New Beer Weekend #34

Hey BAs! In honor of my birthday being only a couple days from now (I turn 32 on Tuesday), let's have some fun today. I'll be writing about a bunch of stuff today, though I do have to be lucid in some capacity tomorrow for an advising appointment I booked for the Summer semester at the community college I'm taking classes at. Still, I think I deserve some good beers... well, I hope they're good anyway. Round 1 is a new Finback DDH DIPA called If Whales Could Fly. It features Citra, Simcoe, and Meridian hops, and clocks in at 9% ABV.



Pours a medium amber/orange color with a nice, defined head of pillowy, slightly-off-white foam that builds up to four fingers before quickly tapering down to two, retaining solidly at that mark with some wisps of lace coating the inside of my glass. Excellent legs here and lots of sudsy goodness covering the surface. Nice!

The nose here is a little less intense than I thought it'd be, but it's not bad. I always have high hopes for Simcoe; such a goddamn good hop, really a classic. But, here I really get mostly Meridian, which is a hop I'm not overly familiar with. Doing a little bit of research on it to remind myself what's so special about it, I'm struck with the realization that there's an herbal, berry-like quality here, along with notes of pineapple, dank resin, and dark stone fruit. It's actually really weird and took me a few minutes to adjust to. It seems like the Citra is helping with a bit of the tropical fruit, kicking out some surface-level mango and ripe guava notes, but... lots of Meridian qualities here.

Flavor profile has a hit of honeyed malt underpinned by menthol-like notes, earthiness, a hint of vegetal hops, some ripe papaya, pineapple, and tangerine all with a resinous backing. This is definitely a weird one, and drinks more like a "sticky West Coast" IPA than a lot of their other recent output. I am actually getting a little of the fun grapefruit/pine-y Simcoe intensity in the finish of this actually, so perhaps that's where it was hiding? Feel is medium-heavy with some flashes of ethanol heat. A weird beer... I think Finback might be slowly hitting a point where I have to be more selective of what I buy from them, but it's tough to do so when a lot of them sound great or intriguing but turn out less-than-incredible. That said, this is worth a drink, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

Back soon...

 

Before I hit my next porter Im giving this a drink.
Upper Pass Love Seat DIPA w Idaho7
4pk Came with 2 Idaho7 and 2 Amarillo Hopped. I like that.
Pours a hazy golden orange with a nice off white 3/4" head and good retention eventually settling to a thin cap with lots of sticky lacing.
Aroma is huge juicy orange, oily orange like squeezing a peel, mango, peach and grace notes of grapefruit and leafy weed.
Taste follows with citrus, tropicals, candied/dried peach, resinous pine bitterness takes charge of minimal sweetness along with some grapefruit pith. Pretty WC bitterness. Love it.
Feel, drinks on the lighter side of medium, nice carb throughout, hop resins coat the tongue, sticky but drying, no alcohol.
My first from Upper Pass and I am really digging it. Says brewed for UP by Von Trapp in Stowe. The water ph and minerals have IMHO always infused a character in Von Trapps Lagers. Not sure if that contributes here but this is a delicious and well made "Vermont Style" IPA.
Cheers!

 

I meant to write this review up this morning, but one thing rolled into the next and now it's 5pm already somehow. This is one I've been looking forward to since it's surprise release back around the beginning of February. Up until then Dancing Gnome had never made a barley wine, and had only done a few very small barrel-aged releases. Thin Places is an English barley wine aged for 14 months in bourbon and apple brandy barrels.

Poured into a snifter, Thin Places had deep mahogany hue topped with an amber tinged fleeting one finger head that settled into a crown around the circumference of the glass. A few small islands of bubbles lingered on the surface. The initial pour was slightly cloudy, but clarity came with warming. The aroma was boozy from start to finish while providing big notes of cherry, raisin, brown sugar, apple brandy, and a mild spice that wavered between vanilla and cinnamon. The first flavors that burst onto my palate were apple and dried cherry, supported by deeper notes of raisin and dried fig. Just a touch of woody spice and bitterness on the finish helped to cut the dried fruit sweetness. While bourbon barrels were involved, I only tasted elements of bourbon like brown sugar and vanilla. The apple brandy stood out much more to me in regards to the aging process. With just above a medium body, it went down smooth leaving behind traces of sticky sweetness without being cloying. I would call Thin Places a success in every category, and I hope it means more barley wine to come from Dancing Gnome.

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Swiggers and commentators. It's been a busy day as we drove up early from the Shore to have our first Covid vax. Morris County operates a large vaccination center in a former Sears store in a mall and it was very efficient. I'm grateful that it's over and we have our appointment for #2.

My New Beer this afternoon is a fun one. In honor of St. Patrick's Day week, Ludlam Brewing's Irish Potato Brown Ale. It's brewed with Irish (white) potatoes, coconut, cinnamon, and vanilla. It's like eating mashed potatoes and a sticky bun together. I wanted to purchase cans yesterday but it sold out on Friday so I'm drinking a crowler.

It pours a cloudy, dark cola color with a thick, fluffy, light khaki-colored head and thick, soapy lacing. On the nose there is cinnamon, coconut, and a thick, malty aroma I attribute to the potatoes. I've never had a beer brewed with Irish Potato (as opposed to yams) and the initial taste is dry and slightly starchy. But it's balanced by coconut and vanilla that is subtle but effective. It's not nearly as sweet as I anticipated. As it warms in the glass there is increasing cinnamon and it provides a pastry-like quality. The finish is dry and and somewhat bitter. The flavors work really well. The mouth feel is lite, crisp, and clean with pleasant carbonation. And it's highly quaffable at 5.2% ABV. Overall, this ale is unique and flavorful. It could be paired with corned beef and cabbage or simply enjoyed with friends.

4.07/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Ludlam Brewing has its hits and misses but this is a really good and fun beer. Cheers, NBW! And cheers to Operation Warp Speed. 'Merica proves again what it can do when challenged.

 

I grabbed a bottle of this yesterday and shared with friends while cooking up a 4 pound pork loin. Well, I went back and grabbed another for the review today. Bird-Day Volume 1 from Pelican. A collab with 10 Barrel, this Imperial Porter features Passionfruit and cocoa nibs. It's a pretty nice brew.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1304/538956/?ba=BBThunderbolt#review

 

Everything I post on this second NBW day is tied to NBW BIF #13.





4.24/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a slightly hazy straw color with a sudsy white head that evacuates the glass pretty quickly and provides minimal lacing. The nose is bready grains and lemongrass, perfectly balanced and spot on for the style.

The taste is led by the lemongrass flavor, but that bready grain flavor is not lagging far behind (pun intended). This is perfectly balanced and really flavorful, especially given the 4% ABV.

The mouthfeel is on the drier side and really crisp. I could drink this until it came out my ears on a hot summer day - the beer really draws you back for another pull before you realize you’ve plowed through the pint like a threshing machine through a field of fall corn.

 

Those of you who are regulars to NBW know this brewery is one I post about frequently. They are an excellent brewer of German style beers (and their food ain't bad, either). So, when browsing the Franch44 online store for porters, and I saw this beer, I knew I had to have it for the online porter tasting.

Foreshadowing the review, unfortunately this anticipation resulted in disappointment!

Waldmann Brewery & Wurstery German Porter
ABV: 5.3%
IBU: NA



Waldmann describes the beer thusly:

"A 'Germanified' version of a London porter brewed primarily in East Germany until virtually disappearing after reunification. Our German porter is made with English Maris otter malts, German noble-aromatic hops and a classic German ale yeast for an interesting combination of British-ale complexity and German mellowed drinkability."

Aroma is predominately roasted malts and coffee, a floral brightness as well.

1 inch or so tan head from a reasonably vigorous pour recedes fairly quickly to a bubbly cap and ring, eventually becoming just a thin ring, and finally, a completely still surface. No lacing. Black and impenetrable color, even with a backlight.

Taste repeats the aroma: roasted malts are at the front, along with roasted coffee and ash. A bit of floral brightness provides a counterpoint to the roasted coffee and ash. No bittering at all until the aftertaste, and even then, not very bitter at all. The finish and aftertaste are dry with the ashen malts and growing bitterness as the beer warms.

Mouth feel has a moderate to thin body with no carbonation feel that I can detect.

Overall, this seems like what an Irish stout might be if it was a porter. This is an easy drinking beer. It is tasty enough in its own right, and the floral contrast with the roasted malts keeps the roastiness in balance, but it is a pretty simple-tasting beer on the whole. I am disappointed. I was expecting more.

L: 3.75 | S: 3.75 | T: 3.5 | F: 3.5 | O: 3.75 | Rating: 3.63

 

Greetings NBW!

First up this evening is a little gem courtesy inimitable @Roy_Hobbs (pretty sure that’s not the first time he’s been called that) in a LIF from the presently active NBW BIF #13

Suarez Family Palatine Pils



Among other things in this cache there were some Fox Farm beers and a couple others from Suarez. I can’t even tell you what a treat it is to have a batch of these delicious lagers in the fridge. So nice to reset and have a well made, supremely enjoyable beer that’s not overloaded with hops or a 14% ABV.

A: Lightly hazed pale gold with large foamy white head that gradually settles to a thin cap leaving streaky lacing
A: This smells great - cereal, grass, touch of lemon. Really inviting.
T: More of the same - cereal, bread, pale malt, light grassy hops, peppery spice
M: Light smooth carb, light body, clean balanced finish with light bitterness and some white pepper
O: Delicious, can’t get enough of these. Light and easy drinking, well balanced, begs for another sip. It almost hit 80 degrees today and this beer is perfect for the weather. It went down way too fast. And at 5.2% that’s perfectly fine.

Thanks Ross!

 

Tried Bell’s Hopslam Ale this weekend. It’s fine but at about $18 a six pack, I can’t say I will buy it again. I mean it’s fine but it’s not amazing. Tastes likes a decent IPA basically.

 

A couple new-to-me IPAs to try
before heading over to the Porter tasting.

First up:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46275/534395/



16 oz. can.
A couple weeks old.

Moderate pour yields a nearly one inch slightly off white head over a hazy light golden body with some lacing. Nose of citrus (tangerine, citrus pith) and a bit of tropical fruit. Taste is citrus and a bit of pine and finishing with mostly pine and a bit of citrus pith. Nice feel and overall, a decent American IPA from Tunbridge, Vermont.
Cheers!

Edit: Chunks observed after draining the can of its last few ounces.

 

Alright, back with a heavier hitting IPA... Impact Wrench is Industrial Arts' triple IPA featuring Mosaic, Simcoe, and Comet on a base of spelt, wheat, and oats. Clocking in at 10% ABV, this is bound to be a doozy. I have been overall happy with the Wrench series but they seem to get better as the ABV increases. Torque Wrench is superior to Wrench is superior to Pocket Wrench, in my opinion... so, maybe this'll be the best? The label describes this as having notes of "dank & dense jungle" which may be one of the dumbest beer descriptions I've ever read, so I really hope this is better than that cringe-worthy goofiness would imply.

The pour here is standard but nice-looking, for sure. Opaque orange color with a a modest but nice head of white suds. Lots of micro-bubble action building it up to a solid finger with a vigorous pour, good retention and legs with superb lace. Never really goes down too far, though... probably has to do with all the wheat, though spelt is also a kind of wheat so it could be that too.

Smells great! I am getting a big whiff of passion fruit and mango with intense dankness and sticky resinous notes followed by watermelon candy, tangelo, and light pine. Hints of peach or apricot start coming out as it acclimates to room temp; fleshy stone fruit with a ripe, juicy quality is a very apt descriptor here, and this element melds well with the tropical heft. I really like that it doesn't smell like a massive beer, too... I get the feeling this one is gonna be dangerous and really, really fun to drink.

Helps that it's really tasty, too. Lean and well-balanced with nutty malt notes (spelt!) balanced by a soft and effective hop profile that utilizes the unique elements of Comet to balance the aggression and complexity of Mosaic/Simcoe. Really grassy but with notes of complex citrus and passion fruit in the mid-palate. The finish has a soft spice that fits right in with the high ABV and luscious feel, as well, so this one really feels like a complete, satisfying drink. I'm really impressed here, gotta say. It's almost too drinkable and balanced; I kind of wish it were a tad more aggressive with the hops, but I think it's probably exactly what they wanted to make. Can't fault 'em for that.

I have plenty more to talk about... we're just getting started. Taking a break to try to do some math work (relearning rational expressions, oh boy). I can never tell whether beer is going to make it easier or harder, because it depends entirely on what level my brain is on when I finally sit down and get to work. Hoping I make at least a bit of progress!

 

Another new brew, from Seattle's Machine House (who only brew cask beers, even though they do bottle), Idaho 7 IPA. Yup, an English IPA featuring Idoho 7 hops, with a touch of Simcoe. An easy drinker for sure.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31031/538984/

 

#2, at the other end of the beer spectrum from a Helles lager, this is a peanut butter cup for beer nerds. Sign me up!

PS: glassware for both of my beers tonight courtesy of our friend @BBThunderbolt. If you had to give me a $10 bill for every time I’ve used this glass since I received it 4 years ago, I’d buy the internets.

And then, when I went to review this magnificent beer, I see that I reviewed it one year ago. So consider this a “greatest hits” NBW post. My humblest apologies.





4.38/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This is the greatest grownup peanut butter cup ever. Pours black with a dense dark tan head, the nose is crammed with rich milk chocolate and peanut butter aromas. I am salivating.

The peanut butter is forward on the taste, but it’s the rich milk chocolate flavors that balance this big imperial stout.

The mouthfeel is also a star with a decadent, creamy mouthfeel commensurate with a 12.5% ABV beer. This is outstanding, IMHO.

 

So this is my second and last of porters for today and its a gem.
Proclamation Ale Lazarus
BBA Porter Refermented on Merlot Grapes.
Pours a very dark cola purple/ brown with edges tinged with dark gold.
Head is eggshell with little retention that settles to thin ring with very spotty lacing. Now heres where it gets very interesting...
Aroma is awesome! Bourbon, wood/oak and funky red grape, with notes of brown sugar, hay, and just a touch of cocoa. It actually smells alot like a vintage red wine more than a porter. But its big and bold and straight in your face. Wow.
Taste follows with a touch of cocoa up front which blends seamlessly into a tart funky grape, with a beautiful bourbon barrel note. It definitely separates itself from fresh oak with subtle char and caramelized sugar notes but its not sweet. Some vegetal notes, and that mild funk is present. Its vaguely a porter at all.....but then it is. Theres a boatload of that fruitiness from the grapes.
Feel is medium, slightly thin but packed with a myriad of flavor, slight astringency from tannins, mild burn reminds you of 9.5%,feels like a dram going down, but not in taste. Mildly tart. Some roasty notes linger on the back. Mild carbonation. Finishes clean and dry, very little residual sweetness.
Im hard pressed to even categorize this as a porter. In a blind tasting it would be hard to tell. Im at a loss for words. It seems like the perfect marriage of a BA Porter and a Merlot infused sour. Truly unique. I havent had anything this different in awhile. I will go out on a limb and say this is quite amazing. Not recommended for old school Porter lovers but hell yes to the adventurous!

 

Here's the last of the 2 new Upper Pass Beer Co. IPAs:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46275/538987/



16 oz. can a couple weeks old.

Moderate pour yields a 3/4 inch white head over a hazy golden body with some lacing. Nose of tropical fruit (pineapple, mango) and a bit of citrus (orange) and a bit of stone fruit (apricot.) Taste mirrors nose somewhat with a medium bitterness that belies the nose to a degree and finishing with citrus pith and a little bitter pine as well. Nice feel and overall, another solid IPA from Tunbridge, Vermont.
Cheers!!