New Beer Weekend #23

Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass canned not sure, says store cold and drink fresh but the can isn’t marked. Pours an attractive pinkish red with a 2 plus finger sticky white head, that leaves loads of thick lace behind with excellent retention. 4.5

Aroma strawberry, raspberry, black cherry, and a hint of vanilla. 4

Taste follows strawberry, raspberry, black cherry, and again a little vanilla. 4

Mouthfeel is about medium, plenty of prickly carbonation, not dry, and at 5.7% it goes down rather easy. 4

Overall this is a really tasty sour, I can often be a little critical of this brewery, but I will revisit this one again. I recommend giving this one a go from Pipe Dream Brewing. 4

 

My first New Beer Weekend this year. And with that here is a beer that I needed to add to the database with picture too. How’s that for new beer



Oxbow Brewing Company
Household
Farmhouse Saison 6% ABV
Newcastle, Maine.

this is a “provisional” saison made with European malts and noble hops. I chose this beer based on on of those “best of” lists stating the American hopped version of this beer was one of the best of the year in America. So I’m already almost done this outstanding beer so let’s do this.......

pale gold in color. Lush frothy head. Bone white. The retention sticks to at least half a finger all the way to its demise in my stomach. Smells of banana peel and dried hay are strong. Noble hops come thru in the form of oak and cedar that turn to fresh grass and lemon. The taste follows with hay, crabgrass, lemon rind, peppercorn, coriander. The yeast character is incredibly strong in this it gives off intense dry wood. The feel and taste of the beer changes when the yeast is added from the bottle. It is Chardonnay levels of dry. Until the yeast hits. Then it turns a touch creamy and the dryness mellows to a sweeter touch of lemon and wet hay and crackers in lieu on crabgrass remaining dry but not to the bone.

this allagash glassware is specifically made to nucleate and create bubbles and I should’ve made a GIF because the speed of the bubbles are Mach 5.



Extremely lively and effervescent. When the beer hits your tongue it’s like a cloud of whipped whites with a velvet texture.

I chose the euro hopped version for a more traditional saison and I love it. I made a correct choice. This is truly on par with saison dupont and that is one of my favorite beers of all time. The only thing I could even say negatively or constructively is that this beer is so lively that the fast drinking could create a rough gas issue for sensitive stomachs I need to burp.

If you are a fan of saison....please do yourself a favor. @mrmattosgood. Back in 2014-2015 when I first joined I’ve preached love of saison. Well that has returned.

Best beer of 2020? No. There’s too much. But a very needed stylistic break from ipas.

If you want something tasty and light and dry. Seriously dry then find yourself some Oxbow.

Peace.

 

This is an excellent point because I welcome any feedback from any veterans of something I'm trying for the first time, particularly from people who are familiar with the brewer.

 

When I was in White River Junction, Vermont in September 2019, I went to Big Fatty's to snag some brews I couldn't get at home (in some cases I *thought* I couldn't only to go to a bottle store and go WTF). Oxbow's Barrel Aged Farmhouse Pale Ale stood out as being particularly good.

 

Time for mystery beer #2 from @Dimidiata. This one says 13% and also has a picture of me on the wrapping.



The beer pours a deep brown with almost no head and no lacing.

The smell is sweet, boozy, chocolate, malty, caramel, coffee, and something fruity.

The taste is very sweet, burnt caramel, marshmallow with a milk chocolate finish. Not getting any barrel presence. COVID-wife thinks it's chocolate covered cherry with maple.

Mouthfeel is low carbonation, very slick, smooth, and thick body.

Overall, this is really good, sweet, and an excellent dessert beer. I'm thinking non-BA imperial stout with several sweet additions.

Time for the reveal:



image upload url

Another amazing choice for a mystery beer, and another pretty much total miss by me.

Thanks, Christine!

 

3 Daughters Bimini Twist from @DoctorZombies

3.92/5 rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A new one for me. Not anything special but certainly a drinkable IPA. I would not hesitate to have it again. I was surprised at the low ratings it got. Cheers !

 

Another beer I'm finally getting around to...

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/60010/525288/



16 oz. can.

Moderate pour yields an inch and a half white head over a hazy, light golden body with scant lacing. Nose of slight citrus and slight tropical fruit with a bit of herbal/floral/earthiness as well. Taste of guava and slight lemon/lime. Nice feel and overall, a refreshing offering from Springfield, Vermont.
Cheers!

 

More Southern Grist from @Buck89, Impulse Buy!
4.35/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Thank you Buck89 for this
500 ml bottle poured into a tulip

A- Black with a two finger mocha head.

S- Chocolate, peanuts, some coconut, caramel, hints of vanilla.

T- Chocolate, coconut, peanut butter, caramel, some vanilla, some dark fruits.

M- Smooth, full body.

O- A tasty pastry stout, sweet but not overwhelming sweet.

Cheers!

 

Great Raft Brewing's Hobbies Include New Zealand Cascade Single Hop IPA,6.0% ABV; 3.77 overall

Pours an effervescent & very hazed straw color with a thumb of pearl colored head. Nice head retention & lacing

S: Lime & green melon, fades a little as it warms

T: Follows the nose, some pomelo, and tart strawberry as well upfront, along with dryness. More green melon, dryness & lime as this warms. Finishes dry with Kiwi Fruit and peach

MF: Medium body, subtle carbonation, gets creamier as it warms, decent balance

Easy to drink, but not in love with the flavor profile, merely in like

 

Well hello Late Night NBW
I am a rich man. In other words, I am awash in some very fine fermented offerings due to the recent generosity of @FrankenMiller @TongoRad @JayORear @WunderLlama and now my brother... @hophound who has not popped on for a while.

This is from him.
Project Dank (Winter Edition). by La Cumbre

Canned On date of 12/03/20
Well it's clear as a bell. Golden in color. Fluffy white head rises just shy of 2 fingers but quickly settles in to a smattering of bubbles with light retention and lacing.
Aromas of weed, onion, mild herbal spice abound. A very nuanced hint of malt comes through at the end.
Taste follows the preview well. Herbal and dry bittering goes weedy. A smooth wet grass note peeks in too.
Mouthfeel is on the lighter side of medium, carbonation is also not pronounced. Slick but dry and bitter on the finish.
Overall, she's pretty. She smells good. And I think I love her. A tad more head retention would be nice.
3.92/5 rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

 

Hell or High Mango from 21st Amendment.

12oz can served in a tulip. Dated 30303A 1020, which is utterly meaningless to me. Gift from a friend (who I think was dumping it on me). I'm reviewing it with the obvious fact that the brewer was making a mango beer in mind, and won't knock it for having mango flavor, unless the mango flavor is bad or disruptive or something.

Pours a hazy light golden with a big creamy head. Smell is mango, mango, more mango, and also some mango. I could interpret something like peach from it, but mostly it's just mango.

Taste is mango, and not much else. Has a little bit of an artificial tone to me (not *terrible*, but not ignorable to me).

Mouthfeel is fairly light. Overall...if the mango didn't have that slightly artificial flavor, I'd probably be a fan. With that, I'm OK with it, but not in love.

 

I thought the Dark Lager (Black Rabbit) and the Stout (Irish Goodbye) were quite good. I now see cans in distro in Morris County regularly and look forward to trying some more TR beers.

 

903 Brewing's Ogre Imperial Oatmeal Stout, 15.5% ; 3.92 overall


Pours an effervescent & ruddy mahogany with a pinky of rapidly disappearing caramel colored head. Viscous, zero head retention & lacing

S: Brown sugar, cocoa

T: Cola, vanilla, figgyness, leafy hops, some booze bite & coffee up front, plus dryness. More booze bite, woody hops, dryness, figs & vanilla as this warms. Finishes pretty dry, with booze warmth, coffee & cocoa

MF: Medium/chewy body with booze warmth & slight carbonation

This might be one to sit on for a while, fairly boozey edge. I believe its best days are coming

 

Modern Times - Celestial City Aged in Gin Barrels w/ Nectarines

Pours a faintly hazy straw color with a head that quickly dissipates to a thin film of lacing but never quite dies.

Upon first sniff, the gin barrel leads with soft botanicals - juniper, coriander, and lemon peel are all evident - that meld with the base beer's floral notes. The fruit is subtle at first, but grows more assertive as the glass opens up, featuring a huge dose of barely ripened nectarine flesh and touches of musky skin, with just a hint of juiciness. The flesh-and-skin-oriented fruit profile really plays nicely with the gin barrels, providing a faint acidic brightness, but neither brings juicy sweetness, nor a domineering presence.

The palate is sourer than the nose foretold, opening with a moderate wave of lactic acidity that quickly gives way to nectarine flesh, touches of oak, juniper, coriander, lemon peel, and hints of elderflower and lavender. Repeated sips allow the gin-derived characteristics to feature more prominently, but the melange of flavors lacks the delicate nuance of the nose. A slightly more restrained level of acidity would've been beneficial in this regard. The finish is almost entirely centered upon the fruit, featuring fleshy nectarine and a slight drying sensation.

Light bodied and nimble on the tongue, its effervescence adds a sense of brightness without any sense of being over-carbonated.

All of the pieces are in place, and both the fruit and barrel profiles are impressive, yet I can't help but feel the palate could've come across just a bit more refined. A more assertive level of funk would've worked nicely to balance the acidity and dovetail with the nectarine skin, building a greater sense of nuanced complexity.

4.25/5

 

Well just had this beauty from @WunderLlama.
Thanks so much
Lions of the Sea DIPA (NEIPA) from Vitamin Sea.

Canned 10/15/20
Wow, hazy fo' sho. Muddled peach in hue. Almost milky in its haze. A thunderhead of white foam bests my Teku. Eventually the head descends to a solid finger plus high fluff. Amazing retention, patchy lacing.
The nose is zesty orange with a creamy lactose sweetness. Absolutely juicy and creamy.
Flavor is definitely juicy orange, orange creamsicle, meaty mango, with a splash of pineapple.
Mouthfeel is creamy and fluffy. Carbonation stays alive for the whole ride.
Overall, a really creamy NEIPA. Solid.
4.33/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

Good Morning Beer Advocates and welcome to New Beer Sunday #826! I am pulling out a beer that is in some ways new to me, primarily the fact I never had this version, the base and Fall seasonal release of Half Acre Brewing's Original Reaper. I did have the four variants released in 2018 and really enjoyed each of the four. Was hoping for variants the past two years but not meant to be, so today is the day to rectify the missing Reaper on my resume.



Facts: 16 oz 6.2% ABV stout, released by the brewery October 15 (can label has year only 2020, without date). Multiple pours into a shaker pint glass, purchased as a single can from Beer on the Wall in Park Ridge, ILL.

Appearance: Near pitch black pour with hints of brown, rich creamy bubbly tan head lingers for a few minutes before leaving clumpy lacing while receding to top layer over the entire pour and nice ring formation along the rim, consisting of fine bubble. 4.25

Aroma: Nice roast malt aroma, followed by a pleasant dark roast coffee and milk chocolate. Bold and very enticing! 4.25

Taste: Consistent with aroma, nice roast malt and roast dark roast coffee blend, chocolate less of a factor than the aroma would indicate. Caramel and toffee backed as well, providing balance to the roast malt and coffee. Can only recollect from my review notes of the four beers with adjuncts from two years ago, but I am glad to drink the base offerings with no adjuncts, it is very well crafted, a nice bold and flavorful stout at a mild alcohol strength. A nice an easy breakfast or desert beer. 4.5

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body, pleasurable creamy texture, light fizzy carbonation lingers throughout. Lightly dry and bitter, easy drinking, clean finish. 4.0

Overall: This is a very good stout from Half Acre, so glad I picked this up and will be looking for the OG version and any and all adjuncts in the future. Cheers! 4.25

Paging Mr. Half Acre, @eppCOS !

Planning for one more in a few hours while Liverpool is on the telly.

 

Poured into a 16 oz tulip glass canned on 11/24/2020. Pours a very attractive orange yellow, with a solid finger sticky white head that leaves thin streaks of lace with solid retention. 4.5

Aroma is peach, lemon, ripe melon, and apricot. 4

Taste follows peach, lemon, cantaloupe, and apricot. 4

Mouthfeel is about medium, soft gentle carbonation, not sticky or dry, and at 6% it drinks maybe a little bigger and goes down very easy. 4.25

Overall this is tasty for sure, not amazing but for 6% ABV packed with flavor. 4