New Beer Sunday (Week 746)

Good evening, all, and Happy New Scottish Ale Sunday! Thanks to @lordofthewiens for today's opening. You have dust storms, we have tornadoes. Or so they say. The local CBS affiliate cut away from Rory's 59 quest this afternoon for a weather bulletin just after he hit his tee shot on 18. The NWS had issued tornado warnings, and of course the weather crew had to stay on the air showing radar images while Rory was finishing up his round. The thing is, there was no tornado - at least, not so you could tell. Seems they issue warnings based on rotation patterns shown on radar. Now, this might be a fine thing, I don't know. What I do know is that I ain't headin' for the basement based on radar images. I need to see cows flying first. Anyway, by the time I got the CBS Sports app downloaded and running, Rory was finishing up his post-round interview after carding a 61. Now beer: Stone's Throw Scottish Ale, from Fargo Brewing. You can't help but notice that this is the same color as a buckeye, with its glossy deep-brown body and its light tan head. Loads of caramel malt on the nose and palate, with only a hint of smokiness and char. There are also flavors and aromas of dried fruit (raisin, prune, black cherry). Restrained bitterness, a slightly silky mouthfeel with good carbonation, and a bit of tart fruit lingering on the finish. This seems to be a pretty good representation of the style, based on the description. Cheers!



3.77/5 (rDev +5.6%)
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

 

I'm glad you killed that Chocolate Rain with @Roguer and some others. BTW, your lineup looks glorious.
Cheers

 

Bell’s - Leaves of Grass Series: I - Song of Myself

I'm coming very late to the thread today, but I plan on still hitting a bunch of beers tonight if my body doesn't decide to sleep instead. I wasn't planning on drinking this particular beer tonight, but when I saw @MNAle 's choice I had to switch gears. I love echoing another's beer choice, and as usual, I didn't read MNAle's post until after I wrote mine. His review definitely feels like the beer I drank.

In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Walt Whitman, Bell’s has kicked off their 7 part “Leaves of Grass” series with this beer. I am very much looking forward to the beers in this series as it allows Bell’s to stretch a bit… even though this first beer doesn’t feel like much of a stretch. I also like the locations of inspiration that Bell’s goes to since other brewers seem to be more drawn to pop culture for their references.

This beer is a “German-inspired American IPA.” That basically means that they used all German ingredients to brew an AIPA. I’ve seen variations on the concept a few times. It seems like an idea born out of necessity rather than real inspiration. Brewers feel the need to constantly come out with new novel IPAs… and German ingredients cut the mustard (pun intended). Beyond that, it’s hard to really see the attraction.

This beer is deeply hazy (as in genuinely hazy, not opaque). It still glows a pretty yellow. The first sip catches me off guard - it’s been a while since I’ve had an IPA this bitter. The body is rather full but a little too prickly in the mouth. Great lacing. This beer is bitter at every step of the sip and swallow. Herbal with a grassy finish, Underneath it all is the flavor of dried apricot (w/o the sweetness of it) and a subtle hint of mango and lemon. It’s a dry beer.

Despite the aggressiveness, this still feels like a very well put together beer. Lovers of modern IPA trends will probably dislike this beer, but there’s something special about it once you adjust yourself.

 

Speaking of our prolific handshake tickmeister general @DoctorZombies , I just missed out on a chance to meet the legend today. He was on the other side of Los Angeles for me, and between his commitments, my commitments, and the whole time-space logistics thing, it didn't happen. One day. In the meantime, I like pondering who will be my next NBS handshake.

 

SIX WEEKS?!? Damn, I'm jealous. That's a beautiful part of the world there. And what a great time to be there.

 

Harpoon - One Hazy Summer

First off - this isn’t going to be a carefully considered or even mildly detailed review. The pic above is a product shot from the web. I had this beer earlier today while out, and I’m just going to give a brief and loose impression.

The brewer calls it a “New England pale ale.” I don’t feel like it’s very successful as either a “New England” inspired ale (even though it's Harpoon), or a 5.5% APA. Given what it’s aiming for, it’s surprisingly a chore to get through. I’ll be blunt. I’m sick of these ales that are designed to make the drinker think that they are getting a tropical juice explosion but all they are really getting is the taste of chalk and the feel of astringency diluting some fruity flavors. Putting this unpleasantness in a smaller framework amplifies everything wrong with it.

 

Berkshire Brewing Company - Inhopnito

I plan on featuring some Berkshire Brewing Company beers today. I have a soft spot for them and I tend to pick up their beers when I’m shopping in a state that gets them.

This beer is an opaque amber. There’s an unpleasant sweetness to it. The hops have a herbal contribution and provide a biter finish. A little bit of rotting fruit at the front end. It’s clumsy. This is a big step down from the Bell’s IPA.

 

I'm glad you switched to start with this one. I enjoyed reading your take on it.

It does appear that I liked it more than you... Perhaps that comes from a broader experience on your end with AIPAs using German ingredients.

 

When we first moved to MN 20+ years ago, the town would sound the sirens at the least provocation. At first, we headed for the basement, like well-trained Pavlovians.

Eventually, though, I took to going outside at looking at the sky instead, and, seeing nothing, walking back inside to resume grumbling at the weather babes excitedly warning us all, going on and on with their pretty maps, not allowing me to return to what I was watching.

As a famous TV personality says, "It's not good, or correct, but it is one of the things that makes us who we are." (quote may not be exactly that, but it is close...)

 

Hello Late Night NBS.
We're heating up here. And I'm a little sad about that. You see, we've actually had a very springy spring here in SoCal. It truly has been a lush season for us. I got all the way to the last day of school without a seriously hot day. First time ever.
I did enjoy a few hoppy offerings earlier today, but they didn't meet our criteria. So I'm having dessert now.
Sir Thixa-lot by local brewery, Chapman Crafted, a pastry stout

Pours a deep, dark brown. Dense cocoa colored froth rises aggressively, breaching the rim. She's beautiful. The head repeats a bit, but holds her position with solid finger high fortifications. Eventually, like after minutes, it settles to solid cocoa ring that surrounds smatterings of tiny bubbled islands. Curtainy lacing gives way to a scattered, well-worn shag carpet crawl down the glass.
Smell is inviting for sure. Chocolate, a nuttiness that moves toward malt powder, gentle vanilla, and a very smooth coffee roast.
Flavors abound. Chocolate advances with support by caramel, dulce de leche, mild toasted coconut, and again that malt powder. But it's less sweet than your typical malt powder. Finally, I can glean hints of more traditional Imperial stout notes: hints of dark fruit, some roast, and an ever so understated earthiness.
Mouthfeel is thick enough for style, mellow carbonation, with hints of fluffiness akin to a milk stout.
Overall, this really hits for me. Sweet enough to close the evening out, but not cloying. A super solid offering.

4.18/5 rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

I was hoping to do a side by side with this one and the BA version courtesy of @Coronaeus today but with the little ones out of school for summer and Sunday being my only day off of work I spent the day with them doing some gold/gem mining.

Pours a dark brown with two fingers of tan head.
Smells of roasty malts and a bit of coffee.
Taste follows with the roasty malts, coffee, but a little sweetness throw in as well.
Medium to full body, good carb levels, creamy feel.
Overall an excellent porter, looking forward to trying it's BA counterpart.

 

Berkshire Brewing Company - Long Daze

I bought two Berkshire Brewing Company bombers today. There’s a very good chance that these are old, old, old. They don’t seem to date their product. Oh well, it’s on them then.

This beer is a Hefeweizen. It’s amazing how few craft brewers are brewing this style of beer.

This beer is a surprisingly clear yellow. I don’t like to pour the yeast into my Hefes. This beer is more lemony than your average Hefe. There’s also banana and fresh baked white bread. Despite whatever age is on this bottle, the beer is quite nice.

 

Berkshire Brewing Company - Drayman’s Porter

This one is showing its age. This is an odd one. It’s very coffee-forward. It’s creamy and ashy. It’s a little savory, there’s some sweetness, and bitterness. If that sounds like a cacophony, then you’re not wrong. This is loud but admirable…. and it wears on you immediately but still leaves you wanting more. Thoroughly strange.

 

Throw in some citrus hop aroma and you've pretty much described Pike XXXXX Stout, one of my fave brews .