New Beer Weekend #221

I've never seen anything from Cruz Blanca before, canned 10/16/23, sipped almost a year later. Another excellent BA Stout out of Chicago.

4.41/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Black, oily pour, small khaki head faded quickly. Whiff of licorice at first, booze and some roasted malts. Flavors are great, dark fruit, some bitter roast/coffee, some sweetness from caramel. Not as thick as it looks, great feel. Never heard of Cruz Blanca, I will buy this again.

 

Captain Lawrence — Clearwater Kölsch

With too many hoppy beers lately, I was looking for something lighter. After browsing a few options, I decided to give this beer a try.

It pours straw yellow with a large, thick head that took a few minutes to start to fade, leaving a good amount of lacing.

The nose is light spicy young ongoing fermentation.

The taste is a bright malt with a touch of hop bitterness.

A round mouthfeel, with a lasting aftertaste of a fresh light ale, finishes the picture.

Overall, this is an excellent Kölsch. I don't know what took me so long to try it, but I'll be back for more.

 

Social Project Brewing's Long Way to the Top Imperial West Coast IPA with Citra Cryo & Nectaron Hops, 8.3% ABV, 3.98 overall

Pours an effervescent gold with one finger of ivory colored head. Pretty good head retention & lacing

S: Melons, passion fruit, nose could be better

T: Follows the nose, pretty dry, pomelo also prominent, cantaloupe and green melons upfront. Dryness & green melon as this beer warms up, some bitter citrus as well. Finishes a little dry with pomelo, dryness, & green melon & some guava & passion fruit sweetness

MF: Medium body, restrained carbonation, nice balance

Easy drinker, ABV is well disguised

 

I'll see you with a beer within the next 1-2 hours...

 

Funnily enough I didn't see any the two weeks I was in Thailand last summer ( still running the AC, so maybe it's still summer ).

 

Every once in a bluemoon we will get ( or used to ) some tasty Pakzki here

 

Happy NBS!

My 5000th review!

Having a very tasty brew from Avery Brewing (CO). Very nice dark fruit complex, bourbon, oak. Clocks in at 13.2% abv.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30/632369/?ba=Wasatch#lists

Cheers!

 

Athletic brewery wits peak
....cloudy pale gold appearance
..around medium carbonation with a slightly thin body
...aroma is black tea,maybe some dried citrus behind that.
...taste,it just isn't good. Black tea and vegetation.
...overall I like the na beer they've produced but this is rough

 

Huge milestone @Wasatch, congrats

 

My review is done but I gotta put it into the database so I'll skim over it here.
This beer is exceptional, small batch, and was $7.75 for the 16oz can.
Blackstack Sixpence None The Richer 6th Anniversary DDH Quadruple IPA 12% ABV
L: 4 Deep orange, fairly hazy, low carbo, lite lacing.
S: 4.5 Tropical fruits.
T: 4.5 Fruit salad, citrus, melon, light alcohol.
F: 4.25 Smooth, med-heavy feel, chest-warming.
O: 4.5 Well hidden ABV, rich, fruity, a fantastic sipper. Outstanding.

 

Cloudburst - Your Worst Nightmare, pumpkin spice stout

16oz can split between a pair of half pint shakers. Can is dated 09/03/24. Bought it at Chuck's Hop Shop Seward Park a few weeks ago.

Pours black with a small, dark head. Smell is pumpkin spice and a little dark chocolate and a little coffee.

Taste is bitter spices, moderate milk chocolate sweetness. Pumpkin pie, but bitter.

Mouthfeel is fairly thin, smooth, slight creaminess. Overall...I don't think there's anything really wrong with it, just not a beer I like.

 

Alright Mr @snaotheus I'm making good on my word yesterday, I have completed my fresh hop box 2024!!! I'm one lucky east coster to have met you and thank you again for sharing your little yearly treat that is fresh hop season. Today was a beautiful unseasonably warm day here before we dip back down into cool fall weather again. This beer is really hitting the spot on a cool lukewarm evening.


Machine House - Fresh Hop Strata Pale Ale (EPA 4%)



Pours bright clear and gold; white head, settles quickly but never bare of white.

Nose is prominently hoppy; bright and zippy green herbal character; lightly floral and a little zesty, maybe a touch of melon; cantaloupe without the fruity sweetness; no malt really showing the fresh hops may just be masking it a bit I'd guess.

Taste is green and hoppy; call me crazy but there is something minty about it; earthy and resinous with green grass, zesty also comes to mind, some very light honey, neutral malt base that reminds me of dried out simple bread.

Light mouthfeel; smooth lower carbonation; soft but nice little sticky hop bite on the finish, there is a moderate but tame bitterness that lingers well into the aftertaste; quite a refreshing beer.

What an awesome special beer; it has English character through and through on the feel but the unique fresh hop character really gives it a refreshing pop to me, just perfect for this evening. Thanks again for bringing fresh hop season to NJ for me Ryan, it has been really fun.

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Have a great night everyone and see you all next weekend

 

Congrats on a great achievement!

 

Agreed. Really EZ for its strength and tasty. Sweet but not even close to being cloying and is tropical. It is dangerous!
Edit: I will add that the retail price made me a bit shy at first but it was worth it. Took me about an hour to sip down (good to the last drop!) and I truly didn't want another beer for 6 hrs.

 

pFriem - Fresh hop West Coast IPA

16oz can served in a big snifter. Hard to read, but I think it's dated 09/19/24. Bought it at Ridgewood about two weeks ago.

Pours clear bright gold with a medium sized head. Smell is dank, cat piss (not in a bad way, just don't know a better descriptor), lemon and herbal.

Taste is pine resin, earthy bitterness, moderate grain tea sweetness, resin bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is medium to light, very dry. Overall, not great, but pretty good.

 

I enjoy the "catty" aromas and tastes. Goes well with different conifer resins. Sometimes I find a brew that delivers "cat pee on a Christmas tree" notes. I have 2 or 3 of them and that funk can be released 24 hrs later.

 

Funny cat pee story…brother, sister and I are with our mom at a brewery; only time it’s ever happened. Mom takes a sip of sisters ipa, “ew, that’s gross,” me “what you think it tastes like cat pee?” She goes “yea, how’d you know ??”

 

Oh man. That's good. Well, It ain't for everybody and when done well it adds complexity, depth and feline notions as you know. ...and so I just asked my wyfe of 22+ yrs (who used to drink some beers with me when we dated and were 1st married but does not drink beer now) this:
Q: "Did you ever like beer? Ever?"
A: NO