New Beer Weekend #75

Speedy recovery to all!

Omicron?

 

I will be joining you very shortly:

My wife is organizing a Happy Hour party for Christmas Eve which will occur on the backyard brick patio (with a propane heater and fancy stainless steel fire pit). My ‘job’ is to provide the beer for these festivities. I will be serving the following homebrewed beers:

· English Pale Ale (Bitter Ale)

· Saison

· Oatmeal Stout

· Brown Ale: Smoky & Spicy (from Rye Malt) Brown Ale

· Harvest Ale (brewed with freshly picked wet hops from my hop plant)

· IPA featuring Motueka hops

· Belgian Dubbel

· Quad

Cheers!

 

From the ever-present "Aren't We Clever IP Theft" division of the craft brewing industry.

I wonder if they will stay obscure...

If they do get a C&D, I wonder if they already have the "Big, bad NBC is picking on us" social media post already written...

 

4 Hands Toffee Cookie Crunch Milk Stout, 6.5% ABV, 3.35 overall

Pours a chestnut tinged mahogany with one pinky of tan head. Not much head retention or lacing

S: Toffee, caramelized sugar, vanilla

T: Follows the nose, dryness & little baker's chocolate up front. Some coffee notes and a little cinnamon mixes in with super sugar molasses flavor as this warms up. Finishes a little dry with mostly watery coffee with cinnamon

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation, thins out as it warms

Kind of falls apart once warm, body is lacking & nose doesn't hold up, flavor tails off as well

 

Back with another new brew, from Holy Mountain in Seattle, comes Visual field. Another typical and average Murky Pale: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/36949/406433/

 

I was hoping this thread was already started considering the holiday and all.
Splitting this with my son as we only have one in the house. Cinnamon Dolce Nitro Stout from Firestone Walker. Wow this beer screams HOLIDAY.

4.04/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz can dated 10/12/21 to a diagonally cut tumbler.
Nice tan micro-bubble foam head a dark black body. Lacing is nice also.
The aroma is strong with this one. Cinnamon hits you when you pop the top. Vanilla plays in the background.
The taste is a very strong and has a rich spicey holiday impression. Again cinnamon way up front with vaninlla poking out.
Mouth feel is creamy and the carbonation gentle.
Pretty impressive flavor profile. But honestly, don't think I could drink a whole bomber of this, but in moderation its a treat.

 

I'm just guessing but Aun Mas A Jesus probably means Even More Jesus in Spanish. IMHO this stands with the best American Imperial stouts.



4.52/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A thick black pour, if it wasn't for the small dark brown head and a nicely laced glass I might have mistaken it for dirty motor oil. Snot locker gets ash, coffee, vanilla and licorice. Buds get all that but the coffee and licorice are at the forefront. Body is thick'n oily, a really nice sipper. I'm assuming that this is the Spanish version of Even More Jesus, it's as good as the American version and one of the best American imperial stouts I've had.

 

It is probably going to be a couple days of our standard favorites until Sunday. St Bernardus Christmas Ale (in cans???) and Gouden Carolus Noel for starters, but I'd bet by Sunday I new one will sneak in.

Family is here, buffet is set up and tree decorating to commence. Will be a hard night at church - we have to sing, but our organist and a very good friend if my wife and I died of Covid yesterday morning at 4:00 after about 8 weeks of battle which honestly wasn't even much a battle. His wife and our choir director somehow escaped death, but was extremely ill. Both good friends, but Mike and I were kindred spirits musically...like what do you feel I like singing, OK, instant keyboard part. Carolyn was my music teacher in 7th grade and our son was in her last class as a high schooler. Neither took the situation seriously and were outspoken against the idea of masks and vaccinations and about the virus in general. So there are a lot of mixed feelings in our house right now, and we will see what's what at church tonight with whomever shows up to provide music for what is usually an upplifting service.

Until I have a new beer in my hands and write something up, enjoy your holidays, cherish the moments, and most importantly be safe.

 

Back posting again already (I only had 4oz on the last beer) and there are plenty of new beers in the fridge today. This is my first Idle Hands beer ever. My wife's niece brought this in the door about 3 hours ago.

4.02/5 rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16oz can dated 11/23/21 to a Nonic at fridge temp.
Cloudy body, transluscent but not completely opaque with light brightenig the sides more then the center. There is minimal lacing from what was originally was a 1/2 inch head.
Not much of an aroma, honestly, a pretty ballanced smell for an NEIPA, mild hops, mild malt share the billing.
Taste is orange juice with a dry hop finish. Very much orange juice, I cannot remember a beer that mimicked it so well.
Mouth feel is appropriat for the style.
Overall, a good NEIPA.

 

Marshall Brewing Co.'s Barrel Aged Big Jamoke Robust Porter, 7.0% ABV; 3.85 overall

Pours an effervescent cola/mahogany color with 2 fingers of tan head. Okay head retention & lacing

S: Red wine barrels, jammyness

T: Dark fruit, red wine up front, barrel dryness is very prominent. Figs and leafy hops mix in with Red Wine with oaky dryness once warm. Finishes so dry with figgy notes & plenty of Red Wine

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation, slightly warming

This says it was aged in Bourbon Barrels, all I get is Red Wine properties; had higher hopes for this. I like the regular version better, the cask version better still. I would not pay near $ 10 for 12 ounces of this again

 

That'll be tough I'm sure.

 

Here's hoping your family stays healthy.

 

I was hoping to reach beer #4600, by the end of the year. This can of Holy Mountain Athanor, a Rauch Helles Lager, is #4599, so I think I'll make it. Probably later today.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/36949/380646/

 

Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout


Dark black pour with brown head creates a nice looking beer in the glass. Initial head was very tasty and more chocolate flavored than the nose or body. Not much lacing during my tasting.

Nose is a wonderful espresso coffee with chocolate and a bit of vanilla. Body flavor features the coffee beans and the roasted malt expected in a stout. There’s a pleasant balance, so the beer is more of a traditional stout than a coffee one trick pony. Good flavor but I’d like a tad more body and mouthfeel. Reminds me a bit of Great Lakes Blackout Stout in what the body lacks the taste delivers.

Overall a very enjoyable stout which makes me curious to try its barrel aged sister.

 

Jackson Street Brewing Hell's Half Acre Cowboy Breakfast BBA Imperial Porter, 12% ABV. Pours thin and black, with a ring of light brown bubbles. Nose is coffee and maple. Taste follows, plus light chocolate, slightly bitter, slightly sweet, bourbon on the close. Excellent but thin mouthfeel with decent carbonation, overall excellent.

4.29/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Unseasonably warm weather in the 40's, melting off snow. Waiting for company, with meatballs in the crock.