New Beer Weekend #230

Haven't been here in a while. I'm enjoying a barrel aged pumpkin spice ale from Central Waters called Headless Heron courtesy of @GreenBayBA
Thank you! CW doesn't get enough love.



I'm getting some nice, bready brown ale notes to go along with the cinnamon and nutmeg. The ginger and cloves are far more faint, spicing proportions that suit me fine. The barrel notes are a perfect compliment adding plenty of boozy vanilla. Glad I got try this, perfect on a bitterly cold night curled up with a good book.

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!
Thanks to @Beersnake for starting us off.

Well, I really needed a beer after a long day at work, and it's still cold outside, so this one seems in order.

Darkness - Double Barrel (2024) - Surly Brewing - Minneapolis, MN - American Imperial Stout - 12%

This beer is good, but it does seem lacking in the barrel department. I get some of it, but it is so faint.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13014/725384/
4.1/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
From a 16oz can. Canned on 11/06/24

It looks like Darkness. This is a pitch black pouring beer. There's no light that could shine through this darkness. There's a 2 finger brown head that is very fluffy looking. The head retention is quite good, and there's some very sticky lacing on the glass.
The aroma is full on roasted chocolate. This has such a strong dark fruit smell with tons of raisin, plum and fig. There's notes of caramel, and toffee in here, as well as some vanilla. Not really getting much barrel here, just a faint hint of it.
Taste - The flavor, while good, is a bit more mellow than the nose let on. I get a dark fruit hit right away with notes of chocolate, toffee, caramel and vanilla that follow. Like the nose, I'm not getting a lot of the barrel. The barrel notes are very faint, even though it is a double barrel. I am getting some of the rum barrel on the back, and it's more that the bourbon.
Thick and very full bodied. Smooth feeling. Very faint burn on the backside.
This is delicious, but the barrel is lacing a bit.

I think there will be one more in me, but it will be a bit. See you all in a while.

 

Jumping in Naked to start the weekend off right! Troegs Naked Elf cheers!

 

A Belgian IPA? Well, not really

I was gifted this beer from a friend and while it is brewed by a brewery known for its Belgian beer styles (i.e., Ommegang) this beer is categorized as a New England IPA on BA: Neon Rainbows.

How this beer is detailed on the brewery’s website:

“Neon Rainbows

New England-style IPA

Enchanting, vibrant, evanescent — this full-spectrum beer is our unicorn. Alluringly hazy and irresistibly juicy, it’s unfiltered, double dry-hopped, and gone too soon.

6.7% ABV

45 IBU

Year-round AVAILABILITY

HOPS Mosaic, Simcoe, Citra, Centennial, and Topaz in primary hopping, and Mosaic, Simcoe, Citra, and Topaz dry-hopping

YEAST London ale yeast”

Served in my Spiegelau IPA glass:

Appearance:

Golden yellow, with some haze and a big white head.

Aroma:

A pleasing combination of citrus and tropical fruit.

Taste:

The flavor pretty much follows the nose with a combination of citrus and tropical but I am picking up a bit of spicy flavor as well. There is a moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

A medium body with a dry finish.

Overall:

This beer if very good! I thought the balance of citrus and tropical fruits aromas/flavors with the subtle spiciness on the palate to be very enjoyable.

@rotsaruch @RobH @KOP_Beer_OUtlet

 

Bought a mixed 4 pack of beers from Fortuna in Poland, here's the first two:
Komes Barleywine

Appearance: Dark brown with chunks of yeast, small head.

Smell: Leathery, some caramel way down there.

Taste: Starts pretty neutral but then gets pretty fruity, cherries and prunes, red wine. A little earthy note in there too. Somewhat light body for a 12% beer. Finishes with more of the red wine note.

Overall: Picked up a 4 pack with 4 different beers from this brewery. The barleywine doesn't give the best first impression. Seems kind of like a Belgian dubbel but with less yeast influence, just earthy and fruity. Not so good.

Komes Baltic Porter

Appearance: Dark brown/black, with a ok head that fades out.

Smell: Bit of chocolate, bit of smoke

Taste: Starts with some mild chocolate which turns more towards coffee/mocha. Maybe a hint of dark fruit. Finishes with coffee bitterness. Medium bodied, feels light for 9%.

Overall: A better effort than their barleywine, this baltic porter is pretty decent but light on body and flavor for the style. Onwards we go.

 

Well, time for my next round, and the final for the day.

Tequila Barrel Sunrise - Firestone Walker Brewing - American Barleywine - 11%

I bought this to clear off a spot in our single section, and the tequila really has scared me off for a while now. I had no idea what to expect from this beer, and really didn't know what to expect until I poured it. If you're a fan of tequila, you might be disappointed - I get none of it in the flavor. I just get a ton of orange and floral flavors. This is good, but I wouldn't get again, just in case a non aged version has more tequila in it.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2210/550578/?ba=Zorro
4.04/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
2021 version. No date otherwise on the bottle.

Nice hiss and smoke upon opening the bottle. This is a clear pouring beer, and somewhat amber in color. There's a lot of carbonation bubbles rising in the glass. The head is 2 finger and somewhat off white. Frothy and fluffy looking with decent retention. There's a bit of lacing on the glass.
Aroma is full of orange. The aroma is quite pleasing. I get a good floral hit in the aroma as well. I'm not getting any barrel, but, it is a good thing for me.
Taste - There's a sweetness up front. I get some orange flavor and it has a nice flavor to it. There's a floral element to it. I am not getting the barrel at all, but, I'm not a tequila fan, so this is not a downside.
Very nice smooth body. Somewhat bubbly feeling. Slight burn on the backside.
I wasn't sure what to expect at all from this. The tequila really scared me, but I am liking this beer.

See you all tomorrow from the frozen central Minnesota tundra.

 

Props to @Beersnake for getting us off & running

This is the last of the Mystery beers sent to me by the generous @snaotheus I did a pretty good job of guessing what it was. Terrible job of reading his instructions on his camo wrapper. This should've been the first one I tired, not the last



It is ta da...

Drekker Strawberry Spread It PB& J Kettle Sour, 6.0% ABV; 4.14 overall



Pours an effervescent clouded hazy purple/Chablis color with a pinky of pinkish colored head. Kind of ugly, some head retention & better lacing, but also a pulpy film

S: Tons of berries, vanilla, graham crackers

T: Follows the nose, Strawberry/Boysen Berry dominates, vanilla sweetness, dryness & faint acidic notes are more feel than taste up front. More berry sweetness. vanilla, plus dryness & a bit of acidity as this beer warms up. Finishes tart sweet & sticky

MF: Medium body, dialed back carbonation, a bit gritty, but doesn't detract, some acidic notes on the teeth & tongue

I liked it, didn't get any peanut butter, maybe that's the grittiness??? I liked way more than I do a lot of this style & went down easy



There may have been a remote chance I purchased on in Wichita over Thanksgiving, but it would've been slim. Wasn't really targeting sours.

 

I'd really know how he got Drekker beers. I didn't think they distributed that far, and I didn't hook him up.

 

They may be traveling. Saw them in Kansas

 

Then there's a chance. For any who travel, I do highly recommend a stop at Drekker in Fargo. I was amazed with it when there, and will return again.

 

Also saw them in Michigan as few years ago, but that isn't that far from home base

 

There's Minnesota and Wisconsin in between.

 

Just posted in the wrong forum, moving, also sux, already reviewed this

 

Shiner holiday cheer,cross post
...a dark amber appearance with some lasting head
...aroma is peach syrup,borderline artificial or medicinal. Pecans come off sort of dirty and earthy and these two components dominate
...taste is off, if I pay close attention I get the flavors suggested but they are hard to define cleanly.
Peach is a bit artificial and the nut comes off earthy and not in a good way.
..overall I guess I see why some might like it but it really turned me off
@micada take this review as my friendly warning

 

Thanks @Beersnake for the Weekend open. I've seen pics, many from @RaulMondesi , of the place you went to, need to get there myself next time in the OC with a car. Last time, was public transportation limited, so Huntington Beach (RIIP) was as far as I went from Long Beach (mainly Beachwood on sadly my final visits to their OG taproom). Glad they are also now at Huntington Beach. Green Cheek is also awesome. HB is the strongest Per Capita Beer Destination in America, IMO.

All my beers this weekend will be Christmas focused with the Holiday / Christmas Beer Tasting Event going on. Hope you can join us. This selection was praised over the past two weekends by @jonphisher , so I was convinced to make this one of my selections shopping this afternoon. This is also 750 into BA, but I have around 2,000 to enter, hopefully this Winter with little else to do outside.

Great Lakes Christmas Ale

3.71/5 rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5



12/13/24 - (Can - Home) (Chicago, IL) Can Notes: Purchased a single can on December 27, 2024 at Beer on the Wall Park Ridge. Purchased single can at store temperature for $2.84 with tax, refrigerated for four hours before opening later in the evening. 12 oz, Best By 2/16/25, no can date beyond the 8:08:13 AM can stamp. Christmas Ale with spices and honey, 7.5% ABV. Brewed & Canned by Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland, Ohio.

Appearance: Beautiful crystal clear ruby red base. Strong sustained center glass carbonation in the goblet containing the single can pour. Snow like dusting of creamy covering most of the base, creamier and richer along the rim. Looks excellent! 4.5

Aroma: Cherry cough drops, strong malt, raisins and ginger. All work together well despite the disparate origins. Smells like a Christmas fruit cake, above medium strength. 4.0

Taste: Taste not as wide as the aroma yields. A whole lot of malt going on here. Consistent with the style, and not necessarily surprised, but the aroma led me to a wider breadth of flavors. Let this warm a bit, and it brings back memories more of the strong malty Belgian Dark Strong Ales. All that said, beyond my personal taste preferences, this is consistent with the style, though wish I could gleam honey, plus the cherry flavors enjoyed in the aroma. Did get the ginger about 15 minutes in, enjoyed that taste portion the most. 3.5

Mouthfeel: This is strong from go, very malt forward. Malt, malt, malt. More bitter than expected, though still a bit sweet. Barley malt finish with a splash of ginger . 3.75

Overall: If you like winter warmers and malty beers, this one will fit the bill. Well crafted, beautiful aroma. This one is served by Nick, who serves hard malty beers in here to men who want to get drunk quickly, and don't want any hop characteristics here to give the beer "atmosphere". Can see why many like this, a bit malty for my tastes, but glad I picked up and finally tried this evening. 3.5

 

LOL! Much appreciated!

 

Straffe Hendrik Quadruple by Brouwerij De Halve Maan ~ 05/24/2026

First time dipping into this treat or anything from this brewery for that matter BA. I will definitely be grabbing more if I can. This devilish brew delivers on all the markings of a great quality Trappist Quad with perhaps it's own markings. The aroma is faint spice and dried fruits with slightly roasted malt notes. I get massive dried fruits in the flavor however with an underlying roasted nut & brown sugar/honey sweetness. Orange blossoms meld with a mixed plate of fig, date, cherry, and a touch of earthy hops, woodsy to me...sprinkled with bit of peppery spice. Somewhat sweet overall but drying in the finish. Has a dark treacle like note to it really but super smooth with a highly attenuated body. A very nice run of 11% merry monk juice if you ask me BA!

 

Lion's Tail Brewing Bourbon Trail 2024 Weller. An imperial Stout aged one year in W.L. Weller bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace distillery. The look is pitch black. There was a small amount of light brown foam that immediately disappeared. The smell has a strong bourbon scent, followed by scents of milk chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and I noticed a pleasant strawberry scent. The taste seems minty at first. That is followed by waves of caramel, milk chocolate, marshmallow, and cherry, with a nice bourbon flavor rounding it out. The mouthfeel is thick, syrupy, creamy, smooth, and full, with low-medium carbonation. Overall, this is a unique beer in this series. There are some sweet minty/fruity flavors that are unexpected, which I enjoyed. This is one of my favorite editions of this series. Lion's Tail Brewing is doing a great job with their line of barrel-aged imperial stouts.