New Beer Weekend #177

Dieu du Ciel - Solstice D'ete

330ml screwtop bottle served in a little snulip. Bottled on 2018-07-17. I've had this beer for more than a year, but apparently it was on the shelf for almost four before I bought it.

Pours a clear purple-red with a small wispy head. Smell is berry jam that doesn't quite hit tart, but doesn't smell sweetened.

Taste is tart and jammy, just a little bit of kettle sourness. Really bright raspberry.

Mouthfeel is very light and clean. Overall, not bad, particularly for 5+ years.

 

Time to hop back on the horse.....it's been awhile. I am developing a cold but my sense of smell and taste havent been affected yet.
This is a collab with Trillium and Weldwerks two breweries I've really enjoyed beers from.
Juicy Bits (especially the Mosaic ver) and Cutting Tiles is Trill Wildflower honey beer that I haven't had in a bit. It's a real beauty with their yeast, soft feel, and the perfect bitterness with the honey. Enough BS let's try this.
Pours a very hazy orange with at least a thumbs worth of eggshell head. Great retention and spotty lacing.
Upon immediately sniffing the opened can I get a rush of apricot/peach, grapefruit, pine mango and tangerine.
Taste is pretty similar with a bit of sweet fruit in the middle, but the pine and grapefruit balance this out with a perfect bitterness.
It's creamy and soft and so easy to drink with a fine carbonation. It also finishes nice and incredibly dry (honey?) For 8.4%.
Perfect balance between these 2 breweries which in my personal experience seems to be in the minority...collabs.
Great brew. Catch you in bit. I have a bunch but who knows what will happen.
Cheers and its been a pleasure scrolling through the reviews so far. We have a bunch of winners.

 

Sorry for the lack of participation yesterday; I’ve had the most annoying cold all week nothing horrible but just enough to take enjoyment out of things like beer all week. It’s still lingering today but at this point I’m down for beer. Pretty excited to finally crack one open tonight with you all.

There is probably nothing I love more than all things maple. When I saw a maple only adjunct beer by Long Trail, my first craft love, I did a double take, then grabbed it.

Long Trail - Maple & Whiskey Barrel Ages Stout (Imperial Stout 10%)



Pours a very deep dark brown, nice head considering barrel and abv; light brown settles to a nice film, swirling brings it right back, crystal clear when backlit.

Nose is light maple, some char, oak tannin heavy bourbon, nice chocolatey coffee presence as it warms.

The taste is first bourbon, again very oaky; followed by a pleasantly light and balanced maple presence; after which comes a distinct hit of coffee, rich in flavor strong black medium roast, just how I love to drink it…the aftertaste is wonderfully balanced mix of dark malt and light maple.

Medium body, on the lighter side; medium to low carb, no heat or burn but there does come some sinus clearing and throat warming from the bourbon on the finish…as it goes down there is a little hint of bitter roast; very easy to drink, a light residual maple presence lingers on the tongue and lips.

So for me I LOVE how the maple is done on this beer, it’s just perfectly there, a plus, not front and center sticky sweet. The barrel presence isn’t that well integrated IMHO; it hits first on its own masking the beer, then comes the maple then stout.

I would LOVE to see this as maple stout without the bourbon, I think it would improve the beer immensely. That being said I’m really looking forward to finishing the last 3 over the course of this winter as my go to stout itch.

———————

That’s it for me this weekend, I hope you all have a great week. See all of you next weekend, both here and in the holiday beer tasting thread. I can’t wait

 

Day 2, a couple of beers from Chicago. The first is from a fantastic brewery that has a world class lager game, IMHO (and a huge shoutout to my friend @FBarber for the wonderful glassware).

And the second is so big, it’s photobombing the first.





4.35/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours an almost clear golden color with a foamy off white head that lingers as a cap on the beer and provides some stringy lacing. Gorgeous Maibock. The nose is crammed with honey wheat bread aromas and some floral hop notes. OMG.

The taste is all about the “bread as a meal” character bock beers gravitate to, and this beer does so deliciously with the honey wheat bread notes leading the taste and the floral hop flavors preventing this magnificent beer from becoming too cloying.

The mouthfeel is on the softer side with a dry finish, perfect for this beer. I wish I had a keg of this fantastic representation of the style.

 

Goose Island BCBS Bananas Foster, 13.9% ABV; 4.45 overall

Pours an effervescent mahogany with a rapidly disappearing tan head. Looks a lot like flat coke. No lacing or head retention

S: Seems real similar to the base beer, loads of dark fruit, some barrel, not really sniffing out any Bananas or other scents associated with the dessert ( think I've had it twice ). still a great nose

T: Dark fruit, figs, some raw barrel, dark cherries, caramel, vanilla & just a little green banana initially, then turns a little sweeter at first blush. Warming booze, toffee, banana ( restrained ), dark cherries, oakynesss, a little coconut even, plus a little cola flavor as this beer warms up. Finishes with rich barrel notes, bananas ripe & otherwise, caramel, & caramelized brown sugar. Almost gave this a 5.0

MF: Fairly boozy, slight thicker than medium body, some carbonation, pretty warming I will say

Nice to try this & it was good, but not sure I'd go there again at these prices. Drank pretty easy for the heft. When I win the lotto....

 

Tonewood - Vermilion, a Vienna lager

12oz can served in a footed pilsner glass. Packed on 10/05/23. Sent to me by @jonphisher.

Pours a mostly clear nutty amber color, initially sports about a finger of head that settles into a thick, even skin. Active carbonation is visible. Smell is grainy / bready, with a distinct sweet aroma, with a hint of toffee in the background.

Taste is pretty close to what the aroma promised. Maybe a bit sweeter, almost a honey and butterscotch flavor.

Mouthfeel is full but not heavy. Overall, really nice beer. Thank you, Jon!

 

#2, I’ll join our friends @Victory_Sabre1973 and @russpowell in the dance with BCBS variants tonight. These beers are a treasure, IMHO, but I understand that your mileage may vary with Goose.

As someone that visited the original Goose in 1988 (and had ZERO idea what I was visiting), I err on the side of the old school Goose.





4.5/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours onyx black with a creamy dark tan head that has ruby hues on the edges and lingers for a bit, which doesn’t happen often with these big impy stouts. Absolutely gorgeous beer.

The nose is filled with tart berry aromas, a rich chocolate note, a good bit of oak (courtesy of the barrel), and some roasty char. I like how this is developing.

The taste is very berry forward, with the berries providing a tart, acidic berry flavor that is a delicious complement to the rich milk chocolate flavors, and the oak and char at the back of the palate, with residual warming from the barrel as the beer settles after each sip. This is so well done.

The mouthfeel is full and on the creamy side, commensurate with a beer of this magnitude (12.9% ABV). This is world class stuff here, IMHO.

 

Garden Path - The Fruitful Barrel Boysenberries and Rhubarb

500ml bottle served in a tulippy goblet. Bottled September 1, 2021.

Pours a clear, deep ruby with a small but persistent head. Smell is very tart, my first thought was actually cranberries, after that I got a little bit of berry jam.

Taste is very tart, jamminess comes across clearer, interesting earthiness that I guess I would associate with the roasted rhubarb. Light fruit skin bitterness.

Mouthfeel is light, thin, a little watery. Overall, interesting and good.

 

Glad you liked this one; a very dialed in and tasty Vienna

 

Damn, must be a lot of berries in that beer; I swear I see a reddish tint in that head.

 

Here's one I've neglected for a few weeks since it was delivered.
Artwork by my friend, Manu, from Montreal, via France.
Salut!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45496/681909/



16 ounce can packaged 11/16/23.

Moderate pour yields a 5/4 inch white head over a hazy-cloudy golden body with sticky lacing.

Nose of citrus and tropical fruit with a bit of berries.

Taste follows nose pretty closely with flavors of orange, white grapefruit, papaya, and mango.
Also, berries, currants, and pine are present, but subdued. Interestingly complex!

Nice, fairly full mouthfeel with medium carbonation.

Overall, an enigma of a beer as I can't quite put my finger on some of the attributes I'm experiencing.
Brewery's description notes a finish of Orangina, but I get just a tiny a bit of that after half an hour.
Otherwise, a very tasty and enjoyable offering to be sure!!

Cheers!!!

 

Gmoastier weissbier
..cloudy amber/brownish appearance with almost too much head(insert inappropriate joke here)
...light carbonation with what feels close to medium bodied but weissbiers always feel oddly thick,like glycerin.
...aroma is candy like,floral, soft grain and hard to distinguish mixed fruit.
...taste stays true to aroma, somewhat sweet with a very, mild hop in the background but dominates the aftertaste.
....overall,interesting, enjoyable, would have it again

 

Wow we have like a mini monsoon going on here. Hopefully we don't lose power but heck that's minor.
Beer'd An Unexpected Upgrade -
DIPA single hopped with Nelson Sauvin.
Pours a fairly clear gold with a nice two finger head that lasts. Lots of sticky lacing.
Aroma is a bit subdued.. I get some grapes and grass and some funkyness. It's weird to me.
Taste green tannic grape skins, bitter citrus Clean honey malts, crisp.
Dry, bitter, stern carb, clean, crisp incredibly drinkable. I have To be honest I was a bit let down by this one. It just didn't have the Nelson punch I expected. Maybe it's something I ate or drank. I have 3 left so I will be definitely revisiting.

 

Your eyes do not deceive you, Jon.

 

Lakewood - Temptress, imperial milk stout

12oz bottle served in a little snulip. I can't be sure, but I think the bottled on date is 10/05/22. Got it in a trade with @MrSandman101.

Pours black with a small light brown head. Smell is molasses, black licorice, strong medium roast coffee. Lots of anise, maybe a hint of smoke or char. Maybe burnt chocolate?

Taste is toasted marshmallows and semi-sweet chocolate, tasty but feels totally disconnected from the aroma. Vanilla, coffee bitterness, maybe because of the marshmallow note I feel like there's some graham cracker in there.

Mouthfeel is thick but not sticky. Overall, interesting, tasty, and fascinating olfactory illusion.

 

Here's one from my favorite Maine brewery where diversity and quality abound!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4/622060/



Bottled 08 /11/22.

Moderate to vigorous pour yields a nearly two inch white head over a slightly hazy amber body with sticky lacing.

Complex nose of fruit (cherries, red grape, orange), malt, slight vanilla, slight bourbon, and very slight oak.

Taste is as complex as the nose with the vanilla coming forward and red grape aroma fading to more like a rosé in flavor. Slightly bourbon soaked orange and cherry flavors are prevalent in the middle after it warms a bit with a very tasty, semi-sweet pre-finish. Finish has slight flavors of all the aforementioned being taken over by a dry, oaky finish.

Nice feel with medium carbonation.

Overall, a very deliciously complex offering and would definitely have another!
Cheers!!

 

Begyle - Barrel Aged Pajamas, 2022 vintage.

12oz can served in a little snulip. Canned on 11/3/22. Bought it at the brewery in June. The 2022 vintage lists its ABV as 13.1%.

Pours tar-black with no head at first, but eventually a super thin dark tan ring emerges. No visible carbonation. Smell is dark roast coffee and nearly burnt toast. Maple syrup sweetness.

Taste is boozy, vanilla and bourbon, sweetened oatmeal, caramel. Lots of caramel. Char bitterness balances it out a little bit.

Mouthfeel is thick, sticky, chewy. Overall, it's intense and good.