New Beer Weekend #78

I loved Todd the Axe Man years ago when I stumbled across it in a South Dakota grocery store while visiting my brother. I drank a lot of it. I find myself intrigued by Double Bladed Axe Man.

 

Tempranillo Flanders from Deschutes. Bought this beer at the brewery last year during my birthday trip to Bend. It's about three and a half years old at this point.

500ml bottle served in a wineglass. Bottled on 08/27/2018.

Pours a rich purple-red color with a small head that settles into a fairly thin ring with absolutely nothing covering the surface. Moderate amount of carbonation. Smell is cherries, tartness, a bit of oaky funk.

Taste is also very cherry forward, some tartness, but not enough for me, more woody tannins and a bit of funkiness, bitterness like cherry skin. Something about it makes me think of smoke.

Mouthfeel is dry, smooth, but a bit too still. Overall, it's good, but it might be past its prime.

 

I think it was @FBarber who sent me a Czech lager that was a porter and I have been looking for them ever since. So good when they are done right.

 

My A / NA pairing for today.



After the first sip, I decided to not do an actual side-by-side, but rather a one-after-the-other. These beers are just too different. So, the Pot De Creme sat, warmed, and waited until I had finished the NA beer.

The late posting is because I lingered over both, but especially over the Pot De Creme.

First in line:

Untitled Art Non-Alcoholic Chocolate Milk Stout
ABV: >0.5%
IBU: NA

The NA is a beautiful-looking stout. Tall, light tan, creamy, very long-lasting head. Dark, impenetrable body. Brownish edges with a backlight. Very attractive tall lacing that is actually "lacy".

Aroma of the NA is sweet powdered chocolate milk - think Nestles. That's it. That's all I get.

The NA flavor is decidedly less dominated by the chocolate than the aroma. The chocolate is there, but not so in-your-face N-E-S-T-L-E-S Chaaaawlet as the aroma. There is a bitterness that exists from the initial taste and maintains through to the aftertaste; it's not too strongly bitter, and the bitterness is from the malts, not the hops. There is a bit of a floral tinge to the flavor as well. All-in-all, not a particularly attractively tasting stout.

The body is on the thin side, with some moderate mouth feel perhaps from the milk/lactose.

Overall, not a beer I would want to stock up on, but I won't have any issue consuming the remainder of the 6 pack. As a stout, it lacks character with a not very beer-like flavor. @ChicagoJ said it best: "Meh". As a stout, its body is on the Guinness end of the scale, not at all watery, which is a good job by UA for a NA beer. If only they could work on the flavor a bit.

L: 4.5 | S: 3.5 | T: 3.0 | F: 3.5 | O: 3.25 | Rating: 3.26

Untitled Art / 3 Sons Mexican Chocolate Pot De Creme Imperial Stout
ABV: 11.9%
IBU: NA

The Pot De Creme has a similar dark, impenetrable body, but a very short head that disappears quickly with no lacing. (The picture is perhaps 10-15 seconds after the pour.)

The Pot De Creme aroma is chocolate, sure, but also nutty, vanilla, and caramel. More chocolate nougat than Nestles.

The taste has alcohol warmth leading a relatively complex interaction of cocoa, vanilla, and spices. The alcohol warmth stays throughout eventually warming the back of my throat. This is a big beer that keeps reminding me that it is a big beer. Mildly better in the middle, with a relatively sweet finish, but (despite the name) not sweet as in a dessert beer, but more sweet like bittersweet chocolate.

The body is substantial, but not viscous.

Overall, an excellent adjunk Imperial Stout. All of the flavoring additives are handled deftly, allowing none to get out-of-control dominant; they combine and interweave nicely into the overall flavor. Strong alcohol flavor and warmth throughout.

L: 4.0 | S: 4.25 | T: 4.25 | F: 3.75 | O: 4.25 | Rating: 4.19

 

4.21/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2021 bottle courtesy of @JohnnyHops.
A: black with little carbonation. Minimal tan head.
S: Roasty Coffee & blueberry dominate. Little chocolate.
T: coffee still dominates. Chocolate malts, blueberry cereal, vanilla. Trace cinnamon. Minimal bourbon burn. Not unpleasant.
M: Fairly viscous. Not thick though. Appropriate to style.
Overall: fairly drinkable for an adjuncted imperial stout. Thankfully coffee still tastes fairly fresh. If it was old it might ruin it.

 

Good Morning everyone and welcome to New Beer Sunday # 882!

First beer today, this one new to me from a favorite local brewery.

Spiteful Brewing Gridiron Golden Lager



Can Notes: Canned 11/1/21@ 14:34:30. 4.5% ABV.

Appearance: Murky golden tan pour, creamy bright white lacing leaves dusting over base, minimal clumpy lacing. 3.5

Aroma: Light cracker pepper aroma, OK. 3.0

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, faint cracker and malt, more bitter than a typical lager consistent with the Spiteful taste profile, but minimal hop flavor. 2.75

Mouthfeel: Medium body, firm carbons adding to that component, bitter overall, light easy drinking, dry. Light dry bitter aftertaste. 3.5

Overall: OK lager, more hoppy and bitter than normal, less flavorful than anticipated or preferred. 2.75

Will catch up with everything later today.

 

Poured into a 20 oz Snulip glass canned I am not sure. Pours a dark brown with a half finger light brown head, that leaves a few thin streaks of lace, with little retention. 3.75

Aroma is maple, hazelnut, vanilla bean, and some alcohol is present for sure. 3.75

Taste follows maple stands out, hazelnut, vanilla, and again a little booze. 3.75

Mouthfeel is a tad thin, slightly under carbonated, not dry, and at 12% a tad boozy and sweet but it drinks much smaller. 3.5

Overall this was a huge disappointment. Not terrible, but it had a bunch of of potential. They just didn’t execute in my opinion. 3.75

 

We woke up to a tornado warning. There weren't any, fortunately.
The close call meant a special beer.

Very dark brown/almost black appearance. No head.
Aroma of bourbon, chocolate, light cherry, wood.
Taste follows the nose.
Very nice beer!

 

I shall be succinct on this snowy Sunday. I found this gem Friday at Bestway,
Lunch has a beautiful frothing meringue halo/cap/head. It is wondrous in the glass.
This is a beer that blends hops and malt perfectly. It is beyond drinkable. Fresh hops on the nose, pure malt as an olfactory balance and taste delight. I love Lunch and would tell anyone to drink it to see how simple and great beer can beer.


This is a really great song!!!!

 

I had the okay Australia & the pretty good Japan, sadly Estonia never showed up around here

 

Good afternoon NBS/nbw and thanks @Roguer for hosting this weekend.
Today's offering is from our good friends at Cambridge Brewing Company.
Listed as a Dark Ale, clearly designed in the Belgian Dark Strong model.
This is big at 13.4% well hidden, this is luxurious sipper. The fig and Rum barrel treatment
are seamless and rich. A truly lovely feel on the palate only enhances the experience.
Cheers all
This Mortal Coil

Strong Ale - Belgian Dark | 13.4% ABV
Cambridge Brewing Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts

4.16/5 rDev -5% | Average: 4.38
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by SABERG from Massachusetts

Poured from the cage and corked 375 ml bottle into the test glass.
A - Deep dark brown, with champagne style carbonation riding up the glass interior. The off-white cap lasts the entire experience.
S - Dark fruits, sherry, dark brown sugar, a whiff of fusel alcohol in the best way. Vanilla, fig.
T - Dark malts, dark brown sugar, raisin, fig, rum thread with a very nice barrel aspect and a high-end Balsamic reduction. There is also a spicy, black pepper, and anise in there. As it warms the Mission fig and barrel treatment dance effortlessly.
M - Medium in body, sweet start, moves toward the center with lovely acidity, the mid palate is a lush full texture. Linger is spicy and intriguing.
O - A very good dark Ale, Complex, and rewarding. The nose runs in the dessert wine category. The palate stays pleasantly dry with all the sweet suggestions from the nose. Outstanding linger, with beautiful tension to keep you wanting more

 

It was a totally random find - I did not see the previous destinations at all. Glad I found this one, for sure.

 

Urban Brew Labs, Comet Me Bro, an American Imperial Stout out of Chicago.

4.02/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by ZebulonXZogg from Illinois

L: Pours almost black, small tan head that fades quickly to a ring spotty lacing.
S: Snot locker get some heavy roast, coffee, malts, some bitter chocolate.
T: Taste buds get the, coffee, malts, cocoa, a bit of dark fruit a mildly bitter finish.
F: Medium bodied, but it seems thin for the style, not much carbonation.
O: Pretty tasty beer from a brewery I've not heard of before, I'd buy this again.

 

Poured into a 13 oz Teku glass not sure when it was canned. Pours a hazy yellow orange with a finger plus sticky white head that leaves thick streaks of lace with nice retention. 4.25

Aroma is guava, mandarin, papaya, pineapple, apricot, and grapefruit rind. 4.25

Taste follows guava, mandarin, papaya, pineapple, apricot, and a little grapefruit bitterness. 4.25

Mouthfeel is pretty big, soft carbonation, maybe a tad sticky, and at 10% big flavor but goes down rather easy. 4.25

Overall this is rock solid, but nothing dazzling going on. I would still recommend. 4.25

 

Another Sunday, another new beer. This one from my favorite brewery, local to me, Tonewood. They are about to open their new bigger production brewery soon. I’ll post more with my next new beer, which I believe was brewed there. For now their local NJ malt and smoked lager from their side pull tap.

Tonewood - After Glow



Beautiful gold and crystal clear color, perfectly white head that lingers and lingers with beautiful lacing. I feel like Side pulls almost cheat in the head department, this beer is a looker.

Smell is a nice subdued smoke that carries a nice fresh cut grass and peppery spice note.

Taste was a wow for me, crackery, fresh baked breaks, a lemon citrus hop note with a grassy finish. I even pick up some floral notes and then the smoke just creeps back in via nasal canal in the aftertaste. Lovely stuff, just so many layers and flavors all in harmony.

Light body, incredibly quaffable; like this drinks as smooth as water. A bitter bite on the finish seals the deal for me.

I hate being dramatic but this is the best smoked lager I’ve had in a long long time. I got a four pack to go, let’s see if the cans live up to the lukr pour.

Another Tonewood tonight…