Beer in the new era

Ninkasi to expand into Maryland, DC, VA

http://www.ninkasibrewing.com/news/blogs/press-blog/2015/09/23/ninkasi-brewing-company-expands-east-coast-distribution/?ageVerified=defaultValue

mmm drinking a Firestone pilsner, really good - never tried it before.

Yeah, the Pivo Pils is one of the better American craft pilsners I've tasted. Hits that difficult balance of flavor, body, carbonation and crispness. Nothing really jumps out on first sip, but it goes down very easy.

http://www.gooseisland.com/rareday.html

$60 a bottle.

that...is not going to go over well

2010 Rare was $45-50 iirc... but that was Pappy.

bigger bottle too right?

Weird shaped bottle, I want to say. Like, smaller than a bomber but bigger than the 12oz bottles? At least that's the case for the rest of them. No longer 4-packs? Pretty lame all around, I think. I think the small/regular bottles are great to share.

The $60 is straight from goose too. Can't wait to see the markups the corner liquor stores around here give it.

https://twitter.com/joshbnoel/status/648628825518006272
https://twitter.com/joshbnoel/status/648629012713963520

Rare sat on shelves at $45, I think it was even marked down in some markets after a few months.

New era, new problems.

lame

pretty much covers it

the attention goose bcbs gets seems so inflated, is it really that good? barrel-aged stouts are everywhere these days, how much better is this beer?

Probably my favorite beer of all time, FWIW.

But there is plenty of amazing stuff out there, for sure.

it's better than anything that sits around on shelves imo

I brought a couple of BCS bottles to our block party this past weekend and shared them with neighbors, one of whom (a UK beer guy) knew of the beer but had never had it, the other of whom had never even heard of it. The former was blown away, and the latter so impressed her first reaction was (almost literally) "OMG, this is incredible, I have to go to the store tomorrow and buy this for my husband!" I had to give her the bad news.

the attention goose bcbs gets seems so inflated, is it really that good? barrel-aged stouts are everywhere these days, how much better is this beer?

― marcos, Tuesday, September 29, 2015 6:56 AM (57 minutes ago)

New era problems! Goose Island invented the bourbon barrel aged stout 23 years ago.

The first edition of Rare in 2010 was the base stout aged for 2 years in Pappy Van Winkle 23* barrels.

*PvW23 is perhaps the most elusive and desired bourbons in the world, a single bottle costs a fortune: http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/old+rip+van+winkel+pappy+fmly+rsrv+23+straight+bourbon+whisky+kentucky+usa/0

This new 2015 Rare was aged for 2 years in 33- to 35 year old Heaven Hill (Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, Rittenhouse, etc.) barrels discovered in an abandoned wherehouse. Why no more Pappy barrels? They are extinct, no more barrels are available as they've all been repurposed.

So yes, what you say is true: There are plenty of bourbon barrel stouts these days. And BCBS is one of the best BBA stouts that gets distro (FW Parabola is another imho).

But the beer being discussed yesterday (BCBS Rare) is on a completely different level than BCBS. I had a decent pour of the 2010 Rare at a friend's birthday party a couple months ago and it might be my favorite BBA stout I've ever tasted.

Wow, this year:

http://www.brewbound.com/news/dogfish-head-sells-15-percent-stake-to-lnk-partners

xp yeah 2010 rare was incredible. this new edition being its equal is anything but a slam dunk. those are some really, really old barrels.

And to think they used to saw these barrels in half and sell them at garden stores.

Topical post on the cost and labor going into BCBS Rare:

http://goodbeerhunting.com/blog/2015/9/30/critical-drinking-what-beer-costs-why-we-need-more-flexibility-in-the-market

You can buy a great bottle of bourbon for $60.

xp that's a good post but i do wonder how much inbev is influencing the pricing and the format change and if they're the people i want to be changing the perception of what beer should cost

I can't help it, I don't want to hear this kind of analysis from someone getting paid (in any way) by Goose Island.

Also get a copyeditor, it looks like you rushed that post out to counter backlash.

And unique bottles are not a necessary component of this beer imo, a needless expense.

Had New Belgium's Le Terroir yesterday, which was great. Sour and sweet and bitter all in one beer!

― first it smells like donuts, then it smells like don't ask (askance johnson), Monday, March 7, 2011 12:54 PM (4 years ago)

I know new Belgium lips of faith is like 95% bullshit, but you guys, this le terroir dry hopped sour ale is so so fantastic. Like a sour mixed with a goze?

― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Saturday, September 14, 2013 8:30 PM (2 years ago)

There's a convenience store/lunch place in Tupelo with a serious beer evangelist building up a great stock -- he seems to be there 24/7, educating the shit out of everybody who will stand still for it. Anyway I was in there Friday looking for something interesting and new and picked up a bottle of Le Terroir, and he snuck up behind me and said "I just tapped a keg of that if you want a growler for 13 instead of that bottle for 15." OH SHIIIIIIIIIIT IT'S SO GOOD.

Currently enjoying a 3Floyds/Gigantic Crescendo of Doom Tactical Lager. Love the collaboration between these breweries that has grown out of mutual soccer fandom.

http://brewpublic.com/beer-personalities/gigantic-brewing-3-floyds-brewing-collaborate-on-crescendo-of-doom/

Bought a bottle of Pipeworks Sure Bet, sounds like a sure bet.

Not one of my favorite of the fish series. But enjoyable.

Not a fish though, it's a barfing unicorn!

True. I guess I mean the double IPA series with honey and other stuff added to it.

Many of which have fish on the labels.

Kelso Pilsner seems like a pretty decent, drinkable, milder pilsner - goes well with food. I'm a big fan of cans for the convenience factor.

this is such a dorky rec but the sierra nevada collab oktoberfest is just excellent.

Long Trail Limbo IPA in bottles in my local grocer!! Stoked. The guy across the street at the premium mennonite organic place swears by Dirt Wolf but this is better for my money.

This just in, Surly Wet despite making me furious wrt price is as usual super super awesome

The Longoing Trail Harvest ale is really good. Malty and smooth and a little sweet. And only 4.4%! God I love Fall.

Xp I'm going to be in the cities this weekend, where can I find it?

Any pro-tips on Hill Farmstead visits/general Vermontry?

I can probably hold a 4 pack at my local, but I'll only trade that for a beer nerd hangout xp

Any pro-tips on Hill Farmstead visits/general Vermontry?

― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Wednesday, October 7, 2015 1:19 AM (7 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

where will you be based/what days will you be there?

xp Might be possible. I think I've mentioned this itt or on one of the MN threads, but my BiL & his fam live in s mpls between that place called Busters and Northbound Brewpub. Either of those hold any appeal? We have plans for Saturday night but Sunday is pretty open.

xp:

Dates are TBD, have never done a proper New England autumn though so probably pretty soon, 3-5 days?

Thoughts are: Burlington > Montpelier > HF > Ebenezer's > Portland,ME

If you like cider, Citizen in Burlington is totally worth a visit.

Prohibition Pig in Waterbury is also very good, with a great bottle shop across the street.

hopefully the leaves have started to turn up there. it's still almost all green down in mass. here's general beer stuff in all those places.

burlington: winooski beverage warehouse has great resources for plannning to get local stuff: http://beveragewarehousevt.com/home/beer-hit-list/

you can also check out fiddlehead brewing in shelburne which some people like. downtown burlington has tons of bars/restaurants, farmhouse tap & grill had an excellent beer selection when i was there.

montpelier has three penny taproom which i love, and hunger mountain coop which i think gets heady topper and sip of sunshine both on thursdays. but there's not much else there, you could go to waterbury instead for a bigger selection of bars and restaurants. either place leaves you with about the same drive over to HF.

hf apparently just opened their new retail space today and got rid of growler limits, so i have no idea what it's going to be like. my understanding is they no longer have a giant line and it's more like placing an order and waiting for it. hopefully they're doing a bit better with the customer service. parker pie in west glover (~15 mins away, in the direction you're going in) is probably the best place in vermont to eat pizza and drink cantillon.

never been to ebenzer's but i've heard it's a little weird. the drive from that part of vt to that part of maine will also be a little weird. if you happen to need a break between lovell and portland stop at standard gastropub in bridgton, which is kind of a personal favorite since we're in bridgton a couple times a year.

if you're in portland on saturday bissell bros, foundation, and allagash will all be open and are on the same street. the allagash tour and tasting room is great. downtown has novare res, which is a must-go, and various other places. if you're tired of beer grab a cocktail at portland hunt & alpine club.

Any beer / beer bar recommendations for New Orleans, or am I doomed to wander the streets drinking a giant Hurricane?

wow... ask for pro-tips and get them! thanks CAD.

np, have fun! vermont is the best.

xp New Orleans/LA beer sucks ime, but the Avenue Pub is A+

Also yes, get a giant hurricane just for lolz