New Beer Weekend #3

NBS 807 / NBW 3

Two attempts to salvage this beer, 0 for 2. Hope this is the only swing and miss in this weekend's WCIPA tasting.

Cigar City Jai Alai



I hate to write this about a beer, but here it goes. Had the first pour outside, thought perhaps faded in the cooler or perhaps my palate was off after a few beers in the heat. Cracked this open ice cold from the fridge, and here are my notes.

Canned 7/8/20 @21:01. 7.5%, 65 IBU

Appearance: Caramel tan pour, nominal carbonation. Slightly off-white creamy bubbly head, leaves soapy lacing. 3.25

Aroma: Negligible light caramel aroma, had to attempt to smell several times to achieve. 1.75

Taste: barely noticeable lemon ice tea taste, fizzy sweet, faint caramel notes after several sips. Can taste other foods and beverages to insure this lack of taste and aroma was not Rona induced, senses confirmed independently. This tastes like a flat diet Lipton Ice Tea which sat out in the sun for several others before being placed back in the refrigerator to cool. Does not taste like beer. 1.25

Mouthfeel: Negligible carbonation, slight sweetness tingles the tongue, creamy body, lightly dry, no finish, it just ends. 2.25

Overall: Not sure what this is, definitely not like any IPA or frankly any beer I've had before, more like a non alcohol ice tea that has sat for a few hours. Wanna know the rest, hey, buy the rights. How bizarre. 1.75

Have two Illinois new pours planned for Sunday, both IPAs.

 

If you’ve had a bunch of other beers from this brewery, I’d be curious to hear your overall impression of them.

 

No, I have not tried this beer for the exact reasons you articulated: "Because of my great respect for the style, I have avoided this "Sour Tripel" in the past."

Cheers!

 

One of my favorite brews which, oddly enough, I've never seen here in NW PA. However, when I'm in TX, a lot of this gets recycled through my liver and kidneys.

 

That's a new one for me. I'll try to remember to check the smell when I burn off my garden this fall!

 

I do, they‘ll be posted tonight. Cheers!

 

Good day BAs! Well, now that the spirochetes are done burrowing through my taste buds and things actually have a flavor again, it's time to rejoin the former NBS thread. I've recalibrated my taste using PseudoSue and I'm good to go! Today's New Breakfast Beer sans Noir Alley is Founders Marvelroast. My battery died between photographing the bottle and the pour, so I don't have a valid photo. However, see @mushroomcloud in post 22 for a photo.


$ 9.00 (Including tax)/4-pack of 12 oz bottles ($ 0.188/oz). Purchased 7/28/20 from Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA. Reviewed 8/9/20.
On back label “BOTTLED ON 06.21.20”. On shelf at store. Stored at home at 42 degrees and served at 45 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 3.5.
First pour – Straw (SRM 3), clear.
Body – Pale gold (SRM 4), slight haze. When held to direct light, same. Precipitate is noted in bottom of bottle.
Head – Large (Maximum 6.8 cm, aggressive center pour), off white, medium density with embedded rocks, average retention, diminishing to a five to eight mm crown and a rocky partial cap.
Lacing – Other than a single drag mark, none.
Aroma – 4 – Begins with vanilla with weak coffee wisps, no hops, no malt, no yeast.
Flavor – 4.25 – Starts slightly sweet with weak coffee/vanilla flavor and no cocoa. Vanilla figures predominantly in subsequent belches. No hops, no malt, no yeast. No alcohol (8% ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. No diacetyl or dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 4 – Medium, approaching syrupy, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation 4.25. For an inexpensive coffee-based beer, well done. But then, I would expect nothing less from Founders.
Rating 4.12, rDev -0.5%.

 

Well, I tried to post this yesterday when I drank the beer, but in our undisclosed stronghold, Imgur isn't unloading photos. I reckon eventually i will have 53 copies of the same post...

So you will have to imagine a picture of a deep amber beer with a white creamy three finger head that laces spectacularly. You can imagine the backdrop of evergreens, water, and a golden red sunset enhancing the beautiful beer. I kinda dig the can art, too - nautical, classy.

Jack's Abby Shipping Out of Boston is a visual beauty. I hope it is more than eye candy. The aroma is malty, a bit sweet on the brown sugar molasses line, but also a more fragrant honey note floats along the top. Ever so light presence of a floral hop.

The taste is slightly sweet and more like caramel. Malty, yet not a complete malt bomb. Just sweet enough. The floral hops are assertive enough to offset the malt flavors, perfect complement. There is a bit of nuttiness reminiscent of hazelnuts, and just enough bitterness to provide a clean finish and tie everything together.

Medium bodied, slightly dry finish. It is smooth and a little creamy, carbonation is on point - could have been too tingly if it was even slightly overdone. Very drinkable and would be a good accompaniment for damn near anything or just to drink on its own.

This is a very nice, flavorful lager from the old school. Brewing should be about making great beers, and this is a fine example. Not trendy, but a very well made beer that I feel showcases the brewer's art. This easily tops 4.0 - I haven't decided by how far. If you see this one, try it. I doubt you will be disappointed.

Hopefully back later with a legit Sunday contribution. Maybe something a bit more local to the hideout.

 

Definitely sounds like an off batch...I’ve drank more Jai Alai than any other beer, and never had one I’d describe as iced tea...I personally don’t think it’s a WCIPA as I’ve stated on other prior threads, but just a citrus forward American IPA. Hopefully, if @ChicagoJ ever trys it again, he gets a more favorable presentation; if not, oh well, it is what it is and it’s all good - Cheers!

 

Good afternoon and thanks to @SawDog505 for this the kick off this weekend, I still struggle a bit with the change, but I'm working on it. Todays another hot sticky day in WMass got all the work done early this morning. A lovely Pilsner seemed in order and our dear friends a Brick and Feather just happen to have released a new German Pils using Hallertau blanc and Saphir hops.
This is an aromatic and flavor filled delight. Crisp with a hint of spicyness that I suspect will go well with lunch. See you all next Sunday.
Do good
Be well

Meantone Temperament

Pilsner - German | 5.1% ABV

Brick & Feather Brewery
Turners Falls, Massachusetts

4.09/5 rDev 0% | Average: 4.09
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16 oz can dated 08/05/2020 into the Pilsner glass.
A - A very light lemon yellow color, exceptional clarity, leaves nowhere to hide. Carbonation is lager style, gentle and rhythmic. A quick to leave snow white cap formed after he pour, Lacing however is lovely.
S - Cut grass, a bit of sauvignon blanc, some lemongrass, and lemon zest, a hint of biscuity grain, but largely fruit and grassy. Very aromatic.
T - A departure from the nose, that Sauvignon Blanc is there, driven by the Hallertau Blanc hops. There is a delicate spicy part, maybe from the Saphir hops. White pepper mashed up with tangerine peel. Quite nice
M - Start is sharp, making its presence known, then a wave of drying runs along the palate. Finish is ashen in a good way, There is a bristle to the experience, it all seems in a hurry.
O - A wonderful offering, crisp, sharp, aromatic, Hoppy nose that said the grain bill stands up to the test, maybe its the use of some Vienna malt in he grain bill, I like the balance. Worth seking out.

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

Wow. First Sunday actually staying home in the past month. My plan was to grill like crazy today, and relax with a few brews. Well, I did have to change up a bit, because, of course, it's raining outside. I threw the chicken in the freezer, and I've got my T-bone in the sous vide pot right now, slowly cooking to 135 for 2 hours. I'll bake my potatoes in the oven, that I was planning on pressure cooking, and pressure cook the corn later in the week.

So the meal will work out, just different than planned.

Now on to the main event - new beer:


Krek! (Cognac casks) from The Referend Brewing. 7.5% ABV. Bottled on date: May 20, 2019.

This beer was kindly sent to me by @TheGent .

I'll start off by saying that I rally have no experience with cognac, so I really don't know what those barrels would impart into the beer. I can say that this beer is one hell of a cherry bomb. Nice and tart, but not too tart. Very heavy carbonation, though it produced very little head. It's quite tasty, but a sipper, for sure.

Thank you for sending this to me.

4.49/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice dark red. The head was red, 1 finger, but also with some darker red spots in the head that looked interesting. The head had decent retention, but there's no lacing on the glass. There's also a lot of carbonation rising in the glass. Looking at it it looks like a bubbling caldron.
The nose is a powerful cherry bomb. I don't know much about cognac, but I'm guessing I'm also getting the aromas from the barrels here as well. It almost has a cider aroma to it.
Taste - Oh, hell yes. Tons of cherry in the flavor, very tart, and I'd say the cognac is mixing in as well to create an amazing flavor.
A very full bodied beer. The carbonation is really hitting my palate nicely.
Tasty, and delicious. A true treat.

 

Ok, I did make one mistake with my new beer review - I had it under the wrong beer. Here are my numbers under the correct beer.

4.49/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sorry about the mistake.

 

First time I have seen this available in my area, I was pleasantly surprised. Very enjoyable beer, may become a more regular beer in my fridge if they continue making it available. Cheers!

 

Gänstaller Kellerbier


Pours a clouded amber color with a medium, slowly receeding head.


Smells of wet leaves, dried branches and bread rind accompanied caramel.


Has a soft, yet refreshing mouthfeel to it with a lower, smooth carbonation, developing just the right amount of oomph after the swallow.


Tastes of sweet caramel, soft bread dough and subtle, muted hops. Has a grainy, toffee wrapped middle part, giving the beer a sweet turn, with prevailing, lighter dry hops in the back. Finishes light and sweet, with lingering toffee and just a faint dryness.


This is certainly less than I expected. The beer turns out quite sweet with no real crispness or complexity to speak of, relying pretty much on the malts without providing much depth.

 

New beer to me, and new beer to BA - Cycle Brewing Company, St. Petersburg, FL “Hi July”, a NEIPA built on the base Crank IPA recipe with flaked oats added, and all Galaxy hopped. This beer was put on tap about 2 weeks ago at the brewery, where I obtained a crowler yesterday afternoon...let’s go!



At 55 degrees straight out of my chiller the beer pours a hazy pale gold with some clarity underneath two fingers of fluffy white foam; very good cap retention; medium heavy lace and solid ring. Slightly skunky hop nose (reminds me of Simcoe), with lemon and peach notes right behind; the skunky hop aroma persists as the glass is drained. Very light bitterness; peach and lemongrass; firm malt base without being sweet. Medium body, moderate minus carbonation; medium hop astringency which my tongue adjusts to as liquid warms; dry, dusty finish. Overall a very good, approachable (for me) NEIPA style; the oats add more heft than Crank IPA; the hop flavor is straight down the middle of the road citrus and fuzzy stone fruit; very little bitterness, but definitely some hop burn on the tongue, especially the first few drinks; an easy enough drinking, not really pillowy or juicy,IPA; one I would gladly drink again.

4.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.75 | 4.0
Score: 4.1 I just added beer to the database.

 

Greetings all,
The big true lushness of growth is more amazing every day. The heat, sun, water, and earth are blooming at the seams. This is not quite like anything that I can remember. Big storms everywhere through the night. Tropical. I have a beautiful yard of cultivated natural grasses and weeds that is very easy to care for. It just happens there in my front yard. Not an ounce of Fescue or Bermuda.
I do like the leisure of two days of speaking of beer. I bought this New Anthem beer-
New Jack IPA Simcoe Double Dry Hopped at 7.3%abv- from Wilmington, N.C. at Bestway this morning. We had been at T Gilbert Pearson's grave at Green Hill Cemetery, the founder of The National Audubon Society. He was a long time teacher at Guilford College, just up the road. So, the beer is turbid, murky, persistent and tasty. This is not my style of beer, but it is quite good. I could always drink one of these rascals.It has a strong meringue head, leaving stunning lacing after each sip..I used to love Weyerbacher Double Simcoe and this takes me back, but with a different structure altogether. I know folks love these milkshake-like brews, but the visual aspect doesn't appeal to me.It is ripe and rich, smelling of boxwoods and pine trees, close to where a cat may have peed. It is very cloudy and dense, full of flavor and tasty for sure. I hate that I love it. It is a very good beer despite my ignorance,. I would buy one of these again. Listen to Jim Pepper sing his religion. I think it is mine as well.

 

Drekker Mutually Inclusive Black Currant Cuvee Smoothie Sour, 4.1% ABV. Pours thick and hazy deep red, with a two finger pink head that left residue, probably puree. Nose is berry, taste follows with slight sweetness and moderate tartness. Excellent smooth and thick mouthfeel, overall excellent to outstanding.

4.25/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Really nice warm and sunny day to get a few things done outside; cleaned deer crap out of the backyard, hosed off the screens, cleaned the grill, and grilled steaks so far.