New Beer Weekend #3

Its a beer that never really wowed me, but not one I would ever turn my nose up at either

 

For starters, I freely admit I’m not a NEIPA fan...and, I believe I am somewhat notorious for generously scoring beers ... aside from that...a 4 to me is a B minus...and while I don’t like hop burn/astringency, it has been my experience with many of the NEIPA beers I’ve drank since the style was added to the guidelines, that some degree of astringency commonly exists in many, and I don’t ding (much) a feature I personally don’t like...it really takes a lot for me to harsh on a Brewer’s handiwork...and it really takes a lot for me to give out a 4.75 or the rare 5...thanks for asking, and Cheers!

 

Thanks for the explanation. Cheers!

 

Cheers, James. Glad you enjoyed!

 

Glad you liked it ! My son is head of brewing opns at Sheep's

 

Greetings, fellow NBWers (my phone is fighting me when I type that. I'll probably revert to NBS on accident frequently going forward).

I've somehow failed in posting since the expansion of the New Beer franchise. I blame the heat. August is always hot here in Spokanistan, but we were in the high 90s or above for most of the last couple weeks. At one point last week, it got up to 104°F officially, which is slightly excessive for here. The heat finally broke on Thursday, and in weird fashion suitable for this weird year, with intermittent rain squalls and high winds.

I've had a number of new beers since last I imbibed with y'all. I'm notoriously unreliable at transferring beers logged in the moment via Untapped, so today I'm going with beers drank today...ish.

Today I cracked open a Fremont Black Is Beautiful:


https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/20680/494741/?ba=woemad#review
Pretty good roasty and dry approach to the imperial oatmeal stout. Probably the biggest knock against it is that it's a little thin.

If only I had another BiB to compare it to.

Oh, wait, I do, albeit one reviewed last weekend.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/44280/499217/?ba=woemad#review
Brewed collaboratively by three local breweries (Lumberbeard, Whistle Punk and YaYa), this is BiB as a dessert beer, brewed with vanilla beans, toasted coconut and cacao nibs. My friend Chris at WP was calling it "Candy Bar", which is appropriate. While I enjoyed Fremont's version, this one is a delight, and I say that as someone whose sweet tooth is somewhat restrained. Having said that, it's not a hot weather beer, which is why I've only had one from the 4-pk I purchased so far.

Might be back with another.

 

Lots to catch up on here, will do so over the next few days. WCIPA thread and drinking tired me out.

The WCIPA thread is closed now, but I am pulling out a local IPA to try today, Maplewood Brewing's The Sound. Not sure if the July release was their initial brew, or a re-release. It's the first time a came across this offering.



Tale of the Tape: Brewer lists as a West Coast IPA, this 16 oz pour was canned 7/15/20 @ 10:29:18, not refrigerated until I rescued from Binny's room temperature shelves. 6.5% ABV, no IBU listed.

Racing......

Appearance: Light tan golden clear with slight foggy pour, rich creamy white bubbly head lasts several minutes, leaving clumpy lacing in its wake. Light carbonation.3.75

Aroma: Sweet lemon, citrus and pine. 3.5

Taste: Mirrors aroma, citrus and lemon lead, pine backs. 3.75

Mouthfeel: Dry and slightly bitter, medium cream body, malt contributing body and sweetness. Easy clean finish. 3.75

Overall: This is a good IPA pour, though beyond the dry and bitter mouthfeel this falls into the MWIPA camp, versus the brewer's WCIPA lable. 3.5

 

I have an interesting mix of flavors in the two beers I’m presenting tonight. I’m curious to see how this Gose (pun intended).





4.1/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer looks like a new penny - that’s the copper color I see after an aggressive pour settles a bit. There’s a sudsy tan head that dissipates quickly. I don’t think this looks particularly like a Gose, but I think it’s a pretty striking beer.

As a matter of fact, this beer doesn’t really present like a Gose on any measurable trait. It doesn’t smell particularly salty, though Thera subtle salty note. What it does smell like is grapefruit, along with a sweetness from the agave.

There’s grapefruit and a LOT of sweetness on the taste, but there’s little if any flavor from the tequila barrel - until this sits a bit and you feel the boozy warmth in your gullet.

And the mouthfeel isn’t “bright” or “effervescent” like a Gose, but it is thirst quenching.

What it’s like is what the bottle describes - a tequila-based cocktail. As someone that doesn’t particularly care for cocktails, this is pretty nice.

But it’s not like any Gose I’ve ever seen or tried.

 

#2, a BA caramel salted Barleywine with cacao and vanilla beans. That’s a lotta components.





4.02/5 rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This pours a turbid milk chocolate brown color with a tan head. In my experience barleywines don’t look like a milkshake, so this is a first for me. The nose is led by boozy barrel notes, and the caramel is also prominent, and there’s some cacao aromas as well. Nothing from the vanilla beans.

The taste is fairly scrumptious as described on the bottle, with the caramel and cacao flavors leading the way to a slightly boozy finish that leaves you wanting another sip. But the mouthfeel is flat, almost distractingly so.

I have more of this, so I’m going to age a couple and see if the beer evolves, but this is one Three Floyds beer that didn’t meet my expectations.

 

Based on the can art, the beer must be inspired by the classic movie "Better Off Dead" as well as Van Halen. There is a specific scene in the movie with that song and food as the band. Great movie, and the beer sounds outstanding as well!

 

Decided to buy a six pack after it was mentioned many times in the import oktoberfest thread...



First time having a lighter festbier and I very much enjoy this so far.

Very pretty looking beer it’s much brighter and golden than my picture shows. Very nice head that is still lingering halfway through. Which is dangerous cause I would never guess this is over 6%.

The aroma made me think pils, but that could be cause of the color. It tastes a subtly sweet like a helles, but it’s crispier to me. There’s also something extra that makes me think of darker lagers, I’m guessing it’s the abv that gives it that sensation. The sweetness lingers pleasantly long after each sip.

Overall I very much enjoy this beer and it’s dangerous because it is so drinkable. I’m very glad I grabbed a six pack and will happily enjoy the rest of them.

 

Yet another new Trillium beer for me this weekend. This is part of a beer/wine hybrid series of wild ales with wine grape juice, that originally started as a collaboration with Monkish on the original Oenobier. This one is brewed with the famous French white wine grape that is often used in white Bordeaux blends and sweet Sauternes wine, Semillon grape juice.

Brewery notes:

(apparently from 2018...)

This beer pours a slightly hazy straw yellow despite the pic and bad lighting, with an odd foam head that was there for a minute then rapidly dissipated before I could take a good pic, and now has come back to form a creamy 1/2 inch ring around the glass after a few swirls. This beer smells amazing to me right now, possibly due to age if this wild ale is almost 2 years old. Something about this and some other wild ales but not all, not sure why if it is due to age or a mix of certain hops like Goldings and the particular blend of mixed cultures, give off this incredible lambic like aroma that I just don't want to stop smelling. It's like this super rustic toasty hay and spice in combination with some horse blanket and barnyard features, slightly acetic and vinous, this one with grapes too, it smells to me like a lambic with white grapes, not super fruity though, more like a gueuze with some wine grapes in it, incredible. Trying to discern this, it smells like rustic barnyard funk, mild horse blanket, toasty hay, woody spice, straw, wine grapes, Semillon white wine, touch of waxy lanolin, fresh pear, zesty lemon, lychee, tart citrus, bready crackery caramelized malty grains, a hint of vinegar, cider, with floral earthy herbal grassy notes. The taste just threw me back a bit, pungent, intense, puckery, strong flavor, more sour and less funky than the aroma, gooseberry, passionfruit, juicy white wine grapes, prominent Semillon white wine notes, tart citrus, lemon zest, fresh pear, lychee, waxy lanolin, lightly sweet bready crackery caramelized malty grains, almost vanilla, straw, toasty hay, mild barnyard funk and horse blanket, rustic woody spice, hints of cider, with floral earthy herbal grass notes. Feels a bit oily, medium lighter bodied, rounded and creamy with smooth moderate carbonation. Overall a really great wine hybrid wild ale in my opinion.

For somebody who is into wild ales and sours, Trillium makes some really good ones. The complexity on some of their aged wild ales and oak aged ones are pretty great and sometimes reaching lambic complexity. This Oenobier series has been really good and a pleasing option to have along with all the other beers out there to drink. It is a bit of a change of pace, and with a nice rounded malt base, tamed acidity and white wine grape juice, these are refreshing and light on the palate and providing some different and interesting flavors, and unique additional flavors from the wine grapes themselves. I feel like this is one of my favorite beers that I've had recently probably due to being a little different than an IPA, stout, fruit smoothie sour, barrel aged whatever, and feeling more crisp and bright on the palate. I'm liking this the more I drink it. Nice change of pace beer, or beer/wine hybrid. Cheers everyone, and happy NBW!

 

Simpler times lager
...clear light amber
...medium carbonation with maybe just a hair below average body. Overall though it has a nice feel
...aroma malt,corn syrup, something that comes off like buttered grainy bread. A bit floral sugary honey candy scent
...taste is malt and corn syrup first but then followed by the floral candied honey.
...I know a 4 dollar six pack from trader Joe's is supposed to be awful but I kind of like it. The knock against it is the corn syrup taste but the grainy floral candied honey flavor saves this

 

I assumed that as well. Haven't seen that movie in years, but did see it numerous times while a kid.

 

Donator Heller Doppelbock
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/6795/257421/
11.2 oz bottle, best by Oct/31/2021. 4 pack bought at Ale Jail (Saint Paul).
Look: Pours slightly hazy gold/slight orange body, semi transparent. head is white, not very tall, dissipates rather quickly leaving some lacing.

Smell is toasted bread, a little sweet floral, maybe micro hint of fruit, maybe honey. alcohol as it warms.

Taste: Slightly sweet malt at the start, but turns more bitter quickly. Odd tasting beer that somewhat follows the nose. other flavors might be lemon, white raisin. Alcohol is well hidden but comes out more as it warms. A hard beer to describe flavor wise.

feel is ok, not thin but not thick.

I like it, but it's not great. definitely a warm/hot weather beer.

 

Sixpoint Hootie - after revisiting regular IPAs for the thread this weekend I am happy that is over for now; regular IPAs are not really my favorite style anymore and I prefer other things to them. The thread was a lot of fun and it was cool revisiting some beers I haven't had in a while but now on to hoppy, not bitter...

This beer pours very hazy. On the nose there is the sweet, hoppy smell you find with this style and that I do enjoy. On the taste there is some pineapple and fruit and for only 5 IBU it does have a nice bitterness that keeps it from being too sweet; it goes crisp, sweet, then a dry note. I am really enjoying this beer and will drink again since I have the others and as far as the IPAs go in the Sixpoint mixed pack that I purchased this one is my preference over Bengali and Resin.