New Beer Weekend #296

Back in Black

The above is the title of one of my favorite AC/DC songs but also a reference to today’s new beer: Troegs Daylight Chaser which is a Black IPA.

Below is how Troegs details this beer on their website:

“As we emerge from nature’s slumber, Daylight Chaser is your sign that the equinox is near. This seasonal release starts with a complex toasty malt bill and dusky hue. Simcoe, Mosaic and Citra hops balance with radiant notes of blood orange and papaya. It’s a dark IPA yearning for the warm glow of longer days ahead.

ABV: 6.3%

Availability: Seasonal

Color: Deep Mahogany

Hops: Simcoe, Mosaic, Citra

Grain: Pale, Wheat, Caramel, Black

Yeast: House Ale”

And since today is the first day of spring this is the appropriate day to drink this beer. This is an ‘interesting’ selection of hop varieties and I wonder how well they will complement the dark malt flavors. To quote the wise owl: “Let’s find out”.

Served in my Spiegelau IPA glass:

Appearance:

Dark brown in color with a substantial khaki colored head.

Aroma:

The aroma is subtle/muted with a combination of citrus/fruity hop aromas with some roasted malt as well.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with subtle/muted citrus/fruity hop flavors and roasty malt flavors. There is a moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

This beer has a medium body with a dry finish.

Overall:

Overall, it is a nice beer but for the IPA style it is a bit lacking. This beer would have benefited from a more robust aroma/flavor profile.

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @RobH @jonphisher @MikeWard

 

@JackHorzempa I enjoyed reading your review; it’s fun to read how others perceive beers.

I found this beer to be one of those interesting beers, interesting enough that I kept coming back with enjoyment as I finished my six pack. Though I cannot say for certainty if I’d buy again next year, guess we’ll see if it even comes back or not.

I like this bit that you wrote…

I feel like it sums up this beer well; I enjoyed the noticeable citrus it had; I found it to work well with the lighter roast quality.

PS…I’m currently drinking a Troegs Sunshine Pils Cheers to Troegs

 

Was at a beer bar this afternoon for happy hour...called Southern Yankee Crafthouse. They had a couple of new beers on from Talyard Brewing. I have only just recently found out about this brewery...which is in the far southern part of Houston...and not an area I get to visit a lot ha. After looking them up on the interwebs...this place is HUGE. I don't know how they got so big seemingly over night...well they opened in 2024 so I guess less than 2 years? It took Saint Arnold over 20 years to get even a nice sized beer garden and restaurant...but I digress.

First up from Talyard Brewing...

Daisy Belgian Wit, 4.5% ABV


Pours almost perfectly clear, a pale golden yellow color. A white head forms that sticks around for a minute, and light lace left behind.
Aroma is citrus and light spice. Then a big plastic phenolic aroma takes over.
Taste wise, again, light citrus and spice up front. But is almost immediately taken over by plastic phenols, even cooked veggies and a mineral flavor...is that DMS?
A light body with crisp carbonation. Not clean at all though I finished the pint, but not something I'm looking to come back to.

The fruity esters I want with the style is almost entirely replaced with a particularly noticeable plastic phenolic character. Not what I'm looking for in the style, to say the least, and a poor example for me.

Overall score is 3.08
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/71081/793473/?ba=champ103#lists

Next, Talyard Slow Boat Cold IPA, 6.5% ABV



Pours a clear golden/yellow color. A small white head forms and recedes to a ring.
A hoppy orange and citrus rind aroma, with a bit of pine. Not much more, but OK for what it is.
Taste wise, a lighter hoppy orange and citrus flavor than expected. Its there, but the hoppy character seems faded. Big caramel malts, and the lightest bitterness is noticeable.
A medium body and moderate carbonation. There is a bit of resiny chewiness here. I was expecting a more crisp bite. Its OK to drink once to try it, but looking for something else quickly...

If I wasn't informed this uses a lager yeast, I would not have known at all. Beyond that, its just an average IPA. Not sure what the point of the "Cold IPA" style is in the first place, but there are many better IPA's available.

Overall score is 3.34
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/71081/793481/?ba=champ103#lists

Glad I didn't make the trip all the way down to Sugar Land for this ha.

 

Tim, thanks for kicking us off today! I have accomplished 'all-styles' several times, since I have to hunt down the new ones as they add them. Right now I'm hunting Rotbier, Lichtenhainer, Sour Ale, and Sour IPA. There aren't any I hate, but a couple that hate me (Chile, Sours, IPAs) so I don't have them often. I'm mostly into strong, dark, and usually BA beers. My favorite style right now is English Barleywine.

Central Waters Brewer's Reserve BBA Tiramisu Imperial Stout, 11.1% ABV. Pours black with a three-finger light-brown head that left lots of lacing. Aroma is coffee and chocolate. Taste is espresso and chocolate, slightly sweet moderately bitter. No bourbon detected. Decent mouthfeel, overall excellent. Definitely not a pastry stout. I couldn't have identified this as Tiramisu without reading it on the can, having had dozens of chocolate/coffee stouts.

4.23/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

 

Have a good NBW. Thanks to @Beersnake for starting us off this week. I will start the thread whenever, I will look forward to the google sheet signups.

I just had a good nap in the afternoon after having a bunch of City BBQ for lunch. They brought back the Pastrami and I got a pulled chicken and queso bacon fries, plus I got another order with More Cowbell Brisket, Cheese/Pastrami baked potato and queso/bacon fries again. I have been having a lupus flare up for 2 days and it has been shit. I finished The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst by David Nasaw this morning and it was still 5/5 all the way through. Also started Danse Macabre by Stephen King which are nonfiction essays analyzing horror films and other media through the years. He released a 2010 update with an introduction about 2000s movies. 4/5



Patriot's Reserve American Lager from Aldi. Brewed at ABW which is New Realm contracted. Great head retention and spotty soapy lacing on the glass. Aromas of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, herbal, floral, grass, wood, light peppercorn/pine, and yeast earthiness. Taste follows with caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, herbal, floral, grass, wood, light peppercorn/pine, and yeast earthiness. Light-medium pine, herbal, woody, spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and body; fairly crisp, clean, refreshing finish. Balanced bready/grainy malt, and sticky hop mouthfeel. Light lingering hop resins and increasing dryness, with no hop astringency. Has a bit of a stale hop/grain note that is a bit off putting, but overall a well made Amber Lager. Minimal warming alcohol for 5%. Clean lager flavors with minimal fruity/yeasty notes. Clean malts and balanced noble earthy hop flavors. Very drinkable. 3.77/5


Cheers

 

How would you compare this beer to Sam Adam’s Boston Lager?

Cheers!

 

I would say the Aldi Amber Lager definitely leans more towards a Vienna lager on malt complexity, but it is not as robust or clean as the Sam Adams(as I remember). I haven't had the "New" Boston Lager, but I assume it might be closer to this as they advertise a "cleaner, crispier finish". Cheers

 

Happy NBW all, and thank you Tim for kicking us off.
I’d be happy to start this thread at times, and have, but really don’t do well with schedules. Would hate to leave people hanging.
Curious how this works out!
But I came here to report on a beer that is new to me, one from a brewery I had never heard of and technically doesn’t exist. And while the “brewery” is listed in the database it only has one beer and that one beer has one review. So not sure if I should add this one or not.
But hey, I’ll tell you all about it.

Divination is the name, and a pastry barrel aged imperial stout from Replicant, a Shell gas station in Pasadena, California that has a very creative owner. He flies in brewers from all over and has them brew their best? Most creative? Not sure the criteria but Tomas hooked me up with this very well done beer.

The pour is darker than stout black with a barely there dark brown head.
The taste is, well, darned near amazing. The additives are coconut and vanilla beans (side note, they don’t look like beans at all, more like miniature scrolls, but I digress.) The coconut comes in strong and strongly amplifies the chocolate notes. The vanilla almost comes across as cinnamon, but mildly. More chocolate, some mild coffee.
The feel is viscous, appropriate for the style and this one in particular. It deserves to be sipped.
OA, the only problem with these rare offerings is that they never come again. On the bright side, I was able to drink
All for me tonight, more tomorrow.
Cheers!

 

Yeah, I love the style (and that song/band), and was excited to try this beer; but, like you, I found it surprisingly underwhelming...

 

Another BIF beer from @FBarber. Energy City Bistro Cabana Peach Orange Cranberry. Pours like a turbid orange/peach colored fruit smoothie. Minimal lacing, lots of fruit pulp clinging on the glass. Aromas of big peach pulp, orange juice, and light cranberry sugary fruit sweetness. Taste follows with huge peach pulp, orange juice, cranberry, lemon, lime, green apple, white grape, wheat, white bread dough, light lacto funk. Light lacto tartness and fruit tanginess on the finish. Medium carbonation and full body; very creamy/silky fruit pulp mouthfeel, light lingering lactic acid and fruit tang dryness after the finish. No cloying sweetness. Minimal warming 6.5% abv. Awesome smoothie sour all around. A bit jammy feeling too. 4.1/5


Cheers

 

A gas station!?
Far out, man

 

Cheers to @Beersnake for starting us out. I will tackle beer styles as I find them. I might make more effort if traveling & that is realistic. I believe I still don't have a NA beer under my belt review-wise I don't believe. The following beer won't qualify as that for sure

Social Project Brewing Co. Lost in the Moment Triple Hazy IPA w/ Vic Secret & Mosaic Cryo Hops, 9.5% ABV; 4.23 overall

Pours a slightly hazed gold with 2+ fingers of fluffed up pearl colored head. Epic lacing & pretty good head retention

S: Green melons, peaches, expected more from the nose. Was hoping it would open once warmer, just a little & mostly grapefruit

T: Some cattyness, green melon, cantaloupe, peach, pomelo & dryness up front. Pomelo, green melon, faint pineapple & pine, grapefruit pith plus dryness as this beer warms up. Grapefruit really takes over. Finishes dry with grapefruit aplenty, starts skewing towards pink grapefruit

MF: Medium body, creamy carbonation, very nice balance

Great drinkability, not a magic hop combo, but good, enough bitterness to keep everything on track

 

My kind of gas station!