New Beer Weekend #272

That was my favorite version of Matryoshka!!

 

Boulevard Chocolate Milk BBA Milk Stout, 12.2% ABV. Pours black with a one-finger dark-brown head that left some lacing. Ahroma is strong cacao and lactose. Taste is strong chocolate and milk, moderately sweet, slightly bitter. Not a pastry stout. Decent mouthfeel, overall excellent.

4.35/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

 

Fresh is best?

The only reason for the question mark above is that this is a new beer to me so let’s find out more.

Today’s beer is a collaborative beer from New Trail Brewing along with Bale Breaker Brewing: Fresh Hop IPA.

Bale Breaker is a unique brewery:

“We don't just make our beer. We grow it. Made with the freshest homegrown hops right on our brewfarm. Minutes from downtown Yakima.”

Let me provide a ‘shout out’ to @jonphisher since he brought this beer brand to my attention last week in the NBW thread. Cheers to Jon!!

Brewing beers using fresh (wet) hops is a ‘thing’ in the Pacific Northwest but not as much of a ‘thing’ elsewhere. Earlier this week with the help of my good friend Gary we homebrewed a wet hopped beer. As I was handling the brewing portion in the kitchen he industriously helped by harvesting the hop cones from my hop plant in my backyard. It doesn’t get fresher than that!!

For the interested student interested in learning more about brewing with wet (fresh) hops here is an article to read:

https://www.morebeer.com/articles/Brewing_Fresh_Hops

A story of this beer on the back of the can:

“This Fresh Hop IPA is a collaboration with Bale Breaker and showcases Simcoe picked straight from the bine at Loftus Ranches in Yakima, WA. Mike LaRosa was on the ranch to select the lot, supervise the pick, and fly the wet hops home for immediate use.

The Simcoe Mike selected has exaggerated dank green and juicy orange notes. We saturated this IPA with the freshest hops possible to create a sticky and deliciously bold beer. Unfiltered to retain every bit of the fresh hop character, drink it fresh for the loudest hop aroma and a clean, balanced finish.”

Other details provided on the back of the can:

“ABV: 6.7%

Hops: Fresh Hop Simcoe (Loftus Ranch), Fresh Hop Cryo Mosaic, Simcoe, Mosaic

Malts: Pilsner and Light Munich

Notes of: Orange Pith, Forest Air & a Green Snap”

Below is also a video where the New Trail owner/brewer, Mike LaRosa, discusses this beer.

Whew, all this ‘talking’ has made me thirsty. Let’s see if fresh is indeed best?

Served in my Spiegelau IPA glass:

Disclaimer: There is an intriguing aspect to the aroma/flavor profile which I am unable to articulate via a ‘typical’ flavor descriptor. I feel compelled to use the term “green” even though that is a color for me vs. a flavor.

Appearance:

Golden colored with a BIG white head.

Aroma:

The aroma is vibrant with mostly citrus (orange-like) but also some “green” as well.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with a combination of citrus and “green”. As the beer opens up (warms up) the “green” aspect gets a bit more noticeable. Not much in terms of malt flavors. A notable bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Medium bodied with a dry finish

Overall:

I thought this beer was very good – excellent.

I think the two brewery teams, New Trail and Bale Breaker, did a very good job collaborating on this beer. And kudos to Mike LaRossa on his specific hop lot selection abilities!!

@rotsaruch @RobH @KOP_Beer_OUtlet

 

Oh, I got some beers I'm excited to review here

The last few years Saint Arnold has made a lot of German inspired offerings for the month of Oktoberfest...this year they had a Weizenbock.

Pale Weizenbock, 6.7% ABV
Description from the brewery:
Our Weizenbock has a rich honey gold color, with aromatic notes of banana, clove, dried apricot, and citrus. With the high amount of wheat, the mouthfeel is full bodied and bready.



Pours with a light haze, a golden orange color. A small head forms be recedes quickly, light lace is left behind.
Aroma is big banana ester in the nose. Peppery spice and even some citrus aromas.
Taste wise, oh this is great, baked bread biscuits, and doughy malts up front. Sourdough and honey like flavors. I love that malt character. That leads to big banana esters again. with citrus and peppery spice. Really well balanced and all around well done.
A medium to full body. There is a spritzy carbonation, which becomes ultra smooth as this breaths. Which all leads to something I can drink in big gulps.

A spot on example for an American breweries Vitus interpretation. Really glad Saint Arnold tackled this, and hope to have it more often. Its only available at the brewery, and very highly recommended if you see it.

Overall score is 4.16, an easy A-, and I would probably score it higher on more tastes.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/337/764552/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Green is best

 

Another from Saint Arnold's German inspired celebration for Oktoberfest...

Just regular old Pilsner, at 5.6% ABV.
Description from the brewery:
A traditional, German-style Pilsner, using 100% German ingredients. A bountiful aroma of fresh floral and citrus notes, with a firm, yet refreshing hop bitterness.

They make multiple Pilsners, both year round and seasonal. This is specifically for their restaurant and beer garden, for their Oktoberfest celebration.



Pours a brilliantly clear yellow/orange color. A small white head forms with some lace left behind.
Not particularly aromatic, but toasted malts and grassy hops are up front and enjoyable.
Taste wise, there is a great malt character here, and the balance with the hops is spot on as well. Toasted, backed bread and biscuits. A grassy and floral hoppy bitterness lingering that brings it all together.
A light to medium body. Effervescent carbonation that is super clean and finishes wonderfully dry. Which all leads to something I can drink and come back to again and again.

I really like this version of a Pilsner. They make several throughout the year, so it can be a bit confusing. This is specifically for their Oktoberfest celebration as they make several German styles just for the beer garden. This is really well done, and hoping they make more of it.

Overall score is 4.02, another A-
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/337/764555/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Speaking of Oktoberfest, I scoured the beer aisle at our favorite cabin beer and liquor store today. Double Duckpin was a bit medium in the tooth, so I decided to try a new brewery to me (at least I think it is, internet is spotty enough that I want to get this post in before checking). Anyhow, the goal was an Oktoberfest and 1812 Brewery out of Cumberland, MD came through with an Oktoberfest Märzen.


All I was hoping for is that it wasn’t too sweet, with nothing much going on. What I got is a clear amber-bodied brew that supports a modest volume of white foam atop it. The nose is a solid mix of sweet, lightly dark bread, equally lightly toasted and a bit of spice to balance things.

A sip has lighter-than-expected carbonation, but the spice notes in the nose shows up on the palate to replace it. Melanoidin leading to a mineral to metallic note than I always qualify is how I perceive it, not a knock as to the beer being “tinny” or anything. I think it’s actually the mix of malt, hop bitterness, and hop spiciness that works to this end. I’ll even go so far as to say I appreciate the experience.

I just wanted something drinkable to fair with this buy, and got something I am truly enjoying tonight. Then again, I’m in a happy frame of mind right now, and that never hurts.

 

One more from Saint Arnold, as I change it up from German styles, to fresh hops...

Fresh Hop Shatter IPA, 6.4% ABV.
Description from the brewery:
The fresh hops in this beer were added less than 24 hours after being picked from the fields of the Yakima Valley. Enjoy bursting expressions of peach, tangerine, and melon, with a soft bitterness that finishes dry. Only available during harvest season!



Pours a pale yellow color with a slight haze. A small white head forms and recedes to leave a bit of spotty lace behind.
The aroma is citrus, melon, peach all the way. A big fruity hop punch up front.
Taste wise, follows the nose with all the citrus, melon and peach flavors. There is a fruity sweetness here, and I would like a more bitter finish.
A medium to full body, with moderate carbonation. There is an oily character here that I would expect from using fresh hops. Easy to drink and come back to.

If there was just a bit more lingering and drying bitterness, this would be top tier for me. As is, just a well made IPA regardless. You can certainly tell the fresh hops in the aroma and the oily feel. Not surprising, another quality offering from Saint Arnold.

Overall score is 3.89, solid B+ for me
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/337/764556/?ba=champ103#lists

I also had their pale Festbier which is excellent...but since I have had that multiple times now, I just put my thoughts over at the Oktoberfest tasting thread.

But will also share here to show off their ridiculously huge chicken schnitzel plate. With mushroom gravy, purple cabbage, pickled onions, and potato salad

 

Have a good Friday NBW. Today is my 5th first date anniversary with my wife. We are at bites and pints gastropub. They have a hitting sign on the door, I will likely apply when we leave. Great week of reading and doing surveys to earn a few bucks. Took 4 days to read Storm of swords. It was like a marathon. The whole book spans 2 seasons of the show. A lot going on. I needed to go on the Fandom wiki to see what the book/series differences were. Quite a few true grit was a classic. It read like 19th century western prose.


Olde Mecklenburg copper altbier. Muted Aromas of dark grain and herbal hops. Taste of caramel, toast, biscuit, nuttiness, wood, peppercorn, pine, herbal, floral, grass, and light roast/char. Med-high pine, herbal, woody bitter finish. medium carb and lt-med body. Balanced grainy malt and sticky resinous hop mouthfeel. Lingering resin dryness and minimal hop astringency. Fairly crisp on resins. Perfectly clean lager flavors. Overall a spot on style example, just a little too bitter/aggressive on hops than I expected. Clean and fresh tasting. 3.88/5


Cheers

 

Southern range Ice Cube's A Pimp Hazy. Great hazy ipa. Aromas and flavors of big white grapefruit, orange, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, mango, honeydew melon, berries, citrus peel/rind, wood, mint, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, white bread, herbal, floral, grass, yeast earth. Medium pine herbal woody bitter finish. Medium carb and body; balanced bready grainy malt and sticky resinous hop mouthfeel. Lingering resin dryness and minimal hop astringency. Very vibrant and dank citra, mosaic, falconer flight hop profile with a clean oat/malt backbone. Reminds me a lot of pseudo Sue on hop/malt dankness. 4.1/5

 

Thanks for getting us started @Beersnake!
Tonight I have one that was meant for my SAN group but was pushed to the back of the shelf and overlooked for apparently quite a while.

The pour is stout black with a brown head that never quite covers the surface. Of course, if this is from 2018, little wonder. (I was unable to find the date)
The taste is actually quite good, got the vanilla, got the coffee, and the stout was present and accounted for. The barrel is still strong as is the bourbon. Surprised by that.
The feel is thinner than expected and hoped for. The carbonation is all but gone, but it is still quaffable.
OA, rather wish I had this years ago. But happy to have been able to try it finally.
Cheers all!

 

4.06/5 rDev +5.2%

look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 16 ounce can dated 8-25-25 into an IPA glass at 53 degrees.

Look- Pale gold, mildly hazy, white frothy head, plentiful super fine visible particulate, above average head retention and lacing.

Smell- Dank, pine resin, grapefruit, between medium and high strength of scent.

Taste- Herbaceous, pine resin, grapefruit, spicy, weak strength of flavor.

Feel- Medium body, average carbonation, mildly creamy, mildly dry finish, highly bitter.

Overall- Appearance was wonderful and mouthfeel was above average. The nose was a great mix of dank, pine resin and grapefruit. Where it came off the rails was the flavor. It wasn’t unpleasant, it was just super underpowered. Overall it provided an average drinking experience, but the lack of flavor intensity really was a huge detractor.

 

Tree House Brewing Simple Life. An imperial milk stout, brewed with chocolate, marshmallows, graham crackers, and coffee, to carefully emulate the flavor of s’mores. "The ideal beer to share around the campfire this summer." Let's find out if this is true. This opportunity was provided by @TCgenny. The look is thick, gravy-like, oily, and black, with no foam. This smell is absolutely s'mores around a campfire. Marshmallow, graham cracker, and milk chocolate. The taste is milk chocolate, graham cracker, marshmallow, hazelnut, vanilla, coffee, caramel, and burnt toast. The mouthfeel is silky, smooth, oily, thick, and full, with light-medium carbonation. Overall, this beer is what it claims to be. The ultimate campfire beer. S'mores in the perfect form. I just noticed the two entities standing on my lawn, staring at me.

 

@GreenBayBA - funny enough that I find the Brewers of today a different beast than the 80s team I despised as they were in the AL East and we were trying to undo a curse. I’m actually rooting for a Brewers vs Mariners World Series. How many MLB execs will that piss off? Don’t care.

Family ties yank me towards a Phillies WS champ as a secondary acceptable outcome. Sometimes you have to settle for a second or third option

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

The time is finally here for a new beer, and I am surprised I have not had this one yet, but I have confirmed that I haven't had it.


Rock Out With Maibock Out - Pantown Brewing - St. Cloud, MN - 7%

Nice malty beer. Nice layers to the malt flavors. The nose is the only let down, because there's so little there.

Review:
3.67/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
From a 750ml crawler. Canned on the 149th day of 2025.

This beer is pretty clear looking in the glass and has a golden color to it. There's a 2 finger white head that has ok head retention. There's no lacing on the glass.
Super faint aroma to this beer. There's just a hint of baked bread.
The flavor is more complex than the nose, but is malty in character. I get a baked bread flavor, with a cereal taste. I get a honey like sweetness in the taste. There's a bit of a floral element that comes into play on the backside.
The beer has a bit of a clingy feeling to it. The body does seem full to me.
Decent beer overall. The flavor elements mix well together.

I am not sure what tomorrow will bring for me. I may take a road trip. I will decide in the morning if I will. I know I'll be here somewhere and sometime for new beers.

 

Jack, green is a perfectly valid, if somewhat broad and vague, flavor or aroma descriptor. So it's non-specific - a somewhat loose category of vegetal, herbaceous or grassy smells and flavors. It can refer to fresh herbs, fruits, grass/hay, earthy vegetables. In wines it refers to unripe flavors, so undesirable.

In my recent previous life, green flavor was associated with fully ripe fresh fruit that had not been frozen - it was quite a noticeable difference. Twenty one days in the freezer calms it down substantially and once you knew what "green notes" were, the difference was also obvious.

So it seems it would easily and aptly apply to wet hopped beers.