LJDolan

Sue, the 2005 is supposed to be a Celebration type winter IPA, more than a regular IPA, but not quite an imperial IPA.

Sunday (for the Super Bowl): Alaskan Smoked Porter Dick's Barleywine Troeg's Troegenator and Mad Elf Monday: Thoroughbred's (Lessburg,VA brewpub) trippel

The reason for doublebocks being called malt liquors is that some states in the US require that any lager over X% alcohol be labeled a malt liquor. When Sierra Nevada was bottling their maibock, I saw malt liquor on the label. I have even seen lagered German wheat beers be called malt liqour on the label. I remember a story in the Philly Inquirer about a group complaining about the evils of malt liquor. One of the beers in the photo was EKU 28 from Germany.

Oh my, I bet it was sublime. I didn't realize he had been making Immort Ale for that long! How time flies when you're having fun in the world of beer. Edited to add: Speaking of aging and big beers, I'm now sipping on a glass of Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout '03-'04.... Mmm-mmmmm good. ← Susan, I can tell you that I recently had a 1995 Bigfoot that I thought tasted great. I agree with the Brimstone. It was bottled for two years by Brimstone, Brimstone got bought out by Frederick, and Big was bottled for one year by Frederick. I did not get any of the first year of Big. I did get two cases of the second year of Big. One of the best aging beers ever. I had to throw out all of my Frederick Big becasue is got badly infected.

If you can find them: Stoudt's Double IPA Clipper City Winter Storm (double IPA) Troeg's Troegenator (doublebock) Troeg's oatmeal stout Old Dominion Winter Ale (this year, imperial stout) River Horse Tripel Victory Hop Wallop

If not a WA micro, how about Cascade Ale from Descutes Brewing in Oregon? The beer is similar in style to Bass Ale.

Though not in Fort Lauderdale but very near by: Big Bear Brewing, Coral Springs - GABF medal for their belgian dubbel Brewzzi's Boca Raton - 4 GABF medals

Sue, I never got to experience Dogfish Head that much during its early days, but I have heard the horror stories. Now with Andy Tveekum as head of brewing operations (or whatever his title is), the brewing quality can only go up. Gosse Island has medaled before, but I think this is the first time in a couple of years. I think the Iron Hill chain is closing in on the double digit range of GABF medals. (Correction: Iron Hill is already in the double digit range.} If you and Russ are able to make it up here this winter, Old Dominion is bringing back their imperial stout for their winter seasonal this year.

Rich, locally I am glad to see Bill Madden continue his winning ways, this time at Founder's (silver, Wee Heavy). Rock Bottom Bethesda picked up it's third and fourth medal, Clipper City it's first and Old Dominion it's eighth. Starr Hill in Charlottesville is now the Virginia record holder with nine. 2 golds this year. Calhoun's in Harrisonburg finally one it's first - Gold, regular scottish ale. I am glad to see Dogfish Head win its first medal.

Sue, in my opinion, Avery nailed it. It tasted like a big oktoberfest. From qhat some people on beeradvocate have said, higher grav oktoberfests have been around for awhile. Avery is just the first to put imperial in front. Not sure about the history of imperial IPAs. I beleive they originated in California in the late 1990'ds

Found at State Line in Elkton, MD yesterday: Avery Brewing's The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest. Yes, an imperial oktoberfest.

Sunday I had the Cisco Summer of Lager and the 3 Floyd's Gumballhad. Summer of Lager: This seems to be a maerzen style beer and aged for the tradiontional length of time: However, it is brewed in the fall to be served during the summer. This was a good beer, but my favorite American maerzen is still Uncle Otto's Oktoberfest from Portland Brewing. Gumballhead: This beer seems to be their version of the Wild Goose Spring Wheat, a hoppy American wheat. I liked it.

Actually, I live in Northern Virginia. I'm just around the State Line area when I travel to Delaware to catch the East Coast Wrestling Association shows in Newark, DE. Yes, DFH wanted to see how good of a malt liquor they could do. This one is bottled conditioned and is a great beer. Midas Touch is pretty much a middle beer gravity-wise that DFH produces. Olde School barleywine, 120 Minute IPA, ImmortAle and World Wide Stout I know are higher. One or two others at least are probably higher than Midas Touch.

I got bombers of all of the following from State Line Liquors in Elkton, MD: Avery 11th Anniversary Ale - imperial IPA. 3 Floyd's Gumballhead - beer made with red wheat and loads of Amarillo hops Dogfish Head Liquor de Malt And from a new brewery for me, Cisco Brewing (Nantucket, MA): Whale's Tale Pale Ale Summer of Lager Bailey's Ale Moor Porter

Friday, June 18 was the last day for Bill Madden as head brewer of Capital City - Arlington, VA. Bill was won multiple medals at the GABF and Chicago Real Ale Festival. The former exec chef for the original Capital City brewpub in DC, and a good friend of Bill, recently bought the Founder's brewpub in Alexandria, VA, and promised Bill a stake in the ownership if he came on as head brewer.