Recently I had a barleywine called "Enigma" but I don't recall the brewery. The description from The Twisted Hop - Beer List matches, but I've a hard time believing that it came from NZ. Either way, it was definitely a 10+% barleywine style ale and it was fantastic. The label was mostly black with a purple/blue question mark-type graphic. The restaurant I was at apparently has a reserve beer list, and thank goodness I seemed like enough of a beer geek for them to offer it to me. My friends who go there regularly had never seen it. Next time I go I plan on trying the Centurion (probably the Golden City version?).
Tonight I've got some Troegs Flying Mouflan and whatever else I pick up on the way home. I may actually pick up a second bottle to age based on the Troegs site.
Which restaurant? Maybe I'll try and check it out sometime soon.
Lindeman's makes a full selection of sugar watersoda 'lambics,' so I'm sure any of them would taste fine.
I make fun, but I think they actually make a decent Gueze along with the easy-to-find lambics (as does the other ridiculously sugar-added lambic maker whose name escapes me at the moment).
Belle Vue I believe you mean , extreme sugar
On the other hand it can be nice to drink in between other beer or after diner (just one :p)
The only exception is Liefmans kriek which is not so sweet , comes in fair amount (eg > 25cl), u should try it if you can find.
Had some of Avery's White Rascal last night no tap at the local pub. It was pretty decent, reminded me very much of Hoegarden. I'd definitely recommend it for someone who's newer to beer or for a real hot day.
Recently I had a barleywine called "Enigma" but I don't recall the brewery. The description from The Twisted Hop - Beer List matches, but I've a hard time believing that it came from NZ. Either way, it was definitely a 10+% barleywine style ale and it was fantastic. The label was mostly black with a purple/blue question mark-type graphic. The restaurant I was at apparently has a reserve beer list, and thank goodness I seemed like enough of a beer geek for them to offer it to me. My friends who go there regularly had never seen it. Next time I go I plan on trying the Centurion (probably the Golden City version?).
Tonight I've got some Troegs Flying Mouflan and whatever else I pick up on the way home. I may actually pick up a second bottle to age based on the Troegs site.
(And fwiw I got it in Northern VA at Liberty Tavern.)
For the record, the Troegs' Flying Mouflan was interestingly spicier than it was hoppy. I split the bottle with a friend and we've made tentative plans to split #2 in a few months to compare.
Time for another Make Your Own 6-Pack! (which we will inevitably fail to finish in a single night, or even a single state)
Beer #1: Saison du BUFF, collaboration between Stone, Dogfish Head, and Victory. Dogfish Head / Victory / Stone, Saison du BUFF Saison Du BUFF - Dogfish Head / Victory / Stone - Stone Brewing Co. - BeerAdvocate
Malthrin: this is a really, really weird beer. It's fundamentally a hoppy golden ale, but aside from the hops, there's also a strong herb presence of sage and thyme alongside. Like some other Dogfish head stuff, a little too far out for me to really get into, but an interesting experience.
Thornmallow: Disclaimer: I dislike hops, they taste like soap. From the smell I could tell this was going to be hoppier than I like. I can tell there's some sort of herbal something going on under the hops (mm, herbal soap), but really, I've never encountered a "Saison" this hopped. I think they let the Stone guys near the brew after everyone else had left and they decided to dump another barrel or two of hops in for good measure. It does seem to be improving somewhat as it warms, though.
Beer #2: Golden Cap Saison, from New Holland. Golden Cap - New Holland Brewing Company - BeerAdvocate
Thornmallow: Smells like a saison. Good funk and some sweet. I taste a little sweet first, then the funk. It doesn't finish very strong, though. Definitely drinkable, but I'll pick something else when I'm in a saison-mood.
Malthrin: Pleasant taste and excellent bouquet, but pretty mild-mannered as far as wild ales go. Tasty, but not standout. Agree with Molp that the finish is weak.
Beer #3: Bell's Oberon Bell's Oberon Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc. - BeerAdvocate
Malthrin: Not the most exciting beer, but what I was in the mood for today (it's 95!). This bottle was particularly cloudy, but the taste was still the usual - light and refreshing, but with a little more body than your average wheat beer. Yum.
Thornmallow: Malthrin is right, this was a particularly cloudy bottle of Oberon. I like this beer, it's great for summertime. It has a bright flavor with a little hint of honey.
Beer #4: Victory Golden Monkey Golden Monkey - Victory Brewing Company - BeerAdvocate
Malthrin: first time having this one, but I've been a Victory fan for a long time because of the Hop Devil and Storm King Stout. It's an Americanized Belgian - sublety is set aside, it's sweet and refreshing, with a touch of pepper. I'm wishing for some stronger floral notes.
Thornmallow: Also my first try of Golden Monkey. It smells of honey, and you definitely get the honey flavor, too. I don't think it's overpoweringly sweet -- there's just enough hops to balance that out. You can taste some alcohol, perhaps not the full 9.5%, though! It's just not as interesting as a lot of Belgian-style beers.
I had a bomber of Stone's Old Guardian Barleywine tonight. I just bought it today at a store with huge turnover so I imagine it's from whatever their most recent batch is. At over 11%, the main thing you taste is hot alcohol followed by a whole lot of bittering hops. As you'd expect from Stone the beer is just completely over the top. Drank the thing over the course of about 3 hours and I still feel drunk; this beer is no joke. It's definitely tasty, but the booze and hops are really aggressive. I bet it would absolutely own if it had 6-12 months to mellow but I have neither the facilities nor the willpower to do that
In a few weeks it'll be time for the annual trip out to GenCon in Indy, by way of Grand Rapids, MI where we pick up an old gaming buddy and enjoy a few Oberons. That's a fine summer beer. Tastes great floating on an inflatable pool chair with some old AC/DC in the background.
Beer #3: Bell's Oberon Bell's Oberon Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc. - BeerAdvocate
Malthrin: Not the most exciting beer, but what I was in the mood for today (it's 95!). This bottle was particularly cloudy, but the taste was still the usual - light and refreshing, but with a little more body than your average wheat beer. Yum.
Thornmallow: Malthrin is right, this was a particularly cloudy bottle of Oberon. I like this beer, it's great for summertime. It has a bright flavor with a little hint of honey.
Bell's makes a lot of great beers. Feb-March you should check out their seasonal Bock if you like heavier beers. I love Oberon in the summertime.
I think my new favorite "micro"brew is 1554 from the same brewery as Fat Tire. It's a brown ale with a nice full flavor to it.
Avery's "The Reverend" and Brother Thelonious are also quite good, but they're a bit hoppy (and very boozey without tasting like it), they aren't quite a bock but they have the same sweet caramel undertones.
Let's see, what have I had recently Tiny - Weyerbacher Brewing Co. - BeerAdvocate - Delicious. I sampled some at Savor beerfest and picked up a bottle a few days later. It gets oakier as it reaches room temp. this thing was a beast to finish.
Brooklyn's Monster barleywine - very easy to drink, especially for a barleywine.
It all started back in the early aughts, when Vinnie Cilurzo, of Russian River Brewing, and Adam Avery, of Avery Brewing, met at the Great American Beer Festival. After becoming friends the two soon realized that each brewed a beer called Salvation; Avery’s a Belgian Golden Ale and Cilurzo’s a Belgian Strong Ale.
Preferring a creative solution to their naming conflict, the two brewers chose to blend their respective brews together–and continue with brewing the brews individually, we should add–to create a new and increasingly complex libation that captured the unique qualities of each beer.
This was a really good beer. I kept noticing people picking up glasses and stealing a sip when it wasn't their beer. It had a full body, but it was more of a solid brew than anything as experimental as many blends can be.
Oud Beersel Gueze lambic - A very solid traditional lambic. No sweet shit to deal with here, it was the real deal (on tap in DC at the 9:30 no less).
Old Domnion: Lager is actually very flavorful, Hop Mountain is a hoppy Pale Ale, Oak Barrel is good (and I think I've mentioned it before).
I'll admit, I never knew what an IPA was until today. Never tasted one, never been that curious. I'm not much of a beer guy, anyway. The hotel I work at recently had a large wedding, and four of their guests couldn't make it. Those four gift bags that were forgotten and left behind had a bottle each of Peak Organic IPA, and Starr Hill Amber. Yes, its 0745 in the morning here, and yes, I felt the need to pop open the IPA.
Now I'm sad that no one in town carries it. Its pretty damn good - not too bitter, very citrus'y (citrussy?), and pretty damn strong compared to what I'm used to (really saying something, since my liquor cabinet is basically lined with silver tequila and other miscellaneous mixing and cooking alcohols). I've never had an IPA before, but this one has my interests piqued. Anyone know of any good, massively available IPAs that I might want to give a try?
Peak Organic and Starr Hill are both available at my local Harris Teeter in Northern VA. they're not very rare.
Personally I'd keep an eye out for any Bear Republic IPAs, but Stone and Rogue are widely available. Longhammer tends to be available everywhere and it's not a bad IPA.
And Apate, I don't know anything about Peak Organic, but I'm not sure Starr Hill is readily available across the US. It's easily available in VA because its brewed down here in Charlottesville. They've got their own bar, and everything. Used to have a club with some good shows down near the Corner, but I guess it wasn't pulling enough money.
I'm not sure Starr Hill is readily available across the US. It's easily available in VA because its brewed down here in Charlottesville. They've got their own bar, and everything. Used to have a club with some good shows down near the Corner, but I guess it wasn't pulling enough money.
Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking. I actually don't like the Starr Hill beers that I've tried - is there anything that they do very well that I should try?
Honestly, I'm not the best person to ask. Like I said, not much of a beer drinker. Last year's Festie (only produced in Sept. and Oct.) was pretty damn good, but that doesn't mean this year's batch will be. The Starr Hill that everyone down here always cheers for is the Jomo Lager, but I've never tasted it.
Caldera IPA from Southern Oregon is a hugely hopped IPA that will really surprise you with citrus flavors that drinks so easy. Its available in a 6 pack of cans (yes! cans!) and you can take it places you can't take bottles. I have been a beer snob for some time and didn't think I'd stoop to drinking a canned beer again, but this has changed my song. My buddy down the street now has a 1/2 barrel of this and it even seems like the can might make the hops even more pronounced.
I recently got back from a trip to New England and stopped by my old haunt Portsmouth brewery in Portsmouth NH and they had a special beer on tap. It was a Wheat Wine in a barley wine style. Massive golden beer at 11% and the neatest sugar taste I've had in a long time. Unlike any beer I ever had. It tasted like a melted heath bar minus the chocolate. If you can get one, please do yourself a favor and try it.
I also recently got to go to upright brewing in Portland, OR and did their taster tray. These guys are doing some amazing farmhouse style ales and if you come to beervania I recommend them highly. Their tasting room is on pretty limited hours so be sure to check their website.
Killed off a 6 pack of Starr Hill Amber last night. Still just as good as it was the last time I drank it, almost a year ago. Starr Hill definitely has staying power in their brews, unlike some of the other microbrews I've tasted in the past that seem to change flavor from year to year.
Caldera IPA from Southern Oregon is a hugely hopped IPA that will really surprise you with citrus flavors that drinks so easy. Its available in a 6 pack of cans (yes! cans!) and you can take it places you can't take bottles. I have been a beer snob for some time and didn't think I'd stoop to drinking a canned beer again, but this has changed my song. My buddy down the street now has a 1/2 barrel of this and it even seems like the can might make the hops even more pronounced.
A number of the microbrews seem to be doing the can-only distribution, now. One particularly amazing example is Upslope Brewery in Boulder, Colorado, which has an absolutely brilliant IPA. The phrase I always think of to describe Upslope IPA is "Purity of Essence" (yes, that's a Starcraft reference to the Protoss). It's pure hops and pure malts, without the flowery citrus tastes that's so common in today's Pale Ales. It is, as the can proudly states: Bold, Deep, Bitter.
As far as cans vs bottles? Honestly, I've never really minded the cans. What's the general consensus, that it keeps the beer fresher due to not allowing any light in and not having the imperfect seal of a bottle cap, yet imparts a slight metallic bitter taste at times? With some intentionally bitter beers (as in the aforementioned Upslope IPA), I don't really see the problem with the near-mythical metallic taste.
[About Avery Collaboration Not Litigation Ale]
This was a really good beer. I kept noticing people picking up glasses and stealing a sip when it wasn't their beer. It had a full body, but it was more of a solid brew than anything as experimental as many blends can be.
To be honest, I never thought that the Collaboration Not Litigation was that great compared to the rest of either Avery's selection (and I go to their tap room a LOT) or to Russian River's own beers, though I agree it's very drinkable. Maybe it's just the way the beers blend together, but I seem to remember Collaboration being fairly tame, lacking the "experimental" power (by which I mean, extremely hoppy and/or extremely citrusy and/or Brett-brewer and/or barrel-aged, etc) that both characterizes and makes me love Avery and Russian River's beers.
06/09/10, 4:59 PM
in EJBSG 17 (soundtrack)
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