Beer in the new era

http://www.northcoastbrewing.com/beer-RedSeal.htm

Anyone tried North Coast Red Seal...?

Yeah, I've had that. It's pretty good.

So disappointed in Baltika 3. It used to be a great light beer back in the day in Russia, blah blah blah. It isn't the same now it's from Tesco's.

Red Seal is ok, but then I think my beer tastes have been permanently damaged by all the hop-centric American IPAs of the past few years. Everything else just tastes sort of bland now, and malty reds in particular have just fallen off my radar. It's like using too much hot sauce on your mexican food.

Overhopped American ales really piss me off. It's not a B.U. contest, assholes!

Strikes me as such an American approach too, just like how it's always "JIMBOB'S HOT-AS-FUCK HOTTEST FUCK YOU IN THE FACE HOT SAUCE," rather than just good-tasting hot sauce.

Baltika! I almost bought a 51oz plastic bottle of Baltika 9 at a beer store in Portland last month so I could mail it to my friend in Chicago. It just looked so horrible, and was like $4. Like the plastic bottle was saying "if you're drinking me you're depraved enough that you could easily break a glass bottle, plus you obviously don't care that this beer is going to taste like plastic".

I like hoppy IPAs but not everything should be be that way. I had a Sierra Nevada barleywine that was super hoppy the other day and was not at all what I wanted from a barleywine. The "everything else tastes bland" thing is also in effect, so most brown ales now taste kind of weak and flat to me now, like something is missing.

this is one of my favorites:

http://www.allagash.com/curieux.htm

You'll have to believe me: Baltika tasted great to a 21-year-old idiot wandering around Russia looking for things to drink other than vodka and Polish cream liquers.

You know what's not bad? the new Budweiser American Ale

You know what's not American? The new Budweiser American Ale.

Not that I really give a shit whether beers are american, it's just an amazingly nervy bit of doublespeak

Didn't like it...they should stick to lagers. It offended me with its attempt to be inoffensive.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA - This is a nice, smooth, well-rounded IPA. I would consider this as an alternative to my usual standby, Sierra Nevada - though the flavor seemed a bit less intensely floral than the SN - almost a little too well-behaved.

^^ive been sucking these back w/ regularity recently. v. good tho a little expensive to buy by the bottle

drinking Heineken. It's really pretty good.

Was in Amsterdam last weekend and had some more of these...
http://www.sevenpack.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/ChristoffelBlonde.JPG
Really nice - although I'm not sure I could drink a lot of it.

Have been drinking Vedett quite a lot at home. I know it's a bit gimmicky but so nice. If only could figure out a way of getting a customised crate back from Belgium.

drinking Heineken. It's really pretty good.

― Tyrone Quattlebaum (Hurting 2), Friday, November 7, 2008 10:38 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

wasnt there some ilx thread where a bunch of ppl were shitting on heineken? i think its perfectly good for a decently priced import

what do u guys think of grolsch - despite being a weird word to pronounce i enjoy it, and also i enjoy the gimmicky caps

Grolsch can be OK but can also be quite 'oniony' to me anyway - particularly if it's not super cold.

I was told by the UK marketing manager for it over here that they wanted to serve it REALLY cold in the pubs over here but the Dutch parent company wouldn't let them - maybe this is why I don't like it so much when it's on draft.

wasnt there some ilx thread where a bunch of ppl were shitting on heineken? i think its perfectly good for a decently priced import

― Because it's a snow machine (deej), Saturday, November 8, 2008 4:06 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark

Yeah, I think I and a lot of people came into the beer world with negative impressions of it as the beer equivalent of a BMW or something, plus with all the new microbrews and imports to choose from it seemed dumb to drink Heineken. But I got some on sale and I think it's very tasty. A nice, well-balanced beer.

i had a Dead Guy Ale last night--pretty great, never tried a Rogue before

Yeah agreed on Heineken. Nothing wrong with it - I have a mini keg in right now. Great beer and one of the few reliable international brands.

The only thing ever wrong with it was the old Heineken you used to get in the UK. They actually used to make an adulterated watered down version as people were more used to drinking lager than bitter. One of the worst beers I've ever drunk. So glad it's gone.

I don't like Heineken like I don't like Stella - both always taste kind of skunky to me in an unpleasant way. A lot of pilsners taste do this to me, so it might just be that. It's a flavor I really don't like in beers.

i had a Dead Guy Ale last night--pretty great, never tried a Rogue before

― Mr. Que, Saturday, November 8, 2008 9:23 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

The deli around the corner from me usually has this. It's great.

Tonight is the Southampton Publick House double white. It's good. It doesn't gimme a headache like a lot of white beers do (I'm looking at you, hoegarden.)

I'm just now enjoying my third Millstream Schild Brau Amber, which they sell at the local hippie whole food store. Not one of those super-hoppy American ales, but kind of at the malt-y end of the lager spectrum. Probably only available around Iowa, but yumm.

Had lovely Westmalle last night, ruined only by a terrible date

What beers should I seek out in Austin, TX?

Yeah, Heineken tastes kind of metallic to me.

never really liked heineken. given the choice, i'd rather drink budweiser.

are there really that many super-hopped american beers? maybe i'm just used to them being around at this point? i guess i like XTREME bitter IPAs, but only for like a glass, then i get sick of them. one example of that is
http://www.stonebrew.com/tasting/ruination/design/photo.jpg

also, v excited that the winter ales are all out already. i liked the deschutes jubelale and new belgium 2 below.

I don't like Heineken like I don't like Stella - both always taste kind of skunky to me in an unpleasant way. A lot of pilsners taste do this to me, so it might just be that. It's a flavor I really don't like in beers.

This is exactly how I feel. My preference of late is for pale ale. Sierra Nevada is really quite awesome for the price.

picked up a Three Philosophers (haven't tried it yet, but I'm a big Ommegang fan) and a Unibroue Quatre Cientemps (had this with dinner last night; I've had it before, and it remains one of my favorite beers. only 7.5%, too, so it doesn't knock me on my ass quite as fast as the other Unibroues. too bad it's a limited edition Q_Q)

also had a Terrapin Gamma Ray the other day -- weird, extremely sweet, 11% ABV "wheat wine". not unpleasant, but I'm not sure I'd buy it again.

i love this stuff

http://blogs.menupages.com/philadelphia/hitachino.jpg

I think I posted about Hitachino in another beer thread, still pretty good stuff. Been chilling with Rogue Double Dead Guy lately, and the Bell's Amber.

lots of Sierra Nevada Celebration for me.

we have another good local brewer here in Oregon that just started bottling, they are called Ninkasi. Anybody had it yet? They make about six or seven varieties in bottle.

In case anyone has been tempted by the Bell's Cherry Porter: don't be.

I've had the Ninkasi IPA a couple of times when in Eugene, and found one in Portland a couple weeks ago. I think I liked it?

I haven't had a Double Dead Guy yet, is it very different or just more boozy tasting? I had the Rogue Yellow Snow the other night for the first time and it was really good.

One of the benefits of Bell's returning to the Chicago area is that their interim brand ("Kalamazoo Beer") is now for sale dirt cheap in bars and stores. It's not quite a Bell's, but for $1.75 a bottle it kicks PBR/Old Style/Schlitz's collective asses.

I can't get used to the idea of buying beer in a champagne bottle.

http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/213/tx6240rv7.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y276/pantomus/OldRasputin.jpg

http://www.beerclubofbritain.co.uk/images/uploads/roaringmeg_large.jpg

is all leinenkugel so unimpressive? i've taken almost a month to finish 6 of them! it doesn't help that it is "berry weiss" and i really don't like fruity beer (except i would drink one in the summer, only one) but i needed it for a recipe. it's like drinking juicy juice. bleh.

normal leinies is pretty reliable cheap beer---it's like the yuengling of the midwest

but fuck that fruity bullshit

srsly whose idea was fruity beer--they are stupid. i had this in august. i like the hilarious name and label but if i wanted to drink peach juice i'd drink peach juice! should just be called "peach" anyway, there was no wheat to be found.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/50/136392892_87f2bf94c2.jpg

i will try these normal leines because i am in a non-yuengling state too

Had Sly Fox Pale Ale in a can -- not that good.

Normal Leinie's to me means someone brought one of those sturdy boxes out to someone's party in the woods at a cabin or at the beach and there will probably be fireworks or naked skiing or boot hockey or a homemade slip-and-slide and a sauna and stars and such. Therefore it's always going to be great.

haha that sounds like that 'perfect party' thread

leinenkugel's fireside nut brown is amazing shit guys

maybe a little bit sweet for some but I am very much enjoying a proper brown ale produced stateside that isn't hopped to shit