Beer in the new era

i think ale should be stored in a fridge if temperature fluctuates in your abode, but not served that cold. personally prefer verying temp. depending on the brew. beers are served too cold for their own good in bars (in the states)in general; exception at my local being cask conditioned that doesn't get refrigerated

xpost

i've definitely found that to be true - esp w/ stouts - that when they're too cold the temp overwhelms a lot of the flavor

had st austell's proper job & williams bros' citra dry-hopped impale IPA recently

two of the best pale ale's I've had in a while

Full Sail has a coffee/chocolate (neither actual ingredient is added) out now in their LTD series. Not bad for a $7/6-pack beer. Don't really taste any chocolate, but the coffee flavor is there.

I always love Anchor's Christmas ale, but this year's tastes extra amazing to me right now.

Selection in Dublin isn't amazing, but managed to get a Brooklyn chocolate stout and some Brewdog stuff, which will do fine.

The sales guy at my local beer store recommended me to try a Black IPA since I told him I was looking for something dark like a stout but with more flavor. They had about half a dozen different Black IPAs in stock, none of which I'd tried. He steered me to a 4-pack of Uinta Brewing's Dubhe Imperial Black IPA. They're okay, I guess, but a little too bitter. I think I'm just not that into the ultra-hopped American IPA thing so much these days.

black ipas are *really* hard to get right imo.

you should maybe just drink some porters?

Yes, I'm thinking a porter next time. Maybe with some unusual spice or flavoring added.

For black IPA's I like the Wookey Jack by Firestone Walker.

yeah, wish that was more available

Somehow Lindeman's fruity lambics have become a holiday transition in my and my gf's families. Currently sipping a large glass of the raspberry stuff, not usually my thing but it's tasting damn good right now for whatever reason.

transition = tradition

Consumed last night:

Bell's Turn It Up To 11 - American Strong Ale, massive hop bomb, 98 on ratebeer
Scaldis Noel - Belgian Strong Christmas Ale - fruitcake in a snifter, 97
And topped them off with a Summit Winter Ale, since I changed venues and that was the best they had

this bottle cost $2 and it's pretty good

http://i.imgur.com/hObTc.png

jars

the more beer i drink the more i think the russians were otm w/ russian imperial stout

what is the german beer purity law

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinheitsgebot

every time i drink german beer (seldom) i am mindful of this

thank u cad, u saved me the need of typing it into wikipedia

:) i couldn't remember the german word (obv)

I'd just like to point out that Duck Rabbit beers are the shit

wait i am sure i have read this wikipedia page before

i'm drinking a german beer right now actually!

http://thefullpint.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/Korbinian.jpg

I brought some Brown Ales and Milk Stouts back from Atlanta via Nashville and I am a super happy man right now

while traveling during the holidays I had various regional beers:

new glarus
surly
summit
schell
short's
bell's
keweenaw

Saw a website today where I could order some surly and coffee bender. Tempting.

I often feel like I ought to take orders for Surly when traveling to MN.

Lagunitas Sucks and Founders Imperial tonight right off the handtruck at my liquor store before any of the other animals could bet their hands on it. Drinking the Sucks right now and oh my god.

oh dude Lagunitas everything is the shit

they had a total hole-in-the-wall no frills booth at the first Boston beerfest I went to and they were seriously lifechanging

excited to get sucks again. i think all their beers are kinda similar but it's a good similarity.

hey cad, have you had Duck-Rabbit? I should bring you some

i want to say that i shared a bottle of duck-rabbit something once upon a time, but i can't remember what. i definitely would not mind if you wanted to share some!

I have bottles of their Brown Ale and Milk Stout (they are super famous for the latter)

If we'd had more luggage space, I would have brought back their Scottish Ale too

yeah i have that problem whenever i try to bring beer back from someplace

Ok Founders Imperial Stout? Also awesome.

http://beerpulse.com/2012/09/stillwater-artisanal-launches-sensory-series-with-lower-dens/

has anyone tried this? i'm skeptical but willing to give it a chance...

Had another Trader Joe's 2012 Vintage Ale, the best under $5, 750 ml, 9% abv beer you'll ever drink (made by Unibroue).

When I bought it yesterday they also had a lower alcohol beer also custom brewed by Unibroue, but I didn't buy one.

Had another Trader Joe's 2012 Vintage Ale, the best under $5, 750 ml, 9% abv beer you'll ever drink (made by Unibroue).

Yup, I've already gone thru a few bottles of that this season.

Just read that the state of Washington is going to be removed from Russian River Brewing Company's distribution. They are having a hard time matching supply with demand and have no plans of expanding.

how do you pronounce dyao's lager beer

sugarloaf ska

two of the most delicious beers i've had have been porters -

troegs dead reckoning and the founders porter are both ridiculously tasty. can anyone recommend other readily available porters to try? such a joy to drink

smuttynose, fuller's

sinebrychoff is pretty great. duck-rabbit baltic porter, flying dog gonzo (barrel-aged version, if you can find it, is especially good). great lakes edmund fitzgerald. deschutes black butte. captain lawrence makes a nice one, the name of which escapes me.

i don't know if my bottle of edmund fitzgerald was bad but i was really disappointed in that beer

Had another Trader Joe's 2012 Vintage Ale, the best under $5, 750 ml, 9% abv beer you'll ever drink (made by Unibroue).

Yup, I've already gone thru a few bottles of that this season.

― jaymc, Friday, January 4, 2013 9:51 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

me too. I am quite a stan of this beer, as I may already have made clear in this thread. They do indeed also have a Unibroue-brewed golden ale now as well, which I intend to pick up. However for the time being I'm working through my $22 3x750ml (plus very nice glass) Ommegang gift set (that I bought for myself) from Costco. Hennepin is fantastic. Also comes with Three Philosophers Quadrupel and the kind of cornily-named Chocolate Indulgence Stout

i've had the great lakes eliot ness and christmas ale and found them pretty lackluster

Deschutes is now available in Chicago! Last night I had a bottle each of Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Red Chair Pale Ale and the Black Butte Porter. All good, with the Red Chair being especially wonderful.

Almost everything I've ever had from Great Lakes has been at the very least very good.