New Beer Weekend #119

For every one of the many stout tastings we had over the years we made sure Speedway was always on hand, one of our favorites for sure. Excellent review that brought back fond memories. Cheers!

 

A ‘new’ old school IPA (or PA?)

3 Floyds started distributing their beers to Pennsylvania a few years ago (2019 maybe?) and when they first arrived those beers were fresh but quite pricey. Over the years I thought that maybe I should try them but at that point the beers were always old when I made the effort to take them off the shelf to check them out. Well, since Halloween is coming up the cans of Zombie Dust caught my eye and on a whim I pulled a six-pack of cans off the shelf to see they were fresh (canned 9/18/22); well less than 2 months for a distributed beer is fresh to my mind. I saw the high price but I decided to buy these beers for the Halloween season.



Below is how this beer is detailed on the 3 Floyds website:

“Zombie Dust

This intensely hopped and gushing undead Pale Ale will be one’s only respite after the zombie apocalypse. Created with our marvelous friends in the comic industry.

AVAILABLE: Year Round

Style: Pale Ale

IBU 62 ABV 6.5%”

There is no mention of hop variety(s) in the above verbiage but I did find a clone kit beer online which lists solely Citra hops. I am a fan of Citra hops in my homebrewing.

As can be seen above the folks of 3 Floyds categorize this beer as a Pale Ale but at 6.5% ABV and 62 IBUs this beer reads like an IPA to me.

Served in my Spiegelau IPA glass:

Appearance:

Medium golden yellow with an orange hue. A big fluffy white head.

Aroma:

Vibrant aromas of citrus and fruity (e.g., including tropical fruits).

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with a combination of citrus and fruity flavors. There is some maltiness to provide balance. There is a firm bitterness to this beer.

Mouthfeel:

This beer has a medium body with a dry finish.

Overall:

In one word: excellent!

Maybe the ‘best’ school is old school? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @RobH

 

Miss being able to get Speedway

 

Good morning BAs! This morning’s eye opener is from Northern Monk Brew Co., Leeds, UK - its once a year flagship imperial stout - “Death” (2022):





Poured at 54°. Black with ruby edges with some clarity under fizzy tan head; very little cap retention; thin ring, some soapy lace; residual island of micro dots; no legs. Sweet chocolate malt nose. Chocolate, Baker’s chocolate, dark stone fruit; some roasty bitterness on backend. Medium body; no warmth from 12% abv; moderate minus carbonation; not at all adjuncty - very clean feeling. Overall, great for a UK stout, but pretty tame for US standards; no hint of alcohol; not sweet nor boozy; pleasant light bitter roast linger.

4.25 | 3.75 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0
Score 3.96 rDev - 4.1%

I like this stout and will gladly drink again. Northern Monk is one of a handful of brewers I seek out when in England. Always solid. Cheers!

 

@Shanex
I had the Double Fudge Edition and the "Standard" Speedway Stout (black can) a few months ago, wonderful beers. I paid 8€ per can and I don't regret anything

Santé!

Now joining you for the first time here. I love traditional German beers and I haven't had any modern take that could compete with my all-time favorites.

Camba Bavaria Dunkel (Munich Dunkel 5.0% ABV)

0.5L bottle, best before 04/03/2023.

Appearance is simply beautiful. Huge white, slightly beige, head. This beer is bottle conditioned and it took 3 pours to get everything into the glass. Perfect mahagony color, turning more into red while holding against the light.



1st pour with a really huge and thick head



After 5 minutes I managed to get something like this. Really thick and stable head.

Aroma is quite disappointing - black bread, cherries, red berries, pepper and a little bit chocolate. Touching some elements of red wine in the aroma. Not bad but also not very intensive and not what I was expecting.

Taste is quite nice with red berries, black bread and a little bit more of what I love in those beers - roasty malt flavors. Definitely getting more of chocolate, caramel and also a hint of smoke.

Medium bodied with a lively carbonation.

Overall it's a mediocre Dunkel at best and just confirms my initial doubts:
Traditional breweries in Germany brew average modern styles and modern breweries brew average traditional styles.
I had a few Camba Bavaria beers and I think they are doing a better job for the modern/fancy styles.

Prost!

 

ZD is a beer that DOES NOT age well. To your point, Jack, fresh is definitely better with that beer. If you see it with a package date less than 2 weeks, grab it and run to the register like you're stealing it. I've been lucky enough to buy it one day after packaging, and it is ..... sublime. That was a few years back, when you could only purchase it at the brewery.

Now it's available EVERYWHERE, and it's on the shelves at my local with a package date of 8/2/22 (that was on Wednesday 10/26/22). I haven't purchased it at the brewery in a long time, I should check the next time I'm there and see if it's close to fresh.

 

Thanks for joining the fun, I love seeing the German beers @Snowcrash000 posts about. Now we have double the Germans!!

The only German dunkel we reliably get here is hofbrau munchen and ayinger. My favorite local brewery makes one I love though throughout fall, just picked up more last night.

 

I would be surprised if I ever find it that fresh but I am happy to report that at less than 6 weeks from canning the beer is still drinking very well. The remaining beers are in my refrigerator and cold storage will aid in keeping this beer in good condition over the next week(s) as I drink the remaining beers.

If beer is continuously stored cold that really helps the beer to maintain freshness. Lawson's seems to demand that retailers store their beers cold; my local Retail Beer Distributor solely stores Lawson's cold. It would behoove other breweries to make similar demands.

We get periodic drops of beer from The Alchemist (e.g., Heady Topper) and those beers are always stored cold; they sell out very quickly (often the same day the retailer receives it).

Cheers!

 

Are Hofbrauhaus Freising beers available in your area? If so I recommend their Dunkel to you:



https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-sunday-week-729.605232/#post-6376442

It has been a few years since I have seen this beer in my area (Philly area). I seem to recall that Michael (@TongoRad) posted that they are still imported/distributed in the NYC area.

 

Tonight is the Zombie Walk in the downtown plaza. We're taking the grandkids. The older one will be a zombie rabbit and the younger one will go as a zombie ballplayer. After the walk the zombies will do the Thriller dance. Should be fun.
My new beer is Cerna Dira, a Czech dark lager from Woods Boss Brewing Company.
The beer is a dark brown color with some redness around the periphery. Small tan head.
Chocolate aroma, grain.
Taste of chocolate, toast.
Light-bodied, easy to drink.

 

That is around from time to time but not as reliably available as the other two. I tried to track down some ettaler kloster dunkel but closest spot is like 20 mins, little too far for me.

 

Oh, I have a couple Rauchbier, Kölsch, Gose, Berliner Weisse, Broyhan. Some of them are great, most of them are disgusting. Obv only from my personal perspective ^^

 

Thanks for kicking things off today @Shanex , loved your take on a variant of a longtime classic, looking forward to your other reviews from the new beers you've picked up. Also nice to see @JackHorzempa 's first crack on a long time favorite.

I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum today, with a beer new to the public as of this Thursday with the brewery draft release of this beer which will be a year-round beer for Revolution Brewery in 2023.

Revolution Infinity-Hero



Can Notes: Canned 10/20/22 bright and early at 6:41:58, comped six pack at Revolution's 10 Year Anti-Hero Anniversary Celebration. 7% ABV per Untapped.

Appearance: Bronze copper lightly murky base, generous egg-white head lingers a few minutes before leaving nominal lacing. Light to mild carbonation sustained throughout. 3.75

Aroma: Pine leads followed by grapefruit and citrus. Fruit flavors contained by a pleasant dankness which lords over all. 4.25

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, old school WCIPA vibes with a dank piney flavor leading, backed by grapefruit and citrus. Everything comes together well, light and easy packed with flavor. Really enjoying. 4.5

Mouthfeel: Dank, dry and bitter, all in a measured way which should be approachable for most IPA drinkers. Drinks lighter than the 7% ABV, fruit flavors contained with a dank pine. Easy clean finish. 4.5

Overall: The brewery introduced this as a modern take on the WCIPA, but it leans mostly in the old school WCIPA camp for me, so I'm digging it. Will complement, not replace, my Anti-Hero stash once it's a regular release. Glad I have more in the refrigerator. 4.25

Heard mixed takes on this, but no "Jolly Rancher Watermelon" vibes on my end. As always, our palates are unique, so crack open a new beer, and enjoy on your terms.

See you tomorrow!

 

You beat me to it. I was considering asking @Shanex if he was always a fan of Rauchbier.

I am personally 'hit or miss' when it comes to Rauchbier. I tend to enjoy them when the smoke character is more like campfire smoke. I am not a fan of Rauchbier when it has a meaty quality.

If I am at a brewery's taproom (or craft beer bar) and they have a Rauchbier on tap I will request a sample pour before committing to ordering a pint.

Cheers!

 

I will definitely be on the look out for this beer once 2023 comes!

 

I bought a single of Bell's Christmas Ale. Anyone familiar with it?

 

Howdi Dave. How has the mushroom bounty been? Good to hear your virtual voice and Speedway is always perfect!

 

That does indeed sound like fun.

Even professional football players do the dance: