New Beer Weekend #291

Ditto on the Die Todd Die @FRANKHAZE that was my contribute to team pils and it was a good one.

 

Deer used to fascinate me too, until they ate our garden and some saplings we had planted. Now they are just large, relatively attractive pasts that I prefer to keep at a distance.

 

I don't want to put any pressure on you Jay but given you are our NBW statistician I'd love to see what you could come up with for next weekend, no pressure or anything how can we honor what we all know...

Let's keep the fun going next weekend, not that we don't anyway each week, but you know, in honor of the occasion.

 

Stroh's was my goto beer in the 70's when I drank lagers.

 

I grabbed Stroh’s a year or two ago someplace in Maryland @beergoot. Obviously I never had the original one but I really enjoyed the current iteration that I did try.

 

Hello again!
Pulled another one sent to me by a fellow crazy BA person who acquired more beer than was in his capacity to drink. At least I can blame my SAN group. (Bought a 6 pack and took 1 to SAN, which leaves me 5) but I digress.
Another sour, this one bottled in January 2020.

The pour is a nice amber color that looks completely transparent, the ivory white head leaves rings of lacing.
The taste makes me a little sad that it is retired.
No doubt this is a sour beer, the tart just leaps out. Lemon and grapefruit; not getting any pineapple. There is a herbal flavor that I can’t define, but it tastes a little like wet oak might taste like. Except in a good way.
OA, this might have been better in the summer, but it is really tasty right now.
Not sure if I will have another one or two, but it will be at least one.
Cheers all!!!

 

Oranjeboom Premium ( Euro Pale Lager ), 5.0% ABV; 2.86 overall

Born on Jan 25, BBD of Jul 2026

Pours a bright & effervescent gold with 2+ fingers of eggshell colored head, kind of a gusher. Above average head retention & lacing

S: Cereal notes, some skunky notes at first, floral hops fight through at the very end

T: Sweet, grainy, grassy, some soap & lemon notes, a bit of pear too up front. Corny sweetness, some grassy bitterness & a little dryness as this beer warms up, a little pear. Finishes dry, sweet with a little bit of grassyness

MF: Medium body, fairly smooth carbonation

Run of the mill eurolager, drinks okay, would've liked to have tried this 10 months ago, held up well all things considered how tired it is

 

Alright, audibled chilling at home with everything fully open taking in the fresh 65F air while getting ready to open up this Team Pilsner Chicago offering.

Hopewell Brewing Company Pils

4.06/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25



Full review linked above. This came through exactly as the brewery noted (submitted BA Beer notes pending Mod approval):

Just a nice way to end the afternoon here. In terms of the theme for next week, I originally hoped to pay tribute to cavedave, but we had a wonderful tribute the previous weekend. We will honor the Original Six hosts before the thread changed to the current Weekend version. I plan on bringing the best beers I have next weekend, but am willing to shift if a particular style or theme is reached.

Come on Team Pils! There is still over 9 hours left to take the glory!

 

Im sorry if I had a new to me pils I would be right here with you.

 

Opened this for Cellaruary but since NBW is extended for Presidents Day I might as well share my impressions here. Dentelle from the Bruery, their 2021 anniversary beer. The more of these solera beers I have, the more they seem to blend together. All good, just not all that different from each other. Preliminary review below (so far I’ve had only a glass and I’m taking it slow, but I doubt my review will change much). Cheers!
________________
4.45/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle into a tulip. Pours a caramel mahogany with a thin khaki head that quickly settles to a narrow ring around the inside of the glass.

Aroma is a blend of brown sugar, toffee, dates/figs, vanilla, and bourbon. Some subtle cinnamon and clove notes.

Taste leads off fruity-sweet with a counterpunch of bready bitterness. Caramel malt, stone fruits, currants, subtly sour black cherries, warm vanilla—all held together with nice oaky barrel character.

Mouthfeel is chewy and heavy, not unlike all the other Bruery anniversary beers. Similar gravity yields a similar mouthfeel. Lingering finish.

Overall another fine addition to the series.

 

That's great to hear, thank for sharing. I've been on the lookout for a new lawnmower beer as Budweiser is the only macro that sits well in my stomach but I'd rather keep my beer dollars local. Even that Modelo from earlier in the thread was rough going by the last 2-3 oz. Definitely something about corn in beer doesn't work for me.

Jack's Abby did a one-off rice lager a couple years ago and it was fantastic. I expect the Von Trapp brew would be the same--I've never had one from them I didn't like. I'll keep an eye out at my local.

 

This might be my last lambic, but I have a “Wyld Ale” from last year that might qualify.

I remember seeing in this very thread (obviously an earlier version) some high praise for this one so I picked one up. A couple years ago. Finally time to try it, I was keeping it for a special occasion but as I didn’t know what it was like I thought I should vet it.
It’s vetted.

The pour is an amber with reddish tint and transparent.
The near white head leaves sheets of lacing.
The taste is very tart, but far from one dimensional. Green apples, white grape, lemons and grapefruit with just a hint of funk in the swallow.
The feel is full and smooth, it somehow fits the flavors. Outstanding sipping beer.
OA, as these seem to be okay when left in the cellar for a while, I may just need to have a couple on hand for a special occasion.

Right, back later with my nightcap!

 

Well, it's my 2nd, and last beer of this NBW thread.

Proper ESB - Inbound BrewCo - Minneapolis, MN - ESB - 4.4%

I am really enjoying this beer. Malty up front, nice bitterness on the finish. Well made. The only major knock is the aroma is so damn faint, and hard to detect.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45230/226634/
3.79/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
From a 16oz can. Canned on 12/10/2025

This beer has a nice copper color to it, and has a good deal of clarity. There's a 2 finger off white head to this beer that has great head retention, and some damn good lacing on the glass.
The aroma is quite light. I do get a faint malt hint to this beer. There's some caramel notes.
Up front this is a nice malty beer. Lots of caramel notes to this beer. This caramel malt fades, and a nice building bitterness comes into play here.
The body is pretty damn decent. I am digging the bitterness feeling.
This is a very well made ESB. Very tasty and a pleasure to drink.


See you all next weekend. Cheers.

 

O'Fallon Brewery Vanilla Wafer Cream Ale, 5.2% ABV; 3.35 overall

Pours an effervescent gold with fast-falling cream-colored head. Zero carbonation & head retention

S: Faint vanilla & corny notes

T: Plenty of vanilla, some creme notes along with dryness & a touch of corn up front. More vanilla sweetness/cream & some dryness once warmed up. Finishes sweet & dry

MF: Light/medium body, slight carbonation

Not a Cream Ale fan & adding vanilla doesn't help. Should've known better, a yawner

 

One more new beer for me…Spyglass Brewing Company’s Spatial Proximity DIPA DDH with Citra, Mosaic, Motueka, and Idaho Gem:



Hazy deep gold pour with some clarity under three fingers of fluffy white foam; excellent cap retention; medium heavy lace and heavy ring. Lemon lime nose with tropical fruit and creamy cherries. Semisweet pineapple, lemon lime, grapefruit; ripe cherries; firm malt base. Medium light body with a kinda juicy feel; moderate minus car; no astringency. Overall, a fruit salad blend of flavors - citrus,tropical fruit and dark stone fruit; an outstanding DIPA.

4.75 | 4.25 | 4.5 | 4.25 | 4.5
Score: 4.43 rDev +5.5%

An easy drinking, tasty hazy lite. One I could drink more than one in a row.

 

Matin House Brewing's Peace Be The Journey Hazy IPA with Coconut Flavor & Lactose, 10% ABV; 3.34 overall

Pours a super hazed gold with one finger of cream-colored head. Zero head retention & lacing

S: Coconut aplenty, plus pineapple. the only redeeming feature of this "beer"

T: Follows the nose, a little vanilla, some citrus on the fringes, pretty dry. Boozy coconut & pineapple plus dryness once warmed up. Finishes boozy, dry with plenty of coconut

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation, skews sweet on purpose I suppose

Doesn't seem like an IPA, seems like an unnatural; forced mess/quasi cocktail trainwreck of a beer