New Beer Sunday (week 516)

That is never adviseable

 

My new beer today is an interesting brew I found while checking out new (to be) bottle shops in Seattle. It's Hitachino Nest XH, which is billed as a shochu-barrel aged strong ale, but is listed as a BSDA here on BA.

It's a tasty-enough and reasonable beer, but I really can't identify much in the way of shochu or barrel in it, which are the traits you're paying for here. Other than a little astringency, there's not much character added by this.

There are better BSDAs out there, so unless you love the style or are a ticker, this one can probably be skipped. I gave this guy 3.79, a little bit above its average score.

 

Hello everyone,

Had a decent week, not much to mention. Cold as hell outside, good weekend to sit on the couch and kill some beers. The Pats won yesterday, so that's awesome, and on Thursday I made a nice little score at a small liquor store on the way home from work (not one of my regular spots, though that may change now). Stopped for no real reason, just felt like getting out of the truck for a few minutes. Walked in and found these on the shelf:



I've never had it before, so naturally it made my day. It's also making my day today, as it's my choice for this week's NBS.



It pours a beautiful dark brown, nearly black, with a one finger head of caramel colored foam that slowly breaks away. The aroma is strong, boozy with vanilla and oak notes. Taste is unexpectedly as smooth as it is complex. It's boozy and very sweet. The bourbon barrels really come through again with those same oak and vanilla notes. There is also an element of dark dried fruit (raisins/figs). As it warms, the bourbon aspect becomes even more prominent. The feel is absolutely perfect, it's creamy and full-bodied, and it sticks to your mouth. Carbonation is perfect. Honestly, this whole experience borders on perfect. It's hard to imagine improving this beer, I just wish I could get more of it.

Happy Sunday, BA!!!!!

 

More real talk: I've never been a huge In Flames fan.

Arch Enemy all the way.

 

After what seemed an eternity he was taken home by his buddy after pouring a beer onto himself. If I hadn't had a primo spot at the bar where I was able to watch the Seahawks and Gonzaga, I'd have moved elsewhere.

 

This brew is so new you busted it's BA Cherry!

 

Great football day for me, as a notable Cowboys hater. Had an early afternoon hockey game of the boy's to get to so getting home, watching last half of GB v. Dallas went well. Game over, turn on a few tunes:



(sorry, can't embed too well)


That's right, it's Kadavar. Awesome groove metal that is a dead ringer for Ozzy days Sabbath.

Cracked open a Bell's Mercury. Much better guys. After that whole Venus adventure, I was a little skeptical. This is much closer to something I'd drink daily.

More to come later, as I am grilling right now since it's a balmy 43 outside.

 

I had Moohoociato and that was a let down. So I guess the base beer was just destined for Mediocracy.

 

The next weekend looks like it will hover around the 50 degree mark. I'm not sure if the two of us could handle such sweltering conditions...

 

Also, French Toasted WnB wasn't an improvement over the regular version.

Meh, whatever, ISO: VT beer FT: French Toasted WnB

 

I agree with it falling off quickly. Backwoods Bastard is a great beer in it's own right. B. Bastard and Wulver are proof that Barrel Aging adds more depth and enjoy ability to the Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy style. Find a bottle of Sucaba, if you love toasted coconut you'll love Sucaba.

 

Yeah, I didnt even seek that one out.

Edit: I actually liked Cinnamon Rolled WnB though. Moohoociato just put the road block on me from the rest of their Limited Bombers.

 

Greetings fellow NBSers! A cloudy day here in the Fourth Corner, with some steady rain earlier in the day, and lots of rain earlier in the week. Looks like November got here late this year, I hope it doesn't mean we have a late spring, despite high temps near 50 earlier in the week. Tomorrow is the company holiday party for one of my jobs. As usual, I work the door, telling folks we're closed so that the staff that serves them the rest of the year can eat tons of local Dungeoness crab that's provided by our bosses.

Y'all may have heard some chatter about this NBS BIF that a few of us are involved in. Well, @Shroud0fdoom sent me a nice box, and here's my first BIF beer: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/898/93014/ . A lot of you regulars chose not to participate in this BIF. I strongly encourage y'all to reconsider that attitude when we do our next one, this thing has been a blast!

I went to Kulshan brewery last night, as they don't have TVs, and I was able to successfully avoid the ruckus of the Seacow game. After that, I went to see my friend Steve play a gig, and the opening act is from the same town as our erstwhile hostess with the mostest, @utopiajane . Jane, you should check out Anna Coogan next time she plays at home: .

Be back in a few with another from the BIF box.

 

Even with Angela??

 

Yeah, Cinnamon Roll'd did a great job of transforming WnB...unlike French Toasted, that is

 

Angela-era Arch Enemy is about on par with old In Flames, so I'd suggest Johan-era Arch Enemy kills them both stone dead.

 

Stigmata will always be blasted as my favorite Arch Enemy album.

 

New Saison Sunday

Wait...there I go again putting beer I've sampled before on NBS

Brooklyn Sorachi Ace



12 oz bottle (HUZZAH) into a wine glass.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy golden color. The head is around a finger high, and white in shade. Its retention is rather good, especially considering the head doesn't seem to have a very creamy texture. Not much lacing is left behind, though. (3.25)

Smell: This beer is supposed to all about the Sorachi Ace hops, so unsurprisingly they're shown off pretty well. I'm getting significant notes of lemongrass alongside a subtle touch of citrus qualities. I don't seem to pick up much saison yeast though. That, and the nose is mild. Still, it smells quite nice. (3.5)

Taste: Very lemony. The initial lemon flavor gives way to black pepper and sesame seed notes eventually, while it finishes grassy and slightly bitter. Some candied sugar touches occasionally appear. It doesn't really push any new boundaries - even with the Sorachi Ace hops - but it more than compensates with its excellent execution and balance. (3.75)

Mouthfeel: At first, it feels somewhat thick and creamy on the tongue. But then I realized that Dupont ALSO feels thick and creamy initially before drying out spectacularly. This too has a dry finish, but not quite Dupont dry. It's still refreshing and well carbonated on the palate, so as far as I'm concerned, this one is really drinkable. (3.75)

Overall: At first, I thought this was a Sorachi Ace showcase first, saison second. But really, it performs both aspects quite well - I consider it only a slight notch below Dupont as far as saisons go. And that's a big compliment. And with the recent arrival of this beer in 4 packs, I'll definitely seek this out in the future. (3.75)

3.68/5: Really nice saison with a lemony focus

And speaking of old Arch Enemy...

 

This is my first experience with calypso hops, but I love the tea and pear flavors. Honestly if this were mixed with mosaic and citra I would buy so much of that beer that this hobby might become a problem

On its own though still very good.