New Beer Weekend #36

Hopefully, someone who actually knows will respond (@jesskidden?), but my recollection is that the original brewers of Kona retained the brand name in Hawaii, so what is available in Hawaii is what is brewed locally. IDK if it was any more complicated than that.

 

Honestly no idea. I found them at a pretty good beer shop in Bend, Oregon, which is 6+ hours from home for me. I've never seen a sign of them here in Washington. I saw them on the shelf and the beer guy (who knew what he was talking about) mentioned them as one of the new arrivals he was excited about.

 

Apologies for bringing too much attention to this in the thread. Craft Brew Alliance sold the license to the Kona brand in Hawaii to PV Brewing Partners (a Delaware company owned by an investment firm and a former president of Anheuser-Busch) in order to allow AB InBev to fully purchase Craft Brew Alliance (with brand rights to Kona outside of Hawaii).

 

Yeah, no idea (I'm sure the agreement is many pages long and pays the mortage on many a lawyer's summer house). It's not a unique situation, esp. for AB-InBev in the US, since labels they own worldwide like Labatt, Corona, Modelo Especial, etc., have other owners in the US (Fifco USA and Constellation, respectively.). And even the CBA/Kona deal is not the first time for them to "share" a brand with a purchased brewery/brewpub since Goose Island in Chicago was operated independently by Hall for a few years after the AB-InBev purchase of the brewery, wasn't it?

Yeah, a bit more complicated because it wasn't the original owners but a new group, P V Brewing that took over the Hawaiian portion of Kona which included a former AB president, Dave Peacock. The DoJ just put out the decision.
RESPONSE OF PLAINTIFF UNITED STATES TO PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED FINAL JUDGMENT

Oh, yeah - reviewing the info, further complicating the deal - Kona in Hawaii will be distributed by a so-called AB "Wholly-Owned Distributorship".

 

Greetings, all! I'm happy to be joining the party even if it had to wait until Sunday afternoon. It's a rainy day here, so we're taking it easy and watching Phil Lesh's 81st Birthday Celebration stream. I decided to ease into the day with an easy drinker that I've been curious about since I opened a box from @Dimidiata this week as part of the NBW BIF(aka the best time of the year). North Park is a brewery that I've seen nothing but positive reviews about and a mosaic lager sounds damned delicious, so I was excited to dive in.

Party Cup Mosaic Lager pours a brilliantly transparent straw color with a one inch white head that quickly dissolved. Small but lively bubbles meandered to the surface for much of the glass. The aroma burst out of the can before even pouring. It reminded me of standing in the middle of a brewery. It was the perfect encapsulation of fermenting grain and grassy hops. As it warmed the berry notes from the mosaic became much more prominent. This is the definition of a crisp lager made with pale malts and some rice, but then given a supercharge of mosaic that supply notes of berry, lemon, and dank resin. The finish is relatively dry with the malt getting a brief moment to present and a slight bitterness. This is a light bodied and crisp drinker on the palate. Overall, a super easy drinking lager with a big kick of mosaic. Thanks @Dimidiata, this was the perfect way to start the day.

 

Bingo!

 

The brewery wasn't necessarily "independent" of AB, but John was retained to lead the team and implement discussed improvements and ramp up scale for sometime after the sale, and owned and operated brewpub for a few years beyond until AB bought, closed and and transformed it into a "modern" brewpub setting. They still crank out solid beers at both locations (Clybourn and Fulton), but I pass on GI beers brewed outside of Chicago.

On to my final planned beer for the day. I typically don't buy a lot of NEIPAs (do have a few balanced favorites like Alarmist Le Jus and Old Nation M-43), but since I loved the previous Heretic beers I tried, I picked this up as the last available offering of their's here that I haven't.

Heretic Make America Juicy Again 3/28/21



Can Notes: 12 oz, canned 1/12/21, 6.5%. Refrigerated.since purchase, stored room temperature at the store.

Appearance: Light orange, impenetrable haze, creamy bubbly head recedes leaving generous lacing. 4.25

Aroma: Bold and enticing citrus and tropical fruits, pineapple, tangerine, mango. Smells very sweet 4.25

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, though a nice hops bitter balance that attempts, but doesn't completely subdue the sweetness. Tropical fruit noted in the aroma, some grapefruit as well, offset by bitter hops. Bitterness mutes the sweetness, but doesn't add an offsetting taste component or enhance the overall taste experience. 3.5

Mouthfeel: Persistent fizzy carbonation throughout, light to medium body. Sweetness tingles to tongue a times, easy drinking and clean finish. Balanced to sweet overall. 3.75

Overall: This is a good NEIPA attempt, somewhat balanced, nice sweet tropical flavors, looks and smells good. Appreciate the bitter component, but it doesn't bring additional flavor to the beer. Liked it, but not one I'd necessarily seek out. Still a solid offering. 3.75

NBS #839, WBAYDN #3081

 

First time trying a beer from Earth Rider (at least that I can recall!) “Valhalla” Scotch Ale.

It’s a beautiful one, and worth a try!



“Pours between a pale red and a cola-brown, topped with a medium tan head of good duration. Excellent lacking.

On the nose there’s plum and dark skinned fruits, fairly “clean”, as well.

On the first sip it is smzoooth... with a very light boozy character toward the tail end of the drink.

It’s a “malt bomb”, so it is sweet to an extent, but nicely bitter and quite balanced throughout the drink.

Super-drinkable, and altogether a better than average interpretation of the style, and easily packed-in and out for trail hikes.”

 

Pint can, dated 1/14/21.

Pours a dark cola brown color. Pillowy 2-finger head that settles to a thin cap.

Aromas that dominate include dark roast coffee and caramel, with slighter notes of brown sugar and something that reminds me of butterscotch.

Flavor surprisingly sweet up front, with the caramel and brown sugar coming first. Then more classic flavors take the reigns, roast coffee and cocoa provide a nice balance and see you through to a rather sticky finish. Mild alcohol burn after it had warmed a bit.

Overall, I enjoyed it very much. It has desert beer qualities with its sweet notes, but it also has a classic porter backbone that keeps it in check.

 

To round out my new beers this weekend is another gem delivered by local Trillium - Double Dry Hopped Comm Ave.

Named after our famous Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, pint can dated 03/18/21 pours a cloudy opaque pale yellow orange with a quickly dissipating white foam head.

Smells extremely hoppy, loaded with Citra, massive gigantic peach notes, mango, pineapple, lemon, orange citrus, grapefruit, papaya, some dank resinous earthy pine, with mild cramelized malt hiding underneath.

Tastes super hoppy, smooth and lush, cantaloupe, orange citrus, grapefruit sorbet, pineapple, peach, mango nectar, papaya, hint of lemon peel, dank resinous earthy herbal pine, with a hint of lightly toasty caramelized bready malt. Really fruit forward, not too dank, nice expression of Citra hops.

Feels medium-full bodied, creamy smooth with moderate low carbonation, finishing fairly dry.

Overall a really great Citra double dry hopped DIPA. A stunner, brings me back to the old days, I want to say this rivals DDH Fort Point and the old Street beers that made them famous. I've really been liking a lot of their new IPAs more than the recent releases of their old stuff. If you like Citra and NEIPAs, this is a good one, on the hoppiest end of the spectrum. Cheers all, and happy New Beer Weekend!

 

Submitted for your approval: Spoils of War, my first beer from Grains of Wrath, an IIIPA clocking in (need a more violent turn of phrase for it) at 10.5% abv.

16oz can served in a big snifter. Dated 03/04/21. Bought it at Market of Choice in Bend, OR two weeks ago.

Pours a clear golden amber with a medium sized head. Smell is fresh and hoppy, powerful resin radiating out as soon as I poured it. A little closer, I get booze and honey, maybe a little floral.

Taste is more dominated by the booze. Maybe that'll lighten up as it warms. Lemon, lemon pith, zest bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium, tending toward thick, a little chewy. Overall, it's pretty good, but the dominant alcohol flavor is a bit much.

 

Hey NBW! My interview the other day went well, so I'm hoping for a call back this week saying I'll be brought onto the team. Keep your fingers crossed for me... need a change big time! Today I have three new beers to share with you all. It was originally four but I realized right after pouring and starting my review for Ommegang's new batch of Neon Rainbows NEIPA that I had reviewed it before last May. It's pretty much as I remember it being... fine, but not amazing. Guess we'll promptly move on to another Ommegang IPA, a session one called Neon Lights.



Ohh, I get it, it's a "light" version of Neon Rainbows. Wow guys, that's clever. *audible groan*

Alright, so this is fresher than my can of NR I just finished, but it's still a couple months old, having been canned on 1/19/21. It has a best-before date of 5/19/21, so they're pretty confident this will still be good four months in. Let's see how right they are about that, as we are a bit past halfway to this supposed date of expiry.

The pour here is pretty decent, for sure. Nice, foamy cap sits atop a very hazy yellow beer with some orange-tinged highlights when held to direct light. Lace is appropriate and sticky, but not amazing, though the legs and retention here are definitely solid. It sticks around with a quarter-finger ring that shows off good surface coverage throughout my entire session with it, so I can't complain much, I suppose.

The nose is a bit grainy and wheat-y with hints of spelt or rye in a sense, kinda giving off a funky/earthy/spicy note. I will mention that the hop bill here seems pretty much identical to its bigger brother beer, but the label does not mention the Centennial hops that the website claims. Other varietals used here are Topaz, Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe, which is quite a nice modern combination (as noted in my review for NR), and I get hints of stone fruit (apricot, primarily), light mango and papaya, and a hint of pineapple here and there as well. It's a light smell, overall, however, and at the end of the day this is still a sub-5% ABV session IPA, so I don't expect a ton of flavor when all's said and done.

I think I like this a bit more than NR, actually, though... upon my first sip, it feels a bit funky or "saison-inflected," but I don't think it interferes at all. The element kinda fades after the beer acclimates to being in a glass anyway, but the airy and simple profile makes it an easy drink regardless. Solid carbonation and decent flavors of melon, guava, apricot, grapefruit, and light grassiness. Some slight berry notes from the Mosaic, too, but they're pushed very far to the back. Hints of estery fruit gum type flavors and a finish that concludes with a kiss of herbaceous complexity... I dig this, actually. I thought I would find it a little pointless, but it is certainly an easy-drinking session pale ale with a thoughtful hop combo that I don't think I could hate if I tried. For what it is, Neon Lights is good stuff.

Back very soon with a couple beers I picked up from my spontaneous trip to Portland, ME this past week... until then, cheers!

 

Cheers NBW
I have a new beer to me courtesy of @WunderLlama



Poured from a 16.9 oz can bb date of 11/20/21 5.4 abv

Huge creamy white above the rim head, crystal clear golden yellow color

Nose was banana, hint of cloves and wheat. A bit bready/ yeasty

Taste was a little malt and bread up front , some banana and clove with a slight citrus note.

Mouthfeel is kind of chunky, kind of sweet but not sticky, medium carbonation that tickles the tongue up front and a smooth wet finish that kind of coats your mouth

Overall this is not a style I drink often but of the ones I’ve had, this one is definitely well crafted and an excellent representation of the style

4.5/. 4.25/. 4.5/. 4.5/. 4.5/. 4.44/. rDev-1.4

 

Good afternon NBS/NBW a second this weekend seems in order, from Sena Farm Brewery a I pulled into the farm yesterday, they were busy sugaring so a quick curbside. The brewer was kind enough to share a few minutes. This offering has a really fun tension between Cascade driven pale ale and spicy continental Saison.
s’envoler Saison

Farmhouse Ale - Saison

Sena Farm Brewery
Worthington, Massachusetts

4.1/5 rDev 0% | Average: 4.1
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from an undated can (purchased at the brewery) into the test glass.
A - Orange blossom honey color, a kiss of haze. Carbonation feeds a thin off white cap.
S - Candied orange, a bit of pepper spice, Saison yeasty phenol, all run in a narrow band
T - That fresh orange is quite lovely, with some peach flesh added to the mix. That yeast driven side of a good Saison is present with again the notes of pepper and coriander.
M - Medium in body, with a full feel, starts out feeling slick but quickly dries out. Linger is tropical and dry.
O - A very good offering, the orange flavors are balanced against a more traditional Sasion portfolio of flavors.
Feel is decieving, with a slick start and a lovely dry finish

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. Yesterday, I picked up a couple of new releases at District 96 Beer Factory (haul hint?). One is a collaboration with Fidens Brewing Company (near Albany) called Cold-Blooded. This is amazing! In fact, it's one of my highest rated IPAs at 4.62. For context, I rated JJJuliusss! at 4.69, Pliny the Elder at 4.68, and Heady at 4.65.

Reviewed the day after can release. Poured into a snulip glass. It pours a dense, turbid, muddy-gold color with a large, fluffy, egg white colored head and thick, creamy lacing. The bright, floral nose includes lemon, pineapple, melon, vanilla cream, and D96's unique "Snake fruit" smell. It's immensely flavorful, opening with a blend of tropical fruits that is difficult to identify. However, the brewery states they are Fuyu Persimmon (Fruit Of The Gods), Pomelo, and Cherimoya. The Persimmon provides a hint of honey. The Pomelo adds tart bitterness, and the Cherimoya offers a banana custard taste that is unique. This is as fruity and flavorful an IPA as I've had. The mouth feel is luxuriously thick and creamy with moderate carbonation, and it drinks much too smoothly and easily than a typical 10% TIPA. Overall, this is simply amazing. It's uber fresh and I don't know how long it will retain its flavor profile but it's sublime drinking.

4.62/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I have a local DIPA next but this will be a hard act to follow. Cheers!

 

Story time ahead! Thanks for entertaining my ramblings, BA...

So, as I mentioned in my previous post, I took a solo day trip to Portland last week. As I've mentioned a few times recently, I'm extremely sick of my workplace and have a good chunk of PTO, so when I was given the opportunity to take a very short day last Wednesday and leave a couple hours into my shift, I took it without hesitation. Upon returning home, I decided I didn't want to just sit around all day and instead resolved to take a random, spontaneous trip somewhere. Quickly checking that a few of my favorite breweries on Industrial Way would be open at some point, I began my sojourn.

I arrived about a half hour prior to the opening of just about everything in the vicinity, so I hit up a few local shops in the interest of time-killing, and eventually headed to Bier Cellar, which I reached just a few moments after the lone employee flipped the sign to "Open." Inside, I took my time searching for stuff that I would have a hard time finding back in MA and settled upon the next two beers I'll be sharing with you today, among a bunch of others. After this, I did a bit of research into where exactly I should eat lunch because I was already hungry as hell after all that beer shopping. I drove around aimlessly for a bit and ended up in Westbrook, where I pulled over to check whether or not Mast Landing would be open. As it turned out, though I really wanted to check out their brewery (and Mainstay, as a hungry traveler), they wouldn't be open for a few hours, so that felt like a no-go. So, I did what any tourist does in this situation, and typed in "lunch nearby" into my phone's navigation app.

There were a few good sounding choices, but one stood out: Blazes Burgers, which had 4.5 stars out of 5 and was less than a mile from me at that exact moment. I immediately felt confident that this establishment would be the right choice, and I felt vindicated as I hungrily-devoured what could very possibly be one of the top five burgers I've ever had in my life (bacon and blue cheese, for your information) at this random hole-in-the-wall place. From there, I continued to Industrial Way and enjoyed beers at Foundation, Battery Steele, and Definitive (the latter of which had indoor seating and offered small pours from their extensive taplist featuring some guest taps, which meant I stayed there much longer than at the other two breweries) before heading home. Overall, a great day that felt super liberating to enjoy. And, goddamn it, it felt awesome to go into a brewery and enjoy a few hours and successive pints of great beer again. Now that I'm vaccinated, I'm not overly concerned, and I felt safe the entire time so... I'm excited to get a bit back to normal, personally.

Alright, that's enough of that. You came here to hear about my experiences with new beers, didn't you? Ask and you shall receive, of course: here is my first of two new Maine ales for this evening... Lone Pine's Slush Punch.



Lone Pine has been kind of hit-or-miss to me, but when they do hit I tend to be pretty intensely-impressed by whatever they happen to have pulled off, so I feel like they're one of those breweries I probably give a few more chances to when compared to some that are just consistently-meh. Crush Puppie, for example, was an intensely-fruity and satisfying session IPA with lemon-lime flavor that felt refreshing, hoppy, and incredibly evocative of the classic summer slush treat, and this one kinda seems to take that idea, nix the hoppiness, and double down on everything else. An imperial sour with a bevy of cool fruits and a touch of lactose for balance... I'm in!

Pour is a surprisingly-deep hazy orange color with a bit of translucence to it and a retentive head that settles at a decent quarter-finger ring that lingers for the entirety of my drinking experience. No lace and minimal legs here, but I don't really expect a lot from a fruited kettle sour with lactose when it comes to these types of aspects, so... no harm, no foul.

Nose is fresh tangerine pulp and rind with lots of fun tropical fruit suggestions popping up and quickly disappearing. I get passion fruit, mango, and guava, with some light pineapple and even yuzu and grapefruit peel coming in and out. All of this is backed up by an understated but present oat-like maltiness and a hint of creamy vanilla that definitely seems to be brought about by the lactose inclusion. The high-ish ABV of 7.5% means that this is almost-certainly gonna have a good malt backbone, and that excites me as I do get some cereal-like (think Honey Nut Cheerios) graininess in here. Very pumped to sip!

This is great! I love it... it's basically alcoholic juice but with enough malt that I definitely know it's a beer. The first gulp I take is chock full of authentic apricot and peach flavor mingling with the fun and playful tropical aspect brought on by the mango. The rind-like citrus of tangerine hits in the mid-palate and reminds me a lot of those super-strong Altoids Sours that were, if I remember right, also available in a tangerine flavor. I get a bit of the lactose here, sure, but it really only acts to balance the tartness that is quite present and obvious upfront. The acidity level here is for sure a bit on the high end upon initial pour, honestly, but it mellows out about halfway through the glass. Feel is rather heavy, as well, but when it's cold it feels really refreshing... in spite of the fact that buying and drinking a four pack of these right in a row would probably have me pass out from high blood sugar and alcohol poisoning, so even though you can put 'em back I probably wouldn't suggest it. Anyway, very fun and enjoyable stuff as long as you don't take beer too seriously.

I'm feeling good so I have one more (perhaps somewhat similar?) imperial sour from NJ on deck before I continue to my nightcap: the other Maine beer mentioned in the above story. Cheers all!

 

Yeah, that's the second deal I was referring to when I suggested that both AB-InBev and the Hall-owned brewpub sort of "shared" the Goose Island brand for a few years.

 

Subtle. Really subtle.