New Beer Weekend #291

Have a good NBS. It's raining lakes outside. We were planning on going to Aldi today. I started the Robin Williams Biography by Dave Itkoff last night, but not much as I passed out right after 9 PM. Probably too much smoke. I just drank a Torch 60 MG Raspberry Lemonade and I am about to review a 15% beer. I was hungry so I had some Aldi chicken fingers with chicken dipper sauce, and a 1/3 lb mexi-cali ground chicken burger with cheese on white bread All the cats are doing amazing. Girly has not needed the cone and didn't bite at her spay stitches at all.

BIF beer from @FBarber from years ago. Another Pipeworks mammoth. Special Reserve Vintage 2017, 36 month heaven hill barrel. Pours thick looking like a barleywine. Ruby/brown and a bit cloudy. Head lasts about 1 second. Aromas of huge caramel, toffee, brown sugar, bourbon, toasted oak, light peppery/charred wood, and a solid amount of booze/ethanol. Slight coconut. Taste is really intense. Huge caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread, bourbon, toasted oak; light peppery/charred wood, vanilla, cocoa, raisin, prune, molasses, coconut, herbal, yeast earthiness. Vanilla and coconut come out more lingering on the palate. Light-medium herbal bitterness and charred oak spiciness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; moderately silky barleywine feel with balanced bourbon/oak tannin spiciness. Light-medium increasing warmth and booze of 14.9% down to the gut. Great malt complexity and intense barrel presence. The flavorings aren't that strong at all, but the lactose gives a nice silkiness to the finish. The barrel is boozy, but not all that rough. A great "cigar beer", more for sipping like a scotch, but it's smoothing up more as it reaches room temperature. Feels like a well made BBA American Barleywine to me. 4.1/5


Cheers

 

Covert Artisan Blanton's BA Degenerate Breakfast Imperial Porter, 12.5% ABV. Pours black and thick with a ring of brown bubbles that left no lacing, but did leave an oily sheen. Aroma is coffee and maple syrup. Taste is strong coffee, strong maple syrup, and slight bourbon, quite sweet, moderately bitter, no bourbon burn. Excellent thick mouthfeel, leaving sticky lips. Overall outstanding.

4.58/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

They named the beer after me!

 

Mods: Any chance this thread will be extended to Monday? This question is all about my love of all things Presidential & not at all about this shit ton of beer I picked up in Missouri today

 

Getting into a Pre-Pro Pilsner from Zillicoah in Woodfin, NC. The breweryis situated on the French Broad River and was destroyed by Helene but with help from the local community the owners rebuilt and came back on line last summer.

Onto the review:
4.44/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a 12 oz single from the Hot Spot gas station cooler on Brevard Road (NC-191) on 12-5-25 for $3.79. Canned 10-20-25; consumed 2-15-25. Cold stored since purchase.

Beer poured clear gold with a very nice white head that is leaving lacing behind.

Nose has notes of fresh malted barley and floral hops.

Taste is a light but flavorful malt base that gives me notes of crackers with a wee bit of corn sweetness. Hopping brings a nice black pepper flavor and zing on the back end; 7/10 on my bitterness scale.

Mouthfeel is light bodied, and very crisp and refreshing.

Overall, this is exactly what i want out of a pre-pro pilsner!

 

Proper glassware!

 

Here we are, prime time new beer Sunday, like my favorite Jedi I have fallen to the dark side…if only I knew the the power of the dark side.



My beer heart, always in the light it is…balance…simplicity…drinkability…all these, the traits I value.

Sunshine Pilsner...I went to replenish, but then to the dark side I fell…hops, roast, bitter, freshness, abv…felt it all, I did…like Anakin walking into the Jedi temple I’ve slashed all hope for team pils…

Troegs - Daylight Chaser (Dark IPA 6.3%)



Pours deep dark brown, clear with slightest opacity; off-white head leaning light brown; puffy, big, and soft like cloud, crazy retention with hefty dose of lacing. Some of the most impressive head aspects I have seen in a while on a beer.

Vibrant and bright nose; citrus forward, stone fruit with pine resin; roasted malt shows upon warming.

Taste is soft and balanced; not and in your face black ipa…aforementioned hop character with deeper earthy tones; nice roast presence, lingers pleasantly as char with light pine undertone.

Medium body; wheat is evident, incredibly smooth, carbonation almost leans creamy in feel; clean on the finish, bitterness is tame but evident.

Long story short...this isn't an in your face black IPA it is its own thing. Long story long...this reaffirms how great a brewery Troegs is in my eyes. There's nothing more I want then an in your face bitter roast laden and pine filled IPA and yet here I am enjoying this beer. It is just so well constructed and drinks so nicely in its own neat way. I hate to steal breweries descriptors but as someone who looks forward to blood oranges every year the citrus is 100% distinctly blood orange.

I could see people going into this beer with negative bias and letting it get the best of them but enjoy this beer as it is and its so damn interesting and neat. But hey, that is just my opinion...

---------

The Jedi were wrong, the Sith were wrong it is balance we need, there are no light and dark side, no team pils or team IPA…good beer is good beer; sharing the experience is what matters…be well everyone and enjoy the rest of your weekend and the week to come.

May the force (beer) be with you…

Hope to see you all again next weekend with some new ones.

@Premo88
@kemoarps
@hillind
@jmdrpi

 

Good Sunday afternoon, New Beer Sippers and commentators. One of the late winter treats on the east coast is a good Oyster Stout. One of our locals, Double Tap Brewing, makes one called Shuck and Awe. I had a pour at the brewery yesterday and then was pleasantly surprised to see that they canned it. The review below covers both the draught and canned versions.

It pours a dark mahogany with some cola hues at the bottom of the glass, and sports almost a finger cap of fluffy, medium-khaki foam and modest film of lacing. The smell includes chocolate, fresh coffee, tobacco smoke, charred nuts, and just a whiff of brine. The draught pour featured more sweet chocolate up front. From the can it is more baker's chocolate and burnt, acidic coffee. You can taste the brine and oyster but they are subtle. There is more char and cigar ash in the can pour than on draught. For the style, the mouth feel is luxuriously creamy and plush with low carbonation. And at 7% ABV another pour is not an issue. A delight to drink!

Kudos to Double Tap for not only brewing this style of Stout but also canning it.

4.24/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Cheers!

 

My 2nd beer all week, back to back with the other one after obstaining all week due to knee replacement surgury. Honestly, I'm feeling the alcohol. It's a good beer anyways.

3.92/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Purchased cold at a store 2-days ago and kept cold until served. Poured to a quazi-pilz glass from 16oz can stamped with codes that don’t make sense.
The body is medium gold and almost clear (SRM 3-4). Generous nucleation is visible throughout the session. The head is pure white and puffy. Lacing is medium on glass tilt, but 60% of it slides down quickly.
The smell is fermented grass/straw. Slightly sweet, and a little pepper.
The taste is similar, but the finish dries out the sweetness. There is more hop character than expected.
The mouthfeel is light to medium and there is a slight oiliness. Carbonation is appropriate.
A very flavorful lager. Far from BMC, but still to style.

 

Another solid brew from Good Word I'm glad you got to try. Yes, you are correct on the decoction mashing, that's how Todd DiMatteo rolls with his lagers. Naturally carbonated too. He also put in a filtration system last year. Die Todd Die used to have a little bit of haze to it but I noticed the recent batches are brilliantly clear. Thanks for posting the review too. Always good to see BA's adding to the reviews of our locals. Cheers!

 

Boulevard Space Camper Betty Bot, Bubbly IPA. 5.0% ABV; 4.09 overall

Pours a slightly hazed gold with a thumb+ of cream-colored head. Almost drops bright Great head retention & stellar lacing

S: Passionfruit, nectarine, some orange notes

T: White grapes, a little pear, pomelo, dryness & a little green melon up front. More dryness, some bitter & green melon, peach, limes & white grapes once this beer is warmer. Finishes a bit dry with white grapes, peaches & green melon & a little pomelo

MF: Medium body, fairly smooth carbonation, good balance

Easy to drink, delivers great flavor for the ABV, so much better than the lower ABV runt in this mixed 12

 

Wishing you a speedy recovery @woodchipper hopefully the knee is as good as new eventually. Glad you are able to have a beer again.

Thanks, really was a great beer, if I'm ever in the area I'll be there for sure. Got one more Good Word which I'm hoping to open for next weekend, their English Mild which you have praised, so I'm looking forward to it.

 

Happy NBS one and all! Yesterday was a great day but way too busy for posting much of anything. Today is far more laid back.

I tend to be optimistic about my ability to drink more beer for a weekend tasting event than the reality supports. So I have an eclectic assortment in my cellar that were bought for a reason and then I didn’t get to them.
This is one that was bought for a Belgian event, and I might not have had it then because it is brewed in the Netherlands.

Every time I drink a Belgian style beer it seems that I ask myself: why don’t I drink more of these?
It’s a beautiful beer with a deep brown body, transparent and mahogany red highlights when backlit.
The taste is an explosion of dark fruit; plum and figs, raisins and red grapes. Sweet comes to mind, but it isn’t sugar sweet, simply a lack of anything countering the malts.
The feel meets my preference, lightly viscous and a very nice sipping beer.
OA, can’t say I’m an expert in this style, but for what it’s worth I think it’s really good.

Still trying to drink down my cellar so I will be back later with another new/old beer.

Cheers!

 

Good afternoon NBW
I purchased this bottle back in August from a store I rarely get to visit and just assumed it would be old, so I saved it for Cellaruary. Shame on me, it's a 2025 edition (albeit almost impossible to read).

Alesmith Old Numbskull

25.4oz bottle with APR 29 2025 laser etching barely visible. Purchased in August of last year and stored in my 55° basement fridge right up until the pour, 11% ABV. The beer pours bright medium amber with mahogany highlights and khaki colored head. The head recedes to an uneven ring and leaves some lacing. The aroma is mild with sweet caramel malt and pine. The taste is bittersweet caramel malt with light pine, a hint of citrus and old school bitterness. The feel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a semi dry finish. The caramel malt, ABV and pile of hop resin in this beer leaves a coating on your tongue, but is balanced and pleasant. Overall, very good American barley wine.

This is only my 25th American barley wine review and it's been over a year since the last one. A really hard style for me to find, but one I'll almost always pick up given the chance. I'm glad I stumbled across this bottle, but I'm done with new beer this weekend. Cheers all!

 

My 243rd Bruery beer reviewed. 2020 Soie Reserve Anniversary Ale. Double barrel aged in bourbon and Maedeira.

A- pours a chestnut brown color with a ruby hue, one-finger foamy off-white head reduces to a ring

S- huge Madeira aroma up front, vinous dark grapes, smells just like a dessert wine. A wave of caramel & toffee follow, along with tobacco, leather, raisins, oaky vanilla, brown sugar & booze. Complexity increases as it warms

T- as with the aroma, the Madeira barrel immediately shines up front, giving sweet dessert wine notes with vinous red grapes, stewed cherries and a hint of raspberry. Mid-palate gives bold malty notes of caramel and toffee, along with a nuttiness that compliments. Dark fruit notes emerge, adding jammy raspberry, black cherries, grape jam, raisins & figs. The finish gives more Madeira, nutty oak and jammy dark fruits, lingers of caramel

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that turns slightly creamy and velvety into a warming finish

O- the Madeira barrel is a perfect compliment to the base beer. Dark jammy fruits with a wave of nutty caramel and toffee, probably the best Bruery Anniversary beer that I've had

4.25- 4.5- 5- 4.5- 4.75= 4.76

Review Rank:
Bruery Beers- 1/ 243
All Beers- 17 (tied)/ 4343

Best Bruery beer I've had, an absolute Madeira masterpiece. If you are a Madeira fan, seek this one out.

 

[/IMG]
Bought this one on a whim.IPA with 14.3% ABV sounded interesting. It is an effective alcohol delivery vehicle but not much more. For $7/16 oz can it is too much for a repeat. Nice appearance, but not much aroma and the taste is not remarkable....mostly a generic WC IPS profile accompanied by a disabling wallop of alcohol,

 

Got excited to see them as a brewery in Oklahoma until I found out that mixed 12, allegedly new was nothing but stale IPAs

 

Stealie Stout
6.5% oatmeal stout by Fat Head’s



Poured from tap at the brewery, the body is a dark down with slightly tan head. Good lacing

Aroma has notes of chocolate, coffee, and oatmeal. The taste follows nose. The body is light but flavorful. At finish, a malty, bitter char is tasted and slowly trails off.

Mouthfeel is good and carbonation strong.

Tasty, easy drinking stout.

 

KC BiER Co. Der Bauer Dry Hopped Farm House Ale, listed as a Saison, 7.5% ABV; 4.0 overall

My command of German is sheiss, already forgotten that is a word for farmer

Pours a hazed gold with a sliver of ivory colored head. Below average head retention & lacing

S: Cloves, white pepper, pears, juicy fruit late

T: Follows the nose, dry, grapefruit, some grainy notes up front. Sweet & & bitter grain notes, a little lemon, cloves, faint juicy fruit yeast notes & pineapple as this beer warms up. Finishes fairly dry with cloves, a touch band-aid, lemons, grapefruit & white pepper

MF: Medium body, delicate carbonation, slight acidity

Good take on the style, drinks fairly easy

 

Beyond Good and Evil (Maple Syrup Version)
Hill Farmstead

4.5/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Drinking out of a goblet at the brewery.
Pours a clear slightly reddish black with a thin tan. Head.
Smells of bourbon, dark roast and maple.
Good smooth moth feel.
Taste includes bourbon, maple, dark roasted malts.