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Inaugural cellar Wednesday beer is appropriately (and unplanned) a 2012 (maaaaybe 2011, no bottle date) Cafe Royale that I sort of forgot about in a friend's keg fridge. I was over for his birthday and we had some Cantillon, ended up opening a bad bottle of Block 15 Brett quad, and then started digging. It was still a nice beer with great bourbon/barrel character, some linger acidity that I assume is from the coffee, pleasant roast, and probably more lactose/sugar character than I'd prefer. It was still nice to drink and I enjoyed it, but I wish I'd gotten to it sooner.
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Mar 20, 2014 02:43
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 Warning: I'm on the last legs of a cold so this probably isn't an ideal situation to review a beer. 3F's (in a FFF teku... get it?) Intense Red Oude Kriek. Bottled in November of 2012. I'm a sucker for anything from these guys. Their standard gueuze- that BOSC had above- is a brilliant beer, the Golden Blend is about as good, and Lente is the best gueuze I've ever had by far. I love their standard Oude Kriek, and their Schaerbeekse Kriek is one of my all-time favorite beers. Needless to say, I had high expectations. Unfortunately, this doesn't live up to them. As discussed earlier today, great wild ales have layers beyond a tartness. This comes off much closer to something a U.S. brewer just getting into brewing wilds would put out: a ton of acidic sourness, definite cherry character but nothing much behind it. Again, the cold might be screwing things up but "intense" is a good way to put it. It smells all-cherry-all-the-time. Even the label doesn't match their standard output, which makes me wonder if this isn't their attempt at putting out an "American-style" lambic. It's not bad by any means, but the price is too high for me to try again. Or maybe it's just the cold.
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Mar 20, 2014 02:49
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 Excuse the dogshit photography. The beer is actually much clearer than that murky photo would indicate. The beer I chose for the inaugural Cellar Raid Day is the infamous Russian River/Sierra Nevada collab, Brux. Couldn't find a bottle date, but it was a one-off, and I think the price tag sticker says '08 2012' which makes sense in my head, and would put this beer at around 1 year, 7 months old (albeit it probably took a while to get to Chicago, but I digress). I remember distinctly when this beer came out. I remember one local store that got it way before everyone else and marked it up massively accordingly. Luckily, I didn't fall for it, and I wound up paying normal shelf price for it (which was a still fairly expensive $13). Throwing the Russian River name on something that goes to non-RR distro is going to generate a lot of hype, which this beer most definitely did. I will confess: I never had this beer fresh. I only bought one bottle, and I had subsequently heard initial reports that it was bland as all hell and that it needs to be sat on for a while for it to come into its own, so I did. At 19 months of age, the brett is actually there, and the taste is pleasant. However, and this is a big however, for what you'd pay for this bottle, there are much, much better beers that can be had for cheaper in the same style. This, to me, is a mediocre cork-and-caged Matilda clone. I can easily imagine that this beer, in fact, was very bland on release. Not surprisingly, there's still a couple stores in my area with this beer sitting on the shelf. They will stay there, likely forever. edit: danbanana, I was also somewhat disappointed by Intense Red. Too much cherry, not enough of that wonderful 3F funk. crazyfish fucked around with this message at 03:44 on Mar 20, 2014 |
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Mar 20, 2014 03:39
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Funnily enough, I've also got an overpriced bottle of Brux in my closet - I've had it twice now, once fresh and once from a bar with over a year of age on it (end of 2013). It was definitely better with a year of age on it, but nowhere near as mind-blowing as the sticker price would suggest. I'll try sitting on mine for a little while longer. Thanks to everyone who's participated in Cellar Raid Day so far - keep it up!
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Mar 20, 2014 03:55
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Does Nugget Nectar count as a cellar raid? Anyway that's what I'm drinking after my hockey game. Definitely a solid release this year.
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Mar 20, 2014 03:57
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I also took some poor photography tonight! Tonight I dine on my last bottle of this year's Bourbon Barrel Aged Plead the 5th from Dark Horse Brewing.  I personally enjoy this beer very much, and tonight was no exception. Very well balanced, not overly boozy, wonderful barrel and vanilla character melding with some chocolate and a bit of roasty espresso on the finish. Despite the motor oil appearance, the mouthfeel is actually pretty light and makes it pleasantly drinkable. Not my favorite BBA stout, but it's up there! I had it for the first time at FoBAB, but am finding that I enjoy it much more slowly sipping it in a snifter as it warms up, rather than as a sample taster.
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Mar 20, 2014 04:07
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 This bitch has been in my fridge for a solid 4 months. I had originally pulled a BA Speedway for tonights cellar raid, but the recent warm weather drove me to have something a little lighter and more tangy. Alpine's Chez Monus. Just as tasty as the 4oz pour I had when they released the bottles of this awhile ago. Smells like someone opened up a jar of fresh peach preserves, with just a hint of acidity with it. Very little head, and very little carbonation. Not a terrible thing though, it made it feel almost like I was drinking some sort of funky fruit wine. Lots of that fruit smell came through in the taste, and really cut through the the tartness. All in all, just a really enjoyable sour. This is up there with Consecration as one of the best I've ever had. A+
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Mar 20, 2014 04:55
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I've been lurking in this thread for a few weeks, and been back on a beer kick this year, so I figured I'd play along with the Cellar Raid Day: Goose Island Nightstalker (2010), which was one of the few bottles that I still had around from the last time I was big into beer. Mostly getting a chocolate flavor from this one, with a nice sweetness. It's quite drinkable for the almost 12%, but I'm only getting a little bit of the happiness that the description includes. A little bit of coffee & licorice in there, but again, not very pronounced. Definitely heavy on a sweet chocolate finish. I wish I had an unaged version to see if, at least, the supposed happy flavor comes through anymore.
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Mar 20, 2014 05:02
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agree with most of the Brux chat- much better after a year, but not quite worth the money and time necessary to get the most out of it. my raid was, unfortunately, a bit of a bust, and not in the police sense of the word. i cracked a goon-provided Rising Tide Ursa Minor, which is a wheat-based stout that i've had a few times and really enjoyed, but there was definitely infection at play in this bottle- massive head (the two-thirds of the re-capped bottle i put back in the fridge kept a head for hours), really sharp carbonation, and some metallic and tart flavors that made it pretty much undrinkable. sigh. used it on the corned beef instead and that turned out great, so it wasn't a total loss. not the first RT bottle i've had an issue with, either.
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Mar 20, 2014 05:02
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Well, I was going to just come and talk about it but I now realize that it's ~cellar raid day~ so this will be my subpar cellar beer post (minus picture since I already drank it all) Southern Tier Creme Brulee! I split it 50-25-25 with my drunken roommates. The nose was like nothing I've ever sniffed before... it literally smelled like creme brulee. Or also, like some of those cube-shaped caramels that you melt down for caramel apples. At this point I was pretty apprehensive about its richness and/or sweetness. Turns out that I need not have worried, maybe my expectations were altered too much by the internet but I found it to be a very well balanced imperial stout that was full of a really great (but not overly sweet) vanilla bean flavor. It was really not as intense as the nose implied, which ended up being a good thing. I really though Founders Imperial Stout was more intense, sweet and sickening than this by a long shot (and I loved that one). But then one of my boys said "this is good but I can't imagine drinking any more of this" after I gave him half a serving, so I guess different tapes for different folks! I wish I'd bought more of this but it is all gone now. Incidentally "Choklat" is also gone and I was considering it for quite a while, but most of the bottles available had sticky beer dried all over them so I was waffling for some time and now it is too late. Anyway, awesome caramel/toasted sugar taste balanced with roasted malts, really tasty open palate on this one. Sure it was only an $8 bottle that I'd been saving for a total of one month, but whatever. Great beer is great beer!
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Mar 20, 2014 05:07
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 11-2-09 Ten Fidy. Bought a 4-pack in a store on a date easily recallable, as it happened to be exactly two years after the canning date. Unsure why this sat in a cooler for two years (at a store that's a bit of a beer nerd bottle shop) but it was my bounty to savor. Opened the first can a few hours after I got it home, a second on 11-2-12, and the third tonight. I've had fresh Ten Fidy, and between fresh, two & three years old, and now, I have to say it gets continually better - I think this can's convinced me to save the last can until 11-2-20 because this is fanfriggintastic right now and at this point I'm just fascinated about how much better it can get. The booze heat is gone, tastes like earthy molasses cola as it warms. What a knockout.
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Mar 20, 2014 05:44
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So, let's talk a little bit about Propolis. They are on the sorta-Puget Sound, and their "gimmick" (I hate to use that word) is that they brew two beers per month, all pretty beer nerd-y things brewed using the assorted herbs that the (very hippy) brewers can get at each time throughout the year. They even put these months on the label, and so here is the 11/13 beer, the Prunus, a "dark ale brewed with herbs and aged with wild cherries" (it's actually over half a year old now after the initial bottling). I get Propolis beer whenever I go to Belmont Station in Portland, OR, mainly thanks to this gimmick, and iwhich seems to have at least 4 or 5 months in bottles at all times on the shelf; and thanks to that, I have a lot of drat Propolis beer around my cupboards now, and so time to keep house a bit. How is it? Well, it took a drat long while to stop foaming. Like, around 15 minutes or so for me to even get this picture. A "gusher" would be understating it. The flavors are not woody at all; a fair bit of cherry, and also a bit of really spicy herb at the end of the taste. A really unusual herb-y ale in that way, and judging by what the Internet says this is one of the more "difficult for newbies" Propolis ales so far. It's still a hit to me, though, because it's basically a really good cherry lambic with a lot "more" on the off-side to it. SUPER HASSLER fucked around with this message at 06:48 on Mar 20, 2014 |
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Mar 20, 2014 06:46
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What is everyone's opinion about Left Hand trying to trademark the word "Nitro"?
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Mar 20, 2014 15:03
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 Last night I cracked one of my four remaining Westys from the US box release. I've been meaning to pull it out for a while now, since it's well over a year old. I also have a Abt 12 and Rochefort 10 that I bought at the same time for comparison purposes and I originally was gonna do a side-by-side, but I decided that drinking 3 10+% beers on a Wednesday night was probably a bad idea, so I plan on having one or both of those tonight or this weekend. Lots of yeasty bread notes when I cracked it and a huge head on the pour. Very carbed, which I don't remember from the bottles a year ago, at least not to this degree. Despite the nose, I don't get a lot of bready notes in the taste, just a hint in the background. Mainly some rich fig. The high carbonation was distracting, as holding it in my mouth to savor resulted in a lot of fizzing, instead of the smooth mouthfeel I'd expect. Despite that, this really is a wonderful beer, and I'm really interested in seeing how the Abt 12 compares tonight with a year on it, as it was my favorite when I compared all 3 last year.
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Mar 20, 2014 15:08
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lazerwolf posted:What is everyone's opinion about Left Hand trying to trademark the word "Nitro"? This quote from the article sums it up: quote:The government can reject trademarks that are "merely descriptive," meaning a term describing "an ingredient, quality, characteristic, function, feature, purpose or use" of the specified goods or services. It's stupid and hopefully it falls through. Milk Stout Nitro in bottles is actually pretty solid, but the other Nitro bottle offerings are so mediocre I really couldn't care less.
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Mar 20, 2014 15:12
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lazerwolf posted:What is everyone's opinion about Left Hand trying to trademark the word "Nitro"? I think that we should set our calenders back 3 years ago when they tried to initially do it. The fact of the matter is the word "Nitro" has become a brand for Left Hand as evidenced by the huge amount of resources they've put into being one of the only breweries in the world to achieve this accomplishment and their 3 beers with this branding. It's about protecting a brand and the word Nitro has become a huge identity for Left Hand. Chumps on Reddit are having the biggest knee jerk reactions about this. Even despite what you (general you) think, there are plenty more stupid trademarks to complain about before this should even come on the radar.
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Mar 20, 2014 15:12
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SUPER HASSLER posted:So, let's talk a little bit about Propolis. hmm. hmmmmm. Retemnav posted:The high carbonation was distracting, as holding it in my mouth to savor resulted in a lot of fizzing, instead of the smooth mouthfeel I'd expect. yeah, that is a drat effervescent beer, surprised me the first time i had it.
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Mar 20, 2014 15:21
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Midorka posted:I think that we should set our calenders back 3 years ago when they tried to initially do it. Lots of local breweries and bars, like Founders, put some of their beers on "Nitro" and advertise it as such.
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Mar 20, 2014 15:22
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Tonde Mo Nai posted:I've been lurking in this thread for a few weeks, and been back on a beer kick this year, so I figured I'd play along with the Cellar Raid Day: This exact vintage of NS was so very nearly my cellar raid beer. I think I'd have preferred it to the old-rear end Cafe Royale, too.
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Mar 20, 2014 15:23
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Bag of Sun Chips posted:Lots of local breweries and bars, like Founders, put some of their beers on "Nitro" and advertise it as such. Yes that's a good argument. They've also been calling it as such longer than Left Hand. In my eyes though, the difference is that it's incredibly easy to make a draft nitro beer, nor are those beers identified in the way the "Nitro" is on Left Hand's bottles. When you see that big "Nitro" on Left Hand's bottles you know immediately that it's Left Hand and there's no questions asked. That's what they're trying to protect. I may be wrong, but I highly doubt that they'd go after Founders for their beer that is tap only being listed on a bar menu as Nitro. Edit: And when talking about trademarking a process, Anchor trademarked the "Steam Beer" name. Sure it was a bit different, with Anchor essentially resurrecting the style, but it's very similar.
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Mar 20, 2014 15:29
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Midorka posted:Yes that's a good argument. They've also been calling it as such longer than Left Hand. In my eyes though, the difference is that it's incredibly easy to make a draft nitro beer, nor are those beers identified in the way the "Nitro" is on Left Hand's bottles. When you see that big "Nitro" on Left Hand's bottles you know immediately that it's Left Hand and there's no questions asked. That's what they're trying to protect. I may be wrong, but I highly doubt that they'd go after Founders for their beer that is tap only being listed on a bar menu as Nitro. Founders can do no wrong. 
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Mar 20, 2014 15:39
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Retemnav posted:
I had the exact same reaction when opened my first bottle from the US pack (I haven't opened my remaining 2 I have). Super carbed to the point that it felt like I was drinking pop rocks. Having never had a bottle of Westy 12 before, I asked a friend who has had it several time over if he's ever experienced this in any of the bottles he's brought home to which he said he has not. Even last year at hunahpu's day, some guy walked up to my friend and I and popped open a US release Westy12, poured some for himself, handed us the bottle and walked away. It too was super fizzy and my friend commented that all of his bottles he's brought home have never reacted like this. Aside from that, I've never bothered to look online to see if others had that same complaint. But it appears we're not the only ones who have had this issues.
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Mar 20, 2014 15:41
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Virigoth posted:Founders can do no wrong. NO.
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Mar 20, 2014 15:44
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SUPER HASSLER posted:So, let's talk a little bit about Propolis. Still haven't had a beer from them that blows me away, but I definitely feel that they have the potential to do so. I wondered how sustainable their release schedule would be but they seem to keep cranking them out with no problem.
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Mar 20, 2014 15:52
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Midorka posted:Edit: And when talking about trademarking a process, Anchor trademarked the "Steam Beer" name. Sure it was a bit different, with Anchor essentially resurrecting the style, but it's very similar. This is why you have to call the style "California Common." It's a style I'd really like to see more of, Jack's Abby does a Boston Steam Pie which is the same but with vanilla, cocoa and lactose. It's just okay though, needs iteration.
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Mar 20, 2014 15:56
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i know this gets asked every once in a while, but if someone would be so kind as to give me a quick list (or a link to a previous post) of must-visit beer spots in and around West Hollywood my friend would be most appreciative. thanks! (someone should update the wiki for L.A.)
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Mar 20, 2014 16:07
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So I really want to try these sour beers y'all are on about. Are there any good ones that have a decent distribution in the UK and that have a chance of being on the shelf of my local, pretty good, bottle shop? I believe Wild Beer do one?
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Mar 20, 2014 16:08
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Junkenstein posted:So I really want to try these sour beers y'all are on about. Are there any good ones that have a decent distribution in the UK and that have a chance of being on the shelf of my local, pretty good, bottle shop? I believe Wild Beer do one? I'd be surprised if you can't get your hands on some cantillon.
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Mar 20, 2014 16:10
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Junkenstein posted:So I really want to try these sour beers y'all are on about. Are there any good ones that have a decent distribution in the UK and that have a chance of being on the shelf of my local, pretty good, bottle shop? I believe Wild Beer do one? Girardin, Rodenbach, De Cam, Cantillon, Drie Fonteinen. You're welcome.
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Mar 20, 2014 16:11
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funkybottoms posted:i know this gets asked every once in a while, but if someone would be so kind as to give me a quick list (or a link to a previous post) of must-visit beer spots in and around West Hollywood my friend would be most appreciative. thanks! Surly Goat is definitely the best beer spot in that area and the best bottle shops that are closest would be Wallys in Westwood or Vendome Beverly Hills. Edit: On deeper thought, The Oaks Gourmet in Hollywood Hills is a lot closer than either store and has a very nice curated selection; they're one of the few stores in the LA area that doesn't have a bottle limit on RR sours and as such didn't bat an eye when I walked off with 80% of their Consecrations. Cap'n'Cork in Los Feliz also has a decent beer selection as well IIRC. Furious Lobster fucked around with this message at 16:33 on Mar 20, 2014 |
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Mar 20, 2014 16:24
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Bag of Sun Chips posted:Girardin, Rodenbach, De Cam, Cantillon, Drie Fonteinen. You're welcome. I was able to get a taste for the Rodenbach over the weekend. First time I ever tasted a sour beer and it was probably the best beer I ever had until now. That being said, anyone know if it can be found on shelves in Quebec? The only place I found it was at the Bier Markt which had other good beers. I was able to also get my first Rochefort 10 out of that place. It's very fun to discover new international product. I just wish it had more of the US microbrewery beers that most of you guys are talking about.
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Mar 20, 2014 16:24
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funkybottoms posted:i know this gets asked every once in a while, but if someone would be so kind as to give me a quick list (or a link to a previous post) of must-visit beer spots in and around West Hollywood my friend would be most appreciative. thanks! Will get on that... Bars: Surly Goat Stores: Vendome Pretty sure there's a Whole Foods with a decent selection around there
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Mar 20, 2014 16:24
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Thanks, chaps.
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Mar 20, 2014 16:34
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Hello fellow Goons! I'm going to be taking a road trip up north to Portland, what are some essential breweries that I should hit up? I don't know much about what that particular city can offer.
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Mar 20, 2014 18:50
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Zerok posted:I was able to get a taste for the Rodenbach over the weekend. First time I ever tasted a sour beer and it was probably the best beer I ever had until now. Judging by it's general availablilty in the west I'd say you should be able to find it pretty easily in Quebec. Hunt around for some specific bottle shops and specialty liquor stores. I can regularily find it in Edmonton, and occasionally in Saskatoon and even Canmore. I used to get all sad about not having the hyped-up big-name sought after American beers, but then I remember that Canadians make pretty good beer too and the scene here is just stating to catch on so plenty of things stay available for quite some time. I'll be joining in the cellar raid festivities eventually, I just work in a dry camp for a month at a time. Random Canadian beers ahoy!
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Mar 20, 2014 18:53
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obi_ant posted:Hello fellow Goons! I'm going to be taking a road trip up north to Portland, what are some essential breweries that I should hit up? I don't know much about what that particular city can offer. Which Portland?
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Mar 20, 2014 19:08
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No_talent posted:Judging by it's general availablilty in the west I'd say you should be able to find it pretty easily in Quebec. Hunt around for some specific bottle shops and specialty liquor stores. I can regularily find it in Edmonton, and occasionally in Saskatoon and even Canmore. I've check with our current liquor commission (SAQ) and it's not on shelves. And don't get me wrong, I love the Quebec/Canada microbrewery beers. I think they are amazing, I would just wish to be able to taste some of the ones that have been mentioned in this thread.
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Mar 20, 2014 19:50
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crazyfish posted:Which Portland? Oregon.
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Mar 20, 2014 20:10
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obi_ant posted:Oregon. Hair of the Dog, Cascade Barrel House, Upright, The Commons, and Deschutes are all worth visiting.
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Mar 20, 2014 20:53
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Zerok posted:I've check with our current liquor commission (SAQ) and it's not on shelves. Dealing with the SLGA/ALGC has yeilded varried results for me. They seem to selectively update things and have only given a "Yeah that's been ordered in the past 8 weeks in the province.". If it's anything like Sk you might be able to do special buys through the SAQ and get a few bottles. I find it easier to just call a store or go visit and see whats there, and try to find something interesting to get.
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Mar 20, 2014 20:56
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