New Beer Weekend #35

A few years ago while returning from visiting family & friends in Texas (New Braunfels) my wife and I decided to take a southerly route and visit New Orleans. At that time the craft beer scene was quite limited there and I was very surprised to see the beer that was getting the most attention (e.g., advertising, sales promotions (1/2 off Happy Hour prices, lots of tap space, etc.) was Yuengling Lager. Maybe it was just recently introduced to New Orleans (Louisiana)? The relative highlight for us were the beers of Urban South. They were indeed craft beer (vs. Yuengling Lager) and while not widely available we did find it on draft at a few bars.

It sure sounds like when it comes to brewing lagers, their so called German Pilsner and Vienna Lager, they are taking a bit of a 'different' approach. Maybe using some American Aroma hops or perhaps Mandarina Bavaria hops? Perhaps they do not think their customers desire 'traditional' lagers?

Cheers!

 

Does this beer remind you at all like a Yuengling Traditional Lager?

I get Jack's Abby beer at my local beer retailer (Retail Beer Distributor) but I have yet to see Shipping out of Boston. I have wondered if they chose to not distribute this beer to the Philly area since Yuengling Lager sales are so strong here?

Cheers!

 

Yeah, to be fair I am only pulling for the UVa half of the ACC-involved games today, but I wanted to hedge my bets. I also don't care about the other ACC teams in general, just that a strong conference can help my team at times.

Don't I know it. I'm not very confident even as a 4 seed. I also figure no one is getting through Gonzaga, so our hopes National Championship repeat will end at best next weekend.

 

ND? No more stupid that the B1G adding Maryland (speaking of destroying rivalries). And it wasn't for just basketball. It was for almost all sports except football and ice hockey.

And, that move worked out really well for both ND and the ACC during the covid football season.

The days of the NCC are long gone.

 

Starting out today with a light 4.3% NEIPA from Ommegang.

3.83/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 16oz can stamped "Best By 4/22/21" to a Nonic at Fridge temp.
Very bright hazy apricot body that almost glows beneath a light (not kidding) thin white head that clings like crazy. Head is light 3-ways, its only about 1/4 inch, it is very white and it appears airier than most beer foams. It's cling does not last long though, pretty much no head, no lacing a third of the way through the session.
Aroma is light also and mostly grapefruit pith.
Taste is also mostly grapefruit but not powerful. Actually quite refreshing. Surprisingly, you can sense a little bit of alcohol on the finish despite such a low ABV.
Mouthfeel is.......you guessed it....light.
Overall a good lawnmower IPA.

 

Yeah, I always thought Mandarina Bavaria resembled American C hops, one of those could definitely be it. The Houston location can be strange in that they don't really tell you basic info on the hops or malt on beer menu or any of the multiple screens they have showing the selection. If its a fruit smoothie, they let you know everything they added, but I'm left guessing with the regular beers. I was in early this afternoon, so the bartenders available weren't the regular managers or brewers and didn't have the specifics.

 

I went to Richmond and my brother went to UVA, so I've been in this neck of the woods all of my life. Hoot Gibson and Lefty Driesell were both good friends to me as a young player.

 

Maryland leaving really did hurt and it's all gone to shit now. Notre Dame's insistence on football independence makes sense for Notre Dame, but not the ACC. And you're correct, it's all about money, and only money. By the way, I love Clemson.....

 

Good afternoon NBW, took yesterday off and made my way to both Forest & Main and Tired Hands. Time to break out some of the malty beers I picked up. Joining @JackHorzempa with a different Trendler beer, Trendler Kölsch!
4.23/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

16 oz can, dated 3/15/21, poured into a mug

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

S- Sweet biscuits, touch of pilsner malts, some light fruits, a little herbal/floral.

T- Sweet biscuits, some spicy pilsner malts, light fruits/pears, herbal, touch of grapes.

M- Smooth, light to medium body.

O- A tasty and well balanced Kölsch.

I love what Tired Hands is doing with their Trendler series and this is another well brewed and balanced German beer, cheers!

 

Poured into a 13 oz Teku glass canned on 12/01/20. Pours a very hazy yellow with a finger plus sticky white head, that leaves a wall of lace with excellent retention. 4.75

Aroma is melon, guava, peach, mandarin, and apricot. 4.25

Taste follows honeydew, guava, mandarin, peach, and apricot really nice but I can only imagine how good it once was. 4.25

Mouthfeel is big, soft gentle carbonation, a tad sticky but not dry, and at 9% ABV it is really easy going down. 4.5

Overall this one I will seek out fresh next batch, because the flavor had a slight stale thing going, but I bet fresh it is magical. 4.25

 

Good Saturday afternoon, New Beer Weekenders. I hit a couple of breweries over the state line in New York earlier today. I took notes on a few pours but my first "official" New Beer this weekend is The Queen's Pawn, a New England IPA hopped with Citra and Simcoe from Tin Barn Brewing in Chester, New York. This brewery opened less than a year ago and is producing excellent IPAs, as well as other styles. The "Queen" series has been very good and Tin Barn and District 96 recently collaborated on Queen Snake, which was fantastic.

Canned on 3/5/2021. Poured into a snulip glass. It pours an opaque, golden-orange color with almost a finger of fluffy, bright white head and thick, soapy lacing. The nose is dank with orange, onion, melon, and other sweet, tropical fruit notes. It opens with significant sweet citrus; the orange/tangerine is big and bold but the sweetness is balanced by lemon and grapefruit. There is also a layer of melon, berry and passion fruit. The Simcoe hops add an earthiness to the fruit. There is lite bitterness throughout. On the whole, this is a sweet, fruity ale. Its mouth feel is thick and plush - almost chewy - with a pleasant level of carbonation. And the 7.8% ABV gives it good substance. I'd say The Queen's Pawn is on the sweet end of the style which may not please everyone. But I enjoyed it on a glorious Spring afternoon.

4.18/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

I hope to be back a few more times this weekend. Cheers, NBW!

 

To me my tastebuds no it does not. But I could see where maybe the whole amber lager from Boston may go against the basically home Philly amber lager. Maybe you’re right. FWIW I hadn’t seen this beer until now. Maybe just a matter of time for you over in PA?

 

I will have to keep my eyes open. If I can locate this four-pack for 8 bucks it will be a definite purchase.

Cheers!

 

Wytchmaker Farmhouse Rye IPA by Jester King. Batch #19, March 2020.

Poured into a stemless wine glass. Beautiful golden yellow with a copious white fluffy head.

Feels light and fresh with a little tingle both from the carbonation and the rye.

Smells lemony and tart with a little funk. But the taste is a delicious blend of farmhouse grasses and spicy rye.

An interesting offering from Jester King.

 

Nice open, @ChicagoJ ... and your less that stellar review of the Guinness Cold Brew motivated me to pull mine out and give it a taste.

Guinness Nitro Cold Brew Coffee Stout
ABV: 4.0%
IBU: 30



Smells of coffee and cream with prominent vanilla. Irish coffee-like.

Appearance starts with the patented Guinness nitro cascade. Beautiful rippled waves of upward-rising tan nitro eventually settling into a clear dark brown body below a very creamy slightly tan-white thick head that hangs around forever. Hard to get a better looking nitro beer, and the Guinness Gravity Glass (stylized tuplip pint) displays it nicely.

As I start to take the first sip, the coffee aroma is stronger in the nose than at first. The initial taste is vanilla, coffee, and some dark malts. There is a mild bitterness that starts in the middle and grows into the aftertaste, becoming stronger as you drink and the beer warms. The overall flavor is vanilla, backed by coffee fighting through, with the bitter roasted malts well in the background. The finish is somewhat bitter and dry.

Mouth feel is thin and flat, more or less the same as the Guinness draught stout.

Overall, a likeable enough Irish dry stout for me. Even though the can does not say "vanilla", the vanilla seems to be more prominent than the coffee. But, a vanilla stout can also be a good thing. Having a sweet flavor in a dry-finishing beer is nicely pulled off by Guinness.

L: 4.5 | S: 4.0 | T: 3.75 | F: 3.5 | O: 3.75 | Rating: 3.83

 

Speaking of Strat-O-Matic, Dice Basketball nearly flunked me and a buddy out of Indiana University in the early 80's.

Otis Thorpe was a bad, bad man in Dice Basketball. IJS.

 

Entertaining Equals by Equilibrium

4.28/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

16 oz can poured into a stemmed Schilling glass



One finger frothy white foam finger , clingy lacings, godctetention , settles to a pencil thick solid layer over a turbid orange liquid

Aroma is citrus, orange, mango, pineapple

Taste is mango , pineapple,

Mouthfeel is medium sudsing , smooth , hop taste, no bite

Good beer

mrs Wunderllama bought a solo stove fire pit fir the backyard , great for sipping and eating beers

 

Moving on to Forest & Main Mental Cabinets, a very well done Mild.
4.32/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

16 oz can poured into a mug

A- Dark brown pour that looks black in the mug with a small mocha head. When held up to the light it’s actually a deep clear ruby red.

S- Roasted malts, toffee, freshly sanded wood, earthy, some hints of chocolate.

T- Roasted malts, toffee/caramel, earthy, touch of chocolate, freshly sanded wood.

M- Smooth, low carbonation, medium body.

O- The wood flavors are a nice surprise, very well balanced and easy to drink.

Cheers!