New Beer Weekend #259

35 & 118 Cream Ale from Boshkung Brewing Co.

Poured 473ml can into a pint glass. A one finger off white head on a hazy gold. The head diminishes to a layer. Some patchy lacing.

Malts in the nose. Some faint hop aroma. The taste is malt forward. Slightly sweet. nicely balanced. A long mild hop finish.

A medium light body. Good carbonation. Overall a solid Cream Ale.

3.68/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

 

I like this beer but I've had "better" IMO. A respected brewery for sure.
Half Acre Nebula Double Daisy Cutter DIPA 8%
4.09/5 rDev -4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16 oz can filled 5/22/25 into a nonick pint glass.
L: SRM 4 pours hazy dark orange color with a domed 1/4" off white pocked head, low carbo, head recedes to thick skin, random complex scattered lacing.
S: Citrus zest, pineapple, mango, lightly tropical, orange notes.
T: Tangy citrus, a hint of stone fruit, distant melon, very subtle confection sugar, citrus pith emerges, fruit tastes are wet and affably robust with zest lingering and candy sweet on the lips.
F: Smooth medium-heavy bodied semi-juicy mouthfeel with a medium-fast gently dry finish. Very light chalk with warming.
O: This beer drinks easily with no trace of alcohol. It has a sweet halo, and a tangy center. Well balanced and lightly dry in the finish. Not complex. It is very good to excellent in its style.

 

Brasserie Effer Papillon (France) ‘Hoody Doody’ Double Belge with Vanilla & Cinnamon

33 cl bottle into a 12.5 cl glass. All organic ingerdients (except the yeast.,), this is a batch brewed for V&B (Vins & Biers), a French bottle shop chain.(think Total Wine with a bar.,) BB date is 9/1/2026.

Foam rose out the jug like lava! It pours caramel color super head on amber brew. Took awhile to calm itself down.,.

Nose is Christmas-y candy cane, malty wheat crackers.

Taste is all over the place. The cinnamon & vanilla don’t like each other, The base beer is completely lost. it’s super sweet, too thick and way way too fizzy.

Heavy and overcarbonated in the mouth.

Overall, maybe sitting on this til autumn would calm the fizzies and be a holidays-type ale. But in its present form, it’s a gas bomb that’s not so swell - proving that organic ingredients do not always mean better beer.

3.08/5 (generously given) in the BA DB

 

Minocqua Brewing Hope. "A strong presidential espresso stout." 6% ABV. Minocqua Brewing is a self-described "woke" brewery in MAGA country. They are in the local news quite a bit. I am personally completely not interested in politics, but I purchased this beer at their taproom to see if their beer is worth the attention they are getting. The look is pitch black, with a light-brown foam that was very thick, but it disappeared quickly. The smell is espresso, milk chocolate, brown bread, and vanilla. The taste is espresso, burnt toast, milk chocolate, almond, and vanilla. It is pleasant. The mouthfeel is thin, light, and crisp, with medium carbonation. Overall, for the ABV, it is a nice, light, espresso stout. It would go well with brunch.

 

Brasserie Hoppy Road (France) ‘The Galleon’ DNEIPA

44 cl can well chilled into a proper pint glass. Drop #2 of ‘The Tattoo Series’, art by French tattoo artist Loic Mesot. 8% abv.

Pours opaque yellow (don’t they all?), with a sketchy white cap.
Nose opens on juicy ripe orange, before sliding towards more tropical notes: pineapple, mango, guava, from the hop mix of Motueka, Citra and Cashmere.
Taste is fresh exotic fruits; there’s lime, mango, pineapple, guava, orange. Bitterness stays discreet.
Mouthfeel is silky and lush, got medium carbonation.
Overall, a right fine blend of hops brings good flavors that don’t taste like every other hazy on the planet.

4.01/5 in the BA DB.

 

Need to catch up with the thread when I return home, but this is the first of two planned beer stops to complete my brother’s passport, and try a few new beers. Will likely try to complete my Enegren home beers tonight and tomorrow. First stop, North 5th Brewing.

North 5th Dark Horse 103

3.85/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5



7/5/25 - (North 5th Brewery) (Henderson, Nevada) Bar Notes: $8.50 23oz draft pour, 5.4% ABV, Helles Lager.

Appearance: 23 oz draft in a large Pilsner like glass pour yields a tan blonde clear base, generous bright white head leaves soapy lacing throughout and sustained creamy cover over the base. Sustained medium carbonation throughout. Looks great. 4.5

Aroma: Very malty, warm pumpernickel bread and what smells like bakers or milk chocolate. Nice. 3.75

Taste: Consistent with the above, pumpernickel and bakers chocolate, the latter unexpected, but it all comes together OK, sweetness my sweet averse palate appreciates. 4.0

Mouthfeel: Drinks stronger than the 5.4% ABV. Strong fizzy sustained carbonation felt throughout. Sweet overall, but enough hop presence to keep things reasonable. MpBakers chocolate pumpernickel from start to finish. 3.75

Overall: This is an interesting Helles, the perceived bakers chocolate not expected, but it works ok to well. Would order again if in the mood for a chocolate lager, which isn’t very often. No menu disclosure they added chocolate. 3.5

Hard to land on scores for this one with the bakers chocolate, but just going with the flow, overall dinged a bit for the unexpected departure.

 

Second and final driving around spot. Been to this brewery many times when they were downtown, first as Beer District Brewing and then Neon District Brewing, which they retained their name with their move to the Henderson Auto Plex across from OG Crafthaus. Going with light and easy to start.

Neon Desert Brewing ‘Murican Lager

3.48/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5



7/5/25 - (Neon Desert Brewing) (Henderson, Nevada) Bar Notes: $7.50 16oz draft pour, 4.5% ABV, 11 IBU.

Appearance: 16 oz draft in a large Pilsner like glass pour yields a golden blonde crystal clear base, egg white head leaves spotty lacing and a thin but creamy cover over the base. Light sustained carbonation. 4.25

Aroma: Nice bread cracker, salt and pepper, lemongrass. All blends well. Nice. 3.75

Taste: Consistent with the above, bread, salt and pepper. OK. 3.25

Mouthfeel: Gentle faint carbonation, drinks at or stronger than the 4.5% ABV. Tastes a bit sweet, more malt than hops, bread finish. 3.25

Overall: This is a light and easy offering, good for converting AAL drinkers. Light and easy what I was looking for and this delivered. 3.5

Will have a second here before leaving, but an old standby. Enegren at home to follow.

 

At Hayes Public House in Buffalo, MN and enjoying this.

Uroica - Gruit Beer - 4.8%

Nice flavor profile and refreshing today. I love the traditional hand pump system here.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33504/454275/#navigation
3.71/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
On tap at the brewery.

Murky golden looking pour from the traditional hand pour. There's a creamy looking white head to the beer.
The aroma is so light. I get faint grain and floral notes.
The flavor has a creamy flavor to it. There is a honey biscuit notes to it from the malts. There's a nice floral finish to the beer.
The body is so smooth and creamy feeling. Nice fullness and depth.
Damn tasty and refreshing on this humid day.

Be back later at another place. Cheers.

 

Happy Saturday everyone!
Garth, Deb and I went on a kayak float today that was not the best trip ever. The water was low, lower than any of us had ever seen. But we all know how to “read” the river so we went.
We each got stuck on rocks to some degree or another at least 4 times. For that to happen to any of us once is not normal, so this was quite the experience.
After we went back to their house and grabbed some lunch. And a beer-

The pour is coffee black with a short beige head that left no lacing. (Garth had one too and his was much higher. I’m sure there’s a joke in there)
The taste is a step above the infamous Guinness Irish stout, and for the < 5% ABV, it is pretty good. Lots of coffee and chocolate on the tongue and hops kick in at the swallow, fairly well balanced and I’d imagine better on tap.
The feel is lightly carbonated, which adds to the bitterness at the swallow and gives it a bit of life.
OA, for a sessionable stout, I could drink a few of these at the brewery.
Oh, and a river shot/

Cheers all!

 

Wow!!! That water, I want to jump in.

 

That in an excellent idea, Jon!



Tröegs Sunshine Pilsner
12-ounce bottle courtesy of @jonphisher. Date stamp says "Freshest by 082225." Poured in a 10-ounce Becher glass.

Look:
The body has the color and clarity of a brilliant yellow diamond. It has an awesome head of white craggy foam that slowly collapses into a patchy skin and heavy collar. It leaves a few flecks of lacing after each sip.

Smell:
The overall impression is dry, crisp, and mild. The nose starts off with earthy and herbal Noble hops which take on a more floral character as the beer warms. There are also subtle notes of lemon peel and a touch of sulfur. Underneath is a bed of soft bready malt underneath that's clean and barely sweet.

Taste:
The flavor leads with clean, bready malt with a delicate hay-like note and minimal sweetness. The malt continues through the middle, along with notes of earthy tea, lemon pith, and floral undertones. And while you are contemplating these subtle flavors--KAPOW!!! A sucker punch of bitterness comes out of nowhere and leaves your tastebuds ringing. The finish is more of that clean, bready malt from the intro and reverberating bitterness.

Feel:
Light-bodied, brisk, and drying. Tiny bubbles yield carbonation which is both soft and zippy. Really nice mouthfeel.

Overall:
Tröegs Sunshine Pilsner is a clean, dry, well made Pilsner with a staggering bitterness that is unexpected but not unwelcome. Ten minutes after my last sip I can still taste remnants of that bitterness. And that's fine. I would happily drink this beer again.

Thanks again, Jon!

 

4.58/5 rDev +3.2%

look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle dated 2020 into a snifter at 56 degrees.

Look- Black, dark brown frothy head, opaque, average head retention and lacing.

Smell- Bourbon, vanilla, cherry, cocoa, between medium and high strength of scent.

Taste- Bourbon, cherry, cocoa, vanilla, high strength of flavor.

Feel- Between medium and full body, below average carbonation, silky, moderately mouth warming, highly bitter, mildly sweet, mildly mouth coating.

Overall- Jet black and opaque with average head retention and lacing. Nose was a great mix of bourbon, vanilla, cherry and cocoa. The flavor followed the bouquet, but the cherry was slightly more pronounced and the vanilla slightly less. The body was between medium and full, but closer to the medium side of the spectrum. The mouth warming property was moderate, but the mouth coating property only mild. Overall the appearance of this beer was very nice. The aromatics were a mix of scents that really complement themselves well. The flavors meshed well into a very desirable final product. The feel could have been more full bodied with more stickiness, but was otherwise good. All told this was a great beer that delivered a memorable drinking experience.

 

Kind of a lazy day yoday. Went to lunch at our Indian joint with friends of ours. Finished up the lawnmowing and pretty much crashed. The part I can't do with the tractor is a pain in the ass.

Hopefully a more enjoyable beer tonight:



Phantom Farms Brewery. This is Half-dark Polotmave which I think means it is a Czech Amber Lager. It is 4.8% abv.

Pours a deep copper color with a off-white two inches or so of foam. Short-lived - after a few minutes there's not much left but a few wisps of microbubbles.

Biscuity malt greets the nose with a bit of caramel. There's a nice fruity component plus some subtle hop spice.

The taste follows almost exactly. There's a dried cherry flavor but there's a little lighter fruit that seems melon-like or Juicy Fruit gum. There's an earthiness that grounds the beer. Very mild spice rounds things out. There's a brief but hefty bitterness that seems grain-driven to me. It's OK- acts as a reset.

Medium bodied and fairly dry. Minimally carbonated.

Overall I'm enjoying this beer. It hits the style points pretty well. Hops are very restrained. The bitterness hits pretty unexpectedly but it's brief. Thinking in the 3.75 range on the BA-o-rometer.

 

A perfect use of the "quote" feature

Hopefully it wasn't too much on the bitterness, it is actually why I love that one so much; I also enjoy every other aspect of it but that lingering feeling you mentioned, yes please.