New Beer Weekend #82

Brooklyn Brewery Bodega Run IPA - I assume that most people here have/know what Bodegas are and they're prevalent here in Philly. If it's authentic there will probably be a cat running around the store and one may even be laying on the bread; and you will notice that state/local laws seem to be of little concern to them, particularly when it comes to cigarettes and alcohol. And depending on the hood the corner boys will be able to provide you with just about anything you may need if you're into such things. After dark I would not recommend hanging around there, though, as they are a hotspot for terf wars.

But I digress and back to the beer. Pours a dark hazy orange juice-ish color with a generous head. Smell is straight tropical fruit, orange juice and some hops mixed in. Taste follows the nose and this is pretty good, as it's fruity and orange-y but still ends a touch bitter and dryly so not too sweet at all. This is a nice mix between new and old school and I would drink this again. Prost!

 

I have a couple of beers for my NBW friends to peruse. The first, I’m literally quivering with excitement to try.

The second terrifies me. For real.

Let’s do this.





4.35/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by ovaltine from Indiana

Pours a beautiful golden straw color with the slightest bit of suspended haze and a foamy white head that provides substantial lacing. Gorgeous beer. The nose is led by lemon drop aromas and a substantial doughy bread note that is perfect.

The taste has multiple suitors to lead this dance, and the lemon drop flavors are delicious, but it’s the rich, doughy bread flavors that make this beer for me, this perfectly balanced Czech lager.

The mouthfeel is medium and crunchily crisp. I believe this is my first lager from Tree House, and I need more, because I could drink GALLONS of this.

 

We had a nice day today. Two beer stores, grocery shippong, 61 degrees in February? Oh...snow tomorrow, so things even up. Stopped at our favorite Indian restaurant for lunch - outstanding specials on a V-day menu. We tried three apps and a dessert for lunch, and our waiter said we should try the chicken with mushroom sauce, so we took that home with more dessert. He was right - outstanding kind of Indian riff on chicken marsala. But the dessert...carrot pudding...made with condensed milk, sugar, cardamom, green cardamom pods, raisins, sugar and some other spices, ghee. Warmed up, and while not exactly eye-appealing in the orange catfood kind of way, so very tasty and comforting.

Ok...another Celery worthy brew...maybe the oldest bottle I have.



Three Cranes saison with cranberries from Mystic. This is Batch 1, and near as I can figure it was made around Thanksgiving 2012. I remember we talked with Bryan Greenhagen at the brewery about cranberries (I know a bit about them...) and how he was looking for a native yeast on the fruit. He said to age the beer for a while, but I am sure he didn't have this in mind!

The label says the beer commemorates the Three Cranes Tavern from colonial Boston that served beer for 140 years. The crane also symbolizes the cranberry flower. Story and symbolic value understood.

Pours slightly cloudy bronze color. No head, but bubbly.

The smell is saison-like, typical Belgian spicy and peppery. There's a mild fruit remnant left, but too faint to tell what it is from the aroma. Yeasty. Sourdough bread, crackers. Maybe a bit of brett-like funk.

It tastes pretty good, honestly. The cranberry fruitiness has pretty well faded into a mild acidity and tannin/phenolic bite. It is bready, white pepper. Belgian yeasty goodness comes out. Lemony citrus, just a touch of funk. There is a honey-like quality in the flavor.

Now it is very lightly carbonated, so I am imagining it being more lively in prime days and that would certainly make it brighter. I didn't expect much cranberry flavor, and that has certainly faded leaving slight bitter and phenol notes.

So...past its best days for sure, but still a very drinkable beer. I can fill in the blanks well enough. This was a very nice beer when fresher, but it has actually held up surprisingly well. I won't review or rate it - rathet I will note it in my spreadsheet for posterity. Another brewery I was sad to see close.

 

I have been actively participating in this recurring thread for quite some time. On a lark, i asked if I could join the BIF associated with this thread. Incredibly , I was allowed in ( (I know, crazy, right?). My intent was to discover new and different beers. As a side benefit, I have acquired several new beers AND several beer centric friends as a result of this participation.


My first beer is from the Pacific Northwest courtesy of @snaotheus .This guy slaughtered my porch with over a case of freshies and then followed up with even more beer. He introduced me to a new brewery in a style I favor. The new brewery is Chuckanut and it is their rendition of Vienna Style Lager.



4.25/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25


Chilled bottle poured into a nordic pint glass resulting in a clear copper liquid. Numerous active streams of carbonation. Topped by a one finger fluffy foam white cap. Solid lacings ring the glass after each sip

Aroma is malty, bready, toasty

Taste is sweet malts, bready, toasty with a hint of hops on the finish

Smooth , clean, light and refreshing

Delicious beer , thanks @snaotheus fro sending me this delectable

My second beer comes from Chicago. A new favorite brewery of mine, Hop Butcher for the world. This brewery was introduced to me by a Philly transplant, the gritty @FBarber. This American imperial stout adds in the flavor of a Chicago childhood favorite, Frango mints. The original flavor was milk chocolate with a whisper of mint.




3.84/5 rDev -4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75


A chilled can is poured into a snifter. A deep dark syrupy brown liquid produces a dense thick creamy brown one finger foam cap

Aroma is minty, menthol, mint mouthwash , faint roast malts, faint chocolate

Taste is menthol, minty, chocolate , roast malts , mint mouthwash , hint of chocolate
I really really really wanted this to be a great beer . I wanted a stout with a Frango kiss of milk chocolate candy with a whisper of a smooth subtle mint . This beer is very menthol oil dominant. There is simply too much mint that, IMHO, needed to be dialed back. Need to let some of the roast malts and chocolate flavors be more prominent.

Thanks @FBarber for giving me the chance to try this one. In theory, this should have been a grand slam into the prevailing north winds off of Waveband Avenue. In actuality, it is a pop fly in the direction of Steve Bartman.

 

#2, this beer is part of the Extreme Beer box. The reviews are ….. a bit, um, vitriolic.

So my very dear beer nerd friend @FBarber and I agreed to jump on this during this week’s NBW and literally rip the bandage off.

You are now officially on the clock, buddy.





3.55/5 rDev +22.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
by ovaltine from Indiana

This pours a murky brown color with TONS of floaties and a sudsy tan head that hisses at you like it’s going to bite you like a snake. The nose is ….. all over the place. There’s some booze, a LOT of oak, and the pomegranate and orange are fighting for a chance at the plate as well. Someone smack them back a bit, because I think this could work, but everyone needs to agree to get along.

Surprisingly, on the taste, they do. The orange and pomegranate aren’t rendered unconscious by the oak, and actually help smooth out the boozy flavor. I could easily drink this again.

The mouthfeel, though, is all over the place - it’s sorta watery, sorta spritzy, a little funky. I think that’s the biggest problem this beer has: it doesn’t really know what it wants to be, so it is literally fighting itself.

Which is the very definition of extreme in my book, and I am really glad I got to try it.

 

Damn technology

It is funny I love hearing that guy talk about space, I used to show some video he made while in space when I taught a certain chapter to my chemistry classes. He did some awesome simple water experiments up there, its wild to see water in zero gravity.

He also appeared in what I think is one of the coolest series "one strange rock." Then again I don't see him all the time and my exposure to him is strictly in the topic of space.

To anyone who wants their minds blown watch "one strange rock" it is all about all the chance things that happened as earth formed to allow life to flourish, its wild.

 

Tangerine Scream By Treehouse Brewing

4.33/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Canned 12.30.21 , opened 2 12.22, poured into a Treehouse 2022 customer appreciation goblet



Brewers Notes: Tangerine Scream is a rendition of Julius made with tangerine purée and freshly-sliced whole vanilla beans!

It builds upon the mango and orange-forward base of Julius with smoothie-like characteristics that coat the mouth with delicious flavors of tangerine-cream candies, overripe citrus, and orange creamsicle sorbet.

Made with simple ingredients utilized in a judicious manner, Tangerine Scream is a beer we are proud to stand behind for its careful execution and exceptional outcome. Keep icy cold and enjoy fresh!

Orange haze bomb liquid with a two finger soapy, frothy white foam cap, good retention that lasts over five minutes. Settles to a rocky, craggy one finger cap, a curtain covers the glass after each sip



Smells like an orange creamsicle, tangerine creamsicle, vanilla

Starts off slightly sweet like an orange creamsicle, tangerine, vanilla

Low sudsing , smooth, gentle hop nibble on the finish,

Good beer

 

Keeping the sour theme alive, from my first beer, but going traditional. There are a lot of classic beers that I still haven't tried but want to, this is one of them. Grabbed a single last week to try for this weekend. Not a style I drink often but again, trying to visit some classics whether they are styles I frequent or not.

Duchesse Cherry



Poured semi vigorous, was late getting phone and head had dissipated to what you see now. It is actually pretty appealing though, a nice dark brown/red hued color with a creamy ring around the glass. Some floaties hanging out too.

Smell is interesting and very unique...I keep getting all sorts of different smells each time. First it was all acetic, the came some tart cherry, then I got a weird funky note that almost reminded me of cheese, yes its definitely there, but it only shows itself every now and then; last note grape skin. At this point I'm very curious what this one tastes like...

Wow, that is certainly not what the nose told me it would be. Sure the sour and acetic are there but it is actually a lot sweeter than I would've ever expected. It is almost like cherry candy at first that quickly goes tart, reminds me of sour patch kids in reverse. There is also some baking spice notes that were no where to be found on the nose. I didn't pick up on oak initially but it does show itself in the aftertaste fo rme.

Mouthfeel is medium, typical belgian carbonations, a beautiful combination of both sweet and mouth puckering sour; they mingle on the tongue in perfect balance.

Trying Belgian beers like this is always a treat for me. I don't drink them often but every time I do it seems I find myself being taken on a sensory trip all over the place. So many different aromas, then tastes and all always balanced in such a perfect way. Really glad I tried this one.

 

Interesting, thanks for the recommendation. I guess I will have to buy both the regular and chocolate cherry for future NBWs, they had all three.

 

Poured into a 13 oz Teku glass canned on 12/08/2020. Pours near pitch black with a half finger light brown head that leaves a few thin streaks of lace, with solid retention. 4.5

Aroma is deep dark chocolate, pipe tobacco, leather, oaked vanilla, and did I mention some serious bourbon? 4

Taste follows dark chocolate, leather, pipe tobacco, oaked vanilla, char, and a big hit of bourbon in the bold finish. 4

Mouthfeel is above average, maybe a little dry, very gentle carbonation, and at 12.5% it might drink bigger, but still easy enough going down. 4

Overall this is a very well made BA RIS, just a tad boozy, thin, and under-carbonated, still worth a try for sure. 4

 

Cheers to @sulldaddy for this. Von Trapp Brewing's Dunkel, 5.8% ABV; 4.06 overall

Pours a very effervescent hazel with 2+ fingers of tan head. Average head retention & lacing

S: Brown bread, figs, super toasty once warm

T: Follows the nose, very dry, some woody & leafy hops up front. Becomes very toasty as this warms, plus a little bit of figs & leafy hops. Finishes toasty, very dry with woody hops

MF: Medium body, restrained carbonation

Solid Dunkel, a little drier than I prefer

 

Look at me doing back to back beers, everyone saving up for tomorrow? I am usually into less mindful beer appreciation once football is on.

New Province Brewing's Life is a Luxury Hazy IPA, 7.1% ABV; 4.07 overall

Pours an effervescent & bright? honey color with a thumb of cream colored head. There is only a little haze, Good head retention & stellar lacing

S: Green melon, peaches, fades a touch down the stretch

T: Orange, vanilla, green melon, plus a little dryness up front, some grassy notes. A touch of lime mixes in with the orange, plus some vanilla still hanging around as this warms. Finishes with sweet orange & vanilla with a little lime & dryness

MF: Medium body, pretty lively carbonation, nice balance

Super drinkability, not very hazy, but good flavor

 

Good Saturday evening, New Beer Weekenders. My first new review is a collaboration between two of New Jersey's iconic breweries, Magnify and Kane: Bourbon Barrel Aged Sweeter, Thicker, Darker, Stronger, an Imperial Stout conditioned on vanilla and coconut.

It pours a dark mahogany-walnut color. Unfortunately, the medium-mocha colored head fizzled away immediately leaving no discernible lacing. But the smell is fragrant with freshly-brewed coffee, chocolate, earthy char, and a strong aroma of bourbon. The flavor is bold with brownie and notes of roasted malt, toffee, coffee, coconut, and burnt nuts. The bourbon is apparent but rather mellow and it compliments the other flavors. It's sweet but not cloying. The flavors are enormous. Its mouth feel is viscous and creamy with low to moderate carbonation, and the 13.5% ABV is warming but not overpowering.

4.4/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Be back tomorrow. Happy New Beer Weekend, everyone!

 

I've got one left. I really enjoy it. It's like Rubeaus but not quite as good.