New Beer Weekend #239

So, while “No Rules” is their most notorious porter, they have this one that I first experienced in a holiday box of this and Perrin Reserve - and a 5 oz Perrin glass.
It’s pretty darn good.
The coffee and chocolate, well that is almost a given, and, and I could say “malty goodness” but, that is too common - maybe chocolate, malt and coffee is sufficient
They do tend to focus on porters, for whatever reason (hey, I’ve had a Japanese Emperor Imperial Stout from them) yet I don’t have much else to describe it.
The feel is, well, not at all viscous. But for a porter, it’s not bad at all.
OA, well, when fresh, it’s really quite good, if not amazing. But l think it is really good.
Cheers

 

I like the label

 

Skydance Brewing Skoden Batch 011Hazy Triple IPA with Necatron & Nelson Sauvin Hops, 9.0% ABV; 4.45 overall

Pours a very hazed gold with 2 fingers of eggshell colored head. Very good head retention & insane lacing

S: Citrus, papaya, mango & guava, some minty notes once warmed up

T: Follows the nose, a touch of white grape as well, cantaloupe & a little pink grapefruit up front. Orange, pineapple, with some dryness & vanilla thrown in as this beer warms up & some dank/minty notes as well. Finishes with guava, pineapple whip, passion fruit & dryness

MF: Medium body, creamy carbonation, pretty good balance, a little grittiness, a touch of acidity

Great drinkability, delivers the juice with a twist

 

Puppies?!? And no photos? Dude!

 

It’s remained remarkably similar over the years; this one is 3 or 4 years old so it might be different now. I’ll have to check:

 

Unless this party is still going tomorrow, I am done with new beers.

 

Gorgeous pic to start us off!

 

Hello All. Happy Late Night NBS.

A nice offering from a local I do not grab often enough...
Every Everything by The Lost Abbey

From a 16 oz can. Stamped Born on 1/24/25
Beautiful lass. Golden, almost luminous and capped by a firm, dense fluff. Solid retention that leaves layered lacing and a tickled mustache.
Nose has a bright pop of lemony zest, some green grass, and hints of pine resin. A nice foundation of slightly sweet crackery malt.
Flavor begins with a slightly bitter and herbal grapefruit and then some earthy pine. Bitterness increases. I like this. the malt still presents with a round, constant presence of smooth, light sweetness.
Mouthfeel is just a bit lighter than medium, good carb level, and once again, the bitterness is firm.
3.94/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

 

Greetings, fellow NBWers,

Tonight there's around three inches of snow on the ground, with perhaps a couple more to come, but it's not how the week started. Up until around Tuesday, the Republik of Spokanistan was in a deep freeze. Overnight lows reached around-2-3°F. Since then, it's warmed up enough to permit snow, and that's been happening for most of the weekend.

Yesterday, I had myself a pale ale from YaYa Brewing, in Spokane Valley, that I had once had on tap, but hadn't reviewed:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/57417/733901/?ba=woemad#lists
Maybe what I'd had once before was from a more lackluster batch, but this time I really dug this. It was a citrus forward WCPA that was a pleasure to drink.

Today, before making a ground beef curry for dinner, I had myself an oatmeal stout I'd not tried before:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/65186/43175/?ba=woemad#lists
I found this one to be merely okay. There was a little bit of a soy sauce thing going on, and it was lacking a bit in the mouth feel department. It wasn't bad, just nothing I'd feel I would need to try again.

Since this is a three day weekend, I might be back with another new beer tomorrow. Time will tell!

 

OK, it looks like this thread will remain open due to the Washington's Birthday / Presidents' Day weekend, for those who get the day off and or celebrate. Perhaps I do a rare for me second home beer with the planned Cellaruary selection, but will take advantage of this opportunity for a beer which doesn't really pair with any other on-hand selection I have in terms of weekend themes.

@MikeBinLA

Alesmith Speedway Stout - German Chocolate Cake

4.54/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5



2/17/25 - (Can - Home) (Chicago, IL) Can Notes: Purchased at store temperature December 13, 2024 at Beer on the Wall Park Ridge for $5.69 including tax. Refrigerated upon returning home before opening this morning. 16 oz canned 11/5/24, 12.0% ABV. Special Release: Imperial Stout with cacao nibs, toasted coconut, roasted pecans, and coffee. Glassware Goblet, Serving Temp 50-55F, Pairs Well with vanilla ice cream, origin - established 1995 in San Diego, California. Proudly brewed and canned in San Diego, California.

This Speedway is our modern twist on a beloved treat. A favorite from our 2023 Speedway Grand Prix Event, this brew boasts rich flavors of coffee and semi-sweet chocolate, complemented by the delicate sweetness of toasted coconut and roasted pecans. Oh, and did you know? German Chocolate Cake is not actually from Germany, but it gets its name from the brilliant Chocolatier who invented it.

Appearance: Poured about 60% into a 12 oz handheld snifter, yielding a dark near black chestnut brown base and a light tan bubbly head that leaves no trace but a creamy darker tan ring around the rim, and a partial razor thin cover over the base which looks like Japan on a map. 4.5

Aroma: Let this warm for 20 minutes for proper room temperature, yielding a nice level of coconut to lead, backed by pecans and bakers chocolate. a dark roast coffee and roasted malt. Very nice medley blends well. above medium strength, enticingly high enjoyment. 4.75

Taste: Rich and decadent first taste. strong chocolate fudge far and away leader like Secretariat in the Belmont Stakes. Funny how sometimes I can pick out many flavors taste-wise but not aroma, and vice versa. Getting some toffee and caramel plus pecan. Getting faint coconut which was so pleasant in the nose and hard to gather in this area. Overall, this too blends well together, just with different results. 4.5

Mouthfeel: Decedent and rich, body feels medium but sweetness and creaminess moves the dial up to a perceived full creamy body. Drinks strong from go, maybe even above the high 12.0% ABV. Drinks sweet, slightly dry, dry chocolate and fudge batter the primary takeaway and finish. Hops and or roasted malt tries to fight but cannot contain the sweetness, which is expected for the ingredients used in this imperial stout. If you like the description, you'll like the result. 4.25

Overall: I don't purchase pastry stouts often these day, but reserve select purchases for breweries I trust with solid previous efforts. This selection is no exception. Think I may have liked the aroma blend even more than the ultimate taste flavors, but both work for me, and I'm really digging this offering, which I recommend and would gladly buy in the future. Think this benefits from not having a barrel component. Dessert is served. 4.5

Would get diabetes if I had this daily, but nice to pick up a known new beer quality when considering all the great Speedway Variants released over the years. This brewery has stood the test of time, 30 years and going, and one I would never hit San Diego for a multi-day trip without visiting.

Cheers!

 

I can get all "Tom Robbins" discussing German chocolate cake..

 

Icicle Brewing, in Leavenworth, Washington, does a similarly inspired beer, known as Dark Pursuasion.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25393/88181/
There's two higher abv versions called Darker and Darkest Persuasion, and both are offered in many variants, including ones with adjunct and ones aged in bourbon barrels, but they tend to be keg-only, and don't get the same level of distribution.

 

Safe and beautiful travels!

 

Good review! Thanks for remembering. I will put it on my list to try this!

 

Angry chair full circle light lager
...very pale gold appearance
...medium carbonation with a close to medium body which added up to a nice feel
...aroma is grain,malt,cereal, mildly floral and citrus.
...taste is very similar to aroma with the grain out front. Citrus and cereal show up and linger in the aftertaste.
For a light lager it was way more satisfying than the description suggested

 

Barleywine Time!
Malthead Mayhem

12 oz can.
Pours a profoundly dark root beer brown. Loosely bubbled khaki head forms 2 fingers in height. Hangs around for a few minutes before settling in at a thin film.
Aromas of caramel, dates, toffee lead off with some mild char and hints of boozy warmth.
Flavors really move around. Initially a round, almost earthy, roasted malt note leads off but quickly makes way for the sweeter, fruity notes. Kind of ran the nose backward. The sweet is tamed a bit, more nuanced, and carries additional notes of stewed fruit: cherry and apple-almost like a hint of brandy barrel. The dates and toffee are still there but part of the overall melange.
Mouthfeel is on the heavier side for style. Finish is smooth, a bit warm, and the sweetness is tamped back just a bit by the fruit and and roast.
3.81/5 rDev -10.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Somebody else will soon have a chance to chime in on this one as well...

 

The Art of Lollygagging
13.1% barleywine
Collaboration of Jackie O’s and Fonta Flora



Poured from a twelve ounce can, the body is a dark brown with a small, thin white head. Very light lacing.

Aroma is a delightful mix of butterscotch and sweet bourbon. The former must come from the heritage Bloody Butcher corn used in brewing.

Taste features the barrel, a bit less sweet than in the nose. Notes of corn, caramel, figs and nutty malts in the background. A bit of earthy hop, but not much. The malts are the star here.

Mouthfeel is good, heavy and soft with tingly carbonation.

Another fine sipping Barleywine from the masters in Athens, Ohio.

 

Drekker Goodbye Stranger DNEIPA, 8.1% ABV. Pours hazy golden with a nice 4-finger white head that left lots of foamy lacing. Aroma is citrus, tropical fruit, and faint acetyl. Taste is citrus and tropical fruit, moderately bitter, slightly sweet. Decent enough mouthfeel, overall excellent.

4.24/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

 

Alcatraz Brewing (Florida) 2X IPA

12 oz can into a ‘can glass’, in Miami, FL.
Canned 1/28/25, drunk today.
Fair finger of foam on copper color brew.
Nose is grapefruit rind and a sharp pine note.
Taste is right there, too. I appreciate the mix of Cascade, Willamette and Columbus hops. Good malt balance has a sweet note that checks the hops and allows the bitterness to shine. Long dry finish.
Mouth is dead-on medium in body with medium carbonation.
Overall, a decent fruity and bitter DIPA worth a try.

Funny - I date checked the 4 pack at the store and it said ‘Best By 03/28/25’. Almost passed, but becuz I never heard of this brewery, I checked their website. There’s a message up saying:



I imagine some silly bastid is currently unemployed.,.