The Beer Thread

Was in upstate New York this weekend and went to the beer store near my parent's house. Not only did they just receive a shipment of Goose Island Big John, but they also had a bottle of Bourbon County Vanilla Stout.

In fact, they also had Rare Bourbon County Stout, but I couldn't justify spending $45 on one 22oz bottle. I just couldn't do it.

Tried the Big John this evening. Wasn't a huge fan after a few sips, but after letting it breathe a bit it definitely tasted better. Very strong (11.5%) and bitter. Not the biggest fan but might buy another bottle and let it age a year or so. Going to save the Vanilla Stout for another day. Cannot wait to try it.

walkonby wrote:
i am heading to the beach.  i am heading to the "semi scary" suburbs of northern va to find good beer.  do i go to wegmans, which would be gainesville for me, or the total beverage near the fair oaks mall.  which is a better choice for six pack and single selection, as well as best price, because i will choose one only to hit.  thank you for your help.  or do those stores have websites to see selections?  i never thought of that.  darn it.

If you mean the Total Wine in Chantilly as 'near the fair oaks mall'. There is also a monster Whole Foods in Fair Lakes with a decent selection and the Wegman's in the Government Center/Fairfax Corner area. The Total Wine in Chantilly also has a Dogfish Head in the same shopping center for draught libations while in the area.

Delmarva pairs with craft beer: Salisbury Festival features growing brewery industry

Was out with a friend of mine this past weekend. We stopped in this bar that I really like to visit occasionally that had Evo on tap on their Specials list for $2.50 a pint. He got it and said it was okay but had a heavy hops taste with a strong bite. Sounded absolutely disgusting to me so I wouldn't even taste it. Mind you, I'm not much of a beer drinker and can't at all stomach one strong on the hops.

Here's Evo's website. Don't know which one it was but I assume whichever is considered the standard or probably the cheapest one for the bar to carry.

If you're looking for a good beer to serve with your cinco de mayo meal, here's one. Very interesting taste. It's been on tap at Fair Lakes Whole Foods for awhile, and they have bombers. Not sure where else it's available.





New Holland El Mole Ocho 22oz
8% ABV
"Our exploration into the flavors of mole, the legendary sauce of central Mexico. Malty aroma and rich,cocoa-laden body laced with an invigorating tinge of dried chilies and coffee.Pairings: poultry, red meat, dark chocolate." – New Holland

James wrote:
Bell's Oberon is good, but for that category (American pale wheat ale), Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin is my favorite.

ford, you done me wrong.

i tried the Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin ale this weekend.  ewww.  ya hear me?  EWWW.  ok, fine, it wasn't horrible, but definitely not my type of wheat ale.  is it even a wheat?  hard to tell over those 64  IBU!  wheats should be smooth, not bitter, IMO.  then again i'm generally not a fan of very hoppy/bitter beer so this shouldn't have been a surprise to me.  should have read the label.  seriously, is it a wheat?

also tried port city's optimal wit.  pretty good, an above-average offering in the wheat dept, but oberon is still the newbie that's doing it for me at the moment.

i went to the beach in nc.

everybody down there was obsessed with fat tire.  it was everywhere.  everywhere, i say.

We believe that the Beer (and other Liquor) companies are a crucial part of the New World Order Conspiracy…

They are systematically keeping the Free World drunk, or at least buzzed enough so that we won't pay attention to or worry about their other diabolical plans.

Everywhere you look, even on TV there are ads for beer and other alcoholic drinks. Everywhere. You probably even have some beer advertising in your home. A PBR t-shirt, or a Budweiser key chain. Maybe a collection of beer steins on the mantle. You have become a part of the conspiracy that allows these huge multinational conglomerates to keep selling the only legal addictive drug in the free world (other than nicotine, but that's a different conspiracy and someone else will have to build that website).

Alcohol kills more people each year than war! (We are Not suggesting that anyone should give up either.)

Don't get us wrong, we aren't suggesting that alcohol be banned. Prohibition didn't work in the past and it wont work any better today. We like a nice cold beer as much as the next person, but we'd rather drink our own home brew, untouched by greedy corporate hands! (Except, of course, for when we are out of home brew, which we usually are… because we don't actually brew any ourselves, though, we know people who do, or so they have told us.)

We present here articles of interest on that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that there's something fishy in the International Beer Industrial Complex, headquartered in Bavaria, or maybe Belgium. 
Read them for yourself and you decide if you are going to continue playing right into their hands when you're crying into your beer, or if it's time to take back your beer and do something! (Please don't do anything stupid and blame it on us.  We have enough troubles of our own without any help from you, thanks.)

(funny but NSFW photo 3/4 of the way down that link)

beer . . . is an inside job.

Someday you'll grow into a real man and enjoy hoppy beer.  ;D

Until then you're on Jag's non-hoppy beer drinking team.

I'm only going by Beer advocate's definition. LSS ids definitely a hoppy wheat/aple ale hydrid.

Port City's wheat is decent, though a little too yeasty. Their tour and tasting room are fun. Their porter is definitely their best beer,

sweetcell wrote:

James wrote:
Bell's Oberon is good, but for that category (American pale wheat ale), Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin is my favorite.

ford, you done me wrong.

i tried the Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin ale this weekend.  ewww.  ya hear me?  EWWW.  ok, fine, it wasn't horrible, but definitely not my type of wheat ale.  is it even a wheat?  hard to tell over those 64  IBU!  wheats should be smooth, not bitter, IMO.  then again i'm generally not a fan of very hoppy/bitter beer so this shouldn't have been a surprise to me.  should have read the label.  seriously, is it a wheat?

also tried port city's optimal wit.  pretty good, an above-average offering in the wheat dept, but oberon is still the newbie that's doing it for me at the moment.

James wrote:
Someday you'll grow into a real man and enjoy hoppy beer.  ;D

doubtful - i don't like bitter/sour tastes for the most part so i wouldn't hold my breath.

i was talking about this the other day with a workmate - for some, you're not a "real beer drinker" unless you like your beer super-hoppy.  it's right up there with "you're not a real wine drinker if you drink anything other than pinot noir" or "anything more than tomato sauce and cheese and the pizza is ruined".  rubbish.  liking bitter beer proves one thing, and one thing only: you like bitter beer.

James wrote:
Until then you're on Jag's non-hoppy beer drinking team.

at least we agree on something ;D

sweetcell wrote:

James wrote:
Until then you're on Jag's non-hoppy beer drinking team.

at least we agree on something ;D

Cheers!

So we were at Whole Foods in Fairfax the other day (the best bar in the DC area), and were in the enviable position of having to choose from all of these hoppy imperials, all above 9% abv, at $4/12 oz draft.

James wrote:
So we were at Whole Foods in Fairfax the other day (the best bar in the DC area), and were in the enviable position of having to choose from all of these hoppy imperials, all above 9% abv, at $4/12 oz draft.

you tease.

Speaking of hops, has anyone tried the Orange Whip at Mad Fox Brewing?…. a delicious IPA.  Wont be around too long.  Get it while you can.

Anyone have any experience with milk stouts? Sounds like it's similar to a guiness, a little sweeter with a hint of chocolate and/or coffee. I hear Left Hand makes a good one.

econo-beer recommendation: Mission St., available only at Trader Joe's as far as i know.

the 2011 Anniversary Ale (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/562/67292) is recommended considering the price.  described as an "imperial brown ale", it's got great caramel and nutty overtones.  i'm betting this one will age nicely.  i'll be grabbing a case this weekend and promptly forgetting it in the basement.

the hefeweizen (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/562/59119) is pretty solid too.  neither of these two beers is going to become your all-time fav, but they're definitely above average (at a below-average prices).

they also make a blond, a brown, a pale ale and an IPA but i haven't tried them.  might pick up some along with the case of anniversary just to try them out.

Mission Street beers are brewed by Firestone Walker in California, mentioned in my post above. Some of Trader Joes other beers are brewed by Goose Island (Chicago), and their Vintage Ale is brewed by Unibroue (Quebec).

I've had the Mission Street IPA. Not amazing, but definitely solid/good.

sweetcell wrote:
econo-beer recommendation: Mission St., available only at Trader Joe's as far as i know.

the 2011 Anniversary Ale (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/562/67292) is recommended considering the price.  described as an "imperial brown ale", it's got great caramel and nutty overtones.  i'm betting this one will age nicely.  i'll be grabbing a case this weekend and promptly forgetting it in the basement.

the hefeweizen (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/562/59119) is pretty solid too.  neither of these two beers is going to become your all-time fav, but they're definitely above average (at a below-average prices).

they also make a blond, a brown, a pale ale and an IPA but i haven't tried them.  might pick up some along with the case of anniversary just to try them out.

so i made the mistake of trying a beer by "just grab one" after staring a six packs that my local supermarket calls an "attempt."  The brewery was starr hill in c-ville and i usually have liked what they put out.  but this one, this



was horrible and tasted like if gingerale was beer.  i fart in it's general direction.

Space Beer

Interesting article even though it's a bit over-simplified. Hits the basic details which is all that's really needed for their purposes.

Personally, I don't see it working or being worth the trouble unless they create a gravity bar that sustains itself with its own gravitational force field. Now that could be cool once they get all the other space travel details in place.

Once that's set up, Seth, you might be able to get your new best buddy Richard to let you book the club scene. I can see it now! [move]The 9:30 Club: A Space Odyssey[/move] - A new concept in Space Music.

since i've been having trouble locating a reliable supply of Russian River Brewing Co.'s "Pliny the Elder" I've found a suitable substitute- Ninkasi Brewery's "Tricerahops."  it's also a double IPA, and it compares well, in my opinion, to Pliny the Elder.

My brother found a Pliny the Elder in Seattle and sent it to me for my birthday. It will be my first. I really need to drink it soon.

I've had Tricerahops. Very, very good.