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Sirotan posted:Cool, a can of PBR was just distributed. Tell them in your most disdainful, haughty voice that it's no 1999 vintage Harley Davidson ale.
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Jul 21, 2012 04:19
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enthe0s posted:Speaking of banana beer, I had Sierra Nevada Kellerweis the other day and it was pretty decent. I just bought a 6 pack of this and agree that it's solid. Also I was at the liquor store today and they had some pumpkin beers in the back they said they're waiting to put out until September. They have Fegley Breworks and Weyerbachers. I mostly mention this because Weybachers new design for Imperial Pumpking is loving sweet.  gently caress that much awaited revamp looks beautiful and the text fits perfectly with the art style. A+ Weyerbacher, now revamp the rest of your beers boxes! I will miss their old MS Paint labels though, maybe I'll collect the old ones for the sake of it.
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Jul 21, 2012 07:13
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i'll agree that the artwork is a big step up (which isn't saying a lot), but the way the text is incorporated looks like a really half-assed photoshop to me, so design-wise they still haven't quite gotten their poo poo together.
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Jul 21, 2012 09:06
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For a full trip report you will have to wait for Corbet's thoughts, as I bailed from the tasting around 11pm last night. It didn't end up being the train wreck I was expecting, but turning a tasting into a big guessing game with a bunch of people you don't even know is a pretty terrible idea. For the whole first hour everyone just silently passed around bottles stuck in paper bags and awkwardly wrote down their 'guesses'. The host wasn't even going to reveal what everyone was drinking until the end of the night until we convinced him to do so otherwise. We also drank waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too loving many stouts in a row, which we had to do because someone didn't show up that was bringing beers #6 and 17 or something, and he wouldn't change up his pre-arranged order.  I'm certainly not 'new' to beer, but stouts and barleywines are probably my two least favorite styles of beer so I wasn't really able to identify anything I hadn't had before. Since I'm a bad machine I took my scoring sheet with me, but gave up writing down guesses about a dozen beers in. I never found out who 'won' or what they won. I hope this wasn't a first tasting experience for anyone there as they will probably never go to one again. For the record, thus far I've been to 3 BA beer tastings, and have hosted goon tastings twice. Goons are the better crowd by far.
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Jul 21, 2012 15:18
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Ubik, if you were curious, looks like I'm not alone in getting those phenolic flavors from Goose Island's IIPA! Scroll further down and there's others remarking about the smoky notes.
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Jul 21, 2012 15:39
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Does Duvel get better with age? I bought some with a drink by date of 10 2014 and can barely finish a bottle. For such a high rated beer I'm pretty bummed out about it.
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Jul 21, 2012 21:53
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Interesting. Have you ever had a Duvel before? Or any other BSPA for that matter? What about it makes it undrinkable for you?
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Jul 21, 2012 22:35
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finally got around to the Frangelic Mountain Brown- neither my brother nor i bothered finishing a glass. the artificial hazelnut flavor is overpowering and really unpleasant, not enjoyable at all. getting into the not-so-extensive haul from my brother's trip and aren't doing much better on that front. really disappointed with the CCB Cucumber Saison, which is as one-note as the Frangelic Mountain, except with cucumber. not terrible, but a bit of a let-down, because i thought the Table Saison was pretty drat good. working on a Saint Somewhere Lectio Divina, which is something of an improvement, but it's got a bitter, medicinal aftertaste that doesn't mesh well with what is fairly sweet, fruity saison. better than the Saison Athene (which i hated on a few weeks back), but not by a great distance. wait, poo poo, we forgot to have my nephew bag and number these before we started drinking...
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Jul 21, 2012 22:53
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funkybottoms posted:wait, poo poo, we forgot to have my nephew bag and number these before we started drinking... Well, I guess you have to throw out all your tasting notes and start over since you've ruined the experience. 
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Jul 21, 2012 23:06
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Weyerbacher 17th anniversary (saison with orange peel, lemon peel, grapfruit peel, and pink peppercorns) is soild, lots of grapefruit citrus to it ending in the nice peppery/fruity note of the pink peppercorns. If it wasn't an expensive special release I'd probably drink it for the rest of the summer.
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Jul 21, 2012 23:40
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Harminoff posted:Does Duvel get better with age? I bought some with a drink by date of 10 2014 and can barely finish a bottle. For such a high rated beer I'm pretty bummed out about it. If you're not used to belgian beers, Duvel is a pretty high-flavor, complex start. If you haven't had much before, it's probably just some "woah what the gently caress is this" sort of issues going on. e: for the record, I've found that Duvel changes a bunch with time, but holds up fairly well. Certainly best when it's still fresh and crisp, there's really no point to aging it. I loving love Duvel. Hypnolobster fucked around with this message at 01:51 on Jul 22, 2012 |
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Jul 22, 2012 01:48
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Stopped by Whole Foods after work to spend my jury duty check on beer  I noticed two different varieties of Jolly Pumpkin bombers in stock- Oro de Calabaza with a bottle date of August 2011 and La Rosa bottled November 2011. I know literally nothing about Jolly Pumpkin (except that they're spoken of fondly in this here thread) and this is the first time I've ever noticed their stuff in my area. Are these still going to taste okay with those bottle dates? I almost picked one up but didn't want to take a $13 chance and have it end up being gross. There's plenty on the shelves, so if they'll still be okay I'll probably get one next paycheck. I really want to try them.Ended up getting a sixer of Summer Love and a single Colette. Enjoying the Summer Love- although I'm still getting used to hoppier brews, I'm finding that the finish isn't nearly as harsh as I used to find it. Also tried a Brooklyn Summer Ale last night (friend at Kroger found me that and Brooklyn Lager for $3.50 a six pack!) and that was a tasty way to finish off the evening.
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Jul 22, 2012 02:02
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Valencia posted:I noticed two different varieties of Jolly Pumpkin bombers in stock- Oro de Calabaza with a bottle date of August 2011 and La Rosa bottled November 2011. I know literally nothing about Jolly Pumpkin (except that they're spoken of fondly in this here thread) and this is the first time I've ever noticed their stuff in my area. Are these still going to taste okay with those bottle dates? buy them; they're bottle-conditioned and age well VVV i don't live in their distribution area, but i've had both of those and much prefer La Roja. it is sour, though, so if that's not your bag, maybe go with the other. the Epic saisons are all okay, but nothing special (unless you find the one they brewed with Crooked Stave). funkybottoms fucked around with this message at 03:08 on Jul 22, 2012 |
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Jul 22, 2012 02:40
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funkybottoms posted:buy them; they're bottle-conditioned and age well Awesome! I was really stoked to see them there, as I haven't seen them anywhere else I've looked thus far. Got a preference as to which one is better? Oh, and I forgot to post this in the last one so I'll throw it in here- I also saw a bomber of Epic Sour Apple Saison that caught my eye. Anyone tried that and can throw out a recommendation? I'd never heard of/seen it before either.
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Jul 22, 2012 02:42
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As for that tasting I mentioned: If you live in Texas that picture would make your mouth water. Saint Arnold is the biggest "craft brewery" in TX, and every year or so they put out a "Divine Reserve," a numbered series where each one is a unique high-alcohol beer. In particular, the 5 (put out in '06) is an RIS which is tasting absolutely fantastic right now; I really wish I could get some more of it but sadly it's getting pretty scarce at this point. I also got my first taste of Cantillon ever here.  It was Rose de Gambrinus, which was a pretty good lambic, indeed.Biggest surprise was a growler of an oatmeal stout from LB Brewing, a brewery from bum-gently caress Kansas but they apparently know how to win medals at least. Man I wish I could get some more of that.
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Jul 22, 2012 03:29
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I've had this for a little while, but thought I'd just post it now Most Aussies will have heard of the Pub With No Beer at Taylors Arm NSW until a couple of years ago, there was a brewery there called Murrays Craft Brewing Co They've since located to larger premises about a 5 hour drive south, and i just happened to stop in there during my Bucks weekend last month They make a belgian barley wine every year to celebrate the brewery's birthday, and i grabbed the last bottle in the tap house this year 2011 was Year 6, and whilst talking to the barman, he told me there were bottles of year 5 already selling for twice the original price (i paid $40 for my year 6 bottle)   i apologise now for the gigantic images and terrible photography (i can't take a picture to save my life)
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Jul 22, 2012 04:52
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A tale of contrasts. Friday, we got a babysitter, and went to one of our favorite restaurants. There, on tap, was a new beer I hadn't heard of -- a brewery (Tree House Brewing) that had opened recently a few miles down the road, distributing (for now) exclusively via this restaurant. Had two glasses of their delicious "Dirty Water" (an "American Blonde Ale" that you could call a Pale Ale without offending anyone) with a great dinner. Immediately looked them up and decide I'll go check them out and taste what else they're brewing. Saturday, go to a family birthday party, and neglect to bring any beer. "Can I get you a beer?" "Sure!" "Coors Light, Bud, or Bud Light?" Wow, so many choices! I kill a Coors Light in the hot sun and my mouth assumes it's some kind of weird-tasting seltzer. I nurse a Bud for a while during a long conversation. It gets warm and tastes awful but I am pretty impressed by the crown on the can pop-top. I am brought another Coors Light. I switch to soda. And then my brother-in-law gave me a six-pack of his first home-brewed beer. All's well that ends well.
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Jul 22, 2012 04:57
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I tried a Sam Adams Cherry Wheat tonight. Never again. That is a foul foul beer. I'd rather drink the banana bread beer than that cherry wheat garbage. I can't believe someone actually tasted it and thought "Yeah, this is pretty good let's sell it." If someone really thought that, I hope they don't do anything with beer any more.
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Jul 22, 2012 05:26
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Cherry wheat is horrific, I agree. Tasted like bad cough medicine to me. Does anyone have a black IPA they can recommend? (Something available in Chicago) I adore IPAs but have not had a bipa I've liked.
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Jul 22, 2012 05:30
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funkybottoms posted:VVV i don't live in their distribution area, but i've had both of those and much prefer La Roja. it is sour, though, so if that's not your bag, maybe go with the other. the Epic saisons are all okay, but nothing special (unless you find the one they brewed with Crooked Stave). Also I might have the opportunity soon to trade for some New Glarus with an acquaintance of mine in WI (for Yuengling of all things  although I would certainly throw in some local stuff as well). I certainly hope that works out.
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Jul 22, 2012 06:09
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ChiTownEddie posted:Cherry wheat is horrific, I agree. Tasted like bad cough medicine to me. I find Deschutes' Hop in the Dark to be a really solid dark IPA. It's got the hops and lighter body of an IPA with roasty, toasty flavors you'd expect from a porter/stout. It's not just an IPA colored black.
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Jul 22, 2012 06:38
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For what its worth, legend has it cherry wheat was good the first year sam adams brewed it.
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Jul 22, 2012 06:55
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Tigren posted:I find Deschutes' Hop in the Dark to be a really solid dark IPA. It's got the hops and lighter body of an IPA with roasty, toasty flavors you'd expect from a porter/stout. It's not just an IPA colored black. No Deschutes in Chicago. Eddie, maybe Sublimely Self Righteous from Stone or Dubhe from Uinta? I can't say it's my favorite style so I rarely go out of my way for it.
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Jul 22, 2012 13:10
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ChiTownEddie posted:Cherry wheat is horrific, I agree. Tasted like bad cough medicine to me. If you can make it to Wisconsin, I liked New Glarus Black Top.
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Jul 22, 2012 14:05
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ChiTownEddie posted:Does anyone have a black IPA they can recommend? No.
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Jul 22, 2012 14:56
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funkybottoms posted:finally got around to the Frangelic Mountain Brown- neither my brother nor i bothered finishing a glass. the artificial hazelnut flavor is overpowering and really unpleasant, not enjoyable at all. What do you mean by artificial? And don't be a pedant, I know what artificial means.
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Jul 22, 2012 15:21
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hahaha. I wrote that question as I was drinking a Black Top actually, I'll probably try the Stone one that Paul recommends...but this is actually how I consider the style. I guess I just don't like writing off a whole style :/ (despite how not good it is)
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Jul 22, 2012 16:11
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Thanks Sirotan!  I have a lot to learn from you when it comes to packaging beer 
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Jul 22, 2012 16:35
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Midorka posted:What do you mean by artificial? And don't be a pedant, I know what artificial means. He means that it says right on the bottle, it's an artificial flavoring, it's not made with hazelnuts. It's the difference between, say, putting vanilla beans in your beer and using some synthetic chemical process to produce pure vanillin and then putting that in your beer. In the case of Frangelic, it's because the hazelnut coffee they're using as an ingredient is artificially flavored coffee.
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Jul 22, 2012 16:45
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I like Sobrehumano quite a bit but man is it expensive.
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Jul 22, 2012 16:46
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Phanatic posted:He means that it says right on the bottle, it's an artificial flavoring, it's not made with hazelnuts. It's the difference between, say, putting vanilla beans in your beer and using some synthetic chemical process to produce pure vanillin and then putting that in your beer. I didn't see the artificially flavored part on the bottle until I just looked again, guess I missed it. What the heck is an artificially flavored hazelnut coffee bean anyway? Why would they artificially flavor it when there's already hazelnut beans? I guess hazelnut beans don't impart enough flavor so they had to give it more? I did like it though, then again I am the type to dose the poo poo out of my coffee with hazelnut creamer.
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Jul 22, 2012 17:10
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air- posted:Thanks Sirotan! Haha, well those weird air cushion things are something I grabbed from work, they originally held printer toners. And taping the bottle caps is something I picked up from another trader, honestly no idea if it even helps... Will probably pop open a can of the Maui Sobrehumano tonight.
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Jul 22, 2012 17:26
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Midorka posted:I didn't see the artificially flavored part on the bottle until I just looked again, guess I missed it. What the heck is an artificially flavored hazelnut coffee bean anyway? Why would they artificially flavor it when there's already hazelnut beans? I guess hazelnut beans don't impart enough flavor so they had to give it more? I did like it though, then again I am the type to dose the poo poo out of my coffee with hazelnut creamer.
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Jul 22, 2012 17:43
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Midorka posted:What do you mean by artificial? And don't be a pedant, I know what artificial means. it tastes like nasty coffee-flavored hard candies- fake, wrong, and cloying. and don't be a douche, i give you far less poo poo than a lot of people in this thread. but since you mention being a pedant, hazelnuts aren't beans, they're tree nuts. also, i drink really good coffee with no cream or sugar.
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Jul 22, 2012 17:52
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zedprime posted:I'm not sure how to make it any clearer than what the guy you quoted said so I'll just ramble and see if that sticks instead. Hazelnut coffee beans are coffee beans juiced with artificial hazelnut flavoring. Truth in advertising and ingredient declaration sort of laws means that the beer using these juiced coffee beans have to mention the artificial flavoring when describing the hazelnut flavor. Well poo poo, TIL that there are no such things are naturally hazelnut flavored coffee beans. funkybottoms posted:it tastes like nasty coffee-flavored hard candies- fake, wrong, and cloying. and don't be a douche, i give you far less poo poo than a lot of people in this thread. but since you mention being a pedant, hazelnuts aren't beans, they're tree nuts. As posted above, TIL that all hazelnut coffee is artificially flavored. Now everything makes sense. I didn't mean to be a douche, I really didn't know what you meant and I wanted to understand.
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Jul 22, 2012 18:22
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Sirotan posted:Haha, well those weird air cushion things are something I grabbed from work, they originally held printer toners. And taping the bottle caps is something I picked up from another trader, honestly no idea if it even helps... Nice. I was just kinda like  feeling like I'd done an inadequate job compared to how this was packed. I'd always hear about people using those wine shipper things as well, but I can never seem to find those around. Hope you enjoy it as well as the Apollo and DR goodies.
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Jul 22, 2012 18:33
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air- posted:Nice. I was just kinda like I've only ever received them when I've done trades with other people, or bought beer from a store in CA. I know Uline sells them: http://www.uline.com/BL_5450/Styrofoam-Wine-Shippers
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Jul 22, 2012 19:03
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air- posted:Nice. I was just kinda like too bad rage-saq didn't post a picture of the box i sent him, poo poo was beautiful. if you're going to order styrofoam shippers, be careful to get something big enough to handle corked-and-caged 750mLs, because some can't. wine/beer shops don't seem to get styrofoam very frequently, but sometimes they get the molded pulp shippers, i'm sure you could work with them (although you might not want to mention you're shipping them- packing for travel might be better).
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Jul 22, 2012 19:18
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Midorka posted:I didn't see the artificially flavored part on the bottle until I just looked again, guess I missed it. What the heck is an artificially flavored hazelnut coffee bean anyway? Why would they artificially flavor it when there's already hazelnut beans? Huh? There's not some "hazelnut bean" that they take and roast and grind into hazelnut coffee. Hazelnut coffee is like "vanilla coffee" or any other flavor of coffee, it's regular old coffee-flavored coffee that they add hazelnut flavoring to. In the case of the hazelnut coffee Founders is using as an ingredient, that hazelnut coffee uses artificial flavoring, not actual hazelnuts. Is this really that confusing?
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Jul 22, 2012 19:21
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Phanatic posted:Huh? There's not some "hazelnut bean" that they take and roast and grind into hazelnut coffee. Hazelnut coffee is like "vanilla coffee" or any other flavor of coffee, it's regular old coffee-flavored coffee that they add hazelnut flavoring to. In the case of the hazelnut coffee Founders is using as an ingredient, that hazelnut coffee uses artificial flavoring, not actual hazelnuts. Yes, I understand now that there is no hazelnut bean. I already admitted my ignorance on hazelnut coffee. There's no need to keep beating the horse. I finally got around to uploading the pictures I took at the Dogfish Head Brewpub/Brewery, I not a photographer so the photos aren't that great, but someone might enjoy them. Here's the album. As for the Dogfish Head items I purchased, the coasters were a steal at $5 each they are made really well and look great. The glass is a bit light and thin compared to what i was expecting, especially with the thick stem. The soap smells fantastic and so does the shampoo. All of the products are quality and I highly recommend them.
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Jul 22, 2012 19:44
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