New Beer Weekend #159

Thanks, @Roguer for getting this thread started. It's 10:20 MDT and this is only the second entry for NBW. People must have slept in today.
This week my wife and I saw the summer's blockbuster movies, Oppenheimer and Barbie. I thought Oppenheimer was excellent, while Barbie was a disappointment.
My new beer for today is from my latest Beer Drop shipment is Grocery Getter, a NEIPA from Mill House Brewing from Poughkeepsie, NY.
The beer is a hazy orange color. A nice white head dissipates quickly. A little lace.
Aroma of citrus and honey.
Taste of orange and grapefruit, honey. Late herbal hops.
Smooth mouthfeel, not bitter.
An average NEIPA.

 

Thanks @Roguer for starting up this week's NBW. I picked up this Stone Fear Movie Lions in a mixed 12 pack (others are Stone IPA, Hazy IPA, and Delicious Citrus) for $17, while I saw a 6 pack of FML for $14.


Appearance: Slightly hazy gold, good head.

Smell: Mild citrus.

Taste: Mild sweetness to start, then a nicely balanced slightly sweetened citrus and bitterness through the body. Medium bodied, mild to moderate bitterness.

Overall: Finally trying this beer from a mixed Stone 12 pack. It leans towards old school flavors with a balanced malt and grapefruit flavor, but I like that, so good! Might get a 6er in the future if the pricing isn't too bad.

 

Trillium actually came to Houston this week...hm lets see how this goes.

Fort Point Strata Dry Hopped Pale Ale. 6.6% ABV.

Canned on 7/19/2023



Pours with a touch of haze, with a few floaties. A dense white head forms immediately, and makes it just a bit hard to pour. Lots of retention, legs of lace are left behind as the foam finally recedes.
The aroma is generic tropical fruit, and melons. Fruit salad. I'm not the best at picking out individual aromas from these new age hops, but seems fairly standard.
Taste wise, that tropical fruit and melon medley again. The hint of something bitter pops up, but doesn't last to the finish. Becomes just sweet and fruity after a while.
A medium body with low carbonation. Would like a bit more crisp bite, and a longer drier finish. As is, a bit sticky/sweet. I can't say I'm looking to come back to this again, but not hard to drink once.

This is right on the boarder of cloying/sweetness for me. Which comes from all the Strata hops of coarse. Some noticeable drying cracker like malts, or more substantial bitterness would help balance this for me. It is also way to expensive to get more than once, and only then just out of curiosity.

Overall score is 3.69, a respectable B, but at near $30 a four pack (I only got a single), way overpriced for what it is.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30654/88949/?ba=champ103#lists

I have Congress St. IPA next, will see how that goes...

 

Good day BAs! Back from the shadows with a new (to me) brew and more than the usual excitement.



Decidedly good brew, well past the outdate (072121) but still excellent.

Pumpkinville Latte – Whiskey Barrel Aged from Ellicottville Brewing Company. 16 oz can from Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA. In reefer at store, purchased 01/08/23, $ 4 (Including tax), $ 0.25/fl oz. Reviewed 04/09/23 (Review 3142). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stamped on the bottom of the can “LVB 14 072121”. Stored at 34 degrees at home. Served at 47.8 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 59.3 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.5
First pour – Pale Amber (SRM 9), clear.
Body – Medium Amber (SRM 12), clear. Under direct light, same. When rear lite, same.
Head: Average (Maximum 3.3 cm, aggressive center pour), almond, high density, quickly contracting to a 0.2 cm crown and a thin partial cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 4 – Smoke and oak barrels. No yeast, no malt, no hops, no pumpkin, no vanilla. No ethanol (6.5 % ABV according to the label).
Flavor – 4.5 – Slightly sweet with smoke and mulled spices, roasted pumpkin in the background – I can’t separate distinct spice flavors here. No yeast, no malt. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Slight gastric warming.
Palate – 4 – Medium; slightly creamy; soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4.25 Despite the lack of lacing, this is a beautiful clear amber and screams “DRINK ME!”: great appearance. Despite the can being two years old, I tried it and loved it! (I’ll be going back to Marty’s and buying more). The whiskey is mellow, the spices well-blended, the alcohol low, and the oak barrels add an excellent touch of terroir. Absolutely the best beer I’ve ever had from Ellicottville!
Rating 4.28, rDev +3.9%

 

Sorry, got the wrong beer in DB, corrected to the Strata listing...and downed graded just a bit. Man the sweetness just takes over to much after this warms. Can't imagine I'll actually get the regular Fort Point after this...oh well.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30654/557045/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Yep, people aren't going to like my review of Congress St. Got the correct beer listing this time...I think. Man, they make way to many the same beers that are just variations on a theme.

Congress Street India Pale Ale from the can...well that should be NEIPA. 7.2% ABV.

Canned on 7/19/23



Pours with a near opaque cloudiness. A dense white head rises with good retention and lace. Manageable to pour if you go slow.
Aroma of some sweet fruits, most people are saying pineapple. Sure, I guess I can go with that. I don't know if these kinds of NEIPA's overwhelm me to a point were I just can't pick anything out, cause I don't get near the expressive fruity/hops aromas as others. Its just vaguely there.
Taste wise, yep, sweet and fruity. Like store bought Dole juice to me. I don't get anything in the finish, but some hop burn...or alcohol can't figure it out...
I guess I can't be too hard here, but just muddled to me. Low carbonation, sticky sweet, no finish, some kind of astringency. Either from hop burn or alcohol burn. This is going to be a chore to finish.

Every once in a while, I like to revisit styles I'm not the biggest fan of, especially when a new brewery pops up in my area. To see if or how my tastes change. Well, this is a style I have yet to really enjoy. Some will say "don't review styles you don't like" but I'm just trying to see what everyone but me seems to like...oh well.

Overall score...nah, you guys don't want to hear it The Emperor has no clothes for me in this case...ducks out of the way.

 

Part of me is afraid to ask but I think I would be curious about your movie reviews as much as the beer review

 

I'm jealous, I really want to see Oppenheimer. Unfortunately I know I won't until it comes out, but I very much look forward to that day. That stinks on Barbie, Ryan Gosling cracks me up, if you've ever seen The Nice Guys, not to be confused with The Other Guys.

I'm not sure I've ever seen that Lone Pint Logo, beautifully simplistic.

 

I think I'll take a Yellow Rose over Trillium at this point (though Lone Pint has also done some real perplexing duds as well).

 

Founders Brewing KBS Blueberry. The look is black, with a blue tint. There is a light brown foam ring. The smell leads with blueberry, but it blends well with coffee, chocolate, vanilla, and graham cracker. The taste is strong with blueberry, but it fades into the back as traditional KBS coffee, chocolate, and vanilla flavors emerge. It is a nice blend. The blueberry flavor does not overpower the other flavors, which is a surprise. It is not as sweet as I expected. The mouthfeel is thick, rich, oily, silky, full, and smooth, with light-medium carbonation. Overall, this beer is a pleasant surprise. I expected it to be too sweet, but the blueberry flavor is just right. I thought Lizard of Koz from the same brewery was too sweet. I like this beer a lot more.

 

The word that came to mind after reading this statement: DUH!
Okay, I’ll assume you have a daughter who begged for the movie, but to expect to enjoy it? That is a pink bridge to far.

 

Huh, I just grabbed the 4 pack and didn’t even notice it had additives. Now I have to go look.
Nice review though! Glad you enjoyed it, sorry your partner didn’t so much.

 

Okay, I live 30 minutes from the brewery itself and I *still* haven’t seen those in the wild. It’s not like I haven’t been to any bottle shops either. Oh well, guess I can just go there and pick some up.
You had a different take on it than a previous post on the imperial stout thread- they thought opposite- that Koz was better and this one too sweet. Meh, different palate, different taste. All good.
I’ll be back soon with a smoked Helles.

 

Thank you @Roguer for kicking off the weekend, and sorry you missed the book signing. Sorry @champ103 about your two Trililum beers. While I don't typically seek that style, I do enjoy several excellent NEIPAs that are packed with flavor and balanced.

No theme for me this weekend beyond getting to the last two late April Strong Classic IPAs on hand, two I've been eager to try since getting them. The first is a collaboration sent in a second care package by the generous @Ocalafox which I am adding to the database now.

King Fox Brewery & Shojo Beer Company Collaboration Mecha Kaiju



Can Notes: Gift can from BA @Ocalafox . Undated can, released 4/29 per social media. 8.0% ABV, West Coast India Pale Ale with Strata & Simcoe. Brewed & Packaged by King Fox Brewery in Hialeah, Florida. Received 7/8, refrigerated until opening this afternoon.

Brewery Online Notes: A "West Coast" IPA styled after one of our old favorites. This collab beer was brewed with a whole lot of wheat as well as Centennial, Cascade, Amarillo, and Chinook hops. We generously Dry-hopped it with Simcoe and Strata hops. Big, fruity, dank and delicious.

Appearance: Primary and then finishing pour into a nucleated tulip pint glass. Billed as a WCIPA, but murky yellow orange base, bright white head lasts a few minutes before leaving a creamy lacing and cover over the base, carbonation not visible through the base but mildly sustained floating to the top. 3.75

Aroma: Mild in strength, orange, tangerine and citrus. Smells sweet but in proper measure. 3.5

Taste: Getting a dank weed cat piss lead, nicely backed by citrus and pineapple. Hops may have mellowed out a bit over 3 months as possibly the malt level, but works well for me today. Enjoying more as this warms and with each sip. 4.0

Mouthfeel: Malt sweetness with the flavors battle with the hop bitterness with the bitterness winning out. Drinks a bit heavier than the listed 8% ABV. Faint carbonation sustained throughout, creamy medium to full body, dank weed finish. 4.25

Overall: This is a solid beer, deceptively light and easy but the alcohol strength impacting me in a nice chill way as my tolerance continues to decrease. Liking the flavors and balance, doesn't look old school but tastes like a classic IPA.. Really enjoying Vann, thanks again! 4.0

Thank you Dave, really appreciate this one. Looking forward to my first pour from Jake @brewskis tomorrow!

Cheers!

 

I was kind of holding out hope Trillium would be like my experience with bands like A Tribe Called Quest or Kendrick Lamar. I'm not a rap/hip hop fan, but do really enjoy those artists...maybe Trillium's NEIPA's could have been that for me, but I guess I'll have to keep looking.

 

Yes, that was my take. Perhaps I'm chalking it up to the fact that Lizard of Koz was my first (or one of my first) pastry stouts, and I was excited by the novelty of it. I have noticed a decreased interest and tolerance of the sweet beers, and don't pick up the KBS variants (or most other sweet beers) due to the fact I prefer a straight barrel treatment, perhaps coffee and or coconut in terms of adjuncts.

Would say I enjoyed this more as it warmed, will let the other sit for 30 minutes before diving in (vs. the 15 I typically jump in on for refrigerated BA stouts).

I found my four pack based on this link which was accurate, hope you and others interested can find yours soon.

https://foundersbrewing.com/beer/find-our-beer/

 

Good afternoon NBW
I had big plans to get to my 2000th review last weekend, but an unexpected (and stubborn) respiratory infection knocked me off my game. Feeling better now and logging in #1999.

Chilly Water 500 Miles High

16oz can stamped 05/01/2023 (3 months old) poured into a shaker pint glass at fridge temp, no ABV listed on label. The beer pours mostly bright pale gold in color with short lived eggshell colored head and a steady stream of bubbles continuing to rise from the glass. No residual head or lacing. The aroma is mild with pale malt and lager yeast. The taste is semisweet yellow beer. Slight malt, sweetness from the corn or rice and negligible bitterness. The mouthfeel is thin bodied with above average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Cleanly lagered, no diacetyl, no off flavors. Overall, very good light lager.

I'm not sure of the light lager culture in other parts of the country, but every craft brewer in Southern Indiana offers a house version or has cans of mass produced light lager available. Honestly, I would enjoy a Miller High Life over 95% of the beers I've had from my local breweries (Indianapolis area breweries, such as the one above, would be a whole different discussion, as they are drastically better.)

I don't know if I'm ready to jump into the whale I had set aside for #2000 this weekend or if I'll just review a couple new oktoberfest beers instead. Cheers all and enjoy your weekend!