Whatcha drinking?

[Jeff V]

Lord Octopus DIPA by Hop Butcher for the World, Darien, IL. A double-mosaic, this beer left a sour taste in my mouth. Not lemony sour, or even what you'd get in a sour beer. It's the kind of sour you get from spoiled milk. That and the basic mosaic funk that provides neither pineyness nor citrus flavors, this 7.5% effort doesn't offer much at all. Disappointed at the Overlords for letting this beer take their name in vain.

[Jeff V]

Baby Kittens NEIPA by Fat Orange Cat, North Haven, CT. A good example of this species, this is a fruity, hazy, juicy IPA with a 6.5% ABV. Nothing superlative to say, nothing negative, either.

[Jeff V]

Pinch of Grace by Two Brothers Brewing, Warrenville, IL. Made with "citrus peel" (and while the citrus was strong, the peel was unidentifiable) and vanilla, it comes up a touch of orange short of a Dreamsicle. 7.0% ABV isn't bad though. Found it on sale at Aldi's, probably wouldn't pay retail price but it's a nice, drinkable beer.

[Sudy]

Lonetree Authentic Dry Cider

This one impressed me a lot with its bright golden delicious flavour that fades into a malty aftertaste, though I was a little disappointed when I saw "natrual flavour" on the ingredients list. On the other hand, if it tastes good, who cares?

[Jeff V]

NvU vs The Haze DIPA by Pipeworks Brewing, Chicago. The blurb on the can explaining the confusing name reads like something LM would post after a few drinks. It was not helpful. The beer itself is ok, the flavor is pure grapefruit juice, it is unfiltered, and has a reasonable 8% ABV

[Isgrimnur]

[Jeff V]

Mozango IPA by Lagunitas Brewing Co., Chicago. Made with my nemesis mosaic hops and mango juice, the juice does a good job tempering the funkiness of the mosaic. 7.7% sold in reasonably priced bombers, it's a nice summer beer.

[Scuzz]

So I got a 12 pack with 4 of each of these. The Space Dust I have had before, and it is very good. A good high ABV DIPA. The others are a little harder to recommend. It is almost as if they were afraid to make the beers too flavorful, as they both start well and then just die off.

[Jeff V]

Following Scuzz' lead, Elysian Contact Haze, Elysian Brewing, Seattle WA (and elsewhere). I picked this one up on the cheap(ish) at Walmart of all places, but like all other Elysian beers I've had, they think too highly of themselves. I still overpaid for a beer that's (1) not particularly hazy (2) has fleeting fruit flavors, along the lines of flavored water and (3) an anemic 6.0% ABV, also along the lines of flavored water. Their beers just aren't good enough, they need to be at the $10/6 or less range before I feel I'm getting proper value.

[Kraken]

Cloud Candy, Mighty Squirrel Brewing Co. out of Waltham, MA. IDK if they have wide distribution, but they certainly have deep penetration locally -- I'm seeing stacks of this distinctive sky-blue can everywhere lately. Highly drinkable NEIPA with more of a bitter hop finish than most, and at a good price for a double-dry-hopped brew (a 4-pack is around $13). Will certainly buy again.

[Isgrimnur]

[Sudy]

Waterloo Pineapple Radler

This was delicious, but needs to be enjoyed very cold. It tastes like they put the whole pineapple in there, and I don't mean it in a bad way. It tastes extremely fresh.

[AWS260]

Love me a smoked lager.

[Unagi]

Hey, me too!

[Scuzz]

21st Amendment Brewery Blah Blah Blah IPA. 8% and tasty.

[Jeff V]

Super Silver Haze by Sweetwater Brewery, Atlanta, GA. The maxim that every mix-pack includes a dud continues. Imagine, if you will, taking the essence of green-bottle skunked Heineken (not the almost drinkable can/tap stuff), and intentionally trying to replicate this horrid experience in a can. This is exactly what Sweetwater does with this unredeemable swill. Aside from the strong odor of skunk piss, this has a tiny aftertaste of orange pith. A truly wretched effort, the other cans have been placed into the box where undrinkable beers go for either use as cooking liquid, or to foist upon visitors who I don't want to waste good beer on. Hopefully there's something decent among the rest of the mix.

[Z-Corn]

That's not the Super Silver Haze I know and love...

[Jeff V]

That's not the Super Silver Haze I know and love...

Do you also drink beer in green bottles?

[Jeff V]

Trainwreck by Sweetwater Brewery, Atlanta, GA. Not nearly the trainwreck as the last beer was, this so-called "Hazy DIPA" is actually clear enough to read text through it. 8% ABV is ok, but it lacks a depth of flavor with a single bitter note, which was just ok.

[Jeff V]

Mango Kush Wheat Ale by Sweetwater Brewery, Atlanta, GA. An ultra-low alcohol fruit beer (only 5%) it nevertheless has the best flavor in the mix pack with one more to go. Would not go out of my way to have it again, but it's ok. Makes me wish I invested in more Mozango.

[Scuzz]

I do have to agree with your observation that mixed 12 packs do almost always have something that isn't very good. At best there is always a beer that isn't a preferred style.

[Enough]

Still exploring and enjoying tiki way too much, tonight's cocktail is the Jet Pilot. My ingredients:

1/2oz lime

1/2oz grapefruit

1/2oz cinnamon syrup

1/2oz falernum (local distillery liqueur)

1oz dark Jamaican rum (for this one I went with a blend: 1/4 oz Plantation Dark, 1/4 oz Appleton 12 yr, 1/4 oz Myers Dark, 1/4 oz Plantation Xaymaca)

3/4oz aged Purerto Rican rum (Ron Del Barrilito 3 Star Rum, but Bacardi 8 is also top notch)

3/4oz 151 Demerara rum (Plantation OFTD is what I have)

2 dashes pernstura (50/50 mix of Herbsaint liqueur (could also use Pernod or absinthe) & Angostura bitters, ie 6ish drops of each done by sight)

12oz crushed ice + 3 cubes, since I don't have a stand mixer I shake it like hell and pour the ice into the glass from the shaker and add a bit more crushed ice (it's fun to use a mallet and Lewis bag to get the ice just right). But ideally, flash blend with drink mixer pour into tiki mug, add crushed ice to fill. I garnished with homegrown mint and some Traverse City, MI cherries. OMG my mood is cured.



Crap I forgot, since I have it, I added about 1/3 oz of fassionala syrup from Cocktail and Sons. Fassionola is a lost cocktail syrup that is insanely good for old fashioneds and many other cocktails. And ice cream!

[Z-Corn]

That's not the Super Silver Haze I know and love...

Do you also drink beer in green bottles?

Oh, so I get it now. Sweetwater Brewery names ALL their beers after weed strains.

Trainwreck? Mango Kush? C'mon guys, come up with something original.

[Rumpy]

When I was out making my beer run yesterday, I came across something I found quite comical. A zero IBU IPA. And on the bottom of the can it proudly proclaimed to being a light beer. I mean, what the hell... That's NOT an IPA!

[noxiousdog]

Not the Whiskey Vault, but the Modern Rogue...

[Rumpy]

Collective Arts Earl Grey Wheat. Pretty decent wheat beer brewed with black tea and bergamot. I liked this one.

[Jeff V]

Fruit Meme fruity ale by Triptych Brewery, Savoy, IL. A friend brought some over the other day, as advertised, tastes of passion fruit, mango and peach. By the looks of it, slightly overpriced, but a nice summer beer. Only 6.8% ABV, I suspect because of the preponderance of college kids with undeveloped constitutions (Savoy is near Champaign, home of University of Illinois).

[Jeff V]

Florida Man by Cigar City Brewing Co., Tampa, FL. A friend gave me a Cigar City mix pack last week and this was one of two I hadn't had before. Advertised as a DIPA, it is very bitter without depth of flavor. At 8.5% ABV though, it's serviceable.

[Kraken]

Clown Shoes Rainbows Are Real is another hazy IPA, this one "infused with terpenes." IDK what terpenes are, but it's a pretty good beer. Will buy again.

"This Hazy IPA contains the terpenes Beta-Pinene and Linalool, aromatic compounds derived from natural botanical sources. They supplement the sweet malt backbone and lively blend of Azacca, Citra, and Mosaic hops that make Rainbows Are Real shine with fresh, juicy notes of sweet citrus."

[Isgrimnur]

Terpenes are the major components of rosin and of turpentine produced from resin. The name "terpene" is derived from the word "terpentine", an obsolete spelling of the word "turpentine". Terpenes are also major biosynthetic building blocks. Steroids, for example, are derivatives of the triterpene squalene.

[Kraken]

You realize I didn't google that because I knew you'd tell me?

One wouldn't think that turpentine would taste good, but it does.

If I weren't me, I'd make that my sig.

[Isgrimnur]

You realize I didn't google that because I knew you'd tell me?

It's good to be recognized for ones efforts.

CBS NY

CBS2’s Mary Calvi reports that, in its pure form, pure gum spirit of turpentine was once used as a form of medicine centuries ago. Today, it’s back as a controversial new wellness treatment.
...
Pure gum spirit of turpentine is a controversial alternative treatment for stomach or intestinal issues like parasites or yeast infections.

The therapy is unusual and considered by many experts to be questionable, but there are believers who ingest it by saturating and chewing on sugar cubes.
...
Pure gum spirit is the sap distilled from the resin of pine trees. It was used as a remedy hundreds of years ago when people had only natural elements for cures. Doctors today say it can be dangerous.

“The adverse effects and or fatalities are clearly going to outweigh any potential benefit,” registered dietitian Nicolette Pace warned.

“At the one teaspoon dosage there are some serious reported adverse effects. It’s kidney-toxic… as little as three teaspoons are fatal.”

[pr0ner]

When I was out making my beer run yesterday, I came across something I found quite comical. A zero IBU IPA. And on the bottom of the can it proudly proclaimed to being a light beer. I mean, what the hell... That's NOT an IPA!

Did you drink it, or just laugh at it? Because all the zero IBU IPAs I've ever had are fantastic.

[Z-Corn]

You realize I didn't google that because I knew you'd tell me?

One wouldn't think that turpentine would taste good, but it does.

If I weren't me, I'd make that my sig.

What, you don't speak Terpaneese?

[Jeff V]

Terpenes are the major components of rosin and of turpentine produced from resin. The name "terpene" is derived from the word "terpentine", an obsolete spelling of the word "turpentine". Terpenes are also major biosynthetic building blocks. Steroids, for example, are derivatives of the triterpene squalene.

I thought it was distilled extract from turtle squeezings.

[Rumpy]

When I was out making my beer run yesterday, I came across something I found quite comical. A zero IBU IPA. And on the bottom of the can it proudly proclaimed to being a light beer. I mean, what the hell... That's NOT an IPA!

Did you drink it, or just laugh at it? Because all the zero IBU IPAs I've ever had are fantastic.

No, I didn't buy it. I had never seen such a thing. It definitely made me curious though. I'll see if I can pick some up on my next run.

[pr0ner]

When I was out making my beer run yesterday, I came across something I found quite comical. A zero IBU IPA. And on the bottom of the can it proudly proclaimed to being a light beer. I mean, what the hell... That's NOT an IPA!

Did you drink it, or just laugh at it? Because all the zero IBU IPAs I've ever had are fantastic.

No, I didn't buy it. I had never seen such a thing. It definitely made me curious though. I'll see if I can pick some up on my next run.

Sorry for coming across as a bit curt with you there if I did but I would highly recommend trying it. You'll likely get all the IPA flavor and zero bitterness. The Veil down in Richmond VA is where I've had several versions, including double and triple dry hopped varieties, and ABVs up to the triple IPA range. 0 IBUs at that kind of ABV is very dangerous.

[Rumpy]

When I was out making my beer run yesterday, I came across something I found quite comical. A zero IBU IPA. And on the bottom of the can it proudly proclaimed to being a light beer. I mean, what the hell... That's NOT an IPA!

Did you drink it, or just laugh at it? Because all the zero IBU IPAs I've ever had are fantastic.

No, I didn't buy it. I had never seen such a thing. It definitely made me curious though. I'll see if I can pick some up on my next run.

Sorry for coming across as a bit curt with you there if I did but I would highly recommend trying it. You'll likely get all the IPA flavor and zero bitterness. The Veil down in Richmond VA is where I've had several versions, including double and triple dry hopped varieties, and ABVs up to the triple IPA range. 0 IBUs at that kind of ABV is very dangerous.

No problem. I'm slowly coming to experimenting with different IPA types, and my first exposure to them was what I'd call more typical. I"d say it was OK, but not my favourite. Then I noticed all these hop-inensified IPAs and my palette definitely didn't like them. It's like all these breweries compete to see how bitter they can be, and bitterness is something I definitely don't enjoy much in a beer. Then about a year or two, I started discovering hazy IPAs where it seems to be more about the flavor than the bitterness, with more of a creamy mouthfeel. I tend to prefer those and it seems to me Zero IBU would be perfect for me. I just found it funny because those two distinctions sound completely contradictory in that maybe it requires a new style name overall distinct from an IPA.

[pr0ner]

When I was out making my beer run yesterday, I came across something I found quite comical. A zero IBU IPA. And on the bottom of the can it proudly proclaimed to being a light beer. I mean, what the hell... That's NOT an IPA!

Did you drink it, or just laugh at it? Because all the zero IBU IPAs I've ever had are fantastic.

No, I didn't buy it. I had never seen such a thing. It definitely made me curious though. I'll see if I can pick some up on my next run.

Sorry for coming across as a bit curt with you there if I did but I would highly recommend trying it. You'll likely get all the IPA flavor and zero bitterness. The Veil down in Richmond VA is where I've had several versions, including double and triple dry hopped varieties, and ABVs up to the triple IPA range. 0 IBUs at that kind of ABV is very dangerous.

No problem. I'm slowly coming to experimenting with different IPA types, and my first exposure to them was what I'd call more typical. I"d say it was OK, but not my favourite. Then I noticed all these hop-inensified IPAs and my palette definitely didn't like them. It's like all these breweries compete to see how bitter they can be, and bitterness is something I definitely don't enjoy much in a beer. Then about a year or two, I started discovering hazy IPAs where it seems to be more about the flavor than the bitterness, with more of a creamy mouthfeel. I tend to prefer those and it seems to me Zero IBU would be perfect for me. I just found it funny because those two distinctions sound completely contradictory in that maybe it requires a new style name overall distinct from an IPA.

The Veil is the only place I know that's done them (though Monkish put their spin on a Veil recipe once). I think they're so rare that there's not enough out there to give it a different name.

If others here have had a 0 IBU IPA, please speak up!

[Rumpy]

Mind you, my region is rather slow in reacting to emerging trends. Most of it is concentrated in the GTA where you have far more breweries experimenting, and a lot of it also has to do with distribution. If I hear anything new emerging from the GTA, it will typically take maybe a year sometimes more for the trend to reach here, by which time, the bandwagon has already left the station or hasn't arrived at all. There are some amazing beers I'd like to try but never will get to because of the GTA being a dominant market, and sometimes if lucky we'll get the remains of what doesn't sell there, months later.