New Beer Weekend #162

Fox Farm - Pozar (grodziskie)



Pours a smidge hazy, fluffy head, effervescent, yellow-ish.

Nose is smoke: campfire meets seaweed washed ashore.

Taste is actually rather ordinary. It’s sort of one dimensional. Perhaps I don’t see the point? I don’t know the style all that well. It’s a smidge sweet, clean and unassuming meeting with soft very palatable smoke.

Adjusting to the smoke is the issue because the beer then becomes sort of… predictable?

Anyway, not bad, but perhaps mediocre at fox farm standards. I wouldn’t clamor for it but I imagine that is a style thing not an issue of execution.

3.76/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 2 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

 

A couple of new beers for me, while I was out and about this afternoon. Was at a nice local and small beer bar that I don't normally get a chance to visit cause it is on the west side of town, and Houston is huge ha.

First up, B 52 Oak Lagered Vienna Lager. 5.2% ABV. The B 52 page is a mess of beers, and should probably be cleaned up. Best I can tell this is the newest version, as there was a listing for 2019. Though it is currently on tap at the brewery as well. Anyway...



Pours a brick red color. A small beige head forms with some lace left behind.
Aroma of sweet malts, sweet fruits, and tart dark cherries...hmm interesting though can't say its really anything that get me excited about the rest.
Taste wise, an almost sour tang up front. Toasted malts with plenty of sweetness. Vanilla and sour dark cherries in the finish. I can almost think of this as some kind of Flanders Red Ale ha.
A medium body with moderate carbonation. This is very sticky and finishes way to sweet. Not all together bad, if you don't think of this as a Vienna Lager. Still not something I plan on coming back to often.

This is "conditioned on charred oak spirals." So not sure if the sourness is coming from some kind of infection, or just my perception of the spirals. Interesting to try once, but not something I'm going to look for again, and it gets no style points.

Overall score for me is 2.97, blah.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35547/668618/?ba=champ103#lists


Next is New Magnolia Hella Pils, 5% ABV. I didn't know this when I first ordered, but it became very apparent soon after. Hopped with Azacca and Citra. having seen this at the brewery and several other places I avoided for a bit. Cause I got some noticeable diacetyl and DMS is some of their pale lagers, and avoided this for a while because of that. When seeing this in the past, it was never advertised as a hopped up lager. So, again, anyway review below...



Pours a clear yellow color. A one finger white head forms. Lace is left behind.
Fruity hops in the nose, and that is it. Strawberry, berry salad.
Taste wise, again, that fruity berry salad character, There is a sticky/oily sweetness that becomes almost candy like, and light lingering bitterness eventually.
A medium body and medium carbonation. Sticky, slick, oily, finishes way to sweet. Needs to be drier and cleaner for a lager. If all you like is fruity new age hops, then grab this. If you like, or wanted a pale lager don't.

I have seen this at the brewery, and out and about at several bars. Finally had a pint. Considering the name, wouldn't have thought this would just be a fruity hop salad. Also, maybe my fault for not realizing that they are using the new cool kids hops? If that is what they were going for, I can get behind that. Though, it still needs to have a clean, crisp, and drier finish for a so called lager. As is, this is just a stand in for a fruity IPA.

Overall score 3.03, another blah.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/58057/545953/?ba=champ103#lists

Though I did pick up some Urban Chestnut beers to go from Cobble and Spoke. This is the first time I have seen them around me at all, very glad about that. Got the Zwickel, which has long been a favorite of mine, just not something I can get around me locally until now. Also the Munich Dunkel, that I'll be reviewing either later today or tomorrow. Looking forward to that.

 

This afternoon’s beer is Dangle from Third Moon in collaboration with Counterpart. It’s an Imperial Stout with carrot cake, carrots, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and comes in at 11%ABV. The can - as all Third Moon cans do - says drink fresh. This is not fresh at all. This is about a year and a half old.



Pours a deep, dark black/brown with minimal head that disappears in a few seconds from the finish of the pour. This looks substantial.

My nose picks up the listed spices first. Nutmeg for sure, cinnamon, sweet chocolate, vanilla. It takes a bit of warming up before the carrot cake reveals itself. I’m surprised by the vibrancy of the aromas considering the age of the beer.

The taste brings the same notes, but layered together working in harmony. The spice hits first, with the sweet carrot cake following. The sweetness is restrained. Very nice with an overall subtle flavouring.

The body is full. The beer is very drinkable for the high ABV.

I’m surprised how well this held up. I imagine the flavours would have been even more vibrant when fresh. I tend to prefer them to be more subtle, so this works well for me.

Cheers!

 

After @jonphisher provided near parental adoration for this beer I grabbed a bottle to give it a go. I’m an expat, so didn’t grow up around this stuff but on sight so far it is right up my alley.

Switchback Ale



This is definitely bottle conditioned, a heft of sediment. Copper, smidge hazy. Very pretty pour.

Nose is sweet malt, sugar. Bitter hops. Some very earthy vegetal character. Smells great.

Man that’s tasty. Lovely herbal and punchy. Soft and sweet at the same time. A dichotomous love affair of malt and hops. I’m very impressed.

This reminds me of a smaller shed mountain ale and much more nuanced and thoughtful.

4.26/5 rDev +18%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

 

parental adoration I love it.

Couldn't agree more with your take on it, I'm glad my adoration pushed someone in the right direction

 

I was amazed to see style classification as American Amber - not that I know what I would class it as anyway! Ale? Hah! Anyway, I think it’s an awesome beer and appreciate that you advocated for it else I may’ve continued overlook it.

 

Shilling brewery aorta Italian pilsner
...pale semi clear gold appearance with a lasting head
...around medium carbonation with the body feeling about the same
...aroma is yeasty white bread crust,floral earthy hops,and a very mild hit of citrus.
...taste is almost dry but not there completely. The floral earthy hops show up with what comes off as grape,especially the skin.
...overall its more than complex enough to keep me interested and its really well done

 

We’re visiting my Mom, so one and done for me. I visited the brewery earlier this week in Toledo (Earnest Brew Works) and really liked it, so I’m looking forward to this beer.



3.79/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours a nearly clear yellow color with a sudsy white head that provides minimal lacing. The nose features a significant lemongrass note and white bread, which makes it more like a hoppy German pilsner.

The taste is also all about the lemongrass and white bread notes. This is a really tasty beer, and one I’m glad I have more of to enjoy, especially with the almost brutally crisp mouthfeel, but it’s really more in the German pilsner category than the festbier category.

 

It really is a hard beer to nail down IMO, and style wise I think I enjoy their take on it...the cans state "a well balanced reddish-amber ale." In any case it is one awesome well made and unique beer. I'm down to my last can, until next summer vacation it keeps it special for me.

 

Honky tonk hazefest by little harpeth


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


from Wikipedia, New England IPA (NEIPA, also referred to as Hazy IPA or Juicy IPA or, less frequently, Vermont IPA) was invented by John Kimmich in 2004 at the Alchemist Brewery in Waterbury, Vermont.Characterized by juicy citrus and floral flavours, with an emphasis on hop aroma with lower bitterness, they also have a smooth consistency or mouthfeel, and a hazy appearance. These characteristics are achieved using a combination of brewing techniques, including the use of particular strains of yeast, the timing of adding the hops, and adjusting the chemistry of the water. New England IPAs do not necessarily need to be brewed in New England.It was officially recognized as a separate beer style, the Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale, by the Brewers Association in 2018

On draft at Nashville airport little harpeth tavern

Golden brown liquid, looks like an Arnold Palmer, translucent brew, white ring , spotty lacings

Aroma is floral, citrus ,whiff of pine

Taste is florals, Tropical fruits. Orange citrus , hint of pine

Smooth , soft , medium sudsing

Good beer

 

Another from shilling brewery, Augustin 13 polotmavy lager
....slightly clear yoasted dark bread crust brown.
...at least medium carbonation which comes off a little too much. Medium bodied and once it sits an overall nice feel.
...pumpernickel bread with a little floral buckwheat honey.grains,cereal with malt and a little caramel.
...taste has a bit of sweetness but also mild bitterness and sourdough bread and yeast. Leaves a toasted burnt grain taste in the mouth.
...overall its definitely off the beaten path and really enjoyable

 

Greetings all. Drizzly morning gave way to a nice sunny day today. Just a bit of humidity as the sun broke. I was told Friday we are having a cookout on Sunday, so I have just a few pounds of pork shoulder on the smoker. It will be done in another 30 degrees or so... Yard puttering, but mostly a lot of hummingbird watching. They are really burning thru the nectar now and provide lots of entertainment.

In the glass:



Oxbow Maine Bock...a maibock. I like what Oxbow does. There is always a canning date clearly on the container. They put on the label production time (how long it took to make) and basically an "enjoy by" time frame, typically in months or years.

It pours a slightly hazy brassy color with a huge chunky head. The head falls to substantial islands and a hefty ring. Nice cling to the glass. Pretty steady stream of fine bubbles.

The smell opens with bready, biscuity, slightly sweet malty goodness. There's a hint of yeastiness, then the trio of floral, grassy, herbal hops. It's certainly malt forward, but it's nicely balanced.

It tastes of bready and slightly sweet malt initially. There's a yeast flavor, but it's more or less in the background. A moderate bitter replaces the sweetness and then the hops come to play. Flowery, grassy, and way out late in the taste a mild peppery spiciness. The flavor lingers a bit, but not for long. It ends up fairly clean and prepared for the next sip.

It's a bit above medium in body. Carbonation is gentle. A bit of astringency and slightly dry finish. The peppery flavor builds pleasantly.

Very well-made beer here. While on the heavier side, it's very drinkable. It's very nicely balanced between the featured malts and complimentary and very classic hops. Easy 4.0 to 4.2.

 

Good evening NBW
Another new beer picked up on the road. We get Hi-Wire distro here, but haven't seen this before.

16oz can stamped 4/?0/23 poured into a Spiegelau stout glass at fridge temp 9.5% ABV per can. The beer pours dense black with zero light penetration and medium brown colored head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of bubbles. Slight lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring bourbon, coffee, vanilla and chocolate all popping in and out. The taste is semisweet chocolate fudge with a bourbon / oaky edge and plenty of coffee and sweetness lying underneath. Bitterness is moderate, but yields to the adjuncts. The mouthfeel is medium plus bodied with just less that average carbonation and a semi dry finish. Overall, very good imperial stout.

Cheers all!

 

Happy weekend beer friends, I've enjoyed reading through what everyone has been drinking so far. Now it is my turn to write instead of read...I save this for this weekend cause it was so damn humid last weekend, well, it still is so oh well. I enjoy a few pumpkin beers each fall, always have, and here is a question for you all: were pumpkin beers the original pastry beers??

I'm not sure if this beer is new but it is new to distribution and cans I believe. This one is from exit 0...

Cape May Brewing - Pick of the Batch (Pumpkin Ale 6%)



Pours a cloudy orange like cream soda color, carbonation upon pouring was semi-vigorous, head settles into nice creamy appearance; looks the part.

The nose is interestingly spiced on this pumpkin beer, it is potent in a zippy sort of way...like a woodsy cinnamon jumps out of the glass, the other spice character carries more of a root beer sort of vibe than pumpkin pie, creamy vanilla lingers in the background.

Fortunately the taste is a little more balanced, but again there is a spritzy spicey bite that shoots this one into spiced soda like territory to me, be it cream soda or root beer. Doesn't taste like it per se but more just reminds me of it more so than pumpkin pie, there is a nice balanced bit of vanilla in it. It finishes odd...almost soda like but with beer qualities hanging in there too.

Mouthfeel is medium, it carries a nice creamy feel at first and dries out noticeably on the finish, baking spices dry...some light vanilla like sweetness stays present on the palate.

Unfortunately this is one of the least enjoyable pumpkin beers I have had in a long long time. It has some very odd qualities to it. Maybe I'm just stuck on this "soda" like quality but it really drinks soda like with a few beer aspects here and there. I love Cape May's beers but this one is a miss for me, so much so that I will probably move on to something more palatable.

 

Tucher rotbier
...semi clear amber appearance
...just below average carbonation with about a medium body.
....aroma is malt, malted barley, some caramel with toffee.
...taste really doesn't stray too far the aroma. Leaves a grainy malt aftertaste.
...overall its a really nice malty beer

 

Good Saturday evening, New Beer Weekenders. Yesterday, I visited Cushwa Brewing Co. in Williamsport, MD, for the first time and enjoyed a couple of first rate New England IPAs. So I wanted to see how the brewery handles a darker, maltier brew. This is Dark Dome, an American Porter with a 7.4% ABV. And it's very good!

It pours a dark mahogany with a thin, creamy, light mocha-colored head and sheen of lacing. On the nose there is dark chocolate, nutty char, and a whiff of tobacco smoke. It features rich, milky chocolate, earthy char, burnt nuts, and a touch of caramel. The flavors are bright and strong and are complimentary. There is a hint of hop bitterness at the finish. Its mouth feel is rich and creamy with low/moderate carbonation, and the 7.4% ABV gives it good substance. Overall, it's an excellent American Porter. Another reason to be impressed with this brewery. I'll review another of its beers for NBS.

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

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

 

Man so happy NBW is finally here! I've had new beers in my fridge since Monday and have been dying to try.

First up.

Red Rock - Why So Serious (triple IPA)



Canned 6.27.23

Purchased for about $4 from the Red Rock Beer store

Poured at fridge temp into a dumb can glass

Pours a pure POG juice orange with full haze and an eggshell white head that left some loose lace. 4

Off the can is a predominantly pine, but after the pour to he aroma is largely a tropical fruity mix, mostly mango and passion fruit. 4

Pine again on the taste buds with some accompanying fruity juice. Very low alcohol burn, would never have guessed this is a 10% 4.25

Smooth and juicy body, and low carbo, hardly a boozy note to it. 4.25

Overall a very nice triple IPA I'd gladly purchase again and worthy of the local hype. I ended up sipping this one with dinner but I certainly could have downed it with how smooth it was. 4.25

4.18 in the DB

 

Ithaca saison
...cloudy light amber appearance
... at least medium body with medium effervescent carbonation
...aroma is banana and peel, spice, floral earthy honey.
...taste is mildly sweet, earthy very mild hops,spice, candi sugar.
...overall its not exactly like my idea of this style but its definitely worth trying