New Beer Weekend #240

When I was relatively new to Beer Advocate, I gravitated to this thread because it always offered me some great suggestions for beers I might want to try. I remember one particular Sunday I opened the thread, not realizing there were two moderators of NBS, and one of them always led off. I was chastised, but the moderators at that time, @cavedave and @utopiajane, were very gracious and understanding.
@cjgiant and I followed them, and we were moderators for a little over three years. I found that to be challenging but enjoyable. I believe we were the last moderators, and NBS has evolved into its present format.
I wanted a special beer for this special occasion, and picked this up yesterday. Bourbon County Bardstown Stout.
The beer is very dark brown/near black with some red on the periphery. A collar of dark tan head, No lace.
Aroma of cherry, vanilla, whiskey. Sweet.
Mostly cherry taste. Whiskey, vanilla, oak.Late burn.
Smooth in the mouth, no rough edges.
The cost precludes this beer as an every-day drinker, but I think it is a great special occasion beer.

 

Toppling Goliath Cyber Sue

Appearance: Clear gold, good head.

Smell: Not too strong, some tropical fruits and sweet mandarin oranges.

Taste: Mildly to moderate sweetness to start, then a little mix of oranges and tropical fruits-fruit cup. Has some moderate bitterness, kind of a coating mouthfeel,.

Overall: Picked up a 6er as I thought it was more reasonably priced than other TG brews. It's a pretty solid, pretty decent IPA. Not really old school, maybe a little too much bitterness for new school. Tasty enough!

 

Good afternoon BAs! Today’s new to me beer is a relatively new offering from Firestone Walker - Parabolita Salted Caramel, a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout with vanilla beans, cocoa nibs and sea salt:




Poured at 54.7°. Black with ruby see-through body and very good clarity; light tan fizzy head with a few rocks; poor cap retention leaves a small island of micro dots; some spotty lace; thin legs at best on swirl. Bourbon and caramel nose. Taste follows nose; a smidge of salt; not sweet; a little vanilla on backend. Silky smooth feel; no warmth from 9.2% abv; medium body; some barrel dryness; light carbonation. Overall, drinks a little thin, but tasty and dangerously easy to drink; nice salty candy linger.

4.0 | 4.0 | 4.25 | 4.0 | 4.0
Score 4.15 rDev 0
I added beer to the database.

On the lighter side, but glad I got a couple to drink/share. Cheers y’all!

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!
Hoppy Anniversary to this thread. I have always enjoyed coming here, and am happy to have participated in it for all the years I have.

I am back home now and I must have brought some warm weather with me because it is above freezing here. Time for a beer that I would not have found on my vacation.


Mass Haze-Teria - Pryes Brewing - Minneapolis, MN - NEIPA - 7.1%

Yeah, as I was saying, there were no IPAs that I could find in Belize, so this one is a good change of pace for me. It has a nice aroma. It smells tropical from the hops. It does have some tropical citrus flavor to it. It does feel a bit light for the style, but it is a beer I'm happy to have tried.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/36629/377903/
4.24/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
From a 16oz can. Date on can: 12/17/24

This is a murky orange colored beer. There's even a few chunks floating in the beer. There's a 2 finger white and frothy head to the beer and it has decent retention. There's a bit of lacing on the glass.
The aroma is a hop based nose, and it is very full of citrus. I get orange, grapefruit and pineapple in it. I am not getting any sweeter citrus notes like mango.
The taste is also very dominated by the hops. I am mostly getting pineapple juice here with a touch of grapefruit and orange. There's a bit of bitterness on the backside of this beer.
The body is somewhat juicy and soft. Not very sticky feeling. It does feel a bit light to my throat.
Overall this is a pretty damn tasty beer. It is good, though a bit light feeling.

I think I'll pull off one more today. Cheers all!

 

Well, for this historic event, given we humans enjoy marking trips around a star, I wanted to maybe grab something from a brewery I might've had a beer from 20 years ago. Unfortunately, nothing at hand fit the bill.

Then I came across two offerings from local Bluejacket Brewery - with a new / old / new again style on the label - East India Porter. Reading a little further, I see this "representation of an historic beer" involved a collaboration with Ron Pattinson. So I had my beer for today - Company Porter.

Unfortunately, Bluejacket doesn't have anything about the beer on their site, and there was only a little I could find. There is a quote on an Instagram post (beerstudy_durham) about this beer that claimed to be from Pattinson's book History By The Glass.

So the beer yields a lovely glass of beer, with a thick, creamy tan head atop a black or damn near body. It doesn't quite look like a Guinness nitro can pour, but it is much closer than most pours of beer I see these days. Even after going back after typing, there is still a solid cap covering the top of the beer.

This is a very roasty smelling brew. There is very dark roast coffee - maybe even nearing someone forgetting to set the shut-off timer on the coffee roaster. I am guessing the proclaimed heavy use of East Kent Goldings hops is boosting this interpretation of roasted malts a bit. I am getting maybe a little bit of grass and pine; and I may be imagining it, but a little lemon zest might be tickling the edges.

The taste starts bitter right up front. I don't get coffee immediately, but the very dark roast bean impression is only a step behind. It's sort of like the hops stepped forward in the taste to get a boosted by the roast, reversing the roles I associated with them in the nose. That said, the roasted notes try to roll over the hops more than boosting them at first, though the more green notes of the hops do balance the beer before the finish.

This beer is 6.2% and is a bit chewy, though not heavy... I'd say it is the ABV hangs on this beer comfortably. The finish is near dry, but a little bitter dark chocolate lingers after each sip. The stronger bitterness, though, reminds me of the bitterness I've seen in some classic American-made imperial IPAs. If different hops were used, ones that didn't blend as well with the roasted malt, I might mistake this for a black IPA.

My fist sip of this, I was thinking it was a bit too bitter. But as I sip through it, I am liking it more and more.

 

Sounds like a winner of a beer for sure!

 

For today's anniversary I pulled out something that hits the trifecta: new beer, new brewery, new style.

Looking forward to seeing what you all bring to the party this afternoon and evening.

Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot
11.1% English Barleywine



Pours a wonderful dark amber with a short-lived, thin white head.

Big aromas of grape, raisin, prune, burnt brown sugar, and molasses. There's also some underlying fresh bread and a hint of toffee or nougat. As it warms, there's also a light stone fruit thing going on and the alcohol begins to tell.

The taste starts off sweet with dark brown sugar, candied dark fruits, and molasses. From that point, bitterness grows through the aftertaste, first shifting things to burnt sugar and then to a profile similar to oaked brandy. As it warms, it picks up a ton of booze, fruit, brandy notes.

Low carb with a slightly thin body, but a really smooth, viscous and coating feel. Finishes slightly dry.

Overall, a wonderful ale. Far more complexity than I could suss out into words here. A great introduction to the style.

 

Wishing you and your family a speedy recovery!

 

The four of you were great moderators! I enjoyed when each NBS had its own unique theme.

 

Beer'd has had a German lager, Connecticut Casual, as a standard offering as long as I can remember. New, as far as I can determine, is this Kind Folk, a Czech lager.
So new its not in the BA database yet.
Look-3.25
Aroma-3.75
Taste-4.0
Mouthfeel-375
Overall-3.75

Poured from a 16 oz can dated 01/14/24 to a Pils glass at fridge temp.
The body is not quite clear, but close. Clear enough to see bubbles rising, but they are not as plentiful as other Pilsners. Body color is medium gold. Head is ⅜”/10mm, clear white but fades to a thin ring soon. Lacing is moderate. Oddly, the body becomes clearer with time.
The aroma is dry hay with a spice note.
The taste is dry, bitter with some black pepper quality. There is a slight sweetness on the finish.
The mouthfeel is light and carbonation is medium.
Not the best of style, but pretty enjoyable.

 

Happy 20th Anniversary, New Beer Samplers and commentators! I've participated in this forum for almost half of its lifespan and have enjoyed it immensely! While I occasionally post on a Saturday, I am an old school Sunday afternoon participant and I look forward to this time each week. Thank you all for making it so much fun. I truly enjoy reading your reviews.

With just over 3 weeks till St. Patrick's Day, it is time to savor a new-to-me Irish Red Ale: Return of the Ancients from 3 Floyds. And I get to properly use a glass I received during an NBS BIF. As I would expect from 3 Floyds, this is a fine ale - and a very American (read hoppy) take on the style. It pours a cloudy, orange-copper with a full finger cap of fluffy, eggnog-colored foam and thick rings of lacing. The smell is mostly sweet, bready malt with a whiff of caramel. It opens with lots of hoppy bitterness that overcomes the sweetness of the malt base. It is earthy with more than a hint of peppercorn and dry herbs, as well as some bitter citrus notes. As it warms a bit I notice more caramel. This ale has a full, creamy mouth feel with appropriate carbonation, and the 6.5% ABV gives it substance. I like the 12 oz. bottle format.

3.98/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Cheers!

 

Wow, I have some reading to catch up on. Good to see this much activity on a non-holiday weekend.
Zumbar

16 oz can poured into a Teku.
Deep brown with hints of amber/garnet on the edges. A tall, dense khaki head persists for the first dew minutes before settling down to a very respectable finger deep foam. Solid retention, clumpy lacing.
Nose asserts coffee roast upfront with some smooth cocoa notes following. The coffee roast is firm and a bit earthy. The cocoa is not sweet bt comforts like warm brownies.
Flavor is a coffee show first and foremost. The roast is deep and a bit bitter. The chocolate notes that do chime in are more in the background. For the coffee lover, this is your RIS.
Mouthfeel is full, but not chewy. The carbonation is a bit more active than I would normally expect but doesn't detract. The finish is more bitter roast with a very slight, non sweet, cocoa kiss at the end.
3.83/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

 

A little "tropics in a glass" for your return from the tropics that didn't provide "tropics in your glass."

 

NBS #2. Rule #2: Double Tap, an Imperial IPA hopped with Amarillo, Galaxy, Citra, Chinook, and Bru-1 from Double Tap Brewing Co., in Whippany, New Jersey. This brewery is about 10 minutes from my home. It opened in 2022 and has been creating some very tasty beer. And they are not afraid to try some unique styles. Double Tap has a very loyal local following and most times I visit the place is packed. Yesterday, I stopped in just after it opened and was able to have a great conversation with two of the owners. They enjoy discussing their recipes and are genuinely interested in receiving feedback. I'm thrilled to have another up-and-coming brewery so close to home.

This ale pours an opaque, dirty tangerine with a full finger of fluffy, milk-white head and copious thick lacing. The big, fruity nose includes lemon, grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, and spicy, floral hops. The taste is similar with notes of tangerine, pineapple, grapefruit, and some sweet tropical fruit, along with pine sap and earthy spices. The Amarillo, Galaxy, Citra, and Bru-1 hops work well together, And while not overtly bitter, the Chinook hops give it a bite to balance the fruit. There is a touch of hop burn at the finish which should mellow within a week or so. This ale is viscous and creamy with pleasant carbonation, and the 8.2% ABV gives it a nice punch.

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

I hope you all have a great week. Cheers, NBW!

 

Cool finds!

 

Great read! Thanks for sharing here.

 

Skydance/Sleeping Dogs Brewing Collab Rezator Deutschland Dopplebock, 7.5% ABV; 3.44 overall

Pours an effervescent orange/hazel with one finger of tan/sand colored head. Some head retention & lacing
S: Toasty, a little caramel, brown sugar late

T: Follows the nose, some brown sugar, some pear notes, plus herbal & woody hops up front. Dryness, brown sugar & a touch of Fuji Apple, some caramel too. Finishes dry with a little woody hop, some caramel & apple, the apple not helping

MF: Medium body, low carbonation

I like my Doppels fuller bodied & quite frankly with more ABV, still drinks fairly easy

 

Drekker - Chonk Rainbow Sherbet Sundae Sour

16oz can served in a sample glass. Canned on 09/19/24. Bought it at Beer Junction a few weeks ago.

Pours a murky reddish-purple, kind of strange, wan wateriness to it, some sickly looking bubbling that I guess I would call a head on the pour (imagine the kind of bubbles you would expect pouring a bloody mary from two feet above the glass). Zero retention. Small amount of active carbonation visible on the edges of the slurry. Smell is screaming bright fruit -- skittles, starburst. tropical fruit juices.

Taste is quite tart, little bit of kettle sourness detectable, subtle fruit skin bitterness, but mostly echoes the "indiscriminate handful of skittles" that I got from the nose. Vanilla marshmallow sweetness.

Mouthfeel is on the thick side, almost chewy, definitely noticeable fizz. Overall...it's good, not the best example of the style, and not pretty even within the dismal expectations of the style.

 

Plead the 5th
11% bourbon barrel aged stout by Dark Horse



Poured from a twelve ounce can, the body is an opaque black with light tan. Brief, small head. Light lacing.

Aroma previews taste: sweet bourbon barrel. Taste also features vanilla, oak, lightly sweet chocolate, and a bit of earthy hop. The barrel briefly flashes hot (good in my book) but backs off long before approaching abrasive. Finish dries up quickly and a bit of barrel lingers.

Mouthfeel is medium. A bit light for the style and carbonation could use a tick or two up. No dealbreaker but room for improvement.

Very goos stout that I'd love to try on tap in particular to see if the body is any different. Potential to be an outstanding stout is there. As it is, this stout is very enjoyable. Thanks to @Whyteboar for the stout. Cheers Craig.

 

Squeezing in one more local IPA while I have the chance. I was at Great Heights this afternoon, and they have a new IPA.

Twirling Cosmos IPA, 6.5% ABV with Mosaic, Simcoe, Amarillo.



Pours a clear pale yellow color. A one finger white head forms with good retention and light lace left behind.
Aroma is a mix of tropical fruit, with some melon and grapefruit/citrus. This has a nice mix of new age and more old school hops.
Taste wise, like the nose, there is a tropical fruity mix going on. Melon, lightly juicy up front. Then more grapefruit and pithy citrus in the finish. There is some woody character flavor wise as well, which I get from time to time from Great Heights. A substantial and nice bitterness lingers on.
A medium body that is well carbonated. Crisp at first, that smooths out as this breaths. Finishes dry. Easy to drink and come back to. I'll have more when available.

This is a comfortable IPA, that has plenty of character, and something that is easy to come back to. Solid all around.

Overall score is 3.84, solid B+
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/50326/734959/?ba=champ103#lists

Side note, before this I was at the Houston Book Convention...yep, I do those kind of things

I picked up a signed first edition of The Long Home, by William Gay, and is somewhat a "white whale" of mine. Which is his debut novel. If you are not familiar with him, he is one of the best at "Southern Gothic" literature. He needs to be in the same discussion as Cormac McCarthy IMO (Cormac tried to get him more widely published, which is not something he did often, so he even thought William was really good), but of course he never got that kind of recognition. There have now been more posthumously released books from William that when he was alive...enough of that ha.