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My can says 13394. So that would mean it was bottled in the future??
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Tonight
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Last installment of our winter beer sampling
Breakdown in spoiler
APH, as far as best by dates, most of the time, you can go back anywhere from 3 to 5 months from that date to when it was actually brewed... With that said, I would not want a IPA that was a month away from its best by date, knowing full well that it was brewed anywhere from 2 to 3 months prior.. Freshness is key.
Breakdown in spoiler
We sampled in the following order:
Sam Adams Winter Lager
Alaskan Winter Ale
Widmer Brrr
Odell Isolation
Deschutes Jubelale
Goudin Carolus Noel
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
After having a couple Lagunitas Sucks over the weekend, as well as a head to head with some local IPA (elevated ipa vs. project dank), my taste buds needed a bit of a break.. In the end, I just wasn't too impressed as a whole. I rated non above a 90, and had one at 77/100..
Quick notes from the tasting:
-Sam Adams. Crisp mouthfeel. Winter spices all around. Warm feeling when drinking.. Solid but not specacular.. 82/100
-Alaskan... Apple cider like taste in the mouthfeel. Not very well crafted or crisp. Sweet, kind of yeasty tasting. 78/100
Widmer. Hoppier than the others as this is a Red Ale. Smelled solid, not a WOW factor like some well crafted hoppy beers can do. I felt this one was rather sloppy. Very malty and chewy in the mouthfeel. 77/100
Isolation.. Less hoppy than the Widmer. This was another red ale. Stand out crispness. Very well crafted 87/100
Jubelale. Winter spice initially. Crisp. Chocolate and or coffee notes in the aftertaste.. Very unique. 85/100.
Goudin Noel.... Licorice BOMB. Sweetness everywhere. Definitely a sipper. The alcohol was hidden a touch but still very very boozy. It turned away 95% of the people who tried it. 83/100
Celebration Ale. I had not tried any of the others before. I have had some Celebration before, so knew what to expect. Very crisp clean mouthfeel. Lip puckering hop flavor.. Above and beyond every one of the other beers I had. 93/100
I knew coming in the ratings of Sierra Nevada and Goudin, but nothing else. So this was another review blind tasting that was a success.. I found just one that I would buy again. But none that truly sucked. I feel like I puddled around in mediocrity today. A;though when I cross referenced online review scores vs. my own, I got just one on the money, and the rest I undervalued each beer I had today.. I guess it was just one of those days
Sam adams winter: me 82, BA 82
Alaskan winter: me 78, BA 83
Widmer brrr: me 77, BA 86
Isolation: me 87 , BA 88
Jubelale: me 85, BA 89
Gouden Carolus Noël: me 83, BA 89
Sam Adams Winter Lager
Alaskan Winter Ale
Widmer Brrr
Odell Isolation
Deschutes Jubelale
Goudin Carolus Noel
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
After having a couple Lagunitas Sucks over the weekend, as well as a head to head with some local IPA (elevated ipa vs. project dank), my taste buds needed a bit of a break.. In the end, I just wasn't too impressed as a whole. I rated non above a 90, and had one at 77/100..
Quick notes from the tasting:
-Sam Adams. Crisp mouthfeel. Winter spices all around. Warm feeling when drinking.. Solid but not specacular.. 82/100
-Alaskan... Apple cider like taste in the mouthfeel. Not very well crafted or crisp. Sweet, kind of yeasty tasting. 78/100
Widmer. Hoppier than the others as this is a Red Ale. Smelled solid, not a WOW factor like some well crafted hoppy beers can do. I felt this one was rather sloppy. Very malty and chewy in the mouthfeel. 77/100
Isolation.. Less hoppy than the Widmer. This was another red ale. Stand out crispness. Very well crafted 87/100
Jubelale. Winter spice initially. Crisp. Chocolate and or coffee notes in the aftertaste.. Very unique. 85/100.
Goudin Noel.... Licorice BOMB. Sweetness everywhere. Definitely a sipper. The alcohol was hidden a touch but still very very boozy. It turned away 95% of the people who tried it. 83/100
Celebration Ale. I had not tried any of the others before. I have had some Celebration before, so knew what to expect. Very crisp clean mouthfeel. Lip puckering hop flavor.. Above and beyond every one of the other beers I had. 93/100
I knew coming in the ratings of Sierra Nevada and Goudin, but nothing else. So this was another review blind tasting that was a success.. I found just one that I would buy again. But none that truly sucked. I feel like I puddled around in mediocrity today. A;though when I cross referenced online review scores vs. my own, I got just one on the money, and the rest I undervalued each beer I had today.. I guess it was just one of those days
Sam adams winter: me 82, BA 82
Alaskan winter: me 78, BA 83
Widmer brrr: me 77, BA 86
Isolation: me 87 , BA 88
Jubelale: me 85, BA 89
Gouden Carolus Noël: me 83, BA 89
APH, as far as best by dates, most of the time, you can go back anywhere from 3 to 5 months from that date to when it was actually brewed... With that said, I would not want a IPA that was a month away from its best by date, knowing full well that it was brewed anywhere from 2 to 3 months prior.. Freshness is key.
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nicofinessin
Banned
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Blue Moon and PBR the usual ya feel me
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Bell's Christmas Ale and Dogfish Head 61.
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Anyone have a Randall Jr? Any thoughts?
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I've yet to see the cans around my way, so I don't know what's the deal with those, but maybe the dating format for those are different? Like I said, Ballast Point uses a "best by" format for certain beers (i.e. Victory at Sea) so I wouldn't be surprised if they have a completely different method with the cans, or maybe it's just an error on their part. They're so inconsistent, it's not even funny. It's been confirmed they use Julian dating for Sculpin bottles, however.
Anyways, I was at my local beer spot over the weekend and seen that their Sculpin was dated "13310," so it's a little over a month old here.
Not my picture, but this is where the 5-digit code (on the bottles, at least) is that I was referring to:
The "SC" is for 'Sculpin' and the number to its right is the batch #. The 5-digit code below is suppose to be the bottling date.
Oh, trust me, I've gotten hip to all the best by/bottling date/freshness factors of all the beers I drink. I had to learn the hard way, because I've been burnt too many times in my earlier days.
I won't buy an IPA or any hop-oriented beer that's past 2 months from the bottling date or within about 60 days of its best by date. Hell, I'd probably even give Sculpin a smaller window than that. It loses its freshness faster than most beers/IPAs. :/ Most breweries claim their IPAs have a 90-120 day lifespan, but I'd say it's closer to half of that.But yeah, that's the problem with BP. They're infamously known for their cryptic and/or very inconsistent dating formats, so it gets a little confusing trying to determining the freshness of some of their products. The fact that salazaro's can says "13394" is a testament to that. I haven't seen the cans in person yet, but I have no reason to think salazaro is misreading the can or anything like that. I'm more inclined to believe it's some error by BP. I was reading around Beer Advocate regarding this issue and someone else mentioned getting a similar date on their cans. The person alluded to BP accidentally printing a 3 in the 2's place. Maybe salazaro's can is really suppose to read '13294,' which would make more sense and would mean his can was canned on Oct. 21st, as opposed to a day that doesn't even exist. Whatever, I've rambled on enough. Who knows.
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APH, maybe that 13394 date is in the future because its a best by date.. 394-365= 29 days into the next year.. They just got lazy lol. The confusing part for me now is that many breweries have two sets of dates. Some will have a brew date in one format, and a best by date in another. Some from Europe have the D/M/Y standard set in stone, so a 1/2/14 best by date actually refers to February.
Beer stores are getting sly too. Often times they put all of their new stock on the bottom of the pile, leaving me to lift 4 cases up to get something a little fresher... Yes its worth it. I have even seen a few places take off the bottled on date sticker (it's on the top of the 6 pack holder (plastic). Maybe it's competitors.
btw, got my dad this set for christmas
http://www.totalwine.com/eng/product/weihenstephaner-gift-pack/103936920
You're basically paying $1.05 for the glass.
For the other gift sets, I have noticed you are spending anywhere from $5 to $10 for the nicer goblet looking glasses (gulden, duvel, st martins, samuel smith).. Now those are some gift sets I'd be proud to have... I was at Cost Plus World Market the other day and they have some mixed 12 packs sitting on the floor for quite the markup. no thanks
Beer stores are getting sly too. Often times they put all of their new stock on the bottom of the pile, leaving me to lift 4 cases up to get something a little fresher... Yes its worth it. I have even seen a few places take off the bottled on date sticker (it's on the top of the 6 pack holder (plastic). Maybe it's competitors.
btw, got my dad this set for christmas
http://www.totalwine.com/eng/product/weihenstephaner-gift-pack/103936920
You're basically paying $1.05 for the glass.
For the other gift sets, I have noticed you are spending anywhere from $5 to $10 for the nicer goblet looking glasses (gulden, duvel, st martins, samuel smith).. Now those are some gift sets I'd be proud to have... I was at Cost Plus World Market the other day and they have some mixed 12 packs sitting on the floor for quite the markup. no thanks
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Copped two more bottles of Sweet Repute and stumbled upon an unexpected surprise today:
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Guize? Need info for xmas present and time is becoming a factor.
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^ Are you talking about that infuser looking thing by DFH? I had to look it up.. Doesn't seem like a terrible gift idea.. It's basically a tea infuser made simplier for a beer person.. If they are into experimentation or like a wide array of beers, that seems like a great idea.. I didnt know about it until you asked... hmmm I may want one lol
Then again, a travel mug with tea infuser, a strainer, some tea balls, or a french press does accomplish the same thing. So it's just a matter of money spent vs. their potential enjoyment. Do they home brew or anything? If they had hops lying around, it would be cool to see how some BAD beers can become better. Or if they like coffee bears, add some of your own coffee grounds. They'd have to be down for experimentation to get full joy out of it.
Edit:
night cap
2012 Marble BBA Imperial Stout
ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh woow.. A year does wonders for this beer. I may need to scavanage around town for more. No one wants them for their price ($14) and I don't blame them. But if people could buy the 2012, it's worth every penny. Everything about this compared to the 2013 which I just had is a touch more subtle. The crispness of the hop bit isn't quite there. The bitter chocolate is subdued. The bourbon has come out more to create a much more equal balance (50-50 of dark chocolate coffee notes and bourbon). It's actually more to my liking than a fresh BCBS. It's velvety smooth (not quite at a syrupy level of some IS) but tends to have some great gentle character. If that makes any sense.... Advice, buy a 2013 and age it a year, or find some 2012 or before and marvel at what it has become.. 96/100
I'm generally not a stickler about brands or alliegance, so this is right on that top level with ten fidy, stone RIS , Stone Espresso RIS, FBS, and BC. For the price however, there are some beers that come very very close, so I may even be deterred from it, and may choose just their basic beers.
Then again, a travel mug with tea infuser, a strainer, some tea balls, or a french press does accomplish the same thing. So it's just a matter of money spent vs. their potential enjoyment. Do they home brew or anything? If they had hops lying around, it would be cool to see how some BAD beers can become better. Or if they like coffee bears, add some of your own coffee grounds. They'd have to be down for experimentation to get full joy out of it.
Edit:
night cap
2012 Marble BBA Imperial Stout
ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh woow.. A year does wonders for this beer. I may need to scavanage around town for more. No one wants them for their price ($14) and I don't blame them. But if people could buy the 2012, it's worth every penny. Everything about this compared to the 2013 which I just had is a touch more subtle. The crispness of the hop bit isn't quite there. The bitter chocolate is subdued. The bourbon has come out more to create a much more equal balance (50-50 of dark chocolate coffee notes and bourbon). It's actually more to my liking than a fresh BCBS. It's velvety smooth (not quite at a syrupy level of some IS) but tends to have some great gentle character. If that makes any sense.... Advice, buy a 2013 and age it a year, or find some 2012 or before and marvel at what it has become.. 96/100
I'm generally not a stickler about brands or alliegance, so this is right on that top level with ten fidy, stone RIS , Stone Espresso RIS, FBS, and BC. For the price however, there are some beers that come very very close, so I may even be deterred from it, and may choose just their basic beers.
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Yea one of my buddies uses it mostly for like fruits and such. I.e. Cherries in his stouts, mango for his IPA, etc. which is cool, I was just wondering if anyone happened to have one.
After some research, I think I might get one for myself as well. I understand the same effect can be achieved with the aforementioned items. However, I don't have those either so I'd be close to $20 anyways. Plus this has the airtight seal to prevent carbonation loss supposedly.
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Copped two more bottles of Sweet Repute and stumbled upon an unexpected surprise today:
What is Sweet Repute running for around your way CF? I copped one bottle but didn't jump on more because of the 21.99 price tag. And Bolt Cutter?! Mannnnnnn!!!
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Looks like a local shop will finally have some 2013 abyss. Unless everyone saw the email and it sold out by noon, I should be okay... Price point may be a deterrent if it's above the $15 threshold.... They also appear to be selling some 2011 and 2012 Abyss. Should I go with the oldest one if the price isn't too out of hand?
Every time I spend $15 on a stupid bomber, i realize I could be buying two bombers of Stone RIS, or a 8 pack of quality IPA, or a 18 pack of bud light
Every time I spend $15 on a stupid bomber, i realize I could be buying two bombers of Stone RIS, or a 8 pack of quality IPA, or a 18 pack of bud light
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Scooped Brooklyn Winter for Memphis/Florida tonight.
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I've been getting the Sweet Repute from $15.99-$17.99 depending on where I go. Spent $19.99 on the Bolt Cutter.What is Sweet Repute running for around your way CF? I copped one bottle but didn't jump on more because of the 21.99 price tag. And Bolt Cutter?! Mannnnnnn!!!
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I'm a Yuengling fan, lately been sipping the Miller High Life.. $4.99 six pack 
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:x I hate the price hike in Founders stuff here in SC. Its horrible. Even at my local spot 15 mins from my hometown has it for 14.99 but they said their two cases are down to 6 bottles and I won't be back home for 8 days. SMH.
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Anybody wanna hook a brotha up with some Bourbon County stuff? Cant find it for the life of me around my way.
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It's gonna be one of those types of christmas seasons
Christmas party haul for the weekend(s) ahead
Some fresh Marble Double IPA
Some fresh Marble Imperial Red
Fresh La Cumbre Elevated IPA
2012 Abyss
2012 Abyss
2013 Abyss
I saw quite the stash of 2013 abyss at a local grocery store
. I want to try one very soon before I go back to that store for more.. All it takes is one guy like me to spread the word to the wrong people.. That was yesterday. I don't plan to try any until the weekend. So I'm pushing the envelope here
Christmas party haul for the weekend(s) ahead
Some fresh Marble Double IPA
Some fresh Marble Imperial Red
Fresh La Cumbre Elevated IPA
2012 Abyss
2012 Abyss
2013 Abyss
I saw quite the stash of 2013 abyss at a local grocery store
. I want to try one very soon before I go back to that store for more.. All it takes is one guy like me to spread the word to the wrong people.. That was yesterday. I don't plan to try any until the weekend. So I'm pushing the envelope here
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Had a few Redhook Audibles so far at the heat game. Pleasantly surprised.
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People still looking for BCBS?
There was a display of about 20 at my local Total Wine. I thought this was long gone around these parts. $22.
I might head back in a few days and get another.
-J-
There was a display of about 20 at my local Total Wine. I thought this was long gone around these parts. $22.
I might head back in a few days and get another.
-J-
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Mmmmmm....
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Depends on where I am at and what I feel like drinking that particular night. Miller lite is the usual but blue moon, Labatt blue, shock top, leinenkugel. Not a fan of other lite beers like coors or bud. I have had some seasonal sam adams beers that weren't too bad like the summer ale but October fest was nasty to me.
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tasted Heady Topper the other week. #1 for a reason.
