New Beer Sunday (Week 784)

#2 for today courtesy of @FlintB

Speciation Artisan Ales
Biomimicry
Sour IPA dry hopped with Amarillo & Gemini


Really like the way this one looks as it pours. Very inviting appearance, with nice head appealing color. Smells almost exactly like you would expect. Little bit IPA, little bit sour. I really enjoy the taste. Different, but in a good way, with fruit tastes I can’t identify lurking in the background. Glad I was able to try this.
4.24/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

 

Evening folks,
Thanks Doctor @lordofthewiens for the start up and good luck. And speaking of medical issues I will be out of the loop alot of next week. I will be visiting my father in NC. Hes 85 and was just diagnosed with cancer and theyre saying 4 months. Who knows but it wont be much fun.
Visiting Treehouse was fun though. Especially since it was a Tuesday and there was hardly anyone there. Really got to explore. And boy they have their stuff together. Beautiful place and well thought out. Anyhow one of the beers I took home was:
I Have Promises To Keep
IPA with Citra and Nelson
Pours a hazy lemon-yellow with a bright white 2 finger head that leaves loads of sticky lacing as the beverage recedes.
Aroma is huge. Fresh squeezed tangerine and lemon juice, gooseberry(i picked these as a kid) diesel, cat pee, marijuana, white grape, kiwi.
Taste follows with that juicy orange, tangerine and sauvignon blanc earthy grape. Its lemony and bitter with grapefruit/citrus rind. The flavor is bold and lasting yet unlike my recent TH tastings this beer is not at all sweet and I'm liking that.
The feel is medium light with tiny champagne like carb. Its really on the dry side and has a pleasant bitter finish. And hate me but it reminds me of a dry sparkling wine in some respect. Its a great beer and it represents the Nelson quite well, a hop Im particularly fond of. I havent seen many, if any, posts on this brew but they stepped out of the box a bit and I am digging that. Highly recommended. Especially for Nelson lovers.
Cheer!

 

I'd be curious as to their other beer that makes it there, as long as it isn't an old IPA if you see any other from them pick them up they are a very consistently good brewery.

 

Howdy everybody! Today I'm checking in with a beer that @ovaltine was kind and generous enough to send my way after I remarked that it sounded like that kind of beer I would really enjoy:

Special Hoperations, a collaboration between Fat Heads and 3 Floyds

The aroma just jumps right out of the glass, as punchy as it is lush. Mango and tangerine seem to dominate, but they are balanced by evergreen and spice. There's a really great creamy vanilla quality underneath it all, too, tying everything together beautifully. The palate is more evergreen than fruit, which instead gives off more of a citrus rind quality, and all of that ties in perfectly with the solid yet clean snap of hoppy bitterness. That vanilla makes its appearance on the long lingering finish, playing particularly well off of a rich and lustrous malt platform. Near the bottom of the glass a decent hit of sweaty funk (in a good way ) also starts to make an appearance, so there's a great multi-faceted quality happening too.

This is a great beer pulled off with style. It's muscular where it needs to be, delicate where it needs to be, and nothing is out of place. I'm loving it! Solid A(4.5). Thanks again, Mike!

 

That's a phenomenal beer indeed. I've been ecstatic to find it released in multiple batches and just picked up some more the other day!

 

Wow! It's a trip seeing that on here. The name thing drives me nuts because it would work in the US as an alternative to 'New England' but in Quebec geographical terms it should be 'South Central IPA'.
My suspicion is that they wanted to be able to maintain the English acronym which is super well-known but the only way to do it was to change to "North East". Otherwise legally they would have to name it in French which would be 'Nouvelle Angleterre'. It's crazy how creative people get here with names due to the language laws

It is definitely worth trying. A world-class stout.

 

Greetings fellow NBSers! A cloudy, but pleasant late winter/early spring day here in The Fourth Corner. My first entry today came to me courtesy @nc41 ( and, might inspire a bit of jealousy in @woodychandler , as I doubt he has ticked this one in his CANquest), an OG, circa 1977-78 can of Billy Beer.

Yup, Jimmy Carter's brother Billy had his own beer, and I am the first to review it here on BA (which leads to believe Brother Woody hasn't had it, CAN't imagine he would have passed up this chance):

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22779/449441/

Back with a more modern entry in a bit.


https://imgur.com/a/zUUEyAT

 

Just curious, if you found it at an antique store, why would you crack it and destroy it's collectability?

 

Happy New New England IPA Sunday!

Pretty nice day here on the Western Slope, at the trailhead, cloudy, around 56, trails at this elevation are drying up very nicely. Finally something new from this CO brewery is showing up around here. Almost done watching Season 5 of Breaking Bad. Just might be back with another new brew.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46749/470963/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!

 

And I'm relying on my high school and college French. One of our major New Jersey brewers, Carton, calls it's house DIPA 07XXX, a "Northeast" IPA. That's not a recognized style like "West Coast" or "New England" IPA. But in any event, what I reviewed today was most definitely a "New England" IPA (and a really good one!).

 

@nc41 found some in an antique store, and I chided him about not drinking it. I said that I'd be too curious to not try it, so he sent one along.

As to collectability? It was $8. Not much value there to wreck. 40+ years on, I doubt it's ever going to gain price again.

 

Beer #2 from Treehouse.
Perfect Storm DIPA w/Citra and Simcoe.
Pours a turbid orange with a a large 1.5" Head that settles to a thin cap. There is lots of pretty lacing left behind.
Aroma is passionfruit, orange, apricot and damp pine.
Taste follows with juicy orange, grapefruit, apricot/peach and pine.
Feel is medium/full with sweet balancing the pleasant bitter. No hint of 8%. Lighter carbonation.
Another hoppy winner from TH. They say "hand selected hops". Hmm, Charming. Whatever they do they know how to work magic with them. And I am truly not a fanboy. But I have to call em like I see em. Cheers.

 

My thoughts exactly on TH. They know their way around a brewery.

 

Lucky for me, my sore throat from this morning faded. If the cold is going to come it will have to wait another day, so that makes me comfortable enjoying my Sunday with another new to me beer. This is another that came to me from the current rookies BIF and BA user @tmm786 This is my first time trying Wiseacre Brewing, and it was a great introduction.

Wiseacre Brewing - Astronaut Status



4.34/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This review is for the 2019 batch poured into a 10 oz. snifter 2.5 times. Astronaut Status is a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout conditioned on cinnamon and vanilla.

Look - Astronaut Status pours a very dark color with a one finger and small-bubbled head that quickly faded, but left lingering suds.

Smell - The bourbon hit me first and most intensely. It was followed by notes of vanilla, chocolate, dried fruit, and tobacco. I braced for it to be a touch on the sweet side because of this.

Taste - Much like the aroma, the first big flavor that I got was a beautiful bourbon. The bourbon gave way to a mix of chocolate and vanilla wonderfully intertwined. The finish is where I found the roasty flavors I enjoy in a stout with a touch of cherry. This stout is conditioned on cinnamon before bottling, but it wasn't apparent to me in either the aroma or taste. I'm willing to believe that it added to the overall experience, but it wasn't easily detectable in its own right to me. The kind of sweetness that I expected from the smell was nowhere to be found.

Feel - I would call this a medium thickness. It coated the glass slightly, but left no sticky residue. It was very pleasant mouthfeel, even if a touch thinner than my preferred viscosity.

Overall - I really enjoyed this Astronaut Status. It achieved a variety of aromas and flavors with minimal flavorings. The vanilla and cinnamon that were used only added to the whole instead of dominating the flavor profile. This was my first experience with anything by Wiseacre, and this is a stout I would by annually if I had regular access to it.

 

Happoshu #3

The review:
10.14oz stubby bottle (cap stamped OB1902 20.06.23) poured into a pokal glass at fridge temp 5% ABV. The beer pours hazy in a light purple / pink color with faint pink head. The head recedes to a thin ring and leaves a few dots of lacing. The aroma is moderate with plum being up front. The taste follows with semisweet plum and no detectable malt taste. No bitterness, but maybe a hint of earthy hop flavor. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. No off flavors. Overall, good. This is designated as an ale yeast product and it resembles beer more than the previous two lager versions of Happoshu.

I have three more Happoshu beers, but they will have to wait for another day. A big thanks to @woodychandler. I believe that six Happoshu reviews in one Sunday must be an NBS record. Cheers all!

 

First trip to Wren House Brewing, though I’ve had a few of their pours before.

This is their lager to start, Big Spill Pils w/ Nelson, $3 for 8 oz.

Appearance: clear light straw color pour, mild carb, white bubbly head leaves light lacing. 3.5

Aroma: Light aroma, bread, cracker, light pine. 3.25

Taste: Bolder taste than the aroma would suggest. Bread pepper shine though, a bit salty, pine. Hops grassy, malt works well here. 3.75

Mouthfeel: Dry, light fizzy carb holds on throughout the pour. Light body easy clean finish. 3.25

Overall: Good Lager pour. 3.25.

 

Good evening NBS, been busy grading all day and time to enjoy a new beer while inputting everything. Victory just put out a new lager so I have to try and add it to BA. Victory Classic, a straight forward and clean Helles that is prefect for putting two cans into a big mug.

4.14/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

2 12 oz cans poured into a mug

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

S- Pilsner malts, biscuits, earthy, a little herbal, hints of light fruits.

T- Pilsner malt, sweet bread, a little herbal and earthy, hints of grapes.

M- Smooth, light body, crisp.

O- A well balanced and easy to drink Helles

Cheers,NBS!

 

I have not seen this hop for sale at the places I shop. Maybe someday?

I am in Richmond, VA right now (heading down to Florida to visit a bunch of friends - Tampa, Cocoa Beach, etc.). I visited the Triple Crossing Brewery and I had my first beer which featured Lotus hops (I have never heard of them before) - that Lotus IPA was tasty!!

It is getting challenging keeping up with all of the new hops out there.

Cheers!

 

Back again, this time with something from @Pinz412 . He sent me a ninja box of Tastykakes, and since there was room left over, he tossed in a couple beers. This one is Brett Saison from Cinderlands, called Solving for Pattern, and it is damned delicious!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/51312/454635/