New Beer Sunday (Week 778)

My parents might be doing a Moselle-Rhine cruise with their Norwegian friends this summer (every two years the 4 of them go on big trip together, alternating between Europe and North America-ish). My folks are wine people, so that's right up their alley.

 

Good afternoon, NBS. This week the GF and I met up with a friend of hers at Old Ox Brewery this week. We've been to Old Ox numerous times, but they did have some new beers for us. Mainly the beers were from their Cooper's Cloak series - which is more or less a series of their barrel-aged beers. I'm not sure if they do all new recipes each year, but the limited beers in the BA database were not of the same styles that were offered this year.

Of the samples we tried, the one that jumped out at me that day was the American Barleywine. It didn't mention the barrel on the brewery menu, but had some notes of a bourbon barrel, which was confirmed by the beertender. I gave the beer a high for me combined score of 4.5 - the look and flavor profile were the standouts. I grabbed the remaining bottles (3) and one of the bottles that was aged in Brandy (well, the beer was, not the bottle).

So I will do a little comparison again, with the Cooper's Cloak American Barleywine (Brandy barrels) being the new beer today.


Appearance:
The bourbon barrel aged (BBA) beer on tap at the brewery was a clear amber - whereas the pours here today were more cloudy. Note, I did not think to decant the bottles, and there did seem like a little sediment might have been present there. The head on the bottle was reminiscent of my brewery experience.

The Brandy Barrel looks just a tad clearer in this pour (note: the color is a fair bit lighter than the picture shows). The head isn't quite as tight, appearing a little soapy in the main crescent of the collar.

Smell:
The BBA bottle has a little more obvious notes of the barrel's previous contents than at the brewery, where I got more of the actual barrel in the nose. This also gives me a little more fig/date on top of the toffee and light pine notes I got at the brewery.

The Brandy Barrel is a little more neutral on the classic American BW notes - though they are in there. There is a little more of a floral and berry note included, not un0wine like, but not exactly that either. The wood is noted but seems like as a lighter, softer, less rich form of wood.

Taste/Feel:
The bottle has a slightly more flat, ever so slightly more dirty feel to it (perhaps the sediment, again?). The flavors are similar to what I wrote for the tap version - honey, booze, dark cherry, caramel - but not as cleanly noted and note quite as sweet. The backing hop notes are also present, but not as strong and they come in late in the taste.

The Brandy Barrel is a bit cleaner in its feel, but the flavors that come through aren't quite as interesting as the BBA version. Toffee, cherry, berry, a bit of wood backed by some leather and a bit of fruity spice in the very end.


In the end, this may be yet another case of environment affecting one's perception of a beer. Or maybe it's a case of there being a difference between the kegged and bottled versions. Maybe it's a combination of both (perhaps adding in a decanting fail), but I would not rate this bottle of BBA version as high as the draft version I had just a few days ago. I might go around a 4 - it's decent, but it's missing those classic ABW flavors that came through to be on tap.

The Cooper's Cloak Brandy Barrel American Barleywine seemed to have barrel and barleywine notes somewhat cancel each other out a little bit, leaving it probably just a bit under a 4.

 

To Øl Garden of Sweden


Yields an ember-lilac color with a froth, huge pinkish head.


Smells fresh squeezed oranges, lighter mango and raspberries, tied together by a nice lemony zing.


Has a slightly creamier yet refreshing mouthfeel with a sparkly carbonation to it.


Tastes of lusciously ripe oranges, jammy raspberries and bitter lemons, together with unripe blueberries. The fruits in this not only create a marmelade sweetness, but also lend a certain tartness to the hop flavors, creating an interesting depth in this. Finishes bitter with a lingering raspberry sweetness, still in great balance with a swift, clean finish.


This puts the adjuncts well into action, without relying too heavily on them, but rather lend a subtle sweet- and sourness to an overall solid ale.

 

This reminds me of a question I often have while tasting new suds. Did they come up with the name before they tasted the beer themselves? Numerous times I have dabbled with a beer where the name implies characteristics that are thermal at best, and often completely absent.

 

Steep Coast -Strata is a DIPA from Oskar Blues. The brew presents as a bright yellow can pour with a deep haze and a 2 cm foam cap. The aroma is citrus and watermelon. The flavor is citrus and resin. The hop bitterness is low to moderate. There is significant alcohol heat which spoils this a bit.

 

We'll miss you. But I must say, I can ALWAYS read about Jai Alai. We get Cigar City distro here now . But sadly I only find White Oak Jai Alai

 

Happy NBS, everybody! I'm about to camp out on the couch for the rest of the afternoon, on my favorite day of the year for football, so I figured I'd start out with a new beer before hitting up the new SN 40th for the rest of the day. This one comes from down the shore:

Ship Bottom The Local Stout

In all honesty I was really hoping for more of a regular oatmeal stout that I could have a few of at a time here, but upon first sip it seems like this one does indeed have coffee added. I guess a doofus like me sometimes needs a more explicit description on the label in that regard . Although looking at it now it does seem kind of obvious, d'oh!

So, yeah, big notes of coffee right off the bat. Also a bit of a twang on the finish. In the background I'm getting nice molasses, almond and caramel notes, while there's also a fairly decent bitter dark chocolate note lending an overall mocha quality. For 5.5% it's got a good rich mouthfeel, and the finish is dry with just the right snap of bitterness.

Taking it on its own terms it's good stuff, the coffee has a nice flavor and isn't overpowering, although that twang does keep it out of the top tier for me. A pleasant B+ (3.75) and good way to start the day.

 

I've been on both. They really are two different animals. A Med. cruise with 4 to 5K people on board was as you said - crowded and not that enjoyable (for me). When you get off the boat you go into towns with your 5K friends plus another 4 or 5K visitors from the other cruise ships. The river cruise is pleasant. I could get up early and go to the front of the boat and have coffee, read and enjoy the scenery. The river cruises have about 100 people on board so you aren't overwhelmed by crowds. They have tours but you can just get off at most stops and wander by yourself. A lot easier on an introvert (like me).

 

New NE style Double IPA Phantom Haze from KC's Boulevard Brewery. Really solid. Go Chiefs!

 

Evil twin no hero
....solid black
....medium light carbonation with a just above average body
...aroma was mostly espresso, roasted malt, black coffee,alcohol, oak, astringent
...taste was very similar to aroma with the astringent taste really taking away from other parts. This was more one dimensional than most evil twin beers and alcohol astringent taste made it unenjoyable
...I like eviltwins beer and have enjoyed almost all of them. This was my first miss with them

 

Howdy to all of you NBSers!
I am finally here this week after not being able to participate due to dinner prep for a get together to celebrate my lovely wife's birthday last week. Beouf bourguignon and a dark chocolate cake, among other things. Really turned out good. Well this week I am not doing that (only one wife born in January, y'know). I am having a relaxed Sunday looking at the beautiful snow outside and enjoying all things beer. I brewed a dark mild early this morning, had a nice breakfast, uploaded a review from yesterday, cleaned up a little and had lunch, now I'm ready to move on from coffee and water.
This beer is one I picked up last week at the gov't hooch store. They have finally started to have something resembling variety in terms of imported beers, but it is still like pulling teeth for them to take beer seriously it seems. This is a new one for me and them. It's from France. A very "light" beer at just 3.8%. According to the label blurb, Bières Overnoy was started by a winemaker after a big freeze in 2017 that devastated his vines. The name translates as "Ice Breaker". It is fermented on Savagnin lees and made with local malt to make a beer with "terroir". Let's see if that is the case.

It pours crystal clear (initially) brass with a couple fingers of head that settles to a thin cap. Some lacing. The aroma has euro hoppiness, yeasty phenols and esters (not strong though), lemongrass, minty, faint pseudo-skunkiness (??). The flavor is similarly yeast-driven with baguette crust, lawn clippings, pale graininess. It is light but thankfully not thin with big, fluffy, active carbonation that further lightens things up and a lingering finish. This is an interesting, and not at all bad beer. There are two big things that give me pause though. The price was pretty exorbitant and is not usually something I'd even mention, but for a 3% beer made by someone who is not quite a brewer it seems a little nuts, but I still bought it so whatever, my fault I guess. Second, there is a slight light struck charcater in the nose that I can't quite pin down. I thought it was the hops, then I thought phenols, now I think it might be that and some sunshine. It is like an herbal-minty funk that brings to mind the green bottle imports of yore, but is not overpowering and I don't think it takes away from the beer. One thought I had was that maybe it's some sulfur from the wine yeast, but I truly have no idea. This was a tasty enough beer. I'm glad to have tried it.

Have you ever had any beers from this place, @Shanex? They look to be near Lyon.

That's it for a while, but I might even swing back in later on. You never can tell.

Santé!

 

Oskar Blues - Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy

This might be the first of a few barrel aged beers I open today. We'll see how things go. The can looks like Metallica's "black album." Cue Nigel Tufnel on the can art: "How much more black could this be? And the answer is: none. None, more black." At 12.5%, the ABV no longer works with the name. I'm pleasantly surprised by this one. Impressive head for this type of beer. There's a heavy coconut aroma from the barrel aging. There's some acidity on the finish. Hops come through on the finish as well. This beer works because it manages to be both luxurious and drinkable at the same time. The ABV doesn't impede this one from going down.

 

Good afternoon. Hope all are enjoying their Sunday.
Not unexpectedly my wifes sister passed away last night so its a weird day. I will be watching football and will probably be back later with a new beer.
Cheers all.

 

Thanks for the intro @lordofthewiens. I absolutely hate cruises. I don't like crowds and I especially don't like other people making my plans for me. We went on one when our kids where 3, 5 and 7, what a disaster. Then, like an idiot, I surprised my wife for her 50th birthday with a cruise. By that time (10 years ago) they had a craft beer bar. I remember winning a beer-themed trivia contest at that bar. Only highlight of the trip.

Today I have Party Hat, what Sixpoint calls part of there Infinite Loop Series. I see the entry in the BA database was added in December 2017 so I guess this is at least the 2nd time around for this one.
Unfortunately, the first picture here does not do the bright color of this beer justice.

4.01/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz can to a Nonic. Bottom of the tall, skinny can says CANNED 21 DEC 2019, BB 18 JUN 2020. In the glass sits a bright apricot-hued opaque hazy body with a frothy aggressive white head, a really beautiful head I might add. Lemon rind pretty much sums up the majority of the aroma, but there is a hint of mustiness underneath.
The taste is lemony also but with a hint of orange fruit. Mild dankness is there at the back end. Alcohol sense is mostly hidden, but not completely. I talked myself into believing I could sense the Citra and Mosaic, but I know I am not that well trained.
Mouthfeel is light for the style, but I don't feel this is a big drawback to this beer. Overall quite a different taste for the haze IPA style, but not a negative departure.



Sadly, even my "head shot" has a shadow in it. Oh well, at least the drinking went well.

 

In Wisconsin for hockey tournament.

New beer today is New Glarus’ Raspberry Tart.

Raspberry Tart New Glarus. 12 oz bottle poured into small plastic clear glass.

Appearance 4.25: Brown red pour heavy carb, creamy off white head quickly dissipates, creamy head remains.

Aroma: 4.0. Tart raspberry aroma.

Taste 4.25: Very sweet raspberry taste, tartness balanced, very dry.

Mouthfeel 4.25: Dry mouthfeel, carbonation stays throughout, easy clean finish, light body.

Overall 4.25: Solid offering, another very good fruit offering by New Glarus!