New Beer Weekend #243

That's a good one right there. Outstanding brews from BT!

 

Good day BAs! Looks like it may be a decent day here.

Today's New breakfast Beer, thanks to Craig (@Whyteboar) and Barleywine Stout BIF #2:



Kalamazoo Stout - Bourbon Barrel-Aged from Bells. Received from @Whyteboar in Barleywine and Stout BIF #2. 12 fl oz bottle. Received 26/02/25, reviewed 16/03/25 (Review 3473). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
“BEST BY (blank)” on label. Stored at home at 39 degrees F and served at 56.1 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature 63.1 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Deep Amber (SRM 15), clear.
Body – Black (SRM 40), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, amber at the edges.
Head – Average (Maximum 1.9 cm, aggressive center pour), biscuit, high density, short retention. Drops to a 0.4 – 0.8 cm crown and a thin complete cap.
Lacing – Fair. Narrow bands of tiny to near-microscopic bubbles, connected by both wide and narrow columns.
Aroma – 4 – Light aroma of toasted malt, and a little smoke. No hops, no yeast, no alcohol, no bourbon.
Flavor – 3.5 – Begins slightly sweet with a hint of coffee and a ghost of chocolate. No yeast, no hops. No alcohol (8.5 % ABV, according to the label), no gastric warming occurs. Neither bourbon nor barrel. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 4 – Medium: creamy: soft carbonation.
Style: Follows the style guidelines as condensed by BA.

Final impression and summation: 3.75 (After deducting 0.25 point for an undated personal container) Revisionist, higher octane version of a classic. Meh. And what’s with adding brewers’ licorice? Or was it there before and just not delineated?
Rating 3.75, rDev 0.3%

 

Kalamazoo Stout has always had brewer’s licorice.

 

4.21/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Can dated 10/30/23, courtesy of @Roguer from '25 BIF

Pours black with faint ruby hue when held up to the light. Can says to shake gently and pour vigorously which results in volumes of creamy head. Total picture perfect Guinness vibes to which I conveniently poured in a Guinness pint glass because why not. Smells of roasted malt and coffee grounds. Taste is dark chocolate, roasted malt, sweet cream, faint coffee, with a trace amount sourness. Mouthfeel is creamy and velvety due to lack of co2 and addition of nitrogen. Finish is dry, moderately bitter with notes of chocolate. I love Guinness draught and this is a nice improvement.

 

Nut brown Ale from Silversmith Brewery

Poured a 473ml can into a pint glass. A scant one finger fine tan head on a hazy, slightly reddish brown. The head soon diminishes to a thin layer that sticks around. Some fine patchy lacing.

Coffee in the nose. some toasted malts. The taste follows the nose. Initially slightly sweet nut becomes dry towards the a very mildly bitter finish.

Medium body and carbonation. Overall a fine English Brown Ale. True to the style and well worth a try.

look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Happy Saint Patrick's day to all who celebrate. I know it's tomorrow but for many people it already started.

 

The first time I tried one of these new style (no widget) nitro cans I didn't do the shake thing. The result was a very disappointing pour. I have a second can to try later.

 

Hop Butcher For the World Mellotron

Appearance: Cloudy orange, big head.

Smell: Sweet melon, citrus, low strength.

Taste: Moderately sweet, then melons and citrus. Low bitterness, Soft feel.

Overall: My first Hop Butcher beer, had it along with some Barrel Theory. The Mellotron is sweeter and less bitter than the BT beer, of course they have different hops and are different breweries. Interesting to try a couple NEIPA's and see the similarities and differences!

 

FWIW I never shake non widget ones and get great results. I just make sure to pour straight down the middle of glass from a little higher than normal right into bottom and go till it’s right up to the edge.

 

I guess I will have to pick up a few more cans and get into some serious scientific testing.

 

Sounds really tasty, but kudos for the label.

 

I thought about trying to get you a 5L box of cask stout from Machine House, if you decide you need a break from "serial ticking" let me know

 

Funny name and label art.

 

Happy Beerthday!

 

Good Sunday morning NBS/nbw and thanks to our esteemed colleague @GreenBayBA for hosting this week.
Its grey and cool, and damp here in the 413 today, piles of snow still resides in the shaded areas around here, that said there is a steady softening of the ground, saw crocus in some southern facing yards this week. Up north that dreaded mud season is lurking.

Todays offering is a winner on every level. A Bamburg classic.
Happy St Patricks day for those of Irish persuasion!
Cheers all

Aecht Schlenkerla Erle

Rauchbier | 4.2% ABV
Schlenkerla (Heller-Bräu Trum) in Bamberg, Germany

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.24/5 rDev +0.5% | Average: 4.22
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 16oz can (undated) into the test glass
A - Chestnut color with a bit of dark red, pour yields a tight knit cream colored, creamy cap
S - Smokey with elements of that Alder wood, touch of peatiness, earthy,
T - Medium roasted malts, a bit of pumpernickle toast, delicate smokekiness, with some sweetness. There is a hint of dark fruit, that is fun
M - Medium in the palate, excellent attenuation, dances across the tongue, a semi sweet start, then a step to the center with some bitterness, and a final pivot toward a delghtful dry exit.
O - A beautiful beer, to experience, Appearence, aroma's, flavors, texture all excellent

 

Lol, that would have been fun to tackle. My serial ticking was mostly totally under control until @Beersnake b.i.f'd things up

 

4.15/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Courtesy of @Roguer from BIF '25

Pours pitch black with two fingers of mocha-colored head. Head takes some time to dissipate and leaves webbed lacing on the glass. Smells of popcorn-flavored jelly beans, peanuts and hint of chocolate and coconut. The popcorn-flavored candy dominates the nose as it warms. Taste introduces coffee and sweet cream to the mix, chocolate is there but not in your face, while peanuts and coconut assert themselves as the stars of this show. Fortunately, popcorn jelly beans are no where to be found in the taste. There is a sweetness to this stout and personally, I'd likely attribute this to be more of a milk stout than imp. Mouthfeel is thinly carbonated and luscious, almost as if lactose is there but isn't. Finish is faint bitterness, dark chocolate, and coconut with the 11.2% ABV no where to be found.

 

I was expecting exceptional, this one surprised me a lot. More than thrilled to try others from them as this was my sole non awesome experience with them.

 

That’s in cans now? Kinda cool, get a pint instead of the 500ml.

 

Hop Butcher Yutori Dry Rice Lager (HRC-004). This is their first crack at a rice lager.

Pours a crystal clear straw yellow color with a finger of white head that dissipates fairly slowly. 4.0

Aroma is floral, herbal, some grain, some cracker, and light lime notes. 3.5

Taste consists of some lime zest, floral, herbal notes, rice, some cracker, and grain. 4.0

Light medium body. Dry, crisp, and clean. 4.0

HB is known for their IPA's, but they know how to make some quality lager as well. Super crushable with just a touch of experimental hop character to keep it interesting. Very enjoyable. 4.0
Overall: 3.88

 

Sneaking in a new beer on this New Beer Sunday #1047. This one is my last new to me selection not by Revolution; I have a six pack of BA Revolution goodness left for future weekends. This one from my other favorite Chicago Brewery. Enjoyed a brief sample of this at 2024 FOBAB. Hope the full pour yields similar results to my highest ever rated beer also by Spiteful and also sampled first at 2024 FOBAB.

Spiteful Brewing Double Barrel Aged Belligerent Bob

4.35/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25



2/23/25 - (Can- Home) (Chicago, IL) Can Notes: Purchased refrigerated at Spiteful Brewing for $12.50 per can plus tax on February 2, 2025, and refrigerated upon returning home before opening this afternoon. 12 oz canned 11/04/24 @ 3:08:45 PM. 15.0% ABV Double Barrel Aged Barleywine brewed with caramel and Caraaroma malt, Columbus and Cascade hops. Brewed & Canned at Spiteful Brewing, 2024 W. Balmoral Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.

Aged for 18 months in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels, then finished for 1 year in an 18 year old Elijah Craig bourbon barrel. The beer has deep notes of caramel and vanilla, accenting its smooth dark fruit flavor prior to being aged.

Appearance: Poured most of the can into a large snifter, yielding a very dark near black brown base, and a brief creamy bubbly light tan head, which lingers briefly before leaving no trace beyond a light ring around the base and a few percent thin cover over the base. 4.25

Aroma: After letting twenty minutes to reach proper serving temperature, nice blend of sweet warm caramel poured on a sundae balanced by a a strong very smooth wonderful bourbon barrel leading the way. Backing is raisins, figs, vanilla, a nice oak presence. A lot going on here, all blends particularly well. can't wait to dive in. 4.75

Taste: Really sweet my first impression, then this subsides and becomes a nice blend as experienced via the aroma. Caramel still leads, sticky and sweet. Bourbon slowly emerges and gets stronger as this warms. Plums, raisins and figs ads to the sweetness, the hops listed fight a losing battle if they even showed up. Vanilla and oak as well. Doesn't blend as well as the aroma, but still solid. 4.25

Mouthfeel: This is very strong, as expected with the high ABV and double barrel treatment. Would say this drinks higher than the ABV from Go!. Very sweet, body full, creamy and sticky. Bourbon the only feature attempting to contain the sweet flavors. Caramel, vanilla, dark fruits and bourbon finish. If you are sweet sensitive, perhaps let this sit 45 minutes to get the full bourbon experience. 4.0

Overall: A little strong and sweet for my preferences, but rating as is and advertised, and this offering hits all the marks. Strong, bourbon wonderful, caramel and dark fruits definitely lead the way and drink quite well. A very good barleywine, and glad I ran into this selection via FOBAB sample and then this can at the taproom. Cheers Spiteful Brewing! 4.25

Not as great as their Double Bourbon Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout, but definitely one to pick up especially for barleywine fans. Cheers!