New Beer Weekend #256

Just getting in under midnight. Okay, not really, it just seems late.
This is one I picked up in Tennessee when I was there last November. Or maybe the year before. I lost track.
Anyway, it’s not brand new yet I needed to add it to the database.

Pour was strong tea brown with a very enthusiastic beige head that required considerable cleanup.
The taste is laden with dark fruit like dates and raisins and a little overripe red grapes.
Very tasty, but not complex; it seems a little plain. But I’m likely missing something.
The feel is just enough body to indicate that I should be sipping it but in no way slowing me down.
OA, I enjoyed it quite a bit, but it wasn’t in my top 10 quads. YMMV, you should try it yourself.
Cheers all, back tomorrow!

 

We had one of our SAN members who makes annual visits to Canada bring us a 4 pack of those she picked up from the brewery. Had no idea they were distributed in the states.
Cheers!

 

Mad Rooster Beer Co. ( Fayetteville ) Silent Riot Amarillo IPA, 5.0% ABV; 3.3 overall

Pours a fairly turbid amber with minimal carbonation & a pinky of cream-colored head. Below average head retention & lacing

S: Fairly bready, pineapple, melons once warm

T: Cakey, pineapple & faint pine & dryness up front. Dryness & pineapple cake dominate, some woody hops as this beer warms up. Finishes dry, cakey with a little pineapple

MF: Light/medium body, near zero carbonation, balance is okay

Mouthfeel & carbonation drag this one down, underwhelming, a shame had good flavor. I almost wonder if the crowler failed to seal....

 

It's been a productive and enjoyable day. Time to open a new beer while waiting to pull a batch of New Mexico-style green chile chicken enchiladas out of the oven.



Holy Mountain Substation Anniversary Pilsner

Look:
The body is a clear pale corn yellow and the head is a craggy mass of bright white foam which lasts into the bottom third of the glass. It leaves magnificent lacing.

Smell:
An intricate tapestry of hop aromas hangs above a foundation of doughy malt. Soft floral spiciness. A little sweet orange and pineapple. Some woody/piny character. A crumb of sulfur and a tiny sting of alcohol. Overall, a very appetizing collection of smells.

Taste:
Sweeter than I was expecting from the nose, and every bit as fruity. The orange flavor is more candied orange peel than orange juice. The sweet pineapple is accompanied by some ripe apricot flavor which made me go back and check the nose for stone fruits. (Yep. There they are.) The floral/woody notes provide a tasty change of pace leading into the finish, which is crackery malt and an herbal/piny bitterness. Orange peel reappears briefly in the semi-sweet aftertaste.

Feel:
The body is medium light with brisk carbonation and a finish that leans slightly more soft than crisp. I would prefer a crisper finish here.

Overall:
Holy Mountain calls this a "hoppy pilsner," which isn't a bad description with the caveat that these hops are more "modern" than noble. And while I won't grumble (much) about frooty hops in a pilsner, I can take them a lot easier in a beer that's drier than Substation. Not bad, and I'm not sorry I tried it, but this isn't my kind of pilsner.

 

Allagash lager
.....pale light gold appearance
...body seems full at first but oddly finishes thin with the carbonation being below average
....aroma is cereal,grain, toasted grain bread,spice like hops
...taste is cereal and toasted grain , earthy hops with a bit of a dry aftertaste.
..overall an interesting decent beer

 

Founders chocolate espresso
.... solid black motor oil appearance
....slick thick full body with light carbonation which all added up to a very nice feel
...aroma is bourbon with espresso and chocolate backing it up. A bit of alcohol, boozy with a bit of fudge
..... taste is three part mix of fudge,espresso, and bourbon followed by a bit of wood.
....overall a great sipper

 

Brasserie Popihn (France) Imperial Stout with Kampot Black Pepper

33 cl bottle, poured lightly chilled into a Teku glass. 12% abv. Bottled in August 2024, BB February 2030. I ain’t waiting that long though.
Excellent brown foam floats on deep brown brew.
Nose brings Kampot black pepper right up front, married with exotic spiciness, barrel, burnt caramel.
Taste is intense, with a sweet, resinous, eucalyptus and fresh mint swirl that is different and delightful. The pepper heat hits gently and leaves, tempered by the bourbon barrel aging and 12% abv.
Medium but full body, medium carbonation.
Overall, a master class in unique and harmonious barreling and flavors.

4.36/ 5 in the BA DB.

 

Bosteels DeuS


Appearance: Clear gold, good carbonation, ok head with iffy retention.

Smell: Belgian yeast, mild phenol, clove, mild apple.

Taste: Balanced arrival, then shifts to a sweeter flavor. Sweet apple, then Belgian yeastiness. Carbonation apparent in the feel. Finishes dry with the apple note remaining.

Overall: I've seen DeuS on the shelves on and off for 20 years. I always said to myself “that's an expensive beer!” and still do (this bottle was $47). I've been on a kick to try to tick the remaining styles I haven't tried, so I finally bit the bullet and bought a bottle. Is it worth $47? Not really, basically tastes like Duvel or any other strong Belgian blonde ale. Also gives me strong hints of malt liquor, with the apple note being so strong. Here's to expensive malt liquor!

 

Good Sunday morning NBS/nbw and thanks @bbtkd for hosting this week.
Todays offering is from Hill Farmstead, part of the 15th Anniversary lineup.
A big, bold stout that grows on me as the experience unfolded. Initial response was that this was too sweet, as time passed, there was an off setting spicy thread that beat back the sweetness. The finish and texture scream luxury.
I will try for anothere bottle soon.
Cheers to all the Dads out there.

15th Anniversary Stout - Shaun Hill & Ryan Witter-Merithew

American Imperial Stout | 10% ABV
Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, Vermont

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.23/5 rDev -1.6% | Average: 4.3
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 500 ml bottle purchased at the brewery.
A - Espresso black. thin mocha ring, maintains itself during the entire experience.
S - German chocolate cake, dark cherry, brown sugar, vanilla. some black pepper, leather, raisan,
T - Dark chocolate, dark fruits, again a vanilla and black pepper line in there.
Add all there are all the aromatic elements on top.
M - Thick, viscous, sweet start, pushing right up to the line, then backing off. Mid palate is a symphony, ending in a pleasant semi dry linger.
O - A very good stout with almost too much going on. That element alone makes me want another bottle

 

Yeah, some of the Flying Monkeys brews have been available for years now in Ohio. I don't think we get a steady supply though. Seems like I'll see a bunch of their beers come in and then nothing new for a while, and then months later I'll notice different beers from them at the local stores.

 

Happy Father's day!
Mu daughter is cooking dinner and my son brought me a present. This present is a crowler from Flock of Moons Brewing Company.
The beer is a clear gold color. Two-fingers of white head that reduces quickly. A good bit of lace.
Sweet grain aroma.
Taste of corn, grain, a hint of lemon.
Crisp mouthfeel.

 

Trappists Rochefort 8
Belgian Strong Dark Ale 9.2%



Poured from an 11.2 ounce bottle, the body is a dark brown with good tan head.

Aroma has a light malt sweetness with some spices.

Taste follows nose but adds dark fruit notes that pair nicely with the breads, malty backbone. Dry finish features a tapering malty flavor and a light bitterness pulls everything together.

Good mouthfeel, medium body with strong carbonation.

Great drinking Belgian.

 

I picked up some Tucker Pils this weekend...this is one of my favorite breweries, but it turns out this is one I have not reviewed for some reason. I don't recall ever trying it either, which is strange as I always pick something up from this brewery if I see it. Anyway...

Tucker Pils, 5% ABV, German Pilsner of course.


Pours an impressive and brilliantly clear yellow color. A dense white head forms with excellent retention and lace...this is a looker.
A simple but spot on aroma, with cracker like malts, grassy and zesty lemon like hops. Really good.
Taste wise, cracker malts, baked bread, honey. Grassy and spicy/zesty lemon like hops. Lingering bitterness that dries everything out. Excellent.
A light to medium body. Perfectly crisp at first, but smooths out as this breaths. Wonderfully clean and dry. Which all leads to a very easy to drink pilsner. Downed in big gulps, as I like to say, and then I want to have another one...

This is a looker, downed in big gulps, and certainly less is more...all the cliches coming out for this one, but when it firs it fits. Just an all around excellent example of the style.

Overall score is 4.26, easy A
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/129/6606/?ba=champ103#lists

 

What kind of beer is it? Sounds like you might be describing a light lager.

 

Just one new brew today, for a light beer this one is good:

Pabst Light | Pabst Brewing Company | BeerAdvocate



Think that's it for my new brews today, I'll try to have some more next weekend. Cheers everyone!

 

Glad you were able to hunt one of these down. This and the 10 are among my all time favorite beers, and really pushed me into craft beer and exploring new styles and breweries.

Welcome to a Father's Day edition of New Beer Sunday, #1060, and my final in Chicago until I return five weeks from now. Going with a suburban selection to close out my weekend, described as a West-Coast Style India Pale Ale.

More Shadows

3.58/5 rDev -3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25



6/15/25 - (Can - Home) (Chicago, IL) Can Notes: Purchased May 22, 2025 at Beer on the Wall at store temperature for $3.98 including tax, refrigerated at home until opening this morning. 16 oz, no can date, distributed the week ending 5/16/25. West-Coast Style India Pale Ale, 6.7% ABV. Citra, Columbus, Simcoe. Brewed & Packaged by More Brewing Company, Huntly, Illinois - Villa Park, Illinois.

Appearance: Poured about 2/3 of the can into a pint tulip glas, yielding a tan clear base, bright white creamy bubbly generous head leaving soapy lacing, a razor thin cover above the base with a creamier ring around the rim. Consistent medium to strong carbonation. Very nice. 4.25

Aroma: Citrus, pine, grapefruit, caramel malt. Medium strength, slightly higher in enjoyment. 3.75

Taste: Consistent with the aroma. Citrus leads, pine and grapefruit back, with an above average caramel malt flavor, even higher than the typical Midwest brewed "WCIPA". Digging the hops I can gather. 3.75

Mouthfeel: Dry and bitter are the primary sensations, and their best attempt at reaching a WCIPA threshold. Drinks a bit plus stronger than the listed 6.7% ABV. The dry bitter strength curbstomps any excess sweetness from the citrus flavor. Dry bitter start to finish, I guess Citrus in terms of flavor. 2.75

Overall: The lack of balance between the heavy handed bitter dry domination hurts the enjoyment and balance of this selection. I enjoy WCIPAs, but a very high IBU (it's not listed on the can) is not required for proper execution. I like More, but this selection is a one and done on my end. 3.25

 

It took me a long time to try this one because when I tried their quad, it was bad - meaning there was an issue with that particular bottle. One bitten, twice shy. 8 is amazing so I’ll revisit 10. Cheers.