Craft beer Drinkers Unite!

[itsernst]

So...thanks to friends in high places, I was able to procure a case of Russian River Salvation. Brewed and bottle once a year in limited supply, this is a semi stout, meaty ale. I had limited knowledge of it and had my first one last night. Taste was fantastic...coffee, malty, while still maintaing characters of a smooth ale.

 

Enjoyed a second one today while brewing my first batch. We will see how my first go around ends up. Using cascade hops to make a West Coast style Pale Ale.

 

[JBent9610]

The pumpkin beers are showing up now and this year's batch seems to be better than last. Just for the record, I don't have much of a sense of smell, so I have to have my wife do the smell tests for me. She usually then takes a sip and makes a face like I gave her the most god awful stuff ever. With that said...

Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin ale - two years ago, this was my favorite. Last year, too much of a spice. This year, good pumpkin and spice.

Southern Tier Pumking - this stuff is everywhere this year and I usually have a hard time finding it. This year's batch seems like a good balance with the pumpkin and the spices, but my wife says it smells strong of nutmeg.

Hoppin Frog Double Pumpkin - this was my favorite last year, as it has a strong pumpkin taste and good spices. This year's batch seems even better. I can't taste the cinnamon very well, but my wife can. The pumpkin is definitely present and the other spices aren't overpowering. My wife had a small drink of it and said she might be able to drink it...and she loathes beer. The nice thing is I drive about a mile from the brewery everyday for work, so I can stop there if needed.

I haven't seen Dogfish Head Punkin Ale yet. The first year I had it, 2009, it was unreal. The past two years have been milder on the flavors, especially the brown sugar. Still, I look forward to it each year.

[wickster]

I can't believe I only now just found this thread! I guess I spent too much time searching the BST. Great replies here all around. I'm way into the hops and my all-time favorite is Dogfish Head's 90 Minute. I tried some great beers this summer and if you're a fellow hop-head you should check these out:

Oscar Blues Deviant Dale's IPA (16oz cans @ 8%)
Troeg's Perpetual IPA (like West Coast Greenflash but less expensive)
Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Imperial IPA

[FATC1TY]

Good choice on IPA's wickster, except for the Deviant Dales!!!

Oscar Blues makes some good beers, but I just can't stand the summit hops in the DD's. It's an onion/garlic bomb! I love both of those flavors, but not in my beer.

Hoptimum is good, but I wore it out too fast. I have a few left in the fridge I can't even bring myself to drink.

[IronOrr]

Oooooh...such an awesome thread!

I'm a beer freak. I went to Siebel Institute in Chicago last spring, and I'm now actively trying to find brewing jobs. Kinda hard since I live in Germany right now, but I'll be back in the Kansas City area come winter. Hopefully Boulevard will be hiring!

Anyway, lots of awesome stuff mentioned already. I couldn't make a top 10 or a top 5 list if I tried. Way too many options and awesome beers.

My desert island beer though?

Orval, hands down, no question.

Looking forward to some good banter here.

[sefus12]

Anyone in the Louisville/Lexington, KY area needs to find West Sixth IPA in cans. Awesome IPA from a start-up here in KY. Be sure to check out Against the Grain (in Louisville) and Country Boy and West Sixth (in Lexington) if you have the time. All great new breweries.

[Shrapnac]

Been digging stuff in cans a lot more recently. Six Point does several that I really like.

I encourage anyone to pick up some Boulder Brewing Company Hazed and Infused. Really tasty hoppy IPA but it's on the lower end of the alcohol scale and really drinkable.

I have one bottle of Dogfish Head 120 Minute left collecting dust in my basement right now. Saving that for something special.

I also have a bottle of Sam Adams Utopias down there too that's about 2/3 empty. That one comes out very rarely.

Gonna have to go pick up some stuff from my "beer guy" this week. Now I'm craving something hoppy enough to take paint off walls.

[thaar]

I'm sure many of my favorites have already been listed, but...

Breckenridge Small Batch 471 Double IPA
Great Divide Hercules Double IPA
Pliny the Elder IPA
Odell's 5-Barrel IPA
Bells 2-Hearted IPA
Bells Oberon

Apparently I like IPA's lol.

Odell's is one of the best brewery's out here in Colorado, in my opinion. I really haven't had a beer I haven't liked from them. Fortunately, we are surrounded by a lot of great ones. I do miss Bells from back in Michigan thought quite a bit.

[WVP]

[quote name='IronOrr' timestamp='1346143004' post='5547585']
Oooooh...such an awesome thread!

I'm a beer freak. I went to Siebel Institute in Chicago last spring, and I'm now actively trying to find brewing jobs. Kinda hard since I live in Germany right now, but I'll be back in the Kansas City area come winter. Hopefully Boulevard will be hiring!

Anyway, lots of awesome stuff mentioned already. I couldn't make a top 10 or a top 5 list if I tried. Way too many options and awesome beers.

My desert island beer though?

Orval, hands down, no question.

Looking forward to some good banter here.
[/quote]

Is that a tattoo of hops? Pretty hardcore!

I think that Orval is up there with anything else once you really explore the depth of it. Very interesting beer. I had the pleasure of visiting Orval around 3 years ago. Now with two young kids it's hard to imagine getting back to Belgium anytime soon.

Glad to have finally stumbled into this thread!

[IronOrr]

[quote name='WVP' timestamp='1346368238' post='5562969']

Is that a tattoo of hops? Pretty hardcore!

I think that Orval is up there with anything else once you really explore the depth of it. Very interesting beer. I had the pleasure of visiting Orval around 3 years ago. Now with two young kids it's hard to imagine getting back to Belgium anytime soon.

Glad to have finally stumbled into this thread!
[/quote]

It is! I told you I was a beer freak!

Orval is on my short list to see before we leave Europe. We've been to Cantillon, so if I leave and don't see any other breweries here, I'll feel my life is complete. We found a great Belgian beer market about 2 hours west of us, so I stock up every few months. We are bringing back about 5 racks of Orval when we return.

I do miss the US craft breweries though. Amazing selection.

[crapula]

[quote name='itsernst' timestamp='1326267478' post='4063525']

[quote name='jgonz69' timestamp='1324703874' post='3982495']
Ballast Point Sculpin



[url="http://www.ballastpoint.com/beers-of-ballast-point-ipa-sculpin/"]http://www.ballastpo...nt-ipa-sculpin/[/url]
[/quote]

+1

Scuplin is one of the finest IPA's money can buy. Living in San Diego, I am proud to be in craft beer mecca. I can't throw a rock without hitting a great bar with a ton of microbrews.

When you can go to your local 7-11 and pick up a 6 of stone IPA, you know you are in good hands.
[/quote]

I just tried Sculpin over the weekend when I was in san diego at yardhouse.

Awesome beer. I miss Marin County (the other home of home brews).

[WVP]

Sipping on a Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin. I was able to grab a case of Pumking a few weeks ago so I am set for the season....

Anyone from Pittsburgh going to the Big Pour this Saturday? I'll be at the first session. Playing golf on Friday and temperatures are dropping so it's looking like a great weekend!

[itw419]

I was at Shorts Brew Pub this past weekend. It was as fantastic as it always is. I tried a couple new beers that are draft only. My favorite was a called Mmm Kay. It is a heavily hopped lager and was awesome. I wish Shorts was closer to home.

[FATC1TY]

Been doing more brewing than drinking, but I've hit some good seasonals lately.

Really enjoying the simple yet tasty Tumbler from Sierra Nevada.. Great brown ale for the cooler nights..

Pumking is drinking pretty good, as it DFH Punkin this year too!

[leadfoot_mf]

just had a mikkeller 1000 ibu beer it was a little bitter lol.

[leadfoot_mf]

fatc1ty have you had any burnt hickory yet [url="http://www.burnthickorybrewery.com/main.html#"]http://www.burnthickorybrewery.com/main.html#[/url] some good stuff. also you ever make it out to red hare for tastings?

[Onewaggle]

Odell's 90 shilling is my go to when I'm not drinking my own.


[quote name='thaar' timestamp='1346335431' post='5560095']
I'm sure many of my favorites have already been listed, but...

Breckenridge Small Batch 471 Double IPA
Great Divide Hercules Double IPA
Pliny the Elder IPA
Odell's 5-Barrel IPA
Bells 2-Hearted IPA
Bells Oberon

Apparently I like IPA's lol.

Odell's is one of the best brewery's out here in Colorado, in my opinion. I really haven't had a beer I haven't liked from them. Fortunately, we are surrounded by a lot of great ones. I do miss Bells from back in Michigan thought quite a bit.
[/quote]

[yumbrownies]

[quote name='FATC1TY' timestamp='1347575595' post='5636245']
Been doing more brewing than drinking, but I've hit some good seasonals lately.

Really enjoying the simple yet tasty Tumbler from Sierra Nevada.. Great brown ale for the cooler nights..

Pumking is drinking pretty good, as it DFH Punkin this year too!
[/quote]

Ooh, I almost forgot about Tumbler. (Those stubby Sierra Nevada bottles are my favorites for homebrew, too...) Fall/winter is probably my favorite seasonal beer time--pumpkin beers, tasty brown ales, and then winter warmers. Twisted Pine here in Boulder did a fun pumpkin brown last year that I'm hoping makes a reappearance. It tasted and smelled like pumpkin pie, and at the brewery they served it with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

[Bushwickite]

Heady topper by the alchemist brewery. Pretty much cash and carry in Vermont, no real distribution.

Founders
Russian river
3 Floyd's
Six point
Cigar city
Allagash

[Mulligan26]

I'm drinking a dogfish head 90 minute right now... It has vaulted itself right up to my favorite beer. I also like the Sierra Nevada torpedo extra IPA. Stone arrogant bastxxx. Sam Adams has some limited brews that are excellent.

[yumbrownies]

Had a Green Flash Palate Wrecker tonight; very solid DIPA. And a Dogfish Head Punkin ale too. On the light side for a brown, but very tasty.

[FATC1TY]

Ironically, as the heavier beers hit, the pumpkin and fall beers, like browns, and porters, and stouts head out...

I'm enjoying some lighter summer-ish beers!

New Belgium Peach Porch Lounger is a great Saison w/ Brett.. Funky beer, but man it's tasty, and easy to drink..

[rogera13]

Awesome thread! Awesome Beer's! There is a place I would like to give a shout out to. Several throughout the southeast and Texas. Many in Florida! World of Beer!!! Walking through the doors you hear the angels sing! Member of the beer club. Every trip in I have a different beer with each order! They also do a lot of events! Including a couple golf scrambles! If you find one near you, you will not be dissapointed! If not hope for one! They are growing like crazy! Website with locations [url="http://wobusa.com/"]http://wobusa.com/[/url]

Mine is a couple miles from several favorite courses. They don't serve food but always have a list of menus of local places that will deliver in!!

[mflores]

A couple of recent purchases turned out real good

Awesome - Three Floyds MunsterFest - best fall beer I've tasted
New Glarus Staghorn Octoberfest - very balanced and a great beer as well

Not sure how many have tried New Glarus brewery - its definitely producing great beers. They make a summer wheat called Dancing Man which was outstanding

[IronOrr]

Finally got to try Russian River Blind Pig. Some friends visited us here in germany and brought a few bottles of Blind Pig and Pliny.

I've had Pliny before but these bottles were less than 2 months old. So fresh, so much hop character. Pretty amazing. Nice change from lager, lager, lager.

3 months left in Germany...need hops.

[Scott@84]

Bought a couple of cases of Victory's Headwaters Pale Ale and also Sly Fox Phoenix Pale Ale for tailgating. Both are pretty solid.

[FATC1TY]

Last night I popped open a Bruery White Oak.. It's a wheatwine aged on bourbon barrels. Man it was really good.. Big beer at 11.5 or 12% I think.

Then moved to a bottle of Cigar City Marshal Zhukov.. That was a helluva stout, guys.. So thick, so roasty, and above all.. balanced. I'm glad I have more, because it was so good.

I've got a good stash of some good fall beers lined up, as the weather is turning here in Georgia..

[itw419]

Just picked up a six pack of Bells This One Goes to 11 Ale. It's a limited release imperial red ale with an 11% ABV. Really solid beer. Pretty smooth without the alcholol taste a lot of higher ABV beers have.

[yumbrownies]

Has anyone tried Odell's The Meddler yet? I was in Ft. Collins recently but didn't get a chance to stop in there.

[mflores]

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout - This is beer is a must . Amazing brew here, with an incredible flavor and smell. Kind of vanilla smell and taste at first then the bourbon flavor kicks in. Also has heavy chocolate tones and a fair amount of coffee.

I grabbed a 4 pack last weekend - limited release but well worth the chase.