New Beer Weekend #128

I'd say it's called profiteering from liquidation of your investment, especially if everything is well marked-up. Is the owner at retirement age and possibly ready to sell the place?

 

The Herdsman

6.7% Bock by Czig Meister

Poured from a twelve ounce can, the color is a dark-medium brown with a single finger of head that quickly dissipated. Light lacing.

Aroma is a light sweet mix of biscuit and malt. Taste follows nose with the sweetness slightly boosted - some caramel notes set against a balancing light hop bitterness - as well as some nuttiness.

Mouthfeel is soft as is the carbonation. An easy drinking bock that should please devotees of the style.

 

Everything seems to be priced at retail. From the general condition of the store, I'm afraid things aren't good there. Really sucks, I only have a couple stores worth walking into...

 

Greetings fellow NBSers! A mostly cloudy morning here in the Fourth Corner show some signs of breaking up a bit with temps around 50. I'll take it. Worked for the first time since my recent adventure last night, and my back is feeling it a bit today. The theatre put me on the easiest possible thing, and still, maybe 6 hours was a bit much for this point in my recovery. ya don't know until ya try though.

Starting off my new brews with one my friend Justin brought me back from his hometown of Aberdeen WA during his Turkey Day visit, Hall of Mosses NW Amber ale, from Mount Olympus Brewing. A solid enough amber/red with couple minor flaws: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/54544/635411/

 

"Carpetbagger" is a derisive term used by southerners for northerners who traveled to the South after the Civil War in search of a quick dollar. Although I've lived in New Jersey all my life I've known many aged relatives in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia who still used it as a pejorative.

 

Great review, Jon. I think Reef 11 is the best Rye IPA brewed in New Jersey. We haven't been down to Cape May County since October and I hope there's some left later this month. Cheers!

 

It's funny. Vine Shine is Magnify's "house" IPA. But they release several canned IPAs every week - some new, many repeats. So the locals, myself included, tend to forget about Vine Shine, which is a shame since it's a solid IPA.

 

Report back and maybe they’ll even have a new to you beer for you to post here…they’ve quickly become one of my top 3 breweries in NJ thanks to your posts.

Really looking forward to what the new brew house does for them come spring and summer.

 

1st beer of 2023 is rather nice. Could fit 2 in each front pocket of my carpenter jeans! Cheers!
Sixpoint The Crisp Pilz 5.4%ABV

4.03/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12oz can best before date Feb 11, 2023 into a tall Pilsner glass.
L: Pours clear light golden caramel w some large carbo bubbles, a 1/2" white head w good retention to edge foam, rhythmic skeletal lacing.
S: Grassy, a hint of bread, moderately floral, perfume, wildflower, a suggestion of green apple, light caramel.
T: Gentle sweet malts in a bright hoppy shell, a hint of citrus fruit, a wisp of apple, very clean finish with very little aftertaste. Non-resinous.
F: Crisp, medium-light bodied feel and clean w a med-fast lightly drying finish.
O: A fairly tame Pilsner with excellent light taste and feel. It dries out a little at the end. Totally crushable and clean drinking. It is excellent in its style.

 

Happy New Year New Beer Advocates, and welcome to the first New Beer Sunday of the year, New Beer Sunday #932! The 18th Year Anniversary New Beer Sunday (founded 2/27/05) will be held on February 26th this year.

This is a rare "New" beer I've tried before featuring here, but I did not rate beyond my side by side review vs. Willettized by Lagunitas. My initial impression was that I enjoyed this one more than the single barrel "Easter Eggs" released in 2020. Today is the day for a dedicated focused review.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout - Willett (2022)





Bottle Notes: Four pack 12 oz purchased at Jewel (Nagle & Irving Park) on Black Friday for $44.23 after tax, refrigerated until this afternoon. Willett Single Barrel (WLLT), bottled 10/11/22 @ 8:10 AM, drink by 10/11/27 (Develops in the bottle for up to five years), 14.3% ABV. Stout aged in bourbon barrels.

Before exploring a new idea for our 1,000th BATCH of beer at our Clybourn brewpub, putting an imperial stout in a used bourbon barrel had not been done before. That idea altered Goose Island's HISTORY and that of the craft beer world. As we look back on the last 30 years there is so much to celebrate. It started with people not knowing exactly what they were drinking and grew to lines of beer lovers forming every Black Friday in hopes of getting their hands on a bottle of Bourbon County Brand Stout.

The ORIGINAL batch started with only six used bourbon barrels. over the course of 30 years, we created more than sixty-five different variants, partnered locally and globally, and made a who lot of friends along the way. Year after year, one thing has stayed the same: THIS BEER. This carefully-crafted bourbon barrel-aged stout continues to bring people together to toast one another all around the world. Cheers!

Appearance: Single pour into a BCB Snifter. Pitch black base, creamy rich tan head lingers for a few minutes before retreating to a ring above the rim base. Thin micro bubble lacing slides around as you enjoy. 4.25

Aroma: Allowed to warm for 15 minutes, mild aroma strength. Bourbon barrel and oak the primary, raisins & plums, toffee, caramel all coming through. Beautiful blend of aromas. 4.5

Taste: Now 20 minutes in, the bourbon barrel is the primary taste, hot, slight burn, harsher than expected though still pleasant. Chocolate toffee, caramel and oak follow. The fruit aromas noted are AWOL.4.0

Mouthfeel: Creamy medium to full body, prickly tiny carbonation bubbles attack with each sip. Drinks at or above the high ABV, this is one you'll want to pace yourself and not drive after. Bourbon lingers, the burn lessons as I work through this. I plan on splitting this into my tasting now, and finishing after dinner later today. 4.0

Overall: Once again, the single barrel treatment seems harsher in terms of bourbon presence, and not as well of a complete package in terms of the overall beer. Still enjoyable, but beyond a short draft pour, will avoid future single barrel easter eggs and instead seek the blended annual version. Still a solid and enjoyable beer. 4.0

The primary difference between my full take today and my side by side was the fact I noted permeating sweetness, whereas today bourbon is sharp, front and center, and dominating the proceedings holding sweetness in check. I still prefer the blended version, and hope to try a 2022 bottle over the next 10 days to compare and contrast against this single barrel version.

Have time to review the past few days later today, looking forward to the 2022/2023 reviews enjoyed over the weekend!

 

Just got home from an off the grid and overnighter NYE party.
Time for a little hair of the dog!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28/625463/



12 ounce bottle.

Gentle to moderate pour yields a nearly one inch light tan head over a dark brown body with red highlights and very sticky lacing.

Nose of eucalyptus (menthol, citrus, pine) and spice.

Taste follows nose very closely with menthol, citrus, and pine with a bit of earthy spice and finishing dry (dried pine needles!?!)

Mouthfeel is nice with medium carbonation.

Overall, I'm really enjoying this latest unique special ale and highly recommend it!
Cheers!!

 

The Tulip of Doom has been reloaded with another brew from Mount Olympus Brewing, this time Lupulin Fields. A supposed WCIPA, it's as murky and muddy as any NEIPA. Lots of citrusy bitterness though, but there was a lot of astringency that really detracted from the beer: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/54544/435071/

 

Happy New Year, New Beer Samplers and commentators. What a beautiful first day of 2023 - sunny and mild. I even volunteered to clean out the garage and for this old grump that takes a lot! Yesterday, @BigIronH inquired on another thread why I haven't been posting photos of the beers he sent me in the BIF. Good-natured ribbing aside, the beers that Harley sent me are so good that they deserve special consideration on NBS. This is no exception.

Although Odd Side Ales doesn't distribute to New Jersey, I've been fortunate to sample 8 of its beers courtesy of Harley and @superspak. I have high regard for Odd Side!

It pours a very dark walnut color, approaching ink black, with a large, frothy, medium-mocha colored head and lacing. The nose is distinctly barrel-forward but there are also the aromas of roasted malt, figs and other dark fruit, and earthy char. The taste is highly fruity for the style. I'm not an expert on currants but I can definitely taste fig and other dark fruit, along with notes of molasses, leather, and tobacco. The influence of the whiskey barrel is noticeable but it's delicate enough not to distract from the other flavors. It's a rich brew. Perhaps its strongest attribute is its mouth feel: it's thick and creamy - almost chewy. I don't think I've ever had a Baltic Porter so viscous. The carbonation is pleasant and I can feel the 10.4% ABV. Overall, I like it a lot as reflected in my rating.

4.14/5 rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Cheers NBW and have a great week everyone!

 

Yes! But it's bittersweet since the existing small, intimate tasting room is really friendly; especially "off-season."

 

Alesmith Speedway Stout - Double Fudge Edition. I bought this one while visiting family in VA this past summer. As you can see from my review below, I wish I would have drunk it back then for maybe a better experience.

Canned on 12/22/21. Aroma is muted coffee and even more muted chocolate. Taste is reversed. Roasted malt is the strongest flavor, and it's also a bit mellow. I was expecting more clarity in these flavors, so one year has had a negative effect on the beer. But it's still a tasty beer.

 

Starting the year off with the #1 ranked beer in its category. A nice wintry concoction for what passes for a wintry day here in SoCal.

4.39/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2022 vintage. Poured from a waxed 22oz bomber into a snifter.

Clear bistre kissed seal brown liquid topped by a lasting event-horizon of desert sand. Thick, fine lacing; shimmering sticky panes of tears; excellent retention.

Champurrado, cocoa, cinnamon, and earthy coffee with a hints of kretek in the nose. Very mild.

Intense palate entry, heavy/sharp sweetness with waves of blackstrap, coffee, walnuts, black currant, and fig. Moderate earthy bitterness washed away by the alcohol (hints of rum and irish whiskey, and port more than bourbon) and spice notes in the long medium finish. Low tartness with hints of oak comes and goes.

Rich, creamy, medium-full bodied, with low astringency and good round carbonation. A tiny bit hot perhaps.

An interesting base beer not overwhelmed by adjuncts, though quite coffee-forward at the moment.

 

100% understand felt the same way when Tonewood opened Barrington but the bonus was Oaklyn never closed and is still the same special place it’s always been.

Maybe I need to get down there before the new place opens then. Do you know if they plan to close the old place when the new one opens?

Re-Expansion…I guess I’m more curious about beer wise, with any new brew toys they get, and distribution wise what slack tides expansion may do.

And PS…maybe they’ll have that new white stout still for you. I’ve never had one and almost bought it at the store but the store had a hefty price tag on it; I don’t know what slack tide is charging but I doubt it’s the 20$ the store was.

 

Happy New Year, very fortunate to have received this from @Beersnake1, Paraboloid, age 2 years in whiskey barrels. The appearance is outstanding with a nice khaki head that sustains throughout, a lot of high abv beers are unable to generate this head, aroma is sweet, very fudge brownie and chocolate taste, spicy and hot alcohol presence welcomed warming. Smooth, creamy thick mouthfeel. I’d have to say this is an all time favorite beer, will be very hard to top. Thanks Tim!