New Beer Weekend #291

Greetings, New Beer people. Big round of applause to @Premo88 for getting things started.

@jonphisher I'd like to contribute a Pilsner to this thread, but that's not going to happen tonight. Indeed, I'm actually part of the problem, because I'm drinking a triple IPA...



Breakside Safe Word
Triple IPA

16-ounce can purchased at Breakside Beaverton. Date stamp reads "01/30/26." Enjoyed in a nonic half-pint glass.

Look:
The yellow-gold body starts with a touch of haze which clears up after about 10 minutes. The second pour from the can was much more cloudy and never really cleared. Up top there's a puck of thick off-white foam that diminishes to a heavy collar and lingering skin. Nice thick lacing.

Smell:
Opens with grapefruit peel, orange marmalade, and a little peach and apricot. Pine follows, with undertones of oregano and diesel. Other notes emerge briefly before retreating into that fog of hops: blueberry, anise, cantaloupe, a spray of flowers, a shred of coconut. There's also plenty of alcohol.

Taste:
Starts moderately sweet but dries quickly. Pine takes the lead, then lemon and grapefruit zest kick in. Then it's melon balls and peaches, along with a handful of strawberries. A tall wave of weed comes out of nowhere and grabs the spotlight before being ushered offstage by an herbal and floral note. Alcohol and citrus combine in the finish for an orange liqueur impression. There's good bitterness under all that fruit and booze.

Feel:
Medium-full body that's a little oily. Brisk, finely-textured carbonation cuts clean through. Finishes with a warming, drying combo of alcohol and hop burn.

Overall:
Breakside Safe Word Triple IPA is not quite as perilously drinkable as Younger or El Segundo Power Plant or Bale Breaker Mount Saint Humulus. But it is still a fine TIPA: not too heavy, not too sweet, and not too punishing (though it leaves a good burn as a warning).

Right now my safe word is "green," just like the label, and that means go go go.

 

That sounds great. I hope you get a chance for a visit or two to enjoy before it's gone.

People, and I'll count myself in that group, tend to gravitate toward the 8 and 10, but I've grown to appreciate 6. Glad you also loved the Samuel Smith Organic Chocolate Stout.

Any other result would have been tragic on Saint Valentine's Day.

Don't tell anyone around Chicago, but Parabola and Central Waters Black Gold are to me the best consistently incredible annual stouts I look forward to most of all each year.

The beer and photo indicates you had an incredible Saturday afternoon. Really hope to make it up there and beyond (Quebec), though likely not until I get a car in a few years.

Cheers!

 

Well I just so happen to have TWO New To Me Pils, so hopefully @Todd and the Mods consider keeping this thread open through Monday for President's Day (Still Washington's Birthday here in Illinois). I already had this beer pegged for today, so hopefully Pils wins out after the votes are all counted (still Ballot Stuffing here in Illinois ).

Before diving in, just want to put a reminder we will be celebrating the 21st Anniversary of New Beer Sunday next weekend, and hope you can join us. In the interim, here is my New Beer Sunday #1095 selection, from the same brewery that brewed the Sleepy Beer series I pulled out of hibernation three weekends ago.

Werk Force Brewing Company Lift Ticket

2.54/5 rDev -22.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.25



Full review linked above.

I only went skiing once, in 7th grade with the Boy Scouts. Few if any of us had skied before, and while one kid fell directly in my path, I jumped over most of him, but clipped enough where I wiped out and broke my left leg in the process. This beer is a very similar experience. It's looks very nice, but when it comes to beer, it's better to smell and taste marvelous than to look marvelous.

Cues Vinko Bogataj.

 

If it’s a good beer then it’s a win for all.

Im out of new to me pils now I’m either waving the flag or jumping in the car to grab a single today.

————

@ChicagoJ team pils is very gracious and appreciative of your ballot stuffing. We apologize for the taste being so low.

Now live olympic hockey with morning coffee, life is good.

 

As it stands now we are all tied up to start this Sunday:

Team Pils: 9
Team IPA: 9

Team pils hanging on in the game, but will IPA break it wide open or will pils put up a fight???

 

I plan on "collecting" the whole Rochefort set! Cheers.

 

This is fantastic. Super crisp, bitter, clean, a lustrous feel. I'll be needing more of this...and zee tap room is 2 miles away. A 3rd brew will be rqr'd for a review
Luce Line Euro Step German Pils

 

Cheers, New Beer Weekenders!

This Enegren Baltic Porter was provided by the esteemed @Nugganooch It was a very nice treat highlighted by its smoke and wood notes. Recommended!



Maple Baltic Porter
Baltic Porter | 9.1% ABV
Enegren Brewing Company in Moorpark, California

Reviewed by beerdedking from Pennsylvania

4.02/5 rDev +1.8% | Average: 3.95
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Before opening this, I had a notion of how it would taste. I was thinking a sweet, chewy, maple laden dessert style lager. Totally incorrect, and happily so. First sips revealed a nice blend of maple hints and smokiness. Excellent start. As it warmed further attributes came forward including a lively carbonation that provided some roast and cocoa. Earthy hops in the finish kept sweetness in check well. In total, this beer's flavors intermingled nicely across its medium bodied feel. This beer was quite drinkable, and I'd be happy to have it again.

 

This lager was pretty darn good and worthy of your attention, NBW. Full bodied and about as complex as a beer of this ilk can get. One overall lament is Ever Grain 's absence of can dating, but I knew this was fresh. I purchased it from Wegmans who always turns their stock over well and doesn't keep old stuff around as a general rule.



Exportbier
European / Dortmunder Export Lager | 5.7% ABV
Ever Grain Brewing Co. in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania

Reviewed by beerdedking from Pennsylvania

4.35/5 rDev +2.8% | Average: 4.23
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This is an outstanding American take on a Dortmunder. Noticed first is its cumulus cloud of foam, seemingly much more pronounced than the average lager. Early sips had to be taken through these suds as they just stayed put. Scents of lemony grains, cracker, biscuit, and floral/herbal/earthy hops come to the forefront. Drinking this lager is a nice experience. A depth of flavors that were foreshadowed on the nose are all there in spades. Bittering hops come through in the back end tying everything together. This is a full bodied and delicately viscous lager. Worth seeking out, especially when fresh as this one was if you can determine this in one way or another due to Ever Grain's lack of can dating.

 

Good day BAs! Thanks @Premo88 for opening the bar! Today's New Breakfast Beer:



Sur Lie (2026) from Revolution Brewing. 19. fl oz can from Revolution Deep Wood six-pack from Half Time. Ordered 20/01/26, received 13/02/26 (Not shipping until after 04/02/26). $ 28.26 (Including tax and shipping)/ $ 1.471/fl oz. Stored at 40 degrees F at home. Reviewed 15/02/26, review 3690. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Printed on can bottom “13.6% ABV 01/15/26.” Stored at home at 40 degrees F. Served at 56.6 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 63.6 degrees F.
Appearance – 4. Pretty much like any Imperial stout with a small head.
First pour – Amber Brown (SRM 18), nearly opaque.
Body – Brown (SRM 30), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, light penetrates the bottom edge, ruby.
Head – Small (Maximum 0.7 cm, aggressive center pour). Tan brown lightening to biscuit as it oxygenates, high density. Excellent retention, eventually dropping to a 0.5 cm crown and a partial cap.
Lacing – None, as expected.
Aroma – 3.5 – Little aroma – weak roasted malt, nearly imaginary chocolate. No alcohol (13.6 % ABV, as marked on the can bottom). No bourbon, no wine, no barrels.
Flavor – 4 – Begins slightly bitter with roasted malt and just a ghost of chocolate. No hops. No alcohol. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Neither bourbon nor oaky barrel. As it warms to final temperature, some vinous qualities arise. Initial marked gastric burning ameliorates.
Palate – 4.25 – Medium to full: Creamy: Soft carbonation.
Style: Sort of follows the BA style description.
Final impression and summation: 4 Uncredited label art. Overall, a decent imperial stout with an extreme price point – probably due to the excessive handling and passing between barrels and lees. But the high ABV and the stovepipe can make it delish!
Rating 3.91, rDev -9.1%

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

Super late to the party. Sorry about that. I'll catch up on this thread as the day goes on.

I've decided to start off with this beer I picked up in the cities 2 weeks ago.

Barrel Aged Christmas Bomb - Prairie Artisan Ales - McAlester, OK - Imperial Pastry Stout - 13%

Wow, it's been a long time since we've been able to get Prairie here in central Minnesota, and a long time since I've had Christmas Bomb. This beer is delicious. It is a warm tasting and feeling beer. I am so glad I bought the giftset that was at TW. I will be enjoying this beer for a long time today.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30356/258280/
4.55/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
From a 12oz bottle. Bottled on 10/09/2025

Very slight hiss upon opening. This beer looks and pours like motor oil. It is pitch black looking and thick coming out of the bottle. There was a 1 finger tan colored head to the beer that didn't last too long, as expected. There's no lacing on the glass.
The aroma is a bomb of Christmas spices. So much cinnamon and nutmeg. Slight peppery aroma. It smells like a gingerbread cookie. Nice whiskey backbone to the aroma. The nose is very warming feeling to me.
Oh, boy. This is a nice tasting beer. There's a lot of cinnamon and nutmeg in the flavor. There's a nice cookie/malty flavor to this beer. The finish has a nice whisky flair to it from the barrels used to age it. No idea what barrels were used, but I like it.
This is a very warm feeling beer from the spices. Very thick feeling overall. Smooth feeling. Slight burn from a combination of the cinnamon, barrels, and ABV.
Wow, I am glad I got to try the BA version of this beer. We no longer get anything from Prairie here in central Minnesota. This takes me back for sure.


This may be it, not sure yet. If so, see you all in the next NBW.

 

Good Sunday morning NBS/nbw. Thanks to this weeks host @Premo88
And as always to @ChicagoJ for keeping the New Beer Weekend clock running
Its a beauty out there today in the 413, with clear sunny skies and topping out in the mid 30's
Almost sugaring weather!!, Our youngest is on his way home from Taiwan, we had an overlapping visit there this year. Jan and I went a week ahead, visisted with our granddaughter son and daughter inlaw, then #2 came and stayed past our departure.
Great trip,
Home now after what seems like a chaotic few months. House construction, holidays, Taiwan trip, Jan now recovering from foot surgery upon the return.
I need a beer!

Todays offering is a lovely German Zwickl, with snappy hops, beautiful malts profile and great texture. This one strikes a cord today for some reason,

Cheers everone

Zwickl

Kellerbier / Zwickelbier | 5.3% ABV
Hofbräuhaus Traunstein Josef Sailer KG in Traunstein, Germany

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.16/5 rDev +5.1% | Average: 3.96
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 500 ml brown bottle. Dated 04/09/25 into the test glass.
A - Lovely golden color, a kiss of haze, beautiful carbonation parade never ends. Slow and determined. A thin white cap pops in for a visit. Lacing is in abstract form.
S - Biscuity malts, lemongrass, cut floral element from the hops. With some time a pithy citrus thread runs through
T - Fresh bread, lemon verbena, a bit of citrus again.
M - Medium in body, smooth in texture, not crisp, not slick. Gentle carbonation keeps it more full feeling.
Finish is quick, linger leans into the malt elements
O - A treat to have, nothing offputting, slightly round on the palate. excellent aromatics and flavor
I will be looking for more.

 

4.54/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Look: thick and hazy, orange/yellowish hue, big fluffy white head, excellent lacing throughout
Smell: citrusy notes of melon, peach, grapefruit, and papaya - herbal and spice
Taste: melon, peach, grapefruit, pine, guava, papaya, spice, herbal
Feel: med plus body, mod carbo, some pithy bitterness
Overall: 8.4% abv. Ordered 2 from Tavour and took both down for this review. Starts out with nice citrus on the nose and taste. Once the palate adjusts and some warmth comes in, the papaya, pine, spice and herbal notes become more prominent. Sometimes herbal notes can throw a beer off for me but not in this case. I imagine some might describe the herbal notes as "dank". But the overall flavor combo with the pithy bitterness elevated this brew to a higher level for me. Certainly, wasn't another middle of the road juice bomb. I'd love to revisit this brew again. Pairs well with Eye in the Sky by The Alan Parsons Project. Cheers!

 

RSVP
6.5% Hazy IPA by Jackie O’s



From a 12 ounce can poured a hazy apricot yellow with good fluffy white head. Very good lacing.

Aroma features a mix of fruit: pineapple, peach and mango. Taste has the juicy flavor of the aroma but is toned down slightly and cut by a bitterness that has a medium bite and trails off at finish.

Mouthfeel was medium and carbonation strong.

Good tasting hazy made for their twentieth anniversary.

 

Blackstack/Barrel Theory Local Drops

Appearance: Cloudy yellow, big head.

Smell: Lemony, citrus, mild sweetness.

Taste: Mild sweetness to start, then a nice mix of citrus fruits-lemon, orange, limes on a soft and sweet base. Soft feel, medium bodied. Finishes with some sweetness and then lingering limes.

Overall: Blackstack and Barrel Theory are the big guns for NEIPA style beers here in the Twin Cities. Often, collaborations are less than the sum of the parts, but this is really good! No hop burn, actual distinct flavors, no mealy mouthfeel. I might have to see if there’s any more of this around since I got this can from @GreenBayBA !

 

Sorry @jonphisher, this is the closest to a Pils I had on hand. Not sure if Pilsner-inspired counts...

Today's new beer has been siting in the fridge since a Christmas guest left it. I've been avoiding it as I usually don't like corn-based AALs, much preferring rice-based ones. But...it's not that bad. In fact, rated to style (which a quick look at AAL ratings shows that a majority of BAs definitely do not do) it's actually quite good. I still would rather have a Bud Heavy, but this is the first corn-based macro that I've almost enjoyed. I might need to revist the others with my new BA-enhanced palate.

Modelo Especial
4.4% AAL



Pours clear and bright gold with a fleeting three-finger white head.

Aromas of honey, fresh white bread, cracker, and slight sweet corn.

Really nothing to delight nor displease on the palate. Some honey, cracker, slight biscuit, white bread, a hint of earthy bitterness, with a residual sweetness on the finish. Everything wraps up quickly here.

Light bodied, high carb, with a clean finish. Goes down real easy except for the high carb.

Overall, there's nothing wrong with this AAL and, in fact, it's much cleaner tasting for me than many others.

 

Maple + Smoke + Baltic Porter + Enegren?

Mother of God...

That sounds fantastic.

 

My last new beer in the fridge, we'll see what I find when the little lady and I head out for our Vday proceedings shortly. Meanwhile, this Cascadian Black Ale (says OH, this is a black IPA) immediately becomes one of the best I've had in its category. Black IPAs are usually a one and done for me, then switch to something else. This one I could drink all night, wow!



Doug
Black IPA | 7.1% ABV
Other Half Brewing - Center Street in Brooklyn, New York

Reviewed by beerdedking from Pennsylvania

4.32/5 rDev +6.1% | Average: 4.07
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A khaki tan head of nice proportion and residual lacing are delivered by the black beer base from Doug. Lifting this fresh pour to my nose, I get faint scents of black licorice and old school piney hops. A bit underwhelming olfactory wise, but the flavor profile comes in with a fury. A bounty of flavors can be had...pumpernickel bread, black licorice, Tootsie Roll candy, lightly roasted char notes lead the way. Then comes a treasure trove of hop intricacy with herbaceous pine, earth, and herbal hints being prevalent. This beer is hopped perfectly maintaining an excellent balance between Maris Otter and bine flower. This is one of the better/best Black IPAs I've ever had, it is so flavorful and delicious. An excellent feat of brewing IMO.

 

It is a worthy brew, sir. The 'Nooch hooked me up nicely