New Beer Weekend #180

Damn, that is gonna be one big fire the, you really do like a GOOD BIG fire. Have fun and happy new year.

 

You ain't just whistling Dixie! Back when I was in the SCA my knight had an opinion that if you were going to have a fire, it should be visible from space. I like to think for a few minutes at least, it is.
Cheers my friend!

 

Good afternoon NBW
I've been busy with family stuff the last three days, but now I've got some time for reviews.

Hoosier GameDay Lager by Upland Brewing Company

12oz can with unreadable stamp poured into a bowtie glass at fridge temp 4.7% ABV. The beer pours bright pale gold with nearly white head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of bubbles. Minimal lacing. The aroma is mild with pale malt. The taste is semisweet pale malt with sulfur / mineral and mildly bitter finish. The mouthfeel is thin bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, good, easy drinking lager.

Cheers all!

 

Seeing that it's new to ya, I've done a light blend with SN Celebration and other Xmas beers and dark beers. By blend I mean like almost finishing one but leaving a tablespoon or a bit more in the bottom of the glass and then add a different one. It can really be good. Cheers! HNY!

 

Freigeist Bierkultur - Sweet Consequinces

330ml bottle served in a snulip. Best by 08.12.2024. Brought it home from Europe in a suitcase in September. Left a little bit in the bottle when I saw chunky sediment entering the flow. It may or may not make a difference, but I have no idea what a quince tastes like.

Pours clear and brassy with very little head on the pour and a moderate size coarse ring after. Smell is fruit juice, sweetened gooseberries, kettle sour.

Taste is honey and fruity tartness. Not exactly citrusy, but kind of in that direction.

Mouthfeel is medium or a bit lighter, definitely too still. Overall...it's not bad.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quince

 

Another from the fridge

Samuel Adams Holiday White Ale

12oz bottle enjoy before April notch poured into a perfect pint 5.8% ABV 8 IBU. The beer pours hefe-hazy medium amber with off white head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of bubbles. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring citrus zest and coriander. The taste is semisweet wheat malt with heavy spice flavors of orange and coriander. Mild bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, an acceptable version of a style of which I am not a fan.

Cheers!

 

Lots of great beers, and lots of actions thus far this weekend...Blood levels replenished after yesterday, so now I'm back and happy to be sharing a new beer with you all on NYE. We did a mini beer exchange with the in laws and this is one that I got. Seemed like a good beer to share with Mrs Phisher as we get ready to make dinner. I read lots of positive things about this beer on here so I was excited I got it without having to buy a six pack; this is a adjuncted beer I can really enjoy, just great balanced all around.

Cape May - Mexican Coffee Stout



Beautiful looking beer, darkest of browns; a gorgeous dense creamy light brown head forms, substantial lacing and thick bubble islands dot the surface, a very good looking beer. Swirling rouses a thick cap again instantly.

Nose is all has everything that is advertised but what wows me is the balance of it all; it’s cocoa like chocolate, subtle cinnamon, coffee and roast in background; the peppers come out lightly and more as black pepper like to me.

The taste is rich and balanced too; big on rich cocoa like chocolate; cinnamon and touch of pepper, coffee more present as just a dark bitter bite on the finish.

Luscious is the first word that comes to mind for mouthfeel; it’s creamy and full so smooth on carbonation, goes down like a rich hot chocolate to me; there is a nice bitterness on the finish, clean; the pepper just adds this really pleasant warming in the back of the throat…no sweetness, more perceived from the flavors and luscious vibes on this beer.

Just a great well balanced adjuncted beer, as advertised, and very good. I'll try and be back with one more later and another tomorrow to make up for lost time yesterday

----------------------------

Mrs. Phisher and I will be streaming Phish as we always do on NYE, usually the kids sleep at Gigi and Opa's but not tonight. Gonna let them watch some of the show before putting them down, then I'll fall asleep on the couch at 10 PM, such is life.

Happy New Year to all of you but as I said, I'll be back...

 

I can imagine that working quite well. I only had the one can this year from a friend, but I might try this next year. I sometimes find wee heavies get cloying for me by the end. Dropping Celebration on the last 10-20% of a wee heavy sounds like just the thing to create my own toffee, caramel, and pine Xmas beer.

 

I'm on my last of the 4pk. Saved it for today of course. I really enjoyed that one as well. Cheers!

 

Well, I am now at Back Shed and going to have a couple of new ones before I walk home.

Band Waggin - Back Shed Brewing - Waite Park, MN - Cream Ale - 5.0% ABV

Not bad, but, it does have a weird smell and aftertaste that knocks it down.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/61553/682717/

3.19/5 rDev 0% look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25 On tap at the source. Clear pouring golden beer. Lots of carbonation rising in the glass. White head. Nose is well, not the best. Astringent is the best way to describe it. Taste- it is a creamy beer. Good malt bill. Buttery biscuit. Astringent backside, not pleasing. Bubbly feeling and crisp. Interesting, but that weird smell and taste knock it down a lot.

Be back shortly with one more new one here.

 

Been awhile since I've posted here.
I lucky enough to have this sudden influx of HBFTW. Here's another new one for me. I'm a not a huge fan of Sabro but I am a fan of HB.
Pours a very hazy orange with a very large off white head with good staying power and tons of sticky lacing.
Wonderful fruity nose; pineapple, melon, mango, tangerine, passionfruit...
Taste follows with juicy citrus and ripe tropicals, grapefruit and some pine on the finish with a very mild coconut.
Soft feel, drying green hoppy, pine and grapefruit finish.
Continuing to dig these Hop Butcher beers.
Really nice brew.

 

Back again with one more new one from Back Shed


We Like 2 Party - Back Shed Brewing - Waite Park, MN - Gose - 7.6% ABV

Ok, damn, this is totally hitting the spot here. Full on flavor mellowed out by a faint hint of salt. Too bad it's tap room only, because it is a beer that should be spread far and wide.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/61553/684860/

4.26/5 rDev 0% look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25 Beautiful golden amber pour. Somewhat murky looking. The head is white and sticky looking with a ring of lacing on the glass. Notes of fruit and berries on the nose. Very faint hint of salt. The flavor is damn fruity. Sweetness, but not crazy. Slight hint of salt on the finish. Very smooth and very full bodied beer. This is downright delicious.

I will head back home shortly. I would stay, but none of my friends could make it here today. Might as well drink at home.

 

I've been happy with their boxes too.
Happy New Year!

 

This Surly Darkness sat in the crawlspace/cellar since '21.
4.46/5 rDev -0.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Thick, oily black pour, huge foamy head that hangs around and leaves a nicely laced glass. Boogar machine says heavily roasted malts, some dark fruit. Taste buds get all that plus some licorice. Thick oily texture coats the mouth. This is probably the best RIS I've had, just awesome.

 

Last new one for today

Metazoa Ruh Roh

16oz canned on 10/23/23 poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp 6.3% ABV 25 IBU per label. The beer pours bright medium amber with khaki colored head. The head recedes to a rocky, uneven ring. Leaves a web of lacing. The aroma is mild with sweet toasted malt and faint woody hops. The taste is bittersweet toasted malt with more cedar like, woody medium bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall clean and balanced American red ale.

Cheers all!

 

Back home now, and the last beer of 2023.


Gray Monday (2017) - The Bruery - American Imperial Stout - 20.0% ABV (according to the bottle)

This was sent to me a long time ago, and the 20% has scared the hell out of me. If it were smaller sized, it would have been downed a long time ago. I doubt I'll be finishing the bottle tonight, because it's too much for me in one sitting. All I can say is to breweries: stop putting big beers in 750ml bottles.

Now to my opinions. This is delicious! I think the flavor has mellowed out a bit from the age. There is still a lot of flavor here, and it is delicious. The scary part is the how little burn there is. I often get a lot more burn from a 10% than this 20% monster. Smooth as heck. Yummy.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16866/506912/


4.32/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
2017 release from a 750 ml bottle. This beer is served at room temp.

There's a bit of smoke upon opening the bottle. I did a bit of an aggressive pour and it did have a 2 finger tan head at most, that dissipated rapidly. I won't even bother holding this beer to the light, because there's no chance any light will shine through this pitch black colored beer. I may be crazy, but I was expecting it would look thicker when poured, but in a way, it looked like a porter while pouring.
As I was pouring, I was just hit with tons of barrel notes. As I get closer, I get so many strong aromas. Lots of dark fruit. Some coffee notes. Vanilla, caramel, toffee, chocolate also hit my nose. There's a slight roast nuttiness that also tickles my nose. So much barrel in this beer as well. I know I'm not describing it all well, but there's so much here.
The flavor is actually a bit mellow, but, probably from age. I get all I was describing in the aroma. There's a bit of chocolate. Dark fruit is very strong. Lots of vanilla and caramel. There's a slight nutty and earthy flavor from the hazelnuts.
The body is thinner than I was expecting from such a high ABV beer. This beer is very smooth feeling. I am surprised with the lack of burn here. For a 20% I would have expected a burn to tell me to slow down, but almost none there.
I've waited to pop open this beer because the high ABV has scared me off. It's delicious. I'd love to try it fresh, but would rather not do this size again.


Done here, but will watch and like the last of the new beers in this virtual bar for 2023. I love this thread, and I wish all the regulars, and those who pop in, a happy and prosperous 2024. May you all achieve all you work for in the new year.

 

Just a couple new brews for me today, both Ohio brews. First was a good one from Happy Hollow Brewing:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/65113/684177/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



And then had a really good somewhat local one from Three Tigers:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45171/684838/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



Cheers and Happy NBW and New Year everyone!

 

Inching closer to the new year so I will close out new beers of 2023 with a really nice surprise from @snaotheus.

Machine House - Dark Mild (English Mild 3.7%)



Pours very dark brown, mostly clear, backlit shows some awesome ruby hues, lightly browned head, OK retention but a nice film persists with spots of lace.

Nose is lightly burnt toast, some underlying nuttiness and light dark chocolate with black tea.

Taste leans more into rich roasted malts, there is a very light sweetness that comes with it; a pleasant dark brown roast bite pops on the finish, get some faint tea black character, light dark chocolate too.

Light body, light on carbonation, smooth clean drinking with a lingering nut skin like bitterness.

A great mild; big on flavor, well balanced, I would gladly revisit this beer over and over again. Thanks for surprising me with some Machine House Ryan, you’re spoiling me with these beers in this box.

Happy New Year to all of you, I have special one to bring in the new year tomorrow if I’m up for it. Cheers!

 

My last beer of the new year comes courtesy of @Ozzylizard with the aptly named Happy New Year's Eve (2019).

Wishing you all good health and happiness in 2024!

The color of this beer is unlike any others I can recall. Reddish brown but with a medicinal vibe to it. Almost still. Good clarity. Aroma is a little muted, but very nice. Caramel, malts & booze.

Taste is sweet, but not overly so with strong notes of brown sugar & molasses. The alcohol is well hidden on the tongue, mostly appearing deep into the finish.

Overall, an enjoyable sipper.