New Beer Weekend #242

Awesome! Another "victim" of Ryan's @snaotheus Matryoshka generosity.

 

Well, time for another beer.

Pragmatic Pils - Pryes Brewing - Minneapolis, MN - Czech Pils - 4.2%

I think I could like this beer except for one thing - excessive bitterness on the backside. I do like bitterness, but it has to fit the beer. This one doesn't. Oh, well.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/36629/475351/
3.41/5 rDev -10.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
From a 16oz can. Canned on 12/19/2024

This is a crystal clear pouring beer and golden in color. The stream of carbonation bubbles rising in the glass produce a thick 3 finger white head. The fluffy looking head lasts a long time and leaves some great looking lacing on the glass as it dissipates.
The aroma is super faint. I get a slight grain aroma, but not much else.
Taste - The flavor is stronger than the nose. I get a good deal of cereal grain in this beer. The grain flavor does linger. The finish of this beer is full of bitterness. The bitterness does seem a bit excessive to my taste buds, and is leaving the pleasing category.
The feeling of the bitterness does linger, and isn't pleasing. The body is crisp.
If it weren't for the excessive bitterness, I would really like this beer.

I'll see if I've got one more in me this weekend. Cheers!

 

Glad to have you back, Peter. Sorry about the continued decline of your MIL.

 

Love the lurker...

 

I've never purchased beer at Costco, even though I buy food there about every 2-weeks. The fact that this Kirkland Helles Style Lager was on "Trending Beers" on this site for about a month convinced me to try it. I have to say, I am happy I did and my wife loves it too.

4.21/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 12 oz can stamped “BEST BY 09/25/25” to a pub glass at fridge temp. I paid $13.99 for a 12-pack, $1.17 per can!
The body is a very clear light gold. Bubbles rise throughout the session. The head is puffy and super white but does not lace well.
The aroma is bread, hay, and green grass. But all of it is subtle.
The taste is quite clean with just a hint of sweetness in the front, but that quickly turns dry for the rest of the mouthful and through the swallow.
The mouthfeel is light and carbonation is medium.
This is very good, especially for the price.

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Sippers and commentators. This afternoon I'm reviewing the second variant of Brix City's 2025 Silk City which I purchased at the release last Saturday. This one is White Chocolate Mocha. Last Sunday I reviewed AOMAS, which was conditioned on freshly toasted coconut, cocoa nibs, and salted caramel. Prior to drinking them I assumed I would like White Chocolate Mocha better but the opposite is true. I really enjoyed the salted caramel aspect of AOMAS. White Chocolate Mocha is less nuances and a little rougher around the edges.

Poured at 60°. It is a dark walnut with some cola hues at the bottom of the glass. The medium-mocha-colored head fizzled away immediately leaving no ring or lacing. It has a fragrant smell with cocoa, burnt coffee, vanilla, coconut, and whiffs of bourbon and tobacco smoke. It is important to let it breathe in the glass. While the initially dominating bitter char and acidic coffee slowly give way to sweeter notes of white chocolate and caramel, the tastes aren't as complimentary as in other Silk City variants. The effect of the bourbon barrel is strong and adds to an overall harshness. The mouth feel is typical for Silk City; not very thick and viscous. The 10.5% ABV is not overpowering. Overall, White Chocolate Mocha is a fine BBA Stout with a big attitude.

4.05/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'm not surprised to see disparity in the ratings. I can understand how another BA could like this one a lot.

I hope everyone has a great week. Cheers, NBW!

 

Closing out the weekend with some earthquakes (4.1, so more "fun" than frightening) and one of the better "Little Thing" offerings I've tried recently - cheers!

3.86/5 rDev -4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Packaged November 6, 2024 - imbibed on March 9, 2025. Poured from a 12oz can into a tumbler.

Hazy golden body with a lasting finger of suds. Fine sandy lacing; good retention.

Candied citrus in the nose with hints of melon and green apple.

Mild, citrus-laden bitterness (grapefruit, ugli fruit, lime) cuts through the crackery (almost biscuity) malt base. Nearly dry finish with hints of vanilla wafer, green grape, wild grass, and their house ale yeast.

Light bodied, soft yet refreshing.

Nicely balanced, though I wonder if the hop profile has diminished given how long ago this was canned. Would be curious to try again if I ran across a fresh draft offering.

 

More Brewing Huntley/Villa Park, Illinois
Pacific Peaks 2x WCIPA
Purchased at Beer Bazaar, Hainesville, Illinois

Can Notes:
West Coast Style DIPA with Citra, Chinook and El Dorado hops. Notes of pine, citrus pith and a resinous balanced bitter finish.

4.16/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly foggy golden color, off-white head faded to a ring quickly, some lacing. Nose says grapefruit as does the tongue, some sweet caramel malts provide some added flavor. Medium bodied, bitter, solid brew.

 

Vernal Mama's Milk Imperial Milk Stout, 8.5% ABV. Pours black with a one-finger light-brown head that left great lacing. Aroma is lactose, coffee, and chocolate malt. Taste is lactose and coffee bitterness. Dry mouthfeel, overall excellent.

4.04/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Another excellent stout shared with me in the Stout/Barleywine BIF box sent by @NorsemanOne !

 

Lupulin/Talking Waters Pils,Plz


Appearance: Pale yellow, good head.

Smell: Crackers, grassy.

Taste: Mild sweetness, then some cracker-like malt and a bit of grass. Balanced, not super bitter/hoppy.

Overall: Easy pickup at $4.99 for a 4 pack, this is a DDH Italian pilsner that tastes like a standard pilsner. Works for me, easy drinking and balanced flavor.

 

Another beer I sent home from Calgary. This is Annex Ale Project Forward Progress Pale Ale. The description on the can states that this is an American style pale ale hopped with and Mosaic.



Pours a cloudy deep straw gold with a substantial head that dissipates very slowly as the beer is consumed, leaving lovely lacing on the glass.

Light dank note on the nose. Citrus pith, some light stone fruit notes. Appealing.

Citrus pith and rind on the tongue, dank. Quite light.

The body’s on the lighter side. Mellow.

Overall an enjoyable pale ale. Well made with all expected flavour profile.

Cheers!

 

Bet he got Fugged Up.,. Cheers!

 

Walking through the shipping container that @snaotheus destroyed my porch in search of something with vanilla and found this. Pazuzu from Obelisk. Partially whiskey barrel aged with vanilla and amburana.



I am a big fan of well used amburana (bamburana was a revelation back in the day) and this hits the mark. The base stout seems to be on the dry side, I'm getting lots of roasty char and some coffee. The Amburana notes of woody cinnamon come across more strongly than the vanilla which suits me fine. There is just a hint of whiskey throughout and I'm really liking the lingering spice at the finish. Thanks Ryan!

 

Ozark Beer Co. BDCS 2024
10.5% bourbon double cream stout



12 ounce can. Body pours an opaque black with a finger of tan foamy head. Light lacing.

Aroma features the barrel, vanilla, oak and chocolate.

Taste follows nose but the flavor is cranked up to 11. A heavy and sweet malt bill countermands the bitterness that appears on finish. A faint wisp of brewer's licorice and a touch of dark fruit add nicely to the big chocolate flavor. Only a bit of the ABV is apparent, so this one drinks far easier than its ABV might suggest.

Mouthfeel is very good, soft and appropriate carbonation support.

Fine drinking big stout. Thanks to @russpowell for sharing this deliciousness.