New Beer Weekend #235

Good Sunday morning NBS/nbw and thanks to our host this week @Beersnake.
Todays offering is in keeping with the Baltic Porter tasting.
This Estonian treat is the basic Baltic with black currants. The sum of the parts is delicious.
Leans toward dessert, but stays away from the sweet side
Cheers all

Öö Cassis

Baltic Porter | 10.5% ABV
Põhjala Brewery & Tap Room in Tallinn, Estonia

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.1/5 rDev -0.7% | Average: 4.13
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 330ml bottle with a Best Before date of 10/10/2026 into the test glass
A - Border between dark brown and black in color, thin mocha ring is evidence of carbonation.
S - Bakers chocolate, hint of char, rapsberry, black currant. add a bit of espresso.
T - Fruity, chocolatey, again with that hint of espresso character.
M - A bit thin in body, semi sweet start, then a move toward center, Finish is wet, linger is cassis driven in the best ways.
O - A really good Baltic Porter, with the Currants well applied. The overall impact of the currants add to the experience.

 

KBS Hazelnut Fudge



We had company over last night and I shared a bottle with a couple of friends, so a quick note. The stout was very drinkable as the barrel was present but not significantly hot. For comparison’s sake, more barrel than the Mackinaw Fudge variant.

The beer was more coffee forward than any KBS except perhaps the Espresso one (my favorite KBS offshoot). There was plenty of hazelnut to keep fans of that addition happy. Each person liked the beer but agreed that one would need to really like coffee and hazelnut to enjoy the beer. Nothing subtle here, but if anything else KBS has never been about subtlety.

 

Day 19 of dry Jan. and I'm down 7lbs. My wife picked up a SN NA variety pack. I'm sampiling the Hazy version of Trail Pass today.

4.07/5 rDev +3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
Poured from a 12oz can dated 10/24/24 to a Nonic at fridge temp. Purchased cold yesterday in a mix-pack.
A yellow/gold hazy body still allows visibility of some bubble nucleation. The ¾” white head fades to a single but robust layer that stays quite long. Lacing is almost 100% for an instant, but still 60% when the glass is rested for even a full minute.
The smell is more lime-like than any beer of recent memory.
Lime continues its dominance in the taste and it turns to a really dry finish like lime rind or peel. Don’t get me wrong, this is quite nice.
The mouthfeel is light and carbonation seems a little heavy.
Last week I reviewed and liked Trail Pass IPA as one of the best NAs I have had. Well I like this even better because there is some powerful flavor here.

 

Social Project Even Flow Double Hazy IPA, 8.2% ABV; 4.22 overall

Pours a very hazed honey color with a thumb+ of cream-colored head. Great lacing, pretty good head retention

S: Melons & white grapes, a touch of citrus & tropical fruit once warmed up, nose really opened up once warm

T: Follows the nose, pomelo, dryness up front. Some cakeyness breaks through as this beer warms up, a touch of white grape, green melon, pine, & tangerine. Finishes dry with some cakeyness, a little orange sweetness, a little lime & some pine needle

MF: Medium body, restrained carbonation, nice balance

Very easy to drink, really brings the juice

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Savorers and commentators. The threatened storm is finally upon us. We drove up from the Shore early today - just in time for the few flakes. Time to review some new beer! First up is an American IPA, A Place to Rest, brewed by The Seed in Atlantic City, NJ. I bought a pack at the brewery yesterday. It was canned on 1/14/2025 so it's less than a week old. The star of this ale is the Sabro hops which deliver some delicious vanilla cream, coconut, and peach notes to balance the citrus.

It is an opaque, dark tangerine with a half finger cap of fluffy, bright white foam and solid film of lacing. A big, bold nose featuring lemon, grapefruit, stone fruit, and some vanilla and coconut. There is an almost perfect balance of tart citrus, peach, pineapple, and creamy vanilla and shaved coconut. The Sabro hops really shine. As it warms a bit I notice some red berry from the Mosaic. There is just a ton of flavor. The mouth feel is exquisite; very plush and creamy with appropriate carbonation, and it drinks easily with a moderate ABV of 6.8%. Overall, A Place to Rest is a very well-crafted, flavorful American IPA that is an absolute pleasure to drink.

4.41/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Quality-wise, I believe The Seed is in top 5 breweries in New Jersey - probably the top 3. It's right there with Kane and Conclave. Although I spend a lot of time at the South Jersey shore, I only visit The Seed in the winter. It is located in a crummy neighborhood in Atlantic City with limited off-street parking. We arrived at a little after 1:00 p.m. yesterday and got the last spot in the parking lot (which is shared with a distillery and an axe-throwing establishment). I wouldn't even think about driving there during the Summer except by Uber. But the place is an absolute gem. All the beers are excellent and some of Stouts are unreal. Cheers!

 

Some of their beer is starting to show up in distribution down here. Not sure if it was a one time thing or testing the waters but, given their out of the way location, I’m surprised they don’t have to distribute in the off season months.

 

I don't know. The only place I've seen cans is at Joe Canal's in Egg Harbor Township. The quality is undeniable. I just wish the location were better but I guess it would be mobbed all the time.

 

#2 for me today is Portly Mermaid, a Chocolate Fudge Porter from Slack Tide Brewing. Slack Tide tends to stick with its tried-and-true offerings, which are very good, so I'm always excited when they brew something new and different. This is delightful!

The color is dark cola/mahogany and it sports a half finger, fluffy cap of light khaki foam and sheen of lacing that lasted through the pour. A really nice nose featuring cocoa, caramel, nuts, and just a whiff of tobacco smoke and char. When sipped I first notice the depth of flavor. There is roasted malt, mildly-sweet chocolate, and a delightful nuttiness. It has some pronounced bitterness at the finish. For 6.3% ABV it has a delightful mouth feel; nicely thick and creamy. Overall, this is really a delightful Porter to drink. It would stand up to a hearty meal or for relaxing with friends.

4.28/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

@jonphisher, you should look for cans of this Porter. I think it is the best new beer from Slack Tide in a couple of years.

Have a great week, everyone. Cheers, NBW!

 

I will keep an eye out, I’m hoping knockdown shows up soon too. Saw it was released this week.

 

Helper - Night Indoors imperial stout

16oz can served in a snulip. If there's a date, I don't see it. Got it in a trade with @NorsemanOne about six months ago.

Pours black with a medium sized, slow-growing and slow-shrinking head. Several minutes after the pour, untouched, has turned into a thick, dark ring and a wide, shallow island. Smell is classic RIS -- black licorice and ultra dark chocolate and slightly burnt coffee. Maybe boozy, but could also just be my imagination.

Taste is hella bitter. Charred coffee and a little ash. Black licorice is really strong, too. Something bitterly herbal. Very briefly, before bitterness overwhelms it, there's a little bit of molasses sweetness.

Mouthfeel is smooth, silky. Overall, very solid beer.

 

Cross Posted to the Baltic Porter Day thread
Brewed locally in Geneva, Illinois.

4.1/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A dark brown pour, a soapy looking lite brown head leaves some nice lacing. Nose says chocolate some roasted grains. Taste buds like the chocolate, some dark fruit, and booze. Mouthfeel is smooth, coats the palate. A nice beer for sure.

 

Social Project Brewing Nilla Imperial Stout, 11.0% ABV; 4.29 overall

Pours an effervescent mahogany/ebony with a thumb of mocha colored head. Above average head retention & very good lacing

S: Vanilla, a little cocoa, hints of roastyness

T: Pretty dry, Oreo cookies, a roastyness & a little caramel & woody hops up front. More Oreo profile, some dryness, faint roastyness, leafy hops & a kiss of caramel once warmed up. Finishes a little dry with chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, & some leafy hops

MF: Medium body, somewhat firm carbonation. The carbonation pushes the flavor along, enhances drinkability, but sort of makes me think a much weaker ABV

Good for what it is, pretty drinkable, potent Dessert/Pastry Stout, especially if you like Oreos

 

Got my delayed december Urban Artifact Small Batch Society brews earlier this week so I saved them for Sour Sunday. The first 2 were good:

Small Batch Society - Chocolate Banana | Urban Artifact | BeerAdvocate



Small Batch Society - Blood Orange Coconut Smoothie | Urban Artifact | BeerAdvocate



I liked both but the Blood Orange Coconut Smoothie really stood out to me!

 

And the last of the 3 Small Batch Society brews was the Fig Chili Jam, if there was such a thing as a tart and spicy Fig Newton this would be it:

Small Batch Society - Fig Chili Jam | Urban Artifact | BeerAdvocate





That's the last of my new brews this weekend, cheers and have a great week everyone!

 

Pipeworks Abominable Snowman vs Unicorn Hazy IPA w/Lactose & Cryo Hops, 7.6% ABV; 4.13 overall

Pours a very hazed gold with a thumb+ of eggshell colored head. pretty good head retention & very good lacing

S: Plenty of citrus, breadyness, some grassy notes. Green melon once warmed up, fades a little once warm

T: Tangerine, dryness, green melon, nectarine notes up front. Some Cryo-hops dryness mixes in with lime, oranges, grassiness, white grapes & cantaloupe once this beer is warmed up, a touch of vanilla too. Finishes with orange, lime, a little vanilla, lemongrass & dryness, some pineapple too

MF: Medium body, dialed back carbonation, good balance, a touch of acidity late

Fun take one the style, will by this again if it rotates back here. Great drinkability

 

We had an excellent vegetable lasagna for dinner, so why not vanilla ice cream and espresso for dessert - affogato it is, then!



Jacks Abby Framinghammer Affogato. It's a 2023 bottle - if I remember right a bunch of BA Framinghammer variants showed up at a local shop all at once and they've been waiting in the cupboard for a bit, but not long enough for Cellaruary...

It pours as close to black as it gets with about an inch of frothy tan head that falls to a respectable ring and cap.

The smell delivers with kind of an all in one hit of coffee, vanilla, a little caramel and just a hint of the bourbon barrel. A little milk chocolate is along for the ride. No hint of the hefty ABV.

The flavor is super smooth, well-integrated, and there's nothing "over the top" here - it is pretty restrained. Espresso that is a little bit herbal and rich vanilla cream. There's a little peppery spice. More milk chocolate fudge flavor than I expected but it is not overpowering. That barrel flavor is barely there and does not dominate the beer. The parent beer is there as well - a nice compliment of roasted malts. Very slight bitterness.

Feels is medium body and carbonation is appropriate. Silky smooth. The 12% ABV is pleasantly warming. Slightly sweet and dry finish. The vanilla and coffee carries over, which captures the idea of the dessert. Ever so slight chalky feel.

Man, if you are going to riff on a great base beer you probably shouldn't mess it up, right? Jack's Abby usually gets it right and this is no exception - the flavors are expertly formulated, applied with restraint, and serve to elevate rather than dominate the OG beer. This is an easy 4.2 on my book. Well done.

 

Had two new beers today, one not so good, Transient Bubba Blend #1 -

Well bugger. Transient normally does top notch barreled beers and I imagine some of these were fine. Unfortunately this one isn't. Red wine vinegar seems to be the dominate flavor, won't be finishing it. Sadness.
The second one is much better.

Poured stout black with a one centimeter light brown head that left rings of lacing.
The taste was almost equal parts coffee and chocolate, with a layer of bourbon and what seemed to be softly roasted malts. Just smooth.
The feel is a little thinner than the flavors seem to need, but still excellent, very nice feel.
OA, I would be happy drinking this on a regular basis.
Thought I was drinking a new beer last night but I was wrong. It *was* a Baltic Porter though.
Cheers!

 

Nightbreak
5% coffee ale by Wolf's Ridge



Poured from a12 ounce can, the body is dark brown with a small tan head. Medium lacing.

Good roast coffee and light chocolate aroma.

Taste follows nose as the coffee flavor is the main attraction. In the background is a light vanilla flavor that balances the light bitter coffee flavor and very minor hop bite.

Mouthfeel is good and light. Strong carbonation.

A very enjoyable beer and variant of their Daybreak ale.

 

Untold Brewing - Dairy Shack milk stout, 6.3%

16oz can served in a footed pilsner glass. Can does not appear to be dated. Got it from @WunderLlama in NBS BIF #18.

Pours dark brown, maybe black, with a huge fluffy head and strong retention. Smell is roasty stout and yeasty bread, chocolate sweetness and a hint of coffee.

Taste is sweet, milk chocolate and a little coffee, a little roastiness. Maybe some anise. Milk / vanilla sweetness is quite noticeable, but not overwhelming.

Mouthfeel is medium to thick, maybe a bit of a chew. Overall, very enjoyable.