New Beer Sunday (Week 777)

1st Reviews, Added new 4+ beers to BA in 2020
Chekhov's Gun | Carton | Quad 15%
4.4/5
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
1st Review, Added by Act25.
a) Call a driver, this dark body going to carry you away, the abv kills the carb and the head, muddy cola dark.
s/ t ) Complex. Conversational sipper. Wood, incense, church pew, peat, woodsmoke, wood shop, fresh burned naked wood, yeast, sweet malt.
f) Fine port, sherry like feel.
o) A first, how rare is a first in craft world?
Cantaloupe Haze | Carton | NE IPA 8%
4.3/5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
1st Review. Added by Act25.
a) As expected, body of gold translucent haze, spilling mounds of lace.
s/t ) Looks and tastes as it should a melon fruit salad with cbd drizzled over the top. Immediate melon aroma, in this case, authentic and not flattening the brew. Bitters up just enough to balance. Great first beer of the evening when your taste buds wish for something new, and isnt that part of what keeps us intrigued by craft?
f) Pungent, snappy, clean, juicy, juice-like.
o) So many melon/pumpkin beers disappoint as the fruit in the beer flattens the brew, not so in this fresh case on tap at the brewery. Exciting. Would be great first or dessert beer, as you wish.
Cryomax | Barrier | NE IPA 7%
4.2/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
5th Review of a new favorite from a local shore brewer already favorited.
a) Creamy mounds of foam adorn the totally opaque yellow grapefruit body, scatters shards of lace.
s/t ) Cryo is relatively new and here may be one of its best uses. Works for me. Creamy citrus aroma, melds creamsicle dreamy pineapple, orange, grapefruit in a tempered creamy, dreamy balance, and finishes just a bit peppery.
f) Creamy, tingling, bright, juicy, and only a little too much like citrus juice.
o) But the Taste is WOW!

 

I was really surprised at how scarce this was, as I found CBS and all of the other BA beers with ease. My guess is because of the price point there are some BA beers still collecting dust and with the timing of the holidays retailers were a little cautious with their ordering (or Founders just didn't make that much, which is possible also). I came across it in a place I would never have expected to and would have never thought to look (which truth be told does make me want to go back and buy it, as I want to encourage this ordering pattern).

It does appear that a place not too far from me has it on draft and I may just go that route. I will also keep my eyes peeled for a single. But at this point my assumption is that the coffee has faded and that is what I wanted to taste the most in this beer. Founders is showing Dec, Jan, Feb for this beer and specifically called out the 2019 ABV so maybe there will be another drop and they were guaging interest?

 

Happy New Beer(s) from @jkblr Sunday (Week 777), MKIII, Part 4!

Yes, the finale is upCANming, having CANtacted the trader in question. There are two more, one of which I may get to today, the other appropriately set aside until later in this nascent year.

Inna meantime, I was having:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1170/449915/?ba=woodychandler#review


I'm gonna shoot for a CANosure to the day, but no guarantees!

 

And BTW, I was a little surprised (but not inhibited) when the price rang up as $24 and change.

 

Happy New American Impy Stout Sunday!

Pretty nice day here on the Western Slope, cloudy, around 26 at the trailhead, still some snow. Having a pretty tasty brew, not really a fan of coffee/expresso brews. Might be back with another new brew.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1199/428302/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

I did the same thing with golf years ago. It just took too much precious irreplaceable family time in an expensive way. Cheers to you. Bon chance mon ami!

 

I'm still spinning after last night's game, and the Chiefs/Texans aren't helping any with more craziness. Anyway, here is an interesting and fantastic beer from @FlintB. This is a blend of Russian Imperial Stout and Barleywine, aged in bourbon barrels. This works big time. Cheers!


It looks like a Barleywine/RIS hybrid, with a color slightly lighter that a typical stout. A normal pour produced a small tan head that retreated but left nice wisps throughout the drink. The aroma was fantastic: bright and complex with toffee, caramel, faint coffee, vanilla, and bourbon. Taste did not disappoint. All the malty notes in the aroma were there on the palate, and met with a prominent floral bitter hop presence. The barrel was really well done and complimented the flavors well. Feel was far from pastry-like but also not too thin, especially for a 13+% beer. Warming on the finish but not boozy. Outstanding!

 

Yep $24.99 here, which is about the going rate for some of the higher end BA Founders beers.

 

Westbrook Siberian Black Magic Panther

Happy Sunday, BAs. Today’s new beer comes courtesy of my wife’s coworker, who occasionally graces this site. I believe he goes by @platour. If I got that right, thank you, Phil. This beer is a real treat.

SBMP pours motor oil black with a finger of dark mocha head that forms a crown and leaves decent lacing.

Umami, chocolate and prune dominate the nose.

The taste follows closely with a strong roasty quality, and some bakers chocolate bitterness and a touch of char in the finish.

It has a full-bodied, creamy feel with zippy carbonation.

This is a great RIS with plenty of depth and that hits all the appropriate notes. Thanks again, Phil.

Let me also thank another Phil. @Lingenbrau, you brought a lot of fun to this site. All the best to you and your family.

 

I will miss your posts and reviews. Wishing you and your family all the best. Looking forward to your eventual return.

 

2nd and last beer for today.

Westmalle Tripel
May 28, 2019 bottling date.
BB May 28, 2021
ABV: 9.5%
IBU: 37



Taken from a 44°F fridge, pour begins after ~5+ min.

Aroma is banana, spices, floral, sweet malts.

Color is gold, slightly hazy, plenty of rising bubbles to a 1/2 inch white, thick, and creamy-appearing head from a fairly gentle pour, which quickly falls to a 1/4 inch thick creamy cap.

Taste is spicey backed by the fruit tastes - banana, perhaps other indistinct (apple, maybe), with a solid sweet-ish floral backing. The spiciness is very peppery, and the banana and apple(?) carry throughout. The floral breadiness adds a lift to the taste that is quite nice. Little alcohol present in the taste, but you can definitely feel it about half way through. Only a very slight bitterness in the beginning that is pretty much gone by the middle. The finish is sticky and semi-sweet.

Medium feel, tilting to the thin side, but the primary feel is the carbonation tingling counteracting the creamy smoothness.

Overall, dangerously too easy to drink quickly given the ABV; I needed to consciously slow down, because I found it too enjoyable; I just wanted to just sip, sip, and sip again. An excellent tripel.


L: 4.0 | S: 4.0 | T: 4.5 | F: 4.25 | O: 4.25 | BA rating: 4.28

 

Well hello again, I'm not saying "Late Night NBS" yet.

As I stated earlier, my theme for today is reaching back into prior NBS BIF generosity to once again sing praises and high "holas" to those who have been so generous to me in NBS, particularly the NBS BIF's.

Today's first came from our friend, and NBS regular, @foundersasap , in NBS BIF #9
Expedition Stout- Bourbon Barrel-Aged by the glorious Bell's Brewery

Poured into my 18th Street snifter, courtesy of Jim @Prager62 .Another NBS BIF crusher. Jim, I hope you come back for one soon.

Deep mahogany hued jewel. Absolutely transfixed by how this graces the glass. Cafe con leche colored head rises just shy of 2 fingers then slowly descends into perfectly ringed repose.
Aromas of warm bourbon barrel lead, not aggressively marching, more of a purposeful stroll. Notes of vanilla, roast, freshly caramelized sugar,brown bread, molasses, prune and leather all contribute to the menagerie.
Flavor begins as a bourbon-kissed RIS. It literally comes off as an old school RIS, toasty, malty, earthy nuances, but with that sweet-warm bourbon omnipresent. Sweet notes are of dark fruits-prunes, dates, figs, some cocoa and molasses. Coffee roast, charred wood, and a peaty earthiness comes trough as well. It really does represent the RIS style well with the bonus of BBA notes. Finishes warm and slightly boozy.
Mouthfeel is silky smooth. It sashays around the mouth, really inviting the entirety to actively commit to the experience. It finishes with a warm, slightly assertive bourbon "adieu."

4.4/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

 

I definitely feel lucky, @cjgiant. I have the top two trending beers on this site in my beer fridge, and I’ve had neither of them.

Before today.

I love the “Trending” feature, especially when it makes my NBS decisions for me. God Bless the beer godz and beer nerds.





4.25/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This gorgeous beer pours a beautiful golden color, the slightest bit of hop haze, with a dense, pearl white head that accompanies your trip with this beer down your glass.

The nose features resiny pine and fruity citrus notes courtesy of the Cascade and Centennial hops, and some really nice (and unexpected) floral notes from the Cluster hops, a varietal that’s been around for 100+ years (or since I was a teenager).

The taste is really focused on the resiny pine flavors and the citrus, but that floral flavor makes this interesting - there’s a really nice bitterness to this West Coast IPA, but there’s balance, too, and the mouthfeel is on point, a bit dry and nicely carbed as I watch the bubbles continue their upward journey against my downward journey.

I’ve found my FBS Championship Game Beer. Exceptionally well done by Sierra Nevada.

 

Say it ain't so Phil. I hope we can hear from you occasionally. Finding a balance in ALL things is important. I wish you nothing less than health, happiness, home, and love.

 

#2, this is interesting. There’s a LOT of coffee flavor in this.





4.34/5 rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Beautiful beer that is purely black with a dense tan head. The nose is dominated at an elemental level by the espresso beans - I get a little booze from the barrel, no chocolate, and then some more coffee.

The chocolate is present on the taste, though, which is awesome, because it cuts the espresso flavor some, and so does the booze from the barrel.

The biggest surprise to me with this beer, though, is the mouthfeel - it’s a smidge thin for me, which I didn’t expect.

This is still an excellent beer, IMHO, but I prefer KBS and CBS. Take that FWIW.

 

Have a good NBS. I have been doing my usual weekend of relaxing and playing video games. Was mostly Twilight Princess Zelda this week. Got a few other things on Steam from the holiday sale. Need to start The Witcher 3 soon since I got stuck on Skyrim. Going to play through the Battlefield Bad Company 2 campaign today. I have it on Xbox 360 but I wanted to do it on PC because I like the format better. Not been doing as much new reviews recently vs last year.

Short's Go Juice. Excellent milkshake IPA. Lasting head retention/thick foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big red grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, nutty medium roast coffee, berries, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, marshmallow, vanilla, cream, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, toasted biscuit, light cocoa, and herbal/floral/grassy hop earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery, roasted coffee bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and fairly sticky/resinous/rindy mouthfeel. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Great soft f eel, and not overly aggressive. Feels like Citra, Simcoe, Columbus. Very vibrant, dank, earthy hops with balanced coffee; with a great lactose and wheat/oat/malt backbone. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. Really impressive. A bit odd at first, but everything comes together exceptionally well. Not overwhelming on any aspect. 4.03


Cheers

 

Happy New American IPA Sunday!

Back with another new brew. Pretty tasty, nice to see something new from this brewery around here.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/437054/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

Boulevard's Brandy Land imperial stout (12.4% abv)...

"Spiced" imperial stout aged in apple brandy barrels... BA listing identifies the "spice" as cinnamon and elaborate that the beer was aged in barrels that held bourbon and apple brandy... Expectedly black in the over-sized snifter, with a slim finger of foam that dissipated quickly... Aromas of chocolate under a lofty mix of booze and brandy, accented by apple and oak... Molasses and licorice on the palate round off tangy green apple notes and are countered with a chocolaty undercarriage... Medium-bodied, lightening on the finish with vaporous oak and booze; mildly bitter shellacking of the palate... Marriage between apple brandy and cinnamon evokes elements of a spiced apple pie... Moderately sweet, mildly carbonated, a little sticky... Good, but I feel like it coulda been exceptional...

Cheers, NBS...

 

River's Edge Howden's Field. Awesome BBA Pumpkin ale. Great head retention/soapy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big pumpkin, wood/peat smoke, caramel, brown sugar, raisin, plum, fig, apricot, red apple, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, toffee, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, wood, herbal, grass, peppercorn, leather, tobacco, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light pine, herbal, woody, grassy, peppery; and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and lightly slick/sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Mild increasing warmth of 10.4%, with minimal lingering barrel booziness after the finish. very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, with the mellowly bitter/tannic/drying finish. Nicely soft feel for the ABV, not overly bitter/tannic. Awesome balance of rich malts, smoked pumpkin, bourbon barrels, fruity yeast flavors; with solid earthy hop presence/balance. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. impressive style example as expected of the brewery. Not overwhelming on any aspect. Great fall flavor profile, despite lack of any spices. 4.1


Cheers