Ymm, Beer

[devildeac]

Thanks much DD, glad you are still enjoying it. I'm going to have to brew it again, because I only have one left! The SA got marked in my notes as a favorite.

P.S. I've got a lb of Mt.Hood hop pellets and 10 oz of Cascade hop plugs on the way (via ebay). This way I"ll have some aroma hops to add to some of the kits I get, which I plan to try with the next SA. After trying Duck Rabbit's Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, I've wanted to go for it. Their Scotch Ale (very tasty) has a nice hop bite to it, with good caramel flavoring.

Bring a few of those Duck-Rabbit SA and we'll do some tradin' at the final BG. That is, if you have any left.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Bring a few of those Duck-Rabbit SA and we'll do some tradin' at the final BG. That is, if you have any left.

I'll have some of the true Duck Rabbit's for trade. Plus I'm forcing myself to make sure there are a variety of home brews to drink onsite and trade. (Damn the IPA is good...lol)

I ordered my next kit tonight, a classic Irish Stout. And two packets of champagne yeast. Wanna know what the champagne yeast is for? Good, it's for my upcoming annual batch of cider. This is the only time of year I can make it, since it's the only time I can find unpastuerized apple cider readily. I got 2 packets of yeast because I'm going to try a raspberry cider as well as a regular cider. Lookiing forward to having 15 gallons of 3 different beverages brewing at once.

[devildeac]

I'll have some of the true Duck Rabbit's for trade. Plus I'm forcing myself to make sure there are a variety of home brews to drink onsite and trade. (Damn the IPA is good...lol)

I ordered my next kit tonight, a classic Irish Stout. And two packets of champagne yeast. Wanna know what the champagne yeast is for? Good, it's for my upcoming annual batch of cider. This is the only time of year I can make it, since it's the only time I can find unpastuerized apple cider readily. I got 2 packets of yeast because I'm going to try a raspberry cider as well as a regular cider. Lookiing forward to having 15 gallons of 3 different beverages brewing at once.

I would have guessed that the champagne yeast was for a higher ABV brew as I thought that's what the small batch breweries used for their higher gravity beers as the regular strains of yeast wouldn't survive the 8-9% or higher concoctions.

Raspberry cider? I thought you did not like the fruity stuff or additives to your products.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I would have guessed that the champagne yeast was for a higher ABV brew as I thought that's what the small batch breweries used for their higher gravity beers as the regular strains of yeast wouldn't survive the 8-9% or higher concoctions.

Raspberry cider? I thought you did not like the fruity stuff or additives to your products.

Cider is fruity by definition . The raspberry calls for 2lbs of frozen rasberries to be added to the 5 gallons of apple cider.

[devildeac]

Old Stock Ale-North Coast Brewing-2007. Good stuff here. All English malts and LOTS of them. IBU=36, so the malts dominate. Sweet, cloying and notes of whiskey or brandy. I don't think there is any specific aging but I taste some oak and a hint of tobacco, too. Clear, smooth and a deep reddish-brown. Oh, and 11.7% ABV so warm it, sip it and enjoy your evening.

[devildeac]

Oh wow! The New Belgium folks made my fall evening with this one. I'd definitely make this a 2nd or 3rd seed in the Denver bracket of the field of 64/65.

Poured a beautiful gold with nice white head. Hoppy floral nose. The taste is hoppy, but blended nicely. It's not an IBU contest with this brew; it's actually a simple hoppy bite that allows for a rich taste. 7.8% ABV without much effect on the blend and taste. The triple fermentation works well; this brew has a well-balance carbonation level that helps keep the hop taste crisp and fresh. The New Belgium folks have managed to produce as good an American-bottled Belgian Style Ale as I've had this year.

Ymm, Beer: 1/2

Extending the discussion from a comment made by rockymtn devil, I am getting tired of the spice-laden holiday brews that are coming out now. If you want to get away from those, this brew will clear the palate. It's also a much better way to break from the barleywine/stout/porter/spice ale styles without having to go summer wheat at the wrong time of year.

Believe it or not, I tried this brew while having some spicy red pepper laden pizza. This went together VERY well. The light hoppy flavor complemented the spice just right.

Will love to see devildeac's review of this.
Cheers,
Lavabe

Coming soon to an OTB near (and dear) to you.

[Lavabe]

As business requires that I visit Louisville, I'll be visiting the BBC folks next week. I already have the English Style Nut Brown Ale on chill. What growlers should I get? Any recommendations?

Cheers,
Lavabe

[wilson]

Happy, happy beer news: Fat Tire (and the entire New Belgium line) is now available in Tennessee. Fat Tire remains the beer I would choose if I could only drink one brew for the rest of my life.
I'm planning a road trip across the border on Dec. 16 (the day after the conclusion of my school-related activities for this semester) with my uncle and my brother to listen to absurd amounts of Christmas tunes and load up my bro's Tahoe with as much Fat Tire as they'll let us buy (and I suppose we'll sample some other New Belgium products as well). Anybody got any suggestions for a couple of their other beers we should get?

[Lavabe]

Happy, happy beer news: Fat Tire (and the entire New Belgium line) is now available in Tennessee. Fat Tire remains the beer I would choose if I could only drink one brew for the rest of my life.
I'm planning a road trip across the border on Dec. 16 (the day after the conclusion of my school-related activities for this semester) with my uncle and my brother to listen to absurd amounts of Christmas tunes and load up my bro's Tahoe with as much Fat Tire as they'll let us buy (and I suppose we'll sample some other New Belgium products as well). Anybody got any suggestions for a couple of their other beers we should get?

Fat Tire is a good reliable brew. However, if you have yet to try the Black Ale, please do so at once! And I just did try and reviewed the Trippel. The Trippel is a GREAT brew.

Thanks for the news, as we will be passing through Tennessee at some point in the next month or so. I better check and see if the New Belgium folks have made their way into Kentucky.

Cheers,
Lavabe

[wilson]

I better check and see if the New Belgium folks have made their way into Kentucky.

Cheers,
Lavabe

According to their website, they haven't. They list IL and TN as the only states east of the Mississippi where you can get their beers.

[devildeac]

Happy, happy beer news: Fat Tire (and the entire New Belgium line) is now available in Tennessee. Fat Tire remains the beer I would choose if I could only drink one brew for the rest of my life.
I'm planning a road trip across the border on Dec. 16 (the day after the conclusion of my school-related activities for this semester) with my uncle and my brother to listen to absurd amounts of Christmas tunes and load up my bro's Tahoe with as much Fat Tire as they'll let us buy (and I suppose we'll sample some other New Belgium products as well). Anybody got any suggestions for a couple of their other beers we should get?

In this order:

Trippel
2 Below
Abbey
Fat Tire
Frambozen
any other seasonals/specialties

[rockymtn devil]

Happy, happy beer news: Fat Tire (and the entire New Belgium line) is now available in Tennessee. Fat Tire remains the beer I would choose if I could only drink one brew for the rest of my life.
I'm planning a road trip across the border on Dec. 16 (the day after the conclusion of my school-related activities for this semester) with my uncle and my brother to listen to absurd amounts of Christmas tunes and load up my bro's Tahoe with as much Fat Tire as they'll let us buy (and I suppose we'll sample some other New Belgium products as well). Anybody got any suggestions for a couple of their other beers we should get?

The Black Ale that Lavabe mentioned is called 1554.

In addition to what devildeac posted, I'll add Mothership Wit and/or Sunshine Wheat (minor differences between the two). I know it's winter, but those are still go-to beers for me (split a pitcher of Sunshine with friends last Thursday night). The Frambozen is only available through December, so definitely pick some of that up for the Holidays.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I've got at least one Igloo cooler on the way via eBay, maybe two. Anyways, once I get it (them) I'm going to convert them to mash/lauter tuns and do some all grain brewing. I've never done it before, but it seems as long as you have the right equipment it's pretty fun. It will certainly give me some more powers of experimentation as far as my own recipe design. Hopefully by next season I'll have gotten fairly experienced and will have some tasty totally from scratch brews to share.

[throatybeard]

I can't find the Schlafly and O'Fallon Pumpkin Ale here. Where in St. Louis can I find the OFallon Pumpkin brew?

Sorry, I just read this. The OTB has such bonecrushing volume that I tend to tune out.

It's often at the [paradoxically beer-bestotten] Wine & Cheese store at the Forsyth Metro in Clayton. Frustratingly, I haven't seen it in Saint Louis proper. OTOH, this store is a 6min ride on the Metro from my place.

Best way to get Schlafly is at the Tap Room in Downtown West. We've been there for 2nd year happy hour on TH a lot lately. The Dubbel is the bomb.

I get 1554 on draft at Blueberry Hill.

[Lavabe]

Emerging as 1& 2 seeds are the following:

Portland: #1
(Will defer to Mr. Portland expert, devildeac. Having said that, I expect a fine showing with the Bridgeport.)

Denver: New Belgium Trippel #1 or #2
(Breckenridge will have a little say in this... will defer to rockymtn devil on this one)

St. Louis: #1: Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
(clearly New Glarus, Schlafly, Bell's, Goose Island, Great Lakes, and O'Fallon will make this the toughest bracket)

Philadelphia: #1 Dogfishhead PSM
(Now that Louisville is in the Big East, I'm shipping Louisville's BBC to the East, to join the battle with Brooklyn, Sweetwater DP/HE, Victory, and a myriad of others)

[Lavabe]

Sorry, I just read this. The OTB has such bonecrushing volume that I tend to tune out.

It's often at the [paradoxically beer-bestotten] Wine & Cheese store at the Forsyth Metro in Clayton. Frustratingly, I haven't seen it in Saint Louis proper. OTOH, this store is a 6min ride on the Metro from my place.

Best way to get Schlafly is at the Tap Room in Downtown West. We've been there for 2nd year happy hour on TH a lot lately. The Dubbel is the bomb.

I get 1554 on draft at Blueberry Hill.

During my recent St.Louis visit, I visited the Schlafly folks and asked what happened. I posted about it earlier; they weren't prepared for the demand with the expanding market, the rave reviews from last year, and a victory in some Midwest brewery competition with the Pumpkin Ale. As a result, it was a short season for the Pumpkin Ale. Production will be boosted next year.

Happy Baracktoberfest!
Cheers,
Lavabe

[throatybeard]

As business requires that I visit Louisville, I'll be visiting the BBC folks next week. I already have the English Style Nut Brown Ale on chill. What growlers should I get? Any recommendations?

Cheers,
Lavabe

I was just there, in a pedestrian fashion, Downtown, for SAMLA.

There's a semi-decent British Islesy pub with two or three cask ales on the main block of 4th street.

(The city is destructively suburbanized, so 4th street has been re-branded as a tourist attraction like Beale St in Memphis for the very people killing the city to drive to for 90 minutes to visit once in a rare while. Convention traffic undoubtedly ameliorates this. It doesn't seem to be an integral street in a functioning mixed-use neighborhood. In the US, idiotically, we treat functioning pedestrian environments as a novelty tourist attraction, simultaneously, as we act as if they're unsuitable places to live).

That pub has a BBC beer or two but I forget which ones.

Downtown Louisville is a better place to get connoisseur bourbons than it is beer. There's a bar in the Galt House hotel with a crap ton of different bourbons.

There's also a sports bar on 3rd or so that has ESPN GP and NFL Sunday Ticket. The beers are mainstream, although they do have Boddington's and a couple non-AB type things.

There are two German restaurants with real beers. They're way the hell out on the perimeter highway or so. I can look up the names if you want.

PS-- New Glarus is the best micro across the board that I've had.

[throatybeard]

Samichlaus-2007-Last year's release bought a couple months ago and sampled now. This brew changes very little whether it is enjoyed about 10 months after its crafting or a year or two or three later. It is a rather unique double bock style with tons of malty sweetness and notes of toasty biscuits, caramel, butterscotch. Its high ABV (always 14%) makes it winey and sherry-like to the nose and taste and the sweetness lingers on the lips and tongue. Let it warm on the counter for 30 minutes prior to enjoying as an after dinner drink or dessert. Well worth the $4-4.50 /12 ounce bottle.

Word.

This is one of my 3 or 4 favorites. I drink it year round.

[DukePA]

Cider is fruity by definition . The raspberry calls for 2lbs of frozen rasberries to be added to the 5 gallons of apple cider.

OMG! This sounds like heaven. May I contribute the 2 lbs of frozen rasberries?

[rockymtn devil]

Emerging as 1& 2 seeds are the following:

Portland: #1
(Will defer to Mr. Portland expert, devildeac. Having said that, I expect a fine showing with the Bridgeport.)

Denver: New Belgium Trippel #1 or #2
(Breckenridge will have a little say in this... will defer to rockymtn devil on this one)

St. Louis: #1: Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
(clearly New Glarus, Schlafly, Bell's, Goose Island, Great Lakes, and O'Fallon will make this the toughest bracket)

Philadelphia: #1 Dogfishhead PSM
(Now that Louisville is in the Big East, I'm shipping Louisville's BBC to the East, to join the battle with Brooklyn, Sweetwater DP/HE, Victory, and a myriad of others)

St. Louis is a loaded bracket.

Not sure what the criteria is, but I'd say Denver would be:

1. Avery Maharaja IIPA
2. New Belgium Trippel
3. Great Divide Hades Golden Ale (or possibly the Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout)
4. Breckenridge Vanilla Porter (or possibly the 471 IIPA, but that means two of the same style)

I'd also posture that Dogfish Head PSM is the overall #1 seed