New Beer Weekend #169

Quickie as I drank half a pint from tap while grocery shopping. Tasty oatmeal stout from Toppling Goliath - Rover Truck. Good enough malty char bitterness for me to grab a single and will add a beer review another day. Cheers.

 

I didn't give you this one. I wonder who did?

 

Oh, crap! I just remembered it was my friend Tim. Oops. Probably another reason I am, and should be done with new beers today.

 

OK, I'm back on this birthday afternoon! Another delayed posting (thanks child and cooking responsibilities! [I jest: these are two of my favourite things and I'm glad to be able to celebrate them on this repetitive day]), as I drank the beer probably five+ hours ago. I'm not a big NEIPA guy, but I"m excited to have easy access to some of the classics of the genre.



Bissell Brothers - The Substance

The pour is the classic milky pale yellow/orange that is a hallmark of the style. Correct me if I'm wrong (I often am), but this was kind of one of the pioneers or at least early adopters of that approach, yeah? Like slotting in chronologically somewhere after Heady? There's a lovely pile of white bubbles that fluff up then settle into the edges of the glass.

Nose is soft tangerine and a mellow earthy/sweet citrus carpet.

I'll be honest: I'd anticipated a much bolder step forward on the tongue. It's more restrained than I'd pictured going in, and approaches in a similar fashion. Tangerine and other earthy citrus that's reasonably soft on the palate but doesn't really fade, just keeps building to a nice bitter finish.
As it warms, this opens up a bit, but does not transform. It swells a bit more with more of a tangerine character and a light floral citrus character to the finish. Mrs. Kemo enjoyed it and remarked that it was nicely juicy, though that's not the descriptor that comes directly to my mind.
It honestly kind of reminds me of an amped up version of some of the better APAs I've enjoyed over the years.

The body is a strength here, as it's medium+ heaviness, with a smoothe character no doubt imparted by the oats and other flaked grains. There's a lovely fine but firm pinprick carpet of carbonation that comes in on the back half, helping to build to a pleasantly bitter finish.



Cheers!!

 

Martin House Friday IPA, 6.0% ABV; 3.87 overall

Pours a chill-hazed gold with one finger of cream colored head, Nice head retention & lacing

S: Bready, grassy, some citrus notes once warm

T: Cakey, grassy with some tangerine up front, plus dryness , Orange and tangerine mixes in with grassyness & faint bready dry notes as this beer warms up, plus a kiss of pineapple. Finishes a little dry with tangerine, lime & faint pineapple

MF: Medium body, restrained carbonation, good balance

Solid IPA, drinks easy, but this won't make the rotation

 

Back with today's new beer.


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I wanted to like this more than I did. The bones are there for a great fresh hop beer, but the back half just kind of turns into a bitter astringency. I drank it during the second half of the Seahawks game, which I suppose makes it appropriate.

I might have one more before I retire for the evening. Right now it's dinner time, and I've got some episodes of Mr Mercedes to watch.
Cheers.

 

Tucher Rotbier, 5.2% ABV; 3.65 overall

Pours a hazed amber/hazel with one finger of khaki colored head. Decent head retention & better lacing

S: Toasty, brown bread

T: Follows the nose, some leafy & woody hops, dryness, a smidge of caramel up front. A touch of pear leaks in along with toastyness/dryness & a hint of brown sugar as this beer warms up, some woody hops. Finishes dry with woody hops & brown sugar sweetness, plus a little pear

MF: Medium body, moderate carbonation, skews too sweet for me

This reminds me of Alt bier with too much sweetness

 

Almost late night NBS here on the East coast. Crisp day here which led to a long walk in the woods with the youngling. We finished up a short trail we started last winter. Not that it goes anywhere new, it just creates a new route.

After some mental debate, went to Kansas City (instead of a pilsner from Brazil via Chicago) tonight with this one:



(The peppers were supposed to be pickled...that didn't happen. Sugar Rush Peach - initially a little sweet, but packing a significant heat punch, somewhere around 100,000 Scoville units).

Boulevard Churro Grande, an Imperial brown ale, a whiskey barrel aged 13.5% brown ale that allegedly pays homage to the pastry. Let's see if I regret the choice...

Pours a dark rootbeer color with a rapidly fading half inch of tan foam. Good cling, falls to a healthy ring and small islands.

The nose is assaulted by sweetness. Sweet vanilla and lots of it. Faint cinnamon. Sweet from the whiskey. Faintly boozy.

It's sweet tasting followed by raw whiskey, vanilla, nutty, and even some sense of toasted malt but pretty much overwhelmed. Brown sugar flavor, and eventually the cinnamon claws its way through the sweetness. I don't get churro at all - I get airport Cinnabon in the smell and the taste.

It's thick on the tongue but pretty smooth. Only a little warming for a high alcohol beer. Mild carbonation.

Straight up, I don't like it. It's not a train wreck but it's close. It doesn't remind me of a churro at all. Far too sweet. I can taste the remnants of the Imperial brown and the whiskey, while not mellow, is fine. Cinnamon hardly shows up. Way overboard with the vanilla which I think just boosts the sweetness. Thinking 3.75 would be the high point, but we will see how the rest of the glass goes - won't get higher, pretty sure of that.

 

It's been a thriller of a weekend, friends. Tons of fresh hops, "Bacon, Eggs, and Kegs" festival, test driving and negotiating a price on a new used car, seeing my Alaskan math teacher friend for the first time in a couple months, pumpkin patch with the family, building up a project status presentation last minute to show my president tomorrow...

SO! Let's enjoy some Fresh Hell, a fresh hop helles lager from Lowercase.

16oz can served in a footed pilsner glass. Can is dated 09/25/23, though there's some uncertainty because it's not very clearly printed.

Pours a clear light yellow with a huge 3+ finger head that deflates slowly into a big, uneven, pillowy layer, with large chunks of lacing. Smell is grain and honeysuckle with a light spicy / floral note, something makes me think of green plants and pine.

Taste is similar to the aroma, though on the sweeter side of the grain and the honeysuckle. I get some lemon. Some biscuity sweetness.

Mouthfeel is thin with a slight cling to it. Overall...it's not a fresh hop showcase, it's an unusual balance of flavors for a helles, but it is pretty tasty.

 

Masthead Single Origin Coffee Stout: Costa Rica



Poured from a pint can, the body is black with a good head. Light lacing.

Nose is a light, sweet roasted coffee. Delightful.

Taste follows nose and amps the coffee flavor a wee bit. Strong roasted coffee flavor without being overly bitter. On finish there's a flash of bitter grinds, but it's quick and light. Nothing sweet aside from a very background malt.

Mouthfeel is sold and propelled by a solid carbonation. Smooth and easy drinking.

Nice stout especially for coffee stout fans.

 

Day 2, I’m in Nashville for work, this is Mountain Squeeze Juicy IPA from Tivoli Brewing Company.



4.25/5 rDev +15.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours an almost clear golden color with a sudsy white head that provides ample lacing. Beautiful WCIPA Dank citrus notes, especially mango and ripe orange, and a nice amount of peach as well.

The taste follows the nose, with the mango and ripe orange flavors most prominent and deliciously juicy, accentuated nicely by the medium, dry mouthfeel.

This is a new brewery to me and I’m really digging this.

 

Many years ago I had this beer over & over. Moved on. Re-visiting now, at least after 15 yrs, and it's great! A fine Amber. Nice to finally review it here on BA. Cheers BAs!!
Odell 90 Shilling 5.3% ABV
3.98/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz can best by 11/9/23 into a Becher glass.
L: Pours clear burnished copper with a thin off white head that recedes quickly to a thin skin, light steady carbonation bubbles, random scattered spots and lacing.
S: Light grains, light caramel malts, gently floral, a very light hint of brown bread.
T: Toasted grains, roasted caramel malts, slightly woody, a hint of yeast, soft brown bread crust, mild biscuit, a light touch of raisin, light honey notes, citrus zest and light black tea in a medium-length linger.
F: Crisp, plump, medium bodied mouth feel with a medium length moderately drying finish.
O: Re-visiting this beer. Beautiful taste & feel. A high quality American Amber in every way. A little toasty, gently rich, lightly sweet overall. VG to excellent in its style.

 

Cloudburst - Wet Hop Pils

16oz can served in a footed pilsner glass. Can is dated 10/02/23.

Pours very clear light yellow with a large head that settles fairly quickly into a small, coarse head. Lots of carbonation. Smell is mildly spicy cut grass and lemon zest.

Taste is moderately bitter lemon zest and cut vegetation. Floral, honeysuckle, tiny bit of yeastiness.

Mouthfeel is light, clean, and just a touch of fluffiness, which is pretty interesting. Overall, pretty nice.

 

Social Project Brewing Rivers & Roads IPA ( dry hoped w/citra ), 7.0& ABV; 4.42 overall

Pours a hazed gold with one finger of ivory colored head. Stellar head retention & lacing, never drops bright

S: Tropical fruits, tangerines, grassyness, limes

T: Pomelo, a little dryness, green melon, & faint grapefruit up front. Green melon, tart orange, a little pineapple as this beer warms up. Green melon, tangerine, pineapple, sweet orange & guava in the finish

MF: Moderate carbonation, medium body, citric acidity, good balance. Skews juicy

Super drinkability, nice offering that brings the juice

 

Been seeing the peach around often of late. Unfortunately I have not seen the Cuvée Rene at all.

Hope the eclipse was a good view. It rained here and I worked and I don’t know if it was even going to be visible here or not.

Enjoy

 

Pluff Mud Porter from Holy City Brewing is a solid porter indeed!

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Eric