New Beer Weekend #178

Day 2, I’m just gonna slip this one in here. Nothing to see here, move along …..





I’m grilling, so I’m gonna do this live. The first thing that jumps out - this is almost clear. Like nothing but the most minimal hop haze possible, with a bit of floaties, certainly less than little brother.

It sits in the glass a beautiful orange color and sports a significant, soapy off white head that provides a decent amount of lacing. Absolutely gorgeous beer, and something I didn’t expect (the clarity).

The nose features that weedy Heady dankness, it’s just amped up. There’s gotta be a LOT of Simcoe in this, and I love that varietal, so I’m good. There’s tangerine, grapefruit, and pine on the nose, and I’m in heaven.

The taste is all about the interplay between the dank citrus and the resiny, bitter pine, as in Heady - the flavors are just bigger in this “big brother” iteration, and perfectly balanced with a bit of alcohol that settles in your chest as you drink the beer.

The mouthfeel has the gravitas expected with a 10% ABV beer. All of this verbiage is simply an attempt to illustrate The Alchemist’s prowess as a brewery, because they are tippity top world class, IMHO. Rated 4.75.

 

Very flat while not being thin at all!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2216/108463/



375 ml. bottle.
Blend #41
19/20
6.0% abv.
Bottled 02/13/20

Vigorous pour yields a fleeting 1/4 inch white head over a golden/light amber body with no lacing.

Nose of citrus, musty oak, slight funk, and slight toast.

Taste follows nose pretty closely with grapefruit, green apple, a bit of barnyard funk, and slight white wine vinegar near the medium tart finish.

Mouthfeel is surprisingly fuller and thicker than expected from first completely flat sip.

Overall, I'm glad I got to finally try this after unearthing this from the crisper drawer in my fridge!!
Cheers!!!

 

Cross post with the Holiday Beer Tasting thread.

Corsendonk Christmas Ale. Over the last couple of years I have started really enjoying the Belgian Dark Strong Ales, and this one did not disappoint!

Rich and dark, with notes of rye bread and dark fruit complimented by a mild spiciness and slightly tart finish. The beer is well carbonated and medium/full bodied.

 

#2, from my local.





4.17/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a rich mahogany brown with a creamy light tan head that forms a beautiful cap on the beer. The nose features roasty malts, banana, and clove, as expected. Very nice.

The taste is filled with chocolate and caramel notes, with a nice bit of banana and clove, again as expected with a weizen. What’s most impressive is no sign at all of the 9% ABV - until you try to stand up.

The mouthfeel is full and surprisingly spritzy for a beer of this magnitude. Bare Hands nailed this, IMHO.

 

Dogfish head tasty traveler lager
...cloudy light gold appearance.
...medium light carbonation with about a medium body.
...aroma is almost non existent. There seems to be some lime juice and peel,corn, and I swear I can smell the salt in the background.
...taste is definitely stronger than the aroma. Tastes like lime juice with some malt,a pinch of salt poured over come corn chips.
...overall its a crushable beer,would have gone well with tacos

 

Hey, my brother just brought some Bad Santa! I think I'll hit that, Christmas Eve.

 

Damn! Another winner from Green Cheek Beer Co. Obviously @Nugganooch knows what I like....things we learn from our friends here on WBAYDN and BA in general.
Crystal clear pale yellow body, creamy head, world map lacing, nice retention.
Overripe fruit, blueberry, apricot, pineapple, passionfruit and tropical flowers.
Taste follows. Earthy, dirty element comes through more intense in the taste, piney and dry on the finish. The flavors linger with no over oiliness. Aroma hangs the whole time.
I mean sometimes I wish I lived in Cali. We have an absolutely world class brewery scene here in NE. One of the reasons I love to BIF with the West Cost is we have to remind ourselves as beer drinkers there is another world. NE gets all the credit for the hazy craze as it should. but The WC gets accolades for helping introduce hoppy beers and for promoting the style. Clear, hoppy, fruity and dry with a lower ABV Is fine with me.

PS there's a Midwest IPA world as well though I personally compare it to a WC style rather than a EC. I mean Fatheads? Can't count that sub cat out either

 

Another from Cali. Bing, bang. Boom

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

All right, home from work today, and it's time for a beer, and it's going to be a 1 and done tonight.


Wee Woody - Starry Eyed Brewing - Little Falls, MN - Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy - 10.5% ABV

This was bottled in March of 2020, and I think that's the main problem with this beer. This style can age, but I think this beer has fallen off a bit. It's good, but it also tastes like a watered down bourbon. I'm glad I bought it, but also glad I only got the one bottle of it at work today.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/49542/682873/


3.72/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
From a 750ml Bottle dated March 2020.

Slight hiss upon opening the bottle. Beautiful deep amber colored pour. Quite dark, and fairly murky. Frothy looking, 1 finger tan colored head, with smaller bubbles. Decent head retention, and there's a bit of lacing on the glass.
The aroma is a nice mixture of caramel, toffee, vanilla, oak, and some hints of leather. These aromas are pleasing mixed together.
The flavor is somewhat light, and a lot lighter than the aroma let on. This might be because it's been aged for a while. I do get a lot of barrel notes in this beer, and the seem the main flavors. It's like drinking a watered down bourbon. I do also get some hints of toffee and caramel, but they are very mellow and muted.
The body is quite light for the ABV, almost feels watered down.
This beer is good, but I'd say it's past its prime.


Ok, I'll see you all next weekend, and damn, it will be Christmas weekend already. I wonder if this virtual bar will open early because of it? Cheers all!

 

Recently Fat Head’s released a Head Hunter variety twelve pack that has Head Hunter and three related beers.

Tropic Thunder Head Hunter is a clear yellow with good fluffy white head. Excellent lacing throughout the tasting.

Aroma of wonderful pear, peach and pineapple (thanks to el dorado hops) along with a typical Head Hunter earthy hop aroma.

Taste follows nose but the flavors a muted compared to the nose. Arising is the expected bitterness: strong but controlled.

Mouthfeel is good. Soft and good carbonation.

I enjoyed how this variant’s new flavors meshed so well with the base.

 

Musical duties complete it is time to kick back, watch the rain, and have a beer. Thankfully we didn't have to cook - we'd made a big batch of hamburger soup Wednesday which ended up being perfect for this dark and stormy night. Hope everyone is safe out there - it's pretty ugly and we are just on the edge of it, luckily.

Tonights volunteer is a totally random purchase:



Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus Tannenzapfle. I'm really glad I don't have to attempt saying that one time, never mind three times fast... German Pilsner, 5.1%.

Pours crystal clear pale yellow with a generous but rather temporary white foamy head that falls to a hefty cap with heavy cling to the glass.

Classic pilsner smells greet the nose. Light, crackery and bready malt and wonderful noble hops. A touch of sweetness that doesn't seem out of place. Maybe just a smidgen of pine. I thought the sweet smell was corn at first, but after a few sniffs it seems more of a malty sweetness.

Taste is beautiful pilsner malts with a little sweetness. More bready than crackery crisp, but very clean and snappy. Earthy and grassy with a very pleasant Noble hop spiciness. Quick bitter hit. The spice notes linger and invite the next sip. There is a bit of a sweet bread taste which rounds the overall flavor out nicely. It is well-balanced and very clean.

Feel is light, carbonation feels just right and is moderately lively. Finishes just a bit dry with peppery spiciness lingering.

Overall this is a very good example of a German pilsner. Refreshing, easy drinking, and pretty spot on to the style description. Thinking 4.2 or so on the review, but honestly I'm having a hard time finding anything I don't like at the moment.

 

Lawon's Triple Sunshine 3X IPA. Muchos Gracias @The_Kriek_Freak Stellar Brew!!! 10.5% ABV; 4.76 overall

Pours an effervescent & hazed honey color with a thumb+ of cream colored head. Good head retention & lacing

S: Citrus, pine, sweet oranges once opened up

T: Follows the nose, pretty cakey, a little dry, a kiss of pineapple, a touch of pine as well up front. Sweet orange, grapefruit, dryness, cakey notes & pine as this beer warms up. Finishes dry with grapefruit, pine, pineapple & a little cakeyness

MF: Fairly chewy body, but enough carbonation to push this beast along, superb balance!

Formidable, but plenty drinkable; dangerous! Probably as good as take on the style as I can remember

 

Used to be a Bar at Frankfurt Flughafen that had this. Made a point of hitting every time I was on schedule

 

My apologies for this winding up here. Was supposed to be WBAYDN. It truly is a new beer and is great

 

My wife still makes fun of me for how I handled my first encounter with Triple Sunshine. We were having dinner when I got an IG notification that my local bottle shop got some Triple Sunshine. I just got up and ran out of the house, saying "I gotta go". She was like WTF. I had to explain to her afterwards how this beer was kinda of a big deal.

This time I got some cans directly from VT, when I was there last month.

 

Kids' theater performance was Friday night and Saturday night, so Sunday is the closest thing to a day of relaxation for the weekend. I've had a non-trivial amount of beer, but most of it not in a review-friendly environment.

Off Color - Miscellanea Volume 2

250ml bottle served in a little sample glass. If there's a date, I don't see it, but it's probably a one-off.

Pours clear dark gold with a medium sized head, slightly aggressive carbonation. Smell is tart, unripe nectarines, maybe a little lemon.

Taste is substantially in the same zone as the smell, but adds in a ton of chardonnay butteriness and a little oak, and a mild funkiness. Not as sour as I thought it would be based on the aroma.

Mouthfeel is medium, slick, with a moderately dry finish. Overall, quite nice.