What beer are you drinking? Winter 12/13

[HP12]

Stuck with two Mic Ultras at the Mexican restaraunt when the waiter didn't understand me. Makes me long for something as exciting as a Bud.

[stevegoz]

That Hopslam sure is popular around here. I'm probably the only slob here who hasn't had it. Guess I'll seek it out this week.

I'm in the same boat as you, though I had it the past two years. I snoozed on this year's January release assuming there would be waves of it this year the way there was last year. (Several stores I frequent received a dozen cases of Hop Slam last March.) I wonder if Leo's still has some?

[stevegoz]

Enjoyed both 2012 and 2013 Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Barleywine -- main difference is that the new batch was aged on wood for a full year, v. the previous year's 6 months. The newer release tasted hotter, almost certainly both because of its freshness and the extended aging. Still loved both, as well as the fresh Central Water Peruvian Morning that I chased 'em with.

[sob0728]

Over the weekend I had:

3 Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf

2013 Central Waters Peruvian Morning

2012 GI Bourbon County Brand Stout

2012 Surly Darkness

It was a good weekend. Can't wait for the release of Surly Pentagram this week.

[ebo]

I decided to pick up a six of the new Budweiser Black Crown. It's a bit better than the normal Budweiser, but nothing to write home about, IMO.

[squire]

I was curious about that new shelf arrival, so what you're saying is Bud isn't deviating too far off the well trodden path?

[Clavius]

A couple Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale's tonight (leftover from the case I bought in December).

[stevegoz]

Went rye-heavy last night. Started with one that was new to me, the Repo Man/Black Flag-inspired TV Party Rye IPA from Revolution Brewing. Very clean and crisp. Dry, even. I liked it a lot.

Then it was a pair of old faves. A year-old Founders Red's Rye PA that still drank surprisingly well despite the faded hops, and a Two Brothers Cane and Ebel. Not a bad night of quaffing.

[ebo]

I was curious about that new shelf arrival, so what you're saying is Bud isn't deviating too far off the well trodden path?

[squire]

Oh well, you saved me some money.

[hectic1]

Half Acre Double Daisy Cutter

3 Floyd's Rye'd Da Tiger

Schlafly Tasmanian IPA

Widmer Brothers Russian Imperial Stout

Nell's Black Note Barrel Aged Stout

[Gillman]

New Albion Ale, a recreation by Sam Adams of the legendary beer of that name brewed in Sonoma, CA from 1977-1982. Jack McAuliffe (now 68), the original brewer and co-owner of New Albion Brewery, worked with Jim Koch of Sam Adams to ensure a faithful reproduction. The beer is fairly pale and uses two-row barley malt and Cascade hops only. It is markedly bitter and stresses that element over aroma, the Cascade is probably used more for bittering than aroma. It has a medium body and a yeasty tang too albeit it is not bottle-conditioned as the original was. It appears to me to be roughly filtered, which is fine. In my view, this is very much in the style of pale English bitter beers, the "pint of bitter" kind of beer. It is 6% ABV but that is what those beers were when they first became popular in the early 1800's. McAuliffe served with the U.S. Navy at a submarine tender base in Holy Loch, Scotland in the mid-60's. He enjoyed the beers there and determined to brew an English-style pale ale when he came back, starting up in 1976 with a hand-built small brewery. Jack couldn't get financing to keep it going after '82 but today has sort of re-entered the brewing scene and has certainly made a splash IMO with this historic pale ale that is the inspiration for the hundreds of pale ales and IPAs out there today. (It shares that distinction with Liberty Ale of the very fine Anchor Brewery of San Francisco). It doesn't taste like a Dale Pale Ale or Stone IPA, it cuts its own swath, but anyone interested in what a certain kind of English pale ale was, and is, shouldn't miss it.

Some background:

Gary

Edited February 20, 2013 by Gillman

[smokinjoe]

Enjoying a Leffe Blonde after a productive and profitable day at the office. The Leffe is kinda my bridge beer between heavier Winter beers, and the Spring releases. It's a nice transitional, for me.

[OscarV]

Enjoying a Leffe Blonde after a productive and profitable day at the office. The Leffe is kinda my bridge beer between heavier Winter beers, and the Spring releases. It's a nice transitional, for me.

"nice transitional for me",...yeah I'll say, you are thinking Spring already and up here we are wishing with our fingers crossed that it isn't cold for Memorial Day weekend.

[unclebunk]

Enjoying a Leffe Blonde after a productive and profitable day at the office. The Leffe is kinda my bridge beer between heavier Winter beers, and the Spring releases. It's a nice transitional, for me.

Try the Leffe Brune too. I used to drink it all the time in France and loved it.

[smokinjoe]

Try the Leffe Brune too. I used to drink it all the time in France and loved it.

I know there is another Leffe at the Monger, but not sure it's the Brune. I'll seek it out though, Hank. Thanks!

:toast:

[hectic1]

Boulevard Brewing Double Wide IPA, 3 Floyd's Zombie Dust, and Bell's Hopslam...

[MyOldKyDram]

West 6th Amber Ale.

[squire]

Any you guys have some thoughts on Corona Familiar?

[BradleyC]

Any you guys have some thoughts on Corona Familiar?

Esta cerveza no es bueno.

[bucky1]

Hopslam. San Diego's Mission Double IPA. Might be our favorite. Next time you see Dawn or me in person ask us about our San Diego brewery tour last weekend.

[HP12]

Not being much of brew coming out of Heavy Seas, I was gifted a bottle of Loose Canon Hop3 IPA Ale. Actually not bad at all. Worth buying a sixer. Good hop hit, malt background and a respectable 7.25% ABV.

[Tennessee Dave]

Founder's Backwoods Bastard. This is some good brew.

[OscarV]

I bought a 6 pack of Arcadia IPA but I didn't check the bottled date.

I poured it into a glass and next to nothing for a head.

The taste was flat and spoiled.

BTW the date was 3-21-12, I got it at a big chain store in the arm-pit of the mid-west aka Jackson, MI.

[Tony]

This One Goes To 11 ale from Bell's, very good.

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