New Beer Sunday (week 489)

Hello NBSers,

Today's offering? Three Heads Brewing's Bromigo poured into an oversized red wine glass. A sweet smokiness, paired with a touch of nuts, caramel, butterscotch, and from the hop profile- a little flora. I definitely taste the maple, more apparent when the beer warms a bit from the ice-cold sip I had at first. Nice deviation from my standard fare. Did I mention I've actually been on a Pilsner kick, eschewing the goze craze and the ipa mania? Recent indulgences include The Wright Pils (Great Lakes), Lagunitas Pils, Brooklyn's Pilsner, and ST's Krampus. Whoa! 9.3% on that last one. I didn't look until after I finished my bomber, and two double bourbons. No wonder I woke up with a headache this morning.

And since I like the idea of posting songs and videos- here's a cover of one of my favorite artists. The kicker? The is one guy who decided to cover every instrument (and the vocals) for the song. Enjoy.

 

I've seen Gaffel on the shelf but could not find a freshness date so I passed.

 

Great beer, as I put up recently. Great band (Mastodon). Colony of Birchmen, anyone? Maybe SweetWater Brewing Co. could do a beer called Colony of Beermen? Picture it- wild ale aged on birch staves.

 

Trying my bomber of Long Trail Culmination from their Brush and Barrel series today. I believe this was brewed in the later months of 2013 so it has maybe half a year on it.

I like this one. Its not a sweet chocolate porter, but rather a nice bitter cacao. It just sits there in the aftertaste, literally feels like cacao powder. There is some roastiness to balance as well. Very well crafted with the cacao. I didnt have the first installment of this series (imperial pumpkin), but this one might get me to try the third installment (saison).

Cheers

 

A beautiful Sunday here in New England, Red Sox notwithstanding. As we struggle through the late innings it is New a Saison Sunday for me. Stone Saison after a late lunch of smoked chicken thighs...tasty vittles.

The beer, well, poured a little cloudy gold color with a nice, white foam head. Moderate lacing. Not too bready, sort of vaguely spicy on the nose. The taste...hmmm...it is light, sort of refreshing, very dry. Lemony, vaguely spicy, an almost metallic taste in there somewhere, and a lingering, peppery aftertaste that is getting pepper-ier as the dryness really kicks in. Not bad, but I am not really diggin it either. It seems a bit jumbled up to me. Lots of lemon, lots of pepper after the fact. Not getting anything herbal or floral from this. Seems a near miss to me. Hits on the light and refreshing, a let down on the flavor. But would ya look at that...the Sox got themselves an inning going... Too bad they dug themselves a five run hole with Pony League defense...

Soldier on, fellow Sunday Sultans of Suds!

 

No reviews this week, but some new brews and a new pub.

Blue skies and temps in the 80's in the U.P. made for nice weather made for great weather for a family trip to the park, swimming at the hotel, and a cookout upcoming. Took a break to hit up the local brewery.

Hit up Keweenaw Brewing with my Brother-in-law while my wife took the kiddos for a visit with family (love you honey). I feel like I'm stealing at this place, some of cheapest pints I've seen in a long time. A few new beers today, but I don't feel I can do a full review on a sample. The hefe definitely stood out as a solid American interpretation of the style.

 

As noted earlier, I didn't have any NB's for NBS, so had to seek some out.
Figured that after 30 miles, why only grab one NB when I can grab two...

Really didn't know what to expect. Was hoping for something akin to Aventinus, which this is, albeit a watered down version.
Meh, at least I got to try another new beer/style.
Go Giants!!

 

Greetings fellow NBSers! Traditionally, Summer starts July 5th here in the Fourth Corner, but the last 2 days have been cloudy with highs around 70. It's supposed to clear off starting tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to that. On the Fourth of July we had beer fest in town that would have made @cavedave proud; a canned beer fest, put on by ReSources, a local operation that repurposes and reuses all variety of materials. The brewery I help out at is a big supporter, and I helped ReSources volunteers set-up the event, poured beer throughout the even, and did the teardown as well. I worked from 7:30a to 1am. Need less to say, I was a very tired puppy yesterday. I'm not as young as I used to be.

Question: How come Barbie never got pregnant?

Answer: Because Ken came in a different box!

One of my locals had 18 of their 22 taps filled with beer from Pelican Brewing, so I had several choices for NBS. I was a bit surprised that I had to add this beer to BA: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1304/128078/?ba=beertunes

And, since we had a joke of the day, how about a funny song?

 

NEW ALTBIER SUNDAY

Hey all, hope everyone is enjoying their NBS. Had a great afternoon with my mom celebrating her upcoming 70th birthday. We went to see Les Miserables at the Fulton Opera House. What a fabulous prodiction! Top flight performances all the way around.

I let her pick our lunch destination naturally. Great mom that she is she picked our local Iron Hill brewpub'

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/6045/121647/?ba=DIM

78 different beers I've tried there, wow! Cheers!

 

New Trade Coffee Stout without the Stout.

Ok, I received this beer a few days ago. Figured why not wait until NBS to try it out. Courtesy of @SomethingClever



Thank You!

This seems to be my least favorite Modern Times brew. Don't get me twisted I'd drink it again, it's just not that great.
The aroma and visuals are Outstanding. I mean I could smell this beer all day long! Coffee, chocolate and roasted barley complexity. The mouthfeel is meh. Not so great. Well for more details look right here.

Cheers New Beer Sundayers!

 

Hello NBSers and greetings to our most gracious hostess on this sultry summer day @utopiajane! I've got two newbies to share with you all today.

First up is Hopfentea, a collab between Perennial and what is arguably Chicago's greatest beer bar Hopleaf. Aptly described on the label as a Berliner Weisse on an island run--it's wheaty but with a very distinct and pleasant punch of tropical flavors. A lovely pinkish-orange color, it definitely has a fruity tea aroma with a little muskiness lurking underneath. It has a very gentle tartness to it at the finish. Weighing in at 4.2% ABV with a crisp finish, I must say it is quite refreshing on this warm summer's day. It was the perfect quaff for my midday weeding chores! Definitely something outside of my usual choice, but a big thumb's up. Grab it if you see it. Not that it changes the taste of the beer, but I have to say how lovely the label is--the beer is as pretty as it looks!


Next is FFF's Apocalypse Cow. Fresh as all hell, bottled on 7/2. This beer starts out as so many FFF's brews do with a mind and palate blowing levels of hop aromas and bitter flavors, but then it takes this crazy detour with a lactose milk sugar tang that makes you kind of sit up and pay attention. I'm actually not sure if I like it or not, but it is definitely keeping me on my toes, which toes, I might add, are increasingly wobbly as I ingest what I think is the 11% ABV.



I cannot be the only one who thinks this label is highly reminiscent of this "apocalyptic" work by Picasso!

 

Up next was another from Pacific City, OR: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1304/111932/?ba=beertunes

Since my first video was from The Firm, I thought I'd give y'all something from a different band with the same name:

 

I liked AC from 3Floyds. There was a nice leafy tobacco finish mixed with citric bitterness. I could easily recommend that brew.

 

Yes, tobacco finish is quite a good descriptor for this! It is quite unique, that is for certain.

 

I nearly forgot to acknowledge your @utopiajane most excellent musical tribute to the beauty and wonderment that is shower beer!