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LJDolan

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Posts posted by LJDolan

  1. Hey Richie!  It's hard to believe your twins are growing like they are.

    I just finished my 2003 Anchor Brewing Co. OSA.  Though it's not my kind of beer, I think the three years have done it good.  It's dark in looks and taste.  The first thing I thought of was a Porter, but I would want a Porter to be drier.  This is one of those beers that I don't describe well.  I tend to focus on what I don't like about them rather than what's good about them -- in this case I don't care for the sweet malt and sticky pine flavors.

    So we also have the Sierra Nevada Celebration 2005 in common...  I'm looking forward to that, and the 2000.  You mentioned that the Old Dominion 2004 is an Impy Stout ; do you know what the 2005 is?

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

  2. Unfortunately a lot of confusion comes from totally unnecessary labelling laws which require that brewers put misleading information on the labels. I've seen doppelbocks called 'malt liquor', schwartzbiers called 'ale', and on and on- - it creates the impression that beer is bewed to AbV rather than to style.

    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.

  3. On a related note, this past December I tried a bottle of Dogfish Head Immort Ale that I have had since 1997. It was sublime.

    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.

    :wub:

    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.

  4. I am in Seattle proper, and you are right that I have a multitude of choices, which is part of what makes it hard. If I were at home, I'd just swing by and pick up a few cases of Pabst which would be easy and make everyone happy. Not so here in Seattle.

    I was thinking about getting a keg of Pyramid Snow Cap, but I'm a little worried it would be a little dark (and perhaps too strong) for a party.

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

  5. It was Dogfish Head's first medal?!  I had no idea!  I see also in category 10 was an Orlando brewery I've never heard of... I'll have to check that out.

    Iron Hill two, and this was Dogfish Head's first medal?  I am surprised.

    I'm very happy to see Goose-Island-anything win, but especially an IPA.  :smile:

    Wow, Dogfish Head never won a medal before?

    :biggrin:

    You who know me and know of my previous love-hate relationship with Dogfish Head beers might think I'm trying to be sarcastic rather than facetious, but I am sincere in my surprise.  Of course, this could mean that I've been right all along... it's been only in the past year or two that I have thought his beers are worthy of their fame.  Finally, the different batches are consistent with each other and reliably good.

    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.

  6. 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.

  7. What Chris and Brooks said.

    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

  8. Looks like a nice haul, report back how they turn out.

    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.

  9. Hey, Stateline!, you are in my neck of the woods. I live right across the line in Bear, DE.

    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.

  10. 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

  11. 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.

  12. Have you heard anything on the status of Leesburg Brewing Company? I drove by there a couple of days ago and didn't see any sign of a brewpub in that new building. Is it still in the works? I've not heard a word about it in many months.

    According to Bill Madden at Cap City-Shirlington, the brewing equipment has just been installed.

  13. Susan,

    You can always count on Lloyd to surprise you with a great selection of beer! Even if you ask him not to, he doesn't know how to show up empty handed!

    Bob, I was that generous because Sue and Russ live in the middle of a beer desert. They need to drive about 90 minutes to the nearest decent brewpub. They are not homebrewers extraordinaire who plan to be at beer judging competions on government expense like some people we know.

  14. ...unfortunatly they dont sell the alaskan beers in Minnesota.

    You might want to go to the website for the Horse Brass Pub in Portland, OR, one of the better beer bars in Portland (www.horsebrass.com). There is a link for it's sister beer store (whoch is next door), Belmont Station. If beer is allowed to be shipped to MN, you can order it; however, because of the price of freight, it is reccommend tol order at least three cases at a time. You can get four different sixers to make a case.

  15. Old Dominion has just bottled their oak barrel stout. I'll be picking some up later today (It's about 2AM Sunday), to see how it compares to the tap version.

    LJ;

    Please report back after you've tasted it. Would also be interested in where you found it. Thanks.

    THW

    I just got done with my first bottle of Oak Barrel Stout. As far as duplicating the taste in a bottle, I'd put them about 8.5-9.0 out of 10.

  16. I just got back from the Total Wine and More in McLean, VA, and they have six cases left and didn't know when they were expecting more. The manager opined that this was replacing some other beer in Dominion's line, but wasn't sure.

    THW

    Not replacing anything. Just another bottled offering in the OD line.

  17. Old Dominion has just bottled their oak barrel stout. I'll be picking some up later today (It's about 2AM Sunday), to see how it compares to the tap version.

    The OD Oak Barrell is one of the finest beers, if oyu can even call it that, that I've ever experienced. I will be heading down to State Line Liquors in Elkton, MD, as soon as they have a case.

    Rick,

    They already have it there at State Line. I noticed it there Saturday night on my way home from a pro wrestling show in Newport, DE. I got other stuff there figuring I could get the Oak Barrel at the brewery Sunday.

    I went to the brewery to be told that 100% of the cases were sent to the distributors. I then went to the local Total Wine and More (Total Beverage) only to be told that they have npt receoved it yet. Hopefully, Chevy Chase will have it when I go there on my way into work.

    Update 4/05: Get it ASAP. I got the last case at Chevy Chase Wine and Spirits.

  18. I picked this Dominion Spring Brew up at Wegmans the other day, for the bargain price of 4.99, and while I find myself agreeing with Jake as far as the perception of alcohol, it did pair beautifully with the jambalaya we made that night.  Thank you for the suggestion LJ.

    Steve,

    I did talk to Head Brewer Bill Madden today at Capital City Brewing in Arlington. He was able to try the imperial pilsener last week and really liked it. He told me that Clipper City is also coming out with an imperial pilsener.

    BTW, my first name is Lloyd.

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