New Beer Sunday (Week 685)

Cheers you all Happy New Beer Sunday and thank you @cjgiant for getting us up this beautiful Sunday! This beer is made with a new variety of hops called lemon drop hops. I have a strange theory about the AAL and the green apple flavor plague that concerns it. I sometimes think that the green apple taste /scent that many people say they observe is not really that but rather the appley grassy scent of the grasses in the hops. These hops do not list apple as one of the fruits that they mimic but they sure do give a light fruity note. It's grassy and to me does not smell too much like lemon but a little and not a lot like melon. In fact when I get a good nose from an AAL I am expecting that earthiness that hints at what I like to call apple skin. In fact I think that the hops themselves which we all admit mimic every fruit even dragon fruit and papaya so why not apple?

Happy Apple / Not Apple Sunday!



Pours golden amber with a slight haze and a fat off white head that goes away popping. Grain, roasty corn, broad sweet grasses and crisp malt. Spicy hays. Light scent of apple skin and a little lemon. Not too fruity. Small crisp bubble with a good bite. Drinks breaddy but lighter than breaddy because of the use of the adjunct. Soft hop floral and light bodied over all. Finishes with grassy hops on a firm malt cracker. Only hints of the "apple" scent and plenty of hop spice and minty grasses. A light corny sweetness but nothing too pronounced. Crisp light beer, not at all bitter. The small bitterness just balances the beer so that the malt is all you taste in the finish after the swallow. These hops are in such a low presence on this beer that I have to say the malt stood out well. Hay like herbal spice from them. That was a lovely AAL. I must admit I am glad it did not taste like lemon although as the beer warmed I did start to pick up melon rind rather than apple. Cheers everyone !

 

Morning! Great start @cjgiant, I do think about spring and for me it is when the skunk cabbage perks curled spikes from still cold ground that I believe spring is on the way. When the corn lilies pop I know ramps, asparagus, and morels are about to pop too, and that is sure sign spring is here.

Today is the day when those who were a part of the NBS BIF will be posting beers, some of them blind, and hopefully share pics of their hauls as well. Here is what I got and links to reviews of those already enjoyed. Thanks again to @richj1970, who's probably gonna smack me for thanking him too much, but look what the guy sent





And here are links to reviews of ones I have tried
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24814/65953/?ba=cavedave#review
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23966/63639/?ba=cavedave#review
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30314/104082/?ba=cavedave#review
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/43249/334387/?ba=cavedave#review
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/43249/334386/?ba=cavedave#review
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/17282/59950/?ba=cavedave#review
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23966/283556/?ba=cavedave#review

Will be back in a bit with a beer to imbibe you can bet. See ya then.

 

Hot stuff! and WOW! Looks like you have your Sunday all planned!

 

Great start to New Beer Sunday, Craig. Like many of us in the northeast, I'm wondering where spring is. Now, we usually don't have a real spring up here. We go from winter to mud to summer. This year, however, has been tougher than usual. Unrelenting cold weather, snow on April 6th. My golf course won't be opening until the end of the month. Speaking of golf, my favorite tournament is being played. I worked in South Carolina in the late 70s to late 80s and was privileged to attend one round of The Masters each year. The South really knows how to do spring. I can remember the whole course, and can only say TV does not do justice to how beautiful the setting is.
I am in the enviable position of deciding which new beer to review, as I have several stellar beers from which to choose. See you in a while.

 

Paris-Roubaix day is sort of a holiday in my home. Back in college, I'd ride my bike over to the local butcher buying up a pound of bacon, and swing by the liquor store on the way back to pick up an import beer or two, even though live coverage lands in the Midwest around 5 AM, with the conclusion of the race finishing around 9-10 AM. The only thing that's changed since college is that I don't have a good local butcher for bacon. Still a big, big day in cycling, so I decided to pop open a couple special Belgian beers I had saved over the past year. Up first:



Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen's Oude Geuze.

Pours a clear amber-orange with a finger of head. Aroma is orange, lemongrass, herbal, and grass. There is a touch of oak at the back. Flavor profile is orange, lemongrass, herbal, and lemon. The final note there turns it slightly sour, but only enough to cause a little pucker. Mouth feel is champagne like, with an effervescent and dry feel. It's bubbly, but allows the flavor profile to shine rather than distract from the flavor profile. Overall, a bubbly, favorably-simple Oude Geuze.

Score: 4.25 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.25 | 4.5 | BA Score: 4.46 | rDev: +1.4%

 

Toast - American Pale Ale

This brand and concept made a nice media splash when it came about. It started in London as a way to make use of (and draw attention to) food waste (which is a genuine problem). Bread that would otherwise be thrown away was used to make this beer. Profits from this beer go to food waste charity.

Here's a CNN story about it that includes a link to a recipe:
https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/14/world/toast-ale/index.html

I remember when this story first hit American news channels, I immediately overheard a customer in my usual beer store asking if they had this in stock.

The can that I have is part of this concept moving out to other parts of the world. It was brewed at Chelsea Craft Brewing in NYC. This beer doesn't appear to be listed on BeerAdvocate yet (it's not on the London Toast Ale list, nor the Chelsea list)... but it's not easy just using "toast" as a name for a search. This can dates back to December.

It's a very cloudy amber. There's a good deal of stuff in suspension. Carbonation is light. It tastes of dried apricots without being nearly as sweet (but this beer still has a sweetness though). There's some herbal hop presence and a little touch of pine. Not bad.

 

Good morning New BSers! This is the first day in several I haven't awakened to fresh snow - it usually melts off by night but certainly screws up the morning - I gotsa put on boots to get the morning paper, which Mrs. Lizard refuses to get as the e-version.

Today I have nothing to reveal - nothing up my sleeves - but I did spend some time last night during MST3K watching my red-eared sumo turtles struggle for domination of their dock. Surprisingly, the smaller (whom I have never seen on the dock) kicked ass and took names. He is also the friendlier of the three, all hatched from the same egg clutch. I don't have any mammals for pets because, up until a couple of years ago, I was wildly allergic. Now my immune system has backed off but my age has advanced, so no long-lived mammals, unless I can pick up a possum somewhere.

Anyway, today's New Beer:



$ 13.77 (Including shipping)/750 mL capped bottle ($ 0.542/oz) from Tavour, Seattle, WA.
Unable to find date on bottle other than “2018 edition”. Stored at 42 degrees and served at 54 degrees in a hand-washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 3.5.
Body – Medium orange, hazy.
Head – Large (Maximum 6.3 cm, controlled center pour), off-white, low density and initially fizzy settling into a temporarily stable rocky head before continuing retraction to a three to five mm ring and a thin layer. The second pour produces a much smaller (two cm) and tighter head.
Lacing – Poor. A few tiny islands are left behind, but no lacing, per se.
First pour – Light yellow, clear.
Aroma – 3.5 - Weak tea. Rapidly fades away.
Flavor – 4- Begins with that second-cup-of-tea-from-the-first-leaves taste, slightly weak and stale. Oddly enough, for being weak and stale, the tea flavor dominates my taste buds. I can detect no malt, no hops, no esters normally associated with Belgian brews, no alcohol (8.5% ABV), no almond (maybe too subtle for me), no diacetyl, and, thankfully, no dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 4 - Medium, almost silky, soft carbonation.
Impression and summation – Well, if the purpose of this brew was to make a beer that tastes like tea, they succeeded. That’s what it tastes like. I can detect no almond and what is that “Natural Flavor” that’s been added? The lactose gives this a silky body, probably the least tea-like characteristic of this brew. The palate is pleasing and, for me, that’s the best aspect of this brew. It’s well-made, practically a trade-mark for The Bruery, but this is one I’ll avoid.
Rating 3.85, rDev – 1%.

The rating is based on how well the brew conforms to the style and how well it meets the brewers’ goals, not how well I liked it. In my spreadsheet there is a column for my opinion rating as well as for my BA rating. This will have a BA rating of 3.85 and an opinion rating of “Sucks” for my future reference. A quote from the label “Hand-crafted with top chef Brooke Williamson, this Belgian-style was created for a new generation of beer lovers”. I’m thrilled not to be a part of that generation.

 

New Beer Sunday: An American Pale Lager

Mornin’ NBSers, with a recommendation for those who just want a drinkable refreshing beer that has some flavor but is not intensely flavored and has a clean, slightly crisp ending. Also a special thanks to @cjgiant for today’s start up.

The weather here today is expected to be a bit chilly and partly sunny, with a high in the upper 40s. We seem to be inching slowly into spring and summer, but it’s sure taking its time to get there this year.

As for sports warming things up a bit in the Spring (even if the weather doesn't cooperate), Philly seems to be on a bit of a hot streak right now, with both the Flyers and the Sixers heading for the playoffs and the Phillies having just won a game by 19 runs. So with the Eagles and Villanova championships already in hand this is shaping up to be a memorable year, sportswise, for this area.

This morning’s new beer is Sam ’76 and comes from Boston Brewing Company (Samuel Adams).

As usual, my review, subject to revision, can be found here:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35/317014/?ba=drtth#review


The aroma/flavor profiles of this beer show off some light tropical citrus, some crackery malt, and some floral character with just a bit of grassy, earthy bitterness. This is a beer that I found particularly easy to drink but many folks will not find it intense enough for their tastes. The ABV is fairly low, the flavors are light but noticeable and well balanced. The finish is clean, slightly crisp and has that touch of grassy bitter dryness that invites another sip. This is a very drinkable beer and I could see having it on offer at a summer barbecue. I expect to be having another soon and recommend it as a lightly flavored, refreshing and easily drinkable beer.

Cheers, all!

 

A new beer – part deux

In a February NBS thread I discussed Sam Adams New England IPA and I stated:

“The cans have a date of “APR 2018” on the bottom. I am guessing that they are communicating the beer is best by beginning/end of April 2018. I will save one can and drink it April 1st (an appropriate date?) and see whether this beer holds up for a period of months.”

Well, I did not specifically meet the promised date of April 1st but today I will see how my ‘aged’ can of Sam Adams NEIPA tastes.

CAVEAT: This can of beer has been continually stored cold (in my refrigerator) since the date of purchase. This beer stored at room temperature would likely be different (e.g., increased hop fade).

Below is a description of this beer I found via a web search:

“Developed in Sam Adams' experimental nanobrewery in Boston, New England IPA is a medium-bodied, unfiltered brew with a slight sweetness that is perfectly balanced by the unique combination of Mosaic, Citra, Galaxy, Simcoe and Cascade hops. The hops bring a big fruited pineapple and grapefruit hop character to the beer, and at 35 IBUs, the brew is neither bitter nor harsh on drinkers' palates. At 6.8% ABV, the unfiltered IPA is a mouth-watering refresher with a smooth, clean finish that leaves drinkers wanting another sip.”

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rel...azy-new-england-ipa-nationwide-300600435.html

Below you will see terminology of “Before” and “After”. The Before is what I reported on Feb. 25th and the After is what I am perceiving with this ‘aged’ can of beer.

Served in my Gulden Draak tulip glass:

Appearance:

Before: Golden colored with a turbid/murky/opaque appearance. There is a BIG fluffy white head.

After: Ditto

Aroma:

Before: There is a combination of tropical fruits and citrus with the tropical fruit aromas being dominant.

After: Ditto

Taste:

Before: The flavor follows the nose with tropical fruit flavors accompanied with some citrus. This beer has a quality that some folks would describe using the word “juicy”. There is a low/moderate bitterness.

After: Ditto

Mouthfeel:

Before: There is a soft mouthfeel.

After: Ditto

Overall:

Before: I think this beer is very good.

After: Ditto


There is no objective way to measure/quantify the intensity of hop aroma/flavor. In all likelihood the level of hop aroma/flavor intensity is less in this ‘aged’ can but what I can state with certitude is that the level of hop aroma/favor in this ‘aged’ can is notable and enjoyable.

I have no idea how the ‘aged’ can would have been if I stored it at room temperature. Maybe some other intrepid BA will conduct this specific ‘experiment’.

Cheers to the brewers of Boston Beer Company for producing a high quality ‘NEIPA’!

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @chipawayboy @Sixpoint @SierraTerence

 

A-Pours a very dark amber color with a generous head and lacing
A-Generous complex fruity aromas
T-The taste follows the nose with abundant rich and complex fruity flavors
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A very well done, very well balanced beer with a lot of character that hides the high alcohol content very well

 

Good Morning NBS
I worked 14 hours last night and was really looking forward to this moment...

It's hard to tell from the scribbles, but this is Founder's Red's Rye IPA. The review:

32oz growler filled last night poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at fridge temp. The beer pours bright reddish brown with khaki colored head. The head recedes to a cap and leaves plenty of lacing. The aroma offers a hint of rye and some citrus. The taste is multifaceted rye ranging from spicy to caramel to bready. It's complex enough to seem like a different beer on sequential sips. Hop bitterness is there just for balance and perhaps lending a bit of citrus and pine. The mouthfeel is medium to thin bodied, adequately carbonated and dry in the finish. Overall, excellent. It's a shame this is draft only now outside the brewery. Very enjoyable. Recommended for fans of rye.

As for @cjgiant's opening commentary, I've enjoyed two of my son's high school baseball games in the cold already, and my 8th grade daughter will be playing soccer, lacrosse and running track this spring. We'll settle into watching the pros when school lets out.

Enjoy the new beer in your glass today BA!

 

My entry this week for NBS is one that I’ve been meaning to try for a long time and that has come to a realization thanks to a generous BA, Graham. Thanks, buddy! This pours very dark brown with a solid inch plus of foam when poured into my new snifter. Wow, this has a HUGE coconut nose! That same coconut pounds the taste buds as well! Coconut, chocolate, and mild coffee grounds are all that I can taste here. It’s as close to a mounds bar as it gets. The barrel creeps in late, but doesn’t add much heat at all. Thick for a porter, but I ain’t mad! I loved the base(Last Snow) but this is another tier on top of that. I can defiantly see what all the fuss is over this brew. Probably one of the best overall beers that I’ve ever had. What a way to start the morning!

 

New NEIIPA Sunday (Week 685)
Greetings fellow NBSers from on the 'no longer white for a few minutes anyway' ridge in Mid Hud Val, NY.

Well, spring is not what today is about for sure, except as topic of conjecture. It is always about beer on Sunday, and this beer pictured below, Wavelength, has been calling me every time I open the fridge door since the day I received it. Love Bearded Iris, so glad to be able to try this, thanks to someone named Richard, who I thank for it. Just gonna dive in, pardon me, and do this review as I make my way into and through it, live, now.

Full aroma and then some. It is a bright, almost pungent blend of mango, tangerine, general sweet citrus notes, with a gentle doughy sweet to it, and even sweet floral going on. One of those beers that makes it hard to pull nose away as the sensation of it is so pleasant to inhale.

Equally full flavored, it starts with sweet citrus, also a pithy bitter lightly accenting it, mango, pineapple, bitter orange, sweet lemon. End of sip gets some 'slow to join in but just right when it does' herbal bitter to end it perfectly. Delicious.

Perfect frame for the flavors, low/med. carb., soft on palate without being watery, body is full but is so silky it drinks like a refreshing dream, linger is resiny but not in a bad way, it is a clean lemony linger that makes a bright finish. Begs for another sip.

Just an astoundingly delicious beer that is going away much too quickly. Can't stop sniffing it even as I can't stop sipping it. Highest recommendation. Cheers!

Hope you also have a Great American Beer in your glass. Cheers!

 

Appreciate the "before and after" comparison and your taking the time to do this.

Actually, there is a way to objectively measure/quantify the intensity of hop aroma/flavor but we as individual BAs typically don't have access to the tools required to do so.

So your excellent comparison is probably as close as we're going to get in the real world, where most all of us live.

 

Downed the remainder of the Oude Geuze as I now move onto a classic I've dreamed of visiting for a while. Especially as a quadruple ale fan. Paris-Roubaix day seems like a fitting day to do so.



Brouwerij Westvleteren's Trappist Westvleteren XII.

Pours a dark brown with a bit of murkiness to it. Head formation is high, fluffy, and retains exceptionally well. There is a bit of dark, grainy particles that linger at the bottom of the cup after leaving what looks like a little patch of dirt on the head. Aroma is dark and rich plum, clove, and yeast. There is a teasing kiss of toffee and caramel on the nose as well. Flavor profile is rich and decadent plum, raisin, cloves, yeast, and biscuit and toffee malts. Toffee, and caramel add a bit more depth to it. Mouth feel is medium-thick with a velvety, smooth, and creamy feel. Overall, a magnificent brew. There is still a finger of khaki foam sitting a top even after this review. Aroma is maybe a touch thin when comparing with the rest of the beer, but the flavor profile carries a lot of depth while remaining balanced.

Score: 5 | 4.25 | 4.75 | 5 | 4.75 | BA Score: 4.67 | rDev: +1.5%

Personal notes: It holds up to its mystique, although there are other quads starting to catch up with this one. It's an exceptional brew certainly worth trying.

 

My harbinger of Spring is pollen of which we have in abundance. Almost year round actually because it doesn't get cold enough here to kill off the perennial weeds. Moreso this time of year and I'm glad we caught the tail end of those Northern storms because the rain yesterday at least washed out the air. My next move after the kid graduates will be someplace where I can breathe a little better.

A bit chilly this morning so from the snow capped peaks of Montana . . .



Attractive dark brown color with gold highlights, light tan cap.

Aroma of dark roasted malt, caramel and rich toffee, some cocoa, dark ripe stone fruit and a touch of roasted chestnuts in the background.

Taste is full, complex and surges forward like a storm front. Rich like strong coffee but without bitterness. I can pick out the elements found in the scent but in flavor they all present together merging without bumping into each other. Consistent throughout where Noble hops show only in shadow yet manage to balance the whole. Finishes full and dry.

This is a broad shouldered beer able to bench press it's own weight yet there is harmonious fluidity in it's movement. Reminds me of what Unibroue can do on a good day.

 

Jack I have to say I love your side by sides and this is a great little experiment. One I would like to try. Ever since I joined BA I have had a lot more confidence and it is exactly because of these tastings and discussions. If you learn that you can trust yourself, then tasting beer becomes all pleasure and just enough principles.

 

This one comes from @SammyJaxxxx as part of the NBS BIF. Not my blind beer but a good IPA with maybe a bit too much alcohol presence.

4.01/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Beer pours a dark orange almost red body. Thick two fingers' worth of off white head. Head fades away leaving a nice amount of lacing behind while drinking.

S: Beer has a mixture of dank aromas and a slight amount of fruity sweetness. Combination of pine and and spice build the dank smells. Most of the fruit notes come off as grapefruit.

T: Tastes match the nose here. Lots of earthy pine flavors along with a fair amount of spicy notes. Along with these flavors there are a touch of fruit tastes in the beer. Grapefruit flavors add some sweetness, but the beer's main taste is a spicy earthy mix.

M: Medium to light mouthfeel on the beer. The beer has a noticeable alcohol kick that seems too high for the beer. The taste profile is nice enough to continue drinking, but the bitter spicy mouthfeel takes away from the overall enjoyment of the beer.

O: Nice beer. The appearance of the beer was a personal highlight. The taste of the beer could have been improved with a softer mouthfeel and less spice/alcohol kick. Good beer just too strong of an alcohol presence.

 

Vintage 2018 pours a very dark near black with a 2 plus finger sticky dark tan head that leaves loads of thin webs of lace behind. 4.75

Smell is roasty coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla bean, toffee, and a nice tickle of oaky bourbon. 4.75

Taste follows roasted coffee, deep dark chocolate, vanilla, toffee, and a nice subtle hit of oaky bourbon. 5

Mouthfeel is bigger than most, plenty of life, a tad dry as you would expect, and excellent drinkability , but it drinks much bigger than its 8.5% ABV and yet is very approachable because of its complexities. 4.5

Overall this an exceptional Barrel Aged Stout that still shocks me with its rather average ABV and its fairly large body. Thanks @GreenBayBA fir this world class stout. 4.75