New Beer Weekend #289 (for @cavedave!)

Triptych - AJ's Stout 2022 #2, 15.5%

12oz bottle, silver wax over the cap. Don't see a date besides the 2022 #2.

Pours black. Not dark brown. Black. With absolutely no head. Still. Could be a glass of heavily used motor oil. Smell is screaming barrel, molasses, vanilla, and char. Boozy AF. Vanilla and dark roast coffee all over the place.

Taste is...candy. Black licorice and molasses, maple syrup. Back up a bit to the molasses...that's dominant. It is sweet, with all the dark sweet flavors you can think of. Dates, raisins, molasses, plums, sherry, vanilla, mocha.

Mouthfeel is thick, chewy, borderline sticky. Very, very nice.

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Maybe worth pointing out...beer #5,000 on here. Not review #5,000, got ~100 more to get there, but 5k seems like an awful lot.

Cheers, my friends.

 

THANK YOU.

 

Greetings, New Beer people. And respect to everyone for what you do, and the inspirations you create. Beer Is Good, even when an individual beer is not good.

I was a fan of @cavedave's posts (how could you not be, if you love beer and BeerAdvocate?), yet I was pretty sure I hadn't interacted with him here. But then the name "Dave Fiekowsky" came up, and it sounded familiar, and I realized I knew that name on Facebook through a mutual friend (who is, himself, a legend here, certainly in the northwest forum).

I can say this: Dave Fiekowsky's heart was in the right place. Even a small number of Facebook interactions told me this. And for that alone, I miss him.

The New Beer I raise in his honor tonight is not a great beer, but it tried its best. Maybe it will be better in the next batch.



Oak Union Beleth Imperial Oatmeal Stout

Look:
The body looks brown-black, but the light on my phone shows it to be a dark burnt orange with carrot orange highlights. An ephemeral head of dark tan foam ebbs to a minimal ring that leaves no lacing.

Smell:
The nose is chocolate and vanilla and burnt sugar, with some dark roasted malt and a twinge of alcohol.

Flavor:
The taste is a moderately sweet combination of dark chocolate milk, roasted malt, and vanilla. There's also a small note of fresh banana which seems out of place but I dig it anyway. No sign of the hazelnuts, although I'll keep searching for them as the beer warms. Decent bitterness foils a mounting sweetness that keeps threatening to escalate. Light alcohol in the aftertaste.

Feel:
The body is round and comfy and almost hefty enough. It has a luscious texture and feisty carbonation.

Overall:
Beleth is a good imperial oatmeal stout. It's not a dessert beer, but is still more dessert-ish than I was in the mood for. I'd like to try a version of this without the chocolate and vanilla, for they seem like unnecessary window-dressing on a beer that is probably just fine without them.

Coda:
The label does not mention chocolate, vanilla, or hazelnuts anywhere. This information is only available from social media, and perhaps the Oak Union website. This is a substantial drawback, especially considering this beer includes hazelnuts.

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Fare thee well, cavedave. Listen to the river sing sweet songs...

 

Closing in on 5K reviews, huzzah!

 

Still need to catch up with the large number of Saturday evening/early Sunday posts, but grateful of the many thoughtful memories and reviews posted the first day plus.

While I'm celebrating my 11th anniversary today, I'm still a new poster when it comes to the national / international threads I only discovered in 2019. Was pretty much limited to Great Lakes plus Beer and Place Reviews my first four years. I was so new, I started New Beer Sunday during Week 767 (November 3, 2019 - a day which continues to live in Beer Advocate infamy) under my first user name (dukeandduke, from my Motley Fool 1990s message board I brought over to a few other non investing boards), and didn't realize there were weekly curators with @cjgiant and others gracious of my faux pas. I would love a return to the older format with a scheduled host, but also like some of the changes as well.

I say all this to note I unfortunately wasn't around for cavedave's (and @utopiajane 's stewardship. Thankfully, I got acquainted with cavedave via the Cellar Review Threads, and really looked forward each month to his one allowed beer, his excellent reviews and his thoughtful comments. Dave fell short clearing his remaining 5-6 dozen cellar beers, but I hope beer lovers in his circle are able to host a gathering or two to help share and clear the remaining beers in his memory.

Will create a second post for my New Beer Sunday selection.

 

Continuing the celebration of Cavedave with another review. Cheers, everyone!



King Machine
Hazy Imperial IPA | 8.2% ABV
Tree House Brewing Company in Charlton, Massachusetts

Reviewed by beerdedking from Pennsylvania

4.38/5 rDev -0.5% | Average: 4.4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
A combination of King Julius and Juice Machine? I am in for this. Pour is viscous with a deep shade of orange. Foam is ample giving way to residual lacing. Scents are a myriad of pungent citrus and tropical fruits, and flavors follow to a T. Chewy hop layers come along in waves atop the oated base with lots of tart rind flavors kicking in. Sweetness is noticeable but thoroughly limited by a long bit of resin that rides with the thick feel. Having had both King J and J Machine, this beer is the perfect amalgam of both with highlights of each coming to the palate. Very nice idea that is well executed.

 

Welcome one and all to New Beer Sunday #1093! I had this beer slated for the 21st Anniversary of New Beer Sunday which I hope all of you can join us on February 22nd. It has been ranked as special to many (100 World Class BA score), and hoping it is special to me as well. I pull this in tribute of @cavedave !

Also, coming across Craig's @cjgiant weekend post regarding linking and expanding / coming up with additional or different thoughts regarding beers posted here, I am going to return to my original practice of posting a review, will add a link to it, and summarize my review with a few thoughts and perhaps treatment beyond the beer reviewed.

I got into the practice of cutting and pasting the entire review to have it in two spots after the transition to New Beer Weekend when posts with music videos were deleted and I lost my out of town review. I had accounts on RateBeer which I would have as a backup site which one of my two brothers also participated, but with that website sadly gone, I no longer plan on keeping up my Excel spreadsheet. I hope to go back and enter all of my notes across the pending 1,000 + beers and dozens of places, and hopefully will finally get to it over the next year or two.

The Bruery Black Tuesday

4.44/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5



Full review linked above. I fortunately had a work trip in August 2018 in Orange County, California, which allowed me to order online and pick up my first Bottle Logic Fundamental Observation and visit multiple breweries including The Bruery in Placentia. People say Fundamental Observation had a big drop off once they expanded production, but that is the case for many hype beers, and I and my brothers enjoyed the 2018 bottles I was able to buy and the beers I sampled during the pickup.

The Bruery is now one of many Hedge Fund breweries, purchased by a Boston Firm with binders full of beer shortly before my visit. So I really don't buy much from them, but will always cherish my first visit to Orange County and their brewery, and subsequent drive to Vegas to also enjoy my home away from home.

This has similarities to my Saturday selection, as my favorite BA beers are at peak nearing room temperature, but the weekend beers offered peak in the still too cool perhaps 50 F stage. The difference today is the fact this beer dropped from excellent to very good, whereas yesterday dropped from very good to they shouldn't have barreled this.

I have three weeks to find a suitable NBS anniversary beer, and I look forward to the challenge.

Cheers to cavedave!!!

 

I decided to look into my conversations, and found the one where Dave let me know he and Maria were stepping down as hosts of New Beer Sunday. They were looking for replacements, and I was one of the options - mainly because I was up and posting pretty early in the thread most Sundays.

I recall thinking there were others that were more worthy and correctly guessed I wasn't the first choice. However, that wasn't what Dave focused on, telling me instead that he felt I had a love of beer and words that would work just fine. His attempts to allay my trepidation about trying to follow in the footsteps of such beloved contributors almost worked. He assured me he felt the same way when he was asked to take on the role. Both hosts told Dick and I that all we had to do was stick to the basic tenets of the thread, put our own spin on it, and everything would flow from there.

He also had encouraging words for the change to New Beer Weekend, hoping it would bring more involvement in the thread that asked people to use words instead of numbers to describe the qualities of a beer. I recall a few times, especially when he had to curtail his drinking, that he checked into the thread and quoted a poster to tell them something along the lines of, "I feel I am right there experiencing that beer with you."

For my Sunday beer this week, I was glad I found a beer from a brewery that is not new to me. It is also a beer that a few of you might get a chance to purchase or avoid if you are so swayed by my thoughts (if you can figure out what the hell they are). So here is my review of Dogfish Head's Czech-spresso.


Brown liquid from can
Swirls in glass, blackens to eye
Beige froth tops dark roast

Fruit-like yeast esters
In amounts unexpected
Bean hides underneath

Medium brown toast
Joins shelled nut dry bitterness
Tangy edges lift

Coffee steps shyly
Warmth emboldens its presence
Late to the party

Style box is Czeched
Espresso subtly noticed
Sum heads to neutral

 

Thanks for the long story at the beginning….

My thoughts on that beer, to a tee

 

Congrats on 5,000 ratings!

You were just ahead of your time

If only I knew how to tell short stories

 

Just a hint of oxidation and umami notes, otherwise plenty of caramel and brown sugar, with a nice barrel undertone.

 

New Glarus Back 40 Bock

Appearance: Clear dark amber/light brown, big head.

Smell: Malty, mild apple fruitiness.

Taste: Toasted bread, then mild fruit like apples or plum before the breadiness comes back strong. Medium bodied. Finishes with a mix of bread and earthiness.

Overall: Another well made lager from New Glarus, this is a malty treat without being super heavy. A nice one to throw in as a change of pace from big stouts. Thanks to @GreenBayBA for this one.

 

Tried this new Southern Tier offering last night. Added to the BA database, and thanks to @dcotom I finally was able to add a photo as well (pending approval).

Overall, I enjoyed this IPA as I do like when various citrus fruits are added from time to time, but I did think the heavy floral nature was detracting. Worth a try for sure



Daybreak
Hazy IPA | 6.5% ABV
Southern Tier Brewing Company in Lakewood, New York

Reviewed by beerdedking from Pennsylvania

3.96/5 rDev 0% | Average: 3.96
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
This is quite an aromatic beer. Upon cracking this can, a huge bouquet of lemon, citrus bergamot, yuzu, and lime scents pack a punch. Appearance is hazy straw in color with popping carbonation creating a froth that lingers nicely, then settling into rings of lacing. Flavors come in heavily with lemon, bergamot, and yuzu with nice accompanying floral and citrus hop notes. Some dry rind is available helping balance things. Sips become quaffs as the softness of this beer reveals itself. I found this to be a bit too floral and lemony in nature for my taste, but I enjoyed this beer nevertheless. It is quite drinkable and would be even more well suited as a summer thirst quencher with a 6.5 ABV kick.

 

Cave Dave loved a good Altbier!

 

MOAS was one of his faves, and I was fortunate to have had it, thanks to him. Yet another of the many he turned me onto over the years!

 

Oh, man, he loved VT IPAs for sure! He introduced me to that world, and we, his "Cavist disciples"- from the Doom Saloon all enjoyed our annual VT 'beer camp'- a weekend up in Waterbury, VT, camping, drinking the best VT IPAs, eating, smoking, laughing....nights around the fire with cigars, and the big beers would come out.
Cave Dave would bring out something big, something rare (maybe something he'd gotten from one of his BA trading partners!) Something we HAD to try; something he HAD to share...

 

I thought I was done for New Beer Weekend, and I was wishing I had bought the Sierra Nevada Springfest that I came across on Friday to compare with two other NBW posts.

And then the GF sensed my thoughts and grabbed some on her trip to the grocery store. She said she got it because the idea of spring sounded good to her, but I know it had to be a cosmic connection between us and not her general love of IPAs and Sierra Nevada


As far as guidelines go, I feel @JackHorzempa laid down some that seem about right to me.

This beer is a clear golden color, checking the clarity box. The head is quite white, but a tad bit loose, and coral craggles form as it falls, leaving a soapy edge just atop the surface before I tip the glass.

The nose has a piquant pungency to it that some might have called "catty" in times past. I also get the impression of a yeast that might produce cleaner beers - along the lines of Brut or cold IPAs. I doubt such a yeast was used, but I just got a vibe, man. Behind those things is a slightly sweet bread.

Definitely a clean opening to this quite cold beer (it was in the GF's car for an hour), as if the taste were taking cues from the looks. It has a citrus peel front to it - zest and pith - and feels as if it is sitting between light and medium in weight. Midway through, the cat starts sniffing around for a location to... well, never mind. It doesn't quite find a place to squat, though. Finish is ever so slightly numbing from either carbonic acid or some slightly peppery hops.

So, comparing with posts by Jack and @russpowell - some notes:

• I would argue my head retention wasn't as strong as they found, but it wasn't bad
• We all got citrus notes, and in this case I could see the grassiness @russpowell
• I (maybe) got a bit carbonation effect, but we all put it generally in the "medium light" category
• I didn't get much of sweeter melon fruits or floral aspects that my fellow BAs got, but they didn't get the cattiness I did. But I could maybe see flower stems or grape leaves.

So maybe we just might need a few more opinions. I'm sure Dave would be all for that.

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. I'm happy to contribute to this very special New Beer Weekend.

The first time I met @cavedave was at Rushing Duck Brewing Co., in Chester, NY, in August 2017. I had seen his photo on BA and knew it had to be him so I introduced myself and we drank several beers together and had a great conversation. For its 5th Anniversary, Rushing Duck had released a special version of its flagship DIPA, War Elephant, with over 10 lbs. of hops per barrel. Dave and I agreed it was one of the hoppiest beers we ever had and the taste and experience was amazing. He said it was like chewing on hop cones. Later that day, we both posted about the experience:



So it's fitting that yesterday, Untied Brewing celebrated its 7th Anniversary with a 7-hop behemoth, 7th Trip Around the Sun. The hops are not identified but it shares some of the attributes Dave and I experienced on that summer afternoon at Rushing Duck, a brewery that was special to Dave, as it is to me.



Reviewed the day after can release. It is a hazy, bright tangerine color with over a finger of fluffy, bright white foam and a thick sheen of lacing. A fruity nose featuring lemon, lime, tangerine, pineapple, and whiffs of stone fruit and other sweet tropical fruit. There is a lot going on in the taste! It opens with tart citrus, including lemon peel and grapefruit rind. Beneath is a solid, slightly crackery, malt base with a hint of oat sweetness. As the ale warms a bit there is increasing tropical sweetness, including notes of pineapple and orange/tangerine. There is crisp, clean hop bitterness throughout. Untied resisted the temptation to go big with the ABV. I really like that this ale is sub-8%. It is crisp and very drinkable. A second pour is not an issue. Overall, 7th Trip takes its place with its anniversary predecessors. It is flavorful and very enjoyable.

4.32/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul.
Goodnight.

Fare you well, Dave!