New Beer Weekend #128

Another 4-day NBW weekend??? Let’s do it!!! A couple of Chicago beers tonight, with the first being a collaboration from two magnificent Chicago breweries.





4.09/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a golden straw color with an unfiltered looking body, underneath a very soapy/sudsy white head that provides a bit of lacing. The nose is exotic citrus, some berries, and bready malts. Very interesting - venturing into IPL-ville.

The taste is led by the exotic citrus flavors, with lots of passion fruit and mango notes, and there’s also a significant strawberry flavor that is delicious, and some bready malt at the back of the palate. Truly a pleasure to drink.

The mouthfeel is crisp and a bit drying, solidifying that IPL character. I’d love to get this fresher (my can is 6 months old) and see where this goes, because it’s really good as it is - and that is coming from a beer nerd that is not the biggest IPL fan in the world.

 

And now finally I get to join the fun; ecstatic we get extra days to share beers together for a second week in a row. I'm still running on euphoria of last night, a venue I have been to more than any other, for the same reason every time...a feeling of rejuvenation that will last for quite some time…

I had never heard of this brewery until I asked @NorsemanOne about them and got several of their beers, this is my second from them and it is there Czech pils, just a little excited to try this one

Bohemian Brewery - 1842 Czech Pilsner



Pours a darker shade of pale, mostly see through with slight haze; white head that fades fast leaving little in the form of retention, some coagulated islands of froth but mostly just a ring.

The initial nose on this beer just yells Czech pils to me...herbal and black pepper like spice hops, a light but noticeable fresh baked bread aroma, a very subtle kiss of honey like sweet as it warms. We line dry a lot of our laundry and the smell of it is intoxicating; sometimes a pils like this really has that same sort of fresh and intoxicating smell to me.

Taste is nice and hop forward; very grassy in nature less spice and herbal than the nose, very light malt presence but noticeable; again a minor and incredibly dry honey like sweetness on the finish.

Mouthfeel is light but with a little heft/heaviness to it, creamy and smooth carbonation, tongue parching dryness, with lingering grassy bitterness on the finish.

Really enjoyed this one, a highly drinkable czech pils, that leans a little sweet and heavy on feel.

Im gonna do my best to fit another one or two in tonight, we'll see what happens.

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My favorite place in the building forever and always…a sea of smiling faces…

 

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22512/632558/



16 ounce can; a couple weeks old.

Moderate to vigorous pour yields a 3/4 inch light tan head over a dark brown body edged in mahogany. Nice sticky lacing to the finish.

Nose is quite roasty with some biscuit and bread.

Taste is stellar with roasted malt leading the way to a little (very) bitter chocolate from the middle through the nicely dry finish.

Not quite creamy, but nice feel with medium carbonation.

Overall, opening another right now and you should join me!
Cheers!!

 

Second week in a row a review of this one, and still Von Trapp's NJ distributor doesn't have this for distro the coming week. I'm beginning to lose hope at this point...

 

Good Friday evening, crew. I'm hoping I can find four new ones in the house, and pretty sure I can.

Tonight is an interesting one:


This is Trippy Souls, a collaboration sour ale from Barreled Souls and Tripping Animals. The fine print says it has soursop, orange, mango, and vanilla. I had to look up soursop (guanabana). I have seen them but not eaten one, although we did work with guanabana puree about 30 years ago and I remember it being creamy textured and vaguely citrusy.

This is a pretty ugly looking concoction. Pictures can do injustice in both directions. Chunky, slightly browning, dilute orange juice looking. No head. The color is ok if a bit startling, but the chunky bits are unsightly, but they do go away after some time in the glass.

The smell is actually fantastic. Pineapple and some strawberry, sweet orange, not too much mango, and a very nice vanilla aroma. Makes no sense to me, but it's amazing.

The taste is similarly pleasing. There's not much "beer" flavor, but there's a slight malt taste in the background. The fruit flavors are restrained and the vanilla gives some tempering sweetness. There's a strawberry and apple component, a mild tartness, fresh orange, and just a bit of mango. The tartness is an undefined citrus medley of sourness. It's interesting. It is remarkably balanced, and a fun taste. The pineapple smell - not getting that in the taste, but I read that soursop smells similar to pineapple, but doesn't taste like one...ok...

The feel is light, actually reasonably carbonated. The vanilla sweet lingers a bit and there is a bit of bitterness.

Overall...hmmm...butt ugly pour in my opinion. Massive comeback with the smell and flavor for a very pleasant taste experience. This is a nice, enjoyable beer. I'd go around 3.8 - 4.0 or thereabouts.

 

Fair State The Get Down Coffee Stout, 7.3% ABV. Pours midnight black, with a real nice and dense four-finger tan head that left great foamy lacing. Nose is roast malt, coffee, and light chocolate. Taste is roast malt and coffee, faintly sweet and slightly bitter. Great mouthfeel, overall outstanding. One of the best non-BA coffee stouts I've had. I prefer it to FBS.

4.32/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

 

I'll reach out to the brewer, as he's from NJ and should have sent some your way.
Cheers!

 

#2, I’m shocked I’ve not had this iconic beer before, because I love this series in all its shapes and forms. And I’ll have a couple more of the 2022 variants to share with this esteemed group of beer nerds this weekend, so you’ve all got THAT going for you.

Let’s GO!!!







4.6/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottled 9/11/22. Pours jet black with no leakage anywhere - it is a black brick in the glass - and a substantial, creamy mocha colored head that sticks around, then provides a nice cap as you drink the beer. A gorgeous imperial stout.

The nose is led by a sledgehammer of roasty coffee aromas, some chocolate, a nice little stone fruit note, and some barrel notes.

The taste is led by the roasty coffee, which is absolutely delicious, and there’s some chocolate (which works well), and a bit of barrel heat, but what makes this beer for me is the significant stone fruit flavor, which provides balance to the roasty coffee flavor and really enhances the experience and enjoyment of this beer.

The mouthfeel is creamy and full bodied, not watery as some other bottle dates have been reported. As a total non-coffee drinker, but a beer nerd who LOVES big imperial coffee stouts, this is world class, IMHO.

 

Well, since the last cherry ale worked out, figured I would keep the theme going:

4.29/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Production date is difficult to decipher - October, 2021? Consumed on 12/30/2022. Poured from a 330mL bottle into my Rodenbach flute.

Cloudy old rose body with auburn highlights and a lasting ivory collar and faint surface slick. Fine sandy lacing; delicate legs.

Fruit forward aroma, fairly vinous (like fine aged balsamic with a hint of blood orange), with a complex sweet graininess.

Intensely juicy palate entry, suffused with pressed cherry juice, orange blossom honey, and an almost savory malt note. Light acidity (more from fruit than lacto), very little oxidation; faint cocoa, plum, vanilla and rosewater. Medium finish with hints of apple and raspberry. Vague hops, diacetyl, and oak, all complimentary to the malt base and ongoing fruit.

Creamy, medium-bodied, sufficiently carbonated.

Was expecting much more acidity (and more tannins), but this is nearly a dessert beer given the prominence of smooth (almost artificial/jolly rancher like) fruit flavor.

 

Here's a new one from Burlington, VT.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45496/634986/



16 ounce can's bottom reads:
"Canned on:
12/15/22
God Dream"

Vigorous pour yields a 5/4 inch tan head over a black body with sticky lacing for days.

Nose of roasted malt, fresh pine needles (Chinook!), slight coffee, and a bit of cocoa.

Taste follows nose closely with bitter chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, and coffee; finishing nice and dry.

Feel is adequate and semi-creamy.

Overall, this offering is quite tasty and would have another and recommend to all!
Cheers!!

 

Good evening NBW
Since the thread is open early, I figured I'd break out a perfect Friday night closer.

Sierra Nevada Trip in the Woods Rum Barrel Aged Quad. Purchased this fall at the Mills River gift shop.

25.4oz undated cork & caged bottle poured into a snulip glass at 55F, 11.7% ABV per label. The beer pours darker brown with slight ruby hints and khaki head. The head recedes to a thin ring and island. Minimal lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring rum, candi sugar and a hint of dark fruit. The taste is semisweet caramel, rummy, oaky deliciousness. The dark fruit candi sugar are there as well. Minimal bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with just less that average carbonation and a semi dry finish. Seems much lighter than 11.7% Overall, world class quad. Wonderfully balanced and enjoyable to sip.

Cheers all!

 

I love this brewery so much…they recently canned a black lager and their rye ipa up, that one for tomorrow Neither were showing up in distro so I shot them a message and they got them both down the street two days later…customer service at its finest??

Slack Tide - Deep Drop



Pours a very very dark brown; giant quick forming light brown head with some serious staying power; way above average lacing.

Nose has the brightness of a pale lager; with some chocolate powder and roast becoming more present as it warms; perfectly roasted coffee, all the aromatic without the dark roast bite.

Taste is an ever so slightly dark bread, very light cocoa leaning chocolate; light lingering roast on the finish that slightly smokey.

Mouthfeel is light, highly carbonated but with a nice bite, not airy; goes down very clean, noticeably dry, nice gentle, but noticeable roasty bitterness.

This beer is very balanced; and drinks very well. A beer I will replenish at least once when the six pack is gone. Highly recommend trying this if you see it.

 

Chrysanthemum by Tilted barn




4.18/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Brewers notes: American IPA dry hopped with Nectaron for intense bright notes of pineapple, stone fruit, and passion fruit.

Can poured into a pretentious beer glass

Aroma is tropical fruits , pineapple, mango

Taste is citrus, mango, pineapple

Smooth , hop flavor, gentle hop bite on the finish

Good beer

 

Froth Brewing Buffalo NY Boombox #2 NEIPA 6.6% ABV

As you can see very little head even with aggressive pour. Opaque dull yellowish appearance. Mouthfeel is creamy and body is a tad less than medium.
I only pick up oranges as far as the aroma goes.
Taste is fresh oranges,sweet tangerines with a hint of berries at the finish.
Finish is somewhat tart with a slight tingly bitterness. The sweetness definitely lingers.
I really like the hop profile, just wish beer was a touch less sweet and had a fuller mouthfeel.

Hope everyone has a safe,healthy and prosperous New Years!!
Cheers!!

 

I like it. A quick flash of fruit and a non-drying finish. Crushable. Look out 2023! Cheers!
Night Shift Nite Lite Light Lager 4.3% ABV

3.91/5 rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
16oz can into a tall Lager glass.
L: Pours straw yeasty light yellow w a thin white head that leaves quickly down to edge foam, large carbo bubbles, no lacing.
S: Light crackery malts, a hint of hay, lightly floral, clean & simple.
T: Gently pale & lightly sweet, a hint of yeast, an echo of lemon/lime, crackery malts, fairly clean, a touch of honey, a wisp of bread, affably tangy for a few seconds with a suggestion of fruit.
F: Lightly crisp w a light body and a fast, brisk, non-drying finish that is rather smooth & glassy.
O: A tasty and EZ drinking American Craft Lager that is not complex. It has a crushable feel w a touch of sweetness and would compliment a variety of cuisines. It is very good in its style.

 

Elevated Ascent West Coast IPA
Fresh drop from Burgeon Beer Co. ~ Carlsbad, CA
Another BA just added this beer today

Notes: Our latest West Coast IPA is crafted with copious additions of Nelson, Mosaic, and Mosaic Cryo. The fresh aromas of this high-altitude IPA send your tastebuds straight up to peak enjoyment, each sip reminding us of brisk mountain air and the joyful triumph of making it to the summit.

This is Nelson vs Mosaic one hundred percent with Mosaic taking the slight edge. Very dank green onion-y, skunky gooseberry and white wine grape mixed with a light blueberry lemon twist. Very green, vegetal like at times. If you like a catty green onion type West Coaster here you go!

Malt is but a soft saltine cracker base and minimal note in comparison to the hop show.

Light, crisp snap to it with a bitter and resinous feel.

These guys are IPA machines, tell you what. I just wish we had some better San Diego rep around BA "Take Me Higher"

 

Had this one, courtesy of @Roguer, earlier today.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45832/552698/?ba=woemad#lists
Really easy drinking lager, nice and crisp, something I could session the hell out of if given the chance.