New Beer Weekend #297

An absolute Empire State Gem from the awesome @timmy2b another from my quickly vanishing Superbowl Squares 2026 BIF haul ( whose fault is that russell??? )

Mortalis Brewing Co. Hydra Peach + Peach + Peach Smoothie Sour, 7.0% ABV; 4.3 overall

Pours a very hazed gold with one finger of beige head. Left over pulp & grit, zero head retention & lacing

S: Plenty of peaches, some vanilla once warm, lovely nose

T: Peaches in spades, a little vanilla, a touch of apricot & some pineapple up front. Loads of peach, vanilla cream & a little pineapple & some lime once warmed up. Finishes with plenty of sweet peach, a little vanilla, apricot & dryness

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation, a bit acidic. Very much a smoothie body

Super easy to drink, ABV is deceptive

This sticker will soon be on the beer fridge

 

Teoegs night gazer
....solid black appearance with a lasting off white head
... below average carbonation yet it still came off a bit prickly. Above average body with a bit of a heavy thick feel.
...aroma is licorice, wood, roasted malt, a little ashamed and earthy.
...taste has some sweetness, roasted malt,licorice, char, wood and earthy.
... overall a very well done beer, complex and interesting

 

Martin House Brewing Co. Acheron Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, 13.3% ABV, aged for 5.5 months in unblended barrels; 4.17 overall

Mine is 13.3% ABV

Pours a chestnut tinged mahogany with one pinky of fast-falling mocha colored head. Plenty viscous, some head retention & lacing

S: Cocoa, plenty of dark fruit & barrel, some peat. Vanilla & caramel also once warmer, coffee, &toasted coconut late. Great nose

T: Peat, Baker's Chocolate, some roasty notes, a touch of chicory & barrel up front. Smokeyness, some peat, charred barrel, a touch of dark cherry tobacco & Baker's Chocolate once warmed up. Finishes with barrel, peat, charred oak bitterness & a little coffee

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation, some warming, a little sticky on the teeth

A lot to like here, not quite love, body just doesn't hold up. Wish all aspects were as good as the nose. Easily one of their best beers, no gimmicks

 

But at least it came in a cool fancy looking glass…where the heck are ya now?

I love love love that beer, it’s gotta stay in the rotation. We gotta keep buying it.

 

Today's New Breakfast Beer:



Shadows Settle (Ghost Shadows Settle) from Adroit Theory. 16.9 fl oz bottle, ordered 15/04/25 from Adroit Theory online, $ 31.56/$ 1.87/fl oz. Stored at 40 degrees F at home. Reviewed 29/03/26, review 3716. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Undated bottle. Served at 55.5 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 60.6 degrees F.
Appearance – 3
First pour – Medium Amber (SRM 12), hazy.
Body – Brown (SRM 20), opaque. Under direct light, reddish brown, opaque. When rear-lit, a ruddy glow is present in the thinner portions.
Head – None (Aggressive center pour) Just a broken bubble ring and some whitish flotsam, probably coconut bits.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 3.5 – Generally very weak, but sweet maple and “dark fruit” eventually emerge. No hops, no malt, no coconut, no alcohol.
Flavor – 4.5 – Begins with dates, and some maple dominating, fig brings up the rear – sweet but not cloying. No coconut, no hops, no malt, no alcohol (12% as stamped on the label). No dimethylsulfide, no diacetyl. Mild gastric warming. As I approach the end of the glass, a slight bitterness becomes apparent.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium: Edging into syrupy: Nearly flat.
Style: Fits the general BA description.
Final impression and summation: 3.25 (After deducting 0.25 point for an undated bottle) Uncredited label art, unfortunate because Adroit Theory labels are intricate and interesting. The flavor is excellent but the nose is weak. More and more floaties arise, like bodies after a shipwreck. Overall, decent flavor but the appearance (Lack of head/lacing and floaties) combined with the weak nose and lack of carbonation make this something I’ll not seek out again.
Rating 3.87, rDev 0% (first review)

 

Glendale CA lol
Not an exotic destination, but found a Georgian restaurant

 

Hovan the Barbarian stout
HiHO Brewing 10.1%



Poured from tap, the body is a dark black with small head. No lacing of consequence.

Aroma is a roasty malt. Taste follows nose with a nice malty char. No sign of the ABV. A light, brief bitterness on finish.

Mouthfeel is medium but smooth with good carbonation.

Good, strong sipping stout perfect for a cold spring day.

 

Good afternoon BAs! Today’s new to me beer comes from my recent Tavour box - TØNNE TROLL, an imperial stout aged one year in Pikeville Rye whiskey barrels. A collaboration with LERVIG Brewing in Norway:



Poured at 53.2°. No bottling information other than 2025. Fast creamy dark tan head; poor Retention; thin ring at best; small spots on swirl with thin legs; Black with ruby edges. Nose is whiskey with some booze on the exhale; chocolate. Taste is chocolate upfront; some toffee as it warms; no sweetness; whiskey finish. Dry rye tongue coating; medium body; light carbonation; full mouth warmth from 13.8% ABV; a light alcohol bite on tip of my tongue. Overall, great balance of base and barrel; dry rye notes, and dark chocolate; no adjuncts added; clean boozy finish.


4.0/4.25/4.5/4.5/4.5
Score: 4.41 rDev +2.8%

A really clean, enjoyable BA impy stout with the flavors coming from the malts and barrel aging. Outstanding!

 

Good Sunday afternoon NBS/nbw and thanks to this weeks host @vurt
Went out for a long hike this morning and it was glorious, home now with this offering from Bissell Brothers, a Rye wine aged in bourbon and rye barrels.
Bold, comes to mind, rich in flavor and body. this one takes time and commitment.

Mirroring Dimensions

Rye Beer | 14.7% ABV
Bissell Brothers Brewing Co. in Portland, Maine

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.26/5 rDev -4.5% | Average: 4.46
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Poured fron the 500 ml bottle, dated 11/2025 into the test glass
A - Ruby brown color, thin cap, ring of carbonation assembles and stays throughout
S - Raisan, plum, vanilla, white pepper, rye
T - Cigar wrap tobacco, dark fruit, spicy rye, black pepper. excelllent barrel treatment
M - A bit fat on the palate, with a pleasant dry finish
O - A very rich offering, with fully layered flavors, and body. I will seek this one out

 

Been a few months since I have participated. Today's selection is a Weizenbock from the Sierra Nevada Friends of the Family club. I understand this has medaled in recent years.

4.44/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up this as part of the Friends of the Family second bi-monthly allotment in Mills River on 3-21-26. Poured at 53 degrees.

Beer poured cloudy orange with a beautiful white head that has some hang time.

Nose is full of phenols, mainly getting cloves on top of the wheat malt base. Hops are floral and mainly neutral.

Taste is an unfiltered wheat malt base in which the yeast expression gives classic banana and cloves. Finishes with floral hops that balance and lend a kiss of lemon.

Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, very viscous with each sip being fulfilling.

Overall, a wonderful beer that i have had in group tastings in recent years but find it great Sierra Nevada finally packaged this!

 

3.43/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Look: Pours a cloudy pale gold with a thick fluffy white head. Clears up after settling. Only left a few lacing spots.

Smell: blueberries, musty/grassy, cereal

Taste: blueberries, grainy, grassy, sweet cereal

Feel: med body, avg. carbo, semi dry

Overall: 5.5% abv 15 IBU. Thanks to my nephew for this free beer. I know this is a beer outside my comfort zone but Blueberry Lager sounded kinda good and it's Samuel Adams so there was some intrigue. Blueberry dominant at the beginning which was nice then the cereal sweetness kicked in and that's all she wrote. Reminded me of Boo Berry cereal. Just got really sweet. Too sweet for my liking. In the right situation, I would drink this brew again but only if it is free.

 

That sounds amazing!

 

Snowed Out
Green Valley Brewing
6.7% milk stout



Poured from tap, the body is black with tan head. Light lacing.

Aroma is roasty malt with a hint of lactose. Taste follows nose with trifle more lactose and a welcome light bitterness that pleasingly tingles as the hops trail off. Solid malty char.

Mouthfeel is good with strong carbonation.

Easy drinking milk stout.

 

This is Amenable, a "nitro" labeled 4.2% bitter from Suarez Family Brewery. The over-pour you see is me trying to top it off after what was a succesful pour. Should have let sleeping dogs lie.

3.4/5 rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Purchased cold at the brewery 9-days ago and kept cold until served. As instructed by label text- shaken gently 3-times, poured aggressively. Can is a 16-ouncer stamped CANNED 2/11/26, DRINK BY 6/11/26.
A large just-off-white head forms and there is a brief nitro rise/fall on the side of the glass. But the head fades to a ring rather quickly. The body is a clear deep amber, SRM 10 or 11. Lacing is minimal.
Smells of malt, biscuit, bread, brown leaves.
The taste is nicely bitter and malty with some background caramel notes.
The mouthfeel is medium to light. However, carbonation is poor to flat. For a “nitro” labeled beer it drinks more like a cask ale. I have drank three of the 4-pak and they are all the same. Maybe an off batch?
Bit of a disappointment really. No flaws in the taste though.
I would think that the non-widget nitrogen canning technology is prone to problems (leaks etc..).

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Sippers and commentators. I'm thrilled that my go-to bottle shop now regularly receives shipments from Bottle Logic. Yesterday, I found a new offering: Dark Rituals (2025) an American Strong Ale. It is a blend of Arcane Rituals Barleywine aged in Elijah Craig and Heaven Hill Double Oak barrels and Bottle Logic's superb Darkstar November Stout, which is then aged in Old Fitzgerald and Rittenhouse Rye barrels. I am impressed that I can discern both Barleywine and Stout. I am impressed but not surprised given Bottle Logic's level of brewing skill.

Poured at 57°. It is oily black in color with a modest, frothy, light mocha-colored had and lacing. It has a fragrant nose with big notes of rye, brown sugar, toffee, chocolate, caramel, and earthy malts. Oh, it's good! The taste includes chocolate, toffee, freshly-brewed coffee, and oak, along with raisin, fig, and caramel. It has a decidedly Barleywine character but I also note the Stout presence in the blend. The rye contributes a dry, crackery taste that reminds me of Wasa Crispbread. The influence of the bourbon barrel is noticeable but doesn't distract. The flavors are highly complimentary. The mouth feel is that of a Strong Ale or Barleywine rather than a Stout but the carbonation is mild. The 13.45% ABV is noticeable and warming but not overwhelming.

4.43/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The only issue here is the price point - $26.99 for a 500 ML bottle. But it is worth it; this is World Class. Cheers!

 

Deschutes Symphonic Chronic Double West Coast IPA

Appearance: Slightly hazy gold, big head.

Smell: Sugar, eventually some citrus aroma.

Taste: Sweet, then moderate citrus bitterness to offset. Slick feel. Finishes with mild to medium citrus bitterness.

Overall: A west coast DIPA that is quite sweet and not super bitter. More bitterness than the voodoo ranger force series, so that’s a plus but this seems to be going after that crowd.

 

Insanity
13.3% English barleywine by Weyerbacher



This one is Blithering Idiot aged in whiskey barrels. Poured from a twelve ounce bottle, the body is a dark brown. Small white head at pour and a wee head throughout the tasting.

Aroma is a delightful sweet caramel though hilariously one of our cats sniffed this beer then wretched

Taste follows nose as the heavy malt bill is quite forward. Upon tasting a light fig flavor appears along with notes of oak. The combination is crazy good but much heavier than Blithering Idiot. The barrel is very present, but not overly hot.

Mouthfeel is heavy. Carbonation is good but on the light side.

A fine sipper of a barleywine worthy of your attention if an English style barleywine fan.

 

NBS #2. Nuggy Num Num (I didn't name it), a collaboration between Industrial Arts and Other Half. I used to drink a lot of Industrial Arts IPAs, and visited the brewery regularly, when it was located in Rockland County, NY. But it moved north the Beacon, NY, which is far enough away from me to preclude regular visits. But IA is still a great brewery and even more so when it collaborates with Other Half. I tried, unsuccessfully, to discern the hop bill but based upon the name I assume there are Nugget hops (perhaps single-hopped?). Anyway, this is really good and I could drink it regularly.

Canned on 3/14/2026 so 2 weeks old when reviewed. It pours a hazy tangerine color with a full finger cap of fluffy, bright-white foam and thick lacing. A nice, fruity nose with lemon, lime, and a whiff of pear, grass, and herbs. The taste opens herbal and weedy with tart lemon and lime and some sweeter notes of peach and stone fruit. There is a good, balancing bitterness that linger. For a single IPA it has a really good mouth feel: plush and creamy with pleasant carbonation, and it is almost crushable at 7% ABV.

4.28/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

I hope everyone is enjoying the beer in his/her glass. Have a great week! Cheers, NBW!