New Beer Weekend #95

(I won’t cross post this to the dark lager or WBAYDN?, because it would be too easy.)

Minnator Doppelbock - Utepils, Minneapolis



My review:

“Pours a medium-dark brown in color (maybe a “golden brown”, and a fair bit lighter than your average Schwarzbier), topped with a medium-tan head. Good duration and “Brussels” lacing.

A clean and very neutral nose. Just a touch of caramel malt, a touch of grassiness, and a touch of sweetness / sweet grass / grain. Nothing in the way of hops, and nothing is expected, but no off-notes either.

Soft, in fact VERY soft on the palate. This may be due to the age of the canning (note: I read “ed 9/21” in the bottom of the r can, so I take that as a ‘Born On Date’), and it might not lend itself to the drink if it were fresh. As it is, the softness and smoothness adds to the drinkability somewhat, even though some might find it to be “flat.”

Round mouthfeel and sweeter overall. Lighter honey-ish notes (oxidation/age) which would be distracting in higher amounts. “Malty”, of course, and while not truly one-dimensional, might lead one to considering this one as a boring “blahger.”

As it is it has aged fairly nicely, and plum and toffee notes emerge further on in the drink.

Not overly strong at 7.8% ABV, but a sipper nonetheless.

I might be a bit generous in rating it all 4s, but I will try again with a fresh batch this year, and see how it compares.”

(Again with the defunct Polish glassware!)



Cheers!

@cheeseheadinMinneapolis,@GreenBayBA,@grantcty

 

Day #2, this first beer is from my friend @jonphisher and NBS BIF #15.

Jon is a rockstar beer nerd. IJS.





4.25/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by ovaltine from Indiana

Pours a nicely hazy honey-tinged straw color with a soapy white head and looks stunning in the glass. The nose features lots of lemongrass and a healthy dose of white bread and cereal. Wow.

The lemongrass is forward and delicious on the taste, but it’s that bread/grainy cereal malt flavor that works so well for me - it’s times like these that I wish I had a 6er of the beer and the beer bong we had in college so I could do some SERIOUS beer nerd bidness.

The mouthfeel is crisp and refreshing. This is another one of those “beer drinker’s beer” zwickelbiers that I find are common for that style and which I appreciate so much.

 

Finished my last one the other night, definitely a very enjoyable beer for me too

Tonight I slay another big boy from you…

 

#2, this is also a BIF #15 beer, and I am almost positive it is courtesy of my friend @Roy_Hobbs.

If not, it is from @jonphisher.

Watching an old beer nerd struggle to keep track of boxes (yes, many multiples) in an NBS BIF is a terrible thing to witness. IJS.





4.1/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by ovaltine from Indiana

Nice hazy straw color with a white head, this beer features floral hop aromas with a touch of lemon and a nice, grainy malt note.

The lemon flavors forward on the taste and perfect to lead this beer, with a grainy cereal flavor that is substantial at the back of the palate, and a delicious balance to the lemon flavor.

Crisp, dry mouthfeel works well for this beer that I could sit and drink for days. Really good stuff, IMHO.

 

How about Starkbierzeit 2022?

 

Take Mrs Ovaltine to Grato , Tuscan restaurant , just a block away from Civil Society….then if you happen to find the CS taproom after dinner…you can thank me later…

 

Greetings fellow NBSers! This morning was windy, rainy, and chilly here in the Fourth Corner, but this afternoon it cleared off for a bit, and is now cloudy. Very March-like, and I'm really ready for some more seasonal weather. Worked a couple hours at the theatre this afternoon, and am now finally getting to some brews.

Bare Hands Brewery delivered this You See Them Saisons?, via some shenanigans from @ovaltine , related to NBS BIF #15. It's a nicely enjoyable brew: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27926/600803/

 

My one and only beer tonight is this Sunday night sipper comes again, courtesy of @ovaltine my BIF sender...for me personally my favorite stouts are adjunct free or one single adjunct, its a toss up. That makes me excited to try this one...

Transient - Kamigoye (bourbon barrel stout with vanilla)




Pours pitch black, thick, but not a glug glug pour like some can be. Quick soda like fizzing and disappearing head. Little islands of bubbles linger on the edge of the glass.

The nose is bourbon then some chocolatey char notes; ending with a sweet vanilla note.

The taste is chocolate syrup char and smooth vanilla ice cream on the back end. The vanilla is very well done and noticeable but not crazy overpowering. It almost lends just a sweet creamy taste without blacking out everything else. The bourbon is also noticeable but in no way overpowering. This is a well balanced bourbon beer.

The body is big but not overly thick which I very much appreciate in a beer like this. It has a prickly carbonation and an almost lingering interesting oh so subtle acidity to it. Roasty char like bitter note on the back end. Booze in the form of a slowly warming throat.

A great beer to close out the weekend. My favorite part is that this beer is quite balanced, not in your face, not overly thick or overly adjuncted either. Thank you for sharing Mike. Cheers.

See you all next week!

 

That was a neat beer, he sent that as my mystery beer and it was the perfect one for that. It had me thinking for quite some time.

 

Color Theory by Bottle Logic

4.59/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5



Can received in Bif15 from @Beersnake1

Brewers notes: Hazy DIPA • 8.5% ABV • Vibrant aromas of grapefruit and ripe tropical fruit bleed into juicy Citra-driven flavors of orange and pineapple on the palate with a pithy orange-rind bitterness to balance the finish. Medium-bodied with a lingering mango hue.

Hazy orange liquid poured into a nonic , capped by a one finger off white foam cap

Aroma is orange citrus

Taste is orange citrus , candied orange , orange marmalade , pineapple and delicious

Mouthfeel is sweet and so juicy

Delicious beer, recommended

 

Severance Cocoa Slumber Party Barrel Aged Fudge Stout, 10.1% ABV. Pours thick and black, with a one finger light brown head that left no lacing. Nose is cocoa and bourbon. Taste is light cocoa and bourbon, slightly sweet, slightly bitter. Excellent mouthfeel with carbonation. Overall excellent, but had expected more chocolate when they mention cocoa and fudge.

4.08/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sure wish they wouldn't bother with wax, annoying as hell.

 

Well, since @ovaltine had the unmitigated gall to randomly, wantonly, and undeservedly attack me during NBS BIF #15, the least I can do is drink those brews. Reddy Kilowatt IPA from Bare Hands is the latest victim: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27926/327627/

 

It is cooling off nicely and is very pleasant outside this early evening. Dinner was nice and simple - pub burgers on the gas grill. We eat out and cross a lot of cultures, plus we aren't afraid of cooking, but sometimes ya just want a damned cheeseburger...nice end to the weekend.

Tonight's brew:



OEC Brewing Coolship Black Lager. Listed here as Lager - European Dark. There's a lot of detail on this stuff, but the gist is decoction mashing, short stay in the coolship, open air fermentation in copper, cellared for a while. European roasted malts, noble hops.

Let's cut to the chase here - this is an outstanding beer. Pours rootbeer color with a fluffy khaki head that falls to a nice, chunky layer. The Klingon empire is stuck to the glass. Beautiful.

Roasted toasty malt strikes the nose with some coffee, chocolate, and caramelized sweetness. I don't find the hops particularly strong, but present in the herbal/floral sense. There is a nuttiness that seems like hazelnut, but a background player.

The taste rocks. Toasted dark grain bread, obvious roast malts, a little mocha flavor and that little nut-like taste. Hops in the taste present a nice aromatic lift to the flavor - grassy and herbal. Light bitterness on the aftertaste, slightly acidic sensation that I think is the charred nature of the malts but held in check. Kind of like slightly acidic coffee. A little dark fruit sneaks in with more sips - maybe raisin, possibly fig. Tiny bit of diacetyl that actually seems to belong...

Medium bodied, smooth and velvety feel. Just enough carbonation to perk it up just a tad. Sweetness does linger some, but it is a dry finish.

Diggin' this one if that isn't obvious. Super drinkability at 5.4% ABV, yet it feels quite luxuriant. Thinking around a 4.3 or so. Worthy beer here - if you see it I'd recommend giving it a try. I'm going to learn up on decoction mashing and the benefits - maybe @JackHorzempa can provide a summary tutorial... I've had a couple of OECs decoction brews and enjoyed them.

 

Happy Sunday. Up late last night reading Transfer of Power. I woke up at 5PM and my watch was proud that I slept so much. It's a fun gadget. I am currently instant pot cooking a chuck roast with potatoes and carrots. Seems to be a go-to meal for us lately. Potatoes are cheap and delicious lol. I seared it in avocado oil for a couple minutes a side. Also did a dry/wet rub in a ziploc.


From @snaotheus . Wheelie Pop Brewing Ascari Amber. Awesome Red ale. Amazing clarity, head retention, and thick foamy lacing. Aromas and flavors of big caramel, brown sugar, brown bread/crust, toast, nuttiness; light roast, molasses, dark fruit, pear, apple, citrus peel/rind, wood, pepper, pine, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light-medium pine, citrus peel, herbal, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation/body. Creamy/bready malts, some sticky hops in the mouthfeel. Light resins and lingering bitter dryness, with no astringency. Very smooth/soft, spot on American style. Very clean and rich malt showcase, with balancing Loral and Willamette hop character. Tastes like a lot of Munich malt, love the darker melanoidin complexity, and it isn't overdone. Loved it. 4.16


Cheers