New Beer Weekend #251

Hey nice, I had that one in 2020. Pretty sure I got it from Tavour. They don't ship to NC so I am no longer eligible to get their monthly beer shipments. I was spending a shit ton on beer that year though, I am going to clean out the cellar first

Happy Mothers Day NBS. Need to call my mom when she is free. I slept all day after being exhausted from work all week. Woke up at 630 PM lol. Supposed to rain all week so it'll be a wet work week Probably going to just get cookout late for dinner lol.

Great Lakes Juicy Vibacious. BB 10/26/24, found at a gas station in Columbus. Fantastic head retention and lacing on the glass. Fairly hazy/cloudy. Aromas of big lemon, lime, orange juice, mango, honeydew melon, passion fruit, papaya, citrus peel/zest, wheat, white bread, light herbal/floral/grass. Very vibrant and juicy citrus/hop aromas. Taste follows with big lemon, lime, orange juice, red grapefruit, peach, pineapple, mango, honeydew melon, passion fruit, papaya, citrus peel/zest, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, white bread, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light-medium pine, citrus rind, herbal, spicy bitter finish. Medium-plus carbonation and body; balanced creamy/bready malt and sticky/fairly resinous hop mouthfeel. Lingering resin dryness with no hop astringency. Mild increasing warmth of 9.5%, no hop burn after the finish. Outstanding Cashmere/Citra hop profile with tons of citrus juice vibrancy. This tastes strikingly similar to Voodoo Ranger juice force in flavor and mouthfeel. Big fan, very smooth and soft for the style and ABV. 4.24/5


Cheers

 

From @bbtkd via the NBW Imperial Stout/Barleywine BIF#2 LIF

Fair State Brewing Cooperative 10 Imperial Stout. 12.5% ABV; 3.91overall

Pours an effervescent chestnut/mahogany with a thumb of mocha colored head. Below average head retention & lacing

S: Dark fruit, a little smokiness, a little iron. Brandy notes figs & prunes once warmed up

T: Follows the nose, dark cherry & dark chocolate & smokey notes up front. Subtle maple notes comes out once warmed up a bit, more dark cherry, leafy hops, molasses, chocolate prunes & figs. Finishes with molasses, a little chocolate, leafy hops & dark cherry some smokey & leather notes

MF: Fairly chewy, low carbonation. Carbonation picked up a little as this warmed up, doesn't really push the flavor along

Fantastic drinkability for the style & the heft in the perfect size format. Solid offering, better carbonation would've helped

 

Abuden Limited (2024) - Kaoru Albariño, 5% abv something or other...
Google translate on the back label yields:
Yuden Beer Fragrant Albarino
Product: Low-malt beer (malt content 50% or more)
Ingredients Barley malt (made in Germany), grapes (produced in Tochigi City), barley (produced in Tochigi City) hops, miso/ Carbonated water contents 350ml Alcohol content 5% Storage method: Store at 5C or below. Best before date: Shown on the bottom of the can. Manufacturer: Yuden Miso Co.

If I remember correctly, I picked this up two trips to Japan ago, in Utsunomiya. Untappd lists it as a fruit beer.


Pours clear, light brassy yellow, with a small to nonexistent head. Moderate active carbonation. Smell is funky yeast, lime or vague citrus, grain, maybe something along the lines of grape must.

Taste is maybe slightly more green grape and lime forward than grain. There's an earthy character to it as well. Yeasty / breadiness isn't quite lost, but it's more grain husk.

Mouthfeel is very light, very dry, very effervescent. Overall...well...it's odd. I think I like it. Not sure if I should add it to the database, but I guess I should. I'll see if I can find the brewery info somewhere...

 

I didn't realize that Bend Brewing Co. had been around for 30 years until I picked up this 30th Anniversary IPA today.

To quote Terry Tate, Office Linebacker, "That's old school, baby! Hoooo!"



This 30th Anniversary IPA has a rich golden color capped with a loose head of chalk white foam that displays low retention but leaves large blotches of lacing. The nose is full of ripe mango (complete with layers of tropical funk), pears, and an almost metallic burst of citrus.. The flavor is largely the same, leading with slightly overripe mango followed by bright bursts of lemon pith and lime peel on a foundation of lightly toasted malt. There's a gush of sweetness up front, but it fades into tangy citrus through the middle. The finish is tropical fruit cocktail and juicy pears with a breath of watermelon on top of moderate sweetness and low bitterness.

This is an IPA which is thoroughly modern, and amply displays the kind of brewing skill earned over decades of great beers.

 

2SP - St. Seditious English barleywine

12oz can served in a tulip. Can is not dated, as far as I can tell. @DIM sent it to me in Stout/Barleywine BIF #2.

Pours murky brown, small head, slow layer of dense head arrives late and leaves early. Smell is oaky, dates, a little toffee and caramel, maybe some nuts. Lots of wood.

Taste is leans into the wood and earthy bitterness side of barleywine -- not sure I would pick this out as English based on the flavor. It's woody / earthy bitter like Bigfoot, but not pine resin bitter like Bigfoot. Moderate date and toffee sweetness.

Mouthfeel is maybe a bit on the thin side of medium. Nice, interesting, multi-dimensional. I like it.