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.