New Beer Sunday (Week 731)

Yeah, that is definitely in my wheel house!

 

Just saw Fighting with my Family. Now it's lunch time. This seems wrong still

 

I had this beer it was great.

 

Angel's Share is yet another beer that I wish I got more than one. I could sip on that all day long.

 

I saw the NBS Bif thread the other day. Boy, is that something i’d love to participate in. Unfortunately, my address is in Canada. It wouldn’t be fair to a sender to add the extra shipping cost. Also, while boxes into the States are pretty easy to get through, Canada customs loves confiscating incoming shipments of alcohol. I have done some cross border trading myself and have not yet had a problem, but I know it happens. I’ve also only been participating for three or four months now so may not even qualify yet.

I will be watching with thirsty eyes. I may even offer up a side LIF if allowed. Cheers!

 

I am confident you will enjoy.

 

Ah... so this one is from Lithuania, let's give this a go.

Švyturys Baltijos Dark Red | UAB Švyturys - Utenos alus



Poured from the bottle into a pokal glass.

Copper red, and quite deep red actually almost more red than a traditional marzen with and almost dark ruby color. Hints with chestnut hues, and a light khaki forming two finger height of head. Creamy top with a good bit of ring lacing, with a nice left over collar and crown like puck.

Aroma is a bit of sticky artificial caramel smelling somewhat but not totally. Minimal herbal spicy to phenolic notes as well, but definitely runs a bit sweet dominant. Lots of toasty brown sugar notes as well.

Palate switches slightly. Good malt backbone, touches a bit of brown bread flavors in the mid palate, but one again caramel and sweetness dominate. Light sticky caramel, even a touch of anise like qualities that seems to pull just a hint of bitterness. Has a bit of light brown sugar qualities but even some tea like bitterness and flavors seem to come out in the end.

Interesting tasting Marzen, wish the sweetness was dialed down a bit though.

look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5 | BA Generated: 3.58

Cheers!

 

That sounds really good.

Do they tell you the type of Scotch barrels used?

Based on your review this did not seem to be an issue, but I’m thinking of the Scotch Barrel Parabola which tastes like drinking a glass of Islay scotch.

 

If it makes you feel any better I couldn’t pick up any scotch undertones when I had one...

 

They do not say which barrels were used only that it spends a year in oak. Never had Scotch Barrel Parabola but now that I know it exists I need to get my grubby paws on it.

 

New Beer #5. Thanks @thisischuck01 !

3rd Anniversary - Other Half
TDH IIPA - 10% abv
Canned 2/6/19 (18 days ago)
Score: 4.02 (-12.2% rDev)



Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33510/260703/?ba=CanConPhilly#review

Synopsis:
Would never guess from the taste that this is a 10% abv beer. Alcohol is almost completely hidden. It looks great, and has a fantastic, thick body. On the downside, the smell is muted, and the taste is lackluster. Malt sweetness tramples all over any hop flavors that might be there. I get a little citrus but not much else. Overall, this is still an impressive beer from an alcohol-hiding standpoint.

 

Sounds like I’d enjoy this one. Thanks!

 

Good afternoon NBS and thanks @cjgiant for getting us on track today. We are back from an overnight trip to Portsmouth NH, goal was to see Rhett Miller, the bonus was Impy day release at Portsmouth Brewery. What a fun area, we will go back soon.
Today's offering is from Siren Craft Brew in England. The base stout was "amped up" according to the brewers, and it shows. With several months in Bourbon barrels this rolls up to a fine experience.
Cheers all


Barrel Aged Shattered Dream

Siren Craft Brew
English Sweet / Milk Stout / 9.10% ABV

3.99/5 rDev 0% | Score: 3.99
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into the test glass
A - Ebony wood colored, a thin ring clings to the glass wall containing the offering.
S - Fudge brownie, vanilla, fig, bakers chocolate, Canadian Brown bread, molasses, and cinamonn.
T - Dark chocolate up front then bourbon barrel treatment chimes in, with vanilla, toasted oak, dark cherry, anise as well.
M - Medium in body, not a round offering, but not thin either, sweet start continues throughout the experience. Linger has a bit of alcohol to it
O - A very nice barreled stout, the sum of the parts do add up in this case.

 

Greetings, fellow NBSers, and thanks to @cjgiant for getting us going this Academy Awards Sunday.

Partly sunny day in Spokanistan. Awoke to 15°. It's low 20s now. Monday morning it got down to 4°, which meant that when I dug my car out of the snow later that day, a lot of ice chipping was involved (about 3hrs worth). So far, after a pretty mild winter up to the start of February, we have received more snow this month than has Anchorage, Alaska.

Today I went with a pilsener brewed with honey, from a Greek brewery, contract brewed by another Greek brewery located on the island of Santorini.


https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35359/125594/?ba=woemad#review
Surprisingly not bad. Herbal, grassy hops up front, with the honey mainly featured in the finish. Considering I bought this purely for the novelty value and wasn't really expecting anything from it, I'd call this a win.

 

Sierra Nevada Brut IPA

I've been Brut IPA curious, but skeptical that the SN version was for me, so I waited until some showed up on the singles shelf.
Nice clear golden color, but the head and effervesence we're less spritzy than I expected. The aroma surprised me as well, having a sour citrus as well as windy character. Taste was more what I expected, with a dry citrus and white grape combination. It was not really a flavor that I would prefer to my other warm weather favorites. Light body, somewhat bitter, dry finish.
Nothing wrong with it, I don't know whether I'll try it again in hot weather or not.
Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/388283/?ba=Reef#review

 

New Imperial IPA (?) Sunday (Week 731)
Greetings fellow NBSers from on the ridge in Mid Hud Val, NY. For those wondering about the ridge I always reference, I am at about 750 feet elevation above the Hudson River, on its west side. I'm not at the high point of the ridge, but almost. New Paltz is northeast, the Wallkill River valley is east, and the Shawangunks are further east than that. Used to be able to walk or bike from my front door through 450 acres of woods, but times have changed and many nearby big tracts of forest land either have been sold to developers, or passed to people I don't know and I don't have permission anymore. I actually have to drive to get to most of my mushroom spots nowadays. Still, I do have the luxury of an orchard of apples (Red Delicious and Empires, yummm!) to pick within walking distance, but how long for that?

Man, nothing will make you realize how great retirement is better than coming out of retirement, even temporarily, as I now am doing Retirement is the greatest thing known to man. I am more convinced of this every workday. One thing work is good for, though, and that is getting you in the mood for a beer. In the mood for a beer greatly understates my present state of being. How sad that this discount special today has turned out to be, well, let's just say less than optimal. Founders Barrel Runner, an alleged mosaic hopped IPA, aged in rum barrels.

I know this beer is not "fresh" but it was aged to begin with in rum barrels, and it is only 8 months since bottling for this 11% beer.

The short version of this beer is it is an alcohol mess that could have been a rum treat if it wasn't too full of caramel and rum, unbalanced and uncomplimentary sweet, and too hot, spicy alcohols. I have no problem with how they named it as an IPA, though it certainly isn't one, but what the hell could you call a beer like this? It isn't an old ale, or a barley wine, or strong ale, or vintage ale, or...

Full indictm..., err, review is here
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1199/334271/?ba=cavedave#review

Hope you have a better American Beer in your glass than do I. Cheers!

 

Had this one courtesy of @Franfab earlier while doing some things around the house on what feels like the first sunny day we've had in a couple of weeks. A few errands to run but will back with more later.

Pours a hazy golden orange with a finger of white head.
Smells of candied citrus, primarily orange. Some generalized tropical notes as well.
Taste follows, candied citrus, very similar to an orange soda. Tropical notes add a touch of sweetness.
Heavy side of medium bodied with good carb levels. Smooth with low bitterness.
Overall a pretty tasty brew!

 

I was I was away at the beach until this afternoon, so this is new to me as of Friday. I don’t post much on vacation so I’ll do so now.

Coast Boy King has always eluded me, and I've been going to MB forever, came across it at Old Chicago Pizza.

A big boy DIPA at 9.7 abv, using two row Munich and wheat malt, using Citra, Nugget, Cascade, Centennial and Columbus hops. It’s a 11/12/18 canning so it’s certinly not as fresh as I’d like.

Dark amber, nice pour, the nose is nothing special. I’d say medium to fairly heavy body, nicely bitter, this is an old school DIPA, this is from the six I bought at Surf Beverage. It’s dank, pine, resin, very little fruit if any. I liked the cans I got at the pizza place, this one because of the age it’s just ok. Age isn’t really all that kind to big hoppy beers because the hops are fading. Don’t care for it when the malts start to take over. The first cans I had were superb by any standard, there was a bit of fruit to go with the dank, and very unique at the finish.

I’d rate the first cans I had at 4.25 or so, and I’d happily recommended it to anyone, the beers I bought home maybe 3.25 - 3.5. I didn’t check the can dates at the pizza place, but I’d buy this beer at 30 days or less and I’d pass if it’s much older than that. The malt is overbearing and I’m about to the end of the can, as it warms it’s far more noticeable. I don’t want a second can at this point, it’s a shame because this is a great beer, but if it’s not fresh forget it.