New Beer Weekend #66

I love that beer. Seems to be brewed year around now and now supply is sitting longer. I've had a less then a week after bottling and it's always awesome. Skål

 

Old pic as my background in most of my shots is my PC's screensaver on auto slideshow. This is a pic of The Alchemist's Stowe location during construction, early 2016. If I remember correctly, it was 19 below zero when I snapped it from my vantage point near the back door at our store. Cheers!

 

Howdy NBW

KBS Cinnamon Vanilla Cocoa
12% ABV 45 IBU
4.25. 4. 4. 4. 4.02. rDev 4.5


Pours dark brown with a quickly dissipating 1 inch head. Light cap and no lacing to speak of

Aroma is a tad boozy, some vanilla, cinnamon and a bread like yeast smell, almost like a cinnamon bun.

Taste is cinnamon, mocha, dark coffee and a little smoky bourbon

Mouthfeel is prickly with roasted coffee up front, medium carbonation, sticky sweetness to a cinnamon dry slightly bitter finish.

Overall it’s pretty balanced and layered, I liked it but to me it is a tad thin. It was good but not as bold tasting as some of their others

 

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass canned on 10/14/21. Pours near pitch black with 2 plus finger sticky mocha head, that leaves thin streaks of lace with really impressive retention. 4.5

Aroma is peanut butter and chocolate, really exactly what you would expect, maybe a hint of vanilla. 4.25

Taste follows peanut butter and chocolate, one dimensional in a great way. 4.25

Mouthfeel is above average, not dry or sticky, soft carbonation, and at 8% it goes down really easy. 4.25

Overall a really tasty beer and would go great with a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. 4.25 Cheers all

 

I don't think there is any other beer that tastes as much like Christmas as this one does to me. I think the honey ginger combination is what I like so much about it.

 

My wife and I are in Phoenix for a family reunion. Four of our kids made the trip, as well as all four grandkids. It's certainly great to see them all, and we're having a lot of fun. I picked up a few beers at a nearby Total Wine. This one is The Storyteller, and it was a bit of a disappointment.
A dark brown/black color with a thin tan head.
Not much aroma. A hint of chocolate, dark fruit, and alcohol.
Taste lacking also. Mostly chocolate. A touch of pepper. No rye, no fruit.
Thin mouthfeel.

 

Back at it again, a bit late to the party today. I've gott his new to me beer in my glass.


Wide Awake - Coffee Milk Stout - Sleepy Eye Brewing - Sleepy Eye, MN - 5.3%

I'm not a coffee drinker, however I do love a well made coffee beer, and this is one. The brewery is part of Sleepy Eye Coffee Co., and it shows in the beer. It's damn delicious, and a good way to start the day.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/58261/477146/

3.98/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

This beer pours a nice very dark brown color. The head is less than 1 finger, and tan. The bubbles in the head are quite small and it looks fluffy. The head dissipates fairly quickly forming a ring around the glass. There's no lacing on the glass.
The nose has notes of coffee, which is expected. It also has notes of lactose and chocolate. The coffee is the main aroma.
Taste - Up front I get the lactose and chocolate. This is quickly replaced with coffee, and lots of it. The coffee was there from the start, but really builds on the back, and lingers.
The body is lighter, but isn't bad for the ABV at all.
The brewery is part of a coffee house also, and it shows in this beer. Both parts are well made, making a very good beer.


See you all later for more new beers.

 

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Been a while since I was here, but I have been trying new beers on untappd mostly when I go out with friends. Last Sunday I drove to Shallotte and met up with @hoptheology who was staying at holden beach. We had a beer share at his beach house on Tuesday night after going to Wing and Fish company (which needs to be added to places) And then I drove home early in the morning. I worked from the hotel and it feels nice to afford whatever without wasting money like I used to.

Case in point, life is amazing. Dream job, dream salary. My dad actually went to Myrtle Beach this week and I went to Calabash with him for dinner on Monday. He stopped by on Thursday with more shit from the trailer, and spent the night and we went out to dinner again. I love my parents and would not be this successful without them, especially considering the past. I am flying Julia in for a visit in 2 weeks. She is moving down soon, and anyways I can afford to pay for the logistics if we want.


Also I don't know how I went so long without having cats. Big helpers of mental health and without much upkeep. I left them home for 3 days with a 84 ounce water fountain and 2 big bowls of dry food. They were climbing all over me as soon as I sat down at home.


Going to try to review more, but just not the same enthusiasm or (anywhere close) to how much I drank in my darker days.

Yuengling Raging Eagle. This is really good! Great fluffy head retention, and spotty soapy lacing. Aromas and flavors of juicy mango fruit with some cracker/lightly biscuity malts and herbal/woody/grassy hops. Nose was a lot more vibrant on the authentic mango fruit. Light herbal, woody, grassy bitterness and minimal fruit tartness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation and light-medium body; very crisp/clean/refreshing. Perfectly clean lager flavors. No cloying/astringent flavors. This is basically just a Pils with some mango added. I'd take it every day over the amber lager. 3.88


Cheers

 

Meal prepping after after a fall picnic and playground with my kids, my nephew, my brother and my mom. A great time we had. Now that I’m cooking I’m happily enjoying a beer.

Prima pils holds a special place in my beer heart. I was upset when they tweaked it but I still enjoy the new version almost just as much as original. On some stupid principal I was torn over trying this beer, again tweaking an already previously perfect beer. Well I saw a single and I had to give a try. Plus they just rereleased storm king so that’s big points in their favor. Well let’s see how this beer is…

Dry Hopped Prima Pils



Pours a cloudy hazy yellow with a sudsy soapy like white head. No retention or lacing, a thin layer of white persists.

Wow the aroma just jumps out of the glass. Some tropical fruit notes and then a big hit of lemon lime. There is also a slight peachy smell to this beer as well. Despite the aroma being so strong it’s not overwhelming it melds very well and I just want to keep smelling it.

The taste is much like the nose but the lemon lime takes from and center. The peachiness is still there and the tropical note takes backseat in the aftertaste. A pleasant white bread like note also brings the whole thing together very nicely. As it warms the peach pops out more than the lemon lime citrus.

This beer has a light verging close to medium body. It drinks very clean despite an initial hoppy stickiness, it seemingly vanishes on the finish. I’m not really getting any bitterness on this beer.

I have to say this is a very well made beer. It’s flavorful yet balanced and is very drinkable. Well done Victory!

 

Chimay Doree (Gold) Belgian Pale Ale

Pale light gold color with excellent white cap and lacing.

Mild aroma that's slightly spicy and slightly sweet. I get a distinct touch of yellow fruit, pear and banana,

I was expecting the taste to be on the mild side but this is an explosively rich taste sensation. When I think of Chimay I think of a broad shouldered line busting powerful fullback sort of brews. This is different and I mean that in a very positive way. It actually reminds me of a very high quality sweet white wine such as Chateau d'Yquem or a German Beerenauslese except without the high level of sweetness. I taste the ripe fruit along with fresh yeast rolls balanced by a bright hop sharpness. These elements combine beautifully and harmoniously. Seamless from start to finish with just the perfect length of aftertaste.

Full texture with an over abundance of carbonation that requires a vigorous pour to smooth things out.

I waited for years to find this on the shelf and my patience was rewarded. World class in every respect.

 

OK, late in the season for this summer beer but, as I posted yesterday, I bought the sample pack on a whim. So here goes.

Utepils Pontoon Afternoon Kölsch
ABV: 4.9%
IBU: 25

Brewmaster’s Notes
Drop anchor and relish a sunny afternoon floating on the water. Nothing makes you forget your troubles more than an afternoon in the sun sippin’ Utepils. Pontoon afternoon is a refreshing raspberry infused golden colored ale that puts your mind at ease. Allow life’s interruptions to drift away and savor these moments of natural bliss.



This is described as a raspberry Kölsch style. I'm hoping Utepils treated the raspberry with due subtlety. IOW, I'm hoping this doesn't taste of cough drops.

Semi-clear golden yellow, nicely carbonated. 1 inch thick white head with excellent retention and nice lacing.

The aroma is not strong, but is inviting. Subtle fruit (a good sign). Bready malts and bright hops.

The initial taste is very good. The raspberry is obvious, but has a natural fruit taste and is well integrated into the malts and yeast flavors. This pleasant and refreshing flavor mix carries through the middle. However, the finish and aftertaste develop a flavor that seems to permeate several of Utepils beers. In this case, it's not quite mineral and not quite metallic, but in the ball park of a mixture of both. While this lingers into the aftertaste, it does fade leaving the more pleasant initial flavors to try to rectify the situation. The beer does mostly succeed in being overall nice to drink since the metallic-mineral remains in the background in the finish.

The body is on the light side of moderate with good carbonation adding to the feel.

Overall, this could have been an excellent summer refresher, but the off flavors spoiled things.

As I've noted in several other Utepils reviews, I have detected a mineral / metallic off flavor in other beers from this brewer (notably their Altbier and yesterday's Kristallweizen), but it is particularly not welcome in a lightly-flavored beer like a Kölsch. Not being a home brewer, IDK if it is due to their yeast, the water they use, their brewing techniques, or something else, but I didn't enjoy it in this beer. I've rated the "taste" factor as a middling 3.5, allowing the nicely done raspberry in a Kölsch style to bring up the score a bit. However, I won't be buying this one again.

L: 4.0 | S: 3.75 | T: 3.5 | F: 3.75 | O: 3.5 | Rating: 3.62

 

I've had a busy weekend hosting the Malt Liquor / European Strong Beer Advocate Tasting Event. There is still time to head out to a Bodega and grab one or two. I look forward to catching up to this thread likely tomorrow. Everyone at the tasting is having a great time, over 60 beers have been reviewed and the average score is 3.0, higher than many would expect heading into the event.

Welcome to New Beer Sunday #870, Malt Liquor / European Strong Edition. I have one in my possession, and may head out for a couple more before the end of today. I present to you a legendary offering I've been in awe of since the 1970s, yet never took the opportunity to enjoy one until today. I have a lot riding on this one, as I went all in and bought a four pack, so I hope this one is a winner.

Pabst G. Heileman Brewing Co. Colt 45 Malt Liquor



Can Notes: No ABV listed, but assuming it's the 5.6% version. 16 oz can, best by March 14, 2022. Labelled "4 Pack".

Appearance: Multiple pours into a shaker pint glass. Clear straw golden base, mild to heavy carbonation, nice creamy bright white head lingers for a few minutes before leaving a creamy layer over the base and generous fine bubble lacing throughout. 4.0

Aroma: Mild / Medium Strength, corn leads and a nice pleasant barley follows. Smells balanced, is enticing. 3.75

Taste: This is a fine tasting beer. Sweeter than I typically like, but the best balanced throughout my previous Malt Liquors, tastes like a bold AAL. The barley takes the lead, nice smell and aroma I recall from visiting Budweiser and other breweries over the years. A little hoppy, also enjoy the malt which is in a proper proportion. Some salt as I work through the first half. This all blends well and tastes very good. 4.25

Mouthfeel: The beer liquid feels very heavy / concentrated, heavier than most beers I can recall across nearly all styles beyond heavy BA Imperial Stouts. The body full, carbonation sustained throughout, a nice balance. It drinks a bit heavier than the 5.6% ABV, but not overpowering by any means. Nice crisp, clean finish. 4.0

Overall: I'm very happy to have picked this up. It is full or rich and enjoyable flavor, balanced, has a nice punch but not overwhelming. I am so glad to have three more. Truth in advertising, this is loaded with dynamite taste, in a good way. Well done, Pabst / G. Heileman Brewing Company! 4.0

Should I press my luck and seek a few more Malt Liquors? Something for me to ponder this afternoon. Hope you do the same.

Cheers!

 

@superspak , so glad to hear life is going well for you, and hope things keep going up for you.

All right, next beer, and I believe @SouthernSips sent it to me a while back in an unprovoked ninja strike.


Grindhouse Cream Ale - Ghost River Brewing - Memphis, TN - 5% ABV

Very easy drinking beer, and I do like it. Delicious.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/19776/164625/

3.73/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

This beer pours a very clear golden color. The head that forms is 1 finger, white, small bubbles, fluffy, but not long lasting. There's no lacing on the glass.
Malty biscuit, grain aroma.
The flavor is like the nose - malty, biscuit, grain flavor. There's a hint of a cream flavor as well in this beer. Very faint, but there. There's also a faint hint of the hops that adds a slight bitterness.
The body is light, but not watery at all.
Delicious beer. Pleasure to try.


I'm sure I can find another new beer in my fridge after this.

 

Today is the 29th anniversary of my first date with my (now) wife of 26 years, which took place at the first annual Oktoberfest party at my fraternity. We were all broke college kids and Busch was our "good" beer most nights, but on this particular evening we went all out with authentic German food, beer and music (a CD of German Beer Drinking songs that I still own). Ended up being an amazing night.

Anyway, I still own the glassware from that night, and thought it appropriate to use it to hold this can of Extremely Well Wurst, an Oktoberfest Marzen beer sent my way by @2beerdogs. Yes, the pour was a tad aggressive, but hey, it makes it easier to see the writing on the glass!

4.01/5 rDev 0% (first review in database)
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Extremely (overly) aggressive center pour into a liter mug resulted in a crazy amount of seafoam-esque head. The loose foam took plenty of time to recede to a thin layer / ring of loosely formed foam, leaving behind excellent lacing. Color is a really nice amber with great clarity. Overall, very good looking beer.

Aroma has loads of clean, bready malts that burst from the glass. On the tongue this is fairly dry with less malt / sweetness than implied from the nose. There's a nice toasty element to this that adds to the overall experience. Clean and very drinkable. Feel is medium bodied and fairly smooth.

Overall, a really nice beer that I'd gladly keep on hand at all times if possible. Thanks, Derek for sending this my way!

 

An uplifting work of staggering wetness by Cloudburst

4.06/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pint Can Received in LIF number 14 from @snaotheus, he porch bombed me with a mother load of PNW beers

Brewers Notes: Wet Simcoe IPA

This freshie is all about overcoming a series of unpredictable events. The original farm we planned to grab the Simcoe from was on pause, dealing with the results of a rainstorm. This led us to sourcing Simcoe elsewhere - a necessity that had to be done swiftly, considerately, and concertedly. Loftus Ranches came through in the pinch with 500# of first picks - a welcome relief. But that following brewday, a part failed on our kettle burner mid usage. Fortunately, we had ordered a spare part the week before - on a hunch, no less! After an emotional and timely repair, we persevered through the brew day, to a victorious result. What does victory taste like? It tastes like ruby red grapefruit, fir tips, tangerine peel, and grass clippings. When the going gets wet, the wet gets wetting even more so.



Poured into a black heron project teku also provided by @snaotheus

Hazy pale orange liquid capped by a fluffy three finger off white foam cap , very good retention , settles to a rocky, craggy island of foam, scanty lacings

Aroma is berry, grapefruit, fruity and slightly earthy , whiff of pine

Taste is citrus grapefruit, berry, slight pine finish



Smooth beer, low sudsing , gentle hop taste

Good beer, thanks @snaotheus

 

Antidoot L‘Illuminé (Gorsemkriek)


Pours dark red to pink in color with a solid, lighter pink head.


Sun ripened cherries, smoky cherry pith, as well as a sugared Amarena ice cream quality define the aromas among additional leather, dusty cupboard and grinded garden herbs.


Has a refreshing, lighter body with a well fitting lower initial carbonation, which bubbles up immediately after the swallow.


Tastes of wet earth, old grains and a lemony tartness, which all get gently put in the background by a lovely and tremendously complex cherry fruitiness. Soft layers of lusciously sweet and rich cherries slowly build up on the palate, bringing a well rounded tartness with them, just to emphasize a unique and well working, flowery smokiness. The spicy, smooth sweetness of the beer flawlessly blends into the old, wooden barrel it matured in, creating a funky, strawy and long lasting tartness, which highlights the depth and flavor intensity of the fruits marvelously well.


Good cherry lambics are hard to describe, since they are about, you guessed it, cherries. This isn’t different in this regard. It is just so much more complex and satisfying than any other kieken beer I’ve had so far.