[quote]Alpha wrote:
AWESOME beers by them man, and since it is so close you can stumble back and fourth plenty of times if you run out![/quote]
Yeah, except…Still not old enough.
awesome thread.
in the Summer I drink a lot of German/Czech pilsners - Warsteiner, Bitburger and Pilsner Urquell being my favorites.
When it gets colder so I’m not outside drinking all day on the weekend - I go for Pale Ales and Stouts more.
Stout-wise nothing beats Guinness, for PAs I have a few local micro options, Yazoo (from TN) is probably my favorite bottled PA.
Also - single malt scotch but that deserves a separate thread.
[quote]Alpha wrote:
anyone else having the Dogfish Head Punkin Beer this time of year?[/quote]
I’m not too fond of their Pumpkin beer. I’ve tried other stuff from Dogfish though. I really like their 60 & 90 Minute IPA as well as their stout. They make good brews.
My fave brews broken down in categories would look something like this
IPA’s
Pliny The Younger - double IPA by Russian River Brewing)
Sculpin - Ballast Point
Stone - Double Dry Hopped IPA
Stouts
Russian Imperial Stout - Stone Brewing
Speedway Stout Barrel aged - Ale Smith
Sea Monster - Ballast Point
Old Rasputin Stout - North Coast Brewing
last but not least, my fave ‘session’ beers
Arrogant Bastard - Stone Brewing
Downtown Brown - Lost Coast Brewing
Fat Tire - New Belgium
Gordon Biersch - Marzen
those are just a few of my faves = )
[quote]Seize wrote:
[quote]Alpha wrote:
anyone else having the Dogfish Head Punkin Beer this time of year?[/quote]
I’m not too fond of their Pumpkin beer. I’ve tried other stuff from Dogfish though. I really like their 60 & 90 Minute IPA as well as their stout. They make good brews.
My fave brews broken down in categories would look something like this
IPA’s
Pliny The Younger - double IPA by Russian River Brewing)
Sculpin - Ballast Point
Stone - Double Dry Hopped IPA
Stouts
Russian Imperial Stout - Stone Brewing
Speedway Stout Barrel aged - Ale Smith
Sea Monster - Ballast Point
Old Rasputin Stout - North Coast Brewing
last but not least, my fave ‘session’ beers
Arrogant Bastard - Stone Brewing
Downtown Brown - Lost Coast Brewing
Fat Tire - New Belgium
Gordon Biersch - Marzen
those are just a few of my faves = )[/quote]
Gee…you wouldn’t be from California, would you? 
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
I am so excited, twenty-first coming up soon. Any suggestions for my first legal beer?[/quote]
Any suggestions, JP?[/quote]
There really is no super-duper best beer to suggest for a 21st birthday…really just because it is so subjective…plus when it comes to beer, where you live matters. So I could suggest a beer that I think is awesome, but it may taste terrible to you and might not even be available in AZ.
But I will tell you what I recommend for people who are just discovering craft beer…at any age. Sample as much as you can in great variety. So find a store in your area that sells mixed six packs. You can pick out individual bottles of different styles, that way if you don’t like something, you only bought a bottle and not a six pack. You can also find a craft beer focused bar that offers samplers. You can order 4-6 small glasses, usually 2-3 oz. pours of different beers…same concept…just draft beer instead of bottles. Also if you can find any beer festivals in your area, these can be good for a lot of sampling. After a while you will start to identify certain styles and flavors that you like, and can be more focused in what you seek out.
Also I will add that as your palate develops, you will want to go back and revisit beers that you hated…you often will find it to be a totally different experience.
[quote]ucallthatbass wrote:
having a Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier…I much prefer Guinness[/quote]
That’s not surprising. If you prefer stouts, then a fruity witbier is about as far as you can go in the opposite direction.
[quote]Alpha wrote:
anyone else having the Dogfish Head Punkin Beer this time of year?[/quote]
You should try Weyerbacher’s Imperial Pumpkin…whoah!
A- / 4.1
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4
Candlelight bright, glowing, grinning jack o’ lantern orange with butternut edges. The orangish beige cap is both dense and creamy, leading to a leisurely departure. I love the contrasting colors. The foam looks just tacky enough to lay down a respectable amount of lace, although the head hasn’t fallen far enough for me to be certain. Quality all around.
The powerfully aromatic nose is heavy on pumpkin and is absolutely bursting with pungent spice. The label indicates that cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves are present. The warm spiciness of cinnamon and the distinctiveness of cardamom are especially evident. You have to like the style in order to like the aroma on Imperial Pumpkin Ale. I do, on both counts.
It was bound to happen. Styles that no one had previously thought to imperialize are now starting to be imperialized (doubled, tripled… whatever). I’ve been waiting for a jacked-up pumpkin ale and Weyerbacher has kindly obliged. There are no surprises on the palate. It pretty much hits the mark, pretty much tastes like what one would expect from a full-throttle beer of this style. Oh yeah, it’s good.
The sturdy malt backbone provides plenty of sweet, toasted caramel flavor. The star of the show, however, is oven-baked chunks of candied gourd rolled in a potpourri of pie spices and splashed with pumpkin-infused brandy. Thankfully, it works. I can imagine a better beer along these lines, but this one is pretty damn good. If you despise pumpkin ales and big beer for the sake of big beer, steer clear.
Warming brings out no real changes. At first I thought the spices were becoming more bold, but I think they’re just building up on my tongue as I drink. The 8% ABV, while not completely camouflaged, is well-integrated and is easily managed. The mouthfeel is medium-full and is firm rather than lush or velvety. In other words, it fits the rest of the beer very well.
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale won’t be everyone’s cup of pumpkin juice, but it’s mine. I applaud the willingness of the brewery to aim high and to give those of us interested in this style something to chew on. Pushing the envelope sometimes results in nothing more than paper cuts. In this case, it works. Thanks to BeerBeing for the bomber. Happy Halloween.
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed on: 10-31-2005 16:29:56
[quote]JPCleary wrote:
[quote]Alpha wrote:
anyone else having the Dogfish Head Punkin Beer this time of year?[/quote]
You should try Weyerbacher’s Imperial Pumpkin…whoah!
A- / 4.1
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4
Candlelight bright, glowing, grinning jack o’ lantern orange with butternut edges. The orangish beige cap is both dense and creamy, leading to a leisurely departure. I love the contrasting colors. The foam looks just tacky enough to lay down a respectable amount of lace, although the head hasn’t fallen far enough for me to be certain. Quality all around.
The powerfully aromatic nose is heavy on pumpkin and is absolutely bursting with pungent spice. The label indicates that cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves are present. The warm spiciness of cinnamon and the distinctiveness of cardamom are especially evident. You have to like the style in order to like the aroma on Imperial Pumpkin Ale. I do, on both counts.
It was bound to happen. Styles that no one had previously thought to imperialize are now starting to be imperialized (doubled, tripled… whatever). I’ve been waiting for a jacked-up pumpkin ale and Weyerbacher has kindly obliged. There are no surprises on the palate. It pretty much hits the mark, pretty much tastes like what one would expect from a full-throttle beer of this style. Oh yeah, it’s good.
The sturdy malt backbone provides plenty of sweet, toasted caramel flavor. The star of the show, however, is oven-baked chunks of candied gourd rolled in a potpourri of pie spices and splashed with pumpkin-infused brandy. Thankfully, it works. I can imagine a better beer along these lines, but this one is pretty damn good. If you despise pumpkin ales and big beer for the sake of big beer, steer clear.
Warming brings out no real changes. At first I thought the spices were becoming more bold, but I think they’re just building up on my tongue as I drink. The 8% ABV, while not completely camouflaged, is well-integrated and is easily managed. The mouthfeel is medium-full and is firm rather than lush or velvety. In other words, it fits the rest of the beer very well.
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale won’t be everyone’s cup of pumpkin juice, but it’s mine. I applaud the willingness of the brewery to aim high and to give those of us interested in this style something to chew on. Pushing the envelope sometimes results in nothing more than paper cuts. In this case, it works. Thanks to BeerBeing for the bomber. Happy Halloween.
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed on: 10-31-2005 16:29:56[/quote]
Touche sir! I bow my head toward your beer knowledge and am off to find one!
BTW i think you helped me out on my last home brew question (if not disregard) but if you did could you scroll down and read the “home brew question” thread a few places down and see if you can help me fix what i screwed up already?
Thanks man
I’m a wheat beer fan. However, I try to abide by the man law “don’t fruit the beer”
[quote]Alpha wrote:
Touche sir! I bow my head toward your beer knowledge and am off to find one!
BTW i think you helped me out on my last home brew question (if not disregard) but if you did could you scroll down and read the “home brew question” thread a few places down and see if you can help me fix what i screwed up already?
Thanks man[/quote]
Actually, while I have a lot of friends who homebrew, I am a complete no-nothing when it comes to home brewing. Much like ammunition reloading, it is something I absolutely plan on doing…I just haven’t made the up front investment in equipment.
[quote]JPCleary wrote:
Gee…you wouldn’t be from California, would you? ;-)[/quote]
That obvious, huh? hahah Yeah, you can pretty much tell by my list that I’m a ‘hop’ head. I’m form So Cal, I like my beers hoppy as hell but with good balance!
Hey, were you the one who posted that bottle of Russian River Consecration in the SAMA forum?
…just wonderin,
I had a chance to sample a bottle of that this past Easter. My bro let me have a cup, didn’t tell me what type of brew it was and it took me by surprise. I’ve never tasted anything like that. I guess the only way I could desribe it’s flavor would be to say that it’s sour and funky but surprisingly well-balanced. It’s a good beer that I wouldn’t mind having again.
[quote]JPCleary wrote:
[quote]Alpha wrote:
Touche sir! I bow my head toward your beer knowledge and am off to find one!
BTW i think you helped me out on my last home brew question (if not disregard) but if you did could you scroll down and read the “home brew question” thread a few places down and see if you can help me fix what i screwed up already?
Thanks man[/quote]
Actually, while I have a lot of friends who homebrew, I am a complete no-nothing when it comes to home brewing. Much like ammunition reloading, it is something I absolutely plan on doing…I just haven’t made the up front investment in equipment.
[/quote]
Yeah, if I didn’t live in a dorm (I should probably check this out, as I am looking for a new hobby) I would totally start brewing my own beer. I hope the Catholic dorm is built by next year so I can start one up there, because we all know that a good Catholic brews his own beer.
[quote]Seize wrote:
[quote]JPCleary wrote:
Gee…you wouldn’t be from California, would you? ;-)[/quote]
That obvious, huh? hahah Yeah, you can pretty much tell by my list that I’m a ‘hop’ head. I’m form So Cal, I like my beers hoppy as hell but with good balance!
Hey, were you the one who posted that bottle of Russian River Consecration in the SAMA forum?
…just wonderin,
I had a chance to sample a bottle of that this past Easter. My bro let me have a cup, didn’t tell me what type of brew it was and it took me by surprise. I’ve never tasted anything like that. I guess the only way I could desribe it’s flavor would be to say that it’s sour and funky but surprisingly well-balanced. It’s a good beer that I wouldn’t mind having again.[/quote]
Yeah I posted it…but that’s my wife’s picture. She’s the master of framing herself into shots from the tripod…
Yeah, if you’re not familiar with some of the sour beers, Consecration will be a surprise. It’s a Wild Ale which means it’s yeast strain is wild like Brettanomyces. Sour and funky are definitely two adjectives identified with this style.
Renee and I are definitely hop heads…love big, juicy, grapefruity melt the enamel off your teeth hoppy beers. But recently she has gotten into sour beers and has taken me for the ride. In fact, if you pay attention to the craft beer scene, you will notice over the last year, more and more breweries brewing at least one sour beer…seems we’re not the only ones.
Do you ever drink beer out of the bottle or is it always in a glass, JP?
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
Do you ever drink beer out of the bottle or is it always in a glass, JP?[/quote]
Always out of a glass…
A big part of your sense of taste is your sense of smell. When your lips are wrapped around a bottle you can’t smell through glass.
Or put another way, drink beer X out of the bottle and then drink beer X out of a glass. It will taste different out of the glass because now your nose is involved in the experience.
Also, you shouldn’t discount the importance of appearance and presentation. Just the act of pouring a beer changes the beer. When pouring a beer into a glass you are attempting, through regulation of speed and height, to pour with a proper head. A good rule of thumb is a “two finger” head. This releases effervescents that impact both smell, what is generally referred to as the nose, as well as taste. Of course if your beer never makes it out of the bottle, this process never happens.
And it’s a little more complicated than just pouring any old beer into any old glass. There are different styles of glassware just like there are different styles of beer. Each style of beer has its appropriate glassware…sometimes one style of beer may be appropriate in a few different styles of glassware. For example, a big triple India Pale Ale like DogFish Head 120 Minute IPA would be appropriate in a snifter. And an American Wheat Ale like Three Floyd’s Gumball Head would be appropriate in a weizen glass.
BeerAdvocate.com recognizes 10 different styles of glassware…
Pint
Snifter
Tulip
Chalice
Flute
Weizen
Pilsner
Stange
Mug
Oversized Wine Glass
I just had some Duclaw “Devils Milk”, i was pretty impressed
Thank you for the information, I just read your review for Weyerbacher’s Imperial Pumpkin and the serving type was a bottle, so I was not sure.
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
Thank you for the information, I just read your review for Weyerbacher’s Imperial Pumpkin and the serving type was a bottle, so I was not sure.[/quote]
Ahhhhh…that makes reference to how it came. Bottle usually assumes a 12 oz. bottle. If its any other bottle, like a 22oz, 350ml, 750ml, etc…then it will say that specifically.
Other serving types may be growler or draught. These distinctions become important because one type of beer may be markedly different in it’s 12oz bottle form compared to, for example, it’s draught form…even though it’s the same beer. This can be due to variance between batches or a beer may be bottle conditioned in 12oz form but not in the keg.
By the way, that wasn’t my review…I just copied in a review from Buckeyenation on BeerAdvocate.com…that guy’s reviews are poetry. I mentioned that further up in the thread, but want to mention it again…because I don’t want to take credit. I wish I could write reviews like that…he’s a walking thesaurus.
This is my new favorite thread
My dad gave me the phrase I try to go by “Life’s too short to drink cheap beer” Although there were many a college night where Nat Light/Ice, Steel Reserve and Camo (only for Edward 40hands) were the standby, but I’d usually try to start out the night with something good.
My junior year the 3 guys I lived with and myself started a “crazy 6 pack” wall, trying a variety of different brews. The only rule was 3/4 of the house had to sample to put the sixpack on the wall, I think at final count we had sampled 50+ and a decent variety since one guy was from MI, another from PA, I was from NW Ohio and another guy from Southern Ohio.
The 4/4 vote for worst was the SN Bigfoot Barleywine, maybe too much for our immature palates, but something I should probably revisit. I think the closest to a consensus on a favorite was Don de Dieu from Unibroue out of Quebec, but out of that brewery I think I like the Maudite best.
I know it sounds like it would be terrible but I just had a Wells Banana Bread Beer, very unique but not something I would want to have on a regular basis. If I had to pick one beer to drink the rest of my life, I would have to give it to Yuengling.