New Beer Weekend #27

Happy New Beer Weekend everyone! I received my EBF: Cyberspace package early today, and sparing no time I am opening the Other Half - Small lACEd In Space IPA, with desire to drink it as fresh as possible. No canning date that I'm aware of, my guess would be less than 2 months old though, hopefully.

BA Notes: "Those great tastes that taste great together, now in a smaller form. Citra and Galaxy smashed together for the ultimate combo."


Pours a vibrant beautiful looking cloudy opaque yellow-orange gold color with a generous dense thick fluffy white foam head.

Smells interesting, moderate intensity, not quite as strong of an aroma as I was expecting tbh, some melony notes almost like watermelon, papaya, pink grapefruit, subtle dark berry, lemon, orange citrus, tropical pineapple, mango, starfruit, some dank resinous earthy floral notes, mild caramelized biscuity malts, I almost want to say a couple odd things like maybe light juicy fruit gum, peanut shell, not sure why I'm picking that up though, and it's fairly insignificant.

Tastes pretty soft, fruity, floral, some biscuity toasty wheaty malts, moderate hop intensity, not quite poppin' for me, some juicy tropical fruit notes, citrus peels, melon, notes like papaya, pink grapefruit, lemon pith, orange rind, subtle dark berry, mango skin, tropical pineapple, lychee, starfruit, floral earthy resinous dankness, hint of juicy fruit gum, stops short of bitter and even pine for me, nice flavor profile, soft, fruity, not too intense or in your face, easy drinking.

Feels medium bodied, soft, fluffy, smooth, creamy with moderate low carbonation.

Overall this is a pretty nice IPA. It's far from one of my favorites that I've had from Other Half, and not one of my favorite Citra & Galaxy IPAs either, nevertheless it's a real nice easy drinking juicy NE-style IPA. Very soft, fluffy, easy drinking, some nice fresh citrusy fruit notes like eating grapefruit slices, for my personal taste the hops could be cranked up a bit, I'm probably just a little biased and spoiled at this point though. Cheers all!

 

Time for a new one. Smoked shortribs in the oven and everything cleaned up.
Was excited to see this new offering from Definitive one of @SawDog505 favorite breweries. And quickly becoming one of mine when I have access.
Behind the Light
DDH IPA
Pours a hazy bright orange with a creamy white head with excellent retention. Tons of sticky lacing coat the sides. She's looking good.
Aroma is just as it looks heavy on fresh squeezed oj, peach, pear, grapefruit, melon, and some damp earthy pine.
Tastes follows with juice, stonefruits, a nice touch of malt, grapefruit juice and pith, gracenotes of resinous pine.
Feel is medium with oily hop resins coating the tongue finishing rather dry and bitter with lingering pine/pith bittereness. Carb is sufficient throughout and alcohol is minimal.
Amother fine IPA from Definitive. Will continue to purchase. Actually have another different one in the fridge.
Cheers!
Note: I really miss not being able to post music here.

 

Happy Saturday All - First Time Contributor to NBW! Here goes nothing. I decided to open a recent purchase - Boysenberry & Blueberry Cobbler a la Mode from Southern Grist out of Nashville, TN.

Look - Dark Ruby Red bordering on Purple. Poured aggressively there wash a pink head that quickly dissipated. W/O a carb ring this could almost pass for a Merlot or dark Cab. 4.25

Nose - WOW! If blindfolded I could swear a warm Berry Pie with Ice Cream was in front of me. All those smells are present - Mixed Berries, Cinnamon, Buttery Pastry Crust, Vanilla Bean and Cream (melted ice cream). 4.75

Taste - Taste follows nose very well. As this is a dessert sour the tart fruit compote really takes center stage. A wave of cinnamon spice follows before closing with dairy cream. Slowly sipping to see how this develops as it warms. 4.5

Overall - These guys have been killing it with their Fruited Sours including all the HILL variations and this COBBLER series. Keeping my eyes peeled for more of these from them. 4.5

 

Going strictly local this weekend. Little House Brewing is about 1/2 mile away and its my duty to support them in these times. I wouldn't do it if their beer was mediocre or worse.

Today I have Substantial Snack a stout made with pretzels (probably left over from their on-site service given our Governor's insistence that every sit-down brewery customer order food during this pandemic).

Poured from a 1-week old Crowler to a diagonal cut tumbler.
The body is dark the head is deep tan. The aroma is strictly butterscotch. The taste is mostly caramel but chocolate comes through also. This is a super powerfully flavored beer.
Body is as sticky and rich as the flavor.
Four words sum up this beer----- A caramel chocolate candy. Substantial Snack is well named, good, but drink this one in moderation. After this I can't decide if I need a nap or if I want to do laps around the house.

Here is the breweries blurb on it-
Substantial Snack|Stout - Imperial / Double Pastry
9.5% ABV|0.0 IBU

On your marks, get set, Bake! Move over Marry Berry, the epic conclusion to pastry week is now underway in "the tent" at Little House. Meet our show-stopper, "Substantial Snack". We've once again teamed up with Eight Mile Meadow Bakery in Deep River - but this time, we've stolen some of the pretzels that we'd normally serve you in our beer garden, and used them to brew up an extra special desert! (Turns towards Paul Hollywood) What we have for you today is a bakery stout of sizable proportions. We started by adding several dozen freshly-baked pretzels to an otherwise insanely large mash of crystal and roast malts. We then knocked out with a hefty dose of sea salt and cocoa powder before letting the yeast get to work. Finally, this salty chocolate beast conditioned on even more cocoa powder, caramel, and gallons of liquid cacao. The result is a super-decadent chocolate covered caramel pretzel dessert in a glass, and we think it deserves a handshake! And hey, even if we don't get one, you can still rest easy knowing this snack is substantial enough to serve alongside any meal, or even just a side-beer. Recommended Listening: "The Government Totally Sucks" by Tenacious D

 

Cool thanks I forgot about that!

 

Adroit Theory - Elegy [Pain Edition] (Ghost 918)
What an awkward naming scheme these people use. At least they make pretty decent beer. This isn't one of their best, IMHO.

16oz can served in a big snifter. Dated 11/11/2020. Gift from @mr-jj, probably bought from Tavour.

Pours a somewhat hazy golden yellow with a fairly small head, carbonation is there but not very dramatic. Smell is juicy, but very muted. A little lemon.

Taste is also muted, juicy, with a little lemon. Some pithy finish.

Mouthfeel is medium, kind of still. It's not bad.

 

The Abyss Brandy Barrels


Pours pitch black with a big, fluffy, beige head.


Smells of spicy licorice, earth and old oak among dried, booze enriched fruits.


Drinks thick and smooth, producing a decadent, fuller body, together with a silk carbonation which turns slightly effervescent during its finish.


Tastes of bakers chocolate, glazed toffee and char accompanied, prominent licorice among alcohol soaked grape skins. Turns a little warmer then, with milk chocolate and sugared cherry, balanced by matured, burned wood. Finishes with more burned malts, bitter chocolate, a flowery hint of vanilla and dry, slightly bitter oak.


Tasty, boozy, smooth and warm with a strong roasti- and bitterness, making this intense and silk at the same time.

 

Yes, creepy but simultaneously cool lyrics -
I want a doctor to take your picture
So I can look at you from inside as well

 

Hello again NBW
Drinking a semi-local this time. Mine's on the right. My wife wanted her "special" glass and beer to be Internet famous...

Taxman Brewing Company
Peach Brandy Barrel Aged Tax Holiday

12oz canned on 11/25/20 ( about 2 months ago) poured into a tulip glass at fridge temp 10.5% ABV 20 IBU. The beer pours mostly bright medium brown with khaki colored head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of tiny bubbles. The aroma is honey & peach sweet over Abbey malt and light Belgian yeast. The taste follows with sweet & boozey peach brandy right up front. Behind that is the honey, malt and clovey yeast influence. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a somewhat dry finish. Overall, ok. Too much boozey peach brandy overpowering a very good BSDA.

I love Taxman, but this one does not show what they can do. The port barrel version from a few years ago was killer. The bourbon barrel is no slouch either.

Cheers all!

 

Right now I'm drinking a recently released Trillium - Fated Farmer barrel fermented wild ale with black currant.

Notes: "Our Fated Farmer Series is a landmark step toward realizing our foundational vision for Trillium: Build a place that intuitively celebrates the intersection of New England farming, agriculture, brewing, and integrated community experience. The grist of each of the dynamic Fated Farmer wild ales is set on the structure of Valley Malt and is barrel fermented in 500L puncheons with our Native New England Wild Culture and aged for 5-7 months, before refermenting on freshly harvested fruit.

Fated Farmer: Black Currant pours a deep plum color and wastes no time in presenting it's complex, vinous bouquet of aromas. Notes of bold, structured red wine, blackberry preserves, and red grape are the highlights, with underlying earthiness in the background. Dry and slightly tannic, Fated Farmer: Black Currant finishes with vibrant, mouthwatering acidity.

MALT: Valley Wheat, Valley Pilsner
HOPS: Aged Hops
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS: Black Currants"

330ml bottle dated 02- May 19

Pours a slightly hazy mostly translucent dark ruby red color with a creamy lasting light pink foam head.

Smells like pungent intense fresh sour black currants, leathery dark berry fruit, tart, acidic, vinous, concentrated black fruits, some acetic oak barrel, herbal earthy leafy hops, dusty barnyard, hay, rustic toasted grainy malts, complex, acidic, tart and mildly funky.

Tastes very tart, acidic, puckery, sour, pungent intense fresh black currants, leathery dark berries, concentrated vinous black fruits, natural wine notes, acetic oak, slight vinegar, red wine tannins, dusty barn, hay, straw, toasty bready grainy malt, with earthy herbal leafy hop notes.

Feels medium bodied, fairly creamy, juicy, slick, smooth, with bracing high carbonation.

Overall this is a real nice barrel-fermented wild ale with black currants. The currants are very strong in here and seem to overpower more so than the red currant version for sure. Almost like a tart red natural wine, pretty sour and puckery, acidic black fruits, tart leathery dark berries, very mild funk. I think the fruit could've been scaled back a little here for more subtlety and enhanced rustic barnyard notes, still good for what it is though and a nice representation of black currants, even if a little intense. With the natural acidity of the fruits mixing with the wild barrel fermentation, this is quite a tart and puckery beer, really nice. Cheers everyone!

 

Good evening NBW, hope everyone is doing well. I think this weekend will be about enjoying some beer that I feel should be age well but I have been forgetting to try them! First up is Wicked Weed Bramble Barrel.
4.26/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

500 ml bottle poured into a tulip

A- A clear bright red with orange highlights and two finger off white head.

S- Sour, lemons, leather, blackberries, some funk, gin, some oak.

T- Sour, lemons, some tart blackberries, touch of leather, funky, nice mild juniper/gin flavor.

M- Smooth, crisp, light body.

O- A lovely sour and the gin barrel is a nice touch, great for sipping on.

Cheers!

 

Where are those ribs at @tasterschoice62

 

Finishing up in about a 1/2 hour.

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

Long work week finally done, and I'll be getting some overtime even. Home now, and enjoying a new beer, and it's one that has been calling my name for a while now at work.


Houblon Chouffe - Belgian IPA - 9% ABV.

The combination of a Belgian beer style, with it's wild funky flavors, with an IPA, with it's hops, is one tasty combination. I like this, and I'll be buying more of these in the future.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/321/27804/

4.28/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a murky straw color. Very heavily carbonated - 3 finger fluffy, frothy white head. The head retention is decent. There's some nice lacing on the glass.
The nose is a really interesting aroma. I get the smell of the Belgian yeast, but then I also get a beautiful hop aroma mixed in.
Taste - For sure a Belgian beer. The yeast creates more of a nice wild flavor up front. On the back the hops do kick in. They're not crazy strong, and I think the yeast mellows them out, but they are there.
This doesn't drink like a 9% beer. Very smooth, and mellow feeling. Very good, and full body.
This is one hell of an IPA. I'd get more of these, for sure.


I might have one more new one tonight. Tomorrow I'll be headed to southern Minnesota for a brewery visit.