New Beer Weekend #267

After a successful trip down and back to watch Iowa State win game #2 of the season, here's some Bell's Tropical Hopslam:

Appearance: Clear yellow, good head.

Smell: Nondescript “tropical” fruits, maybe some melon.

Taste: Mild sweetness, then more of the fruits from the nose, maybe some melon and mango? Drinks very easy, alcohol is hidden. Quick and low flavor finish, some mild fruity sweetness.

Overall: Wanted some IPA goodness and decided to try the tropical version of one of my favorite beers. I'm not the biggest fan of the tropical hop flavors but was interested to see how they meshed with Hopslam. I'm pretty underwhelmed, not super flavorful and very low bitterness in this beer. I suppose they can't all be winners.

 

Good Sunday morning NBS/nbw, and thanks @Beersnake for hosting this weekend.
It is a stunning pre-autunm weekend here in the 413, its move in weekend at the colleges so lots of new faces here in The Valley.
Jan and I ventured down to New Canaan Ct yesterday to tour the Glass House, If your interested in architecture at all, it is worth the trip.
Todays offering is from southern Ct. I picked this up at a store in New Canaan at the suggestion of a middle aged guy with a beer belly, so strong endoresment.

Have a great weekend all

Oktoberfest

Märzen | 6.7% ABV
Berlinetta Brewing Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

3.84/5 rDev -4.7% | Average: 4.03
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 16 oz can with a BB date of 11/12/25 into the test glass
A - Nice copper color, with nice clarity the gentle carbonation is on full display. A thin white cap exits quickly, while a thin ring takes its place.
S - A bit of brown sugar, rosated malts, hint of pumpernikle.
T - Sweet malts, with again a bit of brown sugar, a bit of grassy hop.
M - Medium in body, semi sweet start, but moves quickly to the center. Finish is pleasantly dry.

 

Hell from Willibald Farm Brewery

From a 355ml can packaged on 08-2025 poured into a flute. A two finger white head on a very slightly hazy straw. Excellent head retention. It sticks around to the end. Lots of foamy lacing.

Clean grassy smells. some hint of citrus. Tastes of bready malts. Slightly sweet. minimal hop finish.

A medium/light body and good carbonation. Overall a fine Helles. True to the style and well crafted. Well worth a try.

3.95/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

 

Willibald is an underrated brewery. Nice spot too. I need to make an effort to get down there some time soon. Cheers.

 

Yes. Not easy to find either. I got this one at the Outpost Bottle Shop in Fergus. A half hour drive for me, but worth it.

 

That’s great, I always encourage customers to go where the price makes most sense, as you get older (count me as one) it is especially good for you to create connections with your health care team, someone who knows you and will especially look out for your needs. It’s nice as well.

 

Green Bullet by Tree House


3.98/5 rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Brewers notes : Green Bulet iscrafted with New Zealand-sourced Gladfield Malt and Green Bullet Hops, imparting notes notes of mixed tropical fruit, lemon peel, and freshly cut grass

Green Bullet is a New Zealand-style lager shaped to capture that country’s inspired terroir; the beer in your glass is crafted with New Zealand-sourced Gladfield Malt and Green Bullet Hops from Garston in the Southland. Pouring an inviting pale straw color, its crisp white foam head sets the stage for a refreshing experience. It releases delicate mixed fruit aromas alongside enticing notes of lemon peel and freshly cut grass. Very lightly bodied with notes of soft white grape, Green Bullet is impeccably balanced and incredibly clean, making it easy to drink. It has a dry, crisp finish. Capturing the essence of New Zealand’s best ingredients in a simple and elegant expression, Green Bullet offers a chance to travel across the globe with each sip
Chilled 16 oz can poured into a tree house willi becher glass. Golden liquid , active carbonation streams, glassy white foam , good lacings

Grassy , biscuitu aroma

Taste is grassy, biscuity, malts and grains

Light mouthfeel , crisp, light, zippy

Good beer

 

This is a beer I tried when it was new, but I didn't review it. I do remember buying 2 bottles for a bottle share with some friends who were visiting from LA. The first bottle didn't thrill me (too much brandy heat, and the beer didn't seem to fit together too well), so the second bottle went into storage until I stumbled across it last night while looking for something else.



pFriem Cherry Brandy Barrel-aged Belgian-Style Dark Ale

Look:
Dark-brown with burgundy highlights, topped with a somewhat frothy head of foam the color of white peppercorns. The head doesn't last long, but it leaves great webs of lacing behind after each sip.

Smell:
Sweet cherry pie filling, dark toasty malt, candi sugar, and warm brandy. There are grace notes of peppery spice, molasses, and toffee, and an undertow of alcohol.

Taste:
Cherries lead the way and persist through to the end. They are more sweet than tart, yet they are not too sweet and provide just enough tartness to cut through the rich dark malts. The middle is full of toffee, dates, canned brown bread, and a pinch of pepper and cloves. The finish is pie cherries, spicy alcohol, and dark sugar.

Feel:
The medium body feels surprisingly light, due largely to the energetic carbonation. There's plenty of alcohol warmth, but it comes across as agreeable rather than overpowering.

Overall:
When fresh, this beer was a brash combination of cherries and brandy heat, with very little bandwidth for other elements. The past three years have been good to this beer, as the brandy heat has largely died down and the rich cherry flavor has nestled gracefully into the comfy bed of dark, sweet malts. It's an uncommon and compelling argument in favor of aging beer. I wish I had a few more bottles to open over the next couple of years.

 

Brewing Projekt Ooey Gooey Concord Grape & Blackberry PBJ Sour, 7.7% ABV. Pours dark purple with a light-purple head which left puree residue. Aroma is peanut butter, grape, and blackberry. Taste is strong grape and blackberry, light peanut butter, quite sweet, slightly tart, moderately bitter. OK mouthfeel, overall very good. Could have been a contender if it weren't for the unexpected bitterness.

3.91/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

 

Welcome everyone to New Beer Sunday #1071! I’m featuring the second of three planned new to me selections, this one a Polish style Pilsner collaboration between Moor’s Brewing Co. and Revolution Brewing. I submitted a style change request from the current European Pale Ale designation.

Revolution & Moor Moorvolution

4.22/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25



8/31/25 - (Home) (Chicago, Illinois) Can Notes: Purchased a single 16 oz can at Beer on the Wall refrigerated on 8/23/25 for $3.98 including tax. Canned 7/10/25 @ 7:31:08 AM. 5.0% ABV Polish Style Pilsner. An official Barrel & Flow Fest collaboration between Moor’s Brewing Co. and Revolution Brewing. Brewed and packaged by Revolution Brewing LLC, Chicago, Illinois.

The Lipka Tartars are Poland’s ethnic muslim minority. Migrating there in the 14th century, they played a significant role in Polish history, wars and culture. Valued for their military skill, the Lipka Tartars were given noble status and contributed to the cultural fabric of Poland’s, all while maintaining their muslim heritage and integrating into Polish society. This Pilsner is our homage to this great little known history.

Appearance: Poured about half the can into a tall slender Pilsner flute glass, yielding a clear golden straw base, generous bright white bubbly head that lingers for a couple minutes before leaving just a light bubbly ring around the rim and thin cover over the base. Minimal bubble lacing. Carbonation steady, medium plus strength. 4.25

Aroma: Cracker, salt, pepper, lemongrass. Medium to full strength and enjoyment, traditional Polish Pilsner aroma. 4.0

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, a little bolder presentation with cracker, nice pepper and salt, lemongrass, all blend well together. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Drinks light and easy, below the 5.0% ABV. Carbonation gentle throughout, but slightly adds to a light crisp body. Faint bitterness, lightly dry, everything in perfect balance for the style. Pepper salt cracker finish. Digging. 4.5

Overall: This is a very good Polish Pilsner, brewed to style, nice hops presences balanced and eliminates excess sweetness I find at times with other selections. Very nice collaboration, hope it does well at the festival and returns in future years to the taproom. 4.25

Have an NEIPA planned to close out the weekend.

 

Just spent an enjoyable hour cruising through NBW posts while sipping on today's new beer and writing up my review. The traditional imperial stout that @russpowell brought to the bar sure did catch my eye. Makes me want to head out and get a pack of Old Raspy, which seems to be the only RIS I can find these days.

Congrats on the sudden retirement, @LeRose! I hear you about it not being the way you wanted to go out, but I hope the severance softens the financial blow and you can quickly transition into enjoying more time with your family.


I grew up drinking a lot of Saranac and always felt that it was way over carbed. Thankfully, that seems due to a combination of a young palate (defintely over 21 though) and drinking straight from the bottle. Today's new beer was better than I thought it would be based on the BA rating, and better than I remember from my youth (again, post-21-years-of-age youth, obviously). Only a slight carb bite that didn't linger.

Saranac Adirondack Lager
5.5% Amber Lager



Pours light amber with a thin head that quickly dissipates.

Aromas of toffee, some caramel, roasted grain, and a bit of pepper.

The taste improves upon the aroma. The sip starts bright with sweet toffee, caramel, and a hint of honey. Following quickly are the rest of the malt notes: toasted bread, some biscuit, and slight bread dough. At the transition from mid-sip to finish, pineapple and lemon come through and then blend into the hop bitterness at the finish. At the start of pour, the bitter finish is really off-putting; vibes of moldering gym socks. As it warms up, though, pepper and grass come through making for a not unpleasant finish and aftertaste. And as it warms further, caramel peeks through again on the finish.

Moderate carb with slight carb bite that turns frothy on the palate. Medium-light body.

Overall, not as bad as the BA rating would have you believe once it warms a little, but not something I would seek out. Firmly in the good at a summer BBQ category.

 

Happy NBW everyone! Starting today's offerings with a couple or Urban Artifact's Small Batch Society brews:

Small Batch Society - Peach Pawpaw Pie | Urban Artifact | BeerAdvocate



Small Batch Society - Cherry Chocolate Cordial | Urban Artifact | BeerAdvocate



Both were good but I liked the Cherry Chocolate Cordial more. Plan on drinking the other recent releases next, cheers!

 

Mike Karnowski makes some pretty awesome beers; glad you were able to experience that one! I have the Johnny Cash (1840) iteration in the queue for a few weeks down the road and would be curious to see how it compares with the 1850 version i had earlier this year.

@russpowell this was totally unplanned as i grabbed this Zebulon beer B4 i started reading reviews from Saturday night. This is Tangerine Saison (for Freddie Oversteegen {who was part of the Dutch Resistance in WWII}). This beer weighs in at 6.5 and is brewed with pilsner and raw wheat, and Bergamot hops then aged on fresh tangerine peel.
Onto the new beer:

4.26/5 rDev 0%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Picked up a 500 ml bottle from the Appalachian Vintner in Asheville on 6-20-25 for $10.49. 2025 bottling consumed for review 8-31-25.

Beer poured golden with a perfect long sustaining white head.

Nose has notes of barnyard and leather along with tangerine.

Taste is pale light malt base that gives notes of biscuits. The yeast contributes a touch of barnyard and a bit of spicy pepper. Finishes with a deft touch tangerine where the peel leaves a trace of bitterness.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with a more pilsner like soft and smooth touch as opposed to a traditional Saison.

Overall, this is another very good example of Mike Karnowski's brewing skills. Glad i purchased!
Cheers!
Tom

 

Results of a fruitful trade with @not2quick: Trebon's Bohemia Regent Dark Lager

Pours dark but translucent, medium to small head, bubbles are fairly coarse, moderate to high carbonation. Smell is dates, toffee, and nuts more than char -- not what I was expecting. Maybe some anise. Yeast and toast in the background.

Taste follows the same direction, but has a bit more roasty toastiness than the aroma suggested. Fairly dry, not intense flavor, definite roast bitterness tones down the date/toffee/nuttiness nicely.

Mouthfeel is very light and clean, very dry. Nice beer.

 

This is one of my most loved original craft beers. Back in the day it was a go to and I still grab some any time I have a chance which is almost never, unless someone is going to NY. Cool to read your thoughts on it

Only one it makes it to NJ now is when it’s in the Saranac throwback pack.

 

This is a good Treehouse beer. Unfortunately I rated it and got a rDev of -8%.
I loved Silver Fern and was expecting the same.
Interestingly, this is the rare TH beer that lists the hops on the can- Nelson, Peacharine and Moteka.

4.12/5 rDev -8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Purchased 3-days ago cold and kept cold until served. Poured to a pretentious tulip-like glass from a 16oz can stamped PKGD 08/21/25. I paid a semi-extravagant $21.00 for a 4-pack, but I am hoping to relive my enjoyment of Silver Fern.
The body is super opaque and a very light chalky yellow, SRM 1 or lighter. With a simple pour I got a ¾”/18mm head white head of micro-bubbles. This faded to a single layer within 3-4 minutes.
The aroma after the pour is pleasant, hoppy and fruity. However it changes to an oniony smell over time. A little off putting actually.
The taste is quite pleasing however, berries, grapes, and some resin. I know I say this all the time, but… sweet front, bitter finish.
The mouthfeel is pretty heavy with tongue coating goodness.
Really good, but slightly less impressive than I built myself up for.

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. Due to vacation plans I couldn't attend Rushing Duck Brewing Company's thirteenth anniversary celebration last weekend. Fortunately, I didn't miss out on any of the special releases. Typically, RD releases a new DIPA, a blend of barrel-aged ales, and an Imperial Stout. This is the southern hemisphere IPA, "Thirteen," hopped with Krush, Motueka, and Riwaka, and brewed with Phantasm Powder made from grape skins. Generally speaking I'm not a big fan of "dry white wine" themed IPAs but this one is tasty and enjoyable. I've never been disappointed by Rushing Duck!

It pours a hazy, dirty tangerine color with a half finger cap of creamy, milk-white foam and thick film of lacing. The smell is big and fragrant with orange, peach, lemon, lime, white wine, and herbs. Its taste leads with the Phantasm Powder that gives it dry, white wine flavor. But as it breathes I can taste sweeter fruit notes of orange/tangerine and peach. There is also musty, woodsy, herbal flavor but only slight bitterness. This ale has a solid, full body with a pleasant level of carbonation, and the 7.8% ABV gives it sufficient heft. Overall, Thirteen is sophisticated and delivers good depth of flavor.

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

We're meeting friends for dinner tonight so I'll postpone my review of the Old Ale/Barleywine blend and the 14.9% Stout. I had pours of both at the brewery yesterday and the blend is spectacular. But I will review another new IPA today. Cheers!

 

Looked for them during my Vaca in NC. Didn't succeed, but enough other goodies. So I was happy

 

NBS #2 is from the "Boss" series brewed by Newburgh Brewing Company. It features a hop of which I'd never heard: WCHB-102. So why not give it a whirl?

Canned on 8/8/2025 so 3 weeks old when reviewed. It pours a hazy, grassy orange-yellow color with a half finger of foamy, bright white head and modest lacing. It has a tropical nose featuring pineapple and orange peel, along with peach and soft floral notes. It is a fruit bomb for sure with a good balance of bitingly tart lemon, lime, and grapefruit, on the one hand, and sweeter citrus, including orange zest and pineapple, along with pear, on the other. There is a sharp, resinous pine bitterness throughout; it is very refreshing. The carbonation is fairly lively for an IPA and the 6.5% ABV is quite tame; a second pour is not an issue.

4.01/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

That will do it for me today but I hope to have another new beer review tomorrow. Cheers, NBW!

 

I was more of a Sam Adams guy back then, though we always seemed to have some Saranac around the house and in the cooler. While I love the variety of great craft we have now, I miss the days of just grabbing almost any Sam, Saranac, or Smutty off the shelf and knowing it would be fresh, top-tier stuff.