New Beer Weekend #36

Not my favorite Helles from Germany, but it is refreshing and thirst-quenching on a warm Florida evening. This is a rather 'harsh' interpretation of a Helles. As a matter of fact, that harshness was also present in the Krombacher Pils I tried a few weeks ago.

 

First new tick of the weekend comes from New Hampshire. My local food coop got in some Stoneface beers recently, and I think this is the last of the 4 I grabbed, Full Clip IPA:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34132/226913/

 

Happy Saturday, NBW friends. Everything I submit today is tied to NBW BIF #13. This first magnificent beer is courtesy of our beer nerd friend @WunderLlama and the glassware is courtesy of our beer nerd friend @BBThunderbolt. They are beer nerds of the highest magnitude.





4.39/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours a very hazy golden straw color with a dense bone white head that has that ubiquitous Tree House “sticks like Saran Wrap to the glass” appearance that I like so much. The nose is heavy on the dank tropical citrus scale with loads of ripe tangerine, mango, and passion fruit, and there’s an earthiness as well that I’d imagine is courtesy of the Amarillo hops.

The tangerine, mango, and passion fruit flavors are forward on the taste, and there’s a creamy oat flavor as well. The mouthfeel is a bit in the watery side, otherwise this is world-class all the way, IMHO. Truly a delicious juice bomb from the masters of that style.

 

Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass. Pours a hazy yellow with a 2 finger sticky white head that leaves thin streaks of lace with excellent retention. 4.5

Aroma is blueberry, white grapes, mango, mandarin, and apricot. 4.25

Taste follows blueberry, white grapes, mandarin, mango, and apricot. 4.25

Mouthfeel is medium, not dry or sticky, soft carbonation, and at 8% ABV it goes down easy. 4.25

Overall this is some tasty stuff from a brewery that normally doesn’t dazzle. Would gladly grab this again. 4.25

 

Hey what's going on.

Just enjoying the weekend all! not much else to report. Always happy to be enjoying new good beer ... so much out there.

Seems like the IPA thing just never ends... there's always a million to try... but grabbed this one and very nicely enjoyable to boot.

What's new for our hero today?



Poured from the can into a Spiegelau IPA glass.

Very pale thin yellow out of the can, and fills with a solid chunk of custard yellow. Not quite turbid, but getting close with virtually no glow or lightness to the body. Classic big four finger and controlled thick white head, fine and soapy with big retention as well.

Nice nose with a mix of subtlety and complex hop flavors. First whiff is a scent of tropical fruit, followed with a touch of citrus oil and somewhat gumdrop flavored candy. Hints a bit of herbal spicy sweet notes as well, making for a very pleasant experience.

Palate continues a solid run. Juiced up presence, with a good body to match. Solid and creamy malt backbone, with more tropical hits of mango and pineapple in the mid palate. The aftertaste really kicks it up a notch. Sweet herbs, and a good pine lingering blast of bitterness that cuts through for balance real nicely. Lingering hits of sharp and pleasurable bitterness from pine to bitter citrus oil, and even some green herbs.

Very nice DIPA, and certainly one more with NEIPA character that isn't a sugar bomb either. Very nicely done here.

look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25 | 4.22/5

Cheers!

 

Next up, from Old Schoolhouse, Spring Runoff IPA. Ot's the latest in a series of collabs with YCH hops, and feature: Simcoe-CO2 extract, Simcoe-Cryo, Idaho 7-Cryo, Ahtanum-Cryo, Citra- Cryo, and HBC 586 - T90 pellet hops. Whew. It looks like a Pils, but has plenty of hop kick.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1395/541088/

 

Here's a unique offering from Upper Pass Beer Co.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46275/540878/
Notes:
Nitro Magnum Hopped Blonde Ale.
Shake Well and Pour Hard.



16 oz. can.
Canned 03/22/21.

Shake well and pour hard?

Why, yes indeed!

One inch pure white head over a bright, nearly transparent copper body with a sheet of lacing after each sip. Nose of very slight citrus and a bit of spice. Taste follows nose closely, highly drinkable and quite smooth with a tiny bit of hop bitterness on the finish. Silky nitro feel and overall, a tasty treat from Tunbridge, Vermont.
Cheers!!

 

#2, I’ve shipped this beer in the last two NBW BIF’s, and I just put it in another NBW BIF box today. And it’s going into another box I’m shipping next week. I guess it’s time I actually try one.

Have I mentioned how much I love these BIF’s?







4.59/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy mahogany brown color with a foamy tan head that flees the edges premises like it’s stealing something. The nose is big and boozy with loads of toffee, caramel, oak, vanilla, and more booze for good measure. Wow.

The taste has the booze up front, but the toffee and caramel flavors follow quickly and are accompanied by a surprising stone fruit flavor I did not expect, with the oak and vanilla smoothing things out at the end of the taste. This is a HUUUUGE beer (15.8% ABV) that doesn’t drink like that, which is a credit to the brewery.

This is probably the best beer I’ve had this year. Revolution’s barrel program is the real deal.

 

Up next is Von Ebert Eat Me Cake, a tart ale made with Blackberries, Black Currants, and Lavender. It's quite a pleasant brew.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/52436/525158/

 

Foreign Objects - Solarys.

16oz can served in a big snifter. Dated 02/15/2021.

Pours a hazy amber orange with a medium to small head. Smell is tropical juice and and a little orange.

Taste is softer juice flavors, some pith, and a bit of a zesty bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium, a little bit airy. Overall, it's a pretty good beer.

 

Brewing Projekt Brainstorm DIPA, 7.77% ABV. Seems like a DNEIPA to me. Pours hazy yellow with a 4+ finger white head that persisted, then left lacing all the way down the glass. Nose is citrus, berry, and light pine, taste follows, moderately sweet and real juicy, lightly bitter. Excellent mouthfeel, overall outstanding. One of the better DNEIPAs I've had lately.

4.44/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

 

Good Saturday evening, New Beer Weekenders. I made a quick trip up to District 96 Beer Factory this morning. I picked up cans of two new releases and was thrilled to see they also had fresh cans of Father of All Photo Bombs. I've been wanting to try this but always seemed to miss out. It's fairly basic: Citra and Mosaic. But it's immensely flavorful and has a killer mouth feel.

It pours a murky, dirty golden-orange color with a large, creamy, egg white head and a thick coating of lacing. It's nose is tropical: orange, pineapple, and stone fruit, with a hint of vanilla cream. The taste opens with soft but highly flavorful fruit. I'm tasting tangerine, pineapple, ripe cantaloupe, and berry. There is also a creamy, oaty sweetness. The flavors are soft and plush. There is very little bitterness from the Citra and Mosaic hops. The mouth feel is super thick and creamy with light/moderate carbonation. The 10% ABV is sneaky; it's not overtly boozy but you quickly feel it.

Simply great stuff!

4.47/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Have a great night everyone. See you tomorrow. Cheers, NBW!

 

Gifted late last year from ITB's head brewer from across the street from where I work; before my knee replacement surgery. Just found it in my cellar last week...oops!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/43069/540891/



22 oz. bomber. (Remember those?)
Bottled 02/11/20.

Moderate pour yields a one (+) inch tan head over a black body with sticky lacing. Nose of roasted malt, chocolate (dark, bitter), dark fruit (sweet cherry), and bourbon. Taste mirrors nose, very smooth, roasty, chocolatey, fruity, and slightly boozy. Tasty like a chocolate covered cherry with a mouthfeel like velvet. Bourbon is there, just enough, and not too much.
Thanks and Cheers to Will for this gem!!!

 

Cherry, Coffee Vanilla Dire Wolf - Wolf's Ridge Brewing



4.35/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

22 ounce bottle packaged on 2/16/21 @ 12.8%. Poured into a DFH tulip a medium khaki head lingered over a dark brown body. Smell at first was an undefined sweetness over a malty base. As it warmed up the cherry, vanilla and coffee became more evident, so much so that I upgraded the smell. Taste is very tart cherry forward at first, dominating everything; but as it warmed the other flavors came forward. But no booze. I realize that at 12.8% this is well within drop the hammer territory but it's surely the lack of barrel aging, no matter what was stored previously, that keeps the beast at bay. Just a thought: Maybe barrel aged imperial stouts should be their own category. Mouthfeel is just fine.

At first I was so overwhelmed by the cherry tartness I thought this was too one dimensional but warming it up has expanded everything. I need to try more Wolf's Ridge offerings. I'll hector the local bottle shop shortly.

Listening to Art Ensemble of Chicago with Cecil Taylor - Thelonious Sphere Monk: Dreaming of the Masters Volume 2.

 

Ok so no more brew nights on a full moon, my brew session is train wreck but taking a break and having a beer (which I do not do while brewing) since I under shot my gravity and need a longer boil to hit my target OG.

so this beer may be a haul hint for bif
Or maybe a ninja box or both.


4.52/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

16oz can 3/16/21 poured into a treehouse snifter
L: deep yellow to orange with a nice haze glow 2 finger + head which leaves strong lacing
S: stong notes of citrus and pine
T: firm bittness some drank notes up front middle is more citrus
M: smooth and creamy average carb

Overall, beautiful beer and hides the 8% and so easy to drink and I like while citrus forward not over sweet or moves in the over rippen fruit