New Beer Sunday (week 509)

Very sorry, meant for this one to be last.

 

Hello to all my NBS friends! Going to review this bottle recently given to me by a friend that stopped at Greenbush.

Owls in the Roadhouse Porter pours an oily dark ruby tinted dark brown, with a brown ring of brown foam that quickly settles.

Aroma is mild raspberries with a slight hint of coffee like roast. A pleasant but not overwhelming mix.

The flavor is raspberry forward with nice overtones of dark chocolate and roast. A bit on the tart side as opposed to sweet, which is fine by me. A oily brown residue coats the glass like a good stout, despite the body being on the thin side. Very nice mix of flavors complementing each other.

In all, this is a winner for me. This is like drinking a chocolate covered raspberry! There is a barrel aged version that I would love to try as well. I'll be keeping an eye out for that the next time it's released. Going to give this a solid 4.25.

Enjoy your NBS and have a happy Thanksgiving as well!

 

Good afternoon NBSers! Today's offering is this:



http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30923/90858/?ba=Ozzylizard

Really was unimpressed - just didn't taste good.

 

Nice post! I'm a big fan of Greenbush, and this one in particular: a really nice fruited porter. And to boot, the name is a reference to a line from an episode of Twin Peaks, which I realized while re-watching the show recently. Cheers!

 

New Belgian IIPA Sunday (week 509)

Greetings fellow NBS'ers, a fine day, a wonderfully warm and gentle day, up here on the ridge in Mid Hud Val NY. Crazy morning of intense recycling, featuring the complete filling of a a 40 yard roll off with cardboard, and me having to play trampoline atop it all, in attempt to pack it to below the "water line". It is like a dangerous trampoline doing this, and I don't recommend it for anyone except those equally as insane as me. Warm and beautiful, with clouds moving in, a perfect day to enjoy a Belgian yeast version of War Elephant IIPA, called White Elephant. Truly a new beer, I added it to the database. If you are unlucky enough never to have tasted the incredible beers of Mr. Dan Hitchcock, well, get some is all I can say, Rushing Duck has quickly become the premier brewery of our area. Hope you also have a Great American Beer in your glass. Cheers!

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29800/146970/?ba=cavedave

We need to start listening to more Scriabin, he is on par with all the greats, yet somehow lesser known, unjustly so.

 

Happy Birthday BeerTunes!

 

Hullo NBS crew!
Extra special Hoppy Beerthday to @beertunes
Today I have a hometown hero I am just about in love with.

This is a dubbel with some Alabama history behind it as it is named after the monk who created some pretty spectacular folk art in Cullman, AL.
Now as to the important bit you can read my granular review here:
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22655/57725/?ba=Roxie_B
This puts me in mind most forcibly of figs, biscuit dough and almond paste. It sure is swell to have a local option (and a good deal too!) on one of my favorite styles. Some say stouts and porters are where it's at chilly weather but the way this has dark fruit, yeast and almonds running all through it put me in mind of some of the very best things about colder weather. Or perhaps it's that sneaky ABV. Definitely puts me back in the wintery thin sunshine of my Memaw's kitchen when she would get up early and make us scratch biscuits and fig preserves.
Cheers y'all!

 

Their small release Been To Barbados, which is their Nimptopsical aged in Rum Barrels, was the finest beer I have had this year. Such great beer, glad you have been able to enjoy it too.

 

Nice glass.

 

Well with nothing else going on today (did all my errands yesterday, at least all that were possible at this point), I figured I'd join our little merry band a bit earlier than I am typically able.

Spent friday and saturday evenings exploring this oh-so-familiar, and yet entirely-new city of which I am now a real honest-to-goodness resident. Took the time to check out about a half dozen highly recommended joints over the two days, and have to say I enjoyed each and every one, though they certainly each have their own vibe and now I have options depending on what mood I'm in (not to mention neighbourhood...)!


(I know I'm sorry about the vertical orientation: it was just much easier to do one handed that way...)

Been trying all sorts of new beers this week, continuing my little trek through various pumpkin releases, though as I've gotten nearer the bottom of the pumpkin patch in my fridge, I've been sprinkling in some more variety, including today's first new offering. Master of Disguise is a tough one to pin down. Obviously, the clear golden/amber pour seems incongruous with the stated style and profile, but then that's the whole point, now isn't it? It's certainly a pretty beer, once you get past that juxtaposition, with a thick creamy head sitting atop the golden body that would make Midas proud. The nose is entirely too one dimensional for my personal preferences, as I got almost exclusively burnt coffee beans, before warming released at least a tiny touch of just generic burnt grains. I've done a little bit of homebrewing, but I'm no expert by any means, but my impression drinking this was that the modifications they made to change its appearance bore fruit into the flavour as well. As I said, this could easily be placebo/projection because I see it and know what it's trying to do, but it felt like the natural burnt/roasty notes that are so integral to the stouts and porters we love and imbibe, indeed that which makes up the bulk of the profile, were missing. The stark coffee bitterness, then, comes across as an attempt to cover for that missing body and element by substitution rather than being an augmenting force. The coffee is acrid bitter for sure, and the cocoa nibs make an appearance to bring a hot chocolate sweet balance, but there's still too much alcohol frolicking freely without restraint or cover. Aside from the alcohol, though, the feel this brew provides is, oddly enough, especially considering my complaint from above, probably its strongest aspect. Thick and creamy and smoothe with just enough carbonation, this one is a joy to let run across your tongue.
All in all, it's an interesting idea, with some enjoyable aspects, but ultimately feels like too many sacrifices are made for the sake of the golden gimmick, with the adjuncts attempting to cover/compensate, but not doing so convincingly enough to successfully distract from what had to be removed to keep the conceit.



Happy birthday to @beertunes, hope the day is providing all that it promised, and who knows, maybe one of these years I'll make you regret your sort-of-open-invitation you posted in these annals last week and come stand around awkwardly wishing I had something clever or insightful to say

 

New Christmas Ale Sunday

Just got finished with my 3rd straight day of volunteer work at a fundraiser for our local park/pool, so I am ready to dive into some beer. Thanks to a couple of boxes appearing on my porch this week, I have plenty to choose from. Right now I am listening to the Bengals game online while I review this:


Couldn't agree more with my friend @creepinjeeper who sent me this one. Naturally, I am enjoying it in the new glassware he donated.


S - Nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves/all spice, ginger. A slight sourness.

T - Initially, I get that sourness. Definitely has some citrus. I assume from the orange peel listed in description. All of the spices seem to mix together. Pretty noticeable alcohol for 8%. No real single one stands out until the aftertaste, where I notice more cinnamon and cloves. Also some sweetness in the form of honey. A lot of thick malt. Reminds me quite a bit of the malt base in their pumpkin.

M - Still a medium body for as heavy of a malt base as it has. Average carbonation. A considerably dry, and slightly spicy finish.

O - I had high hopes for this based on the Pumkin Ale being one of the best out there, and for the most part, it didn't disappoint. Looks like I am going to have a +rdev on this one based on the other scores. I think it could do without the orange/citrus aspect, and it does seem slightly boozy for what it is. However, it is an excellent winter warmer that I would likely enjoy again… if I wasn't surrounded by Great Lakes and Thirsty Dog

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/583/33515/?ba=WesMantooth#navigation

Another beer that gramps sent me was this:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22072/138418/?ba=WesMantooth
This is a world class IPA. I have had some good Revolution beers, but I was completely blown away. If you have not tried it, you need to.
I may, or may not have bacon…

Part of this weeks haul. I finally have a pairing beer for the Walking Dead.

Watched a little SNL last night. I admit, I kind of like Bruno Mars. Boy does he remind me of Michael Jackson.
OK. I also admit that I enjoy some Michael Jackson. Hey, I grew up in the 80's. There seems to be a direct correlation between the diversity of my music and my beer.

 

Good afternoon, BA. I'm a longtime fan of this thread, but this is my first post here. With the Bears-Bucs game on today (I'm a transplanted Chicagoan and have been eager for the return of Lovie Smith and Josh McCown to Chicago…things have taken a major turn in the Bears' favor as I've been typing this), I had to bring out the big guns.

New barrel-aged beer Sunday…Black Tuesday '13 from The Bruery, enjoyed from a snifter.



Black Tuesday pours, well, black, with a thin and wispy beige head that recedes to a faint ring around the edge of the glass. Thick, vinous legs on this one, too. The aromas are intense: heavy, heavy alcohol presence that's a lot like straight bourbon (though the alcohol aroma settled substantially as the beer warmed up); dark red fruit like raisins and cherries; chocolate; and a very nice oaky vanilla. Flavors are a dream: sweet, booze-drenched chocolate; spicy alcohol heat; caramelized brown sugar; vanilla marshmallows; more vanilla and molasses; more of those dark red fruits; and a faint char or roastiness on the finish. There's almost a sherry- or port-like flavor to Black Tuesday, which transforms this beer into one fit not only for mortals, but also for the gods. Mouthfeel is not thin, but not as viscous as I was expecting. It's just smooth, substantial, and exactly right for what's going on with the flavors. There's definitely a bit of alcohol burn, but this seemed to dissipate as the beer warmed up.

Overall, Black Tuesday is one of the best straight BA stouts I've ever had, maybe slightly ahead of BCBS and slightly behind the king of the roost, Parabola. The flavors are rich, complex, and hard to capture adequately with words. If you're a BA stout fan, you'll love this one. Thanks to @BeerMeBro720 for trading me this gem.

Cheers, and enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Mike

 

Firestone Parabola 2013.

 

I just knocked over a bottle of Lion Stout on my floor .... grRRR!!!

Smells great, but what a mess..

onward..

 

@Roguer, The best cedar aged brew I've found was from Japan: Hitachino Nest Japanese Classic. It was a good if not great IPA overall, but the cedar really came through in the second wave across the tonguer. I'm intrigued by that Green Flash brew, as Cedar trees hold a significant role in my upbringing etc (complicated), and I'll keep my eyes out to give it a shot, though I haven't seen it around here (admittedly, haven't been looking for it though, as I didn't know it existed until today).
Dunno if that Hitachino is still available: the label made it sound like a special production, but the page says it's year-round.
Cheers!

 

I get that look on my face when I smell bacon, too.

That Unsessionable is just insane- it's great to see it getting a lot of love lately.

Cheers!

 

Outstanding pic with the decanter in the background.

Welcome to the show

 

Agreed. With the blinds in the background, it kind of looked like he's drinking out of a pumpkin-shaped snifter. Which would be very proper glassware.