New Beer Weekend #278

This is the first I have heard of "DynaBoost". I did a very quick web search and it seems that it is a 'flowable' extract at ambient temperatures (i.e., the brewer doesn't have to heat it up to get it to pour well).

There are indeed many different formats for hops (e.g., whole cones, pellets, cryo, flowable products, etc.). I personally have only brewed with pellets and cryohops in my homebrewing. For commercial brewers there can be financial benefits for using more 'advanced' products like cryohops, flowable products, etc. since they loose less wort/beer which improves their yields. Are there sensory improvements (e.g., 'better' aroma/flavor) benefits as well? I have my doubts here.

At the most recent lager beer festival in Philly there was a booth with two guys 'hawking' their terpene products. I talked to them for 10-15 minutes. Nothing in that conversation is motivating me to buy this stuff for my homebrewing. To my mind this stuff does indeed make a difference from a sensory aspect but the difference in not a positive difference for my palate/opinion.

Cheers!

 

Buried Bridge Pilsner from Bickford Brewing Co.

Poured a 473ml can into a pilsner glass. A three finger fine white head on a clear straw. the head diminishes to a layer. lots of patchy lacing.

A sweet malt aroma. Tastes of sweet malts. Mild hop bitterness.

A light body and moderate carbonation. Clean and refreshing. Overall a decent German Pilsner. True to the style and worth a try.

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

 

Trader Joe's Belgian Vintage Ale 2025

Just wow - a great strong dark ale - will be aging a bottle or 2 of this wonderful elixir....complex, satisfying, and oh so very drinkable at 9% abv

Highly recommend you pick some up if there is a Trader Joe's near you - you will thank me later!

 

It's not snowing yet in Minnesota, but time for Schell's 2025 Snowstorm, Toasty Winter Lager:


Appearance: Dark brown/dark red in the light, big head.

Smell: Toasted bread and some dark fruit notes.

Taste: Starts neutral, then a nicely balanced flavor comes through. Toast, some light sweetness with light raisin, finishing with light earthiness. Medium bodied.

Overall: Always fun to try the yearly Snowstorm release from Schell's, this year is a dark toasted lager. It's a very nice flavorful lager that isn't too heavy but still brings the deliciousness.

 

Another one from from Bickford. Colonel Bickford's Premium Ontario Ale

Poured 473ml can into a pint glass. A one finger fine white head on a hazy straw. The head diminishes to a persistent layer. Some patchy lacing.

Fruit in the nose. Some indistinct malts up front. A floral hop finish.

A smooth, medium weight body with good carbonation. Overall an easy drinking, quality American Blonde Ale. True to the style and well worth a try.

3.91/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

 

Thanks to @Victory_Sabre1973 and @Beersnake for getting this going with some stronger styles. Feels like winter here (by SoCal standards) so I hit this late last night from our very own @Ozzylizard
Raisin Hell

Gorgeous deep brown with an amber edge. Initial head formation launches just shy of 3 inches, slowly retreats to a thin, dense film that is khaki on color. Good retention with a dripping curtain of lacing that slowly spreads into gossamer tears.
Nose is rich. Deep date, candied sugars, and raisin notes with gentle hints of herbal phenols.
Flavor follows the nose. A tad sweet but still really enjoyable. I find the herbal notes quite nuanced and pleasing. May come in a little light for some devotees of this style but to me, it's quite approachable.
Mouthfeel carries a medium heft with light carbonation.
3.77/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Thanks for sending this, Bob. I think I enjoyed this one a bit more than you did.

 

For my first new brew of the day I had 903 Brewers Precious Vanilla Imperial Stout:

Precious Vanilla | 903 Brewers | BeerAdvocate





I liked this one, but I think it would have been better if it was less sweet and vanilla tasting. Still better than a lot of beers out there, though. Working on my next brew now so I'll have another post in a little while.

 

Next up today was Prairie's Vinyl, which I think might be the first non-adjuncted (depends if you count barrel aging) imperial stout from them that I've tried:

Vinyl | Prairie Artisan Ales | BeerAdvocate





I thought this was pretty good, sometimes it's nice to have a barrel aged brew that doesn't have a lot of other additions to it. Letting my next brew warm up now so I'll have at least one more new one today. Cheers!

 

I've had a couple which I enjoyed more than Saturated Substance, but I've yet to have a terpene-infused beer that made me want to have more than one at a time.

A bit of "dank" character is fine, but I don't need my beer to smell like a dispensary or taste like I'm drinking it through a vape pen.

 

I’ve had one terpene beer from @snaotheus, Fremonts Lush turned to Kush…I didn’t know it had them at first. Was shocked a beer finally worthy of the term "dank" then I realized, oh that's why. Even had that sort of bitterness you can get form edibles sometimes. Enjoyed it as a one off but I think I'm to used to that flavor to enjoy it that intensely in a beer.

 

Tree of Life by Tree House


4.34/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Brewers notes:

Tree Of Life is an American Barleywine carefully constructed over the course of an arduous, labor intensive day of brewing -- and elevated by patience. After an appropriate primary fermentation, it was cold conditioned for three months in stainless steel and an additional six weeks in the bottle. It’s flavor profile is a function of an authentic assortment of ingredients, featuring pale, chocolate, and caramel malts balanced gently by traditional American bittering hops. It applies years of learned knowledge and understanding pertaining to the characteristics of these malt varieties sourced from around the globe. It is a beautifully cohesive beer that balances sugary dark fruits with a faint hint of earthy hops, and a modestly chewy body; no single attribute overwhelms. Pouring a deep amber color in the glass with a wispy caramel colored head, it’s quite a sight for a beer of this stature and alcohol content! We suggest that you enjoy it over a wide spectrum of temperatures as it will reveal layer upon layer of character and intrigue. We taste and smell brown sugar, dark candi syrup, toffee, molasses, fig, black cherry, raisins, dates and the faintest hint of milk chocolate.

Dark brown liquid with a pencil thin brown foam cap

Aroma is molasses, bourbon

Tastes are raisins, dark fruits, molasses,fig, toffee, dates, Umami , savory

Thick syrupy mouthfeel

Good beer

 

Been awhile since I have dropped in on the fine residents of NBW. Some very interesting beers so far. I marvel at the efficiency of @Beersnake's liver!

Today's choice is courtesy of a generous box sent by @jzeilinger last month. J, you have spoken very highly of Hidden River BC in Douglasville, PA. Looking forward to this Double IPA called Life That's Benevolent. Onto the review:

4.31/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Beer poured chilled gold with a nice white head that is leaving splotchy lacing behind.

Nose is dominated by fresh citrus hops with floral hops being secondary.

Taste is spot on as the larger pale malt base allows the orange flavored hops to shine. Getting a light touch of mango and strawberry in post sip aspirations. Finishes with a nice touch of pine to balance and give an extra kiss of bitterness; 6/10 on my scale.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth.

Overall, wow what a tasty west coast leaning brew. Great use of hops, so flavorful yet clean in the finish. Thanks J!

 

Prairie Tropical Esses, Sour Ale with fruit candy flavor, 5.0% ABV; 3.9 overall

Pours a slightly hazed amber with fast-falling beige head. Zero head retention & lacing

S: Berries, peach & oranges

T: Sweet & tart orange, a little red grape, all with some berry sour patch candy & a little dryness up front. Strawberry sweet & tart, some vanilla, some orange as well. Finishes with sweet orange, vanilla some tart & sweet red grape & strawberry, pineapple late a little dryness, some leafy hops

MF: Medium body, restrained carbonation, very sticky on the teeth

Good for what it is, although I am happy with a single. Didn't seem very tropical to me

 

Sounds like a tasty one I have not had the pleasure of trying. FWIW, I got teamed up with Brian Avery in a blending competition at the Bruery over about a decade ago. It was one of the perks of being a Hoarder's Society member. Brian was in the early stages of his brewery. We both had our own ideas for a blend, we went with his. It was a really tasty chai inspired blend of Black Tuesday, barleywine and I forget the other Bruery beer. I think we go third place so his recipe was not made as a Hoarder's melange, later they started having them as Hoarder's Cuvees.

Nice guy. It's great to see what he created.

 

Continuing my stouturday with Fat Orange Cat's I'm a Grown Ass Cat Imperial Stout with Coconut:

I'm a Grown Ass Cat | Fat Orange Cat Brew Co. | BeerAdvocate

'


I liked this one a lot too, although I was hoping for a little more of a coconut kick here. Think I'll have one more new to me brew and then I'll be done for today.

 

1) HeadFlyer Prost Malone (5.8%): A Festbier from Minnesota with flavors of smooth bread, sweet honey, and toasted notes.
versus
2) Surly Oktoberfest (6.0%): A Festbier from Minnesota with flavors of lemon, orange, sweet honey and bread Munich malts. Light floral notes. (Mismatched the two blind)

Minnesota Festbier Battle. First is HeadFlyer Prost Malone. Pale malts, crackery. Light, floral, and crisp. Very nice and a fun name.
Next is Surly. I guess the name speaks for itself. More toasted honey and sweeter notes. More flavor overall. Still taking down these festbiers well into November. I really like the style.
Winner: Surly Oktoberfest