New Beer Sunday (Week 681)

I’m with @WesMantooth , most collabs seem well intentioned, but miss the mark. Let’s see how my new beer fares today, a collab between Aslin Beer Company and Charlestowne Fermentory - “Double Yellow Sunfish”, a DDH DIPA at 8.5%:





Pours a creamy, cloudy deep gold/peach juice color; thick white foam; long cap retention; no clarity under cap;heavy lacing. Notes of lemon rind, papaya, mango, orange juice with a slight weediness. Juicy semi sweet tropical fruit and citrus flavors; lite bitter orange juice; lite creamy malt base. Fluffy full feel, juicy body, moderate minus carbonation. Overall, more heft than I want in an IPA; the flavors are fine and the nose far stronger than the hop flavors, but it’s like drinking a thick, slightly bitter orange juice smoothie with a lemon rind linger; I would not characterize this beer as easy drinking...

4.5 4.0 4.0 3.75 4.0

I think this collab was fine, but I’ve had beers from both breweries that I liked better. Live, drink, and learn. Cheers!

 

Happy Sunday NBS players. A very sunny but cool early spring day here on the island. Feeling s bit behind with the hour change. Haven’t done much at all today so far. Shot some hoops again and now just inside watching tv.

My first new beer today is This Is How We Chill From 2018 Till, dipa, from Sand City brewing in collabo w/Interboro brewing. These guys seem to be doing collaboration brews with everyone here. They were just out at greenport harbor this past week and I’m sure I’ll be drinking that one soon too. The brew checks in at 8.5% abv, has a 3/9/18 canning date, and it features galaxy, Citra, Simcoe, & falconer’s flight.

The pour gives an amber/golden that looks very peachy to me. Murky clarity with a fluffy white head. On the nose I get candied fruit and hop notes. A tangy and fruity hop punch hits upfront. A pretty smooth flow that finishes with a bit more bitter than I’m use to for the style. Good fruit notes of lemon, lime, melon, mango, orange, and grape. The mouthfeel is plush, juicy, and creamy. The finish has a rather sharp bitter/spicy finish which I really like.

Overall, just really nice hop juice. I’m in the 4.3 range here players,

 

This beer is amazing! Taste like a nice juicy ipa at first. Then, it actually taste like a strawberry milkshake! It is brewed with lactose to give it some sweetness. I have had the vanilla too. Just as good!

 

Its really a combination of both. I have an expectation that AAL beers be cheap and it is also the case that the flavor of Solid Gold was not exactly tasty for me.

Cheers!

 

Another great start from @cjgiant to this tremendous recurring thread! While I wait to see whether my OSU Cowboys get an invite to the tourney, I'll throw out a couple contributions.

First contribution today comes from one of the craft beer industry icons, Anchor Brewing. The Brewer's Pale Ale - Nelson Hop Blend highlights the hop attributes accentuated by a DDH approach. A gorgeous appearance, bright golden/copper (true color depends on incident light angle and source) and while the head retention was moderate the lacing was substantial. Nose is dominated by white grapes, some malt breadiness and faint citrus hide in the shadows. Taste is perhaps even more prominent in the white grape aspect, so much so that it almost becomes one dimensional for my palate. Finishes with some bitterness and acidity, limited astringency. Mouthfeel on the thinner side with higher levels of carbonation, some tongue burn/tingling from acidity and carbonation, slick finish. Overall rating link, BA score = 3.88, rdev = -1%

 

4.01/5 rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottled 4/1/17. Color of a well used penny, nice tan head that fades quickly, leaving just a little lacing. Aroma has some sweet malts, oak and a hint of fruit. Flavor matches the aroma, a bit too sweet on the finish. Medium bodied, not much carbonation. I know it's a blend, but seems to be a "old ale" to me. I'm thinking Old Curmudgeon.

 

Went to a concert last night, had entirely too much whiskey and beer (had a great time of course) and it didn’t help I lost an hour. Starting things off easy today for NBS.



Transient’s Rye Lagger although BA has it just as Lagger. Not sure if this is the same.

16 ounce can, no visible canned on date. Poured into tulip.
Pours a dull golden with small off white head. The nose is soft floral, lemon and grainy. Huge flavor for such a small beer. Lemon, doughiness, floral and slightly spicy rye finish. The rye is very light. Under carbonated, drinks slightly flat.
4.1

 

Have you tasted Founders Solid Gold?

Cheers!

 

Final new beer for today! Local boys Merrimack Ales bring their Chai Honey White Ale straight to my glass.

This is actually the strongest beer of the day, clocking in at 5.8% ABV. I don't think I've ever had the base beer for this, but the side of the can reads: "We took our Honey White and infused it with custom blended Chai spice to make a beer that will carry you through winter into spring!" Seems like "chai spice" is usually a pretty generic term referring to a combination of cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves and/or ginger. I assume the base beer here is some kind of witbier with honey added during the brewing process, so let's see how spices bolster this recipe!

Pours a somewhat orange-toned hazy bodied beer with a generous dollop of retentive white foam on top. Mostly clouded surface with some solid, if patchy lace around the edges. The head here is really retentive (as most wheat beers tend towards), sticking around at about two fingers even after 10-15 min in my glass.

The nose here is strikingly spicy and pungent. Heavy cardamom and clove elements, with a tinge of wildflower honey and, of course, a big hit of wheat malt in there as well. Very, very spice forward. I happen to like heavy-handed spice elements, especially in rather boring/"blank canvas" base beers like this probably is, so this works for me. Mileage will probably vary. There's a very light funk; not "infection" or anything, but it probably has to do with the interaction of yeast and spice anyway... I've definitely found even some commercial witbiers to have this aspect, so it could have to do with the traditional coriander addition in the Belgian wit style, but I don't know if this utilizes that spice in addition to the others.

The flavor profile is extremely doughy and multifaceted, ranging from mouth-coating cinnamon to spicy cardamom all backed up by a pillowy and soft-bodied wheat element. A light note of bitter orange peel, also a common wit ingredient, shows up here in the mid-palate, keeping things from becoming too savory and intense with a bit of fruity levity. Some floral aspects along with a kiss of sweetness from the honey in the transition from the mid to the finish. Speaking of, the finish is crisp and dry, with more cardamom and clove. A powdery, nutmeg-like aspect closes out each sip.

Overall, I think this is a really good beer, and I like the idea of livening up the wit style with some spices to give it a "transitory" feeling for the seasonal change to Spring. This is my second Sam Adams comparison of the day (I can feel my beer cred slipping away! ), but this is like if a better version of their oft-derided White Christmas crossed with a honey beer. Heavy-handed spicing with refreshing wheat and citrus flavors and a crisp finish.

Currently listening to Ozric Tentacles' There is Nothing (spectacular psychedelic/space rock from 1986), but one song from them feels far more appropriate to pair with this brew... hmm... which could it be?

 

Hello, hope you are all having a nice Sunday. Cool and crisp here in NH. Cracked this sour IPA from the popular new Hudson Valley Brewery. My brother in law lives right by the brewery. Hope to stop by the next time I visit.

Brew pours a pale hazy straw with a slightly pink tint. Slight tiny bubbled foamy head settles into a very thin collar around the glass.

Aroma is sweet tart candy, some candied citrus, grassy and earthy hops.

Blood orange comes through in the flavor as fresh tart juice. Grassy field, tart, sweet and a bit of bitterness. Light grain flavor.

Soft body and you can feel a bit of fullness from the lactose and oats.

Easy going tartness level with enough sweetness and bitter hops to balance everything together.

 

Half Acre just came here to NJ last week so I have been drinking their Daisy Cutter which is great but today decided to try this one.

Daisy Capra - DIPA - canned 2/20/18

Color me unimpressed laddies and gent's. It's has a lovely malt body to it and a wonderful sweetness thats note cloying but the hops just are not there as I imaged they would be and based on the following description from their site:

Capra pursues a totally new hop blend, based around the grigio-esque, raspberry and cantaloupe of Enigma. Citra, Equinot, Centennial and CTZ

I really expected with those kinda of hops and the beer being under a month old, that a more pungent hop aroma and flavor would be more present. But there is a lovely mild beery note in the beer.

Not a bad beer by any means, but it's not blowing my hair back either.

It drinks very smooth and very balanced and uniform.

Happy NBS BAs!

 

One of the best collaborations that comes to mind is this one if you have the chance. Not sure if they are still brewing it or not.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3521/234817/

 

No, unfortunately not. I wish that we got Founders up here, but we don't.

 

It has shown up in the wilds of Spokanistan, though I haven't seen it lately.

 

I may have to venture to the Specialty Beer Store that I usually avoid.

 

Happy New Impy Stout Sunday!

Pretty nice day here on the Western Slope, partly sunny, 50s. Having a very tasty brew today, so subtle, easy drinker at almost 11% ABV. Picked up some chicken tacos. Watching some Star Trek reruns, almost done with season 2.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28226/332599/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Thanks to @cjgiant for getting us started off this morning. Another pleasant weekend, not much going on as usual. Made another beer haul yesterday and got a bunch of stuff I was looking for. Starting to get my NBS BIF stash together as I go. Going to be a nice sized box for my target. Just finished up the laundry as usual to get ready for another work week.

New Beers:

Delicious hefeweizen! Amazing lasting head retention and thick lacing the whole glass. Perfect appearance. Aromas and flavors of big banana, bubblegum, clove, white pepper, lemon, orange, pear, and apple yeast; with balanced wheat, white bread dough malts; mild herbal/grassy hops and yeast earthiness. Mild herbal/grassy bitterness, yeast spiciness, and wheat tang/tartness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; creamy/bready/grainy wheat and light sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing lingering bitter/spicy/carbonated dryness. Very flavorful/refreshing, 5.1%. Never watery feeling. Spot on Hefe, no flaws at all. Perfectly balanced yeast/malts, and mild noble hops against sweetness. Loved it. Got a Munich dunkel and Pils to try from them as well. Expecting good things after this one. 3.96


Awesome DIPA. Fantastic lasting head retention and thick soapy lacing on the glass. Aromas and flavors of big tangerine, grapefruit, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, melon, citrus peel/zest, light pepper, and pine hops; with moderate honey, caramel, toasted bread malt balance; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel, herbal, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; creamy/bready malts and some sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Slight resins/rinds, increasing bitter dryness, no hop astringency. Mildly increasing warmth of 9.75%. Dangerously smooth, never aggressive. Citra, Amarillo, Chinook, and Cascade. Very juicy and fairly dank balanced hop complexity, with a nice dark/bready malt backbone. Not overly sweet/heavy for the ABV. Really spot on stuff as expected of Bear Republic. Was not dated for some reason, but tasted pretty fresh. 4.13


As is NBS tradition, here is the newest JP beer available. Sour fruit saison with Lime Peel, Black Lava Salt, Blueberry Puree, Blackberries. Excellent stuff! Aromas and flavors of lightly tart/tangy blackberries, blueberries, fruit skin, lemon, lime, pear, red apple, melon, white wine, peppercorn, salt, hay, straw, herbal, grass, and oak; with moderate wheat, cracker, toasted bread malts; and lighter notes of leathery/musty funk and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate peppery yeast/oak tannin spiciness and light fruit tang/tartness on the finish. Medium carbonation/body, and fairly crisp finishing. Balanced bready/grainy malts and sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Light oak tannins, salinity, fruit tang, and acidity. Light-moderate increasing spicy/tangy/tannic dryness, no pucker/astringency. Very easy drinking, no warmth of 7.8% at all. Another great beer as is the track record. Classic JP house Brett funk/saison yeast complexity; balanced fruits, malts and nice oak presence. 4


Cheers, be back later on NBS.

 

What's going on amigos!?

Talk is cheap.. LET'S DRINK!!!

What's new for our hero today?



Poured from the bottle into a large snifter glass.

Faint tan head, very small and dissolves to a bubbly collar. Decent body color, dark burnt red with some good clarity to it also. Simple whispy top and a nice glow also.

Aroma seems to go more for subtlety. Small hints of milk chocolate, and touches of raisin like fruit. Bit of a hint of wood like pepper notes on the nose which is interesting, but a little small.

Palate brings much more to the table. First sip is a giant and totally unexpected crispy toasted coconut flavor, wild and exotic. Mid palate then fills with a bit more chocolate giving a classic Almond Joy candy bar quality. The mouthfeel though runs a tad thin for such a special brew though. Flirts very wet in feel particularly, not letting the flavors last and carry through. Hits at an odd fizz slightly also.

A real delicious flavor, but much of the other beers qualities unfortunately don’t seem to match up. However, its excellent flavors make for a far better than average experience, but overall gets taken down a notch personally in the Anniversary realm

look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25 | BA SCore: 4.25

Cheers!

 

Second contribution is a beer that when looking through my reviews I was shocked to find I hadn't entered into BA. So not a new beer per se, but it's a new (and well overdue) review.

Alesmith .394 Pale Ale is absolutely one of my favorite APAs. Pours bright copper with over a finger of variable density head that left mixed lacing. Nose pops citrus forward with tropical undertones. Lots of orange, grapefruit and nectarine, some pineapple and mango hiding underneath. Taste follows the nose, but isn't quite as dynamic (likely partially due to age). Light-medium bodied with moderate carbonation, sits light on the tongue and slick on the finish. Absolutely a beer I recommend for my palate and preferences, and one that I enjoy with recurring frequency. Overall rating link, BA score = 4.33, rdev +5.4%

 

Cracked my last brew from @beertunes today. This one is Foefer Phour by Wander Brewing. Pour is a dark and dirty garnet with a sizzling bit of foam that fades fast. Smells funky. Taste has a heavy grain presence. Pretzel dough, sour cherry, and washed away charred malt. Thinner feel and mostly flat. Reminds me a little of a lighter and easier drinking version of cherry funk metal.



Also, for my BIF pals I have a quick hint.
I enjoyed a beer last night for the first time. When I joined BA it was the second beer on my wants list, right after Surly Pentagram. I acquired that Beer and held it until last night. Held up to every expectation I ever had for it. After looking through my targets beers that they have enjoyed, I noticed that we have had a LOT of the same beers. My target hasn’t had the one I had last night, but has had a few from that brewery.