New Beer Weekend #46

Do Germans like it in the can?

From the threads I have read in the Germany forum I am under the impression that German beer consumers view packaging beer in cans as something that only cheap beers should be packaged in. Sorta like how American craft beer drinkers viewed canned beer a decade+ ago (boy, how things have changed here!).

I have been seeing more and more German beers packaged in cans lately. I wonder if this new can format is solely for the export market? A recognition that cans are a preferred format for US craft beer consumers?

There is a discussion in a BA thread concerning Weihenstephaner introducing a new version of a Helles (and their Hefeweizen) in large format cans:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/weihenstephaner-helles-2021-usa-debut.650074/

I am a HUGE fan of Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen and I have been searching for the new can version of this beer but to no avail. But I did recently see Paulaner Hefeweizen at my local Retail Beer Distributor so I bought a four-pack. These beers were canned on 1/21/21 which makes it a little over four months old; pretty fresh for a German import. On the can it proclaims “Germany’s #1 Hefe-Weizen” which I assume means the top selling Hefeweizen beer.

Served in my Kapuziner Hefeweizen glass (which was gifted to me at the Philly German Bierfest):

Appearance:

A hazy golden yellow with a BIG billowing white head.

Aroma:

A notable combination of clove and banana.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with clove & banana being front and center but also the aspect of wheaty malt as well. There is a low bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

This beer is medium bodied and smooth with a moderate to high carbonation level.

Overall:

This beer is very good!

I find the Hefeweizen beer style to be an enjoyable summer beer style.

Cheers!

@rotsaruch @RobH @Bierman9

 

Thanks @SawDog505 for opening the tap on this weekend's forum





Trillium Barrel Aged Spice Cake

4.56/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance
Chilled bomber poured into a Spiegelau stout glass. Pitch black motor oil capped by a dense reddish brown two finger foam cap that has good retention. Settles to a thin ring with skinny islands , skimpy lacings

Aroma
Aroma is roast malts, char, bourbon, cinnamon, nutmeg , anise. Nice rich spice cake aroma

Taste
Taste is cinnamon without the heat or burn, nutmeg , vanilla , allspice, hint of chocolate . Cinnamon taste without the burn is well crafted

Mouthfeel
Lush rich mouthfeel, syrupy, dense sudsing , sweet . The abv is well hidden , smooth finish

Overall
Very Good beer. The ability to impart the cinnamon flavor without making it overbearing , burning and annoying is a great feature of this beer.

 

Hey what's going on?!

Boy it's a hot one out there. just doing some yard work and I had to cut it short as I was SWEEEATTING... like buckets.

MAN I LOVE THE CICADAS ARoUND HERE! I am having so much fun with them, I will be sad when they are gone.

All that of course made me thirsty. However, was looking in my fridge and I kind of noticed many of my new beers were pretty heavy and dark... just not in the mood right now for that.

But I did have a pale ale in the corner... AH perfect just what I need, let's check this one out.



Poured from the can into a nonic(k) pint glass.

Deep and light bodied glowing lemon brass and shiny yellow. Topping provides a bit more trub and haze but still looking beautiful in a glow. Head is a nice fluffy and creamy white, minimal lacing and an excellent bowled thick white collar on the glass. Great looking light colored ale.

Aroma has faint touches of grassy hop, light hits of simple malt base, and mild fruit character. Fairly simple and enjoyable, nothing to exotic or impressive, but certainly not a fault to bad had either.

Palate makes all the nice roads. Leafy to grassy mid palate hop with a subtle warmth, mixing in with a nice soft bodied malt presence. Almost chewy depth but a good mixing of sweat bread malt and some dough like sweetness too. Hop angle continues, mostly light astringent and sticking to grass and pine like flavors. There's a great contrast between malt and hop here, they bounce back in forth in flavor on the palate real nicely.

Just a good solid pale ale with a real nice balance.

look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25 | Final Score: 4.17

Cheers!

 

Shaping up to be a quiet weekend here. The puppy has school today, and that's about it.
My new beer for today is Cherry Bomb! from Prairie. I love their stouts, and this one is no exception.
In a snifter the beer was black. With an aggressive pour there was a small tan head that disappeared quickly.
Aroma of chocolate, coffee, cherry, vanilla, and a hint of cinnamon.
Taste followed the nose. Dark chocolate, espresso, vanilla, sweet cherry, and a bit of cinnamon.
Pleasing mouthfeel, nice spicy aftertaste.

 

It is a shame that videos are discouraged in this thread since the song from The Runaways would be perfect here!

Cheers!

 

Thanks for kicking the weekend off @SawDog505 ! I agree with your assessment this thread provides valuable insight to brewers and beers to seek, and to avoid. I give my honest opinion on each beer. Have been looking forward to this for awhile, after being inspired to grabbing a four pack via this thread and WBAYDN.

Founders Nemesis



Bottle Notes: 12 oz bottled March 9, 2021, 11.2% ABV, 75 IBUs.

What's your nemesis? Ours is a barleywine-style ale brewed with roasted malts and no shortage of hops for a pleasantly bitter, booming flavor. Pouring with a slight and subtle mahogany hue and a multitude of flavors felt on your tongue - this is one nemesis you'll feel good about keeping around.

Appearance: Dark chestnut brown near black base, creamy rich fine bubble head lingers for a good five minutes before generous lacing remains, continues throughout the pour. Nice looking barleywine. 4.5

Aroma: Smokey malt, piney hops, raisins, dates and plums, light to mild in strength. Aroma emerges after warming up a bit. 3.75

Taste: Bitter bomb, hops dominate the taste profile. Pine, backed by raisins. Tried getting more complexity, but its bitter hops, followed by bitter pine from the hops. Truth in advertising. 3.5

Mourthfeel: Dry and bitter, faint fizzy carbonation throughout, full creamy body, any sweetness marginalized by heavy bitterness. Dry and bitter aftertaste. 3.25

Overall: I typically like bitter beers, and perhaps this is a function with drinking this just before noon, but the bitterness is not backed by much else. I thought I may have waited too long to pop this open with possible hops fade. This is not the case. I will definitely sit on the other three for a while in hope this one mellows out a bit. Unique take on an American Barleywine, enjoyed this to a point, but not a go to for me. Hopefully time will balance this out a bit and give more complexity beyond the bitter pine and raisins. 3.5

May hit a brewery or two for more new to me beers, otherwise I'll return tomorrow with another beer I've been sitting on brewed by my favorite Canadian brewery.

Musical selection inspired by @JackHorzempa and @lordofthewiens , John Cougar Mellencamp.

 

Good afternoon NBW, hope everyone is doing well! Tuning in to the Queer Beer Fest and enjoying some DC Brau Joint Resolution. I’m not sure if I have anything around from the breweries involved in the Fest, but definitely will be on the look out for beer featured in it!
3.87/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12 oz can poured into a can glass

A- A hazy golden copper with a three finger white head.

S- Citrus, melons, piney, a little floral.

T- Citrus, fairly piney, floral, some melons.

M- Smooth, light body.

O- Easy to drink and tasty. Flavors are nice but they are on the weaker side.


Cheers!

 

Toppling Goliath Brewing and Lua Brewing Ferrari Backpack IIPA. Apricot orange color with off-white foam. It smells of pineapple, orange, and mango. The taste is very pineappleational, with guava and papaya also detectable. It has Toppling Goliath's unique emotionally stirring, yet pillowy soft mouthfeel. This is a good IIPA, but the flavors do not pop like Toppling Goliath's other IIPAs. I do not think I will ever select a four-pack of this beer again, but this beer may have other thoughts towards me.

 

After returning my cans and bottles today I stopped by the small attached beer store to see if they had anything new and found Weisse, a 5.5 % “double decoction mashed, can conditioned wheat ale” from Grimm for only $9.99/16oz 4 pack (canned on 5/12/21)

Good God this is good! A murky, hazy pale lemon/wheat color with a tall foamy white head that leaves an intricate lacing as it dissolves into a thick film.
Weisse is thick and rich, full of just ripe banana, white whole wheat bread, cloves, clover, straw, and a hint of lemon zest.
This isn't a thin quaffing hefe, this is heavier than its German counterparts with a full smooth mouthful.
An excellent wheat beer. Don't wait for the upcoming wheat tasting, if you see Weisse but and drink it now.

4.38/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

 

3 RED NJ IPAs: new, original worth sampling Jun 5 21

Navesink IPA | Ross | Red Bank, NJ | 7.8% | Red DIPA
4.18/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3d Review. I paddle the Navesink all year long, or cycle round it, and produce TEDxNavesink (aka TEDxAsburyPark)
this could become our flagship beer, it’s that good. Make no apologies nj between Carton, Kane, F Fish, and now this Ross.
a) Beer is reddish amber/ copper body, translucent haze, but as creamy and lathery a head as I’ve seen on a reddish DIPA.
s) Fruit forward, but tempered by caramel malt, wood, cedar juniper notes.
t) The wood notes, heart wood, sap, juniper rise further along with mango, red grapefruit.
f) Nice bitter, crisp, scrubbing feel.
o) Outstanding new brewer in Red Bank NJ.

Pure Yay | Carton | Atlantic Highlands, NJ | 7% | Red Sour IPA
4.16/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
1st Review. Not just IPA, but SOUR IPA, TART IPA, true to form, and akin to recent Hudson Valley Brews: Incandeza, and Arrowood Porch.
Keep in mind Yay is blow, cocaine in contrast to farmy inspired brews.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/44599/262688/?ba=Act25#review
a) Sweet penny candy color with fizzy saison head.
s) sour patch candy, but more grass, and has that mineraly tingle going.
t&f) Very minerally, tingly back bite and feel.
o) Slightly mono-focused for me, but I like it.

High Cross | Toms River | NJ | 8.3% Red DIPA
4.11/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3rd review. My 1st of brewer.
If your first crafts were the likes of Mendicino’s Red Tail, then this red DIPA direction would please you.
a) Over large tan head that slashes lace and lasts well over mahagony body. Good colors.
s) Caramel, a bit of wood, less fruit, malt, malt.
t) Follow smell on the woody, malty, sawmill, a bit of breadshop, and missing round fruit notes. Stays a bit too sweet and mono-dimensional, and a distinct fresh sawn wood flavor.
f) Creamy.
o) Love the style and appreciate this NJ-home state brew. Will recommend. Extra points for originality and style.

 

Again, cheating a little bit -- not my first Reno As Fuck from Revision, but the first time I've sat down and made it the center of my attention. My brother gave this to me when we met in Vancouver, WA a couple weeks ago. He was pumped about it and for good reason.

16oz can served in a big snifter. Dated 04/10/21. Gift from my brother.

Pours a hazy whitish-yellowish-amber. Medium to small head. Medium amount of extremely fine carbonation. Smell is tropical fruit juice with a zesty finish.

Taste is similar. Ripe mango and pineapple, a little resinous bitterness and grapefruit zest and pith. Grows a bit lemony and more bitter as I get into it.

Mouthfeel is dry and soft. Overall, very nice.

 

Queer Beer Fest stream is awesome, definitely worth tuning in to. DC Brau The Imperial up now.
4.1/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz can poured into a can glass

A- A some clear amber with a two finger white head.

S- Piney, caramel malts, floral, stone fruits, citrus, earthy.

T- Citrus, piney, earthy, caramel malts, some stone fruits, touch of wet grass.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- This might not be On The Wings Of Armageddon, but still a solid DIPA.

Cheers!

 

Triskel by OEC



4.34/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Heard @Roy_Hobbs mention this brewery and this is a new one for me . Grabbed it at the fort point market in the Boston seaport

Can notes:

Triskel is a pale lager brewed using a traditional German-style double decoction mash. Brewed using Czech Pilsner malt and hopped with German Tettnang. Triskel’s fermentation starts in open tanks for one week and finishes three weeks later in oak. After lagering it is dry hopped using French Triskel hops.

Appearance
16oz can poured into a New Glarus pokal, pencil thick white foam cap settles to a solid layer over a cloudy yellow liquid with active streams of carbonation, scant lacings

Aroma
Aroma is grassy. Malty,oak, floral hop

Taste
Taste is malt Grassy , oak , herbal, hint of hop spice

mouthfeel
Medium sudsing, almost creamy , hop nibble on the finish

Overall
Good start from this brewer, good representation of the style, sessionable and repeatable

 

This is the original version of this beer, from Eagle Park Brewing. The color is yellow-orange, with a white head. The smell very citrusy, like Mello Yellow. The taste is lemon and melon, with a bit of red grape. The mouthfeel is juicy, soft, with medium carbonation. This is an easy-drinking juicy IPA, from my favorite brewery to visit. This beer is not in the same league as many of their juicy IPAs, but I still really enjoyed drinking it, and it is for a very worthy cause. I am quite proud of Eagle Park Brewing for being a critical part of this mental heath awareness initiative.

 

I am really happy that you appear to be riding a pink inflatable unicorn.