New Beer Weekend #224

Mahalo to @muchloveforhops3 for this one

Mountains Walking Brewery Sky Flower Aroma Of Berry Turpene Hybrid India Pale Ale, 5.5% ABV; 4.09 overall

Pours a pretty hazy gold with one finger of cream-colored head. Average-ish head retention & lacing

S: Berries, passionfruit, honeydew melon, brilliant nose that fades down the stretch

Follows the great nose, some grassiness, a hint of millet, white grapes, a little lemon up front. More grassy notes, light touch of berries, a little lemon & dryness as this beer warms up, plus some tangerine. Finishes with more citrus than berry, just a touch of mango & cantaloupe & some dryness & a little peach

MF: Light/medium body, lively carbonation, decent balance

Very easy to drink, needed a little more flavor depth to love. Could certainly see this as a great summer option, would've like a little more body

 

Well, I am finally back for my 2nd beer of the day, way later than I planned on. As soon as I pulled up to Brickfield Brewing in Grantsburg, WI I get called from work - the closer's uncle had a heart attack, and couldn't close today. Well, I drive the hour and 45 minutes back straight to work. I am done for the day, and now it's time for another Wisconsin beer.

Big Bad Wolf 2023 - Brickfield Brewing - Grantsburg, WI - American Imperial Stout - 10.5%

A big boozy beer is tasting good tonight. It has a great aroma and flavor. It does have a good size burn that tells you to take your time. Tasty!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/53868/717933/
4.33/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From a 12oz can purchased at the brewery.

This is a very dark, thick looking, pitch black pouring beer. There's a very thick 2 finger brown colored head to this beer. The head retention is quite good overall, and there's a bit of lacing on the glass.
The aroma is pretty rich smelling. I get great notes of chocolate, caramel, vanilla, toffee, maple syrup, and a nice roasted coffee. There's also pleasing barrel notes in the aroma that adds a bit more to it.
Taste - Ok. There's a good hit of the maple syrup right away. This morphs into a great coffee hit. I then get the chocolate, caramel, toffee, and vanilla notes. The finish is totally bourbon barrel.
The body is decent, nice and thick. There's a pretty good sized burn on the back in this beer from the ABV and the barrel.
Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Not me. I am enjoying it.

I might pull off one more tonight. Cheers!

 

Saddens me I will never get back up your way on the company's dime. Does make me happy that I am vectoring to retirement!

 

I'm drinking a 750ml can of Surly Deathwestern a Dark Czech Lager at 4.7% ABV
Brewed in Collaboration with TRVE

Look: Dark brown body that is semi transparent ruby red when held to the beer light.
A decent creamy head that hangs on for a while leaving a little lacing.

Smells good: chocolate and a little roast. a hint of caramel and honey.

Taste follows the nose for the most part. Chocolate and roast at first. Then caramel and a micro hint of honey. Then back to chocolate and roast. Bitter at first then slightly sweet in the middle, finishes bitter and slightly dry.
Mouth feel is ok.

A good beer. I will give it a 4.13/5 overall.

 

Although France has major liquor stores, like V&B, for example, that carry conglomerate beer brands, with larger craft brews available, I prefer the ‘cave au vin’, (wine cellar) for my explorations. Especially the mom & pop places that make space for select rare beers. ‘Caves Amiel’ here in Toulouse is where I walked in and asked the proprietor if he sells beers. He walked me past towers of common wines and top-shelf Bordeaux stuff in beds of hay, to the far back corner. There’s about 10 regional Blonde and Brune brews available. Always checking label dates, I see shelf turds, some a year old.
On the top left, there’s a couple rows of boxed beers. One an Imperial Stout, the other this Imperial Brown Porter. Both were bottled in 2020. I asked how long they’ve been sitting, boxed, upright, in wine shop approved conditions. “Quatre ans”, (four years), he replied.
I didn’t hesitate.,, pulled the trigger. €10.00 each.,.
(I’ll tell about the Stout soon as I open it up.,.)



2020 Brokreacja Browsr Rzemieślniczy (Krakow, Poland) ‘Imperialny Nafciarz’ Whisky Rye Imperial Brown Porter, 11% ABV

Unboxed the 33 cl bottle, poured up a taster’s snifter.
Although it was packed in June of 2020, a decent ring of brown foam made a spritzy trip to the edge of the glass and stayed for the whole ride. The beer is unfiltered and unpasteurized.
Nose is a campfire of burnt wood right up front that reeled me back a tad. Left to sit for another moment, smoked meats emerge and invites a sweet malt combo to slip through, along with chocolate and dark fruits.
Taste made me sit back and chew awhile. The Islay Scotch barrel hits and rises above the peaty smokiness, then the flavors of caramel and dark stone fruits move in, followed by spicy rye. The finish is sweet, with the oak barrel drying out a stroke of welcomed bitterness. Aftertaste brings a sweet, almost medicine-y band-aid and licorice flavor that put me off for a moment. Sticky lips like molasses remain to save the day.
Mouthfeel is barleywine dense, and there is medium-leans-low carbonation.
Overall, this brew needs no more age. And given the intensity of flavors, could well classify as an ‘Extreme Beer’. Super bold, delightfully different, very creative. If you don’t like smoked / peated / bog beer to start, you’d hate this one.,.

Ingredients:
Water,
Malts: Pale Ale, Rye, Chocolate Wheat, Munich type II, Carafa Special type II.
Hops: Warrior, East Kent Goldings
Yeast.
Chestnut wood flakes.

4.24/5 in the BA DB.,.

 

Well time to rise and shine. Since I do have errands, I decided to go this way to start the day.

Trail Pass Brewvesa - Sierra Nevada Brewing - Low Alcohol Beer.

Light, tasty and refreshing. I like this beer.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/703360/#navigation
3.55/5 rDev -9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
From a 12oz can packaged on 08/13/2024

This beer has a beautiful clear pour to it. The color is golden and the head is a thick 2 finger white color. The head retention is great and there's nice lacing on the glass.
Beautiful lime aroma with hints of wort.
The taste is the same as the aroma let on. There's a nice lime flavor and there's a wort backside to it.
The body is light, as expected. It is a crisp and clean feeling beer.
This is tasty and refreshing. I like it.

Be back later for more. Cheers!

 

This is one of those "new style" names that I can actually get behind and I think is appropriate. I was talking with another BA about this style after I had one last night. Classic west coast IPA hops in a drinkable package, yes please!!!

Is this a style name that you are seeing more frequently out west as well? Or has "west coast pils" always been a thing out there?

This was said beer...

 

Beyond annual/semi-annual excursions to employee owned Woodman's, I try to shop exclusively at local stand-alone or small local chains @MadMadMike ! Like finding the gems, and OK missing a "Deep Deal" here and there.

Welcome everyone to New Beer Sunday #1028! As promised, back with my second Revolution selection also picked up the previous Friday. This is one of the new to all (at least packaged) releases this season, and excited to try as soon as I picked this four pack up.

Revolution Deth by Bramble

4.47/5 rDev +8.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75



Full review linked above. My taste and overall notes clipped below:

Hope everyone else enjoys an equally great beer day today.

Cheers!

 

Good day BAs! Thanks Tim (@Beersnake) for opening the festivities.

Jumping right into it:



Trying to save my fruit fly drinking buddy with a Deckel - a trick I picked up in Bavaria.

Stereo Sets – The Red Tape from 3 Sons Brewing. One 16 fl oz can from BA Big Beer Box, 2024, $ 13.02 (Including shipping), $ 0.814/fl oz. Reviewed 03/11/24 (Review 3385). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Undated can. Stored at 34 degrees at home. Served at 45.6 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 53.7 degrees F.
Appearance – 3.5
First pour – Medium Amber (SRM 12), slight haze.
Body – Amber Brown (SRM 18), opaque. Under direct light, brown. When rear-lite, orangish but barely translucent.
Head: Average (Maximum 3.8 cm, aggressive center pour), seashell white, high density. Quickly collapsing to an irregular 0.7 – 1.1 cm crown fed by carbonation, and a thin complete cap.
Lacing – Poor – a couple of random arches of tiny to small bubbles.
Aroma – 3 – Faint, ghostly piney hops. No yeast, no malt. No ethanol (8 % ABV according to the label).
Flavor – 3 – Follows the nose a bit – just a hint of pine resin and weak bitterness. No yeast. A touch of malt appears. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. No ethanol. Mild gastric warming occurs.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium; watery; soft carbonation.
Style: Follows the style guidelines, as loosely condensed by BA.
Final impression and summation: 3 (After deducting 0.25 point for an undated personal container) Seems old - none of the citrusy/fruity hop characteristics come through for me – even the piney aspects are nearly absent. Not one I’d buy again.
Rating 3.08, rDev -16.8%

 

Good Sunday morning NBS/nbw and thanks @Beersnake for hosting this week.
Today is another glorious fall day in the 413. Vast majority of the leaves are down, people are getting thier inner squirrels on. wood is all put up, and some winter cover is planted and greening in the fields. As a side, it is interesting and beautiful how mustard greens take off this time of year.

Todays offering is from our dear friend in Albany Vt, Wunderkammer always creative and delivers on that creativity, this offering continues that theme.

Popular Ballads

Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB) | 6.8% ABV
Wunderkammer Bier in Wolcott, Vermont

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.16/5 rDev -2.8% | Average: 4.28
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 500ml bottle, into the test glass. Beautiful label, with an April 2024 packaging date
A - Lovely deep copper color, carbonation is easy to enjoy, excellent clarity. A thin ring of offwhite resides during the experience.
S - Dark cherry, Brett, a bit of earthy grain. and some blackberry reduction. A floral thread from the hops and sherry pipe add a great touch
T - Light roasted malt, whole grain toast with a multi berry compote, comes immediatley to mind. With some time spent there is a bit more of the grain expression.
M - Medium in body, sweet/tart tension during the experience. Dry finish, with a long linger with Sherry threads.
O - A Beauty, to take an ESB then hit it with Brett and then have some time in a Sherry cask is certainly creative.
Results are delicious.

 

Summit Cold Brew Coffee Blonde Ale


A new one from one of the granddaddies of Minnesota craft brewing.

Appearance: Clear gold, good head.

smell: Mild mocha aroma.

Taste: Mildly sweet, then mocha coffee flavor with a very slick mouthfeel. Finishes with some more light mocha. Light bodied.

Overall: This was in the mixed 12 pack, so might as well get a tick as I normally don't go for blonde ales. It's fine, light bodied beer with some coffee flavor. Kind of weird mouthfeel. “Interesting” to try, as they say in Minnesota.

 

Poured into a 16 oz Snulip glass not sure when it was canned. Pours a very attractive hazy yellow with a finger plus sticky white head that leaves thin sparkles of lace with nice retention. 4.75

Aroma huge honey dew melon, guava, peach, white grapes, and apricot. 4

Taste follows honey dew, peach, white grapes, guava, and apricot. 4.25

Mouthfeel is big, soft carbonation, not sticky or dry, and at 8% it drinks slightly bigger, but still easy going down. 4.5

Overall this is unique and stands out. Extremely attractive with a killer body, but some bold and at times unusual flavors and that I like. 4.25 Cheers all.

 

My errands are finished which consisted of running Wisconsin beer over to friends. Now I can relax and enjoy a real beer. This is one I got yesterday, and was the main reason I went to Wisconsin (an hour and a half drive for me).

Thumbprint Barleywine 24' - New Glarus Brewing - New Glarus, WI - 9.8%

Well, it is a tasty beer, however... I think it's a shell of what it could have been. It has a nice flavor, but it seems muted to me. I am glad I bought it, and happy to try it, but wouldn't make another trip for it.
Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/590/713754/
3.71/5 rDev -11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
From a 12oz can, no date on the can.

I am really liking how this beer looks. It is a clear dark amber pouring beer. There's a bit of carbonation bubbles rising in the glass. The head is 2 finger in size and tan in color. The head has such tiny bubbles and amazing head retention. There's a bit of lacing on the glass.
Aroma is somewhat light, and I was not expecting that. I do get some hints of grain and malt in it. I do also get hints of raisin and plum. There's also faint caramel notes.
The flavor is also a lot more faint than I was expecting. I get some notes of caramel and dark fruit in this beer. Slightly malty and a nutty flavor. There's a slight bitterness to the finish. I also get cola hints in the flavor.
The body is quite light. It is smooth feeling.
Boy, I was expecting a lot more from this beer, and it's the main reason I went to Wisconsin yesterday. It is a let down from them in my opinion. It's good, but a shadow of what it could be.

I know there's more beer in me today, and I'll be back later for another. Cheers all!

 

Ok, this Sunday I am siting down with the beer I chose for my 4,000th rating. It's not quite as big a milestone as my 4,000th review will be, if I get to that many reviewed beers, but I have officially recorded numbers in BeerAdvocate for 4000 beers once I enter info for this beer (about 750 beers have less than 150 words from me, I'd say maybe close to 600 have no words at all).

So, it might disappoint @ChicagoJ that this isn't a big beer everyone has head about and is maybe even seeking (probably not, Jason seems to enjoy reading everyone's reviews of just about any beer). I wanted to go with a beer from a local that I truly enjoy. If I went by volume, I should've chosen an Ocelot beer, but there were none that were new to me for sale. I did see this Port City beer, however, even though it isn't a style I often grab from them - an IPA.

I did see the right side of this beer from the angle one of the cans in the pack was situated, so I figured it was a collaboration with Soul Mega - a relatively newer brewery out of DC. What I missed was the other side of the can design which mentioned this was also in collaboration with another brewery that has been around a bit longer - Stone.

The beer pours pale golden, with a yelow-leaning hue. It seemed mildly hazy, but as I sit with it backlit right now, I see a fair number of suspended floaties - small in size and firmly entrenched in their positions as if the beer were a Jell-o mold. The white cap is fluffy and sturdy, leaving a spongy lacing design on the glass.

The nose is as promised by two of the can's tasting notes - citrusy and zesty. I am getting a nice does of lemon (guessing the Lemon Drop hops). I'm not getting as much herbal on the nose - though there is a little pith and grass and a background note I think I might be throwing expectations at when I say "piney."

Opening isn't quite as lemony as expected. The bitterness up front might be characterized as lemon-peel like - a thick lemon peel with a lot of white pith. Mid palate brings earthiness and an herbal note I can be more definitive in claiming.

I didn't realize Thai basil was used when I took my first sip (before looking up the beer's details) and was a little surprised by this flavor at first. I liked it as a weird bitterness, but wasn't ready for it at all. After reading the ingredient list, Dogfish Head jumped to mind, another company that would've made a good choice for a personal milestone beer.

Anyhow, the lemon becomes more secure in the aroma, and the herbal note takes up a good portion of the flavor. The finish weaves the lemon notes back into the profile. This is a lighter feeling beer than the 7% ABV could provide, and definitely more in the WC style. There's a clean malt that does only what is necessary to let the hops (and Thai basil?) to be the focus. The bitterness might be a little odd, but not outrageously so... at least not to me.

 

Congrats on the milestone @cjgiant

 

4.14 is a solid selection for #4,000! Congratulations!!!

I enjoy reading all the posts / reviews I get to, even for beers and or styles I likely won’t ever see or buy. I also enjoy reading your side by side comparisons along with other contributors, and your thoughts on Virginia and North Carolina continuing their rivalry in this nonsensical conference era where the Big 10 (sic) has teams in states on the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts.

Need to join Ian @superspak and finally cut and paste reviews from multiple sources into the Beer Advocate and Rate Beer (which my other brother uses) databases.

 

Art History X Binny's Fresh Hop Vista Wet Hopped Lager 5%
I love it. Totally my kinda beer.

 

Congratulations on the milestone, and thanks for all your contributions
Cheers from WMass