New Beer Weekend #192

Discussion in 'The Bar' started by DoctorZombies, Mar 23, 2024.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. DoctorZombies

    DoctorZombies Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,827) Feb 1, 2015 Florida
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Good morning BAs! Welcome to another edition of NBW where we share a new to us beer we haven’t had before and talk about the beer’s characteristics - Appearance, Smell/Aroma, Taste, Mouthfeel, and Overall impression. Did you like the beer? Would you recommend it? And photos of the beer are greatly appreciated!

    It’s all in good fun, so open a new to you beer this weekend and share your thoughts! My new beer is Cigar City’s “Thee Wolfman” a Wheated Bourbon Barrel aged imperial stout with added chocolate and cherries, El Catador Club Edition XVII, bottle 0164 (2023). Courtesy of @GWTW. Sounds like a beer I would like, let’s go!

    [​IMG]

    Poured at 53°. Black with ruby edges; rocky dark brown head disappeared quickly; solid ring initially; no cap retention;
    spots of lace on agitation; no legs on swirl. Nose is cherries; mild boozy bourbon exhale. Taste is dark cherries, bourbon, chocolate; no bitterness but not sweet; spicy oak and vanilla notes; chocolate/cherry finish. Silky feel; medium body; light carbonation; warmth from 14% abv; pleasant alcohol burn on tip of tongue. Overall, an excellent impy stout; the barrel and base flavors compliment each other; the taste is chocolate covered cherry bourbon ball candy with a kick of mild spicy barrel linger.

    4.0 | 4.5 | 4.75 | 4.5 | 4.5
    Score: 4.57 rDev 0
    I added beer to database

    A delicious stout I’d happily drink again. I like cherries and seek out imperial stouts with cherries. The spicy notes from I’m guessing the wheated bourbon barrels adds another layer of flavor that jazzes up the whole. I highly recommend. Thanks Don!

    Cheers and have a great weekend y’all!
     
    #1 DoctorZombies, Mar 23, 2024
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2024
    vurt, woemad, lordofthewiens and 38 others like this.
  2. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Two heads are better than one?

    Today’s beer is a collaboration between Jack’s Abby and Human Robot: SLO Lager.

    From Jack’s Abby website:

    “SLO Lager

    Slovenian Style Lager

    Inspired by Slovenian hops and rustic amber lagers, the teams at Jack’s Abby and Human Robot collaborated to brew this limited lager featuring Czech floor malts and open fermentation. Life and Lager are both best enjoyed a little SLO.

    ABV 5%”

    This is the first time I have read “Slovenian Style Lager” but there seems to be a recent trend to ‘create’ new style names based upon where the ingredients are grown, in this instance the aspect of Slovenian hops.

    I conducted a web search to learn which specific variety(s) of Slovenian hops were used to brew this beer but I had no luck here.

    I have used Styrian Goldings (Celeia) hops from Slovenia in my homebrewing (e.g., Belgian Trappist/Abbey style beers) to good effect. I wonder if perhaps this is the hops used to make this beer?

    There is no such thing as a “Slovenian Style Lager” on BA so @Bhubbard34 made a decision to enter this beer in the BA database as a Kellerbier / Zwickelbier and considering the detail of “rustic amber lagers” in the above Jack’s Abby description I get this. I have in the past homebrewed an Amber Kellerbier of the Franconian variety and I am a fan of these sorts of beers (e.g., Mahr’s Kellerbier Ungespundet).

    Let’s see what a “Slovenian Style Lager” tastes like!

    Served in my Polish Pilsner glass:

    Appearance:

    Golden colored with a white head which dissipated fairly quickly.

    Aroma:

    A combination of bready/crackery malt and floral/herbal hop aromas.

    Taste:

    The flavor follows the nose with a combination of bready/crackery malt flavors and floral/herbal hop flavors. There is a firm bitterness

    Mouthfeel:

    Medium bodied, a smooth mouthfeel with a dry finish.

    Overall:

    This is a very good beer, I enjoyed drinking it. I really enjoyed the balance between the malt and hop flavors.

    FWIW I think that categorizing this beer as a Kellerbier on BA is OK.

    Cheers!

    @rotsaruch @RobH @KOP_Beer_OUtlet @JacksAbbyBrewing @springdalebeer @zid @KP7

    [​IMG]
     
    RobH, vurt, woemad and 34 others like this.
  3. Roy_Hobbs

    Roy_Hobbs Pooh-Bah (2,623) Jan 21, 2017 Connecticut
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Thanks for kicking us off @DoctorZombies. I was just about to do the same!

    Not sure how wise it is to kick off the morning with a 12.1% beer, but hey, it's a crappy, rainy March day here in CT and I'm not going anywhere, so why not?

    Up first is Votive, a double barrel aged imperial stout from Fox Farm. From the brewer "We’re pleased to introduce Votive No. 2 - the second in our series of Double Barrel Imperial Stouts. Once again, Votive began as a rich and hefty stout aged in bourbon barrels. After a year in bourbon, we transferred the beer into 15 year-old French Armagnac puncheons and allowed it to rest for another 8 months. This layering lends undeniable complexity and depth but demands patience. It’s also a process fraught with risk - one of the two puncheons held together just long enough to see the beer to safety but not much longer. Votive is truly a labor of love and a celebration of barrel character."

    Two notes....One, I've always loved Fox Farm's clean labeling, and this is no exception. Two, yes, that is Stretch Armstrong photobombing in the background.
    [​IMG]
    4.23/5 rDev -1.2%
    look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
    Batch 2, from 2020

    As with most stouts, this one is the deepest of browns bordering black. While there isn't a huge head, it's much darker than I expected, which I find visually appealing for unknown reasons.

    The aroma is interesting. It's not shy, as I could smell it pretty easily from a couple feet away. At that distance, it was mostly sweet, with chocolate like characteristics. Up close, it's much different (and I think more interesting). The barrel notes really shine. Moderate bourbon barrel booziness presents itself, but there's an additional complexity that I can only assume is coming from the Armagnac puncheons that's creating light brandy notes and a faint wooden earthiness.

    My very first impression upon sipping this was how smooth and full bodied this is. Really nice, full mouthfeel and wonderful alcohol warming that goes on and on. The taste itself is barrel forward, but with plenty of roast coming through at different points. I find that each sip is a little different, and that the taste evolves with each sip. Sometimes I get mostly BA stout, but other times I taste brandy. Sometimes it's a mix of things I can't place. Not at all sweet, this may not be for everybody, but I'm a sucker for complex, unique beers, and as such I'm enjoying this quite a bit.
     
    vurt, woemad, lordofthewiens and 29 others like this.
  4. ChicagoJ

    ChicagoJ Grand Pooh-Bah (5,247) Feb 2, 2015 Illinois
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Thank you for opening up the weekend @DoctorZombies !

    Have two Maine IPAs scheduled for this weekend. Don't get a wide variety, but love picking up new ones when I have room on my NBW/NBS slate. Actually have a third, a porter, I'm saving for a future weekend to clear my IPAs/Drink Fresher beers first.

    Maine Wolfe's Neck

    [​IMG]

    Bottle Notes:
    Purchased at Beer on the Wall at store temperature on 2/22/24 for $8.00, refrigerated upon returning home until this morning. 16.9 oz bottled 1/23/24 at 10:17:06. 6.5% ABV. Drink this beer fresh within 90 days of the stamped born on date. India Pale Ale.

    Wolfe's Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment is a farm-based education, research and visitor center set amidst more than 600 acres of conserved open space on the coast of Maine. Their work is focused on the implementation of regenerative agriculture principles to create healthier ecosystems, increase farm resiliency, and build soil health to mitigate the effects and adapt to a changing climate. wolfesneck.org

    Appearance: About 2/3 bottle pour into a nucleated tulip glass. Nice creamy full bright white head covers the clear golden tan base with mild carbonation. 4.25

    Aroma: Nice grapefruit, pine and citrus leads with a caramel malt backing, medium plus strength. 3.75

    Taste: Consistent with the aroma, though pine bitterness in the pole position, followed by a malty caramel backing which works well. Pretty mellow in terms of strength. 3.75

    Mouthfeel: Carbonation light, feels a bit flat. Light crisp body. Strength at or slightly above the ABV, bitter and a bit dry, in good measure, herding the fruit sweetness like a good sheep dog. Nice bitter pine finish. 3.5

    Overall:
    Digging some aspects of this, a good offering. Flat feel and light taste strength preventing a higher score here. Bottle wasn't kept for about a month by the store, so perhaps this beer suffered as a result. Would like to revisit fresher or on draft. 3.75

    See you tomorrow with a fresher beer which hopefully feels like it.
     
    #4 ChicagoJ, Mar 23, 2024
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2024
    vurt, woemad, lordofthewiens and 26 others like this.
  5. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Good morning, Weekenders! Cheers @DoctorZombies for kicking us off, and what a lovely beer, as well! That indeed sounds right up my alley; a pity that Tampa's a bit of a drive from New England. :wink: Cheers too to @Roy_Hobbs with an excellent Fox Farm choice. I'll be heading there very soon. :slight_smile:

    My first new beer this weekend comes from near my hometown, 3 Sons, which I happened to visit last week with @FBarber . I couldn't help but spend a couple of bills on bottles, two of which I checked for the flight to bring back here. These are those bottles:

    [​IMG]

    Vintage Nectar is a series of barrel aged and blended imperial stouts, all clocking in at roughly 14.4-14.5% ABV. Per our standards here on BA, these should all be under one entry (and they are), as the only real change year to year is the specific bourbon barrel blend and aging time. These promise to be an exercise in barrel selection and beer aging, and I'm looking forward to seeing how much they diverge - or how little.

    First up is the 2021 edition, aged in Heaven Hill and Widow Jane barrels for an average of 29 months each. I wanted to go with the "fresher" beer first (2021 is the freshest they had available, but I know that 2023 exists, as well).

    [​IMG]

    This beer is, in a word, amazing. In more words: sublime, phenomenal, decadent, nearly perfect.

    More than three decades ago, Goose Island established the benchmark for BBA imperial stouts with BCBS. The art (and science) of aging massive imperial stouts in various spirits barrels has certainly evolved since then, but it's still a rare beer that comes along that can truly dethrone the king - and with little controversy, at that.

    Damned if this isn't one such beer for me.

    And to be clear, I'm talking about unadulterated BBA imperial stouts: no additives, no adjuncts, just beer and barrel(s). Adding things like chocolate, vanilla, cherries, et al to a barrel aged imperial stout can impart flavors (and enhance others) that, quite simply, can't be achieved otherwise, but there's always a certain romanticism for me when a brewer can elevate a beer to new heights just by very careful creation, craftsmanship, and care.

    This is one of the best BBA imperial stouts I've ever had. Not the best, but one of - and I've had quite a few. :wink:

    Full notes are in the linked review, below. I will open the 2020 bottle either later today, or early tomorrow. I'll go ahead and give it a post here (as a new beer), and will update my review then so that both beer reviews are included.

    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34778/636440/?ba=Roguer#lists
    4.70 / +8.3% (3rd full review out of only 8 total ratings)

    Cheers!
     
    vurt, woemad, lordofthewiens and 27 others like this.
  6. MadMadMike

    MadMadMike Grand Pooh-Bah (3,465) Dec 11, 2020 France
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    [​IMG]

    50 cL can poured into a lager glass in Toulouse, France.
    Foams up aight, but settles into just a scrag.
    Flatline resistant nose. Little wheat, but that’s about it.
    I found this brew OK when ice cold. It progressively gets skunkity, and there is an urgency to get it down before the last swig. Cuz you don’t sip a sweet high gravity malt liquor, or get your beer geekery going.
    Pretty thick mouth. Low carbonation.
    Overall, a cheap (€1.90) quick buzz with no redeeming quality, equivilent to US gas station pounder bombs.
     
    vurt, woemad, lordofthewiens and 26 others like this.
  7. SawDog505

    SawDog505 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,922) Apr 9, 2010 New Hampshire
    Pooh-Bah

    [​IMG] Poured into a 13 oz Snulip glass bottled on 2/02/24. Pours a clear straw yellow with a half finger sticky white head that leaves webs of lace, with excellent retention. 4.5

    Aroma fresh cut grass, lemon, biscuit, pine, and grapefruit. 4

    Taste follows grass, lemon, biscuit, pine, and grapefruit well balanced and clean. 4

    Mouthfeel is medium, maybe a tad dry, plenty of life, and at 7% it goes extremely easy. 4.25

    Overall I am enjoying. It is nice to have something crystal clear and tasty. 4 Thanks for getting us going @DoctorZombies . Cheers all.
     
    vurt, woemad, lordofthewiens and 26 others like this.
  8. Roy_Hobbs

    Roy_Hobbs Pooh-Bah (2,623) Jan 21, 2017 Connecticut
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I enjoy reading about both good and bad beers, and the juxtaposition between these two back to back posts made me laugh

    @Roguer with "This is one of the best BBA Imperial Stouts I've ever had" immediately followed by @MadMadMike with "It progressively gets skunkity, and there is an urgency to get it down before the last swig. Cuz you don’t sip a sweet high gravity malt liquor.....Overall, a cheap (€1.90) quick buzz with no redeeming quality, equivalent to US gas station pounder bombs"
     
    vurt, woemad, ChicagoJ and 19 others like this.
  9. Squire

    Squire Grand Pooh-Bah (4,385) Jul 16, 2015 Mississippi
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Good People Brewing Haze Snake IPA

    [​IMG]



    Orange Amber gold color with small white cap and little lacing.

    Aroma of sharp, bitter, piney/citrusy hops with an emphasis on the citrus.

    Taste on entry is delicious hop icing on a sweet malt cake. Yes, this stuff is good. Hops are sharply refreshing and redolent of citrus zest. Malt is rich, plentiful and could stand alone in other beer styles. The thing that strikes me most is balance from beginning to finish which is clean, lasting and refreshing.

    Full texture with balancing carbonation.

    The overall impression is great balance matched with satisfying flavors.
     
    vurt, woemad, lordofthewiens and 24 others like this.
  10. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader


    I'm just glad it wasn't the same beer! :grinning:
     
    vurt, woemad, lordofthewiens and 10 others like this.
  11. Roy_Hobbs

    Roy_Hobbs Pooh-Bah (2,623) Jan 21, 2017 Connecticut
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Switching gears from a heavy stout to a wild ale. This is an old bottle of Bretta Rose from Firestone Walker.

    Picture background explanation - I am a big Stephen King fan, which explains the books. I'm not a Mets fan (Phillies for me), but my dad always loved the name "Mookie", so I keep a Mookie Wilson card on the shelf for nostalgic purposes.
    [​IMG]
    Bottled November 20, 2017

    Appearance is a very clear, light orange / amber with a small amount of fizzy white head.

    While the appearance is good but nothing special, the aroma really pops. Given that this beer is over 6 years old, there is an astounding amount of raspberry aroma bursting from the glass. It's not complex, but damn it's tasty smelling.

    Taste is raspberry forward, but with an underlying, almost bitter funk. The raspberry makes it hard to tell if this has gone south. It's tasty, but the earthy funk has a slightly bitter edge that I don't normally experience with wild ales like this.

    Overall, this is ok, but hard to rate given its age.
     
    vurt, woemad, lordofthewiens and 23 others like this.
  12. Whyteboar

    Whyteboar Grand Pooh-Bah (4,286) Jun 7, 2008 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Well now, a new beer for me that is not related to the current NBW BIF that’s happening. I heard about it and wanted to try it so went to the source.
    [​IMG]
    Double Barrel Triple Mash.
    The regular one this year clocks in at 18.7%, this one is a mere 4% higher.
    And it is maybe 15% smoother than the regular version. So much malty goodness in the coffee, chocolate and dark fruits sort of way, with a hint of oak and bourbon.
    The feel is lightly viscous, which is the norm for Dragons Milk in general. This occasionally makes me curious, but it must be what the brewers intended.
    OA, I tried hard to get a crowler to go to send to my target, but no dice. Sorry! I would really like to share this.
     
    vurt, woemad, lordofthewiens and 23 others like this.
  13. jkblr

    jkblr Grand Pooh-Bah (5,132) Nov 22, 2014 Indiana
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Good afternoon NBW
    Mrs Jkblr is out of town today, so I sent the morning hitting up some bottle shops that I rarely visit. Found a single of this one and some other interesting things.
    [​IMG]
    Atomic Torpedo
    19.2oz canned 011824 poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp 9.2% ABV. The beer pours bright medium amber with light khaki head. The head recedes to a splotchy ring, island and total coating of the exposed glass. The aroma is intense starting the minute you pop the top. Notes of candied orange, sweet caramel malt, pine sap and tropical fruit all are in play. The taste is bittersweet caramel malt with more intense citrus, pine, tropical fruit and dank, final, lingering bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a semi dry finish. There's no real cloying aspect affecting dryness, just a ton of sticky hop oil. Overall, excellent IIPA.

    Cheers all!
     
    vurt, woemad, lordofthewiens and 25 others like this.
  14. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    My local Retail Beer Distributor also stores their bottles of Maine beer on a shelf (room temperature) with elevated pricing as well.
    FWIW, that is how I consume Maine beers. Paying BIG bucks for a single bottle of this beer that was stored at room temperature at the retailer is a 'no go' for me.

    Cheers!
     
    vurt, ChicagoJ, mikeinportc and 10 others like this.
  15. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Good afternoon, Weekenders! My second new beer today is my first from the latest round of the NBS BIF - the BIF directly in support of this very thread!

    [​IMG]
    American Solera Pipe (formerly Tulsa Pipe) - WC IPA, 6.5% ABV

    This is my very first tick from American Solera, shockingly. Thanks @russpowell !

    This beer is absolutely a showcase for the hops, with a thin, crackery malt base that does little to stand in the way of the floral, citrusy, and resinous notes. Wonderfully aromatic, with notes of pine, resin, peach, grapefruit, lemon, and flowers.

    On the palate, my biggest complaint is the thin, watery mouthfeel. It reminds me very much of Founders All Day IPA, despite clocking in at roughly 50% greater strength. It's absolutely crushable, but I'm not sure I want a WC IPA in this range to be crushable, exactly.

    Flavor more or less follows the nose. Lemon and similar semi-sweet citrus notes lead the way, buoyed by a fairly noticeable resinous dankness. Very earthy, not unlike lemon zest or actual flowers.

    Bottom line: this beer is a very good showcase for the hops, but I prefer quite a bit more body in my IPAs. I generally shy away from session IPAs, and I don't need my regular IPAs to drink like session IPAs, either.

    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46299/524169/?ba=Roguer#lists
    3.82 / -1.0% (5 full reviews)
     
    vurt, woemad, jkblr and 24 others like this.
  16. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    And you decided to kick things off with a stovepipe of an IIPA!

    Cheers to you!!

    [​IMG]
     
    vurt, jkblr, ChicagoJ and 14 others like this.
  17. WunderLlama

    WunderLlama Grand Pooh-Bah (4,820) Dec 27, 2010 Massachusetts
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Juicy Ass by Flying Monkeys
    [​IMG]
    new beer, new brewery (Canadian) for me


    3.92/5 rDev +0.5%
    look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

    Brewers notes Juicy is the word we use when we talk about hops. This award-winning American IPA moshes bright, fruity notes, dank hoppy bitterness, and fresh verdant resins with sticky malts for a softly carbonated, unfiltered flavour. From the busy minds and happy hands of the Flying Monkeys comes Juicy Ass IPA, Art within Art.

    Three finger white foamy cap , good retention, hazy yellow liquid

    Aroma is tropical fruits

    Taste is pine, citrus, tropical fruits

    Crisp , nice hop bite

    Good beer
     
    vurt, jkblr, lordofthewiens and 24 others like this.
  18. snaotheus

    snaotheus Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,924) Oct 6, 2008 Washington
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

  19. jonphisher

    jonphisher Grand Pooh-Bah (3,850) Aug 9, 2015 New Jersey
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    You've been in California a lot lately it seems? All work related or are you travelling for pleasure on the weekends?

    And PS: that is one beautiful looking beer.
     
    vurt, ChicagoJ, TCgenny and 4 others like this.
  20. snaotheus

    snaotheus Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,924) Oct 6, 2008 Washington
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Last time I was in California was November, I think. My company has an office near LA. Last week was AZ, before that NM. Japan about 2.5 weeks after this trip. This trip is initiated by work, but extended to visit friends and breweries, and hopefully meet @2beerdogs
     
    vurt, ChicagoJ, 2beerdogs and 8 others like this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.