New Beer Weekend #261

I bought a brand new Lawson's beer Friday. Their website informs that this beer is all about their new plan to donate to community charities in the North East and they list specific ones for each New England state as well as NY, NJ and PA.
Unfortunately, there is zero info on what is in this beer. The can does use the words "juicy" and "balanced". My mileage definitely varied on that "juicy" comment, but so what, I enjoyed the beer.
My review is only the 2nd one in the BA database.

3.9/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Purchased 2-days ago from a store cooler and kept cold until served. Poured to Nonic from a 16oz can dated 07/03/25.
The body is a glowing almost clear gold with a thick white head that laces well. Nucleation is visible despite the slight haze.
The aroma is mild, but resin and bread come through.
The taste is also balanced. The resign/pine is prominent but the malt background is there. This is like a hoppier version of SN Pale Ale. Nice dry finish. Alcohol is barely noticeable.
The mouthfeel is medium. Carbonation is fine.
A pretty good west coast or American IPA.

 

This is my final beer of this crazy weekend. I picked this up yesterday morning at the HyVee in New Ulm. My plan was to make this brewery my last stop on my road trip, but that fell apart.

Vanilla Lobotomy - Lost Sanity Brewing - Madelia, MN - American Brown Ale - 4.7%

Well the flavor is quite damn good. Lots of vanilla and some caramel and honey. A great combination in my book.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/52365/754726/
3.97/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From a 16oz can with no date on it.

The beer has a nice brown color to it. It looks fairly clear with little murkiness to it. There's a 3 finger light tan head to the beer. The head looks quite frothy and there's some great lacing on the glass.
Holy vanilla! The nose is just full of vanilla. I'm trying to get the malts underneath the vanilla, and I do, faintly.
Taste - Interesting is a good word for it. I am getting a huge vanilla hit in the flavor. I do get a nice malty middle with some caramel notes to it. There's honey on the finish, and an actual touch of honey to it. I also get a touch of bitterness on the back that seems to fit in well with everything.
I am liking how full and creamy the body is. This is a smooth beer.
I am so happy I got this beer. Very interesting and tasty.

I will see all my fellow NBW bar patrons next weekend. Cheers to all.

 

NBS #2: Sleepwalker, a Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout from Log Tavern Brewing Co., in Milford, Penna. I bought cans at the brewery on Friday. A good, no-thrills, BA Stout.

Ink black pour with a large, frothy, light-mocha-colored cap and thick, clinging lacing. The smell includes baker's chocolate, char, tobacco smoke, burnt coffee, and subtle bourbon. Its taste opens burnt and bitter - the only balancing flavor being shaved coconut. There is bitter chocolate, burnt coffee grounds, and cigar ash. Drinks like more than 67 IBU. I like the way Log Tavern handled the bourbon barrel conditioning; I can taste it but it doesn't overwhelm or distract. I wish there were some dark fruit notes. Nonetheless, this is a traditional, basic BA Imperial Stout without gimmicky adjuncts. It has a silky mouth feel with low carbonation, and I appreciate the "modest" 8.6% ABV. It is not overtly boozy.

4.04/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from this brewer but I have to say, I'm impressed.

Have a great week, everyone. Cheers, NBW!

 

It has been a BUSY weekend. I did have a New Beer late last night, but I wasn't terribly interested in reviewing it. (Fortunately there's another can waiting in my fridge, which I expect to get to tonight.)

In the meantime, I'm relaxing with a book and a pint:



Fort George Electric Venom Double IPA

16-ounce can purchased at John's Marketplace in Beaverton, OR. Date stamp reads "DOB 07/09/25 LUPULIN RESONANCE". Poured in a nonic pint glass.

This beer is a collaboration between Fort George (Astoria, OR) and Boneyard Beer (Bend, OR).

The color is a rich gold with a hint of orange. The thick off-white head collapses to a sturdy ring in the first third of the glass and leaves copious lacing all the way down. The nose is semi-sweet and loaded with grapefruit peel, Brach's orange slices, overripe mango, earthy pepper, pine, and a sting of alcohol. Flavor starts sweet with notes of toasty malt, sweet rolls (no icing), and orange peel. It dries out quickly, giving way to a tangle of dried mango, pineapple, grapefruit pith, pine resin, and a trace of minerals. The finish is dry and tangy, with a bitterness that gathers like summer storm clouds above New Mexico. Mouthfeel is medium-heavy and slightly oily. Alcohol isn't hidden, but doesn't make a fuss. Overall, it's a bit of a bruiser, and just the kind of thing you'd expect from an interpolation of Fort George Electric Surfboard and Boneyard Hop Venom. Not gonna lie, I prefer it to either of those beers.

 

Happy New Beer weekend everyone, it's a hot one again but some needed relief is incoming for three days I think, lower temps, but more importantly drastically lower humidity. It will be a breath of fresh air in a humid as hell summer here in South Jersey.

I was craving something light with all this thick soupy air and almost got a 12 pack of Pabst Light but instead made a $1.50 purchase that was sacrificed to the NBW gods, drank about 6 oz, or less, of this before saying "eh, not worth the alcohol intake" details below...

Genesee Cream Ale



Pours brilliantly bright, crystal clear gold, white head; little bubbly, light lacing, a very nice looking beer.

Nose is sweet, little syrupy in nature, think malt extract can; lightly pungent character that hints at sour to me; stale dry hops.

Taste is mostly sweet and syrupy; little too much so for me on this one; malt does have a touch of depth; maybe toasty or husk like; there is a very light hops note on the finish; think over dried hops that have lost their green.

Body is medium, it’s a little thick and heavy for the style for me; leans into syrupy land, though it does dry up a little bit with the lightest touch of bittering hops.

Overall this is not an AAL/Cream Ale I’ll go back too, this one’s just a tad too heavy and think it misses the drinkability that I enjoy in this style; too much lingering heaviness. I'm one who enjoys a well made AAL/Cream Ale but this one isn't for me.

I'll be back with another one later tonight that I'm excited for and hopefully it doesn't let me down after this one.

See you all later tonight!!!

@BBThunderbolt I remember you talking about the old days drinking this one in NY, hope to see you around these parts again someday, cheers.

 

Happy NBW all! I’m a big fan of Fremont’s English barleywines and I think they’ve done great things with their anniversary and Brew X000 series—this one is no exception. Fremont 14th anniversary, packaged in August 2023–which means their 16th anniversary beer is right around the corner. Preliminary review below. Cheers!
________________
4.39/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle into a tulip. Pours a clear honey/amber with a thin khaki head that leaves behind a wispy film.

Aroma is bready and fruity—vanilla, oak, bourbon, light brown sugar.

Taste leads off with strong butterscotch, along with the aforementioned vanilla, candi/brown sugar, and booze. Caramel, toffee, and toasted coconut. Sweet but with a nice bitter counterbalance.

Mouthfeel is medium-heavy, smooth and velvety. Nice boozy heat going down but never harsh, syrupy, or overpowering. Lingering sticky finish.

Overall I’m quite pleased with this one. Perhaps most reminiscent of §ucaba.

 

Still catching up on the weekend. Picked out a light beer from my refrigerator to celebrate New Beer Sunday #1065.

Middle Brow Beer Company (brewed by Miskatonic) All Time

3.07/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.5



7/20/25 - (Home) (Chicago. Illinois) Can Notes: Purchased a single 12 oz can at store temperature on 5/22/25 at Beer on the Wall Park Ridge for $2.84 with tax. Refrigerated at home until opening this afternoon. 3.5% ABV, no can date, distributed week ended 5/16/25. An American Light Lager with local malt. Brewed and canned by Miskatonic Brewing Company, Darien, Illinois.

Appearance: Poured the full 12 oz after a top off pour into a shaker pint glass, yielding a faint straw near water colored crystal clear base, and a white bubbly head which recedes quickly without a trace beyond a light ring around the rim and cover over the center of the base like a dart board bullseye. Steady, slow carbonation throughout. 3.75

Aroma: Nice salt and pepper cracker, lemongrass, full and delicious! 4.25

Taste: Much more subdued than the aroma, disappointing as you get a light minimal tasting cracker and faint salt and pepper. 2.5

Mouthfeel: Faint carbonation, drinks light and easy even below the 3.5% ABV. Minimal taste, start to finish, faint cracker. 3.25

Overall: This had much promise after the aroma, but disappointing once I started drinking. No chemical or sugar taste like mass AALs, but no flavors either. Utah and other brewers can pump out below 5% offerings with taste. Do not recommend beyond AAL light beer drinkers that want minimal flavor. 2.5

 

Happy NBS!

Having a very juicy/tasty NEDIPA from Weldwerks (CO).

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/38773/749696/?ba=Wasatch#lists

Cheers!

 

Not sure what took me so long to get around to trying Timbo Pils from HPB - a mash-up of WCIPA and German pils - happy I finally did - cheers!

4.19/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Packaged June 2nd - enjoyed on July 20th, 2025. Poured from a pint can into my Moonlight willibecher.

Murky stil de grain yellow; low off-white cap. Gentle lacing, adequate retention.

Lovely, fairly potent citrus-heavy hop aromatics along with some tropical/berry notes.

Moderately bitter palate entry, flavors follow the nose but grow more expansive with flavors of pink peppercorn, papaya, dandelion and rose hips. Clean and crackery malt bill with some pils character. Well lagered. Medium dry, somewhat earthy finish.

Soft, creamy, medium-bodied mouthfeel. Sufficient carbonation.

One of the more successful stylistic fusions out there, and more than the sum of its parts.

 

I've moved on to Baerlic Brewing, where I'm enjoying a very tasty version of a rather uncommon beer style.



Baerlic Grodzilla Grodziskie

16-ounce draft enjoyed in a Becher glass at Baerlic's Southeast Brewery and Taproom.

Straw colored and beautifully clear, with a clingy and compact head of soft white foam. The head retreats to a collar and patchy skin that leaves attractive and plentiful lacing. The nose is dry and doughy with gently earthy hops, a twist of lemon, clean smoke, and wheat bread. The flavor is much the same, in a slightly different order: bready wheat malt enriched with mellow but pervasive smoke, and a brief twang of lemon that leads into an earthy bitterness with subtle herbal character. Smoke and nutty malt come through on the breath in the aftertaste, along with a fleeting cinnamon note. The body is light and clean, with vigorous and finely-textured carbonation that yields an almost fluffy texture.

Smoked beers are pretty uncommon, and grodziskies even more so. Grodzilla is a very nice version of this uncommon style, with an appetizing smokiness from front to back.

 

Alright, a second new beer this weekend for me, well I'm not exactly sure my first one counts as a beer in quantity but here we are. This is one I'm very excited for, I have a renewed lover affair with Troegs now that I can find well dated Sunshine Pils close to home.

Their new seasonal IPA is a WC style, per their description, more importantly it has chinook in it; the hop gods gift to us mortal humans. Anyway I love Perpetual, their IPA but its just tad to hefty at 7.5%, this one clocks into sweet spot for IPA at 6.4%, I'm salivating while smelling this and looking at it. A big exciting here we go....

Troegs - Leaf Seeker (WC IPA)



Pours shiny crystal clear light gold; essentially crystal clear with the most minor of cloudiness that is only noted when held straight to light; a white head forms and collapses to a nice sustaining layer of white.

Beautiful nose on this beer; it is both bright and pungent in nature, a light malty grain character is overridden mostly classic old school hop notes; its a beautifully balanced mix with some subtle fruit, which thankfully bows down to a burst of orange colored citrus rind, then a nose clearing dash of pine needles that tickles the sinuses, I can't wait to taste this beer...

Taste slightly toned down from what you'd expect from the nose; it has good pale malt character, light graininess, citrus most definitely takes over but more of a mellow mix of flesh and rind; fruit notes come off more generic and light; pine lingers of the finish; tampered a tad but still a-ok with me.

Medium body; its quite soft at first with a pleasantly smooth carbonation but then finishes very nicely dry and clean; bitterness is moderate but it has that distinct tongue prickly hop character I love; a very smooth easy drinker that goes down way to easy.

This beer is very good IMO and here is why...going in to this beer I wanted it to be an old school tongue ripping bitter monster; but it wasn't and it still brought me a ton of enjoyment, it is its own unique beer...it's fresh, it's clean, it smells amazing and it manages to tickle all the hop itches I love in its on unique way; I really enjoyed everything about this beer after my preconceptions were gone.

There is a good chance, close to 100%, that I purchase another six pack within the coming weeks, hoppy beers like this don't come around often these days. I really hope this is a regular going forward. Perhaps it’s the yeast and chinook but this beer certainly has some similarities to Perpetual IPA but it is lighter and more drinkable, my vote goes to Leaf Seeker.

That was fun, I hope you all have as much fun with your beers to come tonight and you have a great week. Looking forward to seeing what beers come all of our ways next weekend. Cheers Everyone

@JackHorzempa @hillind

 

Had every intention of trying it this week but didn’t see it anywhere, which is strange since my area usually gets Troegs releases right away. Will be on the lookout, thanks for the review!

 

Every brewery is fighting for a smaller pie these days. Not surprising

 

First beer of the day, and I bought it in Canada - Flying Monkeys’ “Juicy Ass” IPA from Barre, ON:



Deep gold with excellent clarity; thick white foam; excellent cap retention; heavy ring; soapy lace. Lemon peel nose. Taste follows nose; firm malt base. Light body; crisp feel; medium minus carbonation. Overall, a little light; otherwise, a good tasting IPA that is totally poundable.

4.5 | 4.0 | 4.25 | 4.0 | 4.25
Score: 4.18 rDev +6.9%

I would definitely drink this beer again.
Cheers y’all!