New Beer Weekend #110

Welcome one and all to New Beer Sunday #914! I start with the first of two I have planned on the final day of our Sour & Wild tasting, this one my first Brett Beer of the weekend. It's also the first release for the Chicago Brewery which opened in August 2019.

Is/Was Brewing Always Zag



Bottle Notes: Purchased in May 2020, I believe from Local Option, cellared after purchase until June 29, 2021, refrigerated until today.

5.3% ABV, 16.9 oz bottled August 2019. Production time 6 weeks, fermentation vessel: Stainless Steel, brewed and bottled at Marz Brewing by Is/Was Brewing in Chicago, IL, 60647. Store cool and dark, evolves for up to 5 years.

Hop accented saison bottle conditioned with brettanomyces. This beer is naturally carbonated in this bottle, expect sedimentation, store and chill upright, leave sediment behind when pouring, enjoy!

Appearance: Bottle gushed a bit, and also left the final 1 - 1.5 oz in the bottle to reduce sediment after my initial pour, netting about 14 oz total. Bright murky orange juice / tan base creamy white head gives cover throughout. Gives lacing each sip, before it recedes back to the base, Liking the look. 4.25

Aroma: Strong enticing nose, lemon, pepper, citrus. Funk and tartness awaits the tongue, don't want to delay it further. Loving the aroma. 4.5

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, though getting a nice contrasting hoppy bitterness to the totally sweet aroma. Lemon and citrus lead, pepper is a nice touch. Tart, lightly bitter. A little 7Up action going on here. Held up well over time. 4.5

Mouthfeel: Heavy carbonation persists via the bottle conditioning. Sweet overall, but bitterness provides some balance. Light body enhanced to medium plus with the heavy carbonation, sustained despite the bottle gush. Drinks at the ABV, coming into effect as I near the halfway point. Tingly lemon finish. 4.25

Overall: This beer held up well over time, digging the lemon/citrus held together nicely with a persistent hoppy bitterness and a light funky / tart touch to keep things interesting. This beer is drinking great, my only regret is not purchasing more. Not sure these are repeat releases, but definitely a good time to open if you still have. Well done Is/Was. 4.5

Will return later with my last planned offering for the tasting.

 

I found a brand new Saint Arnold offering at the store today...never heard of this.

Saint Arnold Tarnation, American Strong Ale. 9.0% ABV.


Pours a dark amber red color. A two finger light beige head forms with excellent retention and plenty of lace left behind.
Aroma is burnt, caramelized malts. In the best way. Toasted and bread like. Leafy, green and earthy hops. Simple, but pungent at the same time.
Taste wise, follows the nose. Toasted and baked bread like malts. Caramelized sugars and dark fruits, that are certainly sweet, but finishes with a earthy hoppy character to help balance.
A medium to full body. Effervescent and crisp carbonation. Maybe too much carbonation, as I would like this to round out and be a bit smoother. A slow sipper, but an enjoyable one.

I haven't seen a beer like this in a long time. That old school Strong Ale/Barleywine type. Think Olde GnarlyWine or even Arrogant Bastard. Not that I was ever a huge fan of those, and this seems a bit more balanced than that (and one of the many reason. As is always the case with Saint Arnold. Glad I found this, and will be looking forward to the cooler months to have some more.

Overall score is 3.93, B+
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/337/618992/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Jumbo Treat by Tree House


4.49/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5



Brewers Notes: Jumbo Treat is a monumental Double IPA brewed to carry candied-hop character in spades atop our classic base of fluffy and hazy Tree House goodness! It is hopped to incredible lengths throughout the brewing process.

Pouring a rich orange color into the glass is carries notes of orange juice, orange gummies, mango sherbet, and tropical fruit bubble gum.

With a dense body, massive mouthfeel, and intense flavor profile, it is surely the King of the Treat series - Enjoy!

Can dated 8.19, opened 8.28

“Drink me”

Hazy orange juice liquid capped by a one finger creamy white foam cap when poured into a tree house cape cod willi becher glass, soapy lacings

Aroma is orange citrus , tropical fruits, bubblegum

Taste is slightly sweet , orange citrus, juicy fruit gum, tropical fruits

Smooth with a tiny hop nibble that nicely lingers on the back of the tongue , crisp semi dry finish



Good beer, recommended

this review was assisted by Mrs WunderLlama in the background as she has assumed a managerial position, Tuukka the dog providing security and support

 

Ignore the funky editing at the end, I don't know what happened, but can't fix it now ha. But you get the idea

 

I wasn't planning on having a beer today, but after reading all these great reviews I changed my mind. I feel like I must have had this beer before, but if so, I never logged it anywhere. As such, it's officially a new beer!

Fox Farm - Avalonia: Cherry.

4.08/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4
Batch 1, bottled September, 2019.
Pours a vibrant shade of red with excellent clarity. A finger of fizzy, very-short lived head receded to a thin ring.

Nose bursts from the glass, with very clear cherry notes and a nice, tart funk. This is as cherry-forward of an aroma as I can recall. Thankfully it's not reminiscent of cough syrup. Let's hope it stays that was on the tongue.

Taste is slightly less cherry-forward than the nose, and absolutely avoids the cloying sweetness I sometimes get with cherry beers. The cherry interplays well with a little bit of funk and some general floral background notes. Everything is subtle enough to not overpower. Extremely, light and clear drinking. I could pound these all day. Tasty beer.

 

Were all such bad influences on each other, or good influences…

 

Chores completed. Time to focus on my expanding collection of new beer in the fridge.

Whistle Hop Brewing Company
International Pilsner
16oz can stamped 06/01/22 poured into a becher glass at fridge temp 4.5% ABV, 14 IBU, 3 SRM per label. The beer pours mostly bright light golden amber with off white head. The head recedes to a thin ring and splotchy layer of tiny bubbles. No lacing. The aroma is pale malt and floral hops. The taste is bittersweet pale malt with oddly pungent floral notes. Mild bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Cleanly lagered. Overall, weird. Maybe there's been a significant change in this beer after 3 months in the can, but I can't imagine this was the intent.

There's a detailed story of imported craft malt from the Netherlands and Australian Ella hops on the can, so I'm sure they had a plan, but this one didn't work for me.

Cheers all!

 

First fresh hop of the season: The Wet Hopped Ship, from Garden Path.

16oz can served in a big snifter. No legible date on the can, although there's a tiny bar of ink on the bottom that might be a misprinted date. Bought it yesterday at Special Brews in Lynnwood.

As it pours, it looks flat -- an amber color, somewhat hazy. After it's in the glass, a small head forms and then settles into a thin ring with a wispy swirl in the center. There is some visible carbonation, which looks creamy and extremely fine and slow when the glass is moved slightly. Smell is grass, vegetation, flowers, herbal, and moderate sweetness.

Taste is surprisingly tart. Lemony, mostly. Moderate floral notes, some bitterness in the finish. Grassiness and vegetation come out more as I continue.

Mouthfeel is fairly thick and still. Overall...it's interesting and not bad as a saison, but definitely not what I'm looking for in a fresh hop.

 

Only had one new brew to me today, a big imperial stout from The Bruery:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16866/568437/?ba=bluejacket74#lists





Had a lot of new brews and new breweries to me when I was hanging out with @Brutaltruth yesterday, always a great time visiting and thanks for all the new brews to take back home with me!

 

Schell's Fresh Prints Cold IPA 6.5% ABV. I get used to it quickly. Cheers!
3.93/5 rDev +8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz can enjoy by date 10/13/22 into a 12oz glass.
L: Pours a straw light yellow w/a yeast haze, a 1.5" white head w/fair retention, fair carbonation, thick random webby lacing.
S: Pineapple. light mango, melon, light cracker malts, lemon, moderately herbal, gently earthy.
T: Citrus, orange rind, light lemon grass, melon rind, lime & lemon zest, "spicy" hops, pine resin, light yeast, a hint of white grapes, light bread. It has a resinous linger.
F: Smart, tangy & lightly crisp medium bodied mouthfeel w/a moderately dry med-fast finish.
O: A lovely tasting IPA that is hop forward and is fairly full flavored. Lemon is in the forefront. It has a light yeasty & bready nuance that keeps the bitterness in check. Refreshing, zesty and easy drinking. It is excellent in it's style.

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Sippers and commentators. This morning was my future daughter-in-law's bridal shower at her parents' home. My wife and daughter made most of the arrangements. While the ladies did their think upstairs, the guys stayed in the basement watching Formula 1 and Premier League football, eating sandwiches, and drinking beer. I kept it very lite with a Vienna Lager and an Amber Lager.

Now, I'm reviewing an Imperial Porter from Siris Microbrewery in northern Greece. My daughter and her fiance brought it home from Crete last month. I was pleased to see it included in the BA database with some very good ratings. It is a real treat!

No discernible bottling date. Marked best to drink by 12/15/2022. It pours an inky dark walnut color with a small, creamy, light mocha-colored head and lacing. The smell is robust and includes roasted malt, dark chocolate, burnt coffee, graham cracker, leather, tobacco, earthy char, and just a whiff of black cherry or other dark fruit. The taste opens with lots of charred bitterness, including bakers chocolate and burnt coffee grounds. There are also notes of charred nuts. Providing some balance are hints of vanilla, raisin, and dark fruit which increase as the Porter warms and breaths in the glass. On the whole, though, it's a decidedly bitter brew. The mouth feel is thick, creamy, and oily with low/moderate carbonation. The 9% ABV is potent but not distracting. Overall, this Porter is outstanding! I cannot tell whether or how age has affected the taste but it's complex with great depth of flavor. I'm happy to have had the chance to savor it.

4.41/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I have a new DIPA from Wilmington Brewing but I think I'll defer fit or now since we're meeting family for dinner in Carrboro and I suspect there will be more imbibing.

Cheers, NBW!

 

Another new to me beer

Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour
11.2oz can stamped L8155 10:13 (over 4 years old?) poured into a tulip glass at fridge temp 5.5% ABV. The beer pours medium brown in color with ruby highlights and light brown head. The head recedes to a pencil thin ring and scattered tiny bubbles. The aroma is tart red wine and nondescript malt. The taste is tart & sweet malt with notes of brown sugar, red berries, red wine and rustic, grainy bread. Negligible bitterness. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, good for what it is, just not my style.

Cheers all!

 

Treehouse Trail Amarillo a dry hopped Pilsner checking in at 5.2%.

3.57/5 rDev -8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 12oz can stamped TAKE A WALK TRY TO RELAX 07/15/22 to a Pils glass at fridge temp.
A light golden translucent body sits below a large white head that takes up the rest of a 16oz glass. The head fades to ¼” and laces nicely through most of the session. Tiny bubbles neuclate through the glass, but to a much lesser extent compared to other Pilsners.
The aroma is dank, musty with maybe a hint of onion.
The taste is fairly bitter for a Pilsner. It is a dry beer with no hint of bread or crackers.
Unlike the taste, the mouthfeel is to style.
A nice variation on a Pilsner. The bitterness is a treat, but that slight onion taste downgrades my taste score slightly. No surprise, my wife, the Pils queen, did not like it.

 

Great Notion - Super Over Ripe

16oz can served in a footed pilsner glass. Dated 08/04/2022. Bought it at Special Brews in Lynnwood yesterday.

Pours a hazy pale yellow with a big 3-4 finger head that collapses slowly, lots of carbonation. Smell is screaming tropical, tons of mango and a little pineapple, some orange julius aroma.

Taste is a little boozy, fruit skin bitterness, moderate juicy sweetness, surprisingly strong bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is medium to thick, a little bit creamy. Overall, this is a nice beer.

 

Greetings all from the great northwest where we are having mild end of summer weather. Temps in the mid 70s.

This weekend we have Straight Outta Portland IPA from Migration Brewing. My first from this brewery.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22185/291705/

Tropical flavors. Very drinkable.

Until next time

 

Back with this stout. Double Shot Chai from Treehouse, 8.8%

3.64/5 rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 16oz can stamped CHAI AND CHAI AGAIN (also confusingly) 8:52:26 (no date) to a diagonally cut snifter at fridge temp. I intend to sip this slowly and let it warm.
This pours black with a small brown head that fades to a persistent ring.
The aroma is of cinnamon, cloves and a very volatile aroma I cannot identify (think quickly-evaporating).
The taste as with most Treehouse stouts is sweet. However this one takes the prize, kind of like cinnamon and cardamom rock candy. I can kind of imagine the Chai in the finish, but it's subtle. Also subtle is a slightly elevated scoville score.
Mouthfeel is sticky, as one would imagine with such a sweet stout. A little mouth coating, but not really thick.
I for one wish Treehouse would realize that not all stouts have to be as sweet as their juice bombs. With their skills I think a bitter offering in this style would be a killer.

 

My second Flanders style of the day.

Rodenbach Grand Cru
11.2oz bottle production date 2.026 poured into a tulip glass at fridge temp 6% ABV. The beer pours medium brown in color with chestnut highlights and light brown head. The head recedes to a thin ring and a few scattered bubbles. A few tiny spots of lacing. The aroma is red wine vinegar, subtle sweetness and a hint of malt. The taste is sour red wine blending into a little brown sugar and malt with a notable red berry finish. Negligible bitterness. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, good, I guess. This is the outer limit of how much sour I can handle before I drain pour...

Cheers all!

 

I did not originally have any beers to share this weekend, but then one of the stores I frequent posted about two new Modestman collab beers that just came in today so... now I have two new beers to post about. The first is Modestman with Kettlehead, a 9% DIPA called Mega Dreamstate.



The pour is kind of uninteresting. Not much in the way of head formation, as you can probably see, and the body is a thick-looking, opaque orange color. That said, some shimmering lace patterns show up as I start to sip, and the legs are nice enough so, eh. Not all bad I guess.

Nose is pretty great. Leading off with heady guava and mango before turning out some notes of pineapple and tangerine, the tropical citrus is quite prominent here for sure. Herbal and grassy touches along with a measured element of reserved dankness pick up as it acclimates to room temp. Can't find any info on hop varietals used here, but I would assume a lot of Citra, Galaxy/Vic Secret, and possibly Mosaic/Simcoe are present. Of course, hops aren't always so predictable as I've expected when it comes to practical use, so this is just a semi-educated guess based on the overall scent.

MD pops on the palate too, with a bright and intense profile of tangelo and ripe mango flesh. Grassiness appears in the mid-palate, and punchy bitterness following that arrives towards the finish. Lighter notes of the aforementioned pineapple and guava in the finish, providing a bit of tangy juiciness and hop-driven acidity (not in the "sour beer" sense, just the alpha acid sense ) that allows for complexity and depth as this opens up. I think going into this one I was a little underwhelmed, especially when it came to the appearance, but it's winning me over as I spend a bit of time with it. Feel is a little on the carbonic acid-heavy side, which is I guess a little bit "love it or hate it," but I don't tend to mind it... it's just not as soft as a lot of other modern NEIPAs, but the trade-off seems to be in the reserved ethanol presence. For a 9%-er, this isn't really too overly obvious about its alcohol content, and I do think that puts it a step above some more unrefined NEIPAs that have been released over the time that this style has become incredibly popular.

Okay, I will have one more in a bit after I finish sipping on this one and giving it its due contemplation. In the meantime, enjoy some pictures of my recent Gunpla adventures



Clockwise from top left, these are:

•HG The-O
•HG Zeong
•HG Transient Gundam
•HG Gaplant

Cheers... back in a bit.

 

3.81/5 rDev +0.8%

look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 ounce can into a tulip glass.

Look- Pale straw, moderately hazy, no visible particulate, average head retention and lacing.

Smell- Lemon, pineapple, wheat.

Taste- Lemon, guava, pineapple, sour.

Feel- Between thin and medium body, average carbonation, sour/dry finish, crisp.

Overall- A refreshing and light lemon/pineapple/guava sour that complements well with a summer day.