New Beer Weekend #47

@Shanex Sorry to see you're no longer a mod but, I'm glad you're still here. I'd be disappointed if "Frenchie" leaves. I enjoy reading your posts. Thank you for the work you did.

 

@SawDog505, I wish you luck going forward! @Shanex, you have saved the day for me on many occasions! WeldWerks Brewing and Shared/Side Project Brewing Corneilius IIPA. Beautiful yellow-orange color, just the way I prefer. The aroma is lusciously fruit-based, grapefruit, papaya, mango, and honeydew speak in unison. The taste catapults from the smell into a castle made of tropical fruit. Mango, red Starburst, tangerine, and melon. The mouthfeel is juicy, soft, and effervescent. Overall, this is a great juicy/hazy IIPA, but I will always select Juicy Bits if I am in Colorado to watch Aaron Rodgers play for the local sports team, and in that situation I absolutely need some type of NEIPA to help process my emotions.

 

This is the first of the Maine Beer Co.Thank You series that I have tried. I found Thank You 2021 at a local store last week.

Bottle dated 5/25/21. Brewed with Saaz, Amarillo,.Talus and Nelson Sauvin hops.
Big fine white head, clear gold appearance.
Strong citrus, floral and pineapple aromas.
Bitter pineapple, lemon, pepper, pine flavors.
Bracing bitterness, light body, strong carbonation.
I am drinking this on a hot muggy day, and the light peppery citrus flavor us enjoyable.

 

Well on to new beer #2

How Now Brown Cow - Maple & Coffee
Aslin Beer Company



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

Deep mahogany brown color, with lots of dark red hues. Head is a light tan and three fingers of big swiss cheese like bubbles and clumpy lacing. Lots of soapy cling, and settles to a big crowned collar.

Real nice notes of maple sugar. Hints woody and not terribly sweet, with a hint of mild char like roast too. Light touches of milky cream and a hint of piping hot coffee.

Real excellent palate. First sip is a real woody maple cream flavor that rolls of the tongue without too much sweetness. Light bodied but with faint touches of maple sugar and pine. Finishes with a real spiced coffee angle, char bitterness as well matches with a honey to cinnamon like coating throughout the palate. Creamy and light bodied, with a spicy coffee and really woody maple flavor.

Excellent spin a milk stout.

look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5 | 4.4/5

Cheers!

 

I recall quite liking that beer (sorta) as well, and my review of the 2015 version (had fresh) seemed in agreement with yours in many respects, including this:

I'll definitely grab any version of it if I come across in in the future.

 

Another new lager for me this afternoon. OEC Brewing's Coolship Lager. I have had their Coolship Lager Americana before and enjoyed it, so looking forward to this one.

Listed as a European Pale Lager here, but the can says "Czech Style Blonde Lager." I would definitely put it in the Czech Pils category but thats not particularly important. 5.2% ABV.



Pours with a deep, but not exactly opaque cloudiness. A yellow/orange color. A dense white head rises with good retention and lace left behind.
Aroma has malts up front that are doughy with baked bread. Floral and grassy hops, a slight minerality, and maybe sulfur like in the nose, which doesn't detract and gives it a more old world European flair.
Taste wise, again, all the doughy and baked bread like malts are here as well. Plenty of floral and grassy hops. Sourdough bread and sweetness. Along with that same old world mineral flavor and lingering bitterness. Surprisingly lots going on here, but everything is really well balanced and clean.
A medium body with effervescent carbonation. There is some noticeable sweetness, but finishes dry and clean. Easy to drink and downed in big gulps.

This is a pretty good European lager, it is labeled a Czech style lager and would agree with that. I have read some mention of diacetyl, which had me alarmed as I am pretty sensitive to that. Though I don't get any. If anything the mineral quality reminds more of DMS, but even that is light and pleasant with the rest of the characteristics. A deceptively complex pale lager that I enjoy.

Overall score is 4.05, I'll plop that into the A- range for me. I have another one of these and might open it this afternoon as well. To go along with this book that I can't possible put down, except to stop and write some reviews every once in a while

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34667/410202/?ba=champ103#review

 

I haven't seen these at all around me. We got Maine distributed to town about a year ago, and I love all their beers, hoping this shows up relatively fresh, and the distributor hasn't given up on them yet

 

Sending positive thoughts your way. While I'm sure it's stressful, sometimes these things end up opening up new doors that we hadn't previously considered.

Interesting. @FBarber & @ovaltine aren't you both big Goldfinger fans?

Thanks for the all the time you put in as a mod. I'm sure it was completely thankless, but this site wouldn't be what it is without your contributions and those of the other mods.

If this is moving weekend, good luck!

In a loose reference to some of my comments on the NBS vs. NBW thread, this is the type of side / non-beer stuff I think really adds to the thread. I'm intrigued by these books. Thanks for sharing.

 

Thanks, I have been absent from NBW for the last few weeks, and needed to get back into it. In the past I always tried to add a little bit about my day, on top of the review, but kind of let that go even relatively recently. That thread got me to want to expand a little again...anyway now off to find a late lunch and some Old Fashions (actually I'm walking down the block to a nice local spot that does happy hour cocktails and bites on a Saturday). Will most likely be back tomorrow

 

You’ve officially convinced me to make my first maine purchase in a long time. I hope I can find this next time I’m out beer shopping. Sounds like an ipa I would enjoy.

 

Central Waters Maple Barrel Imperial Stout, 10.5% ABV. Pours black with a 4+ finger brown head that left little lacing. Nose is maple and bourbon. Taste follows, plus roasted malt and chocolate, moderately sweet, slightly bitter. Excellent mouthfeel, overall world class.

4.63/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Central Waters is one of my favorite breweries, particularly for BA Stouts, and this is the best of theirs I've had. Kicks the crap out of CBS. Sure wish this was in distribution, rather than brewery only. First beer in a long time that overflowed on the pour, made quite a sticky mess to clean up before the picture. Should have just caught it overflowing.

 

First up for me this weekend is this can of Immigration, from Hammerhead Brewing Company in Lino Lakes MN. This is an alderwood smoked amber lager brewed with juniper berries. Thanks to @Victory_Sabre1973 for sending this to me in our latest BIF. I'm a big fan of smoked beers, and am very much looking forward to this.


4.04/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Slightly murky. Amber shows up when held to the light, otherwise a bit like a root beer with a slight reddish tint. Thin, but long lasting head. Really nice lacing.

Aroma is smoke, smoke and more smoke. I don't say this critically. I think this smells fantastic. It reminds me of a slow burning campfire, and it comes out of the glass in waves.

Taste also has plenty of smoke, but it's not overwhelming (again, if you like smoked beers....if you don't, move along) It's very drinkable, with a feel that almost strikes me as slightly odd. It has a Guinness-esq creaminess, while still managing to feel a little thin. Overall, I'm definitely enjoying this one.

 

Good Saturday afternoon, New Beer Weekenders. After a busy morning of catching up in the office, buying beer, and waging war against weeds in the yard, it's time for a beer. I received a can of Foam Brewing's Think I'm in Love in @Roy_Hobbs' ninja box. We've been receiving more Vermont beer lately, including regular Burlington Beer Co. distro and periodic drops from Alchemist. But I've really enjoyed the Foam cans that Ross sent my way. Think I'm in Love is single-hopped with Mosaic and Foam did a great job of squeezing citrus and tropical flavors from the hop. This is a first rate DIPA that I would seek out if Foam joins its Vermont brethren in shipping beer to the Garden State.

Poured into a pint glass. It pours an opaque, bright, grassy yellow with a thick, foamy, ecru-colored head and generous lacing. The smell is big and fruity with lemon, lime, tangerine, and soft floral hops. The taste is equally impressive: lots of lemon and tangerine, along with grapefruit and pineapple. For a single-hopped IPA, it's highly flavorful; the Mosaic is used to great effect. There is a nice dose of acidic, hoppy bitterness at the finish. It has a soft but rich mouth feel with pleasant carbonation, and the 8% ABV gives it good substance without being too heavy. Overall, Think I'm in Love is a terrific DIPA from a very impressive brewer. I'm glad to have had the chance to enjoy it.

4.28/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

I hope everyone is enjoying a new beer this weekend. See you tomorrow. Cheers!

 

Yes, and I really liked that specific beer. Different palates!!!

 

You drove right by my house last weekend to get from there to Door County, WI! I had all of their barrel-aged barleywine selections waiting for you!

 

We were on our 40th anniversary vacation, so I tried not to annoy her with beer stops. We were at CW all of 10 minutes. We did stop at Lambeau, your second home. More likely to run into you there than Rogers...

 

Hammerheart Brewing has the greatest taproom ever created, and I met up with @Victory_Sabre1973 twice in-person! He is a top-notch BA! I need to combine the two!

 

I've found the diacetyl likes to play hide and seek in that beer. I'd always get it if it was my first one of the day; but if I had some beers before then it would seem pretty clean. I guess it's at just the right level then.