New Beer Weekend #203

The things we do for science!?!



Today’s new beer is a ‘homework assignment’ given to me by Joe Connolly who is the co-author of the book Modern Lager Beer which was recently published. In the book there was information from Dr. Greg Casey concerning the brewing of two AAL beers (Budweiser, Coors):

“Maybe surprisingly, it was the more estery yeast strains that beat out their more neutral-flavored counterparts. This can be seen through the apple and banana aromas of two of the bestselling American lager brands.”

Apple is associated with Budweiser type beers and banana is associated with Coors (e.g., Coors Banquet). I was able to have a conversation with Joe at last week’s Logjammin’ Lager Beer Festival in Philly and I asked about these beers and the ‘alleged’ ester flavors. He ‘challenged’ me to drink a Bud Light and see if I could perceive apple in that beer. I have had a few Budweiser beers in the very distant past but to the best of my recollection I have never tasted a Bud Light. Perhaps this is the ‘better’ beer brand of the two for this exercise since Bud Light is ‘extra’ clean?

A beer such as Bud Light would typically be associated with a beer glass such as a shaker glass but for this drinking exercise, I will start with a tulip glass with the theory this would better concentrate the ester aroma/flavor if it exists. And since it is an extra big can I will pour some in a shaker glass as well.

Will my palate be perceptive enough to pick out apple? To quote the Wise Owl from the old Tootsie Pop commercials: “Le’s find out!”.

Served in the two glasses:

Appearance:

Pours clear straw light yellow with a fizzy white head that diminishes quickly. No lacing.

Aroma:

Tulip glass: There is a very subtle, but noticeable, fruity aroma.

Shaker glass: Not much there. Maybe just some graininess.

Taste:

Tulip glass: The flavor follows the nose with a tiny hint of fruity. There is a low bitterness.

Shaker glass: Not much there. Maybe some graininess? There is a low bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

A thin/watery body with a dry finish.

Overall:

Tulip glass: OK/meh.

Shaker glass: less than meh. I ended up dumping this glass

Well, the tulip glass did present a very subtle fruity ester aspect. I searched for “apple” but I did not perceive this specific aroma/flavor, it was more of a generic fruitiness for my palate. I did finish the beer in the tulip glass but it just confirmed for me that I am not a fan of Light beers since they are just too watery for my personal preference. This will not be a repeat purchase for me.

Cheers!

@rotsaruch @RobH @speakorspasm

 

Cool little experiment on this one, my mother in laws only love is Coors Light. However she tried Yards Brawler last year and said “wow I actually like that.”

As per my post you read I did indeed go buy some, maybe I’ll get her to have another for science like you?

 

I am really likin' this one, a bit light bodied but big on malty flavors. The smell is on point but a little subdued. Killer looks, nitro makes the head last throughout the drink. I appreciate when a beers' label info is factual, no bragging or self-given superlatives, just the facts Ma'am.

Black Marble Stout by Sullivan's Brewing Company of scenic Kilkenny, Ireland.
Label Notes.
"Enjoy the true taste of our draught stout, brewed with roasted barely, chocolate and wheat malts and choicest hops".
Hops; Admiral, Magnum and Goldings.
Ingredients: Water, Malted and Roasted Barely, Wheat and Hops.



4.17/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

An easy nitro pour released a finger of creamy, dark beige foam with extremely long retention and large blotches of lacing. Dark rosewood brown, sunlight is needed to see clarity and ruby highlights.

Fresh ground coffee beans greet the nose with roasted malt and grain. Hop smell is above average and herbal. Toasted bread and dough with a hint of baker's chocolate, faint alcohol and grass emerge and wane.

Neutral taste with average bitterness at first, roasted barley leads, coffee is second. Malt and fruit sweetness (baked apple, raisin, prune and faint banana) are balanced by rising hop bitterness and roasted taste. The finish is semi-dry with above average bitterness, roasted barley, coffee and peppery hops linger on.

Medium low bodied with an oily feel, soft and abundant, everlasting carbonation. Balanced and smooth, easy going down. Alcohol is well hidden. Benefits well from warming; flavors build while keeping the balance.

 

Thanks for starting us off on this lovely evening @Beersnake. It was hot humid summer the past few days here but humidity broke and it’s a lovely lovely evening, and it’s Friday I also still have my @snaotheus supplied new beers…tonight I get my hop fix.

I don’t generally have beer seasons @Beersnake, if I really tracked it I’d say warmer weather would probably show lighter beer; the colder the darker. At the same time I know for sure I have plenty of light beer in the winter too, so who knows. Well, here’s this beer…which is lighter..in color…

Fort George - 3 Way IPA (AIPA 7%)



Pours light gold, pretty much crystal clear; white head, puffy in nature, clumpy islands form and linger, some retention present.

On the nose it’s mostly classic hops; they are pine like; something honey like, overripe orange, some grain.

Taste has some light malt, hint of grain in there; piney hops with honey and floral notes, fruity hops pop out on the finish.

Medium body, clean; firm bitterness, biting on the finish, some light sweetness present, it’s abv does present itself slightly, just adding a tad of harsh.

Overall a good hop fix beer for me; a mostly classic ipa with some hints of modern.

——————

Hops you all have a lovely evening, keep them coming tonight and I look forward to adding to our total tomorrow at some point. Cheers everyone

 

Nice! Seems like you really enjoyed it!

 

Another awesome PA brew from @LehighAce06

Forrest & Main/The Seed collab Bosun Mild, 3.7% ABV; 4.09 overall

Pours a chill-hazed honey color with a thumb of cream-colored head. Pretty good head retention & lacing

S: Toasty, bready

T: Biscuity malt, grassyness, a touch of woody hops up front. Woody & floral hops as this beer warms up, toastyness persists, plus a little breadyness too. Finishes a little dry with woody hops, biscuitty malt & a touch of grassyness

MF: Medium body dialed back carbonation. Carbonation picks up once warm, good balance

Spot on take on the style, easy to drink, great flavor for the low ABV

 

Over posting tonight. Not sure how many I will post tomorrow. VACA basically in effect now, no work until the very end of the month!

Roughtail Brewing City IPA, 7.2% ABV; 3.96 overall

Pours a chill-hazed gold with 2+ fingers of eggshell colored head. Nice head retention & lacing

S: Passion fruit, melons, Kiwi Fruit, white grape skins

T: Dryness, cakeyness, grassy bitterness, tangerine & green melon & a little pine. Pine opens up a bit more once this beer is warm, some cakey notes, grassyness, & a touch of pomelo. Finishes dry with pineyness, limes & woody hops, just a little breadyness fighting through along with mineral hoppyness

MF: Medium body, restrained carbonation, nice balance

A solid very drinkable IPA from these guys, no surprise

 

3.83/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Packaged April 30, enjoyed on June 7th, 2024 - poured from a 12oz can into my Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Cloudy golden amber body with a fat finger of papaya whip foam. Sudsy lacing; excellent retention.

Fruity/woodsy aromatics with conifers, citrus, and a hint of blueberry. Some yeast esters suggest bubble-gum?

Bready palate entry with a gentle lemon/grapefruit tartness as the hops and wheat malt converge. Pear, mint, and toast.
Medium-dry finish. Gentle bitterness throughout. Hints of brown sugar or light molasses at times.

Not-quite-medium-bodied - zesty and rich with good carbonation. ABV well concealed.

Unique malt bill - would like to try this when very fresh and on draught to see if it has a bit more hop character, but this was an enjoyable, approachably experimental take on the style.

 

This one is from earlier today but I’m still nursing the last few ounces as I watch the French Open on DVR. An outstanding English barleywine in my opinion, Three Ryes Men from Reuben’s Brews here in Seattle. Didn’t know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. Cheers!

4.51/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
22oz bottle (2022 vintage) into a tulip. Pours a murky mahogany with a big velvety khaki head that leaves behind some fine sticky lace. Surprising foam/carbonation for a high-ABV English barleywine.

Aroma is sticky and sweet, bready. Caramel, toffee, dark stone fruits, booze. This is clearly a big, complex beer.

Taste is likewise sweet and complex. Heavy sweet malt, vanilla, bourbon, toffee, caramel. Leather and rum-soaked pipe tobacco. Chewy figs and dates. Brown sugar. Nice boozy heat on the finish. A subtle spiciness from the rye malt.

Mouthfeel is so smooth and creamy—really quite unlike any other beer I’ve had in this regard. Chewy. Somehow the mouthfeel makes the beer taste better.

Overall this beer is truly outstanding, one of the best English barleywines I’ve ever had. Superlatives abound. Very much enjoying this one.

 

Brawler is a solid mild in my book. Wish I could find it here. Cheers.

 

Cheers to @LehighAce06 for the Superbowl Squares beer!

Human Robot Brewing Hel Baltic Porter, 9.2% ABV; 4.12 overall

Pours an effervescent chestnut with 2+ fingers of mocha colored head. Good head retention & lacing

S: Hints of coffee & roastyness

T: Chicory, woody hops, dryness, a little nuttyness? plenty of dryness & pine up front. Dryness, woody hops, roastyness & a hint vanilla & hazelnut once this beer is warmed up, some hints of dark fruits. Finishes with molasses. roastyness, nutty notes, & a touch of vanilla & a little bit woody hops, pine & dryness

MF: Medium body, restrained carbonation

Drink fairly easy despite the heft, still a sipper none the less. Pretty spot on style-wise

 

I was hesitant on posting this since it isn't a beer in my opinion, but since it is marketed as one, then it should be OK.

I didn't have a glass, so cannot say how it looked like.

The smell out of the can when it was open was the first sign that I might not like it — it was artificial and mildly unpleasant. After the first wave the nose was of a cheap stale beer.

The taste followed the nose of truly repulsive fake IPA.

The mouthfeel is sticky nail-polish-like liquid, somewhat similar to an energy drink.

Overall it was so bad that I couldn't force myself to have more than a couple of sips, and I don't think I ever not finished a beer regardless how bad it was. It was the first NA beer I have ever tried. Maybe it's not my thing.

 

Firestone Double DBA Batch 10,000; 12.2% ABV; 4.27 overall

Pours an effervescent ruby/hazel with a pinky of tan-ish head. No head retention or lacing; plenty of viscosity

S: Dark fruit, boozy barrel, cherries & raisins especially, some figs

T: Follows the nose, just more muted; oakyness & leafy hops up front. Leafy hops, brown sugar, oakyness with a little Whiskey, plus figs & raisin as this beer warms up. Also, leafy hops & dark cherry. Finishes with dark cherry, figs, leafy hops & plenty of barrel

MF: Chewy, near still carbonation. Carbonation picked up a bit once warm, plus pretty warming

Great flavor & drinkability is sure there. Still plenty complex. If only it lived up to the nose

 

You know how this place works, just say the word whenever…

 

Thanks. I definitely know, but I usually don’t trade for beers that are relatively inexpensive and I have tried. I may be in NJ very briefly this month (we shall see) and if so will go beer questing. Cheers.

 

Finback Whale Watching New England Double IPA hopped with Citra, Idaho 7, Mosaic, Strata, and Nelson.

Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass canned on 5/14/24. Pours a very hazy yellow with a finger plus sticky white head that leaves a massive ring of lace, with excellent retention. 4.5

Aroma is peach, white grape, mandarin, mango, apricot, and some grapefruit rind. 4.25

Taste follows peach, mandarin, mango, buttery Chardonnay, and apricot. 4.25

Mouthfeel is above average, soft gentle carbonation, maybe a tad dry and it works well, huge flavor for 8%, but easy sipping with all of the complex flavor from this hop combo. 4.5

Overall Finback I still need to purchase when in Mass. They almost always deliver. A very nice and slightly unique NEDIPA. 4.25 Cheers all.

 

I wasn’t gonna trade, was just gonna send you some if you needed a fix

 

I appreciate the sentiment, but save the postage. I’d be happy to meet for a beer when I’m in NJ visiting family.

 

Reach out whenever, if it’s close enough l try and make it work, always happy to meet another BA.