New Beer Weekend #188

Kros Strain Barrelywine 1000 Double Barrel Willett and Barbados Rum, 13% ABV. Pours black with a ring of medium-brown bubbles. Aroma is bourbon, rum, dark fruit, and caramel. Taste follows, moderately sweet, slightly bitter, no notable burn. Excellent mouthfeel, overall world-class. This is slightly better than the other variant I had recently.

4.66/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Damn, two variants of this in a week. This one is better than the last, with the Barbados Rum lending a hand. Really starting to get into BA barleywines. Note my half-ass attempt to seal the last half of the crowler for later. One of the downsides of large crowlers and a highish ABV.

 

After a particularly glutenous beer-cation I am committing myself to a 6-week regimen of no-snacks, no seconds and only 3-beers a week. Wish me luck. Here is my entire beer experience for today.

This is Tree House's Big Bear Coffee, an 8.8% brown ale with coffee roasted and brewed by TH specifically for this beer.

Poured from a 16-oz can simply stamped “WINTER 2024”. It was purchased cold at the Charlton location February 8th and kept cold. Poured to a diagonally cut tumbler at approximately 40 degrees F.
The pour stream is like a dark cola or root beer. Once in the glass it is opaque black. The tan head is at least half the low cut glass. The head fades in a while to a thin glass-hugging ring. A re-fill only brings a very brief 1/4 inch/6 mm head. Lacing is minimal at the most.
The aroma is of sweetened rich coffee with some fruit esters mixed in.
The taste is right up my alley. Rich dark coffee, chocolate notes and unlike the aroma it is not all that sweet. Other than some alcohol warmth at the finish it really doesn’t drink like 8.8%.
The body is medium but there is a sticky lip sensation. The carbonation for some reason seems like significantly smaller bubbles than most beers.
This is maybe my new favorite Tree House malty dark beer. I loved it.

 

Hofbrau Winter Spezial

 

The Double Half-Life has been so good so I got a couple to try. It's pretty good. A little maltier than most IPAs I've had.

 

Not a new beer by any means but still new to me. First-impression review below. Cheers!

4.47/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
22oz bottle into a tulip. Pours a deep dark chocolate brown with a nominal amount of carbonation, not much head to speak of. A thin ring of bubbles is sustained around the edge of the glass.

Aroma is rich and complex: toffee, figs, dates, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, booze, oak. Lots going on, as expected for the FW anniversary series.

Taste is likewise full of intermingled and layered flavors, many of the same as noted above. Good blend of sweet and bitter, neither dominating. Bready malt reminds me of a Belgian quad.

Mouthfeel is chewy and full bodied but not heavy or sticky. Just about right.

Again, as expected, an outstanding addition to the anniversary line for Firestone Walker, one of the best breweries that I know of in terms of both barrel aging and blending.

 

Joy and I are hanging out with our lake friends tonight (the campground opens in less than two months!!!), so a single for me tonight. To say I’m a fan of this brewery and their beers would be an understatement of mythical proportions.





4.5/5 rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a rich amber color, slightly unfiltered appearance in the glass, with a full, creamy tan head that provides some lacing and a nice little cap on the beer. Beautiful beer.

The nose is very smoky, as expected, but not the smoked meats I got in my previous beers from this magnificent brew, but a true kilned smoky aroma that is wonderful and accompanied by some stone fruit and wheat bread notes. I am literally slobbering.

The taste precisely mirrors the nose, with that oaky smoke accentuating the dark cherry stone fruit flavors and the substantial wheat bread flavor at the back of the palate. This is so smooth and rich - luxurious is a very apt descriptor.

The mouthfeel is medium and slightly creamy, perfect for this beer. I am a HUUUUUGE fan of this brewery and their smoked beers. They are truly a treat for anyone that enjoys the rauchbier style, IMHO.

 

Excellent review - I felt like I was drinking that beer with you.

 

Thanks, and likewise for your review—you inspired me to look up what I had to say about this beer some 13 years ago; I think you bested me. And I agree wholeheartedly re: Schlenkerla, basically the only name that matters when it comes to rauchbier. Cheers!

 

Good evening NBW
I'm cheating here a bit as I'm sure I've had this back in the day, but not in my 10 years on BA...

Cimmerian Sabertooth Berzerker
16oz can PKGD 01/15/24 poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at fridge temp 9% ABV. The beer pours bright medium amber with lots of khaki colored head. The head recedes to a thin cap and leaves a complete web of lacing behind on the glass. The aroma is candied citrus and pine with caramel. The taste is bittersweet orange / peach with piney & earthy hop notes and firm, strong bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Sticky with hop resin, but not overly sweet. Overall, excellent.

Cheers all!

 

Well friends, I'm tapping out tonight for new beers, it has been one of those insanely busy yet great days. I'm just settling in to finally being back home, gonna relax with something familiar and recoup in some peace and quiet. Maybe also contemplate what beer to open up tomorrow to get excited about ti

 

My son and I are having a Great Notion Arctos, American IPA. Good beer. Not their best offering, but still solid.

 

Got the from @The_Kriek_Freak Sacred Profane's Pale Lager ( Czech Style ), 4.2% ABV; 4.45 overall

Pours an effervescent & bright gold with 2 fingers+ pearl colored head. Great head retention & lacing

S: Bready, grainy, a hint of grass & lemons

T: Follows the nose, soapy hops& dryness, plus some lime as well up front. Grassy & lime hop bitterness, pronounced dryness with some grainyness as this beer warms up. Finishes bready & cracker notes, grassyness, lemons & limes & just a little dry

MF: Medium body, delicate carbonation, nice balance

Great flavor & drinkability, nails the style

 

cool painting

 

Was gonna say the same thing.

 

Thanks, we like it too

 

Nashville Lager by Nashville Brewing


3.82/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Brewers notes : Nashville's Original Lager.
Winner of the 2020 GABF Silver Medal and 2018 World Beer Cup Silver Award!

Nashville Lager is a traditional Bavarian Helles; brewed in time-honored fashion dating back to the late 1800s. Helles in German mean “bright” and this beer truly lives up to its name. This bright golden lager is brewed with Weyermann Pilsner malt and Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops. These imported German grains and hops give Nashville Lager a delicate malty mouthfeel balanced with a spicy hop character.

On tap at the Gaylord grand ole opry

Clear golden , thin white ring

Faint malty aroma

Sweet light crisp malty , low carbonation

Good beer

 

In case y'all are interested

https://www.facebook.com/wanderlustandart

 

Good evening, NBW. Sunny but cold today. Took down the solar outside holiday lights and stoked up the bird feeders. We have a pair of Eastern bluebirds that are hanging around pretty consistently. First I have seen around here in about ten years or more. Didn't think they ate seeds but they must be pretty hungry - one eats either suet or seed or pokes on the ground and the other half keeps watch. Nice to watch something different at the troughs.

Hmmm...ten years...I'm going to guess that tonight's undated bottle is from 2013-14 or so. If you can see the cap, it was marked $3.00 at the brewery, so it could be older.



Smuttynose Scotch Ale. No ABV listed which was a clue to production time. Typical Scotch Ale notes on the label. Let's see how this one has held up.

It pours quote clear, deep red brown. Scant head that fizzles down to a thin ring. Mad cling to the glass.

Smell is sweet toasty malts as one would expect. Caramel, brown sugar and molasses. A little bit of vague dark fruit. A hint of smokiness.

The sweet, toasty malts lead in the taste. I find the smoke note more prevalent in the taste than the smell but still not strong. The bin sugary/molasses is heavy but not overwhelming. As it warms, I'll say dried dark sweet cherry is the fruity bit. There's a spice component well aftercthe swallow that is licorice-like.

The feel is not as heavy as others in this style. It's medium at best, so not as decadent as others. Pleasantly warming. Dry yet sweet finish.

It's held up well, I'm thinking. I'd pay three bucks for this every day. Other than the light mouthfeel, it's pretty on point for the style. Thinking 4.0 on this one.

 

American Solera Howdy Porter ( Coconut ), 8.0% ABV; 4.17 overall

Pours an effervescent Chestnut with a thumb of mocha colored head. Average-ish head retention & lacing

S: Loads of coconut, some chocolate notes as well

T: Follows the nose, some toasty dryness, certainly makes me think Mounds Bar up front. Plenty of toasted coconut, dryness & cocoa as this beer warms up. Finishes dry, toasty with great coconut flavor & some cocoa

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation

Very solid Coconut Porter, easy drinker, that ABV is well hidden