New Beer Weekend #190

Lupulin Night Witch (2024) Double Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, 14.2% ABV. Pours thick and black with a small ring of brown bubbles. Aroma is sweet bourbon and light toffee/caramel and chocolate. Taste is bourbon, toffee, and chocolate, slightly sweet, faintly bitter, some pleasant burn. No stickiness or oiliness. Decent thick mouthfeel, overall outstanding. A solid BBA stout with no add-junk distractions.

4.4/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

This isn't much different than the 2023 version, though different barrels. Got sweeter as it warms.

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Sippers and commentators. Yesterday, I made my first visit to Ghost Hawk Brewing Co. in Clifton, New Jersey. It's located in the "Meadowlands," close to Metlife Stadium (home of the Giants and Jets). And it's across the street from one of the most iconic eateries in New Jersey, Rutt's Hut, which is famous for the "Ripper," a deep fried hot dog.

While at Ghost Hawk I had pours of its Wee Heavy, "Beira," which was okay, and its Foreign/Export Stout, "Ravendark," which was excellent. Ghost Hawk brews a Russian Imperial Stout (my favorite beer style) called "Siberian Solace," which wasn't available yesterday but each year the brewery releases a barrel-aged version called "Good Boy" (named after the brewery's dog mascot). This year's version is aged in Laird's Applejack barrels. I wasn't sure what to expect but I'm now a believer.

Poured at 56°. It's nearly black with cola hues at the bottom of the glass and It sports a creamy, light mocha-colored head with good retention and a thick film of lacing. The smell is primarily earthy with roasted malt, dark chocolate, caramel, nutty char, and tobacco smoke. Only as it warms do I notice the scent of brandy, which adds additional sweetness. There is a much greater chocolate presence in the taste than I anticipated. It's rich, sweet dark chocolate. There are also notes of burnt coffee, charred nuts, and earthy char. The impact of the Laird's Applejack barrel aging is surprisingly delicate but it adds depth and richness to the taste. There is little bitterness except at the very finish. The flavors blend very well. The mouth feel is a little liter than I'd hoped but the carbonation is appropriate and it drinks big for 12% ABV.

4.29/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I now wish I had bought another bottle or two, although I wish the bottles were 500 ML. The brewery isn't too far away, so who knows? I am in the mood to eat a few Rippers at Rutt's Hut! For those BAs in the Metro Area, I recommend giving Ghost Hawk a try.

Have a great week, everyone. Cheers, NBW!

 

Different brewery, different book...how bout that

At Great Heights Brewing.

Amber Lager, 4.9% ABV



Pours a dark reddish color. A dense beige head forms with good retention and lace left behind.
Lots of malts in the nose. Baked bread, toffee, lightly fruity. Enjoyable, but not exceptional.
Taste wise, like the nose, plenty of malts. That run from toasted, baked bread like, to toffee, and plenty of sweetness. Even some dark fruit character. A light grassy, earthy hoppy character, but does little to balance.
A medium body with moderate carbonation. There is a substantial sweetness and chewiness from the malts. It definitely has a bigger body than the ABV would suggest, and a nice offering to have a the brewery.

This doesn't have that clean crispness for lagers of this strength, and its almost like its going for a bigger Doppelbock feel. Which is certainly not bad, and very much enjoyable. I just wish it was closer to a better Dopplebock, or closer to a Vienna type lager. Instead of being somewhere in the middle, not really committed to either. Maybe that is my hang up with the "Amber Lager" style in general though.

Overall score is 3.58, solid B that doesn't get to the B+ territory for me.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/50326/689102/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Good afternoon NBS/nbw and thanks to our host this week @SawDog505.
Todays offering is from a tiny one man brewery in Colrain Ma, Stoneman Brewery
A very good (big) stout , excellent body and flavors.
Still windy out there, ground is soaked, so some basement water is to be expected.
Cheers all

Strohmenger

American Imperial Stout | 9.7% ABV
Stoneman Brewery in Colrain, Massachusetts

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.19/5 rDev +6.9% | Average: 3.92
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured from the 500 ml bottle into the test glass
A - Pour yields an inky black canvas, with a thin mocha cap. The cap recedes to the perimeter and waits.
S - The slightest vanilla, oak, the bulk of the aromatic is dark chocolate, coffee, roast malt.
T - Espresso, bakers chocolate, a kiss of bourbon,
M - Hefty on the palate, with a bit of alcohol in the exhale, clean finish with the espresso, cocoa as the capper.
O - A very good stout, excellent body, flavor runs in a tight band. with the barrel treatment offering a light touch.

 

@jonphisher - your review of the Wayfinder Märzen made me wonder if that's the beer I had there when a no-longer-practicing BA and I headed there after we visited HotD on its "last" day. I saw I haven't reviewed any Wayfinder beers, though not doing so that day make sense after I take a second to think about it. We couldn't find an opportunity to visit the brewery last time we were in Portland, but it's on the list.

What is your general impression of what @snaotheus has sent you from them? I'll ask your benefactor the same question about his thoughts on the beers he's had from Wayfinder.

We hit that spot when we visited a few years back. I think we parked in the lot of Rutt's Hut, or maybe we stopped in there trying to get our bearings. I recall not being overly impressed with their stuff at the time. Sounds like they have some good offerings now, at least.

 

Nephew's birthday party.

 

In general, I really think they nail lagers. Highly recommend.

 

From @bwhit Other Half Brewing's Astor Place Double Dry Hopped IPA ( Citra, Nectaron & Cashmere ), 6.2% ABV; 4.19 overall

Pours a hazed gold with a thumb+ of fluffy eggshell colored head. Stellar head retention & lacing

S: Melons & tropical fruit, some grassyness

T: Tangerine, pomelo, green melon & dryness up front, some sweet orange and papaya as well. Dryness, green melons & tangerine, plus a little pineapple as this beer warms up. Finishes a little dry with, green melon, tangerine & lime

MF: Medium body, restrained carbonation, good balance

Tasty & super easy to drink

 

At the New Richmond, Wisconsin location of Lift Bridge Brewing and having this

Goddess of Hops - NEIPA - 7%

Tasty beer of the style. Maybe a bit light feeling, but still good.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18563/693584/
3.77/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Murky hazy straw colored pour. White head, some lacing.
Tropical citrus nose with lots of pineapple and mango.
Taste is tropical hops. Lots of mango up front with pineapple on the back.
Lighter body. Somewhat juicy.
Interesting beer overall.

Be back later.

 

Revolution V.S.O.R. Select (Ryewine aged in hand-selected bourbon and rye barrels for two years from Binny's Beverage Depot). Binny's is the go-to spot for beer and any other liquor in Chicagoland. Didn't know a place so big could be dedicated to just alcohol and drinks in general.

Pours a rich, dark brown, almost black, color with a finger of a dark khaki head that sticks around for a little bit and then dissipates into a thin ring of lacing. 4.5

Aroma is rich caramel, maple candy, brown sugar, creme brûlée, raisins, figs, rye spice, brown bread. Fresh and forward rye whiskey, charred oak, vanillin and coconut come from the barrel. 4.75

Taste follows the nose well. Big barrel, as expected with the extended aging. Sugar Daddies, rich caramel, creme brûlée, maple, big rye spice both from the base and barrel, caramelized brown sugar, raisin, fig, plum, brown bread, oak tannin, big rye whiskey flavor, vanillin, slight coconut, some leather. Decadent, but balanced nicely by rye spice and barrel. Top notch. 4.75

Low full body. Rich and decadent, but with a drying oak tannin and rye spice. Oily, sticky, slightly creamy, and somewhat dense. 4.5

Another winner from Revolution. This beer tends to lean sweet and this particular batch certainly does that despite highlighting the barrel selection. Still a nice rye and bourbon barrel presence, but the base brings all of the sweeter qualities a ryewine/barleywine can bring to the table. Very enjoyable stuff. 4.75
Overall: 4.71

 

Cross post from the this weekend’s Belgian Quad and Belgian Dark Strong Ale Tasting thread.

I’ve been sipping on this new to me BDSA this afternoon.



I am genuinely impressed at how easy and enjoyable this bottle with a double digit ABV was to drink. Thus the 4.75 in the overall category.

4.56/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
750 ml caged and corked bottle poured into a Tulip.
2021 vintage

A syrupy vinous aroma with notes of cucumber (weird, I know) erupt from the bottle as it is uncorked. Pouring dark cola brown it developes a persistent two finger khaki head that leaves good amounts of intricate lace while showing its alcohol content on the sides of the glass. After the pour the nose is less vinous and more bourbon barrel-like with malty sweet indicating plum, currant, and sugary lactose aromas. Hints of tobacco and leather come on the second pour. Flavor is sweet, rich and has some cola qualities. Chocolate malt, plum, candied sugars, very chocolate covered berry/cherry dessert-like. Bourbon and tobacco come with the minor alcohol bite. It only dries slightly by the finish and there is almost no bitterness. The aftertaste is malty and a little sweet. Creamy and silky smooth feel overall, with a light crispness on the first pour. The medium-full body shifts slightly to a watery feel by the end of each pour. Somewhat warming but not as much as you’d expect for 11% ABV.

While being in danger of becoming too sweet to my palate, it never did and at no time was this a chore to drink during the entire 750 ml bottle. I was never bored with it. Very good.

I’ll be back to catch up after I’m done watching Supercross.
Cheers!

 

My next beer is part of this week’s IP trade with my friend in from London to attend the beer festivals here - “Sonoma” a Pale Ale from Track Brewing Co., Manchester, UK. A session hazy hopped with Mosaic, Centennial and Citra:



Best by date 08/07/24. Poured pale gold; barely hazy; frothy white foam with excellent cap retention; heavy ring; lots of soapy lace. Mild lemony nose. Taste follows; light bitter citrus hops. Light body; moderate minus carbonation; no astringency; not watery. Overall a perfectly fine sessionable (3.8%) pale ale with a lovely light lemony linger.

4.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.75 | 4.0
Score 4.01 rDev 0
I added beer to database.


I’d gladly drink again. A pounder on a hot day.

 

From @2beerdogs from the BIF LIF he generously proposed.

377/Spotted Dog Brewery Other Brother Stout, 6.5% ABV; 3.55 overall


Pours an effervescent mahogany with rapidly disappearing tan head. Zero head retention & lacing

S: Roastyness, coffee;

T: Follows the nose, although coffee is watered down, woody hops, seems like some pepper bite but could be in my head because of where this beer originates??? More woody notes, some cocoa & coffee as this beer warms up. Finishes roasty with some coffee, woody hops & dryness

MF: Medium body, restrained carbonation that basically flattens out to next to nothing

Solid stout, except for the body& the appearance ( some times my glasses do that to the beer, try to handwash all of them, but I am the only one that does that here )

 

Welcome one and all to New Beer Sunday #994! Back with another light and easy Chicago brewed offering, hope it's as good or possibly better than my Off Color Pilsner enjoyed yesterday.

Middle Brow Mozart



Can Notes: Purchased 2/22/24 at store temperature, refrigerated since at home. $3.25 16 oz canned 2/6/24. 4.5% ABV. A toasty little lager. cereal | crisp | of seasons.

Derivative of th' Vienna methode. also of a street. of Wolfgang, even. but with less of the' din. and more of th' dram.

Appearance: Clear bronze tan pour, steady persistent carbonation, beautiful bright white head leaves clumpy lacing on the way down after 2/3 of the can poured into a Pilsner glass. 4.5

Aroma: Nice roasted malt, sweet bread and roasted corn. Above medium strength, pleasant. 4.0

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, bread, lightly buttered corn and malt the headliners backed by salt and pepper. I'm enjoying, but didn't expect the corn on the nose or palate. 4.0

Mouthfeel: Drinks slightly stronger than the 4.5% ABV. Light and easy, slightly dry, sweet though hops bittering fights the good fight, light gentle to fizzy carbonation sustained throughout. Salt pepper cracker finish. 4.5

Overall: This might be slightly off of a traditional Vienna Lager, but if you like the flavors described above, a light and easy lager with bread and corn, go for it. Sure glad I did. 4.25

 

I don’t remember being wowed by any of their beers but I remember enjoying them. Out of curiosity I checked and it seems I came below rdev on the 5 beers of theirs that I have had.

 

Cross posted to Imperial Stouts...whatever
Barrel-Aged Joe Daddy '22 from Pig Minds a small local in Illinois.
4.12/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Thin, watery, almost transparent pour, nice khaki head lingered leaving some spotty lacing. Opening the bottle the snot factory said cocoa/chocolate and a hint of coffee. Tasting buddies say wait, some really smooth coffee gets top billing here, the cacao and vanilla follow, bourbon almost nonexistent. This was surprisingly thin, and all things considered, I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

 

Social Project Brewing's Paranoid Android Triple Hazy IPA, 8.4% ABV; 4.23 overall


Pours a hazed gold with 2 fingers pearl colored head. Sheets of lacing & lovely head retention

S: Limes, tropical fruit, peaches

T: Pomelo, limes, a kiss of pineapple, green & honey dew melon & peaches up front, even a little strawberry. Tangerine, limes & green melons as this beer warms up, some pineapple too. Finishes with plenty of pineapple, limes, dryness & some pink grapefruit

MF: Medium body, middle of the road carbonation

Another great, big hazy IPA from these guys, I do feel the ABV in this one, at the cusp of greatness. The nose & flavor combo holds it back, a little

 

I didn't foresee a cocktail after work today...

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/47666/693211/



500 ml. bottle.

Moderate pour yields a one inch white head over a very slightly hazy golden body with sticky lacing.

Nose of juniper, spruce, woody herbs, slight citrus.
As it warms a bit, there is a fairly intense twiggy, herbaceous spruce bitterness.
Wow!

Taste follows nose closely with just a tad sweetness joining the sourness.
There is a hint of flavor of gin in the alcoholic properties yielding a gin and tonic-like result!
What?

The mouthfeel has a lot more going on than a G&T, that's for sure!
Medium carbonation with nicely full mouthfeel.

Overall, this certainly is a treat to be sure.
I would call this a tree hugging, gin lover's beer!
Search this one out and tell me if you agree.
Cheers!!!