New Beer Weekend #98

We spent yesterday afternoon unpacking and arranging furniture. More to come today as I psych myself up for round 2.
But prior to work today I thought I'd have a beer.
This is Levels: Level 1 from New Image Brewing in Arvada, CO. ABV is 6.5%.

A hazy orange color. Thick white head, some nice lacing.
Fruity aroma.
Taste of orange, grapefruit, pineapple, and melon.
Medium mouthfeel, not particularly bitter.

 

Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass, pours a fairly hazy yellow orange with a half finger sticky white head that leaves thin streaks of lace with solid retention. 4.25

Aroma tangerine, pineapple, mango, a whiff of coconut, and apricot. 4.25

Taste follows tangerine, pineapple, mango, a hint of coconut, and apricot well balanced. 4.25

Overall this is rock solid, nothing that dazzles but still enjoyable. 4.25

 

Looking forward to catching up with the weekend thread once I return home. The out and about weekend continues this New Beer Sunday 902. Always on the hunt to find good cask pours, hopes this beer fits the bill.

Goose Island (Clybourn) Work Ethic



Brewpub notes: Pub mild, 3.7% ABV. Toffee. Toast. Tea. 16 oz $7 cask pour (about 13 oz after the head settles).

Appearance: Dark bronze clear base, creamy tan head settles after a couple minutes. Looks good. 4.0

Aroma: Nice, pretty strong black tea and biscuit aroma. 3.75

Taste: Follows the aroma, black and lemon tea leads, biscuit follows. Works well for an weekend brunch opener. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Mild to medium body, drinks at or a bit higher than the low abv, lightly dry, balanced to slightly sweet as the malt pushes its presence as I pass the halfway point. 4.25

Overall: Another solid GI Clybourn cask offering, easy drinking, packed with flavor, nice and easy on a beautiful day. 4.25

Will keep the line moving with a few more as the day unfolds.

Cheers!

 

Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass. Pours an attractive slightly hazy orange yellow with a finger sticky white head that leaves thin streaks of lace with nice retention. 4.25

Aroma peach, mango, mandarin, papaya, and apricot. 4

Taste follows peach, mandarin, mango, papaya, and apricot well balanced. 4

Mouthfeel is above average, not sticky or dry, fairly soft gentle carbonation, and at 8.5% it goes down rather easy. 4.25

Overall this is pretty darn tasty, but still wanted more. 4

 

Found with one more light and easy pour here, always tempted to try a new Grodziskie.

Goose Island (Clybourn) Dyngus Day



Brewpub notes: $7 16 oz draft pour into a cylinder glass, brewed at GI Clybourn. Piwo Grodziskie, 3.2% ABV. Historic Polish beer style. Brewed with 100% oak smoked wheat malt. Generously hopped with Lubelski hops. Smokey. Hoppy. Bright. (William Shatner Every. Word. Is. It’s. Own. Sentence. style written by Goose Island).

Appearance: Clear light golden straw base, faint carbonation, bright white head leaves generous fine lacing. 3.75

Aroma: Very nice boldly intense smoke malt. Blunt, no further complexity noted, I like it. 4.25

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, though much more mellow in terms of strength. Getting a bit of the wheat. Works well together, strong flavor overall for a light session strength offering. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Lightly dry, easy drinking, smoked flavor balances well with the wheat, all in good measure. Clean finish. 4.25

Overall: Calling this a “great taste, less filling” light Grodziskie offering. Happy I picked this one, recommend for fans of the style who want a nice introduction to the style. 4.25

I’ll return from another location in a bit.

 

From yesterday’s Tavour box…Anchorage Brewing Company’s Better This Way, DIPA with Strata, Melba, Galaxy and Motueka hops:



No canning date. Poured at 53°. Cloudy milky deep gold; frothy white head; very good cap retention; heavy ring; bands of white lace. Green melon and berries nose. Taste follows with additional pineapple and grapefruit; light lemon peel in after burn. Medium light body; moderate minus carbonation; no astringency; no heat from 8.4.% abv. Overall, a rare (for me) drinkable NEIPA style hazy,; and it comes from Alaska!; great taste, light feel, oh, and yeah it’s drinkable…go figure…I’ll keep buying beer from this brewery.

Score: 4.6 rDev +8.7%

Given that I just got two of these online, I question the beer’s “retired” status…Cheers mods, your contribution is never ending…

 

Howdy all! Time for a porch-drinkin' New Beer Weekend... up first is Widowmaker/Deciduous Nevergreen, a collaboration NE DIPA canned on 5/5/22. It features Citra and Huell Melon hops, which sounds like a fun combo. Let's see how it turned out.

Pour is pretty great... super saturated appearance. A gorgeous orange-clouded hue befits this beer, and a thick cap of dense suds tops it off. To make things even better, the lacing here is superbly-consistent and tiered in a wonderful way. Legs are solid, as well, so let's just jump right in to the nose because this has a clearly positive first impression.

The nose is orange juice with some tangelo/tangerine in there, though I do pick up some overripe mango, hints of melon, and stone fruit lying underneath. Touches of dankness as well... one thing is for sure; this beer jumps out of the glass with a very solid aroma that feels both heady and complex. Deeper sniffs give off a hint of wheat/oat-like maltiness and a bit of yeast-driven ester aspects. Overall, Nevergreen is a great-smelling IPA, and I'm excited to sip on it!

Flavors of mango and orange pulp upfront with a mid-palate of dankness and a finish that balances the positive aspects of Huell Melon with some light florals and grassiness. There's a soft and supply body to this one, as well, which lends drinkability to the proceedings. Low ethanol presence for an 8%er is always fun and dangerous to some extent, as well. Flavors of juicy red berry and pine peek out a bit as it warms. Very good stuff. Wish I had more, but the new beer show must go on... one more IPA and a rather interesting sounding sour beer coming soon!

 

They are brewing that again? I read something here that said they had stopped. Either way, awesome if it’s back or still being brewed!

 

they brewed it for a limited time this past fall, it was a nice treat.

 

Howdy NBSers! A cloudy, rainy day here in the Fourth Corner, with the possibility of thunderstorms in the forecast, a rare thing in these parts. We had Violent Femmes at the theatre the other night, and they were a chill fun band, and one of the best road crews I've worked with. Everyone was friendly and took time to chat and answer questions. A long day, but a very enjoyable one.

Starting my beer day with a brew I got from @Roy_Hobbs for winning a LIF, Freckled Fields Farmhouse Ale from Fox Farm. Nice funk, grain, and a slight fruitiness. Really good beer: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45832/288216/

 

Zonker Stout by Snake River Brewing

4.27/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25


Can poured into a Smog City snifter

In the year 2000 and again in 2001 they were named “Small Brewery of the Year” at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado.

Ranked #2 for Stout foreign/ export on BA

Brewers Notes: A rich, well-balanced foreign style stout with a huge amount of roasted barley as well as chocolate, black, and caramel malts. The intense roast character is the main attribute of this black colored beer. The alcohol content is 6.0%. Zonker has been recognized time and again as one of the top foregin style stouts.handcrafted in Jackson hole , Wyoming. Named for a big fly to attract big fish, Zonker is a rich and roasty foreign style stout, crafted for those among us with the biggest personalities. Anchored in a silky chocolate and caramel malt finish, this black colored beer has been recognized time and time again as one if the worlds best stouts

Dark brown cola liquid capped by a massive , three finger creamy brown foam top. Spotty lacings and good retention , settles to a fluffy one finger layer after five minutes



Aroma is roast malts, chocolate, coffee

Taste is roast malts, smooth with no char, chocolate notes, hint of coffee

Smooth flavorful mouthfeel

Great beer, recommended, worth seeking out. Put this river thru your liver

 

Kids are at dance class, so I I’m taking a. Little break with nice hazy IPA from Kite Hill Brewing of Clemson, South Carolina.



This is Bring Your Own Haze version 4.



I received this in a recent blind trade for some of the Rush beers that are available to me locally. Anyone wanting to do a $4$ locals trade for Rush beers, please let me know!

Pours a hazy golden yellow with ample head. Excellent retention with a head that is light and pillowy. Moderate lacing. Very appealing for the style.

The nose is a little tropical, but primarily citrus. Sweet orange. It isn’t giving itself away.

Taste is again lightly tropical, but no specific fruit jumps out to me. The citrus nose is diminished at first sip and a very strong and assertive bitterness dominates. As it sits for a while the orange emerges more distinctly, with peel and pith in tow. The bitterness is most welcome.

Body is light, crisp and effervescent.

This is nice surprise from a brewery I’d never heard of. The aggressive bitterness is very welcome and I really enjoyed this.

Cheers!

 

Bottle dated BB 10/22/22, is all have to go on.
But let’s hope!!!

 

Bakalar Za Studena Chmeleny
Pivovar Rakovnik
Pilsner - Czech

tested from a 16.9oz green bottle. date code: 300 3un22. 5.2% ABV
Look: orangeiish deep gold , almost amber body. ok head
Smell: Fresh skunk urine at first, oddly doesn't seem offensive. But it fades away rather quickly and the you get a strong hop aroma that is grassy, floral. The aroma from the dry hopped Saaz hops doesn't fade.
Taste: a hint of sweet malt at first, some bread/grain, maybe a hint of caramel. Then the Saaz hops take over and finish the show. mainly grassy, but a hint of lemon, earthy, floral. Becomes more bitter (almost astringent) towards the finish and has a mild bitter after taste that lingers for awhile.
Fell is ok not thin or thick, has moderate carbonation.

A good beer in the hot,weather, lots a flavor. I recommend trying it if you can. 4.11/5


4.06/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16590/200591/
https://untappd.com/b/tradicni-pivovar-v-rakovniku-bakalar-za-studena-chmeleny/549167

A moment ago Edit Delete

 

Alright, I'll admit I did put another beer in the fridge because I'm slightly ahead of my normal schedule... should be fine! Anyway, up right now is Disciples of Fu! Mosaic Mob by North Park Beer Co. I had my first beer of theirs with friends yesterday (Art is Hard), and it was... alright. This one seems like it may have more potential, but also could be rougher... you see, where Art is Hard featured a hop combo that sounded great (Simcoe, Citra, Motueka), this one is a DIPA with three "forms" of Mosaic hops (canned on 4/26/22, btw).

Now, those who pay attention to my ramblings may know that I have never been especially impressed with a beer featuring these (in my opinion) gimmicky hop products, and I tend to be meh on Mosaic single-hop DIPAs as well (typically they come across as unfocused to me). So, I will admit that these two things combined give me some amount of trepidation.

And then I grow up, stop being pretentious (as if...), and admit that my biases are just that! And that beer is, well... beer. Time to find out what's what with these disciples, eh?



Now THAT is a pour! What the hell, it has actually been a crazy-long time since I last saw a clear IPA. And I'm talking fully clear! There's no haze whatsoever to this, and the soapy head is nicely built and retentive-enough to boot. Lace is modest and not particularly impressive, but... it's not a hazebomb!! Beer gods be praised! To be fair, they did call it a West Coast DIPA (which is also amusing cuz they're literally based in California, but whatever).

Immediately upon bringing this to my nose, I'm regretting typing out all of the stuff above. This smells monstrously complex and interesting, with no messiness to speak of. Blueberry, tangerine, mango, guava, and grapefruit come forward, laying down layers of intrigue while the succulent dankness and general vibe of Mosaic sparks the senses to life. I think it might be too heavy on the dankness, honestly, whereas the other elements do sorta fade out quicker than that whole complex but this does smell very nice overall. Let's see how it drinks.

Slick on the tongue with punchy flavors of grapefruit, tangerine zest, and dank piney-ness melding with hints of grassy berries, even more pine resin, and herbs. I like this more than I thought I would, that much is for certain. Still not sold on the whole Cryo/Incognito/etc. products by any means, but at least this beer actually tastes like a Mosaic DIPA and doesn't completely upend everything I know about the hop while cutting corners for an extract-type substitution with a fancy name. There's actually quite a lot of nice "pulpiness" to this, and even though the body is clear and the entire thing is rather drinkable and clean, the overarching complexity of Mosaic is rendered smartly and the citrus elements are driven to a logical conclusion, with something about them reminding me of actual citrus pulp. Hmm... this is really good. I enjoy it a lot, and would certainly buy it more for the late Summer. It has the complexity and heft I want to combat the slow drawing to a close of nicer weather. Also, it reminds me a ton of Hoptronix by New Holland, which was a really fun and novel (at the time) Mosaic-forward DIPA. Haven't seen it in years but this is the next best thing I guess! Back soon with... yes, two more!

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. What a beautiful afternoon to drink some beer outdoors! My only "official" new beer review this weekend is Caviar, an Imperial IPA from Magnify. For the last few years, Mag has brewed a series of luxurious, plush TIPAs. They've become quite good at it. These ales are usually 10.5% ABV but drink surprisingly lite. The mouth feel is always great. Caviar is perhaps the most bitter, resinous brew in the series. It's hopped with Waimea, Vic Secret, and Mosaic.

Reviewed less than 2 weeks after can release. It's an unusual color: a rather muddy apricot with more than 2 fingers of dense, foamy head and thick, soapy lacing. The nose is tropical with notes of tangerine, pineapple, passion fruit, and pine needles. It opens with a strong blast of resinous pine. The tropical fruit slowly emerges as it warms and breathes in the glass. The grapefruit is tart and bitter but it compliments the sweeter flavor of pineapple and tangerine from the Vic Secret hops. There is also a significant herbal, earthy, spicy, minty presence. The Waimea hops provide strong but clean bitterness throughout. Caviar has a creamy, delightful mouth feel with appropriate carbonation, and it's surprisingly lite for 10.5% ABV. Magnify is very adept at brewing these luxurious Imperial IPAs.

Have a great week, NBWeekenders!

 

Steal This Pils From Ale Jail
Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI
Pilsner
Unfiltered,. Wakatu hops were used. Tested from 16oz can.
Look: a slightly hazy very light gold color body. Decent white head that leaves some lacing.
Smell: yeast, bread, lemon
Taste: follows the nose. plus a little grassy and maybe floral notes. starts out slightly sweet finishes slightly bitter and dry. A mild bitter aftertaste.
Feel: Is good, malty at first, soft
A good beer for lawn mowing, little duty but tasty

3.94/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

https://untappd.com/b/oliphant-brewing-steal-this-beer-from-ale-jail/4868834
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/36484/607342/

 

We see them occasionally, as well but unfortunately they're never very fresh.

 

Both of our kids live in Chapel Hill. It's a great area but I swear the traffic in the Research Triangle is worse than in New Jersey.