New Beer Weekend #296

If you have a Russian or Eastern European grocery in the area, they'll probably have Kvass.

 

@Beersnake - Love the thread openers, and look forward to diving into the thread and answering your questions after I finish this beer and lunch and catch up on sleep after my deep league MLB Rotisserie draft.

Supermoon Beer Company Yesteryiers (no can date, distributed W/E 1/30/26)

4.3/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5



This is an excellent Rye IPA, and the best of the three I was lucky to come across. Rye, citrus, caramel, additional fruit (strawberries and blueberries) plus dark chocolate which I believe is coming from the Eukanot hops. Will share these and buy more next drop.

 

Good idea. My local Italian depanneur/bottle shop has Italian bottles that you can't get anywhere else.

 

That's where I've bought some Kvass before, although Little Fish in Southeastern Ohio occasionally makes some Kvass style beers so it never hurts to see if any local breweries attempt that style.

 

Next up and probably my last new brew of the day, had another good Rhinegeist imperial stout:

Barrel Aged Guatemalan Café Ink | Rhinegeist Brewery | BeerAdvocate





I thought there was a lot of coffee here but not as much barrel as I was hoping for. Still pretty good though. Not sure if I'll have any more new to me brews this weekend or not, but I'll try and check and see what everyone else has tried. Cheers again!

 

Interesting you like this one better than you did Double Orange Starfish. Double doesn't always mean better, but for me, at least in Aslin's heyday, it fit its place atop Virginia's beers (per this site's lists).

I just looked at the list to get the link, and my favorite Virginia beer (Foolery) has tied Double Orange at this point. If only I could get more Foolery in my life.

Your whole review interested me in this one. I was kind of thinking, "If a more produced, beloved brand was going to go hoppy, I'd think it'd either be weak to us hop hounds or lemony." The left turn you note is that is seems to not be weak, but at least lemony. I wonder if I'll see it around here.

 

Happy Saturday, and NBW, BAs!
Been trying some new NAs...
Here's the latest...
Pkgd 19Dec25
Their 'regular' (alcohol) version is solid.
This one is ok.
Cloudy yellow
There's a catty, wet wood, odd citrus fruit thing going on in aroma and flavor.
Mouthfeel is also cloudy, muddled.
Overall, doesn't have the clean, crisp, refreshing qualities of a lager.
Still think the Rescue Club Pils is the best, which, curiously, is also brewed by Zero Gravity.

 

When I found my Kvass at the local Russian Grocery, the clerk was wondering why an American was looking for one. They seemed to be intrigued and amused by my explanation of my 'all-styles' goal. They were also reluctant to call it a beer. He explained that in Russia even kids drink it, since it's low-ABV. The one I got, linked below, is only 1.2% ABV, and I rated it 2.58.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/709/65393/

 

My top "beer regrets" is not trying one of those when I had the chance. When the Ontario government banned sales of US made alcohol products this disappeared from the shelves.

 

Dominatrix, a sessionable IPA from Hailstorm in the southern 'burbs of Chicago.
A: Black hair, pasty pale complection steely grey eyes, slinky leather lingerie and some great thigh high fu ......oops wrong site. That was from last nite.
Crystal clear golden pour, nice lingering white head and some spotty lacing. There is some citrus in the aroma, caramel malts are forefront. Booze is noticeable but not off putting. Nicely carbonated, nice bitter finish. Enjoyed this on the 1st 70° day. It was better when it was colder.
I called this about 3.75 across the board.

Have great weekend!

 

Gulden Draak 9000 Quadruple
Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.



Drinking out of a small goblet.
Pours a light amber with a very full enthusiastic head.
Smells of sweet toffee.
Nice mouth feel. Lots of carbonation.
Malt forward.
Sweet taste of caramel.
Very yummy

 

If you gave me this beer without telling me what it was there is no way I'd say associate this beer with cream ale at all. It is a pretty unique and balanced brew that worst comes to worse, I think you'd appreciate as interesting and a tad different. Hope I get to read your thoughts eventually.

 

Has the distributor gotten more European beers as a result?

 

Table beer

 

As soon as I saw the name of the beer I was tagged about, I thought of this song...


Based on the similarities between the brewers' description and the song's lyrics, I'm guessing it's not a coincidence.

Cheers dude!

 

Drekker BRAAAAAINS ( close enough ) Raspberry & Guava Double Fruit Smoothie Sour, 6.0% ABV; 4.41 overall

Pours a murky/turbid pinky purple with one finger of pink tinged head. Average head retention & loads of residue & lacing

S: Advertised fruits in quantity. I get a little mint once warmer

T: Follows the nose some tartness. plenty of sourness, a kiss of vanilla, lemonade & lime up front. A little mint creeps as this beer warms up, sweet raspberry & guava, a little lime. Finishes minty ( no one else getting this ) some vanilla, & plenty of the big 2 ingredients & a little dryness, some sweet limeade notes

MF: Medium body, minimal carbonation, just enough to push the flavors along, slight fruit grittiness to this, just a little acidity too. Some teeth clinging stickiness too

Super refreshing, stellar change of pace I'd drink all summer long if feasible

 

I wasn't really trying to tick all the styles, but after 22 years on the site I noticed I was within 15 styles of getting them all. I'm down to just one left (Sour Ale) after some dedicated effort the past year or so now.

Jack's Abby Smoke & Dagger


Appearance: Dark brown, good head.

Smell: Mild roasted malts and a little bit of soot.

Taste: Mild roasted malts, expands to a richer roast with a bit of chocolate. Medium bodied. A little bit of smoke in the finish, definitely a supporting player.

Overall: Always looking for smoked beers and glad to try my first beer from Jack’s Abby. Nice schwarzbier with a little bit of smoke. Could use a little more smoke in my opinion but a nicely made beer

 

But is it meaner than a Junkyard Dog?