New Beer Weekend #172

Brasserie Goudale Arques (France) ‘La Biere du Demon

11.2 oh-zee bottle dumped into a tumbler. “Best by 12.31.24”, but I believe this Demon could live in the bottle for 3 centuries. 12% ABV.
Smells nostagic. Colt 45 on ‘roids. OE 800 and Steel Reserve. Maybe a bit of piss, upon further review.
Tastes like a cocked Colt 45, buff with fermented corn, rice, and hop extracts. Big alky bite. The Dirty Shame.
Feel is: Icky goo strut, mid on the carb.
Overall, it’s a mussed up Nephilim that shouldn’t be beautiful, but it can be.

 

Peeper. A pale ale brewed by Maine Beer Company.

Met up with @richOutsidePhilly and his brother-in-law at the Answer Brewpub in Richmond. Had a few IPAs there courtesy of these fine folks. I would not hesitate to bend elbows again with these guys again.

 

Survived another FOBAB weekend. Thought the 6:30 train was a 6:35, so going to rate this small crowler of my favors beer in the Other Pale Ale Category.

Alulu Tiki Torture



FOBAB Notes: LOCATION: Chicago, IL

ENTRY: Tiki Torture | ABV 10.5%

CATEGORY: Other Pale Beer

DESCRIPTION: Triple Hazy IPA. Dry-hopped with Sabro, Bru-1, and HBC-1019. Pushing super tropical (coconut, pineapple, passionfruit) and woodsy aromas/flavors from hops paired with subtle oak and rum contribution.

Appearance: Approximately 6 oz pour into a taster glass. Hazy orange tan base, bright white head settles to a razor thin cover, filler around the rim. 4.25

Aroma: Tropical fruity, strong and enticing. Pineapple, tangerine, citrus. Really nice. 4.5

Taste: Nice blend of bitter hops offset by very juicy flavor. Rum barrels, which I typically don’t like, work well with the hops here, excellent balance. Juicy sweetness and rum flavors all come together very nicely. 4.5

Mouthfeel: Medium easy body, negligible to no carbonation fresh out of the keg. Drinks super easy, drinks at half the strong ABV. Excellent balance, tropical fruit lingers nicely on the finish. 4.25

Overall: Overall, this is a very well brewed BA offering. Hops shine through and are not overwhelmed by the rum, with a nice complementary blend. Recommend, one of my favorites from the festival! 4.5

Will return Sunday with the one bottle I have from today.

 

Those pictures are incredible! Thank you for sharing them! Black Gold belongs to Central Waters Brewing, but that sounds like an interesting beer. It would be enjoyable to do a Black Gold comparison.

 

Forgotten boardwalk festbier.
...semi clear amber appearance with a lasting thin white head.
Medium bodied with a just below average carbonation.
...aroma is malt,earthy,dark honey, with a bit of floral spice.
...taste is similar to aroma but theres a hop bitterness that stands out and doesn't really fit.
...overall its a nice beer but seems odd for a festbier

 

Wander brewing Vibe Quest


3.83/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Can received from @snaotheus as he harvested all possible cans in the 2023 fresh hop harvest

Brewers notes: Our Quest for perfect fresh-hop Vibe continues, this time with our dear friend and Sunnyland neighbor Ben at Otherlands Beer along for the ride. Vibe Quest is a west coast IPA with 350 pounds of the freshest possible Citra and Centennial picked right at the kick-off at Roy Farms’ harvest season in the Yakima Valley. The Roy family have been growing hops in Yakima for over 100 years and their expertise is reflected in the hops’ complexity. Firmly bitter with massive grapefruit, pine and sticky resin exploding aggressively enough to be considered obnoxious. Enjoy it while you can.


Translucent gold liquid with a one finger white foam cap, spotty lacings

Aroma is pine, grapefruit

Taste is pine, grapefruit

Medium sudsing, pronounced hop overbite

Good beer

 

Well, I guess since I don't have to work tomorrow, it's time to go off the rails. My last beer was a beer from the land of cheese, and so is this one. I've thought long and hard about opening this one, but, here it is. I've also thought long and hard about the glass I'm going to use for this beer. I don't have one from the brewery of this beer (I could easily get one since I am close with the local brewery rep, who was there for their 25 party) so I've decided on something in the ballpark.

So, without further adieu:

Twenty Five - Central Waters Brewing - Amherst, WI - American Imperial Stout - 13.1% ABV

Well, I'm twice the age of this brewery, and the amazing @GreenBayBA gave this to me right before my 50th when he was here in central MN.

I am somewhat at a loss for words here about this beer, in spite of my review's length. I'm feeling like a blasted idiot here. I know it doesn't do justice to this beer at all. I am so honored and thankful for this beer Micah. Wow! I wanted to share this on my last fishing trip, but my friend was worried about the high octane of it, so we passed for beers at the resort bar, which were so much fun to drink.

Wow!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/652/638888/
4.88/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
From a 22oz bottle.

Nice bit of smoke upon opening. While, not brewery glassware, it's at least in the ballpark. Oh, crap, did I go and get motor oil here? This pours like 10w-30. Pitch black, and there will be nothing shining through this beer when held to the light. Thick and syrupy looking. There's a 1 finger brown head, and it lasts super long considering the ABV. The head dissipates to a brown ring around the glass, and there's no lacing on the glass.
I could smell malts when pouring this beer. Now, up close, oh, my! So much raisin and plum. So much licorice. So much chocolate, caramel vanilla, and toffee. So boozy smelling, but not harsh smelling at all.
I've let this warm up enough, so here goes. I'm a loss for words, but I'll try here. So full of flavor. I get the raisin and plum right away. These flavors mellow out and change over to the chocolate, caramel, vanilla and toffee flavors. The plum then seems to come back on the way back. The way back also has just the faintest hint of bitterness, it is so faint and subtle.
Ok, how the heck can there be no alcohol burn on a 13%+ beer? Well, there's none. This beer is so smooth, full, and thick feeling, I'm in awe.
This is what this style should be. All should look to this when making their beers, because it's as close to perfection as I think I'll get. I know I've rated some in the style higher, but are they? I really don't know. All I know is this is amazing.


This is the closer for today, and maybe the weekend. We'll see.

 

This is awesome, James! My dad is in your city right now. He just sent me this picture. I actually mentioned you to him. I read every word of your review. I agree completely. It is a special beer. I am glad you were able to enjoy it. I look forward to getting together again with you and other awesome Minnesota BAs soon!

 

Bourbon County coffee stout
....motor oil black with minimal head.
..medium.light carbonation with an above average body.
...aroma is black coffee, malt,coffee grinds,and something that comes off like green pepper/vegetable.
...taste is black coffee,malt, molasses, dry coffee aftertaste.
...its good and it must be me but it leaves an odd sour aftertaste. Still its worth a try

 

Hamm's is one of my favorite beers. Yeah, it's not a BA RIS of IS, it's not a 5 out of 5, but it's a tasty and delicious beer, at least in my book, just as Yuengling is. It brings a lot of good memories back to me. I remember just pounding the 50 cent taps of it on Fremont St. in Vegas back in 2010, after a very bad poker beat. Maybe it's nostalgia growing up in the 70's and 80's and seeing the beer bear commercials as a kid.

I know my post is more of WBAYDN, but I can't help it. I hope your dad is enjoying the cold central MN vibe. I should try to see if I can get into the road trip to CW that my CW rep goes on. If so, See you in Amherst.

 

I am sure @cheeseheadinMinneapolis told you how I ran into him there. If you go, I will meet you there for sure. It is a special place.

 

Yes, he has. Hopefully we can all meet up there for the 26th.

 

Hamm's is my go to and has been since I was told about it. Delightful beer for $1/pint

 

Today St. Paul Brewing is in the old Hamm's building in St. Paul, MN. I've been there many times. My friends had their wedding reception there back in 2016. They've escaped Minnesota and now are in Montana. Even though my dear friends are no longer there, I really should get back to St. Paul brewing, and revisit history.

 

I buy it at the gas station across the street twice a week; and the Banger!

 

The Stout and Barleywines BIF (That’s right, there are some people crazy enough to send boxes of wondrous stouts and Barleywines to friends who they haven’t met yet) has begun hitting porches across the country.
My first stout from @Rug is not only a new beer but a new brewing company.

Poured stout black with a surprisingly short lived brown head.
Aroma lost on me, stupid Covid.
The taste is coffee forward with some vanilla, the stout was very present throughout. The cocoa beans are slight yet noticeable.
The feel is a little thinner than most BA stouts but very easy drinking.
OA, this was delicious and I am very glad to have been able to try it.

 

Congrats on 3K reviews & x 10 likes for including the Weiner dawg!

 

Lucky Bastard.
Ooops, my jealousy is showing, sorry!

 

I lived on the bunny side of the springs...

 

Alright, wasn't sure what to pick next but this stuck out and initial thoughts are it's a pretty damn tasty (beer)*.

Left Hand - Breezy Does It



Best by 12.3.23

Purchased from the grocer for ~$2

Poured at fridge temp into a snifter glass.

Pours a very clear and pale yellow with a white loose soda like head. Reminded me of a few meads I've had previously. 3.75

Tart passion fruit nose, and not much else I can say. 3.5

Bright passion fruit, low sourness and kettle, perhaps a tinge of hoppy rind bitterness. 4.25

Very light, nearly watery. Low carbo and puckering and acidity. 3.75

Overall this felt more like a *tropical cider than a beer, in my mind because it was so light, didn't have hardly a kettle character to it, or notes of grain/hops/malt. Nonetheless it was very delectable and I'd happily buy it again. 3.75