Well, I don't drink a lot of Summit (it's not quite as ubiquitous down here), so I don't think of any of their beers as "boring old" -- but it looks like one of the big booze emporiums has the red ale, so maybe I'll give it a shot.
― jaymc, Wednesday, 22 July 2009 16:22 (fourteen years ago) link
Two especially embarrassingly marketed but very good beers I've had lately -- Blue Point's Hoptical Illusion and Rastafar-rye Ale.
― the kid is crying because did sharks died? (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 22 July 2009 16:23 (fourteen years ago) link
Best new-to-me beer I've had recently was from Tyranena (small brewery in Lake Mills, Wisconsin I don't think has been mentioned upthread.)
They do limited edition seasonals called "Brewers Gone Wild" (again with the CA-RAY-ZY!!! marketing) and the one I had was called Scurvy IPA. Brewed with orange zest, although it's not at all fruity; it just added to the citrusy zing of the hops.
― Such A Hilbily (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 22 July 2009 16:37 (fourteen years ago) link
oh hey ive had that! pretty good, i think they had it at the muddy pig in Saint Paul. (btw if out of towners are looking to do some quality beer drinking in the twin cities, the muddy pig is where its at.)
― wax onleck, wax affleck (jjjusten), Wednesday, 22 July 2009 16:40 (fourteen years ago) link
When I'm in the mood for a HUGE blast (lol energy drink can) of piney, citrusy hops, Furious fills the bill for me perfectly.
Hmm. That's exactly what disappointed me about it -- to me, it had no fresh, citrusy hop flavor at all. Piney like a car scent thingy, yes. Piney like a pine forest, no. I just wonder whether the perversity of the idea of drinking good beer/ale out of a can is what turns some people on to Surly.
― Goethe*s Elective Affinities, Thursday, 23 July 2009 17:25 (fourteen years ago) link
I had the Hoptical Illusion recently too but wasn't a huge fan. I remember it being on the heavy side for an IPA...
― Goethe*s Elective Affinities, Thursday, 23 July 2009 17:26 (fourteen years ago) link
Hoptical Illusion has a really atrocious label, yes, but I remember it being totally drinkable.
btw had a few more newport storm hurricane amber ale's last night, and i decided that the scent is v v similar to this stuff:http://www.flexpack.org/images/Public/juicy.jpg
― ian, Thursday, 23 July 2009 17:37 (fourteen years ago) link
i got a six pack of those hop wallops tonight; pretty nice beer. not syrupy like a lot of other high abv ales.
― ian, Friday, 24 July 2009 02:13 (fourteen years ago) link
Great Lakes Commodore Perry IPA tonight -- loving it.
― brash trash talker (dan m), Friday, 24 July 2009 02:18 (fourteen years ago) link
Not sure if I've had that -- I always get Burning River for some reason.
― jaymc, Friday, 24 July 2009 04:36 (fourteen years ago) link
Had a Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse last night - yummo. Best weissbier I've had - just the right amount of tartness. Will be drinking loads more of it, I think.
― My vagina has a dress code. (milo z), Friday, 24 July 2009 04:40 (fourteen years ago) link
just noticed that my local, favorite bar/restaurant, beachwood bbq, has moinette on tap. had it when i was up in portland and was definitely a stand out in a trip that involved many a beer tasting. might have to go and revisit.
― robotsinlove, Friday, 24 July 2009 04:58 (fourteen years ago) link
xp - yea franziskaner weisse is one the best wheats ever imo
― mark cl, Friday, 24 July 2009 13:12 (fourteen years ago) link
does anyone actually like Carlsberg or is it just cheap?
― franziskanatra (los blue jeans), Monday, 10 August 2009 04:14 (fourteen years ago) link
i have a friend that drinks it pretty regularly but it seems to be residual from his time in scotland. since it's not cheap in america there is no reason at all to drink it.
― wishes to be referred under the pseudonym of kronos (call all destroyer), Monday, 10 August 2009 04:21 (fourteen years ago) link
i've only ever seen it in british-style pubs like this place.
― jaymc, Monday, 10 August 2009 04:23 (fourteen years ago) link
... I got 24 cans for $9.99
― franziskanatra (los blue jeans), Monday, 10 August 2009 04:25 (fourteen years ago) link
ha getting any full strength beer for that price in australia is impossible. they brew carlsberg and tuborg here locally now so it's affordable at about au$45.
and it's kind of bad.
― wilter, Monday, 10 August 2009 04:31 (fourteen years ago) link
This on sale was 3 weeks before the "best before" date though.
― franziskanatra (los blue jeans), Monday, 10 August 2009 04:34 (fourteen years ago) link
I like Carlsberg Elephant.
― nickn, Monday, 10 August 2009 16:34 (fourteen years ago) link
today:Sam Smith's Taddy Porter with lunch (excellent beer, will drink more of A++)Rogue Dead Guy AleLong Hammer IPA
― ian, Monday, 17 August 2009 03:48 (fourteen years ago) link
Lately I feel a little fatigued by the variety of available beer.
― the kid is crying because did sharks died? (Hurting 2), Monday, 17 August 2009 03:50 (fourteen years ago) link
in your neighborhood or in life or what?
― ian, Monday, 17 August 2009 03:55 (fourteen years ago) link
Like last night I went to a bar and there was an Ommegang I had never had, a Six Points I had never had, a Blue Point I had never had, etc.
Aside from that though, I am loving Lagunitas IPA lately.
― the kid is crying because did sharks died? (Hurting 2), Monday, 17 August 2009 04:00 (fourteen years ago) link
Had Bear Republic Racer 5 for the first time tonight. Great stuff. An explosion of hops but with a nice caramel undertone.
― jaymc, Wednesday, 26 August 2009 04:32 (fourteen years ago) link
This was also very good:
http://www.ericronning.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/img_2534-480x320.jpg
Maybe the closest a beer's come to matching my beloved Two Brothers Cain and Ebel (both hoppy red ales).
― jaymc, Monday, 31 August 2009 01:59 (fourteen years ago) link
I bought a 22 of Racer 5 yesterday, pretty good but not overwhelming. It may have had something to do with the 22 of Beck's I had first.
There was also a dark but hoppy-for-a-dark-beer somethingorother from Southern Tier that I had the other night and can't dredge up the name of.
― dan m, Monday, 31 August 2009 04:02 (fourteen years ago) link
Jaymc, have you tried the Green Flash Hop Head Red? You may like it.
― ian, Monday, 31 August 2009 04:17 (fourteen years ago) link
Had an Allagash Hugh Malone tonight, really really liked it. According to Beeradvocate it is a "Belgian IPA" -- I had no clue that such a style existed, but I am glad it does. And the name does pretty accurately convey the taste.
― dr. johnson (askance johnson), Saturday, 5 September 2009 04:14 (fourteen years ago) link
last night i had a Speakeasy double IPA which I was actually pretty disappointed with. An exceedingly bitter beer--and I can take my hops, but this was way OTT. A sort of caustic boozy finish. I also had some kind of Norwegian porter which was v v excellent, but I don't remember the brewery.
Today I have had a brooklyn IPA and a few of the Green Flash Hop Head Red.
― ian, Saturday, 5 September 2009 04:22 (fourteen years ago) link
john, you'd also probably like this: Stone 13th anniversary ale, although i doubt you're going to be able to find it or anything. but, it is a hoppy, big red with some nice dried fruit flavors, too.
oh yeah, and craftsman's triple white sage is also awesome, way more herb flavor than i was expecting, but in a good way.
― robotsinlove, Saturday, 5 September 2009 09:25 (fourteen years ago) link
Thanks for the tips. It looks like Green Flash just started distributing to Chicago recently, so I'll keep an eye out for it.
― jaymc, Saturday, 5 September 2009 15:08 (fourteen years ago) link
DFH raison d'etre --- i've tried this a bunch of times over the past 5 years or so but damn i am very happy that i have this right now. style's a belgian strong ale but fucked if that's what it tastes like. if you think of it as a brown ale, it's prob one of the most well-rounded, complex browns i've ever tried. caramel, very soft notes of coffee, malty, little bit earth, very slightest bitternes, everything you'd want in to a good brown ale
― mark cl, Wednesday, 23 September 2009 02:11 (fourteen years ago) link
^^^ love this stuff. probably the only dfh i can drink more than a few of in a sitting. (not that i should, given apv and calorie count.)
― strongohulkingtonsghost, Wednesday, 23 September 2009 02:13 (fourteen years ago) link
i said caramel but it's really like HUGE fucking caramel. with raisins and dried fruit or something. tbh tho this is like one of the first craft beers i've bought since drinking no other beer but pabst for like a month. i just moved so all the moving expenses + being in between jobs for a couple weeks made for cheap 30 packs.
prob anything would taste delicious after cleaning out that pbr 30 pack tho, but still, i think this is a really good beer
― mark cl, Wednesday, 23 September 2009 02:15 (fourteen years ago) link
but yea the abv is big on this one
― mark cl, Wednesday, 23 September 2009 02:16 (fourteen years ago) link
also i bought some budweiser american ale 'out of curiosity'
it's not that good, but not bad. totally what you'd expect i guess - bit more flavor, super mild hop bitterness but still recognizable, bit more malty than the regular bod. gorgeous color tho i have to say
― mark cl, Wednesday, 23 September 2009 02:17 (fourteen years ago) link
i think the label's cool too. props for doing a pry-cap too, i didn't expect it and ripped my hands apart trying to twist the fucker off
http://www.uncrate.com/men/images/2008/09/bud-american-ale.jpg
― mark cl, Wednesday, 23 September 2009 02:19 (fourteen years ago) link
i did the american ale experiment when it came out--it definitely has its uses and i was expecting much worse.
you been to publick house yet btw?
― call all destroyer, Wednesday, 23 September 2009 02:53 (fourteen years ago) link
ha no i haven't
― mark cl, Wednesday, 23 September 2009 02:53 (fourteen years ago) link
just talking about it on the boston thread right now
I've enjoyed Surly Bender and Coffee Bender. I was actually trying to find if there's anywhere in Chicago that sells Surly in six-packs, since I am going to a (don't ask) Minnesota-themed party on Saturday. Guess I'll have to settle for Summit.
― jaymc, Wednesday, July 22, 2009 10:38 AM (2 months ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
two months late but vas foremost in logan sq sells it im pretty sure
― deej, Monday, 28 September 2009 19:10 (fourteen years ago) link
surly comes in 4 packs btw
― holosystolic murmur and the thrill (gbx), Monday, 28 September 2009 19:12 (fourteen years ago) link
i finally tried founders breakfast stout over the weekend--god damn what a great beer.
― yellow card for favre (call all destroyer), Monday, 28 September 2009 19:23 (fourteen years ago) link
Waaaay x-post:
...some weird overpowering something going on that gets in the way of what is in there that i might appreciate i guess. feel the same way about laguinitas... grass clipping vibe...
I bought a 6 of Lagunitas IPA over the weekend, which I've liked before, and yeah this has some hayloft taste/aroma going on that I'm really not finding all that pleasing.
― Such A Hilbily (Dan Peterson), Monday, 28 September 2009 19:59 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.fine-wine.com.au/image/cache/frame-product-large-cf478d3ef560755387c98afc945f5c8a.png
Working thru a carton of this^
it's pretty ace. also seems like its on tap more and more around these parts.
― wilter, Wednesday, 7 October 2009 04:07 (fourteen years ago) link
http://usera.imagecave.com/hbartlett/pumpkin.gifheaven in a bottle.
― thebingoisback, Wednesday, 7 October 2009 14:39 (fourteen years ago) link
cool! i should give it a try then.
i shouldn't discriminate but tbh w/ a name like 'shipyard' and the label looking the way it does, it looks like a lot of other pretty boring and unexceptional new england breweries that make up basically the whole craft beer section of my local liquor store. which is a pretty shitty liquor store btw, unfortunately - functions essentially as a place for BC students to buy cases of natty light
which reminds me - CAD what are some of the best beer/liquor stores in boston?
― mark cl, Wednesday, 7 October 2009 15:15 (fourteen years ago) link
hahah i've never had shipyard for that reason tho i know people like it. should get over my boring label bias sometime.
OK, liquor store rundown:
since marty's allston is sadly departed, that leaves blanchard's allston as the best general-purpose store i know of in our area. it's big, not overpriced, and has expanded its warm bottle section to include some pretty weird/exotic stuff recently (see: $25 750ml beers from italy that i kind of want to investigate further).
for wine and if you ever suddenly become a fan of pricey scotch, brookline liquor mart on comm ave (not in brookline at all!) is the best. it's not cheap but their wine selection is enormous and the staff is really friendly and knowledgeable.
downtown liquors in davis sq. in somerville is a great little store with a surprisingly huge beer selection for its size. lots of good stuff cold which is really convenient.
charles st. liquors in beacon hill is maybe the place to go for weird belgians and stuff like that. some people swear by it. i have gotten referred there by a belgian beer distributor in the past when i was amped on the de dolle brewery.
i've never been to wine gallery on route 9 in brookline, but the small wine gallery in kenmore sq. was awesome for getting nicer stuff when i lived near there.
there is supposedly an enormous store in south boston with a crazy selection but i have only heard rumors of it....
― call all destroyer, Wednesday, 7 October 2009 15:43 (fourteen years ago) link
the marty's in newton is a little bit out there but has a pretty deep selection of standard commercial beers and micro brews/belgian beers. they also have some weird sales where certain microbrews get sold for really cheap.
i've been told good things about liquor world in porter square but have yet to stop through it.
and as always julio's out in westborough but that's a trip all on its own.
― Bastards of Young Dro, Wednesday, 7 October 2009 16:00 (fourteen years ago) link