New Beer Weekend #248

I enjoy drinking cask beer!

My wife and I were in New York City (Manhattan) earlier today. We were looking to obtain some lunch and I used my iPhone (Map app) to look for a place to eat. One of the suggested places was Jones Wood Foundry. The photos of the place looked nice and upon seeing those photos my wife approved. I then took note of the description (with some emphasis in bold by me):

“Jones Wood Foundry is a British gastropub on Manhattan’s Upper East side, offering classic British dishes for lunch, dinner and brunch…”

I was thinking rut-roh since the British are not world renowned for their cuisine (but in the back of my mind I hoped I could at least get some good beer).

As we entered the place the first thing you see is a long bar and to my delight, I saw two handpumps right away:



Upon being seated the server asked if we wanted anything to drink and I asked what they had pouring on the handpump and she replied “We have a Bitter Ale and..,” and I stopped her right there since I am a BIG fan of Bitter Ale served via cask. When the beer arrived, I had the wherewithal to ask the beer brand and she replied “The beer is from Strong Rope brewery.” I have never heard of this brewery so when we returned home I did a bit of web surfing to find it is a brewery in Brooklyn with two locations. Some history of this brewery:

“Jason opened Strong Rope with his wife Christina Quintero in 2015, in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn. In 2019, an Adirondacks location upstate joined the family, followed by its waterfront digs in the Red Hook district of Brooklyn in 2021. Jason’s original ambition was to run a cask-only brewery, but he knew he would have to temper his love of traditional beer with realism regarding consumer demand.”

https://www.pelliclemag.com/home/20...-rope-brewery-and-the-east-coast-cask-revival

As a lover of cask beer I admire that Jason had desires to have a “cask-only brewery” but he made the wise decision to also produce non-cask products as well.

So, how was the beer you might ask:

Served in a British Dimpled Mug:

Appearance:

Amber colored with a one finger white head.

Aroma:

A pleasant combination of fruity/floral aromas and biscuity/toffee malt aromas; nicely balanced.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with a balance of fruity/floral flavors and biscuity/toffee malt flavors. There is a low-moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Medium body, smooth mouthfeel (ah, cask!) with a dry finish.

Overall:

I think this beer is very – good to excellent. I enjoyed the flavors of this beer and its great balance. It was served perfectly at cellar temperature with a light amount of carbonation.

Cheers!

P.S. Back to the food aspect. I ordered a Prix Fixe lunch with fried calamari which came with two tasty dipping sauces and for the main meal Roast Chicken accompanied with a chestnut apple & sage stuffing, a banger (sausage), mashed potatoes and natural jus (which was outstanding). The whole dining experience was excellent!!

@rotsaruch @RobH @Dethark

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

Well, I have to thank @Beersnake for opening up the virtual bar once again, and I have to think about his question. I do cellar some beers. I tend to do it with higher AVB beers. I do have a couple of Bourbon County beers in there at the moment. There's a couple of DFH 120. I have several Trappist Rochefort 10. Probably my lowest ABV in there at the moment is the Alaskan Smoked Porter from 2022. I do try to keep it low, but lately I've been buying some older stuff from a sister store in the chain I work for to help out my colleague to clear out her store's inventory.

Now to my new beer, and it is not a cellar beer. It is one that came out recently, and I added to the database.

Dorcha Extra Stout - Inbound BrewCo - Minneapolis, MN - 7.2%

This really reminds me of an older style of stout. It has dark roasted flavors of chocolate and coffee. There's a nice bitterness on the back that builds. I am enjoying the hell out of this beer tonight.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45230/741996/

4.02/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From a 16oz can. Canned on 03/14/2025

In the glass, this beer looks quite dark, almost pitch black. There's a very thick 3 finger brown head to this beer. This beer has great, long lasting, head retention. There's a good deal of lacing on the glass.
When I first smell this beer, not long after I took it out of the fridge, it has a light roasted malt aroma. After getting a few projects done, and letting the beer warm up, I get a good hit of chocolate on my nose. I am also getting coffee notes here as well. The chocolate and coffee both have a roasted bean character to them.
The flavor has a lot of roasted coffee notes to it. There's a good hit of dark chocolate with is a pleasing flavor. There's a nice bitterness on the back that isn't too strong, but it does build a bit in intensity.
The bitterness on the back really has a nice feeling in my throat. The body does seem nice and full for this beer.
I am really enjoying this beer. It seems more of an old school stout, and I like it.


I will be done tonight after this one. I will be back tomorrow with more new beers. Cheers!

 

Thanks for kicking us off @Beersnake - I have a couple tonight - the oddity is I had the dessert first.

Being as how cream brulee is about my favorite dessert, I had to give this a try, despite generally not being a fan of fruit in my stouts.
The pour is stout black with more body that expected for a 6% beer, and was capped with about 4 cm of chocolate brown foam that took it's time dissipating.
The taste was remarkably reminiscent of cream brulee with a strawberry addition, have to give them props for nailing the flavor. Now, as a stout, at best it's a pastry stout, but they deliver on their promise, so take that for what it's worth.
The feel, like the look, is quite viscous; I suspect it's all the lactose that they had to cram in there, Not at all unpleasant, simply unexpected.
OA, For a pastry stout that you could quite literally drink for dessert, it's well done. But I'm not going to go buy a six pack anytime soon.

 

Wow! I can't imagine falling backwards into a proper pint. Not in my neck of the woods. I'd feel like a kid in a candy store just seeing those handles ... what a score!

 

Cheers for getting us started with a Banger of a beer!

 

Good find!

 

Great Divide Tangerine Riot Fruited IPA, 6.4% ABV; 3.43 overall

Pours a hazed gold with 2 fingers of ivory colored head, some floaties. Above average head retention & lacing, floaties get a .25-point deduction

S: Cereal notes, some citrus

T: Tangerine, a little grassyness, some woody hops & dryness up front. More dryness, some tangerine, a little lime & leafy hops once warmed up. Finishes a little dry, grapefruit & porridge notes in the finish

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation, good balance, a little gritty

No bad, this is a place holder review. I am sure it's better a year fresher, will only pull the trigger if I can ascertain its freshness. Still plenty drinkable

 

My nightcap is one I muled back from Colorado. Odd to find it there because it’s made in Pennsylvania. And it’s not available in Michigan.

I drink a lot of stouts, it’s arguably my favorite style, though @DIM has shown me how good barleywine can be. Maybe if they were as available…
So I drink what I can find. (And these days, afford!)
This was my consolation beer when I couldn’t find Speedway. :-)
Poured stout black with a 1 cm light brown head that left sparse lacing.
The taste is very much an RIS with all that implies- vast amounts of roasted malt, some hops to carry the edge and mild notes of oak. Coffee, cacao, dark fruit, more coffee, or maybe coffee grounds.
The feel is lightly viscous, perfectly appropriate for the style.
OA, glad I found a 4 pack. Gotta appreciate an adjunct and additive free RIS!
Cheers all, chat again tomorrow.

 

This came in a monster box from @beergoot

Look- dark tootsie roll brown that does not allow much light to penetrate. Thick light khaki head that holds up well 4.50

Smell- slightly sweet fruitiness, fermented cherry/berries, bread. 4.00

Taste- light roast, faint burnt sugar, fruity notes on the finish, slightly herbal/medicinal notes, light bitter finish with some metalic notes. 4.00

Feel- creamy and fulfilling for a "light" beer, longlasting finish 4.25

Overall-full flavored hearty ale that doesn't crack 6%. Great example of a style that is rarely under 6% 4.25

 

Thanks for getting us going, @Beersnake!

First new beer of the weekend was..

Kettlehouse - River Left





Notes:
O- really enjoyed this one; vibrant profile of earthy, herbal, floral, and citrus notes; crisp yet satisfying, and super drinkable; a nicely done Czech pilsner for sure!

Cheers

 

That used to be money on cask. There was a pub a few miles from me in England that always kept in rotation

 

This is the initial salvo from the awesome @muchloveforhops3 that cratered my porch today. Man that guy can pack a lot into a modestly sized box!

Ronan Beer Co-Op Wee Heavy, 8.5% ABV; 3.87 overall


Pours a very effervescent cola color with 2 fingers+ of fast-falling tan head. Stays effervescent throughout the pour, minimal head retention & lacing, fairly viscous

S: Toastyness, molasses, Brown Sugar, some peat scent once warm, coffee late

T: Follows the nose, some peaty notes, a touch of smoke & dryness up front. Dryness, peattyness, brown sugar & a little toastyness once warm, some woody hops & toasty notes as well, some coffee too. Finishes a little dry with some roastyness/coffee & just a little toffee with smokey peat on the side & some leafy hop notes

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation. Carbonation smooths out a little once warmed up

Strays off style, but very drinkable

 

Have a good nbw and holiday weekend. Me and my wife drove up to Ohio for the weekend. Met with her parents for dinner today and I go it food poisoning but I'm better now. Going up to Cleveland tomorrow.

Me and my wife made it to Seventh son Today. Parking wasn't bad across the street.


I got a Seventh Son Stranger Than Paradise. Awesome ipa. Lasting head retention and soapy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big red grapefruit, tangerine, peach, passionfruit, mango, melon, guava, red berries, citrus peel/rind, cedar, mint, peppercorn, pine, cracker, bread, herbal, floral, grass. Medium-high pine, citrus rind, woody, spicy bitter finish. Medium carb and body. Balanced bready grainy malt and sticky resinous hop mouthfeel. Lingering resin dryness with minimal hop astringency. Very vibrant and dank hops with a clean malt backbone. Feels like a lot of mosaic and galaxy hops. 4.13/5


Cheers

 

Nice! (Well except for the food poisoning, that is ) Cheers to a pleasant Holiday weekend ahead for you and Julia

 

Seventh Son Seventh Son strong ale. Awesome beer. Aromas and flavors of big pine, citrus rind, herbal, spicy bitter finish. Medium carb and body. Balanced creamy bready malts and sticky resinous hop mouthfeel. Lingering resin dryness with no hop astringency. Mild warmth of 7.7%. Very drinkable and not too aggressive. Great balance of juicy hop and malt backbone. 4.1


Cheers

 

Stop it. That's all I can think about as I was drinking it. Just picturing myself in a dark 1800's English pub. It's wet and rainy outside and the fire is ripping as I drink my pint on cask.

 

More awesomeness from @muchloveforhops3 Thanks Doug!

Imagine Nation LupuJus 5 Hazy New England Style Pale Ale, 5.0% ABV; 4.37 overall

Says this is a Pale Ale, so that's how I'll review it. There's also a case to be made for New England Style IPA...

Pours a pretty hazy gold with 2+ fingers of whippy eggshell colored head. Pretty good head retention & great lacing

S: Tangerine in spades, a little white grape & green melon. Fades a little as this warms up

T: Follows the nose, some orange sweetness as well, plus dryness & grassyness up front. Pineapple surfaces as this beer warms up, dryness, white grape, pomelo & a little grassyness. Finishes with pineapple dominating, dryness, some grassy notes & cantoloupe

MF: Medium body, creamy carbonation, great balance, some acidic notes

Through the roof drinkability, delivers the juice!