New Beer Weekend #230

Bought this a couple days ago, if I see it again I'll buy it again. Harbor ⚓ Brewing Roam 2024, a BA stout.


4.34/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Thick, oily looking pour, small, quickly receding dark brown head. Boogar machine says dark chocolate and a hint of bourbon. Taste buds enjoy the chocolate and caramel, lots'a roast and some vanilla finish this. Smooth, creamy mouthfeel, could use a bit more carbonation.

 

Out and about for Sunday afternoon drinking...and what do you know, came across something new for me.

Eureka Heights is a nice local brewery, that sometimes makes very good beers. Sometime, decidedly average, so I'm always a bit Leary when I see something I haven't had from them.

As I very much like their regular IPA, Mini Boss...it is similar, and of the same quality as Yellow Rose IMO. So that is high praise.

This is Final Boss Imperial IPA, 8.4% ABV. Obviously the bigger version of Mini Boss, as I said, I'm a fan of that, so I gave it a try.



Pours with a light haze, a golden/yellow color. There is a small white head that forms, and light lace is left behind.
Aroma is melon, citrus, maybe more of some kind o tropical fruits I'm not picking out clearly...Simple and not particularly aromatic.
Taste wise, that melon, citrus, generic fruit salad flavor is there. A bit "juicy" as the saying goes. Syrupy sweet, with no real bitterness. The sweetness boarders on what I would call "cloying" but doesn't exactly reach that threshold.
A full body with moderate/low carbonation. I would like this to be more crisp, and less syrupy. Not hard to drink though, especially if you are in the juicy IPA mood.

While not bad, I would personally like this to be more crisp and bitter. I prefer the regular Mini Boss, instead of the "imperial" version. Which hits the balance of the new age hops, carbonation levels I like, and a more bitter finish. This is fine, but lacking for me.

Overall score is 3.49, B...ish score.

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Pale Oat Mild from Machine House + Bizarre

16oz can served in a large nonic pint glass. Don't see a date on it. Bought it yesterday at Full Throttle Bottles.

Pours a hazy light orange-goal, initially with a big coarse head that settles into a thick, medium-grit cap of a bit under a centimeter. Smell is yeast and grain with a hint of orange blossom.

Taste is moderate honeysuckle sweetness, bark and nut bitterness, strong oak tannins. Some grain / oat sweetness.

Mouthfeel is light, smooth, maybe a bit on the still side. Overall, this is a very tasty 4.2% abv beer, I'm digging it.

 

Happy NBS!

Having a very tasty/juicy NEDIPA, pretty nice sweetness, marshmallow.

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Cheers!

 

4.72/5 rDev +11.1%

look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a 12 ounce undated bottle into a snifter at 52 degrees.

Look- Ruby brown, opaque, medium brown sudsy head, almost zero head retention, zero lacing, high leg formation on glass wall.

Smell- Tobacco, raisin, whiskey, oak, molasses, vanilla, high strength of scent.

Taste- Raisin, whiskey, date, fig, cherry, molasses, tobacco, moderately sweet, highly boozy, high strength of flavor.

Feel- Full body, below average carbonation, syrup like, sticky, moderately sweet, mildly bitter, highly mouth coating, highly mouth warming, highly boozy.

Overall- Appearance was ruby brown and opaque with below average head retention and lacing. The bouquet was a wonderful balance of tobacco, raisin, whiskey, oak, molasses and vanilla. The flavor followed suit with even more dark dried fruit character. The feel was full bodied and delightful with high mouth warming/coating properties. This beer was classified as an Old Ale, but was very similar to a barleywine. Overall this beer provided a wonderful drinking experience with great complexity and depth.

 

Creature Comforts - Awaken My Love, barrel aged imperial stout with coffee and cinnamon

16oz can served in a WABL sample glass. Don't see a date on it. Got it from @2beerdogs in California a couple months ago.

Pours black with a medium sized head on the pour that turns into a thick ring and a thin island after a few minutes sitting quietly. Smell is screaming cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate, coconut. Another sniff gives me more of a milk chocolate and cinnamon vibe.

Taste is boozy, dark chocolate syrup, cinnamon and coconut are there enough to disrupt my palate, but there's some blackberry and some black licorice. Not horribly dominated by cinnamon, but marred by it.

Mouthfeel is thick, chewy, but not sticky or unpleasant. Overall, it's not bad -- if you're OK with cinnamon it's probably pretty good, if you like cinnamon it's probably just a bit shy on that note but still pretty awesome. Since I'm far on the negative fringe of the cinnamon bell curve, I'd recommend it to most people, but I'll not be looking for it again.

 

Sorry. I forgot when I put it in the box I was bringing...Ryan no likey the canela.

 

This afternoon's start:
Water World a collaboration between Coronado and Fremont

16 oz can. Stamped October 7th.
Beautiful amber gem capped by a fluffy, off-white head that rises 3 fingers in height. Great retention, layered lacing.
Nose: slight citrus zest, some onion, and hints of juniper.
The juniper, coupled with a mildly astringent flavor, goes in a ginny direction. Then the grapefruit zest, grass, and onion notes cuts it a bit. Not unpleasant, just a little muddled.
Mouthfeel is medium, good carb, and the finish is dry and bitter in the juniper berry direction.
Overall, I'll probably come back to this one to see if I get a different take.
3.63/5 rDev -8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

 

Doesn't mean I'm not willing to try it. Just has to be subtle as living fuck for me to enjoy it.

 

And a tick is a tick.

 

Late to the party and just caught up on the thread - enjoyable as always. Our show chorus holiday concerts were this weekend - evening show last night and matinee today. Not SRO, but pretty well banged out for both. Our ticket goal was $20K and we were over $25K this morning with electronic orders still coming in plus door sales, so we done good!

So stumbled on this one. The local shop where I donate my empties seems yo have pulled back on their pmewhat helter skelter selection and seems to be focused more on relatively local breweries. I did pick up some of the locals. This one is a tad bit outside that range, but it's one I've been wanting to try. And hey, they collect empties for the VFW and a local charity - the least I can do is buy a few beers on drop off day.



Mad River Maple from Lawson's Finest Liquids, an American amber/red with maple. Mmmmmmmaple...Homer Simpson drooling noises from me... maple sugar candy is one sweet I probably can't resist.

It pours a crystal clear deep red/amber color with a huge, Rick, beige head. The head slowly falls to about a 1/8 cap with nice lacing. Pretty beer.

The Maple is definitely in the background on the nose. I get toast, buiscuit malts, herbal/earthy hops, a little fruit note I can't quite define but maybe grape (?), toffee, and fairly faint maple in the background.

The maple is much more prevalent in the taste, although its not dominant. It's integrated into the somewhat sweet biscuity and toasty malts. There's toffee, earthy hops, a bit of honey, a little hint of floral hops, and the fruity note does seem to be grape-like - reminds me of the cotton candy grapes we get once in a while. There's just enough bitter to brake-check the sweetness.

Feel is a little sticky, but very smooth with mild carbonation. It does finish sweet but it doesn't build up and go overboard.

Overall I'm liking how this was treated. It's definitely on the sweeter side, but the way the maple is integrated is nicely done. In the 4.1 range.

 

Loving all these West Coast contributors on this thread on a Sunday Evening!

 

Surly Mosh Pit Juicy IPA, 7.3% ABV; 3.43 overall

BBD 12/27/2024

Pours a hazed gold with a thumb of pearl colored head. Average-ish head retention & lacing

S: Orchard fruit, some cereal notes, fades as this beer warms up

T: Follows the nose, pomelo, a little dryness up front. Nectarine, peach, dryness & pomelo as this beer warms up, some white grape, acidic notes. Finishes with pomelo, white grape, & dryness

MF: Medium body, subtle carbonation, okay balance, some acidic notes once warm

Nothing special, had higher hopes; may have had a different take 2 months ago. Saw zero freshness information on the outside of that mixed 12 pack, shocking

 

Three Philosophers
9.7% quad by Ommegang



Poured from a bottle, the body is an opaque brown. Small offwhite head and not much lacing.

Aroma of brown sugar and malt. Taste follows nose and adds notes of dark fruits and booze. Flavors blend for a pleasing, warming balanced flavor. ABV is up front but not too hot.

Medium mouthfeel. Good initial carbonation falls off as the quad warmed.

Good tasting quad with a good combination of booze and sweetness.

 

Glad your music program is thriving!

 

Thanks. Honestly we were a little shocked. Takes a ton of work by a lot of people. This chorus is about 100 singers ranging from teens to 70-plus in age. I think its been around for about 20 years in one form or another. I do think the arts are fairly strongly supported in the area, but some of the school programs have suffered as they have everywhere. Definitely on the back nine as far as my musical endeavors go, but if the group provides the opportunity for participation, us older folks can help the "kids" out - that's a step for good.

 

Well a change of pace, snuck one in at the office.
Glycerin from the Beer Advocate Big Beer Box


Well, is it an IPA or is it a sour? I guess it's both but I definitely got more fruity sour. A punch of raspberry and tangy pineapple leap out of the glass. The flavor follows the nose. Straight up jammy raspberry, and acidy pineapple. This boy drinks a bit tart. Overall, pretty good but a bit perplexing.
3.75/5 rDev -10.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75