New Beer Sunday (week 796)

Huh, not a lot of entries today. Could it be possible that people have better things to do? I mean, you're not supposed to be hanging out with others, so it couldn't be that...

Up next is another fruited sour, this time from Finback. It's called Dimensional Transport and features passion fruit, orange, and guava. Sounds like a traditional Hawaiian island drink to me! In doing my research for POG Juice, I discovered that there is a correlation between the fruit-juice blend and the collectible game Pogs... they were originally played with caps from POG juice and other milk carton-style caps. Huh, the more you know, eh?



If you look closely on the other side of the label, you can see that this also features sea salt, bringing it a bit more into the "gose" tradition, though it's also 6% so that could just be straight out the window at this point. Nice looking pour with a typically-hazy body of golden-orange liquid topped with another decently-retentive head of bone-white foam, kind of like the Fruitful sour I had earlier today. Guess it's my lucky day with these quick sours that have retentive heads. Very spotty lace here, not much to remark about at all.

The nose is awesome. I will just throw out there that I've never had "traditional" POG, but I frequently drink the Monster flavor (yeah yeah, judge me) that is designed to taste like it, called Pipeline Punch. This has a similar (albeit less saccharine) scent, with strong tropical elements conveyed immediately. I would say the guava is probably the most apparent aspect, but that the orange is super juicy, and that the passion fruit follows closely behind. Bet I'm gonna love this, but I think I'm going in pretty biased.

Flavor is juicy and mouth-wateringly tropical, with upfront flavors of papaya, mango, guava, and passion fruit, followed by touches of grapefruit, tangerine, pomelo, and orange pith. A tiny bit of floral character and minerality in the finish helps keep it all balanced and less sweet than I expected... still pretty sugary and definitely very, very tart, however. I expected that, but it probably isn't for everyone. I think this freakin' rules though. The closest thing I've had has likely been Stone's Notorious POG, which was a similar idea but without salt (Berliner vs. gose, duh ), and only 4.7% compared to this beer's bigger ABV. I think both are pretty similar prices (read: they're both fucking expensive; almost prohibitively so), and I really enjoyed the two beers. Maybe I should find some actual POG so I can enjoy it without relying on the caffeinated or alcoholic side-effects of the other drinks I enjoy featuring these flavors...

Nahhhh...

A few more, eventually. Cheers NBSers!

 

Hello BAs. Long time no see. I am a man of my word: Every beer received by any of you will be memorialized right here in NBS by me. While I can assure you all that the Brau's are doing well, it has been nice to be enjoying family above all else. Hard to believe it's already almost June, and that I haven't posted in months. Hope you all have a great Memorial Day Weekend. Mine is doing just fine, especially with this magnificent gift from @thebeers .

Tired Hands
Early Camel Skull





Brewed in 2016, bottled in 2018, consumed in 2020.

Early Camel Skull looks like a gorgeous Kellerbier… polished gold with clarity just a hair above unfiltered cloudiness. Bubbles race from bottom to top, but eventually get a bit lazier, just as I do when the sun continues to bake. Above is nothing to mention. A thin outer ring of trace white foam spots, and even sparser islands that it surrounds.

Following simplicity, the aroma gives off subtle stewed grain, a bit of musty old barn attic, some white grape skin, and a pleasant but not powerful tart, acidic flick.

Sweet and sour white grapes hits the tongue first with a quenching effect. Green apple juice fades into a delicious and ever present crushed cereal grain. There is a very light woodiness the infuses rather than dominates. It's quite delicious.

And the texture makes it even better. Light, bubbly, even airy, yet somehow leaves a slick coat, but only on the roof of the mouth just like Fruity Pebbles (thank God it doesn't taste like it though). Rediculously drinkable in a way that's both satisfying and addicting, but also depressing as I know I will most likely never have this meet my lips again.

Early Camel Skull, despite being brewed almost entirely with oats and zero hops, somehow tastes and feels like the perfect Pilsner blended with a magnificent Farmhouse.

Huge thanks to Arthur for what is officially my last beer from a BA in my fridge. Cheers Everyone. Hope all is well.

I apologise if the pics don't show up. Clearly, things have changed again...

-Phil

 

Woodgrain Strawberry Milkshake IPA, 6.9% ABV. Pours a hazy pale yellow, with a ring of white bubbles. Nose is slight strawberry, taste follows plus lactose, very slight sweetness, moderate bitterness. OK mouthfeel, overall very good.

3.84/5 rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

First taproom beer since coronapocalypse, unimpressed. Next selection was better, and got a crowler of a third beer. This table has been sanitized, and vandalized.

 

Great to hear from you and that you and the Fam are doing well.

 

L: Mostly pale and murky golden hue with two plus fingers of ivory froth and some nice spotty lines of lace.

S: Citrus with a touch of earthy dank papaya.

T: Bitter pine resin to complement the other flavors which follow the nose.

F: A solid light to medium weight, mostly dry with great carbonation.

O: World class balance in this IPA.

 

Woodgrain/Severance collab Edward Sticky Hands Piña Colada sour, 5% ABV. Pours hazy pale yellow with a ring of white bubbles. Nose is tropical fruit and slight funk. Taste follows, mild tartness, no bitterness. Excellent mouthfeel, overall excellent. I like to taste more fruitiness in fruit sours, but decent.

4.05/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

 

Your pictures aren't showing for me.

 

Last beer from a BA in your fridge? That doesn't sound right.

 

Happy New American Impy Stout Sunday!

Pretty nice day here on the Western Slope, sunny, around 65 at the trailhead. Having a local brew I bought back a few weeks ago, these guy's make some pretty tasty brews.Watching some Three Stooges.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/32479/486171/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

NBS #2. Topcutter, a West Coast IPA from Bale Breaker Brewing Company, courtesy of @woemad's NBS BIF #11 box (the glass came in his BIF #9 box). This is a classic West Coast style IPA - perfect for a sunny afternoon on the deck. Here's my full review:

4.12/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Received from @woemad in a BIF. Canned on 3/18/2020. Poured into a Bale Breaker can-shaped class (also supplied by @woemad). It pours a hazy, golden-amber color. The creamy, milk-white head dissipated quickly leaving a thin sheen of lacing. The smell is malty and grassy with hints of grapefruit and lemon peel and is quite herbal. The taste is classic West Coast IPA: there is a hearty malty, sourdough base with bitter, biting hops that validate the 70 IBU. The Simcoe hops provide lots of resinous pine while the Loral hops contribute an earthy bitterness. There is also tart citrus courtesy of the Citra and Mosaic but it's subtle. This ale is medium-bodied and pleasantly carbonated and it drinks easily at 6.8% ABV. Overall, Topcutter is a well-crafted, impressive West Coast IPA from a fine brewer.

I've so enjoyed the beers that @woemad's sent me in BIFs 9 & 11. Thank you, Fred!

 

Good afternoon NBS, hope all is well. Starting with Structures Farewell Transmission, thanks @beertunes!
4.28/5 rDev +10%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Thank you beertunes for this
16 oz can poured into a teku

A- A hazy golden straw with a two finger white head.

S- Citrus, papaya, melons, some tropical fruits, slightly earthy.

T- Melons, citrus, papaya, slightly earthy, touch of malts sweetness.

M- Smooth, creamy, medium body.

O- A very easy to drink NEIPA. Love the melon flavors in this but would have liked the citrus flavors to be stronger

Cheers NBS!

 

Evening NBS. After a week hiatus I am back today with a new and very interesting beer-
Singlecut Shoegazer Triple Dry Hopped IPA- brewed with Pineapple Express Terpene.
Pours a hazy golden yellow with a 2 finger white sea foamy-like head that settles to a thin cap leaving lots of sticky lacing.
Aroma- overipe pineapple, sweet orange, crushed pine needles, grassy/floral notes and a mind blowing dirty, earthy, minty cannabis note. A really unique and enjoyable smell.
Taste follows with sweet pineapple and orange, lemon/lime candy, soapy oily hops, very earthy sticky fresh marijuana bud finished off with mint and spruce tips. This is really tasty and different. The terpenes are quite evident - has to be the fresh dug earthy quality I am getting. Really enjoying the depth of this one. The malt is barely there if at all. Being Triple DH you might think its overwhelming but that seed addition ( I am assuming) really stands out.
The body is highly drinkable and actually fairly medium/light with no hint of 7.5% this going down fast. The sweetness is balanced by a piney slightly bitter finish with a nice feel that is caught between soft and bold, drying on the finish.
Very interesting beer. Its leaving a really nice lemon and earthy bud aftertaste in my mouth and is quite quenching.
Good Brew. Sometimes I feel like Im paying a bit too much for Singlecut but this unique and tasty brew is worth a shot. Glad I bought the 4 pk because I dont think I will be passing- I will be hitting it again. Cheers!

 

I've tried to get you one of the "regular" Bale Breaker beers through two different NBS BIFs that weren't hideously old. I'm glad to finally have been able to sorta come through.

 

Phil! We miss you around here! Without you or Joe, it's not quite the same. Is your address the same?

 

Happy Memorial Day Weekend, NBS friends. I have a couple of beers to present tonight, and both have already been reviewed today - I love to do that so you can all see some sort of contrast that is relatively immediate (and confirm my position as an inveterate overrater).

First up, this collab from a couple of iconic breweries that also did a collab last year on an Oktoberfest. I’d been watching for this for awhile, so when I saw it year my local, I literally sprinted to the ref to acquire it. I’m joining our friend @Roguer in reviewing this beer today.





4.2/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours a hazy golden color with a dense white head, looking like a cross between a lager and a pale ale, which isn’t surprising, given the breweries involved in this collaboration.

The nose, though, is a German pilsner, with grassy, floral noble hop aromas dominating, but leaving room for a subtle citrus note. There’s also a bready note to give the malt a moment to shine.

The grassy, floral notes are also the preeminent flavors, but the citrus is present, as is the bready malt flavor. The feel, though, is not quite as crisp as I’d like in a lager.

All in all, I’m really digging this. I was concerned it would be an IPL, and it is to an extent, but the emphasis is on the “L” and not the “IP,” which so many of these are.

I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. Gonna pick up a couple of more 6ers of this to enjoy as a summer crusher.