New Beer Weekend #260

A battle of the Auto Plex Pilsners, and this one is below my Neon Desert Brewing selection, though I’m not surprised.

CraftHaus Czech Plz

3.1/5 rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3



7/12/25 - (CraftHaus Brewery) (Henderson, Nevada) Brewery Notes: $8.40 with tax 16oz draft pour, 5.4% ABV, 40 IBU.

Appearance: 16 oz draft in a large mugyields a golden yellow crystal clear base, white head leaves thin cover over base and faint soapy lacing. Light sustained carbonation. 4.0

Aroma: Faint bread cracker after a few futile attempts. 2.75

Taste: Bread and salt with light pepper, slightly stronger than the aroma but still light. 3.25

Mouthfeel: Faint carbonation, drinks at or below the 5.0% ABV. Sweet, the higher IBU not felt or tasted. Cracker light salt stat to finish. 3.0

Overall: This is a OK light and easy Pilsner offering, could have used more flavor. Likely pass on future pours. 3.0

 

I happened upon cans of the fresh hop version when we were in Seattle a few years back for a wedding. I still remember how delicious it was!

 

Out bar hopping this afternoon, and had a few new beers.

First up...

Weltenburger Kloster Helle Weisse...as I just abbreviate...Hefe at 5.4% ABV



Pours with a slight haze, but that clears up in a minute. A small white head with little lace is left behind.
Banana esters and cereal grains in the nose. That is it, the classic beats and to he point but a bit uninspired...for lack of a better way to put it.
Taste wise, banana esters up front, and cereal grains. This has more of an apple/peach ester character as well. So in that sense, a bit more unique. Still fairly light overall.
The lightness carries through. Moderate carbonation, and should have a fuller, creamier feel for the style. Saying all that, its not bad at all. I can drink this again, even if it is not my favorite for the style.

Not bad at all, but basically right down the middle. I find these kinds of reviews the most difficult to write, as there is nothing wrong here. Though it doesn't pop and hit with me like other examples of the style. Perfectly fine, just not my among the tip tier IMO.

Overall score is 3.63...solid B

 

All right, I am home, and time for round 2

Green City Festival [Green Version] - Other Half Brewing - Brooklyn, NY - Imperial IPA - 8.5%

I am really enjoying the feel and flavor of this beer. Melon, mango, pineapple and a nice earthy flavor. Tasty.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33510/749252/
3.98/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
From a 16oz can. Canned on 05/27/2025

This beer is quite murky and hazy looking. It has a thick look to it and is a nice pale gold color. There's a nice 3 finger fluffy looking white head to this beer. The head retention is quite decent, and the lacing on the glass looks quite good.
The aroma is dominated by the hops. Decent tropical hop nose. Some pineapple and orange notes. Hint of earthiness to the aroma.
Taste - The flavor starts out very earthy from the hops. This grassy earthy flavor does change up to go tropical. I am getting some sweet mango in the flavor. There's some melon notes. There''s a touch of pineapple in the flavor. Just a touch of bitterness on the backside.
Very nice body. Very good depth and fullness. Smooth feeling. The hops linger, and I like the hop burps.
When I get the chance to try a good IPA, I am happy, and this is a good one for sure.

Be back later for more probably.

 

Next up is 512 West Coast IPA, with Eureka!, Amarillo, and Nectaron hops. 6.5% ABV.



Pours a clear golden yellow color. A white head forms with good retention and lace left behind.
Aroma of ripe grapefruit, and general citrus peel. Very aromatic, if not the most complex hoppy character, but that is not needed here.
Taste wise, like the nose, that grapefruit is up front and center. Its like biting into the fleshy fruit, and I love it. Bitterness starts off manageable, but builds and lingers on. This is great.
A medium body with crisp carbonation. Finishes clean and dry. Which all leads to a very nice IPA. I can come back to this easily.

Yeah, classic West Coast IPA here. Its like unsweetened grapefruit, with a great drying bitter finish. Really well done, and hope I can find a packaged version of this, as I have only seen in on tap.

Overall score is 4.18 ,easy A-
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/17863/746839/?ba=champ103#lists

 

Last up for me...

True Anomaly Stray Light Kolsch, 5.2% ABV



Pours a clear pale yellow color. A small white head forms and recedes to a ring. Light lace left behind.
An almost neutral aroma. Some light cereal grains, and a bit of mineral sulfur like aroma.
Taste wise, much different here, and more nuanced. Again a light cereal grain, but almost toasted malt like character. There is a fruity grape like flavor, which comes across as very light esters. The bare minimum of bitterness lingers.
A light body with crisp carbonation, and finished clean. Yeah, I can have a few of these. Very easy to drink.

Aroma wise, I wasn't impressed, but this ended up being a very nuanced version of a Kolsch. I like it, and definitely recommend.

Overall score is 3.75, which actually seems a little low for my enjoyment. Maybe the aroma just needed a bit more to it...but oh well, that won't keep me from drinking this more often. bordering on a B+
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/55586/754141/?ba=champ103#lists

 

The Calgary whirlwind one-day stop is in the books and now we have settled into the Panorama Ski Resort in southeastern British Columbia, roughly just over 3 hours from Calgary. We did a lot of driving today to scope out the region. Contemplated taking a shuttle to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake in Banff National Park but just too many people. We will save it for a rainy day with the hope this chases away a few fair-weathered tourists.

Shout out to @Beersnake for steering me to the Co-op in Kensington which is situated in the lovely city of Calgary.

4.27/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a 750 waxed bottle from the Co-op Kensington store cold beer room on 7-11-25 for $22.99 CAD. This is the 5th Anniversary brew for Cabin released around 12-1-23 (per Untappd ratings).

Beer poured dark gold with a very nice white head that has some hang time.

Nose gives me a light touch of pear and not much else.

Taste is fantastic as the base beer characteristics mimics the cousins from across the pond. Between the yeast esters and the brandy and wine barrels, a ton of pear and apple is imparted. Pear brandy liqueur comes thru nicely in the post sip aspirations and keeps the sweetness well balanced.

Mouthfeel is super as this large beer is so very light bodied with each sip dancing its way across the palate.

Overall, what a gem! Such a nice change from the typical stout and Barleywine BA brews, glad i took a chance!
Cheers!
Tom

 

He was not there Friday morning, just a younger lady was running the register. Is the gentleman on BA?

 

One more tonight, and I have to thank @cheeseheadinMinneapolis for it.

Barrel Aged New Quad On The Block - Explorium Brewpub - Greendale, WI - Quad - 11%

Well, I really love how this beer looks and smells. Such amazing aroma. The taste is another matter. The flavors that I would expect are weak and muddled, and I don't think it is from age. There's a harsh burn to this beer from the ABV. My overall is good, but only because the first 2 metrics were very good. I am thankful I got to try it, but it is not a good beer.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/48260/754150/
3.46/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
From a 16oz can. Canned on 10/10/2023

Upon opening the can, before pouring, it did gush up a bit, but not over the rim of the can. The color out of the can, into the glass is cola colored. Very murky looking and dark. There's a 1/2 finger tan head to the beer with ok retention for the ABV. There's no lacing on the glass.
Wow, the aroma is complex, and smells amazing. So much going on here, and I won't do justice to it. So much dark fruit hits my nose. Tons of caramel and toffee. Vanilla and an oak vibe here.
Taste - Well, I am sad to day, the flavor is a mere shadow of the nose. I'd rather it be the other way. I am getting hints of dark fruit, caramel, and toffee, but not like the nose let on. There's some hints of chocolate. The flavors seem kind of muddled. There's hints of the barrel with some vanilla and oak. but faint and muddled with the rest.
This beer doesn't have a good feeling to it. It is bubbly (which I didn't see at all in the pour). It has a harsh alcohol burn to it that isn't warming.
Wow! this beer looked and smelled amazing. Too bad it really fell off from there, and I don't think it is from age.

I am not sure I'll finish this beer. If I do not, I may be back for another try tonight. Cheers all my fellow bar patrons.

 

Good evening NBW crew. A pleasant Saturday outside. Unfortunately spent most of the morning in the basement trying to get our solar panel system to reconnect to the interwebs. All of a sudden our router apparently has a weak signal where the gateway is. Mind you it's worked flawlessly for ten years...suddenly can't connect? Metering still works fine, just not uploading data. In an 1860's vintage house the basement is an adventure. I think spiders have evolved an intelligent society down there.

So...in the glass:



OEC Brewing Rubeus - a 7.5% oak-aged sour. Flanders Red here in BA Land. It was "slow-aged" in Sangiovese and Tawny Port barrels. My wife poached the one I had planned for last week so we literally found the last bottle the shop had today - buried behind a pile of IPA's.

Pours a gorgeous mahogany color with a huge tan head. The head actually lasts a few minutes before falling to a pretty thick cap. Clings really nicely. It's a looker!

Smell is fruity and a little funky. Plums, cherry, vinous, sour and a bit sweet. A little crusty bread, Caramel, oaky vanilla, earthy. Can definitely smell a red wine and port combo.

Taste leads sour and while bracing its not overpowering. It's got the funky sour from the fermentation and it's got a bit of fruit sourness as well. Quite a nice maltiness - crusty bread and toast. Then it's a fruit fun factory. Plum, wine grapes, cherry, apple. A caramel sweetness creeps in. I get a lot of lighter fruitiness - like berries and pears. There's a couple of wine notes - a light red wine and a heavier port note towards the finish. Oak is pretty clear and carries just a hint of vanilla. There's a little peppery spice in the aftertaste. I swear for a second I get a little fleeting taste of chocolate...

Feel is medium leaning towards a full body. Fairly highly carbonated. Slightly astringent. Finishes dry and oaky with a little spicy kick.

This is a gem in my mind. It's a smooth melange of a lot of flavors. It's got body yet its bright. The flavors all work together and the assertive sour is held in check. It's hitting a lot of happy places - thinking 4.25 or so.

 

Greetings, New Beer People! I am not really a fan of hazy IPAs, but this one just knocked my socks off:



Fort George 3-Way IPA 2025 (Hazy version)

Collaboration with Mirage Brewing (Seattle, WA) and Sunriver Brewing (Bend, OR). 16-ounce can purchased at Winco Foods in Hillsboro, OR. Date stamp reads "06/16/25 THINGS ARE A BIT HAZY". Enjoyed in a glass from the Fort George Lupulin Ecstasy Festival.

Look:
The golden orange body is very hazy but stops short of opaque. The tall, rocky head of clean white foam quickly retreats to a sudsy ring and a patchy surface. It leaves exquisite lacing.

Smell:
The nose starts with loads of tangerines and grapefruit peel. Underneath all that citrus is a good hit of pine and notes of blueberries, mango, and a little diesel.

Taste:
Leads with an abundance of sweet tangerine flavor boosted with a splash of pink grapefruit and a slug of peach. The beer dries out through the middle to make way for a bit of toasty malt and a good dose of pine. The finish is long and tangy, with excellent bitterness. A little sweet pineapple and alcohol flavor join the mix in the aftertaste. Unlike most hazy IPAs, the flavors are strong from start to finish. Great stuff.

Feel:
Medium-bodied with soft texture and a nice rounded feel. Not too filling.

Overall:
Almost all of the hazies I've ever tried smelled a lot better than they tasted, and most of the time the flavor gave out halfway between the sip and the swallow. But not this one. Hazy 3-Way IPA 2025 smells great and tastes even better, and the flavor is strong all the way through. The body is smooth but not too heavy. The hops have bite but no burn. While I really enjoyed this year's WCIPA version of 3-Way, I think this hazy version is even better.

And it yields superb hop burps. Outstanding.

 

Stout Imperiale from Les Trois Mousquetaires in Canada. Stellar imperial stout!!
4.25/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
2025 vintage. Poured into a small mead snifter.

A: Dark dark brown with light brown edges and rim of beige with no lacing.

S: Aroma is light-medium intensity with dark caramel, tobacco, dark chocolate, pecan nuttiness, leather earthiness, and medium roast without ashiness.

T: Flavor is a step up from the aroma and favors the sweeter side of the style with a lot of medium and darker caramel throughout and especially in the finish. Also plenty of dark chocolate with some spikes of herbal leafy tea notes. Roast malt edge in the finish with more of the chocolate, nuttiness, and caramel notes. Bitterness is moderate and the alcohol adds sweetness.

M: Feel is good for the style with medium-full body and sharp finish without astringency.

O: Les Trois Mousquetaires Stout Imperiale is an excellent version of the style with classic notes of dark chocolate, dark caramel, and roastiness is all in good balance. Very enjoyable - may need to grab another one of these before they are gone not to be seen again for a long time.

 

Good evening all, after the complete disaster at the Denver International Airport due to weather I decided to cut my losses and come home. Where a half ton of beer sent to me by @Ozzylizard was waiting. And since I haven’t had a stout in a couple days, I grabbed one I’ve wanted to try since I saw it posted here a couple months ago.
The name is intriguing, “Future You Hates You”
Turns out there are a few variations on the name, this one is Ghost Hate.

The pour is sark, stout black and then some. The short head is chocolate brown, and that’s not an exaggeration. My phone doesn’t represent the colors well darn it. No lacing, but for a 14% stout, no surprise.
The taste is dark fruit, chocolate, coffee and just a little bitterness . Less than expected actually.
The feel is smooth and viscous. Has to have some body to carry all the flavors.
OA, I really, really enjoyed it, just not quite the ideal RIS. Too smooth. Curious that’s a thing.

 

Trying some (more) new to me Canadian brews tonight - “Fat Tug” IPA by Drift Wood Brewery, Victoria, BC:



Deep gold; excellent clarity; two fingers of fluffy white foam; streaming carbonation; excellent cap retention; heavy ring and lace. Lemon hop nose. Bitter lemon grass; firm malt base. Medium light body; moderate carbonation; no astringency. An excellent IPA with a pleasant bitter linger.

4.5 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4.5 | 4.25
Score: 4.29 rDev +0.9%

I would gladly buy/drink this IPA again. Cheers y’all!

 

Next up, a local, Lumberjack DIPA by Barn Hammer Brewing Company, Winnipeg, MB:



Deep gold with excellent clarity; one finger of fluffy white foam; very good cap retention; heavy ring with bands of sticky lacing. Orange zest nose. Taste is bitter orange peel; firm malt base. Medium light body; moderate minus carbonation. Overall, a solid IPA with a little orange marmalade in the finish; nice balance of malt base and bitter hops.

4.25 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.25 | 4.0
Score: 4.04 rDev 0 I added beer to database

A tasty IPA that I could drink again and again.