New Beer Weekend #74

Your malls are still doing good business?

The closest mall to me is like a ghost town. Most of the businesses were killed by Herr Walz's irrational edicts.

 

Well, not really doing too good from what I've heard. I just went to the mall Target, which was a nightmare getting in and out. It's the first time I've been there in years.

 

Today is my daughter eighth birthday, so I popped open something good. She was born 7 weeks early and weighed 3 pounds 14oz. Spent Christmas and New Year's sleeping in the hospital and eating Christmas dinner at McDonald's.

Weathered Souls #BIL EHT
Murky brown appearance with a soft carbonation and a head that disappears almost immediately. Aroma and taste are of fruit cake soaked in bourbon. Weathered Souls calls this an English Barleywine, and there is no hoppy bite like in American Barleywine's. The abv leaves no heat at all. Medium full mouth feel. A great pleasure to sip on a cold and cloudy day in Texas.

 

Found a 2014 Dark Horse Rum Barrel 4 Elf in my cellar, time to finally open it!
3.92/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle, 2014, poured into a tulip

A- dark brown with a three finger tan head.

S- Dark fruits, cinnamon, nutmeg, some rum, cloves, earthy, touch of caramel malts.

T- Dark fruits, some mild tartness with age, touch of plums, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, touch of rum, earthy, some caramel malts.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- Aged pretty well for being 7 years old, maybe I should have drank this earlier but I got it with a few years of age on it so I just kept it going. Spices are holding strong in this.


Hoping to be back with a Wee Heavy I got in Canada in 2018, cheers!

 

Happy birthday to yr daughter!

My folks can relate to yr experience. I was 3Lbs 12oz, myself, 11 weeks early. The town I was born in had two hospitals, but no unit for Premies at either one, so I got ambulanced to a town in another state, 60 miles away. My folks were putting a lot of highway miles on their car -a '72 Camaro SS, IIRC, so it couldn't have been cheap, even at early 70s prices - for a couple weeks.

 

Warning: before viewing the following review, please put on your sunglasses... this beer is bright!



Lone Pine's new Holy Donut beer is a lemon glaze donut inspired sour. Sure, they actually DID put HD's donuts in the beer, but I think it'll be like their Blueberry Glaze sour and be biased a little more towards the fruit element. This clocks in at 7.5% ABV and was canned on 11/9/21.

Pour is vibrant and slightly-translucent, beaming with an intense yellow sunburst hue. The head is initially meringue-like, measuring about two fingers, but it quickly settles to a quarter-finger ring. No lace whatsoever. It's bright and nice-looking overall. Not much else to say.

Damn, that smells like a glass of straight up fresh-squeezed lemonade! Super authentic nose, which is logical considering they used both lemon puree and lemon zest here. Just a hint of the creamy vanilla aspect, which I'm hoping kinda balances what I expect to be a very sour beer once it hits my tongue. I don't feel like there is much to this, but if you are in the mood for lemon (and if life gives you some...), it seems like it'll hit the spot. My first few sips are bracingly tart and acidic, but it starts clearing up and opening after a few minutes in my glass. Lemon meringue and some lemon curd in there, with a bit more creaminess and a slight hint of crackery malt once it opens more.

This is definitely more of a summer refresher, and I do like that it actually has some strength to it. It's nice and thirst-quenching, but you have to want some sour-as-hell beer if you reach for this one. Kinda one-dimensional, but I'm not upset about shelling out for a four-pack. Should go down quickly.

One more big boy coming up later on... stay tuned!

 

I got gifted 12-pack variety of stouts and porters. This is my first dive into it.

4.11/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16oz can dated 10/25/21 at approx. 45F to a diagonally cut tumbler.
Pours black with a small brown head that dissapears within a minute. The miniscuss on the side of the glass has an intriguing red/gold tint.
Smell is all peanut butter.
Taste is Reece's Cup in the front with just a hint of coffee in the finish. There is a sweetness to this beer probably due to the lactose.
The mouthfeel is sticky, but rather thin.
Confession- I'm not a fan of peanutbutter flavered things, particularly stouts, but I'm rating to style here. I suspect people who do like peanut butter stouts will really like this.
Not quite sure how they achieve the overwhelming peanut butter flavor. The label distinctly says "Contains Lactose, does not contain peanuts or nuts".

 

What's up, fellow NBWers?

Yesterday was recovery day for a Friday Moderna booster jab, so no beer was consumed. Friday, I had several new beers at local breweries Garland Brew Werks and Whistle Punk Brewing. I was trying out my friend's theory that if you drink a bit on the day you get a shot, the side-effects would seamlessly blend into the hangover. I don't think it worked, mainly because I was so damn drowsy I slept through the hangover entirely, but still had the upper arm that felt like it'd caught bomb shrapnel whenever I moved it.

Anyway, feeling much better today. Had waffles for breakfast, did some chores, and got a corned beef & cabbage dinner going in the crockpot. I'm trying a new recipe I found online that called for pouring in two cans of beer (the recipe author said they prefered to use ales or lagers), so I expended a couple pFriem pilseners on it. Should be ready around 6:30.

Today I beg the NBW Court's indulgence. I'm hitting a beer I had over Thanksgiving weekend, but did not review until today.


Basically, this is a WCIPA disguised as a hazy. I'm perfectly good with that, but someone approaching it with the expectation of drinking a NE hazy IPA might be confused and/or upset.
I may or may not be back with another new beer. Time will tell.

 

Well, I was focused on the tasting thread this weekend in the virtual world and cooking in the real world (a pat-my-own-back lasagna Friday, a rib roast yesterday, and some as yet unbaked cookies today). But I love comparing notes, so I will read/quote yours as I compare this not new beer to me...

I noted the "top rated Virginia brewery" when taking the photo. While I'd question "from where?" when seeing that, I definitely feel they're in the conversation each year. Beyond that, I think their barrel-aging program is easily the tops in the state, so you have that to ponder with the other brew in your calendar, @jonphisher.

(Note: I broke out these quotes before reading them)

A lovely opening pour with a creamy tan head. The lava bubbles subsided leaving wisps of lacing above the surface, with a clinging medium ring and a veil of an island.

I haven't taken a sip yet, but we seem in agreement and I expect to see what you noted after each sip.

Admittedly, I am not coming into this beer with a fresh palate (or nose, having just enjoyed a cigar), but I am actually getting an aroma reminding much of Hardywood's Gingerbread Stout (GBS). Trying to focus, I am getting a more roasted malt that is coffee reminiscent, but an increased coffee presence is not so obvious to me.

So, reading you assessment, I get more of the chocolate you mention, but I'm not getting sweetness - but I think that GBS impression I mentioned might cover the holiday spice and sweetness to a degree.

I am getting a little more coffee influence in the taste. Vanilla and lighter than expected spice come into play, as well. It is sweeter than I'd expect from the nose, but not cloying. There's a feel that evokes maybe a little cream was added to the coffee (yes, I'm crossing into feel)

Ha! We reversed on the coffee and ginger - I got ginger more in the nose, you in the taste; reverse that for coffee. Creaminess was noted by us both. I'm not seeing cinnamon, but I maybe could interpret the ghost of ginger I get in the taste as such.

Ok, I just read your thoughts here and react as follows...

Agree the sweetness doesn't near the modern day dessert beer realm. I think is cleans up pretty well, not making you force another sip in any way; though I get a slight unsweetened cocoa vibe in the linger. Still debating the cinnamon vs ginger in my mind; definitely no alcohol heat or bite.

I'll be happy to annoy y'all with a similar point-counterpoint review next weekend. Cheers, all!

 

I had meant to post a review, but apparently managed to fuck that up. My karmic penalty for missing this thread too much, lately.

Anyways...
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/55446/578909/?ba=woemad#review

 

Thank you. Mad respect to your parents! What a sweet baby mobile they had!

Those were by far the toughest days of my life and my wife was recovering from pre-eclampsia and her c-section at the same time. The hospital bill was over 100k and after insurance we were responsible for around 10k.

 

All right, I'm back again as promised, sorry all.
This is a double. Now both were also sent to me by, I think @jkblr . If it wasn't him, it was from @basaywhat . I'm sorry I'm not 100% sure who sent these beauties from Taxman Brewing.


Peach Brandy Barrel Exemption - Tripel - 9% ABV


Bourbon Barrel Qualified - Quad - 10% ABV

Both of these beers are top notch. So much peach from the barrels in the Exemption. So much dark fruit in the Qualified. I am so thankful these beers were sent to me, and I am very humble to get the chance to try them. Thank you from the bottom of my lump of coal heart.

Reviews
Exemption:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/32480/444071/

4.26/5 rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

The pour is golden and murky. The head is quite frothy, 2 finger. The head retention is pretty poor, but there's some nice lacing on the glass.
The nose is, well, peach. There's also some wild, funky, earthy notes to it.
The flavor is peach. There's also mixed in a wild, funky earthy, floral flavor that comes from the Belgian yeast used.
The feel is boozy, from the barrel used, and the ABV. Full bodied.
This is quite good, and a pleasure to try.

Qualified
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/32480/577410/

4.16/5 rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This is a dark pouring beer, almost black. There's a 1 finger tan head that forms, but dissipates quickly, and leaves no lacing on the glass.
The nose is pretty much dark fruit - plum and raisin.
The taste is quite complex. There's dark fruit - plum and raisin that hits hard first. In that mix, and more on the backside, caramel and toffee. I also get a hint of the malts that comes off as a biscuit flavor.
The body is thick, full, and quite boozy feeling, even though it's "only" 10%.
This is delicious, and impressive.


This should be it for me this weekend, time to wind down, because I do have to work tomorrow, and it's also the busiest week of the year at work. So cheers all, and enjoy what you drink. Be merry, and make sure you spend time with friends and loved ones this holiday season.

 

Planned Collapse By Perennial Artisan Ales

4.04/5 rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4



Can received in a ninja hit from @FBarber associated with Bif14 , in collaboration with half acre

Brewers Notes: Planned Collapse is a new IPA we brewed with the godfathers of midwest hoppy beer, Half Acre Beer. Brewed with Cascade hops in the mash to release extra thiols, before being hammered with a blend of Nelson Sauvin and Mosaic. Drinking this beer reminds us of a mango Honey Bunches of Oats varietal, a handful of Tropical Skittles and listening to the newly released vinyl of the 12/10/71 Dead show from the Fox.

Can notes: “ in celebration of our tenth anniversary , we are currently llaboratong with several friends who inspire and challenge us youth be better brewers. Our sincerest thanks for your support over the last ten years . Without you , we would not be here”

Hazy orange liquid capped by a one finger creamy off white foam cap when poured into a handbell ipa glass

Aroma is tropical fruit ,

Taste is tropical fruit and white grape

Good sudsing, smooth , hop taste , no bite

Good beer here Frank

 

Love finding new Rauchbier's to try.



Poured from the can into a Schlenkerla branded becker style nonic(k) glass. Brewed and owned by Egerer.

Big rich forming beer. Dark walnut red bodied with chestnut reddish hues all over. Creamy forming large three to four finger height. Big staying power with an almost light mocha like color that looks like milkshake and ice cream. Big bold beautiful rauch.

Unique aroma for a rauchbier as well. Soft sensing smoke, and faint touches of meaty bacon, but there's a sweet milk chocolate angle hiding in here as well it seems too. Clean and slightly woody. Overall solid if a bit small on the nose.

The body seems to lack a bit of depth on first sip but not horribly. Good smokey notes in mid palate, a bitten ashen wet and woody though in feel and flavor. Mild cream light sensations, that also get watery in sweetness mixing with a faint herbal spice, and soaked wood flavors. There's that just faint hint of milk chocolate sweetness on the swallow too, which seems a bit out of place but I don't mind it.

Kind of a slightly sweetened rauch, but still alright even with a weak mouthfeel a bit.

look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75 | Final: 3.86/5

Cheers!

 

Only in this thread…it was a pleasure drinking with you @cjgiant

I look forward to next weeks shared beer.

 

Wow, I can’t imagine and I’m sure it is so wild to think back on. We were opposite our oldest just turned five on Friday, 2.5 weeks late, 3 days of induction until they had to cut the big guy out.

God bless mothers every where.

Happy 8th to your daughter!

 

Sounds like my older niece. There were some irregularities in my SIL's bloodwork, so the doctors decided it would be best to induce labor 2 weeks early. Damned if that kid didnt flat out refuse to be born until almost her original due date! She's 11 now, and with just as stubborn a personality as the above anecdote would indicate!

 

You're welcome!