New Beer Weekend #173

Breaking up the weekend of Stouts with Bell’s Oberon Eclipse and some Always Sunny in the background

Though this is an American Pale Wheat Beer, @BigIronH sent it to me in the Barleywine/Stout BIF. I think he saw me posting in a different thread about how I’m not a huge fan of OG Oberon and wanted to see what this new variant was all about. Let’s crack it open and get into it



Pours a cloudy brownish orange with 2 fingers of creamy off white head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves minimal lacing 4

The orange is very expressive in the nose, I’m digging this so far. I’m picking up on aromas of orange zest, dark toast, black pepper, earthy wheat, grassy hops, coriander, toffee, light lemon zest, and light caramel 4

It’s pretty similar in taste and that works for me. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting orange zest, sweet honey, bready malt, grassy hops, white pepper, earthy wheat, and lemon zest. The swallow brings notes of earthy wheat, orange zest, sweet honey, nutty malt, black pepper, grassy hops, and light caramel 4

A medium body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a slick beer. Finishes neutral and balanced 4

I’ll be damned, this is solid all around. Since I never actually reviewed the OG I can’t give a numerical comparison, but I definitely enjoy this much more than that 4

 

This week's second shifted weekend beer from mid week and probably my last post here for a bit as I drink down what's in the fridge to make way for the next beer run. Been thoroughly enjoying the BIF takeover this weekend.

Shed Mountain Ale
7.4% English strong ale



Pours a dark amber with a nearly three-finger off-white head that dissipates to a lasting coating.

Aromas of floral and earthy hops at the fore, with toffee and a dark fruit backbone.

Layers of flavor that I'm definitely not doing justice: slight toffee, whole grain bread, and earthy hops start it off, then comes the dark fruits, and finally some robust sweetness with toffee, browned caramel, and a hint of molasses. Adding air brings out the sweeter flavors at any point in the sip. The finish blends this sweetness with hop bitterness with moderate dryness. Just a hint of alcohol bite on the swallow. As it warms, the sweeter characteristics come to the fore and linger more throughout the sip, but it avoids becoming syrupy or cloying.

Moderate but fine carb creates a smooth and frothy mouthfeel. Medium bodied.

I've always found it a bit difficult to describe the flavor profile of beers that get slotted into the English strong ale category, but I do know that I thoroughly enjoy them. This is a fine example out of VT and a bit of a surprise that it's a core offering. It's pretty much spot-on to what I expect from the style.

 

Happy birthday to a fellow BIF'ster @Luscious_Malfoy , hope you are having a fun day!

As part of the Barleywine/Stout BIF #1, jumping into a Mystery Bottle sent by @Mikexw , this one is an Imperial Stout.

Onto the review,

Beer pours midnight black with a dark brown head that dissipates pretty quickly - 3.75

Nose smells decadent as a medley of medium roasted malts combine nicely with some bourbon barrel that lends a touch of vanilla. There are some chocolate malts or perhaps a touch of cocoa nibs to lend a nice touch of sweetness - 4.5

Taste follows the nose as the roasted/chocolate malt base combines nicely with the barrels which definitely give a touch of vanilla. Each sip gives some alcohol warming and the barrel is does a great job of balancing the malts. There is a decent amount of hopping to assist with the balancing and i am definitely getting cocoa in my post sip aspirations - 4.5

Mouthfeel is medium to large bodied with each sip being velvety smooth! - 4.75

Overall this is an excellent imperial stout that can run with the best of them! - 4.5.

And now for the reveal...
This is Balena from Finback, an imperial stout barrel aged with coffee, cacao nibs, almond, orange zest, and vanilla bean...totally missed the coffee as it was well incorporated, this was very enjoyable, thank you Mike!
Cheers!
Tom

 

No, neither one of us knows him. You're close though, I think that drawing was inspired by a Munchkin game card.

 

Another Mystery Beer for me and my 2nd post ever in NBW

this one is from a regular trade partner @sulldaddy

Drank it straight out the can and in frame we have the classic 210 FWY facing East towards Pasadena

Pull of the tab revealed an aggressive hiss and a foam of khaki bubbles .
The nose was hard to catch as the windows were open and a nice cold CA winter breeze filled the car.
The taste in this is all Chocolate and Cola flavors and nothing else. I feel like i might be wrong because i have this premonition that there's adjuncts in these mystery beers!
Based on the amount of foamy bubbblezzzzz that released i am guesssing this is between the 8%-9% abv range and not aged in good ol Bourbon Barrels..... I'll be back with the reveal. Hopefully i did better than @DIM in my assertion

 

Thanks to @Ozzylizard I get to sit in my recliner and watch my Vols take on Mizzou and suck down this fantastic Hoppin Frog : BA Chestnut Plum Puddin!
If anyone remembers Bambaramba this is really really close to that.

 

Wow. Very pleased I got a 4pk of this. I love how its tastes blossom with a bit of warming. A great blend and balance. Cheers!
Lakes & Legends Salted Caramel Stout 6.5% AVB
4.32/5 rDev +5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
16 oz can into a Duvel snifter glass.
L: SRM 32 Pours dark brown with a light tan 1/4" rocky head, light retention down to thick edge foam, light carbonation, light lacing with nuances of banding.
S: Caramel malts, dark fruits, a hint of cocoa, black bread crust. With warming there are notes of tobacco and distant leather.
T: Bright tasting dark fruits, sea salt, light caramel, bitter chocolate, sea salt again, has a top to bottom wealth of lime zest, light anise, plum, dark berries, a hint of toffee, background red grape. Fairly full-flavored. Old leather & tobacco tastes emerge with warming. Has lime zest in a long linger.
F: Gently snappy, firm & bright med-heavy mouthfeel with a vibrant and robust middle and a med-long finish that is moderately drying.
O: Amazing balance. A lovely and tantalizing blend. No over-dominant tastes. I enjoy the zesty long linger as it breaks away from the gentle sweetness. Lightly intense and very pleasant drinking. It is outstanding in its style.
**Side note: It is critical that this beer be served lightly chilled as its flavors blossom with warming.

 

Already better than me

 

Thanks to @Bhubbard34, cheers Ryan for this

Tired Hands Punge DIPA, 8.3% ABV; 4.03 overall

Pours a very hazed gold with 2 fingers of fluffy ivory colored head. Fantastic head retention & lacing

S: Some citrus, tropical fruit & green melon, all pick up as this beer warms up

T: Dryness, Pomelo, a whisper of grapefruit, grassyness, a touch of tangerine & lime up front. Grassyness, lime & white grape skin as this beer warms up, some pomelo notes & grapefruit. Finishes a little dry with green melon, pomelo & kiss of sweet orange & a kiss of pineapple

MF: Medium body, fairly subtle carbonation, good balance. Carbonation picks up as this warms up

Pretty drinkable, but the meld of flavors didn't really wow me. Got a little better as it warmed up

 

Was hoping to luck into some of this brewery last summer, alas I did not

 

That grub looks great...

 

Happy Birthday!

 

Hey what's going on?!

Still looks like some decent weather hangin on around these parts, so I'll take it!

In other news I was long overdue for a brewery beer run so came back with hopefully some nice goodies.

So far so good! Let's see what is new.

Sapwood Cellars - Unkonventional



Poured from the can into a branded Gaffel stange glass.

Hazed up slightly in the body, with a light lemon gold appearance, and some hinting light carbonation. Frothy forming head, a bit out of control and large filling the glass with bright white bubble bath like foam and soapy cling. Settles down eventually with a bit of IPA like retention.

Interesting, enticing, off style, but very enjoyable nose on this beer. A very hop forward angle that comes off like dank pineapple. Fairly much a hop forward slam for that aroma that dominates and doesn’t let you explore the malt character. However, it's an exceptionally good one even if it does come off as a classic hop style for a kolsch.

Palate as to be expected then is well.. The unexpected. Fruity forward but with more of a touch of hop tropical. Good decent malt backbone, just enough bready like flavors from the pils malt to give a sense of the base style. However, the expected herbality is more slammed by this fruit pineapple, but also a refreshing twist of lemon like citrus which is really fitting. Flour like dry texture on the finish, somewhat getting more into Kolsch territory.

As different as this is, it's very tasty and unique. Not a traditional kolsch, and in somewhat not a beer you can tell is one, but is still quite tasty and enjoyable.

look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4 | BA Generated Score: 4.05/5

Cheers!

 

Update/Reveal: Voodoo Brewing - Where Our Secrets Go

9% ABV Imperial Stout


Fuck yes i was on point

 

Mystery Beer #1 from @Beersnake1, ta-da…



Poured from a foil wrapped 12 oz can, an opaque, dark brown into a tulip glass…looks like a barleywine. We’ve got a strong, creamy tan head that disappears quickly into a fizzy ring around the glass. No noticeable legs. Being outside in the sun, the turbidity really stands-out, guessing there are some adjuncts in this here beer.

Nose is vanilla, cocoa, maybe a cherry note? Don’t detect any barrel or a lot of booze. Aromas definitely lead me down the stout or Porter trail.

Taste is cocoa powder, vanilla, and cinnamon–definitely cinnamon. Something vegetal, and there’s some heat! What I first detected as alcohol is clearly spice. I’m positive there’s some chilis and or peppers in this bad boy. Absolutely love it!

Mouthfeel is thin for a stout, with good cola-like carbonation. Leaning Porter here.

ABV is tough, not a lot of booze detected, but I am starting to detect a buzz. May be just the first beer of the weekend…

Overall this is an excellent beer and hits the spot on this cool autumn afternoon. I love spice in my beer, and this one delivers the goods.

My guess? The look has me thrown a bit. I’m saying Porter, not barrel aged, somewhere in the 7.5-9% range. I’m going out on a limb and guessing this is a Mexican chocolate Victory at Sea Variant?

To be continued…

…a Bee-igg swing-and-miss on ABV. Yowsa! 11.5%, The buzz was real!

Fuego Mexican Chocolate Stout from Cabin Brewing Company, Calgary AB.

 

Better than me too, in pretty much every way. I'm taller though.

 

You still at the same address?

 

Another world class CA gem from @ronricorossi ! My first Bottle Logic! This is a glorious BA Imperial Stout !

L- Thick pouring ebony color with a creamy
dark black head. Head disappates quickly

S- Strong booze nose, but not overpowering.
Raisins, vanilla, prune notes, too.

T- Vanilla. Very ripe stone fruit. Some very
subtle hops and dark chocolate.

F- Lush mouthfeel with delicate carbonation.

O- A fantastic BA Imperial Stout that gets
better as it warms!