New Beer Weekend #6

My wife buys and tries many Pilsners. Mostly because of her, I know that there are many mediocre ones out there. It's a tough style for a brewer to hide behind. This one stands out as a good one.

4.08/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12oz can dated 08/19/2020 to a Pilsner glass.
Large white frothy head. Had to wait the tide to go out so to speak to pour the rest of the can in the glass. Classic Pilsner body, transparent gold with those tiny bubble rising continuously all the way to the last sip.
Bready, yeasty, grassy aroma.. nice.
A very balanced and clean Pils. Hops and malt both individually noticeable, but they don't fight.
Light body with a super subtle hint of oiliness.
A good example.

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. It seems like "Italian Pilsners" are the rage this summer. This isn't a recognized style on BA. As I understand it, an Italian Pilsner is a German-style Pilsner that's dry-hopped with European hops. Magnify released one earlier this month. It was developed by one of brewers, Greg, with whom I enjoy discussing beers. I can't wait for the tasting room to open again so we can do so again. This Pilsner is hopped with Noble and Mittelfruh, then dry hopped with Mittelfruh, Huell Melon, Hallertau Blanc, and Crystal. The result is a more complex and flavorful German Pilsner with notes of white wine grape and melon. It's a great beer for drinking outdoors on a beautiful late summer afternoon.

Here's my full review:

4.29/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Canned on 8/17/2020. Poured into a pilsner glass. It pours a cloudy, bright golden-yellow with a thin, bright white cap and sudsy lacing. The tiny, effervescent bubbles provide a champagne quality. It has a conventional pilsner smell: clean, light malt and grain with herbal, grassy notes. It first the taste follows suit with crisp, dry lemon peel, malt and herbal flavors but as it warms the taste expands to include white wine grape, subtle but noticeable oak, and just a hint of melon. The Crystal hops add an earthy spiciniess. There is clean bitterness at the finish from the Hallertau Blanc hops. All of the flavors are delicate and complimentary. As expected, the mouth feel is super crisp and lite with lively carbonation, and the 4.9% ABV is barely noticeable and doesn't distract from the drinking experience. Overall, Firenze is absolutely delightful. The Hallertau Blanc and Huell Melon hops take a fine pilsner to another level. It's perfect for drinking outdoors on a late summer afternoon. Terrific job, Greg!

I hope everyone's enjoyed their new beer(s) this weekend. I have a RIS warming up (literally) in the bullpen. Cheers, NBW!

 

Received this can of When Horrocks Gives You Lemons from @FlintB in a BIF at the beginning of the year (he about destroyed my porch). He sent me a good variety of Speciation Artisan Ales beers, and they have all been very good. This one was interesting, but not my favorite of the bunch. I can't tell if it's the poppyseeds, or if I just waited too long to drink this. I enjoyed it, but came in well under rDev on it, which makes me think it's the latter, as I'm usually above rDev with this style. Either way, very glad I got to try it. Still a tasty beer for sure.

3.48/5 rDev -13.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Clear light yellow with virtually no head. Not bad looking, but doesn't stand out visually either. Smell is faintly sour with perhaps some very subtle hints of lemon, but there's something about it that seems a bit off. Taste is interesting. I think I can actually taste the poppyseeds, which add a unique flavor to the beer. Medium feel, with a mildly tart finish. Overall, this was an interesting beer.

 

You're probably not as old as I, but, nonetheless, I've come to terms with 2 a day is pretty much my limit these days. Cheers!

 

Russian Imperial Stout is my favorite beer style. I wish more brewers attempted to brew this complex but rewarding Stout. For several years, I've been hearing that 2SP Brewing in Pennsylvania has an award-winning RIS but I've never seen it locally until yesterday. The Russian won the 2019 Gold Medal for Imperial Stout at the Great American Beer Festival. The 2020 vintage was canned on 1/10/2020 (the carefree days before COVID). It's dry, roasty, and highly bitter with abundant burnt espresso, bakers chocolate, char, and tobacco ash. I like a dark fruit presence and I can taste some subtle raisin and fig in the background. This fruit may have been more prevalent when fresh. Overall, this is very good but not at the level of, say, Parabola, FIS, Narwhal, Plead the 5th or Marshal Zhukov. It's missing that dark fruit dimension.

4.24/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Canned on 1/10/2020. Poured into a snifter. It pours ink black with a large, foamy, light khaki-colored head and thin, soapy lacing. The nose features roasted malt, char, tobacco, burnt espresso, bakers chocolate, and a whiff of dark fruit. The taste opens dry, roasty, and bitter with burnt coffee grounds, earthy char, tobacco ash, and burnt nuts. As I sip I begin to taste the bakers chocolate and subtle notes of raisin and figs and just a tiny hint of caramel. It finishes with lots of bitterness. The mouth feel is silky and moderately viscous with an appropriate level of carbonation. This batch has an ABV of 9% which, for the style, is not overly boozy. I'm reviewing at about 8.5 months, which shouldn't bee too old for a RIS. I'd like to try it fresher to see whether the dark fruit is more prevalent. That said, this is very good and it's not surprising the brewery has won awards for it. If you like a dry, bitter Russian Imperial Stout, then I would heartily recommend The Russian.

 

Appearance: Amber, slight haze. Good head initially, but retention is poor.

Smell: Earthy, a little dark fruit note.

Taste: Earthy tones throughout. A very mild sweetness and a bit of dark fruit. The alcohol does show up despite being only 5.7%. Medium body.

Overall: Millstream's been making German-style beers for about 35 years now, I've had them here and there for 20+ years. Picked up the Oktoberfest since it was $8 for a 6 pack. I wasn't too impressed, almost seemed like a watered down Belgian dubbel with the earthiness and dark fruits. Oh well.

 

Always a good day when you can drink beer and watch someone else suffer on a bicycle. I pay to get the ad-free coverage of the Tour de France and watch every minute listening to Robbie McEwen from the ceremonies at the start to the podiums at the finish. This year is strange, like all sports, with few fans.
I did my bike ride yesterday, and spent this morning watching the entertaining second stage with a Wicked Weed Freak Of Nature.

This is my first time buying Freak in cans because for some reason it is always three or more months old by the time it hits the shelves. Pernicious is usually much fresher. When I saw this pack with an August date, I didn't hesitate.

4.3/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Clear golden amber color with a full white head and curtains of lacing. Strong piney aroma. Pine, grapefruit flavors. Bracing hop bitterness in the mouthfeel, not sweet. I have some fresh Coast Boy King and look forward to doing a side by side test.
I am still not over the sale of Wicked Weed to A-B InBev, but these are still great beers.

 

Left Hand White Russian Nitro White Stout, 8.9% ABV. 3.61

Pours a very effervescent gold with a a very tight 1" cream colored head. Nice head retention & even better lacing

S: Some cereal notes, biggest detractor for most Nitro beers is just don't ever get much of a nose from them

T: Sweet coffee with vanilla, a little bit of roastyness up front. Dryness, coffee & sweet vanilla as this warms. Finishes roasty dry with very sweet vanilla coffee notes

MF: Medium body, pretty creamy

I am not a huge fan of these white stouts, but this one is better than most, hides the ABV very well

 

Opening up 3 Floyds 13 Hands, a saison fermented in white wine and gin barrels aged 2 years.
4.21/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750 ml bottle poured into a teku

A- A clear amber with a small white head.

S- Tart, lemons, oak, funky, floral, juniper berries/gin, white wine, a little earthy.

T- Sour, fruity, stone fruits, peaches, apricots, juniper berries, gin, oak, floral, funky, earthy, some white wine.

M- Smooth, light to medium body.

O- A unique and interesting Saison, gin barrels add a lot of big flavors to this.

Cheers!

 

Greetings all,
The weather has moderated some and walking a good distance isn't so hard. So we walk and the dogs are great company and truly sustain us emotionally. Dogs are very good medicine! We're flush with tomatoes and I love them, every way possible. Tonight, tomato pie with a Greekish salad loaded with tomatoes. And cantaloupe
Today's beer is Guinness Extra Stout at 5.6% abv. It is very roasty smelling, like good fresh ground coffee. It is enticing. This ale is anthracite black and utterly opaque The first sip is all bitter German chocolate, coffee, and some green herbal presence, like a bitters digestif and maybe very good schnapps.Each sip brings about beautiful lacing lined down the glass like a lab beaker. The beer is perfectly roasted, light on its feet, allowing generous lovely sips. This is obviously a great ale and I know it cannot be ignored. I will buy more, I promise.
I love the Guinness and Spirit popped into my life when I was 16. This high energy tune still enthralls me and induces those vestiges of youthful glee all over again.

 

Tonight I'm drinking a collaboration between Brasserie Trois Dames & Wicked Weed called Metatropics, a brettanomyces farmhouse ale fermented with tropical fruits, more specifically real pineapple, passionfruit, mango and grapefruit. Date bottled: 9.16.16, this might be the last of my Wicked Weed bottle stash. They've made a lot of interesting sour and barrel-aged beers over the years, and I'm glad I got to try some of them.

Wicked Weed & Trois Dames - Metatropics



This beer pours a hazy golden amber orange with a frothy white foam head that sticks around. Smells a little vinegary and sour with unctuous tropical fruits, fresh pineapple, mango, passionfruit, grapefruit, some bready caramelized malt, hints of hay, straw, dusty funk, and floral earthy hop notes. Tastes fairly complex and exciting, possibly due to age. I can tell the brett has done it's thing thus far. Tastes tart and acidic with fresh tropical fruits, crisp apple, lemon, pineapple, passionfruit, mango, grapefruit, slight fuzzy apricot, tangerine, orange citrus, hay, straw, multigrain toast, caramelized malt, dusty funk, hints of leather, farmhouse spice, and floral earthy hops. Feels medium bodied, creamy and smooth with moderate carbonation. Overall a real nice brett farmhouse ale with tropical fruits.

This is a pretty good beer with fresh tropical fruits and a well integrated addition of brett. After smelling I thought this was going to be more sour and vinegary but it is well restrained with acidity and even funk nearly 4 years later. I get some acidity and mild leather notes from the brett, but the fruits remain fresh tasting without overpowering. The base beer tastes like a complex wild farmhouse ale and my favorite notes in this are the subtle peppercorn farmhouse spice, hay/straw, and the unexpected multigrain toast character that could be an extension of the toasty hay or maybe the caramelized malt. Either way this is a nice and interesting beer. Cheers everyone, have a good week and happy NBW!

 

Next up for me is Westbrook's Key Lime Pi, which I received from the gracious @Mbgreg earlier this year in some NBS #11 associated shenanigans. I wasn't sure what I was going to think of this one, but son of a #$%^ if it doesn't taste just like key lime pie. This is really, really tasty.

4.1/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours an extremely murky, muddled yellow with very little head. Aroma is sour lime. Taste is really interesting. I expected a regular gose with a bit of lime, but I full blown taste key lime pie with this one. Maybe it's just how my palate is reacting to this, but even if you gave it to me blind, I'm pretty sure I'd immediately identify it as key lime pie, and I generally suck at picking up flavors. Graham cracker aftertaste is what I'm picking up as much as anything. Lightly salty. Low carbonation and smooth. Really enjoying this beer.

 

Good evening, weekenders of new beer!

This bottled conditioned ale is Freedom!!! from Lucky Hare Brewing Company. 6.9%. It comes courtesy of @bstoos.



Look: Cloudy, but transparent. Deep amber - light brown color. A big, frothy head at first pour, that settles to a thin layer of foam. Streams of tiny bubbles rising up alongside the glass. No lacing.

Nose: This beer has a great nose. Honey, pear, red apple, fresh biscuits. It also has an oaky chardonnay white wine thing going on.

Taste: Sweet grains, yellow grape, light pear and red apple, unsweetened black tea with lemon.

Feel: Medium to high level of carbonation. Smooth and soft mouthfeel with lively carbonation. Dry.

Overall: This beer is excellent. It’s a rustic drinking beer. I checked to see my last Bier de Garde. 3 Monts about a year ago. Similar flavors, but this beer is less sweet and offers some more complexity. So, I like it quite a bit more.

Thanks, Brian! I’m really enjoying this one!

4.23/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

 

I have a couple of beers on Day #2 of this week’s NBW. The first is part of a series that I’ve really enjoyed over the years from an iconic brewery in our beer nerd world.





4.18/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Just the slightest bit of hop haze in this golden colored beer that sports a substantial white head, it surprises me that the head doesn’t provide any lacing at all. The nose has the peach and pear referenced on the can, and there’s also a melon note.

The peach is forward on the taste, and the pear is also a significant component, but what sets this beer apart is the flavor coming from what I’m assuming is the dragon fruit, which is a tart, kiwi-type flavor which works really well with the pear and peach flavors.

The mouthfeel is drying, fitting the West Coast IPA profile it seems this beer aspires to. I’ve had most of this series (why isn’t there a number on the can?????), and they’ve all been executed really well. This iteration is no exception.

 

I actually picked today's beer up like a year ago, with the intention of drinking it while harvesting blueberries (and looking at the label, it looks like it was actually brewed in September of 2018, so two years old). Well, that day never came. We bought a pair of blueberry bushes to add to our little patio garden, and I thought: 'perfect! There may not be a huge harvest, but I'll pluck a couple of these and finally drink that damn blueberry beer!' Our bushes yielded a grand total of one blueberry (at least that the vermin of the city didn't get to), which I ate early season, thinking of course there would be more. The Lady Kemo reminds me of this fact (that I ate the only berry from our blueberries) with some regularity.
I have mixed feelings, quarantine related, about the fact that I went to visit my parents last week, but independent of that hesitation it was a great visit. I got to meet my brother's puppy for the first time and we were able to have a good visit and help with some of the projects around the house. Oh, and also the blueberry netting we installed this spring finally worked and my mom had the biggest blueberry harvest she's ever gotten from her (rather large/old) bushes. In the past, the birds have feasted and gotten almost all of her berries, but this year the netting worked, and she and my dad picked several gallons of berries. They sent two of those gallons back down to the city with us. So I'm breaking out that old blueberry beer to celebrate!



Matchless does a series of 'Master Blend' fruited sours, of which this is the blueberry version (obviously). Their description:
'Blueberry Master Blend is the culmination of more patience than sensible in a beer! We took loads of whole, Hardy Blue, blueberries from our friends in Mossyrock that run a 70-year old blueberry farm. Then we aged them in spent red wine barrels along with mature, sour red and brown beers for way too long, something like 12 months. The beer was refermented in the bottle by its own resident micro-flora for several months to achieve a balance that is neither too fruit, nor too beer. Drink now for more fruit character or allow beer to continue to mature for a funkier experience. Whole fruit, no kettle sour.'

Well, suffice to say, I expect the fruit character to take a bit of a back seat to the funk at this point. Amazingly I am not only the first person to have this beer, thus necessitating its addition to the database, I am also the first person to have added ANY of the Master Blend series (and yes, I am certain it's a series, because I've seen about a half dozen other versions at the store over time). Huh.


(sitting in a bowl of Mom's blueberries, with our sad little bush in the background)

This Master Blend is not a gusher, but a slow oozer. Popping the top yields nothing immediate, but letting it sit while I gather up the rest of my supplies (should have the glass ready to go, ha), the foam slowly rises out of the bottle and drips slowly down the sides. Pouring in the glass halts any further spillage. It's actually quite lovely in the glass, with a body that you can tell was originally a rusty reddish brown, but which has been stained with a mildly mauve tint by the berries. A lot of these fruited sours can get kind of murky/muddled and unappealing in appearance, and that's generally fine, but here it actually takes on an almost regal deep burgundy. I like it. Fizzy but structured foam that is stained a similar mild mauve lingers for a bit before settling into a ring of fur and some occasional bubble-islands.

Nose is, as expected, a bit tart, but tempered by a smoothe berry sweetness. The wine barrels impart a bit of their oak, and in conjunction with the berries themselves give a lovely bright fruit-forward character in the vein of a lighter fruitier red wine, like a Pinot Noir or a Grenache.

First impressions are fairly tart, but not as raspy or puckering as I was preparing for given the age. Again, it's more fruit tartness, at least up front, that carries with it lighter juicier almost jammy notes of raspberry and, yes, blueberry. The oak helps soften the body as does the juiciness of the fruit. The barrel also offers some light woodiness and spice, and some of the underlying red/brown ales give it some faint suggestion of baking spice and cherry. The finish brings all of these together and finally gets into the raspy/sharp acidity I was anticipating from the get go.

Moderate body with moderately effervescent carbonation that helps accent and cushion the finishing acidity, this definitely lives up to it's name as a Master Blend, at least to my thirsty face, as everything comes together wonderfully and creates an enjoyably balanced beverage that is both tart and fruity without either one overwhelming the other. It has encouraged me to seek out other options in their Master Blend series.

Hope you all also have something tasty in your glass, and cheers!!

 

#2, courtesy of @Roguer in NBS BIF #11, I am splitting this with Little O. We are both fans.



4.44/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours black with a dense, compact tan head. The rye whiskey is forward on the nose, yet the aroma isn’t boozy. How is that possible? There’s also chocolate aromas and some hints of the peppers.

The taste eliminates the hint of peppers, though - they are present, loud and proud, and complement the rye whiskey, and also the chocolate flavors. The mouthfeel is as rich as a double chocolate chip cookie, which I expect from an imperial stout.

Aardwolf continues to impress. This is world-class, IMHO.