New Beer Sunday (Week 683)

Ok, left my friends place, and in downtown New Bern. Enjoying this beer. BTW, they think I'm weird, but, we're having a blast!


Wicked Weed Hop Chocolate

Nice chocolate aroma, and, of course, taste. Decent flavor that lingers. Good beer and glad to try it.

Review link
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30581/253413/

Maybe more, we'll see.

 

The last one from Narrow Gauge was so good I thought I'd have another fresh one. Cloud City, double dry hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, and El Dorado. it's drier and more tart than Fallen Flag but still really good! Those within driving distance of Narrow Gauge should count their blessings. Here's my full review:

4.22/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Received in NBS BIF box from the generous @swenny916. Reviewed about three weeks after canning. Poured from 16 oz. can into Spiegelau IPA glass. It pours an opaque, golden-honey color with a half finger of bright white head and soapy lacing. The nose features subdued pineapple, lemon peel, and floral hops. The fruit is decidedly tart - mostly lemon and grapefruit. It's double dry hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, and El Dorado hops and the result is delicate, tangy, and moderately bitter but without a strong hop bite. This ale has a light, crisp feel with lively carbonation, and it's easy to drink with an ABV of 7%. Overall, this is another excellent IPA from Narrow Gauge, a brewery that really impresses.

 

We need that term, in the lighter months.

Longwood is a wonderful place. A former boss' mother, & her friend, the sister & aunt of other former bosses, did that, and went to that show every year, taking lots of photos. Some amazing work.

Spring? That's more of a process , rather than an event or a specific date. That includes a lot of backsliding, as with this morning's occasional periods of white-out. As you can see below, still lots of white, but it's not all white, and the waters are open. We'll get there eventually. (Memorial Day? )

I'll drink anything anytime, as the mood strikes, but given that I know the age of the seasonal releases, I do tend to follow that schedule somewhat. Also, I'd guess the light, sour styles do have a little more appeal in warm weather. It could also be that I'm working more and longer then, so ~any beer will be more appealing.

Today's first one is Fat Stack (7.3%|26 IBU) from Keuka Brewing Company. This is the first I've had from them, and (spoiler alert) it encourages me to try their other offerings. I've seen some of them, but given they were somewhat dusty cans of IPAs, of unknown age, (Hint : date 'em, brewers!) , I passed.

It looks like a porter,smells like a porter, and tastes like a porter. Imagine that! There is an additional touch of mocha and sweetness in the aroma, but nothing specific. There is a bit of nuttiness in the taste, and a bit of unidentified sweetness accompanying it. Fortunately, there is sufficient bitterness to balance that little bit of sweetness. It's really smooth and easy-drinking until some prickly carbonation hits at the finish. A touch distracting, and detracting, but only slightly. Overall, a really nice one. Surprised to see that it is 7.3% .Not noticeable at all. That little extra carbonation prickle might be a saving grace, to keep it from the dangerously-easy-drinking category. It was gone before I even finished my review.
4.14/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18372/156601/

Spring :

 

Greetings, NBSers. My entree in the “NE-style IPA with National Distro” NBS sweepstakes taking place on this beautiful Northern Indiana evening .....



4.04/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My first juice bomb from a bottle - I’m very excited! I can see the haze before I even pop the top, and when I do, the pour indeed reveals a very hazy (but not a “milkshake” hazy) beer with a creamy head that is slightly off-white.

The nose is juicy citrus, if a bit muted, but what is present is bright tangerines and some pineapple. The taste has more gravitas, though, and is really enjoyable, with the citrus flavors edging toward dank, which I personally enjoy a lot.

Reminiscent of SN’s Hazy Little Thing, especially from a distro perspective, I’ll buy this and SN’s hazy offering (which I enjoyed a bit more the NB’s offering) regularly.

 

@JackHorzempa

two lagers as well :-)

 

Spent a beautiful day in the mid coast visiting a new to me brewery, Lansing Brewing Company, and tried 6 new beers. I could tell the owners have a huge marketing budget and a creative sense. The beer was not amazing but well made and unique.

After lunch we took the kiddos the MSU’s campus to wander around me and Mrs. Strohme2’s Old stomping grounds.

First official NBonthisfineSunday is Zebulon’s October Beer Circa 1750.


25.4 oz bottle, unk date, poured into tulip. Copper orange, amber colored. Really a beautiful looking beer.
Some floaties. Off white colored head, recedes quickly.
The nose is funk, hay barn, honey, marmalade, vinegar. Reminds me of a Saison or farmhouse beer.
Taste is very different from nose.
Initially malty sweet, grainy/biscuity malts, honey. Some Brett funk. Balanced with just a hint of bitter hops. It finishes warmly with a white grape or golden raisin.
Big syrupy body and mouthfeel.
Such a unique beer and glad to have the opportunity to try.

 

What a busy weekend at work.
I've been waiting since Thursday to try the new H2H#3.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46275/334363/



Moderate pour yields a 3/4 inch white head over a slightly hazy golden body with some sticky lacing. Nose of pineapple, orange, hay, and dank resin. Taste of pineapple, orange, and candied citrus. Nice feel, great dry finish, and overall, another fine job from the boys of Upper Pass and the crew at von Trapp. Cheers!

4.23/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

 

Hello fellow NBS’rs!

We finally are getting a hint of spring weather today. This tiny bit of warming sunshine today tempted me to grab this guy from the maniac you all know as @thebeers !

Cheers Arthur and thank you for what has been a wonderful journey down a NBS BIF box.





Hope you all are enjoying your Sunday as much as I am...

 

Poured and got a solid one inch head or at least what I tell my wife what and inch is. Leaves a little lace, as it quickly settles into a thin layer of bubbles. 3.75

Smell is dates, Cherry, brown sugar, clove, vanilla, toffee, and maybe a little alcohol. 3.75

Taste follows dark fruit, Black Cherry , vanilla, brown sugar, toffee, clove, and some alcohol lingers a while after each sip. 3.75

Mouthfeel is a little bigger than average, not overly carbonated, maybe a tad dry, and at 10.5% a sipper that has so much going on goes down quicker than you would like. 3.75

Overall this is a very nice Quad, I actually really am digging it, the Cherry wood gives it a nice and complex flavor, without being too over the top. Nice beer. 3.75

 

I'm experiencing a little bit of 'when it rains it pours' these days. I went nearly the whole winter without any freelance work, and now I'm at the point where I'm going to have to work 7 days a week just to keep my head above water. That's the way it is in the construction biz, though, so you get conditioned to never say no to new work.

At least when I work at home I can take a little tipple or two . This one is actually the perfect beer for the situation, lively and not too strong:


Upland Brewing Petal to the Kettle, a tart ale with rose, hibiscus and strawberry.

This is also the last beer from that excellent box sent by @LloydDobler not too long ago- thanks again, Chris, I've enjoyed them all but especially have a thing for beers like this one. As long as they're as put together as gracefully as this one, that is.

The main ingredients all show themselves in one way or another, but it's the hibiscus that does the heavy lifting. I'll score one in Upland's favor in that they managed to get the essential character down without the astringency that usually accompanies it. Overall, this beer is tart, but not overly so, with maybe a gentle touch of residual sugar to compensate. Flavors are well chosen- not only do they complement each other, but there is also an earthy/savory component (I'm assuming from the hibiscus, but it could be yeast driven) that keeps it grounded and lends much needed depth. The palate has a surprisingly nice level of fullness, yet the beer is still spritzy and delectable. A very tasty and satisfying A- (4.3).

 

Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar, 5.6% ABV, 33 IBU. Pours dark brown with a one finger beige head. Aroma is hazelnut, malt, and brown sugar. Taste follows, strong hazelnut, slightly sweet, slightly bitter. Decent mouthfeel, though slightly over-carbonated. Overall outstanding.

 

I pretty much drink the same styles year-round, but we also don't get hugely varying seasons here. Oktoberfests I don't, but I would be glad to drink them in February if fresh ones were available.



Speaking of fresh beer, I'm drinking this Experimental Hop IPA canned 01/08 . But maybe, like me, you just found this box and would like to know what this tastes like 2.75 months out.

Pours golden, slightly hazey. Lots of sediment at the bottom of the can, which I do not pour in. Finger of thick white fluff stubbornly sticks to the top.

Smells of sweet honey malt. Struggling to get much hop smell, maybe a touch of lemon. The malt smell is very inviting.

Malts are the stars of the taste, too. Good honey sweet malt backbone. Hops lean...maybe this is grapefruit? Not a big fan, so not overly familiar with the flavor. A little citrus, a bit of resin, a touch of lemon.

Good mouthfeel, ample carbonation, lingering tip-of-the-tongue bitterness.

Probably my least favorite from the box, due to having nothing special about it, but a well-crafted beverage.

 

I’m back rather rapidly with another fine brew courtesy of @JBowenGeorgia . He thought He would get cute and try to ninja my ass. The only problem is that this homeboy hits back! Anywho...on to this beauty of a fruited berliner!






Cheers John, Arthur and crew! Hopefully I’ll be back once more tonight.

 

First of a couple beers tonight after watching Kansas become the third Midwest-ish school in the Final Four. Happy for the in-laws as they live in suburban Kansas City on the Kansas side.

Mikerphone Off the Record



4.16/5 rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle.

Pours a slightly opaque tangerine color with a two finger foamy white head. A very tropical smell with mangoes and citrus coming to the forefront. Taste is much more session IPA than anything else mirroring the smell. Light mouthfeel and very easy drinking. A nice beer, but the hops definitely stand out making this more of an IPA.

 

#2, this surprised me in a very positive way.



4.1/5 rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The first thing I thought after I opened the can was, “This smells like Guinness.” And it does, with maybe a bit more heft from cocoa notes, but I think it’s the yeast, because the aromas are all about Guinness, IMHO.

But before the nose, we have the eyes. This pours a dark milk chocolate, with a tan head that is reminiscent of Guinness, but not as creamy.

The taste has all the cocoa flavors, plus a sweetness that provides more body to the beer. The feel is creamy, which is welcome in a 5.8% ABV beer. Just a pleasure to drink.

 

I'll keep this short and sweet.
P - bright pink. Look at the pic.
A - tart raspberry, cherries, and granny smith apples
T - follows the nose. Not overly acidic or sour. Taste of unripe raspberries, cherries, and Granny Smith apples. I get no Belgian yeast flavors, or any dark candied fruit. Dry and I keep coming back for more.
M - very light and carbonation disappears very quickly
O - very drinkable and refreshing. Drinks like a 4 to 5% ABV sour. Great summer brew, but no Belgian flavors to my palate.

 

& I have another case today.* Though today's beer, Tropical Trees, falls .01 lower than a recent NBS , FO Willfull Delusion of False Perceptions, I'd rather have the TT. The difference in score is looks, which I don't care that much about, as long it's look doesn't deter drinking it.

Tropical Trees , from Beer Tree Brew Co. This is among the 3 in their first canning, last week. They have steadily improved, since opening in October. Even so, I was pleasantly surprised by Tropical Trees. I expected something good, but not this good. As mentioned above, it is similar to my recent postings here, FO WDoFP, and before that, New Normal , from Crossroads Brewing . All three are similar, and completely enjoyable on their own, but how does TT lead the pack? Hmmm?How to describe it? Best I can come up with is that it has a direction, sticks with it, and gets there, without wandering (much).
* As it is warming, I'm liking the feel more.Next can, I'll let it warm more. May bump that rating up a tick.

Canned 3/16
4.45/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
It has the usual, mix of fruit juice flavors and smells, but it has some pleasant (to me) definite bitterness, on the latter half of the taste, that a lot of the style doesn't, similar to the 2 mentioned above.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/51814/334333/?ba=mikeinportc#review

More spring , behind the brewery, from ~3/8 mi downstream :

 

4.04/5 rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Beer pours a dark body with only a modest amount of head. Head quickly faded away leaving only a faint amount of lacing.

S: Getting a fair amount of chocolate like sweetness on the nose. Also getting some prune and other assorted fruit smells. Only the slightest amount of oak is present to me. Beer's aroma is sweeter than the beer actually is.

T: This beer mixes a handful of flavors but none exemplary. Expresso seems to be more noticeable here unlike the nose. Along with some expresso also getting plums and other dark fruits. Nothing stands out and the beer feel too hot, but the barrel aging didn't add much more than heat to the beer.

M: Not sure that barrel aging was needed here. The barrel aging only made the beer taste more like bourbon. The bourbon flavors clash with other areas. Along with too much heat the beer was also somewhat thin.

O: Average beer. The aromas were a slight favorite. However, even the aromas were not close to be outstanding. The addition of barrel aging did not improve this beer only made it taste more like bourbon.