New Beer Weekend #21

Another new one for me tonight:

Oxbow Wild Rivulet, billed as a grisette at 6%

Deeply woody and lemony is the general thrust of this one. There's also an earthy barnyard funk that plays hand in hand beautifully well with the oak. I'm also getting fleeting glimpses of peppery spice, vanilla, dried flowers and straw as I go along. It's tart but not overly so; medium bodied with a crisp dry finish.

Due to its potent and almost dominating one-two punch of the lemon and oak, this feels like it's firmly occupying that territory between a casual sipper and something more intricate and special; which is just fine by me. Casual with some finesse and complexity as well? Sign me up. A lovely A- (4.25).

 

Hello, weekend warriors of trying out new beers. We had a nice "catered" dinner that my employer purchased for us in lieu of a holiday party, the adjustment thanks, of course, to COVID. It was a very tasty dinner, and we had a white wine with it from Spain that worked quite well with it (also supplied by said employer).

We were pretty stuffed, but in a happy, festive mood, so decided to had an after dinner drink. This is one of the highly available BCBS variants, the wheatwine called Caramella Ale.

I already wrote my review, and feared the apple candle we have lit was influencing my impressions. I took extra care because of it, and after reading some other reviews, I don't think the candle was driving my analysis too far astray. That said, I think it added to the overall enjoyment of the beer in this sitting. I got a bourbon-spiked, spiced cider flavors riding on sturdy toffee base when I drank followed by a more obvious baked apple pie aroma once the beer left my face.



After my review, the GF read the bottle and mentioned the notes I (and other reviewers) were getting. I guess I shouldn't have been worried after all

Anyhow, here's a synopsis/some outtakes of my official review:The rusty color is nice, especially backlit by a candle flame in this tasting. Head seems to fizzle as quickly as it forms. Adjusting the glass agitates the ring into throwing some temporary thins streams of lacing - but an equilibrium of a thin ring of bubbles re-establishes shortly after.

The nose opens with a general toffee impression. I get a coconut note similar to what I got in Special #4, but in this case the sweetness gives the impression of those sugary coconut Neapolitan-looking candies. Digging in and analyzing as best I can, I am getting caramel/apple brandy/bourbon mix - although I will state the candle providing the back light is an apple-scented candle.

Sticky and fairly heavy feel, there's a fair bite also, I think from alcohol more than carbonation. Sweet toffee with a hint of sweet-tart fruit (again I'm leaning a little towards red delicious apple). There might be a little spice adding to the bite in the feel - cinnamon, perhaps; pretty sweet throughout, adding to the thicker, somewhat sticky feel.

 

4th new beer of the day...I'm partying like it's 1999 (that or I have nothing else to do on a cold dreary day). I found my way to NBS / NBW through a fairly circuitous route. After a couple years of mostly lurking on the New England threads, I stumbled upon the Newbies BIF. I had never heard of a BIF, and hadn't even made it over to any of the Beer Talk threads (hadn't even heard of WBAYDN). I had so much fun in that newbies BIF that I joined the NBS BIF #11 and thus began posting in NBS / NBW threads (so well done, BIF...you sucked me into this weekly thread).

Anyway, my sender in that Rookes BIF was @FlintB and not only did he send me a TON of beer, he sent me some great ones. I'm still working through them, and I've been hesitant to crack open some of them because they look so damn good and for some reason it almost hurts me to crack a special beer. That said, tonight I decided to bust one out. This is Solstice Stout from Kuhnhenn Brewing Company, and it's freaking fantastic. Brian, I can't thank you enough!


4.46/5 rDev -2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Served at 54 degrees and poured into a tulip. Pours absolutely jet black. Not even a hint of any other color. Somewhat small coffee ice cream colored head that didn't last long. Overall, an attractive beer. Aroma is extremely rich. Waves of fig, raisin, malts & more. Taste largely follows the nose, but adds in wonderful toffee notes. Sweet molasses / caramel notes, but not cloyingly so. Feel is fairly thick but smooth.

This is one of those beers that makes me wish I were a more sophisticated reviewer. I can't pick up every note, and I certainly can't describe them all, but what I do know is that this is an excellent beer.

 

#2, I thought the base beer and BA version were both world-class. Let’s see how the BA version with peanut butter (note: I absolutely LOVE peanut butter outside of beer, but in beer, it can be ..... tricky) hits my palate.



4.09/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours black with some leakage on the edges to mahogany brown and a thick, creamy tan head. Absolutely gorgeous beer. There is some peanut butter on the nose, and some cocoa and char, but no hint of the barrel.

The peanut butter is also present on the taste, and there’s some sweet chocolate and a modicum of char, but again no barrel notes.

The mouthfeel is medium and a little creamy. Overall, this isn’t a miss, but I think the base beer and the BA version are substantially better, IMHO.

 

Adroit Theory - Arael

16oz can served in a big snifter. Canned on 10/29/2020.

Pours a murky pale yellow with a big fluffy head that collapses into a clumpy landscape with craggy lacing. Smell is tropical and pith, moderate resin.

Taste is super hop resiny with a little tropical background. Some lemon pith bitterness. Bitter finish is overwhelming.

Mouthfeel is medium and chalky dry. Overall, not bad.

Continuing the cover song adventure...

 

Southern tier 2xmas
..very dark amber
..medium bodied with medium light carbonation
...aroma is spice upfront, cinnamon, allspice, followed by fig paste and some malt.
...taste is very similar to aroma with the spice making it come off almost dry. The fig is really the nicest part of this holiday beer.
...I think it might have been too spice heavy and if the fig was out front I think it would have been better. Still an interesting holiday beer that one is enough

 

I enjoy when you do these side by sides

 

I enjoyed the Dubble. Like the Pipes of Christmas it is a bit sweet I was there at about 1:30 today people were walking in and being seated and served. I like being able to speak to the owner (Will Dodge) who does some of the brewing. Think about 5 years ago only Trap Rock was in the area. Now there are 3 other spots.

 

Sweet glass!

 

We have done our work then!

 

Greetings fellow NBSers! A foggy morning here in the Fourth Corner cleared off into a pretty nice afternoon. I left my notebook with notes for reviews at a friends house last week, and they dropped it off yesterday, so I just entered a bunch of reviews.

This effort left me parched, so, I opened a new-to-me beer and reviewed it. Keller Pils from Matchless. Pleasant enough: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/47868/523065/?ba=BBThunderbolt#review

 

Yes it is!
Thanks again, and it's becoming my default for these kind of beers.

 

Enjoying one of our favorite Christmas movies as the kids sleep soundly. This one is new to me from a local brewery I’ve seen it for years just never grabbed until now, double nickel: below zero their winter ale (brewed with cinnamon and cardamom)...



Pours a very deep dark brown with a nice creamy lingering head. Some very nice lacing on this beer as well, thick rings with every sip.

Smells winter spices and the holidays, incredibly pleasant smell and not overdone at all. Theres a sweetness to the smell that makes me thing of cookies.

Taste is just as pleasant as the aroma. The same winter spices blend really well with honey like sweetness. It actually kind of reminds me of root beer to a small degree.

Medium to full body creamy smooth carbonation. It leaves a really nice lingering sweetness as well. There is no evidence of the 7.8% ABV.

This beer tastes like the holidays in a glass to me. It’s incredibly well balanced in every way too which to me makes it very impressive. A very well made and enjoyable beer.

Edit: just saw yours @HoppingMadMonk have you had this one? Definitely not overspiced. Done just right for me at least. Really enjoyed it.

 

Brewing Projekt Dare Mighty Things Azacca NEIPA, 6.63% ABV. Pours hazy yellow with a five-finger brilliant-white head that left lots of nice lacing. Nose is light citrus. Taste is light citrus, mildly sweet, slightly bitter. Excellent mouthfeel, overall very good. This one is OK, but not quite as good as other Dare Mighty Things variants.

3.88/5 rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

My wife and I spent the day doing the Christmas baking (OK, I assisted), making way too much of eight different things, down from past years. We're giving most of it to our two kids who are both sick and couldn't make this annual family get-together.

 

Super cool, sounds great! I just may see if I can land some of that for the tasting. Up here Bottle King carries a lot of their stuff.

 

Look forward to hearing your thoughts if you do. I would definitely recommend it, enjoying every sip.

 

Next up, Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion #?, there's no number but does say "Hints of: lime, Blueberry, Pomelo". It was OK.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2210/516752/

 

Bourbon County Brand Anniversary Stout



4.86/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

When I picked up a couple variants, this and Kentucky Fog, even though this was the most pricey by far, and I usually find variants interesting and worth trying but ultimately not as good as the original, I thought this might be different. It's good to be right every now and then.

Nothing unusual about the pour into a DFH tulip; standard blackish brown body with a tan head maybe slightly smaller than usual. The smell is just superb. Even at just out of the cellar fridge temperature this is just rich with chocolate, barrel, booze, brown sugar and caramel. But the taste just builds upon that while still being pleasantly light on the palate. I suppose that really belongs in mouthfeel but honestly this breaks down the barrier between those categories by being so incredibly drinkable. I don't think I've ever encountered anything of this heft that leaves a lasting taste but also goes down so lightly. Good thing I'm settled in front of the stereo.

I'd really like to find another bottle of this to age. This is like BCBS only more intense. This is probably the best beer I've had all year.