New Beer Weekend #28

Thanks for tapping this thread off @SawDog505



PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

As a result of this forum, I asked and was accepted into the Beer it Forward thread. I never traded beers and was totally unaware of BIF until last year. Best described as a Secret Santa with a Clue Murder Mystery, it is a whodunnit with who killed my front porch with a bunch of mystery beers. You are given a target , post clues and send beer. You try to guess the identity of your sender and receive in return some beautifully curated beers in return. It is FUN and delicious. The only requirement is to post your beer reviews in this forum. If you are reading this, you read and post beer reviews....you are more than halfway home. Reach out to @Roguer for the next BIF. I hope we have a larger geographic distribution so folks can share their local freshies and post in this forum. Prosit!

Started off 2021 doing dry January. I allowed things to “get wet” a little earlier this weekend. Three beers reviewed. The first, Very GGGreennn by TreeHouse, a whale I have been hunting for quite some time. Well worth the hunt.. The other two beers I received thru BIF. One beer I probably would not have purchased but am glad I received it and would drink again. It broadened my horizons to be more open in beer selections. The second beer is from a brewer that I have followed on this forum that i have wanted to try. Never had accessibility to it. Because of BIF, I was able to try this new brew. I raise a glass to your good health, cheers!

Very GGGreenn by Treehouse
4.63/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Canned 1/5/21, opened 1/28/21



“In this house we don’t slander Marcus Smart”

Chilled 16 oz can poured into a Treehouse teku

Two finger eggshell white dense foam cap. Looks like whipped egg whites.has more hang time than a Michael Jordan slam dunk. Reduces to a a Rocky Mountain island of foam over a hazy deep amber liquid after five minutes. Settles to a pencil thick layer after 10 minutes.Very good lacings, large and small bubbles

Fragrant on the pour.pineapple, tangerine, orange marmalade, orange blossoms, whiffof grass, whiff of earthiness,

Taste is citrus, pineapple, orange

Velvety smooth , low sudsing, hop taste, no bite, the 8%abv is invisible

Great beer
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Green Moss by Hop Butcher of the World
4.47/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Can received in a ninja strike from @FBarber

Canned 1.18.21 opened 1.29.21



“Jake smash”

Pale hazy orange liquid with a few streams of microcarbonation , one finger white fizzy foam cap , good retention, recedes to a thin layer

aroma of orange citrus overflows the glass. Orange, citrus, grapefruit aromas

Slightly sweet orange juice taste , grassy, hint of pine

Low sudsing, low carbonation , no hop bite, good hop taste

Really nice beer , thanks for sharing @FBarber

Repeatable
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Midnight Lager by Stella Artois
3.84/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle received in bif12.5 Christmas edition from @Whyteboar

Best before april 11,2021


Poured into a will becher , carbonated dark cola liquid crowned by a tan dense foamy two finger cap , good retention, settles to pencil thick layer some lacings

Aroma is faint roasted malts, light coffee aroma

Light roast malt taste , coffee notes, slight metallic taste despite coming in a glass bottle

Light sudsing , roast malts linger , quaffable

Good beer for sitting around a bar in the winter time

Thanks @Whyteboar

 

Hello New Beer Weekend!!!

At work, and have fixed multiple computer issues. Time for a new beer sample
https://m.imgur.com/gallery/IAKYgPn
Sam Adams Wicked Hazy

Damn amazing. Shocked by how good it is.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35/528771/

I'm sure I will be back later. Cheers !!!

 

Tis the Saison (Season)!

I have been homebrewing Saison beers since the 1990’s and those early beers were brewed using a Saison yeast strain from a company called BrewTek. That product came on a slant in a small tube which I needed to culture up using an inoculation loop, an alcohol lamp as a flame source, etc. I felt like a junior microbiologist. But I was also a bit nervous since operating like a microbiologist was bit outside my comfort zone. It took a while (a decade or so) but eventually yeast vendors like Wyeast, White Labs, etc. started to produce Saison yeast strains which makes producing Saisons easier.

For my latest batch of Saison I used a combination of two dry yeasts: Fermentis T-58 and Fermentis BE-134 (Saison) in a 3:1 ratio (more T-58 than BE-134). I was tipped off to this combination by a fellow working the Fermentis booth while attending HomebrewCon 2018. Thank you to Napoleon for making this suggestion!

For today’s NBW I will be conducting a pseudo-blind side by side tasting of my latest Saison with a new to me Saison: Blackberry Farm Classic.

I had the pleasure of drinking a couple of brands of Blackberry Farm beer a few years ago while taking a road trip to visit family and friends in Texas – along the way we made a couple of stops in Tennessee (Smokey Mountains area and later Memphis). The Blackberry Farm beers I had then were quite tasty. Below is how Classic is described on the brewery’s website:

“Classic

Belgian-Style Ale

This Belgian-style Saison features European noble-type hops, authentic Belgian Saison yeast and the finest European two-row malt.”

Well, that is pretty short & sweet.

I already discussed the yeast blend I used to brew my Saison but in addition:

· I used a European hops (German Magnum for bittering and Czech Saaz for flavor and aroma

· Weyermann Pilsner Malt & 1 lb. of table sugar for the fermentables

For this tasting I solicited the help of my wife to pour these two beers into two small tulip glasses and while I can see the beers I have no prior knowledge of which beer is which: pseudo-blind like I made mention earlier.

Beers served in small tulip glasses:





Appearance

Left: Straw colored, slightly hazy with a white head

Right: Straw colored with a white head.

Aroma

Left: Mostly spicy (phenols) but there is some fruitiness (esters) as well.

Right: A combination of spicy (phenols) and fruity (esters).

Taste:

Left: In contrast to the nose the flavor is well balanced between spicy (phenols) and fruity (esters). There is a low – moderate bitterness.

Right: In contrast to the nose the flavor is dominated by spicy (phenols) but there is some fruitiness as well. There is a low – moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel

Left: High – medium carbonation level, a smooth mouthfeel with a dry finish.

Right: Medium carbonation level with a dry finish.

Overall

Left: Very good – excellent.

Right: Ditto

These two beers are quite similar; both very tasty. I preferred the flavor profile and mouthfeel of the Left beer but I am very happy to drink them both.

OK, time for the reveal. Drum roll please:

The Left beer was Jack’s Homebrewed Saison and the Right beer was Blackberry Farms Classic. I would highly recommend the Blackberry Farm Classic to those of you who enjoy the Saison beer style.

Cheers!

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @RobH @nc41 @beergoot

 

Greetings, NBW, I missed yinz last weekend as I didn't have a chance to participate here. This week's thread coinciding with the barley wine tasting should make for an enjoyable weekend, and I hope you're all doing well. Yesterday was unfortunately a trying day for our family. We're currently waiting biopsy results for one of our dogs, but the vet has prepared us for bad news. She's 15 years old and has a well documented heart murmur, so that makes the decision making all the more difficult going forward. She's the sweetest and most loving rat terrier that I've ever met, and processing this news isn't easy. We're just focusing now on enjoying our time with her and appreciating the beautiful companion that she is. Apologies for getting a bit heavy this early, onto the beer.

After finally getting to the point that I needed a beer, I reached for something I'd set aside as the first round for the aforementioned barley wine tasting, J.W. Lees' Harvest Ale - Calvados Cask(2017). It poured a cloudy plum color with just a fleeting fizzy head atop. There was quite a bit of sediment that floated around my glass before settling to the bottom. The aroma was heavily Calvados(apple and brandy) with some of the traditional dark fruit notes like raisin and date that I expect from an English barley wine. The taste brought together all of those wonderful smells on the nose and then some. In addition to the still quite hot Calvados and dried fruit, there was also a strong component of caramel or butterscotch that I assume came from the oxidation. It added complexity and was a nice break from the sweetness of concentrated apple, raisin, and fig. The feel was a medium/full body with a bit of stickiness from the sugars. Overall, a highly enjoyable barley wine. This is my first of anything from J.W. Lees, and it makes me want to seek out their other cask treatments.

 

Good morning NBW
This morning, I'm trying Henderson Brewing Company's barley wine. There appear to be several HBC listings here on BA. This one is in Henderson, Kentucky.

They list it as an English style. Their description: Sip to enjoy our first double digit alcohol beer. Savor the rich malty flavor with hints of caramel and a warming alcohol finish. Enjoy it fresh or forget about it in the back of your refrigerator for a unique experience. 52 IBU

My description:
22oz bottled 9/23/2020 poured into a snifter at just above fridge temp 10.1% ABV. The beer pours bright mahogany in color with chestnut highlights and light khaki head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of tiny bubbles. No lacing. The aroma is just slightly boozy with notes of fresh apple, toasted malt and cocoa. The taste is semisweet with a caramel apple flavor. Minor flavors include cocoa and earthy hops. Bitterness is moderate. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a somewhat dry finish. Slightly sticky, not cloying. Overall, good. I was hoping for some English malt character, but it would seem that only an English yeast and perhaps hops were used.

I would choose the barrel aged beer ten out of ten times for a dollar more per 22 ounces. I found the oak and bourbon flavors enjoyable.

Another interesting side note is this beer tastes incredibly similar to my last home brewed "English" barleywine. I also tried using American malt instead of Maris Otter thinking that some English C90 and English yeast would do the trick. I ended up with caramel apple ale as well.

Cheers all!

 

I was pleasantly surprised by this one as well.

 

Sorry to hear about the pup. That's tough. Hoping for the best for her.

 

@Pinz412 sorry about the pup...dogs are family members. They give us 100% love in their sweet too short lives, God Bless

 

Great start to the thread already! @JackHorzempa , your home brewed saison looks and sounds marvelous, @Pinz412 has inspired me to grab my first J.W. Lee's Harvest Ale this year.

My Barleywine / Ryewine Tasting continues, not sure I can do 12 oz X 6 (2 per day), but still on track with my third Revolution brew this weekend, and the second Ryewine. Unlike my first selection, this is the first edition of this offering. I had some hesitation purchasing this, as Apple is not one of my favorite flavors, but between what Revolution puts out and the fact Ryeway to Heaven is my favorite annual release, I paid the $10 premium and pulled the trigger on a four pack.

Revolution Brewing Apple Brandy Ryeway.



Can Notes: 12 oz canned 1/8/21 @ 9:29:30, 12.3% ABV. This plafully explorative rendition of Ryeway to Heaven features American oak Apple Brandy barrels. A slightly sweeter blend provides more room for malt-derived flavor development, balancing the impact of a wondrously expressive barrel. Drink now or store cold.

Appearance: Dark ruby red brown pour, creamy bubbly tan head generous, lingers for a few minutes before providing a base ring around the top. Explosive carbonation during the pour. 4.25

Aroma: Rye base leads, smooth brandy and roast malt follow. Light apple backing, which works for me. 4.0

Taste: Taste consistent with aroma, with the exception the Apple is more pronounced. I really like the blend here, the malt asserts itself stronger than the standard Rye, the brandy really works well. Very smooth and taste, decedent in texture.Outstanding. 4.5

Mouthfeel: This is the thickest, richest Deep Woods beer I recall having, or any beer. Reminded me of Dogfish 120, a rich thick mouthfeel and texture I've not encountered before until now. Very creamy and rich, the faint light carbonation does not interfere, silky smooth and creamy. ABV well masked initially, makes its presence known in due course. World Class. 5.0

Overall: Very happy I picked this one up. The Apple Brandy and Rye make a great combination. Unique and outstanding mouthfeel, Revolution continues to meet and exceed already high expectations. Well done Marty and team! 4.5

 

Cross post from the Barleywine tasting thread. I let my wife choose my barleywine (or barley wine @zid ) this morning. She chose one I’ve never had before that was sent to me by @y2kawakami sometime last year in the Savages BIF. Thanks again Sean.



Black Mirror brewed by Deschutes - an American Barleywine (barley wine)

bottle is dated 02/18/19

the look is an extremely dark, muddy opaque, mahogany color that lets no light through. About one finger of light tan head rests on top which fades to a thin ring still lasting while I type. Hops dominate the aroma with some dark fruits and molasses playing in the background once I get used to the hop smell. The taste is superb. Very balanced. Sometimes the hop bitterness hits first but other times the introduction to the palette is muted with dark fruits. The flavors are woven together well in this beer. There’s some hop bitterness, somewhat muted with aging I assume, dark fruits, burnt sugar, and molasses. The finish lingers forever and is a not too sweet molasses on the back of my tongue. No alcohol heat or flavor whatsoever, and at 13% that’s quite a feat. The mouthfeel is slick, but also a little sticky. Closer to the medium side of full with an adequate amount of carbonation. Overall I think this is a magnificent barleywine that has aged beautifully. I love the way the flavors interact. No one note is above the rest, but they all present themselves well when they appear.

 

This new brew is Low Rider Bicycle from Sand City. I’m pretty sure it was canned this week, but there is no date-stamp on this can.
This DIPA presents a cloudy, pale yellow from the can and hosts a 1 cm foam cap.
The aroma includes orange, pineapple and mango notes upon warming.
The flavor is rich with tropical fruit and orange zest. The hop bitterness is moderate and provides some burn.
The mouthfeel is smooth.
This is a tasty brew.

 

For today, I am going to have a beer I might have had in the past. The BS database doesn't have a record of my attempt, and I can't recall the beer from memory. So, I figured I'd grab an attempt at a different style than IPA/sweet stout and Pilsners (which have faded from the shelf in winter) and see what I think of Conway's Irish Ale from Great Lakes.


Now, looking at my stats, I have had 9 Irish Ales, and of the most oft rated in the style, I have not rated many high. I likely rated many of them years ago when I rated a little tougher and wasn't as big a fan of "amber ales" in general.

This beer has a best by of 3/8, which is maybe a little surprising as I think it was from a new display. Also, if this is a release for, say, St Patrick's Day, it is expiring a week early. But let's leave that speculation behind.

And this is definitely an amber ale. The style on BA says red/Irish ale, and via power of suggestion I can see a touch of rust, I guess. The beer is quite clear for the darkness, although the head is modest.

Nose is of toasted barley with a little earthy to floral notes. The aromas aren't rushing into my nasal canal, however. First tip of the glass leaves a somewhat surprising hilly landscape line of lacing.

Mildly sweet, with a somewhat cherry wood aspect to the opening that seems to be a combination of malt and neutral/earthy hops. I can totally see a younger me not being overly enthralled with this on first sip. Current old-ass me is fairly happy. though.

Overall, an interesting sweet opening with nicely balancing fruit and bitter notes. Malt, perhaps a little honey, some citrus with a little berry on the fruity side - all are vague impressions, playing coyly versus being obvious.

 

Best wishes for the pup and the family !

 

Good afternoon NBW, hope everyone is doing well. Been a busy week, made it through it in one piece, time to relax with Other Half/Parish Barrel Aged Gravity Gumbo thanks @dprice!
4.46/5 rDev +0.0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Thank dprice for this
500 ml bottle poured into a tulip

A- Black with a small mocha head.

S- Chocolate/fudge, coffee, vanilla, bourbon, touch of oak, caramel, slightly nutty.

T- Chocolate, coffee, bourbon, oak, vanilla, caramel, a little nutty.

M- Smooth, full body.

O- A little hot with the bourbon but this is a well done stout, flavors come together nicely.

Cheers!

 

Always rough to say goodbye. I wish you strength & peace.

 

This is a cross post with wbaydn with a little more information

evil genius brewing
Turtle power grapefruit pale ale
6% abv
Phila, Pennsylvania

Chill hazed bronze. Aggro pour did not yield much but nucleate enough carbonation for my liking. Off white head. Good lacing for small amount of foam. Smells of caramel malts, non descript fruit punch, sweet grapefruit. Tastes like dry fruity pebbles. White bread. Feel is full bodied. Balanced bitterness. Creamy. I would say fruit punch is the biggest aspect of this I wouldn’t call it grapefruit. Sweet like and fruity pebbles straight up. A very good pale ale With flavors of pear, mango, grapefruit, orange and pine. Old school. Creamy. Balanced. Perfect abv. There’s a Hawaiian Punch flavor to this and the caramel malts make it just sweet enough and the IBUs on this I’m guessing 40-55 keep it in check. I will be drinking this again. Philadelphia I love you and your great brewers.

I’m not sure if Jon Defibaugh, however you spell it, is still their brewer after his comments on the Philly riots last summer but they’ve never disappointed me even with a lack of bottle dating. He did not agree with dating beers saying and don’t quote me, that the beer can sit for months and still be good so it doesn’t matter. But for me living 5 minutes outside the city, I never have an issue with freshness and will happily try more from them.

 

Sorry to hear about your dog. Hoping the news will be better than you expect.

 

Fernson Barrel Drop BBA Wheat Wine, 9.5% ABV. Pours clear copper, with a slight off-white head that left no lacing. Nose is sweet caramel, brown sugar, and bourbon. Taste follows, slightly sweet and very slightly bitter, no bourbon burn. Excellent mouthfeel, overall outstanding.

4.3/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This is the best Fernson I've had.

 

Between two 1-hour sessions on the bike on Rouvy.... *had only a sip...
3 NJ 4+ Imperial Stouts new to BA, new to me, and a short distance from my house on Jersey Shore
Imperial Oatmeal Stout | Wet Ticket | 9.2% | RIS | Rahway, NJ
4.12/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
1st Review. Local. WFM Redbank, NJ
Grateful for this local brewer, showcasing multi-layers of chocolate, coffee, wood smoke, cedarwood.
a) As expected small head, lasting ring and lace.
s) Chocolate, mocha, some wood smoke.
t) Myriad flavors, opens up layers as it warms.
f) just a bit of hop bitter bite toward the end adds to the other wise smooth silky feel.
o) A new fan.

Twin Lights Doors of Perception | The Alementary | 9.5% | Highlands, NJ
4.14/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Added by Act 25. Collaboration
My 2d favorite from this local NJ brewing team. Visit the Twin Lights when near Sandy Hook, NJ.
a) solid stout opaque body with tan lacing head, but low carbonation and last.
s) Chocolate, french roast coffee, hot cocoa.
t) Captures fresh hot coffee, chocolate, with more heft, char, smoke and body.
f) Creamy, low carbonation, right bodied, ticklish, nice finish without being too sweet.
o) Imperial Stout worth sipping side by side with Narwhal, TenFidy.

Sundae | Carton | 10% | RIS | Atlantic Highlands, NJ
4.4/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4th Review. Sampled at Carton tonight. Perfect for Easter weekend last beer of evening.
a) It pours a deep thick black with a firm tan head. Rings and laces nicely.
s) Nice. Cognac, strawberry, vanilla, leather, anise, chocolate, a bit of char to balance.
t) I find the oak and cognac first. Then it's a solid imperial with chocolate and strawberry, never too sweet, never cloying. Always complex. Lots of other complex nuances like wood smoke and licorice.
F) thick, mid weight, good mouth feel and body for heft and complexity. Finishes clean.
o) I suppose RIS with flavors becoming a core treat at Carton. As good as any RIS.