New Beer Weekend #194

A couple of beers tonight, both again from my friend @snaotheus and NBS BIF #18. The first is a WCIPA, so I’m already in my happy place - so much so that I forgot to post it 30+ minutes ago, so you all get to see another one from me really quickly!





4.25/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a nearly clear golden straw color with a soapy white head that leaves a nice ring around the body of the beer and leaves a bit of lacing. Definitely checks the “looks like a WCIPA” box.

The nose is led by resiny pine and grapefruit, and there’s a bit of berry and an earthiness I always associate with Simcoe-hopped beers, which this is, along with Chinook hops, another varietal I really enjoy. This is gonna be good.

The taste is led by the resiny pine, which is nicely bitter and followed by the grapefruit and some berries, with that earthy flavor present and adding depth to this wonderful WCIPA.

The mouthfeel is medium and dry, again fitting the WCIPA style. What a pleasure it is to drink this beer.

 

And as I said, here’s #2, also from @snaotheus and NBS BIF #18, and really quickly. I’m still sipping this one, and it is PHENOMENAL.





4.6/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a dark cola brown and settles nearly black in the glass with loads of mahogany brown hues on the edges, all underneath a compact light tan head. Absolutely gorgeous English barleywine.

The first aroma note I noticed when I opened the bottle was coconut, which I’m sure was from the oak in the barrel, and that faded as the beer settled in the glass. There was also a substantial toffee note and some vanilla and stone fruit (dark cherries), and a big dollop of brown sugar that suggests this will be a sweeter barleywine.

The taste is really dominated up front by the brown sugar and toffee flavors, but before it gets cloyingly sweet, the dark cherry flavor steps in and checks the sweetness, flowing into the barrel and oak flavors, which carry a bit of alcohol heat. This is phenomenal on the palate.

The mouthfeel is rich and chewy, as expected for a beer of this magnitude. This is my second beer in the “Batch” barleywines (I also had 5,000), and they’ve both been uber world class.

 

We rec'd a few cases of Trillium a couple weeks ago so I grabbed a couple cans today before they were gone; 1st up: Summer St.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30654/157787/



16 ounce can packaged 03/04/24.

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

Nose of sweet citrus (tangerine, orange) and a few lemons and one grape!

Taste follows nose closely with all the orange plus a bit of lemon, very slight grape, and very slight pine resin at the finish.

Feel is very good with near medium carbonation.

Overall, I'm glad I finally got to try this juicebomb and would recommend to any juicers out there; but, you probably already did!!

Cheers!!!

 

Hitachino Nest White Ale



Very light golden color with decent white cap. Aroma of mild lightly spiced malt.

Taste is subtile and refined with a noticable spice presence that reminds me of lightly spiced holiday wine. Indeed there is a vinus quality to the texture as well. It isn't fruit punch heavy or sweet, rather a lightly tingling sensation of spiciness that comes through on the whitbeer base.

It's worth trying if only for the experience.

 

Congratulations!

 

Congratulations - thanks for sharing and showing those huge smiles! Plus dropping in a review...rock star.

Best wishes for the times ahead.

 

Another lovely ale from Suarez - cheers!

4.2/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 500mL bottle into a port glass.

Clear Princeton orange body, fizzy highly active head dissipates before one can assess it.

Fruit, funk, and a touch of spicy phenols in the nose. Bright, aromatic, and inviting.

Tart palate entry followed by a wave of complex juicy fruit - the peach, black currants, and rhubarb are present individually but synergize into waves of complexity suggesting everything from tropical fruit to Ume plum vinegar. Fairly dry finish with hints of Jolly Ranchers and rosé. Light barnyard notes with hints of chevre.

Light bodied, crisp, refreshing. Pleasing carbonation. Gently tannic.

Wonderfully balanced and superb use of fruit. Not as sour as most wild ales, though in some ways closer to that style than a saison.

 

Two weeks to NBS 1000...I plan to dig up something cool!

Tonight's volunteer:



Infinite Darkness - an apple brandy barrel aged American Imperial Stout. The Oxbow graphics do make my eyes tear up, but the beer rarely dissappoints...

Pours like real old fashioned root beer. Very dark brown, a bit of red tinting. It does look black and light-swallowing in the full glass. Generous foamy beige head that after ten minutes has fallen to a nice quarter inch blanket, super clingy.

The smell.is light and...elusive? Lots going on but really have to work at it. Chocolate, a bit of vanilla, dark fruits, a bit of char, brown bread, a fruity esters that could be the apple influence, maybe a bit of smokiness. I get a sweet note as well like Belgian candi sugar I've used for home brew ages ago...

This just tastes lovely so ya'll can skip the rest.

There's a ton going on but it all works together as an integrated whole. It's way more than the nose gave away, but it's still a little o' this and a little o' that so the subtlety theme remains. It's an Imperial stout- no doubt about it. Char that is well short of obnoxious and acrid. Chocolate leaning more toward milk chocolate with a touch of vanilla. Slight sweetness. I get a berry fruit that seems blackberry to me. A little tobacco. A kiss of smoke. Darker fruit - maybe fig-like. The apple is extremely subtle - it may be a imaginary figment driven by the words on the label. Caramel and dark sugar. Coffee that I don't get on the nose along with a clove-like spice. Ohhh...there at the end after some repeat sips is a caramel candy apple flavor... The fairly mild bitterness seems to be malt driven from the little bit of char.

The feel is medium-bodied. Dry on the finish
Fairly bright carbonation. Super, super smooth. A little chalky coating.

It sounds like a hot mess but it certainly isn't. It is one of those each sip is a surprise beers as it morphs and plays tricks on the unwitting taste buds. This is an easy 4.2 and probably higher, but I may need to temper the liking factor a bit. It has everything I like in an AIS and nothing I don't. I would never have expected this from Oxbow - doesn't seem remotely in their wheelhouse. Well done.

 

Ooohhh yeaaahhh

 

Here's the other new-to-me from Trillium that made it to limited distro in VT in late March.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30654/145496/



16 ounce can packaged 02/26/24.

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

Nose of dank herb, some tropical fruit and citrus.

Taste has dank pine bitterness with a bit of mango to smooth it out;
but a complexity that doesn't quite come together for me. Oh well...

Good feel with near medium carbonation.

Overall, not my favorite from these guys but still somewhat tasty.

Cheers!

 

My nightcap -

I’ve actually had this on tap a few times and sent it out on BIFs and trades but never sat down with a bottle to concentrate on the beer.
Until now.
Pour is stout black with a 1 cm light brown head which left rings of lacing.
The important part: the taste.
It’s not like either of the stouts that make up the blend, or maybe cuvée.
It’s a touch more coffee forward than Double Cream Stout and much less roasty than Expedition stout.
It *is* amazingly tasty with smooth coffee and chocolate and daaaark fruits.
This is way too easy to drink considering the ABV, I had the 12 ounces consumed in very short order.
Good beer!

 

Eugene's Axe

8.6% New England style IPA by Fidens.

Poured from a pint can, the body is an apricot yellow with a nice fluffy white head. Good lacing throughout the tasting

Aroma is a wonderful citrus and fruit. Pineapple, orange, peach.

Taste follows the nose with the aroma flavors dampened. Added to the mix is a hoppy flavor that only approaches bitterness. With all the fruit notes, the beer never is sweet.

Mouthfeel is excellent. Soft and luscious.

Another great beer by Fidens.

 

American Solera TurboMan Hazy IPA, 7.0% ABV; 3.98 overall

Pours a hazed gold with two fingers of cream colored head. Nice head retention and lacing

S: Tons of citrus plus tropical fruit. Pineapple, papaya and coconut in small amounts

T: Oranges, a little vanilla, dryness and pomelo up front. Dryness. Limes, grapefruit and pomelo as this beer warms up. Finishes pretty dry with lime and grapefruit, plenty juicy

MF: Medium body, restrained carbonation, skews a little bitter. Somewhat acidic

Juicy, not as sweet as I like these, but drinkable enough

 

Any thoughts or descriptions to share?