New Beer Weekend #219

Outer Range Brewing (France) ‘Way Down’ DNEIPA

44 cl can poured into a 50 cl glass in Toulouse, France.
Fluffs up properly, yellow-gold hazy boi brew glows in the glass. Good legs with lacing down to the ankle.
Nose full of Mosaic hops, New Zealand Wakatu hops in tow, offering up vapors of lime zest, little bit of almost soapy floral grassyness, mango, pineapple. It’s herbal for sure. Tad of dankness.
Taste comes in wet with mushmelon and pineapple. The Wakatu throws a curve ball on the tongue because it’s not as widely used as, say, Citra, in a DIPA. Momentary moderate bitterness prevails. British pale malts bring a smoothness, and lend a sweet counterbalance to the expressive hops. ABV is very well hidden, so this went down kinda easy and.,. fast. There’s a dank dryness late in the hit that could easily be offputting to some.
Mouthfeel is full and rich. Medium carbonation.
Overall, a crushable NEIPA that’s been brewed for at least seven years that is juicy and bright. Yet different.
So leave the life below, they say on the can. Get to the base of the Colorado Rockies and the French Alps for your high time amplifier.,.

4.31/5 in the BA DB.

 

Good day BAs! Back with today's New Breakfast Beer:



Shiner Trail Ale – from Spoetzl. 12 fl oz bottle purchased from Riverside Liquors, Grand Rapids, MI, 21/08/24, $ 2.37 (including tax and deposit), $ 0.198 /fl oz. Reviewed 29/09/24 (Review 3367). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Etched below label “E051523 17:32”. In room temperature storage at the store. Stored at 34 degrees F at home. Served at 54.3 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 58.6 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.5
First pour – Deep Amber (SRM 15), clear.
Body – Brown (SRM 20), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, beautiful ruby, and clear.
Head – Average (Maximum 2.3 cm, aggressive center pour), wild rice, high density, average retention, leaving 0.7 cm crown and cap, fed by aggressive carbonation – lasts for the entire drinking time.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 4 – Smells like a bag of trail mix – nutty, slightly sweet, some raisins. No hops, no alcohol (6 % ABV, according to the label).
Flavor – 2 – Primarily a mixture of nuts, raisins, chocolate, disturbingly sweet – needs some salt to balance the sweetness. No hops, no alcohol. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. No gastric warming. Leaves a nasty aftertaste of rancid nut oils.
Palate – 4 – Medium; approaching creamy; soft carbonation.
Style: Follows the style guidelines, as condensed by BA.
Final Impression and summation: 3.75 Looks can be deceiving. Sorry Spoetzl – I usually like your brews, but this one is a drain pour.

Rating 3.18, rDev -13.1%

 

I attended the Belgium Comes to Cooperstown event yesterday at Ommegang Brewery. Below is a photo of the layout for @jonphisher. It is a pretty, bucolic setting in the field behind the brewery.

This year’s event was quite a bit smaller than in the past with about 40-ish breweries in attendance with quite a number of no-shows but more beer than could be consumed. I am a fan of Trappist-style Ales and I really enjoyed the beers from Orval, Westmalle, Rochefort, Chimay, St. Bernardus…And there were very good beers from local (New York State) breweries available beyond the beers of Ommegang; I enjoyed beers from Fidens, Ardennes, Southern Tier, etc.

I was also pleased that a number of brewers were in attendance including brewers from Firestone Walker, Jack’s Abby, Fidens, Southern Tier, etc. All of these brewers were quite generous with their time and permitted me to ‘pick their brains’ about brewing ingredients and brewing process. I like to learn new things about brewing.

And I had fun with my buddies Phil & Chuck playing various games/activities. Chuck won a Duvel T-shirt since he was able to chip a golf ball into a cup.

There were also non-Belgian beers there as well so the people who prefer to drink Pilsners, IPAs, etc. were served as well.

Overall: a great event and a great time. Save some money so y’all can attend next year’s event.

Cheers!

P.S. A bonus was the weather yesterday was partly sunny with highs in the low 70’s. A picture perfect day!

P.S.S. Also, the event was not crowded so that was a bonus as well.

@utopiajane

 

H-Town Brewing is relatively new. I tried them once when they first opened, and there wasn't much there I wanted to come back to at the time. Not wanting to throw them off entirely, I gave them another try this weekend.

First up, Rodeo Red, at 5.9% ABV. They call this a German Altbier.



Pours a dark, brick read color. A small beige head forms. Not much lace left behind.
Aroma is lots of toasted and caramel malts. Almost a tea like aroma. That is it. Nothing special, just kind of eh, but not bad. I guess.
Taste wise, caramel malts, candied sugars. Lots of residual sugars, and this is jut cloyingly sweet.
A medium body with moderate carbonation. Oily, sticky, and leaves a filmy feel. Not particularly clean. This is a chore to drink.

Residual sugars and sweetness just takes over and covers anything of nuance. Was not impressed, not something I want to revisit, and no style points.

Overall score is 3.02, a big old blah.

Next was Brown on the Bayou. American Brown Ale, 6.3% ABV.



Pours a dark brown, with some reddish around the edges. A one finger beige head forms with some lace left behind.
Malty, chocolate, bready, and lightly yeasty aroma. Which is very simple. but enjoyable.
Taste wise, the malty character follows the nose. Toasted and bready. The chocolate becomes more powdered, chalk like coco. Granulated sugar and lingering sweetness.
A medium body with moderate carbonation. The chalkiness isn't doing this any favors. Given that, it is still surprisingly OK to drink.

Not my favorite example of the style by far, but from what I have had from this brewery, maybe the only option I would come back to. I'm not sure if they treat their water, because it has that chalky heaviness from Houston tap water. It does run to sweet for my tastes, but other than that, its OK.

Overall score is a generous 3.53
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/66846/693418/?ba=champ103#lists

I have a Jester King Pilsner that I'm going to open later today as well.

 

This vaguely reminds me of Wookey Jack. Allagash Haunted House Hoppy Dark Ale.

4.25/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12 oz can canned 7/11/24 into a tulip glass.
L: SRM 38 Pours very dark brown to black color with a soft & crusty domed 1/2" khaki head , lush fine steady carbonation, head retains shape and gets thinner, complex medium lacing around entire radius of glass.
S: Caramelized malts, a hint of grape, toasted grains, a hint of dark fruits, lightly floral and a bit rosy.
T: Toasty grains, mild coffee, dark fruits notes, plum, a suggestion of dry red wine, a touch of raisin, light toffee, very light char, gently pale in the finish.
F: Smooth & creamy, plush & soft medium-bodied feel with a medium length moderately drying finish.
O: Exceptional mouthfeel that is super friendly. Great tasting, well balanced and crafty. It is outstanding in its style.

 

Sounds like an awesome time, especially all the brewers present. I had a similar experience chatting with the head brewer of Wander Back Beerworks on Friday night.

 

Alley Cat Milkshake IPA from Fixed Gear
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/54434/716433/

Poured a 473ml can into a pint glass. A two finger fine white head on a cloudy pale apricot. The head sticks around to the end. Some fluffy lacing.

Fruit in the nose.

Slight pith up front. Slightly sweet. Creamy citrus. A mild hop finish.

Creamy mouthfeel. Medium body. Light carbonation.

A very smooth and approachable IPA. Fairly subdued in all it's qualities. Worth a try.

look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

 

It looks like a great day!

 

Love that beer, had one earlier this week.

 

Yeah that single was a nice surprise. Allagash impresses once again!

 

Welcome to New Beer Sunday #1023!

Won’t be able to catch up with the thread until later today or tomorrow, but looking forward to it. The second of four from the SN Fan Case.

Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye

4.15/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25



Full review linked above. Bottom line, not much breadth of flavor, but digging the rye, one of my favorite flavors. I have this one slightly over the brown ale (4.15 vs. 4.06).

 

A nice day to watch football and drink beer, and I have a nice one.
I'm drinking Diablo Colorado, a strong ale from Bruz Beers,
The beer is a clear golden color with a small white head that disappears rather quickly.
Aroma is sweet fruit, and floral.
I taste grapes, white wine, and some apple.
Medium-bodied.



Hank wanted to pose with the beer.

 

Jester King German-Style Pilsner. Can says 4.8% ABV, listed here as 5.1% ABV.



Pours beautifully clear, a golden/yellow color. A dense white head forms, with excellent retention and rings of lace left behind. This is a looker.
Aroma of cereal grains are up front. With zesty, spicy, grassy hops mingling in there. Simple, but enjoyable.
Taste wise, the cereal grains, and general grainy character gives the illusion this is more simple. A bit of honey sweetness. Spicy, grassy hops. While not a strong bitterness, it does linger on a bit.
A medium body with crisp carbonation. This is super clean, which I love. Very easy to drink. I can come back to this easily.

The cereal graininess isn't bad at all. Though I wish I got more of a baked bread, bakery character. Again, its far from a bad thing, just a personal preference. One that is very much subjective as well. A very nice clean Pilsner here.

Overall score is 3.88, B+ for me at this point, and probably a bit better than that indicates. Jester King finally got into the clean beer game, and they seem pretty good at it.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24018/569812/?ba=champ103#lists

Nice lazy Sunday afternoon to drink this out in the courtyard with Elizabeth Strout's newest book. Which, as always from her, is also very good.

 

I'm a sucker for West Coast IPAs only because they are becoming a rarity here in the North East. So I had to grab Foxfarm's first ever WCIPA when I saw it. Unfortunately I don't think its up to their standards.
Surprised I had to add this to the BA database, its already 3-weeks old.

3.55/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 16 oz can dated 09/11/24 to a Nonic at fridge temp. Purchased yesterday at the brewery, kept cold. $4.65 per 16 oz can.
The body is slightly hazy letting light through, and of a straw color. A pure white head of uniform 0.1mm bubbles, sits 2-fingers high immediately after the pour, but fades soon to a single layer. Lacing is moderate.
The aroma is a little musty, and vegetal.
The flavor is bitter and the vegetal aroma feeds into the up front taste. Citrus comes in the middle, and a bitter dry finish ends it. But that vegetal aroma persists through the entire experience
The mouthfeel is light to medium, slightly oily and carbonation is strong.
Not sure I like that vegetal flavor and I’m not good enough to say this is DMS or just the Strata hops. Not off putting but it made me knock this down a bit on the ratings.

 

Sounds like a terrible idea

 

Nice looking hound

 

Fresh Luck from Single Hill Brewing in Yakima, the first new-to-me fresh hop beer of the season. Preliminary review below. Cheers!

4.39/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
16oz can (no packaging date visible, but recent and almost certainly only a few weeks old, if that) into a tulip. Pours a clear pale golden color with a frothy white head, patchy lace.

Aroma is a juicy blend of mostly citrus and pine—grapefruit and orange, some very “green” hop resin. This beer smells alive.

Taste has that same green hop character—abundant alpha acids on a balanced, relatively neutral canvas of pale biscuity malt with just the slightest degree of sweetness. Finishes crisp and pleasingly bitter. Deceptively simple.

Mouthfeel is likewise nicely balanced with a medium body.

Overall an understated, elegantly constructed fresh hop beer. This is what the season is all about. My only quibble is the classification, as I could easily see this as being an APA as opposed to an IPA—but those lines are pretty blurry so I guess either style is arguably accurate.

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. I'm always excited when one of our local breweries releases a Baltic Porter. In this case even more so because during its first two and a half years Autodidact Beer has become well-known for its hazy IPAs and lite Lagers. It hasn't brewed a big Stout yet and this is its first foray into the Baltic World. The brew is called Hammer of Arcularius and it's a collaboration with the Morris Area Society of Home Brewers. It was canned on 9/17 and released on 9/25. And its VERY good!

Its color is between dark cola and ink black and it sports an impressive cap of creamy, light khaki foam with a thin film of lacing with excellent retention. The smell is appropriate with roasted malt, raisin, black cherry, tobacco smoke, char, and a whiff of nuts and caramel. The taste opens with a strong dose of dark fruit, including raisin, prune, and black cherry. But the fruit is not entirely sweet; rather, there is a tart - almost sour - flavor that adds sophistication. Beneath is the bitter taste of burnt brown malts and nuts, as well as earthy char. The mouth feel is pleasant with rather lively carbonation, and the 8.5% ABV is surprisingly benign. Overall, I've been waiting for Autodidact to brew some heavier, darker beers and Hammer doesn't disappoint. I'm very interested in seeing how it changes over the next few weeks. I could see buying more and drinking it through Thanksgiving.

4.37/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I'll be back shortly to review a South Jersey DIPA. Cheers!

 

Theakston — Old Peculier

I vaguely remember seeing a thread about this beer on BA when I saw it at the store. The price was reasonable, so I bought a bottle.

The appearance is reddish-black liquid with a proper head.

The nose is sweet caramel similar to Russian Kvas — a non-alcoholic rye bread fermented drink.

The taste follows the nose — creamy, sweet, caramel, almost brown ale-like.

A full-body mouthfeel with a slightly burnt aftertaste completes the picture.

Overall, it is a lovely beer, a nice change of pace for someone who drinks mostly lagers or rich West Coast IPAs.

A fun fact I learned is that Iron Horse Beverages (the importer of Old Peculier) distributes a hodge-podge assortment of beers including super cheap German imports from Hofbrauhaus Wolters, Turkish Efes, and Brooklyn Greenpoint Brewery.