This time of the year is truly the gloomy end of summer for me as we enter the autumnal days of pumpkin ales followed by undrinkable holiday ales.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Tuesday, September 2, 2014 6:45 PM (44 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
yeah for me it's gonna be like a month of oktoberfests and then porters and stouts. no pumpkin beers ever.
― call all destroyer, Tuesday, 2 September 2014 23:31 (nine years ago) link
xps - maybe i just don't want the summer to end yet, and it feels a bit like an early push for "holiday season"... can't we just have some back-to-school oktoberfest things for a while?
i def do not agree that "all beers should be all the time", at least in terms of personal taste if not distribution. drinking seasonally can be super fun, and context/setting definitely plays a part in my appreciation of nearly everything
― hug niceman (psychgawsple), Tuesday, 2 September 2014 23:45 (nine years ago) link
my love of winter ales has cooled considerably, but I still look forward to buying Sierra Nevada Celebration on the regular in two months or so
I will rep for the Anchor as well
― sleeve, Wednesday, 3 September 2014 00:10 (nine years ago) link
i am a fan of pumpkin beer but do not like that kind of beer that tastes like a christmas tree. "winter warmer." more like winter wwwwgross
― flatizza (harbl), Wednesday, 3 September 2014 00:19 (nine years ago) link
The beer people I follow on twitter got SO ANGRY about fall beers being released in July/August. Like it's the worst thing ever. They'd rather there be nuclear war than have a pumpkin beer a few weeks early.
― Jeff, Wednesday, 3 September 2014 01:10 (nine years ago) link
Oh, and I have stated before. Or at least I stated that I'm sure I've stated. Let's just state this for the future of all time and be done with it.
I'm sure I've stated my pumking hate before. I just don't get it, I would rate it as one of the worst beers that I've ever had that is supposed to be good.― Jeff, Friday, October 4, 2013 9:28 AM (10 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Jeff, Friday, October 4, 2013 9:28 AM (10 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Jeff, Wednesday, 3 September 2014 01:14 (nine years ago) link
Toronado Seattle
This is an interesting development that I was unaware of.
― joygoat, Wednesday, 3 September 2014 01:48 (nine years ago) link
I love that Lost Abbey (and/or Toronado SF or SD) is just sitting on untapped kegs of Duck Duck Gueze for special occasions. Do you remember how flat the pour was? Almost every Lost Abbey bottle I've ever opened was heavily lacking in carbonation but I know their procedures with keg beer is different (forced co2 injection) than bottling.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Wednesday, 3 September 2014 02:54 (nine years ago) link
most recent duck duck gueze was carbed perfectly, surprising me and everyone present when i opened it
― call all destroyer, Wednesday, 3 September 2014 02:59 (nine years ago) link
― Jeff, Tuesday, September 2, 2014 9:10 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I live in the south. No reason at all for this transition down here. It can be 75 degrees at thanksgiving where i live.
― Prince Kajuku (Bill Magill), Wednesday, 3 September 2014 14:13 (nine years ago) link
Good beer is Collette Farmhouse Ale from Great Divide. Very tasty.
― Prince Kajuku (Bill Magill), Wednesday, 3 September 2014 14:14 (nine years ago) link
Had one of the Longman & Eagle/Pipeworks collabs, "brown & stirred," a sort of reconstructed Manhattan: strong rye-based ale with cherry and bitters. Reminded me a bit of a flat cherry Coke beer, but it was OK.
http://www.longmanandeagle.com/blog/2014/07/pipeworks-x-le-brown-stirred/
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 3 September 2014 14:59 (nine years ago) link
Anybody get Zwanze tix?
This year's* edition sounds more interesting than last year's**.
*2014 cuvee blend of 2011 Iris gran cru with gueze and kriek lambic, cold hopped with Bramling Cross hops.**2013 top fermented Abbey tripel double spontanteous fermented with wild yeast first then 10% lambic.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Wednesday, 3 September 2014 20:09 (nine years ago) link
I never do Zwanze day because it's just always a clusterfuck here.
― Jeff, Wednesday, 3 September 2014 20:39 (nine years ago) link
damn, i was unaware of zwanze day. will definitely head to apex in pdx on the 20th, sounds incredible
― hug niceman (psychgawsple), Wednesday, 3 September 2014 22:09 (nine years ago) link
that sounds good, i went last year but normally don't like the amount of day drinking involved
― call all destroyer, Wednesday, 3 September 2014 22:58 (nine years ago) link
Chicagoans -- Northdown Cafe has a very gose and berlinner weiss-heavy tap list at the moment, with house made syrups to boot. Something like half their taps were one of the two styles as of last night.
Y'know, if you're into that sort of thing.
― dan m, Thursday, 4 September 2014 00:32 (nine years ago) link
Yeah, they had an event a couple of nights ago. I expect many will be on though most of the week. Probably won't make it up there though.
― Jeff, Thursday, 4 September 2014 00:52 (nine years ago) link
MW folks, can I get an approximate price check in $ on the following?:
25oz New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red25oz New Glarus Strawberry Rhubarb25oz New Glarus Raspberry Tart25oz New Glarus Serendipity12oz New Glarus Thumbprint Apple Ale12oz New Glarus Thumbprint Oud Bruin12oz Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Stout
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Thursday, 4 September 2014 03:14 (nine years ago) link
The 25oz NG bottles would be about $10 each and the12oz about the same per 4pk. The CW might be more like $11-12 per 4.
― dan m, Thursday, 4 September 2014 04:11 (nine years ago) link
Thanks dan m!
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Thursday, 4 September 2014 04:14 (nine years ago) link
birthday tasting notes:
Anderson Valley Heelch O'Hops Imperial IPA - very nice, not too much malt, not too boozy for a high ABV hophead beer
Stone 13 Double Bastard - too sweet for me, again not too boozy, almost reminds me of a winter ale
Flat Tail 4th Anniversary Apricot Habanero Saison - terrible, homebrew skunk banana esters and no fruit or heat
Upright Saison with Muscat (I think?) - delicious, amazing, intriguing, heavy weird grape notes in the body and aftertaste, another success from Upright
Ft. George "The Optimist" IPA - hmm, they are making 12 oz cans now! A solid IPA but a bit malty for me
Deschutes "Fresh Squeezed" - I wish the hops were crisper/more citrusy, but this is very solid
― sleeve, Friday, 5 September 2014 00:23 (nine years ago) link
uh how about instead of that 2nd "solid" insert "much more my kind of IPA than the Optimist, all due respect to Ft. George"
― sleeve, Friday, 5 September 2014 00:24 (nine years ago) link
I love Upright's saisons, haven't had a bad one yet and sounds like you got an interesting variant.
Traders: What is the biggest shelf turd extra you've received in a trade?
I'm kind of scared to open this vs "paying" it forward, but kind intrigued in a masochistic way:http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2958/73314/
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 5 September 2014 00:36 (nine years ago) link
The worst prior to this was the Rue d'Floyd infected imperial porter collab between 3Floyds and The Bruery, that was undrinkable:http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16866/116418/
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 5 September 2014 00:43 (nine years ago) link
whoops, Floyd d'Rue. The Rue d'Floyd was actually really good.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 5 September 2014 00:44 (nine years ago) link
flat tail is so hit or miss for me, i had their "smokey and the lambic" recently and it was pretty great. but that apricot habanero saison truly sounds awful
need to try that upright muscat saison! their recent seasonals have been so so killer, can't say enough good things about special herbs, the lactovasilius sole composition series thing, and their rose (all sours). also, the brewery has started to let you get growlers of their house sour - four play - and damn is that stuff tasty
i like the optimist but it doesn't really come close to ft george's other offerings imo
― hug niceman (psychgawsple), Friday, 5 September 2014 00:49 (nine years ago) link
I've enjoyed everything I've ever received it a trade.
― Jeff, Friday, 5 September 2014 00:51 (nine years ago) link
What's your address?
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 5 September 2014 00:55 (nine years ago) link
742 Evergreen Terrace!
― Jeff, Friday, 5 September 2014 01:11 (nine years ago) link
New favorite pumpkin beer: Stevens Point Whole Hog. That would actually make it my only liked pumpkin beer.
― Jeff, Friday, 5 September 2014 01:12 (nine years ago) link
psychgawsple what is your take on Flora vs. Flora Rustica? We just started getting bottles.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 5 September 2014 01:13 (nine years ago) link
I can't think of any trade turds but I'm far more likely to forget bad beer than remember it.
― dan m, Friday, 5 September 2014 03:01 (nine years ago) link
xp - just had some flora last night actually, i love it. a lot of similarities to the logsdon seizoen bretta, really well-rounded bright flavors and the barrel-aged character is super subtle (apart from the sourness)
didn't like flora rustica quite as much as their other saisons tbh, really well-done but just not my preferred style (big frothy, typical belgian yeast-y head, lemon and coriander, on the sweet side). as i've prob said before itt, i definitely prefer the old-world farmhouse funk of their standard lineup (particularly the four, which i think is super underrated)
― hug niceman (psychgawsple), Friday, 5 September 2014 15:39 (nine years ago) link
Pretty excited to nab that Stone Xocoveza chile/coffee/vanilla/cinnamon stout. Should be hitting shelves this week.
Agree w/r/t Upright. Most of their current beers have this really cloying sweetness that makes it a slog to get through more than a pour.
― Tomás Piñon (Ryan), Friday, 5 September 2014 16:08 (nine years ago) link
Who in the PDX has the best Cascade hookup? Looking for something particular that blew my mind at a share yesterday.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Monday, 8 September 2014 19:03 (nine years ago) link
(just responded to your webmail)
― hug niceman (psychgawsple), Monday, 8 September 2014 19:26 (nine years ago) link
I was looking at my running mileage from last year to this year, and I currently have over 600 miles less than I had in 2013. So for fun, I compared my beer consumption. Last year at this time I had drank 517 beers. This year, I have already have 625.
― Jeff, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 13:55 (nine years ago) link
The two may be related.
Is there something like runkeeper for tracking beer intake or do you keep tabs yourself? Not a very serious question but still...
Regarding the potential correlation, does 600 miles equal 15 to 20% of your total mileage?
― willem, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 14:07 (nine years ago) link
so many ppl complain about pumpkin beers that there's a backlash to the backlash and i've started seeing think pieces about how pumpkin beer is not that bad. but i think the trendsters are right about this one - almost 99% of pumpkin beer is a total drain pour waste w/ maybe PumpKing and Warlock as exceptions. my local bar tried to sell me a growler of pumpkin beer yesterday - i was like plz do not try to pass off your crap on me. i bought some delish Troegs Hop Knife instead.
― Mordy, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 14:08 (nine years ago) link
― Jeff, Tuesday, September 16, 2014 9:55 AM (17 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
hahah you also had a child iirc? seems easier to drink beer with a baby than run with one.
― call all destroyer, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 14:13 (nine years ago) link
Truth.
― Jeff, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 14:23 (nine years ago) link
Repped for it before, but Schlafly's Pumpkin Ale is worth your time.
― circa1916, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 14:25 (nine years ago) link
Re: Pumpkin beers, definitely try Stevens Point Whole Hog, it's basically the only palatable pumpkin beer I've ever had.
Never had the Schlafly, but I've heard it taste similar to Whole Hog.
― Jeff, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 14:25 (nine years ago) link
yesterday's samples:
pFriem DIPA, can't remember the name, this is pretty much perfect
Bend Brewing sour salmonberry, a bit tart but very nice
pint of Sculpin just for the hell of it
― sleeve, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 14:41 (nine years ago) link
i've seen that pfriem thing around, i should probably try it
bend brewing's sours are actually pretty decent, though they're generally more sessionable / less complex than other sours (thinking mostly of ching ching)
― hug niceman (psychgawsple), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 15:54 (nine years ago) link
very excited about fresh hop season. it should be more of a thing. seems like people are starting to recognize the importance of freshness in an ipa (the stone enjoy by series is one of many examples of this) but the right use of fresh hops can totally transform the character of a beer. some of this stuff is just out of control good and most people who do not live in the PNW have no idea what they're missing. hell, i have lived here for 4 years and i sorta didn't know what i was missing until recently
favorites so far this year are the laurelwood fresh hop workhorse (picked up a growler of the amarillo variant last night) and the breakside simcoe fresh hop IPA (which was brewed using this crazy process, which i think might be a first?)
― hug niceman (psychgawsple), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 17:00 (nine years ago) link
ooh thanks for those recommendations, I'll look for those
― sleeve, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 17:03 (nine years ago) link
I'm always on the lookout for a good American craft beer rendition of a Mitteleuropa-style pilsner and Smuttynose's Vunderbar! is one of the best I've sampled in a while. Very crisp and refreshing with the right amount of bite.
― o. nate, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 03:27 (nine years ago) link