New Beer Weekend #298

The couple of regular Arkansas posters have generally pointed to this beer as being the best their state has to offer - and the top beers from Arkansas bear this out. I swear I tried it at some point, hough I did not rate it on this site.

I also have not reviewed this one, though I am sure I have had it. Might need to add it to the cart next time I see it.

I want to post the Farmer's Insurance video where J.K.Simmons says the same thing followed by "...maybe a B" - but I can't find a good link. Funny that companies wouldn't want you to share their commercials, so there must be something else in the algorithm.

Sorry, but I was rooting for them, so of course the result was inevitable.

I did just review Captain Lawrence Citra Dreams (and another lovely pic, as hazy as the beer)...


Long story short - it is a fairly standard cloudy IPA. It was a bit muddled and indistinct cold, but grew into the realm of "good" as it warmed. The Citra never really showed up in ways I am used to, but the general bitterness with hints of melon and pithy citrus, all accented by some lemon notes, salvaged this from being merely mediocre, but just barely.

 

What'd you think? I had my first Alien Church this week and was very impressed!

 

Tree House Double Barrel Truth Imperial Stout (2026), 17.2% ABV. After breaking through the waxtic armor with a butcher knife, it pours black and thick with no head or bubbles, but leaves an oily sheen. Aroma is bourbon, oak, and fudge. Taste is roast malt, sweet bourbon, oak, and chocolate, slightly sweet, faintly bitter, slight bourbon burn. Outstanding thick and smooth mouthfeel, leaving sticky lips, light carbonation. Overall world-class.

4.71/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Really nice Easter with the high headed for the 60's, and sunny.

 

Noda Hop Drop Light

So glad I tried this one. I drink low-calorie/low-carb beers more frequently these days than I used to. I usually rotate between Lagunitas Daytime, Dogfish Head 30 Minute and Bell's Light Hearted, but this one has a better overall flavor than all of those, IMO. I hope it sticks around.

 

McFleshman's Public House Pint


Appearance: Black, small tight head.

Smell: Roasted malt.

Taste: Blackened malts with a little mild coffee mocha sweetness mixed in. Creamy feel. Finishes with bitterness from the blackened malt.

Overall: A solid dry stout, potential replacement for Guinness. Seems to have a little more heft than Guinness. Good flavor and easy drinking.

Thanks to @cheeseheadinMinneapolis for this one.

 

Hoppy Easter NBWers!

4.22/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Packaged March 17, enjoyed on April 5th, 2026 - poured from a 510mL bottle into my Moonlight willibecher.

Lightly cloudy straw body with a broad raft of soft peaks up top. Rich soapy lacing; good retention.

Complex grassy aroma with river stones, white grapes, gooseberries, passionfruit, orange blossoms, and citrus zest alongside crackers and honey. Subtle, clean, and inviting.

Dry and crisp palate entry with a marvelously clean/crackery base. Accents of white grapefruit, lime leaf, honeydew, and wild grass. Medium-low bitterness throughout. Dry finish with hints of white tea, quince, and tonic water. Perfectly lagered.

Light bodied, refreshing, yet soft.

Given the hop profile (Tangier, Nectaron, and NZH-106), I'm rating this as more of a NZ pils (with a Czech base) rather than a German pils (with STS being RR's excellent take on that style). All at once, it's an impressive technical achievement, a delicate expression of cutting edge hop varieties, and an easy-drinking light bodied beer well outside the brewer's wheelhouse.

 

Structures - Die In Haze quad IPA

 

This one is from the BA “Big Box Of Beers “ that I have been hesitant to try. I’m not a fan of sours so I’ve been waiting for an appropriate time to drink it: why not Easter afternoon before heading over to my dad’s house!

Corporate Ladder Brewing “Escape to Fantasy Island “ Rum BA TIKI SOUR.

L - Pours a murky orange color with no head.

S- Citrus fruit aroma of key lime, orange, tangerine with a hint of rum.

T- Very sweet sticky tropical fruit juice flavor. Slightly boozy.

F- Full cloying mouthfeel with prickly carbonation.

O - Decent.

Again, I’m not a fan of sours, so I’m coming into this review with a bias. That being said, I found this to be a reasonably well done beer. It tastes more like a tropical drink than a beer. It’s a little too sweet for me but it’s not unpleasant. It would be more enjoyable at the beach or a 4th of July pool party.

 

Schmidtloads of Stroh's goin' down!

 

Good Easter Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. We BAs can be an eccentric bunch when it comes to our hobby. I live less than a 5 minute drive from Autodidact Beer and Auto released 2 new IPAs this weekend. But they feature Strata - one of my least favorite hops. So I drove a little over an hour to Tin Barn Brewing Co. to get cans of My Beautiful Liar, a DIPA hopped with Citra, Cryo Citra, Cryo Nectaron, and Mosaic. Both Tin Barn and Autodidact are known for their hazies and both collaborate frequently. I'm glad I made the trip; this is great juice!

Reviewed by MacMalt from New Jersey.

Canned on 4/2/2026. It pours an opaque, dusty tangerine color with a finger cap of creamy, bright white foam and very thick, long-lasting lacing. The fruity nose includes lemon, lime, grapefruit, ripe pineapple, and berry. The taste opens with a blast of tart citrus, including grapefruit and lime zest. The sweeter fruits emerge at mid palate with notes of peach, pineapple, and red berry, as well as hints of pine sap and herbs. Including Mosaic hops in the recipe was an excellent idea. The hop bitterness is very clean and there isn't a hint of burn. This ale is full-bodied with pleasant carbonation, and the 8.5% ABV is well-hidden. My Beautiful Liar is a terrific DIPA from two brewers that excel in the style. It provides big flavor but avoids the tropical punch sweetness often associated with Nectaron.

Cool can art, too!

4.42/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

 

YIKES. Glad to hear everyone walked away from the scene, and I hope neither you nor your car took much damage.

 

King JJJuliusss
Tree House Brewing Company

Drinking out of a Treehouse snifter.
Pours a hazy copper with a full frothy head.
Very strong smell of tropical fruits - particularly pineapple.
Nice thick mouth feel.
Absolute juice bomb with notes of oranges, pineapple, mango.
Some bitterness.
Nice balance.

 

My son was gifted a case of this by a buddy that visited their brewery in Tampa, FL of all places, in turn I got a few to try. This thing turned out to look really good and have a flavorful and to-style taste. As you can see, it's visually appealing. Mouthfeel is full-bodied and though the scent is muted to my nose, I still found it to be a tasty brew. Since my wife is from PA, I have an affinity for this brewer and others - very rarely have I been disappointed...

 

NBS #2. Like most breweries, Rushing Duck has a rotational series of IPAs featuring different hop bills. RD's is called "Divided by Zero." The current variant, released 9 days ago, is hopped with Enigma, El Dorado (a favorite of mine), and Motueka (another favorite of mine). If I drank this ale without knowing the recipe, I would have guessed that it includes Idaho 7. It is far more earthy and herbal than tropical. In fact, there is little tropical sweetness. That said, I like it. It reminds me of a malt-forward WCIPA.

Cans released on 3/27/2026. It pours an opaque, muddy orange color with a full finger of fluffy, bright white head and film of lacing. The smell is rather sedate: malty with notes of Pinot Gris, lemon, and lime. But the taste redeems it. It has a strong malt backbone. The Enigma hops provide just a touch of white wine, which is good because I'm not a big fan. The Motueka contributes modest tart lemon and lime. The El Dorado seems to be used more for bittering; I'm not tasting the watermelon sweetness associated with that hop. This ale is earthy with herbal notes and a touch of peppercorn. There is a bit of burn at the finish. This ale has a thick, plush mouth feel with appropriate carbonation, and the 6.8% ABV seems almost quaint these days. Overall, this Divided by Zero variant is ambitious and quite good. I had a draught pour at the brewery and am glad I bought cans.

4.08/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

That will do it for me this weekend. I wish you all a peaceful, happy week. Cheers!

 

Decided to have another Bruery anniversary beer on this beautiful Easter Sunday—Cire, from 2024. Pretty similar to all the other beers I’ve had from their solera series. Initial reflections below. Cheers!
______________
4.45/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
750mL into a tulip. Pours a muddy mahogany (based on experience, chill hazed) with minimal khaki head.

Aroma is sweet and fruity with notes of caramel, vanilla, rum-soaked dates/figs, molasses.

Taste follows nose. Warm bready malt with plenty of brown sugar, toffee, raisin, vanilla, oaky booze.

Mouthfeel is in the heavy side of medium with a lingering finish. Warming 19% ABV as it goes down.

Overall another worthy addition to the Bruery anniversary series—consistent but also very similar to the other beers in the lineup.

 

The second I'm away from desk top it's just too much for me

 

This was a great find on the Missouri State Line

Urban Chestnut Czech Pilsner, 5.3% ABV; 4.54 overall

Pours a chill-hazed gold with a thumb of cream-colored head. Never drops bright, great head retention & lacing

S: Bready, perfumy& floral hops; turns a little doughier once warm; great nose

T: Grassy, herbal hop bitterness, a little bready sweetness along with dryness up front. Dryness, sweet breadyness & grassy hops dominate as this beer warms up, some citrus & herbal hops as well. Finishes with grassy & herbal bitterness countered by bready sweet notes

MF: Medium body, dialed back carbonation, very nice balance

Great take on the style that really opened up once warmer, plenty easy to drink

 

They definitely hit better with me when its warmer