New Beer Weekend #14

Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass canned on 10/06/2020. Pours a hazy orange with a half finger sticky white head that leaves loads of thick lace with solid retention. 4.25

Smell tangerine, lemon, pineapple, papaya, apricot, and white grapefruit. 4.25

Taste lemon, pineapple, tangerine, papaya, apricot, and grapefruit really balanced and just a little bitterness. 4.25

Mouthfeel is above medium, rather soft carbonation, a little sticky but not dry, and at 8.2% ABV really easy drinking. 4.5

Overall another really nice NEDIPA from Tree House. They almost always deliver, rock solid again. 4.25

 

Next up is a beer courtesy of @Dimidiata. I hadn't planned on drinking this one today, but when great beer shows up on your doorstep a day earlier than expected, it's a sign.

I've been a big fan of Firestone Walker's Barrelworks program, and this one is a collaboration with SARA, so I'm expecting good things. This one is Big Mood - fermented with apricots along with several varieties of white grapes.

Review below, but the short of it is....this lived up to my expectations. Almost rated it 4.5 in taste and overall. Really good beer, especially for those who enjoy wild ales.

4.32/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance is a glowing copper, with two fingers of very short lived head. Aroma is really nice, with both the grapes and apricots present on the nose. Nice sour aroma with a little bit of funk lurking under the surface. Taste is really interesting and quite consistent with the ingredients. This is a well balanced mix of apricots and white wine notes, with some really nice oak flavors mixed in. Feel is very light and refreshing for a 8.1% beer, but in a way that I really enjoy. Overall, this is the type of beer I really enjoy.

 

Next up is Barreled Souls/Dancing Gnome Le Tigre, a gose w/ "double raspberry & lime" clocking in at 6%. Not sure what the "double" is contextually referring to here, but maybe they did this beer under another name or something. I visited Dancing Gnome when I was in Pittsburgh a few years back for a music fest and they were definitely pretty high quality, so I'm honestly pretty pumped for this one considering BS' recent track record has been solid.



Pours a ruddy cranberry juice-looking color, like a color between pink and brick red with some blush undertones. Pinkish head that lingers much longer than usual for a fruited kettle sour and leaves behind a pretty consistent lace pattern, to boot. Somewhat reminds me of Foundation's Raspberry's My Jam I had last month, though perhaps slightly less vibrant in hue/saturation.

Nose is exactly what I expected: it's a raspberry lime rickey in beer form! Fun. The freshly-zested lime element is piquant and intense, situated a bit more forward and more prominently compared to the seedy, jammy raspberry, but the balance here seems to be well-defined. I get a slight hit of tropical fruit, as well, specifically some guava and passion fruit, among the citrus and berry aspects. This smells worthwhile, so let's see how it tastes.

A burst of acidic tartness immediately reveals a huge lime character and some strawberry/raspberry with a slight creaminess and perhaps a hint of graham cracker-like maltiness doing a passable job balancing this. The acid comes back in the finish and really seems to linger along with the lime, making this a pretty full-bodied and intense experience. Recommended, but probably not something I'd want more than one of. Lots going on and satisfying for what it is, but that sourness is very brutal.

 

Another Sunday more leaves, more repairs to my leaf vacuum. My yard could probably win a prize for the most leaves of any BA. Pretty much just the oak leaves hanging on now just to stretch this project out for me.
Starting with Fiddlehead's IPA today.

3.58/5 rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 16oz can stamped "TrustFundBaby 9/15/20" to a Nonic at fridge temp.
A body of apricot opaqueness sits below a nice micro-bubble 1" white head that laces well as it fades.
Aroma of pine, orange pith, and an earthy mustiness.
In the mouth this beer starts as sweet citrus and almost instantly turns to hop dryness. Unfortunately the finish has a minor hop burn sensation, not bad, but detectable.
Mouthfeel is medium but still leaves a nice tongue coating.
Overall average. I wonder if a fresh one would have that hop burn finish.

 

Glad you enjoyed!

 

Good day fellow NBW denizens. This one's real special, a beer I've wanted for years but never thought I'd get, until i stumbled upon it right before covid hit. Pelican Brewing's legendary Mother of All Storms, 2019 vintage, a 14% abv English Barleywine. I was originally saving this for a special occasion, but I've concluded that any day when i drink this qualities as a special occasion, so here i am.

From the bottle, it pours an extremely dark brown, almost black with a tannish head. The nose is everything a Barleywine should be, big sweet malts, a dessert like bourbon character, with subtle oak in the background. The taste matches up, with additional toffe, licorice, and an almost spicy note that goes well with the texture of the beer. Said texture is sticky and sweet, but perfectly balanced, certainly not as heavy or overpowering as many beers of this strength can be. It lingers long after the initial taste, and i almost wish it would never fade. Overall, i think this is the best beer I've ever tasted, and my first 5/5 rating.

 

Good Sunday afternoon, NBWers!

I didn't have a new beer last weekend, so this weekend, I'm having 2. I know that is nuttin' to most of you guys, but I do try to limit my consumption these days and was enjoying some repeats last weekend.

Today's new beer for me should have been tried long ago, but somehow wasn't. This beer has a #1 in style rank here on BA, so I'm looking forward to it. (I write this as if I have not had the beer yet; in truth, I had it a couple of hours ago, as the following photograph will attest... that whimsical composition doesn't happen quickly!

I hope you enjoy the review, and that the photo amuses you... winter hit hard and early here in MN.

Duvel Belgian Golden Ale
ABV: 8.5%
IBU: 32



The appearance of this beer lives up to its name. Crystal clear golden color, highly effervescent, bubbles rise to a very tall, creamy, thick head with excellent retention. As it recedes, it retains a tall tower in the center with gobs of thick and sticky lacing down the side.

Aroma is spice, banana, lightly fruity.

The taste is yeasty and malty at the front, spice, banana with some stone fruitiness as well. A bitterness begins in the middle and carries through to the finish and aftertaste. The finish is a bit sticky, coating the mouth, while also ending with a nice dryness. No alcohol detected in the taste.

It has a moderate body, with a pleasant effervescence.

Given the ABV, this is a dangerously easy drinking beer. It requires self control to not just quaff it down.

Overall, an excellent, very enjoyable, beer. I can understand its high regard among BAs.

L: 4.5 | S: 4.0 | T: 4.25 | F: 4.25 | O: 4.25 | Rating: 4.21

 

Charles Towne Fermentory Summer Greens, their fresh hop IPA using Idaho 7 hops from Crosby Hops, dry hopped with Nelson Sauvin and Azacca. 6.7 ABV canned 10/6/20.
The aroma packs a dank tropical punch that combines well with the Nelson fruitiness. White grape and citrus flavors dominate. Light bodied and dry but complex and satisfying. I'm glad this was available on one of my rare trips to Charleston.

4.31/5 rDev 0% | Average: 4.31
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

When one is handed to me.

The second answer to that is when having a Euro-lager when drinking straight from the bottle. I don’t mean Euro-lager in a derogatory way or as in the BA style category. I just mean that loosely. It’s very rare that I serve myself cold beer or drink from the bottle/can, but the above combination has a nostalgic tug that’s fantastic and powerful.

Lastly, if I suspect that a beer might be a gusher, I might chill it down first.

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. We awoke to lousy weather at the Shore this morning. The one bright spot was attending Church indoors for the first time since March. We left early so I could cut the lawn before the rain. I barely got it done and did this review before the cold rain drove me indoors.

Just for Kicks is an Imperial New England IPA from one of our up and coming locals, Untied Brewing. It has a recipe similar to Knucklehead Hall of Fame, which I really enjoyed but changed up the hops. This ale is a bit more tropical than Knucklehead and was brewed with Citra, Ekuanot, Columbus, and El Dorado hops in the whirlpool and then dry hopped with Galaxy, Enigma, Motueka, and Lupulin Citra. It's a tropical fruit bomb that drinks very easily for its 8.3% ABV. Untied's brewing outstanding beer! Here's my full review:

4.35/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Reviewed 4 days after can release. Poured into an Untied tulip glass. It pour a cloudy, bright tangerine color with a big, fluffy, eggshell color head and thick lacing. Huge sweet citrus on the nose: tangerine, lemon, lime, and whiffs of cantaloupe and berry. It's very fragrant. The taste bursts with sweet tropical fruit starting with lemon and lime, tangerine, pineapple, and nectarine. The influence of the Citra, Ekuanot, and Motueka hops is strong. There is also a hint of berry which I assume comes from the Enigma. The Columbus, and El Dorado hops provide balanced bitterness. The flavors are big, bold, and fruity but it's also delicate and finishes clean without any yeast burn. This ale is medium-bodied with moderate carbonation and it drinks very easily for 8.3% ABV. Overall, Just for Kicks is a big, super flavorful New England IPA that is well worth seeking out. Another fine offering from Untied.

 

You can just click the "ENG" button to display the page in English!

 

Good luck with future endeavors

 

After a Matt Stafford 4th quarter drive for the win, I need this beer! Thanks to Derek @2beerdogs and NBW 12, I have the opportunity to enjoy this whale, Bottle Logic Fundamental Forces, Vanilla Imperial Stout, pours motor oil black with zero head as hard as I tried, Swirling shows the thick sticky ness clinging to the glass, sweet charred aroma, taste is quite boozy and warming, malty, vanilla cookie, very warming, heavy thick mouthfeel, celebrating a Lions win with a fantastic beer, thanks Derek.

 

New Province This IS My Costume! sour gummy warm Sour IPA, this sucker is different. 6.2% ABV, 3.92 overall

Pours a very effervescent blush color with one finger of pinkish colored head. Average head retention

S: Tart berries, sweet strawberry once warm

T: Sour strawberries &lime, plus sour cherry & dryness up front, a little sweet Strawberry as well. Dryness, limes with sweet & sour strawberry & tart blueberry as this warms. Finishes a little dry, tart with strawberry & lime

MF: Medium body & light carbonation

Interesting novelty beer that drinks too easy

 

Greetings all! A short while back @zid sent me several Suarez beers to try on for size. As it turns out, I don't seem to be able to make the commitment to do more than two beers at one time lately, and rather that wait until that time arrives I've decided to just go with the two. Here's what I wound up doing today:

A 'compare and contrast' between Palatine Pils (which I've had before) and State Pils (my NBW beer). Can a brewery brew several top quality Pilsners, while they maintain distinct differences between them? I would say yes, but that it would also be a special feat. Let's have a look at what we have here:

(btw, all that I know about these beers is what's on the label, which isn't much beyond the names )

Palatine Pils:
Dry with crackery/cookie dough malt. Honey tinge on the finish. Hops are driving the bus but not dominating; they are grassy and herbal (almost medicinal in quality). Good clean snap of bitterness. Very Continental in nature, distinguished and refined. An outstanding brew.

State Pils:
Graham cracker malt is mild and much more in the background playing support. Moderately full at first but finishes dry. Spicy hops dominate aroma and flavor while retaining a sense of control: suggestions of caraway, Meyer lemon, Szechuan peppercorn. Good clean snap of bitterness. Feel is playful yet restrained, more 'modern'. Quite a good beer overall, but I don't think it rises to the level of Palatine: A- (4.25), and still a pretty impressive feat, all things considered.

Thanks again, Chris!

 

Up next is my first Kettlehead Brewing Co. beer (other than a key lime pie sour I had at a July 4th party this year, but I don't count that because I barely remember it ) , a mixed fermentation saison called Change of Season...



Pours a hazy but not opaque golden-yellow/straw yellow color with a generous dollop of foam for a head, leaving behind some spotty, inconsistent lace as it sinks to a half-finger ring in my glass. Some decent legs around the edges, and light surface coverage. Kind of a plain-looking saison, but not bad at all.

The nose is sulfury and rustic with some hay, grassiness, horse blanket/barnyard funk, lemon, and earthy undertones. Definitely one of the more basic, barebones saisons I've had the pleasure of pouring recently, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'm interested in what the "mixed ferm" here means, though, because usually I associate that term with sour or Brett stuff, and there really doesn't seem to be much lacto/bacteria presence or "wild yeast" here, even though there is some appreciable funk. It seems kinda cleaner/more basic than a usual "mixed ferm" saison, I guess.

Flavor is grassy and wheat-forward with a very light kiss of tartness and rustic funk. I really do wonder what they did here... it seems like maybe a very specific/lightly-blended Brett co-fermentation? There are some odd tropical (pineapple?) notes that remind me of Brett Brux Trois, for sure, so it could definitely be that. This is kinda juicy and funk in the mid-palate, with some flavors of apricot and mango that feel thirst-quenching and fun. Glad it got a bit more characterful, as the nose seemed a little boring. The feel is somewhat chewy, less dry than some other beers in this style that I've had, but alright overall. Sorta ineffectual carbonation, though. Probably not the best place to start with this brewery... I really need to grab a can or two of The Agent some time, but I feel like I'm never around when he shows up...

 

Best to you and your sweetheart
Wishing you both many more
Cheers

 

Sorry to hear about the restaurant @Victory_Sabre1973, hope your next chapter is filled with enjoyment and success.

New brew for me today while watching the Niners is from Beachwood. LBC IPA is 7.1% west coast IPA.



Can dated C1-LBC 09/22/20 into a tulip glass.

L: Golden with hint of haze, 1.5 fingers of variable density white head with moderate retention and left limited spotted lacing.

S: Citrus dominant with pine and bready malt undertones.

T: Follows the nose in both profile and relative abundance. Finishes with moderate bitterness and slight acidity, both linger on the palate with a drying effect.

F: Low-medium bodied with medium carbonation, slick on the tongue with slight tingling, crisp on the swallow.

O: Nice traditional West Coast IPA, good price too on the 6pk/12oz format. This will never reach Tier 1 from me for Beachwood hoppy recipes, but its definitely solid.

BA Score = 4.02, rev = -2.4%

 

I've retired to my warm, dry bar for my next new beer: Peanut Butter Maple Thicc Boi from East Sixth Brewing in Little Rock courtesy of @jdell15. I was concerned this pastry stout might be overwhelmingly sweet but it isn't. It's peanut-forward and the maple syrup provides measured and balancing sweetness. In fact, it's actually quite dry. The nose is great: that's where the maple syrup shines. It's best attribute, however, is its mouth feel: thick and chewy and the 8.5% ABV is nicely hidden. I've been impressed with the East Sixth beers I've received in Jacob's box. This one could have been a hot mess but instead it's well-crafted and enjoyable. It's a nice sipper on a raw, rainy Autumn afternoon. Cheers, NBW!