New Beer Weekend #96

hey what's going on!

Hi all. I have had a real trying weekend... let's put it this way.

It F*****g sucked.

There was one highlight though, and I managed to get out to Churchkey in DC which recently opened it's doors on April 20th. The day I came by happened to also be Orval Day so I without question took part!

That still said, I did have some new beers then. I was real impressed by a Kölsch made out in Atlanta by Halfway Crooks called Farina. Real unique and with a giant flour like tasting malt bill that was like being hit with a fresh bread loaf, not unlike great beers I had from Germany.

Still I had no time to give written reviews for the few new beers at the bar, just happy to take in the ambience.

With that said though, I don't have much here at the bunker, but I do have one new beer from my travels so let's knock this sucker out. What's new for our hero today?



Poured from the can into a nonic(k) pint glass.

Deep and turbid dark yellow colored, with hints of orange and nearly looking like a glass of custard. Off white two fingers of head, kind of filled with what looks like sediment and pulp and definitely giving up a juice vibe.

Aroma seems an interesting mix. Definitely a hint of sourness first instead of a fruited mush on first discovery. Hits with light tangy and acidic notes of fruit, then actually gets more into just a generic tropical angle. The sweetness on this also seems not as large as anticipated which is a nice thing, giving the tropical note almost like a sense it's more hop than fruit added. Quite nice and very unexpected nose.

Palate seem to stick to the basics. Slightly fizzy and hits towards fruit like carbonated soda, but the flavors still make a good appearance. Tropical mango and almost papaya like, but with more hints of a sour tinge that even pushes the beer into lime like flavors particularly on the finish. Spritzy. Minimal hints of sour quality as the beer progresses, but there's a good balance here between sweetness and sour overall.

Quite a surprise on this one, not what I was expecting, but in a good way.

look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4 | BA Generated Score: 3.96

Cheers!

 

One of my favorite DC bars.

 

Poured into a 16 oz Snulip glass canned this week. Pours a attractive murky pink with half finger white head that leaves a few lines of lace. 4

Aroma in this one is a tad unusual strawberry and vanilla, I get a little white chocolate and gram crackers. 3.75

Taste follows strawberry, vanilla, white chocolate, and gram cracker not loving it. 3.75

Mouthfeel is above average, for a sour low carbonation, not sticky or dry, and at 6% ABV it goes down easy enough, just a little odd. 4

Overall I am not loving this one, not terrible either but really not my thing. 3.75

 

Three new ones today. Kinda like how I finished last night off with a big ol' boi, let's start today with another. Fuck it, the semester's over and I'm awaiting grades so I deserve this!



This is Kettlehead's brand-new Fourteen Forty, a Heaven Hill bourbon barrel-aged barleywine brewed with only pilsner malt? That is... odd, considering how dark it is but maybe they're being tongue-in-cheek or they boiled for goddamn ever, or they threw a literal handful of Black Patent or roasted barley in there and figured that wasn't enough to make it "not single malt"? Whatever, anyway...

Pour is, as mentioned, quite dark. Thinnish head without much formation, but moderately-good retention after 5-10 min in glass. No lace whatsoever. Red/ruby hues if held up to direct sunlight, which also reveals that this beer is surprisingly-clear. Nice looking stuff for the most part.

Nose is rich toffee and caramel with hints of figgy jamminess just below the surface. Strong ethanol presence, a hint of smoke and char from the barrel aging, toasted oak tannins, and vanilla elements. Dark fruit comes out a tad bit more as it warms. Some notes of leafy hop by that point too.

Sweet, boozy, caramel-driven, and bourbon-laden on the palate. Tongue-coating maltiness with a slick and intense feel. Surprising hop bitterness especially as it gets to room temp (which happens quickly cuz it's freaking hot in MA right now!), but it feels well balanced by the candy-like maltiness. Extreme toffee and syrupy goodness. Since this clocks in at 10.4%, the alcohol is pretty apparent, but it's not overly-showy, which helps this remain drinkable enough for the most part. Quite a bold beer from these guys, who have been pretty impressive for the most part (some stuff is fairly anonymous, and most of their IPA output other than The Agent is pretty hard to tell apart). It's not something I'd want more of in a session, as even a 16 oz can of this is pretty brutal, but I'm doing my best to savor it.

Two hoppier options coming up sooner rather than later. Including one with a similar strength to this!

 

Godspeed

 

Well hello everyone back with another new beer on this beautiful unseasonably hot Sunday. You ever have those days where you literally don't have a second to think or to yourself. That has been today and until Mrs. Phisher, my hero today, took the kids to the library. Naturally I'm joining you all with a beer then meal prepping while they are out.

Today's first beer comes from north of the border via my friend @Coronaeus he sent me such an awesome box of beer. This one is a beautiful 3.2% Scottish Ale...

Silo - 70 Shilling



Pours a beautiful brass color, clear, slightly off white head; nucleated glass bottom leaves some nice lacing and a creamy cap that doesn't quit.

The nose is a grassy sweet malty smell, slightly caramelized with a dried corn husk note.

Taste is great and well balanced; this is beer! For some reason as I drink this I feel like I'm drinking in some old pub somewhere. It shows again some sweet slightly caramelized malt flavor with an almost dry grassy like finish. A very nice aftertaste that just lingers and lingers

Light body but in no way watery; drying on the finish, a grainy like bitter finish it is almost tongue coating, quite enjoyable.

I am very impartial to low ABV beers, and this one really hits all the spots for me. Would gladly drink this one again and again. Now I'll day dream and be drinking this north of the border with poutine, watching the leafs play, in lets say November, as snow flurries begin to fall. Thanks Peter, this beer is amazing.

**on a side note I went to three stores today, all literally down the street, searching for a beer similar but different to this that several of you BIFers have tried. I will not give up, someone else needs to try it...

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. We've segued - weather-wise - directly from April Fools Day to 4th of July! That's okay by me although I had a bit of a scare today. I drove up from the Shore before my wife and I took the dog with me. I had the air conditioning set to 72° and she was asleep on some laundry in the back seat. She must have been by the window in the sun because when we were almost home she started gasping for breath and vomited. I stopped and put her in my lap and drove home as fast as I could. I thought she had something blocking her throat or had eaten something poisonous. Thankfully she recovered at home and is fine now - she was just overheated. She's a Boston Terrier and has almost no muzzle. I'll have to be more careful in the future.

I received this bottle of The Grace of Maybe, a mixed-culture fermented Saison with peaches, vanilla, and lemongrass brewed by Keeping Together Brewing in Chicago, from @FBarber last autumn's BIF. I've been waiting for a summer-like day to drink it. It's a lovely ale! The vanilla and peach give it just a hint of a creamsicle and balances the funk.

It pours a bright, golden, grassy yellow-orange with a thin, milk-white cap and modest lacing. A lovely, fragrant nose of funky lemon, peach, and Belgian spicing. As it warms a bit I detect a whiff of vanilla which gives it a subtle creamsicle aroma. The vanilla is more prevalent in the flavor. It's sweet and creamy and nicely balances the sourness of the lemongrass. The peach is there but it's in the background. The flavors are delicate and highly complimentary. Its mouth feel is rich and surprisingly creamy for the style. The carbonation is appropriate albeit not quite lively. It's easily drinkable at 6% ABV.

4.41/5 rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thank you very much, Frank, for the chance to enjoy this gem of a Saison!

 

Up next is another beer from @Coronaeus, who continues his Canadian assault on various U.S. porches. This one is Il Etait Une Fois: Il Diavolo. It's an Italian Pilsner from Messorem.

4.02/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Extremely light and clear on the pour. Once in the glass, it's translucent, and boasts loads of foamy white head with good lacing and excellent retention. The nose is grass, herbs and faint biscuit, and very nice. Taste largely follows the nose with some light crackery malts, biscuit, and grains. Crisp, clean and refreshing. Perfect for a warm Sunday afternoon.

--------------------------
I imagine there aren't a lot of soccer fans among us here, but for the few who might be lurking in the shadows, I hope you watched the final EPL games today. Crazy finishes. Glad to see Leeds survive. Bummed Arsenal didn't make top four, but still a good season considering they fielded the youngest team in the league. Already looking forward to next season.

 

Westbrook - Low and Slow Helles Golden Lager, from @superspak, in NBS BIF #15.

16oz can served in a big snifter. Dated 11/07/19.

Pours hazy golden with a smallish head. It was only slightly hazy until the last couple ounces came out with a bunch of sediment. Smell is mild, grain and hay. A little lemon.

Taste is lemon, grain tea, slight soapiness.

Mouthfeel is medium to light. Overall, it's not bad.

Wasn't sure what to expect from a 2+ year old helles lager. The sediment was a surprise. The "old hops" flavor was more minor than I expected. Overall, not a bad beverage to drink, though not necessarily what I expected from a helles lager.

 

NBS #2. It seems like all of our local breweries opened in May since it's "anniversary season." Twin Elephant Brewing Company celebrated its 6th anniversary this weekend. To mark the occasion they collaborated with one of New Jersey's best IPA-makers, Conclave Brewing, to brew Form Like Voltron. It's made with Pilsner Pale Wheat Oats and English Ale Yeast, and hopped with Cashmere, Strata (a hop TE loves to use), and "HBC 586," of which I'm totally unfamiliar.

Reviewed the day after the can release. Poured into a pint glass. It pours a turbid, dirty pastel yellow with a half finger of creamy, egg white colored head and thick, clinging lacing. A classic New England look. On the nose there is lemon, lime, grapefruit, and herbal, grassy, earthy hop notes. The taste opens with the Pilsner Pale Wheat Oats dominating. It provides a strong, earthy backbone. The fruit is semi-tropical: lemon, lime, melon, peach, and tangerine - but it's surprisingly delicate. Twin Elephant loves to brew with Strata hops and they've managed to tone down the herbal cannabis taste. The wild card is the HBC 586 hops. I'm unfamiliar with this variety but with some quick research it seems to add to the sweet tropical notes that lurk beneath the surface. The flavor is outstanding and surprisingly understated. This ale has a thick, creamy mouth feel with appropriate carbonation, and at 8% ABV a second pour is not an issue. I shouldn't be surprised that Form Like Voltron is very good - since it's a collaboration with with Conclave, one of New Jersey's best brewers of IPAs. But this is really off the chart good! Happy Anniversary to the Herd at Twin Elephant!

4.44/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

 

This week is NBS #900.

To commemorate this auspicious occasion, I pulled today’s beer from my cellar. I bought some HotD beers shortly after they announced they were closing, and as I have never had this beer before (of any vintage), today seemed like the time.

So, Cheers to NBS for making it to #900 (at least by proxy) and cheers to HotD and to Mr. Alan Sprints for the good beer over the years.

Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws 2021
Barley Wine Style Ale
ABV: 11.5%
IBU: NA

Dark brown body from the front with a quite tall off-white-to-tan thick head with excellent retention, creating a domed top as it recedes. A back-light reveals a hazy but bright red body with ample carbonation. (The final ⅓ of the bottle poured into the glass brought the sediment to make the beer darker and cloudier.)

The aroma is earthy and fruity. I teased out molasses with deep whiffs.

The taste continues the flavors from the aroma, but in a more complex and varied way. The earthy flavors add a leathery component. The fruits are more apparent than in the aroma, and more distinct and varied as raisins, figs and plums are detectable. And what I perceived as molasses in the aroma also is more complex in the flavor: caramel, perhaps dark sugar, along with molasses. I also get some piney resin bitterness right away that intensifies though the middle and into the finish. The aftertaste is piney bitter mitigated with the earthy/leathery hops, caramel/molasses and dark fruits. Quite an interesting beer.

Apart from the quickly developing buzz, the alcohol is not apparent initially, but it does develop a definite alcohol warming as the beer itself warms.

The body is moderate, just a touch on the thicker side, sticky and smooth but with carbonation and sharp resin.

Overall, this 2021 bottling of Doggie Claws is excellent, indeed.

L: 4.25 | S: 4.0 | T: 4.75 | F: 4.0 | O: 4.5 | Rating: 4.42

I have a couple more of the 2021 year in my cellar to be pulled out and compared in the coming years as it further conditions in the bottes. I had such future comparisons in mind in writing these notes, so perhaps the review is a bit more verbose (and possibly pretentious-sounding) than it would be otherwise.

I also have several older bottle dates of Doggie Claws – I do like Barley Wines - with the oldest being from 2016. Yeah, I went a little nuts with the last-time-buy from HotD, especially for a guy who’d only ever had ONE beer from them which was NOT a barley wine!

PS: Note to @Todd, and to Half Time wrt the online events … HotD managed to get my order shipped. IDK exactly what they did, but “Can’t ship beer to Minnesota” is obviously not true – or at least nuanced if one cares enough and is willing to push the envelope a bit. OK, sorry for the snark/gripe, but I'm still salty about being frozen out.

 

Good afternoon NBS #900/nbw Thanks @cjgiant for hosting, and @ChicagoJ for keeping the NBS clock ticking. Im not sure why, but it resonates with me.
Spent these last two days painting a second floor room formerly of #2 son, in anticipation of team #1s visit here in July. I'm a tradesmen and as such dont like working on my own house..
There is a sense late this afternoon of accomplishment, theres that.
Today being #900 I thought a treat would be in order.
The mail order process was a bit frought, as we live in MA, but I was able to buy a mixed 12 pack from HOtD. sad about the operation ceasing, however they did go out on their own terms.
Good for them

Thanks for the indulgence, now ----

Doggie Claws

Barleywine - American | 11.5% ABV
Hair Of The Dog Brewing Company / Brewery And Tasting Room in Portland, Oregon

4.19/5 rDev +1.2% | Average: 4.14
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
by SABERG from Massachusetts

Poured from the 12 oz bottle, 2021 version into the test glass.
A - Bottle opened with a loud pop, carbonation is strong, a lasting off white cap resides the duration. Color is red cedar, with enought clarity to watch the busy subway station of carbonation at work.
S - Candied orange, honey, some brown sugar, fruity esters from the yeast, with a bit of pineapple, alcohol rises off the glass with each inhale.
T - Sweet grains, orange mamalde, burnt sugar, a bit of toffee, earthy piney hop, all add to the aspects from the aromatics.
M - Meium in body, with all that carbonation the texture is soft, and crisp, with a sweet start, and rapid bitter correction midway. The finish is delightfully dry.
O - A real treat here, the hop and honey use make the fresh version a fruit mainly orange experience, all the definitive Barleywine elements are in place for certain. I like the trajectory this is on, and look forward to a revisit in 2 years.

 

What are the odds!!!
Back to back , loved your review.
Cheers

 

Alright, up now is Dancing Gnome/Equilibrium's collaborative DIPA, Double Lustra Lab! This was canned about four weeks ago on 4/18/22 and it clocks in at a cool 8.5% ABV.



There is not a lot of info out there about this beer, but I typically enjoy EQ's IPAs even though they are mostly similar to one another, and Dancing Gnome was great when I visited their brewery in 2018 while in Pittsburgh. They recently started distributing their own beer here as well, and everything I've had has been quite good so... let's jump in semi-blind and see what's up!

Pours nicely... obviously a hazy dude but with a solid cap of retentive white foam. Lace is excellent and the legs are decent as well.

Very typical EQ scent with a hefty dose of melon-focused hops mingling with a bit of chalky yeastiness and some tropical fruit. Light grassiness and leafy notes in here as well. Not mind-blowing but seems decent enough.

Flavor profile is surprisingly grassy and leafy as well. A hint of bitterness catches the palate upon the finish of each sip, and yet the preceding flavors are mostly melon-like with some light tangelo/tangerine/grapefruit notes hiding within. I'm struggling to find anything superb about this, honestly, but it's fine for what it is. I think it's a bit too anonymous, which is an issue I mentioned I have with EQ in general, but I have tended to find their collab entries to be a touch more inspired. Not really for this one. It's basically the same-ol'-same-ol'. Nothing really wrong with that but I expected better given their track record when working with other talented brewers. Worth a shot but not great.

 

Holy Baader-Meinhof!

Nice review!

 

Yesterday's taproom trip was to New Ulm, MN
On the way I stopped at George's and Schmidt's Meat Markets in Nicollet. Loaded up on brats, sausage and more.
Next I went to Schell's, had a few beers, took the tour. Checked out the grounds. It was great. One loud peacock that was walking around free kept looking at me kinda funny like.
Next I went to Kaiserhoff, had jaeger schnitzel and washed it down with a can of Schell's Bock.

On the way home I stopped at Giesenbräu Bier Co. in New Prague . Had a full pour of Wild Rice Maibock. A new beer to me. I bought a 750ml Crowler for home. And I'm a drinking it now.

Wild Rice Maibock:
7.5% ABV
Look: Transparent organeish gold body. Ok head
Smell: smells good. sweet malt, a hint of floral, and something else? it must be wild rice malt.
Taste: Toasted bread, grain, caramel, floral hops. Plus you can taste the noble hops in the background. Plus that wild rice nutty, fruit flavor. Somewhat sweet, rather smooth.
Feel: is slightly syrupy, not thin with some carbonation in it.

A Solid beer I will give it a 3.88+/5
https://untappd.com/b/giesenbrau-bier-co-wild-rice-maibock/4821333