New Beer Weekend #60

Just curious... why?

 

Greetings, NBW friends. I had these two beers yesterday evening whilst at our camper, which is still an “internet free-zone” in (fairly) remote Northeast Indiana. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can render posting a beer review and pics an impossible endeavor.

Both beers are from a local brewery that is readily available at the local beer store, and they seem willing to get a little adventurous and brew styles beyond the obligatory hop bombs, so I look forward to trying their beers.





4.1/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful golden color that is nearly clear and supports a frothy, creamy white head. Nice lemongrass and bread notes on the nose, right in line with the style.

The lemongrass is forward on the taste, and the bready malt adds a bit of sweetness for balance. The mouthfeel is crisp, lending itself to the refreshing nature of this really nice kolsch.





3.91/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

The can says this pours jet black, but it’s really more of a dark mahogany brown, and there is indeed a light tan head. The nose has cocoa and roasty coffee notes, which are nice.

The taste also has the cocoa and roasty coffee notes, but there’s a pretty significant hop flavor as well. This drinks well, but actually leans more to the porter style, and is something I’d drink again.

 

#jealous

Our friend @Roy_Hobbs introduced me to Fox Farm. They’re world-class, IMHO - like tippity top world-class. I’d crawl 50 miles through shards of glass to visit their brewery. Exceptionally well done, my friend.

 

I ordered Wicked Weed's Medora from Taprm 6 months ago, but I'm just now getting around to some late season berry picking.

Medora from Wicked Weed, part of their Funkatorium series.
It is discontinued with nothing on the website, but the label says:
“Medora is a blonde sour ale aged in red wine barrels with 1 lb of blackberries and raspberries per gallon. The result is a beautiful fuchsia ale with bright Berry character.”
Bottled on 09/26/19 and 6.2% ABV.

Popping the cap reveals that the bottle is corked like wine and you'll need a corkscrew.
There is a loud pop followed by the aroma of grapes, berries, and lime zest and the look of strong tea with blackberries. The thin tan head quickly dissolves into a ring.

The taste, wow! Medora is juicy not quite ripe blackberries, grapes, and apples, ripe raspberries, cranberry, bitter orange & lime zest, oak twigs, and straw finishing with a puckery tartness.
This is an outstanding wild sour
4.39/5
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

 

Long walk with the dogs this morning; they needed to work off some friskiness. They're all passed out now.
My new beer for today is Sabro Hop Down, a hazy IPA from Uhl's Brewing Company in Boulder, CO. The ABV is 6.0%.
A hazy orange color. No head, even with an aggressive pour.
Fruity aroma, citrus/tropical.
Taste of tangerine, pineapple, grapefruit.
Late bitterness that lingers.

 

If there is actually going to be a trip planned, I would be very interested!

 

Busy day yesterday but a good one, time for a lazy Sunday reviewing watching the Eagles. Starting with Forest & Main Earthen Timescales, thanks @zekeman17!
4.1/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16 oz can poured into a pint glass

A- A fairly clear amber with a two finger off white head.

S- Toasted malts, some caramel malts, biscuits, some citrus, slightly woody.

T- Toasted malts, some biscuits, touch of caramel malts, floral, earthy, slightly woody, a little citrus.

M- Smooth, medium body, a touch on the dry side.

O- A nice Mild, easy to drink just a little drier than I thought it would be.

Cheers!

 

Drekker Blueberry/Lemon BRAAAAAAAAins Double Fruit Smoothie Sour, 6.3% ABV. Pours thick and opaque maroon, with a half-finger light purple head that left puree residue. Nose is blueberry. lemon, and vanilla. Taste follows with the fruit up front, vanilla and salt in the aftertaste. Decent mouthfeel with light carbonation, overall excellent.

4.14/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Great late summer/early fall day for NFL week 1. We're having the kids over later for the Packer game and BBQ pork in the crock.

 

Ok, this could be a long post (and coming from me...)

We just returned home from a 1601 mile trip (well, maybe 1602, since I reset the odometer at the gas station a mile from home) to Stowe, VT - our first beer-cation in two years (almost exactly from 2019's trip to Grand Rapids). We stopped a few spots along the ways (often documented in WBAYDN), and time of year and/or ongoing COVID concerns threw a wrench or two into our plans (Ida affected one option, even), but we adjusted as we always do.

So, the highlights of the trip?

I really enjoyed von C Brewing Co outside of Philly (place still not in BA search results), and the GF liked a few of the beers at La Cabra. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get any Suarez Family beers in our time in the Hudson area, but had a restful Labor Day at a couple small places. We both think we would spend a lot of time at Lawson's Finest Liquids if we lived where we vacationed, although their beer lineup (like a lot of places up there) was very IPA-heavy. I thought Hill Farmstead beers lived up to hype of producing high quality brews (I loved Arthur).

But as to a beer, we decided to wrap up the trip with an IPA from the furthest spot we visited, Hill Farmstead. This beer was not available on tap, but was in cans (canned 8/30) from the bottle shop. Susan is brewed with hops from the Yakima Valley and New Zealand (Riwaka), which are combined with house well water and ale yeast (and some form of unmentioned malts, I'd guess).


Pour is almost opaquely hazy, with a well-formed head that provides a lot of spongy lacing. One thing I noticed in all the HF beers we tried - the head and lacing were impressive. Feel is pretty soft, with a cushioned carbonation from a medium bodied beverage.

The nose isn't assaulting my olfactory sense, but there is an orange and ruby grapefruit peel general vibe to it. There's a little malt sweetness that seems to be pushing part of the beer towards tropical notes, but it doesn't quite get there. Hints of grass and ever so lightly toasted grain accent things.

A decent malt opening has a bit of a floral aspect with some honey sweetness. Initially, where were just a few scrapes of orange/tangerine zest in the opening, but warmth brought a bit more citrus out. Grass and hay come next, and then what I'll call a "raw hop" bitterness starts to grow. Herbal dominates the front to me, and it becomes a mix of fresh grass, light pine wood, and just a touch of grapefruit.

The beer comes to me as being fairly dry, with a sticky herbal/green grass bitterness coating my tongue. I like the progression of Susan, and it fits right in with the other Hill Farmstead beers I had. Most were very good; they didn't try to be in your face or over the top, but they also didn't try to be tame and overly subtle. There seemed to be layers and progression within a few of them which made them interesting. I'll get to rating this eventually, but it's gotta be near a 4.5 based on this half pour.

Eh... it's pretty long, but not as bad as I'd thought it would be.

 

Happy NBS friends!
Base for deck almost complete, small fire burning off weeds, and wood split. Must be time for a beer!

Dug through the cellar a bit to find this (mostly stouts down there) but I knew it was there and I was wanting a sour to cut through the humidity here. And whoa, this thing is really good. I've had good sours before and I'm not certain I would name this my all time favorite, but it caught me by surprise.
Poured a color like a strongly brewed iced tea, but the tan head that quickly builds and faded to mere lacing assures me this isn't tea.
The aroma is definitely cherry forward, but backed by malts of unknown origin. Unexpected but very pleasant.
Taste leaves everything I experienced with this beer in the rear view. Tart cherries strongly edge a malty base and combine in a way I've never experienced in a sour before. Really something. And really good! (Seriously, most sours I've had taste like they were brewed sours; this one *tastes* like a malty beer that was made sour. How???)
Feel is tingly, but not from carbonation. crisp and smooth, how that's simultaneously done I may never know.
Thanks go to @SP23 for this (and so many others) from the most recent Can-Cans BIF. I'm hoping he joins us for NBW BIF #14!
Cheers all!
Back to deck building.

 

De Garde's Purple Kriek.

750ml capped/corked bottle split between a pair of stemless, angular wineglasses. Bottled 3/21. The label says it's 6.5%.

Pours a dark purple with a flash of purple head that dissipates into a small ring. Smell is fairly strong tart and very strong berry aroma.

Taste is also very tart and very berry. A bit of a funky/oaky flavor, seems like all sweetness is gone.

Mouthfeel is light, smooth, soft. Overall, I'm impressed. This is really good.

 

Familiar with that area+. Ive enjoyed Outerlights IPA but the last few beers from them, for me, have been undewhelming. Havent any of their BA stuff yet. The last Nelson brew I had from them was almost a drainpour - it was disjointed. I will give them a shot again after your review. Cheers!

 

Had Kiss of Dank on Friday at the source (from the can, which I'm sure the label will say if they produce one). The GF and I shared it with some Skadoosh (Nelson and Riwaka), and we both enjoyed the Skadoosh more. The Kiss of Dank was more subtle and I would agree somewhat tropical. I think the beer's name threw me a little.

We considered stopping by Forest & Main when in Philly, but weren't sure if it would be worth it with the size of the place. Eventually we need to get there and try some of their beer.

 

Ist NBS brew and unusually my second NBW brew this one courtesy of the great BA @JayORear
Other Half All Green Everything....
Pouring a hazy liquid gold with decent retention and plenty of sticky lacing.
Initially smelling of green grape and gooseberry after popping the top, before the pour. After the pour the beer opens with ripe passionfruit, candied mango, tangerine and dark berries. Tastes of ripe tropicals, fresh squeezed OJ, sweetness is rounded out by a pine and grapefruit pith finish.
Thick and creamy at mid but drying out on the finish with light carbonation. Bitterness lingers on the tip of the tongue with stickiness on the lips. This is 10.5%? Holy smokes this is a sipper but its hard to stop. Fantastic triple. So thankful to get the chance. I virtually fist pump and bow to your generosity and quality beer procurements Jay! Cheers!
Go Gmen!

 

HellaBock Girl from Brewster Bros. Chippewa Falls, WI

3.99/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A Heller Bock. also called HelleBock Girl. New beer just came out a week ago. Tested from a 32oz crowler pulled at the tap room. Nobody there knew the ABV.
Look: A orangish amber gold body. The body is not transparent. Has a little haze to it. Ok fine white head. that doesn't leave much lacing.
Smell; smells good, bread, sweet malt, fruit like peach or apricot.
Taste: Follows the nose. Plus you get toasted bread, a little orange blossom honey, a little floral hops in the background. Maybe a micro hint of bitter grain on the finish. It's sweet but overly sweet. Smooth easy drinking
feel it's ok not thin or thick

Odd beer, not really to any style. But closest to a Maibock. ABV is hard to judge but I will go with 6.1%
Bock? might be to stronger flavor not ABV ??? I like it
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45494/568069/

I have crowler of there Dopplebock for later (have had it before).
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45494/545916/

 

What a let down, that was nothing

Definitely agree here, it something I notice every time I have their beers when we are up in Vermont.