New Beer Weekend #232

Allagash Tripel

Appearance: Slightly hazy gold, good head.

Smell: A touch of skunk first, then phenolic yeasty and cloves.

Taste: Mild sweetness to start, then kind of spicy black pepper and cloves, with a little more bready sweetness backing it up. Full bodied. Sweetness balanced with yeasty spiciness stays through the finish.

Overall: Tripels were one of my gateway beers to craft, so excited to try a US classic from Allagash. Very complex and balanced flavor, tasty though I prefer a little more sweetness in tripels. Good stuff!

 

Had a couple new to me Goose Island Bourbon County variants today. Their Vanilla Rye:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1146/131782/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



And the Macaroon Stout:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1146/723940/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



They were both tasty, but their Macaroon Stout might be one of the best brews I've had this year. The Vanilla Rye was good, but was a big vanilla bomb and really wasn't much rye there unfortunately. Still, both of these BCS variants was nice to try!

 

Part of a Samuel Smith mix pack I picked up a few weeks ago in MA. As advertised (on the bottle) a very rich & creamy head. Has a slightly sweet and smokey taste that seems to become more pronounced as it warms. Simple and sturdy. Is good.

 

Really a nice option.
Pours a clear bright orange.
Wonderful nose - strong hints of pine as well as some hints of tropical fruit.
Full mouth feel.
Resinous taste with tropical fruits and moderate bitterness.

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

I am late to the party because of work and a family event today. Here's my new beer.

Six - Pantown Brewing- St. Cloud, MN - American Lager- 8.6

First off, I'll have to submit a ABV change request. It was originally listed at 5.7%.

I am going to be honest here, I am totally not a fan of this beer. It looks good, and smells ok. The flavors starts off ok, but there's a bitterness that just seems so wrong in this beer. That is what killed it for me. Oh, well.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/54849/726783/

3.33/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
On tap at the brewery.

In the light at the brewery, this is an amber pouring beer, and it's clear. There's a white head in this beer.
Light aroma, some cereal and honey notes.
Taste, well up front it is mild. Hints of cereal and grain with a slight honey sweetness. The back has some oak notes and vanilla. There's also a very strong bitterness that just doesn't seem to fit with this beer.
That bitter feeling isn't the most pleasant at all, and it lingers. Decent fullness and a bubbly feeling.
I just don't know about this one. It seems like a step back for them.



I think I'd better have one more tonight to make up for this. See you shortly.

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Sippers and commentators. My son-in-law and daughter gave me this bottle of Barrel Aged Kindest Regrets from Broadway Brewery in Columbia, MO. It's an Imperial Porter aged in whiskey and rum barrels. There were only 75 bottles released. This brewery and restaurant is very good at BA beers, including Barleywines and Stouts.

Poured at 55°. An inky black pour. The medium-mocha-colored head dissipated immediately leaving a thin ring. A big, fragrant nose featuring roasted malt, chocolate, vanilla, fresh coffee, a whiff of tobacco smoke, and a strong aroma of whiskey. The taste is dry, earthy, and fairly bitter. There is some opening chocolate sweetness and a hint of vanilla but it is quickly balanced by the rye whiskey, bitter char, ash, and acidic coffee grounds. The bitterness lingers. Letting it breathe in the glass helps it to mellow a bit. For a Porter it has a good, thick mouth with moderate carbonation and it doesn't drink like 14.2%. Overall, this is an excellent Imperial Porter.

I've enjoyed the Stouts and Barleywines I've had from this brewery.

4.24/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Cheers, NBW!

 

Back-to-back. Other Half's Nectar Diamonds.

Canned on 12/11/2024 so just over two weeks old. Poured into an OH snulip glass. It's an opaque, bright orange with a snow white cap of fluffy foam and thick, clinging lacing. The smell includes sweet tangerine, pineapple, and lemon, with some additional sweet tropical notes. The taste largely follows. It is sweet with pineapple and orange/tangerine, along with some tart lemon and grapefruit. In addition, there are notes of vanilla cream, melon, and other sweet fruits. The mouth feel is very thick and creamy with proper carbonation, and it drinks like the 8.5% ABV on the can. Overall, this is another superb DIPA from Other Half.

4.29/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This will be it for me for the next couple of weeks. Although I don't adhere to "Dry January," I will take 2 weeks off after New Year's Day because I have a physical scheduled for 1/15/2025 and I want to take off a few pounds. So I wish you all I healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year! Cheers, NBW!

 

All right, home now, and having this, and I have to thank @cheeseheadinMinneapolis for it.

Brewers' Reserve 2019 Barleywine - Lakefront Brewing - Milwaukee, WI - American Barleywine - 15.8%

Wow, this beer is downright delicious! I am not surprised, but still in awe with it. It is so damn good. So much flavor here, and I am thankful and a fan of it.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/741/696681/

4.51/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
From a 12oz can. Canned on January, 24, 2024

This is a dark amber pouring beer. Very dark, so dark I can't tell if it's clear or not. There's a 2 finger tan head to this beer that looks quite nice with smaller bubbles. The head retention is quite amazing for the ABV. Once it dissipates, it forms a ring at the edge of the glass with no lacing.
Nose is so full of dark fruit. The raisin and plum are so powerful here. I get tons of caramel and toffee. So much vanilla hits my nose with this beer. These are all so strong and pleasing. I also get a hint of ample syrup, though there's none here.
Taste - The dark fruit hits right away. This flavor mellows and others take its place. I get a huge hit of caramel and toffee, with a maple syrup like flavor. I then, on the back, get notes of vanilla and oak.
Thick, smooth and very full body to this beer. I am getting no burn here at all. This is so smooth.
Wow, this beer is a top notch beer in my book. Damn delicious.


Last new beer of the weekend, and the year. I will see you all on the flipside in 2025. Cheers!

 

It's mellowed out some. I liked it better when it was fresher it was more robust. Even the aroma was more robust when fresh. I have a few cans left. Glad you enjoyed it.

 

Imperial Hodad by Fiddlehead ( Julios liquors edition)

4.01/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Brewers notes: This unique variant of Imperial Hodad has matured in bourbon barrels that previously held Vermont maple syrup. Julio’s Liquors exclusive. Cellared for 2 years

Pours a tan frothy fizzy 1/2 finger head that quickly fades , no lacings over a dark mahogany brown color

Aroma of maple ,chocolate, coconut , light roasts

Taste of bourbon, sweet maple syrup, coconut, milk chocolate

Mouth feel is medium fizzy, full body

Good beer

 

I will keep my eyes peeled if in the area

 

This Bridger Brewing Double IPA is from @muchloveforhops3

7.8% ABV; 4,21 overall

Pours chill-hazed gold with a thumb+ of eggshell colored head. Almost drops bright, very good head retention & lacing

S: Tropical fruits & citrus, green melons, peach & limes

T: Passion fruit, green melons, guava, dryness & lime up front. Some tangerine, a little nectarine & green melon, plus grassyness once warmed up, powdery dryness as well. Finishes dry, with pomelo, pink grapefruit, lime, cantaloupe & passion fruit

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation, good balance

Easy to drink, pretty good flavor

 

My gaming beer: 2024 Paraboloid. sent to me by @Resistance88. Spoiler, it was really good.

Poured French Roast dark with a very thin light brown head that dissipated rather quickly, which is normal for the style.
The taste is unlike any other Bourbon Barrel Aged stout; most feature an almost sweet aspect, this one doesn’t have any sweet to it. Coffee, like the aforementioned French roast, not light but a solid roast. Any chocolate is very dark, and unsweetened. Despite this, the malt base is deep and delicious. Not sure what bourbon is used as the contribution is melded with the barrel itself.
The feel is nicely viscous, not to thick, not thin. Ideal sipping texture.
OA, if more BBA stouts were like this I would definitely drink more of them happily instead of looking for rye whiskey aged stouts.
Due to the ABV on this, I am one and done today. Cheers!

 

Good evening NBW
My last bottle from our Ashville, NC haul. Likely the final trip as my daughter completed her course work there for her bachelor's degree in December. She's moved back home with a paralegal job lined up as she applies for law schools.

Olde Hickory Hillcrest

12oz bottled 03/15/23 poured into a tulip glass at fridge temp 10.7% ABV. The beer pours opaque medium amber with khaki colored head. The head recedes to a thin ring little else within a couple minutes. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring piney hops, caramel malt, slight ethanol and a hint of wet cardboard. The taste is bittersweet caramel malt with notes of fading pine and old leather. Moderate bitterness. The feel is medium plus bodied with just less that medium carbonation and a semi dry finish. The huge malt sweetness is pretty well balanced by the bitterness and ABV. Overall, very good barleywine. Mine was purchased recently at room temperature, so I'd say best before two years in unknown condition. Maybe longer if refrigerated.

Cheers all and best wishes for the new year!

 

Ozark Beer Co. Ozarkinator Doppelbock, 7.1% ABV; 4.07 overall

Pours an effervescent amber/hazel with 2 fingers of billowy cream-colored head. Very good head retention & lacing

S: Toasty, brown bread notes, toffee, if the rest of the beer was a good as the nose, this beer would be stellar

T: Follows the nose, somewhat dry, woody hops & toffee up front, some jammyness as well. Pears, figs, brown bread & toastyness as this beer warms up, a little caramel as well, a touch of green apple skins& grassiness. Finishes toasty with herbal & woody hops, some caramel notes as well

MF: Medium body, moderate carbonation

Pretty solid take on the style, not great. I like my Doppels with more heft for starters, drinks fairly easy