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SUPER HASSLER posted:The state liquor store in Stowe, VT has weird distribution too -- JK, Prairie, 10 Barrel of all things (has anyone else in the northeast US seen that before?). But no Heady. Apparently there's enough sent out that the bars generally have it, but people still bulk-buy it all out of the stores on the day of delivery. Whenever I look something up on seekabrew that I think is OR-only, it invariably pops up as having distro in VT. Hell, even Ale Apothecary shows as being available in VT, but not OR.
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Dec 15, 2013 21:12
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Michigan! Started the trip with lunch at Greenbush. Had Delusion, their rye-barrel cream stout. Nice beer. Their weizenbock was spiced, which I wasn't expecting so didn't enjoy that much. My awesome girlfriend had a couple Hydes, which I've seen on shelves in Chicago but never picked it up. Very heavy coffee bitterness that fades quickly to a chocolate flavor. Nice. Walked out with a sixer and a 4 pack of Delusion. Got to Saugatuck where we were renting a tiny one room cottage. Explored a little, grabbed a pizza and went back to the cottage. Spent two hours in the outdoor hot tub where I drank my last BCBVS. Rumors of that beer's death have been greatly exaggerated. While the vanilla bomb is gone, there's still a very nice vanilla backbone. It's basically regular BCBS on steroids. So so great. In the morning we braved the beginning snow storm to visit Virtue Cider. Beautiful location with a tiny tasting room. We sampled all 5 of their current offerings. I'm not the biggest cider person but everything was top notch, especially Percheron. Definitely the best cider I've had. A little sweet but the Brett really comes out. Left with two bottles of that and one of The Mitten. It was nice that the tasting was free but bottles were really pricey at $25. Strange considering I've seen their stuff at Binny's for $20. Why so much more at the brewery? Took a while in the snow but finally made it to Grand Rapids Brewing. GF had a couple of their dry Stout. That's a style that will always be close to my heart and theirs was really good. I stuck with their BA'd stuff since it was their anniversary. Philanthropist, the BA'd barleywine that they were selling bottles of, was top tier. Sweet but not cloying , boozy, finishes cleanly. Seriously great, and comparable to the best in the style. Bottles are gorgeous, too. Then maybe the highlight of the trip (other than BCBVS in the hot tub), Distinguished Eagle. BOSC was absolutely right: this is a fantastic and unique. GF took a sip and uttered "Egg nog." And that's it. Great big nutmeg flavor but unlike a Blackwater beer or even Bourbon Vanilla Dark Lord, it finished without coating your mouth. This is one of the best surprises I've had with a beer in a while. The building comes off kind of like a sports bar, but the beer was really great, as was the food. GR people should support these guys. Vivant was next. For whatever reason I always pictured them in the middle of nowhere instead of in a neighborhood. Had a flight with Love Shadow (BA'd stout), a sour whose name I didn't catch, a Belgian with blueberries and basil, and something else I can't remember. Everything was good but nothing spectacular. Then a glass of Le Flaneur, one of their bretta ales. Way better than Escoffier was fresh so I grabbed a 4 pack on our way out. Before heading back, we hit Sicilanos, which is a neat shop. Walked out with some stuff, including some Blue Mountain Barrelhouse beers. We stopped at Saugatuck Brewing before home but more so for food. I had a pale ale that was entirely forgettable. Overall, it was a great weekend. Very happy that we lucked into GRBC's anniversary because that was awesome across the board. Not surprising that things were mostly inexpensive compared to Chicago. I will be doing this again.
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Dec 15, 2013 22:20
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Had a random impromptu bottle share last night at a wine party. I'd never had Duchesse de Bourgogne before and all I got was marijuana on the nose and this unidentifiable sweet/sour fruitiness on the tongue. Really a terrible combination of scent and flavor. Anyone else get that from that beer, or had an equally disconnected pairing of the senses from another beer?
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Dec 15, 2013 22:49
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Because I haven't drank enough this weekend... Don Gavino is going to be hard to finish by myself. Light tartness. Nice fruit but surprisingly bitter. Not one of my favorites from CCB.
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Dec 15, 2013 22:51
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danbanana posted:Because I haven't drank enough this weekend... Don Gavino is going to be hard to finish by myself. Light tartness. Nice fruit but surprisingly bitter. Not one of my favorites from CCB. I thought Gavino was easy to take down myself, plenty of fruit and a refreshing tartness.
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Dec 15, 2013 22:53
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BCBS quietly hit Portland on Friday - while I was out of town - and appears to be sold out just about everywhere, even with most places putting 1 (12oz) bottle limits on everything. I did stop by one place that had 2 bottles of coffee left this morning so that was nice.
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Dec 15, 2013 23:19
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deadwing posted:I thought Gavino was easy to take down myself, plenty of fruit and a refreshing tartness. I don't find it refreshing at all. The bitterness is really strong.
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Dec 15, 2013 23:29
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After a weekend of drinking expensive whiskey I haven't had before and beer I've had before, I decided to sit down with some beers I haven't had before. NG Strawberry Rhubarb (thanks Danbanana!). I usually don't care all that much about appearance, but I have to say that this is one of the ugliest beers I've ever seen. It looks like cloudy, dirty pond water, but smells like its namesake, and is surprisingly drinkable and not nearly as sweet as I expected. I can see someone loving this, but my wife will be drinking it rather than I. Alesmith Old Ale (thanks Capt. Awesome!). This is a solid old ale. Massive molasses notes and some welcome balancing bitterness. Will have no trouble killing this bottle. crazyfish fucked around with this message at 23:43 on Dec 15, 2013 |
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Dec 15, 2013 23:32
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Me in Reverse posted:I am really loving sick of the trading community. Every time something comes out, no matter the bottle count, per person limit, cost, anything.. "FT: (Not a loving whale), ISO: Vintage Cantillon, BCS Rare Multiples". It seems like 50% of the people on the planet are "ISO Proprietors"
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Dec 16, 2013 00:05
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wattershed posted:Had a random impromptu bottle share last night at a wine party. I'd never had Duchesse de Bourgogne before and all I got was marijuana on the nose and this unidentifiable sweet/sour fruitiness on the tongue. Really a terrible combination of scent and flavor. Anyone else get that from that beer, or had an equally disconnected pairing of the senses from another beer? No.
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Dec 16, 2013 00:18
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Me in Reverse posted:I am really loving sick of the trading community. Every time something comes out, no matter the bottle count, per person limit, cost, anything.. "FT: (Not a loving whale), ISO: Vintage Cantillon, BCS Rare Multiples". How else are we supposed to get whales bro?
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Dec 16, 2013 01:02
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I still haven't fully moved from Georgia to NC yet so I don't have my kegerator, but I acquired a keg of Sierra Nevada's Northern Hemisphere Harvest ale this past week. The result: http://i.imgur.com/46Tr4FA.jpg TOTALLY loving WORTH IT Edit: I have no internet and am phone posting, had no idea I was breaking tables. Josh Wow fucked around with this message at 04:53 on Dec 16, 2013 |
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Dec 16, 2013 04:26
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timg is your friend, buddy.
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Dec 16, 2013 04:38
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The result: a giant table breaking image.
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Dec 16, 2013 04:39
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Any pa goons try pizza boy brewing/Al's of Hampden? Had a guy bring a growler to the bar and the beer was solid. Wondering if anyone has had any of their stuff before i make the drive.
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Dec 16, 2013 04:43
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Cbear posted:Any pa goons try pizza boy brewing/Al's of Hampden? Had a guy bring a growler to the bar and the beer was solid. Wondering if anyone has had any of their stuff before i make the drive. Pizza Boy is awesome. Have had many of their growlers before and each one is better than the last.
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Dec 16, 2013 04:48
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Having a CCB smoked imperial stout aged on cedar. It is very successful at being smokey and woody, but lacks some sweetness on the palate to balance it out. It is a tad overwhelming on the smoke.
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Dec 16, 2013 04:50
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Josh Wow posted:I still haven't fully moved from Georgia to NC yet so I don't have my kegerator, but I acquired a keg of Sierra Nevada's Northern Hemisphere Harvest ale this past week. The result: Hey can I come over and we can have a cool sausage, bread and beer party?
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Dec 16, 2013 04:53
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SUPER HASSLER posted:Hey can I come over and we can have a cool sausage, bread and beer party? TOTALLY! I just made a weeks worth of curry too so we can eat that as well.
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Dec 16, 2013 04:55
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swickles posted:Pizza Boy is awesome. Have had many of their growlers before and each one is better than the last. Sounds great. I'll be heading up this week it looks like then.
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Dec 16, 2013 04:58
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Cbear posted:Sounds great. I'll be heading up this week it looks like then. Al's/Pizza Boy is well known for good beer. It gets mentioned a lot, but probably not as often as other places because it's way out near Harrisburg and most of the people who post in this thread in PA seem to be closer to Philly. It's probably faster for you to get to Al's from Frederick MD than it is for us.
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Dec 16, 2013 05:08
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I am currently brokering a trade for a 4 pack of BCBS (which the Goose Island distributor in our area never even bothered to pick up) in exchange for my remaining serving of Sweet Repute. Read em and weep,,, I also blasted some interesting features tonight. Shipyard Mint Chocolate Stout: Started off kind of gross, had a weird metallic finish but as it warmed a bit the spearmint started to come out more and halfway through the bottle I noticed a refreshing cooling sensation after each sip. In the hands of a better brewer I think this technique could be harnessed to great effect. Are there any noted examples other than that Stone porter which came out recently, that I missed out on? Oskar Blues Ten Fidy: Finally got to try this one; it was very good but not as "big" as I was hoping. Really sticky and sweet, big on the chocolate notes, maybe too big. Tasted like Expedition but without some of the added features, and way more molasses. Arcadia B-Craft: Really weird "black DIPA", more of a stout than anything. Disjointed flavors that were good on their own but combined to form a bizarre taste sensation. The other night I also blasted Three Philosophers and enjoyed it, but as I expected, I had started too far up the ladder with Rochefort 10 and it simply couldn't compare. I liked the addition of the kriek lambic but at the same time the sourness kind of clashed with the rich sweetness of the base quadrupel. I found Abt 12 in single bottles and a local store finally had Old Rasputin though, so it was a productive week. Say your goodbyes to my bank account, lardass, because it's already dead.
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Dec 16, 2013 05:11
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SUPER HASSLER posted:How would I describe Hill Farmstead? It sounds like a... super hassle. And yes, one of the Lagunitas Chicago brewers I've been working with is a Tim from Magic Hat. He's good people. 
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Dec 16, 2013 06:07
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Found a 6er of Sucks that only 10 days old, score! I noticed that the ABV is listed as 8% on the 32oz quart bottles, but only 7.85% on the 12oz bottles.
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Dec 16, 2013 07:02
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Can I get a touch more info on French pressing coconut into a bcbs? I assume you toast it. Then just pour the beer over and let it steep but for how long? Also how long on a vanilla bean using re cap method? Are there any other things that work well doing this?
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Dec 16, 2013 08:45
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Cbear posted:Any pa goons try pizza boy brewing/Al's of Hampden? Had a guy bring a growler to the bar and the beer was solid. Wondering if anyone has had any of their stuff before i make the drive. Pizza Boy has some amazing sours that are typically only available on tap or on-site consumption but not available in growlers. It's definitely worth the trip. billybill posted:Can I get a touch more info on French pressing coconut into a bcbs? I assume you toast it. Then just pour the beer over and let it steep but for how long? Also how long on a vanilla bean using re cap method? Are there any other things that work well doing this? Yes, you'll want to toast it and let the BCBS steep for a couple hours. Honestly, you'll just have to experiment and try a small sample to see if it's as coconut as you'd like it. A friend of mine actually put a ton of toasted coconut in a growler fill of BCBS and let it sit for 4 days - it was phenomenal and I actually like it more than Proprietors. His version has significantly more coconut presence. Regarding using vanilla, You just need to split up a vanilla bean, throw it in a bottle, recap it, and wait 5 days. It basically turns into a vanilla milkshake. I would even suggest scraping the insides of the vanilla bean into the bottle - apparently the outside can create some off flavors.
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Dec 16, 2013 14:44
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Bag of Sun Chips posted:Yes, you'll want to toast it and let the BCBS steep for a couple hours. Honestly, you'll just have to experiment and try a small sample to see if it's as coconut as you'd like it. yeah, at least a few hours. i've also seen some people buying whole peeled coconuts, pouring 151 in there and lighting it, then letting the BCBS sit inside for a day or two.
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Dec 16, 2013 14:54
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Jolly Pumpkin (or more specifically, Northern United Brewing Company) is going to build a tap room at their new brewing facility in Dexter, MI. Here's the press release: http://promotemichigannews.blogspot.com/2013/12/null-cafe-taphouse-to-showcase-northern.html I was briefly excited by the concept of some kind of club you could buy into once they build it but apparently your $1000 purchase of a bar stool plaque gets you a bar stool plaque and absolutely nothing else. HOWEVER, the $500 growler includes 100 fills...with the average growler fill at JP Ann Arbor being ~$20, that is quite the bargain. Don't think I'll be willing to put out that much cash up front for it though.
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Dec 16, 2013 17:48
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New Belgium is now in Ohio, is there anything by them that I absolutely need to try ASAP?
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Dec 16, 2013 18:37
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Quantrill posted:New Belgium is now in Ohio, is there anything by them that I absolutely need to try ASAP? Le Terroir if you can get it still. Other than that, pretty much everything they make sits on shelves.
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Dec 16, 2013 18:41
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La Folie is also a pretty tasty sour brown ale. Not currently in season, though. A lot of their stuff is fairly forgettable, but I wouldn't call any of it bad, either. 1554 is probably their best regular beer, their Lips of Faith stuff is hit or miss.
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Dec 16, 2013 19:10
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Sirotan posted:I was briefly excited by the concept of some kind of club you could buy into once they build it but apparently your $1000 purchase of a bar stool plaque gets you a bar stool plaque and absolutely nothing else. HOWEVER, the $500 growler includes 100 fills...with the average growler fill at JP Ann Arbor being ~$20, that is quite the bargain. Don't think I'll be willing to put out that much cash up front for it though. Yeah, I don't know about this. They say it "includes limited releases", but I honestly don't know if I would drink 100 growlers of any single brewery over a lifetime.
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Dec 16, 2013 20:05
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I mean maybe if I had a good friend I wanted to split this kind of deal with I might, but in the ~10 years I've lived in Ann Arbor I think I've gotten growler fills at Jolly Pumpkin 6-8 times. Then again at $5/fill its almost cheaper than getting a pint at the cafe. Still, $500 is a lot of money to be spending on beer futures. On the upside, if they have their own tasting room at the brewery, maybe they will finally do some tap-only one-offs. Finger's crossed.
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Dec 16, 2013 20:09
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You gotta admit it's good publicity, though. And for a more affluent person that likes being associated with JP's brand, it's honestly not that bad of an idea. Don't forget that there are people who pay hundreds of dollars for a single bottle of wine or whiskey, so $500 for 6400 oz of JP beer that includes limited releases isn't that bad of a deal.
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Dec 16, 2013 20:56
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If I was going to suggest that family members treat me to an order from belgiuminabox for this Christmas, what are some of the things on there that you'd recommend to someone in New Jersey? All I see is half a bajillion Cantillons and suchlike.
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Dec 17, 2013 00:13
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I'd make sure you grab at least one Lindemans Kriek Cuvee Rene, since it's not sold in the US.
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Dec 17, 2013 00:21
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Podima posted:If I was going to suggest that family members treat me to an order from belgiuminabox for this Christmas, what are some of the things on there that you'd recommend to someone in New Jersey? All I see is half a bajillion Cantillons and suchlike. 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze for sure and Tilquin Gueuze à l'Ancienne (if not available in NJ).
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Dec 17, 2013 01:10
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hellfaucet posted:3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze for sure and Tilquin Gueuze à l'Ancienne (if not available in NJ). Both of these are easy to get stateside if you get Shelton distro, so I wouldn't order those from Belgium. Load up on Cantillons, Westy, De Cam, etc.
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Dec 17, 2013 02:02
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Prairie has finally come to Kansas City, and I just had a Prairie Ale and The Beer That Saved Christmas. I thought Prairie Ale was decent, but way overpriced. I might be in the minority here, but it's not even close to Tank 7, and at double the price. BTSXMas was pretty solid, though.
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Dec 17, 2013 03:00
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Podima posted:If I was going to suggest that family members treat me to an order from belgiuminabox for this Christmas, what are some of the things on there that you'd recommend to someone in New Jersey? All I see is half a bajillion Cantillons and suchlike. How much do they like you? My top choices would be vintage 3F stuff, but I have generally preferred their stuff to Cantillon's. Or... 32 3F Krieks.
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Dec 17, 2013 03:30
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