New Beer Sunday (Week 759)

Hello again.

Back home after my amazing trip to Decorah. Had a total blast at Toppling Goliath and Pulpit Rock. I didn't review any of my Pulpit Rock flight, but all 4 new beers were quite tasty.

On the way back, driving north on US 52, and all of a sudden we see a sign in Fountain, MN "Brewery Open". Oh, crap, that's right there's a brewery on the way back. We stopped in at Karst Brewing, and I had this:

Edge of the Earth. Clocks in at 7% ABV.

It was ok, but nothing special. It was lacking in the aroma and flavor department for such a beer.

Review:
3.41/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours black. 1 finger creamy off white head. Retention is ok. Beautiful lacing on the glass.
Nose is minimal.
Taste isn't strong. Slight cream flavor. Slight chocolate. Hint of smoke on the backside.
Lighter bodied. Creamy feel.
Ok stout, but nothing special.


Now I'm home, and I popped open this that I picked up at Pulpit Rock Brewing.

#Gallagher 2019. 9.25% ABV

I'm really digging this. The fruit (berries) really are just working it just right for me.

4.09/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2019 Vintage. Consumed on 9-8-19.

Pours a nice reddish/brown color. 1/2 finger slightly off white head that dissipates fairly quickly to a ring around the edge of the glass.
The nose is a nice fruity sour aroma. Quite pleasing.
Taste - just a fruit bomb. I'm sure others could pick out the fruits. I can not. I can tell there's different berries in it. Raspberry, I'd say for sure.
There's a crisp pop feeling to this beer. The body is decent, and there's some carbonation that lingers in my throat.
Solid sour, fruit beer. Really tasty.


I'm going to have to call it a night with this one. My weekend is up, but I can't tell you all how much knowing that I'm going to get a regular day off means to me. I'll see you all next Sunday, and likely at home, for the next New Beer Sunday.

 

Happy New Tying Up Loose Ends Beer Sunday (Week 759), Ménage à Trois!

This next set takes us back to the aftermath of NBS (Week 718) (!) when I started in with Phoenixville's Stable 12 & somehow got inexplicably sidetracked after that, until now. I picked up where I left off nearly a year ago (!) with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/40386/232951/?ba=woodychandler#review
, then:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/40386/377378/?ba=woodychandler#review

followed by:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/40386/275122/?ba=woodychandler#review

& finished off/up with:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/40386/284733/?ba=woodychandler#review

Okay, kids, that's it for this week! Next week, I have more of the same planned, so stand by for high seas & heavy rolls. Inna meantime, I'll se yinz in WBAYDN. Peace aht!

 

Yesterday we hiked up north to catch the sunrise. I'll admit we mistimed it by about a half an hour, so the sunrise itself was from the trail, but the views at Trapper's Peak were still amazing (topping out within 52 feet of 6,000!), and we napped by the lower Thornton Lake throughout the midmorning and early afternoon. Beautiful day. By the time we got home, Seattle was facing a lightning storm that caused some intermittent power outages and encouraged an early night.
Today was sore, and so necessitated some lazy late starting. The lightning had given way to simple clouds, interspersed with some sunrays, and pregnant with rain that decided to open up by mid afternoon and offered the most impressively hard rain I've seen in probably 4 or 5 years. Then just as quickly it trailed off back to intermittent clouds. Weird weather. Reminded me of quick storms in the south/midatlantic. Autumn...

Tonight I'm digging in to Barkerville's 52 Foot Stout, a bottle I picked up earlier this summer when I was up in Canada, and am glad to have grabbed it.



Pour is a satisfying smoothe almost-black with a big brown head that takes its time in settling down, and leaves lovely lacing as I drink.

Nose has some roast and nuttiness and sweet chocolate type character. Pulls me in.

Flavour is immediately much drier/ashier than I expected based on the nose. It is predominantly in the vein of dry/ashy with coffee bitterness pronounced as well. This is all balanced nicely by a middle range of nutty/roasty character and a touch of high sweet note that I'm guessing is the birch syrup influence, though I would never guess at any adjuncts (aside from possibly coffee, which is NOT actually added) if I hadn't seen the label.

Body is medium at best and dry with lively carbonation.

It works for me. I like the dry/ashy thing it has going on, and I think it offers a good balance with the roasty/nutty middle, which can be lacking in other similar stouts.

Hope you've got something tasty going on as well. Cheers!!

 

Last beer of the night, courtesy of @Oconomowocian

Eagle Park DDH Goon Juice



4.23/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 16 ounce can. Pours a turbid dark orange with about two fingers of foamy white head. Lots of tropical fruit in the smell, but mango jumps out at me. Taste is very similar with just a hint of alcohol at the end. Medium mouthfeel. It's smooth, but as it warms, the alcohol hits a little harder. Still a fun beer.

 

This is a new-ish beer from a local-ish brewery that I generally find makes disappointing beer in ugly packages with childish names. It’s an IIPA with pandan leaves that is supposed to evoke flavours of citrus custard and vanilla cupcake. I note related flavours, and like this more than I expected.

Flying Monkeys Killer Cupcake Panda IIPA.



Pours a murky gold with a full and buxom head that dissipates very slowly leaving a spotty lace that remains throughout the imbibing.

Vanilla punches the nostrils with an accompanying citrus note that highlight lime and clementine.

Vanilla hits the tongue first. Graham cracker pie crust, sweet lime curd, and fresh cold clementine segments follow. The slightest hint of a bitter hop finish. Higher ABV is completely hidden.

This is thick and creamy. Not juicy or syrupy.

This is much better than I expected from a brewery that almost never fails to disappoint. It is perhaps a touch too sweet for my liking, but enjoyable and worth a try if you like vanilla.

Cheers.

 

I’m joining the thread late today. Spent much of today on the road. I was happy to end up at Stoudts totally by chance. The place has enough visual character for five restaurants. It’s quirky and old-school. The overall dinner experience left a lot to be desired, but I enjoyed revisting some beers that I haven’t had fresh in many, many years. I had one new-to-me beer - their Sauvignon Blanc barrel aged saison pictured above. It was quite nice. It’s a deep, dark gold color. The balance of the beer was interesting. There was some sweetness, some hop bitterness, and some obvious tartness. All together, it worked quite well. The wine influence was felt.

@JackHorzempa

 

Benediktiner Festbier

I’m joining this particular Festbier party today.
It’s a beautiful pale orangeish gold. Very nice head that doesn’t linger. Rich, malty aroma. Smooth body. Tastes of bread. There’s a great bitterness that invites repeat drinking. There is some sweetness, but it ultimately drinks dry. I’m very curious to see how my impression of this one changes over the course of the 4 pack, but my first impression is making me very happy.

 

Awesome pics. Man, that mural.

 

Hello Late Night NBS

Crazy week here. Not gonna bore y'all.
Beer: Yay!
Nebulous IPA Series: Dumb Bell by Unsung
I've enjoyed this series a lot.
Golden to peach in hue. Fluffy white head. Scattered clumps of lacing. Decent retention.
Bright tropical notes mix with citrus. Zesty orange, mango, with hints of melon.
Juicy mango starts but right away orange and pineapple juice kick in. Then some slightly acidic grapefruit comes up back.
Mouthfeel is active, and both a bit slick and fluffy.
Overall, I'd hit this regularly.
3.88/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

 

Thanks for the back-story on the brewery - I had this beer last summer during vacation, stumbled on a bottle in an eclectic little shop in Keene, NH. I enjoyed the beer and found it more funky than anything else. I reckon given the nature of the brewery, it could be pretty variable in characteristics. But knowing the story, I can appreciate the beer quite well, so great addition to the hive mind! I think I scored it around a 3.9 or so - good beer to drink, if a little funk forward (at least my bottle was).

My apologies to Team NBS for not having a proper post this week - and I found me one of those high hype beers to try for a change, too...well, there will hopefully be a Next New Beer Sunday and I can get back on the train.

 

Always enjoy a visit there. Food OK, beer fresh and good....

They do one of my favorite Pils there and a stop also usually includes leaving with a fresh case at least one of their beers.

 

I'm already on my second 4-pack, so overall it's gotten a thumbs-up from me . My first impression favored the hops, and that's where I am with it still (it being hoppy relative to others in the style, naturally). But, yeah, it's definitely got a zippy citrus quality for me as well, but I'm getting more of a squirt of lime thing rather than the lemon.