New Beer Weekend #172

These rec'd last Thursday.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/47666/674483/



500 ml. bottle.
Bottled September 2022.

Moderate pour yields a 1.5 inch white head over a nearly bright, light golden body with sticky lacing.

Nose of tart funk and slight berries with some floral/herbal notes as it warms.

Taste is tart (sumac tart) with a bit of sweetness smoothing out the tart bitterness.
Deliciously complex and finishing with a bit of grapefruit pith.

Wonderful Wunderkammer feel, as always.

Overall, yet another superb offering from a dirt road somewhere in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont!
Cheers!!

 

This was some bad luck.

The pipe connecting the city water main to my next door neighbour’s house burst in the night and most of the water seemed to find its way into our basement. There was about a foot and a half at the high point before we got the gas fired pumps in to clean it out. The basement is unfinished - cinder block and concrete floor. Other than the washing machine, the hot water heater, and my sons drums, we were spared too much damage. Lots of old kids books that we had planned to give away but never got around to and stuff like that.

My neighbour is a good guy though. He ran a hose from his basement so we could have hot water for my kids’ bath. Ran it right through the ground floor bathroom window!

 

Kids are asleep. Feet are up. Potato chips are within reach. Time for a beer to end a tiring day.

I saw a couple of my NBS BIF compatriots crack some older BCBS variants when I perused the thread earlier. I spent a good deal of time in the beer cellar today, cleaning up from the flood. Thankfully, only one box of cans got soaked. Everything is kept high enough that it avoided a swim. The clean up gave me a chance to grab one myself. For me, it’s BCBS Mon Cheri 2019.



Pours a deep dark black/brown with minimal head that dissipates quickly and ends as a minuscule ring around the beer’ edge.

The nose is stewed cherries, vanilla, sugar, with a little booziness in the background. I don’t really smell barrel or distinct bourbon.

The taste follows fairly closely. Cherry is prominent but not overpowering. There is vanilla, almond, demerara sugar, and some hints of baking chocolate. Barrel is far more noticeable than on the nose.

This is full bodied. It is 14.1% ABV and it is noticeable.

This is really good. I’d been less enthused about this variant because of the cherries, but I’m glad I bought it anyway and really enjoyed it.

Cheers!

 

Boulevard Vietnamese Inspired Imperial Porter with Coffee, Chicory, Cinnamon & Lactose Sugar aged in Brandy Barrels, 15.0% ABV; 4.28 overall

Pours a chill-hazed & effervescent mahogany with one finger of mocha colored head. Some head retention & lacing

S: Faint cinnamon & coffee notes, barrel becomes pronounced once the beer warms up

T: Coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, hint of brandy & dryness up front, woody hops as well. Dryness, barrel, pronounced lactose sweetness/dryness, a hint of chicory & cinnamon as this beer warms up. Finishes sweet with a little vanilla, woody hops & chicory

MF: Fairly chewy with low carbonation, warming

Flavors play together well & nothing seems artificial or forced here, a sipper to be sure

 

Wife's off work, kids are down, and I'm beat.

Didn't wanna do a new beer review, but this one deserves it so I'll suck it up lmao!

I also have 3 more should I decide to expand on my initial thoughts.

Offset Bier - Rauchbier Märzen


70% Beechwood smoked malt
Homage to the breweries of Bamberg keeping the smoked beer tradition alive
Dark Amber in color. Smoke, crusty dark bread, soft, smooth.

No canning date, though new as of 2 days ago.
Purchased from Homebrew/beer store, 4pk for $13
Poured at fridge temp into a dimple mug.

Pours a beautiful dark brown sugar/caramel cola color with a hint of amber reddish hue. Just as pretty lacing and head retention. 4.25

Smoke immediately noticed upon pouring. It's not acrid, burnt or char, but smells like a smoulder/dying embers. Light hint of dark sweet bread as well. 4.25

Wood smoke, very dark fresh bread crust, pumpernickel perhaps? Some lightly sweet caramel and maltiness, fleeting earthy honey like hop character. 4.25

Very soft pillowy feel, with matching carbo levels. Some lingering hoppy oils. Dry. 4

Overall a nearly as can be consistent delightful beer across the board. It didn't taste like chewing on a piece of charcoal, or have a mixed meaty scent like a smoker at a BBQ joint. Looks, aromas, taste and feel were all an experience I'd be ashamed not to report on. So glad I have additional of these, well worth the price and would heartily recommend 10/10. Plus at 4.8% it's an all day drinker, and light enough in taste and overall feel not to be a 'one and done' 4.25

Cheers friends!

 

Utepils Helles. Incredible. Brewery is 6 miles from home.
4.22/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
16 oz taps at the brewery.
L: Pours clear light yellow with a thin white head that becomes edge foam, steady light carbonation, random sticky lacing.
S: Lightly bready, grains, a kiss of hops, hay.
T: All tastes are clean & balanced. Malts are gently sweet with Noble hop notes throughout the finish. Some grains, background honey and white crackery bread.
F: Brisk medium-light bodied with soft middle and a moderately fast & clean finish.
O: Tastes like a premium beer from Germany. Easy to drink, refreshing, fast and light. Fantastic tastes are well balanced. They nailed this one. It is outstanding in its style.