New Beer Weekend #158

I really enjoy Bam Biere as well, I know I have had some other spiced Saisons from them as well that I liked. Their Traverse City brewery is on my bucket list of breweries to visit one of these days.

 

Hoping this review matters down the line. Hoped for two new to me Anchor beers this trip to legendary Chicago bar The Map Room, but they sold out of Old Foghorn, with this pour and Steam on draft, and their Porter in bottles.

Anchor Liberty Ale



Map Room Notes: 5.9% abv on draft.
First introduced in 1975, the first modern American IPA, a true classic – $6/16oz.

Appearance: Golden tan clear base, light carbonation, bright white creamy head leaves thin lacing and layer above the base. 4.25

Aroma: Caramel bread dominates, faint pine backing. Heavy malt from the nose, strong. 4.0

Taste: Bitter mineral water, caramel bread follows. Not getting hip flavors now a third of the way in. Not sure if this is a spot on take of the beer, or if age and or draft lines are playing a role. 3.25

Mouthfeel: Bitter, lightly dry, fuzzy persistent carbonation. Drinks a bit stronger than the listed ABV, flavorless bitterness on the finish. 3.5

Overall: Glad to have a shot at this, but the beer in front of me is raising more questions than reasons to return, as if that will be an option. Would try a known crash batch if by some miracle the chance occurs down the road. 3.25

Not sure I’m getting a second new to me pour, or any at this stage. If not, see you tomorrow.

 

Oh I love The Map Room, only been once many many years ago though ha.

 

I'm sure I had this beer before, but it was when I would look for a craft at a bar that doesn't offer many options and doesn't care about the quality. Recently a coworker mentioned Yuengling a few times, so I decided to try it. Not the style I go for, but it is subtle, easy to drink, and works well on a hot, humid day.

 

A little behind schedule today for me, a Cold IPA from Firestone Walker called Another Life:

Appearance: Clear yellow, good head.

Smell: Starts danky, then citrusy, then tropical fruit.

Taste: Kind of a cracker/saltine (but not quite that drying), then a dry, pithy grapefruit bitterness. Medium bodied.

Overall: From a recent mix pack of Firestone Walker, this is a decent IPA. Plenty bitter without being too filling. Worth a try but nothing too special.

 

Funny, it was my go to beer in college and I revisited proper, sort of recently too. Over in the oldies but goodies thread it is still a solid beer IMO.

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

A crazy today, and sitting outside, because the fire alarm is going off in my apartment complex, yet again. At least it's not -20 like a previous incident.

So here's my new beer, from my garage

Bramble On Rose - Ore Dock Brewing - Marquette, MI - Belgian Pale Strong Ale - 8.0% ABV

Ok, I hope the all clear is given soon, because this is going down way too fast for an 8% beer. It really has a nice body, and the raspberry is so refreshing. This is damn good.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29238/299644/

4.21/5 rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
From a can.

The beer is a murky and hazy pouring beer. I get some clarity when I hold it to the light, but I also get floaties in the glass. The head comes to 1 finger, white, fluffy and frothy looking. The head retention is pretty good, and there's a bit of lacing on the glass.
The aroma is a nice raspberry aroma. Some sweetness to it, some tart. I also get a hint of Belgian yeast in it with some grassy and floral notes.
Taste is full of raspberry that hits up front. There's some sweetness to it as some tartness. The wildness from the Belgian yeast comes into play on the back. Lots of earthy, grassy, and floral notes.
The body is decent for the ABV. It really doesn't drink like an 8% beer at all, which could be a bit of trouble.
This is a higher octane beer, but is actually pretty damn refreshing on a nice summer day.


I am surprised by how much higher than average my review is, but I would say it has earned it.

I will try to keep this going till I can go back in. Cheers all

 

Painting my porch in oppressive weather. Time for a beer.
This is Gouda from Other Half, another beer named to be sure no other brewery has used it. Totally unconsciously, I made myself a snack plate for this session of uncured sausage and.... Gouda cheese.

3.97/5 rDev -3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Poured from a 16oz can stamped 07/03/23 to a Nonic at fridge temp
The body is opaque apricot with an ultra white head of such small bubbles it looks like it was poured from a nitro driven tap. Unfortunately that head fades in two minutes but lacing continues to be as impressive as the original foam top.
This beer smells of melon and stone fruit.
The taste is a sweet mixture of those produce items up front, but it fades to a slight hop burn for the finish. The burn is not drastic and the bitterness that comes with it is a welcome cleanser.
The mouthfeel is pillowy soft, probably the most impressive part of the beer.
Another impressive beer from Other ½.

 

@champ103 - Yhe Map Room is a local treasure, I don’t go there enough myself even though it’s a hop skip away.

My favorite hop. A favorite Chicago Brewery!

Let’s fucking do this!

Hop Butcher For The World Meet The Amarillos



Brewery Notes: $8 16 oz draft, 6.5% ABV. Our hop relatives from the West Coast are in town. Come meet the Amirillos!

Appearance: Murky tan yellow pour, creamy bright white head leaves substantial lacing. Can’t see the carbonation beyond the tiny bubbles visible above the base lacing cover. 4.25

Aroma: Dank grapefruit, pine. Mild in strength but oh yeah enticement. 4.5

Taste: Dailed to 11. Grapefruit, dank, pine, dry, bitter. Dailed in, yes please.4.5

Mouthfeel: Mildly dry, slightly bitter, drinks light and easy. Faint fizzy carbonation, body light, dank grapefruit finish. 4.25

Overall: I’ve met the Amarillos in the past, but this was a fortuitous meeting. Hop Butcher For The World is hitting all strides, the taproom is completely packed and this is why. Well done as always. 4.5

My palate is fatigued but May try one more new to me here because they are awesome. Otherwise If stopping at two I’m doing a tried and true.

Cheers!

 

Torrential rain here in the vacation spot. Grandson got all morning in swimming and we made a grocery run. Got caught and had to pull over for a bit, but no real harm.

I'm gonna sound like a Barreled Souls advertisement. We did hit the industrial park corner and we're pretty disappointed - nothing at Allagash we had to try. Definitive and Foundation - nothing new or interesting. We did make it up to Lake St. George for nostalgia and one beet I haven't had.

So Barreled Souls 2...L to R

Strawberry Stay-puft Girls - definitely not to our liking. Too sweet, too much of a strawberry jam feel to it.

Double Summer - a New England DIPA with Galaxy and Vic Secret hops. The initial taste was fantastic with bright citrus notes and fruitiness, but then it got extremely dank in a heartbeat and left what I find as an objectionable aftertaste. If the dank is your thing, this one's for you.

Speakeasy Sotol Sunrise - more on this one tomorrow, I think. Once I figure out what Sotol is and can drink a can. Another good one in the Speakeasy series.

Stay tuned for Part 3 in this documentary...

 

Outer Light - Lonesome Boatman

16oz can served in a snulip. Can is not dated, as far as I can see. Received from @Roguer in NBS BIF #17.

Pours a clear dark amber with a medium-sized head. Not a lot of carbonation. Head settles into a tall (but thin) ring and a lumpy, uneven skin. Smell is nutty, biscuits, slight yeast, more nuttiness.

Taste is first, a surprising hoppy bitterness, mostly grapefruit and orange rind in character; second, a honeysuckle sweetness, and third (though almost tied for second) a roasted nuttiness.

Mouthfeel is light, clean, dry. Overall, very nice -- surprisingly bitter for the style, probably wouldn't be popular with people who were looking for the standard amber ale.

 

Maybe the last visit to Barreled Souls was today, so these are somewhat legit new beers although I won't review them on a sample pour.



L to R

Stagg Jr. Gimme the Munich Wine, a "munichwine" made with 100% locally grown dark Munich malt, collaboration with Heist brewer. Aged 10 months and 17 days in Stagg Jr. Bourbon barrels. Big boy stuff at 15.75%, and it packs a wallop in a very tasty format. Rich, warm, bready, strong bourbon character, slightly sweet. Decadent. Outstanding.

Over the Line - New England TIPA. This one was good - heavy on the citrus fruit, not so much with the resin or dank. Liked it, but not something I'd rush to buy in the category.

Speakeasy White Sangria - not new, but the missus couldn't remember if she liked it, so a refresher course - she doesn't. I knew that but also know when to keep my mouth shut.

Blackberry Double Crumble - jury was split. I liked it and thought it reminded me of the namesake. The sour finish was a small jolt. The missus didn't care for it, thought too much vanilla that didnt fit.

 

Greetings all fellow beer enthusiasts and happy weekend! Thanks @beergoot for getting us started.
Today I finally re-tried a beer that I drank almost exclusively one summer before I got serious about beer.

Freedom of Speech. That whole summer I called it Freedom of Peach. No idea why.
It’s classified as a kettle sour and it is sour, but lacks elements that I generally get in kettle sours (no, I can’t define what, just impression) but it is so easy to drink and cuts thirst better than water I don’t care what they call it. Just lightly sweetened with peach and sufficient sour to make it cut through the dust.
One of the few beers I’ll drink by the 6 pack, and now I finally got it rated too!
Cheers all! Back out into the oppressive heat and humidity.

 

All right, back again since the all clear has been announced. I decided to stay in the garage, because it is so nice outside today.

Now to my new/old beer

Old Foghorn - Anchor Brewing - English Barleywine - 9.8% ABV

This is my first time having this beer, and it's damn good. So full of flavor. The thing that amazed me the most was that there was so much carbonation for this old beer. Damn good overall.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28/1445/
4.29/5 rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
2015 vintage consumed on 7-29-2023, from a bottle

I will start off by saying that the carbonation is amazing in this 8 year old beer. It took 2 tries to get it all in the glass. The first pour, the beer is a beautiful clear amber color. Once the head dissipated a bit, and I could get the rest in the glass, there was a bit of murkiness to it, with floaties. The head was quite thick, and a nice tan color, with tiny bubbles. It looked quite fluffy. When the head finally dissipated fully there's a bit of lacing on the glass.
Aroma is full of caramel and toffee notes. I also get notes of raisin.
Taste, well, it's amazing. Raisin hits right away, and lingers throughout. The caramel and toffee then hit and work well with the raisin. The flavors seem to go back and forth to see which profile is more pronounced.
Full bodied, and this beer, even though it's under 10%, let's you know to sip and savor it.
This is so delicious. I am glad I got a bottle of it. I could get more, but, I think others should savor this.


I am going to sit out here and enjoy this for awhile. Cheers all

 

Another new to me beer I found recently. Joining @beergoot with a similar style. Though, certainly J.W. Lees is in a category all its own, it has been forever since I have been able to find any, and I'm always looking for some English Strong Ale's of any kind.

So, I have Mount Saint Bernard Abbey, Tynt Meadow. 7.4% ABV.



Pours a dark ruby red color, that is nearly opaque. A dense beige head forms that last forever, light lace is left as this finally and gently recedes.
The aroma is all malts and incredibly nuanced. Fresh baked bread toasted malts, light chocolate covered cherries. The dark fruit character lingers on a bit. Incredibly inviting and welcoming.
Taste wise, like the nose, all the malty characteristics are there and great. Baked bread, dark fruits, chocolate, brown/caramelized sugars. Just a touch of an earthy hoppiness for which helps keep this form being cloying in anyway.
A medium body with moderate carbonation. If there is any "fault" here this could be a bit fuller. Though that just makes it all the easier to drink, and it is smooth, sweet, but not too sweet, and just all around warming and moreish.

A great nuanced malt character, that doesn't become cloying, and is just spot on English in every way. I have been missing these kinds of English Strong Ale's and I'll be coming back to this one a lot. Well, until it inevitably becomes scarce, and you can't find it anymore on the shelve. Until then, I'm going to enjoy this as much as I can.

Overall score is 4.29, A, and could probably score it a bit higher ha.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/53152/354491/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Love The Pub glass, used to have one here in Columbus years ago. Think there's still some around but just not in my area anyway.

 

Kolsch style Ale by Tributary

New brewery for me , recommended by @Roguer

photobomb courtesy of my smartass sister in law


3.77/5 rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.7

Brewers notes: This is the German expression of Lite Beer without dilution. Light, delicate, crisp with a subtle, noble hop aroma. Quenching kolsch! A delicate bouquet of fliers and fruit highlights this extremely refreshing German hybrid . A malt backbone featuring notes of honey ensures that the kolsch will rejuvenate you through the dog days of summer.

Opaquely clear golden liquid with active carbonation streams , bubbly one finger white foam cape , recedes to a thin layer and ring

Aroma is floral, subtle lemon citrus

Taste is floral , doughy white bread , slight malt sweetness

Crisp, light beer

Good beer on a hot humid summer night

 

Fremont Brew 7000!

4.75/5 rDev +6.5%

look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A ten ounce pour from the tap into a tulip glass.

Look- Ruby brown, opaque, sudsy cream colored head, average head retention and lacing.

Smell- Toffee, bourbon, oak, cherry, medium strength of scent.

Taste- Bourbon, toffee, brown sugar, oak, cherry, moderately sweet, very high strength of flavor.

Feel- Between medium and full body, average carbonation, smooth, moderately mouth warming, moderately mouth coating, moderately creamy.

Overall- Ruby brown and opaque with average head retention and lacing for the style. Bouquet was a medium strength pleasant mix of toffee, bourbon, cherry and oak. Flavor was off the chart in strength and a well balanced mix of bourbon, toffee, cherry, brown sugar and oak. Feel was a great with a body wavering between full and medium with moderate mouth warming and coating properties. Overall this beer provided a fantastic and truly memorable drinking experience!