New Beer Weekend #42

This is a bit fascinating. Thanks @officerbill . The beer is an ale rather than an AAL though. Jack's word "obfuscated" is a nice one because it creates a parallel with the so-called "crafty" brands of the not too distant past and the perceived need for the Brewers Association "independent" seal. It's weird to look at the Deerslayer website, with it's marketing to hunters and this bit from "Contra":

It's interesting how things have flipped. The earlier narrative was one where the gigantic brewers hid their identity to market to the crowd that wanted local or artisinal. Now you have a "craft" brewer (that's owned by Belgians) with beer names like: Neon Rainbows, Three Philosophers, and Apripêche... putting out a beer under a different company name with marketing that recalls some earlier big beer marketing efforts with its ties to "masculine" identity. And apparently it's "brewed by people like us, for people like us."

Here's a good article that details the overall needed shift from Ommegang.

@jesskidden

 

Thanks. Just went back through their website, neither “ale” nor “blonde” appear anywhere and I don't recall seeing a style on the can. They just call it “beer”.
Seems like Duvel wants to turn Ommegang into an east-coast Boulevard. I hope they can pull it off.

must be why Deer Slayer's website makes it seem like upstate NY is an outdoorsman's paradise.

my grandmother always advised “if you don't have something nice to say about someone, don't say anything”

 

Many thanks!

 

Collab between Equilibrium and Spyglass. Hazy pour with a white fluffy head. Quickly dissipated and left quite a bit of lacing on the glass. Resin on the nose. But gives way to a mild juicy tropical taste with a bit of bite at the end. Soft pillowy mouthfeel. Very drinkable for 8.5.

 

Looking like a beautiful day, with the temperature approaching 90. I asked my wife what she wanted to do on Mother's Day, and her response was to "lie by the pool." I'm down with that!
Modern Times is now distributed in New Mexico, so I picked up a few 4 packs. First up is Orderville, a hazy IPA, canned 4/16/21 and 7.2% ABV.
A hazy gold color with a one inch white head and a bit of lace.
Aroma of citrus, some pine.
Taste of grapefruit, orange, caramel. Some late dankness.
More fruity than hoppy.
Nice beer.

 

Oy, that deerslayer website is all sorts of cringe. And, yes: it's a fascinating inversion of the incursion into craft from a couple of years ago.
Anyway, happy mothers day to all those who are mothers, or who have mothers, or who have been called names with the word mother in it, or etc.
My beer selection today has absolutely nothing to do with mothers. I probably should have gone for the one that shares a name with my partner's older sister, whos oven is currently full of her third bun, but I was feeling an IPA. And I had a suspicion that this particular IPA would hit the spot. It definitely does.



For this morning's foray into the forum, I reached back into the box from @FBarber (a special happy mothers day to the newly minted mom Mrs. Gritty!). Vallejo is a can from a brewery that I had previously never had any experience with, but now can happily say I've sampled about a half dozen of their offerings, with another handful still awaiting my attentions in the fridge!

The pour made me chuckle a bit. As you can see it had a lovely finger+ of white foam that immediately began to consolidate and present more like soft-whipped egg whites, and slowly slowly settled down, leaving incredibly sticky lacing down the veil as it goes. The chuckling came in because I broke tradition and read some of the other reviews before writing my own. Many of the reviews I saw described it as 'completely clear' or some variation thereof, which says significantly more about the current state of brewing than it does this beer. Overall, it's mostly clear, and definitely within the 'clear' strata of the current era of brewing, but it's got a very definite cloudiness and five or ten years ago would probably be described as 'hazy' (before that became a style-defining characteristic).

Nose is a punch of bright fruity citrus, primarily grapefruit. The malts present some grainy breads, and there's a sweet floral/nectar character built in as well.

Taste doesn't have quite the depth or range as the aroma, but it gets most of the notes. Leading in, the first thing I notice is actually the straw of the malts, and a light grassiness to the hops, before they tumble headfirst into the grapefruit, just skrrrting past the floral sweetness on its way to the pithy grapefruit of the finish. A nice moderate bitterness, and the profile overall calls to mind what I always think of as the San Diego school of IPAs.

Body is of medium build, but incredibly drinkably smoothe. Half Acre certainly knows how to integrate texture and tongue into the whole package. Carbonation doesn't distract, but uplifts and complements, and the only complaint I have is that it kind of narrows and thins out the side notes as it closes in on that finish. It's a small complaint, however, as overall this is a really enjoyable brew, and just what I was hoping for as I reached into the fridge.


Thanks, Frank for sending this my way, and cheers!

 

Hey what's going on?!

Time for a new beer.. or... 2... (three?)

Pretty cool Mother's Day here, and I had a bit of closure and things wrapping up nicely yesterday. Made for a long trip though down memory lane.

I am waiting on those cicadas though.. they should pop out any second around here, still kind of cool these days, but I think explosion will hit any second with warmer temps. There are some holes in my backyard... but no sign of the buggers yet! Can't wait!

Well I can't wait for beer as I do dig it. what's new today?



Poured from the bottle into a Spiegelau IPA glass.

Very clear body, with a real nice shimmering brass bronze color. Real nice clarity showing ample amounts of carbonation reaching to a classic off white three finger head. Good retention, classic dolloped island top and some pill lacing remains. Kind of looks like a classic West coast IPA.

Mellow sensing hop notes of juice orange and a light touch of herbal spice. Faint hints of tropical pineapple as well, but otherwise fairly straightforward, with a neutral malt and yeast presence.

Palate seems a little faded but easily delivers. Light touches of herbal pine notes mixing in with a soft orange and almost minty herbs. Light touches of juicy character, but more of a thicker supportive mouthfeel that hints more grain than orange juice. Good spicy finish with mellow astringency, but does come across as a bit old.

Me and my laziness checking dates, yup this is old but still manages to be quite pleasurable.

look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4 | 4.02/5

Cheers!

Well... I am on for a short beer run later. see you soon

 

Grimm’s Oracle Deck is a DIPA brewed with Nelson Sauvin and Citra. I picked this up curbside last night.
The can pour is pale yellow with a 1 cm white foam cap and a faint aroma of tangerines.
The flavor is orange-forward with grape and melon notes. The flavor is full and the hop bitterness is moderate.
The flavors persist in the finish.
This is a light-bodied brew with a faint aroma, but the flavors are quite present and good.

 

Chris,

Thanks for that link, it was a very interesting read. I will be leveraging that article for a thread I will start later today (and I will tag you).

I find it interesting that the article states that Deerslayer is a Blonde Ale but if you go to the Deerslayer website and click on “The Beer” you find:

“HONEST

AUTHENTIC

TRUE

Here in Upstate New York, we do things a little differently.

We work hard, but we play harder. In the bitter cold of winter or the blazing heat of summer, you’ll find us out in the field or down on the lake. In spring, look for us on a mountain trail. Come autumn, check the woods at the crack of dawn. All year ‘round, we find ways to seize the moment, to squeeze the most out of life.

As brewers, we know there are plenty of good beers out there, but this one — this is the one we were called to make. Crisp, clean, and easy drinking, Deerslayer is our beer. It’s brewed by people like us, for people like us.”

https://drinkdeerslayer.com/beer/

Needless to say but zero mention of “Blonde Ale” and simply based upon the verbiage above (e.g., “crisp, clean, and easy drinking”) I would have assumed this beer was an AAL.

This whole overall marketing scheme is quite ‘different’. As I already stated in my prior post it will be interesting to see whether this beer will be successful.

Cheers!

P.S. This beer branding sorta reminds me of the other Firestone Walker beers of 805. I wonder if this 805 concept is the idea/springboard for this Deerslayer thing?

 

A Heist Brewery You Can't Triple Stamp A Double Stamp which was on the shelves of a store here. 8.5 % ABV
The Untapped description is
Hazy double IPA, brewed and triple dry hopped with a combination of Mosaic, Citiva, and Azacca. Floral and berry-like aromas accompanied by bright tropical, earthy notes of dank passionfruit and pineapple.

Not Citra, I checked.


Looks like a standard NEIPA. Strong melon and pine aromas. Has some lime, raspberry as well as tropical fruit in the flavors. Soft mouthfeel, good carbonation.
Drinks like a higher ABV beer.

 

How so?

 

This new beer is from a series of spontaneous fermentations. -hoping the coolship was not in Brooklyn.
The Open Works Chardonnay -2020 is a spontaneous fermentation brew. The bottle pour is golden with a fine haze and a fluffy foam cap.
The aroma is vinous and tart with sour grape and apple aspects.
The flavor follows the nose and includes cider-like notes.
The finish is dry and the flavors and tartness persist.
This series is worth seeking out if this is a preferred style for you.

 

Take a look
https://drinkdeerslayer.com/

Lots about the glories of hunting & fishing in upstate NY and social media links, almost nothing about the beer.

 

Han’s Helles from Bull n Bear Brewery. This Helles pours bright gold with a thick creamy and lasting head. The aroma is mild mostly biscuit. The taste is slightly sweet of malt with a slight bitterness. The mouthfeel is soft but full. This beer is 5% ABV. Overall a very enjoyable and refreshing brew.

 

Brewing Projekt The Stolen Mile Fruit and Field Beer, 4.65% ABV. Pours clear pale yellow with a 3-finger white foamy head that left some lacing. Nose is lemon and basil, taste follows, plus grass, equal measures of sweetness, bitterness, and tartness. Excellent mouthfeel, if a bit heavy carbonation. Overall very good. Pale beers without strong flavor aren't my thing, but I'd take this over a Bud or Corona on a hot day.

4.06/5 rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This has been hiding in the back of the fridge and I put off drinking it for a couple of months. Today I needed a weak beer to have because I need to go to the store later, so perfect for that!

 

True Anomaly Liberty Bell 7. 750ml bottle.

Foeder aged for 6 months with a "mixed culture" fermentation, also bottle conditioned. Saaz, Sterling, Celia, and Lemon Drop Hops are all mentioned.

5.6% ABV Saison



Pours with some haze, a bright yellow color. A dense white head rises to over two fingers. This lasts for a while, with some lace left behind.
Aroma is musty basement like funk that lasts throughout. With lemon rind up front and center. Perfume like and floral hops. Peppery spice mixes in there as well. The nose is huge and very satisfying.
Again, taste wise, the musty basement like yeast and peppery spice. Lemon rind, and almost lemon drop candy like. A puckering acidic bite and citrus sourness. Floral hops with just enough bitterness, then black pepper lingers on after a while. Everything is really well balanced here, just as you get use to one aspect, another sensation takes its places. Really impressive.
A light to medium body. Lovely effervescent, lively, and refreshing carbonation. This is incredibly enjoyable. The 750 ml bottle is gone in no time.

This is all around top notch. Delicate, balanced, and complex all at the same time. Exactly what I look for in an American example of a Saison. Another highly recommended offering from True Anomaly. Another reason why they are among my favorite breweries in Houston.

Overall score is 4.35 a very high A. At even that score the rDev is -2, so I'm not the only one that really loves this.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/55586/497264/?ba=champ103#review

 

Tired Hands x Cellarmaker DDH Double Dobis DIPA.

The first of two recent Tired Hands collabs I just received, and I'm really excited about this one, given that Cellarmaker was easily my favorite/most visited brewery in SF proper. Back in the day, Double Dobis was a clear WCIPA with such a pineapple-y taste that its bomber label was a spoof on the old Dole pineapple juice cans (@Roguer, I think I might have sent you one!). At any rate, this collab gives that beer the Tired Hands DDH hazy treatment, and I'm more than ready for it.

Pours a glowing, hazy gold that reminds me more of Other Half/Finback than your typical Tired Hands beer. I'd be hard pressed to explain the difference, but my experience with dozens of beers from all three breweries leads me to this comparison. One-finger head that quickly dissipates, but leaves intricate, webby lacing. Smell is pineapple and orange reminiscent of the beer's previous incarnations, but with a spicy, herbal dankness that feels like TH's contribution. Taste is--wow. Hyper-dimensional, with stone fruit emerging from the citrus, balancing the pithy bitterness with a round, fulsome sweetness just this side of candied. The dankness is super-subtle (Andrew, you would approve), not quite full-on cannabis territory, maybe closer to dried thyme? At any rate, it doesn't detract from what I can only call a rollicking taste profile, only boosted by the mouthfeel, which is as full and creamy as TH normally is, but with like 25% extra zip. Now, here's what's funny: on Untappd, someone erroneously called this TH's version of Other Half's All Citra Everything, but it's actually a very apt comparison to the best versions of ACE, as though Other Half's classic is the love child of Tired Hands and Cellarmaker' effort. Anyway, I'm once again kicking myself for not ordering more of a beer I should have known was going to be a rocker. Cheers!

@tasterschoice62

 

Happy Mother's Day to all BA Moms and Moms of BAs! We've had a nice day so far. Mrs. Mac visited with her Mom at the nursing home and our son and daughter both called. Our daughter will be flying up for a visit on Wednesday so we're excited. Later, good friends are coming over for pizza and beer sans masks. We're all fully-vaccinated.

For years I've been watching BAs enjoy beers from Scoflaw Brewing in Atlanta and it's now my turn thanks to the generosity of @Roguer and his seemingly bottomless boxes. First up is Basement, a West Coast style IPA that seems to be single-hopped with Citra.

It pours a hazy, bright golden yellow with over a finger of sudsy, bright white head and thick, soapy lacing. The smell features lemon peel, grapefruit, and floral hops. The taste pops with tart lemon and grapefruit , along with resinous pine. As it warms, there are subtle notes of crackery malt and perhaps a hint of melon but this is definitely a West Coast style IPA. It's dank and bitter. The Citra hops are used to excellent effect. This ale has a crisp, dry mouth feel with lively carbonation, and the 7.5% ABV gives it good substance. Overall, Basement IPA is a great rendition of West Coast IPA with lots of bitter citrus and pine. And it drinks much too easily. I drained it before I knew it. I would seek Basement out if Scofflaw distributed to New Jersey.

4.19/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25


Next up is POG (Passionfruit, Orange, and Guava), a variant of Basement. I can't tell whether different hops are used. It pours a hazy, dirty orange color with a full finger of creamy, milk-white head and thick, clinging lacing. On the nose there is orange, lemon, grapefruit, and floral hops. The taste opens with orange/tangerine, along with tart, bitter lemon and grapefruit. The sweeter, tropical fruit emerges as the ale warms a bit in the glass but it's delicate and never challenges the initial tartness. This ale is less piney and bitter than the original Basement but more tangy. It's well-carbonated and the 7.5% ABV gives it a nice pop. Overall, POG Basement is pleasant drinking but I think it lacks the West Coast attitude of the original Basement.

3.92/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I want to again thank Andrew for the opportunity to drink these highly enjoyable IPAs. What a pleasant afternoon! Cheers, NBW!