New Beer Weekend #205

After a couple days of cooler weather, we're back in the high 90s to low 100s. Got the dogs walked early and I'm getting ready for a dip in the pool.
My new beer for today is Breakfast at Wiley's: Dutch Cocoa Vanilla Coffee, from Wiley Roots Brewing in Greeley, CO.
The beer is black with a tiny tan head. A tiny bit of lace.
Aroma is mostly coffee, with a little bit of chocolate.
Taste of espresso coffee, chocolate. Sweet vanilla.
Towards the heavier side. Good sipping beer.

 

Athens, Georgia is not that far, and we get plenty of Creature Comforts and Terrapin beers, but rarely anything from Akademia Brewing Company.
On my visit to Savannah last week, I was able to pick up their imperial IPA, Hoprodisiac.

7.8 % ABV dry-hopped with Citrus and Mosaic.
Big in aroma and flavor while avoiding hop burn or chalky off flavors. Slightly sweet citrus and papaya. A very nice imperial IPA.
4.21/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

We’ve had a prolonged heat wave here with no rain. It’s been brutal, today and tomorrow’s high is 99, with feels like temp I don’t know but it feels like Venus out there today.

 

Oh boy, this is a complicated topic because there are so many variables. Let’s see if I can competently unravel this Gordian knot:

Yeast Strain selection

Whether a warm lager fermentation will create ‘extra’ esters will be strongly dependent upon which specific lager yeast strain is selected. Below is something I discussed in an article I wrote:

“As has already been mentioned a lager is traditionally fermented cooler than an ale. Having stated that there are some lager yeast strains which are reported to be more tolerant of fermenting warmer (further discussed later in this section).”

And:

“While I have no personal experience with producing lager beers via a warm (e.g., 68 °F) fermentation I have some knowledge here. I attended a presentation at HomebrewCon 2019 where a Fermentis person (José Pizarro) presented data (both experimental and sensory testing) that W-34/70 can be used to ferment warm and still produce a beer with lager characteristics. I have also watched videos where folks fermented warm with Wyeast 2124 and those beers were described as having lager characteristics. I find this information to be convincing.”

https://www.morebeer.com/articles/Lager_Beer

But won’t a beer fermented warmer have ‘more’ esters?

Let’s say a person conducted a split batch fermentation using Wyeast 2124 where one batch was fermented cool (e.g., 50 – 54 °F) and the second was fermented warm (64 – 68 °F). Would the beer produced from the warm ferment have higher levels of esters in comparison? I lack data here but I would suspect that a lab assay would indicate more esters in the warm ferment but would those levels exceed the sensory threshold for beer tasters? I suspect the answer here could be “no”. So, does it really matter if lab results indicate increased ester levels?

But wait there’s more! Pressure

Commercial brewers (and some homebrewers) have the ability to ferment under pressure if they so choose. Fermenting under pressure (e.g., 15 psi) reduces ester production. So, a commercial brewer could decide to ferment warm and under pressure and result in a beer with reduced esters (e.g., levels under the sensory threshold). Somebody might ask why a commercial brewer would do this and the answer is time: a faster primary fermentation.

There was an article in the May-June 2024 issue of BYO Magazine by John Blichmann entitled “Fermenting Under Pressure” which include analytic results courtesy of White Labs. They tested a lager traditional brewed using WLP833 and also three warm fermentations (68 °F) under varying pressure conditions (0 PSI, 15 PSI and 30 PSI). A ‘result’ is that the lager beer fermented in a cool, traditional sense was the most ‘lager-like’ but warm fermented beer at 15 PSI was ‘close’.

Other variables which can impact ester production

Rather than making this reply too long I will just list some other variable which can be impactful to ester production beyond what I discussed above:

· Aeration/Oxygenation level prior to pitching the yeast

· Yeast Pitching Rate

· Wort original gravity

· Free Amino Nitrogen (FAN) level of the wort

Can there be a ‘simple’ answer here?

I am sometimes (often?) reticent to talk in generalities but…

If a commercial brewer were to ferment a lager warm(er) with a lager yeast strain not known to be able to ferment warm (i.e., not W-34/70 or Wyeast 2124) and not ferment under pressure I would expect elevated levels of esters. Would those elevated levels of esters exceed the sensory threshold? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Maybe which lager yeast strain was used to warm ferment the beer will be highly influential here?

Cheers!

P.S. For the interested reader who want to learn more about the science of lagering:

https://www.morebeer.com/articles/Lagering_Science

@speakorspasm

 

Good afternoon BAs! Today’s new to me beer is another from Alesmith’s Small Batch series of coffee collaborations with different breweries and roasters - Coffee & Beer - Imperial Porter (Mostra), a collab with GOAL Brewing:



Canned 4/14/24. Poured at 56°. One finger of dark tan mixed bubbles head; good cap retention; heavy ring, medium heavy lacing; thin legs on swirl; dark brown body with some clarity at the ruby edges. Nose is sweet malt and coffee. Taste follows with roast coffee and sweet malt up front; some vanilla on backend; mild bitter roast finish. Silky smooth feel; medium light body; light carbonation; no warmth from 10% abv. Overall a tasty coffee Porter that ticks the boxes; thin for 10%, but the alcohol is well hidden; well done.

4.5 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4.0 | 4.25
Score: 4.24 rDev 0
I added beer to the database.

I’d gladly drink this beer again. Nice balance of coffee and malt base. If you like coffee beers, and can find this beer, it’s a buy. Cheers y’all!

 

Love Altbiers. Had my first one in the Ruhr in the late 90s. Wish I encountered them regularly.

 

Thanks - I think ... so that sounds like a maybe depending on whatever else they tinkered with in the process. We shall see how the canned version tastes, but the sampler at the brewery had a pretty rich but not overpowering banana flavor. By rich - more of a full flavor than you'd think without using actual bananas or banana flavor. We can leave it a mystery so we don't completely hijack the thread!

 

I had the same issue with their last wheat lager and the same thought process as @champ103. I just crammed it into hefeweizen: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26520/683490/.

I used to enjoy adding new JA beers to the BA db to keep it up to date. Then it became a little tricky. Now it just seems like a test of your beer style knowledge for 90% of what they're putting out.

P.S. Thanks for reviewing all these beer hall exclusives in NBW. I'm hoping to make a trip for a 4th of July stock up and have some good leads based on your reviews.

 

'tis the season for Suarez - cheers!

4.32/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

Harvest year 2022, White Lady variety, bottled December 2022, enjoyed on June 22, 2024. Poured from a 500mL bottle into my Moinette tulip.

A careful pour yields a clear icterine body with a fizzy ivory cap receding rapidly to a lasting collar. Very fine lacing, modest retention.

Barrel-derived acidity/funk greet the nose with a second wave of concentrated macerated white peach which with hints of cotton candy and challa.

Bright acidity on the palate entry, lemon, followed by floral flavors with an almost herbal edge hinting at verbena and holy basil. The peach arrives late, but lasts well into the aftertaste, lending a suggestion of sweetness which the dry crisp finish doesn't actually possess. Potent and refined.

Light bodied, zippy, refreshing. Carbonation reminds me a bit of sparkling cider.

Greater than the sum of its parts, a wonderful expression of this peach varietal at its peak, offset by tartness and gentle funk from the oak.

 

Ohh lala.

 

Greetings fellow beer nerds! Had a nice bike ride this morning, fell asleep watching soccer a little later, and am now back to watching soccer while I enjoy a new beer. This is Spontanweisse, from Fox Farm and Row 34.

Here's the description from Fox Farm:
In collaboration with Row 34. Spontanweisse combines a portion of fresh Weissbier with a carefully selected blend of mature spontaneous beer. The final blend, bottled in August 2023 and conditioned in the bottle, combines the texture and fruit-forward esters in Weissbier with the depth and complexity you’d expect from barrel-aged spontaneous beer.


4.34/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
This is a nice looking beer. The ample carbonation was apparent before I even began the pour, as beer began to flow out of the top of the bottle shortly after I opened it. More of a slow lava volcano than an explosion. The pour resulted in an inch and change of off-white head that eventually receded to a spotty cap. Color is a light copper, with a general brightness.

Aroma has plenty of Weissbeer elements (banana, clove, general fruity esters), with some light yeasty funk from the spontaneous beer. Very interesting.

Taste is very interesting. Up front it reminds me of a light farmhouse ale, with lemon zest and a light, lively feel. Mid-palate there's a little more heft to it, and the Weissbeer notes begin to take over. A little bit of funk shoes up late in the finish.

Overall, I had reasonably high hopes for this beer, and they were surpassed. This could have been a train wreck, but hats off to Fox Farm and Row 34 for creating a unique, refreshing, tasty beer with plenty of depth.

 

As in the past, I am guilty of drinking this beer Friday before the NBW start at 8PM EDT. What ever.
This is a Collaboration between Grey Sail and NEBCO. They call it a West Coast Leaning DIPA.
It uses Nectaron Sincoe and Amarillo.


Poured from 12oz can dated 00/06/24 that was purchased yesterday in a chilled cooler at a local store. Kept refrigerated until poured to a Nonic.
It has a hazy deep apricot-colored body. The head starts out about 2.5-3 inches of multi-sized bubbles. The head hangs around in a ¼ inch form for quite a while. Lacing is medium with staggered spider webs here and there. 3.75
The aroma is a little medicinal, but not off-putting because a background of spruce comes through. Overall though, not very strong aromatics. 3.5
Despite the opaque appearance this is definitely West Coast style in flavor. Pine is prominent and hits with a wallop. I’ve drank a lot of 8% beers that hide the alcohol, this does not, but it does not drink like a 12%. 4.5
The body is nice, I would call it medium and actually a little soft for such a piney, hoppy beer. 4.25
A good beer.4.0

 

Can only imagine how good this beer is fresh.

 

At last I can join this weekend romp of new to us beers, and I come with one that was an early favorite of mine, style wise, before I discovered hardly anyone brews them.

One of our little pleasures is British television programming, mostly detective type shows. Often beer is consumed and while they seldom specify what they are drinking, they often just ask for the “bitter” So my mind goes to ESB. I know, there is an “English Bitter” style but I’ve never seen one here in the states.
These have more depth of flavor than the basic ale, certainly not hoppy like an IPA, but definitely an increased level of hops. The malt profile is more doughy than bready - not sure how else to describe that. A little apple almost seems present, seems out of place but there we are.
The feel is soft and crushable, good lunch beer.
Back out to the heat and humidity. Gotta get stuff done. Back later with a “bigger” beer!
Cheers!

 

@Whyteboar you inspired my dinner choice beer. I wasn’t going to post but I’ll do a quick one for you, Mr Bitter…

We’re out at Iron Hill Brewery as a family celebrating my mom’s retirement; her choice of place was a pleasant surprise.

Iron Hill - Anvil Ale (English Bitter 4.2%)



Crystal clear, earthy hued amber, off white nitro head with good retention.

Nose is a mix of doughy, lightly toasted bread and earthy, leafy hops, a touch of floral.

Taste leans into that English malt character a doughier lightly toasted pieces of bread; really nice earthy hop character, with resiny quality.

Body is light, smooth low carbonation, very lightly sweet, clean and nice bitter finish.

A really tasty beer, thanks for inspiring my choice @Whyteboar.

 

3.9/5 rDev +6.3%

look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 16 ounce undated can into a snifter.

Look- Black, opaque, medium brown frothy head, above average head retention and lacing, large visible particulate at the edges.

Smell- Cacao, marshmallow, graham cracker, vanilla, slightly whiskey, between medium and high strength of scent.

Taste- Whiskey soaked, artificial graham cracker, slight cacao, high strength of flavor.

Feel- Medium body, average carbonation, mildly mouth coating, highly mouth warming, mildly sweet, moderately bitter.

Overall- This beer provided an average drinking experience. The bouquet was pleasant and spot on with the s’more target. The flavor was very artificial tasting with the high point being the very whiskey forward character.

 

Decided to have an all Ohio stouturday, started off with a good brew from Cincy's Streetside:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/47204/706970/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



Then went up to Cleveland and had a tasty Masthead stout:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/48055/680931/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



Have one more new brew to post!

 

And finished my new stouturday brews with a local one from Columbus' Wolf's Ridge:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33530/690800/?ba=bluejacket74#lists





All were tasty, but the Masthead BBA Baseball Bat was my favorite of today's brews. Might have a new brew or tomorrow, we'll see. Cheers everyone!

 

Nice! I really wish one of our local breweries would do a bitter. Someday.

 

Really impressed with this N/A offering from Bend, OR!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/63/588072/



12 ounce can .
PKG ON 05/13/24.

Moderate to vigorous pour yields a 3/4 inch tan head over a black body with minimal lacing at first and dissipating rapidly.

Nose of roasted malts and chocolate malt.

Taste of pumpernickel bread, baker's chocolate, and roasted malt, with slight hop bitterness on the finish.

Good feel with near medium carbonation.

Overall, a very pleasant surprise and should be on everyone's list when taking a break from alcohol.
Truly the best N/A beer I've ever had!

Cheers!!