New Beer Weekend #20

I'm pretty sure I've brought Lone Star Light to the old NBS/now NBW thread, so never apologize for bringing anything to the table.

(see @ChicagoJ and his tall boy --- YES!!! btw ... Schlitz rules!)

Great first post!

Cheers!

 

Good Saturday afternoon, New Beer Weekenders. New Jersey's newest brewery, Bull N Bear, opened yesterday in downtown Summit. It's been in the works for a couple of years and was impeded by COVID. Reservations were required and I knew it would be a mob scene so I decided that, rather than stopping for pours, I'd just purchase a growler To my pleasant surprise, due to the raw, rainy morning, no one was sitting outside and there were tables available inside and I was able to sample a couple of beers before purchasing a growler of the Scotch Ale Pipes of Christmas. I was also able to chat with the owner, which was fun.

I was surprised to see that the brewery hadn't been added to the BA database so I wasn't able to post a formal rating/review. But here are my notes:

Reviewed the day after the brewery opened. Poured from growler into pint glass. It pours a pretty, dark cola color with a thick frothy, light khaki head and extensive, clinging lacing. (4.25). The smell is mostly floral and spicy (4). The taste opens sweeter than I expected with lots of caramel and cola, along with toasted dark bread, nutmeg, and other spices. As it warms I'm also tasting the telltale burnt peat and tobacco smoke that signals a Wee Heavy. While not as smoky as I'd expect, there is a lot of hop bitterness, particularly at the finish, which nicely balances the initial sweetness. (3.75). The mouth feel is great! it's thick and creamy with pleasant carbonation, and the 8.5% ABV gives it good substance. (4) Overall, this is a flavorful, enjoyable Scotch Ale. While I like a bit more smoke and peat, this recipe is more approachable for someone new to the style. It's big enough to pair with meat and potatoes but ideal for casual drinking. Bull n Bear has hit the ground running. (4)

Once the BA Moderators approve the addition of this brewery, I'll review the the other beers I had, which I really enjoyed: a West Coast IPA (cleverly called Initial Public Offering (IPO) and an English Brown Ale ("Blue Chip").

Have a great weekend, everyone. I'll be back tomorrow with some additional reviews.

 

Good afternoon NBW, hope everyone is safe and doing well. Starting my Saturday with Marionberrison.

4.28/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750 ml bottle poured into an Ourison glass

A- A fairly clear burgundy with a small fast fading bluish head.

S- Tart, marionberries, some oak, mild funk, a slight yogurt like tang.

T- Tart, juicy marionberries, slightly earthy, mild funk, oak.

M- Smooth, soft, medium body.

O- Marionberries work great with the Ourison base.

Time to compare the new Ourison fruit variants.
1) Raspberrison 4.47
2) Marrionberrison 4.28
3) Cherrison 4.13

The raspberry and marionberry both did a better job with fruit than the cherry. The raspberry did the best job just letting the fruit just shine through.

Cheers!

 

Is this the first beer that you have had brewed using Strata hops that were grown in England? Were the other beers you had which featured Strata hops brewed with hops grown in the US?

Hops are very much impacted by where they are exactly grown. Even hops grown by the same hop farmer but in differing locations on that farm will have varying characteristics.

As a 'by the way' you description above is pretty consistent with:

"Aroma & Sensory Description:
Strata is described as “Passion fruit meets pot.”

https://learn.kegerator.com/strata-hops/

Cheers!

 

You got me. That was just how I understood your original post.

Cheers!

 

In my other post I mentioned the store I frequent getting in some new czech beers. Here is the other...Bottled 9/23/20



Pours a little darker than gold, crystal clear, nice initial head that turns into a nice thin creamy layer that lingers the whole time drinking.

Smell is very refreshing, just like crispy clean beer. Very light earthy aromas, not really sure how else to put it other than...It smells like fresh air on a beautiful day.

The flavor is mildly sweet and pleasantly hoppy, earthy and some subtle spice. I also keep thinking of some sort of fresh baked bread, like still hot fresh.

Mouthfeel is perfect light body with a tad of bitter on the finish. It drinks so creamy and smooth and it finishes so so clean.

I grabbed a single just to try but will now definitely pick up a six (or four? I forget how they were sold) pack next week when shopping. It’s not often I find imports this fresh, gonna take advantage while I can.

 

Their Dark Lager is also really nice if you some across it fresh enough.

 

That's a really unique - and fantastic - beer. There's lots of Pumpkin Ales, but not many Cream Ales. Carton is really good at Cream Ales. They haven't brewed this one for a couple of years and I'm glad that you had the chance to enjoy it!

 

Covert Artisan Ales Operation Dreamsicle Sour, 5.6% ABV. Pours hazy orange with a slight white head that immediately dissipated, leaving no lacing. Nose is orange, tangerine, and vanilla/marshmallow. Taste follows but the vanilla and marshmallow take a back seat to the citrus, lightly sweet, lightly to moderately tart. Can't taste the vegans, thank god. Very light carbonation, so OK mouthfeel. Overall outstanding.

4.19/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Spent the afternoon replacing more indoor lights, five more to do. After several years we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel with inside and outside remodeling. After the lights we have carpeting on one level to replace, then we're done. We finished the outside this past summer.

 

I have pretty good relationship with the beer manager so I will ask him about it next time I’m there. Thanks!

 

I hear they do a good job with the cream ales. I was impressed with the body of this one. Blind I guessed it was an ipa because of the hop presence. I think people who like pumpkin would really enjoy this

 

That would make more sense. I had it on the shelf with beers you sent me, and I couldn't figure out how you would have gotten Bottle Logic. I saw that you had reviewed it a couple months ago and figured somehow you must have gotten a few. My apologies @2beerdogs ! So much beer flies around in our BIFS I sometimes mis-label in the cellar.

 

Hilarious...No offense here. But yes, Frank is right @Roy_Hobbs . We are just drowning in the chaos of beer wars, and the friendly fire sometimes takes memories as casualties.

 

On the heels of a stunning last second comeback win in a game of Taboo, it's time for another beer. Switching away from a heavy stout over to an IPA from Fox Farm. As usual, I enjoyed it, but came in other rDev (which I often do regardless of style, but especially with IPAs)

4.14/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Glowing orange / yellow with plenty of fluffy white head, ample retention and plenty of lacing. Aroma is bursting with citrus notes. Grapefruit, lemon & more. . I can easily smell this from several feet away, which is usuallly a good sign. Taste follows the nose...dank and citrusy. Well balanced. Not a total juice bomb. Medium bodied / medium carb. I'm not a big IPA drinker, but I'm enjoying this one.