New Beer Weekend #238

Lakefront Brewery Black Friday Imperial Brown 2024. An imperial brown ale aged in Wollersheim Port wine barrels. I have been excited to experience this beer. The look is very dark brown. Carbonation is visible. There was a small amount of off-white foam that immediately disappeared. The smell is incredible. Port wine jumps from the glass, followed by brown bread, molasses, caramel, oak, vanilla, and spices. The taste is less outstanding than the smell. The Port wine flavor takes over, but the features of a good Port wine are diminished. Cherry and vanilla flavors lead, followed by brown bread, leather, plum, tobacco, and wood. The mouthfeel is wine-like, silky, smooth, and syrupy, with light-medium carbonation. Overall, this beer comes across like an imperial brown ale with Port wine poured into it, instead of an imperial brown ale with a Port wine finish. It is unique, and a nice change of pace, but I would not seek it out again.

 

Earthquake High Gravity Lager

Appearance: Clear yellow, good head.

Smell: Sweet, some green apple.

Taste: Sweet to start, then a pretty strong hard apple cider flavor. Stays sweet and with a lot of apple through the finish. A bit of a metallic note in the end too.

Overall: Saw this while on a business trip to Omaha and I like to try beers all along the quality spectrum. This isn't terrible, but has a lot of the green apple flavor that I don't like in many high gravity malt liquors. Better than Evil Eye and Camo Silver!

 

A beautiful day, sunny and warm. I have a few outdoor chores to do, then no other obligations.
I'm drinking Stub's German Pils from Lakewood Brewing. Not bad.
The beer is a light gold color with a short-lived white head. No lace.
Sweet, bready aroma, some floral hops.
Taste of white bread, sweet. Late hop bitterness.
Light-bodied.

 

For my new brews today had a couple big tasty Bruery imperial stouts:

Black Tuesday - Stacks Reserve - Blueberry | The Bruery | BeerAdvocate



Black Tuesday - Stacks Reserve - Maple | The Bruery | BeerAdvocate



Cheers and happy NBW everyone!

 

Maybe an Imp Stout, but not really a fan of Port Wine to start with..

 

Yes, I've tried to participate on Friday's from home, but throws off my eating and drinking that late, so beyond outings will likely stick to Saturday and Sunday unless the (North American) Friday evening start time is pushed back.

Glad I have one more can of The Crusher enjoyed yesterday. Hoping this Barrel Aged treatment is equally or even more enjoyable. I bought the Triple BA Stout this Fall, didn't like it at all, but expecting this one to be solid.

Hoppin' Frog B.O.R.I.S. Oatmeal Imperial Stout - Barrel-Aged

4.07/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4



2/8/25 - (Can - Home) (Chicago, IL) Can Notes: Obtained via in person trade with Dave @Blogjackets on BA on July 19, 2024 in Sheboygan. 16 oz, best by 1/15/2034, so assuming canned 1/15/24. Refrigerated upon returning home until pulling this afternoon. Oatmeal Barrel Aged Imperial Stout aged in whiskey barrels, 11.5% ABV. Store in a Cool Place. A delicious Bourbon barrel-aged version of our Bodacious Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout, which is complimented by a wonderful whiskey and oak character! A robust hop presence adds whiskey and oak character! A robust hop presence adds a refreshing balance. Brewed By: Hoppin' Frog Brewing Company, Akron, Ohio.

Appearance: Poured about 2/3 of the can into a 12 oz hand held snifter. Yields a near black chestnut brown base, light tan head leaving spotty cover and build up along the rim. and no lacing. 4.0

Aroma: Let this sit for 20 minutes before diving in. Getting a mild roast malt with bakers chocolate. First impression this smells like Jack Daniels. Digging what I'm getting, but not sure why strength is this light after warming up. 3.75

Taste: Fuller flavor strength, like the non BA version this has a wider taste range vs. the aroma. A nice malt base, caramel and nugget. Dark and bakers chocolate and chocolate fudge. Getting a nice oak character, tobacco, black licorice and marshmallows floating above hot chocolate. Barrel treatment light and subtle, still Jack Daniels flavor which is nice. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Medium plus body, carbonation faint and slightly prickly. Drinks lighter than the ABV throughout, though not significantly (8-9% on feel). This BA version more balanced than the sweet non BA offering, which suits me just fine. Flavors here not bursting, but enjoying the breadth and nice touch to everything. Toffee, chocolate fudge and bakers chocolate finish. 4.25

Overall: This is a good Barrel Aged Imperial Stout. Very light barrel treatment, though am enjoying what I gather. More balanced treatment than the standard version, I enjoy aspects and the differences of bother versions. This is a solid offering I would pick up if ever available here or if I'm in Ohio. Thank you Dave for this excellent selection, glad I was able to try and enjoy the contrast over less than a day. Winner goes to the non BA version, but by a narrow margin, 4.0

Have a second Ohio brewer to feature tomorrow, one I've had great success with so saved it for primetime, though Hoppin' Frog would also fit just fine on a Sunday.

 

I love Port wine. I prefer it in its pure form.

 

RAR Out Of Order So We Meet Again! Fruit Smoothie Sour, 5% ABV. Pours deep red with a small finger of pink head that left puree residue. Aroma is berry and lactose. Taste follows, quite sweet, moderately tart. Decent smooth mouthfeel, overall excellent.

4.21/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

 

A visit to Equal Parts this afternoon, and two new beers for me this weekend.

Bohemian Outlaw, Czech Style Amber Lager. 5.6% ABV.



Pours a dark amber red color. A dense white head rises with retention and lacing for days. That "Hladinka" pour from the faucet is always a looker here.
Aroma is malty bread crust, with a light grassy and earthy character, along with some minerality in the aroma.
Taste wise, a nuanced malt character. That ranges from baked bread, toasted malts and toffee. With a light sweetness. Earthy hops, light bitterness, and a wonderful balance.
A medium body with crisp carbonation. Which becomes ultra smooth as this breaths. Finishes clean and dry. Really easy to drink and to come back to. I can down this in big gulps.

Yep, another quality lager from Equal Parts. Nothing much else to say about, except I highly recommend it. The balance is just well done all around, which makes for a very enjoyable Amber Lager.

Overall score is 4,21, bordering on an A score.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/44383/733016/?ba=champ103#lists

Next up...

Bonesaw, Imperial Black IPA, 9% ABV.



Pours an opaque black color. A two finger tan head rises with good retention and lace left behind.
Aroma of pine, resin, and citrus. Though not as aggressive as I would have thought. Not much malt presents either. The aroma is a little muted for me.
Taste wise shows all the hops you could ask for. Citrus, grapefruit, pine, resin. Coffee grounds that are a bit bitter, mixed with a hoppy bitterness as well. Both of which linger.
A full body with moderate carbonation. Sticky, resiny, chewy, and a bit oily. This is a sipper for me, and while enjoyable for what it is, slower sipping than I would like.

To be honest, this has never been my favorite style. I'm a bit biases as I think the malty bitterness mixed with hoppy bitterness has always clashed for me. The aroma here, is a but underwhelming for me too. Though overall, its well made for the style. I'll have it again on occasion, but nothing I'm seeking out. Fans of the style should really like this though.

My personal score is a 3.66, solid and respectable B, but again if you like the style, it will probably be better than my score suggests.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/44383/267840/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Tried it a few times in England. Eh...

 

Good evening NBW
It's hard to believe I haven't reviewed a beer in six weeks. I've been focusing on the cellar, but couldn't resist a Hoosier RIS when I came out of dry January hibernation.

Bloomington Brewing Company Krampus RIS

16oz undated can poured into a Spiegelau stout glass at fridge temp 10.2% ABV 52 IBU per can. The beer pours pitch black with zero light penetration and light brown head. The head is dense and is slowly receding, but still an inch thick long after the pour. Slight lacing. The aroma is mild, very dry, ashy roasted malt with a hint of dark chocolate. The taste is bittersweet, ashy roasted malt with hints of coffee and very dark chocolate. Lingering medium bitterness. The feel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, very good RIS.

Cheers all!

 

Greetings, fellow NBWers,

It's currently about 27° up on Moran Prairie, and the snow has stopped falling. Over the last several days, there's around 5-6 inches of snow on the ground.

Today I had myself a Berlinerweiss from Smuttynose that I received via Beer Drop. The stamp on the bottom of the can would indicate that it was canned in November, but it is smudged so that it is impossible to tell which year's November it was!:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/141/474839/?ba=woemad#lists
Like the majority of beers I have received via Beer Drop, I suspect this was either old or was not stored well (perhaps both). It's okay, but I'd definitely recommend Westbrook's similar beer over this, at least in this particular instance.

I might be back with another new beer today or tomorrow, but if not, have a great week!

 

Wow, a lot of Fat Head's going down. I'm jelly (as the younguns say).

 

Hey, kids. Waiting on the snowfall here. I just hope it stays snow - we are typically in the band where we get the dreaded wintry mix. Snow is generally pretty easy to deal with. The grandsprout and I did some brush cutting and cleared about 30 feet of walking path. Came out pretty good.

So here's a totally appropriate beer for the season:



OEC Brewing's Saison. It's brewed with some locally grown grains in addition to Belgian pilsner and Vienna. It's spiced with Grains of Paradise, open warm fermented with traditional saison yeast, 5.5% abv..

It pours a slightly hazy golden color with an enormous rocky white head that falls to a heavy cap with stubborn cling to the glass.

The smell is spicy reflecting the Grains of Paradise pretty well. Woody, light lemon, ginger, coriander and I think some nutmeg. A bit of a grassy note plus some nice, bready malts.

The taste has a surprising bitter hit but it's brief. This gives way to a very nicely made saison. The spices come to the fore with a ginger/coriander/peppery heat followed by lemon. Bready malts underneath. There's a pear or white grape that I don't get in the smell that gives it a bit of wine character. Very pleasantly "old school". There is just a bit of sweetness. Just a wee bit of an acidic taste. Peppery elements do build up a bit, tempered by the carryover lemon.

It's slightly drying and it's comparatively heavier-bodied than a lot of saisons, I'd call it medium and it is very smooth, almost creamy. Nice level or carbonation. One of the lical grains used is unmalted oats - thinking that contributes to the body.

Overall I'm liking this one quite a bit. It's a little heftier than most I've tried in the style and I'm liking that. It avoids the trap of more is better with the Grains of Paradise - seems a "just right" application to my taste buds. I'll figure out how far over 4.0 it goes by the time I finish it. This is a good one.

 

A busy day for us today, got a lot done and helped out my mom a bit who is currently in the process of moving; she just sold her house and if all goes well will be living within walking distance of us, a far cry from the current twenty minute hike.

The energy here is south jersey is palpable; random eagles chants, green everywhere, "go birds" being said instead of goodbye. It all comes to an end tomorrow; we'll see if green or red wins...onto beer...

The final piece of my box from @Resistance88 and it is another stunner from Enegren...

Enegren - The Lightest One (German Helles 4.8%)



Pours light straw, super clear with the lightest chill haze; sudsy and white head; average retention, no lacing.

Nose is instant German helles; soft lightly sweet bready pale malts, some crust, hops present some herbal character but more on the dried out side of herbal.

A beautifully balanced taste; this tastes like the freshest of German imports; it’s in the perfect goldilocks zone of sweet for a helles; then rich notes of fresh baked real bread; old world hops linger ever so gently in support of the beautiful malt depth.

Body is light yet so full in malt character; it dries out so well and is so cleanly lagered; so much so that it drinks like water; light bitterness brings it all home.

Wow! Another stunner from this brewery; thanks for the honor @Resistance88 this is up there with the best of helles I have experienced; on tap this thing has to be sublime.

--------------

Probably no new beers tomorrow but you never know, maybe brother in law will bring something new for us to split, if not I'll be drinking something familiar and hopefully watching the eagles win their second super bowl; if not, oh well, its been fun few weeks to be a part of.

I’ll be watching the leafs for the last time in two weeks out in the freezer tonight, a two week break is a small price to pay for Four Nations Faceoff next week; hope some of you tune into the magic Wednesday night.

If I don’t post again tomorrow have a great week everyone.