Beer in the new era

I bought a 6 of Sierra Nevada Torpedo and some of them tasted skunky but others didn't. For a second I wished I could return them but they came from Cermak Produce, not TJ's. :(

You can probably just take them back to TJs anyway, like a toys-for-guns exchange.

Founders Spectra Trifecta: tasted like shampoo/conditioner from a Sheraton hotel. Ginger, chamomile, lemongrass, gross.

I didn't like it either.

Jeff, how do you think barrel-aged Narwhal compares to regular Narwal? The base beer is pretty good and a pretty good deal, not sure the upgrade is cost effective.

Have any of you locals had any 18th Street Brewery stuff yet?

yeah i didn't care for spectra trifecta but i tried redankulous at the founders tap room last night and am mad i passed on bottles, that beer is delicious.

I loved both narwhals. And for a BA beer, narwhals a bargain.

Haven't had 18th street. You can take metra right there, but haven't had a chance.

BA Narwhal something like $20-22, though. Now Revolution's BA stuff, that's a (relative) bargain.

I think I only paid $16 for BA Narwhal! Maybe I just got a deal. It is a spectrum though.

no offense, but anyone who buys habanero beer should not be allowed to vote or drive

xp it's 19 at WF

I bought some Surly bombers while I was in MN a few weeks ago so last night I drank the 1349 black ale collaboration with Lervig from Norway, and holy shit, that was as much of an imperial stout as anything else, super sweet and super strong. It was all I could do to finish the whole thing without passing out, which was probably impossible because of the amount of coffee in it! Worth trying if you see it around, but I'd suggest sharing it with someone if you get a whole bomber.

I've also got their 9th anniversary ale, but it's a rauchbier so I'm kind of wondering whether I'll like it or not.

So I do like that you can get belgian styles in 12oz bottles and not just 22s and 750s now, but I have a real first world problem on my hands.

I have some awesome spherical 13oz glasses I got at the Oxbow tasting room which are just the best to drink a fancy belgian beer out of. Of course, they don't do so great if you try and pour a real foamy one into 'em. As a result, I frequently go for one of my bigger goblet / snifter / tulip glasses that's probably closer to a pint, and then if there's a big head, there's room, but if there's not a big head, I go "Dammit! This beer would have fit just fine in the Oxbow glass!" And then somehow the entire experience is just not as incredible as it could have been.

Do you guys have any similar issues? It's pretty tough to deal with.

This just happened with the Weyerbacher 20th Anniversary which I'm now nursing from an oversized goblet that used to say Dogfish Head on the side but the printing was done on the cheap so now it just looks like any old fancy glass that I bought from a fancy glass place. The Weyerbacher 20th is still pretty tasty though. Malty with some orange and coriander notes, dark but not oily.

Also, the Victory HopDevil is a good transition if you're going from a big bitter IPA to a maltier beer. Just figured that out.
Victory's Dirt Wolf was one of my favorite nightcap beers for a couple of weekends but then I started feeling like it was a little flat, almost oily; which may just be the batch. I hope it is.

Just stop when the head is close to the edge, then there's more when the glass is done (bonus!).

Yes I know how to pour beer. I just feel stupid using a stopper on a 12oz bottle. OK actually I don't. But still!! Basically I avoid using my favorite beer glasses because I just want to pour the whole bottle in at once. Is that so wrong? Is there something wrong with me?!?

When I drink a bomber I have to use multiple pours. I don't bother re-capping the bottle, it doesn't take that long to finish it.

Do you use a dishwasher? There may be some soap residue in the glass that's contributing to the foam. A quick rinse before pouring might help.

multiple pours in a smaller glass is better than an oversized glass half full of beer imo

So hefeweizen is a health food, yes?

Kellerbier definitely qualifies, I think

went to vermont to visit my gf this weekend, came back with 12 headys. mission accomplished

nice, been like a year since i picked up some heady, having withdrawal big time.

Oh hey it's default turns to Sierra Nevada celebration season again, the hap happiest time of the year

Had my first founders harvest of the season yesterday.

founders taproom was a wonderful place. i ignored redankulous until i tried it there and it turned out to be a fantastic beer.

Only beer I bought last week was Revolution Ryeway To Heaven, looking forward to sharing it with my dad in a couple weeks at tgiving.

Redankulous is everywhere in Chicago. I liked it bit wouldn't put it in the tip tier of Founders products.

*top

Had some buddies over to help me through my pile of stouts. Best received may have been the BA Narwal and some older BA Old Rasputin, plus a few Bourbon County bottles. Worst received was the Prairie Bomb!, which no one liked, and which I hated, too; I guess peppers in beer is not for me. My fave may have been Tweak. Most people agreed that they'd rather be drinking something more, well, drinkable, at least in terms of quantity, but they were all good sports.

I had this last night - 2015 version

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2210/46021/

kinda sucked? i was expecting it to be more robust but it was kinda thin. flavorful but more in a porter vein imo.

Fort Point Brewery is finally producing cans (may be hard to get outside of SF though). Both the Westfalia and KSA are great (Park=Good and IPA=I don't care because I don't drink IPAs). Sweet design too.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34017/118094/
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34017/119220/

i like velvet merkin but it's def one you have to adjust your expectations for

it's backwoods bastard time again, gonna see if I can resist the temptation to open my last 2014 bottle to try it against this year's version

I think I have bottles going back to 2011?? I'll have to check. and then find a reason to drink them.

Just had a bomber of Lagunitas Imperial Pils, not bad for under $4.

Victory's got a new (ish?) IPA in cans, VITAL it says. The cans are a very pretty green that reminds me a little bit of Surge soda. It's good, even when it gets a little warm. It's no Hop Devil though.

Their Hop Devil has more maltiness to it which balances the I-just-ate-a-basket-of-flowers problem, and their Dirt Wolf has more greasy imperialness to it which balances everything out by just getting you more drunk. I feel like this falls in between. IPAs in cans are the friends-with-benefits of beers. They don't want to meet your parents. They really don't want to come to your work thing. But.

Was just reading a couple of beer nerd sites that came to the conclusion that Backwoods Bastard is better fresh than aged, though I doubt I'd be able to tell the difference. Anyone pick up the latest Deth's Tar? As usual, not a bad deal compared to all these $25 bottles. Though nothing is a better deal than those Lagunitas barrel aged coffee stouts last year.

backwoods bastard is ime one of the easiest beers to detect aging in

these guys didn't like it aged http://www.guysdrinkingbeer.com/founders-backwoods-bastard-2-year-vertical

this guy did http://allthesamebeer.com/2013/11/24/redux-review-0013-founders-backwoods-bastard-2012/

lol "it's more boozy!" "it's less boozy!"

second review rings very true to me tho.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/10/yes-the-future-of-craft-beer-is-in-question-dont-p.html

I really liked the Death By Coconut. Good dessert beer.

Happy Rare Day! Check out eBay and your trading spots if you want to overpay/compensate for some beer!

no thanks

So used to stupid hoops that it was nice to walk into a store yesterday (Tabb's - any locals been? Just down the street from the equally great/low-key Puerto Rico Food & Liquors) just as he was unloading Double Daisy Cutter and the new Firestone Walker anniversary beer. In fact, he brought them to my attention.

My places doesn't get the FSW anniversary beers. Or any of the barrel releases.