What Beer are you Drinking - Winter 09/10

[Halifax]

Yesterday I drank a handfull of Big Boss' Bad Penny while playing golf. Beer was damn tasty! My round on the other hand...

[Gillman]

We get a draft beer from the famed Fuller's brewery in England called ESB. It is dispensed on a hand pump but is not real ale, it is regular (filtered) draft beer but less carbonated than normal. I really like it, it has a big English hop flavor, a not-too-sweet barley/caramel taste and hits the spot. Similar to any good American Pale Ale (there are many fine ones) but the English hops in particular seem to put their own stamp on it.

Gary

[jsanford]

While at one of my accounts today they recieved some Kentucky Breakfast Stout by Founders of Grand Rapids Michigan.
Sam, the owner of the store took the 3 cases he recieved and immediatly put them out of sight behind the counter.
"What's up with that I asked?", he said that these were in great demand and he was saving them for special customers.
This stout was aged in used bourbon barrels for a year.
It retails for $22.00 plus sales tax and deposit for a 12oz 4-pack.
Anyone out there ever try it?

I was lucky enough to snag 8 bottles, but even luckier that my local craft Beer bar got it on tap! I've enjoyed it for the last 5 days, sadly they ran out last night. Can't wait until next year! Also, if anyone sees the Founders Nemesis 2009, pick it up. Its a wheatwine that was aged in barrels that had contained bourbon and maple syrup. Good stuff =D

[Odiedog52]

For those really interested in this KBS, be sure to check out Goose Islands
Bourbon County Stout. It's pretty widely distributed as it's uses Annheuser-Bush's distro chain .. And the bourbon is a bit hotter than the KBS. They also have a Bourbon County Stout Rare coming out this year that was aged in 23 yo PVW barrels ... It'll be pricey though, but should be awesome.

[craigthom]

The New Albanian Brewing Company has done a strange thing: they've produced two beers with a single malt (same for each) and a single hop (different). I guess the idea is to allow us to get a clear picture of the contribution of the specific hop. Or maybe they were running low on ingredients.

They were served unchilled, but I had no problem with that. The Amarillo hops beer clearly had more of that grapefruit taste one associates with beers heavy on the Pacific Northwest hops.

I should have had the Centennial-hopped beer first, because it just tasted like "less" after the Amarillo.

So, unfortunately, does this SNPA I'm having now. Time to go home.

[ratcheer]

This is weird - I have been to two different restaurants in the past few days that were having specials on beer for $1.50. That is less than they charge for a soft drink or a glass of iced tea. At one of them, it was on domestics and I just had a Bud. But, at the other one they were running a special on tacos and any Mexican beer they had, so I had a Dos Equis Dark. Dern good beer for $1.50! Tim

[dean_martin]

Sometimes only a can will do - like when you're at Talladega Speedway or on the beach or at some other outdoor event where glass bottles aren't allowed.

My latest two-beer progression for outdoors is Dale's Pale Ale (cans) then Lagunitas Maximus. Warm weather and yard work made me go looking for beer in a can. Not sure why. I've resisted cans for years.

[Gillman]

Fuller's London Porter and then Anderson Valley Oatmeal Stout, shared with a friend. Both excellent and quite different in style, the former was rich-tasting, malty, with a licorice-like finish; the other was dryish, slightly fruity, with an incisive hop note, almost like a dry raspberry milkshake if that makes any sense. Old world and new, both very valid.

Gary

[doubleblank]

I've recently been drinking Deschutes North West Pale Ale, aka Red Chair NWPA. It is excellent. Rich and hoppy without the edges or bitterness that can come with a full out IPA. Apparently this is its first year of production and available Jan thru April.

Randy

[Virus_Of_Life]

I've recently been drinking Deschutes North West Pale Ale, aka Red Chair NWPA. It is excellent. Rich and hoppy without the edges or bitterness that can come with a full out IPA. Apparently this is its first year of production and available Jan thru April.

Randy

They ran that first back in the fall only in 22oz bottles, I believe as their Bond Street series, and apparently had enough success to go further with it. Personally, I didn't like it, but for the reasons you mentioned; I typically want more notable hop characteristics in an IPA type beer which as you say brings along some bitterness. I found it to be much like Mirror Pond.

I've discovered some local stuff Surly and Summit which are very good. Also 21st amendment which I was told is a San Francisco brewery that opened up a shop in Minneapolis. Their Brew Free or die IPA is very good.

Also, one from Oregon that apparently came out after I left is Widmer Deadlift IPA and it is extraordinary!