New Beer Weekend #254

Königsmörder
Brew Kettle
8.1% weizenbock



I had this beer while chatting with friends, so only general notes.

Poured from tap, the body is a hazy dark amber with off white head. Good lacing.

Aroma is mild banana with light floral notes.

Taste is clove, figs and banana. Heavy malt balances the other flavors. A wee bit of spice on finish. Dries up nicely.

Mouthfeel is very good with medium carbonation.

Enjoyable strong weizenbock.

 

Good evening all! Better late than never I hope.
Bought this one up to take to a SAN at some point with other pastry stouts (themed night) but drank it instead as I needed a new one for tonight.
I have a love/hate relationship with pastry stouts as most of them tend to be, well, sweet. Like really sweet. And that’s not what I’m looking for. So why bother? Well, I blame Junie - a barrel aged imperial stout with, among other things, salted caramel as an additive. I expected to not like it as I really don’t like salt in my stouts. But it was sublime. Really well done. So I keep hoping to find find others that are also really well done.
This one isn’t sublime, but it’s better than most I’ve tried. It even calls itself a Pastry Stout.

Grabbed while in Colorado for my brother’s wedding.
The pour is stout black with a short (and shortly lived) light brown colored head that left sparse lacing.
The taste is chuck full of chocolate, though there is none in the additives. No lactose either, or coffee, so not sure why they went with Mocha as an identifier.
It is a bit sweet, but for something labeled as a pastry stout, quite restrained.
The feel is a light viscosity; too thick and it’s syrupy, this avoids that fate. Very quaffable.
OA, I just picked up a single but now I wish I had gotten more.
Cheers all! I will be back tomorrow, with at least one.

 

Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. Summer Sue Citrus Ale, 5.2% ABV; 3.66 overall

Pours an effervescent honey color with a pinky of fast-falling beige head. Below average head retention & lacing

S: Citrus, slight rubber band notes, apricot, some herbal hop notes. Best part of this beer

T: Some orange notes, Juicy-Fruit, grassyness, faint mushroom notes, hints of honey, clover& dryness up front. Grassy, some mushroom/dirt/yeasty notes, a little citrus on this beer warms up. Finishes fruity with phenols some sweet/sour orange notes

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation on point for the style

Not a bad spin on the style, drinkable, but I like these to lean more Belgian. The other 5 of these may lurk in my fridge for a while. Maybe once it gets hot these will go down better?

 

Today's New Beer is technically only half-new.

Wait, I can explain.

It's a beer I tried for the first time last November. I rushed across town so that I could try it, since I was pretty sure I wouldn't get another chance. And while I started writing a review, I only got about halfway through before I decided to put aside my notes and savor the beer in the moment.

Today I got to try the beer again, and even though I was with friends I jotted down enough notes to complete a decent review.

My friend pointed out that it doesn't necessarily make sense to review a beer like this, since it is unlikely to leave the area, and since everyone around here would likely understand what the beer is about before they order a pour. But I am writing the review to remind myself what it was like to have a beer like this. And, maybe, to let others know that this beer is worth going out of their way for.

Here's a photo from when I tried it last November:



(Perhaps it isn't much to look at, but it is an absolute delight for the nose and palate.)

Hair of the Dog 10 Years In A Barrel (2014)
Sampled at Belmont Station in November 2024, and at Brujos Brewing in May 2025.

This is a batch of Adam that was aged for 10 years (!) in an Elijah Craig bourbon barrel.

Look:
Hard to get much detail in this agreeably dim room on a rainy afternoon. I backlit the beer with my phone and got some nice burnt umber highlights in an inky black-brown body. Not much foam, but I didn't expect any from a beer that spent a decade in a bourbon barrel. A second look this afternoon, on the patio at Brujos Brewing, doesn't reveal any beauty that was hidden last November.

Smell:
Deep, deep malt. Toasted multigrain bread, Grape Nuts, warm toffee. Candied fruit brightened by tart plums. Fragrant pipe tobacco. Luscious bourbon. A surly ember of ethanol.

Taste:
Bourbon-soaked fruitcake. Dates and tart plums. A dusting of unsweetened cocoa. Toffee. A drop of molasses. As it warms, a mellow note of cranberry provides a gentle bite of astringency. Cherry pie filling. A gorgeous breath of smoke at the back of the throat. A bit of soy for umami. So rich, but structured and never cloying. The pour I enjoyed today (6 months later) had a bit more alcohol heat, and a touch more astringency, but still showed surprising drinkability for a 12% ABV beer that spent a decade in a bourbon barrel. The tart plum character was a bit more forward, and there were undertones of red apples, leather, and old books (!) that I didn't note 6 months ago.

Feel:
Exquisite. Chewy. Full-bodied and velvety. Warming, but displays a surprising lack of burn considering that this beer spent a decade in a bourbon barrel. Carbonation is soft and cozy.

Overall:
This is frankly amazing. Adam has held up beautifully. A decade in a bourbon barrel would have obliterated a lesser beer.

Coda:
Today I heard some scuttlebutt that there is a 2015 version of Adam that spent 10 years in a barrel, so perhaps this review is not simply a postcard from the void. Perhaps we will get to enjoy another version of this singular beer at some point this year. I want to believe.

 

Well hit this really nice take on a porter from @russpowell

Big Jamoke

12 oz can. Pours a deep brown with a sandy to almost khaki head. Great retention with fluffy layers of lacing.
Nose is firm in its roasty coffee tones layered over mild chocolate notes.
Flavor follows the nose faithfully. Robust porter indeed. Again the roast leads off, coffee and some char. But the chocolate notes are a little more complex than the nose foretold. Kind of deep, not quite sweet, and make a little space for some earthy hops that close it out in a smoothly bitter way.
Mouthfeel is medium heft with light carbonation.
Solid porter!
3.96/5 rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

 

Well I moved on to dessert. And wow, what a closer this one is!
Thanks to @Luscious_Malfoy for hitting me with this in our Barleywine/Stout BIF #2.

Ambiente (2024)

Damn near black it is so dark. A beautiful cascade of liquid seems to crawl down the inside of my glass while at the same time minuscule bubbles packed in a dense herd seem to be swimming upstream against this current. It's quite hypnotic. A generous dark chocolate malt foam froth holds court at 3 fingers tall. Solid retention. The slow retreat leaves puffy layers of lacing.
The nose is beckons. Deep chocolate, gentle cinnamon, some boozy warmth, and a smooth hint of ancho chili. This one definitely is checking all of the boxes for a Mexican stout.
Dear Lord, and then some. The chocolate is both deep and enveloping. But it's lightly sweet and definitely delivers like Mexican chocolate versus the more through and through, sweeter, American style of chocolate delivery. The cinnamon comes across like cafe de la olla, slowly steeped for hours bringing a firm, but not overpowering presence. It's always there but never demands the spotlight. The cocoa is elegant. The ancho chili brings a mild warmth, but like the cinnamon does not push its way to center stage. Now a hint of vanilla comes in as well. This is really balanced while letting the cocoa shine.
Mouthfeel has a solid heft, but carries itself a little fluffy and lush.
Overall, if somebody prefers a more assertive chili note, they might be slightly disappointed. But only for that reason. This one is a true piece of art.
4.46/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

 

That one sounds outstanding! Cheers, man

 

At Belgo in Shibuya, last visit might have been 20 years ago.

 

I'm not participating in NBW this weekend because I don't believe I have any new-to-me beers to review, now working on my cellar. I usually avoid eating while I'm reviewing beer, to avoid influencing the review. I've had times where I've had something to eat part way through a beer, and it can ruin the beer flavor. I'm a one-thing-at-a-time eater too.

 

I like to eat with a solo drinking beer, so I’ll have prep / cooking going so it’s ready after I completed by Appearance / Aroma / Taste ratings, with flexibility to finish mouthfeel a d overall before during or after eating. I usually get through 1/2 to 2/3 of the beer before review completion.

For brewery or bar/restaurant reviews, I’m a bit more flexible. On social occasions, I’ll generally order familiar beers to not be putzing with a review with others.

I enjoy and appreciate your reviews and your takes are typically consistent with my preferences and also dislikes.

You may like their (few) non adjunct ba stouts, or the several other styles they brew outside of Hazy IPAs, some of which are only available at their taproom. One example is Alemerica released this week, a pale ale brewed with mosaic I used to buy when Founders Mosiac Promise was brewed.

I enjoy the conversational aspect the best among those who appreciate beers. I generally don’t type out formal reviews in these settings, but occasionally will create a few audio notes and flesh out a review immediately after, especially if I find the beer interesting and would like to find in the future.

Finishing up my catchup before popping open my Sunday beer.

 

Poured into a 13 oz Teku glass canned on 4/30/25. Pours a very attractive milky yellow with a finger plus sticky white head that leaves tons of thick lace with exceptional retention. 5

Aroma is tangerine, pineapple, mango, peach, and apricot wowza! 4.75

Taste follows tangerine, mango, pineapple, peach, and apricot strait up juice in the best possible way. 4.75

Mouthfeel is above average, soft gentle almost creamy carbonation, not sticky or dry, and at 8.4% packed with flavor, but insanely easy going down. 5

Overall I love the milky yellow color, most of my favorites look like this now. A stand out beer in my opinion. 4.75 Cheers all.

 

This is an easy drinking tasty no-frills brew:
Bosman Szczecinski Pale Lager 5.6%
3.86/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
16.9 oz can into a pokal.
L: SRM 4.5 pours clear golden caramel color with steady carbo, a 1/4" matte white head with a light center cap, scattered complex medium broken sheeting and light banding for lacing.
S: A metallic note, hops, pastry dough.
T: Gently sweet grains, a lightly bitter hop note, a light sensation of pastry dough, it is pale and has a lightly malty aftertaste that is teased by hops.
F: Gently brisk medium-light bodied mouthfeel with a clean center and a clean medium-short lightly dry finish.
O: Tasty, refreshing and easy drinking. A no-frills basic beer that has very good balance and flavor. It is very good in its style.

 

Welcome one and all to New Beer Sunday #1058. I picked up this one mainly for nostalgia of my two favorite San Diego Breweries, of which Modern Times is but a brand at this point contract brewed by AleSmith IIRC.The Speedway Stout base / non BA version is one of my favorite stouts.

AleSmith & Modern Times Collaboration Speedway Stout - Barrel Aged Monster's Park Chocolate Espresso Edition (2025)

3.31/5 rDev -20.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3



5/31/25 - (Can - Home) (Chicago, IL) Can Notes: Purchased May 6, 2025 at Beer on the Wall at store temperature for $10.25 including tax, refrigerated at home until opening this morning. 16 oz canned March 18, 2025, 13.62% ABV. AleSmith Brewing Company & Modern Times Beer collaboration. Barrel-Aged Speedway Stout X Monster's Park 2025 Chocolate Espresso Edition. Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels with Dominican Cacao Nibs and Espresso. Smooth Chocolate Espresso. Glassware Goblet. Serving Temp 50-55 F. Proudly Brewed & Canned in San Diego, CA.

This indulgent mashup fuses the bold, barrel-aged intensity of our speedway stout with Modern Times' Monster's Park, then enhances it with espresso and Dominican Cacao nibs. The result is a rich, boozy stout that captures the essence of a chocolate-covered espresso bean-roasty, chocolatey, and layered with smooth, coffee flavor.

Appearance: Poured about half the can into a handheld snifter, yielding a near pitch black base, dark tan black head I don't recall seeing as dark to that extent in any other beer. Reach creamy head leaves without a trace, with just sustained white light tan carbonation rising to provide spotty cover and a white tan ring around the rim. Looks excellent. 4.5

Aroma: Let this sit for 15 minutes, with first yield a strong bourbon and strong cacao nibs dominating all else. Let this sit 10 minutes for to the same impact. 3.5

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, though espresso puts up a stronger fight against drinking melted chocolate chips and a somewhat harsh bourbon. More muddled than melding, sort of like a 4 year old making breakfast for Mom on Mother's Day. I like the espresso the best from what I can gleam of it. It's as advertised, so not dinging as much as it perhaps deserves. 3.25

Mouthfeel: Gentle carbonation accompanies throughout, drinks strong, the bourbon more ethanol vs. a gentle sipping experience. Despite the strong cacao flavor, the bourbon contains any cloying excess. Light to medium looking and feeling, especially for the ABV heft and style. Bourbon pretty much reigns supreme through the finish over a half hour in. 3.0

Overall: Should have left this on the shelf via the description, despite my long time love of both breweries. Just overkill, prevents any semblance of the wonderful base from emerging. Bourbon too strong and not very pleasant. Will still get my favorites from AleSmith, but hesitate future purchases from this series. 3.0

I'd wager this one isn't for you either @ZebulonXZogg . That's OK, plenty of beers out there we both enjoy.

Cheers everyone, and wishing you a great week ahead.

 

What a descriptor to read on this lovely cool Sunday morning

 

Unlike this pour, I aim to please.

Actually finishing the last four ounces, the cacao won out over the BA bourbon, and I'm enjoying a little more. I haven't been a big fan of for Speedway Stout BA attempts, but have had other BA offerings at their taproom I appreciated. This really reminds me of chocolate chip pancakes at the Golden Nugget (a Chicago restaurant chain), though with double the chocolate chips added. Perfect selection for many with a sweet tooth on a Sunday morning.

Cheers!

 

Dry Hopped Pale Ale from Royal City Brewing Co.

A 473ml can dated 30/04/25. Poured into a pint glass. A scant one finger fine white head on a slightly hazy gold. the head diminished to a persistent layer. Lots of fine lacing.

Lots of hop in the nose, mainly citrus. You can smell it as soon as the can is popped. The taste follows the nose. Some malts after the initial hop burst. A lingering pine-citrus finish. Low in bitterness.

Very smooth. Medium body and carbonation. Overall a pretty good American Pale Ale.

3.86/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

 

What are bourbon maple syrup barrels?

 

And for today's cross-post with WBAYDN:



Raisin Hell from Trails to Ales Brewery. 16 fl oz can. Reviewed 01/06/25 (Review 3532). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Undated can but no more than a week old. Stored at 39 degrees F at home; served at 53.5 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 60.0 degrees F.
Appearance – 4
First pour – Medium Amber (SRM 12), clear.
Body – Ruby Brown (SRM 24), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, ruby and clear.
Head – Average (Maximum three cm, aggressive center pour). Initially wheat, high density, short retention, oxygenating to almond as it decays to a 0.3 cm crown and a cap resembling yeast on top of fermenting beer.
Lacing – Excellent! A blanket of tiny bubbles covers the inside of my snifter. This eventually begins to devolve to torn curtains.
Aroma – 3.5 – Not particularly strong but distinctly raisins. No yeast, no alcohol, no hops, no malt.
Flavor – 3.5 – Marginally sweet, little raisin flavor. Very mild phenolic spiciness. No alcohol (9.2 % ABV, according to the label). No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. No gastric warming.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium: vaguely syrupy: soft carbonation.
Style: Follows the loose style guidelines as condensed by BA.
Final impression and summation: 3.5 (After deducting 0.25 point for an undated personal container) Uncredited label artist. I had a couple of these with my haddock rice bowl 29/05/25 and bought a four-pack so I could give a proper review at home under controlled conditions.
Rating 3.53, rDev 0% (First review)

And I'll post a picture with the beer listing whenever Resizeyourimage.com works again.