourbon barrels, you'd expect an explosion of aromas. In fact, it's rather subtle. An almost sweet and sour approach in my opinion. Dried cherries and golden raisins dance around light brown sugar and clean wooden barrels. Everything is encompassed by just a touch of dessert spices, and though this is not old by any means, there is a touch of oxidation like must lingering around the surface.

The first sip suggests a citric inspired marmalade. Orange and lime are quickly overcome by brown sugar, caramel, cherrywood, nutmeg, and raisin. A mild tartness comes though in the form of red grapeskins, and the wood of the barrels linger long in the finish.

Hardly a knock, but it's a bit thin. Other than that, this has it all. Sweet, tart, bitter, woody, dry, crisp, slick. The elevated abv is virtually, and dangerously, undetectable. The barrels woody and dry contributing influence is well detected, but compliments rather than overpowers throughout.

Another fantastic offering from Fort George's Sweet Virginia Series. To be honest, I am not sure if this would benefit from age or not. It's already wonderfully smooth and I doubt any richness will develop. My only regret was not buying more than one.

After my official review, I gave Sign of the Wolf a rating of 4.31 with an rDev of -6.7%. Cheers!

 

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

Cheers!

 

Happy Sunday, NBS crew! Cracking open a precious bottle sent to me by @jhavs in the last round of the Savages bif. I’ve only had a couple from this Hill Farmstead offshoot before (both provided by Jon), and so far they’ve all been excellent.

Walking Insects - Wunderkammer
American Wild - unknown abv (guessing low)
Bottled June 7, 2019
Score: 4.48 (+3.7% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/47666/427132/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
This is what a Christmas beer should be. Although not their intent explicitly, this beer smells and tastes like a christmas tree farm...just without the fake cinnamon/nutmeg/allspice additions. The spruce, fir, and pine are balanced by a noticeable acidity and vinegar tartness, but it’s restrained and in perfect proportion. If I had known what this beer tasted like, I would have saved for Christmas Day, after the meal. Oh well, enjoying it greatly on this chilly pre-Christmas morning. Thanks again Jon!

 

Joining @TheGent in sampling the Mon Chéri edition of BCBS...

Cherries, granola, oats, brown sugar, and, "natural flavor" lol - whatever that means...

Anyways, taking a bit of a shot here, as I am not partial to cherries, but I figured, why not? They had em behind the counter and later, on the shelf at Total Wine...

Pour was clear dark ruby brown, producing a black-bodied beer in the glass, with a translucence around the edges... Aromas of cherry, chocolate, and booze seemed most prominent, with undertones of chewy dark fruits and damp leather... Sweet, of course, with chocolate, somewhat tart dark cherries, and molasses and bourbon... Flavors reminded me of fruit leather and dark chocolate... Bitterness was low, folded into the chocolates, but overpowered by the tangy tartness of cherry and the rich robes of chocolate... some drying and woodiness towards the finish airs it out, but doesn't remove the wet shellac of boozy fruit... Medium-full-bodied, sticky, low carbonation but with some tingle and bright cherry moments... I liked it more than I thought, but I remember Bramble Rye days, so I have high expectations - but a really nice drink - about to enjoy the second half over in WBAYDN...

2019 bottling has a "drink by" dating of 8/25/24...

Here's to new beer in your glass, cheers...

 

Hello New Beer Sunday!!!

I'll start off by saying that I don't have any in-laws. I'm a single guy, who hasn't found a woman with enough brain damage to want me, but not too much that she's a drooling mess. I'm still hoping to find her, but, this area I live in totally stinks for finding women my age.

Maybe, someday, I'll find her. I just hope I'll have some time to actually be able to enjoy her being part of my life. I'm not getting any younger.

But, now on to the main reason why we're here: new beer.


New Glarus Brewing Berliner Apfel.

I got this for the BIF, because I knew one of my targets really wanted New Glarus beers. So I sent a bottle of this to @SouthernSips , but I hadn't tried it myself, until now.

This beer knocked my taste buds to the Moon! So much working together here. The apple flavor is amazing, but it's backed up by a pear flavor. I love both, and, I love this beer.

Review:

4.5/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slightly murky golden color. 3 finger white, and very frothy head. The head retention is amazing, and there's beautiful lacing on the glass.
The nose hit me as I opened up the bottle. Just a punch to my face of apples. Up close it's a tart, and very funky apple aroma. Quite pleasing.
Taste - Not as wild and funky as I was expecting from the nose. That being said, it's a creamy tasting apple. Slightly sweet, but not too much so. I also get a pear flavor that really adds so much more to this beer.
The body is bubbly. Soft. Creamy.
This is one amazing beer from New Glarus. They just knocked it out of the park here, and if you can try it, I highly recommend it.


Yeah, I'll be back later, and I've got a feeling that something that @FFFjunkie sent me is next.

 

Good morning NBS and thanks @lordofthewiens for the primer today.
My inlaws are both passed, but the time we did share was always good. Depression era, hard working with a 7 offspring. I married the center and the best. Joe Sawyer of Memphis(father in law) Orphaned at 9 after both parents passed within a year,(spent his young adult life trying to, and finding his two siblings), rode rails in the depression, volunteered for service in the Pacific in WW II rode rails again as honor guard for soldier interments, meets Doris Briere of Massachusetts(French Canadian) at a dance in Chicopee Ma. And the rest is history. Our sons both have fond memories of time spent with them and that's the best part.

Today's offering I walked by a hundred times, primarily due to price point, glad i stopped and purchased this bottle. A very good take on the chocolate, pepper, spiced stout. Body is solid, flavors are without any flaws, quite a nice offering.
Cheers all

Share This: Mole

The Bruery
American Imperial Stout | 11.1% ABV

4.06/5 rDev +1.5% | Average: 4
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 ml bottle, 2016 version, into the test glass
A - Umber in color, with active carbonation. A thin but never ending cap of espresso froth rides the surface.
S - Dark cocoa, chilies, and yes a mole quality to the nose. cigar wrap tobacco, a hint of cumin, certainly some cinnamon as well. Vanilla is so delicate.
T - Dark fruit and cocoa forward, cinnamon is stronger here, the peppers are spicy but balanced. Again, the flavors role up to mimic Mole. Very nice flavor to the offering
M 0 Medium in body, not to spicy, the feel wants to be slick but enough acidity stops that quickly. The finish is quick and dry, I wonder what yeast was used? Linger is polite and cocoa driven. Think last sip of Mexican hot chocolate.
O - A very good offering with lots of depth, I enjoy the tension within the flavors complex but not a street fight, more of a dance between Sharks and Jets. Worth trying

 

You and me both, James. 40’s and single sucks, but I’d choose that over being legally bound to a girl I didn’t love. Still hoping! January to March is the best time to meet someone new, I have read.

 

Love your review, Jack. When I first tried this beer (January 2015 at the new brewery, otherwise known as “The Mothership”), it was recommended to me by the bartender as “better than Abrasive,” Surly’s world-class at that time DIPA (and my favorite beer).

Todd wasn’t better than Abrasive, IMHO, but it was pretty doggone phenomenal, especially when it was really fresh. Sounds like it may have changed a bit.

PS: saying Todd was a brewer that used to work for Surly is like saying Babe Ruth was a baseball player that used to play for the Yankees.

 

I agree with you completely there. Next year I'll be changing jobs, and, maybe even leaving central Minnesota. Hopefully a bit of change will jump start things in the relationship department.