New Beer Weekend #188

Some cool stuff there. I am all about the Ocean

 

It is all chalk paint. I purchased another much smaller piece for my wife, awaiting it's arrival.

 

Surly Lost Resort Tropical DIPA w/Lime & Pineapples added, 9.0% ABV; 3.72 overall

Pours a hazed amber with a thumb+ of cream colored head. Some fruit floaties in the bottom of the can. There's lime & pineapple added, so, duh... Some head retention & lacing

S: Some citrus notes & a touch of guava, fairly muted nose, but does pick up once warm

T: Tart oranges, pineapple, a hint of coconut & lime, plus dryness up front. Lime & pineapple are the show as this beer warms up. plenty of tartness, a little dryness. Finishes acidic with loads of lime & some pineapple

MF: Medium body, acidic, slight carbonation

Misread the date on this can but don't think it has suffered much other than the nose, I find it very drinkable, & fun. This would be great for the Sumer as long as you stopped at one. Seems more of a hybrid, certainly has some sour aspects

 

Today was all about rallying for Ukraine on the second anniversary of the full scale ruZZian invasion. Went downtown to attend the rally and then watched a number of film shorts (short films?) by Ukrainian artists. Emotional day.
After all this I went to a place that I had wanted to go to for a while but never got around to it, Arvon Brewing.

I had two beers simultaneously as there was one person tending the bar and the line stayed fairly long.
The Murder, a cuvée of 4 different whiskey aged beers, I thought would be amazing.
It was good, but not worth the price they are charging. The flavors are too muddled for anything to stand out and no whiskey edge either, just a tasty ba stout.
The Double Barrel Vanilla Owl was better- deep stout flavors soaked in bourbon and wrapped in vanilla, and while each flavor was distinct and identifiable, they all blended together beautifully.
Of course, if I wanted to take a 500ml bottle home, that would run me some $32.00, so I guess the price they charged me was in line. Another brewery pricing me out. Sadness.
Ah well, 1st world problems, right?
Slava Ukraine!

 

Funny thing, I pulled out a “Russian” Imperial Stout for my evening beer, after spending so much time today learning about the atrocities of the ruZZians in Ukraine.
But I digress, it’s a style, not a source.
This one was brewed with coconut, macadamia nuts, coffee and honey.
It poured stout black with an impressive head considering its age.
The taste was likewise impressive, each flavor was distinct yet worked together seamlessly.
The feel was lightly viscous, an enjoyable sipping beer to end the day.
If these were local I’d probably buy a few every year. Good stuff.
Cheers all!

 

Okay, probably the best beer I've had in a long time. Surly Parker's Hertiage Heavy Char Darkness Imperial Stout, 12.0% ABV; 4.59 overall

Pours an effervescent Chestnut/Mahogany with a pinky of caramel colored head. Better than average head retention & lacing. Bottom of the can poured a little more like molasses

S: Some serious dark fruit, Port & Bourbon notes in abundance once warm

T: Follows the nose, molasses, figs, salted plums a little caramel & vanilla with some super smooth Bourbon notes up front. Some Cola notes, along more vanilla & caramel sneak in, along with leafy hop notes, plus pleasant oaky Bourbon notes, the Char isn't a determent, really works great with the flavors blended here as this beer warms up & the run-on sentence continues. Finishes chewy with Bourbon & coke vibe, plenty of barrel presence, plus some caramel & figs

MF: Rich body, with enough smooth carbonation to push the flavor forward

I see only remote aspects of RIS, but this is a great offering. Thankfully, I can't remember how much I paid for this & because of that, I will say it was worth every cent!

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

Reminder, today is the last day to sign up for the latest NBS BIF. It's a lot of fun, and we won't destroy your house with beer.... much.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/nbs-bif-18-sign-up-thread.676124/

I thought I'd start out light today, and here's my starter:

Extended Play - Lakefront Brewing - Low Alcohol Beer

It's ok, but nothing that will knock your socks off. I probably wouldn't get it again, to be honest. It does look and smell good, though.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/741/651373/


3.29/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
From a 12 oz can dated 11/06/23

This is a clear pouring beer that is dark golden in color, with amber hues. The head is 2 finger and white. Frothy looking with great retention. Beautiful sticky lacing on the glass.
Nose is malty, grainy, and slightly grassy smelling. Pretty pleasing.
Taste - Not as pleasing as the nose let on. I am hit with a good deal of bitterness right off the bat. I do get some grainy and grassy flavors peaking through.
Very light body. Not very clean feeling.
Interesting beer, but not one I'd get again.


Be back later with more.

 

Welcome everyone to New Beer Sunday #992. Part two of the two new to me beers picked up at Woodman's this week. I tried 2 ozs of this at FOBAB, found it sweet for my palate, hope it works out for me this morning.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Backyard Stout (2023)



Bottle Notes: Purchased 2/21/24 at Woodman's Buffalo Grove at store temperature for $10.89 all in. 16.9 oz bottled 10/10/23 at 8:10 AM, Best By 10/10/28, 12.9% ABV. Refrigerated upon returning home until opening.

Chicago made Imperial Stout. Goose Island, The Originators of Bourbon Barrel Aging. Brewed, Barrel-Aged & Bottled by Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago, Illinois. Develops in the bottle up to 5 years. Enjoy in a snifter.

Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels with Mulberries, Bousenberries and Marionberries.

Appearance: Poured about 10 oz into a Goose Island BCBS razor thin glass snifter. Consistent with BCBS pours featuring a pitch black base, a dark rich fine bubble tan head, this one lingers a few minutes before leaving a creamy rich cover around the top rim and a nice cover over the base. 4.5

Aroma: Very nice berry medley 20 minutes after pulling from the refrigerator. Can't pull out the specific berries identified by Goose Island, but raspberries, strawberry jam are what I am most familiar with, and these red fruit / jam flavors provide a nice blend with the chocolate fudge slowly emerging and the barrel still more tardy but also rising as this warms. Lightly tart fruit is the clear leader, I'm enjoying as it hits my sweet spot. 4.5

Taste: Has warmed near peak temperature, berries still assertive in their role, so if you like a nice fruit medley in your stouts, this hits the spot. Lightly tart, sweet but contained, this is very berry. Even after warming, you can feel the bourbon more than taste it until over 30 minutes in, when it busts a move with a mild bourbon and accompanying oak joining the festivities. The base malt beer is out doing something else, but for the featured flavors, I'm really enjoying this blend. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Thinner body than most BCBS. Sweeter as well, though not cloying, slightly tart. Bourbon strength felt, not necessarily tasted until you get into the 40 + minute range post refrigeration. The wonderful base is muted here, and if I could change one thing with this, I would seek or more balanced treatment with the fruit blending with the base flavors versus fully asserting dominance. Nice berry finish late, a great desert or breakfast beer. 4.0

Overall: Really glad I picked this up, as my experience has little resemblance to what I recall with my trashed palate and 1-2 oz of this at FOBAB. Berries well incorporated with the base and barrel. Lightly tart, balanced, mostly fruit and bourbon emerging 40 minutes in, either dive in quick to get the fruit or wait patiently for a nice fruit bourbon mix. Would tell those seeking traditional BCBS treatment to stick with the OG, but this is a nice trip to the berry farm for those seeking a unique experience. 4.25

Glad I salvaged my beer weekend with this pull, and took a chance on a variant I didn't necessarily appreciate with a quick take. This is why I stopped performing reviews with a trashed palate and or short 1-3 oz samples, perfering a full experience (8-9 + oz for a high abv, 12 - 16 oz for a standard offering).

Cheers!

 

Round 2 of the NA train this morning, and it may be the last NA today.


Eastside Dark NA - Lakefront Brewing - Low Alcohol beer.

If you're a fan of burnt toast, this one is for you. I am not a fan of it, but, at least I tried it.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/741/638542/


2.9/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
From a 12 oz can dated 11/05/23

Beautiful dark brown pouring beer. When I hold it to the light, I get amber notes shining through. Frothy and thick 2 finger off white head. Great head retention, and lacing on the glass.
Nose is very faint. Not getting much off of it beyond a faint grain aroma.
Taste - Faint grain flavor, and a good deal of burnt toast.
Light bodied, slightly watery feeling.
I have had way better NA dark beers than this one.

I do have one more NA, but will be switching to real beers after this one. See you all in a bit.

 

Below is a photo of German cask beer at yesterday's Bierfest:



They had three casks this year:

• Weihenstephaner Vitus
• Andechs Doppelbock
• Bitburger Weizenbock

All three of these beers were delicious.

A local brewery, Mainstay, also had two beers served via cask: Helles and Poplar Pils. The Poplar Pils was excellent.

Prost!

@rotsaruch

 

A new release from Jack's Abby, FIRE AND BERN(STEIN), a fantastic Smoked Märzen.
Very smokey taste, similar to Fire in the Ham but bigger and meatier. Prost.



4.19/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

An easy pour released a finger sized, soapy tan head with many larger bubbles and long retention, irregular blotches of lacing remain. Dark chestnut-brown body, clear with deep red highlights.

Bold smell of campfire smoke backed up by rich bready, toasted and doughy malt. Mild floral/herbal hops peeks through the smoke.

Very strong ashy and acrid smoke taste at first sip, the second sip is moderately smokey with the big malt backbone shining through. Semi-sweet at first, it dries quickly. Smoke and hop bitterness combine for an above average score. Meaty ham BBQ taste above the expected Märzen taste, dare I say it approaches Schlenkerla!? The finish is dry and bitter; long, smokey and meaty. The aftertaste is all of the above slowly diminishing.

Medium bodied with lasting carbonation, well balanced and easy to drink despite the big meaty and smokey flavors. Another beauty from Jack's Abby.

 

Good Morning NBS/nbw, and thanks @DoctorZombies for hosting this weekend.
Todays offering is from The Brewery at Four Star Farms (name is still too long)
A big stout aged on Oak with vanilla, and Cacoa
Very easy on the palate, smooth with no perceptible alcohol
Cheers all

The Dark Dark

American Imperial Stout | 10% ABV
The Brewery at Four Star Farms in Northfield, Massachusetts

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.13/5 rDev 0% | Average: 4.13
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured from a 16 oz can, undated and purchased at the brewery.
A - Dark, Dark indeed. The offerng allows no light through, Thin persistent mocha cap resides through the experience.
S - Chocolate, hints of vanilla, toach of oak tannin, with an earthy grainy element. There is malted Rye in the grist so maybe from that
T - With all that going on in the aromatics, the flavors, seem monochromatic. Delicious with a textbook stout base, hint of vanilla, and lean into the chocolate malts. That earthy thread is not in the flavor bundle
M - Medium in body, smooth on the palate (lactose), semi sweet, with a nice move to the center , bittering hops have perfect timing.
O - A very good and well balanced big stout, With all the elements contributing in the best ways. Lets hope this returns next year

 

Ok, enough of the NA beers, now it's time for this:


Kingfield - Headflyer Brewing - Minneapolis, MN - American Porter - 5.8% ABV

This is a huge upgrade in my beer day. I am just liking this flavor a lot. So damn good.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/48821/539715/


4/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
From a 16oz can canned on 12/11/23

This beer pours pitch black with no light shining through when I hold it to a light. The head is a thick 2 finger brown head. Frothy and fluffy looking with smaller bubbles. Great head retention overall, and there's some great lacing on the glass as the head dissipates.
The nose is a beautiful and rich coffee aroma. Not much more than that, but it is expected.
Taste - This is a coffee beer, and the flavor doesn't disappoint. Smooth and rich coffee flavor, but it is backed up by a creamy flavor on the backside, along with some vanilla. Slight hint of bitterness and a faint hint of chocolate also come into play.
Smooth and creamy feeling. Nice full body.
Tasty beer overall, and I'm glad I bought this one.


I'll have another beer later.

 

Time now for another beer.


Routine - Blackstack Brewing - St. Paul, MN - American Stout - 6.5% ABV

This is a tasty non BA stout. Great roasted dark chocolate flavor. Slight bitterness. Smooth body. I am happy with this beer. The aroma is the only downside, because it is so lacking in it.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/48592/677448/

3.69/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
From a 16oz can.

Very dark brown pouring beer from the can. There's faint amber hues trying to shine through when I hold it to a light. Fluffy tan head that is 1 finger. Great head retention, and some good lacing on the glass.
Very little aroma here. Very faint notes of malts and chocolate.
This is a malty beer. There's great notes of coffee and nice dark chocolate that show up here. Nice bitterness from the chocolate. Slight roasted flavor also shows up in the beer.
Smooth and full bodied.
Tasty non BA stout, though the aroma is lacking.

At least one more today.

 

Lazy Sunday. Daughter and grandsons coming over for dinner later. Really enjoying this farmhouse beer from Oxbow.
Gold color. White head that retains well. Good deal of lace.
Grassy, outdoorsy aroma. Bread.
Taste of lemon, earthy hops, and bread.
Crisp mouthfeel.
Another solid beer from Oxbow.