New Beer Weekend #185

Yea, well returns just went up to $.010 in CT. My wife and I are a little confused about what to do. At $.05 we used to just donated to the boy scouts. At the current price it makes you think. To complicate things we have one dedicated can/bottle recycling bin built into a cabinet. Turns out a we buy beer from a lot of places (including Tree House for example). Stores only except beers they sell. At the moment we're just reverting to the boy scout donation.

 

Thank you @AzfromOz for another great introduction. Nice that you pulled a Quad you really enjoyed. During prior Cellaruary threads, I had several new to me beers to choose from, but this year I cover this first weekend and the rest in my possession are recent vintages.

Not sure why select annual releases are allowed a separate BA entry for each year of the release, while most have a single entry even if components change from year to year. I rated and enjoyed the 2020 version of this beer, but will take advantage of an updated BA entry to feature this one today.

Bourbon County Brand Stout - Wild Turkey (2022)



Bottle Notes: Obtained as a gift from my brother Andrew on 12/27/23, refrigerated until opening today. 12 oz bottled 10/6/22 @ 4:19 PM with a drink by 10/6/27 date. Develops in the bottle for up to 5 years. 13.8% ABV, WT Bottle Code stands for Wild Turkey. Enjoy in a snifter. Brewed, barreled and bottled by Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois.

Before exploring a new idea for our 1,000th BATCH of beer at our Clybourn brewpub, putting an imperial stout in a used bourbon barrel had not been done before. That idea altered Goose Island's HISTORY and that of the craft beer world. As we look back on the last 30 years there is so much to celebrate. It started with people not knowing exactly what they were drinking and grew to lines of beer lovers forming every Black Friday in hopes of getting their hands on a bottle of Bourbon County Brand Stout.

The ORIGINAL batch started with only six used bourbon barrels. Over the course of 30 years, we created more than sixty-five different variants, partnered locally and globally, and made a whole lot of friends along the way. Year after year, one thing has stayed the same: THIS BEER. This carefully-crafted bourbon barrel-aged stout continues to bring people together to toast one another all around the world. Cheers!

Appearance: Single pour into a handheld snifter. Pitch black base, dark tan head lingers for a few minutes before retreating to a ring above the rim base. Very fine thing bubble lacing takes its time to recede into the base as you enjoy. 4.5

Aroma: Allowed to warm for 15 minutes, mild aroma strength. Bourbon barrel and oak the primary, light plums and caramel emerge if you wait for it. Stayed stable throughout. 3.5

Taste: First take, the flavors much stronger than the aroma yields. Strong more hot than smooth bourbon hits you like Mike Tyson with first hit. Nice creamy chocolate fudge follow, those two back and fourth without the complexity of their blended version. Edges sweet, between the malt base and sweet flavor profiles, the bourbon mellows a bit as this warms to bring a nice enjoyable balance. Not much complexity or oak here. 3.75

Mouthfeel: Creamy medium plus body, faint gentle carbonation. Drinks at or slightly above the high ABV. No burn like I got with the 2020 Wild Turkey version. Mostly sweet, sweeter than I can recall any other original BCBS blended or single barrel delivering. Sweet chocolate fudge backed by caramel and light bourbon on the finish. As with most of these offerings, warmth and return to room temperature improves the experience. 4.25

Overall: Typically, I prefer the blended versions to the single barrel because of the smoother incorporation of the bourbon and base. The barrel here is better aligned to my preferences in terms of balance, but the flavor profile is not very complex compared to what I am used to and prefer. Glad I tried and grateful for the gift Andrew. Still haven't found a single barrel to hold up to their wonderful blended barrel annual releases. 3.75

 

I’m taking Joy out for dinner this evening for her birthday, so a quick one for me. I had my first beer from this brewery a month ago and absolutely loved it, so I like my odds with this smoked beer.



4.5/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a clear, deep mahogany brown color and sheds some beautiful ruby hues when held up to light, sporting a creamy tan head that provides a nice cap on the beer as you drink it. Absolutely gorgeous beer.

The nose features aromas of smoked meat that are mouthwatering, some caramel, a nice whiff of wheat bread, and a bit of bitter hops. Wow.

The smoked meats are the star of the taste, as expected, but it’s the balance that’s provided by the caramel and wheat bread notes mid-palate and the pleasantly subtle hop bitterness on the finish that make for a world class beer, IMHO.

The medium, dry mouthfeel simply adds to the drinkability of the beer. My local always has this beer and the Marzen in stock, and I’m adding both to my regular rotation, because both are magnificent, again IMHO.

 

Hello all. My kids and I spent the day lamenting the spring like weather in our neck-of-the-woods so far this winter. The lack of snow really has them sad. So, I’m an attempt to take their minds off of it, I introduced them to the board game Clue. They are 7. They took to it quickly and my son had a streak of 4 wins in a row, much to his twin sister’s chagrin. Note Bene: they’ve changed Mrs. White to Dr. Orchid. Not sure why.

As they eat the home made pizza I whipped up for them for supper, and I await my wife’s return from a very long day of work to dig into leftover Thai take-out, I’m sipping on this great beer:

Voodoo Aphotic (Cherry Brandy BA).



Pours a dark black/brown with no head to speak of. It has a very thick, viscous appearance.

There is both a boozy and sweet note on the nose as soon as the bottle cap is released. Knowing the barrel is cherry brandy, I do get a light hint of cherry on the nose.

The taste is great. Light char to start with a warming brandy and oak character through the middle. The Cherry comes through on the finish and isn’t sweet nor sour but a little of both. The booziness on the nose is not present on the tongue. Everything is well integrated and enjoyable.

The body is not as syrupy as the appearance would suggest. Medium body, light carbonation.

This is great. I like brandy barrels with stouts generally, apple brandy most of all, but this might be a close second. I’ve had a couple Voodoo BA stouts now, and they do not disappoint.

Cheers!

 

That one is my favourite of the ones I’ve had. Great beer! Cheers!

 

Alpina by Untold Brewing


3.79/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Opening day in Plymouth , shiny new brewery bar, crowded, dogs and kids

Brewers notes: The first of two winter sports inspired releases this week, Alpina is the latest addition to our growing lager program. Pouring a crystal-clear golden hue with a tight lacing head, Alpina offers subtle malt sweetness, a floral noble hop bouquet, and thirst quenching refreshment. This is a beer not-to-be-missed, especially for those seeking the perfect après beverage.

On draft , poured into a willi becher , clear golden liquid, slight carbonation, thin white head quickly fades

Aroma is bready , malts

Taste is crackery , noble hop nibble

Slight bitterness , clean, crisp

Good beer

 

Well friends it’s gonna be a one day NBW for me. Hanging family in Maryland, I was gonna sneak out to snag a new one but just wanted to spend time with fam. So it’s what’s in the fridge at my sister in laws, maybe a miller lite but definitely a Guiness. Cheers see you all tomorrow with a tasty new beverage. Enjoy your new, or in my case, not new beers tonight.

 

Trying a Phase Three Halftones WCIPA. It is good, but I had high hopes it would be great given the nose.

 

Family is more important. Enjoy your time with your loved ones.

 

Ross brewery fishfinder golden helles lager
...cloudy burnt orange appearance with a thin but lasting head.
...above average carbonation but as it sits that seems to dissipate a bit. Medium bodied with an odd but nice mild thick feel that I often get with wheat beers.
...aroma is very inviting, yeast,cereal,grain, crusty white bread. Theres some malt and mildly floral honey in the background.
..taste has some sweetness with very little bitterness which comes off a bit like honey.
Otherwise its cereal and bread being the most dominant factor.
...the mild sweetness might turn some off as I was expecting it to be a bit dry and crisp. But I'm really enjoying it

 

Don’t worry I managed to work out a way to stop at a great store right off the highway on our way home that allows you to snag singles of anything

 

Hey, kids. There was a strange orange/yellow thing in the sky today...natives were terrified...

Guess where I'm cross-posting this month...Cellaruary! I can't believe I have beers buried in sedimentary rock that I can still call new beers to me. After some excavation, I picked this one first:



Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project Baby Tree. This is an Abbey Quad with the longest comment thst I've ever seen in our database. The important thing is it was bottled in December, 2013. It's 9% abv. I might be taking on for the team here...and I think it'll be my 700th reviewed/scored beer if I review it.

It pours a slightly cloudy rube red brownish color. No head to speak of, but bubblettes gather at the edge of the liquid and cascade elegantly down the glass on sip or swirl.

Not too strong on the nose which I guess isn't surprising. Subdued malt sweetness, dried cherry, prune, brown sugar/molasses. A hint of phenolic spice and a whiff of alcohol.

I'm pretty happy with the taste. Slightly sweet, roast malt richness, caramel/toffee/brown sugary. A bit of yeastiness. Dark cherry, plum, and rasin on the fruity side of the equation. A small alcohol tingle. Mild but definite spicy phenolic flavor as the bigger flavors fade out. A wee bit of bitterness.

The feel seems a bit thin. Carbonation has held up OK. There's a bit of a drying sensation without being too astringent.

Overall this is pretty good considering the age. I like it quite a bit. I think it is a pretty typical quad flavor and is accurate to the style as I'd expect from Pretty Things. Even with the age I'm comfortable calling this a 3.8 beer.

 

I usually don't prefer that type of beer but there may be a time and place where its necessary.cracked me up, Sounds like really good medical advice

 

Always plan ahead!

 

Skydance Brewing Ruggit Hoppy Brown Ale ( with Cascade & Centennial Hops ), 6.2% ABV; 4.31 overall

Pours an effervescent & chill-hazed chestnut with a thumb+ of tan head. Stellar head retention & lacing, never drops bright, traces of floaties

S: Toasty, some woody notes, tones down as it gets warmer

T: Follows the nose, dryness, a touch of woody & grassy hops up front. Dryness & pineyness dominate as this beer warms up, toastyness as well, other woody notes as well. Finishes uber piney, with much dryness & little toastyness , just a touch of astringency

MF: Medium body, moderate carbonation, skews fairly hoppy

A hophead's brown, very drinkable, nothing school about this. Drinks very easy