New Beer Weekend #173

Nice looking beer! But, on another note I love it when many thousands of Cedar Waxwings fly through and feed on young Mayflies down by the lake.....

 

Great Heights Brewing in Houston had their 6th Anniversary Party yesterday. I'm not fond of going to a place that is crowded, loud, and just serving everything in plastic cups. So, I just waited till this afternoon, and everything was still available and in a much more chill environment ha.

First up, Six is Good at 6.7% ABV. A West Coast style IPA with Amarillo, Columbus, and Chinook.



Pours a clear golden/orange color. A white head forms that leave some filmy lace behind.
Aroma of pine, resin, and dank. With a citrus fruity finish. Not complicated, but all hops in the nose, as it should be.
Taste wise, like the nose, there is that pine and resiny character. Some citrus, but also strawberry flavors coming through. Like all Great Heights IPA's, I get a woody flavor that detracts just a bit. A light lingering bitterness.
A medium body with moderate carbonation. I would like this a bit more crisp, but finishes dry. Enjoyable to drink, I can come back to this when at the brewery.

An uncomplicated IPA. Though the woody hops does show itself a little too much for me. Even so, not bad and enjoyable to drink.

Overall score is 3.73, not exactly to a B+ but close.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/50326/678520/?ba=champ103#lists

Next...

Sixth Anniversary. 13% ABV, Imperial Stout aged 15 months in bourbon barrels and conditioned on Madagascar vanilla beans.



Pours an opaque black color. A small tan head forms and dissipates in a moment with no lace left behind.
Aroma is vanilla up front for sure, and that takes over. Some generic barrel characteristics, like wood and char. Though very light.
Taste wise...vanilla, again is the main show. With chocolate and sweetness, almost like battered cake mix. Barrel like characteristics are light and towards the end.
A full and thick body. Low carbonation, but still smooth. At first the alcohol presents is light, but that builds and becomes more harsh as this warms. A sipper for sure.

This has more in common with a cake mix, the barrel character is a bit muted, and the vanilla is the show. I think Great Heights made exactly what they wanted, it just doesn't jell with me as much as much as I would like. If others like a more dessert like stout, this will be for them.

Overall score is 3.5, right at a B score for me.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/50326/678518/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Enjoy you’re time away @ovaltine and safe travels home.

 

And the one offering from Great Heights I was really looking forward to.

Deacon Brodie, 6.7% ABV, a Scotch Ale. This takes its name from the pub in Edinburgh. Which I have been to, and enjoyed. The same group also owns Cafe Royal Circle Bar, and that is one of my favorite spots.

Anyway, on to the review.



Pours a ruby red/brownish color. A one finger beige head forms with good retention and some lace left behind.
A nice malty aroma, this is up front but never overpowering. Baked bread, dark fruits, light toasted malts.
Taste wise, lots of nuanced malty flavors. From baked bread to caramelized sugars. Dark fruits and light esters of cherries and pears. There is certainly a sweetness here, but finishes with a light toasted dryness.
A medium body with moderate carbonation. This becomes ultra smooth. Easy to drink. I can come back to this with ease.

This is on the low end of what most American breweries do for a "Scotch Ale." It actually reminds me more of old school Shilling beers that I had in Scotland. Which is a good thing. Well done and enjoyable, now if I could only get this on cask...

This specifically reminds me of some Shilling beers from Caledonia, back when they were independent and good, I know, some people might not know that or even remember that ha. Still I'll take it in the US market, that doesn't do these types of styles particularly well often.

Overall score is 4 all around, B+
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/50326/678519/?ba=champ103#lists

Also, working through Jon Fosse's complete Septology. Seven books, connected by one continuous sentence

 

Hello NBW. I had a wonderful "new to me again" beer that I am going to chime in about. I am so glad that @CarolinaCardinals sent this to me in our Barleywine/Stout BIF #1. Thanks to @Beersnake1 for initiating this fun.

Lucky for me, my brother was in town, so we had an early Thanksgiving. Fun Fact: he is the 2nd beer dog in my original BA name, we signed up together as 2 beer fans with 2 beer dogs, a Shep/Rot mix named Nuke (Newcastle) and a Black Lab named Taddy (Samuel Smith's Teddy Porter). Eventually I just kept the name/account. So my avatar pics have changed to pairs of glorious pups that I have had sense the OG beer dogs.

Anywho, my brother Jason, my dad, and me absolutely loved...
A thousand thanks, Tom! This really added to our family gathering.

BBA Brick Kiln by the famous Jackie O's
Aug 08, 2015 (original take)
Pours a deep mahogany, with a delicate tightly packed khaki foam, that rises a finger high and then settles to an even layer. Smell is definitely holding forth some bourbon barrel, slightly charred sugar, and a very smooth vanilla. Flavor brings more of the same with a very creamy mouthfeel. Finishes slightly warm, with a fine balance between the bourbon, vanilla, and malts. Overall, a fine English barleywine with a gentle, creamy feel that makes it quite unique.

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Updated and mind expanded, 11/11/23
Received from the very generous CarolinaCardinals in Batleywine/Stout BIF #1
This one is stunning. I don't know why but I'm loving this way more than the first time.
Appearance is deep mahogany.
Nose is rich and deep. A gently charred bourbon note starts off. Then dates, caramel, dried apples, and something akin to mulled wine.
A rich blend of the usual suspects; dates, toffee, raisin, fig, & caramel, and even some molasses mix with an elegant bourbon sweetness and charred barrel note. Again, a deep fruit note comes through that is part apple brandy barrel, part mulled wine. It's warm and slightly vinous. But subtle, only adding an interesting nuance beyond the more prevalent Bourbon characteristics.
Mouthfeel is fuller than typical for style and slightly oily in the finish. Low carbonation and low heat.
Overall, a complex gem.
4.21/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

 

A nice Oatmeal style stout that has been cellared for awhile. Very smooth and crisp with a nice chocolate taste. It has good bitter bite at the end and is very creamy. Great stout

 

An enjoyable weekend is coming to an end. We spent yesterday visiting the mother-in-law who seems to finally be responding to her Parkinson’s medication and was able to play with the kids for a couple hours. It made everyone very happy. Later yesterday we had our semi-regular gingerbread house decorating challenge. A couple hours and $150 worth of candy later, we had four lovely houses that gave the judge a real hard time. My daughter won by a nose and was very proud of her accomplishment. To top it off, the Habs beat the Bruins and the Als beat the Argos (in the surprise of the decade).

Today we had a leisurely morning and then hit the zoo on a lovely fall afternoon here in Toronto and enjoyed seeing all the cold loving animals on display.

And now, I have a few minutes to sit and enjoy this one. Thin Man Big Joe, Imperial stout with coffee.



The beer pours a deep black/brown with a nice mocha head that dissipates fairly slowly. Solid ring around the edge of the glass as the beer is enjoyed.

The nose is black coffee and roasted grain. There is a hint of sugar in the background.

On the tongue, the the black coffee dominates. There is an also some chocolate, brown sugar, toasted cereals. The bitterness is mild.

The body is on the lighter side, but not slight. The beer improves as it warms, seeing the strong black coffee notes blend more with the other background flavours, filling things out.

This is a very nice coffee stout that I’d gladly drink again.

Cheers!

 

Glad you enjoyed that! Citi Built has been doing some impressing work in a number of styles.

 

Good evening NBS denizens! What a ride it's been these last few days. I genuinely hope the first time posters come back again and again and keep sharing their thoughts on new (to them at least) beers that they happen to be drinking. They may even get to the point like some of us who, when picking out a beer to drink for the evening, put down one because it's new to them and they want t save it for NBW.
Speaking of new to me beers, I have one sent to me in an amazing box of beer from @Rug, beer geek extraordinaire.
Channeling @Dimidiata (On Sunday's we drink Barleywines) I offer up Wine Haus-

2022 version. Aged on bourbon soaked oak staves and has 12% ABV.
Poured the color of fresh honey and crowned with an off-white head that leaves excellent lacing.
Aroma lost on my Covid damaged nose.
Flavors are somewhat lighter than expected but feature raisins and plums and sweet bread. They swirl a bit as it continues to warm. Zero bitterness, this is all malts driven.
Feel matches the flavors well; lightly viscous and encourages sipping.
Very nice non BA barley wine; thoroughly enjoyed.

 

Cheers. Your enjoyment is palpable. That is a good story to keep alive from now on!

 

First thanks to everyone whose been hanging this weekend, it has been hard and also fun to keep up on so much action...

Alright on to beer..."no regerts..." you stout lovers got to me this weekend, this is a yearly beer brewed by my favorite brewery on earth but I have never bought it; until one fateful weekend in November when all I saw in NBW was big dark beer after big dark beer.

I love the name on this beer party for my love of Phish, all sorts of nicknames we've given to different eras, tours, etc. this name is reminiscent of that to me and invokes many musical thoughts to me, included music and light show below seem about right.

Tonewood Brewing - Space Jazz (Imperial Stout 10%)



Pours black with not much carb; I was able to get a nice big head but only cause I evoked the beast within; light brown, creamy looking, good retention and well above average lacing; every sip leaves a nice bit of froth clinging to the glass.

Nose when cold is licorice, bark like and woodsy, sort of reminds me of an combination of the spices in root beer and coke without all the sweetness; good little bit of char, little lite hint of alcohol presence, light unsmoked tobacco.

Taste brings the same wood and licorice; dark chocolate and overly roasted coffee bite on the finish; burnt character lingers on the finish; as it warms it becomes richer in dark chocolate and espresso.

Body is medium-large, a tad thin for such a big beer but not overly so; the carbonation is low, as expected and aids in the velvety feel; there is a moderate bitterness that really builds on the back of the tongue...this one is quite easy to sip which makes it a little dangerous to drink.

Overall a pretty well made beer, a style I almost never buy but I'm glad I grabbed a four pack of this to slowly to share with you stout lovers and finish off over this coming winter.

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Enjoy the week that is upon us, cheers everyone and see you all next weekend.

Space Jazz...???



Drift off into the night...

 

My weekend just started and I need some malt in my life; and since I'm off 'til 1PM on Wednesday, coffee won't bother me at all!



16 ounce can packaged 05/22/23.

Moderate to vigorous 55-60° pour yields a two inch mocha brown head over a near black body with lacing.

Nose of much roasted malt and roasted coffee.

Taste has the aforementioned roasts plus flavor of bitter chocolate,
and finishing with coffee bitterness and chocolate bitterness.

Very good feel with low to medium carbonation.

Overall, with its super roastiness and bitterness, his might not be for everyone;
but I enjoyed this very much and would recommend to bitter chocolate and bitter coffee fans everywhere!!

Cheers!!!

 

Good evening NBW

Kurpfalz Bräu Kellerbier

500mL can stamped EXP 2025/03 from the Costco calendar poured into a mug at just above fridge temp 5% ABV per can. The beer pours hefe-hazy in a golden yellow color with off white head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of bubbles. Slight lacing. The aroma is mild with sweet pils malt. The taste is semisweet pale malt with a mild noble hop bitterness and flavor. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Fairly clean lager. Overall, good.

Cheers all!

 

Thanks, and as we know here, sharing makes it all the better.

 

Well with my brother in town, I gots to hit the cellar and not just new gems sent my way.

Mexican Cake Bourbon Barrel-Aged Extra Viejo
Thanks to @Mbgreg for this one.
Sent in NBS BIF #15.

Deep, near black and viscous in the pour. Slight head tries to develop, nut tapers off almost immediately. No lacing.
Nose is dark chocolate, chile, red wine barrel, and tobacco.
Flavor really dances around. Sometimes the flavors seem to meld together, other times they break off and solo a bit. The Chile really brings some heat but a deep, old red wine barrel note to this one. Yes, there's also hints of chocolate, tobacco, and cinnamon, but they definitely are less pronounced.
Mouthfeel is a bit hefty, oily, and warm.
Overall, a firmly committed spicy stout.
4.2/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

 

I almost picked that up the other day...Maybe I still should.

 

Crisp Fall day here. The grandsprout and I spent a lot of time out in the woods.

So let's see if I have a crisp beer tonight:



Oxbow Life On, proclaims itself a Biere de Mars which is a Bier de Garde here. Bottled in 2017, instructions say enjoy within five years, so as Max would say...missed it by that much...

Deep gold pour with a short, white soapy head that lingers. It's a tad bit hazy.

The smell is oaky, very light sweet smoke, yeasty, slight sweet and lightly roasted malt - thinking a caramel malt. Mild spice and light funk. Sour apple.

There is a bit of oxidation in the taste, unfortunately, but not too bad. The smoke is very mild, the sweet malts come through with a little bit of toastiness. The barnyard funk is a bit stronger, and there's a pleasant level of tartness. Earthy. There's a clove/peppercorn spice, and I get a lot of Granny Smith apple. It sounds like a mess, but it's actually pretty clean and tidy. The smoke shows more in the aftertaste, but never overpowers.

Feel is medium bodied, pretty decent carbonation but not prickly. No bitterness. Strikes me as "heartier" than a lot of Oxbow offerings I've had.

Tasty and interesting, well-made, quite drinkable. Slight oxidation aside, 4 to 4.2. If I find another one, maybe try it when it's young.

 

Sorry Craig, my wife is dealing with limited sense of smell (and taste) as well. It's really frustrating her.