New Beer Weekend #161

Paulaner salvator, this is a beer im pretty sure I've had before yet never reviewed.
...very beautiful mahogany appearance with a very thintan head
...carbonation is medium and ill say the body is the same yet it also has a bit of a slick heaviness which is very nice.
...aroma is a really nice mix of malty,boozy,some dark fruit with toast and caramel.
...taste definitely doesn't stray too far from the aroma with a small amount of alcohol burn.
..overall I imagine many have had it and if not its one that deserves to be experienced

 

Troegs oktoberfest
..a very clear dark amber appearance with a lasting white head
...body and carbonation both hover around medium.
...aroma is really nice,malt,dark grainy bread,dark honey,grain,floral with a bit of toast.
...taste is mildly sweet but subdued which allows all the other flavors to really show up.
...overall its really well done and made me slow down to enjoy just how good it is

 

Good evening, kids. My niece is moving to Virginia, so we helped out. She was living in Allston, which worked out well for us. We were going to Jack's Abby no matter what...but they don't open until noon, so rather than sitting in their parking lot we hit up Julio's Liquors
We haven't been there in years, and it's as good as it ever was. Picked up some goodies including a beer from the extreme stout box I never thought I'd see again - the Black Daruma which I really enjoyed.

Ok...so what about this Jack's Abby big deal...



Here's the notes about this old school meets new school lager:

With a 1,000 year difference between the founding of our breweries, we set out to brew a beer that honored historical brewing methods while infusing it with modern innovations.

We kept with old school tradition by combining the original Bavarian lager strain (brought all the way over from The Research Center Weihenstephan BLQ of the Technical University of Munich) with decoction mashing and horizontal lagering. New school was introduced via modern hopping methods and some atypical hops - Sterling and Adeena.

Jack’s Abby and Weihenstephan have forged a strong relationship bonded by the love of lager for years and we can't wait for you to try this lager of love that has been 5 years in the making.

And away we go... It pours a bright and crystal clear honey gold. Enormous head of white fluffiness forms with little encouragement, although I tend to pour aggressively. It falls to chunks and a ring, decent cling. Outstanding.

The smell is deliciously malty - not heavy, a bit of a blend of crackery and bread dough. The hops are pretty subtle - light citrus and some faint herbal spice, some floral over the top. Very laid back.

The taste is deceptive to me. It starts off a bit of ho hum, but it opens up into a blend of clean malts, mild bitterness, and then those new world hops blossom. Lemony brightness, floral and herbal earthiness, then a mildly surprising kick of spice in the aftertaste. So some aspects of Noble hops playing with more new world character. The bitterness seems appropriate - not quite a complete reset of the taste buds but enough while the aromatic hops continue to play. The lemon eventually seems a bit candy-like. I'm thinking the malt tends more to the bready side and there is an ever so slight sweetness.

The feel is slick and silky smooth. Medium bodied, kind of middle of the road carbonation. It has that slightly richer than expected feel I've gotten in other beers using decoction mashing.

This is plain old good stuff, in my opinion. I think both teams brought their "A" game, and the result is a beer that starts of with subtlety and finishes in a wholly different place. Looking at the style description, this beer could be the poster child. Ridiculously drinkable. Easy 4.3 to 4.5 range.

@kp7 @jonphisher - I'd say grab some if you see it.

 

Happy New Beer time friends...A lovely Saturday here, humidity finally left at least for today and it has been glorious. Got a hike in this morning with the family and some good family time and delicious dinner that we ate outside. Still at in laws and my nephew also got dropped off for a sleepover so its a good old fashion family party here. But now I'm hiding in the basement

I have started to slowly pick up some fall beers and grabbed two singles for this weekend and/or next. The first is one I wanted to grab last year but never got around to it so I'm excited to try it, joining @seakayak

Harpoon - Flannel Friday (American Amber 5.7%)



Beautiful looking beer, crystal clear and about as perfectly amber as you can get, abslutely crystal clear, a slightly off-white head that slowly settles to a thick cap of dense foam; leaving some really nice lacing.

The nose on this is heavenly to me its a rich toasty mix of bright pungent pine with an awesome caramelization of sappy orange fruit.

Taste is rich in toastiness and caramelization as well, same bright pine and sap but there is also a pleasant floral note in the background as well; bite of orange citrus rind and just the perfect little bit of malty sweetness, aftertaste highlights the toasty aspect of this beer.

This beer still lives in the light body zone for me, though verges closely to medium; it is incredibly clean and bright, noticeably bitter, this beer is so smooth it almost has a lager like finish; you can feel the sappy hops lingering for quite some time. Wow is this an awesome drinking beer.

Alright, I'm bias cause hoppy and red is a match made in heaven but this is one of my favorite new to me beers I have had in a long long long time, possibly all year. This is Phisher hoppy beer nirvana and I will now drive out of my way tomorrow to secure a six pack and keep it cold, thank god for NBW and testing the waters. If you see this beer buy it!

Back tomorrow with another fall beer Keep up the good work, it has been quite the busy Saturday thus far.

 

What's up with sub 8% beers being called DIPAs? I noticed recently that Victory has a new DIPA on the shelves (Full Saturation) but I was surprised to see it at 7.3%. Is this a new trend brewing [pun intended] or did I miss a memo somewhere?

 

Good evening NBW
Finally found a single of this.

KBS Blueberry

12oz bottled on 07/10/23 poured into a snifter glass at just above fridge temp 11.2% ABV. The beer pours very dark brown with no light penetration and medium brown colored head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of bubbles. A solid web of lacing follows the liquid level as it retreats. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring bourbon, chocolate, coffee and berry. The taste is semisweet blueberry, coffee, chocolate swirl with a side of bourbon and barrel. Mild bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a semi dry finish. The high ABV is well hidden. Overall, very good.

Cheers all!

 

Have a good nbw. Me and Julia drove out to Virginia Beach for the weekend. Turns out my boss is going to throw me under the bus for a real hired position (5th time in my career?) so I am going to ask for a raise next week when I catch up with my contractor boss on Monday. Just need to look on the bright side of life. Things are amazing. I listened to 60% of Executive Orders and it is amazing to recount his Cia history as a presidential scandal. Top tier Tom Clancy writing I swam over 1000 yards in the waves. Apparently swolf is a thing. I didn't have a good score since the current was strong lol.

Finally got seated at lager heads Virginia Beach after 1.25 hours. Love the appetizers. Bonus beach pic.


I got a New realm hazy like a fox ipa. Funny thing I had a transient by the same name before! Great hazy ipa. Aromas and flavors of big red grapefruit, tangerine, peach, pineapple, passion fruit, mango, melon, berries, citrus rind, peppercorn, pine, cracker, biscuit, herbal, floral, grass, yeast earth. Medium pine rind bitter finish. Medium carb and body. Balanced creamy bready malts and sticky resinous hop. Long resin finish with minimal astringency. Great azacca and El dorado showcase of dank and juicy hops. 4.0/5


Cheers

 

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest, 6.0% ABV; 4.15 overall

Pours an effervescent gold with one finger of pearl colored head. Okay lacing & not much head retention

S: Bready, grassy, good nose

T: Follows the nose, a touch of lemon up front, plus a little sweet doughyness. Getting some lime as this beer warms up, along with grassy bitterness & nice bready sweetness, a kiss of caramel. Finishes grassy, sweet with a touch of lime

Medium bodied, fairly lively carbonation; nice balance

Very easy to drink. There will most likely more of this purchased in the future

 

Poured a translucent amber color and was capped with a tall white head that never quite went away and left sheets of lacing. Unfiltered maybe? Looks good but aren’t Pilsners supposed to be transparent? No idea.
The aroma is lost on my Covid damaged nose.
The taste is right on, excellent representation of the Noble Hops and some biscuit flavors derived from the malt, all wrapped up in a sweet envelope of honey. They don’t mention honey in the description so I’m guessing it’s from the hops. Sugar Creek Edelweiss.
Very crushable, nice beer.
Happy NBW everyone!

 

The Buffalo shrimp are mind blowing. Pickle fries also slap.




Aslin volcano sauce. Nose is amazing jammy black/blue berries, lacto funk, vanilla, cream. Taste of huge jammy blackberry, blueberry, fruit skin/seed, sour apple, cherry, lemon, lime, red grape, wheat, bread, vanilla, cream, lacto funk, yeast earth, hay, straw, grass, light peppercorn. Moderate tart/tangy/sour lactic finish. Crisp clean refreshing medium high carb and lt-med body. Mild pucker and super refreshing. Tons of jammy authentic fruit and perfect balanced lacto/lactose flavors. This is one of the best smoothie sours I've had. Julia is equally blown away. 4.65/5


Cheers

 

Couple of hoppy beers from California Breweries:

Stone Delicious Citrus IPA

Appearance: Clear yellow-gold, good head.

Smell: Citrus rind.

Taste: Moderate bitterness, with a mix of slightly sweetened oranges and more bitter pith/rind flavor. A little malt backbone shows up in the background here and there. Medium bodied.

Overall: Not sure if “Delicious Citrus IPA” is different from “Delicious IPA”, but they are different beers in the BA database, so here we go. Pretty solid IPA with a nice bitterness. Not too heavy, will get you your hop fix.


Firestone Walker Hopnosis

Appearance: Clear yellow, good head.

Smell: Danky, very mild citrus note.

Taste: Moderate bitterness, body has an earthy tone to it—not quite onion/garlic but kind of vegetal. Not really citric. Moderate bitterness continues through the finish.

Overall: Interesting IPA flavor here, it's been a while since I had an oniony/garlicy IPA (which is good, I like those but not in beer). This was nearing those flavors, but managed to stay at a level that I could enjoy. The cans were not old, so I assume this is what FW was going for. I may have to try again at some point to see if it tastes different.

 

Got this beer from BIF 17. Cheers @sulldaddy

Barreled Souls Hot Cocoa Stay Puft Imperial Stout; 4.07 overall

My 22 version is 11.8% ABV

Pours a very ruddy & effervescent chestnut with 2+ fingers of mocha colored head. Some head retetion & lacing

S: Cocoa, a hint of smokeyness, fades a little as this warms

T: Cocoa powder, vanilla, mashmallow & dryness up front. Sweet cocoa & marshmallow as this beer warms up, a little dryness & smokeyness as well, a touch of woody hops. Finishes dry with cocoa & marshmallow, plenty of woody notes on the tongue

MF: Medium body, restrained carbonation

Much to love here, drinks great for the heft, a little too dry for me

 

Good evening all you denizens of NBW!
My nightcap tonight was a recently acquired beer from @beergoot - I think I saw him post about it a week or so ago and immediately wanted to try it. He apparently read my mind and sent me one!

Poured the color of cold brewed coffee with a tall beige head.
The aroma was sadly lost on my Covid damaged nose.
The taste was unlike any Porter I’ve had before: no malt char or any harsh anything, coffee and chocolate and vanilla and an almost toffee like flavor. That all sounds very sweet but it really isn’t.
The feel is very good, maybe a little thin for the imperial style but very drinkable.
OA, this is an amazing porter and I am glad I got the chance to try it. Thanks Dave!

 

Great review. I love Mosaic myself and find it to be a chameleon sometimes.
Tessellation from Lone Pine has always been one of my favorites but somehow it's become a shelf turd. I rarely find it fresh outside of Maine.