New Beer Weekend #50

Happy Fourth of July! We're planning a low-key celebration, just us and the dogs. Our oldest dog goes absolutely batshit when she hears fireworks, so we've got the sedative ready to go.
Today's new beer is The Dreams That Stuff Are Made Of, honoring Steven Hawking, a nice saison.
This beer is a brassy color with a small off-white head.
Not much aroma. Sweet malt, a little fruit.
Fruity taste, peppery, a little funky.
A dry finish. Pleasant beer.

 

Thank you WunderLlama for this weekends thread.
I'm very pleased with this new-to-me beer here: ROAK French toast devil dog Oatmeal Stout from beautiful Michigan.
It's a very nice offering! and has sediment which I agitated to produce a few chunks. What a beautiful little stout!
L:4//S:4//T:4.25//F:4//O:4
L: Pours jet black with a 1" fluffy rocky tan head that eventually dissipates to edge foam, very minimal lacing. I agitated the sediment to produce some chunks.
S: French toast, maple syrup, cinnamon and black coffee.
T: A nice initial hop bite then French toast, maple syrup, cinnamon, coffee, chocolate. Lightly bitter in the finish with no alcohol. The oatmeal stout beer beneath the flavor control panel is lightly sweet and toasty with a hint of yeasty malt and a whisper of egg nog.
F: It has a fluffy medium bodied mouthfeel that is very easy drinking and the 8.3%ABV is well concealed.
O: The cinnamon flavor becomes a bit more pronounced over time. This beer is a breakfast stout for sure! It is very approachable and has a dignified taste that is excellent in it's style.
Happy 4th of July! CHEERS ADVOCATES!!

 

Pizza Port Coffee Porter 6.2%. Tried a a few coffee Porters recently that missed the mark. This is pretty much what I was looking for. Tastes like a Porter. Laid back Coffee with a some hops. It's good and comes in sixers of 16oz cans.

 

Shimmy Shimmy Ye’ a Triple IPA from Twin Elephant Brewing. Shimmy Ye’ was one of the first Hazy IPAs brewed by Twin Elephant Brewing. It’s been brewed many times since. They have also brewed a APA called little Shimmy Ye’ that also sells well. They decided it would be fun to kick it up so Shimmy Shimmy Ye was born mission accomplished. This beer clocks in At 10% ABV. Served at the brewery in12 OZ glass it’s very hazy with a small but thick and lasting head. Very powerful aroma of citrus and bread. The citrus is strong in the taste but not overwhelmingly so. The mouthfeel
Is full but soft. The finish is fruity and lasting. This is a dangerous beer, the 10% ABV in hidden and this drinks like a pale ale. Excellent brew.

 

Sitting in the World of Beer in Syracuse white my wife finishes shopping and decided to try Plum Conundrum from Prairie Artisan.

Very nice.
Described as an “ale brewed with blackberries, black currants, and plums”
Conundrum is the color of red plums with a foamy pink head. Not much aroma, but the taste is red plum (tart peel & ripe flesh), didn't notice any blackberry, but there is some currant in the background along with lime zest and a clean plum peel tart finish. Overall a very nice summer ale.
3.96/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

 

Greetings fellow NBSers! A bright, warm, sunny day here in the Fourth Corner. Traditionally our summer starts on July 5, but with the huge heat wave we had last week, the grass is already brown, and there are wildfire warnings covering pretty much the whole state. I hope the yahoos can keep their fireworks under control, and not burn half the state down.

Starting my beer day with another from @samkuhgee and his Can Cans BIF box he sent earlier this week. Off Color Brewing Beer For Ball Games is a very nice Cream Ale. Smooth and easy drinking.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31678/538093/

 

Poured into a 16 oz Snulip glass not sure when it was canned, but I trust in the last 2 weeks. Pours a pinkish red with a tiny head that leaves little if any lace and very quick to settle. 4.25

Aroma is blood orange, prickly pear, cherry, lemon, and rhubarb. 4.5

Taste follows blood orange, prickly pear, cherry, lemon, and rhubarb a little sour but not much. 4.5

Mouthfeel is almost medium, not sticky or dry, plenty of life, and at 6% ABV it goes down extremely easy but very big on flavor. 4.5

Overall I am really surprised at how much I am enjoying this one. It feels like a great hot summer day crusher, with a carbonated lemonade vibe with all the other flavors contributing nicely. 4.5

 

Happy Independence Day to all my fellow Americans!

And, greetings to all BAs on this second day of NBW50 aka NBS854!!

For those of you unfamiliar with the Minnesota brewing landscape, Hammerheart is a brewer who has been focused on their niche in a sea of hazy sameness. Their motif is Scandinavian, both in their branding and in their taproom, and their niche is Northern European smoked beers. They've occasionally offered English styles (which is where I have tried one of their beers before). I recently bought a 4 pack of their smoked farmhouse ale but I haven't tried it yet.

They announced the closing of their Lino Lakes, MN tap room and brewery. They apparently intend to go the contract brewing route for distribution, and open a new, small brewpub in another small town out of the metro area. So, in my purchase run for the SNPA tasting event tomorrow, I added a couple of their other beers that were available in the store. This is one of those.

Hammerheart Vårtid Pilsner - Bohemian / Czech
ABV: 5.1%
IBU: NA



The brewer describes this as:
"A bright, hoppy, mildly smokey (sic - no bear or R&B singer in sight...) Pilsner brewed for springtime bonfires and the coming warm weather after the long Minnesota winter."

The aroma is bright, almost citrusy. Biscuit malts. Grass. No smoke that I can detect.

Slightly hazy in a kellerbeir way, pale amber. Heavily carbonated. Good size head, about 1 inch, that is thick, white, and creamy. Excellent retention. Little lacing as the head recedes slowly, but nice lacing as I tip to drink.

The flavor repeats the citrusy component. Maybe a little "second hand" smoke, but very little. The bread/biscuit becomes more assertive in the flavor, building as I drink. Smooth initial taste, transitioning to a nicely bitter aftertaste. The bitterness also builds in the mouth as I drink, but never above more of an accent.

A moderate body, not at all thin, and nicely carbonated.

A well done and enjoyable pilsner.

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

 

Happy 4th! I am visiting relatives who have big gardens. I brought along half a bushel of peaches

to trade for some blueberries and black raspberries


I also brought with me some beer from a stop at Resident Culture in Charlotte. Lightning Drops is one of their flagship IPA's which I had not previously had the chance to buy.

6.5% ABV, Citra, Mosaic, and Galaxy hops. Cans are undated so you have to watch the social media to keep track of releases. There is so much good beer in Charlotte, I have a hard time deciding what to pick up.

This beer is a dank tropical bomb. Smooth but with a nice hop bite aftertaste.
4.4/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Well, back to family duties and celebrating July 4th.

 

Independence Day greetings, New Beer Samplers and commentators. It's an absolutely gorgeous afternoon here in North Jersey. It's so quiet and peaceful - everyone's at the Shore but us (actually our daughter and her fiance are there). I prefer not to fight the crowds and traffic for the holiday and we only go down if we stay the whole week.

Beer distribution is sometimes a mystery to me. Grimm is located less than 35 miles away but it's only recently that its beers have become generally available here. For example, until recently I could find beer from Toppling Goliath, 3 Floyds, and Melvin more easily than Grimm. I've been wanting to try Tesseract for years but always seemed to be thwarted - until now. It's fresh - canned on 6/23. Poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass. It pours a lazy, nearly opaque, bright tangerine color with a huge, foamy, bright white head and thick, soapy lacing. The smell is bold with tangerine, pineapple, lemon, grapefruit, and sweet floral hops. The taste opens with a blast of citrus blending tart lemon and grapefruit with sweeter pineapple, tangerine, and a hint of ripe cantaloupe. At mid-palate there are notes of pine needles, bubblegum, and grass. The Citra and Mosaic hops, always a great combination, really shine, and the Falconers Flight hops compliment then well. It finishes with a clean bitterness that appeases a hop lover without overpowering. This ale has a moderate mouth feel with a pleasant level of carbonation, and it's easily drinkable at 8% ABV. Tesseract is a DIPA I've been wanted to try for years and it didn't disappoint. It's so basic in its construct but highly flavorful and drinkable. It merits its World-Class rating.

I'll definitely buy more of this when available.

4.46/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

I'm not working tomorrow so I'll be back in a few with another local IPA. Cheers, NBW!

 

Greetings All and Happy Independence Day from the Great Northwest.

This weekend we have Shadow Shinobi IPA.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30176/329452/

Well balanced with a fair amount of caramel sweetness to go with the citrus.

Until next time,

 

Good afternoon NBS/NBW and thanks @WunderLlama for kicking of the weeknend in proper fashion. We went to the Brewery at Four Star Farms this afternoon, a lovely Pale Ale was out and delicious.
Cheers all

Spring Mending

Pale Ale - American | 5.5% ABV

The Brewery at Four Star Farms
Northfield, Massachusetts

3.94/5 rDev 0% | Average: 3.94
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16 oz can purchased at the brewery into the test glass
A - Dark straw color, excellent clarity, active carbonation feeds a soon to exit white cap. Lacing is outstanding
S - Cascade hop forward, with a backdrop of lightly toasted malt and a hint of white pepper. Orange rime, and white pepper strike the cord.
T - A bit of the wheat runs forward, earthy touch, then the Cascade hops run the table, gently with citrus, orange, and again wih a nice hint of spice from the malts
M - Medium in body, sweet start then wave of bittering runs block, the finish is pleasantly dry
O - A wonderful APA, clarity and body are outstanding, the use of Cascade set against some wheat in the grist makes for a lovely experience.

 

On July 4th in 1826 exactly 50 years after The Declaration of Independence both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died.

 

Next up is treat from @sharpski , Black Butte3 from Deschutes. This bottle, from June 2020 has a lot of chocolate, and a light whiskey flavor.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/63/191971/?ba=BBThunderbolt#review

 

Is that a little baby Aussie Shepherd, Blue Heeler, or Texas Heeler? And is that a big cat? Great picture!

 

It's been awhile since I had a beer from Czig Meister. My non-BA beer buddy was there recently for the 5th Anniversary celebration and gave me a can of one of the special releases: Hoptopus, one of the "Abyss" series. It's hopped exclusively with Mosaic and has a heavy dose of oats. I added it to the BA database.

First review. Canned on 5/28/2021. Poured into a pint glass. It pours an opaque, muddy tangerine color with a half finger of creamy, bright white cap and thick lacing. The nose is malty with creamy oats, tangerine, lemon, and subdued floral hops. The taste opens with a good blend of sweet, creamy oats and citrus - I'm tasting orange/tangerine, lemon, and a hint of ripe melon and stone fruit. As it warms there are notes of raspberry which is a nice touch. The Citra hops are evident in the citrus but the bitterness is modest despite the 53 IBU. The best thing about Hoptopus is its mouth feel: it's plush and creamy with moderate carbonation, and it drinks very easily for 9% ABV. Overall, Hoptopus is an enjoyable beer - it's surprisingly mellow for its elevated alcohol level. If you like bitter bombs, then it's probably not for you but I think it's a nice offering; perfect for a quiet Sunday afternoon outdoors.

3.97/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Time to fire up the grill!

 

What’s on the menu for tonight?

 

Hello NBS!
And thanks to @WunderLlama for a great start.
My first today came to me via the Can-Cans BIF (that is reporting today I think) so here we go -
Poured a nearly transparent golden amber with an impressive off white head.
Aroma was mild, I poured it minutes out of the fridge so it was likely too cold still.
But it is very warm here and I was thirsty so I didn’t wait.
The taste was milder than expected for a DDH WCIPA; I expected piney bitter in spades but it was rather subdued. Still really tasty, just not what I expected.
The feel was good, once I got past the head.
Very refreshing and punching over it’s flavor and feel. That makes for a dangerous 6 pack!
Thanks to @SP23 for sending this my way!

 

Not sure. We are getting those 2 rescues tomorrow. I cant remember not having a pet/animal in the house. After we had to say goodbye to our 20 yr old lady Lucy the house seems empty.