That's good stuff.
The Beer Thread
James wrote:
Taste test results:
Old Rasputin good, FIS better.
Enough to justify the additional cost?
Turned out to only be a $2 difference at my Whole Foods. $10.99 vs. $8.99. So i'd say yes. It's not like you're going to be buying several cases of the stuff anyway. Well, maybe walkonby would…
Plus, Old Rasputin is a year round. Get your FIS now, or wait another 12 months.
Plus, Old Rasputin is a year round. Get your FIS now, or wait another 12 months.
StoneTheCrow wrote:James wrote:
Taste test results:
Old Rasputin good, FIS better.
Enough to justify the additional cost?
Finally had Dogfish's Pearl Jam 20 ale, it was pretty good, i may have to run out and get another bottle or two. I also picked up the Life and Limb collab between dogfish and sierra nevada. Anyone tried?
Different topic, anyone use an iphone app to track beer?
Different topic, anyone use an iphone app to track beer?
FIS was $9.99 at total wine. i bought 3 packs, will be tasting one shortly and banishing the other 11 to the cellar (my basement actually has something that could pass for a cellar: enclosed stairs that once led up to the backyard before an extension was built on top of them. dark, stable temp, multi-leveled and has a door - decent spot to store bottles). also got some flying fish grand cru winter reserve, will also taste tonight to determine if it should be enjoyed now or later. at TJ's, i picked up 8 bottles of Vintage 2011*. they had tastings in the store, so my stash is going straight to the basement. i look forward to tasting one every 6 months and observing how it develops over the years. finally, bought some TJ dunkleweizen as my game-time stand-by. all in all a great day in beer acquisition ;D
yesterday was my first time ever at a total wine. fricken hell. good thing i was there for a specific purchase (FIS) which limited how much i could spend on other bottles, 'cause boy could i do some damage there.
*at $5/bottle, james pointed out that it works out to be the same price per volume as most unibroue 4-packs. the reasons i decided to stick with the vintage'11: 1) i read that larger bottles develop more than smaller ones, 2) the tasting made me think that this one will age particularly nicely, and 3) it's a limited release - i can get other unibroue offerings anytime.
yesterday was my first time ever at a total wine. fricken hell. good thing i was there for a specific purchase (FIS) which limited how much i could spend on other bottles, 'cause boy could i do some damage there.
*at $5/bottle, james pointed out that it works out to be the same price per volume as most unibroue 4-packs. the reasons i decided to stick with the vintage'11: 1) i read that larger bottles develop more than smaller ones, 2) the tasting made me think that this one will age particularly nicely, and 3) it's a limited release - i can get other unibroue offerings anytime.
my recent trip to the beer store in the country garnerned me this
kronenbourg 1664 (said why not . . . it is from france. ok.)
north coast brewing american art series brother thelonious (yum)
allagash triple ale (i like this brewery, for everything has been good)
mikkeller simcoe single hop ipa (interesting and darn gosh differently nice)
spaten optimator (ok) glad i only got got one bottle to taste
dogfish head raison d'etre (awesome) dogfish head is awesome . . . i just noticed.
lagunitas little sumpin sumpin ale (i like the purty lady on the bottle and the beer is great)
bell's amber (horrible, stay away)
north coast brewing old rasputin imperial stout (bought one bottle to taste . . . and am in love. i am floating over into darker beers)
kronenbourg 1664 (said why not . . . it is from france. ok.)
north coast brewing american art series brother thelonious (yum)
allagash triple ale (i like this brewery, for everything has been good)
mikkeller simcoe single hop ipa (interesting and darn gosh differently nice)
spaten optimator (ok) glad i only got got one bottle to taste
dogfish head raison d'etre (awesome) dogfish head is awesome . . . i just noticed.
lagunitas little sumpin sumpin ale (i like the purty lady on the bottle and the beer is great)
bell's amber (horrible, stay away)
north coast brewing old rasputin imperial stout (bought one bottle to taste . . . and am in love. i am floating over into darker beers)
I've actually had all of those, and pretty much agree with your assessments.
Kronenbourg and Stella Artois are the Budweisers of Western Europe.
Kronenbourg and Stella Artois are the Budweisers of Western Europe.
walkonby wrote:
my recent trip to the beer store in the country garnerned me this
kronenbourg 1664 (said why not . . . it is from france. ok.)
north coast brewing american art series brother thelonious (yum)
allagash triple ale (i like this brewery, for everything has been good)
mikkeller simcoe single hop ipa (interesting and darn gosh differently nice)
spaten optimator (ok) glad i only got got one bottle to taste
dogfish head raison d'etre (awesome) dogfish head is awesome . . . i just noticed.
lagunitas little sumpin sumpin ale (i like the purty lady on the bottle and the beer is great)
bell's amber (horrible, stay away)
north coast brewing old rasputin imperial stout (bought one bottle to taste . . . and am in love. i am floating over into darker beers)
Stella - like Fat Tire - is better out of the tap, IMO. I can't stand Stella in a bottle, whereas Fat Tire is tolerable.
Really enjoyed this offering at Pizzeria Paradiso in G'town on Saturday. Get it while you can……
Stillwater Artisanal Ales & DC Brau's NATAS Collaboration Beer - NATAS is a Belgian Style Imperial Porter brewed with a traditional high gravity Abbey yeast. At first glance this brew is pitch black in the glass, with wafting aroma's of burnt sugar and caramelized fruit. The mouthfeel is silky smooth with hints of cocoa. It has a gentle, warming phenolic character that begs for a follow up inquiry. The hops are used to balance this brew and lend a subtle complexity. The dark lord himself would be proud to serve this hellish offering to his legions of demonic minions.
VITAL STATISTICS
Style: Belgian-Style Imperial Porter
Color: Midnight Black
ABV: 7.5%
Serving type: Draft-Only……..Availability: Limited Release - December 2011……..
description pulled from the "dc brau" site
Stillwater Artisanal Ales & DC Brau's NATAS Collaboration Beer - NATAS is a Belgian Style Imperial Porter brewed with a traditional high gravity Abbey yeast. At first glance this brew is pitch black in the glass, with wafting aroma's of burnt sugar and caramelized fruit. The mouthfeel is silky smooth with hints of cocoa. It has a gentle, warming phenolic character that begs for a follow up inquiry. The hops are used to balance this brew and lend a subtle complexity. The dark lord himself would be proud to serve this hellish offering to his legions of demonic minions.
VITAL STATISTICS
Style: Belgian-Style Imperial Porter
Color: Midnight Black
ABV: 7.5%
Serving type: Draft-Only……..Availability: Limited Release - December 2011……..
description pulled from the "dc brau" site
In an effort to famliarize myself with German beers, I've tried these three this week:
AECHT SCHLENKERLA URBOCK …a rauchbier, smoky in flavor, paired great with bbq tofu.
Schneider Aventinus…a weizenbock…draws favorable comparisons to Victory Moonglow (the only other weizenbock i've had, and which I like)…this one was just too sweet going in and too sour after it had gone down.
Ayinger Celebrator..this one (a doppelbock) rocked. Paired awesomely with the fire and smoke pizza at Matchbox. #1 German beer on beeradvocate.com, and I can see why. Heavy and malty, but not too sweet.
AECHT SCHLENKERLA URBOCK …a rauchbier, smoky in flavor, paired great with bbq tofu.
Schneider Aventinus…a weizenbock…draws favorable comparisons to Victory Moonglow (the only other weizenbock i've had, and which I like)…this one was just too sweet going in and too sour after it had gone down.
Ayinger Celebrator..this one (a doppelbock) rocked. Paired awesomely with the fire and smoke pizza at Matchbox. #1 German beer on beeradvocate.com, and I can see why. Heavy and malty, but not too sweet.
quick update on my homebrewing situation:
i read that, and charles papazian's "the complete joy of homebrewing" - i thought the latter was slightly better and easier to get through. for a first book, "how to brew" got a tad too detailed at times.
i've killed soooo many hours on that site over the past few weeks. there is just so much to learn about brewing.
my first trip to purchase equipment was to MyLHBS in falls church. the guys there were incredibly nice but a little dismissive. having read tons and spoken with several people i knew exactly what i wanted to buy, but they were intent on steering me towards a plastic pail kit with somewhat cheap equipment. it was weird - they were discouraging me from spending more money on fancier gear. in the end their credit card machine didn't work, and it was late on a saturday (the staff were actively shutting down the store while i was trying to shop), so i left without buying anything. wasn't the best way to start but i get where they were coming from: i'm sure they've seen a million noobs get in over their heads, so they were trying to "protect me from myself". i appreciated the concern but it was misplaced.
anyhoo, the next day i drove up to the flying barrel in frederick. the place was at least 5 times bigger, huge selection, and much less crowded. they let me putz around for an hour and answered all my questions before i bought anything. another big plus for the FB was that they sell both grains and liquid malt extract in bulk. bought all the equipment i need and ingredients for my first 2 batches. unfortunately due to upcoming travel i won't be able to brew for another 2 weeks or so. dangit.
i love the homebrew culture. every single person i've met has been relaxed, welcoming, and willing to share their knowledge*. i guess enough alcohol does that to a person ;D
*they have also all been bearded. i'm learning that you can't be taken seriously as a brewer without copious facial hair.
amen.
stevewizzle wrote:
How to brew is the best resource you can use to start.
i read that, and charles papazian's "the complete joy of homebrewing" - i thought the latter was slightly better and easier to get through. for a first book, "how to brew" got a tad too detailed at times.
stevewizzle wrote:
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/ is a great forum, every question i've ever had has been answered at some point on this forum.
i've killed soooo many hours on that site over the past few weeks. there is just so much to learn about brewing.
sweetcell wrote:stevewizzle wrote:
Theres a home brew store in Falls Church (MLHBS) which is very helpful as well. You could go in there and walk out with ingredients to start brewing right away.
awesome, thanks for the input. i will definitely have to swing by MLHBS (might even go tonight). there is also The Flying Barrel in frederick that i've heard good things about.
my first trip to purchase equipment was to MyLHBS in falls church. the guys there were incredibly nice but a little dismissive. having read tons and spoken with several people i knew exactly what i wanted to buy, but they were intent on steering me towards a plastic pail kit with somewhat cheap equipment. it was weird - they were discouraging me from spending more money on fancier gear. in the end their credit card machine didn't work, and it was late on a saturday (the staff were actively shutting down the store while i was trying to shop), so i left without buying anything. wasn't the best way to start but i get where they were coming from: i'm sure they've seen a million noobs get in over their heads, so they were trying to "protect me from myself". i appreciated the concern but it was misplaced.
anyhoo, the next day i drove up to the flying barrel in frederick. the place was at least 5 times bigger, huge selection, and much less crowded. they let me putz around for an hour and answered all my questions before i bought anything. another big plus for the FB was that they sell both grains and liquid malt extract in bulk. bought all the equipment i need and ingredients for my first 2 batches. unfortunately due to upcoming travel i won't be able to brew for another 2 weeks or so. dangit.
i love the homebrew culture. every single person i've met has been relaxed, welcoming, and willing to share their knowledge*. i guess enough alcohol does that to a person ;D
*they have also all been bearded. i'm learning that you can't be taken seriously as a brewer without copious facial hair.
stevewizzle wrote:
best tip, which is commonly passed along for people starting off is, "Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew".
amen.
Bagley wrote:
Really enjoyed this offering at Pizzeria Paradiso in G'town on Saturday. Get it while you can……
Stillwater Artisanal Ales & DC Brau's NATAS Collaboration Beer - NATAS is a Belgian Style Imperial Porter brewed with a traditional high gravity Abbey yeast. At first glance this brew is pitch black in the glass, with wafting aroma's of burnt sugar and caramelized fruit. The mouthfeel is silky smooth with hints of cocoa. It has a gentle, warming phenolic character that begs for a follow up inquiry. The hops are used to balance this brew and lend a subtle complexity. The dark lord himself would be proud to serve this hellish offering to his legions of demonic minions.
VITAL STATISTICS
Style: Belgian-Style Imperial Porter
Color: Midnight Black
ABV: 7.5%
Serving type: Draft-Only……..Availability: Limited Release - December 2011……..
description pulled from the "dc brau" site
That's pretty cool that they named a beer after the 930 forum's fantasy football champion…
sweetcell wrote:
quick update on my homebrewing situation:
Fantastic! I was wondering if this was going to get buried and never heard from again.
sweetcell wrote:
i read that, and charles papazian's "the complete joy of homebrewing" - i thought the latter was slightly better and easier to get through. for a first book, "how to brew" got a tad too detailed at times.
The "other" bible. My first brew was from this book, and concur that it's easier to get through. How to brew is better for detailed answers on processes, and Charlie's book is best for complete overview. Follow him on twitter, he always has real brief articles he writes about simple, but important topics.
stevewizzle wrote:
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/ is a great forum, every question i've ever had has been answered at some point on this forum.
sweetcell wrote:
i've killed soooo many hours on that site over the past few weeks. there is just so much to learn about brewing.
The thing I enjoy most is the common understanding that everyone does things a little bit different. I've learned countless small improvements from this site. Primary for 3 weeks for an IPA and dry hop, no secondary clarification? Why not!
sweetcell wrote:
my first trip to purchase equipment was to MyLHBS in falls church. the guys there were incredibly nice but a little dismissive. having read tons and spoken with several people i knew exactly what i wanted to buy, but they were intent on steering me towards a plastic pail kit with somewhat cheap equipment. it was weird - they were discouraging me from spending more money on fancier gear. in the end their credit card machine didn't work, and it was late on a saturday (the staff were actively shutting down the store while i was trying to shop), so i left without buying anything. wasn't the best way to start but i get where they were coming from: i'm sure they've seen a million noobs get in over their heads, so they were trying to "protect me from myself". i appreciated the concern but it was misplaced.
anyhoo, the next day i drove up to the flying barrel in frederick. the place was at least 5 times bigger, huge selection, and much less crowded. they let me putz around for an hour and answered all my questions before i bought anything. another big plus for the FB was that they sell both grains and liquid malt extract in bulk. bought all the equipment i need and ingredients for my first 2 batches. unfortunately due to upcoming travel i won't be able to brew for another 2 weeks or so. dangit.
i love the homebrew culture. every single person i've met has been relaxed, welcoming, and willing to share their knowledge*. i guess enough alcohol does that to a person ;D
*they have also all been bearded. i'm learning that you can't be taken seriously as a brewer without copious facial hair.
Ahhh MyLHBS. I've learned to love their quirky approach to running that shop. Saturday is a brutal day for them, especially towards the end of the day. For me - The reason I give them business, is when you're shopping, you can tell they are making sure what you're doing makes sense. They are going through the steps in there head, making sure the ingredients, the hops, the yeast, the malts all are there and make sense together. I asked for 3# of crystal malt from them, and they immediately stopped me and said "for one brew?", and that's where we clarified that it's two brews and some will be left over. Small things like that are appreciated.
Good to hear about the Frederick store, I've never been up there. Will have to check it out shortly. What did you brew for your first two? Sounds like you peiced together all the ingredients yourself, which is the best way to do it. We are also on a brewing hold, switching apartments, so it'll be another month before we get something fermenting.
stevewizzle wrote:
What did you brew for your first two? Sounds like you peiced together all the ingredients yourself, which is the best way to do it. We are also on a brewing hold, switching apartments, so it'll be another month before we get something fermenting.
all that purchasing went down just last weekend and i got back home from frederick too late to start so i haven't brewed anything yet. i travel for work monday-thursday so my brewing has to happen on weekends. next weekend i won't be coming home at all so i'll be away for 11 days, so i can't brew this weekend either. i won't be able to start my first batch until after thursday 1/26. it's killing me to know that everything is waiting at home for me, but i can't touch it… grr. i was hoping to have something ready for my super bowl party but that won't happen.
my chosen first brew
lemme know if you're swinging by rockville any time late february onwards, you'd be most welcome to come over for a tasting ;D
i feel as though i stepped into a bad pbs episode of . . . "this old brew."
come over to the dark side, walkies… we have beer ;D
I just tried out the Starr Hill Monticello Reserve. Very fragrant but I did enjoy it.
Hopslam on draft and cask @churchkey Jan 31
Worth the heaving crowds and frenzy: probably not
Worth the heaving crowds and frenzy: probably not
In other words…
See you there?
See you there?
brennser wrote:
Hopslam on draft and cask @churchkey Jan 31
Worth the heaving crowds and frenzy: probably not
most likely not - I love me some hopslam but that whole leave work at 3.30, to get there by 4 to get 1 glass of it before it kicks at 4.15 kinda thing is getting a little old - or maybe I'm just getting old :D
James wrote:
In other words…
See you there?brennser wrote:
Hopslam on draft and cask @churchkey Jan 31
Worth the heaving crowds and frenzy: probably not