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The ridiculously priced beers in the States are usually artificially inflated due to scarcity and would rarely set you back more and $25US in a retail situation. The fact is that yes, there are some incredible things coming out of American breweries, but you can get just as many innovative and experimental beers from Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, and tons of other places. A lot of the beers that are fetching enormous fees on eBay are massive Russian Imperial Stouts or similarly large high ABV beers, some that have spent significant portions of their life in oak barrels of various types, and sometimes the brewers feel that they warrant a release day celebration. It's all very silly, really (though the release day festivities can be very fun).
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Mar 2, 2012 23:11
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I asked Jonathan about that, but got no reply. Oatmeal Stout is the only GI regular brew that I really really enjoy.
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Mar 5, 2012 21:27
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I didn't win. Oh well. I did open my bottle of Central Waters Exodus and was blown away by the funky vinous character on the nose and the tart apple and subdued pie cherries and very muted but present bourbon character. If you have the means I highly recommend picking one up.
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Mar 5, 2012 21:54
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Is anyone in Chicago picking up Pipeworks' first release of Ninja vs. Unicorn today? It goes on sale at WLV and Binny's Marcey St at 10am. I can't get there today, but I'll be looking for it elsewhere, mostly because the three dudes that comprise Pipeworks are all good dudes.
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Mar 6, 2012 16:48
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Before I sink that kind of cash into a bottle of beer I make drat sure I know what I'm buying. I'm no skinflint, but if I'm spending $40 for a bottle it better blow my drat mind. That being said, I've made some purchases that I was horribly unsatisfied with myself. The Widmer Brother's Prickly Pear Braggot comes to mind. It was just gross. It was pour down the drain bad, but I bought it on a whim and it was cheap. I can't see myself buying Schaerbeekse on a whim, even though I've had it and love it. The worst was spending $14 on a bottle of A. LeCoq Russian Imperial Stout that had been kept in proper cellaring conditions for about 4 years. It was horribly oxidized and tasted of soy sauce and burnt wood, and not in a good way.
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Mar 7, 2012 19:59
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Paul Proteus posted:Drank a Bourbon County Bramble finally with ShaneB and I can't say that I would go out of my way for it again. It wasn't bad at all, it was just super rich and heavy. It was pretty difficult to split the bottle just by two. How could that have been remedied? Hmmmm? Paul Proteus posted:Then we had a 2008 Arctic Devil Barleywine and a Jolly Pumpkin Biere De Mars Grand Reserve. No, really, I wasn't interested in this at all... Though I've been seriously cutting back on my intake, I did open a 2009 BCS a couple of weeks back. I didn't take notes though, but I do remember it being very good. I'm interested in seeing if the 2007 is still as hot as it was last year.
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Mar 14, 2012 15:05
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ShaneB posted:It was kind of a spontaneous thing, sorry bro. Not a problem. I might have to have my man card revoked for this, but I went to see Bring it On the Musical last night and it was was really entertaining.
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Mar 14, 2012 15:29
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What's crazy is that I have that exact unit and have been using it for 4 years with no issue.
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Mar 16, 2012 20:32
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crazyfish posted:Had KBS for the first time last night. I'm happy to have had it, and it is a drat good beer, but I'm really not understanding why people would camp out overnight after driving several hours just to get a case of this (trade value excepted). In truth, I enjoyed the Firestone Walker XV that I had right after it a hell of a lot more. And there it is. The only thing that makes KBS special is that beer nerds think it's special. Initially, it was one of the first well made and more widely available bourbon barrel stouts, and that made it worth seeking out. now it has caché and people think it's worth something because other people think it's worth something. Don't get me wrong, it's a good beer, and worth the purchase price, but not more than that, and not worth the effort that people took to get their allotment. While I love some of the crazy rare beers, and have had a good chunk of the most sought after "whales" I do disagree with the gotta-catch-em-all mentality.
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Mar 22, 2012 19:55
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air- posted:It's one of the more spicy/herb flavored (parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme if I recall) saisons. Definitely a DFH "off-centered" approach to the style. A little too effervescent and carbonated for me. I prefer the Victory one out of the three because of how citrusy and refreshing it is. That beer was a great slice of brewing philosophy. DFH makes it centered on the oddball ingredients, Stone makes a heavily resinous hop centered saison, while the Victory focused on making each of the ingredients show up in a balanced and refreshing beer.
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Mar 23, 2012 21:08
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LeeMajors posted:Don't forget Colette! Colette is my favorite saison (domestic) in existence, more or less. Helios is pretty great when its fresh, but its generally neglected in my neck of the woods. Oh, I was just talking about the fact that it took the same brewing concept, style, and adjunct ingredients and handed them to breweries with three distinct brewing philosophies, and three distinct beers very indicative of those philosophies came out. I never forget Colette.
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Mar 23, 2012 21:40
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Weistephaner Vitus is also a thing of beauty. Easy drinking, super-clovey weizenbock. MMMM!!
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Mar 26, 2012 20:41
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Alright, I'm looking for a little confirmation to a horrendous experience I had with Brooklyn Lager recently. I've had it on tap and really enjoyed it, I've had it in bottles and liked it. I had it in a can last Friday and it was a mess. It was syrupy sweet with a little citrus hop character and almost no carbonation. It tasted like a Del Monte fruit cup with fresh grapefruit that had been charged up with a little CO2. Bad batch? Brooklyn doesn't have their canning line working optimally? I was drinking from the can, but I don't think that would have had such a large effect as to change a lager to a sticky, fruity, mess.
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Mar 29, 2012 15:01
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ShaneB posted:There is a six pack sitting at my corner liquor store that's been there at least 5-6 days. I know because I bought the one that was in front of it and it has never even been slid up to the front of the cooler. Vas Foremost? or Logan Liquors?
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Mar 29, 2012 19:03
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We have a ton of great brewpubs outside of the city (Chicago) that no-one ever talks about. Lunar is excellent (and would make a great long ride on a weekend day), Mickey Finn's in Libertyville is actually worth the trip, especially on the way back from Great America, Two Brothers just bought the brewpub at the Roundhouse in Aurora. Flossmoor Station has gone a little downhill beer-wise, but is still producing excellent beer and is literally a short train ride away. Not to mention that the established brewpubs are phenomenal and there is a new one on the horizon. I don't know much about it, but Dryhop Bistro and Microbrewery is on it's way this fall.
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Mar 30, 2012 14:50
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I just wish they would make Imperial Cane & Ebel. They made the mistake of double malting a batch of Cane & Ebel one year and just went with it, and it was the best beers they've made. Also, Domaine DuPage is a Gluten Free beer. Certified. Kinda cool for those people who have celiac issues.
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Mar 30, 2012 15:56
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Whoops, mixed up my 2Bros beers. Since it's not an issue for me, and i don't work at a shop anymore, I let the information in as "This brewery has an unexpected GF beer". Though loads of beers are GF if they use a similar clarification process, it's just that it's a pain and expensive to be certified.
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Mar 30, 2012 18:09
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Didn't get tickets and have a gig that day, but I would be interested in purchasing a bottle or two if they're not already spoken for. This will be the first DLD that I've missed since 2005.
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Apr 4, 2012 16:07
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I am a huge fan of Victory's version of Saison du Buff. It's just a light, spicy, herbal saison. I also enjoy RR/Avery's Collaboration not Litigation.
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Apr 16, 2012 20:22
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If you can find Vida y Muerte by them I'd give it a shot. They use dulce de leche and it really comes through. Nicely balanced play on a Marzen.
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Apr 27, 2012 21:24
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rage-saq posted:Doesn't ship. Doesn't label.
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Apr 30, 2012 14:20
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Berliner Weisse is traditionally sweetened with woodruff syrup to give it a green color and a touch of sweetness to contrast with the tart and mineral character. You'll sometimes see it on German menus as Kindlweisse.
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May 31, 2012 18:14
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I went to Capone's on Elston, they have all the Pipeworks stuff, but no Parabola. They had a case and apparently they did the whole reserve list, so there were bottles there, but not for public purchase apparently. Another excellent, well priced bottle shop.
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Jun 6, 2012 16:47
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They do gouge a bit on the rarer stuff, but they do consistently have harder to find stuff for reasonable prices. Tons of Tart Lychee and Cocoa Mole still there for $8-10.
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Jun 6, 2012 17:12
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Fair enough, I just don't use beermenus as a point of reference.
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Jun 6, 2012 17:27
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You could fly into Chicago, then head around Lake Michigan hitting places like, Goose Island, Revolution, Half Acre, Metropolitan, Central Waters, Lakefront, New Glarus, Tyranena, Capital, Surly, Summit, Short's, New Holland, Bells, Jolly Pumpkin, Founder's, Arcadia, Three Floyds. Just an idea.
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Jul 2, 2012 19:58
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lazerwolf posted:21st Amendment Back in Black is decent Eddie, Stone's Sublimely Self-Righteous, Victory's Yakima Glory, and awesomely enough a semi local offering, Lakefront's BPA (not Belgian Pale Ale) are all standouts in this category, as they offer more than the black color, but also a roasty flavor and the hop profile to compliment that earthy bitterness, and not overshadow it.
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Jul 24, 2012 04:25
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I would agree with this, Dark Lord has been getting increasingly sweeter every year. I don't know if that's due to intentionally incomplete fermentation, or cramped brew schedules, or what, but the end product is no where near as good as 08 DL was fresh, or 08 was at my wedding this past May.
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Jul 27, 2012 19:09
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I can stop off at Capone's on my way home and see if it's there and report when I get home. Edit: Also, so this isn't a no content reply, Founder's Devil Dancer was unbalanced and less enjoyable than I have experienced in recent years. Also, I managed to pick up a '97 Triple Bock off the shelf during my last excursion to Milwaukee. Anybody in Chicago game to try a 15 year old beer? BoredByThis fucked around with this message at 18:12 on Jul 31, 2012 |
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Jul 31, 2012 18:08
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Oh the last time I had it it was horrendous, but since most people who would have things I would want to trade for it know better, I have no choice but to drink it. Also, when I opened the last one that i had (which was about 5 years ago, there was a solid residue that was left on the inside of the bottle.
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Jul 31, 2012 18:24
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Midorka posted:I don't see a reason for me to ever buy Duck-Rabbit again if they can't fix their poo poo. I mean I can get Left Hand's Milk Stout, Troegs Troegenator, Edmund Fitzgerald, Victory's Baltic Porter, and etc instead of risking an infected bottle. Doesn't seem worth it. You seem to have skipped over this post from a dude who used to work there. Kosher Man posted:Yeah it seems DR had some infection issues over the last 6 months. Paul replaced some hoses and changed out the way they handled the yeast and it seems to have fixed itself now. It sucks that it happened but now that they have built a lab hopefully it shouldn't happen again. Duck Rabbit is one of the gems of the Mid-Atlantic and you're doing yourself a disservice to skip them because of an infection problem. Every brewery has QC issues, the ones that I'd stay away from are the ones that never acknowledge them and just quietly fix them or worse, don't.
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Aug 6, 2012 18:02
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If you're anywhere near, or have a connection in Chicago, Metropolitan makes a great altbier called Ironworks. It's a great example of the style. Otherwise Zum Uerige is my go to alt.
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Aug 22, 2012 14:15
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White Raja should be on everyone's list of an amazing drinkable affordable IPA. It's easily up there with Two Hearted and Sculpin for me, unfortunately I can only get one of those three regularly. Chicago does have its drawbacks.
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Sep 7, 2012 14:28
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Tap House Grill is one of the best places you'll find in that area. There's also the Bavarian Lodge that will be close and is one of the best beer destinations in the Midwest.
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Sep 27, 2012 15:46
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I've got 06-12+'10 Vanilla, and '11 Bramble, the difference is I plan on drinking mine. Soon.
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Sep 28, 2012 15:48
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They also had a lacto beer that ended up just tasting like pure cider vinegar, nothing else.
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Oct 3, 2012 18:57
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Was walking around Loyola last night and went into a nondescript package goods store on Sheridan. Went to the cooler, and there by its lonesome was a single bottle of Frangelic Mountain Brown. Now I know that it's a polarizing beer, but to see it just sitting in a cooler this long after release, I took it as a sign and grabbed it. This along with a bottle of FFF/Mikkeler Risgoop have accounted for my impulse beer purchases recently.
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Oct 5, 2012 16:22
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danbanana posted:I had this at FFFs and wasn't impressed. So when I (surprisingly) saw bottles at $18 per, I walked away. I've had Hvede/Boo/Oatgoop, so I figured why not, yeah, $18 is pricey, but I've put more down on a football game and lost, so why not.
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Oct 5, 2012 17:19
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It was Bruno's on Sheridan just north of Loyola Ave. I have rehearsal up there once every couple of weeks.
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Oct 5, 2012 19:01
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crazyfish posted:So apparently Cantillon Zwanze Day is on December 1st, and like last year, West Lakeview Liquors will be hosting again. I didn't get to go last year, but are any other Chicagoans planning on attending? I know I will be... I could see myself making it to that.
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Oct 8, 2012 15:42
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