New Beer Weekend #126

Quality was their downfall from what I remember. They were trying to cater to dudes on expense accounts from what I could see by the time I got there.

 

When I saw that pic, I thought it said "Micah Frappe Milk Stout"

Going to the game?

 

A new one from Kettlehead Brewing sadly using Phantasm hops, because I am not a fan I guess.

Poured into a 20 oz tulip glass canned this week. Pours a cloudy dark yellow with a 2 finger sticky white head that leaves thin streaks of lace, with solid retention. 4

Aroma is peach, mango, passionfruit, white grapes, apricot, and grapefruit rind. 3.75

Taste follows peach, white grapes, mango, mandarin, apricot, and grapefruit. 3.75

Mouthfeel is maybe medium, soft carbonation, maybe a tad dry, and at 7.5% plenty of flavor, just not very good flavor for me anyway 3.5

Overall this is the second try with this hop and it is not working for me. 3.75 Cheers all.

 

What a great picture, tradition and quote from your grandson…the gnomes must be 6’ 3”

Also that beer sounds delicious

It’s funny cause for me to hip hop was a huge part of my musical life…have you seen the “tribe” documentary? Worth a watch for sure, the record store talk made me think of it; q tip really talks a lot about it and even “goes shopping” again if I remember correct…I’ll note my personal favorite hip hop album Gang Starr - Moment of Truth (much like Big L, RIP Guru)

Here’s to good music and good beer…

 

Nice! I was offered free tickets, but I declined. I am going to the Detroit Lions game in a couple weeks, but I am not interested in going to this game. The temperature here is forcasted to be 6 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff. I would manage that temperature for a playoff game, but not between two teams who are not having good seasons.

 

So this weekend I got a pick six of newbies to me. The first I tried was the Dogfish Head Wake Up World Wide Stout. I enjoyed this as a high powered stout with a great mouthfeel, I ended up giving it a rating that put it #33 out of the 96 I've rated. The next night I had Revolution's Deth's Tar. As I was drinking it, it had a better flavor, but just something less to me (other than the abv, or maybe it was...); but by the time I rated it, it ends up at my #23, so there ya go. I followed that with a Heavy Seas Winter Storm Cat 5 ale. I'll admit I'm not a big IPA fan (which this is similar too, and it WAS drinkable to me as a result, but... my description to my family was, "Imagine you had about this much (about 2 inches in my glass) of a really good IPA, and re-filled the rest with water. That's about it." There just wasn't much "there" to me, and it gets #87 of 96.

 

Good Sunday morning NBS/nbw, and thanks @JackHorzempa for hosting this week.
Well the tree is in place, decorating later today, enjoyed a family get together yesterday.
Must be nearing Christmas.
Todays offering is from France, (good luck today at the finals), A very good Biere De Garde.
Notes of honey, very floral, and a bit slick on the palate.

Cheers all

Cuvée Des Jonquilles

Bière de Garde | 7% ABV
Brasserie Au Baron in Gussignies, France

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.04/5 rDev -1.9% | Average: 4.12
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 750ml bottle, date BB 02/05/23 into the test glass
A - A vibrant display of carbonation, set in a clear light honey background. Cap is of tight knit meringue that lasts the entire experience. Lacing is French and fancy lace.
S - Sadly initial aromatics is of a slightly skunked green glass impact. Time allows for notes of honey, dusty basement, touches of funk, straw, and blooming rime all stroll through. As the experince progresses, the Saison/Farmhouse elements take over. Very floral as the offering opens up.
T - All the aromatics with a strong ripe apricot thread, bready white toast, spread with honey all pile in.
M - Light on the palate, with a semi sweet malt coating remaining, finish is toward the dry side.
O - A very good, and quite tasty Saison/Farmhouse. With a bit of patience the offering opens up and delivers quite a lot, Texture, flavors and aromatics. I will look for a bottle closer to release, this one has shown that a good Saison/Farmhouse has legs. A very enjoyable experience

 

Well, Back to back isnt something I'm proud of but here we go.
Sunday, afternoon offering is the BCBS coffee version from this years release.
On scale, its an achievement, as a coffee BB stout its, local and regional challengers are more coffee forward/interesting.
No offense GI
Cheers all

Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout

American Imperial Stout | 13.2% ABV
Goose Island Beer Co. in Chicago, Illinois

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.16/5 rDev -10.9% | Average: 4.67
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from the 500 ml bottle, this years release, into the test glass.
A - Lovely near black backdrop, a quick to assemble mocha cap is equally quick to exit. Lacing howerver is just beautiful.
S - Mocha, up front, cocoa, and vanilla, a bit of char, and hazelnut. all contribute to a pleasant nose
T - A bit of barrel tannin to start, then the usual suspects, but in balanced and small doses. Bakers chocolate, a bit of bourbon, vanilla, dark roast coffee.
M - A bit thinner that I anticpated, with a slick coating of the palate. Finish is almost candy like.
O - The base is never far from this one, coffee addition seems restrained, and falls a bit short in distinguishing itself.
All together completely enjoyable.

 

Good afternoon NBW
A repost of a gifted beer from the tasting as I rarely seek out spiced beers of any kind.

Warped Wing Holiday Special
12oz canned 10/12/2022 poured into a tulip glass at fridge temp 5.5% ABV. The beer pours mostly bright medium amber with khaki colored head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of bubbles. Fine spotty lacing. The aroma is caramel malt, sweetness and nutmeg. The taste is toasted malt with nutmeg hitting right away and ginger on the finish. Minimal bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, good, more so if you like added spice in your beer.

The can calls this beer out as a lager with honey, molasses, ginger, lemon peel and nutmeg. It's actually pretty subdued and balanced for all that busyness.

Cheers all!

 

A lazy kind of Sunday here today and I'm feeling up for a beer. I'm doing my first actual BA trade in quite some time, a fellow BAer wanted some Einstock and our local store is loaded with it so I decided to help him out cause hey, it's the holiday season. I grabbed one from the six pack to make room for some extra local goodies for him to try

Einstock - White Ale



Pretty pouring beer, big white head forms with some good staying power...really nice lacing from the initial head, gets less as its drank down; pours cloudy but light and see through.

The nose is interesting to me; very fruity, mostly orange but I keep picking up candied peach or something reminiscent of it, perhaps the combination of fruity esters, spice and orange...the coriander shows itself in a subtle fashion.

The taste is much different than anticipated from the nose, not nearly as fruity as I expected it would be; orange is much toned down, accompanied by wheat then, like the nose, subtle coriander on the finish; also pick up a touch of grassy hops.

Mouthfeel is soft and light, very easy to drink, has an oat feel to it; lively but smooth carbonation...the slightest hint of bittering hops; moderately dry finish. This beer has a very refreshing feel to it, I wouldn't call it spritzy but it almost gets there.

This is quite a tasty beer; I could definitely see myself revisiting this beer when spring comes around and the warm weather returns. It is a very refreshing beer.

No more new beers for me this weekend, I may try and fit in one more for the holiday tasting though. Hope everyone has a nice week leading up to a busy weekend next week. See you all in a weeks time, and hopefully I can participate as much as I normally try to. Cheers everyone.

 

Curious about what local/regional options you think are superior. Cafe Deth gets mentioned a lot …

 

Cross posting - by no means new to me, but first time reviewing:

3.73/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

2022 vintage - poured from a 12oz bottle into a Duralex tumbler.

Slightly murky chocolate cosmos liquid with a small but lasting stand of beige cream up top. Delicate lacing, no legs.

Herbaceous, gently malty aromatics with faint forest/floral/medicinal notes.

Light toasty malt notes with hints of caramel apple, toffee, juniper and kelp. Moderate bitterness throughout. Finishes rather dry with some residual botanical/spice (ginger?) elements.

Medium-light bodied, well carbonated, light astringency, gently warming.

Decent casual drinking winter warmer - if only the beer lived up to the label.

 

Welcome one and all to New Beer Sunday #930! I tried this beer for the first time Friday as part of a side by side vs. SN Celebration, but did not give it a formal review so away we go.

Anchor 2022 Our Special Ale



Bottle notes: Merry Christmas Happy New Year 12 oz bottled 9/15/22 by union workers in San Francisco.7.2% ABV, this is a Winter Warmer brewed with "natural flavors". Blue Gum Tree Eucalyptus globulus.

This is the forty-eighth Our Special Ale from the brewers at Anchor. This ale is made with natural flavors, features a new recipe & tree every year, but the intent with which we offer it is the same: joy & celebration of the newness of life. Trees symbolize the winter solstice when the earth, with its seasons, appears born anew. Mary Ellen Pleasant planted blue gum trees in front of her San Francisco home in the 1800s.The home is long gone, but her landmark trees remain, a living tribute to the Mother of Civil Rights in California.

Appearance: Single pour into a chalice, dark beige brown base, looks darker in the glass vs. pouring. Creamy tan white head leaves creamy generous cover, nice visible carbonation, and very thin fine lacing throughout. 4.25

Aroma: Malty lead, graham cracker. gingerbread, with a nice pine backing. Smells sweet. 4.0

Taste: Is sweet, malty caramel, gingerbread backed by pine and citrus. Flavor much stronger than the nose. Really liking this year's batch, the pine gains strength as this warms. Disparate flavors come together well, malt works for me which is not always the case. 4.5

Mouthfeel: Creamy, mild carbonation, really want to gulp this baby down. Medium body, drinks lighter throughout than the ABV indicates. Malty aftertaste, pleasant. 4.0

Overall: This is another solid edition by Anchor. Really digging this year's blend, flavors burst through and provide sweetness and varied flavors in the right measure. Overall, happy I scored a six pack, tempted to grab a second despite the fact I have no room in the refrigerator. Don't sleep on this one. 4.25

I liked this more than my side by side notes indicate, likely a 3.75, though perhaps the Celebration was dragging my tastebuds down. Anyway, glad I gave this a thorough review, and definitely recommend for those who like a nice Winter Warmer.

 

Celebrating Wife’s, Son’s & Son’s Girl friend’s birthdays today. Meet the Citras from Hop Butcher! Cheers, y’all!

 

Cafe Death for sure,
Damon is another
Dark Apporition from Jackie O's
Speedway Vietnamese (Coffee example) as well
Cheers

 

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

9.8% Quadruple by Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

Poured from a twelve ounce can, the body pours a dark brown with fluffy head. Good lacing throughout. A nice looking beer in the glass.

Aroma is dark fruits, cherries and sweet malt with a waft of alcohol.

Taste follows nose and provides a moderately sweet with a delightful mix of cherry, rye, figs, malt and brown sugar. A little clove appears briefly. The booze is noticeable but not hot.

Good creamy mouthfeel that's bolstered by the carbonation. Very easy drinking even at 9.8% ABV.