New Beer Weekend #175

Greetings - a little indulgence on this work holiday - have seen this off and on for years but never picked one up until now:

3.81/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Bottled on September 11th, 2023 - enjoyed on November 24th, 2023 - poured from a 12oz bottle into my snifter.

Opaque black bean body with a dense wheat/almond cap receding to a lasting collar and surface slick. Fine lacing; very good retention; light glassy sheen of legs.

Baker's chocolate, molasses, and brown bread from the malt joined by tobacco and vanilla from the barrel. Fairly one-dimensional yet inviting.

Rich malty palate entry with licorice and char joining the flavors that follow the nose. Medium finish never quite dries out, though there is some faintly acrid acidity from the barrel. A touch boozy hints of cherry and tar. Low bitterness throughout.

Somewhat hot, medium-bodied, but smooth rather than sticky.

A decent, affordable barrel-aged stout, though it lacks nuance/balance compared to the best versions of the style.

 

Day 2, I have two Chicago beers to share this evening that are the fruits of a trip I made this morning to pick up my BCBS allotment from Binny’s.

That allotment was the fruit of a “lottery” Binny’s conducted for those wanting to acquire the iconic (and original?) BA impy stout that Goose Island is most notorious for launching years ago - and that has its roots where I live, which I’ll share in my second post this evening.

In addition to my BCBS allotment, I picked up a few extras of BCBS and the variants that were literally sitting on the shelves, which surprised me - and I was doubly surprised that they also had all of the 2022 BCBS offerings available as well, with the exception of the Old Fitz barleywine.

I also grabbed a bunch of Chicago lagers (see pic below) to augment my collection of tasty beers. The Chicago market is rife with lager-centric breweries like Dovetail and Goldfinger that are doing great things.



Chicago is also home to Metropolitan Brewing. For a short time, because they’re closing in December. So as you all can see, I grabbed a couple of 6ers of their stuff to enjoy before they’re gone.

Soap Box Moment: if a brewery the quality of Metropolitan can go down, any brewery can go down. Support your local breweries, my NBW friends.

Now for tonight’s first beer, a German Pilsner I am pumped to try. Let’s GOOOOO!!!!!



4.24/5 rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a bright straw color with a bit of suspended haze and a fluffy white head lingers as a cap on the beer and provides moderate lacing. The nose is LOADED with spicy hop aromas of grass, lemon zest, and earthy herbs, plus a nice amount of biscuity malt. Wow.

The taste is likewise filled with spicy hop flavors, again with the grass, lemon zest and especially the earthy herbs most prominent , yet balanced by a firm biscuity malt flavor at the back of the palate.

The mouthfeel is very crisp, as expected. The best word I can use to describe this beer is “striking.” What a pleasure it is to drink this beer.

 

New beer #2 for tonight

Warpigs Waking the Witch

12oz canned 10/10/23 poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp, no ABV listed on label. The beer pours opaque dark brown with light brown head. The head recedes to a thin ring and scattered, varied sized bubbles leaving a complete web of lacing. The aroma is mild with sweet malt, cocoa and pine. The taste is bittersweet citrus layered over caramel malt that has the color of roasted malt with none of the roasted taste. Moderate bitterness. Mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, delicious black IPA.

Cheers all!

 

The Challenge by tree house brewing company

4.38/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Brewers notes The Challenge is a Triple IPA brewed with a proprietary yeast blend and meticulously crafted construct that combines over a decade of hoppy beer refinement. It utilizes an enormous hop charge of hand-selected hops from Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Northwest that we have traveled extensively to source. Pouring a glowing yellow color into your glass, it tastes like tropical fruit bubble gum, fresh citrus, and mango nectar with a pleasing and quenching bitterness. We hope you enjoy drinking it as much as we enjoy crafting it.

Chilled 16oz can poured halfway into a teku glass

Hazy orange liquid , one finger frothy white foam cap

Aroma is bubblegum, tropical fruits, juicy fruit gum

Taste is bubblegum, mango citrus

Smooth mouthfeel abv well hidden ,hop bite on the finish

Good beer

Beer tasting advice from Tree House

 

Meant to post last night but sick kiddos took over.

Delirium - Noel





Bottled 06.15.22
Purchased from the dabc in a twin/holiday gift pack + glass for $29
Poured at about 40°F into a goblet (also tried a taster before duct taping a wine saver shut until I got home last night - hence the trashed upper label)

Pours a rich caramel copper with a eager toffee colored head. Persistent throughout consumption with a fine lacing trailing behind. 4.25

Big toffee, yeast, clove, earthy hop spice, dark fruit esters on the nose. Not overwhelming in the slightest and very nice. 4.25

Taste followed on all fronts, all complex, balanced and alternating between cold and warm consumption. Esters leaned a bit heavier at warmer temps. 4.25

Almost like a champagne with tiny and blanketing effervescence that mellows out dry. Very unique and can't wait to try my second bottle. 4.25

Overall a true delight and treat of a Belgian that I consider myself lucky enough to have picked up. I have a second bottle I'm cellaring for Xmas and will revisit this review then, as I hopefully approach 1k distinct beers reviewed (on Untappd) by the new Year! 4.25

 

Wandered up to Holler Brewing. I haven't been here in a while. I use to think they were one of the best breweries in town, but lately they have really disappointed. They had a new barrel aged stout on, so sure why not give it a try?

Dark Artifact Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, 9% ABV


Pours an opaque black color. A small tan head rises and recedes in a second. The opaqueness is pretty impressive.
Aroma is of milk chocolate up front, and some light woody aromas. That is it. Fairly simple, and one noted. Though not unpleasant.
Taste wise, that milk chocolate up front again. This almost seems like it is a milk stout/lactose in there a bit. A bit of sourness, not in an infection kind of way, but an odd tannin way, and light woody flavors. It becomes too sweet though, after a while.
A full body and moderate carbonation. Viscous, but not over the top in that department. OK to drink, but I'm not really looking to come back to this anytime soon.

Very sweet, and milk chocolate like. The bare minimum of barrel characteristics, outside of some tannin like qualities. Which makes me think this has been aged for a very short period of time. Not that that is bad, but this becomes very one noted and sickly sweet after a while. Some more robust barrel character could have helped balance, and bring some more nuance.

Overall score is a 3.22,

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45647/680135/?ba=champ103#lists


Then had another bigger beer.

Lucky 7's West Coast Imperial/Double IPA


Pours with a light haze. A darker orange color, with a one finger white head that forms. Good retention and light lace.
Aroma of orange, citrus and pithy rind aromas. Resin like and pine as well. Simple, but enjoyable.
Oh, it is very sweet up front taste wise. There is some orange, citrus, and pine resin. Though a sugary sweetness coats everything. A light bitterness lingers.
A full body with moderate carbonation. This is sticky, resin like, and chewy. Though the filmy sweetness coats the mouth. A sipper at first, but becomes less enjoyable to drink, and becomes kind of a chore to finish.

Way to sweet, and there needs to be more of a bitterness. Almost all of Holler's new beers are just one noted and sweet to me. Not something I'm planning on coming back to.

Overall score is 3.27
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45647/680137/?ba=champ103#lists

Holler continues its downward spiral IMO. Nothing so see here anymore, unfortunately.

 

Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass canned on 11/16/23. Pours an attractive hazy yellow with a 2 finger sticky white head that leaves thick foamy lace with excellent retention. 4.5

Aroma is cantaloupe, mandarin, mango, white grapes, and apricot.4.25

Taste follows cantaloupe, white grapes, mango, mandarin, and apricot. 4.25

Mouthfeel is above average, soft gentle carbonation, maybe a little dry, and at 8% it goes down very easy and big flavor. 4.25

Overall this is a very good beer and I would recommend giving it a try. 4.25

 

I hope everyone is enjoying this long Thanksgiving weekend. We made dinner and hosted for a little while, then pretty much had the afternoon to ourselves. That translated into a pretty long nap...both of us conked out with the football games on.

So this was planned for yesterday:



Allagash Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout. I think it's 8.1%.

Pour is beautiful. It's dark cola color - deep brown just short of black with plenty of reddish tinting. The head starts out a little rocky but ends up as a lasting layer of really tight foam. Said foam coats the glass luxuriously.

Not getting a ton of aroma but that could be me. I do get a whiff of bourbon, some vanilla, roast, a bit of coffee and less chocolate. Straightforward and by the book.

The taste is very light and it is very nice but somewhat uninspiring. I'm ok with that - this wasn't a high priced Allagash offering, relatively speaking. Roast malt and coffee open the taste. There's some dark dried fruit leaning cherry. There's just a bit of chocolate. The barrel contribution is quite subtle on the actual bourbon taste, just a hint of vanilla sweet. There's mild char further on and the barrel announces itself with some spicy tannin/phenolic.

The feel is light but silky smooth and swallow thanks to that creamy foam. Slightly dry. The char does build up a bit in the aftertaste. There's a bit of pepper coming in well after a few swallows.

Overall this is a perfectly fine stout. Very drinkable but the barrel impact is really laid back. I have a pretty high bar set for Allagash and they've made a perfectly decent beer that may be a tad short of my normal expectations. I'd see this one in the 3.8 to 3.9 range. Great look and mouth feel with good but pedestrian aroma and taste

 

Four Winds - Ten

500ml bottle served in a smallish snulip. No date, but I suspect it's a one-off. Bought it somewhere in Vancouver, BC.

Pours a clear but very dark purple-red, small, pinkish ring of head. Small amount of very fine carbonation. Smell is tart, sweet-tart candy, vague berry fruitiness.

Taste is moderate tartness, strong fruit-skin bitterness, strong berry flavor without coming across as jammy. Almost a cranberry vibe? But not quite.

Mouthfeel is light and very dry. Overall, nice beer.

 

#2, I’m joining our friend @JackHorzempa in enjoying this most iconic beer that has its roots in my hometown:

https://www.beervanablog.com/beervana/2021/9/30/the-original-bourbon-barrel-aged-beer

Mrs O and I have been to the LaSalle Grill a number of time in the last 5 years, but growing up, this was a place for “rich people,” so it’s fitting that one of the truly iconic beers in our beer nerd world has its roots at this restaurant, because I’d guess it’s a beer that’s paid a lot of bills for a lot of people.

I’ve obviously had this before (starting in like 2010 or so, when it literally kicked my butt up around my ears), but I’ve never properly reviewed the base. And I can make a strong argument that each year’s base should be an individual beer here on BA, but that’s a discussion @Todd and I should have over many magnificent beers.

Let’s fix that today.





4.6/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a light swallowing black color that has no leakage whatsoever on the edges and sports a dense, slightly creamy tan head that lingers a bit. Gorgeous impy stout.

The nose is led by cocoa notes in this 2023 iteration of the base beer, with vanilla, barrel notes, and lots of stone fruit (dark cherry) vying for equal billing. But it’s the cocoa and barrel that shines most as you pop the top - literally from three feet away.

The taste is an amalgamation of the cocoa, vanilla, dark cherry, and the barrel notes, which at the back of the palate as a warming deep in your chest, but for me, it’s the dark cherry flavors I savor. They balance the sweetness and cut the alcohol with the bit of tartness that keeps this huge beer where it needs to be - rich and savory, without a venture into Cloyingville.

The mouthfeel is big, rich, and creamy. The once and reigning champion in its space, there’s a reason this beer is so highly sought. Truly world class.

 

No words can describe just how epic that pic is, my friend- Cheers!

 

Getting into this bad boy from @Roguer tonight (he graciously included it in the barleywine/stout BIF):

Under the Cover of Night - A collab barleywine from Abomination and Barreled Souls with pie crust, pecans, and vanilla.

Love the label art on this one, and something tells me that the liquid inside is going to be sinister in the best way possible..





Wow- this is excellent! Dark sugars in the nose lead to more of the same in the profile, combined with hints of dried dark fruit, pecans, and vanilla to round things out. Pie crust and hearty bready malt elements support. Sweet without being cloying, and absolutely satisfying. Med-full bodied with chewiness and a med to med-high carb level. The 12.5% abv warms on the way down and is perfect for this 25-degree evening. In short, fantastic stuff. Full notes/review to come. Really appreciate you including this, Andrew!

 

Got this one from Jeff, cheers mate! @jzeilinger



Below is my original review. I rated a 4.27 overall then. I'd probably rate it about 4.1 overall at best, probably a little lower. Getting a very similar experience, these flavors just don't excite me much anymore. I am picking up a little grassyness & faint metallic twang, both detractors. Pretty much these days I need some Rum or Bourbon on the side to really enjoy them & I do think the booze is doing the heavy lifting.




Got this one from SMason, cheers! Let this one warm up for about 20 minute prior to decanting

Pours an effervescent amber/bronze with a finger of khaki colored head. Zero head retention & lacing. Appearance drags down an otherwise fantastic beer

S: Rich pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg & some pumpkin flesh as well, superb nose

T: Follows the nose; nutmeg, all spice & general pumpkin flavor up front, along with some herbal hop bitterness. More of the same as this warms with cinnamon & a touch of booze leading the way flavor-wise, plus a kiss of toffee & a touch of herbal hops. finishes with some herbal hops contrasting pumpkin pie sweetness & spiceyness

MF: Light, especially considering the ABV, slightly prickly carbonation up front, fades after awhile. A bit of stickyness & chewyness comes on as this warms

Drinks pretty darn easy, although I can feel the ABV asserting itself at the end. One of the better Pumpkin beers out there IMO

 

Machine House - Vintage Ale (2022)

500ml bottle served in a pint glass. Bottled April 2022.

Pours a burnt caramel color with about a finger of coarse, cask-looking head that settles into a thick, uneven skin. Moderate active carbonation is visible. Smell is musty, dusty oak, dry toffee, nuts.

Taste is slight wet cardboard oxidation, toffee, strong bark / wood bitterness, burnt sugar.

Mouthfeel is just on the borderline between light and medium weight, actually quite pleasant. Overall, nice beer.

 

Arctic Ancient

8.5% IPA by Great Lakes

Pint can.
Pours a clear orange-yellow with a fluffy white head and good lacing.

Taste has the expected assertive hop bitterness and sturdy malt backbone - though the beer does not lean malty. Satisfying finish as the bitterness closes things out.

Mouthfeel is soft and carbonation strong.

Another good if not great IPA from GLBC.

 

Hoppin' Frog - Hauser's Heat of the Moment, a 12% abv imperial porter with peppers and cinnamon.

22oz bottle served in a little Georgetown sample glass. I don't see a date on it. Received from @Ozzylizard in NBS BIF #17, probably with the intention of stretching my comfort zone in the "cinnamon beer" direction. Success!

Pours a dark brown, surprisingly clear, surprisingly not nearly as dark as I was expecting. Basically no head, just a thin thread of superfine head around the edge. Smell is chocolate, spice / cinnamon, and just a bit of pepper vegetation.

Taste is interesting. Stewed plums, pepper, relatively subtle cinnamon, and a slow spicy heat. Sweetened with chocolate and maybe a bit of maple syrup.

Mouthfeel is thick, sticky, chewy. Overall...it's not bad, actually rather good for a pepper beer or a cinnamon beer (let alone both). It's cold right now...I suspect as it warms up, that cinnamon's going to kick into high gear and not be particularly pleasing to my palate.

 

Equilibrium Maple Whip Imperial Stout with Maple, Graham Crackers Cocoa Nibs & Marshmallows, ABV unknown; 3.69 overall


Pours a very thick, slight caramel head that vanishes quickly. Zero head retention & lacing, plenty viscosity

S: Cocoa, a touch of iron, a little maple once warm

T: Maple, dark chocolate, marshmallow & a little graham cracker & woody hops up front, plus some carob as well. Smokeyness mixes with maple sweetness, dryness & some marshmallow once this beer is warm. Finishes dry, sweet with plenty of vanilla & a little marshmallow

MF: Really chewy, low carbonation, best thing about this beer.

Another sipper, this one is little too sweet & the maple a little too dominant. If I had to guess, I would say this probably somewhere around 12% ABV