New Beer Weekend #176

Great start. Another brilliant bit of prose to properly kick this thread off.

 

Thanks @AzfromOz for the kickoff!

Alluvial Barrel-Aged Aurox with Maple

Appearance: Super black and viscous, small head fades out quickly.

Smell: Big maple syrup and strong chocolate, wood and vanilla side notes.

Taste: Really thick! Sweet, the maple hits first and sticks around, then nice chocolate with wood notes. Huge mouthfeel.

Overall: Wow! I'm extremely impressed with this beer from Alluvial in Ames, IA. I picked it up before the last home football game of 2023 along with some tailgating beer. I've had CBS and at least 1 or 2 other maple barrel stouts, but I can actually taste the maple in Aurox. Huge, impressive mouthfeel. Sweet but not cloying, nice blend of chocolate, maple, and barrel notes. Excellent stout!

 

Czech it out: Jack’s Abby Bohemian Dusk Czech Dark Lager

I am a fan of many dark lager beer styles but my favorite is the Czech Dark Lager style. For those who are unfamiliar with the Czech Dark Lager style they come in varying levels of strength (i.e., ABV) which are distinguished by numbers (i.e., degrees Plato of the original gravity) or words:

“Basically, the Czechs describe their beers by color and strength. First, let’s learn our colors:

• Pale = Světlé
• Semi-dark (Amber) = Polotmavý
• Dark = Tmavý (or Tmavé)
• Black = Černý

When it comes to beer strength, what we would typically associate with alcohol (ABV) strength, the Czechs instead describe the original gravity of the wort used to brew the beer. They have words for this but more commonly I have seen numbers in degrees Plato to describe the beers strength. In order of lower to higher strength:

• 10° or Výčepní
• 12° or Ležák
• 14° or Speciál (or Speziál)”

If you want to try out your Czech lessons, a mid-strength Czech Dark Lager would be Tmavý Ležák.

https://www.morebeer.com/articles/Czech_Beers

There are some craft breweries near me which brew Czech Dark Lagers but it is an infrequent brand and sometimes only available on tap. I was happy to spot a stack of Jack’s Abbey Bohemian Dust at my local Wegman’s supermarket and I immediately put a four-pack into my shopping cart. Below is how this beer is detailed on the Jack’s Abby website:

“Dark Czech Style Lager

October Release

Light and dark are often used as contrasts, but something special can be found where light and dark meet. That’s what inspired this beer. Traditional Bohemian floor malts, Saaz hops, and open-fermentation create a light and easy-drinking beer that is dark in appearance with a hint of sweet roast.

ABV 4.5%”

Also, on the can’s label it states:

· Double Decoction Mashed

· Naturally Carbonated

It has been a while since I have conducted a side-by-side discussion in NBW, and since I have some homebrewed Tmavý Ležák (Czech Dark Lager) I figured I would discuss Bohemian Dusk as a side-by-side tasting.

You will see in the photo below that there is a label for the Tmavý Ležák bottle, the story behind this label:

My wife and I stayed in the Anděl neighborhood during our 2019 visit to Prague; Anděl is Czech for Angel.

My wife went online somewhere and created a label for this beer ‘branding’ this beer as Dark Angel.

Served in my Polish Pilsner glasses:

Appearance:

Dark Angle: A dark chestnut brown color with a reddish hue. A tan head with excellent head retention as the beer is consumed.

Bohemian Dusk: A deep amber color with a one finger light tan head.

Aroma:

Dark Angel: A subtle but quite noticeable aroma of toasted dark bread and a hint of cocoa.

Bohemian Dusk: Similar to the above but of a lower intensity.

Taste:

Dark Angel: The flavor follows the nose with a pleasing combination of subtle chocolate and toasted dark bread. There is also a subtle but noticeable flavor of Coca-Cola in the background. A low/moderate bitterness.

Bohemian Dusk: Also has some subtle chocolate and toasted dark bread flavors. A low/moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Dark Angel: There is a luscious soft/creamy mouthfeel with an off-dry finish.

Bohemian Dusk: In comparison the body is lighter with a thin(er) mouthfeel.

Overall:

Dark Angel: This beer is very good – excellent.

Bohemian Dusk: This beer is very good.

The two beers have a somewhat similar flavor profile but the Dark Angel had more complexity. The most notable difference between the two beers was the difference in mouthfeel.

As I was about halfway through the tasting my wife walked in the room and asked: whatcha doing? I offered to her to try the two beers which she did in blind fashion (i.e., she did not know the brands since at this point I had disposed of the can/bottle). After a few sips of each she raised the glass in her left hand and stated “This one is better”. She preferred Dark Angel.

Cheers!

@rotsaruch @RobH @ JacksAbbyBrewing

 

Good morning NBW
I've been assigned to night shifts for the next week or so to manage a maintenance outage in my department. That means morning beers for the near future starting with this.
Surly Darkness


We normally don't get Surly distribution here in Southern Indiana, so I jumped (and overpaid) at the chance to try this beer.

16oz can in a cardboard box = fancy. Canned 09/19/23. Poured into a Spiegelau stout glass at just above fridge temp 12% ABV per can. The beer pours pitch black with no light penetration and medium brown colored head. The head recedes to a rocky cap and leaves spotty lacing all over the glass. The aroma is moderate with notes of bakers chocolate, coffee beans and red berries. The taste is bittersweet roasted malt with expresso, caramel, berries and dark chocolate followed by slightly ashy, earthy moderate plus bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium plus bodied with just less that average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, world class RIS.

That's it for this morning. Cheers all!

 

As I read this prose, I thought of the Keystone Light commercial dude:



Cheers!

 

Good morning, fellow beer nerds! I have a ton of work to do this weekend, but right now I'm enjoying a beer as I watch Arsenal (and do a little work on the side)

This is Herbane, a "NY Wild Ale aged in oak with Lemon Verbena, Tulsi Basil and Lemon Basil from Plan Bee Farm. If you ever find yourself anywhere near Poughkeepsie NY, I highly recommend stopping by this wonderful little brewery. If I recall correctly, @Mikexw you are fortunate enough to live somewhat nearby this little gem.

3.97/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is one of the lightest colored beers I've ever had. Very, very pale yellow and very clear (I can easily look through the glass and read what's on my screen). Aroma is wonderful, even if it's hard for me to describe. It's deeply herbal but with some lemon flavors that lighten it up a bit. Nice, light earthy funk.

Taste is really interesting. The lemon verbena & basil work together to create a taste that I don't think I've experienced in a beer before. Usually, that spells trouble with brewers throwing all sorts of crap into their beers, but this comes across as organically authentic, if that makes sense. As with the nose, it seems like the basil creates an earthy dynamic that keeps the lemon in check. I can't pick up the barrel, but I'm sure it's adding something to this overall as well.

Overall, very light and refreshing. If I'd known how much I'd enjoy it, I wouldn't have let it sit in my cellar for ~4 years!

 

Good morning BA, feels like I've missed the last one or two NBWs

But I've got plenty to share, just need to remember the "sharing" part.

Epic - Imperial Pumpkin Porter


No bottling date - Batch/Release #54
Purchased at the dabc for $6.99
Poured at fridge temp into a chalice.

Pours a heavy and dark brown with cola colored edges and a thin mocha colored head. Oily and fine trace lacing. 4

Spice/pie spice is not the focus here and I love it. Dark and milk chocolate, gourdy pumpkin and some vanilla on the nose. 4

Gourd, pumpkin, yam, even some squash I'd say. Vanilla comes in next with a touch of cinnamon, rounded out by dark roasted malts and chocolate. 4.25

Body is delightfully creamy and warm with gentle prickling carbo. Oily mouthcoating and fairly thick with a good dose of chewiness. 4.25

Overall an excellently done pumpkin beer I'd certainly buy again. 4.25

Cheers friends!

 

Happy hour drinks at New Magnolia Brewing yesterday afternoon, and I had their new IPA.

Brubeck IPA, with Cascade, Centennial, and Simcoe hops. 7% ABV.



Pours a reddish/orange color. A white head rises, to about a finger, and recedes after a minute. Light lace is left behind.
The nose is perfume like, spicy almost potpourri-esque up front. Pine resin, orange and citrus like hoppy aromas.
Taste wise, like the nose, there is a spiciness here that is a bit odd for me, again like potpouri. Pine resin, citrus, with a bitter/sweet finish. A lingering bitterness lasts a while.
A medium body with crisp carbonation. The bitterness becomes astringent, with a mouth puckering dryness. Not sure if that is a good or a bad thing, but its fine to drink at the brewery. Though can't say I'll seek this out.

This kind of reminds me of Sierra Nevada Celebration, though just a bit less enjoyable. The odd potpouri spice, and astringency takes it toll for me after a while, which keeps it from being a really good example of the style. Still enjoyable for what it is.

Overall score is 3.58, which is B territory for me.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/58057/681024/?ba=champ103#lists

And yep, this is named after Dave Brubeck...

 

Good morning BAs! Off to a moderately late start because I had to post this on a couple of other threads first.

Today's New Breakfast Beer:



Which turned out to be:



14th Anniversary Barrel-Aged Golden Barleywine Limited 2023 Release. Mystery Beer #1 from @muchloveforhops3 in BSBIF #1. Waxed and capped bomber. Reviewed 02/12/23 (Review 3184). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stored at 34 degrees at home. Served at 56.1 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 62.2 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Medium Amber (SRM 12), hazy.
Body – Ruby Brown (SRM 24), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, ruby amber and cloudy. At the final temperature, I checked the rear-lighting, and found it to be ruby and clear, so the previous haziness was probably chill haze.
Head: Average (Maximum 1.5 cm, aggressive center pour), beige, high density, somewhat fizzy, quickly dropping to a 0.1 to 0.15 cm crown and a thin partial cap.
Lacing – Poor, but considering the ABV, it’s surprising there is any.
Aroma – 4.25 – Sweet, caramelly, and a bit fruity. Maybe a hint of bourbon, or at least whiskey. No hops, no yeast, no alcohol (14.9 % ABV as stated on the bottle).
Flavor – 4 – Begins slightly sweet and caramel but not sticky. No yeast, no hops. Unable to taste any vanilla, tannic acid, char, or any other bourbon barrel flavors. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Moderate gastric warming.
Palate – 4 – Full; creamy; soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4.25 Pretty distinctly a barleywine, slightly sweet and well-hidden ethanol. The barrel aging doesn’t show up well in this young bottle – too bad I don’t have a few to lay back.
Rating 4.11, rDev -3.7%

 

I have a few new brews for the weekend.

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass canned on 11/02/23. Pours a very hazy orange with a finger plus sticky white head that leaves plenty of thick lace with excellent retention. 4.25

Aroma is honeydew, peach, mandarin, white grape, and apricot. 4

Taste follows peach, mandarin, honeydew, white grape, and apricot. 4

Mouthfeel is big, soft gentle carbonation, maybe a tad sticky but not dry, and at 8% massive flavor, but stick approachable. 4.25

Overall this brewery always puts out good stuff, but never dazzle me. Worth a shot for sure. 4 Cheers all.

 

Thank you for the early kickoff to the weekend @AzfromOz !

This week I plan to close out my first and last Wisconsin Trades with one each from @Danmullens1 and @DoctorZombies . My first selection is a Barleywine

Lakefront Aman’s Bourbon Barrel & Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged Barleywine Ale



Bottle Notes: Obtained via trade with Dan @Danmullens1 from BA on Friday, May 13, refrigerated upon returning home until opening this morning. 16.3% ABV, 2023 vintage. 16.3% ABV Ale aged in whiskey barrels. Brewed and bottled for Aman's Beer & Wine, Wind Lake Wisconsin by Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Lakefront Brewery crafted this bold and burly Barleywine Ale, then filled a couple of our whiskey barrels - one bourbon and one rye - and let'em cellar for over a year. The result: a deep red-brown, full-bodied, malty-sweet ale with tons of caramel malt flavor and barrel-aged aromas of vanilla, oak plank, cherries and honey.

Appearance: Poured about half of the bottle into a 12 oz snifter. Rusty brown bronze base, no head while pouring light carbonation. 3.75

Aroma: Let this warm up a bit to yield a nice sweet barleywine base, some plums and raisins, backed well by bourbon than rye barrel flavors. Enticing and medium plus strength. 4.25

Taste: Consistent with the aroma but much stronger, with the bourbon leading, a syrupy sweet barleywine follows, caramel, toffee, raisins, syrup despite none added per bottle, and rye sitting in the back I'd like more predominant. As this warms, the bourbon becomes stronger and the slight burn noted up front leaves the scene. 4.5

Mouthfeel: Body very creamy rich and full, syrupy. Carbonation faint but present. Very strong, though as expected with the strong ABV. Creamy, sweetness present, leading but enjoyable and balanced by the heavy barrel presence. Maple sryup toffee and caramel lingers well on the finish. Luxurious, enjoying every sip, more as I progress. 5.0

Overall: Trughtfully I'm pretty fickle with barleywines and feared sweetness beyond my preferences, but this is an awesome barleywine. The sweet flavors blend well with the barrels and the mouthfeel is the most enjoyable I can recall of this style or just about every other. This is a home run, send down Bernie Brewer down the shute! Thank you so much Dan for this offering and the entire package! Hope to see you next year. Cheers! 4.5

OK, I have a great one planned from David tomorrow, highly rated. Happy Weekend to Me!!!

 

Success! So glad to hear you enjoyed that one, Jason. Cheers!

 

Typical fall Saturday for me. A run to the recycling center, pick up the groceries, then football. Watching OSU/Texas. So far Texas is the better team.
My new beer for today is Jude, a Belgian-style tripel from Reformation Brewery.
The beer is a clear gold color. A small white head that recedes quickly.
Aroma of sweet malt and fruit.
Taste of caramel, citrus. Noticeable alcohol.
Kind of a hoppy mouthfeel, slightly bitter.
An average beer.

 

Up next is an old bottle of Porcine Unidragon from Clown Shoes that I've thought about opening many times, but never gotten around to until today.

3.74/5 rDev -8.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Undated bottle, but I think it's a good 5-6 years old. Solid looking and smelling beer. Doesn't look much different than most stouts, but that's not a bad thing. Aroma doesn't burst from the glass, but up close there's a nice malty sweetness that almost smells like a bit of maple syrup, along with some faint barrel.

That barrel is more pronounced on the tongue, but what I immediately noticed was the nice smoky characteristics. The base stout is solid, but as somebody who likes smoke, I really like how the smoked malts elevate the overall character of this beer. Very full bodied and does an excellent job of coating the mouth.

Enjoying this one more than I thought I would.

 

Copy/Paste from the Barleywine/Stout BIF#1

Received a bottle from @Mikexw in the Barleywine/Stout BIF#1 11-4-23. i believe this was packaged in 2022; consumed 12-2-23.

Beer poured black as night with a nice tan head.

Nose is giving me mildly roasted malts, nuts, and banana.

Taste is a large mild roasted malt base with a touch of chocolate malts that is rested on and gives forth plenty of peanuts and bananas. Finishes surprisingly balanced from adequate hopping with a nice warming with each sip.

Mouthfeel is large bodied, very thick and chunky.

Overall a nicely crafted beer that gives me a whole new perspective on pastry stouts; thanks for the opportunity to try Mike!

Listening to some U2 radio on SiriusXM and it just so happens a Pogues song came on. RIP Shane!
Cheers!
Tom

4.29/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

 

Acadia Nights

9.6% stout by Treehouse

Poured from a pint can, the body is an opaque black with a modest initial head. Light lacing throughout the tasting.

Aroma is a deep chocolate, pumpkin and coffee with a wee bit of pumpkin spice and lactose.

Taste amps up the aroma's flavors of chocolate, coffee and spice. As the stout warmed, the sturdy malt backbone nicely pulls things together.

Mouthfeel is very smooth. Light carbonation seems appropriate.

Easy drinking stout that effectively masks its power. For my tastes, very good use of pumpkin but a bit less pumpkin spice would improve the taste (for me).

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

First day back at work went well, though I'm a bit tired. I'd say it's time for a beer, and since all the cool kids are doing it, I might as well do so also.


Bananas Foster

Well, I must admit that when I read what was going to be released, this was the one I was most interested in getting. By driving a little bit outside my area, I was able to get it - we have crappy BCBS distro locally.

I do like this beer, but I think the cinnamon is a bit stronger than it should be. If it weren't for that, this beer would be off the charts good in my book.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1146/666471/

4.42/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
From a bottle that says drink by 27 Aug 28. Served at room temp.

Really loud hiss and a good deal of smoke upon opening this bottle. It seems like there was a lot of pressure in the bottle. Pitch black pouring beer, and there's no way any light would shine through. The head that formed was almost 1 finger. Not too long lasting, but that's expected. The head dissipated to a ring around the edge of the glass with no lacing on the glass. Interesting bit of carbonation bubbling up in the glass after the head dissipated.
The nose hits when pouring the beer, and it is full on BCBS aroma. Lots of caramel, toffee, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, and dark fruit hit hard. Getting in close to the beer, I get all what I got from afar, but I also get a healthy dose of cinnamon.
Taste - The base beer does shine in the flavor a lot. I get all the normal vibes off this beer. I get layers of plum, raisin, fig, chocolate, caramel, toffee, vanilla, and coffee. The BCBS flavors are added to by a good dose of cinnamon, and a very smooth hit of banana. The banana isn't a strong flavor, but really hits on the backside. It provides a decent sweetness to this beer. The cinnamon does seem to be a bit on the heavy side, and it does take away from the flavor a bit in my opinion.
The body is pretty full, as expected. Smooth feeling overall. There's a bit of a burn here, though this is expected, and the burn, while not strong, does linger in my throat.
This is a very interesting take on the base beer. If the cinnamon would have been ramped back just a hair, it would be world class in my book.

I might try one more today, we'll see. At least I've got tomorrow off to recover, if needed.