New Beer Weekend #198

Good evening NBW
I stumbled across a six pack of Ethiopian beer this week in Kentucky and my brain couldn't compute the date code until today. I don't routinely buy 1.5+ year old pale lagers at room temp, but this is only the second African beer I've seen ever, so I did. I was nervous to pop the cap, but luckily, the oxygen absorbing cap did it's job and this one is merely forgettable, not awful.

Habesha Cold Gold

11.2oz bottle coded GQmM 22247 (over 1.5 years old...) poured into a pilsner glass at fridge temp 5% ABV (it's contract brewed in Holland for the Ethiopian brewer). The beer pours bright pale gold with off white head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of bubbles. Slight lacing. The aroma is pilsner malt and slightly grassy, skunky past that. The taste is semisweet pilsner malt with a sulfur note and barely any bitterness. The mouthfeel is thin bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Mostly clean lagering. Overall, enjoyable beer.

Cheers all!

 

I didn't realize either that there is a Scottish ale and Scotch Ale that are two different style until I looked it up. The Scottish ale is in the dark ales category here and the Wee Heavy is in the strong ales group.

 

Good evening denizens of NBW! Had to pop this one open to see if it was as good as it was when we had it at SAN a couple years ago (but never reviewed)
It is.
The vanilla acts as an amplifier for the coffee and chocolate normally found in stouts, and then it follows it all as a distinct flavor.
The bourbon surrounds the entire thing.
It all adds up to a very tasty stout.
The feel is slightly viscous, just enough body to carry the flavors.
Good beer.

 

Collective Arts Grapefruit & Lime Gose
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/32763/691992/

Appearance: Poured a 473ml can into a glass. A bubbly half finger fine head which dissipated almost immediately. A very cloudy dirty apricot colour. No lacing.

Smell: Fruit smells.

Taste: Very interesting. Grapefruit up front with a hint of salt. Lime dominates the mildly tart finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body and carbonation.

Overall: Interesting and easy drinking. It would be very refreshing on a hot day.

look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

 

Cross-posted in WBYDN #4214

Japas Cervejaria - Yuzu Nama Biiru
Super Dry Rice Lager with Yuzu

 

Good day BAs! Back with an early morning New Breakfast beer:



Stowe Style: Dunkelweizen - from von Trapp. 16 fl oz can purchased from Franklin Beer Co, Franklin, PA, 24/04/24, $ 3.00 (Including tax), $ 0.188/fl oz. Reviewed 05/05/24 (Review 3270). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stamped across the bottom rim “BEST07/15??”. Stored in reefer at the distributor, 34 degrees at home. Served at 45.1 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 50.3 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Medium Amber (SRM 12), clear.
Body – Ruby Brown (SRM 24), opaque. Under direct light. When rear-lite, translucent ruby.
Head – Large (Maximum 6.1 cm, aggressive center pour), beige, high density, average retention, leaving a 0.6 – 1.5 cm crown and rocky cap.
Lacing – Fair. Butte of tiny bubbles.
Aroma – 4.25 – Banana! No yeast, no hops, no alcohol (5.5 % ABV as marked on the label).
Flavor – 4.25 – Banana with a bit of roasted/toasted malt and hints of clove. Weak smokiness. Disappointingly no maple. No yeast, no hops, no alcohol. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. No gastric warming.
Palate – 4 – Medium; creamy; lively carbonation.
Final Impression and summation: 4.25 Tasty! A very good dunkelweizen.

Rating 4.21, rDev +4.5%

 

Poured into a 16 oz Snulip glass canned on 3/26/24. Pours a very attractive hazy yellow orange with a half finger sticky white head that leaves some thin lines of lace with nice retention. 4.25

Aroma is peach, pineapple, passionfruit, honeydew, and apricot. 4

Taste follows peach, pineapple, passionfruit, honeydew, and apricot. 4

Mouthfeel is a little bigger than average, soft gentle carbonation, not sticky or dry, and at 6.5% it drinks a little bigger and easy sipping. 4

Overall this one is good. Nothing to get excited about, but a tasty beer just the same. 4

 

Poured into a 16 oz tulip glass not sure when it was canned. Pours nears pitch black with a massive 3 plus finger mocha head that leaves massive streaks of lace, with exceptional retention. 5

Aroma coffee grounds, deep dark chocolate, heath bar, and vanilla beans. 4.75

Taste follows, but the nose leaves me wanting more than the taste delivers, still excellent. Coffee, cocoa, vanilla beans, and heath bar. 4.5

Mouthfeel is big, soft gentle carbonation, maybe a touch dry, and at 8.2% it drinks much bigger, but still very approachable. 4.75

Overall this one is rather amazing. I say if you like this style, you must sip this one. 4.5

 

Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass not sure when it was canned, but last week I trust. Pours a hazy yellow with a finger sticky white head that leaves thick streaks of lace with excellent retention. 4.5

Aroma yes the Mango certainly stands out, peach, pineapple, tangerine, and papaya lend a hand. 4.5

Taste follows mango, peach, tangerine, pineapple, and papaya very juicy. 4.5

Mouthfeel is above average, soft gentle carbonation, maybe a little sticky, and at 8.5% massive flavor, but easy sipping. 4.5

Overall this one is extremely tasty, massive mango but it works very well. I am really digging this juice box. 4.5

 

Great start!

 

Well Hello NBW (Sunday Edition).
Had a nice little Gluten Free brewery experience yesterday.
Divine Science Brewing

Started off with one the wife liked even better than I did.
Particle Haze
Pretty enough. Light on the head retention and near zero lacing.
Slight nose hints at citrus rind.
Flavor is a smooth, slightly bitter citrus and grass ride.
Mouthfeel is light, mild carb, and finishes smooth and dry.
3.48/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

 

I won today’s new to me beer in a raffle at the pub yesterday - DSSOLVR’s “believe in the breeze” a Czech-style Pilsner with Saaz hops:



Pale gold with excellent clarity; tight white creamy head; excellent cap retention; medium heavy sticky lacing. Spicy floral hops nose. Baked bread; biscuits; light spicy hops; mild bitterness. Crisp clean feel; light body; moderate carbonation. Overall, a great balance between malt and spicy hops; very drinkable.

4.5 | 4.25 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5
Score: 4.44 rDev: +9.6%


A very tasty light beer on a hot afternoon. I’d gladly drink again. Cheers!

 

Happy Anniversary!

 

Home now from a nice hike on this grey rainy day
Enjoying the fresh Pilsner from Bunker Brewing
Labelled as Italian Pilsner, and not a bad take on Tipolis
Cheers all
Allora

German Pilsner | 5.2% ABV
Bunker Brewing Co. in Portland, Maine

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.04/5 rDev 0% | Average: 4.04
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured from a 16 oz can dated 4/27/24 into the test glass
A - Beauty to look at, excellent clarity. Lemondrop yello, lasting white cap. Carbonation dance is mezmerizing
S - Grassy hops up front, a bit of lemongrass, fresh baguette grainy thread
T - Crackery grain up front, beautiful hop expression, late edition Noble is my guess, grassy with a nice bite
M - Dances across the palate, crisp, dry finish
O - A lovely Pilsner, crisp and dry, with tons of flavor

 

Happy Anniversary!!
And cheers to many more

 

Yesterday:

• Happy 10th Wedding Anniversary @jonphisher !
• @cjgiant know I only feared a mid teen BBA stout, and any issues with breaking / opening the bottle, but it all worked out great.
• @ovaltine - Nice to sit down and focus on longtime favorites like your chance with Oberon this weekend. Thanks for sharing.

Today: Welcome one and all to New Beer Sunday #1002! The third and final Maine offering for this weekend. We have been getting a great variety of distributed Maine Beer Company offerings this year in my primary store. Always love getting a crack at their beers and really hope to visit their brewery over the next few years along with other breweries and parts of Maine, Quebec and the surrounding areas.

Maine Beer Company Woods & Waters

3.86/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75



5/5/24 Chicago (Home)

Bottle Notes: Purchased from Beer on the Wall 5/1/24 for $8.54 at store temperature, refrigerated upon returning home until opening. 16.9 oz bottled 4/16/24 at 12:21:45. 6.2% ABV India Pale Ale. Drink this beer within 90 days of the stamped born on date.

We brewed this special IPA to commemorate the establishment of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. We incorporated Maine-grown barley and wheat, along with generous amounts of hops with notes and aromas of pine and citrus, reminiscent of the outdoors. Cheers to Mother Nature and all she provides us!

Appearance: Poured about half the bottle into a teku glass. Slightly murky bright golden straw pour, steady heavy sustained carbonation, Creamy bright white head leaves pillowy cover over the base and generous ringed lacing in it's wake. 4.75

Aroma: Pine, citrus, grapefruit bold and wonderful. Floral grassy notes back well. 4.25

Taste: Bitter pine and grapefruit, citrus, grassy notes are negligible to gone. Pretty much one note, vs. the medley of aromas. 3.5

Mouthfeel: Very bitter and dry, perhaps a bit too much even though I typically love in proper measure. This is the primary first impression, though it mellows out or at least I get better acclimated as I progress. Drinks at or below the abv, bitter pine predominate. Medium resinous body, very dry, dry bitter pine finish. 4.0

Overall: Would have loved this if the flavors flew from the nose to the taste, and the mouthfeel didn't feel like a dry bitter bludgeoning. Aroma had a lot of promise, and while I'm enjoying this, the bitterness is the primary component even after getting acclimated. Still enjoying, though with more water backing than usual. 3.75

 

All right, I was planning on going to Mother Earth Brewing, but they were closed today. Well, my next choice is Nauti Dog Brewing in Winterville, NC

The Kilt Lifter - Scottish Ale - 7.4%

Tasty caramel flavor to this beer. Delicious.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/58495/569829/

3.77/5 rDev -4.1% look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75 On tap at the brewery Very dark amber pouring beer that gets slightly lighter at the bottom of the glass. One finger brownish head that has great retention and good lacing. The nose is a roasted caramel malt aroma. Definite caramel malt flavor. There's also cola like flavors in this beer. There is a slight bitterness to the finish. Bubbly feeling. Slightly crisp feeling. Decent fullness. Tasty example of the style.

More later.

 

One more from this spot.

One Hot Blonde - Nauti Dog Brewing- Winterville, NC - American Blonde- 5.2%

Buyer beware, this beer has a kick to it. I like spicy, and can handle it. The heat and the malts work well together.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/58495/700749/
3.54/5 rDev 0% look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5 On tap at the brewery Slightly murky golden pour to the beer. There's a bit of carbonation rising in the glass. The head is white. The beer has a nice grainy malt aroma to it. There is a good kick to this beer. The heat does build in this beer, but doesn't go over the top for me. There is a malty biscuit flavor here. The feeling from the heat lingers. Smooth body. If you can handle the heat, this can work for you. If not, avoid it.