New Beer Sunday (Week 790)

A-Pours a murky amber golden color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has a generous tropical and citrus hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a well balanced tropical and citrus flavor
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A good IPA

 

Happy Easter to all, hopefully everyone is able to put something satisfyingly festive together with at least a few loved ones. Preparing dinner later so right now its either beer while practicing bass or beer while playing Fallout. Either way, I'm starting out with Four Hands Barrel Aged with Cinnamon Imperial Stout

4.11/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Not a lot of head on this one, kind of was concerned a little. Moving along to the nose, plenty happening here with the obvious cinnamon but there's also a tiny bit of raisin and call me crazy but it all ties together like an oatmeal cookie. Taste doesn't meander too far from the oatmeal cookie thing as it's all there plus the stout brings in a touch of chocolate and molasses. Wraps up with a touch of heat with a little bit of a flat finish in this surprisingly thin beer. Overall, other than the feel, its a very great beer

 

Pretty shot and thanks for the history. I dated a girl not far from there and we spent some time hanging out in Plymouth. A quaint and enjoyable town. One of my fondest memories is the Buffalo omelet at The All American Diner. I have yet to find a Buffalo omelet anywhere else ever.

 

Wait a minute...not only do buffalo have wings, but now you're telling me that they lay eggs?!!

 

Lake Shore Fog is a hazy (NE style?) IPA from Southern Tier.
-a pale yellow and cloudy can pour with a thin foam cap and a pop of orange in the aroma. The flavor includes pineapple, tangerine and a bit of mango. The hop bitterness is moderate. This is a light-bodied, light flavored brew.

My possible new-brew count is diminishing. Cheers.

 

Clearly the Buffalo is a bird!

Seriously though, if you’re aware of any diners in this great state full of diners with a Buffalo omelet please let me know! Haha

 

Found this guy sitting on the shelf and it piqued my interest.

Funk Factory Guezeria Framzwart. A spontaneously fermented fruit Lambic with black raspberries. Aged for 18-24 months in French Oak Barrels. This is a 2018 bottle. 6% ABV.


Pours a dark purple/garnet red color. The stunning color is more akin to grape juice or a darker red wine and looks like it can stain that color as well. At first a one finger pink head rises, but recedes and fizzles to a small ring. A light filmy lace left behind.

Nose and taste follow suit. Dark jammy berry notes. Vinous and really acidic. Not a lot of funk or anything else to take away from the acidity. Which becomes puckering and one noted after a while.

A medium to full body. Good crisp carbonation, and very tannin like, without having a lot of oak/wood characteristics to back that up. Interesting to drink once, and enjoyable for what it is. Though the acidity makes this a little harder to drink than I would like.

Random thoughts:
This was the only year or vintage available on the shelves, and I was interested to try a fully spontaneously fermented American Lambic. Especially since it was not something I had to wait in line for (and different than what Jester King is putting out). It is also expensive (just over $30), I try not to let that influence my score but it is something to note. Overall, it is interesting and glad I got to try it. Though the one noted acidity is the overall downfall for me here. As the fruits struggle to help, and there is not a lot of funky yeast or wood either. I would very much want to try a fresher bottle to see how that differs, as is this will have to stand for my review and opinion.

Overall score is 3.63. Full review below:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/36686/354436/?ba=champ103#review

 

Lovely South Carolina spring morning here, with showers this afternoon to water the wisteria and catawba vines that I just cut back.

Now I am enjoying a Westbrook Three Claw. It showed up in our neighborhood bottle shop three days after it was canned which nearly seems impossible given the mule teams that the distributor generally uses for transport from Charleston.
Not complaining, just an observation

What I see is golden orange color, impenetrable haze, no particulates in glass or can, one finger of white head dissipating to a thick variegated collar and light cap. 4.25

Strong orange, grapefruit, pineapple, yeast, pine aromas. 4.25

Flavors are pine, orange, sour pineapple, grapefruit, discernible rye in the back. 4

Hop tang up front, citrus aftertaste, light alcohol heat, medium body, stubborn carbonation. 4.25

The rye is there, but barely can be heard with all the dry hopping. Two Claw is still my favorite, but it is interesting to compare it, Three Claw, Santa Claw, and the Rinse And Repeat variants for their slight differences.

 

End of the (open) road on VT RT. 108, Stowe, VT.
Easter Sunday, 2020.

There were 40 cars (7 out of state plates) with two cross country skiers heading up into Smuggler's Notch. Also a few snowboarders hiking and skiers skinning up to the top of the mountain from here. This road can't be plowed as it's too narrow at its apex to do so.
Today was the first Easter Sunday Sunrise Service ever cancelled dating back over 70 years ago.
That white peak in the middle of the frame is the top of Mt. Mansfield, the tallest mountain in Vermont.



Now for a new beer brewed right here in Stowe, VT.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46275/478376/



16 oz. can.
Canned 04/07/20.
Moderate to vigorous pour yields a 1 and a 1/2 inch white head over a hazy golden body with sticky lacing. Wonderful nose of sweet citrus and tropical fruit. Taste follows smooth and fairly well balanced right through the 65 ibu finish that where traces of sweet citrus are present. Very nice! 8.0% abv is hidden well with a very good feel. Overall, I'd recommend this to any and all hopheads looking for a well made DIPA.
Cheers to UPBC and von Trapp for a job well done!!

 

Yeah, I pretty much think American made Dark Milds are just very light porters. Which I'm perfectly fine with. One of my favorite Houston area breweries just canned a bunch of their mild called Pub Crusher (which I usually down tons of on cask at the brewery), and is pretty much this at 4% ABV, which I love...so I'm all good with that

 

Man, if it wasn't so overcast I'd be out here yanking the old growth out of the pots and getting the soil ready. Or maybe just chilling with a beer and my shades on. As it stands, though, I think I'll just head inside...

I actually have some new beer today, because my local shop is doing deliveries now and it was time to refill the fridge. I'm guessing that they're still getting regular deliveries because new stuff seems to be showing up in their inventory. Fortunately for me, this is one I've been waiting for:

Ommegang Idyll Days Pilsner

Wow, is this good! Delicate seems to be what they were going for here, not "light" or "unchallenging", and boy do they walk that tightrope with confidence. The malt is crackery and crisp, building as she goes; the hops shade towards lemony/lime peel, but there's some fresh hay in there as well, It starts with a gentle kiss of sweetness, but finishes nicely dry, while the bitterness is sufficient to wrap it all up in a nice trim bow but doesn't overstay its welcome. Easy on the palate, but also made with character to boot: great stuff, creeping up into A (4.4) territory for me. I may be putting a new order in sooner than I thought .

Stay safe out there. Cheers!

 

From Avery Brewing in Boulder Co The Reverend a 10 % ABV Belgian-Style Ouadrupel Ale. The 1st thing you notice about The Reverend is that it comes in a 12 OZ can. First time I've ever seen a Quad in a Can. This beer is brewed with (quoting from the can( "Rocky Mountain water, malted barley, imported Belgian specialty malted barley, dark Belgian candy sugar, hops & Belgian yeast. Poured into a red wine glass it looks pretty much like any other Quad. It's a reddish brown with a thick tan head. The aroma is mild of candy sugar. The taste is good.sugar candy and dried fruit. The mouthfeel is a bit thin for a Quad but still full. The finish is sweet but not overpowering and long lasting. A nice enough brew but it's not hard to find a better one.

 

Nice! Congrats to them, what a great place to raise a family. I graduated from DHS in ‘05, had an amazing time there. My sister and her family still live in Dux in my old childhood home. I hope to move back someday but we shall see. Next time I visit them I’m definitely hitting up Stellwagen Brewing

 

Could have picked almost any brew in the front of the fridge, as I’ve got lots of singles stocked up for the quarantine, but a double mocha coffee stout was calling my name:

Stillwater - Double Mocha Affagato Nitro Stout.

Nitros don’t tend to be my favorite but into a Surly snifter it goes;

A: Very dark pour for a 6% stout. Lots of cascading, effervescent carbonation bubbles from the nitro. Minimal off-tan head sticks around.

S: Cold-pressed, smooth coffee notes and impressions of chocolate, cream, and vanilla. Hints of earthy/nutty notes in the coffee character.

T: Cold coffee, smooth and not bitter; notes of cocoa and lactose/cream, hints of a vanilla sweetness and a light berry character. Smooth creamy coffee notes on the finish.

MF: Nitro-smooth. Lighter body for a stout.

O: A simple nitro stout that delivers on coffee character without being bitter, but doesn’t go do the road into dessert-stout character. If that’s your thing you’ll like it. If you like coffee-forward beers, nothing here will disappoint I believe. The nitro mouthfeel is nice but again I believe it mutes some of the aromas and flavors slightly. For me I was hoping for some more chocolate notes based on the name and description. Scores:

4/3.75/3.75/4/4

Certainly nothing wrong with this one. Happy Easter BA!

 

Understood. So maybe we also have another difference in interpretation of the "guidelines" for a style. While a mild can be roasty (among about every other brown-to-dark malt flavor, it seems), is "very, very roasty" still in line? I mean, if a brewer put out a "very, very bitter" APA, might it better fit into the IPA category even though APAs can have bitterness?

Anyhow, we BAs can argue style guidelines until the cows come home (and often do in threads that pop up now and again), so I am not arguing as much as posing these questions to myself as well as others.

 

Machine House only makes cask beer, so carb should be relatively low. The owner/brewer is very British, and quite an enjoyable chap to chat with over a pint. Or 4.

 

Named for a contest pitting Eric (Hen of the Wood, Pro Pig), Mark (Reservoir), and Ari (Zenbarn) against each other with the winner being crowned Mr. Waterbury!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10267/478704/



16 oz. can.
Canned 03/16/2020.
Moderate pour yields a one and 1/2 inch white head over a slightly hazy, straw colored body with some sticky lacing. Nose of citrus (grapefruit, orange, and tangerine.) Taste of grapefruit (white, ruby red.) Very good feel and overall, a real good little IPA brewed and canned in Williston, VT.
Cheers!!!

 

N’ice Chouffe a spiced Belgian dark ale.
This is a seasonal treat. (-found one in the back of the “cellar.”)
It’s a holiday brew, wrong holiday, but this has improved. I have enjoyed this many times but had not reviewed it until today.
The appearance is red-mahogany with a some haze and a 1.5 cm sticky, tan foam cap.
The aroma is of caramel and banana esters. The flavor is rich; toffee, candi-sugar, orange zest are prominent.
This is a pleasure, not overly sweet and without notable alcohol heat.
I am always pleased to find this brew.
My rating exceeds the BA average.