New Beer Sunday (week 607)

The can I've had seemed like a beery glass of pineapple juice mixed with tea.

 

Yeah in mentioning them above, I immediately thought of the Founders thread and how everyone was talking about Bell's potentially being next

 

It is cold, damp, and rainy here today. Not feeling super chatty, so lets get right to it, shall we?

Once again behind the times here having a Stone Mocha IPA bottled in freakin' June that I bought to fill out a mix-a-six because the missus only founf five pumpkin beers... This tastes like grapefruit mixed with a coffee and half a packet of Swiss Miss powder. There is plenty of hop character, it is very smooth feeling, almost creamy. The bitterness is contrasting rather than complimentary, and the grapefruity chocolatey thing just is not working for me as a flavor combo. Not sure how this was fresh, but it isnt exactly enticing me to try it again. I am not going to review it officially...I have had it, dont want it again and will leave it at that.

Great send of @utopiajane , and I am enjoying the pictures and posts as usual. The BIF stuff looks awesome.

To paraphrase G-o-T, Monday is coming...

 

First up from my MWK BIF from @beerloserLI, this glorious DIPA from LIC Beer Project out of New York City.



My first beer from these guys - and in full disclosure, I'd never even heard of them before receiving this, which speaks to the number and quality of brewers we beer nerds are blessed with, because this is world-class.

An aggressive pour reveals an über murky straw-colored beer propping up a finger or so of slightly off-white head. It looks like a beer milkshake - and I lover beer AND milkshakes, so I'm about to faint.

The smell is waves of hops - I get grapefruit and pineapple piled up high.

The taste follows the smell - MASSIVE grapefruit rind, and sweetness from the pineapple to balance it, then just a hint of alcohol at the back of the palate.

The feel really adds to this experience - a creaminess (from oats maybe?) that makes this 8.5% ABV beer go down SOOOO smooth. I could sit at a bar and pound this - and then get off my stool and wonder why the world is tilting.

Rated 4.51, you crushed this (pun intended), Brian.

 

Wink, wink, nudge, nudge....A wink's as good as a nudge to a blind goat

 

Probably do an "interested in the BIF?" post early-mid-Feb, with a signup deadline, of end of Feb, which gives all of March for H&H shenanigans, with an early April "share" date. Twice a year seems about right for this particular BIF.

 

Cheers man!!

I just got home from an awesome weekend. Gonna unwind a bit then will catch up and get to posting some beers from @SammyJaxxxx !

 

It's time for another beer as I watch the leadup to tonight's football game. I still haven't decided whether to approach the remainder of the Giants' season as a comedy or a tragedy, but I think frame of mind is going to be pretty important either way...

Anyway- to backtrack just a bit, here is that awesome box as initially sent by @jhartley :

and it's been a pretty damn tasty journey so far. Here's tonight's bit of Florida goodness-


Tomoka Brewing Company Oceanside- white IPA with grapefruit

The nose is bright and citrusy at first, with tropical fruits playing a very nice supporting role. Grapefruit comes through loud and clear, and it's very natural and well-incorporated in nature. A bit of swirling brings up a fleeting floral/spicy yeast signature. Things are pleasantly turned upside down on first sip, with guava, pineapple and spices vying for center stage, while the grapefruit comes on late and the peel lingers in the finish. All of these flavors are harmonious and blend quite nicely together, and it's more rounded than expected. There is also much more complexity going on than I assumed there would be, with some pine coming on late into the first can. This is a really, really good beer, allowing the superb base to do the heavy lifting while just using the added grapefruit as an accent; it's also very drinkable and maintains interest all the way through. Loving it! A- (4.25)

 

New Amer. IPA Sunday (week 607)
Really digging seeing all the great beers we are Revealing and enjoying today. Here's to us, man, we monkey knife wielders did it again. Cheers!

Another one from the MWK haul from @2beerdogs , an IPA that is a West Coast style with a new wave hops twist. Lots of levels of herbal bitter, piney bitter, and citrus zest goodness. Kind of a strange beer, in a good way, because it has the competing characteristics of being very viscous and also very light bodied. How did they do that? Find out more in my review.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25959/127922/?ba=cavedave#review



Hope you also have a Great American Beer in your glass. Cheers!

 

Yes! Finally able to play on the official unveiling of NBS Monkeys with Knives Edition.

Again, thanks to @boralyl for this awesome beer box from the left coast. First bottle cracked is from Three Magnets Brewing Co Little Juice-Smoothie Edition.

Bottled 9/18/2016.
Pours a dirty, muddled deep golden color. Red, orange pink highlights. Big soapy heady that lasts and leaves beautiful laces. Big tropical fruits, mango, papaya, banana and sweet citrus on the nose. Excited to taste this. After letting it warm up for a few minutes, i'm getting pineapple, orange, citrus pith, watermelon and a soft maltiness. Finishes with a sharp hop bite. Medium bodied and smooth drinking. A great start to this night!

 

Glad you enjoyed it! The have a DIPA called Twist of Cane that has cane sugar added to it, but it needs to be experienced uber-fresh. The 4 pack I bought from the brewery really dropped off in the 4th week and was all down hill after that, but it's really tasty when you can get it fresh.

FYI: If anyone ever finds themselves in the Daytona/Port Orange area you need to check this place out! The beers are tasty and the wings are killer!

 

#2 from the MWK BIF box from @beerloserLI, this very nice Oktoberfest from Cigar City.



Full disclosure - I love Oktoberfests in general, and particularly on a chilly fall evening, which it is today in Minnesota, so I know I'm going to enjoy this.

A hard pour reveals a beautiful copper-colored beer, nearly clear, with a finger of tan head. The smell is biscuity/bready malts, and some toffee.

The taste follows the smell, with the toffee flavors really coming forward to lend a very nice creamy feel to this - and then some noble hops to give this a welcome tangy quality. I'd drink this every fall if Cigar City has distro in Minnesota.

Rated 4.02, need to decide on #3 before Mrs. O rings the dinner bell.

 

Thanks again! This was an extremely pleasant surprise, and I'll keep them in mind from now on.

 

This is my first beer from Voodoo Brewery and as a fan of the Tripel style, Gran Met did not disappoint:

Copied from my review on BA:

Poured from a 12oz bottle (no freshness date) into a non-nucleated Charente glass.

A - Leaving a majority of the yeast/sediment out from the initial pour, Gran Met still pours a hazy, golden orange with nothing more than a pinky's worth of a white head. Clearly not bottle conditioned, the lack of head is not expected from the style. However, the color and turbidity is quite perfect for the style. (3.5)

S - Although not certain, my guess is that Voodoo is using the same yeast strain as Brouwerij De Dolle. Citrus (orange and grapefruit), honey, macerated fleshy fruit (apricot, pear, peach) and hints of rum raisin are all present. (4.5)

T - Everything in the nose translates to the palate. This is a massively fruity tripel and for something brewed in the USA is quite acute for the Belgian Tripel style. Gran Met is much more estery than phenolic...very refreshing and complex for a beer of its strength. (4.5)

M - Medium-plus mouthfeel with moderate carbonation gives Gran Met a powerful presence. The sweetness coats the palate, but the bitterness is no slouch and swoops in to create a convincing, yet pleasant drying finish. (4.5)

O - Being that Gran Met reminds me of Dulle Teve from Brouwerij De Dolle (with the latter receiving many accolades) is nothing short of a wonderful interpretation of the style. My only criticism is the lack of head. However, I understand that Voodoo Brewery might not be equipped to produce a true bottle conditioned/refermented beer and can therefore forgive that element and offer my endorsement for Gran Met. At ~$11 a 4-Pack, this is a great value and just hope I can source some more! (4.75)

 

Ok, debate is closing in on a start time. Must mean it's time to up the dosage:


On Fleek, Stillwater and Casita Cerveceria collaboration (apparently that's my theme for the afternoon)
Wow!! This may be the closest thing to actual motor oil (that is quite dirty) to ever be poured into a vessel I intend to drink from. The dark brown head finds some way do seep from the depths through the near sludge to form a finger and a half of head. Most of that head seeps back into the depths save for a thick, creamy ring that remains to streak the glass with dark brown lace.

The thickness of the beer seems to be containing the nose as well, at least a little bit. The opening notes are light and a tad generic, but are mainly dark roasted malt. There is a hint of char initially, but with some warmth and a few swirls, there's a sort of dark cherry and a scorched wood tart note that escape the surface.

I had an impression of this beer from its looks and smell, and my first tastes were not a shock to me given this mindset. The tart scorched char/cherry note does come across, but a bit more like the fruit than the char. The beer seems to have a decently high final gravity, and a bit of sweetness is a component of this beer. The overall impression to me of a chocolate covered cherry - not the overly sweet ones with syrup in the middle, but like an actual dark cherry covered in chocolate.

Carbonation seems to have trouble pushing through the thick body of this beer, but it does make it. The full bodied beer does not clog the taste buds, though. It does leave a light, slick coating, allowing the flavor to linger for a short period.

This is a very solid beer. It leans to the sweeter side up front, but that tart-ish cherry note helps balance it nicely. There could be a little more to the roasted nature to the flavor, but I'm not going to complain about it unless directly asked .

 

Greetings fellow NBSers! It's turned into a sunny, although somewhat chilly afternoon here in the Fourth Corner, after yesterday's annual reminder that the second Saturday of October is the start of Bellingham's annual rain festival, which runs until July 5th. Got soaked and dried out while setting up events about 4 times yesterday. Made a run out to North Fork Brewery earlier today, and tried one of their new sours, a 2014 Kriek, and a couple pints of their Fresh Hop Harvest Ale, that was brewed with 22lbs of Chinook and Centennial hops grown in the yard of a couple of their regulars. Also made a quick stop at Gruff Brewing and had the new version of their Wishrock Wit, this time with lemons. Nice and tasty!

Looks the NBS BIF #4, MWK folks have been killing it here today! If this looks like fun to you, keep an eye peeled here in early-mid February for the next one. The more the merrier! I was the target of @superspak this round, and I'm just finishing up a stout from his box: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/335/8322/ .

I might reach back into that box once more today, we'll see. Cheers NBSers!!!!

 

I can't help it. It felt so invigorating walking around downtown with that light steady sprinkle coming down around me. It felt good.

 

Yet another new canning from Hermit Thrush. Local Teamaker hops from Four Star Farm were used in this sour.

Vigorous pour yields a 3/4 inch head that disappears in a few minutes. Golden in color. Definite tea aroma on the nose. My first time experiencing this "Teamaker" hop variety. In this sour context it's very hard to pick out any characteristics. Again with the sourness and thin feel. Overall, good, but just good.



3.67/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

 

It was an awesome amount of fun and now that it's over (except for ninja/ninjette bombings) I don't know what I'm gonna do with my spare time!

Thanks to @beertunes , @2beerdogs and @jhavs for peer-pressuring me into it!!

 

Greetings all! I was part of the BIF where we asked philosophical questions such as: if you had a room filled with an infinite number of monkeys with an infinite number of knives, could they eventually carve you a face that wasn't so damn ugly? And: if the knife wielding monkeys refuse to fight, even after repeated threats, is it we who are the true animals?

I find it's easier to ponder such universal mysteries with a cold beer, this one provided by the venerable @Stillyman11, along with a trove of other riches. After a long day at work and an attempt at running, I was more than ready to crack open this:

INDIE BREWING: IPA DEY RAY

Appearance: An aggressive pour into my Mikkeler middle finger Teku yielded a frothy 3-finger head with plenty of effervescent carbonation flowing through the glass. The beer is a golden orange, murkier than some IPAs but clearer than others. Can you tell I'm new at detailed reviews?

Smell: Lovely. The nose is jam-packed with citrus and underripe peaches. It's not trying to do anything crazy, it smells like a good, solid west coast IPA.

Taste: So good. It's got assertive bitterness that isn't overwhelming. In drinking it with a carne asada taco salad and the tropical fruit notes are hitting the right spot to match the heat of the food. Balanced is the word I keep thinking of.

Mouthfeel - not too slick or too oily. Medium-bodied.

Drinkability: very good. At 6.5% and 60 ibus you could take a few of these to poundtown no problem.

In summation: a very balanced and delicious IPA I'd drink on the regs if it was available here. Between this brew and the Cramps on the stereo, I'm plenty fired up to "enjoy" the shitshow that will be this presidential debate. Cheers!