New Beer Sunday (Week 697)

O'Fallon's Chinook Me All Night Long, it was not as good as I had hoped. 3.62 overall

Pours an effervescent amber with a thumb of pearl colored head. Above average head retention & lacing

S: Cakeyness

T: Cakeynness. dryness & a little bitterness up front. Pineyness picks up as this warms along with much cakeyness. Finishes with woody bitterness, dryness & a little cakey sweetness

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation, alright balance, wish there was more of a spectrum of hop flavor

Servicable DIPA, not one I would buy again

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Made my usual bottle returns, laundry, and grocery run for the day. Bit of a storm out there right now. Will be a nice split week, should go by pretty quick. I will definitely be super busy at work. Had to tidy up the apartment a bit today, supposedly getting inspected during the week.

Very good fruited German pils. Decent head retention, minimal lacing on the glass. Aromas and flavors of lightly tart/tangy mango, melon, key lime, lemon, citrus zest, and herbal/grassy/peppery hops; with some cracker, white bready malt balance. Light-moderate herbal, grassy, peppery bitterness; and light fruit tang/tartness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation, light-medium body, and moderately crisp/clean finishing. Balanced bready/grainy malts and sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Light fruit tang/acidity. Moderate increasing tart/bitter/carbonated dryness. No astringency. Very flavorful/refreshing, 5.3%. Not watery. Perfectly clean lager flavors, no yeasty notes. Really well done. Clean pils malts, with balanced fruit vibrancy and noble hops. Really enjoyable, spot on base style. 3.75


Thanks @RaulMondesi for this one. This was excellent. Great head retention/lacing. Aromas and flavors of big tangerine, grapefruit, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, melon, guava, berry, citrus peel/zest, and light pepper/pine hops; with moderate wheat, biscuit dough, light honeyed malt balance; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Mild pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation/body; creamy/bready/grainy malt and light sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing lingering bitter dryness. Very drinkable for 6.8%, spot on soft feel. Citra, Centennial, Simcoe and Amarillo hops. Not quite tropical as I expected for that hop bill, mostly citrus/stone fruits. Very juicy, lightly dank hop complexity; great balanced malt backbone, mild residual sweetness. Spot on NEIPA. 4


Cheers, but back later NBS

 

Back with a beer I hadn't intended to drink today! I meant to grab an IPA from Burial that was in the ninja box @Dragginballs76 hit me with, grabbed this by mistake and didn't discover my error until I cracked it open.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31722/203163/?ba=woemad#review
I scored it too quickly on unTapped. This is one that gets more complex as it warms. There's a whole lotta flavor here for a 5% milk stout.

 

Have fun! I long to get back to Europe, but kind of doubt I ever will

 

Hello New Beer Sunday!!!

Quick check in at Barrel Theory in St. Paul.

Yas Queen from Barrel Theory.

Nice, tart, fruit filled with a very full body.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/49534/350697/

I'll be back later when I get back home.

 

Comparing Omnipollo IPA, and the effects of quadruple dry-hopping. Evidence is quite clear on the impacts of dry hopping in the look.



Omnipollo's Fatamorgana Quadruple Dry-Hopped.

Pours an opaque dull-orange that develops a finger of white foam after a modest pour straight into the glass. Head retention is okay. Aroma is a dense curtain of tropical fruits, nailing notes of mango, papaya, tangerine, and orange zest. Malts are hidden behind the tropical fruits. Flavor profile is big, with tangerine, papaya, mango, and orange and lemon zest with biscuit and pale malts. Flavor oozes from every ounce, although is nearly completely focused on hops. Mouth feel is medium in thickness with a chalky, light-graininess. Overall, tropical fruit notes are plentiful here, but out weigh and mask the base malts. It's packed with flavor making for a wonderful sipping experience.

Score: 4 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4 | 4.25 | BA Score: 4.21 | rDev: +0% (10 ratings total)

Omnipollo's Fatamorgana.

Pours a clear orange that develops a finger of white foam after a modest pour straight into the glass. Head retention is good. Aroma is orange peel, tangerine and papaya with biscuit malts evident behind. It's a display of tropical fruits, and although they work together well, still allow the malts to shine through. Flavor profile is orange peel, lemon zest, and tangerine with biscuit and toast malts behind. Good balance between the hops and malts, developing a balanced beer. Mouth feel is crisp, and with a slight effervescent at the end. It's refreshing, with a medium thickness. Overall, a good quality IPA that balances hops and malts well.

Score: 4.25 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4.25 | BA Score: 4.25 | rDev: +0.5%

Notes and thoughts: These are very different beers. The quadruple dry-hopped version is everything hoppy about the regular version, but amplified, which results in a less balanced beer. The regular version is akin to a standard IPA I may select for consumption at a tailgate or around a campfire in the late summer. The quadruple dry-hopped is something I'd enjoy one or two of before heading downtown and switching to PBR. Lots of flavor to start off the night.

 

Happy New Belgian Strong Dark Ale Sunday!

Pretty nice day on the Western Slope, around 89, sunny, breezy. Did a nice little hike, picked up some chicken tacos on the way home. Having a pretty tasty brew, been awhile since these have shown up around here.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30/350582/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

Excellent sour! Nice head retention/lacing for the style. Aromas and flavors of big lightly tart lime, lemon, ginger, mint, citrus zest, peach, pear, red/green apple, melon, white grape, peppercorn, herbal, and grass; with some wheat, cracker malt balance; light lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tartness; light zesty bitterness, peppery ginger spice, and cooling mint on the finish. Medium-high carbonation, light-medium body, and moderately crisp/clean finishing. Balanced grainy wheat, lactic acid, and light sticky spice in the mouthfeel. Moderate increasing tart/spicy/carbonated dryness. No pucker/astringency. Super refreshing for 6%, not overly lactic. Minimal lingering ginger spice heat. Really great vibrancy of lime/ginger/mint spices; balanced Lacto complexity, and pale/wheat malts against acidity. Really great summer sour for sure. Nothing overwhelming. 4


Get to be the first review as usual. This was very nice. Nice head retention/soapy lacing on the glass. Flavors of big lightly tart/tangy raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, fruit skin, tangerine, grapefruit, peach, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, melon, guava, citrus peel/rind, pepper, and pine hops; with moderate cracker, toasted biscuit malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Similar/muted aromas. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, grassy, peppery bitterness; and light fruit tang/tartness on the finish. Medium carbonation/body; balanced creamy/bready malts and sticky/resinous/rindy hops in the mouthfeel. Slight fruit tang/acidity. Light-moderate increasing bitter dryness, no hop astringency. Minimal warming 9%. Very drinkable, not overly aggressive. Was expecting more fruit presence initially, but it is well done. Balanced berries and juicy/dank Citra hops; nice bready malt backbone, with minimal residual sweetness from lingering bitter dryness. Not overdone on any aspect. I think I already grabbed another single. No regrets. 3.88


Cheers, be back later again NBS

 

Spent the better part of the day in the pool with family and friends. I’ve had plenty of beers today but moving on the the second official NBS entry. Picked this up the other day, I have a fascination with “craft” malt liquors.



Undated 12 ounce can, poured into Lexan tulip for outdoor beer-drinking enjoyment. Looks good in light, but appears mostly a dull yellow with finger’s worth of white head. The nose is bready, corny, a bit of lemon. Generic lager taste, white bread, sweet. This is malt liquor on a sophisticated scale.
Slick velvet mouthfeel.

 

Have a great time in Bar Harbor/Acadia!

 

Decadent Citra Citra

Pours a hazy golden orange with medium head and spotty lacing

Scent is orange, grapefruit, melon, all the citrus and a sweet scent on the end

Taste is citra hops. Boom. Citrus, orange, grapefruit, and ending with a sweetness almost like a triple IPA

Mouthfeel is smooth, sticky, and slightly creamy. Goes down too easy.

Overall it’s a great beer if you like citra hopping. Pretty sweet when I was expecting some bitter bite on the end. No hint of alcohol whatsoever.

 

Good evening, NBSers. I was all set to complain about the heat - yesterday was HOT, and today was, too, until literally the last 10 minutes whilst I was enjoying beer #1 tonight and writing the review, when the wind shifted to a northerly direction, and the temperature dropped 10 degrees+.

So instead, I’ll complain that I may need to go fetch a jacket for Mrs O.

Beer #1 (and beer #3) are from @bl00 , part of the continuing residue of NBS BIF #007. At my current run rate, you’ll be seeing beers sent to me in that same BIF by @Ozzylizard until approximately 2024, so you’ve all been adequately warned.

This first beer literally had me yelling “Yippee!!!” when I pulled it from the box a couple of weeks ago.



4.35/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured aggressively, this hazy burnt orange beer yields a couple of fingers of sudsy, light tan head. The nose is really dank citrus notes of grapefruit and pineapple, and an earthy malt component.

The bitter grapefruit dominates the taste at first, but the earthy malt component doesn’t allow things to get out of hand, and adds something me character to a beer that could’ve gone too far toward the bitter notes.

I think this is really well-executed, and more than worthy of any beer nerd’s consideration.

 

Good afternoon, all! Back from my nephew's graduation party, and now the fun begins. I've been hanging onto this DFH 120 Minute for a couple of weeks now, and I decided it was about time to find out what I got for my $10.99. I thought it was interesting to see the reviews for this all over the map. It's bitter. It's not bitter. It's sweet. It's not too sweet. It's not at all sweet. It's balanced. It's malty. Here's what I get: notes of spruce, pine resin, caramel, and orange peel on the nose and palate. It's hot. Lots of alcohol burn. It's very well balanced. To me, this is like a dry cordial. After half a bottle of this, I don't feel like driving. Pretty good, but I don't think I'll be dropping $10.99 on another one any time soon.



3.9/5 (rDev -5.1%)
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Review here.

 

#2, I’ve walked past this 4,382 times in beer stores in Minnesota, Texas, and Indiana without taking the plunge. That ends today.



3.73/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pour is black with a voluminous tan head. Lovely. There’s some cocoa notes as well as char on the nose, but it smells thin.

Fortunately, the taste and mouthfeel are much fuller - there’s a significant cocoa component on the taste, and that translates to the feel, which has a silky quality which is most welcome. I’d try this again, with zero qualms.

 

I ended up visiting the store to pick up some items for dinner and picked up Sam Adams New England IPA.

The beer color is a beautiful hazy golden yellow. Produced a nice 2.5 finger white head, some nice lacing. Big aroma of pineapple, mango, and other tropical fruits, some citrus of grapefruit and lime. Very pungent tropical and citrus and subtle pineapple, passion fruit, lime flavor. The malts are very light and and the slightest bready notes to compliment the hops. Excellent carbonation with some bitterness lingers on the tongue and finishes dry. I must say this is well made and flavorful.

 

Cigar City Beoir Bairille
Imperial Stout (Jameson Irish Whiskey Barrels) - 13.2%ABV




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

22oz bottle poured into an El Catador snifter. This is an Imperial Stout Aged in Jameson Irish Whiskey barrels.

Pours a pitch black color with large creamy tan head with excellent retention and lacing. At 13.2% ABV, the mouthfeel is thick and creamy but the finish is deceptively smooth for such a high ABV. This bottle is extremely fresh and I am surprised by the level of smoothness.

There is a ton of Barrel on the nose and finish with a lot of sweetness as well. If you enjoy big, sweet, barrel aged stouts you will love this one. Extremely well made and the Jameson barrels add an extra level of uniqueness to this brew. Drink fresh like I did or age, either option you will not be disappointed.

One of my favorite beers of all time. Great beer!

 

Last one, an IPA featuring Hallertau Blanc hops from @bl00. This was fun to drink and review.





4.19/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a very hazy grapefruit color with a significant off-white head. The nose is floral aromas and a REALLY earthy component. Yep, Hallertau Blanc hops.

The floral notes are also prominent on the taste, and the earthy notes are present, but not overtly so as they were on the nose.

If you’re looking for a fruit bomb, avoid this beer, but if you’re looking for a different take on an IPA with a hop varietal that isn’t seen very often in the style, this beer is more than worthy of a try.

 

Rec'd from the ZG rep on Friday.
500 ml.
6.1% abv.
Looks nice, huh?



500 ml. bottle.
Moderate pour yields a one inch white head over a very slightly hazy golden body with some nice lacing. Nice herbal/floral nose with ever so slight funk/pine/fruit. Taste of slight funk, spice, and pine/fruit with a near dry finish. Nice feel and overall, great job from Burlington, VT and would have again. Cheers!

4.19/5 rDev +10.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

Lucky Bucket Wicked Joe BBA Coffee Stout, 9.2% ABV. Some places list this incorrectly as a porter. Pours black with a slight brown head. Nose is coffee, chocolate, vanilla, and bourbon. Taste follows, incredible coffee, vanilla really pops too, and a slight bitter coffee close. Excellent mouthfeel, overall outstanding. I just had a 2017 BCBS last night, and I like this better - less bourbon flavor allows the other flavors to prevail.

 

OK, here's a 3x saison quickie. I was at the beach today and upon my dehydrated return, I downed these pretty quickly. Well... at least the first went down in a blink and each subsequent beer lingered more than the last, but whatever... these are gonna be short reactions. I love some saisons from Europe, and after having great ones a few days ago, these just couldn't measure up for me.



Transmitter S8. I recently posted in a Transmitter thread (in the regional forums) about their naming convention and one of the brewers chimed in. Check it out in Mid-Atlantic if you're randy. This beer is S8. Pilsner malt with flaked rice and new-wave German hops. I recently heard an interview with Notch's Chris Lohring and he talked about brewing adjuncts (a subject he's been outspoken on). At a previous brewery that Chris worker for, they made their version of an AAL or something to that effect. He noticed that he loved what corn did to that beer, but he didn't love the recipe of that particular beer. He realized the potential of the adjunct if used in a recipe he liked. This Transmitter beer has rice to lighten the body. I really don't get a light body here though. This is a relatively heavy handed beer. For people who believe in a difference between a saison and a Belgian pale ale, they might find that this beer blurs the two types. Yeast character is heavy. Body is not light. There's a spicy quality.



Perennial Prism. This a "dry-hopped saison" and it's the Amarillo and Wakatu version. This is yet another revolving hop concept type of beer. My eyes can't roll enough. Yeah, I'm really down with the exact same idea with Dupont's dry-hopped saison, but my double standard is charged up to maximum power here. According to the brewer this beer is a "blend of saison yeast strains to create a platform for showcasing a different combination of hops." I love hoppy saisons, and to me this is somewhat intrinsic with the style, but since when is a saison base a good hop "showcase"? Yeah, I'm in a mood. This beer is a typically delicate Perennial saison. It fits the description on the Transmitter can way better than the Transmitter beer did - light and with melon flavors... but I liked the character of the Transmitter beer much better.



Left Hand Saison aux Baies Ameres Chokecherry. The Left Hand idea of releasing themed seasonal saisons was a great missed opportunity. Great concept. Unenjoyable execution. Chokecherry - a perfect example of something that craft lovers might drink and discuss, but have never encountered in any other context. This is a type of fruit that is known for being astringent. This beer is not astringent or bitter... at all. It has a fruity quality that is reminiscent of cherries, and it's a bit sweet and sour, but not in a heavy handed way. I can make out a definite saison base underneath it all, but this is a fruit beer first and foremost (at least in the way I categorize things).

I guess I'm not feeling kind at the moment.