New Beer Weekend #103

Happy new beer weekend, I got my exercise in (26 miles on the bike and 30 minutes walking up stairs and down hills in Stillwater, MN) so let's review a couple Pipeworks beers.

Pipeworks Unichrome

Appearance: Mostly clear yellow, good head.

Smell: Mango, citrus, sweetness.

Taste: Nice sweetness, tropical fruit and citrus, low bitterness, soft and tasty.

Overall: Picked up a sampler of Pipeworks, I usually like their IPAs and this one hit the spot. I've leaned back into old school DIPAs, this one is the more modern style but still worked for me. Nice sweetness and fruitiness, no hop burn.

Pipeworks Original Lager Beer

Appearance: Very pale yellow, big head.

Smell: Corny sweetness, lemon note.

Taste: Follows the smell closely, corn with a lemon finish. Refreshing and quenching.

Overall: Another from the sampler, this is a nice, clean-drinking, refreshing lager. The lemon note in the finish is interesting and appreciated. Good summer drinker.

 

Just had one new beer today, but when it's 19.6% and a 750 ML bottle I probably don't need many newer beers after this. The Bruery's NWTM Double Barrel Aged Imperial Stout was a pretty good brew! https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16866/585833/?ba=bluejacket74#lists





Stouturday cheers everyone!

 

As always, your insight is much appreciated. Plus it helps me understand *why* it tastes as it does. I live and learn!

 

Good afternoon NBW
When in Rome, er, St. Louis...


16oz aluminum can purchased at Busch Stadium and consumed from the bottle. Smells vaguely beery. The taste is very light malt, a hint of orchard fruit and lightly tart. No real bitterness or hop presence. Very light bodied with high carbonation and a mostly dry, fairly clean finish. Overall, ok, but I'd rather have bought a 30 pack of Hamm's for the money...

 

My first new beer this weekend, kicking off a five day trip to Cedar Point (heading to the airport for a redeye after dinner), was given to me by birthday boy @superspak in NBS BIF #15.

12oz bottle served in a WABL sample glass. Bottle is dated 06/27/19.

Pours very dark brown, translucent around the edges, with a tiny Y shaped dusting of head in the center and a medium-thick ring around the edges. Tiny amount of extremely fine, very slow active carbonation. Smell is boozy, bourbon, anise, some maple sweetness. Maybe a hint of char.

Taste is definitely boozy, anise tones down a little bit, I get more coffee and burnt toffee out of it. Maple is there, but not super pronounced (maybe it'll become more noticeable as the beer warms up). Surprising amount of roasty bitterness to balance the sweetness.

Mouthfeel is thick and smooth. Overall, very nice beer.

 

Greetings all! This afternoon I'm enjoying a new beer per the suggestion of @jonphisher , Tonewood Focal Point, a Czech Pilsner:

I just may have to pick my jaw up off the floor to continue on with a review- it is astonishingly good. Holy flurkin snit, I had high hopes but was still caught off guard a bit.

It's both deeply flavorful and vibrantly hoppy. The bitterness packs a punch, but it's so clean and snappy, and there's barely any mineral impact from the water, so it's very pleasurable and addictive. That's balanced out by a rich and bready malt character, bordering on crusty/toasty. Moderate mouthfeel and dry crisp finish. Aroma hops are mostly grassy with a touch of floral spice. And there's just enough of a dms corn presence to add to the depth and complexity. The 3.8% abv is completely irrelevant to what's in the glass, but there's that too. A solid A+ (4.75), utterly fantastic.

Thanks so much for the nudge, Jon!

 

So funny cause your reaction was the same as mine haha. I know what to expect from them but holy smokes this one just blew me away. It is as close to perfect as it gets. I’m glad you liked it. Now stock the fridge like I did, i haven’t fell in love with a beer like this one in a while.

Now let’s hope they get the kölsch to you by the tasting.

Wanted to add…I tried discussing in the regional forum but…there is something noticeably different in the carbonation of their beers recently, smooth and almost creamy. They are also verging on crystal clear. I cannot wait for fall! Barrington brewed dreadnaught and blackbird in the winter.

 

About the carbonation, it would seem like they're using a spunding system because the can does mention recaptured CO2. That could play a role in not only the feel but also add that very subtle dms character to their lagers.

 

My son stopped by Fox Farm today and his dad is stealing one. Tideline is a 6.8% IPA. Here are notes from the brewery (I think it was written last year)-
This week, we’re pleased to share a new IPA - Tideline. Earlier this year we had the opportunity to brew with an exciting experimental hop variety in HBC 586 and we were instantly impressed with the hop's dynamic and distinctive qualities. Yet to be named and technically still in a trial stage, the idea of designing (what we hope is) a new addition to the rotation is hardly recommended but we’re hopeful that HBC 586 has staying power. The showcase hops with its huge tropical fruit character - passionfruit, pineapple, and mango - is complimented with light additions of Simcoe and Nelson Sauvin.

3.98/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
by woodchipper from Connecticut

Poured from a 16oz can packaged on 6/8/22 to a Nonic glass at fridge temp.
There is an opaque orange body sitting below a 1.5 inch white head that fades rather quickly. Lacing is medium but works all the way to the bottom of the glass.
The aroma is musty and tropical with notes of orange and pineapple.
Taste is similar with pith and a hint of white grapes. The front end is sweet but your mouth dries nicely after the swallow making you want another swig.
The mouthfeel is medium for the style.
A solid beer with no issues.

 

I actually emailed them to ask if they use a spunding. If I hear back I will let you know. I just am excited to continue to watch them grow. They are a model I wish more breweries would follow. I’m very lucky they are so close to home, I couldn’t be happier.

Thanks for joining the fun this weekend

If you do @cjgiant you won’t regret the trip, if I can make it when you are there I’ll buy you a beer.

 

Hey folks! Because I won't be attending NBW next weekend at all (will be up in Northern Maine w/ friends for the annual lake cabin trip; no internet or cell service whatsoever, just the way I like it!), I figured I'd chime in with a few entries today even though I usually stick to only Sunday for NBW posts.

This one is the new Nelson single-hop DIPA from Modestman Brewing (Keene, NH), Prince Among Thieves. It clocks in at 8.5% ABV.



Hey cat! You can't have any beer! Accidentally snapped this photo exactly when my cat was cleaning her paw; pretty hilarious timing, I thought

Pour is very attractive. A saturated-looking golden opaque brew topped with a few fingers of semi-permanent, slowly-receding suds that leave behind thick, chunky lacing patterns. Great legs on this one, with the requisite impressive surface coverage that oftentimes comes with that aspect.

Nose is dank and brightly-acidic by turns, showing off some of the powerful white wine-like elements that Nelson Sauvin is known for when utilized well. Hints of guava and overripe mango blend in well with the gooseberry (the can itself says this has notes of "gooseberry jam," which seems like an apropos descriptor), and there is some spicy grassiness that comes out after this starts opening up. I actually don't think this jumps out of the glass quite as well as I figured it would, but that is mostly probably nit-picking, and also has something to do with how damn intense most of Modestman's IPAs have been. No idea about the freshness here but I think it was only released a few weeks back at most, so I have a feeling it's not a freshness issue.

Flavor profile seems to mostly live in the dank and spicy realm, with some resinous acidity (almost like hop-burn, actually, unfortunately) and passion fruit providing some of the heft in the mid-palate. Very, very light and crisp malt backbone with a slight push of warming ethanol. Not really tasting much lychee (mentioned on the can as well), but the minerality of Sauvignon blanc wine/the grapes themselves feels moderately-pronounced. Hmm... I'm kind of 50/50 on this one, in all honesty. I went in expecting to get my proverbial socks knocked off but it's kinda just... good? I definitely prefer Nelson to balance the dankness it can most-certainly provide with some sort of juiciness or deeper tropical profile. This does not really have much of that, despite the suggestions of guava-like fruitiness I found in the nose. The feel is well-done, however, despite the aforementioned possible hop-burn-esque element and the slightly-present alcohol; pretty pillowy and soft. Hmm, I dunno... these guys typically do very good work, but I'm not sure I'd return to this one. I think it is still worth a shot but isn't hitting the right notes for me to be considered a true winner in the very-crowded DIPA market. Unfortunate, but gotta call it how I see it.

 

Happy Birthday Ian @superspak ! @jkblr , wish I could find OG Michelob, still like that beer every time I have it. Would have ordered Bud Heavy over the Golden.

The next two weeks I'll be exploring the two Summer styles I like, that have been somewhat challenging for me the past year and a half. Noticed a strong salty flavor to a Pilsners and Kolsch. Hoping to find a few in my new wheelhouse to allow continued enjoyment of these styles I really like. Hitting two European Pilsners this weekend, and four new to me local Kolsch-style offerings for the tasting next weekend.

Really like the bottle dating here which every brewery should offer - both the bottle date and brewery suggested expiration date.

Friesisches Jever Pilsener



Bottle Notes: Purchased at store temperature for $3 + tax at The Beer Temple. Bottled 3/25/22, expiration 6/25/23. 11.2 oz, 4.9% ABV. Ingredients: Water, barley malt, hops. Brewed and bottled in Jever, Germany. Imported by Raven Import Co., Brooklyn, New York.

Crisp Bitterness, Hoppy Flavour, Dry Finish

Appearance: Single pour into a pilsner glass. Faint straw crystal clear base, bright white head lingers a bit before leaving a consistent 1/2 inch cover over the base throughout. Spotty lacing. substantial carbonation sustained throughout. 4.00

Aroma: Wonderful fresh cracker aroma, pepper and salt backed. Grass floral backing, enticing. 4.25

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, cracker leads, salty to my palate, though not overwhelming. Getting a nice freshly cracked black pepper as well. Very nice. 4.0

Mouthfeel: Dry and bitter overall, both pleasant. Light body, sustained carbonation adds a bit more. Light and easy drinking, way under the standard ABV, clean easy finish. 4.25

Overall: Very good pilsner, hits all the expected notes and does so well. Really like the pepper cracker flavors, the salt not overwhelming to my altered palate the past nine months for this style. Recommend. 4.0

Musical Accompaniment: Summer Side of Life