New Beer Weekend #137

Was going to say it took a while to grow on me - it's become a warm weather favorite when I tire of more bitter styles.

 

3.87/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2016 vintage. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter. Served at 44F.

Clear crimson liquid; no lacing; thick legs.

Toffee, malt, fruit stones/pits, leather, port, and oak in the nose. Fruity and rich.

Intense palate entry, malt-forward with the cherry balanced between Luxardo and cough syrup. Finishes rather sweet, though the oak and alcohol keep it from being cloying. Low bitterness, mild esters, faint spice (cloves, orange peel) and hints of Irish whisky.

Medium bodied, slightly oily, very low carbonation. Quite warming.

Such a singular creation - though perhaps easier to appreciate than enjoy.

 

My wife took the baby to The Bay for the weekend to visit her twin sister (kiddo's first flight!), while I stayed home and had to work all weekend, so I've got the house to myself. I just got home from work, and I've got some pretty crazy plans for today... I'm going to finish this beer/post and... go to bed. I know, I'm kind of a wild man.
I've seen a lot of Portland folks in the PNW forum speak quite highly of this brewer, and mentioned this beer in particular, so I am excited to try it out.



Zoiglhaus - Zoigl-Kolsch

Now I will admit something right off the bat... I don't know kolschs super well. I've been on this here site for a while, but I never really got into the more traditional german styles until more recently, and kolsch especially is one that I just haven't fully explored yet. That being said, I'd always had an impression that part of their... thing (maybe it's just associating it with other old world old school styles/lagers in particular?) was that they were like super crisp and clear. This one is not. And, honestly, I feel like of the handful of kolschs I've had (mostly either Oregon or midwest based), probably half of them have been much more on the hazy/opaque side, as this one is. Huh. Anyway, the body is a hazy but rich golden yellow body, piled high with satin-white foam. The head really plays nicely against the rich golden colouring of the body. Less lacing than I'd have expected based on the foam, but there is some.

Nose is the next stage where I kind of **** my head and have to reconsider some things/dig a little deeper/work a little harder than I'd anticipated. It starts off with a confectioners sweet high note, but with a slightly tart edge, and a rounded earthiness that really had me stumped for a while. It's almost kind of yeasty, but ultimately not, and I ponder it for a bit before it all comes together and hits me like a tonne of bricks. Though I don't believe any was added, there are multiple elements of fancy honey at play here. The sweetness, earthiness, and even tartness I can attribute to a honey-like character once I've put my mind into that track and I can't get it back. I'm cool with that: I like honey, and it works REALLY well in this instance. It's just odd, is all. There's straw in there as well, alongside some faint floral, but also grassy hops.

The flavour (thankfully) doesn't touch the powdered sweetness that leads off the nose, but there's still the same framework ffrom the aroma at play here. Again, a strong honey impression despite the fact that I'm like 99% sure that no honey was used. But just the earthiness/richness of the honey, not the sweetness, and not that kind of sweet/tart character from fermented honey. The straw grains step forward here as well, and the grassy/floral hop presence maintains a backseat presence. As I reach the bottom of the glass, there's some sediment that lends a sharply herbal bitterness to things that honestly, combined with the earthiness from what I've been describing as a honey like impression really kind of reminds me of peyote, or like if someone like really sweetened up the peyote tea. Huh.
The body is skinny as a rail, very very dry, and highly carbonated.



This is one that kind of took me in several directions I wasn't totally expecting. I don't know how well it hews to style origins (I've heard folks talk about how great an example it is, but my experience with it differs greatly from my admittedly primitive understanding of the style), but the more I worked through the glass, the more I found myself intrigued, and enjoying the straightforward complexity it offered.



Cheers y'all!

 

A new beer, new to me brewery and an English Brown Ale. Tah Da!
Brown Ale by Newberg Brewing Company of scenic Newberg N.Y.
Cheers,



3.96/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
An easy pour produced a finger of long-lived soapy khaki foam, no lacing. Dark moose brown body with red highlights, dark ruby red in front of flame.

Mild smell of dark bread and dough, very faint floral hops. Coffee and chocolate with some roasted character.

Semi sweet with mild bitterness, bold yet malty smooth. Items from the smell are amplified with chocolate and roasted malt leading the way. Toasted grain arrives as the long finish approaches, drying to semi-dry with bitterness rising to above average. The after taste is roasted malt and grain bitterness lingering on.

Medium light bodied; carbonation, per style is below an ABA yet easily revived to the end. Soft and smooth as the label states, alcohol is an afterthought. Very true to style and a pleasure to drink. The red highlights were the highlight for me, outstanding look. Born on 2/15/23.

Brewer's notes; Dark in color but light in drinking / Notes of chocolate, coffee, & toffee; Traditional Southern-English style

 

Schmidt's was my dads beer of choice when i was growing up. Used to sneak a bottle out every once in a while.

 

If I get some…they’re pretty high up so I may have to bust out the actual camera. I’ll do so when I have a chance if there are some good ones. Mom and dad are always around us but man is that nest high up.

 

Bitburger 0.0
..unbelievably clear golden orange appearance with no head whatsoever.
...medium carbonation with a very thin body.
..aroma is actually pleasant to ma as it comes off as cereal,grain,corn,malt,earthy and honey. Actually smells similar to a pilsner which is a beer style I like.
...taste goes downhill a bit as it has a metallic taste and a bitter finish that lingers in a not so good way.
...overall??? I don't like to be negative but...its like when my wife asked me last week if I wanted to go out with all of the woman she works with one evening....ummm no

 

Stella Artois is a beer I've seen on tap many times but never cared to try. Last Friday I was in a restaurant where the only choices on tap were Stella and Bud Light. Paid the extra dollar and got a pint of Stella. It's a good-looking beer, pale gold thick white head that leaves a nice lacing. A light malt aroma and a nice biscuit taste and a hint of bitterness The mouthfeel is full and the finish dry. Overall a nice refreshing lager. Stella Artois is a good beer but not close to being as good as Sam Adams Boston Lager, Brooklyn Lager and many other American craft Lagers. I think it's brewed in the USA now but it is still a European Pale Lager.

 

Good afternoon NBW
Here's a new to me beer because I assumed the enjoy by date was the packaging date...

Flying Dog Kujo Cold Brewed Coffee Porter

12oz bottle enjoy by 01.26.23 poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp 6% ABV per label. The beer pours medium brown in color with chestnut highlights and light brown head. The head recedes to a thin ring and partial layer of bubbles. The aroma is mild with cold brew coffee and a hint of Hershey's syrup. The taste is bittersweet roasted malt more of the same. Black coffee, chocolate, mild sweetness and earthy mild hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, good.

 

Southern tier French toast
Appearance is actually very similar to maple syrup
...has about a medium body with about the same for carbonation which has a slight prickly feel
....aroma is really nice,boozy bourbon soaked French toast.
...taste is a little hot,alcohol, maple,vanilla, bread.theres definitely French toast but the higher abv messes it up a bit.
...overall it reminds of when I was a kid and how the eggnog tasted after grandpa added some -special sauce-

 

Dire Wolf Canis Mexicanus
12.7% stout by Wolf's Ridge

Poured from a pint can, the beer looks like motor oil, dark and opaque. Good initial head and lacing.

Aroma is coffee and the spice bill (cinnamon, an earthy chili pepper and cacao). Delightful and reminiscent of Stone Xocoveza, a stout I enjoyed in the past but haven't seen for a while.

Taste follows nose and adds a background hoppy flavor. The malty char from the base Dire Wolf is perceptible despite the myriad other flavors involved.

Mouthfeel is good, soft with light carbonation.

I prefer the Dire Wolf base, but this is a solid variant.

 

I have 4 new beers for today. Will I get them all in? Time will tell.
And speaking of time I'm wasting it.
Hello NBS!
Kettlehead Double Secret Agent DIPA
Pours a rich hazy gold with quite a large foamy off white head that has excellent retention. Tons of sticky lacing.
Huge juicy aroma of orange, peach, passionfruit, dank cannabis and throw in some lemon lime and mild pineapple.
Taste follows with stone fruit, juicy citrus. Sweet fruits fade into a mild grapefruit and orange pith bitterness. Hop buzz on the tongue.
Mildly carbonated, surprisingly medium body. Drinks light and soft on the palate for 9%! Holy cow I was presuming this was 8%. Hop oils begin to dry on the finish. Pale light malts.
Excellent NE style DIPA. @SawDog505 introduced us and man Im happy to have them in the neighborhood.
A must buy if you see it and are into the style.

 

Think just one new beer today for me. Perennial Salted Chocolate Abraxas was a pretty good one!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25888/575229/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



Happy NBW everyone!

 

Good afternoon NBS/nbw back from a good hike in the snow
Great Awakening Brewing Co in Westfield Ma.
A bottled offering of the basic stout aged in Buffalo Trace barrel.

Silent Stampede Barrel aged Imperial Stout

American Imperial Stout | 12.7% ABV
Great Awakening Brewing in Westfield, Massachusetts

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.04/5 rDev 0% | Average: 4.04
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured from a 500 ml bottle into the test glass
A - Chalkboard black, a thin moche cap is quick to escape.
S - Smoked malts, vanilla, toasted oak, caramel, hints of pepper and anise
T - Less smoke on the palate, clearer lines to the barrel, with more toffee, and caramel than the aromatics.
M - A bit thin, but thats the only thing, start is beautiful and chocolatly, then a move toward neautral. Finish is quick
O - A very nice accentuation on the base stout, solid barrel treatment. I will look out for another from these fine brewers

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. Wow, this weekend has flown by so far. It didn't help that we spent several hours reviewing the accountant's work on our tax returns. I'm finally able to drink some new beer! First up is Double Dry Hopped Cabbage from Other Half. Considering how close we are to the brewery I'm still amazed how long it took OH to ship cans to New Jersey. I still have quite a bit of catching up to do.

I've wanted to try Cabbage for some time because of the hop bill, which includes Motueka - one of my favorites - along with Mosaic, Simcoe, and Vic Secret. I was expecting a lot but wasn't the least bit disappointed. It pours a turbid, dirty tangerine color with a large, foamy, bright white cap and thick, soapy lacing. A robust nose featuring lemon and grapefruit and pungent floral hops. The taste is big, bold, and well-balanced with tart, bitter grapefruit rind and lemon peel, and lime from the Motueka, balanced by sweeter tropical notes of pineapple, tangerine, and red berry from the Mosaic and Vic Secret hops. I'm also tasting some dry white wine grape. The Simcoe adds dank, earthy bitterness throughout. The tastes blend seamlessly. This ale has a delightful mouth feel: thick and creamy with pleasant carbonation, and the 7.9% ABV gives it good substance without compromising drinkability. Overall, DDH Cabbage is another tour de force from Other Half. Great drinking!

4.43/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I have to compliment Other Half: It's managed to ramp up production without hurting the quality. I can't tell whether this is brewed in Brooklyn or Washington but it's a fine DIPA. Back with a stout shortly. Cheers, NBW!

 

Andrew, you graced me with a bottle, as well, during a BIF, for which I'm grateful. Hopefully, you bought it while hanging with Dr. Z. That would make it even more special!