New Beer Weekend #41

Well, my plans fell through, so I'm at home, and enjoying some "juice" that @woemad so kindly sent to me. Juice in the morning is a good thing, right?


Meowsa! - IIPA - Georgetown Brewing - 8.1% ABV.

Yes, this is some good juice. The hops just totally linger and do not let go. I'll be burping hops up all day after this, and I like it. Thank you for this beer.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4378/262749/

3.99/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a very murky, dank, hazy darker straw color. There's a 2 finger slightly off white head to this beer, however it's not long lasting at all. It dissipated quickly, and there's no lacing on the glass.
The nose is a nice juicy hop mix. I get Mango, pineapple and a touch of grapefruit here.
Taste - Up front I get the grapefruit and pineapple. This goes to the back where the mango comes in to play. There's also a slight bitter flavor that rounds it all out.
The body is pretty thick, and full. It has some juicy elements to it, and the hops do linger in my throat.
Solid and delicious.

 

Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass not sure when it was canned. Pours a hazy orange yellow with a half finger sticky white head that leaves streaks of lace with nice retention. 4.5

Aroma coconut, passionfruit, and pineapple pretty strait forward and coconut is the star. 4.5

Taste follows coconut, passionfruit, and pineapple really nice 4.5

Mouthfeel is pretty big, rather gentle carbonation, maybe a little sticky but not dry, and at 8.8% really easy drinking. 4.5

Overall I am really really digging this one. Thanks @jzeilinger for this one 4.5

 

Welcome to New Beer Sunday 844! Hoping for a second great WCIPA after cracking open this Midwest Brewer's version, this one a bit further north of Mundelein.

Central Waters Straight Outta Amherst



Can Notes: Canned 2/18/21 12:25:34. 12 oz, 9.0% ABV. Before the haze hysteria swept the craft beer industry, IPA was defined by coast and the IBU was king. This example of a west coast style IPA is brewed with a touch of oats and Double Dry Hopped with Centennial and Sultana hops.

Appearance: Darker tan clear base, generous off-white head leaves clumpy lacing, medium persistent carbonation throughout. 4.0

Aroma: Faint aroma, pine, caramel, light grass. 3.0

Taste: Sweet caramel from malt balanced by a hops bitterness, though faint taste from the hops. Slightly piney, though really just getting bitterness over everything else here. 2.5

Mouthfeel: Bitter, a bit dry, balanced to bitter but with faint taste. Faint carbonation retention, dry aftertaste. 3.5

Overall: They got the bitterness right, but wish the hops presented flavor beyond a faint pine. Bitter without much taste, disappointing. 2.75

I may pull out another beer before the day closes, otherwise see you next week.

 

Great writeup. Wishing you a speedy recovery on the eyes.

 

Happy Sunday!
Household chores completed, so it's time for a beer or two. First up is Tart N Hoppy from Bruz Beers. Advertised as a "farmhouse-style ale, hopped like an IPA, soured like a gose, and fermented like a farmhouse ale." 7% ABV.
A hazy gold color. Fizzy white head that disappears in seconds.
Aroma of citrus fruit and spice.
Taste of lemon and pepper. Late kiss of hops
Crisp mouthfeel.
Not a bad beer, quite drinkable actually, but I would not consider it hopped like an IPA or soured like a gose.

 

Good morning NBW
I used to think of myself as primarily an IPA drinker. A huge percentage of my early BA reviews were IPA and DIPA. Then came the idea that IPAs don't have to be bitter and everyone and their brother starting making them. I began to see myself as part of the "problem", passing on routine styles for the new IPA of the week. Then I noticed the routine styles becoming less routine and decided to make my beer dollars count as a vote to stop IPAs from filling every shelf in every shop. My percentage of IPA reviews (as a whole of my BA reviews) has been cut in half over the last couple years.

I say all that to say this. Sometimes you pick up a bottle of something, while out of town, to see this...

That's when I will make an exception to review a world class American IPA.


16.9 oz bottled 20April21 (11 days ago!) poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at fridge temp 7% ABV. The beer pours mostly bright honey colored amber with sticky light khaki head. The head recedes to a thin ring and puffy island. There is a complete lacing on the glass as the liquid level falls. The aroma is mild with candied citrus, peach, very mild pine and caramel malt. The taste is semisweet caramel and biscuit malt with an immediate moderate bitterness and hop flavors of tangerine, pine, grapefruit, peach, and a pinch of an earthy, pithy note. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and slightly soft with average carbonation and a somewhat dry finish. There's some definite hop oil and shellac, but it's not remotely oversweet. Overall, excellent. The sum is greater than the parts here. Masterful brewing.

I don't regret purchasing this bottle one bit. Probably wouldn't spring for another with 3Floyds & Fat Heads available locally at a lower cost per ounce, but it's elite level brewing for sure. Cheers all!

 

Second half of a crowler of Boulevard Let's Keep It Platonic Imperial Pastry Stout, 14.2% ABV.

 

Deschutes Butte Porter, This is the 3rd Porter I have tried and written about recently in New Beer Weekend. The other 2 were from Anchor and Bells, they set a high standard. Black Butte pours a deep dark brown with a lasting tan head made of small bubbles. Nice aroma of roasted malt with hints of dried fruit. The taste is roasted malts, it starts slightly sweet and becomes a bit bitter. The fruit is also there. The mouthfeel is a little light for a Porter imo. The finish is dry and slightly bitter. Overall a very good beer. worth buying but not as good as the Porters from Anchor or Bells,

 

Happy NBW BA! And thanks to @Roguer for getting us started.
Warm here in W Michigan, like 80 degrees warm- time for my last IPA from the stellar hit @Mbgreg assaulted my porch with in NBW BIF 13 (which is currently in danger of just carrying on until #14. Absolutely crazy!)
Any ways, beer-

Strawberry Shake IPA from Westbrook.
Poured like pulp free orange juice with virtually no head at all, not promising.
The aroma was all sugar and strawberry and a touch of hops. I was expecting strawberry shake with beer under tones.
I am glad to say I didn’t get what I expected, this is definitely an IPA, with strawberry and lactose complimenting the beer. Took me by surprise, and I got about half way through before I stopped diagnosing it and just enjoy. Which I did, a lot.
Thanks Mark!

 

Citra ass down by against the grain

4.22/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Ipa fest beer



Translucent amber, one finger frothy off white foam cap, sticky lacings

Aroma is gentle orange citrus, malts

Taste is orange citrus. , malts

Mouthfeel is creamy , smooth, hop taste , no bite

Good beer

 

I was trying to decide what I wanted when my eye caught a Knockout Blonde.
The can tells me “This brew features a flavorful blend of North American malts and is fully loaded with Cascade and Centennial hops.” It also says 5% ABV and canned on 04/12/21.

This is very, very nice. Clear lemon yellow and the foamy white head laces nicely as it slowly dissolves.
The immediate hit is lemon, lemon blossoms, white bread, a hint of pine.
The flavors build on the aroma with lemon & blossoms, sweet bready malts, lemon/orange/grapefruit zest, some honeydew, a touch of honey, some pine hiding in there.
All of it finished off with a peppery sweet ending.
This is going to be a great addition to me summer rotation.
4.16/5 rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

 

Anchor & Bell's better than Black Butte?


We had a Porter tasting thread a couple of months ago (https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/online-tasting-porters-march-12-14.655906/) that you might find interesting. Lots of ideas and recommendations there.

 

Since we usual celebrate Duvel on June 6th I figured I would make that would make sure my glass is in good working order and see how this Tripel Hop Citra is.
4.47/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

11.2 oz bottle poured into a tulip

A- First pour is a clear golden color with a massive white head. Second poured with the yeast transforms it to a somewhat hazy golden color.

S- Citrus zest, apples/pears, some pineapple, grapefruit, earthy, slightly floral, some spicy yeast.

T- Citrus, light fruits, some apples, citrus zest, some tropical fruits, yeast, earthy, a little floral/herbal.

M- Smooth, crisp, light body.

O- Citra hopping works very well with Duvel, alcohol is very well hidden and this is very easy to drink.

Cheers!

 

New Beer Sunday! Old baseball game on from the late 90's and its time to crack a cold one.

Old Milwaukee Ice

Poured ice cold into a lager glass. Old Milwaukee Ice pours clear as a cleaning solution with its colour coming more from malted rice and sugar. Light carbonation for its style; it doesn't look like a science project going off with bubbles gone mad. Some light snap crack pop if you listen to it. Aroma is completely neutral - no flaws. Mouthfeel is a little prickly from the carbonation. Taste is hard to judge as this brew is truly ice cold right now; so it goes down like a beer at a baseball should. Nothing complex and nothing poor to say about it.

If I had to rate it to style for Ice beers; I suppose the scale is out of 5; However I can't really imagine a beer in this style being able to hit a 5 and ever be considered outstanding!!!!

Old Milwaukee Ice gets a 2 out of 3 over here today.

Wonderful feeling to contribute to this particular thread. All the best everyone and keep your Sunday going forward as psychedelic as it always should be.

 

I had ten new IPA over the preceding two days for IPA Fest in Cyberspace. Keeping up with the festival took enough time and attention, I didn't try to post on here. Now, it's a more chill drinking experience, and a more chill beer. Weihenstephaner Helles is my first entry in NBW...

500ml can served in a nonic pint. Dated 01.13.2022, which I assume is best by.

Pours clear light golden with a big, stacked head that collapses in a few minutes to a half-centimeter layer that crawls up the side of the glass another centimeter. Carbonation is fine and continuous at rest.

Smell is light, grassy, grainy, mild yeast without going lager-funky too much.

Taste is clean, honeysuckle sweetness and mild grassy bitterness, crisp, very refreshing. Little bit of lemon zest and a little bit of yeastiness, a little bit of breadiness.

Mouthfeel is maybe a bit thicker than I would expect, still doesn't escape the crispness, but "super crisp" would not be a descriptor for this beer. Overall, this is a very nice, refreshing, clean beer, and I like it.