New Beer Weekend #78

Yea I noticed that right after and posted, I just assumed Maryland from your location, I jumped the gun.

Sometimes I feel like this is part of what makes some beers special, forces me to be present, enjoy for all it is.

 

Third and final planned WCIPA for the weekend, this the second from Fat Head's.

Fat Head's Alpha Ambush



Can Notes: 12 oz canned 12/28/21 @ 8:52, 7.5% ABV, 75 IBU. A stealth attack of hops.

Appearance: Clear straw golden pour, light to mild carbonation, creamy white head leaves cover over the base and periodic fine tiny bubble lacing. 4.0

Aroma: Dank pine and citrus, bold and flavorful. 4.0

Taste: Consistent with aroma, even stronger. Mostly a very dry bitter pine, ambush indeed in terms of strength, though mostly one note. That said, the one note is well executed. Malt obliterated by hops, which is fine by me, though faint caramel flavor detected through the cascade of pine. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Very dry and bitter, consistent with the style. Light body, ABV feels lighter, dry and bitterness more than expected, both linger after each sip. Minimal carbonation felt. 4.0

Overall: This is up my wheelhouse, and if you like strong dry and bitter WCIPAs, it will be up yours as well. That said, would have appreciated more flavor complexity with this one, though still very enjoyable and looking forward to the remaining stash of these. 4.25

On most weekends, this would be a top IPA for me, but this gets a bronze after Fat Head's Head Hunter and Sierra Nevada's DDH Powder Day IPA came through with incredible / top of style performances. Fortunate to enjoy all three fresh and cold this weekend, hope all three find your glass soon if you like the style.

Cheers!

 

A 3-day NBW weekend? Sign me up! I’ve been holding this for coming up on 4 years, let’s go big (bomber warning!).







4.35/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by ovaltine from Indiana

Pours a dark cola brown as you watch it fill the glass, but it appears black in situ and sports a sudsy tan head that dissipates quickly. The nose has some booze, rich cocoa, some more booze, and a big slug of black cherries. I am beyond intrigued.

The cocoa is rich and decadent, and leads on the palate, with the black cherries a deliciously prominent flavor mid-palate, leaving the boozy oak flavors at the back of the palate for a smooth, boozy finish that provides some heat. This is truly delicious.

The mouthfeel is substantial enough to support a beer of this gravity (13.6% ABV), with moderate carbonation. I’m a big Deschutes fan, but don’t see their stuff as much since we left Minnesota in 2017. This is truly a treat and approaches world class, IMHO. Glad I found it nearly 4 years ago in flyover country.

 

Good evening on this extended NBW. Big lazy day here, but we got started grooming the three dogs...an adventure that I imagine is like octopus wrestling...

Selection for tonight...



Welcome to Terroirdome...two men enter, one man leave??? Well, whatever... I am glad I am typing and not trying to pronounce it. This is from Sprindale Beer Co and is a barrel aged golden lager aged on locally grown Chambourcin grapes.

Pours slightly hazy pale gold with a huge actively fizzy head that makes me think champagne. The abundant grape smell reinforces that. The foam crashes pretty quickly to a few clumps of large bubbles.

The smell is funky, clearly grape, a bit of woodiness. Clean, wine-like vibe, yet funky. Thinking Brett and Lacto based on other beers using those organisms.

It's sour, no doubt about that. Heavy grape that also lends a tiny bit of sweetness along with the contribution from malt in the slightly sweet, bready realm. I get a pretty clear barrel woodiness on the back end of the taste. The funky notes are pretty dialed back on the taste. Along for the ride and contributing, but less dominant than in the aroma. I am surprised at the wood being so clear - pleasantly so. As I drink more, there's a bit of peppery spiciness building up. Nice.

Extremely clean and fresh even with the funk. The sour is moderately bracing, not quite an enamel peel. Dry, tart carryover. Highly carbonated and bubbly. Thin feel but not watery. The acid catches in the back of the throat. Very slight bitterness mid-taste.

This is a good beer, well made wine/beer cross-pollination, and it is around a 4.0. Not the best choice for a clammy night, probably, but I can't blame the beer for that. I've run hot and cold on Springdale sours, but this one's a good one.

 

Since we have another day of this thread with the 3 day weekend honoring the great MLK I will do one more review, von Trapp Trösten.
4.24/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz can poured into a tulip

A- Black with a two finger tan head.

S- Smoky malts, bitter chocolate, a little nutty, earthy.

T- Smoky malt (but not overly smoky), dark chocolate, some pale malts, a little nuttyZ

M- Smooth, crisp, light to medium body.

O- A wonderful and well balanced smoky lager, easy to drink

Cheers!

 

Poured into a 13 oz Teku glass canned on 9/22/21. Pours near pitch black with a 2 finger big bubbled head that leaves a thin wall of film with solid retention. 4.25

Aroma peanut butter, cocoa nibs, vanilla beans, and sweet bourbon. 4

Taste follows peanut butter, cocoa, vanilla beans, and bourbon very interesting flavor and nose, but not in a bad way at all. 4

Mouthfeel is above average, not dry, gentle carbonation and it works well, and at 11.6% it has a bunch of flavor but still goes down easy. 4.25

Overall this is a truly unique stout, man they loaded up on the peanut butter and makes for an interesting flavor that the palate won’t soon forget. 4 Cheers all.

 

Ok very curious how you got a great NEDIPA like this and it almost has 7 months on it? It looks bad all around. Great beer sitting on the shelf and then getting traded. That beer fresh is 4.5 all day long. Sorry I needed to point this out.

 

Glad you liked that one, it’s been one of the few locals that I try to always keep on hand. It’s just really pleasant to drink.

 

Not traded, sent via LIF related to NBW BIF #14. And it’s my fault for sending a beer that should not have been sent. I foolishly trusted that Total Wine would have fresh stock and I was wrong.

 

Shared this with a very generous friend, after we had lunch at Founders and I tried a flight of tasty dark beers, capped off with the aforementioned RIS. Then we went to his place so I could pick up some construction supplies and he pulled this out.
Wow, stating to think that 3 Floyds does everything really well. But maybe that’s just Dark Lord and it’s variants.
Poured black as the base beer and topped with a brown head that left little lacing.
Aroma was mild, which was surprising, but what I did get was malty and rum and biscuits and dark fruit- virtually no hop bite at all.
Taste followed, still no hops but truckloads of flavors- no idea what Sauternes is but it didn’t hurt the flavor of this. Rum was mild on the flavor, cognac might have been there, I wouldn’t know. What was there was really good.
The feel was excellent, ideal for the ABV of this heavy hitter.
OA, thankful to friends who have contacts I don’t and the wallet to take advantage when the opportunity arises. This was flat out amazing.
Cheers all!

 

Hello Late Night (Extended Weekend) NBW.
Well I am finally chiming in with a beer. And it was a bit disappointing.

Super Fun! Hazy Hop! by Paperback Brewing

16 oz can. No date stamp.
Slightly hazy, muted gold. Fluffy white head is assertive at first, 2 fingers or so, but quickly retreats to a thin cap. Clumpy layered lacing. Decent retention.
Nose is pineapple, papaya, mango, orange peel, and a mild creamy sweetness.
Flavor goes in a different direction. Slightly old pineapple, some mild black pepper, and a bitter finish.
Mouthfeel is ok for style. Decent carb, medium weight, but again the finish is bitter in way like OLD hops.
Overall, I am baffled by the vast canyon between the world that the nose foretold and the flavor delivered.
3.1/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

 

I've had a few of the "Regulars" from Carton, and each one was a resounding hit in my book. That one sounds a little "special" but knowing how keenly focused they have been on nailing down the other versions, I am not surprised to hear your love of this one. Orange bitters?!? Who'd a thunk that?

 

I got you man, we all have been in that situation at the store. Next time drink that mistake alone. That being said he still gave it 4.25. Cheers man.