New Beer Sunday (Week 650)

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Thanks to @lordofthewiens for getting us started off this morning. My mom came to visit this weekend and helped me completely clean my apartment, so it is feeling fresher around here. She left for Ohio early this morning. I got really low on new beer singles, so I made a trip out to Livonia this morning. Picked up just over a case of singles and a handful of bombers of all new beers. Also some other old favorites I have not had in a while. Other than that, just a normal Sunday. Finished up the laundry and ready to relax for the rest of the day.

New beers:

Delicious schwarzbier! Fantastic head retention and webby lacing down the glass. Aromas and flavors of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, brown sugar, and toasted dark bread; with a fair amount of herbal, woody, grassy hops; bit of smoke and nuts. Light-moderate herbal/spicy hop and roasted bitterness on the finish. Light-medium bodied and moderately crisp; nice bready/grainy Munich malt mouthfeel; with some chalky roast and hop stickiness. Increasing bitter/roasted dryness; never acrid or astringent. Perfectly clean lagering, never yeasty or fruity. Really nice surprise with this one. I usually don't expect much from these Euro lagers; but this one is amazingly flavorful, with great balanced malt complexity for the 4.7%. I still haven't had the Budweiser Budvar Pils, I'll have to keep an eye out for it. This is the same brewery(different label naming for US?) 3.93


Very nice gose. Nose is pretty much all cucumber, with some wheat and lemon/lime in the back. Not offensive, but not what I was hoping for. Taste is better: flavors of big lightly tart lemon, lime, cucumber, pear, apple, wheat, cracker, coriander, sea salt, herbal, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tartness and light yeast/coriander spiciness on the finish. Light-medium body and carbonation; balanced bready/grainy malt and lactic acid in the mouthfeel; fair amount of salinity and light spice stickiness. Increasing lactic dryness, no pucker. This is super refreshing! Really well balanced classic gose and fruit/vegetable flavors. If the nose was more balanced, I'd have no complaints. Very flavorful for 4.4%. Very nice style example. I'll pick this up again. 3.88


Fantastic! Aromas and flavors of huge sour/tangy black cherries, raspberry, fruit pits, almond, lemon, lime, green apple, red grape, fruit skin, hay, straw, oak, pepper, wheat, and cracker; with lighter notes of leathery/musty funk, oaken vanilla, and red wine vinegar. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness and tannic fruit tang on the finish. Medium body and carbonation. Balanced bready/grainy wheat, lactic acid, and fruit/oak tannins in the mouthfeel. Increasing lactic/tannic dryness; bit of increasing pucker, but not astringent. The cherry presence in this beer is absolutely insane, super jammy. Very easy drinker, not overly lactic. Great barrel presence. Really spot on sour with balanced Lacto and Brett complexity; nice wheaty malt backbone to control the acidity. 4.2


Surprise find for the day! This was fantastic! Aromas and flavors of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, vanilla, toffee, bourbon, toasted oak, and dark bread; with lighter notes of dark fruit, licorice, molasses, pepper, smoke, herbal hops, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/roasted bitterness and peppery yeast spiciness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with an awesome creamy, silky, velvety mouthfeel. Some light chalky roast and hop stickiness. Lightly increasing bitter/roasted dryness; never acrid or astringent. Mildly increasing warmth of 8.7%. Quite a big difference from the base beer. Far less bitter and fruity/yeasty; with rich/balanced malts and barrel complexities. Much smoother and silkier mouthfeel from the barrel. I thought the base beer was awesome, but this is even better; and feels more like a proper Russian imperial stout, rather than a Belgian one. 4.25


Cheers, have a good evening NBS!

 

Trillium fest continues-

Nice label trick with the small pic, small font for "Little Rooster". ABV is 5.8 which I figure is "little" for this brewery.
Aroma is phenomenal, confronts you on the pour. Piney piney hops.
Look is hazy (expected) carbonation is proud for this style.
Mouth feel is creamy for an APA. Again, expected for this brand. Carbonation fades after a while though.
Taste is great. Yes, juicy, yes I said it. Tropical and floral.
Wow, with this ABV I could drink a lot of these. Glad to have it.

 

Fortunate Island from Modern Times


L: Poured from a 16 oz can dated 5/23/2017. Hazy light orange/yellow color. About 2 fingers of white head with minor lacing. 4/5
S: Lots of mango and lemon 4.25/5
T: Fruity with a lingering hoppy after taste. 4/5
F: Light mouthful with medium carbonation. 4/5
O: A nice beer from a style I've been enjoying this time of year. I don't see much Modern Times beer in VA but I'd love to get more. 4.06

 

What fish? Oh, you're right! Incidental Special Effects (tm) is a good concept, but hard to plan for. I swear, I think that fish is in that glass.

 

Still riding the DIPA train my wife put me on. So very glad Iowa is between her and her sis.

L - Cloudy goldenrod with rocky white head that took some coercing to generate. The remaining layer is replenished with a steady flow of dispersed streams of carbonation, creamy enough to coat rather than lace - 4.25
S - Blasted by massive grapefruit with hints of guava and citrus rind - 4.75
T - The sweetness that you know is malt but does not seem like it holds on long enough to allow the wave of orange citrus to roll in and break - 4.5
F - Medium to heavy body, lingers but because of the tartness not cloying - 4.25
O - Extremely good - 4.5
4.52

 

Second new beer of the day.
Short's Speedcult Black Lager



Deep brown-just-about black like. Cream and coffee head. Good amount of lacing too.
Smell is roasty malts, coffee and a touch of vanilla. Taste is dusty chocolate, light roast, slightly acrid coffee. Light bodied, very clean finish. Easy drinking.

I don't get into a lot of black lagers but this is definitely a solid choice.

 

Good evening NBS thanks @lordofthewiens for the start today, the stories are great.
After a weekend of Farmhouse and Saisons at Hill Farmsteads FOFA tonight an IPA from Lost Nation seemed in order. We stopped in for dinner on Saturday, Highly recommended, The food program is incredible.
Tonight's review is of Lost Galaxy, A delightful IPA.

Overall 4.04

Poured from a can dated 7/18/17 into the test glass.
A - Almost glows translucent golden straw color, nice white froth, supported by steady carbonation caps the offering.
S - Sweet malt, cut grass, some lemon rine, pineapple, a bit of pine delightful.
T - Orange bitters, honey, and English biscuit, some graininess reside through the entire experience.
M - Sweet start quickly dries out leading to an almost biting finish. That all happens in seconds, I really like that aspect of the offering. The linger is neutral and lasting. The body is medium to lite and palate is well coated even after that super shift at the onset.
O - A very good IPA, the grain bill adds enough body, the bitterness is excellent, I really value the 4.8% balanced with excellent aromatics, texture.
Well done Lost Nation

 

Hello, NBS Party Pack, and welcome to the "There's no place like home" portion of our program today featuring a big, brawny DIPA from Bare Hands Brewery in Granger, IN .....



This is Honey Badger, a DIPA featuring the ubiquitous Citra hop and honey, which explains my choice in glassware: this is similar to Hopslam (the sweetness of the honey), except wit Citra hops. I visited the brewery last week whilst I was in South Bend (Granger is a suburb), and muled this back to Texas.

The pour reveals a murky burnt orange beer (can't begin to see my fingers through the glass) with a tan head. Aromas are dominated by the Citra hops, with just a smidge of underlying sweetness from the honey.

The taste has Citra hops all over it, with tropical fruit and oranges dominating the palate - and then the honey slips into the party through the side door, and the booze (9.5% ABV) slams the door shut.

This is exceptionally well-executed by Bare Hands, and another of the myriad reasons I'm so excited to move back to South Bend. Mrs O and I both grew up in South Bend, were married when we lived there, Little O was born there, and we still have a lot of family and friends in the general area.

It's home, and we're glad to be moving back, though we both wish the timing was better (moving to Texas in March was correct at that point in time, but is now a bit of a detour), but moving around jobs doesn't allow for the unknown - when an opportunity presents itself, you strike.

We struck. And there will be a WHOLE lot more Bare Hands, Three Floyd's, 18th Street, Half Acre, Pipeworks, Revolution, Transient, Bell's, and Founders in my very near future.

That makes me a very happy beer nerd.

 

Yes, and I will. I'm pretty sure I got the pencil around here somewhere, unless the kids took it.

 

I've been seeing alot of good things said about this NBS entry.



Two Juicy

Two Roads Brewing Company
American Double / Imperial IPA / 8.20% ABV

4.1/5 rDev -1.7% | Avg: 4.17
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

L- The beer pours a beautiful bright yellow with the typical NEIPA haze. The head is two fingers of fluffy white bubbles. Lacing is adequate, but not plentiful.
S-The nose is sweet and citrusy. Somewhere between orange and peach, but not exactly either one. The nose rockets out of the can and can be sensed from good distance.
T- One the palate there is bit or that peach from the nose. Bitterness is quite low, but rind like in nature. I think the nose raised my expectations a little to high, because what I'm getting on the palate is rather dull in comparison. It's not unpleasant by any means, but the intensity isn't there like it is in the nose.
F- The mouthfeel is medium. Carbonation is ample, but restrained.
O- Overall a good DIPA, but not one that stands out for me outside of the nose. If you want a DIPA without a lot of bitterness than this would be a good call. Otherwise I'd pass given it's fairly high price tag.

 

I was at Gruff yesterday, between shifts, chillin' with a friend, and they just got a new batch in. I'll throw one in the Roadrunner box.

 

Hidey ho, NBSBAs!

I am getting a pretty late start today after working this afternoon, luckily it was a beautiful day and just warm enough to work up a good thirst. I'll be brief with my rambling tonight so I can get right to enjoying my beer and reading through everybody's posts.



My beer today is one I came across by chance this last week. They release a new hop each month voted on by people on their fb. I don't have Facebook, but luckily people have picked the ones I would've voted for each time. So I'm either lucky (or just another sheep). Either way, I'm a sucker for trying single hop beers and a big fan of Amarillo so I'm excited for this one.



It does a relatively good job of bringing stickier, more bitter hoppiness into the beer-type of the moment. It looks like what you'd expect. The aroma and flavor highlight the hop well with a balance of juicy bitter citrus and bruised herbs. It is fairly drinkable though a little alcohol whiff and some slight astringency hurt it a bit in my eyes. All told, though, this is a nice beer and I'd have it again. It's always nice to have a juice bomb that isn't quite a juice bomb. This is definitely among the best of this series of beers from Vox Populi. In my mind

Here's my review.



Cheers to a great upcoming week for you all!

 

Welcome to the thread! Glad to have you. I notice that beer only had two ratings. Please consider adding your review to help others beyond NBS, as well.

Cheers!!

 

Equlibrium Hoptimization 2

Brewers Notes:
Hoptimization 2 is a 8.5% DIPA that investigates the interplay between our ale strain and an intensive Mosaic and Citra forward hop bill woven four times into its creative process. It pours a very murky tangerine color, releasing notes of orange juice (with pulp) and earthy grass. The taste is highly resinous, dank-citrus, pine juice, with a chewy mouth feel and a firm and pointed bitterness.

My Notes:
WOW,WOW,WOW!

I never knew beer can smell like this without the use of adjuncts!

This is most fruit forward, over the top, ripest smelling DIPA I have ever smelled! It's the most definitive "juicey" aroma I have ever come by to date. I am almost at a lost for words on this one. Its hard to explain but I will just say that I am blown away by this one and to be honest this brewery as well. Im officially going on record on saying this is one of the best DIPAs I have ever had in my life!

Major Cheers on this NBS!

 

We just rec'd Jackie O's in Vermont for the first time this week!



I had their Gose last night and thought it was solid and one of the better domestic Goses.



Tonight, it's their Hockhocking.




Moderate pour yields a 1/2 inch white head over a very slightly hazy, light golden yellow body with minimal lacing. Nose of citrus, white wine, slate, flint, hay, slight oak, and ever so slight funk. IMO it's closer to an American Wild Ale for style. Taste of citrus, white wine, and oak. Mouthfeel is good for a Saison, but real good for an American Wild Ale. Overall my first Saison or American Wild Ale from these guys and I'm pretty impressed. Cheers!

4.21/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

 

Previous distractions caused the previous post to be delayed...

Pre "Game", not a dragon but...
... it has wings!



Moderate pour yields a 1/2 inch off white head over a murky body with some lacing. Head dwindles fairly rapidly to a thin ring in moments. Nice nose of tropical fruit, orange, tangerine, and other sweet citrus. Superb taste follows nose with more of the same flavors as aromas, but the mouthfeel suffers from the cloud making particulate matter. (?) Overall, delicious; but still falls flat along with too many others of this ilk. Searching for a more properly carbed, crisp finish. Is that too much to ask?

4.15/5 rDev -7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

 

Greetings all! We just wrapped up a semi-successful yard sale for the weekend, and I think I deserve a little reward. This is the first time we've done this sort of thing in the heat of the summer, and it will probably be the last; but #1 son heads of to school soon, and we didn't want him to miss all of the fun .

Before I get to my new beer, I just happened to get this message from a fortune cookie which apparently wants me to be fully committed-

I guess Yoda's writing the messages in these things nowadays. Not as catchy as "there is no try", though.

My new beer is a local beer that got a lot of good advance buzz this week, so I decided to take Yoda up on his advice:

The Alementary's DDH A-Game IPA, canned about a week ago, coming at you straight from Hackensack, NJ.

Double fisting this one will actually be a pretty solid test, based on my usual experience with these newfangled hoppy brews; something about the recipe and brewing process seems to lead to a beer with a substantial immediate impact, yet not enough complexity to last into the second glass. They usually just 'disappear' on me.

Immediate impression is of concentrated fruit juice (like the frozen kind, that you have to mix with water)- apricot/guava/mango in particular- with an herbal piney backdrop keeping it grounded. Definitely fruity, but not exactly 'fresh'. Well, except for the slap of passion fruit which starts to come on soon afterwards, and sorta has its own concentrated vibe going for it anyway. I did use a decanted pour, but I'm still getting a certain fuzziness in the flavors and a distinct yeasty bread dough finish. Mouthfeel is moderately full, velvety and dry, with a perceptible bitter snap. It's not bone dry, though, which is a nice touch, and seems to bolster the fruity elements a bit; I'm not a big fan of that powdery dryness, and that's not happening here, thankfully.

Last few sips of the first glass and the nose is still tropical, maybe even less concentrated and more natural, but the palate is morphing towards simply citrus peel and pith, maybe a tough of pine. And halfway through the second glass that's all I'm getting. Another disappearing act.

So, just how the hell do I grade beers like this? Clearly (no pun intended), it's doing just what fans of the substyle expect it to do. And, it's also one of the better ones I've had, at least for a glass or so. I bet it would even 'wow' people within a flight . When all is said and done, I will have to conclude that the disappearing act simply comes with the territory in this world of tradeoffs, and take it from there.

Based on my initial impression, then, while the first punch was certainly substantial and generous with the hops, it may have even gone too far. I'd prefer the fruit flavors be more genuine and less harsh. A- (4.2)

 

My favorite!

That's a really cool glass but I worry it'd mess with my mind and make me spill beers.

Another of my favorites. So, so delicious!

 

Greetings, fellow NBSers,

Late one for me today. It's been a hot and smoky week in eastern Washington. Currently 91 degrees per the news. I'm getting a little tired of all the wildfire smoke, coming from Canada and Montana along with the more typical local and regional fires.

On Friday, I had a 3-Way. A Fort George 3-Way IPA, that is. This year, it's a collaboration with Great Notion and Reuben's Brews, and is an attempt at a New England style IPA:

I'm not really a fan of this. For me, It's on the wrong side of the border between an IPA and a glass of hop flavored orange juice. Quite a few people dig this, and there was nothing wrong with how it was served at an establishment of quality. It's just not my deal, I guess.

Today's new beer is a session IPA from Reuben's Brews:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29693/213037/?ba=woemad#review

This might be a little old, as the can was undated. It started out promisingly, like a typical PNW IPA, but the flavor drops out about midway through the taste for a bland, watery finish.

I might be back with a bigger beer after dinner. If not, have a great week!

 

Damn I have been looking for DDH A-Game with no luck, I really like the regular A-game