Finally cracked open the bottle of Ommegang's "Take the Black Stout" after my Pathfinder session last night. Split it with the guys while we watched GoT. Very good, kind of smoky, I thought. Our next session, I have a bottle of the "Blood Red Ale" to try.
Wish I could find the "Take the Black" -- anise-flavored stout sounds awesome! The "Fire and Blood" was brewed with rye and spelt, and flavored with de-seeded ancho peppers.
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Last weekend I had the pleasure of drinking in Kean's Head in Nottingham: as well as a few tidy Castle Rock beers (Harvest Pale, Preservation, Yaffle) I tried an oak-aged saison called The Kernel and a breakfast stout, Sublime Chaos, which had a coffee edge.
Great pub and all good beers, although I was the only one of my gang who enjoyed the saison.
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The secret to a really good IPA is, in the words of Alaska Brewing, to avoid at all costs making it "taste like someone was trying to win a bet."
It's funny. I enjoy the the variety you get from microbreweries (oops, dating myself, they're called craft brews now) but a good amount of the time it seems like there's been no quality control whatsoever, and they're just trying to market a disastrous recipe as the latest thing for hipsters. Of course, there's no accounting for taste, my own included.
Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel
I think that might be the best wheat beer ever...
Finally managed to get ahold of the Ommegang Fire and Blood. Much tastier than you would expect from your typical trendy-TV-show-licensed beer.
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Finally managed to get ahold of the Ommegang Fire and Blood. Much tastier than you would expect from your typical trendy-TV-show-licensed beer.
Ommegang was one of my favorite breweries long before they ever got the GoT license, and they continue to never disappointment me.
As for what I've been drinking, the most recent notable was Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot barleywine. Really interesting take on the style, with huge hops. Almost smells and tastes like a perfect fusion of DIPA and barleywine.
Yeah, I've been a massive fan of Ommegang since I visited the brewery in the '90s.
Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel
I think that might be the best wheat beer ever...
oldest brewery in the world, established 1040 !!
I saw at a store yesterday the latest Sam Adam's Longshot offering, one of which was a pineapple IPA. Anybody try that one?
Tonight it's Firestone's Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA. Very not bad so far.
One of my absolute favorites! The standard by which I rate all black IPAs.
Tonight it's Firestone's Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA. Very not bad so far.
I'll have to try that one again. I think I set my expectations way too high since it had both "black" and "rye" in the title, two of my favorites.
Had the the Ommegang Game of Thrones Red Ale last night with some medieval pork pie I made from an official GoT cookbook. Very good (both the beer and the pie).
I tried some lambics. They're supposed to be this big new thing, but it's a bit weird for me when I want a beer and I got kind of cider-like thing.
Also a while back in this thread I said I wish I could visit Founders and Great Lakes being some of my favorite midwestern breweries. Turns out I'll actually get my chance next month on a trip through Michigan and Canada.
Stoked.
I tried some lambics. They're supposed to be this big new thing, but it's a bit weird for me when I want a beer and I got kind of cider-like thing.
Stoked.
Juice like cider or champaign like cider?
Looking into what a Lambic is, makes me wonder what useful bacteria are in a room you haven't cleaned in a while...
Lion stout - brewed in Sri Lanka, 7.5 % but not at all treacly (unlike Nigerian Guinness) despite the fact that it has to be chewed thoroughly before swallowing and 89p a bottle.
I tried some lambics. They're supposed to be this big new thing, but it's a bit weird for me when I want a beer and I got kind of cider-like thing.
Stoked.
Juice like cider or champaign like cider?
Looking into what a Lambic is, makes me wonder what useful bacteria are in a room you haven't cleaned in a while...
Well comparing cider to champaign is a bit generous for my tasts, but yes.
Did you try a super fruity lambic like a Lindeman's Framboise or a far more complex and sour lambic like a Drei Fonteinen Oude Geuze?
Did you try a super fruity lambic like a Lindeman's Framboise or a far more complex and sour lambic like a Drei Fonteinen Oude Geuze?
Well I did try that first one there, and this one sour ale whose name escapes me but it wasn't fruity. Although I didn't try the Oude Geuze.
Lambics are an unusual beer-style. They tend to be drastically different from the traditional English/German/American styles that have dominated the industry.
I've been drinking the fruited lambics intermittantly for a few years. They are light and refreshing and easy to drink. The non-fruited lambics are full of unusual flavors for beer: sour, acidity, funk. They are definitely more of a challenge to my palate.
If you liked them, maybe try a berliner weiss next. That is a style I just can't wrap my head around.
Favorite beer?
The original Cherry Wheat by Sam Adams before they changed the way they make it. It was like drinking fresh Michigan cherries mixed with a good wheat beer.
Killian's Red is my usual choice now though.
Tried Crispin hard apple cider. Didn't like it. Tasted champaigny.
Newcastle and Guiness
Newcastle and Guiness
I used to have a drink maybe only once or twice a month. Less often now I have to avoid gluten, but I *really* miss Guinness.
Article on band's signature beers
Iron Maiden's Trooper is the only one I've drunk (it was wet and alcoholic - that's all I remember about it); the Mastodon Double Black IPA is the one I'm most interested in trying.
I liked the trooper quite a bit IIRC.
Who can recommend a good Scottish ale that's avail in America, state of Minnesota? I've had Leinies and Dirty B@3t@rd.
Can you get Laughing Lab?
I've had Warsteiner before. Not bad.
+1
Great Heck Brewery's Black Jesus
Seldom see black IPAs in local shops/pubs, but this is a nice one. Very hoppy.
Heading to McKinnon's in a little bit. It's a higher end grocery store that has a much bigger selection of brews than my local store. Still looking for a new beer to excite my jaded tastebuds for the summer. Haven't found anything yet...hopefully tonight.
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Heading to McKinnon's in a little bit. It's a higher end grocery store that has a much bigger selection of brews than my local store. Still looking for a new beer to excite my jaded tastebuds for the summer. Haven't found anything yet...hopefully tonight.
At least you live in one of those permissive states where they deign to sell beer at supermarkets! :P
Heading to McKinnon's in a little bit. It's a higher end grocery store that has a much bigger selection of brews than my local store. Still looking for a new beer to excite my jaded tastebuds for the summer. Haven't found anything yet...hopefully tonight.At least you live in one of those permissive states where they deign to sell beer at supermarkets! :P
The varying state liquor laws always confound me.
Picked up a new beer to try from Clown Shoes. Never had any of their beers but the names and labels of their beers are pretty wild. The one I got is called, "Baelcorn Unidragon" and the label shows some weird cross of a black dragon and unicorn. Had to get it.
Someone gifted me a bottle of dragonmead Final Absolution, which says it's a Belgian style trippel ale. Wow it was surprisingly good although maybe I am too much of a cheap date because I was dizzy drunk after the one bottle.
because I had to drive I just drank a Licher Pils Alkoholfrei (alcohol free)
it was more or less tasteless :-/
Licher is not that good in its normal form but alcohol free it was just plain boring
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My view on Dogfish Head is that you cannot go wrong with any of their beers, I feel the same way about Stone also.I wish I could agree 100%, but I've had Dogfish's Noble Rot. Not to my taste.
With a name like Noble Rot, I am not surprised.
I believe today is a day for ice cold Sol, it's friggin 100
I have yet to find an IPA I don't like. But I also a fan of Blue Moon, Guinness, Flat Tire and I recently had a Kostritzer which was quite good.
Philly Beer Week was last week.
Highlights for me were Voodoo's K13 & Grande Negro Voodoo Papi(Laird's Apple Brandy barrel aged), Russian River Supplication, & Avery Tweek.
Trying Dead Rise Old Bay Summer Ale by Flying Dog. Sadly, it tastes like they were trying to get away with putting Old Bay in it. Not impressed. Luckily, I also picked up a six-pack of Bloodline Blood Orange IPA, also by Flying Dog. I'm confident that the latter will be good.