Whatcha drinking?

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 10:34 pm

Now the Profanity Ale is sold out, too, and winter beers are yielding to spring seasonals. I picked up Troeg's Blizzard of Hops in honor of today's snowstorm largely because the options have constricted so much in the past couple of weeks. It's an easy drinking beer, not as hoppy as its supposed 80 IBU led me to expect. Not my most favoritest ever but pretty good. Dunno what makes it a "winter IPA" though, apart from being an IPA in the winter.

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 1:35 am

Kraken wrote:Now the Profanity Ale is sold out, too, and winter beers are yielding to spring seasonals. I picked up Troeg's Blizzard of Hops in honor of today's snowstorm largely because the options have constricted so much in the past couple of weeks. It's an easy drinking beer, not as hoppy as its supposed 80 IBU led me to expect. Not my most favoritest ever but pretty good. Dunno what makes it a "winter IPA" though, apart from being an IPA in the winter.

My guess is they're just playing up to the suckers who buy into the seasonal beer scam.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 3:03 am

ImLawBoy wrote:
Kraken wrote:Now the Profanity Ale is sold out, too, and winter beers are yielding to spring seasonals. I picked up Troeg's Blizzard of Hops in honor of today's snowstorm largely because the options have constricted so much in the past couple of weeks. It's an easy drinking beer, not as hoppy as its supposed 80 IBU led me to expect. Not my most favoritest ever but pretty good. Dunno what makes it a "winter IPA" though, apart from being an IPA in the winter.
My guess is they're just playing up to the suckers who buy into the seasonal beer scam.

After the third one it tasted pretty great. The hops deliver a lot of flavor without much bitterness. But yeah, the "winter IPA" angle is just because.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 11:31 pm

EvilHomer3k wrote:Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA. Fuck yeah. If you live on the east coast and you aren't buying the shit out of this I don't think we can be friends.

Is it different on the east coast compared with the Midwest? I liked it well enough, but it's probably been 8-10 years since I last bought it. 60 minute is more ubiquitous on tap.

I just saw a new Dogfishhead beer at the supermarket yesterday. After a couple of their beers didn't resonate, I won't invest in a whole six pack, but I'll keep my eye open for singles in the DYO bins.

Sudy · Post by **Sudy** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 12:01 am

Robinsons Trooper Red ’n’ Black (AKA the third Iron Maiden beer)

It's a pretty good porter. It's also a pretty good song... should have listened to it while drinking.

Sudy · Post by **Sudy** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 12:42 am

It's not bad. A red ale with some bitterness.

EvilHomer3k · Post by **EvilHomer3k** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 11:14 am

Jeff V wrote:
EvilHomer3k wrote:Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA. Fuck yeah. If you live on the east coast and you aren't buying the shit out of this I don't think we can be friends.
Is it different on the east coast compared with the Midwest? I liked it well enough, but it's probably been 8-10 years since I last bought it. 60 minute is more ubiquitous on tap.

I just saw a new Dogfishhead beer at the supermarket yesterday. After a couple of their beers didn't resonate, I won't invest in a whole six pack, but I'll keep my eye open for singles in the DYO bins.

8-10 years ago it would have been one of the few IIPAs around (at least for me it was). 60 Minute is good. Very good, imo. 90 minute is fantastic. Wonderful balance of alcohol, hops, and malt. The hops don't hit you like a brick wall as they do with a lot of IPAs but the flavor is definitely there. It has some of the feel of a good trappist ale with the notes of raisin. It has a Jeff Pleasing 9% ABV.

Everyone's tastes are different, though. It may not be the type of hops you like or too malty or something. Some of it, for me, is the difficulty in acquiring it. Whenever I can get it, it's a treat. I do feel like it's really got some of the same qualities of a trappist ale so if you don't care for those I think your joy will be diminished.

DFH's Double IPA (I believe it's called simply Dogfish Head Ale), is just fine and not something I'd get again.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 11:05 pm

Tried a Sam Adams Hopscape ("hoppy wheat ale") on tap tonight.

Meh.

In fairness, it followed an IPA. Maybe I would have liked it better if I'd started with it or if I'd had more than one. Probably not something I'll be buying again though.

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Thu Jan 12, 2017 2:14 am

Sudy Nym wrote:

Robinsons Trooper Red ’n’ Black (AKA the third Iron Maiden beer)

It's a pretty good porter. It's also a pretty good song... should have listened to it while drinking.

I collect the heavy metal beers and I can tell you, this is a really nice beer I'd buy a 6 of.

Nice beer, the best song off their last album, and my #2 metal band of all time.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Thu Jan 12, 2017 9:43 am

I have a glass from them in my glassware collection. It came free with a tasting at World of Beer a few years ago; not a terribly interesting glass and the beer at the time was some non-descript ale that I don't recall ever seeing elsewhere in the wild. I'm also rather ambivalent towards the band, so it doesn't have the music going for it either.

What is the flavor profile like? I find porters to be among the riskiest beers to order unless you are familiar with the particular beer you're ordering. Coffee, caramel, chocolate are all flavors I don't mind in a porter, but smoke makes me retch.

Sudy · Post by **Sudy** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 1:11 am

No smoke that I recall (and I would know, from my disastrous rauchbier experiment). I'm not the most accomplished taster though... all I know is that I enjoyed it, and I'm not crazy about porters. But there have to be better options out there if you're not interested in the Iron Maiden connection.

I was a bit turned off when I looked it up online and Bruce Dickinson was quoted as saying, "I like tasting outside the box. Stouts and porters were virgin territory for me so I just went by feel. Martyn and I hope we have created a new take on a classic beer and one which I hope will tickle the taste buds of ale fans in a pleasantly unexpected way.” So, it really is all just about marketing then.... But hey, the art's still awesome.

This is the metal beer I want to get my hands on.... It was always the joke I made when drinking Unibroue's La Fin du Monde anyway.

hentzau · Post by **hentzau** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:16 am

Mountain Dew. As I try and stay awake.

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:56 am

Sudy Nym wrote:No smoke that I recall (and I would know, from my disastrous rauchbier experiment). I'm not the most accomplished taster though... all I know is that I enjoyed it, and I'm not crazy about porters. But there have to be better options out there if you're not interested in the Iron Maiden connection.

I was a bit turned off when I looked it up online and Bruce Dickinson was quoted as saying, "I like tasting outside the box. Stouts and porters were virgin territory for me so I just went by feel. Martyn and I hope we have created a new take on a classic beer and one which I hope will tickle the taste buds of ale fans in a pleasantly unexpected way.” So, it really is all just about marketing then.... But hey, the art's still awesome.

This is the metal beer I want to get my hands on.... It was always the joke I made when drinking Unibroue's La Fin du Monde anyway.

I've been trying to find that exact beer!!

I went out to two of my favorite stores that said they had them, but sadly not.

I did however, luck into this one

mori · Post by **mori** » Sun Jan 15, 2017 1:39 pm

Avery Uncle Jacob's Stout. A 17.1% ABV stout aged in bourbon barrels. This is one oaky beer that dominated the flavor. Also too boozy that could of used a few years of age to let it mellow out a bit. Not bad but I had much better barrel-aged beers.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Thu Jan 19, 2017 11:37 pm

Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp this year is a "golden IPA", which I gather is a thing now.

Something about the body reminds me more of a lager than an ale. Nothing bold or memorable here, just a nicely balanced, refreshing beer. Might buy again if my packy restocks -- they were just about out when I bought my 12-pack -- but it's not worth seeking out.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 10:46 am

Kraken wrote:Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp this year is a "golden IPA", which I gather is a thing now.

Something about the body reminds me more of a lager than an ale. Nothing bold or memorable here, just a nicely balanced, refreshing beer. Might buy again if my packy restocks -- they were just about out when I bought my 12-pack -- but it's not worth seeking out.

I bought this too last night, and yeah, it's quite unremarkable. $14.50/12 pack, not on sale. Might get it again on sale but it's no where near as delicious as the last two Beer Camps.

The beer was the exact same shade of urine matching my wife's apple juice. Rarely is that a harbinger of good things to come. But it did go well with the hot wings we made for dinner last night.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sat Jan 21, 2017 11:43 pm

Another thoroughly meh spring beer. Not much to say about it except Meh. Of the three spring seasonals I've tried -- Sams, SN, and Harpoon -- this one is the Meh-est. Makes me wonder who sat down and decided that this spring's beers should be bland and boring.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 8:41 pm

Kraken wrote:Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp this year is a "golden IPA", which I gather is a thing now.

Watch your bottles - apparently there was a recall:

The California-based company issued the voluntary recall after quality inspections at its Mills River, North Carolina, brewery detected a limited number of bottles made with a flaw "that may cause a small piece of glass to break off and possibly fall into the bottle, creating a risk of injury," the statement said.

The affected beer has a package date that falls between Dec. 5, 2016, and Jan. 13, 2017 and a brewery code of "M'' — which stands of Mills River — printed directly on bottles and the packaging of cardboard cases.

...

Aside from its Pale Ale, the Sierra Nevada recall includes 12-ounce bottles of its Beer Camp Golden IPA, Sidecar Orange Pale Ale, Torpedo Extra IPA, Tropical Torpedo, Nooner, Hop Hunter and Otra Vez.

Sounds like very low risk, but not worth drinking glass.

Grundbegriff · Post by **Grundbegriff** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 8:43 pm

For me, 2017 will be A Year Without Beer™. So I'm enjoying armagnac.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 10:04 pm

Smoove_B wrote:
Kraken wrote:Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp this year is a "golden IPA", which I gather is a thing now.
Watch your bottles - apparently there was a recall:

The California-based company issued the voluntary recall after quality inspections at its Mills River, North Carolina, brewery detected a limited number of bottles made with a flaw "that may cause a small piece of glass to break off and possibly fall into the bottle, creating a risk of injury," the statement said.

The affected beer has a package date that falls between Dec. 5, 2016, and Jan. 13, 2017 and a brewery code of "M'' — which stands of Mills River — printed directly on bottles and the packaging of cardboard cases.

...

Aside from its Pale Ale, the Sierra Nevada recall includes 12-ounce bottles of its Beer Camp Golden IPA, Sidecar Orange Pale Ale, Torpedo Extra IPA, Tropical Torpedo, Nooner, Hop Hunter and Otra Vez.
Sounds like very low risk, but not worth drinking glass.

I'll have to check my stash. I found a couple of Celebration Ale 12-pack stragglers and picked up another Hop Hunter as well.

Beer Camp was the best of the three spring beers I've tried so far, and I didn't choke on it, but that's setting a low bar.

Grundbegriff wrote:For me, 2017 will be A Year Without Beer™.

Thanks, Trump?

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 10:41 pm

I'll have to check my Tropical Torpedo I bought yesterday. Maybe the glass shards are why it was on sale.

At any rate, I enjoyed it. Nothing to really blow my skirt up (I think I enjoyed last year's Beer Camp tropical more), but good enough to serve as my casual beer.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 10:50 pm

North Coast Old Rasputin Nitro (Imp. stout) - good flavor
Lagunitas Cappucino Stout - decent, strong coffee flavor
Boulevard The Calling IPA - decent IPA example

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Mon Jan 23, 2017 12:41 pm

I can't find out how one actually gets reimbursed for this recall. I'll gladly dump the last 6 bottles of the Beer Camp I bought if I'll be reimbursed for all 12. Regardless, the Beer Camp line has now completely lost its trust with me, I'll no longer invest in a whole 12 back without sampling a bottle first.

mori · Post by **mori** » Mon Jan 23, 2017 7:44 pm

New Belgium Voodoo Ranger IPA. Picked up a 12-pack of 12oz cans for $13.99. Same base beer but with different hops. Instead of Ranger's pine resin and citrus, this is tropical fruit and dank. It is good but I prefer regular Ranger. I am sure it still has the anti-Jeff V flavor.

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Tue Jan 24, 2017 12:27 am

mori wrote:New Belgium Voodoo Ranger IPA. Picked up a 12-pack of 12oz cans for $13.99. Same base beer but with different hops. Instead of Ranger's pine resin and citrus, this is tropical fruit and dank. It is good but I prefer regular Ranger. I am sure it still has the anti-Jeff V flavor.

I've been thinking of grabbing a six and I might do so this week.

I might even poor a little out for my homie Jeff

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Tue Jan 24, 2017 2:16 am

As I reach the bottom of the 12-pack, Harpoon's spring beer is growing on me. When brewers put "hoppy" in the beer's name or tagline, they set up IPA expectations and disappoint me when they're something else. This is a fairly tasty beer once I got past that.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Tue Jan 24, 2017 10:48 am

I carefully inspected the bottle of that SN Beer Camp, and could not find any of the markings they say might indicate it was made in NC. The date was 12/13. Looking at the bottle made me thirsty so I drank it, and decided broken glass could only improve the flavor.

Sudy · Post by **Sudy** » Tue Jan 24, 2017 10:33 pm

It's fine. It's a Bock, if you're into that sort of thing. I've discovered that I'm not. I'll drink it, but it has that malty sweetness that for some reason I like when it's in an ale, but I don't care for when it's a lager.

This... I am decidedly not enjoying. One reviewer described it as "infected", and I'm wondering if that's indeed what I've got. There's a musty aroma and a touch of sourness. Unless that's indeed a characteristic of the Altbier style. I can't recall if I've tried one before, but I know it literally translates to "old beer", or alternatively "high" in referring to the rising yeast.

Edit: It's attenuating a bit as I get into it. The unappealing aroma is, surprisingly, all but gone.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Wed Jan 25, 2017 1:30 am

Ahh, nice to see Stack get your way. It's my local brewery

Yeah, as for that particular one. It's not my favourite. I don't find it particularly special. There are others in their roster that are much better. La Cloche is one of my favourites that is distributed to the LCBO if you can get your hands on it.

Sudy · Post by **Sudy** » Wed Jan 25, 2017 2:06 am

Hmm, I don't think I saw that one. I pretty much put anything with "Belgian" in its name in my cart by default presuming it's not Stella Artois.

But I shall double-check next time.

Sudy · Post by **Sudy** » Thu Jan 26, 2017 1:17 am

This is really, really good. You see "brown ale" and think it's going to be bland, but this is anything but. A nice carbonated bite and good balanced bitterness.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Thu Jan 26, 2017 1:29 am

I'll have to keep an eye out for that one. Thanks for the recommendation, Sudy. I think I saw it in the recent flyer?

Sudy · Post by **Sudy** » Thu Jan 26, 2017 2:12 am

Hmm, I'm not sure. And I can't seem to find it online. All I've ever seen locally is Flying Monkey's IPA, and not being an IPA drinker unless I know it's going to be citrus and not pine, I avoided it. After how good this is, I'll try a can of anything of theirs I see.

Don't get me wrong, it's still just a brown ale... nothing crazy. But it's a damn good brown ale. I'll have to get some more to confirm my opinion, but I could see this becoming my regular along with Taps Brewing's Rye Not? and Innis and Gunn's Original.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Thu Jan 26, 2017 3:15 pm

Sudy Nym wrote: All I've ever seen locally is Flying Monkey's IPA, and not being an IPA drinker unless I know it's going to be citrus and not pine, I avoided it.

Yeah, I think they've flooded the market (Flying Monkey's IPA, that is). I've always found IPAs to be summer beers, and I like my seasonals. Despite that, I feel winter IPAs are in an upward trend.

The brown ale does sound really good. I really want to find it now

Sudy · Post by **Sudy** » Sat Jan 28, 2017 1:44 am

It's a good ESB. Not outstanding, but if you like an ESB (and I do), it's very enjoyable. Would definitely consider picking it up again.

Sudy · Post by **Sudy** » Sat Jan 28, 2017 2:25 am

It's not bad, but still not a fan of German beers in general.

RunningMn9 · Post by **RunningMn9** » Sat Jan 28, 2017 9:21 am

Picked up a bottle of Hanssens Oude Kriek last night. I've had it before, and if you're into sours, it's incredible.

mori · Post by **mori** » Sat Jan 28, 2017 7:58 pm

Steel Toe Lunker is a barrel-aged English Barleywine. A somewhat local brewery to me that I try to give as much love and money as I can. This is my favorite beer that they brew. A strong English ale aged in Templeton Rye Whisky barrels. I buy a couple bottles, at $20 a pop, every release. This one is a 2015. The oaky, woody nature is really coming to the forefront which reminds me I should drink this fresh. I got a few more to drink in the coming weeks then.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sat Jan 28, 2017 9:40 pm

True story - I've been drinking beer now for like 25 years and I've never had a milk stout. I picked up a six pack of the Guinness Brewer's Project Milk Stout to give it a whirl and I'm really enjoying it. Stouts aren't normally something I'd enjoy (it's the slight bitterness that throws me), though in the winter (colder) months they're definitely something I will have occasionally. Hats off to anyone that drinks these in July. Regardless, the slight sweetness to the stout is a perfect balance and I now feel like I have a whole new category of beers to enjoy before temperatures get back to Gose weather.

EvilHomer3k · Post by **EvilHomer3k** » Sat Jan 28, 2017 10:59 pm

Just some basic Bell's Two Hearted and some Confluence Des Moines IPA. I usually don't buy the DM IPA but it was on clearance ($5 from 9.99 for a 32 oz mini-growler). Bells is always good and I like the DM IPA quite a bit as well. It's not a fantastic beer but very good. Similar to Summit Saga or Bell's Two Hearted.