New Beer Weekend #125

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Sippers and commentators. The past few days I've been hammered by an old-fashioned head cold. I even took a covid test but it was negative. I need to stop moping around and do something productive - like review a new beer.

@BigIronH has provided some very fine opportunities in his BIF boxes. This one, Tea Pain from Short's Brewing in Michigan, immediately caught my eye. It's a BBA Dark Ale brewed with Earl Grey Tea and Vanilla. It's listed on the BA database as an Herb and Spice Beer but I'm not sure that's the style. In any event it's very, very good!

It pours a very deep walnut - nearly black - with a half finger cap of creamy, light mocha foam and thin sheen of lacing. Nice aroma of roasted malt with notes of tea and caramel. The bourbon influence is very subtle. The taste really different! There is a firm base of malt with lots of caramel/vanilla. At mid-palate the Earl Grey tea is evident. But what's really unique is the barrel influence; the bourbon is subtle and provides an oaky, almost chocolate taste that's very appealing. Great depth of flavor. The mouth feel is rich and creamy with lite/moderate carbonation, and the 11.6% ABV is very well hidden. Overall, Tea Pain is very well-conceived; there's nothing gimmicky about it. It would pair well with a hearty meal or serve as a dessert sipper.

4.18/5 rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Thank you, Harley! I agree with your assessment that this ale is "excellent." Cheers!

 

poured from a 16oz can into a perennial snifter. pours cola brown but gathers in the glass a shiny black with no foam. hardly any bubbles. lighter brown see-through edges. plenty of bourbon and oak on the nose with a background of cinnamon-spiced apples. taste has all of that plus a big hit of sweet chocolate. as it warms there is a caramel apple thing going on. i’m amazed at how much the barrel makes itself known here and the apple cinnamon stays well in check in the background. medium-full mouthfeel. not insanely thick but not thin either. very drinkable for 15% abv. this and the maple granola were both very impressive. would absolutely pick up again without hesitation. what surprised me most was the barrel presence.

overall: 4.46
rDev: +3%

cheers!!

 

Last beer for this weekend for me also comes courtesy of @Coronaeus.

Special Edition Bruh by Godspeed Brewery.

Pours a clear yellow with loads of foamy white head, excellent retention and good lacing. Aroma is heavy on grains, cracker and herbs. Smells and looks delicious.

Taste is similar to the nose. Grassy and herbal, with biscuit / cracker malts. Crisp, clean, light and refreshing. Excellent beer.

Thanks, Peter. You've sent me some amazing beers!

 

Tree House Little Fire, Smoked Helles, pours gold, rocky two finger head, sustain forever, stickey lacing, nice, aroma of grains, campfire smoke, taste follows, toasted cracker, lemon, peppercorn, and smoke which is just right, not overpowering. Thanks for this one Ross, @Roy_Hobbs

 

I actually thought about you when I bought it. I didn’t remember who but I knew someone in NBW talked about enjoying it a lot and I remember the side by side too

 

@BigIronH is a connoisseur of Kettle Sours and he sent me several in his last BIF box. This one is Chocolate Dip from Arvon Brewing. Thanks also to Harley for the appropriate glassware. This brew is fun, fun, fun!

It pours a dark, dirty magenta color with a huge, long-lasting, rocky head and lacing. Very unique appearance. Big aroma of ripe raspberry and milk chocolate. Extremely fragrant. It's certainly berry-forward; ripe and delicious. The milk chocolate lies just beneath; it adds sweetness to the berry. I just love the mouth feel: it's super viscous and creamy with appropriate carbonation. The 5% ABV is appropriate for the style. Overall, this is a sweet, murk bomb of a Kettle Sour. A very fun beer to drink.

4.24/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I'm really looking forward to the other Kettles from Arvon that Harley sent. Have a great week, everyone. Cheers, NBW!

 

Another rye story…Part of why this beer was perfectly timed was because another south Jersey brewery just released their rye ipa. I still dream of yards and SNs…

I doubt many stores order an old school rye ipa to sell so I figured I may not see it. Then Tonewood saved the day in sessionable stout form

 

Tomkins Kölsch 5.0% ABV

3.89/5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Pour from the Growler. Translucent yellow body. Moderate haze and carbonation with a thin white head. I expect the draught pour would be more visually appealing. The nose is as expected from the style. Notes of hops, grains and some fruity esters. The taste is pretty well balanced with the hops prevailing to provide a pleasantly bitter aftertaste. Those estery flavors do make an impression but are not at all overwhelming. The mouthfeel is appropriately light for the style. Overall this is a solid kolsch ale.

 

Oh, I'm glad you had a bottle of that from another source, because it is a really tasty one.
Cheers!

I love spruce flavours. It can be taken in several different directions, and I'm a fan of where they usually go. I think it's an underutilized adjunct overall, though I guess I'm glad we're not flooded with a million mediocre attempts so it canr etain some of its magic.

 

Yep, that's exactly what @Victory_Sabre1973 is doing. You definitely need to to give it a try, it's a true life experience!
We refer to it as fishing on the "hard water"

 

Mrs phishers aunt does live in Michigan and her cousin in St. Paul, it’s 100% possible one day.

 

Go for it...but dress warm!

 

Greetings all from the wintery northwest. 4 inches of snow in the Columbia Basin Thursday night into Friday. Then rain and a warming trend make for a sloppy mess.

Today we have Old Scrooge Christmas Ale from Silver City brewing.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/959/54763/

A slow sipping strong ale for sure. Very much in keeping with the season.

Until next time

 

Hi NBWers. Been a while since I've contributed here. I picked up a couple giftboxes mixed beer pack things from 12 percent. It's basically a mixed pack of random beers contracted at the facility (least that's how I understand it). It's a mixed generally of lagers, IPAs, stouts and sours, mostly at least.

This is Scarecrow by Esker/Hart and Obercreek (have no clue who they are)



Looks great, nice auburn, ambery color. Lots of delicate heady notes on the nose, some sweet sugars and malt. I get a decent hit of booze up front making it feel more heady. It's sweet, malty and I'd argue for some herbal hop character, like a tettnang or saaz.

Taste follows the latter descriptors. Really full bodied, rounded, sweet but supremely balanced. Some malt sugar carries through to the middle but it's largely hop character in the middle. Spicy and rounded. Maybe some bitterness but only enhancing how drinkable it is. At 6.2%, they've pulled a lot of character out of this malt bill and hop profile.

Very good offering, my first lager from the boxes and I'm happy with it. Cheers to you NBW and to 12percent for doing something fun. Perhaps I should support them more frequently!

 

Maybe someone will make a spruce tip rye beer at some point

 

Sign me up!

 

Tonight’s beers are from @russpowell and NBS BIF #16, a return fire howitzer of excellent Arkansas beers, including a long-time want of mine.

Note: that doesn’t happen very often - I usually track down “wants,” but this one evaded me. It’ll be beer #2.

First up, though is a tropical hazy from a brewery I visited a few years ago on a work trip and LOVED. Let’s see how this new beer hits my hazy palate.



4.35/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a hazy mango color with a dense oatmeal colored head that provides substantial lacing. Lovely hazy. The nose is crammed with tropical citrus notes, primarily mango, with papaya, guava, and passion fruit as well. Oh my.

The mango is prominent and delicious in the taste, as are the more exotic papaya, guava, and passion fruit flavors, and there’s a nice creamy oat flavor that works exceptionally well.

The mouthfeel is medium and fairly bright. This beer is truly a pleasure to drink, and one I’d seek for my beer fridge if I had regular access to it. Really good stuff here.

 

Evening NBS.
Still swallowing that bitter pill - the beatdown by Philly at the Giants earlier today. The way better team won obviously. Philly looks Superbowl bound. Tons of great players on that team...
So I saw this in the cooler and the first thing I saw was Anchovy. Anchovy in beer??? I think I will pass but as I continued to read I realized it was Anchovy Hops.. hmmm never heard of that, so of course I had to grab. Then they couldnt find it in the system so I wound up being charged just 16.99.
Anyhow Finbacks
Blue Green Reflections DIPA
Hopped with Anchovy, Citra and Rakau.
Pours turbid golden orange with an off white head that has decent retention to a thin cap with good lacing.
Mango, melon, peach, sweet orange, pine on the nose.
I did look up the description of Anchovy hops. Watermelon candy and raspberry were two of the fruits used in the descrips.
Im getting sweet orange, and ripe peach, dank cannabis, and yes I could notice a bit of watermelon candy. But what really stands out is the raspberry flavor, wow! It is a bit sweet initially with a bit of a sourness and a piney drying bitter finish.
Medium body with plenty of carb throughout. Refreshing almost with a tingle of hops on the tongue. No hint of 8.5%.
My first taste of Anchovy hops and Im loving it. Fantastic brew.
Find it and give it a shot.
Cheers!

 

Keep that NBS clock running!!
Cheers