New Beer Sunday (week 729)

Treehouse Very Green.

Fortunate to score a single can of this beer. Green is my favorite regular Treehouse offering so I jumped at the chance.

I'm racking my brain trying to find a nitpicky criticism for what I'm drinking but I can't. I'm sure I've had more enjoyable overall experiences drinking other beers, but those have to be very few in number. I can find absolutely zero faults here. It's everything I want and love about NEIPAs. Cheers you crazy bastards.

 

I don't know. It will be like trying to explain the Berlin Wall or why Hong Kong was once policed by Scots wearing short pants.

 

Thanks for the open, @cavedave . & for bringing all of this to mind :

My paternal grandfather was a "rumrunner", picking up beer & spirits in Quebec, and delivering it to thirsty denizens of NY,PA, & CT. He wrecked a lot of vehicles, but was never caught. His employers could apparently supply a new vehicle, with no trouble. When Grandma W was pregnant with my uncle, their first, she insisted he quit. There went his future NASCAR career?
I never heard about it until Grandma's funeral. Great Aunt Doris, a fine upstanding member of D.A.R., was aghast, and perturbed , that anyone would recall such scandalous history, especially on such a solemn occasion. (So I never got to hear more details , as he passed a month later.)
Also at the funeral , as the priest walked in from the back of St Rita's Catholic Church :
Crazy Uncle Harry (Aunt Doris' 2nd husband) : " Is that the rabbi? "
Aunt Doris : "Shut up, or I'll lock you in the car!"
Grandpa, to my dad & Uncle Karl : " She killed one husband, and drove the other crazy."
(One fine Sunday morning, Uncle Harry went out into his back yard in Philadelphia, and started shooting pigeons with a .44.When he came out of ….."vacation" , he took up where left off, but with a camera. A very good, albeit strange, photo catalogue, some of which we still have.)

Oh yeah..... a new beer.
No discernible dating, and there is dust on the can.

Slightly hazy gold, with white head. Looks good

Smells like concentrated sour apple, that's not quite to vinegar, some of that "fresh" malt aroma, that usually is present in a gose, and a little funk.

Taste? Thankfully, this isn't a craft version of Redd's Apple Ale. As I mentioned in my review, if I was trying it blind, I would have thought it was a wild-fermented, dry-hopped hard cider. It immediately reminded me of Graft Cider's 'Farm Flor', though milder in the funk department . Age is not an issue. Maybe it helped? At the end, the funk gives something that I haven't encountered before : a lemon/lime+light bubblegum flavor. Sounds strange, but it works
Feel is middle-of-the-road, with some fine carbonation tingle, and dryness , starting late, & lingering for awhile.

Overall , really good. Probably would be even better on a warm day.(I.e., summer(ish). 25F for Feb10 is warm, but...….) You'll see that my #s are high, but not highest. There seems to be a wide distribution . I do especially like sour styles, and a lot aren't that enamored of them, and maybe the age helped? I'd recommend this, if you like sours.

4.31/5 rDev +11.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/37303/145575/?ba=mikeinportc#review

 

Хватит с матушки России!

Enough of Mother Russia! I was in the midst of a second Deka Nikola:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/11551/71027/?ba=woodychandler#review

but then it occurred to me to contact my local, in-person trader, @tone77 & it turns out that he is away for a short period! 8=( I usually drink (about) half of these bottles & pass the other half to him for consumption, review, rating & disposal. I am going to keep remainder of these last two for him, but I am NOT going to keep opening ones that neither of us have had.

Now, I gotta figure out what's next. More RISs? No, thanks. Those first two were plenty sustaining in that regard. I'll ponder this dilemma & return shortly.

 

Ok, I am finding some time for a wordy review, @Lingenbrau; or as I call it, a review.

This is one of two bottles I grabbed from Barrel of Monks - both of which sounded interesting and weren’t on tap. The other was an Imperial Stout we had last night that had this little fruity note to it that I assumed was the yeast, but wasn’t sure.

This is S’Tart sour [ale]:


Not sure my photos do justice to the... setting (the beer it’s fairly true to).

A ruddy brown beer that attempts to call itself a brunette. The head was a bit more blonde, but there was no pretending there, as the roots show quickly, leaving the tips at the edge of the beer for show. This, however, is not unexpected from a sour offering.

Nose has sort of a damp wood, earthy base. There’s a very light fruitiness that has just a hint of tartness. A muted mix of date and prune come out, but add more sweetness than tart or sour notes. With a quick sniff, these all combine somehow to generate a light lemon tea impression.

The taste does show that lemon tea aspect up front, bringing a sourness that seemed hiding in the nose. The earthiness escapes the tea and adds the prune note nearer the back of the taste. This beer is fairly flat, it seems as I get into it. It’s got a light carbonation with a dull thud of an ending.

This beer seems to fit into what I noticed from other beers from this brewery - they’re a little tame. There’s some nice flavors, but also seems like there could be a little more. This brewery is one I’ll definitely try again when I visit, and will be curious where it goes, because I like the idea of being focused on only Belgian styles.

 

What’s happening NBS. The wife and I are on holiday in Portland. Here are the first two brews of today thus far.

Fremont - Head Full of Dynomite v.8 w/ Mosaic, citra, & Eukanot

On tap. Served in 12 oz tulip glass.
L: pours murky honey yellow in color. A phat off-White cap formed amounting to about 2 fingers. Pleasant head retention and satisfying residual lacing.
S: notes of fresh citrus, honey, black pepper, mango, papaya and pink starburst candy. Zero hop profile.
T: very citrusy, with healthy flavors of mango, pineapple, bubble gum and peach. Finish is sweet with lingering crackery yeast/ fruit flavor.
F: medium in body and weight. Moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth, creamy feel with nice texture.
O: very much like it. Would like to try more of these.

4.21/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Great Notion - Double Fudge Coconut Brownie

On tap. 12 oz serving from a tulip glass.
L: pours like motor oil, looks like motor oil. Little head, slight lacing on glass.
S: loads of chocolate, brownie batter aromas coming off this beer, even when chilled. As it comes to temp, it becomes even more fudgy. It’s sweet, confectioner chocolate rather than bitter. Coconut is not detectible, but molassess, toffee and dark fruits also come to mind.
T: as expected, very chocolate. Flavor does resemble a boozy brownie batter concoction. Coconut is lacking, but has nice settlement in the aftertaste. As I drink it, it becomes incredibly sweet. Molasses, roasted malt, and caramel also are flavors that come to mind. Boozy warmth as it goes down.
F: medium in body, but heavier in weight. You can tell the booze presence on the feel. Slick and oily texture. Low carbonation.
O: glad I was able to try it. Personally, this would be great in a flight as a 5 oz serving, but not more than that.

3.98/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Thanks to @cavedave for today's introduction. Normal weekend as usual, except I tragically shattered my favorite Maudite tulip on Friday. I was very attached to it. Thankfully I have a Kane tulip I got from @MacMalt a while back. Similar size, shape, and feel. Will be using that until I can source a few more of the Maudites. I mentioned last week that I will try and hit up local breweries now for prowlers, and I did that today at River's Edge after my usual bottle returns. I got 13 Prowler fills and a BBA Dubbel bomber. Will try and stop by others in my immediate area. I am almost out of packaged beers now, so I am barely going to hit my 8000th milestone, which is late next week most likely. Now I just need to figure out where I am going to store all these damn growlers

Beer:

This was awesome. Fantastic rocky head retention/thick foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big lemon, pear, red apple, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, and toasted biscuit malts; with herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery noble hops. Light-moderate pine, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Medium-plus carbonation, light-medium body, and moderately crisp/clean finishing. Balanced bready/grainy malts, and sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Moderate increasing bitter dryness, no hop astringency. Very flavorful/refreshing, 5.6%. Very clean lagering, not overly fruity/yeasty. Doesn't get much more textbook than this. Very clean pils/wheat malt showcase, with great earthy noble hop presence/balance for the style; and restrained fruity yeast character. Minimal residual sweetness from crisp dryness. Would get again. 4.13


Cheers

Been listening to this album all weekend. Dropped on Friday.

 

I hope there is some left for you, TE cut off growler sales of it about 2 PM yesterday

 

Hi again, everybody!
I'm back for what's turning into new local IPA Sunday around here. I keep thinking we've hit peak-brightly-colored-tall-boys-full-of-fragile-hop-character and every time I go to the store I realize that I'm wrong. Part of me is worried that people will neglect styles I like and we will lose some of the variety that we have here compared to certain regions in the states, but the other part of me is glad that brewers here are FINALLY starting to take dating, packaging, storage, etc. more seriously with their hoppy beers.
This one is a cat-themed beer from Noctem Artisans Brasseurs, a brewery that likes cat-themed beers. It is named after "Unsinkable Sam" a cat from WWII that survived multiple shipwrecks and who I have now learned of thanks to this beer.

It pours almost the color of antifreeze. Weirdly green-tinted straw. There is little head to speak of after the initial pour. The nose is very lemony. Almost like pinesol (but not overpowering). The flavor follows suit. Some bright citrus, some crusty white bread, little bitterness. It is drinkable and pretty light. I could have used to have been punch with hops a bit more but it was good regardless.

Here is my official review.

And here is an obligatory cat picture to go with the "theme".

Cheers!

 

Cheers to @cavedave for a great start today. Nice to see him out of retirement, so to speak!

One of our best local breweries, Bearded Iris, threw their 3rd anniversary party yesterday and celebrated by releasing several new beers. A limited supply of bottles of an Imp Stout and a Barleywine aged in 23 yr-old Pappy barrels generated the expected hype and resulting long lines hours before opening, but the bottle share yesterday morning was exceptional and on par with last year's Dark Lord Day experience. Kudos to the BIBCO staff for supplying us with copious amounts of coffee and donuts! Needless to say, it was great fun.

BIBCO released their first sour, and they treated it with fruit and lactose/vanilla in characteristic fashion. This one had raspberries and strawberries. I'm expecting this to become a series like they do with Mood Ring (their fruited IPA):


look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Great looking beer with a striking and moderately hazy pinkish-orange color. A standard pour produced a medium sized fluffy light pink head that slowly settled, leaving nice lacing. The aroma was bright and fruity with strawberries initially and then fading to a more raspberry note. No off flavors detected in this kettle sour. There was a subtle sweetness to it, reminding me that this had lactose and vanilla. The first sip brought a gentle tartness with raspberries up front and strawberries on the finish. The lactose and vanilla brought a balancing sweetness which worked well and added some heft to the body. Overall this is outstanding IMO with the right mix of tart fruit and sweetness characteristic of so many BIBCO beers. Highly recommended! Hope to be back soon with another new local. Cheers!

 

Poured into a 13 oz Tired Hands Teku glass canned on 1/02/2019. Pours a very attractive hazy dark yellow with a 2 finger plus sticky white head that leaves thin webs of lace as it slowly settles. 4.25

Smell is apricot, passionfruit, peach, pineapple, and some grapefruit rind. 4

Taste is better more tropical and not getting any of the peach from the nose. Passionfruit, apricot, pineapple, and a nice balanced hit of grapefruit lingers a second or two after each sip. 4.25

Mouthfeel is bigger than average, moderate carbonation, soft on the tongue and true to the style, and at 7.3% very drinkable, but drinks bigger in flavor. 4.25

Over all this is Bissell being Bissell Brewing an excellent juicy NEIPA that makes you work to slow the speed that you drink it. Well done as always. 4.25

 

Good evening NBS , a second offering tonight. This from Big Elm Brewing in Sheffield Ma.
A Mexican spicy porter, Cocoa nibs, cinnamon, and chiles.
The offering could benefit from a bit of body, that's the only criticism from here
Cheers all


El Luchador

Big Elm Brewing
American Porter / 5.80% ABV

3.86/5 rDev 0% | Score: 3.86
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16 oz can purchased at the brewery this week, into the test glass
A - Back board colored backdrop hides all activity. Carbonation feeds a thin ring of off white, lacing is cirrus in style
S - Hints of cinnamon, with a rise in temperature the chiles come through, roast malts and hints of cocoa are all present.
T - Cocoa forward, with the peppers and cinnamon playing a nice counter to the chocoalte.
M - A bit thin in body, the spice carries enough heat to keep the offering interesting, Linger is on the spicy side.
O - A fine offering that could be helped with a bit of body, that said very enjoyable.

 

Any Mipso or Mandarin Orange on that CD?

 

Happy New English Oatmeal Stout Sunday!

Pretty nice day on the Western Slope, sunny, around 46, windy as fuck on the trail. Having a very nice brew, another very nice sipper, the last few brews I've had from them have been pretty awesome, hopefully some other's will show up. Still watching the Soprano's, almost done.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/20680/143753/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

Another tasty beer from @JBowenGeorgia! Loving this Creature Comforts Arcadiana.

4.38/5 rDev +10.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Thank you JBowenGeorgia for this
750 ml bottle, 2018, poured into a tulip

A- A clear golden straw with a three finger white head.

S- Tart, lemons, white wine, oak, wheat, a little floral, touch of earthy funk.

T- Tart, lemons, oak, wheat, white wine, floral, a little funky.

M- Smooth, light body, dry.

O- A very nice wine barrel aged saison, well balanced and a great treat.

Cheers!

 

NBS beer #2



Love Kelsen's fantasy style can art



Draken Robust Porter

Kelsen Brewing Company
Robust Porter / 6.80% ABV

4.34/5 rDev +3.1% | Score: 4.21
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Canned 11/06/2018

L-The beer pours a glossy black with a 2 finger mocha head. The head recedes to a thin ring with central island leaving minimal lacing
S-First to my nose is the bitter black malt. Following behind this is a bit of dark chocolate and light roast.
T- The taste is nice blend of the malt with some dark chocolate which shows itself a little more here than on the nose. Light roast is present and pleasant even for this non coffee drinker. The flavors mix around with each other and I'm able to find each of them with little effort all throughout the sip.
F-Mouthfeel overall is on the lighter side of medium. Carbonation is light. Finish isn't quite what I would describe as dry, but I find myself returning for further sips as I'm trying to type this review.
O- This is one of the best porters I've had. Up there with my other favorite Black Butte. Highly recommended.

 

I'm supposed to be on a break, but you're seriously tempting me, man .

It's really good to see that they pulled it off again, but I don't think that was ever in doubt .

 

New Hoof Hearted to the state. Great Gose. Nice reddish/pink color, head retention/spotty lacing. Aromas and flavors of big sour/tart/tangy cranberry, strawberry, hibiscus, lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, melon, green apple, white grape/wine, sea salt, hay, straw, and grass; with moderate wheat, cracker, white bready malts; lighter notes of peppercorn, lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate lactic tartness, hibiscus tang, and yeast spiciness on the finish. Medium-plus carbonation, light-medium body, and moderately crisp/clean finishing. Balanced bready/grainy wheat, lactic acid, hibiscus tang/tannins, and light salinity in the mouthfeel. Moderate increasing acidic/tangy/carbonated dryness. No puckering sourness. Very flavorful/refreshing, 4.2%. Not overly lactic/salty. Awesome balance of jammy hibiscus flavors, Lacto complexity, and pale/wheat malts against acidity. No complaints. Spot on stuff. 4


Cheers

 

It was a really interesting time in history. I work as a tour guide in the summers here in Montreal on a brewery tour where we also go through the former red light district and tourists never believe that Canada had prohibition, too, EXCEPT in Quebec. People here changed their minds after being dry for a few weeks and held a referendum. What I find to be really interesting is that a big reason for Quebec's deciding against prohibition was that the major English group was Irish as opposed to other parts of the country that would have had lots of protestants. So even though the English and French didn't get along at that point in time they could agree on going to mass and wanting to be able to drink and party. And they were more than happy to send booze down to the US in boats.

It's crazy to think about, but I imagine so. A lot of the same things happened during both and I really feel like the culture around it has noticeably changed recently even just with legalization in a few places. Another era...