New Beer Weekend #176

Brasseurs Savoyards (France) ‘Nonne’ Triple

Heavy duty 750 mL jug, poured well chilt into a snifter. Spongecake white foam above a golden blonde brew.
Says, ‘Best by 11/2024’.
Aroma is gently malty, brown sugar, almost pinolillo (look it up.,).
On the palate, hop bitterness develops up front and there’s a fruity character, well hidden sweetness, a nicely rounded after-taste, with fruit notes and a light bitterness from the Cascade hop treatment that drags for a minute…,. Punchy! Drinks bigger than its 9% ABV.
Medium touches heavy in the mouth, fortified with mid-range carbonation.
Overall, this well-crafted, fully organic, French brew drinks lean and strong, proving that responsibility and sustainable sourcing can produce a tasty beer we can feel good about, at a good price point.

 

2023 Goose Island BCBS Backyard Stout, 12,9% ABV; 4.26 overall

Pours an effervescent mahogany with a rapidly disappearing caramel colored head. traces of head retention & lacing

S: Tons of dark fruit, berries, woody & leafy hops, a little molasses, some sharp cedar notes as well. Some boozy notes once warm

T: Follows the nose, raw barrel, dark rum notes. Dark cherry, woody & leafy hops, barrel rawness as this beer warms up, I sense some peppery spicyness that makes me think Rye Barrel also, now getting the sweet berries as well; plus figs. Finishes, dry. oaky with plenty boozy spice, dark fruit & blueberry ; along with leafy & woody hops in a complementary role

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation; very warming, Carbonation picks up a little as this beer warms up, plus the body thickens up

The berries are certainly there along with plenty of barrel. Complex, but plenty drinkable/sharable. The price is really the only reason I wouldn't pull the trigger on this again

 

So- I picked this one up for two reasons; it was well received here and sheer curiosity.

A review from the scent deprived- and I suspect a fair amount of the nuances in this come from being able to smell it.
The pour was typical of a higher ABV BA stout, dark brown with a short lived light brown head and sparse carbonation showing in the duration.
The taste, for me, was very good but not much banana present at all. Charred sugar is the additive I get, not caramel but actually charred sugar. Oddly it was quite tasty anyway. Had no issues finishing the bottle.
The feel is slick and smooth, it fits the appearance almost perfectly. I sipped it looking for banana for quite some time.
OA, I enjoyed it fine but think I missed out on what made it so popular with so many people. Oh well, could be worse.
Cheers all!

 

I found this beer to be delicious and I want more. Cheers! BAs!
Boulevard Joker's Wit Double Witbier 7.4% ABV
4.18/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
12 oz bottle enjoy by 16 Dec 2023 into a Becher glass.
L: SRM 3-4 Pours 1/2 hazed straw radiant yellow gold (darker in the center) with lively flowing steady carbonation that produces a very large cone-shaped white head, slowly recedes to a flat thick frothy head, has thick loose random lacing patterns.
S: Spicy, floral, a dash of wheat.
T: Citrus & zest, a hint of yeast, grains, distant banana, light honey, wheat, coriander, white pepper, cardamom, light lavender in the palate. It is fruity, gently sweet and is lightly rich.
F: Plush then its liveliness tones down a bit with warming. Semi-juicy medium to medium bodied feel with a medium length gently drying finish.
O: Just gorgeous overall. No trace of alcohol and its lighter body gives way to easy drinking status. Fruity, gently and masterfully spiced, well balanced. Hits all the marks on target. I want some more of this. It is excellent in its style.

 

Fremont - Head Full of Dynomite v51: Strata, Idaho 7, and Idaho 7 cryo

16oz can served in a large snifter. Can is dated 11/08/23. I bought it at the brewery this afternoon.

Pours a hazy pale yellow-amber with a medium sized head that settles into a large island somewhere in between a thin skin and a heavy dusting. Smell is tons of tropical fruit and a lot of melon.

Taste is drier than the aroma suggests. Still very tropical, but now a lot more fruit skin character. Also a fair amount of citrus pith. Strong fruit skin bitterness builds up on multiple sips.

Mouthfeel is fluffy and full. Overall, nice beer.

 

Poured into a 12 oz open mouth glass, canned on 11/22/23. Pours a very attractive hazy yellow with a finger plus sticky white head that leaves thick streaks of lace, with nice retention. 4.5

Aroma is peach, mango, mandarin, white grapes, apricot, and some grapefruit rind. 4

Taste follows peach, mango, mandarin, white grapes, apricot, and a little hint of bitter grapefruit. 4

Mouthfeel is above average, soft gentle carbonation, maybe a little dry, and at 8% it goes easy enough, with massive flavor. 4

Overall this is good. Nothing jumps out at me, but a well made NEDIPA. 4 Cheers all.

 

Poured into a 20 oz tulip glass canned on 11/21/23. Pours near pitch black with a 3 plus finger sticky brown head, that leaves a few thin streaks of lace, with excellent retention. 4.5

Aroma is maple, coffee grounds, cocoa nibs, butter scotch, and vanilla bean exactly what I signed up for. 4.5

Taste follows maple, coffee, deep dark chocolate, butter scotch, and vanilla massive balanced flavor. 4.5

Mouthfeel is above average, not sticky, maybe a touch dry, soft gentle almost creamy life, and at 10.8% a sipper, that can be drank way easier than intended. 4.5

Overall these guys figured out how to brew a great stout. Very impressive and expect to see this one a few more times. 4.5

 

This is a good tasting beer but IMO is off style. Has a sluggish feel and is candy sweet. Not very West coast to me. Perhaps my friends will enjoy the remaining cans more than I do. Cheers!
Dangerous Man House IPA 7% ABV
3.6/5 rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12 oz can into a Becher glass.
L: SRM 5 Pours 99% clear golden caramel color with a thin white head that quickly recedes to edge foam, light steady carbonation bubbles, antique doily lacing patterns.
S: Citrus zest, melon, pine, sweetbread, lightly caramelized malts, background fruits, honey, a light hint of alcohol with warming.
T: Candied caramelized malts, honey, citrus zest, pine resin, light grains, has a fruity & resinous lengthy linger, moderately sweet and lightly rich.
F: Smooth & gently sluggish & thick medium-heavy body with a glassy/slippery medium-long moderately drying finish.
O: Hoppy is printed on the back of the label as a description, but IMO it's more of a malty IPA with a simple & lightly zesty linger. I find it to be candy-sweet, pleasant and good tasting. Thankfully its 7% ABV. IMO it's less of a WCIPA and is more of a standard American IPA. It is good in its style.

 

Good morning NBW
I picked up a box full of store aged bottles recently on a trip to Bowling Green. This is one of them.

Dieu de Ciel Grande Noirceur

11.5oz twist off bottled 2015-10-29 (8 years ago) store aged at room temperature until last week and poured at fridge temp 9% ABV. The beer pours impenetrable black with negligible head of dark brown coloring. It never formed a full cap even on the pour and leaves a few bubbles around the edge of the glass. No lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring dark chocolate, caramel and ashy, roasted malt. The taste is bittersweet roasted malt with dark chocolate and coffee predominant, before mild caramel and ashy roasted malt finish things off. Moderate plus bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with nearly still carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, very good. It resembled the brewer's description, so I'd say it has aged well given the circumstances, but I'll sure I'd be more impressed with a fresher bottle.

I'm rarely going to pass on a beer from Dieu de Ciel or an RIS, so I didn't even pause before buying an 8 year old bottle. I wish that their beers were as easy to find as they used to be here.

Cheers all and enjoy the new beer in your glass today!

 

I was thinking about having another beer after the Bananas Foster last night, but decided against it. Glad I did, because I feel great today, and it's time for a new breakfast beer.


Rusket Dark - Oliphant Brewing - Somerset, WI - American Dark Wheat Beer - 5% ABV

This beer really packs a lot of flavor in a small 5% package. Damn delicious.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/36484/639859/

3.92/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
From a 16oz can purchased at the brewery.

This is a very dark pouring beer. Not quite pitch black, but close to it. I do see faint hints of amber at the edge of the glass when I hold it to the light. The head is not too thick at about 1 finger. Not too long lasting and the head dissipates to a ring around the glass with no lacing on the glass.
The aroma is malty, and has notes of licorice in it.
Taste - There's a ton of flavor packed into this beer. I do get a delicious roasted malt flavor. There's a bit of caramel going on in this beer, and the caramel lasts with the roasted flavor. Slightly nutty in flavor also. Not getting the licorice that I was getting in the aroma. Slight and faint bitterness on the back ties it all together.
The body isn't bad at all. Smooth feeling.
Damn tasty beer overall.


I know I've got more in me today, so see you all later. Cheers!

 

Good day BAs! Off to a rainy start so I think I'll post one of my favorite links to a past life:



Meanwhile, today's New Breakfast Beer, thanks to @muchloveforhops3 for this one:






Mystery Beer #2 from @muchloveforhops3 in BSBIF #1. Waxed and capped bomber. Reviewed 03/12/23 (Review 3185). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stored at 34 degrees at home. Served at 55.5 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 58.6 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Straw (SRM 3), clear.
Body – Gold (SRM 5), clear. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, same.
Head: Average (Maximum 2.0 cm, aggressive center pour), white, high density, fizzy, quickly dropping to a 0.3 cm crown and a thin partial cap.
Lacing – Fair. A mesa of tiny bubbles rises above the crown’s horizon.
Aroma – 4.25 – Sweet, caramelly, and a bit of oak. No hops, no yeast, no alcohol (8.2 % ABV as stated on the bottle).
Flavor – 4 – Begins slightly sweet and caramel but not sticky. No yeast, no hops. The oakiness from the nose does not translate to flavor. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Moderate gastric warming.
Palate – 4 – Full; creamy; soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4.25 One of the few “white stouts” to have crossed my palate. The caramel is noted, and the whiskey barrel floats by, leaving only a ghost of oak and no detectable whiskey. The vanilla is too weak for my burnt-out taste buds. Still, this is a good example of the style.

Rating 4.25, rDev 0% (First review)

 

Welcome everyone to New Beer Sunday #980! As promised, finishing the weekend with my final beer acquired from David known around these parts as @DoctorZombies . This is a highly rated pastry stout from his region.

Westbrook Mexican Cake



Can Notes: Acquired via trade 5/13/23, refrigerated until opening today. 16 oz canned 4/25/23 @ 10:24 AM. 10.5% ABV Imperial Stout brewed and "bottled" by Westbrook Brewing Company, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

Malt beverage with cocoa nibs, vanilla beans, cinnamon, and habanero peppers added. Store cold.

Way back in December 2011, we brewed our 1st Anniversary beer - a serious imperial stout aged on cocoa nibs, vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, and fresh habanero peppers. It was so delicious we decided to bring it back once each year. Salud!

Appearance: Poured 3/4 of the can into a thin glassed snifter. Beautiful dark tan creamy head covers a pitch black base before providing a light dusting cover across the entire glass. Carbonation bubbles thin and fine, slide slowly down the sides as I drink. 5.0

Aroma: Cocoa cinnamon hot fudge delivery bright sweetness, milk chocolate, chocolate milk, get a slight pepper note. Lots going on and it's all sweet as advertised, above medium strength. 4.5

Taste: After 10-15 minutes began to enjoy with the first sensation a very sweet chocolate fudge with cinnamon. Getting faint pepper notes but not enough to make a dent corralling the sweetness. Eating chocolate cake batter. Where is the base beer? God only knows. 3.75

Mouthfeel: Full, creamy rich body, marginal carbonation. Chalky chocolate, the very high near extreme sweetness masking the strength of the beer, but feels at or below the ABV now 1/4 of the way in. Liquid shake cake batter, beyond my level of appreciation, all of it lingering well after drinking. 4.0

Overall: This beer is enjoyable to a point, but my aversion to sweetness made me stop 1/4 of the way in to pair the rest with food to help balance it out. Rated above as advertised. Glad I tried, not a beer I could drink or pull frequently, more of a solid bottle share type offering where 3-4 ounces are enjoyable and beyond that you really need to love sweets. Highly recommend to anyone loving pastry stouts. Thank you David for giving me a go at this one! 4.0

Looking forward to catching up with the thread after eating and finishing this and the requisite nap.

 

Good Sunday morning, and thanks to our host this week @AzfromOz an excellent start for the thread. I would also like to thank @ChicagoJ for keeping the New Beer Sunday clock ticking!!
Its rainy and cool here in the 413.
Todays offering is from our good friends at Berkshire Brewing Company, they have always had a strong Lager game and have added a beautiful Schwarzbier to their portfolio, I hope it is in steady rotation.


Cheers all

Our Mother the Mountain

Schwarzbier | 5.5% ABV
Berkshire Brewing Company Inc. in South Deerfield, Massachusetts

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.1/5 rDev 0% | Average: 4.1
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 16 oz can dated 11/01/23 into the test pint glass.
A - Dark mahagony color, the pour yielded a pillowy off white cap.
S - A hint of cocoa, a touch of char, nice roasted malts, with a bit of earthy hop
T - The flavors are very much in keeping with the aromatics, with the balance shifting more toward the
roast malt, and earthy hop.
M - Smooth as silk, glides across the palate with an exquisite dry finish
O - A very good and to style offering from Berkshire, a bit of roast, nice and dry, hints of cocoa, and just the right amount of bitterness from the earthy hops

 

Seems like schwarzbier may be the unofficial theme of the weekend thus far. Love the name and label on that one.

 

Back yet again with another new beer that I picked up when I was in Wisconsin last weekend, but is not a Wisconsin beer. I also am sorry that I forgot to say thank you to @AzfromOz for opening up this virtual bar.


Gatherwell - Allagash Brewing - Portland, ME - American Imperial Stout - 11% ABV

It's not a bad beer, but I think the flavors are a bit muted from where they should be, and I'm drinking at room temp. Good, but wouldn't get again.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4/671623/

3.83/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
From a 12oz bottle. Born on 08/24/23

Nice bit of smoke upone opening the bottle. This is a thick looking pitch black beer. No light at all comes through the glass. Thje head is a brown frothy looking head that is 1 finger in size. The head retention is overall damn good for the ABV. No lacing on the glass as the head dissipates.
The aroma is a lot of roasted chocolate and coffee to me. There's a hint of vanilla that also pokes its head into the mix.
Taste - The flavors seem somewhat muted to me, and I'm drinking at room temp. I do get some dark fruit and also some roasted chocolate and coffee flavors. The chocolate does seem to be a darker chocolate. Hints of vanilla also pop into the flavor, but aren't very strong.
This is a thick and creamy feeling beer. There's just a very slight burn from the 11%.
Interesting beer, though the flavor is slightly muted in my book.

I'm sure there's at least one more in me, but this one is going to take a bit. Cheers!

 

Typical Sunday, beer and football. Watching the college football bowl rankings, a little surprised that FSU didn't make the final four.
Despite the temperature being in the 30s, I'm drinking a Berliner Weisse. The Sauer Peach is brewed is brewed by Sloop Brewing Company and is 4.3% ABV.
The beer is a gold color with a little haze. A tiny white head disappears almost instantly.
Aroma of grain and sweet fruit.
Taste of peaches, sweet bread.
Crisp, nicely tart.