New Beer Sunday (Week 774)

Was up half the night with my pup who got neutered yesterday, what a pathetic little thing, so I'm off to an early start and then hopefully falling asleep during the Jet game. This beer comes to me from @Dragginballs76, Mother Vine, a mixed culture saison from Zillicoah.

4.06/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear golden color with a one inch white head that quickly dissipated to a thin ring and left no lacing. Smells of wheat, white wine, cloves and yeast. Tastes of white grapes, Belgian yeast, wheat, cloves, pepper, bananas, a hint of rye and the slightest bit of funk. Light bodied, well carbonated, moderately dry finish. Overall a very solid Saison.

 

Good day New BSers! Happy Holidays to those of you who celebrate whatever! Today's New Breakfast Beer comes from @2beerdogs and NBS BIF #10: Bruery Terreux's Hoarder Cuvee 2018 Edition. Thanks, Derek, for sending me yet another brew that would otherwise never hit PA!

Received from @2beerdogs in NBS BIF 10 – Thanks Derek! Reviewed 12/22/19.
No date other than “2018 Edition”. Stored at home at 42 degrees and served at 45 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 3.5.
First pour – Brown, clear.
Body – Dark brown, opaque. When held to direct light, translucent at the top.
Head – Average (Maximum 3.5 cm, aggressive center pour), light tan, medium density, short retention, diminishing to a two mm crown and a thin partial cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 3 - An odd blend of cocoa, blueberries, and vinegar, although the vinegar rapidly weakens after the pour, making the final aroma less disturbing.
Flavor – 3.5 - Lactic acid predominates, with transitory hints of propionic as well. None of the additives (Blueberries or cacao (from the nose) or vanilla or oak barrels (from the label)) survive the souring process. No alcohol (7.9 % ABV as stated on label) flavor or aroma, although a weak transitory gastric warming occurs. No diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide, no malt, no hops.
Palate – 3.5 - Full, watery, soft but lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.5. This is distinctly a soured brew in which the added wheat wine and the base stout are evident only in the fullness of the palate.
Rating 3.38, rDev -9.4%.

 

A-Pours a solid black color with a nice light tan head and lacing
A-Aroma has cocoa and slight raspberry hints
T-the taste follows the nose with cocoa and slight raspberry flavors
T-A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A good stout

 

What is your ‘best bang for the buck’ beer?

Firstly, permit me to wish everybody Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

In a number of past threads I have discussed Genesee Bock beer and how I think this beer wins the best bang for the buck beer award. Well, today I have a new (well, new for me) beer: Genesee Schwarzbier.

I purchased a 12-pack of this beer for $8.99 at my local Wegmans store. This is the exact same price for the 12-pack of Genesee Bock beer I purchased about 10 months ago. At this price point this works out to about 75 cents per beer – a great deal if the beer is tasty.

Below is how Genesee Brewing discusses this beer on their website:

“Genesee Schwarzbier

This medium-bodied, German-style Schwarzbier, also known as a Dark Lager, has subtle, roasted malt flavors and aromas of dark chocolate, but without the bitterness. Lightly hopped for incredible balance, it ends light, crisp and refreshing.”

There is also a funny video that you can watch there:

Insert video here

The beer writer Lew Bryson discussed this beer on his beer blog:

“Schwarzbier has always been a favorite of mine. Dark, flavorful, mild, and utterly drinkable in large quantities. I recall the first time I brought a case of Kostritzer's classic home. I opened one, and started making dinner...and 40 minutes later Cathy came through the door, and somehow 5 bottles were empty.

But it's fairly temperate, so it's all good. Take a big lager-brewed swallow: smooth, creamy mouthfeel, a roasty and chewy flavor, a just slightly tangy finish of black malt, and hurra! We're ready for another!”

http://lewbryson.blogspot.com/2019/11/genesee-schwarzbier-2019-return.html

Well, I am done ‘talking’ now since it is time to drink!!

Served in my Spiegelau Lager glass:

Appearance:

Dark Brown color with ruby hue. An off-white head.

Aroma:

There is not a huge amount of aroma but what is there is quite complex. There is a pleasing combination of roasty (coffee-like), dark chocolate, and bready (dark bread like pumpernickel). No hop aroma whatsoever.

Taste:

The flavor very much follows the nose with a subtle yet very notable combination of roasty, chocolate and dark bread flavors. A moderate bitterness. There is no sweetness here.

Mouthfeel:

Light-Medium bodied with a very pleasant dry finish

Overall:

This beer is very good. It has the quality that the Germans would describe using the word süffig (drinkable). As I finished this one can of beer I very much wanted to drink another.

So, has the Genesee Schwartbier supplanted their Bock beer as the best bang for the buck beer? Hmmm?

@rotsaruch @RobH @KOP_Beer_OUtlet @Ranbot @officerbill @FBarber @Giantspace @ESHBG @therealbeerfly

 

Thanks @lordofthewiens for the great start to this weeks NBS. I have a new beer for later on.

Cheers!

 

Browar Fortuna - Komes Barleywine

I typically gather a group of barley wines at this time of the year. Except for the Bigfoots, today I’m finishing up the group above with the two new-to-me beers. (I’m waiting for the 2020 Bigfoot to drink the even year vertical.)

This is probably my first barley wine from Poland. This beer is just gorgeous. It’s a radiant mahogany with a great big head (something I love in a barley wine). Tastes of caramel and dates with a surprising herbal hop kick. The malt character is really great. The hop character is tricky. Sometimes it feels too intrusive and vegetal. Other times it feels like a secret weapon that elevates the experience. This is quite a unique beer and I’m ultimately really impressed. It’s been one of the highlights of this group. (The 7 year old De Molen beer was THE highlight) If there's a difference between a "British" and "American" barley wine along the lines outlined by this site, then this is definitely an "American" despite how it's currently classified here. I will put in a change request.

@Greywulfken

 

Come on man, you already reviewed this beer TWICE last week

 

Sounds like a winner, Jack! I just hope that I can find it now before Christmas eve. Our younger generation tends to prefer Yuengling Black and Tan, and I'm sure they'll really take to this very well indeed.

 

Genny Bock is a great value, but there are many other Bock beers out there.

Genny schwarzbier shines in the lack of choices for that style. Genesee schwarzbier is a legitimate alternative to Köstritzer and better than the shwarzbier (Black Forest) Saranac put in their Fall pack. I'd alternate it with Genny Cream if it was available year-round.

 

Hey everyone, meant to post this in WBAYDN, story for any confusion

 

A-Pours a solid black color with a nice light tan head and lacing
A-Aroma has cocoa, coffee and slight vanilla hints
T-the taste follows the nose with cocoa, coffee and slight vanilla flavors
T-A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A good stout

 

Good one!

 

So my wife and daughter "helped" me finish that first saison. So onto a second. 100 Ft North from Suarez Family Brewery, which they are also "helping me with." Cheers all!

4.35/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a clear straw color with a one inch white head that left spotty lacing. Smells of citrus fruits, oak and funk. Tastes of mildly tart lemon, wheat, white grapes, oak, a bit of vanilla, a bit of pepper and some funk/must. Light bodied, well carbonated, mildly dry and tart finish. Clean and crisp. I wish Suarez distributed to my area. Cannot wait to go back, probably in the Spring.

 

Ha! Beat me to it!

 

Well, you could make up for it by telling us your impressions of the beer (new to you or not)!

 

Christmas started yesterday as out of town family arrived. Brunch at our home and then the family was divided into 2 teams . Husbands, wives , aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins all went on our pub crawl / scavenger hunt. We were only refused service once as we entered one pub singing Christmas Carols “too loudly” for one bartender . A great week of family and friendship is ahead of us all . Merry Christmas to all !

my new beer is bright with Nelson by treehouse

4.38/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Canned 10.30.19 , opened 12.15.19

“ Got a blank space where my mind should be”

Can poured into a Treehouse Teku

Hazy amber orange liquid, two finger off white forthy, soapy foam cap, good retention, good soapy lacings

Aroma is citrus, orange marmalade, white grapes, orange pith

Taste is orange citrus hops, white wine grapes,

Hop nibble, hop taste lingers but doesn’t bite, Medium sudsing

Good beer

 

I'll let Bing describe it (just substitute Founder's Breakfast Stout)