New Beer Weekend #34

Good Sunday evening, NBW faithful. We did our corned beef today, actually cooked two in the Instant Pot so we will have hash and eggs for dinner one night. We used Danny's Oatmeal Stout from Lake St George brewing for flavor...tasty, tender results.

Tonight the glass is graced by Jacks Abby Modern Hell:



Aged brass color like most of my horns. Enormous rocky foamy white head. The head eventually falls to a persistent layer of bubbles that like sticking to the glass.

Sweet and some yeasty bread hit the nose first followed by light lemon, some funky yeast notes, noble hops.

The taste is slightly sweet followed by a decent bitterness, kinda just right plaintiff each other. In between there is a sourdough bread taste. Funky bite from the yeast, and bread dough backing that up. Slightly lemony, grassy/herbal.

The feel is pretty soft, yet nicely carbonated, maybe even a tad bit creamy.

This is a light, enjoyable lager that has plenty of flavor, satisfying, and fun. Going to live right around 4.0 for me. Well made beer.

 

Good evening NBW, hope everyone is doing well! Busy weekend, got my first COVID shot yesterday than had to drive an hour to the race track in Dover for my wife to get hers, have to say I was impressed with their drive through system for shots. Side effects on the first shot have been mild so I figured I will have a new beer, Monkish Sur Real Ness, thanks @BartS!
4.23/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Thank you BartS for this
16 oz can, dated 2/4/21, poured into a teku

A- A hazy golden straw with a two finger white head.

S- Citrus, grapefruit rind, some melons, tropical fruits, touch of pine.

T- Citrus, melons, piney, grapefruit rind, some tropical fruits.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- A tasty and nicely balanced NEIPA, easy to drink with a nice piney finish.

Cheers NBW, stay safe everyone!

 

I like the description of this one!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1199/522394/



12 oz. bottled 1.28.21.

Moderate pour yields a one (+) inch tan head over a near black body with sticky lacing. Nose of dark, roasted malt and vanilla, caramel and oak, bourbon, maple, and a hint of dark fruit and chocolate. Taste mirrors nose with the maple coming forward to meet the vanilla. Nice feel and overall, another fine offering from their Barrel Aged Series.
Cheers!!!

 

Poured into a 13 oz Teku glass not sure when it was canned. Pours a cloudy orange yellow with a finger plus white head that leaves a few wisps of lace. 4

Aroma ginger, clover, cardamon, chili pepper, tangerine, lemon, and vanilla the ginger stands out most. 3.75

Taste ginger, cardamon, clover, peppery spice, lemon, tangerine, and vanilla. 3.75

Mouthfeel is pretty big for the style, maybe a little dry, plenty of carbonation but almost a little creamy, and at 6.5% it drinks bigger. 4

Overall I actually enjoyed this unusual sour. Not for everyone I trust, but for a person who likes subtle heat and ginger, solid stuff. 3.75

 

Greetings again, fellow NBWers,

After reaching a high of 62°F, it's now a cloudy 58, with a possibility of rain tomorrow. I took a walk this afternoon to a couple local stores to grab a couple items and am now drinking this:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30923/535879/?ba=woemad#review
I had Phantom bride a couple years ago. I didn't realize until today, however, just how many Deftones-inspired beers Belching Beaver makes. Does someone in the band have an ownership stake in BB? This one isn't exactly a flavor bomb, but it is an eminently quaffable Pale Ale that is very enjoyable on a warm day like today.

Last night, I forgot to post this beer, courtesy of my friend Will, who was golfing on the Oregon coast a couple weeks ago:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34215/521277/?ba=woemad#review
Initially, right out of the fridge, this had a pronounced soy sauce flavor, but it became considerably better once given a chance to warm up. A nice coffee stout, with the rum soaked cacao nibs giving it a mocha-like flavor.

Not sure if I'll be back with another or not. If not, everybody have a great week and stay safe.

 

This is my first from this brewery and this is really impressive. Poured into a 20 oz Snulip glass bottled on 12/20/20. Pours a very attractive near pitch black with a 2 finger sticky light brown head that leaves thick streaks of lace with excellent retention. 4.5

Aroma cocoa nibs, coffee bean, toffee, and vanilla beans really pleasant. 4.5

Taste follows cocoa, coffee, toffee, and vanilla simple but really nice. 4.5

Mouthfeel is bigger than medium, moderate carbonation, maybe a tad dry, and at 9.4% ABV really goes down easy, but still may drink a tad bigger. 4.5

Overall this is one heck of an Oatmeal stout, that I would grab more without hesitation. 4.5

 

Melanie Imperial Stout - collaboration with Beach Cat and Twin Sisters
4.18/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25



16 oz can received in an LIF associated with BIF12.5 from @BBThunderbolt

Canned on 11/23/20 poured into a snifter . Deep cola brown, brown motor oil liquid resulting in a one finger bubbly tan head that had moderate retention , settled to a solid layer and strong ring, scant lacings

The aroma is roast malt, coffee, licorice scents

Taste is roast malts, hint of coffee , no acrid burn on the roast

Light mouthfeel for a stout but enjoyable nonetheless . Medium sudsing. Roast taste lingers but doesn’t bite. No bitterness and smooth.Gentle roast taste lingers. An 11% abv that is well hidden

Good beer, thanks @BBThunderbolt

 

Been a long weekend, so nice to wind down with a beer.

Tonight's beer is from @oriholic

Ruse Translator IPA



Poured from a 16 ounce can. Pours a translucent amber, with about two fingers worth of foamy white head that dissipated quickly. Smell is citrusy, but I can't pick out any one fruit. Overall, I had more smell from the pour than I do with it currently sitting in my glass. Taste is light melon, but very tasty. I don't get any alcohol, even as an aftertaste. Medium bodied, definitely more of a west coast body, as it's not thick and easy to drink. Overall, a nice Sunday night beer.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/47221/251101/

 

Back again... did a few rational expression simplification problems in my head so I felt I deserved another beer. *neeeeerd alert*



This is a new-ish DIPA from Pipeworks called Twin Speak. It clocks in at 8% ABV, features Citra/Amarillo/Cryo Simcoe/Cryo Amarillo, and was canned 2/9/21. Sounds fun.

The pour is a gorgeous vibrant orange color with a massive head that springs into vigorous existence with approximately four fingers of suds, though they quickly fade to a finger or so with great legs and about average lace for the style. Some web-like patterns but they're thin and surprisingly-sparse. Surface is moderately-covered, and a slight swirl of my glass re-rouses the head a bit. Not bad at all, especially the hue.

The nose here is pretty much the sum of its parts in terms of hop expression, but it's quite intriguing in its own way. Cryo hops are definitely sort of a "your mileage may vary" part of modern IPA brewing still, but at least I get a good hit of leafy goodness in here that feels like it works well with the bright citrus of Amarillo and the dense passion fruit/pine of Simcoe when it comes to their Cryo versions. Citra is throwing out its typical (but welcome) elements of mango and grapefruit, and there are some nice malty suggestions as well; almost graham-like with some light biscuit-ness here and there. Orange marmalade and a hint of the 8% ethanol.

Flavor is malty but well-balanced with a nicely-saturated hop aspect that includes some fun green, dense elements that lean fruity but also encompass an enjoyably grassy aspect. This is smooth, and I'm really enjoying the juicy apricot/tangerine thing going on that really feels dialed in and drinkable. That said, this is definitely a strong IPA, and its ABV is weirdly-felt despite being lower than some of the other IPAs I've had today. Perhaps just a symptom of how malty it feels, or perhaps Pipeworks' yeast is just really expressively-fruity and filling at the end of the day, but this one is a one-and-done for sure. Not a bad beer at all, though. On the contrary, this is certainly worth a look. Check it out if you see it around!

 

This one is The Barb - Barrel-Aged , from The FarmHouse Brewery.
It's their rhubarb saison , aged in red wine barrels .
This was a hard one to dissect.
Short version ( & I'll spare you the long version, & just link to it. ) : it's as if you took a wild/sour ale, dialed back the sour/acetic character a bit, then added some dry bread crust malt character (cream ale-ish, but drier) & some of the spiciness of a saison(as this is labeled) , or wit, or strongly noble-hop-infused pils or helles. The basic flavors are bread crust, Concord/red grape juice blend*, raspberry-rhubarb mix, and oak tannin , from the barrel, with a touch of spice. All-in-all , very good , & I hope this will be available for the heat (we hope) of summer. In the middle of the 2nd glass, & wondering if I underrated it?

*Is grape fruit leather, a thing? Such that it gives a dried impression, while maintaining some of the brightness of the fresh fruit? If so, that is what I get, & am having trouble describing.

4/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35315/538806/

 

Review 1481
My first beer from KCBC, I chose this monster TIPA. The beer is 46 degrees and served in a tulip glass. The pour of the beer created a massive head with excellent retention. The head is bright white frothy and foamy. The dissipation left chunky lacing on the glass. The color of the beer is SRM 4, pale straw with light amber hues. The beer is cloudy. Overall, the appearance of the beer is excellent for this style. The beer is beautiful.
The aromas in the beer are crackers, bread, lightly toasted malts, lemons, oranges, pineapple, a hint of grapefruit, mangos, guava, a touch of pine, a scent of floral, and creeping in from the back herbal notes. The nose of the beer is fragrant and bready. This beer is less than two months old.
The flavors in the beer are mangos, oranges, pineapple, peaches, pears, floral esters, bay leaves, eucalyptus, toasted crackers, bread crust, lightly toasted malts, pine needles, and subtle lemons.
The mouthfeel of the beer is somewhat creamy but crisp and kind of slick (akin to soap).
The body of the beer is medium, medium-light carbonation, and full finish.
The beer is over finessed. The malt backbone in the beer is huge, not giving the hops a chance to shine. This is a solid beer with a wonderful flavor profile. The slick oily mouthfeel is a little off-putting, but expected with huge IPA's Solid IPA, looking forward to other offerings from KCBC.

 

As I mentioned, I am not a particular fan of Twin Sisters, and I bought it for myself mostly on the label. That said, Beach Cat opened last year, and have been doing collab with a lot of breweries around, to fairly good results. I liked that brew more than I thought I would. Plus, that label, which combines both breweries logos is awesome.

 

American Solera Tulsa Pipe West Coast IPA, 6.5% ABV; 3.77 overall


Pours an effervescent gold with 3 fingers of ( vigorous pour ) ivory colored head. Average head retention & lacing

S: Pine & grapefruit, a little cattyness once warm

T: Follows the nose, bready dryness as well up front. Pineyness & breadyness, plus dryness along with grapefruit as this warms. Finishes dry, cakey with pine & grapefruit

MF: Medium body, pretty firm carbonation, good balance

Solid for the style, but expected more, drinkable enough

 

This one is my nightcap... Hubbard's Cave Me Love To Eat Oreo Cookies, a 12% flavored imperial stout with chocolate, oreos, vanilla beans, and lactose. These guys usually utterly kill the diabetes stout game, so I'm hoping for a win here.



That is a god-awful pour, I must say. It looked like literal sludge pouring out of the can, and no head buildup whatsoever led to this one being one of the worst-looking stouts I've seen in ages. It's super viscous, chalky-looking, and intense, but it's also not even black... it's like a weird medium-brown. Is this gonna be the first HC impy stout to make me sad that I spent a lot on it...?

The nose is not inspiring confidence in me, that's for sure. I get an unwieldy amount of acetaldehyde (green apple) with vanilla and light notes of chocolate cookies with the requisite roasty stout maltiness and a bit of coffee in there. I'm gonna pause right here and just take a quick sip to see if this is undrinkable trash... trust me, I really don't want that to be the case! These guys have really been impeccably great when it comes to this type of thing, and drain-pouring this essentially costs me close to $10 so... yeah, yikes.

The flavor is better, for sure, and I do think it actually approximates Oreos pretty well overall somehow, despite being super forward with the unfortunate acetaldehyde flavor, but... yeah, nope. I can't finish this. Not only is the concentration of off-flavors too damn high, but the feel is awkward and rough... wet, super dense and thick with solids, and almost grossly-viscous. They fucked up here, and I will give them this one pass. I have a peanut butter s'more stout from them that I'm thinking of having on the eve of my birthday tomorrow night, and if it sucks, I'm going to be pretty damn upset.

Yeah, nope. It's really tragically undrinkable. Avoid.

 

Better late than never!
Posted on the Porter thread and as it was new to me and Sunday, I thought it should be here too.
Poured a lovely black coffee, as in French Roast, with a khaki colored head and lacing.
The aroma was sweeter than expected, definitely malts but no coffee type bite.
The taste was right up my proverbial alley, malty goodness with *just* enough bitter to keep it from going sweet. Not sure what malts they used, but I definitely want more.
The feel was good for the style, almost too good as it was gone before I let it warm up a little.
This one was bottled in May of 2019, I am officially curious what a fresh one will taste like.
Good beer, good night!

 

So sorry to hear, and I really hope the next one makes up for it.
But it does beg the question- why does a brewery package something like that? I mean, don’t they have quality control? Or if they thought it would be liked, how out of touch must they be? I am genuinely curious.

 

Well hello LNNBW folks! I haven't chimed into this hear weekly tradition in a while, but, partially inspired by joining in the latest round of NBSW BIF I figured I should dip back in to what was once my favourite weekly ritual.

Another difficult stretch at work that finally forced me to request a change of assignments for the first time in 6 years I figured a big celebratory barleywine would be an appopriate capper, and celebration of one little life in particular.
I feel like Matchless flies somewhat under the radar, even just locally, as pretty much everything I've had from them I've enjoyed, some offerings I'd even consider to be fantastic.
Tonight I am cracking into their 3rd/4th Anniversary Blend BA Barleywine.



Pouring into the glass belies the excitement to be found within. The liquid is darker than I expected for a barleywine, but not excessively so. Not much head, but that thin ring you see, with the galaxy swirl you'll see later (sneak preview!)

Upon sticking my sniffer in the snifter I am overwhelmed with a specific flavour. Thankfully, it is a flavour I happen to enjoy, but this beer is peat/smoke all the way. There's a little sweet fig alongside, but the peat is the big boss running the show, and it's not shy.

Sipping, there's still a predominant peated character, but it does allow some other flavours to blossom onto the palate. Sweet stone fruits are the first thing that jump out to me, like honey-dried plums. Alongside and around this I get petals of fresh tobacco, pine, toffee, rounded oak... all bundled and delivered in that envelop of smoked peat.

Smoothe and oily, the finish lingers with the smoke and sweet wood. Alcohol is well integrated, if not exactly hidden.
The more I sit with this one, the more I enjoy it. It is definitely a slow sipper, but letting it linger one little pip at a time it's really lifting the night.

I happen to really enjoy peaty/smokey whiskeys, and this certainly satisfies some of that same flavour profile. If one is not predisposed towards peat/smoke I'd say give this one a pass, as that is the dominant aspect, but if peat/smoke stir the waves of your soul, this is a tasty concoction with smoked peat at its heart.



Cheers all, and hope your weekend is going well!!