New Beer Weekend #140

AzfromOz · Mar 25, 2023

Hello NBW!

This is Parfait (Blend #3) from Shared, which is a subsidiary of Side Project Brewing in Wisconsin, US of A. My beer dealer, @TurkeysDrinkBeer, procured this one for me, and as always I stand in awe of the service he did me, sending this beer halfway 'round the world in pursuit of my ridiculous beer fixation.

And now on to the review!

....

He stands poised on his back deck, beer in hand, glass just so, camera at the ready. The weekend is half done, and the working week peeks ever-so-slightly above the horizon. If time could stand still, he'd pause it right here. Anticipation glitters in his mind; possibility is ripe. This is likely a big, big beer, a sweet-toothed monster from his dentist's worst nightmare. It's been in his fridge for what seems like forever, and now is the time to bell the big, boozy cat.

He pours and gives pause - is his wife trying to kill him? Has she swapped beer for motor oil in this can? It pours like ink, but no quill rests ready for action. It's black. Blacker than black. The epitome of the absence of light. It looks solid as it sits, still as death, waiting in his glass. He swirls it to enforce motion. The beer clings stubbornly to the glass, meniscus standing proud and holy at the edge of the glass. (L: 4.25)

If he's going to swirl it, he might as well smell it. He shoves his nose in the glass and inhales. Can something smell thick? Yes. Yes, it can. The beer is still cold, and is dominated by notes destined to fade as heat drives the volatiles out of the glass and slumbering molecules are roused from secret depths. The first hints of booze - so much booze - and syrupy vanilla flare to life before their spark is extinguished by pecans, umami nuttiness and tangy maple syrup. Cinnamon dances between the other notes and like the stubborn crocodile simply waits out evolution to remain present throughout. (S: 4)

But the money shot can't wait forever, and like an impatient **** director, a climax is demanded. The glass caresses his lips and unleashes the long-awaited.... booze? Surely there's more to it than that? He sips again, concentration etched on his brow, mentally coaxing his tongue to parse the liquid that sloshes over it like thick, alcoholic silk. Suitably chastened, his tongue detects vanilla and cinnamon. But he's no neophyte and knows a beer of this magnitude bows only to time, its one undeniable master. He slowly works his way through the beer over the next hour, revelling in the change it displays, mirroring the entropic battle as the leaves yellow on the venerable, old pear tree half a dozen strides distant. Vanilla and cinnamon are joined by chocolate, pecans, wood and a smokiness that sits under all of it. But striding purposely to the front of the gustatory queue is sweetness. The long-threatened tooth-melting sweetness has arrived, and it's announced it's staying for the night whether he likes it or not. There's no denying that the pecan-edged woodiness strives manfully against that sweetness, but it's like a sandcastle before a tide, and in the morning the only thing he'll see is the sea wrack carried by the tide, sandcastle long gone. In his mind, that sweetness is too much. It overwhelms all. (t: 3.5)

The beer remains thick, unctuous and clingy the whole way through. His mouth is coated. It's not quite candle wax chiili-proof after a swallow but a trip to the car wash might be required to clean the saccharine from his mouth. There's a slight carbonic prickle that attempts to counteract the sweetness, but the coating and sweetness are inexorable. They are the intercontinental ballistic missile to his wooden fence. They will not be denied. (m: 3.75 if he's being generous).

His picture of the beer contains his reflection. How could it not when such a black canvas plays backdrop to the scene? It's that blackness that shouted this beer's DNA at him. It looked thick. It looked sweet. It looked like nothing his grandfather would have considered a beer. It's molasses made modern, and modern made ridiculous. It's a sweet bomb of alcohol and sugar, and it comes packaged in a large enough vessel to make finishing it an adventure in perseverance and desperate need for savoury rescue. He can't help but think this is a beer for now, for the experience cravers, the moment chasers and the instant gratification of too much, too fast, too soon. Don't fret: he'll tick it off and chalk up the stat, but after the first third of the glass, he really didn't need to. (O: 3.5)

And now he needs to brush his teeth!

Cheers!

jonphisher · Mar 25, 2023

AzfromOz said: ↑

Hello NBW!

This is Parfait (Blend #3) from Shared, which is a subsidiary of Side Project Brewing in Wisconsin, US of A. My beer dealer, @TurkeysDrinkBeer, procured this one for me, and as always I stand in awe of the service he did me, sending this beer halfway 'round the world in pursuit of my ridiculous beer fixation.

And now on to the review!

....

He stands poised on his back deck, beer in hand, glass just so, camera at the ready. The weekend is half done, and the working week peeks ever-so-slightly above the horizon. If time could stand still, he'd pause it right here. Anticipation glitters in his mind; possibility is ripe. This is likely a big, big beer, a sweet-toothed monster from his dentist's worst nightmare. It's been in his fridge for what seems like forever, and now is the time to bell the big, boozy cat.

He pours and gives pause - is his wife trying to kill him? Has she swapped beer for motor oil in this can? It pours like ink, but no quill rests ready for action. It's black. Blacker than black. The epitome of the absence of light. It looks solid as it sits, still as death, waiting in his glass. He swirls it to enforce motion. The beer clings stubbornly to the glass, meniscus standing proud and holy at the edge of the glass. (L: 4.25)

If he's going to swirl it, he might as well smell it. He shoves his nose in the glass and inhales. Can something smell thick? Yes. Yes, it can. The beer is still cold, and is dominated by notes destined to fade as heat drives the volatiles out of the glass and slumbering molecules are roused from secret depths. The first hints of booze - so much booze - and syrupy vanilla flare to life before their spark is extinguished by pecans, umami nuttiness and tangy maple syrup. Cinnamon dances between the other notes and like the stubborn crocodile simply waits out evolution to remain present throughout. (S: 4)

But the money shot can't wait forever, and like an impatient **** director, a climax is demanded. The glass caresses his lips and unleashes the long-awaited.... booze? Surely there's more to it than that? He sips again, concentration etched on his brow, mentally coaxing his tongue to parse the liquid that sloshes over it like thick, alcoholic silk. Suitably chastened, his tongue detects vanilla and cinnamon. But he's no neophyte and knows a beer of this magnitude bows only to time, its one undeniable master. He slowly works his way through the beer over the next hour, revelling in the change it displays, mirroring the entropic battle as the leaves yellow on the venerable, old pear tree half a dozen strides distant. Vanilla and cinnamon are joined by chocolate, pecans, wood and a smokiness that sits under all of it. But striding purposely to the front of the gustatory queue is sweetness. The long-threatened tooth-melting sweetness has arrived, and it's announced it's staying for the night whether he likes it or not. There's no denying that the pecan-edged woodiness strives manfully against that sweetness, but it's like a sandcastle before a tide, and in the morning the only thing he'll see is the sea wrack carried by the tide, sandcastle long gone. In his mind, that sweetness is too much. It overwhelms all. (t: 3.5)

The beer remains thick, unctuous and clingy the whole way through. His mouth is coated. It's not quite candle wax chiili-proof after a swallow but a trip to the car wash might be required to clean the saccharine from his mouth. There's a slight carbonic prickle that attempts to counteract the sweetness, but the coating and sweetness are inexorable. They are the intercontinental ballistic missile to his wooden fence. They will not be denied. (m: 3.75 if he's being generous).

His picture of the beer contains his reflection. How could it not when such a black canvas plays backdrop to the scene? It's that blackness that shouted this beer's DNA at him. It looked thick. It looked sweet. It looked like nothing his grandfather would have considered a beer. It's molasses made modern, and modern made ridiculous. It's a sweet bomb of alcohol and sugar, and it comes packaged in a large enough vessel to make finishing it an adventure in perseverance and desperate need for savoury rescue. He can't help but think this is a beer for now, for the experience cravers, the moment chasers and the instant gratification of too much, too fast, too soon. Don't fret: he'll tick it off and chalk up the stat, but after the first third of the glass, he really didn't need to. (O: 3.5)

And now he needs to brush his teeth!

Cheers!

Click to expand...

The best part of waking up…reading a NBW opening from down under with coffee in hand. Thanks for getting us started again @AzfromOz

SawDog505 · Mar 25, 2023

Poured into a 16 Snulip canned on 3/9/23. Pours an attractive hazy orange yellow with a finger plus sticky white head that leaves tons of streaks of lace as it slowly settles. 4.5

Aroma mango, peach, tangerine, apricot, and white grapefruit rind. 4.25

Taste follows tangerine, peach, mango, apricot, and some grapefruit bitterness. 4.25

Mouthfeel is bigger than average, soft gentle carbonation, maybe a little dry, and at 10.25% it has massive flavor but goes down easy enough. 4.5

Overall this a really nice NETIPA from Vitamin Sea. I would recommend for sure. Thanks @AzfromOz for kicking us off early and with a bang. Well done as usual. 4.25

russpowell · Mar 25, 2023

AzfromOz said: ↑

Hello NBW!

This is Parfait (Blend #3) from Shared, which is a subsidiary of Side Project Brewing in Wisconsin, US of A. My beer dealer, @TurkeysDrinkBeer, procured this one for me, and as always I stand in awe of the service he did me, sending this beer halfway 'round the world in pursuit of my ridiculous beer fixation.

And now on to the review!

....

He stands poised on his back deck, beer in hand, glass just so, camera at the ready. The weekend is half done, and the working week peeks ever-so-slightly above the horizon. If time could stand still, he'd pause it right here. Anticipation glitters in his mind; possibility is ripe. This is likely a big, big beer, a sweet-toothed monster from his dentist's worst nightmare. It's been in his fridge for what seems like forever, and now is the time to bell the big, boozy cat.

He pours and gives pause - is his wife trying to kill him? Has she swapped beer for motor oil in this can? It pours like ink, but no quill rests ready for action. It's black. Blacker than black. The epitome of the absence of light. It looks solid as it sits, still as death, waiting in his glass. He swirls it to enforce motion. The beer clings stubbornly to the glass, meniscus standing proud and holy at the edge of the glass. (L: 4.25)

If he's going to swirl it, he might as well smell it. He shoves his nose in the glass and inhales. Can something smell thick? Yes. Yes, it can. The beer is still cold, and is dominated by notes destined to fade as heat drives the volatiles out of the glass and slumbering molecules are roused from secret depths. The first hints of booze - so much booze - and syrupy vanilla flare to life before their spark is extinguished by pecans, umami nuttiness and tangy maple syrup. Cinnamon dances between the other notes and like the stubborn crocodile simply waits out evolution to remain present throughout. (S: 4)

But the money shot can't wait forever, and like an impatient **** director, a climax is demanded. The glass caresses his lips and unleashes the long-awaited.... booze? Surely there's more to it than that? He sips again, concentration etched on his brow, mentally coaxing his tongue to parse the liquid that sloshes over it like thick, alcoholic silk. Suitably chastened, his tongue detects vanilla and cinnamon. But he's no neophyte and knows a beer of this magnitude bows only to time, its one undeniable master. He slowly works his way through the beer over the next hour, revelling in the change it displays, mirroring the entropic battle as the leaves yellow on the venerable, old pear tree half a dozen strides distant. Vanilla and cinnamon are joined by chocolate, pecans, wood and a smokiness that sits under all of it. But striding purposely to the front of the gustatory queue is sweetness. The long-threatened tooth-melting sweetness has arrived, and it's announced it's staying for the night whether he likes it or not. There's no denying that the pecan-edged woodiness strives manfully against that sweetness, but it's like a sandcastle before a tide, and in the morning the only thing he'll see is the sea wrack carried by the tide, sandcastle long gone. In his mind, that sweetness is too much. It overwhelms all. (t: 3.5)

The beer remains thick, unctuous and clingy the whole way through. His mouth is coated. It's not quite candle wax chiili-proof after a swallow but a trip to the car wash might be required to clean the saccharine from his mouth. There's a slight carbonic prickle that attempts to counteract the sweetness, but the coating and sweetness are inexorable. They are the intercontinental ballistic missile to his wooden fence. They will not be denied. (m: 3.75 if he's being generous).

His picture of the beer contains his reflection. How could it not when such a black canvas plays backdrop to the scene? It's that blackness that shouted this beer's DNA at him. It looked thick. It looked sweet. It looked like nothing his grandfather would have considered a beer. It's molasses made modern, and modern made ridiculous. It's a sweet bomb of alcohol and sugar, and it comes packaged in a large enough vessel to make finishing it an adventure in perseverance and desperate need for savoury rescue. He can't help but think this is a beer for now, for the experience cravers, the moment chasers and the instant gratification of too much, too fast, too soon. Don't fret: he'll tick it off and chalk up the stat, but after the first third of the glass, he really didn't need to. (O: 3.5)

And now he needs to brush his teeth!

Cheers!

Click to expand...

Wow that's a review!

JackHorzempa · Mar 25, 2023

Happy National Bock Day!

Well, technically National Bock Day was last Monday (March 20th) but I will be celebrating today. And today’s new beer is a twofer when it comes to celebrating since it has he words “Mardi Gras” in the brand name: Abita Mardi Gras Bock.

I am cognizant of Abita Brewing Company but frankly I have not had many of their beers. Below is a short ‘biography’ of the brewery:

“The Abita Brewing Company is a brewery in Covington, Louisiana, United States, 43 miles (69 km) north of New Orleans. Abita was founded by Jim Patton and Rush Cumming in 1986, in downtown Abita Springs, Louisiana. The original location in downtown Abita Springs is now the Abita Brew Pub.”

With an opening in 1986 this is one of the early craft breweries. Congratulations to Abita for operating for 37 years!

Served in my Sly Fox Goats Races/Bockfest Willi Becher glass:

Appearance:

Pours a copper amber color with a BIG white head.

Aroma:

It is dominated with a toasty dark bread aroma but there are some hints of toffee as well.

Taste:

The flavors follow the nose with mostly toasted dark bread but also some toffee sweetness in the mid-palate. It is a pleasant rich, malty flavor. There is low/moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Medium bodied with a dry finish.

Overall:

I enjoyed drinking this beer. I found it to be a good Bock beer to celebrate (belatedly) National Bock Day.

Cheers!

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch

JackHorzempa · Mar 25, 2023

AzfromOz said: ↑

Hello NBW!

This is Parfait (Blend #3) from Shared, which is a subsidiary of Side Project Brewing in Wisconsin, US of A. My beer dealer, @TurkeysDrinkBeer, procured this one for me, and as always I stand in awe of the service he did me, sending this beer halfway 'round the world in pursuit of my ridiculous beer fixation.

And now on to the review!

....

He stands poised on his back deck, beer in hand, glass just so, camera at the ready. The weekend is half done, and the working week peeks ever-so-slightly above the horizon. If time could stand still, he'd pause it right here. Anticipation glitters in his mind; possibility is ripe. This is likely a big, big beer, a sweet-toothed monster from his dentist's worst nightmare. It's been in his fridge for what seems like forever, and now is the time to bell the big, boozy cat.

He pours and gives pause - is his wife trying to kill him? Has she swapped beer for motor oil in this can? It pours like ink, but no quill rests ready for action. It's black. Blacker than black. The epitome of the absence of light. It looks solid as it sits, still as death, waiting in his glass. He swirls it to enforce motion. The beer clings stubbornly to the glass, meniscus standing proud and holy at the edge of the glass. (L: 4.25)

If he's going to swirl it, he might as well smell it. He shoves his nose in the glass and inhales. Can something smell thick? Yes. Yes, it can. The beer is still cold, and is dominated by notes destined to fade as heat drives the volatiles out of the glass and slumbering molecules are roused from secret depths. The first hints of booze - so much booze - and syrupy vanilla flare to life before their spark is extinguished by pecans, umami nuttiness and tangy maple syrup. Cinnamon dances between the other notes and like the stubborn crocodile simply waits out evolution to remain present throughout. (S: 4)

But the money shot can't wait forever, and like an impatient **** director, a climax is demanded. The glass caresses his lips and unleashes the long-awaited.... booze? Surely there's more to it than that? He sips again, concentration etched on his brow, mentally coaxing his tongue to parse the liquid that sloshes over it like thick, alcoholic silk. Suitably chastened, his tongue detects vanilla and cinnamon. But he's no neophyte and knows a beer of this magnitude bows only to time, its one undeniable master. He slowly works his way through the beer over the next hour, revelling in the change it displays, mirroring the entropic battle as the leaves yellow on the venerable, old pear tree half a dozen strides distant. Vanilla and cinnamon are joined by chocolate, pecans, wood and a smokiness that sits under all of it. But striding purposely to the front of the gustatory queue is sweetness. The long-threatened tooth-melting sweetness has arrived, and it's announced it's staying for the night whether he likes it or not. There's no denying that the pecan-edged woodiness strives manfully against that sweetness, but it's like a sandcastle before a tide, and in the morning the only thing he'll see is the sea wrack carried by the tide, sandcastle long gone. In his mind, that sweetness is too much. It overwhelms all. (t: 3.5)

The beer remains thick, unctuous and clingy the whole way through. His mouth is coated. It's not quite candle wax chiili-proof after a swallow but a trip to the car wash might be required to clean the saccharine from his mouth. There's a slight carbonic prickle that attempts to counteract the sweetness, but the coating and sweetness are inexorable. They are the intercontinental ballistic missile to his wooden fence. They will not be denied. (m: 3.75 if he's being generous).

His picture of the beer contains his reflection. How could it not when such a black canvas plays backdrop to the scene? It's that blackness that shouted this beer's DNA at him. It looked thick. It looked sweet. It looked like nothing his grandfather would have considered a beer. It's molasses made modern, and modern made ridiculous. It's a sweet bomb of alcohol and sugar, and it comes packaged in a large enough vessel to make finishing it an adventure in perseverance and desperate need for savoury rescue. He can't help but think this is a beer for now, for the experience cravers, the moment chasers and the instant gratification of too much, too fast, too soon. Don't fret: he'll tick it off and chalk up the stat, but after the first third of the glass, he really didn't need to. (O: 3.5)

And now he needs to brush his teeth!

Cheers!

Click to expand...

Excellent start off post as always.

The only thing missing from your chronicle:

Cheers!

FBarber · Mar 25, 2023

Good Morning to most of you - good afternoon to @AzfromOz!

This morning I am kicking off my Saturday full of chores with a bit of a kitchen sink stout - Flavorton a collaboration between Transient Artisan Ales and Saint Errant Brewing. THe description on this is overwhelming: "Blended Oatmeal Rye Imperial Stout with Vanilla Beans, Maple Syrup, Tugboat Coffee, Cacao Nibs, Caramel, Cinnamon, Marshmallow, Toasted Coconut, Graham Crackers, Peanuts, and Lactose aged in Blis Maple Bourbon and Weller Whiskey Barrels for 24 months; *this beer was made from barrels of Buckley, Junie and No Cake*"

Pours a very dark black color. Thin, fleeting, fizzy soda-like head momentarily appears on the beer before disappearing. This really looks like a soda in terms of how the head appears on it. once that settles down it is immediately apparent that the beer has a very oily appearance and is peppered with debris or grit all along the top of the beer and the sides. It actually coats the glass as the beer is consumed leaving layers of sediment instead of layers of foam. It's not the best, but on the other hand, no one will accuse them of not using real coconut in this.

The aroma is all over the place - notes of coconut, chocolate, roasted malts, maple syrup, oak, rye malts, cinnamon, peanut butter and graham cracker. The weird thing is that because there is so much going on with the aroma, every time you take it in, it gives you different notes. It's a bit of a mess, but ultimately each of the disjointed notes are quite good. The thing that is most lacking in this beer is the barrel ... outside of the maple syrup barrel, there just is not a ton of barrel character being subdued by the many adjuncts. This fault - so common in many an adjuncted barrel aged stout - is one that Transient usually avoids quite well. Alas, this time they did not.

The taste comes across quite different from the nose - up front there are notes of chocolate, roasted malts, lots of cinnamon, vanilla and marshmallow. The cinnamon, which was very subtle on the nose is far more prominent in the flavor profile. There are more subtle notes of maple, coconut, peanut butter, and cream. The barrels try to come through, but are ultimately subdued by the ,any adjunct and the flavors they bring to bear. Overall the beer is sweet - very sweet - for the first 8 or so ounces I was enjoying the beer ... for the second half of the bottle it has become a slog to finish.

Feel is fuller bodied, with a bit of grittiness to the beer from all the sediment and debris in it. it is a bit oily and slick, especially for a stout. Moderate carbonation.

Overall it sounds like I hated this beer based on the review so far, but the truth is, it does taste pretty good for a dessert beer. And for all its faults, nothing in this tastes artificial, so that is a huge advantage over many of the crappy pastry stouts being produced out there. THere is a lot going on - for me, its too much - and for transient its way more than usual - but I can't deny the beer still tastes pretty good.

look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4 = 4.07 (rDev -4.9%)

KP7 · Mar 25, 2023

Joining in early this weekend with a new beer that I had last night. Jack's Abby Nordic Frost is billed as an Icelandic-style holiday bock and is a re-release of their Lagers of the World: Iceland. This particular release was a small batch on their new pilot brew line, testing things out for a much wider release as their new holiday seasonal later this year.

Format and age: 16oz can purchased from the brewery, canned Jan 12, 2023.

Cold chain: excellent. Stored in coolers at the brewery, transported cold, and kept in fridge at home.

Impressions: pours a dark, aged copper with a two-finger tan head that quickly dissipates to a coating, leaving a lasting lacing that remains nearly unbroken for quite some time. I'm getting a lot of floral and fruity notes, honey, and a bit of spice on the nose. Everything comes together really well on the palate: caramel, toasted bread, browned biscuit, spiced apples, slight honey sweetness, floral hop bitterness, underlying alcohol. There is a lingering bitterness on the finish; for all it's malt and holiday spice, this isn't cloying at all. Medium bodied with high, but fine carbonation that creates a frothy feel.

Overall: another great lager from JA. I felt the initial rendition of this beer (Lagers of the World: Iceland) was like a cross between a bock and a winter warmer; with this version the bock profile seems closer to that of a doppelbock. From my perspective, an improvement over the first release. I can't wait for this to be their holiday seasonal, big step up from Red Tape in my opinion.

JackHorzempa · Mar 25, 2023

kp7 said: ↑

I'm getting a lot of floral and fruity notes, honey, and a bit of spice on the nose. Everything comes together really well on the palate: caramel, toasted bread, browned biscuit, spiced apples, slight honey sweetness, floral hop bitterness, underlying alcohol. There is a lingering bitterness on the finish; for all it's malt and holiday spice, this isn't cloying at all. Medium bodied with high, but fine carbonation that creates a frothy feel.
Click to expand...

Do you have any details on how this beer was brewed?

I am particularly curious about the "getting a lot of floral and fruity notes" aspect. I wonder how these flavors were achieved.

It sure sounds like a tasty beer!

Cheers!

Roguer · Mar 25, 2023

Good morning, Weekenders! I'm finishing up getting NBS BIF #17 rolling, and figured I needed to have a new-to-me beer in the process. Starting with something light in potency, but not light in flavor and approach:

Timber Ales (NYC-based brewer, brewed in North Haven, CT, and distributed by 12 Percent Beer Project) Pancakes By Campfire

Pancakes By Campfire is a 6% ABV flavored stout, conditioned on coffee, banana, and maple syrup. I'm not sure what the "campfire" aspect is supposed to represent, if anything, but it's definitely quite the pancake beer.

The modest ABV (very low for the style of flavored stouts) has some drawbacks, mostly in a thinner body (still relatively robust) and less depth or richness of flavor. However, it also comes with an obvious benefit: this is a breakfast stout that you can enjoy early in the day without immediately requiring a nap.

Coffee and maple syrup are prominent on the nose, but what I really appreciate the most is the very natural banana note. Banana-like notes are common in stouts (for me), due to the expression of yeast esters, but they're not really banana; that's just the closest analog for the brain. Sometimes they work very well (e.g. Founders Imperial Stout), and sometimes they clash a bit with the rest of the profile. This is no kidding banana, and it totally works.

Additional notes include pecan, toffee, honeycomb, molasses, toast, and cola. The aroma and flavor match up pretty well; I've separated it in the review if you care to dig in more.

I recommend slow sipping on this one, despite the ABV, as there's quite a bit of sting, and it's harder to savor larger mouthfuls. Slower, smaller sips also helps to allow the sugary maple syrup and bitter coffee to really run their course over the sip.

This works equally well as a breakfast or dessert stout, as the sweetness is fairly high (but neither cloying nor over the top). Not exactly a nightcap, perhaps, at only 6%.

Full review below:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/58819/624208/?ba=Roguer#lists
4.1 / +4.6%

Cheers!

rgordon · Mar 25, 2023

AzfromOz said: ↑

Hello NBW!

This is Parfait (Blend #3) from Shared, which is a subsidiary of Side Project Brewing in Wisconsin, US of A. My beer dealer, @TurkeysDrinkBeer, procured this one for me, and as always I stand in awe of the service he did me, sending this beer halfway 'round the world in pursuit of my ridiculous beer fixation.

And now on to the review!

....

He stands poised on his back deck, beer in hand, glass just so, camera at the ready. The weekend is half done, and the working week peeks ever-so-slightly above the horizon. If time could stand still, he'd pause it right here. Anticipation glitters in his mind; possibility is ripe. This is likely a big, big beer, a sweet-toothed monster from his dentist's worst nightmare. It's been in his fridge for what seems like forever, and now is the time to bell the big, boozy cat.

He pours and gives pause - is his wife trying to kill him? Has she swapped beer for motor oil in this can? It pours like ink, but no quill rests ready for action. It's black. Blacker than black. The epitome of the absence of light. It looks solid as it sits, still as death, waiting in his glass. He swirls it to enforce motion. The beer clings stubbornly to the glass, meniscus standing proud and holy at the edge of the glass. (L: 4.25)

If he's going to swirl it, he might as well smell it. He shoves his nose in the glass and inhales. Can something smell thick? Yes. Yes, it can. The beer is still cold, and is dominated by notes destined to fade as heat drives the volatiles out of the glass and slumbering molecules are roused from secret depths. The first hints of booze - so much booze - and syrupy vanilla flare to life before their spark is extinguished by pecans, umami nuttiness and tangy maple syrup. Cinnamon dances between the other notes and like the stubborn crocodile simply waits out evolution to remain present throughout. (S: 4)

But the money shot can't wait forever, and like an impatient **** director, a climax is demanded. The glass caresses his lips and unleashes the long-awaited.... booze? Surely there's more to it than that? He sips again, concentration etched on his brow, mentally coaxing his tongue to parse the liquid that sloshes over it like thick, alcoholic silk. Suitably chastened, his tongue detects vanilla and cinnamon. But he's no neophyte and knows a beer of this magnitude bows only to time, its one undeniable master. He slowly works his way through the beer over the next hour, revelling in the change it displays, mirroring the entropic battle as the leaves yellow on the venerable, old pear tree half a dozen strides distant. Vanilla and cinnamon are joined by chocolate, pecans, wood and a smokiness that sits under all of it. But striding purposely to the front of the gustatory queue is sweetness. The long-threatened tooth-melting sweetness has arrived, and it's announced it's staying for the night whether he likes it or not. There's no denying that the pecan-edged woodiness strives manfully against that sweetness, but it's like a sandcastle before a tide, and in the morning the only thing he'll see is the sea wrack carried by the tide, sandcastle long gone. In his mind, that sweetness is too much. It overwhelms all. (t: 3.5)

The beer remains thick, unctuous and clingy the whole way through. His mouth is coated. It's not quite candle wax chiili-proof after a swallow but a trip to the car wash might be required to clean the saccharine from his mouth. There's a slight carbonic prickle that attempts to counteract the sweetness, but the coating and sweetness are inexorable. They are the intercontinental ballistic missile to his wooden fence. They will not be denied. (m: 3.75 if he's being generous).

His picture of the beer contains his reflection. How could it not when such a black canvas plays backdrop to the scene? It's that blackness that shouted this beer's DNA at him. It looked thick. It looked sweet. It looked like nothing his grandfather would have considered a beer. It's molasses made modern, and modern made ridiculous. It's a sweet bomb of alcohol and sugar, and it comes packaged in a large enough vessel to make finishing it an adventure in perseverance and desperate need for savoury rescue. He can't help but think this is a beer for now, for the experience cravers, the moment chasers and the instant gratification of too much, too fast, too soon. Don't fret: he'll tick it off and chalk up the stat, but after the first third of the glass, he really didn't need to. (O: 3.5)

And now he needs to brush his teeth!

Cheers!

Click to expand...

'like the stubborn crocodile simply waits out evolution to remain present throughout". At a neighborhood association meeting the other evening a rabid crew of killers was discussing eradicating the very large alligator snapping turtles in our lake. I grew up on the lake and the turtles have lived here since the lake was a wetland and built in 1920. I said, " these turtles will be here long after all of us are gone".

Mdog · Mar 25, 2023

Lakes and Legends Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

Hoping for a hidden gem, but expectations are low for this local MN barrel aged stout.

Appearance: Dark brown, ok head.

Smell: Hard to pick up much, maybe cherries or almonds?

Taste: Very light bodied, some slight woodiness, then the cherries from the nose come in, but lightly. A little bit of roastiness shows up in the finish. Again, really light body.

Overall: A friend gave me a couple of these since he didn't like it. It's definitely strange, hardly any stout flavor, hardly any barrel, hardly any body. Doesn't taste bad, just not much there to taste.

KP7 · Mar 25, 2023

JackHorzempa said: ↑

Do you have any details on how this beer was brewed?

I am particularly curious about the "getting a lot of floral and fruity notes" aspect. I wonder how these flavors were achieved.

It sure sounds like a tasty beer!

Cheers!
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, none. Not sure if they are using hops, yeast, additives, or a combination thereof. I'm also curious to see what happens when they transition this from the pilot line to the full-scale line. Hopefully this will reach you in November as the new holiday beer and you can experience it for yourself!

russpowell · Mar 25, 2023

rgordon said: ↑

'like the stubborn crocodile simply waits out evolution to remain present throughout". At a neighborhood association meeting the other evening a rabid crew of killers was discussing eradicating the very large alligator snapping turtles in our lake. I grew up on the lake and the turtles have lived here since the lake was a wetland and built in 1920. I said, " these turtles will be here long after all of us are gone".
Click to expand...

My question is what did those Turtles do to them?

JackHorzempa · Mar 25, 2023

kp7 said: ↑

Hopefully this will reach you in November as the new holiday beer and you can experience it for yourself!
Click to expand...

That would be awesome if that occurs.

I am not holding my breath though since it seems in the Philly area we receive a limited selection of Jack's Abby brands. Some of my local beer retailers will only carry a single brand (e.g., House Lager).

Cheers!

JackHorzempa · Mar 25, 2023

rgordon said: ↑

discussing eradicating the very large alligator snapping turtles in our lake.
Click to expand...

A situation of wanting to make snapper soup?

I have a friend Lou and I have heard his story about him making snapper soup more times than I care to hear it.

Cheers!

@russpowell

DoctorZombies · Mar 25, 2023

Good Day BAs! Today’s new to me beer is a collab between Bottle Logic Brewing, Anaheim CA and Claremont Craft Ales, Claremont CA, a BBA Imperial Stout with cacao nibs and California orange peels - Technical Challenge (2021):

Release date at brewery 5/2/21. Poured at 58°. Redish brown mixed bubbles head retreats quickly leaving a small island of micro dots and a thin ring at best; initially some soapy lace; black body with ruby edges; thick legs on swirl. Bourbon and orange zest nose; boozy hot exhale. Taste is chocolate, bourbon/alcohol; weak orange peel; bittersweet cacao nibs on back end; phenolic finish. Full minus body; thick viscous feel but not adjuncty; alcohol bite on tip of tongue; full mouth warmth from 13.7% abv; dry wooden barrel and rye tongue coating. Overall an excellent BBA Imperial Stout and the base tastes fine; the orange is probably a shell of its former self at almost 2 years old; still, some orange peel is present…I bet this beer was more vibrant fresh.

4.0 | 4.0 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4.25
Score: 4.18 rDev 0%…first time for me that I’ve hit the average!

Another outstanding BBA imperial stout from Bottle Logic, and if in your cellar my suggestion is you drink now, the orange is not going to last…Cheers brethren!

rgordon · Mar 25, 2023

JackHorzempa said: ↑

A situation of wanting to make snapper soup?

I have a friend Lou and I have heard his story about him making snapper soup more times than I care to hear it.

Cheers!

@russpowell
Click to expand...

Yeah, there has been a group of Jamaicans that try to poach them. They say the soup is excellent!

Roguer · Mar 25, 2023

New Beer #2: Abomination/Icarus Flying Into the Fog, an imperial NE IPA double dry hopped with Columbus and Riwaka.

First off, I absolutely love featuring Columbus hops in an imperial NE IPA. IMO, the best precursors to modern NE IPAs prominently featured more old school Pacific NW hops, along with some of the newer (at the time) varietals like Mosaic and Citra. Nowadays, it seems like everyone's searching for the new hotness (hopness?), tossing in massive amounts of super dank varietals before we even have any idea how well they play together. I get the impression that "new" has replaced "better" in the modern IPA scene - and, well, it sells.

Riwaka certainly has a more modern hop profile, but Columbus is a throwback, and in this beer it shows. Low dankness and modest perceived bitterness, and the hop expressions are more of a wonderful melange than individual tasting or aromatic notes.

I get grapefruit, mango, melon, pine, and tangerine, in various strengths and moments. It's nothing particularly new or groundbreaking, but it's excellently balanced, and is a just lovely overall profile.

Mouthfeel is creamy but retains some bite, yet very little aggression from the 8.9% ABV. Semi-sweet from a malt base that doesn't show much beyond white bread, cracker, and perhaps just a touch of toasted seed. This beer is really all about the hops, but in a great way.

I would personally prefer more bitterness, but this isn't a disappointment given the tendency for modern NE IPAs to asymptotically approach 0 IBU. It's more a personal preference than any fault with the beer. It is, however, something I think sets apart the very best in the style - e.g. Tree House - from the very, very good (like Abomination).

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/48715/647180/?ba=Roguer#lists
4.30 / added to database

Cheers!

JackHorzempa · Mar 25, 2023

rgordon said: ↑

Yeah, there has been a group of Jamaicans that try to poach them. They say the soup is excellent!
Click to expand...

Jamaican jerk snapper soup?

Sounds tasty.

Cheers!

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New Beer Weekend #140

AzfromOz Grand Pooh-Bah (3,225) Aug 22, 2020 Australia Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

jonphisher Grand Pooh-Bah (3,850) Aug 9, 2015 New Jersey Society Pooh-Bah Trader

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