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Ugh! I just got back from a bar/beer store, and apparently immediately after I left they tapped Collaboration, not Litigation. I really wanted to try it, but it looks like I missed out, oh well. I ended up picking up a bunch of beer though... Alesmith IPA, Weyerbach Double Simcoe, Great Divide Hercules, 3 fonteinen oude geuze, Tripel Karmeliet, Westmalle Tripel, and Rochefort 10. I haven't tried any of them before, so this should be a good week for beer!
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Apr 17, 2012 23:03
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You, my friend, are going to have one hell of an evening.
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Apr 17, 2012 23:20
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^^^ That is an awesome haul of really solid choices. Enjoy. Just saw this CNN series on beer that's pretty interesting: http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/04/03/pairing-beer-with-food/ One thing in particular that made me think is this quote from a beer-forward restaurant owner in Atlanta, Georgia. I don't know if I agree with him 100% , but it made me realize that I have not given enough thought to the "next stage" in beer culture. Chef Allin posted:As more and more breweries push the flavor profiles of beer and rethink the ingredient list things can only get better. I think right now it is almost in the mad scientist and experimental stage and that is great for the industry and consumer. The next stage is where the producers take a step back and look for balance and the brewer that finds that level consistently will be at the forefront of the next stage. Discuss.
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Apr 17, 2012 23:20
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Honestly it mirrors most craft beer drinkers, in that once you've gone through the phases of Bud/Miller/Coors, into mild British offerings like Newcastle, Bass, Guinness, then into IPA land, then into big Russian imperials and barrel aged monsters, finally culminating in funky Belgians, sours, and off the wall poo poo. Then you realize I really like to drink well made German lagers and balanced session beers, I don't always need to drink 12% 120 IBU DIPAs.
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Apr 17, 2012 23:34
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WaffleStomp posted:Managed to score a can of Heady Topper today in the Philly suburbs. Feels good, man.
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Apr 17, 2012 23:50
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Huge_Midget posted:Honestly it mirrors most craft beer drinkers, in that once you've gone through the phases of Bud/Miller/Coors, into mild British offerings like Newcastle, Bass, Guinness, then into IPA land, then into big Russian imperials and barrel aged monsters, finally culminating in funky Belgians, sours, and off the wall poo poo. Then you realize I really like to drink well made German lagers and balanced session beers, I don't always need to drink 12% 120 IBU DIPAs. Hey how did you guess my beer history so accurately like that? Just when I'm getting back into pilsners, too...
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Apr 17, 2012 23:52
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mineral posted:Where did you find it? The Alchemist announced they were shipping extra stock to Philadelphia, but I'm not sure where to look. I'm excited to get my hands on a can, but preferably a case if possible. It's supposed to be at Earth Bread & Brewery on Thursday.
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Apr 17, 2012 23:56
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Ubik posted:Hopleaf, however, is almost as notorious as the Toronado for having dickbag bartenders, and for good reason. In my experience, and those of my friends, the bartenders tend to be inattentive, rude, and not terribly knowledgeable about the beer. If it weren't for their excellent kitchen and great selection - as well as having a nice location in Andersonville - I'd never go. As it is, I find myself patronizing the other good bars in Chicago far more often. Yeah, I don't get why they think they can pull that, especially in a beer town like Chicago, where I can find a lot of their menu at a Binny's or a craft store with minimum effort for less, or just go on a different bar. Having said that, I have never been in their once when it wasn't elbow to elbow, so I'm guessing retaining pricks as staff isn't hurting them too bad, and I've noticed the guys that tend the second floor bar aren't as snobby. One even let me order a Lindeman's Frambois without holding me down and running his car keys across my eyes. mysterious frankie fucked around with this message at 02:00 on Apr 18, 2012 |
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Apr 18, 2012 00:00
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mineral posted:Where did you find it? The Alchemist announced they were shipping extra stock to Philadelphia, but I'm not sure where to look. I'm excited to get my hands on a can, but preferably a case if possible. Trenton Road Take Out had it, but I believe they're all spoken for.
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Apr 18, 2012 00:01
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SUPER HASSLER posted:Hey how did you guess my beer history so accurately like that? Just when I'm getting back into pilsners, too... That seems to be everyone's trajectory--although I've sort of combined my belgians/sours with milder german styles.
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Apr 18, 2012 00:09
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Ubik posted:To be fair, sometimes people ask for the strongest or most unusual beer without having a clue whether they even enjoy the style, and bartenders often like to give recommendations and steer people in the direction of something they'll like. The bartender may have just worded his or her question poorly. Personally, I've generally had good service at the Map Room and enjoy stopping by once in a while. This has been my experience as well re: Map Room. I had been asked 'do you know what that is?' when I ordered a Van Hounsebrouck gueuze, but I felt like it was more like "it's kinda weird compared to everything you're probably used to drinking, are you sure you want this?" edit: Ubik posted:Speaking of witbier, I made a stop at Revolution Brewery for the first time in a while yesterday, and their Bottoms-Up Wit is still one of my favorite American-made examples of the style. Creamy in body but still refreshing, with nice wheat tartness and citrus aroma. I followed it with their Poetic Justice, an English bitter made with a newer variety of hop called Sonnet. Does anybody have experience with this one? Supposedly it's a relative of the Goldings lineage, and it definitely had some nice floral, earthy English hop character to it. Weird, I stopped in Revolution last night too. And I totally agree on the Bottom Up Wit; it's definitely my favourite of their offerings and I'll be very happy to see it come off the canning line later this year. crazyfish fucked around with this message at 00:38 on Apr 18, 2012 |
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Apr 18, 2012 00:25
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Ubik posted:To be fair, sometimes people ask for the strongest or most unusual beer without having a clue whether they even enjoy the style, and bartenders often like to give recommendations and steer people in the direction of something they'll like. The bartender may have just worded his or her question poorly. Personally, I've generally had good service at the Map Room and enjoy stopping by once in a while. to your first point... phrasing poorly and acting superior are two different things. as you mention, being a representative of (at the time) a small but growing industry means treating people as new, regular customers. though i wasn't (still not) an expert, i prefer not to be talked down to. it's the absolute best way to not see me again, spending money in your establishment. i've heard that about hopleaf, but frankly i've never had anything but a good experience. last time there, it was reasonably busy on a wednesday night and the bartender took the time to talk to my girlfriend about what he recommended (since i guess my opinion wasn't good enough). granted, i'm sure there were other people bitching about him not serving them fast enough, but he was nice to us. i rarely make it out there, but the few times i have, it's been a pleasant time.
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Apr 18, 2012 00:36
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wattershed posted:Ah poo poo, yeah, it was the Batch 31 I saw last night. We also get the quad and I think maybe a saison? The quadrupel is fairly mediocre as a quad in its own, in my opinion, although heavenly with the right blue cheese! Definitely try the Saison Sauvin if you can; it's a very interesting take on a traditional saison, quite vinous and hoppy - it's loaded to the brim with (obviously) Nelson Sauvin hops.
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Apr 18, 2012 01:00
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I had a Sixpoint Resin DIPA, and a Brooklyn Lager the other day. Both very nice. Brooklyn was light and easy, almost a little creamy/smooth. Not lager skunky. The Resin was pretty good, though I usually enjoy something with more aroma.Ubik posted:
That particular bar's reputation would lead me to blame the keg. It is the beer bar of beer bars in Denver. 80+ taps rotating almost daily. Kudosx posted:Ugh! I just got back from a bar/beer store, and apparently immediately after I left they tapped Collaboration, not Litigation. Collab/Lit is a good beer, but it's bottled and you can probably find it easily on trade. Of course, it's named for a reason: you could also get a bottle of Avery's and Russian River's respective Damnations and blend them 50/50. And then you'll have three unique beers! CalvinDooglas fucked around with this message at 01:14 on Apr 18, 2012 |
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Apr 18, 2012 01:04
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Mikey Purp posted:Discuss. With the expansion of Victory, New Belgium, and Sierra Nevada I think we are going to see heavier adoption of the BMC/macrobrew tech model in order to ensure consistency (see also: Redhook) between breweries. I suppose I could be more eloquent, but I think they're going to have to embrace some of the principles of big beer if they intend to brew the same stuff at multiple locations. Not necessarily a bad thing - as good beer will always be good beer, but I predict beer-snob backlash in the future.
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Apr 18, 2012 01:11
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that'll probably happen with the bigger craft brewers, but with the locavore movement gathering steam and gas prices getting higher and higher, i think we will see tons of small, local micros thrive with fierce regional support. i didn't check the link, though, so i might be off on a tangent.
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Apr 18, 2012 02:07
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Wow. Just opened up one of the Backwoods Bastard I've been letting hang around since release half a year ago. Back then I really didn't like it, as the bourbon was far too strong for me. Since then, not only has it had time to rest, but I've (amazingly) developed a taste for bourbon in both beer and liquor form. So yeah. From struggling to finish the bottle to relishing every sip. There's not as much of an alcohol-y taste now, and the brown sugar sweetness has started to come to the forefront. More wood-y, too. It's surprising just how much your palate can change over time. Makes me want to revisit some older bottles that chased me away.
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Apr 18, 2012 03:03
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Kraven Moorhed posted:Wow. Just opened up one of the Backwoods Bastard I've been letting hang around since release half a year ago. Back then I really didn't like it, as the bourbon was far too strong for me. Since then, not only has it had time to rest, but I've (amazingly) developed a taste for bourbon in both beer and liquor form. So yeah. From struggling to finish the bottle to relishing every sip. There's not as much of an alcohol-y taste now, and the brown sugar sweetness has started to come to the forefront. More wood-y, too. This reminds me that I need to buy some Duvel again. Back around when I first turned 21 and knew exactly fuckall about beer, I bought a 4 pack of Duvel because I was amazed at its alcohol content. Of course, I hated it at the time and couldn't finish even a single bottle. Haven't drank it since, but I've been meaning to.
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Apr 18, 2012 03:15
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The bottle of 3 fonteinen oude geuze I got was bottled in 2009... so I guess it's got 3 years on it! It says on the bottle that they don't sell it until it has a year of age on it, so it's been around for awhile before I got it. I'm not drinking it tonight, but I definitely look forward to it. I'm drinking a Hercules right now, and it's pretty good. I feel like all of the IPAs I got aren't quite as fresh as they could be, but still pretty good 
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Apr 18, 2012 03:43
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I went back and revisited an old friend tonight too and picked up a four-pack of Cigar City Jose Marti, which, believe it or not, was my first "dark beer". I remember before vividly admiring how much it tasted like coffee. Now, with a vastly more experienced pallet, the standout is amount of hops. Which is strange, because IPAs were really my gateway drug. Anyway, goddamn this is a good beer.
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Apr 18, 2012 04:29
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Kudosx posted:I feel like all of the IPAs I got aren't quite as fresh as they could be, but still pretty good My rule of thumb with IPAs is that if it's not dated and I didn't see it come in fresh then I don't buy it. If it's dated before 3 months I'll buy it. It's saved me a lot of money as of late. As for the talk of consistency, I can't say I've ever noticed a huge change in product quality from batch to batch so someone is doing something right in each brewery. Hell I'm pretty sure Flying Fish has changed all of their beers recently because they all have more flavor than I ever remember. My friend said when he went on a tour a month ago that they changed the ESB up so maybe they re-vamped their line-up. Midorka fucked around with this message at 04:33 on Apr 18, 2012 |
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Apr 18, 2012 04:31
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Mikey Purp posted:Discuss. I actually wrote a paper about the beer industry for a business class I was in this last semester. I looked for it, but was unable to find it, so (while I may be waaay out of my element here) I think I can offer up some comments: If history is any indicator, look to these expanding microbreweries to begin to grow their influence and (eventually) start taking up "good business" practices and buying out/merging with competitors. Something like Sierra Nevada merging with New Belgium, buying out... Victory? (Hypothetical!) While this pattern of consolidation seems to rely on economic conditions (more expendable income = thriving craft brewing industry, hard times = not so much) it is difficult to show a pattern due to the constant rise in popularity of craft brewing over the last two decades regardless of market conditions. (This is probably due to increased gambling/smoking/alcohol consumption during times of financial hardship.) I guess what I am getting at is that if expendable income continues to drop, craft brewing will become less profitable and the large craft breweries will scramble for market share until maybe two or three of them survive, based upon the two factors that Chef Allin quoted, balance and consistency, and a third: price. It is important to note that while Chef Allin may be technically correct about brewers taking a step back, it will most likely be because of price. I don't have the credentials to even begin discussing the impacts of the "buy local" movements, the internet, or increased consumer awareness, but I think I am correct in saying that the homebrewing segment will continue to thrive. Thoughts?
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Apr 18, 2012 05:36
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I'm certainly not arguing with you on the business sense, but there is definitely something to be said about Session beers being the next thing in a lot of ways. In a discussion with other beer lovers, like this thread, the words Imperial, Double/ Triple/Tripel are really thrown around pretty often, because 'nerd' movements tend to focus on the extreme. Extreme beers for this reason are the best way to get your name out there and sought after... within certain circles. While the extreme side of brewing can be awfully fun and even playful once you know your poo poo, it can be pretty daunting to someone trying to get into beer. This can help lead to the perception that the beer nerd movement is just Toronado bartenders and if you aren't already in the club why the hell are you bothering, turning people AWAY from something they could otherwise embrace. Also with the focus on the extreme, the sublime quality of the simple-but-well-made can be lost. Brown Ales are looked over since they by definition lack boldness and emphasize balance, Kolschs are almost looked on with disdain as the beer a brewpub has to make just to attract plebes. I do hope in 15 years while IPA's are still a popular style, they won't be almost mandatory for a brewery to offer like they are now. I hope self-proclaimed hop heads realize there is a beauty in a true unfiltered pilsner and are more often than not better made beers. (I say none of this about this thread as there is actually a pretty good awareness of this) I'm stopping myself now as I've gone on twice as long as I should have. I hope I've made my points.
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Apr 18, 2012 06:16
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Pizza Port Bacon and Eggs is loving incredible. Wow. Also, Tarantulas Black IPA is great too.
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Apr 18, 2012 06:51
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Darth Goku Jr posted:I'm certainly not arguing with you on the business sense, but there is definitely something to be said about Session beers being the next thing in a lot of ways. In a discussion with other beer lovers, like this thread, the words Imperial, Double/ Triple/Tripel are really thrown around pretty often, because 'nerd' movements tend to focus on the extreme. Extreme beers for this reason are the best way to get your name out there and sought after... within certain circles. While the extreme side of brewing can be awfully fun and even playful once you know your poo poo, it can be pretty daunting to someone trying to get into beer. This can help lead to the perception that the beer nerd movement is just Toronado bartenders and if you aren't already in the club why the hell are you bothering, turning people AWAY from something they could otherwise embrace. I agree with all of these points, really. I appreciate a lot of the extreme and experimental beers, but at the end of the day I'm more often interested in kicking back with a drinkable, balanced beer, or having a flavorful beer that compliments my dinner instead of demolishing it. Extreme beers are great for drawing new converts and exciting the enthusiasts, but the more "sessionable" beers tend to be the ones that people keep coming back for. While much of the beer community is still stuck in the "Gotta catch 'em all/Too good for you" mentality, I've noticed a far greater enthusiasm and respect for session beers taking root in the last few years, and I'm glad for it. The skill it takes to make a flavorful but drinkable session beer is at least equal to, if not greater than, the skill it takes to toss a shitload of specialty malt and hops into a beer and chuck it into a barrel. It's interesting looking at the US market now after spending a year working in the Danish market. The Danish market is really reaching a peak of enthusiasm for unusual and extreme beers, at the same time the US beer enthusiast is really starting to focus more on session beers. I'm still surprised there hasn't been more of a culling of the Danish beer industry, considering how ridiculously high the breweries-per-capita number is. Denmark has approximately 150 breweries for a population of six million people - it's akin to having 150 breweries within the Chicago area. For a country dominated by Carlsberg, Tuborg and Royal up until the last decade or so, it's really kick-started its craft beer movement with a vengeance.
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Apr 18, 2012 07:44
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Actually, I've been seeing a lot of sessionable beers go out the door lately. I tend to recommend Founders All-Day IPA, Stone Levitation, and Full Sail's Session Lager when people see that we're out of sixes of BMC stuff.
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Apr 18, 2012 11:18
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I was about to ask what a sessionable beer was then I read this, which helped a lot. I can drink a 10% tripel at 8 am and still enjoy the hell out of it, but I suppose my favorite session beer would have to be Brooklyn Lager. That article has me wanting to try some new, low ABV brews now.
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Apr 18, 2012 12:16
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Hopefully with the renewed interest in sessionable beers, we will see more Berliner Weisse. Between Oarsman and Howling Wolf I've really grown to appreciate that crispness.
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Apr 18, 2012 14:02
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LeeMajors posted:Hopefully with the renewed interest in sessionable beers, we will see more Berliner Weisse. Between Oarsman and Howling Wolf I've really grown to appreciate that crispness. Amen! I need to find a place that has some 1809 in stock, for summer drinking.
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Apr 18, 2012 15:02
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LeeMajors posted:Hopefully with the renewed interest in sessionable beers, we will see more Berliner Weisse. Between Oarsman and Howling Wolf I've really grown to appreciate that crispness. One of the best things BA did with Extreme Beerfest this year was require every brewery to bring a session beer. There were at least four Berliners there, some of them with interesting adjuncts for variety. I think it's very healthy for the industry to stop thinking of Extreme Beers being just high-gravity malt- or hop-bomb things aged in bourbon barrels and start exploring further afield.
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Apr 18, 2012 15:13
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One of my favorite beers I've tried lately is New England Brewing's Galaxy Pale Ale. 4.8% ABV, super drinkable, very citrusy with a complimentary malt backing, and if they sold it in cans I'd never need another "go to" brew. I'm not as accomplished a beer nerd as a lot of people here so I'm still into really hoppy boozy stuff but I'm branching out more and am starting to enjoy pilsners, browns, and what have you a bit. 
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Apr 18, 2012 15:44
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Wamsutta posted:I'm not as accomplished a beer nerd as a lot of people here so I'm still into really hoppy boozy stuff but I'm branching out more and am starting to enjoy pilsners, browns, and what have you a bit. It doesn't mean you aren't accomplished. There's lots of raging douchebaggery when it comes to bombastic styles, but I think it is part of almost every beer enthusiast's taste evolution. I was guilty of it somewhat when I first discovered big IPAs (self proclaimed hophead at one time  ).One thing that made me appreciate basically all beer was learning how to brew. Putting your hands in the process really gives you an idea of how hard it is to balance all these flavors and do it consistently. Hopefully the 'beer snob' will start going away if the industry does move toward the session beer. Plus, I live near the beach--big beers are hard to drink all day in Summer weather. Sessionables, ACTIVATE!
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Apr 18, 2012 15:49
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I guess accomplished was the wrong word. I pretty much discovered IPAs and grabbed hold of hoppy stuff and that's what I drink 99% of the time.
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Apr 18, 2012 15:50
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Wamsutta posted:I guess accomplished was the wrong word. I pretty much discovered IPAs and grabbed hold of hoppy stuff and that's what I drink 99% of the time. I misread it.  A well balanced IPA is about my favorite beer in the world. There's just a saturation point.
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Apr 18, 2012 15:55
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It's a relief to hear that people are coming around to the concept of sessionable beers. I feel like American beer nerds, at least, are sensitive about the object of our affection; all worried that Europe might rear its head at any moment and tell us we're lowbrow piss drinkers if we don't focus on experimental, aggressive beers that have the consistency of maple syrup and must be consumed slowly & by the thimbleful if you don't want to begin involuntarily heaving. There's nothing wrong with beers like that- it's an adventure every time I see something new at at bar with the word "snifter" next to the name- but sessionable isn't a bad word. Lots of stuff is sessionable, in that you could sit with friends and drink a lot of it because it tastes good without taking a rock drill to your palate... though you shouldn't necessarily do so if you need to get up in the morning (I'm thinking lots of 7% + Belgian styles here, for example). Moreover, sometimes it's fun to drink a dopey beer that ostensibly sucks.
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Apr 18, 2012 16:14
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LeeMajors posted:Hopefully with the renewed interest in sessionable beers, we will see more Berliner Weisse. Between Oarsman and Howling Wolf I've really grown to appreciate that crispness. Oarsman is oh so good  I've had saisons on my mind as the warm weather beer of choice, but I'm singing a new tune now that I have access to Bell's.
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Apr 18, 2012 16:25
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air- posted:Oarsman is oh so good The first time I had Oarsman I was pretty disappointed in it, but then again I really didn't know anything about what it was supposed to be when I bought it. Maybe I'll get a 6 pack of Oarsman and find another berliner to compare against.
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Apr 18, 2012 17:05
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21st Amendment's Bitter American is a nice session beer, I'll probably drink it a lot this summer.
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Apr 18, 2012 17:14
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I was almost going to pick up a 6'er of Oarsman yesterday, but the store I went to was charging close to $15 for it.
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Apr 18, 2012 19:42
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crazyfish posted:The first time I had Oarsman I was pretty disappointed in it, but then again I really didn't know anything about what it was supposed to be when I bought it. Maybe I'll get a 6 pack of Oarsman and find another berliner to compare against. If I hadn't had any idea, I would've been pretty confused. It lived up to what I expected though--which was a low-abv, crisp and slightly tart Berliner. I love it. Also, to the saison comment above ^^^, I will never tire of espousing my love of Colette. 
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Apr 18, 2012 21:17
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