New Beer Weekend #40

Do you like to go camping?

My wife really enjoys camping and she is the ‘initiator’ for family camping trips. I mostly enjoy camping once we are there and setup but if it required me to plan a camping trip this would never happen. I do enjoy being out in the woods, seeing the Milky Way in the non-light polluted sky, toasting marshmallows in the campfire, oh and drinking beer!

What I don’t enjoy about camping is that activities such as washing dishes that I could accomplish in a few minutes at home (since there is a sink with running water there) seems to be a BIG project out by the campsite.

Oh well, let’s get back to the beer part since today’s beer is Upland Campside Pale Ale.

Upland Brewing is a new brewery to my area (Philly area) so for my benefit (and perhaps others) a little bit about Upland courtesy of Wikipedia:

“Upland Brewing Company, founded in 1997, is a brewery in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. It is currently the third largest brewery in Indiana with a total of six locations across Central Indiana. Upland currently makes over 80 beers per year which include ales, lagers, and sour beers.”

Wow! A total of six locations in their home state of Indiana, quite the operation.

Below is how Upland discusses today’s beer Campside Pale Ale;

“Campside

Year Round

Pale Ale

Campside has developed a loyal following with its showcase of the most interesting and effervescent American hops. Beginning in 2018, Campside will transition from a Session IPA to an American Pale Ale and will be available year round. All of the fragrant citrus and tropical character of late additions of Cascade, Simcoe, and Mosaic hops will remain, supported by a moderate malt backbone and defined by balanced drinkability. Late additions of hops allow the distinct fragrance of grapefruit, apricot and pine to be preserved as much as possible in the finished beer. With a crisp, but subtle bitterness, a balanced malt character, and a 5.4% ABV, this is the perfect year round beverage for those who think flavor is just as important as refreshment.

ABV: 5.4%

IBU: 35

YEAST: House Ale

MALT: Pale, Pilsen, White Wheat, Carapils, Vienna, Acidulated Malt

HOPS: Warrior, Columbus, Cascade, Simcoe, Mosaic.”

Well, this beer sure reads tasty. Let’s drink!

Served in my Spiegelau IPA glass

Appearance:

Golden yellow with a BIG white head.

Aroma:

Mostly tropical fruit aromas but there is some citrus there as well.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with predominantly tropical fruit flavor but pleasantly accompanied with citrus. There is a firm bitterness as well.

Mouthfeel:

The beer has a medium body with a dry finish.

Overall:

I think this beer is very good! I very much enjoyed drinking this refreshing beer.

This beer would certainly be an enjoyable beer to drink while toasting marshmallows on the campfire.

Cheers!

@RobH @rotsaruch @KOP_Beer_OUtlet

 

Thanks @WunderLlama for kicking off this morning's thread.

Had the pleasure of having my first Upland last week as I tagged you @JackHorzempa , hope it wasn't a one off as Illinois is a place many solid brewers seem to avoid. I can't wait to go back to National and State Parks once these mask restrictions are lifted and can explore the trails unfettered. It's been over a year since my last trip to nature (Death Valley) beyond the local Crook County Forest Preserves.

Had the Helles Malt Liquor a few hours ago, still shaking off the power of alcohol and aggressive sweetness. This is listed as a Maibock here, but I'd place it as a lager, under malt liquor or Helles.

Castle Brewery Eggenberg 2019 Samichlaus Helles



Bottle Notes: 14.0% ABV, 11.2 oz. Helles Malt Liquor. Brewed once a year on December 6, aged for 10 months before bottling. 2019 was the year for this bottling. This specialty is perhaps the rarest in the world. Samichlaus may be aged for many years to come. Older vintages become more complex with a creamy warming finish.

Appearance: Orange beige clear base, heavy carbonation throughout. Head fades quickly, bright white ring lingers along the rim. 3.75

Aroma: Harsh bitter heavy malt aroma, dark fruits back lightly, raisins, plums. Even more intimidated at this point than I was cracking the bottle open. 3.25

Taste: OK, the taste was a 180 from the aroma. Thick syrupy sweetness, like a fruit bread or bread pudding turned into liquid syrup, strongly fermented syrup. Strong malt, hint of caramel, raisin the one fruit that carries on beyond the aroma. 3.75

Mouthfeel: The most remarkable attribute, heavy visible carbonation is light to the tongue, devoured by the rich creamy syrupy texture. Highly sweet, near insanity level, the antithesis of balanced. The ABV feels like 20%. can't recall many beers packing this punch in my past. Perhaps I'm getting too old, but this beer is stronger than the limit I prefer currently. 4.0

Overall: Expected a strong experience being a heavy malt liquor, but this beer borders on absurd. The beer hits twice as hard as the 14 % ABV, is insanely sweet, the mouthfeel unique at the level of thick syrupy feel. I'm glad I tried it for the experience, but wouldn't seek this again. It's just too strong and sweet for my tastes. 3.50

Will return later this afternoon for a second offering, this one brewed and marketed as a traditional Dopplebock, though aged in Bourbon Barrels. Still listed just over half the ABV as this morning's beer (8% vs. 14%).

 

Some new beers arrived this week, thanks to Beer Drop. This is Tipsy Nipper, a passion fruit Belgian Saison, brewed by FlyteCo Brewing in Denver. It was canned 3/29/21 and is 5.8% ABV. It's an OK beer.
A hazy orange color with a small white head. Just a bit of lace.
Aroma of sweet fruit and spice.
Taste of passionfruit, cinnamon, and clove. Bready background.
Crisp and refreshing.

 

Loving the bock weekend and bring it to NBW! Picked up a few more bocks today, starting with Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche.
4.46/5 rDev +8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

500 ml bottle poured into a mug

A- A clear reddish amber with a two finger tan head

S- Smoky, oak, caramel malts, earthy, hints of dark fruits.

T- Smoky, peat, caramel malts, earthy, bandaid, oak, hints of dark chocolate, some dark fruits.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- Rauchbeir and Doppelbock come together beautifully. Very tasty and easy to drink.

Cheers!

 

Back to future, cracked this bourbon barrel age Dopplebock before lunch. Brewed in Bridgman Michigan, though sold at their Chicago brewpub. This one was barrel aged prior to canning.

Haymarket Cold Dark Night



Can Notes: 12 oz 8% ABV, Barrel Aged Dopplebock. Canned 11/11/20. Refrigerated at the brewery and at home since purchase. (Not noted on the can, but per an online search of Haymarket's website, this Dopplebock was aged in unidentified bourbon barrels, length of aged not noted).

Appearance: Dark brown nearing black, clear when held to light, light tan bubble head bold for seconds before receding to a light white ring around the top base. 3.5

Aroma: This was canned six months ago, but it has not mellowed whatsoever. Sweet bourbon. The barrels weren't identified by the brewer, but Jim Beam is what comes to mind. he bourbon masks all other aromas, nothing else after several aggressive whiffs. Smells like clothes in a hamper after a weekend long Jim Beam bender. Overwhelms, fails to complement the base beer.1.75

Taste: Taste not as harsh as the aroma would lead, but still sweet bourbon and nothing else. Let it warm further, and the taste remained the same. Get slight black licorice, but that is it beyond the bourbon, less sweet than the aroma would lead. 1.75

Mouthfeel: Thin body, sweet, not balanced. Faint carbonation, a little syrupy, sweet bourbon aftertaste. 2.25

Overall: I like or better most of this brewery's offerings, but this one is a miss. Not balanced, bourbon overwhelms, does not complement the dopplebock beer which I could not taste. I have one more can but will sit on it for a long time, hoping the bourbon fades over time. 1.75

Hoping for better beer tomorrow.

 

Equilibrium Energy Equals NEDIPA on draft out of a short Snulip glass. Pours a hazy orange yellow with a 2 finger sticky white head that leaves thin barbed wire lace, with solid retention. 4.5

Aroma ripe melon, tangerine, papaya, peach, and mango. 4.25

Taste follows cantaloupe, tangerine, papaya, peach, and mango low on bitterness big on flavor. 4.25

Mouthfeel is above medium, soft creamy carbonation, not sticky or dry, and at 8% really easy drinking. 4.5

Overall this one is really juicy and delicious highly recommend. 4.25 Cheers all.

 

I noted your comment of "bandaid". For my palate Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche has flavors of medicinal and burnt plastic and neither of these aspects are pleasant for me. But it would seem you enjoyed your bottle so:

Cheers to you!

 

Yeah, it’s a tough flavor, I feel it is very easy for it to go wrong. I don’t always want that flavor but it the right balance I do enjoy it in smoked beers and saisons.

 

Greetings fellow NBSers! The Mariners have an early lead over the Evil Empire Jr. (The Sawx), so why not a morning beer? Kolsch from Ferment Brewing in Hood River OR:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/53606/543036/

 

And we all have our own unique palates and preferences.

Earlier this week I brewed my version of Orval. It is presently in the primary fermentation stage but in a few days I will add some Brett for a secondary fermentation. This Brett addition will result in funky flavors (e.g., barnyard flavors). I personally enjoy these flavors while my wife will not even take a sip after smelling it and she will immediately exclaim: "Why do you drink this horse piss!?!". I just take another sip and smile.

Different strokes for different folks.

Cheers!

 

Haha, my wife will give me shit for loving funky beer too. Good luck with your version of Orval, that Brett in secondary sounds great. Cheers!

 

We have an online bock tasting going on that started yesterday and will continue through tomorrow. So, grab a bock and join in.

Starting today with 2 beers of the traditional bock style. As with yesterday, the first beer will be German, and the second will be Minnesota (Schells). I have one more traditional bock on deck for tomorrow - also from Minnesota, but not Schells.

Labeled as the original dark bock ("Ur-Bock Dunkel", if my translation is correct).

Einbecker Ur Bock Dunkel
Bock - Traditional
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 36



Indeterminate age with a bottle code L4311380 K 12:24

Amber, clear, and moderately carbonated. 1½ inch thick off-white head with good retention and sparse lacing.

Gratefully, there is no skunkiness in the aroma, despite the green bottle. The aroma is moderately strong, with a caramel sweetness, toast, and raisins.

The taste is relatively complex initially. There is the caramel and raisins from the aroma along with a delightful toasted bread maltiness. Malty and smooth in the beginning. A slight bitterness begins in the middle and carries through to the finish. The aftertaste is a very nice intermingling of the dark fruit and sweetish toasted bread. The finish is malty, but not too sweet.

The mouth feel is moderate toward the thin side.

Overall, a very good bock with an inviting aroma and complex toasty flavor that lingers.

L: 3.75 | S: 4.0 | T: 4.25 | F: 3.75 | O: 4.0 | Rating: 4.06

 

And my wife is not a fan of 'regular' Belgian Beers either. I have a batch of Belgian Dubbel that is finishing bottle conditioning right now (I will try one from this batch later today as check of readiness). My wife will smell it and make a funny face and say: "smells like toluene" (a solvent) but she will at least take a small sip. She then will make an 'editorial' comment like "I don't know why you drink this stuff".

But for completeness I should point out that she does enjoy many of the beers I brew. When I brew hoppy beers (APA, IPA, DIPA,...) those beers 'disappear' all too quickly.

Cheers!

 

Good afternoon everyone,and thanks @WunderLlama for hosting this weekend.
Starting with Schilling Beer Co. I have enjoyed a handful of thier offerings prior to this
But Winterhammer seems more a work in progress.
Cheers all

Winterhammer

Bock - Traditional | 6.9% ABV

Schilling Beer Co.
Littleton, New Hampshire

3.88/5 rDev -5.6% | Average: 4.11
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16 oz can dated 03.02.2021 into the mug.
A - Lovely clarity, dark straw colored backdrop, active carbonation yields and supports a rich frothy cap.
S - Sweet malt, with touches of burnt sugar, white bread crust, a bit of peppery esters, and strong earthy hops
T - Each of the aromatics , are involved, then an unfortunate fusel aspect, compunded by a biting hop bitterness that seems heavy handed for the malt base.
M - Start is semi sweet, on a medium body, a slow shift and bitter becomes the prominant feel. Again that fusel and bitter bite take away from the malt display, that the style calls for.
O - I am surprised at this offering being a bit off putting. The color and clarity were welcome aspects, but there is work to do here. I hope the brewer continues to tweek this one.

 

No crossovers here, a new beer I’ve been wanting to try for a while. Finally shows up locally so I grabbed a four pack.

Paulaner Pils



Pours a clear light straw color with nice initial head, not a lot of retention. Some lacing as I drink down the first couple of sips.

Aroma is to a touch sweet smelling maybe slightly floral, with a touch of some refreshing citrus aroma.

Tastes follows the nose on this pretty closely with the added notes of some snappy light thin crackers.

Body is on the medium side of light, a nice low to moderate bitterness. Despite the sweet initial smell this beer has no sweetness. It has a noticeable very welcoming clean and dry finish.

A very enjoyable pils that went down very quickly and much too easy. It is a beer I drank much faster than I intended too. I will repurchase this beer in the future for sure.

**An added bonus of the can is I love the color scheme combine with the drawing of Munich.

 

Next new one comes from the Dry Side of the Cascades, Winthrop WA, home to Old Schoolhouse Brewing. Stowaway is, according to the label, a Northwest Hoppy Pale. It's murky enough to be a NEPA (can we get that style added to the site please?), but has pine hops upfront, with the frooty hops in the background.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1395/545990/

 

That sounds really good. I've never had their Doppelbock. If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for that bottle? Most of the varieties of Schlenkerla that I see around here are around $5.99, but the doppelbock runs closer to $14.99. I was always curious if that was the case everywhere, or some local anomaly.

 

Greetings, NBW regulars and newcomers! My first today was enjoyed late last night after hanging out with some vaccinated friends for the first time in over a year. I decided I wanted something to sip on to end the night, and this can from @Dimidiata was calling my name. Modern Times' BA Monsters' Park Espresso Macaroon Edition delivered on all fronts.

Poured into a snulip, the beer was jet black and impenetrable to light. It left only the slightest crown of bubbles in place of a head. The aroma was full of bourbon, chocolate, bitter espresso, and coconut. The flavor brought all of that and then some. The bourbon was present without being overpowering. The espresso had the distinct flavor of the dust that tops a decadent tiramisu. That bitter espresso worked perfectly with the bitter dark chocolate while the coconut appeared mostly on the finish. This could have easily gone into cloyingly sweet territory, but that wasn't the case. The feel was full bodied with a luscious mouthfeel. Absolutely wonderful beer that really wowed me.

Thank you again, Christine!

 

Another from the locals, this time from Nightshift Brewing,
A tip from Beer Mike at Coopers Corner in Florence MA.
This offering is full on the palate, sweet while avoiding the edge.
Superb dry finish
Cheers

Pisces Season

Bock - Doppelbock | 8.3% ABV

Night Shift Brewing
Everett, Massachusetts

3.96/5 rDev -0.5% | Average: 3.98
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16 oz can dated 2/15/2021 into the test mug.
A - Dark copper, mahagony color, a bit murky, Thin off white cap is quick to exit. There are pluming colunms of carbonation feeing the perimeter.
S - Caramel, brown sugar, pumpernickle dough, slight hint of fruity esters. Earthy hops add a nice touch
T - Brown bread, a bit of dark fruit, raisan, fig, the slightest hints of tobacco and molasses.
M - Medium to hefty on the palate, borders on oily for a lager, The sweet start moves to center in short order. The finish is sudden and quite dry. Linger is like a hard root beer ball but Dopplebock instead. I like it
O - A solid nod the the classics. Hefty and rich, with a nice dry finish.
I will be getting a few more before the season is up