New Beer Weekend #287

Cellarmaker I’m in your mind WCIPA
West Coast IPA
4.34/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
11/11/25. Poured into a Samuel Adams Perfect Pint.

A: Clear gold with 1-2 finger white frothy head with good retention and stripes of lacing.

S: Big aroma with pineapple, guava, green melon, orange, red grapefruit, and lime with herbal lemongrass through the finish.

T: Flavor is excellent with blasts of tangerine, pineapple, green melon, and white grapefruit with herbal undertones. Esters are minimal with moderate bitterness.

M: Light body with even carbonation and a very dry finish.

O: My first Cellarmaker beer is excellent with a huge aroma and flavor. I will be going back for another 4 pack.

 

Another beer from my trade with @vurt and what an interesting beer it was. Claims to be the 50th anniversary beer for Ferment Brewing Company and I have no reason to dispute that.
One thing I learned is that the tannins in red wine barrels trump whiskey barrel effects.

The pour is good, stout black with a mocha brown head that left so little lacing it was hard to find.
The taste is tannic acid and coffee with cacao and red wine. The red wine rather dominates the other aspects. I often wonder what the brewer tastes when he or she decides that “this is the best time to bottle this beer” Or maybe I just taste the red wine more powerfully than most. (Like cinnamon) No idea.
The feel is lightly viscous, appropriate for the style, and very easy quaffing.
OA, probably not one I’d want to drink twice, but it was fun to try and I *did* enjoy it.
All for me tonight,
Cheers!

 

Actually, the 50th Anniversary is for Zupan's Market, not Ferment Brewing Company.

I mostly agree with your observation that "tannins in red wine barrels trump whiskey barrel effects," but I thought the red wine character worked pretty well here. (There's some evidence I'm in the minority on that opinion...)

 

4.62/5 rDev +2.9%

look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2025 Vintage: 14% ABV

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle marked 2025 into a snifter at 58 degrees F.

Appearance- Black, opaque, medium brown frothy head, above average head retention, average lacing, high amount of alcohol legs on the glass wall.

Aroma- Cocoa, bourbon, oak, vanilla, raisin, high strength of scent.

Flavor- Cocoa, coffee, bourbon, raisin, vanilla, cherry at the finish, high strength of flavor.

Mouthfeel- Between medium and full body, slightly below average carbonation, highly bitter, moderately creamy, highly mouth warming, mildly mouth coating.

Overall- Black and opaque with above average head retention and a high amount of alcohol legs on the glass wall. The nose was a vibrant mix of cocoa, bourbon, oak, vanilla and raisin. The flavor had even more complexity than the bouquet with notes of coffee and cherry. This beer had a nice balance of barrel character and roasted malt shining through in the form of cocoa and coffee flavor. The body was between medium and full with a high amount of bitterness. The mouth warming property was great, but the mouth coating property left some room for improvement. Overall, this was a complex and delicious beer, but not as good as base Parabola.

 

Another fine stout courtesy of the generous @Whyteboar . I haven't had this one in almost 20 years, so I'm pretty comfortable calling it a New Beer.



Great Lakes Barrel-Aged Blackout Stout

Look:
Very dark reddish-brown with mahogany highlights. The head of tan foam shows low retention but produces dense webs of lacing.

Nose:
Right out of the can, I get malted milk balls and a bit of roasted malt. Bourbon becomes more evident as the beer warms, along with prunes, caramel, and coffee.

Taste:
There are a lot of flavors here, but none of them are overpowering, and they're all nicely balanced. (If anything, they're kind of subdued overall for a barrel-aged imperial stout.) The beer starts with a mix of dark and milk chocolate, then roasted almonds and hazelnuts, and then dark roasted malt in a supporting role. There's also a bit of vanilla nougat in there. Bourbon follows, quietly at first but with growing authority as I make my way through my first glass. Notes of prunes and raisins are up next, and they play nicely with mild black coffee flavors that build like storm clouds. The long finish is a nutty vanilla biscotti dunked in bourbon-spiked coffee. Plenty of roasted malt. Not too sweet!

Feel:
Given the depth and balance of flavors, I found the feel frankly disappointing. It seems really lightweight for an imperial stout. The body is arguably heavier than medium, but not by much. The texture is smooth, but the carbonation is a little unruly. The alcohol heat is a smidge obtrusive.

Overall:
I liked the large cast of flavors, and the way that they didn't step on each other's feet. It has a good amount of barrel character. It's not too sweet. I do think the body could use a few more pounds, and the carbonation and heat could be dialed back a notch. But the beer gets more things right than wrong, and is certainly a very nice barrel-aged stout.

 

Dunno. Bottom of can was stamped "8//25/25" so who knows.

 

Good day BAs! Back again with another New Breakfast Beer, now that I'm all caught up with the thread:



Deep Dive from Heavy Seas Beer. 12 fl oz bottle from M & M Beer, Hermitage, PA. Picked up 10/01/26, on room temperature shelf at distributor. $ 2.25 (including tax) ($ 0.187/fl oz). Reviewed 18/01/26, review 3675. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stamped on back label “BOTTLED 04/23/2?.” Stored at home at 40 degrees F. Served at 50.0 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 54.5 degrees F.
Appearance – 4
First pour – Deep Amber (SRM 15), clear.
Body – Black (SRM 40), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, same with light penetrating only at the edges, amber.
Head – Average (Maximum 1.2 cm, aggressive center pour) Biscuit, high density with short retention, falling to a 0.5 cm crown fed by active carbonation and a thin partial cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 4 – Roasted malt. No hops. No alcohol (5.8 % ABV as marked on the label).
Flavor – 4 – It begins slightly bitter with chocolate predominating. No hops. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Slight gastric warming.
Palate – 3 – Medium: Watery approaching creamy: Soft but lively carbonation.
Style: Sort of follows the BA style description.
Final impression and summation: 3.75 Uncredited label art. Seems too watery to be an oatmeal stout – more like a porter with added oats. Still, a very easy drinking beer at an appropriate price point.
Rating 3.85, rDev -2%

 

Maybe just had a hard life...

 

Black Mask Blueberry
13% stout by Jackie O’s



Poured from a 12 ounce can, the body is a jet black. Small initial head which dissipated very quickly. No lacing

Aroma is sweet bourbon barrel and a background blueberry.

Taste follows nose with an addition of rich non-bitter coffee. The combination is quite appealing and the flavors blend well. My fears that the beer would become a blueberry bomb were allayed. I found this one reminiscent in feel and flavor of coffee as their coffee stout Champion Ground.

Mouthfeel is good, heavy and luxurious carbonation is barely discernible as is the case with many of their barrel aged beers,

Another heavy bourbon barrel aged stout from the masters of Athens, Ohio.

 

Enjoyed catching up with the thread through the first two beer postings of New Beer Sunday #1091! Pulling my lone new to me Baltic Porter in my possession. I believe this is also my first attempt at an Ukrainian beer.

Lvivska Pivovarnya (BBH) Porter

4.11/5 rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4



1/18/26 - (Bottle - Home) (Chicago, IL) Bottle Notes: Purchased a single bottle on January 17, 2026 at the Shop and Save on Nagle Avenue for $3.03 including tax. 16.9 oz. bottle refrigerated at the store and back home until opening this morning. 8.0% ABV, Lot N R 29082408444. Lvivske Ukraine Porter brewed with craftsmanship. Pasteurized dark beer. Manufacturer PJSC Carlsberg Ukraine. LVIVSKE Porter Beer Brewed and Bottled by LVIV Brewery, Ukraine. Imported by Blue Spring Imports, Inc. North Miami Beach, Florida.

Appearance: Poured about 2/3 of the bottle into a shaker pint glass, yielding a generous light tan creamy head which lingers for a few minutes before leaving substantial thin lacing and a creamy cover over a dark chestnut brown base. Fine creamy bubbles provide a thick ring around the rim. Looks very good. 4.5

Aroma: Let this sit for about 10 minutes to reach estimated proper temperature. Nice roast malt, dark chocolate and bakers chocolate blend, strength of aroma medium. Enjoying. 4.0

Taste: Sweet chocolate malt the first impression. After warming further, the roast malt and light rye notes emerge, along with toffee and caramel. Nice blend, all play together well. Let this warm and enjoy the bounty. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Drinks light and easy, far below the 8.0%. Faintly dry, faint gentle carbonation, watery body enhanced with sweetness. Roast malt and bakers chocolate finish. 3.75

Overall: My first Ukrainian beer is a winner. This is a nice and easy drinking balanced Baltic Porter with strong flavors. I'm digging this, and would purchase another. 4.0

We are in the second of five forecast consecutive vortex hitting Chicago through month end, and while I plan on staying home in the single digit F temp forecast, I will consider heading out for a final new to me Baltic Porter if this thread is extended for the Holiday weekend. If not, I'll see you next weekend.

 

Happy Weekend All.
I'm a happy camper, finally got to go to a Purdue basketball game! While the game was not very well played, the Boilers did pull it out in the end. The game was way too close against a Trojans team that should not have given them so many problems.
I did take the train in and the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner always has a few good beer offerings. This time I hit Huckster from Topa Topa. It's solid!

At the Galen Center I grabbed a tall boy.
Stone's Delicious Hazy

Had this at the Purdue v USC game at the Galen Center. Boiler Up!
Pours a pale orange to gold and pumps a fluffy white head. Good retention. Plentiful lacing.
Nose definitely citrus dominated. Orange rind, tangerine, a gentle herbal pop, and some bready malt.
Again, the flavor is citrus forward: juicy orange, orange rind, tangerine, a little grapefruit, some peppery herbal notes, wet grass, and a nice firm malt backbone. Some other tropical notes pop in as well: mango and pineapple.
Mouthfeel is medium, active carbonation, and a bit creamy in texture.
3.81/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

 

A cold snowy Sunday morning here in central Minnesota. Time for a new beer that I picked up last weekend.

Norse Lager - 22 Northmen Brewing - Alexandria, MN - American Lager - 4.2%

This is a tasty and easy drinking beer. It lives up to what it promises, and I am enjoying it this morning. I'd gladly get it again.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/56480/440491/

3.81/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
From a 16oz can with no date on it.
This is a nice clear looking beer and golden in color. The head is thick at 3 fingers and pretty long lasting. There's a bit of lacing on the glass as the head dissipates.
There's a lot of cereal in the aroma. Reminds me of when I was a kid and ate cereal.
The cereal grain flavor is a nice start to this beer. The malts are the star of the show here. The middle gets slightly sweet. The finish has a slight bitterness to it, but it isn't overpowering.
Light and clean bodied. The bubbles just linger on my tongue and in my throat.
This is a no nonsense type of beer. It delivers on what it promises.

I might have one more new beer in me today. If so, I'll be back later with it. Cheers!

 

You must complete this task, single digits, baltic porter...come on, what could be more perfect.

 

Ha! I braved 5 F with wind child below zero early yesterday to buy this beer. I may go out anyway to watch the Indiana Hoosiers play for another Basketball Championship an unfathomable College Football National Championship. I also bought a not new to me Hockey Themed Baltic Porter, the first of four of which I will open later today.

Cheers to the cold weather you enjoy Jon!

 

Good morning NBS/nbw and thanks @Beersnake for hosting this week.
A snowy Sunday has us staying in and packing for next weeks trip to Taiwan.
This weeks offering is one from Maine. A beauty of a stout, great flavors and aromatics.
If you like the whole Mexican chocoalte dessert thing, this one is for you. The Rye barrel age contributes to the spicy, peppery elements. Base beer is sturdy and acts as a great canvas for the adjuncts.
Have the best day ever

Presence of Another World (2025)

American Imperial Stout | 12% ABV
Bissell Brothers Brewing Co. in Portland, Maine

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.16/5 rDev +1.7% | Average: 4.09
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from the 500 ml bottle, dated "bottled 04/2025 into the test glass.
A - Dark brown, very little light passes through. No cap. gentle carbonation slinks up the side of the glass.
S - Cinnamon, hint of cocoa, vanilla, dark malts, a bit of alcohol in the nose, and, ancho peppers
T - Mexican chocolate cookie, nice bakers chocolate, and chili's , with that vanilla and cinnamon assisiting.
There is a fun bit of orange zest hiding in there. A peppery thread runs through, I wonder if its the Rye Barrel aging
M - Thick and slick , a gentle heat, and linger for days.
O - A delight to experience. No a lot to look at, but flavors and aromatics are great. Thankfully I have another bottle.

 

2024 Bourbon County Macaroon



I had this stout on tap at a local restaurant. We were at dinner with two other couples, so no written notes; just some basic observations.

I'm not normally a coconut fan, but I had never seen it on tap and figured this opportunity would unlikely happen again. As soon as I breathed in the aroma, I was glad I gave it a try.

Full in mouthfeel and rich in flavor, this stout I happily sipped over ninety minutes. The barrel was present but not too hot. Perfect power to complement the deep malty goodness with
cocoa and coconut flavors.

Super enjoyable stout.

 

Wander Back has been brewing at Hidden Sands Brewery in Egg Harbor Township until its new facility in Vineland comes on line.

 

Wayfinder Crow Show
English Porter
5.5% ABV
4.15/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Smudged canned on date. Poured into a Duvel tulip.

A: Dark brown with 1-finger off-white head with average retention and impressive swirls of lacing.

S: Aroma is full of milk chocolate, black coffee, and roast dark malt.

T: Flavor is more bitter and roasty than the aroma shows but is still very enjoyable with lots of black coffee, milk, chocolate, dark, chocolate, cocoa, and roast. Bitterness is medium-high.

M: Light and easy to drink with moderate carbonation and relatively dry finish due to the roastiness and bitterness.

O: Not a style I reach for very often, but this one as well done and very enjoyable. Modest ABV helps with the drinkability which is exceptional due to the lightness of the body.