New Beer Weekend #62

Thanks @SawDog505 for the NBW tap opening

First world problems
As I accumulate beers for my target in BIF#14…my son brings his family over and helps himself to some select beers in my beer fridge.
Target, you missed out on some fine beers. I , on the other hand, enjoyed two great brews last night with my son.


Double Grid by Hop Butcher for the World
4.5/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5



Bought at Binny’s in DesPlaines on a recent Chicago trip

tasting notes from the can: fresh citrus, light resin, exotic tropicals

Pint can poured into Spiegelau glass

Three finger off white foam cap , good retention , settles to a thin ick layer over a hazy orange liquid

Aroma is orange citrus, pineapple

Taste is sweet orange citrus, pineapple

Smooth almost creamy mouthfeel with hip flavor, no bite

Good beer , repeatable, recommended

Kiwi by Lawson’s Finest
4.37/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25



Bought at Julio’s Liquors in westboro, mass

Tasting notes: Brewed with a massive charge of New Zealand grown Nelson Sauvin & Pacific Jade hops, Kiwi Double IPA brings you the terroir of our hop loving friends in the Southern Hemisphere.

Pint can poured into Spiegelau glass produces a three finger white foamy cap , excellent retention, reduces to a mountain topped island with sticky lacings over a translucent orange liquid

Aroma is citrus , tropical fruits , whiff of white grape

Taste is citrus , tropical fruits , hint of white grape

Medium mouthfeel , clean hop taste

Good beer , repeatable and recommended

 

Been a couple of weeks since I last posted. Trying something new from outside of Tallahassee this weekend. A friend brought me this offering from J. Wakefield. I enjoyed it. Poured amber in color with scents of pineapple, vanilla, and lactose. Tasted like pineapple puree and lactose. Very tasty sour. 4/5!

 

Good morning, NBW. @WunderLlama - I wasn't too moved by Lawson's Kiwi, at least not compared to the other offerings of their's at the brewpub. As I recall it was a little too heavy on bitter grass notes (and fairly citrusy) for my tastes, again especially compared to the more classic hop notes in the Sip series.

Ok, I've been meaning to review this beer for a few weekends now, but something kept getting in the way. Even though our trip to VT was two weeks ago, I have not had a chance to drink The Alchemist's Luscious. That ends today.

Revisiting the couple beers from the brewery that I had in the past, Heady Topper impressed me even more than it did originally, and I increased my rating. Focal Banger was fairly similar in rating, though I perceived slight differences. The other two new beers form them that we tried were not impressive, with Skadoosh (Riwaka and Nelson) having some diacetyl issues in the cans we brought home.

So, will Luscious fall into Heady / Focal range, or sit in with Skadoosh / Light (I didn't rate it at brewery, but would've probably been in the 3.75+ range)?


I know the two stouts have little in common, but I wanted to have a little contrast as I review the imperial stout. First thing I noticed was the wonderfully dark head. The glass helped it grow tall, and the brown foam settled slowly. Nose on a cold beer is generically roasty, with a hint of dark chocolate. I am thinking it might be a fairly bitter beer when adding this little tidbit to the fact it's an Alchemist brew.

First sip and... it has a light sweetness with a citrus and currant undertow. The roasted malt notes join the fruit notes to keep any sweetness in check. I will state here the sweetness does not come with the thickness of lower attenuation, and the beer is actually not heavy at all for a 9.2% beer.

After these first few sips, a holey curtain of dark tan is growing across the glass from me. The nose is gaining a fruitiness that resembles the first sips, but the roasted malt is also increasing. I really like that I am getting what I view more as "pure malt notes" versus scents that more closely resemble other things. Not sure I can explain what I mean by that, but I will say there's maybe a bit of a coffee lean to the roastiness if forced to choose a different reference than the actual ingredient.

So I decided to have a sidecar of a significantly different style of stout that I went to at this point in my write up. I noticed the nose was a bit more astringent and not as sweet, neither all that unexpected. However, they were not nearly as different as I expected. Murphy's Stout is obviously lighter (near watery in comparison) and much drier (seems oxymoronic). The flavors are also more one-dimensional.

So, after having a little break and mid-beer palate cleanser, has Luscious "changed" from what my senses noted before? No, not really.

I'm getting ever so light hints of cherry and even faint impressions of banana in some sips. The feel on a warming beer is wonderful - it has a light carbonation and smooth without being heavy, balanced in sweetness without any stickiness. The fruity accents are just that, meaning I can enjoy them while still getting a fairly straightforward imperial stout. Very well done, in my opinion, and not at all as bitter as I originally expected.

Well this was a nice start to the day as I watch the U.S. hold onto a pretty strong lead in the Ryder Cup. I got my walk in early in case the matches were to exciting to tear myself away from. A lot of people on the trail enjoying the sub-60° morning temperatures, as was this far off heron:

 

Yeah, I agree the "graininess" is a little easier to detect in lighter beers. For stouts, it is similar, but also something like the roast itself coming through more "purely" - something that can similarly happen with toasted malts in brown beers.

Ha! I'm not sure that was any better an explanation. But I am now thinking of an actual a side-by-side in the appropriate thread with a classic RIS like Old Rasputin.

Cheers!

 

@cjgiant i really liked the Lawsons Kiwi. A true measure of this would be to do a side by side comparison with Sip of Sunshine. Perhaps I’ll refill my beer fridge and leave that option up to my Bif #14 target…I guess I need to go beer hunting this afternoon

 

Yeah, I had it alongside Double Sip, Triple Sip, and Hopzilla at the brewery and liked it least of all (although about on par with Triple Sip). However, it was also just a half pour that I shared with the GF. All in all, Chinooker'd was the "surprise" from Lawson's that I got to try.

Your target definitely should have fun with that comparison, though.

 

@cjgiant triple sip was too much for me albeit a good beer. I am tracking down double sip . They briefly distributed it about a year ago and it quickly evaporated from the shelves. I asked mr Lawson in one of the BA beer me anything threads and he replied only at the brewery . I guess that means I need to do a road trip to get the double. I wonder if Vermont produces any other good brews….

 

I hadn't heard of any before we took a trip there. We were pleasantly surprised

Double Sip was actually the favorite of that flight, but I haven't done the side-by-sides I want to with it and Chinookere'd yet.

 

Judging by pic #2, your son is younger than I thought he was.

And a LOT smaller.

 

Another from the onslaught of Westbrook Brewing Rinse/Repeat IPA's, Galaxy Hallertau Blanc.
Hopslist.com calls Hallertau Blanc "daughter of Cascade". "Hallertau Blanc’s flavor profile is said to be fruity, with wine-like qualities of gooseberry and grass, similar to that of Sauvignon Blanc. It also features a complex aroma profile with notes of cassis and elderflower in addition to grapes, grapefruit and lemongrass. Other notes detected in trials have been passionfruit, pineapple and gooseberry."

Murky haze tan color, one finger of fine white head with substantial lacing and cap.
Strong citrus and yeast aromas.
I get the grape and berry notes which combine nicely with the grapefruit and pineapple from the Galaxy hops. Also a suggestion of mint and pine.
Medium bodied, dry finish, good carbonation.
Available on the shelves with a September 2021 canning date. Overall rating: 4.25.

 

I just got back from lunch today, at a new bar and restaurant that opened this week. Southern Yankee Crafthouse. It is the satellite bar and restaurant for the same brewery that is way up in North Houston. I guess you could call this their "tied house" and its basically central Houston, which is right were I usually do my bar and brewery hopping during the weekends ha. The Crafhouse has ten taps, that are all Southern Yankee's and made at the brewery up north of coarse. Also a full bar and cocktails, which is unusual to see for such a place.

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First up is Paramount Pils. This uses all Nobel Hops, at 4.5% ABV.


Pours a clear and bright yellow color. A one finger white head forms with good retention initially, then recedes and leaves light lace.
A wonderful Nobel Hop aroma. Spicy, grassy, lemon rind. Floral in the best way, and really simple in the best way. A perfect example of less is more.
Taste wise, I love this Nobel Hop character. That perfect spicy, grassy, floral, lemon rind mix. Just a touch of bready malts, and lingering bitterness. This is so simple, but so well made. Showcases Nobel Hops perfectly.
A light body with crisp and effervescent carbonation. Super clean and wonderfully dry. A really well done Pils, that I can come back to again and again.

Again, the perfect example of less is more. Immediately one of my favorite Pils in Houston. Really subtle, and well made. I'm way more impressed with something like this, than any of the trends that are going on in the "craft beer" world right now.

Overall score is 4.26, right at the A cutoff for me.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/54216/541524/?ba=champ103#review

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Next is the Work Like a Captain West Coast IPA. 6.1% ABV.


Pours with a slight haze. A burnt orange color, with a two finger white head and good retention. Lace is left behind as well.
Aroma is pine, grapefruit, malts. Some sweetness in there, maybe caramel malts. Simple and straight forward.
Taste wise, like the nose, that classic IPA character. Pine, grapefruit, caramel malts. Toasted, bread, and slight sweet. Lots of lingering bitterness.
A medium to full body. Crisp carbonation, and maybe just a touch too sweet for my tastes. A pretty good classic IPA to drink though.

A good IPA for sure. There is a bit more sweetness from the caramel malts here, which isn't a bad thing. Then its plenty of lingering bitterness. None of that is bad, or overbearing. While that is a fairly standard example of the style, I'll take it over a lot of the hazy nonsense being made these days.

Overall score 3.77, which is B territory, barely missing the B+ score but still good and enjoyable.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/54216/430741/?ba=champ103#review

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Last is the Brewer's Lemonade,Berliner Weisse at 4.1% ABV.


Pours a clear pale yellow color. At first, a two finger bubbly white head forms, but that recedes quickly. Little lace is left behind.
The nose up front is husky wheat. Then a light biscuit malt, maybe some toasted malts in there as well. A light minerality and a lemony tartness. Subtle and well done.
Taste follows the nose, with the husky wheat, toasted malts, and that lemon acidity. Wonderfully tart and acidic in that regard. Really enjoying this.
A light body, with beautiful and crisp effervescent carbonation. The lingering acidity makes this wonderfully dry as well. Which all leads to a very moreish example of the style. I can come back to this again and again.

A great traditional example of the style. I rarely see a straight forward example of a Berliner Weisse anymore, and really glad I came across this one. Well done and highly recommended.

Overall score is 4.21, sitting at an A-
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/54216/549311/?ba=champ103#review


Oh...and here is the pizza I had. With pears, funky blue cheese, arugula, balsamic vinaigrette. A perfect chewy and chard crust, in that Neapolitan pizza way. It paired really well with the pils, as the clean dryness was great with the funky and sweet of the pizza. Yeah, I'm going to be at this location a lot


And thanks to the Mods that added this to Places so quickly, will be adding my review their shortly. Overall for the bar and restaurant, it will be around an A- yeah

 

Thanks for kicking things off today @SawDog505 ! I agree the more established breweries typically continue to release the best imperial stouts (Revolution, Goose Island, Founders and Bells in our area) I turn to each season. But after exploring the various adjuncts versions, most of my future purchases will be limited to stouts without adjuncts beyond coffee, though I still have several to review from my cellar.

Loved the dark head on your beer @cjgiant . I'm hopeful at some point Chicago will at least get a one time drop of Alchemist (and/or Lawsons), especially in light of the fact Colorado currently get regular Alchemist shipments.

Taking a break for the remaining two Hero offerings in Revolution's variety pack while they are still fresh.

Revolution Lucky-Hero




Can Notes: 12 oz canned 8/11/21 @ 6:54:06 (mighty early), refrigerated at the store and since I brought home. 7.0% ABV, High-Stakes Hop Character.

Internet Brewer Notes: 62 IBUs. Come out and hit the long odds with a Hero betting short on modern and long on classic. Mango, papaya, and fresh grapefruit notes parlay with a deep, resinous finish for a shooter who knows to play the hot hand.

Appearance: Golden tan clear base, medium carbonation, creamy rich egg white head lingers for several minutes, leaving soapy lacing throughout. 4.25

Aroma: Hops burst with aroma, mango, papaya and grapefruit, consistent with brewer notes. Pleasant and medium to full strength, juicy. 4.0

Taste: Solid taste, consistent with the aroma but more bitter than expected. Papaya, grapefruit, piney. Typical Revolution taste profile, everything works well together, balanced. 4.0

Mouthfeel: Lightly dry, bitter overall but the sweet aromas and taste still comes through. Hits my preferred taste profile. Drinks at the 7% ABV, body and fruit leads some creaminess, also a bit resiny, though measured, light bitter aftertaste. 3.75

Overall: This was first released I believe 3 years ago, but I haven't been lucky enough to come across this in the taproom. Glad I picked up this beer and the variety pack, another solid Hero IPA by Revolution. 4.0

Despite the lack of distribution here by some of the East and West Coast Heavy Hitters, I always feel lucky to have some of the best breweries in the world within a few miles of my house. Cheers All!

Sanatra with the musical accompaniment.

 

I too have a @snaotheus beer @Roguer. I mentioned that this beer seemed interesting to me a few NBWs ago. Nice guy that he is he saved one for me and gave it to me when we met up for beers last weekend in Seattle. I’m glad he did as I’m really enjoying it…

Level - Fresh Hop Oktoberfest



Clear slightly cloudy darker shade of pale or lighter shade of amber, a tweener. Really nice white head, recedes to big bubbled uneven craggy looking terrain.

The smells is earth, grainy, toasted bread, and something sweet. There is a nice hop note that is present as well, subtle cannabis like to me.

The flavors are nicely melded on this beer. It reminds me almost of a spiced bread and crust at first . Slowly gives way to waves earthy and spicy hops. The two flavors really give each other a chance to shine without colliding, very nice!

The body is medium and it has a soft carbonation. The flavors coat the tongue and leave a pleasant after taste. It is nice and full without being rich or syrupy, finishes with minor bitterness. I definitely still get the fresh hop mouthfeel I got to know thanks to our perfectly timed Seattle trip.

Thanks Ryan!

 

Hey NBW buddies! I have an experimental stout from Industrial Arts today. It's been waiting in my fridge for about 3 months. Here we go.

3.46/5 rDev -12.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 16oz can dated 1/29/21 at room temp to a diagonally cut tumbler.
The body appearance is black with brown on the perifferies. A 1/2 inch multi-sized bubble, tan head fades to nothing within a minute.
Aroma is a mild mix of chocalate and raisn with a hint of the volatiles.
The raisin effect dominates the taste with bitter chocolate taking a back seat. Although most of the experience is quite sweet, the finish is dry and chaulky.
Mouth feel seems thin, but tongue coating happens. Sounds contradictory but I'm sticking with it.
Overall, meh.