New Beer Weekend #19

Abbey ales are in short supply where I am so I'm always on the lookout for something new.
A few weeks ago I was visiting my son and picked up a new-to-me Triple from (Brasserie de l'Abbaye du) Val-Dieu.

The bottle says that "This authentic abbey ale is based on the recipe perfected centuries ago by the monks of Abbay du Val-Dieu"

The English version of their website says "It has a deep and supple bitterness to the taste buds. We will recognize a naturally flavored hop with an alcoholic aftertaste.
Often associated with an appropriate gastronomy, it ranks among the great beers of the most upscale tables."

This beer is good, really, really good and is pairing perfectly with the soft cheeses left over from Thanksgiving. I'm having my son bring up a few more bottles and if you're a fan of Belgian ales you can't get much better than this.


9% ABV and a 09/24/21 BB date
4.19/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: Cloudy orange/amber with a large, slowly dissolving off-white head that laces the sides of the glass and ends with a thick film
S: Cloves, mild banana, fresh wheat, white peasant bread
T: fresh wheat, hearty malts, some yeast, sugars, maybe some apple/peach/pear, with a subtle banana & clove background
F: MIld carbonation that cleans the tongue and leaves a mildly bitter-sweet aftertaste
O: A truly excellent beer. Not as heavy or boozy as some triples, but that is not a detriment. Val-Dieu has made a very well balanced, drinkable ale that, if not for the 9%, makes a great session sipper. Make up a plate of soft cheeses and enjoy a few.

 

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Special #4 Stout, 13.3% ABV. Pours thick and black with a one-finger brown head that left no lacing. Nose is coffee and bourbon. Taste is slight maple, slight chocolate, coffee, not much sweetness, some bitterness, with bourbon on the close. It left my lips sticky, presumably with maple syrup though I didn't taste it much. Outstanding thick and smooth oat mouthfeel, with nice carbonation. Overall world-class. This beer is for fans of solid and thick BA Stouts, not fans of sweet pastry Stouts. I like both.

4.4/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

I may revise my score as I work my way through it, pacing myself. This is clearly better than many previous variants, and the oatmeal really makes for a smooth and thick BA stout.

 

Prairie Snickerdoodle Vanilla Noir. Chanced upon this at a little gourmet market in Sacramento when I was there last week and bought it without thinking twice. When I was growing up, my grandmother probably baked more snickerdoodles than any other cookie, which is saying a lot. I probably consumed hundreds, if not thousands, of snickerdoodles in my first twenty-five years of life. All of which is to say that I come to this beer with impossibly high, nostalgia-related expectations that won't likely be met. I also have a slight apprehension re: the last time I tried "regular" Vanilla Noir, which had an odd, plasticky aftertaste I still remember. OTOH, Prairie blew my mind with the last batch of Bourbon Paradise, so I have reason to be optimistic.

Pours a thick, oil-black with a barely perceptible head that vanished before I could take a photo. Aroma: wow, this really does smell like snickerdoodles, with a lovely cinnamon hovering over a strong vanilla. The only thing that can't really be captured, I guess, is the "warm" smell and feel of just-baked cookies, but who knows, maybe that will happen as the beer warms. First sip, and again, wow. Now, what sets apart a really good snickerdoodle is cream of tartar, and this definitely has that tang, although I can't be sure it's an actual ingredient in this beer. When I Googled it, there was a Prairie FB post that said they actually added a bunch of snickerdoodle cookies to the beer, so maybe? As it warms, it starts developing a complexity not unlike Bourbon Paradise, with layers and shadings that can only come from expert barreling. Oddly, what this reminds me the most of is the better years of regular BCBS, a comparison which also carries through to the mouthfeel, which is thick, silky, and batter-like. Thankfully, none of the plasticky aftertaste from my last go-round with Vanilla Noir.

Ultimately, this doesn't exactly transport me back to grandma's kitchen, but it's better than it has any right to be. Would I pay $15.99 again? Probably. Don't know whether I'll find it again, though. Very glad to have tried it.

 

Tupps Brewery DDH Series 25 Pumpkin Pie Spice Latte IPA, 7.3% ABV, 3.64 overall

Pours a hazed gold with a pinky of cream colored head. Above average head retention & lacing

S: Faint pumpkin pie spices, cereal grain notes. Pie spice picks up when beer is close to room temperature

T: Plenty of pumpkin pie spice, a little vanilla, grassy & limey bitterness up front. Bitterness picks up as this warms, some grapefruit & limes, spices & vanilla take a back seat but mixing in nicely. Finishes with a grassy bitterness, dryness, some spice & coffee mixing in, plus a little vanilla sweetness

MF: Medium body, restrained carbonation, great balance

Not sure what to think of this, not much of an IPA, but works as a Pumpkin beer, a style that I mostly hate/tolerate. Drinks easy enough. The brewery is calling it an IPA, so style point deductions, but damn drinkable. I would rate this higher as a Pumpkin beer. An odd, but drinkable duck

 

I have that in large format bottle. One of these weekends I will give it a go...

 

Cross posted from the Bourbon County tasting thread:

Great thread so far, everyone! I'm finally able to dig into a big beer, so here's the one I managed to pick up last weekend:

2020 Kentucky Fog

I really love the nose on this. There's a slight perfumy and airy quality that somehow manages to work beautifully with and elevate the rich, earthy and woody platform. Vanilla and dark chocolate seem to play the middle ground, but overall I'm getting more oak than bourbon, which is fine and dandy because it dovetails nicely with that tea leaf earthiness.

First sip and kaboom, there's the Earl Grey. No more 'suggestions' of its elements, that unmistakable taste hits you straight away. Subtle bourbon, very rich fudgy feel, some gentle heat from the alcohol, a twinge of honeyish sweetness, and then that long lingering finish of the oak and tea leaf. Unique and surprisingly cohesive, big thumbs up, and I'm really glad that this is the one I kind of randomly chose.

 

Another Baltic Porter

Baltika #6 Porter
15.89 oz bottle PRODUCTION DATE 16.02.20 BEST BEFORE 16.02.21 poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp 7% ABV. The beer pours very dark brown with chocolate tan colored head. The head recedes to a thin cap. No lacing. The aroma is mild in strength and offers roasted malt with hints of caramel and dark fruit. The taste is semisweet tangy roasted malt with more dark fruit and dark chocolate. The finish reveals a little caramel and closes with mild bitterness. The mouthfeel is watery, although it approaches medium body, with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, good. The watery taste & feel are a disadvantage for this beer. It does come together somewhat as it warms.

I've had a good couple of weeks for buying hard to find styles and imports. Around 20 new to me beers in fridge, so not sure where I go next. Cheers all!

 

Greetings all,.
I haven't had this brew in many years and it is new to me again. It has a muted nose, being too cold, and tastes of figs and raisons. I will let it warm up. but it is squarely English, dry, and of substance. This is a single for me and not a favorite. It is all fruit and unctuous, not sweet but still cloying and slightly annoying. It is very pretty in the glass and just might be a great partner with beef stew or something other wintry like shepherds pie. I don't hate it and I don't love it. That's all. Warmer it mellows.
This tune always cheers me up.

 

East Sixth Brewing's The Alpha & Omega BA American Imperial Stout. 10% ABV, 4.19 overall

No canning date information on can or 4 pack holder

Pours an effervescent ebony with a thumb+ of cocoa colored head. Below average head retention & lacing

S: Dark fruit, a little booze, a little medicinal cough syrup

T: Follows the nose, plenty of cherry, figs, leafy hops, Baker's Chocolate & a little barrel dryness up front. Dryness, cordial cherry, leafy hops, a kiss of Bourbon & dark chocolate as this warms, a little roastyness as well. Finishes dry with dark chocolate, sweet cherries, a little booze bite, a little bit of figs

MF Chewy, low carbonation. Carbonation picks up once warm

A Rock solid take on the style as good as Ozark's BDCS IMHO flavor-wise, nose needs work

 

Many of you tried this one a couple months ago, so I'm late to the party as usual :


Bitburger Festbier • 6.2% ABV • best before 3/30/2021 printed on back label

Overall, it's good not great. To me it comes off much more like an American craft version than many of the great German versions we get here in the States. The highlight is the sweet peachy bread malt in the nose with a hint of earthy hops. The hops dominate the flavor to the point of it almost tasting medicinal. As it warms, the malt adds a bit more sweetness but not much. It's a pretty hoppy version of the style.

Official review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/613/499187/?ba=Premo88#review
3.84 (-4.5% rDev)

No major flaws with this brew. Just doesn't have that fruity/bready pop from the malt in the flavor.

Hope your weekend is going well!
Cheers!

 

Thanks to the magnificent BCBS tasting event this weekend, we’re cross-pollinating, multi-tasking, new beer drinking beer nerds!!! Huge shoutout to @ChicagoJ and @FBarber for all they’re doing to manage that event.

My first new beer this evening, however isn’t a BCBS reg/variant (that’ll be #2). As a matter of fact, I’d guess it’s a brewery that hasn’t been included in the NBS/NBW thread very often, if at all. But I think this Omaha brewery is worthy of your consideration, so I present Zipline Brewing.





4.33/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pop the bottle top, big dank citrus aromas - like mango, passion fruit, pineapple. Smells like Mosaic!!! And the pour, a hazy, bright straw color with a sudsy white head, adds to the evidence: Mosaic!

The taste is the final confirmation required - Mosaic for sure. Dank citrus flavors assault all taste buds immediately and effectively. This reminds me a LOT of Lizard King from Pipeworks, which is high praise from me because I love that beer.

The only nit to pick for me is the mouthfeel, which is a little “wetter” than I’d like, but overall, this is a beer I’d drink again and again.

 

The large format bottle? I'm impressed
(https://www.val-dieu.com/product/val-dieu-triple/#1580221229534-efb292be-d944)

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

Home after going to my friend's 11-year-old's birthday party. So much fun, and the kid was having a blast with her family, and friends.
also, an update as to my situation. Sadly the delivery job fell threw. They expected me to be able to drive a big box/dock truck with only about 30 minutes of training. Sorry, it doesn't work that way for me, and probably most people. So, I'm back at square 1 now. I'm sure I'll be able to find someone crazy enough to hire an old former restaurant owner.

But, now it's time for beer:

I might as well dare to be stupid and do this
Bourbon County Brand Special #4 Stout.

I'm not a coffee drinker, but, I do love a good coffee stout. This is a good one. Yeah, I know, it's inbev, but I'm a fan of the BCBS beers. They know what they're doing with them, and it shows here. I've had coffee beers that are a hot mess, and this is the opposite. Highly recommended.

Review:
4.6/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Consumed on 11-28-2020 - served at 55 F.
Pours pitch black. 2 finger tan head. Head retention is good for this high abv. No lacing on the glass, and the head dissipates into a ring around the edge of the glass, with islands of carbonation in the middle. Like other BCBS, it is a thick pouring beer.
The nose has notes of caramel and chocolate in the background, with some maple syrup mixed in. The coffee part is very upfront to me.
Taste - Tons of coffee throughout, however it mellows on the backside, and turns a nice maple, and caramel. There's hints of chocolate also throughout. This is crazy, but I'm also getting a hint of fruit. So faint, and on the backside. Yes, looking at the label it says blueberry, and damn, it's there. Very faint, but there.
Like other BCBS, very thick. It's strong, but, yet, smooth at the same time. It's a sipper, but very little alcohol burn at all.
I'm not a coffee drinker at all, but I really like a good coffee beer, and this is. I do recommend it. Quite solid.


I'm sure I'll be doing more tomorrow, so see you all then, unless I go even more crazy tonight.

 

Caramella
..dark amber
...around medium carbonation with what feels like a slightly thin body yet has a slick pily feel
...aroma is caramel apples mostly followed by malt,molasses and brown sugar.
...taste seems to follow the aroma for the most part.
...problem is it tasted artificial and that increased as it warmed to the pount of being unpleasant. Dont mind beer that tastes like something else but this didn't seem to be like beer or even cider.
Im sure some will like it but didn't work for me

 

Hello New Beer Weekenders. It seems strange that this is my first new beer of the weekend...possibly because I've had several new beers since work ended this week.

Anyway, it's the collaboration between Ommegang and Alesmith known as Philosophy and velocity (East Coast Edition), labeled "blend of Belgian-style quadruple ale with an imperial coffee stout".

16oz can served in a big snifter. Best by 8/14/25. Bought it at Total Wine yesterday.

Pours very dark, medium to small head, lots of very slow carbonation. Smell is coffee and something dark fruit and sweet that I'm going to call dates because the label says quadrupel.

Taste is...contrary to the smell, it's quadrupel forward and imperial stout in the shadows. Lots of date/raisin flavor, a little herb like nutmeg or something similar, with coffee and roastiness in the background.

Mouthfeel is medium to thick, sticky for sure. Nice beer, and very interesting.

 

#2, bawitdaba!!!





4.62/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Pours onyx black with a dense, medium tan head. Simply gorgeous in the glass. The nose is dominated by heavy char aromas, some chocolate and cinnamon, and a decent amount of coffee. No sign of the orange.

The orange is present on the taste, though, a subtle citrus taste at the back of the palate, long after the magnificent char and coffee flavors vied with the chocolate and cinnamon. Wow, is there a lot going on here - and it really works (for me).

The mouthfeel is really full and creamy, which surprised me, as did this beer - my expectations were that it would be good, even very good, but it is world class, IMHO. Wish I had another bottle to share with our son, because I think he’d love this.

 

My brother gave me this bottle from our special/favorite local brewery. They brew styles across the board and all of them very well. I’ve had only one of there mixed culture saisons until this one, now I’ve had two...



This one pours a very pale yellowish gold, kind of cloudy not much head to speak of or lacing either.

Aroma immediate lemon but not overpowering lemon and something sweet and floral too. I really can’t stop smelling it is really beautiful and subtle but very prominent at the same time. I almost don’t want to take the first sip, it’s that pleasant to just sit and smell it. Here we go though...

Wow! I expected tart lemon and got subtle funk and peach along with some white grape and some nice subtle wood/oak.

Mouthfeel is very nice too, medium to light body, moderate carbonation, actually almost low but it works with this beer. There’s a subtle oak bite at the end, I don’t know maybe it’s something else but for whatever reason I always notice it in the oak saisons.

This beer is really good from my favorite NJ brewery, I’m lucky they’re close to home. I’m no saison expert but this beer is very good and enjoyable. It leans on the sweeter side and I think that’s why I like it. The smell makes you think it’s going one way and then you sip and it takes you somewhere else, a really cool experience. Cheers to new beers, always a pleasure to share in here!

 

Poured into a 16 chalet gobbler canned on 11/05/2020. Pours a very attractive near black with a finger sticky tan head that leaves thick webs of lace with solid retention. 4.25

Aroma is sweet milk chocolate, toffee, vanilla beans, and a hint of coffee bean. 4.25

Taste follows milk chocolate, vanilla, toffee, and a little coffee pretty simple but also very tasty. 4.25

Mouthfeel is above average, rather creamy soft carbonation, not dry, and at 7.7% it is really easy drinking. 4.25

Overall this just a tasty and simple Milk Stout, but it really is a good all around beer. I would gladly revisit this one. 4.25