New Beer Weekend #78

Gotahold Brewing's Daily Bread Dopplebock, 8.3% ABV; 4.29 overall

Pours an effervescent copper/hazel with 2 fingers tan head. Some lacing & head retention

S: Brown Bread, dark fruits, brown sugar in abundance

T: Cakeyness, brown sugar & figs, plus woody hops up front. Dryness, brown sugar & woody hops as this warms. Finishes dry with woody hops & a little brown sugar & figs

MF: Medium body, moderate carbonation

Good shot at the style. I prefer them a little sweeter & thicker bodied, but still pretty good

 

Athletic All Out seems to be a fairly popular NA beer and opening one I can see why.
3.99/5 rDev +10.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12 oz can poured into a pint glass

A- Black with a two finger mocha head

S- Roasted malts, somewhat nutty, chocolate, hints of cinnamon.

T- Roasted malts, bitter chocolate, a little nutty, touch of cinnamon.

M- Smooth, light to medium body.

O- An impressive nonalcoholic stout, easy to drink.

Cheers!

 

Always good to see another overrater join the group.



Seriously, though, the lager game in Chicago in its entirety is world class, IMHO. Art History, Dovetail, Goldfinger, Metropolitan ….. the list goes on. I could go to Chicago and literally fill a Brinks truck with all the great lagers the City of Big Shoulders offers.

 

Pours a hazy yellow with a half finger sticky white head that leaves some thin streaks of lace with nice retention. 4.25

Aroma is ripe melon, mandarin, passionfruit, apricot, and hints of grapefruit and lemon rind. 4.25

Taste follows cantaloupe, mandarin, passionfruit, apricot, lemon, and grapefruit really well balanced. 4

Mouthfeel is a little above average, soft gentle almost creamy carbonation, not sticky or dry, and at 7% ABV easy going down. 4.75

Overall another excellent brew from this young brewery. 4.25

 

I recently had my first Deschutes Fresh Haze and I loved it - great fruity, juicy flavors and aromas, and not at all too bitter (the listed IBU rating is just 45). I intend to grab another one on my next trip to Trader Joe's. I hope they'll still be available.

 

Hello NBW friends. I first tried this beer (actually the base) in August of 2016 when we lived in Minnesota and I drove 2-1/2 hours - each way - to pick up two cases of bombers when it was a brewery only release and you had to call to see if it would be available on that particular day.

That beer is my second rated beer on BA. It’s changed quite a bit in the ensuing 6 years (it’s now a hazy, canned, and WIDELY available), but it’s still excellent, IMHO, so I’m really excited to try the DDH version.





4.74/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
by ovaltine from Indiana

Canned on 12/3/21, so it’s still very fresh (BB date is 4/2/22). An aggressive pour reveals a very hazy pineapple colored beer with a fluffy white head that is CLINGING to the glass. Absolutely gorgeous hazy.

The nose captures the amped up DDH hopping - dank oranges, and loads of mango and pineapple. Wow, really incredible nose, especially as it warms.

The oranges are forward on the taste, but there are waves of mango and pineapple that follow, and they are all sorts of juicy - and dangerously chuggable at 7.8% ABV.

The mouthfeel is actually a bit dry, which works for me exceptionally well. I’m a huge fan of the OG bombers, but this is a more than worthy addition to the King Sue family. World class stuff.

 

I'd probably like this if I ever had to opportunity to try it.

 

#2, I am a Rev fanboy, and I love the base beer and peanut butter, so I like my odds on this porter.





4.19/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by ovaltine from Indiana

Pours a dark cola color with a substantial tan head. The nose is dominated by the peanut butter - there’s milk chocolate underneath and a slight char note, but the peanut butter is the boss.

The taste is more balanced, with the peanut butter present, but allowing room for the milk chocolate and char flavors. This is NOT a peanut butter cup porter, which works in its favor.

The mouthfeel is medium and a bit creamy. A great dessert beer, this is really well done by Revolution, especially if you like peanut butter. Guilty as charged, your honor.

 

Hey what's going on?!

Hope all is well. I am ready for my weekend. Honestly, don't have much to say... so just leaving it at that, I am still working on putting a dent in some of my new goodies.

What's new for our hero today?



Poured from the can into a Spiegelau IPA glass. Canned Sep 22nd 2021.

Opaque bodied with a creamed dark custard yellow, and hinting some brown edges in color. Fluffy whip creamed top of soft white color, easily reaching more than three fingers with thick retention, and rings of lace, and chunky amounts of whipped up head.

Bursting notes of tea and orange, with hints of lots of pithy grapefruit zest and oily bitterness of hop on the nose. Aromas of delicious hop flavors hit real nicely through a neutral malt and yeast presence.

Palate hints of fade, but still easily delivers. A surprising creamy mouthfeel, with a light touch of malt sweetness that leads to earthy hop flavors and touches of pithy citrus. Fruit hints in the finish of grapefruit oil, touches even a light peach flavor with more hints zesty rind in the mix. Nearly gets into that vanilla creamsicle flavor also which is always a great addition to an IPA.

Solid tasting IPA.

look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4 | Final Score: 4.16

Cheers!

 

Sierra Nevada Atomic DIPA
4.29/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12oz bottle pkg date 09/29/21 into a wide mouth 16oz ball jar.
L: Pours perfect amber with a very light yeast haze. Off white rocky/creamy 1" head. Good retention to a thick skin. Med-low carbonation. Moderate sticky lacing/banding.
S: Caramel, sweet candy, light sweet bread, dark berries, alcohol as beer warms.
T: Fruity, spicy peppery hops, black pepper, light honey, apricot, crackery malts, blueberry, conifer being mainly cedar over pine, lemon zest, mandarin orange zest, mango. Very floral hops. Sweet with a moderately bitter finish. Light alcohol as the beer warms.
F: Juicy, creamy, smooth & lush med-heavy full bodied mouthfeel that is built firm with a med-long lightly drying finish.
O: A hop frwd well balanced juicy DIPA with a full-flavored fruit approach. It's quite soft & smooth with an enhanced take on it's predecessor "Torpedo IPA". Atomic Torpedo has ardent floral & dank hops on top of a thorough malt backbone. It is outstanding in it's style.

Wow advocates! What a great brew from SN. Really happy that I picked up a mix pack. Seen it for a while and this pk was a month+ fresher than others so BOOM! All beers in it are tasting quite great and I got it for this beer alone.
Cheers all! Happy NBW Saturday!

 

A pleasure to read all the fine new beers drank thus far this weekend. My favorite part of the week is back. Just got back from a nice long cold night walk, something about real cold brings me peace of mind. Warming up with my last beer from a great @BBThunderbolt box. After I tried regular kitten mittens I was excited to see how the coconut plays with the base.

Kulshan Brewing - coconut kitten mittens



Pours dark dark brown, but crystal clear when held to light. Seems a little flat when pouring, head and bubbles were very slow to form. They did slowly, not much retention or lacing. A few light brown bubbly islands remain.

Aroma is coconut, coffee and chocolate notes. It is a fresh coconut smell, like those shavings before they have been cooked.

Taste is much the same. The coconut mixed with the chocolate notes is most of what I taste.

Mouthfeel is a little watery, which strikes me as strange because the regular wasn’t. It has a low smooth carbonation and finishes with slight roasty bitterness.

Neat to try and compare to the regular but I much prefer the kitten mittens without coconut. Thanks again for all the great beers @BBThunderbolt you sustained me for 3 NBWs I believe.

 

Greetings All from the Great Northwest where we are cold, gray and foggy. Just hanging out watching some Wildcard Playoff Football.

Today we have Beestly Honey Porter from Hopworks Urban Brewery.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16353/543474/

It's just OK I'm afraid. The sweetness tastes like cough syrup. It was worth a try but probably not a repeat.

Until next time

 

Literally just poured a honey porter right before I saw this post. Cape May Honey Porter, based on your review they are very different beers.

 

New to me brewery near the hockey rink. This beer was on cask and draft, when I asked when they tapped the cask, the bartender didn’t know, so draft it is.

Union Brewery Company Good Times



Beer Notes: Imperial IPA 10.8 ABV, 71 IBU.

Appearance: Dark tan, bubbly head quickly recedes. 3.75

Aroma: Light piney malt. 3.25

Taste: Bitter bomb, piney. Really bitter without taste beyond alcohol. 2.75

Mouthfeel: Creamy medium to full body, no carb, extremely bitter and dry, both linger. 2.5

Overall: This is a one way beer, too much, no balance. Not sure I’ll finish. 2.5

 

Schneider Weisse - Meine Hopfenweisse. Paired with chicken posole for dinner, reviewed with the remainder after dinner.

500ml bottle served in a footed pilsner glass. Stamp on the back says 21 109 030321. Poured leaving a substantial amount in the bottle.

Pours a clear yellow with a fairly big head. Smell is grainy, fruity (citrus, maybe a little creamy passionfruit). Almost a brett funk aroma to it.

Taste is a little banana, some citrus, some sweetness. Bready, grainy.

Mouthfeel is rich and full. Overall, good beer.

 

Have a great NBW. Had a good work week, have a winter storm coming in this weekend. Good thing I work from home all the time. Been spending my free time with games and watching Movies and MST3K episodes with julia. We got a new Q7DA 55 inch 4K TV last Monday and I moved my 32 inch to our bedroom with a chromecast. I just need to buy my 5.1 speakers for the living room and my entertainment center will be complete. Been mostly eating food from Aldi and got a Gold's gym membership this week. I am way out of lifting and cardio shape again as expected. Soon I can bike the NC trails in Spring. Good we Don't have to wait for Spring Thaw.

From IP trade with @hoptheology . Perennial Prism: Hallertau Blanc Centennial. This was awesome. Fluffy head and foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big lemongrass, white grape/wine, red apple, pear, melon, berries, red grapefruit, orange, cedar, mint, peppercorn, clove, light banana, pine, wheat, cracker, hay, straw, elderflower, herbal, grass, and yeast funk/earthiness. Moderate pepper/clove spiciness; and pine, woody, herbal, grassy bitterness on the finish. High carbonation, light-medium body, and crisp/clean finishing. Balanced bready/grainy wheat and sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Slight lingering resins. Minimal warming 5.5%. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp dryness. Very refreshing and flavorful. A spot on saison all around. Awesome balance between the yeast and the hop character. Will have to seek out other cans locally. Jared got it in Charlotte after all. 4.15


Cheers

 

Hey, kids. It is a balmy 12 degrees here with a feels like of 7. We just got back from a great day at the beach, so time for a beer. Well, half of that is true...

Definitely beer time. This one seems interesting from a favorite brewer:



Yep...ooops... Destination Estonia in Jack's Abby Lagers of the World series, an 8.4% Imperial porter. According to the can, it uses rye and Lubelski Polish hops. According to the brewer... "We have long been fascinated by the Baltic Porter style and have brewed a range of them over the years. The origin story is widely contested, but we believe it's home country is Estonia which is why we were honored to work with Pohjala on this creation. They are passionate experts in the style and powerful advocates for Estonian beer."

Well, alrighty then. It pours a dark cola color with pretty red highlights. The head got outta control, takes about ten minutes to subside, and glues itself to the glass.

First impression on the smell is of smokey, toasty malts. There is a slight tang, a hint of a molasses-like smell, a light earthiness and a whiff of floral...and I want to say lavender. I'm getting kind of a noble hop vibe, but it is slightly different with the floral bit. Interesting.

The taste opens with toasted malt. A decent acidic, grainy tang from the rye. There is a slight sweetness, but not much, in the molasses/brown sugar camp. Finishes clean, nice level of bitterness. In the after taste that smoke sensation returns with a charred note - not strong, but definitely present as the overall taste fades. On further sips, the flavors all meld together seamlessly, and become highlighted by a delicate floral/herbal note and mild spiciness that I am going to say is anise. This beer is simple, right, and tight.

The feel is medium, carbonation is moderate bordering high. It feels smooth and luscious. Pleasantly warming.

This is a no-nonsense, nicely crafted, straightforward beer. I enjoy this back to basics approach when it's done right, and this one's right, including the traditional hops. The homework was done - this is no half-assed homage attempt. Hard to reconcile this with the BA style guidelines that implies a Baltic porter was a vehicle to hide flaws or use up stale beers. For execution alone, this beer is floating at 4.0 on my mental scorecard. I wish they'd keep this one around.

 

Thin Man BBA Awesome Jenkins Willett barrels. Fantastic all around. They are crushing their barrel program right now. The Willett aroma just springs out of the bottle, two feet away. It’s a sexy, oily drink in the glass. The flavor is a decadent mix of spicy, hot bourbon followed by a cooling dark malt stout base. There’s a scant sweetness in the back, but not dessert type sweet. The barrel oak is all around the flavor profile, and rests on the top hue for quite some time. My beer budget is supposed to be frozen while we work on new carpets, but I must buy more of these. Great price point. People aren’t huge into stouts and barleywines around here, which is great for me!