The Awesome Beer Thread

[Sky]

I picked up a twelver of the Sam Adams Winter Classics variety pack. Everything is good except for the chocolate bock, which is probably the worst beer I've ever tasted.

I agree. I love bocks and don't mind chocolate beers, but that was pretty bad.

Sick over the holidays, so last night I finally got into the Old Fezziwig I had been saving for xmas night.

[Samwise]

Cranberry Lambic from Sam Adams always made me want to barf.

If that's the stuff I'm thinking of, it's not really lambic.  It's a hefeweizen with cranberry flavoring.  Nasty, nasty stuff.

[Prospero]

The Anderson Valley holiday beer was fucking amazing this year if you are a fan of brown ales. I can't recommend it enough.

[stu]

I tried mixing Lindemans raspberry with an Old Rasputin Stout not too long ago. It was actually really tasty.

I love bocks and don't mind chocolate beers, but that was pretty bad.

That was my first chocolate beer. I think I was just expecting something more subtle and with none of the chalky texture. ::blearg::

[Sky]

I recently had a nice Ayinger October Fest-Marzen. My mother got me a six of Blue Moon Winter Abbey Ale, which is actually quite nice (I bet the guy at the craft shop recommended it, she has no clue). Also an Ayinger Hef and Sierra Nevada Hef, in my elusive quest to find a good Hef that's not Long Trail or Saranac (both regional but Brewmaster's limited runs). Both of the former, quite mediocre. Since so many Hefs are mediocre to bad compared to the LT and Saranac, I'm wondering if I'm actually questing for some subset of Hef they are brewing, it's quite maddening.

[Prospero]

Try Young's Double Chocolate Stout Stu. If that doesn't float your boat then chocolate beer ain't for you.

[dusematic]

Have any of you tried Coors Light yet?  I had some the other day and it was pretty tasty.  I like that the label changes blue so you know it's cold enough to drink.  

[Paelos]

Have any of you tried Coors Light yet?  I had some the other day and it was pretty tasty.  I like that the label changes blue so you know it's cold enough to drink.  

I prefer when serving swill.

[Fraeg]

The Anderson Valley holiday beer was fucking amazing this year if you are a fan of brown ales. I can't recommend it enough.

a buddy of mine's brother in law is their brewmaster (which makes me 1 cooler eh), anyways their beers are amazing.

[Sand]

Tonight the SO and I tried two new ones.

For her: Brouwerij Lindemans Pomme (fancy European word for Apple) Lambic (fancy European word for AWESOME).
For me: High Rollers Wheat Beer from Anderson Valley Brewing Company (Boonville, CA)

The Lambic had a crisp dryness to it as if they use a Champagne yeast.
And while I normally drink wheats like Hoegardens, which I would describe as more of a heavy musty wheat with little or no discernible hops, the High Rollers had just a taste of hops to it. Just enough to add a snappiness to the wheat beer with out being hoppy (I dont like hoppy/bitter beers like IPAs).

So we were pleased with both.

Tomorrow/this weekend will be La Fin Du Monde from Unibroue of Quebec Canada. I have had this twice before. A wheaty amber color with a bright white head. Its an ale and a tripel at that, and while Im not normally an ale fan (again the hops and bitterness) the tripel brewing in this beer and the spices make it a delight to drink.


I also have a bottle of Moosbacher Weissbier from Bavaria. This one is entirely new to me. So shall be an adventure.

[Ruvaldt]

Yeah, my fiancee loves the Lindemans Lambics; especially the Kriek.  I like them as well, but the sweeter varieties honestly just taste like really crisp soft drinks. 

Drinking my usual Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout lately, but I'd enjoy it a lot more if the weather was colder.

[Sky]

I'd enjoy it a lot more if the weather was colder.

I'm starting to like this new fish.

[LK]

A friend of mine, upon hearing of my Bud Light drinking ways, made it her personal mission to expand my beer horizons. We went to Stone Brewery and did the tour, tasted some beers, and had a good time together. Turns out: I can appreciate good beer of all varieties. In fact, the Millers and Buds taste like piss now.

I found I really like Shiner Bock and other super complex lagers / ales, and don't *mind* dark beers (Had a Chocolate Stout, was pretty good.

So remove me from the heathen class of American.

[CmdrSlack]

I have fond memories of the Sam Adams Holiday 12 pack, from back when it was nearly impossible to get good craft or import beers. We would drive to another state to find Sammy Smith bombers, but you could usually secure a Sam Adams 12 pack at the corner store. Many fights over Old Fizziwig were had, second and third walks to the corner store made, etc.

Right now I'm working on some Smuttynose Brown. We apparently just got this brand here in burbland. I still cannot get Brooklyn Brewing out here.

This lack of interesting new stuff around me is going to force me out of this brewing slump. I may have to do an oatmeal stout.

[Sky]

I'm still hoping to get some brewing kit (and hinting and hinting for holidays...), but the next couple years of austerity are not going to be kind to my hobbies. I did grab Palmer's How To Brew, which is a pretty decent book (and I've got an old Papazian around somewhere). Some day Seven Toe Brewery will be a reality.

[01101010]

Since it's the new year I splurged on a 6 of Stone. It better be good.

[Teleku]

Stone can be hard for newer people to get into (I love all their stuff).  They hop the ever loving shit out of almost all their beers, and most people usually need to develop there palate more before enjoying stuff like that.  The smoked Porter and Russian Imperial Stout are both very good non hoppy beers (their stout is probably my favorite RIS out there).

[Minvaren]

I did grab Palmer's How To Brew, which is a pretty decent book...

Haven't found a single volume with more information in it yet.

Heard some local stores about people drinking St. Arnold's Divine right after purchase.  This year, it being a(n unaged) barleywine.  "OMG, it tasted like rubbing alcohol and chocolate mush!"  Yep, give it 6 months, like the label says, heh.

[LK]

They are quite proud of their hoppy beers, Stone is. What shocked me was the 40% price reduction by buying kegs onsite. Something like 6 cents an ounce instead of 14.

[01101010]

They are quite proud of their hoppy beers, Stone is. What shocked me was the 40% price reduction by buying kegs onsite. Something like 6 cents an ounce instead of 14.

First taste was quite shocking, but it settled down nicely. But then again, I tend toward bitter tastes. I likes.

[Ruvaldt]

Rang in the new year with Warsteiner Dunkels and white russians.  Feeling pretty dudish right now.

Warsteiner Dunkel is a nice beer that sticks to your ribs, but is still very drinkable.  Very smooth and not overly sweet.  It tastes better at my favorite German restaurant, but that probably has something to do with the ambiance or possibly the kraut.  It'll be in the rotation during 2011 winter along with Shiner Bohemian Black and various and sundry imperial stouts.

[Sand]

Stone can be hard for newer people to get into (I love all their stuff).  They hop the ever loving shit out of almost all their beers, and most people usually need to develop there palate have their tongue and tastebuds beaten into submission more before enjoying stuff like that.  The smoked Porter and Russian Imperial Stout are both very good non hoppy beers (their stout is probably my favorite RIS out there).

Fixed it for you?

Yeah its the rage with so many microbreweries right now. How hoppy and bitter can we make our beers!
Went to some place in Asheville, NC the other day and they had some beer called "Death By Hops".

[Sky]

Rang in the new year with Warsteiner Dunkels

I'm starting to like this new fish.

Warsteiner Dunkel is one of my favorites. I'm a dunkel/dopplebock kinda guy, though I do have that thing for hefeweizens.

We rang in the new year with a nice bottle of prosecco. And the new year promises not a lot in the way of beers, I'll be lucky to have a steady flow of my small beers to get by.

[01101010]

Surprisingly, one of my buddies in Chicago is familiar with Stone: Ruination (which is what I got). He confirmed what I told him, drinking this beer makes everything taste great because your taste buds are screaming for some other flavor to save them. Good stuff..

[CmdrSlack]

Surprisingly, one of my buddies in Chicago is familiar with Stone: Ruination (which is what I got). He confirmed what I told him, drinking this beer makes everything taste great because your taste buds are screaming for some other flavor to save them. Good stuff..

If you can get your hands on them, the Double Bastard and Lucky Bastard (can't recall the purposeful misspell off hand) are also both really good. I've only seen 'em in bomber format.

[Stormwaltz]

Side-note for non-awesome beer:

Whenever I go back to New England for the holidays, I make a point of picking up a few local brews. This year one of them was Newport Storm's single-batch Mark, a "coffee milk* stout."

Holy shit. I don't know what they were going for there, but the taste is so foul, I Googled to make sure I hadn't gotten a bottle that had somehow gone rancid. Though it smells pleasantly molasses-ey, the flavor is intensely sour and bitter, with a the faintest aftertaste of coffee. It's managed to displace France's Fischer as the worst swill I've ever tasted.



* Coffee milk, to my knowledge, doesn't exist outside of Rhode Island. There are two RI companies, Aurtocrat and Eclipse, that make coffee syrup. It's like the chocolate or strawberry syrups you stir into kids' milk, but coffee-flavored.

[01101010]

Offhand question, I have my Stone in the fridge. Is it better room temp?

[Sheepherder]

I don't get how people can drink lukewarm beer in the first place, but an IPA is not the place to start.

[Teleku]

Fixed it for you?

Yeah its the rage with so many microbreweries right now. How hoppy and bitter can we make our beers!
Went to some place in Asheville, NC the other day and they had some beer called "Death By Hops".

Nah, once you get the hang of them, hoppy beers offer an awesome range of flavors.  The different hops offer so many different clashing tastes and flavors, which to most people who don't drink them regularly, all taste bitter and the same.  I couldn't stand even Pale Ale when I first started drinking beer.

I don't get how people can drink lukewarm beer in the first place, but an IPA is not the place to start.

Yeah, this.  I'm a big beer snob, but I like all my beer cold (doesn't stop me from drinking cask ale when I can).  Others say it brings out more flavors, but I've never really enjoyed what it does to beer.  Something like an Imperial Stout would be what you'd want to try though, not a really hoppy beer.

[Merusk]

I can't stand ice cold beer unless it's budweiser or a Molson.  Warm it up a bit and it's great.

[rattran]

Different things work best at differing temperatures. I like IPA and Pale Ales at about 60, dry cider, guinness, or black ale about 50, all the German crap people keep giving me really cold.

[Ingmar]

You shouldn't be drinking anything at actual room temperature anyway, unless you mean server room temperature. Rattran's temperatures are good, I don't think I personally like anything quite as warm as 60 but an IPA shouldn't be back of the fridge cold for sure.

[Sand]

I couldn't stand even Pale Ale when I first started drinking beer.

See this is the biggest difference between the dogma of your Church of Beer and my Church.
I think something should taste good from the first time I drink it. I shouldnt have to "get used to it".
I mean we are talking beer not iocane powder. I shouldnt have to build up a tolerance to it.
Just my opinion though.

[Prospero]

It's not building tolerance, just appreciation. It's kinda like getting into a new type of music; your brain needs to chew on it for awhile to figure out if it is good or not.

[Oban]

Holy shit. I don't know what they were going for there, but the taste is so foul, I Googled to make sure I hadn't gotten a bottle that had somehow gone rancid.

I have yet to taste a non-foul coffee beer, so it is not just you.