Beer in the new era

Mailing is a PIA, because for the same reason you can't use the US Mail. You need to use FedEx or UPS, and pack really well and somewhat mysteriously (ie, do not declare it as beer or whatever). In fact, a good way to pack for the plane is to buy a UPS padded mailer, stick the bottle in there and wrap it tight with tape.

BTW, per trading, I have several bottles of BCBS I'd probably want to get rid of...

uh, has anyone seen this brooklyn brewery 'dry irish stout' ? just tried it i likey

I guess this will be in the US too? The UK brewery involved is really good, looking forward to checking it out:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/526495_477326158996103_1454753181_n.jpg

local offie has sierra nevada pale ale in cans

nnnnnnnggggh

hey jeff! i ilxmailed you back; forgot about the masking thing before so i included an actual email you can use for me.

so that gueuze cuvee rene was so tart it made my tongue curl. i liked it but no one else did and i couldn't finish something that sour myself. i probably drank about 2/3rds of it tho.

At least for buying beer in bottles for home, I think the Seirra Nevada Pale Ale is like crack. I just don't even really care to try other beers. There are exceptions, as a porter or any dark beer or a wheat beer is just a different kind of thing, but anything ale or lager I get a six pack or a couple of most things and I like it but it's not as good as Sierra Nevada. Only thing I have gotten in bottle that I come close to liking is Breckinridge and it's way better on tap and there is only one place around here that I can find it.

Beer on tap is a whole different thing...as all that German beer is a whole other thing on tap than in bottle.

All that said, I think living in Kentucky for over a decade I've become pretty damn enamoured of bourbon and drink as much of it as I do beer anymore. And to be honest, most of that from the expensive stuff to the cheap stuff is all good with me.

paging ned:

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/535023_334051373361459_1534585088_n.jpg

Only thing I have gotten in bottle that I come close to liking is Breckinridge...

I picked up their Lucky U IPA recently because it was new to me (I've had their other stuff) and was on sale, and it's pretty thin and underwhelming. Discovered it only got a 65 on ratebeer. Wouldn't buy again. Totally agree on Sierra as a go-to brand though, they're consistently very good and not crazy expensive.

And once again I'll rep for SN Torpedo IPA, my go to for that style. It's also available in cans (16 oz, 4 for $8).

word! great balance and easy drinking

imna break my bottles of 2009 Bigfoot Ale for the snowstorm.

kernel IPA is so delicious

got a mallinson's columbus, sierra nevada hefewiezen, magic rock IPA, and mikkeler coffee IPA tonight

heading over to NOLA brewery tour in about an hour!

not even sure that coffee IPA is anywhere near a decent idea; give anything a try once tho

mmmm beer

kernel IPA is so delicious

it is amazing. there is so much great uk beer now.

so the brew tour was great. not much of a tour tho - they gave us glasses when we came in (which we got to keep!) and then we basically drank w/ a bunch of ppl for a while. everything i tried was great. the brown ale had the lowest apv but was pretty complex despite that and flavorful. the mechahopzilla was, as you could expect from the name, super hoppy (the tap that poured it was sorta-broken so i got a ton of head) and super boozy, that one laid me out and i stayed drunk for hours after drinking it -- also drank this flambeau red ale which i thought was the best of the bunch. it's pretty awesome trying local brews in a new city -- maybe the best thing about going somewhere new.

i've been using this untapp'd app, which is like foursquare but you check in with beers. if anyone else uses it, my username is the same as my ilx dn -- when i remember i've been snapping photos w/ it to remember what i drank for later.

mechahopzilla tap was ridic cool too

http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_full_width_scaled/hash/6b/6a/6b6a7cd257f316d4fabce72e6cdfbb67.jpg

I'm on Untapp'd, but I stopped using it b/c I don't have a smartphone, so I can't log beers when I'm out, and I never remember at home. I know that other ILXors use it, tho.

i just started it so i'm not totally attached yet (esp since i've got a separate spreadsheet w/ like ~90 beers reviewed that i'm loathe to jettison) but it's cool. the badges are pretty lame unfortunately - drink the 3 biggest market lite beers? i'll pass on that one, thx.

I added you.

For anyone else, my username is "Jeff"

I'll add you Mordy!

Pliny The Younger kegs have shipped and should be arriving at destinations this weekend. My local got their's last night (and we drained it).

Mechahopzilla tap is amazing!

Yeah, if it doesn't glow in the dark, it should.

I've also added you mordy! My username on untappd is lapsarian.

Or roar. (xpost0)

Gonna drink me some Bell's tonight, my local has Captain Spontaneous and Smitten on draft alongside Hopslam and Two-Hearted.

I have a friend who keeps dropping off bottles of intense stout. This afternoon he left me a Bell's Black Note bourbon barrel aged stout in my umbrella basket.

Great friend. Haven't been able to get any black note this year.

xp
There may be an umbrella in your fridge.

ay chicago, you get Furthermore now:

http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=05e21709acaec839fd0ea833a&id=af3d486198&e=202625b560

good beer + really nice folks. it's too bad they're not shipping Oscura yet, that's my fav.

Drank one Palo Santo Marron per night for the last four nights, didn't really change my mind about it, although it's nice to be able to drink one beer and have a buzz. Surprised by how high the ratings are at Ratebeer and the other sites -- people seem to find all this "complexity" in it where most of what I taste is just sweet and heavy. I think people underestimate how much something being sweet affects their judgment.

http://beerpulse.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Founders-Brewing-Co.-Doom-Label.png

looks delicious, but i gotta be honest i'm getting a little burnt out on all the bourbon barrel aged stuff. it all has a similar sickly sweet taste that is good in small sipping amounts but can be overwhelming. i drank a barrel aged old rasputin last week and it didn't blow me away.

I second that emotion, I just drink bourbon if I want that flavor. New Holland is making a "beer barrel bourbon" that I saw on the whiskey shelf during my last trip to the store. Thought about trying it but the price was too high for taking a chance. I hear their gin is good, though.

Give it all to me. I got a lot of drinking to do.

founder's has been doing a lot of stuff i like lately but idk about that

bourbon barrel seems like the big 2k13 craft beer trend and i'm all for it.

really not sure about this mikkeler coffee IPA
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13307/65674

supporting local w/ http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16206/48375

i love IPAs and coffee beers, but...

Maybe because I've been drinking bourbon county stout for so long but it seems less like a trend but breweries finally catching up to the awesome. Granted, some are doing it much better than others.

Popped open the Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout -- this is REALLY good. Tastes of actual chocolate, not chocolate flavoring, and yet is surprisingly unsweet and not heavy or syrupy. The chocolate is borderline savory, like in mole, and there is a hint of spice to it. I hate the name, but it doesn't taste like the name.

also the ommegang adoration is really great

Wow, that sounds good.

xpost

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1671838/dogfish-head-and-sierra-nevada-design-a-beer-glass-just-for-ipas