New Beer Weekend #16

Nice way to start the day:
Save Versus Fire from North Park Beer Co. It's a pilsner and 4.7% ABV.

@Snrubnivek so kindly sent this to me.

A pilsner - there's not much going on there, a lot of people would say. With this beer, that is not the case. This beer is packed with tons of flavor. An amazing amount of hops, that I totally wasn't expecting.
I'm so enjoying this, and I'm so thankful that I'm getting to try this.

4.24/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a semi hazy golden color. 1 finger white head. The head was very fluffy, and soft looking. Retention is decent, A bit of lacing on the glass.
The nose is, wow. There's a lot of hops here on this Pilsner. A nice citrus aroma, mellowed out by a sweet, bready malt aroma.
Taste - There's a hell of a lot of hops here. There's a nice orange flavor, mellowed out by a biscuit malt flavor.
Crisp clean feeling. Decent body. Some carbonation on my palate.
A Pilsner is considered by some to be a lowly beer. This isn't lowly at all. It's bursting with flavor and pleasure to enjoy.

 

Not too often I get to have two new beers in the same weekend, but I wanted to get a start on the holiday beers. Today it's Bell's Christmas Ale, a nice scotch ale.
A dark brown/red color with a one inch tan head. Good retention.
Aroma of caramel and some spice.
Caramel taste, cinnamon finish.
Medium-bodied, pleasant beer.

 

What a cutie!

 

Pours a clear golden color with a nice head and lacing
Aroma has floral and hop hints
The taste follows the nose with a hop forward flavor
A light bodied well carbonated beer
A decent Pils, not as crisp as I like them, but more hop forward

 

Saison Dupont:


Appearance: Cloudy gold, good thick head.

Smell: Grassy, hay, spicy, yeast note-clove? I think.

Taste: Spicy, black pepper, grassy and hay flavor. Very mild sweetness. Very carbonated, bubbly feel.

Overall: Finally trying this classic beer. I've never been a big saison guy even though most that I've had have been quality beverages. I suppose it's the price upcharge versus a light wheat ale or pilsner that deters me. Anyway, this was a good beer, nice mix of flavors.

 

He's 7 now and the smartest dog ever for me, and I've never not had a dog. He just makes me feel good, pure and simple. I'm pretty sure that he has a fine sense of humor. He winks at me...

 

Hi NBW’s
New to me

2020 release
Poured into tulip glass yielded a thick chocolate head that dissipated to a ring and moderate lacing and dark brown color.
While pouring right from the refrigerator the aroma was of chocolate brownie batter, as it warmed notes of maple, coffee and bourbon were present

Taste initially was heavy fudge and as it warmed bourbon and maple were more pronounced with a lingering fudge taste.

Mouthfeel is smooth with a hint of alcohol burn, but overall it was very silky. Low to medium carbonation.

Overall I feel it’s nicely balanced between sweet and dry, very easy drinking and the 11% ABV could sneak up on you. I really liked it.

4.5. 4.5. 4.5. 4.25. 4.50 4.48

 

Next up a wild ale. @Dragginballs76 kindly sent this to me. Thank you!!!

Malice from Wicked Weed Brewing - 6% ABV.
You want a wild and funky ale? This has it in droves. So flavorful, there's no way in hell I'm even able to do this beer justice.

I'm loving it!
4.24/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a darker golden color. 1 finger white head. The retention is ok. No lacing on the glass.
Wild funky nose. Floral and wild. Slight earthy aroma.
Taste - very wild tasting. Lots of floral flavors here. Some orange here.
Great body. The funk lingers in my throat.
I love a wild ale, and this is awesome!

 

Those are the best! Cheers!

 

Was unfortunately not able to participate in the fun last weekend...we just finished up an awesome special weekend as a family and this weather is the icing on the cake. A very good friend gave me this beer and I had never had it before. Perfect timing...

Pours a beautiful golden color and is basically crystal clear except for the floaters. There’s a lot of small ones that don’t come out in the pictures. Head instantly dissipated to just a few bubbles, no lacing.

Aroma is hoppy, flower and earthy. Smells like walking into a brewery while the brew, it’s very pleasant.

Taste is mildly sweet and mostly sharp citrus flavors like lemon and lime. Unfortunately there is also a little yeastiness that comes out at the end. It’s faint but pretty noticeable, has a homebrew vibe.

Mouthfeel is smooth with mild carbonation and a little bitterness at the end. And again the sweetness lingers pretty long after the sip.

Overall...My favorite thing about this beer is the aroma it really smells like a brewery on brew day, like to a tee. It is definitely not a traditional pils, I’m not sure if it’s marketed as one or not though. I also wish it was cleaner, it doesn’t drink like lager at all and if it didn’t say pilsner I probably would’ve never guessed it to be a lager. Nonetheless glad to taste and review, I’m enjoying this pour.

 

The Garden Brewery Hazy IPA HBC 586 #2


Pours a clouded amber color with a medium sized, spongy head.


Smells of dried leaves, sea buckthorn and guava, together with luscious oranges and tangerine peel.


Has a soft mouthfeel with a well nuanced, lively carbonation to it, making this a refreshing, easy drinker, which manages to provide a certain richness on the tongue.


Tastes of honey melon, sweet pineapple and bitter limes among slightly sweeter cakey malts. Produces dried leaves with sweet sea buckthorn and a prominent lime presence. Finishes utmost dry with more prickly guava and a long lasting lime finish.


Well made IPA with a convincing lime bitterness, together with an intriguing hop profile.

 

Drekker Apricot & Guava Braaaaaaaains Double Fruit Smoothie Sour, 7.8% ABV. Pours murky light brown, with a ring of bubbles. Nose is vanilla and apricot. Taste is apricot, guava, vanilla, and salt, moderately sweet, moderately tart. Mouthfeel is thick with light carbonation. Overall excellent.

4.03/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Finally picked up one of these Simon Pearce Imperial Stout glasses. I've had one of these on my Christmas list for the past few years, but Santa never came through. They're discontinued, but I recently found a reseller with some in stock. These are only 16oz as compared to their tulip which is almost 20oz.

 

Hill Farmstead - Edward. I've always wanted to try this one. Finally made my first trip to VT and picked some up.

Pint can - dated 11/03/20 - poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at 42°F.

Pours a cloudy, but translucent honey golden colour, topped with two fingers of Sunday white head with fair retention. Micro-effervesence is visible. Moderate lacing. 4.25

Nose: The aroma opens with some pale, flakey malt beneath a ripe explosion of hops. There is a massive grapefruit zest note that just bombards the senses. Orange creamsicle, pink guava, kumquat, and lemongrass, with some big dank PNW notes of Douglass fir, hemp, and damp plants, with just a touch of musty Simcoe. Very saturated with explosive citrus. 4.5

Palate: Edward greets the palate with tons of orange and grapefruit right off the bat. Pulpy and fresh, with a juicy fluidity to it. Some lemon asp emerges. Two things instantly stick out - first, this beer is DRY. This is not a sweet New England juice bomb. Second, there's very little malt weight here. It's fluid and light on its toes - showing that water is the main ingredient. Okay, with that said, after Edward's citrusy greeting, some subtle pink guava and passionfruit notes peek through, along with some white grape, melon rind, and fresh cut grass, nodding to the Mosaic presence. Some classic leafy C-hop notes show up, with some dank earthy Simcoe lending some grit, while the grapefruit note becomes pithy and slightly bitter, taking on some grassiness in the finish, with a lingering touch of Warrior herbal/spiciness. 4.25

Mouthfeel/Body: Unlike many popular modern APA iterations, Edward makes no attempt to hide the fact that it's not an IPA. Dry, subdued malt takes a backseat, showcasing the crisp, fluid, light body which is remarkably refreshing and drinkable. That Hill well water minerality just sings here, tingling the palate like vitamin C. Effervescence is ultra-fine, and moderately lively. Dry. 4.5

Overall: This really stands out as a unique offering. So many new age pale ales just drink like NEIPAs, while Edward steps back and embraces its crisp, fluid APA lineage. All of the Hill characteristics are here, and everything is so supremely balanced. This would be an excellent pairing beer. It isn't a whirlwind of complexity, but rather an exercise in balance and softness. This should be the house mascot for Hill Farmstead, as it captures everything the brewery is known for. 4.25

Overall: 4.34 - A standout New England pale ale, and one that really stands in its own league. Not a blend-into-the-crowd beer. Superb.

 

Happy Sunday, NBW! I've got a couple Breckenridge beers to try today.

12oz can from a mixed 15 pack served in a tulip. Best enjoyed by 12/18/20.

Pours very dark brown, medium head that collapses to a fairly thin cap. Smell is mild, vanilla, roasty coffee/chocolate.

Taste is moderate vanilla, more roast bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium, pretty effervescent. Overall, pretty simple, straightforward porter with a little vanilla in it.

 

Hmm, I'm sitting out in my courtyard, book in hand about to open a beer to enjoy the beautiful afternoon. I thought I had picked up one of my favorite Wild Ales available on the shelf, Oro De Calabaza from Jolly Pumpkin of coarse. I didn't really look at the label too closely...

Turns out, this is Oro De Calabaza, Malbec Wine Barrel Aged. 8.2% ABV. Something I have never seen before, well might as well put my thoughts down. I don't see it listed on Beer Advocate, but maybe I have just missed it? I have another bottle, so plan on revisiting this soon and will probably add my full review and the beer to the database then. Anyway...here are my initial thoughts.



Pours with a chilled haze, golden/orange color. On a vigorous pour a one finger white head forms and recedes quickly. Vinous grapes, berries, light oak tannin and a touch of vanilla. A nice acidic bite that puckers the cheeks a little. A light to medium body, moderate carbonation and finishes dry. Definitely enjoying this, as I love the base beer, and this stays true to that, with more of a vinous grape flavor, which is to be expected.

First thoughts are a B+ It could use a bit more carbonation for my tastes, and I recall the base does have a great effervescent bite, and this doesn't seem to add a ton to the already excellent regular Oro De Calabaza. Will see how the second bottle goes, and maybe pick up the regular version soon and to a side by side as well.

 

For beer # 2 for me this weekend, I'm going with the flagship beer from Alaskan. I've never had it before (obviously, since this is NBW), but I do enjoy amber ales of various styles. Alaskan labels this "Amber Alt Style Ale", so...

Alaskan Amber
ABV: 5.3%
IBU: 18


Malty aroma. Raisins, caramel, toast, mild spice.

Clear redish amber, ample rising bubbles. Tall, thick, creamy off-white head with excellent retention. Strings and loops of lacing. Very attractive.

Mild flavor, starts a bit sweet, nutty, malty, touch of spice and toast. The interplay of flavors carry through, with a just detectable hop bite to balance the overall maltiness. Tending toward moderately dry on the finish. Spice and toast remain in the aftertaste.

Feel is a bit thin, but not overly so for the style. Nice carbonation.

Overall, a tasty amber/alt, good flavor, and just enough from the hops to keep it balanced, providing an almost dry finish.

L: 4.25 | S: 3.75 | T: 4.0 | F: 3.5 | O: 3.75 | Rating: 3.86

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Samplers and commentators. I'll almost guaranty we won't have another Sunday like this, weather-wise, until late April or May. The temperature is in the mid-70's and I'm outdoors in shorts and a tee shirt as we start the second week of November.

My first review today is another pull from @jdell15's NBS BIF box: Day Drinker, a Belgian Blonde Ale from Lost Forty Brewing in Little Rock. What makes this a bit different from other Belgian Blonde's I've sampled is the earthy bitterness of the Belgian spicing, which I assume comes from the Saaz hops. It's a really nice beer to drink outdoors on such a lovely day. Thank you, Jacob! Here's my review:

.71/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Received from @jdell15 in a BIF. Bottled on 1/14/2020 and poured into a tulip glass. It pours an opaque, bright orange with an enormous, creamy, bright white had and thick, clinging lacing. The head resembles a dollop of ice cream. It has a true Belgian nose: lemon, banana, clove, coriander, and pepper. The taste opens particularly tart; I don't taste any banana. There is lemon and orange zest, along with Brett yeast. The Saaz hops are evident in the dry, earthy, rather bitter Belgian spicing and dose of pepper at the finish. The carbonation is lively and the 4.8% ABV is barely noticeable. Overall, Day Drinker is a pleasant Belgian Blonde Ale that is on the bitter side.

This one is only 4.8% ABV which will allow for a second new beer review shortly. Cheers, NBW!