New Beer Weekend #236

Yesterday

• Thanks for the weekend kick off @Victory_Sabre1973 !
• Loved Creature Comforts Tropicalia when I was fortunate for an in-person BA trade for it @JackHorzempa
• Welcome to New Beer Weekend / Sunday @TCgenny ! Hope you will continue to join us.

The current situation

Don't want my five older "drink fresh" beers on hand degrade, but with Cellaruary I should be in the mood on weekends to change it up, so will go with my two Goose Island selections on hand. This selection I traded in Wisconsin to a few folks based on the praise in the Great Lakes forum. Time to dive in.

Goose Island Dapper Rye

4.12/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4



1/25/25 - (Bottle - Home) (Chicago, IL) Bottle Notes: Purchased four pack refrigerated on July 17, 2024 from Beer on the Wall $22.04 including tax. Refrigerated at home until opening this morning. 12 oz., 16.5% ABV. Assuming this was bottled April 21, 2024 based on the drink by April 21, 2029 @ 7:01 AM date. Double Bourbon Barrel- Aged Rye Stout. Limited Barrel House Release, VTG 2024. Brewed, barrel-aged and bottled by Goose Island Beer Company, Goose Island Barrel House, Chicago, IL.

Appearance: Poured full glass into a Goose Island BCBS Snifter, yielding a near black base, a thin but nice tan bubble head that lasts a few minutes before leaving a solid ring of fine bubbles around the rim and a 5% cover over the base. Carbonation continues to bubble up, small fine bubbles. 4.0

Aroma: Let this sit for about 15 minutes to reach estimated proper temperature. Rye leads, nice smooth bourbon backing. As this warms also get the base consisting of milk chocolate, caramel and toffee; backed by oak and tobacco. Medium plus strength, higher in enjoyment. 4.5

Taste: Burst of sweetness on first sip, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, caramel and toffee. Bourbon very slow to emerge, rye faint at best. 4.0

Mouthfeel: Sticky full base, sweet chocolate flavors add depth. ABV felt from GO!, strong like bull. Sweeter than expected from the aroma, the bourbon is stronger on the nose and feel than taste. Definitely a dessert beer, sweet milk chocolate and caramel the primary finish. 4.0

Overall: I had high hopes after the aroma, but even going beyond 30 minutes for proper temperature from the refrigerator, the bourbon and rye enjoyed in the aroma was left far behind. I had very high expectations based on the brewer and other notes by Beer Advocates, but this one while very good fell short from the excellence I expected, especially after enjoying the aroma. Still a solid offering, wish I had more. 4.0

 

Trappistes Rochefort 6

Not really new to me, but I find that I have never reviewed it before.

Poured a 330ml bottle into a chalice. A one finger fine tan head on a cloudy amber brown. Excellent head retention. Fine lacing.

Fruity malt smells. Phenols. Spicy. Tastes of sweet bready caramel malts up front. dark fruit and faint banana. minimal hop flavours. Dry finish.

Outstandingly smooth. A very creamy texture. Medium body and good carbonation. Overall an outstanding Dubble. A flagship of the style and not to be missed.

look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

Snow is nothing new to me, growing up in Illinois. I personally hate it here in Houston. My condo complex is just not built for cold weather. Its always a crap shoot if a pipe bursts no matter how much we try and prepare.

My parents are on vacation now, we always went to Edisto Beach in South Carolina growing up, so they went back this week. The freezing temperatures and snow followed them over there as well.

I think I would have enjoyed this much more than worrying about my pipes bursting ha.

 

All true. In a perfect world everyone would stay home and ride it out...

 

I looked up my review, 2008 was still Colorado at the time...

 

Well, when Toppling Goliath first started dropping regularly here, I saw my favorite beer store got one of their highly rated stouts. I forget which exactly it was, but I saw they had the 10th ranked beer on this site (made by said brewery), I made a little trek.

I’ll admit I’m couching expectations a bit because I’ve been doing this beer thing fur a little while, but I do expect to quite like Mornin’ Delight.


The beer must’ve been foaming a bit as the pour took a couple seconds to make its way to the bar in front of me. A medium brown cap has wiped away to a medium thin ring. These remnants cling in a tight circle as I take each sip.

Before that, though, the maple emanated from the glass, sweet and sticky-seeming. Getting closer with my nose, a berry-rich coffee punches through the sweeter notes quite easily, on the edges there is some singed toast and burnt marshmallow.

Back to that sip with which I was getting ahead of things… sweet. It is maple-leaning on the opening, but it’s more just candy sweet. The dark roast and burnt marshmallow fill in in time, but the more bitter notes are fighting harder for the palate than they had to for the nose.

The feel is medium thick, with a large amount of stickiness. Carbonation is just enough to keep each sip rolling towards its intended destination.

Late notes and into the finish is where a distinctly maple flavor comes out. It reminds me of the maple leaf cookies from Canada. It pairs with the berry and coffee from the nose briefly. Eventually, a weak but bitter coffee from the bottom of the glass (with the last remaining sweetener) trickles down my throat.

A little more sweet than I even expected, but with a decent coffee / stout roastiness countering to a fair degree.

Hoping you are finding a special new beer yourself this weekend. Cheers!

 

Go brewery sunbeam pils na
...slightly cloudy gold appearance
...just below average carbonation with a watery body but still has a decent enough feel
...aroma has that wort that most na beer has but there is grain,cereal which made it come off as a decent pils
...taste is almost a bit dry but pleasant, grain,cereal
...overall its a nice beer to have mid-day when I dont want the real thing yet

 

Prairie Artisan Degenerate Breakfast Imperial Porter, 10.5% ABV. Pours thick and black, with a one-finger brown head that left spotty lacing. Aroma is strong coffee and maple. Taste follows, plus chocolate, moderately sweet, slightly tart. Excellent mouthfeel, overall outstanding to world-class adjacent.

4.46/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Haven't tried the IPA Cotton Candy yet. Looking at the picture, that black spot at the bottom could be problematic.

 

Cross-posting in the 2025 Cellar Reviews thread - happy NBW - cheers!

4.21/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2019 vintage - poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter.

Murky auburn body with fawn highlights. Fine beige collar rings a faint surface slick. Sandy lacing; fast legs; good retention.

Toffee, caramel, barley, figs, plums, and faint tobacco in the nose. Vanilla and alcohol grow more prominent as the ale warms.

Potent malt forward palate entry with a secondary wave of bourbon and a hint of oak/acidity. Baking chocolate, molasses, and loam with a low earthy bitterness. Dry, woodsy finish with some residual/returning sweetness. Vague fruity esters perhaps from the yeast?

Smooth, medium-bodied mouthfeel - faintly oily and quite warming.

Well balanced, potent, monolithic - one of the last remnants of a vanished era.

 

Glad you could find something passable there at 3rd Act, my opinion on them is if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all! (Which I suppose I'm breaking that by responding!)

 

Sounds terrific!

 

I'm still drinking down the leftovers from the holidays. For today an oatmeal stout. Maybe another tomorrow.

Foley Brother's Long Beards
6% Oatmeal Stout



Pours near black with a three-finger tan head that sticks around for a little bit.

Before it warms, the prominent aroma is a pleasant earth-wood-pine combo over very slight grain. After it warms, slight black bread comes through.

The sip starts with a whimper. Really not much going on. Chocolate, cocoa, black bread, and roast grains comes out in the middle. The finish adds bitter ash and char, quite good, but not really to style. Chocolate comes back on the aftertaste, lending a lingering sweetness.

Medium carb and smooth, but somewhat light bodied; it has some of that creamy oatmeal stout feel but not quite enough.

Overall, good, just not fully there on all aspects of a good oatmeal stout.

 

Started my new brews today with a couple of Imperial Stouts, first was Hoof Hearted's Mondo Dizmo:

Mondo Dizmo | Hoof Hearted Brewing | BeerAdvocate



And then Listermann Brewing's Black Future:

Black Future | Listermann Brewing Company | BeerAdvocate



Cheers!

 

And then finished my new brews for today with a couple cans of Great Lakes Conway's Irish Stout which I hope will be a new yearly release from now on (if not more often than that):

Conway’s Irish Stout | Great Lakes Brewing Co. | BeerAdvocate





I should have another new brew or 2 tomorrow. Cheers everyone!

 

A visit to Baileson Brewing.

FULL Justice IPA is up first. 7.1% ABV. They got sued by their landlord for some real petty stuff, then counter sued and won. So they get to stay at their location (they would have had to close down immediately otherwise). I think they are looking to move soon though, cause they can't stand the prick of a landlord. So they made this IPA in celebration, after the won their case.



Pours a golden/orange color with a light haze. A white head forms with good retention and lace left behind.
Aroma is a mix of fruits, tropical and stone fruits. With light grassy and pine. Very nice.
Taste wise, the stone and tropical fruit flavors are up front. With more of a generic fruit medley. There is a light pine and grassy character. A bitter sweet mix going on, as sometimes it can seem like hard candy. Other times, more traditional IPA bitterness.
A fuller body with moderate carbonation. A touch sweet and almost syrupy for me. Though all in all a nice IPA to drink.

It is a quality IPA. With the fruit medley, more traditional IPA characteristics and a candy like sweetness all mingling. I would like it dryer and more bitter, but still enjoyable to drink.

Overall score is 3.88, solid B+
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/50448/731300/?ba=champ103#lists


Next up...

Judge, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, 10.5% ABV



Pours a bit murky brown. A small beige head forms and light lace is left behind.
Aroma is dark fruits like raisins and plum. There is an odd minty, almost peppermint like aroma. Which isn't bad, but a bit odd.
Taste wise, like the nose, the dark fruits are the show. Raisins, plums, alcohol and plenty of Belgian candied sugary sweetness. Again, there is a spicy, pepperminty flavor going on. Maybe an odd mix of yeast/phenols?
A full body with moderate carbonation. I don't mind a bit of sweetness with this style, but could be more toned down here. As it gives it more of a sticky syrupy feel. Which becomes a tad overbearing. Still not bad to sip on if in the boozy and sweet mood.

A decent, but not exceptional example of a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. Glad they tackled the style, and something that is nice enough to drink when in the mood. Though there are better examples out there.

Overall score is 3.61, easy B
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/50448/586532/?ba=champ103#lists