Octopus Overlords

Time for a catch-all thread that doesn't fall under the auspices of any of the other alcohol threads I can find.

The GF is working at one of the Dallas Spec's locations, and has access to an excellent selection.

Tonight, I tried the Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A., a rye double IPA from Shmaltz Brewing. 10% ABV and advertised as having been "brewed with an obscene amount of malts & hops".

The initial bitterness is certainly a kick, but it evens out a bit as most IPAs do. After finishing it, it's not bad. I doubt that I'll seek it out again, but I can definitely say that I enjoyed it.

Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale. I normally don't like a lot of autumn/pumpkin varieties (I'll usually stock up on delicious summer brews as hold overs ), but this is ridiculously good. Recommended if it it's available in your area.

Leftover beers from last night's gaming session. Harpoon IPA, Sam Adams Latitude IPA, Gritty McDuff's Pub Ale, and a Troeg's something-or-other IPA.

Next Saturday is my packie's big fall beer tasting -- 100+ beers to sample. Plus, cocktail wieners!

Calypso lemonade...sigh.

I need something to sip while watching The Walking Dead. Last bourbon I had made me puke. Last rum did not. So something in between that goes good with zombies.

But if this is a beer only thread then something in the southern US area. I have normal stuff like grocery and Walmart but also have specialty marts and liqueur stores. But NOT something expensive plz. Im an old Mic lite, Red Dog, Yeungling , Sam Adams person. I don't care for burnt coffee tasing stouts. I hate coffee. More an ale/lager person.

Everything under the sun....

Most recently, a cup of hot chocolate spiked with Kraken Rum, which we've decided is not so expensive in the 1.14L bottle as to make it our "house" rum.

Kraken rum was the last rum I got. I doubt Ill buy another brand of rum again unless it'd a little Appleton Estate to change it up. Right now I cant afford the hard stuff.

I hate IPA's in general, but like the other He-Brew titles. If we're not sticking to beer, a friend from Montana came out to visit a couple of weeks ago and brought locally-distilled Whistlin' Andy rum. I've been enjoying that.

I actually prefer the Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum over the Kraken. Not to say that there's anything wrong with Kraken, I just prefer the taste a bit more.

While camping this past weekend, a buddy brought some wild turkey with honey in it. I generally hate most hard stuff without a mixer (the normal wild turkey being firmly on my list of "not even with a mixer") but this was really pleasant. I'll put it firmly into the sippable category along with Gran Marnier (my current favorite, especially if mixed with cherry coke) and certain brands of brandy.

On the beer front I've recently become a fan of Weihenstephan Hefeweiss. I STRONGLY recommend trying it if you can find it (I have a place that keeps it on tap).

I've grown an unhealthy fondness for ciders now too. I'm having trouble topping the simple goodness of Woodchuck apple cider and their recent fall seasonal tastes like Christmas. The fall seasonal can grow quickly tiresome though, if had too often.

On the ladies' drink front I've fallen for the grasshopper's minty goodness. Being the proud man I am and therefore firmly unwilling to consume this in public, I've purchased the very cheap components to make at home (creme de menthe and creme de cacao with milk as the mixer). I've been told this is Raj's drink of choice on the Big Bang Theory, which only makes it more womanly. But, God help me, I just can't quite you, minty drinks.

When we were in the Cayman Islands a couple of years ago, we brought home a bottle of
for a friend of tlr's who is a rum drinker. I told her we had gotten her something she probably never had but always wanted.

Warning: If you are going to Google it, make sure you include the word "rum".

tgb wrote:When we were in the Cayman Islands a couple of years ago, we brought home a bottle of

Spoiler:

for a friend of tlr's who is a rum drinker. I told her we had gotten her something she probably never had but always wanted.

Warning: If you are going to Google it, make sure you include the word "rum".

Haha, I don't think the word "rum" would abate the onslaught of images. I'll pass, but that's hilarious and the supply of jokes it presents is endless.

Gavin wrote:While camping this past weekend, a buddy brought some wild turkey with honey in it. I generally hate most hard stuff without a mixer (the normal wild turkey being firmly on my list of "not even with a mixer") but this was really pleasant.

Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey is a nice mild sip. It's also good as flavouring for whipped cream. I should get another bottle of that stuff.

silverjon wrote:

Gavin wrote:While camping this past weekend, a buddy brought some wild turkey with honey in it. I generally hate most hard stuff without a mixer (the normal wild turkey being firmly on my list of "not even with a mixer") but this was really pleasant.

Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey is a nice mild sip. It's also good as flavouring for whipped cream. I should get another bottle of that stuff.

My brother in law poured me some of that a couple weeks ago. It was pretty good.

Neither my wife or I are beer people, but we keep an ample supply of the Menage a Trois red blend around - you can't beat it for about 8 bucks a bottle. We also love the (Somewhat pricier) Conundrum white blend.

Our liquor cabinet has a bunch of local stuff - Tito's vodka, Rebecca Creek whiskey etc.

geezer wrote:Neither my wife or I are beer people, but we keep an ample supply of the Menage a Trois red blend around - you can't beat it for about 8 bucks a bottle. We also love the (Somewhat pricier) Conundrum white blend.

I've tried it a few times and just can't get into it. But I think that's just because the only wines I've truly enjoyed aren't bitter or harsh (which rules out the vast majority of wines, I might add). I've seen this grow heavily in popularity as it was the first wine I was recommended. I've found it in even basic wine sections in Seattle, Boston, and Orlando so it is well liked. It just doesn't seem to be particularly strong in any area of flavor so I can't get into it.

Then again, I grew up with a muscadine orchard in my backyard that produced sweet and mellow wine that probably formed my taste for it.

Tonight, I'm breaking into the six-pack of the Woodchuck Private Reserve Pumpkin Cider.

The flavor isn't strong, and I'd say that I'm not really getting a pumpkin flavor out of it. Meh. It's drinkable.

Back to Sierra Nevada Tumbler for me tonight.

Having a Red Oak. A beer brewed out of Whitsett, NC. Due to their strict adherence to not using preservatives, it can only be shipped in a certain radius around Greensboro, so when I go up that way I make sure to buy a case. Nothing fancy, but very smooth simple beer that is perfect for chilling out and watching a Presidential debate.

I saw packs of Sam Adams Octoberfest in Walgreens today. is that good? Worth $8.99 a sixer? And what's it taste similar to?

1978 Port, not sure from what vineyard, but it is smooth as a baby's bottom. Damn. Looks to be stenciled lettering on the bottle.

Ironically, my wife, who is from Porto, doesn't care for the stuff (too sweet - she likes her alcoholic beverages very dry). Trying to think of an appropriate analogy for something here, but having trouble. Maybe if an American said "I don't like hamburgers and Coke", but that's not even strong enough, because those things aren't really tied to a sense of national pride. Hmmm...do we even have a food or drink like that? "Fast food" as a genre maybe.

On the beer side, I have really taken to Shiner Hefeweizen (sp?). I think I have found my new favorite beer type, which is the Hefeweizen (assuming that's a region in Germany). I have tried several different ones in the past year, and have loved every one. I picked this Shiner version because it's relatively inexpensive, whereas the others I tried were at least 50% more expensive.

I also recently re-discovered that I absolutely abhor IPA's. After asking for a recommendation in a bar in Stockholm (I didn't recognize even one of the many beers on tap) I got one At $10 for a smallish sized beer, I felt I had to drink the whole thing, which only further intensified the hate.

Daehawk wrote:I saw packs of Sam Adams Octoberfest in Walgreens today. is that good? Worth $8.99 a sixer? And what's it taste similar to?

I prefer Spaten's variety to Sam Adams. Per my notes, I found the SA version to be "mediocre". I'd recommend Franconia and St. Arnolds over SA. I didn't find there to be much to Leinenkugels version. Bear in mind that these are opinions from last year's offerings.

Daehawk wrote:I saw packs of Sam Adams Octoberfest in Walgreens today. is that good? Worth $8.99 a sixer? And what's it taste similar to?

It's too sweet for my taste, but some people like that. I drink it on tap sometimes because it's ubiquitous around here, but it's never my first choice. It's decent stuff, just nothing special.

I dont think I've ever had a seasonal beer. The last good beer I had was amber bock.

Well then go ahead and invest the nine bucks. It's a decent introduction to the octoberfest style because it's designed to be a crowd pleaser.

Carpet_pissr wrote:I think I have found my new favorite beer type, which is the Hefeweizen (assuming that's a region in Germany).

Nope, it's a type of wheat beer (means "yeast-wheat"). Liking Hefeweizens coupled with disliking IPAs indicates to me that you're not fond of hoppy beer. Which isn't to say that all hop-notes will taste bad to you, but you don't like it to be dominant.

I'm not big on hops either. Hefs are hit and miss for me because they can taste of banana, which is inexplicably pretty much my most hated foodstuff. If I find one I like though, I'm very happy. There are various other wheat beer options.

You may also find you like a strong malty beer, like a Scottish ale ("wee heavy"). You may wish to go dark and experiment with porters and stouts.

silverjon wrote:

Carpet_pissr wrote:I think I have found my new favorite beer type, which is the Hefeweizen (assuming that's a region in Germany).

Nope, it's a type of wheat beer (means "yeast-wheat"). Liking Hefeweizens coupled with disliking IPAs indicates to me that you're not fond of hoppy beer. Which isn't to say that all hop-notes will taste bad to you, but you don't like it to be dominant.

I'm not big on hops either. Hefs are hit and miss for me because they can taste of banana, which is inexplicably pretty much my most hated foodstuff. If I find one I like though, I'm very happy. There are various other wheat beer options.

You may also find you like a strong malty beer, like a Scottish ale ("wee heavy"). You may wish to go dark and experiment with porters and stouts.

Ah, thanks.

I definitely do like wheat beers in general, and enjoy dark every once in a while, but not "black" (though admittedly my exposure to those has been minimal)

silverjon wrote:

Carpet_pissr wrote:I think I have found my new favorite beer type, which is the Hefeweizen (assuming that's a region in Germany).

Nope, it's a type of wheat beer (means "yeast-wheat"). Liking Hefeweizens coupled with disliking IPAs indicates to me that you're not fond of hoppy beer. Which isn't to say that all hop-notes will taste bad to you, but you don't like it to be dominant.

I'm not big on hops either. Hefs are hit and miss for me because they can taste of banana, which is inexplicably pretty much my most hated foodstuff. If I find one I like though, I'm very happy. There are various other wheat beer options.

You may also find you like a strong malty beer, like a Scottish ale ("wee heavy"). You may wish to go dark and experiment with porters and stouts.

Hmm, I'm not entirely sure on that, I strongly dislike IPA's but love a strong oaty taste in a beer. It's the bitterness that'll get to me. It's why I don't like Guiness by itself but consider it a prime desert when mixing it with something like a smithwick or harps.

Yup - the bitterness is the turnoff for me. And the double (or extra-strong, or however they are classified, when they are REALLY hoppy) IPA's...whoo. Man, I don't see how people drink those.

Gavin wrote:Hmm, I'm not entirely sure on that, I strongly dislike IPA's but love a strong oaty taste in a beer. It's the bitterness that'll get to me. It's why I don't like Guiness by itself but consider it a prime desert when mixing it with something like a smithwick or harps.

Welp, hops are bitter, so IPAs are gonna be bitter. Not much point in continuing to try them if you don't like that.

Some stouts are bitter, but not all. That's why I said "experiment" with those.

Arrogant Bastard Ale or Brooklyn Local 1 Ale

Cockburn's Ruby Port has become my middle aged daily tipple

silverjon wrote:Welp, hops are bitter, so IPAs are gonna be bitter. Not much point in continuing to try them if you don't like that.

Some stouts are bitter, but not all. That's why I said "experiment" with those.

Hmm, so what contributes to the oaty taste? I've eaten hops before and I assumed it was them. If it is hops, then how do I have extremely hoppy/oaty tasting beers that I love that also aren't bitter?

You're not talking about an actual oatmeal stout?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stout#Oatmeal_stout" target="_blank

Oats can be bitter. Lots of hops will definitely be bitter.

Carpet_pissr wrote:Yup - the bitterness is the turnoff for me. And the double (or extra-strong, or however they are classified, when they are REALLY hoppy) IPA's...whoo. Man, I don't see how people drink those.

Some of us are thrill-seekers.

Double or imperial IPAs are classified that way because of their high alcohol content. The astringency complements bitter hoppiness nicely. But a heavily-hopped, West Coast-style IPA kind of nukes your taste buds. When extreme bitterness drowns out other flavor notes and becomes all you can taste, other beers become relatively flavorless.

I like strongly-hopped IPAs sometimes, but as a rule prefer them more balanced with some malt and grain flavor as well.

Drinking water but in my mind it's a home made margarita.

Ice in a big tall glass, glass stirrer
About 1/2 organic lemonade
2oz or more of blanco/silver 100% agave tequila
Splash (1oz or 2) of triple sec
Splash (about 1oz) of limoncello
Squirt (over 2oz) of Real Lemon
Squirt (little less than 2oz) of Real Lime
Top off with lemonade if there is room

This mix has made me more friends and helped me keep friends and family I already have The measurements are not exact because it will taste about the same as long as it's in the ballpark.

Picked up a 4pack of New Holland Black Tulip this past weekend.

4 more nights remain of unsupervised beer drinking before my anti-beer wife arrives. I am presently enjoying my all-time favorite seasonal beer, Capital Brewery's Autumnal Fire, a smooth, rich doppelbock. Tomorrow, I'm going out with some folks from work to Two Brother's Brewery. I've enjoyed their bottled beers for years, now that I work close to the brewery, it's time to drink from the source. They don't typically sell seasonal beers in stores, but I wonder if they might have some on tap.

My latest nectar is Gulden Draak. It is unbelievable.

Hard Rock Hurricane with dinner out for the gf's birthday while she has a pomegranate martini.

Gavin wrote:

silverjon wrote:Welp, hops are bitter, so IPAs are gonna be bitter. Not much point in continuing to try them if you don't like that.

Some stouts are bitter, but not all. That's why I said "experiment" with those.

Hmm, so what contributes to the oaty taste? I've eaten hops before and I assumed it was them. If it is hops, then how do I have extremely hoppy/oaty tasting beers that I love that also aren't bitter?

Are you sure you've eaten hops? They are a green flower cone from the hop bine. They aren't really palatable on their own. Hops are the primary bittering agent in beer, and also contribute citrus/floral/spicy flavors and aromas.




If it isn't oats themselves, it's probably the malted barley giving the oaty taste.

Ale