New Beer Weekend #209

Jack, as dear as those memories are I would have to pass. But the big red kangaroos in the streets of ghost towns north of the Claire Valley- advancing desert- are posited in my brain for good! It was an odd old American west feeling.

 

Hop Butcher for the World - Take the High Wave

16oz can served in a curvy Monhegan pint glass. Packaged 7/10/2024. Bought it at Orange & Brew in Naperville IL two nights ago. You should be proud of me, folks, a beer I actually bought for myself!

Pours a reasonably clear yellow, with a smallish head, tons of carbonation on the pour, fair amount of very fine carbonation at rest. Smell is citrus in the lemon and orange rind direction, something in the melon / bubblegum neighborhood, something in between mango and passionfruit.

Taste is more in the melon / bubblegum / passionfruit arena, strong bitterness somewhere in between grapefruit rind and mango skin.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and just effervescent enough. Overall, interesting beer and pretty tasty.

 

My son and I are trying Parish Brewing's Skelehawk NEIPA. Good for what it is.

 

Hop Butcher for the World - Zombie Hopsicle

16oz can served in a curvy Monhegan pint glass. Don't see a date on the can, but when I bought it at Orange & Brew in Naperville two nights ago, I remember thinking it was less than two weeks old and therefore acceptable -- maybe there was a sticker on the four pack I pulled it out of or something.

Pours murky whitish-yellow with a small head, tiny active carbonation bubbles. Smell is tropical juice and lemon, clear but not intense.

Taste is SLAMMING tropical juice, mango, pineapple, passionfruit, with a heavy dose of citrus pith and hop burn. Melon / bubblegum follow along afterward.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, maybe a bit heavier than that, with a little bit of the chalkiness that I sometimes get from NEIPAs (always get from Tree House NEIPAs). Overall, very nice beer.

 

As I prepare to enjoy a couple of beers from my cellar. My brother and I crafted a large batch of homemade brats, and now, as I settle in to savor the evening, I've chosen to start with Panther Cub and Imperial Porter. The bottle date is 01/29/2021. The beer is served at a precise 44 degrees and enjoyed at 52, It's a good brew, though the balance could have been better. The aging process has left it free from oxidation. I've rated this beer a respectable 4.25.

 

Thirsty dog wulver wee heavy
...almost solid black appearance
...medium light carbonation with a slightly thick,oily feel.
...aroma is caramel,vanilla, bourbon,wood,
...taste is boozy,bourbon, vanilla and caramel.
..overall I'm not doing justice to this beer In my poor explanation.

 

Good evening NBW
Last ipa from the mix pack. Found Spaten oktoberfest this week, so IPAs need to go.


12oz canned 6/26/24 poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at fridge temp 7% ABV 70 IBU. The beer pours mostly bright gold with off white head. The head recedes to a rocky cap and leaves plenty of lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring earthy and tropical notes. The taste is semisweet pale malt with fairly bitter tropical fruit flavor. The feel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, good IPA.

Cheers all!

 

NEBCO - Imperial Stout Trooper

12oz can served in a tulip. Dated 11/14/?? (unintelligible). Hand delivered to me by @Roguer on Monday. BA listing currently shows this as 8.5%, but my can says it's 9.5%.

Pours black with a small, dense, dark tan head. Smell is gorgeous. Chocolate, vanilla, molasses, coffee, anise. Non-trivial booziness, but superseded by all that other good stuff previously mentioned.

Taste is rich and powerful, but not as varied as the aroma. Coffee and molasses with a little vanilla seem to be the dominant flavors.

Mouthfeel is surprisingly light, not exactly thin but not far from it. Overall, very nice stout, with an excellent nose.

 

I remember when that was a top 100 beer on BA

 

The real question is whether or not you think it should still be.

 

Equilibrium Hyper Fractal Supernova Set 3XIPA,10.0%; 4.35 overall

Pours a hazed honey color with a thumb of eggshell colored head. Average-ish head retention & fantastic lacing

S: A lot of citrus, a little pineapple & melon

T: Mangoes, guava, a little pineapple & some lime, plus dryness up front. Sweet oranges, a little leafy hop, dryness & pineapples as this beer warms up. Finishes a little dry with pineapple, oranges & lime, plus a little leafy hop

MF: Medium body, subtle carbonation, nice balance. Carbonation picks up a bit as this beer warms up

ABV is well hidden, very drinkable

 

Only had it once & that was a more than awhile ago. I suspect not

 

I went there last November. The beer was nice, but the highlight was Nakládaný Hermelín — the traditional Czech pickled cheese that each pub makes differently. Their version was very good.

 

My own judgement is that it's quite good, but not best-of-best by today's standards. Limit the field to non-barrel-aged RIS, it would probably be up there with old raspy, ten fidy, narwhal and the like...but don't think I would put it above those.

 

Here's my review from back them;4.24 overall


Cheers to HopStoopid129 for this one!

Pours an effervescent pitch black with dark head that falls away after a while. Nice viscosity to this, but no head retention, but some lacing

S: Dark fruit & chocolate, figs & traces of booze

T: Follows the nose with some wet charred grain thrown in up front. Coffee comes through as this warms, along with oak & vanilla, plus some boozey figs & dryness. Finishes dry, fruitty & with some more vanilla

MF: Medium bodied with smooth carbonation & fairly warming, but lacking malt depth

Drinks fairly easy, a good take on the style, but not upper echelon IMO, was still happy to try it

Review from Sep 2009

 

Man, almost 15 years ago
Still good! Cheers, friend!

 

Prairie Mahalo Kettle Sour w/Guava, Pineapple, Hibiscus Flowers ( Prairie loves these ), 5.0% ABV; 4.14 overall

Pours an effervescent pinkish/purple with a thumb of pink/cream colored head. Pretty good head retention & lacing

S: Guava, berries, Hibiscus; great nose

T: Tart guava, some hibiscus, pineapple & raspberry & some dryness up front. Dryness & tartness dominate as this beer warms up, more berries, some pineapple, lime & guava as well. Finishes tart with some Hawaiian Punch flavors, lime & pineapple mostly, but berry/cherry too; a little dry

MF: Medium body, assertive carbonation, a little sticky on the teeth

Not bad for the style, just not into them. This is the best time of year to drink though. Solid

 

Wish I wuz there!

 

Thought they were okay in the mid 2000s. The Sparkling wasn't near as good though