Anyone had any of these? Local beer store is having a sale on cases tomorrow, and I'm trying to figure out what I wanna get:

Abita Ales (not sure which types)
Anchor Winter Ale
Big Boss Variety Pack (anyone know what's usually in these?)
Brooklyn 1/2 Ale
Brooklyn Greenmarket Wheat
Catawba King Winterbolt Winter Ale
Duclaw (not sure which types)
Epic Brainless IPA
Epic Element Pale Ale
Erie Ol' Red Cease & Desist
Full Sail Session Fest
Green Flash Beers (not sure which types, maybe IPA?)
Highland Anniversary Ale (I understand there were like 20 types of beers made so IDK which ones will be for sale)
Horny Goat Archer Apple Brown Ale
Horny Goat Wiscon-Zin IPA
Ipswich IPA
Lonerider Shotgun Betty
Mission Cortez Gold
Moylan's Hopsickle
Moylan's Hop Craic XXXXIPA
Shock Top
Southampton Pumpkin Ale
Southern Tier Warlock
Stoudt's Double IPA
Stoudt's Triple
RJ Rockers Toasted Coconut Porter

4/24/2015 11:24:25 AM

avoid A-B's Shock Top and Shotgun Betty unless you like girly wheat beers

4/24/2015 11:30:38 AM

I can vouche for the Green Flash IPA. Shit is tip top.

4/24/2015 11:36:02 AM

Green Flash also has a great Hop Head Red.

4/24/2015 11:45:03 AM

I'd snatch up the Duclaw and Epic beers


anyone going to Brewgaloo tomorrow?

4/24/2015 11:50:26 AM

Yeah, no girly wheaty stuff for me unless the SO wants it. So far I know I'll probably roll with the Catawba, Big Boss variety, Horny Goat & Ipswich IPAs, and you guys have sold me on Green Flash.

As for Epic, the IPA (at $50/case) is a bit more costly than the Element Pale Ale ($16), so I may just stick with the cheaper one. Any Duclaw recommendations?

4/24/2015 11:54:49 AM

the Sweet Baby Jesus (chocolate peanut butter porter) and Dirty Little Freak(coconut porter) are both good. They have some IPAs also (Serum XX Ipa and Neon Gypsy) which are both above average, if thats more your style. The Serum is a imperial/double IPA, so its a bit more "alcoholly" tasting and will put you on your ass.

their Sweet Baby Jesus is what they are known for and is worth trying. I think it tastes like a tootsie roll

4/24/2015 12:01:23 PM

My beer opinions FWIW:

Abita Ales (not sure which types) - depending which they have, Abita is usually good
Anchor Winter Ale - good when it's fresh
Big Boss Variety Pack (anyone know what's usually in these?) - usually a couple IPAs, Brown Ales, Kolsch style
Brooklyn 1/2 Ale - okay
Brooklyn Greenmarket Wheat - I love a wheat, this one is pretty good
Full Sail Session Fest - YUM!
Green Flash Beers (not sure which types, maybe IPA?) -can't go wrong
Highland Anniversary Ale (I understand there were like 20 types of beers made so IDK which ones will be for sale) - probably worth trying since you won't be able to get it again
Shock Top - generic drinkable beer
Southampton Pumpkin Ale - I'd worry that it was a little old since Pumpkin beers went out of season in Oct/Nov

4/24/2015 12:02:49 PM

Green Flash is my favorite brewery. And yes, they make mostly IPAs. My favortie by them: PALATE WRECKER!

[Edited on April 24, 2015 at 12:13 PM. Reason : cell phone keyboard]

4/24/2015 12:12:42 PM

Wow, palate wrecker. It delivered.

[Edited on April 24, 2015 at 12:23 PM. Reason : #NattyDaddy]

4/24/2015 12:22:41 PM

Yeah. First time I tried it was in pensacola as part of a flight. It was the first one I drank... needless to say, I could not taste the other three beers.

4/24/2015 12:25:00 PM

the moylans hopsickle is good if you like hops, haven't had that other one

you should check how old the ipas are

4/24/2015 2:38:58 PM

^I always check the bottled dates, no worries. I would like to try both of the Moylan's, but they're both $50/case so I'll just wait and see if they don't sell all the cases and start selling individual bottles (assuming they're bombers).

4/24/2015 3:24:05 PM

My haul!





[Edited on April 25, 2015 at 10:42 AM. Reason : ]

4/25/2015 10:32:04 AM

Good stuff. What varieties are in that Starr Hill All Access?

4/25/2015 3:41:33 PM

^It's their Coffee Cream Stout (Red Roostarr, I believe?). I figured it was worth a shot for $19.99. Spent around $250 for everything.

[Edited on April 27, 2015 at 8:09 AM. Reason : ]

4/27/2015 8:09:13 AM

I know this beer doesn't really fit in this thread but didn't know where else to put it.

Total Wine has Bud Heavy 1/2 barrels online for $69.99 (Normally $110.99 I think) http://www.totalwine.com/eng/product/budweiser/29901

I think it is supposed to be 1/4 barrel but someone made a mistake. Bud Light 1/4 barrel is $69.99. I ordered it for my kegerator and it says it's ready for pickup. Will find out after work if it actually worked.

4/30/2015 3:49:13 PM

Well, apparently that is the correct price. Guess it is on sale. Shows you how much the markup is.

4/30/2015 6:44:38 PM

Markup on a keg at retail is usually only 10-15%. There's not much money in off premise keg sales.

4/30/2015 7:29:45 PM

Pixed up a sixer of this today...its fucking delicious:



Also got a few local brews. Holy City's Overly Friendly IPA and their Half Calf, a milk/sweet stout collaboration they did with RJ Rockers.

4/30/2015 7:50:08 PM

^Bought two off a friend and then ended up buying a six for me and the wife.

Also, I drove over to Bottlemixx and picked up a couple of bottles of



I'm curious about the 10.7 and 19.5 varieties.

5/13/2015 9:04:31 PM

^btw, it's delicious. A bit on the sweet side, but it's amazing. It's hard to imagine that there's any alcohol in it

5/15/2015 10:39:47 PM

^ Wasn't a big fan. Tasted like root beer with a vodka finish

5/17/2015 3:42:11 PM

what are some good, easily accessible Pils that people here can recommend for when I get back to the States?

Just to clarify, I've been living in extremely Pils heavy Germany where it really is difficult to find something other than pils or a wheat beer, and over the course of my time here, I have just developed a taste for them. Whereas in the states I was primarily an IPA or Ale guy.

[Edited on May 25, 2015 at 3:51 AM. Reason : k]

5/25/2015 3:25:03 AM

Well for starters you can get Pilsner Urquell in most larger grocery stores. Straight outta the Czech Republic.

As far as american ones, I've had Avery "Joe's Premium American Pilsner" which is pretty good, if a little on the subtler side. Depends where in the States you'll be also--one of the local breweries up here in Richmond (Hardywood) makes a pretty fantastic Pils but their distribution area does not extend outside VA.

5/25/2015 6:00:42 PM

That's good to know. Pilner Urquell is one of my personal heroes. There are two others that I have found in Germany that come form local breweries that I don't think that I'd be able to find in the States.

Quote :

"pretty good, if a little on the subtler side"

Isn't this sort of the point of the pilsner TBH? Once you start going away from being subtle then you start to get into IPA and lager territory. I dunno, it could be because of the region that I am living in, but I would say that the majority of German pilsners are incredibly subtle and a bit underwhelming when it comes to the flavor pallet. To put it in frame for you, I would say that Urquell is close to the extreme in terms of flavor pallets for Pilsners with its creamy finish and slight hoppyness.

Pilsners to me are more about both the content purity and lack of added ingredients as well as the texture, as they typically have thick and full heads that leave wonderful lacing around the glass.





[Edited on May 25, 2015 at 7:23 PM. Reason : h]

5/25/2015 7:18:50 PM

I'm moving in July from Los Angeles to Indiana. If I was going to make a beer road trip through flyover country, where would you suggest I go? In general, my wife and I both like darker beers (stouts, barleywines, old ales, porters, etc.) and avoid IPAs. Sours can be good but are somewhat hit-or-miss.

Bonus points for suggesting 1) breweries with interesting barrel-ageing programs, 2) breweries without major distribution in California, or 3) breweries with awesome limited releases that will be available in the taproom in early July.

Thoughts? I'm thinking we'll take a fairly direct route: 15, through Las Vegas, up to 70, so we can go through Colorado (which I imagine would be the highlight state for the trip). I'd consider a detour through Iowa if Toppling Goliath has something good to offer in July, but I don't want to zig-zag too much. We could spend a week or two doing this.

5/25/2015 8:46:33 PM

Quote :

"Isn't this sort of the point of the pilsner TBH? Once you start going away from being subtle then you start to get into IPA and lager territory. "

I suppose you're right. Urquell has, to me, a nice hop bitterness without straying too far into the pale ale territory. So maybe I'm framing my expectations with one of the extremes. And to be quite honest I get a little fuzzy on the taste difference between a pilsner and a lager (I do know they're made differently). If you ever find yourself in central VA do try the Hardywood Pils though--has an almost floral character that's quite pleasant, with a nice little undercurrent of bitterness.

5/26/2015 1:49:36 AM

a pilsner is a (type of) lager

5/26/2015 2:28:42 AM

a bird is a (type of) animal

5/26/2015 3:12:19 AM

local Pilsner - Olde Mecklenburg Captain Jack Pilsner from Charlotte.

Quote :

"I'm moving in July from Los Angeles to Indiana"

can you detour and head north to Grand Rapids? If so, do that.

5/26/2015 9:53:27 AM

Quote :

"local Pilsner - Olde Mecklenburg Captain Jack Pilsner "

big fan of this

Also, I've been taking a liking to session IPAs recently. Had a good one from the Great Lakes summer variety pack & also really enjoy Foothills' Hopjob.

5/26/2015 10:10:43 AM

Trying to talk myself out of buying a ticket to this:

http://edmundsoast.com/event/edmunds-oast-hosts-a-mexican-cake-fiesta-featuring-10-variants-of-westbrook-brewing-co-s-popular-brew/

Quote :

"Edmund’s Oast will host a “Mexican Cake Fiesta” on Wednesday, June 10 with Westbrook Brewing Co. that features 10 different variants of the popular Mexican Cake beer on tap in The Bower. Starting at 6:00PM, guests can enjoy any of the Mexican Cake brews poured, including the originally released batch from 2012, along with the 2014 and 2015 vintages. Also included for this event will be the following Mexican Cake variants: 2015 Coffee Cake, Coconut Cake, Cherry Cake, 2014 Tequila Barrel Aged Cake and three more surprise versions. To go along with the beer, guests can enjoy Mexican inspired bites by Chef Andy Henderson and yes, an actual piece of Mexican Cake to eat along with aptly named beer. The Bower will also be festooned in special themed décor for the occasion featuring the chance to try your luck at a piñata and more. Tickets are limited and cost $85, all inclusive. Ticket holders are entitled to unlimited pours and bites while supplies last. "

6/1/2015 10:34:16 AM

spent the weekend in Tampa and made it out to Cigar City. Their double stout Caffe Americano may be one of the best beers I've ever had.

6/1/2015 11:53:40 AM

Had a Ballast Point Haberno Sculpin IPA over the weekend. That stuff will surely kill your tastebuds for any beers you have after!

6/1/2015 2:54:46 PM

Man JB, it sounds like you are drinking beer on the reg, which I certainly don't have any problems with, but, how do you keep your figure in line with a post 30 metabolism?

[Edited on June 1, 2015 at 3:16 PM. Reason : t]

6/1/2015 3:16:10 PM

Quote :

"Had a Ballast Point Haberno Sculpin IPA over the weekend. That stuff will surely kill your tastebuds for any beers you have after!"

Haven't seen the Habanero Sculpin yet, but I have a sixer of their Grapefruit Sculpin in the fridge. Really, really liking that one--the tart grapefruit flavor is very present but not overpowering, and works quite well with the already citrus-y nature of the IPA.

6/2/2015 9:45:32 AM

^ I've been keeping a 6-er of the grapefruit sculpin in my fridge at all times since I tried it a few months ago. It's my go-to-grilling beer in the hot weather.

^^ Kegel exercises....and eating less and running more.

Got my ticket to the Mexican Cake event at Edmund's Oast. Leaving the next morning for a long weekend in New York to visit wife's friends...had to make her promise I wouldn't be sick on the plane. That might be a tough one.

6/2/2015 10:01:16 AM

Not Your Fathers Rootbeer is delicious.

6/2/2015 10:16:26 AM

One of my friends was moving out of town recently, so for his going away party another friend brought over his last bottle of Westvleteren XII. After not getting any a couple years ago, I had resigned myself to never trying it.

Welp, all I'll say is that it was BY FAR the best beer I've ever tried. Totally lives up to the hype.


Other beers of note that I've had recently were Pliny the Elder (a coworker brought some back from the brewery on a company trip to California), Funky Buddha Last Snow, and Prarie Bomb!. The last two had so much going on in them, but the flavors were absolutely harmonious. I've also got a pack of Heady Topper, but I'm not opening that up until later this month to drink with some friends.

6/2/2015 11:31:20 AM

Do we have any Alt Beer fans on this board?

I recently took a trip to Düsseldorf and was able to try them all out from the tap. My favorites were definitely the hoppy ones, but they did have a pretty stong selection of non hoppy as well.

My favorites were:

Uerige and Füchschen (both a bit hoppy)
Schumacher and Schlösser (not so hoppy but still great)

These were definitely just 100% worth the effort of a beer trip and completely unlike anything that I have had in the States. I would definitely recommend these if you see them in European beer shops or such.

The others that were good but kind of meh compared to the ones up top were:

Frankenheim (interestingly, this is the only Alt beer that I can find in my city, and I drink it quite a bit.)
Ur Bolt
Hannen
Schluessel alt
Diebels



[Edited on June 2, 2015 at 1:57 PM. Reason : h]

6/2/2015 1:42:05 PM

Got my hand on six Mexican Cakes through my beer rep yesterday...HOLLAA! Guilted into giving/selling-at-cost two already, but going to hold onto the remaining four. Might drink one soon, saving two to take up to Connecticut when we go and see the in-laws to split with a buddy who always hooks me up with Northeast shit, then going to save one for winter time. Hellz yeah.

Also got a two Green Man La Mas Negra. Heard good things, so looking forward to that. Finally got a six pack of the Habenero Sculpin IPA that I've been searching for. Been drinking the Grapefruit Sculpin for a few months now, so looking forward to this.

Good beer week!

6/27/2015 2:11:42 PM

Shadowrunner, there is a small brewery outside of breckenridge called broken compass that has a coconut porter that i wish i could get my hands on more easily. its a little ways off of i-70 but i would say worth the trip!


also had a four pack of this passion fruit beer from avery (one of my favorite breweries)



i thought it was delicious. really tart almost like a sour, and definitely strong passion fruit flavor (i love passion fruit anything though). definitely a beer to drink on a hot day in the sun or on a beach

[Edited on June 28, 2015 at 10:09 PM. Reason : passion fruit beer]

6/28/2015 9:52:21 PM

That Habenero Sculpin IPA was fucking delicious. I think I could drink that and the Grapefruit Sculpin IPA and be set for life as far as IPAs go.

6/29/2015 9:17:53 AM

I had the Aviator Tripel the other night out in Pensacola. Funny how Aviator is available all over now.

It was really good...they were sold out of it the last 2 times I went to that bar; I ordered the last one that night, haha.

6/29/2015 12:20:37 PM

<3 most habanero beers

6/29/2015 1:30:07 PM

Some beer hauls & tastings the last 4-5 months:

















My haul from Portland:


More from the last month:



Tasting:


And my first trip up to Casey Brewing & Blending here in CO:


Another tasting (BVDL '13 was infected, instead made a Cuvee of it)




[Edited on July 9, 2015 at 10:14 PM. Reason : /]

7/9/2015 10:14:07 PM

Normally don't like the bourbon heavy barrel aged stuff (think too many of them over-shadow the beer), but I really enjoyed this one, and the Wild Turkey came through pretty strong. Maybe I'm getting over it. Regardless, this was amazing:

7/20/2015 4:04:21 PM

Quote :

"Some beer hauls & tastings the last 4-5 months:"

Do you collect, or do you actually consume this much beer?

7/21/2015 12:55:35 AM

Split a bomber of this with the wifey last night. Pretty tasty...more jelly (raspberry) than peanut butter...which is why she probably liked it the most. If it could have had a tad more PB, then it would have been perfect. Perfect desert beer. I could drink 12 oz of this after dinner quite often.

7/31/2015 9:48:50 AM