New Beer Weekend #11

Today's first beer is courtesy of @FBarber. Can't remember if it was a ninja box or a LIF from the last BIF (9 months ago I had no idea what any of those things were). Regardless, Frank sent me several bottles from Keeping Together, a brewery I was not familiar with. Turns out that Averie Swanson who brewed at Jester King for 6 years started this up when she moved to Chicago last fall. If this beer is any indication, the beer world is better for it. I was really impressed by this. Thankfully I have the whole 750ml to myself. Thanks, Frank!

4.31/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Hill Farmstead stem glass at fridge temp. Beautiful beer. Bright, clear and effervescent. It's the head that's the standout here. Tons of thick, ivory colored head that lasts and lasts and lasts. I poured this 5-10 minutes ago and there's still a finger's worth of head. Very inviting appearance. Smell is somewhat restrained with hints of pineapple and flowers. Taste is really nice. Crisp, clean & just the right amount of funky. This may not make any sense, but I'm picking up some smokey biscuits. Not sure what that is, probably just the funk, but it adds a cool dimension. Medium carb and a nice dry finish. This is a wonderfully done saison.

 

Happy Sunday everyone, hope everything is doing well! Starting my day with SARA All Mammals Play Rustic Pilsner, thanks @Dimidiata!
4.39/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Thank you Dimidiata for this
16 oz can, dated 8/20/20, poured into a mug

A- A fairly clear golden straw with a small white head.

S- Pilsner malts, some toasted sweet bread, herbal, floral.

T- Pilsner malts, touch of roasted malts, sweet bread, hints of pears, floral, a little herbal, faint touch of lemons.

M- Smooth, crisp, light body.

O- An excellent Pilsner, well balanced and easy to drink.

Think it might be a lager heavy day, cheer!

 

Next up for me is Fall Coffee Stout by Maine Beer Company. 5.6% ABV. Hey, I think this is the first non pale ale I have had from the brewery



Pours a dark black color, not opaque, with some ruby brown around the edges A dense beige head rises to over two fingers with excellent retention. Plenty of lace left behind.
The nose up front is more dark fruits of plums and raisin. Though you have to let this warm, cause that is when the light roast, coffee, and bitter bakers chocolate comes in.
Tastes is that dark fruit flavor of plums up front again, that almost leaves a bit of acidity behind. Coffee is there, as well as the roasted malt flavor but both are more subtle. Bitter bakers chocolate lingers on. Once this warms up, the malt flavors pop more, but everything is always in balance. I'm really enjoying this.
A medium body and moderate carbonation. Though this is silky smooth. Downed in big gulps, I can come back to this with ease.

There are very few coffee stouts and porters that I have been enjoying lately. As most have become over done and unbalanced. Which just comes off as burnt black coffee to me. There always needs to be balance, and this is a wonderful example of that. Well done, and not surprising from this brewery.

Score is 4.19
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/20681/366017/?ba=champ103#review

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

I had a dream last night about visiting the family cemetery, half way between New Ulm and Sleepy Eye. The flag there was in horrible shape so I replaced it in the dream. There were other flag poles that were new so I also added some political flags to them, in the dream, with the approval of my fellow Cemetery board members.

I took that as a sign to take a road trip there today. I spent a bit of time at my dad's grave. I also picked up, and fixed the flag on my uncle's grave. I also spent some time at my grandparents, great-great grandparents, and 3x great grandparents grave.

Oh, the flag was just fine, and in real life, only one flag pole.

Now, I am making a stop just south of New Ulm at Lost Sanity Brewing in Madelia , MN.

I am really digging their Oktoberfest beer.
https://m.imgur.com/gallery/Q2o6qH8
O-Fest from Lost Sanity Brewing. 5.8% ABV

I do like Oktoberfest beers, but tend to be a low rater of them. Maybe it's because it's more of a mellow flavor. Well, this one isn't mello. The malt hits hard here. Just tons of caramel that is so tasty.

I love it.

Review link

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/52365/511238/

I am sure there will be more here. I love this place.


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Just home from our #2 sons wedding, nice simple event, happy for them both.
Enjoying a Kolsch with a tangerine addition, I like the deftness of the fruit, it in no way masks the very solid base beer, Very drinkable and quite enjoyable.
Do good
Be well
Orange House

Kölsch | 5% ABV

Loophole Brewing
Holyoke, Massachusetts

3.97/5 rDev 0% | Average: 3.97
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a can with an unlegible date stamp, into the test glass
A - A slightly hazy, deep straw color. Carbonation is relatively gentle, managing a nice white froth to start. With time a solid ring of collected carbonation hangs on the glass wall.
S - Tangerine up front, sweet malts , hints of grassy hops, with a yeasty thread in there as well.
T - Solid malt backbone, with again a very nice yeast component, the Tangerine aspect plays a supporting role.
M - Medium in body, soft water profile, nice aspect to this offering, the tangerine adds a nice citrus element with a touch of acidity.
O - A very well done take on the Kolsch, the brewers got the yeast kiss, the malts, and an overall vibrant feel.

 

Out of the gate today is Hoppin' Frog's the Ohio Turbo Shandy, 7%



Can dated best by Sept 2 2023 into an imperial tulip pint glass.

L: Pours moderately translucent red with nearly 2 fingers of medium-high density eggshell white head with good retention sbdc left no lacing.

S: Potent cherry and mixed citrus.

T: Follows the nose well. First sip the cherry tasted substantially artificial, subsequent sips not so much. Finishes with plenty of acidity and mild astringency.

F: Low-medium bodied with high carbonation, tongue tingles from acidity and carbonation.

O: Probably my least favorite of their Turbo Shandy variants that I've tried to date. Still a somewhat interesting pairing that I'm glad I got to try. Would not seek out another though.

BA score = 3.89, rDev = -2.8%

 

King Julius in my HF Balloon Glass, one glass I rarely use because I break shit. These I can’t replace.

Perfect abv for the style at 8.2. There’s not much I can add that hasn’t been said about this beer, and I’m certainly not a wordsmith. But simply a very enjoyable beer to sip on watching the Cowboys get stomped on a bit. I understand where the high rating come from and I’d agree it’s easily in that 4,7 range. I did zero research, no idea what kinda hops, or additions, I looked at no ratings until after I finished it. Really just a great beer with more than a bit of finesse. Definitely checked off a big want.
@WunderLlama

 

Totally Topaz from Fremont.

32oz crowler served in a big snifter. Bought it at the brewery a couple days ago, says it was filled on the 29th.

Pours a nice clear golden color with a big head. Smell is piney with a whiff of pineapple.

Taste is a nice mix of bitterness, grainy/honey sweetness.

Mouthfeel is light and clean. Overall, nice, solid IPA. I'm enjoying it.

 

Rinse And Repeat Galaxy IPA from Westbrook

A very pleasant day in the eighties here and a juicy Galaxy IPA to enjoy. Not unusual to see Westbrook IPA's at three weeks to a month after canning.
This beer is quite hazy, on the tan side of golden. Two fingers of mixed white carbonation, with curtains and a full surface cap. Assertive citrus and yeast aromas. The flavor incorporates a spicy vegetal pepper along with the citrus and light grass. Smooth, medium feel with light hop tingle up front. Consistent carbonation and dry finish. Good beer from a great series.

 

New Anthem Kill The Headlights

Look: It pours totally opaque with a 2-inch head made up of bubbles of unequal size. Nonetheless, the head retention is above average.

Nose: Satsuma, ripe citrus, and very juicy indeed.

Taste: Very nicely balanced upfront but the bitterness outlasts the sweet flavors and lingers.

Mouthfeel: Thick and tongue coating with low carbonation levels. Very pleasant.

This is overall a great beer, both complex and easy to drink.

Many thanks for this beer to brentk56.

 

Pours a nice light amber color with a nice head and lacing
Aroma has citrus and piney hints
The taste follows the nose with citrus and piney flavors
A medium bodied well carbonated beer
A good IPA

 

Unknown to us at the time, the puppy injured his neck wrestling with one of the big dogs. After crying through the night we took him to the 24 hour vet clinic in El Paso. Fortunately it is all soft tissue involvement, so we're feeding him pain relievers and muscle relaxants.
My new beer today is Pumpkin Noir from Marble Brewery in Albuquerque. 8.0% ABV and Best By 01/12/21.
Black in color. Big fluffy tan head with good retention. Some lace.
Aroma of chocolate, roasted pumpkin, spice.
Chocolate, roasted pumpkin taste. Cinnamon and nutmeg.
Medium-bodied. I didn't think I'd like it as much as I did.

 

Round 2 at Lost Sanity Brewing.

https://m.imgur.com/gallery/KfiA5eR
O-Fest with Pumpkin Spice

Ok, take their Oktoberfest, which I loved, and add pumpkin spice to it.

Oh, man, the caramel and the pumpkin spices are just killer here. I am in heaven with this beer.

Review link

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/52365/511246/

This will be it from here, but there might be more when I get home in a few hours.

 

Pours a light golden color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has citrus and piney hints
The taste follows the nose with a citrus and piney flavor
A light bodied well carbonated beer
A good Lager

 

Goose Island oktoberfest
...clear dark amber color
..around a medium body with about the same for carbonation.
..aroma is caramel, sweet doughy bread, malt
...taste is sweet doughy bread,malt,caramel,some honey
...overall it was a flavorful beer that I could easily have had a few in a row. Went well with food

 

Moving to Sand City Abend Wind Oktoberfest, thanks @EMH73.
4.12/5 rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thank you EMH73 for this
16 oz can poured into into a mug

A- A fairly forest amber with a two finger off white head.

S- Toasted malts, sweet bread, some caramel malts, floral.

T- Toasted beard, some caramel malts, hints of fruits, floral, herbal.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- A tasty Oktoberfest, easy to drink.

Cheers!

 

The last "new to me" fresh hop beer in my beer fridge (for now anyway). Citra Slicker, a collaboration between Bale Breaker over in the Yakima Valley and Cloudburst here in Seattle.

My preliminary review:

4.04/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16oz can (canned 9/24/2020) into a tulip. Pours a crystal clear golden/straw color with a 1-finger loose white head.

Aroma is somewhat muted hops, not the citrusy burst I was hoping for. There's Citra, but I'm also detecting some Simcoe and/or Centennial. According to Bale Breaker's description of this beer, I am mistaken about this.

Taste is a blend of clean pale malt and bright Citra hops. Plenty of citrus juice, orange and grapefruit with some lively pineapple acidity that tingles on the palate. Finishes nicely bitter but not resinous.

Mouthfeel is balanced, medium bodied, with a good clean finish. Fresh water.

Overall a solid fresh hop IPA. Perhaps not my favorite from the season, but certainly worth trying.

 

Congratulations, Dad!