New Beer Weekend #294

On vacation in Mexico, got to contribute somehow to NBW, so here's...
Moctezuma Bohemia Oscura

Appearance: Clear dark amber, good head.

Smell: Oxidized, cardboardy, strange.

Taste: Mild sweetness leads into caramel. Stays with caramel through the finish. Seems foamy.

Overall: Resort beer, looks like Heineken Mexico supplies this resort so will work through them. Bohemia doesn’t smell great and doesn’t quite hit the usual Vienna lager notes but is pretty decent.

 

I usually avoid Lindemans because I can't stand the aspartame they use in a lot of their fruit Lambics. When I find the odd one when its not used, and its just a regular Lambic/Gueze, its usually great. This sounds exactly that, and I need to track it down now

 

Popcorn at the ready!

 

Greetings fellow NBWers - today (84F and windy) I'm mourning the loss of Standard Time but enjoying Madewest's annual Imperial IPA, though I think I prefer the recipe of previous years - cheers!

4.04/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Packaged on February 4th, enjoyed on March 8th 2026 - poured from a pint can into a snifter.

Clear, gold/saffron liquid with a low smattering of magnolia foam receding rapidly to a lasting collar and faint surface slick. Fine sandy lacing; average retention.

Potent, fruit-forward aroma with tropical/berry/citrus elements and a low bubblegum/dank/onion side as well. Contemporary and complex.

Sweet palate entry, suffused with crushed orange and honey/light caramel. An assault of bitterness follows with a constellation of fruit and herbal flavors jockeying for position. Long, bittersweet finish with chocolate orange and hints of cedar and scallion.

Chewy, medium-dense mouthfeel, slick (almost oily) yet crisp. ABV is present but not overwhelming/fusel.

With Mosaic, Citra, Simcoe, Nelson, Krush, and Strata all in the mix, there's almost too much going on and the flavors seem to compete more than complement one another. An enjoyable version of the style none-the-less.

 

Earl from Hill Farmstead



Drinking out of a small snifter at Blackback Pub.
Pours a clear black with a moderate tan head.
Complex smell with hints of coffee, chocolate.
Nice smooth silky mouth feel.
Very tasty, with hints of chocolate, coffee.

 

Too late, done bought the mixed 4 pack

 

Social Project Social Kolsch, 5.5% ABV ( a bit high for the style, but not a detractor ); 4.3 overall

Pours a bright, effervescent gold with a thumb+ of pearl colored head. Nice carbonation throughout the whole 16 ounces average-ish head retention & lacing

S: Pears, floral notes

T: Follows the nose, a little dry, grassy notes. cracker notes up front. Grassy bitterness & light orchard fruit as this beer warm along with lemon & cracker notes. Finishes fruity, a little dry with grassy bitterness

MF: Medium body with delicate carbonation

True to the style, easy drinker

 

Oh no ha...at least they are also very low ABV...and I don't normally do this, but I remember making a good ice cream float with one ha. Well, I didn't make it, I'm not much of a dessert guy, but a friend did and when I tried it, I was like yeah OK, thats cool

 

4.11/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Look: Clear gold with a big fluffy white head. Lacing was scattered.

Smell: First whiff is tangerines, very nice. Pine and spice with some booze also present.

Taste: Tangerine, a little booze, sugar, and pine resin out of the gate. Then pineapple, grapefruit, melon, and spice come through. Good bitterness.

Feel: med body, moderate carbo

Overall: 9.8% abv - Had a little heat but nothing to detract from its overall drinkability. Loved the way the tropical flavors opened up and of course, when there's pine, spice and good bitterness then that's a good brew for me. This is a very good brew that I would seek again.

 

In west Michigan we use a blender to mix half a CBS into some good vanilla ice cream and make CBS shakes. Surprised by how good it is.
Cheers!

 

Another resort beer, Moctezuma Tecate

Appearance: Clear yellow, good head.

Smell: Some breadiness, seltzer-y.

Taste: Very neutral, a little breadiness, a slight bit of sweetness, maybe a hint of earthiness. Medium-light body.

Overall: Another resort beer, for some reason I thought Tecate was total bottom-of-the-barrel stuff, but it is just aggressively mediocre. It’s fine for a lightish lager drinking by the pool or at the beach.

 

But I didn’t come here to discuss beer and ice cream combinations (though that does seem like a good thread) - came here to discuss a new to me beer that I first had the opportunity to try back when it was brand new. But I was wanting a stout, imperial and barrel aged if possible. (That was the day I found Naval Gazer)
So I see it on the shelf and it’s only 6 months old so I take a chance.

The pour is promising, dark brown and almost stout black in the glass, capped with a half inch light brown head.
The taste, for me, had little discernible coconut and a fair amount of chocolate, which somehow smoothed out any hint of robustness.
The feel is on par with the style, light body, nowhere near viscous and that’s okay.
OA, I *may* give this another shot if I can find it on tap, but not a can again. Barely half way through the beverage a bunch of little light brown floaties show up and vie for space on the surface.
May have gotten a miss used (or stored) can, it is 6 months old according to the date on the bottom. Some chances pay off, others not so much.
Back later with (I hope) a much better beer!)

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Sippers and commentators. This is the third new release from Rushing Duck Brewing Co., Chester, NY, that I'm reviewing this weekend: The Valley of Gwangi, an English Barleywine with brown sugar. It was released 2 weeks ago for RD's Big Beer Saturday. It's an annual event in late February and the beers are named for kitschy, classic horror films - this one a 1969 release about a T-Rex wreaking havoc (similar to the TIPA I reviewed on Friday night but a different film). Rushing Duck is very good with Barleywines; this one could be confused with an American Barleywine due to its bitterness.

Reviewed 2 weeks after can release. It pours a bright amber-orange with a frothy, ecru-colored head that fizzled away quickly. A very fragrant smell with raisin, apple, brown sugar, caramel/toffee, and a whiff of honey. The taste follows with big flavors of raisin and and stone fruit. I'm also tasting honey covered brown bread, brown sugar, caramel, and earthy char. There is solid, lingering bitterness. The mouth feel is thinner than I anticipated and the carbonation level is higher. The 12.8% ABV is warming. Overall,The Valley of Gwangi is a very solid English Barleywine that has the bitterness of its American cousin.

4.21/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Have a great week, everyone. Cheers, NBW!

 

I feel exactly the same, if I didnt read about this one in Beer and Brewing it would have been yet another walk by for me. Glad I stopped this time.
Cheers

 

There's an Arkansas/Little Rock Chain called Big Orange. Their boozy Milkshakes are on point

 

Remember seeing that at the Movies on some Military Base as a kid. Hickam, I believe based on the release date

 

I LOVE Big Orange, great burgers, really good beer bar, ha.

 

I don't think any of the good Lost Forty beers make it to NWA ( Rogers ) anymore. Those milkshakes are money

 

I destroyed rDev for this one, loved it. Mahalo to @masamuel2 for this Cali payout on the 2026 Superbowl Squares BIF!

Pure Project Otter Romp Murky DIPA, 8.6% ABV; 4.37 overall

Pours a very hazed/murky gold with 2 fingers of cream-colored head. Nice head retention & better lacing

S: Passion fruit, guava, pineapple, fades some down the stretch

T: Follows the nose, a little melon & white grape as well up front. Tangerine, guava, pineapple, green melon, a little dryness, white grape & mango as this beer warms up. Finishes with some dryness, green melon, passionfruit, pineapple & pomelo

MF: Medium body, creamy carbonation, some acidity. Nice balance

Lethal drinkability, a riot of tropical flavor

 

I've had some sludgy BA Ten Fidys. I notice they are slowly creeping back into this market. I am not sure if we get the Brevard, NC or Colorado brews