New Beer Weekend #87

Hi NBW. This isn't specifically "new" to me but I don't believe I've had any since at least a year ago, maybe 18 months. It kind of disappeared from the shelves here after making an initial splash. I've been drinking more pale lagers lately and figured I'd grab 6 to try it out again after an hiatus.

Hamm's



Looks the part, but that head has completely receded now, minimal lacing too as I drink it. It's probably a touch cold which means I'm not catching much. Hints of malt sugar, some light bready stuff, maybe estery banana?

Taste is good. It's easy drinking but the mouthfeel is quite robust. It reminds me of the domestic Germanic beers. Say, Bitburger, Wolters, et al. Not much bitter character, but there is a good fair bit of sweetness, it's a touch sticky even. I'll say that even just halfway through it, as it warms it's more complex and fuller.

I've been drinking mostly Fox Farm, East Rock and Von Trapp lagers lately. So this is decidedly a step down but there's nothing off about it. My biggest complaint would be the appearance, I'd love just a tinge more amalgamation between the glass and the beer.

That said, at 5 bucks a 6er of 16oz, who am I to say a stray word. Cheers and have a great weekend.

 

When we lived in Minnesota, we made a couple of trips to the original brewery (literally in an old abrasives factory), and probably a dozen trips to The Mothership (the current brewery). The first time I had Todd The Axeman was on tap at the brewery a week after they opened - they had Abrasive on tap (which is my #1 beer here on BA - the OG was ..... sublime), and I asked the bartender for that, but he suggested Todd ("It's better than Abrasive").

He was right.

Love that place, and can't wait to go back when we visit our son in MSP sometime this summer.

 

Ya know, if you're watching and replying to this thread, you are not sending out pairings. Details later, names now!!!!!

 

Tickers gotta tick. When they're not supposed to be sending pairing to the starving masses, that is.

 

I only participated in one BIF before we moved from Minnesota, so you got screwed, because you definitely would've experienced Abrasive a few years ago if we'd stayed there.

When I rated it my #1 beer in 2011, it literally knocked me off my feet - I'd never experienced a nose or taste in any beer like that before, or truth be told, since. It changed in 2015 or so and I didn't care for it much - it was SIGNIFICANTLY maltier the last 2 or 3 times I had it.

I'll need to revisit it someday and see if it's back to it's bitterly delicious old self.

 

Lagunitas Sonomica 2020 Farmhouse Ale, 8.2% ABV. Pours slightly hazy medium orange with a two-finger white head that left no lacing. Nose is funky red wine, taste follows, quite tart, no bitterness or sweetness. Good carbonation, overall excellent.

3.94/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Yet another sour in the back of the fridge, and also my last new one to review, for now. I need to whittle down my fridge stock and my cellar a bit before I buy any more. At least that's what I tell myself...

 

I made a little jaunt today and will review a couple of beers from that trip. Haul Hint: if you’re a participant in NBW BIF #15 and you’ve not been my target in a previous BIF, you should pay attention, because both beers are germane to you, especially beer #2.





4.35/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by ovaltine from Indiana

Pours a very hazy burnt orange color with a creamy oatmeal colored head that provides the typical clingy lacing I’ve seen so often in these Transient hazies. The nose in this Citra hopped beer has the requisite tangerine and pithy grapefruit aromas, but something new is a malty aroma that resembles caramalt. I’m beyond intrigued.

The tangerine and grapefruit are forward as expected and delicious, but there’s a caramalt flavor that is outstanding - it’s like a taffy tangerine. I know that sounds ….. weird, but trust me, it works.

The mouthfeel is medium and per the hazy style. Glad I’ve got more of this to enjoy.

 

This brew is good but not great. Glad I tried it! Cheers and happy NBW!
Dogfish Head Blue Hen Pilsner 4.8%ABV
3.67/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota
12oz can best by dated June 2022 into a pilsner glass.
L: Pours almost crystal clear pale light yellow w/a tall 3+" white head w/very good retention, a sturdy center cap & good carbonation. Random sticky lacing.
S: Bread dough, grassy hops, floral, grains, yeast.
T: Pale malts, smooth, clean, lightly sweet, lemony bitterness on sides of the tongue which lingers slightly, light caramel, a hint of brine.
F: Subtle crispness, smooth, moderately drying light bodied mouth feel w/a clean finish.
O: A very easy drinking and sort of pale tasting pilsner that is refreshing yet not very interesting. It is good in it's style.

 

My sister in laws husband came through, they were up for my mother in laws birthday; which we just got back from. He gave me two cans from this brewery in Maryland. I also met my newest nephew for the first time which was really neat and his dad my brother in law (basically brother) gave me some homegrown goodies. Oh and we had good food, and I just got my BIF pairing. Win win win win, they keep coming today. My dad would love this label, he was and still is obsessed with Top Gun and made us watch it more than a few times.

Crooked Crab - highway to the flavorzone



Starts off pretty nice, good to style color and very clear. The carb comes out pretty quick and builds fast, then settles quick. No lacing, some bigger bubble islands is all that remains.

Smell at first had a noticeable macro lager smell to it; I’m never sure how to describe it but I know the smell. There is a slight hop presence and just a touch of bread.

Taste has a slightly toasted popcorn like taste to it, but there is also a pretty nice baked bread taste to it. More noticeable than I expected from the nose; a toasty aftertaste.

Light body, smooth on the palette, no bitterness, a little bit of lingering sweetness.

This beer grew on me, the aroma was a turn off at first but as I drank more and more there wasn’t anything bad about this beer. I’d say an enjoyable run of the mill level lager. Next up is a brown ale of theirs…

 

#2, nothing to see here, move along.



4.6/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by ovaltine from Indiana

Pours onyx black with a sizzling dark tan head that evacuates the premises in seconds. Beautiful big stout. The nose is led by the cacao, with an aroma like a decadent fudge brownie, and there’s also a significant vanilla aroma and a boozy note as well. No sign of the peanuts.

The taste is led by the cacao and vanilla and some marshmallows, and they are rich and decadent, but the it’s the peanuts that appear and balance the sweetness that make this like the most delicious Turtles candy you’ve ever had.

And then there’s the bourbon at the back of the palate to push it over the top. A nice warming note let’s you know you have a big beer in your hands (14% ABV).

The mouthfeel is rich and creamy, fitting the beer perfectly. What a pleasure it is to experience this beer.

 

Celebrating the real start of BIF #15 (finding out my target) with one of the most recent beers from BIF #14: Nordertor, from Schilling, provided by @WunderLlama.

16oz can served in a footed pilsner glass. Dated 020922. Received from @WunderLlama in NBS BIF #14 wackiness.

Pours crystal clear, bright yellow, big two inch head. Collapses, leaving a fairly thin layer and a fairly thick ring, clumpy chunks of lacing clinging to the side of the glass. Smell is grainy with a bit of honeysuckle, some lemon, maybe a bit of grassiness.

Taste is a flash of honeysuckle-grainy sweetness follow by a lot of lemon zest and grassy bitterness.

Mouthfeel is light, almost watery. Overall, this is very tasty and extremely drinkable.

 

Made a quick trip over to Gruff. It was nice out, so most folks were outside. Then a brief rain shower happened, and all those folks got inside (lightweights!) the rain had stopped, yet I was stuck with a bunch of babbling humanity. Le sigh. I did get a new tick though, That's No Moon!, a fairly average murkstar:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46857/595267/

 

Ozark Beer Co. Luda Crisp Czech Pilsner, 4.6% ABV; 4.51 overall

Pours an effervescent gold with3 fingers of eggshell colored head ( vigorous pour ). beautiful head retention & lacing

S: Very bready, floral & perfumy hops

T: Lemons, breadyness, flinty mineral & herbal hops up front. Dryness, lemons, soapyness & breadyness once warm. Finishes, well crisp, dry with lemony hops, soapyness & a nice bready sweetness

MF: Medium body, fairly form carbonation up front, softens as it warms. Well balanced

So easy to drink, flavor profile was a little too clean for the style, but still a great take on the style

 

Von Trapp Bavarian Style Pilsner - I love Pilsners and pretty much anything VT does and I saw a six pack of this recently near their regular Pilsner. I enjoy that beer and from the description this sounds like it will be a winner also. Spolier alert: for me it was

Pours from a can BB 06/13/22 a nice clear yellow with a generous head, strong carbonation. Smell is grassy, a touch lemony, picking up some Lager yeast underneath it all, Hallertau hops are in there as well. Taste is wonderful, the usual Pilsner with a nice snap from the malts and it ends a touch dryly (35 IBU, 5%) but for me just about perfectly balanced. A worthy Pilsner that can compete with some of my local favorites; I will need to do a side by side between this and their regular Pilsner sometime (and/or along with some others). Budmo!

@JackHorzempa

 

Thanks to @Roguer for another sweet kick off post. Some good reading so far this week - great to see the participation.

I went down the musical rabbit hole while at work (doing dumb paperwork) yesterday discovering the metal band Jinjer. Maybe one of the best drummers I have heard, super-skilled musicianship all 'round, and an outstanding female lead vocal who can do clean and harsh vocals seamlessly. The rabbit hole includes research, and I find they are from Ukraine...yeah...

Tonight's beer was recommended by one of the beer folks at High Spirits - the RI/SeMass BA contingent will hopefully know where I mean.


Not a beer I would have picked on my own, but this is Hermit Thrush Sour #9. Hermit Thrush says "It is a foudre-aged not quite pale ale brewed in collaboration with Magic Hat. We put our wild yeast and oak-aged twist on their classic beer, #9. Real apricot, beautifully fruity fermentation, and balancing oaky character." The web site says it was refermented in the oak foudre with apricots and held for 9 months.

Well...allllllrighty then.... It pours a beautiful aged brass color, very clear, with about a two inch fluffy soapy head. The head falls slowly, leaving a nice layer covering the top, slight cling to the glass. Replenishment occurring from a stream of small bubbles from the bottom.

Yup...apricot smell in spades, no doubt about it. Slight caramel sweetness, a nice bit of malt. Some floral notes and a touch of grassiness. I'm thinking that is the base #9 all jacked up up on the apricots added to the refermentation. Then a cidery sour smell, some woodiness. Interesting mash up.

The taste more or less follows. The initial sip landed me on slightly sweet, I think driven by the apricot. Then a modest, restrained level of sour came in almost like a Cider, layered over a nice bready malt that is slightly sweet. Not a huge hop presence, but a little of that floral/grassy floats on top. And oh here comes the oak...very nice level of woodiness here with a bit of tannin and phenolic zing. Overall, the effect is actually pretty mellow. It isnt aggressively sour, nor is it tremendously complex, but what is in there plays perfectly well together.

Dry...really dry. Fairly thin mouth feel. The acid tingles just a bit on repeated sips, but remains nicely restrained. Carbonation is moderate despite the regeneration thing.

This is a very nice, tasty beer that is well made. Hermit Thrush says it can be aged, so maybe I have a Celery beer for next February as I did grab a four pack. Easy 4 on this one, kids!