New Beer Weekend #194

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

Well, my fellow citizen of the state of insanity, I mean Minnesota @LesDewitt4beer beat me to the punch in starting this thread, and I thank him for doing so.

Today is also the reveal weekend for the NBS 18 group, so I expect to see my fellow participants share their new beers that they've received.

So, thanks to insomnia, it's time to belly up to the bar with this beer sent to me by the amazing @Whyteboar


?????

Review:

From a 16oz can, no date. This is a blind review, and I have no idea what this beer is, or style, until after the fact. I am typing this live, and will post it to the proper beer listing after I open up the label. There will be no editing of this review, unless there's a spelling mistake.

Look -
Well, this beer looks hazy and murky. Quite dank looking with no light shining through. There's a 2 finger white head. The bubbles in the head are quite small. Frothy and fluffy looking, with decent retention. There is no lacing on the glass. Looking at it, and again this is blind typing this, I would think it's a NEIPA. 4.25

Aroma - Ok, this is not a NEIPA. It may look like one, but when I smell it, I am leaning toward a kettle sour. I get some type of berry aroma. I think I'm getting some lactose also, not sure. Maybe some mango. There's a chance this could be a milkshake IPA also, but I'm doubting it. 4

Taste - This is a kettle sour, for sure. I get a berry hint in this beer, but more on the back. Up front I get a sweetness to it, and I just can't quite put my finger on it. I'm confused to really what I'm getting at all. I think I'm getting vanilla. There's a lingering tartness that is sticking in my throat. 3.75

Feel - This beer is thick and full bodied. Smooth feeling. There's a bubbly feeling to this beer that tickles my throat. I don't think this is a high alcohol beer - I am not really getting any burn. 4

Overall - I think I like this beer, but, not knowing what it is really makes this confusing to me. This is a beer that I would not session, but would only have one in a day. Interesting, and I'm probably way off base with everything here. 4


All right, I'll be back later with more beers. There's a lot to enjoy this weekend, and I hope you all enjoy yours. I'll post the blind beer reveal later.

 

Reveal:


Peach Cobbler Smolverine - Transient Artisan Ales - Bridgman, MI - Fruited Kettle Sour - 4.5% ABV

Well, the only things I got right were the vanilla, lactose, and it was a kettle sour. I can't believe I couldn't put my finger on the peach. I get it now, but I think the vanilla overpowered it a bit. It is a tasty beer, and added to the database, with my lacking review. Thanks again @Whyteboar !!!

 

Straight To Ale Blonde Hurlante
Belgian Strong Ale 9.9% ABV



Light golden color with medium white cap and lacing.

Aroma of strong malt and light hops. A touch of white spice and ripe pear.

Taste on entry is richly malty with an undercurrent of ripe pear and just enough spice to be noticed. Full bodied and full textured yet not heavy or overly sweet. At 9.9% no one would mistake this for a middleweight but it's not overpowering in any sense. Rather like a large man who can dance gracefully.

I've only found this one near the source but I's worth seeking out.

 

Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass canned on 3/25/24. Pours a very attractive hazy yellow orange with a finger sticky white head that leaves thin lines of lace with excellent retention. 4.5

Aroma is peach, mango, passionfruit, mandarin, and apricot. 4

Taste follows peach, mandarin, mango, passionfruit, and apricot. 4

Mouthfeel is above average, soft gentle carbonation, not sticky or dry, and at 8.2% it has some big flavor, but easy sipping. 4.25

Overall this one is worth a shot for sure. Very happy they are in NH now. 4 Cheers

 

Good morning NBW, thanks to the Minnesota crew of @LesDewitt4beer and @Victory_Sabre1973 for kicking it off.

Lakefront Brewers' Reserve 2019 Barleywine Ale

Aged 4 years in barrels before release, received from @cheeseheadinMinneapolis, Thanks!


Appearance: Dark brown, ok head at first, fades out.

Smell: Big barrel and a maple-chocolate note first, settles into what smells like a wood-vanilla milkshake.

Taste: Big sweet vanilla caramel note followed with a pretty big booze note. The booze recedes a bit as it warms, gives a chocolate-ty note with booze undertones.

Overall: Really impressive nose and very chocolate-ty barrel. Needs to warm up to settle the booze down somewhat. Still a very good beer!

I'll be back with another today or tomorrow, enjoy the weekend!

 

Birdfish Type O+ Blackberry Lime Gose, 4.7% - a delicious, puckering sour! Cheers!



-Look: Hazy berry-colored with a thick meringue head that lasts for days.
-Smell: Berry and citrus, slight funk, fruity-sourness.
-Taste: Whoa! Here's the blackberry and lime sour, a hint of salt - delicious.
-Feel: Puckering and slight eye-squint, medium-thin and fast, refreshing sourness.
-Overall: Fantastic blackberry and lime Gose - highly recommend this sour!

 

Now to my next @Whyteboar beer from the great state of Michigan, to continue the NBS BIF madness.


Citranity! - Beards Brewing - Charleviox, MI - American IPA - 5% ABV

Damn this is tasty. There is so much lemon flavor I am getting from the hops. I like this beer. Thanks so much for sending this to me Craig.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30001/697059/

3.99/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
From a 12oz can with no date on it.

This beer is a fairly clear pouring beer. Golden in color with nice little carbonation bubbles rising in the glass. The head is a 1 1/2 finger white color. Decent head retention with a bit of lacing on the glass.
The aroma of this beer is a nice smooth citrus aroma with a nice malty biscuit backbone.
Taste - There's a nice lemon hit off this beer, but the lemon isn't an extremely tart lemon, it has a smooth and somewhat sweet note to it. There's a nice buttery biscuit element to this beer, but the hops are the star of the show here. There's a bit of bitterness on the backside.
Decent body to this beer. There's a nice bitterness feeling to the back of the beer.
This beer has a lot of flavor for a 5% IPA. I am impressed.


Be back later for more.

 

Dogfish Head SeaQuench Gose, 4.9% - a tasty and thirst-quenching sour! Cheers!



-Look: Hazy light golden with a thick frothy head.
-Smell: Bright lime zest and citrus, light spice.
-Taste: Delicious lime and citrus, sea salt, mild spice and wheat.
-Feel: Twangy zesty citrusy-tart, slight puckering, clean and fast.
-Overall: Tasty and thirst quenching, tartness is just right - fantastic!

 

Good morning, fellow beer lovers. Not sure what's going on in Minnesota this morning, but clearly beer consumption is on the agenda.

This is the official share weekend for the current New Beer Sunday BIF (which I'll continue to plug for those who have never participated). I've received so much good beer through that BIF that I'm still working through beers from several BIFs ago. This bottle of Hauser's Heat of the Moment was sent my way by @Ozzylizard a year or two ago, and it's finally time to bust this out.

The beer is a "Porter with chocolate, hot pepper and cinnamon". The more detailed description describes this a "sexy porter". @FBarber @Roguer & other Mods, can we add a new beer category to BA for "Sexy Porter"?

4.28/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Courtesy of @Ozzylizard

Not sure when this was bottled, but best guess is 2022.

Nice amber hue to this on the pour. My aggressive pour ended up with more head than I would expect in a 12% ABV beer, but it lived a short life. The beer really coats the glass, leaving excellent legs.

Aroma is excellent. Super rich and chocolaty. While I don't get any of the hot pepper or cinnamon, it's not to its detriment. This really smells nice. An up close sniff was a bit of a mistake, as I immediately started coughing, so maybe that cinnamon is just hidden (or maybe the ABV is the cause). Either way, big fan of how this one smells.

Taste is a chocolate porter for the first few seconds before the cinnamon bursts through the door to crash the party, with the hot peppers playing the role of that friend that stays long after everybody else is gone and hangs with you until the wee hours of the morning. (In English, this has a super long finish with the pepper really lingering and slowly fading over time) This fully coats the mouth and has a really nice warming from the alcohol & peppers.

Overall, I'm enjoying this a lot more than I thought I would. I am usually not a big fan of cinnamon in beer, let alone hot pepper, as I find that most brewers use a little too much of it. Hoppin' Frog has done an excellent job here of creating a beer where any spice is really well balanced by the sweeter, malty porter components. Very good beer, that I'm really surprised how much I'm enjoying.

 

Jack's Abby Blood Orange Wheat Radler, 4.0% - light and tasty! Cheers!



-Look: Clear, peach-tinted amber with a thick frothy head.
-Smell: Candied orange with a hint of flowering tomato plants.
-Taste: Flowering tomato plants, blood orange, mild spice and wheat.
-Feel: Light and prickly with a soft wheat base, thin and fast.
-Overall: Very tasty and thirst quenching, a solid radler!

 

Thanks to @DoctorZombies I am enjoying an El Catador Club offering from Cigar City in proper glassware
Modern Prometheus. A blend of imperial stouts aged in maple bourbon barrels, apple jack barrels, and bourbon barrels for a very pleasant, however delightfully slow, sip.


and the review:

500ml undated bottle "BOTTLE # 0574" Poured into a snifter shows a deep, dark brown, light denying body, save for a colored, slightly ruby-tinged, edge when backlit. A wispy collection of tight, chestnut colored bubbles briefly caps the body but disappears leaving a solitary island. Agitation creates a syrupy film around the glass that runs back to the edge but leaves the clear glass now slightly darker.

Aromas include molasses, maple, oak, fig, prune, earth, leather, brown sugar, and even a hint of cut, ripe apples.

Flavors match with no real dominant flavor, other than roasted malts.

Mouthfeel matches the film on the glass. It is full and oily, but still clears the palate with little remainder: just enough to encourage a sticky feeling, especially on the lips.

Overall an expert blend. Bourbon, maple, and apple in balance; welcoming aroma; and thick and nearly sticky, without being too sweet.

 

First new beer of the weekend is a German Style Dark Lager from By All Means..





P deep chestnut w/ burgundy hues, light-med translucence, 1-2f tan head, looks great
N med sweet and grainy malts w/ light toastiness
T follows nose- smooth toasted grainy malt dotted with grassy/earthy hops, subtle raisiny dark fruit in the finish
Mf light-med bodied w/ med-high carb, airy mf, works well with the profile
O a nice drinker- I dig it!

Cheers

 

Thank you @LesDewitt4beer for opening the thread and @Victory_Sabre1973 for kicking off the early morning. I have two beers from opposite ends of the United States. I thought I had this selection, but per my notes it is new to me, and I'm excited to try it from the brewery I have visited the most in the Los Angeles area (Long Beach Brewery RIP).

Beachwood Hop Jitsu



Can Notes: Purchased at Beer on the Wall store temperature for $5.00 on 3/16/24, refrigerated until cracking open this morning. 16 oz canned 2/15/24, 7.1% ABV, 62 IBUs. Brewed and canned by Beachwood Brewing Huntington Beach, California.

India Pale Ale. Hops: Citra, Amarillo. Malt: American 2-Row.

Hop Jitsu is a West Coast IPA loaded with Citra and Amarillo Hops.

Appearance: About 2/3 the can poured into a nucleated Beachwood Tulip Glass. A bit foggy golden tan pour, light sustained carbonation, heavy sustained creamy white head lingers for several minutes leaving lumpy soapy lacing. 4.25

Aroma: Tangerine, citrus, grapefruit, light pine, strong, fresh and very enjoyable. 4.5

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, though pine stronger and excellent. Backed by lemon grass, pepper and faint caramel malt. Flavors blend well, once again strong, fresh and very enjoyable. 4.75

Mouthfeel: Drinks to the ABV, light body, slightly fizzy carbonation. Solidly bitter and very dry, consistent with the style expectations. Bitter pine and grapefruit linger joyfully. 4.75

Overall: This is the way, so glad I picked this up. Held up well over several weeks, classic WCIPA profile and enjoyment in my wheelhouse of favorite styles. Thank you Beachwood, I will seek this out with Melrose and Amalgamator among my favorites! 4.75

Tomorrow will start the first of three planned pre-gaming Forest & Main beers after their recent drop in our area. Tomorrow's F & M beer will need to be a banger to live up to New Beer Sunday expectations.

 

Another beer, why yes, and again from @Whyteboar

Nutter Your Business - Grand Armory Brewing - Grand Haven, MI - Sweet/Milk Stout - 5% ABV

The peanut butter and the dark chocolate flavors are a good mix. Nice bitterness to round out the sweentess. Tasty, and thank you for sending this to me Craig.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/41540/242680/

3.88/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From a 12oz can with no date.

This beer is pitch black pouring. The head is a thick 3 finger brown head. I did do an aggressive pour here, to see a thicker head. The head is quite long lasting, and there's some beautiful lacing on the glass.
The aroma hit me while pouring, and it's peanut butter. Now, for a closer check. it is a roasted peanut butter aroma, with notes of dark chocolate in the mix. The aromas work well together and are pleasing to my nose.
Taste - well the flavor is less than the nose suggested. I am hit with some dark chocolate up front, and it lingers. The backside has a roasted peanut butter flavor. This beer isn't extremely sweet, but what is there is cut with a bit of bitterness as a finish.
The body is somewhat smooth feeling. Decent mouthfeel. Bitter feeling lingers.
Very good take on the style.

Be back later for more.

 

Poured into a 16 oz Snulip pint glass canned on 3/25/24. Pours a very hazy and attractive yellow orange with a finger plus sticky white head that leaves big waves of lace with excellent retention. 4.75

Aroma is buttery Chardonnay, peach, mango, mandarin, and apricot. 4.5

Taste follows buttery Chardonnay, mandarin, mango, peach, and apricot. 4.5

Mouthfeel is big, soft gentle almost creamy carbonation, not sticky or dry, and at 8.2% huge balanced flavor, but still easy going down. 4.75

Overall this is really impressive. When a brewery can nail something with Nelson like this, you know they can brew. 4.5

 

The Minnesota crew is going hard today, so I better jump in here. This is a release I look forward to every year. This is 3 Sheeps Brewing Cuvee Blend 2024. A combination of four different bourbon barrel-aged imperial stouts. It sounds like a promising recipe. The look is pitch black, with no foam appearing during the pour. A light brown ring remains around the glass. The smell is incredible. Freshly-baked brownie, fudge, vanilla, and light bourbon explode from the bottle, as if propelled by the same mechanisms as a volcano. The taste comes in waves of fudge-flavored brownie, chocolate chip cookie, graham cracker, vanilla, and Twix bar, with a light bourbon finish. Very impressive. The mouthfeel is high-viscosity oil, thick, smooth, silky, and somehow reminds me of the most delectable chocolate pudding. It is a lucious treat. Overall, this may be 3 Sheeps Brewing's finest stout they ever created. It is incredible. And never to duplicated, so I better grab some more, if it is still available.

 

I can’t believe Long Beach closed. My favorite beer spot in SoCal by a long shot.

 

Drekker Ice Ice Prrrty Fruit Punch Slushy Style Sour, 6.8% ABV. Pours washed-out-red with a one-finger off-white head that left puree residue. Aroma is fruit punch mashup. Taste is pineapple, orange, cherry, and vanilla, quite sweet, faintly tart. Excellent mouthfeel, overall outstanding.

4.35/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Windy as hell today, gusting to 46MPH now, supposed to get windier. At least it's clearing the dead branches out of the trees. Luckily it's warmish, in the 60's.

 

A sunny, but windy and cool day.. Taking our grandson to see The First Omen. I'm hoping it's not too bad, but I don't have high hopes.
Today's new beer is Capy Snacks Fruit Punch, a field and fruit beer from Urban Artifact.

The beer is a dark pink color. A small off-white head that disappeared quickly. Small amount of lace.
Fruit punch aroma.
Fruit punch taste.
Light-bodied and sweet.
Not a big fan of the style, but I enjoyed this beer.