Beer in the new era

I walked a couple miles to a bar in SF specifically to get a Pliny the Elder on tap. It was good, but didn't live up to my considerable expectations.

I realized recently that the Racer 5 IPA mentioned earlier has been at the local co-op forever and I kept passing it over because I thought the label looked really dumb, which was a mistake because it's actually really good. I like the Sierra Nevada Torpedo a lot too, which is like the first beer of theirs that I actually like. I haven't seen the Kellerweis yet.

i'm drinking a bomber of hop wallop right now and just want to report that our man scott was totally otm in his assessment.

[img[http://www.australianbeers.com/beers/james_squire_hopthief/htsmall.jpg[/img]

^^soo good. Other mongs onto this??!

hop thief is admittedly a terrible name for an ale tho

unggh

http://www.australianbeers.com/beers/james_squire_hopthief/htsmall.jpg

a six of racer 5 IPA in the fridge right now, that I picked up on the way home from my epic fried chicken lunch. i don't know if i'll even want to drink tonight--somehow got kinda smashed last night. that's what happens when you're at a bar when a thunderstorm begins, i guess. tried an Issaquah Frog Rye (draft @ Washington Commons) which was enjoyable, fruity and somewhat malty with a light hoppy rye flavor. not as strong a rye flavor as the sixpoint righteous rye, which i also enjoyed.

Just have to reiterate the love for the Green Flash Imperial IPA. Wonderful.

Having some Anderson Valley 20th Anniversary Imperial IPA - good, but I've had better. This brewery should have put more into this.

after searching high and low for it, i found the motherload of (limited release) hop thief up the road from where i live -- super stoked ^__^

Went to Wisconsin last week drank a bunch of Spotted Cow. Fruitier than I prefer, also couldn't taste any hops at all, nor could I detect the corn traces. Very drinkable though. Felt good about all the yeast particles floating around in the bottle, like I was drinking kombucha or something.

Half Acre Daisy Cutter Pale Ale: <3

Especially since I've been waiting for something from Half Acre, a newish brewery located literally a half-mile from my apartment, to wow me. Their lager is just OK (it's a lager), and their Over Ale (a bitter) is pretty decent and drinkable, but this did the trick.

AVOID AVOID AVOID the riverhorse summer blonde; tastes like peas.

oh god i've had that before and support ian's statement.

NYCers, get thee to DBGB, where the food is so-so, the decor worse, but there are twenty-something beers on tap and you can request draft tastings (the guy next to me got four ~6 oz pours for the price of 2 ~15 oz pours).

Had a really good (if not especially rare) Captain Lawrence Fresh Chester Pale Ale.

woah i just went to (lol)yelp to check what dbgb is and noticed the first review praising the $7 hot dog as cheap. wowsers. "spicy and gourmey." hmmmm.

last night i was at the internet radio station's anniversary party, which included free beer provided by the assosciated restaurant--little frankies pale ale by sixpoint. a nice IPA, really nice color--cloudy orange. mmm. i think my problem was that i drank the first three much too fast and got pretty hammered; didn't expect the beer to be as strong as it was.

had a couple bottles of Black Dog Ale tonight, by the Spanish Peaks Brewery. I liked it. I don't have anything compelling to say aside from that--an American amber ale with a nice malty nose, very drinkable. Now I am at my mom's house drinking Dogfish Head 60 min.

I am currently having stir-fry with my first can of Sapporo Reserve. Which tastes like a maltier version of Sapporo.

So, cold Japanese beer for me. Sumimasen!!!!!!!

yum that sounds good.

any other homebrewers up in this thread? We had a long day yesterday brewing one batch (rosemary red) and bottling two others (oatmeal stout, standard red).

I went to a party last weekend that had a bunch of that Trader Joe's lager, it was quite a nice surprise. Simpler Times, I think it's called?

I like the TJ brand! Pretty good!

lol, drinking a sam adams cherry wheat (last beer we had left from a party). Not as bad as I thought, but definitely would not drink another.

Is Simpler Times a TJ brand? I thought it was someone else's. I tried a sixer in cans and wasn't really impressed, tho it is $3 per 6 so the price is right.

I had a couple of the TJ's Hofbrau bocks tonight, which I think is my favorite of theirs. I'm assuming it's brewed by Gordon Biersch because the caps have the same design, except for the initials (GB vs TJ), and both list San Jose as the location of the brewery.

woah i just went to (lol)yelp to check what dbgb is and noticed the first review praising the $7 hot dog as cheap. wowsers. "spicy and gourmey." hmmmm.

Yeah, that hot dog is really not worth $7. Not even worth half that. The food was seriously disappointing to me (not quite as bad as DB Bistro Moderne, but only because it was cheaper), but the beer list was very good.

i'm visiting my family for the week, gonna hit the liquor store this afternoon and see what nifty microbrews i can find that may not get distribution in NY (or at least, not at the bodegas nearby.) will report back.

http://i637.photobucket.com/albums/uu92/damien_stone/newcan1.jpg

i've been drinking Narragansett all summer. hell, i'm drinkin one now

herb, providence dude?

WMass. 'Gansett's taking over. now I need some of those Utz Crab Chips

fuckin crab chips rule.

newport storm amber ale... meh.

lol, drinking a sam adams cherry wheat (last beer we had left from a party). Not as bad as I thought, but definitely would not drink another.

― the kid is crying because did sharks died? (Hurting 2), Monday, July 20, 2009 11:24 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

This tastes like cough syrup.

Glad to finally be able to find/drink Yuengling again.

the newport storm stuff is nothing special imo.

treated myself to a 4 pack of bear republic hop rod rye today. good stuff!

best local brew remains harpoon ipa imo

i like the bear republic rye!

agreed on harpoon; had one with lunch and it was sweet.

drinking a peak organic pale ale right now, highly recommended

oh cool i see that around a lot; will buy

soooooooo good

the only time I drink 'gansetts is when I'm broke at as220

this is vv good:

http://www.kegliquors.com/gayant_la_divine.jpg

la divine st landelin. it's 8.5% i think, not too strong, reminiscent of a mellower allagash curieux.

I had both Harpoon and Peak IPAs at a bar a few days ago. First time I'd seen Harpoon in the Midwest -- would definitely drink again. Peak was a little too ... earthy or something.

One of my favorite American IPAs (I rate it a bit higher than both Harpoon and Lagunitas, two reliable go-to IPAs) is Bell's Two Hearted Ale. Wonderfully hoppy, fresh, complex and fragrant, but with enough malt to keep things from getting overly bitter. Haven't seen it in NYC, but definitely worth keeping your eyes out for.

Which reminds me that, last time I was in Minneapolis, I picked up some four-packs of Surly Furious IPA, Cynic Ale, and Bender on the advice of Beer Advocate (and the store's owner). Way, way disappointed. Maybe my head couldn't tell my palate to get over the awful energy-drink packaging, but all three were dull, flat, and bland. The Cynic was especially disappointing because I love that style and was quite intrigued to get it in a can rather than, say, a big bottle of Saison Dupont, but it was so unpleasant I couldn't finish it.

http://blog.flaminio.net/blogs/media/blogs/beer//tha.jpg

as a MPLS/STPL native, i am so confused by how people can happily choke down surly brews. they are swill.

probably already expressed this sentiment upthread somewhere but it bears repeating.

two-hearted is one of my favorite beers, period. prob my favorite IPA

I've enjoyed Surly Bender and Coffee Bender. I was actually trying to find if there's anywhere in Chicago that sells Surly in six-packs, since I am going to a (don't ask) Minnesota-themed party on Saturday. Guess I'll have to settle for Summit.

Peak was a little too ... earthy or something.

there's a peak organic IPA and a peak organic pale ale, I've never had teh IPA but pale ale is delish

gonna keep an eye out for two hearted

I actually had surly bender for the first time this past weekend and I definitely enjoyed it. Wasn't superlative or nothing, but a good solid dark beer.

probably already expressed this sentiment upthread somewhere but it bears repeating.

Ah, yes. I now see your sentiment upthread. I also see your rec for the Summit Red Ale -- which I also remember enjoying very much on the same trip.

surly brews. they are swill.

Polite disagreement. When I'm in the mood for a HUGE blast (lol energy drink can) of piney, citrusy hops, Furious fills the bill for me perfectly. Not much of fan of their other styles though, tbh.

Liking the Summit Red Ale a lot too.

i've been in a rut w/ beer lately. need something new, i think. tend to be 4 types of beer:

1. beers i love but that i've tried hundreds of times already. could always go w/ these but i like variety
2. beers i have tried that aren't very good
3. beers i have not tried but don't look very good or come from breweries that i've been burned on before
4. beers that look awesome but are only sold for >$9 for a 22 oz bottle. i could go w/ these i suppose but it doesn't help my weeknights when i only want to have one glass of beer (and don't want to drop $$ just for that)

what i really want are beers that a.) look great b.) are sold in six-packs c.) are not more than say, $10/six (which is even a bit much)