New Beer Weekend #254

Speaking of food with beer, it was a Hazy IPA with some stellar Sushi/Seafood!

Sierra Nevada Electric Torpedo. 7.5% ABV; 4.08 overall

Pours an effervescent & bright gold with one finger of cream-colored head. Above average head retention & insane lacing

S: Bready, grassy

T: Follows the nose, some catty/weedy notes & dryness up front. Bready sweetness, hints of weed, grassyness, tangerine & a little pear as this beer warms up. Finishes, dry, catty, with woody & grassy hops

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation

Easy enough to drink, about middle of the pack as these Torpedoes go

 

Pretty smooth. I don't find resin but rather citrus zest as the main driver for the bitter/dry. Maybe just me

 

I made a trip up to Mizzou just for that beer. I did find some other winners up there!

 

I was fillin' my bucket one day at the beer store and there she was. I'll get more if I see it.

 

Thanks to @Beersnake for the great open and another great question to chew on for the weekend.



My recent run of trying new-to-me German-style imports continues with this helles from Austria:

Stiegl Hell • helles lager • 4.5% ABV • 34931 printed on bottom of can

It's a beauty. Loads of sweet, peach bread malt in the nose with a similar bready malt presence in the flavor that is balanced by a little layer of earthy/spicey hops. The hops don't bite here ... they're far from that strong. They mainly just keep the sweetness in check. Very solid beer, nothing flashy but also nothing out of bounds.

Official review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/817/495151/?ba=Premo88#review
4.07 (+2.8% rDev)

I bought just this one can of this beer, but I'll be on the lookout for a 4-pack. It's not as good as Weihenstephaner's helles, but I'd love to have the chance to rummage through a few of them to see how it holds up over successive cans.

Cheers!

 

Well Hello NBW
Finding this one to be more inspiring than my boy is hinting at in the photo



Left and Leaving
16 oz can purchases from Windsor Homebrew Supply in Anaheim.
Light gold in color, slightly "hazy", with a beautiful white cap that is firm in its height (2 fingers), and stubborn (great retention). The lacing is fluffy and leaves layers as I drink down.
The nose immediately pumps notes of pine, grass, and citrus. Just behind I spy some berry note and hints of apricot.
Flavor is more balanced in its mix of the aforementioned aromas. The pine and citrus still starts off but right away the wash of berry notes and stone fruit jump into the scrum. A really fun medley to follow. A light, almost creamy, crackery malt note comes through as well.
Mouthfeel has a proper carb level that keeps things alive. The heft is just shy of medium weight and is almost fluffy. Finish is gently bitter closing out with some citrus rind and grass in the back of the mouth.
Overall, I really like this one.
4.08/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

@russpowell This one is coming your way.

 

Happy new beer weekend, fun to read and respond to what everyone has drank so far and here is my, likely only, contribution this weekend. I wasn't going to contribute since I didn't have any new beers but gosh darn it I love you all too much and I love our beer sharing weekends, so I drove down the street and made myself buy a single.

Nothing really peaked my interest in the singles section but this one did most, unfortunately it didn't have a date, but a $3 and for the sake of this thread I gave it a gamble, if its not fresh this thing aged remarkably well and the hops held up. I've never had a beer from this brewery, that I remember at least, and its a brewery from LBI (Long Beach Island) really the only shore island I went to back in high school. They do contract brew a lot so this one is brewed elsewhere, Pottstown, PA to be exact. Anyway, lets see what this undated can has to offer shall we...

Ship Bottom - Grazie ("Italian" Pils 4.3%)



Pours crystal clear gold; white head that is noticeably soapy looking, quick to vanish, splotchy islands remain, slowly dissipating to a thin ring and nothing else.

Nose is hoppy, it’s got a spritzy character; evenly balanced mix of zest, spice and herbal notes; in line with many of the other “Italian” pilsners I’ve tried; firm cracker like malt presence underneath.

Taste leans into the hop notes mentioned above, also getting some underlying earthiness; great malt presence for a pils, light but with good depth, toasted saltines and light bread crust.

Body is light; really clean, lingering hops coat the tongue; more in feel, stickiness, than bitterness, which is low-medium, dry while leaving a nice pleasing, previously mentioned, hop presence on the tongue.

This may be my first beer from this brewery and it’s quite good; took a gamble but it’s in line with what I’d expect for the style and it’s really cleanly lagered and balanced, good stuff here; really enjoyed the aroma and great clarity; if this thing had any retention and lacing it'd be up close to 5 for looks.

-----------------------

I hope you all enjoy what is in your glasses tonight and tomorrow and I hope we can keep these lively NBWs going. Its been fun to mingle with you all over the past few weekends as it always is, but feel like its been a little more lively.

 

Good to have you here. Come back more often.

 

Enjoyed some of this last night, courtesy of @jzeilinger ..

Tired Hands - Sea of Green





Notes:
P pours a hazy/cloudy orange, 1-2f white head w/ decent retention, fairly heavy lace
N med nose of tangy semi sweet fruit, pineapple, hint of milk sugar; bolder, sweeter, and even more inviting as it opens
T hearty bisc malt, sweet stone fruit, peach, pineapple, light leafy green hops, some zing; moderately sweet; super cohesive and tasty for sure
Mf med-full bodied, med carb, smooth
O nicely done dipa, would definitely have again given the opportunity; thanks, Jeff!

Cheers

 

Awesomeness!

 

Great Divide Espresso Yeti, 9.5% ABV; 4.35 overall

Pours an effervescent & chill-hazed chestnut/mahogany with 2+ fingers of mocha colored head. Stays effervescent throughout the pour. Average-ish head retention & sheets of lacing

S: Coffee, roastyness, vanilla once warmed up

T: Follows the nose, some caramel & woodyness up front. Sweet vanilla cream balances out the in-your-face coffee as this beer warms up, a little dryness & woody hop as well. Finishes a little dry with woody notes & coffee & vanilla cream sweetness

MF: Medium/chewy body with low carbonation that becomes creamy as the beer warms up

Flavorful Brute of a beer that drinks pretty easy all things considered

 

I saw the same thing when I picked it up and asked if they bottled and capped by hand...answer is yes

 

I suppose that's probably pretty close to what I was imagining, but I was more imagining a thread for two (or more) BAs physically sharing the same beer in the same place, so the back-and-forth commentary on flavors and characteristics was more real-time

 

Mr. Jackson described Belgium as seeing beer primarily as a "gastronomic" experience - and I do think it pairs well with food, although when trying something new, I generally prefer to focus solely on the beer itself.

On this very warm late Spring evening, I'm enjoying this special saison from Suarez, almost as a meal by itself (though it would be a great accompaniment to some manchego/olives/bread/oil/dates/etc.).

4.07/5 rDev -6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

November 2022 batch? Poured from a 750mL bottle into a Unibroue tulip.

Lightly hazy gold/peach body with a smattering of magnolia microbubbles feeding a lasting collar and slow-boiling surface slick. Fine lacing; adequate retention.

Funk (alfalfa, chevre) forward nose, but suffused with citrus, wild berries, and floral notes.

Sweet-tart palate entry, herbaceous and brisk, moderately bitter, with a lingering minerality. Punctuated throughout by white grape skin, pineapple vinegar, and orange blossom honey. Mellow medium-dry finish with low but persistent oak.

Medium-light body, vaguely oily/creamy balanced with a touch of acidity/astringency.

Great synergy of unusual ingredients and a mature base beer, greater than the sum of its parts.

 

Sierra Nevada's Atomic Torpedo • Imperial IPA • 9.2% ABV • Jan. 27, 2025 born-on date

A solid DIPA with plenty for the average hophead to enjoy. For me, it feels a bit out of synch ... it's parts not fitting that well together. It's too sweet in the nose at times, almost sickly, and the flavor is good but not exciting. It could use some more bitterness frankly, and my bet is a fresher version of this beer wouldn't be that much more bitter (or better) than this 4-month-old.

I don't like underrating beers from Sierra Nevada, but this one is underwhelming. Probably my issue is more with the style than the actual beer. The more time I spend with Old World hops, the less I seem to enjoy the American strains. I'll look for a super fresh American pale ale over the next few weeks to see if I can't find something that reacquaints me with the American hop family in a good way.

Official review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/553273/?ba=Premo88#review
3.63 (-11.7% rDev)

Cheers!

 

Have a good Saturday. Relaxing weekend. I decided I am going to get a Solidworks certification so I got a 12 hour course to watch soon, might use Onshape to do the examples. then I can get the CSWA. I also want to learn robotics from scratch using open source tools. I finished The Department of Mad Scientists by Michael Belfiore, which is a pretty great history of DARPA up to 2009.

We got Panera for lunch yesterday because I had a gift card and it was pretty amazing. I used to work at Panera in 2011 right before I got my BSME. Smokehouse BBQ Chicken and Cheesesteak on Ciabatta. Also Broccoli Cheddar for dipping baguettes.


From @Ozzylizard . Real Ale Commissar. Bottled on 4/14/2022. A bit elevated carbonation. Amazing head retention and dense soapy lacing on the glass. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, smoke, char, herbal, pepper, pine, floral, grass; light molasses, dark fruit, yeast earthiness. Taste follows with huge dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, smoke, wood char, herbal, floral, grass, peppercorn, pine; light molasses, leather, dark fruit, yeast earthiness. Medium pine, woody, herbal, charred bitterness on the finish. Medium-plus carbonation and fairly full body. Balanced creamy/silky malts and sticky/chalky hop/char mouthfeel. Light lingering resins and lingering charred bitterness with no acrid/astringent flavors. Mild increasing warmth of 9.8% after the finish, bit of booze. Amazingly rich malt complexity and adequate hop balanced. 100% classic to style example. Aging wonderfully. Reminds me of Old Raspy. 4.38/5


Cheers

 

Thanks @Beersnake for opening the thread! Today's New Breakfast Beer (Posting 12+ hours post-consumption):



Lacto-Kooler (green) from Voodoo Brewery. Gift. 16 fl oz can. Reviewed 31/05/25 (Review 3531). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Bottom lip of can stamped “BORN 11/25/25 BEST 03/25/25.” Stored at 39 degrees F at home; served at 43.8 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 54.3 degrees F.
Appearance – 4
First pour – Dirty chartreuse (SRM ?), clear.
Body – Looks like an old dill pickle hide (SRM ?), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, chartreuse and translucent.
Head – Average (Maximum 3.1 cm, aggressive center pour). Off white, medium density, short retention, collapsing to a 0.15 cm crown and a grainy cap consisting almost exclusively of single, near-microscopic, bubbles.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 3 – Initially very perfumy but fortunately that stench quickly fades. No yeast, no alcohol, no hops, no malt, no distinct fruit.
Flavor – 3.5 – Slightly tart and acidic, little distinguishable flavor. No alcohol (5.5 % ABV, according to the label). No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. No gastric warming.
Palate – 3 – Medium: watery: lively carbonation.
Style: Follows the loose style guidelines as condensed by BA.
Final impression and summation: 3.25 Uncredited label artist. Great potential as a refreshing lawnmower beer.
Rating 3.31, rDev -14.2%

In response to your question: I've spent most of my life in labs, so I try to evaluate beers under standard conditions (same lighting, same glass, same storage temperature, appropriate drinking temperature, no food, etc). I don't usually evaluate during seasonal allergies (like the last two weeks)!
This means I never write a review when having a meal - I'll try a new beer and pick up a couple of cans to evaluate when I can control the review conditions. I know, I know - consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.

 

Sierra Nevada - Phantom Torpedo





Notes:
P deep gold w/ a slight chill haze, quick recession to cap, med lace
N med nose of dank cattiness, pine
T prominent cattiness, pine, melon; malt is on the crackery side; dank for sure, finishes with a fair amount of bitterness; not bad
Mf light med to med bodied, med to med high carb, coating fin
O decent, not usually of a huge fan of catty profiles in the IPA style, but this one was pretty good; with that being said, would drink it again but wouldn't necessarily seek it out

Cheers!