New Beer Weekend #256

From what I remember of my one visit, every lager I had was full of diacetyl. I haven't really bothered with them since, I'm sure that was opening issues (they probably had been open a less than a year). They certainly have a good reputation, but wasn't my experience...and when visiting Austin more times, I chose to go elsewhere. I'm sure they have cleaned up since then, but wasn't the best first impressions. Right or wrong, I haven't really felt like revisiting them.

 

To confirm, that would have been circa 2013?

“The ABGB wins 2018 Large Brewpub/Brewmasters Of The Year at The Great American Beer Festival. The third year in a row!”

https://theabgb.com/we-did-it-again/

Winning that award at the GABF three times in a row is a herculean feat! I think your verbiage of "good reputation" is apropos.

Entirely your choice. And I understand you being 'snake bitten' in this regard.

I had family that lived in Austin in the past but while visiting I was never able to swing a visit to ABGB which I regret. My family (sister, niece) now live in New Braunfels and during those visits I have yet to see any ABGB beers on the shelves of local stores. I sure wish I could buy ABGB beers while visiting. But the beers of Live Oak, Real Ale, Altstadt, etc. certainly 'hit the spot' so no big complaints there.

Cheers to Texas Hill County beers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Had this one yesterday evening, courtesy of my PA brother @jzeilinger..

New Trail - 7th Orbit





Notes:
P cloudy orange, 1f white head, fairly heavy lace
N med to med bold ripe stone fruit and tropical notes, inviting
T hearty biscuity malt carries navel orange, apricot, stone fruit, and tropical notes, dashed with a touch of milk sugar, a touch of hop burn in the aftertaste at first but then gives way to sweet juiciness, delicious
Mf med full to full, med carb verging on med high, supports profile nicely but also adds good drinkability for style
O really excellent stuff- thanks again, J

Cheers, NBWers!

 

And just finished up the other 2 brews from the Flying Monkeys Box O' Chocolates stout sampler pack:

Meltaway | Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery | BeerAdvocate



Joy | Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery | BeerAdvocate


Have to say I liked all the brews in the 4 pack, although my favorites were the D'Lovely Raspberry Stout and Meltaway Mint Stout. These are my last new to me brews today, might have another one to try tomorrow though. Happy NBW everyone!

 

Today's new brew is a pickup from 13 Stripes in the greater Greenville, SC area, a DIPA called Craft or Die. I probably rated this much higher than the new school IPA drinkers would as it is not a tropical fruit bomb/juice box brew.

4/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a single from the brewery cooler while visiting 5-17-25 for $2.33. No canning date; consumed 6-14-25. Cold stored since purchase.

Beer poured a deep gold that was clear with a pretty good head.

Nose is nice, getting notes of citrus and floral hops on top of a bready malt.

Taste follows the nose as a imperial malt base that is pale and caramel malts leave a bready impression. Hops are old school and give me grapefruit and pine. Finishes with a nice resin; 6/10 on my bitterness scale.

Mouthfeel is soft and smooth with each sip.

Overall, i dig this old school DIPA!

 

A new beer style and a new brewery for me: KiiTOS “Wheat Wine Ale” from Salt Lake City, Utah, courtesy of @NorsemanOne !

This pours a hazy dark golden color with a thin head. An almost sherry like aroma. Upfront bitterness gives way to a dry white wine finish. Moderate mouthfeel with delicate carbonation. Overall, I like it! Again, this is my first Wheatwine. I haven’t seen this style before on any of my local distributors shelves or local breweries, but I will be seeking this style out!

 

Patriot by Shoveltown


3.88/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a plastic cup at the bob marley comedy show
Brewers notes: A Czech Pilsner brewed true to the original style - a lightly bittered, crisp lager with a clean malt finish. Brewed with only authentic German hops and malts.

Clear copper liquid , brief foam head , no carbonation

Faint malt aroma

Clean crisp malt with a gentle hop peck on the cheek

Light , crushable

Good beer

 

My second post on NBW on the same weekend and same day! Another fantastic Utah offering courtesy of @NorsemanOne : Uinta Brewing CO. x Beehive Distilling “Jack Rabbit “ Gin Barrel Aged Saison!

This pours an almost clear copper color with a moderate head. Pronounced oak aroma with subtle juniper berry notes. There’s a battle upfront between the gin/oak cask and the coriander spice of saison which mellows into a pleasant balance on the back end. Moderate to full mouthfeel with light carbonation. This one on it’s surface had me unsure what to expect, but I’m quite pleased with the result!

 

Happy Fathers Day weekend to all you fellow Dads out there, lets spoil ourselves with good beer…

An eventful day so far, woke up with plans to get to oldest’s soccer tourney games but then one dish washing accident and five stitches later here I am, was more annoyed it happened than anything else.

Today Tonewood celebrated 9 years, sorry the greatest brewery on earth is in the Garden State which brings me to today’s new beer, and its name; a collaboration with The Seed (NJ) called Garden Statement: an all NJ malt classic clean APA.

Rabbit Hill Malthouse, the local maltser, has grown exponentially over the years and Tonewood is one of the biggest, if not main, reasons for that. They used them from the very beginning and continue to now, there are now several NJ breweries that exclusively use their malt, neat stuff for the Garden State, and a big statement On to beer…

Tonewood (collaboration with The Seed) - Garden Statement (APA)



Pours close to crystal clear, light straw; white, moderately sudsy head, no lacing, average retention.

Bright nose, super fresh refreshing citrus; mostly lemon with some rind presence; herbal laden blue spruce with light hints of modern hop character, nondescript ever so slightly tropical fruit; perhaps a touch of grain malt character.

Taste is as bright and popping as the nose; citrus and rind with some pine character, long lingering prominant grassiness on the finish with that aforementioned fruit retroactively presenting itself in the aftertaste in a nasal sort of way; just enough pale malt to keep it interesting and back up those nice hops.

Mouthfeel is light, crisp and very clean; drinks lighter than 5.6%; its softened just a tad from the wheat but not enough to detract from the clean dry bite; firm and nice lingering bitterness on the finish.

OK, you all know the beer that you wish you bought more of…this is the hoppy beer I crave; crisp, clean, drinkable, bitter and bright; dare I say I’ll be back tomorrow for another four pack; Mrs Phisher may steal some of these so I need to plan accordingly. That may be it for me new beer wise but we shall see..

————

The main reason I review beers is for the community we have on BA and this thread in particular, just needing out over beer with one another. Despite this beer maybe never being brewed again I will still add and review simply to hang with all of you cause you’re all the best.

 

Whenever I see that bottle opener in a picture, it really throws off my sense of scale/perspective.

Every. Single. Time.

 

Tree House - King Jjjuliusss

16oz can served in a BA stemless rastal. Dated 5/1/2025. Sent to me by @Roguer.

Pours murky whitish orange-amber with a big, stiff head. Clumps forming as it settles, tons of active carbonation. Thick lacing. Smell is huge citrus pith and tropical fruit. Some booze, more pineapple and melon. Fresh hops.

Taste is amps up the booziness a little, tropical fruit swings toward overripeness. Pith is still powerful, drifts slightly toward lemon. Fruit skin and stem bitterness, orange bitters. Hop resin.

Mouthfeel is thickish, somewhat chewy, with the slight chalky texture I get from a lot of TH hazies. Overall, very nice beer.

 

Another one of Saint Arnold's 31st Anniversary beers...

Tarnation, Strong Ale...Aged in Bourbon Barrels. 11.5% ABV.

I have an excuse to use my Saint Arnold Teku glass ha.



Pours a near opaque ruby/brown color. A beige head rises to about a finger before it gently recedes to a ring.
At first, the aroma is a bit rough, with charred wood. Vanilla and dark fruits abound and take over after a while.
Taste wise, big malty flavors, toasted bread. Caramelized sugars. Wood, vanilla, dark fruits of cherries and raisins. A tannin like quality lingering.
A full body and moderate carbonation that becomes ultra smooth. An appropriately weighty chewy, malty heft. This is a big one, but the alcohol is nowhere in sight. This is a very nice sipper.

I enjoy this, just like I enjoy regular Tarnation. For me, I always thought this offering would be perfect for a good barrel aged version. While it is certainly good, its a bit too simplistic. Not that that is a bad thing, cause sometimes these big barrel aged offerings can get too much. So, maybe a bit of a mixed bag, but way more positive. Good to get for their 31st Anniversary.

Overall score is 3.84, solid B+
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/337/750084/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Biggie Jumbo, 10% "double stout" from Fair State

12oz can served in a slightly tulip-y wineglass. Date on the bottom is NOV/15/23. @bbtkd sent it to me in Stout/Barleywine BIF #2.

Pours black, nice head on the pour, settles into a shy tan skin after a few minutes. Smell is rich dark chocolate and coffee. Anise and molasses, maybe some bourbon booziness.

Taste is Old Rasputin, but soft and cuddly. Which is dangerous, because this is stronger than Old Rasputin. Chocolate with an anise and molasses overtone, coffee with a slight creamer note, maybe a hint of vanilla.

Mouthfeel is soft and smooth but quite big. Very nice beer.

 

Sexy...

 

Orthodox Farmhouse Brewing ( Goshen/Huntsville ) Riparius 2nd Anniversary Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale, 5.8% ABV, Brett Conditioned; 3.71 overall

Pours a somewhat effervescent gold with one pinky of ivory colored head. Below average head retention & lacing

S: Funky, some floral notes late & grassyness

T: Sourness, wet hay, dryness, a bit of oaky dryness & a touch of Cognac twang up front, pears as well. Slight funk, grassyness, & oaky dryness/sourness & a little white grape skin & a touch of honey as this beer warms up. Finishes with oaky dryness, a little pear & white grape & a whisper of funk

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

Decent stab at the style, I liked it better on tap at the brewery which surprised me, plenty drinkable but had higher hopes