New Beer Weekend #153

Prairie Artisan Pecans In Paradise BBA Imperial Stout, 14.7% ABV. Pours thick and black, with the signature Prairie ring-o-bubbles and leaving an oily coating on the glass. Aroma is pecans, vanilla, chocolate, and coconut. Taste is strong pecans and strong coconut and strong bourbon, with vanilla and chocolate in their shade, moderately sweet, slightly bitter. Decent mouthfeel, overall outstanding.

4.38/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Having gumbo soup in the crock for supper. We went to Guardians 3 and came back to the incredible smell of gumbo. G3 was the best of the series, BTW.

 

Greetings all from the great northwest where we have yet another hazy IPA. Hazy Hearted IPA from Bell's Brewing.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/287/633493/

Not particularly remarkable. Just another hazy fruity brew.

Until next time

 

That was rather my impression too. I mistakenly thought that as they were naming it after their best known beer they would make it something special. But no. Just cashing in on the name.

 

Brewing Projekt Sticky Icky Stout, 7% ABV. Pours black, with a 1.5 finger light-brown head that left no head. Aroma is caramel and butter pecan. Taste is butter pecan, faintly sweet, faintly bitter. OK mouthfeel overall very good. Not a pastry stout. Unimpressed. The end.

3.98/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The only thing interesting about this beer is the weird-ass can format, almost as tall as a 16oz, but skinny. Why? Did they get a deal on a bunch of cans?

 

I plan on pulling the trigger on a single of that when they make it available. Can't really afford 4 packs of their stuff anymore

 

Ozark Beer Co. Olivas Folk Life IPA, 5.5% ABV; 3.69 overall.

Pours a chill hazed gold with one finger of eggshell colored head. Outstanding head retention & average lacing

S: Grassy, grainy, some lemon

T: Follows the nose, some pine & woody hops & dryness up front. Dry & grassy with a little aspirin bitterness. Cakeyness, grassyness & dryness as this beer warms up. Finishes with malty sweetness, dryness & woody hops

MF: Medium body, fairly crisp carbonation, solid balance

Old school 90's IPA, not the style that really doesn't it for me anymore

 

For whatever reason, I really dig the labels from Bottle Logic. Wish I could get their beers here!

 

I've never seen a four of a prairie stout. Yeah, that would be expensive.

 

A fucking classic. I used to drink these and fish for hours in the summer of 2019, right before Covid.

 

Greetings, fellow NBWers,

Last weekend, I drank a LOT of beer. On Saturday, Iron Goat, a brewery that is perhaps a 10-minute walk for me to reach and who has been my neighborhood brewery longer than any of the others (yes, I have multiple neighborhood breweries. It does not suck.), had there 11th anniversary, and did so with t-shirts and glassware that would make any self-respecting fan of This Is Spinal Tap proud. They had three new beers on (a fruited version of their Hazerquest IPA, a Belgian witbier, and a Dunkel), and brought back an old stalwart, their Goatnik Russian Imperial Stout, aged in Dry Fly wheat whiskey barrels. There were also three local bands that are a blast to watch, so in addition to drinking a lot of beer, I spent a lot of time there.

That evening I ran into a friend I had not seen in months, who told me he felt guilty about missing out on my birthday during winter, and insisted on my joining him in watching some soccer on Sunday at a local pizzeria/bar that caters to local soccer nerds. Dutifully doing so, I was presented with two extremely well preserved bombers from Selkirk Abbey Brewing. That's a brewery in North Idaho that specializes in Belgian style beers, and if I'm honest, has mostly fallen off in recent years, but at one time was making some truly outstanding beers that mostly got missed on account of their location. After being presented with those beers, some hair of the dog drinking and soccer watching ensued, along with encountering a woman that nobody in the place seem to know, who walked in, ordered food, made just enough conversation to make clear that she was completely out of her head on something, grabbed my junk at one point in an ostensibly friendly manner, stole a shot that my friend had ordered for me (and one that I wasn't particularly sorry to not drink) and, upon getting 86'd, then went next door to the little coffee shop that is there and tried to steal someone's dog.

Ah, Spokane...

Anyway, it was not a weekend conducive for reviewing beer. This weekend has been a little bit better for such a pastime.

Today, after a post breakfast stroll of about 90 minutes around downtown, during the chaos of the annual Spokane Hoopfest -



...I stopped by Brick West Brewing, another one of those several breweries that are hyperlocal to me. I decided to order their Dad Bod, a session IPA that was brewed in honor of Father's Day, which happens to have originated here in Spokane.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/58359/661050/?ba=woemad#lists
Pretty mediocre stuff. It's a session IPA, with all the compromises that those entail, and while a pretty good looking beer, if one is a fan of West Coast IPAs (and I am), was fairly unimpressive in the category of flavor. Normally on a day like today, I would be drinking their Pilsner which is a pretty nice one, but I was moved to drink something new, and today it just did not pay off. If you're absolutely bound to determined to get a bit of IPA flavor from something otherwise pretty light, this could work for you, but it just wasn't anything I'd be moved to try again, myself.

 

Another summertime treat from Lops Brewing of scenic Woonsocket, R.I. This was enjoyed yesterday. Kölsch Style Ale is the name, a decent American take on the style.



3.49/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

An 8-oz. pour at the brewery into a Weizen glass. A thin eggshell-white soapy head above a hazy yellow-straw body. I can barely see my fingers, no lacing, just a few spots. The head can be swirled back up but has short retention.

Wheat bread and cracker greets the nose with mild herbal hops, a hint of lemon and toasted wheat in the background.

Semi-dry with low bitterness, lightly flavored per style. Pilsner-like malt leads the way with lemon and herbs matching the smell. Missing is the traditional white wine flavor and a crisp finish. The finish is soft and Blonde Ale like.

Light bodied with lower-than-average carbonation. Softly smooth and easy drinking. Alcohol is well hidden.

 

Day 2, I saw the announcement on BA that Sierra Nevada had decided to put forth a “Fan Favorites” mix pack that included Flipside, Hop Hunter, Nooner, and Ruthless Rye.

That excited me - a LOT - because those are all beers I really enjoyed, and have missed over the years. So when I saw that mix pack at our local grocery this afternoon, I grabbed it and ran for the checkout.

I had rated all of those beers, but not reviewed any of them, so today I’ll review the beer I had the most - by FAR - of that quartet of beers. That was actually probably the last beer I used to regularly buy in 12-packs, I enjoyed it that much.

Nine years ago in 2014, I rated this a 4.20. Let’s see where it lands today on my definitely changed beer nerd palate.





4.29/5 rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours a beautiful clear copper color with a sudsy light tan head that provides ample lacing and leaves a bit of a cap on the body of the beer as you enjoy it. Gorgeous WCIPA-ish beer, IMHO.

The nose has a nice amount of citrus (tangerine) and there’s some herbal note as well, but those aromas are probably a derivative of the rye, which is very present and provides a not-so-subtle spice note. This is as I remember it.

What I don’t remember is the dept of the spice as the beer warms, which ranges from rye to pepper on the palate and is deliciously complemented by the tangerine citrus flavor. I could drink GALLONS of this.

The mouthfeel is medium and dry, on point for this beer. When I originally had this beer years ago, I loved it, and I love it more now. This approaches world class on this old beer nerd’s palate, IMHO.

 

Since I've been home, and have done some chores, I'm back with another beer, an Arkansasian Bock that was part of one of @russpowell's NBS BIF assaults upon my porch.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/59462/657029/?ba=woemad#lists
This is more like it. A nice afternoon beverage, I must say.
Weirdly, although Russ and I had somewhat different opinions about its look, it's flavor and it's aroma, our respective reviews come out to the same score.

 

Pipeworks Lucky Cat Ale with Strawberries & Hibiscus, 5.8% ABV. The profile shows it as a much higher ABV. 3.47 overall

My can says 5.8% ABV

Pours an effervescent pink-hued orange with a pinky of beige head. Alright head retention & lacing

S: Fainty woody hops & strawberry, fades as it warms

T: Follows the nose, fairly sweet, a little tart & dry up front. Dry with some berry sweetness & leafy hops, plus Hibiscus tea. Finishes a little sweet, a little tart with berries & dryness

MF: Medium body, moderate carbonation, okay balance

A decent Summer time sipper, but glad I just grabbed a single

 

I've had a North Dakota beer, but I think the brewery went under

 

This was my lunch this afternoon, Persistence by Apponaug Brewing of scenic Warwick, Rhode Island. Behind the Beer is the mighty Pawtuxet River, this is a lemon-flavored Berliner Weisse.
Cheers.



3.42/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A 12-oz. pour at the brewery into a plastic cup. A bone-white soapy head with average retention above a pale straw body, hazy, difficult to see my fingers.

Toasted multi grain bread and cracker greets the nose with a faint hint of citrus.

Semi-dry with very low bitterness, a surprising amount of tart and sour lemon taste appears and overtakes the bready/cracker malt. The finish is almost crisp with that tart lemon taste lingering on.

Light bodied with average carbonation, refreshing but a little too much lemon. Enjoyable easy drinker, alcohol is an afterthought.

 

Well my friends I’m fitting one in, a long day of travel but I snagged this four pack at the grocery store. I love switchback ale and when I saw this one from them I had to buy it for me and to support my favorite corner of BA, cheers friends.

Switchback Brewing - Roasted Red (Hoppy Red 5.6%)



Pours mostly a chestnut like brown, minor hues of red; mostly clear, off white head that is quick to form, leaves a nice film as retention, minor initial lacing.

Nose is noticeably toasty to me, grain like as well, a yeasty dark fruitiness is also present, just the slightest hint of very light pine.

The taste is mostly toasted malts, with same little bit of yeast driven dark fruit, much happier in taste; earthy with hints of pine.

Soft mouthfeel, can conditioning shows, light to medium body, nice bitterness, clean drinking beer, finishes pretty dry.

Yup, I really like this beer a lot very glad I bought a four pack of it. Looking forward to beers all week while up here with our great friends.

Have a great week everyone, see you all again soon and I look forward to seeing what you all drank this weekend over the next day or so as I catch up on lost packing and travel days.

————

Today’s earlier victim, the real reason I love Vermont, maple creemees…yes I’m a child that just happens to like beer.

 

Any time I buy a mixed package with Ruthless Rye they always disappear first......

 

We are suddenly in the grip of high humidity here and after the cool and dry we have enjoyed, it hits hard. Not much outdoor activity today. Threw together a meatloaf and popped it on the smoker - easy and tasty, pretty much watch the temperature for 4 hours.

Tonight's volunteer:

Brewery notes for what they are calling a Brett IPA: Aged in our oak foeders for close to a year, this Brett forward mixed-ferment IPA is dry and effervescent, mildly tart, and billows forth with aromas and flavors of zested lime, muscat grape, pineapple, and lemon Italian ice.

This is Proclamation's Wish I Could Turn You Back Into a Stranger - ok so what's up with that? Knowing their penchant for musically inspired things, found this is a lyric from a song Eventually by Tame Impala. Alrighty then...

Slightly hazy yellowish gold on the pour with a 3/4 inch dense white head. Falls to about an eighth inch uniform cap, some sticking, long-lasting.

The aroma is a balancing act between dank funk and pineapple, lemony brightness, white wine grape, bready malt, a smattering of tropical fruit. There's a mild oak woodiness and grassy herbal hoppy goodness.

The taste...it's bright and kinda in your face. The Brett carries throughout the taste and lingers some along with a couple of friends - white pepper and oaky phenolics. Lemon comes in quick along with the bready malt with the pineapple. And it keeps going...white wine grape, a little apple, some honey sweetness, grassy/herbal hops, the oak becomes more assertive, playing off the Brett. It's all very bright and I am resisting the urge to drink this quickly. The Brett lends a mild and pleasing tartness.

Medium bodied, a bit tingly on the carbonation but the peppery and lemon give that a boost. It's dry on the finish. Mildly bitter.

This is a delightful, uniquely flavored brew to me balancing two seemingly disparate entities in the Brett and the hop character. It's right there on the line - too much of either side would be a disappointment. Thinking 4.25 for this style blurring treat. Feeling moderately adventurous, give this a go.

 

Just got back from a three night tent camping trip to Cape Disappointment (with a stop at Fort George for lunch on the way there). Tired, sore, and *mostly* done packing, going to chill out with a big beer (sent in NBS BIF #17 by @Ozzylizard) for a while...

Jackie O's Bourbon Barrel Black Maple

375ml bottle served in a smallish snulip. 2022 vintage.

Pours thick, dark, with almost no head, just a minuscule ring. Smell is dark beer -- roasty, coffee, anise, dates, molasses.

Taste is very sweet. Maple syrup and molasses, vanilla, date flavor is really concentrated, again roasted coffee.

Mouthfeel is not quite as thick and chewy as I want it to be, but almost. Overall, very nice beer.