New Beer Weekend #240

Many thanks to @ChicagoJ for start new weekend.
..garage beer
...incredibly clear light gold appearance with almost no head and plenty of lacing
...carbonation is around medium with the body being more full than I was expecting.
....aroma is grain, roasted grain, cereal and slightly floral and earthy
...taste toasted grain,cereal, malt, earthy hops that leave a mild,very mild hop bite in the aftertaste
...overall for a low abv light beer this had way more substance than I expected

 

Thanks for opening the thread, @ChicagoJ - I appreciate you helping to curate the history of this thread as it has evolved. I figure I'd throw in some links from about five years ago just to give some context that the origins of this thread are not so definitive as to start time, but that sometime in mid-February is almost definitely when it all started... 20 years ago!!

From NBS #781 (February 9, 2020):

Follow up in that NBS #781 thread:

This is all just information I recall finding interesting from a time I was more involved in this thread. Cheers to all who continue to find joy in finding new beers and sharing your initial thoughts on a beer with the BA world!!

 

Great words to open us up this weekend @ChicagoJ. I’m looking forward to sharing in the love tomorrow at some point.

 

My last beer!

Well, as in my last beer from my visit last fall at Ommegang for the Belgium Comes to Cooperstown (BCTC) beer festival: Ommegang Hennepin which is a Saison.

Here is one photo of my visit to the BCTC event:



While visiting Cooperstown for the beer festival I purchased some local (Ommegang) beers and this is the last of my stash.

How Hennepin is detailed on the brewery’s website:

“Hennepin

Belgian-style farmhouse saison

Inspired by the traditional rustic brews of Belgium, our iconic American farmhouse saison is charmingly complex but eminently drinkable.

Artfully spiced with coriander, ginger, orange peel and grains of paradise, its champagne-like effervescence leads to a crisp, dry finish, delighting discerning drinkers everywhere.

While delicious on its own, Hennepin pairs remarkably well with a variety of foods, complementing shellfish, barbecue, cheeses, charcuterie, and a wide range of spicy fare.

7.7% ABV

24 IBU

16.3 OG

Year-round AVAILABILITY

HOPS Styrian Golding, Spalter Select

FERMENTABLES Pilsner malt, flaked corn

SPICES Orange peel, coriander, ginger, grains of paradise

YEAST House yeast

AGING NOTES Bottle conditioned”

Served in my Tripel Karmeliet tulip glass:

Appearance:

A golden yellow with a white head.

Aroma:

An enticing combination of citrus, herbal and spicy aromas.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with citrus, herbal and spicy flavors. The bitterness level is low – moderate.

Mouthfeel:

Medium bodied, a spritzy/tangy carbonation for the first few sips and a dry finish.

Overall:

I think this beer is most excellent! The combination of aromas/flavors from the spice additions and any yeast produced flavors work really, really well together. And nicely complimented with the mouthfeel aspects. Akin to listening to a world class orchestra playing music.

Cheers!

@rotsaruch @KOP_Beer_OUtlet @RobH

 

Timber Ales (NY) ‘Blended With Lumber #2’ Imperial Stout

“Blended with Lumber is our Barrel-blended Imperial Stout series. Blend #2 features 1/3 Imperial Stout aged for over two years in 12yr Weller, 12yr Elijah Craig and Willett Rye barrels blended with 2/3 fresh Imperial Stout. The finished product was then conditioned on toasted coconut.”

Here’s a 12 ounce can, lightly chilled, poured into a hotel room plastic cup, in Fort Myers, FL. It is thickly dead flat, a fugly ring of brown clinging for life on the perimeter.
Nose is dark caramel, yeah, lil bit of coconut.
Taste is dark chocolate, fudge, molasses, not much barrel, rich, smooth, sticky sa-weet!, the coconut is an afterthought, but is present.
Mouth is way full, gurgly low carbonation.
Overall, pastry as heck, quite delicious. But mixing 2/3 fresh Imperial Stout decimated two years of barreling.

4.16/5 in the BA DB

 

From @snaotheus via the barleywine/stout bif thanks again

This is a collab between F9 and Fort George, Choco Bliss.



In the mood for something sweet and this definitely is! The cacao nibs are out in full force here, every inch of this is just dripping with chocolate. What kind? I want to say lava cake primarily, oozy and sticky sweet. At the finish some faint bourbon and a little vanilla emerge but they still play second fiddle to the chocolate. Not something I want often but it scratched my itch tonight. Thanks Ryan!

 

Fine corinthian leather nachos double ipa courtesy of @Blogjackets
... cloudy burnt orange appearance with a very thick long lasting head
...body is about medium but the carbonation is very light
...aroma is citrus,mostly lime fruit and peel with a sweet fruit juice showing up.mildly earthy but sweet fruit dominates
..taste is sweet with candied fruit and peel dominating. Very mild,almost non existent bitterness is there but not a dominant factor.
...overall this was very flavorful and not what I was expecting but very enjoyable

 

Revolution Straight Jacket

Appearance: Dark brown, ok head that fizzes out.

Smell: Deep caramel, bit of booze.

Taste: Moderately sweet, lots of caramel quickly. A little booziness in the middle, then settles out into a long caramel finish. Quite light bodied for 15%.

Overall: Saw a 4 pack at a nice price so picked it up. A very caramel heavy barleywine that feels lighter than a 15% beer should, but I'm sure I'll feel that 15% later. Very tasty, a “treat yourself” beer.

 

Jester King - Aurelian Lure

500ml bottle served in a Tulippy wineglass. Blend 7, August 2022. Bought it at Bottlecraft about a year and a half ago.

Pours clear peach-orange, not much head by the time it got to me, looks still. Smell is musty, dried peach pits, eventually releases a bright stonefruit juiciness. Tart.

Taste is on the tart fruit leather side, very acidic and vinegary, overwhelming the fruitiness a bit. Fruit comes across as dry apricots and peach skin.

Mouthfeel is light, dry, smooth. Overall, not bad.

 

Hello NBW! Good to post here for the 20th anniversary. Thanks @ChicagoJ for the action!
I like this little brew. Hoping it's at least rotational.
Bauhaus Citra Dry Hopped Wonderstuff Pilsner 5.1% ABV 30 IBU
4.04/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
12 oz can from a Wondersuff variety pack into a Pokal.
L: SRM 7.5 pours a murky straw dull light gold color with a rocky pock marked 1/4" matte white head that has excellent retention down to froth, light steady carbo bubbles, tight lacing with light backside banding.
S: Pineapple, light citrus zest, a note of yellow fruit bread, distant cereal grains, a trace of honey.
T: Earthy pineapple, lemon, citrus zest, light orange, a distant note of pastry dough, a touch of yeast, background sea salt, a light citrus linger, it is lightly pale.
F: Lightly brisk with gentle luster, even & smooth medium-bodied feel with a smooth center and a flat medium-short lightly dry finish.
O: Very tasty. Not crisp but lustrous. The Wonderstuff base beer is hard to beat. This version is smooth, fruity, and is very easy to drink having an affably full taste. I'd love to try this on tap. It is very good to excellent in its style.

 

Excellent start @ChicagoJ! We do indeed owe a debt of gratitude, and membership too. I know this is my primary social media and so glad it’s here.

 

Social Project Brewing - Wild Horses
8.4% IPA



Poured from a pint can, the body is a very clear gold with white head. Good lacing.

Aroma is grapefruit and pine.

Taste follows nose though much less grapefruit flavor. A substantial pine flavor, clear and not danky, is the main event. The malt bill is present but not overly done. Bitterness appears at finish and is modest. ABV is well hidden.

Mouthfeel is good. Good carbonation.

Very enjoyable IPA. Thanks to @russpowell for this beer.

 

Goose Island - Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Rye Stout

500ml bottle served in a slightly tulippy snifter. Drink by 05AUG29, 14.0% abv. Bought it at Total Wine in December.

Pours with a couple millimeters of even, moderately dense head on the pour, settles into a few cute little islands and a respectable ring sustained by a non-trivial but not very substantial continuous, fine carbonation. Smell is strong vanilla, chocolate, rye spice is quite noticeable. Figgy pudding.

Taste is interesting. Too strong on the vanilla, but I like vanilla a lot -- and very strong on the rye, which I'm so-so on, which makes for a strange and contradictory semblance of balance. Tons of sweetness, almost maple, chocolate syrup, burnt toffee.

Mouthfeel is thick, smooth, silky, rich. Overall, very interesting and very enjoyable.

 

Have a good NBW. Thanks @ChicagoJ for starting the anniversary thread for us. I have been posting in this thread on and off since before 2014, at least from what I could search for quickly. I remember @utopiajane had invited me in when I was just doing WBAYDN and hardcore 4 reviews per day way back when.

Have a good Friday. Was up all night again listening to my books. Also adding more beer and book reviews. Finished Thinner by Stephen King which was really good, but took a while to get interesting. I will always remember the Curse of the "White man from town" 3.75/5 I also read Animal Farm by George Orwell in 1.5 hours after me and Julia had a late lunch after Vet checkup. 4.25/5 Just the Jake's Diner at the corner of our street. I got Double Mushroom Swiss burger and Philly cheesesteak omelet. Crinkle fries where legit and mealy. Not pictured buffalo boneless wings with bleu cheese. I was pretty stuffed lying in bed for a few hours. Started Camino Ghosts by John Grisham as well, Going to have some beers and bowls now. We might go to Cook Out after 2 AM again lol.



Dovetail Saison. Thanks @FBarber from a BIF many moons ago. A fantastic saison for the style. Lasting fluffy head retention and soapy lacing on the glass. Aromas and flavors of big banana, bubblegum, peppercorn, clove, pear, apple, white grape/wine, cracker, white bread, wood, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Moderate pine/herbal/woody bitterness and peppery yeast spiciness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium body. Balanced bready/grainy malt and sticky hop mouthfeel. Fairly crisp with lingering hop resin dryness, and no hop astringency. Wonderful strong Belgian yeast complexity (WLP550?) with nice Strisselspalt and Hallertau Blanc hop flavors, and clean crisp malt backbone. Loved it. 4.25/5


Cheers

 

My combination Cellar pull and New Beer.
The pour is stout black with a light brown head.
The taste is still amazing. A melange of chocolate and vanilla and coffee and worn leather, all wrapped up in a nice bourbon wrapper. Really good.
The feel is lightly viscous, a bit lighter than the ABV made me think it would be.
Still is a good sipping beer. Only 12 oz so anything other than sipping would make it disappear too quickly.
OA, wish these were more reasonable here!

 

Firestone imperial walkers reserve
...murky cloudy cola like appearance
...thick heavy body with light carbonation
...aroma is alcohol, bourbon, wood, malt,roasted malt. As it warms milk chocolate and mocha candy
Taste is alcohol, bourbon, dry wood, roasted malt and dark coffee
..overall it doesn't hide the alcohol very well but otherwise its really well done

 

It also seems #366 (under one page, even with the new, shorter pages!) was followed by #368 and there were some numbering issues noted in the past. Plus, as I understand, @malty was a part of the original posts, so I'd take the word of "mid-February" with as much faith as any calculations we may do (and I do love me some maths).

All that said, the actual date would be great to know, but maybe it doesn't matter all that much. I'd be all for promoting all of February as "New Beer Month" - as a yin-yang concept to balance the Cellaruary push. Maybe??

Finally, I have many cellar beers and only one lingering "new beer" for this weekend, so I will need to head out into the cold to find something... hopefully worthy... of the occasion