New Beer Weekend #303

What a great start to NBW! Well done sir!

 

If I hadn't recently posted the SNL video of Chris Farley interviewing Paul McCartney in a bit where he looks like a hack and calls himself out, I would've done it here.

He's in the top 3 jons - but almost certainly my favorite phisher.

I wanted too do a subtle jab earlier, but I also figured I'd fuck up something in my post.

Boy, was I right!!

More old school sours in NBW!!

 

Happy weekend everyone!
So happy to be here amongst friends.
Tonight I have one from OddSides brewing who often makes stouts that amplify the first three letters of their name.
Most often they do a great job at making it work, so I try at least one whenever I see something new from them. (The good ones I buy 4 or 6 packs of)
This is one I picked up instead of their anniversary edition which features berries of some sort and last years was not a variant that I bought a package of. A rare miss, and they want to repeat it. All I can say is *somebody* must be buying it up.
But chocolate and coconut and aged in bourbon barrels? I’ll try it!

The pour is stout black with a dark brown head that dissipated almost as soon as I finished pouring. No lacing at all.
The taste features the normal stout coffee, chocolate, dark bread flavors and has extra cacao (certainly isn’t sweet!) and a healthy dose of bourbon, which seems to overwhelm any coconut that may be present.
The feel is full, not quite viscous but not as thin as many western Michigan stouts are.
OA, wasn’t sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. Somehow they made a bourbon barrel aged pastry stout less sweet than most non pastry stouts aged in bourbon barrels.
Though looking at the can again it doesn’t specify which barrel is used. Hmmm.
Research!

 

I can't even type, let alone do proper grammar. Thought maybe he was being funny or it was something the kids are doing now like 67 or whatevs

 

I must admit my old ass thought something similar about those kids that shouldn't be on my lawn.

 

Thanks for the great intro, @jonphisher ! I'd be happy to have a New Beer with you. Maybe not this beer, though. You deserve better.



Gigantic Krampus Chocolate Stout

Clear red-brown body with garnet highlights and a short-lived head of creamy caramel brown foam. The lingering collar leaves terrific lacing. The nose is malted milk balls and chocolate milk on a foundation of toasted grain, along with notes of baking chocolate and caramel cream. The flavor starts off a lot like the chocolate milk left over at the bottom of a bowl of Cocoa Puffs. (Note: I haven't had a bowl of Cocoa Puffs in probably 30 years, so my memory of the flavor is based on intel that's decades old.) The follow-through jumps around a bit: roasted malt, rye toast, Hershey's syrup, dry grass, a hint of...dill?, a growing bitterness, and a mild acrid note. Things settle down in the finish, which offers a really smooth and mellow coffee flavor. A small plasticky alcohol note mars the finish a bit. Medium-bodied with a wooly texture and gruff carbonation.

Overall, it's an alright stout which delivers a goodly amount of chocolate. It starts well and ends well. In between, it goes just a little haywire, with a mixed bag of flavors that don't play well with each other.

 

Classic Fuckin' NBW Opening!!!

 

I'm in!
say anything youtube

 

That is a pure classic. I love the back and forth that you describe trying to discern the flavors.

 

You are a CAN-Do kinda guy. Looks like it's going to come out beautifully.

 

Thanks! I'm not doing the work, I want it done right!

I'm having issues seeing the picture of the construction in my post. Could you see it in the post or only when replying? Trying to figure out this intermittent issue.

 

Decadence - Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownie from Rorschach Brewing Co.

From a 355ml can dated 10/17/25. Poured into a tulip. A four finger bubbly brown head on an opaque black. Good head retention. Big patches of fine lacing.

Chocolate and some toast in the nose. The taste follows the nose with the addition of coffee and hints of fruit. I am not really getting the promised pumpkin cheesecake but it is still an interesting taste experience. Some cocoa as it warms. Cookie sweet up front with a dry finish.

A very smooth and silky texture. Medium body and carbonation. Overall an interesting Pastry Stout. Well worth a try.

3.96/5 rDev +23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

Too fixated on getting the Prom date...

 

I've been slacking a bit lately, but I have the current tap lists from 5 breweries that I visited on my recent west coast trip. I suspect there are many beers that I can add to the database, including a bunch that I can also add a rating or review.

 

I was at New Magnolia Brewing with some friends yesterday for some happy hour beers. I was able to take some quick shots and scribble some short hand notes on a couple of new beers for me...

First up is...

Dark Lord Black IPA, 6.5% ABV (they were doing a few Star Wars themed beers...)



Pours a black color, not opaque but with some ruby highlights around the edges. A one finger beige/not exactly tan head forms and gently recedes to a ring.
Aroma is lots of malts up front. Caramel malts, and even some butter...is that diacetyl? Some pine and faded hops but in the background.
Taste wise, like nose, this is way more malt forward than expected. Caramel malts and lots of sweetness and residual sugars. There is some of that buttery diacetyl like flavor lingering around here as well. Faint pine and faded hops, which is a bit of a disappointment.
A medium body and carbonation. Maybe a bit watery. Though not something I'm wanting to drink, mostly because of the sweetness, this becomes a chore to finish.

This is very malt forward, but in a caramel malt and residual sugar kind of way. Not in the roasty kind of way. Which the clash between roasted bitterness and hoppy bitterness is usually what I fall back on why I'm not the biggest fan of the style. In recent years I have become to enjoy that aspect a little more with the style. Though this example has none of the bitterness, either roasted or hoppy. With some perceived brewing flaws by me as well, this isn't a particularly good example of the style.

Overall score is 2.9, blah.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/58057/799991/?ba=champ103#lists

Next...

Rule of Four, Belgian Quad, 8.8% ABV



Pours a ruby red color. A beige head forms, and quickly recedes to a ring.
Aroma, oh, this is a big old glass of residual sugars. No nuance, just caramel sugars.
Taste wise, follows the nose with caramelized malts and residual sugars. Almost nothing to balance and this become the definition of cloying for me.
A full body with low carbonation. This is thick, sticky and syrupy. To a fault for me. The alcohol isn't particularly noticeable, but this viscous sugary sweet concoction is a chore to sip on and enjoy.

Not a fan. This has almost not nuance, or anything that I want from a Belgian Quad, outside of maybe they added a ton of candied sugar? But I'm not sure, but its so one noted, thats all I really have to say about that.

Overall score is 3.01, another blah.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/58057/799992/?ba=champ103#lists

I don't know if they just aren't fermenting out all the sugars intentionally? But man these are overly sweet for me. I have new to me pale ale from Real Ale that I'll try later today probably. Hoping that isn't as sugary as these ha.

 

Happy NBW all. Thanks to @jonphisher for the amazing opening. Was not expecting a selfie with a sign. Now I know what you look like . But yea, keep raising that proverbial bar for NBW intros, I got next week.

I had a good afternoon sleep yesterday, after taking Roxy to the Vet for the spay staple removal. I have been slacking on books for a day or two. I finished up Escape from Freedom by Erich Fromm: 4/5 Great Psychoanalysis and sociology classic published in 1941. I loved The Sane Society a lot more, the beginning talking about connections to religion and feudalism for totalitarianism was very interesting, but the second half of the book is a bit of a drag at times. Halfway through JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography by Liz McNeil and RoseMarie Terenzio: 4.25/5 Another very readable oral history that is set up as a bunch of quotes by pretty much anyone who was an acquaintance from Secret Service, to schoolmates, to girlfriends. Funny story about a Rolex with an engraving on it by his stepdad gifted that is worth millions today according to some recent auction, and he let his friend borrow it for 2 years until Jackie said he needed to get it back. Talks about the JFK Funeral salute picture and he initially was using his left hand at first. Audiobook has a whole cast to give it that authentic feel to the quotes.

Cleaned out the litter boxes and took 30 lbs of crap to the dumpster at 4AM. Keeping the boxes clean is a full time job. Skittles tried to push Midnight off the couch like in "300", but she trying to look innocent. Chuck says too many kittens in the house, cat carriers are now safe spaces


Sliding into NBW earlier this week, I was last minute 10PM Sunday night last week. Sierra Nevada Rye Torpedo. Canned 02/11/2026. Amazing rocky head retention and foamy lacing on the glass. Touch of rye haze. Aromas of big red grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, citrus peel/zest, peach, mango, melon, light pepper/pine, rye, toast, light caramel, and herbal/floral/grassy hop earthiness. Taste follows with big red grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, citrus peel/rind, wood, mint, peppercorn, pine, spicy rye, toast, light caramel, and herbal/floral/grassy hop earthiness. Medium pine/woody bitterness and rye spiciness on the finish. Medium carbonation and body; balanced creamy/bready rye/munich malts and sticky/resinous hops in the mouthfeel. Lingering hop resin dryness with minimal lingering hop astringency. Loved that they used the piney/earthy Chinook hops to compliment the rye spiciness. The nose was quite a bit juicier/fruitier than I expected. Impressive beer. I'd buy 6 packs. 4.13/5


Cheers

 

Gokurosama, a Kölsch from Godspeed Brewery

From a 355ml can packaged on 24 mar 2026. Poured into a pint glass. A one finger white head on a clear pale gold. The head diminishes to a thin layer. Rings of fine lacing.

Bready malts and some citrus in the nose. The taste follows the nose. Some vinous and resin notes towards the end. A dry noble hop finish.

A light body with moderate carbonation. Overall a fine Kolsch. True to the style. Clean and refreshing.

3.93/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4