2017 Night Shift Barrel Society Release #4 – Hamlet

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Beer, Beer Review, Massachusetts, New England, Night Shift Barrel Society, Night Shift Brewing

With this review, it’s time to finally put 2017 to bed.  Released in the final days of December, this is the last ever exclusive beer brewed for the Night Shift Barrel Society.  It’s been a fun few years, so let’s see how it all ended.

Beer Name: Hamlet

Brewery: Night Shift Brewing Company (Everett, MA)

Style: Dark Sour Ale

ABV: 9.0%

Description: I present to you, for one last time, the brewer’s notes: Brewer’s Notes: pours a deep, enticing shade of mahogany; vibrant aromas of port and earthy dark fruit; flavors of fig, dark raspberries, and pale chocolate, with an assertive tannic backbone.

Appearance: Deep, dark reddish-brown body topped off by a thin, bubbly layer off-white foam.  It doesn’t affect the beer any, but worth noting is that both my bottle labels looked like the machine they used to apply them misfired a bit (the good side of the neater bottle is shown above).

Smell: Very reminiscent of red wine, it was equal parts sweet and dry with a little bit of funk going on in the background.

Taste: Started out with a berry-like sweetness that blended red and white wine influences before settling into a more earthy, dry character.  The finish brought in a subtle layer of funk and a little bit of warmth.

Mouthfeel: Fairly thin bodied with a low amount of carbonation, comparing this to wine again seemed like the right call.  

Hype: I had high hopes for this.  As I said throughout the 2017 series, I was looking for them to end things with a bang.

Overall: Overall, the beer the was pretty good.  I enjoyed it and found it to be an excellent representation of the barreling process applied.  That said, I couldn’t help but feel like they played this way too safe.  Given the number of beers Night Shift has brewed using the red and/or white wine barrel approach (going all the way back to 2014’s Farmer’s Duel) I felt like I’ve had this before.  Between that and the sloppy application of the bottle labels (which I’ve noticed in a few Untappd photos as well), I couldn’t help but feel like they mailed this one in a bit.  As such I found this to be a somewhat disappointing ending to a special release series that from its inception was designed to showcase what initially made the brewery stand out – creativity.

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2017 Night Shift Barrel Society Release #3 – Macbeth

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Beer, Beer Review, Craft Beer, Massachusetts, New England, Night Shift Barrel Society, Night Shift Brewing

I found out recently that this is looking like it will be the second to last Barrel Society brew ever since the brewery is taking the membership in a different direction for next year.  With the end of an era fast approaching, I took advantage of a day off and swung by the brewery to check this out on tap.

Beer Name: Macbeth

Brewery: Night Shift Brewing Company (Everett, MA)

Style: Saison

ABV: 5.7%

Description: I present to you, the brewer’s notes: Macbeth pours bright yellow and glows as it hits the glass. On the nose, it sports bold notes of grapefruit zest and Sauvignon Blanc, supported by funky Brett character. Once you sip, you can expect notes of lemon, vanilla, and ripe grapefruit pulp; with an earthy quality from the Brettanomyces, and a lingering oaky finish.

Appearance: Light, easy to see through golden-yellow body with some small bubbles lazily running up the sides.  White foam formed up top around the edges of the glass only.

Smell: Tart and (citrus) fruity.

Taste: Subtly tart throughout, the lemon was definitely the standout taste with grapefruit pith more in background.  The finish was crisp and dry in a way very reminiscent of white wine.  There was a slight bit of funk on the very end.

Mouthfeel: More or less medium bodied, with a bit that slightly syrupy finish I tend to get from sours.  Moderate carbonation towards the end.

Hype: Always elevated for these releases, though I think this one and the next will have very high expectations.  Hoping for the series to end with a bang.

Overall: There’s a small part of me that’s all  little bit disappointed that this wasn’t a Scottish ale, but I can get over that.  I really enjoyed this brew and found it refreshingly light and delicious.  This was probably as good as the style gets for me and I  was really impressed with how well the wine barrel aging came out in this beer.  Although I’d personally consider this more of a spring or summer beer myself, it would fit in nicely on any occasion where one might consider a glass of white wine as well.

2017 Night Shift Barrel Society Release #2: King Lear

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Beer, Beer Review, Craft Beer, Everett, Massachusetts, Night Shift Barrel Society, Night Shift Brewing

Jumping back into my beer reviews with the second entry in this year’s Barrel Society lineup.  While not exactly a new release at this point, I at least got around to this review in a slightly more timely manner than I did for release number one.

Beer Name: King Lear

Brewery: Night Shift Brewing Company (Everett, MA)

Style: Double IPA

ABV: 8.3%

Description: Submitted for your approval, the brewer’s notes: Pours a rich, dark orange with a bright white head; grapefruit, classic Brett funk, and oaky white wine on the nose; a cascading symphony of tropical fruits on the palate, across a background of funky stone fruit; finishes with dry, tannic notes imparted by this beer’s time in barrels.  Some additional bits of information from the label add that this double IPA was aged in Sauvignon Blanc barrels with brettanomyces.  Bottled in July 2017.

Appearance: An orange/amber body underneath a fluffy layer of off-white foam.

Smell: Sweet tropical fruit with a funky tartness lingering on the end.

Taste: Light, sweet tropical fruit upfront turned tart and funky towards the middle.  From there, the beer went on to close with a moderate hay-like funk that combined with dry white wine, oak barrel, and just a hint of grassy bitterness.  In its final settled form this drank equal parts (tart) fruity, funky, and oaky.

Mouthfeel: Fluffy, medium body with a moderate amount of steady carbonation throughout and a dry, almost wine-like finish.

Hype: Always elevated for these releases.  With only four planned for this year, they should all be amazing.

Overall: Overall a very solid brew.  Given some basic similarities, I couldn’t help but think of the wine-styled IPAs I’ve had from Trillium recently.  With that reference in mind, I do say that the front end of this beer with its juicy tropical fruit and mild bitterness held up quite well in comparison.  The Brett and barrel aging added a lot of complexity to the finish, making the brew tart and oaky in place of the typical DIPA bitterness I would otherwise expect.  By personal preference this isn’t a style I would want frequently, but I also don’t doubt that the brewers got exactly what wanted out of this.  I enjoyed my first bottle and have every intention of doing the same with the second.

2017 Night Shift Barrel Society Release #1: Titus Andronicus

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Beer, Beer Review, Everett, Massachusetts, New England, Night Shift Barrel Society, Night Shift Brewing

I’d been hoping to get to this beer for a little while now, pretty much since its release back in March.  Scheduling conspired against me, however, so I am just now finally able to review it.  The good news I suppose is that with the Barrel Society switching to a quarterly release schedule this year I am not too far behind on the current lineup.  Naming theme this year is Shakespeare’s plays.

Beer Name: Titus Andronicus

Brewery: Night Shift Brewing Company (Everett, MA)

Style: Barley Wine

ABV: 11.2%

Description: From the front of the label, this is a barley wine aged in port finished bourbon barrels.  From the brewer’s notes: Titus Andronicus Brewer’s Notes: pours dark amber in color; nose of fig, plum, caramel, and bourbon; sips with big notes of port, molasses, toffee, and dark fruit; finish is sweet, mellow, and well-integrated.

Appearance: Dark caramel brown body with a thin tan head that did not stick around for long after the initial pour.

Smell: Sweet, brown sugar and caramel with a bit of heat on the end.

Taste: Toffee, caramel, and brown sugar sweetness upfront mixed with dark fruit about halfway through.  A slight bit of oak also came out in the middle as the beer transitioned to a moderately hot finish, the port influence coming out just a tad bit more than the bourbon.

Mouthfeel: Slightly slick, medium-plus thickness with low levels of carbonation.

Hype: I was hoping for a lot with this one.  Since there are fewer beers in this year’s series I am expecting them all to really stand out.  I was also excited by the style; I’ve always been on the lookout to get more into barley wine and it’s a style Night Shift has done very well in the recent past.

Overall: Very good, I enjoyed how the opening sweetness blended in with the port finish.  Definitely not a brew to drink quickly, this was a nice beer to sit down with at the end of the day and slowly sip at.  My one nitpick is that I wish the barrel influence was just a bit less noticeable in the middle, but this was only a minor observance and perhaps particular to my tastes.  Very curious to see how the other bottle ages.  Solid start to this year’s series.

2016 Night Shift Barrel Society Release #7: Olympus

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Beer, Beer Review, Craft Beer, Massachusetts, New England, Night Shift Barrel Society, Night Shift Brewing

And with this beer I bring to a close my reviews of the 2016 Night Shift Barrel Society lineup.  It had been an excellent run thus far and the final offering was of particular interest as it gave me a chance to try a style I haven’t had before.

Beer Name: Olympus

Brewer: Night Shift Brewing Company (Everett, MA)

Style: Oud Bruin

ABV: 8.4%

Description: I will once again turn this section over to the brewer’s notes: pours brown with dark red at the edges of the glass. Aroma is slight chocolate with dark fruits, tart cherries, some Brett funk and red wine tannins. Taste follows nose, some dark fruits melding with the red wine character, the sourness and cherries in the back finishing sour and dry.  The bottling date was December 2016.

Appearance: Medium brown body with reddish/amber highlights.  Topped off by a thin bubbly white head.

Smell: Tart and sweet dark fruits with a moderate hay-like funk on the end.

Taste: Closely followed the smell.  A funkiness in the background began right away but didn’t really peak until the end when it took on some red wine and oak barrel flavors as well.  At the forefront of all this were tart dark fruits and sour cherries.  As the beer sat and settled into the glass sour cherry, oak, and that hay-like funk emerged as the primary flavors.  The finish was dry with just a little bit of heat.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with a few bubbles on the end.

Hype: I was excited for this one. It was a new style for me and I was optimistic about the 2016 lineup ending on a super high note.

Overall: It was a bit intense drinking this on my own, but overall this was a very good beer and a solid final entry.  Here’s to 2017!

2016 Night Shift Barrel Society Release #6: Vesuvius

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Beer, Beer Review, Craft Beer, Massachusetts, Night Shift Barrel Society, Night Shift Brewing

The second to last 2016 Barrel Society review is finally here!  I’ve been looking forward to getting these last two reviews in and now that things have quieted down a bit I am finally able to sit down and get to it.

Beer Name: Vesuvius

Brewer: Night Shift Brewing Company (Everett, MA)

Style: Brett Saison

ABV: 8.4%

Description: A brett saison brewed with blackberries and meyer lemons, bottled in the first half of December 2016.  To quote the brewer’s notes: pours magenta in color; strong aromas of blackberry jam, barnyard funk, and sweet lemon; sips with bright citrus notes and rich berry flavors; finishes oaky and tart.  

Appearance: Deep ruby/purple body topped off by a thin pinkish-light purple head.

Smell: Mainly tart berries with a bit of sweetness.

Taste: There was a lot going on here.  The beer started out with a mixture of sweet and tart blueberries before transitioning towards a blend of lemon and peppery yeast.  The finish had a dryness to it that made me think of red wine and featured a light hay-like funkiness mild oak barrel influence that gradually built up as the beer went on.  

Mouthfeel: The body was on the thicker side and a bit syrupy.  Moderate-plus carbonation.

Hype: Usual excitement for a barrel society release.  Maybe a little bit more since I’d been putting this one-off for a bit.

Overall: An excellent brew that I definitely enjoyed taking my time with.  Saisons tend to take me outside my comfort zone a bit, and this one did so in a very enjoyable manner.  Fantastic blend of tastes.

2016 Night Shift Barrel Society Release #5 – Sheridan

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Beer, Beer Review, Craft Beer, Massachusetts, New England, Night Shift Barrel Society, Night Shift Brewing

Time once again to get caught up on this year’s Barrel Society lineup.  I actually made it into the brewery to have this on draft, my first time being able to sit down and grab a drink there in a few months.

Beer Name: Sheridan

Brewer: Night Shift Brewing Company

Style: Flanders-style Sour Ale

ABV: 9.2%

Description: The fifth entry in this year’s Barrel Society lineup came with the following brewer’s notes: “Pours red orange with a tan head; aromas of strawberry, lemon pith, and cranberry; sips with tannic notes of peach marmalade, tart cherry, and vanilla. Smooth, soft body mellows the ABV warmth.”  It was tapped on 10/24, just about a month before I got a chance to try it out the other day.

Appearance: It poured a deep reddish amber body with a healthy off-white foam head.

Smell: Hints of subtle fruits with a slightly boozy aroma that lingering in the background.

Taste: Tart fruit upfront, primarily strawberry, cherry, and just a bit of lemon.  These were followed by a sweet, warming alcohol presence accompanied by more cherry and notes of vanilla atop a notable barrel influence.  The flavors flowed into each quite well, with a tart sweetness carrying the beer throughout.

Mouthfeel: Thick and a touch syrupy to start, the beer turned more full-bodied and creamy by the end.  Very low carbonation.  Excellent compliment to the flavor profile.

Hype: Elevated.  I was not only excited to try this release, but it was nice to have it on tap as well.  There was also a sense of mystery here for me, as I haven’t tried many beers in this style before.

Overall: I really liked this.  The flavors played off each other well, putting this release in serious contention for my favorite of this year’s batch.  Can’t wait to see how this develops in the bottle at sometime in the future.

2016 Night Shift Barrel Society Release #4: Matterhorn

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Beer, Beer Review, Craft Beer, Massachusetts, New England, Night Shift Barrel Society, Night Shift Brewing

With this post I am finally caught up on my Barrel Society beers for the year.  Since the next release hasn’t been announced as of this post, this one will have to tide me over for a little while.

Beer Name: Matterhorn

Brewer: Night Shift Brewing Company

Style: Sour Saison

ABV: 7.2%

Description: The label billed this as a sour saison aged in white wine barrels.  To excerpt from the official brewer’s notes: pours straw in color; aromas of lemon, white grape, and hints of green tea; sips with tart notes of vanilla, pineapple, pear, and a funky vinous character; finishes dry, oaky, and pleasantly acidic.  For this review I poured from a well refrigerated bottle into a snifter glass.

Appearance: Poured a translucent straw yellow body that was topped off with a thin bubbly white head.  The head pretty quickly fizzled down to nothing and left little to no trace it ever existed after a few seconds.

Smell: Not entirely unlike a white wine, with some sweetly tart and funky notes added in.

Taste: Again very reminiscent of white wine.  It started out with a sweet, fruity taste that was predominantly pear and grape.  From there it transitioned towards a very dry finish which blended funky, tart fruit, a bit of oak barrel, and a touch of sweet acidity.  I got a tiny hint of that peppery yeast presence I attribute to saisons somewhere in the middle, but otherwise I don’t think I would have picked that as the beer’s style without reading the label.  I would have guessed golden sour ale or maybe even wine if presented as such.

Mouthfeel: The body was on the thinner side with some tingly bubbles coming out to play on the finish..

Hype Factor: Usual spiel for these beers, expectations were heightened going in.  I did keep them tempered somewhat given how hit or miss I find saisons sometimes.

Overall: Not my favorite release of the year, but not bad.  This beer wasn’t quite my thing on its own, as the wine barrel influence totally dominated the beer and I just wasn’t in the mood for that profile when I had it.  I could, however, see this pairing really well with a nice meal or cheese plate, which is something I will keep in mind for next time.

2016 Night Shift Barrel Society Release #3: Elbrus

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Beer, Beer Review, Massachusetts, New England, Night Shift Barrel Society, Night Shift Brewing

I am admittedly a bit behind on my Barrel Society beers this year.  The third release came out back in late July, but I never got the chance to try it on tap.  I was, however, recently able to find a quiet night to kick back and treat myself to one of my bottles before bed.

Beer Name: Elbrus

Brewer: Night Shift Brewing Company

Style: Russian Imperial Stout

ABV: 9.2%

Description: The third installment in this year’s lineup of Barrel Society beers, this big stout was aged in bourbon barrels and bottled at some point in June.  The label has the following description to offer: “Brewer’s Notes: pours black in color; aromas of walnut, dark fruit, and dark chocolate; big flavors of molasses, raisin, and brownie batter; dry, oaky finish with notes of vanilla and fudge.”  Of course this went into my trusty 2016 Barrel Society snifter.

Appearance: Poured a thick dark brown/nearly black body with an even thicker foamy tan head.

Smell: Sweet notes of chocolate and brownie batter before coming to a slight bourbony finish.

Taste: Sweet upfront, with the fudge and brownie batter notes joined by dark fruit and malt.  The finish brought on a moderate coffee and dark chocolate bitterness accentuated by a hint of vanilla and oak before getting closed out with a touch of bourbon heat.  While I wouldn’t necessarily call this beer boozy, it did taste a bit bigger than the listed ABV.

Mouthfeel: Thick, smooth body with a rather low amount of carbonation.  Suited the big flavors nicely.

Hype Factor: As I’ve said before, the Barrel Society offerings always come with heightened expectations.  That, combined with Night Shift’s tendency to release some really great stouts, had me pretty excited to try this.

Overall: A very good beer, I really enjoyed the malty sweetness it had to offer.  In fact, I think I would have loved this had the finish been just a little tamer; it just seemed a bit exaggerated in terms of bitterness and heat.  My thought is time may end up doing some excellent things in this regard, so I am going to keep my remaining bottle well hidden from myself and try this again in a year or so to see how it aged.

2016 Night Shift Barrel Society Release #2: Denali

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Beer, Beer Review, Massachusetts, New England, Night Shift Barrel Society, Night Shift Brewing

With the release of latest entry in the 2016 Barrel Society lineup, it was time once again to visit my neighbors at Night Shift Brewing.  It took me a few days to get to this one, but fortunately it was still available for tasting by the time I was able to get to the brewery.

Beer Name: Denali

Brewer: Night Shift Brewing Company

Style: Wheat Wine

ABV: 10.3%

Description: Described as wheat wine aged in bourbon barrels with “warm flavors of walnut, caramel, black tea and raisin,” it was bottled back in April and released to Barrel Society members on 05/16/2016.  My 8 oz. serving was poured from the member’s tapline into a flute glass.

Appearance: Medium brown/dark amber body topped off by a healthy two-finger foamy off-white head.

Smell: Bourbon barrel and sweetness from dark fruits.

Taste: The beer had a moderate sweetness throughout; dark fruits upfront turning to caramel malt and brown sugar for the finish.  Balancing out this sweetness were an oaky barrel presence and more subtle hints of vanilla and black tea in the background.  There was also a good amount of bourbon towards the end, especially as the beer warmed.  For me, this one got better and better with each sip as the longer it sat, the more these other flavors emerged.  The alcohol was occasionally noticeable, though never strongly enough to suggest the beer was over 10%.

Mouthfeel: Thicker in body, it had a nice smoothness that complimented the various flavors and made the beer very pleasing to drink.

Hype Factor: Due to the nature of these releases, I think it is fair to say I go into each one with heightened expectations.  I was also excited to see them do a wheat wine for this release considering how infrequently I drink this style and how much I liked Marilyn, their blonde barley wine, back in February.

Overall: Very solid offering.  It featured an excellent blend of flavors and was very enjoyable and relaxing to sip at.  Offering the right amounts of bourbon, sweetness, and supporting flavors I’d call this beer a success and an excellent second entry into this year’s series.