New Beer Weekend #166

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Savorers and commentators. I had intended to review a BBA American Barleywine brewed here in New Jersey but something was clearly off so down the drain it went. Instead, I'm trying a new-to-me beer from a new-to-me brewery: Peanuts and Crackerjack Robust Porter from The Mitten Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, MI. Although seemingly gimmicky, it's quite tasty and enjoyable.

It pours a dark mahogany with cola hues at the bottom of the glass and sports a big, fluffy, light mocha-colored cap and lacing. A fragrant nose with lots of peanut butter and caramel. The taste is just as advertised: roasty malt, peanuts and caramel - akin to peanut brittle. But it's not overly sweet; there is a nice base of earthy char with a slight hoppy bitterness. Its mouth feel is fairly thick and creamy. At 6% ABV it drinks easily. Overall, it's a very nice Robust Porter, which would pair nicely with a burger or cheese steak but is fine for casual drinking.

4.15/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Have a great week, everyone!

 

Next up

United - Kingfisher Premium Lager



Purchased from local grocer for $2

No bottling/BB date

Poured at fridge temp into a pokal glass

Pours an attractive clear golden with little to no head/lacing 3.25

Very faint malt on the nose and not much else, even as it warmed. 2.75

Fairly seltzer/soda like with not much flavor, perhaps a touch of hops, aaaand that's it. 1.75

Biting carbo, but not overwhelming, light and lightly dry finish. 3

Overall a pretty and good feeling beer that misses big on aroma and taste, but hey, they can't all be spectacular! 2.75

 

Mankato Leaf Raker Nut Brown Ale 6.9% ABV
I truly enjoy this brew. Sweet but not Lagunitas sweet and is way easy goin' down. Cheers BAs!
4.08/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
12 oz can into a Becher glass.
L: Pours dark tea brown and is slightly lighter in color at the base, a 2" soapy light tan head, OK retention, light fine carbo bubbles, head recedes to thick creamy skin, light random broken lacing.
S: Ginger bread, caramelized malts, spicy, dark over ripe fruits, toasted grains.
T: Nutty caramelized malts, leafy notes, toasted cereal grains, a hint of brown bread, very light yeast, a touch of molasses, very light brown sugar, has a fruit bread halo. Balanced sweet & bitter.
F: Lightly fizzy medium-light bodied feel with a smooth center and a smooth, Lightly creamy medium-length finish.
O: Very tasty and easy drinking with a gently sweet aftertaste. Lightly fruity and indeed leafy and is well balanced overall. It is very good in its style.

 

I was at Riggs Beer Company again, this afternoon. I didn't see this earlier in the week, but jumped on it now. They are a mostly German style brewery, and an excellent one at that. Every once in a while they do an old school barely wine, and now a wheatwine that I have never seen before now.

Wheatwine, 9.2% ABV



Pours a clear reddish/orange color. A small white head forms that recedes quickly. To little more than a ring.
Aroma is toasted malts, baked bread caramelized sugar and fruity esters of apple. A big malty aroma that is very enjoyable.
Taste wise, again, that big malty character is up front and the show. Toasted malts, caramelized sugars. Fruity esters of apples, and light banana. A bit of alcohol warmth in the finish.
A full body with assertive carbonation at first. That becomes ultra smooth after a minute. A weighty malty character gives this some heft and stickiness. Certainly alcohol warmth, and it all leads to a nice one to sip on.

I don't see this style very often, and one from a mostly German style brewery less often. It is interesting and a pretty good example of the style, as I recall. Since it has been forever, I have kind of forgotten what it was like. A very enjoyable sipper that I will come back to when I see it again.

Overall score is 3.97, B+
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46277/672094/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Day 2, one and done whilst grilling burgers on the Weber kettle on another gorgeous fall evening in Northern Indiana, this beer is appropriately titled.





4.6/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours an almost turbid medium peach color with a fluffy white head that is resilient and clings to the glass in thick rings. Absolutely gorgeous hazy. The nose features spicy passion fruit aromas, lots of peaches, grapefruit and mango, and some guava. Wow.

The taste features all of the aforementioned aroma notes, but it is clearly (IMHO) the passion fruit and peach flavors that stand out, with a rich, creamy oat finish at the back of the palate for balance. Exceptionally delicious.

The mouthfeel is rich and creamy, verging on chewy, which adds to the drinkability. I don’t know if this is a “fresh hop/wet hop” fall harvest beer (it’s not identified as such on the can), but I do know it fits my old beer nerd palate perfectly, and it’s one of my favorite TH beers.

That’s saying a lot.

 

Mother of All Bricks

12.4% English barleywine collaboration between Jackie O's and Pelican aged for 17 months in extremely rare 19-year bourbon barrels.

Poured from bottle, the body is a dark black with netheir head nor lacing.

Nose is a marvelous blend of barrel, dark fruit, coffee and vanilla.

Taste follows nose except all flavors are deeper in intensity. The barrel is present and forward, but as is the case with many Jackie O’s barleywines there is little or no alcohol burn. Just sweet and boozy comporting with the style.

Light carbonation keeps the mouthfeel pleasant and the body is luxurious and mouth coating.

This beer presses most of my happy buttons. Hopefully it will become an annual collaboration.

 

Your post makes me terribly sad, as I'm sorry to hear what has happened to Fuller's London Pride.

On the other hand, your London photos are terrific, and I hope you will post as many as BA will permit. My last trip to that wonderful city was more than 2 decades ago.

 

Preach, brother.

 

Another indoor day here, but fortunately there is football and a remote control...

In the glass:



Palmovka 12 from Schilling Beer Co. It says it is an unfiltered Czech Pilsner brewed with all Czech-sourced ingredients, triple-decocted and adhering to a traditional Czech brewing schedule.

Pours a crystal clear brassy gold color with a tight half inch of white foam. Said foam falls fairly quickly to a ring and a few islands. Beautiful beer. A few streams of bubbles rise but don't rejuvenate the head.

Aroma is of bready malt with a little biscuit and toast. There's a fairly assertive hop presence - floral and herbal earthiness, a little bit of lemon, faint spiciness. I already know I'm going to dig this beer.

The taste follows, with the hops being pretty much taking the lead floating over the bready/biscuit and toasty malts that have a very slight sweetness. It's not an aggressive hop profile, it's just immediately present. Earthy, floral, herbal, a little lemon. Mild peppery spice. Decently bitter, but for a brief time. As I drink it, there's more of the toast character coming through. The hop flavors linger a bit.

The feel is medium bodied but it feels richer. Its fairly highly carbonated with a little welcome tingle. Smooth and creamy. A wee bit dry on the finish.

This is an excellent beer. Everything is in balance and each component clearly contributes to the party but doesn't take over. It is certainly pushing all the right buttons for me. I'll need to temper my enthusiasm before I rate it, but it's going well north of 4.0.

 

Long day here but I got some time to fit in one last new beer, a beer from raiding my dads fridge on our visit yesterday.

A funny fact about this brewery, since the very beginning they have named every single one of their beers using a bull pun, with almost zero exceptions. Quite an impressive feat considering they’re around 10 years old now.

Bolero Snort - Oxtoberfest (Marzen 5.7%)



Pours nicely, clear amber, off white head good cap sticks around, no lacing.

The nose is sweet, grain, nice toast character; some light floral leaning hops.

Taste is sweet, not horribly so but it is noticeable, but toasty bread like as well, grain husk bite; light grassy hops on the finish. It sort of combines with the toast character and give an almost overly toasted taste to it.

Medium body but quite smooth and drinkable, there is some lingering residual sweetness; I welcome bitter but on this beer it just seems out of place and detracting, still finishes quite clean.

It’s a decent offering but not one I’d buy again my local marzen purchasing will keep going to Cape May.

————

That’s it for me this weekend. See you all again in 5 days. Have a great week everyone.

 

Off the wagon for a couple days to catch up on new offerings from Vermont and beyond.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45496/444097/



16 ounce can packaged 09/13/23.

Moderate to vigorous pour yields a nearly two inch off-white head over an amber body with some lacing.

Nose of sweet malt, caramel, and slight spice.

Taste follows nose fairly closely and finishing a bit dry.

Good feel with low to medium carbonation.

Overall, a real nice Marzenesque fall beer worth seeking out.
Cheers!

 

Greetings, New Beer Specialists! I hope that your weekend has been good, and that the remaining hours are an acceptable gateway to the week ahead.

I've tasted a few New Beers this weekend, but this is the only one I had time to take notes on. (No photo, unfortunately. I got to gabbing with the bartender and another dude at the bar, and the beer was gone before I thought to grab a pic.)

Matchless CLS Farm Harvest Fresh Hop IPA
This beer is an annual collaboration between Matchless Brewing of Tumwater, WA and CLS Farms of Moxie, WA (in Yakima County, the heart of hop country). Enjoyed on draft at John's Marketplace in Beaverton, OR. Served in a bulbous John's-branded pint glass. Near as I can tell this was kegged on September 6.

Look:
The body is a deep orange-gold color and is slightly hazy. The head of eggshell white foam doesn't last long but leaves plenty of lacing after every sip.

Smell:
Old school NW IPA nose: pine and citrus backed by a good foundation of malt. The fresh Centennial hops show up as prominent grassy notes along with lemon and lime oils.

Taste:
Delivers the old school NW IPA promised by the nose. Starts with mildly sweet flavors of toasted multi-grain bread and a drop of honey. Hops start out lemony and a little grassy. Bitterness is strong from the get-go. The middle is more pine resin and lemon oil with a bright watermelon rind note of fresh hops underneath. Delightful! The rather hot finish is toasted bread crust, bitter orange marmalade, alcohol, and that intense, pure bitterness you get from licking the yellow lupalin powder you find in a fresh hop cone.

Feel:
Medium-bodied and somewhat oily, with biting carbonation and a light alcohol warmth. Drinkability takes a hit, but this beer isn't supposed to be a crusher anyway.

Overall:
Beers from Matchless have always been a mixed bag for me. I'm happy to say this is one of their better efforts. Very much an old school NW IPA: uncompromising piny/citrusy bitterness that lingers, with a heavier malt body than is fashionable these days. The fresh Centennial hop character shines through nicely. Recommended.

 

You would be a great reporter from the east. Munich, Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia for instance.

 

4.22/5 rDev +7.4%

look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 ounce can dated 5-18-23 into a tulip glass.

Look- Deep brown, opaque, small visible particulate at margins, creamy medium brown head, average head retention and lacing.

Smell- Chocolate, roasted barley, medium strength of scent.

Taste- Chocolate, roasted barley, medium strength of flavor.

Feel- Medium body, average carbonation, highly creamy, moderately bitter, mildly mouth warming.

Overall- Deep brown with small visible particulate at the margins and average head retention and lacing. Bouquet and flavor was medium in strength with a nice chocolate and roasted barley character. Medium body with high creaminess and moderate bitterness. Overall this was a very enjoyable and good example of the Porter style. It was simple in flavor and nose and would have benefited from more complexity, but still well done.

 

I’m just drinking my homebrew!

 

Finally able to join in with a new beer.
Pro-Am Tripel from Brewery Vivant. Nice balance of fruit fruit flavors, malts with mild alcohol presence. Much milder than the ABV would warrant. A variety of delicate flavors mingle with the fruit esters, very tasty.
Made even better as I was there with @Roguer - a quality BA individual that was a true pleasure to meet.

 

By All Means Brew Lab 41 Peaks Rocky Mountain IPA, 5.8% ABV; 3.81 overall

Citra Simcoe & Cascade hops in play

Pours an effervescent gold with one finger of pearl colored head. Good head retention & lacing

S: Tropical fruit & citrus

T: Follows the nose, dryness, tangerines , green melons up front. A little peach mixes in with green melon, tangerine & dryness as this beer warms up. Finishes with passion fruit, tangerine & a little lime, plus peach

MF: Medium body, fairly lively carbonation, good balance

Pretty easy to drink, a serviceable IPA

 

Last one for me this weekend, and looking forward to next!

SA - Jack-O



Purchased from the local grocer for $2

Poured at fridge temp into a stout glass (been my go to for warming lighter beers)

Fair amber body with a fizzy soda-esque head that faded quick. 3.75

Pumpkin pie, cinnamon and light clove aromas. Fairly sweetened. 3.75

This is pumpkin soda. 100% Mostly pumpkin pie, but again accompanying spices. Cinnamon, allspice, clove, nutmeg, etc. Perhaps a touch of earthy gourdiness too which I appreciated, but it was fleeting. 4

Light and effervescent, quaffable. 3.75

Overall, pumpkin pie soda is the best thing I think describes this, but is fairly encompassing too. If you don't like beer, you'd probably love this. (Wrong crowd here I know) If you enjoy beer, this is a nice sweet treat. Wouldn't go out of my way to pick up a sixer, but a single for dessert was fun and tasty. 3.75

Cheers!