New Beer Weekend #253

Sounds like a winner @mactrail, I've been lucky to try several of their beers and they've all been close to stunning; you're lucky to have them.

Love everything about this picture and the best part was after reading sounds like the beer itself was just as good as it looks. We have lots of blue jays in our yard all the time, their a beautiful bird to watch.

 

Thanks for another great and thoughtful opening @Beersnake my post today relates to both your opening this weekend and last...and it is dedicated to @cjgiant ... I try to make an attempt to try new beers mostly only for this thread, if not all I'd be trying is of course Tonewood's new beers this point relating to last weeks post. Now for this week's thread opening, I enjoy having peace and quiet not just for new beers but for all beers. However; my last two Tonewood reviews have both been enjoyed on location, each time I've snuck over for beer to go I've got myself a 10 oz pour to enjoy solo while reviewing on my phone. Despite being around people at the bar I can keep more focused then when at home; doing tasks, or having the TV, etc. I've really enjoyed it, so here is one of those beers enjoyed a few days ago that I save to share.

A new hoppy beer from Tonewood, whose name and description really caught my eye...

I had to look up Woodburn terroir @vurt ...

Local malt, as with many of their beers; kölsch yeast, experimental hop with pine resin mentioned; soft, hoppy, crushable, 4.8% ...um...yes please...

Tonewood - Arbor Grove (Hoppy Kölsch Fermented Ale 4.8%)



Highly opaque; light straw color, bright, white head, nice retention and lacing.

Very vibrant and lively nose, I keep going back for more; hop forward yet delicate; all things citrus with light pine undertones; tangerine and lime, some light berry in the mix, candied fruit.

Taste is mostly hoppy, like the nose; nice delicate and light malt base shows; water cracker, light wheat note; hop character is much more complex and very unique, lots of citrus; undercurrents of peach, or apricot; the mentioned bubble gum note by brewery is 100% there and really different; spritzy lime on the finish.

Light body, highly crisp and clean; this one goes down remarkably nice; bitterness is low but noticeable enough to enhance the finish for me.

This is a hoppy beer I could 100% get behind; given the experimental hop I doubt it returns, but maybe next year, please; it’s super clean and refreshing, would recommend this one and would love in six packs one day, thanks for bringing this one to life Tonewood!

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I believe papa phisher said he brought a beer back from his trip to Charleston to visit my uncle last week so I'm hoping to share that one later this weekend, be well today everyone; oh and have a new beer

 

They are so bloody noisy

 

That is true

 

Prizm Brewing Co. (France) ‘Dreadful Wale’ Imperial Maple Coffee Cake Stout - collab with Brasserie La Debauche and coffee from acclaimed roaster Café Bun Montpellier


Big ole 13% abv American-inspired coffee stout with maple syrup. Pours like a luxurious tar bath with a fine finger of tan froth.
Nose is coffee and chocolate forward, maple syrup and prunes.
Taste follows, with each element making its presence known. Finish is persistent lingering espresso and sticky goo and beautiful alcohol warmth.
Mouth is thick. Chewy like jerky. Gurgles of low carbonation.
Overall, this French collab really hits the mark for this unashamed lover of pastry stout.

So, what does this humble beer bhikku do?
Apologize for digging sickeningly sweet sticky pastry Stout?
No no no. I own it.
I’ll drip honey from the knife right here in front of you.
Have my cake and drink it, too.

Pastry stout, black velvet poured,
A midnight silk, by monks adored.
Frothy crown with whispers sweet,
Molasses, fudge, and toasted wheat.
It lingers slow like stories told
By firelight, dense and dark and bold.
A sugared oath, a candied sin—
Dessert’s revenge, fermented grin.
But honey from a knife, now there’s a bite,
A golden edge, a flash of light.
It drips like truth from sharpened steel,
Sweet pain that tempts but does not kneel.
No velvet robe, no curtain drawn—
It’s sun and sting and something gone.
It hums of bees and blooming strife,
Of flowers cut with rural life.
Pastry stout is velvet gloom,
A lover’s laugh in a smoke-filled room.
Honey on a knife is heat and risk,
A sudden kiss, a final whisk.
Both hold sugar, both seduce—
One is cradle, one is noose.
Sip or taste, you choose your vice:
The heavy dark, or fleeting slice.

 

A work of literature right here…what an amazing post @MadMadMike

 

Pizza Port Journey Ahead

Appearance: Clear yellow, big head.

Smell: Stinky socks, citrus rind, mellows to citrus fruit.

Taste: Mild sweetness, then dry citrus-grapefruit and mild lemon, slight green citrus, cracker-like malt backing. Finishes with dry citrus, very drinkable.

Overall: Another beautiful west coast IPA from Pizza Port. Great balance with enough malt backbone but tons of citrus hop flavor. A winner!

 

First new beer of the weekend was courtesy of @jzeilinger and enjoyed yesterday evening..

Lawson's - Chinooker'd





Notes:
P deep-ish gold w/ a slight chill haze; 1f foamy white head
N med nose of citrus w/ a subtle candy-like character, earthy notes, cannabis
T huge profile, big dank resiny and citrus notes assault the palate in the best way possible, med bold bitter finish that coats and lingers, grapefruit, pine, cannabis, very restrained sweetness, crackery malt supports
Mf light-med bodied with an ariness about it, med to med high carb, perfect for the profile, heavily coating hop cone finish (notable how much so)
O an outstanding no-nonsense hop bomb; thanks again, J

More new beers to come- Cheers, friends!

 

Track Brewing Company (Manchester, England) ‘Aetheria’ Triple Dry Hopped Triple IPA

44 cl can poured into an IPA glass.
Reasonable foam up on yellow-orange hazy brew.
Super fragrant of fruit cocktail; pineapple and mango, orange, lime, grapefruit, passion fruit.
Taste is a bit more mish-mash with all the flavors assaulting the palate at once, not one standing out, yet tasty. Firm bitterness and that 10% abv asserts itself on the finish. Aftertaste is a funkasaurus, which I appreciate. Sweetness is kept in check.
Mouthfeel is dead on for the NEIPA style, and there is low carbonation.
Overall, it’s kinda like a NutraBullet fruit salad strained and fermented. Good stuff.

 

That beer is at the pinnacle of IPA, nice work @jzeilinger

 

You are a true poet!
Nicely done!

 

3 Sheeps Brewing Top Shelf Collaborations Intramural. The Wolf barrel-aged imperial stout aged in a 1792 Bourbon single-barrel bourbon barrel. 13.5% ABV. There were an extremely limited amount of cans available for this release. I was the first in line on Black Friday for this release, and it was gone almost right away. This is a good day to experience it. The look is deep black. The foam evaporated immediately. The smell lead with caramel and marshmallow, almost sweet, but it transcends into milk chocolate, then finishes with a light bourbon breeze. The taste strong with bourbon. The normal milk chocolate flavor of The Wolf is minimal. There is some caramel and marshmallow flavor, but this tastes mostly like pure bourbon. The mouthfeel is thin and oily. It is not silky and smooth like The Wolf. Overall, this is my least favorite The Wold release. The bourbon barrel overwhelmed The Wolf's strengths. It is probably for the best that there was a very limited supply of this release, when there are so many other incredible versions of The Wolf.

 

Entertaining kids and grandkids this holiday weekend. This is another nice beer from La Cumbre.
The beer is a clear gold color with a small white head. There is just a hint of lace.
Aroma of citrus and pine.
Citrus taste up front: grapefruit, orange, and lime. Pine at the end.
Medium-bodied, drinks well.



You can just barely make out one of our dogs in the background between the can and the glass.
Here he is frontal view

 

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass canned on 5/07/25. Pours a very attractive hazy yellow with a finger sticky white head that leaves thick streaks of lace with excellent retention. 4.5

Aroma is peach, passionfruit, papaya, pineapple, tangerine, and apricot. 4.5

Taste follows peach, papaya, passionfruit, pineapple, tangerine, and apricot. 4.5

Mouthfeel is above average, soft gentle carbonation, not sticky or dry, and at 7.5% massive flavor, but easy going down. 4.75

Overall this one with Citra, Strata, Rakua, Euphorics, and Peachy Keen hops exceeded my expectations. 4.5 Cheers all.

 

Maisels Weisse Hefeweizen bier



3.92/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brewers notes: bright reddish amber color and choice yeast from home-grown cultures, endow Maisel’s Weisse Original with its unique character.

Pours like a hazy Arnold Palmer with a fluffy three finger white head that slowly fades .

Aroma is of malty , cloves, banana

Taste is lemony citrus with spicy yeast , tangy lemon finish

Smooth , crisp and clean mouthfeel
Good beer paired with a Wiener schnitzel

 

It was pretty good. It was a can I picked up from my tour of East Toronto breweries earlier this month. I have another one from Avling, a Vienna Lager. Review upcoming.

 

Heller Bock from Rorschach Brewing Co.

Poured a 473ml can into a pint glass. A two finger light tan head on a hazy dark gold. The head diminishes to a layer. Some patchy lacing.

Mild malt smells. Tastes of bready malts up front. Very slight caramel as it warms. Sweet. A long but very light hop finish.

Very smooth. A medium light body. Light carbonation. Overall an outstanding Maibock. Smooth and well balanced. Well worth a try.

4.19/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

 

The Veil Brewing Company CHILL B-DAY DDH hazy DIPA

8 % ABV. The brewery says "It’s a double dry-hopped DIPA brewed with Citra, Galaxy, Enigma, Mosaic, Motueka, El Dorado, Simcoe, Wakatu, and Nelson!"



The Nelson and Galaxy seemed most prominent. I liked the hop flavors and mouthfeel. Happy to have Veil beers available here.
4.46/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

 

Thanks for kicking us off again @Beersnake and for the discussion prompt. I prefer trying new beers with family and friends, but that's not conducive to BA reviews. To put together a review and NBW post, I like solitude and quiet so I can spend 30-40 min to focus on the beer (and struggle through typing on my phone).

Which is exactly what I've done with today's new beer. Hopefully the first of 2-3 new ones this weekend.

Jack's Abby Extra Layer
6.0% Bock? Munich Dunkel? Winter Fest Lager?



Pours amber with a three-finger light tan head that lingers for a bit.

Big caramel, toffee, molasses right off the pour with hints of brown bread and a bit of pepper.

On the palate, there's great balance and structure with sweet malts coming through first: again its caramel, toffee, and molasses. Then there is a deeper base with brown bread, toast, and lightly roasted grain. Nearing the finish earthy hops come through, fully grounding the experience. And that's all straight off a cold pour. As it warms, everything seems to bloom and the flavors meld together nicely, like a well-simmered sauce.

Feels like just slightly more lively carb than some other JA offerings, leading to some prickles on the palate. Medium body sits just right for this one--neither too thin nor too heavy.

Overall, a really good beer and a fine replacement for the winter seasonal.

 

Woodgrain Barrel Aged Mocha Oatmeal Stout, 8.7% ABV. Pours thick and black, with no head by the time it reached the table. Aroma is a real nice bourbon, malt, and cocoa. Taste is bourbon though no burn, mocha, no sweetness, moderately bitter. Smooth and thick mouthfeel, overall excellent.

4.09/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4