New Beer Weekend #233

Carton Regular, and the few variants I have had, are really something to behold.

 

Friday I was out with friends, yesterday I was enjoying a barrel aged beer share with my friend @mr-jj and his son, too busy being social to write reviews. One that we opened but didn't finish was gifted to me by @beergoot: Dystopias batch 3, from Free Will.


Pours murky dark nutty brown, still, little to no head. Smell is hot and boozy, dates and toffee and nuts. Something makes me think of char.

Taste is even hotter than the nose suggests, enhances the slight char-ness I am probably imagining. Something makes me think of grapes and sherry. Dates are still there, particularly in the aftertaste. Sweet, with lots of bitter-adjacent flavors to make it counterintuitively balanced.

Mouthfeel is thick, chewy, not sticky, good match for the booziness. Good beer to drink in small quantities.

Thanks, Dave! What a treat to savor.

 

Now you know, it only takes a new beer from Jack's Abby or Von Trapp to summon me.

 

Half Acre — Sunrise Vallejjo

As usual, I have too many beers in the fridge, but I couldn’t pass on a fresh new IPA from a brewery I used to like a lot.

The beer looks like a typical American IPA but is slightly hazy. There is not a lot of head, but the lacing is great.

The nose is a good mix of old and new hoppy beers: fruit, dank, and a bit of malt.

The taste is of grapefruit and tropical fruit, with a nice amount of hop bitterness.

The aftertaste is smooth with lingering fresh hop aftertaste.

Overall, this is an excellent old-school IPA with a modern hops twist.

PS The not-matching glass was a gift from someone partially responsible for my absence from BA.

 

Really enjoyed catching up on the weekend.

• @superspak - Thanks for the memories, glad the beer held up well! Loved those years Revolution and Hop Butcher collaborated for IIRC 3 Summers before Hop Butcher moved to Lincoln Ave. Loved Base and Maintains and Shapes even more - hope those return at least tap room only down the road.
• @Premo88 - Hoping next Winter, will seek you out and post in the Houston folder.
• @Whyteboar & @russpowell - Would say fruit in general can be hard to incorporate into stouts. That said, Haymarket's Clare's Thirsty Ale is one of my favorite beers of any style, and worth checking out IMHO.

Welcome to New Beer Sunday #1037! Light and easy after the last two days, sticking with the Chicago Brewery theme for the Hat Trick while taking advantage of the first intermission between the Hawks and Rangers. This one from my OG Chicago brewery when I started my craft beer journey. Not weather appropriate, and nearing the best by date, today is the day. Once again, my review is the first on BA.

Goose Island Vinyl

3.94/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75



1/5/25 - (Can - Home) (Chicago, IL) Can Notes: Purchased a single can on December 13, 2024 at Beer on the Wall Park for $3.98 including tax.. Sold at store temperature, refrigerated upon returning home before opening this afternoon. 12 oz,, best before 2/24/25 @ 2:48 PM. 6.7% ABV, Wine Barrel-Aged Saison with Blackberry, Lemon, Pomegranate and Elderflower. Tart & Fruity Jams. Brewed & Packaged by Goose Island, Chicago, Illinois.

Appearance: Slow pour of a little over half the can into a tall snifter, yielding a generous bright creamy bubbly head which leaves significant soapy lacing and luxurious creamy cover over the bronze tan ruby clear base. Sustained mild carbonation, looks excellent. 4.5

Aroma: Strong, bold, funky aromas of funk, fruit flavors lemon and blackberry lead the way. Smells excellent as well. 4.75

Taste: Taste measured, getting a lighter take on the lemon and blackberry with pomegranate catching up, possibly Elderflower but I have no previous experience on that front. Cherry and grape as well, presumably from the wine barrels. Feels a bit dull compared to the fresh bursting aroma, still enjoying. 3.5

Mouthfeel: Watery, sugary feel, drinks light and easier than the higher ABV. Tart, lightly dry, sweet overall, though workable. Fruit tart finish, lemon, blackberry and grape. 3.75

Overall: This is a solid offering. Perhaps a fresher version would provide the strong fresh flavors experienced in the aroma. That said, this is a good saison as is, even on a cold winter day. Will pick up down the road if I come across, and revise if freshness changes aspects to my review today. 3.75

See you next weekend!

 

Please do ... DM here anytime.

That goes for any NBWers coming to Houston. Holler my way, and maybe we can work out a meetup. It's a big city, surely we can find somewhere to have some fun in it.

 

The last few times I have been to Southern Yankee Crafhouse, it hasn't been the same. After the brewery closed, the bar/restaurant stayed open but the selection they carry isn't as good as it should be, they could be a really good beer bar but just have a bunch of mediocre offerings from some of the weaker local breweries IMO. Food prices have gone way up, and portions have gone down. Maybe they were just getting their bearings straight after the brewery closed though? Anyway, if @ChicagoJ makes it down here, we all need to get together.. I need to take you whiskey bar hopping anyway

 

I do love evangelizing dystopias!

 

Hello All.
Took a really nice (and needed) trip up to the Central Coast: San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Big Sur peppered with some gorgeous hikes last week. Of course I got to hit a few beer locations: Alvarado, Fieldwork Brewing, and the Big Sur Taphouse (a true gem).

Now I'm home and am missing it already.
Shattered Backboard Ones
This one was ok...

16 oz can.
Slightly hazy, muted gold in hue. White head that rises and quickly subsides. Low retention, scattered lacing.
Nose and flavor hits with light citrus zest and hints of apricot sitting on top of a base of light cracker.
Mouthfeel is a tad thin. Low activity.
3.48/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

 

Good evening NBS/nbw and thanks to our host this week
@Victory_Sabre1973 today was a long hike, in the wind and cool temps
Yes ther was a beer (s) involved, but not why we are all here
The first drop of Side Project in WMass happened just before Christmas.
Today i am enjoying what I cannot stop saying this is Missouri, Arthur.
I say this is in the very best regard. An outstananding representation of place by this brewer

Rosé Du Blé

Saison | 6% ABV
Side Project Brewing in Maplewood, Missouri

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.13/5 rDev -6.1% | Average: 4.4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured from a 750 ml bottle into the test glass.
A - Dark Goldenrod color, excellent clarity, no way to hide the active carbonation. A thin ring of white represents the relationship
S - Mixed culture forward, some white pepper, green apple skin, apricot, a touch of chardonnay.
T - all the aromatics and some notes of honey, wheat malt, with a touch of acidity, nice meneral notes, chalk and sulphur
M - Picky, with a bity front, and soliddry finish
O - A very good "local" flavor from the brewery, I value the effort and creativity in this offering. Excellent on all levels

 

Quiet Eon (2024) from Old Stove

12oz can served in a tulip. 2024 can, stamped on the bottom QE 12.03.24. Bought it a couple weeks ago at Bottleworks.

Pours dark brown, almost black, with a medium sized dark brown head that settles into a thin tan ring. Smell is roasty, a little coffee and cream, some vanilla and more chocolate. Aroma might be a bit on the muted side, but it smells good.

Taste is a little cola, more anise, very bitter coffee, all suggestion of creaminess seems to be gone. Vanilla might be there, but hiding behind some char. Booze becomes very noticeable with the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is thick, rich, and surprisingly prickly. Overall, it's pretty nice.

 

I’ve always loved your reviews and “sculpted” was the exact word I was looking for to describe a head the other night; I will now be stealing that one when applicable

 

hmm
I might have used the word "beergootified" in place of "sculpted"

 

Hey all, continuing on for the new beer weekend. Hope everyone is managing ok with that mid country storm rolling through. I am supposed to get walloped starting at 10 tonight so I am anticipating a lot of snow to wake up to tomorrow morning but we will see.

In the meantime there's always beer!

Comfort Hops - Other Half Brewing Co.



Poured from the can into a Spiegelau IPA glass.

Muted and opaque pale orange body color, with light touches of fine slow rising white carbonation. Classic rich and frothy creamy topped three finger head, off white in color. Scattered pill lacing with a little lighter retention than most NEIPAs even from Other Half.

Delicious aroma. Hop forward notes of grass and citrus peels. Oily touches of orange and lemon zest, with a nice candy like almost peppermint like scent. Fairly classic Other Half NEIPA aroma, but that makes for a great nose.

Palate is real good, with some interesting surprises. Playful hinting creamy body, but also somewhat bubbly accenting a spicy bitterness that pushes the hops really forward. Citrus oils again that come off spicy with orange oil and a great sharp bitterness that cuts nicely. Finishes with a good creamy touching notes and pine bitterness flavors that feel classic and great.

Another solid NEIPA from the Other Half crew as always.

look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5 | BA Generated 4.45

Cheers!

 

Go buy some Union - Snow Pants my brother in law brought me a can last year, such an awesome beer.

 

Intrepid Traditions Dunkel by Jack's Abby. This is very different than Red Tape, for all you JA fans. Prost!



3.91/5 rDev +0.8% | Average: 3.88
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

An easy pour released a finger of creamy off-white froth, long lasting tiny bubbles and spots of lacing. Clear reddish-brown body, orange-gold in front of bright light.

Bold smell of sourdough bread and caramel greets the nose, floral and herbal hops. A faint roasted malt smell with toasted bread is matched by alcohol.

Semi-sweet from caramel with low hop bitterness yet brightly hop flavored at first, bread and toast and a hint of roast arrive later, Apple and grape appear without sweetness as it becomes almost semi-dry. Hop bitterness builds too above average. The finish is fast but not crisp, vestigial sweetness fades as bitterness lingers with added spice.

Medium-light bodied with soft and lasting carbonation, boldly flavored yet balanced. Alcohol taste is a bit astringent at the end. Lightly colored for the style, more hops than usual and not as much roasted character as expected. I'm calling this an American Dunkel. Very different from Red Tape.