New Beer Weekend #62

Lupulin Fallsfest Festbier, 5.8% ABV. Pours medium orange and clear with a ring of white bubbles. Nose is malt, a bit roasty. Taste follows, faint sweetness, lightly roasted malt, slight bitterness. Excellent mouthfeel, overall outstanding.

4.18/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

3 New to me and (recent to) BA
What’sa Bro | Toms River | NJ | APA | 6.2%
4.2/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Added By Act 25. 3rd from brewer. Guests & I agree on this apa - it’s great.
A bro can cut either way, a true brother, or a preppy.
a) Apricot opaque body sports lacy, white head.
s) Straw, lemon, wheat, grass.
t) Creamy, clean blending of these, while adding melon, sawdust, woodshop, caramel malt.
f) Creamy, rich.
o) Favorite style - I’d add this. to my top 10 APA list as a contender.

Just Tap It In | 1940’s Brewing | NY | NE IPA | 7.5%
4.2/5 rDev +9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2d review. Just tap it. First from 1940s.
A) hazed yellow body, large stiffly whipped head.
S) lemon pie, fresh cut grass.
t) Lemony, citrus without acidity, creamy instead, layering in pine, grass, herb, spring wet grass.
F) Creamy, yet cleansing, scrubbing, clean, fresh, wet.
O) Top NE IPA.

Softly Spoken Magic Spells | SingleCut Beersmiths | NY | NE IPA 8.6%
4.3/5 rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Large NEDIPA, pours like apricot puree, with creamsicle head and qualities
s) Citrus eruption on opening can but tames in class (ferry cup).
t) Complex, orange-cream cicle, with coating layers of pepper, spice grass, herbs, dankness, and pine resins.
f) Creamy, yet acutely bitter, twisting.
o) Sharp and tight.

 

Lupulin Rubuscubus Imperial Stout, 11% ABV. Pours black with a half-finger medium brown head. Nose is an incredibly strong raspberry, vanilla, and lactose. Taste follows, sweet and insanely strong raspberry, vanilla, and lactose, no bitterness. Excellent thick mouthfeel, overall world-class. A couple of times while drinking this it channeled cough syrup, but that passed and it just became incredible. Don't drink this if you hate or are allergic to raspberry. One of my top-rated beers.

4.67/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

I was just killing time waiting on car work down the street, and just happened on this one. Real incredible. I'd like to have a BBA or RBA variant of it. I may go back for a 25oz sample.

 

New Park Brewing Meadow NEIPA. My eagerness to try this beer is a combination of shameless love for the can art and @Roguer's intriguing review, which promises (suggests?) a IIPA experience in a single IPA package, which is tricky but not impossible, as Tree House regularly demonstrates. Pours a "just right" amount of hazy IMO, not murky but soft and refractive; lately, I've been swirling beers around under a light to see what happens, and this one changes hues in a pleasing way. Head isn't highly retentive, but leaves behind impressively complex lacing. Aroma is unusual, not in a bad way--so many NEIPAs hit you over the head with citrus, but there's something more subtle here: melon (but not the overpowering honeydew of Other Half's recent beers), banana, and a light herbal component I can't quite name, and which grows stronger as it warms.

While I agree with Andrew that the mouthfeel approaches IIPA levels, I'm not sure the taste packs that much of a wallop. It mostly follows aroma, with that herbal note translating to a bit of the bitterness I wish there were more of. It's more gulpably refreshing than your typical IIPA, and clearly well executed. It's just this side of amazing, but better than many, many single hazy IPAs. Would certainly bang again.

 

For this weekend I stumbled across a beer I have never heard of from a brewery I have never heard of here in SoCal in an undated can (the trifecta of obscurity!) so clearly I HAD to buy it. Glad I did. This is a double IPA described as "juicy" and clocking in at 8.5% ABV with hop mix including "Citra, Mosaic, Summit, and Wakatu hops". Pours as shown with a burnt orange color. Nearly opaque but a nice solution without obvious partitioning. Some minor solids found that settle out quickly, nothing too voluminous or off-putting and the can text warns you to expect it. The head is white and relatively stiff and moderately persistent, with some lacing; not a lot and not what I would call "sticky". Nose and flavor the same: fruity with the flavor profile expected from the hop mix. Nice relatively medium to heavy body in the mouth with fine carbonation. Not a alcohol burn to be found but I can definitely feel it working on my head after a few minutes. Overall a very pleasant one to try and perhaps better, IMO, than the BA score of 88 in 15 ratings.

 

Great review! Picked up a 4-pack today, may review it here tonight or tomorrow. I was decidedly not a fan of the Mackinack Fudge, but this has too many of my favorite flavorings to not give it a try.

 

Prairie Pumpkin Kerfuffle, a kettle sour with Mars; 4.0 overall

Pours an effervescent & slightly hazed amber with a pinky of sand colored head. Some lacing & head retention

S: Pumpkin pies spices & a little bit of tartness once warm

T: Pumpkin pie spice, a little squashyness & just a little tartness up front, plus some dryness. Tartness/sourness builds as this warms, a little marshmallow comes through as well, plush more dryness, cinnamon & nutmeg. Finishes tart, sour with some lemon & less pumpkin spice

MF: Medium body, light carbonation

Decent drinkability for what is, just not a style variant I am Jonesing for. I would take this over a majority of the Pumpkin ales I have tried, has more than one dimension

 

Starting with a Saison today and debating if I sticking with a Saison or switch to an Oktoberfest fest next. Enjoying a can of Forest & Main Summer Friend, thanks @zekeman17!
4.23/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

16 oz can poured into tulip

A- A fairly clear golden straw with a three finger white head.

S- Wheat, floral, mild funk, some earthy spices.

T- Wheat, light fruits, floral, mild funk, earthy spices, hints of citrus, some peppercorns.

M- Smooth, dry, light body.

O- A tasty Saison and easy to drink

Cheers!

 

Another beer from Seattle, I'll be set with them for the next couple NBW. My favorite beer I had while out there was from a brewery called Stoup, their red ale called northwest red, this is another beer from them. Their German pilsner, with how much I enjoyed NW red the bar has been set high for this one.

Stoup - German Pilsner



Definitely looks the part color wise, crystal clear very light gold color. The head really lacks any appeal after it settled, huge translucent soapy looking bubbles that pretty much all but disappeared into nothing. The beautiful color and clarity make up for that a little bit.

Aroma comes off very bright, first there is a cracker like smell along with some spice, graininess, and floral notes.

The taste is at first subtly sweet which quickly disappears, then water cracker, grass, and ends spicy/peppery.

Light bodied beer that goes down very clean and smooth. Finishes dry with a really nice bitterness. Begs for another sip.

Very impressed by the two beers I've had from this brewery, I would love to have a brewery like this locally.

 

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest 2021

Clear, deep amber color with small cap and little lacing.

Aroma of soft, caramel malt with just a touch of spicy hops.

Taste is where this beer shines. It is rich in a caramely malty sense without being overly sweet. This is a serious dose of flavor, not complex nor terribly sophisticated but it does taste good. Hop influence is not intense but is strong enough to counter balance the malt.

Medium full texture with balancing carbonation.

It's a one note brew but it sings loud and clear.

 

This brewery is more notable for its hazies (M-43 anyone?), but they do other styles quite well in my experience, and this is no exception - and it’s the first lager of theirs that I’ve tried.

Let’s Oktoberfest this!!!



4.04/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful golden amber color with a little suspended haze and a rich oatmeal colored head that laces the glass quite nicely. The nose is led by caramalt and toffee aromas, but there’s a substantial grassy note as well.

The toffee and caramalt are present on the taste as well, but this Marzen leans more towards the hoppy side of things with grassy flavors throughout the taste.

The mouthfeel is medium and very crisp, spot on for the style. I’m enjoying this outdoors on a chilly evening in Northern Indiana, and it’s working really well.

 

The BA debut for Ocktoberfest by Bravo Brewing Co. of scenic Pascoag Rhode Island.
A very well done Marzen. Cheers.



4.44/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A sturdy pour from a 32-oz. growler released 2 fingers of off-white creamy/soapy foam with very long retention and blotches of lacing. Clear copper color, shiny new penny color in front of bright light.

Bready malt greets the nose (fresh baked, toasted and dough) with mild herbal and floral hops with a hint of spice.
A toasted grainy malt smell is faint.

The taste begins neutral with mild hop bitterness, as in the smell bready malt and hops are in control. Sweetness (not caramel), is there but it's kept in check. A late arriving and very mild earthy/grainy taste appears. The finish is fast but not crisp, it becomes semi-dry as spicy bitterness builds and lingers on a while.

Medium bodied with soft and lasting carbonation. Malty smooth, very well balanced. Alcohol is well hidden, as it warms the malt really shines, alcohol is now faint in the taste and smell. Enjoyed brewer fresh.

 

Gather by Fox Farm

4.27/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25



Pint can received in a Lif associated with Bif 13 by @Roguer

Canned 9.1, opened 9.25

Poured into an antique German Pilsener flute, golden clear liquid capped by a two finger frothy white foam cap , good retention , good lacings , recedes to a a solid creamy layer

Aroma is grassy , malts, straw , whiff of lemon

Taste is grassy , slight peppery spice, hint of lemon

Good sudsing ,clean crisp , hop flavor no bite

Good beer, thanks @Roguer !!!

 

Pouring another Saison from @zekeman17, Warwick Farm Escape Plan.
4.15/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

16 oz can poured into a tulip

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

S- Citrus, light fruits, mild funk, dank

T- Citrus, some pale malts, light fruits, earthy, mild funk, dank.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- Dry hopping is a nice touch, could be funkier but still a tasty Saison

Cheers!

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

This will likely be my only beer posted here this weekend, because I'm headed to Lake of the Woods for diversity training... wait, that's what I do at the Riverboat Depot bar by work.

I'm headed up north, within spittin' distance of Canada for some amazing walleye fishing, and I'm stoked as hell.

So on to my beer, and this was one recommended to me by a very good friend. I bought it at Casanova Liquors in Hudson, Wisconsin when we were last there about a month ago.


Tripel Karmeliet - Tripel - 8.4% ABV.

I like drinking this beer a lot. It's damn tasty, and full of flavor.

That being said, it also confuses the hell out of me. It tastes like an amped up Hefe to me. I get a lot of banana and clove flavor. I also get a bit of a wild Belgian funk, as well. I like it, but am confused.


Review:
3.94/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a bit of a murky golden, blonde color. The head is 2 finger, white, fluffy, and frothy, however, there's almost no lacing on the glass as it dissipates.
The nose, well, maybe I'm weird, ok, I know I am, but it reminds me of a hefe. I get a malty, bread, biscuit aroma, with some banana and cloves? There's also a slight, wild, funky, floral aroma, as well.
Taste - Am I drinking a hefe? I get the hefe flavors here. I get banana, I get cloves. I get a wild funky flavor as well. A bit earthy, a bit floral. This is confusing me a lot.
This body is pretty good. Full, and good for the ABV.
I like this beer, but if you told me it was a hefe, all be it, a strong one, I'd believe you. Good, but confusing me.


I'll see you all down the road. Enjoy lots of good new beers at this virtual bar.

 

Yeah, sorry about that...that one's third tier in my books, but I didn't know it when I sent it to you -- it was just one of the most recently purchased beers, and I hoped to deliver freshness and uniqueness.

Of the ~30 fresh hops I've had (so far), none of them have been "bad" -- all have at least been good beers, though some have been unimpressive in the realm of fresh hops. Like the Flying Lion.

I was also a little disappointed to see @Ozzylizard not particularly enjoying the fresh hop Abominable from Hopworks (last week?). I really liked that one, but I have a soft spot for "imperial red ale," which is closer to how I would classify that. But I can understand why others wouldn't dig it.

Still, I am very happy to see a nice honest thumb down rather than a thumb up for the sake of politeness!