New Beer Weekend #24

Wasn't gonna participate this week, but then I realized it's the first NBW of 2021, and I wouldn't want to miss such a banner day, so I went out and grabbed a couple new ones to share with y'all. Currently making some one-pot buffalo mac & cheese and sipping on this...



Nice, this seems like it'll probably be a score-and-a-half! No canning date but I tracked down their Facebook post about it and it seems like it was probably canned about 3-4 weeks ago, so that seems fresh enough to me. Pours a surprisingly amber-looking hue with a fantastic cap of foam that retains quite well as it slowly recedes from the absolute top of my glass, leaving an eventual two fingers behind with excellent legs and solid lacing. It's hazy for sure, but not totally opaque; there's a sunburst-orange color to it if held up to light. Looks good!

I've had one triple IPA from Magnify before (Cashmere Sweater), and I remember thinking it was pretty damn great. In fact, here's my post about it, back in October of the awful year of 2020 This one smells really nice right off the bat, but I expect no less from a big ol' TIPA with Mosaic, Galaxy, and El Dorado. Freaking great combo right there... I pick up a huge hit of dankness, some black currant and blueberry, pineapple, spicy pine resin, notes of mango and guava, and some light grapefruit rind as well kicking around in the back. A lot going on, and it all seems heady and appropriately focused-on.

Yowza, this is excellent! My first sip punches me right in the tastebuds with a huge helping of complex citrus (tastes like grapefruit/yuzu/tangelo) coming out immediately. This is followed up by a nice, lightly-sweet and balancing malt backbone. Blueberry and intense pine resin come up next with a big smack of dankness in the transition to the finish, which leaves my tongue at its mercy with each sip. Nice projection of the 10.5% ABV here, too; it definitely feels strong but not overly-so, and I appreciate that. Lingering and hefty bitterness with some good density and staying power on the palate. Frickin' rad; now this is how to start off a new year and a new NBW! One more coming soon...

Oh yeah, by the way, here's the finished rack my cousin and I made a couple days ago. Well, he did most of the work but I had the original design idea and basically just helped him out in his garage workshop (and brought him some Second Fiddle as a partial repayment for his work). I think it came out great! Now I just need to paint it. Anyone got tips on painting a project like this? It's made out of MDF and I'd prefer to use putty to cover some of the screw holes if it's possible. Going to be painting it a black and would prefer a lightly-glossy finish, too.

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Swiggers and commentators. After a beautiful day yesterday, it's grey and snowy in the Dirty Jerz today. But it's a long weekend and I'm off tomorrow so who care? I spent the day reading and listening to Ludovico Einaudi's Primavera album. While I still love '60's British rock 'n roll, country, and bluegrass, I'm really getting into classical music.

Yesterday, I reviewed two draft beers from Highrail Brewing Co. I bought a fresh pack of Trails, its New England IPA, to review today. This beer has received high marks from several notable and respected BAs so I was intrigued. And I wasn't disappointed. First, it drinks really well from the attractive Pilsener glass I bought at the brewery. The glass is solid and feels good in the hand. The beer itself pours a murky, dirty orange color with a thick, fluffy, milk-white head and clinging lacing. It has a super fragrant, fruity nose featuring tangerine, lemon, grapefruit, fresh honeydew melon, and a hint of lactose. The taste opens with tart citrus - lemon peel, grapefruit, and a hint of lime. Initially, it's less sweet than the smell would indicate but as it warms I can taste more pineapple, ripe melon, and even a hint of peach. The Galaxy and Mosaic hops contribute big, bold fruit flavors. There are also earthy malt overtones which I assume come from the Calypso hops. Centennial hops are used for bittering and also provide notes of resinous pine. This ale has a nice, thick mouth feel with moderate carbonation, and the 7.1% ABV gives it a nice kick. Overall, I have to say I'm very impressed by this offering. As I wrote yesterday, I enjoyed the experience of visiting and drinking in this brewery. I haven't seen its beer in local bottle shops yet but my wife and I have already decided to return soon.

4.31/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

Nice write up, love the comparison between our reviews. Funny part is when I compare it to my other anniversary reviews it falls super close to all the other ones that had Velvet Merkin as about a quarter of the beer.

 

Good evening all, my contribution tonight is a local winter warmer named Jolly Trolley.
Very quaffable despite its abv and enjoyed drinking it. That said, it really didn’t hold a candle to other warmers so I was slightly confused as they tend to brew excellent beers. Ah well, now I know.
Have a marvelous weekend all!

 

Tomorrow I return to work, these 11 days off have been great for my mental health and I feel recharged enough to make it to spring break. I really hope they extend the time we are virtual but I am preparing myself to take the time to teacher from the school if we are to return to hybrid on the 11th, even though I don’t see the numbers dropping to levels where it would be safe to return.

Anyways time to get into today’s beer, Modern Time Altar Of The Orc Lord Rocky Road Edition, thanks @Dimidiata! I have had the pleasure of trying a good amount of special releases from Modern Times in the last year and this is towards the top of the list. Modern Times is doing an amazing job with their barrel aged beers and are quickly become one of my favorite barrel aging breweries.

look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thank you dimidiata for this
22 oz bottle poured into a tulip

A- Dark brown with a small mocha head.

S- Bourbon, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, some coconut and pecans, hints of dark fruits.

T- Vanilla, chocolate, dark fruits, bourbon, oak, coconut, caramel, touch of pecans, touch of cherries in the finish, slightly earthy.

M- Smooth, full body.

O- This beer is truly a treat, very easy to drink for the high ABV. With the chocolate and vanilla it comes across as something between an American Barelywine and an Imperial Stout.

Cheers NBW, hope to review one more before the weekend is over but if I don’t stay safe everyone!

 

NBS #2. Industrial Arts' 2020 Winter Landscape. Each year, IA releases four seasonal lagers. I was excited to learn that this year's winter release is a Baltic Porter. I haven't had time to drive up to the brewery and had to wait until it finally dropped locally. I poured it into a favorite glass - my nonic pint glass from Shapiro Brewing in Jerusalem (I wish I had a coat of arms of a lion drinking a beer). It pours a clear, deep cola color with a large, frothy, light khaki-colored head and lacing. The fragrant nose offers roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, leather, and tobacco smoke. Wow, what a nice example of the style! The taste opens with bitter, earthy char and tobacco ash. To the extent I can taste the chocolate it's bitter baker's chocolate. As it warms there are hints of burnt coffee grounds, peat, and charred nuts. As it warms in the glass there is a faint hint of cola. To me, this is how a Baltic Porter should taste. It's moderate in body and carbonation and the 7.2% ABV gives it good substance. Overall, this is outstanding! I'm grateful that Industrial Arts does these quarterly releases to remind how enjoyable a lager can be when brewed well.

Cheers, NBW!

 

Next up, and this was kindly sent to me by @Snrubnivek


Moonraker Brewing - Five Oh Five Wet Hop. 6% ABV.

I'm liking this. I just wish I would have pulled this sooner, since it's been a while since it was sent to me..

Delicious is a good word here.
That being said, it is also more complex, as my written review will state. At first, smelling this beer, I got a pine hop. As I kept smelling it, I lost that, and it turned tropical. Maybe it has to do with it airing out? Maybe the oxygen got rid of that very initial impression? I really don't know, because it turned tropical quick., in the aroma, and the taste was tropical.

no matter what, it was delicious.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45975/452902/

4.24/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a clear golden color. Less than a 1 finger white head, and the retention isn't the best. Minimal lacing on the glass.
The nose - while pouring it, I got a champagne aroma. Up close, and first I got a ton of pine. This aroma didn't stick with me. As I kept smelling it it really turned to citrus - pineapple, mango. Really strange how the aroma changed to me, as I kept smelling it.
Taste - tropical, for sure. Pineapple for sure. Some mango, grapefruit, and guava. I have no idea where my initial pine hop aroma came in, but not here in the flavor.
The body is somewhat dry. It is crisp. The hops do linger in my throat and mouth. Decent full body.
Very interesting IPA. No idea where I got my initial pine aroma, but it turned to citrus. I do like it.


I might be able to do more today, we'll see.

 

I really enjoyed your review. I did this same side-by-side on Christmas Day with my son-in-law, alongside a Lawson's Fayston Maple Imperial Stout. I preferred the CBS and my son-in-law the KBS-MMF. We both enjoyed the Lawson's too. I really like the flavor of maple, and in addition to being a more balanced beer, the CBS evidenced more of the maple flavor, which was overwhelmed by the fudginess of the KBS-MMF.

 

Pipeworks Brewing Company - NvU Vs. The Haze (NEIPA 8%)

Gifted this by my son-in-law and having it near Pittsburgh, PA after watching the Steelers lose to the Cleveland Browns. Pipeworks is available here and this one surprised me. I give it an overall rating of 4.24

A - Hazy orange with a 3-finger pillowy white head that sticks around and leaves very good lace
S - Vegetal, dank, orange and a touch of biscuit
T - Melon, orange flesh, baby aspirin, quince, a touch of pine, biscuit with honey and a spiciness that I can't place. Lightly bitter in the finish. Different but enjoyable.
M - Medium+ body and light-medium carbonation. Easy drinkin'
O - Kudos for coming up with a flavor profile unlike any other beer I've had. Good stuff.

Kicking back with some tunes instead of TV. This is blaring through the speakers now. I'm a sucker for good acapella groups.

 

Decided to turn my one-pot mac-and-cheese into a baked version because it just seemed lazy and lame how I initially did it. Gotta go all-in to get good results, right? Pics and thoughts below...

Second and final new beer for the night is a collaboration between Tripping Animals and Outer Range called Frisco Screams. It's an 8.6% ABV NE-style double IPA featuring Citra, Citra Cryo, Azacca, and Motueka hops. Sounds fun enough, for sure.





I just had another Tripping Animals collab the other day (with a brewery called Unseen Creatures, which I found amusing; what's next, Fantastic Beasts?) and found it to be pretty damn good; it was probably the most berry-forward IPA I've had to date, and I'm hoping that this one has something similarly-superlative about it. Perhaps this will be the beer to convince me that Cryo hops matter, or that Azacca is actually, y'know, good?

Pours as a fairly-typical but decent-enough-looking hazy IPA in my glass. Not totally opaque, but mostly translucent, with a golden-yellow body that leans orange if held to direct light. The head is tight and forms rather unexcitingly, though it is pretty retentive and leaves behind some thin, soapy swaths of lace. Surface is mostly consistently-covered, and the legs are solid enough, so I have nothing against it at all. Doesn't stand out, but not every NEIPA has to blow my mind aesthetically (and, at this point, it can be kind of hard for them to, honestly).

The nose here is pretty impressive, I have to say. Though this was canned almost a month ago, it still smells fresh as hell with prominent notes of pine, menthol, pomelo, fresh-cut grass, light herbal spiciness, and some hints of papaya and passion fruit. Nice stuff. It really does some cool stuff and goes to some interesting places, featuring some unusual notes that I find to be befitting of the final product.

On the tongue, Frisco Screams immediately hits the palate with pineapple, passion fruit, and papaya before the mid-palate takes on a slightly-maltier overtone with some oat-laden graininess vying for attention. The transition to the finish fades back once again with strong and complex flavors ranging from apricot to mango with hints of tangerine and pine. A lingering aspirin-like bitterness appears in the moments after each sip, hanging around for ten or fifteen seconds alongside a hint of the strong-ish ethanol component. This is a very fun and enjoyable DIPA. Outer Range has been pretty good to me for the most part, and now I'm starting to think Tripping Animals may enter into my top "new-to-distro" breweries, especially when it comes to IPAs, since that's two unique entries in only a few days' time. I also enjoyed their collab with Widowmaker, the brewery one of my good buddies works for, which was a fruited sour. Hope to see more from TA up here in MA soon...

--------

By the way, my mac-and-cheese came out awesome! One of my resolutions this year (among a few others) is to try some new recipes I haven't ever attempted, and this seemed like a no-brainer! I'm planning to take a lot of notes if I dislike anything about the dishes I make, with the upshot being to attempt them again in a couple weeks with improvements made to see how much I'm learning. I'm not really a cook, but I enjoy spending time in the kitchen and adding my own elements to recipes I see.

I think I'm going to add a bit more buffalo seasoning/hot sauce to future batches if I want to do the spicier version that I attempted here again. Was kind of a last-minute decision, but it didn't come out hot at all. Also, definitely need to shred my own cheddar for it because it took way too much pre-shredded cheddar to be even remotely-cheesy, which was something I learned about halfway through making this batch. This is topped with a crumb mixture that's based on garlic butter Ritz crackers, grated parmesan, and a bit of melted butter. Definitely making it again soon.





Alright, that's enough out of me. Hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend... back to the grind tomorrow. Cheers!

 

Howdy NBW

Bright w/ Simcoe and Amarillo from Tree House

The girl on the can always reminds me of Janis Joplin for some reason

Pours hazy straw colored with a thin fluffy white head
Aroma of wet grass and sweet citrus
Taste is citrus, pine, grapefruit, tangerine and hoppy. Fairly dry tasting.
Mouthfeel is slightly sticky and soft with a orange rind type of bitter finish
Overall it’s nicely it’s pretty assertive but has a nice balance of flavor and sweet/ bitter
4.25/4.50/4.25/4.50/4.25. 4.34. rDev 1.6%

 

Today I hit a 10% pale wheat ale, courtesy of @FrankenMiller. Or is it a NE IPA? Or is it a Wheatwine?

Well, it drinks like a hazy Mosaic hopped IPA, albeit with a significant undercurrent of earthy wheatiness. Quite tasty!

Not sure if I hit another new beer today. If not, have a great week, all!

 

New beer to me. Very good, though I think I like Żywiec better. Either way, I'll definitely get it again.

 

I have a couple more beers to wrap up this long New Year’s weekend. This first one, I’m shocked I’ve not had this, given the number of times I visited the brewery and the access I had to their beers whilst we lived in Minnesota.

But the beer profile here is “Write a Review”ville for me, so I’m beyond flummoxed. But I digress - here is Mosaic Dry Hop Pseudo Sue.





4.33/5 rDev -2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This beer pours a very hazy pineapple color with an oatmeal colored head that laces the glass quite nicely. The nose is crammed with dank citrus notes (oranges, grapefruit), and there’s a significant mango note, and some berries as well. It’s easy to see the Mosaic influence, IMHO, which is a good thing.

The taste is driven forward by the citrus flavors, but oh man, the mango and berry flavors are what make this beer. And there’s a nice bit of bitterness.

The mouthfeel, though, is a bit softer than I’d prefer - it approaches watery, where I’d prefer something drier. Still a lot to like here, TG’s hop game is hazy, juicy tastiness.

 

Very nice, a big sipper for sure, glad to have finally found some.

Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star: Spice Wars Fremont Brewing Company

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/20680/143754/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

For sure the final of the night, and weekend. Oh, boy!


Boom Island Brewing - Barrel Aged Kollusion - 11% ABV. Canned on 11/16/2020.

Oh, hell, this is amazing. A delicious RIS. There's a bit of smoke here as well. Damn good, and I'll have to get the regular sometime so I can compare. This is rocking it.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27942/402613/


4.5/5 rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beer was canned/crawlered on 11-16-2020. Consumed on 1-3-2021

I have never had regular Kollusion. 750Ml/25.4oz crawler.

Pours a thick pitch black color. There was about a 2 finger tan head when I initially poured it. Thick pouring. Retention was good. There was no lacing on the glass.
The nose - I get lots of barrel here. I get dark fruit, raisin, and plum. I also get some chocolate and caramel here.
Taste - Wow, wow. I get a lot of dark and rich flavors here. Lots of dark fruit here. I get some chocolate and caramel here. I also get a smoke flavor here, which surprised me. I wasn't expecting this. Maybe, they smoked the malts? I do also get a hint of hops here, which also wasn't expected. It wasn't strong, but there.
This beer doesn't have a lot of an alcohol burn. It is full bodied. It is thick. Creamy feeling. Boozy.
Solid RIS, and I do recommend. I will have to spend some more of my paycheck to get the the regular and more of the BA.


For sure it for this NBW. See you all throughout the week, and the next New Beer Weekend!!!

 

#2, I purchased this around Halloween and forgot I had it (I stuck it in a drawer in the beer fridge because I was ..... space challenged).

My stupidity at times amazes me.





4.15/5 rDev +7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours black, some leakage to mahogany brown on the edges, with a dense, creamy tan head. Absolutely gorgeous milk stout. The nose is led by creamy peanut butter, and quickly followed by milk chocolate and a lactose note.

The peanut butter is not as prominent on the taste as I’d like, but the milk chocolate and lactose are solidly on point, and there’s a nice hop bitterness I didn’t expect.

The mouthfeel is surprisingly full and creamy for a 6.2% ABV beer. I need to look for another 6er of this, because the one I purchased is gonna be gone quickly.