New Beer Weekend #100

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

All right. Time for a new beer, I wasn't sure I had had it before, but, I couldn't see me reviewing it anywhere, so, here it is:


Tap That - American Brown Ale - Spilled Grain Brewing - Annandale, MN - 5.4% ABV

Oh, and this is a maple brown ale, eh.

This beer is fairly one dimensional. Maple is the star of the show in this beer, and it shines. It starts of mellow and builds to a crescendo, where Doug and Bob are telling everyone to take off because they're hosers - eh.

This is tasty, even in 36 C weather... Damn it! I'm now using crazy Canadian temperature units. 97 for us on this side of the border.


Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/41674/609542/
3.77/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
by Victory_Sabre1973 from Minnesota

This beer pours a nice dark brown color. The head is quite thick when poured from the crawler - 3 finger, and tan. Not too long lasting, and minimal lacing on the glass.
The nose, well, am I in Canada? The aroma is maple, and strong at that.
Taste - Oh, Canada! Maple. It starts off mellow and builds and builds.
The body is thick and decent for the lower ABV. Smooth and a bit of a syrup feeling to it.
Oh, no, I'm in Canada drinking this beer. Next I'll be eating back bacon, wearing a touke, watching Terrence and Phillip, and telling hosers to take off, eh. Oh, no, I said eh. Seriously, this is delicious.


Yeah, I'm a smart alec, but hopefully I did justice to this beer. Not sure if there will be one more tonight. If not, cheers!

 

Ten by Tree House


4.28/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25


Brewers Notes: Ten is a celebratory Double IPA brewed with a prodigious blend of our favorite American hops applied liberally during every phase of the brewing process. Utilizing concentrated hop products and combing them with our House Double IPA approach, Ten Carried layered waves of tropical hop oils that are pleasing to the palate. We are deeply grateful for your support.

Deep amber hazy orange liquid Capped by a creamy three finger egg shell foam cap , excellent retention , settles to a long lasting pencil thick layer excellent , spotty lacings

Aroma is grapefruit citrus, tropical fruits

Taste is grapefruit citrus



Smooth, juicy , gentle hop nibble on the finish

good beer

 

Double Dry Hopped Oh...

6% New England IPA from Other Half

Delightful nose on this beer from the hop bill: citra, galaxy and motueka.

Mouthfeel is very nice: good carbonation and oats.

The body pours a hazy faded yellow with a nice initial head that recedes to a decent ring around the edges. Very good lacing during the tasting.

Flavor follows nose and style as the beer is a touch sweet, hoppy and has low bitterness. Finish is grapefruit tart with a bit of pine.

Easy drinking, modest IPA that was refreshing after an afternoon outside. Recommended.

 

What a weird but kinda pleasant weather day...never got sunny as promised, but dry and actually feels cold. Like a late fall day rather than early summer. Good since the AC stays off...hoping the garden doesn't suffer. Steaks on the grill - not too common these days here, but on sale is still a nice thing.

So tonight's victim:



I Believe on Love - another in the wild ale genre from Allagash. This one promises cranberry and raspberry, do let's see...

The pour is gorgeous and the picture dies it no justice. Looks orange exiting the bottle, but ends up a clear copper red in the glass with a thick rocky white foam that falls to a nice cap replenished by bubbles.

The aroma is one dimensional at first, dominated by fruit. Fresh cranberry followed by fresh raspberry. Eventually a bit of funk strikes the nose, but not overdone. Pretty nice, but not much to it.

The taste is tart and fruit-driven. Clearly cranberry and raspberry. Some tea notes from the raspberry. Plenty tart. The funk remains mild. Phenolic and tannin from the cranberry. A little malt sweetness would be welcome.

This beer is light and effervescent. It's almost soda-like. Fairly dry, a bit of a slick feel, lasting sensation of tartness.

It's a good beer but one dimensional. Clearly fruit- driven which was apparently the goal. I'm feeling 3.8 or so here. Good beer, but lacking complexity and not as fun as some other Allagash wild ales.

 

Up next is the single-hop Strata IPA from Burlington Beer Co, Enchanted Runes!



Yes that is the box for the HG Blazing Gundam 1/144 model kit in the back there... I just finished all of its limbs and will be doing the custom stuff soon; will attach a finished photo at the end of this post! I've been getting even more into the Gunpla building hobby over the last couple weeks and have a few I'm really proud of, plus I bought my first RG (real-grade, aka super-detailed/difficult) Gunpla earlier today... extremely excited!

This beer is 6.4% ABV and it was canned on 5/23/22. Pour is slightly less dull looking than some modern NEIPAs with a brighter, more-vibrant orange tone. Head is restrained but decent, though the lace is sheet-like and very consistent and legs are wonderful so overall I think I would give this a high score for appearance.

Nose is probably the most accurate to the initial Strata olfactory descriptor I remember reading when this hop first started garnering its well-deserved popularity: "passion fruit meets pot." Yep, that is exaaaaactly what I'm smelling here! Has the juicy and "sweaty" tropical note of passion fruit combined with the powerful dankness of ground cannabis flower. Slight herbal and guava-like aspects also make themselves known, along with some light touches of citrus and grassiness but overall, yeah, "passion fruit meets pot" is an incredibly-apt description.

Flavor is as expected; juicy, complex layers of mango, guava, passion fruit, dank grassy overtones, and light hints of graininess are seamlessly combined in a very well-composed way. This is one of those single-hop IPAs that is at once very straightforward and also very complex, which I always enjoy. It would be right at home as an "enjoy by the pool" refreshing-type IPA for the Summer, but it also has enough going on that it speaks for itself and welcomes contemplation. Feel is a bit more prickly than some softer NEIPAs, but I prefer it this way because the hop is a little more pronounced in that type of context, which helps it feel supported and defined by their usage instead of just being "an IPA that happens to feature Strata hops." Recommended!

Picture time...






(before making the shiny death foot)

 

I'd been looking with great envy at how West coast BAs regard the output of this brewery until my daughter came through with a Christmas present. Today was Father's day so why not.

Whoever does the blending of this really knows their craft because this is very refreshing in taste and mouthfeel. It doesn't feel complex so much as very easy to drink; probably dangerously so if I wasn't planning on remaining relatively stationary. I wish I had additional bottles to age because I think cellaring might do very interesting things but that's for some lucky soul to discover on his/her own. I'm just glad I had this. Sláinte.

 

Happy Fathers Day, BAs!
This weekend's new beer is Shuck It: an oyster stout from Big Oyster Brewery in Lewes, DE. I get roasted malts, a bit of brine, and dark chocolate. Mouthfeel is clean and dry. Finish is slightly bitter. I honestly prefer a little more body and sweetness in a stout, but YMMV.

Purchased at Banks Wines & Spirits in Millville, DE - highly recommended if you're in the area.

 

Zipline Brewing Co ( Omaha ) CloudLifter Hazy IPA, 7.0% ABV; 3.41 overall

Pours a hazed gold with one finger of beige head. Near zero head retention & lacing

S: Green melon, faint citrus & & wet cereal notes

T: Follows the nose, some dryness & lime notes up front. White grapes, pears, wet cereal notes & dryness, just a little grapefruit as this warms. Grapefruit picks up strength in the finish, along with dryness & a little grassyness

MF: Medium body, moderate carbonation, okay balance

Drinkable, but not memorable, glad I only bought one

 

Thought I posted ^ review way sooner...

Melvin ( Eureka ) Switch Board Necraton New England IPA, 7.0% ABV; 3.73 overall

Pours a hazed gold with fast falling beige head. Zaro head retention & lacing

S: Peaches, passion fruit

T: Follows the nose, some green melon as well. A little pineapple & lime, plus green melon once warm. Finishes dry-ish with lime, green melon & passion fruit

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation, good balance. Carbonation picks up a bit as it warms up

Easy to drink, but middling for the style

 

What’s the story with the shiny death foot?

 

Good evening NBW and Happy Father's Day to those who fit the bill.

Enjoying a rare imported indulgence tonight

J.W. Lees Harvest Ale aged in Calvados casks

275mL bottle with cap code L0648 and 2008 on the front label poured into a snifter glass at just above fridge temp 11.5% ABV. The beer pours a muddy medium brown color only a hint of head that never fully spanned the glass. After two minutes there are a couple handfuls of bubbles around the edge. The aroma is mild with prune juice, old book leather and a hint of oxidation. There's a hint of sweetness and raisin as well. The taste is sweet up front with caramel, boozey apple, dark fruits before a kiss of oak and old leather show up to dry things up a bit and offer balance. Negligible bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium plus bodied with barely any carbonation and a finish that charges to the point of cloying before stopping dead with drying oak. No trace of the ABV in the aroma or taste. Overall, excellent.

Cheers all!

 

Was happy to pick this up in Missouri

 

You act like there's something extraordinary about a 15.6% ABV beer.



Every now and again, Three Floyds exceeds their "It's Not Normal" tagline. That beer is one of those instances, IMHO.

 

I had a great Father’s Day evening. My wife, who had to work most of the day, made some top tier fajitas for supper and a favourite of mine for dessert: pineapple upside down cake.

I managed to have two excellent new beers as well. Here they are:

First up is Human Robot Czech 10* courtesy of @jonphisher.



Pours a bright effervescent, slightly cloudy gold with ample head that dissipates fairly quickly. Lovely lacing as the beer disappears.

The aromas are great here. Bready malt dominates, but there is an underlying grassy, hoppy thing going on as well. Enticing.

The taste follows. Light cereal notes with a stronger grassy punch and crisp, almost spicy finish. Really good.

The body is light and the beer has a clean quick finish.

This was an excellent lager. I need more Human Robot in my belly. Thanks Jon, I really enjoyed this one.

And, for dessert was this excellent pastry stout. I’m not a big pastry stout person. When I like them they tend to have a restrained sweetness, and well integrated add-junks. This one ticked both boxes. Plus, it was aptly named for the day; I’m a dad, and I did make breakfast this morning!!

American Solera BA Dad’s Makin’ Breakfast.



Pours a thick motor oil black. Very thick. Slightly off putting if I’m honest. A tiny head formed on a very vigorous pour, but retreated quickly.

The nose is full. Maple, sweet creamed coffee, vanilla and an underlying barrel note play together very nicely. Sweetness suggested.

The sip provides confirmation of the nose. Well integrated vanilla, coffee and maple sit gently on top of a nice warming bourbon barrel booziness. Sweet, but appropriately so. I think i can handle the bottle on my own.

Thick, mouth enveloping body. Not syrupy though. Not quite a still beer, but not far off either.

This was a top-of-the-line pastry/dessert/breakfast stout. I’m glad I have a few more American Solera BA stouts in the cellar to try after having had this one.

Cheers and Happy Father’s Day!!

 

Have a good Fathers day Sunday. I slept until evening, but was up until 6AM or so after a 5 mile hike yesterday. I will facetime my dad in a bit. He is the whole reason I was able to move down to NC. I will probably slide some thank you money, I still owe him for my Galaxy smartphone 2 years ago lol.

Anyways, this philly steak from Rodys tavern was dope. I overheated it a bit too much, but the cheese was really gooey and the veggies were perfectly tender. I think that will be our go to spot for a long day of hiking Owls Roost.


Picked this up in Tustin At Bradley's. Pizza Port Bacon & Eggs. Great fluffy head retention and spotty soapy lacing. This is amazing! Aromas and flavors of big nutty medium roasted coffee, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, toast, biscuit, dark bread/crust, blueberry, dark fruit, wood, pepper, pine, herbal, grass, light smoke/char, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate pine, herbal, roast, charred bitterness on the finish. Wonderful nose on the coffee and fruity Ethiopian/Guatemalan coffee characteristics. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; very creamy/bready malts, some sticky hops, chalky char/roast, and silkiness in the mouthfeel. Lingering resin and chalky drying, with no cloying/acrid/astringency. Mild warmth of 8%. Very smooth and very American on style. Really great showcase of aforementioned sourced coffees. A lot fruiter than I expected, but still plenty of rich malt complexity and a nice bitter/drying semi hoppy finish. 4.32


Cheers

 

New Belgium L'Amour En Cage Wild Ale, 7.5% ABV; 4,21 overall, where are rolaids?

Pours a very effervescent honey color with instantly disappearing beige head. Viscous, zero head retention

S: Vinegar, apple skins

T: Tart & sour apples with a little lemon & salt up front, plus much acidity. As this beer wars, acidity & oaky dryness dominate, along with Golden Delicious Apples & salt. Finishes so tart, oaky dry & acidic, but also a little sweet apple

MF: Medium body, brisk carbonation that goes subtle very quickly, pretty acidic; tongue buckling

I am so happy this is a a 375 mL bottle. I appreciate these beers, just not really built for them any more

 

Feeling a little lazy and not doing a full review, but will still share my thoughts on Human Robot Stone House Morning. Really enjoying the balance of maple, coffee and dark chocolate, getting some hints of dark fruits. This is very easy drinking for 11.5% ABV.

Cheers!

 

Received in the wildness that is the NBW BIF #15. From @Beersnake1 IIRC.
Very interesting beer, I was more fascinated with the brewer’s choices than I enjoyed it, and I really enjoyed it. But it also really made me think!
Poured black, very black and topped with a light brown head that didn’t hang around long. No lacing either, but that’s not really an issue for me.
The aroma was coffee and malts and a wiff of maple syrup.
The taste rather follows; most stouts with those adjuncts are sweet first and coffee later. This one definitely has coffee foremost, char and roasted malts with just a hint of sweetness.
The feel was excellent, very nice sipper and just viscous enough for the style.
OA, I enjoyed it and think that it’s pretty amazing they featured the coffee and it’s bitterness and use the maple syrup in a minor role.

 

Stopped at Central Waters (Amherst)Taproom earlier today and drank plenty of new beers to me there. Bought versus cans, crowlers and bottles for home.
And I am a drinking one now:
Ode: Rye Lager
tested from a 16oz can bought at the Amherst tap room. Brewed in Milwaukee
Look: rather transparent light gold body. Ok white head the hangs on for a while leaving plenty of lacing.
Smell: Bread, hint of yeast and floral and maybe rye, not strong aroma wise.
taste: Bread, floral, hint of citrus/lemon. Then the rye comes on just before the finish and hangs for a while in the aftertaste. The Rye spice is not strong. Slightly Sweet at first then turns bitter on the finish.
Feel is good, slightly malty, soft feel to it. Has some carbonation in it.
3.92/5
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/652/597202/
https://untappd.com/b/central-waters-brewing-company-ode-rye-lager/4773549