New Beer Weekend #159

Definitely the best bacon cheeseburger I've had in months. Fresh and great veggies. Seasoned fries kicked ass.


Lonerider ipa for outlaws. A very unique tasting dipa. Aromas and flavors of big red raspberry, red currant, red grapefruit, peach, pineapple, apricot, melon, wood, mint, peppercorn, pine, citrus rind, cracker, toast, herbal, floral, grass, yeast earth. Large pine rind bitter finish. Medium plus body. Balanced creamy bready malts and sticky resinous hop feel. Long resin drying finish with mild astringency. This beer screams enigma hops and nothing else but it's a well made dipa! Dank and red berry fruits. Great hop vibrancy. Mild warmth of 8.3%. 4


Cheers

 

While the humidity is creeping back up, it's been a wonderful sunny weekend in New England. Starting off with a refreshing style I've never had before: a schankbier.

Jack's Abby Polish Lager, a collab with Goldfinger
3% schankbier

I got a bit confused by the name and style combo, so here's what's on the can in case you are too:

On to the review.

Pours a pale yellow with a two-finger white head that dissipates to a velvety coating.

Tons of floral and earthy notes on the nose--it's like being in a flower garden in full bloom after rain. I wasn't expecting this at all and had to look up the Polish hops JA used to see if I'm losing my sense of smell. Luckily, Tomyski hops are aroma hops known for floral and herbal notes. So far, so good.

There isn't a ton a flavor here, which isn't surprising at 3%. But what is here is good. I get white bread, saltine and oyster crackers, and a light malt sweetness. As it warms, a slight butter flavor mid-way through the sip comes out, and everything finishes with a peppery, mild hop bitterness.

Light bodied but not badly so--this isn't beer flavored water territory. As usual, nice carb complements the rest of the beer.

This is a first in the style for me and I only wish that I had picked up more. I would love to relax with a liter of this in a biergarten.


As I've now had a few in JA's beer hall exclusive series this spring and summer, it's become clear that the new pilot brew line they installed is really letting Jack and the brew team flex their muscles. They've been doing some great experimentation with ingredients, style, and technique, all without becoming gimmicky. This beer used Czech floor malts, Polish Tomyski hops, was naturally carbonated (as usual for JA), and was run through a coolship.

 

Drekker Chonk Strawberry and White Chocolate Sundae Sour, 5.7% ABV. Pours opaque medium-red, with a 3+ finger pink head that left puree residue. Aroma is strawberry and chocolate. Taste follows, moderately sweet, equally tart. Thick and creamy mouthfeel. Overall outstanding.

4.39/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

 

Oktoberfest

6.6% Marzen by Left Hand

Poured from a twelve ounce can, body is an amber-brown, slightly hazy. Off-white and small fluffy head that quickly dissolves but solid lacing.

Nose is bready malt with wafts of honey malt aroma. Inviting as an Oktoberfest marzen should be.

Taste follows nose and adds a small bitterness along with a malty sweetness. Nicely balanced and makes for an easy drinker.

Carbonation is strong and mouthfeel good.

A solid, easy drinking beer.

 

Side Project Saisonnier - cheers!

4.24/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Blend #5, 4% ABV. Poured from a 750mL bottle into my Unibroue tulip.

Brilliantly clear (initially) Naples yellow body supports three fingers of ivory foam that recedes gently to a lasting dense mousse. Sticky, rich lacing; very good to excellent retention.

Lovely phenolic/funky yeast notes with winter fruit, wildflower, and barnyard notes in harmony. Fairly subtle aroma overall. Hints of orange blossom and lemon zest as the ale warms.

Tart palate entry, citrus-driven acidity with low peppery funk and a forward grain character contributing a balancing sweetness. Malt is crackery and not without some complexity. Some wood and mineral character from the barrel rounds things out, leading into a long, crisp, fairly dry finish. Has an almost "lager" like component with a fleeting whisper of metal, though not enough to get in the way of the pleasant flavors. Low, clean bitterness throughout.

Medium-bodied, zesty, faintly puckering with some raw pu-erh like tannins. Refreshing, but not as easy drinking perhaps as the ABV would suggest.

Very nice, oak aged example of the style, though in my opinion, not worth the extra cash to obtain outside its market.

 

Drekker Prince Of The Place NEIPA, 6% ABV. Pours hazy orange with a three-finger off-white head that left some lacing. Aroma is citrus and berry. Taste is citrus, berry, and very faint pine, slightly sweet, equally bitter. Dry mouthfeel, overall very good to excellent-adjacent.

4.05/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

<insert witty comment, random fact, or lewd innuendo here>

 

Happy NBS fellow beer nerds!
So a curious sequence of events led me to wonder what the difference was between Belgian dark ale and stouts.
Imperial Donkey is the proclaimed (it’s right on the label) a stout but it is listed here as a Belgian dark ale. So I looked for other beers that might be either, I’ve had a few but never considered their relationship (if any) to stouts.
So the next one I found is Nocturnum from Delirium.

Poured cola brown and while it looked black in the glass, the ruby color highlights when held up to the light gave me my first clue this was different.
The taste was bready (think banana bread and cinnamon rolls) and not coffee or cocoa forward. Dark fruits seemed to swirl around in the swallow.
The feel is just slightly viscous, making it very easy to drink in gulps rather than sips, which I resisted as long as possible so I could define what I was enjoying.
Thinking I’ll try some other beers in this style, just to see the variety. I definitely enjoyed this one.
Cheers!

 

Good afternoon NBS/nbw and thanks to @Roguer for hosting this weekend.
A long list of tasks completed, frankly im a bit over it.
Todays offering is from Landbrauerei Schonram.
I have been helping a customer in central Vt, This offering was purchased in Ludlow Vt
The beer is beautiful and quite focused
The depth is an absolute pleasure
Do good
Be well
Pils

German Pilsner | 5.4% ABV
Private Landbrauerei Schönram in Petting/Schönram, Germany

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.03/5 rDev +4.1% | Average: 3.87
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured from the 500 ml bottle, with a BB date of 10/08/23 into the test glass
A - Forsythia in bloom yellow color, beautiful clarirty, carbonation is steady, feeding a thin white cap.
Lacing however is indulgent french masterwork.
S - Grain forward with lots of Pilsner malt character,the hops add a grassy and slight lemon/citrus snap
T - All the aromatics with a bit more flavor of the hops, snappy ever so slight citrus and a hint of white grape skin.
M - Delicate, on the palate, with a medium body, crisp and dry. Hits all the high notes
O - A very good Pils from the heart of the style. This offering is just that good. Worth seeking out

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Swiggers and commentators. Yesterday I visited two cemeteries in and around Newburgh, NY, in furtherance of my hobby of genealogy. My mother's paternal, Irish-Catholic family spent several generations in (ironically) Orange and Ulster Counties. Of course my other hobby is drinking beer so I spent some time cooling off at Newburgh Brewing Company. Newburgh's regular IPA is called MegaBoss and I can get it in some stores around here. But I hadn't tried the DIPA version, GiGaBoss. It's a great East Coast take on a West Coast IPA.

Canned on 7/26/2023 so 11 days' old. It pours a cloudy, bright, golden-orange color with a creamy, half finger cap of milk-white foam and lacing. A big, fragrant nose featuring lemon, lime, red berry, cantaloupe, and sweet floral hops. Despite the sweetness in the smell it drinks like a West Coast IPA with lots of tart lemon and grapefruit rind, along with pine sap. As it warms a bit there are some sweeter notes of berry, melon, and perhaps a hint of pineapple. The bitterness is pronounced but clean throughout. The hop bill isn't identified other than American and some English hops. I'm guessing Citra and Centennial, among others, are included. Its mouth feel is moderately creamy with pleasant carbonation, and it drinks quite easily for 9% ABV Overall, GigaBoss is solid with lots of flavor, strong bitterness, and a great mouth feel. I think it's the best of Newburgh's "Boss" IPA series.

4.18/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I'll have to look for it locally. Cheers!

 

Love your posts, Ian. I'm happy for you guys!

 

Welcome one and all to New Beer Sunday #963!

Finally getting around to the first of four highly anticipated new to me beers provided graciously by Jake or @brewskis as he is known on the boards. The first is from a brewery he can pick up easily in Indiana whereas us saps in Illinois do not get this brewery distributed here.

Fat Heads Hop Honcho



Can Notes: Received via gift from Jake @brewskis on Beer Advocate on 6/9, refrigerated since. 12 oz brewed and canned 4/21/23 by Fat Head's Brewery in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. Unfiltered India Pale Ale, 9% ABV, 90 IBUs.
Chief of the Leaf.

Appearance: Primary slow pour followed by top off pour into a 16 oz tulip glass. Clear golden bronze base, sustained carbonation, bright white creamy generous head lingers for a few minutes leaving creamy lacing and significant cover over the base. Looks like cotton candy. 4.5

Aroma: Citrus, pineapple, tangerine, grapefruit, pine, mild in strength, enticing. 4.0

Taste: Stronger taste, packs a punch. Pine is front and center, citrus hanging outback, the tropical aroma notes are AWOL. Getting a caramel malt presence, consistent with a high ABV imperial IPA. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Blunt and bitter, consistent with the IBU profile. Dry, feels at or perhaps above the strong ABV, heavy malt presence but the hops curb stomp any sweetness looking to emerge. Bitter pine dry finish lingers. 4.25

Overall: This is not for the timid, strong malt and hop bitterness drinks as advertised. While this isn't a strength I turn to a lot, this treatment does the style justice and is well executed. While my palate would be destroyed if I drank these regularly, I am glad I tried and enjoyed this offering this afternoon. Thank you Jake for sharing this wonderful Imperial IPA. 4.25

 

Ludlow beer scene must be a little better now, we went there about ten years ago and all there was was a decent package store but really no selection at all.

Sounds like a pretty neat weekend to me, that's pretty cool what you are doing, and I guess the beer is just a plus.

Thought of you today, grabbed my first MudHen beer, 1883 IPA, describes as floral, citrus and pine with a noticeably dry finish...I'm in. Either tonight or next weekend

 

NBS #2. This is both a new beer and new brewery for me: Year Round Brown, an English Brown Ale from Grand Armory Brewing in Grand Haven, Michigan, which appears to be directly across Lake Michigan from Milwaukee. I received this can from my brother-in-law who lives in Kalamazoo. I'm a bit surprised by how low its ratings are. While I've had better English Browns, this is a well-crafted and enjoyable ale.

Poured from undated, 12 oz. can. It's a dark cola-iced tea color with a half finger of creamy, light khaki-colored head and lacing. The nose is rather sedate; mostly nutty malt with notes of caramel and chocolate. The taste is better than the smell with earthy, woody, nutty malt, chocolate, and a hint of caramel. Lots of flavor from the English Fuggle hops. There is just a touch of hoppy bitterness from the Columbus hops at the finish. The mouth feel is impressive: nicely creamy with a good level of carbonation, and the 5.9% ABV gives it good substance for its drinkability. Overall, Year Round Brown is a nice English Brown Ale. While I've certainly had better ones, this one's well-worth a pour.

3.72/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I'm looking forward to digging into the other beers my B-I-L sent me. Cheers, NBW and have a great week, everyone!

 

Great review on this one. No question it packs a punch! Fat Heads isn't shy about bitterness, but they do a nice job balancing it out with malt. Glad you enjoyed it!

 

Some hair of the dog this afternoon…new to me beer - Revolution’s V.S.O. Gravedigger, a Scotch Ale aged in Eagle Rare, Elijah Craig, and Whistle Pig Rye barrels:




Canned 4/4/23. Poured at 54°. Quick light brown fizz vanished in a couple of seconds leaving no cap retention, ring nor lace; dark brown with ruby highlights; good clarity; no legs. Nose is bourbon and caramel; raisins as beer warmed. Sweet caramel malt, bourbon, oak, toffee; burnt brown sugar; raisins. Silky smooth feel; medium plus body; full mouth warmth/heat from 14.9% abv; light carbonation. Overall, a delicious rich sweet and bourbon boozy beer.

4.0 | 4.5 | 4.75 | 4.5 | 4.5
Score: 4.57 rDev +1.6%

Next to Firestone Walker, Revolution may have one of the best barrel aging programs, imo. Cheers!

 

I've only ever had Mud Hen at the brewery although I've seen some cans up here. Mud Hen has a plenary license so they serve food, which is pretty good. We only go there off-season because of the crowds in Wildwood during the summer. I haven't had 1883 yet and look forward to your thoughts!

 

4.33/5 rDev +3.8%

look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 16 ounce can dated 3-8-23 into a snifter.

Look- Black, opaque, medium brown frothy head, above average head retention and lacing.

Smell- Bourbon, chocolate, molasses, plum, oak, cinnamon, cherry, between medium and high strength of scent.

Taste- Toasted barley, oak, molasses, bourbon, cinnamon, plum, cherry, medium strength of flavor.

Feel- Between medium and full body, slightly below average carbonation, moderately bitter, between moderate and high creaminess, moderately mouth warming.

Overall- Look was superb with deep black color and above average head retention and lacing. Bouquet was a pleasant mix of bourbon, chocolate, molasses, plum, oak and cherry. Flavor was good, but dominated too much by roasted/charred barley. Feel was a nice mix of mouth warming, bitter and creaminess with a substantial, but not quite full body. Overall this was an enjoyable beer, but more bourbon character and less roasted barley would have made a big difference for me.

 

Wow, incredible picture

 

Southern Tier Caramel Pumking - I'm a big fan of Autumn beers and for many years now I've made it a tradition to drink a few as soon as they come out, as there is something a little fun and comical to me about drinking a pumpkin beer when it's really hot. I'm a big fan of Pumking, Warlock and the variants and this sounds delicious.

Pours from a bottle (BB 07/15/25) a slightly hazy light orange, strong head, strong carbonation. Smell is exactly as expected and there's the usual Pumking with a bit of caramel in there, super inviting smell. Taste is wonderful and it's hitting every note and the caramel plays support and does not overpower the Pumking, which is what I was hoping for. If you're a fan I recommend this and a beer that will age well too. Budmo!