New Beer Sunday (Week 687)

Happy New Beer Sunday to all.

Spring is finally here in Minneapolis, and that means Sunday long runs occur outside. Today's wasn't the longest, but included 25 minutes at threshold pace in the middle of the run. Threshold pace is painful if you're doing it right, but creates a huge runner's high when it's over.

Anyway, it's 65 degrees today, and I'm recovering from the run by drinking a local Hefe for the first time. It's Enki Brewing's Hootenanny Hefe. I've had a small handfull of their beers in the past, and have noticed inconsistencies in quality. Their Hefe, however, is one of the good ones; lots of banana, some clove, and not too much bubblegum. It's chewy too. Far too many American Hefes are too thin. I like drinking this one, and the farther I get down the glass the more I want to keep drinking it.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31854/120054/?ba=KarlHungus#review

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Thanks to @cjgiant for getting us started off this week. Another normal weekend over here, with some nicer weather for a change. Made a couple of new beer hauls from my favorite places again. Plenty of lambic and other stuff I was looking for. Will be busy for a while. Been working through all the macro lagers last couple weeks, so I still have a lot of those to find. Some of them are actually not that widely available, so I will be seeking out shitty beer on purpose. Already got a few more today.

New beers:

To Øl fruited gose. This is awesome! Amazing lasting head retention and thick foamy lacing the whole glass. Aromas and flavors of big sour/tart/tangy raspberries, peaches, fruit skin, lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange, pear, green apple, melon, hay, straw, grass, and sea salt; with moderate wheat, cracker, white bready malts; lighter notes of peppercorn, vanilla, lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness, yeast spiciness, and fruit tang on the finish. Medium-high carbonation and light-medium body; balanced bready/grainy wheat, lactic acid, fruit tang/tannins, and light salinity in the mouthfeel. Light-moderate increasing acidic/tangy fruit dryness, minimal puckering sourness. Very flavorful/refreshing, 4.5%. This was really spot on. Perfectly balanced Lacto and fruit; with a solid pale/wheat malt backbone. Never overly lactic or salty. Was expecting more vanilla, but it doesn't really matter as far as the style is concerned. 4.13


Delicious fruit IPA. Fantastic head retention and lasting lacing on the glass. Flavors of big tangerine, grapefruit, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, citrus peel/rind, and light pepper/pine hops; with moderate toasted bread, light caramel malt balance; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel, herbal, grassy bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation/body; bready/grainy malt and some sticky hops/peels in the mouthfeel. Slight resins and increasing dryness, never astringent. Very drinkable, never aggressive, 6.8%. Right on par with SN expectations. Simcoe and Crystal hops complement the orange peel really well. Juicy and lightly dank hop/citrus flavors, with a nice bready malt backbone. Would easily buy again. 3.91


First review as usual. Stillwater Critical Thinking. This was amazing! Insanely thick head retention/lacing the whole glass. Aromas and flavors of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, molasses, caramel, toffee, nuttiness, toasted oats, and dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of licorice, raisin, prune, pepper, smoke, char, vanilla, leather, tobacco, herbal hops, and yeast earthiness. Very mild herbal hop, roast/char bitterness; and yeast spiciness on the finish. Light-medium carbonation and very full body; with a very creamy, silky, bready, and velvety mouthfeel that is fantastic. Slight sticky hops, chalky roast, and increasing dryness. Super smooth, minimal warming 11%. Wow, they killed it. I haven't had too many imperial stouts from stillwater. This is definitely in the realm of a Belgian imperial stout/RIS or something, but the yeast isn't overpowering. Insanely rich and complex malts; with restrained fruity yeast and solid earthy hop balance. 4.31


Cheers, be back a bit later NBS.

 

Singlecut, Tomorrow Who's Gonna Fuss, 3XIPA.

Continuing with their song lyric theme, Singlecut named this after words in a Replacements song. I like some Replacement songs, but I am only vaguely familiar with this one which is Androgynous.
I heard this week that when Jon Bon Jovi was nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame he was surprised to hear that The Replacements were "one of the best bands of the 80's". His reply was "how can that be when I've never heard of them".

3.96/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16oz can dated 3/20/18 to a nonic.
Medium white head, foggy amber body. No carbonation bubbles to see after pour settles.
Most of aroma is of over-ripe pineapple,
Taste follows nose, but with hop bite midway, sweet sugary finish. Alcohol is trying to make itself known, but not overpowering. Remember, this thing is 10%.
Creamy but effervescent. Sounds weird, but thats what I think.
Not my favorite Single Cut but it is okay.

 

NBS beer #3....new beer, new brewery edition



Chinook'd Up

Rutland Beer Works
American Double / Imperial IPA / 8.00% ABV

3.81/5 rDev 0% | Score: 3.81
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

L-The beer pours hazy gold with a 3 finger white head. The head recedes to a thin film. Lacing is excellent.
S-The nose is a moderately strong mix of grapefruit and pine, with the grapefruit being the stronger component.
T-The taste is similar to the nose in that I get more grapefruit than pine.
F- Mouthfeel overall is medium. Carbonation is medium, and the beer is easy to drink.
O- This is my first offering from this brewery. The beer itself is perfectly acceptable and drinkable DIPA. I honestly wish it leaned a little more piney than it does, but I won't have any problem drinking it. DIPA's in Vermont really need to stand out given the competition, and this one is only average.

 

Next up is another style I don't usually reach for...

Vienna Style Lager by Old Nation



Pours a clear deep caramel, with plenty of fluffy big bubbled head. Thick lacing. Nose is rich sweet malt and something I'm struggling to place... sourdough bread? Nice full mouthfeel, caramel malt with some floral notes. Crisp, clean finish with the malt lingering for a good while.

Overall, really enjoying this. It seems awfully close to a bock to me, not sure where one style ends and the other begins.

What's fun about this to me is this is the type of beer the brewers at Old Nation started out with (and where their passion really lies) before a focus group pointed them at the haze craze. When I first visited two years ago, they had on a weizenbock, an alt, an ESB, and various other really well done, true to style beers... that nobody bought. I'm pleased that they are still taking the time to explore unhyped styles amongst the oceans of haze.

 

Taxes were a wash. Got a big Federal Return ( thanks to moving expenses & new mortgage ) & owed about the same to Arkansas & Oklahoma

Hoppin' Frog TORIS The Tyrant, any beer with a Tank on the label art has my attention ( Is that a KV-1? ). 4.35 overall

Pours an effervescent ebony with a thumb of caramel colored head. Viscious, average head retention & lacing

S: Dark fruit, a little smokeyness.

T: Follows the nose, a little carob, smokeyness is strong, dryness and a little dark chocolate as well. Chocolate, a little coffee, some smoke and vanilla as this warms, plus woody dryness . Finishes dry, roasty with a little sweetness & pineyness

MF: Pretty chewy, fairly firm carbonation

A very nice take on the style that hides its heft very well

 

What part of PA are you in? SE here and no luck on Alpenflo but as I was perusing the store yesterday came across six packs of Fat Head's Starlight bottled on 04/11. I wasn't familiar with the beer but being a huge Helles fan and enjoying pretty much every FH beer I have tried thus far I gave it a shot, delicious and I will be picking up more for sure.

 

Now up some Veil/Cloudwater Chubbles thanks to @CanConPhilly
4.26/5 rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Thank you CanConPhilly for this
16 oz can, dated 3/27/18, poured into a teku

A- A hazy copper/orange color with a two finger white head.

S- Citrus, tropical fruits, lime zest, dank, some stone fruits, somewhat herbal, touch of alcohol.

T- Citrus, mango, tropical fruits, lime zest, dank, some malt sweetness, some stone fruits, a little herbal.

S- Smooth, medium to full body.

O- A solid TIPA, not too sweet. Very happy I got to try this, really enjoy how the hops linger.

 

Wish I had only purchased one...

 

Good evening NBS and thanks to @cjgiant for the kick off today. I own a small business and am always in what appears to tax monitoring. Without any wild swings year to year I have no issues. Along that line Today's offering has no wild swings either. A very well executed barrel aged Kriek from Springdale (Jacks Abby) The fruit feels authentic the body is smooth and the tart elements are well balanced.
Cheers all

Kriek Mythology

Springdale Barrel Room
Lambic - Fruit / 6.50% ABV

4.16/5 rDev +0.2% | Score: 4.15
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle number 07291 into the test glass
A - Light crimson color, active carbonation yields a pink froth.
S - Musty barrel, cherry skins, green apple skin, some grapefruit as well
T - Cheery flesh, some bits of ripe pineapple, sweet tart candy, interestingly some solid malt presence.
M - Semi tart start then a move to the sweet side, a bit acidic in the middle, wraps up with a sweet linger
O - A very good crack at a Kriek, the cherry feels and tastes real not syrupy. The tart element is tame, the wood barrel aging rounds the offering out
worth every effort to try and enjoy

 

Happy Sunday, NBSers. I don’t have any particularly entertaining tax stories to share, but I do have an observation: corporate relos will increase your tax exposure.

Significantly.

I have a triumvirate of new beers tonight that were sent to me in NBS BIF 007. The first is from @jhavs and The Alchemist (with glassware courtesy of @Ozzylizard).



4.16/5 rDev +2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

The first beer I’ve had from Alchemist that didn’t have the “Drink From The Can!” admonishment on the can. I am now officially terrified.

The pour presents a slightly cloudy burnt orange beer with a BOATLOAD of floaties and a light tan head. I love floaties, but this a lotta floaties. The nose has a significant caramalt component, a lot of pine, and a smidge of citrus. An “old school DIPA” from Alchemist!!!

The taste has a heaping helpings of resiny pine and caramalt, and the nice touch of citrus, with a mouthfeel that has heft. A really enjoyable beer to drink on a gorgeous Northern Indiana evening.

Especially if you drink it from the can.

 

Happy New American Impy Stout Sunday!

Pretty nice day on the Western Slope, sunny, around 67. Picked up some chicken tacos. Having a pretty tasty brew, glad to see it around here. Watching some Next Generation reruns, kinda know why I never really got into this series, but....

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28551/340560/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

Back for one more before dinner. This one was brewed with toasted coconut, cocoa nibs, and coffee:
Koko Buni Milk Porter, Creature Comforts Brewing Co, Athens, GA

Great look. Dark brown color with a large tan head. The foam had outstanding staying power and left nice laces in the glass.
Aroma: faint toasted coconut and lots of milk chocolate, not much roast or coffee.
Taste: milk chocolate, faint coconut, faint coffee. Sweetness from the coconut and lactose, but not too much.
Feel: silky smooth and full-bodied. Slightly below medium carbonation.
Overall: an excellent milk porter. Up there with my favorites in the milk stout style.

 

Here is my entry for New Beer Sundae. Sundae courtesy of @SammyJaxxxx
This is the cognac barreled cosmonaut. The first thing I noticed is how nutty and dry this was. Some alcohol heat for sure, but I can’t say I’ve ever had cognac so I can’t pull it out exactly. No strawberry here like the base, but plenty of chocolate and some syrupy sweetness. Nice brew. Thanks, Greg!


At the in laws for a smoked ribs dinner. Mom is taking care of the chickens here. Enjoy this beautiful Sunday!

 

First beer today of this NBS. It’s a later start than I’d like but whatcha gonna do.
This one courtesy of @2beerdogs form the latest NBS BIF. Thanks Derek, cheers!



No date on the can, poured into tulip. Pours a pale yellow, small bubbled head. Opaque and hazy throughout.
The nose is tropical fruits, dankness and grass.
Starts out bitter like an unsweet OJ, middle is softer tropical fruits, finishes with hints of weed and onion. Medium, soft body. Easy to drink if you don’t mind a little onion in ya beer.

 

Digging into a local BBA stout to close out the night. This is actually a bit of a 'revisit' as I got a draft pour of this when they did a three bottle BBA bottle release a few months ago, this being one of those bottles.



Double Shift's Brunch Pirate.

Pours black with two fingers of caramel-colored foam that rises up rather quickly and retains fairly well. Aroma is roasted and toasted malts up front, quickly followed up by vanilla beans. Coffee and chocolate both make appearances, but only after the malts and vanilla beans have shone for a bit. There is a whiff of bourbon at the onset of the aroma. It's just enough heat to singe the nose hairs, but not enough to scare away a sip. Aroma is somewhere between sweet and roasty, char. Flavor profile is coffee and milk chocolate bolstered by roasted and toasted malts, with vanilla beans and a kiss of char at the close. Bourbon mingles throughout, but shows itself as the beer finishes and leathery, roasty notes of the bourbon linger. Mouth feel is smooth, and nears creamy but falls short. It has a medium thickness, that seemed thicker when drank from the tap. Overall, it's certainly a good stout, but it seems like the additives like vanilla bean and bourbon barrel aren't kneaded in for the smoothest of experiences.

Score: 4.25 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | BA Score: 4.02 | rDev: +1% (one other rating)

Outro music for the weekend (and one of my favorite movies):

 

#2, courtesy of @Ozzylizard.



3.99/5 rDev +9.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I love trying flagship beers, especially from a brewery new to me. This pours a cloudy amber color with a tan head. The nose has a significant caramel component, as well as some stone fruit. I am beyond “intrigued” and into “mouthwatering” territory.

The taste is all rich caramel and stone fruit, with a bulky mouthfeel. If I was local, I’d drink this all the time, because it’s just a really solid scotch ale, which I always enjoy.

 

SEPA... a got a couple cans from a friend in NY. When it arrives in SEPA I will get more.

 

I am glad your enjoying the beer.

J