New Beer Weekend #148

Hello all.

I was running around all day yesterday and never got to a new beer. Today, I’m doubling up on a new one while I prepare pizza toppings for a small gathering we are having. I made the slightly longer trip to the Italian grocery store that is nearby to pick up the best local dough and mozzarella balls. Cutting veggies now and enjoying this Helles lager (x2) from a good local brewery, Blood Brothers.

This is Munich Helles Lager, brewed exclusively with Tettnang.



And a second can because it is going down really well…



Pours a bright clear golden yellow with ample bubbly head that dissipates very slowly, leaving a thick foamy surface as the beer is enjoyed.

Grassy, floral notes hit the nose first. A light cereal quality is in there as well. Maybe a slight verbana note as well.

The taste follows the nose closely. Grassy, herbal and floral. A nice light grainy character as well. Crisp bite to the finish. The lemony note on the nose is not apparent on the tongue.

The body is perfect for the style. Well carbonated. Very enjoyable.

Blood Brothers is known more for good hazy IPAs, fruity, slushy beers and stouts filled with everything but the kitchen sink. They make a decent lager too. I’d certainly buy this again, and will be sending out the rest of the four-pack to some BAs soon…

And here is a photo of the fruits (so far) of my labours:



Cheers!

 

Wound up at Black Page Brewing this afternoon, its easy to make a stop, when it is just down the block from my favorite book store ha.

A new beer they had on:

Fifth of May, Maibock, 8% ABV.



Pours a golden/orange color. A touch of chill haze, but that clears up a this warms. White foam rises to about a finger and recedes to leave lace behind.
For the aroma, balance is the name of the game. Lightly toasted and bready malts. Herbal and spicy hops intermingle. Simple and spot on.
Taste wise, I love the nuanced malt character, with light honey, baked bread and lightly toasted. There is a spicy, floral, slightly bitter hop finish. Which, again, is really well balanced.
A medium to full body. Crisp carbonation at first, but becomes ultra smooth, semi dry, with just the right amount of hefty chewiness from the malts. This is also very clean. The ABV is pushing the limits of the style, but still very easy to drink and come back to. Too easy for the strength.

I think this is a spot on American version of the style. A style, that I don't see many local brewers making. Its very well done all around, and I will be coming back to this when I see it.

Overall score, 4.18, solid A-

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/63888/655840/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Al Bacio Italian Style Pilsner
Don’t hate on the blue plastic cup. I can’t be trusted with glassware outdoors
Beer is good not great. Which is a lot like a real Italian Pilsner I suppose. Still very fresh (canned on 4/25/23) and very refreshing on a sunny Sunday in the ‘Land. Cheers!

 

It’s been a very busy day so far, needed to take a break.

This one courtesy of @NorsemanOne via NBW BIF #17.
The pour is nearly transparent honey color with a bone white head that dissipated almost immediately.
The taste is semi sweet malts that I’m having trouble finding descriptive words for, they are not bready, not grassy, I just don’t know. But semi sweet works. The hops are just enough to put an edge on it so it doesn’t go all syrupy. The floral esters are very noticeable, maybe the most definitive part of the beer
The feel is just shy of viscous, which was a surprise. But I guess if they were going for Belgian style, they intended the mouth feel.
OA, actually a very good beer, I foolishly grabbed it instead of a sour or lambic as I was hot and wanted to cool down with something I could slam, and this one is too good to slam.
Thanks Jonathan!

 

Glad I could provide some refreshment for a warm day buddy. Enjoy!

 

L: pale straw. Nice head even some light lace
T: crisp and very hoppy. Reminds me more of a Czech Pilsner than a Moretti

Forgot the review:
L: pale straw. Big fluffy head with some lace( even in plastic)
S: light bread or biscuit
T: crisp with a hop forward bite. More like a Czech Pilsner than a Peroni or Moretti
F: light but not watery
O: well made but more Czech than Italian to me. Well made though. Very easy drinker

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Sippers and commentators. A few weeks ago I was happily surprised to find Barrel-Aged Midnight Toffee Stout, a collaboration between Untitled Art Brewing in Wisconsin and Angry Chair Brewing in Tampa, in one of my favorite bottle shops. At first, I thought it was called Untitled Art and brewed by Angry Chair. The beer guy in the store set me straight but I'm nonetheless thrilled to find it locally. I've always thought that the term "toffee" is overused when it comes to Stouts but this is the exception that proves the rule. It's like a liquid Heath Bar. And it's absolutely stellar!

Poured into a snifter at 61°. The color is dark walnut. The medium-mocha cap fizzed away almost immediately. Great nose featuring dark chocolate, toffee, vanilla, nutty char, and noticeable bourbon. The flavor is equally outstanding with sweet dark chocolate, brown sugar, and roasted nuts. "Toffee" is overused but it's spot-on here. The bourbon influence is strong but it doesn't overwhelm the other flavors. There is a slight bitter char at the finish. This Stout has a moderately thick and creamy feel with a low level of carbonation, and it's impressive how well the 14.9% ABV is hidden. It's neither hot nor obviously boozy. Overall, this Stout is a true work of art made by two breweries renowned for the style.

4.45/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

It's sold in a two-pack and isn't cheap at over $10/can but it's worth it. Next weekend I'll check to see whether any is left at the store. It's money well spent. Cheers, NBW!

 

Happy NBW Sunday! Today I tried this month's Small Batch Society brews from Urban Artifact:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/40297/655420/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/40297/655419/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/40297/344539/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



And then tried a new to me 3 Floyds stout I bought recently:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26/590081/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



These should be it for my new brews this weekend. Should be back on here next weekend with some more new ones, cheers!

 

Is Dallas Alice a reference to Willin' the Little Feat song? Or is Little Feat referencing Dallas Alice in their song? You or anyone else know... @beergoot ???

 

Poured into a 13 oz teku glass canned 5/01/23. Pours a very attractive dark hazy yellow with a 2 finger sticky white head that leaves plenty of thin streaks of lace, with excellent retention. 4.75

Aroma peach, mango, tangerine, passionfruit, apricot, and a little grapefruit rind. 425

Taste follows tangerine, mango, peach, passionfruit, apricot, and a little grapefruit bitterness in the big finish. 4.5

Mouthfeel is rather big, soft gentle carbonation, not sticky or dry, and massive flavor but still very approachable. 4.75

Overall this is very impressive. They dry hopped this beer 4 times. 4.5

 

Leinenkugel's Canoe Paddle Kölsch, 5% ABV (originally Canoe Paddler). Pours slightly hazy golden with a one-finger white head that left no lacing. Aroma is sweet malt and slight spice. Taste follows, faintly sweet, slightly bitter. OK mouthfeel, a bit over-carbonated. Overall very good. I'd take this over any macro AAL.

3.77/5 rDev +17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Mia is giving the Leinies the ol' stink-eye. I thought it was OK.

 

Another single from Jungle Jim's and another country tick.

Beerlao Dark
330mL bottle stamped MFG: JA/JI/BJBB poured into a shaker pint glass at fridge temp 6% ABV. The beer pours bright light brown in color with light khaki head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of bubbles. The aroma is mild with toasted malt. The taste is semisweet toasted malt. Minimal bitterness. The mouthfeel is thin bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, good beer.

 

First pizzas are in the oven, so I’m going to crack open another, again from Blood Brothers. This is a collaboration with the Pink Boots Society. It’s About Time IPL with Loral, Ekuanot and HBC 586.



The details…



Pours a bright copper gold with loads of pillowy, mountainous head that dissipates slowly, never quite leaving the beer entirely before it’s completely consumed.

The nose screams melon. Lots of tropical fruit sitting in behind as well. Very light grainy note as well.

The taste is more balanced than the nose between the cantaloupe/honeydew and a tropical fruit punch. Crisp finish.

The body is medium with enough mouthfeel to be satisfying. I like it.

I like IPLs generally. This is a pretty good one if you are a fan of the hops used. Try it if you have the chance.

Cheers!

 

Greetings all from the great northwest where we are cooling off after a couple days of record breaking May heat.

Today we have Hazy Wonder from Lagunitas.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/220/477731/

A refreshing brew with a sweet pineapple flavor.

Until next time

 

Next up for me is Cloud Surfer, an American IPA from Trophy Brewing Co. in Raleigh, North Carolina. I bought two cans last weekend. Generally speaking the NC breweries don't date their cans which can be very frustrating. This IPA has a 4.11 BA rating. It's made with the tried and true hop bill of Citra and Mosaic. Yet I find it to be one-dimensional. The website says it's brewed with oats but I don't detect any sweetness or red berry from the Mosaic. It may just be an old can.

It pours a hazy, dirty lemon color with a half finger of fluffy, milk-white head and thick, creamy lacing. Its smell is primarily lemon and grapefruit, along with some subtle red berry. The taste is grassy and dominated by tart citrus over a crackery malt base. It's very lite and clean with mild bitterness. The mouth feel is lite and crisp with pleasant carbonation, and it's a very easy drinker at 6.1% ABV. Overall, it's a fine, basic American IPA. A good lawn mower beer.

4.03/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

I'll confess that my rating is influenced by others. I really wanted to like this more but I can't blame the brewery if the can is old except for its failure to date stamp the can.

 

That is the only one I know of outside of the **** industry