New Beer Weekend #305

Fort George + Uprise + Shred - 3-Way WC IPA, 7.1%

16oz can served in a curvy Monhegan pint glass. Dated 05/18/26. Bought it yesterday at Safeway or QFC, can't remember which.

Pours clear light yellow, medium to small sized head, light residual dusting after it settles for a bit, lots of active carbonation. Smell is melon / bubble gum, citrus rind, honeydew.

Taste is fruit skin bitterness, tons of bubble gum and melon, something quite leafy. Subdied floral sweetness (actually, not that subdued, just totally overpowered by the bitterness -- like, "suspect was eventually subdued by a dozen pissed off drill sergeants" subdued).

Mouthfeel is light, almost watery. Solid beer, would drink again, but not fantastic. Wouldn't show it off as a regional star, but wouldn't be ashamed.

 

Yeah, it isn't as good as last year's first run of 3-Way, but it's still quite enjoyable. If the Beta versions are anything to go by, I think the third variant this year will be a double IPA. New territory for the vaunted 3-Way series.

 

The rain is clearing as I hang out on the covered patio at Breakside Beaverton. The newest Breakside barrel-aged stout is on tap and in in my glass:



Breakside Zelda Zonk

Look:
Opaque black brown with burnt umber highlights where the edges are thin enough to transmit light. No head, but a ring of graham-cracker-tan foam lasts to the bottom of the glass. No lacing. I didn't expect any.

Smell:
Dark chocolate, charred malt, oak, marshmallow, and bourbon. Light green pear notes float on top.

Taste:
Bittersweet chocolate ganache up front, rich and moderately sweet with a savory salty note. Vanilla frosting, oak, caramel, lightly burnt chocolate chip cookies, and char. The characteristic Breakside molasses note found in all their barrel-aged beers. A proud smoky character. A clear, dry, boozy pear note. More booze in the dark chocolate finish, combining bourbon and pears.

Feel:
Hefty. Full and plush. Built for comfort, not for speed. Curves everywhere, like the thigh bulge above the stocking tops. Carbonation like a throaty Kathleen Turner chuckle.

Overall:
I am a big fan of these Breakside barrel-aged blends. The bourbon and pear brandy influences play well together in a zaftig stout base that is more than up to the task. Dark chocolate and vanilla meet a wave of oak, bourbon, and boozy pear without blinking. I don't know if this blend has the staying power of Breakside's other multi-barrel blends, but I will be more than happy to deplete their supply while it's still on tap.

 

Moonlight Brewing's S.M.A.S.H Lager series ~ Sonnet DDH Lager

I thought this would be interesting given I have no previous knowledge or experience with Sonnet hops BA

Sonnet is an American-grown aroma hop bred as a Pacific Northwest alternative to classic European noble hops. Known for its low alpha acids, it delivers a deeply floral, herbal, and subtly citrus profile that is ideal for delicate lagers, Belgian ales, and cask-conditioned English styles

Moonlight Sonnet is a double dry-hopped S.M.A.S.H. (Single Malt and Single Hop) lager by Moonlight Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, California. It highlights the rare, U.S.-grown Canterbury Golding hop varietal (known as Sonnet), delivering a highly crushable, dry, and hop-forward pint.

Light, easy quaffer
I get lemony zest like notes accompanying some from toasty biscuit malt cracker. There is some jolly rancher candy sweetness there. Delicate, balanced and nice. Very crushable light and easy drinking.
Sonnet seems to be great in a light lager but would likely get lost in a heavily dosed IPA

 

Lots of cancelations of local Memrial Day ceremonies as it was a dreary morning but the afternoon ended up glorious. Getting down to the nitty gritty moving stuff around and put of the house preparing for the addition work. Our bedroom is now in what was the "formal" living room. The last big item to move is the armoire so we can wear clothes. No idea how it's gonna move - its solid wood and weighs mord than i care to know. I vote TARDIS or transporter/Scotty, but know it's gonna end up brute force...

Tonight's beer needs no introduction:



Russian River Blind Pig IPA, bottled on May1, 2026. They had plenty of this and Pliny at Bow Street (I think) in Wells. Tully's was our go-to in that area but the store has been sold and the new place soft-opened on our departure day. Anyhoo...

Pours a very crisply clear pale honey color with a huge foamy white head. Strong lacing and the head lands as a firm cap with rocky little islands.

Smells citrusy with a little faint tropical note. Grassy and some pine resin/woodiness. Doughy malt sweetness.

The taste follows - I'd say classic American IPA. I really like the slight dough-like bready sweetness this beer has - its perfectly counter-balanced against the hop flavors and the bitterness. Grapefruit, maybe some orange, and I think a hint of pineapple? Nice bit of piney resin.

Feel is medium bodied. Fairly dry with a cleansing bitterness on the finish.

Overall enjoying the beer - especially the balance. Somewhere around 4.3 is what I'm feeling.

 

You’re on fire this weekend @vurt

 

My daughter lives just down the street from that brewery (and I am pretty close in Chapel Hill), and yet I have never been. I need to change that.

 

Fair State & Kros~Strain Collab. Nectar Universe DDH HIPA
L: 4.5
S: 3.5
T: 4.25
F: 4.25
O: 4.25
Just superb with lovely eye appeal, tastes and feel.
Review will have to wait until tmrw!

 

Hope all had a good Memorial Day NBW. I was sleeping all day. Waking up like clockwork every 4-5 hours when the Percocet wears off. Just took another with a handful of ibuprofen. Also have something for nausea to help me eat. It takes about an hour to kick in, so it still sucks a bit. My neighbors are being loud and obnoxious again, I am about to lose my fucking mind. I am glad I have noise cancelling headphones. Hoping to be able to get to the urologist asap. I am calling tomorrow, I need to get the sound gun and then hopefully pissing out sand won't hurt too much. After I am off the painkillers I am going to be back to more lower/regular ABV reviews, but plan on drinking less high alcohol stuff every day like I was doing more lately.

I am currently 30% through We The People by Jill Lepore: 4/5 A great history book of the US constitution. It's slow and pretty long at 24 hours audiobook, but enjoyable. Challenging with a lot of detailed information of a ton of different people who were involved with it. The book argues that the founding fathers designed the document to be frequently amended, but today’s gridlock has made formal change nearly impossible, leaving citizens to rely dangerously on judicial interpretation and cultural conflict to update our laws. Anyone who has followed the supreme court lately knows what's up.

Stormy is tiny and fits in the Amazon box. We got an order with cheap Ink refill for my wife's printer, a 5 pack of vacuum belts, and a remote controlled outlet so we can mute the TV since I don't have a home theater receiver for my PC speakers and the cheap DAC on my TV.


Deschutes Black Butte NA. Canned on 11/14/2025. Fantastic head retention and soapy lacing. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, nuttiness, brown bread/crust, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, dark fruit, yeast earthiness, and light char. Smells just like the normal beer. Taste follows with big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, nuttiness, brown bread/crust, herbal, grass, wood, peppercorn, pine, dark fruit, yeast earthiness, and light smoke/char. Light-medium pine, woody, roast, charred bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and light-medium body; nice creamy/silky malt mouthfeel with lingering sticky hop and chalky roasted dryness. No cloying, acrid, astringency. A little thin, but flavorful and great for the NA style. Tastes very close to the regular porter on malt complexity with a nice amount of their house English yeast notes. I need to buy their beer more often, it's been a long time. I look forward to the Fresh Squeezed NA and Fresh Haze NA soon. Very impressive all around, and doesn't have the usual cardboard and astringent bitterness of NA beers I have had in the past. 4.25/4.25/4.25/3.75/4.25: 4.2/5


Cheers

 

Welltown Brewing Creamsicle IPA w/Lactose & Vanilla, 7.1% ABV; 3.7 overall

Pours an effervescent & cloudy amber/honey with 2 fingers if eggshell colored head. Plenty of floaties, apparently the intended goal, great lacing above average head retention. .5 deduction for all the floaties

S: Very jammy, Marion or Blueberries, some vanilla, fades once warmer

T: Follows the nose, a bit of passion fruit & traces of lime/blood orange bitterness along with a little dryness. More berries & vanilla as this beer warms, some tartness & a little sweetness, fairly dry ( lactose I presume ), more lime. Finishes dry with lime & raspberries & a little blueberry

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation, a bit gritty, good balance

The descriptor says they were going for a smoothie type experience, so probably an argument to be made for this being classed as a Milkshake IPA, wasn't really getting that the first few sips. Drinks alright, just doesn't pull together for greatness, only fairly goodness

 

To answer @Beersnake on question# 2. I'd love to have a beer with a lot of y'all on BA. I'd also love to share some with a few people I was stationed with, but a lot of them don't drink anymore, so I'd have to jump back in a time machine.

 

La Batalla de Puebla
5.5% Chile Beer
Ill Will



Poured from squishy pint can, the beer oozed out of the can. The color was a striking mango orange-red. Neither head nor lacing.

Aroma is a mango bomb with a background hot pepper. Taste follows nose as juicy mango meets habanero. Sweet mango dominates but the habanero starts in back and slowly rises upon swallow. No hips or malt flavor. A little sour twinge at swallow.

Mouthfeel is soft and luscious. No carbonation.

Very tasty beverage that is a smoothie in beer's clothing.

 

I don't think we are making 10 pages, but who knows? Beer # 7700 for me sent from a Michigan Mac Daddy @Whyteboar

Perrin No Rules Vietnamese Style Coconut Porter, 15.0% ABV; 4.14 overall

Pours an effervescent chestnut/mahogany with one finger of mocha colored head. Viscous, some head retention & zero lacing

S: Vanilla, caramel, faint cola notes, a little barrel; wanted more

T: Bourbon barrel, toasted & sweet coconut, vanilla up front, hints of Maple Candy. Definitely getting the Vietnamese Coffee flavor once warmed up, with plenty of hearty Bourbon mixed in. Finishes sweet, dry with loads of sweet coffee & goodly amount of Bourbon

MF: Medium body, restrained carbonation, warming booze. I expected more body, I'm getting a little coconut bits texture. Certainly sticking to the teeth

If everything measured up to the flavor, this would be a stellar beer. Still damn good & drinks easy for the heft

 

I’ll follow @russpowell with another Perrin No Rules beer, one of this year’s variants. Affogato.

The pour is black coffee brown with a half inch of light tan head that left no lacing.
The aroma is lost on me, damned Covid.
The taste is sweetened coffee, maybe with chicory, hot chocolate and vanilla. I imagine that there’s a fair amount of lactose in here and it presents a vanilla (ice cream)
The feel is mildly viscous, they shove a metric crap ton of additives in there so it’s about right.
OA, another well done (relatively speaking) variant of their flagship beer and somehow not as sweet as the base.
That is the last of the variants I have from this year so anything in the future won’t be on this thread.

That said, I had two other new to me beers (yesterday and today) and will present them in reverse, because why not?
Cheers!

 

Love that you could pull all of this back up, AND share with us!

 

Sierra Nevada Dual Torpedo DIPA, 8.2% ABV; 3.94 overall

Packaged 3/19/2026

Pours an effervescent honey color with 2 fingers of cream-colored head. Nice head retention & great lacing

S: Honeydew melon, grassyness; fades fast

T: Follows the nose, some tangerine, a little dryness & lime, some cakey notes up front. Plenty of citrus, a little green melon, dryness once warmed up. Finishes dry with green melon, faint pine & tangerine, some white grape & gooseberry

MF: Medium body, sparkly carbonation, good balance

Great drinkability, expected more; but thrilled to try

 

And you did a spectacular job of doing so! I’m still in unbelief that I got to drink that really good beer.

 

Stormy is too cute for words in the Amazon box, well done. We must find the bright spots in our lives when possible!
Hope you get your health issues resolved to your satisfaction very soon. I miss seeing your food and beer posts.

 

The Wheated Man
15.1% stout
Jackie O’s



Poured from a twelve ounce can, the body is black with a wee dark tan head.

Aroma is bourbon barrel, sweet and boozy. It ought to be boozy after 29 months aging in bourbon barrels.

Taste follows nose as the bourbon is up front. There is a heavy malt bill that cut the booze but not the bourbon flavor. There's plenty of brown sugar in the mix and as it warms a nice lightly sweet grain flavor that pairs well with the bourbon. ABV is ridiculously hidden in this big stout.

Mouthfeel is heavy, very viscous and coating after warming. There is virtually no carbonation. Perhaps a wisp.

Another big heavy bourbony sipping stout from Jackie O’s. I never tire of them.