Whatcha drinking?

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Mon Apr 09, 2018 9:04 pm

Not half bad. I usually stick to more local beers rather than take a flier on an unknown (to me) brewery from the distant land of Oregon, but they were sampling this at the packie on Saturday and I liked it. Nice balance between piney resinous hops and fruity floral hops. Did I mention that it's hoppy? I have a hunch this would be awesome fresh. 6.9% ABV makes it on the higher side of average. IDK who Joe is but I like his beer.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Mon Apr 09, 2018 9:12 pm

On a trip to Total Wine in Alexandria on Friday, I bought 2 6-packs of Cigar City Lager, which is a really easy drinking lager with more flavor than its 4.5% ABV would indicate.

I also did a build your own 6-pack, wherein I bought a Devil's Backbone Black Lager, a Port City Integral IPA, a Heavy Seas Alpha Effect (a hazy IPA), and 3 Dogfish Heads - Romantic Chemistry, Truth Serum, and the all time hop bomb, the 120 Minute IPA.

mori · Post by **mori** » Sun Apr 15, 2018 2:08 pm

Toppling Goliath Brewing Supa' Sumo DIPA. Another $11 bomber from them. And this one was a letdown. It is a 8% ABV beer featuring Citra and Mosaic hops. It is good, but I expected excellent from this brewery and for the price.

Drinking this after getting 15 inches of snow. Hopefully the alcohol will prevent me from getting a heart attack shoveling this heavy, wet snow.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sun Apr 15, 2018 2:53 pm

My packie's spring tasting was yesterday. Thanks to a generous birthday donation from a sponsor and their 15% discount, I was able to buy about a dozen boutique beers that are ordinarily priced out of my reach.

Last night I had a crowler of 50-Year Storm from Widowmaker, the new brewery just up the road. They are starting to get some distribution beyond their tap room, but you still won't find it on retail shelves. It's an excellent NEIPA, made all the better for having been canned just a few hours before the tasting. $12 a quart is on the expensive side, and now that their growing reputation has packed their taproom with millennials I'm disinclined to go there, so this one's a rare treat.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sun Apr 15, 2018 3:33 pm

Lagunitas Imperial Stout, Petaluma, CA. With winter reasserting itself, I'm sliding back to cold weather beers. Medium body, it manages a mocha balance that is neither too sweet or bitter. No burnt flavors at all. The ABV of 9.9% bothers me like Kraken's 2.99 mile walks...can't you put in a touch more effort to roll the odometer?

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sun Apr 15, 2018 4:43 pm

Founders Breakfast Stout, Grand Rapids, MI. It's been awhile since I had this beer...in the interim there was a scandal over a Farina-like baby on the label, for a time the baby was banished but now it's back. The beer, an oatmeal stout with coffee and chocolate flavors is as good as it ever was. At only 8.3% ABV, it's a little less bang for the buck than the Lagunitas ($9/4 as opposed to $4 bomber) but ok if you're starting your day slow after a tequila bender the night before.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Mon Apr 16, 2018 10:07 pm

Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout. I needed a black beer to make New Orleans voodoo shrimp, so I turned my back on a fridge bulging with fancy IPAs and bought a six-pack of these. Figured I ought to kill them off tonight while the weather's still nasty. Sweeter than I usually like, but it was just right for the recipe.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Mon Apr 16, 2018 10:40 pm

Kilchoman Coull Point. A young, peaty whisky, which is Kilchoman's stock in trade. It's been a while since I last had Machir Bay, their other young, peaty whisky, and I honestly couldn't tell you what's different about the Coull Point. Regardless, it's a tasty dram.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Tue Apr 17, 2018 9:08 pm

Sue is the T Rex whose discovery and battle over ownership were chronicled in the documentary "Dinosaur 13." Apparently her legal troubles did not end when she landed in the Field Museum. (According to the rep at the tasting) When Toppling Goliath named this beer, the museum sued (heh); the brewer settled the lawsuit by putting the museum's name on the label and distributing through their gift shop, where it's one of their bestselling products ever.

Interesting backstory, and I had heard a lot of praise for Toppling Goliath, so I stooped to buying a pale ale. I'm glad I did. This is a well balanced, light, refreshing beer with a complex flavor, hazy-fruity-juicy like a NEIPA. It makes me eager to track down some King Sue, whence Pseudo is derived. Will definitely buy this again.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Tue Apr 17, 2018 9:14 pm

It must be a trend starting...beers branded with cultural institutions. The Morton Arboretum has a line of beers in their gift store and cafeteria.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Wed Apr 18, 2018 10:06 pm

Shipyard is the latest brewery to jump on the NEIPA bandwagon (or the latest to come to my attention, anyway; I understand it's been out since last fall). Generally speaking, Shipyard makes a lot of fine beers, but no really outstanding ones, and Finder continues that tradition. The upfront taste is what I expect from a NEIPA, but it has an astringent/bitter aftertaste that isn't right for the style. Not bad, and $11/4 puts it at the lower end of the cost range, but I like the Sam Adams and Harpoon versions better so I probably won't buy this one again. Sorry, Shipyard.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Apr 18, 2018 10:10 pm

Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum + Cherry Coke Zero.

Probably a lot more than I should have had on a school night.

mori · Post by **mori** » Thu Apr 19, 2018 6:41 pm

Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion No. 009. Firestone Walker is new to my market although I have had several beers of theirs previously. This IPA is definitely on the child safe end of the Jeff V spectrum. It is fruity, low bitterness, and dry. It is alright and may try more in the series. I also bought a bottle of Parabola, their barrel-aged stout for $10 for a 12 oz bottle

.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Thu Apr 19, 2018 8:08 pm

Sierra Nevada came out with a new mix pack of "experimental hop" beers. There are 4 varieties in the box; I'll try to sample them all tonight. I'll go from weakest to strongest.

1. Session IPA. Remember this is "experimental hop" as in singular. They probably used one for the batch since this is both flavor and alcohol free (4.6%).

2. Pilsner. Compared to the first one, you can taste the hop and it is floral. Urine colored and child friendly at 5.5%.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Thu Apr 19, 2018 8:25 pm

Want really bad.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Thu Apr 19, 2018 8:51 pm

3. IPA. Cloudy and dank, it's very unremarkable and besides, I don't care for dank. At least 6.7% is an improvement over the others.

4. Double IPA. Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Slightly sweet, beautiful amber color, this one is delicious. I hope in the future I won't have to invest in 9 duds to get 3 of these. 8% ABV is on the light side for doubles though.

Now that spring seems to be finally arriving, I'll have a supply of cooking beers thanks to this 12 pack.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu Apr 19, 2018 9:20 pm

Sierra Nevada beer locator

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Thu Apr 19, 2018 10:45 pm

Their beer is everywhere here. Did I mention I got this at friggen Target?

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 12:06 am

mori wrote: ↑Thu Apr 19, 2018 6:41 pm Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion No. 009. Firestone Walker is new to my market although I have had several beers of theirs previously. This IPA is definitely on the child safe end of the Jeff V spectrum. It is fruity, low bitterness, and dry. It is alright and may try more in the series. I also bought a bottle of Parabola, their barrel-aged stout for $10 for a 12 oz bottle .

I'm pretty sure I've had every version in the series (I may have missed one), but I didn't keep any notes or anything on it, so I can't really compare.

Scuzz · Post by **Scuzz** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 1:37 pm

mori wrote: ↑Thu Apr 19, 2018 6:41 pm Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion No. 009. Firestone Walker is new to my market although I have had several beers of theirs previously. This IPA is definitely on the child safe end of the Jeff V spectrum. It is fruity, low bitterness, and dry. It is alright and may try more in the series. I also bought a bottle of Parabola, their barrel-aged stout for $10 for a 12 oz bottle .

Firestone Walker originated out here, but they recently sold (or partnered) with someone enabling them to build a brewery somewhere in the east. They do have some good beers, and at least out here they make lots of different types.

mori · Post by **mori** » Sat Apr 21, 2018 11:53 am

Scuzz wrote: ↑Fri Apr 20, 2018 1:37 pm
mori wrote: ↑Thu Apr 19, 2018 6:41 pm Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion No. 009. Firestone Walker is new to my market although I have had several beers of theirs previously. This IPA is definitely on the child safe end of the Jeff V spectrum. It is fruity, low bitterness, and dry. It is alright and may try more in the series. I also bought a bottle of Parabola, their barrel-aged stout for $10 for a 12 oz bottle .
Firestone Walker originated out here, but they recently sold (or partnered) with someone enabling them to build a brewery somewhere in the east. They do have some good beers, and at least out here they make lots of different types.

Is this what you are referencing? No idea that they were involved with Duvel, but that is a good family owned business to be involved with.

Yesterday had a pour of Firestone Walker Sucaba. I know the first character is not a S and have no idea what it is or what it represents (further research reveals it is the original beer name (Abacus) spelled backwards with the lead character being a symbol). I was really looking forward to this beer and I was let down. It is a good beer, but it did not reach expectations. Bought a 6-pack of Pivo Pils that I will sample today. See how this compares to our MN pils where we have this style nearly mastered like they do in Bohemia.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sat Apr 21, 2018 6:09 pm

Drinking one of those hard sodas...taste just like a tangerine..no alcohol flavor or burn at all. Its amazing. 4.2% alcohol..the tall boy Budweiser I have in there says 5% abv. Glad my doc said to drink some beer. helps my kidneys.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sat Apr 21, 2018 6:32 pm

You should ask your doc if a sugary drink has the same benefit.

mori · Post by **mori** » Sat Apr 21, 2018 9:08 pm

Drank the Firestone Walker Pivo Pils. Way too hoppy for a good pilsner. But subtlety is not something the buyers of this beer are accustomed to.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sat Apr 21, 2018 10:34 pm

Another hyper-local NEIPA (Lynn, MA). Maybe the haziest NEIPA I've seen yet, its appearance set me up to expect an extraordinary beer, and it just missed that somehow. Quite satisfying anyway.

Lynn, Lynn the city of sin
You never come out the way you came in

You ask for water, but they give you gin
The girls say no, yet they always give in

If you're not bad, they won’t let you in
It’s the damndest city I’ve ever lived in

Lynn, Lynn the city of sin
You never come out the way you came in.

mori · Post by **mori** » Sun Apr 22, 2018 11:39 am

Firestone Walker Parabola. For $10 a 12 oz bottle of imperial stout I expected something magical. It is good but I would not buy another bottle. Interesting that this and their barleywine, Sucuba, have the same underlying licorice and caramel flavor. I think that is why I was not enamored with this beer. It did not really taste like a stout with chocolate and roasted malt.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Mon Apr 23, 2018 10:55 pm

Barrel House Z is another new-ish hyperlocal brewery. Even though they've been distributing for some time now, I hadn't tried their beers before. Barrel-aging is their angle, and that equates to small batches that are constantly changing...meaning that you can't just find one you like and expect to ever see it again. And also meaning that IPAs aren't going to be their main focus. So I was pleased to learn that they do some non-aged beers as well, and I liked Bam Bam at the spring tasting.

That impression was valid. This is quite a pleasurable DIPA, and the 8.8% ABV isn't noticeable until suddenly you realize you had one too many.

I ought to visit their taproom someday. It's less than 5 miles away, half a mile from my favorite local bar.

Scuzz · Post by **Scuzz** » Tue Apr 24, 2018 1:20 pm

There is a BarrelHouse Brewery on the coast.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 5:25 pm

Evil Twin Bushido -- a Berliner weisse with yuzu and chili. Fairly tart, a bit sweet, with just a hint of heat coming through at the end. It's nicely balanced overall, and I like it a lot. Pricey, though ($3.75 for a pint can around here).

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Thu Apr 26, 2018 10:12 pm

Bell City Brewed Awakening. It's a Black Coffee IPA. Quite decent.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/32090/331273/

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Thu Apr 26, 2018 10:24 pm

After the last few hyperlocal beers I reviewed, Castle Island is an import from the faraway land of Needham, which is nearly 10 miles from here. Nice balance between malt and hops, but it suffers after following a Castle Island Keeper IPA that I had on tap earlier tonight. Maybe I just preferred the Keeper because it was draft, and maybe the Hi-Def will grow on me by the bottom of the can. They're both good IPAs anyway.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Thu Apr 26, 2018 10:27 pm

Sounds like something that would come from Scotland

mori · Post by **mori** » Fri Apr 27, 2018 11:36 am

In London drinking real ale. Had 4 different ones so far. My favorite so far is Castle Rock, a session IPA from Fullers. Has that American hop character, but did not totally give up on the malt. Being served on cask and at cellar temperature did not hurt it that is for sure.

Have not experienced the famous British pub culture yet. As soon as I open my mouth with my American accent, I get the cold shoulder. I am now in a pub that feels more what we are use to in North America (The Green Dragon) and everyone is more friendly. This is not even in the touristy part of London.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Fri Apr 27, 2018 12:30 pm

Red Eye Ale from Two Brothers Brewing, Warrenville, IL. Yet another entry in the coffee ale field; this is one of the better ones so far. Perhaps it's because Two Brothers does their own roasting as well (while I'm a coffee snob too, their bag-o-beans at the supermarket are, at $12 about double the price I typically pay). The coffee doesn't overwhelm the hops, but rather blends with them for a smoother drinking beer. At 6.7%, it's not likely to put you to sleep faster than it wakes you up.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Fri Apr 27, 2018 6:02 pm

My beer store has never had Heady Topper, but they just got in a very small number.

My guy there held two aside for me. He is a saint.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Fri Apr 27, 2018 6:35 pm

Wow.

It is delicious.

disarm · Post by **disarm** » Fri Apr 27, 2018 8:10 pm

Holman wrote:Wow.

It is delicious.

Heady Topper is very good, but I actually prefer Focal Banger when it comes comes to Alchemist beers. Congrats on finding a source!

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sat Apr 28, 2018 10:23 pm

New restaurant/bar opened in my old 'hood (Naperville) and since we were out on our anniversary dinner, we decided to check it out. They had a piano duo doing live entertainment (I've seen better).

One of the specials was Space Station Middle Finger by 3 Floyds. It came in a tall-boy draft and was excellent. I seem to recall reviewing it before so I won't repeat myself.

The other beer I had was Hercules Double IPA by Great Divide Brewing. This is my favorite Colorado brewery and they do things "English style" meaning the malt gets equal love to the hops. At 10% ABV, I wish I would have started with it and stayed with it all night.

The restaurant we went to had a Stone Barrel Aged Ale, but alas, we didn't linger to see the jazz lady sing, so dinner was just a couple of glasses of decent Rioja (I've never had a bad one).

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sat Apr 28, 2018 10:29 pm

They didn't have the Pseudo Sue that turned me on to this brewery, nor did they have the King Sue that I still want to try, but there were two IPAs in stock and I remembered reading a good review of this one some weeks ago. The single hop (mosaic) is heavy on the mango, grapefruit, and pineapple notes with a faint trace of piney bitterness. I think I would still prefer Sue, but this is a very tasty consolation if you like juicy IPAs, right up there with the best of them.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Tue May 01, 2018 2:11 pm

Just Another Juicy IPA by Rock Bottom Brewery. Talk about hazy, this NE style beer looked like a combination of beer and milk. The flavor was good, kind of melonny I suppose. But at only 6.8% ABV, it should have been served in a liter stein, not a dinky little tulip glass. Those little glasses should only be used by a proper strong beer in the double-digit range.

Also had their Maibock. I forgot how unexceptional it is.