New Beer Weekend #283

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier

Appearance: Cloudy yellow-orange, big head.

Smell: Citrus and cloves.

Taste: Starts mildly sweet, continues with mild orange, yeast, bread, and maybe a hint of banana. Smooth feel. Finishes with mild sweetness.

Overall: The classic hefe, I probably had it at some point in the past 25 years but no records of it. Easy drinking, flavorful, balanced. Classic hefeweizen.

 

More Kansas haulage

Free State Beer John Brown Ale 5.5% ABV; 3.9 overall

This can pours an effervescent hazel color with a thumb+ of tan head. Average head retention & lacing

S: Toasty & nutty, lovely nose, coffee late, a bit of a detractor, although declared

T: Follows the nose, a little dry, a touch of cocoa & caramel plus woody hops up front. More coffee, some Diacetyl notes & woody hops as this beer warms up, more toasty notes. Finishes toasty with more coffee & woody hops

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation

Not a bad Brown Ale. Just wanted more body & I am never going to be about a coffee taste in this style, they said subtle I disagree

 

Finally time for a beer! Tree is up and grandson and I will test the lights tomorrow. Our tradition is to decorate the tree with everyone that shows up on Christmas Eve.

The beer:



This is Lavro from Sidereal Farm Brewery in Vassaboro, ME. It is their take on a Belgian Pale Ale in the Trappist tradition. On the educational label, it says Lavro means plow or cultivate and the brew is an ode to historic Trappist beers of Wester. Europe. "We gathered as much historical data as we could to produce an authentic replication of the style and sourced the same mixec culture used in a well- know Trappist monastery. When young it drinks like a rustic Belgian Pale Ale, but after 6 months to a year this beer will transform into a delicious funky brettfirward beer..."

Ok...so this can was made on 4/27/22 so it should be pretty ripe...

Pours slightly cloudy pale gold with a ridiculous rocky white head that coats the glass as it falls to a nice cap.

On the nose there is mild Brett funk and white wine grape must. Not picking up much malt but I do like the smell.

The taste is very mildly funky and carries the wine-like character as well. The malt is kinda bready. There's a nice honey-like sweetness and a bit of bitterness. What I'm not getting is much in the way of Belgian yeast character - not much in the ester department. It's there but fairly faint - getting some bubblegum and vague fruitiness. Very mild pepper after the swallow.

The feel is somewhat thick and slick.

Think it may be past it's prime but it still tastes good and is going down pretty easy. I'm thinking 3.75 or so.

 

Eschenbacher export
...very clear amber appearance with a thick lasting head.
...medium bodied with about the same for the carbonation
..aroma has mild citrus fruit and peel, grain, cereal, cornbread and malt
...taste is definitely similar to aroma with the exception of a herbal earthy taste that lingers in the finish
...perhaps not world class but enjoyable

 

Fair State FōNIō Krush Cold IPA, 6% ABV. Pours slightly-hazy orange, with a nice 4+ finger white head that left great lacing. Aroma is fruity. Taste is citrus, tropical fruit, and what I presume is fonio, quite bitter. Decent mouthfeel, overall very good.

3.87/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Fonio is a west African grain. I've spent some time there, and grains such as fonio are staples to their diet.

 

Ozark Beer Co. Winter IPA ( Red IPA w/orange peel ), 6.3% ABV; 4.29 overall

Pours an effervescent amber/copper with 2 fingers of beige head. Nice head retention & lacing

S: Oranges, a little toastyness

T: Toasty, dry, some orange bitterness up front & pine. Plenty of pine, toastyness & a little orange peel and caramel as this beer warms up. A touch of cakeyness in the finish, more orange peel & pine

MF: Medium body, moderate carbonation; good balance, wanted a little more body

Drinks pretty easy, if you like a piney IPA along the lines of Sierra Nevada Celebration, give this a try

 

Happy 200th

 

Rhaner winter beer
...very clear light gold/amber appearance
...just below average carbonation with about a medium body
...aroma is grain,toasted grain, cereal, malt, slightly floral and earthy
.. Taste has a mild sweetness, grain, toasted grain, cereal and barley malt.
....overall its a nice flavorful beer

 

I think I did this backwards, had the stout last night and had this one tonight.

The pour is the color of a well brewed tea with an impressive beige head that falls to leave any lacing.
The taste is that of bready malts, caramel, some vanilla and some bourbon.
Some dark fruit enters the frame but remains a minor player.
The feel is very lightly viscous, but the lack of alcohol heat made me drink it way too fast.
OA, very tasty, just doesn’t have the presence of other Revolution barrel aged beers.
It’s very tasty, but I may need another one.
Cheers!

 

A bit frustrating when you are promised coconut, but are left wondering where?

 

Sierra Nevada Celebration
that time of the year

 

Social Project Brewing Kookies Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stout, 8.1% ABV; 3.96 overall

Pours an effervescent mahogany with 2 fingers of mocha colored head. Traces of head retention & lacing, plenty viscous

S: Tons of vanilla & chocolate, certainly doughy. Coffee assert dominance once warmed up but the cookie dough is still there

T: Follows the nose, sort of dry, also coffee up front. More coffee, & cookie dough, fairly dry & s little bit of woody hops as this beer warms up. Finishes a little dry with plenty of chocolate chip cookie dough, roastyness & some coffee astringency that saves the day

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation. Carbonation smooths out & the body thickens a bit once warm

Not all about the cookie dough, there is enough coffee to balance this out & keep it drinkable

 

Eschenbacher dunkel
...dark caramel amber appearance
...medium light carbonation with a medium body
..aroma is malt, chocolate, doughy,
...taste is slightly sweet, malt, grain, toasted cereal
..overall its better then my description, very enjoyable

 

Forest & Main - The Brewery - Deciduous
5.4% ABV Smoked Lager
It's a delicious pale lager, made with smoked malt and hopped with Tettnanger and Hersbrucker. The smoke was present on the nose and stronger, yet balanced on the palate. I also got nice Nilla wafer and tea biscuit maltiness, along with lemony citrus and crisp pear notes. The finish was super dry with a moderate bitterness. Very drinkable and flavorful.

#properglassware

Cross-posted in WBAYDN #4810 and What Mid-Atlantic beer are you drinking now? (2025)

 

Wiesener festmarzen
...clear light gold appearance
...medium light carbonation with about a medium body
...aroma is malt, cereal, grain, dough, slightly floral
...taste is grain, toast, malt, dough.
...overall its a really nice beer from the Costco holiday box