New Beer Sunday (Week 655)

Cheers you all and Happy New Beer Sunday! Thank you @cjgiant for getting us thinking about beer today! What a week. They dug up the front yard to replace the stars after they severed the electric and cut the cable. It's still a mess out there and because they also tore up a huge piece of sidewalk I think they cracked the foundation of the building and right under my living room. it looks like a bomb went off out there and they have my place roped off thusly. And it's been like that all last week. So I now have a moat but no pony.





Happy New New Surprise Me Sunday



Sam Adams Dunkelweizen.

3.84/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours turbid and caramel color orange with a creamy beige head. Lots of banana and a touch of clove at first. Some deep breadiness and caramel. Flavor is good. lots of peppery phenols and a light touch from hops. Smooth but firm banana. Enough bread to satisfy me and not so much caramel that I would say it's too much or too sweet. In fact this beer is delightfully dry. I think the yeast they used can produce a grapey ester like grape jelly. ( I don't smell any really and nothing is out of order here) Crisp with a softer bubble and not too much bite. Low hop bitterness perfectly balanced. This is my favorite beer from the case. Dry finish and you do observe a tart citrusy character present in the mouthfeel , but not heavily. Finishes so much better than the other two beers in the case. The proprietary blend of malts they use works well in this beer . Dehusked carafa is for color and body without the astringency of roasted malt because it's dehusked? Chinook are clean without much herbal and leave a good crisp bitterness that lingers gently.

Cheers everyone !

 

Nice idea for a start @cjgiant and I expect I'll be back tonight with a new beer, probably an Oktoberfest.

Mostly since I haven't yet found today's brand new release, Dallas Sucks, from Weyerbacher up in Easton, PA. Their target market is Eagles fans (who are notoriously bleed green) for tailgating, but anyone around here who doesn't like Dallas is welcome to join in.

 

Time will tell, my friend, time will tell.

 

Good morning New BSers! Thanks, @cjgiant, for this morning's kickoff, to keep with your fussball motif. Personally, I don't care for professional sports and almost never watch any, other than the superbowl first half, and then I just pay attention to the commercials. @utopiajane, where's the food ****?

Well, today should wrap up the majority of the painting at my son's house, where I've spent the last several weeks, seemingly unendingly on a 30 foot ladder. I've got an area of about 10 square feet left to paint, two coats, and then the ladder work will be done, other than rehanging the shutters. WAHOO! I can FINALLY get back to Breakfast Beers and quit drinking V8 with my bagel! The roofers are scheduled to come (yeah, right) on Monday and that'll finish my summer son projects, other than wiring the hot tub into the new electrical service.

Today's New Breakfast Beer is:



750 mL cork and cage bottle purchased in San Antonio, TX, at someplace other than a Spec’s, over a year ago. This is the only bottle I’ve ever found.
Enjoy by 10 Nov 2016. This has been stored in my beer reefer for over a year at 42 degrees. Opens with a soft “Pffft”. Served at 45 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Aroma – strong coffee and a hint of chocolate. This lasts and even gets stronger as it warms.
Head – average (Maximum 2 cm, aggressive pour), dense, tan, average retention, diminishing to an irregular two to three mm ring fed by effervescence. There is a thin large island.
Lacing – none: this is quite typical for higher alcohol BBA stouts.
Body – dark brown/black, opaque, effervescent.
Flavor – begins with a weaker coffee than the nose would suggest, followed by the bourbon oak vanillin. There is no taste bourbon or of the 14.3% ABV, but about five seconds after swallowing, the gastric receptors notice it – waves of warmth follow. Allowing it to warm in my mouth opens initial waves of prickly carbonation and distinct chocolate overtones. The tip of my tongue is getting numb – good thing I don’t have to talk, just type.
Palate – full, creamy, soft carbonation.

Overall, this is pretty tasty when outdated, but does date really matter to a high alcohol BBA stout? Sure, the coffee may fall off but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The price may fall off too, but don’t count on it. Victory, you need to bring this back!

Appearance 4, Aroma 4.25, Flavor 4, Palate 4.25, Overall 4. Rating 4.06, rDev -6.5%.

 

Hello. I'm back this weekend after taking a break last week. Before I get started, let me just say that here in Kansas, we are far removed from any hurricane dangers but my heart goes out to those people who have to deal with any of it. I cannot even imagine the difficulty it involves. Stay safe wherever you are.

Okay, so it's been a long time since I've had a new Boulevard beer, they have kinda veered away from styles I like, until I saw this Tough Kitty on the shelf. I love milk stouts!

Looks like cola in the glass with lighter brown hues appearing around the edges. The head is dark tan and recedes to a wisp. Little or no lacing present.

The aroma is very slight. I get some sugary aromas and hardly anything else, maybe a touch of charred grains.

The taste starts with subtle toasted malts and a little bit of burnt coffee then it dives head first into a mass of lactose sugar. It's tangy, very tangy. A bit more coffee flavor on the finish as the beer warms.

The mouthfeel is thin, which isn't uncommon in my experiences with milk stouts.

Overall? It's okay. Nothing really stands out about it other than the tangy nature of it. It goes down really easily though. I'm just glad boulevard brewed this style.

 

Good morning everyone, here's my entry . . .





Score 3.9
look: 3.75 | aroma: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Attractive clear gold color with white cap and lacing.

Aroma of herbal, conifer hops with touches of tropical fruit and citrus zest all undergirded by a rich malt base.

Taste is hop forward, primarily conifer, herbal and citrus (grapefruit zest) quickly joined by rich malt. Brewer only lists Pale Malt and if that's it they musta cooked it awhile to get that gold color. Or maybe just used a lot of it. Mid palate the malt becomes more assertive without leaving the hops behind. Other flavors also come into play at this point. There is an undeniable tropical Mango Papaya thing going on that verges on boldness like Miss Scarlett's red dress while she covers her face with a fan. Which is to say standing out while still blending in. Brewer only lists three hops (Apollo, Equinox and Mosaic) but they sing with the voice of a chorus. Beautiful individual voices yet blending harmoniously together, this is a complex brew. Malt and ripe fruit last to the end with tropical touches and a refreshingly light hop bite lingering in the aftertaste. This one reeks of New Orleans, as rich and full as gumbo made with a roux noir yet stylishly uptown.

Full texture (probably the malt) with balancing carbonation.

At 6.9% and 80 IBU this one lifts the heavy weights yet does it with style. I run up the flag and salute my new winner for top spot in the Abita line up.

 

Do you generally like collaborations?

I am personally about 50/50 on the topic of breweries collaborating to brew beers. Sometimes I like the beers and other times I am not a fan.

Today’s beer was brewed collaboratively by Tired Hands and Other Half. I have had many different brands from Tired Hands (and I have liked those beers) but I have never had an Other Half beer but I sure have read a lot of good things about them. Below is a description of the beer I will be drinking of Oat Potion from the BA website:

“Saison brewed with a whole lot of malted oats and NY wildflower honey. Fermented and conditioned in one of our large French oak foudres for over three months. Brewed in collaboration with our good friends at Other Half (NYC)”

So, let’s see what two high quality breweries accomplished here.

Served in my Heavy Seas Tulip Glass:

Appearance:

Hazy yellow with a fluffy white head.

Aroma:

The first thing that hits my nose is a bit of funk (barnyard) and a hint of lemony citrus.

Taste:

There is a complex layer of flavors here! The most dominate taste is tart but then there is the funk (barnyard) and towards the end the flavor of lemon peaks through. Yum!!

Mouthfeel

This beer is highly carbonated and prickly. The body is medium. There potentially could be a smoothness here but the level of carbonation hides this potential aspect.

Overall

I really liked this beer!! The level of tart was Goldilocks (just right for my palate) and I greatly enjoyed the accompanying flavors of funk and citrus. It was a tad too prickly but given everything else I declare this beer to be a big WINNER!!

Cheers to the two collaborating breweries of Tired Hands and Other Half!

@rotsaruch @RobH @KOP_Beer_OUtlet

 

Thanks to @cjgiant to a great start to this weeks NBS. Should be back later on.

Cheers!

 

I had to think long and hard to figure out how anyone- even the local electric company- could replace the stars. That is a mess and I'm hoping you were referring to stairs! Anyway, good luck with all of that and to those down in The Gulf of Mexico.

 

Good lord! My sympathies for the construction mayhem.

 

That's a good one. I first had it years ago when it turned up at a local bottle shop. My score was almost the same as yours.

 

Sounds like something I could get into

 

Lookit this suave-looking superdude swooping in on a Sunday...

That's right, NBS, it's New Vic Secret Space Cake Sunday...

Beautiful Long Island weather yesterday and today - best part of summer is when it starts to feel like fall - clear and cool, breezy and mild - gearing up for some football and beer...

Started this off over in WBAYDN...

I'm gonna open up by saying I like this more than their regular Space Cake, and I'm not necessarily a fan of Vic Secret hops - actually, I have no frame of reference for this hop's profile at all - maybe this is the beer that changes that...

The nose and tastes of this beer are just awesome - perfect way to start the day - fruity, herbal, piney - but bright and light with passionfruit and pineapple, underscored with some pine resin and earthy herbs... Smooth and soft, plushly carbonated with a medium-weight kinda feel...

Busting out some fortification to finish this off...

C'mon - how can I go wrong with this on the plate?

Looking forward to the NFL Kickoff - great game this past Thursday (unless you're a Pats fan)... Predicting my NY Jets will be the worst team in the league this year, so be sure to tune in for some laughs - but I think the Steelers and Giants will do well enough for me to survive that humiliation... When will we finally call the Monday after the Super Bowl a national day off holiday? I'm looking at you, Donald....

Here's to a win in your pocket and a new beer in your glass...

Cheers...

 

Good morning NBS, Thanks @cjgiant for the intro today, and safe vibes to all in the hurricane zone this week, Todays offering is from our friends at Cambridge Brewing Company. The Working Class Hero saison is a bit spicy, and has a delicate mineral element that pairs with the citrus very well. The offering is in canned format and quite affordable. Worth keeping a few cans around for certain.
Cheers all

Working Class Hero

Cambridge Brewing Company
Saison / Farmhouse Ale / 4.54% ABV

3.79/5 rDev -3.3% | Avg: 3.92
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz can dated best by 12/17 into the test glass.
A - Bright lemon colored backdrop, excellent clarity gives a wonderful setting for gentle meandering carbonation to work its way top side. Tight knit thin white cap resided's through the experience.
S - Summer grains, a bit of sulfur, lemongrass, white pepper, and citrus peel, Very nice aromatics
T - Delicate flavors of mixed grains blend well with fruity esters from the yeast chosen. Notes of honey and lemon zest.
M - Lite in body, gentle carbonation, The start is semi sweet then a thin tart line runs through, finish is dry and delightful.
O - Well constructed offering with a real summer feel. Enough spice from the rye and wheat to add flavor depth. Low alcohol and lots of flavor. Reminiscent of those old world classics.

 

Happy New Beer Sunday everyone! Today I am drinking a Weißbier from Privatbrauerei Fässla called "Weizla".



The apperance is a hazy, bright orange/yellow with a nice, slightly off white head.

The aroma is citrus, wheat, clove, yeast and a bit of cream

The taste is a mix of citrus and cream upfront, with a balancing wheat / clove taste that eventually leads it's way back to citrus fruits.

The mouthfeel is quite full, as there was a decent amount of yeast that made it's way from the bottle into the glass.

Overall it is one of the better Weißbiers I have had. Wheat beers are one of my favorite styles and this once is exceptionally tasty. Lots of citrus notes with a bit of clove and creaminess. Super refreshing, easy to drink and makes me wish I had another one.

Hopefully everyone else is able to enjoy a new beer on this fine Sunday!

 

Happy New Football Length (NFL) & Beer Sunday (Week 655)!

My tenure as a taxi dispatcher has ended! I was in yesterday, thinking about an escape hatch for today when a customer saw fit to call me back because her cab had not arrived in the allotted 20" timeframe & for some other inane reason. I told her that she was clearly not listening as 20" is always an estimate & not a guarantee & her other bit of reasoning was equally specious. She told her driver that she intends to report me & once the driver had discharged her, he called me to give me a "heads up". ZFG! I was able to find a stand-in for today's shift, so my time there has ended, freeing me up to spend the day indulging in football & beer.

As to football, I want to respond to @drrth & his beer that he could not find.

I remain a lifelong Stillers fan (and Pixburgh sports teams in general), having begun with the Pirates in the spring of 1974 & segued into Th' Stillers that Fall. This was their breakout year, when they went all the way to win SB IX & begin The City of Champions. Understand that I am a lifelong Lancastrian, only 75 miles or so due E of Philly, so this did not go over well. As a kid, I was tortured, taunted, beaten, beaten up, had things stolen, had things destroyed, ad nauseum. In the meantime, my chosen sports teams racked up success after success & I was hooked. Admittedly, hockey with its speed & grace has supplanted football as my fave, but I still enjoy watching Th' Stillers with Da Bears as my NFC team.

The triumvirate from that era was Th' Raiduhs, The Kowgirl Kryboys & my focus for today, the Kleveland Klowns. Dallas Sucks, but Kleveland, well, you know the punchline. The BAL Browvens are just KLE, relocated east & the Bungholes are a mere speed bump. The rivalry with CINcy is one-sided, kinda like with my alma mater, Pitt & Penn State, whose coach was VERY dismissive of any talk of rivalry yesterday.

As to KLE, we have recently begun getting distro from Platform Beer Co. & they will be today's focus. I would have drank the blood of my enemies, but I am not a CANnibal. Instead, I am a CANnoiseur & so I say to them, Kleveland, I drink your beer! Seasons Beatings, yinz buncha jagovs!

I kick things off with an homage to another fellow Pennsylvanian, @JackHorzempa , with a CANlaboration beer:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/36487/300839/?ba=woodychandler#review

That'll get things started. I'll report back with my further progress over the course of the day.

 

4.5% ABV, hops: Simcoe, Centennial and Cascade. Brewed by Weyerbacher.

Probably be hard not to enjoy it.