New Beer Weekend #199

Happy Mother's Day to all BA Moms and Moms of BAs! In addition to celebrating all the wonderful Moms, it was an auspicious weekend as two prominent local breweries celebrated their anniversaries. Magnify Brewing Co. opened 9 years ago. Although many fine local breweries have opened since then, Magnify will always hold a special place in my heart. I became a regular early on and have spent many, many happy hours in the small, industrial tasting room in Fairfield, NJ. Prior to the Pandemic, it was like a frat party in college: Packed and raucous. Since Magnify's distribution increased dramatically, the OG location is a little more sedate now but more friendly. The owner, brewer, and staff are great folks who make you feel welcome. Magnify is opening a second location in South Jersey (Medford) which will be larger but I'll always feel at home in the original brewery located in the Pio Costa Industrial Park in Fairfield, NJ. I've now reviewed 266 Magnify beers on Beer Advocate.

This year's anniversary DIPA, appropriately called "Nine," has the ambitious and sophisticated hop bill of Eclipse Spectrum Citra, Strata, Galaxy, Idaho 7, Sabro, and Wai-iti. I wasn't sold on the first can I had but on the second it all began to make sense to me.

Its color is a muddy, murky orange and it sports an almost two finger cap of creamy, eggshell-colored foam with thick, soapy lacing. The smell includes tangerine, lemon, peach, ripe melon, pine needles, and grassy herbs. The flavor is intense and dank and balances tart lemon and grapefruit against ripe peach, melon, and stone fruit. Beneath the fruit is earthy, grassy, herbs. The Strata influence is obvious and there is a strong taste of pine sap throughout. Its strongly bitter and rather slaps you across the face (in a good way). While the ale is highly flavorful, it's a little difficult to discern all the individual tastes. The mouth feel is luxurious with pleasant carbonation, and the (appropriately) 9% ABV gives it a lot of substance although it drinks easily. Overall, Nine is an ambitious DIPA and Magnify has pulled it off nicely. It's a fitting anniversary release.

4.22/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Congratulations to owner Eric, head brewer Erich, and all of the really good and friendly people who work at Magnify!

I'll be on to another ambition anniversary beer shortly. Cheers, NBW!

 

Last gift in the fridge from @TCgenny. Not a vanilla fan but I'm game. Ironically, my son showed up with Krispy Kreme for his mom when I opened this. Pairs well with doughnuts.
This is from Mortalis -As Above, So Below, a 10% Vanilla/Coffee stout.

3.89/5 rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Poured from a 16oz can to a diagonally cut tumbler at approximately 50F. The can is stamped 1/30/24.
Very black, opaque body with a small deep tan head. Nothing for lacing but the oily, viscous body coats the glass well with a simple swirl.
Aroma is prominently vanilla with a hazelnut background and a strong sense of sweetness.
The taste is vanilla forward, there is minimal sense of coffee. Again the sweetness is prominent.
Mouthfeel is amazing, as usual for this brewer- tongue coating, viscous, enjoyable.
A pretty good stout, especially if you are a sweet vanilla fan.

 

Sorry for your loss, @jonphisher. I haven't had to fly for work since Covid and the acceptance of video calls, but have one coming up this summer and am trying to remember everything myself. I'll reiterate what others have said so far: get everything settled on the home front first. It sounds like your flight itinerary is straightforward, so don't worry about that. Having your wife and kids good to go while you're away will likely be the biggest stress relief for you. And definitely get there early and get through security. Once you're gate-side you're basically all set. Airlines treat everyone is coach like cattle, so get into a cattle mindset and just go with the flow. And a couple additional tips: research your airline's boarding procedures and select a seat based on that to minimize overhead bin issues. For example, if your airline boards rear to front, select a rearward seat on check-in (if seat selection is allowed) so that you know you won't end up with a bag at your feet or having to gate check it. If you're not in a rush, let others elbow each other to get off sooner while you relax in your seat. You'll be in a better mindset if you aren't part of the agitated de-planing frenzy.


And now on to the beer. This is the last of my late Christmas gift pack, with this one canned on 10/26/23. I can't decide if that is a detriment of if it toned down what otherwise could have been a very fishy brew.

Foulmouthed Shuck Off!
6% Oyster stout



Pours black with ruby at the edges and a two-finger tan head that dissipates to a coating.

Aromas are all stout: baker's chocolate, black bread, roast grains, and some earthy hops. I don't get even a hint of oysters yet.

Found them. Right off the bat there's shellfish and brine that mingles with chocolate, cocao roast coffee, and black bread. The flavors begin to meld together nicely as it warms and it becomes less oyster stout than stout with a side of oyster. Surprisingly good. A salty finish lasts throughout the glass.

Soft and fine carb lead to a great feel, nice and smooth. Firmly medium bodied, but being just a bit heavier would be a bonus.

Overall, this is one tasty stout. I suspect this was even better when fresh, though time may have mellowed the oyster and brine to give a more balanced beer.

 

Related to this...when you arrive in another country, don't text your wife that you smacked your head so hard that you fell down, and then go to bed and stop responding to texts

 

Mother's Brewing Co. Atomic Mother Hazy IPA, 6.0% ABV; 3.95 overall

Pours a hazed & effervescent gold with one finger of cream-colored head. Meh head retention & lacing

S: Passion Fruit, Guava

T: Follows the nose, a little dryness, green melon & orange as well up front. Dryness, passion fruit, a little mango & citrus notes as this beer warms up. Finishes dry with some lime, passion fruit & green melon

MF: Medium body, fairly lively carbonation, good balance

Solid hazy spin-off of Mother's Little Helper, good drinkability

 

Central Waters Brewer's Reserve French Toast BBA Stout, 11.7 ABV. Pours black with a one-finger beige head that left no lacing. Aroma is cinnamon and maple. Taste is cinnamon, maple, bourbon, quite sweet, slightly bitter, no notable burn. Excellent mouthfeel, overall excellent.

4.44/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

 

NBS #2. Twin Elephant Brewing Co., in Chatham, NJ, celebrated its 8th anniversary this weekend. And they did it is style by releasing a BA Vanilla Imperial Stout brewed in collaboration with Troon Brewing: Drag the Lake, You will Find it Full of Love. I waited on line for an hour to purchase the single bottle allotted. I thought about letting it age a month or so but since I'm posting about anniversaries I decided to pop it. It's a 750 ML bottle. I wish that TE had sold two 500 ML bottles. But I'll seal it in a growler and finish it later. Thankfully, the carbonation is low. I'll preface my review by saying I haven't had a better BA Vanilla Imperial Stout. I love the Ralphius and Silk City versions but this is better.

Poured into a stemless Stout glass at 62°. It pours a very dark walnut - nearly black. The light mocha head fizzled away almost immediately leaving a dark oily appearance. Not unusual for a Stout of this gravity. The nose is rather sedate. There is chocolate, vanilla, caramel nougat, and a whiff of bourbon. But the taste is rich. The chocolate is sweet and fairly lite. There are strong notes of fresh vanilla bean - they almost taste "green" to me. But there are also notes of charred nuts, leather, tobacco, and dark fruit. The barrel influence is surprising delicate considering how freshly bottled. The flavors are bold but blend very well. Just delicious! The mouth feel is sublime: an oily viscosity with low carbonation, and while there is no escaping the 13% ABV, it's not overpowering. I've rarely had a better mouth feel. Overall, I (along with everyone else who stood in a long line to purchase a single bottle) had high hopes for this Stout and Twin Elephant and Troon delivered big time.

4.6/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Glorious beer days in North Jersey! Cheers, everyone, and have a great week (especially all the Moms)!

 

Cheers!

4.21/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Packaged on 4/16/24 - enjoyed on 5/12/24 - poured from a pint can into my Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Clear golden amber liquid with a fat fist of ivory up top. Soapy lacing, decent retention.

Potent lime aroma with supporting tropical (passion fruit, pineapple) and herbal notes (thyme, mint). Faint white grape and scallion/catty notes if you go digging. Low crackery malt.

Flavor follows the nose along with more honeydew melon, citrus, and dank notes. Malt asserts itself, leading into a dry refreshing finish with just a hint of mesquite honey. Excellent balance showcasing the complexity of Simcoe/Amarillo.

Medium-light bodied, zesty, moderately carbonated, ABV fairly subdued.

Well crafted, classic, and refreshing example of the style.

 

El Heffe from Holzlager, Woodstock, Il, at 4.4% a crushable Mexican Style Dark Lager. I'm thinking Negra Modelo or Boston Lager, Vienna lager. Whatever, this is, it's pretty good.

3.85/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Clear brown pour leaves a small khaki head thats vanishes quickly. Bready aromas, some dark fruit in the taste. Very smoth, flaked corn. This is solid.

 

Happy Mother's Day, all. It's been a busy weekend, and I finally have time to sit down and enjoy a beer.

This is Helmhold, a Munich-Style Dunkel from Fox Farm

4.49/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Absolutely beautiful beer. Body is dark brown with some light coming through, but it's the head that stands out. A good two inches of thick, tan head with outstanding retention and very nice lacing. Sure, I'm a sucker for the style, but this has me salivating just looking at it.

Aroma is bready with some nutty undertones. Somewhat subtle, but very nice smelling.

Taste is dark malts and toasted bread. Very lightly bitter. Dry and clean. Very, very tasty. Medium bodied and perfectly carbonated.

Overall, I'm sure there's some brewery and style bias going on here for me, but I absolutely love this beer.

 

Welcome on and all to New Beer Sunday #1003! Full review notes in the link below, but this is an excellent light and easy saison that I need to get more of and more offerings from Triptych when they are available here.

Looking forward to catching up with the Sunday posts in a bit.

Triptych Brewing Table Saison

4.24/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25



Overall: This is a very good saison, hits the right flavor notes, very light and easy drinking offering on this perfect Saison Sunday!

 

Cheers to @FBarber for this NBS BIF 18 Beer!

Roaring Table/Art History Collaboration, The Continental System Baltic Porter, 6.7% ABV; 3.84 overall

 

I went to Texas about 10 years ago on one of my many trips to The Lonestar State and didn’t text Joy when I landed, got to my hotel and started on some work - and my phone died without me knowing it.

She was about to call in the Texas Rangers (the cops, not the baseball team) when I finally realized my phone had died and started charging to find approximately 38 missed calls/texts from her.

And thus was born the “text Joy when I land” codicil.

 

Deadfall by Jack Pine Brewery


4.18/5 rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

New brewery , new beer courtesy of @Victory_Sabre1973

Brewers notes : Opaque and pitch black, Deadfall is a big and bold stout with an assertive but smooth, lingering hop bitterness. A slightly sweet and creamy, full bodied beer with distinctive dark chocolate and roast character backed up by notes of dark fruit, caramel, and subtle coffee. Decidedly and dangerously drinkable.

Deadfall - 9oz Stout - Imperial 9.4% ABV 50 IBU

Chilled 12 oz can poured into a snifter , it looks like something I would drain out of my cars oil pan after a cross country trip, it is sludge like in nature , pitch black, no head

Aroma is rum, brown sugar,

Taste is rum, roast malts, dark chocolate , coffee

Mouthfeel is thick , syrupy, no sudsing

Good imperial stout

 

Day 3, a WCIPA from Tree House???!!!???

Sign me UP!!!!!





4.27/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
An aggressive pour yields an almost clear golden colored beer with a creamy white head that yields tons of lacing and a nice cap on the beer as TH beers are known to do. Gorgeous WCIPA.

The nose is weedy and dank, with bright citrus (ripe oranges and pineapple) joined by a nice resiny pine aroma and cannabis that fits the WCIPA profile really well. Very nice.

The taste captures a lot of the dank, weedy cannabis note, with the ripe oranges and subtle pineapple lending a helping hand for balance and slightly bitter, resiny pine lingering on the finish that is crisp and drying, something that’s never seen on the TH hazies.

I’d love to see do more in the WCIPA style, with the adventurous spirit they show with their hazies, because this is a VERY good “non-hazy.”

 

Been going to Mortalis weekly last few weeks
My wife likes their fruity sour beers… who knew!

 

This one came to me courtesy of one of my favorite mad men, @Roy_Hobbs who sent a few of us, in true ninja fashion, some excellent beer.

Might be my last Fox Farm beer from him and it’s flat out delicious.
Biscuit flavor leads the way with the floral Noble hops following closely behind, or what I am thinking are Noble hops, they don’t say on the can and I’ve not looked it up yet.
In any case, I had just finished putting the mower back together and getting the front yard/meadow cut to an eye pleasing similar level and was very thirsty in the way water can’t touch. So I might have consumed this faster than optimal. But I did strive to note what I was drinking because, well, Fox Farm!
Poured transparent honey color with a 6 cm nearly white head. Looks great.
The taste is pure Pilsner, and I generally prefer the Czech style but this could convert me if they all were like this. Biscuit and crackers and light floral hops. Just perfectly balanced.
The feel is way too quaffable, the pint is gone far too soon.
OA, I recently had Founder’s M1 Pilsner and it’s okay, if they had managed to get it to taste like Gather, I’d be buying it by the case.
Cheers all!

 

I was at a wholesaler store meaning to buy an old but great Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, but instead decided to go for a beer I meant to try for some time.

The appearance is straw yellow with a fluffy white head. Nice lacing when the head fades down.

The nose is of yeasty spice.

The taste of light spice, a touch of hop bite, and bread when it is warmed up.

The mouthfeel is creamy with a light bitter aftertaste.

If I had to guess I would think it was a Von Trapp Kölsch — even the cans look alike. It doesn't taste like a German pilsner but is quite nice overall.

 

Good People Brewing Hitch Hiker IPA



Amber gold color with white cap and lacing.

Aroma of sweet malt and sharp, bitter hops.

Taste is evenly split between malt sweetness and hop bitterness. I get malt up front quickly followed by sharp, bitter, piney hops. If things were dialed back a bit this would be a better balanced/tasting brew.

Medium full texture with balancing carbonation.

A well crafted concept but the results fall a bit short of the mark.