New Beer Weekend #15

Poured into a 16 oz tulip glass canned on 10/02/2020. Pours a very hazy yellow orange with a finger sticky white head that leaves thick streaks of lace with excellent retention. 4.5

Smell is marijuana, peach, passionfruit, a hint of garlic, pine, apricot, and grapefruit rind. 4

Taste follows peach, passionfruit, marijuana, garlic, pine, apricot, and grapefruit really balanced with a little bitterness, but loaded with flavor. 4.25

Mouthfeel is above medium, a tad sticky but not dry, soft carbonation, and at 6.5% drinks bigger in body and flavor. 4.5

Overall this is another excellent variant of this DDH series and I would definitely suggest giving it a try. 4.25 Thx for kicking it off @jkblr and cheers all.

 

That beer is green, right? Or is it just my weary old eyes? Sounds good.

 

Let’s get Wild!

Firstly: Happy Halloween everybody!

For the uninitiated a Lambic beer is a beer brewed in Belgium (in the Pajottenland region of Belgium southwest of Brussels and in Brussels itself) which is fermented with wild yeast from the air and local environment of the brewery. The brewery will place the wort in flat open fermenters (called coolships), open the windows of the brewery, and let Mother Nature do her thing.

Depending on the local microflora the resulting beers can have varying attributes, typically funky and maybe some sour aspects.

Today I will be discussing 3 Fonteinen Oude Gueze. As you will read below this beer is also ‘shaped’ by the fact it is a blend of three beers of varying ages.

Lots of information on the back label:

“Oude Geuze

Blend of Lambic beer aged in oak.

Ingredients: 60% malted barley, 40% unmalted wheat, old hops, and water.

(I guess they don’t list yeast and other microorganisms since they come from the ‘air’?)

3 Fonteinen Oude Gueze is a blend of one-, two-, and three-year old lambics. Traditional Lambic is cultural heritage rooted in the Zenne valley! Bottle fermented, unfiltered and unpasteurized.

ABV: 6.2%

Bottling date: 12 NOV 18

Best Before: 26 OCT 38

Blend n° 92 – season 17/18

This particular Oude Gueze has been blended with Lambics from 8 different barrels originating from 7 different beers. The oldest portion of the blend a(n exactly) 3-year old Lindemans lambic brewed on 12th of November 2015”

Kudos to 3 Fonteinen here! I have no recollection of ever buying a beer that provided so much information on the beer label.

Also, I have never purchased a beer which listed such a long best by duration – this beer is ‘good’ for 20 years post bottling according to the brewery.

Let’s see how this wondrous elixir tastes:

Served in my Tripel Karmeliet tulip glass:

Appearance:

Hazy golden yellow with a thin white head.

Aroma:

There are some fruity aromas along with an impression of ‘tangy’. A very intriguing aroma.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with some fruity aspects (apple-like) and citrus (lemon-like). As the beer warms/opens up there are some phenolic flavors. There is a low bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

This beer is spritzy on the palate with a tingly sensation and a dry finish.

Overall:

This beer is very good! It has an enjoyable flavor profile with a pleasant tangy mouthfeel. I suspect this beer would be an excellent summer refreshing beer.

I wonder if with extended aging this beer might develop a more complex flavor profile including some barnyard funk?

Cheers!

@rotsaruch @RobH @KOP_Beer_OUtlet

 

That is my green light for all those amazing military people and families who serve and allow me the freedom to drink beer at 6:30 in the morning.

 

As @JackHorzempa said, there is an online lambic tasting going on this weekend. Grab one and join in!

I posted this a few minutes ago in that thread:

As a neophyte to the lambic style, and as one who does not like sour anything (candy, milk, beer, ....), but as I very much enjoy these online tastings (and as much as I tend to overdo them with too many beers to try to cram in), this tasting is a bit different for me.

I decided to approach it cautiously (and cheaply), and go with the lower-cost, readily available, and perhaps not too challenging option and selected two beers from Lindemans. I'll taste one today, and the other tomorrow.

First up (and probably the least challenging one) is

Lindemans Framboise
ABV: 2.5%
IBU: 12

At only 2.5% ABV, I decided to start a bit earlier in the day than I normally would. This is pretty close to NA.

Anyhow, on to the tasting.



750ml bottle, capped and corked. LBF02TFR. I think this means June 2, 2020.

The look is very hazy, dense red, almost opaque except I can see bubbles rising from the bottom with a back-light. Pink strawberry-colored head, thick and creamy, that recedes slowly, leaving sheet lacing.

Aroma is strongly raspberry. It is quite sweet. Like raspberry jam. Genuine fruit aroma, not artificial.

Taste is also raspberry, (again, genuine, not artificial) but not as pronounced as I was led to anticipate from the aroma. Sweet with a moderate tartness to somewhat balance it. No bitterness at all. The slightly tart raspberry carries through to the finish, leaving a nice flavor in the mouth. Again, the tartness is just barely there, not sour at all, but it does provide a little moderation of the underlying sweetness.

The body is substantial, a bit sticky even, with a notable effervescence. However, based on the packaging with a cap and cork, and a bit of out-gassing as I slowly worked the cork out, I was expecting a more highly effervescent beverage. It was not that. Perhaps it was too young for the bottle conditioning to build.

Overall, I found this to be a very tasty libation (perhaps you can tell... I'm having a hard time identifying it as a beer), and predominately a sweet drink. The tartness is just not enough to balance the sweetness. Therefore, it is too much to consume the entire 750ml in one sitting, so I'll put a stopper in. Since I have another 750ml Lindemans with nearly 3x the ABV of this one for tomorrow, I hope what is left will hold on OK until Monday. Or, maybe given time for the palate to refresh, I'll finish it later this evening.

Still, I am enjoying it, but I am also unlikely to buy another. Perhaps as a celebratory dessert beer. Perhaps. With its very low ABV, it has pretty much the same character and effect as sparkling raspberry juice, just with a more substantial body so it is more satisfying as an evening sipping drink.

I'm not sure how to rate this beer, so I'll just rate on the basis of did it hit the mark as I suppose was intended, and did I like it as a beverage.


L: 4.0 | S: 4.25 | T: 4.25 | F: 4.0 | O: 4.0 | Rating: 4.16

(Upon reflection, that rating may be a bit high. I may adjust it before posting the official review. I'm really unsure how to rate this one.

Let's see... hazy-to-nearly-opaque, no bitterness, sweet and fruit juicy... So, who started that hazy "New England" trend again? )

 

Hey what's going on?!

Getting into some new beers as always for the weekend. THings certainly cooling off.. man.. where did the warmth go?

Well.. always time for beer... Did some bottling this weekend on my Cascadian Fresh Hop attempted beer. Crossing my fingers in a couple weeks for it...

So enough chit chat... Less talk MORE DRINK!

What's new for our hero. Hooray Maryland... best state flag ever! just saying....



Poured from the can into a nonic pint glass.

Beaming super clear body, a bright crystal shining brass gold color with mirror like appearances. Head creation is a light somewhat soapy, but nice touching rich four finger white bright bleach head. Large soapy bubbles make the head cascade nicely down to meetin with pill lacing and some lovely carbonation.

Nice aroma. Solid and basic, a faint touch of caramel mixing with a mild fruit softness, and some spicy to herbal hop notes.

Palate seems a little ordinary. Simple malt backbone delivers a good platform for the flavor, but little to get excited about for a pale ale. Light touching notes of brown sugar and toast. Quite almost getting into cinnamon as well which is kind of cool. Fleeting finish with not much aftertaste, mild sensing caramel, a little bit of indistinct fruity hop, but rather passing and quickly forgettable.

Simple pale ale, with a hint of unique character, but just nothing that brings a bit of wow or solid enjoyment. Certainly drinkable.

look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75 | 3.87/5

Cheers!

 

DDH Cream of Broccoli is a DIPA from Other Half. It is brewed with oats.

This opaquely cloudy yellow-orange can pour hosts a 2 cm foam cap.
The aroma is dank and dense with herbal hop notes.
The flavor is full with resinous hop aspects, mango, guava and grapefruit in the back.
The mouthfeel is exceptionally smooth.
This is a treat.

 

Really odd name ... I would have left that one on the shelf with a name like that.

 

At this point they've taken a very deep dive into the whole green based names thing.

 

Poured into a 16 oz can shaped glass, canned on 10/28/2020. Pours a very attractive purplish pink with a finger stick of white head, with pinkish hues that leaves some thin lace behind with solid retention. 4.75

Smell raspberry, black cherry, vanilla, blueberry, and a hint of must. 4.25

Taste follows raspberry, black cherry, blueberry, vanilla, and again a little must in the finish. 4.25

Mouthfeel is a solid medium, plenty of life, maybe a tad dry, and at 7.5% easy going down. 4.25

Overall this is not a style I do often, but this is a very tasty and well made sour. 4.25

 

This is my fourth Lambic for the Online Tasting going on through the weekend. It's also my first chance to try Oude Geuze by Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen.



I purchased this in July 2019. It's from the 2017 / 2018 season, stored in the cellar (basement) until last evening when I popped in in the refrigerator. This bottle is blend 92, a blend of 8 different barrels and originating from 7 different brews. The oldest portion of this blend is an exactly 3-year old lambic brewed on the 12th of November, 2015. The bottle date is November 12, 2018, and the best before listed is October 26, 2038. Ingredients are 60% malted barley and 40% unmalted wheat., old hops and water, barrel aged in oak. This is bottle fermented, unfiltered, and unpasteurized. Listed ABV is 6.2%. Love all the information on this bottle, well done.

Appearance: Full 12.7 oz bottle poured in a single pour, dark with generous orange white creamy rich head lasts a very long time, finally settling into a relatively thick and bubbly cover over the entire top of the glass. Somewhat murky with some settlement floating around, light carbonation. Looks very good. 4.5

Aroma: Lay down the funk, generous and pleasant. Nice wild farmhouse aroma to this, natural and enjoyable. Lemongrass, citrus, and the oak barrel shines sharp and bold, light tartness detected. Overall I really love the blend and natural flavors shining through loud and clear. 4.75

Taste: Taste consistent with aroma, very sweet, individual flavors detected more subdued. Lemon and citrus the primary drivers here, some sweet white grape, less funky than the aroma leads but still very nice. Solid offering. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Dry, tartness attempts to reign in the sweetness, but fails to contain the sweet dominance. Not sure if aging further would have mellowed further. Light to medium, lightly creamy body, light fizzy carbonation felt with each sip, post sip sweetness lingers. 4.25

Overall: This is a very nice geuze, complex, sweeter than anticipated but a very nice blend. Would definitely pick up more down the road, may age longer than two years next time. 4.5

While this is a very good lambic, the 2020 Gueuze Girardin 1882 Black Label did not qualify date wise for NBW. However, this turned out to be one of my all time favorite beers of any style, so I wanted to link the review here.

Have one more Lambic lined up for tomorrow, taking it easy this weekend after several on Wednesday and Thursday hitting great bars before the Friday COVID closures in Chicago. Hope you stay safe, and your glass stays full with great beers!

 

Taking a quick brake from the Lambic tasting to kind of cleanse the palate a little. I'm sure I have had this one in the past at some point, but can't really remember, and since I didn't have a review of it here until now, why not share in NBW

Weltenburger Kloster Barock Dunkel. 4.7% ABV



Pours a dark brown with some ruby red around the edges. A dense dark beige head forms with excellent retention and plenty of lace.
Oh man that nose is fantastic. Dark pumpernickel bread, maybe a bit doughy. Chocolate and dried plums and raisins. A touch peppery and yeasty. The malt character here is amazing.
Like the nose, plenty of big malt flavors going on taste wise. Dark rye and pumpernickel bread. Chocolate and dried fruits again. Just a touch of roast, and even a touch of earthy hops. Though the breadiness takes over again. It never becomes to sweet, and the malt flavor is so nuanced, I love it.
A light to medium body. Good crisp carbonation. Supremely clean. Ridiculously easy to drink. Downed in big gulps, as my favorite dinkability saying goes Then I immediately want another one.

Just an excellent example of a dark lager. Actually drinks like a lighter Dopplebock to me. Which is to say it drinks above its weight. Most American breweries can't get this much malt flavor and character with an 8% Dopplebock, let alone anything below 5%. Not that that is the soul mark of a great beer, but it is certainly part of it., and I'm all the more impressed with that kind of nuance. An all around excellent Dunkel Lager.

Overall score 4.43
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1315/4920/?ba=champ103#review

 

Many thanks @jkblr for getting us started. Have some assignments to grade before the Pokes game, but thought I'd sneak in my first Halloween brew first.

This offering is New Glory's Jimbay Beat, a 7% NEIPA with Nelson and Mosaic hops. First review/rating onto BA.



Can dated 09/16/20 into a tulip glass.

L: Murky white yellow with 1 finger of white medium-density head with limited retention and left spotted lacing.

S: Dank, diesel and citrus, fairly potent...could smell the glass from several feet away after initial pour.

T: Heavy citrus on the first sip that softens a bit to let berries and white grapes poke through. Some diesel elements come through on the taste as it warms. Finishes with mild bitterness and some acidity, acidity lingers and drys the palate.

F: Medium bodied with medium-high carbonation, full on the tongue with some tingling from acidity and carbonation, slightly chalky on the swallow.

O: Very nice NEIPA featuring more Nelson than Mosaic elements for me personally. I'd defintely grab again, especially if I cross paths with it fresher. Hope New Glory continues to churn out solid brews like this now that Kyle Leddy has left for Bike Dog Brewing.

BA Score = 4.19, rDev = 0.0%

I'll be back later with some new West Coast IPAs from Flatland Brewing Co (Elk Grove, CA).

 

Back for a NBW, and this one's a Prost Marzen bier. Not my favorite, but always fun to try an American version of a classic. 5.8% and canned in mid-July (unfortunately). But hey.. it's a lager, so let's see... hmm... more below. Cheers! Und Prost!

3.69/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

L - Looks the part; good burnt amber/near pumpkin color to this; decent head/foam, a little lacing. [based on latest pour in glass, not the photo below, from the can].
S - Uh-oh - nothing really Marzen-like on the nose; don't really smell that toasty-honey malt I expect.
T - Even more "meh" on the palate - this just tastes like a strong-ish Munich Lager more than a Marzen or O'fest bier. Disappointing. None of that bready malt and honey-molasses note that the big players carry off.
F - Good in the mouth; good carbonation, not overly so, but solid.
O - Not the best Prost bier, that's for sure. Hit the Kolsch first, to me that's one of their benchmarks, along with the Dunkel

 

Having in Maryland, I always found the Flag a little gaudy & then I saw what the Terps did with it and realize it could be worse

 

Happy Halloween, NBW!

Today's first new beer is Dry Dock's Apricot Blonde, hand-delivered from Colorado by my new employee who brought me a six pack of this, his "go-to" beer, as a gift on his first day Monday (plus a mixed 15 pack of Breckenridge). I gave him a sampling of some locals of a variety of styles, since I really didn't know what his preferences were.

12oz can served in a tulip. "Best By" 10/18/20, printed on the box, printed on my wife's can, not printed on my can.

Pours a fairly clear, fairly dark honey-amber with a medium head that collapses pretty quickly to a thin, fine ring and a very thin cap. A few floaties, never something I like to see, but understandable for (assuming) unfiltered beers made with added fruit. Smell is apricot and bread.

Taste is mostly apricot pulp, some bitterness that makes me think of the skin and the pit. Breadiness is not gone, but kind of overwhelmed by the fruit.

Mouthfeel is medium, leaning toward thick, not a lot of carbonation but not completely absent. Overall, even past its best by date, it's a respectable beer. I suspect fresher it would be brighter and livelier with a little less of the bitterness I think is coming from some aspect of the fruit primarily. I'd like the balance to be a bit more toward bread than apricot.

 

Happy New Beer Weekend everyone! I'm drinking my first 3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek, blended lambic beer brewed with cherries.



Bottling Date 23 Jan 19, Best Before 26 Oct 39 - Blend no. 32 - season 18/19

"This particular Oude Kriek has macerated for more than six months. The lambics in this blend originate from 5 different bar-rels and 5 different brews. Final fruit intensity is 382 grams of sour cherries per litre of kriek (3.19 llb/gal)"

I've had Cantillon Kriek once or twice and a few other Kriek lambic beers from different Belgian breweries, this one always eluded me though until just a few months ago when I found a store that had it and got it delivered to me, along with some other fine beers.

This is just a few months short of 2 years from the bottling date. With all that info time to dig in. From cellar temp this pours a gorgeous cloudy dark red rose color nearing burgundy, with a receding frothy pinkish foam head.

Smells like fresh cherries wafting from the glass, and up close the complex funk and spice notes make way, some horsey barnyard funk, toasty hay, clean phenolic leathery clove, slight cinnamon-esque spice, damp musty cellar, straw, almost popcorn, hints of graham cracker, bready wheaty malts, red foresty fruits, a touch of lemon, peppercorn, oak, with mild dusty earthy herbal floral aged hops. I still feel like I might not be pointing everything out. While this isn't an old bottle, I think having it a bit warmer/less cold helps bring out some more funk and complexities as well. The cherries are prominent in this aroma, but I'm getting so many other wonderful smells at the same time it's hard to decipher it all.

After spending some time on that aroma, the first taste brings a tart and lively party to the palate with a few more intricacies involved, notably some sour lemon citrus and subtle acetic vinegary notes, and an almost watermelon-like juicy red fruit aspect with the fresh fruity cherries and other complexities involved in this bottling, red foresty fruits, dried flowers, natural wine, tart cider, cinnamon-esque spice, sweet clove, slight leathery phenolics, toasty hay, straw, bready wheaty malts, hint of graham cracker, some barnyard farmhouse funk, peppercorns, oak barrel, and mild dusty earthy herbal floral aged hops. Quite complex, though more fruit forward tasting and less barnyard funky than the aroma right now. More tart/sour and lively than you might expect from the aroma as well, while still remaining balanced overall.

The feel is a bit juicy, medium bodied, creamy and rounded with smooth moderate carbonation, finishing dry leaving little but cinnamon spice, oak, a kiss of cherry fruit and wheaty malts behind.

Overall this is a really great Oude Kriek lambic ale. The cherries are apparent and fruity, adding nice fresh fruit flavors while still giving way to some typical 3F lambic funk. I thoroughly enjoy this bottling and will try to continue drinking it without gulping it all down too quickly. It's been a somewhat hard task so far. Cheers everyone!

 

On to next new beer.

Really overdue for a good Belgian and this does not disappoint.



Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass.

A real nice rusted ruby color, deep brown with some actual clarity as well. The head makes about a finger on a simple pour, and retains a nice khaki colored collar around the glass. Very beautiful looking quad.

Real wonderful nose. Deep notes of thick chewy raisin like fruit. Ripe figs. Some wine like quality of a nice fruity merlot even. Very impressive aroma.

Real delicious palate. Rich fruity sensations with a thick rich pulling body. Pie like density of figs and caramel, followed by a light touch of wine like cherry and blackberry fruits. Creamy vanilla, soft raisin, even some oatmeal like cookie flavors jump in as well. Spicy finish with a real hint of splinter woody and pine.

Excellent quad.

look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5 | 4.49/5

Cheers!

 

ha ha! Very true!

I've actually had this as well, it's excellent actually I think.