New Beer Weekend #116

Carton’s nitro beers have no widget or ball and when poured aggressively are almost as good as the Guinness look.

Another NJ brewery does it without widget too but to me it has more of a CO2 mixed with nitro look. To be fair I’ve only had one of their nitro can four packs though.

 

I had read something in these forums about other ways of achieving the nitro effect. While I didn't delve deep into the hows, I thought there was still something inside the can but attached - perhaps to the lid near the opening. Maybe that was the widget (versus the ball), as what you indicate sounds different from what I recall? Do you know or think Firestone Walker is using the technology? I haven't cut open the can to verify there's actually nothing inside

 

Larry, the first nitro beer that I had which didn’t utilize a widget was from Left Hand Brewing:

“On the first night of the 2011 Great American Beer Festival, Left Hand changed craft beer history forever with the introduction of Milk Stout Nitro in a bottle. Left Hand is both the first American and the first craft brewery to master the science of bottling a Nitrogen beer without a widget.”

https://www.lefthandbrewing.com/our-story/nitro

Cheers!

 

I am so excited to try this beer. It is a cool, but beautiful, fall day. The perfect day to drink it. The look features a pitch black color. There is no foam at all. The smell has a very powerful coffee scent. There is a slight scent of bourbon and chocolate. The taste explodes with coffee flavor. Bourbon flavor emerges, and it blends with chocolate and vanilla. This beer is relatively fresh, so I can imagine the amount of coffee flavor changes over time, but for now, coffee flavor dominates. I really like coffee, so the combination of flavors is something I really the enjoy. The mouthfeel is oily and thick. Like motor oil. Overall, this is delicious and powerful BBA coffee stout. It is decadent. I love it!

 

Yes. The supplier of the technology did mention Left Hand, specifically the canned stout, but it would work in bottles equally. They also did canned Starbucks nitro coffee. I suspect it is easier to apply to cans.

 

I don't know for sure who went widgetless. I recall Left Hand and Starbucks being mentioned. It was a way around using the patented widget and ball gadgets, and it was significantly cheaper in use.

 

Probably my last new Marzen/Oktoberfest for the season (still got plenty of Live Oak in the fridge ha). Was at Holler for the first time in a few months yesterday afternoon.

Holler Brewing Poptoberfest. 5.5% ABV.


Pours a clear dark golden/orange color. A one finger white head forms, light lace is left behind.
Kind of a neutral and nondescript nose. Vaguely bready like and plenty of caramel malts.
Taste wise, a light bready character. Caramel malts and a candy like sweetness. Not much else here.
A medium body with moderate carbonation. With the sweetness, this becomes very sticky like. OK to drink once, but I'm looking for something else quickly.

I don't have a lot to say about this one, just one dimensional. In a cloying, candy like sweetness way. This is Holler's newest version of a Marzen/Oktoberfest. Not nearly as good as the original version, which have gotten progressively worse (this is at least the third different version), and not something I really care to come back to.

Holler use to be one of my favorite breweries around. Though with new owners, new brewer, and basically all new staff, this is what I have come to expect. Just kind of mediocre...oh well.

Overall score is 3.18, C-
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45647/620758/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Then, today, wandered over to Southern Yankee for some lunch. What do you know, they have a brand new Schwarzbier on. Oh, and I started a new book between yesterday and today ha.

Hexenbrut, 4.3% ABV



Pours a nearly opaque black color. With just a bit of ruby/brown around the edges. A beige head forms with good retention and lace left behind.
A rounded malt aroma, that is warm and welcoming. Soft baked bread, chocolate, light roast. The malts are the show, and I really like it.
Taste wise, follows the nose. With that big and warming malt character. Toasted and baked bread. Chocolate, light roast, even a light bit of smoke. There is a light earthy hoppy bitterness lingering. This is really well balanced and enjoyable.
A medium body. Actually a surprisingly fuller body than expected for the ABV. Crisp carbonation, that becomes ultra smooth and clean. Downed in big gulps. This is really easy and enjoyable to drink.

A wonderful sessionable example of the style. Really impressed with how much body and malty character there is here, especially considering the ABV. This will be a regular purchase of mine.

Overall score is 4.24, A- boarding on an A
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/54216/624163/?ba=champ103#lists

Lunch was an amazing Pastrami Melt, with their very good Pilsner.

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

Quick one here, because I am at a friend's place.

https://imgur.io/a/iuf9ke6
Sixteen - Surly Brewing - 12.5% ABV.

I haven't been too impressed with Surly lately. This beer is a surprisingly good beer from them, and I recommend it.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13014/620114/

3.79/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Dark amber pour with a 1 finger slightly off white head. There's just a slight bit of lacing on the glass.
The nose is full of fruit aromas. Raspberry and strawberry.
Taste starts off a bit malty. Things go quite sour, in a pleasing way on the back. The strawberry and raspberry is quite strong and tart. The tartness lingers. I also kind of get a rye bread flavor in that mix. There's also barrel flavors that kick in.
Decent body, and slightly boozy. The feeling of the tart fruit lingers.
U
I am pleasantly surprised with this one. Pretty good.


Probably won't be back till tomorrow. Cheers all.

 

Holographic by Tree House


4.27/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25


Canned 9.21, opened 10.8

“You be you”

Brewers Notes: Brewed with Barbe Rouge, Nelson, Galaxy, and Citra hops, Holographic is an iterative take on our Double IPA series utilizing ultra-pale malts as a base with novel hop blends. Pouring a beautiful light yellow color in the glass, Holographic carries notes of orange mango juice, earthy tropical fruits, white wine, and passion fruit. Buoyed by a classically luscious Tree House body, Holographic is a juicy and easy-drinking Double IPA that we are excited to have in the family—Enjoy!

Hazy orange liquid , creamy two finger off white foam cap , spotty lacings

Aroma is tropical fruits , mango

Taste is tropical fruits, mango , white wine

Smooth , juicy , sudsy , hop nibble

Good beer

 

Barrel and Beam; “Tuebor”. 6.7%-In addition to the above info from the bottle, some additional notes can be found online: “A 100% Michigan Sourced Wild Ale brewed with Barley, Wheat, Rye and Spelt malts. Naturally carbonated with Michigan beet sugar.”

I love B&B beers and have for quite sometime. They played a huge part in my introduction to Farmhouse Ales and their many iterations. I have found all their beers to be a cut above the rest with regard to quality and consistency. Excited to try this.

Pours a cloudy straw gold with a thin head of white fizz quickly dissipating to a thin ring atop still liquid.

Nose is lemon rind, tumbled grain, rye toast, straw, with tart and funky cultures doing their thing.

Taste follows suit in the best of ways, finishing with an acidic bite. Feel is crisp but chewy and very much lip smacking.

Overall, I’m very happy with this “Wild Ale”. It’s not overtly tart or acidic and is very much well balanced with the farmhouse flavors I appreciate. 4/5, boys.

Cheers.

 

Thanks to @Beersnake1 for the launch today. As for his question about a beer that knocked your socks off when traveling, that’s easy - Pseudo Sue at the original Toppling Goliath brewery in Decorah, when that beer was only available at the brewery, only available for carry out in bombers and definitely NOT hazy. What an incredible beer that was.

This trip was in October 2014 when we lived in Minnesota, and Mrs O accompanied me much to her chagrin (2-1/2 hours one way) - until we got to the bread I spent a couple hundred dollars on Pseudo and Golden Nugget and other goodies, and she got LIT UP drinking Dorothy’s Lager. Good times indeed.

My beer today is from a new arrival to my local and features the terms “Extra Rare” and “Extra Rare” on the can.

I’m so happy I could cry. Let’s do this.





4.35/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This NETIPA pours a richly hazy pineapple color with a creamy pearl white head that provides significant lacing. The nose features lots of juicy pineapple, mango, guava, and ripe orange. It’s a citrus menagerie.

The taste is spot on with the aromas, with that mango, guava, and ripe orange triumvirate most prominent, and a subtle bitter pine note mid-palate, and a creamy oat note at the back of the palate, accompanied by a distinct alcohol warming (which is not a surprise given the 10.5% ABV). Wow, what a flavor journey this beer is.

The mouthfeel is full, soft and a bit prickly at the same time, if that’s possible. This is a beer worthy of a “day” at the brewery in its honor. I look forward to more Abomination in my beer nerd life.

 

Oh hey there NBW fam; has it really been a week already? We can share new beers with each other? Ok great! What a perfect fall day we have had here, watched our oldest son's soccer game, then Gigi and Opa took him and little brother to an apple festival at Kirby's Mill which is a place in the next town over, then I cooked up a huge breakfast for dinner...sausage, bacon, pancakes and eggs cooked in a whole lot of butter and bacon grease. Now as they wind down I sit down to enjoy a classic that I have note ever had before, a very seasonally appropriate brown ale. Here goes nothing...

Samuel Smith - Nut Brown Ale




Pours crystal clear, a beautiful dark brown color with a very lightly browned white head. The head is quite nice; dense, cohesive and great retention in the form of a nice thick layer of creamy froth. I'm just getting started on sips but this thing is showing some major lacing.

Nose is malty up front in a toffee or caramel sort of way, some toasted dark bread and nutty but in an almond skin like sort of way, slight minerality.

Taste leans heavily into the malt as well, toffee like with some toasty qualities; dark bread, and some grain husk; little bit of earthy and damp hops on the finish. Toasted qualities show a little more as it warms and specifically in the aftertaste.

Light to medium body, full feel, subtle sweetness up front, some low but noticeable nut skin like bitterness, creamy carbonation, finishes clean, a very sessionable beer.

I really enjoyed experiencing this beer, very well balanced and easy to drink. There is plenty going on but not enough to detract from just how easy it is to drink this one down.

No more new beer tonight but as of now I plan on drinking one more with all of you tomorrow. Cheers and happy weekend.

---------------------

Here's what our kids brought back from the apple festival, these were the best cider donuts I've had in a while; nice extra crunch on the sugar.

 

Good evening all. Beautiful, crisp day here and the night seems headed colder. Picked about a half bushel of green tomatos to make relish from. Got a bunch of Portuguese hot peppers fermenting to make sauce. My mother would put up dozens of quarts of those peppers in simple vinegar and salt, heat process them. A treat for me, and a memory I can easily recreate, was a sandwich of those preserved peppers...toast slathered heavy with butter... We shall see how this fermentation turns out.

Ok...what's he drinking?



Greater Good Pulp. It claims to be a juicy IPA, with PULP standing for Paul's Ultimate Lupulin Protocol. Dialed up to 8% with a "transformed" hop profile. So let's get to it.

Not particularly hazy on the pour. Not a murky juice bomb, but certainly hazy. Kind of an orange color with a pure white soapy head tje ends up as a nice cap that lasts well.

More than I expected in the smell. Initially though heavy grapefruit, but it's not so one dimensional. Tropical comes in with pineapple and some mango. There's citrus with orange and grapefruit. The citrus says more rind than fruit, but uis not harsh. Pine resin eventually raises its hand. There's a sweet malt that supports all the fun, maybe a bit of apricot or peach.

The taste follows along the same lines. Quite smooth and nicely integrated. The tropicals lead with pineapple and mango, then the citrus rind is more orange than grapefruit. I'll go peach on the taste versus apricot, a bit of pine, and doughy sweet malt holds things together through all of this.

The feel is light to medium, carbonation in the "just right" zone. The citrus delivers a tingle and enough bitterness to bring in a more traditional IPA sensation. I would not say it is particularly "juicy".

Overall, a well made beer that brings in multiple layers of flavor with enough perceived bitterness to keep it interesting. Everybody plays nice in the sandbox, and the sweetness provides a counterweight to the hop party. In the 4.0 range for this one. Not sure it is a full tilt boogie NEIPA, but it's a good beer.

 

That sounds amazing to me! I'd love to know how your batch turns out.

Sounds like a pretty solid afternoon, thanks for sharing @beergoot if I'm ever back in Colorado I'm requesting wings and hot sauce and some lager to share with you. Maybe a pliny too

A great story, the last part had me cracking up, we are lucky our better halves stay with us despite our endless pursuit of the next beer.