The Beer Thread

From the Blackback Pub website in WAterbury, VT. Wonder if it's aimed at their competitors?

See our facebook page for up to the minute postings of new beers. I try to keep as much Hill Farmstead on as possible as well as Lawson's beers.  I also try to always have a quality Belgian Sour on tap as well as something from Mikkeller as well as top quality German beers from Kolsch to Doppelbock to Pils and HefeWeiss.  We run anywhere from 16 to 25 beers on tap depending on what is available.  We don't run 25 beers all the time because there aren't always 25 beers that are good enough.  In short, NO FILLER or GARBAGE CRAFT BEER.

sweetcell wrote:
be on the lookout for special events at beer bars on Aug 1:

IPA Day Is Back: August 1, 2013
http://www.craftbeer.com/news/ipa-day-is-back-august-1-2013

hoppy IPA day!

James wrote:
From the Blackback Pub website in WAterbury, VT. Wonder if it's aimed at their competitors?

See our facebook page for up to the minute postings of new beers. I try to keep as much Hill Farmstead on as possible as well as Lawson's beers.  I also try to always have a quality Belgian Sour on tap as well as something from Mikkeller as well as top quality German beers from Kolsch to Doppelbock to Pils and HefeWeiss.  We run anywhere from 16 to 25 beers on tap depending on what is available.  We don't run 25 beers all the time because there aren't always 25 beers that are good enough.  In short, NO FILLER or GARBAGE CRAFT BEER.

Sounds like a pompous asshole.

atomicfront wrote:

K8teebug wrote:

walkonby wrote:
mikkeller, good

heavy seas, not good.  after having two of them in my life, one being hopthreeipa and then something else at some concert that was better than what i was drinking, but that wasnt saying much, i can say i dont think it is quality; well atleast not quality enough for my tender tongue of beer tastiness.

Agreed.  I do not get the raves about Heavy Seas.  Just takes like pure syrup to me.  ick.

Go to the Heavy Seas Ale House and have their firkins.  Those are good.  I had the Red Sky at Night out of a Firkin and it was simply amazing.  Got it in the bottle and it wasn't good at all.

+1 on their firkins. Paradiso sometimes has them too. Had their stout on cask a month ago and was really impressed.

Yada wrote:

James wrote:
All I'm saying is my wife and I had some of Sweetcell's latest IPA creation on a SAturday, and then both had Bell's Two Hearted on draft on a Sunday, and we both agreed that Sweetcell's was superior. And it wasn't even close, in my book.

I had my first Bell's Two Hearted Ale in over a year over the weekend and it wasn't good at all… Bell's quality has gone way down in the past few years.

Should this be in the beer thread?

probably :)

i bought a 6-pack of two-hearted a few months ago and was underwhelmed.  i believe that i wrote about it here.  i'm not sure if it's because the quality of the beer has gone down, or because of lupuline shift - as my appreciation of hops has increased, what was once hoppy and bitter for me is no longer.  probably a mix of both.

in case anyone cares, my latest IPA was made with galaxy hops & a touch of oatmeal (recipe).

First Look: Atlas Brew Works (opening very soon!)

http://brightestyoungthings.com/articles/first-look-atlas-brew-works.htm

(wow, a BYT article that didn't piss me off)

sweetcell wrote:
hoppy IPA day!

I had a dogfish head 60 minute IPA on draft last night and I didn't even like it anymore.  And the bartender told me this other IPA was great and gave me a free sample adn I didn't like it either. I guess I am just done with them.  I guess I got there at the begining of the FAD so I got tired of it before everyone else. 

The good news is that taste is subjective, and you are free to enjoy your drink of choice. 

I kind of understand anchovies on pizza, and will even occasionally eat them if somebody else got them, but would never order them myself.

Snallygaster is back on this year - Saturday, October 19th

http://www.snallygasterdc.com/

Did anyone go to this last year?  I thought about it but didn't.  Then heard good things mentioned vaguely, but nothing from anyone who went personally.  It'll be walking distance for me this year so seriously considering it.

imbecile wrote:
Snallygaster is back on this year - Saturday, October 19th

http://www.snallygasterdc.com/

Did anyone go to this last year?  I thought about it but didn't.  Then heard good things mentioned vaguely, but nothing from anyone who went personally.  It'll be walking distance for me this year so seriously considering it.

I went last year and the first two hours or so were awesome… By mid afternoon every drunk bro in DC was there and the good beers were gone.

grateful wrote:
The good news is that taste is subjective, and you are free to enjoy your drink of choice. 

I kind of understand anchovies on pizza, and will even occasionally eat them if somebody else got them, but would never order them myself.

Anchoives on Pizza and IPA beers is a good analogy. 

Yada wrote:

imbecile wrote:
Snallygaster is back on this year - Saturday, October 19th

http://www.snallygasterdc.com/

Did anyone go to this last year?  I thought about it but didn't.  Then heard good things mentioned vaguely, but nothing from anyone who went personally.  It'll be walking distance for me this year so seriously considering it.

I went last year and the first two hours or so were awesome… By mid afternoon every drunk bro in DC was there and the good beers were gone.

indeed - similar experience here. 

get there right when they open, run to the delicious beer lines, enjoy said delicious beer, and then leave before bros infiltrate.

new IIPA to be on the lookout for?



Full disclosure: This beer came to fruition because we saw a gap in our portfolio and we wanted to increase our market share.

Sometimes the truth hurts. But most often, it?s damn refreshing.

The Truth Imperial IPA ? the latest addition to our year-round portfolio ? is a hop bomb of some of the most distinct Pacific Northwest varietals available to craft brewers today.

In fact, three years of crafting our Single Hop Imperial IPAs with some of the most rare and flavorful hop varieties enabled us to craft this bold, yet balanced Imperial IPA. Its sharp hop bitterness begins with huge pine notes on the nose, which evolve into bright citrus and subtle stone fruit flavors.

You can find The Truth in Maryland and Washington, DC on shelves and in stores this month. And be sure to check out our release events on Friday, August 16:
    Jojo?s Taphouse in Frederick, MD
    Mahaffey?s Pub in Baltimore, MD
    Smoke and Barrel in Washington, DC

and from http://flyingdogales.com/beers/the-truth/
IBU = 120, hops = warrior, summit, CTZ, citra, amarillo.

could be tasty.  until distribution of this beer is ramped up, i would think that this beer has some trading in the short term.  and i might have mentioned this before, but FD's Double Dog is pretty damn tasty (http://flyingdogales.com/beers/double-dog-double-pale-ale/).

Any one have some suggestions for DC Beer week
Last year I foolishly thought a church key event would be a good one to go to and it was insanely packed and you couldn't even get to the bar

There are tons of great events, but curious if there are any you think might be great but overlooked by the masses

here's one which is very unique, if you're into sours:

New Belgium Sour Blending Workshop at The Black Squirrel– It?s Sour, It?s Funky, It?s Alive

Pucker up: New Belgium opens its wood cellar of rare wild ales for two exclusive sour beer blending workshops at The Black Squirrel?s Tap Room on Thursday, August 15th, starting at 6:00 p.m. New Belgium?s sensory specialist Lauren Salazar, regarded by many as a leading expert on wild ales, will show guests how to embrace the funk and blend a perfectly balanced sour beer.  Tickets are $55.00 per person.

The price of admission includes: 

·      Samples of five rare wild ales from New Belgium?s wood cellar and a stainless-steel tasting container;
·      New Belgium?s 2013 La Folie and a food pairing;
·      A presentation in which Salazar explains the history of New Belgium?s sour beer program;
·      A chance to make your own blended sour beer from four of New Belgium?s single-barrel bases.

Tickets for Session One (6:00 to 8:00 p.m.) http://newbelgiumsession1.eventbrite.com
Tickets for Session Two: (9:00 to 11:00 p.m.) http://newbelgiumsession2.eventbrite.com

A warning is necessary. These tickets are precious. Salazar is orchestrating only five of these events this year: in Portland, Ore., San Diego, Chicago, Asheville, N.C., and Washington, D.C. Because of the limited number of available seats, tickets are non-refundable.

The evening starts with a glass of New Belgium?s recent sour release, La Folie 2013, and a food pairing as Salazar explores New Belgium?s history of producing Belgian-style sour beers, the genesis of wild ales, and the blender?s art.  Beer blending has been practiced for centuries to ensure palatable beverages.  Many of today?s specialty beers originated as blends of several different beers.

At the end of Salazar?s presentation, it?s the guests? turn to blend their own mixture and create a personalized sour beer using samples of single-barrel unblended base beer straight from New Belgium?s oak cellar.  Find out what it takes to be the next Master Blender at New Belgium Brewing.

Date:                                     
Thursday, August 15th

Tickets:
Session One (6:00 to 8:00 p.m.) http://newbelgiumsession1.eventbrite.com
Session Two: (9:00 to 11:00 p.m.) http://newbelgiumsession2.eventbrite.com

Location:                             
The Black Squirrel
2427 18th St NW
Washington, DC 20009
202-232-1011
www.BlackSquirrelDC.com

I am not going to drink beer for a while.  I am afraid I have undiagnosed liver damage.  I don't have any of the symptoms but they say sometimes people don't have symptoms and I wonder if I am one of those people.

the power of everybody smiling at once . . . i can feel that power here right now, you know?  that is of course if they can even read what you posted. 

I haven't had a beer since Thursday when I had 4.  Funny thing is that this guy on my team never had a beer (or any alcohol for that matter) before and he had two beers that night.  He is 25 and never drank before.  Which is weird.  Anyway I thought it would be cool if my last beers were the same night as his first two beers. Anyway he drank Miller Light as I thought that would be a good first beer.  He didn't like them but someone let him taste a Guiness and he liked that less.  And the batender woman gave me a free sample of some IPA of some sort and I let him taste that he definitely didn't like that. 

I feel like my plan would be great if I weren't going to Germany/Austria in less than a month.  I feel my liver is in bad shape and more beer might kill me but then I will be in Germany and there will be beer all around.  Plus in Austria I hear they have great Schnapps.  Which is probably worse for my liver. 

heres an idea.  quit it all.  eat healthy.  work out.  be totally free of outside products except food and water.  and meditate.  you will exceed all levels of human perception you have ever had before.  plus, you can use all that beer money for things in life that make other people jealous of you.