New Beer Sunday (Week 804)

Discussion in 'The Bar' started by cjgiant, Jul 19, 2020.

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  1. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader


    BrewDog I think gets a bad rap, probably because of their labels and attitude more than anything. But in my experience, they brew very good WC-style IPAs and imperial stouts. I visited four of their locations in Scotland, and every one had an excellent lineup, at least one had a very nice (albeit small) attached bottle shop (I believe they called it the market, IIRC), and the main location had good food and excellent guest taps.

    Bottom line: they make good beer, and they're a good ambassador for craft beer in general. In a country where there's plenty of excellent whisky (duh), and some really excellent cask ales, but in general a dearth of American-style craft beer, they're doing it better than most.
     
    #21 Roguer, Jul 19, 2020
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  2. jkblr

    jkblr Grand Pooh-Bah (5,132) Nov 22, 2014 Indiana
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Good morning NBS
    Thanks to @cjgiant for starting us off today. Hope that even number didn’t make things too weird.
    Thanks to @TheGent for this new beer in my glass and my first New Jersey beer reviewed on BA.
    Thanks to @augiecarton for brewing this beer and adding it to the database with brewer's notes. I appreciate that very much and wish more brewers would take control of their own brand here on BA.

    On to actual new beer...
    [​IMG]
    Battle of Monmouth by Carton Brewing, a pre-constitutional keller lager

    The review:
    500 mL undated bottle poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp 5.9% ABV. The beer pours hefe-hazy in a soft pale yellow with nearly white head. The head recedes to a thin ring and island of tiny bubbles. Minimal spotty lacing. The aroma is mild with rustic grain and a little yeast. The taste is tart, which is a shock at first, but shouldn't be. Soft, rustic, spicy grain starts to work through once the tartness subsides. There is a bit of earthiness in the mildly bitter finish. The mouthfeel is thin bodied with medium plus carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, good. This beer really highlights the use of heirloom grain and I really enjoy such beers.

    I have to give a shout out to @ShaneP at Daredevil Brewing for keeping his entries on BA updated as well. I miss my stops there nearly as much as I miss visiting all my family on the other end of the state.

    Cheers all and enjoy a new beer today (and tell us about it)!
     
    #22 jkblr, Jul 19, 2020
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  3. VABA

    VABA Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,735) Aug 8, 2015 Virginia
    Pooh-Bah

    [​IMG]

    Pours a clear golden color with a slight head and lacing
    Aroma has slight malt and floral hints
    The taste follows the nose with slight malt and floral flavors
    A light bodied very well carbonated crisp beer
    A good Pilsner
     
    #23 VABA, Jul 19, 2020
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  4. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader


    What an excellent choice for a milestone beer!

    I traded for two bottles (about two years after the one-time New York release, IIRC). I shared one at a blind quad tasting with two friends (I provided Rochefort 10, St. Bernardus ABT 12, Westvleteren XII, and Pannepot - I should have gone with my gut and went with Chimay Grand Reserve (Blue) instead of the Pannepot for a closer comparison; the Pannepot, while absolutely delicious, stood out with its notes of chocolate).

    Needless to say, Westy 12 did not disappoint. I drank the other bottle a couple years later to celebrate my "house cooling," and the age had absolutely no negative impact. It was remarkable.

    Not my top rated beer; not even my top-rated quad (I've got Pannepot Grand Reserva, Rochefort 10, and Chimay Grand Reserve all higher for my personal palate), but easily worth its legend.
     
    #24 Roguer, Jul 19, 2020
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  5. SawDog505

    SawDog505 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,922) Apr 9, 2010 New Hampshire
    Pooh-Bah

    [​IMG] Poured into a 16 oz Deciduous Tulip glass canned on 7/14/20. Pours a very attractive hazy orange with a finger plus sticky white head that leaves thick streaks of lace with excellent retention. 4.5.

    Smell is ripe melon, guava, tangerine, apricot, and grapefruit rind. 4.5

    Taste follows cantaloupe, mandarin, guava, apricot, gonja, and a little grapefruit bitterness. 4.5

    Mouthfeel is big, soft carbonation, sticky not dry, and at 8% easy drinking with huge flavor. 4.75

    Overall another winner from this amazing brewery. 4.5
     
    #25 SawDog505, Jul 19, 2020
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  6. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader


    I very recently encountered this same issue when adding a pilsner to the database. I would have considered it a straight forward American Pilsner, and indeed, they labeled it as such; but I had to choose between German and Czech (or Imperial :nauseated_face:).

    I don't know how many sub-styles we need for pilsner (such as Italian), but I do think American Pilsner is a style that would make sense, at this point. Plus, if we're going to have "Imperial Pilsner" as a thing, perhaps that possibly just be rolled into American Pilsner? I'm not sure if there's much of a historical precedent for imperial pilsners rolled out of Europe - but I could be wrong, naturally.
     
    #26 Roguer, Jul 19, 2020
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  7. cjgiant

    cjgiant Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,584) Jul 13, 2013 District of Columbia
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I had Bigs the other day and was surprised to get a distinct strawberry/blueberry note from it. I didn't notice quite as much in a second can, but enjoyed both sittings. I think there is one more can in the fridge (if the GF didn't finish it off) that will offer me a chance to verify my senses.
     
    #27 cjgiant, Jul 19, 2020
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  8. lordofthewiens

    lordofthewiens Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,225) Sep 17, 2005 New Mexico
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Nice review. Hope you will revisit from time to time.
     
    #28 lordofthewiens, Jul 19, 2020
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  9. DoctorZombies

    DoctorZombies Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,827) Feb 1, 2015 Florida
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I spent almost a month In Edinburgh (2018) and went to both BrewDog pubs there; hit the one in London too same trip. All provided good food, and good overpriced beers, and a few locals on tap, or from the cooler for take away. My impression: Completely over-rated, highly advertised, over hyped beers...

    I spent most of my free time in Scotland at a few pubs drinking, and made drinking buddy friends with the owners and staff at two bottle shops in Edinburgh. BrewDog came up all the time...it was universally despised. To a man, I was told the brewery was unloved locally, the owner had picked fights with most local brewers and had used his financial clout to negatively impact local brewers. In short, “asshat” was the colloquialism most frequently heard by me. I think BrewDog beers are ok and will not go out of my way to buy them. Sorry to tromp on your post Andrew; rant over.
     
    #29 DoctorZombies, Jul 19, 2020
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  10. VABA

    VABA Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,735) Aug 8, 2015 Virginia
    Pooh-Bah

    [​IMG]


    Pours a clear golden color with a slight head and lacing
    Aroma has malt and floral hints
    The taste follows the nose with malt and floral flavors
    A light bodied well carbonated crisp beer
    A good Pilsner
     
    #30 VABA, Jul 19, 2020
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  11. lordofthewiens

    lordofthewiens Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,225) Sep 17, 2005 New Mexico
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Thanks, @cjgiant for getting today's NBS started. Just like "old" times, except for the even number.
    I don't have insomnia, but do often have difficulty falling asleep. Once asleep I can get a solid 6-7 hours of sleep. Now that I'm retired, I get an uninterrupted night of sleep. No more phone calls or ER visits.
    I was at my local bottle shop yesterday when this beer caught my eye. It is four weeks old and has an ABV of 7.2%.
    The beer is a hazy orange/gold color. It has a medium-sized white head that persists well and leaves a good amount of lace.
    Fruity aroma, both citrus and tropical.
    Orange taste up front, hint of grapefruit later. Melon.
    Medium-bodied, easy-drinking. Maybe too easy.

    [​IMG]
     
    #31 lordofthewiens, Jul 19, 2020
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  12. SawDog505

    SawDog505 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,922) Apr 9, 2010 New Hampshire
    Pooh-Bah

    [​IMG] Poured into a steel pint cup, canned on 7/14/20. Pours a very hazy yellow with a finger sticky white head that leaves waves of thick white lace with excellent retention. 4.75

    Smell is passion fruit, pineapple, mandarin, apricot, and white grapefruit truly special. 4.75

    Taste follows passion fruit, pineapple, mandarin, apricot, and a little grapefruit bitterness but really well balanced. 4.75

    Mouthfeel is a big medium, slightly sticky but not dry, and at 8.2% crazy crushable with loads of flavor. 5

    Overall this is honestly one of the best I have ever had and I have drank many of the finest NEDIPAs on the planet and this one would put up a fight with all of the elite. 4.75
     
    #32 SawDog505, Jul 19, 2020
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  13. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader


    Yeowch; spittin' fire, Doc! :slight_smile:

    I'm not shocked the locals aren't fans. Their attitude is brash, and as you've seen from our UK brethren on this site, "American-style" craft beer is often looked down upon in countries that already have a fantastic brewing heritage.

    My impression was (obviously) quite different from yours! Maybe I was looking for something different. For me, once you've experienced the local cuisine and alcohol, it's nice to find something a little more familiar to your palate. In Norway, that was easy; there were some fantastic craft beer bars, and multiple Norwegian breweries have American-style IPAs (WC-IPA and NE-IPA). In Spain, finding a Stone IPA was the highlight of the beer (best stick to wine, was my experience).

    But in Scotland? BrewDog was pretty much the only place I found where I could get the kind of craft beer that I was used to - not that they didn't have good craft beer, mind you!, just that it was mostly cask ales and British-style ales (rightfully so).

    As for overpriced, while I can't say I paid much attention to price at the time, I can say that they struck me as a little overpriced for the quality, but not any more than various breweries in the US (think: 50/50 Eclipse at $30 a bottle even back in the day!). And when availability is itself a premium, paying a premium makes sense - if a bomber or 750 of BBA imperial stout ran $22-30, not only is that not necessarily out of the price range of the US market, but if it's your only BBA imperial stout, then that price point becomes much more reasonable.

    (Comparing their prices to more typical UK beer on draught isn't apples-to-apples, but it's part of the same problem Stone faced in Berlin.)

    All that said, if I'd spent another week or two in Scotland, perhaps I would have found more craft beer bars with a wider variety, and better price points. I never made it to England, either, so I can't speak for the variety there. For me, BrewDog was a reliable and consistent oasis, where I wasn't going to get blown away necessarily, but I was guaranteed to find something I liked. (With the very notable exception of Sink the Bismarck! That beer smelled like feet, and tasted only slightly better.) :grinning:
     
    #33 Roguer, Jul 19, 2020
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2020
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  14. VABA

    VABA Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,735) Aug 8, 2015 Virginia
    Pooh-Bah

    [​IMG]

    Pours a clear golden color with a slight head and lacing
    Aroma has malt and floral hints
    The taste follows the nose with malt and floral flavors
    A light bodied well carbonated crisp beer
    A good Pilsner
     
    #34 VABA, Jul 19, 2020
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  15. dennis3951

    dennis3951 Initiate (0) Mar 6, 2008 New Jersey

    Sidewalk Chalk, a 8% DIPA from Twin Elephant Brewing. This beer is brewed with Belgian & American pilsner malts, some PA pale oats and Citra, Meridan, Centennial & Chinook hops. This beer is very hazy with a thick but quickly vanishing white head, Strong aroma of melon and berries, Nice bready malt flavor plus a lot of hints of fruit. Full mouthfeel softened by the oats. This is a very enjoyable brew but better suited for cool weather not the 90+ degrees NJ had yesterday.
     
    #35 dennis3951, Jul 19, 2020
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  16. DoctorZombies

    DoctorZombies Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,827) Feb 1, 2015 Florida
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I agree, BrewDog has better consistent American style beers and is everywhere from grocery stores to bottle shops to “craft” beer bars...and it is good/familiar/I drink it...same thing in all the European countries I’ve visited so far. It’s everywhere...like Heineken...

    And in Scotland, the local Edinburgh micro brewery was 6° North which was outstanding! Still, it was hard to find UK made American style PA/IPA beers from Tiny Rebel or smaller breweries like Northern Monk, Buxton, Wylam, Siren, Verdant, or Cloudwater, in cans, let alone on tap...although, imo, superior taste-wise. The thing that got to me was the almost shocking disdain for BrewDog and more so it’s owner, locally, that was the eye opener...I’m now longing for some Cloudwater! Cheers brother!
     
    #36 DoctorZombies, Jul 19, 2020
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  17. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader


    I think at the time I visited, Cloudwater wasn't quite as proliferated. That would have probably become my go-to! Pretty sure the only Cloudwater I had was in Norway (as a collab).

    Cheers, Dave. :slight_smile:
     
    #37 Roguer, Jul 19, 2020
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  18. Smakawhat

    Smakawhat Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,191) Mar 18, 2008 Maryland
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Hey What's going on?!

    Dang it is HOT as hades this weekend. I am not gonna lie, I am bunkering in my cellar and laying low. I am only going out for hopefully a much cooler evening I certainly hope.

    Been good, hope you all are as well.

    What's new for our hero?!

    Aslin Beer Co. - Power Moves.

    [​IMG]

    Poured from the can into a Spiegelau IPA glass.

    Light bodied and shimmering pale brass yellow, fairly clear as well but with suspended haze, almost chill haze actually. Real nice fluffy bright white top, with pale ale small retention, settling somewhat quickly, with minimal lacing. Decent looking.

    Very pleasing hop front aroma. Hits a little earthy, but sweet touches of pine and an almost pickle brine like quality. There's some sweet chewy like sensing malt as well, for good contrast. Very nice nose on this one.

    Palate seems a little more grounded, and less exotic. Much more standard pale ale back bone, some sweet malts more like honey than caramel mixing with a light refreshing hop note. Touches more grassy in the palate with a small hint of possible fruit. Finish seems more earthy bent, with lighter malt density and still carries more earth and grass in the aftertaste, with a possible sweet minty spice note as well.

    Pretty solid pale ale here.

    look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4 | 4.06 final

    Cheers
     
    #38 Smakawhat, Jul 19, 2020
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  19. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    My first new brew is a bit of a surprise. After enjoying one of my all-time favorite beers, Rochefort 10, I was looking up ratings for Quads (and their identical twin, BSDA).

    I bought a barrel-aged Chimay Grande Reserve ("Blue") a little while back, intending to split it with my partner, but also fully expecting that I'd had it before. Lo-and-behold, if I have had it before, I never reviewed or even rated it. So, I suspect this is indeed a brand new beer to me. Let's go!

    [​IMG]

    You probably can't see it from the picture, but this is not a particularly attractive beer. Everything else, however, is more than redeeming.

    At once familiar, and yet at the same time unique. The oak aging adds an incredible depth to this (along with triple fermentation). It hits like a light red wine up front, blending notes of chocolate, meaty smoke, pepper, and oak to an otherwise more classic BSDA/Quad base of prune, raisin, dark bread, fruit bread, cola, and brown sugar.

    In the Trappist/Abbey world, this stands out as truly remarkable. The closest analog I have is Pannepot (if memory serves, the Reserva and Grand Reserva are also aged in oak).

    Would this be my favorite quad? No, and the rating reflects that. But damn is it an interesting and unique take! Really glad I cracked this open today, and even more glad that it followed a more traditional quad (Roche 10) to give me an excellent point of comparison.

    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/215/202556/?ba=Roguer#review
    4.41 / +3.0%

    Cheers!
     
    #39 Roguer, Jul 19, 2020
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  20. thebeers

    thebeers Grand Pooh-Bah (5,837) Sep 10, 2014 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    [​IMG]
    Human Robot Strawberry Passionfruit Splash

    Happy Sunday, BAs. Thanks @cjgiant for opening this week’s thread.

    Today’s new brew is a Fruit & Field Beer I picked up yesterday at a new-to-me brewery in north Philly recommended by @larryi86. The IPA I tried from them was one of the best I’ve had in a long while, and the pilsner was also very solid. If they keep this pace, Human Robot could quickly become my favorite local-ish beer maker.

    Strawberry Passionfruit Splash pours a murky cantaloupe-peachy-pink-grapefruit color with a short-lived tiny cream-colored cap that quickly dissipates into a thin crown. It’s both mugly and enticing at the same time.

    Big stanky, floral passionfruit, with a little strawberry behind, fills the nose.

    Straight-up fruit juice in the taste — again with the passionfruit steaming the show, then some tart strawberry in the finish.

    It has an unremarkable mouthfeel: medium bodied with modest carbonation.

    This definitely delivers as advertised. Not unlike a New Glarus for passionfruit. Maybe a little too passionfruit-forward for my taste, but it does strike some balance within its decidedly fruit-heavy genre which prevents it from being overly sweet. One thing I especially like about it is that there’s no lactose. :beers:
     
    #40 thebeers, Jul 19, 2020
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