New Beer Weekend #72

Who's the smooth collie in the picture?

 

So, in purely technical BA terms, this isn't a "new" beer to me, because this beer doesn't have vintages listed. But, it is a different vintage than the one I reviewed, so, screw it, live review.

Thanks to @sharpski for this 2018 vintage Deschutes Black Butte 3 (cubed). Imperial black Butte Porter aged in Black Butte whiskey casks:

Poured a solid black color in the 12oz tulip. Half-inch of tan head that quickly dissipated and left no lacing. 3.75

Rich, deep malts have the nose, with a touch of wood and booze.A bit of alcohol. 3.5

Similar on the tongue. A touch of fruitiness that I didn't get in the aroma. Alcohol heat still present, a slight burn on the finish. 3.5

The body was smooth, fairly even, had a sweetish finish that was balanced by the burn, and the stickiness lingered. 3.5

Drinkability was good, but for sure ya wanna sip, not gulp.

Overall, still a really nice brew. If you stumble across it, grab it. 4


Now, as I go back and look at my review of the 2020 vintage, everything still lines up pretty accurately, except for this one has moar heat. Thanks much Ryan!

 

Several hours ago, but new to me today: Barrel House Z's Campfire King (Imperial S'mores Porter), received from @WunderLlama!

16oz can served in a footed pilsner glass. Don't see a date on it.

Pours very dark brown with a small head. Not much carbonation. Smell is roasty, sweet, vanilla, lots of chocolate.

Taste is similar -- roasty, nutty, sweet, vanilla, milk chocolate. Bit of roasty bitterness makes it feel better balanced.

Mouthfeel is on the light side of medium. Overall, very nice beer! Thank you, Maynard!

Current new beer is 2018 Wizard Burial Ground, a bourbon barrel aged Quadrupel from Brewery Vivant. @Whyteboar gave this to me. Thank you!

16oz can served in a tulip. 2018 vintage. "PKG #111918 B1" stamped on the bottom.

Pours a rich copper, mostly clear, small head. Smell is rich dark fruit, dates/raisins mostly, also boozy. Maybe a hint of a banana fruitiness.

Taste is fruity, candy-sweet, really nice. Tons of raisins and plums, vanilla makes it more candy-like than fruit-like. Something in it reminds me of root beer or maybe horehound. Brown sugar / molasses.

Mouthfeel is thick, rich, almost syrupy, kind of sticky, smooth. Overall, this is really interesting and really good.

 

Beer #1 of my four holiday beer advent of December. This is a new beer to me, it came up in conversation in this thread a week or so ago so I had to give it a try.

St Bernardus - Christmas Ale



Dark cloudy brown color with a creamy light brown head. The beer appears brown and that’s it but when held to light there is a slight red tint to it.

Aroma is pleasant and almost perfume like in its intoxication, I just want to keep smelling it. Cherry aromas up front, brown sugar, indistinct yet clearly spice aroma.

Taste is the same cherry fruit, it reminds me spiced cookie, like gingersnaps almost but without the bite. It almost has a root beer like finish flavor to it, not the sugary stuff, real root beer.

A nice body to this beer, it drinks very full and has a great warming sensation to it without being hot or boozy. The carbonation is unique in that it is well carbonated but the bubbles that form in the tongue are almost creamy in texture.

This is a great beer to be sipping on a Sunday night. I’m very glad I grabbed it, without this thread I probably never would’ve ended up buying, cheers to this thread and all the sharing. Have a great week everyone, that’s it for me beer-wise tonight.

@cjgiant

 

Been working through a big backlog. In light of some recent news, all of which is good, I decided I'd work thru the review queue a bit more tonight. This one was sent to me by @Coronaeus and will be my beer for the Broncos vs. Chiefs. And if things go really well, perhaps I'll dip into the variant.



Third Moon Brewing's The Chocolate Monocle.

Pours black with a finger of bubbly khaki foam. Sits still in the glass. Aroma is roasty and toasty malts followed up closely with lactose. Chocolate and vanilla bean add some depth, and both work to accent sweetness out front. Aroma leans into sweetness up front, with lurking bitter shadows provided by roasty malts. Flavor profile is roasty, toasty, caramely malts with hearty chocolate, vanilla bean, and lactose through the backend. It's malt lead, establishing a base, with chocolate sweeping in next. Chocolate is milk chocolate - like a candy bar. Vanilla bean is more subtle, adding some contrast to the vanilla bean. Vanilla seems to balloon in intensity as the beer warms. Mouth feel is medium-thick with a smooth, creaminess that resembles something like heavy or whole milk. Texture is consistent throughout. Overall, a decadent milk stout that stacks chocolate on vanilla for further sweetness. Despite the candy bar label, and taste, it remains quite smooth.

Score: 3.75 | 4 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4.25 | BA Score: 4.16 | rDev: +4%

 

Not to scare you, but, you seem to have a beer dragon eyeing your brewskis broski.

 

Greetings All from the Great Northwest where we are celebrating a rare Seahawks win. Too little too late I'm afraid, but it works for this chilly Sunday in early December.

Today we have Black Boar English style porter from San Juan brewing.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/50376/300584/

A little more caramel than the American Porter.

Until next time

 

We’re in sync tonight unknowingly same descriptors and all…

@snaotheus “Something in it reminds me of root beer or maybe horehound. Brown sugar”

@jonphisher ”It almost has a root beer like finish flavor to it, not the sugary stuff, real root beer.” “Cherry aromas up front, brown sugar,”

 

I like that beer. I like most of their beers. I like their spot out in Friday Harbor. If you ever get over here to the Wet Side, you should roll on over. And, come to Bellingham so I can buy you a couple brews.

 

Love most everything from Southern Tier...nice shot too!

 

Boulevard Brewer's Choice Barrel Aged Imp Porter, 13.9% ABV; 4.36 overall

Pours a murked up & effervescent hazel/mahogany with a pinky of mahogany colored head. Average head retention & lacing

S: Dark Fruit, red wine, leafy hops. Vanilla, tea & caramel once warm

T: Follows the nose, some molasses, carob just a hint of oaky barrel, plus dryness up front. Leafy hops, red wine & a little harred barrel as this warms with a hint of vanilla & dark cherry. Finishes dry with choke cherry, leafy hops & carob. & boozey raw oaky barrel

MF: Fairly chewy, superlow carbonation, warming

A good effort, taste just didn't pull together for greatness, but at the edge of it. Got better as it warmed

 

Good evening NBW
13 hour overtime day in today. Day 5 Costco advent calendar beer
Kraftbierwerkstatt
Der Schwarze Bock


500mL can stamped EXP 2023/05 poured into a becher glass at 53° Fahrenheit 6.2% ABV 14 IBU per can. The beer pours very dark brown with chestnut highlights and light brown head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of tiny bubbles. The aroma is mild with notes of sweet and roasted malt. The taste is bittersweet roasted & toasted malt with a slight tang of acidulated malt and mild to moderate earthy bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, very nice dark bock. Balanced, flavorful and drinkable.

There was a separate thread asking about a sour note in this beer that had me worried. Oddly enough, this is the first beer from one of these calendars that I'll be sad to finish. The tangy aspect is less intense than a Guinness FES or Extra, but similar in flavor.

Cheers all!

 

I'll worry about it in 11 more years.

 

hahaha
That's pretty funny!

 

Not sure you have that long.......

 

Wait, I thought you ran from Canadia to Sacto as training for the marathon? The jog home shoulda been easy, right?