New Beer Weekend #280

Thanks @ChicagoJ for starting our super sized new beer weekend

...bourbon county backyard stout
....an almost black/ruby appearance with no head or visible trace of carbonation
...above average body with slick,oily creamy feel with very little carbonation
...aroma is wood,alcohol, black berry brandy .as it warmed the blackberry brandy became more noticeable
...taste is malt,blackberry brandy,earthy and herbal with a sweet blackberry tea finish.
...overall it was impressive and I hope everyone has had a good holiday

 

One of the best barrel aged beer producers in the state of Michigan, great choice to start with!
I’ll be back with a barrel aged dark ale from the Tax Man soon.

 

…and I’m back.
I went out looking for big stouts when we stayed in Bloomfield, IN on our way to TN - sadly, no joy there. But they had lots of beer from Taxman. This one sounded worthy trying.

(The cat is Blizzard, and like all cats, curious.
Oh, yeah, the beer-
Canned on 11/13/2025, enjoyed on 11/27/2025.
Pours dark mahogany with reddish tints around the edges.
The taste starts hot, as in lots of the bourbon is present. Might be helped by a little bit of time in the cellar.
The other flavors feature chocolate covered cherry and raisins, a little banana shows up at the swallow.
The feel is lightly viscous, but still thinner than expected, but that’s a personal preference.
OA, I bought a 4 pack and won’t have trouble finishing them.

 

Its about time this thread started

Some catch from earlier on in the day, and I'm done tagging @TCgenny at least for now...but still always a great shout out to him for all of these.

Started off with a Genesee Cream Ale...and one of the few Thanksgiving songs out there

I must have had this at some point, but that was well over a decade ago, if at all...so here you go.


Pours a perfectly clear golden/yellow color. A surprisingly effervescent and dense white head forms. With good retention and lace left behind.
Aroma is somewhat neutral and nondescript nose. Some cereal grains, maybe a touch earthy hops.
Taste wise, cereal grains, cracker like malts, cooked corn, plenty of sweetness. There is a bit of an earthy hop, and spicy kick as this quickly finishes.
A medium body, a bit more hefty here than expected. For as effervescent as the head was, this is more moderate carbonation that is a bit syrupy. Not the worst thing drink.

If you were to describe what a generic "beer" is to anybody that doesn't know, this would be it. Right down the middle, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Some local breweries around me have tried to make this style, while not ever going to be a go to for me, they could all learn a thing or two from this classic example. Glad I got to try it, even if its not exactly for me.

Overall score is 3.31, B-
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/302/1376/?ba=champ103#lists

 

It was a beautiful afternoon out, so out in my courtyard finishing up some books, and my second beer opened from a Mr Tom Collins was...

Tree House Slow Burn, 5.6% ABV, Rauchbier. I have been really looking forward to trying this one.



Pours an amber/orange color. While certainly not of the murky/hazy variety of most their NEIPA, its still boarders on the opaque side. A dense white head forms with good retention and lace.
A nuanced malty aroma. With baked bread, grains, some caramel sweetness. Just a hint of smoke. Very nice overall.
Oh, there it is, that smoke is up front taste wise. Which is wonderfully balanced with the malty character. Baked bread, and there is an English sweet biscuit/cookie kind of flavor and spiciness. Very well done.
A medium to full body. Moderate carbonation that is ultra smooth. This is like silk. That along with the balance makes this so easy and enjoyable to drink.

Very glad I finally got to try a non NEIPA from Tree House. The balance here is so well done, and very moreish. Its so balanced, that i might actually enjoy a bit more assertive smoke flavor. Though that is really a small gripe. So, its just excellent.

Overall score is 4.18, A-
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28743/672071/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Back to some tunes...and more Tree House, again from Tom.

Julius in the glass. NEIPA, 6.8% ABV, and I doubt this one has to be introduced to anybody. I'm also notoriously not into the NEIPA's but this one is a step above for me...



Pours a murky/hazy orange color. A dense white head forms with excellent retention and gobs of lacing for days. You will never convince me the murky look is attractive/desirable in anyway though.
Aroma is fresh juicy fruity, fruit skins, peach, melon and citrus all mixing together. Very nice.
Taste wise, definitely juicy and fruity. Peach, melon, berry, citrus all mingling.mixing together again, and pops out of the glass. A light bitterness lingers on.
A medium to full body. Lower carbonation than I would like, and a bit overly chewy. This is pretty easy to drink.

You have to take my review and score on a curve. This is easily the highest score I have given a NEIPA. The juicy fruit flavors pops, and are satisfying, and doesn't just fade away to nothing in a second. Nor, is this too astringent. My own personal preference is for more carbonation and more bitterness, but that aside this is pretty tops for the style.

Overall score for me is 3.87, B+ but if we are on a curve, thats like way higher for the normal NEIPA fan, ha.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28743/86237/?ba=champ103#lists

Tom also sent me this awesome Dylan retrospective with all kinds of great info. So spinning Blood on the Tracks to go along with that.

Tomorrow, I have another Tree House that I plan to open and review...Sap

In the mean time, decompressing and digesting my Thanksgiving meal with some Scotch...see ya all tomorrow.

 

I had a similar reaction to this beer when I finally reviewed it, to me it's just touch heavy and syrupy to be refreshing.

 

Cheers to @ChicagoJ for getting us started. There will be some beers Sunday until then, carry on

 

3.94/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
16 oz can canned on 9/14/25 into a barrel glass. From the 2025 BA Big Beer Box.
L: Pours black with a somewhat fizzy 1/2" rich khaki pock marked head, light steady carbo, head recedes to thin edge foam in a cola-like fashion, no lacing.
S: Coffee, char, molasses, some alcohol as beer warms, wet chocolate cake with caramel.
T: Sweet black coffee, coffee char, caramelized malts, a light nutty taste, it is rich, dark bakers chocolate and cocoa, a touch of dark milk chocolate, charred grains, slightly cloyingly sweet with a lingering bitter finish.
F: Sticky, lightly brisk, smooth medium-heavy bodied mouthfeel with a medium-long moderately dry finish.
O: Sweet black coffee dominates this beer. It is backed up by malt grain char and caramelization creating a slightly cloying taste but that is very lightly tamed by bitterness and dryness in the finish. It is quite rich in flavor and its tastes make up for an otherwise average looking beer. A lot of coffee. I found this beer to be one-dimensional. It is good to very good in its style.

 

The Piggy Brewing Company (France) ‘Tinta Sagrada’ BBA Barley Wine finished in Sherry cask

33 cl can poured into a snifter Packed 12/2024, one year to lip. BBD 12/2028. 14% abv.

A sparse and fizzy foam is short lived, exposing a brew that is super dark amber in color.

Nose comes in strong with red wine trying to restrain bourbon. It’s nice. Walnuts, leather, caramel, vanilla, dates are in play. Alcohol vapors hover ghostly over the glass.

Taste hits mightily! Getting past the almost-too-hot alcohol blast rewards the palate with a firm roundness of ever opening delights; Scotch whisky, supurb Spanish Pedro Ximénes Sherry barrel, sweet vanilla caramel, various spices, dry leather. The finish is long lasting, chocolate emerging, and a lingering heat reminiscent of a fine Cognac.

Mouth is full and expansive, but not heavy. Medium carbonation.

Overall, the story is a fine barleywine was brewed, aged 28 months in American bourbon barrels, then 1/4 of the brew was loaded into a Spanish Sherry cask to rest for 4 months before blending and canning.. This is a powerful, complex and quite extraordinary drink.

4.57/5 in the BA DB.

 

Happy Thanksgiving NBW! Grabbed a slew of new to me beers today, and I'm hoping to get several reviewed and posted here this weekend. Starting with another new one from Williamsport PA:

New Trail - Broken Heels NEIPA (Krush variant)



4.03/5 rDev 0% | Average: 4.03
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Like its forefather (Broken Heels), this variant pours with a thinner head that dissipates fairly quickly. Scents of light peach and tropical fruit are present. Flavors follow suit with a nice developing dryness and palate coating resinous bitterness. This is a Hazy IPA with a WC lean, which is a very nice thing. Not heavily oated, sweet, or creamy. There is no time for a fluffy head. Business is at hand, and overall on the face of things it is difficult to rate this over 4, but this beer wins where it matters. Traditional IPA attributes.

 

Let’s continue the Celebration (x2)!

Firstly, I hope that all of you American BAs had a Happy Thanksgiving yesterday.

But I will continue celebrating with a Sierra Nevada Celebration, vintage 2025. I consider this to be a new beer every year since it is a seasonal beer but more importantly it features “fresh hops” for each year’s harvest and for my palate I can notice it tastes noticeably different every year.

But to make the celebration even a ‘moar’ event, I will be drinking this beer in a side-by-side tasting with Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest Wet Hopped IPA which is brewed using wet hops. One distinguishing difference between this beer and Celebration IPA, besides the wet vs. fresh hop thing, is that Northern Hemisphere Harvest Wet Hopped IPA is hopped with only one variety of hop (Centennial) while Celebration is hopped with two varieties (Centennial and Cascade). Also, the grain bill for the Harvest IPA includes some Pilsner Malt while Celebration is solely using 2-row Pale Malt for the base malt.

Let’s see how these two ‘fresh’ IPAs from Sierra Nevada compare.

Served in Duvel tulip glasses:

Appearance:

Harvest IPA: Copper colored with a BIG fluffy khaki colored head.

Celebration IPA: Ditto.

Aroma:

Harvest IPA: Whoa! The first thing that ‘hits’ is an enticing floral (rose-like) aroma but in the background, there are also hints of citrus and pine. Also, some caramel sweetness impression and toasted brown bread from the malt.

Celebration IPA: A combination of citrus & pine/resin and in the background some floral hop aromas. A combination of brown bread & caramel malt aromas.

Taste:

Harvest: The flavor follows the nose with a combination of floral (rose-like) front and center along with some citrus/pine. And brown bread & caramel maltiness. A notable bitterness.

Celebration IPA: The flavor follows the nose with a combination of citrus/pine hop flavors with a tiny bit of floral in the background. And brown bread & caramel maltiness. A notable bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Harvest IPA: Medium bodied with a medium carbonation level. There is a dry finish.

Celebration IPA: Ditto.

Overall:

Harvest IPA: In one word: excellent! This beer is hop forward but it is pleasantly balanced with the flavors from the malts. The floral (rose-like) aspect is particularly appealing for my palate.

Celebration IPA: This year’s version of Celebration IPA is very good – excellent. Another wonderful effort by Sierra Nevada for this seasonal beer.

Cheers!

P.S. I typically prefer to conduct these side-by-side tasting simply as a compare and contrast exercise vs. a competition but in this instance, I will deviate: The clear ‘winner’ for my palate in this side-by-side tasting is Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest Wet Hopped IPA. I very much hope that I will be lucky again next year and find this beer for sale at my local Retail Beer Distributor.

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @RobH

 

Starting my NBW with some MACtion (Ohio vs Buffalo) and some Great Lakes Bourbon Barrel Imperial Porter:

Bourbon Barrel Imperial Porter | Great Lakes Brewing Co. | BeerAdvocate





Thought this was pretty good, recommend it more to people who like a nice amount of bourbon barrel in their brews. Should have some more new beers in a little while, cheers!

 

Ever Grain - Lampshades on Fire NEDIPA featuring Mosaic and Nelson Sauvin



3.94/5 rDev 0% | Average: 3.94
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A good not great NEDIPA. A reasonably nice pour with initial clouds of head reveals the following: Subdued scents that must be considered well. Nothing overwhelming or pungent coming forth. Sweet fruitbowl notes with tropical feels here and there. Sips provide a bit more with noteworthy hints of berries and grapes, stronger kiwi and pineapple. Being that this is a DIPA, I was expecting stronger vibrance in all categories. This could be a single IPA in the sub 7% category with what it delivers to the palate. That being said, it is still an enjoyable beer with a nice hop to oat balance. Body is well done enough for the style. Overall this is a B+ beer that leaves me wanting more, however there are no glaring holes in it either

 

Good afternoon NBW
I've been sitting on this bottle since May and I thought today would be a good day for a review.

SN Trip thru the Woods

Narwhal aged in bourbon, then rum, then port barrels according to the label.

25.4oz corked and caged bottle purchased earlier this year at Mills River poured into a teku glass at cellar temp 13.8% ABV. The beer pours pitch black with no light penetration and medium brown colored head. The head recedes to a thin ring and island. Minimal lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring dark chocolate fudge, coffee, dark fruit, oak and tobacco. The taste is semisweet chaos as rum, bourbon and port barrels barrels all check in with port wine and dark fruit being the dominant flavors. Chocolate, oak and tobacco are there in the background. Moderate bitterness. The feel is medium plus bodied with less than medium carbonation and a semi dry finish. Ethanol is present, but refined, if that makes sense. Overall, excellent.

 

Thanks to @ChicagoJ for kicking off NBW!

Goose Island BCBS 7yr Heaven Hill Double Barrel Imperial Stout 2025, 17.4% ABV. Pours black with a half-finger light-brown head that left no lacing. Aroma is bourbon, toffee, and chocolate. Taste is bourbon and chocolate, slightly sweet, slightly bitter, some nice bourbon burn. Thick and smooth mouthfeel, overall outstanding. Strong bourbon presence, yet not overly boozy.

4.61/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

We're in a winter storm warning, getting 5-10+ inches by tomorrow night. They predict we'll get 31" of snow this winter, and we already got 5" a couple of weeks ago, so we could be half over winter after this storm!

 

Next up today was Noble Beast's Eisbock:

Eisbock | Noble Beast Brewing Company | BeerAdvocate





I liked this one too, pretty solid overall!