Octopus Overlords

Texas is a bit far.

Not a fan of peanut butter beers. Brewers use peanut butter extract for economic and allergenic reasons and it brings no joy to my taste buds. Not that I am a huge peanut butter fan to begin with but in a beer, it is very overwhelming.

This is pretty tasty for a grocery-store beer.

mori wrote: ↑Fri Aug 31, 2018 8:16 pm Not a fan of peanut butter beers. Brewers use peanut butter extract for economic and allergenic reasons and it brings no joy to my taste buds. Not that I am a huge peanut butter fan to begin with but in a beer, it is very overwhelming.

The only time I ever had one was a peanut butter stout, and I could barely taste a hint of peanuts. Not that I really want peanuts in my beer.

My local brewery does a chocolate peanut butter porter and it is by far their most popular beer. It takes up 2/5 of their brewing capacity to keep up with demand. I genuinely dislike that beer as do the brewers. I always judge people that order that in the taproom. They do not really like beer. They want something sweet and does not taste like beer but more like candy. But it pays the bills .

Not impressed. Very average; won't buy again. I like the label better than the beer.

Max Peck wrote: ↑Fri Aug 31, 2018 9:11 pm This is pretty tasty for a grocery-store beer.

Yep, that is one I keep returning to. They have many different varieties, but that one is my favourite.

I've probably tried five or six peanut butter porters, and I'd agree that I hadn't found one that really matches my palate.

So far S. Korea has been an interesting drinking experience.

= Soju is nasty. Watery vodka basically and I don't like vodka unless it is really cold shots.
- Beer is expensive ($2 a can) and not very good. There are a few decent imports that aren't that much more per can and a few craft breweries that are closer to $3.50 per can but still not worth it. If it was cheaper their beers would be ok to drink cold with the food but with the price it just feels wrong.
- Their take on rice wine is decent. A couple of them are fairly good stand ins for a white wine, some fruity fortified ones make an ok replacement for a French muscat, and the cloudy rice wine has a cidery taste that is nice.

No pictures because it feels weird to browse alcohol web sites at work.

Kraken wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 9:48 pm

Not impressed. Very average; won't buy again. I like the label better than the beer.

The Body Snatchers vibe here is creepy as hell.

Madmarcus wrote: ↑Sun Sep 02, 2018 8:05 pm So far S. Korea has been an interesting drinking experience.

- Beer is expensive ($2 a can) and not very good. There are a few decent imports that aren't that much more per can and a few craft breweries that are

I should have warned you - Asia is a beer wasteland and most Asians I know are perfectly content guzzling swill. Even when I've tried to educate them, they revert back to form the moment I'm not around.

I knew it going in. And I knew soju would suck. Luckily I like the job, the food, and the areas I'm getting to explore.

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I saw this new one from Toppling Goliath when I went to pick up some Pseudo Sue today. Did not find out until I got to the checkout that it is $18.99/4. For that price it had better be the best IPA ever.

Well, it's so cloudy it's opaque, so that's a good start. Lots of fruity flavors up front with a dry bitter finish. It's a very good NEIPA, but alas, there are others just as good for less money (Lord Hobo Consolation Prize comes to mind at $14.99). Would definitely buy again if it were priced competitively, but it's not worth nearly $5 per can.

Nope.

Kraken wrote: ↑Sat Sep 22, 2018 9:58 pm

I saw this new one from Toppling Goliath when I went to pick up some Pseudo Sue today. Did not find out until I got to the checkout that it is $18.99/4. For that price it had better be the best IPA ever.

Well, it's so cloudy it's opaque, so that's a good start. Lots of fruity flavors up front with a dry bitter finish. It's a very good NEIPA, but alas, there are others just as good for less money (Lord Hobo Consolation Prize comes to mind at $14.99). Would definitely buy again if it were priced competitively, but it's not worth nearly $5 per can.

I saw the price and took a pass as well. But it is better than the $10.99 bomber price. The haze craze has pushed the price of a lot of IPA's towards the $20 and above for a 4-pack. Not for this guy. Not that I am interested in most of the hazy IPAs.

I find it confusing that their latest NEIPA was "inspired by a trip to the West Coast." It does have a dank, bitter finish, but it's not remotely like a West Coast IPA.

I hope the market can't support beers at that price point. I'd cheerfully buy it again at $12.99. This country needs a good recession.

I hardly drink alcohol any longer but enjoy the thread and participating. Besides it doesn't restrict posting to alcohol Im guessing .Least thats how Ive treated it.

Another pale ale that Toppling Goliath decided to make into a hazy IPA. Like the regular Golden Nugget but aroma and flavor turned up to 11. Get past the looks of the beer it is excellent. Pricey though so it is only going to be one bottle this time.

I am a fan of Barrelhouse Brewing in Paso Robles, California. I love their IPA and Mango IPA, but I had their "Juicy" last night and I have to say I won't be buying a six pack of that anytime soon.

Lemonade and ginger ale damnit... And cherry coke. Tons of water too.

Lagunitas Brewing Born Yesterday. Now this is how you do a pale ale proper. Dry and hoppy that accentuates the fresh hop harvest qualities.

This one suckered me in on three levels: First, the name -- would buying it be a terrible idea? Second, the artwork -- the 6-pack carton has six related cartoons on it, all in the style shown above. Third, WTF is a California NEIPA?

Well, it's a hybrid...hazy like a NEIPA, but dry and bitter like a West Coast IPA. The juicy fruit up front gets overwhelmed. The result is a beer that will not please advocates of either style. It wasn't a terrible idea, but it wasn't a great idea, either. Probably won't buy again. I do like the packaging, though.

With an ABV of 4.6%, it's a suitable starter for Jeff V Jr. Definitely goes down easy and would probably have a grand old time ganging up on you in multiples.

Stranahan's whiskey is fantastic. I'm loving this bottle.

Had my first Brut IPA today.. A nice dry quality although not being especially effervescent. Really brings out the bitter hoppy qualities out of the beer.

I'm pretty much all Tree House at home lately...working my way through the assortment I've picked up over my last few trips to the local beer mecca. Although I have a few of other styles, it's pretty much NEIPA heaven for me right now!

You guys know I'm a pumpkin beer fanatic so I'm always trying new ones.

The big surprise hit for me this year has been the Night Owl made by Elysian Brewing out of Seattle, WA.

While I usually turn my nose up at beers that use an abundance of nutmeg and allspice, this one does so while still putting plenty of real pumpkin in the foundation. The result is a "pumpkin spice" beer that has the rich pumpkin flavor underneath to back it up. Definitely one of my favorites now.

mori wrote: ↑Sun Oct 14, 2018 7:27 pm Had my first Brut IPA today.. A nice dry quality although not being especially effervescent. Really brings out the bitter hoppy qualities out of the beer.

I'm having my second right now, a somewhat disappointing offering from Pipeworks (Brutal Doodz Brut IPA). I had tried one from a small local brewery (Hopewell) a couple of weeks ago and rather liked it, so the jury is still out for me on the style generally. The first one was flavorful, but this one is a bit bland.

In other news, I had another Hazy IPA (since the brewery didn't properly label their beer), and they still suck.

I was wondering when brute IPAs were going to start getting mentioned.

I haven't tried one yet but I see them on pretty much everyone in town's menus. They all subtly or obnoxiously point out that this is the trend of the moment.

Kraken wrote: ↑Sat Oct 13, 2018 10:30 pm

This one suckered me in on three levels: First, the name -- would buying it be a terrible idea? Second, the artwork -- the 6-pack carton has six related cartoons on it, all in the style shown above. Third, WTF is a California NEIPA?

Well, it's a hybrid...hazy like a NEIPA, but dry and bitter like a West Coast IPA. The juicy fruit up front gets overwhelmed. The result is a beer that will not please advocates of either style. It wasn't a terrible idea, but it wasn't a great idea, either. Probably won't buy again. I do like the packaging, though.

21st Amendment does make some good beers. The Black and Brew (?) is one of my favorites.

I think I am getting tired of Hazy's and Juice's though.

Tonight's selection...Green - Tree House Brewing's galaxy hop filled IPA. Juicy, piney, full of hops, a hint of bitterness, and totally smooth at 7.5% ABV. While it is very good, and better than most NEIPAs I've tried, it's still not my favorite from Tree House. I'll have to post about that one another night...

Drazzil's share.

It's a Porter. It's a Pumpkin beer. It's Tales from the Patch by Big Rig Brewing. Honestly, the Pumpkin beer offerings have been getting better and better every year in Canada, and this one is the better, most memorable ones. It's thick and creamy like a porter should be, but with a kick from agressive spices and a bit of vanilla. It's quite yummy.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29314/249919/

Drinking a fresh hop beer from a local brewery with the best name, Castle Danger Mosaic Fresh Hop IPA. Castle Danger is an actual place on the shores of Lake Superior. The brewery has since moved to a much more boring place. This beer tastes green, fresh, and allows the Mosaic hop to bring its abundance of different flavors to the table. The only problem is the $17 for a 4-pack price.

Forty1 Eighty8 by Tangled Roots Brewing Co., Ottawa, IL. Made with unidentified locally grown hops, this pale ale had a bit of a grassy taste that was rather pleasant, if understated. Their signature IPA, Devil's Paint Box, was also a little on the meek side (6.6% ABV, light flavor). I would have liked to sample more, make next time I'm in the area I'll try a flight. I'll have to remember to reserve in advance though; our group of 11 waited over an hour in the middle of a Saturday afternoon. In Ottawa. The whole town must hang out at this place.

Harpoon Flannel Friday, a hoppy amber ale, is my fall go-to again this year. It's a good bridge between summer's IPAs and winter's stouts and porters.

Anger IPA is actually a black IPA. Most black IPAs are overpowered by an almost burnt malt; but this is not harsh at all. Not much to be angry with; 7.6% ABV is ok for a beer selling for $8/6. Greenbush is still one of my favorite brewers.

Utepils Broomstacker is described as a European Red Lager. Not sure the continentals would approve with the amount of crystal malt used in this beer. Tastes almost artificial. Does have a nice hop bitterness and floral hop qualities.

It's the most wonderful time of the year . . . .

Last week I saw Sierra Nevada Celebration at my local convenience store, and yesterday I saw Revolution Fistmas at the grocery store. Both were pretty much as expected - tasty.