New Beer Weekend #261

Took a walk with the @GreenBayBA group around.



Badger state brw ski lager at the cardinals crest loft. Aromas and flavors of big lemon, pear, citrus zest, cracker, corn, white bread dough, wood, peppercorn, pine, herbal, floral, grass, light yeast earth. Lt med pine herbal spicy bitter finish. Medium-plus carb and light med body. Crisp clean refreshing finish. Balanced bready grainy malt and sticky hop mouthfeel. Light resins and lingering drying. No cloying astringency. Very clean lager flavors. Superb for the American style. 4.1/5


Cheers

 

Will catch up with the thread tomorrow, but traveling today and this is the final new beer of the trip from an OG Vegas craft brewery.

Tenaya Creek Desert Howler

3.97/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4



7/19/25 - (DA’s Home) (Las Vegas, Nevada) Can Notes: Purchased a single 16 oz can refrigerated for $3 with tax on July 17, 2025 at the Tenaya Creek / Beer Zombies Brewery refrigerated, refrigerated at home until opening this afternoon. 6.0% ABV, no can date. Brewed & Canned by Beer Zombies Brewing Company, 831 W. Bonanza Road, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Appearance: Poured about 12 oz of the 16 oz can into a shaker pint glass, yielding a hazy orange tan golden base and a egg white bubbly creamy head which leaves soapy lacing in its wake and a creamy bubbly cover over the base. Carbonation only visible at the top. 4.0

Aroma: Tangerine, pineapple grapefruit, citrus. Medium strength, as tad higher enjoyment. 3.75

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, a tropical fruit blend of pineapple, tangerine, melon and citrus. Flavors meld well together, hops bitterness keep this balanced. 4.0

Mouthfeel: Faint carbonation, drinks easy, at or even below the ABV. Balanced with the hops bitterness pairing well with the fruit basket. Pineapple tangerine start to finish. 4.25

Overall: This is a solid Hazy IPA. Enjoying the flavors and balance best. Will explore more Tenaya Creek / Beer Zombies haze options on future trips and Chicago drops based off this experience. 4.0

 

I now am in northern Iowa in the small town of Titonka at Titonka Brewing. First beer here is this.

40 Watt - Light Lager - 4.2%

Wow, this has a lot of flavor, and is so refreshing now that it's gotten hot outside.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/66887/734973/
3.81/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
On tap at the brewery.

Very clear looking beer in the glass. The color is a nice golden color. There's a nice steady rising stream of carbonation in the glass. There's a white head.
Nice cereal grain aroma. Hints of biscuit.
This is a very malty beer. Holy cow. Tons of cereal grain flavor. Honey-like sweetness to the flavor. Good hit of biscuit in the flavor.
Very bubbly body. The body overall is light, but good for the style. Good depth.
This day has gotten hot, and this is so damn refreshing.

I am going to have one more here, and I do mean it this time. Be back in a moment.

 

RAR Out Of Order Hunter Safety Fruited Sour, 5% ABV. Pours opaque red with no head, with a 7/32in pink head that left no lacing. Aroma is strawberry, raspberry, lactose, and cinnamon. Taste follows, plus habanero with faint burn, quite sweet, slightly tart. Decent mouthfeel, overall excellent.

4.06/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Shockingly good. I was surprised that they showed restraint, so the habanero didn't ruin the beer.

 

OK I was wrong, I did have one more new brew today. This was in my fridge for a while as I thought it was the regular version which I've had before, but it's the bourbon barrel aged version after looking at the label closer. Oops.

Péché Mortel - Bourbon | Brasserie Dieu du Ciel! | BeerAdvocate






I liked it a lot, but after realizing this was the barrel aged version I would have drank it a lot sooner. Still, it did age well and it's better than a lot of beers out there. Cheers again!

 

West Coast Pilsner is a thing now. I have seen similar posts this weekend here and on WBAYDN. Counter Weight is a CT brewery that has my respect, so I had some hopes for this.
My Pilsner junkie wife tried one yesterday. She finished it, but went back to a Work Horse saying this beer was too much like an IPA. I tend to differ.
Here are the brewer's notes-
West Coast Style Pilsner|5.4% ABV
Coastlands is our new West Coast style pilsner featuring
Citra, Mosaic, and Motueka. Big nose with notes of lychee, citrus, and tropical fruit.
Fermented with our house lager yeast, Coastlands is dry, crisp and clean with a refreshing and inviting balanced hop bitterness. Super drinkable hop forward lager perfect for the warm weather.

Purchased yesterday from a store cooler and kept cold until served. Poured to Pilz glass from a 16oz can dated 07/08/25.
The body is Pilsneresque- light gold and generous nucleation bubbles visible throughout the session. The white head is disappointing- Large bubbles, and rising only about ¾”/18mm, fading fast. Minor lacing on glass tilt, but sliding down like it's embarrassed. A third into the session there is at best a .5mm/.02” foam ring, almost nothing. Two thirds through-nothing. 3.0
The aroma is surprisingly Pilsner- bready, grassy with a very mild hop sensation. 4.0
The taste is a different story. Here come the hops- resin, pine, background citrus. Tasty. Not quite IPA level, but good none the less. Dry finish with a hint of the malt just before that. 4.5
The mouthfeel is light and slightly oily. Carbonation is right where it should be. 4.0
A good tasting beer. I enjoyed it. My only complaint is the sad head and lacing. 3.75

 

At badger state brewing with @GreenBayBA and crew. They just left as I was reviewing lol.



Badger state caddyland session hazy. Aromas and flavors of big white grapefruit, orange, peach, pear, pineapple, passionfruit, mango, melon, berries, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, white bread, herbal, floral, grass, yeast earth. Lt-med pine rind woody spicy bitter finish. Medium carb and lt-med body. Fairly crisp clean refreshing finish. Balanced bready grainy malt and sticky resinous hop mouthfeel. Lingering resin dryness and no hop astringency. Very smooth soft for the style. Lovely vibrant and dank citra and zamba hop flavors. Top tier session ipa. 4.25/5


Cheers

 

Good Saturday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. Yesterday, my wife and I were passing through the quaint town of Milford, Pennsylvania (along the Delaware River) and I paid a visit to Log Tavern Brewing Co. I only had time for one pour: Yeti Experiments V15, a New England DIPA. The hop bill isn't publicized. I liked it enough to buy a pack for a proper review. I also bought a pack of the BA Stout which I'll review tomorrow. It appears that Yeti was canned in early May. Assuming there wasn't a second canning, it has held up very well!

Hazy, burnt orange in color with a large, frothy, bright white head and abundant lacing. Its smell is big and fruity with lots of pineapple, tangerine, melon, grapefruit, and a hint of berry. The taste follows with sticky pineapple and ripe melon balanced by tart grapefruit over a firm malt base. The bitterness is mild and clean. This ale is well-bodied and appropriately carbonated and while the 7.6% ABV gives it good substance, it is very easy drinking.

4.24/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I have to say this is a lot better than I expected. The brewery is about a 1.25 hour drive and I would like to pay another visit. Cheers, NBW!

 

3.85/5 rDev +0.3%

look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 ounce can into a tulip glass at 50 degrees.

Look- Pale gold, plentiful small visible particulate, very hazy, white sudsy head, above average head retention and lacing.

Smell- Clementine, pine, floral, between medium and high strength of scent.

Taste- Pine, clementine, between weak and medium strength of flavor.

Feel- Medium body, average carbonation, high bitterness, moderate lingering astringency, moderate creaminess, mildly mouth warming, moderately dry finish.

Overall- Appearance was outstanding, just what I would want for the style. The nose was a pleasant mix of citrus, pine and floral notes. The flavor was a mix of clementine and pine, but had low intensity. Feel was as expected for the style, but had quite a bit of astringency and a drier finished than expected. Overall this beer provided an enjoyable experience, but was slightly below average for the style.

 

I splurged a little for this one, I love 3 Fonteinen and I saw that did a Flanders Oud Bruin, I jumped at it

Nocturne, Flanders Oud Bruin, 7.1% ABV



Pours a darker reddish/brown color. A khaki/tan head fills the glass on first pour. Excellent retention and lace left behind.
In the nose, there is a malty and fruity, yeasty mix here that is intense. This goes from chocolate covered cherries, vanilla, funk and vinegar. Oh I love this.
That intensity follows through taste wise. Chocolate covered cherries, figs, dark fruits. Toasted brown bread. Vanilla, and sticky malty caramelized sugars. A big acidic funky bite lingers on.
A medium body that starts off with spritzy carbonation. Which mellows as this breaths, and becomes ultra smooth after a while. A wonderful version of the style, and I can enjoy this bottle easily.

A style I love, but don't see a lot of. Glad I found 3 Fonteinen's interpretation. There is an intensity here, and huge complex flavors that never get in the way of one another. They all balance perfectly, and its a treat to drink.

Overall score is 4.31, one of the highest scores I have given in a while and an easy A
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2216/580820/?ba=champ103#lists

Got to listen to Cecil Taylor with this, a big long free jazz concert is perfect here

 

Today, I started out the weekend with two new ones: A gluten-free saison from Niagara-on-the-Lake's The Exchange Brewery that was surprisingly decent, very herb and spicy, and 5.8%, with Sundae...



...and a fine 6.2% High Grade IPA, my tenth from Hamilton's Fairweather Brewing Co. They're very dependable; I'm so glad I found out about them, originally from my July 2024 curation from Vaughan, Ontario's Small Batch Dispatch; now, it's good to see I can finally get their handiworks at my favourite LCBO in nearby Windsor. It's poured, here, with a few of Ridley Scott's films, as my lady Pamela and I are devoting tomorrow to rewatching a few of our favourite movies of his...



My two tomorrow should be from Farm League and 5 Paddles...Cheers till then! =)

 

Finally back at @GreenBayBA house. We closed out badger state with the Midwest cider and a chess game. I won but I took it slow and let her reverse her blunders


Westbrook Mexican coffee cake. Amazing stuff. Aromas and flavors of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, cinnamon, habenero, vanilla, dark bread, smoke, char, pepper, pine, herbal, grass. Med pine bitter and habenero spicy finish. Medium carb and full body. Balanced creamy silky malts sticky spice and chalky roast. Lingering heat and bitter dryness. Very strong spice but not overwhelming. 4.25/5


Cheers

 

Cantillon vigneronne oct 2019 from @Blogjackets . Aromas and flavors of big sour green apple, white wine, peach, plum, pear, hay, straw, grass, leather, oak, vanilla, coconut, horse blanket. Medium lactic sourness and fruit tang on the finish. medium carb and lt-med body. Grainy malt and acidic/lt puckering mouthfeel. Beautiful cantillon classic funk. Lots of Brett complexity. 4.5/5


Cheers

 

Brauerei Michael plank hefeweizen
...a very dense dark amber / caramel appearance with a thin but lasting head
...medium light carbonation with an odd body that at first seems thin but then has a slight syrupy feel to it
...aroma is spice,banana, malt and banana bread
...taste is a bit of spice which mellows quickly and allows banana bread to come through. Leaves a spice/banana bread taste in the aftertaste.
...overall its a bit weak,enjoyable but not impressive

 

@GreenBayBA blast 2025

Tree house thirteen. Fantastic. Aromas and flavor of big white grapefruit, orange, white wine, peach, pear, melon, berries, citrus peel, peppercorn, pine, wheat, bread dough, herbal, floral, grass, yeast earth. Lt-med pine rind woody bitter finish. Medium carb and medium plus body. Balanced creamy bready malts and sticky resinous hop mouthfeel. Lingering resin dryness and no hop astringency. Light warmth/booze of abv after the finish. 4.25/5


Cheers

 

Good evening; NBW friends. The local weather called for a break in the heat and humidity and they were mostly right. Got a bit stuffy middle of the afternoon, but generally a nice day. Wasn't super motivated to do anything in particular. Still fighting with the solar array not uploading data, so hard-wired it by ethernet. See what happens... Took out frustration that's causing on the lawn. Looking forward to three weeks of vacation starting Friday...

In the glass:



OEC Francesco. I do not know if it's the same beer as the one in the database here. It says prominently "sour ale" on the can but here it's a grisette and I think the can description reads grisette, so...and it's wild fermented so Brett is involved. Says it's aged in Hungarian oak foeders for six months and Cab Sav barrels for two years.

Wanna know the answer? Yummy.

Pours the palest of pale gold with a hefty but short-lived bubble bath head. Falls to basically nothing. Fairly hazy but not opaque.

Smell...hmm...it's really mild. Lightly funky. Very wine-like. A tiny bit of lemon and the faintest spice. Pleasant but mild.

The taste takes this up a few levels. It's got a sharp acidity that hits pretty hard. Lots of oak and lots pf phenolic bite. Picking up the wine notes - pleasant red wine layers on. Just a bit of lemon brightens things up. Earthy Brett funk dances in and out - lets say mildly funkified. Peppery and clove spice on the finish and a bit of sweetness.

Feel is light and thin. It's got a bit of a sting to it but I don't think it's from carbonation. Dry and oaky.

Overall digging this one. Doesn't matter what it's called - it's in that nebulous wild ale superfamily somewhere. The mild nose makes the flavor a big surprise. It's very nicely done. Easy A here- 4.25 or so.

 

Tonewood vermillion Vienna lager
...very clear light amber appearance
...around a medium body, about average body which all added up to a nice feel
...aroma is yeast, malt, cereal, yeast bread, and a nice touch of molasses
...taste is almost identical to aroma, very,very, mild sweetness with the crusty yeasty bread coming through mid-way.
...overall its really well done qs most beers are from this brewery.