Whatcha drinking?

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Sat Mar 17, 2018 11:34 pm

Innocente Brewing Company Inno'Slainte Irish Red Ale. Damn, if this isn't the best red ale I've ever had. It's thick and creamy and dark unlike most, to the point of almost looking like a stout. It's yummy.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sun Mar 18, 2018 12:08 am

Yeti by Great Divide Brewing, Denver, CO. A very smooth stout with hints of coffee and chocolate, but not at all bitter. 8.2% ABV is nice for a standard (non-imperial) stout.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sun Mar 18, 2018 1:17 am

Murphy's Irish Stout, per my St Patricks Day tradition.

Z-Corn · Post by **Z-Corn** » Sun Mar 18, 2018 9:49 am

Yesterday I had a couple of ciders from a local maker. Cherry Chuckle from Vander Mill Cider. https://untappd.com/b/vander-mill-cherr ... le/1978734

We first tried it last week when we went to the production facility to see a stand-up show by Ron Funches. There is a comedy festival going on here in town to benefit Gilda's Club and this is the cider brewed for that occasion.

Anyway, this is their regular dry cider mixed with Michigan balaton cherry juice. Tart and refreshing it goes down really nice. Two pint cans before breakfast yesterday made me kind of sleepy after I ate. It's OK, I'm half Irish...

It's funny that I live in Beer City USA but the two places closest to my house are cider makers. Too many choices in this town!

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sun Mar 18, 2018 11:08 am

Breckenridge Irish Stout. I was leery about trying this one as their fall brown ale is undrinkably harsh. It is a light bodied stout comparable with Guinness, and the super low booze content (4.8% ABV) also is similar to the tiresome Irish standard.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sun Mar 18, 2018 9:38 pm

Stacy's Mom Citra IPA from Evil Genius Beer Co. If you're only going to use one hop, it might as well be citra. The result, as you would expect, is a fruity IPA with no bitterness to speak of. A solid malt backbone smooths it out and makes the flavor linger. Not remarkable, but quite enjoyable, and I think 7.5% ABV just passes JeffV's wimp test. Would buy again.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sun Mar 18, 2018 10:26 pm

I had a Citra earlier today from Cigar City Brewery, Tampa, FL. At 5.5% ABV, this unremarkable beer is the epitome of wimpy. I was even in the mood for a citrusy IPA, but this one was a little funky and flat.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 11:39 pm

Uncle Bob's Root Beer Whiskey *2.5
Space Dust IPA | Elysian Brewing

So far.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sat Mar 24, 2018 1:19 am

+ Shiner Black
+ Not Your Father’s Cream Soda

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sat Mar 24, 2018 1:27 am

I was very surprised when my doc said I could drink a beer for my kidney stone. I have not had a single drop of alcohol in going on 3 years.

SO what did I get....only what I started with so many years ago....

A Budweiser tallboy

mori · Post by **mori** » Sat Mar 24, 2018 1:52 pm

Murky Dimensions from Junkyard Brewing in Moorhead, MN. Moorhead is on the MN side of the Red River across from Fargo, ND. Another of these "haze bro" IPAs that are all the rage. I am tired of these under attenuated, overly sweet IPAs. Weighs in at 8.4% ABV but could of gotten at least 9% if they would of fermented in what was the American tradition. I have another one of their IPAs coming up that hopefully is fermented properly.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Sat Mar 24, 2018 3:09 pm

NEIPAs are fantastic, dammit.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sat Mar 24, 2018 3:11 pm

Beer Advocate

For those who aren’t in the know, a NEIPA is essentially an unfiltered IPA or Double IPA that’s been aggressively hopped. Appearance ranges from slightly hazy or cloudy to opaque or muddy. Dry-hopping, the use of high-protein grains (flours, flaked oats, wheat), certain yeast strains, water chemistry, CO2 levels, and other techniques may also contribute to the beer’s haze and mouthfeel. But the overall goal is typically a hazy, juicy IPA packed with fruity and floral flavors.
...
That said, there’s still an open debate about whether or not the NEIPA is a style or if it should be called something else. As far as we’re concerned, the debate has been over for some time now and dumping these beers into the American IPA category doesn’t work.

Consumers have spoken, brewers have embraced it, and everyone already uses the name. So like it or not, the New England India Pale Ale is a style, and one that you’re going to see much more of as brewers continue to jump on the hazy hype train.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sat Mar 24, 2018 4:44 pm

pr0ner wrote: ↑Sat Mar 24, 2018 3:09 pm NEIPAs are fantastic, dammit.

I have come to prefer them, although I still appreciate a piney West Coast IPA as well. Depends on my mood, the weather, what's for dinner, etc. NEIPAs go better with spicy foods, IMO, and are less likely to lead to heartburn.

mori · Post by **mori** » Sat Mar 24, 2018 8:03 pm

pr0ner wrote: ↑Sat Mar 24, 2018 3:09 pm NEIPAs are fantastic, dammit.

I hope it is a fad like black IPAs. At least black IPAs needed some brewing skill to get a good one. NEIPAs are amateurish of the ones I have tried.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Sat Mar 24, 2018 8:21 pm

Trying the latest Sixpoint limited releases today.

V Righteous -- There are a lot of barrel-aged ales and stouts with vanilla these days, and honestly, I've liked every one that I've tried, including this.

Power Ballad -- This is the haziest beer I've ever tried. It looks like orange juice in the glass. I think this is my first New England IPA, and it is as advertised. Really pleasantly floral.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Sat Mar 24, 2018 9:02 pm

mori wrote: ↑Sat Mar 24, 2018 8:03 pm
pr0ner wrote: ↑Sat Mar 24, 2018 3:09 pm NEIPAs are fantastic, dammit.
I hope it is a fad like black IPAs. At least black IPAs needed some brewing skill to get a good one. NEIPAs are amateurish of the ones I have tried.

I love black IPAs too.

And you're being overly dismissive of NEIPAs to claim they don't take brewing skill. Heady Topper or NEIPAs from Aslin or Tree House or Evil Dead or The Veil would not be in such demand if they were amateur hour beers.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:28 pm

Maybe he's just not getting them fresh. They deteriorate noticeably after a few months in cans.

Mori, try Lord Hobo's Consolation Prize or Boom Sauce. They have fairly wide distribution so maybe you can find them, and they turn over quickly too.

mori · Post by **mori** » Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:44 pm

I would not put Heady Topper in with the rest of the NEIPA. Heady is not loaded with adjuncts or under attenuated sweetness. It is just a fine IPA.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:49 pm

mori wrote: ↑Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:44 pm I would not put Heady Topper in with the rest of the NEIPA. Heady is not loaded with adjuncts or under attenuated sweetness. It is just a fine IPA.

The NEIPAs from the breweries I've mentioned here are also fine IPAs.

EvilHomer3k · Post by **EvilHomer3k** » Sun Mar 25, 2018 1:36 am

Lupa Lupa IPA by Dogfishhead. Nice low-key coconut IPA. Very good.

mori · Post by **mori** » Sun Mar 25, 2018 9:50 am

Green Flash puts its Virginia Beach brewery up for sale at auction. I think this can be a cautionary tale for the rest of the industry. Cannot take on a bunch of debt to finance expansion. They pulled out of my state a couple months ago and I cannot say I miss them.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sun Mar 25, 2018 2:32 pm

EvilHomer3k wrote: ↑Sun Mar 25, 2018 1:36 am Lupa Lupa IPA by Dogfishhead. Nice low-key coconut IPA. Very good.

Last year was the year of the mango IPA, this year looks to be coconut. I had the Two Brother's coconut ale at their roundhouse restaurant a month ago and it was pretty good.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sun Mar 25, 2018 2:41 pm

Oscar's Pardon Belgian Style Pale Ale by Haymarket Brewery, Chicago, IL. This is what happens when I pull from the DYO rack without my reading glasses are.

This is pretty much what I'd expect of a Belgian pissed in a can. Mildly over-carbonated but not egregiously so, this flavor free drink also had the alcohol filtered out, leaving behind an anemic 4.5% ABV.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sun Mar 25, 2018 2:50 pm

Drumroll APA by Odell Brewing Co., Ft Collins, CO. The label days "rock star hops of the harvest to craft a bold, juicy, tropically hop forward brew drumming up a citrus inspired rhythm". This is none of those things, more filtered through a gym sock funky than anything citrusy or tropical. The 5.3% ABV offers no reason to be drinking gym sock.

McNutt · Post by **McNutt** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 1:12 am

Even though I was never a big fan of Johnnie Walker Black or Double Black, I had always wanted to try one of their better blends. I decided to splurge a bit and buy a bottle of this:

It's pretty nice and I like it quite a bit. It makes for easy sipping while I'm playing Vermintide II.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 10:12 pm

Harpoon Hoppy Adventure DIPA. It seems that every brewer needs to be on the 4-can shelf for craft cred these days, so Harpoon took a shot at it. I guess Harpoon isn't well known outside of New England; I've seen it treated as exotic by New York transplants as near to home as the Berkshires. Around here, though, it's in the same class as Sam Adams: too big to be a micro, not big enough to be a macro, and insecure in its craft status.

If you're going to have an adventure, it might as well be a hoppy one. Unfortunately, this beer doesn't deliver. It's completely clear, so it missed the NEIPA bandwagon. It's got a little bit of tropical fruit forward, but it's not juicy. There's little to no West Coast style bitterness, either, apart from a faint grassy note. 7.8% ABV is a little timid for a DIPA. All in all it's not that hoppy, and a rather safe adventure, more like a trip to disneyland than an african safari. Maybe my second one will grow on me. It's balanced and not at all bad, and it does have some subtle complexity going on.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Thu Mar 29, 2018 8:50 pm

Continuing my mini-theme of macro micros, Sam Adams Rebel Rouser DIPA. Sam finally nailed a decent crowd-pleasing IPA to compete with Harpoon with Rebel a few years ago. I expected Rebel Rouser to be the same recipe dialed up, but it has more going on than that. Like Harpoon's Hoppy Adventure (which did grow on me after having a couple, btw), this one is clear amber with a pretty nice balance of citrus and pine, malt and grain, and its 8.4% ABV isn't overwhelming. No particular flavor stands out. It's the best thing I've tasted from Sam Adams in quite a while, but not the best thing I've tasted. Still, $10 per 6 is a good price for a DIPA and it's enjoyable enough. Will buy again.

mori · Post by **mori** » Sat Mar 31, 2018 1:21 pm

Sosus DIPA from Toppling Goliath in Decorah, IA. Now this is a proper IPA. Sweetness is fermented out with plenty of hop aroma, flavor, and bitterness. But it was $10.99 for a 750 ml bottle. Too expensive to buy this beer every time it shows up. Toppling Goliath really is the leader in the brewing of IPAs in the Midwest.

EvilHomer3k · Post by **EvilHomer3k** » Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:21 pm

mori wrote: ↑Sat Mar 31, 2018 1:21 pm Sosus DIPA from Toppling Goliath in Decorah, IA. Now this is a proper IPA. Sweetness is fermented out with plenty of hop aroma, flavor, and bitterness. But it was $10.99 for a 750 ml bottle. Too expensive to buy this beer every time it shows up. Toppling Goliath really is the leader in the brewing of IPAs in the Midwest.

Almost all of their 750ml bottles are overpriced. A couple are 7.99 but most are 10+. That said, some are worth it. If you like Psuedo Sue and find King Sue it's awesome. If you want a really great citrus IPA look for their Pompeii. It is $10.99 a 4 pack (16 oz cans) and its fantastic. I like it better than Psuedo Sue (which is my second favorite beer). In general, though, their beer is more expensive than many others but it's very, very good.

I had some Pompeii tonight. It's citrussy and hazy and wonderful. Also got some Lupa-Luau from Dogfishhead. It's quite unique. It's a coconut beer that smells like coconut and has a fairly strong coconut flavor. It's very good but if you don't like coconut, you'll hate it. I love coconut. I do sometimes get a whiff of over-ripe coconut from it but it's fleeting and not something I smell often. If you like coconut give it a try.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:40 pm

Any product that has come within 100 meters of a coconut should bear a skull-and-crossbones warning. I have not seen any of these poisoned beers yet, and will beware of them at the spring beer tasting three weeks from now.

As a small child, I had a traumatic experience with a coconut.

I haven't seen Toppling Goliath beers around here. The Globe reviewed them favorably a few days ago, and said that the brewer has four of the 100 best beers in the world as rated by one of the sites that rates things (Beer Advocate, maybe). I'll see if I can hunt down Pompeii around here.

mori · Post by **mori** » Sun Apr 01, 2018 9:34 am

For some reason I see MA as one of the states you can get Toppling Goliathhttps://www.tgbrews.com/find-our-beer/. Not sure if that is the FL contract brewed stuff if they are still doing that.

mori · Post by **mori** » Sun Apr 01, 2018 9:44 am

EvilHomer3k wrote: ↑Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:21 pm
mori wrote: ↑Sat Mar 31, 2018 1:21 pm Sosus DIPA from Toppling Goliath in Decorah, IA. Now this is a proper IPA. Sweetness is fermented out with plenty of hop aroma, flavor, and bitterness. But it was $10.99 for a 750 ml bottle. Too expensive to buy this beer every time it shows up. Toppling Goliath really is the leader in the brewing of IPAs in the Midwest.
Almost all of their 750ml bottles are overpriced. A couple are 7.99 but most are 10+. That said, some are worth it. If you like Psuedo Sue and find King Sue it's awesome. If you want a really great citrus IPA look for their Pompeii. It is $10.99 a 4 pack (16 oz cans) and its fantastic. I like it better than Psuedo Sue (which is my second favorite beer). In general, though, their beer is more expensive than many others but it's very, very good.

I had some Pompeii tonight. It's citrussy and hazy and wonderful. Also got some Lupa-Luau from Dogfishhead. It's quite unique. It's a coconut beer that smells like coconut and has a fairly strong coconut flavor. It's very good but if you don't like coconut, you'll hate it. I love coconut. I do sometimes get a whiff of over-ripe coconut from it but it's fleeting and not something I smell often. If you like coconut give it a try.

I hate Psuedo Sue and King Sue. Citra hop is not for me unless it is blended with another hop variety to mask the rotting citrus flavor.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Mon Apr 02, 2018 9:09 am

Kraken wrote: ↑Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:40 pm Any product that has come within 100 meters of a coconut should bear a skull-and-crossbones warning. I have not seen any of these poisoned beers yet, and will beware of them at the spring beer tasting three weeks from now.

Two Brothers makes a beer-flavored coconut juice (ABV is too negligible to consider it a coconut beer). It tastes just fine; then again, I hold no animosity towards coconuts.

Binktopia · Post by **Binktopia** » Mon Apr 02, 2018 9:08 pm

First pints of Bells Oberon this week.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Mon Apr 02, 2018 9:26 pm

Still working through the Sixpoint V Righteous that I picked up a couple of weekends ago. At 12.3% abv, it's a Jeff V breakfast tipple.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Tue Apr 03, 2018 8:07 pm

AWS260 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 02, 2018 9:26 pm Still working through the Sixpoint V Righteous that I picked up a couple of weekends ago. At 12.3% abv, it's a Jeff V breakfast tipple.

Does it go better with corn flakes or Cocoa Crispies?

mori · Post by **mori** » Fri Apr 06, 2018 8:16 pm

Bought a 4-pack of Delirium Tremens in cans. Never had a Belgian beer short of Hoegaarden in cans before. I have not had this beer in years. As good as I remember but hard to keep the lees out of the glass pouring from the can. Maybe after settling in my fridge for a couple weeks will settle that all down.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri Apr 06, 2018 9:30 pm

x2 Space Dust IPA | Elysian Brewing Company

Homespun Cream Ale | Shiner

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 12:17 am

Captain Morgan and Cherry Coke Zero.

In abundance.