New Beer Weekend #146

Maybe it's just me but don't thr IBUs seem a bit high? Or is that normal for that type of stout

 

Thanks @WunderLlama for this!

Tree House - Coco King Creamsicle



Canned 3.16.23 '****oo for coco king'

Poured into a willi glass at fridge temp.

Pours a murky and true to color orange with a very pretty and dense sandy head. Full lattice lacing left behind a long with a small cap and ring. 4.5

Aroma was some light nutty coconut, very light and subtle orange, and pungent hops. A true Creamsicle ice pop aroma comes out as the beer warms up. 4.5

Wow was the first thing I said after a sip. Bright and clean orange citrus, creamy just-right sweet vanilla and flaked coconut. Soft hoppy bitter bite as well. 4.25

Very soft and refreshing juicy body. Some creaminess I suspect from the vanilla. 4.25

Overall a very delicious and as described DIPA that would make an excellent dessert or sipper. 4.5

 

Enjoying this 1 sent to me by @WunderLlama Thank you sir!


4.75 / 4.75 / 4.5 / 4.5 / 4.5
4.58 rDev +0.2%

I dig this 1. Nothing out of this world but it's executed very well and well balanced for a DIPA. Pours a nice vibrant orange juice, leaves some lacing. Nose is on point all the way through, proper citrus juiciness with some herbal hop notes sure I'm picking up some yeast to some vanilla as it warms. The taste follows the nose. Some creaminess, got a juicy fruit bubblegum thing going on. Mouth feel is balanced but leaning more soft for 8.2%, I like that. Slightly lingering bitterness. No hop burn. Excellent beer.

Well done haze. I would buy this. The Mrs's put the seal of approval on it to and shes pickier than I am.

Forgive my cruddy reviews for now I'm getting more accustomed to putting what I think into words.

 

I doubt it's just me, but when I have notes from the brewer saying what's in a beer, what to appreciate/look for, I get so much more out of it. Likely why I rate all my locals so high because they do that.

Though I suspect once (eventually) I start homebrewing and can taste each ingredient before putting it in the mix, my perception and knowledge will exponentially increase

 

Woah...

 

Greetings, new beer folks. I hope your weekend is full of the weather you like and new beers worth writing about.

Yesterday was full of errands in the first half and a mostly entertaining Portland Timbers match in the second half. I wasn't happy to see them give up a game-tying goal to Austin FC late in the match, but a draw is better than a loss, and the North End was mighty festive all night.

There wasn't much opportunity for New Beer yesterday, but I did manage to get one in between the errands and the game:




(Haven't posted a rating yet. Still working out the numbers.)

Great Divide/Boneyard Great Bones Double Dry-Hopped IPA
16-ounce can purchased at Uptown Beer Co. Date stamp reads "CANNED ON 3/23/23 16:18". Poured in a nonic half-pint glass.

Look:
The first pour shows a bright gold and slightly hazy body. The second pour is full of floaters. Bleh. The head is eggshell white and dense. It doesn't stick around long, but leaves nice lacing behind.

Smell:
Quite sweet and hugely fruity: warm orange juice, grapefruit, peaches, overripe mango, passionfruit. A few floral and piney notes find a way to punch through, along with a good twang of alcohol.

Taste:
The flavors closely follow the nose, though I'm happy to find out that it isn't as sweet as the nose implied. Heavy tropical flavors lead the pack, mostly ripe and overripe mango with a splash of papaya nectar adding some funk to the background. Tangy orange and ruby red grapefruit cut through and lighten the load. Some piney and floral bitterness emerges near the end, but it's distant. Kind of like a car alarm going off one level above you in a parking garage. The lengthy finish is fruity and moderately sweet, with an undertone of alcohol.

Feel:
Medium-light bodied with zippy carbonation and some alcohol warmth.

Overall:
This one didn't quite work for me, though it did grow on me as I worked my way through the pint. I prefer my IPAs drier, with the balance leaning more towards citrus and pine than tropical and stone fruits. But if you like the clear, semi-sweet, heavily fruit-forward modern IPA style, give this one a try.

Here's a bonus pic of my usual spot in Section 207 for Timbers matches:

 

Brew 6000
11.9% English barleywine by Freemont


Poured from waxed sealed bottle, the body is a man opaque dark brown with very small initial head that rapidly retreated to the glass sides like a small bead of caulk. Not much lacing.

Aroma is sweet barrel, dark fruits, caramel.

Taste follows nose as the bourbon is featured but is not boozy.
Mouthfeel is luxurious. While mouth gets coated, it's not too heavy. The carbonation is light but present and welcome. Easy finish.

Well crafted and excellent barleywine worthy of its world class BA rating. The sixteen months in the barrel have performed the magic. Cheers to that.

 

I'm glad I could send you that, Fremont's x000 series is really good (if you like huge, sweet BA barleywines)

 

So I'm not alone. I feel like I'm more in tune with my locals it's kind of a weird phenomena, was thinking this the other day but was like your crazy. I do love trying these out of state beers tho, kinda like walking in blind. More of a challenge.

I need to start uploading my locals especially since they are expanding . What image resizer do you use? Had trouble with that last time so I said screw it.

So that's also my plan. I can't wait to start home brewing. Soon as my caretaking job is up it's going to be on! In the meantime just been trying to learn when I can. Eyeing out setups.

 

Hoppin' Frog - Bourbon Barrel Aged Plum Tuckered Out Double Double Porter, another wack-a-doodle beer thanks to @Ozzylizard in NBS BIF #17

16oz can served in tulip shaped wineglass. Best By October 25, 2025.

Pours a dark, murky brown with little head. Smell is vanilla and caramel, very bourbon-y, some booze. I don't think I get much plum unless I try to. I get a milk chocolate aroma.

Taste has some heat to it, but in a pretty nice way. Definite booze, tempered a bit by the chocolate I got in the aroma, fairly sweet but not cloying. Again, nothing I would clearly describe as plum, but the sweetness has a vaguely fruity character -- maybe a little bit of a maple turn to it?

Mouthfeel is hefty, thick, but not too sticky. Overall, it's very interesting and very enjoyable.

 

As a big fan of Jackie O’s barleywines, it pushes all the right buttons for me. Cheers!

 

On this rainy Sunday in Toronto, I’ve decided to finally crack open this milkshake IPA from Bellwoods. Birthday Cake Milkshark IPA with vanilla and lactose.





My interest in milkshake IPAs has really waned over the last few years. There was a time when these would be released by Bellwoods on a Thursday at noon and be sold out before 1PM. They are really the only local brewer that makes the style that are worth giving a try.

This one was released as part of their anniversary releases back at the end of March.

Pours a deep opaque orange/yellow with a medium head that dissipates slowly, eventually settling in as a thin ring around the glass’s edge.

The vanilla pops as the can is opened and never stops dominating the aroma. Soft sweet vanilla from start to finish with a little orange candy peaking in from behind.

The taste is vanilla forward as well. Citrus, orange pith play with the vanilla. There is a mildly bitter finish that is welcome, and offsets the sweet opening to the sip.

The body is full and creamy.

This is nice. I can take this style once or twice a year, and will continue to do so with the various Milkshark iterations that hit the shelves from time to time.

Cheers!

 

Happy Sunday one and all, time to get into a new beer while I have a few minutes of peace. Another lovely day that we packed with tasks outside and worked up a sweat. Time to cool off with some smoke...I believe this is only my 2nd or 3rd of this style, that rarely shows up. This time it showed up in a care package from @snaotheus. Interestingly enough from a brewery known for hazy IPAs and adjuncted stouts.

Great Notion - Feniks (Grodziskie 3.2%)



Pours a very very light straw color, like watered down AAL; my experience with others of the style was the same...visible carbonation, quick to rise, somewhat soda like but it leaves a nice thin layer of white; crystal clear.

Nose is greeted by gentle smoke, white bread, gentle wisp of hops; grass like.

Taste is white bread; hops take a turn and show some more herbal qualities on the finish, the smoke is again gentle and balanced, there is a citrus like bite on the finish.

Light body, very lively and mouth coating carbonation, stops just short of being too much; low grass like bitterness on a very clean finish.

I refreshing zippy and lively beer with a nice little touch of both smoke and hops. I will 100% have another beer later, whether new or not, time will tell. I hope the rest of everyone's day is full of good times and good beer.

 

They're also known for heavily fruited sours.

The few traditional beers I've had from Great Notion have actually been pretty tasty, this was so far out of my range of expectations for them that it caught my attention. Maybe I'll hit that next, after this 16.8% monster @Ozzylizard sent to kill me.

 

A great beer!

 

Just your average palette cleanser before a hefty 3.2% beer

 

When I tried that beer, I found gooseberries and White wine, akin to chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc notes. Those to me were unusual but refreshing in this beer. I have never had the OG Nelson from Alpine, but I would like to try it.

 

Feniks, a grodziskie from Great Notion, pursuant to preceding conversation with @jonphisher

16oz can served in a curvy Fremont glass. Can is dated 3.24.23. Bought it direct from the brewery last weekend or the weekend before.

Pours clear, light, yellow, with a big, fluffy, wispy white head that recedes into a webby, clumpy, interlocking maze. Smell is smoke and umami, first thought was bacon. A little more sniffing, I get a tiny bit of grassy freshness and more of a smoked nut aroma.

Taste is predominantly smoky, but not overly heavy. Base beer, ignoring the smoke, is more like a light lager -- crisp and refreshing -- smoke gives it a bit of heft it otherwise couldn't have. Grassiness is stronger and more noticeable in subsequent sips.

Mouthfeel is super light, dry, crisp. Overall...I'm far from an expert on grodziskies, but this is enjoyable and interesting.

That Plum Something-or-other Anvil of Doom Brain Clobberer sure was a great prep beer for this one