New Beer Weekend #74

Glad to hear that you and your partner are on the mend.

 

Welcome back!

 

It's cold, snowing, and windy outside. I've just gotten done with Christmas shopping, and braved the damn mall to get my sister something. I NEED a beer, and this is working for me.


Last Year's Talent - Oliphant Brewing - Imperial Stout - 9% ABV

Yeah, this is helping a lot. Lots of coffee, backed up with chocolate and some almond. The flavors mesh well. The only minor thing is it seems slightly thin for a 9% Imperial Stout.

Who cares, it's delicious.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/36484/377880/


3.93/5 rDev +8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

This beer pours a beautiful pitch black. The head is brown, and is 2 finger, and a bit frothy looking. The head retention is pretty good for a 9% stout, and there's a bit of lacing on the glass.
The aroma is coffee with a hint of chocolate from the cacao nibs. Not really getting almond here.
Taste - coffee, and it hits hard up front, and slowly mellows out. When it mellows out the chocolate kicks in and is backed up by a hint of the almond.
The body seems a bit light for a 9% beer, but it's not too far off where it should be.
This is quite good. I'm glad I bought a can at work to try.


I'll be back for, at least, another round.

 

Today's new beer is Magical Narwhal from Woods Boss. It is a candy cane chocolate stout. We're getting ready to watch A Christmas Carol (the George C. Scott version, our favorite), and this seemed like an appropriate beer.
Very dark brown/black appearance, no head.
Aroma of chocolate and lactose.
Taste of chocolate, some bitterness. Slight candy cane finish.
Not bad, but I expected more of a candy cane presence.

 

The mall on the Sunday before Christmas? You're a brave man indeed!

 

Grabbed some Traquair House Ale for the tasting this weekend, really good stuff!
4.35/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

500 ml bottles poured into a tulip

A- A clear ruby red with a two finger tan head.

S- Molasses, dark fruits, oak, earthy, some toffee, touch of peat/smoke.

T- Molasses, earthy, peat, dark fruits, toffee/caramel, some oak, nicely balanced.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- A well done and nicely balanced Scotch Ale, very easy to drink

Cheers![/QUOTE]

 

Good afternoon NBS/nbw and thanks everyone who adds to this (my favorite) corner of BA.
@SawDog505 thank you for hosting. Todays offering is from St. Bernardus, the annual Christmas Ale is someting I am having for the first time. I am reminded of Bugs Bunny's famous quote "For shame Doc, For shame!" for passing this lovely offering all those years.
The one aspect I was most pleased with is the incredible texture, I struggled with how to describe it. There is this microfrothy thing that is just impressive. This bottle was stored at the bottle shop as a 3 yr vertical. so todays is the 2019 release.
Be well all

Christmas Ale

Quadrupel (Quad) | 9.8% ABV

Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
Watou, Belgium

4.16/5 rDev -1.9% | Average: 4.24
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the 11.2 oz bottle into the big chalis.
A - Tawny/mahagony colored backdrop, hides the carbonation well. That same carbonation assembles into an everlasting tightknit tan froth.
S - Black tea, raisin, brown sugar, plum, a bit of toffee. a hint of nutmeg, Brown canned bread comes to mind.
T - Firmly in the dark fruit corner, plum, fig, up front. Honey, caramel, toffee next, with some tobacco, yellow raisin and the obviuos yeast presence.
M - Punches below its (ABV) weight, surprisingly delicate, Sweet start has a moderation mid sip. The yeast and carbonation create a frothy wave that acts to soften the alcohol exhale. Its quite a magical. Finish is a slow, and luxurious.
O - A real treat, the texture is inspired, Flavors are classic quad with the lovely spicy aspect. Reminds me of Tettnang hops, spicy and a bit peppery

 

I had that for the first time two weeks ago as well. Really enjoyed in, mine was this years (year’s?)

By far my favorite corner of BA as well, even when it’s quieter during these tasting weekends.

 

This is one of my favorite beers ever. It's not even that good of a beer. I've said this about other beers in these tastings as @MNAle can attest (I like calling on you ). None the less, I love this beer. It's one of the ones that really got me into 'craft'. It really tickles me in all the right spots. If there was just another 'lighter' category for some of these beers, I feel like it would crush.

Schlafly - Scotch Ale (bottled 1-31-2017)

It's a bit opaque; pours a bit more like a brown or an oktoberfest.

The nose is muted; some faint faded carmel, malt with maybe a floral touch and some light dark berries.

Taste: Other than being absolutely glorious...It's actually not that flavorful. It has a nice malty backbone with some light berry notes to back it up. The faint hint of chocolate from the malt comes through with very little sweetness and virtually no Carmel to speak up, except perhaps on the finish. It's a bit like a 'watered-down version' of what most would probably perceive a good scotch ale to be like.

The body is good; it has the light syrupy texture that I actually like in the style, while being on the thinner (quaffable!) side. Doesn't drink like an IPA, though, and certainly not dry.

Overall, I fucking love this beer. It really does tickle me in all the right spots. I appreciate that nothing is overpowering, and that it is just malty and approachable. I appreciate that it is lighter and quaffable. I appreciate that it's not a flavor bomb, as rarely (in my opinion) are flavor bombs 'easy drinkers'. Instead, for me, this packs a lot of flavor, but not as much as others, but way too drinkable. It's everything I love about a scotch ale (not to be confused with everything I love about a BBA scotch ale, which is really the carmely, boozy, bourbon aspect).

Haven't sent in the review yet, but I'm expecting this will be around a 3.5-3.7ish. Doesn't matter. I love this beer.

 

Here's a new on for me on this icy Sunday. Flying Dog Freezin' Season Winter Ale. Cheers!
4.07/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12oz bottle EB date 3/14/22 into a 16oz pint glass.
L: Pours clear dark amber with a 1 inch semi-fizzy & lightly creamy light beige head. Well carbonated. Head recedes to thick skin and carbonated edge foam. Minimal lacing. Quite good carbonation action until end of pint.
S: Floral hops, caramelized malt. brown bread, figs, a hint of ginger. Rather simple.
T: Pale bittersweet hops, nuanced bready malts, rich caramel though not overly sweet, pine, rich black tea, plum. Pine is broad but not tall and it lingers while interspersed with black tea.
F: Robust, lightly crisp, creamy & warming med-bodied mouthfeel with a subtle linger and a gently drying med-length finish. Feeling some alcohol burn internally but not tasting any at all. It is lightly chalky.
O: A very easy drinking smooth winter warmer with hospitable bitterness that is actually warming. It is excellent in it's style.

 

A pleasure to be back today. My 3rd of 4 new to me holiday beer advent is…will you be joining today @Whyteboar?

Hardywood - Christmas Morning

I was gonna save for night but it has coffee in it so I figured now was good as ever. Plus Mrs Phisher just put in White Christmas and the kids are resting.



This pours perfectly, think and black and very slow forming and dense creamy tan head follows. Lingers longer than most then subsides to a think beautiful light brown layer of cream, almost has a steamed milk coffee drink look to it. Each sip leaves behind dots of lacing.

On the nose it’s initially sweet smelling, chocolate, holiday spices, some vanilla, and coffee grounds, like after the pot has been brewed. It has that burnt/spent coffee smell.

Taste is rich chocolatey ginger deliciousness, creamy vanilla, burnt roastiness, I do get some of the cinnamon as well. I honestly don’t get much coffee but it could be the burnt roast that I noticed.

Big luscious body on this beer. It drinks sort of like melted ice cream but is not overdone like some dessert beers I’ve had. There is a low bitterness on the finish. It finishes with a drying sensation, but what is interesting is it almost seems mental because of the cinnamon flavor in the finish. Absolutely no evidence of the 9% abv, this beer drinks beautifully for a stout.

A great Christmas themed beer, my last advent one is this one but ages in bourbon barrels for next weekend.

Hope everyone has a great week this week. Hoping to fit in one more beer today but it may be bound for the tasting thread.

@cjgiant

 

Picked this beer up at the source today.

3.92/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a can dated 12/15/21 to a Nonic at fridge temp.
A 2-finger white puffy head sits on an opaque hazy apricot-colored body. Held up to the sun only the sides of the glass glow slightly. The head creates some pretty good lacing.
Aroma is mild citrus- grapefruit and orange with some dankness.
The taste is sweet citrus, mostly orange with a slight hop burn finish.
Mouthfeel is slightly coating and the carbonation comes on stronger at the finish for some reason.
Overall, a pretty good NEIPA, but not super one.