New Beer Weekend #198

Thank you @Snowcrash000 for starting this thread, it's after midnight here in New England and the weekend starts wherever you are ready.

New to me is this Golden Ale by Long Trail Brewing Co. of scenic Bridgewaters Corners, VT.
Summer Ale is the name, a quality hoppy Blonde Ale with a lower-than-average price point, aka a good value. Cheers.



3.81/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

An average pour released a finger of creamy/soapy white foam with long retention and sliding blotches of lacing. Slightly hazy, yellow straw body shows golden straw in front of flame.

Dough and fresh baked bread greet the nose, a blend of herbal, floral and citrus (lemon, orange) hops build in. Grass, grain and faint cardboard emerge with a ripe and sweet-smelling fruitiness. Alcohol is very faint.

A fruity neutral taste with very low bitterness at first, a soft malt sweetness gives way to hop flavor and bitterness. Citrus and a deeper, general fruit flavor from the hops unexpectedly fade, leaving the middle of the taste profile a bit lean. The finish is dry and surprisingly bitter with a spicy taste arriving late and lingering on.

Medium-low bodied with lasting carbonation, smooth and well balanced (until the aftertaste), easily quaffed. APA level bitterness at the end, a well-done Blonde/Golden Ale. "Juicy Golden Ale" according to the label, it's not too juicy.
PKG on 02/26/24.

 

Hoppin' Frog - Black Friday Barleywine Ale

16oz can served in a footed pilsner glass. Best by June 14, 2033. Got it from @Ozzylizard either in extended BIF #17 shenanigans, or BIF #18 ninja strike.

Pours a murky dark amber with about a finger of head which slowly decays into a thick skin creeping unevenly up to about a half centimeter height on the side of the glass. Smell is banana bread and walnuts, some kind of a dark cake that's not very sweet. Spice cake comes to mind, but not too heavy on the spice. Definite woody overtones.

Taste is interesting. It has the woody character of Bigfoot without much of the barky bitterness, doesn't lose that pseudo-spice-cake flavor, but the sweetness is toned down even more. There's something slightly in the molasses direction. Overall, this is much more in the bitter and woody direction than I expected, which might be an interesting trick of some spices.

Mouthfeel is thick and rich. Overall, pretty good, and rather unusual.

 

Poured into a 16 oz Snulip glass canned on 3/21/24. Pours a very attractive hazy yellow with a finger plus sticky white head that leaves thin streaks of lace, with nice retention. 4.25

Aroma is peach, mango, mandarin, honeydew, and apricot. 4.25

Taste follows peach, mango, mandarin, honeydew, and apricot. 4.25

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

Overall this is good. I always have high expectations for this brewery and it was good. 4.25 Cheers all. Did the time this can open change? A lot of action for 7:30 Eastern time.

 

One of my favs I haven't seen in a ****'s age.

 

Good day BAs! Thanks @Snowcrash000 for starting this weekend thread! My son and I'll be working out of Bamberg in June - maybe we can get together.
Today's New Breakfast Beer - a surprise because the one i was planning on turned out to be one I'd previously tried.



Fried Ice Cream - from Flying Fish. 16 fl oz can purchased from Franklin Beer Co, Franklin, PA, 24/04/24, $ 4.00 (Including tax), $ 0.25/fl oz. Reviewed 04/05/24 (Review 3269). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stamped on the bottom of the can “10/18/23”. Stored in reefer at the distributor, 34 degrees at home. Served at 54.3 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 60.0 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Deep Amber (SRM 15), clear.
Body – Ruby Brown (SRM 24), opaque. Under direct light, same with much sediment. When rear-lite, opaque except at the edges where ruby.
Head – Large (Maximum 5.3 cm, aggressive center pour), wheat, high density, average retention, leaving a 0.7 – 1.3 cm crown and rocky cap.
Lacing – Good. Wide band of near-microscopic to small bubbles
Aroma – 4.25 – Lightly sweet with roasted malt and vanilla. No yeast, no hops, no alcohol (10.3 % ABV as marked on the label).
Flavor – 4 – Chocolatey with cinnamon, no vanilla, just marginally bitter. No yeast, no hops, no alcohol. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Mild gastric warming.
Palate – 4 – Medium; just short of creamy; lively carbonation.

Final Impression and summation: 4.25 One of the few times I could actually smell vanilla. The ethanol is well-hidden, showing up when I try to move. In general, moderate on both palate and nose, certainly unoffensive, actually worth trying.

Rating 4.11, rDev +3.3%

 

Dragon's Milk Reserve - Coffee And Chocolate



11% stout by New Holland

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle, the body is dark black. A nice small fluffy mocha-colored head appears. Not much lacing, but the head lingered for quite some time.

Aroma was sweet chocolate and brewed coffee. As strong a chocolate nose as Founders Mackinaw Fudge Stout (aka Fudgiosity). As the beer warmed, the chocolate note faded and coffee expanded. Very enjoyable.

Taste generally followed nose but with the aroma flavors dampened. The chocolate was present, but no longer sweet. A barrel presence arrives, but it's light and not sweet. Only a wee bit of alcohol is noticed. Also present and welcome is a nice malty char. The mix creates a very appealing stout.

Good carbonation. Mouthfeel is what I call Dragon Milk light. All stouts I've tried from the brewery are generally good, but are a little thin. Clearly, a brewers choice. It does make the stout easy to drink (with the well masked ABV, ridiculously easy to drink.)

This stout is my favorite by New Holland. Good flavors and easy to drink.

 

Got the dogs walked early, before it gets too hot.
My new beer for today is Coolship Lager Black from OEC Brewing in Connecticut. This will be my third beer from this brewery, and I have enjoyed every one.
This beer is black, with a persistent tan head and a little bit of lace.
Earthy, roasted malt aroma.
Taste of brown bread, a little chocolate. Earthy hops.
Medium-bodied, smooth.

 

Wondering Thoughts From Exhibit A NEDIPA.

 

@Beersnake - I really enjoy the honey included 50/50 Eclipse offerings, and don’t get any bitterness on those selections. I highly recommend Eclipse offerings for those who would like to try a BBA Imperial stout with honey, and hope one day to get up to the source.

Will enjoy following the @jonphisher @cjgiant beer trade results, as each shared awesome selections for me. And finally had a good NHL evening with Vegas finally winning for the first time since I flipping them on on the East Coast past 2 AM to see them fall in OT early Sunday morning.

Feeling better after a nice bowl of soup and bread in the overnight hours. As promised, the first of two remaining Maine selections, this one a Porter I’ll pair with a light breakfast once I complete my review notes.

Maine Beer Company King Titus

4.09/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25



Bottle Notes: Purchased 2/22/24 at Beer on the Wall Park Ridge at store temperature, refrigerated upon bringing home. $8.00 with tax, 16.9 oz bottled 1/30/24 at 10:08:38. 7.5% ABV. Porter. Drink this beer fresh within 120 days of the stamped born on date. Freeport, Maine.

Titus, a bold silverback gorilla who led with his heart, was observed by The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (DFGF) throughout his 35 year life. Their conservation approach involves research, education, and community outreach, which has allowed DFGF to protect these magnificent animals on the VIrunga volcano mountain range in Rwanda. Learn more at GorillaFund.org.

Appearance: Poured about 3/4 of the bottle into a shaker pint glass. Dark chestnut brown base, creamy rich darker tan head lingers a few minutes before leaving barley a trace in lacing and a creamy thin cover over the base. Can't see the carbonation beyond the fine bubble traces marked in the creamy cover. Looks solid. 4.25

Aroma: A bitter roast malt dominates the strong aroma, getting hints of milk chocolate, caramel, toffee in the back. 4.0

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, though the dark roast malt is sweeter than anticipated based on the aroma. Plenty of hops bitterness to keep this in proper balance. Getting chocolate milk and caramel backing as this warms, which improves from the initial colder sips. Getting some dark roast coffee further in. Like this more as I reach the half way point than my initial take. 4.0

Mouthfeel: Faint gentle carbonation adds a touch more depth than the thin to medium body conveys. Drinks light and easy especially in comparison to ABV. The hops bitterness and sweet flavors work to form a nice balanced porter.4.25

Overall: This is a solid hoppy porter which presents strong aroma and taste sensations. Not sure if the hops faded as I approached the recommended 120 best by, but this beer, though didn't anticipate much fade and refrigerated this for most of the life of the bottle. Overall, if you like a hoppy somewhat bitter porter, this is a solid choice as is most Maine Beer Company offerings. 4.25

Saved the IPA for last, as I typically do when "Primetime" is in play. Cheers!

 

After enjoying some beers at @jonphisher's favorite spot with him and @ChicagoJ last Sunday, I was gifted some beers. This included some Palo Santo, a beer that I hadn't sipped in good little while before cracking one this week. Obviously, that beer would not be new to me, so I have to move to a lighter offering that @jonphisher bequeathed to me.

This is Mudhen Pils, from Mudhen Brewing Company out of Wildwood, NJ - a place my family spent a few summers back in the days, very true to the Billy Joel song about a certain PA town.


With a mildly aggressive pour for the tall pilsener glass, I got a white top of about 1/4 of the glass. Dialing it back, some rockiness formed, but the head fell a bit too quickly to get deep craters. There is a spider web of lacing as I dig into the other senses.

This brew has a honey and lightly floral sweetness on the nose - a little more than I expected. Taking a quick second to re-calibrate, I start to notice some summer grass and a bit of lemony citrus.

The taste starts with a dry herb focaccia-like breadiness, switching direction on me again by being a bit more grassy/herbal bitter than my post-aroma adjustment to expectations. There is a honey sweetness underneath this bitterness that I missed in that first sip. So yes, this beer is a noble hop grassy bitter beer, but it isn't out of balance at all. Accents that come and go is a slight floral note that joins the honey up front in some sips and a little Saaz-like spiciness that trickles into the mid-late palate on others.

The brewery claims this has "American noble-type hops," which is an interesting phrase. Whatever the ingredients, this is a tasty Pilsner-type beer.

---

@ChicagoJ - glad to read you enjoyed the Dark Hollow last weekend. Not sure why I thought it was a bit lighter than 10% (I thought it was in the 8.5% range when I offered it to Jon).

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

I am sitting at Brewery 99 in New Bern, NC at the moment and I am doing my best to try as many beers here I can.
And, the beer, added to the system.

Lunatic w/Mugwart, Bog Myrtle + Gentian Root - Gruit - 6.0%

This beer does taste amazing, but, I just can't put words to all I am tasting here. Very full of spices, and herbs. Somewhat sweet. Totally delicious.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/51269/700545/
4.38/5 rDev 0% look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25 On tap at the brewery in a 16oz pint glass. This beer is a golden/amber pouring beer. Lots of nice carbonation bubbles rising in the glass. The beer looks fairly clear. Not much of a head formed. The nose of this beer is complex. Lots of herbs and spices. I like what I am smelling, but, I really can't put names to what I am smelling. Taste - this beer tastes very herbal and spiced. Very complex. Somewhat sweet. Very floral tasting. I am digging the flavor even if I can't describe it well. Full bodied, smooth and bubbly feeling. While I can't describe it well, I can say that this beer is very well made, and very tasty.

I have a party to go to, but there will be one more here before it. Cheers!

 

I was happy when you mentioned wildwood cause I had the two beers from there.

Glad you enjoyed it, I really like that pils and it’s nice and grassy with just that touch of honey like sweet. Like you said, we do seem to see eye to eye on many beers

I need warm weather so I can sip optimal wit in optimal wit weather: sunny, not too hot and out on deck.

 

One more here, for now.

Cask IPA - Brewery 99 - New Bern, NC - American IPA - 5.4%

This beer is tasty as heck. It looks amazing, and the head is the star of the show. I am digging this cask IPA.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/51269/700561/
4.04/5 rDev 0% look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4 On tap at the brewery. This beer is a nice straw color and somewhat murky. The star of the look is the head. The head looks like a soft, fluffy cloud. So smooth looking, and long lasting with great lacing. The nose is somewhat fruity almost. There is a slight hop presence in here. Taste it does have a slight bit of hop bitterness, and more pine in it. It has a very floral element to it. Somewhat earthy tasting. Slight sweetness to this beer. This beer is so smooth feeling, like velvety almost. There is a very slight hop bitterness. Tasty and interesting beer.

More later for sure.

 

2022 Barrel Aged Blackout Stout (Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels, 10.5%)

As true to style as it gets. Obviously with well over a year on this the nose has faded a bit, but you still get a touch of barrel sweetness. The robust, roasty notes still coming through. Nice dark chocolate bitterness. Some slight barrel sweetness coming through mid palate. Very enjoyable.

 

I'm still amused that after saying that Von Trapp is too expensive and hard to find in Brooklyn, it just suddenly popped up in all Whole Foods stores; first as only mixed packs, and now also with their grapefruit radler.



Appearance — grapefruit juice.

Smell — grapefruit juice.

Taste — grapefruit juice.

Mouthfeel — you guessed it, grapefruit juice.

Overall — grapefruit juice.

This is a great summer beer even when it is 50 degrees outside. The freshness of it makes it only better.

 

Adroit Theory - Necrosimian, a German pilsner in the Adventures in Thirst Official Compendium of Flavor Fantasy (2nd Edition)

16oz can served in a footed pilsner glass. Can is dated 12/06/23 as far as I can tell. Gifted to me by @Ozzylizard, probably in shenanigans associated with NBS BIF #18.

Pours clear brassy gold with a big, fluffy head that settles into a fairly thick clotted layer that rises at least a finger up the side of the glass. Lots of active carbonation. Smell is very lemony, a little bit of dough, maybe some old hay.

Taste is lots of bright lemon, maybe a little orange zest, cut grass and leaves bitterness. Graininess is there a little bit.

Mouthfeel is light, crisp, clean, dry. Overall, very nice beer.

 

Greetings fellow NBWers - I'm enjoying the "May gray" while it lasts - lingering over this cellar pull, a singular strong ale from the retired master:

4.31/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

2009 vintage - poured from a 12oz bottle into a port glass.

Brilliantly clear crimson body with a low beige cap, receding to a lasting collar and faint surface slick. Surprising retention for the age, ABV, and source. Fine sandy lacing; oily legs.

Intensely malty aroma suffused with dark fruit (prunes, dates, currants), lightly kilned grain, toffee, and treacle. Complex and inviting.

Initial sweetness suggests caramel with hints of wine reduction. Barrel elements grow more prominent with tannins and a gentle tartness. Lengthy, bittersweet finish suggests toasted dark rye bread spread with currant preserves. Greater than the sum of its parts. Just a whisper of oxidation perhaps, but its complimentary if anything.

Medium-light bodied, low but adequate carbonation, warming but not too hot.

This has held up exceptionally well - one of the best expressions of Alan's vision.