New Beer Weekend #213

This is what happened when my favorite brewery opened their new and big production facility. There was a huge lull in production for a while. Then there was a lull while all the new brewery beer fermented away, but then; all that patience paid off

 

We made it to BIL Day at Barreled Souls- not a bad drive, actually. Fairly good crowd, mellow vibe. Cool outside and quite comfortable.

Our flight:



2022 Life - a blend of their favorites with an experimental one, Bombs Over Barley plus Honeypot. It's incredibly smooth, on the sweet side. Dried fruits, plenty of barrel.

2023 Gimme the Munich Wine aged in Stagg Jr barrels. Very potent whisky flavor, overshadows the base beer a tad but another fine concoction.

Zombie ( how did that get in there?) - a Speakeasy rum barrel aged with pineapple, orange, grenadine, lime, and falernum(?). Very tasty but the lime in the aftertaste kills it for me. The missus likes it though.

2024 Bookers Big Bang aged in Bookers barrels and finished in peaches and apricots. Hmmm...its...interesting? Tons of peach and apricot flavor, nice barrel characteristics, but something seems a bit off in the aftertaste where there's a harshness. It might mellow but I'm not spending twenty two bucks to find out. The missus liked it but not enough to take home.

One more not pictured is 2023 Double Barrel Aged Wisdom aged in Heaven Hills and Bardstown rum-finished bourbon barrels - aged for 25 months and ten days total. It's totally ridiculous - I thought the rum might intrude a lot but it doesn't. This is an incredible beer. Only on tap, maybe fortunately for our wallet. This alone made the stop worthwhile. Otherwise my words do this insufficient justice.

 

Hope everyone’s enjoying their Saturday evening… Today I picked up probably the last in the Guinness lineup available to me that I had yet to try… their West Indies Porter.



I don’t have much to say about this one. It’s a solid stout. It’s a good reminder that Guinness makes a quality product and that people too often expect their flagship stout to be something it was never trying to be.

This one lists barley, malted barley, roasted barley, hops, CO2. 6% abv makes it light enough that I could return for a few more. BB date 12/2024.

Poured a big tan-coloured head that dissipated quickly, and the beer was a little flat, though it didn’t take away from the experience. The smell reminded me of their Foreign Stout, like a date square, but with something a little sour. The taste was a little less interesting, but still everything you’d expect it to be. Mostly I got a big dark chocolat flavour that faded away to something a little more bitter still.

I’d have to try it back to back with their Foreign Stout, but I think this one is my new favourite. Fuller in feel and flavour than their 5% stout, and with less of that sweet caramel-y taste that I always picked up. Now just to find it a little fresher…

 

4.53/5 rDev +10.8%

look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16 ounce undated can into a snifter at 47 degrees.

Look- Straw, very hazy to the point of opacity, large visible particulate at the margins, slightly off white creamy head, above average head retention and lacing.

Smell- Clementine, pine resin, slightly dank, pineapple, papaya, between medium and high strength of scent.

Taste- Clementine, pine resin, moderately boozy, nectarine, pineapple, papaya, herbaceous, moderate sweetness, high strength of flavor.

Feel- Full body, below average carbonation, soft, moderate bitterness, moderate alcohol burn, moderately mouth warming, moderate sweetness, mild astringency, mildly dry finish.

Overall- Straw and opaque with large visible particulate at the margins and above average head retention and lacing. Nose was a nice mix of clementine, pine resin, dank, pineapple and papaya. The flavor was similar with nectarine that I couldn’t detect in the aromatics. Full bodied with some moderate alcohol burn and mild astringency. Overall this beer delivered an excellent drinking experience. Beer lacked a packaged on date, which almost caused me to miss out on a great beer.

 

Before diving into my selection for today:

• Still had a great time despite the limited options @Whyteboar . Would say having a shot at Shorts was the beer highlight, though liked Vivant Brewing's space and folks there as well. Hope to catch you and Garth in the future in Chicago, Wisconsin or perhaps Michigan once again.
• Those Modern Times Devil's beers are intense @Beersnake , your review makes me want to seek Banana Stand down the road.
• Nice to see breweries still attempt Biere de Garde @Roy_Hobbs . The best in style are among my favorites across any style.
• Awesome to read about your special BA day at Barreled Souls @LeRose !
• Wish we had more variety of Dublin brewed offerings like the one you enjoyed today @StBrewnard . They only serve the same three Dublin brews since they opened their space in Chicago, and two of the three are bottles. I really haven't gone back and don't plan to without a special Dublin or two offering that likely will never happen.

The second of three beers from David @DoctorZombies is a collaboration German Pils brewed by two West Virginia Breweries, both new to me. Inspiration for the name:

Weathered Ground & Summit Beer Station Sixteen Shots in Munich

4.24/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25



Full review linked above. Bottom line is I expect the beer's included in trades with David to be solid, and this one even exceeded lofty expectations. Really a wonderful German Pils, thanks for sharing the best of West Virginia beers with me!

Have a "World Class" banger I've heard a lot about but never had the chance to enjoy until David came through in the aforementioned trade. Can't wait.

 

It's slow on the NBW side of the virtual bar today. Hopefully, you are all out doing fun things.

I caught up on NBW #211 this morning and enjoyed that a lot of folks were saying how hot and humid it was that weekend (8/3-4) in the Northeast. My perspective was a bit different as I had just returned from Singapore and thought it was pleasant and refreshing.

(Cue brilliant segue) If you're looking for pleasant and refreshing, look no further than today's new brew. This one would be perfect for a long and hot summer's day in a biergarten.

Jack's Abby Modern Hell
5.9% Helles



Pours bright gold with a three-finger white head that collapses to a merrangue-like coating.

The first thing that hits the nose is a strong herbal and menthol combo from the hops. This dissipates over time and allows the underlying malt to come through with bread and a bit of honey.

The taste is where this beer shines. At the front of the sip is cracker and white bread with honey. This broadens to include biscuit, freshly-baked bread, and slight bread dough. By the middle of the sip, an earthy, herbal bitterness begins to build and complement the malt sweetness. The next phase adds a bit of lemon zest to the party that rounds out into undifferentiated citrus. Coming into the finish we get hop bitterness that builds slightly and then lingers through a long aftertaste. Finish is moderately dry.

Slightly higher carb levels than usual JA brews, likely due to the krausening, but it is still fine and doesn't result in any carb burn. Moderately smooth feel and medium-light body.

Overall, this is great--a really well done combination of tradition and modern process. There's a ton of flavor in an easy-drinking package, as well as a lot of nuance if you want to go looking for it. Either way, this beer is simply a pleasure to drink.

 

Browar Artezan - Jardin du Chateau - Fraise

 

Been awhile since I have posted and thought an American Tripel would be appropriate. This is Trade Winds from The Bruery, brewed with Rice and Thai Basil.

4.17/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Beer poured golden orange with a very nice white head with the original pour.

Nose is giving me fruity esters with a hint of basil.

Taste is a substantial but not huge pale malt base in which the yeast gives me a very nice pear and apple baseline flavor. Basil is very subtle, barely perceptible. Finishes very dry with a good dose of white pepper phenols that gives a bitter edge.

Mouthfeel is light bodied and smooth but with a watery post sip feel, perhaps due to the rice.

Overall, this was much better than expected, great job coaxing maximum yeast impartation on the flavor!
Cheers!
Tom

 

A second new to me beer today for reviewing, courtesy of my recent IP trade with @ChicagoJ, in of all places, Chicago - “Alley Time” by Spiteful Brewing, Chicago, IL:



Single hopped with Simcoe. Two fingers of fluffy white foam; very good cap retention; heavy ring with a few spots of lace; pale gold liquid with excellent clarity. Earthy citrus nose; no cat pissy aromas. Mild bitter orange peel with some earthy hop flavors; firm malt base. Light body; crisp watery feel; moderate minus carbonation; no astringency. Overall, a perfectly fine pounder of a pale ale.

4.25 | 3.75 | 4.0 | 3.75 | 4.0
Score: 3.93 rDev: + 0.3%

A beer I could drink in my daily rotation. Crisp, clean, light and easy drinking. Thanks Jason!

 

Last night in Gdansk. Hit a couple unexpectedly good breweries today. I have learned that apparently no one is active on BA in Poland, because half of the beers I review are from places that aren't in the BA database, and most of the places I visit also don't exist. Having a pretty good time.

Browar Hopito - Barrels Time #1: Imperial Stout Aged in Mead Barrels

440ml can served in a wine glass. Best by 01/02/2027. Pretty sure I bought this at Spirytualia in Bialystok.

Pours tarry black, viscous with a small but persistent dark head. Smell is chocolate, molasses, and burnt coffee. Also alcohol, and maybe some honey.

Taste is some booze, some maraschino cherry, some dark chocolate, some honey. Almost a juicy character to it.

Mouthfeel is a bit on the thin side. Overall, it's interesting, good, and a just a little bit "out there."

 

3 Floyds — JinxProof

This was a curiosity purchase based on the canning date, price, brewery fame, and unclear style description.

A golden yellow beer with a nice head.

The nose is all malt with a touch of honey.

The taste is a malty backbone with light bitterness.

Full body mouthfeel with an excellent aftertaste.

Overall it is a nice pale lager on the stronger side of a pilsner.

 

Gotta ask: do you write with a "fountain pen"? Not sure what they're called these days, but I mean a pen where you fill up with liquid ink from a bottle.

 

On way to work this morning saw the Goodyear Blimp. Would love the opportunity to ride/fly in that thing.


Home now, my son and I are trying Jester King's Texas High Desert IPA. Not one of their best offerings IMO. Too sweet on the nose and taste. Almost like a milkshake IPA flavor.

 

@MutuelsMark - that song sure brings up some memories. Must have listened to the Gunfighter Ballads vinyl (bright pink album sleeve with Robbins dressed in black gunfighter kit) a thousand times as a kid.

 

Theakston old peculiar. Saw @jkblr had this last week and was inspired to seek it out.
..has a sort of cola ruby appearance
...body is about medium, some malt thickness in there a bit but very low carbonation
...aroma is malt,mild roasted malt,toffee,bread/sticky buns
...taste is a nice mix of everything that showed up in the aroma. There is a bit of a roasted bitterness that shows up mid sip and builds which is a nice surprise.
...overall I think its exceptional and many thanks to @jkblr for the inspiration.
Shout out to @jonphisher and his unnamed pup from teddy

 

3.13/5 rDev -18.7%

look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Poured from a 12 ounce can dated 4-4-24 into a Teku glass at 51 degrees.

Look- Pale gold, moderately hazy, sudsy white head, average head retention and lacing.

Smell- Clementine, pine, medium strength of scent.

Taste- Clementine, grapefruit, pine, very pithy, very herbaceous, medium strength of flavor.

Feel- Medium body, average carbonation, harsh astringency, moderately creamy, moderately bitter, highly dry finish.

Overall- Pale gold with moderate haze, average head retention and lacing. Bouquet was a mix of clementine and pine. Taste was a very herbaceous and pithy mix of grapefruit, clementine and pine. Medium body with excessive astringency and moderate creaminess and bitterness. Overall this beer provided a well below average drinking experience due to the harsh astringency.

 

Teddy, Her name is Winter.