New Beer Weekend #305

Right.

So the second beer today was right after Debra, Garth and I went on a kayak float down the Flat River between two covered bridges; White’s bridge and Fallesburg bridge.

And the float was darned near perfect - the water was high enough to not be scraping bottom (like last year) and the sky had nary a single cloud.

After the float we went back to their house and had some lunch and (it is Garth’s house) a beer.

The pour is a very transparent amber color with a near white head that left no lacing.
The taste is bread pudding with grapefruit rind and the sweetness from the pudding overwhelms the grapefruit. Very strange take on a grapefruit forward beer.
The feel is light and nearly crisp, but eminently slam-able.
OA, tasty enough, but it doesn’t scream (or whimper) grapefruit.
All things considered, if I’m wanting a grapefruit flavor in my beer I’d go pick up some Freedom of Speech from Revolution. But this hit the spot after 3 1/2 hours on the river.

My last one this weekend is one I drank (and reviewed even!) yesterday but didn’t remember to post it then. We were gaming and I think a battle was happening.

So I’ll be back soon with that one.

 

Looks like a stellar float

 

@2beerdogs sent me, out of the sheer goodness in his heart I am thinking, Pliny the Younger and a number of other IPAs.
Obviously the Pliny has ruined me for imperial IPAs now, but we must soldier on.

Two of the other IPAs were from Hen House Brewery, which I had never heard of before now so thank you Derek for many things, and introducing me to Hen House.

An IPA from California; aren’t they all required to be “west coast” IPAs? Obviously not. This one made me think a bit.



In case the name is not obvious, it’s Chaos Machine. Featured a double headed chicken and a near dystopian view of the internet.
Fun to read though!

The pour is translucent, almost hazy, burnt orange in color with an inch tall ivory color head that leaves sheets of lacing.
The taste is not at all what I was expecting but is delicious all the same. It has orange rind and plums, crackers and a floral note.
Seems to be neither east, west, or middle but a unique (for me) IPA.
The feel is not light but not heavy either. It seems to fit the taste.
OA, IPAs are not my primary style, but I do enjoy a well crafted one and this is one of those.

And this will be it for me this weekend. Hopefully you all had an awesome Memorial Day weekend,

Cheers!

 

Border Brewing Shiftie IPA ( DIPA ) 8.0% AV; 3.91 overall

Pours an effervescent honey/copper with a thumb of cream-colored head. Good Head retention & stellar lacing

S: Cakey, a little pine & loads of biscuitty malt

T: Follows the nose, more pine, a trace of orange & dryness up front. Pine & caramel, dryness & traces of citrus once warm. Finishes cakey, fairly piney with caramel

MF: Medium body, assertive carbonation, good balance, warming

This was better on draft, but more hop assertive. The canned version is a bit more 1990s. Still drinks great

 

It was the finest day in memory. At one point I was wondering how much some people would pay to have what we had today, the sheer peace and quiet and abundance of nature: 3 bald eagles, 5 herons (one a green heron!) and a red tail hawk that looked almost transparent when it flew between us and the sun.
The only downside to this is we will likely never see its equal.
1st world problems, no?

 

2nd time I've seen that beer here this weekend, and yes, I would put that away happily.

In the meantime, here's a crisp pale ale from earlier this afternoon:



Pure Project Sun Rays Like Stilts

Pale yellow and diamond clear, with a thin head that leaves a few scraps of lacing. Nose is tropical up front with an orange peel backdrop. The flavor balances the tropical and orange nicely, with a foundation of toasty, dry malt. Not sweet! Bitter orange, a drop of floral honey, a sliver of mango. A breeze of diesel blows through in a walk-on appearance. Good lingering bitterness in the snappy finish. Light body with brisk carbonation. A lean and tasty pale ale.

 

My posts are all out of whack. Chronologically, it was Santiam, then Pure Project, then Breakside, and then this.

(No picture. Sorry.)

I left Breakside and was heading for the bus when I decided to stop in at Loyal Legion for one more. I spotted a couple beer-drinking buddies who, as it turned out, stopped in for the same beer I chose...

Alesong Island Rhino Suit

This is a version of Alesong's terrific Rhino Suit imperial milk stout, aged in rum barrels with toasted coconut.

The nose is sweet, milky stout, fortified with coconut and plenty of rum. Smells like a rum-laden millk chocolate Mounds. Flavor follows agreeably, leading with milk chocolate and a surplus of coconut. There's an undertow of brown sugar, toasted malt, and vanilla. Sweet, but not too sweet. The finish is toasted Hawaiian bread, coconut, and rum, with milk chocolate mousse on the back end. Medium-heavy body with creamy texture and carbonation that's subdued bit persistent.

 

Looks like a beautiful day.

 

Cheers, Craig. Glad you liked it and that it was your first HenHouse.