New Beer Weekend #87

Põhjala - Château Noir

Imperial Porter aged in Bordeaux and Pedro Ximenez barrels, from Estonia (12%).



Pours a pitch-black coloration with a small, frothy, dark brown head. Smells of slightly roasted, caramel malt and distinct dark/red fruit notes of raisin, plum, fig and raspberry, as well as hints of dark chocolate and tannic oak.

Taste is an excellent balance of slightly roasted, caramel malt, dark, bitter chocolate and distinct dark fruit and red berries, with notes of raisin, plum, fig, raspberry and blueberry, as well as hints of leather, licorice and musty, tannic oak also coming through. Finishes bittersweet, with a light/medium sweetness and some chocolate, dark/red fruit and oak lingering in the aftertaste. Full mouthfeel with a rich body and light/medium carbonation.

This makes for quite a complex, yet superbly balanced Imperial Porter with distinct red wine and sherry barrel notes of dark fruit, red berries and tannic, musty oak, as well as a rich dark chocolate presence, while never turning too sweet or boozy, with an excellent balance of lightly roasted, bitter and sweet, fruity notes, as well as hints of spice. It's just such a finely nuanced brew, making for an incredibly enjoyable sipper that feels rich and subtle at the same time.

 

ODD Muse Brewing Co. -- Lesson Learned
Triple hazy India pale ale
ABV: 9.5%; pouring temperature: 46 °F; canning data: unknown



3.65/5 rDev -11.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pale, dirty yellow body; mostly hazy but with some clarity around the outside circumference; minor carbonation; decent head, white, frothy, and lasting. Grassy and citrus nose; pungent spiciness. Some citrus juiciness; dull, earthy bitterness. Medium to heavy mouthfeel; light acidity; light juiciness undercuts an otherwise general dryness.

Meh, a fair triple hazy India pale ale. The alcohol content is fairly well-hidden yet the overall feel and flavor is of a flat, brutish citrus pith beer.

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...this perhaps is why I don't care much for hazy India pale ales. Too much dry, pithy bitterness, narrow in focus and depth...

 

Evening all! I read @Whyteboar's review of this next beer with interest last weekend, so when I found singles at my local shop I decided to pick one up and give it a go.

3 Floyds Brewing - Speed Castle their new year round pilsner. According to 3 Floyds, this one uses American Pilsner malt and Spalter Select hops from Germany. Rather than using pelletized hops, they use fresh hops picked fresh and processed in a way that the fresh hop character is preserved.



Pours a crystal clear burnished gold color. Thick, four finger frothy white head forms on the beer before dissipating, no residual head remains on the beer. Lightly effervescent. Aroma has notes of sweet bread, a touch of orange blossom honey, a bit of straw. Not much else as it comes across rather bland overall.

Taste is more of the same - some lightly toasted pilsner malt, a touch of sweet bread, some honey sweetness, with some grassy hops towards the back end. There is a subtle orange zest character to this that I often get from the spalter select hops. Overall its fine, it is just kind of bland. Reminds me in some ways more of a basic american lager than a pilsner. Feel is medium bodied, crisp, with some moderate carbonation.

Overall its fine, I would drink it again, but it is not one I would seek out. Honestly this is the kind of beer you bring to a picnic because it will have wide appeal - and I suspect that is what they were going for with this one.

look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5 = 3.57 (rDev -5.6%)

 

Next up is a beer I am pretty excited for. I have only ever found a couple of 3 Fonteinen beers around here - the Geuze, Cuvée Armand and Kriek. Well recently I came across a few more unique bottles and had to shell out for them. This is their Frambozenlambik - Oogst 2019.



Pours completely opaque and somewhat cloudy. The color is a pinkish tinged drab burnt sienna. A thin off-white sudsy head forms on the beer with a vigorous pour. Head does not show much in the way of retention. Aroma is unbelievable. There are rich bright jammy notes of raspberries and strawberries. Some definite funk comes through with a mild tartness. It is not really sweet on the nose other than some sweet adjacent notes with the fruit coming through.

Taste follows the nose with notes of rich, jammy notes of strawberries, raspberries, and berries with a strong funky tartness coming through. The sour/tart notes are strong enough that it definitely produces a puckering sensation. Some dried old hops come through on the back end with a touch of lactic acid character. Feel is medium bodied. Again, its tart enough to produce a palpable puckering sensation when you drink it. Semi-dry on the finish.

Overall it is a fantastic fruited lambic. 3 Fonteinen produces some of the highest quality lambics I have ever had. I know Cantillon is the darling, but people really should not sleep in 3 Fonteinen.

look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5 = 4.49 (rDev +4.2%)

 

Next up is another 3 Fonteinen beer - this one is Oude Kriek Intens Rood.



Pours a lovely deep, dark burgundy color. No head to speak of - it essentially looks flat upon being poured. Aroma is dominated by fresh tart cherries with some underlying notes of lactic acid, and some old hops. There is a hint of sweetness, but only insofar as the fruit presents some inherent sweetness.

Taste has strong notes of candied, lightly sweet, very tart cherries. There are some granny smith apple notes, white grape, lingonberry, with some raspberry and strawberry notes. It is very tart - what little sweetness is there in the profile is largely taken over by the tartness. It is very much an amped up version of their kriek. Very nice, but dangerously close to being too tart for me. Feel is medium bodied, tart, producing a puckering sensation when you drink it. Semi-dry.

Overall another outstanding fruited lambic from 3 Fonteinen.

look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25 = 4.37 (rDev +4%)