New Beer Weekend #6

Finally getting to try some Funk Factory, 2017 Framzwart.

4.45/5 rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle, 2017, poured into a flute

A- Eggplant purple with a small, fast fading pink head.

S- Sour, raspberries, some tannins, leather, funky, oak, hints of cherries.

T- Sour, juicy raspberry with a touch of sweetness, oak, leather, funky, some lemons.

M- Smooth, crisp, light body.

O- A great lambic, reminds me a lot of Talquin.

Cheers NBW!

 

I'm beginning to feel like a bit of a degenerate as I move into beer #4, then again, it's been spread over 6-7 hours, so maybe I'm just old and not used to having multiple beers a day, even if I never feel it.

I received this beer, Yuzu Fierce by Off Color Brewing, from fellow Flyers fan @FBarber earlier today. It has spent the last few hours in the fridge and is now ready to be consumed. I'm a big fan of low ABV (this one is 3.8%) beers that taste great, and this one definitely fits the bill. Nice lemon notes make this quite tasty. Thanks again, Frank! Go Flyers!

4.09/5 rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours a glowing, murky yellow with an inch of fizzing head that quickly dissipates. Smell is tart with a little bit of funk. Taste has a really nice initial lemony citrus tartness followed by a smooth middle and finally in the aftertaste some nice subtle funk. Appropriate amount of carbonation and very nice going down. Definitely enjoying this one.

 

Ramstein amber lager
...dark amber
...medium body as well as the same for carbonation
.. aroma is malt,dark bread, toast and crust, just a bit floral
Taste is malt forward,mildly sweet but far from sugary sweet. There's some grain and bread as well.
Perhaps not my favorite from this brewer but still very good

 

Good evening everybody! I'm starting out tonight with a new Oktoberfest for me, brewed by Yards in Philly:

Unter Dog

Overall it's a nice, pleasant, clean and mild take on the style. The malt character is a mix of pumpernickel and baguette, alongside a smidge of brown sugar and a half-smidge of spice from the hops. Not quite the depth of flavor I'd prefer, but since I've also recently had versions with near-obnoxious levels of angular toasty bread, I'd happily take something understated in its place every time.

As to the brewing, it's extremely well made; smooth protein rich mouthfeel, dense almost moussy head, very low mineral water profile, and squeaky clean. It's really a pleasure on the palate.

It's not in my top tier, but I will thoroughly enjoy the 12-pack these came in, and the repeatability alone puts this just barely into the A- realm (4.0). Well done, Yards!

 

Hi again, NBW!

I don’t review IPA’s as frequently as other styles. The last one was 2 months ago. Before that, 4 months ago.

When I saw Tombstone on Tavour I grabbed it. First, because I see high praise around here. Second, this beer will be my first AZ review, leaving 3 states left for me to complete the list on this fine site.



Look: Opaque and cloudy pale gold color. Off white, densely packed head that sticks around nicely. Good head retention. No visible carbonation. A great looking NEIPA.

I won’t cop out of a review, but the can description is spot on. That’s not always the case.



Nose: A lot of Citra when I crack the can. Ripe and sweet mango, pineapple and peach. Very nice. Some sweet, bready and grainy notes. Notably, zero indications of the 10% ABV.

Taste: Sweet, tropical fruit up front. Mango, orange, pineapple, lemony pith, watermelon rind (the white part). The end has some bitterness which makes for a nice finish and added complexity.

The first sip had a unique flavor on the finish. It was play-doh like. It wasn’t offputting, but odd. Just a flash. Seems gone now that I’m half way through, but there’s still something that’s savory. I think it’s the Citra.

Feel: You can tell it’s a high ABV beer as there’s some warmth, but this beer is highly drinkable for 10%. Very smooth, light bodied and soft.

Overall: An excellent 10% hazy and juicy IPA. I don’t drink many double digit IPA’s. I’ve become more fond of them with the rise in popularity of hazy and juicy IPA’s, and this one is an excellent example.

4.27/5 rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

Sharing this with our son. It is magnificent, IMHO.



4.5/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours jet black with a dark tan head, the nose is strong coffee notes, heavy char, dark chocolate, and some stone fruit. Wow.

The coffee is forward on the taste, and the char is dominant, but the star for me is the stone fruit - the dark cherry flavors are magnificent.

I bought this 2+ years ago, and the bottle suggests enjoying this within 60 days. It held up exceptionally well, because this is world class, IMHO.

 

Howdy from the Brazos Valley!

High school football kicked off last night in Texas, so work is back to near-pre-COVID levels of normal, which means "busy." I'm not sure how long the season will last before the virus shuts it down, but for now we're off and running.

I'm on a long lunch break and couldn't resist sneaking in the new one I bought yesterday:

Live Oak's Pre-War Pils, a throwback style that includes corn grits in the mash, 5.0% ABV, 32 IBUs, 6/29/20 born-on date printed on bottom of can

The aroma is the most striking thing. It starts out very bread-malty sweet like a peach pie, even ice cold, and it reminds me of Live Oak Pilz. The flavor is quite different with a good amount of earthy dirt-hop flavor taming that peach sweetness. Then as it warms the aroma starts to show the corn, and the corn note grows to the point that it smells like they mixed Lone Star or Miller Lite with a more malty pils.

It's a good beer, but for fans of authentic pilseners, it's probably not worth more than a one-off purchase. I'd call it a gateway brew to get AAL drinkers interested in graduating to pils. Still, not bad, and I'll enjoy working through the six-pack. My bet is it will pair perfectly with some brown drink, especially bourbon and rye.

The official review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/383/411249/?ba=Premo88#review
4.09 (+2.8% rDev)

Cheers!

 

Good evening NBW
My workweek is finally over and I have more beers from last week's travels.

Airborne by Brasserie De Bouillon / Le Marché De Nathalie

Classified as a Brown Ale - Belgian Dark here at BA

11.2oz bottle Production date 10/16/17 (nearly 3 years ago) split between a Glencairn for appearance & the included helmet mug for authenticity. 7.5% ABV with a stated 24 month shelf life in a cool dry place - purchased warm last week. The beer pours mostly bright light brown with mocha colored head. The head recedes to a thin ring and leaves a nice streaky lace. The aroma is mild with raisin, plum & brown sugar. The taste is moderately oxidized leather, dark fruit with moderate earthy hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, ok. I'm sure this would be much better younger and properly stored. I can't resist a bottle & glass (mug) combo, especially not for $4. I would definitely drink this again fresh and it's very clearly dated.

 

Minky doodle raspberry sour
...cloudy fruit punch color
..medium carbonation with about average body
... aroma is everything raspberry. Raspberry kam,fresh raspberries, raspberry vinegar.
Taste is also all raspberry, very,very mild sweetness which takes back stage to a sour tartness. Fortunately not a throat closing tart sourness but a perfectly balanced amount that didn't cover up the raspberry flavor.
Definitely worth a try if you like this style of beer

 

Pre War hence the corn? Sounds like a perfect compliment to the bourbon.

 

Blackberry Farm Brewery Sorgho Noir

4.25/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Before I review this, this is the third beer I've had from a local bottle shop which has overflowed with foam as soon as it was opened. This was not inexpensive, nor were the others, and although this hasn't been a problem with every beer from them, this is happening far too frequently. Fortunately a bomber allows for this to be an irritant instead of a complete clusterfuck.

That said, once under control this was a very enjoyable experience. Poured into a DFH tulip there was abundant foam over and beyond the initial situation over a dark reddish amber body. Smell was malty and spicy. Maybe it's the sorghum but there's a nice sweetness to the taste along with pleasant spiciness. Mouthfeel was refreshing. This was a good beer for a late August slightly cool evening.

 

Not throwing my a-game tonight,forgot image

 

I just got back from taking the daughter to the pool for a while. A storm came through earlier and made the water cold. Time to warm up with a new beer from @oach.

Hubbard's Cave
Coco Van
Imperial stout with coconut and vanilla



Pours a deep brown color with no head and no lacing.

The smell smacks of coconut with sweet chocolate underneath.

The taste is very sweet. It's a good mix of coconut and vanilla.

The mouthfeel is very thick with minimal carbonation. There's a mouth coating, lingering thickness.

Overall, this is a huge beer and very sweet. Excellent mouthfeel, great flavor. A nice sipper.

 

I used to sell these varied D'Epeautre beers and they are an education. They taste great, go with all kinds of food, and are pleasantly relaxing, without that overt alcohol.
They are earthy, rich, and pure. It is like a lovely visit to the past, watching evolution borrow and invent.

 

According to their website it's a 1912 recipe that uses corn grits in a "cereal decoction mash," which I know only one thing about, and that is the beer nerds LOVE to fight about decoction mashes and if they are worth it or not (I have zero idea).

It definitely will go well with bourbon. It should go well with rye, and my bet is it would pair fine with a peated Scotch. I've been struggling to find great compliments with sweeter unpeated Scotches and Irish whiskey. Maybe I should try harder.

 

Left Hand Gettin' Tiki With it Pina Colada Wheat, hard to believe this is 7.5% ABV; 3.67 overall

Pours a frothy gold with a thumb+ of eggshell colored head. Nice head retention & lacing

S: Faint bready notes, grassyness

T: Pineapple & coconut, some dryness up front. More dryness and little lemon along with the pina colada flavors, plus a little grassy hop as this warms. Finishes with Pina Colada sweetness & a little dryness

MF: Medium body, creamy carbonation

Flavors are advertised, drinkable, but not something I would do a repeat buy on

 

Here's a new one...and unique one.
Tupps DDH IPA Series 23 with Honey, Cinnamon, and Pineapple
Hops: Bru-1 40% / Citra 40% / Mosaic 20%

4/3.75/3.75/4/3.75
3.79 overall
12oz canned on 8-10-20, opened 8-29-20.
L: 1 finger white head. Dense, with a fine bead. Very good retention.
Hazy, opaque golden IPA. Thin, abundant lacing.
S: Ripe pineapple at first, mild cinnamon quickly shows...pineapple blows off soon. Citrus arrives after warming.
T: Cinnamon is front and center but in a subtle way, it's a unique flavor profile as I'm not sure I've ever had pineapple and cinnamon together in anything. Floral honey late and finishes with a tart pineapple flavor.
F: Soft, creamy mouthfeel, low bitterness. Medium length and dry finish (honey).
O: The additions are the show, beyond that not too much to recognize as an IPA beyond in flavor and aroma. Look and mouthfeel are definite NEIPA.
Very Good.

 

I have that helmet/mug! I was lucky enough to purchase on the hallowed grounds of Bastogne.