Beer in the new era

742 Evergreen Terrace!

New favorite pumpkin beer: Stevens Point Whole Hog. That would actually make it my only liked pumpkin beer.

psychgawsple what is your take on Flora vs. Flora Rustica? We just started getting bottles.

I can't think of any trade turds but I'm far more likely to forget bad beer than remember it.

xp - just had some flora last night actually, i love it. a lot of similarities to the logsdon seizoen bretta, really well-rounded bright flavors and the barrel-aged character is super subtle (apart from the sourness)

didn't like flora rustica quite as much as their other saisons tbh, really well-done but just not my preferred style (big frothy, typical belgian yeast-y head, lemon and coriander, on the sweet side). as i've prob said before itt, i definitely prefer the old-world farmhouse funk of their standard lineup (particularly the four, which i think is super underrated)

Pretty excited to nab that Stone Xocoveza chile/coffee/vanilla/cinnamon stout. Should be hitting shelves this week.

Agree w/r/t Upright. Most of their current beers have this really cloying sweetness that makes it a slog to get through more than a pour.

Who in the PDX has the best Cascade hookup? Looking for something particular that blew my mind at a share yesterday.

(just responded to your webmail)

I was looking at my running mileage from last year to this year, and I currently have over 600 miles less than I had in 2013. So for fun, I compared my beer consumption. Last year at this time I had drank 517 beers. This year, I have already have 625.

The two may be related.

Is there something like runkeeper for tracking beer intake or do you keep tabs yourself? Not a very serious question but still...

Regarding the potential correlation, does 600 miles equal 15 to 20% of your total mileage?

so many ppl complain about pumpkin beers that there's a backlash to the backlash and i've started seeing think pieces about how pumpkin beer is not that bad. but i think the trendsters are right about this one - almost 99% of pumpkin beer is a total drain pour waste w/ maybe PumpKing and Warlock as exceptions. my local bar tried to sell me a growler of pumpkin beer yesterday - i was like plz do not try to pass off your crap on me. i bought some delish Troegs Hop Knife instead.

The two may be related.

― Jeff, Tuesday, September 16, 2014 9:55 AM (17 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

hahah you also had a child iirc? seems easier to drink beer with a baby than run with one.

Truth.

Repped for it before, but Schlafly's Pumpkin Ale is worth your time.

Re: Pumpkin beers, definitely try Stevens Point Whole Hog, it's basically the only palatable pumpkin beer I've ever had.

Never had the Schlafly, but I've heard it taste similar to Whole Hog.

yesterday's samples:

pFriem DIPA, can't remember the name, this is pretty much perfect

Bend Brewing sour salmonberry, a bit tart but very nice

pint of Sculpin just for the hell of it

i've seen that pfriem thing around, i should probably try it

bend brewing's sours are actually pretty decent, though they're generally more sessionable / less complex than other sours (thinking mostly of ching ching)

very excited about fresh hop season. it should be more of a thing. seems like people are starting to recognize the importance of freshness in an ipa (the stone enjoy by series is one of many examples of this) but the right use of fresh hops can totally transform the character of a beer. some of this stuff is just out of control good and most people who do not live in the PNW have no idea what they're missing. hell, i have lived here for 4 years and i sorta didn't know what i was missing until recently

favorites so far this year are the laurelwood fresh hop workhorse (picked up a growler of the amarillo variant last night) and the breakside simcoe fresh hop IPA (which was brewed using this crazy process, which i think might be a first?)

ooh thanks for those recommendations, I'll look for those

I'm always on the lookout for a good American craft beer rendition of a Mitteleuropa-style pilsner and Smuttynose's Vunderbar! is one of the best I've sampled in a while. Very crisp and refreshing with the right amount of bite.

Inching toward annual release silly season (beer and bourbon) and debating how much time and money I feel like wasting running around this year. So much good beer to be had without a fight.

i have yet to snag a bottle of pappy's. maybe i'll be conscious enough to pick one up from the philly website sale.

josh is there like a mailing list or something that gives an alert when the website puts them up?

Tbh, in Philly you have a better shot than many places because of the state site. Get yourself on their premium mailing list - the mailing list is free, it just announces premium limited stuff - and they'll send you an email as soon as they're on sale. The plus in PA is that you will pay a normal price. The minus is that they sell out in a hiccup. So the best bet would be to call someone there and politely suss out the day they'll be offered and then lurk/stalk that morning for the minute it goes live. Also, be sure to have your info - CC number, address, etc. - already registered so that you don't have to waste time setting that up.

Even then, the website gets slammed and slows down, and last year they screwed up the distribution of the Pappy 15, so that lots of folks (like me) got a purchase confirmation for bottles that didn't exist, and when they mea culpa'd they gave me $15 an order or something silly.

FWIW, bottles from the Antique Collection are slightly easier to attain in PA via the same route. But given how things went last year, I can only imagine the demand has only increased.

remind me plz what the state website is?

Fine Wine and Discount Spirits in PA.

very excited about fresh hop season

I had Ninkasi's new fresh hop beer (called "Hoptimist", I think) and it was truly amazing, the best thing I've ever had from them ( I like Total Dom and Maiden, think the rest is overrated)

I really like Ninkasi Tricerahops but only on tap - someone at the local bar that always has it told me it's actually a totally different recipe than the bottled version, like the ABV is a full point higher or something.

yeah I heard something similar about Kelso Industrial IPA, in cans its 1% less ABV than on tap

oh right I like Tricerahops too, did not know about the draft/bottle difference

Tried a two diff bottles of Bell's Mars DIPA this week. Easy drinking for 10% but can be a bit cloying. Was hoping for more thrilling hop zing.

Still not going because of the potential for clusterfuckability, but the drafts for the Chicago edition of Zwanze Day is nice:

Draft List:
Imported
Zwanze 2014 Cuvée de Florian • Brasserie Cantillon, Belgium
Gueuze • Brasserie Cantillon, Belgium
Cuvée Saint-Gilloise • Brasserie Cantillon, Belgium
Mamouche • Brasserie Cantillon, Belgium
Kriek • Brouwerij Kerkom, Belgium
Weltmerz • De Struise Brouwers, Belgium
Ypres • De Struise Brouwers, Belgium
Shawnigan Handshake • Le Trou Du Diable, Canada
Arctic Sunstone (Collab with Three Floyds Brewing, Indiana) • Amager Bryghus, Denmark
Blå Spøgelse (Collab with Three Floyds Brewing, Indiana) • Mikkeller, Denmark
Beer Geek Brunch Weasel • Mikkeller, Denmark
Spontanredcurrant • Mikkeller, Denmark
Calypso • Siren, England
Roter Baron • Mahrs Bräu, Germany
Bonator (Gravity Keg) • Klosterbrauerei Weiβenohe, Germany
Mönchsambacher Unfiltered Lagerbier (Gravity Keg) • Brauerei Zehendner, Germany
It’s Still Weisse (Collab with Stillwater Artisanal Ales, Maryland) • The Monarchy, Germany
Salty Angel • Birrificio Toccalmatto, Italy
Madamin 2013 • LoverBeer, Italy
Cease & Desist • Brouwerij de Molen, Netherlands
Fresh Hop Wired IPA • 8 Wired Brewing, New Zealand
tba…
Domestic
BCS Coffee 2012 • Goose Island Brewing Co, Chicago
Matilda Lambicus • Goose Island Brewing Co, Chicago
Vallejo • Half Acre Brewing Co, Chicago
Yuzu Berliner Weisse • Off Color Brewing, Chicago
Mosaic • Pipeworks Brewing Co, Chicago
Tart Lychee 2012 • New Belgium, Colorado
La Folie 2013 • New Belgium, Colorado
Crépuscule • St Somewhere Brewing Co, Florida
Gose • The Sour Note, Indiana
Cimmerian Sabertooth Berzerker • Three Floyds Brewing Co, Indiana
Man-O-Awe • Three Floyds Brewing Co, Indiana
Yum Yum • Three Floyds Brewing Co, Indiana
Kentucky Breakfast Stout 2013 • Founders Brewing Co, Michigan
Funky Wit • Perennial Artisan Ales, Missouri
Society & Solitude #7 • Hill Farmstead Brewery, Vermont
tba…

So I am back in lol school and on a halved budget and don't buy nearly as many fun beers anymore, but I got the Sierra Nevada Red IPA tonight and am kind of irrationally excited to drink a couple.

i liked that one! that and their rye ipa are both better than they probably need to be

anyone have any good oktoberfest/marzen style beers this season? heater allen bobtoberfest was predictably delicious, but i really was not feeling the firestone oaktoberfest. kinda starting to hate these west coast variations of styles where copious amounts of hops are added to nearly anything, it can definitely work for certain styles but what's the point of a german lager if you can't taste the malt?

OTM

i didn't taste much of anything in the firestone one. disappointing.

ayinger oktoberfest is my go-to oktoberfest.

firestone oaktoberfest was completely disappointing

kinda starting to hate these west coast variations of styles where copious amounts of hops are added to nearly anything, it can definitely work for certain styles but what's the point of a german lager if you can't taste the malt?

― hug niceman (psychgawsple), Wednesday, September 24, 2014 1:34 PM (52 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

OTM

― sleeve, Wednesday, September 24, 2014 1:47 PM (40 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

^^^

I had the Oktoberfest Revolution and thought it was a well-done example of the style, but not particularly memorable. I've been drinking more Revolution stuff lately because I finally found a place that sells it for a reasonable price, that is, less than $10 per six pack.

This listicle *gets* me, tho non-warning: not a slideshow/clickbait...

http://draftmag.com/features/25-breweries-you-should-know/

So. Much. Beer.

Too much beer?

Never too much beer.

Tomorrow will mark four weeks since my last beer (not-very-serious medical reasons), I've been having to make do with delicious white wine.

My friends are at Borefts.

Not enough beer. :(

In Delaware now, have been drinking Heavy Seas beer. Every one I've had has been solid, really enjoyed the uber pils.

Was in the store last night and was sort of just randomly picking from the regional selections. Any specific recommendations for stuff I can't get in Chicago?

i drank a lot of heavy seas when i lived in DC. remember them being really really good, but it's been years since i've had any heavy seas and for some reason i never buy any even though i see them in boston shops sometimes. i got into them shortly after i started getting into craft beer and i guess i feel nervous that they won't hold up to my memories (same goes for rogue). but i should give them a try again.

This listicle *gets* me, tho non-warning: not a slideshow/clickbait...

http://draftmag.com/features/25-breweries-you-should-know/

― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Thursday, September 25, 2014 10:30 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lots of new england/MA beers there. do feel like in the past couple years new england has really stepped up its game, shit used to be dire here 5-7 years ago

mystic and aeronaut have done nothing to deserve being on that list tho

never had either tbh.

and lol with one exception every photograph is a bearded white dude. and the one exception still has a bearded white dude but also has a woman.