SOXTALK NOV/DEC '10 LIST

[kjshoe04]

I don't care what anyone else says, Summer Shandy is like f***ing candy to me.

One of my favorites in the summer.

[knightni]

I panicked for a second. I had to do the Two-Hearted Ale info from scratch. I wonder if I accidentally deleted it...

[The Gooch]

For as much of a disaster as this list appeared it was going to be, I am very impressed with some of the beers that made it. I think it may turn me into an alcoholic because I need to a lot of these. The Bell's Ale looks fantastic and I am still itching to pick up that Gumball Head. I do like that the Modelo made the list too. I always thought it was an underrated beer.

[hogan873]

The Two Hearted Ale surprised me. I didn't know what to expect, but I was quite impressed. Wonderful aroma of sweet grapefruit and pine...very representative of an IPA. The flavor is remarkable smooth for an IPA and one with a 7% ABV. A sugared grapefruit entry fades to a nice pine bite. If you're an IPA fan, this one should be high on your list. I'm not a big fan of IPAs, but this one is one of my favorite beers overall.

 

For the most part, all of Bell's beers are pretty good. When they started distributing Bells again to the Chicago area it was a big deal. I can see why. They make some good beers.

[NorthSideSox72]

The Two Hearted Ale surprised me. I didn't know what to expect, but I was quite impressed. Wonderful aroma of sweet grapefruit and pine...very representative of an IPA. The flavor is remarkable smooth for an IPA and one with a 7% ABV. A sugared grapefruit entry fades to a nice pine bite. If you're an IPA fan, this one should be high on your list. I'm not a big fan of IPAs, but this one is one of my favorite beers overall.

 

For the most part, all of Bell's beers are pretty good. When they started distributing Bells again to the Chicago area it was a big deal. I can see why. They make some good beers.

That's the only one in this next set that I haven't had, and I definitely want to try it.

 

[FlaSoxxJim]

Four solid entries in slots 11-15. I'm not at all above enjoying a shandy when mood and season call for it. A Bass shandy made with White's fizzy lemonade from England is a crisp and refreshing change-up now and then, and English ale and ginger beer is also nice. Bass sells a pre-mixed shandy in a can that my local UK import shop stocks and a can't leave that place without buying a couple of cans. We get the Linie Summmer Shandy here but I have avoided it thus far. I have been underwhelmed by a lot of Leinenkugel's more recent offerings, but I'll have to get past that and try the shandy. The dose of honey the product purports to contain has also kept me from trying it. Honey is a total enigma to me: I LOVE it in lots of mixed drinks, expecially rum drinks, but I have yet to really like any beers that use honey as an ingredient. The mouthfeel and flavor profile always come off as wax-like to me, even in a couple of well-regarded Belgian ales like Barbãr Belgian Honey Ale. I can't say anything about the Linie Shandy until I try it though, and I will make a point of it when it shows up this year.

 

As for the other four beers in this pull, there's not a bad one in teh bunch. Urquell, of course, is the archetype Czech Pils. As such, I think the RateBeer "to style" rating of 95/100 is still a little low. The lukewarm BeerAdvocate ranking of "B" (Good) is a travesty.

 

I won't even get into how much I disagree with the relatively low scores the ratings sites give Negra Modelo. A rich beer with a rich history, and a welcome site on a menu in places where good beer can be hard to come by.

 

Honker's Ale for me is the embodiment of coming back to Chicago for a visit and it's something i always look forward to. Another beer that I greatly prefer on tap versus bottled. I was totally bummed a couple of years ago when the Clybourne Goose Island location looked like it was going to close, but they are up and running there again, right??

 

Bell's Two-Hearted has been down here for a couple of years and it is great to have it and Oberon on tap in several good beer places. It's actually been a few months since I have had a Two-Hearted just because there are so many good American ale choices these days. I think I'll have to stop after work for one to get reacquainted. I think pittshoganerkoff's description of this one is on target, and this beer always drinks lighter and is more refreshing than the 7% abv suggests it should be.

 

11am and I'm already thirsty.

Edited December 30, 2010 by FlaSoxxJim

[3E8]

I won't even get into how much I disagree with the relatively low scores the ratings sites give Negra Modelo. A rich beer with a rich history, and a welcome site on a menu in places where good beer can be hard to come by.

Plus, the bottle is shaped like a mallet!

[BigSqwert]

That's the only one in this next set that I haven't had, and I definitely want to try it.

I just had it a couple weeks back for the first time and was quite impressed.

[hogan873]

I like to frequent bottle shops in order to try new beers. Nearby I have a Cardinal Liquors that is okay and two Binny's, both of which have more singles than I can comprehend. Most of the beers I rate on Rate Beer I pick up singles of, but on occasion I can find a mix pack that has a few beers I haven't tried. The Two Hearted Ale was one that I found at Cardinal, and now it's a staple in my house. I've been disappointed quite a few times, as well. Most recently I picked up a Milk Stout made by a Chinese brewer. The Rate Beer average was decent, but I found it to be a drain pour. Sour and almost a spoiled taste. Maybe it was a bad bottle, but I'm not inclined to try again.

 

All this talk of beer is making me thirsty. I wish I had tomorrow off so I could go pick up 6 or 8 new beers and sample them tonight. Instead I may have to settle for sampling only 3 or 4 tonight. I like reading other comments by posters here and seeing what everyone has to say about beer.

 

As far as the Leinie's Summer Shandy, I'm not embarrassed to say that I enjoy it. To me, it's a perfect beer for a hot day after cutting the grass or playing ball with the kids. Unlike some of the other Leinie's offerings, I don't find it too sweet despite the fact that it's made with lemonade.

[FlaSoxxJim]

Plus, the bottle is shaped like a mallet!

 

Bonus points for the bottle, definitely!

[The Gooch]

Summer Shandy has been the exception of fruity beers. I am not a fan of any beer with cherry and rasberry. Even though the lime beers sound appealing, no on has gotten it right. I expected Summer Shandy to be too sweet when I first tried it and I was pleasantly surprised. It is very refreshing and has a good balance to it.

[knightni]

I'm gonna try and knock out the last 5 before work this afternoon.

[SoxFan1]

SoxTalk must really love Sam Adams. I'm a big Octoberfest fan, and I love the Boston Lager. Haven't tried the Winter Lager though. Hoegaarden is one I've wanted to try but I can't find it many places.

 

And Blue Moon is amazing. I can drink that beer at any time of day, with any meal, in any season. I just love it. I almost always have a 6 pack or more of it in mmy fridge.

[hogan873]

I'm happy to see numbers 10 through 6. I've had them all, and in copious amounts. I'm a fan of most Sam Adams beers, and the Octoberfest and Winter Lager are two of my favorites of theirs. I've always thought that fall and winter are the best seasons for beer because you get the Octoberfests, Dunkels, Schwarzbiers, and darker beers with spices. Sam Adams' winter mix pack has a nice selection, including the Winter Lager, Old Fezziwig, and Holiday Porter. The addition of the White Ale this year confused me, since it used to be a spring beer. It may have confused me, but that didn't keep me from drinking them.

 

To anyone out there who has never had Hoegaarden, find it and try it. If you like wheat beers or white ales, this is one of the better ones. I'm a big Blue Moon fan (more on that later), but I think Hoegaarden is a better beer. If you can find it on draft, it's devastatingly good. It's often served in the glass shown in the picture Jeremy uploaded. That glass is like a small trash can...lots of beer.

 

Now let's talk about Blue Moon. I've been a fan for many years. I can remember taking it to a party nearly 15 years ago, and most people there had never heard of it. I think I turned some folks into Blue Moon fans that night. Looking at the Rate Beer and Beer Advocate ratings you wouldn't think it's a great beer. And maybe it's not as good as I think (or many others think for that matter), but I think it's that odd very well known and easily accessible beers that has a cult following. There aren't many bars or restaurants that don't have it on draft, and you can find it in any grocery store or mini mart. Coors Molson actually brews this beer, but they don't put that on the bottle. And that's done on purpose. There might be quite a few people who would be less inclined to purchase a beer called Coors Belgian White. About two years ago I was at a Buffalo Wild Wings, and they were advertising a Black and Blue (Guinness and Blue Moon). I shrugged my shoulders and said why not. Now that's pretty much the only beer I order there. Give it a try if you haven't yet. You might be surprised.

Edited December 31, 2010 by pittshoganerkoff

[NorthSideSox72]

I've never been able to get into Blue Moon. Tastes like beer with a bunch of melted butter.

 

[G&T]

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.

Edited December 31, 2010 by G&T

[G&T]

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.

[hogan873]

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.

I've found while reviewing beers at Rate Beer that my rating usually comes pretty close to the average score. I say usually because I tend to rate most beers a little higher than the average, but I sometimes run into a beer that I totally disagree with the average. I would say that the overall score ends up being fairly accurate provided there are a lot of reviews. Rate Beer for sure disregards reviews by reviewers with less than 10 reviews and any reviews that are seemingly not helpful (for example a review that is 5/5 and the comments say that anyone who doesn't like the beer is an idiot).

 

What I like about Rate Beer is that the reviews are from other beer drinkers, not some guy in a lab sniffing the beer and taking a sip and swirling it around. I haven't poked around on Beer Advocate much, but it seems to be about the same.

 

You're right about ABV and hops/bitterness (IBUs) turning away many normal beer drinkers. I'll admit that for a long time I couldn't get into the stronger beers and the brews with a high hop content. But, I have come to appreciate those beers more. I still don't consider myself a huge IPA fan, but I've had some that are fantastic. But if you don't like that grapefruit and pine bite, you're not going to like a good IPA. A good example of a very good IPA is the one brewed by Stone. It has a fairly high ABV of 6.9% and very high IBUs (70+). This is poured into a glass and you can immediately smell the grapefruit and pine. It's remarkably smooth and has a nice bitter bite at the end. If you're used to drinking Miller Lite or even Heineken, this beer would probably offend you.

[3E8]

SoxTalk must really love Sam Adams. I'm a big Octoberfest fan, and I love the Boston Lager. Haven't tried the Winter Lager though. Hoegaarden is one I've wanted to try but I can't find it many places.

 

And Blue Moon is amazing. I can drink that beer at any time of day, with any meal, in any season. I just love it. I almost always have a 6 pack or more of it in mmy fridge.

If you love Blue Moon, and are still waiting to try Hoegaarden, prepare yourself for a revelation. You should not have too much trouble finding it.

[3E8]

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.

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.

[G&T]

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.

[hogan873]

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.

That is one of the better hefeweizens I've had. A couple others I found to be quite good: Sierra Nevada Kellerweis, Capital Kloster Weizen, and Prinzregent Luitpold Weissbier Hell.

[IlliniKrush]

If you love Blue Moon, and are still waiting to try Hoegaarden, prepare yourself for a revelation. You should not have too much trouble finding it.

I had Hoegaarden for the first time a few weeks ago, and I think it's now my favorite beer. It's awesome. Didn't realize it was actually somewhat popular.

[knightni]

There's the list.

 

I'll start the honorable mentions later this evening.

[iamshack]

I'm happy to see numbers 10 through 6. I've had them all, and in copious amounts. I'm a fan of most Sam Adams beers, and the Octoberfest and Winter Lager are two of my favorites of theirs. I've always thought that fall and winter are the best seasons for beer because you get the Octoberfests, Dunkels, Schwarzbiers, and darker beers with spices. Sam Adams' winter mix pack has a nice selection, including the Winter Lager, Old Fezziwig, and Holiday Porter. The addition of the White Ale this year confused me, since it used to be a spring beer. It may have confused me, but that didn't keep me from drinking them.

 

To anyone out there who has never had Hoegaarden, find it and try it. If you like wheat beers or white ales, this is one of the better ones. I'm a big Blue Moon fan (more on that later), but I think Hoegaarden is a better beer. If you can find it on draft, it's devastatingly good. It's often served in the glass shown in the picture Jeremy uploaded. That glass is like a small trash can...lots of beer.

 

Now let's talk about Blue Moon. I've been a fan for many years. I can remember taking it to a party nearly 15 years ago, and most people there had never heard of it. I think I turned some folks into Blue Moon fans that night. Looking at the Rate Beer and Beer Advocate ratings you wouldn't think it's a great beer. And maybe it's not as good as I think (or many others think for that matter), but I think it's that odd very well known and easily accessible beers that has a cult following. There aren't many bars or restaurants that don't have it on draft, and you can find it in any grocery store or mini mart. Coors Molson actually brews this beer, but they don't put that on the bottle. And that's done on purpose. There might be quite a few people who would be less inclined to purchase a beer called Coors Belgian White. About two years ago I was at a Buffalo Wild Wings, and they were advertising a Black and Blue (Guinness and Blue Moon). I shrugged my shoulders and said why not. Now that's pretty much the only beer I order there. Give it a try if you haven't yet. You might be surprised.

This is what I order almost exclusively myself. I used to be a half and half guy, but have been a black and blue guy for the past few years.