New Beer Sunday (Week 775)

Ok, back for round 2, and I'm not sure there will be another round. I found this beer, thanks to the ice storm. I was starting to head toward home, and stopped at a HyVee Liquor store off of MN HWY 55. I was surprised to see Montgomery Brewing, MN, that far north. I, probably also should have gotten a can of their The General Beer, but didn't. I did get this can, though, and I've submitted a change request here, because it's listed as retired.


Yippie Skippy from Montgomery Brewing. This is an Imperial Peanut butter Porter, and the big brother of their Peanut Butter Porter.

This brewery has a special meaning to me. It's about 5 miles from where my sister, and her family lives. It is also the first brewery in the state of Minnesota that was open on a Sunday. I was there for it, and it's the picture in my avatar, and I'm in said picture, holding a glass up. Very hard to see in a thumbnail picture, but I'm there.

I'm a big fan of peanut butter. I'm a big fan of chocolate. This beer has both. There is, however, a bitterness to this beer, that really doesn't fit in very well to it, and distracts from the overall nature of this beer. Is it good? Yes. Could it be better? Yes. Am I enjoying this? Yes.


Review:

4.11/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown, almost black. Nice 2 finger tan head. Head retention is decent. A bit of lacing on the glass as the head dissipates, and it clings to the glass half way from the high head mark. . The head looks a bit creamy, if that means much. The carbonation bubbles are small.
The nose hits me a bit from a far. I get hints of chocolate and peanuts. Up close, is like peanut bomb. I was saying "holy shit!" The peanutbutter aroma is so damn strong. The chocolate is also strong in this beer. It's blowing me away.
Taste - Well, the chocolate and peanutbutter flavors are strong. There's a bit of bitterness also, that I'm not sure really should fit in here. Don't get me wrong - it's good, but the bitterness doesn't work right.
Nice creamy mouthfeel. Nice and thick. No alcohol burn. As mentioned before, there's a slight bitterness, that distracts from the other parts in the feel department.
If they can get the bitter part out of this beer, this would just blow me away. Is it good? YES. But, I know it can be better.


I'll see if I can pull one more out after this, but I'm going to be working on this for a while.

 

Good morning NBS
My fifth day of Christmas beer


12oz bottle stamped SG25S1 (30th anniversary edition, so from this year) poured into a becher glass at fridge temp 6% ABV. The beer pours bright medium amber in color with light khaki head. The head recedes to a thin cap and leaves a few spots of lacing. The aroma is rich with malt and subtle spice. The taste is a fantastic expression of British malt (definitely some Maris Otter) along with earthy English hops. Mildly bitter. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with less than medium carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, excellent. I wish that I could find this fresh every year.

This beer just reminded me that I'm going to brew some beer for myself before spring. It's ridiculous that I can't remember the last time I tasted fresh English malt.

Thanks for the opening @cjgiant. Both you and @lordofthewiens do a great job. @woodychandler, enjoy the beers. I sent that first one for the can art alone. They'll get better as you go. Cheers all and enjoy the new beer in your glass today!

 

A new Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy

Piper's Scotch Ale (a Beer of the Month club selection) from Sprecher Brewing in Glendale, WI. The brewery has a pretty accurate description:

"SCOTCH ALE
WEE HEAVY
PEATED SCOTCH ALE
A hearty red-brown “Wee Heavy,” Scotch Ale has all the smokey sweet complex malt goodness you could wish for. Peated, caramel and lightly toasted malts brewed just right give you a smooth beer with a delicate hop finish and creamy head."
8% ABV 21 IBU
Malts: Pale, Caramel, Aromatic, Vienna, Peated & Roasted Barley
Hops: Goldings, Hallertau
Degrees Plato (Initial Gravity): 18.00



LOOK
It pours same brown color as the bottle with a light reddish/tan head that quickly dissolves in a few small scattered islands

SMELL
The ale has very little aroma. There is some faint grass and molasses, but that's about it

TASTE
Surprising when compared to the aroma. There is mild smoke, sweet molasses, damp grass, raisins, and dark bread. The smoke becomes more prominent as the beer warms, but still retains a supporting role. It's a little on the sweet side for the style, but the (almost hidden) hops keep it from being cloying or sugary.

FEEL
The mild carbonation fills your mouth on a full swallow and tingles on a sip. It feels full and leaves a moderate bitter-sweet aftertaste.

OVERALL
Sprecher puts out a pretty good Scotch Ale. The flavors are well balanced, but IMO it could use a little more smoke. It is a filling beer and you don't really notice the 8% ABV. This is a very good example of the style, albeit a little on the sweet side, and, if I lived near Glendale, WI it would definitely be in my rotation.


This beer is "Cellar Certified" by the Wisconsin Brewers Guild and it looks mine were bottled on 11/21/19 so, since I don't have a steady supply, I think I'll put my remaining two bottles away for later.

 

Wonderful verse to start us off, Craig.
A quiet Sunday. I'm going to go to the movies and watch some football.
I found some new to me Prairie beers at my local bottle shop. The first one is Bourbon Paradise, a "bourbon barrel aged imperial stout, aged with coconut and vanilla." It was bottled 11.20.2019 and is 13.7% ABV.
In my snifter the beer is black with no head.
Aroma of bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, and coconut. The coconut is on the subtle side.
Taste follows the nose. A lot of bourbon. Chocolate and vanilla. A bit of coconut.
Boozy, but not too much. Sweet, but not cloying.
Wonderful beer.

 

Good afternoon NBS, thanks @cjgiant for the lovely kick off today.
Hope everyone had a great holiday last week.
Todays offering is from Notch Brewing in Salem Ma.
The Rauchbier is very easy on the eyes, palate, with enough smoked malts to compete in this catagory.
Cheers all

Notch Brewing
German Rauchbier | 4.2% ABV

3.98/5 rDev +6.4% | Average: 3.74
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a crowler puchased at the brewery last 6 days ago.
A - Lovely deep copper color, excellent frothy off white cap, carbonation is steady and resilient. Clarity is wonderful.
S - Smoke malts to start, then with time spent, more caramel, hint of pumpernikle, earthy hops add nice bit of verbana
T - Follows the nose well, what i appreciate was the slow withdrawl of the smoked malts, allowing formore of the malt depth, touch of roast malt, hint of pepper, and toffee
M - A bit light on the palate, excellent balance, with the carbonation moving that sweet thread aside, linger centers around the light toasted malt.
O - A very good lager from a very good brewer, the smoked malts strike up an early conversation without dominating, I appreciate the balance and the earthy hop thread. @ 4.4% this is a wonderful drinking beer, in body and flavor

 

Von Trapp has been a small, but steady, seller. Last Summer they moved them from a prominent shelf to a smaller area in the German import section ("because Von Trapp makes German beers") making it unlikely anyone looking for american beers is stumble across it.
They were willing to carry many light sellers for years, but lately have stopped stocking several of those and even some of the lesser selling offerings from large craft brewers.
If they do end up dropping Von Trapp it will be due to the fact that half a wall of beer has been replaced by seltzer and cider

 

Sixpoint's Master Blend.

4.21/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours black with a half inch beige head that dissipated quickly and left minimal lacing. Smell is very bourbon forward with notes of vanilla, coffee and dark fruits. Taste is also quite bourbon forward with notes of coconut, vanilla, oak, coffee, cocoa, dark fruits, cherry, and roasted malts. Medium bodied for the style, light carbonation, smooth and creamy mouth feel with a mild alcohol burn.

 

Poured into a 16 Snulip glass canned 11/14/19. Pours midnight black with a 2 finger brown head that leaves massive lace as it slowly settles. 4.75

Smell is backstap molasses, leather, oak, pipe tobacco, dark fruit, dark chocolate, dry coffee grounds, and maybe a hint warming pleasing alcohol. 4.25

Taste follows molasses, pipe tobacco, leather, oak woody vanilla, deep dark chocolate, black coffee, and warming alcohol lingers on the tongue after each bold sip. 4.25

Mouthfeel is big, lightly carbonated but certainly not flat, dry as it should be, and at 10% a sipper, that you nurse for an hour or more. 4.5

Overall this is a complex stout, old school think Stone RIS, Smuttynose RIS, or maybe even Ten Fidy. Well done not any tricks just, Barley, hops, malt, and what and very impressive. 4.5

 

Ho Ho Ho. Well done!!

 

In the theme of our host, I'm having a Christmas beer right now. It was acquired on a trip to Ohio with a family member (more about this trip later and in the weeks to come). I'd not had any Masthead beers until this week, and in particular; this beer is new to me this afternoon.

Masthead Brewing Co - IPA. My overall rating = 4.08



Having this near Pittsburgh, PA from a 16oz canned on 2019-10-23

A - Clear gold with a 1-finger white head and good lace

S - Dank, grassy, over-ripe pineapple, light citrus

T - Pineapple, papaya, mint, pine, cracker, white pepper. Nowhere as dank as I expected from the aroma. Finishes with some tropical sweetness and mild-moderate bitterness that doesn't linger long.

M - Medium body and carbonation. Moderately resinous and smooth.

O - The flavor and feel particularly suit me well. Recommend seeking this out.

 

Dueschtes Black Butte Proter Dueschtes has only recently come to NJ and it is welcome. Black Butte is a straight forward Porter and a excellent one, It pours dark brown with a long lasting tan head. Great aroma of roasted malts caramel and a bit of chocolate. The flavor is about the same with the malt leading the way. The mouthfeel is medium/full. the finish is dry as I said nothing fancy just an excellent Porter.

 

Kraftwerk is a Hefeweizen from Alvarium in CT.
This bright, golden can pour holds a wee haze and a half cm foam cap. The aroma is light and fresh with banana esters. The flavor is sweet malt, bubblegum and some allspice.
The mouthfeel is light and the finish is a bit dry. - quite pleasant

 

Silliness, indeed, @cjgiant!

Anyhow, starting the day for me is my first taste of

Young's Double Chocolate Stout
ABV: 5.2%
IBU: 25



Deep black opaque appearance topped with a tan, thick, creamy head as expected with a nitro gizmo. Great looking nitro cascade with the pour. The head lasts nearly until the end, leaving strings, spots, and sheets of tan lacing as you drink.

Aroma is chocolate with earthy hops. Semi-sweet malt aroma. Roasted coffee.

Feel is the silky smooth nitro presentation with a thin body.

Taste is dry with chocolate. Some roasted malts. I'd describe it as an Irish Dry Stout with chocolate flavor added. Quite nice, but desert rather than dessert. The finish has a slight bitterness, and, as at the beginning, dry.

Listed as a sweet/milk stout, but it is not sweet at all. It is a good, but not great, chocolate-flavored dry nitro stout.

L: 4.25 | S: 4.0 | T: 3.75 | F: 3.5 | O: 3.5 | BA rating: 3.77

 

A-Pours a clear golden color with a nice head and lacing
A-Aroma has resin, piney and fruity hints
T-The taste follows with a resin, piney and fruity flavor
M-A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A good IPA

 

Hmmm.... the refs weren't responsible for 2 first and goals and another first and 10 from the 11 resulting in a total of 1 yard and 9 points.

It's always the refs and the team itself is off the hook.

 

I see that happening at several liquor stores around here, too. I can't blame them. They need to sell what people are buying.

 

I may have tried this one before but I haven't reviewed it yet.
Shed Mountain IPA, an English IPA
Cheers and happy Sunday.

 

Pours a slightly cloudy dark orange with a solid finger sticky off white head that leaves big gobs of lace with solid retention. 4

Smell is tangerine, apricot, peach, and grapefruit rind. 3.75

Taste follows tangerine, peach, papaya, apricot, and grapefruit pretty bold. 3.75

Mouthfeel is a big, plenty of carbonation a tad soft, slightly sticky and dry, and at 8% ABV loaded with flavor and goes down easy enough but drinks more like 90 Minute from DFH than our current haze driven DIPAs. 3.75

Overall this brings me back to my roots. Big and bold, with malt to back up the huge hop presence. Thanks @tasterschoice62 for this can. 3.75