New Beer Weekend #76

Happy New year NBW!
I reached back into last year's gifts and pulled out this most interesting surprise from @strohme2 .

Paw Paw Barrel Preserve

Golden, pulpy pour. Fluffy off-white head tapered off lazily. Good retention, slight lacing.
The nose pumps a mild sour note at first. But then the fruitiness sashays forward. Now I was not familiar with the flavor profile of paw paw. I knew about it being indigenous to areas east of me, but was otherwise quite ignorant to this fruit. Suffice it to say, I think I like paw paw. The nose carried wisps of mango, floral lemon, apricot, and a most understated guava note.
The flavor followed suit with mango, orange, guava, and hints of apricot, peach, and banana. (I think I was led to the banana note after having read the flavor profile of paw paw). The heft of this beer is rather significant for the style, but I feel this really affects the fruit medley in a positive way. Finish gives a mildly acidic "click" in the back of my throat. Quite yummy.
Overall, a very unique, tasty, and splendid experience.
4.2/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

 

Thank you. We didn't start in Rome, but it represents 35 years of piece by piece addidtions after we had the basic set. Visiting the store that carries Fontanini has been an annually anticipated event. Not offering as many pieces the last two years, sadly.

 

I need to make a resolution to post in this, my favorite BA thread, every week!

2021 wrap-up:
Reviewed 90 beers total

Minnesota 2021 highest rated beers:
Surly Bourbon barrel Darkness 4.46
Waldmann Lichtenhainer 4.36
Fair State Even Less Hype 4.28
Schell Cave Aged Barrel Aged Lager 4.28
Hammerheart LiminalLutra 4.27

Two beers for this New Beer Weekend, one I really enjoyed, one not so much:
Utepils MN-ator

Appearance: Clear dark amber, huge head.

Smell: Toffee, dark fruit.

Taste: Toffee, then sweeter, I get tootsie rolls. Then as it warms up a little more dark fruit--raisin and dates. Alcohol is well hidden. Very tasty!

Overall: This double bock really impressed me. I'm a sucker for tootsie roll flavor in a beer, I loved Old Horizontal from Victory which was tootsie rolls all day, especially when aged. Hits the spot for me in a double bock, sweet but not too sweet, not too boozy.
Score: 4.33

Boulevard Magic Drip

Appearance: SUPER black, dense brown head, crazy thick. I actually had to transfer to a different glass since the original glass was not smelling right, when I rinsed out the old glass the water was at amber lager levels of color. Insane.

Smell: Molasses, roastiness.

Taste: Moderate sweetness, lots and lots of molasses. A little bit of mocha in the finish, but no other coffee flavors noted.

Overall: One of the best looking beers I've ever had, insanely thick and coating. However, it missed about every other characteristic that I enjoy in imperial stouts. Maybe it's something with their base beer, I didn't really like Dark Truth from Boulevard either.
Score: 3.65

 

To add to the discussion and the posts from @JackHorzempa , I really like Gaffel Kölsch. Keep in mind that I've never been to Cologne. Personally, just as I think that the homogeny of drinking experiences offered by adjunct lagers is overstated, I think the same of Kölsch for my palate. For me, far from being interchangeable, the various brands can be quite different relative to each other. That being the case, I genuinely don't know how appropriate it is to think of a "typical Kölsch" as a real thing rather than a beer competition construction (perhaps formed in the image of Reissdorf - but that's just spitballing)... particularly if it excludes important breweries. The brand that Jack likes, Sünner, might be one of the most important breweries with regards to the style historically... and for my palate, its personality makes it very distinct from the other imported brands. None of this is meant to go against your logic or inquiry Roguer (you certainly didn't suggest interchangeability and perhaps Gaffel is as distinctive as Sünner comes across to me). For someone else's opinion on the matter, this is what Eric Warner stated in his Kölsch book from 1998, “[Gaffel] is very representative of the style." For me, Gaffel has its own personality just like the other brands do. For me, it often has a dry, breadiness and lower fruitiness. Drinkability is high. Sometimes it comes across as having a nice hop bitterness, but sometimes it doesn't... and I assume that's from inconsistency in the way I perceive things rather than a beer's inconsistency. (@JackHorzempa - Sion would probably be my last choice for an imported Kolsch to buy)

 

Chris, we are in agreement there.

Cheers!

 

Yes, I personally would not use the specific word of "interchangeable". I do agree in your 'analogy' that the differences in the sensory qualities between Kolsch beers (i.e., like those brands brewed in Cologne) is fairly narrow in comparison to other beer styles (e.g., IPAs).

If I was adept at creating graphics I would illustrate the spectrum of differences between brands like Gaffel, Reisdorff, Fruh and the spectrum of differences between German Pilsners (e.g., Jever vs. Rothaus vs. Weihenstephaner vs. ...) and the differences in American style IPAs.

Cheers!

 

Yeah - that's a weird one... but weird notes are the best so it's cool that you didn't ignore it. There was one time that I had a "dark beer" impression (not dark fruit though) while drinking a Gaffel... which struck me as quite odd.

 

What was the aroma(s)/flavor(s) you picked up in that beer? Chocolate? Coffee? Pumpernickel Bread? Other?

Cheers!

 

That boulevard one really does look nice, that utepils isn't to shabby looking a head either

 

Poured into a 16 Snulip glass canned on 12/23/21. Pours a very dark brown with a finger plus light brown head that leaves some thin wisps of lace, with solid retention. 4.25

Aroma is one dimensional but it the best way. Peanut butter, coffee, vanilla, and chocolate. 4.5

Taste follows peanut butter, coffee, vanilla, and chocolate really tasty. 4.5

Mouthfeel is a little bigger than medium, soft gentle rather creamy carbonation, not dry, and at 5.5% it drinks much bigger, but easy going down. 4.5

Overall this is a really good all around milk stout. I am really impressed and pretty sessionable at the ABV. Highly recommend. 4.5

 

Wild Onion Nordic Misfit.

3.87/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a clear gold with a nice white head that fades to a soapy ring leaving a moderately laced glass. Popping the top let's a fruity aroma escape, mango and melon. Flavor has just a hint of fruit, a bit sweet upfront, mildly bitter finish. Medium bodied, it needs a bit more carbonation. Overall a pretty nice beer.

 

This is a 5.9% Porter and my first beer from Southern Grist. Label says its brewed with flaked oats and rye malt.

4.04/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16oz can dated 10/21/21 to a nonic at about 50F.
The body is surprisingly brown, at the edges it looks like the Brown from a Crayola 8-pack. A deep tan head of 1.5-inches tops with multi-sized bubbles. During and immediately after the pour there's a nice nitro-like show of tiny bubbles rising against the outside of the glass to add to the head. However, after 5-minutes the head is all but gone and lacing is poor.
The aroma is of dark chocolate with a lot of sugars.
The taste is quite different from the smell in that there is no sweetness. The malt really rules this one. Its bitter to the point of being chalky. I do like that though. Kind of seems like a mild version of the cinnamon challenge, but with dark chocolate powder.
Mouth feel is on the thicker side for a porter. Healthy carbonation cleans things up nicely on the back end.
Overall- I love the flavor of this beer but admit it's probably not for everyone. I just have to stop looking at that wierd body color though.