New Beer Weekend #37

Good morning all, thanks @SawDog505 for opening up the tap on NBW.



Treehouse is one of my favorite breweries. They coax unique flavors out of their stouts and, if you like sweet dessert style beers , then they have plenty of excellent options . A fluffernutter sandwich brings me back to my childhood . Two slabs of white wonder bread smeared on one side with Jif smooth and creamy peanut butter. The other side lathered with fluffernutter marshmallow vanilla fluff. Not a substance that naturally occurs in nature but when combined, it becomes a sweet gooey sugary mess. Probably low on the “healthy good for you scale” but definitely high on the “sugary sweet treat” index.

Sweet Ride Fluffernutter by Treehouse

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

Bottle poured into a treehouse snifter

Thick syrupy black motor oil crowned by a brown dense creamy foam cap that recedes to a solid thin brown layer after five minutes . Some residual lacings cling to the sides

Sweet aroma of chocolate , vanilla, peanut butter

Sweet dessert in a liquid form , peanut butter, vanilla , creamy , lots of residual sugar , milk chocolate. You could easily ferment another bottle with the residual sugars in here

Very sweet, creamy, low sudsing, the 11%abv is invisible . A dessert like treat . You are not pounding a six pack of these without consulting a physician for an impending diabetic sugar induced coma

Good beer, a sweet treat

 

Thank you @SawDog505 fir sharing your special day, and I hope you your son and the family enjoy a great celebration later today!

Picked a nice and easy beer to start, this one from a local brewer known for their great traditional beers. I don’t have much familiarity with the Dortmunder style, but I’m looking forward to trying this offering.

Metropolitan Humbucker



Can Notes: First time I noticed a best by date in lieu of a canning date for this brewer, 5/13/21. 12 oz can, no abv listed, 5.3% per Beer Advocate. Brewed in Collaboration with our friends at Scorched Tundra (Internet note - Scorched Tundra is a unique and intimate concert experience in Chicago and Gothenburg Sweden.) “Earthy blonde lager, with a soft minerality. Hefty hop profile with cheery, floral aromas and brightly herbal hop flavors. Reward yourself.”

Appearance: Clear golden straw color pour into a Pilsner glass, heavy carbonation throughout, nice creamy head lasts for a few minutes vbefore leaving soapy lacing. 4.0

Aroma: Nice bold flavors, bread and black pepper lead, grassy and earthy as well. 4.0

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, nice bread malt taste, salty with a spicy backing pepper. Malt sweetness contained by an assertive hops presence. Piney, slightly bitter, floral, lemon grass. This is packed with pleasant and varied flavors. Love the balance and taste, works well. 4.5

Mouthfeel: This is a light crisp beer, well balanced between a sweet bread malt and hops providing a pleasant bitterness. Easy drinking and clean finish. 4.0

Overall: This is another solid offering by Metropolitan. Strong aroma, taste bursts with flavor, easy finish and drinking. An enjoyable offering I need to get more of beyond this single can. Held up well despite being five weeks before the noted “Best Before” date. Need to pick up more of this style, and this particular beer in the future. 4.25

 

Its springtime – time for the weedeater?

Today’s new beer: Tired Hands DDH Weedeater – A Double Dry Hopped Weedeater Inspired Double India Pale Ale.

When I see the term “weed eater” I think of the lawn tool I use to trim lawn edges and yes weeds too – I use the term weed whacker for my tool (WORX WG163 GT) and I have not pulled it out of the shed yet; maybe in another week or two. But based upon the artwork on this can of beer I am surmising that Tired Hands has something else in mind for branding this beer as “Weedeater”. Generally speaking I am not a fan of beers that have a notable aroma/favor of dank so I will confess that I approaching this beer with a little ‘reticence’ but each new beer is a new adventure so: let’s adventure away!

Served in my Spiegelau IPA glass:

Appearance:

Pours a hazy yellow color with a BIG white head.

Aroma:

Wow! The first thing that hits my nose is a pleasing combination of tropical fruits and citrus. As the beer warms/opens up there is some dank aroma as well.

Taste:

The flavors follows the nose: a tasty combination of tropical fruit & citrus. Even as the beer warms/opens up there is not too much dank on the palate. This beer has a pronounced bitterness to it.

Mouthfeel:

Medium body, a nice soft/velvety mouthfeel with an off-dry finish.

Overall:

This beer is very good – excellent. I enjoyed that it had a notable bitterness and I appreciated that the dank aspect was not at the ‘in your face’ level.

Cheers!

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @RobH

 

Had this at Saint Arnold's restaurant yesterday afternoon...

Double Down Imperial IPA. 9.2% ABV



Pours with a slight chill haze. A golden/orange color. A one finger white head forms, and leaves some spotty lace.
A big aroma of stone fruit/peach and melon. Citrus, grapefruit and bready malts to balance out the hoppy aromatics.
Like the nose taste wise, with that peach/stone fruit and melon flavor. More citrus, grapefruit, pine come into play as well. Some sweetness, and malty bready flavors. Lingering bitterness that brings everything together nicely. Really well balanced.
A medium to full body. Excellent carbonation, that is crisp and super clean. An easy Imperial IPA to drink, this is one I can come back to with no trouble.

Not surprising, this is really well made and well balanced. Which is basically their MO. This is not a style I typically gravitate towards, but will be picking up a few six packs now when I see them. Well done.

Overall score is 4.11, an A- for me.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/337/517923/?ba=champ103#review

 

thanks to @SawDog505 for the start.
Skrap Metal is a DIPA and my first from The Hop Butcher
-Deep yellow-orange can pour with a 1 cm cap of fine foam and a citrus-pineapple nose.
The flavor is straight-up fruit juice. Orange, pineapple and guava are most prominent. There is sweetness and moderate hop bitterness for balance.
The mouthfeel is quite smooth and the carbonation is pleasantly prickly.
This is likely less beer-like than some would prefer , but it provides bursts of fruit flavors.

 

Thanks @SawDog505 for getting NBW started, and happy birthday to your oldest.
This past week has seen a definite uptick in the daily temperatures. We're now in the 80s during the day and 50s overnight. Warm enough that the pool has been opened, and it sure felt good to hop in after golf yesterday.
I have a couple IPAs picked out for my new beers. The first one up is 4 Giants from Founders. This was canned 3/15/21 and has an ABV of 9.2%.
A clear copper-colored beer. One finger fluffy white head, some lacing.
Aroma of sweet malt, citrus, and pine.
Grapefruit and pine taste. Caramel background.
Nicely hopped. Aggressive without being too much.
Nice beer.

 

Starting of my beery weekend with a brew a friend recently brought back from Hood River OR, Pils Bernina, part of the Bottom Ferment series from Ferment. Supposedly an Italian Pils, while a nice brew, it lacks the bold hoppiness that thus far has defined the style:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/53606/542109/

 

An unexpected benefit to not traveling and purchasing usual suspect styles (IPA/Stout), and inability to order beer online (thanks TN!) has been a focus on previously unvisited styles and breweries. This beer fits both!

It really packs a near perfect sweet/bitter element as the malts & hops evolve on the palate with each new sip. Just lovely and has me hankering to get out and travel to GB for a true pub & ESB experience. Maybe next year!

 

Hey what's going on?!

Is it new beer weekend already?! time flies!

Trying to get through one blast of cold here, should be sailing pretty by tomorrow for sure. Man we got spoiled for awhile down here.

What's new for our her today?



Poured from the can into a Spiegelau IPA glass.

Solid and opaque forming, with a pale lemon and greenish tinged yellow body color. Nearly turbid but also with some good touches of noticeable fine carbonation. Creamy forming topped head, slightly under three fingers but with great staying power. Settles with rocky cling, and a big bright white appearance.

Classic new age hop aroma. Big hints of tropical notes and a real dusty grain and sweet spicy hinting flavor. Mango and pineapple to guava like notes roll much along on the nose, with hints of sweet green herbs as well.

Palate is a very joyful hop romp. Body stays a bit neutral, almost flirting with session like feel. Hoppy mid palate explosive in tropical notes, but a much more interesting finish for contrast. Heavy but tolerable astringency and bitterness of sharp mint, green tea, and a leafy sage bitterness that is quite powerful. Lingering notes of bitter hop, accented by menthol like feeling as well as flavor, and even a hint of dank properties that starts to take over from the fruit forward front.

Very neat hop angle and I really like the bitter aggressive attitude of this brew.

look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25 | 4.21/5

Cheers!

 

Good afternoon NBW
I cannot recall ever trying a dark Czech lager in my years on BA or the years before. I only have one store in a metro area of 300,000 that even attempts to bring anything outside of the "routine" imports. So, I bought a six pack when I spotted it...

11.2oz green bottle coded L20223 16:48 # N poured into a pokal glass at just above fridge temp 4.5%. The beer pours bright medium brown with ruby highlights and khaki colored head. The head recedes to a thin cap of tight bubbles. Good lacing. The aroma is mild with toasted malt, cocoa and dark chocolate. The taste is tangy, bittersweet malt with additional notes of cocoa, toasted whole grain bread and earthy hop notes with a moderate bitterness. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, very good. I'm not sure that the tangy, bright note really belongs here and I suspect it's due to this bottle being about nine months old. I would love to try a fresh bottle or draft of this beer.

I'm not disappointed with the purchase as I will probably use the other 5 to back up some whiskey over the next few weeks. I find dark, lower ABV beers are perfect for that role.

Cheers all and enjoy your weekend!

 

Loved that beer, regret not ordering more of it.

 

Spot-on review, as always. I feel like if it were two or three years ago, people would be trading the shit out of Slice. My only gripe is that, as far as I know, they rarely, if ever, rebrew the same beer twice. If they did, I'd vote for Blinding Sunset to be in their regular rotation. As it stands, I'm happy to have, at least for the time being, a semi-regular hook-up. (Thanks, @Dimidiata.)

 

Pint can, “freshest by 7/20/21”.

Pours a cloudy burnt straw. Sticky off white head, laces well.

Nose is fresh leafy hops, lemon zest and sweet melon.

Flavor begins with the citra bite up front, floral yet sticky at the same time. Secondary flavors include grapefruit and lemon zest, with sweeter notes of kiwi and honeydew before the finish. Mild hop aftertaste after all is said and done. Nicely carbonated for its body and sticky character.

Overall, I really enjoy this. It stands out to me because of its transition of flavors. The extra fruit notes add some contrast and complexity as opposed to just piling on more and more bitterness. If you’re seeking an over-the-top hop bomb that turns your face inside out, this may not find the mark, but it’s definitely worth a try.

 

Wow, that's in cans now? One of my favorite old-school face-melters from last year. ISO.

 

#2

Pint can, canned 11/10/20.

Pours a cloudy bronze color, creamy off-white head.

Nose is mild toasted malts, faint leafy hops and a touch of tree sap maybe? The tree effect is definitely there.

Flavor is a spicy hop bite right up front, mild malt sweetness plays in the background. The birch note comes on at the finish...like an earthy, sappy, black licorice flavor. Very unique.

Crisp finish, somewhat bitter aftertaste. Appropriately carbonated, and fairly clean on the palate.

The name may lead you think that’s it’s going to be a sweet / syrupy / sappy offering, but there is plenty of bitterness to be had. Nice complimentary flavors. High five to the folks at Logyard.

 

Pair of My favorite Citra NE IPAs (Should blind test them)
Scoot Scoot Scoot | Carton | 7% | Atlantic Highlands, NJ
4.2/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2d review. Should be listed as NE IPA, born on St Pats 2021.
4.25 x board. Bought another 4 pack. So good. So Citra.
a) As creamy, thick, tight custard head as you'll see, which slashes lace and lasts over orange creamsicle glowing hazed body.
s) More peach, mango, than orange pineapple, with a sllght earthy, cedary, fruit pit note. Floridian.
t) Again more peach, mango, guava than your typical citrus, layers nicely, finishes mineral and clean.
f & o) Pleasant mouth feel, slightly chalky, mineral. Invites another.

King Sue | Toppling Goliath | 7.8% | Iowa
4.45/5 rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
456# review. This NEIPA started it all. Outstanding.
hides its 100 IBU well but sports a 100 score here.
a) Fruit hazed golden bomb.
s/t) Bursting hop aromas, ample and pungent, fruit salad.
f) Smooth, juicy, the gold standard indeed.
o) must be blind tasted vs 4 other NE IPAs to see if anyone can topple Giant Sue.

 

This came courtesy of 1244969[/URL]]@Mbgreg in BIF 13, Peninsular Envy
Poured the color of raw honey with a bone white head.
Aroma was led by the Citra hops and the other two (strata and cashmere) provided harmonic balance.
The taste was more nuanced, this is no citra bomb. Very enjoyable dankness follows the flavors of the hops present and only the viscous feel keeps me from chugging this. Really tasty!
The feel, as I mentioned, is spot on for the style and ABV- less full would make one want to just gulp through.
My first Bearded Iris, and hopefully not the last! Really enjoyed this!

 

Rubs hands together, slaps them on the counter. Let's do this, NBWers!

New to me.
TRVE Black Cascade (Black IPA). 6.5% on the can.
I was over the moon when I saw this in the fridge of my local... so without further ado.

4.15/5 rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

L - Dark, not quite opaque, brown-meets-black appearance, carried its crown of angry foam for a good few minutes. Not a ton of lacing.

S - Toasty malts, definitely old school hop bill on the nose (smell the pissed off pines! smell them!) - not a lot of nasal character on this but you can get some of that black IPA Char from it.

T - Where it shines, and for a mid 6% black IPA, it's got real character to it. More char, black tar bottom brown ale notes, with a solid troubadour malt backbone to it. Damn I miss these beers.

F - Good, lively carbonation keeps it feeling light and lively, without losing its dark soul.
O - A damn fine lighter black IPA.

KEEP
MAKING
THIS,
TRVE!