New Beer Weekend #37

A new brew from @Pinz412 and his hit during NBS BIF #13, Hitchhiker Brewing Ramen Profit IPA, a nicely enjoyable OG IPA. Happy giant bunny day y'all!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34427/472677/

 

Parish Envie Pale Ale, 5.5% ABV; 4.07 overall

Pours a super hazed banana yellow with 2+ fingers of pillowy cream colored head. Stellar lacing & head retention

S: Grassyness & breadyness, mango once warm

T: Follows the nose, lime, strawberry & green melons as well up front. Some orange mixing with green melon as this warms, along with dryness. Finishes juicy with orange, papaya & green melons and a little dryness

MF: Medium body, creamy carbonation, good balance

This bottle is almost 100 days old, but still delivers flavor, this will serve as my placeholder review until I can revisit

 

Had a chance to catch up with the thread. @Roguer 's Slice @oldmankoch ;s Fuller's ESB and @kemoarps 's Hop Butcher Skelton Cruise (brewed nearby) are the three beers added to my want list.

@Roguer , Mocha Machine is one of my favorite beers period, sorry you didn't enjoy. @jonphisher - No burn or harshness from 4Giants, bitterness yes, but balanced by the a typical midwest IPA malt presence. It's an outstanding cuvee, definitely pick up at least one to try if you can.

Question for the board - Does the Deschutes beer code indicate whether it was brewed in Bend or in Virginia? My bottle code following the date is 2121 6240.

On to beer two.

AleSmith Black Velvet



Can Notes: Canned 12/22/205.2% ABV Nitro Stout. Oatmeal, Roast, Smooth. Oatmeal Stout. "This Velvety, nitro-infused oatmeal stout abounds with notes of chocolate, coffee, and cream. Its smooth body and luscious finish make it eminently drinkable on any occasion." Glassware Nonic, Serving Temp 45-50 F.

Appearance: Dark brown black base, extremely rich and generous nitro head, without a can pellet. Lingers for several minutes before leaving a half inch thick layer above the base. 4.75

Aroma: Cream, milk chocolate and coffee lead, a nice roast malt backing. Smells balanced to sweet. 4.0

Taste: Taste much more subdued than the aroma would lead. Milk chocolate and malt primary, a backing oatmeal comes through. light in strength, a bit chalky. 3.0

Mouthfeel: Very thin and watery, no carbonation, the lingering head adds some creamy texture. Neutral in terms of sweetness/bitterness. Easy clean finish, very light and easy. 2.75

Overall: This is a light and easy oatmeal stout, looks great, light tasting and one of the thinest stouts I've had. Overall OK. 3.25

 

Greetings NBW friends. I started this weekend with every intention of posting yesterday and today. Mrs O and I were going to a family Easter gathering in the greater Chicago area, after our recent COVID-19 vaccinations and see my family for the first time since late in 2019.

And I was strategically going to work in a brewery visit to put together my final box for my NBW BIF #13 target, which I did (the first beer tonight is from that trip), but then found out that my sister’s house is a “dry space.”

No alcohol of any kind.

That was news to me (and Mrs O). So no beers Friday or Saturday, which moved this Bohemian pilsner from Goldfinger to today. Let’s do this.

PS: yes, that glass is holding all of the crowler. Thanks to the beer godz.





4.43/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a crystal clear copper color with a light tan sudsy head. Absolutely gorgeous beer. The nose is filled with spicy, grassy noble hop aromas and a nice bready malt note.

The noble hop flavors are front and center on the taste and there’s also a decided biting, spicy bitterness to this that is outstanding, and a smidge of sweet bready malt flavor for a bit of balance. Wow, is this flavorful at 5% ABV.

The mouthfeel is crispier that over fried french fries. This is exceptionally well executed, IMHO, and indicative of Goldfinger’s lager game.

 

Happy Easter NBWs

I am trying this for the first time
Pineapple Passion from Stone Cow Brewery out of Barre, Ma.


Poured from an undated 16 oz, can
6.5 abv NEIPA

appearance is semi cloudy golden yellow color with a 1 inch soapy head and veiled lacing

Aroma is almost like Cheerio's and some muted overripe pineapple and passion fruit.

Taste is slightly astringent up front, malty and the pineapple come through on the back end very late, kind of lingers on the back of the tongue.

mouthfeel is sticky and astringent, prickly on the tongue, not very sweet and dry finishing. Slight pucker factor.

Overall for a beer called Pineapple Passion, there isn't a big pineapple taste, kind of a sour hard candy feel to it.

It didn't suck, to quote Anthony Bourdain

4/ 3.5/ 3.75/ 3.75/ 3.75/ 3.71/

 

Von Trapp Pilsner, a tasty pilsner, definitely excited to try more Von Trapp brews soon!
4.13/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12 oz can poured into a mug

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

S- Biscuits, pale malts, floral, herbal, some citrus, earthy.

T- Citrus, biscuits, floral, earthy, some pilsner malts, touch of peppercorns.

M- Smooth, crisp, light body.

O- A tasty and easy drinking pilsner. A little on the hoppy side but not overly hoppy.

Cheers!

 

Up next is a triple IPA from Widowmaker (which, as I've mentioned a few times here, is a brewery my buddy Pat is a cellarman for; full disclosure and all that). It's brewed with honey, of course, and clocks in at a very healthy 10% ABV.



Pour is pretty good, but not amazing. Of course, it is opaque, with a nice orange hue/coloration to it with moderate saturation going on. Somewhat muddy-looking, though, when all is said and done, and the head retention leaves a bit to be desired, as it never really gets above the finger (or so) that it initially pours with, and leaves behind some unexciting, modest lace.

I believe this is based on the Honeymaker recipe, which is Citra/Azacca/Comet/Idaho 7. First sniff is a bit better than the smaller beer it's based on, with nice, succulent notes of ripe honeydew melon and mango. The honey doesn't come out much, honestly, but I get a good hit of the ethanol if I inhale deeply, along with some notes of dankness, grassy undertones, and tangelo with some apricot hints kicking around as well. Honestly, pretty cool smell to this one. I have to say that WM has come a long way since even the middle of last year, and their beers have been steadily improving overall. Hope the flavor profile follows along with the experience thus far...

First few sips give me a big apricot/melon flavor bolstered by hints of ethanol, tannins (thanks Idaho 7!), some mango, and even a little bit of white wine grape. As it warms, I get more of the essence of the added honey (which I know fermented out, but I do still get some of its floral and slightly-sweet vestige-like components hanging around) as well as some light white pepper spice, resiny dankness, and a hefty oat-like malt component that makes this a satisfying (and slow-drinking) TIPA. Feel is kinda medium-heavy with a slickness on the palate that informs its strength, but the carbonation is average for the style. Finishes dry-leaning with appropriate strength and slight lingering bitterness. Good flavors in this one. I am definitely enjoying it!

 

Flanders style cherry by Barrique

4.24/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25



Flanders style sour red ale fermented with montmorency and balaton cherries

Caged and corked bottle poured into a tulip glass. Fizzy one finger pink foam quickly fades to a ring over a ruby red translucent liquid . Active streams of micro carbonation

Aroma of cherries when it’s uncorked. Aroma is cherries , cherries and cherries

Taste is tart , crisp cherries

Fizzy mouthfeel, tartness but juicy , mouth watering

Good beer, very surprised that there are so few reviews of this brewery in beer advocate

 

My first ever Black is Beautiful and it's a doozie. Many thanks to @Pinz412 for sending it my way.

2021 Version from Eleventh Hour Brewing

Four Roses barrel aged stout blended with maple syrup bourbon barrel aged stout aged on coffee and Belgian chocolate. Whew. Incredible beer.

 

I hope this fills the bill for tonight's dessert!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33136/421697/



16 oz. can.
Canned 03/15/21.

Moderate pour yields a 3/4 medium-dark tan head over a near black body.
Nose of roasted malt, charred oak, chocolate, and maple.
Taste of chocolate, maple, caramel, and toffee; ya know, the sweet stuff.
Nice feel and overall, I'd recommend this tasty treat for dessert!
Cheers!!!

 

Fantastic space. It's literally on the way to my sister's new place in Aurora. The original plan was Dovetail, but trying to hit them all the way near Evanston, then get to my sister's in Aurora by 5 pm on Good Friday after getting away from home at 2 pm Central time ..... no bueno. Then I saw Goldfinger was literally in my flight path to Aurora, so like any self-respecting beer nerd, I reconnoitered.

Now that I've been to my sister's new place and understand the lay of the land, we will meet at Goldfinger, and it will be grand. There lager game is crazy good, IMHO.

 

Nice! I have a can of this, but not for tonight... some other time, for sure, but it's good to hear that it's quality.

Alright, up next is Industrial Arts' Yes Farms Yes Beer, a 6% "New York State Grown Hazy India Pale Ale," canned 3/15/21.



This pours a vibrant yellow color with a generous dollop of foam atop its hazy body, measuring about two fingers at its highest point, with a nice amount of retention and solid-enough lace. Legs are decent, I guess, too, but the appearance isn't really out of the ordinary for the style, to be honest. I would consider myself "difficult to impress" when it comes to NEIPA-type beers, though, so perhaps take my ramblings with a grain of salt (or perhaps a whole shaker).

Smells upfront like pineapple and grapefruit/pomelo, crossing with some nice leafiness and hints of lemon, grassiness, and a bit of passion fruit. It's a fairly standard scent, I think, but it does the job. I will say that they did a good job with the pineapple suggestions here, because that element feels the most apparent to me even as this warms a bit.

First sip has a nice blend of the aforementioned pineapple with some husky grains, leafy hop elements, grapefruit, and mango. As it warms, a touch of esters comes out, giving off some anonymous fruit elements along with a bit more of a tropical aspect that I think feels pretty characterful. Solid oat-driven maltiness and no lingering bitterness in the finish. Light and dry-leaning with a slightly coating feel for the most part; oily but balanced. Well-made stuff and definitely something you could enjoy more than one of, so I'd get it again for sure. Cheers!

 

Saint Arnold French Press Bourbon Imperial Stout, 9.9% ABV, 3.84 overall

Pours an effervescent crimson hued hazel with one finger of tan head. Above averagehead retention & lacing

S: Bourbon, figs

T: Follows the nose, barrel dryness, a little coffee & vanilla up front, with some booze warmth. Coffee bitterness, a little vanilla, figs & traces amounts of Bourbon compete with barrel dryness for attention as this warms. Finishes dry with Bourbon notes & coffee

MF: Medium body, low carbonation, warming

Solid, but doesn't quite pull together for greatness

 

Last one for the night, and it's dumb.



This is Area Two (Two Roads project) Party Cake, a 10%(!?) "pastry cream ale." There isn't much info about it out there, but I figured I'd take the leap and be the one to figure out what the heck is going on here. Seems like this is getting trashed on Untappd, which can either mean really bad things or really good things, depending on how cynical/weirdly-non-cynical you are. Funny how that works, eh?

Pours a clear-ish golden color with a solid finger-and-a-half of head that lingers as a half-finger after a few minutes, leaving behind some solid lacing that shows up in retentive tiers. Good legs, too, I might add, and the surface is completely covered with foam. Not too shabby, I guess. I have no idea what is happening with this beer, but let's see, shall we?

The nose has notes of lemon custard, creamy vanilla, and buttercream, which means it really sits in a place that makes me feel both oddly-uncomfortable and, yet, which also feels strangely inviting in a sense. I can't detect a single iota of this beer's claimed 10% ABV, I'll have y'all know, which makes me feel like this will likely be a dangerous beer. More citrus and vanilla cream comes out eventually, but not much in terms of definitive aspects of the former... it's just a suggestion, in other words.

My first sip has strong buttercream cake flavors mixed with a surprisingly-deft balance of lemony hop notes and perhaps even a hint of sourdough-type malt that brings to mind the possibility that this was blended with a very small amount of a young sour beer or something. I actually think this might be a pretty "well-made" beer when you get down to it... there is nothing about this that is "pure," honestly... it ain't "Reinheitsgebot," ya know? And so I immediately start to wonder how they made it. As it warms, I lose any of the notes of tartness I had picked up, so it's possible they just literally made a really strong ale with vanilla or something. Not sure how much I'm overthinking this one, actually.

Feel is light-medium with a lingering sweetness that takes at least three seconds to actually hit the back of my palate.in a meaningful way. At that point, I start to feel and perceive the strength of this beer, but it really takes until about halfway through to get there. Dangerous. I'm not sure how recommendable this one is, though. You really need to enjoy stupid, sweet, big beers to find yourself in the market for this one. Or, maybe you're just me and you enjoy buying dumb things on occasion. Whatever the case may be, this is not offensive enough to dump, so that's its own kind of tacit approval, I think!

 

Look: Pitch black with a thin mocha head

Smell: Straight up maple candy with a touch of coffee and Heath

Taste: Maple candy up front with a big body of toffee, cold brew, and Heath bars. The finish has more maple with a light vanilla and light gas station coffee finish.

Feel: Big and thick on the palate. Coats the whole palate and doesn’t let go. No bitterness. Big sweetness. Mild alcohol.


Overall: A tasty breakfast of a beer. Big maple and coffee. My first from these brewers and I really enjoyed it.

4/4/4/4

A great way to wind down a beautiful weekend. Cheers BAs!

 

I'm not much of a contributor these days, but in the spirit of the NBS BIF #13 that I'm following along with, I thought I'd stop by in here today.

As a thank you for a favor, a friend picked me up some Pizza Boy beers while he was out that way. Drinking a crowler of Frontside Lipslide, their Simcoe DIPA.

Appearance - Just cloudy enough to be opaque but by no means turbid, golden in color. 1 inch white head that mostly vanished pretty quickly but the last bit sticks around a while; heavy lacing.

Aroma - Not a particularly powerful aroma but what's there is distinctly piney, as would be expected for a Simcoe beer. Pine wreath and a tiny bit of artificial pine scent, maybe a hint of citrus in the background.

Taste - Flavor follows aroma, strongly piney and moderately bitter. Simcoe isn't my favorite hop, but this beer certainly does it justice.

Mouthfeel - Sticky but not cloying.

Overall - A solid WC IPA and a very good representation of Simcoe hops. Not a ton going on outside showcasing the hops, but then again that's appropriate to the style.

A slightly generous 4.0/5 based on its faithful representation of hop varietal and style.