Whatcha drinking?

[Jeff V]

So today we went to Warren Dunes and I FINALLY got the long-over due opportunity to visit Greenbush Brewery in Sawyer, just minutes away. Sadly, there wasn't time to have dinner there like I had hoped (stupid friend shows up at the dunes 30 minutes before we planned to leave and wound up being there 3 more hours). So it was a grab and dash from their retail store without any sampling opportunities.

Of the 3 varieties I haven't had before, all were sold in 4-packs. I passed on the raspberry one because although I love raspberries, I'm not a fan of them in beer. That left 2. 1825 Ale is a very yeasty ale, with nearly no bitterness. Only 26 IBU although a commendable 9.3% ABV. I would almost classify this as Belgian dreck but thankfully it lacked the fizziness assorted with that incompetent beer country.

Next up was Brother Benjamin Imperial Pale Ale. When we left the dunes and my friend's family behind, that included Max and his brother, Benjamin. The beer says it's brewed with honey, and if you ever had a dark honey that was not sweet, you can tell. This is a beer I could session indefinitely though. 10.1% ABV and 114 IBU places this squarely as my favorite from one of my favorite breweries. Now I'm sad I only bought a 4-pack. Binny's didn't carry these and it's going to be almost a month before I can possibly go there again (3 nights camping, should find time for it!)

[Isgrimnur]

Yestrerday was:

Celis Lime Berliner Weisse - I went in blind, not having heard of the type before. If I had, I never would have tried it. We punched out of a berry version after trying the Celis.

Berliner Weisse (German: Berliner Weiße) is a cloudy, sour beer of around 3% alcohol by volume.

The Celis is over 4% ABV, which makes it suitable for Jeff's kids. Neither my friend nor I have any love for sour beers. Getting through it was a chore.

Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion 013 - this one came through as a nice, light IPA. No complaints on it at all.

Great Raft Rhinestone Life IPA - had a light hoppiness to it, went down easy. Apparently it's a "New England Style Wheat IPA". No complaints here either.

[Rumpy]

Yeah, I'm not a fan of sour beers either. Not sure when the trend started, but I'd think it would be a very niche thing.

[Isgrimnur]

I blame the Belgians.

[Scuzz]

The first time I had a sour I was given a sample by a bar keep in a brew pub. I thought the guy was showing me how they must have had a problem with one of their beers but no, he insisted it was meant to be that way.

[Rumpy]

Yeah, and that's just it. Why in their right mind would any brewer purposefully skunk their beer? Are we to believe these are flying off the shelves? I had bought a sampler 6 pack a few weeks ago to take camping and it included a sour beer. I just did not understand the appeal.

[Smoove_B]

I just did not understand the appeal.

And I'd rather drink a Budweiser than another over-hopped IPA. I love sour beers; I find them refreshing. You can send me anything you don't like.

[Kraken]

I guess I'm neutral on sours. I don't seek them out, but I'll be your friend if you buy me one.

[Rumpy]

I just did not understand the appeal.

And I'd rather drink a Budweiser than another over-hopped IPA. I love sour beers; I find them refreshing. You can send me anything you don't like.

I don't like over-hopped IPAs either. I'd say sours and homb-bomps are are my most disliked styles.

[Jeff V]

Sours are great shot-glass beers, meaning they taste intriguing when you have a shot-glass sample at a beer tasting, but become hard to choke down investing in an entire glass, can or bottle.

[Rumpy]

Yeah, that's a good observation. I'd definitely put them more in the novelty category.

[Isgrimnur]

Only Americans are stupid enough to try and drink them straight.

Berliner Weisse is often served in a bowl-shaped glass[ with flavoured syrups,[such as raspberry (Himbeersirup), or artificial woodruff flavouring (Waldmeistersirup). The beer may also be mixed with other drinks, such as pale lager, in order to balance the sourness.

[Kraken]

Before anyone ever heard of NEIPAs, there were Vermont IPAs, led by legendary Heady Topper. When I took my VT beercation a few years ago I naturally tracked down Heady, but Fiddlehead Brewing was also on my itinerary, and I actually liked their Second Fiddle DIPA even better than Heady. Alas, this was another one of those local/regional brews that one can't find very far from the brewery, and I never had it again. (FIddlehead's regular IPA was undistinguished.)

I was delighted to find one 4-pack at my packie, and I'm even more delighted that it's as good as I remember. To my tastes, this is the perfect beer. "VT IPA" isn't really a thing anymore outside of VT; now it's considered a NEDIPA, and it conforms to that style in being unfiltered and coming on with strong melon/tropical fruit flavor. It resembles a traditional IPA with a sturdy malt backbone and citrus and bitter pine, all nicely balanced and working together. Dangerously drinkable for an 8.2% beer (that's almost double the ABV that I usually drink during the summer...holy hell this is a big beer).

If my packie got it once, I hope they can get it again. I rarely go for doubles, but for this one I'll cheerfully make an exception as often as I can get it.

[Jeff V]

I'm having a double now...I like them a lot but they are typically out of my price range. I make an exception when I visit the brewery like I did with this one. Occasionally Binny's has a DIPA in their pick-6 rack, or a decent price on a major micro like Sierra Nevada. Do you know what's better than a DIPA? A triple IPA. Rarely do you find them outside of high priced bombers, although last year I got a six pack of triple by Sierra Nevada for a reasonable price ($12 IIRC). Best I ever had was at a beer tasting event...Bell's brought a triple not available outside of Michigan (and I never saw it for sale in Michigan) and it was divine.

[Rumpy]

"VT IPA" isn't really a thing anymore outside of VT; now it's considered a NEDIPA, and it conforms to that style in being unfiltered and coming on with strong

I didn't even really know it was a thing, and I've been going to VT many times and sampled some of their many beers and likely came across a VT IPA. But I mentioned before a beer I had a few months ago that was styled as a vermont IPA, said so right on the can. It was delicious.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/41306/179787/

In fact my VT trip is coming up in a few weeks. Always fun roaming the liquor stores to see what's available.

[EvilHomer3k]

Sours are great shot-glass beers, meaning they taste intriguing when you have a shot-glass sample at a beer tasting, but become hard to choke down investing in an entire glass, can or bottle.

My thoughts exactly. Give me a taste and I'm intrigued. Give me a bottle and I'm disgusted.

[AWS260]

Sours are great shot-glass beers, meaning they taste intriguing when you have a shot-glass sample at a beer tasting, but become hard to choke down investing in an entire glass, can or bottle.

My thoughts exactly. Give me a taste and I'm intrigued. Give me a bottle and I'm disgusted.

I really like quite a few sours. DeStihl's Syncopathic is excellent.

[mori]

Before NE IPA swept the craft beer world, sours were the next big thing. Not all sours are created equal however. Many breweries put out kettle sours. Beer that is soured in the brew kettle than boiled to sanitize the brew killing any souring agent before it is left to finish fermenting with traditional ale yeast. Usually these are heavily fruited. They are tart and fruity and little else. They are simple brews that are not worth my time and I dislike them. Traditional sours are brewed like other beers but instead of using ale yeast they use wild strains of yeast and bacteria and aged for long periods of time for these slow acting elements to feed off the sugars to add alcohol and flavors. Usually aged in oak. These beers are complex and robust enough to be savored. The ones I like the most have a funky cheese aroma and flavor and are not fruited.

[Rumpy]

That's interesting, because I've only just started hearing about sours this year and even then it's almost as if they've kind of snuck in on the shelves.

[Jeff V]

That's interesting, because I've only just started hearing about sours this year and even then it's almost as if they've kind of snuck in on the shelves.

Well, Canada is still in the Bronze Age after all. Sours were a big thing a few years ago, and there's even a micro not far from me that specializes in it. It was over a year ago that I sampled some at a beer tasting (maybe from that same brewery), and the trend was starting to flatline in favor of NEIPAs.

[Rumpy]

Huh, I guess we're getting a bit reversed here in Canada as the NEIPAs have appeared first and now it's the sours just starting to make their way. But we're starting to catch up. I think Canada is far more diverse than than it ever was when it comes to craft breweries.

[Daehawk]

[Z-Corn]

Before NE IPA swept the craft beer world, sours were the next big thing. Not all sours are created equal however. Many breweries put out kettle sours. Beer that is soured in the brew kettle than boiled to sanitize the brew killing any souring agent before it is left to finish fermenting with traditional ale yeast. Usually these are heavily fruited. They are tart and fruity and little else. They are simple brews that are not worth my time and I dislike them. Traditional sours are brewed like other beers but instead of using ale yeast they use wild strains of yeast and bacteria and aged for long periods of time for these slow acting elements to feed off the sugars to add alcohol and flavors. Usually aged in oak. These beers are complex and robust enough to be savored. The ones I like the most have a funky cheese aroma and flavor and are not fruited.

Yeah, I don't even bring up my long-time obsession with lambics and gueuzes because none of the philistines here appreciate them.

My dream vacation is a brewery tour throughout Belgium.

One of my favorite flavor descriptors of this style is "horse blanket". Delicious delicious musty horse blanket.

[Rumpy]

One of my favourite beer countries is Belgium. In general I really like Belgian style beers.

[mori]

Belgium sours are not cheap, if you can buy them. Anything from Cantillion is a winner. Many sours or funky beers are not marketed as such at all like Petrus Age Pale or Orval. The longer Orval is stored properly, the more unbelievable it gets. You will wished you aged twice as much as soon as it is gone. But if it ever gets light struck, it is ruined.

[Rumpy]

So, some in Colorado will likely find this amusing. New Belgium Fat Tire is now available in Canada. It's being contract-brewed by Steam Whistle, which itself is a popular brewery. I picked up a 6-pack to bring with me camping. First time I had some was in 2013 while on my way to California. Will see how this compares.

[The Meal]

So, some in Colorado will likely find this amusing. New Belgium Fat Tire is now available in Canada. It's being contract-brewed by Steam Whistle, which itself is a popular brewery. I picked up a 6-pack to bring with me camping. First time I had some was in 2013 while on my way to California. Will see how this compares.

It's okay until you get that aftertaste.

[Jeff V]

It's okay until you get that aftertaste.

Which is then very not okay, so...yeah. I thought you were finally getting better beers up there?

[Rumpy]

Well, depending on how accurate it is, it might or might not have an aftertaste Things can sometimes change during contract-brews.

And Jeff, out of our own brews, sure. They're always improving. The beer landscape isn't the same one you knew anymore. It is frankly much more varied.

[Jeff V]

For your sake, I hope they use something besides recycled septic fluids, which I believe New Belgium uses in their effort to be more "green". (it's a Colorado thing). I think they opened an east coast brewery, and I don't know if their output contains the same nasty funk. It's not just Fat Tire, their other beers have the same wretched after taste, so I have to believe it's the water.

There's a local brewery in my area that has the same issue. They are located on a town that straddles a river whose water and tributaries used to contain signs warning people not to even touch the water it was so toxic. I suspect they are sourcing their water from the same, now somewhat improved, source.

[Isgrimnur]

Coke Zero and Captain Morgan black spiced rum.

[Rumpy]

For your sake, I hope they use something besides recycled septic fluids, which I believe New Belgium uses in their effort to be more "green". (it's a Colorado thing). I think they opened an east coast brewery, and I don't know if their output contains the same nasty funk. It's not just Fat Tire, their other beers have the same wretched after taste, so I have to believe it's the water.

There's a local brewery in my area that has the same issue. They are located on a town that straddles a river whose water and tributaries used to contain signs warning people not to even touch the water it was so toxic. I suspect they are sourcing their water from the same, now somewhat improved, source.

Ahh, I could see why in that case. Well, the Canadian version is contract-brewed in Ontario, so I don't think we'll get the same problem.

[Kraken]

Castle Island (MA) Dynomite is the first beer I've bought this summer that didn't call itself "IPA" or "pale ale." The can says "Explosive additions of Citra spark up this hoppy ale, detonating a citrusy, fruity flavor bomb against a backbone of robust, toasty malt character. Don’t let this style fool you – this beer will punch your tastebuds in the face with its crisp, fiery gusto." Sounds good. Expecting a hop bomb, I was initially taken aback to discover a red ale. This is a thicker, creamier brew than I like in the summer. But it's quite a delicious fall beer. I hope it'll still be on the market when the weather is appropriate.

[Rumpy]

For your sake, I hope they use something besides recycled septic fluids, which I believe New Belgium uses in their effort to be more "green". (it's a Colorado thing). I think they opened an east coast brewery, and I don't know if their output contains the same nasty funk. It's not just Fat Tire, their other beers have the same wretched after taste, so I have to believe it's the water.

There's a local brewery in my area that has the same issue. They are located on a town that straddles a river whose water and tributaries used to contain signs warning people not to even touch the water it was so toxic. I suspect they are sourcing their water from the same, now somewhat improved, source.

Ahh, I could see why in that case. Well, the Canadian version is contract-brewed in Ontario, so I don't think we'll get the same problem.

And I can indeed confirm that this version has no such issue. It just tastes like an amber ale, however unremarkable.

[Scuzz]

I guess I'm neutral on sours. I don't seek them out, but I'll be your friend if you buy me one.

The Meat Market near me (that is the name of the place) had a brewery in doing tastings last week and we talked to the guy behind the counter. His brewery (Full Circle Brewing) makes several good beers and sours. He talked about how he has learned to like certain sours and about how there are two general methods for making them, with one producing a sweeter product than the other. If we ever go down to the brewery I might try one but there is no way I would ever buy any blind.

[Jeff V]

Smells Like A Safety Meeting IPA by Dark Horse Brewing, Marshall, MI. I was in Michigan on vacation last weekend and picked up a couple of six packs that I haven't seen here. Deliciously bitter (moreso than the post 48 IBUs) this delicious 8.5% ABV drinks like a DIPA. My only regret is buying just one of these while wasting money on the other (review upcoming).

[disarm]

I've spent the last week camping in Niagara, NY with my family, including venturing into Canada for a couple days. While I did find some decent local beer from Buffalo, the majority of options were pretty abysmal. We took the kids to a Buffalo Bisons minor league game, and other than a single booth selling a couple mediocre craft beers, the options were Labatt Blue, Labatt Blue Light, Molson, and Molson Light

Canada was even worse...hard to find anything that wasn't a pilsner, light lager, or red ale. Makes me glad I live in New England, where craft beer is delicious and plentiful.

[Rumpy]

Yeah, have to say that it does depend where you go in Canada. Sadly, it's not everywhere you go that you can find good craft beer options.

[Jeff V]

Yeah, have to say that it does depend where you go in Canada. Sadly, it's not everywhere you go that you can find good craft beer options.

By the time your whole country is suitably enlightened, the rest of the world will have moved on to on-demand craft beer delivered via our kitchen smart faucets.

[Rumpy]

Heh, I've already seen that Keurig already has a beer thing. So yeah, matter of time is right.

But seriously Jeff, just because the impression is led by mainstream beers here doesn''t mean the whole country is like that. It's a bit unfair like if I were to judge America's entire beer content via PBR.