New Beer Weekend #17

Cheers everyone and happy New Beer Weekend! I'll be trying several new Trillium releases since I just got a mixed case delivered through their Trillivery service. First up for me is another Freaky Friday recipe swap beer, this one from Side Project Brewing's side project 'Shared Brewery', Backpack Fashion Show triple dry-hopped DIPA brewed with Citra, Galaxy and Nelson hops, which is the exact type of beer that the last Freaky Friday release I had from them was, Foggiest Window from Monkish, albeit a few different malts. Seems like Trillium is slowly working their way into the "triple dry-hopped" realm, not that I think they really need to but it's something different so I'm interested.


Can dated 11/05/20

Brewery notes:

Upon pour the first thing I notice is the really pale color, then quickly after that the huge boasting tropical dank aroma from the glass. This beer pours a cloudy opaque pale yellow gold with a frothy white foam head that sticks around with decent retention.

Smells really great, huge and intense, tropical fruits, dank earthy herbs, slight cilantro, garlicy onion, zippy mango, pineapple, slight guava, zesty grapefruit, orange citrus, melon, some white grape, hints of pale crackery bready malts, subtle vanilla, and dank resinous earthy herbal floral spicy pine.

Taste follows for the most part, very pale and bright to show off the hop profile which is intense, huge, enormous rich tropical fruit notes of yellow mango, lush pineapple, hints of guava rind, pithy grapefruit, zesty orange citrus, some melon, white grape, mild pale crackery bready malt, slight oniony cilantro, and spicy dank resinous earthy herbal floral pine. There is a small bit of astringent spicy bitterness and a slight grapefruity sweetness underlying, with an almost toasty savory quality to it. Enjoyable imo even if a bit intense and spicy. Overall pretty balanced taste and all the flavors come together pretty well.

Feels medium bodied, fairly creamy with smooth moderate low carbonation. Actually a bit lighter in body than I was expecting.

Overall a nice triple dry-hopped DIPA. I'm still not sure if I prefer this over the Foggiest Window that Trillium brewed, both are good and somewhat similar in flavor profile with a few differentiations between the two beers. I think this has a lighter body than Foggiest Window did, and I think this taste might be a little fruitier and juicier underneath, though the Foggiest Window was certainly fruity and juicy too. The spice/astringency/greenness might be a little more prevalent in this beer right now, I'll see how that fares in the weeks to come. This definitely seems more hoppy than their typical DIPA or DDH IPAs, though since they make some of the hoppiest beers I've ever tasted I'm not sure Trillium really needs to venture into triple dry-hopping, but if they can then why not? I wish I knew all the details about the batch size and the amount of hops used, as I'm sure this wasn't an inexpensive beer to make. Props to them for always trying to step their game up little by little. Cheers everyone!

 

Good afternoon, BA boys and BA girls. If you'll indulge me for a moment, I would like to take a moment to observe and celebrate my 1,000 beer...


(Inasmuch as probably nine hundred-something of my ratings/reviews are for NEIPA's this is, maybe, what? only my 100th review but, whatever).

Mott The Lesser from Tributary Brewing, Kittery, Maine. Review follows...

From the 500ml bottle, fall release 2020 - bottle number 1188 of 2200. Served in a Tributary-branded ‘ Less is Great’ tulip, because totally proper glassware.

Pours chestnut-black, utterly opaque in the glass with a scant finger of foamy mocha-coloured suds. Retention is so-so-decent, leaving a bubbly cap and a creamy tattered curtain of lacing.

Aroma of milk chocolate, chocolate-covered cherries and a sort of woodsy, juniper-like character.

Taste is mellow and boozy, damp wood, pots de creams, cherry pits, chocolate covered cherry, and a prominent woodsy, juniper, tea-like quality which I think must be how I’m tasting ‘toasted gin barrel.’

Feel is soft and smooth, unctuous, full bodied with fine, bright carbonation surreptitiously making it feel a little lighter than maybe it really is.

Overall, a worthy 1,000 beer! The combination of the chocolate-cherry and toasted gin characters was fortuitous and is absolutely delicious. Stated abv is 10.5% but I decline to believe that, pending any attempt to get up off this sofa.

Never mind getting up off the sofa. I'm having some difficulty typing sentences that make any sense.

Fun fact: I went to school with Tod Mott many hundreds of years ago.

 

I'm looking outside at a chilly and cloudy day here in south-eastern Minnesota.

There's a couple inches of snow on the ground that's beginning to melt with the temps holding in the mid 30s. We have rain and/or sleet in the forecast. All-in-all, kind of a gloomy day.

A malty lager would fit my midday mood, so today I'm having one of the best (according to BA ratings). A top-in-style beer I finally have in front of me.

Great Lakes Brewing Dortmunder Gold
ABV: 5.8%
IBU: NA



A 1+ inch slightly off-white creamy head rising above an up-rushing absolute shower of bubbles. The body is golden crystal clear. The head recedes lazily, leaving sheets of lacing. It is a great looking beer in the footed pilsner glass.

Rich malty aroma, strongly bread with fruit and spice backing.

Taste is bread to the fore, as promised by the aroma. Behind that is an herbal flavor, along with fruit and pepper. There is little in the way of bittering at the front, a bit sweet initially, and it remains smooth through the middle, with a tanginess from the hops showing itself. The hoppy tang dries things out a bit by the finish. The aftertaste is bready, with a nice mouth-coating feel. The finish is sufficiently dryish so as to demand the next drink. I really like the bready aftertaste.

Mouth feel has a moderate body, smooth.

Overall, and excellent, refreshing, and easy drinking lager with just enough complexity to keep it interesting and inviting a second round.

L: 4.25 | S: 4.00 | T: 4.25 | F: 3.75 | O: 4.00 | Rating: 4.09

 

Congrats on 1000/100!

 

Afternoon all. Dads in hospice and fading fast so Im thinking I may be days away from making a trip to NC unfortunately...I guess as they say death is a part of life. Still tough though because Ive lost a couple family members already-but unexpectedly.
Fortunately I am loaded with new beers right now. Starting with:
Deciduous DDH DIPA from the folks at Trillium.
Pours a turbid yellow with a very short lived head witb zero lacing. Looks flat. Not too nice in the appearance category.
Aroma is fresh squeezed OJ, ripe pineapple, pine, lemon, cantelope and grapefruit with notes of onion/garlic
Taste follows with ripe citrus and tropical notes, light caramelized touches of malt. Sweetness up front.is rounded out by a pleasant greenish, sprucy bitterness in the finish.
Feel is medium/full, creamy, with a light spritzy carbonation- a tad more would be good but this is a Trillium thing.. finish is fairly bitter.
Big beer. Good beer. Cheers!

 

I've have really enjoyed all those tool themed beers from Industrial Arts for a long time. I had Torque Wrench sitting in the beer fridge for tomorrow, but @JackHorzempa 's review (with great detailed side trips as usual) prompted me to pull this out right now. I'm happy I did. Thank's for the push Jack.

4.17/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 16oz can labeled "PKG 10/05/20" to a Nonic at fridge temp.
Orange haze body sits below a white head that laces nicely.
Aroma is dank citrus with hop notes.
The sip starts sweet and quickly becomes a hop smack that is really nice.. slow fade to sweet orange finish.
A well carbonated body distributes these flavor transitions well.
Great beer.

 

Great review. I picked that one up as well on my trip Thursday. I bet you have a Deciduous? Anyhow I will take a crack at that one at some point between today/tomorrow but I probably wont compare to the way you just detailed that. Cheers!

 

The waiting is painful...
Thank You Sir. Very much appreciated.

 

Cheated and had this one last night but hey Friday night is the weekend to me...this is a beer from a local brewery to me. I personally believe they are a perfect brewery. Variety across all styles, well brewed, ease of access, great prices, good people, good vibes and fellow music lovers. Anyway here’s the beer...



Beautiful pouring beer, awesome sustaining tan head. Some pretty substantial lacing and nice small layer creamy tan head continues to linger through the glass.

Aroma reminds me of unsmoked tobacco and is very earthy. There is also a little smokiness to it as it warms up.

Taste is moderately hoppy, almost like a light black ipa. Lots of dark black coffee notes without being too harsh. Also nice and chocolatey.

Mouthfeel is excellent, creamy carb and such an awesome perfect bitterness.

This beer is amazing, beers like this are the ones that blow me away. There is so much depth to this thing and it’s a whopping, wait for it 4%. What a beer, I couldn’t be happier that these guys are my local brewery. Feeling grateful...

@beertunes @traction

 

I did not get the DDH Deciduous this year. It wasn't available online yesterday, might've been low stock that they were selling out of, and the last time I ordered was before it got released. I had last year's Deciduous DIPA and it was really good so I'm sure the DDH version is really good too if not better. Didn't think the Shared beer would still be available since it's been about a week, but I guess with them closing the taprooms they have less demand for the packaged releases as well. I'm lucky to be in the zone where they deliver in person without a fee, of course I tip though. Only problem is you have 1 day a week to order and so if something sells out before that day you can't reserve it for your delivery day, since they do different areas around Boston on different days of the week. I was lucky to get a few good releases from last week and a couple new releases from this week as well. It's nice not having to rush into the city right now in this situation and still be able to get some of their beers at the same cost minus travel.

 

Heard! And yes the Deciduous was very good! Drive through was well set up (although Treehouse has that down pat).

 

Happy Saturday, NBW BAers! Reuben's Hop Tropic.

16oz can served in a big snifter. Dated 11/04/20. Bought it at the brewery about an hour ago.

Pours a clear honey amber with a medium sized head and not much visible carbonation. Head fades to a ring around edge, not much of it clinging to the glass. Smell is very ripe tropical fruit.

Taste is surprisingly bitter, grapefruit rind for sure. Background of tropical fruit.

Mouthfeel is medium, pretty effervescent, slightly sticky. Overall, it's quite good if you're looking for a bitter IPA.

 

congrats on 1K !

 

Poured into a 16 oz glass canned on 10/30/2020. Pours a very attractive orange. With a 2 plus sticky white head that leaves thin streaks of lace as it slowly settles. 4.75

Smell is peach, mango, guava, pineapple, tangerine, and apricot. 4.5

Taste follows pineapple, guava, tangerine, peach, and apricot really balanced maybe a hint of alcohol. 4.5

Mouthfeel is big, gentle carbonation, a tad sticky but not dry, and at 10.3% ABV it drinks very easy bringing out new flavors after each sip. 4.75

Overall Definitive Brewing Company is one of my favorites going and this is another amazing brew. 4.5

 

Next new beer for me this weekend is an American pale lager dry hopped with Noble Mosaic, The Essential: Hatchet from Trillium's The Essential series of dry hopped pale lagers.

Brewery notes:

Pours a mostly clear pale straw yellow with a touch of hop haze added near the end, and a fairly substantial creamy white foam head with good retention and lacing.

Smells crisp, fruity and refreshing, balanced with New World hops and old world style malts. Crisp passionfruit, pineapple, blueberry, orange citrus, grapefruit, sweet lemon, rich toasted biscuity bready crackery malts, hint of apple, mild black peppery spice, with woodsy dank floral earthy herbal pine notes. Real interesting for a lager, clean, crisp, fruity and dank.

Tastes equally crisp and clean, real refreshing, yet fruity, dank, and hoppy to the core. Big Mosaic hop notes like the aroma, clean notes of passionfruit, pineapple, lemon, orange citrus, grapefruit, blueberry, a hint of apple, rich toasted biscuity bready crackery malts, mild black peppery spice, with woodsy dank floral earthy herbal lightly resinous grassy floral pine notes. All the hop flavors without any bitterness really, super clean tasting throughout, making the hops really shine on top of the rich Pilsner malt.

Feels medium plus bodied, creamy, crisp and smooth with moderate carbonation.

Overall this is a really great gently dry hopped American pale lager. The Mosaic hop truly shines here, and the Crystal is complementary as well. What I really appreciate about this beer is not only are the American hops glorious in this, but so is the malt. If the malt flavor was lacking here it might not be so great, but the rich toasty biscuity malts really pop out here with the lagered cleanness and it reminds you that this is a proper lager and not a pale ale. Really great Mosaic dry hopped lager from Trillium. Cheers all!

 

Beer # 2 for NBW-
Other Half Small Nelson Everything DDH Nelson IPA
Pours a very hazy golden yellow with a 2 finger short lived head that does leave some decent rings of lacing.
Aroma- Bingo there it is! Fantastic aroma of sauvignon blanc, gooseberry
( yes I know what they taste/smell like I picked them when I was a kid), kiwi, green grass, celery(vegetal), dank marijuana and I am thinking pear as well.
Taste follows with all that white grapey goodness, some green veg, touch of diesel, not very sweet and touches of piney bitterness rounds it out.
Feel is medium, almost quenching, crackly carb with zero alcohol finishing dry.
Just recently had access to Other Half. Now I know what the accolades are about. If youre a Nelson lover this is the purist expression I have had for a long time. Dynamite brew.

 

Great beer. I may have to make a run to Portland again just to get some more Definitive...