Beer appreciation thread
 

Hi all,
Now we know that once in a while, dollar drafts do the trick and are the way to go. However, this thread is for those who go beyond the usual when it comes to beer.

Anything you've had lately that was great, out of the ordinary, completely different? Anything you'd like to recommend (or NOT recommend)?

I'll start - I had some Magic Hat Hocus Pocus this weekend, and it's pretty solid. I hadn't had anything from Magic Hat in quite a while, and when I did it was mostly #9. However, Hocus Pocus is a good summer beer; light, a little bit of sweetness and extremely refreshing.

It's not the greatest summer beer out there, but still a solid drink and worth a try.

Re: Beer appreciation thread
 

My favorite summer beer:

http://www.thebeercellar.com/img/summer/lazydays.jpg

Grant's Lazy Days - A very light pale ale (so light that it loses almost all hoppy character), a touch of lemon, and a great character - this is Grant's Summer seasonal, kind of limited availability but if they sell it where you are, pick it up . . . it's amazing.

Re: Re: Beer appreciation thread
 

Looking it up, I see that it's out of Yakima, Washington. I'll have to see if they send it out east.

Tried any of the Chimay Ales? I've heard scattered good reviews but haven't taken the dive yet.

Re: Beer appreciation thread
 

Way to glaringly exclude me...

Also, I can not escape the Our House chain.

Re: Re: Re: Beer appreciation thread
 

I have not - I'll def give it a look though, and let me know how it comes out when you take the plunge.

Grant's is probably one of the top 5 breweries, in my mind, in America - it is indeed out of Yakima, they get pretty far east but you'll have to dig, as Mass has weird taxation/state liquor control laws.

If you do find it - the signature beer in the line is most certainly Grant's Perfect Porter, a fantastic full-bodied beer.

Two more from the west si-eeed to check out:

-Left Hand, out of Longmont, CO . . . I personally consider their beers to be equal or superior to any of the more vaunted CO breweries, including Breckenridge, New Belgium and the rest. Try the Deep Cover brown ale (semi-seasonal) and Blackjack porter . . . their darks are very solid.

-Rogue . . . everyone knows Rogue, out of Oregon, but I have to note it here. Expensive shit, but worth every freaking penny if you're looking for something different. Again, the darks exceed the lights, in general, but they're all solid. The Morimoto lines, although probably far out of date, provide some of the most bizarre craft beers you've ever imagined - like a heavy, soba-based brew . . . very much the American equivalent of Sam Smith (but without the 99-rated Taddy Porter, which is making me a little hard right now just thinking about it).

Re: Re: Re: Re: Beer appreciation thread
 

They were at a beer festival I was at last month. I don't remember which one I had (surprise?) but it was good.

A lot of times Mr. Lil' Hannah and I will have dinner and a few beers over at his place, and I'll try to get something new each time.

Last week I had Foggy Bottom ale which is a DC brewery. They have a lager too, which maybe I will try next.

In the past I've had Brooklyn Brown which we both enjoyed. I'm not usually a fan of dark beers but theirs was pretty good.

Lately I've been defaulting to the Sam Adams Summer Ale if I don't find anything at the store that piques my interest.

And Mr. Lil' Hannah almost always gets Yuengling which is a PA brewed beer with limited distribution (what it is, I don't know). It's a good beer for the price.

Xingu from Brazil. Even if you hate dark beer, trust me.

And Hoegaarden which is a Belgian style beer.

Perhaps I'll expound later...I have spent the last several years of my life hanging with a coterie of beer snobs who would stop talking to you if you ordered Coors Light.

Rogue is excellent - Chimay is a bit on the pricy side too, and it only comes in (I believe) 24 ounce bottles.

Also, now that you've mentioned the Sam Smith Taddy Porter, I'm going to have to get myself some this week.

I just tried Yuengling a month or so ago; I really liked it, but part of that may have been that I'd never had it before. Overall though I thought it was solid.

I haven't really gotten too much into the Brooklyn Brewery ales, but I'm not sure why. I keep meaning to give them a try, I'll try the one suggested.

Sam Adams is always a good choice; I'm not such a fan of their standard stuff, but their Summer and other specialties are quite good. I'd like to try the Utopia Ale if I get a chance, but at $100 a bottle I'm not sure if that's happening soon.

We had an "Independent Activities Period" during the month of January when I was in college. Anybody could run a non-credit activity. My husband and I got together with a friend of ours who's very knowledgeable about beer, and we ran a beer tasting class for two years. We ran four sessions, followed by a "final exam" at the Sunset Grill & Tap, which has 110 beers on tap (if you find yourself in Boston, go!). We tasted a number of different beers, including Saranac, Sam Smith, Sierra Nevada, Belhaven, Chimay, Guinness, Negra Modelo, Anchor, etc. Yeah, we were pretty happy by the end of each evening. :D We cautioned our students up front, not even to think about driving!

Among my favorites:
- Belhaven Scottish Ale
- Harpoon IPA
- Harpoon Winter Warmer (which is also very good combined with Guinness, black-and-tan style)

When I go to the Sunset, I usually get a half-yard black and tan. It's quite a sight. ;)

Good choice - the Summer is their best seasonal, in my opinion. I dig it, even with the flaky "grains of paradise" ploy.


Wow, interesting choice - i'll fill in for ya a little bit:

Xingu is a 'black lager' from Brazil . . . this means it carries lager body/weight/gravity, but a very black (think motor oil) color. It's an interesting combination - it will actually come off a little sweet on the palette, and the finish is very smooth.

Around here, it is moderately cost-prohibative - think "$10.99 for a six pack"-expensive (for reference, Sam Adams would run approximately $6.99). This means that you should VIGILANTLY check dates on this 6er - the more expensive the package, the more likely it hasn't turned over and may be out of date. I'll try to post a little on how to avoid this later, but needless to say it's a bad thing, and should be taken into consideration with 'cost-prohibative' beers (even if you play in a top tax bracket, like the Rudestar).

Because of that, I'd suggest some European black ales/lagers instead - actually, I find that Kostritzer and the ilk are better brews anyway, although your mileage may vary - 33girl, I guess I'd say "if you dig the Xingu, rock the Kostritzer some night"



God I hate Belgian whites - that corriander taste makes me vomit immediately. However, if you can get it your way, you might enjoy Boulevard's Zon (seasonal belgian white) if you're into the Hoegaarden/Blue Moon thing.

Regardless of my bracket, I love bud light.

-Rudey

Xingu is solid - I've only seen it once around here, but I was impressed when I had it. Very smooth and a good finish overall. It is indeed cost-prohibitive (although Rogue and Chimay are priced similarly around here), but I think it's worth it.

AEPhi alum - I know I've said it to you before, but you're absolutely right on Sunset. If you get to Boston again, try Publick House; it's the same idea, but more beers from smaller breweries.

I just started drinking beer this summer, I'm pretty crazy about Harp. I like Yuengling too.

I'm a fan of:

* Lindemans Framboise (a Lambic - great if you love raspberries!)
* Boddingtons (mmm!)
* Bellhaven's
* Sam Adams Chocolate Bock, Cherry Wheat or Cream Stout
* any of the Upland beers
* Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout

The Chocolate Bock ran me $14 for a bottle, but it was so good and so worth it! Lindemans is about $7 for a bottle but it's worth it too!

This past weekend I had Brooklyn Brewery beer, at the brewery. My favorite was their Brown. Nothing like fresh beer.

chimay is really good - i liked chimay red
sam smith oatmeal stout is great - and really any of the sam smith's are great
arrogant bastard ale is a good one - pretty strong - and the bottle story is funny
Lindemans Framboise Raspberry is good is you like fruity drinks
Goose Island Oatmeal Stout is a really strong heavy stout beer
Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot is too
I'm a big grolsch fan...it's just kind of the hipster beer
and staroprammen dunkle is great too
single track is good, and rogue too
i don't recall who it was by, but there was a chocolate and pumpkin spice stout that was realy good that i drank last year.
Yuengling is really good and it's really pretty cheap
Liberty and Anchor Steam are both good too
duvel is another trappist made beer that is good

i love beer. beer..beer...beer

Okay, time for my Sunset story. :) I think I've posted this before, but it fits here.

My now-husband took me to the Sunset for a yard for my 21st birthday. It was actually a couple of days after my birthday - can I tell you how much it sucks to have your 21st birthday on Thanksgiving?? :rolleyes:

We weren't carded until we ordered our yards (you have to give them an ID as collateral, to ensure you pay for the glass if you break it - yard glasses are expensive), and even then, the server accepted my expired driver's license.

So there we were at the Sunset, drinking our yards (I had Harpoon IPA; I don't remember what he had). Over at the next table were two young women...

...drinking Bud.

Why would you go to a place that specializes in beer and has 110 beers on tap (many of them unusual), and drink BUD??? :confused:

To the Sunset's credit, they had not wasted any of their taps on the Bud; they carry it only in bottles.


KSigkid -- where's Publick House?

Haha - I've seen that too many times before. I don't get it either, especially since Bud isn't really cheaper than many of the good brands they have.

The yard is definitely the way to go - haven't been to Sunset in a while, but the next time I go I'll have to have one.

SigmaChi - It's funny, I went through a period sophomore year where I really liked Grolsch, and it was all I would get. That passed, but I don't know why. It's just funny I was drinking it all the time at one point.

Publick House is in Washington Square (upper Beacon St. in Brookline). It actually is supposed to have really good food as well.
http://www.thepublickhousebrookline.com/

Hey Collin, we had another $12 tab tonight.

Last night I tried Tupper's Hop Pocket from Old Dominion Ale, a VA brewery. It was, as the name suggests, hoppy and also a bit floral. It took a bottle to sort of get used to it, but after that I did enjoy it. And half the proceeds go to charities benefiting the homeless!

Old Dominion hosts a great beer festival at their brewery in Ashburn at the end of June (where I tried the Left Hand) so if you're in the DC area I recommend it.

From the site that looks like a solid brewery. Have you tried any of the other beers they make? The Oak Barrel stout looks really good, as does the one you said that you tried.

I really have to find a hook-up like that in this city. A $12 bar tab is unreal.

I remember trying the Starr Hill and the Millennium Ale. The Lager, Old Dominion's flagship beer, was also at the store last night so maybe I'll give that a go next time.

That's one of my faves too but I am bigger fan of Lindeman's Peche (Peach)

I also drink Stella Artois but annoyingly they don't have it on tap in a lot of bars in Brooklyn around me. Thankfully it's pretty standard in Manhattan. Belgian beers in general are great.

Just remember, the $12 tab includes food as well.

Unreal - if I had that hook-up I don't think I'd go anywhere else.

Stella is on tap everywhere here in Boston; I'm not too big of a fan, but I'll have it depending on what else is on tap.

I keep trying to tell them that once I move I won't be there as much. they don't seem to believe me.

Agreed.


Today's beer for the kids: Kronenbourg 1664

http://hardy.web.infoseek.co.jp/Kronenbourg1664.jpg


Since we have a group who loves any and all things French, regardless of issue or quality, here's a pretty solid French lager - no tricks, and certainly nothing special, but all around a nice beer in the traditional euro lager mold.

Something to think about the next time you're looking to drink an import just to drink an import (read: 'buy me instead of grolsch or heine')

Good catch - a better beer than Stella in my opinion, definitely worth a try for those who are looking to expand, but don't want anything overwhelming.

On the import issue; there's a couple of guys here who started a site/group, The Beer Advocate (beeradvocate.com). Generally they have solid ideas on beer, but on top of that they advocate people choosing small American breweries over imports. Their main point is that if you're overseas, try imports native to the area you are visiting, but it's never a bad idea to support the micro breweries here in the U.S. by buying their beer.

I don't drink that much beers anymore. It's now fine wine and some brandy for me. Age must be getting to me.

Great Lakes Beer is the best local beer around. they're all good , espcially the Elliot Ness beer.

My Standard beer includes MGD, Budweiser, Michalob Ultra, Coors Light, Molson Ice

But the one Beer I would really love to have is :

Michalob Amberbock. :D

It's hard to find a bar that has this beer either on tap or bottle.

yeah kronenbourg is another good one
and i agree that stella is way overrated - i mean a lot of people really dig it - but it's not my bag at all

Fullers is good too, London Pride

we have a micro brewery here called bluegrass brewing company that is great too - my buddy is studying to become beermaster - he's really got good taste in beer

Erdinger is another REALLY good beer
Fat Tire
Pilsner Urquell
Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout
Young's Double Chocolate
...so many

edited: most every bar here seems to have amberbock on tap

http://www.thedrinkshop.com/images/p.../1273/1273.jpg
I tried this one in England, it was tasty!!

http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/...resized200.jpg
I'm also a big fan of this!

It really depends on my mood though....

I've only had Fat Tire once; I'm not sure if I liked it as much as I remember, or if it falls into the category of "really good because they don't sell it around here."

We used to drink that at the school I went to in London's pub all the time. My roommate there always ordered it just because she loved to say Scrumpy Jack.

For most people, it's the latter - Fat Tire is a fine beer and all, it's a pretty mild amber, but it's not really top tier when compared to other micro or craft brews . . . in fact, I greatly prefer many of New Belgium's other products but as always, YMMV.

Its the Dos Equis on Draft for me with two limes.

Damn good stuff.

Today's beer:

http://www.riverviewendo.com.au/beer...cialbitter.jpg


Younger's Special Bitter by Rogue -

Rogue might be the premier craft brewery in America today - and, while expensive, you get what you pay for. Younger's is a classic ESB-style beer, with a moderate body and smooth finish. One of the best in their line.

Quite a few bars that specialize in microbrew selection will carry Rogue products, most notably their Deadguy Ale - give it a try next time, it's a surprising beer for its category.

Hello.

http://www.threefloyds.com/

Some of the higher alcohol content beer is...well it carries a strange after-taste.

Quality is OK, but the people are better.

Anyone ever taste Brewers Gold? I heard it's supposed to be solid.

-Rudey

Rogue is an oustanding brewery; Deadguy ale is excellent, and they seem to be good across the board with all of their products.

My beer recommendation of the day is Hooker Ale, out of beautiful CT. I've had both their Blonde Ale and IPA, and both were solid. I would compare it to Harpoon's IPA, although a little better quality. Again, a good starter beer for someone trying to expand their tastes.

http://www.troutbrookbeer.com/web/ta...merican_02.gif

I tried this a few weeks ago and liked it a lot.