So had some Wisconsin beers from Shipwrecked and some Yuengling over the weekend while visiting family in Ohio. On my way back to Chicago airport stopped in at 3Floyds.

I gotta say I wasn't all that impressed with 3Floyds. I think a lot of local Denver-area breweries beat them in terms of atmosphere, quality and vibe. I understand their whole counter-culture thing is their identity but after visiting the fairly small brewpub and sampling a lot of their beers I just realized all their beer is over-hopped and passed on it. The only thing interesting bottled right now was Zombie Dust (which I do like and was awesome on tap), Dreadnaught & Arctic Panzer Wolf, all of which I've had recently, none of their Teku glasses in stock, no stickers, just a big letdown. Alpha Klaus was just 'ok'. Had Founders Breakfast Stout on their guest tap though, tis always good, lol.

[Edited on November 13, 2012 at 12:36 AM. Reason : .]

11/13/2012 12:34:55 AM

No Dark Lords? I haven't had it but I have wanted to try it.

[Edited on November 13, 2012 at 7:53 AM. Reason : ]

11/13/2012 7:53:04 AM

^^that seems to be a common response for people visiting 3F. At least you got to cross it off your list and can move on to better breweries now.



^Dark Lord Day in April. Usually don't see it after that unless you are a trader

11/13/2012 8:16:44 AM

gotcha. I didn't know much about it except my one buddy said I had to try it if I got the chance because it was right up my alley. I didn't really have any real info on it except that it was on my list and I knew it was by 3Floyds

11/13/2012 8:19:48 AM

if you ever come across it don't turn it down, but it's one of those beers that, at least today, is rare by name only. People hoard it and covet it because it's a Dark Lord beer. The people that sell/trade it expect an arm and leg in return because they stood in line for the opportunity to buy it. I've never had it, but i've heard some years are better than others while some have been infected or diminished from aging.

11/13/2012 9:48:06 AM

makes sense.

11/13/2012 9:51:40 AM

tried a '12 DL relatively fresh and wasn't a fan at all. heard it's gotten better with time though, but whatever.

unless someone brings one to a share or something, i'm not all that concerned.

although, i am going to a friend's house for thanksgiving dinner pot luck / bottle share, so one or six might come out. this was a pic from the bottle share portion of his bachelor party..

http://i.imgur.com/69JbH.jpg

11/13/2012 9:52:47 AM

yeah I'm not one to pay an arm and a leg to try a beer. If my local beer specialty shop (or one in a city I visit a lot like Raleigh) doesn't have it, I'll just keep it on my list in case I get offered one.

11/13/2012 9:54:50 AM

Got a '10 Dark Lord I'm opening on Weds. for a friend who says it's her favorite beer. She's coming over with a group that generally enjoys beer so I'm going to share it with the group then. Heard '10 is pretty good so we'll see. It'll be my first DL and probably my one and only unless someone wants to trade me a Vanilla BA DL

Quote :

"^^that seems to be a common response for people visiting 3F. At least you got to cross it off your list and can move on to better breweries now."

exactly. next time I plan on flying into Detroit and go to Kuhnhenn, Jolly Pumpkin and Dark Horse. (my family lives in NW Ohio )

[Edited on November 13, 2012 at 10:59 AM. Reason : ,]

11/13/2012 10:57:57 AM

Anchor Christmas Ale bought at lunch.

Anyone had yet? How is it this year?

[Edited on November 13, 2012 at 1:02 PM. Reason : X]

11/13/2012 1:02:12 PM

have not. I am thinking of picking up some Corsendonk Christmas though. I've never heard of it but I saw it at my local beer place and I looked it up later and it sounded like I would enjoy it.

11/13/2012 1:23:42 PM

Tried the St Feuillien Christmas last night after dinner and was pleasantly surprised. Very happy to see the christmas beers showing up on the shelves.

11/13/2012 1:50:05 PM

good read:

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-10-25/the-plot-to-destroy-americas-beer

11/13/2012 10:40:36 PM

while I agree they are destroying those brands, most of that was beer I don't like anyway. The only brewer mentioned in there that I really enjoy was Goose Island. I didn't know they were owned by AB InBev now.

The American craft beer scene is as big as ever though.

11/14/2012 8:25:00 AM

i actually like(d) beck's when i'm in the mood for a pilsner

the first time i had it was when i was in germany and toured the beck's brewery in bremen (either just before or right around when inbev bought them)...for about $7, it was all you could drink (and there was food!)

google tells me that it's only been since the beginning of 2012 that they've been doing this...inbev has owned beck's since...mid-2000s?...and even then, it's just the american market that gets the shitty american-brewed beck's (europe gets the german stuff)

the beeradvocate reviews are mostly a bunch of (relatively recent) reviews bitching about how bad the american-brewed beck's is

haha:

Quote :

"I see that the reviewers gave PBR a 72 rating & the Bros an 80 rating. And the reviewers gave Beck's a 67 rating & the Bros a 62 rating. Are you all nuts?!! Beck's now may be owned by InBev & brewed in St. Louis, MO. But I recently called Beck's brewmaster & he assured me that they were still brewing to the German Purity Law, which means they're only using water, barley malt, hops & yeast. I'm sure Pabst isn't doing the same. I know why all of you are rating Pabst higher than Beck's. It has nothing to do with PBR's quality. Rather, it's the "pseudo-hipster's" rating, i.e. "PBR is 'cooler' than Beck's because it doesn't advertise & has the patriotic U.S. colors of red, white & blue." C'mon everyone - get real. No way is PBR better tasting than Beck's. And no, I don't work for Beck's & I'm not German. However, I've brewed my own beers & know a bit of what I'm talking about."

[Edited on November 14, 2012 at 8:39 AM. Reason : quote]

11/14/2012 8:37:30 AM

Yeah Beck's is alright. Bass isn't terrible either. I didn't really mean everything brewed by those companies was terrible, more like they are beers that I rarely get unless I'm some place that doesn't have many options.

[Edited on November 14, 2012 at 8:42 AM. Reason : ]

11/14/2012 8:41:52 AM

Quote :

"I didn't really mean everything brewed by those companies was terrible"

well, it sounds like if it wasn't terrible before, they're making it terrible

long live craft beer! i'll gladly pay $1.50-2/bottle and drink less than $0.50/can and drink more (with the exception of yuengling and PBR...i don't know why i like those as much as i do, but i'll happily drink them when there's nothing else)

11/14/2012 8:46:51 AM

Yeah, in general I have a hard time feeling sympathetic for any brand reputation at any of those breweries that sold out. Most of them weren't great and like you said now they're apparently getting worse.

There are so many other good smaller breweries that the consumer has tons of choices. I don't even see the point in anyone being outraged other than suppliers that kind of got screwed (like the beechwood chip vendor).

I do enjoy a Yuengling sometimes as well. It is kind of my go-to beer at crappy bars that have no great choices.

[Edited on November 14, 2012 at 8:52 AM. Reason : ]

11/14/2012 8:51:04 AM

wow. I hate InBev even more now.

11/14/2012 9:03:30 AM

Quote :

"long live craft beer! i'll gladly pay $1.50-2/bottle and drink less than $0.50/can and drink more "

just curious, but why is your limit 25% for a can of what it is for a bottle?

11/14/2012 9:41:38 AM

Quote :

"just curious, but why is your limit 25% for a can of what it is for a bottle?"

i don't understand your question...did you read that as i pay more for bottles because they're bottles than for cans because they're cans?

since i most frequently see the crappy beers (like bud, coors, etc) in cans and the craft brews in bottles, i was just referencing that...obviously you can get good beer in cans and crappy beer in bottles

[Edited on November 14, 2012 at 9:44 AM. Reason : real men only drink from bottles!]

11/14/2012 9:43:05 AM

fuck me sideways yes i did

carry on

11/14/2012 9:44:13 AM

cold mountain should be hitting the shelves this week. one beer i will be a hoarding little troll for



also, that article referenced above is sad. I don't drink many Bud products today, but having been to St. Louis several times and toured the Budweiser Brewery, Grant's Farm, and many of the other family owned related Busch properties it's somewhat sad to read how ruthless the new CEO really is. Cutting costs wherever possible, pretty much taking the "family" aspect completely out of it. As much crap as we give bud products it actually takes a pretty skillful brewer to make something like a budweiser. I would have a hard time standing by my product when you can see the ingredients you're given are no longer of the quality you and the customer have come to expect. and 1,440 jobs which were probably 80% in St. Louis is a big hit to the economy.

The whole Goose Island thing will be interesting over the next few years. As that article said, a lot of their year-round lineup is now brewed other places. Can that still be considered a labor of love, a true craft beer?

11/14/2012 9:53:01 AM

^ agreed...i've been to the budweiser (complex? including grant's farm) a number of times, but pre inbev...and while, as you said, a lot of us don't drink their products, i felt it was at least still a large family business (though i'm sure that's been changing for years before inbev bought them)

it's stuff like this that makes me wonder how they can still make budweiser and CALL it budweiser:

Quote :

"In the Hallertau region of Germany, small farmers had long made a living growing high-quality hops like Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, an integral component in Budweiser. Budweiser, after all, was originally a Bohemian-style beer, brewed with European ingredients. Hops, a bitter kind of flower, provide the dry smack that rides atop the sugars in a beer. After the 2008 takeover, however, AB InBev said it was cutting its purchases of the Hallertauer hops. “They announced they were no longer going to use the Hallertauer Mittelfrüh variety,” says Johann Pichlmaier, president of the Association of German Hops Growers. “We’ve had to reduce the acreage in the past few years.”"

11/14/2012 10:10:10 AM

I can't hate on the dude too much (InBev's CEO), because I relaly dig his business practices. The parts I don't like are the cutting out of the good hops and the beechwood stuff...but mainly because of those suppliers that they hurt. I could give a shit about the "quality ingredients" that go into a budweiser.

If I want to get a fast, cheap buzz...then I'm not too bothered with how my beer tastes as long as it's cold. His practices aren't fucking up the rest of the craft beer world, so no biggie to me.

11/14/2012 10:18:18 AM

Quote :

"If I want to get a fast, cheap buzz...then I'm not too bothered with how my beer tastes as long as it's cold."

seems like an utter waste of money and calories, but to each their own

Quote :

"His practices aren't fucking up the rest of the craft beer world, so no biggie to me."

to the contrary, their practices are probably helping the craft beer world...people finally can't stand drinking horse piss and move on to virtually anything else

11/14/2012 11:27:11 AM

You guys may have heard, but word on the street is that Roth is going under.

Get that Foehammer/Sex Viking/Raleigh Red, etc. while you still can.

11/14/2012 11:43:51 AM

any source for this? or just rumor in town?

11/14/2012 11:54:44 AM

Lets just say it's pretty reliable sources. Dont want to air too much dirty laundry.

11/14/2012 12:52:56 PM

Quote :

"seems like an utter waste of money and calories, but to each their own"

Definitely.

11/14/2012 1:24:50 PM

Quote :

" their practices are probably helping the craft beer world.."

agreed.

Sam Adams was once a craft/micro brewery and now they're the largest American-owned brewer. The beauty is that even if some craft breweries get gobbled up by an InBev or SABMiller, other craft breweries will pop up in it's place.

Also, the world's perception of American beer is Budweiser, Miller, etc. and they rightfully shit on American beer with that as their sample. I'd argue however, that American beer is among the best in the world when you consider even the larger craft breweries like Dogfish head, Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, etc.

11/14/2012 1:29:05 PM

Some drinking with poker last night...

(512) Whiskey Barrel Aged Double Pecan Porter
HaandBryggeriet Haandbakk
Alesmith Wee Heavy
Avery Rumpkin
Upslope Christmas
Cigar City Cucumber Saison
Alpine Duet

11/14/2012 3:40:47 PM

with two people reporting in, our thanksgiving day feast/tasting is shaping up nicely

host is contributing:
russian river toronado 25th
jolly pumpkin la roja grand reserve 2010/2011/2012
karbach bourbon barrel aged hellfighter (local sleeper, this beer is fabulous)
karbach krunkin' pumpkin
southern tier pumpking 2012
st. arnold's pumpkinator 2012
goose island bourbon county stout

i'll be bringing:
russian river framboise for a cure 2012
russian river temptation (mostly because it's the base for FfaC for this year as a comparison)
williamsburg alewerks cafe royale (i love this beer. you all can send me all of it)
evil twin lil' b
cantillon classic gueze
more bcbs

thinking of bringing a 3F oude geuze '10/'11/'12 mini vert.

looking forward to what the other three or four people bring.

[Edited on November 14, 2012 at 4:13 PM. Reason : e]

11/14/2012 4:12:32 PM

sounds awesome

11/14/2012 5:46:00 PM

^^nice lineup.

I'm just having a small get together for Thanksgiving and the only beer I've decided on is Odell Friek, probably open some of my Cantillon & 3F as well, sours go well with Thanksgiving meals. I might do some Dissident & Abyss too.

11/14/2012 7:19:11 PM

Sharing an Event Horizon 2012 w/ my wife.

11/16/2012 7:43:31 PM

Nothing terribly interesting, some Pliny, New Glarus Thumbprint IIPA, Hibernation and a couple homebrews (Doppelbock & Barleywine) this weekend.

11/19/2012 12:20:35 AM

from friday at monk's in philly. decided fuck it and splurged a little on a bottle. the wife hates sours, even this one, so i enjoyed this entirely by myself. was just about as expensive as having ordered it from BiaB or less than trading for one, so what the hell. they had pliny and blind pig on tap as well, going along with their always amazing bottle list. wondered around and had a few good sours, and ended up at a dive with 12ounce pours of great lakes nosferatu for $6 and camped out there for a while.

also, a troegs flying mouflan and a shit load of shitload of punkin' and 60 minute at a wedding

solid beer weekend.

11/19/2012 9:57:39 AM

Shiner Bock holiday cheer brew is so good:

Quote :

"Happy Holidays from the "Little Brewery" in Shiner, TX. We hope you enjoy your Shiner Cheer, an Old World Dunkelweizen brewed with Texas peaches and roasted pecans. The malty flavors of this dark wheat ale are enhanced through the use of malted barley and wheat. And Kräusening ensures a smoothness that makes the subtle peach and pecan flavors all the more satisfying. May your days be merry and bright and your Shiner be cold. Prosit!"

11/19/2012 10:21:47 AM

[Edited on November 19, 2012 at 10:29 AM. Reason : to be fair, i am a spiced beer hater]

11/19/2012 10:29:14 AM

downed a sixer of Great Lakes Christmas Ale over the weekend, good shit. $12.99/6 pack at Harris Teeter right now

11/19/2012 10:32:21 AM

^^^ a "girl" beer, to be sure...that said, as long as your expectations aren't high and you know what you're getting into (a fruity beer), having one isn't bad

i can imagine that it gets old very quickly, though...i wouldn't want more than one

11/19/2012 10:35:49 AM

Anchor Christmas 2012 - meh
SN Celebration 2012 - even more meh


picked up a couple things this weekend that i'll be tasting this week



and Highland Cold Mountain 2012

hoping to get OHB Event Horizon 2012 this week as well

11/19/2012 11:29:16 AM

finally found the best local beer store around us.

Picked up:

St. Bernardus Tokyo
Couple different Ommegangs
Corsendonk Christmas Ale (I only got two but wish I had gotten 3-4...might go back because they had plenty)
St. Bernardus Gift Pack (12, 8, Tripel)
La Trappe Quadrupel
Great Divide Hibernation Ale

11/19/2012 9:49:40 PM

Didn't have much going on today so I decided to make it a beer day. Started off at the Cantillon Brewery and spent quite a while there. Great time, just in a dodgy part of town. Rounded it out at a bottle shop just around the corner that I discovered while walking around the other night.

Got to try Westvleteren 12 for the first time over the weekend along with a few others and they were great.

11/20/2012 10:12:08 AM

so Cold Mountain seems bland this year. i've only had one glass, from a 22oz bomber, but it just didn't have the nose or that nice sweetness to it this year. will pick up more soon to try again.

11/20/2012 10:19:04 AM

sure must suck living close to cantillon

11/20/2012 10:24:18 AM

I'm looking for Euphoria Pale Ale by Ska. Has anyone seen it around?

11/20/2012 10:28:32 AM

^^ What sucks is this is the first time that I've gone out there. Will def be making regular trips now, its only about 20 minutes away on public transport. It was a great time.

11/20/2012 10:42:09 AM

http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/jeff-mauros-beer-cheese-soup/110002.html

Beer Cheese Soup

11/20/2012 10:59:16 AM