New Beer Weekend #102

Good afternoon NBS/nbw and thanks to @Shanex for hosting this week.
Todays offering if from Brick and Feather, a Czech style pale lager.
A very well crafted pale lager. The malt base is really something.

From the brewers notes

• Gramophonic - Czech Style 10° Pale Lager, 3.9%
  Our interpretation of the session-strength pilsner commonly consumed at pubs in the Czech Republic. We sourced malt from a small Czech producer, utilized Kazbek hops, a newer aromatic cultivar, in the kettle, and fermented with one of the "Original" Czech yeast strains. The beer is crisp and refreshing, with a delicate malt foundation, and some spicy/lemony character from the hops.

Gramophonic

Lager - European Pale | 3.9% ABV
Brick & Feather Brewery in Turners Falls, Massachusetts

4/5 rDev 0% | Average: 4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by SABERG from Massachusetts

Poured from a 16 oz can dated 6/16/22 into the test glass.
A - Straw colored backdrop, a touch of haze, cant hide the lazy meandering carbonation. A white froth is quick to dissipate.
S - Earthy grains, a touch of sulphur, and the slightest bit of peppery hops
T - All the aromatics and some notes of honey, and crusty bread
M - Soft on the palate, with a lovely dry finish, not quite crisp, equally not to creamy, medium in body.
O - A lovely 3.9% all day drinking beer. Punches above its weight on the texture. Lovely flavors, rustic comes to mind.

 

I'm in the same boat and I'm in south jersey as you know...but Bonesaw is about 30 minutes so to me just verging on too far for just a beer or two as I see most of there cans in distro.

I'm very tempted to visit ever since they opened the "lager loft" it looks beautifully and they always have so much lager on tap but only distro the seasonal ones, plus crimson skull. Which one of us will get to the lager loft first????

 

Thanks for the kind words.

I suspect we'd be in about the same place. If you look at the chart of the number of active breweries in the USA over time, the number was in decline from well before prohibition. In fact, if you draw a straight line from the beginning of prohibition until the end (the blue line in the picture below), it looks like the decline in the number of active breweries from 1920 until 1933 was just a continuation of the trend, and not some draconian result of prohibition.



Regarding Grain Belt... this was my first ever! After this, I might try the Premium version some time, though.

 

Letters from Zelda by brick and feather




4.02/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4


Canned 6.9, opened 7.3 , poured into a Spiegelau ipa glass

Brewers notes: Letters from Zelda - IPA, 6.5% abv

Our original American IPA! This beer features a lush, fruity body with notes of tangerine, grapefruit and melon, set upon a smooth, supportive malt base. The finish is clean and slightly sweet. Brewed with American and British 2-row barleys, and hopped with five different hops, including a healthy dose of Amarillo.


Frothy two finger off white foam cap over a glass of orange juice liquid , reduces to a pun up thick layer and spotty lacings

Aroma is orange citrus, grapefruit, whiff of earthiness

Taste is tangerine, grapefruit. Whisp of melon on the finish

Sudsy mouthfeel , gentle hop nibble , semi dry finish



Good beer

 

Premium Grain Belt was one of the first beers I tried after we moved to Minnesota in 1999, and I drank it pretty regularly for a couple of years, but it’s probably been 20 years since I’ve had it. It was a “good” AAL with a lot of corn sweetness, IIRC.

Like a LOT of corn. Still, it was a really good “on the boat” beer. I also distinctly remember the clear glass bottles.

That’s practically uncivilized.

 

Back again.

Heavy Seas Impending Doom West Coast Style Double IPA

12oz bottle BB OCT0222 poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at fridge temp 9.5% ABV. The beer pours bright medium orange amber with cream colored head. The head recedes to a thin single layer of bubbles and thin ring. Slight lacing. The aroma moderate in strength featuring caramel malt prominently with resinous pine and grapefruit on closer examination. The taste is bittersweet big caramel malt with candied citrus and pine resin on the finish. Strong bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium plus bodied with average carbonation and a semi dry finish. The high ABV is not completely hidden, but it's not a major distraction. Overall, very good. Brings back memories of the beers I loved 20 years ago.

Oddly enough, I just entered the first review for this beer. Multiple states away and purchased in a bottle shop. I guess no one in Maryland is interested in a West Coast DIPA...

Cheers all!

Ch

 

That is a neat little graph right there and yes I see what you are talking about with the steady decline. Breweries per capita I'm guessing has to be substantially lower than it was, considering what our population was in 1873, only 38,558,371 according to google in 1870. Compare to 329.5 million today, yikes so we'd need 50,000 breweries give or take to reach that point again.

I'll be back to new beer soon I hope, been buys but i've had time to be lurking here.

 

Giving the people what they want on this New Beer Sunday #906!



Coming at you with another shot at a Pre Prohibition style Pilsner, first batch for Revolution Brewery.

Revolution Brewery Outside Now



Details: $7 + tax 16 oz draft poured into a Pilsner glass, 5.1% ABV.

Brewer notes from Untapped: A nod to pre-prohibition brewing, where 6 Row barley was grown more commonly in the United States than 2 Row. We mashed with a combination of Barke Pils from Weyermann and 6 Row malt from Sugar Creek Malt Company in Indiana to serve as our base; then added malted corn (also from Sugar Creek) into the grist, comprising almost 25% of the total. Fermented with our house lager yeast, and dry hopped near the end of fermentation with Aurum, Cluster, and Nobility which give a varied mix of aromas. Once the beer was finished fermenting, we lagered it for four weeks resulting in a smooth lagerbier with a small snap of bitterness.

Appearance: Light clear to faint golden straw pour. Bright whited head leaves Spotify lacing, cover over base and solid bright ring around the rim throughout. 4.0

Aroma: Noble hops lead, breast cracker follows with creamy corn presenting sweetness. Aroma strong and sustained. 4.25

Taste: Consistent aroma taste flavors, though a salty creamy corn leads front and center. Salty cracker follows. 3.5

Mouthfeel: Hops give sustained dry and bitterness, offset by the sweet corn flavors, slightly bitter overall. Feels very heavily carbonated throughout, body light to mild otherwise. Drinks light and easy. 3.75

Overall: This is a good crack at a pre-prohibition Pilsner. Creamy corn the main takeaway with this offering. Would order this again down the road. 3.75

On the fence whether a second new pour is on the agenda, only heavy ABV beers remain on this tap list, though may hit a second spot on the way home.

 

Found my refreshing and thirst quenching beer. This one came from @snaotheus as a thank you gift for something, I think he just Ninja-ed me for no good reason.


Poured golden amber, transparent and lively. A semi hard pour produced a 2 cm nearly white head.
The aroma is mild for me, which is normal. I did get what I can only describe as crabapple.
The taste is complex, it’s sweet with honey and funky and tart and it all hits separately. Very enjoyable and quite refreshing.
The feel was excellent, just what I thought it should be, but that’s just a bit of good fortune on my part.
OA, really enjoyed this, thanks @snaotheus !

 

The Serine from de Garde, picked up while I was down in Portland last week. Cheers!

Preliminary review:

4.13/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
by draheim from Washington

750mL (bottled August 2021) into a tulip. Pours a deep burgundy color with a pink head that settles to a light collar around the edge of the glass.

Aroma is sweet and fruity, vinous. Grapes and berries highlighted by a tart quality.

Taste follows nose. Red wine; red grapes; sweet red cherry, blackberry, raspberry, currant. Underlying sour malt. My brain is having a hard time separating the deep red color of this beer from its flavor—I wonder if I had tasted this blindfolded if I would pick up the same flavors.

Mouthfeel is balanced, oaky, finishes dry. Nicely refreshing.

Overall a really unique, interesting beer (and I realize these adjectives are next to useless). Glad I was able to try this, if for no other reason to be reminded how malleable and chameleon-like beer can be.

 

Have a good Sunday. Was up til 7 am watching movies. Came out to Veil brewing as recommended by @vabeerguy . Apparently they changed their hours to 8pm this weekend. Google said it was til 6pm. I called to confirm the discrepancy with their website.


I got a veil nerve nerve endings endings. Great hazy ipa. Great head retention and soapy lacing on the turbid appearance. Aromas and flavors of big pineapple, tangerine, apricot, honeydew melon, berries, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, bread dough, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Medium pine/rind bitter finish. Medium carb and body. Balanced creamy/grainy wheat and sticky/resinous hops mouthfeel. Long resinous drying finish with minimal hop astringency. Mild warmth and hop burn after the finish. Great El dorado and Nelson profile. Very juicy vibrant and dank hops with a nicely soft wheat backbone. No complaints. 4


Cheers

 

Day 2, this is part of the mix pack I picked up whilst here at the lake a couple of weeks ago. This is a relatively non-hazy hazy that has an interesting flavor profile.





3.72/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
by ovaltine from Indiana

Pours a hazy orange color with a sudsy off-white head and LOADS of carbonation - there’s little bubbles everywhere after a fairly mundane pour. The nose reminds me of fruit punch, with some passion fruit for good measure.

The taste is definitely fruit punch on my palate and the passion fruit. The can references umbrella drinks, and that’s what this drinks like.

Nice medium mouthfeel that is fairly dry, I doubt I’d revisit this, but I’m glad I tried it.

 

The veil tefnut fluffy mango passion trance. Collab with omnipollo. This is fantastic. Looks like fruit pulp slushy in turbidity. Minimal lacing. Big sweet nose of fruit pulp, marshmallow, and vanilla cream. Flavors of huge mango puree, passion fruit, melon, berries, lemon, green apple, marshmallow, vanilla, wheat, hay, straw, grass, lacto funk. Medium sour/tart/tangy finish. Medium plus carb and full body. Balanced creamy/slick fruit, lactic acid, and fruit tang/tannic mouthfeel. Lingering acidic/tangy drying with no cloying/puckering. Increasing warmth of 10% after the finish. Smooth for the abv. The taste is a fruit smoothie but the finish has the alcohol reminder. Still not boozy at all and the fruit flavor isn't too sweet against the base imperial gose. Loved it. 4.22


Cheers

 

thanks for the shoutout and glad you enjoyed it! They did a barrel aged stout with adjuncts the name of which is escaping me at the moment..:they call me Erik was solid (Ba stout without) but the adjunct one was terrific. Been looking for another bottle without success so far! I gotta try some of their non barrel aged, lower abv beers.

 

21st Amendment Coaster Pils Hoppy Pilsner - I could not even tell you the last time I have had a beer from this brewery and while I suspect that this is probably a little old judging by the odd codes on the can, I'm giving it a go anyway because I am a sucker for Pilsners. First off, is 35 IBU really that hoppy? Pours a slightly hazy yellow with a very generous head. Smell is an interesting mix of yeast and some citrus. Taste is good but a bit soft for a Pilsner, but it does end dryly and hoppy and has a really nice mix of flavors. This is good and I would drink again. Budmo!

 

Hey!
Off the wagon for a coupla days.
Starting with the latest from Albany, VT.



https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/47666/610827/



500 ml bottle.
Brewed Jan. 2021.
Bottled Oct. 2021.

Moderate to vigorous pour yields a 3/4 inch white head over a slightly hazy straw colored body with some lacing.

Nose of earthy damp hay with a bit of citrus and very slight oak.

Taste of citrus with a real nice minerality and slight oakiness.
Finish of pink grapefruit tartness and slight oak.

Mouthfeel is near perfect, as expected at this point from Vasili.

Overall, another fine example of a wild ale from Albany, VT that shouldn't be missed.

Cheers!

 

#2, courtesy of my friend @jonphisher in NBW BIF #15, I had the “variant a couple of weeks ago that added vanilla to the mix and loved it. Let’s see how the base beer does.





4.6/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by ovaltine from Indiana

Pour black with minimal leakage on the edges, and a rich, creamy tan head that provides a surprising amount of lacing. The nose features rich milk chocolate and loads of roasty coffee aromas.

Like a container ship full of roasty coffee aromas. Wow.

The rich milk chocolate flavor is forward on the taste, which I expected with the “brewed with lactose” note on the bottle, but it is that decadent, roasty coffee flavor that cranks this imperial milk porter up to 12. If the coffee wasn’t so assertive, this would approach Cloyingville, but the coffee is that assertive, and is SOOOOOO delicious.

Note: I don’t like coffee as a stand alone drink - at all. Had maybe 10 cups in my nearly 60 years. But I do enjoy coffee in a big porter/stout, and this one is exquisite, IMHO.

The rich, creamy mouthfeel is the icing on the coffee cake I’m loving. Kane is world class cubed, and this beer is yet another example why.