New Beer Weekend #174

Wolf's Ridge - Dire Wolf Canis Mexicanus

16oz can served in a snulip. Can is dated Feb 07 2023. Got it from @Blogjackets a long time ago, probably in some way associated with NBS BIF #17.

Pours black with a small head that leaves a thin skin with a few bubbly clumps. Smell is chocolate, bread, and a slight spicy cinnamon aroma.

Taste is cinnamon spicy and again lots of chocolate. There's a bitterness that falls somewhere in between dark chocolate, coffee, cinnamon.

Mouthfeel is chewy in a pleasant well. Overall...for me, at least right now while it's cold, the cinnamon is noticeable but not overwhelming, which is rare and nice. Cinnamon is still definitely not on my list of things I like to see added to a beer, but this beer wasn't destroyed by it.

 

Very nice glass

 

Hi all! I was intending to have another one of those amazing beers that @Rug bombed my porch with, but either one of the kids brought in some illness yesterday during our early Thanksgiving dinner or I picked up something while out shopping at the lumber store. In any case, beer isn’t a good choice for me right now, not certain food is.
Hopefully whatever this is will be done quickly and I can get back to my favorite hobby.
Cheers all!

 

Day 2, a couple from Transient, which is my happy place. The first is a Czech Style Pilsner made with Troubadour Pevec Malt, a maltier out of Denver.

I am truly getting my beer nerd on with how excited I am about malt.





4.25/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a gorgeous golden color that is clear after an aggressive pour and sports a sudsy white head that provides moderate lacing and caps the beer for the entire ride. Beautiful Czech Style Pilsner.

Saaz hops are prominent on the nose, with floral notes and a spicy, almost peppery aroma accompanied by significant white bread and honey notes as well.

The bread and honey flavors are amplified on the taste, providing balance and depth at the back of the palate to the floral, peppery flavors provided up front from the Saaz hops, with a nice amount of bitterness. Truly delicious.

The crisp mouthfeel is perfect for this beer that is for me a great beer drinker’s beer, which is probably the highest compliment I can pay to a beer and brewery.

 

Godspeed @Whyteboar

 

My first English Dark Mild Ale, Proper by Stellwagen Beer Company of scenic Marshfield, Massachusetts.

Canned on 10/12/23
Chestnut brown, almost clear with a tan creamy lasting head.
Toasted malt up front with coffee and whole grain toasted bread. Mild floral/herbal hops.
The semi-sweet taste is where it shines, chocolate is first with toasted grainy bread a close second. Coffee and hop flavors are mild however overall bitterness is on the high side with a very bitter, peppery aftertaste.
Medium-light bodied with plentiful, lasting C02. Porter-like taste (a light of the coffee Porter) with a Schwarzbier body. Brown Ale looks and highly session-able.

I will write an official review for this one at a later date, I am buzzed on Sambuca and weed, I require a clear palate and head to review.
Cheers.

 

#2 and at the other end of the beer nerd spectrum, this is a big BA stout (16.5% ABV) that Transient does so well - with a twist.

No adjuncts.

I don’t recall ever seeing that from them. Just barrels (three to be precise: Blanton's, Elijah Craig 18 year and Blis maple syrup bourbon barrels). I am PUMPED to try this howitzer of a beer.





4.6/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This beer pours pitch black, almost like motor oil, and devours light in big chunks, leaving no leakage anywhere and sporting a dark mocha colored head that sashays a bit before dissipating. Beautiful stout.

The nose is all bourbon and oak and roasty char and chocolate and vanilla, with a smidge of stone fruit. This is VERY reminiscent of Goose BCBS.

The similarity to BCBS is present as well on the taste, with the bourbon and oak shining bright, but not overpowering, allowing the chocolate, vanilla, and especially the stone fruit to provide complementary flavors that elevate this beer. Absolutely delicious stuff.

The mouthfeel is substantial and nicely creamy, on point for a beer of this magnitude (16.5% ABV). Transient typically uses adjuncts in their big stouts, but not with this one, and it’s appreciated.

 

Good evening NBW
Been working a bunch but my weekend site duty is over, so I can pour a new beer.

Samuel Smith India Ale
550mL bottle stamped SF13W1 which my secret decoder ring tells me means June 13th, 2023. Poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp 5% ABV. The beer pours very bright pale amber with khaki colored head. The head recedes to a thin cap and leaves plenty of lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring sweet malt and orchard fruit. The taste is semisweet malt with pear and apple flavors before the slightly earthy, white pepper like hops kick in and remain through the finish. Moderate bitterness. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. There's a mineral sharpness to the feel that makes in quite drinkable. Overall, very good.

This is the last of the widely available Samuel Smith beer that I had not reviewed. Had to buy the gift box with 2 other beers and this glass to get it. No regrets.

Cheers all!

 

Sorry to hear! Gotta love the cold hearted corporate types. Years ago I had an awful boss who spoke about someone dying from cancer as if they were a project that was taking too long and was an inconvenience. And a more recent story that comes to mind was when an employee had a heart attack and wasn't expected to make it so they replaced them. But lo and behold they ended up pulling through, talk about one awkward conversation when they were ready to return to work!

 

Vasili does it again!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/47666/679478/



Moderately poured into a small Wunderkammer Teku and a stemless Wunderkammer glass, with a one and two inch white head respectively over a golden body with lacing.

Nose of herbal earthiness, licorice, and slight, spicy citrusy funk.

Taste follows nose pretty closely with a semisweet earthy tartness carrying right through the finish.

Mouthfeel is bottle conditioned excellence, as always!

Overall, yet another fine offering from Albany, Vermont which should not be passed on.
Get it!!

Cheers!!!

 

Another beer from the barleywine/stout BIF, courtesy of @DIM . Had the regular Bourbon Barrel Temple of Minerva earlier, so comparing the double barrel version to it.



Jackie O's - Double Barrel Temple of Minerva - 13.2%

"Select barrels from this vintage of Temple of Minerva were transferred to freshly-dumped rum barrels, adding notes of coarse dark chocolate, challah, brownie batter, and hints of tropical rum."

Similar appearance to bourbon barrel Temple of Minerva, dark opaque brown with a ring of light brown bubbles lingering about. On the nose, the barrel dominates. Can smell the rum but it's not overwhelming. Also heavier on the leather, caramel, vanilla, brown sugar aromas. The alcohol is definitely present on the nose.

Palate - slightly smoky char, dark chocolate, molasses. Body is thick and carries the barrel well without being syrupy or sticky. Prefer the bourbon barrel version, but this is still an excellent beer.

I'm generally not a rum barrel fan but this one didn't bother me.

I mentioned how good the bourbon barrel version was to Brad, owner of Private Press and former head brewer at Jackie O's, and he pointed out that there was a good chunk of malted spelt in the brew, 30% if I remember right. Fairly sure I've only had spelt in saisons, which I enjoy, and whatever it did to this stout seemed to work quite well.

Thanks @DIM for another great beer!

 

Delivered 9 days ago and picked up this past Friday by the distributor upon my request due to its age. The driver said I could keep a four pack. Whoop-dee-doo!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24300/589260/



16 ounce can packaged 04/12/22.

Moderate to vigorous pour yields a 1.5 inch mocha head over a near black body with scant lacing.

Nose of dark roasted malt, chocolate malt, and slight coffee.

Taste is mostly chocolate as the coffee has faded measurably.

Mouthfeel is lacking a bit with low carbonation.

Overall, at 18 months old, still tasty, but not much coffee to speak of.
Oh well, it was free!
Cheers!!

 

Glad you like it! And thanks for the spelt tidbit, very interesting.

Ever had Falcon and Falconer from Skooum? It's part spelt wine and a great beer.

 

Sierra Nevada Dank Little Thing Hazy IPA, 7.5% ABV; 4.06 overall

Pours a hazed gold with one finger of cream colored head. Average-ish head retention & lacing

S: Tropical fruit, grapefruit, peaches & green melon

T: Grapefruit, lime, green melon, woody hops & dryness up front, plus a little pine up front. green melon. A touch of mintyness & cattyness, plus dryness & lime once this beer is warmed up. Finishes with guava, green melon, lime & dryness, plus a little grapefruit

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation, good balance

Not tasting/smelling hardly any dankness, so taste& smell point deductions for that. Having said that, a crushable New England Style IPA to me. To me dankness is more tied to West Coast than this style. If this was presented as a straight Hazy, this would garner higher marks from me

 

Nope haven't had that, but that did remind me I have had a speltwine, I think from Urban Roots. Forgotten the name of it, but the more I think about it, the more likely it is I've run into spelt in other dark beers and just not known it.

 

Cellarmaker 10 Year Barleywine



16.2% barleywine

Poured from a 12.7 ounce bottle, the body is like a King Crimson album I like - Starless and Bible Black. Opaque and low carbonation, no head and only a wee wisp of tingle.

Aroma is sweet but strong bourbon, vanilla, fig, and raisin. Inviting.

Taste follows nose but a bit less boozy than the aroma. Sweet delicious bourbon is in glorious display as the flavors merge to provide a full bourbon flavor. Sweet but not overly done. Not complex, but deep.

Mouthfeel has a heavy barrel coating that is full and luxurious. Enough carbonation to keep me happy. The low carbonation works with the heavy mouthfeel

A big barleywine which is worth taking your time and sip on a special occasion or just to enjoy today.

 

This is one ugly beer, brother...and you know how I feel about that wax.

Glad you survived opening & drinking this one!