New Beer Sunday (Week 782)

No pic coming up on my end.

 

And I'm back!
I very much like the idea of a mid-February anniversary for posterity's sake and am happy to celebrate that today. This thread is incredible and is a testament to all the good things about the internet and technology in general and very little of the bad. Every week it still blows my mind to think that I have a date with a bunch of people I've never met to talk about beers that I (and they) may never have. And yet it is engaging and fun and interesting week after week. I think it is a treasure and we should do all we can to keep it going. That's why it is so great to see a couple newbies per week or so wander in. Anyway enough yammering, an anniversary calls for champagne but since I don't have any and am not much of a fan to begin with, a brut IPA made with Mosaic, Citra and Amarillo will have to do.

It pours pretty clear gold with some fine particulate. A medium-sized white head that settles to a semi-rousable ring. Some lacing.
Aroma of lemon zest, light tropical fruit, overripe grapefruit and some grassiness. The flavor follows the nose with sweeter fruity notes (Juicy Fruit-like), there is a little lime zest greenness that builds up at the end but it never quite gets bitter, per se. Dry, thinnish and zestily carbonated in the feel department. This is a decent little beer! It is fairly aromatic and smells and tastes of new fangled hops. It is not quite as crisp and dry as I would expect but is still good on that count and actually benefits from a little body since I have found the thinness a little distracting in other versions I've had (not sure if they used rice here instead of amalyse enzyme or in addition to it, I'm guessing the former). Overall, very tasty and I'd have it again

Santé!

 

I'm out this week. 8=( I traveled to Staunton & Harrisonburg, VA & I intended to return today. Unfortunately, AMTRAK cancelled the train so I am taking MegaBus to DC tomorrow & then Amtrak home from there. 8=(

 

Very cool. Welcome aboard.

 

Blind Pig from Russian River given to me by @Snrubnivek Thanks so much Kevin for the opportunity to try this incredible beer.
4.42/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear golden color with a two inch fluffy head that was well retained and and left massive lacing. Smells of citrus, pine, floral notes and grass. Tastes of grapefruit, grapefruit pith, pine,resin, grass, floral elements,lemon and apricot. Medium bitterness. Light side of medium bodied, medium carbonation, clean and crisp with a dry finish.

 

Good afternoon, NBS!!! Enjoying a nice lazy Sunday on this 3 day weekend. Starting with a cherry wine barrel aged dark saison.

4.39/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

750 ml bottle poured into a teku

A- Black with a three finger fluffy light mocha head.

S- Tart, cherries, some lemons, oak, some cocoa, roasted malts, nice funk.

T- Sour, cherries, some lemons, oak, chocolate, roasted malts, somewhat funky.

M- Smooth, light body, fairly dry.

O- A very nice tart dark saison, the barrel brings out the nice fruit flavors in this and it has a nice balance with the dark malts

Cheers NBS!!

 

First: I’m really a cat person. Cats all over the world love me; don’t tell Mrs. Z (but she knows!).

Second: That was a darn fine review, well done! Please favor the group with more in the future - I’m more knowledgeable about your beer, and your descriptions were everything I could hope for if I had asked you, “How did you like that beer?”.

Great job!, and Cheers!

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. It's so nice to have tomorrow off! My wife and I were in Pennsylvania yesterday and made a stop at the Tired Hands Fermentaria. Today's first NBS review is Punge, a "New Zealand Double IPA" hopped with Motueka and Nelson Sauvin, both favorites of mine. It's an extraordinary ale. First, the appearance is fantastic. This photo doesn't show it but when initially poured the head looked like a dollop of gelato. The use of Motueka and Nelson was inspired as it perfectly balances tropical and dry white wine notes. There are lots of oats that provide creaminess and a measured sweetness that holds it together. I'm very impressed. While not a Milkshake, Punge has a lot of the same characteristics and is much better than the Extra Vanilla Double Milkshake IPA I had yesterday. I've gushed enough. Here's my full review:

4.46/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Canned on 2/5/2020. Poured into a Willi Becher glass. It pours an opaque, dirty tangerine color with a large, creamy, billowy bright white head and thick lacing that resembles gelato. It's a beautiful pour! The nose is fruity and floral. There is lemon, lime, mango, pineapple, grape, and a whiff of vanilla. There are also flowery notes that remind me of being in a greenhouse. The taste is equally fantastic. There is plush, soft, creamy tropical fruit, along with slightly tart lemon and grapefruit. The Motueka hops really shine. But the influence of the Nelson hops is felt in the dry white wine notes. All these flavors wrap around an oat base the provides creamy sweetness. The flavors blend seamlessly and compliment each other very well. The feel is rich and thick with moderate carbonation and it is highly drinkable despite its 8.3% ABV. Punge manages to achieve a lot: it's juicy but creamy; lots of sweetness balanced by white wine. It's complex and super fun to drink. It has a lot of the characteristics of Tired Hands' Milkshake IPAs but I like it a lot better.

Another favorite topic of mine is dogs.


My Dad was a hunter and when I was growing up we always had English Setters. They were great dogs and I always assumed I'd continue to own them. My wife had other ideas. She wanted a smaller dog that she could "scoop up" when needed. So when our kids were young we bought a Boston Terrier. Well, I never loved a dog as much as our first BT, Burnside. She lived to 15. We've fallen for the breed and now we have Chambo (Chamberlain - named after Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, my wife's favorite Civil War general). Chambo is 18 months old. Bostons are out-of-control puppies until about 3 years and she's no exception. She wants to play nonstop and we can't let her off leash yet for fear she'll take off and we won't be able to stop her. She's from Lancaster County, Penna. and her first 8 weeks were spent in a barn with litters of Bostons and Cocker Spaniels, as well as horses, chickens, and turkeys. Tough neighborhood and it shows in her personality. She's ready to take on all comers and desperately wants to chase deer in our backyard. She's become my drinking buddy and favors hazy, New England IPAs (Mrs. Mac does, too). I'm in my basement now and my wife will soon send Chambo down to torment me. It's hard to write reviews and throw toys at the same time but I'm getting pretty good at it. Cheers!

 

I picked up two bottles instead of PUNGE, sounds like I should have picked up this batch of PUNGE!!

 

Beer No. 2 this week is

Unibroue La Fin Du Monde Belgian Tripel
ABV: 9.0% (plus 6.2% for beer #1 = 15.2% in honor of 15 years of NBS!)
IBU: 19



A clear orange-amber body with a profusion of bubbles rising to a thick, creamy white head with excellent retention. The head sags a bit below an outside ridge as it recedes. As you drink, it leaves spots, strings and sheets of lacing. (The final drops from the bottle send columns of dark brown down through the beer, becoming smokey sheets wafting through the beer.) Great looking beer.

Aroma is fruit and spice. Ripe pears, cloves, hints of banana, bubblegum.

Smooth and substantial body, accented by the carbonation dancing on the tongue.

The mixture of fruit flavors and spices dominate the taste. Ripe pears, apricot, clove, pepper, banana. A bit of funkiness. A wonderful, tasty, complexity of flavors swirling around above a bready sweet malt foundation. The finish is slightly thick and semi-sweet. Rich, elaborate, sophisticated, and wonderfully multifarious.

Overall, this is a great beer. The best Belgian Tripel-style I've had to date.

L: 4.25 | S: 4.25 | T: 4.75 | F: 4.0 | O: 4.5 | BA rating: 4.48

 

Here's to Ruffie, Otis, Ranger, and all of our dogs. What joy they give us. Cheers!

 

I'm sure they have more. Are you close to Philly? I also bought a bottle of Ourison, which I really like but haven't had for a couple of years. Btw, the cheese steak pizza at the place across the parking lot (I didn't even pay attention to the name) was really good.

 

Bell's Hopslam DIPA, 10% ABV. Pours slightly hazy amber, with a huge 5-finger foamy off-white head that left lots of foamy lacing. Nose is sweet honey, slight pine, and light citrus. Taste is honey, moderate pine, moderately sweet, moderately bitter. Excellent mouthfeel, overall outstanding.

4.39/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I'm still getting used to IPAs, and one of the measures I use is whether I'd grab a six to take to a party - could I drink it all night, and would I anticipate others would like it? Except for the fact that a six would put me out, yes I could.

 

Great review! That's one of my favorite Baltic Porters. You've put me in the mood. I'm going to look for a few bottles. Cheers!

 

16 Feb 2020: Two top NEIPAs to taste against any, plus 1st review of Appose 2: power Saison

Rabbit Rabbit| Lamplighter 8.5 ABV
4.4 rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
One of the best NE IPAs I've had this month, better than Giant Sue.
Can from my bodega at park slope.
a) Best looker opaque lace, lasting head over apricot haze body.
s) As promised: hop candy, sweet melon, and pink starburst. Clean, fresh.
t) Complex, not just sweet, plenty of hop bitter bites and fights back, see-saw like the great ones.
f) clean, juicy, hides ABV, inviting more, great food beer, great meditation beer due to layers.
o) Taste off vs Giant Sue and your next top fave NEIPAs.
King Sue | Toppling Goliath | 7.8%
4.4 rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
456# review. This NEIPA started it all. Outstanding.
hides its 100 IBU well but sports a 100 score here.
a) Fruit hazed golden bomb.
s/t) Bursting hop aromas, ample and pungent, fruit salad.
f) Smooth, juicy, the gold standard indeed.
o) must be blind tasted vs 4 other NE IPAs to see if anyone can topple Giant Sue.
Appose 2 | Carton | 7.6%
4.2 rDev +5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
1st Review.
As in Juxtapose, place next to each other. Side by side. Wild by wild.
a) Sour yellow glow body with white ring little lace.
s) Flavor packed aroma, slows you down.
t) Likewise the taste packs yeast, mineral, flowers, orchard, must, earth, bread, dried herbs.
f) Peppery, sprite.
o) A sipper, I like wilds to have this much punch and ABV, and this is a winner.

 

Welcome, and stop by every week. I enjoyed reading both of your reviews.

 

About 45 minutes away. Maybe I will be lucky and @CanConPhilly will have an extra can for me. Ourison is always one of my favorites, I tend to pick it up about twice a year. Maybe next time I’m up I will have to check out that pizza, I know what place your talking about!