New Beer Weekend #93

Yeah, he was talking about it, he got the yeast from Sam Smith's. Sounded really interesting

 

I have a couple of beers this evening, the first is from my trip to Columbus Brewing Company last week. To say I enjoyed my visit and their beers would be an understatement of mythological proportions.





4.25/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by ovaltine from Indiana

This beer pours a beautiful golden color with suspended hop haze in the body, underneath a creamy oatmeal colored head that laces the glass nicely. The nose is rife with resiny pine, grapefruit, floral notes, and a bit of caramalt.

The caramalt is more substantial on the taste, and really balances the grapefruit and floral hop flavors, and especially all that resiny pine, which lends a nice bitterness to this flavorful, textured WCIPA.

The mouthfeel is very dry and medium, on point for the style. This would be a terrific “fridge IPA” if it was readily available to me.

 

Good evening NBW
I've had things to do today and this is my first beer of the day. I actually took a detour and drove home through Kentucky last night hoping to snag this. Our import and craft distribution here in Southern Indiana has been faltering over the last few years. On to beer

Bitburger & Deschutes Dry Hop'd Zwickl

500mL can stamped 01.26.2024 L26.01.2022 (so right at 3 months old) poured into a mug at fridge temp 4.9% ABV. The beer pours hefe-hazy in a very light copper color. The head is khaki colored, recedes to an uneven ring and leaves a few spots of lacing. The aroma is mild with light caramel and candied orange. The taste is semisweet toasted malt with hints of pine and citrus. Mild bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Cleanly lagered with no off flavors. Overall, good. I like zwickl beers and dry hopped lagers, but I'm not sure the combo elevates this particular example over a textbook IPL or zwickl.

Indiana is one of very few states that does not get Deschutes distribution. I usually enjoy their beers, but get them infrequently. I do enjoy Bitburger when I can get it closer to the package date than the extremely generous BB date two years out...

Cheers all!

 

This beer proves that even the very best can sometimes stumble. While this one is refreshing and quaffable, some of its other attributes simply don't work. The initial aroma was a blast of orange (of course) but that orange aroma vaguely reminded me of an orange-scented fluoride my dentist once used. In other words, this orange did not seem completely "natural."

The flavor is noticeably tart and sharp on the palate. It seems to be a beer you could give to someone who only enjoys those wine cooler drinks. Again, that orange does not taste authentic.
On a positive note, this would be great to quaff at the beach or outside on a hot day, and I am sure that was Sierra Nevada's intention. It just didn't quite work for me.

 

#2, let’s go “Big Stout Hunting” with an OG brewery in that space. I’ve had this beer in my beer fridge for a year+, time to jump in the ring and see how this beer holds up.





4.49/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by ovaltine from Indiana

This big ol’ stout pours black with mahogany brown on the edges and a minimal tan head that flees the premises like it’s stealing something. The nose has some bourbon, loads of cocoa and coconut, a little vanilla that may be marshmallow, and more booze. Very nice.

The taste is led by the cocoa and coconut and leans to the sweeter/pastry side, which fits my palate really well, and there’s a big dollop of booze from the barrel, which actually helps balance the sweetness.

The mouthfeel is rich and creamy, perfect for this beer. I’ve been a Prairie Big Stout fan for a decade or so, and this beer fits their branding/model really well, IMHO.

 

Quickly on to new beer number two

12oz bottle "Experience by 24 JUL 22" poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at fridge temp 8.2% ABV. The beer pours mostly bright light amber with off white head. The head recedes to a thin ring and leaves a little lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring skunky, "herbal" notes. The taste is bittersweet skunky tropical fruit punch with moderate to strong bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, truth in advertising. The actual "dankest" beer I've ever sampled.

I'm really not a fan. I've been working jobs that required drug screens since I was 19, so there's no nostalgia here. I am surprised they went to single note here with a national release.

Cheers all!

 

I would SO be all over this beer if I could get my hands on it.,,

 

Trying a Pinkus Original Altbier. "Thought I'd try an Altbier, never had one. Someone said it had a "weird sour barnyard funk", But while I get what they are saying, I think it could be better put as sour fruit and wet grain. Approximately the taste too- sour fruit, bready, almost corn-y. Thick too, I like that.I could drink a bunch of these at 5.1." Comes in at 36 of 88 on my list.

 

The quiet night continues at the phisher household, this beer comes courtesy of @ovaltine via BIF 15. So many great beers sent my way, this is one of them.

Transient Ales - Lagger



Pours a very light pale, incredibly effervescent looking beer. Hard to pour without it overflowing, that head formed so damn quick. Settles to a nice craggy thick white foam, generous splotchy lacing.

Nose is an intriguing combination of oak like aroma, some lemon, floral and soft white bread.

The chestnut cask shows in taste as well, it comes off as a subtler less noticeable oak like flavor. Little spritz of peppery spice and a nice soft breadiness, much like the nose. I’m not getting any citrus but that is definitely how the nose comes off.

Lively carbonation but not prickly, smooth mouthfeel, a woodiness lingers in the aftertaste but this beer finishes surprisingly clean. It honestly goes down like water.

A really neat beer, I usually do not like altered lagers but this is quite good and unique. It was very fun to visit, thanks for sharing my friend.

 

We celebrated our 38th anniversary today by grocery shopping and grabbing lunch at one of our favorites - Rasoi is an Indian joint in Pawtucket that we stumbled on a few years ago. Always good food and service. The bride had tandoori lamb chops that were amazing and I had their vegan sampler...I'm not vegan by any stretch, but everything was fantastic with some really unique flavors.

This weekend I will be looking at two similar beers. Here is the first:



Foundation Brewing Shake It Sugar Tree, I guess paying homage to the Pam Tillis song or just capturing the nature of the beast. It was brewed with 2-row, Crystal, oats, Maine-grown Pale Malt and pale chocolate malt. Says the house yeast was used, ABV 6.5%.

Pretty pour of dark brown ruby red highlighted liquid with 3/4 inch of a very light tan very dense foam. It looks very cola-like held to the light, so not as uniformly dark as some stouts. Nice.

Definite strong maple syrup on the nose backed up by vanilla. There is just a bit of roast malt and a hint of chocolate.

On the taste, the maple and vanilla combine for a pretty heavy sweetness. It doesn't say there's lactose in it but to be a milk stout...so it is initially pretty sweet. But it fades and there's a nice balancing flavor of the stout itself, a bit of char in the aftertaste and a minor level of bitterness. A little bittersweet leaning chocolate eventually comes through.

The feel is actually light and just a little creamy aided by that foam cap. The sweet does not become cloying, maybe tad sticky but not syrupy sticky. While intensely flavored it is overall clean and easily drinkable given the sweetness.

Nice beer, pretty easy to drink. Not as thick and heavy as some similar beers, intensity is in the maple and vanilla, which is a great combo. Being picky, maybe could use a bit more heft. Feeling this is around the 3.8 range, and worth a try for maple fans.

 

Scoop Dogg, a cream ale from Wise Man. @superspak sent it to me in NBS BIF #15. I can't wait until all these Wise Man beers start making me a wiser man!

16oz can served in a pint glass. Canned 11/12/21.

Pours crystal clear, light yellow, small head, lots of active carbonation at rest. Smell is mild, lemon and grain.

Taste is more lemon pithy than I would have expected, even though it follows the nose. A bit bready or doughy, but not very much. Some twist in the citrus that I can't quite place. Light grassy bitterness.

Mouthfeel is very light, smooth, surprised I don't feel as much of the effervescence as I can see. Overall, nice beer!

 

Holy Mountain Black Beer from @snaotheus Big-Box-O-Grolsch, sent as part of the NBW BIF 15 carnage.



Pours a very deep brown/black with generous latte head that dissipates slowly and laces artistically.

Dark roasted malt on the nose. A little chocolate and coffee. Some herbal hops as well.

Taste follows. The dark malts are more subtle but the coffee and chocolate are more defined. Nice mild bitterness on the finish.

Full bodied, but still light for a dark beer.

Really good stuff, and I believe my first from the brewery. Thanks Ryan!!

 

Heavy Seas Chocolate Volcano. "This has a good unsweetened chocolate taste on the dark tan head, jet black color. Strong alcohol on first sip, just a shade lighter feel than I like. Taste is chocolate, very little coffee, definitely boozy. Maybe a slightly milder 'version' of North Coast Old Rasputin. I like!" 29 of my 89

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

I've had one hell of a day where I spent too much in small town meat markets, enjoyed a delicious burger at a German restaurant in New Ulm, got re-elected to the family cemetery board, enjoyed delicious sours at the Starkeller in New Ulm, visited my dad and grandparents at said family cemetery, and stopped at a brewery along the drive home.

Speaking of the stop at the brewery, I am having a beer from them now.


Tackle Bock Maibock - Bobbing Bobber Brewing - Hutchinson, MN - Maibock - 7.2% ABV.

Yeah, this is really hitting the spot tonight. The aroma is lacking, but it's malty, with a hint of smoke and hops. I am happy with this beer.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/52949/484725/

3.71/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
by Victory_Sabre1973 from Minnesota

Purchaced at the brewery, and consumed at home from the 750ml crawler the same day.

This beer pours a very clear amber color. The head is fairly white, and 1 finger. The retention is decent, but, no lacing on the glass.
I am really not getting much on the aroma. Maybe just a faint malt aroma.
Taste - Up front I get a hint of a smoke flavor. The smoke fades quickly, and goes toward a caramel malt flavor. In the mix is a faint bitterness tat comes from the hops. This is not a hoppy beer, by any stretch, but it's there.
The body is crisp, and clean. There's a decent feeling to this beer.
This is delicious. Happy I bought it.


I will have another tonight that I picked up on my southern (MN) road trip.

 

Drinking Kane’s wild ale offshoot Field & Oak Chambourcin. This one is different. Pink/light purple color, no head at all. Aroma of barnyard funk. Taste is tart, tart, tart, with a bit of the fruit bringing a little sweetness, but not much. Puckering. So sour it actually makes my cheeks sweat a tiny bit. I love this type of sours but no way could I drink them all the time.

 

Just had a nice little fire outside now in with one final beer for the night. Tonewood brews this beer each year for Morey's Piers in Wildwood. I haven't ever had it so a decided to grab a six pack today, I'm glad I did. It is really really quite tasty...

They are currently switching their artwork and this is the first can with the new writing. What is really cool though is it includes a nice little label that now includes style, hops and malts. Really neat and I really hope all their new cans will have the same info, based on the artwork and how its written I think it will be on all new cans/labels. I wish every brewery did this label reads:

Style - Dry-Hopped Pilsner
Hops - Perle & Saaz
Malts - Pilsner

Tonewood - Parkway to Paradise (5.4%)



Cloudy gold leaning straw, not the clearest beer but it was canned 3 days ago so this may be playing a part here. The head settles quickly but it has a nice cohesive layer of white that stays, it laces very nice as well.

Nose a grassy and spicy hops, cracker like malt, and there is a pretty nice little herbal note that shows a little more as it warms. I'd even say there is an almost gentle fruity note as well.

Delicious beer, it is hoppy but just perfectly so for me. It is all grassy and spicy hop and it just coats the mouth. Again just like in the nose there is this really neat little fruity like note, which I'd almost describe as pear like. The malt again shows cracker like a refreshing.

Mouthfeel, is light, nice pleasant carbonation dry and hoppy finish, with a medium, and again, grassy like bitterness.

This beer is awesome; it drinks incredibly easy and at the same time is perfectly hoppy. They really add to this beer instead of detract which I think can sometime happen with hoppy lagers. Two words that make this beer great...balance and drinkability.