New Beer Weekend #204

I figured this and that was my worry on this beer, that it would be to soft with no bite. Still has a nice little snappy finish, worries be gone.

 

NBS #2. One of Glasstown Brewing Company's (Millville, NJ) best offerings is a coffee-maple syrup American Porter called the Big Breakfast. It's supposed to simulate pancakes. And while it could be an overly sweet, gimmick mess, it's not. It's a very good Porter that dials back the sweetness. For Father's Day, the brewery released a BBA version. That was enough to get me to visit yesterday. Btw, Glasstown is probably the most out-of-the way breweries in the state. Patrons are either locals or true beer nerds like me.

This Porter is excellent! Glasstown resisted the temptation to dial up ABV. At 7.2% it's the same as the O.G. It's nearly black with a thin cap of an unusual orange-khaki foam and modest lacing. The smell is maple syrup-forward with notes of freshly-brewed coffee, dark chocolate, nutty char, tobacco smoke, and just a faint whiff of bourbon. It's dry and earthy with a big, acidic coffee grounds presence. The maple syrup is mellow and the barrel influence is subtle. You can taste it for sure but it's quite delicate. There is just a hint of cinnamon in the background but overall, this is a dry, bitter, classic American Porter. It's moderate in body with lite carbonation and very drinkable. Overall, Glasstown has done a great job with this brew. The original Big Breakfast is an excellent American Porter that has the desired flavors without being gimmicky. This BA version honors that approach and adds just the right touch of bourbon barrel influence. A very fine offering.

4.36/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Have a great week, everyone. Cheers, NBW!

 

Barrier/KCBC — The Dark Night

I gambled on buying this five-month-old Cascadian IPA at a local store, and I don't regret it.

Dark murky beer with lots of coffee-foam head.

The nose of dark roast and hops.

The taste follows the nose with an excellent roasty malty backbone with a great amount of hops.

This is such a lovely beer that I might copy/paste this short review to the beers section.

 

Late to this particular party, but I thought it was a great story. Fit right in with the style. It only would have been better if you had consumed it from a paper bag.

 

Beep boop

 

Thanks, @Whyteboar! I've even got a few left in a drawer from when I used to paper bag it for lunch.

I wish they still had some available so I could sneak a few cans into the cooler on the Fourth to really ramp up someone's festivities that day.

 

Happy NBS!

Having a very tasty Impy Stout from a local CO brewery (Ramblebine).

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/59593/706248/?ba=Wasatch#lists

Cheers!

 

....talk about added junk....sounds awful

 

Not too shabby at all I say. Nice from a Kolsch glass as well. Cheers!
Alesmith Italian Pilsner 5.2% ABV
3.82/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12 oz can filled 3/20/24 into a Pokaal.
L: SRM 2 Pours light straw light yellow with a soapy 1/2" head that recedes quickly to soapy edge foam, ok steady carbonation, random dots of lacing.
S: A subtle fruit note, a hint of bread.
T: Pear, a hint of apple, grains, yeast, some citrus zest lingers, it has hop bitterness, moderately clean tasting overall.
F: Crisp medium-light bodied feel with a smooth middle and a medium-short finish with lingering tastes.
O: This is a very tasty beer. Goes down easy and is quenching. Fairly simple and traditional and hits all the marks. It is good in its style.

 

I appreciate the comment, I didn't dislike that beer at all, just something I'd pass on. And yeah,we need more rye beers

 

Continue my favorite tradition tonight, my last day with students is tomorrow, that will be year 12 in the books. Every year since I started teaching I have watched Dazed and Confused on the night before the last day, if you've seen this movie you know why. Watching that movie is how tomorrow feels, it is one of my favorite things to do each year and one of my longest yearly traditions, still going strong. Tonight will bring some big smiles of joy...onto beer...

One last new beer to close out the weekend, this one is another @snaotheus beer. A dark lager from a new to me brewery...

Ilk - Remain in Dark (Dark Lager 4.8%) *no doubt a nod to "Remain in Light"



Pours dark brown, nice clarity; quickly rising head, bubbly and light brown.

The nose is a sweet chocolate with some lightly browned toast.

Taste is similar, milk chocolate, bread, light toast, some ashiness and light smoke and roast.

Mouthfeel is light, little watery, carbonation is quite vigorous but not overdone; light bitterness on the finish, clean; no off flavors.

A serviceable dark lager, nothing offensive, drinkable and balanced; I'd have it again. Thanks for sharing

--------------------

See you all next weekend, have a great week everyone...

 

Key City Brewing
Mississippi Queen Blonde Ale



Rich, dark gold color with small quickly vanishing white cap.

Aroma of rich, sweet malt and lihtly floral hops.

Flavor is straight up sweet malt with a light hop seasoning. This combination remains from start to finish.

Medium full texture with balancing carbonation.

Overall it's a good stab at the blonde ale style with more emphasis on malt than hops.

 

Citra Pale Ale
Odd Side Ales
5.75% Pale Ale



Poured from a 12 ounce can, the body is a cloudy, pale gold color with good sized white head. Good lacing during the tasting.

Aroma is mainly a malty nose with light citrus notes of pineapple and lemon.

Taste follows nose as the citra carries the day but the beer is not overly citrusy. In fact, it feels a bit underpowered in terms of hoppiness. Never sweet, the hop taste is light while the malt is on the heavy side.

Mouthfeel is average with solid carbonation.

Overall a refreshing beer on a scorcher of a Sunday like today, but not a pale ale I'd seek as long as Sierra Nevada makes Snappy.

 

District 96 marshmallow pumpkin
...dark amber appearance with a lasting white head
...light carbonation with just below average body
...aroma is marshmallow, spice, canned pumpkin, and grain and flour
...taste is sweet, but not over done.it actually tastes like a boozy slice of pumpkin pie.
...overall its an unusual beer but they definitely accomplished their goal

 

Finally getting a post up this weekend

 

Another weekend bites the dust, but it was a great day here weatherwise. Happy Father's Day to all the BA fathers out there. The smoked chicken experiment was a qualified success combining low and slow with hot and fast. Got some smoke flavor but cooked a little too fast on the hot part, but closer thsn I've been. Just fix the timing.

This is tonight's beer:



At the brewery this is on tap as Noble Matter France and it was a great beer. Let's see how the canned version compares. This series is about a word that may or may not have meaning in beer - terroir. French malts and hops are featured here.

Crystal clear golden pour with a pretty dense pure white head that goes away quickly leaving a white ring and scant cap.

The smell opens with sweet, biscuity malt. There is a decidedly floral aroma and a white wine grape combination going on, becoming more notable as the chill comes off. There is a smell I can't quite place - whatever it is it is "green" and bright. A touch of citrus.

The overall flavor is excellent. It's exactly along the lines set by the stomach. Sweet maltiness, floral, white wine grape, a bit of citrus and something I can't define. The sum is greater than the individual components for sure - its quite "lovely". Mild bitterness and just a wee bit of spice on the finish but it's barely there.

Feel - quite different on tap where this beer was champagne bubbly.its moderately carbed in this can which I think is damping the flavors and aroma somewhat.

This was a tremendous beer on tap - even the taster showed that. It was light, bright, and effervescent. It's a bit diminished in the can but it's still very good. The interplay of the floral and wine notes with the sweet malts is a nice effect. Good beer - 4.0 to 4.2.

 

Overcoil
Jackie O’s
12.9% stout



Poured from a bottle, the body color is an opaque black with neither head nor lacing. Possible trace carbonation. Despite effectively no carbonation, the mouthfeel is good, heavy from the malt bill and bourbon barrel.

Aroma is a wonderful sweet bourbon at these brewers seem to prefer (me too). This stout was aged for 20 months in barrels from three different distillers.

Taste follows nose as the stout is barrel forward. ABV is well masked and the alcohol is never hot. Along with a sturdy malty backbone there are notes of caramel, dark fruit and chocolate. Luxurious and heavy but not too sweet.

Another great barrel aged stout from Jackie O’s.