New Beer Weekend #179

Congratulations on finding your soul mate! If you’re ever in Michigan, give me a shout- I’ll buy the first round.

 

Ya know, I feel you there. The rate that the beers I generally buy have gone up in price is seriously making a dent in my normal selections.

 

That description causes me to take note and put it on my watch list. Well done, I very occasionally see Central Waters here so who knows, maybe I’ll find it with a Christmas Miracle!

 

Sorry for the string of responses, I really just jumped on to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope you all have an amazing day today.
I’ll be back later today with something Terrible from Unibroue, cheers!

 

If it wasn’t so difficult to send to Germany, I would’ve put a few Bruery beers in your hands a few years ago.

 

Damn, that was a lovely read. You should get a commission on sales.

 

What a great post. May the new year bring you continued blessings, Ian!

 

Goose Island Beer Company Bourbon County Brand Two-Year Reserve Stout. 2023. Courtesy of @bbtkd. Sharing it virtually with @ovaltine and @WunderLlama. The color is midnight black, with light brown foam that quickly evaporates. The smell leads with bourbon, and is a wonderful combination of fudge, marshmallow, and campfire. The taste is a bit boozy, but it quickly mellows with well-balanced flavors of fudge, cherry, and leather. The mouthfeel is thick, oily, smooth, and full, with light carbonation. Overall, this is an excellent beer, but I give a slight edge to the original version, in the 2023 release of this series.

 

Clausthaler dry hopped
...dark amber appearance
..light carbonation with a close to medium body but overall it has a decent feel.
...aroma isn't overpowering but its mostly malt and black tea. It has an herbal,earthy aroma as well with what seems to be a very mild lemon peel.
...taste is very similar to aroma with it being mildly sweet. If it was a blind folded taste test I would say its hard iced tea.
...overall I liked it but its a bit of an odd one to me

 

Cheers!

 

Thanks! Seems like they could use some help with sales, these don't appear to be selling well.

 

Cheers indeed! But what did you think of the beer?

 

I picked this one up for the holiday tasting, but never got around to it. I had the regular Mad Elf for the first-time last year, so I figured I'd give the Grand Cru a try.



4.43/5 rDev +8.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
The look of this beer is an opaque reddish brown, with a reddish white head that quickly rises and falls. The smell is of tart cherries, Belgian yeast and malts. The taste predominantly is tart cherries with a backbone of Belgian yeast and malts, even with the tart cherries, there is a certain sweetness to this beer. The feel is somewhat surprising, given the lack of head formation, it has a nice bite that accentuates the tart cherry flavor. Overall I like this beer, it's tasty and the alcohol is well hidden, I'd definitely buy again next holiday

 

Merry Christmas. I love seeing so many of you crack open special beers. I figured I'd follow suit by opening up this bottle of Damon, from Hill Farmstead.

4.41/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottled on January 10th, 2020.

This is a nice looking beer both on the pour from the bottle and in the glass. The color is like pretty much every other stout, but that's not a bad thing. There's a thin, short-lived head along with really, really nice legs.

Aroma is wonderful in its simplicity with notes of bourbon barrel and malty sweetness. Very enticing.

The taste closely follows the nose. Roasted malts, just enough sweetness, and some nice charred oak. Once again, the beauty is in the simplicity. This is isn't loaded with adjuncts, it's just a very well made imperial stout. I'm particularly enjoying the full body and the nice roasted notes on the long finish.

Overall, excellent.

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@ChicagoJ great writeup and that beer sounds amazing!

 

A big beer for a big day!

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



500 ml. bottle.
Drink by 23AUG28.
13.9% abv!

Moderate pour yields a 7/8 inch tan head over a black body with lacing.

Nose of bananas and dark malt, slight vanilla, and a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg, methinks. As it warms there is a hint of almonds and a tad bourbon as well.

Taste isn't as sweet as I anticipated, but sweet, nonetheless. Primary flavor is banana, then almonds after warming, with the bourbon and spices in the background until at the finish where they come forward.

Very nice thick, velvety mouthfeel with near medium carbonation.

Overall, a pleasant surprise being not too sweet; but I may have to cork this 'til later, after dinner! I am the Christmas cook tonight after all; sharp knives and such...

Cheers and Happy Holidays!!!

 

Pulpit Rock Brewing Juleol. 2023. A gin barrel-aged Norwegian holiday ale. With juniper berries, bay leaves, and sage. Both sides of my family came from near Pulpit Rock in Norway. I have eaten enough lefse to kill a moose, this Christmas weekend, so I am ready for this. A beer Julenisse probably will drink a case of today. I lit the pinecone on the cap on fire for effect. Not kidding, a squirrel came sprinting towards me, possibly drawn by the smell. We both made eye-contact about 2-feet apart, and both screamed like when Elliott made eye-contact with E.T. for the first time. The look is swampy black, if there is such a thing. There was not really any foam. The smell is gin, toothpaste, bay leaves, and balsa wood. Not bad, but not appetizing. The taste is gin-forward, with mouthwash, black licorice, glue, and raisin. It is unique. The mouthfeel is soupy and thick, with medium carbonation. Overall, this beer is creative. It is not something you would drink frequently, even if you are Norwegian. But I appreciate what it is. A unique traditional experience on a special day. I suggest bites of krumkake in between sips. As I prepare to eat lutefisk this evening, I appreciate every sip right now.

 

That @snaotheus does come across as a pretty nice fellow, dunt he? Little later on, I'll probably have a little Black Butte whiskey he gifted a certain random whiskey enthusiast.

 

Good afternoon NBW and Merry Christmas

Things are less exciting here with college aged kids opening gifts than previous years, but we were all able to get to church this morning plus the MIL, which is really all I would have wanted for today.

New old beer, I've got one.

Deschutes Not the Stoic

22oz bottle Best After 04/22/15 poured into a tulip glass at fridge temp 12.1% ABV per label. The beer pours opaque medium brown with light brown head. The head fizzles away quickly leaving a few micro bubbles around the glass. No lacing. The aroma is mild with dark brown sugar, red fruit jam and leather in an aging cardboard box. The taste is semisweet burnt sugar caramel, more berry & cherry fruit, leather and old books, plus some wine and oak. Mild bitterness. The mouthfeel is thin bodied with below average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Not boozey, but warming for the tongue and tummy. Overall, very good quad.

Cheers all!

 

I had this with lunch today. This never ending cold I have dulls my sense of taste a little so I chose something that I think won’t be great to begin with.

This is Walkerville Brewery’s Honest Lager. Walkerville is in Windsor, Ontario.



Pours a copper/gold with a moderate head that dissipates quickly.

Light bready aromas. Some slightly off putting apple as well. Pedestrian.

Taste follows closely. Light cereal notes. Perhaps a hint of continental hops; grassy, herbal. the apple is there too on the finish which I never like.

Body is moderate with nice carbonation.

Satisfactory, unassuming copper lager that I’d likely never buy again. Cheers!

 

Glad to see you're living it up, Peter. At least the beer was in line with your expectations. Hope your cold is behind you by next weekend, at which point I expect to see you busting out some of great beers!