What beer are you drinking? Winter 12/13

[squire]

Haven't had their beer but the T&T family also owned vineyards for centuries and I've had some of the wine.

[Gillman]

That's interesting. (The bartender called it T&T too, he said the customers who know the brand use that term).

I'd wager Liquor Barn or Party Source has it in KY. I'll bring a passel of it to Gazebo in April if I can find it.

Gary

P.S. Beer-related joke for legalists which is recounted in a number of old English texts on beer or brewing history: A Mr. Justice Maule was asked, "Why do you drink so much stout My Lord?", to which he replied: "To bring my intellect down to the level of the rest of the bench".

[HighInTheMtns]

Drinking an Epic Hopulent IPA tonight. They're different every time. I'm enjoying this release, I find a lot of citrus hoppiness which always works well for me and plenty of malt to balance it out.

[thiemb]

One of my favorites. 3 Floyd's Zombie Dust.

[Ejmharris]

One of my favorites. 3 Floyd's Zombie Dust.

[compliance]

Okay. At the risk of being kicked in the groin by lovers of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, a friend of mine picked up a growler of the Barrel-aged Bourbon County Coffee Stout over the weekend and, to a person, we all disliked it immensely. My first reaction was that it reminded me of Paulaner Salvator or something else along the lines of doppelbock. But that wasn't quite it. Then I thought of barleywine or some kind of high octane Scotch ale, but that didn't seem quite right either. And then suddenly it came to me...Sam Adams Triple Bock, an experimental release from the mid-nineties that tasted like...(wait for it) freakin' soy sauce! That was it! Of course, as soon as I uttered the words "soy sauce" everyone else in the room picked up on the flavor due to the power of suggestion. But I stand by my assessment that this particular batch tasted like shit. I've had others in the line that I loved but this one just didn't do it for any of us which amounted to $30 down the drain. Bummer!

I had my first taste of the BCS when I was back east for the holidays this year. Mine was from the regular 12oz bottle and it was also all soy sauce. I was pretty disappointed considering all the hype this gets. It's way too over the top, too sweet, and completely out of balance. I like lots of other barrel aged beers, it's not a style thing.

Edited January 6, 2013 by compliance

[Tony]

This One Goes To 11 ale, a very tasty limited release from Bell's

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[MyOldKyDram]

Having a New Holland Dragon's Milk and then maybe off to some Beer Barrel Bourbon.

[AaronWF]

One of my favorites. 3 Floyd's Zombie Dust.

One of my favorites as well.

This is my favorite everyday beer. Great on its own, great with food; I feel very privileged to have regular access to this stuff fresh. I just recently tried what many consider its equal, if not superior, Pliny the Elder. I love it! It tastes a bit bigger than the ZD, and while the hops are perhaps just as present, they aren't quite as direct as the single hop strain used in the ZD. If I lived on the West Coast, I'd drink Pliny all the time, but being that I'm a Chicagoan with a soft spot for the FFF house profile, I'm more than happy to keep my ZD.

[MyOldKyDram]

I have never had ZD, but I'll be looking forward to trying it this week! *excited*

[thiemb]

This is my favorite everyday beer. Great on its own, great with food; I feel very privileged to have regular access to this stuff fresh. I just recently tried what many consider its equal, if not superior, Pliny the Elder. I love it! It tastes a bit bigger than the ZD, and while the hops are perhaps just as present, they aren't quite as direct as the single hop strain used in the ZD. If I lived on the West Coast, I'd drink Pliny all the time, but being that I'm a Chicagoan with a soft spot for the FFF house profile, I'm more than happy to keep my ZD.

Totally agree about ZD. I always try to keep some in the fridge. Never tried Pliny the Elder before but I'll have to look for some the next time I'm out west. If you're looking for another great similarly hoppy beer check out Anderson Valley Heelch O Hops. It's available at a couple places around Chicago.

[WAINWRIGHT]

Settled in tonight with a Squatter's Outer Darkness and it is really spot on the 10.5% ABV doesn't hurt either!

[MyOldKyDram]

Having a Cuvée Des Jacobins Rouge. Never seen this around here before, so either I'm not paying attention or we have some new distribution in these parts. Either way WOWEE. This is some damned fine stuff.

[smknjoe]

Moylan's Hopsickle = Yuck. Why do so many of the west coast brewers insist on bringing out the bitterness of hops instead of focusing on the hops' great flavors (fruit, citrus, mint, etc.?)

[smokinjoe]

Picked up a 2013 Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye today. It's my after dinner beverage of choice, this evening. A nice beer, with one of the most prolific heads of any beer I've poured in recent memory, I'll admit. A nice drinker, but for the most part, uninspiring. I just don't get the whole rye beer thing. It seems the more brands I try of these, the less I get of the "spicy", "peppery", "blah-blah-blah", that the label says it is going to impart. I can't help but think it's simply a play on the recent rye whiskey binge from the crafts, and with no real benefits. Am I whacked, here? Anywho, there's nothing wrong with it, but any suggestion that it is going to give me what I get from a good rye whiskey is pure folly.

[Clavius]

Picked up a 2013 Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye today. It's my after dinner beverage of choice, this evening. A nice beer, with one of the most prolific heads of any beer I've poured in recent memory, I'll admit. A nice drinker, but for the most part, uninspiring. I just don't get the whole rye beer thing. It seems the more brands I try of these, the less I get of the "spicy", "peppery", "blah-blah-blah", that the label says it is going to impart. I can't help but think it's simply a play on the recent rye whiskey binge from the crafts, and with no real benefits. Am I whacked, here? Anywho, there's nothing wrong with it, but any suggestion that it is going to give me what I get from a good rye whiskey is pure folly.

I love Sierra Nevada but I agree with you regarding the Ruthless Rye. I'm amazed (or maybe relieved) that it's one of their seasonal releases.

[OscarV]

I picked up two 6-packs of Bells Hopslam today, just released.

I see they were bottled one week ago today, January 3, 2013.

I poured one in a large snifter and put my large bulbous nose in it and it was like cutting open a fresh grapefruit and squeezing it in my face,....

Nothing like fresh Michigan beer!!

[Clavius]

I picked up two 6-packs of Bells Hopslam today, just released.

I see they were bottled one week ago today, January 3, 2013.

I poured one in a large snifter and put my large bulbous nose in it and it was like cutting open a fresh grapefruit and squeezing it in my face,....

Nothing like fresh Michigan beer!!

[OscarV]

[MyOldKyDram]

Wonder if Beerworks will have any the week of their anniversary. Bet so. That's what they opened with last year.

[smknjoe]

I picked up two 6-packs of Bells Hopslam today, just released.

I see they were bottled one week ago today, January 3, 2013.

I poured one in a large snifter and put my large bulbous nose in it and it was like cutting open a fresh grapefruit and squeezing it in my face,....

Nothing like fresh Michigan beer!!

[HighInTheMtns]

Drinking a new one tonight, French Connection from the Squatters brewpub in SLC. It's a pale ale, on tap at the brewpub only, apparently made with a new variety of hops crossbred from Cascade and a French hop.

I liked it enough at lunch today to buy a growler full and I'm enjoying it again tonight. I get a lot of hoppy flavors and aromas without too much bitterness. It's unfiltered, which is pretty typical for Squatters pale ales. Unfortunately, since it is served on tap in Utah, it is 4% ABV.

I also picked up a bottle of Squatters Fifth Element, which is decidedly NOT 4% ABV.

Edited January 11, 2013 by HighInTheMtns

[unclebunk]

Okay. So Deschutes beer has FINALLY made it to Illinois. I saw it for the first time last week and grabbed sixpacks of the Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Black Butte Porter. (Didn't they miss an opportunity by not calling it Big Butte Porter?:grin:) I haven't tried the porter yet but the pale ale was superb. This isn't a particularly hoppy pale ale (nor should it be) but it is faithful to the traditional English style, with judicious use of hops to give it a wonderful floral aroma and just a tinge of bite to it. What really impressed me was the body/mouth-feel which was silky and full. Very nice, indeed! Now I need to find their IPA and ESB to compare them all. You guys out west have been lucky to drink this beer for so long!

[HighInTheMtns]

The limited Deschutes releases are really good too. Hop in the Dark is one of my favorites, and in general I have liked all I've tried and I never hesitate to pick up a new one when I see it.

[tanstaafl2]

Picked up a New Holland Blue Sunday Sour 2012 vintage today. Anybody had this before? I am inclined to tuck this in the back and let a sit a year or so. But curious if it is worth a second bottle to drink now and be able to compare.