What beer are you enjoying? Summer '16

[flahute]

After a hot 30 mile bike ride followed by washing the poor neglected second car, I'm rewarding myself with one of my current favorites: Deschutes Pinedrops IPA out of Bend Oregon.

Just love this beer.

https://www.deschutesbrewery.com/beer/pinedrops-ipa/

[JoeTerp]

Had a Gouden Carolus CuveeVan de Kaizer. This was a fantastic beer  

[Special Reserve]

A Bell's Oracle.  Found in my local grocery store.  The wine guy is working hard to improve the beer selection.  He's succeeding.

[BigPapa]

Had a Surly 8 in draft at Bryant Lake Bowl in Minneapolis last night. Great limited edition beer from Surly

[ratcheer]

I will probably be run out on a rail, but I have been enjoying the big 16 oz Budweisers in the aluminum bottles. I don't know why, but I love those aluminum bottles.

 

Tim

[PaulO]

Back in the day (1935 - 1950s), the first canned beer like this were called cone tops.

[kcgumbohead]

I wait all year then in mid August it appears, Sam Adams Octoberfest. I love this beer!!! I drink it on draught as often as I can while it's available then stock up at Costco to weather the dry months till it reappears. That first fresh pint signals the heat is almost over, my favorite time of year is just around the corner and with each sip I am transported back home to New England on a perfect autumn afternoon with a brilliant blue sky and the foliage at peak color all around me. I have been drinking this beer since it debuted and it's still my all time favorite.

 

There's my annual beer post LOL!!! cheers and Slainte KC.

[smokinjoe]

9 hours ago, kcgumbohead said:

I wait all year then in mid August it appears, Sam Adams Octoberfest. I love this beer!!! I drink it on draught as often as I can while it's available then stock up at Costco to weather the dry months till it reappears. That first fresh pint signals the heat is almost over, my favorite time of year is just around the corner and with each sip I am transported back home to New England on a perfect autumn afternoon with a brilliant blue sky and the foliage at peak color all around me. I have been drinking this beer since it debuted and it's still my all time favorite.

 

There's my annual beer post LOL!!! cheers and Slainte KC.

Me too!  Even the box and bottle label design make me happy just looking at them.   I have been seeing it around, but I do commit to myself not to drink my first one until at least Sept. 1.  I can't wait!  Certainly my favorite Octoberfest beer, and in my Fave 5 of all beers.  

 

Though, I'm happy with the hot weather!  

[dcbt]

13 hours ago, kcgumbohead said:

I wait all year then in mid August it appears, Sam Adams Octoberfest. I love this beer!!! I drink it on draught as often as I can while it's available then stock up at Costco to weather the dry months till it reappears.

So you stock up on it and drink it year-round?   Does it stay good and fresh that long?  (Does beer go bad in a bottle after time or is it like whiskey and stays just fine?)

[jp_stargazer]

On 8/7/2016 at 6:10 PM, Special Reserve said:

A Bell's Oracle.  Found in my local grocery store.  The wine guy is working hard to improve the beer selection.  He's succeeding.

I bought some Oracle too.  What did you think?  To me it tasted like what Bell's Hopslam would be without the honey.  I enjoyed it very much since it's like a less sweet version of Hopslam.

 

I have been really excited about all the Oktoberfest beers being released.  My first strike of the season was some Ballast Point Dead Ringer.  Probably my second favorite American made Oktoberfest (behind Bell's ).

 

To close out my weekend, last night I had a 2016 Sierra Nevada Hoptimum and a Big Sky Ivan the Terrible.

 

Jason

[Special Reserve]

5 hours ago, jp_stargazer said:

I bought some Oracle too.  What did you think?  To me it tasted like what Bell's Hopslam would be without the honey.  I enjoyed it very much since it's like a less sweet version of Hopslam.

 

I have been really excited about all the Oktoberfest beers being released.  My first strike of the season was some Ballast Point Dead Ringer.  Probably my second favorite American made Oktoberfest (behind Bell's ).

 

To close out my weekend, last night I had a 2016 Sierra Nevada Hoptimum and a Big Sky Ivan the Terrible.

 

Jason

Good assessment of The Oracle.

[kcgumbohead]

10 hours ago, dcbt said:

So you stock up on it and drink it year-round?   Does it stay good and fresh that long?  (Does beer go bad in a bottle after time or is it like whiskey and stays just fine?)

 

It keeps just fine, I have the last couple from 2015 in the fridge and they will be gone once I get home. I store them in the pantry in the case so no light exposure and have 6 or so chilled at a time. When I tried this the first time I a/b d the last of a previous year with the first of a new batch, all good so I decided to provide myself with enough for the year. ( I have maybe 2 a week so we're not talking stacks of them!! Nice to have it on hand year round. Cheers!!

 

 

[tanstaafl2]

On ‎8‎/‎22‎/‎2016 at 11:34 AM, dcbt said:

So you stock up on it and drink it year-round?   Does it stay good and fresh that long?  (Does beer go bad in a bottle after time or is it like whiskey and stays just fine?)

 

16 hours ago, kcgumbohead said:

 

It keeps just fine, I have the last couple from 2015 in the fridge and they will be gone once I get home. I store them in the pantry in the case so no light exposure and have 6 or so chilled at a time. When I tried this the first time I a/b d the last of a previous year with the first of a new batch, all good so I decided to provide myself with enough for the year. ( I have maybe 2 a week so we're not talking stacks of them!! Nice to have it on hand year round. Cheers!!

 

 

 

Some beer does well over time and some does not. "Bottle Conditioned" beers tend to do well. I am certainly not a brewer but in the most simple sense (which is what I need!) that includes the addition of viable yeast. Higher proof beers can also do ok with time. But I can tell you from first hand experience not all beers can survive aging for extended periods of time! Unfortunately I probably have a bunch of them in my basement as my beer drinking gets less and less frequent...

[smokinjoe]

I picked up a 12-pk of Stella Artois a week or so ago, and am drinking one the last ones now at the end of a long day.  Besides giving me a sort of hoity-toity feeling while saying Stella Atwaaaah in an overdone faux Euro accent, this beer gives me nothing else.  Blah.

[garbanzobean]

3 hours ago, smokinjoe said:

I picked up a 12-pk of Stella Artois a week or so ago, and am drinking one the last ones now at the end of a long day.  Besides giving me a sort of hoity-toity feeling while saying Stella Atwaaaah in an overdone faux Euro accent, this beer gives me nothing else.  Blah.

I don't care for it much either.

 

In the vein of fancy European beer, I'm having a St. Bernardus Pater 6.  The Abt 12 is my favorite, but every St. Bernardus beer I've had has been great to amazing.  This one just happens to be low enough ABV that it doesn't knock me on my rear.  You know, so I can have a bourbon after.

[PaulO]

Every once in a great while I'll end up drinking a regular Budweiser (usually at some one's house).  Anyway, I was grocery shopping and saw it @ $4.99 a six pack of 16oz. cans, and I was almost out of beer.  I guess there's nothing wrong with it.  It tastes like the most average lager beer I can imagine.  It's as good, but not better than PBR or Hamm's.

[squire]

This one today . . . 

 

 

Appearance: Beautiful golden amber color. Bright and clear, the others would do well to copy this inviting appearance.

Aroma: Somewhat muted caramel sweetness. Absolutely no off notes of any sort with an inviting offer of drinkability.

Taste: Much like the aroma but richer with more depth. Some hop presence mid palate that recedes by the finish which is clean, quick, without a hint of bitterness of roasted malt or hops, and a slightly lingering note of malt richness. The aftertaste actually improves on the flavor.

Texture: Medium

Overall: Can't find any fault with this one, it's as determinedly bourgeois as a beer can get. Just a solidly rich malty lager that''s fine as it is. I think I would get bored drinking it everyday but I could also do a lot worse.
 

[Paddy]

^^^^Nicely done Squire!  I think they do a great job with all their seasonals.  Beautiful packaging as well! 

[DPPSmoker]

I had a Tropical Saison from Brewery Vivant tonight.  Solid beer.

[Paddy]

I purchased a 12 pack of both the Leinenkugel's and Sammy Adams Octoberfest today and spent the evening going back and forth between the two.  God, I love this time of year! 

[smokinjoe]

Aaahhhhh... I made it to September, 1.  The first of many of these that I'll be enjoying over the next couple of months.

[BigPapa]

13 hours ago, smokinjoe said:

Aaahhhhh... I made it to September, 1.  The first of many of these that I'll be enjoying over the next couple of months.

Never tried Sam's Adams Oktoberfest. Must be a good beer if your drinking it exclusively the next couple months

[skiwez2]

it's actually the only Sam Adams I enjoy. pretty good stuff

[smokinjoe]

7 hours ago, BigPapa said:

Never tried Sam's Adams Oktoberfest. Must be a good beer if your drinking it exclusively the next couple months

Exclusively?!?!   Never!    

 

[smokinjoe]

Just finished the last of the prep work before laying tile in our kitchen.  Getting my courage up to start with a Red Hare Hasenpfeffer Oktoberfest lager.  This one has a large biscuity maltiness much like the New Belgium Fat Tire.