New Beer Weekend #256

Going for the Gold!

Last week in NBW I discussed some of the beers I enjoyed drinking at the 5th Annual Logjammin’ Lager beer festival in Philly. There were two beers that I thought were excellent and I couldn’t pick one over the other so I awarded two Gold Medals. One of those beers was collaboratively brewed by Creature Comforts and Schilling and below is how I detailed this beer in my NBW post last week:

“This beer, Theodor Northern German Pilsner, was brewed at the Creature Comforts Brewery in Athens, GA with participation of Schilling brewer(s) who traveled down to brew this beer.”



As good fortune would have it a local craft beer bar (Capone’s in Norristown, PA) received a drop of cans of this beer (a small drop, just one case). When I received my weekly email from Matt Capone, I decided I just had to drink this beer again, I bought a four-pack of cans.

Below are more details about this beer from the Creature Comforts website:

“Theodor

North German-Style Pilsner | 5.2% ABV

Release Date: May 2

In collaboration with our friends at Schilling Beer Co., we've made this classic nod to the north German pilsner. Both breweries have an affinity for classic lager styles, so we've combined some of our techniques and brought Schilling methodology to this bold style. North German pilsners are known for an assertive hop quality, dry body, and bitter finish. Perhaps brash at first, the bitterness settles into the pint and leads to a bold, classic finish that keeps you coming back for more.”

Will this canned beer be as tasty as the draft version I had last week? I sure as heck hope so!

Served in my Polish Pilsner glass:

Appearance:

Straw yellow colored with a BIG rocky white head.

Aroma:

Very enticing! A combination of hop aromas: herbal, spicy and some citrus (lemon-like) accompanied with bready malt aroma.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with the combination of hop flavors (herbal, spicy, and citrus) and bready malt flavor. There is a notable bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Medium bodied with a pleasant dry finish.

Overall:

This beer is excellent!

Cheers to Creature Comforts & Schilling for crafting this beer!!

@rotsaruch @KOP_Beer_OUtlet @ATL6245

P.S. In hindsight I wish I had purchased a second four-pack of this excellent beer.

 

Nice review Jack. I'll keep an eye out for it locally.

 

For me...starting off with a trip to Gristworks Brewing...this is a small one in Houston.

Across The Elysian Pale Ale, 5.2% ABV

Apparently this is a collaboration with Frost Town Brewing, another small one in Houston.



Pours a clear a clear pale orange color. A small white head forms with some lace left behind.
Aroma is citrus and orange rind like hoppy aromas. Nondescript, kind of caramel malts mingles in there, with a bit of solvent character. Which is a bit odd.
Taste wise, like the nose, the citrus and orange rind hoppy character is up front. Malty, caramelized sugars, and a soapy taste...again maybe a bit solvent? I would like a bit more bitterness.
A medium body with moderate carbonation. A bit slick and oily. Saying all that, not hard to drink when at the brewery.

I would like this cleaner with more of an assertive bitter bite. Not that that has to be over the top, but more noticeable. A fairly average pale ale.

Overall score is 3.13, C+/B- range for me.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/58735/749890/?ba=champ103#lists

Next had their Otto's Gold Rush IPA, 7.5% ABV...with their burger which is pretty good



Pours a slightly hazy reddish orange color. A small white head forms that recedes to leave a little bit of lace.
Aroma is citrus, orange and grapefruit are there. Caramel malts as well. Fairly standard bit nice enough.
Taste wise, like the nose, up front is citrus, grapefruit and a substantial caramel malt flavor. Just a bit of bitterness lingering.
A medium to full body with moderate carbonation. Not hard to drink. Something you can come back to at the brewery.

This is a bit cleaner, and more bitter version of their Across The Elysian Pale Ale. In that sense, I like it better. Though fairly by the books. I would definitely come back to this if at the brewery, but can't say its something I would seek out otherwise.

Overall score is 3.34, B territory
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/58735/749891/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Thanks for kicking off the thread this weekend @bbtkd . When I first started reviewing 10 years ago, beer beyond Guinness and AALs were brand new to me. My middle brother reviewed beer, my youngest enjoyed beer, and I was transitioning from whiskey (primarily Makers Mark, Woodford Reserve) to beer. Now I like to keep track of what I like after a few thousand beers, and also like to track things so this has been added to the list.

Boring, but that's how I got here. I do really enjoy this thread which has given me pleasure and many great suggestions and ideas over the years, and the primary reason I keep picking up singles and opening a few each weekend, when I'm not able to sample beyond home.

I hope to get out to Creature Comforts at some point, but based on my typical travels, it would be their Los Angeles taproom.

I don't have a particular theme this weekend, and may head out into the wild for a new beer or two this weekend. Starting out with this porter from a brewery I have only tried via beer festival sample pours.

Fonta Flora Darwin's Forehead

4.04/5 rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4



6/13/25 - (Can - Home) (Chicago, IL) Can Notes: Purchased May 6, 2025 at Beer on the Wall at store temperature for $4.55 including tax, refrigerated at home until opening this evening. 16 oz canned February 24, 2025, 6.2% ABV Salted Brown Porter. Brewed with water from our wells and 70% local ingredients. Brewed & canned in Nebo, North Carolina.

Appearance: Poured about 2/3 of the can into a shaker pint glass, yielding a near black base, though more of a dark brown pouring, bubbly and creamy sustained tan white head, which leaves soapy lacing and a creamy cover over the entire base. Nice. 4.0

Aroma: Caramel and roasted malt from the time I opened the can, bakers chocolate. Sweet and decadent, strong and persistent. 4.25

Taste: Sustained focused salted caramel and bakers chocolate, with the roasted malt and possible bittering influences left behind. Slowing down to type my review, so it's damn good. 4.0

Mouthfeel: Drinks pretty easy, perhaps the sweetness makes it so. Watery pillowy light body, negligible carbonation. Definitely a desert type selection, but not cloying to my sweet sensitive palate. Salted caramel and bakers chocolate from start to finish, and beyond. 3.75

Overall: This is a solid porter, one I'd grab when I am in the mood for a sweeter type beer. Glad I finally came across a Fonta Flora beer, and hope to find more here or on future travels down the road. 4.0

 

My advice is get it sooner rather than later. My guess is this is a limited batch.

Cheers!

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

I've finally made it and it's time for a new beer that just came into work today.

KBS - Iced Latte - Founders Brewing - Grand Rapids, MI - American Strong Ale - 11%

KBS is a clear golden color?!?!????

WTF?

Wow, this really is messing with me. It is tasty, but at the same time dangerous as hell, because it doesn't go down like a 11% beer, but more like a 5%.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1199/730446/
3.98/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
From a 12oz bottle. Bottled on 05/28/2025

Nice hiss and smoke upon opening the bottle. I'm like WTF when pouring this beer. I was expecting the standard KBS look to it - pitch black. No this is golden in color and clear looking. This beer has a slightly off white head and 3 finger in size. The head retention is great, and there's a bit of lacing on the glass.
Aroma is nice and rich with coffee. There's a sweetness to the beer. There's no chocolate, caramel, toffee, dark fruit I would expect from KBS.
Taste - Holy heck, this is strange, confusing, and interesting. I get a huge coffee hit up front. This coffee is added to by a creamy sweetness next. There's hints of chocolate that come through in the sweetness. I am getting a vanilla punch on the backside with a hint of a bourbon barrel.
This beer is so damn smooth and creamy going down. This beer does NOT drink like 11%, it is way too smooth, and you could easily slam it - too damn easy.
I was expecting a standard KBS, but this is anything but. It is damn delicious. The flavor is great, but it messes with my mind here.


One and done tonight. See you all from the road tomorrow at Schell's Brewing in New Ulm, MN.

 

Next stop, which is just on down the road from Gristworks...Saint Arnold Brewery. They just had their 31st Anniversary. Which is saying something. I remember first moving down to Houston almost 20 years ago now, and Saint Arnold has always been a constant purchase for me.

A couple unique offerings for their anniversary...

Funky Berry Harmony. Their Harmony IPA aged in Chardonnay wine barrels with raspberries, cranberries, cherries, and Brettanomyces.



Pours an opaque, murky purple color. A small white head forms and recedes to nothing quickly.
Aroma is a berry fruit salad. With some grapes and vinous wine character. Not much else to say...
Taste wise, there is a bit more of note here. That berry fruit salad character is up front and center. This becomes more tart and acidic. With some vanilla and grape oaky/vinous wine tannin flavors.
A medium to full body. Moderate carbonation that becomes viscous, slick, and tannin like. Interesting to try once, and I did enjoy it, but can't say I want to have another.

Saint Arnold has played around with a "funky" Chardonnay wine barrel aged beer before. Specifically with their Christmas Ale...which I have always loved. This, however doesn't hit that spot for me. Its perfectly fine, and actually a good stand in for some kind of "sangria" for lack of a better term. Though the funky Brett is too muted, and the IPA is all but lost. I appreciate the try, but prefer other offerings they have done in a similar vain.

Overall score is 3.63, solid B
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/337/749893/?ba=champ103#lists

Next is something I was very interested to try...

Original Amber Ale, at 6.3% ABV

Apparently this was the original version of their flagship Amber Ale from 1994, but it was deemed to "hoppy" at the time. Wondering how much of that is marketing, or just a variation Brock made but wasn't completely happy with at the time...anyway...



Pours a brilliantly clear copper amber color. A dense white head forms with good retention and lace. This is a looker, as I like to say.
Aroma is a grassy and citrus hoppy aroma up front. The baked bread and malty aromas mingle, as well as light esters. This is very nice.
Taste wise, like the nose, the grassy and citrus note is up front. Baked bread, English biscuit, light sweetness, light esters. A lingering bitterness brings this all together.
A medium body with crisp carbonation. Super clean and finishes dry. Which all leads to this being really enjoyable to drink.

Their current Amber is a staple for me as is. I was interested to try this, as one of their 31st Anniversary specials. It is very good. There is just a bit more grassy/citrus hoppy character here. So its not really THAT much of a difference (maybe that was more perceptible 3 decades ago), and actually highlights how under appropriated their regular Amber has been for so many years, at least IMO. Get this if you see it at the brewery for sure, continue to get Amber as long as they will make...an all time Texas classic.

Overall score is 4.09, easy A-
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/337/749896/?ba=champ103#lists

I looked up my original Amber Ale score from 2007, and I have that at 4.14..so yeah I like this in either form ha.

I also have a barrel aged special release from Saint Arnold I'll open later this weekend...see ya then.

 

I had this beer earlier today, but sipped away at it over 2 hours. Family is doing some graduation-specific things so I have a brief second to sit with this beer, Wandering Don by Firestone Walker, purchased on site (pic from earlier today, but having another can for review):


So, I decided to review this beer here because it is fairly available, which is one of the reasons I will join in NBW (plus I just had it today). As for reviews in general, I started reviewing beers for myself. Then as I got into this site, I wanted to promote beers/breweries that might be underrepresented in reviews (mostly local, but by no means limited to that).

Then as brewers started releasing almost everything as one-offs, I slowed significantly, since I didn’t think my reviews would be helpful to anyone but me (and so we came full circle), and even then only maybe.

So for this beer, I am actually not sure if a review will be helpful to me, if they never make it again. Maybe it’ll be helpful when included with the other reviews pouring in, though,

It is nicely clear, what I’d call damn near quintessential golden in body color. Head is fairly dense at a decent height and fairly lasting, Nose is just on the grainy side of bready, interrupted by the herbal hop notes. Digging deeper, some floral and spicy notes trickle in, as well as a hint of ABV that seems more aggressive that the number stated on the can.

Cold, this beer alludes to malt and gets into a piney, earthy spice bitterness a bit too quick, especially when paired with its moderate carbonation levels. A lightly-touched with honey water cracker comes to mind, even after a little warmth. A bit more citrus than expected comes out - grapefruit / pomelo with pine shavings and a peppery bite are what come to mind.

While it leans towards the coast where I currently sit, it has a softer edge to it than the bitter bombs of old, even given its weaker malt profile. Solid, as one would expect from FW, and tasty but lacking a depth, I guess, in both malt and, to a lesser degree, hop profile for my palate of today.

 

I totally started reviewing just for me. But the community makes this more fun, especially when others are trying beers you really like or don't. Love talking beer in any forum


Social Project Brewing Co. with atypical middle range ABV Hazy IPA. Passin' Me By IPA with Krush & Mosaic Cryo Hops, 6.1% ABV; 4.14 overall

Pours an effervescent & moderately hazed gold with one finger of beige head. Above average head retention & lacing

S: Melons, guava & passion fruit

T: Follows the nose, sorta dry, a little peach up front. Green melon, some grassy notes, passion fruit, dryness & a little pomelo& just a little mango once this beer is warmed up. Finishes a little dry with some tangerine, green melon & peach

MF: Medium body, subtle carbonation, nice balance

Really easy to drink, almost comes together for greatness, flavors just needed to pop a little more

 

edit: 4.18 overall. Got distracted

 

Good evening denizens of NBW!
Tonight I have an old beer that I recently bought from the brewery during their annual No Rules Release party.
There was no more recent coffee variants so’23 it is.

Pour is stout black with, for the ABV, an impressive light brown head that left little lacing.
The taste is typical of the No Rules franchise but has the additional flavor of coffee. Smooth and medium roast coffee. Delicious.
The feel is a little thinner than I’d expect, but I drank it pretty quickly so it didn’t bother me at all.
OA, one of the best variants of the series.
Hopefully you all have a great weekend!

 

First beer I've sent thats under a 4! I'm honored!
The new coconut and coffee ine they released is probably the best of this Cuvee program

 

Brasserie Artisanale La Choulette (France) ‘Le Biere des Faucheurs’.,. (Beer of the Reapers)

NO TO GMOs!

The Voluntary GMO Reapers collective was created in 2003 during a large gathering on the Larzac mountain (about 120 miles northeast of Toulouse). The group claimed responsibility for the extensive mowing of GMO trial plots, which led to the banning of open-field trials and GMO crops in France in 2008.

By collectively cleaning up, with their bare hands, plots polluted by GMO crops, and by claiming responsibility for the actions committed, the Reapers committed an act of civil disobedience. Dozens of women and men have been taken to court for this thoughtful, civic action. Proceedings are still ongoing in several courts.

The Voluntary Reapers continue to campaign today against GMO imports and against "hidden GMOs," herbicide-tolerant varieties (HTVs) and new "NBT" GMOs. They reject the patenting of living organisms, which places farmers around the world under the domination of biotechnology companies.

LET'S SUPPORT THE VOLUNTARY REAPER!

A noble cause, indeed!

Presenting a 75 cl bottle, certified fully Organic, poured into an IPA glass for the photo op. A full fluff of rich foam rises on deep gold brew.
Nose is wheaty and grainy with a grass note.
Taste is pretty simple and follows the aroma. It carries a sweet note long, and finishes with a nice cereal grain taste. Burps well.
Mouth is just above medium, medium to high carbonation.
Overall, a nice French ale made with pride and a cool back story. Being a small microbrewery selling to Bio Organic markets, it’s not in the BA data base. If it were, I’d praise it at 4/5.