New Beer Sunday (Week 721)

Discussion in 'The Bar' started by cjgiant, Dec 16, 2018.

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  1. Squire

    Squire Grand Pooh-Bah (4,385) Jul 16, 2015 Mississippi
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    This one comes as a bit of a surprise. Being my first Belgian IPA I didn't know quite what to expect and find I'm pleased with what I've got . . .

    [​IMG]
    Hazy yellow gold color with white cap and lacing.

    Aroma like the herb section of a home garden after a light rain with a bit of citrus blossoms and pine trees just over the fence.

    Taste is a complex melange of hops that closely match the scent with herbal aspects dominating. Still comes across as a pleasant mixture though. Malt is there in the body but I don't notice it very much in the taste. Hops are strong in this one but with a light handed touch, no firmness or any real bitterness for that matter which is a bit surprising considering it's 65 IBU. I get some of the usual Belgian yeast touches in the aftertaste but not a clove/banana thingy, rather like a bit of fruit in the background.

    Medium full texture with balancing carbonation.

    Frankly I have no idea what a Belgian IPA is or how it's supposed to taste but I like this brew. It's not the my hops are bigger than your hops approach some brewers take to differentiate their IPAs.
     
    #21 Squire, Dec 16, 2018
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  2. zid

    zid Grand Pooh-Bah (3,132) Feb 15, 2010 New York
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

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    Greenport - Inner Glow

    I'm moving from a Long Island beer from a brewer I don't like to a Long Island beer that I probably won't like from a brewer I do like. Greenport is hit or miss in a big way for me, but I appreciate their hits. My first beer today was an "IPL" and this is a "golden stout." Don't you just love craft beer?

    Here we have another pale ale made with chocolate and coffee. I really do not understand the appeal of these beers. I wonder if there are any drinkers that hate the concept of pumpkin beers but love the concept of pale stouts. Pale stout lovers are like meat eaters buying Tofurky only because they like the taste of it.

    This beer is a pretty Vienna lager clear copper color with a decent head. Taste offers no surprises. It's like cocoa nib spiked coffee used to spike Boston Lager. It's good for what it is, but "what it is" isn't inherently good.
     
    #22 zid, Dec 16, 2018
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  3. eppCOS

    eppCOS Grand Pooh-Bah (4,570) Jun 27, 2015 Colorado
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Xpost from WBAYDN
    [​IMG]
    2015 GI BCBS: Unbelievable stuff that aged well after 3 years: marshmallow and caramel notes floating in a sea of dark deep booze, coffee, chocolate and the bourbon has mellowed out. Other phrasing in the Xpost. Cheers NBS'ers!
     
    #23 eppCOS, Dec 16, 2018
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  4. cjgiant

    cjgiant Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,584) Jul 13, 2013 District of Columbia
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Why yes, I will be taking Solace in a new beer this wet and mostly dreary morning. And it appears the darkness has not totally left my thoughts although the day has brightened.

    Solace Brewing is located in Dulles, Virginia, fairly close to a brewery a post a lot from: Ocelot. The brewers and founders moved on from Beltway Brewing (which is a Sterling, VA-based contract-only brewery that has handled a variety of beers, one of the most notable being Grimm). Most of this I knew, but what I didn't know was that the head brewer's family founded Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton, VA (which we have visited).

    Solace offers a fair variety of beers, but has a taplist usually weighted towards IPAs - mainly hazy. Their session IPA (Sun's out Hops Out) is quite decent and can be found in cans and grocery stores here and there. Similarly, their double IPA Lucy Juicy finds its ways to tap rooms for locals to enjoy. I happen to enjoy their witbier (2 Legit 2 Wit) among the non-IPAs they offer (a passable brown and a fair lager are other constant offerings).

    But today I will be trying a BBA imperial stout from them, called Ghost of Felix. I have had one other stout by them (a 7% regular stout) that I wasn't overly impressed with. This came with a thumbs up from the beer store guys, and while they don't bat 1000 in their recommendations, I have modest hopes for this one.
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    Well, that look of oil from a well-used car falls from the can into the glass. A nice medium to dark brown froth grows and falls until the last bit of the can enters the glass, seeming to add a binder to the head, allowing a medium-thick creamy ring to last.

    The nose is on point, with nothing off and nothing interesting about it. The whiskey provides the excitement, but it's like seeing the key scene of a fun movie play out as basically you expected it. The roasted malt seems like it might have a little char to it, but there is a vanilla note that nudges the smell into the dark chocolate realm.

    The feel initially seemed is a little lighter than expected from the look; there is a little burn from the alcohol/whiskey, boosted a tad by a decent carbonation. There are times when it seems a bit more creamy as I sip it, edging towards chewy, but the carbonation/bite seem to snap me back.

    This is one of those beers where the taste of the beer seem to march in lock-step with the scents from the nose. Whiskey is obvious, even prominent, but not overpowering despite the nice bite it adds to the feel. The malt profile, perhaps influenced by the barrel aging, comes as a robust porter, with some cola notes added to a dark chocolate flavor profile, with an ever-so-light lingering note of char.
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    I think the brewery described it in a way fairly congruous with my thoughts (I'd mostly reverse the whiskey and chocolate strengths). That said, I can't find anything about it to excite you that it has "so much this" or "really delivers that" but I also can't tell you "it's completely missing this." It's not mediocre, but it's not exceptional - focusing on the root of that word. I'd say this is a solidly made barrel-aged imperial stout, and is a beer I will be happy to have and appreciate again (so it's good I have 3 more cans).
     
    #24 cjgiant, Dec 16, 2018
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  5. thebeers

    thebeers Grand Pooh-Bah (5,837) Sep 10, 2014 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    [​IMG]

    Foreign Objects Sonnenaufgang

    Happy Sunday, BAs. Sure has been a fun weekend here on the site. 17 pages on WBAYDN yesterday. A big shout-out to @LeperJim and all Day of the Dark players.

    Today’s (first?) new beer is marketed as a Trocken-Gehupft Pilsner. I tried googling that and came up with nothing. I did learn that Sonnenaufgang means sunrise, and that does seem appropriate.

    The beer pours a hazy pale straw color with two fingers of somewhat soupy, near-white head. It has strong effervescence and leaves solid lacing.

    Citrus (yuzu, clementine and lime), lemongrass and grain stand out in the nose.

    There’s a wonderful graininess and dull bitterness in the taste, but again with a strong citrus element that I find jarring.

    The mouthfeel works and seems fairly unique: medium bodied, lightly creamy and surprisingly still.

    This strayed too far from what I expect from a pilsner to work for me. It’s like a high quality pils blended with a heavily-fruited witbier.

    My wife, who likes world-class saisons and light sours, said it was one of the best beers she’s ever had. I suspect if I was approaching this blind rather than with “German Pilsner” in mind, I may have enjoyed it more. It would be refreshing sitting outdoors for some breakfast on a summer morning.

    I’m reminded a bit of Offshoot Brewing’s Today dry-hopped pilsner, which I enjoyed a lot more. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a lot more beers marketed as pilsners gussied up with new school dry hopping.
     
    #25 thebeers, Dec 16, 2018
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  6. cjgiant

    cjgiant Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,584) Jul 13, 2013 District of Columbia
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Sloop has not hit here that I have seen. I have recently seen more and more posts of their beers, though. However, I have only recently become aware of the brewery, which I hope has no worse penalty that a short suspension of my BA card :wink:

    I will look out for it, though - as I am sure the GF will want to try anything we get :slight_smile:
     
    #26 cjgiant, Dec 16, 2018
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  7. TheDoctor

    TheDoctor Grand Pooh-Bah (3,484) Mar 7, 2013 Canada (QC)
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Good NBS, all!
    It is my last Sunday here till after the holiday, as I am heading back home to visit friends and family over Christmas. Thanks to the generosity of a fellow BA, though, I have some awesome new beers to make the next few days really special and today is no exception. I'm especially excited to get to finally try a bigger variety of beers from Lawson's than I've ever had before.
    Sip of Sunshine is just about everything I want in an IPA, but I've never tried any of their other hoppy beers (or beers period, for that matter). That ends today. I'm going to start today off with Chinooker'd.
    [​IMG]
    Wow! This is a great beer. It is (like SoS) a beer that checks a lot of boxes for me as far as what I want an IPA to be. It is generally well-balanced with a great feel and drinkability. Lovely looking in the glass, crystal clear with a nice head and appetizing looking carbonation. The smell doesn't quite pop as much as the rest but is still very present with forest floor-citrus potpourri. The flavor follows but kicks it up a notch with big, bright bitterness balanced between a biting pine sap and a dessicating grapefruit oil aromatic quality. As with Sip this one has a delectable mouthfeel that is at once soft, fluffy and dry as a bone. Just an excellent all-around beer. Especially considering they are only relying on one hop for all that I just described.
    [​IMG]

    Here is my official review, for the curious.

    Santé!
     
    #27 TheDoctor, Dec 16, 2018
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  8. cjgiant

    cjgiant Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,584) Jul 13, 2013 District of Columbia
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Awesome!! Though I do think you might be inducing the darkness back on @CanConPhilly in his latest post.
     
    #28 cjgiant, Dec 16, 2018
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  9. TheDoctor

    TheDoctor Grand Pooh-Bah (3,484) Mar 7, 2013 Canada (QC)
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Great write-up, you made me laugh out loud twice
     
    #29 TheDoctor, Dec 16, 2018
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  10. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Good morning NBS friends and family! As I mentioned on yesterday's WBAYDN?, I've got plans for tonight, so I won't be imbibing in as many new brews today as I normally would. I'll recap some of my new brews from the last couple days below for the interested, as knowing this was going to happen, I decided to engage in New Beer Friday/Saturday a little bit. :wink:

    ...that doesn't mean no new beers for today, though. Today's first is my second IPA from Fat Orange Cat, a CT brewery in the Hartford area (East Hampton, to be specific), that I never tried until I moved to Florida (ironically, to be accurate in the use of the word). They seem to specialize in NE-style IPAs - seeing as that's all I've ever seen from them down here, and all I've tried.

    This is my second beer from them: Someone in my Head, an 8.9% ABV DIPA "NE IPA" (per the brewery themselves).

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    This beer is shockingly soft on the palate. When it comes to NE IPAs, I always felt what set HF and Alchemist apart from, say, Gandhi-Bot et al, was the incredibly soft mouthfeel. Treehouse and Trillium followed that template, as well, with not just juicy, low-IBU hop bombs, but soft IPAs.

    This is maybe the first NE-style IPA I've had outside of those big four that really presents as truly soft. It was a shock; I had to really adjust my expectations.

    The nose is quite nuanced and fruit-forward, with a surprising balance favoring citrus over tropical tones - not quite the norm for modern IPAs.

    On the palate, it's a little shallower, sadly, but it's very good. The malt really shows first, and there's a big base of bread, honey, and cracker. With the hop tones layered on top, it's almost like eating white bread with orange marmalade lathered on top.

    For me, this is two-for-two NE IPAs from Fat Orange Cat that are home runs.

    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45814/301037/?ba=Roguer#review
    4.18 / +0.2%

    -----

    And now, a recap of some of the other new beers I've enjoyed over the past few days, for those who may have an interest (no pics, just quick hits):


    Decadent Ales Pacific Punch DIPA (with, just like, all the fruit added)

    Despite having a ton of added fruit, this was super enjoyable. I didn't really get any strawberry, which is good for me, because I hate strawberries. But this was smooth, thick, fruity, hoppy, and delicious.

    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46611/277261/?ba=Roguer#review
    4.18 / +1.7% (holy crap, my last two reviews both clocked in at precisely 4.18???)


    Edmund's Oast Sour Cherry Pineapple American sour ale

    Another fruit-added brew, although this one is a sour. A surprising amount of funk and nice presentation of the malt base. The fruit isn't over the top, and while it's not going to scratch the itch for true sour heads, it's got enough of a pucker that I definitely enjoyed it.

    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/52742/340614/?ba=Roguer#review
    3.8 / +2.2%


    Evil Twin / Decadent Ales Decadent Delight 4 imperial "cola stout"

    OK, so I'm not a huge fan of cola flavors in stouts to begin with, so I wasn't super stoked about this one. Thankfully, I found the description a touch misleading - but the name was spot-on. This one had a wonderful balance between roasty, ashy char, and thickly sweet licorice and molasses. A big, sweet, dessert stout perfectly in line with what you'd expect from Evil Twin.

    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24300/376023/?ba=Roguer#review
    4.23 / +5.0% (first full review; only one other rating)


    Foreign Objects Solarys NE IPA (the only beer I ticked on Friday night that I had a full pour off, and thus my only review, although my Untappd shows a little more activity than that .....)

    Bright, herbal, citrusy NE-style IPA - I would argue citrus favored over tropical in the balance, albeit slightly. About as opaque a beer I've had from a NE IPA brewed outside of New England. Absolutely enjoyable in every aspect.

    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/50313/316551/?ba=Roguer#review
    4.32 / +6.7%


    Cheers, NBS!
     
    #30 Roguer, Dec 16, 2018
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  11. Vidblain

    Vidblain Pooh-Bah (1,893) Feb 17, 2017 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Loving the glassware!
     
    #31 Vidblain, Dec 16, 2018
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  12. Greywulfken

    Greywulfken Grand Pooh-Bah (5,815) Aug 25, 2010 New York
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Temps in the 40's, rainy and grey,
    Christmas lights and football queued up for the day
    Fridge full o' beers, virtual bar in effect,
    Fill your fuckin' glasses and get fuckin' wreck'd...

    :wink:... lol

    Don't listen to me, NBS, I'm halfway through a 17% abv imperial stout from newly started brewery, Nightmare Brewing - founded by Billy Powell, formerly of Sand City...
    [​IMG]
    Scaphism, brewed with milk sugar, honey, Tahitian vanilla, and cocoa... Pours obsidian black, absolutely opaque in the glass, with just a brief half-finger of dark foam that slipped into a collar within moments...
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    Aromas of cocoa, charred malts, sweet vanilla, and cold espresso on the nose foreshadowed the same on the sip... Despite a rich ingredient profile and a 17% abv, this beer holds together extremely well; and after a wash of sweet molasses, chocolate, and vanilla up front, presents a nice drying bittersweetness on the finish...

    Big-bodied, smooth, and rich... A superior stout...
    [​IMG]
    I checked my ratings for American Imperial Stouts, and this is in my top 5 all-time...

    All I have is new beer today, NBS, so I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume...
    [​IMG]
    ...Yeah, that's right... :sunglasses:

    Here's to new beer in your glass, cheers...
     
    #32 Greywulfken, Dec 16, 2018
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  13. WesMantooth

    WesMantooth Grand Pooh-Bah (4,844) Jan 8, 2014 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    New Free Beer in My Cup Sunday

    Thanks to @Bum4ever for this new brew
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    [​IMG]

    3.87/5 rDev -4.2%

    look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

    Canned on 10/23/18 in a 16oz size. “Shake and Pour Hard” instructions on the label.

    After the Nitro cascading show a thick tan milkshake like froth rises to the top of a glossy black beer.

    It smells like coffee beans and cocoa powder, roasted barley that comes across sweeter, like oats, because of the lactose likely. Also a bit of a stale metallic note that I seem to get from English style stouts a lot.

    The flavor is mostly coffee and chocolate, with the cocoa like milk chocolate taking over, and some sweetened condensed milk. Lingering roasted/char flavor. Like every nitro milk/cream stout that I can think of outside of Left Hand, the carbonation method squashes the flavor some and gives it a more watery taste than it should have. (One reason I am a fan of Sam Adams Cream Stout).

    The feel is actually a touch thin for a nitro beer, but still very smooth and creamy.
     
    #33 WesMantooth, Dec 16, 2018
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  14. gopens44

    gopens44 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,560) Aug 9, 2010 Virginia
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I’ve been enjoying bourbon more than beer lately, so barrel aged beers have gained some additional attention. That’s why I grabbed this one, which honestly not too long ago I would have passed it over in favor of something more local or more craft alliance-y, for lack of better explain

    Guinness aged in Bulleit Barrels

    [​IMG]

    3.94/5 rDev -3.2%
    look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

    Forced a decent foamy beige head on this pitch black beer. Nose has a bit going on as it starts out oaky before the bourbon makes better sense of it. Beyond that I get some vanilla and finally a vinous quality. Both the tart and sweet receptors activate as soon as I take a swig, and for good reason once the taste becomes apparent. That vinous quality leads until alcohol and a buttery sweetness creep in. Finally, a toffee-ish sweetness develops and mingles in with the alcohol aftertaste as the thinner than you’d like beer finishes out. Not a bad swing at a barrel aged beer, just think it lacks just a little depth and could use more body.
     
    #34 gopens44, Dec 16, 2018
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  15. cjgiant

    cjgiant Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,584) Jul 13, 2013 District of Columbia
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Ha! I have no idea why your photos remind me of those from @Greywulfken (especially the one quoted). I seriously thought for a second that he was following up his 17% beer one post later.
     
    #35 cjgiant, Dec 16, 2018
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  16. yuenglingfan101

    yuenglingfan101 Savant (1,201) Jul 7, 2010 Ohio

    Elysian Bi Frost. A great Christmas beer. Can't ask for a better beer right now
     
    #36 yuenglingfan101, Dec 16, 2018
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  17. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Next up: Anderson Valley Cherry Gose.

    [​IMG]

    Anderson Valley makes decent but not amazing beers. I've enjoyed most of their goses, and this one is no exception.

    However, if one is looking for a solid cherry gose, I'd personally recommend Victory's Kirsch, by a mile. This is a very tasty beer, with just about everything you'd like from an easy, accessible gose: crushable, quaffable, with tartness and salt and incredible drinkability - but virtually no cherry! There just isn't much of it, honestly, and I get more lemon and lime notes.

    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/193/362408/?ba=Roguer#review
    3.78 / -2.3%

    Cheers; probably won't be back until much later, if at all. :grinning:
     
    #37 Roguer, Dec 16, 2018
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  18. nc41

    nc41 Initiate (0) Sep 25, 2008 North Carolina
    Trader

    Probably my favorite Lawsons brew, this is seriously overlooked in the myriad of great IPAs from the region. Even better now that its available in cans.
     
    #38 nc41, Dec 16, 2018
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  19. lordofthewiens

    lordofthewiens Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,225) Sep 17, 2005 New Mexico
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Sounds as if you liked it. Want to tell us about it?
     
    #39 lordofthewiens, Dec 16, 2018
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  20. woodychandler

    woodychandler Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,184) Apr 9, 2004 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Happy CANtinuing Uinta Abita New Beer This Sunday, Bro./GEN Woody (Week 721)?

    Next up on the hit parade was:
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1416/285570/?ba=woodychandler#review
    [​IMG]
    but this left me feeling unfulfilled, so I pressed on with:
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1416/239062/?ba=woodychandler#review
    [​IMG]
    Impressive, but the job was not getting done as I was reaching the halfway point of the day, so I turned to the bottle:
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1416/3840/?ba=woodychandler#review
    [​IMG]
    but the bottle turned to me & suggested that it was time to take a break. Hey, who am I to argue with talking bottles, pink elephants, blue monkeys, yellow giraffes, orange snakes & other manifestations on the parade of the DTs? I shall return for the second half of the day following these CANmercial messages ...
     
    #40 woodychandler, Dec 16, 2018
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2018
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