New Beer Weekend #253

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

I only know a few lines from Shakespeare’s plays and the above is one of them.

What does this line have to do with today’s beer you might ask? Is it a beer brewed with rose water? Nope.

It has to do with how a brewery decides to label a beer and today’s beer is branded as being a “French-Style Pils”. Last year I homebrewed a similar type beer but I decided to label is as “Alsatian Pilsner”:



For the interested student who would like to learn more about this Pilsner sub-style:

https://www.morebeer.com/articles/Alsatian_Pilsner

An extract from the above linked article:

“Last year (2023) I attended a lager beer festival in Philadelphia sponsored by Human Robot Brewery. A brewery from New York, KCBC (Kings County Brewers Collective), served an Alsatian Pilsner they brand as Salü. My strategy at this beer festival was to drink/enjoy a few sips on each pour and dump the rest to help me maintain a certain level of sobriety. But when it came to Salü I lost my discipline and drank the whole mug. It was a very tasty beer and for my palate this beer was the epitome of “drinkability”. I wish there was a better term in English for this since for many beer drinkers they often think of a watery beer like Coors Light or Bud Light when they hear this word. For me, the word drinkability means the beer is so satisfying that when I finish the one beer I really, really want to drink a second one.”

Below is how Notch details their beer on their website:

“FRENCH DISKO

French Pils || 4.5% || Willi Becher

Taste: Spicy hop, fruity malt, clean dry finish

Notes: Inspired by French Pils from the Alsace region of France. French pils malt and corn, single decoction, hopped with French Strisselspalt, lagered forever. Fun fact: 60% of beer consumed in France is brewed in Alsace.”

Let’s see what a French Disko tastes like.

Served in my Polish Pilsner glass:

Appearance:

Straw yellow colored with a BIG white head.

Aroma:

There are subtle hop aromas of floral and herbal/spicy and in the background some biscuity maltiness.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with the combination of floral and herbal/spicy hop flavors but there is something additional here that presents a subtle impression of sweetness (the fruity malt aspect mentioned by the brewery?). There is also some biscuity malt flavor. This beer has a moderate bitterness

Mouthfeel:

Light-medium bodied with a dry finish.

Overall:

I enjoyed drinking this beer, it is very good IMO.

The highlight of this beer for my palate is its drinkability. When I finished drinking this one beer, I desired to drink a second (but I didn’t).

Cheers!

@rotsaruch @RobH @KOP_Beer_OUtlet

 

“I'll go ahead and ask another question this week. HOW do you like to experience a NEW beer? If it's new, do you like to sit in silence and take notes? Do you like to try something new when with friends at a brewery? Perhaps a bottle share? For me, I like the ability to write down some things about the beer so being in a group in public makes this a bit more difficult. However, I also love trying new beers at bottle shares as everyone gets to discuss how they feel and what flavors they are picking out. I know @snaotheus does a great job with his written notes when he is touring the world!”

Ah, another series of interesting questions!

My preference is to enjoy a new beer in a ‘quiet’ environment. For example, at home by myself where I can take notes and construct a discussion about appearance, aroma, taste… (see my above post).

But, of late I have reviewed more new beers on-site at brewery taprooms. This not a ‘quiet’ environment but it has the advantage of a single beer purchase (vs. a 4/6 pack purchase*) and beers on draft at my local craft breweries are in fresh condition (a definite plus).

I will not discuss new beers in a “bottle share” environment since that is just waaaay to distracting for me. I want my discussion of a new beer to be just my palate and thoughts not influenced by others.

Cheers!

*I have some retailers who sell beers as singles but all too often they are high priced (e.g., 4-5 bucks for a single, limited in terms of choices and at some retailers this is where old beer goes to ‘die’.

 

Happy Memorial Day New Beer Weekend and I have lots of new beers to to try out. Thank you @Beersnake for the Gracious welcome to the thread and I must say, for a dude who looks really young, you have Lou Ferrigno beer muscles, worldly experiences , and a half million dollar education (maybe) and a Malibu beach house (I assume- California).
I received 3 boxes this week from over generous BAers and really when they’re good ones, I like to give the spot light to them, if only from my rudimentary appreciative style.
First up is a super Freshy from the Ra- Tee- Da Eastern US Riviera called Cape Cod via @mickyge .


4.33/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Two week old can sent from Cape Cod, this is a beautiful ipa pours golden light yellow murk with a sturdy 2 finger head which which receded to a film with generous lacing. Aroma is citrus, very mild pine , a New England Forrest in spring after a misting of cool and rain, perhaps?! Taste is phenomenal dank peach, stone fruit. Omg fantastic combo of not sweet tropical and some funky dank in the best way. Feel is smacky, light sweet with dank bitter, almost a peppery feel. This is the freshest Trillium I ever had and boy it is awesome! Superb!


Lol everyone knows Trillium , oof, fresh it competes with the best!
Cheers BAs !

 

Next door to Barbie's Beach House!?!



Cheers!

@Beersnake

 

Tasman sun dry hopped pilsner and thanks to @Beersnake for kicking things off.
I personally enjoy a new beer at home when its quite and I can actually take my time to enjoy it
.... semi clear light gold appearance
...medium light carbonation with an almost average body. Carbonation seems to fade fast
...aroma is citrus peel, mildly earthy and floral with a feint amount of cereal in the background
...taste is mild bitter hops that build and linger in the aftertaste which is unfortunate as it pretty much washes out anything else.
...overall,and I know this isn't a popular opinion but they made a weak ipa as far as I can tell instead of a decent pilsner

 

as an educator-adjacent
Learning through play has always been my philosophy

 

That can’t be @Beersnake ’s house. There are only two crates of beer there!?!

Cheers!

 

I appreciate the thoughtful questions in your recent openings, @Beersnake - full stop.

I don't personally have any set criteria, though the situation may affect my level of dissection. I've been lead to believe I can be wordy. Though I feel as my review rate have waned, I've become more succinct.

All that said, the more prominent the release, the more I feel I need to be "in the moment" and review it on its merits without distraction.

I am far from perfect on this ideal.

Okay, so I have to ask - is a thick mouthfeel a good thing? I mean, I almost can't argue, but I also have a part of me who feels the weight of under-attenuated beers.

@JackHorzempa - I generally agree with your thoughts - a "formal" impression can be given whilst out and about. My closest friends realize there may be a time in our outing I am focusing on the beer. Luckily, I am boring enough that my input is not generally needed in these times and I can compose some rudimentary thoughts.

 

Happy New Beer Weekend—extended edition! Hope you all enjoy your Memorial Day weekend. Have to admit, I still don’t understand the rules on when this thread can start. According to NBW posting rules, “Anyone can start this thread after midnight Pacific Time Zone in The Bar every Friday”—which, to me, means this could have been started anytime today, since technically *after midnight* Friday Pacific time means Saturday.

Anyhoo, here we have Field Horse from the Bruery/Terreaux. Quite enjoyable. Review below. Cheers!

4.21/5 rDev +0.5%

look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750mL bottle (no packaging date evident) into a tulip. Pours a clear copper color with a 1-finger head.

Aroma is tart and oaky, somewhat reminiscent of a Flanders oud bruin. Sweet pale and caramel malts, wild yeast, slightly acidic.

Taste is gently sour, more acid, balance by a subtle malty sweetness. Lemon juice. More oak.

Mouthfeel is crisp, body on the light side of medium. Finishes dry. Drinkable.

Overall a refreshing sour/wild/saison.

 

Thanks to @Beersnake for the start this NBW. I prefer to do my reviewing in the same situation, which means at home for me. On rare occasions I will review at a bar or brewery if I can't get the beer to go or I am traveling.

This weekend, I'm starting with a couple of local beers from Summit, the Saga Sensation IPA and Saga Hazy IPA:


Saga Sensation IPA:
Appearance: Clear gold, good head.

Smell: Light candied fruit, light floral note, some citrus later.

Taste: Sweetness up front, then stays with a sweetened citrus body. A hint of breadiness underneath. Medium-light bodied, finishes with the candied citrus.

Overall: From the Saga mixed pack, this is an easy drinking IPA, more like a pale ale with its ABV. Interesting flavor, sweet but not too sweet, and light bodied.

Saga Hazy IPA:
Appearance: Hazy gold, big head.

Smell: Moderate fruit cup aroma.

Taste: Balanced start, then remains on with a mix of mild breadiness and mild citrus bitterness. Not as mealy feeling as many hazies. Medium bodied. Finishes with mild bitterness.

Overall: I'm pretty tired of generic “hazy IPAs”, this one from Summit is fine but nondescript. Doesn't have as much of the mealy mouthfeel that a lot of hazies have to me. It's a decent beer.

The winner tonight is the Sensation IPA, I'm just tired of hazy IPAs.

 

you rated that wrong.
L: 5 ...Black
S: 5...Rye bomb with classic FW paryebola goodness
T: 5.
Mf: 4.25
O : 5

 

This question is intended for @Beersnake but permit me to provide some thoughts.

I am of the opinion that a thick mouthfeel is indeed a "good thing" for certain beer styles, often darker beer styles. In the instance of the OP's beer of Imperial Stout I am of the opinion that a thick mouthfeel is appropriate and more so a "good thing".

I regularly homebrew a clone of Hill Farmstead Everett which is a Robust Porter IMO and I purposefully construct a recipe (ingredients & process) to result in a beer with a high(er) final gravity. The stats for the batch I brewed last fall:

• OG: 1.085
• FG: 1.031

With a final gravity of 1.031 this beer does indeed have a thick mouthfeel; I choose to use the term "chewy" to describe this beer. For my palate this chewy mouthfeel is very much a good thing and compliments the dark malt flavors of of this beer in an appealing way. There is also a subtle aspect of yeast produced flavors from the yeast strain (Windsor yeast) which is in the background but all aspects come nicely together. A situation of "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts".

Cheers to chewy dark beers!!!

 

Cheers @Beersnake for getting us started

Quality reviews from me only happen in solitude without distractions. I do enjoy the atmosphere of a share or going to a bar, but I am not thinking that deeply in those settings. Plus I want to live in those moments for what they are. I can & have done some decent reviews at the bar, but takes a lot more focus for me