New Beer Weekend #118

Social Project Brewing ( Bentonville ) Mysterious Ways 3X Hazy IPA, 10.0% ABV; 4.27 overall

Pours a very hazed gold with a thumb of cream colored head. Good head retention & lacing

S: Smells like Orange Juice, some tropical fruit as well. Nose stays strong all the way through

T: Oranges, pineapple, also a touch of coconut up front. Oranges, tangerine & pineapple as this beer warms, a touch of dryness as well. Finishes with pineapple & oranges and some dryness & just a little lime

MF: Medium body, moderate carbonation, good balance

Very easy to drink for the ABV, nice juicy take on the style

 

Welcome to New Beer Sunday #922! Had this for 10 days, was hard to wait through two weekends to try this new take on one of my favorite year round beers.

I don't believe this was a brewery only release at one point (or a "Hero In Training" they issued for a while but that I haven't seen lately) prior to this distributed release. Unlike the Garrett Popcorn Brown Ale, this did not make it out of the State of Illinois.

Revolution Imperial Anti-Hero



Can Notes: Four Pack 16 oz cans $15.52 with tax purchased refrigerated at the Revolution Brewery, refrigerated at home until cracking open today. Canned 10/4/22 bright and early at 5:48:29 AM. Imperial India Pale Ale, 10.0% ABV.

Appearance: Two primary separate pours into a shaker pint glass. Rich creamy egg white head lingers for several minutes before leaving significant clumpy lacing in its wake. Creamy significant lacing remains over the base before my first sip. Crystal clear bronze caramel base features mild but persistent carbonation throughout. 4.5

Aroma: Pine and citrus lead, dankness present as well. Aroma mild in strength, but enticing. 4.0

Taste: Full rush of rubbing alcohol is the first impression. Pine is the primary flavor gleamed. Not getting a huge malt presence like I sometimes find with imperial IPAs, but this amped up pure alcohol flavor and sensation is something to which I am not accustomed. Nearing the 1/3 point, and the pure alcohol sensation has lessoned, shifting to a pure pine backed by malt flavor. 3.5

Mouthfeel: Creamy rich full bodied. Mild but persistent carbonation throughout. Drinks well above the 10% ABV, balanced especially for an Imperial IPA, though the pure alcohol flavor is intimidating and to start with unpleasant. No lingering aftertaste. 4.25

Overall: My fears of a malt bomb were alleviated. That said, the heavy alcohol attacks like a machine run sledgehammer against your skull, first with the heavy rubbing alcohol taste, and once that shifts to a very strong alcohol impact. I do appreciate the pine and bitterness, but this offering would benefit from more flavor coming through. I typically prefer a standard IPA to the Imperial version, and this is no exception. However, this is typically due to a heavy malt presence which this beer gives hints at but is otherwise balanced, but the beer could use a better balance in terms of incorporating and highlighting flavors as opposed to crashing my skull with an pure alcohol flavor and impact. Can handle heavy alcohol beers, but this one is not as enjoyable as the ones I prefer, be it an IPA, BA stout, or other style. Enter the sandman is my primary takeaway. 3.5

Musical inspirations.

Men At Work - Overkill

Metallica - Enter the Sandman

 

Noon Whistle/Binnys collaboration, No Sleep Til Bardstown a BA Imperial stout coming in at 12.2%
4.02/5 rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thick'n chewy looking, very dark brow, nice tan head that faded quickly but left behind a nicely laced glass. Bourbon is a bit upfront, chocolate, tobacco, taste is similar. Smooth and creamy, easy drinker, but became a bit too sweet as it warmed.

 

That is awesome you're drinking this beer. Trade or Tavour? I tried regular Cremo and Cremo Dark when i was in Connecticut, loved the concept and the beers. I didn't try this one though, had a chance to buy a single and wish I did.

 

My family lives up there and my cousin lives right by the brewery, I will visit next time I'm up there. I tried a few of their other beers, Alvarium, and they were very good. I'm looking forward to next time I'm up there.

 

Unita Peppermint Patty Pastry Stout, 8.5% ABV; 3.82 overall

Pours an effervescent chestnut with a sliver of tan head. Some head retention & lacing

S: Very thin mint, stays strong

T: Follows the nose, a touch of iron, some dryness from the lactose up front. More lactose dryness as this warms, mint & a little Baker's Chocolate. Finishes dry, minty, with a little chocolate

MF: Medium body, moderate carbonation, body thins out as it warms

Had higher hopes for this, not bad, but I don't believe this is a repeat buy. The body was a big let down

 

Festbier by Notch Brewing, almost new, I'm the 2nd reviewer. Prost.



4.31/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
An easy pour from a 16-oz. can released a finger of creamy white foam with some large bubbles that became rocky as it slowly shrunk. Dark yellow-straw color that shows golden in bright light, clear with small rising bubbles.

Bold smell of bread, bread dough and wheaty cracker with mild floral/herbal hops.

Semi-sweet with medium-low bitterness and some toast, bready malt leads the taste as in the smell. A hint of apple juiciness tries for sweetness and contributes to the crispness. The taste is uniform until the finish where it dries too neutral. Bitterness rises to medium and lingers during the somewhat long aftertaste.

Medium-light body with soft and lasting carbonation. Balanced and smooth, alcohol is very well hidden. If Festbier is meant to be quaffable with an above average ABV then Notch has nailed it again.

Canned On 09/01/22

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Sippers and commentators. It really feels like Fall today. Cloudy and cool - not indian summer like yesterday. Perfect weather for an English Barleywine: Kane Brewing's Stacking Casks Blend #8. This is the 2022 release. It's quite a brew: an Oatwine aged in Willett Bourbon barrels for 35 months, then blended with a Rye Barleywine aged in a Woodford Reserve Straight Malt Whiskey barrel for 39 months. If that weren't enough, the blend was then finished in a single 500L Louis Royer XO Cognac puncheon for an additional three months. It's crazy good and the 14% ABV is amazingly well-hidden. No way I'm going to finish this monster.

Poured at 52°. It's a muddy, dark cola color. The half finger of foamy, light mocha-colored head fizzled away very quickly leaving no lacing. The smell is rich with toffee, raisin, plum, brown sugar, red wine grape, a whiff of oak, and strong bourbon and rye. Initially, the taste is incredibly sweet and complex. The bourbon and rye are noticeable in the first sip but the barrel sweetness is accentuated by the fruity taste of raisin/fig and brown sugar. But that's just the beginning. The Royer XO Cognac adds musty notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, oak, leather, tobacco, and a hint of pear. Every time I sip it I taste something different. As it breathes in the glass the initial, almost cloying, sweetness gives way to more refined dryness on the palate. Its mouth feel is thick and plush - not quite syrupy but with lots of body. The 14% ABV is warming but amazingly subtle. I barely notice it at first but after a few sips the alcohol level is undeniable. Overall, this English Barleywine is truly a masterpiece.

My rating hit the average precisely. That wasn't intentional; I don't have the math skills to do so.

4.57/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This will be my only review today; after this I need an IPA to cleanse my palate. Have a great week everyone. Cheers, NBW!

 

My moms whole family grew up, and most still live in Farmington. Is this one of those said cities, or just far enough out that it isn’t?

I love that area so much.

 

All right, back for my final round of this NBW:


Impersonator - Doppelbock - Boathouse Brothers - Prior Lake, MN - 7.6% ABV

I'm quite happy with this beer. Yeah, the nose is lacking, but the flavor is quite good and full.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/52465/626255/


3.92/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark brown pouring with a 3 finger tan head. The head looks soft and fluffy, with tiny bubbles. The retention is pretty good, but there's very little lacing.
Very faint hints of malts, and slight caramel.
Taste - This beer has a decent amount of chocolate malts in here. There's some caramel and a faint hint of hops that come on the backside. There's also a faint creamy flavor.
The body seems pretty full. Slightly creamy feeling.
This is delicious.


All right, I'm going to end it with beer, but I'll see you all next weekend. Cheers!!!

 

Endolith

13.6% bourbon barrel aged English style Barleywine from Jackie O’s

Poured from a 12.7 ounce bottle, the body pours a dark mahogany brown. Little initial head and no lacing throughout the tasting.

The nose is a delightful sweet bourbon. The taste follows nose but with an amplification of the aroma: more sweet bourbon and added depth of fig and dark fruit notes. The taste is sweet that never gets to cloying. Some barrel fans may find this one crosses that line. My preference is for English style and so bourbon sweetness is a virtue. The wolf in sheep’s clothing is the 13.6% is fully masked.

Mouthfeel is heavy bourbon, little carbonation and the palate is coated with bourbon and dark fruit goodness.

Overall a fabulous Barleywine for the bourbon fan that is straight forward. Methinks Bourbon County fans would enjoy this one.

 

Whoa!

That "unknown glassware" and your adroit pouring skills created a heck of a standing head for that beer!!

Cheers!