Beer in the new era

If you like Fin Du Monde, it is from the same brewery (Unibroue) in Montreal, and a little more session-y than FdM. There's some discussion of it upthread iirc.

Oh yeah, okay, I ctrl-F'd those threads. Fin du Monde is fine, maybe I'll give it a go this week.

It's closer to Trois Pistoles than Fin du Monde, at least in terms of style. And I'm not sure I'd call it "session-y" at 9%. That said, a good-quality Belgian dark ale is a great deal for $4.99, IMO.

Don't know how many of you outside of the Midwest get Central Waters brews but their Peruvian Morning is an excellent barrel aged coffee stout

it's so good

Have any of you guys tried any of the Trader Joe's stuff? My wife brought home one of their vintage ale things last night. Despite the decent reviews on RateBeer, I'm skeptical.

― i kant believe it's not buffon (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, March 4, 2013 4:26 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

As you'll see in this and the TJ's thread, I'm a stan of the beer. I can pretty easily put away a whole bottle if I have nothing to do the next morning.

TJ's beer is pretty bland imo, the 'double IPA' barely tastes like a decent regular IPA.

agreed, but the trader joe's anniversary ale or whatever it's called (the unibroue one) is a vastly different proposition from the rest of their stuff - i don't know who contract-brews their other beers but it sure ain't unibroue

yeah, the other beers are a totally differnt thing, I'm talking about the vintage ale

Are you referring to the Botswain label wrt the double IPA, Jordan? I didn't think that was their label, and I don't recall a DIPA of the ones that are labeled TJs. I don't care for the Botswains I've tried, even at $2/bomber.

I thought the Boatswain was borderline awful.

It tasted like hipster malt liquor.

so evidently i am one of 50 people who just "won" this: http://www.hillfarmstead.com/collected-works/

sick!

i'd really like to try some hill farmstead. outside traveling up to VT tho i don't know how i'll get any

i think hf occasionally makes it to philly on draft?

so i've heard but i haven't seen any since i started srsly drinking

Are you referring to the Botswain label wrt the double IPA, Jordan?

yeah, that was it.

http://frenchoaktv.com/2010/10/the-breweries-behind-traders-joes-private-label-beer/

Boatswain appears to be contract-brewed by Minhas (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/435), which is sort of notoriously low-rated on BeerAdvocate. This lineup may be outdated (it predates the A-B Goose Island takeover, for one thing), but it's interesting info nonetheless.

jeff box update--double daisy cutter is great stuff, i like the hop profile a lot (like, that is how you use simcoe) and it's combined with a really nice mouthfeel.

oh wow, had no idea goose island made stockyard and black toad, will definitely have to try.

The Gordon Biersch and Firestone-Walker beers I've had there are all very decent for the money, if nothing special.

i dig the black toad.
my wife's fave beer is the mission st. pale ale, so we drink a lot of that tbh.

i always forget what beers I take for granted here that others can't find elsewhere.

This. I mean, the fact that I can roll down to the grocery store literally 1/4 mile from my house and pick up sixers of Revolution stuff is pretty awesome. Symptom of critical mass of craft beer or w/e, I'm perfectly fine with having convenient access to some great fucking beer.

jeff box update--double daisy cutter is great stuff, i like the hop profile a lot (like, that is how you use simcoe) and it's combined with a really nice mouthfeel.

Glad you liked it. If I had unlimited money to send beer, I would have sent a four pack of regular Daisy Cutter too. Great every day beer and the beer I've drank the most of over the last 2 years.

Of yours, I've drank the Zoe (shared with jaymc) and Our Finest Regards. Zoe was another beer that ended up being hoppier than I expected. Very good. OFR was great, I love barleywines so much. I don't get to drink a lot of english style barleywines, good stuff.

Heading up to Wisconsin, may stock up on some New Glarus and/or Central Waters. Any suggestions? Peruvian Stout?

You can still get most of the CW stuff in the city, peruvian morning included.

My 4-pack of Surly Furious arrives tomorrow afternoon.

Sam Adams Double Agent IPA surprisingly good. I like the flavor of the hops they use.

Re: new glarus, I haven't gotten this but oh damn

http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/index.cfm/beers/OurBeers/Beer/serendipity

Now that I have found that fuck it, I'm taking a trip to wisconsin

Chicagoans! I'll be visiting your manor in the next couple of weeks, hooray. Can you give me any tips for good quality stores in which to find a really good selection of craft beer? We're staying in Bucktown this time, which is a change from our usual Andersonville / Logan Square haunts, so places in that zone especially welcome, as are stores with a decent selection of bourbon.

I (and more importantly my ex-Chicagoan lovely wife) know a selection of bars around that end, but any advice on ace new places much appreciated also.

Don't know much about bourbon or Bucktown, but here's the usual suspects:

The Noble Grape
Puerto Rico Food & Liquors
Walgreens Greektown (seriously)
Before You Go
West Lakeview Liquors
Bottles and Cans
The Beer Temple
Warehouse Liquors
Printers Row Wine Shop
Maria's Packaged Goods
Any Binnys

I haven't been to all these, but they are generally well regarded. You can find most of what they have on beermenus.com.

New places, when were you last here? There is new stuff all the time. In your sorta general area, go to Revolution, Haymarket, Map Room, Local Option. There is actually going to be an awesome beer event at Local Option next week celebrating Pi day. Amazing draft list: http://localoptionbier.com/2013/03/04/pi-observance-day-3-14-2013/

VAS Foremost have a decent bourbon selection. Can't really go wrong with Binny's, though.

Bangers & Lace is close to Bucktown too, they're relatively new.

Yes! I forgot B&L. Awesome bar.

I didn't list Vas because I've had a couple of bad experiences there. They do some price gouging on special releases.

I was last in Chicago around Christmas (think we discussed Bangers and Lace upthread a little bit, good place but they peeved me somewhat).

We arrive on the 15th, so will miss that event, which is a shame. Our first couple of days will be spent in sunny Rockford, IL anyhow.

Thanks for the advice. If anyone's totally desperate for a bottle of something easily purchasable in London I could be persuaded to drag a couple across...

Yeah, probably nothing much new since Christmas. Enjoy Rockford! I ran a 10K up there once through too much snow. So I have bad memories.

You have bad memories, I have in-laws.

Actually my in-laws are decent folks, but Rockford itself is... well, it's no Chicago, as you know.

Asked a friend who lives in Bucktown and he recommends Olivia's Market.

going to an Allagash tasting tnite

unrelated: http://www.birchbox.com/men/guide/post/4-beers-that-are-good-for-your-skin

Decent Bucktown liquor store well-stocked with craft beer:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/dannys-buy-low-chicago

Thanks for the advice chums.

drain poured this: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1924/28938

and i rarely don't finish a beer but it was TERRIBLE

"naked fish" does not inspire confidence.

ok, in general i think the alaskan stuff is pretty mediocre, but their new Hopothermia Double IPA wins the crown for being the worst beer I have had in years.

Serendipity on the other hand is doooooooope, cellaring a bottle as well to bring out some more funk. at this point it is more tart than sour, but you can smell the sour taking shape in there.

Heading up to Wisconsin, may stock up on some New Glarus and/or Central Waters. Any suggestions? Peruvian Stout?

where are you going in WI? i would check for:

-O'So (their Lupulin Maximus is an all-time fav, same for Night Train)
-Lake Louie (Mr. Mephisto imperial stout, they have a nice scotch ale and cream ale too)
-Ale Asylum
-Furthermore (Oscura is a great + unique coffee beer)
-Tyranena (Rocky's Revenge bourbon brown ale, whatever the seasonal special is)

my cousin is going up to CT this week and offered to pick me up some beers while he's there -- any advice?

new england brewing co.--they used to distribute up here but have since scaled back. their canned offerings should be around throughout ct though, and if he's anywhere near new heaven he should stop by and get some growlers.

Furthermore Knot Stock is one of my all time fave weird beers, ipa brewed with black pepper, it is badass.

Tried the next sam adams spring thaw -- the White Lantern. A pleasant, apricotty wheat beer -- tasty enough that I opened a second one. Probably a good summer party beer.

yeah my friend had that one, was super apricotty. decent.

really want to try their "ipl" but they were on the sponsor list for the dumbass exclusionary st. patrick's day parade we have here so not buying their shit for a while.