New Beer Weekend #220

Cowiche Creek - Tynamite hazy IPA

 

Brasserie La Debauche (France) ‘Lose Your Mind’ Belgian Quadruple with Banana Flambée, Cognac barrel aged.

33 cl bottle, poured lightly chilled into a snifter.
Weak tan bubbles up top brown brew.
Nose is devoid of character, given the brewery’s claims of “flambéed bananas” (I understand they did this at the brewery, thenselves.,). Mostly booze. A bit of familiar Belgian ale characteristics and what hit me as a toasted marshmallow. 10% ABV.,.
Taste is befuddling. There’s only a whisper of cognac barreling here, zip nada on the bananas. It’s hardly passable as a Belgian strong ale, really.
Mouthfeel is thin to medium. Medium carbonation.
Overall, La Debauche rarely disappoints in anything they do. But man, they missed on this brew.,. Love the idea of it though.,.,.

 

A 20% off coupon to our favorite Indian restaurant lured us out for lunch today with take out for dinner. New brewery for us was only 2 minutes away, so we visited Smug Brewing.

Formerly housed Bucket Brewery, but Smug has made nulice use of the space. It's in a converted mill complex that houses some artisan shops and I believe a winter farmer's market seasonally but that could be in the next building...hard to tell. Industrial but cozy vibe and I do have qualms about the public being in the production space but they did a good job. The have a little "annex" kind of area for a different, more "family friendly", space. Very friendly and very knowledgeable staff. Pretty sure they have food trucks rotate in different days and they have "events" like Brews and Bonsai, glass painting, etc.

Four beers tried and at least two will get full reviews:



From left to right, Smokey and the Brew was a pretty nice Rauchbier; Eat my Schwartz was an excellent Schwarzbier. Gourds Gone Wild which was actually a good pumpkin ale featuring the pumpkin over the spices served in a glass with the rim dipped in cinnamon sugar which actually enhanced the beer nicely. Ginger Mule which has a very good ginger flavor with a tad too much lime for my taste but still good.

Nice find - they do quite a variety of styles and its kind of a treat to have four very good beers in a sampling - ususlly there's one that is iffy. I think we got there before the crowd, so hard to judge whether they are getting the local support they deserve. They also offer a non-alcoholic line with four flavors.

Be back later with a more proper contribution.

 

Greetings NBWers - on this sunny (94F) Saturday afternoon, I'm enjoying the highest ranked example I've had of perhaps my favorite style from one of my favorite domestic brewers (de Garde) - cheers!

4.2/5 rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottled October, 2022 - enjoyed on October 5, 2024 - poured from a capped-and-corked 750mL bottle into my Moinette goblet.

Clear gold body - head fizzes away very rapidly; no lacing; poor retention.

Bright and balanced aromas of citrus, stone fruit, and gentle funk (buttermilk, hay-loft).

Horse blanket on the palate entry, then a wave of acidity, giving way to a burst of nectarine at the apex of the sourness. Long fairly dry finish, suffused with fruit and offset by an oaky minerality and a low bitterness. Rich nectarine extraction wrings every bit of flavor available from the fruit with mature/restrained wild notes adding complexity to the clean/crackery malt base.

Medium-light bodied, somewhat thin given the fleeting carbonation.

Style guidelines aside (I do think this is more of a wild ale), this is an excellent beer, though not head and shoulders above the rest of the the brewer's (generally wonderful!) offerings.

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

Well, I'll get right into this beauty that the generous @Ocalafox sent to me.

Julius - Tree House Brewing - Charlton, MA - NEIPA - 6.8%

So how haven't I had this before? Well, I have not, and am so happy I finally got the chance to try it. It lives up to the hype. Very juicy tasting. Great body. Damn good aroma. What more can I say about this. I am honored, and thankful, it was sent to me. Thank you Vann!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28743/86237/
4.49/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
From a 16oz can dated 08/30/2024 - KA IS A WHEEL

This beer look like I'm pouring a very thick pulpy glass of pineapple juice. The haze and murk are extremly strong in this beer. Very thick looking when pouring this beer. There's a thick 3 1/2 finger white head. Very soft, fluffy and cloud like looking. Great head retention and some beautiful looking sticky lacing on the glass.
Aroma is tropical as expected. Very good citrus aroma. Notes of pineapple, grapefruit, and mango come to my nose.
Taste - This is a pineapple bomb. Just a ton of it up front. There's a hint of the mango in the middle. The backside is the grapefruit. The citrus flavors all provide a pleasing bitterness with a faint sweetness from the mango.
The body is pretty good. I was expecting it to be a bit more sticky. It is soft and juicy. Very full bodied.
This beer is worth the hype. It is a top notch beer.

Be back in awhile for more.

 

Twine Cutter fresh hop at Wandering Hop

 

Picked up another bunch of PNW fresh hop beers this morning while I was out renewing my driver’s license. First up, Stoup FH Fiend Italian Pils with Citra. Very tasty! Preliminary review below.

4.25/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
16oz can (packaging date hard to read, but looks like 9/17/2024) into a tulip. Pours a pale golden color with a bright white head—looks enticing.

Aroma is a big burst of citrus and melon—wow, this is different. Some floral and grassy notes too. Very nice.

Taste starts out with grainy/biscuity Pilsner malt but then the hops hit you. Resinous and bitter with tons of alpha acids. Some lemon and ripe melon, grapefruit zest. Great showcase for the Citra.

Mouthfeel balanced, medium bodied, drinkable.

Overall this is one of the best, most unique fresh hop beers I’ve had this season, not that I’ve had that many.

 

Getting into fall here, though it doesn't feel like it today, I might as well go a bit bigger here, and this is one that @turfy so kindly sent to me.

S'mores Trmptress - Lakewood Brewing - Garland, TX - Milk Stout - 9.1%

This beer delivers what it says. I am not a big s'mores fan, but this beer is damn delicious. This beer is very well balanced, yet packed with flavor. Thank you for sending this to me!
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29656/610090/
4.23/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
From a 12oz can canned on 05/18/2023

This is a very dark pouring beer, pretty much pitch black. There's a nice 2 finger brown head. The head has smaller looking bubbles. Nice frothy appearance. Great head retention and there's some good lacing on the glass.
Aroma is quite rich. I get a good roasted note here. I get some dark chocolate. I get a vanilla hit. I also get a good hit of marshmallow as well as a grainy malt aroma.
Taste - The flavors of this beer all work well together. I get a roasted dark chocolate hit. I get vanilla. I get a good grain/graham cracker flavor. I get a solid marshmallow flavor.
The body is pretty good. Very smooth and slightly creamy feeling. Maybe could be a bit thicker.
This is a damn good beer. A pleasure to try.

Be back later for more. Cheers!

 

Ommegang oktommegang marzen
...cloudy amber appearance
...medium light carbonation with about a medium body yet has a bit of a grainy thickness which all adds up to a nice feel
...aroma is a nice mix of malt,caramel, earthy floral honey with doughy bread.
...taste has some sweetness but leaves room for malty doughy bread, caramel, honey and some very mild toasted grain.
..overall this might be one of my favorite fall beers so far

 

Good evening NBW
Probably my last new-to-me oktoberfest this year...
I went into this one with low expectations, and I was correct to have reservations.

Fat Orange Cat Bavarian Kittens

16oz undated can poured into a mug at fridge temp 5.5 % ABV. The beer pours mostly bright medium amber with off white head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of bubbles. Slight lacing. The aroma is mild with a little caramel and toasted malt. The taste is bittersweet toasted, nutty caramel malt with piney hop flavor front to back. Medium lasting bittersweet. The feel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, this might be a tasty fall themed IPL, but it's not a good Märzen or festbier as both are proclaimed on the label.

I have a bunch of not oktoberfest beers to share here over the next several weeks. Cheers all!

 

Vliet pilsner 3s brewery
...cloudy gold orange appearance
...light carbonation with a just below average body
...aroma is far from overpowering but theres mild citrus peel, floral and grainy.
...taste is somewhat more complex than aroma. Earthy, citrus peel,dry and mildly bitter. Seems to be way more bitter than anything else so doesn't allow any other flavors to show up
...overall its ok,best I can say

 

Here's a proper NBW contribution:



Oxbow Nightfall - a 4.5% Czech dark lager, or tmave lezak. It's brewed with flaked malt and midnight yeast. No tricks or add-ins with this puppy!

It pours a very dark cola color with gorgeous red highlights. Huge, beige, Ricky head that slowly creeps down the glass leaving a trail of bubbles. Huge island remnant, eventually with a decent cap of light foam.

The smell is malt forward and bready. Quite roasty. There's some light coffee going know and a sweeter note of toffee. There's a tad bit of chocolate. Nothing of note on the hop front - no surprise for the style.

The grains lead the way here. It's bready and toasty - very prominent roast and toast on this one. It's bordering on being stout-like but not quite there. There's a bit of wheat tanginess. A little toffee sweetness. Mild coffee and a little chocolate round out the main flavors. Then there's an aromatic herbal flavor that floats in over the top that is very light licorice or fennel-like. Slight grain bitterness.

It's drinking bigger than it is. The roast and wheat contribute to that despite the pretty low ABV. It's medium bodied but a little creamy, so it feels "rich" to me. Well-carbonated but not enough to be a distraction.

I like it. It's about as straightforward as it gets. Easy drinking. Definitely fits the style definition. In the 3.8 range for me.

 

This will be my last beer of the day, but hopefully not the weekend. I bought this a few weeks back at the brewery.

Fountain Jacks - Hayes Public House - Buffalo, MN - Old Ale - 8%

I will start by saying - I hate wax on bottles. It looks nice, but can be a total pain to get off enough to open the bottle up.
End rant on that.
This is a well made beer. I get a great dark fruit flavor from this beer. Very malty. Delicious!
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33504/718620/
4.25/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From a 750ml bottle purchased at the brewery. No date on the bottle.

A bit of a hiss and smoke upon opening up the bottle. Beautiful dark amber pouring beer. Slightly murky looking in the glass. There's a 1 finger cream colored head. The head retention is quite good. There's a small bit of lacing on the glass.
The aroma has a dark fruit character. I get a good raisin and plum hit off the nose. There's almost a wild and funky hint to this aroma.
Taste - flavor is a dark malt hint up front. I get some woody notes off it. I also get a good dark fruit hit on the back with raisin and plum. There's a faint bitterness on the back.
Very full bodied. Smooth. Slightly bubbly feeling.
This is a solid and well made beer. So glad I bought this.

I should be back tomorrow. Cheers!

 

New beer #2 for this weekend

DAB Maibock

500mL can stamped P10.01.2024 E10.04.2025 (so 10 months old, but within spec) poured into a mug at fridge temp 7% ABV. The beer pours bright light golden amber with off white head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of bubbles. Spotty lacing. The aroma is mild with sweet pils malt, honey and floral notes. The taste is semisweet pale malt with a mineral note that carries through the sip (this actually diminished as the glass warmed up, so I wouldn't rush). Further pondering reveals apple, biscuit and honey. Moderate bitterness at the finish. The feel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, good maibock.

I don't get some of the bad reviews on this. Could be inconsistency in batches, I suppose. I have plenty more to share, but they'll have to wait. Cheers all!

 

Dock street docktoberfest
...cloudy pale orange/gold appearance
...medium light carbonation with a slightly thin body
..aroma is crusty bread, herbal,earthy
..taste is herbal, earthy,dry bitterness with some malt in the background
..overall its a decent beer but doesn't really remind me of an oktoberfest

 

A Phoenix Rising from the Ashes.
After quite some time, here's a new offering from Lost Nation Brewing, Morrisville, VT!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31645/716629/



Canned on:
09/27/2024.

Moderate pour yields a one inch white head over a fairly bright, light golden body with sticky lacing.

Nose of spice with a bit of floral/herbal aromas as well.

Taste of spice and a slight sweetness with a crisp and moderately bitter finish.

Mouthfeel has more than medium fullness with medium carbonation.

Overall, a great representation of the style and would highly recommend!
Good Job and Welcome Back, boys!!

Cheers!!

 

One of the few Stone beers I have every year.
Traditions live on!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/147/716834/



Enjoy by 12/25/24.

Moderate pour yields a 5/4 inch white head over a pure gold body with sticky lacing.

Nose of melon and white grape foremost with citrus, tropical fruit, and floral aromas as well.

Taste is melon, white grape, white grapefruit, with a pine and citrus pith finish.

Nice mouthfeel with near medium carbonation.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this year's anny beer and would recommend it as a very easy drinking 8.5%er.

Cheers!

 

Ivory Bill Brewing Co. Just Brown English Brown Ale, 4.8% ABV; 4.34 overall

Pours an effervescent hazel with a thumb of tan head. Minimal head retention & lacing

S: Toasty, brown bread, hints of nuttiness once warm

T: Follows the nose, pronounced nuttiness & dryness, some leafy hops up front. Hints of cocoa as this beer warms up, plenty of toastyness & pecans as well. some woody & grassy hops as well. Finishes very toasty, slightly nutty, cocoa, dry with woody hops, hints of Sulphur

MF: Medium body, subtle carbonation

Easy drinker with lots of flavor. These guys do the classics very well. This is as a good of a Brown Ale as I have had in awhile