New Beer Weekend #291

Made the yearly pilgrimage to Hill Farmstead and had Birth of Tragedy - barrel aged Imperial Porter
Very nice beer. Very well done.



4.66/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Drinking out of a snifter at the brewery
Pours a clear dark mahogany with a thin reddish tan head.
Smells of bourbon.
Nice silky smooth mouth feel.
Complex taste of cinnamon plus expresso underlain with bourbon,
Something you can drink slowly and enjoy

 

The bitter cold finally broke. Got out for a brief walk on my trails and the snow is still pretty deep for human walkers. Judging by the tracks, no problem for the deer.

We had ourselves a little pilgrimage yesterday and found a new to us fish market near the butcher shop we set out to visit. They had swordfish tips marinated in black garlic that we grabbed for supper tonight. Cooked in five minutes- absolutely delicious and very fresh plus reasonably priced. I'm thinking they'd be awesome on skewers on a yakitori grill that's pretty easy to build out of fire bricks.

The missus is having a Boulevard BA stout. I went light tonight and it is "almost" a pilsner:



This is Mast Landing Smooth Bore Kolsch-style ale brewed in conjuction with the Westbrook, ME fire department and Pink Badge society. Used Maine-grown malts but I can't find anything about the hops used - New World or otherwise. No idea how old it is but I just found it last weekend.

Pours crystal clear gold color with an enormous marshmallow fluff head. It lasts quite a while before ending as a thick ring with a floating continent of fine bubbles. Decent cling.

Not a lot going on in the nose department. I get quite a bit of biscuity/crackery malt and a very faint whiff of lemon.

The taste tells a better tale. It pretty much nails what I like about this style. Solid malt base, slightly sweet. Above that is plenty more lemon than the smell showed. There's some nice spiciness, a little floral flavor, earthiness, nice peppery kick on the end. There's just a little of the white wine character you can get with the style. It's really full-flavored.

Feel is light, carbonation is mid-road. Mild bitterness and the peppery bit lingers pleasantly.

Overall, it's very clean and the flavor is well-defined. It hits the style markers quite nicely. This will land in the 3.8 - 4.0 range. Nicely done. Easy drinker.

 

@Premo88 we gotta call the situation room, how do we handle an "almost a pilsner"?? I don't have the rule book handy.

 

Hammerheart Weltenwanderer
Bamberg-Style Smoked Helles Lager

My good friend @GreenBayBA sent me a killer box of beer this weekend and this is my first pour from the booty. I will remember the night Micah disappeared a Saturday night at this brewery only to find he was Subduing a tighty whity clad suspect at the motel for a sexy policewoman.
Micah talked his way out of two misdemeanors but woke up wearing handcuffs!


Reviewed by TCgenny from New York

4.05/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
It’s a pretty, light golden color and looks nice and clear in my @GreenBayBA branded Nordic monster belcher glass. Actual picture of Micah at family reunion in Wisconsin. He’s got 23% Neanderthal genes , only the good ones!

There’s about an inch of white foam on top that stays for a little while, though it doesn't really leave those "lacing" marks on the side of the glass as you drink it.
It has a super strong and pleasant smoky scent that reminds me exactly of a bonfire or a campfire. If you sniff closely, you can also catch a light, sweet smell of grains hiding underneath all that smoke.

When you first take a sip, there’s a quick hit of light citrus (like a tiny squeeze of lemon) and a bready, cereal-like flavor. Then the smoke takes over and just keeps getting stronger. It feels like the flavor changes from a BBQ smokehouse to a woody, outdoor campfire. Think boy scouts 1985!

It feels really smooth in your mouth. it still feels like a solid, medium-weight drink. The best part is how that smoky feeling just hangs around on your tongue long after you’ve finished the sip.
First try from HammerHeart brewing.
Thanks Micah, just getting started!

 

Hammerheart Dublin Raid



Reviewed by TCgenny from New York

4.03/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Given by a distinguished BA from GreenBay, Wisconsin.
Pours in my @GreenBayBA branded mega-monster Belcher glass: a deep mahogany brown with distinct amber highlights when held to a light source. The beer is topped by a dense, 2-finger tan head with exceptional retention and substantial lacing.
The bouquet is subtle but well-defined, characterized by a clean beechwood smoke and a solid grainy malt backbone.
This is a multi-layered experience. It begins with a front-end woodsmoke—reminiscent of a campfire—which transitions into deeper, earthy peat notes. The mid-palate introduces unexpected dark chocolate and cocoa elements, likely from the use of specialty malts like chocolate rye. The finish is marked by a sharp, spicy rye character that cuts through the malt sweetness.
Full-bodied and exceptionally smooth. It possesses a creamy, viscous texture that coats the palate without being cloying.
Overall: Despite the reserved aroma , the interplay between chocolate and rye make this a standout, deliciously balanced smoked lager.

getting into it!

Teenage Micah eating the heart out of a Norwegian reindeer
Blessed by the Luthersk minister Bompa (#3)

 

Trying to be a team player so having a new pilsner
...roma Italian pilsner
...very light amber appearance with a white head
....medium carbonation with about a medium body
... aroma is strong hit of yeast bread, grain, cereal with some citrus zest and earthy hops
...taste has very mild sweetness with citrus zest that coats the mouth. Almost dry finish with some hop bitterness that dominates the aftertaste.
...really nice well done beer

 

Boulevard Space Camper Mother Omega Clusterfuzz IPA ( Mixed 12, times are hard here for new beer around here right now ), 4.3% ABV; 3.88 overall


Pours a bright & effervescent gold with a thumb+ of fluffy pearl colored head. Very good head retention & lacing

S: Some orchard fruit, melons

T: Peaches, white grape, ever so faint orange & dryness up front. Dryness, peaches, green melon & a little grassyness once warmed up, some pomelo. Finishes a little dry with green melon, peaches & white grape

MF: Light/medium body, slight carbonation, decent balance

Drinks easy, but for the life of me why isn't this a Spring or Summer release? Decent flavor & better nose, but not one I'd ever buy a sixer of again

 

Not a big Swordfish guy, but that sounds great

 

Me either- it's gotta be fresh for me and this was very fresh. I didnt like sword at all until we found harpoon caught - completely different taste and texture. This stuff ate almost like steak - I don't know if the marinade kinda dehydrated it a little or if it was just because it was tip pieces. Very uniform size, too, so an easy cook. Good little shop, reasonably priced... but halibut was still $34 a pound. Love halibut but would be terrified to cook it at that price.

 

I question if I've ever really had it fresh, no substitute. Having said that I've some amazing Sushi in Colorado, which leads me to believe it was flown in ( Ski Town, but the prices weren't crazy ) it is feasible. One of the few seafood places nearby I recommend gets their stuff flown in 2 or 3 times a week, their place reflect that. All lot of it is from Mass. They also have some good Gulf caught stuff as well

 

Central Waters 7 Layer Stout

This was an immediate “Have To” by Micah who told me my next first born son will be called Micah @GreenBayBA
He also counseled me: smoke then bourbon is a natural aphrodisiac
Apply beer strategy always
Respect beer
Respect your elders
Respect your BAs.

hey, respect my time, it’s NBW time



Reviewed by TCgenny from New York

4.32/5 rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Honestly the best Central Waters stout I’ve enjoyed. I recieved this from @GreenBayBA yesterday and he insisted that this aphrodisiac could possibly get me Some Valetimes fun, (wink wink). Pours into my Don Mario branded Stout vessel: rich, thicc, with a really nice head. And the aroma is chocolaty , really this is a great combo of rich decadence of chocolate and bourbon barrel. I may have lost my virginity at 21, but I made up for it in the next 4 years. Kind of like Central Waters: where were you all my life. Tasty chocolate, given I’m eating fondue which may bias me. Anyways, thankful for this opportunity.
I guess simple but delic.

Micah always says:
30% of the time
This works 100% of the time

 

Sierra Nevada Cosmic Little Things IPA
Hazy Double IPA
3.89/5 rDev -3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
120125. Poured into a Samuel Adams Perfect Pint.

A: Slightly hazy gold with 1-2 finger frothy white head with good retention and copious lacing.

S: Orange, pineapple, guava, and geeen honeydew melon. low. Fruity esters.

T: Flavor is run of the mill for a hazy DIPA with tropical fruity flavors of pineapple, guava, orange, and melon. Esters are more evident in the flavor and are tropical fruit gum. Bitterness is low.

M: Feel is viscous and medium bodied with medium finish, bordering on syrupy.

O: Cosmic Little Thing is a fine IPA but not distinctive and has a good aroma and flavor profile but a thick less drinkable feel.

 

Even here where you'd think it'd be easy it is tricky. Got to find a place you can trust. Oddly, Whole Foods used to be really good but then Anazon happened. If we are gonna indulge, it had better be good. Kinda like beer. Sushi has grown quite a bit but, man does it hit the wallet hard.

 

I lived in Hawaii where it was great & dirt cheap, so I feel that

 

Civil Life - American Brown Ale

12oz can served in a stemless rastal. Canned 05/30/25. Got it long ago from @not2quick, discovered recently in a dark and dangerous corner of my beer fridge.

Pours dark brown with a modest head, good retention around 1-2mm thick, mostly even with a few bigger bubbles. Light shines shyly and attractively through the dark liquid. Smell is darkly nutty, toasty / bready, some bark and / or wet wood.

Taste is roasty, tons of nuts, nice barky bitterness though not too strong. Biscuit / bread / toast, some earthy characteristic. Moderate sweetness underlying all of it.

Mouthfeel is medium to light, smooth and clean. Very nice brown ale.

 

Seven tribesmen American amber ale the forge
... dark murky ruby amber appearance with a thin but lasting off white head
...medium carbonation with medium body
...aroma is malt, honey, sweet dessert bread with some toasted grain in the background.
... taste has some sweetness, malty, spice, dry bitter hops on the finish that linger
...overall a very flavorful well done beer

 

New-to-me and my first English Stout is Organic Chocolate Stout by Samuel Smith's. Milk chocolate plus lots of other stuff blended to perfection. Cheers!



4.5/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A moderate through-the-head pour released three fingers of tan creamy foam with very long retention plus webs of lacing and a thick ring and cap. Dark chocolate body, clear with ruby/amber highlights.

Milk chocolate greets the nose, bready malt (dark bread, toast and yeasty dough) follows. Faint floral hops and confectionery sugar balance with coffee, toffee and caramel.

Semi-sweet with low hop flavor and bitterness at first. Coffee, toffee and caramel combine to equal the chocolate. Roasted nuts appear and malt rises during the middle and add more balance to the previous flavors. Bitterness and hop flavor rise to a tad above average. The finish is long with the chocolate dropping off first, caramel and roasted coffee beans linger with a surprise late hit of hops plus spice.

Medium-full bodied with above average carbonation, smooth and balanced almost to a fault. Alcohol is very well hidden and it improves greatly from warming. A certain revisit.

 

Martin House Brewing Death by Chocolate Cake Stout with Lactose & Chocolate Cake & Vanilla Creme Flavor, 12.0% ABV; 3.8 overall

Pours an effervescent chestnut/mahogany with a pinky of tan/mocha head, drops off fast. Below average head retention & lacing, plenty viscous

S: Cocoa, vanilla, fades as it warms, some raw/fusel booze starts to come through as well

T: Follows the nose, some creamy, dry lactose notes up front. Chocolate cake & creamy vanilla as this beer warms up, some alcohol on the tongue, a bit of woody hop bitterness. Finishes with chocolate cake, with a bit of vanilla cream infused booze

MF: Medium body, fairly creamy carbonation, body thins a touch once warm

Mind blowing how well hidden the heftiness is. Still a bit sweet, but heads & shoulders over most of their beers. Nose falls apart at the end. Not a bad dessert Imp Stout, but one & done