New Beer Weekend #150

Welcome one and all to New Beer Sunday #954. The second beer this weekend also from Dave @beergoot , but this one represents the third state I've ticked from the Sheboygan trades, this one from Nebraska.

I liked the one beer I've had in this style (El Hefe brewed by the sadly closed Banger Brewing on Fremont Street). In BA metrics, this is the 41st ranked Nebraska beer, and 18th Chile Beer, so I've been looking forward to enjoying this one.

Kros Strain Hot As Helles



Can Notes: 12 canned 2/21/23, provided via trade with @beergoot . 4.8% ABV, brewed and canned by Kros Strain Brewing Company, La Vista, Nebraska. Lager with jalapeno & habanero chili peppers.

Appearance: Somewhat murky blonde golden pour into a shaker pint glass, persistent medium to heavy flow of carbonation. The bright white bubbly head lingers briefly leaving no wake or trace throughout. 4.0

Aroma: Jalapeno peppers front and center, green peppers follow. Truth in advertising, though no other flavors noted. Halt here if you do not like the taste of peppers. 3.75

Taste: Spicy peppers, mild heat factor. Getting a blend of the jalapeno flavors with stronger heat coming from the habanero. I've only had a few other chili peppers before, but the others from memory were a more balanced treatment with aspects of the wheat or kolsch styles coming through. Looks like a helles, but that's as close as I'd get to ascertaining it was one without the beer title. Would say the split is 80% jalapeno and 20% habanero. 3.5

Mouthfeel: Getting a good pepper heat level with this one, works for my palate but for folks who like mild or no peppers, it's not the beer for you. Would flip the heat split with 80% habanero and 20% jalapeno. Beer strength is hard to determine as the pepper even dominates any aspect of alcohol flavor. Light body, the carbonation not felt, jalapeno flavor and habanero heat is your start and finish with this one. 3.0

Overall: I sadly don't have chili to pair this with, or nachos, but this beer is best to pair with food that you would like peppers on (I'm going to pair with hot dogs). Would say this beer would go a much longer way with a more balanced approach, so you could enjoy the traditional aspects of a Helles with the enjoyable but muting all other flavors of the nice pepper blend. Overall, I saved the final several ounces to pair with lunch, and I'm enjoying but I think this one is a missed opportunity for something special with an actual Lager featured backed well with the nice pepper blend. Still glad I am drinking, though not a beer I would seek out regularly. 3.5

Next weekend I believe I will be diving into two new to me New Glarus beers from two trades/shares with two familiar Wisconsin natives.

Cheers!

 

Drekker Tiny Bites Petite NEIPA, 5% ABV. Pours hazy pale yellow with a 2+ finger off-white head that left nice lacing. Aroma is light fruit and spelt. Taste follows, faintly sweet, slightly bitter. Decent mouthfeel, overall excellent.

3.98/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Dessert for tonight is strawberries stuffed with a cream cheese, drizzled with chocolate, and topped with graham cracker crumbs.

 

So far today I have washed windows, replaced a carpet, and planned an evening meal.
Time for a rest!
Decided to drink this world-class beer.
A dark red/brown color with a 1" beige head'
Aroma of toffee, dark fruit, and brown bread.
The taste follows the nose, and enhances it.
Medium-bodied.
A delight to drink!

 

Had a couple more new brews today, one from The Bruery:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16866/640947/?ba=bluejacket74#lists




And a local-ish one from Dankhouse:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/51336/532185/?ba=bluejacket74#lists




Have a great week everyone!

 

A road trip was in order today. At Waconia Brewing.

Cold IPA - 6.1% ABV

This beer is a hop bomb. Very sticky feeling. Tons of bitterness. Lots of pine. Delicious.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/36554/658034/

4.16/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at the brewery.
Very clear golden pour. Some carbonation rising in the glass. The head is white, and fluffy looking. Decent retention, and great lacing on the glass.
Aroma is hoppy, and the aroma leads me to be bitter.
Taste, yeah, very hoppy. The hops are pine leaning. Very bitter, somewhat oily feeling.
The body is decent and full. Hop feeling lingers.
This is more old school, and I like it.

 

One of my guests at last week's Memorial bash brought Notch Brewing French Disko, a French-style Pils. I was not aware of this style, but apparently it involves a particular malt.
With a little Googling I found this very detailed description of how this beer was brewed-
https://beerandbrewing.com/la-saveur-francaise-brewing-alsatian-style-pilsner-with-notch/

4.31/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 16oz can stamped “CANNED ON 02/24/23) to a Pilz glass at fridge temp.
The body is not quite clear gold but rising bubbles are easily seen. A puffed white head looks nice on top with a crater where the last liquid stream entered. The head fades to one layer but stays consistent from then on with good lacing.
The aroma is sweet cut grass.
The taste has a nice hop sense to it. The bready malt in other Pilsners is subtle if not absent. The overall effect is bright.
The mouthfeel is light with a slight oiliness.
A unique Pils, I liked it.

 

Insert hip hop reference there by trillium and monkish


4.54/5 rDev +0.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Brewers Notes: Collaboration with Monkish Brewing Co.

Two excellent brewers , 1+1=3

Following up on our previous collaboration with our good friends from Monkish Brewing, is an all Citra Triple IPA. Pouring a gorgeous pale orange with heavy, milky haze, bright aromas of ripe mango, juiced citrus, and pineapple burst from the glass delicately underpinned with floral spruce tip. Bold orange peel upfront develops into a palate layered with waves of tropical melon, ripe papaya, lychee and lime. With a gentle touch of pine and a pleasant biscuity sweetness, displays a full body and smooth pillowy mouthfeel that makes each returning sip enjoyable.

MALT: Two Row, Malted Oats, Flaked Wheat, White Wheat, Crystal malt, Dextrine, Dextrose

HOPS: Citra



Looking at the top beers in Massachusetts , Tree House and Trillium dominate the list. There are other great brewers around here. These two are certainly excellent. Missed this beer when it was released. I am now removing this beer from my want list. Canned 5/22, opened 6/4

Chilled 16 oz can poured into a pretentious beer glass. Pours a hazy orange fruit smoothie appearance. Capped by a three finger off white big bubbled crown. Amazing retention, 10 minutes, reduces to a thick layer with spotty lacings.

Aroma is mango, tropical fruits , whiff of lime

Taste is mango, tropical fruits, pineapple , get a hint of papaya, lychee ( just had some the night before) and lime

Very Smooth mouthfeel, no hop bite



Great beer

 

Skydance Brewing Skoden 004 3X IPA, 8.0% ABV; 4.26 overall

With Luminiso, ElDorado, & Citra Hops

Pours a hazed gold with one finger of eggshell colored head. Stellar lacing & good head retention

S: Tropical & Citrus scents

T: Oranges, mango, nectarines, plus a little dryness & green melon up front. More nectarine, plus guava as this beer warms, plus a little green melon & pineapple. Finishes with nectarine, oranges, pineapple & passion fruit

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation, good balance. Body thins a little once warm

Digging the flavor & drinkability on this. Nice juiciness

 

Drekker/Deciduous Belly Full Of Bones Berry Creamsicle Sour, 6.2% ABV. Pours thick opaque red with a two-finger light-red head that left thick residue. Aroma is a fruit mashup of strawberry, raspberry and other fruits, plus vanilla. Taste follows, quite sweet, slightly tart. Creamy mouthfeel, though no lactose. Overall Excellent.

4.09/5 rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The second picture is unrelated to this Drekker. A couple of months ago, I read that we're supposed to peel off can labels before recycling. Yesterday, I peeled off the one below, only to find they were using up some excess cans printed for another beer. A stout in an IPA can!

 

I was planning on going to see Daryl Hall but my friends had an accident with one of their pups so they backed out. The Mrs and I decided to stay in on this nasty NE day.
So "there's gold in them there hills!"
Gold a TIPA brewed by Omnipollo and Track Brewing. 10% abv and hops are not listed.
Pours a hazy yellow/gold with a very creamy eggshell head. Nice retention and plenty of lacing.
Lots of ripe tropicals on the nose, lychee comes to mind with guava, kiwi and white grape notes. Pineapple, citrus and a little berry as in strawberry Interesting.
Taste follows with lots of ripe fruits- throw in some stonefruits- peach/apricot. Green hops, white pepper, gets bitter to balance the fruits with citrus rind and crushed pine needles.
Medium/heavy body but drinks a little lighter due a tiny spritzing carb that lasts throughout. That said it's pretty soft in feel. Oily but dries on the finish.
Man this is getter more bitter with fresh green hops as it warms.
I'm pretty surprised at how good this is. I was expecting to be underwhelmed but its hit all the right notes for the hazies plus kept this 10% in check with light supporting malts. These are the big IPAs I dig - no over sweetness from darker malts.
Really nice beer. I would be interested to know what the hops are.
String change day....
Cheers!

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Swiggers and commentators. Spring must be collaboration season because everyone seems to be brewing together. Sometimes the results are spectacular and other times disappointing. If I'm familiar with the brewers involved, then I try to detect their influences.

Today I'm reviewing a local 3-way collab among Twin Elephant, Autodidact, and Oakflower. The latter two breweries are quite new to the area but are already very popular. Twin Elephant is welll-established. The basis of this collaboration, referred to as "Surround Sound," is the fairly new YQH-1320 hop. Oakflower brewed a TIPA, Autodidact a DIPA, and Twin Elephant an IPA. TE's hasn't been released yet. I'm reviewing Autodidact's version, called Kilo. This one has Mosaic and Strata. As a disclaimer, I'm not a big fan of Strata - although it's a favorite at Twin Elephant. The YQJ-1320 is supposed to provide notes of pineapple, lime, peach, and orange zest.

This beer was released 2 days ago. Second review of this beer following @Jdells09. Poured into a Willi Becher glass. It pours an opaque, golden-tangerine color with a two-finger cap of fluffy, ecru-colored foam and thick lacing. It's an attractive pour. The nose is floral with lots of lemon and lime and subtle scents of peach and tangerine. Its initial taste is dominated by the Strata hops - dank and weedy. While notes of peach and pineapple emerge as it warms, the earthiness continues to dominate. There is clean, mild bitterness throughout. This ale is fairly lite in mouth feel for 8.4% ABV. I'm impressed by Autodidact's ability to make DIPAs that drink so easily - they don't feel heavy. I just wish the YQH-1320 flavor profile of pineapple, lime, peach, and tangerine came through more and played off against the Strata (which admittedly is not one of my favorite hops). It leaves this beer a bit one-dimensional.

3.94/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

 

Soul & Sprits Bring It Home Helles Lager, 4.9% ABV; 2.97 overall

Opens a gusher, was stored on a room temp shelf at the store, counter to their instructions, but sold as a single. Nice head retention & lacing, never drops bright

Opens a chill-hazed gold with 2+ fingers of eggshell colored head.

S: Some cereal notes, sadly some apple juice, some perfumy hops break through as well

T: Follows the nose, some lemon hop notes as well, plus dryness up front, Grassyness, cereal sweetness& fading apple juice, plus a little dryness, some lime. Finishes with cereal, lime & sadly apple skins

Not a drainpour, but I suspect If I had a bought a fresh 4 pack, results may have been more desirable. I guess I am all or nothing with this brewery. I am 0-2 in singles note stored with love & care

 

Certainly not a new beer by either name or vintage, here we have a 2014 Olde Ale by AleSmith in San Diego—but it’s new to me and I think that’s the point of this thread. Preliminary review (subject to minor modifications as I sip my glass out on the patio on a perfect Sunday afternoon) below. Apparently I like this one a bit more than the average reviewer, and that’s OK. Cheers!
____________
4.24/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
750mL (bottled 2/21/2014) into a tulip. Pours a slightly hazy mahogany amber with a thin khaki head, moderate carbonation.

Aroma is sweet and fruity: candi/brown sugar, caramel, figs and dates, a vague hint of spice. A nice nutty quality emerges with a gentle swirl of the glass.

Taste likewise leads off with sweet bready malt—stone fruits, brown sugar, toffee—followed by a gently floral hoppy bitterness. If you blended American and English barleywines I think you might get a close approximation to this.

Mouthfeel is on the heavy side of medium but not sticky or cloying. Moderate carbonation and hop bitterness help maintain good balance and drinkability.

Overall a very straightforward, approachable old ale. It would be hard to find something not to like about this one.

 

Next up is another collaboration: A WCIPA brewed by Twin Elephant and Around the Horn Brewing Company, Groveland, California. I think I was sucked into this one by the name, Whatever Happened to the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the cool can art. I didn't focus on the fact that it also features TE's current favorite hop, Strata. I don't think I've ever had a WCIPA brewed with Strata and I'm not anxious to do so again. They also used White Wheat Pilsner as the grist. It's dry, earthy, and weedy, and it lacks the focus on bitter grapefruit and lemon, as well as the firmness of the malt backbone. It just seems one dimensional to me. The mouth feel is fine: crisp and lite and an easy drinker at 7.2% ABV.

I guess I'm fine with Strata hops when they balance other flavors. But to me a West Coast IPA shouldn't taste like bong water.

3.69/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75