New Beer Weekend #289 (for @cavedave!)

I did drink a homebrewed Altbier last evening as a tribute/remembrance to Dave.

The new beer I have today may not be in Dave's wheelhouse but maybe he too was a fan of David Bowie?

Modern Love?

The above title is a tribute to one of my favorite David Bowie songs. And maybe to today’s new beer as well?

Today’s new beer is Sierra Nevada Springfest.

Firstly, just let me get this out of the way: drinking a beer intended for that spring beer season but canned in the fall (12/11/25) is just kinda nuts but…

I will be trying this beer for the first time today but based upon the discussion in the ongoing thread entitled “Sierra Nevada Springfest” I am under the impression that this beer is what is termed a Modern West Coast IPA.

What exactly is a Modern West Coast IPA you might ask. Well, I started a thread in 2024 entitled “What even is a West Coast IPA” and I broached the topic of Modern West Coast IPA in the OP.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/what-even-is-a-west-coast-ipa.677056/#post-7974300

In my opinion a Modern West Coast IPA has features of:

· Clear in appearance (not a Hazy IPA)

· Low-moderate bitterness (old school IPAs typically feature a robust bitterness)

· Features more modern hop varieties (not hops like Cascade, Chinook, Centennial,…)

· A lean malt bill (could be 100% Pilsner malt, no to little crystal malts)

Below is how Springfest is detailed on the Sierra Nevada website:

“Style: IPA

ABV: 6%

IBU: 38

Malts: Carapils, Malted Wheat, Pilsner

Hops: Centennial, Centennial lupulin, Citra lupulin, CTZ lupulin

Yeast: Ale”

How do these details ‘correspond’ to the above bulletized list?

At 38 IBUs this seems to be a low bitterness by IPA standards. The Malt bill ‘reads’ to be lean in nature with my guess it is predominantly Pilsner Malt with some Malted Wheat to a lesser degree and just a bit of Carapils (which is a very, very light crystal malt). The hops read to be a combination of old school (e.g., Centennial) and some newer stuff.

But beer evaluation is best left to the palate as opposed to just reading. Let’s drink!

Served in my Spiegelau IPA glass:

Appearance:

Straw yellow in color with a BIG white head. Excellent head retention which I attribute to the use of some Malted Wheat as part of the grain bill.

Aroma:

There are light hop aromas of citrus and fruity.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with some light flavors of citrus/fruity but as the beer opens up some floral as well There is a moderate bitterness (reminiscent of a craft brewed Pilsner to my palate).

Mouthfeel:

Light - Medium bodied with a medium carbonation level. There is a dry finish.

Overall:

This is a nice beer with a high drinkability factor. I could envision this being a beer to drink during warm/hot weather (e.g., May/June) but unfortunately this can would be about 6 months old at that point and too old for enjoyment.

I am drinking this beer on a day where the high temperature was 17 degrees (with a real feel temperature way less than that). This beer was not a good fit for today’s weather/temperature.

I will follow up this beer with one of my homebrewed Robust Porters!

Cheers!

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @RobH

 

I dont post here often but the occasion calls for an appearance. cavedave you are missed.

This is my first ever Roaring Table out of Chicago Illinois. I'm very impressed and I have a few more on my radar to track down. Thanks @skent259

Look- Golden yellow with constant trails of carbonation running to the head that was white and thick. It didn't stick around very long though. 4.25

Smell- Immediately blasted with strong citrus floral notes as soon as I started pouring. Sweet grassy, rosiny herbal notes as well. 5.00

Taste- Grapefruit pith, lavender, lemon. So floral and light sweetness. 4.75

Feel- Crisp with great carbonation. 4.50

Overall- A great crushable beer. I love the brightness of a lager but the hoppy notes of an IPA. This is a great example, that holds true to the style. 4.5

 

Beer good, the best I can do...

 

Cheers to @Beersnake for getting this thread going in a manner fitting honoring the great @cavedave

Sierra Nevada Springfest IPA , 6.0% ABV; 4.11 overall

Pours a very bright & effervescent straw color with 2+ fingers of eggshell colored head. Above average head retention & lacing

S: Some citrus, grassyness, cantaloupe once warm

T: Follows the nose, some white grape, green melon & pears up front. Pears, green melon, grassy notes, dryness & lemon notes once this beer is warm. Finishes dry, with pear, green melon, white grape & lime notes

MF: Medium body, delicate carbonation, good balance

Easy to drink, I'd buy a sixer of this every year

I do agree with @JackHorzempa I'd slay this beer in the Summer

 

Well I popped one that I should have years ago. And Dave would be the first to tell me to drink these beers vs. cellaring them too long.

BCBS Backyard Rye
Bottled 20NOV13
I had it over a decade ago so kinda new again, albeit old. How appropriate. I'm feeling older this week.

Pours motor oil brown to black. Khaki colored head forms a finger high cap that dissipates in less than a minute. A few luminescent bulbs gather in small clusters trying to meet up with others, unsuccessfully to for a ring. No lacing to speak of but there is a thin oily sheen that appears, for just a moment, before sliding down and disappearing.

The nose pops with an initial bouquet of berries: marionberries, blackberries, boysenberries. A real berry jam shot. But the malt lifts plum, date, raisin, toffee and whiskey. A few more huffs reveal some barrel char and the the fruit notes that become a tad vinous in a wonderful way.

Flavors ebb and flow with strength, grace, and variety. The fruit is confident and elegant. Raspberries and marionberries dominate. But being carried on the full fueled foundation of BCBS a melding of these fruits with the whiskey, toffee, and caramel notes creates a totally new creature that is more than imperial stout. It is wholly new, maybe newly holy. It goes in the direction of mulled wine, a fortified version, yet still remains a stout. She is a complex, layered sipper.

Mouthfeel is full, almost oily, low carbonation, and finishes with an ever so slightly acidic berry coating on the palate.


While I waited woefully long to wet my whistle with this wondrous drink. I quietly question , perhaps quixotically, "Would our quintessential Dave be a quiddle, quibbling and questioning the age of this beer, or quickly quash my concerns and quaff?"

"Here's to Great American Beer!" -cavedave

 

Great open and tribute for @cavedave , @Beersnake ! Looking forward to reading everyone's tributes and stories.

Nothing interesting in the drops at Beer on the Wall the past two weeks, but saw some interesting deliveries at The Beer Temple I hope to pick up as the weather should improve over the next week or two. This weekend features two widely praised offerings I've read about in our New Beer Weekend / New Beer Sunday celebrations. My New Beer Sunday pour will be an imperial stout to toast cavedave.

Allagash Brewing Company Curieux

3.83/5 rDev -10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5



1/31/26 - (Bottle - Home) (Chicago, IL) Bottle Notes: Purchased at store temperature December 10, 2025 at Beer on the Wall Park Ridge for $5.69 including tax. Refrigerated upon returning home before opening this morning. 12 oz. bottled August 7, 2025 @ 1:50 PM. Belgian-Style golden ale aged in bourbon barrels, 10.2% ABV, bottle conditioned. Barrel-aged golden classic. Aging our award-winning golden ale in bourbon barrels layers it with subtle notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak. Brewed & Bottled by Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine.

Appearance: Slow full bottle pour into a chalice yields a full egg white creamy head which leave generous lacing and a creamy bubbly cover over an unfiltered golden blond base with generous carbonation. 4.5

Aroma: Banana, clove, funky lemon, pear backed by a nice oak. Not getting bourbon early all I do get comes together great. 4.5

Taste: Here is the bourbon giving heft and a wakeup call, on equal terms with the banana, clove and funky lemon. Bourbon strengthens as this warms, leaving a wincing bitterness at times. 3.5

Mouthfeel: Slightly prickly carbonation, bourbon tasted more than felt as this feels under the 10.2% ABV. Creamy, medium plus body, lightly dry, any sweetness curb stomped by the heavier bourbon treatment. Growling harsh bourbon now dominates the finish. 3.75

Overall: I put the remaining glass in the freezer to regain the colder temps I like this best, The bourbon is too powerful over the lovely base, whereas an imperial stout base could hold its own and the bourbon could complement. Glad I tried, but would have loved the base without the barrel if given the option based on my initial cold drinking experience. 3.5

 

Found this again. I've wanted to post it since writing it 2 years ago but never got around to it. Time seems right now. Dedicated to @cavedave

Beer Advocate 3 Year Aniv Poem

‘Twas an Advocate’s evening

And folks were about.

There was beer in the fridge about to fall out!

Barrel aged, Porters, some Ales and Rye

But one beer was different and was totally dry.

It drank like an Ale or a Gose at best.

None of its foam ended up on my vest.

The beer had a voice that I could discern

of caramelized malts and zero hop burn.

But wait! Where is the yeast?

Without this oulde potion there can be no beast.

North, South, West & East the gem we all seek

must be teaming with yeast!

Munching that sugar and burpin’ out suds

maybe some drinkers will take off their duds.

The flavor was bold and then it was dry.

My tongue became sandy and then I was high.

The nuance of flavors a brewer can gauge

with math, science and a napkin for a page.

The brew that was different and drier than the rest

was simply a Saison that someone had left.

I love Xmas parties with people I know.

In homes and hotels where big beers can flow.

So with this note my Beer Advocates

I dedicate this brew, my passion for the holidays

and a year again with you.

Cheers! LesDeWitt4beer Dec. 2024


4.32/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12 oz can canned Mar 4, 2025 into a tulip glass.
L: Pours darkest brown, light steady carbo, a thin dark tan head that quickly recedes to thin edge foam, no lacing.
S: Bourbon barrel, dark chocolate, raisins, dates, prunes, toffee.
T: Taste follows aroma plus sweet malts, oak wood, vanilla, fig, dark sweet chocolate, a suggestion of smoke. Tastes do not morph with warming.
F: Smooth medium-heavy bodied mouthfeel with a medium length lightly dry finish. It's a little bit flat and is mildly thick.
O: A true sipper that masks its 14.7% ABV very well. Very relaxed tastes and feel. Nothing intense or clashing. Remarkably smooth feel. I'd like to have this beer again. It is outstanding in its style.

 

Cheers to @cavedave , I always enjoyed reading his introductory posts to NBS and appreciated his monthly cellar reviews in more recent times.

Kostritzer Schwarzbier (geez, sorry about the blurry pic!)

Appearance: Black, huge head.

Smell: Roasted malts, pumpernickel bread, a bit of dark fruit.

Taste: Dry roasted malts, some of the spicy bread note from the nose, light coffee. Medium-light body. The bready spiciness sticks around through the finish.

Overall: I enjoy schwarzbiers, saw this 4 pack on discount so picked it up. Kostritzer is a little less sweet and has more of an almost rye bread note to it than most of the other schwarzbiers I've had. Drinks well enough!

Hopefully will be back later from central Wisconsin at O'so.

 

Solid start. Maybe... “beer good. another? could”

 

Amazing story. Thanks for sharing it.

 

Good day BAs! Thanks @Beersnake for opening the bar so we can salute @cavedave! Today's New Breakfast Beer is one I think he would have enjoyed:

Koseling Bourbon-Aged Stout from Toppling Goliath. 16.9 fl oz bottle from Toppling Goliath, picked up last summer at the brewery. $ 30.00/$ 1.76/fl oz. In reefer at TG, stored at 40 F at home. Reviewed 31/01/26, review 3685. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Undated bottle, other than “200th Anniversary of the Norwegian Immigration to the United States.” (1825) Stored at home at 40 degrees F. Served at 55.5 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 60.4 degrees F.
Appearance – 4 – Basically looks like every other Imperial stout with no head/lacing.
First pour – Amber Brown (SRM 18), nearly opaque.
Body – Black (SRM 40), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, same with light penetration at the edges, ruby at the bottom and amber at the top.
Head – None (Aggressive center pour) 0.3 cm ring of bubbles, Chamoisee and fizzy with no retention, quickly breaking into a 0.5 mm broken ring of tiny bubbles, constantly being renewed by carbonation.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 4.5 – Caramel. Hints of bourbon and cinnamon, no hops, no malt, no vanilla. No alcohol (14.7% ABV, as marked on the label).
Flavor – 4.5 – It begins slightly sweet with caramel and hints of bourbon. No hops, no vanilla. No alcohol. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Moderate gastric warming. Ends slightly sweet, with cinnamon just an afterthought.
Palate – 4 – Full: Edging into syrupy: Soft but lively carbonation.
Style: Follows the BA style description.
Final impression and summation: 4.25 Uncredited label art, although I suspect it’s associated with the Vesterheim Museum/Folk Art School. Both cinnamon and bourbon are understated – pleasant but secondary to the caramel taste and aroma. Personally, I’d preferred more cinnamon but I know I’m in the minority.
Rating 4.37, rDev -1.1%

Cavedave - skål, my internet friend from the halcyon days of NBS!

 

Love it

 

Coincidentally, I was perusing the big beer store yesterday and an employee helpfully asked if he could assist me in finding anything. I was doing my usual slow walk to see what, if anything, jumped out at me so I banally answered, "No, I am just looking."

He said as he pointed at the beer you reviewed, "Ok, but since we are sitting right in front of it, I highly recommend this one."

I have had it and enjoyed it, but it wasn't speaking to me. I did what it seems you would do in the same situation, but for different reasons. I haven't had it in a while, but I recall feeling that the bourbon was handled more deftly than you did. Maybe I will get some again soon to see if my my memory is a bit off or if maybe my tolerance for a heavier bourbon profile is in play.

We had that at Jackie O's on our visit, and it was probably the standout. When the brewery distributed here for a while, I always looked for it (or its non-barrel aged version), and never saw it. Glad to see it seems to be as good as I recall it being.

Cheers to you both!

 

Stellar word smithing

 

What a great thread and again, thanks to @Beersnake for creating it so we may honor him in the best way we can: either with poetry, mushrooms, beer, or the sacred herb.

I have been on the site for almost 15 years, and have been off and on at different times but to know he was always here even when he abstained from beer, but still supporting others, makes him a true friend to all!

Sadly I don't think I have had any personal interactions with CaveDave, but knowing Utopiajane and him are from upstate New York, I feel get the type of experiences he had and shared. I should have known he also loved Sun Ra, so thanks to @beergoot for sharing the awesome interactions you had with him.

While I do not have a beer in my hands at the moment, I still raise a glass or lighter in Dave's honor!

 

I’m in the minority, as most people loved it, and I did enjoy it while cold, with the assertive base. I bought it because I love Allagash, though these days if given the chance of two beers, I’ll gravitate toward the 4-6% selection over a double digit ABV on most occasions.

Hope you were able to find good beers to bring home yesterday. I’m looking forward to warmer temps next week to stock up on new beers plus hopefully a few returning favorites.

Cheers!