New Beer Sunday (Week 781)

Bell's Light Hearted Ale

There's a lot to digest here that goes beyond drinking the beer (pun intended). First off, it seems like Bell's is venturing into the sub-brand territory with these Two Hearted spin offs. In this case, the play on words with the beer name is just too perfect a situation. Secondly, they are clearly advertising it as specifically "lo-cal." Why the odd spelling? Is it a play on "local" (get it?), or does it have some DNA in common with "lite?" The new craft interest in this lower calorie market is obvious to everyone awake, but what's really striking here is that Bell's isn't going down the road of marketing this beer like a "healthier" drink with no prior brand connection (with active people and branding to push the health aspects), but rather, they are going down the road of Bud Light. This is branded as a "light" version of an existing brand in their portfolio. That's an interesting move. The packaging isn't modern, it's retro. It makes one think of drinking a six pack while fishing instead of drinking one beer after some mountain biking. Some craft brewers have mimicked branding one would associate with Budweiser (etc.) when they package a pale lager, but they do so in a mocking tone.

The thing that's remarkable about the recipe is that this is a 3.7% beer. Back when everyone was racing to put their "session IPA" on the shelves, an ABV that low was almost unheard of despite the notion that some folks have that the 4.7% of All Day IPA isn't a "proper session strength." Has the new race to produce beverages around the 100 calorie mark pushed American brewers to explore lower ABVs than their so-called session beers or even Bud Light? Putting out a 3.7% beer opens a brewer up to a lot of criticism. First off, people will complain that it tastes watery or too light compared to what they normally drink. Secondly, if the beer isn't priced low, people will complain that it's a bad deal because 1) they associate alcohol level with value OR 2) they feel they need to drink more volume of these beers to experience them properly. Personally, I happen to like low ABV beers but I don't expect to pay less for them, so I don't really fall into these issues.

Let's try the beer.

It's a light amber color. Decent head. Looks inviting. Smells surprisingly like a modern IPA. There's a hint of mango but it's mainly orange. Bell's yeast could be providing the orange, but I immediately thought: "This doesn't smell like it's all Centennial like Two Hearted... it smells like a more modern IPA." Looking it up, my hunch was right. This beer uses Centennial and Galaxy. The body is surprising. It's quite full for its size. This isn't a watery body for me. The taste is surprising too. There's a subtle, nice malt character of dough and honey. There's also a bit of mucus and lemon in the mix. Someone told me the beer felt more like a pilsner than an IPA to them. I don't share this feeling. This doesn't feel like a pilsner at all for me. Perhaps that comment is just a reflection of the "lightness" of the beer rather than anything concrete.

I know that my take on this beer will be 180 degrees away from some other folks' takes (or A LOT of them). I'm sure many will find it to be lacking in aroma, body, and flavor. Perhaps this is a case of what you're comparing it to. This is very, very far away from Double Two Hearted, but I'm taking it on its own terms. My overall take on it is very positive, BUT having said all that, I still don't see myself buying a lot of it. This doesn't strike me as something I will return to, but not because it is unsatisfying, not because it is 3.7%, and not because of the cost. There's just ultimately other beer choices that I will gravitate to instead. I'm certainly looking forward to giving this beer another go and seeing if I like it more or less than my first take. I could see myself potentially shifting quite a bit either way.

Cheers.

 

Trinity mad ear
..around a medium body with plenty of effervescent champagne like carbonation
..cloudy murky reddish amber color
..aroma is funk,sugar,earthy dry cherries. Reminds me of a brandy Alexander
..taste is funk with some sugar yet very,very dry. Astringent bitterness that dominates and lingers.
...overall it's very good but the astringent bitterness I would guess would turn people off

 

Neuhaus a Chardonnay Barrel Aged Belgian Quad from Untied Brewing a year old local brewery. This brew was served at the brewery in a 10 OZ Tulip and is 9.9% ABV. I've never had the plain jane Quad that was used for this but it seems to be pretty standard. Nice dark color with a white head, Nice aroma of dried fruits some caramel a bit of oak and Chardonnay The flavor was the dried fruit and a slightly oaky Chardonnay. That flavor combined with the full mouthfeel of a Quad was very startling but also very pleasant. The finish was a bit sweet. A very different and very enjoyable beer.

 

Thanks for tagging me @JackHorzempa! My fridge is empty of lagers at the moment, so you've nudged me towards this one!

 

What happened to Maria?

 

Outfngstanding my brother!! Cheers!!

 

Happy New New Half of the Other Glarus Beer Sunday (Week 781),Part Deux!

Wow, so many memories since I arrived this AM! I was back on DG, off to the late-'60s/early-'70s, tooling around like the gearhead non-driver that I am & now, I'm back! I hate to disappoint, but unless my facial hair becomes a bar to employment, it is here to stay.

I picked up where I left off, with a near overdose:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33510/207936/?ba=woodychandler#review

What?!? You didn't think that I was going to follow through on Bert & Harry + trivia?!? Shame!
I have some more:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33510/260707/?ba=woodychandler#review

Okay, I hear yinz! Enough is enough, right? Except when yer inna midst of a Daydream, CANming out of a Triple Nelson:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33510/389565/?ba=woodychandler#review

 

Köld One from Mill House Brewing in Poughkeepsie, NY
This is probably the best American Kölsch I've ever had.


The brewer says:
"This is our take on a classic Kölsch, that quenches the thirst with a crisp Noble hop finish. Pilsner base malt accentuated by Vienna malt, this is not your Dad's Lawnmower Beer!

TASTING NOTES: Drying, Malty, Mouth-Coating, Pear
Hops: Tettnang, Hallertauer
Malts: German Pilsner, Vienna
TYPE: German Style Kölsch
ABV: 4.6% IBU: 19 SRM: 3.5"

I came across this beer at a newly reopened store and it has become one of my favorites, even bought a stange for it .
Clear golden straw with a loose head.
It smells like fresh hay, pear, and a little bit of honey.
Tastes of sweet malts, almost ripe pears, a dab of honey, with a slightly tart, mildly citrus edge
Smooth and rich in the mouth, but it leaves a dry tongue and a light hoppy aftertaste.

This is an excellent beer and when (if) the weather warms up I'll be buying at least one 4 pack a week.

 

Howdy NBS! Three new ones up today. First up is my initial foray into Austin Street Brewery's canned offerings. I visited this brewery, located right next to Battery Steele and Foundation, about a year and a half ago and they had some good stuff on tap. It's good to see them starting to distro.



This is The Light & The Glass, an "imperial amber" clocking in at 8%. There is no apparent can date here (boo, hiss) but it's likely pretty fresh as I've never seen it before and I keep pretty good tabs on stock at this particular store where I picked this up. The pour is a nice looking, well, amber color. Decent khaki colored head with good legs. As the beer builds up in my glass, it shows a dingy lack of clarity that kinda hampers its attractive hue. Tons of hop/yeast particulate in here once the entire can is poured in. Really not good looking once that happens. This is why you centrifuge your beer, guys.

Now, I didn't really know what to expect here. "Imperial amber ale" doesn't really mean a whole lot to me on its own. Is it gonna be caramel-forward, like an American strong ale or something? Or is it gonna be more in line with, I dunno, Nugget Nectar? Well, my first sniff has me of the mind that this is gonna be a hoppy one, for sure. It's piney and surprisingly tropical, with a light touch of biscuity toffee. That element is definitely buried by nice notes of papaya, mango, and peach rings with a helping of extra-dank resin. Jeez, this seems hop-saturated as hell. Wonder what they used for the dry-hop... if I had to guess, it somewhat reminds me of Simcoe and Mosaic. Maybe Idaho 7 due to the light tannic note and somewhat more-anonymous fruit element? Aggressive opening here. I bet this pulls absolutely no punches on the palate.

First sip is hot and hoppy; wow, guys. This is explosive. My tastebuds are absolutely shocked by how bitter, resinous, and fruity this is, though a decently-balanced grain backing helps smooth things out somewhat. The finish is even more aspirin-like bitterness and grapefruit rind. Biscuity and semi-sweet malt playing against the firm, intense hoppiness. Flavors of black tea, mango, papaya, light melon, and pine poke in and out. The feel is somewhat slick and heavy, though the carbonation is prickly and allows the beer to feel a bit lighter and more deft than it otherwise might. Probably not something I'll return to, but it's definitely an experience. I think working on making some of these flavors a little more specific and less wide-ranging would go a long way towards making this a more repeatable beer. Also, guys... centrifuge your beer. This is actively ugly and amateurish-looking.

Back in a bit with some new Central Waters offerings I am very excited for.

Until then, here's some great music.

 

So I met Vegard (pronounced Vega)and his wife Maria at my local watering hole last year and we became Untappd buddies. They are from Norway, and his IT marketing job has him crisscrossing the globe. They were in town this weekend and we shared/drank many beers and a small trade ensued - from EGO Brygghus, Fredrikikstad, Norway - “Heksekunst”:



Pours a murky deep gold with a huge fluffy white head notwithstanding gentle pour (5 fingers!); as expected, long cap retention and heavy lacing. Citrus/floral hop/estery yeast nose; lite skunk too. Taste is lemon, rose petals with semi sweet malt base; no bitterness; an herbal background I’ve not tasted before; fruity finish. Medium body, not sludgy, but pillowy feeling; moderate carbonation; no hop astringency. Overall the beer is pleasant enough; it is described as a traditional ale, and it looks and feels like a NEIPA, and it’s not juicy nor citrusy; I wouldn’t go out of my way to drink again, but I wouldn’t turn it down if offered.

4.75 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0

Vegard told me that a long lost local yeast strain had been rediscovered, and was making a come back with, inter alia, this beer. Perhaps we will see more similar beers, and maybe @JamFuel can chime in - Cheers!

 

O'Fallon Dad's Oatmeal ( Cookie ) Stout, 5.9% ABV. 3.73 overall


Pours an effervescent chestnut/mahogany with 3 fingers of billowy tan head. Nice head retention & lacing

S: Some dark fruit, a touch of iron

T: Cocoa, dryness, a touch of oatmeal cookie up front. More oatmeal cookie, faint coffee & cocoa notes and a little bit of woody and minty hops. Finishes with some dryness, a little cocoa sweetness, mint, plus a touch of oatmeal cookie

MF: Medium body, restrained carbonation, wish the body was richer/thicker

Not a bad effort; would like to see a beefier version of this, but this brewery rarely goes there

 

How's it going, BAs? I haven't been drinking much on Sundays but decided to call an audible and join you all today. The whole Dry January thing isn't for me, but I take several days off from drinking during the week (one of which is usually Sunday) and only drink moderately at home on the days I do drink.

I'd say about 50% of the beers I drink are one and done. I like trying new beers but I also like going back to the classics that I enjoy. I also wish some of the newer breweries in town would focus less on releasing new beers and spend more time honing in on recipes so that they can repeat and improve on the beers they make.

Anyways, this week's new beer for me is Von Trapp Keller Lager.

The label says they use Grüngeist hops, which is a new one for me. I wrote my review below before researching anything about this beer or its ingredients. A quick search online for these hops says "The unique combination of peach and passion fruit are equally balanced with a hint of lemon zest and floral essence. The flavors, aromas and specs (2.90% alpha acids, 9.00% beta, 19.20% CoH, 38.30% CoL and 1.2 total oils) make Grüngeist an extremely versatile hop."

My review:

12 oz can, best before 06/03/20.

Clear gold in color with the slightest haze to it. The beer was brilliantly clear until I poured the very last bit in, which had some sediment in it. Frothy white head with good retention.

Right off the bat the hops are evident in the aroma. Heavy peach, lemon, and pine, with a touch of white wine. The strength of the hops is not out of place for a kellerbier, but the fruity profile doesn't feel like it fits. I was expecting more of a noble hop character to the beer but I was dead wrong.

The balance in the flavor is a little off and is skewed too much towards the hops. Very bitter and dry finish with a long aftertaste. Medium-light bodied and a little thin.

I went into this expecting classic German noble hops flavors. However, this is a bitter and hop-forward beer with a lot of fruit flavor. Overall, this wasn't a bad beer by any means but not my favorite from Von Trapp. Cheers, BAs!

 

White Elm Single Barrel Stout JJ Edition, 13% ABV. Pours thick and black with no head. Nose is bourbon, light vanilla, and chocolate way in the background. Flavor is bourbon, strong vanilla, dark fruit, slightly sweet, almost no bitterness. Light chocolate and strong vanilla in the aftertaste. Decent thick mouthfeel if a bit under-carbonated. I was afraid this would be bourbon-forward, but it isn't at all. More flavor coming out as it warms. JJ's,a local liquor store, selects prime barrels directly from the top distillers, shares the empty barrels with local breweries, then gets back kegs of BA beers.

4.21/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pretty cold here, got two inches of snow overnight. We cleared it off so we could grill steaks!

 

Thinking about this further, I was wondering if it's fair to label this beer an IPA - does it feel like an IPA? I suppose different people will react differently to this, but it made me think that this beer probably never would have seen the light of day back when brewers were releasing their stabs at "session IPAs." If I recall, the session IPA wave hit before the NEIPA sea change took hold. Brewers seemed to struggle with creating their session IPA back then. "Hop water" was the common derogatory term. They didn't seem to know how to translate the hop profile of the day to such a smaller beer. The NEIPA changed things significantly though. I don't have the beer in front of me anymore, but it might be fair to say that the beer is focused more on aroma than bitterness. Light hearted isn't a NEIPA, but does it reflect the possibilities of a "session IPA" in a post NEIPA world (both in terms of body and hop character)?

 

Nice review, Jack. A lager from Yards Brewing... I never thought I'd see the day. Guess I could say the same about the 16 oz canned Helles from The Bruery that @SABERG posted earlier as well. I don't think I've ever had a beer with Loral hops before either. I'm a big fan of Yards so I'll have to give this one a try.