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I had kind of a singular beer weekend. On Friday I went to a friend's house for a beer dinner, she cooked and the rest of us brought beer. And what beer we brought! Highlights: Alpine Nelson, maybe a little old but I'm comparing it to super-fresh cask Nelson. It had lost a bit of the hop edge, but was still a very balanced, delicious beer. Barrel-Aged Rasputin - I wasn't really impressed with this fresh, but it's done good things in the bottle. Still powerfully oaky with tons of coffee and roasty flavors, maybe a slight cola background. Bruery Sans Pagaie. I wouldn't call The Bruery my favorite brewery, but they're pretty drat high on the list. This is a match for any American kriek, and can hang out comfortably with most Belgians as well. It was also delicious with vanilla frozen custard. Bruery Chocolate Rain. Here's where things got ridiculous. Chocolate Rain is huge, sweet, chocolatey and potent as gently caress. It's totally enjoyable on its own (though I wouldn't want to drink a whole 20% bottle if I had anything else to do that night), but it's really good for blending as well. We mixed Chocolate Rain with Sans Pagaie, and it tasted like a cherry cordial. We mixed Chocolate Rain with frozen custard, and it made an amazing beer float. Then my friend did something that ranks very high on my Crazed Things Done With Beer list: she got out the Utopias. I am happy to report that an even mix of Utopias and Chocolate Rain is both delicious and a fantastic way to turn a table full of beer nerds into comatose diabetics. On Saturday, I went to a different friend's house for an eight-hour sour-tasting extravaganza. I took my last bottle of Marrón Acidifié. It died in good company. - 2009 Sang Royale (way more fruit than I expected from an older beer, excellent tart/funk balance, basically everything Cascade does well.) - Upright Fantasia, a peach sour. More assertive acidity than Sang Royal. The peach was maybe a bit too muted, but it was still a great beer. - Marrón Acidifié. The most barrel-forward offering of the night. Lots of vanilla, grapes, and red currant flavors and the perfect level of sourness. Anyone who's sitting on some of this, it's ready to drink whenever you care to. - Bruery Sour in the Rye - this one was a big ol' brettanomyces bomb. More tart than the Marrón but less than the Fantasia, the rye character was mostly lost aside from a slight pepperiness. Any other night, this would have been an outstanding sour. - 2008 Cantillon Lou Pepe Kriek. The whale of the evening, this was in a class of its own. Spicy, perfectly mixing sour and funk, this reminded me just how goddamn good Cantillon is. It was also the prettiest beer of the night, a clear beautiful red. And such perfect, delicate lacing!  - Lost Abbey Framboise de Amorosa - It's drinking well now, and I've got more than half a case left so I think I'm going to continue being aggressive with it. Really and outstanding beer, the best sour offering from Lost Abbey this year. Poppy may eclipse it eventually with age, but for drinking now Framboise wins hands down. - 2011 Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus. It smelled like an open sewer line. It smelled like cask beer farts. It tasted like heaven. - Bruery White Oak. This was the most wine-like sour of the night, with complex menthol, pear, and apple on the nose. The mid-palate was all spicy wheat flavors, with a huge round bourbon finish. This is a really classy beer. - Fremont Brewing Company Bourbon Abominable. A little palate cleansing in the form of a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout. It was a good example of the style - bourbon, coconut, and a bit of smoke from the barrel; roasted grain and burned toast on the finish. Straight out of the bottle I got a lot of fusel aromas and flavors, but those mostly blew off as it warmed. This was a good ber, I'd buy it if I saw it in a store. We paired some cheeses with the sours. The hands-down winner was a Saint Marcellin that was so ripe we had to serve it out of a bowl with a spoon. When I took the plastic off the top, people across the room noticed. All of that funk and fatty creaminess was perfect with the sours, especially the Sang Royale. Last night I opened a bottle of 2010 Parabola with friends. It's aged well, there's almost no heat to it and it's not a one-note bourbon bomb like a lot of barrel aged stuff. I prefer Abyss, but I'd never turn down either beer.
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May 1, 2012 15:33
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Aopeth posted:Did I just try the wrong beers, bartolimu? Bruery doesn't really do half measures. Humulus is a fuckoff big grassy hop bomb of a beer...and it's a lager. It's unusual, interesting, and I think delicious, but some people won't go for it. Same can be said for most of their stuff. I liked Salt of the Earth okay, but goze is a really weird style and I wouldn't blame anyone for not liking it. It's sort of like the salted yogurt drink served at a lot of Lebanese restaurants, which I can't stand but a lot of people like. So yeah, maybe you tried the wrong beers. Or maybe you just don't like what they're doing. That's fine, it doesn't mean you're wrong or that the Bruery is poo poo. You just don't go for their stuff. Keep drinking and see if you can find something that interests you. If not, no big deal. There are tons of other good breweries in Orange County.
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May 1, 2012 16:21
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Josh Wow posted:Unibroue does almost no wrong except for Ephemere, that beer is rank. I had Westvleteren 12 last night. It's loving Good. Super complex aroma and flavor, tons of herbs (mint and a bit of anise stuck out especially) and spices (cinnamon, clove, allspice), banana and pear, with a satisfyingly thick texture and no detectable alcohol. The finish goes on and on with new flavors and a pleasant lingering sweetness. If I were forced to do a beer fast, this would be a suitable pick. People call it the best beer in the world in part because it's been so hard to get, but it really is top-notch in every respect. I really, really hope some boxes make their way to retail shelves in Vegas. I need more of this, and travel to Belgium would be expensive.
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May 2, 2012 14:43
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Quiet Feet posted:Bonus: I found a completely pristine Duvel snifter yesterday afternoon at Savers. Has to be the best $1 I've spent in a while.
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May 3, 2012 15:17
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Had Dieu de Ciel Equinoxe du Printemps last night. It's probably the weakest thing I've had from DDC - not bad, not at all, just very nondescript. I will say it hides the 9.5% very well, but I'm not sure how. There isn't much going on besides some light malty flavors. Tonight I cracked the other Dieu de Ciel that just made it to Vegas this week: Rigor Mortis, a quad. It's perhaps inevitable I'm comparing it to Westvleteren 12 since I had that so recently. It stands up, in different ways. Rigor Mortis is malty and rich, but lacks some of the viscosity and a great deal of the complexity of Westy. It's also a bit more dry. There's a bit of a charred note to Rigor, and the finish leans toward dried pears with a bit of smokiness I find quite pleasant. Compared to Westvleteren the spice components are more muted but still present. It's a drat fine beer, and should be enjoyed in its own right. I'll be buying more of this.
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May 4, 2012 05:06
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Sam Adams Norse Legend is new, at least to Vegas. It's a sahti, brewed with and aged on juniper berries. From the taste I'd say they used about three berries per fermenter - it's mostly just malty, with honey flavors. There's a slight astringency in the finish that might be from the juniper, but overall this is like every other Sam Adams micro-aping beer: too safe. It's not terrible or anything, just doesn't stand out.
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May 7, 2012 03:28
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Actually, as the Sam Adams Sahti warmed up I started getting a lot of chocolate flavors from it. Very like a Toblerone or something like that, where there's honey and other stuff mixed in with the chocolate. Still not a favorite beer, but it definitely was better after ~20 minutes out of the fridge. For the record, I was a fan of DFH's Sah'tea. It wasn't something I wanted a whole bomber of, but twelve ounces or so would be enjoyable. The Sam Adams was just dialed down so much I didn't get many of the same flavors from it.
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May 7, 2012 06:37
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If homebrew explodes it's usually due to it being bottled while it's still actively fermenting, or too much priming sugar being added. This sounds like something else entirely, since carbonation-related blowups happen within a week of bottling for the most part. I'd second the infection call.
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May 7, 2012 14:49
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I had a pint of Deschutes Twilight Summer Ale last night. It's lightly hopped, light bodied without being watery, and instantly became one of my favorite summer beers. The hops gave a pleasant citrusy twang. As it warmed, I got a lot of tea-like flavors. Since iced tea is generally my summer drink of choice, that made it even more enjoyable and summery. At 5% abv it makes a good palate cleanser between heavier beers as well. Mikkeller Tiger Baby: Open Windows Open Hills was surprisingly resinous, way more hoppy than I expect from Mikkeller. Maybe most of the stuff I get from them is older and this is how things are supposed to taste, I don't know. It was tasty. The highlight of the evening was Crooked Stave Blackberry Petit Sour. 857 bottles total produced, by some crazy dude who cultures some of his own brettanomyces strains. Initial aroma was like a really good, peppery blue cheese; this changed to a more familiar vomit smell as it warmed. Flavor-wise it was a great mix of fruit, sour, and funk. There was a lot more lactic acid than I'd expect from a purely brett beer. According to the brewer, one of his proprietary brett strains throws off lactic acid. I'm not sure if that's the case - pediococcus in the barrels seems more likely - but whatever did it the result was a delicious beer. I got to try a bit of Hoppin' Frog D.O.R.I.S. The Destroyer as well. It's freaking huge and hides its alcohol well, meaning it's well named and I loved it.
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May 10, 2012 14:54
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danbanana posted:Except you're thinking like someone who has already deeply stepped into this hobby. There's not enough of you or me to support the hundreds of new breweries popping up or the bars that suddenly discovered DFH. In the long-term, there's simply not enough people who will continue to care (and continue to pay the money) to support all of that, or even some already established breweries/bars. The boom the industry is seeing isn't all BA and RateBeer geeks; it's the middle-upper class urbanite who had a 60 Minute at a bar instead of his/her usual Heineken and liked it so he/she is trying some new things. That guy/woman isn't likely a long-term customer, especially not for, say, Jolly Pumpkin. It might be helpful to view the craft beer industry in the US like the wine industry in the US a few decades ago. California wines were a worldwide joke; mass-produced, crappy jug wines and sugared "white zinfandel" lowered the bar (and Americans' palates) to the point that nothing from the US was expected to be any good at all. Then something changed. Part of that change was with those big producers, and part of it was from other demographics starting to make wine in CA. More care was taken, better wines resulted. American wines started winning awards, even beating French wines in their own contests, and the market exploded. People realized good wine could come from the US (and other places), and tons of new wineries opened up. Many of them sucked; many of those closed. Others were really good, and some of those survived. Wine production in the US is a mature enough industry now that winemakers are producing many different styles with many kinds of grape. The market is established, and while some (even most) people still drink lovely wine, there are enough people who appreciate good wine to support a plethora of wineries. Yes, we're seeing a bit of a brewery boom right now. That's likely to settle down. I don't think beer in the US will fall back to the point that all we have to drink is pissy yellow water - the wine industry still supports a lot of quality wineries, and the beer industry is likely to do the same. Innovation may slow down and we may see less experimentation, but that was the main thing driving this boom. It won't go away entirely. Good beer is likely here to stay. It won't completely take over the market, but I'm fairly sure it will always be available. Individual breweries will come and go; good taste won't. Good taste is contagious. e: Aumuller posted:I decided to go to CBC tomorrow, but I haven't really kept up with the craft beer scene in the past 6 months, so do you guys have some advice / specific beers to keep an eye out for? The list of breweries is: Cigar City - especially their Marshall Zhukov Stout, but everything they make seems to be magical. Dieu de Ciel - excellent overall. Peche Mortel is one of my favorite coffee stouts. Solstice d'Hiver is a lot like Sammichlaus without being quite so cloying. Jolly Pumpkin - some of the best sour beers around Lost Abbey - more great sours. If they have Double Red Poppy, which seems to be festival-only, seek it out. Framboise de Amorosa is also great; 2012 (non-Double)Red Poppy you can probably skip. Three Floyds, if only because I can't get it in the US and you should taunt me with it. bartolimu fucked around with this message at 16:41 on May 10, 2012 |
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May 10, 2012 16:36
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There was a Uinta takeover last night at my local. I got to talk to the rep a fair bit (we've met at other local events, and he was drunk enough to be VERY gregarious), and got to sample everything they sell kegs of to this town. Labyrinth was as good as I remember - it's one of the best barrel-aged stouts I've had. Baba is probably the best Czech-style dark lager I've had in the States, and something I'll be drinking a lot more of. Their IPAs are all decent, but don't really do much for me compared to Sculpin, which we get on draft regularly now. Cockeyed Cooper, their barleywine, is much better in bottles. The rep said they used a different barreling schedule for the keg batch, and it lost a lot of the bourbon and wood character. What's left is a kind of flabby British-style barleywine without much to recommend it. It's a shame, because I really liked Cooper in bottles.
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May 13, 2012 18:36
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Midorka posted:You go to a lot of events eh? It seems like every day you're at another crazy awesome tap list event. - Cherry Chocolate Stout (Troegs collab) - 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout aged in bourbon barrels - Bottleworks 13th Anniversary Ale - 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA - 15th Anniversary Escondidan Black IPA - Oaked Arrogant Bastard - 2011 Double Bastard - 2010 Stone IRS - 2008 Stone IRS aged in bourbon barrels - Levitation - LeVariation - Stone Mix Tape - GK & LU's Blend Vol. 1 - 2010 Old Guardian - 2011 Old Guardian Belgo - Three kinds of Stone Smoked Porter - regular; with chipotle peppers; with vanilla bean. ...and a few other things. I'll try the 12-14th Anniversary stuff and then probably attempt to shut down my liver on 2008 IRS because gently caress me is that ever a fantastic beer.
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May 14, 2012 03:48
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That Brutella sounds pretty amazing. Nuts in beer can go either way, though; Shorts can't seem to figure it out, but other places have done interesting things.Casual Yogurt posted:Yo Black Xantus is the poo poo.
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May 15, 2012 15:01
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Perfectly Cromulent posted:Let's Talk Beer 3: Stone RIS: Great Beer, or Greatest Beer quote:
quote:Lowlights: Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe I'll give Greg Koch poo poo about this beer when I see him on Friday. Dude's pretty cool but needs to be deflated once in a while or his head swells to the point nobody else can share a room with him.
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May 17, 2012 14:34
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escape artist posted:What breweries collaborated on the Squall IPA? I think it was DFH and one or two others.
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May 17, 2012 15:56
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global tetrahedron posted:Yowza. You can sure put them down... I think 10 3.2 beers would wreck me, let alone a 10 % abv RIS...
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May 17, 2012 18:47
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zedprime posted:The only true ipa is that which I pee after drinking a six pack of other so called ipas. I was talking to a person who publishes in the beer industry and made the mistake of saying I like porters but generally prefer stouts.  "Well, stouts ARE porters" Also I don't really agree with the sentiment that this thread is all about bragging over rare beers. Yeah we do some crowing when we get to try something unique (and I probably do more than my share), but look back a few pages to all the Weihenstephaner love. It's about good beer, not strictly about rarity.
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May 23, 2012 16:34
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I realized I never wrote anything about that Stone Domination thing last Friday. It was pretty cool. Greg Koch was there; he's sporting an enormous hobo beard these days, left early drunk as hell with an attractive woman on his arm. The guy's clearly loving life. The Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout was my favorite thing that night; its only competition was the 2008 IRS. The 12th was, not surprisingly, more chocolatey with a lot of toasted grain character. The 08 IRS was more vanilla/coffee with significant wood character. Really both of those beers are among the best I've had and I'd buy either again at the drop of a hat. Last night I got a chance to try Shipyard's Smashed Blueberry. It smells like buckwheat pancakes with IHOP blueberry syrup on top. The flavor starts off a mess with nothing really apparent, but quickly resolves to Blueberry As gently caress - specifically blueberry skins as there's a notable tannic, almost winey quality to the beer - with some roasted grains beneath. It's not a particularly malty beer, but despite this the overwhelming fruitiness makes it seem dessert-like. I'm really happy I got to try it and would probably sample it again, but a bomber? No thanks.
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May 23, 2012 19:34
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escape artist posted:This beer has literally lowered my self-esteem. That's how bad it is. What I have had is one of my bottles of Alpine Chez Monieux. It's a drat good sour. If you deconstruct the initial vomit impression of the aroma, it's heavy on blue cheese and pecan notes. Flavorwise it's nicely tart, lots of lacto sourness and a decent amount of funk. Unfortunately for the Chez, I followed it with Cascade's Sang Noir. That was kind of unfair to Alpine, because I don't think an American sour can get any better than Sang Noir. It's simply perfect - not too sour, not too funky, not too grainy or fruity. Everything balances. We also cracked bottles of Bruery Coton, Cuir, and Fruet. The Fruet is 100% bourbon barrel aged and shows it, there's a lot of delicious barrel character but the beer's so huge it stands up. Cuir and Coton have both aged excellently. I think I liked the Cuir best, but I'd be happy drinking any of them.
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May 24, 2012 15:19
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Munkaboo posted:A friend's parents offered to ship me some Alpine beer, as they live near the brewery. What do they usually have in their shop that I could ask them to get for me? Nelson and Exponential Hoppiness are both excellent. If you're willing to spend more, Chez Monieux is quite good and a nice foray into non-IBU territory. Some of their more unusual stuff is kind of cool as well. Willy Vanilly was a one-time purchase for me, but it's interesting. Mandarin Nectar is quite good, but Gouden Vallei would be my vote for the odd thing I liked best. It's hard to go wrong with Alpine.
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May 24, 2012 17:35
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Angry Grimace posted:I'm assuming you mean Pure Hop as opposed to Expo, since Expo is one-day only release.
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May 24, 2012 18:57
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CYBER SLIMER posted:People like to age barrel-aged beers because they're special and cost 20 dollars a bottle and they want to save them for special events and whatnot but they're really not meant to be aged. They've already aged for a while and are (more often than not) not released until the brewers have decided it tastes good enough to bottle. The same goes for huge (non-sweet) red wines - drink them young and they're tannic and horrible, but give them ten years to open up and they present flavors no other wines can. Are those winemakers terrible at their jobs for bottling before the wine is ready to drink? Nope. Again, many of those wines are coming from some of the most respected vineyards in the world. They're not loving up. They're opening up storage space for another vintage and getting some cash flow so they can stay in business. Why should the beer industry operate differently? Fuckoff big stouts come into their own after a year or three of aging, and that's fine. Why should the brewers be required to store the beer - keeping an enormous amount of capital and floor space tied up in unsold product, reducing their ability to produce new both from an economic and storage aspect - just because you think a beer that needs aging after release is automatically a lovely beer? You have a wrong opinion. Some beers don't age well, yes. It's dumb (with a tiny number of exceptions) to age a rosé, they're meant to be drunk young. That doesn't make those young beers or young rosés any less good than beers that need aging. They're just a different style. Don't serve every style in the same kind of glassware. Don't serve every style at the same temperature. Don't serve every style at the same age. None of that is bad advice.
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May 24, 2012 19:44
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Perfectly Cromulent posted:I like it when you continue to ignore all of the legitimate criticisms of your opinions about the ageability of beer and make ad hominem attacks against ShaneB instead. How long will you keep this up though? As far as the aging argument, I would like to see more from CYBER SLIMER if he wants to discuss it but he may feel ganged up on. I hope it's obvious from other threads, but disagreeing with me isn't sass, it's discussion.
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May 25, 2012 14:41
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We have a trading thread, please keep all trading chat there.
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May 25, 2012 19:12
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Got a bomber of the new Parabola for a party last night. It's great, tastes like really cold chocolate milk with noticeable alcohol heat on the front palate. I'm very sad I missed all the bottles in stores here, guess I'll have to grab another growler and enjoy it while I can. I also got the immense honor of trying another bottle of Rogue Voodoo Maple Bacon Troll Beer. God dammit, Rogue. This one tasted exactly like the last: burned plastic with artificial maple syrup flavor on top. That said, there were a couple of people in the group who didn't think it tasted like poison. That has led me to two theories, and I think one or both may explain why this beer is rated well by some and poorly by most. Theory 1: People who grew up with Aunt Jemima or other artificially-flavored syrups on their breakfasts will find a lot of nostalgia for that flavor. People who grew up with honest-to-  maple syrup won't, instead it will taste like that nasty horrible syrup poo poo other people put on their pancakes that one time you slept over at a friend's house.Theory 2: The Oxford Companion to Beer indicates as much as 25% of the human population may be genetically deaf to diacetyl. About one in ten people can't smell the stuff they put in natural gas to make sure people can smell it (smart, eh?). Maybe the ability to taste good things in Rogue Voodoo Maple Bacon Troll Beer is like that: a recessive genetic trait that should be considered admission of sub-humanity, sort of like people who think cilantro tastes like soap.
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May 26, 2012 19:01
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I am, at heart, a scientist. When I heard indications that there was tremendous bottle variation and widely varied experiences with the beer, I felt it necessary to conduct further experiments. This bottle was from a different retailer, thereby eliminating case variation and giving the beer another chance to not make me want to punch the head brewer of Rogue square in the testicles. It did not capitalize on that chance. Also I didn't buy it so you can't blame me for that. 
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May 26, 2012 20:34
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Clownshoes Chocolate Sombrero, a Mexican-style chocolate stout. It tastes a surprising amount like Mexican hot chocolate, with cocoa and cinnamon notes and a fairly malty base. It's really decent, lighter than an imperial stout but thick and rich. They claim there's some ancho chile in there. I can't detect that at all, there's really no fruity/raisiny character that I can tell. Still, quite worth the purchase.
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May 28, 2012 07:10
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Midorka posted:Also bartolimu, I assume it was you, thanks for finally giving me an avatar even if I know gently caress what it means.
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May 29, 2012 04:01
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Midorka posted:Question, it seems most old bottles I see on shelves that I've tried are oxidized, how do I prevent this if I'm aging a fresh bottle? I cracked a Mikkeller Barrel Aged Black Tie I picked up a year or so ago in California. Straight out of the fridge it smelled medicinal and tasted like a Band Aid - hello acetaldehyde! As it warmed it became more meaty with peat and smoke flavors and significant honey notes to the mostly roast beef finish. Far from my favorite Mikkeller, but also far from the worst thing I've had from them. Also there was a newish thing from Full Sail, Top Sail Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Porter. It's all bourbon, all the time, no subtlety and even as an imperial porter there's almost no body to support all that boozy burn. Really disappointing, maybe in a year or two it would lose some of that heat but even then it wouldn't have enough richness to be interesting. bartolimu fucked around with this message at 05:11 on May 31, 2012 |
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May 31, 2012 05:09
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I picked up a Lynch Pin when it was in stores here. I'll throw it in the fridge and probably try it this weekend. I'm in favor of slightly hoppy wheat beers, so I'm hoping it will be enjoyable.
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May 31, 2012 05:47
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Retemnav posted:Flying Fish Farmhouse Summer Ale. Anyone else had it?
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Jun 1, 2012 15:19
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Perfectly Cromulent posted:Sang Noir is great right now. It can definitely age a bit, but I don't know that it will get significantly better. Paul Proteus posted:Had a little tasting last night. Otiose is loving awesome and I'm sad I only have a couple left. Sirotan posted:I would also really like to know how you can quantify increased ABV as "more flavor". quote:I don't really know what drinking sugary beverages has to do with anything at all. Are you trying to say that just because you drink Coke you have an unrefined palate? Americans, by contrast, prefer sweet to bitter to an overwhelming amount and tend to like intense, uncomplicated flavors. There is an argument to be made that it's because we're raised on super-sugary beverages and foods soaked in artificial flavors; whether it's a valid one is still being debated in scientific circles. Doesn't really matter for the core point being made: Americans generally prefer bolder flavors, and due to malt concentrations influencing intensity of flavor we also tend to prefer heavier, higher-alcohol beers. There are exceptions, of course, but the trend is strong enough to influence data aggregation sites like BA.
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Jun 2, 2012 17:30
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Midorka posted:Just remember there was a time when it was a good beer. Arnold of Soissons posted:It comes from the wine terminology. Champagne, for example, is aged on the lees, and then the lees are removed through the Methode de Champagne, leaving clear, bubbly wine.  Méthode Champenoise. Méthode traditionnelle if applied outside the Champagne region.
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Jun 4, 2012 14:56
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lazerwolf posted:I did something tonight Stouts make amazing floats. They also do well as the foundation for a cocktail. One of the bartenders who used to work at my favorite local bar made a thing with Victory at Sea, XO Patron (coffee flavored), and vanilla Stolichnaya. It tasted like candy, and one was enough to ensure I'd be there drinking water for a good three hours since her ratio was like two parts beer, one part each liquor. The mix never got a name, but we called them Sinking Ships or Bad Ideas depending on the night. I got to try a New Glarus Cran-bic last night. Yet again, I want to be somewhere that lets me buy their beer. It was great, tart, well-controlled astringency and a fantastic fruit/funk balance. We opened two Hitachino to try side by side: their Real Ginger Ale and the 3 Days beer that was made accidentally when the earthquake shut down their production line. 3 Days is really excellent, like drinking candied ginger. Real Ginger Ale didn't stand up to that level of gingeriness. Pick up 3 Days while it's around, it's very much worth a try. Bruery's Mother Funker is doing very well for itself too. It's so drat lemony someone said it tasted like limoncello but more sour. It has a lot of pucker power, is totally refreshing and I wish I had some bottles hanging around still.
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Jun 7, 2012 15:14
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air- posted:Someone mentioned Funky Buddha's berliner and the apple beer earlier. The Cigar City/Funky Buddha/Bluejacket event is tonight at Churchkey, so any input on the other FB taps? Nothing Funky Buddha makes could be that horrible. I think the Maple Bacon Porter was at EBF (they called it Good Morning or something breakfast-related, I don't remember what) and it was excellent. No Crusts was Crustless at EBF and damned amazing. Their berliner was passionfruit (or guava, I forget now) when I had it, and the best one at the festival. I don't recall trying anything else on that list, but my policy for Funky Buddha has become Shove It All In My Face ASAP. Do that.
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Jun 7, 2012 16:53
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deadwing posted:Wide Awake It's Morning is their maple bacon imperial stout, I like the porter better personally. 
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Jun 7, 2012 17:50
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I really didn't like Wookey Jack when I had it the first time. Something about it just went against me, I couldn't really place it. I tried it again a couple of days ago and loved it. It's still not my favorite Firestone Walker product, but it's very good beer made to high standard. Maybe I got a rare bum bottle or something. I didn't buy a Stone Sourfest ticket because I was planning on being out of the country that week, but those plans have fallen through. Now they're sold out. If any of you SoCal beer nerds have an extra ticket, I'd happily take it off your hands. I'll pay cash or, if you'd prefer, several pounds of home-cured Berkshire pork bacon and/or salt pork.
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Jun 8, 2012 15:44
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ChiTownEddie posted:Are there any decent beer bars/places in Vegas? Burger Bar is the oldest good place on the Strip. Go there for food if you want a great burger (avoid the turkey), and enjoy a decent beer list. Todd English is bad. The food is bad, the beer is vastly overpriced. Avoid it. Public House in the Venetian just opened this year. It's got cicerones, lots of good beer, and very good high-end pub food. It suffers from Strip pricing (loving expensive). Here is the unequivocally best beer bar in Vegas: http://acesandales.com/ It's off-Strip, kind of a dive, and has the most affordable taplist in town. The owners are major beer nerds (Keri Kelli is one, and he shows up sometimes), the bartenders all know what they're talking about, and the kitchen is surprisingly good. If you love good beer and want to have it in Vegas, this is where you should go. The savings per-pint will quickly pay for the cab ride from the Strip.
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Jun 8, 2012 17:34
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Captain Payne posted:I just turned 21 and am interested in drinking beer that's a bit better than the Keystone or Natty Ice found at your typical college party. I really know nothing about beer though--whenever me and my housemates want "nice" beer we get a sixpack of Blue Moon belgian whites. Do you guys have any recommendations for decent beer that could be found at a typical Safeway or other grocery store? I live near Seattle so are there any good microbrewery beers worth checking out? Also look for Weihenstephaner. They're the oldest brewery in the world, their US West region rep lives near Seattle and is a cool guy, and they make some ridiculously good beers. Look for their Weissbier (wheat beer), which may be the best in the world, as well as Vitus and Korbinian. They're all very approachable, exceptional examples of their styles, and inexpensive. Since you're in the Northwest I'll also suggest Cascade Brewery, but be warned their beers are like nothing else you've had. They make sour beers (some of the best in the Western Hemisphere), which in some ways are more like wine than beer. A lot of people enjoy them, some people hate them, but they're a real departure from more common styles.
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Jun 12, 2012 14:58
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CYBER SLIMER posted:Hop extract owns, CCB uses it in a lot of beers. I was initially very anti-extract due to a kneejerk hippie don't-process-my-foods reaction. It was reinforced by talking to brewers who put a ton of effort into procuring hops and looked down on the practice. While I still think I'll stick with pellets or whole hops for my rare ventures into home brewing (because I am a HUGE loving hippie with my homebrew), I've most come around to not worrying too much about extract use by commercial brewers. It helps them deliver a more consistent product at lower cost with less loss, and that's a worthwhile goal. What matters most is the end product being an enjoyable beer.
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Jun 12, 2012 15:12
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