New Beer Sunday (Week 680)

Finally getting around to opening this one as it's been in my fridge for a few weeks. I think I need to revisit this soon as I had just gotten home from closing the store at 6 and was thirsty and may not have given it its proper due.



Moderate pour yields a one and a 1/4 inch tan head over a brown body with some fleeting lacing. Nose of chocolate, strawberry, and roasted malt. Taste of chocolate and strawberry jam with a finish of tart strawberry and chocolate. A tad thin, but overall, a great little (5.5% abv) stout. I'm thinking this paired with pound cake would work very well. Cheers!

3.83/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

 

Beer #3 on this fine Sunday is Confused Therapist by Dust Bowl Brewing Company out of Turlock, CA. The can reads, “unfiltered, New England style, juicy, hazy.. confused?” Though I agree that this is in fact an unfiltered version of the OG Therapist, I would not call this beer juicy or relatively close to a NEIPA. Regardless, this is a mighty fine brew that is worthy of a try. Great flavor profile, and extremely drinkable. Masks 10.4 AbV incredibly well. Cheers fellow advocates!

 

#2, same brewery, this time a saison. Yum.





4.35/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A hazy farmhouse beer, this is the color of a golden sunset, with a fluffy white head. The Brett is prominent on the nose, as expected, but the Galaxy hops jump in with bright citrus notes, notably tangerine.

The Brett is also present on the taste, but the hops cut the funk quite a bit (but not too much - this is still noticeably a saison), and add some tropical citrus notes that are outstanding, especially the tangerine flavor.

The feel is dry and crisp as a saison should be, but a bit softer with the hop additions. Just a really well-executed saison by Transient, IMHO.

 

Good evening , NBSers .
Dreams? When I do remember, they're not as coherent and straightforward as yours, Doc. Tend to be more surrealist. More Kafka/Barthelme-ish than Hemingway. I'm also often so glad to realize I don't have to worry about it, once I come to.

Raspberry Sour (6.5%, oak barrel-age raspberry sour , with Westmalle ale yeast) - Avery Brewing
Thanks to @aoampm for this one. I was having a hard time saving this for NBS. Avery's label art is so enticing. We get some here, but I haven't seen this one. Along with the artwork it names the raspberry depicted, Rubus strigosus, (Now officially Rubus idaeus L ssp. strigosus - #%%@&! Taxonomists! ) , our native (to much of the northern 2/3 of US) Grey-Leaved Raspberry. Surprised to find out that it is absent from so many places. (Though likely in cultivation.) I knew there were a lot of Rubus, but not that many. I counted (I think) 270! distinct species & subspecies of Rubus, just in the US & Canada.
Beer is educational too!

http://bonap.net/NAPA/TaxonMaps/Genus/County/Rubus |https://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch

On to the beer :
I could smell it as soon as I opened it . If you took dried raspberries, and added some water, & a few drops of prune juice - that's about it. A little barrel, dried cherry, and funk come through as it warms. Unlike a lot of things, the contents lived up to anticipation, & the beauty on the outside. It dances ever so lightly on the tightrope between all of the various elements, without falling off into any particular one of them. Tart with a kiss of sweetness from the fruit, and leaning back and forth , from the barrel side to the funk side, and back again. Finishes dry , with an outer layer of jammy tartness. A real delight!
I seem to be on the high side, but in reading other reviews, I see that many who partook are not completely enamored of sours in general.
4.56/5 rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30/155430/?ba=mikeinportc#review

Earlier I tried, but kept freezing up , while on BA.)
Azores (4.7% dry-hopped pilsener) - Barrier Brewing
This might be my new favorite hoppy pils. (If one may have such a thing. ) At first it gives of the aroma & taste of a lightly-fruity session IPA, but with a smoother feel than is usual. As I drink more, & as it warms, the pilsener elements come through. As with above, balance is there, with both aspects dancing adroitly with, and around each other. Neither dominates. A real pleasure. I just got a single this time. I hope there's more left at the beer store.

4.4/5 rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22928/286883/?ba=mikeinportc#review

 

I certainly wouldn't turn it down.

Live Oak makes a smoked black lager, but I've yet to try it. They release it in January, and I'll track it down next year, so we can give it a whirl.

Experience says a really good pils can follow anything, so let's do it:

Pardubice Pilsner from the Czech Republic by way of Michael

After a quick palate-cleansing session of unsalted nuts and lots of water, the good smoke flavor from von Trapp's Trosten is still lingering a bit. But Pardubice's aroma of peach kolache softens up the senses, then the spicy hop bite cuts right through the aftersmoke. Yes! We have a good pils!

The review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1200/263548/?ba=Premo88#review
4.19 (n/a rDev)

The contrast between this pilsener and Catskill's Ball Lightning is as stark as Michael suggested it would be. Pardubice is a full on bread-malt bomb with the aroma of a working donut shop ... peach kolache sticks out as the main note. Catskill's aroma is much drier and "green" hoppy. Pardubice's flavor is highlighted by a spicy/black pepper hop bite that's almost earthy but mainly just bitter – not necessarily flavorful. Catskill's hop bite is as green and grassy as its aroma. They share notes, but the differences are super cool.

I mention all of that because it gets me thinking of the "I don't like lagers" faction that speaks of the lager as if it's one thing and how I'd like to put members of that faction on a ration of Pardubice the first half of each month followed by Ball Lightning the second half for as many months as it takes.

But perhaps that's just silly.

Cheers!

 

Poured near room temperature and got this massive 3 plus finger mocha head that sticks to the glass leaving loads of webby lace as it slowly settles into a thick layer of bubbles. 4.75

Smell is dark chocolate, ground coffee beans, oats, biscuit, and vanilla beans. 4.5

Taste follows loaded with strong expresso, vanilla, oats, and cocoa nibs. 4.5

Mouthfeel is thick and vicious, with plenty of carbonation, definetly a tad dry, and a 10% ABV sipper that is so good it goes down way too fast. 5

Overall this for me is nothing short of heavenly, so rich, thick, roasty, and delicious I am almost in aw, thanks again @jzeilinger for this world class stout. 4.75

 

Aha! Mrs. Lizard and I were just talking (yesterday) about how much we needed to get back to Columbia Gorge - we love hanging out among the cool trees and water - It's been six years! but nothing east of Hood River this time - too "upper deserty". We really enjoyed our last two weeks driving around and up volcano cones. Cherry Fred is one of the few beers on my WANT list - put one back for me!

 

I chose to open this to help ease the anniversary of a lost family member.

Great smell of coconut on the nose, lots of coconut and some booziness from the barrel on the taste, mouthfeel was creamy (not watery at all). This was an excellent beer. Thank you for producing fantastic beers @Texwild

 

There was a slight mishap regarding what post went where, but here is my review of the beer above!

Poured from 16oz can into 20oz tulip glass. Canning date was 2/10/18.

Look: Dark yellow, nearly amber in color. Slight hues of burnt orange. Little to no head was formed.

Smell: Really sweet aroma, which was unexpected. Smell is forward with piney, with a subtle citrus backing reflecting orange, lemon, and grapefruit.

Taste: Again, another surprise. Taste is sweet, in an almost syrupy fashion. Then again, the original Therapist also has a syrupy sweetness to it, but nothing that I regard is displeasing. Piney taste follows the sweetness, with a nice hoppy finish. Slight citrus flavors throughout, but not exactly "juicy." I do not consider this juicy in any way, shape or form.

Feel: Feel is medium-full on the tongue. Maybe the syrupy taste adds to the feel of the beer, but I find it enjoyable. Again, compared to other juicy NEIPAS, this is not comparable. Still enjoyed the mouthfeel on this beer.

Overall: I find this a very enjoyable beer. It masks the 10.4ABV extremely well, in fact dangerously so. However, this beer is extremely confused in it's thinking that it is a juicy NEIPA. It should be more appropriately labeled as an unfiltered version of the original Therapist. Despite that, I find this beer quite enjoyable and well worth trying. Cheers everyone!

 

Welcome to the Hotel NBS. You can checkout any time you like, but you can never leave.

 

A very pleasant surprise!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24299/297607/



Moderate pour yields a one and a 1/2 inch pink head over a deep red body with some very nice lacing. Head sticks around in a fairly big clump in the middle and on the inside of the glass. Nose of currants, some funk, and hay. Wonderful flavor of tart currants with a bit of sweetness bringing it all in for a very enjoyable experience. Wow! Very nice feel and overall, one of the best canned sours I've ever had. Yummy!

4.42/5 rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

 

Here's another Bare Hands IPA by way of @LloydDobler , and oddly enough the name seems to tie in perfectly with a current discussion happening on the BIF thread-


Aton Load, which seems to be a rotating single hop series, and it's Mosaic this time around. It's also brewed with oats and honey.

The nose is sweet and juicy, leaning heavily towards mango and pineapple, but balanced with tangerine and green oniony hop funk. After a few swirls I'm also getting a nice strawberry/kiwi thing. Honey definitely comes out on first sip, accompanied by a nice kiss of sweetness as well. The flavor isn't as lush as the nose, and favors the hop funk more than the tropical fruit. Bitterness isn't really noticeable, which allows more focus on the satiny mouthfeel. About a third of the way through I'm really getting into the swing of it, and everything has come together; the honeylike sweetness has faded, and I'm getting more of a lean and muscular presence with a lingering citrus peel resiny finish. Overall, it's another beer where the nose doesn't quite match the palate, but what's here is quite enjoyable (I really do enjoy that oniony hop funk that Mosaic can give). I like this better than the Westy, but it's still in the A- range for me (4.35).

 

Happy New Bud Light Lime Beer-A-Rita Sunday (Week 680)!

As a young, single sailor, I indulged in sex in every port. It was like the United Nations at times & I have carried that thinking into my later years. I am unabashed & unashamed & so threats of blackmail have ZERO effect on me. I turned 53 y/o last Sunday, which partly explains my absence. I was at a wild bottle share on Saturday & it took me most of Sunday to make the odyssey home.

As to this week's misadventures: The impetus comes from a discussion yesterday at the FGBS in which I was queried as to having drank all of the new Ritas. I knew that I had a stash in abeyance, so I declined any new purchases until I could get home & see what I already had.

The day will be dedicated to my late-Great Aunt Rita, one of my favorite relatives. She lived in a suburb of Kleveland with late-Great Uncle Max & was my late-maternal grandmother's sister. As a kid, they would come to visit my teetotaling, religiously morally upright grandmother with Max at the helm of his Caddy, its trunk laden with smokes & booze of every stripe. Y'see, PA has the State Store system & until recently wine & distilled spirits could only be purchased at a State Store & beer could only be bought at a distributor at a minimum of a case. Nothing was available on Sundays, a product of our Blue Laws, which is why NFL games start at 1300 - to be finished by sunset. Legend has it that on one visit, Max awoke early, was having a Vodka & Grapefruit, scandalizing my grandmother and offhandedly remarked that it was the last of his stash so following church, he would need to stop off & reload. Her response caused his mouth to fly open & his lit cigarette to fall into his lap & he began to weep. He informed Rita that right after church, they would be westbound for Ahia, toot sweet! Haha. Even better, as soon as he passed through the PA/OH Turnpike's tollbooth, he would shimmy the steering wheel, flash the high beams, toot the horn & lean out the window, proclaiming that he had returned to sanity. I remain unsure since they lived in Kleveland, but it was his gig. After that, he was like a Boy Scout - fully prepared. I loved those two & I don't know if it was a tic or that Max knew that I got it, but he would always punctualize his conversations with me with a wink. Man, when they showed up, the Vice Squad wasn't far behind - alcohol, tobacco, playing cards & dice. Hoo boy, was it a great time with them!

I got an early-bird start (post-Midnight, pre-opening) with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29/271167/?ba=woodychandler#review

& CANtinued with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29/327194/?ba=woodychandler#review


I am now off to see "Death Wish (2018), but the Ritas & I will return with more CANsense, including my doctoral thesis; my Oscar non-Blues pic picks & other ... stuff after this break. Stay lit, er, tuned![/QUOTE]

 

At a work conference in Denver so have to hop in quick.

Odd13 Codename: Super Fan.

The picture didn't save on my phone, but I got this on draft in RiNo.

4.35/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Had a draft of this while in Denver.

Poured a much clearer gold than I had expected after having other Odd13 beers. About two fingers worth of thick white head.

Light tropical smell. Maybe pineapple or mango?

Very fruity. Personally can't pick out anything specific, but very tropical.

Smooth and very easy to drink. Light mango aftertaste.

Overall a very nice beer. It's one I could have a few.

 

Had someone local hook me up after some some Foam, very happy they did!
4.49/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

16 oz can, dated 2/22/18, poured into a teku

A- A hazy golden straw color with small white head

S- Citrus, tangerines, grapefruits, grapefruit zest, pineapple, topical fruits, somewhat dank, some melons.

T- Grapefruit, oranges, orange rind, citrus zest, melons, some pineapple, tropical fruits, earthy/dank finish.

M- Smooth, medium body, a little creamy.

O- A great DIPA that is worth seeking out. Bright and juicy with just enough bitterness in the finish.

Cheers!

 

Good to see you here Corey - and congrats to your son! Metal is always good - now look forward to college swimming!

 

NBS x2. Got to go to a local hot spot bottle shop again in these parts, where I came across some beers I've been looking forward to trying, as well as some old classics to revisit. This is obviously one that fits in that first category. From one of my favorite local breweries, and fortunately one of the closest to me:

Ex Novo
Juicy In The Sky With Diamonds- Hazy Styled IPA





As it should, Juicy In The Sky With Diamonds pours a Sunday brunch orange juice cocktail appearance. Cloudy and yellow to orange with a fresh whipped foamy just off white head, which leaves it's presence well known to the glass.

And in true fashion, this bursts with fresh tropical fruit notes which blend to be mostly reminiscent of guava. A slightly dirty and yeasty presence cones next followed by your typical citrus and pine notes, but a bit of a funky vanilla thing lingers in the background.

To be perfectly honest, I had to do a double take. Then a triple take. The flavor is not what I was expecting. Still a fruit salad of flavors (I guess), but with a very earthy, even meaty flavor (and feel) to it. Almost everything distinguishable in the aroma decided to vacate the party in the flavor, leaving a smorgasbord of a confusingly head turning blend. Suddenly, a damp and soil rich pine finish is the only thing that stands out.

Appropriate to call this a "hazy" and not a "juicy" or "NE" IPA, as this is quite bitter in a much more classic fashion despite it's appearance. It still has a more full feel along the lines of the styles of its newer family members, but this is bold and bitter just like it's ancestors. Bubbly but smooth, with a harsh bitter finish and a decent tinge of alcohol warmth.

Canned less than 2 weeks ago, I can't tell if I missed the window of freshness, or if this needs more time to smooth out. I'm gonna save a can and revisit in a week to see, but once again, I'm unimpressed by Ex Novo's recent endeavors into this style. A true shame too, because I have nothing but the utmost respect for the brewery.

After my official review, I gave Juicy In The Sky With Diamonds a rating of 3.98 with an rDev of 0%, as I was the first to review it.

Cheers everyone, and I will see you all soon.