New Beer Sunday (Week 778)

I went to a gender reveal party this week for a coworker. It's the first one I've been to. It required eye protection, ear protection, a safety briefing, and a three page waiver! It was fun and everything worked well and safely. When professionals are involved, there's nothing to worry about.

I really enjoyed a new beer from @Prager62 tonight in celebration of rescuing our second dog in a week. Praying everything works well between the two dogs.

Oskar Blues
Jefes Horchata





The beer pours black with a medium tan head and decent lacing.

Vanilla and cinnamon come through strong on the nose. Not much bourbon.

The taste features the vanilla. The cinnamon comes through nicely. The barrel presence is there but subtle.

The mouthfeel is very nice - silky and thick.

Overall a really enjoyable beer, great feel, and nicely balanced flavor.

 

@lordofthewiens thank you for stating things out.

I am not having a new beer by any means but a beer that reminds me of why I drink beer. Was it the taste was it the smell whatever it was it was why I drink beer today.
So with that I celebrate you and your reasons why you consume or convict yourself to a new Sunday.
Cheers Ba

 

Sorry to hear about your brother-in-law, hopefully he enjoyed the cruise. The service on Dream is excellent, but when my wife and I were on it a few years ago I never did find much craft. Sounds like it's time for another cruise!

 

Happy New DelMarVa (+ DC) Beer Sunday (Week 778)!

My CANdolences on your brother-in-law's health. I am sorry to hear that your cruise was less-than-optimal, Doc. I guess that having an oasis was better than nothing, but still … It gives me pause since, as a retired U.S. Navy sailor, I often pine to go back to sea. I am always dubious of the cruise lines & you have not allayed my doubts.

I am NEVER doubtful about NBS, however! I am off on both Monday & Tuesday so today has nearly unlimited possibilities, beginning with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25696/343273/?ba=woodychandler#review

Unlike WBAYDN, which requires a post for each & every beer in the here & NOW, I will not be returning until this particular horizontal finishes up. That way, I CAN bring yinz up to date & we CAN make a decision - DuClaw (for a LONG time to come) OR Key (substantial, but not as daunting). I leave that one up to yinz.

 

Have a good NBS. Thanks to at @lordofthewiens for this weeks introduction. Pretty normal week of work, nothing too stressful. Been playing guitar and gamecube games all week. Zelda Twilight Princess, and just started Metroid Prime this morning. I am playing guitar the best I have ever been in 20 years of having done so. I really needed these hobbies back in my life, because it has helped my mood substantially. Went to the guitar store to rewire my SG last week, and they are going to order my 8 string soon so I’ll have that. Then will construct a pedalboard layout. Still haven’t done a ton of reviewing lately, but solid. I got 2 Tavour crates in on Thursday so I have the fridge stocked. Also got my homebrew kegerator up and running again. I haven’t brewed a batch since September 2017, so I’ll get something going on soon.


Kuhnhenn Imperial Creme Brulee Java Stout. Excellent. Great rocky head retention/foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, dark roasted coffee, caramel, vanilla, whipped cream, toffee, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, charcoal, wood, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate pine, herbal, woody, grassy, peppery, roast, charred bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; very creamy/silky/bready malts; some sticky hops and chalky roast in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing lingering hop/char bitter dryness; no cloying/acrid/astringency. Minimal warming 8.5%. Very smooth/soft, not overly aggressive. Great balance of rich malts, lactose, vanilla, fruity/nutty coffee, and earthy hops; with restrained fruity yeast. Light residual sweetness with lingering hop/char dryness. Was a little more bitter/drying that I expected, but not overdone. No complaints. 4


Cheers

Haven't listened to black metal in a while.

 

Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass not sure when it was canned. Pours a hazy orange with a finger sticky white head that leaves thin layers of lace as it slowly settles with solid retention. 4.5

Smell is mandarin, guava, pineapple, apricot, and some grapefruit rind. 4.25

Taste follows tangerine, guava, pineapple, upfront and apricot and a hint of of grapefruit in the back end really well balanced. 4.25

Mouthfeel is bigger than most a tad sticky but not dry, soft gentle carbonation, and at 10.5% easy going down but loaded with flavor. 4.5

Overall this is a brewery that I always expect great things from and they delivered once again. Thanks @tasterschoice62 for this can, really a treat. 4.25

 

The Brewing Projeckt Berryz Resist. Excellent Milkshake IPA. Great fluffy head retention/foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big juicy/tart/tangy blueberry, blackberry, fruit skin/seed, mandarin orange, red grapefruit, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, citrus peel/zest, and light peppercorn/pine hops; with moderate vanilla, cream, wheat, white bread dough, biscuit, light honey/toasted malts; and herbal/floral/grassy hop earthiness. Light pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, grassy, peppery bitterness; and fruit tang/tartness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; very creamy/silky/bready malts; some sticky hops, and light resins/tang/tannins/acids in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing lingering bitter/tart dryness; no cloying/astringent flavors. Very smooth/soft, minimal warming 6.5%. Awesome Citra/Mosaic profile. Very juicy hops/fruit, with light dank/earthy notes; with a nice sized lactose and wheat/oat/malt backbone. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. No complaints. 4


Cheers

New album this year.

 

You are a good brother in law. My only cruises were from Mainz to Koblenz on the Rhine, converging with The Moselle. I was 19 and it was beautiful plowing through the lorelei and the riesling speckled slate cliffs. My other great cruise was from Rijecka to Split on the then Yugoslav coast. It was stunning and we were literally a band of gypsies, truly, and it just might be the most fun I've ever had. Getting on a big ship with strangers would not be fun for me to think of or to do....We are going to England soon. Good luck to your family and I applaud you.

 

Singlecut Heavy Boots Of Lead. Excellent imperial stout. Lasting rocky head retention/thick foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, molasses, licorice, raisin, prune, fig, date, vanilla, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, wood, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light pine, herbal, woody, grassy, peppery, roast, charred bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and fairly full body; very creamy/silky/velvety/bready malts; some sticky/resinous hops and chalky roast in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness; no cloying/acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Dangerously smooth/soft, minimal warming 11%. Great rich dark/black/roast bready malt complexity with cocoa/vanilla flavors; balancing earthy hops and restrained fruity yeast. Light residual sweetness with lingering hop/char bitter dryness. Impressive. Very similar to a Russian imperial stout. 4.03


Cheers

 

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Wilbur and Lily sound like two fine doggos! Give them some time and I'm sure they'll be best buds for life. Cheers to you for opening up your home to them!

 

Good morning New BSers! So far, most of the storm hitting the NE has zipped around my area (some freezing rain and only a couple of inches of snow) - most of our stuff is brought by lake effect bands off Lake Erie) so I still haven't had to use my snow blower, although maybe tomorrow when I get back from the Y. @lordofthewiens, thanks for starting today's thread. I'm sorry to hear about your brother-in-law - I hope he at least enjoyed most of the cruise. Mrs. Lizard got me to go a Caribbean cruise ONCE. She's been on several with members of her quilting coven but for me it's one and done. The ship's "Craft Bar" was my hangout as well - although the best (IMHO) "craft beer" they had was Newcastle Brown (about ten years ago). When I asked the bartender for a "Nukie Brown", he said he hadn't heard it called that since he left London (He originated in Dublin). After that it was mostly free beers for me (and BIG tips for him) as we swapped travel stories over the next week. And you're right about the limited handicapped facilities at most cruise ports - they don't exist or are minimal at best. You'd think with the average age of most cruise participants they'd be better. I'll skip my rant about coddled 'Merican tourists, you're welcome.

Today's New Breakfast Beer comes from @2beerdogs and NBS BIF #10 -



Again resolution sucks with postimages.org (or at least my knowledge on how to improve it), but the brew is Cantillon's Saint Lamvinus (2018). I was moderately surprised to see that this was only my second Cantillon brew since joining BA. Thanks, Derek, for further widening my experience!

Received from @2beerdogs in NBS BIF #10. Reviewed 1/19/20. Thanks Derek!
Faintly stamped on rear label “2018”. A more legible dating is found on the cork which broke when being pulled. The end of the cork exposed to the lambic was stained opera mauve. Stored at home at 42 degrees and served at 54 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 57 degrees.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Mauve, clear.
Body – Garnet, translucent. When held to direct light, cardinal red and clear.
Head – Gone by the end of the pour. A single tiny bubble-wide crown and no cap remain.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 4 – Initially a very fruity grape odor which fades into a weak vinous fragrance.
Flavor – 4 – Begins slightly bitter with subdued grape flavor. Ends slightly dry with a bit of pink grapefruit aftertaste on the tongue. Not sure if the bitterness is from the grapes used, the lambic process, or some tannins from the barrels – it’s more of a background teeth-squeaking thing. No alcohol (7 % ABV as marked on label) aroma or flavor. No diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 4 – Medium, watery, soft but lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4.5. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. I love the color. Where I live, concord grapes rule, and I’m not a wine drinker (except for an occasional bottle or three of tawny port), so beer based on Merlot grapes are somewhat of a novelty. Now, I think it’s time to start seeking more Saint Lamvinus. Thanks Derek – I needed a new quest!
Rating 4.1, rDev -10.3%.

 

A-Pours a dark color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has very generous Bourbon, roast malt and chocolate hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a nicely balanced and abundant Bourbon, roast malt and chocolate flavor
M-A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A great Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

 

Yippee Ki-Yay

A few weeks ago I discussed:

“I was in my local Retail Beer Distributor looking for a new beer from DuClaw Brewing: Spruce Willis Yippee Ki-Yay Mother #^@%*&. I was interested in this beer for two reasons:

· I am a fan of beers brewed using Spruce tips

· I am also a Die Hard fan and that Yippee Ki-Yay line is a classic!



But it was not to be. There were some DuClaw beers on the shelf but not this brand.”

But a benefactor read this and very generously sent me a can. Thank you Mr. Benefactor!

To circle back to the first bullet above part of the reason I am so interested in beers brewed using Spruce tips is that I brew my own Spruce beer using the fresh growth Spruce tips from my next door neighbors Blue Spruce tree. I discussed this beer last month in a side-by-side tasting:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-sunday-week-773.629392/#post-6732747

Below is how DuClaw discusses this beer on their website:

“Spruce Willis Yippee Ki-Yay Mother #^@%*& - Ale Brewed with Spruce Tips

8.2 ABV

18.5 Plato

50 IBU

16 oz Can Draft Limited Release Find It

An explosive, hoppy double IPA with piney, resiny bursts from the spruce, and pops of wintergreen, mango, grapefruit and pine-like notes from the hops. The last thing this beer wants is to be a hero, but it doesn’t have a choice.

Style: Double IPA

Color: Hazy Yellow

Hop Variety: Cascade, Citra, & Simcoe

Grains: Pilsner, Flaked Oat, & Torrified Wheat”

So, let’s just exclaim Yippee Ki-Yay and do some drinking!!

Served in my Gulden Draak tulip glass

Appearance:

Yellow colored with a haze appearance and a fluffy white head.

Aroma:

The aroma is subtle: there is some citrus, fruity and just a tiny hint of pine.

Taste:

The flavor is more robust than the nose comparitively. There is citrus, fruity and just a bit of pine in the background. A firm bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Medium bodied with an off-dry finish.

Overall:

I think this beer is very good. I enjoyed drinking it.

If I had consumed this beer blind I would have never remarked this beer was brewed with Spruce tips.

@rotsaruch @RobH @KOP_Beer_OUtlet

 

We're excited to have them. Wilbur showed some food aggression yesterday, so we have to change how we do treats and feedings for now. We need to teach them to eat near each other. That's to be expected with two strays. I think Wilbur was on the streets for a while, so he may have had to fight for food. His time in prison was a good transition. Now he needs to learn he'll always have food here. Fortunately, he's not aggressive toward anyone in the family. They're both lovers and very sweet. And energetic ... very energetic...

 

Barebottle Tangberry Typhoon. They put the whole recipe on the label which is great! Awesome fruited Berliner. Great fluffy head retention/foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big sour/tart/tangy ruby red grapefruit, tangerine, cranberry, fruit skin/seed, citrus peel/zest, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, melon, red/green apple, red grape/wine, hay, straw, and grass; with moderate wheat, cracker, white bread dough, light biscuit/toasted malts; peppercorn, lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness, fruit tang, and light spiciness on the finish. Medium-plus carbonation medium body, and fairly crisp finishing. Balanced creamy/grainy wheat, lactic acid, and fruit tang/tannins in the mouthfeel. Light-moderate increasing acidic/tangy dryness; no puckering/astringent flavors. Very smooth, not overly lactic, zero warming 5.5%. Awesome balance of vibrant/juicy citrus/cranberries and lacto complexity; with a nice clean pale/wheat malt backbone against acidity. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp acidic/tangy dryness. Really impressive. 4.1


Cheers

 

I am proud to be the formerly CANonymous CANefactor! I read @JackHorzempa 's original post & while I had neither Stillwater's World Famous Pilsner nor this one, I was interested in BOTH. Upon visiting local Rieker Bottle Works & CANming upon this one, I was inspired. I bought one for each of us & I was going to hit Jack up for one of the Stillwater CANs until my boyz at Dominion Pizza graciously CANsented to break a pack into singles so that I could snag one. I then sneakily Surprise CANta Claus-ed Jack with a CAN to satiate his CANiosity.

This is great timing on his part as I have been wrestling internally (my mind) & externally (still my mind + opened up to others' input) as to which brewery to focus on next in my DelMarVa (+ DC) foray - Key OR DuClaw. Grodz Inna CAN may be Key, but I am going to follow in Jack's footsteps & even though it may not have been my ChANsen first, I will likewise be reviewing & rating Spruce Willis today!

I also want to express my regret that I will not be joining Jack & Mrs. Jack in PHL, despite his gracious invite. Iron Hill (Lancaster) (IHLNC) is FINALLY putting on a Girl Scout Cookie & Beer pairing the same day! I had been after former head brewer, Pim "Dutch" Harmsen to do this for awhile. He has moved on, but I guess that someone at CANporate heard me & decided to make this an annual chain-wide event. How CAN I justify going out of town when a brewery actually acquiesces to my wishes?!? Plus, it means that I CAN remain in tahn.

I would love to say that I have "Your Wish Is My CANmand" status anywhere, but usually my sincere suggestions are met with raucous laughter, followed by the laying-on of hands by either/both the establishment's bouncer(s) and/or the local CANstabulary. My patch, "When I drink beer, I break out in handcuffs!" is no joke. Frequently arrested, usually detained, never charged. Ugh. My mother is SO proud!

Hey, let's get back to drinking beer! After all, it is New Beer Sunday (Week 778), or so I've heard.

 

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I was in Atlanta this week on business. I am doing dry January, or, I should say that I was doing dry January. I came across a whale for me that I needed to harpoon.

Last Snow by Funky Buddha

4.5/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the new Hop city location in the west end

Black motor oil , pencil thin brown foam cap slowly recedes to a creamy layer with islands of brown foam

Aroma of coconut , whiff of coffee

Taste is coconut, hint of mellow coffee, not bitter , jus the favor of well brewed coffee

Smooth, silky mouthfeel, slight fizzy carbonation that quickly settles

Coconut taste lingers

Great porter

 

A-Pours a light hazy amber golden color with a very generous head and lacing
A-Aroma has malted barley, malted wheat, hops and abundant yeast hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a nice balanced sour malted barley, malted wheat, hops and generous yeast flavor
M-A light bodied decently carbonated smooth beer
O-A good Belgian Saison

 

My condolences on your brother-in-law. And for never having an interest in cruising, you really jumped in on that one. I'm guessing that was a whole week. You're a generous soul, sir.

I have never been the type of person interested in cruises. Actually, I have never been interested in any type of package tourism. Having said that, I have grown a little curious in the last few years. My dad spoke highly of his Alaskan cruise (salmon morning, noon & night), as well as one that departed New York City and traveled through the Maritime Provinces and Quebec via the St. Lawrence River. Plus, I'm coming around on the idea of sitting on a deck, enjoying the ocean views and breezes, reading a book, and having a "craft" beer or two (four).
Maybe I'll try it one day. But, I predict the only type I'd get the wife on board with me would be one of those river cruises in Europe.