New Beer Weekend #30

Thanks for kicking this weekend off again @ChicagoJ .Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass canned on 1/26/2021. Pours a murky orange with a solid finger plus sticky white head that thick streaks of lace with excellent retention. 4

Aroma is pine, mandarin, apricot, and grapefruit rind. 3.75

Taste follows pine, mandarin, apricot, and grapefruit not a ton going on, but still tasty. 3.75

Mouthfeel is a solid medium, more carbonation than most NEIPAs, a tad sticky not really dry, and at 6.5% really bold flavor but easy enough going down. 4

Overall this one taste a lot like Sluice Juice a staple from them, but it is a nice brew just the same. 3.75 Cheers all.

 

Czech it out – serendipity!

Earlier this week I bottled my annual homebrew of a Tmavý Ležák (Czech Dark Lager) and I couldn’t stop thinking: I can’t wait for this beer to carbonate so I can drink it. Bottle Conditioning takes a couple of weeks to complete.

A few years ago a small, local brewery was considering brewing a Czech Dark Lager. I gave them my recipe and my tasting description of this beer (see below) but they never did brew this style of beer. I don’t know why.

A description of my Tmavý Ležák:

“Appearance: A dark chestnut brown color with a red hue. A tan head with excellent head retention as the beer is consumed.

Aroma: A subtle aroma of roasty (coffee-like) and a hint of cocoa.

Taste: The flavor follows the nose with a pleasing combination of subtle chocolate and coffee-like. A low/moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel: There is a soft/creamy mouthfeel with an off-dry finish.

Overall: Very Good. (My wife says excellent).”

Now, yesterday I was browsing the beers at my local Retail Beer Distributor and to my utter surprise I saw on the shelf: Ten7Brewing Stimulus Czech – Czech Dark Lager.

This was brewed by a local brewery (Ten7Brewing) which I am embarrassed to say I have never heard of before (so many new local breweries have opened over the past few years) but I was pleased to see that somebody was willing to brew a Czech Dark Lager. Finding a commercially brewed Czech Dark Lager is like finding a full sized spare tire in a new car (well, maybe not quite that rare).

It took a bit of web searching but I found a site that provides some details on this beer:

“Czech Dark Lager - 5.5% Our take on a classic dark lager brewed with floor malted bohemian pilsner and specialty malts. Well balanced and full bodied with notes of toasty goodness.”

https://www.toasttab.com/ten-7-brewing/v3

Well, there is some information there but what I would really like to know is what “specialty malts” means for this beer? When I brew my Tmavý Ležák below is my grain bill:

Grain Bill:

· Weyermann Pilsner: 30%

· Weyermann Vienna: 30%

· Weyermann Munich Light (I): 20%

· Weyermann Munich Dark (II): 10%

· Weyermann Caramunich I: 5%

· Weyermann Dehusked Carafa II: 5%

So, Pilsner is only about a third of the overall grain bill with Vienna/Munich malts (which are base malt) being 60% of the overall grain bill. It would have been interesting to me to see more malt details from Ten7Brewing.

But, let’s not overthink things since how the beer tastes is the important aspect.

How does Ten7Brewing’s version of a Czech Dark Lager taste? Let’s find out.

Served in my Young’s dimpled mug:

Appearance:

Dark brown colored with a tan head.

Aroma:

There is a noticeable aspect of roasty (coffee-like) with some chocolate there as well.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose. There is a noticeable amount of roasty and some chocolate and a bit of toasty. There is a moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Medium bodied with an off-dry finish.

Overall:

This beer is quite nice. I would personally have preferred for less intensity as regards the roasty aroma/flavor but all in all a good effort from Ten7Brewing in brewing a Czech Dark Lager.

@rotsaruch @KOP_Beer_OUtlet @RobH

P.S. If anybody would like to read more about Czech beers shoot me a PM. My article about my two week beercation to the Czech Republic in 2019 was published last week and I can provide you with a link.

 

My new after midnight beer was Troegs Joyous IPA. I was bummed to see Fresh Cut replaced as the spring seasonal, as I really dug that beer. This beer is...odd, but not bad. It pours a very ugly dark/muddy orange juice-ish color (reminds me of the Stone Never ending Haze beer which I hated unfortunately) and the smell is strange too, lots of fruit going on but something odd to my nose, may be the yeast. The taste is also odd but not bad and has a lot going on: fruity, a touch bitter, something different (the yeast I suspect). I picked up two singles and I will drink the second one again soon to see what I think but I don't hate it. Would I drink it regularly? Probably not. So my final verdict is that it is definitely worth trying but I can't see this being a big hit, and I am a hazy fan.

ABV 6.5%
Grain: Caramel, Flaked Oats, Honey Malt, Munich, Pale, Pilsner
Hops: Azacca, Citra, El Dorado, Sabro
Yeast: Hothead Kveik

https://troegs.com/beer/joyous-ipa/

 

Nice review, but if I want to try it I have no idea what it is! For those of us with still a lot to learn, please post the name of the beer and the brewery. Please? Thanks!

 

Poured into 16 oz Snulip glass canned on 2/1/2021. Pours a hazy orange with a finger sticky white head that leaves thin streaks of lace, with excellent retention. 4.5

Aroma is tangerine, vanilla, pineapple, papaya, hints of cantaloupe, apricot, and some white grapefruit rind. 4.5

Taste follows tangerine, papaya, cantaloupe, vanilla, peach, apricot, and a little grapefruit bitterness in the finish really well balanced.4.5

Mouthfeel is above medium, soft creamy carbonation, not sticky or dry, and at 7.6% it drinks really easy, but maybe a tad bigger in body and flavor. 4.75

Overall this is another really impressive beer from this brewery. I really dig it. 4.5

 

Bent Water Blast off, sorry I meant to post that. Cheers

 

It's a beautiful day here, with temperatures heading for the low 60s. Hard to believe we're supposed to get a bout of frozen precipitation and up to 3 inches of snow tomorrow.
My only chore of the day, just completed, was to install some owl decoys, in an attempt to deter the pigeons from nesting on our roof. That being done, with no more ladders to climb, it is time for a beer.
I picked up a couple new Prairie beers the other day. The first one is Cocoa Berry, an imperial pastry sour with "orange, lemon, lime, raspberry, blueberry, grapefruit, cacao nibs, and toasted marshmallow flavor." The ABV is 7.9%.
The beer is a clear ruby color with a pink head that recedes quickly.
Nice aroma. Berries, cocoa, and marshmallow.
Taste a little lacking. Berries, mostly, marshmallow and cocoa. Really couldn't get the citrus.
Tart, not sour. Crisp and refreshing.

 

Not all that long ago, there were just a few breweries to keep track of in Charlotte, and you couldn't buy bottles or cans at the brewery. Those were the days of going to Brawley's Bottle Shop and venturing into the walk-in to find the freshest cans of Hop, Drop, 'N Roll. Then all hell broke loose, Hop Drop started distribution across the Carolinas, and this is where we find ourselves today, Hop Drop being the West Coast stalwart in the shade of Resident Culture, High Branch, Heist. Maybe others, I haven't been there in a year and lost track. I am happy to buy OG Hop Drop when it is fresh. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
Now NODA got busy and put out some Imperial Hop Drop.

The pre-2020 BA reviews of this are from 2013 and describe it as a copper or amber color. The 2021 version is a sunny orange with a stubborn white head and lacing. There is a strong citrus aroma which seems similar to regular Hop, Drop IMHO. The dry hopping pays off with more intense pine and citrus flavors. I think the hops and malt are well balanced without too much sweetness. Not much indication of the 9% ABV until you get 16oz. deep. Seemed like a 4.25 to me. I need to buy a few more, it may be another eight years until it returns.

 

Hello again, NBWers, and thanks to @ChicagoJ for kicking off this edition.
It's always exciting to post a new beer.
It's even MORE exciting to post a new Half Acre beer.... AND one that hasn't even been reviewed yet here on BA? WTF?
in any case... cheers...

Half Acre Hallow DIPA. 8% - canned 1.25.21, enjoyed last night 2.12.21.
More you say? Can do, see below.

4.24/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

L - another haze-bang unfiltered DIPA at first glance; decent head, didn't produce a ton of lacing.
S - the aroma on this is not all that prominent but I get peach/mango/citrus notes and pith. As it warms, the hops become more noticeable on the nose, but it never gets what some would call "dank."
T - I think this might be the best attribute of Hallow - tastes like a larger Bodem, but with less sweetness/malt than Bodem, leans more toward bitter tropics. Never tastes boozy either; good, full palate, impact here. More of the stone fruits, some tropical hop impressions, really interesting taste profile without anything standing out in a particular way.
F - Great carbonation, mouth feel, doesn't get "lactose" creamy (thanks HA!), but stays ripely and acid-balanced.
O - a great new overall and year-round DIPA from Half Acre. More a DIPA than an imperial.

 

Hits different NEDIPA with a combination of 2 beers they brew. Nunchuck Ping Pong and Eldorado Falcon. Poured into a 16 oz Snulip glass canned on 2/8/2021. Pours a hazy orange with a finger sticky white head that leaves a bunch of thin streaks of lace that leaves a thin layer bubbles as it slowly settles. 4.5

Aroma is marijuana, tangerine, papaya, pineapple, honeydew, and apricot really nice pleasant. 4.25

Taste follows marijuana, tangerine, papaya, pineapple, honeydew, and apricot low on bitterness but big on flavor. 4.25

Mouthfeel is medium, gentle soft carbonation, not dry or sticky, and at 8% ABV it goes down very easy. 4.5

Overall I am really enjoying this one, dank and juicy at the same time. Well done. 4.25

 

I was shocked how good this beer is, imo it’s better than the HDR. They don’t even taste like they come from the same family. Trade worthy too.

 

An SN new to me-

3.79/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured straight from the fridge from a 12oz can dated 12/02/20 to a Nonic.
Gold body with a slight haze. You can see your fingers on the other side of the glass. Medium white head laces well but fades to a single layer rather quickly. Tiny bubbles rise through the body like a Pilsner.
Aroma is mild, (maybe because this can is 70+ days old?). A little pine, a little floral.
Taste is definitely west coast imperial IPA. Nice hop front, alcohol finish.
Mouthfeel is medium, maybe a little too much carbonation.
Overall meh. Maybe I will try a fresh one someday if I see one.

 

Just as a point of reference here it is 31 degrees raining and freezing everywhere. The trees are suffering and coming down. It's just bone wet cold and the dogs do not want to go out. But I did get vaccinated today and am glad for that. God help the helpless trees!

 

This was the beer I was anxious to start with today. But it was at room temp and I thought I should chill it just a little first.
3.9/5 rDev -5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz can dated 11/09/20 to a Nonic.
Dark brown body with red highlights on the edges of the glass. Creamy head really invokes the "espresso" in the name.
Aroma is a mild, musty malt smell. Really faint sense of the coffee to come.
Taste is a big hit of coffee with a sweet back-bone. There is a sense that the caffeine content is high.
Medium body with proper carbonation to remind you that you're not drinking a chilled coffee, its a brown ale.
Overall a well executed beer given that the goal was to replicate a certain style of espresso. Unfortunately for me, its a little sweeter than I like but I'm not holding that against CCB.


This picture makes me imagine a barista creating some art in this foam.