New Beer Weekend #50

Couple of brewery stops today one good, one bad, but picked this up on the way home. And I'm glad I did. BTW, can says "8 variety hop mix from around the world". I think that plays into my review.

4.14/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a can dated 06/21/21 to a Nonic at fridge temp.
Clear gold body sits atop a large tiny bubble head that fades to a puffy multi-bubble head that looks amazing. Lacing is also good throughout the session.
Aroma is a complex hoppy mix.
Taste is a little less amazing. Kind of too much going on. Still good though.
Mouth feel is light.
Overall, a solid beer, but not Sunshine level. However, in a glass, this beer is beautiful.

 

I have a single ad well @woodchipper im not sure if I’ll get to it this weekend or next.

 

"Glad" always lifts my spirit and takes me back to many great memories. Everything Steve Winwood has touched has been pristine and perfect.........I remember "I'm a Man" and "Gimme Some Lovin"' from about 1965. I was 14 (or so) and so was he.

 

That looks nice!

 

Clown Shoes Hammer Of The Lion, a cuvée of Imperial Stout and Wee Heavy Ale Aged in Rum, Brandy, and Bourbon Barrels (listed as An American Strong Ale), 11% ABV. Pours darkest brown with a one-finger light brown head that left slight lacing. Nose is toffee, cola, and light rum. Taste is toffee, chocolate, rum/bourbon mashup, char in the aftertaste. Excellent mouthfeel, overall world-class. Fairly complex, changing as it warms.

4.52/5 rDev +7.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

All three Clown Shoes beers I picked up last weekend have been incredible. Even though we're in a prolonged drought, have watering restrictions and burning bans, they're allowing us to have fireworks in town this year. We get all but the professional stuff here, but just not into it like when we first moved here and the kids were young. So we'll watch the grandkids light smoke bombs and sneks, and throw poppers. Lost enough hearing in my younger years between concerts, computer rooms, and fireworks.

 

Thanks for kicking this off today, @WunderLlama.

Fair warning … skip down to the "ANYHOW" (don't say I didn't warn you...)

Curmudgeon that I am, I'm saving my celebration of Independence Day for tomorrow. I'll be grilling, taking in the local fireworks display from my back porch, and perhaps enjoying another new beer (we'll see about that).

Unfortunately, I don't have any with a overtly patriotic theme. Surly's #Merica (which I never did get around to trying - sigh) is apparently no longer brewed, or at least "Out Of Rotation" - whatever that means. Having that for the first time on July 4... oh well, won't happen now; at least not this year.

Back to the curmudgeon micro-rant … Independence Day is July 4. Not July 3-5. July 5 is just another made up holiday to create a long weekend for the professional public teat class. If July 4 ends up on a Saturday or a Sunday, the day off of the regular work-week should be just... too bad, so sad. You can still celebrate on the weekend, you know!

Carrying on with the curmudgeonliness, Feb 12 is Lincoln's birthday. Feb 22 is Washington's birthday. Most of those other scalawags do not deserve recognition with a holiday, let alone commandeering the holidays for two of the greatest.

I could go on, but I won't. I know nobody in this thread cares...

ANYHOW...

St. Paul's Summit Brewing introduced a beer a few years ago they called "Cabin Crusher," and described it as a "Kolsch-style ale with Lime." I thought it was pretty good. Apparently, a lot of other people did too, since Summit has since introduced two variants... last year with lemon, and this year with tangerine.

Summit Lake Crusher Tangerine (Kolsch-style Ale)
ABV: 4.8%
IBU: 30



Aroma is fresh, crisp, and subtly orange (OK, tangerine). I like the subtle approach to these fruit-flavored beers. Nice malt and hops presence as well.

1/2 inch tall white head, thick and creamy, but it fades at a moderate pace, leaving thick lacing just above the retreating head. Color is slightly hazy yellow-gold with vigorous carbonation.

Mouth feel is smooth, on the thin side of moderate, and, surprisingly, no carbonation feel.

The flavor mirrors the aroma. The tangerine (orange) is nicely accenting the bready malts and flowery hops. No bittering anywhere, but even so, this is a crisp summer beer. There is a little sweetness to it, but just a little. I like the subtle approach to the fruit and I like the overall balance of the flavors. I like the crispness and how enjoyable this beer is to drink. To my taste, though, it could use a touch of bittering to offset the sweetness.

Overall, an enjoyable summer beer. But, in the fruit kölsch-style; I still prefer Summit's original Cabin Crusher with Lime.

L: 3.75 | S: 4.0 | T: 3.75 | F: 3.5 | O: 3.75 | Rating: 3.79

 

Central Waters Brewing Tequila Barrel-Aged Key Lime. The look is light swamp, apple cider, brown-orange. The smell has hints of tequila, which creates a very visceral reaction for me. There is the additional scent of key lime tartness. The flavor brings the tequila presence that makes my soul anxious, but the key lime tart and sweet flavor calms my nerves. The flavor ends with a saltiness that is present, but not overwhelming. It quite simply tastes like a margarita. The mouthfeel is that of a well-done cocktail, though it has the familiar carbonation/presence of a gose beer. Overall, this is an interesting addition to the Central Waters Brewing Brewer's Reserve lineup, but it is my least favorite of them all. I would rather have a well-made margarita, or a shot of premium tequila, if I was going to go this direction.

 

I fully agree. I reluctantly buy bombers and crowlers only when it's something I really want that's not available any other way. I would rather have 32oz growlers since they seal. If it's a strong beer I just drink it as two beers, stopper the bomber and put it in the fridge in-between. For crowlers I use a piece of press'n seal and a rubber band. Works for a couple of hours.

 

Thanks to the generosity of @colby600 I'm able to enjoy this . . .

Hill Farmstead Edward American Pale Ale

Medium yellow gold color that is hazy enough that I cannot see my fingers on the other side of the glass yet the appearance is very clean all through. Beautiful fine white cap and lace.

Aroma of citrus zest (not orange or lemon but definitely citrus) with a touch of pine and sharp herbs all presented with a sharp vibrancy.

Taste is hop forward with citrus in the fore and the herbal qualities trailing. Malt presence is subdued, I get more a sense of malt than an actual malt flavor. Very balanced and highly enjoyable.

Medium to full velvety texture with balancing carbonation.

Altogether it's a noteworthy brew whose acquaintance is memorable.

 

Well, my landlady had a few of these kicking around, and it was, indeed, a new beer for me, so...

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/306/1341/?ba=BBThunderbolt#navigation

I highly recommend reading the review 2nd down from mine, from December 2020.

 

Happy 4th Weekend, NBW friends. I have a couple of beers to share this 4th eve, the first from a brewery that brews some of the most beautiful beers I’ve ever seen, never mind some of the best tasting.





4.35/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a fluffy pearl white head that provides ample lacing. The nose is a little citrus (candied orange slices) and a really nice floral note, and a bit of bready malt - pilsner malt maybe?

The candied orange slices are nice but it’s the floral hop flavors that shine, and there’s definitely some bready malt flavors as well. Well balanced, delicious stuff that is supremely drinkable.

The mouthfeel is very dry, fitting this old school WCIPA. More, please.

 

That is the guy Bill Murray wanted to party with in “Stripes.” IJS.

 

Purchased this one from the local Fresh Market grocery store which is apparently the only place that carries Full Sail in my area. Pours a pretty deep and clear amber, almost ruby in color, with a sustained, foamy white head. This is hoppier than I remember with a roasted mouthfeel with hints of molasses and caramel. One of the first amber ales I tried and liked about 20 years ago. It is good to finally see it available again.

 

I can’t believe Stone came out with a “light” beer!

()
I feel ashamed. That’s some low hanging fruit.

 

I saw Dropkick Murphys open for The Offspring with Little O in the spring of 2009 in Minneapolis when we lived in Minnesota. They absolutely CRUSHED their set. Phenomenal band.

 

#2, I found this a couple of weeks ago in a fantastic beer store in a small northeast Indiana town. Really excited to try this.





4.39/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

If you look from the side as you pour this, it’s a cola brown, but in the glass it’s black with that cola brown color on the edges and a rich, creamy tan head that provides a surprising amount of lacing.

The nose is a little hot, with a lot of bourbon up front, but there’s also a lot of stone fruit, milk chocolate, and some char as well. Wow.

The taste is led by the bourbon as well, but it’s not as hot as it was on the nose, allowing the stone fruit and milk chocolate flavors to really shine. Truly delicious stuff.

The mouthfeel is surprisingly thin and a bit watery, which I really didn’t expect given the heft of this beer, but this is still overall a BA imperial stout that approaches world class, IMHO.