New Beer Weekend #33

Good Saturday evening, New Beer Weekenders. It's been a very busy day with the morning spent at work and the afternoon errands and a stop at Bull n Bear Brewery with Mrs. Mac. Then we had dinner at a Korean restaurant. I'm finally relaxing with a movie and a new beer: Untied Brewing's Decadent Darkness with Raspberry, an Imperial Stout. This brewery has really improved in the past year. When I first tried the base Decadent Darkness I wasn't impressed. But they've worked hard on the recipe and it's now very good - as are the variants. The name is now very appropriate.

It pours a dark mahogany with cola hues. The creamy, medium-mocha colored head dissipated quickly leaving a thin sheen of lacing. The nose is equal measures raspberry and fudge. And it tastes as it smells - like a luscious brownie with raspberry puree poured over it. It's fairly basic but super flavorful. The mouth feel is rich and creamy with low/moderate carbonation. And the 12.2% ABV is surprisingly well-masked. Overall, this variant of Decadent Darkness is wonderful. It would pair great with a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

4.34/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

See you all tomorrow. Cheers!

 

Firestone Walker 23rd Anny Ale , 11.5% ABV Old Ale. 4.03 Overall

Pours an effervescent chestnut/cola color with some tan head. Minimal head retention & lacing

S: Some Bourbon notes & figs, plus molasses

T: Light caramel, vanilla, leafy hops & barrel dryness, plus figs up front& brown sugar. Leafy hops rise as this warms, takes on some black tea notes beside brown sugar & barrel dryness, plus rum & cola taste & feel

MF Medium body, fairly lively carbonation, dryness as well

Solid, drinkable, but had way higher hopes for this. Seems very Rum & Coke with brown sugar

edit: plus a little leafy hoppyness

 

Good evening, NBWers. Tonight I am tasting another beer from what is becoming one of my favorite locals.

Waldmann Brewery & Wurstery Schokoladeweizen (Chocolate Wheat Beer) - Dunkelweizen
ABV: 4.7%
IBU: NA

The brewer's notes:
An unfiltered, dark brown, rich & smooth chocolate wheat beer. Floor malted pale and dark malts – wheat & barley – meet caramel wheat malt and chocolate wheat malt.

From that, I conclude that this beer contains no actual chocolate (despite the name), but rather Chocolate Wheat Malt. Not being a brewer, I looked up "chocolate wheat malt" and found this.



Black with barely visible fine bubbles near the edges, ruby red just above the glass base with a back-light. Otherwise, completely impenetrable. A tall khaki head, thick and creamy with dispersed large bubbles which result in a pitted surface as it recedes with no lacing. The weizen glass shows off this beer nicely.

Aroma hints of sweetness. Banana, slightly spicy, caramel. Faint chocolate and coffee.

Taste brings sweet banana, caramel, and a balancing bitterness of dark chocolate with subdued coffee. The tanginess of the wheat is present, but not as much to the fore as might be expected. The flavor is rich and varied. The finish is a mix of the sweet banana/caramel and the bitter chocolate/coffee, with the overall balance slipping a bit toward the sweet. The aftertaste leaves the pleasant flavors coating the tongue. The chocolate becomes a bit more evident, and the banana less so, as the beer warms.

The feel is smooth and not quite thick enough to be called viscous.

Overall, I enjoyed this one a lot (but, with the name, I was expecting the chocolate to be more prominent).

L: 4.5 | S: 4.0 | T: 4.0 | F: 4.25 | O: 4.25 | Rating: 4.11

 

Aren't they in St. Paul? If so, the next time I go to STP I should make a stop there.

 

Yes, St. Paul (so I'm stretching the meaning of "local" a bit, since I'm quite a bit south of St. Paul). They restored a 19th century saloon for their location. Parking is limited, but the beer is great (and so is the food - but I haven't been there since the pandemic).

The owner spent a bundle on historical restoration of the building before he ever opened the brewery itself (claimed to be the oldest surviving commercial building in St. Paul).

 

Cheers to another NBW, all. This week was certainly a week, but it's Saturday - caught up on stuff around the house, have a pot of vegetable broth simmering away, and once that's off the stove and packaged up, I can really dive into some degeneracy and see where the night goes.

Starting things off light this evening with a can of Homespun from Suarez Family Brewing, courtesy of @Roy_Hobbs (thank you again!). This is a hoppy spelt ale with a blend of modern PNW and old-school German hops - at 4.5% ABV, it sounds like just the job for a beer to enjoy while I finish up in the kitchen.

The current musical accompaniment is Witherfall's "Curse of Autumn," which I've already spun seven times since it was posted to Spotify at 9pm Pacific Time on Thursday night. It was one of my most anticipated releases of early 2021, and it lives up to the hype - Joseph Michael's vocals are fantastic, Jake Dreyer tastefully shreds his way through the album, and their new rhythm section of Marco Minnemann and Anthony Crawford...jesus, locked in doesn't even begin to describe those two. All the talent in the world is worthless if it's only used for mindless wankery, but that's certainly not the case here, as the material flows considerably better than "A Prelude to Sorrow," and the album's fifteen-minute centerpiece is catchier and more memorable than a song that long has any business being.

Pours a hazy dark straw color with a half-inch of foamy white head that recedes to a thin layer and remains there.

The nose features precisely the sort of blend you'd predict from the description. Upon first sniffing it, vibrant fruit jumps out of the glass with sweet mandarin oranges, pink grapefruit, and mango, but the hop profile quickly builds outward with floral elements, fresh grass clippings, and subtle resinous pine sap. Melon and faint stonefruit waft around in the background, while doughy country white bread provides a lightly sweet base on which the hops rest.

Citrus hits first on the palate with lemon zest, pink grapefruit flesh, and hints of orange juice, coupled with some faint papaya notes. Lemongrass and black pepper join the fray as it shifts towards the mid-palate before earthy and rustic grains build a more robust malt profile than the nose indicated, evoking freshly baked brown bread with a lightly toasty hue. Pine resin provides a firm but restrained bitterness on the backend, leading to a long, balanced finish.

Light- to medium-bodied with effervescent carbonation, it drinks easily, gliding across the tongue but leaving plenty to ponder in its wake.

Overall, this does a lovely job of providing ample flavor and bits of nuance in a crushable format.

Score: 4.1

 

I'm also REALLY stretching being local, being a bit over an hour away from STP. I do have a dear friend, whom I've been close to since 1987, who lives in STP with her family. I visit them a lot. I really should pick up beer from them next time I'm there.

 

If you like German-style lagers, you definitely should. IMO, they are among the best (if not THE best) in MN for German-style beers.

 

Evening NBWers! I picked up a last minute shift at the theater today. We were supposed to host a childrens dance theatre musical last winter but, 2020. so, they went out and filmed it at various locations around town and the county. It was cute and all (how could a herd of 4-5 year kids dressed up as tiny reindeer, sorta following the choreography, and sorta not, not be dorbs?)but, 3 times in one day was enough!

So, one quick check-in for the nite, before I go hit some IPAs, Palatine Pils from Suarez, courtesy @Roy_Hobbs : https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/41980/239395/

 

I totally understand the realities of packaging that cause breweries to avoid these formats, but I would be stoked to see more options in the sub-12oz realm. The old Rogue 7oz bottles were damn near ideal - the format at least, if not always the contents - but the JW Lees 275ml bottles are great, and anything in that 7 - 9oz realm would be fantastic.

 

There is too much to unpack with those questions to bury within my first New Beer Sunday #836 review.

I actually enjoy both WCIPAs and Midwest or "Standard/American" (at least from my perspective being here) IPAs. If I could only have one, it's a solid WC, but I like variety and like having both styles in my refrigerator.

My reaction and comments regarding a beer not being WCIPA when it is sold by the brewer as WC is more disappointment in the fact the beer isn't "West Coast" Warlock. Their lower ABV "West Coast Wizard" was more consistent with the style, and more enjoyable/ higher rated.

I realize a Double or Triple IPA will have a heavier malt presence, but it's how the malts are incorporated with the beer as the whole that makes or breaks it for me. My second beer today had a strong sweet malt presence (Heretic Evil 3), but the overall beer worked much better because the hops balance was on point, the taste profile more consistent with the WC style (heavier hops than malt), in terms of balance, flavor, bitterness, complexity, and I bought it at a lower price point per ounce.

Getting back to Two Hearted, I really like Two Hearted, one of my highest rated IPAs. It has a typical sweet malt profile, balanced against a solid hop presence. Yet for some reason I rarely bring it home, but I'm giddy with anticipation to buy Oberon each Spring, a beer rated by me 3/4 of a point lower, and a beer style I don't typically seek out.

Why? I'm a stupid / biased human, susceptible to the fact that I'm excited about Spring, the beer is seasonal, it brings back good memories. I rate beers to serve as a personal guidepost for future decisions, and to hopefully help others out, but I set them aside when it comes to Oberon. However your questions have led me to switch out my typical release day Oberon 12 pack with a six pack of Oberon and Two Hearted. Hope this late night / early morning rambling made sense. I appreciate your question, and made me think about a few things I typically take for granted.

 

Happy New Beer Sunday #836 one and all!

Grabbed this next offering purchased in Wisconsin, a "local" beer brewed out of the Douglas Park brewery that will sadly remain closed to the public until 2022 based on the latest announcement.

Lagunitas StereoHopic IPA Volume 1




Bottle Notes: 12 ounces bottled 12/16/20 (Day 351 Leap Year), brewed in Chicago (2 Bottle Code). 7.2% ABV, 65 IBUs. Nelson Sauvin and Mosiac Hops. The StereoHopic Series channels our 25 + year hop love affair into a spotlight on two special varietals at a time - and the interstingnesss (sic) that happens between. The first volume shows what happens when New Zealand's citrus/mango-y specialty Nelson Sauvin, & one of Yakima's heavy hitters, Mosiac, get together. Net Contents: Malt, Hops, Yeast and Water.

Appearance: Crystal clear light straw base, light carbonation, creamy full white head leaves clumpy lacing and a generous layer on the top of the pour. 3.75

Aroma: Nice citrus aroma, backed by pine and white grapes, pear and peach, malt backs, smells neutral, aroma light in strength but detectable with focus. 3.75

Taste: Sweeter profile than aroma would lead, the Nelson Sauvin leads with a strong grape presence. Mosaic next up with a nice blend leading with citrus and pine. Malt behind the hops, possible sweetness, getting a nice bread presence. Taste strength light to medium, but complexity made up for lack of boldness, and the overall beer is well blended. It's an enjoyable easy drinking beer. 4.0

Mouthfeel: Light to slightly medium body, carbonation firm throughout, lightly dry, sweetness beats bitterness, but not overly sweet. Easy clean finish, stronger ABV higher than actual presence. 3.75

Overall: This is another solid offering by Lagunitas. Complex, rich flavors, this is a solid exhibition of the featured hops, a nice blend and enjoyable. Glad I picked this up. 4.0

One more IPA planned for today, though unlike the first three rated this weekend.

 

I am currently on the road, no new beer for me. I will continue reading this post. Have a great day!

 

Good day BAs! A crackling morning here in NW PA - frost everywhere. Took Mrs Lizard down to Amish country for the last couple of days - I apparently misread the weather forecast and was expecting 60 - 70 degree temps, not the mid 30-40 stuff we actually had. Oh well, at least it was pretty sunny. I got a lot of reading and sleeping time while sitting in the car. Road kill count:
skunks 8, groundhogs 3, deer TNTC, raccoons - didn't bother, and an occasional fox. Today's New Breakfast Beer:



Stupid & Contagious from Brewyard. Received on 21/2/21, cost $ 9.17 (Including shipping) for a 16 oz can ($ 0.573/oz) from Craftshack, San Diego, CA. Stored at home at 42 degrees. Reviewed 7/3/21. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Undated can. Served at 50.3 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 54.5 degrees.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Pale gold (SRM 4), clear.
Body – Gold (SRM 5), slight chill haze. When rear-lite, same.
Head – Large (Maximum 5.5 cm, aggressive center pour), cream, high density, average retention, leaving a seven to thirteen mm mountainous crown, and a rocky complete cap. Tiny chunks of lacing are scattered on the sides as the head retracts. Second pour produces a one cm head.
Lacing – Good. Medium bands of tiny to medium bubbles with a jagged upper edge and a few stalactites of varying size.
Aroma – 3.5 – Begins with a bit of generic fruit, no malt, no yeast.
Flavor – 3.5 – Begins slightly bitter sans any distinct hoppy flavors other than earthy and dank. No malt, no yeast. No alcohol (8 % ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Ends moderately bitter.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium, watery, soft but lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.25 (After deducting 0.25 points for undated container) Kudos for the socially accurate name. Looks good but otherwise quite average.
Rating 3.48, rDev +0.3%.

Tomorrow, for New Beer Monday, I have a selection of stouts, porters, and other dark-hued brews to enjoy.

 

Great North Ale Works Greatful North Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass canned on 3/1/2021. Pours a hazy light orange with a solid finger sticky white head that leaves thin lines of lace with nice retention. 4.25

Aroma is ripe melon, peach, pineapple, mandarin, apricot, and grapefruit rind. 4

Taste follows cantaloupe, peach, mandarin, pineapple, apricot, and white grapefruit. 4

Mouthfeel is bigger than average, not dry or sticky, maybe a little more carbonation than most in the style, and at 8.7% very easy going down. 4.25

Overall this is a nice NEDIPA, I would recommend for sure. Nothing earth shattering but a nice all around example of the style. 4

 

I would like to try any beer from this brewery.

 

Oh, sure, he speaks of hand pulled pints in the Emerald Isles of Ireland, a bucket list item for me, like it’s nothing. Killing me here!

On the upside, I heard of a pub in Battle Creek that imports Guinness by the cask and has the proper tap to pull the pints. I will be visiting there within the month. Not Ireland, but a reasonable facsimile of the beer.
Cheers all, and thanks @WunderLlama, I’ve seen your photos and anything I take that reminds you of something pleasant is a compliment.

 

There's even more of a local connection to you in this story...my local to you manufacturer thought it would be grand to have an international sales meeting in Dublin and to visit our plant in Drogheda. They gather us all at JFK and fly us over. Bunch of salesmen, no drinking at the airport or on the flight, right? We land and the very first place they take us ( not the hotel) is the Bushmill's distillery. More Dublin sightseeing ending with an impressive Irish step dance show worthy of Riverdance. The Guiness was flowing every single morning, noon and night as we toured Drogheda, Cork, Blarney Stone, Ring of Kerry, Cliffs of Moher, etc. The best way I can describe it is a delicious, rich liquid brown bread. It tastes differently and vastly superior off the tap in Ireland. A worthy targeted destination.