New Beer Weekend #231

Thank you @Victory_Sabre1973 for your kickoff this weekend! Taras Boulba is the one beer featured so far I've also enjoyed in the past. The dryness and bitterness with enjoyable flavors was my takeaway. Hope to one day hit Triptych @champ103 . Really enjoyed their Saison this Spring, wish we received more north of I-80.

Been clearing cellar BA stouts during the week, so selecting a few lighter suburban selections for my home beers. I may head out this weekend for some bonus selections, see if I can brave the cold later today. First up, one from Mikerphone, a brewery I have visited several times, but not the easiest to hit via public transportation. They have many sweet selections, but can nail balanced styles as well, which I hope is what I experience with this selection.

Mikerphone Back Back 2 Cali Cali

3.68/5 rDev -7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5



12/21/24 - (Can - Home) (Chicago, IL) Can Notes: Purchased single can on December 13, 2024 at Beer on the Wall Park Ridge. Purchased at store temperature for $5.12 including tax, refrigerated upon returning home before opening this morning. 16 oz, no can date, distributed to the store week ended December 13, 2024. 8.0% ABV, West Coast-Style Double IPA. Label Art by Alyssa & Nick Segura. Mikerphone Brewing, 121 Garlisch Drive, Elk Grove Village, Illinois.

Appearance: Initial pour of 1/2 of can into a large tulip. Bright puffy bubbly white head lingers a while, leaving a generous cover over the slightly foggy yellow golden base yielding light steady carbonation. Looks really good!. 4.25

Aroma: Tropical flavors burst as soon as the can is opened, citrus, tangerine, pineapple, pine. Smells very sweet, definitely more "new school" WCIPA at this stage. Strong and pleasant. 3.75

Taste: This is a can of orange and pineapple juice, light grapefruit. Very sweet offering, though this is Mikerphone. Light bitterness emerges as this warms, perhaps as I get more accustomed. 3.75

Mouthfeel: Faint carbonation, watery light body. Drinks light and easy, sweetness masking the 8%. Sweet, faint bitterness puts up a fight like a 5 year old vs. an 8th grader. Citrus pineapple sweet finish. 3.25

Overall: If this wasn't billed as a West Coast-Style, even with leeway for a "modern" take, I may not have bought it, but perhaps would have enjoyed it more with my expectations in tune with the selection. Did I expect PtE? No. Did I expect more pine and grapefruit, more hop bitterness, a more balanced selection? Yes. OK, but truth in advertising, please. 3.5

My planned selection is a collaboration, with a very highly recommended brewery involved I have yet to try. Looking forward to Prime Time New Beer Sunday!

 

Good morning, beer lovers! I'm looking forward to a (hopefully) relaxing weekend with lots of beer, soccer, football, and most importantly...family.

My first 'new' beer of the weekend is a greate example of how badly I still need to drink down my beer cellar. This is Founders' Breakfast Stout, and I have a six pack that was bottled in October of 2017 that has sat untouched for the last 7 years. Well, it's finally time to give this beer a try.

4.15/5 rDev -8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottled in October of 2017

I typically have trouble rating the appearance of stouts, as they all look so similar. That said, this one stands out for a robust and persistent mocha colored head that looks wonderful on top of the dark, dark brown body.

Aroma has loads of coffee and rich malts. Quite nice smelling.

Taste has plenty of coffee and roasted malts. Some sweetness appears late to balance this out, but this is certainly coffee-forward (in a good way). Full bodied and smooth.

Overall, this has held up amazingly well. Perfect breakfast beer for me this December morning.

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A few random tags @Coronaeus @FBarber @ovaltine would love to see what new beers you guys are enjoying this weekend....I thought of all three of you when I was down in my cellar, as you (among others) are partially responsible for why I have so many beers to drink!

 

I second this motion…

@Coronaeus thought of you the other die while using my leaf’s glass drinking a beer you’d love.

@ovaltine miss you my ratings inflation compadre.

@FBarber thought of you cause of that new “list” thread that mentioned Art History, a brewery I’ve tried thanks to you.

 

Hello NBW folks, hope you're having a good weekend so far.

Alesmith Speedway Grand Prix Rocky Road

Appearance: Black, good sized brown head.

Smell: Very rich chocolate, almonds, cherries.

Taste: Sweet and chocolaty, maybe its marshmallow, maybe its cherries/almonds. Stays heavy on the chocolate through the finish.

Overall: This single was relatively cheap so I picked it up. It's a very good dessert stout. Quite sweet but not over-the-top. Maybe one of the most chocolate-intense experiences I've had in a beer!

 

Love that look on Teddy's face..

 

Thanks for starting us off @Victory_Sabre1973

Hey All, I just posted a link to our current NBW in Todd's @Todd post welcoming Rate Beer folks. Hopefully we'll get some new folks coming in to our little, welcoming, corner of BA.

 

Amazing label art for a cool name.

 

Brewing Projekt Smoofee Raspberry/Guava/Vanilla Fruited Sour, 6.5% ABV. Pours opaque dark red with a 1.5 finger pink head that left lacing and puree residue. Aroma is raspberry, guava, and vanilla. Taste is mostly raspberry, some guava, and vanilla, slightly sweet, moderately tart. OK mouthfeel, overall excellent.

4.04/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

 

Thanks to @Victory_Sabre1973 and the early herd for opening up the doors for another NBW!

I've got a new coffee porter in the glass on a glorious Saturday afternoon in sunny Houston, TX:

Saint Arnold's 2022 Cognac Barrel French Press Imperial Coffee Porter
12 oz. bottle • 9.3% ABV • 10/27/22 printed on bottle

I had a bottle of the bourbon barrel version of this beer and loved it. Scored it a 4.28 FWIW.

This one? Not so much.

The short version is the aroma is an A+, the flavor is a C- (and that's up from a D ... it's finally starting to open up a bit). The aroma is loaded with yummy chocolate and fruitcake and dates and raisins ... hints of the cognac oak barrel but also very sweet milk chocolate. The flavor is earthy and yeasty, way more wood flavor and a generic roasted bitterness that isn't even what I'd call "coffee" or "espresso." It's trying to be, but it tastes more like an oak twig with mud on it. Not great.

Still, the beer is opening up a teensy bit at a time and offering a nice grape flavor. I'd still take the bourbon-barrel version of this one 10 out of 10 times, but I'm going to let this beer sit in the glass, warm up and see if we can't tease out some of those wonderful notes from the aroma.

Official review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/337/523845/?ba=Premo88#lists
3.85 (rDev 0%)

I scored it that high because the nose and mouthfeel are arguably perfect. But I wouldn't buy this one again. It's 2 years old, so it's possible it's past its prime, but at 9.3% ABV and a dark malt beer, I'd expect it to age better than this (if in fact age has hurt it, which I don't know that that's the case).

@champ103 Did you try this one? And/or the bourbon version? I'd swear you did but can't recall for certain. That's what the "search" function is for on this site, huh? Hope you're enjoying your holiday in the northern Midwest!

And here's hoping all of you good BAs have a fun, happy holiday!

Cheers!

 

Drekker Thrills That Kill New England IPA, 6.0% ABV; 3.92 overall

Canned date of 07/12/24, still holding up!

Pours a hazed gold with a thumb of eggshell colored head. Nice head retention & lacing

S: Some pineapple & coconut

T: Follows the nose, a little guava, & orange as well up front. Oranges, pineapple, passion fruit & guava as this beer warms up. Finishes with some pineapple acidity, pomelo & lime

MF: Medium body, restrained carbonation, nice balance, some acidic notes

I Certainly would like to try a fresher take on this, but this is nice place holder, easy to drink, still bringing the juice

 

Thanks!

I’ll be trying something new later this evening. I’m presently about 80 cookies in on my annual shortbread baking. Lots more to go…

If it’s possible that I do one thing better than everyone else in the world, the best bet on what it is would be ‘make shortbread cookies.’ I try not to share them as much as I used to, because I end up having to make more and more every year!

Cheers!

 

Great to see the enthusiastic triad getting us going this weekend! Today's new beer is something light before heading into a week of big, dark, and holiday styles.

This one was canned on either 8 or 9/19 but then held for a Nov. release. Not sure what that's about, but it's still drinking well at 3-4 months. It has ME malt, MA-grown Triumph, and NY-grown Cascade.

Jack's Abby Destination Northeast
5.3% Pilsner



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

Big hop aromas off the pour: grapefruit, lemon zest, pear, orange zest, a little damp earth and a lot of floral notes. The hops rest on a base of bread dough and honey.

The malt/hops interplay continues on the palate, with honeyed white bread at the start of the sip that broadens to biscuit, bread dough, pear, and a woody/floral combo. Floral bitterness dominates the finish and shifts to bitter grapefruit through the aftertaste. As expected for a fresh hop beer, the hops are center stage here.

Medium-light bodied with a bit more carb than I prefer, which takes away from how smooth this could be.

Overall, a good fresh hop Pilsner. Great to see JA going all local on this one with ME malt, MA and NY hops.

 

Left Hand Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout

(sorry about the blurry picture)

Appearance: Black, ok head.

Smell: Cinnamon at first, then neutral.

Taste: Mild sweetness, then a kind of fruity sweetness. Doesn't really remind me of vanilla. Almost like a cranberry dialed back a lot. A touch of chili in the finish.

Overall: Smelled like cinnamon, had no cinnamon in it. Tasted like cranberries, no cranberries in it. Very interesting and pretty tasty though not what I was expecting at all.

 

I need some pics of this mountain of shortbread when it is complete.

 

Just a couple new brews for me today, Fair State's You Can Have The Crown: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35996/581599/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



And Boulevard Brewing's Rested Reserve: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/423/678052/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



Both pretty good imperial stouts, cheers everyone!

 

Holy Mountain - No Presents for Christmas

@Beersnake