remind me plz what the state website is?
― Mordy, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 13:59 (nine years ago) link
Fine Wine and Discount Spirits in PA.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 14:14 (nine years ago) link
very excited about fresh hop season
I had Ninkasi's new fresh hop beer (called "Hoptimist", I think) and it was truly amazing, the best thing I've ever had from them ( I like Total Dom and Maiden, think the rest is overrated)
― sleeve, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 14:27 (nine years ago) link
I really like Ninkasi Tricerahops but only on tap - someone at the local bar that always has it told me it's actually a totally different recipe than the bottled version, like the ABV is a full point higher or something.
― joygoat, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 15:38 (nine years ago) link
yeah I heard something similar about Kelso Industrial IPA, in cans its 1% less ABV than on tap
― anonanon, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 15:42 (nine years ago) link
oh right I like Tricerahops too, did not know about the draft/bottle difference
― sleeve, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 15:44 (nine years ago) link
Tried a two diff bottles of Bell's Mars DIPA this week. Easy drinking for 10% but can be a bit cloying. Was hoping for more thrilling hop zing.
― ian, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 18:50 (nine years ago) link
Still not going because of the potential for clusterfuckability, but the drafts for the Chicago edition of Zwanze Day is nice:
Draft List:ImportedZwanze 2014 Cuvée de Florian • Brasserie Cantillon, BelgiumGueuze • Brasserie Cantillon, BelgiumCuvée Saint-Gilloise • Brasserie Cantillon, BelgiumMamouche • Brasserie Cantillon, BelgiumKriek • Brouwerij Kerkom, BelgiumWeltmerz • De Struise Brouwers, BelgiumYpres • De Struise Brouwers, BelgiumShawnigan Handshake • Le Trou Du Diable, CanadaArctic Sunstone (Collab with Three Floyds Brewing, Indiana) • Amager Bryghus, DenmarkBlå Spøgelse (Collab with Three Floyds Brewing, Indiana) • Mikkeller, DenmarkBeer Geek Brunch Weasel • Mikkeller, DenmarkSpontanredcurrant • Mikkeller, DenmarkCalypso • Siren, EnglandRoter Baron • Mahrs Bräu, GermanyBonator (Gravity Keg) • Klosterbrauerei Weiβenohe, GermanyMönchsambacher Unfiltered Lagerbier (Gravity Keg) • Brauerei Zehendner, GermanyIt’s Still Weisse (Collab with Stillwater Artisanal Ales, Maryland) • The Monarchy, GermanySalty Angel • Birrificio Toccalmatto, ItalyMadamin 2013 • LoverBeer, ItalyCease & Desist • Brouwerij de Molen, NetherlandsFresh Hop Wired IPA • 8 Wired Brewing, New Zealandtba…DomesticBCS Coffee 2012 • Goose Island Brewing Co, ChicagoMatilda Lambicus • Goose Island Brewing Co, ChicagoVallejo • Half Acre Brewing Co, ChicagoYuzu Berliner Weisse • Off Color Brewing, ChicagoMosaic • Pipeworks Brewing Co, ChicagoTart Lychee 2012 • New Belgium, ColoradoLa Folie 2013 • New Belgium, ColoradoCrépuscule • St Somewhere Brewing Co, FloridaGose • The Sour Note, IndianaCimmerian Sabertooth Berzerker • Three Floyds Brewing Co, IndianaMan-O-Awe • Three Floyds Brewing Co, IndianaYum Yum • Three Floyds Brewing Co, IndianaKentucky Breakfast Stout 2013 • Founders Brewing Co, MichiganFunky Wit • Perennial Artisan Ales, MissouriSociety & Solitude #7 • Hill Farmstead Brewery, Vermonttba…
― Jeff, Friday, 19 September 2014 18:35 (nine years ago) link
So I am back in lol school and on a halved budget and don't buy nearly as many fun beers anymore, but I got the Sierra Nevada Red IPA tonight and am kind of irrationally excited to drink a couple.
― dan m, Tuesday, 23 September 2014 23:24 (nine years ago) link
i liked that one! that and their rye ipa are both better than they probably need to be
anyone have any good oktoberfest/marzen style beers this season? heater allen bobtoberfest was predictably delicious, but i really was not feeling the firestone oaktoberfest. kinda starting to hate these west coast variations of styles where copious amounts of hops are added to nearly anything, it can definitely work for certain styles but what's the point of a german lager if you can't taste the malt?
― hug niceman (psychgawsple), Wednesday, 24 September 2014 17:34 (nine years ago) link
OTM
― sleeve, Wednesday, 24 September 2014 17:47 (nine years ago) link
i didn't taste much of anything in the firestone one. disappointing.
― call all destroyer, Wednesday, 24 September 2014 17:53 (nine years ago) link
ayinger oktoberfest is my go-to oktoberfest.
― ian, Wednesday, 24 September 2014 17:58 (nine years ago) link
firestone oaktoberfest was completely disappointing
― marcos, Wednesday, 24 September 2014 18:27 (nine years ago) link
kinda starting to hate these west coast variations of styles where copious amounts of hops are added to nearly anything, it can definitely work for certain styles but what's the point of a german lager if you can't taste the malt?
― hug niceman (psychgawsple), Wednesday, September 24, 2014 1:34 PM (52 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― sleeve, Wednesday, September 24, 2014 1:47 PM (40 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
^^^
I had the Oktoberfest Revolution and thought it was a well-done example of the style, but not particularly memorable. I've been drinking more Revolution stuff lately because I finally found a place that sells it for a reasonable price, that is, less than $10 per six pack.
― dan m, Wednesday, 24 September 2014 18:48 (nine years ago) link
This listicle *gets* me, tho non-warning: not a slideshow/clickbait...
http://draftmag.com/features/25-breweries-you-should-know/
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 26 September 2014 02:30 (nine years ago) link
So. Much. Beer.
Too much beer?
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 26 September 2014 02:38 (nine years ago) link
Never too much beer.
― Jeff, Friday, 26 September 2014 11:53 (nine years ago) link
Tomorrow will mark four weeks since my last beer (not-very-serious medical reasons), I've been having to make do with delicious white wine.
My friends are at Borefts.
Not enough beer. :(
― Tim, Friday, 26 September 2014 12:07 (nine years ago) link
In Delaware now, have been drinking Heavy Seas beer. Every one I've had has been solid, really enjoyed the uber pils.
Was in the store last night and was sort of just randomly picking from the regional selections. Any specific recommendations for stuff I can't get in Chicago?
― Jeff, Friday, 26 September 2014 12:49 (nine years ago) link
i drank a lot of heavy seas when i lived in DC. remember them being really really good, but it's been years since i've had any heavy seas and for some reason i never buy any even though i see them in boston shops sometimes. i got into them shortly after i started getting into craft beer and i guess i feel nervous that they won't hold up to my memories (same goes for rogue). but i should give them a try again.
― marcos, Friday, 26 September 2014 14:19 (nine years ago) link
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Thursday, September 25, 2014 10:30 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
lots of new england/MA beers there. do feel like in the past couple years new england has really stepped up its game, shit used to be dire here 5-7 years ago
― marcos, Friday, 26 September 2014 14:27 (nine years ago) link
mystic and aeronaut have done nothing to deserve being on that list tho
― call all destroyer, Friday, 26 September 2014 14:28 (nine years ago) link
never had either tbh.
and lol with one exception every photograph is a bearded white dude. and the one exception still has a bearded white dude but also has a woman.
― marcos, Friday, 26 September 2014 14:30 (nine years ago) link
btw cad i have been meaning to say "hi" for a while - took a long break from ilx but you know me from simmons and a boston fap from a while ago!
― marcos, Friday, 26 September 2014 14:31 (nine years ago) link
thought it might be you :)
― call all destroyer, Friday, 26 September 2014 14:50 (nine years ago) link
pretty decent list, but the carton brewery beers sound awful (beers based on cigars and trail mix and panzanella? why?)
just made it out to de garde last weekend :) picked up about a case of assorted bottles, looking forward to the next few months
― hug niceman (psychgawsple), Friday, 26 September 2014 16:21 (nine years ago) link
Perennial just launched in Seattle. Looking forward to Abraxas. Saison De Lis, and a few others being readily available.
I as initially skeptical of Carton, but they've managed to impress me with nearly everything I've tried. The Swisher one was pretty great; hoppy and smoky. Regular Coffee was spot-on, and Boat Beer is just a world class Pale. Kane in NJ is also doing great things, but it's a real hassle tracking down their beers.
― Tomás Piñon (Ryan), Friday, 26 September 2014 18:05 (nine years ago) link
Shared a bottle of Firestone Double DBA with friends after dinner last night, perfect application for such a beer. Another one of those where about an 8oz glass is perfect, and despite the stuff tasting great I couldn't imagine trying to consume a whole bottle solo. I was also under the impression that it was much more boozy and big-flavored than it turned out to be.
― dan m, Monday, 29 September 2014 17:52 (nine years ago) link
Ha, I think every time I've had that beer I've finished off the whole bottle myself. I do what I got to do.
― Jeff, Monday, 29 September 2014 18:07 (nine years ago) link
i've drank bottles of merkin solo before, prob could do a ddba.
― call all destroyer, Monday, 29 September 2014 18:08 (nine years ago) link
i am getting worryingly bored of beer at the moment. been a fairly long time since anything really knocked me out. boo me.
― Ass Tchotchke! (jjjusten), Monday, 29 September 2014 18:14 (nine years ago) link
i'm with ya
― call all destroyer, Monday, 29 September 2014 18:18 (nine years ago) link
I think there's an element of choice paralysis crossed with general high quality across the board going on. I have enough great, easy to buy/drink standards that I'd have to go out of my way (or drink everything) to find some truly shitty beers. If anything that explains all the even weirder novelty beers popping up. It's like the brewers are getting bored, too, having perfected all the normal/not disgusting permutations of beer.
Found a bottle of V. Merkin on a shelf today. Still some DDBA, too, though less of it sitting around than there was last year.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 29 September 2014 18:59 (nine years ago) link
1st paragraph OTM, I think. I am also feeling a bit burned out, going for lighter beer in general.
― sleeve, Monday, 29 September 2014 19:30 (nine years ago) link
Idk, I still drink something different almost every time. Still an adventure for me.
― Jeff, Monday, 29 September 2014 19:53 (nine years ago) link
agree with that, jeff. also i don't feel a huge need to get blown away by every beer i have. it's nice when that happens but i don't expect it to.
― marcos, Monday, 29 September 2014 19:55 (nine years ago) link
^ thirded. i'm not a huge wine guy but it seems like people know the parameters of the wine world enough that they don't buy a bottle expecting to be blown away by some new and previously unheard-of style or w/e, it's more about regional variation, subtle differences in craft, etc. it's not a perfect analogy but it doesn't seem crazy to notice the higher-end beer market developing in a similar way, with tons of options for each partic style and fewer ways to immediately differentiate between them
― hug niceman (psychgawsple), Monday, 29 September 2014 21:25 (nine years ago) link
yeah basically i think we can officially say creating good beers is no longer a problem, the problems now are accessibility, consistency, volume, and price.
― call all destroyer, Monday, 29 September 2014 21:44 (nine years ago) link
One thing I do love about beer more than most drinks is that it's so seasonal. What I like to drink, and what brewers produce, changes with the weather, and each season also offers its share of new surprises to explore. It's also great fun that each region produces its own stuff, and they all overlap a little but rarely wholly. So here in Chicago, we've got all the local stuff, but also nearby is Bell's, and Founders, and Three Floyds, and Central Waters, and New Glarus. Etc. Then in, say, Portland, they have all their own stalwarts, plus their own regional satellite brews. Same in Denver, and Boston, and Los Angeles, and so on. Tons of fun exploring this world.
I will readily admit that my taste for beer is nowhere near as refined as that of some, and that I do have trouble differentiating between similar (or not) expressions. Like, say, as I posted above, Allagash White vs. Saison, or some of the barrel aged stouts. That said, one other problem I have is that many of them taste so good and few totally disappoint, which is a nice problem to have.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 29 September 2014 21:44 (nine years ago) link
FWIW I was at a Triumph brewery restaurant this weekend (New Hope PA) and tried their bitter and their eichweizen, and while not blown away by either I enjoyed the exceedingly "fresh" taste that the beer had, which I can assume was just the result of having it on tap right where it was brewed.
― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Monday, 29 September 2014 21:48 (nine years ago) link
Hey, it's finally beer camp day! Scheduling with my pal has been tricky, and I was worried that it would be faded by now, but hooray for careful storage.
Just started, but the cigar city tropical maibock is incredibly good, great kick off.
― Ass Tchotchke! (jjjusten), Sunday, 5 October 2014 21:03 (nine years ago) link
2/2 the ninkasi double latte is right up there with mikkeller beer geek breakfast and lagunitas cappuccino. Going to be a great boozy afternoon.
― Ass Tchotchke! (jjjusten), Sunday, 5 October 2014 21:38 (nine years ago) link
That may be my Best of Show for the box.
― nickn, Monday, 6 October 2014 00:13 (nine years ago) link
Square grouper
― Jeff, Monday, 6 October 2014 00:18 (nine years ago) link
^ ha, you seemed to like that one?
fresh hop stuff is still very much in its prime. commons' fresh hop myrtle was pretty incredible - a light, slightly sour, drinkable saison with added earth complexity from the hops. awesome.
― hug niceman (psychgawsple), Monday, 6 October 2014 16:33 (nine years ago) link
so i started messing around with untappd, 'ChantsWI' if anyone wants to add me.
― festival culture (Jordan), Monday, 13 October 2014 17:52 (nine years ago) link
hoegaarden with lemon slice is the best beer to have with lunch
― Treeship, Tuesday, 14 October 2014 17:35 (nine years ago) link
I was feeling kinda broke until payday, so I went for a $7.99/6 alleged double IPA from Sprecher. You get what you pay for (sometimes less...) No floral hop aroma whatsoever, rather dank, malty and skunky. The bitterness is all in the finish, which lasts for an hour on the tongue. This is horrible. Avoid.
― Dick Clownload (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 14 October 2014 18:19 (nine years ago) link