Octopus Overlords

Scuzz wrote:

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Fri Dec 14, 2018 3:25 am Picked up a Deschutes variety 12-pack for the rental house. Everything except the pale ale has been decent.

Is the pale ale the Mirror Pond?

I have liked that in the past, but to be honest most pale ales nowadays just have no flavor.

It is. To me, it has plenty of flavor. Just not a good one.

Epic Brewing from Utah of all places, Quadrupple Barrel Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout. It is a bit ruined by the heavy coconut flavor added to the beer. Not much from the whiskey and rum barrels. Just too much muddling flavors going on.

We’ve taken barrel-aging to a whole new level by aging shaved coconut, almonds, and Blue Copper’s Colombian coffee beans in fresh whiskey barrels, while our Imperial Stout ages separately in both rum and whiskey barrels. Then, our brewers hand blend each batch creating the most complex and outrageous version of Big Bad Baptist we have ever made.

The Triple Barrel version I had last year was one of the best beers I had in 2017 so I was looking forward to this. Time to turn the dial back.

Scuzz wrote: ↑Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:38 pm I have liked that in the past, but to be honest most pale ales nowadays just have no flavor.

Maybe your tastebuds have been burnt by super-hopped IPAs? I've had plenty of flavorful pale ales, but if I'm having them in a mix with IPAs, I'll drink those first.

Jeff V wrote: ↑Sun Dec 16, 2018 5:34 pm

Scuzz wrote: ↑Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:38 pm I have liked that in the past, but to be honest most pale ales nowadays just have no flavor.

Maybe your tastebuds have been burnt by super-hopped IPAs? I've had plenty of flavorful pale ales, but if I'm having them in a mix with IPAs, I'll drink those first.

Agreed. You have to drink the pale ales first. Don't get me wrong, I like Mirror Pond and will drink Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale.

Scuzz wrote: ↑Sun Dec 16, 2018 8:51 pm

Jeff V wrote: ↑Sun Dec 16, 2018 5:34 pm

Scuzz wrote: ↑Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:38 pm I have liked that in the past, but to be honest most pale ales nowadays just have no flavor.

Maybe your tastebuds have been burnt by super-hopped IPAs? I've had plenty of flavorful pale ales, but if I'm having them in a mix with IPAs, I'll drink those first.

Agreed. You have to drink the pale ales first. Don't get me wrong, I like Mirror Pond and will drink Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale.

Just to emphasize this point with an anecdote, Sunday I had Ballast Point Victory at Sea (vanilla porter, 10% ABV) in the afternoon then in the evening, while waiting for a carry out pizza I had a beer called Vanilla Bitch Slap (reviewed a few weeks ago). When I first reviewed Bitch Slap, I thought the vanilla very profound and, well, in your face. Even hours after the Victory at Sea, however, I could scarcely detect it. I followed that up with a Sweet Water Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee porter, and can't even fairly assess it because by then, I might as well have been drinking cold water.

Jeff V wrote: ↑Tue Dec 18, 2018 10:17 am

Scuzz wrote: ↑Sun Dec 16, 2018 8:51 pm

Jeff V wrote: ↑Sun Dec 16, 2018 5:34 pm

Scuzz wrote: ↑Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:38 pm I have liked that in the past, but to be honest most pale ales nowadays just have no flavor.

Maybe your tastebuds have been burnt by super-hopped IPAs? I've had plenty of flavorful pale ales, but if I'm having them in a mix with IPAs, I'll drink those first.

Agreed. You have to drink the pale ales first. Don't get me wrong, I like Mirror Pond and will drink Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale.

Just to emphasize this point with an anecdote, Sunday I had Ballast Point Victory at Sea (vanilla porter, 10% ABV) in the afternoon then in the evening, while waiting for a carry out pizza I had a beer called Vanilla Bitch Slap (reviewed a few weeks ago). When I first reviewed Bitch Slap, I thought the vanilla very profound and, well, in your face. Even hours after the Victory at Sea, however, I could scarcely detect it. I followed that up with a Sweet Water Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee porter, and can't even fairly assess it because by then, I might as well have been drinking cold water.

Even in drinking IPA's you have to drink them in the proper order. With the "hazy" and "Juicy" versions out there you need to be careful what you start with.

Highland Brewing Black Watch. A tiny bit of Cold Mountain aftertaste, but super tasty and fortifying on cold WNC nights.

Scuzz wrote: ↑Tue Dec 18, 2018 4:11 pm
Even in drinking IPA's you have to drink them in the proper order. With the "hazy" and "Juicy" versions out there you need to be careful what you start with.

True, but if you're like me and always experimenting with shiny new, then it's kind of hard to know the proper order of a particular set until after you've mucked it up.

My 2400th beer review on BeerAdvocate was this beer:

It was good but it was too boozy for me and I think it would of been better if the ABV would of been lower and it let the more subtle flavors come through.

I dunno if I've posted Becky before or not. Piney, malty, a little bit of grapefruit and melon up front. Basically an old-school west coast IPA, but not an especially good one. It does hide its 10% ABV quite well, goes down smooth. In fact, a silky mouthfeel is the one thing it does really well.

Might buy again. Might have bought before.

Deschutes Fresh Haze IPA. Couldn't find anything else interesting at the grocery store the other day, and it's been awhile since I've had a hazy IPA. Not bad, on par I suppose with Sam Adams, which sells for less in 12-packs. 6.5% ABV is minimal, but this is not any sort of premium beer.

Also, what the hell, Binny's? When you told me last time that your Celebration Ale shipment ought to arrive the next day, I thought you were just late to the party. Saturday, still no Celebration. I wound up bringing 2 non-holidays beers to the party.

I do not think I have drank any Celebration Ale this year. I usually get distracted by the new shiny. Fascinating it is in such demand that it disappears from shelves so quickly. A new day and a new Clown Shoes stout.

A Mexican Stout aged in rum and bourbon barrels. I think I am over brewers using rum barrels. It does not work for me anymore. Not much chile spice either. A bit disappointed but at 10% ABV it will get you where you are going.

Light enough for Jeff V Jr. on ABV, this is nice and light body with a good flavor. I can't taste the marshmallow, but my tastebuds have issues.

Last year, Celebration was still plentiful Superbowl Weekend. This has been kind of down year for holiday beers, though. Fistmas may have run its course for me and Anchor was "meh" this year. Boulevard and Shiner were ok (had the Shiner on draft, so no worries about getting last year's leftovers). I've been doing more chocolate and vanilla porters and stouts this year than I have in quite a while, but the price tag is putting me off a lot of them (barrel aged Victory at Sea was $15/4, compared to $14/6 for the non-oaky version). I don't have the beer budget for buying bombers that run the price of a six-pack (or more), so it's been an off year for finding anything new that excites me.

I laid hands on a couple of cases of Celebration before it disappeared. Still have a 12-pack left. Years ago I thought it was just about the Best Beer Ever, but nowadays Celebration is just another very good IPA in a sea of very good IPAs. I was a little bummed when they ran out after two weeks. I got over it.

I bought a 12 of Celebration last night at the supermarket for tonight's party and will pick up another for next Monday. Of the guests expected tonight, I expect a grand total of one beer to be given away; unless the expected guest list changes, next Monday that number drops to zero. That's make it (5) 12 packs this year. If it lingers like last year, that number could go up. I noticed yesterday though that Target is out of 12-packs (they still have 6-packs at $9 per). And that's sort of the crux of it -- Lagunitas has a comparable beer that I've yet to try because they are selling it for $13/6. A few others I've seen are in the same ball park, usually well over $10/6. Celebration is $15.50/12.

Yeah, my packie still has 6-packs of Celebration, but those don't count. I'd rather spend a buck or two more for a 4-pack of something primo.

Wound up going through all but 2 of them on Monday night (an unexpected guest was there who drinks beer - unexpected because he moved to Texas a year ago). Apparently, he'll be over on NYE too, but now I'm thinking to get something else.

After hearing rumors about special things around the holiday, I stopped for lunch at a place known for great draft beer and wasn't disappointed...

Founders KBS - Lucky enough to have this in a bottle a few times over the last two years, but it's even better on draft. Hands down my favorite stout...damn near perfect, and a surprise to find on draft in CT

Maine Beer Company - A Tiny Beautiful Something - Single-hop pale ale made with El Dorado hops, something I've never had before. Really nice, soft, smooth beer with a nice balance of citrus and floral notes. Something different, but also very good. From my experience, the guys at Maine Beer Co can do no wrong...really great beer yet again

It's the holidays, which means I'm in Illinois, which means I'm drinking Illinois beer.

Two Brothers' Outlaw, a nice and straightforward IPA.

Miskatonic Brewery's Catchpenny, a sessionable rye ale. The rye is upfront and clear, but the overall impression is kind of meh. Not bad, but also not something I'd seek out. Honestly, I only bought this because the brewery is in Darien, where I once worked at the local Chuck E. Cheese.

Stone Xocovesa Stout. I love this beer. I posted this beer before in this thread but now it is offered in 12 oz cans instead of bottles. I think they toned down the chile spice over the years which is a bit disappointing but I still find it quite enjoyable.

I'm going here tomorrow night for NYE. Who knows what my Untappd feed will look like when I'm done.

pr0ner wrote: ↑Sun Dec 30, 2018 12:38 pm I'm going here tomorrow night for NYE. Who knows what my Untappd feed will look like when I'm done.

They have a nicely curated tap list even though I do not know a couple of the featured breweries.

mori wrote: ↑Sun Dec 30, 2018 1:31 pm

pr0ner wrote: ↑Sun Dec 30, 2018 12:38 pm I'm going here tomorrow night for NYE. Who knows what my Untappd feed will look like when I'm done.

They have a nicely curated tap list even though I do not know a couple of the featured breweries.

Quite a few of them are local DC or VA breweries, like Bluejacket, Ocelot, The Veil, or Aslin.

I didn't recognize everything either. But I am excited. I think the full tap and bottle menu will be available.

I've been looking forward to trying King Sue ever since its little brother Pseudo Sue became one of my faves a year or two ago. My packie finally got some. It does not disappoint, but at $18.99 per 4-pack it will be a rare treat. Among the best brews out there, IMO.

Do they use different hops than Pseudo Sue? Because I couldn't stand that beer, it tasted horribly skunked to me.

With all day rain projected to freeze the roads into a skating rink, I am drinking coffee tonight. Unfortunately, I'm nearly done with my second thermos and still have 2 1/2 hours to kill.

The wife picked me up a six pack of cans a while back. Everything else is IPA or super hoppy, so I figured that I'd start with this one.

Maybe you got an old batch. King and Pseudo are both citra beers, with the bright, clean citrus taste that you would expect, and a lingering bitterness. Nothing remotely skunky about it. Toppling Goliath dates its beers, so if you try it again make sure you're getting a fresh can. This is among the best beers I've ever had.

Next up:

Permanent Vacation buy Brickstone Brewery, Bourbonnais, IL. Grape-fruity citra beer reminiscent of Lagunitas Lil Sumpin Sumpin but without the alcohol (this is just 6.0%) It was on sale for just $7/6, but now I have to drink them all since the NYE party I bought it for was moved off site.

Clown Shoes always gets points for branding: "In a world full of uncertainty, hardship, and people trying to hold us back, do we need the undead and trademark attorneys too? Clown Shoes says, "No, die, monsters, die!" Forces of darkness brought about a change in the name of this beer, which was released to celebrate our second anniversary, but it still sports signature dark malts, holy water, and malt smoked locally with hickory and ash."

This is one of those thick motor-oil beers. Based on that description I was expecting something less sweet, but I find molasses to be the dominant flavor. It does have a genuine campfire smoke aftertaste that's growing on me. At 10% ABV I'll probably be digging it after the second beer, but based on the first few sips it's hard to characterize. "Complex", I guess. Might buy again, it's a good beer for a cold winter night.

Lord Hobo Meat & Potatoes Dinner Stout. Lord Hobo brews some excellent IPAs (Boom Sauce, Consolation Prize) and charges too much for them. They also brew a lot of average beers at average prices. This is one of the latter. Hoppier than any stout has a right to be, it's closer in character to a black IPA, not roasted or chocolatey or sweet as one would expect. I read that there's a nitro version; maybe that would be better. Probably won't buy again, at least not when I'm looking for a stout.

Found on reddit:

Sierra Nevada Brut IPA. I cracked one of these after having a couple of big IPAs on tap, and it did not fare well in comparison. A pale straw color, clear and watery looking, it had little body or flavor. After my palate adjusted, the second one redeemed itself with a refreshing astringent quality, sort of like a tonic water with a twist of lemon. It's appropriately their spring seasonal, and inappropriately introduced in January. This is not a winter beer at all. Would buy again in the spring, if it hasn't yielded to their summer ale by then.

Kraken wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 12:38 am Sierra Nevada Brut IPA. I cracked one of these after having a couple of big IPAs on tap, and it did not fare well in comparison. A pale straw color, clear and watery looking, it had little body or flavor. After my palate adjusted, the second one redeemed itself with a refreshing astringent quality, sort of like a tonic water with a twist of lemon. It's appropriately their spring seasonal, and inappropriately introduced in January. This is not a winter beer at all. Would buy again in the spring, if it hasn't yielded to their summer ale by then.

After dinner out the other night we went to a little brewery not far from out house. They usually have about a dozen of their own beers on tap. They had their version of the Sierra Nevada Resilience, and they also had a Brut IPA. We tried the Brut and yea, it was lite, kinda champagney and probably would be a better summer beer. I don't know if they made it because Sierra Neveada made one or not, but it was the next day I saw that Sierra Nevada was selling a Brut IPA at the local BevMo.

Scuzz wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 1:58 am We tried the Brut and yea, it was lite, kinda champagney and probably would be a better summer beer.

This seems to be a growing fad, I've seen a handful of Brut IPAs on the shelves. I can't stand champagne, and beer that is in any way reminiscent of it doesn't belong in my house (this is why I revile the Belgian beers so much). I figure I can safely stay away from this trend, although when I see it at a beer tasting, I might give it a shot just because I don't generally knock something unless I tried it.

I am intrigued by the brut IPA and will try the style again when summer gets here. To me, it's like a gose or a sour or a wheat beer -- it won't ever be my everyday beer, but rather an occasional change when I want something light and refreshing that isn't a light IPA or a summer ale. You know, what they call a "lawnmower beer." SN's timing is just bad for this one.

Jeff V wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 10:46 amI can't stand champagne, and beer that is in any way reminiscent of it doesn't belong in my house (this is why I revile the Belgian beers so much).

The Brut IPAs I've had are mostly champagne-like in their effervescence and lightness, and not in their taste. With one exception, they avoid any of that Belgian or farmhouse funk that I seem to recall you not enjoying.

I'm not sold on the Brut IPA trend yet, but it's certainly better to my taste buds than the Hazy/Juicy/New England IPA trend (low bar to clear for me). I picked up a couple of tall boy 4-packs of Brut IPAs from Middle Brow brewing the other day (they're opening a tap room basically at the end of my block, so I figured I should check them out). I've only tried a can of the Brett Brut IPA so far, and this is the exception I mentioned above. Having the brettanomyces in it steps this up a bit in flavor and complexity from the other Brut IPAs I've tried, but it would be a hard pass for Jeff.

On a side note, my parents must have traveled to Wisconsin shortly before Christmas, because they gifted my brother and me each a case of New Glarus Spotted Cow, which is only available north of the border. I hadn't tried this beer in probably 10 years, and I was prepared to be disappointed, but it really is quite solid for what it is. It seems a bit tame by today's standards (and Jeff would scoff at the sub-5% ABV), but it is still a quite tasty brew.

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 1:20 pm The Brut IPAs I've had are mostly champagne-like in their effervescence and lightness, and not in their taste. With one exception, they avoid any of that Belgian or farmhouse funk that I seem to recall you not enjoying.

Oh, not all Belgian beers have that funkiness that I do dislike, but nearly all of them have a champagney ambiance to them which is what I detest the most. The fizziness takes away from the flavor. I've been able to make peace with some tripels (since they tend to be a little richer) but for the most part I avoid Belgian-style anything for the characteristics you ascribe to the Brut IPAs.

Further more, Spotted Cow is only acceptable if your other choices are Lite, Bud Light, Coors Light, and they are out of water.