New Beer Weekend #286

Great Notion Double Stack, Portland, Oregon, purchased at Beer Bazaar.

3.95/5 rDev -12%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
L: Deep brown pour, nice tan head some lacing.
S: Opening the can let out a huge hit of maple syrup, strong coffee aroma.
T: Bitter stale coffee, (something I like) and some maple syrup, which tastes artificial. Log Cabin?
F: Relatively thick pour, creamy mouthfeel.
O: I bought this thinking an Imperial FBS. Nope, not even close, but better than expected.

 

This has me interested for some reason...I haven't had it yet, but from this and other reviews, it seems to remind me of an old seasonal they use to have called ESB...if memory serves stood for Early Spring Beer, but was added here as an English ESB. Again, if memory serves, I recall it being American hop forward, but not necessarily to an IPA level, but not even close stylistically to an English ESB. I'm wondering if that is kind of a retooling of that idea, and named at least slightly more appropriate ha? But I could be way off with my memories on several levels

 

Equilibrium Brewing Chaos Theory ( Hazy ) IPA, 6.5% ABV; 3.75 overall

Pours a bit of a gusher, hazed gold with mountains of eggshell colored head. Great head retention & better lacing

S: Citrus, green melon, grainy notes once warm, millet & oats

T: Tangerine, white grape, a little dryness & grassy notes up front. Some oaty/grainy notes, lime, white grapes & apricot once this beer warms up, fairly dry. Finishes with pomelo bitterness, some white grape & traces of peach & apricot

MF: Medium body, creamy carbonation, a bit gritty

Decent drinkability, but nothing really stands out. I need for some flavor to take me for a ride with this style & this is more of a mindless ramble

 

I remember Early Spring Beer vaguely. I think it did have more of a caramel malted base? Springfest to my taste has pilsner malt styling with possibly rice in the mix as well. At least, that's what I'm interpreting. Could be way off as usual LOL. I'm curious as to your take if you try it

 

Oh sure, I'm sure this is and will be different..I'm just wondering if they have been saving that "ESB" keeping in their back pocket, and tweaking things here and there (certainly looks lighter than I remember that being)...or they just needed yet another IPA to fill in a gap Which is probably more likely. That very old seasonal just happened to pop in my head with this though.

 

Wouldn't the game continue in OT until someone wins? Btw, with this Indiana team I don't worry about that outcome.

 

Weihenstephaner Lager (aka Original Helles)
5.1%



Poured from bottle, the body is a clear light yellow with white foamy head. Light lacing.

Aroma is malt, crackers and light floral hop.

Taste follows nose as the malt and hops are the show. A bit more hop flavor in taste but the hop-malt balance is exceptional. Upon finish things dry up quickly with a wee linger of hop. Very nice.

Mouthfeel is good with modest carbonation.

Easy drinking Helles.

 

Well yes, per current rules, unless you ignore the OT rule. I was arguing against/reinventing them - kind of like how I hate all shootouts (soccer, NHL regular season) because they aren't the "real sport."

But I recall when there was a split champion in NCAA, despite one team need 5 downs to accomplish their record. Also, fuck Scott Sisson (.05% of Virginia/ACC BAs might know what I mean... though I'm likely exaggerating that by a few magnitudes).

 

Were you at UVA when that happened?

 

Maybe....

At the very least I was in spirit

 

So I was looking for something to drink from my beer fridge, which is more likely to have water, Gatorade or energy drinks in it than beer. And the beer that remains in there has apparently been there longer than I thought.
From November 2022, a bourbon barrel aged winter warmer from Bell’s.

For a 3 year old beer, it’s still very much a winter warmer. The cherry has diminished, a lot, but the orange peel is still there though it is faint.
The pour is dark brown, unfiltered in appearance and the short beige head leaves a surprising amount of lacing.
The taste is that of a wee heavy, very malty, no discernible hops and because it’s Bell’s, the cinnamon and nutmeg often found in winter warmers. There is a hint of orange peel as well, but it is blended in very well.
The feel is appropriately viscous; not too much, not too little. Definitely designed to sip on a cold winter evening.
OA, I wish I hadn’t waited so long to drink these, they just got lost in the shuffle.
And I really need to drink what is in the fridge, beer-wise.
I will be back later with a nightcap, either a different pull from the fridge or a barleywine from Founders. Which is in the cellar with most of my beer.
Cheers!

 

Pretty good day here at the stronghold. Took a long and leisurely walk on the property and did a little clearing. We have paths, but clearing dead stuff helps improve sight lines. One of those eerie days in the woods - couldn't hear the usual road noise and no neighbor kids or dogs were out. No squirrels, birds - nothing. Every once in a while the back of the lot makes the hair on your neck raise up - this was one of those days.

So big ol' pot of chili for football. Still recovering from the Green Bay debacle and hoping the Pats can pull it off later. In the meantime, it's Sunday... and this beer also calls to my Portuguese heritage:



Since @sulldaddy featured the beautiful artistic side, I'll go with the print side. Maria's Garden from Barreled Souls bought about 18 months ago at the brewery. English barleywine, 12.7%, aged for two different lengths of time in different Tawny Port barrels. I had a taste at the brewery and it followed me home. Let's see if it's as good as I recall.

Pours a slightly murky dark cola color and some aggressiveness resulted in about a quarter inch of tight, beige foam that actually persisted a while and ended up as a hefty ring and a huge island. Fine bubbles coat the glass on the swirl. It clears up some as it warms.

Rich aroma - dates/figs, toffee and brown sugar, some cherry, oaky port wine grapiness, and I'm getting some nuttiness and some vanilla sweetness. Maybe a hint of maple syrup? The ABV is not evident.

Oh my word is this luscious on the tongue! Both in flavor and feel. It's sweet but not stupid sweet. It's got the toffee/caramel/brown sugar thing going on but there's some dark, bready, malt flavor peeking through. Definitely getting port notes and some oakiness that shows more as an aromatic in the back end of the taste. It's nearly got a cognac character to it. The dark fruit is initially dark sweet cherry but there's some raisin and date happening as well. I'm getting a little nutty flavor - hazelnut or almonds. I swear I pick up some maple - not sure where that is coming from. A bit of vanilla. I'll keep reminding myself of the ABV because I can't taste it even though it is quite warming. I really enjoy the aftertaste - aromatic cherry, lingering sweetness, the maple conundrum, and just a bit of oak spiciness.

The feel is luxurious. The remaining bubbles are acting like crema making this a silky smooth sipper. The carbonation is smooth - very fine and not overdone. For all the flavor intensity it's delivering, most of the aftertaste is on the aromatic side. It essentially finishes clean.

Well, can ya tell I'm really into this one? It's a real treat - Barreled Souls at their best delivering the five run homer. This is a beer I'd call elegant and I'm sure going to savor every sip. I'm glad they took my money for this one - I do have at least one more in the cupboard. Easy A+. Fantastic brew.

 

Congrats on what sounds to be like a perfect beer experience for you to close out the weekend

 

I'm so glad you enjoyed that one. It's such a satisfying beer, with a terrific depth of flavor for such a low-alcohol brew.

 

Loved it, and beers like that are what I love most. Thanks again for an awesome little exchange. The Magnanimous can now decorates my workbench in the garage.

 

Good evening BAs! My new beer tonight arrived in yesterday’s Tavour box - Firestone Walker’s “Collective Choice” (2025), a Blended Stout with Cocoa Nibs, Toasted Coconut & Coffee:



Poured dark brown with ruby edges at 54.9°; tight tan head with a few rocks; poor cap retention; thin ring; small islands with some soapy lace; thin legs at best on swirl. Strong chocolate nose; some booze on exhale. Taste follows nose; very little coconut as beer warmed; no bourbon, no vanilla; no coffee; certainly no cherry. Medium body; moderate minus carbonation; minimal warmth from ABV. Delicious, semi sweet chocolate cake, but not quite German chocolate cake.

I really liked this beer, but was expecting so much more given the brewer’s description.

Score: 4.35 rDev 0. I added this latest variant to the DB.

Cheers y’all!

 

So my last beer this weekend is one I have had in my cellar for a month now and just now getting to it.
Founders Barleywine Ale.
Kosmicki can brew with the best at times, annoyingly this isn’t one of those times.

The pour is really good looking, apple juice gold but transparent - very transparent.
The head is beige and leaves a ring, followed by tiny islands of lacing.
The taste. Not sure if it’s because I drank it fairly soon after the last beer, but it seems mild. No hops bitterness, just miles of malt that seems tamped down. A little pepper, a little hay, and white bread.
The feel is lightly viscous, a little lighter than I think the style expects.
OA, I must be off tonight as I am really underwhelmed. I expected more from Kosmicki.
Ah well, maybe the next one will be amazing. I doubt it, but hope springs eternal.
So until next week,
Cheers all!

 

Enjoyed this from Monkish.
Monk Style Proverbs
On tap at Monkish in Anaheim, CA.
Apricot to gold in color, fluffy white head forms 2 fingers in height, slowly settles to a milky cap. Decent retention, light sudsy lacing.
Nose is zesty grapefruit and orange rind with a trace of pineapple. Eventually a mildly dank grass note come in as well.
Flavor is consistent with the nose. Bright and pithy orange rind and grapefruit zest, wet grass, a generally tropical, almost herbal, note, and some crackery grain. A hint of onion on the back.
Active carbonation, light mouthfeel, and goes mildly juicy in its bitter finish.
3.75/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

 

Given my predilection for ending the weekend with a big imperial stout, I don't think this New Beer is my last New Beer of the weekend. But it will certainly provide impressive contrast if that imperial stout comes through...



Wayfinder Beholder Hoppy Lager

Behold a body that is pale yellow and 99% clear, with a tenacious head of white foam that leaves good lacing. The nose is clean crackery malt with lemon pith, a shred of tangerine peel, and a strong floral finish. The flavor opens with bright lemon on top of a thin base of malt with only a murmur of sweetness. Floral bitterness follows, along with notes of black tea, tangerine peel, and a scrap of corn tortilla. The finish shows off strong floral hop spice and a bitterness that lasts a lot longer than the grainy, citrusy, corn-inflected aftertaste. The body is as lean as a greyhound, with brash carbonation. This beer delivers the Hoppy Lager promised by the label, and is well-made and pretty tasty, though ultimately nondescript when put up against other Wayfinder hoppy lagers of the past few years.