G&T

Had our first bottled of Dom last night (gift from my wife's work for our wedding). Also had my first caipirinha (superb!) and pisco sour at dinner. And my first hangover off 2011.

QUOTE (The Gooch @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 11:05 PM) Yeah they carried other Three Floyd's beers, but the Gumballhead was not there. They carried a bunch of the other Bell's beers as well, but were out of the two hearted ale. Bad luck I guess. I think I relayed this story in the Finer Things thread, but we drove home for Christmas and I promised a friend that I'd grabbed some beers from Chicago. I planned to load up on 3F and Founders. Got to Binnys and all were sold out along with everything from Dogfishhead. I asked the clerked and he said they got one shipment a week and it sells out in an hour. Sure enough, as I wandered the aisles, 4 people asked about 3F beers. I had no clue this stuff was so popular. My father in law tracked a bunch down around Gurnee. I was really pissed about the Founders. I absolutely love Founders.

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 07:20 PM) I see a lot of my list on the honorable mention list, including some of my top choices. Founders Breakfast Stout is a beer that blew me away. The 8.3% ABV made me a bit nervous, as sometimes the alcohol overpowers the taste of the beer. But this beer is so smooth and easy to drink that it could quickly become dangerous. Imagine walking into an upscale coffee shop and the barista is grinding coffee beans and whipping up a mocha. That's what this beer smells like. And the taste is top notch. Smooth as a glass of milk, and starts sweet like an iced mocha. Finishes appropriately bitter like a shot of espresso. There's just a slight alcohol warming, too. The weighted average on Rate Beer is 4.15/5 based on over 1500 reviews, which is about as high as you'll see. If you like stouts or even dark beers for that matter, find this beer and drink it. I think Peche Mortel from Dieu du Ciel is as good and easier to find. Tons of coffee and rounded with chocolate. Yum. Of course it isn't as smooth, but a bit more coffee which I love. Both are great.

QUOTE (The Gooch @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 01:45 PM) Spaten does make a great Oktoberfest. That is one I have been drinking since college. Have you tried Spaten Optimator? Definitely another favorite of mine, and I am sad it did not make this list. Oh yes, and it is awesome. I could go for a glass right now! I think it was on my list...

The only beers on my list were Allagash White and Hoegaarden. Nothing else made it, I think. I assume it will get more play in the honorable mentions list. I've had Fat Tire and found it repulsive so I assume I got a bad batch. 312 is decent. My feelings on Guiness are documented. What I can say about the list is that it is a solid list for any beginning beer drinker. Plus, we avoided Miller and Bud. So I can't complain too much.

QUOTE (3E8 @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 10:57 AM) I will always suggest the Franziskaner Hefeweizen. I believe it was my #1 ranking for this list. There has never been another to taste even somewhat close to it for me. Ah yes! Awesome example.

I have seen a couple of references to Ratebeer and BeerAdvocate ratings. Those ratings are driven by 2 things: alcohol content and hops. The two things normal drinkers find distasteful. It is a relic of the "extreme beer" movement that, I believe, is starting to die out. A wheat beer that gets a B rating is probably exceptional.

Color me unimpressed but unsurprised by this grouping. Most people's access to different beer will be in a Sam Adams variety pack, and Blue Moon is what it is. So to offer a bit of variety myself, here are some that I recommend as alternates to the beers from the last 5 that should be easy to come by. Some may appear in the top 5, but I doubt it. Sam Adams Octoberfest - Probably the best to style Sam Adams and may well deserve its place here. For an alternate, try a Spaten instead - a traditional marzen and one of the few permitted to be sold during Octoberfest. Most will find that the Sam Adams version is better (and I might not be able to disagree), but I think the Spaten is the richer brew. Hoegaarden - no alternates. Ok that's not really true, there are tons of alternates, like Ommegang Witte, but Hoegaarden is the best witbier in the world and it is available everywhere. Every Jewel has it I think. This could have been #1 overall with no complaint from me. This is a beer that impresses me more every time I drink it. If you drink a lot of wheats like I do, you can't help but be amazed at the complexity. Oh, and it's the beer that taught me to swirl out the sweet Belgian yeast! For that, it will always be a favorite. Sam Adams Winter Lager - Ah, the weizenbock style is one of my favorites. If you like this then you have to try Schneider Aventinus which is readily available at Binnys (and better be in the top 5!), and Victory Moonglow (a bit tougher to find but should be in Chicago). Both are malty and yeasty with far more fruit notes than the Sam Adams. Boston Lager - The flagship Sam Adams is a gateway beer, and I respect that, but there is better beer out there. Try a Fullers ESB, an exquisite English Ale with a perfect balance of hops and malts. A great beer with a burger or steak. I recommend it to any Sam Adams drinker and it never fails. Blue Moon - Ugh. I like Blue Moon and it played a role in resurrecting wheats in the US, but hefe's deserve better. Go get a Paulaner Hefeweizen and soak in that fruity complexity of bananas, apples and pears. There are probably better examples, but Paulaner is readily available and absolutely delicious. It was also the beer that taught me that beer can be really good. EDIT: Whoops! Blue Moon is a witbier, not a hefe. Whatever, you will like the Paulaner anyway. Sorry, I know this post comes off as snobby, but people wanted new beers to try, so, hopefully, this will provide a few different ideas.

The Cuvee Noir is on tap for growler fills at my moderately local bottle shop for $12. I'm wondering if I should take advantage, but I have about 60 beers in my house right now that I brought back from Chicago...and I can't justify more money spent on beer right now. Damn.

QUOTE (The Gooch @ Dec 30, 2010 -> 01:23 PM) No, Pawn Stars is awesome. Totally awesome.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Dec 30, 2010 -> 11:05 AM) Blueberries and Brett! That does sound nice! The Cigar City Sea Bass was very good, but my wife was in a mood for something lighter last night and I actually had a bit of a time polishing off the whole champagne bottle on my own after the wonderful beef stroghanoff dinner my wife served up last night. Great nose, dense head, rich flavors and a very well-balanced tartness, this is another great Cigar City product. Their Jai Lai IPA has become a favorite, and the Humidor Series version aged on cedar is something special. G+T, is that one you got to try when you were in Florida? Yeah that's it. I very much enjoyed it for its complexity and smoothness. I have come to marvel at properly balanced IPAs. Maybe I have turned a new leaf in my beer drinking...

That beer sounds good. Speaking of sours, here's one I didn't know existed until tonight and desperately want. The brewery is like 4 hours away but I don't have time to go out there. As for the syrups, my first impression is that the dark syrup would be a good way to fill out a lighter Jamaican rum, like VX. I used it with Appleton 12 and felt the fruity notes were hidden in the mai tai.

I decided to mix up a 2:1 syrup with sugar in the raw. It's probably not demerera but I read in Imbibe that it is a decent substitute. On its own, it is really good. I put it in a mai tai and daiquiri and I felt that something wasn't entirely right. Not bad, just different. I might have to mess with the proportions a bit.

I also want to add my concern over Belgian ales, which I didn't know I had to be concerned about until Jim's post (thanks). But if they are going away, it will be a long time from now. They are extremely popular (at least in a dumbed down version) and they are sought after by enthusiasts in their best form. Economics is, most certainly, the enemy. Even today, a Cantillon is a special occasion beer at its price point. The good stuff is very expensive and isn't an everyday beer. However, American brewers have a great job replicating the styles, especially Jolly Pumpkin (Bam Biere is as close as you can get to the true farmhouse style in the US). Even the Sam Adams Barrelroom Stony Brook Red is a perfectly passable flemish red (along with Ommegang's Zuur). Still they are pricier than normal and most people won't pay it for a beer that is an acquired taste. Having said that, it is really the price of hops that has increased in the last few years, and belgians have maintained a steady price point based on their low hop levels. True, it is time and labor intensive to make these beers, but the actual ingredient costs is not rising. So for now, I think the good stuff will still live on.

Everything I have read about CAMRA leads me to believe that they don't know who their friends are. The movement seems to be anti "craft" beer (read American small brewery movement) though the CAMRA movement would be better suited to have such people on their side. IMO, it is American innovation that is truly reinvigorating the artisinal beer styles. American has become a beer destination for it's quality and variety. Real ale is as likely to catch on the States as it is to be reinvigorated in the UK. If American craft brew fans sought out real ale, a style I love, it would help their cause more than CAMRA wants to admit. But maybe I'm wrong.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Dec 28, 2010 -> 11:47 PM) Regarding the aging of standard gravity IPAs, I wouldn't expect the sort of magical transformation you get from strong ales, old ales and barley wines, and honestly they don't have the alcohol and many don't have the hopping rates to lend themselves to years-long cellaring. George Hodgson's October beer notwithstanding (the pre-Burton precursor to 19th century British IPAs),these were beers meant to be drunk within months of production and not years. Yeah that's what I read. But there is good news for me. I have tried the Centennial and the Pride and Joy and these beers are making me crave hops. We will see if my stomach can handle it. As for good, cheaper beer, I recommend Oskar Blues. Founders isn't that expensive if you stick to the six packs (about $10). Some of their stuff is more expensive. The real key is avoiding bombers and 750ml bottles if you can avoid it. They are purposely overpriced by breweries. Ommegang and Unibroue are two breweries that make great, reasonably priced beers, but always take the 4 pack if available. Do the math on it, it's like getting a free beer. Allagash, the same. Sierra Nevada is easy to come by and is reasonably priced as well. Also, try to find local breweries or brewpubs. In upstate NY we have a few smaller breweries, like Browns, that are cheaper because they have limited distribution, but the beer is very good. Browns makes the best American rauchbier I have found, and the best oatmeal stout I've ever tried. But they aren't entirely consistent batch to batch. Nevertheless, I have a growler and can fill it for $9 with damn good beer.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Dec 28, 2010 -> 11:21 PM) Oktoberfest and Winter Lager are the two Sam Adams seasonals that are consistently very good and the ones I make sure to try every year when they show up. If they didn't make it so hard to find Old Fezziwig outside of the stupid holiday 12-packs I would probably have that on the favorite seasonal list as well. i was lucky enough to score a bottle of Sam Adams Infinium this year and I am looking forward to sharing that with the wife on New Years Eve. I had the Infinium a couple nights ago. I look forward to comparing notes with you.

Stella and Corona, huh? Was my family voting on this? But for every questionable beer there is a very worthy beer. I have a pile of Alpha King here right now. It's a bit hoppy for me but I will be giving it another shot. Oberon is good, doesn't make my list but definitely worthy. Sierra Nevada is nice with a burger. Looking at all of these pale ales I wish I had tried the Founders Centennial IPA before this week. That is a superb beer.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Dec 28, 2010 -> 08:21 PM) I'll throw this in too: does anyone know where the hell I can get some Goose Island Bourbon Country Stout? I want to get some for my roommate's birthday but I can't find it anywhere. That's stuff used to be everywhere in Chicago until this year.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Dec 28, 2010 -> 07:22 PM) Just went and bought a 6er of Gumballhead. Can't wait to crack one open tonight. Hate you.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Dec 28, 2010 -> 04:00 PM) Good luck with that Ms. Sterger. Had you been serious about this whole charade, you would have reported it to your employer when it happened. Most places dont take 2 year old complaints very seriously, especially when you are complaining about some one who did something under a different employer (Jets and Vikings are not the same ownership group.) She didn't complain. It all got leaked by a friend she told and showed the pics to.

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Dec 28, 2010 -> 03:23 PM) I've enjoyed Sam Adams Cherry Wheat in the past, but I haven't had it in a few years. Unlike some other fruit beers, the cherry didn't dominate. Leinenkugel's Berry Weiss is a good example of fruit overpowering a beer. Way too sweet. The Cranberry Lambic, however, is damn near a drain pour for me. Last time I tried it I tasted almost a spoiled flavor. I haven't had it since. I've tried one Lindemans Kriek cherry lambic, and I thought it was quite good. Sweet, but not overpowering. Still not a beer I could drink a lot of. I mentioned this months ago but I think the cranberry lambic has been redone. It used to be a total mess but is now a decent mass produced lambic. I find the cherry wheat to be a drain pour, however.

That's a solid five. I had Allagash White at my wedding.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 28, 2010 -> 09:37 AM) Smithwicks and Gumball Head are definitely worth it. I haven't had the Goose Island example from the list, its seasonal and I've just never tried it. And Red Stripe is something I'd avoid. Shiner Bock is decent. I'm hoping for some more obscure stuff on the list though, that I haven't tried. Just had a Rogue Dead Guy Maibock last night, hadn't had that one before - I liked it. I think honorable mentions will be the more obscure beers. I had the Swithwicks in college but I wasn't a discerning beer drinker at that time.

It worries me that as the rankings get higher, the BA ratings get lower. Gumballhead is a beer that I have wanted for years now, and it's never around when I'm in Chicago. And I feel the sudden need to give Smithwicks another shot. That history lesson intrigues me.