New Beer Weekend #173

Von trapp trosten lager
.. solid black appearance with a thin but lasting head.
...medium carbonation with a body that might be a bit above average.
...aroma is hard to define but its like a smokey,malty,roasted malt candy. Its sweet but just mildly so.
..taste ste is very similar to aroma,mild sweetness yet the smoke gives it an almost dry quality.
...overall its different but in all good ways. Rich,flavorful, but all the flavors blend as opposed to one dominating

 

It was a perfect fall day, went for a hike along the Susquehanna and had an early dinner with my family. What a great day.



Came home to a third(!) box from @beergoot for the barleywine and other style BIF. Great day got better!

Starting off with Pumpkin Spice Bligh's from Dry Dock



I think I've tried a few pumpkin barleywines and they have been good. No exception here, this works well. I think I can actually taste some gourd here which is nice. The underlying caramel and bourbon definitely shine through and the spicing is nice but a bit less nutmeg or allspice would have suited me. Thanks Dave!

 

Ignore that list, very outta date

 

Lupulin Two Nutz Brown Ale, 6% ABV. Pours deep brown, with a 4+ finger beige head that left great lacing. Aroma is sweet toffee, chocolate, and roast malt. Taste is roast malt, slightly sweet, equally bitter. Decent mouthfeel, overall excellent. No actual nuts were killed in the making of this beer.

4.04/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

 

Go Fast Break Things! Coffee pale ale from La Cumbre.

16oz can served in a pint glass. Can is dated 10/05/23. Pours clear brassy golden with a moderately sized dense head, which settles into a thin, even skin. Smell is very much roasted coffee, so strong that it's hard to get anything else. Maybe a little breadiness.

Taste is an interesting mixture of honeysuckle and doughy sweetness with cream and coffee, slightly milk-chocolatey. Hops are kind of shuffling around in the back, a little too timid to come to the center, but undeniably there.

Mouthfeel is maye a bit thicker than I would expect for most pale ales. Overall...this is a pretty good beer, and I think it's the most successful non-stout/porter augmented with coffee that I've tasted.

 

Good evening, all. Busy yesterday and today and really time for a beer! Enjoying all the stout and barleywine posts thinking about the next time when I might be able to play. This weekend was spent running the kitchen at our church's holiday fair raising funds for our music program. We are absolutely beat...and today was a disappointment in terms of actually raising funds after a pretty good start yesterday with $900 in the cash box creating optimism. The crafter people didn't do much trade, either. Lot of food found its way to the local food pantry, which is all well and good, but the objective was raising money for music and I'm pretty sure we fell short.

So this is a big Baltic porter...kinda close to a stout, right? The wife's a little congested, so some beers we plan to share have to wait even if they are bad-ass barleywines perfect for how the thread is going with the BIF and all...



Jack's Abby Framinghammer, the Maple Doodle variant, BBA, 12% abv. While I buy or try the variants, I can't say I've liked all of them as much as the OG. This one is supposed to pay homage to the snickerdoodle cookie with a maple wrinkle using Runamok Maple maple soaked cinnamon and vanilla. Let's see how it rolls.

Pours like black coffee with a chunky tan head. The foam lingers and maintains a robust cap, modest cling.

Big fudgy chocolate and vanilla on the nose, subtle cinnamon, and maple emerges as the beer warms. Roast smell says the original Framinghammer is the base. The barrel contribution is fairly light. It's actually quite nice and it's enticing.

Yep...maple snickerdoodle...I like totally get it. Rich chocolate, not bitter and more like milk chocolate fudge (there's a throwback in my head to my late Aunt Alice who I still believe made the best fudge I've ever tasted). Sweet vanilla, just a kiss on the cheek from the bourbon barrel. A little char, some dark sweet cherry that is almost tobacco-like. Light smoke? So yeah...Framinghammer. The maple comes in nicely mid-taste and creates a slick, finished feeling as it rounds out the flavor. Its not a huge hit of maple, either - very restrained. I get cinnamon more in the aftertaste, but this is a year or so old. It's super-smooth and easy drinking - hard to believe it's 12%. Pleasant level of sweetness.

Smoooooooth feel on the tongue. It's not thick, chewy, and decadent like a pastry stout (pastry porter???), but I'll say it's a luxuriant, indulgent feel. Uper smooth. Lingering cinnamon (like a cinnamon hard candy) and a little maple hanging in there by a toenail. Does warm the belly slightly.

Diggin' this one far, far more than all of the other variations of the theme. It's sliding down way to easy for a substantial brew. There's quite a bit of "liking" going on as I am really enjoying this one, but trying to be objective I'll say right around 4.3. This one is nicely done. I'm just gonna enjoy, channel flip the Bruins and Celtics but most likely doze off - hopefully with an empty glass.

 

Poured into a 20 oz tulip glass canned on 10/24/23. Pours a very attractive near pitch black with a finger mocha head that leaves some thin lines of lace. 4.5

Aroma is sweet dark chocolate, expresso, vanilla bean, and a hint of char. 4.5

Taste follows dark chocolate, expresso, vanilla, and a little roasty char. 4.25

Mouthfeel is above average, gentle carbonation, maybe a tad dry, and at 11.99% a sipper that goes down far too easy. 4.25

Overall this is a very nice imperial stout. I will get more of this one. 4.25

 

Alright, a rare second new beer for me on a Saturday but all the craziness of the stout BIF had me itching to try this beer. Oh, you all also made me do a rare purchase of an imperial stout I haven’t tried yet, hopefully for tomorrow; we’ll see.

This one is a new seasonal from Victory, a straight up sub 8% stout…like finding a unicorn. Thank you Victory!

Victory - Layered Up (Stour 6.5%)



Quiet pouring beer, black, slowly rising yet dense towering light brown head, excellent retention; big thick cap just linger and lingers, well above average lacing.

Nose is light char, baker’s chocolate, but richer and more dark chocolate like; little bit of graham cracker that’s been lightly browned.

Taste is rich in dark malts; really intense dark chocolate comes first, followed big hit of roast, finishes with lingering aftertaste of lightly burnt toast, light ashiness.

Medium bodied beer that comes off really smooth; nice low carbonation gives it a smooth creamy feel, there is a really nice roast driven bitter finish; this pleasantly lingers for quite some time on a very clean drinking stout.

Alright this beer, for me at least, was awesome; rich, dark, roast, bitter…this comes off much more bitter than the 33 IBUs listed for this beer, one of those IBUs don’t give the full picture beers.

I highly recommend this beer, well done Victory hopefully we see this return each year. May be a second six pack purchase when I’m out.

See you all tomorrow and enjoy your beers, light and dark, and both big and small. Cheers Everyone!

 

Crossposting
Part if the generosity from Imperial Stout/ OtherBeer BIF

@sulldaddy Glassware and beer!
Southern Tier - Warlock Imperial Pumpkin Stout

Normally i wouldn't touch a beer with this name with a 93 Million Mile Pole , but he sent this in a Bif Box .
Flavor isn't as offensive as id expect. Reminds me a lot of Xocoveza. It says Pumpkin Imperial Stout but i assume they mean Pumpkin Spice . ( am i wrong?l
It goes down way too easy at 8.6% and even though it's hot as hell in my place cuz the oven has been running for the past 2 hours this is a nice reminder of the time of season.
Notes of cocoa,cinammon and cloves.

Thanks a ton ,Sull!

 

Up next and my last for the day, Legend of the Liquid Brain from Bull and Bush 2021 vintage. Yet another awesome beer from @beergoot via the barleywine etc. BIF.



This seems to have been highly sought after in the mid 2010s, lots of "wants" from that era. I can see why, this is a really nice throwback. Not thiccc, not sweet, not boozy, it is smooth, mellow, and sublime. Dry overall but not incredibly roasty, semi-sweet chocolate and low-key barrel notes are the most obvious attributes here. Light, oaky char, mild vanilla, and a faint vinous note also present themselves. No one aspect stands out but it all comes together soooo well. One of the best straight up BA big stouts I've tried. Thanks a ton for this Dave!

 

Santa Fe - 7K IPA. Very rhymy.

19.2oz can served in a pint glass. Can is dated best by 02/15/24. Bought it a few hours ago at Jubilation.

Pours slightly hazy light golden. Good sized head, moderate carbonation. Settles into a fluffy layer, has some nice lacing. Smell is super citrusy, lots of lemon and a little orange. Some blossom sweetness.

Taste is somewhat similar though a bit muted and muddled. Hop notes are a more muted than the rest. Makes it a bit more reminiscent of a pale ale than IPA.

Mouthfeel is medium to light, slight chalkiness. Overall, it's pretty good.

 

I live in Michigan and rarely see anything from them. Recently saw a packaged DIPA from them and that is about it.

 

As promised, back with a beer that I have wanted ever since I first saw it posted on NBW.
I might have taken it off my want list but after trying it I think I will put it back on. It’s everything I hoped for.
Poured reminiscent of old motor oil but with better viscosity and definitely more appealing head, which was a darker brown than most anything I have seen.

The photo lies. The head was several shades darker.
The taste is flat out amazing. Everything I want in a BA Imperial Stout and nothing I don’t. A bit of barrel, a lot of malts, the expected flavors associated with a stout that is brewed essentially double and then aged in a barrel that previously had bourbon in it.
Coffees and chocolate and dark fruits and bourbon. Darn this is good.
The feel is viscous and smooth. Quite nice.
Amazingly good BA imperial stout.
Thank you @Rug!

 

Ok, another @Jasonja1474 BSBIF treat: a home brewed barrel aged barleywine v1. Lessons learned, I believe nothing from a man from Tennessee. Poured fridge temp to a small snifter. Color is a clear burnt ruddy amber. Fair amount of carbonation on agitation, without much head or lacing. Aroma is faint white oak with a fall leaf sort of vibe. It’s my nose. Make your own description! Flavor tastes like bubble gum meets tootsie pop. Ok, just kidding! Flavor is a mildly assertive hop-forward American barleywine. Lots of wood comes through to dry the sip. I get hints of vanilla in the middle and a leatherish malt base. Mouthfeel is medium. Alcohol doesn’t bite, doesn’t bring any fast warming so I’d hazard a guess in the 8-9% ABV range, though the brewmaster would have to confirm or deny that guess.

 

I did not drink the whole 500 of barleywine, opting for something heavier now that it’s freezing temp outside. I got this from @beergoot , no, wait, I got one for him but kept many for myself. Ommegang double barrel stout. This has a little more dark chocolate to the base than I recall from the first. I still get Weller as one barrel, and I guess maybe Blanton’s, with the latter being a smaller portion of the blend and/or less time in barrel than the Weller. Maybe someone knows and will tell what was really used?

 

Howdy BA, wow been a long day, but this treat is probably one of the best beers I've ever had (style specific and otherwise, or perhaps I'm just in a mood *shrug*)

Uinta - Labyrinth (2023)



Purchased from the brewery cooler for $4
Canned 11.01.23
Poured at about 45° into what I think is a goblet/chalice.

Pours dark oily black with a 2F mocha colored head. Near full sheet lacing. 4.25

Aroma off the can is largely barrel, and semisweet bakers chocolate. Off the glass I get a bit of char and coffee. 4.5

I'm still working on description of the taste, since I'm not terribly familiar with the style. But there is some hot booze, woody barrel, soft and subtle raisin, bakers chocolate, roasty coffee and mixed dark/fermented stone fruit. 4.5

Moderate prickling carbo, heavy and pleasant mouthcoating, warming but subtle alcohol, and a beautiful dry bite of a finish. 4.75

Overall I'm quickly loving beglians more and more, especially the variance across dubbel, Tripel, quad. This one in particular felt wonderfully balanced, and crafted with much love. It's appears to be a celebrated local high point beer. 4.5

As a side note it just re-released on Friday 11.10 and the brewery shop attendant told me they'd restocked 4pks 5 times that day before I got there around 5pm, certainly going to get more (and would love to share the love) should I get my hands on more. I feel like following up with another beer after this would take away/do a disservice to whatever may come next, unless it was another Labyrinth!

Cheers friends!