New Beer Weekend #10

Having a very tasty IPA by Resident Culture, my first from this brewery, courtesy of @brentk56.

Lightning Drops, a Citra, Mosaic and Galaxy IPA.



This is such a well-made beer. Easy to drink but by no means one-dimensional.

It pours hazy like pulpy orange juice, but with a nice head that sticks around for a couple of mins. The aroma is dank and fruity. Tropical notes and an ever so slight nail polish remover hint that is typical of NEIPAs but in this case barely noticeable). Well-balanced flavor profile. Moderate bitterness but more pronounced than you'd expect for the style. No hop burn at all. Medium mouthfeel.

I only got one can of this but I would have crushed several if I had access to it. Many thanks again to brentk56 for sending me this.

 

Today’s new to me comes from Billings MT - By All Means Brewpub’s “Zymopunk” a Czech style Pilsner:



Pale gold with very good clarity; four fingers of rocky white head; very good cap retention; heavy ring, heavy minus lacing. Light floral hops nose. Very light malt taste; very light hop bitterness. Watery body; moderate carbonation; no DMS. Overall very little here to comment on; very little malt and hops; like drinking rose water.

4.25 | 3.75 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5
Score: 3.61 rDev -4.2%

 

Good afternoon, NBW crew - had a couple new Oktoberfests yesterday but wasn't in the mood to review either one. Neither Schilling Beer Co Konstantin nor Commonwealth's Oktoberfest impressed me, although Kostantin did seem to get a little better as I got nearer the end. I'll get a review in with another can later this Oktoberfest/fall season.

Today, I am having another of Port City's rotating series beers - though this one is not a lager. When I first saw the social media for this Hefeweizen, my mind thought, "But wait, they already have..." a Wit beer - which is their #1 flagship (Optimal Wit). My slow mind did quickly put together that a Witbier and a Hefewiezen are different beers despite a shared key ingredient, but not as quickly as it should.

Note - due to mismatched glass/container size, I did not follow the instructions on the can until the second pour.


The first pour was a matte yellow bruised banana with a healthy white top hat of a head. There was a nice haze - not the new IPA craze cloud, but actual haze, accented by the humidity clinging to the glass. You can still see things through the body sitting in a thin hefe glass, especially at the thinner bottom.

The head is creamy, but lacing is only fair. Before I get to trying to describe the nose, it gives up a little bit of the wheat, banana, and light spice.


There is a pretty nice mix of grain and banana in the nose, with the fruit taking the lead. I little bit of a crusty bread and wheat husk gets a hint of Noble hops - little grassy, a little bit of coriander I want to say. I don't have their Optimal Wit to compare directly to, but I am reminded of the basics of it in the nose.

A medium-light body comes with a lovely, creamy feel. The carbonation is muted, but it's far from flat and there's a little bitter bite with a hint of spice that adds some texture. The wheat and bread play more in the flavors than the aroma. The banana is there, but it is just playing along.

The grassy to spicy bitterness is interesting and quite nice. It makes the beer a bit more bitter than many craft versions I've had. There's a modest sweetness up front, but by mid-taste it's been balanced out with a grain husk kinda countering bitterness. The grass is taking hold about this point and the spice sticks a toe in the ground shortly after. By the end, the late and lingering notes are actually somewhat bitter.

I really enjoyed this beer - it seems Port City might know how to handle wheat in beer (their Optimal Wit has medaled at GABF at least once). As always, I think it'd be a curious thing to compare to other classic hefes, though this one has 20 days on it and the classics can't possibly get here that fast.

Oh, and one of my neighbors finally did catch me taking a photo of my beer. Either Chip or Dale stared at me for a while, probably wondering, "WTF?!??"

 

Man... I wish this weekend would never end.... but so it goes... still... it's EARLY!

On Point milk stout with coffee and vanilla - Big Oyster Brewing Co.



Poured from the can into a nonik pint glass.

Rich dark tan forming head, with a lovely cascade out of the can into the glass. Soft foamy cap with easy three probably more in height fingers tall. Big dark walnut brown body, nearly black nothing getting through this at all.

Aroma is nice. Some soft coffee notes, but also quite a bit of nutty aroma as well which is surprising. Hints a bit mineral in water quality on the nose with a rocky mineral note it seems on the nose.

First impression is really good on the palate. Real creamy and rich mouthfeel, has that hinting silky tone. Mid palate fills with a light to dark chocolate flavor and milkshake consistency. There's some excellent unique roast character here, which pushes the beer more into porter territory. Good biting dark roast and charcoal in the finish, with a light somewhat vanilla but more milky sweetness. Aftertaste also manages some more nutty bread flavors also, kind of like a milk hazelnut and soft coffee warmth.

Definitely has the body of a rich milk stout, but more of a porter flavor. In the end it's a big win and definitely on point!

look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25 | 4.19/5

Cheers!

 

Noted

 

Every year like clockwork. "Chester" as I call him (or her), shows up on my deck every Summer. Love that guy... even if he steals my tomatillos and figs.

 

Treehouse Julius. Nose is tremendous, oranges exploded popping the can and pouring. Surprisingly firm bitterness, slightly astringent, but not overly so. I can certainly understand the high praise this beer gets. I’m a lousy rater, but I’d sat 4.4- 4.5, it’s a good beer , easy to drink, and I could drink two, so a thumbs up. I can’t say that about some of these beers in this style, astringent beers burn the back of my throat this one is not. WT 101 watching a crappy Eagles team to numb the pain. @WunderLlama

 

Enjoying some Carton Whip, thanks @TheGent!
4.09/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thank you TheGent for this
12 oz can poured into a pint glass

A- A fairly light straw color with a small white head.

S- Pilsner malts, toasted biscuits, slightly herbal, slightly sweet, touch of lemongrass.

T- Biscuits, sweet bread, herbal, lemongrass, some toasted malt, pilsner malts.

M- Smooth, light body.

O- A nice Pilsner, a little on the sweeter side but not in a bad way. Could be crispier and have a little more hop bitterness for my liking but no flaws with how it tastes.

Cheers!

 

Antidoot L‘Illuminé (kriek, framboos)

Pours ruby red in color with some lilac hints and a pillowy pink head, which vanishes immediately after pouring.


The whole balcony smells of ripe raspberries and smoky cherry piths, revealing a lighter jammy note, together with red apples and red fruit sorbet. The cherries in this provide a pleasant, flowery sweetness, creating a complex and intriguing nose on this.


Has a soft mouthfeel, showcasing a light bodied, well balanced, refreshingly tart beer.


Tastes of ripe cherries, moldy basement and lighter kiwi among fresh plucked, unripe raspberries, wrapped up into wet forest earth. Turns pretty tart then with old leaves and green apple skin among a light fruit sugar peak. Finishes funky, with shrooms and blue cheese, highlighting the matured, sweeter turning fruits in this by giving them a great complexity, with an accompanying tartness, blending together to a long lasting, sour and sweet finish.


A truly refined beer with a fantastic fruit composition to it, rounded out by the sparkly, yet soft mouthfeel and a supportive, zingy tartness.

 

There was a restaurant in Rehoboth, DE up the street from DFH's brewpub and distillery that made a beer blend of Cherry Kriek and Hoegaarden. It was our introduction to a Dirty Hoe (I've seen a few variations, but not tried any)., We've made a few times since (but not in a while). I forget the proportions they used, but we found 2 25.4oz Lindeman's works with a 6pack of Hoegaarden (which I guess would make our mix about 40/60 Kriek/Wit).

 

Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Vanilla Cherry Imperial Stout, 11% ABV. Pours black with a half-finger beige head that left some lacing. Nose is bourbon, cherry, and vanilla. Taste is cherry and vanilla, no sweetness, moderate tartness, slight bitterness. Excellent mouthfeel, if a bit thin. Overall excellent. This is no pastry stout.

3.91/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I liked this more than their BA Cherry Stout without vanilla, but still not a huge fan. I expect a fruit and vanilla beer to have some sweetness. Even tart cherries are somewhat sweet. Just a little bit of sweetness could make this outstanding. OK, what the hell...just added some Splenda, and that did improve it...

 

Good afternoon NBW/NBS and thanks to the opener of this weeks event.
Just home from completing 2 more sections of the New England Trail, only 3 to go before completing this one.
Todays offering is from our dear friends at Hill Farmstead. The Self Reliance series of single hopped IPA's. This series has been a delightful exploration of hops expression. I have little experience with Southern Cross hops, but based on this offering I will look for more brewers that use the hops.
Do good
Be well
Self Reliance: Southern Cross

IPA - American

Hill Farmstead Brewery
Greensboro Bend, Vermont

4.19/5 rDev -2.1% | Average: 4.28
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from the 750 ml bottel into the test glass.
A - Golden straw color, superb and staedy carbonation, feeds a lasting cap of white froth.
S - Lemongrass, earthy aspect is a treat, a bit of musky rime,and pine. The aromatics shift from lemon to more earthy as the offering warms a bit. An excellent transition.
T - Fruit forward with lemon, and pith being the driver, base malts are light and offer some cracker/biscuit touches. Lovely touch of white pepper, and apricot skin
M - Medium in body, excellent carbonation keeps this a bit crisp. Semi sweet start then the hop application moves toward the beautiful bittering balance, all the while displaying lovely citrus.The gentle kiss of pine is a pleasant suprise.

O - A really good deep dive into a single hop, Not having had to much experience with Southern Cross, this is a treat.
Lemon and pine

 

Good morning, NBW X. Today's first beer is a new beer from a new (to me, and apparently to BA) brewery, Sig Brewing Company, in Tacoma, WA. Waiting for the location to be added so I can add my review, but I can still post my thoughts on here. I've vaguely heard of them before, maybe seen their beer or logo somewhere. Probably they're new (their website doesn't say when they were founded, at least not that I noticed).

Sticky Icky Greens Strata Fresh Hop IPA. Here we go.

16oz can served in a big snifter. Dated 09/21/20. Got it at Bottleworks.
Pours a grayish amber with a small head and not much carbonation.

Smell is resin, pine, some melon (maybe unripe melon or the part that's really close to the skin).

Taste is some lemon and pine resin, some melon, some hay. A little dishwater flavor, but not very strong.

Mouthfeel is kind of watery, not quite flat but undercarbonated.

Overall...it's OK. Not a great introduction to a brewery. Sometimes new breweries just haven't figured it out yet. Sometimes that never comes. I remember when Fremont hadn't figured it out yet, but they certainly have. My local neighborhood brewery doesn't seem like they're going to.

I have another strata fresh hop in the fridge from them which I'll drink next...if it's also disappointing, it might be some time before I give Sig another shot.

 

Hello NBW'ers, back again this Sunday with a new one (for me).
Half Acre's Alive in its Jaws DDH DIPA
8.5%
Canned 8.25.20, opened 9.27.20

4.18/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

L - Golden dense, opaque, not the usual unfiltered look from HA.
S - Golden tropical citrus fruits, weed, pineapple, a little Earth-pine lurking
T - OK, this is where the wall of tropical DDH hops comes through; while it can seem a little single-note if you like "plush" citrus DIPAs, this is definitely for you, and i like it more than the FSDDC they put out a month or two ago. This is more like it, and the Sabro is well hidden; so annoying woody or coconut note.
F - Damn, this is like old Cadillac leather in the mouth. I mean that in a good way. There's a plushness to the mouthfeel that I haven't felt in any other beer in a few months. Nice. Might be the highlight of this beer and it doesn't end too sweet. I could chew on this for days.
O - A great DIPA, a little too smooth, and that 8.5% creeps up on you if you drink it too fast, but it's really balanced.

 

Welcome all to New Beer Sunday #814. As promised, I have returned with a second Pipeworks Gose, this one a month younger with cucumber as compared to the celery based gose tried yesterday. Still have never made it to The Dojo, but hope to one day visit a newly opened taproom sometime this decade.

Pipeworks Sea Cucumbo Gose



Just the facts, ma'am: $3.00 w/ tax purchase at Beer on the Wall on 8/22/20, 16 oz canned 8/4/20.

Appearance: Slightly murky straw golden yellow pour, off-white head dissipates after a few minutes leaving no trace, nominal carbonation. 2.75

Aroma: Pleasant, light cucumber, light celery salt backing. 2.75

Taste: Cucumber, cucumber, cucumber. Pleasant but one note, lightly sour. 2.5

Mouthfeel: Light and thin, no carbonation, clean finish. 2.5

Overall: One note cucumber sour, nothing interesting here. Comparable to cucumber water. Not for me. 2.5

The celery styled one had more going for it, neither enough to consider beyond free in the future. Have some time to catch up on the threads once baseball and my numerous Rotisserie leagues conclude the season today. Looking forward to catching up on the reviews.

 

Change? We don't need no stinkin' change!

Keep that flag flying!

 

Beer #2. Trillium Max Headroom DIPA, a big boy at 9.1 abv. Not as fragrant as the Julius, more bitter, much darker and very hazy. I’m far from an expert on these beers, but I think Trilliums house recipe leans to a more aggressive bitter beer. Ones not better than the other just different. Same kinda rating 4.4- 4.5. Very drinkable at that big abv , most turn sweetish this one obviously not. A bit astringent, but again not so much so you can’t enjoy it, I could drink two of these as well. And get a big buzz.
@WunderLlama.