What Beers Did You Drink Today? Or Yesterday? (Part 1)

[Audiofan2]

Just purchased a 16 cu. foot fridge and then a dual commercial quality tap system. My kegorator is in the works! For my first two beers I drove up to Portland for a Lucky Lab IPA pony keg and a Belgian wheat pony keg.

[Collins]

Working on some Dogfish Head Raison D'etre right now...got a few other options ahead of me...Maredsous Dark Brune or more Dogfish - the Immort Ale.

Taking advantage of being back in MD this weekend to try some of the Dogfish brews...haven't been able to find 'em in Atl yet.

[Nishla]

Speaking of Dogfish Head...I found this the other day:

I'm not sure I really get the saffron flavor, but this was fairly complex. For the price, I prefer their other creations.

[malarkey]

On the Bond Street series web page, under the announcement of the Pilsner, it sez, "Next up, HOP TRIP - A Fresh Hop Pale Ale!"

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We tried the Lagunitas Zappa tribute beer, Freak Out! last night.  It's a great, complex, piney West Coast IPA. 

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Ohhh good news indeed. These are now on my list and a trip to Bottleworks is impending. I have a bottle of the 18th Anniversary Pils but haven't opened it yet.. last night: Twilight Ale, as the summer starts to fade...

[Audiofan2]

Ohhh good news indeed. These are now on my list and a trip to Bottleworks is impending. I have a bottle of the 18th Anniversary Pils but haven't opened it yet.. last night: Twilight Ale, as the summer starts to fade...

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[Msk]

Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel

I really liked this beer. Interesting Tripel / IPA combo. The head lasted forever......

Msk

[Audiofan2]

Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel

I really liked this beer.  Interesting Tripel / IPA combo.  The head lasted forever......

Msk

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You are right, the head is hge, I have purchased and enjoyed a few bottles of this beer, very good. Tonight I am enjoying a Stone 10th anniversary IPA, Reaper Ale Redemption red ale, and a Eel River Triple Exultation Old Ale. The Stone is quite strong, at 10% but very good.

[Rich Pawlak]

Last night, I relished a Duck Rabbit Milk Stout that I picked up in its native North Carolina last month. Rich, creamy and wonderfully roasty.

[Brad Ballinger]

A couple of recent ones...

Surly Bender. This is a brown ale with some oatmeal treatment. It's rich and flavorful without being too syrupy or sweet. Good malty quality with a little fruit/hop boost.

Bell's Two Hearted Ale. This is an IPA style with over the top hops. I had it on the heels of the Surly Bender. What a wake up call that provided. I've enjoyed Two Hearted in the past, but even this hop lover can only take so much. I was with my brother-in-law who mentioned he had a small keg of this once in his beermeister. I asked how long it took to go through that -- that's a lot of Two Hearted. He said it took too long.

[gus_tatory]

Blanche de Chambly

[Histrion]

First message here, I hope it won't be the last!

I'm having a 'La Chouffe' right now. Very good beer in my opinion, quite strong too. Later tonight I'll enjoy some beers from Le Brouemont, a very nice micro-brewery located in Bromont, in the Eastern Townships (Québec). Their scotch ale is particularly amazing.

[David McDuff]

Robin from Flying Fish stopped by yesterday with a few new brews: Oktoberfish and Hopfish IPA. The Oktoberfish is a well rounded, malt driven, lightly hopped ale. Very drinkable and, as it should be, full of autumnal flavors. Hopfish is not an in your face style as the direct reference to hops in the name often suggests. Rather, it's a bright, crisp IPA, redolent of floral hops on the nose and tantalizingly bitter on the finish while being refreshing and smooth through the mid-palate. Good stuff.

[TongoRad]

I went to an open house at a brand new brewery/tap room this past Friday- Defiant Brewing in Pearl River, NY, just on the NY/NJ border.

I really like the layout- the beers are not dispensed to a separate tap handle at the bar with added CO2. Rather they are served directly from the bottom of the conditioning tanks (i.e. gravity fed, naturally carbonated) located behind the bar. With 7 or 8 beers available, meaning that many conditioning tanks in a row, it makes for a very long bar. The owner/brewer/server got quite a workout that night running to each tank, but really impressed me with how well he handled a crowd.

We were having half-pints to be able to sample all that was available without getting wrecked, and there was success on that front The ESB, Dubbel, Porter and Christmas Ale were all very impressive, and the BoPils and Tripel were not that far behind. I was told that the Pils was the first beer he brewed and that the hops sort of faded in the interim, but the next batch should be where he wants it.

It's a great addition to the area, and I wish him success.

[s_sevilla]

unfortuneatly last weekend it was a keg of MGD.....

the week before, however, we had the honor of hosting a keg of Trumer Pils for a shindig. The brewery is based in Berkeley or Austria....apparently the brewmasters at both Trumer breweries agree they taste exactly the same.

Generally, my favorite beer is Boont Amber, and my "everyday" beer is either guiness or Anchor steam beer.

Up on the staging block is some Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale, and some anchor porter.

[naguere]

Last Sunday the final day of my visit to the Munich Beer Festival. This beer was the best of the lot. The logo on the glass was a red spade, 'Spaten'

It was superb, all the beers are especially brewed for the event and are slightly stronger than normal. Plenty of good Bavarian food is allways to hand which keeps you in good condition.

Edited September 28, 2006 by naguere (log)

[eje]

unfortuneatly last weekend it was a keg of MGD.....

the week before, however, we had the honor of hosting a keg of Trumer Pils for a shindig.  The brewery is based in Berkeley or Austria....apparently the brewmasters at both Trumer breweries agree they taste exactly the same.

Generally, my favorite beer is Boont Amber, and my "everyday" beer is either guiness or Anchor steam beer.

Up on the staging block is some Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale, and some anchor porter.

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Did you like the Trumer Pils?

I like most of the other beers you mention; but, find I don't care much for the Trumer Pils. I'd pick it over a national macro. However, I don't think it competes well with other local beers in its price range or european beers in its style.

[Susan in FL]

Two I've had recently are Duchesse de Bourgogne, the Belgian I've enjoyed more than any to date, in my determination to develope more of an appreciation for them; and Sweet Water Brewing Company 420 Extra Pale Ale, from Georgia. I'm most curious to hear if any of you have had that Belgian and what impressions of it you had.

[jessejesse]

I'm currently drinking the Smuttynose pumpkin ale, and I noticed something. I dont drink a lot of beer these days, but I used to be big into them. For the last year I have been very heavy into wine however. Everytime i've drank beer in the last few months a few things happen. first I smell the hops like crazy, i immeadiatley describe the beer as floral! second, I realize that a good beer has layers upon layers of interesting depths. I never noticed how many food elements a good beer has. Third, I start paring (in my head) each beer with so many different styles of food, from asian influence to italian, Indian and of course American.

I find myself wanting more beer for these reasons. An old love rekindled.

[cdh]

Susan-

The Duchesse de Bourgogne is a great beer, and in one of my favorite styles. You should also try beers like Rodenbach, and Liefman's Goudenband, which are similar in style. They're all Flanders Browns (sometimes known as Reds, or Oud Bruins)... they've got a sweet and sour thing that is really nice when well executed.

[Davydd]

Today I am drinking Schell's Octoberfest http://www.schellsbrewery.com/ourbeers_october.php in celebration of the Minnesota Twins winning the American League Central Division championship.

[Audiofan2]

I just picked up a keg of Lucky Lab Super Dog.

[eje]

In an attempt to celebrate Friday the Firkinteenth yesterday at least somewhat properly, I picked up a growler of the Magnolia Pub's Raceway Bitter on the way home.

I thought it would be more English in style from the name; but, it was more of a middle european light bodied, lightly hopped, malt heavy beer. A good beer, but, not what I was in the mood for.

We also broke open one of our bottles of the Stone Brewing 10th Aniversay IPA. Wow, this is a good one. Delicious piney/pineapple incredibly complex nose. Very hoppy flavor; but, well balanced and not overwhelming or sharp. Sweet; but, not cloying. At 10% ABV, it's certainly not a session beer. Savor a glass after dinner, instead of dessert!

Edited October 14, 2006 by eje (log)

[petite tête de chou]

In the interest of -ahem- research I'm trying out a few different ales this week to decide upon the best choice for my first attempt at Carbonnade a la Flamande, essentially a beer and beer stew.

I was inspired by the Cooks Illustrated recipe and our very own RDCollins recipe.

The Dead Guy Ale is out. Too sweet for my stew. The

Twilight is a seasonal offering by Deschutes Brewery. Hoppy, very malty, definitely not a citrusy summer offering. It has a rather strong, bitter finish that might not work in a long simmered dish but I'll keep it in mind. I bet it would work very well with a sausage and cabbage (especially with a few sprinkles of caraway seed) meal but not my beefy-beer goodness stew.

Edited October 16, 2006 by petite tête de chou (log)

[Audiofan2]

We also broke open one of our bottles of the Stone Brewing 10th Aniversay IPA.  Wow, this is a good one.  Delicious piney/pineapple incredibly complex nose.  Very hoppy flavor; but, well balanced and not overwhelming or sharp.  Sweet; but, not cloying.  At 10% ABV, it's certainly not a session beer.  Savor a glass after dinner, instead of dessert!

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I too enjoyed the Stone Anniversary IPA. While generally I seem to find that many Stone Brews have a similar taste, this one was different, strong as you mentioned too. And in a 22 Oz. you may just eat less dinner as it is a bit filling. I think it would pair well with a teriyaki pork tenderloin.

[Jerry L]

Sam Adam's Oktoberfest!