New Beer Weekend #268

Good day BAs! Today's New Breakfast beer as I await the return of "Noir Alley" on TCM:



Buzzworthy from Smog City Brewing. 500 mL bottle received from @2beerdogs in a recent LIF. Reviewed 07/09/25, review 3580. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Undated bottle. Stored at home at 40 degrees F. Served at 55.0 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 57.3 degrees F.
Appearance – 4
First pour – Ruby Brown (SRM 24), nearly opaque.
Body – Black (SRM 40), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, light barely penetrates at the edges, red-amber.
Head – Average (Maximum 2.5 cm, aggressive center pour). Biscuit, high density, fizzy with short retention, leaving a 0.3 cm crown and a thin partial cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 4 – Begins with honey and bourbon, but the bourbon is mild and complimentary, not in your face. No hops, no alcohol.
Flavor – 4.5 – Begins slightly sweet with chocolate; bourbon is deliciously present. No alcohol (12.1 % ABV, according to the label) taste. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Pleasurable gastric warming which slowly ramps up but never reaches painful levels. Ends mildly bitter. At the final review temperature, the ethanol is becoming noticeable.
Palate – 4 – Medium: Moderately creamy: Caressing carbonation.
Style: Follows the style guidelines as condensed by BA.
Final impression and summation: 4 (After deducting 0.25 point for an undated container) Uncredited label artist. The body seems a bit light for an imperial stout, but otherwise this is a delicious example of the style – here the bourbon barrel accentuates the honey sweetness and floral hints; the bourbon doesn’t hijack the flavor. Overall, really good stout – thanks Derek!
Rating 4.2, rDev +0.7%

 

Good morning NBS/nbw and Thanks @Whyteboar for hosting this week.
We had a bruiser of a storm blow through yesterday afternoon. Thankfully no local damage, but surrounding area lots of trees and lines down. Small tornado is central Ma.
Cooler and clearing this morning.
Todays offering is from Sierra Nevada, the seasonal Oktoberfest.
I found this years model quite enjoyable, with a bit more hop bite than previous years, an aspect I happen to enjoy in this years model.
Cheers all

Oktoberfest (2025)

Festbier / Wiesnbier | 6% ABV
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, California

Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4/5 rDev +1.5% | Average: 3.94
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 12 oz can dated 07/25/2025 into the test glass
A - A lovely honey yellow color, with excellent clarity. Pillowy white cap stays for quite a while.
S - Biscuit, grainy, and a surprising grassy hops all hang tight
T - Malt centric, with a steady hop presence, notes of tea, and a bit of honey.
M - Medium in body excellent carbonation to clean up any sweetness. Nice dry finish
O - A fine example, that is very drinkable, not to sweet, not to malty, with a nice hop bite

 

Have a good Sunday. Had fun at the HS reunion this weekend. Yesterday there were still the usual handful of people ignoring my existence, but we found our cool people to hang out and chat. Can't win them all. I think I have bpd tho lol. I think I feel more positive about my life outlook if I understand my problems.

I came out to see my in laws at cap city diner. I got a Seventh Son Italo Disco. Aromas and flavors of lemon, pear, apple, caramel, toast, biscuit, nuttiness, wood, peppercorn, pine, herbal, floral, grass, yeast earth. Medium pine herbal spicy bitter finish. Medium carb and body. Balanced bready grainy malt and sticky resinous hop mouthfeel. Fairly crisp clean refreshing finish. Very unique style of Italian pilsner. Feels a bit like an amber lager. 4.1/5


Brunch burger and omelet


Cheers

 

A local road trip today here in central Minnesota.

Cockadoodledoo - Goat Ridge Brewing- New London, MN- American Porter- 5.6%

Very tasty, though the bitterness is a touch too much. If if we're dialed back a touch, this beer would be amazing.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/40209/565513/
3.77/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
On tap at the brewery.

Nice dark brown colored looking beer. There's a sticky looking tan head with great lacing.
The aroma is a light smooth coffee aroma. There's nutty notes also to the nose.
Smooth coffee flavor up front. The flavor lasts. The flavor is nicely roasted. Some notes of malt with hints of nuts in the flavor with some chocolatealso. There's quite a bit of bitterness on the back. The bitterness does seem a touch much for the beer.
The body is smooth feeling up front. This full smoothness does fade to a bitterness feeling that lingers in my throat .
Very good beer overall, though the bitterness is a touch much. Would be higher if dialed back a touch.

Be back later for more.

 

Little Willow New Day
DDH NEIPA
4.21/5 rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
08/20/25. Poured into a Samuel Adams Perfect Pint.

A: Hazy lemonade yellow with 2-finger frothy white head with good retention and copious lacing.

S: Aroma solid with peach, mango, pineapple, passion fruit, and lime.

T: Excellent flavor profile with peaches and cream, mango, guava, passion fruit, and lime. Esters are low-medium. Bitterness low.

M: Super drinkable with medium body, high carbonation, and full finish.

O: Little Willow New Day is a very enjoyable, classic NEIPA. Delicious.

 

Good afternoon NBW
This is one from a 6 pack procured in Cincinnati last weekend. When I was in college, Weidemann's was a budget line beer produced here in Evansville along with Sterling, Falls City, Gerst and Drummond Brothers. Whoever wound up with the trademarks after it shut down in the late 90s sold some of the brands back to aspiring craft brewers and that's how Weidemann's made it back to Cincinnati. On to the beer at hand

Weidemann's Oktoberfest

12oz can stamped 8/12/2025 poured into a mug at fridge temp 5.6% ABV and 15 IBU per label. The beer pours bright light copper in color with light khaki colored head. The head recedes to a thin cap. Minimal lacing. The aroma is mild with well toasted malt and faint earthy hops. The taste is semisweet malt with burnt sugar caramel, earthy & spicy hops and a mildly bitter, slightly soapy finish. The feel is thin bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Cleanly lagered. Overall, fair American attempt on the style.

Cheers all!

 

Now in Paynesville at Koronis Brewing

Walligator- Koronis Brewing- Paynesville, MN- American IPA- 7.1%

Lots of good flavors here. Mostly west coast, but a good deal of malts here too. Tasty.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/70266/761499/
3.81/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
On tap at the brewery

This beer has a very clear look too it and a golden hue. There's a white head to the beer that has good lacing.
There's some west coast vibes here. Some resin pine smell. There's also malt notes that hit my nose.
Well the flavor is interesting. It is somewhat sweet with malts up front. There's a tropical citrus - mango - in the middle. The finish has some pine resin notes to it.
There's a bit of a sticky feeling to this beer. Great depth and fullness to the body.
Tasty overall. It has a lot of good notes to it.

I will be done here. Maybe one more stop.

 

Sheffield Ale from Sparrow Brewing and Roasting Co.

It's good to see that brewers are still making the traditional styles.

Poured a 473ml can into a pint glass. A fine, one finger head on a cloudy dark copper. The head soon diminishes to a layer. Sheets of fine lacing.

Malts in the nose. Some spice. Tastes of biscuit, caramel, toffee. Some fruity esters. A dry finish.

A medium body and good carbonation. Overall a fine ESB. It's good to see some traditional styles being faithfully reinterpreted.

4.07/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

 

Today I have a "West Coast Style" Pilsner from Counterweight Brewing in Cheshire CT. It is 5.4% ABV. New to me and apparently, new to them. Here is the brewery's blurb-

New West Coast Style Pilsner, brewed with Nectaron and our hand selected Mosaic. Continuing our exploration of beers fermented with lager yeast and hopped with American PCNW and NZ varieties to create hop profiles with real depth in a clean beer made to be a simple platform for the hops to really shine.

This beer is not in the BA database and I backed out from adding it when I couldn't pick a style from the pull-down list. All the Pilsner options are too specific and WC is not one of them. I'm guessing this is the 3rd or 4th WC Pilsner that I have had.

Purchased yesterday at the brewery cold and kept cold until served. Poured to a Pilzner glass from a 16oz can stamped “MEGA HALUCHA 08/29/25”. The Internet tells me that Mega Halucha is a hawk-like Pokemon character. Now I wish I didn’t know that.
A-3.75-The body is a medium hazy gold, SRM 3. It’s not hazy enough to obscure the nucleation bubbles rising. With a simple pour I got a 1”/25cm head of white head. This faded quite quickly to a ring. Lacing minimal at best.
S-3.25-The aroma is slightly oniony at first, but not off putting. Over time some piney hop sense starts coming through.
T-4.0-The taste is prominent in resin and pine. A hint of stone fruit but I had to struggle for that. A really dry finish.
M-3.75-The mouthfeel is light with a very slight oiliness. Carbonation is appropriate.
OA-3.75-This is an interesting beer. I would drink again, but not search it out.

 

Good Afternoon everyone, and welcome to New Beer Sunday #1072! Listening to the White Sox and pulled the Wrigley Field themed selection. My last new beer in the refrigerator, so need to get more before the next weekend arrives. This is a NEIPA, not my top beer style, but had to get the beer due to memories of Wrigley Field a long time ago, when I still rooted for both teams.

Web pic from Wrigley Field

Hop Butcher For The World Be Alert For Foul Balls

4.04/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25



9/7/25 - (Home) (Chicago, Illinois) Can Notes: Purchased a single 16 oz can at Beer on the Wall at store temperature on 8/23/25 for $4.55 including tax. Canned 8/20/25 @ 11:00:18 AM, Can Stamp: Heads Up Hops Are Flying. 6.75% ABV Nelson Sauvin & Motueka-Hopped India Pale Ale. Tasting Notes: Lime Slushie, Tropical Smoothie, Cotton Candy Grapes. Artwork by Dan Grzeca. Brewed and canned by Hop Butcher For The World in Chicago, Illinois and Bedford Park, Illinois.

Appearance: Poured 2/3 of the can into a Cubs Budweiser Harry Caray shaker pint glass, yielding a fresh orange juice base, generous bright white bubbly head lingers a few minutes before leaving significant soapy lacing and a thin but creamy cover over the entire base. 4.25

Aroma: Light lime, pine and citrus. More subdued than I anticipated, ok what I am able to gather. 3.25

Taste: Fuller broader flavor, Pineapple, lime, tangerine, white wine, and the cotton candy listed in the tasting notes. This comes together well, enjoying more as I proceed. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Drinks light and easy, a bit under the 6.75% ABV. Body light to medium, faint slightly prickly persistent carbonation adding depth. Balanced, sweet flavors balanced by a nice hops presence. Lime white wine cotton candy finish. 4.5

Overall: Grabbed this for the can art and Nelson Sauvin, and happy on both accounts. Well executed, nice balance, Nelson comes through well. My first cotton candy flavor noted in the beer, digging it. 4.25

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Sippers and commentators. After a cool, rainy start it's turned into a very nice day. Mostly blue sky and about 70° Today's new beer review is Fashionably Olde, a blend of bourbon barred aged Ole Ale and Barleywine with cherry and orange peel, from Rushing Duck Brewing Company in Chester, New York. It was released two weeks ago for RD's 13th anniversary. As I frequently post on BA, Rushing Duck is one of my very favorite breweries. It is the complete package: location, really nice people, and great beer. One of its specialties is blending big ales and stouts.

This is a wonderful blend, although I'm less wowed by it from the bottle than the draught pour I had last Saturday.

Poured at 63°. It is an opaque, orange-brown color. The frothy, ecru head dissipated almost immediately leaving neither ring nor lacing. It is highly effervescent. Its fragrant smell includes roasted malt, brown sugar, cherry, orange zest, and modest bourbon. And it is delicious: earthy and malty with Barleywine notes of caramel, brown sugar, raisin, and fig but the cherry and orange peel add additional fruity complexity. It is sweet but not cloying. I hope it continues to mellow. The barrel influence is noticeable but doesn't overpower the other tastes. This ale is moderately-bodied and well-carbonated. To me it doesn't drink like 12.2% ABV.

4.34/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I have 3 more bottles and I probably won't pop another until the holiday season.

As a recovering NFL fan I have time to enjoy your reviews. I learn so much from your beer experience. I hope you all have a great week. Cheers, NBW!

 

I'm back with another Counter Weight beer, this one a West Coast IPA, 6.8%. I enjoyed this on tap yesterday at the brewery so I purchased a 4-pack.
Brewery's notes-

Brewed and dry hopped with beautifully expressive Nelson Sauvin hops with some Nelson hop kief, blended with a bit of Riwaka. The result is a seriously aromatic and delicious beer with a super clean dry finish.


Purchased yesterday at the brewery cold and kept cold until served. Poured to a Nonic from a 16oz can stamped “180 SHUVIT 08/28/25”. The Internet tells me that a 180 SHUVIT is a skateboard trick. Man, how young are the people on the canning line there? The previous beer had a Pokemon reference.
A-4.0-The body is a perfectly clear gold, SRM 5 or 6. The initial head is 1.25”/32mm and fades in a few minutes to a ring. One lace ring stays at the top of the glass through most of the session, but all other bubbles slide down to liquid in seconds.
S-4.25-The aroma is resin/pine/grapes/wine. Very enticing.
T-4.25-The taste begins with the grapes/wine effect. But the finish is a mild resin, but not completely as dry as you would expect with that flavor.
M-4.0-The mouthfeel is light with hop oiliness. Carbonation is appropriate despite the disappearing head and minimal lacing.
OA-4.25-I like this enough to hope it stays in their lineup and makes it to their distribution channels.

 

@woodchipper I have Counter Weight’s Festbier in the fridge, waiting for the right weekend to try. Grabbed a single while I was visiting family in Farmington a couple weeks back, also grabbed a single of Black Hog’s brown ale that I’m excited for.

 

Glad you liked that one Bob!

 

Great description.

 

Happy NBS!

Having a very tasty Marzen from Weldwerks (CO).

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/38773/569473/?ba=Wasatch#lists

Cheers!

 

Well Good Afternoon and Happy NB(S)W.
This one is for science. Hopefully the picture will load. (I've had some trouble with that over the last week or so). While I am familiar with ube, never had a beer featuring this beautiful yam.

Paint Me Purple by Engkanto Brewery, Cavite, Philippines.
12 oz bottle from Trader Joes.
Pretty. Purple beer with a fluffy lavendar head. Good retention with light lacing.
Nose has a floral delivery of rose hips, and what I pick up as a lightly creamy vanilla leaning note.
Flavor follows the nose with a lighter hit of the floral aspect. Vanilla leaning lager notes. A gentle nuttiness also comes in.
Mouthfeel is light, decent carbonation level, and finishes lightly sweet.
3.58/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This was definitely interesting, not bad, but glad I did not grab multiple.

Dang it. Can't upload the pic. And it is an interesting looking beer.

 

Bizarre - Behind the Rows festbier

16oz can served in a curvy Monhegan pint glass. Canned 09/02/25.

Pours slightly hazy light straw gold, small head, light carbonation. Smell is grain and grass, hint of lemon and honey, husk and clean straw. Little bit of earthiness.

Taste is grain tea, light honeysuckle, a little earthiness, something like toasted lemon rind.

Mouthfeel is very light, lively. This is a quite tasty.

 

Damn, sounds awesome! Great to have a newish local.

 

OK, I need to pop my next HammerHeart courtesy of @Ozzylizard