New Beer Weekend #263

Poured into a 13 oz Teku glass canned on 7/25/25. Pours a very attractive hazy yellow orange with a finger sticky white head that leaves thick streaks of lace with excellent retention. 4.5

Aroma is mango, mandarin, peach, passionfruit, and apricot. 4.5

Taste starts with mango and that is clearly the lead roll, but peach, mandarin, passionfruit, and apricot lend a very helpful hand. 4.5

Mouthfeel is above average, soft gentle almost creamy carbonation, not sticky or dry, and at 8.2% plenty of flavor, but like drinking a glass of juice. 4.75

Overall another amazing Tree House NEDIPA. They just keep producing incredible beer. 4.5 Cheers all.

 

Foreign Exchange Kittywampus

Appearance: Super dark, good tight brown head.

smell: Very sweet smell, coffee, vanilla

Taste: Sweet stuff! Like coffee with a ton of sugar and vanilla added. Still somewhat drinkable though. Very slick mouthfeel. Finishes sweet and a coffee aftertaste.

Overall: From the Green Bay Blast, this is definitely a dessert beer. Have it instead of your post-meal coffee or slice of cake. Interesting to try but not in my wheelhouse.

 

Ultra Summer Witbier from MERIT Brewing Co.

From a can dated 17-04-25. Swirl poured a 473ml can into a glass. A two finger off white head on a hazy light amber. Some floaties there. The head diminishes to a weak layer. Some patchy lacing.

A weak spice smell. Moderately spicy in the first sip. Fresh coriander up front. No detectable citrus. A medium sweet finish.

A medium body and carbonation. Overall true to the Witbier style but not outstanding.

3.66/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

 

Welcome one and all to the 1067th edition of New Beer Sunday! Going with the third of three different Chicago breweries. I usually don't gravitate to these flavored types of beers, but I love strawberries and I love Off Color, so vamos.

Off Color Strawberry Beer for Tacos

3.84/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75



8/3/25 - (Home) (Chicago. Illinois) Can Notes: Purchased a single 16 oz can at Beer on the Wall store temperature on 5/22/25 for $3.98 including tax. Canned 5/8/25, 4.5% ABV, Gose Style Beer with lime juice, strawberry juice, and salt. Fruited, cocktail inspired. Malts: Pils, Flaked Wheat, Wheat, Flaked Oats, Dextrin. Hops: Nugget. Secret Fruit Juices: Strawberry Juice, Lime Juice, Pink Himalayan Salt, Coriander. Brewed and canned by Off Color Brewing, Chicago, Illinois.

Appearance: Poured about 2/3 of the can into a large pilsner glass, yielding a heavily sustained carbonated pink and light brown base, a bright white head that disapates quickly leaving just a light ring around the rim, and bubbles popping without color at the top. Interesting, chalking the pink up to the juices. 4.0

Aroma: Coriander strong, backed gently by lime, strawberry and wheat, in that order. Seems like an OK blend, the aroma strong and sensed upon the can open and pour. 3.75

Taste: Strawberry front and center and it's delicious. Next up a bit of lime and salt. I continue to get the coriander via the aroma, but doesn't translate to the taste, which is fine by me. 4.0

Mouthfeel: More like a virgin or watered down cocktail as this drinks way below ABV. Sweet, but the salt and hops quell excess. Carbonation seen more than felt, faint at best. Strawberry is the star of this show from start to finish. 3.5

Overall: This is a departure from the beers I typically seek, but digging the strawberry juice, though could have used more of the base coming through. This met expectations, and would buy this again and pair with tacos or something similar. 3.75

 

Fire Cat Habanero IPA received from @LesDewitt4beer at BreenBAblast2025
Thank you.

I've had a few pepper infused beers and they can be polarizing. Hot peppers must be difficult to add to a beer, and I assume requires special, if not focused, clean out. I've had undrinkably spicy chipotle beer and sweet ghost pepper beer, so there is quite a range of outcomes.

This one is well done. Heat, bitterness, and fruit all contribute to a pleasant experience.
My review:
Aroma is appropriately fruity. Grapefruit and melon. Deceiving, though as there is no habanero.

There it is!! Whoa! The pepper taste is front and center. It is strong, yet doesn't overpower the hop bitterness or fruitiness of the base IPA.

Mouthfeel is clean, clear, if slightly slick, and clears the palate cleanly.

Overall a really nice pepper treatment

 

Cleaned out the garage this morning, a task I have been putting off for some time. Even though I started early, the day heated up quickly. I was happy to finish the clean-up and drink this beer from Ex Novo, But It's a Dry Heat. That's a term I hear often from friends who don't live here. Yes, we have less humidity, but 106 degrees is still f**king hot.
A light gold color with a bit of haze. One inch white head that disappears quickly. No lace.
Aroma of grain and citrus.
Taste of corn and lime, slightly salty.
Crisp mouthfeel.
The can label said this is a "Mexican-style lager with salt and lime," so I was expecting something like Otra Vez. It's not that, but is still very drinkable.

 

Enjoying a historical brew today.

Zebulon Artisan Ales
Original IPA Circa 1840 (for Sacagawea)

4.46/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Label Information:
IPA as it tasted when it was still shipped to India. Brewed with 100% English pale malt and 160 IBUs of East Kent Goldings hops. Aged in oak barrels with Brettanomyces for a full year then dry hopped with more EKG.

OG 1.065
FG 1.013
IBU 160
5.9% alcohol/vol

I asked the internet how the alpha acid from 160 IBUs of East Kent Golding hops compared to American hops:

• East Kent Golding has a lower alpha acid content, typically around 4-5%, compared to many American hops.
• American hops often feature higher alpha acids, ranging from 5% to over 15%, providing more bitterness.

Picked up a late 2024 500 ml bottle from the Zebulon tap room on 2-8-25 for $12.00. Cold stored since purchase.

Beer poured deep gold with a nice white head.

Nose is funk forward and grassy, earthy, with a touch of citrus.

Taste is a lighter malt base that immediately yields to the Brett which imparts of funky barnyard flavor into the brew. Hopping brings a nice grass and lemon flavor. Finishes pretty bitter as this leaves citrus zest coating the back of my palate; 8/10 on my bitterness scale. Guessing this would be equal to an 80-90 IBU American hops.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and is very refreshing.

Overall, what a delightful beer to have, another gem from the highly regarded historical brewer Mike Karnowski!

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. North Jersey's newest brewery, Pallet Brewing Company, opened in Maplewood (a suburban town a couple of miles west of Newark), in early July. The owner/brewer is experienced, having brewed at Night Shift in Boston, Red Bear in DC, and Aslin in Virginia. I visited for the first time last Wednesday and was impressed by the DIPA and Zwickelbier. I bought cans of Pewter, an American Porter, 5.3%. The grist includes 2-Row, C-60, oats, and chocolate malt, and it is hopped with Columbus and Cascade. It's really good!

It pours a color between dark cola and mahogany and it sports over a finger of fluffy, medium-khaki foam and lots of very thick, clinging lacing that lasted through the pour. Very attractive. The smell includes roasted malt, burnt coffee, char, and tobacco smoke with just a faint whiff of chocolate. The initial taste is decidedly bitter with burnt coffee grounds and earthy, charred nuts. But starting at mid-sip I can taste the chocolate. It's faint at first but grows and leaves a touch of sweetness on the tip of my tongue, along with the oats. There is strong bitterness throughout from the Columbus and Cascade hops. It has a very nice depth of flavor. I'm very impressed by the mouth feel: for a modest ABV Porter it is surprisingly thick and creamy. At 5.3% it is highly drinkable; a second pint is not an issue.

4.28/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

All three beers I've had from Pallet are very attractive with big, long-lasting heads. I have to say I'm impressed. These are all well-crafted brews. And I've heard good things about some of the ones I haven't tried yet, including the Saison and the Nordic IPA.

I hope everyone has a great week. Cheers, NBW!

 

I have not visited a Dogfish Head beer in quite a while. A recent thread a few months ago here implied many of you are in the same boat. Well this Grateful Dead beer has been on the Trending Beers list for a few weeks, so I bit. It's unique, for sure.

Rated to style-
3.49/5 rDev -9.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Purchased 2-days ago from a store cooler and kept cold until served. Poured to pretentious tulip-like glass from a 12oz can stamped SEP 11 25. Obviously a BB date.
The body is a light gold that is not quite clear. The white head is aggressive, but it could be the shape of my glass. Lacing is moderate and spider-like.
The aroma is very subtle. I’m struggling but I pick up sweetness and a background that must be the unique malts.
The taste is also quite subtle for a “Juicy” Pale Ale (can description). Sweet, but not strongly so. The hops are well hidden. Don’t get me wrong, this is easy drinking, I was just expecting a taste wallop.
The mouthfeel is light. Carbonation is medium plus. No alcohol is noticeable.
This beer is a strange one. Not bad, but to me, not “as advertised”.

I guess a song is in order-

 

Same...

 

Wicked Weed Pern-Haze Hazy IPA, 6.9% ABV; 4.06 overall

Pours a hazed gold with two fingers of pearl colored head. Very good head retention & even better lacing

S: Tropical fruit & citrus notes, some peach notes when warmed up

T: Orange juice, a little dryness, some juicy sweetness front. Dryness, pomelo & passion fruit as this warms up. Finishes a little bitter and grassy with more pomelo

MF: Medium body, dialed back carbonation, good balance

A nice juicy take on the style, pretty refreshing for the heft! Started sweet then went a little tart, preferred the sweet

 

Fat Head's Imperial Head Hunter

Appearance: Clear yellow-gold, good head.

Smell: Piney, citrus-grapefruit

Taste: Moderate sweetness then a balanced but hoppy flavor. Good sweetness and body from the malt and citrus bitterness. Bitter, but not super bitter. Medium bodied. Finishes with the ctirusy hops.

Overall: Another great Fat Head's beer, also in the old-school double IPA area like Hop Juju, but in a more maltier direction. I prefer Hop Juju, but this is also tasty stuff!

 

Must've been feeling it, forgot to mention this beer was from @2beerdogs

 

Been long enough it is a distant memory at best. True story Mrs. Powell drove all our drunk asses home. It was a going away for a co-worker in Hawaii who was just recently divorced...