New Beer Weekend #211

Nice!!! I seem to be in the minority on this one cause I’ve read several BA say the same thing as you on Founders and/or Great Lakes. I’m not sure why but my preference is always drawn to Black Butte for classic porter. It’s either that or a Philly Pale Ale tonight

This one has been MIA here for a few years now unfortunately. I look every year and haven’t come across it in at least 3 I think now, maybe the distributor got it again and this will be the year. So affordable and tasty.

Enjoyed your marathon posting this weekend

 

Greetings, fellow NBWers,

It's 82° and sunny this afternoon, although it was raining this a.m. Here in the wilds of Spokanistan we're experiencing a bit of a palate cleansing on the part of the weather gods. Last week was increasingly hot, culminating with 108° on Thursday afternoon. Yesterday was a little smoky due to various wildfires and their being no wind to speak of push the smoke on it's way, but the cloud cover that was rolling in kept the temperatures more manageable. Tomorrow, we're supposed to be going back to the mid-90s once more.

Yesterday, despite it's somewhat smokiness, I convinced my friend Mark to accompany me up to Green Bluff, an unincorporated region NE of Spokane, where there is a number of farms that open up to visitors on weekends. Several of the farmers have built wineries, meaderys and breweries on their land. The goal of the day was to visit two of the breweries that neither of us had been to before - Wildland Cooperative and New Maitland Brewing - before returning home via Yaya Brewing, which now has a restaurant built into it that specializes in Detroit style pizza.

Of the two breweries, wildland is definitely the one that's got a bit of money behind it, and I wasn't surprised to learn that one of the founders/owners is of the family that runs a prominent winery in Spokane. In addition to beer, wildland makes its own wine and, I believe, cider. While there, I had an American Pilsner that was quite tasty, although hopped in a way that a stickler for traditional pillsners would disapprove of, and a hazy IPA that was among the better I've had in this region.
(Pilsner seen here)


New Maitland brewing, by contrast, is a very low-key affair, being located in an outbuilding next to the house of a farming couple who have apparently decided to take their home brewing hobby to the next level. I got the impression they were working on an extremely small system, maybe as small as a 1/2 barrel, so, among the things I sampled, there were a couple that were a bit rough, but I had a nice IPA while I was there, and enjoyed my time there in the small tap room that was "guarded" by an extremely large and gentle brown labradoodle.

Although I picked up a couple cans from Wildland, I'm not sure I'll get to either of them today, as I have a little bit of a backlog of cans in my fridge, and I've come to the conclusion that I want to cut down on my beer drinking once again, since I had excellent results in terms of weight loss when I did that in April. So, today I am drinking a Summer Ale from Machine House, which I picked up at a bottle shop in the Spokane Valley about a week ago.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31031/438653/?ba=woemad#lists
Light and refreshing, it was extremely easy to drink. Although classified here as a mild ale, to me, it's what would result from a German being assigned the task of brewing a British mild. Brewed with pilsner and Munich malt, and, in the words of machine house, "generously" hopped with Hallertau Mittelfruh hops, it's a slightly bit more grassy and herbal that one might get out of a typical UK mild ale.

Need to pop out for some groceries, but it's entirely possible another new beer will be consumed today.

 

Just got home from a movie with the family. My son and I are trying Jack's Abby Porch Fest. Really good beer!

 

Sounds like a really cool day @woemad, I would love to have an afternoon like that. You certainly seem to have all sorts of extremes in your weather there. I remember the crazy lows you've mentioned in winter and now the crazy highs of summer.

 

Is there such a thing as a lazy day after vacation? You bet there is. Wasn't overly hot, but the humidity was ridiculous. Quick check of the garden was it until dinner. Was gonna grill burgers, but my trusty Weber of 12 years refused to light on a new bottle. So fired up the pellet smoker, ran it at 350 and actually got good results. Now the puzzle is figuring out which model Weber I own assuming I need to replace some parts...manual..hah!

Ok...enough chatter.



Allagash From Maine With Love #36 - gin barrel aged saison. It supposed to emulate a brunch cocktail called a French 75. Typical saison with coriander and orange peel, then aged in gin barrels with dried juniper berries.

Sure looks like a saison- pale yellow, slightly hazy, with a light, fluffy head that falls quickly to a ring and an island.

Initially the smell is gin. When it warms a little, the sauson emerges with some orange, a little lemon, and coriander spices and a nice malt breadiness. Very pleasant, very light.

The flavors all play nicely here. The gin flavor is prominent. It is supported by the saison base - a little sweet bready malt. Orange peel tang and just a touch of coriander. There's just a bit of lemon. There's the sensation of gin - drying and a bit of a sting. There's a bitterness that carries lightly throughout the taste. The gin emerges strong in the aromatics post-swallow and there's a mild peppery spice.

The feel is light and lively. Quite refreshing. It's drying but not overly astringent.

Overall this is quite tasty. Might not be a real descriptor, but I'm going to call this very "botanical". I've haven't kept up with the FMWL series since I didn't like the early ones. I guess with a brewer of this caliber you shouldn't give up? Enjoying this lot and I'm thinking 4.0 - 4.2.

 

Here's an interesting sour from just up the road in Hyde Park, VT!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46703/711948/



16 ounce can packaged on the 152nd day of 2024. (5/31/24)

Moderate to vigorous pour yields a 1.5 inch white head over a slightly hazy golden body with fleeting lacing while head dissipates very quickly.

Nose is extremely fruity and a bit floral in nature.

Taste is a little more sweet than sour, easy to drink and very tasty.

Good feel with near medium carbonation.

Overall, expected different look and nose, but I did enjoy it and would recommend for an easy drinking thirst quencher.

Cheers!!

 

Spokane is not known for the mild weather that Seattle gets, being, essentially, in the foothills of the Rockies, but probably for the last 10 years or so, it's been getting much more extreme and inconsistent.

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

This week was my venture back into the restaurant business for the Benton County Fair. One week a year in said business is good enough for me. Sales were good, but not as good as last year because of a rain out Wednesday, and a tornado warning last night. We did good, however, and made some good money. Time for a change up from all the Real American beer I've been drinking all week. This is a beer I'm surprised I've not had before.

Contains Bees - Inbound Brewing - Minneapolis, MN - American Blonde Ale - 5.2%

This beer reminds me of a honey cereal that I sometimes ate as a kid a long time ago. Grain and honey with a touch of peanut butter. Not bad at all.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45230/496950/#navigation

3.66/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From a 16oz can. Canned on 06/17/24

This is a fairly clear golden pouring beer, with just a slight haze to it. There's a thick 2 finger white head. Head retention is quite good, and there's a bit of lacing on the glass.
Nose is fairly mild and nondescript. There's just a very faint cereal/grain aroma. No hints of honey in here on the aroma.
Taste - The flavor starts out a cereal/grain flavor that is pleasing. The grain fades a bit and it goes into a good honey flavor. The honey does mix with the grain to produce a honey cereal flavor, like I had when I was a kid. It does get fairly sweet on the backside, but not like a sugar bomb.
The body is somewhat creamy feeling and also very smooth feeling.
I can't believe I haven't had this before, but I haven't. Not bad at all.


I'll see if I have one more in me this NBW. Cheers.

 

Well, one more tonight. This is one I picked up last week when I visited Drekker Brewing.

Crunch Buster - Drekker Brewing - Fargo, ND - American Imperial Stout - 13.7%

This tastes quite good. There's a lot of flavors, but they play well together. The only hit is it doesn't seem thick enough for the ABV. Delicious way to end this NBW for me.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/37051/712016/
4.36/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
From a 500ml bottle. Bottled in June of 2024.

Slight hiss upon opening the bottle. This is a thick looking pitch black colored beer. The head was slow to form, but was a 1 finger brown color. The head was slow to form, but dissipated rapidly, leaving no lacing on the glass, or any sign it was there at all.
Aroma is complex. There's a grain, granola scent. There's hints of vanilla, lactose, cinnamon, and lactose. There's also hints of chocolate, caramel, and toffee. Quite a pleasing mix.
Taste - The flavor starts off mellow with a good hit of chocolate, caramel and toffee. This flavor fades out and there is an amazing blast of cinnamon. The vanilla and lactose hit on the back side. Throughout this beer there's a subtle granola flavor that just ties it all together.
This body is pretty good, though it does seem a bit thin for a beer that is almost 14%. There's a very faint burn that hits on the way back of this beer.

See you all for the next New Beer Weekend.

 

I’m sorry if the hazelnuts no longer contribute. I had a bottle, same year, around Christmas time and it was sublime. I’ll make it up to you.

 

Stone Zumology IPA w/Zumo & Mosaic Hops, 7.5% ABV; 3.95 overall

Pours a chill-hazed gold/honey with a thumb+ of ivory colored head. Sheets of lacing & good head retention

S: Green melon, white grape skins

T: Follows the nose, dryness, pomelo & grassy notes up front. Pink grapefruit, breadyness, green melon & dryness as this beer warms up, some tangerine& more grassy notes. Finishes with tangerine, a little lime, dryness & a touch of pine & guava

MF: Medium body. fairly firm carbonation, good balance

Had higher hopes for this one, easy enough to drink, nothing to write home about. Price-wise it does the trick; a better nose would've really moved this up the scoreboard

 

Double Grid
7.5% IPA by Hop Butcher

New England style IPA poured from a pint can, the body is orange with a fluffy white head. Excellent lacing. Nice looking beer.

The nose is pineapple, citrus and piney earthy hop. Inviting.

Taste is at first is straight orange juice. Second taste brings more hoppiness. Very slight bitter flavor presented as a more citrusy lemon flavor, not a lingering bitterness. Things dry up quickly. ABV is well masked. At the end a super light St. Joseph Aspirin for Children's orange sweetness. (If you know, you know.)

Mouthfeel is good, perhaps a wee bit light, but softer as it warmed. Good carbonation.

Another solid beer from Hop Butcher.

 

You have nothing to make up, but incidentally, I'll be back in your neighborhood in October. Just bought tickets Thursday.