New Beer Sunday (Week 791)

We can't live all the far from each other which I only mention because I had my first offering from Kern River this week, and thought it was pretty great. Their Hop Nookie TIPA packed a huge punch at 11%. This review sounds great. They're definitely on my radar now.

 

@GreenBayBA ... finally, I'm ready to crack open the 2020 BA Darkness!

Surly Brewing BA Darkness 2020 Russian Imperial Stout Aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels.
ABV: 12.0%



Strong aroma: whiskey, dark cherry, and chocolate.

Deep, dark, impenetrable black topped by a short, rapidly vanishing dark tan head. Nice sheets of lacing are left if you tip the glass. The head settles into a cap with a bubble island in the center.

Thick and viscous mouth feel, rich and smooth.

The taste is rich and multi-faceted, dominated by the chocolate and malty cherry flavors (that is, no fruit additions, this is all from the malts), complemented nicely with the whiskey and oak tannins. The flavor, as I said, is richly multi-faceted, complex, and delicious. There is a lot going on; @GreenBayBA mentions raisins, vanilla, etc. I can't argue with that, even if I lack the ability to pick them all out; I just note there is a complexity of flavors.

The rye whiskey gives the flavor just a little more bite than the more traditional bourbon would. There is a well-controlled alcohol presence, but hardly any heat, either initially or throughout. It does get a bit hotter as it warms, but remains well-controlled. The finish is moderately bitter, very flavorful and rich, with the bitterness and tannins countering the sweet malts nicely, keeping everything well balanced.

The aftertaste coats the tongue nicely with the various flavors. Very luxurious. The alcohol, as mentioned, is well-controlled... so well so that this is a dangerously easy-drinking stout. I'm going to have to exercise discipline and self-control to slow down.

Overall, an absolutely superb beer. Just wonderful. Damned expensive, but wonderful.

L: 4.25 | S: 4.5 | T: 4.75 | F: 4.75 | O: 4.75 | Rating: 4.66

 

This one ended my night late last night/early this morning. I woke up painfully aware that I went out on a 14% stout, but was still somehow craving more. Fantastic beer!

 

I’ve had a few career paths in my 52 years, but food and dining comprised most of it.

I never attended CIA or Le Cordon Bleu, but take kitchen scars in stride. When certified chefs told me scars heal, I believed ‘em.

 

Last night I had an online party with a couple of friends (and wives/also friends, even some raving kids at some earlier point) webcamming and djing from their homes in Bilbao first, and then NY, with the rest of us chatting around. So a bit unfair to review this way as I was probably a bit buzzed, and seldom took some brief notes of the aroma (just enjoyed the beer without paying much attention to it while engaging in the chat).



I´ve had beers from Dubuisson a few times in the past, but this is my first Bush Triple for sure, and one I´ve been lurking around for a while. The nose was spicy hop with lemon peel notes and toasted bread crumbs on top of loads of red apple (more than pear), with a softer/fresher white bread in the background. Lots of textures before even sipping right there, ranging from grainy to silky. Very nice. Then I got distracted, but still can remember how smoothly the beer went down in spite of some noticeable alcohol. I have vague memories of the beer missing a slightly sharper hop bite to be really great, but still a perfectly legit tripel I must pay due attention next time. And definitely a badass one at 10.5, which not only skyrocketed me at the right moment, but played its part for a long, incredibly fun night ending up in a confined apartment in Manhattan.

 

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass canned 2/20/20. Just arrived at my local store Friday. Need to move this stuff faster. Pours a hazy orange with a 2 finger sticky white head that yields excellent retention and leaves thick rings of lace. 4.25

Smell is tangerine, pineapple, papaya, melon, mango, and apricot. 4

Taste follows melon, mango, papaya, tangerine, pineapple, and apricot nicely balanced. 4

Mouthfeel is about medium, slightly sticky not dry, and at 6.5% easy drinking but a good amount of flavor. 4.25

Over a very nice brew from these guys, but still want one dazzle from them. 4 Themisto is its name.

 

Greetings fellow NBSers! A sunny afternoon, after a cloudy morning, here in the Fourth Corner. I'm getting through the current situation as well as can be expected, still working some, and haven't gone totally stir-crazy.

Todays first entry is from Alesmith, a Mexican lager named Sublime, after the band: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/396/286897/

 

Happy New Rye Beer Sunday!

Pretty nice day here on the Western Slope, cloudy/some sun, around 60 at the trailhead. This brew (keeping it local) surprised the shit out of me. Very tasty brew! Well Done! Made some of the same shit again. Watching The Three Stooges and The Outer Limits (Original).

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/32479/480025/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

Great to have you back. Love reading your thoughts and drinking in your fotos. And I agree...

 

Well you wordified well as far as I'm concerned.

 

Pulling a beer from an earlier NBS BIF round that I have been aging. Final opening the can of Carton Café y Churro, @y2kawakami sent it to me when it was already of a year old and I have been aging a little more since then. Even being three years old this beer does not hold back and is still great!
4.56/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Thank you y2kawakami for this
12 oz can, dated 12/15/16, poured into a teku

A- A slightly hazy copper with a small white head.

S- Cinnamon, some coffee, caramel, some vanilla. Smells like a churro with some coffee.

T- Cinnamon, some vanilla, coffee, caramel, touch of chocolate.

M- Smooth, medium to full body.

O- Wow, Carton nailed it with the churro flavor. Very easy to drink.

Cheers!

 

I've neglected this fridge prisoner for way too long, as it must have been in there for four months! Well, here goes!



11.2 oz. bottle.
BB 2023-06-06.
Moderate to vigorous pour yields a 3/4 inch off white (ever so slightly pinkish-tan) head over a ruby red body with a little lacing. Nose of slight funk, cherry, and very slight oak. Funk aroma is almost gone after a few minutes. Nice flavors of cherry, other dark fruit, and a bit of oak. This really is quite delicious! Nice feel and overall, better than expected (after perusing other reviews) and would recommend to any sour beer aficionado.
Cheers!

 

Hello NBS friends. I have a couple of beers tonight, one from @Roguer in the recently completed NBS BIF 11, the other a ninja package from @JBowenGeorgia 2+ years ago IIRC in NBS BIF 7 (I think).

First up, an iconic Belgian Gueuze from Roguer. I’d let it run out to its “Best Before” date, but I’ll be 75 years old then, and I guarantee you I’ll appreciate it more now than I would then.







4.43/5 rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Turbid orange color with a sizzling sudsy off-white head after an aggressive pour, this gorgeous Belgian Gueuze (l love typing “Gueuze” - sue me) has the obligatory funky Brett aromas ubiquitous to the style, and I’m a bit surprised to find a citrus note, specifically, oranges.

The taste is ..... raw, if that makes sense. It has funky Brett flavors mixed with the aforementioned oranges, and there’s a saltiness which works well, but there’s also an acidity that I think would fade as this ages. It still tastes excellent, but I’ll bet in 10 years, this would be amazeballs.

The mouthfeel is amazeballs now, very sprite and dry, almost like a champagne. Truly spectacular. I only wish I had a second one to age for 5-10 years to see how this would evolve.

 

While I am slightly partial to Rodenbach the standard Duchesse is really fantastic (even underrated), but never came across the cherry one!

 

BTW, check your mail tomorrow.

 

I appreciate your thoughts on this thread and how it has evolved. This thread is my favorite thread on this site - by far - and I agree wholeheartedly that it’s taken on a “WBAYDN” feel in the last 6 weeks.

I like WBAYDN (I participate almost every day), but this thread is different, literally by design. I think bringing back the “official launchers” to set the tone for the thread each week would be a great start to getting this thread back on track.

And I’m not going anywhere, BTW. I’ll post here every week, and I’ll participate in the BIF’s - but I’d love to see this thread be the really special place it’s been for me for the last 5 years or so.

 

Opened one of my few remaining beers from @DonnieT79 's box from NBS BIF #11, Port Barrel Magellan, from Wolf's Ridge Brewing. The maple had me a bit apprehensive at first (a little goes a long way for me, and most maple beers it becomes overpowering), but the maple in this was nicely restrained, which allowed the Port, and wood to show through nicely: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33530/468602/