New Beer Weekend #19

Pours a very dark color with a slight tan head and lacing
Aroma has nice bourbon, vanilla, cocoa, honey and earl grey tea hints
The taste follows the nose with a silky bourbon, vanilla, cocoa, honey and earl grey flavors
A medium bodieddecently carbonated beer
A very nice well balanced bourbon stout

 

A scary Pumpkin Beer!?!

Last week I discussed two pumpkin beers in a side-by-side tasting: Schlafly Pumpkin Ale & Dogfish Head Punkin Ale.

Today is another pumpkin beer (and the last of my stash of pumpkin beers): Flying Dog The Fear Imperial Pumpkin Ale.

From the Flying Dog website:

“The Fear Imperial Pumpkin Ale

9.0%

It’s FEAR season. The days grow short. Night comes early. Disappointing pumpkin spice beers come out of the woodwork like an army of walking dead. That’s why we refuse to brew an ordinary pumpkin beer. Instead, we crafted a monstrous 9% imperial pumpkin ale that bares its fangs and bites back. Spice-forward, but not overly-sweet, this hellhound lurks in its dark amber liquid, waiting to swallow your night whole. Brewed with a massive 300lb haul of locally-sourced pumpkin meat, every sip of THE FEAR is a full-bodied behemoth. So fire up some s’mores, put on a movie about kids who talk.”

And there is a scary looking dog depicted on the beer label..

Maybe this beer is a twofer – Halloween and Thanksgiving themed?

Served in my Gulden Draak tulip glass:

Appearance:

Chestnut brown with a tan (khaki) head.

Aroma:

Predominantly pumpkin pie spices but in the background there is an aspect that is reminiscent to me of Coca-Cola. Very nice aroma!

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose pumpkin pie spices but there is a hint of toffee sweetness.. There is a low bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Medium body, soft mouthfeel with an off-dry finish.

Overall:

I think this beer is very good. I really enjoyed drinking it.

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @RobH

 

Thanks @eppCOS for finally kicking this thing off! Poured into a 16 oz tulip glass canned on 10/22/2020. Pours a very dark brown, with a half finger tan head that leaves no lace, but slowly settles. 4

Smell bakers chocolate, vanilla, and toffee. 3.75

Taste follows simple chocolate, vanilla, and toffee pretty tasty but very one dimensional. 3.75

Mouthfeel is almost medium, not dry or sticky, creamy as you would expect from a nitro stout, and at 5.8% very easy drinking. 4

Overall very happy I just picked up a single, just a very safe beer. Would love to see them put out the double version on nitro but this one is pretty good. 3.75 Cheers all.

 

Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass canned . Pours a cloudy yellow with a 2 plus finger sticky white head that leaves thick streaks of lace with excellent retention. 4.25

Aroma is mandarin, papaya, ripe melon, peach, and apricot. 4

Taste follows mandarin orange, papaya, cantaloupe, peach, and apricot. 4.25

Mouthfeel is above medium, plenty of life, maybe a tad dry, and at 7% ABV it goes down really easy. 4.25

Overall this is a nice IPA, really balance and tasty. 4

 

Caramella Ale
Pours a nice clear reddish amber color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has bourbon, apple, cinnamon and caramel hints
The taste follows the nose with a pleasant bourbon, apple, cinnamon and caramel flavors
A medium bodied well carbonated beer
A nice bourbon wheatwine

 

Poured into a 16 oz Snulip glass canned on 11/12/2020. Pours midnight black on a cloudy winters night, with a half finger mocha head that leaves some thin streaks of lace with solid retention. 4.75

Aroma starts immediately with a healthy hit of maple, oaked bourbon, dark chocolate, vanilla, toffee, back strap molasses, and a little char. 4.5

Taste follows maple, vanilla, deep dark chocolate, molasses, toffee, and oaky bourbon really balanced and crazy complex. 4.75

Mouthfeel is big, soft gentle carbonation, maybe a tad dry as you would expect, and at 11.5% extremely approachable and easy drinking. 4.75

Overall this is a very impressive BIg Stout brewed right in NH. 603 Brewery I am kind of wowed, it could hold its own with CBC from Founders and honestly it may be more complex. 4.75

 

Good afternoon all. I was going to try to pass the poorly-lit photography off as artsy but, truth is, I just had to find a quiet corner of the house that no one else was using.

I do not like the thick and syrupy stouts and, in all fairness to myself and them, I should just stay the fuck away from them but...



Double Shot - the Misty Valley iteration - from Tree House Brewing
3.17/5 rDev -28.9%

From a 16oz can, dated 11/18/20. Served in a tulip.

Pours an opaque and thick appearing mahogany-black with a scant maybe quarter-finger of head that’s gone too fast to really get a look at. Somewhat active carbonation, a narrow creamy collar and a thin, slippery, coffee-colored curtain of lacing. (3.75)

Disappointingly faint nose. Black, unsweetened coffee but fruity at the same time - I think Concord grape juice. (3.5)

Taste is dense with sugar or maybe it’s like sticking my tongue in malt syrup. Over-sugared black coffee and a pan of fudge dissolved in a pot of molasses. (3.0)

Feel is thick and sticky, dense and syrupy, hefty bodied with just enough carbonation to keep it from solidifying in your throat and killing you. (3.0)

Why do I do this? I know that this is what Tree House stouts are like and I just keep going back. I mean, definition of insanity, right? (3.0)

 

Feel free to send them my way if needed. I tend to enjoy Tree House stouts, I just never make the trek out to get them and it seems they like to stay away from the capital city area...

 

3 Early Reviews (1st, 6th, 11th) of notable IPAs Happy Thanksgiving, all!
Party Wave - Double Dry-Hopped | Kane | Ocean NJ | DIPA |} 7.2%
4.38/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
6th Review. Favorite local craft from OCEAN NJ, next door to AsburyPark.
As fine a DIPA as you can find.
a) hazed apricot flesh body with lively, lacing head.
s) Candied tangerine, papaya, orange, mango with a marmalade rind finale. A bit of French Bread Toast.
t) Flavor is that see saw between candied orange colored fruit and tangy bitter, with a background of fresh baked bread.
f) Silky, chalky, fresh, clean. (ocean indeed)
o) Deserves a blind taste vs strong DIPA line up, leans toward candied rind marmalade.

Clear AF| El Segundo | Ca | IPA | 7%
4.11/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
11th Review, my first of brewer, well done.
a) offers a clear golden straw sporting white head that lasts and splashes lace all the way round and down.
s) Very pleasing white fruit flesh, blossoms, citrus, pine and grassy dank notes atop white cracker malt.
t) Follow smell, but more citric and pine, rising to a bitter (but not overly) crescendo
f) Mid body, lively carbonation, fine finish
o) Like Alpine, fresh and pungent grassy, sunny brew.

Veterans IPA | 902 Brewing | Jersey City | NEIPA | 6.5%
4/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Added by Act 25, 1st review. "one of the hardest jobs on the planet" Mosaic, Sabro, Idaho7, HBC 630 and 692....
This batch less than 30 days old (I Live in NJ) Sourced at BottleKing.
a) Gets spit polish look of bubble bath head that lasers lacee over a creamsicle haze body.
s) Needs some time to warm up.
t) Slightly soapy mars what is otherwise perfumey, peach, cherry, stone fruit. cedar wood, hemp, pine, suitable fall orchard for a november beer. But these are hops I'm newly encountering, all in the flower and body shop direction.
f) chalky, silky, pleasant.

 

I found Saison that I had never seen before, and piqued my interest.

Brasserie Trois Dames Saison Brett. The bottle calls out Lambicus and Bruxellensis being used. Fermented in foudres and aged in the breweries cellar for 1 year. 6% ABV.



Pours with a hazy orange color. A small white head forms and tries to rise to about a finger, before it peters out to nothing. No lace left behind. No real visible carbonation from the look, but not necessarily a detriment.
Aroma is musty basement funk. Overripe sour apples and pears. Along with a white peppery spice. While not an overly complex nose, it is very aromatic.
Taste is that musty basement like funk again, then a big puckering acidic sourness. All the yeast and bacteria are in full force here. Tart apple skins and pear juice. At first, I wasn't the biggest fan as the sourness was too intense, but after getting acclimated I have really come to enjoy this.
A medium body with almost no carbonation. With a wonderful dryness. While I normally would ding something like this a lot for the lack of carbonation, the puckering acidic dryness makes up for the lack of crispness. A nice sour Saison to sip on.

Almost like a still Gueuze. Certainly an interesting take on the style, and I am enjoying this. My score is kind of all over the place, as this is hard to pin down. Regardless of my actual score, this is enjoyable and something I would recommend if Wild Ales and Lambics/Guesuze styles are of interest to you.

Overall score turned out to be 4.02, which is a solid A- in my book. Interesting and enjoyable to sip on this rainy afternoon while reading an oddly interesting Iris Murdoch novel (but that is basically all her novels )

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/17998/245468/?ba=champ103#review

 

Happy New Beer Weekend everyone! Today I'm drinking a new Trillium triple IPA called Turducken.

Brewery notes:
"What better occasion to push the boundaries of our large bird lineup than Thanksgiving?! Inspired by the legendary three bird roast popularized by John Madden throughout Thanksgiving Day NFL broadcasts, Turducken is a saturated hop bomb of a Triple IPA. The can labels sport two different versions of the same Zoom collaboration meeting; one in traditional Trillium hand-drawn fashion by Kevin Cimo at FairFolk and the second a colorized and cartoony take by Andy Godish at Permanent Hangover.

Pouring a dense, deep pale yellow with remarkable haze, Turducken's appearance is reminiscent of our hoppiest Double and Triple IPAs. Like its namesake delicacy, the aroma is layered, offering notes of blended citrus zest, punchy white grape juice, pineapple, and a gentle piney bitterness. Full-bodied, mouthcoating, and deftly balanced, Turducken is an indulgent Triple IPA and the perfect complement to your celebratory spread.

MALT
American 2-row Barley
Flaked Oats
Valley Danko Rye
Flaked Wheat
White Wheat
ABV
10.0%"




Pours like gravy a turbid thick opaque yellow gold with a minimal and fleeting frothy white foam head.

Smells as rich and luscious as any IPA I've ever encountered, huge extracted tropical hop aromas, juicy pineapple, mango nectar, citrus zest, gentle pith, hints of crisp white grape, slightly doughy biscuity malts, a touch of rye spice, and floral earthy dank resinous herbal grassy pine.

Tastes really great and powerful with hints of sweetness, fruitiness, dank resinous herb and grainy spice, massive wealthy tropical fruits, rich luscious pineapple, mango nectar, citrus medley zest, pithy rinds, crisp white table grape, orange papaya, peach, grainy rye spice, lightly toasty biscuity doughy malts, with dank resinous floral earthy herbal grassy pine notes. Pretty well balanced for everything going on and such high abv. Not as sweet as some of their past TIPAs, though I think the spice could be toned down a little, but it's appreciated and I think this would be good with some Thanksgiving food to pair. I'm glad to see rye make an appearance in the grain bill once again. The hops were not stated for this beer I don't think. There might be a very mild tropical fruit bubblegum thing going on, not too significant though.

Mouthfeel is smooth, rich, big, luscious and eventful. Thick, full bodied, rounded, creamy and smooth with moderate lively carbonation. The lack of overall sweetness works well with the thick and heavy mouthfeel here, remaining somewhat refreshing somehow and maybe even a little bitter.

Overall, a great Triple IPA from Trillium in my opinion. Really enjoying this right now, the intensity is real, this is a big and powerful hoppy beer that hits all the marks and is really quite exceptional I think. This is about as hoppy and juicy and big as one might want. Cheers everybody and happy NBW!



I can confirm this goes well with some Thanksgiving leftovers

 

Good afternoon NBW
The thread wasn't started this morning when I had my first new beer

Schlafly Berry Brunch

12oz bottle stamped 10/15/20 (about 6 weeks old) poured into a shaker pint at fridge temp 5.7% ABV 30 IBU per label. The beer pours mostly bright darker brown with tan colored head. The head recedes to an irregular ring and single layer of bubbles. Minimal streaky lacing. The aroma is cold brewed coffee and berries. The taste is tart blueberries & blackberries up front with the fruity coffee coming through mid to late palate before a hint of roasted malt and moderate (for the body) bitterness. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, good. I would prefer more stout and less tart berry, but that's personal preference.

Now I'm drinking this...

Devils Backbone Danzig Baltic Porter

12oz bottle BEST BY 07.02.21 poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp 8% ABV 28 IBU. The beer pours bright, dark brown in color with rusty tan colored head. The head recedes to a thin cap. Minimal lacing. The aroma is mild with roasted malt and subtle hints of chocolate and coffee. The taste is semisweet, tangy roasted malt with hints of caramel and chocolate. Earthy hops enter on a mildly bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium to thin bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, very good.

Honestly, this is the first Devils Backbone product that has not let me down. I only bought it because I'll never turn down a Baltic Porter.

I've got to finish some yard work before breaking out the big guns tonight. Cheers all and enjoy the new beer in your glass today!

 

#4



Pours a very dark color with a slight tan head and lacing
Aroma has abundant coffee, bourbon and maple syrup hints
The taste follows the nose with a silky coffee, bourbon and maple syrup flavor
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A very nicely balanced coffee bourbon stout

ps-my favorite of the three different variants

 

Poured into a 16 oz Snulip glass canned pretty sure this week. Pours a hazy yellow orange with a finger sticky white head that leaves thin streaks of lace with solid retention. 4.5

Aroma papaya, pineapple, ripe melon, apricot, and some grapefruit rind. 4.75

Taste follows papaya, pineapple, cantaloupe, apricot, and a little white grapefruit in the balanced finish. 4.75

Mouthfeel is bigger than medium, soft gentle carbonation, a tad sticky but not dry, and at 8% ABV extremely easy going. 5

Overall excuse the picture, the color is much lighter, the dark and Christmas lights totally changed the color. This is another world class NEDIPA from one of NH best breweries Deciduous Brewing Company.

 

I drank my bcbs yesterday and don’t wish to keep drinking that, so today I ventured out.
2 HF saisons courtesy of @chesco
And 1 imperial coffee stout courtesy of @JohnnyHopps
I was very spoiled today as all these were in the 4.5+ range for me.



Anybody that has access to this Transient beer, I highly recommend. One of the best coffee stouts I’ve ever had.

 

Just finished prep for the obligatory Turkey Tetrazinni, time for a beer. When I typed into Google "TURK" it showed the country first, but the next result was Tetrazinni. I wonder if it could tell me what I'm doing tomorrow.
Today I have Collective Arts IPA #14, a series of DIPA. This one has Citra, Idaho 7 and Motueka.

3.91/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 16oz can dated 10/13/20 to Nonic at fridge temp.
Hazy orange body below a frothy white head that laces well.
Dank aroma of dry leaves and hint of orange/lemon/pineapple.
Taste is musty with tones of over-ripe mango and really... nutmeg???.
Mouthfeel is medium with some coating sensation.
Overall, okay.

Here's Copper checking out the can art.