New Beer Weekend #258

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

This week has been rough, but I am done now, and I am enjoying a beer sent to me.

Green City All-Stars [Pink Version] - Other Half Brewing - Brooklyn, NY - Imperial IPA - 8%

I am not impressed with the faint aroma, but the flavor more than makes up for it. Very tasty, and happy I got the opportunity to try it.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33510/749042/
4.09/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From a 16oz can. Canned on 05/27/2025

This beer is quite murky and hazy looking. It looked like pineapple juice while pouring. The color is a pale golden color with a 2 finger fluffy white head. I am happy with the head retention and the lacing is looking quite good.
The aroma is hop dominated but also seems lighter than I was expecting. I get an earthy aroma. I do get pineapple notes.
Well, the flavor is stronger and more varied than the nose suggested. I get a bit of a mango sweetness to start it off. There's a good pineapple hit that follows, and this does linger. I get orange notes and some grapefruit. There's a bit of bitterness that does linger on the back, but it's not too strong.
This beer does cause me to burp up hops, and the feeling of that is somewhat fun (not in a bad way, not being sarcastic). The body is juicy feeling. There's just a ton of feeling from the citrus character of the hops. Full bodied.
The beer has so much flavor to it, and the flavor makes up for the underwhelming aroma. Very tasty and I'm glad I got the opportunity to try it.

Be back later for more. Cheers!

 

Medalla light
....super clear gold appearance with a lasting white head
...medium carbonation with a slightly thin body
....mixed grain, heavy on the corn,cereal and a little bread
...taste is weak, sort of a sour grain mash with a bit of cereal.
....overall this is one of those beers that people say after mowing a lawn its refreshing.
It would have to be a REALLY big lawn on a REALLY hot day with one of those old non motor push mowers and then it would be refreshing

 

Drekker We're Going To Need A Montage Kölsch, 5% ABV. Pours pale yellow with a four-finger white head that left light lacing. Aroma is sweet malt. Taste is malty, some sweetness, and moderate hop bitterness. Decent mouthfeel, overall very good.

3.83/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

 

Extraomnes - Synesthesia, 11.5%

330ml bottle served in a champagne flute. I think I bought it yesterday at Archea in Florence (Firenze), drinking it now in an AirBnB in Bologna. Da consumarsi preferibilmente entro: 10 20, Lotto 296 18. I'm guessing that this is way past its prime.

Pours pitch black with a small dense head, small round islands drifting around, tiny active carbonation sustaining a fairly thick ring. Smell is...somewhat medicinal, somewhat smokey, some booze, maybe a hint of cherry syrup. Chocolate and roast coffee in the background. Burnt caramel in the foreground.

Taste is...definitely spoiled. Done reviewing, will not enter in the DB, though I'm not sure that's the right thing to do.

Last impressions before my first drainpour in Europe: Medicinal, spinach, distilled cherry syrup. Slick and thin mouthfeel.

Let's try again.

Della Fonte - IX Anniversary, barrel aged English Barleywine and stout at 13.8%

500ml bottle served in a pair of champagne flutes. Lotto no 16 - 2022, bottled 24/04/2025. Bought it yesterday at Archea in Florence (Firenze).

Pours smooth cola with a small dark head that fades to a tiny ring, seems still. Smell is booze, toffee, root beer, raisins, molasses.

Taste is very, very sweet. Molasses, cream soda, vanilla, rye spice, candied orange peel.

Mouthfeel is not quite thick but getting there, slight syrupy texture, very still. Overall...it's not bad, but it's overly sweet and too still. And I like the brew x000 series from Fremont.

Not a home run, but compared to the previous beer it is.

 

Appreciate you getting this weekend's NBW thread going, @Beersnake!

With regard to the season, I'd venture to say that summer has the highest number of new beer opportunities for me as well (have tried a bunch of new ones during vacation over the past couple weeks, in fact!)

Got a few from yesterday I need to get posted- Will do so shortly

 

Happy New Beer Weekend fellow beer nerds and lovers! I will start by answering @Beersnake question by saying that I don’t think there is any rhyme or reason to when I review a beer. I just try to add one a week to hang out with all of you. Sometimes it is more than one but that is more by chance of running into a lot of new beers that I want to try and not on purpose. On to my review for the week, a themed review…

We go blueberry picking every year, for those that don’t know blueberries are a big deal here in South Jersey and man are big ripe blueberries a treat every year. We just went on our first pick this morning so to go with it, here is a beer featuring fresh NJ blueberries, picked in the “Blueberry Capital of the World,” and also brewed in Hammonton, NJ.

Three 3’s Brewing - Blue Horizon (Kolsch Style Ale with Local Blueberry 4.2%)



Pours cloudy, lightly purple lemonade color, surprisingly decent head retention, white with light magenta.

Nose picks up a little yeast first, then mostly light real bloob taste, and skin; there is a hint of fruity acidity.

The taste is minimal at first; again picking up some yeast; then a light in-season blueberry taste, light and distinct straw like malt; I pick this up in a few of their other beers to and I enjoy it; aftertaste is the highlight in taste for me; straw, bloobs and some light hop character, really nice.

Mouthfeel is light; smooth carbonation, creamy to an extent; a light sweetness and some light bitterness that keeps it drinkable and bright; minor sweetness from the bloobs; now a beer that begs for the next sip though even though it is pretty refreshing.

A decent beer, it’s drinkable and refreshing; and is 100% accurate to in season blueberry taste. However; I look at beers like this as fun to try and then dissect. As a terroir beer, this ones pretty cool but still give me plain old kölsch all day.

———————

Youngest and his little cousin walking to our picking spot today…



See you all around this weekend, probably without another new beer but looking forward to seeing what everyone opens up tomorrow. Cheers Everyone.

 

Happy NBW all. Today I pulled this 2024 bottle of Fremont 1765 from the beer fridge—it’s listed on here as an American strong ale, probably because some amount of barleywine was used in the blend, but I’ll be damned if this is not an imperial stout and a very good one at that. Anyway, with no further ado here is my preliminary review. Cheers!
___________
4.49/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

375mL bottle (2024 vintage) into a tulip. Pours a deep rich oily black with a 1/2-finger mocha head. Looks great.

Aroma is strong and rich—bitter roasted dark malt, chocolate, espresso, caramel, vanilla, toasted coconut, charred oak. I can tell this one is going to be pretty special.

Taste is so dense and at the same time smooth and creamy—wow does the first sip pack a punch. All the aromas noted above wrapped in a boozy blanket. This is a real dessert beer.

Mouthfeel is heavy, oily, slick, almost sticky. It doesn’t let go. In a good way.

Overall a world-class blended imperial stout with so much more going on than the somewhat understated label would suggest. Outstanding stuff.

 

Interesting reminder that all our palates are different. I found Happy Hops to be a pretty decent variation for Russian River. My impression of it included the thought that it was a "West Coast brewer defiled Pilsner" - which was somehow meant to be a compliment. I still got some dankness, though citrusy and perhaps a bit tropical. I didn't take any new notes at the brewery last week, but do recall enjoying getting a sip of it again in our flight.

Ha! I just tried this in a British-themed pub in Monterey. I got a nice lightly toasted malt note from the beer, though it had an odd tang I struggled to determine how much it distracted me. Obviously, mine was had much further from the source, but overall, I think we have similar conclusions.

 

A new to me beer from a new to me brewery in a new to me style in a new to me glass - cheers!

4.26/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

No packaging date - poured from a pint can into a 10oz stein.

Clear bole body with sinopia highlights supports a finger of dense almond foam. Fine lacing; superior retention.

Slightly nutty, deeply yet gently malty aroma with pumpernickel/black bread notes. Faint fruit (cherry pits?) around the edges.

Rich bready palate entry - rye flour, molasses, caraway, and walnuts. Light toast with hints of tobacco and river stones. Dry finish though the malt never fully fades. Moderate earthy/grassy bitterness throughout. Clean, neutral lagering.

Smooth, creamy, medium-bodied mouthfeel. Lightly warming, not quite refreshing.

Tasty and satisfying.

 

Back again with another new beer. @falloutsnow so kindly sent this to me a while back in a trade. I am happy and thankful to have had the chance to try it.

Camp Coffee Break - Triptych Brewing - Savoy, IL - American Imperial Stout - 11%

I poured this beer into the glass and smelled it, and really got very little on the nose. I decided to let it sit and warm up more. It didn't improve the nose at all. I can say that this beer does have way more flavor than the nose hinted at and it tastes very damn good. It does drink a bit light and easy for the ABV, but I am really enjoying it a lot.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30967/508498/

3.93/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
From a 16oz can. Canned on 01/28/2025. Best by - 07/28/2025.

The beer looks a bit brown pouring into the glass, and looks like a cola. In the glass it looks a very dark brown color with no light shining through the glass. There's a dark tan colored 2 finger head. For a strong beer, the head retention is quite good. There's a bit of lacing on the glass as the head dissipates.
The aroma is almost nothing. I am getting super faint coffee notes and some hints of chocolate. Slight malt aromas. I was hoping getting warmer would help, but it doesn't.
The flavor is a huge hit of coffee and it starts right off the bat. The flavor does linger throughout the flavor profile. There's notes of chocolate and caramel in the mix and they appear more toward the back. The coffee does have a roasted character to it.
To me the body does seem to be a tad light. There's smoothness to it. This beer doesn't drink like 11% at all.
This beer does have a good flavor, but there's also some flaws to it. I can say that it is a pleasure to have had the chance to try it.

I am in kind of a F-it mood tonight, so I may be back for another later. Cheers all.

 

Troegs salt and lime
....very pale yellowish gold appearance with a very thin but lasting head
...medium carbonation with about a medium body
...aroma is lime rind and fruit with cereal right behind. Some grain along with the fruit smells almost candy like
...taste has a very mild sweetness but theres also an equal very mild bitterness from the lime zest.
I swear it tastes like lime candy
...overall its a nice refreshing beer

 

I agree with you the beers are more similar than different, with Blind Pig perhaps closer to Happy Hops than Blind Pig vs. Pliny the Elder. Having PtE, Blind Pig and this one within six days, the difference is what made Happy Hops stand out to me, both for my personal preferences and the flavor profile. Mouthfeel was also more similar btw BP and HH.

This trip is my first opportunity to perform a fresh side by side between Blind Pig and Pliny the Elder. I plan to perform a comparison in the side by side thread next week.

One more point, IPAs and Pale Ales are two of my favorite styles, and I believe I’m more judgmental and looking for nuances versus say a bock where I’m looking for acceptable levels of malt and balance, and don’t have the greatest experience or points of references to dive into the weeds.

Cheers!

 

Crucial Taunt3
The Veil - Richmond, VA
4.13/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
PKGD ON 05/21/25. Poured into a Samuel Adams Perfect Pint.

A: Opaque light yellow with 1-finger white frothy head with good retention and solid lacing.

S: Typical Veil IPA aroma of green fruit, pith, lemongrass, and herbal dank weed in the background. Fruity notes include guava and peach. Esters are light and fruity.

T: Flavor is very good and one of my favorite profiles from a Veil hazy IPA with pineapple, guava, and white grapefruit with pithy citrus notes and herbal lemongrass and marijuana notes in the finish and aftertaste. Esters remain light with a light bubble gum note mid-palate. Bitterness is moderate, increased a bit by the polyphenol character that is a signature of The Veil hazy IPAs.

M: Usual gritty heavy polyphenol bite with medium body and full finish.

O: Crucial Taunt3 is an excellent Veil hazy IPA with more aroma and flavor than most of their hazy IPAs and avoids the harshness of some of their other offerings.

 

Good evening all. Not much going on today. Imgur and I still are not getting along so let's just get to it.

Glacier is a 4.8% German pilsner from Phantom Farms Brewing in Cumberland, RI.

You'll have to imagine... Pours a straw color that's a little on the dark side. Crystal clear with three inches of white foam that falls to a respectable cap and thick ring. Very nice looking beer.

Aroma is slightly sweet bready malt, a little bit grassy/straw, floral, and a pleasant lemongrass.

Leads with sweetbread- like malt on the flavor. There's a little grassiness and some nice floral notes. The lemongrass pops in late in the taste and there's a tad bit of pepper after the swallow.

A little towards medium bodied, maybe a little heavy for a pilsner. Finish is crisp and fairly dry. Very light bitterness.

Overall, this is a good, straightforward pilsner. The ding for me is it just touches on the hop character of a German pilsner. It's there, just not prominent. I'm going in the 3.75 territory - not a beer I'd ever be upset about drinking.

Went to a wedding this afternoon - one of my wife's former students. Nice ceremony in a pretty backyard ceremony. Good kids and two great families. The open bar did have Elijah Craig...for research purposes I had to try it since the barrels are used for beer aging...yeah...it was pretty damned good! And now I know what it tastes like so I can clearly identify it in a beer, so yes...scientific research.

 

Wildair beerworks wind up bird Japanese rice style lager
...appearance is a clear gold appearance with plenty of active carbonation showing itself. Around a medium body
....aroma is uncooked rice, light bread ,flowery, with some yeast.
...taste is a bit sweet, rice, mild bread with a bit of floral finish.
...overall its a really well done beer thats flavorful and interesting

 

Ok...postimage it is. Ya'll don't have to imagine anymore...told ya it was purty!

 

North coast barrel aged old rasputin. I swear I've reviewed this but I'm probably wrong
....solid black appearance with little to know head
...medium light carbonation with the body definitely being above average. Has a thick creamy feel which all added up to a great body
....aroma is a great mix of wood,boozy and alcohol. A bit of dark fruit,malt, with plum standing out.
...taste is sweet,alchohol with wood to the point of coming off dry. Dark fruit, malt and some bourbon.
...overall its a great beer that deserves it lofty reputation

 

Bentonville Brewing's Tactical Possum Pale Ale, 6.5% ABV; w/Necraton & Amarillo Hops; 4.08 overall

Pours an effervescent gold with 2 fingers of eggshell colored head. Good head retention & great lacing

S: Bready, grassy, a little caramel once warm

T: Follows the nose, fairly dry, woody/piney hops up front. Pine dominates, plus a little citrus to go with breadyness once this beer is warmed up. Finishes piney, a little cakey & just a bit of grapefruit

MF: Medium body, low-level carbonation, great balance

Easy to drink; hop forward to the point this will pass for an IPA