New Beer Sunday (Week 792)

Wow Catamount is back! They were in White River Junction originally I believe back when I lived in Vermont.

 

I've really been enjoying reading the reviews and stories today. It sounds like most are enjoying their libations today. Today is the complete opposite of yesterday here. It's back to being cold and dreary with a steady rain that has persisted the entire day. I hate these days mostly because I have to drag my dog around the block to do his business. He loves to act like a tough guy until he gets a little soggy. I, on the other hand, don't mind watching the rain fall on the back porch. The chill in the air today is a nice complement to the beer I had been planning on drinking today since it showed up on my porch earlier this week. @Mbgreg took notice of my interest in Westbrook that I mentioned to another BA and all of a sudden I'm swimming in it. Thanks again for the generous shipment, my friend. This is a beer I've been interested in trying for a long while.

Westbrook is known for their Mexican Cake stout. The cooler weather I mentioned earlier had me in the perfect mood to warm up. I called an audible at the last moment and decided for Mexican Coffee Cake. This weather is perfect for sleeping the day away, and I needed a little perking up. The pour on this was a lovely dark brown pour with a one inch tan head. The head dissipated quickly and left no lacing, but outlined the glass until the end of the bottle. The chiles and roast were the first things I noticed in the aroma, followed by cocao and vanilla, with the coffee and cinnamon being the most subtle. Flavor was really fantastically balanced. Roasty cacao hit me up front with the chiles taking only moments to bloom on my palate. They were present throughout the rest of the each sip. There was only a touch of sweetness of cinnamon and vanilla with no sticky sugar left on my lips. The coffee was present, I'm sure adding to the roasty qualities, but was not overly prominent. It played well with everything else. The viscosity was pleasant and drinkable. There was a noticeable heat from the chiles that left provided a pleasant warming sensation. This was the type of boldly flavored stout that I could drink a couple times a year. There was a lot to unpack, but the flavors never muddied. Westbrook lives up to the buzz with this one.

4.46/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

 

#2, this is Skillbilly, a barleywine, also from Bare Hands, and a beer I’ve never had. For reelz. At 10.3% ABV, working my way through this growler will be an arduous task, but one I’m willing to take on, you know, for science and all.

And the glass is courtesy of our beer nerd friend @beertunes. It’s my favorite glass because the artwork and lettering works so well with stouts/porters/barleywines/ambers.

Yes, I consider the beer appearance when I’m choosing glassware. Sue me.



4.35/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Gorgeous copper color, crystal clear, with a soapy light tan head. The nose features toffee and molasses notes, as expected, plus some piney hop aromas, which was not expected.

The toffee and molasses notes are the taste center, but it’s the piney hop flavors that balance this and elevate it from a sweet bomb to a big, brawny beer that is perfect for a chilly spring evening. This is outstanding, IMHO.

409 characters

ovaltine, A moment ago Edit Delete

 

Southern Tier Cherry Crush. Outstanding session kettle sour. Lasting fluffy head retention/thick foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big juicy/tart/tangy red cherries, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, peach, pear, red/green apple, almond, hay, straw, and grass; with moderate vanilla, cream, wheat, white bread dough, light biscuit/toasted malts; light pepper, lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tartness, fruit tang, and light spiciness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation, light-medium body, and fairly crisp/clean finishing. Balanced creamy/grainy wheat/lactose, lactic acid, and fruit tang in the mouthfeel. Light-moderate increasing acidic/tangy dryness; zero pucker/astringency. Very flavorful/refreshing, not watery for 4%. Fantastic balance of juicy authentic cherries and Lacto complexity; with a perfectly balanced lactose, and pale/wheat malt backbone. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp dryness. Definitely a home run for the style. 4.18


Cheers

 

Yeah, that was the place. One of those old school breweries built from repurposed dairy equipment. I remember a trip to Cornish NH in the mid 90s that gave us access to lots of cool covered bridges and all those border towns, which included White River Junction. I came away from that visit with a real appreciation for their Gold ale. I'd love to try it again if it's going to make a reappearance.

 

" A Worldwide Collaboration
Brewed To Support Hospitality Professionals.
We are in this together.
Hosted by Other Half Brewing."

This is Foam Brewers version.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45496/481416/



16 oz. can.
Canned 04/16/20.
Moderate pour yields a one inch white head over a very hazy, light golden body with some lacing. Nose of tropical fruit and citrus with some floral attributes as well. Taste follows nose closely; juicy, smooth, and well balanced with a finish of orange pith. Nice feel and overall, a great job on this American IPA from Hinesburg, VT.
Cheers!!!

 

We don't have those anymore (we have the same design, just plain white), but I did find one to ship to @larryi86 when I send his swag/food/bottle box from the last BIF later this week.

 

Missing Mountain--Pocketful of Misses

These folks do haze as well as anyone else in the state of Ohio! I'm so happy they've kept it rolling throughout the pandemic so far. This one has Vic Secret, Idaho 7, and Citra. 7.2% ABV.

Beautiful pillowy head. It's a very tropical example of a NEIPA, not much bitterness on the initial taste but the finish has a nice piney and citrusy bite to it. It's got a decent body to it, but still has a pretty dry finish, which I really like. I wish the market was flooded with haze like this, it's juicy but far from a juice bomb, and it's got the perfect amount of bitterness I like in a NEIPA. Cheers!



Oh yeah.....the lacing is just as beautiful as the beer itself!

 

We don't have those anymore (we have the same design, just plain white), but I did find one to ship to @larryi86 when I send his swag/food/bottle box from the last BIF later this week.

 

I think it favorably compares to Prairie's Apple Brandy offering at what half the price?

 

I remember them getting a nod from Michael Jackson in on of his books, never got to try them the first time around

 

I hear that. They had some good brews.

 

Have you had Riff? I love this beer. It has it all. Honestly I am going back to my local and if they still have it I may buy it all. Hobbit Juice is the one that has really escaped me. I would love to get my hands on some.

 

Odd Side Oatmeal Cookie Morningwood. Fantastic! Lasting rocky head retention/thick foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, medium roast coffee, caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, toffee, bourbon, oak, roasted nuts, toasted oats, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, molasses, dark fruit, smoke, charcoal, wood, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast earthiness. Minimal booze in the aromas as is warms. Light herbal, grass, roast, charred bitterness; and bourbon/oak/cinnamon spiciness on the finish. Medium carbonation and fairly full body; very creamy/silky/bready malts, fairly sticky/chalky roast/spice, and lightly slick/tannic mouthfeel. Lightly increasing lingering bitter/spicy dryness; no cloying/acrid/astringent flavors. Very smooth, nicely soft, mild increasing warmth of 12.25%, minimal lingering barrel booze after the finish. Plan on revisiting my old base beer review with the can from this pack, but this stands above the original right now. Perfectly balanced rich malts, oatmeal cookie flavoring, bourbon barrel presence/integration, and earthy hops. Restrained fruity yeast. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. Very impressive, look forward to the other 2 variants as well as the base beer soon! 4.23


Cheers

 

On a rainy Sunday in the NY area, you can go with a decent hazy pale ale.


Working through the IPA Playlist mixed pack.

 

They are pretty aggressive about putting out new beers across the style spectrum, they have way more hits than misses. Stone take note

 

Happy New American Double IPA Sunday!

Beer number 2 for the day. Pretty tasty, would never know it was at 10% ABV. nice sweetness. Made some Placki (Potato Pancakes), my first attempt from scratch. My mother made these a few times. These turned out pretty fuckn' good, if I do say so myself. No where near how many she would make, but enough for another day.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18006/93660/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!