The Beer Thread: Mach 2

[axeman90210]

BUMP

last night I had a Sierra Nevada Summerfest (Alright, but a little too light on the hops, the flavor was barely there. Awesomely drinkable though), an Ommegang Abbey Ale Dubbel (delicious, nice blend of yeasty spiciness and the taste of alcohol soaked dark fruits from the malt), and a Dogfish Head Immort Ale (boozy mess, the advertised maple and vanilla syrup were barely perceptible). Tonight I mowed through a couple Racer 5 IPAs and am now finishing a bottle of Terrapin Monk's Revenge (seriously, I love this beer. It's like drinking pine flavored cotton candy, and I mean that in a good way).

[axeman90210]

god dammit people, there will be beer discussion on DTF whether it's just me talking to myself or not

I'm bottling my first homebrew tomorrow and I need a few more 12oz bottles, so I went to  my bottle shop and picked out a 6 pack of random 12oz beers I've never had before to go through tonight (tried to keep them all relatively low ABV). I started out with a Smuttynose IPA ("Finest Kind" on the bottle) which was pretty good, but a little too grapefruit-centric for me (I'm guessing lots of late amarillo hop additions). A Dogfish Head Festina Peche was next. It's a berlinner-weiss, a low ABV wheat beer brewed in part with a bacteria that sours it. The appearance and smell were a bit underwhelming, but this was still a damn refreshing and tasty beer (DFH adds peach concentrate to balance out the sourness... awesome). I just finished an Avery Karma Belgian Pale Ale, which was decent, a nice blend of caramel malt sweetness with yeast spices, orange, and a little bit of funk going on in the background. Not sure what to have next

[King Postwhore]

Axe, save me a bottle, I'dlove to try it.  BTW, some of us have to travel miles and miles to drink greatness so we live through your posts!

[bout to crash]

god dammit people, there will be beer discussion on DTF whether it's just me talking to myself or not

Anyway, I tried that Dogfish peche stuff and it was pretty tasty but I wasn't too impressed by it.

I've never had that Avery but have been slowly trying more of their stuff. I didn't know they sold it back east; never saw it til I came out here... but then again, one of my BK friends texted me about one of their beers a week or two ago.

PS- Bout that homebrew. Jackie's birthday=3 weeks  




edit: bout to pick something up for a party.. not sure what yet but the possibilities are endless!

[PlaysLikeMyung]

I read an article in Time a few days ago that said there was a beer in Scotland that reached about 42 % ABV, making it the most alcoholic beer in the world. It was done through a process called "freeze brewing" or something to that effect. I'll dig up the article for you guys.

[axeman90210]

Brewdog makes Sink the Bismarck, which clocks in at I think 41% ABV. They're engaged in a pissing contest with a German brewery who just announced a new 43% ABV beer sometime this week. Beers this potent are made through freeze distillation, where they take an already boozy beer and put it in freezing temperatures. The water in the beer freezes before the alcohol, so they can extract a more potent version. Some would argue that since these guys (both breweries) are doing that repeatedly (as opposed to a style like eis-bock where it's done once to bring a beer from ~9% to ~13%) and with an increase in ABV as the focus rather than the flavor of the beer that these new creations aren't even beers at all but more akin to spirits

/beer nerd

[PlaysLikeMyung]

That's what I was referring to

Now I don't have to look for the article

[axeman90210]

yeah, whatever time I spend on the internet not on dtf is most likely spent either on beer advocate's forums or reading beernews.org

[bout to crash]

 

Anyway, I had some beer tonight and I'm not really sure how to describe it because I'm drunk but maybe I'll post about it romorrow GODNIGHT

oh fuck I am keeping those typos 

[axeman90210]

so the second half of Bill's six pack adventure last night was Mayflower Pale Ale (very malty for a pale ale, though the hops were still there too... more akin to an English version than something like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but pretty tasty and very drinkable), Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier (classic hefe, light and bubbly and a tasty blend of clove and banana and vanilla, I'm gonna be coming back to that one a few times over the summer), and Smuttynose Big A IPA (again, a little on the English side for a DIPA, with more piney and floral hops used than the traditional American citrus varieties, along with an increased malt presence, and the alcohol came through a bit on the back end which hurt it a little bit).

In a minute I get to go sanitize almost 60 beer bottles... joy!

[King Postwhore]

Tis the season for es, banana's & vanilla.  My favorite summer beer  my favorite is Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier but there is another I love but get the name wrong.  I think it's Shawlmers or something close to that.

[axeman90210]

I now have 36 bottles of homebrew put away in cases, just have to wait around two weeks for it to bottle carbonate. Quite a few bottles less than I would have expected, but I chalk it up to a few learning experiences... time to plan batch two

edit: had an Allagash Dubbel while I worked which was good, but paled in comparison to the Ommegang version I had the other night. I've got some cleanup to do and then it's off to a local bar for a victory dinner

[King Postwhore]

Just got back from taking my mom out for her birthday.  I had a Blue Moon Belgium White Ale.  Nothing beats a fresh, lines cleaned, tapped beer.  Refressing.  Got home and just opened up a bottle of my Magic hat Odd Notion Series. Summer 2010.  A ginger Beer.  Very good, sharp beer.  I like it!

[axeman90210]

hit Sunset for my victory dinner and had a St. Bernardus Wit (Either they gave me the wrong beer or there was a problem with the line because this was way less carbonated than the bottle version I had last month), Pretty Things Jack D'or (Saison, love the hell out of this beer) and a Brooklyn Dark Matter (newest Brewmaster's Reserve, a bourbon barrel aged brown ale. Very nicely done, I get a lot more vanilla from the barrels than bourbon, which is very subtle). I came home and eventually cracked a Angel's Share Brandy Barrel from Lost Abbey. It's a shame, because the beer is delicious, but not carbonated at all, I poured it and there was absolutely zero head and no lacing left on the glass.

[bout to crash]

Gotta have the head... speaking of which, I had this Het Anker Gouden Carolus Noel stuff last night (2008, apparently, couldn't find a date but that's what the dude told me) and the head never went away. It kinda looked like Coke. It grew on me a bit, but the presence of alcohol in the smell and taste were SO strong it kind of killed it for me. Took me FOREVER to finish, and not in a good way... on the other hand, today I had the Wynkoop's Tripel Sixes, and this was just great. Definitely a sipping beer, didn't want it to end. Kind of sweet and very spicy and just overall pleasant. When I found out it was over 10% I was pretty damn surprised. Did not taste like it at all... but definitely felt the effects. I want to go back and get more since it's not a regular beer. The name comes from 06/06/06, when it was first brewed (also my first day at Bottle King. COINCIDENCE?) but I guess they occasionally break it out.  Perhaps I will go back next week when the year is officially over to celebrate

[axeman90210]

Brooklyn night tonight for me, had a bottle of their Sorachi Ace (saison hopped exclusively with the rarely used Sorachi Ace hop, gives off a very lemony/grassy taste, very nice summer beer) and now I'm nursing the one, the only, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

[King Postwhore]

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, a home run in the stout family.

[axeman90210]

It's definitely my favorite of the regularly available imperial stouts I've had, but I think that the nose has a fantastic coffee/chocolate blend that smells just like chocolate covered espresso beans, while the chocolate dominates a little too much for it's own good on the taste and I wish coffee was a little more prominent. It's also remarkable that for a 10%+ beer I get no alcohol heat whatsoever (protip: I always take this beer out of the fridge about 15-20 minutes before I'm going to drink it, drinking it at fridge temperatures I usually can pick up on some booziness)

[King Postwhore]

Bill, If you ever get the chance to go to Longtrail in jan thru feb they have a stout made with Green Mountain coffee that is damn good, but you have to go there to get it.

[bout to crash]

Mmm, that sounds awesome. Love my coffee. Still haven't made it to Long Trail but have had their Brewmaster Series Coffee Stout 

[axeman90210]

so I came home last night, ate dinner and literally was in between opening and my last bottle of Pretty Things February 27, 1832 Mild when my power went out. Very annoying as I've started reviewing beers on Beer Advocate and that was going to be my last chance to try that beer, but sitting in a pitch dark oven of a room didn't seem like a particularly ideal way to formally review a beer. I ended up putting the lid back on and putting it back in the fridge and heading down to a bar to kill some time while I waited for maintenance to come. Had a Festina Peche (still good, but the tartness was a little more pronounced on tap, not a good thing imo) and a Hennepin ( Brewery Ommegang, saisons)

[King Postwhore]

I found the Dogfish Head Peche had the same Tartness on tap that you spoke about.

[axeman90210]

yeah I mean it's a berliner weissbier so it's supposed to be sour to a degree, but the draft version just seemed a little ramped up

[axeman90210]

BUMP

last night I split a bottle of DFH Squall IPA with a buddy. It's their 90 Minute IPA, except bottle conditioned and in big 750 mL bottle. Honestly, I was a bit let down. DFH is known for having a more than average malt presence in their IPAs (so are east coast brewers in general, but especially DFH), but this beer was cloyingly sweet, which for an IPA (where the hops are supposed to be the showcase) shouldn't be the case.

tonight I started a bottle of Southern Tier Pale, their Pale Ale, which was really good but flavorful and big enough (6%) that I would call it a full on IPA. Just now I finished a bomber of Ballast Point's Sculpin IPA. It was really good except for the first few sips, where the citrusy hop flavors had this unfortunate undercurrent of bitterness that was just a bit too much. That cleared up as the beer warmed though and it really was a great west coast IPA (in contrast to the DFH IPA this beer was all hops, no real malt sweetness to speak of).

Tomorrow morning I'm going to one of the best beer bars in Cambridge (Lord Hobo) as they're starting a brunch menu this weekend (normally they don't open until 5pm) and to celebrate they're putting a keg of Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout on tap. It's a bourbon barrel aged coffee oatmeal stout (damn, long description) that they release once a year (at $22+ a four pack )

[bout to crash]

Dayum!

Just had three Oskar Blues brews at the movies. I already knew I liked Dale's Pale Ale, then I tried an Old Chub (a scotch ale- jesus christ) and a Mama's Little Yella Pils which was pretty good and helped to wash away the taste of the Old Chub (along with some popcorn). Being the lightweight I am, feelin' good.

[King Postwhore]

Brunch and Beer sound soooo good.  Can't wait to hear your reveiw.  Also I've never tried the Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout.  Man that sounds good.

[axeman90210]

Holy shit, KBS ftmfw. I don't think I can wax poetic any more about this beer, so I'll just c/p my review that I just posted on Beer Advocate

"Served in a flute glass at Lord Hobo. KBS pours an absolute, all encompassing black. There's an impressive creamy milk chocolate cap, 2-3 fingers, that just refuses to go anywhere. Almost 10 minutes later I still have a solid 1.5-2 fingers of foam on top. There's a beyond ridiculous amount of gorgeous lacing left behind as I (all too quickly) empty my glass, especially for a beer of this size. The nose is great, a hearty mix of bourbon and coffee, heavier on the latter. I'm a little let down though because I don't find any vanilla or anything else in the nose, I was hoping for a little more complexity. That complexity I was looking for? Well, I found it even in my first few sips. There's an opening blast of coffee, supplemented by rick dark chocolate, before the beer transitions to a wonderful vanilla sweetness mid palate. The bourbon comes on strong (but not too strong) to close things out. KBS goes down absurdly smoothly, with a fine amount of carbonation. For a beer this big and flavorful, I found the body to be just a little bit thin (but this is a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things). While there's definitely a bourbon kick to this beer, there's no hint of any alcoholic heat, which for a barrel aged stout clocking in at over 11% ABV is absurd. I'm firmly convinced Founders sold their soul to the devil to be able to craft such an exquisite beer. "

I should have known that I was in for something special when I saw that despite over 1,100 reviews KBS still has a weighted average score of 4.52/5 (I ended up scoring it a 4.85/5). I was doubtful even as I forked over the money for the 4-pack I bought back in March that this beer could be worth $23 for a four pack, but after having it on tap I only wish I had taken the chance that I had to pick another one up at a different store that was asking $30. If it wasn't for the fact that I had an hour commute home with 1+ mile of walking involved I'd still be there drinking it now. And as an added bonus, they just tapped it this morning and I don't think it was in the computer system yet, because they only charged me $5 for my glass, which seems absurdly cheap for this beer.

[axeman90210]

I cracked my first homebrew last night a week before I told myself I would (lol patience) and it wasn't bad, but there was definitely a buttery/green apple taste there that I've read shows up in beers that haven't been given enough time to condition. I'll give another one a go next weekend. I had a bottle of Captain Lawrence's Captain's Reserve Imperial IPA which was good, but nothing mind-blowing and then their Xtra Gold American Tripel. That beer was a little bit of a let down, the goal I'm assuming was to add some citrus American hops to a Belgian Tripel and they almost succeeded too well, as the hops were by far the dominant flavor and the traditional white clove/coriander spiciness one would expect was barely there. 

[King Postwhore]

I loved your detailed description of the Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout.  Reading your desription makes me want to go on a road trip tommorow to find it.

[axeman90210]

I don't know if it's the best beer I've ever had, but if it's not it's damn close. I managed to score one four pack at release in March, I gave one away and have one in my fridge and the other two are sitting in my beer cellar at my parents' house. I just hope that one of the other bars around here that got a keg held on to it and puts it on tap soon.

[faemir]

It's my birthday next Sunday.

The UK's second biggest beerfest was this week.

I think "FML" is appropriate here.

[axeman90210]

was this your "legal drinking age" birthday then?


Had a bottle of White Birch Belgian Pale Ale tonight. It's a new, small brewery out of New Hampshire that just started distributing to Massachusetts. The guy who started it is a long time homebrewer and poster on Beer Advocate who finally decided to take the plunge and go pro. The beer was good, very different from what I'm used to though. Instead of a heavy dose of malt sweetness and some spicy yeast flavors this one was grassy with a nice bitter lemon citrus kick at the end. Good beer, the only problem is this (and all his beers ) are pretty expensive, close to $15 a bomber, so I doubt there'll be anything in the way of repeat buys. I still have a bottle of their tripel to try as well

[axeman90210]

Last night a had another bottle of homebrew (definitely noticed some improvement, the buttery/green apple taste I noticed on Saturday was much less pronounced), a bomber of Wachusett Larry (new-ish imperial IPA, pretty tasty) and a bottle of Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron (love this beer, so unique because of the wood aging).

[King Postwhore]

Man I love  Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron too.  All their hard to get beers are top notch.

[Dr. SeaWolf]

I'll be in the Outer Banks for my brother's wedding this weekend, and I hope to sample some beers while I'm out there