New Beer Weekend #197

Thanks for kicking things off this weekend @DoctorZombies ! Perhaps a Mod can swap out your photo for @GrumpyGas 's beer, though personally missing Creature Comforts from the trades last year.

Hitting Philly for the weekend, expect to try at least three beers over three states starting with this suburban offering for an old time fan of the Fully Krausened Old Style Beer.

Art History Brewing Krausen



Can Notes: Purchased March 20, 2024 at store temperature from Beer on the Wall for $3.25. 16 oz canned 3/6/24, can stamp Spunded. Fully Krausened Cold-Filtered Lager., 4.6% ABV. Brewed and packaged for Art History Brewing at Geneva Lager Works, Geneva, Illinois.

Brewers Notes: Krausen American Lager. Naturally carbonated through the Krausening process. Horizontally Lagered. American 2 and 6 Row Malt and Corn. Akoya Hops. Keep Refrigerated below 37 F.

Appearance: Poured about 2/3 of the can into a long Pilsner Glass. Clear faint yellow straw color, consistent steady mild carbonation, generous bright white head lives for a few minutes before leaving a few clumps along the way and thin creamy layer above the base. 4.25

Aroma: Bread, cracker, pepper, corn in that order, medium plus strength. 3.75

Taste: Mild cracker, light salt and pepper, lemon grass. Creamy corn comes through after I get through a bit. 3.25

Mouthfeel: Light, somewhat dull with faint carbonation keeping a pulse of life. Drinks easy, getting a bit saltier as I continue, salty cracker is the finish. 2.75

Overall: This is a good offering, maybe need draft version or a warmer day here. Somewhat met expectations, but with Art History I have higher expectations than the average local brewer. Would try again. 3.0

Hope to see you tomorrow either from Philadelphia or Ambler.

 

When is it a ‘Regular’ IPA vs. a Juicy/Hazy IPA?

A couple/few weeks ago I took a road trip to Texas to visit family/friends and to watch the total eclipse. A beer that has been recommended to me in the past is Lone Pint Yellow Rose IPA but in the past I never saw this beer for sale at the supermarkets I shopped at in either Austin or New Braunfels. During this recent trip my wife and I got together with friends in San Antonio to walk the River Walk and eat lunch. On the trip back from San Antonio to New Braunfels we made a stop in a suburb of San Antonio (Live Oak) and visited a Spec specialty liquor store and to my great joy found some Yellow Rose IPA. I purchased a six-pack of this new (to me) beer and also purchased a six-pack of Live Oak Pils (a favorite of mine).

I had zero knowledge of Yellow Rose when I purchased it but below is how this beer is detailed on the Lone Pint website:

“Yellow Rose

SMaSH (Single Malt and Single Hop) IPAs are simple creatures, allowing the true essence of the ingredients to shine through. Occasionally, the simple begets the complex. Yellow Rose is brewed with this philosophy, creating a deliciously complex and irresistible IPA. Santa Anna knows...

Tasting notes: chalk-white head with a very clean malt backbone. The hops impart strong grapefruit, pineapple, and blueberry flavor and aroma.

Malt: Pilsner

Hops: Mosaic

Yeast: House

ABV 6.8%

IBU 62”

https://www.lonepint.com/the-core-brews

Today’s beer is the last can of that six-pack purchase which I brought home.

Served in my Spiegelau IPA glass:

Appearance:

A hazy light golden color with a white head.

Aroma:

Enticing fruity aroma with mostly tropical fruits and a hint of floral as well.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with lots of fruity flavors (e.g., tropical fruit) but in addition there is some citrus on the palate. There is a notable bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Medium bodied, a bit of chalkiness with dry finish.

Overall:

I think this beer is very good - excellent! I enjoyed drinking several cans while visiting in Texas and I enjoyed this can as well.

But is this beer a ‘regular’ IPA or a Juicy/Hazy IPA? It sure looks like a Juicy/Hazy IPA and the prominent tropical fruit flavor sure makes it seem like a Juicy/Hazy IPA. But the notable bitterness and non-smooth mouthfeel with a dry finish makes it seem like a ‘regular’ IPA. On BA it is placed in the American IPA category and I will choose to not quibble here.

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @RobH

 

Shout out to my favorite my front porch guest, @DoctorZombies, for an excellent opening! Revolution Brewing VSOR Select. A ryewine aged in rye and bourbon barrels. Courtesy of @beermanben. The look is translucent dark amber, with a purple tint. There was no foam. The smell is maple, vanilla, oak, milk chocolate, rye, brown bread, vanilla, and bourbon. The taste is light maple, caramel, vanilla, milk chocolate, marshmallow, graham cracker, molasses, and spiced apple. The mouthfeel is multi-layered, complex, silky, and smooth. Like a Twix candy bar. Overall, this is a unique, exceptionally delicious, special beer. Revolution Brewing does not fail when they brew a barrel-aged beer.

 

Yes, everybody has their own individual/unique palate and preferences.

I have homebrewed a Citra/Mosaic IPA several times and both me and family & friends have greatly enjoyed those beers.

A situation of to each their own?

Cheers!

 

@Beersnake, I first tried Iced Bourbon-Barrel Barleywine at Central Waters Brewing on a -3-degree weather day during the height of the pandemic. It was only outside seating. The IPA I also purchased immediately froze, so I left right away. Which was for the best. Boulevard Brewing and Toppling Goliath Brewing Elusive Thunder. A "super-hazy" IPA. The look is peach-apricot-honey yellow. There was a small amount of beautiful white foam. The smell is quite bountiful. Peach, apricot, mango, cantaloupe, and Lemonheads candy. The taste is very tropical. Pineapple, lemon, mango, starfruit, kiwi, and honeydew. The mouthfeel is light, crisp, clean, smooth, and vibrant, with medium carbonation. Overall, this is a really good "super-hazy" IPA. It hides its 9.5% ABV well. Which may be good or bad. Depending on circumstances.

 

I need to set up an epic situation for June or July. I will be in touch very soon.

 

Back from our local high school's baseball game. Celebrating a big win with a barleywine.

Old Money from Great Awakening in Massachusetts. Close to 2 years in Willett barrels, clocks in at 14.3% Thanks to my sister BBB for bringing this down!



This is one of those prune bombs. I love these. This pours very dark brown and pretty much still. Tons dark, dried fruits dominate. Prunes predominantly with some dates and figs coming along. The bourbon addition comes across mellow and very complimentary. Some woody tobacco, intense black strap molasses, and a hint of earthy spice like cinnamon round things out. This is damn tasty.

 

I hope to try that beer, perhaps on a road trip down South to Texas next Winter.

Still really miss the Mosaic Promise 15 packs from Founders. Such a great value, really disappointed when they pulled it a few years ago for more of the All Day nonsense.

Also disappointed Revolution pulled A Little Crazy and didn't even bring a draft version to the taproom this Winter. Somewhat of a holding pattern buying from either beyond the DW Season Pass since.

Would be cool to have a Summer Wisconsin gathering, and/or if you swing on by through Chicago again David. Sheboygan and or perhaps a Brewers tailgate / brewery Milwaukee gathering.

Cheers!

 

We'll arrange something. I will keep you updated.

 

Church Street Bourbon Barrel Aged Amburana Rhapsody

From the Untapped entry, quoted from the label:
"This Russian imperial Stout uses 10 different malts to establish complex waves of flavor. It was first aged on Amburana wood which gave this beer intense notes of gingerbread and baking spices. It was then transferred to freshly dumped Four Roses bourbon barrels, adding notes of oak and vanilla to round out this incredibly flavorful brew."

...and my thoughts:

A lightless black body with a slight ruby tinge at the very edge only briefly capped with a 1/2" head of cocoa powder colored mixed bubbles that forms from an even pour and falls to nothing but an edge-hugging ring. Agitation creates a multitude of tiny bubbles that return to the edge with deliberate, and measured pace.

Aromas of wet woods, molasses, cocoa, vanilla, and bourbon all combine in a balanced welcome to the taste.

The taste is deep, satisfying, and fulfilling. The bourbon is coated in chocolate, and the wood adds spice notes as described, almost too much.
Almost.

It asserts itself above the elixir causing a slight balance issue.
Again nit picking.
To the extent this was specifically aged on amburana before resting in Four Roses barrels, I appreciate the extra wood influence and it adds to the complexity. I don't quite get gingerbread, but so what.

A full mouthfeel coats the tongue with a drying effect encouraging, if not demanding, another sip.
Really happy with this effort.

 

Happy to oblige and so glad you liked it. Miskatonic is slowly gaining respect and luckily they are my hyper local brewery.