New Beer Weekend #204

Thank you @Victory_Sabre1973 for opening up the weekend for us!

Earlier today I made my first trek to the Pipeworks Brewery and Dojo, and it was great. Sale beers, a free four pack, staff friendly and informative. Been mostly buying their beers at my usual liquor stores plus Ninja vs. Unicorn at Trader Joe's, but need to get there more often as they have a wide variety of offerings. Will dedicate my home beers this weekend to Pipeworks offerings purchased today. Review linked below.

Pipeworks The Finest Doppelbock



4.42/5 rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

This has a consensus strong following, and I'm slightly above which is not usual for Beer Advocate (I'm nearly always below the average on Rate Beer however). Bottom line, wish I got these sooner, but this held on very well and while I'm usually a hop guy, this malt hits all by beer pleasure notes, and I'm very glad I picked this up.

Thinking about which selection I should pull for tomorrow. Cheers!

 

I don't believe they are capable of making even average bier

 

Poured into a 16 oz Snulip glass canned on 6/6/24. Pours a very attractive hazy yellow with a finger sticky white head that leaves thin streaks of lace with nice retention. 4.25

Aroma is peach, passionfruit, mandarin, mango, and apricot. 4

Taste follows mandarin, mango, peach, passionfruit, and apricot very well balanced. 4

Mouthfeel is above average, soft gentle carbonation, not sticky or dry, and at 7% it may drink a tad bigger, but still very easy drinking. 4.25

Oversll I love Eldorado Falcon and this was that beer dialed up a notch, with Galaxy tossed in. Rock solid, but I wanted even more. 4.25

 

Was at Under The Radar Brewing yesterday. I completely forgot about this brewery, and surprised it is still open. Decided to revisit after many years...

First up is The Leaf, Saison. 7.2% ABV



Pours a slight hazy orange color. A one finger white head forms, and recedes quickly. Light lace is left behind.
Aroma of big bubblegum and Hefe like banana esters up front. Some hoppiness, slightly of orange rind. Plastic phenolic yeast.
Taste wise, like the nose, bubblegum, banana esters, plastic phenolic yeast. A very light orange/citrus rind like hop character, and finishes cloyingly sweet.
A medium body with moderate carbonation. This has a sticky and slick feel that I'm not the biggest fan of. OK to drink if at the brewery, but nor much of a Saison.

Not bad in the sense that I can drink this without much thought. Though lacking as a Saison IMO. Plastic/phenolic and really sweet in the finish makes this just OK.

Overall score is 3.15. Very average, C+ or B- range if I had to give a letter grade.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45861/705990/?ba=champ103#lists

I had their Mid-Frequency IPA and reviewed it as well. Though it pretty average. You can read it here if you want. Though seemed like faded hops or an old keg. Which seems particularly odd for an IPA at a brewery. Not worth getting more into it than I already have ha, and can't see me making another trip here.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45861/233118/?ba=champ103#lists

I was in the area of the brewery cause I went to see Billy Harper, who is a legendary Houston jazz musician, playing at the newly remodeled Eldorado Ballroom that has a long history. Count Basie and Ray Charles, just to name a few have played here. So that was worth a mediocre, very average brewery stop ha.

 

Good day BAs! Off to a high octane/high volume start to the weekend:



It'll be Mrs. Lizard's tendency to sleep in that saves me from early morning grocery shopping. T'is is a truly good beer:

Stoopermassive Café Deth - from Revolution. 19.2 fl oz can purchased from Half Time, Mamaroneck, NY, 17/05/24, $ 39.03 (Including tax and shipping), $ 2.03/fl oz. Reviewed 15/06/24 (Review 3298). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Bottom of can stamped “14.9% ABV 04-04-2024”. Stored at 34 degrees at home. Served at 49.8 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 55.7 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Amber Brown (SRM 18), clear.
Body – Ruby Brown (SRM 24), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, same with some light penetration at the edges – ruby brown.
Head – Average (Maximum one cm, aggressive center pour), rufous, high density and fizzy, short retention, leaving a 0.1 cm crown constantly being reinforced by carbonation and a 1.5 cm center island.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 4 – Coffee and chocolate. No yeast, no malt, no alcohol (14.9 % ABV, as marked on the can). No bourbon.
Flavor – 4.5 – Follows the nose – distinctly coffee with chocolate. A hint or two of cherry and some VERY smooth bourbon. No yeast, no malt, no alcohol. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Eventual gastric warming to a mild glow.
Palate – 4 – Medium; somewhere between creamy and syrupy; soft carbonation.
Final Impression and summation: 4.5 The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Although every aspect of this brew is good, they synergize into a great drink, much more than just another BBA coffee stout. The ethanol is craftly hidden. A bit pricey, but well worth it!
Rating 4.3, rDev -4.2%

Highly recommended if you've got the disposable income to dispose of.

 

Raspberry Jam Stand
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/11023/546214/

Poured a 473ml can into a goblet. A two finger fine white head on a cloudy red. The head diminished to a thin layer that stuck around. Some fine lace rings.

Vanilla and fruit in the nose.

An initial lacto sour burst up front. Raspberry leads, Vanilla finishes.

Fairly smooth. A light body and moderate carbonation.

I am not a fan of vanilla in this style but overall a pretty solid Berliner Weisse.

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

 

Back from the Songkhla Night Market. Tried some stir fried bugs. Not the taste sensation I was hoping for.. Crunchy, woody and a little Spice kick. Way better than the grubs I tried in Korea.

Samilia Brewery Coldest Cold IPA, 6.9% ABV.

 

Whoops, posted wrong forum. This is a very solid Cold DIPA. $$$$. Nice hoppyness and citrus. Plenty drinkable. Will post pics when back home

 

Enjoyed the review. The Beer Temple here quickly sold out of the 400 cases they brought in at the end of May, and based on the fact that it's not listed on their website today, they may have also sold out of the 200 more from the second drop.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7mnhKOvr0H/

I'm guessing it's $16.99, the same price they charge for the the other two Augustiner beers they carry (Edelstoff and Maximator). Hope I come across at least a bottle at some point.

I hope to find this on draft at the taproom based on your review.

I am going with my two Pipeworks Witbiers and saving the stout for a future week since it should hold up well. I am not familiar with Tamarind, so saving the El Dorado hopped Witbier for Primetime Sunday. I asked the Pipeworks staff what Tamarind yields in this beer and was told it is similar to peach, so hopefully that holds up. Full rating linked below.

Pipeworks Paper Pilots

3.87/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4



Added the beer yesterday and first rating explains the rDev 0%. Bottom line, I didn't get a whole lot of difference between a typical Witbier and the tamarind version, not sure if they just added a touch or it faded over the past 2 1/2 months. Bottom line, this is a nice offering I'm glad I picked up, and looking forward to comparing and contrasting with the other Pipeworks Witbier I have planned for tomorrow.

 

New to me this morning…Bissell Brothers’ BA New Old Stock, a Baltic Porter. Fermented with house yeast in oak foeders. Then aged 6 months in Bourbon and Rye barrels. No bottled date, but my pal bought bottle at brewery in April 2024:




Poured at 56°. Creamy lite tan head; ok cap retention; solid ring; soapy lace on swirl, thin legs at best; dark brown liquid with ruby edges and some clarity. Nose is bourbon and chocolate; oak becomes prominent. Taste is oaky chocolate; minimal bourbon; proprietary house yeast flavor (have you been Bisselled?). Dry oaky/rye mouthfeel; thin light body; mild warmth from 11.8% abv. Overall, the dryness is not appealing to me; feels like a flavored wooden tongue-depressor; drinks thin for abv (ok, it’s a porter); nevertheless, one and done.

4.25 | 4.25 | 4.0 | 3.75 | 4.0
Score: 4.05 rDev: -3.1%

Not a beer for me, but if you like dry BA Porter, you may love this beer. Cheers y’all!

 

This Fullmoon Brewing Fin Fin IPA slots in well as an old school/English style take on the style. Plenty of woody and leafy hops, some caramel. Rate it a 3.7 overall

 

Whoa!

Obtaining 400/600 cases of this beer is a HUGE amount for a retailer.

When I visited my local Retail Beer Distributor I went to the area (floor space) where the Augustiner beers are kept and all that I noticed was the Edelstoff and Maximator. I asked the cashier guy (Todd) if they had yet to start selling the Lagerbier Hell and he replied "yes". To which I replied "I didn't see it". He walked me over and on the floor under a opened cased of Edelstoff there were two unopened cases of the Lagerbier Hell. Maybe there were more cases 'in the back'?

As I discussed in my OP, the six-pack I purchased was $10.99 but I speculated that this beer would be more expensive elsewhere. FWIW I think this beer is very good but not worthy of prices in the teens IMO. As beer consumers we all get to choose what we are willing to pay.

Cheers!

 

A beautiful day to watch golf (and to drink beer).
My new beer is The Special, a dubbel from Black Abbey in Nashville.
The beer is a red/brown color. It has a small beige head that dissipates quickly.
Aroma of dark fruit, cola, and sweet malt.
Taste of raisin, bread, brown sugar.
Medium-bodied.

 

Anna Hill Farmstead


4.41/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Brewers notes: Anna is Bière de Miel, brewed with 20% raw wildflower Vermont honey and our house saison yeast.Anna (1902-1993) was our grandfather’s sister; Hill Farmstead Brewery rest upon the land that was once home to her and her 13 siblings. In her honor, this honey Farmstead® ale is crafted from American malted barley, European and American hops, Vermont wildflower honey, our distinctive farmhouse yeast and water from our well. Unfiltered and naturally carbonated, this is the ale that I dream to have shared with Anna.

Growler filled at Premier gourmet in Buffalo, New York. Porting to a cheap plastic cup looks like a glass of ginger ale with a thin white ring.

Aroma is sweet tart , apple cider ish , floral

Taste is softly sweet, funky, hay, soft honey notes

Soft, smooth , sweet, tart, tangy finish

Great beer , recommended

 

Happy NBW to one and all - raising my glass to Spring which seems to have left us a little early here in SoCal (93F already) - cheers!

4.39/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Collaboration between Fair Aisle and SARA, a barrel-aged saison with Bearss (Persian?) limes and Rose Geranium. Poured from a 750mL bottle into my Troubadour tulip.

Unclear golden yellow body with a fist of dense ivory meringue receding slowly to a lasting tight blanket. Fine yet fluffy lacing; excellent retention.

Sweet floral aroma with a wonderful balance of funk, fruit, and botanicals. Gentle vanilla-like malt quality as well.

Aggressive acidity, bright, clean, and suffused with zesty key lime/Meyer lemon notes. Faintly spicy malt bill, almost suggests spelt or rye although this could be the yeast character. Sourdough, and gentle floral/herbal notes emerge eventually, though the finish remains tart and dry. A touch of hops provide low bitterness to offset the fruit.

Medium-bodied, full carbonation, and my enamel is on the verge of protesting at times.

Almost sharp, but very refreshing take on the style - wonderful complexity beyond the initial assault of Bearss lime.

 

Saint Arnold is celebrating their 30th Anniversary this month. So it is appropriate that I got this...

30th Anniversary Grand Cru. 16.8% ABV, barrel aged imperial stout. Details from Saint Arnold about the Grand Cru aspect:

..."In the beer world, Grand Cru can have a couple of meanings. For us, Grand Cru is a blend of some of our most cherished beers, with the hope of delivering one that is greater than the sum of its parts..."

..."At the core, it’s our Commitment Imperial Stout, which we aged in a variety of different bourbon and whiskey barrels for different durations – between two and four years. The barrels were then blended into sweet and fortified wine barrels: Madeira, Tokaji, and Tawny Port for additional aging. Finally, these barrels were blended a second time to create our Grand Cru."



Pours an impressive opaque black color. A tan head rises to about a finger. Which quickly recedes to a ring that sticks throughout. As per the style, Not much of any lace either.
Oh that nose is something. Charred and smokey, toasted malts. Bitter dark chocolate, with wood, vanilla, and a touch of grape. Lots going on here that I like a lot.
Taste wise, like this nose, this is big and complex. Charred smokey wood. Toasted malts with bitter bakers chocolate. Vanilla with a touch of vinous grapes, and a long finish. Lots going on but so well balanced.
A full body with moderate carbonation. Perfectly chewy, that is ultra silky smooth. Of course this is a sipper, with just the right amount of heat to make this warming. Not overbearing at all. Really easy to sip on.

This is spot on. I can't remember a barrel aged imperial stout that I have enjoyed this much, in a while. Tons going on, but perfectly balanced. Which says a lot, considering all that went into this, and the ABV. Well done all around.

Overall score is 4.25, A score for me.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/337/705572/?ba=champ103#lists

A great one to sip on while reading some Claude Ollier this afternoon.

 

Ahnapee Brewery Barrel-Aged Hobo's Breakfast. The internet, specifically Untappd, provided inconsistent information about this beer, so we'll leave it that it is a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout. It is a local brewery, who has not achieved a reputation for their barrel-aged program, so this is a roll of the dice. I have had some bad beers in similar situations. The look is pitch black, with a slight amount of light brown foam that quickly disappears. The smell is cocoa, vanilla, roasted almond, caramel, and bourbon. So far so good. The taste is nice! Dark chocolate, vanilla, graham cracker, marshmallow, and bourbon. A pleasant surprise. The mouthfeel is viscous, silky, smooth, mellow, and full, with light-medium carbonation. Overall, this is a pleasant surprise, and part of the low expectations came from this beer having a very reasonable price. I plan to give bottles to the opposing NFL NFC North Division fans from surrounding states next month, at the ultimate BeerAdvocate bottle share I am hosting, to remind them that in Green Bay, Wisconsin, we can create a winner, when it is least expected.