New Beer Weekend #264

I'll jump in on a Friday evening for a change. Last day in Windham, ME before heading about 90 minutes northish to Liberty. The grandson will be going home so us elders can maybe get some relaxation. Small pond, no power boats. If you hear two vehicles on the road at night it's a traffic jam!

Go to Maine to try a Connecticut beer:



OEC Brewing Saturnalia- their take on a Belgian quad the short version is its a good one, pretty true to style.

Looks brown in the glass but more or a garnet color when held to the light. Short beige foam head falls to a few scant bubbles at the rim. Liquid coats the glass nicely.

Smells fruity - kind of red grape, dark cherry, figs, plums with a sweet bready malt. I think I smell Belgian candi sugar and a little molasses. Nice esters as it warms. A very faint peppery spice.

The taste is a nice, smooth blend. No jagged edges here. It does come on sweet but not sticky or syrupy. Dark fruits (like all of them) dark sweet and bready malts. Its fairly earthy. The toffee/molasses taste is pretty pleasant. Offset by that very light peppery finish. Not getting any bitterness to speak of and there's just a hint of alcohol but a pleasing warmth. I'm getting a tea flavor - interesting.

Feel is medium- bodied, low carbonation, sweet residue but not overly sticky.

A pretty good representation of the style. No reinventing of the wheel here, but a very good drinking beer. I have it a little north of 4.1.

 

Hey there, hi there, ho there...thanks for starting this, I have been wanting to post these reviews from yesterday...as I took Friday off, these are my first weekend beers

Had a couple of new IPA's at Saint Arnold Brewing this week.

They have a new year round offering...

Cold IPA, 6.3% ABV



Pours a clear golden/yellow color with a white head that forms. Good retention and lace left behind.
The nose is citrus, tropical, a light pine hoppy character. I wish it was a bit more aromatic, but all the typical IPA character is there.
Taste wise, follows the nose with the citrus, sweet tropical fruity, dankness, resin/woody and pine. With some bitterness lingering.
A medium body and crisp carbonation. The woody/resin, chewiness makes it slightly less "clean" for me. Not hard to drink at all. This is nice to come back to.

Maybe because this is my first so called "Cold IPA" and I don't really know what to expect. Its perfectly fine, and well made for what it wants to be...which is just another type of IPA. Again, don't get me wrong, it is very good, and I'm probably being a little to critical for my own good. So don't pay too much attention to my overall score here, which I would assume will go up if I try it again. Cause everything Saint Arnold makes is solid.

Overall score is 3.66, which honestly I'm almost sure to upgrade after another try...as is always the case with Saint Arnold, they have a tendency to just make quality beers that grows on you the more you have them. Which, to me, says a lot.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/337/757153/?ba=champ103#lists

Next up, another IPA.

Karaoke Bus, 6.1% ABV

From the brewery:
A collaboration with Pinthouse Pizza & Brewing in Austin. This West Coast IPA inspired beer highlights our shared love of Simcoe, combined with whole leaf Mosaic and Eclipse.



Pours a brilliantly clear golden yellow color. A two finger white head forms with excellent retention and lace left behind.
Aroma is citrus, grapefruit, dankness, pine resin. Very classic, aromatic, and spot on.
Taste wise, again, follows the nose with the citrus, grapefruit, and berry flavors coming through more. Dank, pine resin, and intense bitterness lingering on. Oh, I like this a lot.
A medium body that is crisp and effervescent. Finishes wonderfully dry, and really easy to drink. I can come back to this a lot.

This is the kind of IPA I wish more breweries would make. A classic West Coast style, with lots of character, and intensity of flavor. Though still somehow balanced and enjoyable enough to want to come back again and again. Well done.

Overall score is 4.19, easy A- for me.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/337/757396/?ba=champ103#lists

I enjoyed both of these at the brewery, while reading this great book by Percival Everett...James. It is a re-imagining of Huck Finn, but through Jim's eyes. Its really well done.

 

It’s Electric!

Does the above motivate you to do some line dancing!?!

Today’s new beer is Fegley’s Electric Liquid which they market as being a New Zealand Pilsner.

“Electric Liquid

Fegley's Brew Works

Pilsner - New Zealand

5.3% ABV

Brewed with 100% Pilsner malt and hopped exclusively with fresh Motueka from Freestyle Hops. This lager presents a crisp malt profile, unobtrusive fermentation character, and vibrant notes of limeade, soft piña colada, and hints of lime margarita gummies. Light-bodied, delicately bitter, and refreshingly bright on the finish.”

I drank this beer while attending Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA. This annual event started a week ago (Thursday July 31st) and it ends this Sunday (August 10th). For folks unfamiliar with this annual event:

“Musikfest is an American music festival that has been held annually since 1984 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. It is the nation's largest non-gated free music festival.[1] The festival begins on the first Friday in August, though it has been preceded since 2015 with a Thursday preview night involving the premium stage and adjacent areas. The festival ends the second Sunday thereafter.

Musikfest draws thousands of visitors to Bethlehem from around the nation and world in a celebration that weaves through a Moravian community that dates back to 1741. Festival visitors are treated to hundreds of free shows with great genre variety over the course of the event. Each night, the festival's premium stage, Steel Stage, formerly known as RiverPlace and Kunstplatz, hosts a nationally known recording artist. These premium concerts, along with select shows at other stages, require paid tickets to gain admission.

Musikfest is rooted in the Bethlehem area's German roots, and most of the festival's venues use Platz, the German word for place or square, at the end of their names. A popular place for eating and listening to music, for example, is the large "Festplatz", which includes 300 dining tables, and usually features a polka band each night. Beyond that, however, Musikfest's music, food, and other attractions represent a broad range of cultures.”

Here is a photo of a band playing at the Liederplatz, which reminds me of a beer garden with lots of picnic tables under larger trees providing shade:



My wife ‘reminded’ me that this year’s event is our 20th anniversary of coming to Musikfest (we did miss a couple/few years during the Covid shutdown).

From a beer drinking perspective, the ‘thing to do’ is to get draft beer (at a large number of venues) in your Musikfest Mug (see photo below). These are large mugs (contains 20+ ounces of beer) and are insulated to keep the beer cold. Obviously, you can’t see the beer in these opaque glasses but I have on hand a homebrewed IPA which features Motueka hops that was brewed using 100% Pilsner Malt to provide some visual context.

Appearance:

Golden yellow colored with a BIG white head. <- the appearance of my homebrewed Motueka IPA.

Aroma:

Vibrant aromas, predominantly tropical fruits but also some stone fruits as well. There is citrus (e.g., lime zest) as well. And also some floral. A very complex array of enticing aromas.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with mostly tropical fruits but there is some stone fruit flavors, lime zest, and floral; a pleasing combination for my palate. A subtle malty breadiness. There is a moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Medium bodied with a dry finish.

Overall:

This beer is very good – excellent! After I finished this beer, I wanted another and I did drink it again later in the day.

Cheers!

@rotsaruch @RobH @KOP_Beer_OUtlet

 

Thanks for getting the weekend party started @Victory_Sabre1973!
I have a barrel aged beer tonight, not a stout but one I really never expected to see.

One of the many beers sent to me by @Ozzylizard - and one I have a challenging time describing as I very rarely drink Old Ales at all.
So here goes - the pour is iced tea brown with shades of orange and a 3cm beige head which, for a barrel aged beer, left great lacing.
The taste is, well, all malt driven. Very mild notes of white bread and some wheat. I looked for barrel accents but didn’t find them.
The feel is lightly viscous, good for the flavor and ABV. Rather easy sipping beer.
OA, I really enjoyed trying this one, thank you Bob!

 

Happy weekend! Thanks @Victory_Sabre1973 for tapping this thread. I enjoy this new to me brew. Glad I got a 4pk.
Junkyard The Bonnie Situation HIPA 6.7%
4.02/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
16 oz can canned 7/30/25 into a nonick pint glass.
L: Pours pure hazed dark yellow gold with a 1/4" domed off white head, light steady carbo, head recedes to frothy skin, medium moderate spooky lacing.
S: Grapefruit, melon, berries, caramel candy.
T: lightly sweet, peach, melon, yeast, oats, a solid resinous pine note in the lingering finish. A blend of citrus, no trace of ABV.
F: Soft, mainly juicy medium bodied mouthfeel with a lightly pillowy center and a slightly long medium dry finish.
O: Fairly bright tasting and a bit lighter than many in the style and at 6.7% ABV. Very pleasing and easy to drink with no harshness. It is very good in its style.

 

Happy NBW all! From this afternoon, here’s Midnight Bramble—I see what they were going for here but this was not a favorite. Anyway, here’s my review. Cheers!
_________________
3.83/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

375mL bottle (2024 vintage) into a tulip. Pours a dark blackish brown with a half-finger khaki head.

Aroma is roasty and bitter, with mostly notes of dark chocolate and coffee.

Taste leads off with a powerful fruity, slightly tart sweetness—presumably the boysenberries—layered on top of chocolatey dark malt. There’s a tug of war going on here between the sweet and the bitter and the sweet seems to be winning. Im not sure these flavors are complementing each other all that well and this beer is reminding me somewhat of these syrupy cordial cherries my grandma used to give me when I was a kid—not my favorite. I’m not really getting any bourbon or oak char as it seems to be hidden behind the berries.

Mouthfeel is medium-heavy and a bit sticky. The flavor lingers on the palate and leaves a warm, sticky sensation down the gullet.

Overall this is an interesting beer but maybe not one I’d choose to come back to.

 

Angry Eric bourbon barrel brown ale
...a very dark brownish,mohagany appearance
...medium light carbonation with a slightly above average body
...aroma is oak,boozy, dark fruit, toffee and some bourbon
...taste is oak,dark fruit and comes off dry. The dark fruit comes of a bit sour and builds in the aftertaste
... very interesting well done beer

 

Lion Stout from Lion Brewery

From a 473ml can marked "BB March 2026". Poured into a pint glass. A two finger fine light brown head on black. the head soon diminishes to a layer. Sheets of light brown lacing.

Coffee and strong roasted malts in the nose. The taste follows the nose. Earthy roasted malts. Dark chocolate. The fairly high ABV is subdued but slightly warming. A dry finish.

A medium body and good carbonation. A creamy texture. Overall a fine Export Stout. True to the style and a nice blend of dark malts. A sipper.

3.92/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

 

3sheep the wolf imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels
...solid black appearance with almost no head
...light carbonation with a thick creamy full body
...aroma is bourbon, mild wood, malt, with some dark fruit. What stands out is how distinct each part is,not rough or overpowering but super smooth.
...taste actually has some sweetness but is quickly replaced by some alcohol burn, boozy, malt and molasses.
...this is about as good as it gets for this type of beer. I am in debt to @Blogjackets

 

Hello All.
Great start to the day courtesy of @russpowell
Orange Whoops

4.18/5 rDev +11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
I am rating this on what the brewers were going for, A DIPA take on an orange creamsicle.
Very fluffy head on top of a murky swirl. Good retention, clumpy lacing.
Nose explodes with creamy citrus zest. Orange, tangerine, and a dose of vanilla cream.
Flavor follow the nose. Fully committed to concept. Creamy and sweet with a lush, pulpy whipped orange flavor.
Mouthfeel is medium heft, creamy and fluffy.
Overall this is killer. Could I drink it daily? Probably not. But definitely nailed it.

 

Love the Angus inspired label.

 

Thanks for the kickoff @Victory_Sabre1973 , and enjoyed your and the other Friday reviews. Have two Hop Butcher For The World selections purchased in late Spring to close out my hoppy new beers on hand. This selection is of the modern variety, and like most of this brewery’s selections I am enjoying and recommend with confidence.

Hop Butcher For The World Aspect Of Gemini

4.16/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25



8/9/25 - (Home) (Chicago. Illinois) Can Notes: Purchased a single 16 oz can at Beer on the Wall store temperature on 5/22/25 for $4.55 including tax, refrigerated until opening this morning. Canned 5/19/25 @ 9:44:50 AM, can stamp Gemini HOF: Marilyn Monroe. 8.0% ABV Mosaic & Peacharine-Hopped Double India Pale Ale. Tasting notes: Bright Tropical, Fresh Lime Juice, Candied Peach Rings. Artwork by Dan Grzeca. Brewed and canned by Hop Butcher For The World in Chicago, Illinois and Bedford Park, Illinois.

Appearance: Poured about 2/3 of the can into a Hop Butcher For The World Teku glass, yielding a murky orange yellow base and a bubbly bright white head that leaves a thin layer over the base and a creamy ring around the rim. 3.75

Aroma: Peach and tangerine is what is going on here, medium to strong and enticing. 4.0

Taste: Tangerine, peach and melon strong, a few tries and it’s very focused and enjoyable. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Initial sips bitter, but then gives way to a nice balance between the sweet flavors and a bitter compliment. Drinks lighter than the 8.0% ABV (6-7 range), lightly dry with persistent gentle to lightly prickly carbonation and a medium to full creamy body. Peach tangerine from start to finish. 4.25

Overall: Beyond the first bitter sips, everything blends well and this settles in to be a nice and easy for a DIPA experience. Packed with focus flavors, if you like peach, tangerine and tropical brewed these days in a modern IPA receive, purchase with confidence. Also note this held up well over nearly three months. 4.25

 

Greenbush Delusion Imperial Cream Stout

Appearance: Black, small head.

Smell: Chocolate, barrel, I do get a little cream note.

Taste: Moderately sweet, then mild chocolate. Very smooth feel, the alcohol is well hidden. Mild chocolate, light vanilla in the finish.

Overall: Brought this back from Green Bay, not sure on the age of it. Does give some milk/cream stout feelings, and the barrel does not impose too much booze into the flavor. A solid barrel-aged beer, pretty tasty stuff!

 

Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc from Brasseries Kronenbourg

Swirl poured a 473ml can into a pint glass. A two finger bubbly white head on a cloudy dirty gold. The head soon diminishes to a layer. Sheets of fine lacing.

Faint fruit and yeast in the nose. A strong orange taste in the first sip. There is some kind of off flavour there. Is the orange from syrup? No apparent coriander. It leans sweet and fruity.

The mouthfeel is creamy with moderate body and carbonation. Overall an OK Witbier, but you can do better. Eminently drinkable, but not exceptionable.

3.77/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

 

Liberty's Farm-to-Glass Pilsner from Something In The Water Brewing Co.

This beer was a happy surprise. I didn't expect it to be good, but it was. Added to my summer rotation.

Poured a 568ml can into a pint glass. A two finger fine white head on a very slightly hazy gold. The head diminishes to a layer that sticks around to the end. Sheets of lacing.

Slight corn in the nose. Spicy hops. Tastes of grain and bread. Clean and crisp.

The mouthfeel is light, clean and crisp. Good carbonation that sticks around. Overall an excellent summer quencher. A solid Czech Pilsner. True to the style. Sessionable.

3.81/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

 

I'm sure I have had this at some point in the past...but have never done a proper review.

Bitburger Premium Pils, 4.8% ABV.



Pours a brilliantly clear golden color. A two finger white head forms with good retention and lace left behind.
Aroma is zesty, spicy lemon grass up front. With a bit of pale, cracker like malts. Simple and too the point, which I enjoy.
Taste wise, again, up front with that zesty spicy lemon grass hoppy character. Cracker malts, a bit of minerality. For as hoppy as it is up front, the bitterness just kind of ends. I would have liked that to linger a bit more.
A light body, crisp carbonation. Finishes clean and dry. Very easy to drink and come back to.

I can't say this is among my favorite Pilsner's, either import or otherwise. For the price its not bad, but it is also basically the same price point as something like Paulaner Pils, at least for me locally, Which I would and do grab that more often than this. Still, nothing wrong with it, if a bit standard.

Overall score is 3.53, solid B.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/613/1641/?ba=champ103#lists
I actually have some Paulener in the fridge now as well, I should do a side by side soon just to test out my perceived preference. As is, a nice enough lager to start my Saturday afternoon, while starting a new book...

 

Just one new beer for me today, this was a pretty good milk stout:

Starry Night | WeldWerks Brewing Co. | BeerAdvocate





Happy NBW everyone!