New Beer Weekend #99

Good afternoon NBS 903/nbw and thanks @Roguer for hosting this week.
Sneeking this in as I watch a homebrew boil timer. The treat from Notch uses
Lubelski Hops, they are a floral powerhouse set in a clasiic Notch low ABV lager.
Crisp, floral, dry, everthing in order.
Cheers all

Lojko Polish Lager

Lager - European Pale | 4.5% ABV
Notch Brewing in Salem, Massachusetts

4.04/5 rDev -1.2% | Average: 4.09
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
by SABERG from Massachusetts

Poured from a 16 oz can dated :born on 6/1/22, BB 10/1/22.
A - Pours a beautiful golden straw color, excellent clarity, with steady carbonation. Loose knit white froth caps the offering.
During the experience lacing is tight and layered with each pull.
S - Floral up front, spring lavander, peach blossom, Azaleas, some cereal grain elements weave there way in.
T - The grain is stronger although delicate, here, then waves of that lovely floral hops ride through, there is an earthy part that moves on through as well.
M - Lite on the palate, delightfully dry, crisp, start is right in the sweet spot of bitterness, That theme carries through with a delightful linger.
O - A really pleasant beer, that floral aspect is something, body and texture are wonderful

 

Next up is a Forest & Main beer that I picked up a couple months ago when I was in Philly several times. I've been generally impressed with Forest & Main's offerings. Maybe no life-changing beers, but they have a good lineup of good to very good beers, an impressive number of which are not IPAs, for which I give them credit.

This is Early Lager

3.4/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light straw with a good amount of foamy white head that left behind nice lacing. Aroma doesn't stand out in any particular noteworthy way. Some note of lemon and grass. Pleasant, but forgettable.

Taste follows. It's a beer. It's a drinkable beer. What it's not is a memorable beer. I don't even mean this is a criticism. I could probably drink these all night with friends and be plenty happy, but it would be a background singer in the band. Fairly lively feel.

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Getting in on the BIF life is something you won't regret. Hard to describe how much fun it is, and how much great beer you'll get to try that you wouldn't otherwise have access to.

 

Poured into a 16 oz tulipish glass bottled on 6/10/22. Pours a very hazy yellow with a 2 finger sticky white head that leaves thin streaks of lace with excellent retention.

Aroma peach, mango, blueberry, passionfruit, and apricot. 4.5

Taste follows mango, passionfruit, peach, blueberry, and apricot well balanced and big flavor. 4.5

Mouthfeel is above medium, not sticky or dry, soft gentle carbonation, and at 7% pretty big on flavor and easy going down. 4.5

Overall this is a very impressive NEIPA, highly recommend. 4.5

 

I won a LIF in NBS BIF #15 and @Coronaeus sent me this, among other things: Shacklands Minuet, a grisette.

12oz can served in a tulip. Don't see a date on it. Received from @Coronaeus in a LIF associated with NBS BIF #15.

Pours a kind of murky amber-orange color with a smallish head. Smell is funky, spicy, a little earthy. Lemon and something herbal that came across as basil to begin with.

Taste is surprisingly rich and bitter. Yeasty funk comes across clearly, lemon zest is screaming. Moderate to mild tartness.

Mouthfeel is kind of thick and creamy. This is an interesting beer. Strong, bold flavors and low alcohol. I feel like the flavors could be better balanced somehow.

 

I am a bit behind in my posting, so this will be a 2 for 1 post.

This is what I had earlier:

1.7 Million Megawats - Invictus Brewing - Blaine, MN - Pale Ale - 5.0% ABV

I really liked this one because it had may layers to it. Sweetness from the malts and honey, combined with a slight bitterness from the hops. It worked very well, and was delicious.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/52462/605534/

3.98/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
by Victory_Sabre1973 from Minnesota

This beer pours a deep, dark, golden color. It isn't totally clear, but has some clarity. The head is 1 finger, white, frothy, and has decent retention with some lacing.
The nose has a biscuit element combined with a hint of sweetness.
The beer starts out with a nice malt/biscuit flavor. The hops kick in the middle to provide a pleasing bitterness. The sweetness from the honey kicks in on the back and lingers.
Body is pretty decent and full.
This is quite good.


Now I am working on this, and, it will likely be the closer for this new beer weekend.


Heart of the Oak Coconut - Elm Creek Brewing - Champlin, MN - RIS - 10.5% ABV

This is delicious. Dark fruit comes in first. Caramel, toffee, chocolate is in the middle. Brown sugar, and coconut finishes it off. The only thing is the coconut seems a bit lacking. There's not too much difference between their original RIS and the coconut one. Still damn delicious, however.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/59375/589946/

4.34/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
by Victory_Sabre1973 from Minnesota

This beer pours pitch black, and looks thick pouring. The head is 1 finger, and brown. Not too long lasting, but decent for the ABV. There's no lacing on the glass.
The nose is a beautiful mix of many aromas. I get a lot of dark fruit- raisin, plum. I get caramel and toffee with a hint of chocolate.
The flavor starts off with the raisin and plum. The chocolate, caramel and toffee hit in the middle. The finish is brown sugar and a hint of coconut. I was expecting a bit more coconut, since it was advertised as a coconut RIS.
The body is quite thick and full. Smooth, with just a minimal burn to tell you to take it slow.
This is quite delicious, however the coconut is a bit light.


This will be all this weekend. I should be back next Sunday for something new and, hopefully, delicious. Cheers all!

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Sippers and commentators. Yesterday, we visited Odd Bird Brewing in Stockton, NJ, for the first time in almost a year. This small brewery specializes in euro styles and lovingly brews excellent beer. For each of its first two anniversaries, Odd Bird has released a Belgian Quad called One Odd Year. Yesterday I was able to sample from one of the last remaining kegs of the 2021 release, which was excellent. They aged some of the 2021 in Laird's Apple Brandy barrels and I purchased a bottle (I should have bought more). This is very good! In my opinion, the only other New Jersey brewer producing a Quad of this caliber is Kane.

Brewed in December 2021 and bottled in February 2022. This is bottle #141 of a small batch release. Poured into a pint glass. It pours a cloudy, muddy cola color with a half finger of creamy, light khaki head that dissipated rapidly. The fragrant smell includes raisin, plum, brown sugar, caramel, apple, and a faint whiff of brandy. Initially, the taste is quite sweet with lots of caramel, brown sugar, raisin, and sweet dark fruit. Toward the back end, however, I taste the influence of the Laird's Apple Brandy with notes of green apple, pear, and oak. As it warms there is more sweetness from the Biscuit Malt and Belgian candy syrup. The Belgian spicing is subtle but effective with the expected coriander and black peppercorn. The brandy barrel-aging nicely tempers the sweetness and it's well-balanced and not overly boozy. The mouth feel is moderately creamy - not as syrupy as I expected - with appropriate carbonation and it doesn't drink as big as its 11% ABV. Overall, this is a lovely ale; the aging in apple brandy barrels is inspired and elevates what is already one of best Belgian Quads brewed in New Jersey.

4.35/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

While at Odd Bird yesterday I had two other extraordinary beers: The ESB (called Extra Stockton Bitter) on cask, and a Smoked Helles called The Wick. I've reviewed both on the brewery page. Odd Bird is a delightful brewery in a picturesque town along the Delaware River and is well-worth a visit.

This will be it for me today as my wife and I will be attending a concert tonight by one of my Rock 'n Roll heroes, Richie Furay, of Buffalo Springfield and Poco fame, tonight. Cheers and have a great week, New Beer Weekenders!

 

Been a while since I've participated in NBW, but here's today's new brews:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/652/594917/?ba=bluejacket74#lists

Central Waters Brewer's Reserve Dark and Stormy Ale

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/40894/377620/?ba=bluejacket74#lists

Roak Brewing French Toast Barrel Aged Devil Dog Oatmeal Stout

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45989/417535/?ba=bluejacket74#lists

Sullivan's Brewing Maltings Irish Red Ale

All good brews, but my favorite today was the Roak barrel aged French Toast Devil Dog. Cheers everyone!

 

Happy NBS! Didn’t post yesterday as I went to a local beer fest (Bridge Bash 22) hosted by Citi Built Brewery. Featured 10 other breweries like Transient, Arvon, Cross and Beam, Batch, Speciation, and a

 

New Holland Dragon's Milk Reserve Stroopwafel, 11% ABV. Pours black with a ring of bubbles on a careful taproom pour. Nose is a faint sweetness and bourbon. Taste is vaguely caramel, slightly sweet, faintly bitter, light bourbon. Decent mouthfeel, overall very good. This was a bit disappointing, had hoped for some hint of stroopwafel nose or taste.

3.85/5 rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

 

New beer #3
I had to drive all the way to Brevard, NC to pick this one up...

Double Dale's
12oz canned 4/07/22 poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at fridge temp 9% ABV. The beer pours mostly bright medium amber with light khaki colored head. The head recedes slowly to a thick cap and leaves a bunch of spotty lacing. The aroma is mild with caramel malt first and a little pine. The taste is semisweet caramel malt with big bitterness on the second half of the taste. Flavors of pine resin and unsweetened orange come through once the malt and bitterness subside. The mouthfeel is medium plus bodied with average carbonation and a semi dry finish. No real sign of the 9% ABV as you drink. Overall, very good in the retro-time machine style of bitterness and caramel malt flavor above all. Drinks like an American barley wine.

I should mention that I purchased this in a six pack at room temperature on a grocery store shelf yesterday at over two months old. I could see it being more nuanced fresher or kept cold.

I have some substantial stouts that I may break out later. Cheers all!

 

Greetings all from the great northwest where we are still waiting for the typical summer weather. A far cry from last year, we have yet to see an 80 degree day.

Today we have Propagator Simcoe Sequence from Firestone Walker.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2210/592751/

A very drinkable IPA.

Got the brew kettle going this afternoon. My 100th batch over 9 years. It's a milestone.

Until next time

 

Hello NBS!
My aplogies for being absent for an unusual length of time...work and life took over for awhile.
Never been a big fan of Sabro hops but I am a fan of new beers and breweries I rarely see in these parts, hence:
Tripping Animals (Collab w/Peninsula Brewing- never heard of them)
Nice Ride Man Tipa with Talus and Sabro, 10% abv
Pouring a very hazy golden like orange juice with a creamy off white lacing. Good retention and lacing.
Tangerine, orange, pineapple, candied peach with just a touch of that coconut.
Taste follows with sweet citrus, tropicals and stonefruit. Heres where the coconut really hits. Its sweet hits first followed by a different type of bitter that starts with mild pine and finishes with a very grapefruit rind aggressive bitter. Not bad.
Feel is full, creamy, tiny biting carb throughout.
I must say this is tropical in nature but Im enjoying the hardly noticeable abv.
Im actually not offended by the Sabro here. It works and this is different. 22/4pk is a little steep so I wouldnt buy again. Good beer though.
Cheers! Enjoy your Sunday!!

 

Sweetwater Glacial India Pale Cold Ale - I'm on board with the Cold IPA trend and have enjoyed all that I have tried thus far. Pours from a can (BB 07/17/22) a nice semi-hazy yellow, generous head. Smell is strong on the Citra, hint of Azacca, not picking up much Simcoe. Taste follows the nose but a bit thin and a touch bland and oddly session-able for 6.3%. According to their site the IBU is 35 and I could see that here, as there is just enough bitterness to round it out but not overwhelming, which I am enjoying that aspect. They are using Cryo hops also which could account for a bit of the blandness.

I would gladly drink this again but nothing too special here. Budmo!

 

Nice to see you back @tasterschoice62 hope just being busy kept you away and all is well.

 

Alchemist Heady Topper Imperial IPA, 8% ABV. Can is dated 05/09/22. Pours...wait, didn't pour it, per the label. Nose a forest of big f'ing pine trees. Taste follows, and though hugely bitter, still quite drinkable. Excellent mouthfeel with decent carbonation. Overall world-class. I've got sap in my beard and I'm belching pine trees.

4.4/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Had hoped to land some Focal Banger, but missed that.

 

All good just been wiped out on Sundays and was behind on yardwork. Im into the height of the season at the restaurant. Thanks man! Much appreciated.

 

Goose Island Secret Beer Hug Hazy IPA, 6.5% ABV; 3.79 overall

Pours a slightly hazed gold with 2+ fingers of pearl colored head. Aveerage head retention & lacing

S: Passion fruit, light citrus notes
T: Passion fruit, oranges & a little green melon up front. Green melon & passion fruit, plus dryness as this warms & a little lime & orange. Finishes a little dry with a lime & pomelo

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation, good balance

Nothing special here, but pretty drinkable