New Beer Weekend #42

Good Saturday afternoon, New Beer Weekenders. For Mother's Day Eve, Mrs. Mac requested a walk along the Delaware River and D&R Canal with lunch at a favorite restaurant in Titusville. After lunch, we drove up to Stockton, which is our favorite town along the Delaware, and my reward was a first ever visit to Odd Bird Brewing, which I've been wanting to do for months. Barely a year old, it has an excellent reputation despite it's small size (it shares a building with a gas/service station. First up was Mumbletypeg, a "tavern style" English IPA served on cask in a dimpled mug. I spoke with the owner, Adam, who told me that the cask system came from a defunct bar and that he reconditioned it. This is a really fun beer to drink. It has lots of character for its 4.5% ABV. I really appreciate that a first year brewery has produced such a nice Stout.

It pours a very dark cola color with a thick, creamy, light khaki head and heavy lacing. It makes a very nice presentation. The nose is malty with molasses, toffee, and cola, along with a slightly smoky char. It's quite fragrant. Its taste opens with dry, roasty, bitter, nutty, earthy notes balanced by the slight sweetness of molasses, toffee, and freshly-brewed coffee. The wheat and Maris Otter malt give it lots of depth. It finishes with a mild acidic bitterness. The mouth feel is very lite with moderate carbonation and it's very easy to drink.

4.23/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25


When I visit a brewery for the first time I usually order a Stout and a DIPA. This was no exception. For #2 I had Double Catbird, the imperial version of the house IPA. The hop bill was fairly standard with Mosaic, Citra and Azacca but I was interested in the use of Maris Otter and Wheat malt. The result: it's super dank and really well done.

t pours a hazy, bright orange color with a full two fingers of creamy, bright white head and copious lacing. The smell is predominately fruity with orange, melon, lemon, onion, and floral hops. It's very dank with lots of sweet orange and apricot balanced by tart lemon and grapefruit and a touch of pine and stone fruit. There is also a hint of wheat and sweetness from the Maris Otter malt in the background. It finishes with clean bitterness. It has a great mouth feel: thick and creamy with pleasant carbonation, and the 8.9% ABV gives it a lot of substance.

4.19/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Odd Bird is a great little brewery in a charming little town. After the pours we walked the dog over the bridge across the Delaware and then along the canal on the Pennsylvania side. My wife really enjoyed it which is the point on Mother's Day weekend. Until tomorrow, cheers, NBW!

 

I'm happily back to drinking beer on weekends again (I lost 9-10 lbs so far, and the beer break helped, yay!), and I have a new one on hand. This one is cross-posted from the Radeberger Zwickelbier thread in Beer News and Releases:

It finally showed up at one of my locals-

The malt character has a really nice depth to it, it's only slightly "hazy" but spot on for a Zwickel anyway, and any 'New World' character in the hops is limited to a lemon peel finish; otherwise it's a very tasty, well-made lager with bready malt and spicy hops and noticeable snappy bitterness. Hell of a deal, too, at around $7 for a six-pack.

This is also tasting hoppier than their regular Pilsner, so I'd be more likely to choose this one instead.

Prost, NBW!

 

This is not the big boy stout that will go in the boxes I ship this week, but it is indicative of Transient’s prowess in the imperial stout category. Wow.





4.6/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pouring as black as a starless night at 3 am and sporting a foamy dark tan tan, popping the cap unleashes a freight train full of roasted hazelnut and toasted coconut aromas, as well as some vanilla and milk chocolate notes. Oh boy.

The taste is a delicious amalgamation of the flavors from the milk chocolate, vanilla, and especially the hazelnut and coconut. Perfectly balanced, with a bit of boozy warming at the back of the palate, this substantial stout skirts the line between dessert stout and imperial stout and keeps drawing you back for another sip.

The mouthfeel is full and creamy, right on point for this hefty stout. I’m not a fan of coconut outside of residency in a beer (preferably big and dark), but this works exceptionally well. World class stuff by my favorite brewery.

 

Opened for dessert, but couldn't wait to try it!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/44858/266601/



16 oz. can.
Packaged 12/16/20.

Moderate pour yields a one inch tan head over a near black body with sticky lacing. Nose of roasted malt, chocolate malt, and coffee. Taste mirrors nose nicely; slight milk chocolate, a bit of malted milk, and slight dark fruit. Wow! this is quite tasty! Nice feel and overall, I highly recommend this and can't wait to try a fresher can!
Cheers to Matthew for a job well done!!!

 

Bill,

Apparently this beer has been out since August 2020. Have you tried it yet?

It will be interesting to see if this obfuscated beer from Ommegang is successful.

Cheers!

 

The Viel/Evil Twin Luxurious Luxury v8, no number on this review since it does t really seem like a beer in any way.
16 oz can poured into an oversized wine glass

A- A murky reddish orange with some gold flakes and a two finger off white head

S- Marshmallow, maple syrup, some strawberries, hint of salt.

T- Strawberry smooth, some marshmallows, maple. Very sweet.

M- Smooth, creamy, full body.

O- This is nowhere close to a gose, it even pushes the boundaries of what a fruited kettle sour. I enjoy it as a sweet treat but Veil and Evil Twin jumped the shark with this.

Cheers!

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

Home from work, but I can't go too crazy, because I've got to work tomorrow also. I will be posting 3 beers in this post - 2 I had at work, and one here at home.

So I'll start off with the 2 I had at work today:

Surly Brewing - And The Devil Makes Three - IIIPA - 10.6% ABV.

I'm going to be brutal here: This beer pissed me off!
This has nothing that would indicate it's a IIIPA. The aroma is lacking in depth. The flavor is bland. The body is lacing in any resin feeling from the hops. I was disgusted with this beer. I truly think Surly is trying to live off their name, and not give a damn what they make.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13014/536378/?ba=Victory_Sabre1973#review

2.15/5 rDev -29.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 2

This beer pours a very beautiful looking clear, golden color. There's a beautiful white and very fluffy looking head, about 1 finger. The head retention is pretty good, and there's some nice lacing on the glass.
The nose, well, is pretty pathetic for a triple IPA. Slightly boozy smelling. Very minimal hop aroma, and very underwhelming for this style.
Taste - WTF? This is billed as a triple IPA, but where's the flavor? Where's the grapefruit, mango, pineapple, guava, and pine? There's so damn little here. Not right at all for the style.
Like the flavor, there's serious issues here. Why don't the hops linger in my throat? Why isn't it sticky?
This is a very disappointing beer. It's like Surly has given up, and thinks that anything they make will sell, no matter how pathetic it is. Do not waste your money with this one. A 2 overall is being generous, but I'm only going that high, because it looked beautiful.


Now on to a better, well, way better beer. This is from a trade with @basaywhat

Cheat Day - Lil Beaver Brewing - Imperial Milk Stout - 11% ABV.

I brought this beer into work so I could share it with my co workers. That's something i like to do so much: share beers. Well, this was a MAJOR upgrade from the last beer. So nice and flavorful. Great body, and a delicious treat overall.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/50997/511906/?ba=Victory_Sabre1973#review

4.18/5 rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a nice, almost, pitch black color. There's a bit of a tan head, less than 1 finger. The head didn't last too long, and there's no lacing on the glass.
The aroma for this beer is kind of an earthy aroma. I also get hints of chocolate in the aroma.
Taste - A very rich combination of chocolate, semi sweet, combined with a nice creamy, lactose flavor. These 2 flavors really compliment each other well.
The body is nice and thick. It's creamy feeling from the lactose. There's not much of an alcohol burn going on here.
Very solid beer overall, and a pleasure to try.


Finally, now that I'm home, I'm working on this:

Zoe - Maine Beer Company - Amber Ale - 7.2% ABV.

This is also a very solid beer, and I was very happy to find this at Casanova Liquor on Thursday, when I was with my mom for an early Mother's Day lunch.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/20681/54522/?ba=Victory_Sabre1973#review

3.96/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful, darker, amber color. There's a decent amount of carbonation here that leads to a nice, and thick 3 finger off white head. The head retention is pretty good, and there's some decent, and nice looking lacing on the glass.
The aroma is a combination of a nice roasty malt/biscuit, and a nice hop aroma as well.
Taste - I get a nice malty flavor here. It tastes like the malts have been roasted a bit. Then on the back the hops kick in for me. They're not too strong, but they are there, and provide a good finish to this beer.
The body is just right for this beer. The carbonation tickles my throat a bit.
A very tasty beer of this style.


I might have one more before I'll call it a night. See you in a bit.

 

And one that's still owned by Duvel Moortgat, no?

Greetings fellow adventurous sots for another NBW. My wife will be visiting our youngest daughter, her husband and year old granddaughter tomorrow for a week so my upcoming participation in these threads should be enhanced.

First the red shouldered hawks are nesting in the park where I walk my avatar. This one irritated a blue jay by perching higher, probably close to a nest because it made it clear its presence wasn't welcome without screaming to attract any fellow nest robbers.



Hazelnut Butter - Masthead Brewery



4.27/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pint can dated 5/24/2020 poured into a DFH tulip. Thick abundant foamy dark tan head over an inky dark brown body. Initial smell was very strong with the hazelnut, vanilla and cacoa giving what seemed like a hot alc barrel aroma to it. The taste, while still reflecting the components, managed to temper the above into something more moderate which was strangely intriguing. Mouthfeel is just fine for the style.

Another winner from Masthead.

Listening to: Lifting the Bandstand - Cecil Taylor Quintet

 

KC Bier CO Kellbier, 5.0% ABV; 4.0 overall. This Brewery has a solid German Beer Game

Pours a fairly bright gold with 3 fingers of eggshell colored head, a little chill hazing. Very good lacing & head retention

S: Cereal notes, some lemon

T: Sweet & grainy cereal notes, a little grassy bitterness up front. Sweet breadyness, a little bit of woody hops as this warms. Finishes with grassy bittterness & some grainy notes

MF: Medium body, soft carbonation, a little grittyness to this

Nice drinkability, this is easily the least cloudy beer I've ever seen of this style, so a minor nitpick. Doesn't make me think I'm back in Franconia, but a good stab at the style

 

Look at me posting back to back, almost seems like old LNBA days...

Prairie Bourbon Barrel Aged Weekend, 14.2% ABV; 4.25 overall

Pours a chill hazed ebony with a sliver of mocha colored head. A little lacing, no head retention at all, very viscous

S: Vanilla, dark chocolate, some cola notes once warm

T: Rich dark chocolate, a little boozeyness, vanilla, coconut, & Marshmallow all show up front. Dark chocolate, dryness, vanilla & coconut as this warms, a little Bourbon sweetness/dryness shines through. Finishes with Bourbon warmth & some coffee, plus dark chocolate in copious quantity & vanilla right there as well

MF: Medium body, fairly still carbonation, warming

This certainly satisfied my sweet tooth, great flavor if the other aspects would've matched it this would be pushing a 4.7 or 4.8

 

Good Saturday evening, everyone.

I've been sipping on my new beer for today for an hour or two. Who decided that the proper packaging for a 12% ABV beer is a pint can? Idiots!

So, I'll probably put off until tomorrow getting caught up with the thread. Late night, big beer... you know.

The beer is one of the Beers of Fame that is both available here, and new to me. A pretty small list.

AleSmith Speedway Stout
Beers of Fame #40
ABV: 12.0%
IBU: 70



Black, deep and dark, completely opaque body topped by a khaki head, tall with excellent retention, thick and creamy. A thick wall of lacing is left as it does recede.

Aroma is not strong: roasted coffee, chocolate, and slightly sweet.

Initial taste is vanilla, followed by roasted coffee, then chocolate, then the bitterness from the hops. All of this intermingles nicely throughout. The underlying sweetness of the malts is never more than a background foundation. The foremost flavors are the interacting of chocolate and roasted coffee. The finish is bitter, with the aftertaste being somewhat sweet and bitter with roasted coffee. The bitterness and the roasted malts linger. This is a big beer, but, apart from the expected effects, the alcohol does not become obvious until near the end, when the beer has become well-warmed to room temperature, and even then, it is just a bit of warming at the finish.

The mouth feel is smoothly creamy and moderately thick.

Overall, excellent. The story of this beer is complex malty goodness with coffee. The coffee is not overbearing and integrates nicely into the other flavors.

L: 4.75 | S: 3.75 | T: 4.5 | F: 4.0 | O: 4.25 | Rating: 4.24

A

ABV: 12.0%
IBU: 70

 

Almost picked up a 6 last week. They also have a 20oz single, I'll pick one up and give it a try.

 

For science!!

 

Good day BAs! Off to a bit of a late start today - doing some wrong day pre-traveling laundry and some other general cleaning stuff. Trying to wipe out the remaining IPAs in my beer reefer before we take off - the stouts will patiently await my return to be consumed. Today's New Breakfast Beer is the penultimate can from IPA Cyberfest 2021:



The Hop Boss from Beer Thug Life. 16 oz can stored at home at 42 degrees. Received from Half Time for IPA Cyberfest 2021, $127.19 (Including shipping) for 12 16 oz cans ($ 0.662/oz). Reviewed 9/5/21. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Bottom of can stamped “STR8 OUTTA COMPTON 04/02/21”. Served at 50.1 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 55.0 degrees.
Appearance – 3.5.
First pour – Pale Straw (SRM 2), hazy.
Body – Pale Gold (SRM 4), murky and opaque. When rear-lite, becomes slightly translucent.
Head – Average (Maximum 2.5 cm, aggressive center pour), floral white, medium density, short retention, diminishing to a five to seven mm mildly undulating crown fed by moderate effervescence and a thin, rocky cap. Second pour produces no head.
Lacing – Fair. Produces a tight, slightly undulating, band of extremely tiny to tiny bubbles.
Aroma – 3.5 – Moderate pineapple and a little tropical fruitiness, maybe a hint of pine. No malt, no yeast. Slowly fades.
Flavor – 4 – Begins slightly bitter with grapefruit, some tropical fruit, and a touch of pine. No malt, no yeast. Lightly dank on the aftertaste. No ethanol (10% ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. Slow gastric warming. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3.5 – Thin, watery, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.75 Decent IPA with somewhat subdued flavors and aroma. For 10% ABV, very drinkable. I suspect the high ABV has adversely affected the head and lacing.
Rating 3.75, rDev -11.6%.

 

Great to have you back routinely again!

 

This morning’s new to me beer is from Tree House Brewing Company, Charlton MA - “King Julius”:



Canned 4/18/21. Poured at 54°. Three fingers of rocky white foam with a creamy dome; some clarity under a long lasting cap; opaque medium amber color; heavy ring and heavy lace sheets the glass from first to last sip. Orange, lemon, pineapple, mango fruit punch nose. Taste follows nose with passion fruit and guava; bitter lemon rind; firm semi sweet malt base; finish is a melange of tropical fruit. Juicy yet soft creamy feel; medium body; no astringency; no warmth from 8.2% abv; light carbonation. Overall, great balance of citrus and tropical fruit flavors, bitter hops and sweetness from the malt; so easy on the palate I could happily drink another; one of the best DIPAs I’ve had; delicious!

5.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.75 | 5.0
Score: 4.86 rDev +2.3%


Thanks @gbiello for this amazing beer - Cheers y’all!

 

Poured into a 13 oz Teku glass canned on 4/20/21. Pours a hazy yellow with half finger sticky white head that leaves thin rings of lace with nice retention. 4.5

Aroma is pineapple, peach, tangerine, passionfruit, and apricot. 4.25

Taste follows pineapple, peach, tangerine, passionfruit, and apricot really well balanced, big flavor low bitterness. 4.25

Mouthfeel is medium, soft gentle carbonation, not sticky or dry, and at 7% maybe bigger in flavor, but still really drinkable. 4.25

Overall I never new this brewery existed and I am impressed with this one. 4.25 Cheers all.

 

that can art is scary as fuck!
Ewwwww!
Scary as fuck. can’t say I’d buy that.
scary as fuck!!!!

 

Poured into a 13 oz Teku glass canned on 4/13/21. Pours a very attractive rhubarb pink with a 2 finger off white head with pinkish hues that has nice retention and leaves scattered lace. 4.5

Aroma raspberry, sour apple, rhubarb, lemon, and some must. 3.75

Taste follows definitely sour raspberry, apple, rhubarb, lemon, and slightly musty. 3.75

Mouthfeel is fairly thin, plenty of life, a tad dry for sure, and at 7% huge flavor and goes a little hard. 3.75

Overall this is nice and as a person who doesn’t sours a little aggressive for me, but nice just the same. 3.75