New Beer Weekend #249

Good evening NBW
The second and last new-to-me Torpedo from the latest mix pack

Electric Torpedo


12oz bottle PKGD 01/29/25 poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp 7.5% ABV per label. The beer pours mostly bright peach amber with nearly white head. The head recedes to a thin cap and leaves a web of lacing. The aroma is mild with sweet peach, orange and lemon notes and little perceptible malt character. The taste more of the same with peach, orange grapefruit and a hint of evergreen running the show over a neutral malt profile. Medium plus bitterness. The feel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, very good.

Cheers all!

 

Greetings, New Beer People. I had a couple new beers today, but they were enjoyed while drinking with friends, so I didn't really take any notes.

I did, however, have an interesting new beer from a couple NW standouts yesterday, so I'm happy to post about that one.

pFriem and Breakside are well-known in the Northwest and are getting better known outside of our corner of the world. They are both excellent breweries who produce top-quality beers across a wide variety of styles. pFriem recently opened a taproom in the Portland area, and they reached out to a couple Portland breweries to collaborate on some commemorative beers for their grand opening. One of those breweries is Breakside, and the result of that collab is this New Zealand IPA:



The body is clear yellow-gold topped with bright white foam. The head shrinks quickly and leaves patchy lacing on the glass. The nose is semi-sweet, and boasts an intense cantaloupe/mango character with a twist of grapefruit peel. On the tongue, this zesty beer is laden with flavors of white grapes and papaya over a lean body of lightly toasted malt. There's a shake of herbs over the finish, which is brisk and juicy. Drinks more like a pale than an IPA. If tropical IPAs are your thang, seek this out.

 

As @Dimidiata used to say: “On Sunday’s we drink Barleywine”
So @DIM sent me more Barleywines than stouts which blew my mind as try as I might, I have a difficult time finding more than 3 Barleywines at any given time around here. And he sent me a freaking ton of beer.
This one (spoilers) was excellent.

I approached this one cautiously as I have tried stouts aged in red wine barrels before and have not really enjoyed them. But my concern was unfounded.
The pour is a daaark amber color that is capped with a 1” tall beige head that recedes to a ring that stays there for the duration.
The taste; where to begin? The flavors seem to all come at me at once. There is that familiar malt base that is probably a little sweet for most but for whatever reason, I like it. The oak and tannins from the red wine swirl in with leather and vanilla, toffee and raisins. It just keeps going.
The feel is viscous, no partial about it, full on viscosity. Not thicc, just fully viscous.
OA, not sure if I am happy to have tried this or as it was the first in a series, whether I should have waited to compare.
Nah, I’m thrilled to have been able to try this.
Cheers all!

 

Well, I have been busy and am chiming in a bit late, y'all have been busier. 7 pages, DANG!

My toss into the mix is a barleywine.

Brother of the Quill
Pours a caramel hue with a tinge of amber on the edges. A sandy colored head asserts a tad over an inch, hangs for a bit, and settles in at a thin film.
Nose presents a nice melange of sweet notes: toffee, dates, and caramel.
The flavor definitely showcases the aforementioned sweet notes but it also presents an earthy, slightly dry woody bitterness. Subtle, but it does tamp back the malt a tad. It does hint at stepping away a bit from style, in the direction of an American barleywine, but just a bit.
Mouthfeel is the right heft and a tad sticky.
3.81/5 rDev -9.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

 

Cross posting with the Cellar Reviews thread - cheers!

3.7/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Received in trade many moons ago (whoever from has my gratitude) - 2009 vintage - poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter.

Murky rose taupe body with a fleeting thin bone collar. No lacing; poor retention; moderate legs.

Apple butter, figs, prunes, persimmon, and a hint of leather in the nose. Maybe a touch of sherry, but no off notes really.

Abrasive palate entry, sweet yet tart and bitter. Baker's chocolate, potent malt, marsala, port, biscotti. Raisins, cherry pits, green olives. Earthy bitter finish with some residual fruit, kettle caramelization, and burnt sugar. Some oxidation perhaps.

Medium-full bodied, carbonation is just sufficient, alcohol is neither overbearing nor subtle.

An interesting aged barleywine, it probably would have "held up" longer, but I don't think age has done any real favors to this beer.

 

Glad you liked it! Halftime just got the later version but it costs twice as much and I haven't been able to pull the trigger.

 

Fremont has released dozens of unique versions of Head Full of Dynomite, but this is the newly released year-round version. Review below is from the first can I opened on Friday after picking up a 6-pack at the brewery. Cheers!
______________________
4.21/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Well here I am, in the rare position to post a beer’s inaugural review. Will try to do the honor justice.

12oz can (packaged 3/31/2025) into a tulip. Pours a hazy, slightly dirty lemon yellow with a big frothy head that leaves behind some sudsy lace.

Aroma is bright and citrusy, pungent. More grapefruit than pine but overall just vaguely “juicy.” I think I detect Simcoe but the brewery’s description belies that notion.

Taste likewise leads off with grapefruit rind followed quickly by the pale biscuity malt foundation. A bit more lemon as it warms. Some nice biting acidity but it’s not bitter per se and certainly not dank. Crisp and drinkable.

Mouthfeel is a tad on the light side of medium bodied. Vanishes off the palate on the finish.

Overall a worthy version of HFOD for Fremont to go with as their year-round standard bearer. Plenty to like here. As a hazy non-fan I’m pleased with this one.

 

At home, sitting on the patio with my wife, enjoying the end of a productive and most enjoyable weekend. I opened a beer without expecting to review it, but here we are.



Fort George Sudachi Ace Japanese Lager with Sudachi

16-ounce can purchased at John's Marketplace in Beaverton, OR. Date stamp reads "KONNICHIWA 03/17/25". Poured into an aluminum version of a red Solo cup for patio drinking.

Look:
Pale yellow and perfectly clear, with a healthy head of snowy white foam that leaves very attractive lacing.

Smell:
A clean, dry lager character perfumed with bitter citrus undertones. Slight hit of sulfur.

Taste:
Dry lager malt enhanced by a bitter, lime-like citrus note. The malt shows a light toasted rice note in the middle which lasts to the end. The tangy citrus bitterness also lasts to the end, picking up a lip-smacking Amarillo hop orange peel note along the way. The lime peel bitterness is actually a bit much for such a light beer, and is a little exhausting by the last sip.

Feel:
Light-bodied with surprisingly soft carbonation. Slight citrus burn lingers towards the bottom of the glass.

Overall:
Crisp, light, and quenching with an impressive and ultimately punishing bitterness. Tangy from start to finish. The afternoon's high temperature is a good 20 or 30 degrees too cool for me to fully appreciate this beer's charms, and the citrus leaves a bit of a burn, but I'm still glad I tried it.

 

Have a good Sunday. Just been chilling all weekend. After talking about studying for the cicerone level 2 test. I figured out I can take the written test online and tasting/demo when they have one near me. Just got both these books off thriftbooks, because I know barely anything about beer and food pairing. And the Oxford Companion is going to be amazing for history and everything else. $17, free shipping.


State of Beer Brecken Hefeweizen. The Aldi beer. Pours slightly hazy, no yeast sediment to be found. Good head retention and lacing on the glass. Aromas and flavors of big banana, bubblegum, pear, apple, peppercorn, clove, wheat bread, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light-medium herbal/grassy bitterness, yeast spiciness, and light wheat/yeast tang/tartness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation and light body. Grainy malt and sticky hop mouthfeel. Crisp, clean, refreshing. Nearly bone dry finish with light lingering hop oils. Feels a bit too watery, but usually the yeast sediment turbidity can give that mouthfeel. Has all the classic yeast character and earthiness of classic examples, just falls a bit short. 3.88/5


Cheers

 

This beer is courtesy of @bbtkd via a LIF from the NBW Imperial Stout/Barleywine BIF#2

Kros Strain Imperial Stout aged in Stranahan Whisky Barrels, 13.0% ABV; 4.31 overall

Pours an effervescent ebony with a thumb of mocha colored head. Average-ish head retention & lacing, fairly viscous

S: Rich boozy barrel, tons of figs & dates, fades some once warm

T: Follows the nose, some leafy hops, a touch of vanilla & dryness up front. Dark chocolate, a little caramel, whisky notes, leafy hops & figs as this beer warms up. Finishes with dark chocolate, a little vanilla & maple syrup & just a little whisky at the edges

MF: Medium/chewy body, dialed back carbonation, warming

Drinks great for the heft, great flavors

 

Had the pleasure of trying this one last night, courtesy of @sulldaddy ..

Barreled Souls - Rum Raisin Honey Pot 2023





Notes:
My first [non-collaborative] experience with Barreled Souls

P mahogany w/ a foamy khaki ring
N med to med-bold sweet raisins and honey, a bit of sweet and earthy buckwheat as it opens
T delightful combo of raisins, honey, vanilla over a med wheat malt backbone, some booziness but not nearly what I would expect for 16%+, light coconut character as well funny enough, super cohesive
Mf light-med bodied, med carb, a touch sticky in the finish, supports the profile well
O amazing stuff, drinks extremely/dangerously well for the huge abv, probably the best wheatwine I've ever had! A huge thanks once again for the opportunity, Sully!

Cheers

 

Damn, that's quite a markup - the Revolution version cost $12.50/can from the source vs. the $20 from Half Time. We're members of both the Firestone Walker club and the Revolution season pass, so I've got both beers (thanks for summoning me @Whyteboar, yay Barleywine Sunday!). I've only had the FW version and I found it to be overly oak-y and astringent. Was not a fan. I haven't opened the Rev version yet, but by all accounts from people I trust, its the much better version of the beer.

 

Humble Forager Brewery Elm BA English Barleywine via a LIF from the NBW Imperial Stout/Barleywine BIF#2 Cheers @bbtkd

Here's the BA Descriptor:

A collab with Forager Brewing. A blend of 33-month-old barrel-aged English Barleywine. After resting in Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, and Willett Rye barrels, we added roasted golden figs and Ecuadorian vanilla bean. These additions unlocked lively fruity tones and deep vanilla layers within an already complex ale.

14.0% ABV; 4.51 overall

Pours an effervescent cola/mahogany color with a pinky of fast-falling mocha colored head. Some head retention & lacing, plenty viscous

S: Hints of barrel, plenty of dark fruit, Whisky sweetness once warm

T: Loads of figs, vanilla, oakyness, treacle & maple syrup up front, leafy hops as well. Maple syrup & honey notes, figs, Whisky, Vanilla & Golden Raisins as this beer warms up. Finishes with oaky dryness, sweet whisky notes, some peppery Rye notes, Maple Syrup, dark fruit & vanilla

MF: Very chewy, low carbonation, pretty warming. Carbonation picks up a tad once warmed up

Decadent, flavorful & too easy to drink despite the Rocket Fuel ABV. Much to love here

 

Welcome to the club

 

A big thanks to @Beersnake for this one..

Firestone Walker - Parapajamas 2024



Notes:
P black, maintains khaki colored ring/foam throughout
N soft med to med, cocoa, cocoa butter, marshmallow, pleasant but not as robust as anticipated, gets bolder as it opens, sweet rich choc, roast, and graham cracker, very nice
T cocoa, graham cracker, vanilla, tasty, but again not quite as bold as expected forvthe style, very little alc presence, a touch of peanut butter as well
Mf velvety smooth, maybe a touch overcarbonated though, light med bodied w/ med high carb
O drinks like a single stout, with that being said, absolutely solid stuff

Cheers!