New Beer Weekend #193

I've had my eye out for these at my local based on some good reviews here, but haven't seen them. Just checked their website and they have some in stock, so I know what I'll be picking up when it's time to return the empties. They also have more Von Trapp variety than I remember; looks like the next trend may well be lagerbier.

 

How long do you think it will take you to finish all the SB beers you received?

 

All right, I am here for the final round today, and, well, it is quite delicious.


Brewer's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Peruvian Morning - Central Waters Brewing - Amherst, WI - American Imperial Stout - 11.7% ABV

Yes, this is downright amazing. I split this 4 pack with my dear friend @Alefflicted . This beer is downright amazing. The flavor is just hitting in a good way, and it's going down way too fast for a close to 12% beer.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/652/40775/


4.43/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
From a 12oz bottle.

This beer pours pitch black with no light shining through the glass at all. The head is a 3 finger tan head, with an aggressive pour. The beer has good retention and some clingy lacing on the glass.
The aroma is rich with coffee. I also get a hint of sweetness. There's a good barrel aroma from this beer.
This beer is dominated by the coffee, and this flavor lingers throughout the flavor profile. The coffee mellows a bit and the flavors of the base beer add to the coffee. I get notes of caramel, toffee, chocolate and dark fruit. The finish is all this with notes of the barrel, and some vanilla.
Thick and full bodied. Very smooth drinking. There's no hint of a burn from alcohol.
This beer is downright amazing. I am really liking this beer.


I'll be back tomorrow with more beer, and I may be doing it from the road. Cheers!

 

Hey, gang. The sin finally showed here and the temps pushed 50, but most of the day still felt chilly with the wind. But at keast it wasn't raining.

Who would have thought I'd find a new to me beer and brewery at the grocery store. Unlike other places, MA grocery stores mostly don't have beer and when they do it is pretty mainstream. So a clever label on an IPA made me notice and the words Wee Heavy said bring me home...



67 Degrees Brewing Wee Heavy. This is a 7.5% brew made with Scottish ale malt, pale malt, CaraMunich I and chocolate malt. Hopped with Cascade.

Pours very clear dark amber/chestnut color. Pretty deep red tints. Big tan head with an aggressive pour that falls to a thin ring, no cling.

Roasty toasty malt smell in spades, a slight whiff of alcohol, milk chocolate, vague sweet/dry fruit.

In your face with the malts - slightly sweet. Prominent roasty taste. There is a little "Scotchiness" with some mild oeat and even milder smokiness. A bit of fig. Low level bitterness as the malt flavors die down, a little chocolate and toffee flavor in the background and mildly spicy on the finish.

Feel is medium bodied, dry with some residual sweetness. Moderately carbonated.

Well-constructed beer, on point for the style as described here. Mildly warming even at 7.5%. I like it, don't love it. It will land a little north of the 4.0 line but not by much.

 

Still on my no alcohol kick and I am just about to hit 90 days straight. This is the longest I have gone consecutively in many years and even with cutting back in '23 I've still seen some positive results. I was in the mood for a beer but still didn't want the alcohol so I picked up an NA mixed pack that caught my eye from Industrial Arts called Safety Glasses: Pils, IPA, White (with coriander and orange peel), Citra Spritz Sparkling Hop Water.

The first one I'm trying is the Pils. Pours from a can (01/11/24) a slightly hazy golden color, medium carbonation, nice head. Smell is on the money for a Pilsner and the hops are in there too. Taste is excellent, crisp and clean and ends dryly and you could fool some people with this one...100% scratching my Pils itch right now and it is holding up well as it warms too.

80 calories, 15g carbs, 1g protein, 0g fat.

 

Good for you. Assume you have lost some weight? Doing this for health reasons?

 

I do Dry January every year but this year I thought what if I just kept going? My weight was good and I am very active with a good diet but completely cutting the alcohol did still trim a few pounds.

It's been nice not having to work around alcohol. I was never a daily drinker but when I did drink there was a lot to keep in mind e.g. water intake, making plans for commuting if I was out, diet (it's easy not to pay as much attention while drinking), etc.

 

Now you just need to trade away any cellared beers you have

 

von Trapp is another excellent brewery that specializes in Lagers, and that's coming from an Ale fan...or so I used to think. Prost or however it's said in Austrian.

 

Thank you to @Squire for kicking off this NBW, glad to see you're still around.
Another smash hit from Schilling (NO relation to Curt) Beer Co. Brücius, an exceptional Doppelbock. Prost.



4.02/5 rDev -2.9%

look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An easy pour created a finger of creamy light beige foam with average retention and sliding blotches of lacing. Clear dark brown with ruby highlights, dark amber in front if bright light.

A somewhat mild smell of bready malt (toast & dough) and lightly roasted grain greets the nose with faint floral/herbal hops. A hint of roasted malt and grain with a very low alcohol smell for 6.9% ABV. Baked apple and pear on the fringe.

Semi-sweet with mild bitterness, caramel malt appears and rises over bready malt. Hop flavor is assertive, balancing the sweetness. Coffee and some dark chocolate take over the middle. The brewers note states "aromas of sweet bread and caramel with flavors of light coffee and marshmallow", I get marshmallow in the taste--not the smell and NOT as an adjunct. The finish is fast for a "big Lager", not crisp but softening, leading to a semi-dry above averagely bitter, lingering aftertaste.

Medium bodied with lasting carbonation, trying for a soft feel but it's a bit rough, not bad for a Doppelbock. Alcohol is very well hidden. Not as big as some Doppelbocks, the side of the label states; "German-Style Dark Lager", I'm OK with this.

 

Industrial Arts Safety Glasses NA IPA - I've been craving an IPA lately so I'm excited to see how this one is. I've had IA hazies and they were enjoyable and assuming that this one will lean that way.

This has Citra, Mosaic and Cascade. Pours a hazy dark yellow/light orange, nice head. Smell is the typical hazy and the Citra and Mosaic are right in the forefront. The taste follows perfectly and there's orange, pineapple and a little grapefruit in the mix. Medium bitterness and ends dryly, begging you to take another sip. As it warms it mellows a bit and becomes a little more fruity/juicy. Another well made NA beer from them and close enough to the real thing to satisfy my craving.

80 calories, 17g carbs, 1g protein, 0g fat.

 

Here's a one off "Eclipse" beer from Switchback Brewing Co. Burlington, VT.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/5691/696368/



16 ounce can
PKG ON: 03/13/24

Moderate pour yields a 1.75 inch tan head over a black body with sticky and slightly clumpy lacing.

Nose of roasted malt, chocolate malt, and coffee.

Taste is bitter chocolate with extreme roastiness. Towards the middle through the dry finish, dark roast coffee comes forward with a vengeance. Roasty, toasty stout right here folks; some might not like this intense roast, but I do!

Feel is less full than I would have liked but coming in at less than 6% abv., it's all good.

Overall, go find this limited release Eclipse Beer and get your roast on!!

Cheers!!!

 

2 MORE boxes still inbound, plus @FBarber destroying my porch for NBS BIF#18.

 

Partqke brewery peach gose
...incredibly clear light gold,if it was more effervescent I would have thought champagne
...medium light carbonation with a slightly thin body but there is a salty coating of the tongue
...aroma is peach juice and puree almost close to smelling like a scented candle. Theres some mild malt and cracker in the background.
...taste is light,mild sweetness, peach which comes off fairly well and not too artificial. Salty and peach juice which are the elements that linger.
...its ok and for what it is its well done

 

Thanks,but after reading your review just now I think I would rather have your beer.and those flowers look great

 

Rheingeist Brewery Cave Bear Imperial IPA. Cheers @MutuelsMark 8.5% ABV; 3.76 overall

Pours a chill hazed gold with a finger of cream colored head. Good head retention on lacing

S; Very bready, Piney & hints of Green Melon once warm. Some mango and papaya once warmed up

T: Breadiness, some pineyness hints of pomelo up front. Dryness, green melon more pomelo as this beer warms up, some lime. Finishes dry cakey, with limes and a kiss of pine and Woody hops

MF: Fairly cakey low carbonation okay balance

Solid take on the style but seems to be suffering of it from age canned in November

Pours a chil hazed gold with a finger of cream colored head. Good head retention on lacing

S; Very bready, Piney & hints of Green Melon once warm. Some mango and papaya once warmed up

T: Breadiness, some pineyness hints of pomelo up front. Dryness, green melon more pomelo as this beer warms up, some lime. Finishes dry cakey, with limes and a kiss of pine and Woody hops

MF: Fairly cakey low carbonation okay balance

Solid take on the style but seems to be suffering of it from age canned in November