New Beer Weekend #172

The dogs have had a good long walk this morning, and it's going to be beer and football for the remainder of the day.
I do have a new beer, and it is Farmhouse Saison from Ellicottville Brewing.
The beer is a hazy orange color with a small off-white head.
Subtle aroma of fruit.
Taste of orange, a little bit of pepper.
Light in the mouth.
A pleasant, average beer.

 

It is truly fun, smart, and clever writing. It is a gift!

 

Drekker From The Feet Up DNEIPA, 8% ABV. Pours hazy golden with a two-finger white head that left great lacing. Aroma is berry and tropical fruit. Taste is rind and berries, moderately sweet, slightly bitter. Decent mouthfeel, a bit dry. Overall excellentish.

4.14/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

We've got near-record temps on tap for today and I had planned to get leaves up, but when I look out the window it appears that the leaves are blowing away, so no point. I'll get what's left tomorrow. Sucks to live downwind of my big maple.

 

Brasserie 3 Monts (France) Blonde

33 cl pug bottle, into a taster’s snifter in Toulouse, France. 8.5% ABV.
This French Blonde lifts up a fine foam. Went down quickly, left a little ring around the rim.,.
yeah.
Aroma of faint Belgian yeast, I found a grape (!), and crushed unsalted saltines.
This nice, easy drinking, strong, classy, ale got a little swagger. Leans toward hoppy IPA, given the tart hop note. Lengthy dry finish offers a small pucker kiss to go.,
Feel is above light without tapping medium. Medium carbonation.
Overall, a nicely respectful version of a great Euro style.

 

Vanilla Barrel Aged Dino S'mores at Off Color
Review on phone. At taproom.

Black, syrupy thick looking, almost no head. Smell is booozy. Vanilla and toffee, molasses. Taste is also boozy, more molasses and vanilla. Mouthfeel is thick, sticky. Overall, very nice.

 

Aqua Regia at Off Color
Typing on my phone. At the taproom.

Mostly clear, lightish amber. Maybe 1.5cm head, dense and creamy. Pretty smell is oaky, light toast. Almost a maple sweetness. Honey on dark bread. Mouthfeel is hefty but not heavy. Very nice.

 

Old Jetty (2021)



14% barleywine aged in whiskey casks by El Segundo

Poured from a sixteen ounce can, the beer was excited to be free. Dark brown in body color, the beer's frothy head drew down as fast as it rushed out of the can, quickly retreating to the edges. Light tracing throughout the tasting.

Aroma was a unified mix of whiskey barrel and sweet caramel. Inviting but not complex.

Taste first reveals the barrel which is up front and clear, but is not too hot. Seems just right for the ABV. The sweetness has a light caramel with dark fruit undertones and complements the barrel, but does not mask it. As the beer warmed, the sweetness increased a bit on the nose, but seemed consistent in taste.

Carbonation is strong at first, but is otherwise good. Mouthfeel is good as the sweetness never comes near to cloying.

A very nice barleywine that packs a punch but refrains from overpowering. Whiskey fans should give this one a try. Thanks to @2beerdogs for this beauty.

 

Glad you liked it, and that it held its own paired with chili.

 

Finally hit this one from our very own generous BA known as @Rug
Matilda by Goose Island

Pours a golden orange in hue. Fluffy white head abounds. Clumpy lacing.
Nose is popping with spice, orange rind, clove, banana bread, and a subtle honey sweetness.
Flavor is spice and citrus, biscuity malt (but not sweet), sour apple, and more yeast spice.
Mouthfeel is very carbonated, almost prickly.
3.73/5 rDev -7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

 

Blood Magik. Headed to Une Annee / Hubbard's Cave after this.
On phone, thus terse. At taproom.

Hazy light amber. Nice creamy head. Smell is funk and fruit, lemon tartness. Taste dominated by lemon + unripe peach tartness. Mouthfeel is light and dry. Nice beer.

 

Maine Beer Company - Fall
It's probably the most hop-forward coffee stout that I have ever had. While I did enjoy it, something about it just didn't completely jive with me like Maine beers usually do and that is why I rated it the way I did (3.83 overall). It reminded me a bit of a smaller version of Victory Storm King, which is one of the hoppiest (if not the hoppiest) stouts that I have ever had.

 

Cross-posted in the What Mid-Atlantic beer are you drinking now? (2023) and Smoked Beer Appreciation Thread (2023) forums.



Human Robot Brewing - Smoked Rösten. It's so good. Inspired by Aecht Schlenkerla Helles Lagerbier. Personally, I liked this one a bit more than Rösten.

#properglassware

 

Started off my new brews today with a not quite fresh but still tasty local collab from Wolf's Ridge and Derive Brewing:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33530/605833/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



But I didn't get this until 2-3 weeks ago, it's still better than a lot of brews are. Next up was Motörhead Iron Fist IPA which was good too:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18563/626782/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



My other brews are in my next post.

 

Next up was a really tasty smoky barrel aged local pumpkin Ale from Wolf's Ridge, about a year old but it really aged well:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33530/249034/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



And finished up with a great coffee stout from Eredità Brewing:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/64089/665374/?ba=bluejacket74#lists



Debating on having one more new beer today but I probably won't. Cheers and happy NBW everyone, should see all your new brews later today or tomorrow morning. Been awake since quarter til 5 this morning so I'm sure I'll be long asleep and won't see everything until tomorrow.

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Swiggers and commentators. I'm fortunate to have several very good breweries within easy driving distance or on the way between home and office. One of them is Untied Brewing Company in New Providence, NJ. It flies a bit under the radar but is very skilled in brewing New England IPAs and Belgians, and it also brews and cans some rare styles. On Friday, I stopped in to purchase cans of Untied's very tasty Czech Dark Lager, Dada, and I tried a new IPA on draught. Then the owner asked me whether I had tried Mutual Understanding and I confessed I hadn't. So rather than a drawing a 4 oz. sample he handed me a can. Thank you, Matt!

While it's listed as a NEIPA, Mutual Understanding also has some West Coast characteristics. It's hopped with Citra, Mosaic, El Dorado, and Ekuanot and brewed with oats and wheat. It's a very good IPA!

Canned on 9/26/2023. It pours a hazy, muddy orange-honey color with more that a finger of fluffy, bright white head and thick, soapy lacing. A big, fruity nose featuring pineapple, lemon, orange/tangerine, and oaty sweetness. The taste opens with tart, bitter lemon and grapefruit but at mid-sip I'm tasting pineapple and stone fruit. The El Dorado hops compliment the tried and true Citra and Mosaic combo. Beneath the fruit lies a solid base of wheat and a kiss of oat sweetness. Added to the malt base are grassy, herbal notes which I assume represent the Ekuanot. It finishes with a strong dose of bitterness. The flavors are well-balanced and complimentary. Untied's IPAs usually have excellent mouth feels and this one's no exception. It's nicely creamy and very drinkable at 6.8% ABV. Overall, what I like best about Mutual Understanding is that it's fruity but not overly sweet.

It's just a solid, enjoyable beer. If you're in the area, Untied is well worth your visit.

4.24/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

Happy New Beer Sunday #976 everyone! Lots to catch up on from this weekend after finally getting some sleep and rest after FOBAB. That said, going to close out my enjoyment of many new to me beers at the festival with this bottle from one of my favorite breweries, both in general and at FOBAB 2023. This one is a collaboration with pFriem,

Firestone Walker & pFriem Family Brewers Collaboration California pFriemin'



Bottle Notes: 12.7 oz bottled 3/29/22, Batch #1, 400 Total Cases. Saison Ale, 6.9% ABV, Titratable Acidity 3.0 g/L, Microflora: Finished with Brettanomyces. Firestone Brewing Company Barrelworks, Liberated in Buellton, California. Obtained at room temp, refrigerated for 18 hours before popping open.

Working with pFreim Family Brewers has long been a goal of ours. From the small riverside port of Hood River, Oregon, Josh Pfriem has quietly been taking the beer world by storm with his brewing mastery. Brewing Beligian styles is one of pFriem's signatures, so brewing a mixed-fermentation Saison with them seemed fitting. The Keystone of any quality Saison is the microflora used in fermentation, and in keeping with tradition we chose the classic Dupont yeast strain for its distinctive farmhouse aromas and characteristics. We sourced Belgian Dingemans Pilsner Malt, Californian Admiral Yolo Gold Wheat Malt, and rustic spelt to achieve a luscious, golden straw body and pillowy mouthfeel.

We dry-hopped the beer post-fermentation with New Zealand Nelson and German Blane hops to add the subtle touch of tropical fruit aromas in balance with candy saison notes. No Barrelworks beer would be complete without adding our wild fingerprint, so we included Brettanomyces yeast to condition and carbonate this gem of a beer. This beer was made with friends - we hope you enjoy it with yours. Jim Crooks (FW Masterblender) & Josh Pfriem (Co-founder & Brewmaster)

Appearance: Multiple pours into a large tulip, the creamiest head I can recall required 20 minutes for a full pour. Yellow orange murky base, heavy carbonation on pours followed by heavier rich creamy bright white foam. Some settlement in the final ounce. Anticipation is making me wait. 4.5

Aroma: Nice banana clove lead, citrus lemon, white grape, mild plus funk. Strong and very enticing. 4.5

Taste: Consistent with the aroma plus oak, strong clove banana, smooth and decadent, the citrus and lemon stronger on the nose than taste wise, but still present. Nice relaxing saison on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Creamy rich medium plus body, visible carbonation at the pour awol. Drinks very light and easy under the ABV. Hard to restrain myself from finishing before completing this review. Lightly dry, nice balance, light clove banana finish. Yes please. 4.75

Overall: This is an outstanding Saison, one of the best I can recall for me. Everything well done, the creamy head and body the biggest take aways in terms of pleasurable departures from the norm. Glad I cracked this open today, another excellent Firestone Walker creation, and par for the course in terms of what I've enjoyed from pFriem. 4.5

Will return with my final two trade drink fresh beers next week. Cheers!