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Compusaurus posted:I get that the KBS was bottle limited but the Citra Ninja? Citra Ninja's rep has blown up in the last couple batches they've made. It's the new Zombie Dust in Chicago...
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Apr 2, 2013 16:59
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The Sandlot at Coors Field is Coors' test brewery and despite being the unhallowed ground Blue Moon came from they usually have something interesting to drink.
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Apr 2, 2013 17:11
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Sirotan posted:Last year I was able to get 2 4-packs at a couple places in town and this year I'm seeing dramatically reduced amounts being distributed. Either Founders is stretching itself thin or they really didn't make a whole lot more. Or both, I guess. Yeah, heard from a few places that Founders sent less to Wisconsin than usual. And we didn't even get that much at all last year, bleh.
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Apr 2, 2013 17:16
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danbanana posted:I find this interesting since you work at a brewery that puts out a regularly available beer (Jai Alai) that I find much better overall. I'm not really sure how the two even compare.
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Apr 2, 2013 17:18
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danbanana posted:Citra Ninja's rep has blown up in the last couple batches they've made. It's the new Zombie Dust in Chicago... And don't get me wrong, I like Zombie Dust a lot but I definitely don't go nuts over it. Last St. Patrick's Day I was bringing a six pack to a party and forgot to bag it...which resulted in no less than five people asking me where I got it, commenting on how great it is etc. To the person commenting on the last BCBS run, it at least got to point where my behind-the-counter liquor store got more shipments and moved it to the shelves. The same thing happened to Coffee BCBS at that store as well. Though, at $7.50 and $23.00 a bottle respectively, I didn't even bother picking up more. Back to Pipeworks talk - I've found myself buying more and more of their stuff. There is some that I don't like, but for every bottle that I don't like, I find at least something that is pretty good. So far, Hyperdog is probably the best and most widely available. I was fortunate enough to split a bottle of the Raspberry Truffle Abduction which was tasty but probably not worth the effort tracking down due to rarity.
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Apr 2, 2013 17:23
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Compusaurus posted:And don't get me wrong, I like Zombie Dust a lot but I definitely don't go nuts over it. Last St. Patrick's Day I was bringing a six pack to a party and forgot to bag it...which resulted in no less than five people asking me where I got it, commenting on how great it is etc. I was lucky enough to get two bottle of Raspberry Truffle from a friend in Chicago, did you think it needed some time for the hops to fade? I'm not one to sit on a beer I haven't tried but I've heard from multiple people that it might be worth opening later down the road. Pipework's IPAs are definitely under appreciated outside of Chicago, I think they stack up well against most sought after IPAs from Alpine, Russian River, Hill Farmstead, etc.
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Apr 2, 2013 17:30
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Bag of Sun Chips posted:Younger and Kern Citra are the only top 25 highest rated beers that I haven't had (according to BA's rankings). drat you West Coast IPAs. Yeah right, you're a total beer collector and you know it...  Gotta taste 'em all.
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Apr 2, 2013 17:36
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Bag of Sun Chips posted:I was lucky enough to get two bottle of Raspberry Truffle from a friend in Chicago, did you think it needed some time for the hops to fade? I'm not one to sit on a beer I haven't tried but I've heard from multiple people that it might be worth opening later down the road. I was fine with the hops and it had enough raspberry / roast for me. Though, one of my friends thought the raspberry was too subtle and it had too much roast but to each their own I guess. I think my biggest concern on the aging is what will happen to the raspberry. That said, if you have two bottles I think popping one open now and aging the other would be a good call.
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Apr 2, 2013 17:41
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I always get a good laugh out of that Midwest brewery thing where they release an ultra mega-hype beer and don't make enough of it. That isn't a problem we have all that often on the West Coast. Maybe we don't have enough ultra mega-hype beer. e: Other than PTY, of course. Angry Grimace fucked around with this message at 17:53 on Apr 2, 2013 |
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Apr 2, 2013 17:42
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Speaking of baseball and beer... here's the list from last year at Citizen's Bank park. While it's not the craziest selection you've ever seen there are some standouts. Especially when you consider it's at a ballpark. The new list is being put up in a few days. Probably more of a selection since they just added an 18 tap beer garden behind left field. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ahd1JYZMLVnHdDl5bVFsdjJoMzBCTWFydGRvcWJFdVE#gid=0 Philadelphia: best beer city on the east coast.
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Apr 2, 2013 17:47
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Angry Grimace posted:I always get a good laugh out of that Midwest brewery thing where they release an ultra mega-hype beer and don't make enough of it. That isn't a problem we have all that often on the West Coast. *COUGH* Pipeworks only does small batch releases. So in their case, the "don't make enough of it" is actually the business model they've taken: instead of using their resources to brew 3 beers constantly and a couple seasonals, they brew whatever the hell they want all the time. In their first year, they put out around 40 distinct beers.
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Apr 2, 2013 17:52
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Angry Grimace posted:I always get a good laugh out of that Midwest brewery thing where they release an ultra mega-hype beer and don't make enough of it. That isn't a problem we have all that often on the West Coast. Midwest stouts are the best, so there's that.  On that note, a local store just told me their KBS is going to their "dedicated clients". I'm assuming I do not count as one since I have to walk there (really wish someone told me five years ago that Milwaukee is awful to get around without a car!) and have been going to school full time for a few months now. Shoulda just lied and told me you aren't expecting any!
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Apr 2, 2013 17:52
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I Dont Like You posted:Midwest stouts are the best, so there's that. I like Parabola better, actually. I've still got a couple of bottles of KBS that Sirotan sent me last year, actually. I still haven't cracked them; I had KBS when Founder's had a limited distro in San Diego for the WBC last year. Nobody knew what it even was since we don't get Founders at all so the bar I went to had pretty light demand and I got as much as I wanted.
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Apr 2, 2013 17:53
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Angry Grimace posted:I like Parabola better, actually. I.... really need to try Parabola one of these days. I wish Firestone would trickle down to Milwaukee from Chicago or something (why would they though? Even Stone and DFH pulled out of the state). You really ought to crack those open, so god drat good. Not even bothering to get a drat single this year if this is any indication. Stop expanding your drat distribution Founders. 
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Apr 2, 2013 18:00
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Angry Grimace posted:I like Parabola better, actually. Parabola is superior to KBS, even considering the differences. But I'm definitely not the biggest KBS fan on the planet.
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Apr 2, 2013 18:08
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HatfulOfHollow posted:Philadelphia: best beer city on the east coast. Asheville, NC: Beer City USA 
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Apr 2, 2013 18:12
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Bend, OR: Like Asheville but nobody's even pretending to be employed
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Apr 2, 2013 18:31
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Retemnav posted:Asheville, NC: Beer City USA I thought it was "Beertown USA"
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Apr 2, 2013 18:34
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Retemnav posted:Asheville, NC: Beer City USA No that's Grand Rapids.
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Apr 2, 2013 18:37
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HatfulOfHollow posted:I thought it was "Beertown USA" Nah, it's Charlie Papazain's annual poll http://www.examiner.com/article/grand-rapids-asheville-share-beercity-usa-2012-title Sirotan posted:No that's Grand Rapids. Tying us once after back-to-back titles in 2010 and 11? Pfft, pretenders to the crown!
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Apr 2, 2013 18:44
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Retemnav posted:Nah, it's Charlie Papazain's annual poll Yeah, I'm aware but I was under the impression that it was pretty much a joke. In other news, Devil's Den is having their anniversary party this weekend and the tap list is kinda ridiculous. So many barrel aged beers and so many things I've never seen on tap. I really hope I can make it http://phillytapfinder.com/bar/devils-den-event/ deedee megadoodoo fucked around with this message at 18:50 on Apr 2, 2013 |
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Apr 2, 2013 18:47
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I've finally decided that KBS is my #1 beer for barrel + coffee + stout, and the only place I can get to today has a bottle limit of 1. I may have to scheme something up if I want more. I got some og the beer guy's home brew to try though, and it isn't a dillsner this time. This time it is an all-nugget amber IPA!
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Apr 2, 2013 18:55
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What the hell is even in Asheville?
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Apr 2, 2013 19:35
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Angry Grimace posted:What the hell is even in Asheville? I will say that in my two trips to Asheville, maybe I didn't have any locally made beer that I'd call "the best in the US", but there's something to be said about a town you can walk the entirety of and the whole place is so keenly attuned to beer. It's a fine vacation destination in that way. I think the same can be said of Bend and plus the beer is better, but then I'm biased.
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Apr 2, 2013 19:39
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ShaneB posted:Yeah right, you're a total beer collector and you know it... With how many breweries are making amazing beer, it's pretty much impossible to keep up with it nowadays. Most of the hyped beers are from breweries that haven't even been in business more than a couple years. Angry Grimace posted:I always get a good laugh out of that Midwest brewery thing where they release an ultra mega-hype beer and don't make enough of it. That isn't a problem we have all that often on the West Coast. Maybe we don't have enough ultra mega-hype beer. Yeah, plenty of Churchill's Finest, AleSmith limited offerings, and Cable Car to go around... ChickenArise posted:I've finally decided that KBS is my #1 beer for barrel + coffee + stout, and the only place I can get to today has a bottle limit of 1. I may have to scheme something up if I want more. I got some og the beer guy's home brew to try though, and it isn't a dillsner this time. This time it is an all-nugget amber IPA! Have you had Bourbon County Coffee? Heavenly.
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Apr 2, 2013 19:42
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SUPER HASSLER posted:I will say that in my two trips to Asheville, maybe I didn't have any locally made beer that I'd call "the best in the US", but there's something to be said about a town you can walk the entirety of and the whole place is so keenly attuned to beer. It's a fine vacation destination in that way. My most recent conclusion is that if you can go to the right place in pretty much any US city everyone there is a craft beer nut. In that sense, I suppose I personally am only really interested in what beer a place is producing. Bag of Sun Chips posted:With how many breweries are making amazing beer, it's pretty much impossible to keep up with it nowadays. Most of the hyped beers are from breweries that haven't even been in business more than a couple years. Angry Grimace fucked around with this message at 19:54 on Apr 2, 2013 |
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Apr 2, 2013 19:42
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Angry Grimace posted:I don't think the scope of really compares to one of those KBS/Dark Lord/etc. type releases. Not to nitpick but... Dark Lord is specifically released at the brewery, on DLD, and has been doing so for 10 years. It's never been meant to be released to a wider distribution. So that comparison isn't apt. As discussed quite a bit today, Founders seems to be stretching itself too thin in general, and word seems to that KBS this year is especially bad (despite them saying there was more made). So this is definitely a case you're right about. As for "etc.," I'm curious what you're referring to. As far as midwest breweries and "whale"-ish stuff, Black Note was- prior to a couple months ago- a brewpub-only release, similar to Churchill's Finest. GI had to sell themselves to be able to afford to (barely) supply enough BCBS to the region. Surly and NG are "hyped" and "rare" because both breweries have focused on their home states... and the former can barely do that given their production. FFF isn't much better with most of their stuff. Like every part of the country, any BA'd version of a brewery's release is going to be limited. I really don't see any pattern of "Midwest" breweries doing anything different regarding demand than anyone else.
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Apr 2, 2013 20:02
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"Especially Bad"  (We need a Beer Advocate version of that)
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Apr 2, 2013 20:06
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danbanana posted:Not to nitpick but... Dark Lord is specifically released at the brewery, on DLD, and has been doing so for 10 years. It's never been meant to be released to a wider distribution. So that comparison isn't apt. I'm simply pointing out that Dark Lord Day is a HUGE event that causes people to to go into freak-out mode somewhat akin to the KBS release we're talking about. Alesmith releases aren't even publically announced and to the extent that they even happen, they only make a few cases and it comes and goes without any brouhaha. I just can't think of a brewery release from a West Coast brewery other than maybe PTY that is comparable to those huge event releases and/or things that people stalk the delivery trucks for. Exponential was starting to get that way until Pat flipped out and put a stop to it. I can't even think of something that's particularly similar to BCBS, KBS, Black Note or anything. Maybe Parabola, but that's not actually that difficult to find either. Churchill's Finest isn't a very good counter example, really. You can buy it without significant trouble at the appropriate bar by just showing up, and not even on the day it comes out. I would think something like Parabola or Abyss would be better counterexamples, but you just show up to a random liquor store and they have them. I'm not really trying to make a values judgment here, I'm just observing that "whales" in general seem to be rarer such that I can't really recall many breweries doing yearly releases with inordinate demand for things it seems like you get in Midwest states for stuff like KBS. I just find it interesting, because I can't recall a rare release (sans PTY) where I had to wait in a line or do anything particularly crazy just to get some. I'll concede that PTY is pretty ridiculous though. Angry Grimace fucked around with this message at 20:32 on Apr 2, 2013 |
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Apr 2, 2013 20:14
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Anyone else find the new KBS to kind of...suck? I've had it plenty of times before and found it good to great, but this round has a really artificial tasting coffee component that doesn't seem at all in harmony with the rest of the beer. I'm pretty glad I didn't put my name on a waiting list for the privilege of paying 10/bottle. It's not even playing the same game, much less in the same league as Parabola or Black Note.
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Apr 2, 2013 20:36
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Whisker Biscuit posted:Anyone else find the new KBS to kind of...suck? I've had it plenty of times before and found it good to great, but this round has a really artificial tasting coffee component that doesn't seem at all in harmony with the rest of the beer. I'm pretty glad I didn't put my name on a waiting list for the privilege of paying 10/bottle. It's not even playing the same game, much less in the same league as Parabola or Black Note. $10 a bottle? So its $40 for a four pack? Edit: I just looked it up and its supposed to be $20. I always thought breweries frowned on reselling at markup. Angry Grimace fucked around with this message at 20:52 on Apr 2, 2013 |
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Apr 2, 2013 20:41
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Angry Grimace posted:I'm not really trying to make a values judgment here, I'm just observing that "whales" in general seem to be rarer such that I can't really recall many breweries doing yearly releases with inordinate demand for things it seems like you get in Midwest states for stuff like KBS. I just find it interesting, because I can't recall a rare release (sans PTY) where I had to wait in a line or do anything particularly crazy just to get some. I'll concede that PTY is pretty ridiculous though. Isn't Kern's Citra a bit of a pain in the rear end to get? Founder's seems to distribute a poo poo ton of their stuff to OH, we still have a ton of their Imperial Stout, and Breakfast Stout lying around at every store. I'm hoping I'll be able to get (2) four packs of KBS this year since I missed out on it entirely last year.
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Apr 2, 2013 20:58
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Kudosx posted:Isn't Kern's Citra a bit of a pain in the rear end to get? It is, but you know how Alpine is a tiny operation in the middle of nowhere? Kern River is like that, but to an extreme degree; its practically in the Sequoia National Forest. They practically don't distribute at all in the first place. I've seen a bottle in like two places, ever.
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Apr 2, 2013 21:02
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Angry Grimace posted:$10 a bottle? So its $40 for a four pack? Yeah, $20-24 should be the price. When I bought singles last year they were about 5 or 5.99 each.
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Apr 2, 2013 21:06
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Hey everybody. I just discovered that this thread exists, and boy is it a happy surprise. I like beer a lot, but the only other person I know who does is my girlfriend's dad, who I rarely see. I don't have the most experience, but I feel like I have a decent understanding of what I like. I am actually looking for some reccomendations. A couple things should be known before I start describing my preferences. First, I live in Eugene, OR and don't have a car. If you recommend something that you have to buy at the brewery, even if it is as close as Salem or Portland, I can't get it. I also am a poor person. I'm not starving or anything, don't worry I am spending child support money on beer or anything like that, but I really really can't justify more than $8 a bottle or so, no matter how good or life changing. Now for what I like. I really seem to like beers that are dark as sin. The OP mentioned that imperial stouts are popular with beer geeks, and I see why. My go-to beer when I want something I know is Lagunitas Imperial Stout, and one of my favorite things about it is that it is sort of spicy. I also like Deschutes' Red Chair, and red ales in general. I've had some abby ales and barlrywines that I have adored as well, but I can't remember the names. Any ideas? Thanks for the grest thread, by the way.
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Apr 2, 2013 21:47
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Samfucius posted:Hey everybody. I just discovered that this thread exists, and boy is it a happy surprise. I like beer a lot, but the only other person I know who does is my girlfriend's dad, who I rarely see. I don't have the most experience, but I feel like I have a decent understanding of what I like. I am actually looking for some reccomendations. A couple things should be known before I start describing my preferences. First, I live in Eugene, OR and don't have a car. If you recommend something that you have to buy at the brewery, even if it is as close as Salem or Portland, I can't get it. I also am a poor person. I'm not starving or anything, don't worry I am spending child support money on beer or anything like that, but I really really can't justify more than $8 a bottle or so, no matter how good or life changing. Can you just try to explain a little more about what you find spicy on Lagunitas Imperial Stout? It's pretty much a bog-standard imperial stout - the whole dark fruits, coffee, chocolate, and roast thing that winds up a little bit on the sweeter side to me. I'd recommend other easily available and inexpensive imperials like North Coast Old Rasputin (approx 9 bucks a four-pack), Great Divide Yeti (~12 bucks a four) and Stone Imperial Russian Stout (~6 bucks a bomber). deadwing fucked around with this message at 22:08 on Apr 2, 2013 |
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Apr 2, 2013 22:06
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Angry Grimace posted:Churchill's Finest isn't a very good counter example, really. You can buy it without significant trouble at the appropriate bar by just showing up, and not even on the day it comes out. I would think something like Parabola or Abyss would be better counterexamples, but you just show up to a random liquor store and they have them. You fail to realize that getting a Cable Car or Chuchill's is really difficult if you live across the country and want to trade for a bottle, not consume it onsite. People waited in line for 6+ hours for a chance to buy 2 bottles of Churchills. I can offer up every limited great lakes release in the past year and I wouldn't be able to land a Churchill or Cable Car.
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Apr 2, 2013 22:09
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Bag of Sun Chips posted:You fail to realize that getting a Cable Car or Chuchill's is really difficult if you live across the country and want to trade for a bottle, not consume it onsite. People waited in line for 6+ hours for a chance to buy 2 bottles of Churchills. I can offer up every limited great lakes release in the past year and I wouldn't be able to land a Churchill or Cable Car. No I'm not, you're just not understanding what I'm saying - those releases aren't comparable to KBS being released across Founder's entire distribution footprint every year or Dark Lord being released annually with a super expensive, heavily scalped ticketed event. Those beers are brewed for a specific bar and generally aren't released for take home at all; sure, a lot of people might want Churchill's Finest Hour, but its not a particularly large part of Lost Abbey's production or business. e: I should also note is also kind of disingenous to suggest that people were necessarily waiting that whole time just to buy CFH. This was the tap list at that event. Firestone Walker Velvet Merlin (NITRO) Pizza Port Coffee Dawn Patrol (NITRO) Ballast Point Bourbon Barrel Aged Sextant Stout (NITRO) Dogfish Head 120 Minute Dogfish Head World Wide Stout Anchorage Wine Barrel Aged Galaxy IPA w/ Brett Logsdon Seizoen Bretta Mother Earth Wins-ten Decade Double IPA Russian River Pliny the Elder Bear Republic Churchill X Anniversary IPA Deschutes Black Butte XXI Port Brewing Churchill's Finest Hour 2011 Deschutes The Abyss 2009 Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break Fifty Fifty Eclipse Rittenhouse Rye Pizza Port Bourbon Barrel Aged Night Rider Port Brewing Churchill's Finest Hour 2012 Lost Abbey Deliverance Green Flash Silva Stout Tilquin Oud Gueuze Lost Abbey Red Poppy 2012 Russian River Pliny the Younger Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme 2012 Oud Beersel Framboise Port Brewing Churchill's Finest Hour 2013 Firestone Sucaba 2013 Firestone 16th Anniversary Firestone Parabola 2012 North Coast Old Bourbon BA Old Rasputin XV Green Flash Flanders Drive 10th Anniversary Port Brewing Brandy Barrel Aged Santa's Little Helper Ballast Point Double Sumatra Victory at Sea Avery Barrel Aged Dihos Dactylion New Belgium Cocoa Mole Lost Abbey Churchill's Finest SOUR Craftsman Cave Art Karl Strauss Rose Canyon Peach Lambic Hangar 24 Pugachev's Cobra Bear Republic TarTare New Belgium La Folie 2011 The Bruery Bourbon Barrel Aged 4 Calling Birds The Bruery Rye Barrel Aged Smoking Wood The Bruery Melange 3 Lost Abbey Framboise de Amorosa The Bruery Sour in the Rye Russian River Consecration 2011 Lagunitas Sonoma Sour Stout Russian River Supplication 2011 Stone/Ken Schmidt Mint Chocolate Imperial Stout Rodenbach Vintage 2008 Alesmith Bourbon Barrel Aged Speedway Stout (CASK) Karl Strauss Mint Chocolate Wreck Alley (CASK) Almanac Bourbon Barrel Aged Noir Midnight Sun TREAT Stone Enjoy By IPA #3 Firestone Walker Black Xantus 2011 Stone Barrel Aged 2011 IRS Red Wine Barrel Coronado Brandy Barrel Aged Barleywine Craftsman Honesty Karl Strauss Queen of Tarts Bear Republic Cuvee de Bubba The Bruery Bourbon White Oak Allagash Bourbon Barrel Aged Black Dogfish Head Immort Ale Dogfish Head Noble Rot New Belgium Tart Lychee Telegraph Obscura Blackberry Lost Abbey Brandy Angel's Share 2010 Russian River Sanctification 2011 Russian River Consecration 2012 Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon Clown Shoes Chocolate Sumbrero Mexican Stout New Belgium Imperial Chocolate Coffee Stout Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura Allagash Interlude 2011 De Molen Cease & Desist 2010 Lagunitas Farmhouse Gueuze Rogue Old Crustacean 2007 Angry Grimace fucked around with this message at 22:29 on Apr 2, 2013 |
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Apr 2, 2013 22:12
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Yeah, sorry, my lingo isn't very advanced. Other dark beers I have had, especially stouts, have seemed like I was drinking liquid wood. This is not a bad thing, as I found the wood flavors to be aromatic and earthy which I like, but lagunitas was different. Maybe spicy wasn't the right word, but it didn't feel like I was straining mahogany through my teeth. I definitely felt like it had a sort of spicy bite, maybe closer to cinnamon than a hot pepper, though.
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Apr 2, 2013 22:13
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Samfucius posted:Yeah, sorry, my lingo isn't very advanced. Other dark beers I have had, especially stouts, have seemed like I was drinking liquid wood. This is not a bad thing, as I found the wood flavors to be aromatic and earthy which I like, but lagunitas was different. Maybe spicy wasn't the right word, but it didn't feel like I was straining mahogany through my teeth. I definitely felt like it had a sort of spicy bite, maybe closer to cinnamon than a hot pepper, though. Try the Chocolate Oak aged Yeti. There's a subtle cayenne hint at the end. It's delicious.
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Apr 2, 2013 22:30
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