What Beers Did You Drink Today? Or Yesterday? (Part 2)

[Lilija]

I should start posting here.

Tonight, I had my dessert, Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout.

My favorite stouts are the Russian Imperial sort, and this one falls right in line. Great chocolaty, deep flavor, not too sweet, not as sweet as other chocolate stouts.

[Mr Pie]

Brew Dog (Scotland) - Punk IPA. A cracking IPA, just as they should be. Crisp and refreshing as a dip in the North Sea (OK, skip that bit).

[Rich Pawlak]

Flying Fish Exit 16 WIld Rice IPA, a pretty impressive brew from the mighty Casey Hughes, brewmaster there. I got a burst of hops and citrus (citra hops, Hughes told me) with a steady tangerine note and some hints of melon. Nice, crisp pilsner-like finish. 8.3 % ABV. Had the very first tastes of this beer last night at its debut at McGillin's Olde Ale House in Philly. Hughes uses wild rice in this brew because its name, Exit 16, represents the area in NJ now popularly known as the Meadowlands,now home to football stadia (the old Giant Stadium and the brand new Meadowlands Complex), and an indoor arena (Izod Center), but previously home to endless fields of wild rice. Clever, that Casey.

Get this beer. It's a keeper.

[mattohara]

Hey Rich!

I had my first Stone Vertical Epic, the 09/09/09 at Tap and Mallet here in Rochester. An almost syrupy dark brew, very little head. It had a bit of the raisin flavors without being overly alcoholy. 9% i think. Very very nice. Then I looked them up on eBay and found that 02/02/02 is going for auction starting at 900$!

[ethermion]

Hop Stoopid. Since the demise of Tupper's Hop Pocket, life has not been the same. Still searching.

[a.lee.hagen]

My new favorite is "Old Chub" Irish style Ale, 8% and so smooth you'd never know it... Try it out.

[Rich Pawlak]

Matt:

Thats Stone stuff is some prized brew. I've had several of the Vertical Epics, but not 09/09/09 yet. Definitely sounds like a beer I could love.

Whatcha doin in Rochester?

Edited March 17, 2010 by Rich Pawlak (log)

[jdmuse]

In honor of St. Paddy's in NYC - GUINNESS!!!!

[Lilija]

Guinness here too. <3 Boring, but do I get point if it's lots and lots?

[Florida]

Let’s see here:

Last night was a Founder’s Harvest Ale. Light on both malts and hops with an appreciable bitterness. Unimpressive.

Night before that was a Stone Cali-Belgique Belgian IPA. Tame for a Stone beer, without either the pounding hops of the typical California IPA or the twang of a Belgian IPA.

Before that it was an ACME California IPA from North Coast Brewing Co. Rather weak California-style IPA.

Over the weekend, had an Olde GnarlyWine from Lagunitas Brewing Company. An American Barleywine with about 11% ABV. Liked it at first, but there was the dominant unpleasant flavor of orange juice which I just couldn’t palate. I believe this beer will benefit from some significant aging.

Also had a Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout. A very respectable stout. Great blueberry nose, but by half way through a pint, the heavy roasted malts and chocolate flavors overwhelmed any “blueberry-ness” this beer was showcasing.

Only Guinness I imbibed in yesterday was in the form of a batch of Guinness brownies, which I guess offered just enough Irish luck for me to be able to secure a couple Dark Lord Golden Tickets.

[Florida]

New Glarus Old English Porter

An English-style Brown Porter with a bit of smoked malt. Half of the batch went through a souring process, was then blended and aged on wood.

Personally this isn’t my style of beer, but I will give it to the brewer that it is both very respectable and quite complex. Sweet caramel with a light smoky wood accent and a quick pungent vinegary smack that fades quickly, but certainly lets its presence be known.

[BonVivant]

from my pub crawl today (all from the tap):

Amager Burnout 8.1% [very smoky and savoury]

Mahrs Bräu Kellerbier Ungespundet Hefetrüb 5% [sweet memory of Franconia]

Southern Tier Iniquity 9%

Southern Tier 422 Pale Wheat Ale 4.5%

Wild Goose Oatmeal Stout 5.9% [almost shoyu...]

(plus other standard pils such as Leeuw and Brand)

my new American beer record! this is the first time i've ever drunk more than 1 American beer in one day!

[Lilija]

Southern Tier is my favorite brewing company, their Iniquity is one of my favorites that they offer. I'll likely be having that tonight. I also grabbed some Blue Point Rastafarye, at a bargain, might drink that too. I wonder how the Rastafarye would be cellared...at 2.99, I might snag a few more and see.

[Florida]

Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza

Bottle conditioned Bière de Garde. Cloudy lemon yellow with a huge, fluffy merigue-like head. Heavily carbonated. Dry. Tastes of grain, lemon and spice with a rather vinous nose.

[lancastermike]

Was at Victory brewery yesterday and had Hop Wollop from the cask. Lots of hops, but I love it. Also a creamy British Ale, St. Francis I think it was called. Extremely different from old Wollop, but very smooth

[Porthos]

What for me is a classic: Pilsner Urquell

[kayb]

Yuengling Lager. OK, I'm a plebian.

[Lilija]

Yuengling is my all time favorite go-to barbecue beer. The beer I buy in large amounts and share with friends, the beer I cook with, and stock for general parties.

Tonight, however, I'm about to drink, for the first time Troegg's Nugget Nectar. I'm a little 'fraid of a really hoppy beer, I tend to favor malts, but my best beer friend insists that I try it. In fact, he said "try it, ya wee girl! It tastes like peaches! Girls like peaches!" Pfgh. So, now I gotta.

[BrentKulman]

Tonight, however, I'm about to drink, for the first time Troegg's Nugget Nectar. I'm a little 'fraid of a really hoppy beer, I tend to favor malts, but my best beer friend insists that I try it. In fact, he said "try it, ya wee girl! It tastes like peaches! Girls like peaches!" Pfgh. So, now I gotta.

Nugget Nectar is a hophead's dream. If you like some of Southern Tier's hoppy beers, you will like it but if you really like malt-forward beers, it may be a bit tough on your tongue.

I used to prefer malty beers (doppelbocks got me into beer) but over time I came to really enjoy the hops. I think it is more of an acquired taste - the same goes for sour beers.

Have you tried Dogfish Head's ApriHop? Not quite peachy, but pretty close and superb, when fresh. This year's batch was just released so now is the time to get it.

Edited April 2, 2010 by BrentKulman (log)

[Lilija]

Tonight, however, I'm about to drink, for the first time Troegg's Nugget Nectar. I'm a little 'fraid of a really hoppy beer, I tend to favor malts, but my best beer friend insists that I try it. In fact, he said "try it, ya wee girl! It tastes like peaches! Girls like peaches!" Pfgh. So, now I gotta.

Nugget Nectar is a hophead's dream. If you like some of Southern Tier's hoppy beers, you will like it but if you really like malt-forward beers, it may be a bit tough on your tongue.

I used to prefer malty beers (doppelbocks got me into beer) but over time I came to really enjoy the hops. I think it is more of an acquired taste - the same goes for sour beers.

Have you tried Dogfish Head's ApriHop? Not quite peachy, but pretty close and superb, when fresh. This year's batch was just released so now is the time to get it.

You're definitely right about the acquired taste, for sure. I think that's why he's been encouraging me towards really hopped stuff, hoping I acquire a taste for it. I'm happy to expand my horizons! Nugget Nectar was rather good, last night. Of all the really hoppy beers I've sampled, this one is a favorite, now. It'll never replace my beloved stouts but as a change of pace, something kind of warm weather, refreshing type of beer, I like it a lot. Drinking it was akin to biting into a grapefruit, skin and all, a real punch in the mouth, in a good way. Not as pine-sappy as some other hop laden brews, and a nice soft fruit aroma.

I'll look for Dogfish Head's ApriHop, I like apricot beers, Magic Hat #9 was my first foray into stuff that was a little "different" a few years ago, and I still have a soft spot.

Going back to my beloved stout tonight, probably Founder's Breakfast Stout. I couldn't find Kentucky Breakfast, but I'm dying to try that one too, I have a real weakness for barrel aged anything <3

[Florida]

I hit up ST’s Iniquity last night. Even though I’m a huge fan of DIPAs, and it’s considered a DIPA, this was not my style of beer. Thin roasted malts clashing with citrus hops. Had a problem getting all 22 ounces of it down. BA gave it a good rating, so I’m the outlier on not liking this one, but I just don’t see how it could ever be considered a DIPA.

Luckily, Stone has finally come to Chicago. On deck for the weekend:

-Smoked Porter w/ Vanilla Bean

-Sublimely Self-Righteous

-’09 Double Bastard

-09.09.09 Vertical

And, hopefully, Double Dry Hopped IPA

Also picked up a Lost Abbey Angel's Share (Bourbon), but I'm debating whether I should pop this one now or sit on it.

[BrentKulman]

Also picked up a Lost Abbey Angel's Share (Bourbon), but I'm debating whether I should pop this one now or sit on it.

I would sit on it for a year. I have found the Angel's Share beers to be seriously undercarbonated when released and, as they are bottle conditioned, this problem might resolve itself over time. Also, I think the fusel alcohol taste I find in bourbon barrel beers tends to recede over time, adding better depth and complexity.

[Lilija]

Good Friday, good day for beer. Got off work early, and spent the afternoon vacillating between puttering around doing yardwork, and making social visits to the bar across the street.

Two pints of Yuengling

1 bottle of Yuengling Black and Tan

1 bottle of Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

Founders Breakfast Stout

and soon, I'm going to hit the Dogfish Head Raison d'etre.

[BonVivant]

yesterday on draft in the pub:

Jopen Weizen Starkbok 9%, St Feuillien Påskeøl (Easter Beer) 7.5%, St Peters Best Bitter 4.1%, and De Hemel Nieuw Ligt 10%.

a visit to my usual bottle shop afterwards: Hanssens Oudbeitje lambik (strawberry lambic), Boon Framboise Mariage Parfait 2004 (raspberry lambic), St. Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition (lambic-gueuze), and ’t Hofbrouwerijke Hofblues (stout).

i should upload beer erotica one of these days...

Edited April 3, 2010 by BonVivantNL (log)

[conor610]

Stone's Sublimely Self-Righteous last night. After reading the reviews on BA, I kind of expected it to be a "trick" beer--it looks like a stout but tastes like an IPA!--but in fact I thought it was very nicely balanced, with the hops really giving a bracing acidity and bitterness and the black malts rounding out the mouthfeel. Delicious, and I'll definitely have it again.