New Beer Weekend #192

White Elm Single Barrel WBS (Wine, Beer and Spirits Liquor collab) Elijah Craig BA Imperial Stout, 13% ABV. Pours thick and black with a small ring of brown bubbles. Aroma is bourbon and chocolate. Flavor is chocolate and bourbon, faintly sweet, slightly bitter, some bourbon burn. Mouthfeel is good, though light carbonation. Overall excellent. Tied for the lowest rated variant I've had out of six that I've rated 4.21 to 4.81.

4.21/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Even though this tied for my lowest rated variant, still excellent. The base beer on these is supposedly their Fluffaluffagus, a s'mores beer, but on this one I'm only detecting the chocolate. White Elm partners with liquor stores that provide various barrels. Just realized the can said WBS EC, and I bought it at Wine, Beer, & Spirits. Probably should have created a new entry, but this one was already Elijah Craig, so will stick with that. It's interesting how these vary so much depending on the bourbon. Looks like I prefer heavier char bourbons.

 

Jon, it's only 4 minutes if I make the light in downtown Morris Plains. If not, it could be 5-6 minutes, LOL. The brewery itself is located in a strip mall on Route 10. It's actually closer (.5 miles) to the house I grew up in than where I live now. When I was a teenager, what is now the strip mall was a bowling alley in which we used to hang out. Things have definitely changed in 50+ years. We used to be able to cross the highway. Now, it's 3 lanes and divided.

 

NBS #2. The last few Prairie Stouts I've had were disappointing. But Pecans in Paradise had good BA and Untappd reviews - plus I really like pecans - so I bought a single (pricey - with tax around $14). I'm glad I did because this is the best Prairie Stout I've had in several years. When first opened it was really boozy but it mellowed.

Poured at 58°. The color is nearly black. The small, medium mocha-colored head fizzled away quickly leaving a modest ring. Lots of pecan on the nose, along with chocolate, freshly-brewed coffee, leather, tobacco, and noticeable bourbon. The taste is spot on: the roasted pecans nicely enhance the mildly sweet chocolate and acidic coffee. The flavors are surprisingly delicate and complimentary. This stout is moderate in feel and carbonation; not as chewy as I'd hoped considering the high gravity. Nonetheless, it's an excellent Imperial Stout; one of the best ones I've had from Prairie recently.

4.35/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

That's it for me today. Let's see whether James Madison can give Duke a game. Have a great week, everyone!

 

So, one of the people in the latest NBW BIF felt the need to ship some of his really good beers to several people all over the country.
I was one of the lucky ones.
My first from Suarez Family and my first saison in quite a while.
Cherry on the taste that will not stop but it is by no means strong, it simply insists that I take another sip.
The bottle mentioned sediment as it is bottle conditioned, but if there was any it was dissolved into the beer. Lively in the mouth, excellent carbonation, but almost nitro like in softness. Curious effect, but it worked well.
Darned good beer!

 

The Chocolate Manifesto by Flying Monkeys


4.25/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Brewing style notes: Sweet Stout, also referred to as Cream Stout or Milk Stout, is black in color. Malt sweetness, chocolate, and caramel should dominate the flavor profile and contribute to the aroma. It also should have a low to medium-low roasted malt/barley-derived bitterness. Milk sugar (lactose) lends the style more body. This beer does use lactose sugar, so people with an intolerance should probably avoid this style.

Brewers notes: lactose sweetness gives the manifesto with a heavenly body of a milk stout and the indulgence We crave in chocolate. drink life to the lees. save the Earth. It’s the only planet with chocolate. And beer. The chocolate manifesto is a luxurious statement of the decidedly unfrivolous indulgence of blending artisan chocolate and craft beer. Brewed to the definitive statement on chocolate and beer loved by all! rate beer 99 that’s a magic number. A true specialty beer with much thought and even more chocolate. This triple chocolate milk, stout is an indulgent treat for the beer geeks ready for a euphoric detour from the mundane. Horizontally traded, cocoa, nibs and powder. Give this beer naturally luscious chocolate flavor and aroma. Espresso notes, and the toasty tobacco aromas are part of the cocoa beans roasting, as well as the profile of the chocolate malt in this ruby, lit burnt Amber bodied brew. Three kinds of chocolate forest, grown shade, grown, cocoa, nibs, roasted whole cocoa powder, chocolate malt. Ingredients, water, barley, oats, lactose, cocoa, nibs, cocoa powder, hops, yeast. Brewed by flying monkeys, craft brewery, 107 Dunlop Street, Barry, Ontario, Canada, earth, Milky Way, the universe, infinity. For those seeking decadence and transcendence in a craft beer, we bring you The Chocolate Manifesto Triple Chocolate Milk Stout, a luxurious beer that demands to be shared among friends. With three kinds of chocolate, this beer is a euphoric detour from the mundane. Life is too short to brew beer that doesn’t matter to you.

Chilled 16 oz can pours a dark brown liquid with reddish accents crowned by a 1.5 finger taupe layer, good retention , settles to a solid layer

Aroma is chocolate , cocoa powder, toasty tobacco

Taste is cocoa powder , cocoa nibs , chocolate, roasted malts, faint coffee taste

Smooth , ever so slight coffee astringency on the finish , not too sweet

Good beer , I like it

“ a sweet declaration of flying monkeys brewing proclaimed through chocolate and beer. Extra strong beer. Always brewed in Canada.”

 

I love this beer , it is excellent

 

White Elm Single Barrel WBS (Wine, Beer and Spirits Liquor collab) Penelope BA Imperial Stout, 13% ABV. Unclear which Penelope bourbon, but thinking Architect. Pours thick and black with a small ring of brown bubbles. Aroma is bourbon and vanilla/custard. Taste is fruit, chocolate, and vanilla, faintly sweet, slightly bitter, fair amount of bourbon burn. Decent mouthfeel, overall excellent to outstanding-adjacent.

4.24/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Seventh variant I've reviewed, this one with Penelope bourbon. Improving upon warming, but doesn't measure up to previous variants using other bourbons. For my favorite at 4.81, they unfortunately didn't indicate which bourbon was used. The Blanton's variant was my 2nd favorite. Also, not sure if they've varied the base beer, so it's a crap-shoot every time. Third strong beer in four hours, so I'm about done here. Still sipping this one.................

 

Enjoying this Fox Farm Pilsner, sent to me by @sulldaddy in BIF 18, beautiful pour with lively carbonation, pillowy head, aroma of grain and hops galore, very crisp, medium body- really top shelf pils here. Thanks Sully

 

Happy NBS!

Having a very tasty American IPA, from (CO). I like these kinda hybrid American/New England style IPAs, if done right.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/38773/695439/?ba=Wasatch#lists

Cheers!

 

That looks like Cafe Brussels (I think)...was just there on Friday with a bunch of friends, we are running the same circles ha.

 

Good evening NBW
I picked up this 12 pack without hesitation. These types of beers are great soup base even when they're terrible...

Yuengling Bock
12oz can stamped 24053341908 poured into a mug at fridge temp, no ABV listed on label. The beer pours bright, darker amber with garnet highlights and khaki colored head. The head recedes to a thin ring and scattered bubbles. Minimal lacing. The aroma is mild with deeply toasted malt nearing burnt sugar caramel. The taste is semisweet toasted malt with a hint of sulfur and corn. Minimal bitterness. Thin bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, good beer, just not good bock beer, if that makes sense.

I'm happy to report most of these will be beverages rather than food. Cheers all!

 

Dovetail Brewery DUNKEL, 4.9% ABV; 3.96 Overall. Prost to @FBarber

Pours a slightly turbid Chestnut with a thumb of cream colored head. Good head retention and lacing

S: Brown bread and figs

T: Brown bread with a little toastyness and leafy hops up front. Dryness, woody hops and a kiss of Brown Sugar as this beer warms up. Finishes dry with some faint jammy notes and woody hops

MF; Medium body with slight carbonation

Solid take on the style, pretty drinkable

 

Bonesaw swoosh hazy ipa
...cloudy pale orange appearance with a thin lasting head
....medium carbonation with about a medium body
...aroma is aroma is citrus but more orange,tangerine and lime than grapefruit. Has a mild orange candy like aroma that comes off sweet.
..taste does not stray far from the aroma at all. The obvious difference in my limited experience with ipas is that there's not that strong grapefruit or pine element here.
...its very good but it has an actual sweet finish vs a bitter one which might not make too many people happy

 

Source had me cracking up, safe travels back home when you go back. Sounds like a pretty cool getaway.

 

Burlington brewery mahogany tweed
...murky reddish brown appearance
.medium light carbonation with a medium body,has a slight thick,slick feel
...aroma is malt,toffee,caramel, maple and butterscotch. Theres more but hard to discern other aromas.
...taste is sweet but not cloying.caramel,slightly boozy, maple syrup which coats the mouth.
...overall its a flavor bomb,really well done and makes for an excellent nightcap

 

Steel Dawn

10% Bourbon barrel Aged stout by Columbus Brewing

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle, the beer is black with a short-lived off-white head. Not much lacing during the tasting.

Aroma is an enticing sweet bourbon with light malt notes.

Taste follows nose as the bourbon is center stage, though not hot despite the ABV. Light notes of vanilla and chocolate pair nicely with the bourbon. Backend has a wee bit of hoppiness, not very bitter. Reminds me a little bit of Bell's Black Note (which is a strong endorsement).

Mouthfeel is very good as finish is nice and soft. Moderate carbonation. Lighter than expected given the style, barrel aging and ABV.

A drinkable 10% stout is always a good thing in my book.

 

Good Sunday evening, all. Performed our annual Palm Sunday cantata today. A little rough this morning but much improved tonight. We'll attended, good feedback.

So tonight's beer was a random grab:



Stellwagen Echoes of Eternity. This is a barrel aged helles that I know nothing about and apparently we don't either - added to the collective mind yesterday. I get the imagery and reference, so it's off to Valhalla.

A very slightly hazy pale golden color on the pour. White head that transformed from tight bubbles into a rocky mass before falling to a healthy cap with a lot of residue on the glass.

In the nose there is crackery malt and a Noble hop aroma - floral and mildly spicy, touch of lemon. Then theres a left turn - I get a white wine grape must smell thst shows up like a slap in the face - very bright and very brief. Theres a mild sulfur note, allowable in the style, and wood.

Im not sure the barrel helped this beer. It starts pretty straightforward with clean crackery malt followed by a decent level of Noble-style hops. Theres a decent bitterness. Then theres this fruity white grape thing going on and a pretty hefty oaky taste - very phenolic, quite astringent, bordering on and maybe achieving the unpleasant. At the end of that some sweetness emerges and the spicy/peppery notes come to the rescue at least a little bit. Gulps go down easier than sips.

Feel is light but its not refreshing. The aftertaste is a mess - things are mixing together in a weird way. Coats the tongue with kind of a glue-like stickiness.

Overall, not an enjoyable beer for me. There are flavors that have just refused to integrate into the whole. The woodiness fron the barrel sticks out, the grape sticks out, and to me the aftertaste is a trainwreck of competing flavor remants vying for victory with a fairly unpleasant mouth feel. A 3.5 will be generous.