Beer in the new era

Lucked into two bottles of Black Note today. Was just getting out of work when I saw the store tweeted it was in. Ran nearly a mile down Dearborn to snag two of the last 4. This is what it has come to.

Every time I hear from someone who says they found Black Note in Chicago I have to go check my usual stores... all the time realizing it's probably going to be futile.

As I predicted, Black Note came in yesterday and Black Note went out yesterday. Plenty of Zombie Dust available though, I swear this place puts it out when other releases happen just to ship a few more bottles.

Grab the ZD! One of the few beers I'll almost always buy a 6 pack when I see it.

i have yet to try ZD

few more notes on beers dan sent me--

gigantic/hellion belgian strong pale ale - this is good, nice belgian strong profile, not outrageously sweet, the dry hopping adds some interesting flavors. i was looking into these guys and i can't really get behind the "we only brew everything once" philosophy but if it works for them i guess that's ok.

surly/abrasive ale - more or less perfect tropical dipa, you chicago guys are so lucky this is in your distro.

Hurts so good every time I pay $19 a 4 pack for Abrasive.

It's a good one. Somewhere in New England there is a dude sipping a Heady Topper, dreaming of Abrasive.

oh heck i didn't know it was that expensive

it is surely not 7 dollars better than heady topper

I don't know if it'll stick, but some crazy Norwegian guys I met in Brussels got me to sign up to untappd. There as here I am seandalai.

i just added you, untappd is fun

Hey all you nerds should add me on untappd as well

Speaking of which, reason number 162738 that I just can't read beeradvocate.com anymore:

BEERchitect
Kentucky

3.51/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

With the creep of the flavor of India Pale Ale, equipped with utmost bitterness and citrus character, along with the sessionable drinkability of smaller ale that are meant for large consumption without inebriation- Goose Island's Engless IPA enters the fray.

Its bright golden-straw appearance glows in the glass as the beer's filtered clarity gives the body an appetizing look. The flowing froth that rises above is creamy, frothy and long-standing as it speckles the glass with leopard prints.

Its hop tilt is just a bit greater than its presence of malt as a medium spicy note of pine meets that of citrus, orange, leaf and twig. An underlying sweetness from malt delivers light caramel, even lighter honey, but a toasted pecan character that offers a hearty richness to the beer's scent.

To taste, the ale opens up entirely- with graham crackers, honey and barley on the forefront of the tongue, a tepid honeysuckle tone transpires. But as the sweetness waivers slightly, it leaves the hop balance to ensue. White grapefruit, under-ripened oranges, tea, juniper and lemon offer a tangy fruitiness even with its finish of fresh-cut grass, sawdust and sap teasing the palate onward.

With a medium-light body, the beer's reluctant dryness allows for a savory start that holds onto its sweetness during the middle palate. As its spicy finish sets in, the carbonation and sweetenss fade late, allowing for the alcohol spice and hop-derived astringency to give a little extra bite in the remembrance of the ale.

Goose Island's somewhat sessionable ale is really an American Pale Ale with a drier backbone and a heightened hop character- which is all well and good with this hop-head; but I need even more dryness, even more hop character- especially in aroma and taste, and I need less alcohol! That's the magic of these ales.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2014 06:51:20 | More by BEERchitect

Oh duh I am jjjusten on there too, fyi

i need more hop character and simultaneously need less alcohol because i don't understand how anything works

even with its finish of fresh-cut grass, sawdust and sap teasing the palate onward. even with its finish of fresh-cut grass, sawdust and sap teasing the palate onward. even with its finish of fresh-cut grass, sawdust and sap teasing the palate onward.

oh man "BEERchitect"

I never get tasting notes that review writers get. Basically it's varying levels of hoppy or malty for me.

tepid honeysuckle tone transpires ftw

Beer writing may be the only thing worse than music writing.

Also if the ZD is still on the shelves I will get some today and stash a bottle for u Mordy. Anyone else interested?

i'd be interested in trying a zombie dust beer.

10-4

dan m, anything you're looking for in particular?

I don't have a wish list or anything tbh... can you get Pliny? (Only asking because of your post upthread.)

Man I just want to make it known that although, yes, I like craft beer and, yes, I am an architect, but I definitively do not ever post on beeradvocate and even if I did, it certainly wouldn't be under the name BEERchitect. Just to clear that up.

I'm planning to pick up some ZD when I'm at Three Floyd's on Saturday. Also really hoping they'll have some Blakkr available, but I doubt it.

Heady Topper is number one on my wishlist now, after crossing off Pliny.

would love to try some zombie dust too!

also i'm on this untappd thing now too, under my dn much like y'all

I'm on there too, but I stupidly used my government name so I'm not about to broadcast it here. I'm friends with Jeff and jjusten though, and it starts with "jp", so I'll be more than happy to connect with any of you other nerds.

added u

dan m. is your ilx webmail valid?

i actually got a fresh supply of ht last weekend, anyone who's never tried it is welcome to webmail me, perhaps we can work something out.

xp it isn't one I check all the time but it works, if I know there's a message there it's no problem

DM'd dan m & cad.

CAD, sent you a note, too!

btw my wife described bottle trading as "beer penpals" and that made me lol

got 'em both--i'll write back later on today.

also beer penpals otm.

lol @ beer penpals!

tried to webmail u dan, just fyi

got it, can you send one with yr email address?

I want to do another trade. But probably not till May.

woops, ok just sent you my email also

pint pals.

new holland/night tripper imperial stout - boooooooze. this is fantastic tbh, i like bitter boozey ashy imperial stouts and this one also nails the right mouthfeel.

Have any NYC-area (or NYC-visiting) ILXORS been to TORST?

i have been to torst, yes

Oh man, Double Daisy Cutter is really hitting the spot tonight.

did you like torst xp

i did like torst tho it's definitely better as a special occasion place. it's much more worth it if you bring some friends and split something crazy from their bottle list--the draft lists i've seen are nothing special, even more so since i don't much care for evil twin.

when i was there we got a bottle of cantillon mamouche for 75 bucks, given standard bar markups plus cantillon plus brooklyn i thought it was pretty well-priced.

Update from yesterday -- no ZD left on the shelves at my local store :( BUT they told me they usually get some in on Tuesdays (?) so I'm going to keep trying & will eventually score some for interested parties itt.

Also Notch Session Saison = great flavor in a non-boozy beer, my wife really dug it as she's a saison fan and has been sticking to low-alcohol beers of late.

Mayflower Spring Hop = very good hop/malt balance, I typically don't really go for reds but this was good. Reminded me a bit of The Future Is Now from Gigantic.

Trillium Fort Point Pale = really nice out of the growler, sort of a midpoint between Founders Dry Hopped Pale and something like ZD? I like these types of beers that walk the line between APA and IPA.