New Beer Weekend #148

Keep the bowl of ice water near by to dip them hands in...

 

In the end, save yourself!

 

These guys were down here for a few years & then poof, gone

 

Hello Late Night NBW.
Just took down a surprisingly tasty gem sent my way from the abundantly generous @FBarber .
This one is REALLY interesting. And that's not diplo-speak for, "Thanks for sending this but it's not that good."

Beer For Commoners by Off Color Brewing

Foam trying to escape right off the bat. I barely popped that tab and the foam was pushing its way out. Poured gently and still got nearly 4 fingers worth. But the liquid is beautiful. Amber tinged gold. A really vibrant color. And that white, fluffy foam settled down just a bit after a few minutes. Solid retention. Moderate, clumpy lacing.

The nose asserts wheaty grain, grass, some floral lemon, and a mild herbal spice. Basically, noble hops. But a nice firm aroma for such a "small beer."

The taste is not exactly "light." Again, more than I expect from the descriptor. For a last running of the mash, wow I am impressed. The grain is bready enough, and the mix of sweet with citrus and herbal notes does not let this daisy stand on the side of the dance floor.

Mouthfeel is light, almost crisp, and slightly dry on the finish. Well carbonated.

Overall, I am quite impressed with this.

3.97/5 rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Frank! Can't wait to hit the royal spoils in this collection.

 

Yeah, I agree...pretty good but not world class. Wasn't sure what to expect from that beer, they're not at all known for giant BA ales. But, partially, it was interesting for just that reason.

 

Wife on her flight home, I'm in a different hotel in a different town, dinner is over. Let's catch up with some BeerAdvocate, shall we? Buzzman, an "American Mutant Ale" from Unsung, just a block from Monkish in Anaheim.

32oz crowler served in a hotel glass. Bought the crowler at the brewery a couple hours ago.

Pours clear golden with a big, two-inch head. Head is coarse and white, seems to be collapsing into a webby blanket, moderate amount of active carbonation. Smell is moderate bready yeast and a fair amount of grass.

Taste is a bit less generic -- moderate honeysuckle sweetness, a little yeasty funk, breadiness, grass and flowers. Maybe a bit of lemon zest, too.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, maybe a bit lighter. Just a hint of noticeable effervescence. Overall, nice solid no-nonsense lager, with just enough stuff going on to keep it interesting.

 

Greetings, fellow NBWers,


Since last weekend, Spokane has officially reached downright hot weather for the first time this year. Particularly, yesterday, when it got into the low 90s. Sadly, this coincided with the Spokane Lilac Festival Beer Fest, which was unfortunately held on an asphalt lot just west of the main pavilion, with virtually no shade available. I had never gone to this fest before, always preferring to go to the Washington Brewers Fest out at the local baseball stadium in August, but that festival hasn't happened since COVID, and may not happen this summer either, and I wanted to go to at least one beer festival this summer. I think a decent amount of other people had the same idea.
The line to get in:

There was a decent enough lineup, but around 10 of the advertised breweries didn't turn up, including virtually all the ones more than about 30min driving time from me. Pretty much everyone brought nothing special to the fest, so I bailed once I used up my tokens that came with the admission price, as it was just too damn hot to hang around, although it was a visually beautiful day.


Few of the beers I tried yesterday were new to me, and I wasn't in a great situation for reviewing, so my NBW beer was consumed earlier this evening.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33344/164444/?ba=woemad#lists
Really dug this as a dessert beer. Bourbon -y, sweetly milk chocolatey, and roasty, in that order, and it all melds really well together. Thanks to @russpowell for this!

Everybody have a great week!

 

Wow. No idea Chuckanut even did barleywines!

 

I swear, it's the last time I'll bug you folks this weekend. The Pupil, from Societe.

19.2oz can served in a hotel glass. Can is dated 4/26/23. I think I bought it at one of their locations a couple days ago.

Pours a hazy golden amber with a small, tight head. Smell is resinous pine and hop flowers. Maybe some honeysuckle and/or vaguely floral sweetness.

Taste is also piney and floral, strong resin, well balanced.

Mouthfeel is medium with a little bit of a filminess. Overall, very nice IPA.