New Beer Weekend #202

LOL!

But I did give Joe two bottles of my recently homebrewed Alsatian Pilsner and if you see some Jack's Abby Alsatian Pilsner in the near future I will take some 'credit' for that!

Cheers!

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. I meant to post this yesterday but I was caught up in an unexpected project. Double Tap Brewing Co. in Whippany, New Jersey, has been brewing a series of BA Quads. This one is called Quadruple Jeopardy!: What is Barrel Aged? It's aged in Tom Cat Gin barrels so it has notes of Juniper and bourbon.

I let it warm for about 15 minutes before reviewing. It's a very dark plum-mahogany color with a modest cap of ecru-colored foam and minimal lacing. The smell is enticing and offers oaky plum and black cherry with juniper and bourbon. This is a beer which needs to be savored and sipped slowly to experience the taste. It's oaky and barrel-forward but the barrel influence is itself nuanced. There are juniper notes from the gin but also soft notes of bourbon from the barrel in which the Tom Cat Gin rested. As it warms there is candied plum, clove, and other Belgian-style spicing. There is excellent depth of flavor but only if sipped slowly. The mouth feel is appropriate: slightly syrupy with moderate carbonation. And you can feel the 12.7% ABV.

I really appreciate that Double Tap makes small batches of these Quads. Not many brewers take the time to do so.

4.14/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I'm looking forward to trying a new Stout later this afternoon. Cheers!

 

Howdy BAs! My new to me Sunday brunch is coffee is Revolution’s Super Massive Cafe Deth (202). BBA 18 months with freshly roasted Dark Matter coffee:



Canned 4/4/24. Poured at 58°. Tavour purchase. Pours black with ruby edges; clarity under fast fizzy dark tan head that vanished immediately leaving a thin ring and a small island of micro dots, neither of which stick around for very long; small spots of lace only on agitation; no legs. Nose is strong roast coffee; bourbon; boozy retro nasal. Strong bitter roast coffee entry; bourbon; bittersweet dark chocolate; oak; coffee finish. Alcohol burn on tip of tongue (14.8%); silky feel, medium plus body; light carbonation; full mouth warmth. Overall a heavy hitter in the BBA Imperial Coffee Stout arena; beautiful balance of bitter roast coffee and base of semi sweet chocolate; Deth’s Tar with a “massive” amount of fresh coffee - great!

If you like big barrel aged coffee stouts, I think you’ll enjoy this beer.

4.0 | 4.75 | 4.75 | 4.5 | 4.75
Score 4.68 rDev +3.8%

Cheers y’all and have a great Sunday!

 

Happy, happy NBS one and all!
Today I start with one that, while new to me, was old when I bought it.
Another Colorado find, fool I thought it was new and it’s 3 years old. Oh well, it aged well.
Poured stout black with a light brown head which left sheets of lacing.
The taste is flat amazing- waves of chocolate and vanilla and maple syrup and somehow bourbon sneaks in. Oh yeah, the base porter is quite present here as well, but it’s really just the carrier for the adjuncts, which were skillfully used.
The feel is likely the most velvety viscous porter I’ve ever had. Coated the mouth so completely that the flavor remains for minutes after I finish it.
OA, I normally bought these every year but like so many others, I don’t see them in W. Michigan anymore. So glad I bought these, even though they are not exactly fresh and it’s so much better than the one I had last night, for better or worse.

 

Checked out the Treehouse Woodstock CT location yesterday. Quite a limited selection there, about 5 beers they brew there and Green "imported" from Charlton.
Yesterday I had Woodstock Pale Ale, Nelson version on site. I may review it later today as I took home some cans of that.
My review below is the same beer, but a Citra version.

3.9/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from an undated 16oz can that was purchased yesterday at the brewery, to a nonic at fridge temp.
A bright yellow hazy body sits below a small white head that fades rather quickly but does lace moderately.
There is a very citrus aroma.
The taste is similar, citrus rind with a nice bitterness. Despite a relatively low, 5% ABV the alcohol is detectable
The mouthfeel is quite light, carbonation is slightly above medium.

 

Redferrrai(freaky Friday edition) by Trillium


4.27/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Can dated 4.29, opened 6.2.24

Brewers notes: This Hazy DIPA features a 50/50 blend of Galaxy & Mosaic hops with notes of dank melon, passion fruit, and blueberry.

Chilled pint can poured into a pretentious beer glass, two finger off white foam cap over a hazy orange liquid with numerous carbonation streams

Aroma is tropical fruit, blueberries, orange citrus , bubblegum

Taste is orange citrus, bubble gum, juicy fruit , slightly dank finish

Smooth, juicy , sudsy mouthfeel

Good beer

 

"The Grim" Black Lager. Closer to a Schwarzbier in my opinion
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/68007/701680/

Poured a 473ml can into a pint glass. A two finger fine light brown head on an opaque black. Excellent head retention. Some patchy lacing.

Toasted malt smells. Coffee. Cocoa.

The taste follow the nose. A very mild dry hop finish.

Light body and carbonation.

A fine Schwarzbier. Well worth a try.

look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

 

Just one new brew for me today, but a good one from Struise:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/15237/610325/?ba=bluejacket74#lists





Cheers and have a great week everyone!

 

Toppling Goliath Primabier Lager with Tettang & Hallertau Hops, 5.2% ABV; 3.41 overall

Pours an effervescent gold with a thumb of ivory colored head. Stays effervescent, nice head retention & lacing

S: Corny, a little grassyness

T: Grassyness, limes, dryness, & cornyness up front. Dryness, cornyness & grass & a little lime as this beer warms up. Finishes dry, grassy & corny

MF: Medium body, lively carbonation, too sweet

A chore to finish. All future ones will be consumed ICE cold. Not a fan of this style & this is disappointing even for it. Noble hop presence is lacking to me

 

Good Sunday afternoon NBS/nbw and thanks to our host @Orca for kicking things off
Todays offering is from Abandoned Building Brewery
A big barrel aged stout with espresso, vanilla bean, and cacao
this is a sipper and each of those sips is quite good

Cheers all

10th Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

American Imperial Stout | 12% ABV
Abandoned Building Brewery in Easthampton, Massachusetts

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.21/5 rDev 0% | Average: 4.21
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 16 oz can dated 05/02/2024 into the test glass.
A - Dark as can be, with a bit of foam assembling for the march outta there. During the experince a stead mocha ring clings to the glass perimeter.
S - Espresso forward, add some bakers chocolate, vanilla, a bit of dark stone fruit, black cherry in particular. A bit of alcohol, and some nice char.
T - All the aromatics but with a more vanilla and bourbon centric focus, the espresso , and cacao are present but not as pronounced
M - Slick texture with a medium body, nice bitterness to offset the adjuncts, finish is delightfully dry
O - A very good stout, that hides the abv well, provides a lot to experience, and worth seeking out

 

I stand corrected. I am drinking the Green now. Can says it was also brewed at Woodstock.

 

Magnify Brewing Co. celebrated its 9th anniversary in May. For each anniversary it releases one or more variants of its "Born Day" Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout. This year there were 3 variants. I passed on the Mexican pepper one and decided between the almond and coconut and sundae versions. I picked the latter. It's brewed with cake batter, aged for 15 months in 7 year Willett Bourbon barrels, and conditioned on Rice Krispies, fudge, and coffee. But it doesn't drink like a typical Pastry Stout. The barrel effect is almost overpowering.

Poured at 61°. It's dark walnut in color. The medium mocha head fizzled away immediately - the typical appearance for Born Day. There are small amounts of detritus floating in the glass. Again, that is not unusual for Born Day. Its smell is bold and sweet with chocolate cake, coffee, vanilla, and subtle bourbon. But the bourbon dominates the initial sip - it rather overwhelms the sweetness of the cake batter and Rice Krispies. I don't recall any Born Day variant being so overtly boozy although it does mellow as it breathes in the glass. The Stout is also surprisingly bitter. In fact, it really doesn't drink like a Pastry Stout. As expected the mouth feel is terrific - thick and oily in a good way - with low carbonation. And it drinks every bit of its 13.5% ABV. I'm glad Magnify uses the 500 ML format because this is a big Stout. Overall, I was surprised how potent the barrel-aging is on this variant. On the other hand it's not overly sweet.

4.09/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

I foresee a wide variation in ratings. A fan of Willett Bourbon might really enjoy it whereas a Pastry Stout fan (which I'm not) may be disappointed.

Have a great week, everyone. Cheers, NBW!

 

American Solera Green Boat West Coast IPA, 8.2% ABV; 3.64 overall

Pours a chill-hazed gold with 2+ fingers of fluffed up pearl colored head. Average head retention & phenomenal lacing

S: Pineyness, cakeyness

T: Cakey, piney, pomelo, & dryness up front. Much pineyness, some dryness, pomelo, & a touch of white grape as this beer warms up. Finishes piney, dry some white grape & citrus on the edges

MF: Medium body, dialed back carbonation, needs a little something to balance out the pineyness

A serviceable West Coast IPA, but my hopes were higher, so much pineyness that hurts drinkability

 

I love this style from time to time, quite a few tasty local examples around these parts too.

 

A second “new” to me beer today from my Tavour drop on Wednesday - Kettlehead’s “DJ Pulpy OJ” with Nectaron hops and cara cara oranges added:

Canned 3/25/24. Frothy white two fingers head; hazy pale gold with clarity under excellent cap retention; solid ring; medium heavy lacing. Orange, tropical fruit nose. Mild bitter orange peel; firm malt base; passion fruit; peach/nectarine in the background. Light body; moderate minus carbonation; no astringency; thin watery feel. Overall the Nectaron does not shine; a good but average HazyLite.

4.5 | 3.75 | 4.0 | 3.75 | 4.0


I’d gladly drink again…doubt I would buy again. Cheers y’all!

 

Jack--Do you (or does anyone here) know why it is called Logjammin'? Every time I see it all I can think of is that classic Jackie Treehorn production.