If you're looking to take ABV to the extreme, try Sink the Bismark. I wouldn't suggest taking big gulps at a time.

Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale has finally shown up in good quantities here in NJ. I loved this one back when it was the Anniversary Ale for the year it was released, so was thrilled when I learned it became a normal beer in Stone's selection. That was last year, so it did take awhile to finally get here. Pretty cool that Black IPA’s are becoming a little more commonplace now, it is a unique style that I enjoy drinking.

Also grabbed a six pack of a Marzen by Heavy Seas, which was a bit of a surprise, as it is not Marzen season, but this one is a fresh, recently shipped beer. I will be trying it this weekend. Going to be slightly weird drinking a Marzen in the Spring.

I finally found Glissade at a different liquor chain. I'll agree with Kabuel, it's a pleasant malty beer that you could drink for an entire evening.

Picked up a growler of this for a friends birthday party - it's far too easy to drink. Half the growler and I was done.

The LA Beer festival was on Saturday and the best beer I hadn't tried before was He'brew's Genesis - just a great flavor. HE'BREW The Chosen Beer I had the SN Glissade but it didn't blow me away. Left Coast's Black Magic was pretty good, but I actually liked the other one they had out -- I think it was Una Mas but I could be wrong. Maui's coconut porter was a bit sweeter than other brews of its kind, a very unique flavor.

There was too much standing in line and not enough beer

The secret to the EBF this year was to show up early and get the limited stuff that you really wanted to try first. ('94 Bigfoot, Pliney, etc) You did this while everyone else was milling around deciding on what they wanted. Then you have time to converse and wait in some smaller lines. Following that, when the session was almost over, there were almost no lines for any of the breweries that still had beer left and much fun was had.


Also, I picked up a six of Glissade this weekend and the one I've had so far didn't really do anything for me. I consider the SN Pale Ale a session beer though and the Glissade had less oomph than that. I really need a beer to kick me in the teeth or be exceptionally well crafted to impress me off the bat at this point.

Also, I had two bottles of Flying Dog Raging Bitch which was mentioned just a bit ago. Same deal as the Glissade unfortunately. Decent beer, just I've had better ones in the style.

Fwiw, Glissade is easy on the palate, but it's not really a session beer at 6.4% ABV. Their common APA is closer to a session beer by US standards at 5.6%, but I tend to make the cutoff <5.5% and I feel like that's a bit generous. Something like Yeungling (4.4%) or Festina Peche (4.5%) better fits that descriptor.

Great Brewery in general - the taste matches the packaging. Jewbilation, Origin, and Rejewvenation also come to mind as good products by Shmaltz brewers.

Interesting. I had it on tap, which may have made the difference, but I found it to be markedly different than APAs and nIPAs. I'm tempted to track down a bottle (or visit the brewery - EJBDC Brewery Bash, who's with me?).

e: having a Genesis now nom nom nom

Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A is easily the best thing they make. I can't think of another rye beer this good, let along now that they've released the barrel aged RIPA.

Agreed. I do like Bear Republic's one a bit more, it is one of my all time favorite beers after all, but this one comes really close. Bear Republic's beers in general tend to be very good, I love their Racer 5 and Red Rocket as well.

Tried a Yeti Oak Aged Imperial Stout tonight. This was a thick and rich stout, complex flavors full of chocolate, coffee, malt, and god knows what. Tasted great straight out of the bottle - didn't really need a warmup period though the flavors continued to develop as it did. The head was pretty interesting as it poured because it didn't lighten but was a dark brown.

What?? Already? Well shit. Had I known I would have gone to check tonight.