New Beer Weekend #122

Beautiful pour right there @SABERG ill try and return fire shortly.

 

Ive likely some driving to do a little later and the snow is coming down hard at the moment. So, here is a N/A IPA from Bellwoods. Bellwoods has made some pretty good low ABV beers in the past, so I have high hopes.



A Non-Alc IPA V.1 Cascade. from Bellwoods.

Pours a light hazy straw yellow with light head. No lacing to speak of.

Minimal aroma. Light citrus perhaps. Difficult to get much.

This is very light in flavour. A hint of fruit and herbs.

Very light bodied, bordering on watery.

This is not as good as their low ABV beers that I’ve had before. Stay Classy at 2.9% and even the aptly named .98% were more beer like. This is fine, but really light. This is version 1. Version 2 has several hops used. I’m looking forward to taste the difference.

 

Ramstein used to be the gold standard for North Jersey Marzens but I think Bull n Bear’s VonAlbrecht has clearly supplanted it.

 

Solera Fest by American Solera



4.12/5 rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Can received in BIF 16 from @russpowell , poured into a Seidel it produces a craggy rocky off-white three finger foam caps over a copper colored clear liquid with numerous active micro carbonation streams

Aroma is toasted malts, ready

Taste is hop forward with a bitterness ahead of the typical malty sweetness

Sudsy , gentle hop bite lingers on the finish

Good beer

 

Greetings fellow NBSers!! A clear, chilly late autumn day here in the Fourth Corner. Watching the news the last few days from old home of Upstate NY serves as a stark reminder as to why I moved out here 22 years ago. Stay safe and warm homies!

Starting out my day with a hit from @beergoot and NBS BIF #16, Perle Haggard Pils from PDX and Corrales NM, which is where my can came from: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35612/334458/

 

Prison City Brewing Riot In Vermont 7.2% NEIPA.

One of my favorite NY state breweries for IPA'S. Beers are usually fresh,easy to find, and they have a nice selection of IPA'S in the 6.5% to 7.5% ABV range.

Pretty cloudy appearance with some floaties.
Medium body with nice creamy mouthfeel.
Taste is mostly oranges and melon with hint of berries and earthy hops. Very little sweetness.
Finish is nice; slightly tingly with semi- bitter oranges and melons.

 

Welcome to New Beer Sunday #926!

Pulling out a suburban brewed lager by Hidden Hand, created by the owners of Solemn Oath, both brewing out of their Naperville facility.

Chicago has 100s of neighborhoods. "The 77" refers to community areas created by researchers in Hyde Park at the University of Chicago a century ago. Today transplants typically use these names, some of which actually denote neighborhoods and others typically limited to Real Estate agents. For example, I grew up in what we called either St. Ladislaus (parish), Belmont Central (intersection) or Chopin Park. Nobody uttered "Belmont Cragin" beyond the library named Belmont Cragin located on Belmont Ave. a block west of Foreman High School and the WXRT (and later the WSCR) studios and radio antenna.

Anyhow, enough talk of Chicago, time for a beer, my first from this brewery.

Hidden Hand Brewing The 77




Can Notes: 16 oz can purchased 11/18 at store temperature at Beer on the Wall for $3.25 with tax. No canned date, social media release date 9/22/22. 4.0% ABV Lager. "Chicago-Style Beer". Brewed & Canned at Hidden Hand Brewing 1661 Quincy Ave. #179 Naperville, IL 60540. "Chicago Neighborhood".

This can contains genuine Hidden Hand beer, expertly brewed to our own exacting formula which calls for only the finest sun-ripened grain and hops. A reliable and original lager crafted in homage to this unbreakable fortress city forged together as a collection of 77 communities. Crisp, refreshing, and naturally carbonated. The preferred beer of Chicago.

Appearance: Multiple pours into a tall slender pilsner glass. Generous bright white head lingers for a minute or two before leaving a bright ring above the clear white yellow straw clear base. Burst of carbonation upon pouring slows to a trickle shorthly there after. 3.75

Aroma: Pepper, salt, cracker. Nobel hops represent. Enjoying. 4.0

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, slightly lighter in strength. A mellow mix of cracker and pepper. Nice, easy, light. 3.5

Mouthfeel: Light body, carbonation faintly noticed, slightly dry, crisp clean finish. 3.75

Overall: Overall this is a good lager, hits the expected notes, nothing fancy, just a nice, easy enjoyable lager by Hidden Hand. 3.75

I've enjoyed this break from heavy BA Stouts this weekend, will likely keep it light all week with the warmth returning here. There will be plenty of time to turn to the heavy hitters once the temps border on freezing. Have a great week, hope it is short workwise for most of you, and hope those in retail will survive the insanity.

 

Alright @SABERG here is my return fire...

Happy Sunday everyone, it is a windy and cool day here. I love this Sunday more than any other of the year, the week leading up to Thanksgiving is always one that I really enjoy. This is my only new beer of the day. There are so many classic beers that I have not had and this is one of them, it felt fitting on such a day. I'll be grilling later and the rest of the bottle will serve me well in the wind.

Samuel Smith - Oatmeal Stout



This is one of those beers that brings a smile to my face as I pour it, the pour is see through and then its black in the glass. The head that forms is very pretty to look at, light brown, dense with very good staying power; full sheets of lace. This beer is a looker...

Nose is a chalky, cocoa powder, some light roasted malts; reminds me of tootsie roll in dry wafer form.

The taste is much of the same dry cocoa, oats, little bit of roast; actually more prominent in the finish, light tootsie roll; much like Tadcaster I get an almost sort of twang on the finish. As it warms up there is a hint of smoke on the finish as well.

Light body, smooth, very drying on the tongue, carb is tongue coating but smooth and soft, some moderate bitter roast/char on the finish.

This beer is very good, it is smooth to the point of almost being creamy but it has roast and bitter chocolate to back it up; it goes down very easy and is a pleasure to look at. I love a good looking beer.

Cheers everyone, I will linger for sure and have a beer tonight but it will not be new. I look forward to a long weekend, I'm assuming, of new beers this coming week. Be well...see you all again soon.

 

Woodgrain Hero Franchise BBA Imperial Stout, 11.2% ABV. Pours black with no head. Nose is coffee, coconut, and cocoa. Taste follows, plus bourbon, quite sweet, faintly bitter. Poor mouthfeel with no carbonation. Overall very good. Disappointed, given the price, and don't appreciate having to spend 5+ minutes opening my beer.

4.02/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

After a cold-snap and lots of wind, we're heading into a 40+ degree week of "clean the rain-gutters and put up the Christmas lights" weather. Also getting some new appliances delivered, and having sheetrock fixed where some bonehead fell into a wall when pulling something heavy up the step on a cart, even broke a stud.

 

This very accurately describes my thoughts better than I have even beer able to. Of course TH, Monkish, Trillium etc is excellent, we are all aware. But to paraphrase your very detailed and comprehensive explanation; @Victory_Sabre1973 it’s not that our ratings are “too low”. It’s that others are rating “too high”.

 

Making my first entry a little late this weekend. Family get togethers and last minute hard work took up most of the day yesterday.

But never fear, @BBThunderbolt sent be an absolutely killer barrel aged stout from Wander. Quickly becoming one of my top breweries of the year as I have had several very memorable beers from them courtesy of Terry so far in the NBS 16 BIF.

Onto the review;

Pours an oily pitch black with a thin oatmeal head rising and quickly falling to a ring of the same color. Nose is vanilla, some bakers chocolate, coffee, subtle coconut and vanilla and a very light note of burnt oak, taste follows suit with the cinnamon taking center stage and some herbal/tobacco notes rounding out the bill. Everything is present but nothing overtakes the flavors. Feel is smooth but not chewy and actually drinks fairly easy. Overall, 3.75 out of 5. Well above average. Thanks so much Terry. This one is a show stopper. Cheers.

 

Dos new beer this Sunday would be S’mores Borg Imperial stout from the one and only @MacMalt who hit me with huge return fire this weekend. Such a generous guy to randomly send me some killer beers when he was not even obligated. Again, this BIF humbles me. On to the review;

I’ll preface by saying; best s’mores stout I’ve ever had and it’s not even close.

Pours an oily, thick black with a finger of mocha head. Nose is marshmallow, vanilla, graham cracker, and milk chocolate. A s’mores lovers dream! Taste follows suit perfectly with a weird but wonderful sweet banana undertone. Feel is silky and smooth, nearly mouthcoating. Overall, excellent.

Cheers Rob. Thanks for a killer box!!

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. Man, it suddenly feels like winter! I think my deck drinking may be over until the Spring.


My first review today is Fall Saison with Cinnamon and Pear from Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids, MI, courtesy of @BigIronH in the BIF. The moment I saw the can I was intrigued becuse I really enjoy the taste of pear. This seemed like a great idea. I just wish the pear was more prominent. It pours a slightly hazy, honey-amber color with more than a finger of fluffy, bright white head and soapy lacing. The smell is subdued but there is faint pear and spice. You can really taste the cinnamon and other spices and there is significant hoppy bitterness throughout. As it warms a bit I taste more of the pear but it's never more than subtle. The finish is spicy - almost peppery. It's well-carbonated and the 6.2% ABV gives it good substance.

3.48/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Thank you, Harley! I'll be popping one of your IPAs next. Cheers!

 

Humble Forager/Mikerphone Collab Smells Like a Humble Adventure Imperial Stout, 12% ABV. Pours black with a half-finger brown head that left no lacing. Nose is maple syrup. Taste is maple syrup, cocoa, light coffee, and cinnamon, very sweet though short of cloying, and faint bitterness. Decent mouthfeel with light carbonation. Overall excellent.

4.21/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

 

Now that Ramstein is canning and selling a lot more in stores I'm a little concerned about a drop off in quality. They used to only bottle their beer and there was hardly any distro. I think the Okto was better in past years. After Thanksgiving I'll buy cans of the Winter Wheat Doppelbock. If it's not as good as I remember it, then I'll be very disappointed.

 

Back with another NBS BIF #16 hit from @beergoot , Nordic Pilsner Lager from Millstream. No idea what makes it "Nordic", but it's a pleasant brew: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/107/553946/

 

Glad you enjoyed it!

 

I only had the oktoberfest a two or three years ago in cans; the elusive bottles of any of their beers I haven’t seen in the 13-14 years of craft, down here at least