New Beer Weekend #300

Happy New Beer Weekend! Been a hell of a week (again), but it ended up reasonably well. Headed to Belgium for a 10 day trip with my wife on Sunday before coming back for more hells of weeks.

Machine House - Invincible Lager (4.4%). 16oz can served in a nonic pint. Don't see a date.

Pours clear dark yellow with a medium sized head, moderate active carbonation. Smell is lager yeast funk, a hint of skunk, light honey and wet hay.

Taste is stronger in the grass and wood, bitterness is strong, something between woody astringence and funky earthiness is really dominating.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, surprisingly hefty for the low abv. Interesting, strong flavors. Not bad.

 

Done! We will have our grandson with us, but it doesn't hurt to ask and maybe set up a time when we visit on our own. I mean, I took him to my work and he traced pipes like nobody's business but safety is safety.

 

Felt like ticking off another style so I picked up a kvass on a whim - cheers!

3.46/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a 500mL can into a small stein.

Clear auburn body with a furiously fizzy beige cap receding rapidly to naught. No lacing or legs.

Rich bready aroma suffused with rye, pumpernickel, caraway, peppercorn, and molasses.

Sweet and bready flavors offset by a light lemonade like tartness. Much like a liquid Vilnius black rye loaf soaked in sugar syrup with a few drops of apple cider vinegar. Finishes like candy (36 grams of sugar!).

Medium-light bodied, slightly sticky, very fizzy - much like a soda.

Too sweet for me, though I haven't had enough of them to say it's too sweet for the style (which I hesitate to call beer), but otherwise free of preservatives/artificial colors/etc. and full of black rye bread flavor. Would be refreshing after an arduous shift of snow shoveling.

 

I've been around long enough to be able to say I've seen just about everything... but bread soft drink???

 

Thanks to @Beersnake for the celebratory and historical introduction. I had been in NBS much more often lately prior to 2020, I was a beer reviewer of 1000 beers a year like it was my job, but in July 2020 I was in a place where I could barely talk on the telephone. But then I met my wife in October and my life has made much richer strides in how I understand myself, and loosening up how I deal with emotions. Also books and chess. It's better to be chilled out, that's the secret. Also cannabis. And my beer reviews have been a bit more streamlined feeling than before 2020. Sometimes the granularity was never needed, I try and have that attitude with my Book Reviews 200 books a year is better time used than trying 1000 beers.

Have a good NBW. I slept all afternoon in a bit of heat. Still waiting on maintenance to fix the upstairs A/C, recharge needed, the thermostat being wonky. The downstairs is fine. Been dealing with the obnoxiously loud neighbor party again, but me and my wife both have Noise Cancelling headphones now. I finished The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon last night and it was 4.5/5 Amazing history and detailed stories you can imagine. Extremely readable, medium-fast paced. I need to go to the museums again on the Great Lakes. I'll surely buy a copy. I started on The Snowman by Jo Nesbø: 4.25/5 Found that one on the goodreads Editors Picks list. This is a classic feeling horror mystery thriller about a killer snowman set in Oslo, Norway. Really well written characters and horror elements. It's another one of those long series books, connected to Detective named Harry Hole, it is book 7/13.


I got my wife's computer fixed, just took some time tonight, mostly waiting. 40GB external disc I got in college is sitting on the floor with 10gb of all her user data. She really doesn't use the PC as much I do. I have at least 10 TB. But a lot of that is Steam Games that have all my stuff saved in the cloud. Glad that exists. I had to go through the tango with the HD, because I didn't have an 8GB thumb drive, and the win 11 installer is 7GB. so it was: Bricked PC with Hiren's Boot USB Drive-> Backup /Users folder to Drive -> My PC -> format BU -> Win 11 image -> delete partitions and reinstall on her PC -> Fresh and ready for her to sign in on Win 11 with her windows account now. I got some more IT experience with that guys, woo I am just going to get more thumb drives now. Rest of the night was me doing more of the chess.com lessons with grandmasters.

And in honor of the NBW #300 we have The Bruery 12 Drummers Drumming. Bottled on 10/09/2019. I had to use a flashlight to see the engraving. Clear very dark ruby/brown color. 1-2 finger foamy tan head reduces to nothing quickly as expected of 12%. Aromas of huge raisin, prune, date, fig, caramel, toffee, dark candi sugar; light molasses, tobacco, leather, bourbon, oak, vanilla, roast, herbal, and yeast earthiness. Taste follows with huge raisin, prune, date, fig, caramel, toffee, dark candi sugar, tobacco, leather, herbal, grass, peppercorn, cedar, light oak/pine, yeast earthiness, light cocoa/roast. Light-medium herbal bitterness and yeast/oak spiciness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; balanced creamy/lightly slick malts, with lingering sticky hop and oak tannin dryness. Mild increasing warmth and a bit of booze in the gut at 12%. Great mouthfeel of a quad, not too sweet, no cloying after the finish. Great classic feeling quad, with a bit of a tannic wine like feel from the 20% old ale blend. 4.18/5


Cheers

 

A NZ Pilsner from Tripping Animals. Yummy!

 

Kittens are 6 weeks old now, and weaned, but still do nursing for comfort. Only 6 more weeks until they will be ready to foster. It's going to be hard to choose which one to keep, but Graycyn (all gray with white feet) is #1 as she looks like she will be long hair, similar to boat. One of the most socialized early, the Male Spearmint next to her is the most chill. The experience has been amazing as we will never have kids. We have 10 cats in the house, I have been busy scooping poop boxes lmao. It has been a bit stressful.


Hammerheart Thor's Imperial Hot Pepper Porter. Got from someone at the GreenBay July 2025 meetup. Great fluffy head retention and spotty soapy lacing on the glass. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toast, dark bread/crust, nuttiness, smoke, charcoal, reaper/scorpion chili peppers, herbal, grass, peppercorn, pine. Taste follows with huge dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toast, dark bread/crust, caramel, nuttiness, smoke, charcoal, reaper/scorpion chili peppers, herbal, grass, peppercorn, pine. Light-medium pine, herbal, woody, charred bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body. Big creamy/silky malts, with some sticky hop and chalky roast in the mouthfeel. Lingering hop/roasted dryness, no cloying/acrid/astringency. Very mild lingering warmth of 9.6%, and chili pepper heat. Truly an incredible experimental imperial porter as they were able to make this feel very classic on the style, while adding pepper flavors with basically no heat. Truly top tier. Super similar to the Stone ones on malt character. 4.35/5


Cheers

 

Enjoy that trip

 

Wheat from Silversmith Brewing Co.

Poured a 473ml can into a pint glass. A two finger fine white head on a cloudy dark straw. The head soon diminished to a thin layer that sticks around. Some patchy lacing.

Esters and apple in the nose. Tastes of banana and ester right off the bat. Some spiciness. A dry finish.

A medium/light body and moderate carbonation. Overall a serviceable Hefeweizen.

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

 

Go brewery salty af chelada with salt and lime while me and ted have breakfast
...hazy pale gold appearance with a very thin but lasting head
...medium almost prickly carbonation with a close to medium body which is nice as the main complaint is these can feel thin
...lime,mostly peel, some malt, earthy hops and other citrus. The wort that dominates these is very subdued which is nice
...taste is almost identical to the aroma with the salt being the big difference. The lime and salt are the star of the show and do a good job
...overall this was a very enjoyable na beer

 

Allagash Ski House

Appearance: Clear yellow, good head.

Smell: Cloves, wheaty.

Taste: Mildly sweet to start, then a mix of spices-clove and pepper. A bit of funky Belgian yeast. Medium-light body. Finishes dry with a bit of citrus.

Overall: A lingering beer I received in January as a gift, Allagash reminds me that I should have drank this sooner. Very nice witbier, spicy and dry but with enough sweetness for balance.

 

Bears Pale Ale from Burdock - Kensington Market

From a 473ml can packaged on 17 Feb 26. Poured into a pint glass. A two finger fine white head on a foggy gold. Good head retention. It sticks around to the end. Lots of rocky lacing.

Fruity citrus in the nose. The taste is of soft malts overlaid with floral citrus tasting hops. A moderately bitter finish.

A medium body and carbonation. Overall a pretty good American Pale Ale. Smooth and drinkable.

3.76/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

 

3 Sheeps Brewing The Hodag of Rhinelander. An imperial IPA with Riwaka and Nelson hops. The first volume of the new Wisconsin Cryptid Series. I am very excited about this beer. @bstyle from 3 Sheeps Brewing gave me a heads up about this series of beers this winter, so I approach this moment with great anticipation. The Rhinelander Hodag is a creature that is native to Rhinelander, WI. It is described as having a frog’s head, elephant's face, and spiky back. It is quite mischievous. Let's see if this beer lives up to this legendary creature. The look is hazy and peach-colored, with a thick off-white cloud cover. The smell is white wine, grapefruit, lime, and peach, with a bit of pinecone. The taste is white wine, passionfruit, and kiwi, with a dank finish. It is a nice combination. The mouthfeel is thick, creamy, and smooth, with light-medium carbonation. Overall, this is an excellent first release in a series of beers that I am quite excited about. I look forward to experiencing each one of the releases.

 

Well, I am trying a new place as well as a new beer. At Stratford Garden, and extension to the Dominion holdings in Falls Church. They have a more stable tap list than their sister bar and restaurant, including a handful of imported beers, mostly from Germany. Today I am trying my second Reissdorf beer, though it is along the same lines as the other in that it is a Kölsch, this time unfiltered - Dröppche.


This is a bit different than the DFH “campfire” beer (a s’mores stout, perhaps) I think I had for the first NBW - if I did the math right knowing we don’t start numbering at 0).

So yes, definitely not filtered. It is actually quite hazy - almost like some Hefes can get. The head forms a nice cap, mildly thin but with full coverage, with the extra benefit of providing a nice lacing pattern.

The nose and taste are definitely not in the Hefe realm, though. The nose has a mix of grain, grass, and peppery hops. The taste is bread crust followed by an ever so slightly fruity malt flavor. Dry grass fills in next, with a little bit of white pepper seasoned grain stalk.

The beer finishes pretty dry, and a slightly more green grass plays lightly in the aftertaste. Light-plus in heft and on the thinner side of feel, though a. Ice carbonation pairs with the peppery notes to keep the feel from being drab.

If I can recall my experience of their base Kölsch - aided by checking out my score - I enjoyed it a bit more than this version. Might have to look for cans or bottles for a side-by-side.

 

Java Joyride by Fat Head’s
Stout infused with coffee. 6.7%



Poured from tap, the body is brown with a wee white head. Good lacing.

Aroma is roasted coffee.

Taste follows nose as roast coffee remains up front. A good malt base balances the coffee flavor. On swallow there is some bitterness but it is mild. Finish dries up quickly with a light lingering malty char.

Mouthfeel and carbonation are medium.

Easy drinking stout that is a treat for coffee fans. Those seeking a big heavy stout should look elsewhere.

 

Happy NBW everyone! Started my stouturday off with this good Oreo cookie-like imperial pastry stout from The Bruery:

Cookie Barrel | The Bruery | BeerAdvocate





I liked this one a lot, but for something that was double barrel aged it didn't seem like there was much whiskey character in either the taste or aroma. Guess it was probably overpowered by everything else in the brew. I plan on having at least one more new brew today, cheers!

 

I picked up some Lone Pint at the store...they do what is called their Zythophile Series. I hate how they label these. Each one is a different SMASH IPA, always with Pilsner malt and a new hop variety. Though the can labels never have any of that information...you just have to guess by looking at pictures at the various online places...their website is a mess as well so no real help there ha.

Anyway, I finally figured out which one this is...

Zythophile Metal Head IPA, SMASH IPA with Pilsner malt and Strata hops. 6.7% ABV.



Pours a slightly hazy golden/orange color. A white head forms with good retention and lace left behind.
Aroma is big fruity hop aromas up front. Berry and melon fruit salad all the way.
Taste wise, again, that big fruity hop salad is up front and center. Berry and melon are the show, but also citrus and orange peel. This becomes "juicy" but sticky sweet. While there is some bitterness lingering, I could use more to help balanced the sweet fruity flavors.
A medium to full body. Moderate carbonation, that could be more crisp for my tastes. With a sticky/sugary fruit residue. While I'm enjoying the can for what it is, its still not something I'm going to reach for a lot, just out of my own personal preference though. Not necessarily anything wrong here.

They made exactly what they wanted to, and I can see why some people like this. It is well made in that regard. Just for my own personal tastes, the sticky/fruity residue just takes over for me. More bitterness and carbonation will balance and dry this out to my liking. As is, a nice enough offering, but still not going to dethrone Yellow Rose.

Overall score is 3.67, solid B for me.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30380/661272/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Bauhaus Brew Labs and HammerHeart Brewing Graor Alder the Grey Nordic porter. Courtesy of @Mdog. I consulted with @superspak early this morning. We are on the same wavelength. Enjoying a HammerHeart Brewing beer that @Mdog provided for us, and pairing it with Nordic reading. My son plans to dominate @superspak at online chess a bit later today. My expectations for this beer are extremely high. The look is jet black. There was a slight light brown foam covering that quickly disappeared. The smell is special. Coffee, dark chocolate, caramel, berries, wood, and spices create a delightful combination. The taste is milk chocolate, cream, spices, cardamom, berries, tobacco, and leather, with a smokey finish. The mouthfeel is thick, silky, smooth, and full, with light carbonation. This is the best porter I have ever experienced. It has the best can-art I believe I have ever witnessed. I must acquire more of this beer. This is probably my favorite beer that has ever been brewed in the state of Minnesota.