New Beer Weekend #106

Have a good nbw. Been a mundane work week with plant shutdown. Been listening to sci fi books. The terminal experiment and the time machine. Been up since 9am. I am really hungry so we are at Foothills downtown. The food menu looks amazing. I prefer when breweries have a pub/food atmosphere.

I got the foothills Munich helles. Great stuff. Great clarity. Light head and lacing. Aromas and flavors of big cracker, bread dough, toast, wood, peppercorn, pine, and herbal/ floral/ grassy hop earthiness. Mild fruitiness and muted Aromas. Moderate pine, woody, spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium high carb, light to medium body; balanced bready/grainy malt and sticky hops mouthfeel. Light resins and lingering dryness, no astringency. Fairly crisp clean refreshing finish. Very clean lager flavors. A bit more bitter/resinous than I expected but it's a great style example. Clean malts and balanced hops. Minimal warming 5.2%. 3.98


Cheers

 

We’re back at the lake this weekend and I am only offering one beer this evening - but it’s a “sweet spot” beer style for me, the ever alluring WCDIPA is probably my favorite style of all.

This one is from a brewery that I’ve danced with a bit over a handful of beers, and it’s fresh, so I’m pumped to try this one.

Let’s go!!!







4.04/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours a beautiful golden orange color with a slightly creamy oatmeal colored head that provides moderate lacing and carries a thin cap down the glass. Beautiful beer.

The nose is led by citrus aromas, specifically the grapefruit and lemon mentioned on the bottle, and there’s a little pine and decent caramalt note as well.

The grapefruit is forward on the taste, with lemon and pine following, and a very significant caramalt flavor - and some booze, which I didn’t expect.

The mouthfeel is full, very dry, and ….. voluptuous, coating the palate beautifully. If this didn’t have the boozy edge, this would be significantly better, but it is still worthy of a try at a 6er if you’re yearning for an old school WCDIPA.

 

Foothills thousand smiles. Great blonde ale. Aromas and flavors of lemon, pear, cracker, bread, peppercorn, pine, wood, herbal, floral, grass, yeast earth. Light med pine/woody/spicy bitter finish. Medium plus carb and light body. Crisp clean refreshing finishing. Balanced grainy malt and sticky hop mouthfeel. Slight lingering resin dryness. No astringency. Zero warming 4.4%. Spot on style, tastes very similar to their helles but as an ale with less abv and hop bite. No complaints. 4


The apps at the pub are bomb. Fried pickles, big pretzel with cheese and cinnamon butter, and loaded tots.


Cheers

 

I think we've solved the mystery of life today

 

Hello NBW!
I've busier than 12 year old boy who just found a stack of Playboys. Trying to finish up projects around the house, expected and UNEXPECTED, and get ready for school to start.

But I have a question: What is up with Michigan? I mean I have had so many great beers from that great state. I popped this one from Ian @superspak . He sent this to me a few NBS BIF's back.

Barrel Aged Cereal Killer by Arcadia Ales
Pour brings a roil to this dark gem. Slight khaki head forms and quickly dissipates. No lacing.
Nose is a sweet, mildly boozy temptation. Quite the melange of caramel, toffee, dates, bourbon, cinnamon, baked apples, and a pop of sweet lon-soaking grains.
Flavor carries on with toffee, dates, bourbon, and dark fruit notes. Finish tingles with a bit of bourbon, a hint of char, and some deep wood.
Mouthfeel is a tad chewy, warm, and between slick and slightly oily.
Overall, so glad to finally get one of these killers.
4.03/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Next Michigander up is from @Whyteboar ...

 

Foothills seeing double. Awesome. Lasting head retention and soapy lacing down the glass. Aromas and flavors of big red grapefruit, tangerine, peach, pineapple, apricot, mango, melon, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, toast, biscuit, light caramel, and herbal/floral/grassy hop earthiness. Good sized pine/rind bitter finish. Medium carb and medium plus body. Balanced creamy/bready malt and sticky/ resinous hop mouthfeel. Long resinous drying finish with mild astringency. Mild warmth of 8.4%. Outstanding Chinook and cascade showcase. Very dank and earthy hops with a clean malt backbone. Classic tasting dipa. 4.13


Cheers

 

I'm the first to review this beer, there was a previous rating.
The brewer stated that this is an Amber Ale, it's on the border of Pale and Red but it is enjoyable for what it is. Making its NBW debut, Angry Crab by Lops Brewing of scenic Woonsocket R.I.



4.17/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A 12-oz. pour at the brewery. A deliberate small head was off-white, soapy with average retention and sliding blotches of lacing. Orange-amber body with reddish amber highlights, appears copper-amber in bright light.

Subtle smell of toasted, roasted and caramel malt with mild floral hops greets the nose, Bready malt and a hint of piney hops arrives later.

Semi-sweet with low bitterness, Malt forward featuring caramel and roasted malts balanced too perfection. Sweetness comes from a mild apple, orange and white grape juice mix. Hop flavor has an added herbal/grassy taste that balances the flora/pine from the smell. A smooth and fast (almost Lager-like} finish fades to a lasting blend of all of the previously mentioned malt and hop flavors slowly dropping off.

Medium light bodied with abundant carbonation, balanced and smooth. Alcohol is well hidden. This beer was billed by the brewer as an Amber Ale, a good case for the AAA to be reinstated as a separate style.

 

I just got sucked into reading a bunch of random articles about Tonka Beans; so bizarre, first time I’ve ever heard of them is in this post.

 

And now a beer I'm drinking now...picked up a few days ago on vacation. This will be my first Notch beer, they seem to get a lot of love on here so I'm looking forward to trying my first beer from them. What a cool beer name paired with such neat artwork, to me there is something very satisfying about it; it also has some info on the back; style, ABV, and lagered forever

Notch Brewing - Salem Lager (4.8% helles)



Slightly cloudy straw, hints of yellow, nice initial white head settles very quickly to not much of anything with zero lacing.

Nose is slightly floral, herbal, hay, dry bread, with minor sweetness. It has that crisp wafer like smell to it that I seem to pick up randomly in some lagers.

Taste is actually surprisingly hoppy; it is the first thing I notice on taste. Same little herbal note but the hops have a nice spicy bite to them as well. The malt sweetness is very low, only picked up as it warmed.

Light body; prickly yet smooth carbonation, cracker like drying sensation left all over the tongue with a really nice balanced grassy bitterness.

A very tasty beer; it drinks incredibly well and has a nice bit of hoppiness that actually makes me want to come back quicker for the next sip. I personally enjoy this beer a lot. It is definitely on the hoppy side; but as it warms you definitely pick up a little more malt but still I say this toes the line between pils and helles very well.

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Reading a book called "in the heart of the sea," only just getting started but it already mentioned Salem once, and now here I am drinking Salem Lager

 

A brewery fresh Scotch Ale called Wee Bevy (definitely not a Wee Heavy) by Lops Brewing of Woonsocket R.I. A bit light on taste and body. still enjoyable. Cheers.


3.7/5 rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
A 12 oz. pour at the brewery. A light tan, soapy head retreated to a thin cap with no lasting lacing. Semi-clear amber brown body with ruby red highlights.

Sweet malt greets the nose with roasted malt and faint herbal hops, bready and toasted malt are not far behind. A malt forward beer for sure.

The taste is very mild for the style. Semi-sweet at first with low bitterness, roasted malt character adds bitterness and compliments the sweet taste. Hop flavor is much bigger than the taste with added grass and faint citrus. The finish is semi-dry with average bitterness, Malt flavors drop off slowly with lingering hop and roasted malt bitterness.

Lighter bodied and less carbonated than expected, this attributes to the mild taste. Drinks more like an Altbier that a Scotch Ale. Not as malty as the smell indicates, still enjoyable.

 

Reuben and hand cut fries. The fries were amazing but I am taking the sandwich home. Corned beef is on point though.


Foothills Oktoberfest. Great stuff. Aromas and flavors of big caramel, brown sugar, brown bread/crust, toast, biscuit, nutty, wood, peppercorn, pine, herbal, floral, grass, light cocoa. Light fruit in the Aromas. Moderate pine/herbal/woody/peppery bitterness on the finish. Medium carb/body. Balanced creamy/ bready malts, sticky hops mouthfeel. Some resins and lingering dryness, no astringency. Very clean lagering. Min warming 5.8%. Very smooth. A little too bitter/resinous, but otherwise spot on style. Very clean and rich Munich/Vienna Malts with balanced noble hops. 4


Cheers

 

Good evening kinda late night NBW/S folks. Here we are in Windham. Awesome week with our grandson, and bonus visit from sister in law and our niece. Mostly house-hangin', but when the lake is 25 feet from the back steps that ain't too shabby. Here for another week with the parents showing up...mixed feelings about that, but we shall see... Caught a few very healthy bass, lots of swimming for the young 'un and he actually did a really good job paddling a kayak solo for the first time. One more week here, then headed to a new destination in Norway, ME.



We are literally 15 minutes from Allagash, so picked up some new and some old from the industrial park. Foundation continues to be solid and I think Definitive is hitting a nice stride - although mainly fruited sours and IPA focused, I enjoy their Kolsch style beer.

So let's get to it:



Foundation Brewing Robocat...<gasp> a DIPA, collaboration <yikes> with Medusa and a hazy at that plus <horrors> an undated can. The head brewer from Medusa was there today, so I will assume this beer is relatively fresh. Here's what the brewers say since this is not in the database:

A collaboration beer with our friends from Medusa Brewing Company in Hudson, MA. Robocat is a mashup of the recipes for Medusa’s Laser Cat DIPA and our Epiphany, then fermented with our house yeast. Tons of orange and peach notes pop out of the glass, yet Robocat still drinks smooth and easy in a way that belies it’s 8%.

Grains
2-Row, Oats, Wheat, Maine-grown Pale Malt

Hops
Citra, Mosaic, Nugget

Yeast
House American

Looks good. Kinda pineapple juice color but not at a pulpy. Nice white foam cap that falls to a hefty ring and chunky islands, clings pretty heavily.

The smell is on point with the intent - orange and peach in abundance. It is certainly showcasing the hops combo, but there is a soft malt aroma lending a tad bit of a sweet, bready note. Very nice, inviting.

The taste follows along and the orange and peachy combination is very pleasant tasting, not overdone, but there's no doubt what you are drinking. It strikes me as a pineapple flavor in some respects. Slightly sweet, a tiny bit of a wheat tang. There is almost no bitterness, just a little bit at the end and more of a citrus bitter than a hoppy bitterness.

The feel is super-smooth which I think can be attributed to the oats. Slightly dry, very "soft", pretty refreshing, medium-bodied.

Overall, I don't think there's a lot to distinguish this from the hazy herd, but it is very well-made and damned tasty. It's on point and delivers. I'm gonna say around 4 on the BA wheel of fortune.

 

Tonight I’m enjoying a 2021 3 Floyds Dark Lord.



Pours a deep dark brown with moderate cappuccino head that dissipates fairly quickly leaving a thin ring around the edge of the glass.

Big aromas that burst from the bottle upon opening. Sweet milky coffee, dates, stewed fruits. A little charred food sits in behind.

Sweet vanilla hits the tongue first. It’s followed by coffee, much milder dates/figs/raisins. The sweetness stays for the duration, but isn’t over the top or unwanted. Again, in the background there is a charred food/ashy quality that I like. Not boozy in the least.

This is a big bodied beer. Thick without verging too far into syrupy territory. Long finish.

I really enjoyed this beer I’ve heard about for so long. Very glad to have tried it. Cheers!

 

Zipline Brewing's DAAANG! IPA, 8.0% ABV; 3.76 overall

Pours a slightly hazed & effervescent gold with a thumb+ of pearl colored head. Above average head retention & lacing

S: Citrus notes, passion fruit

T: Follows the nose, pretty dry, some green melon & grassy notes up front. A little green melon mixes in with the passion fruit & pomelo as this beer warms. Finishes dry with grapefruit note, limes & passion fruit

MF: Medium body, restrained carbonation, good balance

Easy to drink DIPA, but doesn't really stand out in this crowded field

 

Boulevard Back to the K Saison, 5.9% ABV; 3.9 overall

750 mL bottle opens with a whoosh! & pours an effervescent gold with a sliver of beige colored head. Some head retention & no lacing

S: Some pear & mown hay notes, was hoping for a better nose

T: Faint juicyfruit notes, grassyness, pears, grapefruit, dryness & a touch of lemon up front. Grainyness, pears, dryness as this warms, along with grassy notes & white pepper & a little white grape. Finishes dry, grassy, grainy with a kiss of white pepper & yeast

MF: Delicate carbonation, medium body

Nice take on the style, very drinkable. Boulevard rarely screws up a Saison & this is just more validation of their skills

 

Really loved your deep dive into that wonderful sounding bottle conditioned Switchback Ale @jonphisher ! What an excellent post, thank you for taking the time to craft it. I'm really looking forward to hopefully trying within the next year, as I would like to hit Vermont and Maine for a beer trip either this or next September.

@jkblr - I tried Maplewood's Tiger Mountain you reviewed at the source five weeks ago, brewed by contract brewer Great Central Brewing Company, also located in Chicago. I had a similar experience and impression, specifically with the bitterness. My beer wasn't as bright in color, though that could have been the lighting.

It was my second beer during my visit, the first a their house Helles Lager which I received serendipitously when the bartender misheard my request for a water (he heard lager) while I was reviewing their tap options. Turned out to have loved that beer enough to bring back a four pack in my already packed to the gills refrigerator, and highly recommend.

I shall return later today for a New Beer Sunday #910 offering, the second of the weekend by Jester King.

 

Thank you @ChicagoJ looking forward to reading your thoughts when you do try it. Hope you make it up there this year.

 

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass canned on 6/24/22. Pours a very attractive clean orange with a finger sticky white head that leaves thin streaks of lace, with excellent rertention. 4.5

Aroma is peach, mango, apricot, pine, and grapefruit rind. 4

Taste follows peach, mango, apricot, pine, and a healthy dose of grapefruit in the linger finish. 4.25

Mouthfeel is a solid medium, plenty of life, a tad dry, and at 7% big on flavor, but easy enough going down. 4.25

Overall this is a really nice West/East IPA. Quality stuff at a very nice price. Worth a try for sure. 4 Cheers all