New Beer Weekend #126

Really enjoyed this collab brewskie. A great tasting crushable brew. Cheers!
Beachwood & Hoka Sole Magic IPA 5.8% ABV
4.3/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
16oz can into a pint glass.
L: Pours radiant yellow 98% clear, a thin rounded eggshell white head w good retention, VG carbo, VG lacing w broken sheeting. Attractive looking.
S: Citrus, citrus rind, pineapple, mango, papaya, a hint of honey, pastry dough, lightly floral.
T: Lightly sweet caramel malts, bright hops, light honey, a sensation of bread, a hint of yeast, a light trace of hard fruity candy, overall lightly sweet w very little aftertaste though there is a distant citrus zest linger that really hangs on. This I like.
F: Gently crisp, semi-juicy w a med to medium-light body w a fast, moderately dry finish.
O: A bright tasting & very EZ drinking and lighter bodied hop frwd WCIPA that really satisfies. Lightly sweet, crisp and crushable with 5.8% ABV. It's a great beer after running. I just ran a few miles! and it is outstanding in its style.

 

Helping me envision some snowfall...

3.94/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best before May, 2024 - enjoyed December, 2022. Poured at 43F from a 330mL bottle into my Trappist Westvleteren goblet.

Cloudy sienna/chestnut with a small lasting almond head. Fine, sandy, sticky lacing; very good retention.

Deep, spicy aromatics suggesting cinnamon, black bread, candied ginger and orange. Nice yeast character for balance.

Flavors follow the nose, growing in intensity. Dark (candi?) sugar accentuates low sweet-ish herbal notes as the thyme and hops combine forces. Low even bitterness throughout. Rich malt and overt phenolic yeast flavors in the medium-dry finish.

Medium-bodied, full carbonation, ABV creeps up on you.

Perhaps a little over-spiced, though I'm impressed with the brewer's deft use of thyme.

Pairs well with cheese (enjoying this with an English coastal cheddar).

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. I'm taking a break from the Holiday Beer tasting to drink a berry-bomb of a Kettle Sour I received from @BigIronH in the BIF. Purple Slush from Arvon Brewing. When poured it was a gusher and I almost forgot to take a photo. It's super fruity with huge raspberry, strawberry, and grape with a sweet, vanilla cream base and the mouth feel is super thick and creamy. Just delightful!

4.22/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Arvon Brewing has really nailed this style. Thank you, Harley!

 

Sorry about the gusher Rob. That one might be a couple weeks past it’s prime. That seems to be the case for Arvon sours. They spew after about 6 weeks. Glad you enjoyed what you had. Cheers.

 

This is my happy face by VitaminSea

4.25/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25



Brewers Notes: A taproom favorite and alter ego of Dank Is The New Juicy, This one is a DIPA hopped with Citra, Amarillo, Galaxy, Columbus and Magnum. Not too heavy for a DIPA but anything but thin.

“Dipas make me happy”

Can poured into a spiegelau glass results in a murky orange liquid with a massive thred finger rocky off white foam cap , spotty lacings

Aroma is orange citrus, tropicals, pineapple

Taste is tropicals , little dank, little earthiness

Smooth full mouthfeel, hop flavor no bite

Good beer

 

Oh, hey again, I'm back!
This one is so new that I had to add it to the database. That's always kind of fun. This beer was sent my direction by @2beerdogs (hope things have settled down a bit at your end of things, man!) as a ninja strike during the recent BIF.



Radiant (in collaboration with Moksa) - Oh, Hey Again

The pour on this one is absolutely gorgeous. Crisp clear pale gold. It passes the 'can I read the label through it' test quite well. The generous white head is comprised of large bubbles that leave sticky little flecks and patterns on the glass. Once the head dissipates, the lacing is through, but the initial impression is strong.

Same goes for the nose. Initial impression is pale malts, that are at once delicately light, while being rich in quality. There's some grassy and lemony hops sifted over top of this. Maybe a touch of honey as well. As it warms, it transitions more towards a juicy fruity character that's not quite apple juice sharp sweet, but it's coming from that direction. It feels like that honey note is kind of the transition point between those two elements: the fruit juice sweetness and the floral hops/light malts.

The tongue does not follow the aroma quite the way I expected it to. It's very blunt in its approach, with earthy hops that are dry dry dry dry dry (not in like a fresh vs wet, Terry kind of way, but in like a flavour impression kind of way). It's somewhere between old world (earthy/lightly spicy, lightly floral/hearbal) and almost like there might be a slight amarillo influence.
Sharply carbonated, with a finish that continues that bone dry impression and a pleasantly lifting earthy bitterness.



I could see this being really refreshing on a hot day, as it's still pretty tasty here on this will-it-snow-or-won't-it December afternoon.

Thanks Derek!!

 

I really enjoy the fruity and malty digs of this. It stands upright with biscuit waves and a resinous finish I find earthy and lightly leafy. Cheers!
Captain Lawrence Freshchester Pale Ale 5.5% ABV 45 IBU
4.26/5 rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
12oz bottle bottled 9/27/22 into a pint glass.
L: Pours almost clear light med amber w a 1/4" eggshell white head that goes quickly to a thick skin, well carb'd, skeletal lacing.
S: Biscuit malts, caramel, toasted cereal grains, fruity, figs, dates, berries, orange marmalade, a light hint of honey.
T: Taste follows aroma with enhanced toastiness of maltings, full flavored, affably bright citrus zest, apricot, orange, malty aftertaste w a leafy & earthy resinous finish.
F: Poofy & soft, smooth & lightly creamy med-body w a fast, slightly dry finish. Softens over time.
O: Fairly malty, fruity citrus hop structure that allows this savory & succulent American Pale Ale have volume. It is outstanding in its style and is remarkably underrated here.

 

Yo happy Sunday NBS.
How about another Vitamin Sea brew as we roll into the holiday week..
Sea the Lights IPA
Turbid yellow gold, off white 2 finger head. Thin cap, nice lacing.
Bug aroma of mango, passionfruit, pineapple and candied orange.
Drinks the same with juicy fruits and a mild bitterness.
Soft pleasant mouthfeel with a bit of pine and grapefruit bitter on the finish.
No hint of 7.3. Medium body.
Loving Vitamin Sea and glad to see it around here. Really nice brew as well as my first Vitamin Sea brew Elusive.
Looking forward to more from this brewery. Cheers

 

Sounds like a beer version of Port. After dinner and by the fire......

 

I've not seen it, but you're the second or third person who's had good things to say about it, so I'll have to check it out. Do you know where it can be found, off chance? Like is it on one of the streaming services specifically?
GURU and Preemo is like an unfair combination. You Know My Steez (of course) and Betrayal always stood out to me on that album, though I think Work was always my favourite Gang Starr track (that may, however, be because teenage me, when I first heard it, totally misheard the lyrics for, like, A LOT longer than I'd care to admit as 'I want to be a Jedi, that's all my eyes can see' rather than saying he wants to be on tid-op').
Side note: I remember a buddy of mine REALLY liking GURU's Jazz-Hop side project back in the day as well. You ever listen to that one?
Cheers!

 

Message sent regarding stream…or coming soon.

I love your alternate lyrics; gang starr and Jedi, did we just become best friends?!? I prefer your lyrics.

Remember torrents…? That’s how I got all the guru jazz matazz albums, loved some more than others, and the documentary, those were the days.

Common with Premier - The 6th Sense

And great, now I’ll be on a hip hop kick for the next few days.

 

Bentonville Wrecker in the Rye IPA, 6.3% ABV; 4.07 overall

Pours a hazed brown with a thumb of tight cream colored head. Nicehead retention & lacing

S: Peppery rye and breadyness, not much else

T: Follows the nose, a touch of dryness & caramel as well up front. More dryness & peppery Rye, plus some bready sweetness as this beer warms up. Finishes dry, with plenty of rye spicyness & cakey sweetness, plus some caramel

MF: Medium body, moderate carbonation, pretty good balance

Rye is showcased, so there's that, still a solid easy drinking beer

 

This one comes compliments of @Roy_Hobbs, the can calls it a Grisette, BA has it as a Saison, pours opaque gold, nice head that dissipates, light carbonation, lemon line tartness but not like a saison, no funk, easy drinking at 4.2%. Enjoyable, thanks Ross

 

JAZZMATAZZ!! That's what it was called, not Jazz-hop. Brass-hop is what I was thinking of, an album which I think was kind of in that same vein. Yeah, I may be going down that same rabbit hole, ha!
re: torrents... as someone who grew up in the era I did, with the affinity for music that I had, let's just say that I had a pretty intimate familiarity with torrents. I still remember realizing what torrents could do for me, when I no longer had to search out individual songs on one of the handful of sketchy platforms I was using at the time, ha. Man, the internet has changed a lot over the years...

 

This is cross posted from the Holiday Beers thread, I look forward to this beer every year, both for the beer and the bottle art.



4.09/5 rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
This beer pours a tea brown color that is clear and sits underneath a light tan head that is creamy and provides significant lacing. Beautiful winter warmer.

The nose has some roasty malt notes and there’s orange and honeysuckle aromas, and I believe the eucalyptus referenced in the description on this site is represented by a spicy herbal aroma that’s present, but I can’t be sure because I have no idea what eucalyptus smells like.

The roasty malts are prominent on the taste and well with the orange and bitter honeysuckle flavors. This is really tasty to my palate, my only wish is that the mouthfeel was a bit more substantial and creamy in what I associate with the style of a winter warmer.

This beer is a fun ride, one that lets you know the holidays are quickly approaching. I look forward to this every year, and LOVE the label artwork.

 

Back at it after a brief Old Fashioned break.

 

Drekker Apple Cobbler Slang Du Jour Sour à la Mode (Fruited Sour), 6.4% ABV. Pours thick and opaque pale yellow with a 1.5 finger yellow head that left puree residue. Nose is apple, banana, brown sugar, and pear. Taste follows, plus granola and vanilla ice cream, quite sweet, faintly tart. Decent smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Overall excellent. Almost too busy with all the add-junks, and it really doesn't channel apple cobbler. Still enjoyable.

4.24/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

Sweetwater Dank Tank
Fresh Sticky Nugs DIPA
Pours a slightly hazy orange gold. White head, good retention and lots of sticky lacing.
A little muted on the nose; flowers and an apple like thing going on.
Hmm same on the taste. Its not bad just a little weird/different. Apricot, red apple, herbs/cannabis, some citrus.
Medium body with a drying slightly astringent finish. No hint of 8%. Pretty bitter which is prob the highlight for me. Decent but would I buy again?
Most likely no. Maybe its just my taste but Sweetwater hasnt had many hits.
Cheers!

 

Alright, so I don't have any clever lead-ins for this next beer.
But, it's one of those classics that I know I've seen around as long as I've been into craft beer, but have just never gotten around to trying myself. Well, today, courtesy of @Beersnake1, that fact will be remedied, and I will be checking it off in person!
Oh! I guess the convo earlier between Jon and myself regarding hip hops (EDIT: I'm gonna leave that typo in, because it amuses me) can be the lead in: GURU/Swami... eh, it's not a great one, but there's some minor thread in there, maybe...



Pizza Port - Swami's

The pour here is a lovely light golden colour that's generally clear, but not really crisp, if that distinction makes sense. Nice soft white head that is languorous in its settling. Nice delicate lacing, both as it dissipates as well as once I start sipping.

Nose is not particularly strong (admittedly my sniffer is probably my weakest sense), but what comes through is a nice blend of old school piney hops, and blushes of caramel malts underneath.

The nostalgia continues to vibe as I start sipping. 'C' hops for sure (centennial in particular jumps out in my mind), with a big pine presence, supplemented with some sharp citrus and a subtle nod towards tropical fruits that ultimately feels more like a fakeout rather than a true step that direction. Malts are more neutral than the nose led me to believe, but what there is hews pretty close to that caramel/honey shade of things.
Bold bitter pine finish that does not relent.

As I said, this is one of the OG classics that I'm glad I'm finally getting around to trying for myself. It's a pleasant nostalgia hit, with a heavy bitter finish that lingers throughout.

Thanks Tim!!