New Beer Weekend #202

Sly Fox — Bohemian Gold

The third Sly Fox lager is a Czech-style pilsner.

The appearance is clear light brown beer with a well-retaining head.

The nose is yeast and bread.

It is quite hoppy with a decent amount of bitterns.

The mouthfeel is thin.

Overall, it is the best out of the three lagers I tried, but again, it is somewhat one-dimensional with the bitterness being the dominant flavor.

 

That is the stupidest beer name I have seen in a long time.

 

Home from my mom's and niece's birthday lunch - they also threw mine in it, though mine isn't till the end of the month. Time for something I picked up on my way home.

Duvel 6.66 - Belgian Blonde Ale.

Damn! This is a crazy beer, in a good way. So much aroma. It also tastes great. Glad I bought the gift set that it came in.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/222/529992/
4.34/5 rDev +8.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
From a 11.2 oz bottle. Best before 02-24. Oh, well.

Great hiss and a good puff of smoke upon opening the bottle. The carbonation bubbled up the neck of the bottle all the way to the top, and would overflow if I didn't pour it. This is a mostly clear pouring beer, until I was able to finish the pour and then it got more murky. There's a metric crap ton of carbonation bubbles rising in the glass. It's like a geyser. The head is an extremely thick 3 finger head. The head is crazy frothy and fluffy. Mostly small bubbles, but when a big one does pop, it leaves a cave in the head. Great retention, and amazing lacing on the glass.
The nose started to hit when I opened the bottle. So yeasty. So full of bread dough. Biscuit notes. Up close all still shows up, but then there's an added floral, and slightly wild element to this beer that takes the aroma to the next level.
Taste - The taste is more restrained than the nose was letting on. I get a good bread/biscuit/yeast flavor here. The wild floral element hits on the back and adds a bit of funk and a bit of sweetness to this beer.
Bubbly, crisp, full bodied. The carbonation just dances in my throat.
This is a damn amazing beer. I can't recommend this enough.

I may have one more in me this weekend. Cheers! Now time to catch up on this thread.

 

I grabbed a 4-pack of this from my local grocery store several months ago on sight. I had regular Pig's Ear over 15 years ago and admittedly didn't bother to read the label, so was a bit surprised when I got home and realized I'd bought an 8.4% American Brown. Not the low-abv beer I thought I was getting. I'm also usually not a fan of American Browns as I find a lot of brewers over hop them for my palate. I am quite glad to be proven wrong on this one and can also report it passes my brown ale test: still tastes good flat and at room temp. One of my favorite parts of All Creatures Great and Small (1978) besides Robert Hardy's masterful performance is that they seemed to always have a case of brown ale in the sitting room close at hand for any occasion, cellaring not needed.

Woodstock Inn Brewery Double Pig's Ear
8.4% American Brown Ale



Pours medium brown with ruby at the edges and a half-finger tan head despite a vigorous pour.

Initially, I don't get much aroma. Some cocoa and brown bread with slight earthy hops. I don't get much more even as it warms though there are hints of things just unsmelled as it nears room temp.

The taste is a wonderful medly from the first sip. I get cocoa, dark roast coffee, and brown bread to kick things off. Then more sweetness comes to the fore as dark brown sugar nearing molasses. Heading into the second half of the sip, that American Brown bitterness starts to shine, first as cold brewed black coffee and then as earthy hops. The hops stick around for the finish along with roast coffee throughout the aftertaste. As it warms, I also get a slight amount of nuttiness in the first half and then licorice in the second half of the sip.

The feel is great. Really smooth with moderate-low carb and a medium-light body that doesn't detract from the experience. The lighter than expected body plus lingering hops and roast leave you more than ready for the next sip, which is a bit dangerous at 8.4%.

Overall, fantastic rendition of an America Brown. It has the reduced nuttiness and increased bitterness you'd expect compared to the English variety, but pulling from the malt profile for bitterness is brilliant. To me, many American Browns are poorly made, somewhat bland over-hopped beers that just happen to be brown. This rises well above that and is a worthwhile successor to the original style.

 

Sunday, new beer time, this one as will be the theme the next few weekends is courtesy of beer saint @snaotheus. It’s warm and sunny and I’m grilling seems like a German Helles was the perfect decision. Had a few from this brewery courtesy of Ryan, let’s add another.

Bizarre Brewing - Folding Waters (Helles 4.8%)



Pour brilliant light gold, quickly forming puffy white head, sadly not much retention on it; but an thin opaque film does stick around.

Nose is nice, refreshing and bright; freshly baked bread very light citrus and floral undertones.

The taste brings most of the same; very much about the malt, it’s light colored bread, again it has that fresh baked taste to it; little hint of citrus and some peppery spice on the finish.

Light body but so far from thin; some great carbonation, noticeably smooth and tongue coating; balanced residual malt sweetness, tongue tickling hop kiss on finish, very clean.

A really awesome helles, kept coming back to fresh baked bread, there was something extra to the breadiness in this beer that I really enjoyed; a nicely balanced hop presence that doesn’t overwhelm what this, a helles. Perfect beer to sip while grilling up dinner. Thanks for sending this one Ryan, really liked it.

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See you all around next weekend and keep the beers coming, we’ve got quite a few pages thus far. Let’s keep this thing going strong.

Next week Tonewood turns 8 and it’s my bday too so I’m hoping to sort of have a Tonewood Anniversary themed weekend. See you all then.

 

I think the same as you.

One of these years I will have to ask one of the Human Robot people this question.

Cheers!

 

I had that on tap while I was shopping, I thought it was really good.

 

Good afternoon BA
I picked up a treat in Bloomington several weeks ago and now have a quiet house to enjoy it.

Avec Les Bons Vouex

500mL green corked & caged bottle stamped L23290A with 2.023 on the cork. Hoping and assuming bottling on the 290th day of '23. Poured into a tulip glass at fridge temp 9.5% ABV. The beer pours slightly hazy with minor sediment in a light amber. Head is off white and vigorous at first, receding to an uneven ring and single layer of bubbles. Web style lacing everywhere. The aroma is mild with sweet pale malt, light esters and orchard fruit. Huge skunk notes on opening the bottle had me worried, but it is gone after 10 minutes in the glass. The taste is semisweet pale malt with light clove and bubblegum over apple and pear before a firm, yet mild, earthy final bitterness. Thin to medium bodied with above average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, excellent.

Cheers all!

 

It really really is; even Mrs Phisher who always says my lagers “taste and smell like college” said “wow I can smell that from here.” Haha. Thanks for these cool beers my friend.

 

Ayinger Maibock
7%



Poured from bottle, the body is a lightly opaque gold with a good initial head, fluffy and white. Minor lacing during the tasting.

Aroma is a nice mix of malt and earthy hop with a light sweetness in the background. Caramel or honey malt flavor is kept in check by a light hoppy bite.

Good mouthfeel with solid carbonation. Smooth drying finish.

An outstanding well balanced beer.

 

New beer #2

Mile Wide Solid Parody

16oz undated can poured into a nonic pint glass at fridge temp 8% ABV per label. The beer pours very dark brown with little light penetration. Head is light brown in color and settles to a thin ring and single layer of bubbles. Slight lacing. Aroma is mild with roasted malt in the form of watery chocolate and dark fruit. The taste is semisweet roasted & toasted malt with more dark fruit and mild chocolate. Mild bitterness. Thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, very good example of an underrepresented style.

Cheers all!

 

Enjoying another saison (pardon the improperly rinsed glassware) on one of the last cooler days we'll see for some time - cheers!



4.41/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a port glass. A blend of barrel-aged saison with plums and a barrel-aged dark farmhouse ale.

Sienna to auburn gradient with a small lasting almond cap. Fine soapy lacing; good retention.

Tart and funky nose with plum skins, noyaux, and faint barnyard notes. Hints of Arnold Palmer and golden raisins.

Aggressive sourness on the palate, suffused with a wonderful blend of stone fruit and oaky tannins. Kilned malt comes forward with hints of muscovado, dark toast, sugar cane, and fresh tobacco. The bready notes and light bitterness offset the tartness and lead into a complex medium-dry finish. A superior blend.

Medium bodied, zesty, and brisk with full carbonation, and a lovely balanced acidity.

Fantastic and unusual example of the style.

 

Back again with what will be my weekend closer

Duvel Tripel Hop Citra - Belgian IPA - 9.5%

Damn tasty beer. My review puts it well, I hope.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/222/455840/

4.04/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
From a 11.2oz bottle. Best by 09-24

Great hiss and good smoke upon opening the bottle. Super clear golden pouring beer. Good stream of carbonation bubbles rising in the glass. The head is a thick 3 finger white and frothy head. Retention is decent. There's some lacing on the glass.
The nose is a pleasing mix of mix of hops, malts, and yeast. I get some wild Belgian funk from the yeast. Hops has some floral elements. All 3 just work great together.
Taste - I am getting a nice hop bitterness in this beer. There's a bit of pine from the hops. There's a good malty biscuit flavor. Hints of floral funk show up.
Bubbly full body. Nice feeling of bitterness from the hops. Not much of a hint of alcohol in this beer.
Tasty beauty, and I can imagine it does age well.

See you all next weekend. Cheers!

 

Another NBS BIF#18 brew from @FBarber

3 Sons Brewery Bananas Foster Imp Stout ( Aged in Barbados Rum Barrel ), 14.5% ABV; 3.83 overall


Pours an effervescent cola/mahogany color with a pinky of mocha colored head. Some head retention & lacing

S: Rum, vanilla, & a touch of banana

T: Follows the nose, molasses, cola, brown sugar. a little barrel char up front. Cinnamon, vanilla & dark rum & cola, some green banana as this beer warms up. plenty dry. Finishes with rum & cola, cinnamon & brown sugar, plus a little vanilla

MF: Pretty chewy, low carbonation, plenty warming

Not bad, flavors don't pull together for greatness. Drinks alright, but not as well executed as say the Goose Island BCBS variant. Spices were a little too dominant