New Beer Weekend #254

Happy NBW all! I’ve basically been having nothing but new-to-me beers lately as I ordered a shit-ton of bottles from the Bruery plus bought a bunch of stuff on a couple recent beer runs. This one is from a bit earlier today: The Order. A pretty standard, straightforward take on the Belgian strong dark ale/quad (the distinction between these two styles has thus far eluded me). Review below. Cheers!

4.24/5 rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750mL bottle (2024 edition) into a chalice. Pours a clear mahogany with a 1-finger light khaki head that settles to a thin film.

Aroma is fruity, bready, malty and sweet—plums, dates, figs, spice. Spot-on for the style.

Taste follows nose: sweet caramel malt, candi and brown sugars, toffee/molasses, Belgian yeast, clean water.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a satisfying finish. Moderate carbonation keeps this higher-ABV beer relatively light on the palate.

Overall this is a solid, straightforward, very traditional Belgian strong dark ale. I doubt I could tell it apart from some of the best versions from across the pond.

 

Have you ever not purchased a brand of beer because…

The back story: I am not a fan of hoppy beers that feature dank (i.e., marijuana-like). So, for many years I have avoided purchasing Fat Heads Benjamin Danklin IPA for that aforementioned reason.

Well, I was beer shopping earlier this week looking to buy a fresh six-pack of an IPA. I had a half-dozen or so six-packs in my hands but none of those were fresh so I (reluctantly) made the effort to pick up a six-pack of Benjamin Danklin IPA to see that it was a fresh pack and that beer made its way into my grocery shopping cart (placed next to the milk).

As soon as I got home, I put those six cans in the fridge. And I did a bit of web surfing to find:

“A lightning bolt of lupulin!

Benjamin Danklin

India Pale Ale

May - August

Beer Details

ABV 7.4%

IBU 76

OG–FG 16.7–2.9 Plato

Hops: Chinook, Citra and Simcoe

Malt: Caramel Light, Carapils

Yeast: California Ale

“Brewer's Notes

Like a lightning bolt of lupulin, this celebratory IPA is loaded with notes of citrus, mango, and pine. We're convinced there's a statesman in our history that wants us to be hoppy! To honor this founding father and America's July 4th, 1776 Independence Day, we made a 7.4% ABV beer with a beginning gravity of 17 and IBUs of 76!”

To my surprise I see no mention of “dank” in the above description which is good news for my palate. But…I am a believer in statement attributed to Ronald Reagan: “Trust, but verify”. Nothing like drinking a beer to verify!

Served in my Spiegelau IPA Glass:

Appearance:

A medium golden yellow with a BIG fluffy white head.

Aroma:

A notable aroma which is a combination of fruity (e.g., stone fruits), citrus and pine (resin) and in the background just a very tiny hint of dank.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with the combination of fruity/citrus/pine and just a tiny hint of dank. There is a notable bitterness.

Mouthfeel

Medium bodied with a dry finish.

Overall

This beer is very good. I am very pleased that the level of dank in this beer is just a tiny component of the hop aroma/flavor profiles and the combination of fruity, citrus and pine flavors is very appealing for me.

Cheers!

@rotsaruch @RobH @KOP_Beer_OUtlet

 

It’s always possible I was just in a good mood when I drank it

 

Another great series of questions:

“What do you eat before or while you are drinking a beer? Do you always select the same thing (e.g., cheese, peanuts, tacos, etc.) or do you just go with the flow? Do you choose your food to match the beer?”

When I discuss a new beer for the NBW thread I choose to just drink the beer as a standalone with zero food involved. I purposefully do this since IMO a beer is best evaluated with nothing to distract your palate. In other words, just have the beer ‘do the talking’.

I have never been involved in evaluating beers in a beer competition (e.g., homebrewed beers via BJCP judging) but my understanding is that the judges solely use ‘bland’ methods to clear their palate between beers if needed. They would use plain water or unsalted crackers to ‘reset’ their palate between beers if needed.

Cheers!

 

Sounds like a winner of an IPA right there, I’d gladly try that beer.

 

It is a seasonal so best to buy it now.

Cheers!

 

I do not review beers on BA (other than discussions on NBW and other threads) so perhaps the above question should be addressed by others?

Cheers!

 

Ok, so I have no rules when reviewing a beer, especially for the first impression, which is the concept of this thread. I fully understand and appreciate the concept trying to remove outside influence from a review, but when in life other than the review atmosphere you are crafting are you going to mimic said experience?

However, I do not exclude atmosphere from my experience, and will re-review and/or adjust my rating for a beer as I gain more experience with it in various environments encompassing a variety of influence. Although I do re-review less often than I probably should.

I happened to officially review Bluejacket's Company Porter today after posting a NBW review three months ago.

So the dings against an "ïdeal review" are many; it's not fresh; it's after enjoying cocktails made from the same beer; <insert next thing here>.

Looking back at my original post, the hops seem to have faded a little bit, which probably is expected. The feel holds up to first thoughts, as do some form of dark chocolate to maybe even chicory coffee notes.

I do not feel I noticed any more bitterness after sipping the same beer in a cocktail with some sweeter ingredients. Though I recognized the base beer in the cocktail, is was a part of a whole and I wasn't looking for any cocktail ingredients in the beer (unlike I was looking for the beer in the cocktail).

So overall, I believe trying to create an environment for a review is fine, but it's just one way to assess a beer. I mean, even in a "perfect situation" with no food, smells, etc in the mix, if you are craving a bold, roasty beer - how "accurately" will you rate a Helles lager?

And if you wait until you are craving a Helles, aren't you inherently skewing your review?

 

Cheers for getting us started. I don't do food with beer's I am reviewing. I do try to pretty predictable when pairing food & beer. Money food for me is BBQ, Wings, Sushi & Asian Foods. I will not be pairing Stouts or IPAs with German Food, so I am pretty boring that way. For me being wild would be a smoked beer with BBQ or IPAs with Sushi.

 

Prairie Lemon Slice Kettle Sour with Lemon Zest, Vanilla & Lemon Juice, 5.2% ABV; 3.84 overall

Pours an effervescent & chill-hazed gold with a pinky of beige head. Minimal head retention & a little lacing

S: Sweet lemon & vanilla, great nose

T: Follows the nose, a little tartness & dryness too up front. Tartness, dryness, a little vanilla & lemon zest once warmed up. Finishes with some sweet vanilla notes, tart lemon & a little dryness

MF: Medium body, lively carbonation, sticky on the teeth

Drinks alright, started strong & faded flavor- wise for me

 

What the Hell people, everyone go to bed on this forum?

Sierra Nevada Phantom Torpedo IPA, 6.0% ABV; 3.93

Pours a hazed & effervescent gold with a thumb of ivory colored head. Pretty nice head retention & lacing, almost dropped bright

S: Some cattyness, mangoes, melons

T: Follows the nose, some pomelo notes, dryness up front, a little white grape as well. A little green melon, cantaloupe, pomelo, dryness & grassyness once this beer is warmed up. Finishes a little dry with bitter citrus & woody hop notes & just a little green melon sweetness almost like Midori

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation, decent balance

Pretty drinkable, decent flavor, but was hoping for so much more. Wouldn't buy a sixer of this, but it wouldn't scare me off a mixed 12 if it was the runt of the litter

 

I was thinking a little more action

 

Had a Beef Trip'd from Hop Butcher To The World, a 3xIPA.
2.22/5 rDev -44.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.25
Looks just like the pineapple, orange and banana juice I drink in the morning, except for the small white head and some lace. Tastes like fruit juice. Sweet, sticky and not much carbonation. The 10.5% abv is well hidden. My 1st beer from Hop Butcher and I suspect it'll be my last. I don't think I ve ever seen anything from Hop Butcher except IPA's.

....just a random thought, if it's a NEIPA/juicy/hazy IPA, put it on the label. Two of these at breakfast? Yeah maybe.

 

Tonight I did a side-by-side comparison of 2 local rauch helles beers which were released recently, and one of them was my first New Beer of the weekend:



Living Häus Orville Smoked Helles
Date stamp reads "BATCH #489 05/12/25 LIL' SMOKIES!"

Look:
Orville has a pale straw yellow body with a touch of haze. It's capped with thick white foam which shows low retention but readily reappears when you swirl the glass. Not much lacing.

Smell:
Light doughy malt aroma, mildly toasty with a hint of sweetness. Subtle notes of floral hops and a bit of sulfur. Clean, no esters. And if smell could have an aftertaste, that's where the smoke shows up.

Taste:
As with the nose, the keywords are "mild" and "subtle." The beer opens with clean, bready malt that has a bit of toasty sweetness to it. Smoke and floral hops are a subtle presence in the middle, intertwining gracefully above the bed of malt. Light herbal and wintergreen notes float like fireflies. While it is a little hard to pick out the smoke character at first, it seems to accumulate in the finish, and by the middle of the can there's a persistent and tasty dry smoky note in the aftertaste.

Feel:
The beer is light-bodied with spirited carbonation and a texture that's more economical than luxurious.

Overall:
A clean and well-made helles that errs on the side of caution. It could use a little more of everything: malt, smoke, body. Still, what's there is nicely balanced, and if you like the idea of rauchbiers but are afraid of drinking liquid smoke, Living Häus Orville might be a good place to start.

 

Franziskaner Helles


3.55/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Brewers notes: Sold as Spaten Premium Lager in the U.S., Spaten München in the U.K. and Spaten Munich in Brazil.

1894 braute Spaten als erste Münchener Brauerei unser "Münchner Hell" in bester Produktqualität. Gebraut nach dem deutschen Reinheitsgebot.

On tap at wirsthaus zur marienberg in Munich

Clear golden liquid , fluffy two finger foam cap

Malty aroma

Sweet malt taste

Clean light mouthfeel

Good beer

 

Back in Japan, sitting in my hotel room catching up with stuff, probably going to Thrash Zone later tonight. Haven't decided on dinner yet, but the duck ramen I had for lunch was great.

Coedo - Ruri pilsner

50ml can served in a hotel glass. Seems to be dated 25/04/09, but I can't read whether that's best by or canned on.

Pours clear dark yellow with a big fluffy head, lots of carbonation. Smell is grassy, earthy, lager yeast, grains.

Taste is mild, moderate earthy grassy hops, moderate grain/biscuit sweetness. Maybe a little suggestion of citrus.

Mouthfeel is light, almost fluffy. Overall, nothing special, but perfectly fine.


Inkhorn - Yellow Warbler

355ml can served in a hotel glass. Marked on the label as Best Before June 30th. Handed to me by @shigg85.

Pours a very hazy whitish amber with a small creamy head. Moderate active carbonation. Smell is very tropical, overripe, slightly boozy, something tart and acidic like maybe starfruit.

Taste is quite similar, adds in a lot more pith and not quite as juicy as the nose hinted. Plenty of mango skin and lemon rind bitterness going on.

Mouthfeel is dry and slightly gritty. Overall, very nice, surprisingly easy to drink at 8%.