Beer in the new era

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/01/35-of-the-best-barleywines-blind-tasted-and-ranked.html?a=1

Otm

I'm a craft-beer dilettante compared to you guys, but I did have the Oskar Blues Death by Coconut by the pint last night at Hopleaf and loved it. Super-strong smell of coconut on the nose, and at first it smelled almost like suntan oil. But loved the whole thing in the end. Mounds-bar-like.

got some glasses of the stone xocoveza last night on draft and damn what a beer that is.

that sounds great, I had their latest "drink by" stout on Monday and it was similarly fabulous

i had mixed feelings about xocoveza, though i did not have it on draft. i'm not too crazy about stouts/porters that feel obligated throw fucking everything into the mix, COFFEE COCOA VANILLA CHILI CINNAMON it is just a little too much. vanilla especially is not really a presence i want in beer

oh i forgot NUTMEG

i would try it again though

got some glasses of the stone xocoveza last night on draft and damn what a beer that is.

― Mordy

Almost bought one at Trader Joe's last night, but couldn't pull the trigger ($17 for 500 ml). They had the Super Anejo and the Charred. Which did you try? I likely will at some point.

this one i think: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/147/128500/

Sounds good if not overdone. Both the ones at TJs I saw were barrel aged, the Anejo in red wine and tequila, the Charred in bourbon (I think).

I did buy a bottle of the Stone BA rye a few weeks ago, but haven't opened it yet.

Been really cutting back on my beer intake lately but I had a pint of Revolution's Jukebox Hero last night and it was so good I ordered a second.

I haven't had a beer in... 24 days. Miss u beer.

Short's to start distributing in Illinois. And Pennsylvania.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct-shorts-brewing-to-start-distribution-in-chicago-20160128-story.html

I've only had Short's once. It was after I ran the Grand Rapids marathon and was so hammered by that time I almost passed out at the bar. No recollection of if I enjoyed the beer.

there have been a couple of random short's drops here over the years. nothing i remember being too notable.

I tend to end up buying Short's when I'm visiting my parents back home, but aside from the first couple times I had Huma Lupa Licious (which is such an awful name) nothing has ever really stood out. Some of my friends who live in MI still say they only ever buy Short's on draft, never in bottles.

Also my ex-roommate in Chicago got in a fist fight with Joe Short once.

this year's hop ranch is on point

Man omnipollo is def one of those breweries with the highest highs and the lowest lows huh.

what have you tried? one of my buddies has been going nuts about them but all i've had was one very polite ipa.

Shilkmake and Res today - Res smelled great but was maybe a little faded, Shilkmake was way more interesting than expected. I had a thing that they brewed to taste like milk and it tasted like gross milk. So I guess they nailed that one? Idk.

res was the one i had...i think between polite and faded we're saying the same thing. shilkmake is still in my fridge.

This is the milk one. It filled me with hate.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/omnipollo-table-beer-milk-pale/321416/

On the other hand if you see any Boulevard Love Child #5 anywhere (and you like sours) buy buy buy buy buy.

w/r/t Omnipollo: They've made a few great stouts, this is one that you can currently find around and (speaking as an American) has unusual uh... packaging:

http://scontent-a.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xfp1/t51.2885-15/10666252_607730416010659_1976767088_a.jpg

I take that back, I meant this one:

http://www.omnipollo.com/beer/omnipollobuxton-yellow-belly-sundae/

I had it on draft this past weekend and it's a collab between Buxton and them utilizing Yellow Belly as the base beer.

I had the Boulevard Smokestack series Rye on Rye barrel aged ale that I bought a couple months ago tonight. Not bad but decidedly unimpressive. I can't remember what I paid for it, but there are better ones out there for the price, I'm sure.

Love Childs always good.

the Sierra Nevada Brew Camp Tropical IPA is fucking incredible and I want to buy about 20 cases of it and stockpile them in my basement

ooh I saw that the other day and was curious, thanks!

it is SUPER hoppy but the hoppiness is almost completely offset by the tropical notes and it ends up feeling super balanced in a way that I never find hoppy beers to be; that super bitter aftertaste is almost completely smoothed out by the fruitiness while still leaving that hoppy aftertaste (note: I categorically REFUSE to ever use the word "mouthfeel" because that sounds like something your predator says to you right before tightening your blindfold)

I've been meaning to try that. I didn't really like last year's Beer Camp, also a super hoppy one so I was hesitant.

as a fan of hoppy beers who is beginning to become tired of them, this one reminded me of why I liked them in the first place

Just bought a 6-pack at Trader Joe's, as I've been intrigued anyway, and Sierra Nevada is often taken for granted. Description does seem a bit ... springy, like the grapefruit sculpin, but good is good any time of year.

i had the sculpin for the first time ever the other night

absolutely loved it, perhaps my platonic ideal ipa

it's 12 Canadian bucks at my local store for a bomber of it :/

Speaking of Sierra Nevada, has anyone tried the new Otra Vez? It's a prickly pear/grapefruit gose.

http://www.sierranevada.com/beer/year-round/otra-vez

jjjusten told me I should trade my children for a case of it

I mean, I like beer and all but those are my kids, man

Is anyone actually offering the exchange?

not investigating, cutting off the temptation at the source

Last night I had a trio of barrel-aged heavy beers: Dragon's Milk with Raspberries, Deschutes The Abyss, and Central Waters BBS. CW was best of the lot, but I was actually sort of impressed with the Dragon's Milk not going too overboard on the fruit. The Abyss was really disappointing.

New Dragon's Milk variety is Vanilla Chai!

i thought the otra vez was a nice little gose. not great, but very drinkable.

SN tropical IPA a-ok!

av gose > otra vez >> av blood orange gose ... all are pretty good.

i am a big abyss fan but yeh sometimes it is a little disappointing, especially when fresh. in general i've been less keen on the big BA stouts this winter, tho i'm very excited for the grimm maple-barrel-aged double negative (coming out in just a few days i hear!)

out of the evil twin megastout offerings are there any you are all fond of? it's hard to actually gauge which of these are good b/c pretty much any BA stout gets good ratings on untappd/beer advocate/etc

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/02/83-of-the-best-american-pale-ales-blind-tasted-and.html

Just had a Tusk & Grain (made by St Archer) bourbon barrel aged beer that is a blend of barleywine, imperial porter, and imperial stout, 12.5 abv, 1/2 liter bottle that I can't remember the price of. Very good, "rich and decadent" as the label says, alcohol level not obvious but definitely present.

It had that wax-dipped cap, which I hate, but I'd buy it again.

My brother in law came up huge for my birthday and sent a grip of Sante Adarius wild ales, currently sipping on their Farmhouse Noir.

Goddamn this is good, surprised its internet ratings are kind of meh.

Not surprised to see Maine Beer Co do really well in that ranking. I need to find some Dogfish Pennsylvania Tuxedo.