New Beer Weekend #93

No problem, I'm just babysitting for you

I was happy to see that one of the "essential skills" a bourbon site I follow listed was doing comparison tastings. I'm not sure that's a skill versus a technique, but I digress. It can be hard to find the time to drink two beers together. Maybe we might encourage people to overlap the second half of one beer with the opening half of their next, but I realize as I type this isn't the place for this discourse. My backspace button seems to be stuck, though

 

My son and some friends had some good fortune today. He helped someone work on building a disc golf course in the neighboring town. As a reward, they were taken to the Celtics vs Bucks game as the guys company owns a luxury box. Unfortunate game results for Celtics faithful, but an awesome time for him nontheless while we sat yelling at the TV...

Tonight's beer is similar to last night's regarding the maple:



Clown Shoes Snow on the Maple Tree 2021 edition. It's an American Imperial Stout aged in barrels that held "premium" maple syrup also used for aging bourbon. This is a big person beer at 11.5% and it comes in a 19.5 ounce can...ummm...ok, I'm not going anywhere

Pours pretty darn black with a massive but fortunately short-lived khaki head. The foam leaves a layer on top that looks a little oily - bigger bubbles dotting a mat of foam. Clings a bit to the Spiegelau, but nothing spectacular.

The smell just about attacks from the can. The kitchen is full of a great maple syrup aroma and boozy bourbon. Maybe pancakes were in order for dinner rather than chili? Maple dominates followed by the bourbon, but there's roast malt underneath reminding me of CS other big stouts. So I suspect it is their "plain" AIS that gets some double-barrel love, but it is Clown Shoes so who knows?

The taste opens with maple syrup - Grade A awesome maple syrup. Bourbon notes follow, a touch of vanilla added. The stout becomes obvious - there's char and a faint smokiness that emerges more as the beer warms. There are coffee and chocolate flavors bouncing around and there is absolutely no hint of the big ABV - no heat at all. The initial big maple taste sort of fades on repeated sips and to me this becomes more "stouty" and less barrel-driven. It's still there, but less prevalent. There's a nutty quality as well and I'm not sure where that comes from, but it fits.

It's almost but not quite heavy on the body, fairly smooth and creamy. There is a little malt bitterness on the end, and while I find the enjoyable maple flavor to be diminishing some, the sticky sweet sensation does linger. The finish is fairly dry and slightly astringent.

The beer is a very nice sipper and I'm glad I am sitting in a quiet house for the evening. The missus didn't care for it, so that almost 20 ounces is all mine... It is well made and the stout is not covered up by the barrel treatment. It is pretty restrained, all things considered, and it's going to land around a 4.0, maybe a tick higher. If I had to pick a beer to just drink, though, it would be last night's Foundation Shake It Sugar Tree that I scored a 3.87 formally - lower ABV and easier drinking.

Someone was asking about Spiegelau glasses - they are great, super light and thin. Fragile, though. As close to having no glass at all as you can get, I think, and I enjoy the ones I have even if I put the wrong beers in 'em.

 

I think the original location did, but this place on Pacific is open. I am not sure if they brew their own any more.

 

To be honest this is the real reason, it is actually very time consuming to try and do it right for myself. I’ve been trying to review every beer I drink lately, new or not. That has been my beer job lately.

 

@Roguer - I should have been clearer. As far as I can tell, Gaffel does not consider their drinks that are made with added fruit juice as Kölsch. This is in contrast to a craft beer producer who adds fruit juice to an IPA and sells it as an "IPA." The commonality between Gaffel's fruit/Bier blends and some people's feelings about flavored bourbon, is that Kölsch and bourbon are considered to be ingredients in the product rather than the finished product (regardless if that ingredient is 99% or 40% of the finished product). Yes, everyone draws a line, but it appears that your line is different than Gaffel's (and Stone's ).

As far as I know, what people call Wiess (not to be confused with Weiss @steveh ) is pretty much a proto-Kölsch (that was once very popular)... and people point to it being unfiltered as the primary difference. There are brewers in Köln who make it. Since there is so much about it that seems to fit the desires of some US brewers, it's a miracle that US craft brewers didn't hone in on this and produce their own beers called Wiess (like what they did with Kellerbier). Personally, I am thankful that this did not happen. Cheers.

 

I have no doubt that I will - that beer was well executed. I can’t wait to try the other two.

 

We are here with @RaulMondesi and @Beersnake1. We are going to get the legendary selfie soon.

Lasting pink slushie look. Bruery Frozen Grove is super jammy strawberry, lime, grapefruit, dark fruit, tequila, brown sugar, syrups, wheat. Drying acid and fruit tang on a sweet full body dessert finish. No cloying or puckering. Very smooth. For a slushy sour this was crazy good. 4.5


Cheers

 

Those gigantic Transient stouts are a fun ride and a challenge, all at the same time - how do you plan around a 16.5% ABV beer that isn’t part of a share???

PS: I’ve not tried that one yet - next weekend, for sure.

 

Tonight: time and willpower, I opened around 7. Mrs phisher will take about 4 oz as well. I’m like the little engine that could; “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I know I can…”

PS I wanted the maple jacket but had to slay this beast tonight.

 

If a drop of that beer (or any other big stout) touched Mrs O's lips, she would spontaneously combust.

But she would first tell me that it "tastes like Beck's."

Because she knows that crushes my beer nerd heart.

 

Ugly! But she gets the job done…in spades.

 

Last one of the weekend. This is Blood Brothers Piggy, an imperial stouts with Bacon and maple syrup. I had sent a can of this to @colts9016 as a blind can for the NBW BIF 15 festivities. I wanted to wait until his review (last week) before cracking my can.



Pours a thick ink black with a deep mocha head that forms slowly and dissipates quickly. No lacing to speak of.

The aroma is maple off the top. Roasted grains, coffee and a slight smoky note follow.

The maple hits the tongue first. Sweet, but not off-putting. Dark coffee, roasted cereals. A very mild smoky quality lands on the finish, but to call it bacon-y would be a stretch.

Thick, almost syrupy. Appropriate for the style.

This is a nice pastry/breakfast stout from Blood Brothers. The sweetness isn’t over the top and the ‘bacon’ is very subtle. I enjoyed it.

 

Good evening NBW
This will be my new beer closer for this weekend. I had to buy this over the internet as, sadly, Belgian beer is disappearing locally.

Chimay Green/150/Cent Cinquante
11.2oz bottle coded L21-721 poured into a Chimay chalice at 55° Fahrenheit 10% ABV. The beer pours bright light golden amber with cream colored head. The head recedes to a thin cap of tiny bubbles constantly fed from the nucleation point on the glass. The aroma is mild with vague fruit and bubblegum. The taste is semisweet pale malt with notes of clove, coriander and bubblegum. Minimal bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with above average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. No hint of the high ABV. Overall, very good to excellent. Delicate, balanced and easy to drink.

I'll readily admit that I prefer the darker strong Belgians to the lighter styles, but my bias had no effect on this review. Really great beer. I was surprised to see this chalice was dated 2012. I would have wagered and lost if someone had bet me it had only been ten years ago that I bought my first Trappist gift set and discovered beers I'd not imagined before.

Cheers all!

 

So awesome of all you guys with significant others meeting up and kicking ass!

 

Odell IPA.

19.2oz can served in a nonic pint glass. Dated (best by) 06/15/22. Wife bought it in Phoenix last week and brought it home in a suitcase.

Pours a mostly clear amber-gold with a big head and moderate to high carbonation. Smell is a little grain, a little grapefruit rind, some hay.

Taste is some grain and some end-of-life hops. Old hay, mustiness. Vague bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium. Overall...it's not bad. I imagine it's better fresher. But, Odell suffers the full brunt of having a too-long "best by" window. If this beer is still at its best, it's a pretty disappointing beer.

 

Hello NBW (NBS edition)
Hit this while grilling. While I’m a huge “almost everything hoppy” fan, I’m not big on Cascadian/black IPAs. This one was decent.
Forget Me Not by Common Space.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/52047/544605/#navigation

 

I did not get a bacon-y flavor just flavors akin to that. Solid beer and would drink again. Thank Peter.

 

Melvin 2X Thor Kviek IIPA, 9.9% ABV; 3.8 overall

Pours a hazed amber with 2 fingers of fluffy beige head. Below average head retention & lacing

S: Pears, green melon, grapefruit & grassyness

T: Follows the nose, also dryness & papaya up front. Pears, green apples, pine & dryness as this warms, plus a little yeastyness & white pepper. Finishes with green melon, pineapple & pine

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation, decent balance

Pretty drinkable, solid DIPA