New Beer Weekend #163

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

Done with work today, and have tomorrow off. It's also been quite hot today, pushing 100, so I might as well have a big beer, and this is.


Imperial Bonfire - Jack Pine Brewing - Baxter, MN - American Imperial Stout - 10% ABV

This is a big boy, for sure. I do like it, but really wish I would have saved it longer to share. It is sweet, and probably over the top for me. I do wish there were a bit more smoke, than a faint hint, to mellow out the sweetness. Very good, and an impressive beer.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30161/669525/


4.32/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
From a 750ml bottle purchased at the brewery.

After I got the wax off, and the cap opened, there was a bit of smoke coming out of the bottle. The pour is pitch black (I need an oil change, and this looks like the right thickness). There's nothing that shines through the beer. The head that forms is 1 finger, and brown in color. The retention is quite good for the ABV, and it dissipates into a ring around the glass, with no lacing.
The nose hits me as I was pouring the beer. I got some malty graham cracker aroma with a hint of vanilla. Up close the aromas are so much stronger. I also get a ton of chocolate in the aroma with the cracker and vanilla. Notes of the barrels used to age the beer also shine through.
Taste - Ok, this is like the bottle says, a smore. It is multi layered. Notes of vanilla and chocolate start it off. There's a pleasing note from the bourbon barrel in the middle. The finish is the graham cracker, as well as the rest of the flavors throughout. I also get a faint hint of smoke in this beer, but very faint. I was actually hoping for more smoke in it, because I love smoked beers. This beer is also quite sweet. Now this is expected from the label, so it wasn't surprising.
This beer is VERY thick and full bodied. So smooth. There's a bit of an alcohol burn that comes in to remind you to sip this big beer.
This is quite delicious, but I'd recommend that it be shared. It is a sweet beer, and if you're not a big fan of sweet (and I'm not), this could be over the top. The beer does deliver what it says it is.

One and done tonight, with this one. I'd wager this thread will continue tomorrow, and, if so, I'll be back then. Cheers all!!!

 

Guessing they are listening to marketing people & not us. I am not sure I will ever buy an of their stuff again, quality isn't there any more

 

Founders KBS-Blueberry, 11.2% ABV; 4.16 overall

Pours an effervescent ebony with a pinky of mocha colored head. Better than average head retention & good lacing

S: Coffee, a little vanilla & blueberry, some boozy notes show up late

T: Follows the nose, some dryness, subtle hints of Bourbon in the background up front. A little dark chocolate & blueberry, just a little barrel dryness as this beer warms through. Finishes with dryness, chocolate covered blueberries & some vanilla notes

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation, somewhat warming

Good flavor, might consider picking up a 4 pack to age. Was hoping for more barrel

 

Alright slackers, this now me posting back to back on this thread...

American Solera Orange Whoops DIPA with Oranges, Vanilla, & Milk Sugar, 8.0% ABV; 4.34 overall

Pours a very hazed gold/honey with one finger of cream-colored head. Some head retention & lacing

S: Orange Creamsicle in your face, holds up through the pour

T: Follows the nose, there is a slight sour component as well, a kiss of lime up front. More of the same as this beer warms up, some dryness & a touch of pineapple. Finishes a little dry with slightly tart/sour creamsicle & just a little acidity

MF: Medium body, creamy carbonation, lovely balance

This is in my wheelhouse, I do like these kinds of offerings a little sweeter, but this drinks just fine

 

Neshaminy creek wayward wheat
...semi clear light amber appearance with an almost non existent head.
...carbonation and body both sit just a hair below average but not easy to discern. Still a nice feel.
..aroma is banana, clove and definitely bubblegum
...taste doesn't stray too far from the aroma.
...overall it doesn't have the depth but its still actually really nice. Im enjoying the subdued version that they produced

 

Hoppin' Frog - Barrel Aged B.O.R.I.S. Oatmeal-Imperial Stout

Can says “Barrel Aged B.O.R.I.S Oatmeal-Imperial Stout; Stout aged in whiskey barrels.” I have no idea how to map that to one of the approximately 50 minutely deviant listings under Hoppin Frog, so here’s a free-range review…

16oz can received from @Ozzylizard in NBS BIF #17, served in a Hoppin Frog snulip received from same. Best By DEC 29 2024.

Pours dark enough brown that I would call it black. A small, dark brown head emerges, but then recedes quickly, leaving a dark tan ring and a smooth, tar-like surface. Smell is chocolate, booze, vanilla, barrel char, dark toasted nuts.

Taste is a bit toward char. There’s definitely some vanilla and syrup sweetness, plenty of roast coffee bitterness. Something oatmealy, too. Dark chocolate bitterness on the back end.

Mouthfeel is thick, chewy, with just a slight grittiness. Overall, very nice beer.

 

4.09/5 rDev +0.5%

look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16 ounce can dated 2-20-23 into a teku glass.

Look- Medium gold, very hazy, visible particulate, frothy white head, above average head retention and lacing.

Smell- Clementine, pineapple, slight pine, floral, medium strength of scent.

Taste- Pineapple, clementine, pine, medium strength of flavor.

Feel- Medium body, average carbonation, moderately bitter, mildly creamy, mildly mouth warming, mildly astringent.

Overall- Medium gold and very hazy with above average head retention and lacing. Bouquet was medium strength with clementine, pineapple, pine and floral notes. Flavor was pineapple, clementine and pine with medium strength. Feel was medium body with mild bitterness and creaminess. Overall this was an enjoyable experience, but would have benefited from a little more complex nose and flavor profile.

 

Brooklyn pilsner
...semi clear gold appearance
...medium carbonation with a slightly thin body.
...aroma is lemon fruit,lemon zest, malt,earthy and grain.
...taste is very mild sweetness balanced with some dry cereal and grain.
...nice beer overall its a very easy to get down beer.

 

Oh no! I think I found the right listing, and I reviewed it 6 years and 3 months ago! I ripped off NBW!

I'd give it a little better scores today.

 

Continuing with the Utepils Mix Pack, Here's Glocal, a Belgian style IPA

Appearance: Slightly hazy gold, good head.

Smell: Sweetness, some clove, some phenolic note.

Taste: A little sweetness up front, then the clove note and a little black pepper. A little fruit salad too—citrus and white grape. Medium-light feel.

Overall: It's been a while since I had a Belgian-style IPA, just not a very common style these days. This is a pretty solid one, doesn't whack you over the head with either the Belgian yeast or the hops, but a nicely balanced, easy drinking beer.

I'll be back tomorrow with the last one from this mix pack.

 

Had a sleepy day after a long morning of watching TV. We will go to the beach tomorrow. We found the Carolina ale house open to 2am. Pretty busy but not bad. Big app list. Okay taplist.

PS today is 35 months since the first date. 9/12/2020 was the first message. 3rd date was the equal love discovery. She was hard to open up because of her conservative parent but I got her for life. We wanted to get married since November 2020 with our first Thanksgiving and MST3K turkey day marathon



I got a mother earth endless river kolsch. Really good stuff! Aromas of cracker, grain, fruit, herbal, grass, yeast earth. A bit muted and too yeasty. Taste of cracker, toast, wood, peppercorn, pine, citrus rind, herbal, floral, grass, pear, apple, yeast earth. Medium high pine, citrus rind, woody, spicy bitterness on the finish. Light-med body; balanced grainy malt and sticky resinous hop mouthfeel. Lingering resin dryness and mild astringency. Fairly crisp clean refreshing finish. This was a little too bitter and resinous but the base beer met expectations on drinkability. 3.88/5


Cheers

 

Hello again NBS denizens! Hope you all had a great day. Mine wasn’t too bad at all, I got to play with my chainsaw quite a bit.

But this is all about the new (to us) beer. And I recently found out that a Belgian Dark Ale is not a stout. (The shame! Take away my poobah status!)
Yeah well, we’re all on a beer focused journey, right?
Poured essentially stout black with a light brown head that stood two fingers tall but left no lacing.
The aroma was lost on me, stupid Covid.
The taste was not stout like, not Belgian quad like, but something in between. Certainly malt forward and a melange of dark fruits and a touch of cacao and coffee. Rather nice. The barrel aged aspect is pretty mild, if present at all.
The feel is good for the ABV, heavy side of medium. Definitely a sipper.
OA, glad I tried it, but I won’t be taking one to SAN.

 

For a data geek, that is a fail. You must now send me all your stouts.
LOL! Just consider it new to you as you’ve not had it for over 6 years!

 

This is the brisket sandwich I've had this month and the French onion cheese soup made it even better it was thick so I added it to the sandwich second half



Leinenkugel juicy peach. Outstanding nose of fuzzy authentic peach notes and a touch of lacto funk. Taste of big juicy fuzzy peaches, tart lemon, pear, green apple, fruit peel, wheat, cracker, wood, peppercorn, pine, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, light lacto funk and yeast earthiness. Lt med fruit tang tartness and pine woody bitterness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation and light body. Crisp clean refreshing finish. Balanced grainy malt and sticky resinous hop mouthfeel. Lt med acidity. Super drinkable, no pucker. Vibrant fruit nose. Taste is more balanced but plenty of fruit flavors. Very impressed for a fruit sour. Lighter on lactic acid but pleasing and satisfying. I'd have another. 4.12/5


Cheers

 

I will happily through this one in, on this Holiday Monday.
Cemetery work is complete, time to sit and enjoy the yard before the heat sets in.
Enjoy the day all.

Once Upon A Time In Denmark… - Southward

American Imperial Stout
Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, Vermont

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.19/5 rDev +5% | Average: 3.99
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured from the 500 ml bottle into the test glass.
A - Pours a dark russet color, moderate carbonation feeds a small group of islands on the surface. A tilt of the glass gives hints to the viscousity that follows.
S - Dark caramel roasted nuts, vanilla, some toffee. With an exhale through the nose, espresso, blackberry. With a rise in temperature, dark cocoa, more barrel elements, with hints of char, and stronger vanalins.
T - All those aromatics concentrated into a single sip takes time to unpack. They are all there, plus the coffee, cocoa have a dark cherry skin thread, matched beautifully with the malts.
M - Hefty, fully coats the palate, with a sweet start, nice drying mid and back to a sweet dry finish. Palate stays coated, and there is a slight alcohol exhale with the sip.
O - A very good stout, with the goal on the label being to "revisist and explore" one is left to consider what these two talented brewers can dream up next.

 

Time to finish up the Utepils mix pack, here is Utepils Season of the Wit:

Appearance: hazy yellow, good head.

Smell: Yeasty, coriander

Taste: Mildly sweet, yeasty, bananas, a bit of lemon. Seems to be on the border of Belgian wit and German hefeweizen. Quite yeasty, medium-light body.

Overall: A kind of mixed style wit/hefe to my taste buds. I do like it, even if it blurs the style lines a little bit. A nice wheat beer for the summertime.

The mix pack was solid, nothing mind-blowing, but 4 solid beers that go down easy for summer drinking.