New Beer Weekend #194

Revolution Brewing V.S.O.R. SELECT BA Rye Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels. Cheers @FBarber for this NBS BIF#18 brew! 15.7% ABV; 4.58 Overall

Pours a ruddy and effervescent Mahogany with Chestnut hue and fast falling tan head. Zero head retention and lacing; viscous

S: Plenty of barrel, dark fruit some caramel. Hints of vanilla and maple syrup as this beer warms up. Nose gets richer as this beer approaches room temperature

T: Figs, a touch of vanilla, dark fruits and Barrel dryness and richness up front. Barrel richness, little vanilla, treacle with leafy hops; maple syrup as well. Finishes dry with Rich Barrel flavors, Maple candy leafy hops and just a kiss of booze, that does build at the bottom of the glass!

MF; Chewy body slight carbonation, pretty warming

Stellar offering, drinks great spite the heft and tons of flavor. Another Barrel aged winner from Revolution; such a delicious bruiser of a beer!

 

Today was the day for the NBW BIF mystery beer blind review and reveal.
I had this beer before, but it was a different variant so it’s technically new!

First thing I noticed was that this was not a stout. I know, right? My prowess is astonishing. After this it falls apart though.
I got raspberry and cherry and vanilla. I thought it was obvious that it was a fruited beer but it wasn’t tart enough for a wild fermentation beer, so I went with fruited pale ale. Breweries are doing some crazy stuff these days, why not?
The reveal:

Daily Serving! This one featured raspberry (got that one!) and blueberries (where did I get cherry and vanilla from???)
In any case, I much enjoyed it and trying to suss out the flavors. It’s a tasty treat, just a little tart and bursting with fruit.
Good beer, thanks to @WunderLlama for this puzzle!

 

Bare Hands - Cascade Trip, from @ovaltine in NBS BIF #18

16oz can served in a curvy pint glass. Can is not dated anywhere, as far as I can tell, though there may be a smear of ink on the bottom that was intended to be a date. If so, there are no legible characters at all.

Pours clear dark brass with a big, almost three finger head. Carbonation is light. Settles into huge lumpy clumps. Smell is cascade hops, moderate dankness, pine resin and grapefruit rind, light earthiness, vague and somewhat reluctant floral notes.

Taste dives into the rindy / resinous bitterness. Honeysuckle and grain sweetness are there, though they act more as a counterpoint than a counterbalance. Bitterness moves a little away from the citrus rind and toward the earthiness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, maybe a bit chewier. Overall, very nice beer at only 5.5%.

 

Sexy glass you got there!

 

Very nice pour there @snaotheus sounds like another nice classically made hoppy beer from Bare Hands and their national distribution guy @ovaltine.

 

I am up and ready to go with some morning coffee. At least this one isn't as high octane as the glass I had to close out yesterday. Again, this is thanks to the amazing @Whyteboar in NBS BIF #18.

Perk Ya Later - Trail Point Brewing - Allendale, MI - Cream Ale - 4.0% ABV

Light bodied, but packs some good flavor. I am thankful this is how I'm starting my day.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/42196/339973/

3.78/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From a 16oz can with no date on it.

Fairly clear golden pouring beer. Tons of carbonation bubbles just shooting up to the top of the glass to produce a 2 finger fluffy white head. Great head retention, and when it dissipates, it produces some great looking lacing on the glass.
The aroma has a nice coffee hit to it. There is a buttery biscuit element to the nose. I get some lactose, but I also got a weird grassy hit to my nose. Interesting aroma profile.
The coffee flavor is here, but it's a creamy coffee, and somewhat sweet tasting. I think the malty biscuit also adds to the creamy and sweet taste. These flavors are cut by the grassy element, while it seems weird, I think also works at the same time.
Smooth and creamy feeling. Somewhat light, but it has a low ABV.
Not bad at all, and a very interesting beer.


I'll see you all later for another beer.

 

Moment of Clarity - Tree House Brewing (7.7% Milk Stout)

A nice little Top 250 tick was enjoyed last night. Though there was probably a bit more age on this than ideal, there was still some soft coffee and chocolate and slightly more present maple syrup. Out of the can it poured a bit more viscous than standard for a stout but nowhere near that motor oil distinction. Poured into my Maplewood Cuppa glass, which the more I drank of it, the more it reminded me of some of the Cuppa beers, just with less body. Medium body, though a little sticky from the maple. Can't imagine what this would be like with a fresher hit of coffee

Overall, 4.25. Would love to try this fresh and reevaluate and see how much more present the coffee is!

 

Somewhere, Something Incredible is Waiting to be Known - Tree House Brewing (7.9% Milk Stout)

Following up last nights TH stout with this one this morning. Poured a beautiful black out of the can with a nice tan half-finger of head. Though next to no head retention, the tan floating ring that remains provides a beautiful contrast to the dark beer. Medium+ body, again a little sticky and syrupy. Definitely smells like a milk stout with some very muted vanilla notes. Palate follows with a balanced approach to the chocolate and vanilla. Some muted baking spices and coffee as well balance this out. I keep getting peanut/peanut butter on a long finish on the back of my throat - no complaints there!

Really enjoying this one. Would love to reevaluate when fresh to see how the coffee plays to the flavor profile.

Overall, 4.5. Beautifully made!

 

Karben4 Priest Prophet and King


Appearance: Murky brown, with an ok head.

Smell: All over the place, some red wine, booze, woody barrel, caramel.

Taste: A kind of tangy start like acidic wine, then a big malty backbone. I cheated and looked at the beer description and I can pick out the maple syrup and cinnamon whiskey barrels now. Must be the cinnamon and port barrels coming through to give it so much tang.

Overall: Received in trade, this is just a crazy beer, it seems all six barrel types throw something into the mix. Interesting to try but not one I can see for a return engagement.

Thanks again @cheeseheadinMinneapolis !

 

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass bottled on 12/27/23. Pours near pitch black with a 2 plus finger sticky mocha head that leaves a few thick streaks of lace, with excellent retention. 4.5

Aroma char, chili peppers, coffee grounds, deep dark chocolate, vanilla beans, and bourbon. 4

Taste follows char, strong roasty coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, chili peppers, and bourbon well balanced. 4.25

Mouthfeel is above average, soft gentle carbonation, a little dry, and at 12% a sipper that is so complex you can’t stop sniffing and sipping. 4.5

Overall very little heat, but that works well. It really reminds me of KBS but with chili peppers. Don’t avoid because it isn’t very hot. 4.25 Cheers all.

 

Good Sunday morning NBS/nbw and thanks to our host this week @LesDewitt4beer
We are getting ready for tomorrows eclipse event, coolers packed, glasses packed,
overnight reservations confirmed, weather forecast "favorable". Im approaching this like any other human madness, beer, food, friends.
Todays offering is from Oxbow Brewing in Maine, a very good Dortmunder style export lager.
My favorite remains Great Lakes Dortmunder, but alas not distrbuted here in the 413.
This offering has all the hallmarks, lovely grain profile, excellent hop bite, well balanced and frankly quite drinkable
Cheers all
OXB

European / Dortmunder Export Lager | 5.5% ABV
Oxbow Brewing Company in Newcastle, Maine

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.25/5 rDev -2.1% | Average: 4.34
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a can dated 03/07/24 into the test glass
A - Dark straw colored backdrop, excellent clarity, meandering bubbles form a long lasting tightknit white cap.
S - Cracker, earthy grain, a bit of noble hop, again a bit earthy with a nice lemongrass thread.
T - All those aromatics with a bit of citrus from the hops
M - Lite in body, crisp on the palate with a lovely grain finish
O - A really delightful experience, flavorful and crisp

 

All right, time for another beer, but a bit of a change up. This beer is thanks to the generous ninja strike from @WunderLlama .

Hello Western Mass - Tree House Brewing - NEIPA - 7.8% ABV (on can)

Tree House makes amazing hops. With their super soft water they produce amazing beers in this style, and this one is no different. I avoid the style in this day, because I'm burnt out a bit, but, when done right, it's amazing. There will be a rant in my review, but it in no way has baring on my thoughts of this beer. Now, I'll post it, and burp hops some more.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28743/586743/
4.21/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From a 16oz can dated 1-2-24. Is it me you're waiting for? I'll start off by saying that I'm not a fan of the name of the beer not being on the label. It took me quite a bit to figure out how to fine the beer's name, and my old phone couldn't scan those codes. This will have no effect upon my opinions of this beer. End rant.

This beer is a murky and hazy pouring beer. Golden in color, and has a fluffy/frothy 2 finger white head. Great head retention, and lacing on the glass.
The aroma of this beer is hops, and tropical in nature. Some mango and pineapple. Earthy undertone to the hops.
Taste - Tropical hops. Pineapple, mango, grapefruit. Nice bitterness on the back of this beer. Slight earthy flavor in this beer.
The body is juicy feeling. Pretty full bodied. Hop bitterness lingers in my throat.
Tasty beer overall and a pleasure to try these hops.


Be back later for more on this dreary, rainy day.

 

The package date on all Bare Hamds cans is on the side by the UPC code:



In this case March 6, 2024. Sounds like you enjoyed it, and I do as well (shocker!). Just an easy drinking APA that’s pretty flavorful, IMHO.

 

Good afternoon all! Taking a break from replacing a brake line and pulled out one sent to me by @Roy_Hobbs in a super sneaky ninja strike during NBW BIF #18.

I expected a transparent beer so the appearance threw me off at first. Then I remembered: Fox Farm. Yeah, no qualms now.
Not sure if it’s because I was hot and thirsty, but this sublimely balanced ale hit on all cylinders. The malt is smooth and bready and the hops are present and soft. Not even close to IPA territory, yet quite noticeable.
Another excellent beer from Fox Farm- thanks Ross!

 

Packs of that could definitely come camping with me. Thank you, Mike!

 

That *does* sound amazing!

 

Revolution - Dread & Breakfast

12oz can served in a snulip. Can is dated 07/07/2023, sent to me by the refulgent @ovaltine in NBS BIF #18.

Pours a dark cola color with a surprisingly vigorous head, peaking a little over a finger, settles down into a fairly thick tan ring with a couple of little dusty islands off-center in the surface. Smell is huge and boozy, cinnamon or nutmeg comes across right after the alcohol for me. Sweetness, and maybe some chicory, and I think vanilla is in there as an accent.

Taste is not a surprise. Still boozy, chocolate or cocoa come across a bit more, cinnamon/nutmeg note is still there though (thankfully) toned down. I wonder if it's my imagination, since it's not listed anywhere on the can or in the description on BA. I get some caramel, some maple, some creaminess (it does say "lactose" on the side, but it's strong enough I probably would have used that descriptor without having seen that), some vanilla. Coffee definitely, too. Overall, again, very sweet, but at least at this temperature that's offset by all the roasty chocolate and coffee.

Mouthfeel is thick, rich, creamy, very satisfying. Overall, this is a very nice beer.