New Beer Sunday (Week 736)

Thanks to @lordofthewiens for kicking this NBS off. Very warm and sunny day here in Arizona. Been working on yard these past weeks before the 100s land, so I was in search of a nice lager to toss in a cooler. I found some fresh Ballast Point Lager so I decided to give it a shot, was very happy I did.

4.22/5 rDev +17.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Crisp gold with 1" foamy head a lacing that fades pretty fast.
N: The nose is grainy with some malt, grass, and soapy notes.
T: Ultra clean and refreshing. Grain with a soft malt hit, some grass and soapy notes coming through.
M: Clean and light, this beer is so smooth and easy to consume.
O: A really fantastic lager, very light and refreshing but solid flavor. What a great beer for ball games or concerts or long days in the sun tossing bags.

 

Greetings fellow NBSers on this spring afternoon.

I slept in quite late this morning because after working yesterday until nearly 8pm, I had a late dinner that inspired no less than 4 acid reflux attacks overnight, so I was a little tired from waking up choking on bile!

Last week I skipped NBS on account of being in my hometown, 150 miles away, visiting my parents, where I tuned up my car in my Dad's shop and helped out with some landscaping projects on what, for them, was an unusually wet weekend.

Today has been mostly cloudy, with pouring rain earlier in the afternoon in the city now trying to fathom that their 'Zags are no longer in the tournament. Having watched Texas Tech handily beat Michigan the other night, I really wasn't that surprised. They seem a team of destiny this year.

Today I believe I'm reaching the end of the Secret Santa BIF beers I received from @Victory_Sabre1973 and it's a big 'un, in flavor, size and strength:
Edit: here's the correct picture:


https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31764/388634/?ba=woemad#review
This is a BIG dessert beer, where the massive sweet flavors nearly obscure the high alcohol content. It's really too much in a crowler for one person, at least imho. Wish I'd shared it. Having said that, I think I'd love a 12 or 16oz serving.
If I'm not back with another one today, have a great week!

 

Bow and arrow bro, archery.

 

Now, a nicely done "Traditional" IPA, courtesy of @JodiB :

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/32326/102987/

 

Enjoying some Nowhere In Particular Cherry Limeade thanks to @Blackop555 . Definitely delivers on the cherry limeade part!

4.09/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Thank you Blackops555 for this
12 oz can poured into a teku

A- A slightly hazy ruby red with a two finger pink head

S- Limes, limes rinds, cherries, sour, hints of wheat

T- Sweeter than that nose, but still pretty sour. Limes. some bitter rinds, sweeter cherries, touch of earthiness and wheat.

M- Smooth, light to medium body.

O- A nice fruity sour, very refreshing.

Cheers!

 

One more new beer before dinner:


The beer was clear on the pour and when held up to the light, but the color was very dark brown, making it almost opaque in the glass. The aroma was a bit less striking, featuring roasted grains and dark bread along with some floral hoppy notes. The taste kicked things up a notch. This was a pleasing, easy-drinking beer with a rich bready flavor with a nice roasty profile but in a clean, light-bodied package. No char or heavy notes that I would expect in a stout or porter, for example. Very high flavor-to-ABV ratio here. Really nice and easy to drink on a chilly spring day.

 

Good afternoon and happy New Babushka Sunday, BAs. Damn, that one worked out well for a change…. Before I go on my tangent, thank you @lordofthewiens and @cjgiant for your two years of continued service. Well, maybe not Craig so much. At least they're not paying him like you, Doc.

Still no out and about adventures in the great Pacific Northwest this week as I've been working and going to school (for work) nonstop. On my twelfth day in a row in fact, but nonetheless, I couldn't be happier about how beautiful it's getting around here lately. And to celebrate, it's time for an amazing new beer!

Fort George
Matryoshka- Bourbon Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout with Coconut





Rich molasses cascades from bottle to glass, empty from color except for the soft and creamy dark brown cushion of foam resting above. Olive oil and hazelnut highlights do flicker as the glass swirls and once the cap has settled, which in turn leaves just a thin ring and what looks like specs of dust sprinkled over the surface. (4.25)

Molasses once again plays into the theme. The rich and sweet syrup walks hand in hand with toasted coconut shavings. Brown sugar, charred wood, chocolate covered cherries, and a deeply rooted spicy black licorice subtly bring out the best of the front running elements. (4.5)

Almond Joy bar meets serious Russian Imperial Stout, and I am happy. Dissected down to the t, milk chocolate, toasted almonds, and fresh coconut curls converge with just-less-than-burnt sweet German brown bread (molasses included), blackened grains, and oak. Previously sopping oak is squeezed and pressed for every last drop. (4.75)

Decadent, but not chocolate syrup thick, and I can almost feel the fibrous coconut shavings. Full bodied, with low carbonation that accentuates the smooth feel. Sweet with a touch of spice that tries desperately to bring this to balance, but to no avail. Boozy and warming with the oak stripping dryness effect on the finish. Lip smacking residual stickiness. This beer has it all, but is screaming for that bitter bite. (4.25)

Before Matryoshka, coconut hasn't been much of my jam. This changes everything. Yes, I'd love it to have that intense bitterness that classic RISs are made of, but I can't complain much about this one. Of the variants I've had, this may be the pinnacle. (4.5)

After my official review, I gave Matryoshka (Coconut Edition) a rating of 4.56 with an rDev of -0.7%, shockingly. Cheers.

 

Good evening NBS, hope everyone is enjoying the end of the weekend once again. Thanks to @lordofthewiens for today's introduction. Hard to believe it has been 2 years already. Apologies to everyone for the outbursts in WBAYDN last few weeks, but it won't be happening anymore. I won't be tolerating anyone's crap, and no responses will be handed out. It just stirs up a bunch of other people when I do, and random lurkers just come out of the woodwork to join in. End of discussion. I have enough stress to deal with to have people provoking me.

I went back to my parents this weekend to do the interment of my grandfather. Was a short 15 minute service, and only super immediate family showed up. We actually didn't see the ashes get buried, but the plot was all set up to do so after we left. Had some dinner with the family following that.

Also made a usual new beer haul, and got a singles case of new stuff to review. Also grabbed Nugget Nectar 6 pack to revisit, been a long ass time(over 6 years at least).

Beer:

Awesome NEDIPA. Opaquely hazy. Fantastic lasting head retention/thick lacing. Aromas and flavors of huge tangerine, orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, honeydew melon, berries, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, and pine hops; with moderate wheat, cracker, biscuit dough, light honey/toasted malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, woody, floral, grassy, peppery bitterness; and light fruit tang/tartness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body. Very creamy, bready, grainy malts; some sticky, resinous, rindy hops/fruit; and light fruit tang/acidity in the mouthfeel. Light-moderate increasing resin dryness, minimal lingering hop/fruit astringency. Very smooth, nicely soft, not aggressive, minimal warming 8%. Feels like Simcoe, Columbus, Centennial. Extremely juicy, vibrant, and fairly dank/earthy hops/fruit; with a great balancing wheat/oat/malt backbone. Mild residual sweetness with lingering resin dryness. Really well done. 4.13


Cheers

 

Howdy, everybody.
I'm back with another beer. I was kind of left with an itch for a nice stout after the cherry coffee stout I had earlier. It wasn't bad, it just didn't pop like a good dark beer should and maybe it was just a little too out there for me. I don't know if this beer will remedy that experience, but I have a good feeling about it.
I got this one and another long-time want from Russian River while I was back home in the states for a visit a couple weeks back. The fact that there were still so many of their beers on the shelves at this time of year surprised me (they usually deliver Pliny every year in mid-February). I don't know if this was due to the current market of RR's new digs (have they already started producing beer there?) but I am happy with the situation.



Lordy...

It pours looking just about as pretty as could be. Big head you can eat like an apple, nice lacing. The aroma immediately gives me an old-school American RIS vibe: big molasses aroma, dark fruit, maple-espresso sweetness. The flavor follows suit but is exquisitely melded together into one smooth, rich, layered whole. Caramelized sugar, fatty nuts, figs, raisins, chocolate.

There is barely any alcohol presence and a velvety feel that makes it drink itself. This is a delight. Why in God's name did I only buy one bottle?!?!

Here is my official review.

Santé!

 

My wife wouldn’t have it. But hypocritically she’d eat the steaks!

 

Cross post from WBAYDN. My first Bissell Brothers beer. More pithy bitterness than most NEIPAs I’ve had. Which is a good thing.

 

That sounds excellent. Schilling makes some great beer and I look forward to getting back there soon. Its one of the nicest spots I've ever been to anywhere in all honesty.

That is a "Decent" definition worthy of Webster as far as I am concerned. To me it just sounds a scoch more polite than saying something was "Okay."

Reminds me of the old joke about the difference between musicians and large pizzas.

Nice! I'd love to try that one based on location alone. It's not every day you see a beer from Palestine.

 

Fantastic Scottish ale. Great creamy head retention/spotty soapy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, roasted nuts, raisin, plum, fig, date, peach, pear, apricot, and red apple; with lighter notes of molasses, vanilla, milk chocolate, cocoa, smoke, herbal, floral, wood, grassy, peppery hops; and yeast earthiness. Light herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery, roasted bitterness on the finish. Light-medium carbonation and medium-plus body; very creamy, silky, bready malts; light sticky hops, and chalky roast in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing lingering hop/roast bitter dryness; no cloying/astringency. Very smooth/soft, minimal warming 7.7%. Fantastic rich English malt complexity, with balancing fruity yeast, and earthy hops against sweetness. Spot on style. 4.2


Cheers

Was on a DF roll today, Spotify radio

 

On this chilly (wind-chills in the single digits) evening in Northern Indiana, I’m going to share a couple of beers with my NBS family. First up, a juice bomb from Toppling Goliath.





4.31/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I’m a HUGE Toppling Goliath fan, but one concern I have is their transition to the murky hop bombs that have proliferated in the beer nerd world the past few years. The Pseudo Sue and King Sue iterations I’ve had in the past couple of weeks after TG opened up distro in Indiana do resemble - at all - the versions of those beers I tried (and loved) a few years ago.

Does that mean they’re bad? No, but they’re different beers, in appearance, flavor, and especially mouthfeel, and that’s unfortunate, because those were both world-class beers, and the change seems to be a capitulation to the haze craze.

But I digress. This particular beer is milkshake hazy, the color of grapefruit juice, with a light tan head. The nose is a citrus explosion of oranges, grapefruit, and pineapple.

Dank citrus flavors are the taste - delicious juicy oranges, grapefruit, and especially pineapple. Wow. The mouthfeel, though, is a bit watery.

I’m glad I tried this. You could put this in a Tree House can and no one would know the difference. I just wonder what this would’ve been if it was brewed in 2014.

 

I just couldn't resist pulling the trigger on this baby. Everytime I opened the fridge it was calling me. Courtesy again of the great @WesMantooth.
Hop Ju Ju IIPA, Fat Heads.
Pours a crystal clear copper color with an off white head that settles quickly to a thin ring leaving spotty lacing.
Aroma is ripe pineapple, tangerine, grapefruit and damp pine.
Taste follows with pine, grapefruit, orange, pineapple and just a wonderful touch of sweet from the solid caramel malt base. Really tasty juice - going down so easily.
Feel is medium, no hint of the 9% with a slick hop oil at mid palate, and a drying piney finish.
So thankful for the opportunity to try a beer Ive been craving. Yes, there is a thing called Midwest IPA. The standard here. And I have one more.
For my second rating: Corey had sent a stellar meat package including jerky, kielbasa etc.
The Jerky is supreme!
Looks nothing like a typical jerky.
There is a dark caramelized looking outside. Chunks are substantial and meaty in appearence.
Aroma is that of light hickory smoke with a sweetness mixed in.
Taste is perfectly smokey, slightly sweet and no residual or overpowering salt. There is an underlying molasses/brown sugar element that balances the salt/smoke aspect.
The texture is crackly candy outside that reveals a meaty but not overly chewy inside. You are not yanking this out of your piehole. Just enjoying the finest texture and tasting jerky Ive probably ever had. And yes with the beer Im like smiling ear to ear.
Thanks again Corey!!!

 

I grew up in Parsippany and have lived in Morris County my entire life. There are more deer now than when I was a kid in the '60's and '70's. For over 30 years we lived next to parkland and had a crazy number of deer, as well as bears and coyotes. Last year we moved about 3.3 miles but to a much more "downtown" area. We still have deer in the yard almost every day. It drives our dog (still a puppy at 8 months old) crazy!

 

Thus the bow. it's quiet, and the steaks just magically appear in the freezer.

 

Hello weekend mine!
Here's a little number from an ignored box in the cellar.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22511/239223/





750 ml. bottle.
Bottled 2016 06 08.
Moderate to vigorous pour yields a 1/2 inch white clear over a super bright golden body with some sticky lacing. Nose of funk first, followed by a bit of citrus, a tad of tropical fruit, and hay/straw, with some slight herbal/floral notes as well. Beautiful flavors of candied citrus, pink grapefruit, white grape, and finishing with grapefruit pith and just the slightest hops. Nice feel and overall, I know I waited too long to open this but, it's still fantastic! Cheers to Shaun and his crew for another world class effort!

 

Sand City Menage a' III 3rd Anniversary DIPA, stellar. 4.57 overall

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/39356/381696/?ba=russpowell#review

cheers @alexsergio

 

Hi everybody- tonight I have one that I saw @zid review a couple of weeks ago and thought would be right up my alley:

Gravity Never Fails, a Porter collaboration between De Ranke and 2SP.

Wow, this one is really tight- both in terms of the flavors, which are so finely woven, as well as the overall feel, creamy yet dry with a quarter-inch moussy head that intends to stay put. What a wonderful combination, those dense thick proteins in conjunction with such a soft water profile, clean and rich without any sort of heavy syrupy quality whatsoever.

The flavor profile includes an omnipresent yet restrained cocoa powder, fig newtons, cocktail cherries, a hell of a spicy kick from the hops, just a touch of toffee, and a long almost woody finish. If I didn't know any better, I'd say I was drinking an English Porter, and a hell of a good one at that. It almost brings to mind the classic Young's dark beers. Splendid stuff, complex and imminently drinkable, very much an A (4.4), Thanks again for the heads-up @zid!