New Beer Weekend #302

Crystal Park Pilsner from Stockyards Brewing

A new brewery, a new beer, and my 700th review.

Poured a 473ml can into a pint glass. A two finger white head on a clear straw. The head diminishes to a persistent thin layer. Rings of fine lacing.

Sweet malts with a slight citrus note in the nose. The taste follows the nose. Moderately sweet malts give way to a dry noble hop finish.

A medium/light body with good carbonation. Overall a fine German Pilsner. True to the style. Clean and refreshing.

3.74/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

 

Completely agree. I thought I remembered Dragon's Milk having a decent heft. Then I popped a bottle last year. Taste was great but...Michigan thin.

 

Happy Birthday!

 

Like the brewery's name.

 

New Glarus 2026 Quadrupel


Appearance: Clear dark red, good head.

Smell: Earthy, sweet, dark fruits.

Taste: Starts mildly sweet, then shifts to earthy with stewed dark fruits. Medium bodied with plenty of carbonation. Continues earthy through the finish.

Overall: A quadrupel with lots of earthy flavor. Not particularly sweet, it kind of reminds me of an earthy scotch, interesting flavors to be had but not for the timid.

Thanks to @GreenBayBA for this one!

 

Enjoyed catching up with the thread.

• Thanks for your thoughtful open @vurt . Glad you were rewarded with a solid bock.
• I continue to be ghosted by that SN WCIPA @champ103 , but hope I can find it before it’s too old to drink.
• I need to find your light Grodziskie @cjgiant . Really loved their new to the world light Pale Smoked beer in April.
• Nice you were able to help your daughter after the work dab mishap @Whyteboar and I’m looking forward to your review of Bell’s Brewers Licorice Stout today , as I immediately thought of Kalamazoo Stout (one of my favorites from Bell’s) when you mentioned it.
• Nice you were able to snag that New Jersey Gold Medal winning beer @jonphisher , and I hope you and @LeRose projects get done quick, on time and completed as expected.
• Love Pure Project @sulldaddy , and hope to get back there soon.

In terms of hockey, really think the Hawks should return to OTA TV, return to their OG Black Hawks name ditched in the 1980s, and replace their logo with a Black Hawk or Connor Bedard. Pulling for Canada’s last team standing as always or Buffalo out of the Adams, Philadelphia out of the Patrick, Minnesota out of the Norris and Vegas out of the Smythe.

I hated the North Stars most when they were in Bloomington, and hated Dallas soon after the Brett Hull BS goal.

 

Had plans to hit Revolution for the two beers I didn’t get too yesterday (3 was pushing it in terms of being able to properly review and enjoy), so going with a detox day with this NA selection that was new to the world three weeks ago. I like their Hop Water, but apparently that is not eligible for entry on Beer Advocate. This one is, so away I go on this mostly sober New Beer Sunday #1106.

Revolution Brewery Anti-Zero NA IPA

3.96/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4



Full review linked above. This started off poorly, with a Keystone Light bitter beer face after a fine aroma experience. However, the Hope pine and citrus aromas emerged after warming, and ended up liking as my second recommended NA beer along with Best Day Kolsch. Spoke to my brother Wednesday about NA beers (unrelated to this beer I wasn’t even aware of until Saturday), and he said IPAs are the hardest style to replicate, and that the best NA beers come through reverse osmosis. I couldn’t find how this was produced, but assuming this was the method.

Have a great day everyone!

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Swiggers and commentators. And thank you, @vurt, for emceeing this week. One of the few things I can still stomach about living in New Jersey after 66 years is the beer. We now have seriously good local option; it's not just about Kane and Carton. One of them is Double Tap Brewing in Whippany (Morris County, about a 10 minute drive for me). The brewery's name derives from Benjamin Franklin's description of New Jersey as "a keg tapped at both ends" by NYC and Philadelphia. Double Tap has been brewing some excellent beer. I am a member of its Beer Lab/mug club. While they are not afraid to release - and can - somewhat esoteric styles, they are on a roll with hazy, tropical, big IPAs. This one, Crushed by Clouds, is hopped with Citra, Eclipse, Vic Secret, and Strata. While I'm generally not a Strata Advocate, it is used very well here to provide earthy, grassy bitterness to balance the sweetness of the tropical fruit.

Reviewed a little over a week after canning. It is opaque and muddy tangerine in color with over a finger of fluffy, bright whit foam and abundant, soapy lacing. A big, fruity nose featuring orange, pineapple, lemon peel, and pine needles. The taste opens with a blast of sweet tropical fruit, including ripe pineapple, mandarin orange, and mango. The blend of Citra, Eclipse, and Vic Secret is very tropical. As stated above, the Strata hops add compensating earthy, grassy notes. The mouth feel is great: viscous and pillowy with pleasant carbonation, and the 10% ABV is deceptive; it doesn't seem that heavy.

4.33/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

For those familiar with New Jersey beers, this TIPA is on par with similar beers brewed by Kane, Conclave, Oakflower, Bakes, The Seed, and Autodidact. I could see drinking multiple packs.

Cheers, NBW, and have a great week, everyone!

 

Evil Twin/Westbrook collab OFYMD Maple Bourbon BA Imperial Stout, 12.8% ABV. Pours black and thin with a slight ring of brown bubbles. Aroma is faint maple. Taste is maple, coconut, slight bourbon, coffee, slightly sweet, slightly bitter, slight bourbon burn. Everything slight. Light carbonation, overall very good. Not having had this fresh I can't say for sure, but based on other reviews this seems to have fallen off.

3.85/5 rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

This was a little disappointing, probably fell off, based on previous reviews. Couldn't spot a date on it, maybe under the waxtic, but I suspect this was a one-off in 2020.

 

Happy Sunday!
Finally hit this gem courtesy of our very own @Luscious_Malfoy who generously sent this in our Barleywine Stout BIF #2

Morning Vibes 2024
stamped "01/21/2025 CLOWN COLLEGE"

Pours an elegant burnt leather to obsidian in hue. Mocha colored head is both fluffy and silky. Good retention and moderate curtains of lacing.
Nose is a blissful wash of maple syrup, deep coffee roast, cocoa, some caramel, and a light, almost cream sweet note.
Flavor follows the nose faithfully. Yes, tis is a sweet one but not overly so...at first. Initially she is a tad on the sweeter side of balanced considering what the stated intent is. I mean, come on...maple syrup, it's going to be sweet. But the first few minutes is a really nice wandering through the maple syrup and firm coffee roast. But after that few minutes, one settled in to a sweet dominated journey. Not quite cloyingly so, but approaching. Having said this, I must say it is still quite enjoyable. But I could only do one glass in a sitting.
Mouthfeel is full, creamy, with low carbonation, and finishes sweet and a tad oily.
4.33/5 rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

I agree with what you said about Jersey beers. Between what I have rec'd from you, @SammyJaxxx and a few others over the years, so much good stuff. And I keep hearing of newer breweries since. Life is good for you.

 

I had this new Lawson's on Friday, before this thread opened, but hey, I'm a rule breaker. I've never seen this beer in CT stores until now, but it was entered into the BA DB last August. This particular can is pretty fresh.

3.75/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Purchased cold at a store 2-days ago and kept cold until served. Poured from a 16oz can stamped 22APR26 to a nonic.
The body is hazy gold, about SRM 4. The 3/4in/18mm head is bright white. The head fades but leaves a single bubble thickness throughout the session. Lacing is average with a multi-ring-like show.
The aroma is sweet strong mango with citrus and frankly, a little alcohol.
The taste is similar, but not as strong as the aroma. The finish is pine-like hoppy. Quite a unique mixture. The alcohol effect sensed in the nose is hidden in the flavor.
The mouthfeel is medium to light for a hazy, carbonation is appropriate.
Slightly above average for a fruity IPA. Quite satisfying, but it didn’t wow me.

 

From a beer perspective, yes. Otherwise, I've about reached my limit. We'll be outta here in a couple of years.

 

Found this one at the gettin' place after golf earlier today:

Westmalle Trappist Extra • Belgian pale ale • 4.8% ABV • Nov. 27, 2024 born-on date/Nov. 27, 2026 best-by date

I love Westmalle and have been hankering for some Belgians and abbey ales recently, so I snagged this bottle today. It's magnificent, loaded with classic notes of light citrus, light malt and plenty of earthy hoppy bitterness to balance. The look and mouthfeel got 5s from me b/c I simply can't ask for more, and the aroma in particular is fantastic with a range of citrus and tropical fruit notes and occasional punches of bready malt. Beautiful brew all around and perfect for a hot day IMO.

Official review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/208/16658/?ba=Premo88#review
4.33 (+7.2% rDev)

Cheers!

 

Oh Man. Where you heading?

 

Three Floyds Gumball Head DIPA...

look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Hot damn, how I liked this double IPA...

What surprised me the most was the look - floaties, thin head leading to your standard, juicy IPA scent (hiding the booze inside quite well - which I find a plus). Mouthfeel is a bit more carbonated than I like but it really didn't take away from the overall experience, which I enjoyed immensely...

 

Bell's 40th Anniversary Expedition Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels

12oz bottle served in a stemless rastal. Can't read the date, though it's easy to find, and it's probably a one-off batch anyway. @Resistance88 handed this to me a couple months ago.

Pours syrupy black, thick, slow to exhibit any head, but pretty strong retention of a fairly thick ring once it arrives. Smell is intense boozy bourbon, vanilla and slightly burnt molasses, maybe some burnt coffee.

Taste is similarly boozy, tons of char bitterness dominating the near-syrupy sweetness. Something cola-like, something in the bitterness that I can't quite place.

Mouthfeel is thick, chewy, sticky, still. Overall, very nice.