New Beer Weekend #191

My wife bought this for me simply because she couldn't resist. She assumed it would be terrible, as did I. We were both correct.

2.74/5 rDev -24.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.5
Appearance is golden in color, with decent clarity. Some head, but nothing significant. Spotty cap and a thin ring.

Aroma is different, and slightly better than I expected. The peanut is definitely there. It's a little artificial, but not unsatisfactorily so. Maybe a hint of vanilla and what I assume is meant to convey marshmallow.

The taste is similar to the nose. The peanut flavor dominates, but is less prominent than on the nose. It's like a Nutter Butter gone bad. I can't really describe it adequately, but it's not good....at all.

 

I'm starting Sunday with a detour from German lagers. I liked the regular Whale brown ale, so thought it might be good for the occasion to try this version. I'm on the fence about whiskey-smelling and tasting beer. Overall it is easy to drink, the carbonation is low, and besides whiskey and slight bitterness, the main flavor is sugar. Maybe next time I'll have it for dessert.

 

Well Happy Saint Patrick's Day, y'all.
My favorite time of year. No, not specifically this holiday. March Madness is my favorite sporting event of all! So although work (and a kitchen demo) is kicking my ass. At least there is beer and basketball!
Speaking of beer, a big thanks to @CarolinaCardinals for sending me this beauty in our Barleywine/Stout BIF #1.
Caveat emptor: The apple brandy and sherry are major contributors to this sublime barleywine.

Once More with Feeling Double Barrel Barleywine Blended Edition

Note: Double barrel barleywine aged 12 months in ex-Pedro Xeminez cask used to finish Jim Beam bourbon and then aged 20 months in Blanton's bourbon barrels and Apple Brandy barrels.

Deep & dark mahogany in hue. Sandy head forms but tapers off. Low retention, slight lacing.
Nose pops with sticky sweet apple brandy. Caramel, dates, and brown sugar come through as well, but carried on the omnipresence of apple brandy. Other barrel hints come trough as well, a hint of soaked barrel, deep berry like fruit notes.
Flavor follows the nose truthfully. The fruit shows up first, followed by a sticky sweet. The the caramel, brown sugar, toffee, dates, raisin, and candy sugars chime in. But it definitely comes back to the apple brandy dancing with hints of bourbon and vinous sherry.
Mouthfeel is full, a tad sticky, and hints at warmth.
4.22/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

For the first of my new brews today I had a local-ish one from Three Tigers:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45171/694279/?ba=bluejacket74#lists





I liked it a lot, they're really not known for their imperial stouts but they make good ones whenever they do.

 

And for my next new brew today I had a more local one from Derive Brewing:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/59901/694280/?ba=bluejacket74#lists





This one was good too, especially if you like coffee stouts. Should have at least one more new brew later, happy NBW everyone!

 

Trying a new beer from Carlsberg Sweden, Tuborg Ekologisk (Organic). 4.6% abv. The normal Tuborg Green we get is 4.2% abv, so this is a separate beer. The beer is a light golden color. The aroma is quite clean with a mild but noticable German hop aroma, it smells like a clean German pilsner which is surprising for a Tuborg branded beer, they and Carlsberg branded beers tend to have fruity fermentation esters in the aroma. But this is clean smelling. Tastewise it is dry with a nice hop bitterness which is elevated compared to the regular Tuborg and also the Carlsberg branded beers. While Carlsberg Export is 21 IBUs here, and Tuborg Green is probably slightly below that based on taste, this one must be slightly under 30 IBUs. The bitterness lingers on the tongue in the aftertaste. The bitterness is certainly close to the level of a modern German pilsner, an impression which is also helped by the dryness and overall clean taste of the beer. The aftertaste is dry. The hop flavor is mild but present, again reminiscient of a typical German pilsner, if anything it tastes a bit brighter than a typical German example, due to increased freshness and possibly a more gentle pasteurization process for a non-import?

I was quite positively surprised by this beer, this is a tasty modern pilsner in my book. The packaging is also quite nice, with the classical 33cl returnable bottle which has all but disappeared from shelves (the monopoly wanted a beer in returnable bottles and this beer won the tender). This particular bottle was made in 1997, when comparing it against some of the other bottles I bought this one is slightly lighter in color than the ones from 2009 and later, which I found interesting.

 

Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass canned in the last 2 or 3 weeks. Pours a very attractive hazy yellow with a 2 finger sticky white head that leaves thick streaks of lace, with excellent retention. 4.75

Aroma is slight musk, peach, tangerine, and apricot. 3.5

Taste is musk, peach, tangerine, and apricot. 3.5

Mouthfeel is above average, soft gentle carbonation, not sticky or dry, and at 8.5% if you can get past the must, it is easy drinking. 4.5

Overall this is exactly why Bru 1 should not be used. Maybe some like that Musty/ Champagne flavor but not me. 3.75

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Sippers and commentators. While Other Half Brewing Co. is best known for its hazy IPAs, it's also very adept at the Stout game. Each year, it brews a series of Stouts in collaboration with J. Wakefield called "Snowbirds." This variant is aged from 13-24 months in different bourbon barrels with almonds, coconut, toasted coconut, and cocoa nibs. While I'm always suspect of sweet, adjunct-laden Stouts, I trust these two brewers. This one is very good with a taste similar to an Almond Joy candy bar and a killer mouth feel. It's brewed at OH's DC facility rather than in Brooklyn. And it's pricey at about $25 for a 500 ML bottle.

2024 release. Poured at 56° Black, oily appearance. The medium-mocha-colored cap fizzled away instantly leaving just the thinnest film of lacing. Highly aromatic nose featuring rich chocolate, caramel, coconut, and roasted nuts. Very flavorful with big milk chocolate, toasted coconut, caramel, almonds, and a hint of dark fruit. The taste is akin to a Hershey's Almond Joy candy bar. The bourbon barrel influence is gentle but warming. This Stout has a thick, almost chewy, mouth feel with mild carbonation, and the 13.8% ABV is very well-hidden. It's a sipper and better a shared sipper. Overall, I give this Snowbirds 7 variant high marks for simulating the Almond Joy experience we all loved as kids.

4.36/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

I have a busy week ahead so this will be my only "official" NBW review this week. I suspect I'll crack a Guinness or two later. Cheers, NBW!

 

Barrel... Oh Fun - Back Shed Brewing - Waite Park, MN - American Stout - 6.9% ABV

The barrel has added an extra kick on the base beer. Tasty
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/61553/694496/
4.02/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at the source

Pours pitch black with a tan head that had some retention.
Nose has vanilla and chocolate notes. Some barrel notes.
Taste - the beer has notes of chocolate up front. The back is where barrel notes kick in.
Creamy smooth body.
Tasty and a bit of an update from the base beer.

 

Samuel Adams Breakaway Blonde Ale



Light gold color with small white cap.

Aroma of sweet grain and sharp, spicy hops.

Taste on entry is even parts grain and hops. Grain flavor is simple and light with hops more prominent and lasting into the aftertaste. Finish is clean and mildly spicy. A less bold version of an American Pale Ale.

Light texture with balancing carbonation.

Overall it's pleasant and competent without being outstanding in any particular way.

 

Berliner Geschichte Bock — Back to Eibauer lagers. No surprises here. This beer smells like being at a bakery, and the taste is like eating a loaf of bread. It hides 6.7% ABV well too. Now I might skip dinner.

 

Good review, portrays a clear description of the flavors.

 

Peanuts & Peanut butter in beers have a huge chance disappointing me. A lot of times it seems forced or fake

 

Slainte to @MutuelsMark for this West Sixth Brewing IPA, 7.0% ABV; 3.39 overall

Pours an effervescent gold with a slight hazing & a thumb+ of pearl colored head. Stellar lacing & very good head retention

S: Some grassy notes, breadyness picks up once warm

T: Follows the nose, dryness, some woody bitterness, plus bready sweetness up front. Woody bitterness & a little malt sweetness cutting through, plus more grassy hops once this beer warms up. Finishes a little dry with woodyhops & watery grainyness

MF: Medium body, dialed back carbonation, decent balance

Old school IPA, 30 years ago this may have impressed me, just fairly run of the mill for the style

 

Was gonna sneak out today for another new beer, obligations and a UTI dog that kept us up all night had other plans. Today I linger and hope you all enjoy your beers.

@ovaltine hope that dinner was worthy of 34 years of marriage, in a few months we reach the 10 year milestone.

 

Happy Anniversary!

 

It was, Jon - they made special menus with our names at the top of them, which was really cool, and gave us an anniversary card signed by the staff. We had a great evening reminiscing and laughing.

 

Iron Hill Russian Imperial Stout cheers @William_Navidson 9.2% ABV; 4.1 overall

Pours a Chestnut hued ebony with plenty of carbonation & finger of fast-falling tan head. Average-ish head retention & lacing

S: Hints of iron, dark fruit & roasty grains

T: Roastyness, Baker's Chocolate & much dryness up front, also woody hops. Dryness, roastyness, more bitter chocolate as this beer warms. Finishes dry, roasty, with woody hops & dark chocolate

MF: Medium/chewy body. tamped down carbonation, becomes fairly warming. You feel the heft

Classic example of the style that holds its own

 

March Break is almost over! It’s been a long week. Our break plans were curtailed by my wife getting asked to cover for someone and, hence our plans being scuttled. Coupled with that, my son had an infection that has now required two rounds of treatment and a long night at emergency (we got home this morning at 5:15 AM…). He’s been fine, but not as energetic as usual.

That said, we managed to go to the Washington Generals game on Saturday. It was a close one. There was some pretty questionable refereeing I’d have to say, and the Generals’ opponents got away with many shenanigans. The game almost felt staged. In the end Harlem pulled it out with a dunk at the buzzer and the Generals suffered another loss.

Here is a photo of my daughter, all decked out in Generals’ green teaching a couple of the Generals jump shot technique.



Now that we are down to the last hours of the week, I’m sitting down to enjoy this beer:

But Why Is The Rum Gone? Rum barrel aged imperial stout from Backcountry Brewing of Squamish BC.



Pours the deepest brown with a substantial mocha head from a vigorous pour.

Rum, brown sugar, wood hit the nose with a punch. There are some stewed stone fruit notes that sit in behind, as well as a little char.

Sweet up front with some island spice, rum, barrel and dark malt on the tongue. The booziness is confined to the finish.

The body is moderate, but the finish is quick.

This is good, as Backcountry beers always seem to be. Im not too keen on rum barrel stouts, but would recommend this one to any who are.

Cheers!