New Beer Sunday (week 526)

Instead of coffee to start the day, I have decided for a little Oil of Aphrodite before kicking things in to gear with some work projects.

This beer pours beautifully. Thick and lasting dark tan head that really lingers and laces my glass nicely. Flavor profile is outstanding. I do get some walnut character here, mostly on the backend and as an accent. Also, I get what seems like a mild molasses. Dark chocolate seems to be hinting, but also lingering as a faint accent, like the walnuts. There is a mature degree of sweetness here that is at the perfect level and I assume it comes from the Belgian candied syrup, as noted on the label. Overall, it's just heaps of rich malts piled on top of each other.

This is truly a great beer. It's one of those where I start thinking of the beer lovers I know who I would love to pass a bottle to. Hopefully you get a crack at this one someday. Cheers!

 

First of all, well done on yesterday's WBockAYDN. Tons of creativity and overall amusement, it was a pleasure to join in on the fun. Today is a special day in Kansas sports history as Wichita State play Kansas. I'm pulling for KU as I've grown up watching them. Either way, it should be fun. The photo I meant to upload had my KU hat in the background, but I chose this photo as it's better, showing the clarity of this beer. So how is it?

Hop Hunter is one of the lightest colored IPA I've had, although it's not unlike a lot of the recent session IPA's that are available now. As you can tell, lacing is thick and massive. Very nice looking brew, or brewskie

The aroma is strong and fragrant -- I can't stop putting my nose in it, honestly. Loads of fresh pine and whole cone hops, very herbal. Fresh. Not as much citrus as I was expecting.

Tastes much like the aroma with hops running rampant -- more citrus coming through, and not in a bitter way. The citrus is more subtle, not as sharp as a typical grapefruit-like bite. Very easy to drink. Really nice flavors working together between citrus and pine.

Mouthfeel is medium in body, a little bit dry. Leaves a bright citrusy aftertaste.

I haven't rated this beer yet, but I cannot imagine it receiving less than a 4 overall. The more I drink it, the more citrus I taste. I'd go so as far to say it has a refreshing quality about it at 6.2% ABV.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to listen to some cerebral art rock and prepare myself for the day. I'll be watching Chelsea FC go to Hull City later, and finish my day with the big Kansas showdown. Cheers!

 

I'm making pancakes and drinking this new beer from Lagunitas.

Wow, big espresso and coffee notes with french vanilla, cream and caramel. Roasted malts with dark chocolate make it very inviting to sniff. Follows the nose with coffee and espresso up front along with sweet french vanilla and cream. Caramel and chocolate with bourbon notes are also on the palate. This is delicious!

This just made my year since I didn't get any BCBCS, Peruvian Morning, and won't get any KBS. This is right up there with all of those.

 

Have a new Geuze to share (unfortunately, impressions only), but later on after some short errands, some chores and having my fill of Basketball on T V.

Until this evening, enjoy!

 

I'll be back later on with a new brew.

Cheers!

 

Samichlaus Schwarzes has a thin, cream-colored head, which is audibly fizzy, but does not retain. No lacing is left on the glass. The appearance is highly bubbly, and semi-clear, dark brown (think of Coca-Cola). The aroma is intense, to say the least: strong, medium-to-dark-roasted malt, anise, strong barley malt, chocolate, caramel, grain husk, and sweetness. Taste is also super rich: brown bread crust, caramel, chocolate, peat moss, subdued bitterness, and grain husk (think of Schlitz Malt Liquor V.S.L., doubled up and darkened). Mouthfeel is medium to heavy, and Samichlaus Schwarzes finishes wet, brandy-like, and intense. I almost think some people could be fooled into thinking this is brandy. I score this one World Class!

 

First time in bottles: Schlenkerla Fastenbier

The Schlenkerla Brewery (or if you prefer: Brauerei Heller-Trum) is world renowned for their smoked beers. They also make a very nice Helles beer which is technically not a smoked beer since no smoked malts were used to brew that beer but even the Helles has a smoky quality to it imparted by the Schlenkerla brewhouse.

I recognize that smoked beers are very polarizing. Some people love them and some people viscerally hate them. I am a ‘tweener’; I like/love some smoked beers and I dislike others. While all smoked beers share the common feature of being brewed with smoked malts, not all types of smoked malts impart the same smoky flavors and how the smoked malt is used in the brewing process will have impacts as well.

I have had the pleasure of drinking Schlenkerla Fastenbier on draft in the past but this is my first time drinking this wonderful elixir from the bottle; this is the first time that bottled Schlenkerla Fastenbier has been available in the US.

Enough of my jibber jabber, on to the beer!

Poured into my 0.5 liter Willi Becher glass.

Appearance:

The beer is a deep reddish brown color, with a big fluffy off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

Smell:

A combination of smoke and sweet caramel malt aroma. There's also a prominent floral aroma from the hops. Really big nose on this beer!

Taste:

Lightly sweet malt up front mixed with some chicory flavors; a nice combination of bready caramel malt and smoke. I notice some spicy notes in the mid-palate. It has a smooth finish of brown sugary malt, spicy hops, and creamy smoke.

Mouthfeel:

A creamy, medium body, medium carbonation, and a dry finish.

Overall:

In my opinion all of the flavors and qualities of this beer work so well together in this beer. In music terms this is a masterful symphony!!

I would recommend this beer to others to try who may have been ambivalent about drinking smoked beers. This beer seems to prove out that smoked beers can be enjoyable through a masterful and balanced approach to using smoked malt in brewing beers, For my palate this beer is very drinkable through its extraordinary blend of overall flavors.

Cheers to Schlenkerla for their beautiful crafting of Fasternbier!

 

Good morning BAs and good morning to all New BSers! Well, it's another sunny Sunday here in NW PA so far and the ice has moved out of the Allegheny a couple of days ago - just ice trapped on rocks remaining although the river is still high with overflow from Kinzua Dam washing down to the Ohio at PGH. We still have piles of snow in the yards slowly melting away and the woods are snowbound. Here at the reptile ranch the reptiles are less sluggish and more interested in eating then they were for the last couple of months - Lucky (my snapper) is downright curious about her surroundings and the red ears will eat everything in sight. Won't be long until they go outside into their summer retreats. My wife's hibiscus has prospered over the winter what with the full spectrum fluorescent bulbs and getting watered with turtle tank drainage and has more than doubled in canopy area. I can hardly wait for warmer weather so it can go back outside. The construction project is about a week from fruition and the next one will be starting soon. Damn - it's a good thing I'm not working so I have time for all this stuff. And the local university is advertising for temp staff so maybe I can go back...

Anyway, today's new brew is:



This is really to my taste - roasty, coffeey (?), creamy, just a hint of booze. Damn - this would have me rolling on the threshing floor (obscure reference to anyone not raised as baptist) if I had more than one! This is big, flavorful, smooth, easy drinking, fantastic price point - just a great brew - not quite as good as Peche Mortel bourbon barrel (thanks @SebD) but damn close. This may be my second or third favorite stout.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22893/73618/?ba=Ozzylizard

 

Good Morning NBS
I'm up a little earlier than I hoped. A very late night, (into early Sunday morning) bottle share that went in so many directions. Checked out this new grub spot in downtown Fullerton, California...Pie Dog. It serves up beer friendly food. Sausages, burgers, fries, onion rings, even tater tots. Food was quite tasty. They have a couple dozen craft offerings that run a pretty good gamut.

But the bottle share...Wow, celebrating a friends birthday in style.

Many highlites, but I finally got to try Proprietor's '14. Thanks to @Kevinpitts for searching it out to hook me up with it. Needless to say, it was well recieved by all. All of the BCBS glory one expects but with coconut, and cinammon too boot. But a really fine balance. The cinammon gracefully held in there without overtaking everything else going on.

Hopefully will be able to list others later.
Cheers All.

 

While I've only had KBS a handful (5-7) of times, I think I'd take this and it's $9 price-point all day.

 

Good morning and thanks @cavedave for starting us off this lovely NBS. Snow has made it's return and may I say it is lovely. Cheers NBS'ers and today I have Ayinger's Urweisse. Unfortunately it's not a new beer for me as I am stuck at home with the snow. I cannot join you proper for NBS but I will watch from the wings and a toast to you all.

 

This one lives up to the hype. Big, hoppy goodness with grapefruit, pine and resin most prominent on the nose, the same notes also carrying over into the flavor. Medium bodied with nice hop bitterness on the backend, but not at all as bracing as "West Coast" examples. I would have liked just a tad more malt backbone (there's a hint of honey sweetness and some tropical fruits in there), but still fairly well balanced. This is a great beer.

 

Is it considered a new beer if I've only had the base beer. This is 90 minute IPA randallized through bacon, green chilies and bloody mary mix. Not as spicy or as smoky as would have liked but tasty nonetheless.

 

I'm pretty sure we can allow it, especially when bacon is involved.

 

How do you do an impression of a Geuze? Are you going to stand around looking sour?
(Rim shot please)

 

Good morning NBS, Dave thanks as always for getting moving! We had a fine trip yesterday
to EBF session #2, good crowd and well run. Great diversity of offerings.
Today we have Lawson Chinooker'ed IPA. A fine IPA that certainly is worth the effort.
Some day I will get the knack for adding music to these posts.
Cheers all
Chinooker'd IPA

Lawson's Finest Liquids
American IPA / 6.90% ABV

3.96/5 rDev -7.7% | rAvg: 4.29
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle delivered to the store this week, no bottle date, into a modified tulip glass.
A - A lazy troupe of tiny bubbles meander through a sunset orange colored body, with some coaxing a thin cap can be created. Not "flat" just lazy, lacing hangs tough in small patches through the entire experience.
S - Hop forward for sure, grapefruit, lemon skin, orange reduction and dark honey lead, with light malts supporting the whole thing.The nose is rich in aromatics and with interesting interplay. Temperature increase brings forward less tropical and more deciduous notes, Piney with a better representation of that malt displayed.
T - An immediate fight ensues between the tropical notes and earthy piney flavors, they call a truce and the consumer wins. Richer fruits than the nose lets on pop right up. Pineapple, and orange with blood orange green melon and some pepper notes add to a wonderful experience.
M - Oily, slick coating of the palate, starting things off. The tongues edges roll up some with that bitterness, giving way to a sweet finish. Lingering for some time the bitter notes close the deal with a surprise comeback. All this occurs in a tight range showing fine craft by the brewer.
O - A fine IPA with justified high regard. Well constructed, big in flavor and quite enjoyable. Happy to have finally tried this offering from Lawson.
Cheers

 

SingleCut Brewing out of Astoria has just recently been gracing our shelves...

...with their Billy Half-Stack IPA and Bon Bon 2xTnT IIPA...

Today I'm onto my second pour of their Mo' Shuggie Soulbender DIPA...

First pour in WBAYDN...

This beer tops both of the others with ease...

Bitter citric pith and bright flowery hops, hints of subdued resin...

Honeyed biscuits sitting on a windowsill, wet fields of cereal grains...

Soft and smooth with a subtle bittering effect, an enticing aftertaste that calls for another...

I'd put this up there with some of the best DIPAs I've had...

Comes in at a very reasonable 7.4% abv...

Which made killing this howler all too easy...

Dammit... this may just ruin me for other beers today...



All new beers ahead, and one behind...

Paulaner's Salvator Doppelbock, from yesterday's spectacular ROWYBO...

Cheers, NBS...

 

Greetings, fellow NBSers,

Thanks to @cavedave for getting us going. I think you outdid yourself in your intro today.

37 degrees in the city breathlessly awaiting the Gonzaga game to start (a little after 4 PM our time). My Eagles were utterly out-physicalled (I think I just created a word) by the Hoyas on Thursday, and while I do follow the 'Zags, they're not truly my team, so the bloom is a little off the March Madness rose for me.

Right now my brew is coffee, as it usually is this time of day. Later on a friend and I will be traveling to southeastern Spokane County, where Zythum Brewing resides in Fairfield, WA. They've been open a little more than a year, and I've yet to have any of their beers or meet anyone else who has, so I figured it's my first day off of the weekend, and I just got paid - so why not?

Hopefully I'll be reporting on the presence of some mostly unexamined beer gems of the Palouse later on today, and I've got other goodies on standby that I picked up while getting a box of local goodness together for @beertunes but in the meantime here's a couple of beers that were new to me while I was pre-funkin' before the game on Thursday:
Hop Hunter - http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/148052/?ba=woemad

and the standard version of Dark Star (amazed to discover I hadn't had one before) - http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/20680/65266/?ba=woemad

I was +2% and -2% rDV, respectively. I wonder if the Dark Star might have scored higher if I hadn't had the memory of a couple of the barrel aged versions in my head.