New Beer Weekend #138

Stone Cloud Brewing's Where's Zappa American IPA, 6.00% ABV; 3.99 overall

Pours an effervescent gold with one finger of pearl colored head. Great lacing & good head retention

S: Some citrus & tropical fruits
T: Passion fruit, Kiwi Fruit, tangerine & dryness up front. Dryness, some breadyness, Kiwi Fruit & Grapefruit as this beer warms up, also lime. Finishes dry with grapefruit lime & green melon

MF: Medium body, moderate carbonation, good balance

Solid, drinkable IPA

 

Really enjoying this clean & resinous So Dak single hop drop. Cheers!!
Lost Cabin Bruce Banner #2 Galaxy 5.6% ABV
4.16/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
16oz can stamped STRANGE BRUCE mfgr date 12/20/22 into a pint glass.
L: Pours radiant clear light yellow w a slight yeast glow, a 1.25" eggshell white head w VG retention and a cap, VG fine carbo bubbles, broken lacing w rhythmic banding & perforated patterned sheeting.
S: Lightly spicy earthy grassy hops, floral, caramel malts, light grains, honey bread, light fruits, a sensation of hard candy.
T: Caramelized malts, lemon, lemon zest, melon rind, resin, stone fruit, lightly tangy, mighty resinous.
F: Gently crisp then quickly smooth & light bodied w a med-length lightly drying finish that has a long linger.
O: Very well balanced, fairly hop forward with well-placed resinous bittering and an emphasis on lemon and melon. Quaffable if seeking refreshment and light on its feet. Clean tasting and EZ drinking. It is excellent in its style.

 

Kids are down, awesome team effort thanks to Mrs.Norseman taking the 3yo, littlest one went right to bed for me, I got lucky!

Poured myself a -

Roadhouse Brewing - Mountain Jam Vol.8



Canned 1.19.23 glad it's nice and fresh

Poured into a Pils glass

Pours straight hazy POG juice with a loose soapy and slightly sticky head that settles down to a ring. 3.75

Bright tropical aroma, hello pineapple again, and juicy but subtle sweetness. Thankfully not cloying. 4

This IPA really just wants to be a pineapple, because that's three traits in a row that's the first thing that comes to mind! Sweet fruitiness, fresh and gentle hops, which start to pack more of a punch as it warms up. 4

Smooth and even body. No sharp bite followed by smoothness, but even or balanced is the best way I can describe it. 4

Overall a great, fresh, hazy juice bomb that was a pleasant palate cleanser after a heavy and flavorful Chinese dinner. 4

Turning on MLR to watch the two meanest and best teams face off, Seattle v Houston. Not my boys, (go Warriors!) But I really appreciate watching talent play.

Cheers!

 

Hackensack brewery opted lager
...cloudy,very pale gold appearance
...around medium carbonation with the body coming in around the same
....aroma is bitter citrus peel,malt,citrus fruit,earthy hops.
...taste is very similar to aroma. It is by far the most bitter lager I've had

 

I'd never have thought an Oat lager would be bitter, figured it would be sweeter

 

Thats why I picked up the 4 pack but if I didn't know what I had I would think it was an ipa

 

I’m stunned this was available in Germany. Fine Balance is a fairly small brewer in Kingston, Ontario. I rarely see their stuff a couple hours away in Toronto!

 

Heirloom Rustic Ales/Stonecloud Brewing Co collab Old City Sticke Beer; 5.8% ABV; 4.17 overall

Pours a chill hazed hazel with a pinky of tan head.Average head retention, better lacing

S: Very toasty, a little grainy

T: Pretty toasty, some brown bread, very dry, some herbal & wood hops up front. Dryness, caramel & woody hops as this beer warms up. Finishes dry, sweet toasty with woody hops

MF: Medium body, low carbonation, very good balance

Classic Alt flavor, fairly complex, but drinkable enough

 

Interesting!

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

Home from work now, and it was a very icy, and slick drive home. A stronger beer is in order.

Peach Brandy Barrel Deadfall - Jack Pine Brewing - Baxter, MN - RIS - 9.4% ABV

I am always a fan of this style, and I do like what the peach brandy barrels did to this beer. It made it mellow to start with, but the flavor ramped up fast. Quite delicious.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30161/645115/


4.24/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This beer pours pitch black from the can purchased at the brewery. There's almost no head, less than 1 finger. The head is brown, doesn't last too long, and there's a little bit of lacing on the glass, but not much.
I do get a lot of barrel notes, with a faint hint of peach. I also get a good deal of chocolate, toffee, raisin, plum, and fig on the nose.
Taste - It is a lot more mellow that the nose. The flavors all seem to hit more toward the back. I, of course, get the standard RIS flavors: chocolate, caramel, toffee, fig, plum raisin. I also get some peach notes that shine through from the peach brandy barrels used to age this beer.
This is a thick beer, and is very smooth also. There's just a very faint hint of a burn.
Delicious take on the base beer.


Be back tomorrow with some more new beers. Cheers all!

 

Watched the first half of probably the best rugby I've seen so far this year, Seattle has a hell of a team with Houston not far behind.

But I'll catch the rest of the highlights tomorrow

Time to settle down with a stout and some Sci-Fi via The Expanse

Thanks to @IrishMASMS for this one as well!

Alesmith x North Park - Vietnamese Macaroons





Canned 11.22.21

Poured at fridge temp into a Pils glass

Pours inky black in color and texture with a very thin dark sandy head that completely faded. 3.75

Subtle coffee aroma. Hints of nutty and dark coconut, and a boozy smelling vanilla. 4

First thing I can say about taste is WOW. Initially a soft boozy burn but is kicked away by vanilla and sweet, rich coconut. There is still a touch of coffee, but acts as an accent, not a pillar. 4.75

Ultra thick and viscous. Fair alcohol burn and residual prickling carbo. Thought this would be easier drinking, but it's more like a meal and a half. 4.25

Overall I daresay this rivals 2022 (regular) BCBS. What a dynamic, delightful treat! 4.25

 

The new version of Fat Tire is also hosted on Beer Advocate, in case you wanted to add your review here.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/638976/

The OG version is listed as retired here.

 

Stone Cloud Barley Wine Lips, Barleywine, 8.0% ABV; 4.09 overall

Pours an effervescent & chill-hazed orange/hazel with one finger of eggshell colored head. Below average head retention & lacing

S: Cakey, piney, caramel

T: Follows the nose, pretty darn dry, a touch of leafy hops & figgyness up front. Dryness, pineyness, & toffee as this beer warms through. Finishes dry, cakey & piney with a little pineapple showing up at the very end

MF: Chewy, low carbonation, good balance. Carbonation picks up, once warm

Good take on the style, drinks easy for the ABV

 

I imagined it would be, will get around to it, thanks!

 

Well, starting off this slow Sunday morning with one sent to me by @Whyteboar

Czech Dark Lager - Griffin Claw Brewing - Birmingham, MI - 5.7% ABV

Damn! This beer packs a one heck of a flavor punch in a 5.7% package. So much chocolate, caramel, and coffee rounds up the flavor profile. I am honored to have had this sent to me. Delicious. The only strike on this beer, and a very small one, is the aroma is so light, and hard to get much off of.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/32166/639089/#navigation

4.1/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
The beer is a very dark brown color poured from the can. When held up to a light, I get a faint hint of amber shining through the darkness. The head is quite thick. It was 3 finger at most, and tan colored. There's some great lacing on the glass as the head dissipates. It took 3 attempts to fully fill my glass.
The nose is fairly mild. I am not really getting much on it. I mostly get is a faint grain aroma. Very faint hint of caramel on a second smelling of the beer.
Oh, wow is what I keep saying about the flavor. I get such a chocolate flavor from this beer. It's not too sweet tasting, but is more of a milk chocolate than dark. Tons of caramel also make an appearance. I get some coffee as well in this beer that shows up on the back side. This provides a roasted flavor, and a slight bitterness to it.
The body is quite good and full in this beer. Very smooth feeling.
Damn delicious.


See you all in a few.

 

Welcome one and all to New Beer Sunday #942! Decided to go with this local beer and celebrate (from the warmth of my home) the Northwest Side Saint Patrick's Day Parade two blocks away starting at noon today. This beer was brewed within walking distance as well in neighboring Niles.

Hubbard's Cave Irish Stout



Can Notes: Purchased at Beer on the Wall at room temperature, single can for $3.22 on 3/2/23, refrigerated thereafter. 16 oz, 6.0% ABV, Irish Style Extra Stout. Brewed at Une Annee Brewery, Niles, Illinois.

Appearance: Nice near black with shades of brown base, cream tan head lingers for a few minutes before leaving nice thin fine lacing, with a creamy cover above most of the base. Carbonation bubbles popping up consistently for a few minutes. Looks nice. 4.0

Aroma: Nice chocolate fudge, roast malt, getting some hoppy action as well which I hope continues into the taste. 4.25

Taste: Consistent with the nose, a nice balanced blend of a bitter roast chocolate, no fudge, getting some coffee as well, hops in there making sure the malt doesn't run with a sugar high creating havoc. Really digging this, struggling to hold back drinking it all before finishing my review. Always a good sign. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Blend of roast, bitter and hops keeps sweetness contained, would say edges roast and bitter, which hits my wheelhouse. Body rich and medium full, light carbonation sustained throughout, drinks very light and easy, appropriate since this is Sunday morning. roast chocolate coffee lingers joyously on the finish. 4.5

Overall: This is a very good Irish Dry Stout, the best I can recall by memory. Everything comes through well, I am enjoying all aspects, and only have 1/3 left as I complete this sentence. Well done Hubbard's Cafe. 4.25

Erin Go Bragh, Go Saint Patrick High School and Chicago Northwest Side Irish!!!

 

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass released on 2/15/23. Pours a very attractive hazy orange with a 2 finger sticky white head that leaves a wall of lace. 4.5

Aroma is mandarin, peach, mango, apricot, and grapefruit rind. 4.25

Taste follows mandarin, peach, mango, apricot, and pink grapefruit. 4.25

Mouthfeel is rather large, soft gentle carbonation, not sticky or dry, and at 8.5% huge flavor, but very approachable. 4.5

Overall not sure why collaborations seem to be every other review, but this is a very good NEDIP. 4.25 Cheers all.

 

This is the second in Pollyanna's limited Sinister Soul release.
In their words: "We had a few super tasty Whiskey Acres Distilling Co. Bottled in Bond Bourbon and Bottled in Bond Rye Whiskey barrels that (had) a new Imperial Stout aging for 20 months and decided it was time to awaken the beast lying inside of them. World class whiskey and a new adjunct infusion process led to the creation of these flavor packed "Barrel Aged Sinister Soul!"
The two variants are:
1. Darrel Aged Sinister Soul Vanilla Chocolate Rye Whiskey - 13.5% ABV - Imperial Stout aged in Whiskey Acres Bottled in Bond Rye Whiskey Barrels with Vanilla & Cocoa Nibs 2. Barrel Aged Sinister Soul - Toasted Coconut Chocolate Bourbon - 13.5% ABV - Imperial Stout aged in Whiskey Acres Bottled in Bond Bourbon Barrels with Toasted Coconut & Cocoa Nibs"


This bourbon version is darker, and swallows more light than the rye, but the viscous, oily, and still creamy feel is the same. Orgasmic is too evocative of a word, but I am definitely enjoying losing myself in the symmetric dance of toasted coconut and bourbon. Again it threatens sweetness yet the bourbon and roast rein it in. Letting this warm from the fridge is required as the chill keeps aroma and flavor tied up in a ball.

 

Up next today is one I am pretty sure was from @WunderLlama .

Old Growth Kentucky Common - Tree House Brewing - Steam beer - 4.9% ABV

Quite delicious, and am so thankful that it was sent to me. Thank you Maynard so much.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28743/621141/

3.93/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Dark looking when poured from the can. It looks a bit like cola. In the glass it has more of an amber color. When held up to the light, the amber really shows up in the glass. The head is off white, 2 finger, and quite frothy looking. Decent retention, and some great lacing on the glass.
The aroma isn't too strong, but is very malty. I get some grain, and biscuit. Faintest hint of hops shows up in this beer also.
The flavor is malty, grain, biscuit. I get a licorice flavor that hits more toward the back. Slightly roasted flavor.
Body is lighter, but not watery feeling in the least.
Delicious, and a pleasure to try.


Be back later for more reviews.

 

Glad to finally get my hands on this one. Wish they would expand distribution to Massachusetts.

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald porter.

Format and age: 12oz bottle gifted, best by April 22, 2023.

Cold chain: somewhat unknown. Transported cold after receiving it and kept in fridge at home.

Impressions: pours very dark brown with red edges and a one-finger tan head. Aromas of chocolate and roast coffee dominate. The taste starts with a big kick of bitter chocolate that sweetens as it lingers in the mouth. Progresses to notes of dark roast coffee and burnt toast with some dark fruit on the finish and aftertaste. As it warms, the dark fruits come out more while the bitter and burnt characteristics recede a bit. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation, resulting in a smooth feel.

Overall: a great porter. Great Lakes did a good job keeping the bitterness in check while retaining that quintessential porter profile and making it more thab just a roast bomb. Definitely my favorite since having Everett quite a few years ago now