The Beer Forum - It's really a thread but we're too drunk to notice. - Page 131

Alwayz · 01/14/10, 3:37 PM

New Belgium finally started shipping more in South Carolina, so I was able to enjoy a Fat Tire and 1554 last night. The 1554 was shockingly smooth for a darker beer with a nice coffee note as a finish. Fat Tire was a very smooth ale with a nice finish. I would highly recommend both.

Bishopsik · 01/14/10, 4:29 PM

Originally Posted by Monocle

Sierra Nevada's Big Foot Barelywine just came out, noticed it when I was down in Memphis, TN for New Years. Now if that area got it, NJ certainly will have it. Hope the batch this year turned out good, as it is one of the Barelywines out there I really enjoy.

If you live in NJ (centralish) you should take a trip to Oak Tree Buy Rite (South Plainfield). Probably the best beer store in all of NJ and if they dont have it, good luck finding it anywhere in NJ. Their website isnt the best, but you can get an idea of their variety from it.

Monocle · 01/15/10, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by Bishopsik

If you live in NJ (centralish) you should take a trip to Oak Tree Buy Rite (South Plainfield). Probably the best beer store in all of NJ and if they dont have it, good luck finding it anywhere in NJ. Their website isnt the best, but you can get an idea of their variety from it.

I go there when I can, but as I live in North Jersey, it is a bit of a pain to get there, it's about an hour trip. My main good store is Ramsey Liquors. They have a very good selection, and are located just a couple towns over.

Usually when I do go to Oak Tree it's when I am visiting a friend of mine who lives down there. They are nice enough to ship stuff back for me when I can't easily get it home myself.

I luck out to that the store a block a ay from me has a decent selection too, at least I can easily find Southern Tier and Bear Republic there. Biggest issue I have here is everything is scattered, one store will get stuff from one distributor and another from a different one. It's not bad now, but during the Fall and Holidays, I am running all over the place to get the beers for the season I want to drink.

Plus there is always ordering from Liquid Solutions, that's the only way I can get Ninkasi and any of the Alaskan beers.

srgk · 01/17/10, 1:45 AM

Stake out your source for Pliny the Younger starting February 8th!

Bury · 01/17/10, 2:39 AM

Had AleSmith Speedway Stout - AleSmith Brewing Company - BeerAdvocate
and
Chocolate Porter - Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe - BeerAdvocate
tonight. They owned.

On the other hand, Winter Ale 2009 - Chocolate Mint Porter - Bootlegger's Brewery - BeerAdvocate was kind of awful

Kaubel · 01/17/10, 3:06 AM

Bought three new beers tonight.

- Shiner Frost: it's almost like a day old biscuit with honey on it. I guess that doesn't have to be a horrible thing. Overall it's a typical Shiner beer - low alcohol, super easy to drink.

- Delirium Tremens: didn't know what in the hell to expect, but it's damn good. Very sweet. Cloudy, unfiltered and highly carbonated, making it almost chewy. Has that Belgian ale taste but with the 9% alcohol very well hidden. The shit was like $20 for a 4-pack though, so savor it if you get it.

- Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron: haven't tried it yet, but it was expensive too. (Like $15 for the 4-pack.) It has 12% alcohol, so should be fun.

Apate · 01/17/10, 10:15 AM

I'll be interested to see what you think of the Palo Santo - it's quite different, and I really enjoy it.

I've been on a barleywine kick lately. Great Divide's Old Ruffian was very beer-like; balanced hops/malt and not too boozy at around 10% ABV. Rogue's Old Crustacean XS was absolutely great. I'd really like to age some of this. The flavors were complex and layered, but it had a very strong hop character. The finish was bitter at first, but almost savory as it lingered.

Kaubel · 01/17/10, 7:43 PM

OK, the Palo Santo.

It's...sweet. Like, real sweet. I keep thinking it's a cross between flat vanilla cola and molasses. And you wouldn't know it was 12% alcohol by the taste. It's definitely a sipping beer, but less so than, say, a chocolate stout.

I like it.

brutish · 01/18/10, 1:48 PM

Originally Posted by srgk

Stake out your source for Pliny the Younger starting February 8th!

Here is some information from the RRBC website for fans of Pliny looking to get their mitts on some of the Younger. I live down on the peninsula about an hour from Santa Rosa but am currently considering taking the 5th off, heading up there for the release and getting a hotel room to sleep it off.

On a separate note, I am usually an IPA hound (Pliny, Rogue I2PA, Avery) but have been really into sour flanders red ales recently. Recent tastes include Rodenbach, Rodenbach Grand Cru, and the inimitable Duchesse de Bourgogne. Rodenbach is a blend of young and old beers and wasn't quite sour enough for me. The Grand Cru blended in a bit more of the more mature, funky beer and was (to my palate) perfectly balanced. The Duchesse is just too damn funky for me! Anyone here had the Duchesse and actually enjoyed it?

Gort · 01/19/10, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by brutish

Here is some information from the RRBC website for fans of Pliny looking to get their mitts on some of the Younger. I live down on the peninsula about an hour from Santa Rosa but am currently considering taking the 5th off, heading up there for the release and getting a hotel room to sleep it off.

On a separate note, I am usually an IPA hound (Pliny, Rogue I2PA, Avery) but have been really into sour flanders red ales recently. Recent tastes include Rodenbach, Rodenbach Grand Cru, and the inimitable Duchesse de Bourgogne. Rodenbach is a blend of young and old beers and wasn't quite sour enough for me. The Grand Cru blended in a bit more of the more mature, funky beer and was (to my palate) perfectly balanced. The Duchesse is just too damn funky for me! Anyone here had the Duchesse and actually enjoyed it?

I've tried Duchesse a few times, and while it's got a great sour hit, it's just got too many off flavors for me. There's a number of other Belgian sours that I find FAR superior, including Monk's Café Flemish Sour Red Ale - Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V. - BeerAdvocate, which is honestly incredible. It's very aggressive in terms of that acidic hit, and I think is at its best colder than one would serve a normal Belgian ale, but my god, on a hot summer day there is nothing like it. To me the flavor was almost a barely-sweetened lemonade, with a lot of fruit, vinegary tang, and a little bit of nice cheesy, musty richness hiding in the background. I will note that I was the only person from my party able to drink it, so take this advice how you will.

Apate · 01/20/10, 6:24 PM

I picked up some Sierra Nevada Glissade today and it's quite tasty. It's balanced malty/hoppy with an almost savory finish that reminds me of movie-buttered popcorn in a good way (not heavily) if that makes sense. The color is deceptively light.

Tyrsis · 01/22/10, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by Apate

I picked up some Sierra Nevada Glissade today and it's quite tasty. It's balanced malty/hoppy with an almost savory finish that reminds me of movie-buttered popcorn in a good way (not heavily) if that makes sense. The color is deceptively light.

I saw a 12 pack of this at Albertsons of all places, I'll pick it up next time. I was there getting a bomber of Arrogant Bastard Ale - I put half of it in this chili I made (and drank the other half!)

The chili was good, btw...

♦ Praetorian · 01/22/10, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by Bury

Had AleSmith Speedway Stout - AleSmith Brewing Company - BeerAdvocate

Just seconding this -- if you like stouts at all, and you see this anyway, get/try it. It's one of the best I've ever had.

brutish · 01/22/10, 1:33 PM

Originally Posted by Tyrsis

I saw a 12 pack of this at Albertsons of all places, I'll pick it up next time. I was there getting a bomber of Arrogant Bastard Ale - I put half of it in this chili I made (and drank the other half!)

The chili was good, btw...

I have always been a huge fan of adding beer to my chili, but I've never tried using Arrogant Bastard (a beer I LOVE btw). My goto beer for use in chili has traditionally been Shiner Bock. I like it because it adds some nice earthy, malty flavor without being overwhelming. Do you find that much of the hop flavor of the AB makes it through into the chili? That just sounds kinda weird to me... Guess I'll have to try it this weekend.

brutish · 01/22/10, 1:46 PM

Originally Posted by Praetorian

Just seconding this -- if you like stouts at all, and you see this anyway, get/try it. It's one of the best I've ever had.

AleSmith definitely makes a good stout. I don't think I've had any of their beers that I didn't think were very good to outstanding. I currently have a bottle of their Horny Devil (a take on a Belgian Strong Ale) in my fridge right now just waiting for the weekend to be consumed.

On the topic of stouts, I am extremely excited this weekend for the release in San Francisco of FiftyFifty Brewing Company's Eclipse Stout. What makes this guy special is that (other than just being a great stout) it is barrel aged for 200+ days in whiskey barrels before being bottled. This year they aged in three different types of barrels:

Elijah Craig barrel aged version approx. 1800 bottles
Heaven Hill Rye barrel aged version approx. 1000 bottles
Jack Daniels barrel aged version approx. 400 bottles (release date mid January)

The Elijah and HH are being released in SF at the City Beer Store so I'm heading up there to pick up my pre-ordered bottles (which will be laid down in my beer cellar of course!) and try them both out, as they will both be on tap as well. I heartily endorse anyone in the SF bay area who likes stout coming up to the city tomorrow (Sat. 1/23) for the event!