New Beer Weekend #179

Cool post.,, Cheers!

Merry Christmas to you and your family.,.

 

2020 Samichlaus



Malt. Toffee. Citrus rind. Coffee grounds. Brown sugar. Flowers.

Taste is boozy and rich as can be. Sweet but ever balanced. Easy to drink. Chest warming. Heady and fresh at the same time. Fresh whole milk. Caramalt. Herbal hops.

Lovely pour. Near unbeatable this time of year.

 

Back home, and I survived Christmas Eve at the liquor store. The first hour was beyond insane, and it slowly dropped off after that.

I guess it's time for another new beer today, and this is another new one from Surly:

Parker's Heritage 15-year Heavy Char BBA Darkness - Surly Brewing - 12% ABV

I was totally not a fan of this year's release of Darkness - it was so bitter, and the flavors that are expected were so muted. There was a bit of bitterness in this BA version, and maybe a bit more than there should be, but not crazy bitter like the base beer. This is good, and has a flavor I like.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13014/673981/


4.4/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
From a 16 oz can - canned on 10/26/23

This is a pitch black pouring beer, as expected. No chance of any light shining through it. The head that formed is quite thick at 3 fingers, frothy and fluffy looking, brown in color, and very long lasting. As it dissipates, it forms a good deal of lacing on the glass.
The nose is strong even from a far. I get lots of brown sugar notes pouring this beer, and sitting typing this. As I move in close I still get that brown sugar, but I get so much more. I get tons of dark fruit. I get vanilla, caramel and toffee. I also get a faint hint of a roasted aroma, that is quite pleasing.
Taste - I get a whole ton of vanilla in this beer. It hits right away and lingers. I get a roasted malt flavor that also morphs into a chocolate flavor with notes of caramel and toffee. Some dark fruit hits more toward the back. The finish has a bitterness that I was getting in the base beer this year, but, the barrel mellowed the bitterness out a lot. It might be a bit much, but not crazy like the base this year.
This is a thick and full bodied beer. Somewhat soft feeling. There's a slight burn that does kick in the end to warm my throat.
This is way better than this year's base beer, and I'm excited to try the other BA version that I haven't tried yet.

All right, this is it for tonight. I am guessing this thread will be active tomorrow, so I'll see you all then after my family time. Cheers.

 

Here's a fairly new American Stout from Foam brewers.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45496/678896/



16 ounce can.
5.8% abv.

Bottom of can:

"Canned On:
11/07/23 12:41
Stout = Art"

Moderate pour yields a one inch tan head over a black body with sticky lacing.

Nose of dark roasted malt, chocolate malt, and milk chocolate as it warms a bit.

Taste mirrors nose pretty closely with chocolate from start to a slightly dry and slightly bitter chocolate finish.

Mouthfeel is nice and silky with medium carbonation.

Overall, a real tasty American Stout that deserves a try.
Find it!
Buy it!
Drink it!

Cheers!!!

 

Zipline BBA Calavera Imperial Stout, 13.4% ABV. Pours black with a 1.5 finger medium-brown head that left no lacing. Aroma is light cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate, and a slight vegetal smell of the peppers. Taste follows, plus slight bourbon, followed by a fairly light chili-pepper flavor and burn, slightly sweet, moderately bitter, with chili on the close. The peppers are far more subtle than many chili beers. Decent mouthfeel, overall very good to near-excellent.

3.87/5 rDev -3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

 

Not very seasonal on my part but this is just so dang sacrilicious. Family stuff is done for the day, looking forward to kids tearing into packages tomorrow. Time for big beer and a horror flick.





I haven't heard much about these Tired Hands collabs with Anchorage and it doesn't seem they're selling very fast. I was too intrigued to pass on this version aged 4 years in a Basil Hayden barrel. I read that the brewer at Anchorage prefers a shorter time in barrels, soaking up booze more so than tannins. This single barrel offering spent more time in oak than Anchorage's triple or quadruple oaked offerings.

This is legit. It has the sticky stillness that the Anchorage version does, including the lovely legs. When I run my tongue over my gums a few minutes after a sip I get a nice burst of barleywine goodness. It's been too long since I've had ADWtD to compare but while there is probably not as much overt bourbon, this still has plenty. The raisin and date notes are incredibly intense and concentrated. Plenty of leather, caramel, and black strap molasses too. I also get dark honey, tobacco, prickly oak, and just a little cocoa powder. This one does some kind of jujitsu style submission hold on the palate, overpowering with unwavering tenacity.

 

Lakefront
Black Friday Double Barrel Christmas Cookie Barleywine (2023)
19.2oz can drank out of proper Black Friday glassware. 14.5% ABV

Look: almost brown but is semi-transparent red when held to the beer light. ok head that leaves a little lacing.
Smell: plenty of aroma that is hard to describe, a Mixture of spices with a hint of spearmint at times. I do get some cinnamon, vanilla and something else. A hint of booze.
Taste is a blend of spices, that may not mix cohesively. Odd tasting beer. The rum & bourbon come thru but are buried in the background till about 3/4 of the way thru each sip. Hint of oak near the finish.. In the finish I do get a little honey and maybe nutmeg or almond on the end and into the after taste. Only slightly boozey. Sweet but not as sweet as I thought it was going to be.

Nice smooth thick malty mouth feel. It's a big beer that is somewhat easy drinking.
I will give it a 4.23/5 that's 3 not 8
https://untappd.com/b/lakefront-brewery-black-friday-christmas-cookie-2023/5588882

 

Almanac Brewing Love from the awesome @2beerdogs Cheers mate! 6.1% ABV; 3.83 overall

Pours a hazy amber/honey color with a thumb of cream-colored head. Below average head retention & lacing

S; Tropical fruits, some citrus; white grapes once warm, the only part of this beer that wows me, but also sets me up for disappointment

T: Follows the nose, green melon. white grapes & dryness up front. More green melon & peach , some dryness. Finishes with green melon, white grapes & dryness

MF: Light/medium body, carbonation only slighlty more aggressive, pretty good balance

Decent for the style, but nothing special

 

Nope, I found it at, of all places, Total Wine

 

Goose Island BCBS Angel's Envy ,15.5% ABV; 4.66 overall

Pours an effervescent chestnut /mahogany with instantaneously vanishing tan colored head.
Zero head retention

S: Red wine/grapes, lovely Bourbon notes,

T: Follows the nose, dark chocolate, figs, cherries up front; tons of Bourbon in a great way. Boozy cherries, Bourbon & tons of dark chocolate & some vanilla as this beer warms up. Finishes super oaky with Dark Chocolate, leafy hops, figs & dark cherry

MF: Chewy as all get out, low carbonation, warming very much so

The first one of these tarted up ones that really impresses me. The price? Not so sure. Do love it if I was stupid rich

 

So, another one I bought for last weekend

Poured a chestnut brown and was capped with a beige head.
The taste was distinctly Belgian, with the yeast accents and banana touches and it had some unique spices that I couldn’t identify but thoroughly enjoyed. Really good winter warmer.
The feel is excellent, far too easy to drink this in bigger sips than the 10% ABV might suggest.
OA, I think I will make this an annual treat. Good beer!

 

My son and I have shared what appears to be a never-ending cold the past two weeks. Somehow, my wife and daughter have remained unscathed. Im calling it a case of misandry-itis! As a result, I’ve laid off the beer for much of that time. But, it’s Christmas Eve, so cold be damned!

I enjoyed this IPA a little earlier this evening with some Chinese take-out, a Christmas Eve tradition in our family.

This is Love Triangle 18 (Simcoe, Citra, Vic. Secret) from Indie Ale House of Toronto.



The beer pours a hazy yellow-gold with substantial head that recedes fairly quickly, leaving a fine film on the top of the beer and light lacing as the beer is enjoyed.

The aroma is bright with some broad citrus and tropical fruit notes. There is a little lemongrass note that hides in behind the fruits.

Taste follows closely. Citrus, pith, some mixed topical fruit. An ever so slight bitter finish.

The body is moderate with fairly substantial carbonation.

This is a serviceable hazy IPA that I’d likely not seek out again, but would gladly accept and enjoy if offered.

Cheers and Joyeux Noël à tous!

 

Have a Merry Christmas BA. Been busy working and learning new skills for the month. ITS HAPPENING next year we are getting secular marriage at the courthouse for a modest fee. More focused on Career than lavish marriage expenditures, so we will travel around to see people in the meantime. One year from rock bottom to soulmate in 3 dates . I read 200 audiobooks this year. Working on finishing some python courses in the free time. Been good on mental health and medication! Got Julia's car fixed before we drove up so another reliable vehicle to go!


A beer from @Ozzylizard to review for NBS. Hoppin Frog Peanut Butter Hazelnut Caramel Chocolate cake stout. Nice head retention and lacing for the style. A foamy head. A fantastic stout. Aromas of big caramel, milk chocolate, toffee, hazelnut, and herbal hops. Tastes follows through with milk chocolate, cocoa, toffee, hazelnut, peanuts, caramel, toffee, herbal, grass, light pepper/pine, and yeast/char earthiness. Light-med pine/herbal/char bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body. Creamy silky bready malts with lingering sticky hop and chalky char dryness. No acrid astringency. Minimal warming of 8%. Amazing balance of all flavors with hop bitterness. No cloying on adjunct flavors etc. Loved it. 4.25/5



Cheers

 

Southern tier hazelnut deluxe.
..solid black appearance with a quickly dissipating head.
...medium light carbonation with a slick oily creamy feel. Oily feel is out front but overall its a nice feel.
....aroma is oily nut which is dominant with malt, syrupy sugary mocha, dark chocolate cake ,boozy .
...taste is sweet but not overly so,a little boozy alcohol burn, sweet dark chocolate cake with roasted hazelnut.
...overall its a really nice dessert beer,10%abv is well hidden and its not overly sweet

 

Merry Christmas. 21st amendment pale ale.
...very clear pale gold appearance with a lasting white head.
...medium carbonation with about a medium body. Something in the body lingers in the aftertaste in a pleasant way.
...aroma is a nice mix of yeast,cereal, malt,honey, and grassy.
...taste doesn't stray too far from the aroma. The yeasty cereal lingers in the aftertaste.
..overall its a really nice pale ale. An almost perfect balance between the hops,grain and mild sweetness

 

Brouwerij L. Huyghe ‘La Mere Noel’ - (Mother Christmas.,.)

3.84/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

33 cL brown bottle, distinct red jacket, poured into a snifter, in Toulouse, France, at noon, Christmas Day, 2023.
Bottled on November 17, 2023.
Reasonable head. Solid gold body. Fishnet lace.
Taste reminds me of a honeyed Delirium Tremens. Glides down easily. Crisp! Center of the tongue hop hit. Satisfying finish displays a balance of hop, malt, yeast. 8.5% ABV is the parenthesis. Sweet aftertaste.
Body is clean and full, delivers surprisingly low but lively carbonation.
Overall, the fine folks at Brouwerij Huyghe offer up a right fine Christmas beer with an attitude. She’s a welcome sight this Christmas day. Cheers!

 

Merry Christmas New Beer Revelers! This is the third of my Central Waters selections this weekend, and I believe only the second beer I ever posted in these threads which I have enjoyed prior to posting here, but did not have the opportunity to provide a proper review prior to today.

Central Waters Black Gold (2022)



Bottle Notes: Purchased May 12 at Central Waters in Milwaukee for $20. 22 oz bottle, brewed and bottled in Amherst, Wisconsin. No bottle date or ABV listed, but this beer is released each October (which is why this is the 2022, not 2023 version) and per Beer Advocate the ABV for the 2022 release is 13.0%. Ale aged in used oak bourbon barrels, refrigerated, not cellared, upon returning home until opening this morning.

Review Note: I poured and enjoyed this beer at 2019 FOBAB as a volunteer, but wasn't afforded an opportunity to compile a formal review due to my duties.

Appearance: Poured approximately half of the bottle (11 oz) into a Goose Island snifter, leaving the rest for perhaps a completion pour soon, or perhaps later today or tomorrow. creamy tan bubbly head recedes relatively quickly leaving a creamy rich cover around the rim, as tiny carbonation continues for minutes after the pour through the chestnut brown to black base. Looks like rich chocolate batter accompanied by caramel. 4.5

Aroma: Started this phase about 10 minutes in to allow this warm to proper temperature. Bourbon. Barrels. Silky smooth. Further warmth yields nice hints of oak and a chocolate fudge and caramel. Smells like I'm Dean Martin with a drink on the rocks touring Blommer's Chocolate Factory in Downtown Chicago. Merry Christmas to Me! 4.75

Taste: Now 15 minutes after opening per my photo record, I dive in and remember the particulars about why I loved this four years earlier at FOBAB. This is just a perfect blend of barrel and base. The bourbon is outstanding, smooth, in proper measure, complements expertly, doesn't overwhelm or hide in a corner. The base, getting the chocolate cake batter, naturally created, no adjuncts required. I don't recall a base quite like this, including Central Waters' great catalogue of great BA offerings. This beer calls my name, and it feels like, Home. 5.0

Mouthfeel: Medium near full body, much more depth than many Central Waters BA Stouts. Carbonation holds on, very gentle treatment. Assuming a 13% ABV, this drinks strong but at or beneath that assumed threshold. Perfect balance as explained in the taste section, chocolate batter bourbon kisses linger endlessly and joyfully. 5.0

Overall: This beer is incredible. Everything is perfect here, if anything my glorious memory of 2019 fails to recapture the glory of this one. Between COVID and the distance, failed to venture to Amherst and enter the raffle to pick these up until my trip to Milwaukee, but now that this is available closer to home, this needs to be an annual pilgrimage to Milwaukee. Have many favorite BA Stouts in Chicago and Midwest region, but this is the GOAT, Full Stop! 5.0

I could gulp this down like gulping water in a 100 F summer day, but I'm going to save the second half for tonight, just so I can savor later on today!