New Beer Weekend #188

Happy NBS!

Having a very tasty American IPA from La Cumbre (NM).

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24659/688099/?ba=Wasatch#lists

Cheers!

 

Your last paragraph described exceptionally well why I don’t - as in NEVER - try flights. We need to hang out and enjoy beers sometime.

 

Oxbow brewery surf casting farmhouse ale with lime and sea salt.
...cloudy and pale,looks like grapefruit juice
...medium carbonation with close to the same for the body.
..aroma is yeast,bread,grqin,grain, and earthy with bitter citrus.
..taste is very identical to aroma with the lime peel being dominant. Aftertaste builds and is all bitter citrus peel.
..overall its very good but it might have been better without the lime as the base beer was nice

 

Day 2, a collab from two iconic breweries in our little corner of the beer nerd world, I’ve been looking forward to this one.





4.42/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours a murky mango color with a creamy white head that provides a decent amount of lacing and forms a ring around the body of the beer that lingers quite a while.

The nose is a dank, tropical fruit juice bomb, with mango, ripe oranges, pineapple, and lychee aromas sharing equal billing courtesy of the Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe hop trifecta which I always enjoy.

The taste is an exact replica of the nose, with ripe oranges, mango, and lychee most prominent and decidedly delicious. I could beer bong this 8.3% ABV beer with a nicely soft mouthfeel.

And then I’d take a nap. This collab between two world class breweries is worthy of your consideration if you’re looking for a hazy juice bomb fix. Checks all those boxes with a sledgehammer.

 

Brighter Than Hell by Jack's Abby, A Dortmunder Export. This is my 2nd DEL. and hopefully not the last. Helles Lager maltiness with Pilsner level hop flavor/bitterness, what a combo! This one has some special features. Jack's Abby's Beer Hall Exclusives are fantastic, what a marketing ploy....I'm so fortunate to be a 45-minute ride from there. Cheers.



4.02/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A moderate pour released a finger of soapy white foam with short retention, no lasting lacing. Clear (just a slight haze) bright golden-straw body.

Bready toast and floral hops greet the nose, yeasty dough in the background. Alcohol smell is mild, almost hidden behind the hops. Faint biscuit and lemon with a touch of white wine.

Neutral at first with expected big bitterness, the malt stands out with a Kellerbier-like yeast flavor. The wine taste (as in the smell) is similar to Kölsch. Bitterness builds towards the semi-dry and not-so-fast finish; semi-crisp but not clean. The aftertaste lingers on with strong hop bitterness and bready malt clinging on for dear life.

Medium-light bodied with lasting carbonation, a swirl brings back a creamy head??!!, unlike the initial head and it lasts longer. I understand that a Euro-Dortmunder is between a Helles (malty) and a Pilsner (hop bitter), this one is all over the place but is NOT a mess.

 

So, Happy New Beer Sunday! Fresh pull from the cellar, 8/18/2021 yet new to me.
Stout with Ruby Chocolate, Raspberry Lactose and vanilla.
Was a bit worried as it feature lactose that doesn't tend to age well, but no need to be concerned. Never thought I'd enjoy a stout with raspberry, but this was really good.
Pours stout black with an impressive light brown head which left rings of lacing.
The taste was a nice balance of coffee, chocolate and raspberry. The vanilla I'm sure was there - just accentuating the other flavors.
The feel was a touch thinner than expected, but within range of a stout of almost 12% - a light viscosity which was soft and smooth.
OA, think I got this for a SAN night and never chose it to take. I guess that means I win.
Cheers!

 

Been working on this one for hours.
Chailice of Goliath, 16.2% Barleywine from Ornery Beer.

3.72/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
32 ounce crowler (filled 4 days ago) poured into a snifter.

Clear chestnut brown pour with ruby highlights.A straight in pour yields one finger of fizzy tan foam that disappears as quick as cola foam. The nose is boozy, alcohol dominates, you can actually smell the heat! Some caramel malt peeks out but that’s about it. Balanced slightly to malt, caramel malts, piney and woody hops, earthy notes and restrained sweetness. The medium body is smooth and creamy with plenty of heat. There is enough alcohol to give it a tongue numbing feel. Hats off to whoever slapped the name on this one, it’s a beast. Apparently I’m no David because this one kicked my ass. Let’s call it a sipper.
(Actually it’s still kicking my ass)

 

I didn't like this beer at all, but I have a thing with lime. Not a fan and I agree that the lime certainly brings nothing good to this beer. If you can find it Oxbow's Super Saison, despite the kinda goofy name, is excellent. It might have been the base beer for Surfcasting but I don't know that for sure

 

Thanks for the suggestion and confirmation as well. I figured the base beer is pretty good but too much lime peel

 

Happy Birthday man!
Also, I thought it worth mentioning that my father’s name is Roy and my mother’s maiden name is Hobbs (Been holding on to that one for a while). So cheers to that, and another trip around the sun!

 

Another weekend winding down and Cellaruary is also coming to an end. I've enjoyed drinking the antiques in the cupboard and might continue in that vein for a while. Most have been pleasant surprises, and that "spin the wheel" thing brings a fun element to the weekend adventures. Plus I'm clearing out a bunch of space to reload...

Tonight we have a 2014 Allagash bottle, and this one certainly wasn't a three buck bargain.



Fluxus 2014. The label says biere de miel, we have it as a herb and spice beer. Label says it is brewed with a blend of 2-row and Vienna malts, spruce tips, and honey. Hopped with Hallertau and fermented with Allagash house yeast.

Feared a gusher since I could really feel some push on the cork, but no problem.

Pours a very slightly hazy honey color (duh) with about a half inch of white foamy head that falls to a ring and a huge island. Incredible cling to the glass - the bubbles coat and slide elegantly back to the liquid essentially replenishing themselves.

The aroma is malty sweet and bready. There's just a flyover from the spruce tips giving a faint pine-like note to the smell. Honey also comes in heavy on the nose, lending a more earthy sweetness. Faint herbal and floral hop notes that gain strength with warmth. There's a little bit of lemon.

The honey flavor leads in the taste layered over a slightly sweet, very classic malt taste. Bread with honey comes to mind, but dialed back from eating a slice. There's very little spruce - just a vague pine-like taste and that's fine with me. I think spruce can be overused and become heavy-handed. The hint is just right for me. The hops have likely faded, but there is still a floral/ grassy taste to be found. Theh took the "miel" part seriously - honey- driven primary flavor and everything else supports that base. Nice peppercorn spice on the back end keeps the sweet in check as does a very, very mild bitterness.

Feel - pretty lively carbonation, medium body mainly driven by the honey. It's a little sticky but not syrupy, although overall it feels light on the sip. Very drinkable.

Overall, why didn't I drink one sooner? This is excellent now - I'd really like to know first hand what a freshie tasted like and understand how much this has tamed down over time. It's ten years old, been pretty much in the pantry cupboard and it's still absolutely outstanding. Somewhere in the 4.3 range, kids.

 

@Amendm Good to see someone else posting about JA's beer hall exclusive beers on here and thoroughly enjoying them. I was beginning to think that I'm becoming a fanboy, but your reviews reinforce that these are just great beers. I can't wait to get my hands on the smoked marzen you had this weekend.

 

On of TGs best in a while ( that we can get, picked mine up in Wichita, but later saw a single locally )

 

Hello All. Posting before reading y'all.
A delicious endeavor from the now bi-coastal Creature Comforts. They opened a location in Los Angeles and pulled from their cellar to create a blend Imperial Stout with pistachios, almonds, lactose, and vanilla.

LA
Bottle from the LA location, 1 pint 0.9 oz.
Obsidian dark, slight cocoa colored head forms, leaves a delicate ring with minuscule lacing. She is silky and glossy though. What a looker.
Nose has a very lush and decadent cocoa and caramel base that really presents the pistachios and almonds beautifully in a warm, toasty, sweet, and almost creamy way. The vanilla comes in as a gentle vapor that brings one back to the nuts. Like a warm embrace.
The flavor follows the nose well. The sweet is pretty forward but the vanilla and pistachio comes together with a rich, almost meaty nut flavor that reminds me of a pistachio paste like concoction that I once enjoyed in a Lebanese pastry akin to baklava. The vanilla is very subtle. It brings the slightest hint of flavor but feels like it carries the other nutty nuances around the mouth. There is a tepid boozy warmth and a hint of barrel that is smooooth.
Mouthfeel is silky, a tad sticky, warm.
Damn I love this one.
4.3/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

Prairie Indulge Me BA Imp Stout w/Toasted coconut, Chocolate Chips & cake mix, 14.9% ABV; 4.24 overall


Pours thick with minimal carbonation, ebony with rapidly falling caramel colored head. Viscous, but no head retention or lacing

S: Dark fruit, vanilla, dark Chocolate; expected way more based on the flavor & mouthfeel

T: Dark fruit, Bourbon Barrel, vanilla chocolate, vanilla & dryness up front. Dark & sweet chocolate, vanilla, Bourbon Barrel on the beer i near room temperature. Finishes with boozey German Chocolate Cake & just a little dryness

MF: Chewy, low carbonation, boozy warmth, becomes richer & richer as this beer warms up

The parts that were good were outstanding, the look & nose, not so much

 

Against my better judgement, I’m back

Source was a trade with @micada
poured stout black with a nice light brown head which left sparse lacing.
The taste has plenty of coffee bitterness (which is odd, the coffee I drink isn’t bitter at all) with lots of malty goodness. The bourbon is present but not overpowering. Very tasty.
The feel is lightly viscous, slightly reminiscent of the coffee that is the sole additive.
Darned good coffee stout.
Cheers!

 

Yes, I've been following but haven't responded to current/previous growler/flights/brewery sample lists, but I have:

• Only bought one growler ever (received several free ones from Goose Island via their MBA program).
• Never ordered a flight beyond the free ones Beer on the Wall issues with ever 10 $10+ purchases.
• Received many unrequested samples from a bartender, but the only time I've asked for any were about a half dozen over the past year or two specific to Pilsners since I was having this weird palate issue with some tasting like pure salt.

DM if you're ever headed up to Chicago. I plan on trying to hit 3 Floyds once they get their taproom up and running (hopefully it opens this or next year).

Cheers!

 

Revisiting an 8 Wired iStout 11th Anniversary imp stout. Just a really good heavy stout. Tastes like traditional RIS meets double mashing. I’m not sure if I get many more of these or put my beer money toward the new Pohjala barrel aged barley and wheat wines. 15% drinks like 8%. Such decisions.