New Beer Weekend #179

Closing out a great day with Free Will's Ralphius, this one is aged 2 years in a combination of Mezcal and Grand Marnier barrels.



This is unique and it does works well, but it might be my least favorite Ralphius. The tang of the Mezcal and dry, vinous cognac are both noticeable. There is even a hint of boozy orange. I am enjoying these aspects but it's kind of as a novelty. Plenty of that wonderful base beer shines through and is as harmonious with these barrels as a stout can be. Roasty cocoa and some burned caramel primarily. Really a good beer and I'm glad I tried it but one will do.

 

3 Fonteinen - Wijnbergperzik

750ml corked/caged bottle served in a little snulip. 21-22 season, batch number 24. Bottling date of 02/01/2022.

Pours an amber-salmon color with a short-lived relatively large head, maybe peaking a bit above a finger in thickness. No retention at all, a tiny amount of visible active carbonation. Smell is tons of peach followed by a little bit of oak.

Taste is on the fruit-skin-bitter end of the spectrum, strong acidity, clearly peachy, though maybe on the unripe end of that scale.

Mouthfeel is medium-light, dry. Overall, very nice lambic.

 

No new one for me today. We stuck with the tried and true St. Bernardus Christmas Ale. We didn't notice any difference in the canned version versus a big cork and cage bottle we've had for a while other than the cans being a bit more fresh tasting.

I found a bottle of Anchor Anniversary from last year and am contemplating a night cap if i stay awake...

Hope everyone enjoyed the day in the manner of their choosing.

 

Hey howdy hey NBW people, god jul and happy Christmas!

Been looking forward to this majorly and haven't been disappointed so far.

Epic - Oak and Orchard Blueberry & boysenberry (aka Pie'n Beer Day 2023)



Release #20
Purchased from the dabc for $10
Poured at fridge temp into a tulip glass.

Pours a dark guava pink with tons of visible rising carbo and a persistent pinkish white, finely bubbled head. 4.25

Off the bottle is sour and funky oak woodiness with a strong boysenberry backbone. Off the glass is more ripe blueberry and sweet. 4.25

Tart kettle, some wood barrel blue and boysenberry are mild without being overpowering. Some vanilla sweetness and hint of warming alcohol. 4

Very light and slight carbonation, touch of acidity. Lingering soft puckering. Ideal for a sour imo. 4.5

Overall a beautiful barrel sour that I think would taste a bit better fresh, but one ill certainly buy again next July for Pie'n Beer Day. 4

Cheers friends!

 

Another beer I bought for last weekend and didn’t get to.
Pére Noël from De Ranke

After the little let down with the last one, I thought I’d try another. This one didn’t help particularly. “Interesting” is about the best I can say.
The pour is the color of iced tea with a manilla head.
The taste is dry, not like a bitter IPA but more like a merlot, without the grapes.
I’m not sure what they were going for or if they think they reached it, but if so I’d wonder why. Nothing in this beer states “Christmas” or anything like winter warmer.
Ah well, I guess *every* Belgian brewery can’t hit home runs every time.
As the famous poem goes: “Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!”

 

A fantastic Pils. I'll get more. Cheers!
Blackstack Slopes French-Style Pilsner 4.6% ABV
4.23/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
16oz can into a tall Pilsner glass.
L: SRM 2 Pours straw light yellow with a thin white head that recedes to edge foam, well-charged steady mixed carbonation bubbles, random skeletal lacing.
S: Light apple, pear, caramel malts, yellow fruit bread crust. Simply fruity & bready.
T: Freshly baked crusty yeasty bread, corn, fruits including pear, green apple, light citrus, lime zest. Bready tastes stay on top.
F: Crisp, bright with a soft & rounded center that moves quickly to a drying finish. Medium-light bodied overall.
O: Brilliant tasting and very easy to drink. Full refreshing flavors with a tight, dry finish. Exceptional balance & aftertaste. It is Germanic but is indeed an IPL that is outstanding in its style. One of the best I've had.

 

750ml corked/caged bottle served in a tulip. 3 Fonteinen "Rabarber Oogst 2022" batch number 121, 2021-22 season, 5.1% abv, packed on 28/09/2022.

Pours a murky orange amber with a small ring of head. Smell is extremely tart, a little bit of a rhubarb vegetableness that I might describe as sour cherry and gooseberry if I didn't know rhubarb was used in the beer.

Taste is tart, some vegetation, lots of wood, some earthy/musty funk.

Mouthfeel is dry but not quite light. Overall, a nice lambic with a little different tart flavor.

 

Finally hit this last night, pretty good.

Bad Santa from Spotted Dog, in Melilla, NM
3.74/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Thanks @hophound.
Very active he'd starts things off. I had to pause my pour due to the assertive rush to the rim. Nearly 4 fingers of sandy foam. Too much retention, light lacing.
Firm hop bitterness, earthy and a tad piney. Hints of malt.
Flavor is like the nose. Malt has a slight heft of caramel but the hops pump things up here: pine, muted orange zest, and all of that with an overall earthiness.
Mouthfeel is a bit too active, but the weight is fine.

 

So glad this one worked well for ya.