New Beer Weekend #123

Fremont - Head Full of Dynomite v42

16oz can served in a curvy Fremont glass. Packaged 11/11/22.

Pours a fairly hazy golden-amber with a medium sized head. Smell is bubblegum, melon, melon rind, some citrus rind.

Taste is moderate grain, lots more bubblegum and honeydew melon. A little bit of honeysuckle, a little bit of citrus rind. Some citrus zest bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium, leaning toward the thick side. Overall, it's a very nice beer.

 

Our Special Ale 2022 by Anchor is again a nice winter warmer. I drank this one during a leftover dinner party, so just a general positive review. From memory, this year's version seems a bit maltier and just a touch of spice. Good mouthfeel. I’ll be buying more. Cheers!

 

Single Hill - Rainshadow (schwarzbier)
I'm pretty sure my friend entrusted this to me for safekeeping. Might as well teach my friends they can't trust me with their beer unattended.

16oz can served in a curvy Fremont glass. Can't find a date on the can.

Pours black with a light tan head, medium carbonation, OK retention. Smell is roasty. Lots of roasty. Burnt toast, charred grain.

Taste is also very roasty -- not burnt, but coffee and anise, moderate molasses sweetness.

Mouthfeel is light and clean. Overall, this is a really nice beer.

 

All right, I am back and this will be a 2 for 1 post.

I'll start off with this disclaimer:These beers were kindly given to our store by our local Bud rep. this morning. What I'm enjoying tonight is what was left over from said share this morning. The beers were recapped, but some oxygen did get in. This may have hand an effect on the quality, but, since they are new to me, I don't know.

Now to the beers:


30th Anniversary and Sir Isaac's

I'll start off this by saying that in my central MN metro area we get shafted on BCBS. It has to do with the Budweiser distributor not having the Goose Island contract - the Coke Distributor does have it. Because of this, we get WAY less locally than a metro area of our size should. Our local Bud distributor does get the beer, and a lot of it, but they can't supply us locally. They do have a large area that they go to, and everyone outside the local area gets a good share from them. The crazy thing is I can go about 15 miles and get a ton of it, because that town is outside of the stupid cross distribution zone.

I was very impressed with both beers. I was very impressed with the 30th Anniversary. I wish I would have traveled a bit this morning, instead of being lazy, and snagged a bottle The Sir Isaac's was good, but I can see why some may not like it as much.

Review - 30th Anniversary
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1146/628262/

4.69/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
This beer was sampled at work, and I got the rest of it. It had been opened up this morning (11-25-2022), recapped, and the remainder consumed by me tonight.

This beer looks quite thick while pouring. Pitch black - as expected. There's very little head (see above), but what was there was brown, but not long lasting. There's no lacing on the glass.
The nose has a rich aroma of dark fruit - plum, raisin, dates. It also has a nice rich chocolate aroma.
The flavor starts out with dark fruits - plum, raisin, dates. The dark fruit flavor switches on the back to a nice smooth chocolate, caramel and toffee flavor.
This beer feels amazing. It is so damn smooth! It is thick and rich. There's so little burn, and what's there is just slightly warming on the backside.
I only got a small part of the bottle, but what I got was amazing. I wish I would have tried to buy a bottle of it today.

Review - Sir Isaac's
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1146/628260/

4.47/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This beer was sampled at work, and I got the rest of it. It had been opened up this morning (11-25-2022), recapped, and the remainder consumed by me tonight.

The beer pours pitch black. There's no head to this one.
The aroma has an interesting sweetness to it, from the figs and graham crackers. The aroma is slightly earthy as well.
Taste - The figs start the party off. They hit hard right away with a fruity earthy flavor. The flavor then switches to a graham cracker sweetness on the backside. There's notes throughout of the traditional BCBS flavors, and the barrel.
This beer is smooth, and thick. There's a bit of a burn in this beer from the high ABV.
This is an interesting take on this beer, but I can see why some would not like it.


Ok, I'm done for tonight. I'll be back tomorrow, and most likely it will be from a local brewery. Cheers!

 

Well, let's get the party started today. I believe @WunderLlama sent this to me.


Outlier - Kolsch - Tree House Brewing - 4.3% ABV

This is a beer that is quite full of flavor. There's a lot going on in a 4.3% package, and I'm enjoying the heck out of it.

Thank you for sending this to me. I'm enjoying it.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28743/469403/

4/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Clear golden pouring with a 2 finger white head. The retention is decent, but there's very minimal lacing on the glass.
The nose is somewhat grassy and earthy.
Flavor is quite full. There's a grassy earthy flavor. There's a good punch of lemon, and a slight honey flavor. Grainy flavor. There's a slight bitterness on the backside.
Clean, crisp, clear body. There's a grainy feeling in this beer.
Delicious and easy drinking.


I'll be back later today with more.

 

Good morning BAs! My new to me morning coffee this beautiful day is BCBCS (2022):



Bottled 9/24/22. Poured at 52°. One finger of tight dark tan head; ok cap retention leaves a swirl of micro dots; heavy ring reduces quickly; spots of lace with agitation; no legs; black body with ruby see-through. Mild roast coffee, sweet bourbon nose. Mild bitter roast coffee; bourbon; oak; bittersweet dark chocolate; mild bitter finish. Silky smooth tongue coating, yet medium light body; very little warmth from 13.2% abv; thin feel for abv; moderate minus carbonation. Overall first impression - a pretty whimpy imperial BBA coffee stout; base, barrel and coffee additions are all mild, e.g., there was more coffee nose/taste in my yesterday’s 14 month old Revolution’s Café Deth than here…just sayin’…the alcohol is barely noticeable; the flavors are well balanced, just subtle; the feel boarders on watery; for the expensive price, a huge disappointment.

4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.75 | 3.75
Score: 3.93 rDev - 15.8%

Just finished my last sip…nothing improved as beer warmed…I may be in a minority, but this beer is a dud…Cheers and have a great weekend y’all!

 

Good day BAs! Thanks to @SawDog505 for correctly recognizing this as a four-day weekend and starting the thread.
Well, I hope everyone enjoyed Turkey Day and the Black Friday shopping extravaganza! I scored some BCBS Friday so it was a good day for me.

Today's New Breakfast Beer (sans photo):

Shiner TexHex Bruja’s Brew from Spoetzl. 12 oz can left by Thanksgiving guest. Stored at 34 degrees at home. Reviewed 26/11/22. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Can bottom stamped “081322OK+ 09:59:47”. Served at 50.1 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 59.5 degrees.
Appearance – 3.5.
First pour – Pale Straw (SRM 2), clear.
Body – Pale gold (SRM 4), translucent. Under direct light, same. Rear-lite, same.
Head – Large (Maximum 6.5 cm, aggressive center pour), ghost white, high density with rocks, quickly diminishing to a ragged 0.5 to 1.5 cm medium density crown and thick, rocky cap. Many pieces of foam remain hanging on the glass.
Lacing – Fair but ugly – bits of foam remain on the sides of the glass, giving it a dirty appearance.
Aroma – 4 – Distinct citrus and some peach. Some weak honey notes, perhaps from the cactus water. No malt, no yeast.
Flavor – 4 – Less fruity citrus than orange or lemon. Slightly bitter so the malt and hops are well attenuated. No yeast, but a slight maltiness is noted. As the end of the pour nears, some herbal notes appear. No ethanol (6.5% ABV as marked on label) aroma or taste. No gastric warming occurs. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3.75 – Medium, approaching creamy, soft but lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.75 I didn’t find this on the shelves in SAT on my recent trip, probably because it’s not in the typical Shiner bottle but in a gaudy can. The flavor is mostly Amarillo hops with some malt and a bit of honey. I remember previously Shiner had released a prickly pear flavored beer – not great but used what’s at hand. I’ve seen shredded cactus for sale at HEB so maybe the cactus water is what runs out when they shred them? Anyway, an interesting offer from Spoetzl but one and done.
Rating 3.9, rDev -1%

 

So many mixed reviews on the coffee. From “best stout I’ve had all year” to “big letdown”. I’ll be opening mine tonight to see. Have some 2022 cafe deth coming soon for a nice comparison

 

Will be out and about this afternoon, so decided to have a nice and easy offering to start the day. This classic beer was out of our market for some time before returning sometime this year. While I typically enjoy ESBs via cask pours, I'd be remiss if I didn't try one of the most famous and highly respected versions.

Fuller's London Pride



Bottle Notes: 11.2 oz bottle, 4.7 % ABV best by August 1, 2023 (01 08 2023 English bottle dating). $2.50 single bottle purchase from Beer on the Wall. Ingredients: Water, Malted Barley, Hops. Outstanding Amber Ale. Beer brewed by Asahi UK LTD, at Griffin Brewery, Chiswick Lane South, London.

Appearance: Single pour into a 16 oz nonic glass. Crystal clear caramel coloured base, light carbonation sustained throughout, generous off while head leaves generous lacing upon dissipation and throughout, and a light dusting covering the base. 4.5

Aroma: Generous aroma, caramel and toffee, nice grainy malt I am enjoying, backed by a grassy hop presence lurking beneath the surface. 4.25

Taste: The malt flavors noted in aroma are on equal terms, yes equal terms, which I did not expect but I am very grateful to experience. Getting a nice blend of caramel, toffee and white bread on the malt side. A floral and lemon grassy hops keeps this superbly balanced Just a wonderful treat, delivers at a high level. 4.75

Mouthfeel: Didn't expect this level hop assertion upon my first tastes, but really digging, with the carbonation more felt than seen. Perfect balance, very easy drinking even with the low ABV, slightly dry, medium watery body, clean crisp finish. 5.0

Overall: Really hard to finish these notes before gulping down the beer. I have enjoyed this at every turn, exceeded my high expectations coming in and any trepidation from enjoying bottled vs. on cask. This must occupy space in my refrigerator along with IPAs on a permanent basis whenever I can find. Outstanding! 4.75

My new favorite ESB! Heading to Trader Joes for a four pack or two, once I make some room in the refrigerator! My return with another new beer, otherwise sticking with long time favorites during my outing this afternoon. Cheers!

 

Good morning NBW
Another beer I stumbled across while shopping yesterday.

MBC Fall Coffee Stout
500mL bottle stamped 009 27SEP22 poured into a becher glass at fridge temp 5.6% ABV. The beer pours opaque dark brown with light brown head. The head recedes to a thin, uneven cap and leaves lots of little lacing spots on the glass. The aroma is mild with light roast coffee and roasted malt. The taste is bittersweet, lightly roasted coffee with roasted malt notes and mild, earthy hop notes following. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, excellent. Very seamless blend of cold brewed coffee and stout flavors. Delicious.

Cheers all. I already caught some stink eye for the early morning beer, so it will be the afternoon before I return...

 

Well now I know what my next import purchase will be…

 

As @VodkaPong87 mentioned, there have been different opinions of this beer so far, so I am trying this one from my BCBS haul first. I really enjoyed 3 Floyds Brewing Crushing Mass and Lagunitas Brewing Willitized 2022 BBA coffee stouts recently, which were quite reasonably priced. I poured this beer outside on a beautiful morning in heavy winds. The color is thick black, with crimson highlights. The foam is about two fingers tall, with a mocha light brown color. Some of it blew away after my initial pour. The smell is strong with coffee, which is quickly followed up with a wonderful bourbon, marshmallow, and fudge smell. The flavor is very coffee-forward. Bourbon, fudge, and graham cracker flavors are also present. The flavors are well-balanced this fresh. It would be interesting to see how it changes over time. The mouthfeel is thick, oily, and smooth, with an alcohol burn that is light for the ABV. Overall, this is a delicious BBA coffee stout. Is it worth the price? No. I would rather drink this beer than any other BBA coffee stout, because the flavors are perfectly blended together, and the bottle is just so beautiful, but Crushing Mass and Willitized are delicious beers at very reasonable prices. I could get 10 12-oz bottles of Hinterland Brewing Stovepipe BBA coffee stout (A nice BBA coffee stout brewed a screen pass from Lambeau Field.) for the price of this bottle, so I would rather go that direction, since I like to drink BBA coffee stouts frequently.

 

So strange. People have said it’s thin with not much coffee flavor. I have two bottles from different stores, maybe there will be variation. I’m probably going to buy more if I like it

 

Not sure how many beers I'll have today after hitting it relatively hard yesterday during and after the USA / England game, but this is a nice easy way to start the day.

Catching Smoke, a Piwo Grodziskie from The Establishment Brewing Company, courtesy of @Coronaeus

Appearance is a very, very pale clear yellow with some fizzy, short-lived head. The aroma from even a few inches away is undetectable, but up close a very nice, discrete smokiness emerges. I'm not picking up any hops.

The smoke's presence is more clear in the mouth, but it's light and relatively short-lived in a way that is really nice. I love smoke in beers, but for those who are more hit or miss, the lighter application of it here would make this a good choice. Very little bitterness and a crisp finish. Very light bodied.

Overall, really enjoyable, easy-drinking beer.

 

Shared this on Turkey day, The Bruery Poterie, a Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Ale brewed in the "Bear Republic". I believe this to be an 8th anniversary ale brewed in 2016, I did not see this in the BA database, only the plane old and a scotch barrel aged version were listed.

Nice looking reddish brown pour, a bit of reddish tint in head, but alas, no lacing.
Aroma was fruity, with a hint of barrel. Flavor was fruity, dates or fig, some caramel and toffee. This label said it was brewed using a "house" yeast, all well and good if you're a fan of Belgian style beers, I'm not. My Bro-in-law thought it was outstanding, he is a huge fan of Belgian style beers, I struggled with it but at 16.8% I was able to get it down.

 

What bottle date is on that one? Mine are Sep 6th and Sep 8th. Might be good to compare bottle dates