BEER Thread!

I have to go with Yakima Glory from Victory Brewing Co.
IMAGE(http://boozedancing.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/victory-yakima-glory.jpg?w=500&h=376)

It's a black IPA that's just perfect with pizza or a sandwich.

And at 8.7 % it'll get you there.

One of the things I miss most about Madison is Ale Asylum.
When it's up (they don't brew it all year), the Ballistic IPA is simply amazing. I try to stockpile it so when I need a treat there's one in the fridge. The complex, citrusy hop character pairs well with a nicely marbled steak.
My standby from then is the Hopalicious. It's got a nice balance between the malt and hop character. Great with burgers or barbecue.
Their Contorter Porter is pretty amazing too.
I may try to organize a mini S&T at their taproom on one of my trips back to Madison this summer.

A local taco joint in Columbia recently converted to a microbrew and tap house. My friend went to check it out and said that there were some 45 beers on tap. Most of them really, really good ones. 5 of them are brewed on site.

Since it is literally less than a 1/4 mile from the homebrew supply store, I think Krazytaco and I will have to make a trip sometime and post a review.

Here in Georgia (and I think a couple of neighboring states) we have a local chain called Taco Mac. Some of them have over 100 beers on tap! The one near me only has around 50, but still...

Also, has anyone looked at Untappd? It's basically FourSquare for beer. I'm tanstaafl over there too in case anyone feels stalkery

It's strange, I recognize that Victory is a good brewery, but there's something about their yeast strains that just don't sit right with me. With the notable exception of Prima Pils. Your millage will certainly vary.

Also, anybody tried Stone's "sublimely self-righteous"? Black IPA, very tasty.

The favorites I keep coming back to lately are Bear Republic's Racer 5 and Dock Street's Rye IPA.

Just got back from the Brew Ski festival up in the really cold places of Michigan. I haven't written anything official yet, but some notes:

1) Nice to see some big name brewers at a tiny little festival north of Traverse City. Stone, Rogue, and Big Sky all made it, as well as Goose Island and Lagunitas. Dogfish Head cancelled at the last minute.

2) Beers and skiing go together a lot better than one would think!

3) I know we're entering the period where macrobreweries want to get in on the craft market, but...Dear Michelob. Give up. Tell your parents at AB-Inbev to try another angle, because the craft stuff you make is awful, with the possible exception of Shock Top. Seriously just go buy a craft beer company, like SABMillerCoors and Leinenkugel, and do that. Your "bourbon," "aged," "cask" ale doesn't fool me. I can pour vanilla extract down my own throat.

All the talk of oatmeal stout a page back got me craving some. My lovely wife picked up some Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout for me over the weekend. Good stuff.

tanstaafl wrote:
Yoreel wrote:

This is my new favorite. 10% but it taste like 4%. Even better than Bells two hearted IPA, and at $18 a 6pack it better be
--Hopslam--

Ooh. I'll have to try that.

This is what I picked up yesterday.

IMAGE(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5179/5518853592_b9dbdf2ca7.jpg)

Is it a damned good cop?

IMAGE(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS_QC6KaqTs6Q8MzhwK2jGmzhIxlD7Wa8om4X8FoGfvrc0bZYTS)

Picked this up on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. I didn't expect it to taste as complex as it did.

My girlfriend introduced me to this Australian lager last night:
IMAGE(http://fiannaliquor.com/files/u1/james_boag.jpg)
Quite good!

oilypenguin wrote:

IMAGE(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS_QC6KaqTs6Q8MzhwK2jGmzhIxlD7Wa8om4X8FoGfvrc0bZYTS)

Picked this up on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. I didn't expect it to taste as complex as it did.

It's been a while since I've tried this, but if I remember correctly I didn't care for it too much. It did have some complexities that I enjoyed, but it also seemed to be too large and the alcohol really detracted from the overall flavor profile.

Huzzah, my Bière de Garde appears to have finally carbonated enough to be properly enjoyable. I bottled it in December and I think all the yeast had died off by then leaving just a bit of carbonation. I put it in the warmest room in the house and I think it finally woke up enough. Good thing I put off rebottling it with some extra yeast.

YUM.

IMAGE(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d133/Salvaje1/IMG-20110317-00017.jpg)

I just picked up a six-pack of Guinness Draught, which is pretty decent, but it has an interesting feature I haven't seen before. There's a piece of plastic inside the bottle that has a separate compartment with CO2 in it, and I assume a very weak seal. When you pop the top, that inner seal breaks, and shoots some CO2 directly into the beer. Makes it taste remarkably like, well, draft beer.

Malor wrote:

I just picked up a six-pack of Guinness Draught, which is pretty decent, but it has an interesting feature I haven't seen before. There's a piece of plastic inside the bottle that has a separate compartment with CO2 in it, and I assume a very weak seal. When you pop the top, that inner seal breaks, and shoots some CO2 directly into the beer. Makes it taste remarkably like, well, draft beer.

I thought it was nitrogen?

Oh, well, I assumed it was CO2, could be nitrogen, dunno. They hiss about the same.

Malor wrote:

Oh, well, I assumed it was CO2, could be nitrogen, dunno. They hiss about the same.

A good rule of thumb is that if it's a creamy head with itty bitty bubbles then it's nitrogen and if the head is not creamy with medium or large bubbles then it's CO2.

I would go with Iocane powder

IMAGE(http://www.gilesbowkett.com/images/vizzini_the_iocaine_powder_defense.jpg)

Inconceivable!

Yes, it's very small bubbles, so it must be nitrogen.

Anyway, neat feature. Really improves the beer.

Yeah, Guiness and Kilkenny both use that. It's a clever idea.

Any recommendadtions for the NY (and surrounding states) area? I am not a beer nazi, but if it's flat like tap Guinness or too sweet, I am out. Just want to make sure I won't run dry over yonder.

I semi-skimmed the thread, but I can't not butt into a beer thread!

- Any phrase containing the word 'Heineken' is followed by a phrase containing the words 'cat' and 'pee' in Belgium. This is in our constitution, and one of the few limits on our freedom of speech. We mock the 'beer' relentlessly and disown anyone caught drinking 'it'.
- Even Leffe is a bit frowned upon as a commercial abbey beer, more marketing than taste. I disagree with this borderline hipster attitude, but do agree that given the chance to taste
any Belgian beer, you're doing yourself a disservice if you choose Leffe. It's an ok beer, but there are way too many beers with more character available to settle for a Leffe!
- Westvleteren IS awesome, but St Bernardus comes pretty close in taste. Added benefit is that St Bernardus is distributed commercially.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of Geuze/Lambik beers, they're too sour for my taste. Not a big fan of Grimbergen either for some reason. Currently I'm in love with La Trappe, Delirium Tremens and Maredsous. Affligem Blonde and Triple and Westvleteren Double and Triple are among my all time favorites as well.

For Pilsner beer I usually pick Stella Artois, which I understand is marketed as a highbrow beer abroad. Over here it's one of the most plain pilsners available.

I did have a FOAF introduce me to the new wave of hoppy American indie beers while I was over for PAX. A lot of it tries to hard, most of it is too hoppy for my taste (possibly a reaction to decades of being associated with Bud), but all of it is at least interesting. This is all worth remembering the next time you hang sh*t on English food.

The smoke beer was going too far I think.

Here are some of my favorites:

Spatan Optimator
http://www.strictlydiscs.com/gallery...

Spatan Dunkel
http://www.theperfectlyhappyman.com/...

Harpoon Oyster Stout
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/...

Great Divide Raspberry Ale
http://beveragebaron.files.wordpress...

SuperDave wrote:

Spatan Optimator
http://www.strictlydiscs.com/gallery...

This is by far my favorite beer to say out loud.

Phishposer wrote:
SuperDave wrote:

Spatan Optimator
http://www.strictlydiscs.com/gallery...

This is by far my favorite beer to say out loud.

haha. Me too!

Here is the plastic thing you found in your Guinness, Malor:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widget_(beer)

While my state has a lot of delicious stouts that are -- on nitro, anyway -- as good or better than American Guinness (which, to my understanding, tastes different than Irish Guinness), not a single brewery has a widget enabled canning or bottling system.

Other beers that use the nitro widget include Boddington's and, if I recall, Wexford Irish Cream Ale.

I always like to point out to people who complain about how heavy Guinness is that it is, in effect, a light beer; it's abv and caloric load are just a hair above Bud Light.

Luggage wrote:

Any recommendadtions for the NY (and surrounding states) area? I am not a beer nazi, but if it's flat like tap Guinness or too sweet, I am out. Just want to make sure I won't run dry over yonder.

Ommegang

Paleocon wrote:
Luggage wrote:

Any recommendadtions for the NY (and surrounding states) area? I am not a beer nazi, but if it's flat like tap Guinness or too sweet, I am out. Just want to make sure I won't run dry over yonder.

Ommegang

Like a blade to the heart, ouch - I'm personally not a fan.

Grubber788 wrote:
Paleocon wrote:
Luggage wrote:

Any recommendadtions for the NY (and surrounding states) area? I am not a beer nazi, but if it's flat like tap Guinness or too sweet, I am out. Just want to make sure I won't run dry over yonder.

Ommegang

Like a blade to the heart, ouch - I'm personally not a fan.

That's because you spent too much time in China drinking Xiaoxing Jiu.