What beer are you drinking Winter '08/'09

[barturtle]

Another unusally warm day and I even broke a sweat picking up empty green barrels and cleaning up after the St.Pat's nightmare,.....
so I got myself a 6 pack of Grolsch.

BTW, St. Pat's is about the stupidest holiday ever.
In Ireland the pubs are closed because it is a religious holiday.

It's no less stupid than Christmas, Easter, Mardi Gras or any number of public holidays.

According to this article, that is no longer true, pubs are open these days.

[ratcheer]

If I'm not mistaken, Tim, "ESB" stands for "Extra Special Bitter." The Red Hook ESB we get up here states that, maybe the Sierra is different.

I'm not a fan of real bitter beers anymore, India Pales and the like. The aftertaste is hard to handle.

Cheers!

Well, this one is labeled "Early Spring Beer" on all the labels. But it is certainly extra bitter.

Tim

[funknik]

Went over to an ex-co-worker's house tonight after work and her husband fashioned me a couple Smuttynose IPAs from his kegerator. He's a beer distributor (and serious collector) and sent me home with a cool Leute glass as well as a Dogfish Head Tee, 50mls of MM, Michael Collins Blend, Glenfiddich 12yr and a bottle each of Anchor Christmas '04 & '05 for a sode-by-side.

[Luna56]

Well, this one is labeled "Early Spring Beer" on all the labels. But it is certainly extra bitter.

Tim

Gotcha, Tim.

Timothy (Barturtle) says:
"Sierra actually does call its ESB Early Spring Beer. and really pumps up the hops in it to IPA range. Most Bitters and ESB are in the low 20's to mid 30's IBU whereas IPAs are in the mid 40's on up."

I assume that Sierra sort of co-opted the ESB designation for the "Early Spring Beer" name. Correct me if I'm wrong, Poobah!

Cheers, guys.

[funknik]

I think the ESB thing is a play on words, but I don't find it nearly as bitter or hoppy as the Sierra Nevada standard Pale Ale. I always reach for one of those when I get a hankerin' for something hoppy and I think it comes closer to an IPA in my mind than even their IPA designated brew does, which comes off a lot less floral to me.

I was having a similar conversation last night with a beer conoisseur friend who was saying his wife didn't really like hoppy brews, but preferred the Dogfishead 90min to the 60min. He claimed even though there was more hops in the 90, that it was balanced out by the presence of more malt as well....I wonder if the Sierra Nevada IPA has a similar thing happening or if I just prefer the Pale Ale and the extra hoppiness is in my head.

[Luna56]

Interesting point about the malt maybe smoothing out the hops.

I was in Slovakia a few years ago and had the honor of sampling many of the beers from there and the Czech Republic and was absolutely blown away by nearly everything I tried. The character of the hops is fully in evidence but the beers were never bitter, just big and solid. I hope to go back sometime, those beers still haunt me.

Cheers!

[Lost Pollito]

Just had a pint of Big Foot, and I feel like sasquatch.

[smokinjoe]

After a long day of lugging crushed granite sand and fieldstone for a patio that I'm putting in, a couple of Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA's really hit the target last night. The citrusy tightness was a real thirst quencher. I have just 2 more left, that I'm looking forward to these evening when I finish up.

[dave ziegler]

Tonight I am drinking Dock Street Bohemian Pilsner Beer and I find it delightful. Especialy after walking around Kinsey for about 3 Hrs! Never had this one before but it was on special for $9.99 because the box got wet and no one would by it so I got it for 1/3 the normal price and it is a very nice beer!
Beer Its Not Just A Beverage Beer Is Food
Dave Z

[DrinkyBanjo]

Yesterday I had two beers from the Defiant Brewery in Pearl River NY. I had a Porter and a Chocolate Porter. Both were good but the Chocolate Porter was very creamy and had some more flavor. Last night I had a Rogue Santa's Private Reserve Ale, that was VERY tasty!