New Beer Weekend #71

Bourbon county cola stout by Goose island ( cross posted from that thread)



4.32/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottle purchased at A local liquor store as they were literally putting them out on the shelves, talked with their beer guy who had the cherry wood and liked it. I was set on the cola version , paid $27 for the bottle. Chilled one hour in my beer fridge . Bottle temperature in the 40’s

Dark cola brown liquid poured into a snifter produces a pencil thick brown fizzy foam cap that quickly recedes to a ring . Scant lacings

Brewers Notes: Pushing the boundaries of barrel-aged stouts is in our DNA, and with that, we brought to life our first-ever cola-inspired variant. Brewers Paul Cade and Jason Krasowski bonded over their love for classic cola while creating the Classic Cola Stout. Combining the refreshing nature of classic cola and picking up the flavor profile from a whisky cola, we added lime and orange juice and zest, plus coriander, cassia bark, nutmeg, brown sugar, and vanilla to bring out the complex characters of the classic drink. This is the ultimate twist on a whiskey cola and a must-try for Bourbon County Stout, cola, or whiskey/cola lovers.⁠⁠

Aroma is bourbon whisky, whiff of sweetness like a sugar soda fountain cola syrup, brown sugar, orange zest,coriander, vanilla, nutmeg , dates, figs ( I used the brewers notes for suggestions to see if I could detect those notes)

Taste is bourbon whisky without the heat, nutmeg, coriander, cinnamon, spices, sweet, definitely a whiskey cola vibe

Full syrupy mouthfeel, fizzy sudsing , flavor lingers as it costs the mouth

It’s a well crafted beer. Interesting flavors and concept. I Get the whiskey cola concept and they do a good job of achieving that target.

Good beer from a great series . I appreciate the fact that they try something new with release of these variants . Some work some don’t. This works

 

Thanks, @SawDog505 for starting off this weekend's adventure! We've got snow here again today - yesterday's melted off the streets and sidewalks but stayed on the grass and trees. Because of our local burning regulations, I couldn't burn my neighbor's leaves before today, so I've got a ridge of mostly oak leaves 15 feet long, five feet high, and five feet wide occupying half my garden, all under snow. Ah well, the cycle of life...
Today's New Breakfast Beer:



Hauser’s Heat of the Moment from Hoppin’ Frog. 22 oz bottle purchased at the brewery. $10.66 (including tax) ($0.485/oz). Stored at room temperature in store and at 40 degrees after purchase. Reviewed 27/11/21. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Undated bottle. Served at 46.2 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 50.9 degrees.
Appearance – 4.25
First pour – Amber Brown (SRM 18), clear.
Body – Brown (SRM 20), opaque. When rear-lite, slightly translucent, and distinctly reddish.
Head – Tiny (Maximum five mm, aggressive center pour), earth yellow, fizzy with short retention, diminishing to a zero to one mm broken ring of bubbles and no cap. Second pour produces no head, just a ring of minute bubbles.
Lacing – None. Seriously, was any expected at 12% ABV?
Aroma – 3.5 – No malt, no hops, no yeast. Weak chocolate, no cinnamon or chilis.
Flavor – 4.75 – Taste follows the nose but slightly sweet with a bit of chocolate and a touch of char, no malt, no hops, no yeast. Sweetness builds in the aftertaste. Chili peppers are present in a tasty format, NOT the torturous “I’ll burn the hair off your ass” format of so many flavor-challenged chili brews. No ethanol (12 % ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. Moderate gastric glow. Cinnamon (my favorite spice) is distinctly present. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 4.5 – Full, creamy, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4 After deducting 0.25 points off the top for an undated bottle. Otherwise, an excellent take on a good Mexican mole sauce, with flavors coming through, not buried by the heat. The palate is more of a creamy stout than a watery porter. Too bad the weak aroma (and lack of dating) pulls the total score down. Overall, just a damn good brew!

Rating 4.25, rDev -4.3%

 

The winter of Black Lagers?

Well, it is not officially winter yet but a few days ago we experienced some weather that felt like winter. And one of my favorite beer types for wintertime drinking is Black Lagers.

Today’s beer is quite special since it was gifted to me: The Alchemist Dark - Schwarzbier.

I have had this beer for a number of months in my refrigerator waiting for the right time (weather) to enjoy it. It is my consistent experience that dark/black beers hold up well since dark malts (e.g., roasted malts) provide an anti-oxidant effect. I am hopeful this is the situation with this beer.

You can watch/listen to John Kimmich discuss this beer (and his Pilsner as well):



I am quite excited to try this beer!

Served in my Polish Pilsner glass:

Appearance:

A very dark brown, approaching black with a BIG khaki colored head.

Aroma:

A roast malt aroma with mostly dark chocolate and to a lesser degree just a bit of coffee. This aroma is ‘saying’ to me: c’mon, take a sip.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with the flavors of dark chocolate and to a lesser degree coffee. There is a low/moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel. There is absolutely no harshness or astringency here. An off-dry finish.

Overall:

This beer is very good! I very much enjoyed the flavor profile and mouthfeel of this beer. When I finished it I very much wanted a second.

A plus of this beer is what is not there. I have experienced in some craft brewed Schwarzbiers the brewers go too high on the roast aspect on these beers with the additional downside of some harshness on the mouthfeel. As with other beer styles the motto of “less is more” is beneficial here. This beer has high drinkability (or süffig as the Germans would express it).

Cheers!

@rotsaruch @KOP_Beer_OUtlet @RobH @Bierman9

 

@SawDog505 , thanks for kicking things off. What's the name of the brewer for your beer, couldn't tell by your post.

Pulled out a bottle I purchased this Spring and I'm excited to try this.

Goose Island Adnams Suffolk County Stout



Bottle Notes: Brewed in collaboration with our friends at Adnams Southwold. 16.9 oz bottle drink by 2/4/23 GI 13:34 (within 2 years). 14.3% ABV. Imperial Stout brewed with English Hops & English Malts, then aged in Adnams Southwold single malt whisky barrels from Suffolk County, England. Develops in the bottle over two years, contains live yeast & sediment may form. Purchased at Binny's in the Spring on store shelves, refrigerated since purchase.

Appearance: Multiple pours into a small snifter, dark brown to black base, nice creamy rich tan head leaves creamy ring above the base and light cover over it. 4.25

Aroma: Let this sit for over 20 minutes and still had trouble getting aroma beyond a vanilla lead sweet chocolate, and damp oak.. 3.5

Taste: Stronger and more complex than the aroma. Very sweet chocolate malt, barely registered peat from the aroma. Strong caramel, peat emerges about a half hour at room temperature, and a much higher vanilla level at first. After about 40 minutes, a nice peat emerges, well worth the wait if you are patient. Thankfully I still have about 10 oz left. 3.75

Mouthfeel: Medium to fill creaminess, pretty sweet overall, absence of whiskey disappointing. The ABV won't disappoint if you are looking for something strong, the lack of whiskey peat flavor does not indicate a lack of strong alcohol presence. Malty sweetness lingers. 3.75

Overall: At one point, this tasted a bit like penicillin, overly sweet, but you really need to let this warm up to achieve the best taste profile (Warm best, First sips second, 20-30 minutes out of the refrigerator the weakest point). Thought I would get more smoky peat and perhaps a near year into bottle conditioning weakened the initial bottle presence. None of us can go back into time, but if I could, I'd drink this immediately to see if fresh was the best iteration. Did not age as gracefully as the typical BCBS, but a solid offering nonetheless. 3.75

May pop a second later today, though perhaps one of these imperial stouts per day may be the more sensible course. Will enjoy reading about your experiences in the interim.

Cheers!

 

Recycling run done, groceries picked up, car gassed up.
Must be time for beer and football.
I picked up some Bourbon County at my local store. No lines, no waiting.
Jet black color with a small tan head around the circumference of the glass
Aroma of cinnamon, coconut, and chocolate
Taste follows the nose. Lots of chocolate coconut, cinnamon, pepper. Alcohol not noticeable
Very rich, very sweet.

 

@JackHorzempa I enjoyed the new yards winter lager very much. Have you tried it yet?

 

First new beer of the weekend comes courtesy of @FBarber. It is through Frank that I've had the opportunity to try several Keeping Together beers, all of which have been excellent. As such, I've very much been looking forward to trying this one, especially since a) I'm a big fan of saisons and b) I tend to love peaches, vanilla and lemongrass, all of which were used here. Hopefully I like them as much together as I do separately.

This is The Grace of Maybe, a saison with peaches, vanilla and lemongrass from Keeping Together.

4.49/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pour is somewhere between clear and lightly hazy. About a finger of fizzy white head that receded quickly to a thin ring. Aroma is wonderful. There's a lovely light funk with lemon, peaches and a hint of vanilla. The peaches are a little more forward on the tongue, but not overwhelming. As with pretty much every Keeping Together beer I've tried, there's a wonderful balance of flavors that work very well together. The peach & lemon work well together in conjunction with the tartness, funk and light spice. It's fairly complex, light, dry and clean. Overall, just an excellent beer.

Averie Swanson just consistently brews great beer. Anybody know what her plans are? Last I had heard she was no longer going to be using Half Acre's facility to brew.

Frank, thanks for sending this my way.

 

Short answer: no, I have not seen/tried it.

More discussion:

On the Yards website: "February's First Draft is Winter Lager, a dark Dunkel Lager...

So, this beer is a Dunkel?

A locally produced Schwarzbier which I would strongly recommend is from Sterling Pig:



Cheers!

 

No jack it isn’t a dunkel (the one you’re referencing) it’s a new beer called long jawns, it’s black as night.

 

11-27-21 Thanksgiving weekend calls for 3 NEW NEIPAs 4.25-4.4
(Hoping we control Omicron)
National Emergency | Monclair (NJ) | NEIPA | 7.8%
4.25/5 rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
1st Review. Also my 1st of brewer. I live nearby in Carton country. We’re all Jersey underdogs.
a) Refreshingly clear golden, excellent lace and last. *(no one says NE IPA must look like turbid oj)
s) Simcoe dominant with that woody pine and stone fruit, woodshop, fresh sawn notes thinly overlaid with citrus.
t) I love woody, piney beers, with non-citrus fruit - this balances nicely into powerful bitter finale.
f) Clean low carb good feel/ weight.
o) I’m a fan and have to get up to Montclair.

Never Punch First | Carton | Atlantic Highlands NJ | 8%
4.35/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
1st Review. Debut 11-20-21. More new beers this txgving week.
a) standard yellow haze with galaxy arms of lace.
s) Pear, melon, orange, some shellac fumes.
t&f) Follows smell, sharp, almost vodka like drying notes.
o) Very original, orange vodka bitter experience.

Lush | Frost | Vt | 8%
4.4/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
How did I miss this Vt Masterpiece?
a) massive lace, scant white head, hazy yellow body.
s) Aromas of mango and tropical fruit salad with spruce and peach.
t) Follows aroma and adds flowers, some spruce, pine.
f) Creamy, satisfying, inviting, vibrant.
o) Among the best of recent DIPAs.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/39297/204942/?ba=Act25#review

 

Patience my young advocate. Let the review flow through you. Fear is the path to the short review. Fear leads to brevity. Brevity leads to incompleteness. Incompleteness leads to uselessness.

I couldn't decide which to use, so of course, I made this silly post longer than it need be and chose them all


Actually, I've seen some newer BBB variants around in recent years, but I wasn't sure I'd enjoy them much more than the base beer. That is based on other variants I've had; the fact that they cost almost twice as much helped to make the decision easy. Your review sort of bolsters my confidence in that decision.

Cheers!

 

Brooklyn Black Ops, Aged in Four Roses small batch barrels. I’ve been enjoying Blacks Ops for as long as it’s been brewed and consider it to be one of the best BBA Imperial Stouts. This brew is not much different than all the other Black Ops somewhat more Bourbon a bit sweeter. It’s a excellent brew in any case.
When this beer was 1st released it was in 750 bottles and cost over $20:00. Now it comes in 4 pack pints that sell for $14:99 , unless the retailer Made a mistake.

 

After an outstanding first beer, I'm moving on to a Tree House stout. I don't have any real expectations for this, having picked it up on a whim when BIF shopping.

This is Big Nugget from Tree House. The bottle describes it as a "Barrel blended imperial stout brewed with chocolate, almonds, toasted coconut, and a hint of freshly roasted coffee"

On the whole, this delivers exactly what the ingredients would indicate it should.

4.17/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pour is dark, dark brown with no discernible head. Decent legs. Aroma is extremely rich, with chocolate, nuts, more chocolate, and some roast. Aroma doesn't burst from the glass, but up close it's quite nice. Taste is better than I expected. Chocolate and coconut greet you, followed by some faint almond notes. Nice, long finish with the roast notes the last to linger on the tongue. This has strong Almond Joy vibes, but isn't overdone. Nice full mouthfeel and very soft. Overall, good beer.

 

PB Eugene
Another excellent porter from my favorite brewery in Chicago - Revolution. Their great porter with peanut butter is 6.8% and is quite delicious! Reminds me of Infusion A by Hoppin’ Frog.

The nose is pleasant mix of peanut butter and chocolate notes. Thin head with minor lacing. The pour is completely opaque and an appealing dark brown (or perhaps a deep mahogany).

The body is all porter and peanut butter. Sweetness present at swallow, and it’s a super easy drinker. Mouthfeel is sub-stout but on point for a porter.

I consider the Eugene releases as good as any porters I’ve had and close to my favorite Edmund Fitzgerald from Great Lakes. Fitz leans to the charred malt side and Eugene to the sweet. I love both. Highly recommended.