New Beer Sunday (Week 783)

What the heck? Why not one more?

Strange Roots Experimental Ales - Infinite Hibernation 2020

From the label: Ale fermented in maple syrup bourbon barrels with native Pennsylvania yeast. Brewed with copious amounts of crystal malts and Belgian candi sugar, this year's vintage was fermented in maple syrup bourbon barrels with local yeast.

I wasn't sure what to really expect from this beer, as previous vintages have ranged from wild ale to winter warmer. This year's definitely drinks like an old ale/winter warmer. This is a style that I generally don't gravitate to, but this one piqued my interest.





Hard pour into a snifter. 13.4% abv.

Look - Pours a rich dark brown/mahogany with a light tan head that dissipates.

Smell - notes of maple, brown sugar, banana, clove.

Taste - There are big flavors of brown sugar, molasses, dried fig, raisin, and malt. The maple only peaks through on the finish for me, and the bourbon is not very noticeable at all.

Feel - It's a thin pour with little head retention. Easy to drink with no alcohol burn for the high abv.

Overall - This was a solid winter warmer, with a lot of Belgian-like qualities. I'd like the barrel to have been a bit more pronounced, but no single flavors were very overwhelming. I will admit that this is not a style that I usually prefer to drink, but everyone should venture out of their wheelhouse every so often. I'd give it a 3.8 overall. Enjoyable, but nothing exciting.

 

15 years ago? Hmmm? Seems like 15 centuries.
Oh, I wasn't drinking much beer , because the local utility lost their damned mind!
They suddenly started sending me monthly bills that were often more than I had previously paid for an entire year. Highest was $1465, with most in 4 figures, after it being $90-$120/mo. I was having to pay them, then fight them over it, as winter in upstate NY isn't very conducive to going without power. Typically, I'd (think I'd) get it settled on Monday, then come home to a shutoff notice Wed, for Friday afternoon, then have to shell out $100s more. Soooooooo.......I was sending ~ every spare dime to NYSEG, with nothing left over for beer, or much else.

A: There was a storm, & some big lines, & my nearby lines, were out for five days, late the previous fall. They hooked it up wrong, apparently, despite 2 different people coming to inspect, & saying it was fine. My impression in talking to various other people was that given the merger in progress, nobody wanted to stick their head up , and be noticed proving the company wrong. Turns out I was likely paying for the nearby DOT, & maybe some street lights. I had power during an outage, from DOT's generator. Anyway , I figured I paid them > $3400 in 7? months, with them having me still owing >$1000. Then they shut the power off , I got it back on for $666(I insisted on the extra $1) , then they asked for another $700, 2 days later & they shut it off again. I muddled through without, & moved a couple months later. ( Thanks for reliving that , @cjgiant . )

That aside, I probably drank more wine than beer in that time frame. Of the beer I did drink, I'd guess it was mostly Ithaca Pale Ale (now retired) & Victory Hop Devil .Occasionally mixed in Saranac's Trail Mix pack, Old Horizontal, & Ommegang's original four. The latter were my favorites, but at the time (IIRC) I was still only seeing them in bombers, so were a once-in-awhile thing . Wasn't used to that kind of abv, in that quantity. Also, I still had a good stock of home-brewed porter from fall of '04. Occasionally I would see some fresh Burt Grant IPA [Edit : & Red Hook] at a store near work, but other than that & Dave's Cave Creek Chile Beer , there was rarely anything there that compelled me to get it.

On to today :
15.22oz bottle of 8% lager, for $2 - what could go wrong?
A: Headache & uneasy stomach . Drinking weak coffee right now, w/ some fresh mozzarella & strawberries . (on the side)
Looks nice , especially during the 3 seconds the head was on it.The open bottle smells like typical AAL, but stronger, and is somewhat helles-like in the glass, but stronger annnnd ....a pine solvent/alcohol aroma as I breathe it in more deeply . Young WCIPA-ish? All-in-all , I could like it, if the beer is good overall. Taste has those elements of the aroma, but despite that, it seems completely different . Dried fruit + spice of a wit or kristalweizen(but not as good) + vodka-ish. Like it at first, then it becomes too much . Feels a bit lighter than expected, but not watery - not bad.
Overall, maybe a little with spicy &/or rich foods might be OK , if nothing else available (MAYBE) , but the whole bottle is wayyyyy too much .

2.75/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/401/1967/?ba=mikeinportc#review

To Louis Prost! Ruhe in frieden Gave him a good run, @Roguer . My condolences.

3.73/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/287/431595/
Just saw this today , & (as usual) my expected purchase was not in attendance, so...why not?
Looks like an IPA. One that's much more substantial than it actually is. Surprising head & lacing . Smell is rather muted, but as I mentioned in the review , it might be due to a previous stronger beer. ( I was thinking malty first, then hoppy, for best analysis, rather than thinking of strength ) Some bready malt & light citrus. So far, so good. Taste is grapefruit,orange rind, & a little pine, finishing with a bit of bread crust & grapefruit pith.
Feel is light, but not watery. Nice balance between creamy & prickly.
Overall, I like it , very much. I imagine it'll be even better in hot weather, (If we have any), & if I can find it then. Oddly, though my conclusion is more positive than most, my #s are lower.


I went to the usual beer store, held discipline (Don't look!Don't look!Don't look!), got a basic (vonTrapp Helles) , & something light (see above) as intended , & moved on to other things. One such thing was a replacement for my cracked French press, to be found at the retail outlet of a local restaurant supplier. Passed by the beer , which is normally mostly old, didn't even look, rounded the corner, & .....on the overflow shelf.....is it?...Yes.....something from Fiddlehead!!! I've never seen such a thing, always showing up too late for the case or two that shows up.That place....about the last place I'd expect it. Flipped it over, & ...1/27/20 , so not even old either. Yeah, has what looks like a bunch of add-junks, that I'd normally pass by , but....... Based on what I've seen from @SawDog505 & a few others on these threads, I trust them. Short version : I'm not disappointed.

Dark chestnut-brown, & as you can see , a nice head, that hung on quite well .
Smells like brownie batter, but lighter, and lightly sweetened coconut.
Taste is basic porter, with some coconut & chocolate. Didn't specifically sense the vanilla, in either aroma or taste. Just enough bitterness to balance everything.
Feel is on the light side of medium/heavy side of light, but not watery, with some light carbonation. It's 5.5% , and all of this seems inline with that.
Overall , well-done(for me). The extras are done with a light touch, don't overwhelm the base beer, and are just barely sweet.
4.26/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27919/91899/?ba=mikeinportc#review

 

Beer two tonight comes from another great BA member @Jasonja1474

These are the type of beers I try to review on NBS, as I don't have a ton of experience with coffee beers (not a coffee drinker). It's also a bit scary being the first to review a beer on here as I can't cheat at all by confirming tastes or smells with past reviews. I'm glad this weekly thread has helped take me out of my comfort zone.

Blackberry Farm Beans of the Stone Age:



4.17/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours a thin brown that gets a little more transparent at the bottom of the glass. Smell is subtle on first smell, but the coffee shows up as it warms. Taste is again, light on the coffee, but in a good way. Some hints of chocolate as it warms up, but I split the can, so it didn't last long enough for me to continue to explore the chocolate. Definitely a thin mouth feel, but that was to be expected. A nice beer, that's perfect for a NBS.

 

I've been to the brewery twice (during two separate vacations in the area). You have to be extremely lucky to run into their bottled and canned beer in NYC and the surrounding area, but their kegs make it down here a lot (particularly to Brooklyn). For me, the Suarez pilsners are among my favorite US pilsners... easily. I also happen to like König a lot. I prefer Palatine to König, but König is 1/3 of the price, and more importantly, I can buy it while I'm out running other errands by my house or place of work instead of needing to make a day trip for some beer. I'm not saying that the Suarez beers are priced unfairly (there are clearly humongous differences in business size and production volume between these two brands), but I don't need to express which one is obviously in my fridge more. Cheers.

@FBarber

 

Wow, I'm sorry. That's a tidal wave of grief.

 

Hey John....that one sounds really good. We gots to talk.

 

And participate you DID. Thanks for joining us. Loved getting to feel like I've met you. Come back often.

 

You didn't go to jail,so I'm gonna say you probably handled that better than I would have...

 

@FlintB hit you huh? He's a pro. You're lucky. Glad you've been educated by him. Now you can get your game on in this round of NBS BIF #11 (name TBD)
As for your shared birthday...Isn't @woodychandler higher on that list than those douches you mentioned? I say you're in good company here.

 

This quote is BADASS!

 

And an amazing label to boot!

 

Fifteen years ago I had lost interest to some degree in craft beer, though it was what I drank the majority of the time. I was several years into a never ending PhD and was reading for my minor comprehensive exam on the philosophy of history. I drank Waterloo Dark lager almost exclusively at the local pub where I spent a lot of time reading alone or drinking with friends. I had gotten into craft beer at the tail end of the ‘80s and early ‘90s in and around Montreal where I lived at the time, as a 16-17 year old. And, before it was a thing, I was a bit of ticker, trying every new beer that found its way to market. Somewhere I still have a few six pack holders of long gone beers like Massawippi Pale Ale (the precursor to Unibroue) and Brasal Hopps Brau.

I don’t know why I lost interest in beer for a few years, but it wasn’t until I discovered this site as a lurker in 2011/12 that I started paying attention to what was around me beer-wise.

I had hoped to have a beer this evening, but my three year old son was not cooperating and only nodded off at 11:30.... He fights sleep like it’s the greatest evil known to man! That said, I did stop in at a good brewery in Whitby, Ontario today after a last minute meeting with a client. I only had a few tasters; I was driving and wanted to have a few sips before decking what to take home. Not enough to form a review, but here is a photo of the samples.



I’m very much looking forward to the next NBS BIF, and participating regularly again, even if it means late, late Sunday!

 

Hellooooo Late Night NBS
I've really enjoyed reading y'alls today. I'm busier than shit here, so I finally get to sit down and have a beer.
Coronado Brewing / Pizza Port -South of the Pier
A West Coast IPA
A collaboration beer by 2 of San Diego's longtime brewing institutions.
She is pretty. Canned 1/21/20
Golden and clear. Capped by a fearless froth of sea foam white. Consistent supply of new bubbles from the carbonation. Eventually the head retreats to a consistent slick. Patchy lacing.
Initial eruption of grassy, earthy hops, akin to alfalfa followed by lemongrass and hints of resin, and just a tad dank. It melds and mellows a bit. But initially it really grabbed my attention.
Taste isomer of the grass and alfalfa, almost absent are the citrus notes. You got to search to find. But there is an organic, earthy depth to the alfalfa and grass. A slight herbal spice comes through as well, almost peppery, but not quite. An undertone of cracker peeks in as well. Like how it begins, but doesn't quite follow the nose faithfully.
Mouthfeel has a consistent carbonation, somewhat slick, but a warming bitterness comes through on the finish. I mark it up more for how it begins and holds in the middle, but the finish drops most of the nuances of the ride.
Overall, she's a good starter out of the gate, but by mid race she's trying to keep her pace. Not bad, but not great.


3.66/5 rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

 

Great beer IMO. I love the house yeast they use in their beers. I pick it up in all their beers no matter the style.

 

I did not get coconut with it this time, but I also didn’t get the garlic and onion I sometimes get from Sabro. It was a great beer Larry and I truly thank you.