What beer are you drinking? Winter 12/13

[unclebunk]

So if I understand correctly, you are somewhat fond of CCAs? :grin:

Thanks for all of the great info and the link. I'll have to explore more!

You've got that right! I'm bewildered by the fact that all brewpubs don't have at least a pair of hand-pulls serving up cask-conditioned ale. It's been a while, but Revolution definitely had one or two the last time I was there and the beer was outstanding.

[BradleyC]

You've got that right! I'm bewildered by the fact that all brewpubs don't have at least a pair of hand-pulls serving up cask-conditioned ale. It's been a while, but Revolution definitely had one or two the last time I was there and the beer was outstanding.

[dean_martin]

Wanted to post this earlier, but came down with the flu right after Christmas.

My two sons and I sampled 4 Christmas beers just before the big day:

Abita Christmas Ale

Bell's Christmas Ale

Sierra Nevada Celebration

But the winner was a bottle of 2009 Anchor Christmas Ale that I found in the back of the beer fridge. It aged very well.

[unclebunk]

I'm not sure how up to date this is but my area seems pretty accurate. Take a look at this:

http://www.cask-ale.co.uk/us/cask-beer-finder-america.html

Thanks for the link, Bradley. That's fantastic! I will check it out and make some calls to see how up to date it is.

[bigtoys]

Ninja vs Unicord double IPA from Chicago's Pipeworks Brewing Co.

yeah, I bought it for the label

turned out to taste pretty good.

[thiemb]

3 Floyd's Arctic Panzer Wolf. A really nice Imperial IPA. Ideal for a cold winter night like this.

[AaronWF]

Speaking of cask ales, I made my first trip out to Firkin in Libertyville. At about 25 minutes away from my office, it can be a risky proposition to get there and back for lunch, but I did, and I was very happy I did. They had around 30 beers on tap, including two casks, one with Three Bros Outlaw and the other Tighthead Brewery's Irie IPA. I had the Irie last week on tap and was impressed with a new local brewery's effort, so I started with it. It was pretty darn good, though to be honest, I think I enjoyed it a bit more from the tap.

I had a Zombie Dust with my burger. I wanted to try something I'd never had, but nothing jumped out at me and I've never seen ZD so far north.

Anyway, happy to see such a great beer friendly bar in the N/NW Chicago burbs.

[MyOldKyDram]

Another Thursday another flight at Lex Beerworks. Goose Island Bourbon County, Founders Backwoods Bastard, Brooklyn Black Ops, and Against the Grain Bo and Luke.

[WAINWRIGHT]

Some Ten Fidy for the first time and now I see what all the hype is about,a broad shouldered stout that for me is a perfect fit!

[thiemb]

Bells Hopslam. I've seen it at a few places around town now.

[unclebunk]

Great night at a local bar where they were holding a Deschutes "roll out" party with reps from the brewery in attendance. We had a nice time sucking down pints of Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Red Chair NWPA and Black Butte Porter, as well as small samples of Chainbreaker White IPA. Nice folks from the brewery too!

[unclebunk]

Speaking of cask ales, I made my first trip out to Firkin in Libertyville. At about 25 minutes away from my office, it can be a risky proposition to get there and back for lunch, but I did, and I was very happy I did. They had around 30 beers on tap, including two casks, one with Three Bros Outlaw and the other Tighthead Brewery's Irie IPA. I had the Irie last week on tap and was impressed with a new local brewery's effort, so I started with it. It was pretty darn good, though to be honest, I think I enjoyed it a bit more from the tap.

I had a Zombie Dust with my burger. I wanted to try something I'd never had, but nothing jumped out at me and I've never seen ZD so far north.

Anyway, happy to see such a great beer friendly bar in the N/NW Chicago burbs.

Sounds like a great lunch. One thing that I should mention regarding the few cask ales that I have found served here and there in Chicagoland is that many are tended to by people with little or no experience in dealing with them, so they are not always served in their optimal condition. In England, many pub owners/managers hire a "cellar man" (if they lack the knowledge and expertise to handle the chore themselves) to continually monitor the beer's progress until it is ready to be served. Having spent many hours in pub cellars picking their brains as to how it's all done, I learned rather quickly that it really takes a great deal of time to learn the ropes, given that each keg of beer is different, and that a novice will inevitably end up serving an inferior pint. I'm afraid that may often be the case here in the US which is unfortunate but understandable.

This year I will be attending the event linked below which takes place every spring just outside Boston. It's a fabulous time!

http://www.nerax.org/home/what-is-real-ale.html

[berto]

Russian River Supplication. Tart but good.

[stevegoz]

Had a Bell's Black Note today (the sole case at my nearby Binny's was sold one bottle at a time in 47 minutes -- or at least the Tweets announcing it was in and then gone were 47 minutes apart). It's a mixture of their Expedition Stout and Double Cream Stout aged in bourbon barrels. On the thin side even at 11.5%; not quite up to the standards of BCBS, KBS or Parabola. Still a mighty fine beer.

[smokinjoe]

Sittin' out back after my run, soaking up some brilliant sunshine and crisp but comfy temps with a Southern Tier 2XIPA. Stunningly delicious. I was gaga over my first one yesterday, but dismissed my hyped-up enthusiasm as simply a carryover from returning back home from profitable meetings in Chicago. Nope. This stuff IS wonderful. And, it's all about balance and the mouthfeel. Citrusy, hoppy, grapefruit and all that you would expect from the style, but deliciously balanced with a creaminess that prevents those qualities from getting out of hand and running roughshod as it rolls over your palate. This baby is going to be a staple in my beer fridge going forward.

:toast:

[HP12]

Southern Tier Unearthly DIPA. Reminds me of DFH90 with that thick smooth maltiness.

[smknjoe]

That's the second endorsement for a Southern Tier brew. I'll have to put it on my list.

Getting ready to pop open a Clown Shoes Supa Hero...

[HP12]

Southern Tier puts out a strong line up. Check out BA for expressions and ratings.

[thiemb]

I had some Hopslam with lunch and just opened a bomber of FFF Dreadnaught. I love hops.

[AaronWF]

In England, many pub owners/managers hire a "cellar man" (if they lack the knowledge and expertise to handle the chore themselves) to continually monitor the beer's progress until it is ready to be served. Having spent many hours in pub cellars picking their brains as to how it's all done, I learned rather quickly that it really takes a great deal of time to learn the ropes, given that each keg of beer is different, and that a novice will inevitably end up serving an inferior pint. I'm afraid that may often be the case here in the US which is unfortunate but understandable.

This year I will be attending the event linked below which takes place every spring just outside Boston. It's a fabulous time!

http://www.nerax.org/home/what-is-real-ale.html

That looks like a lot of fun! Yeah, not only do I wonder about the experience of the bartender in drawing from a cask, but I wonder about the contents of the cask itself. Is the beer meant for cask conditioning different from the beer that goes in a regular keg? The bartender at Firkin said they had ZD in the cask the other week. Would that be different from the ZD used in a regular tap - other than the fact that it's not as cold or carbonated?

The best cask-conditioned ale I had in Chicago was at Owen and Engine. It was some kind of Scottish brew made with heather instead of hops. Totally unique and very tasty!

[AaronWF]

I'm drinking some GI Night Stalker as I casually watch San Fran get a spanking in a rare moment of respite from what has been a LONG last week and a half. The hops have died down a bit since my last bomber a month or two ago. It's a shame. Still pretty darn good, but without the hop kick, the finish is a little sweeter than I prefer.

Edit: my respite was just totally interrupted for like 25 minutes. What good is respite if its just gonna be interrupted??

Edit again: I clearly misused the term 'spanking.' See what happens when my respite is interrupted?

Edited January 20, 2013 by AaronWF

[Tennessee Dave]

3 good ones today. Orval, Rochefort 10 and Founder's Breakfast Stout

[Tony]

Finishing my Hopslam from last year to get ready and buy some from this year. Bell's really makes good beer.

Best regards, Tony

[stevegoz]

Enjoyed some FFF Rye da Tiger. Deliciously creamy and wonderfully hopped. I think those Floyd boys may just know how to brew a pale ale....

[RVTsteve]

Today my buddy pulled out a Magnum of 2006 Anchor Christmas Ale. We followed it up with a magnum of the 2012 release. The 2006 was overall better by our account with more depth and a more balanced profile. The 2012 was sweeter and hoppier and probably more drinkable. Both were really good, as I usually find this release, but having the two together was special. Thank goodness for patient friends, I don't think I could hold onto something that long!