NT, What Beer Do You Drink?

[youngtriz]

that pale ale looks very nice... to bad i hate them ... anyone tried those little brew kits from total wine.. thinking or starting off small or the easy way first before jumping in head first...

 

[wallyhopp]

that pale ale looks very nice... to bad i hate them ... anyone tried those little brew kits from total wine.. thinking or starting off small or the easy way first before jumping in head first...

Is it something like this?
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/1-gallon-small-batch-starter-kit-1.html

I'd say it's well worth the cost. Most of what you will buy can be used if you actually like the process and the beer.

My local home brew shop has these brewers best 5 gallon recipe kits.
http://www.brewersbestkits.com/recipes.html

We started off with a red ale.
http://www.brewersbestkits.com/pdf/1010 2013 Red Ale Recipe.pdf

The PDF will list the entire recipe and instructions... Among the initial $40 dollar kit, it lists some recommended items:
Recommended Brew Day Equipment
• 4 Gallon Brew Pot (or larger)
• 6.5 Gallon Fermenter
• Airlock
• Long Spoon or Paddle
• Hydrometer
• Thermometer
• No-Rinse Sanitizer
• Cleanser

The first two are biggies. I'd say at least $150 can go into quality equipment.. So starting off small with the 1 gallon kits may be the way to go to see if its worth your time.

No offense to Mr. Beer (we met some cousins we don't see often who had a Mr. Beer kit and some brewed beer that actually wasn't that bad that got us inspired). So there's a solid place in my heart for them. But at the same time, a plastic fermenter is highly questionable. Glass or Stainless is the way to go with almost everything you mess with.

I've seen these Brooklyn Brewshop brew kits at various retailers including bed bath and beyond, and I think total wine.
http://brooklynbrewshop.com/beer-making-kits/warrior-double-ipa-1-gal-kit

Looking at whats included and the instructions, both are very similar.
http://brooklynbrewshop.com/directions/Brooklyn_Brew_Shop_Warrior_Double_IPA_Instructions.pdf

I'd say you should read both sets of instructions and see if its worth your time. Believe me, it's more words than what actually takes place. I think it's really fun watching your beer ferment and go through the changes. Then to finally see the finished product, to then try some uncarbonated beer, and then uncap what you made.. It's a fulfilling process imho. That initial brew day smell is world class too. Worth the cost right there imho
-----------------------

Tonight's review.. I've actually gone through quite a few of these over the last week. I was going to review this on Sunday but got busy...

La Cumbre Malpais Stout
Foreign/ Export Stout
7.5% ABV
Canned date of around 2/17/14
2011 GABF Foreign/Export Stout Silver medal, and a 2011 World Beer Cup silver medal (in same category as GABF)

Pitch black in color
This beer is quite different than most stouts I have tried. It has a strong roasted/burnt/smoked chracteristic that carries through in the smell and taste. It's quite dominating. I get a taste of some chocolate malt. Very full bodied. A nice sense of bitterness near the end. Think of the smoked beers out there, like an Alaskan Smoked Porter. Think of how dominating the smoked flavor is.. Here, the dominating factor is the roasted/burnt malt.. You really have to like that initial flavor to get invested totally with this beer. World class.. 7.5% too easy to drink. 96/100.
Definitely has a place in my rotation.

 

[tee eye ehm]

In a word, WOW!

I would put it up against any west coast IPA out there. Very drinkable. Man, I am so glad I have a couple more cans of this to drink.

I would have no doubt that this would be at the top of a lot of lists if it had more distribution.

 

[Comparison Ford]

In a word, WOW!

I would put it up against any west coast IPA out there. Very drinkable. Man, I am so glad I have a couple more cans of this to drink.

I would have no doubt that this would be at the top of a lot of lists if it had more distribution.

Agreed 100%.  Wally sent me 3 cans in a trade and they didn't even last 6 hours.  Elevated is the truth.  Right up there with Pliny and Heady.

 

[wallyhopp]

I don't want to hype it up too much. I even said it before in some reviews, price can be a killer for Project Dank. but it's making some waves.. #2 on BAs american IPA list. #2 on the top SW beers list. Once it hits 100 reviews, it may sit in the top 250. Lots of crazy comparisons to top US beers too. Whenever you get that itch comparison ford, let me know. Dank will be included most definitely.. Catch it on the upswing before you're considered a follower

Tonight's second and last review comes from San Leandro, California's Drake's Brewing Company IPA
7% ABV, 65 IBU

Vigorous carbonation almost non stop. Amazing clarity, and head...
Smell is of light citrus, and some piney/floral hops (didn't sense that tropical fruit sense that I love)... 65 IBU is indicative of what to expect here.
Great carbonation in the mouthfeel. Tastes a bit dry in the finish. Taste wise, I get an overwhelming sense of some caramel/toffee type flavors dominating the mouthfeel. Hops creep up just slightly all around.. Not very boozy at all. It's more malty than hoppy. But it doesnt carry a true sweetness like a GI Illinois. I reviewed it before seeing the BA score. I wanted to give it around a 91-93, around where I feel a local breweries IPA sits (Marble IPA and Marble Red). Seeing as how Sculpin is around 98 and Drake's IPA a 87 overall, I honestly don't feel they are 11 pts different than one another.. More like 4-6. Comparing to Sculpin where I felt it was less hoppy and just an overall very easy to drink "mellow" type of experience, Drake's IPA has a stronger sense of that toffee malt character leading to more flavors. So far, between Sculpin and Drake's IPA, I would have these in my rotation if I lived in CA as a less hoppy more malty type of balanced IPA to go along with the more hop bomb type brews.... Comparing to what I have tried locally, not a lot of breweries are going for that balanced malty experience. Elevated IPA has a sense of balance. But here I sense the balance may be leaning towards malty. Every brewery here seems to try to take on hops fulls team to try and compete with La Cumbre. They could learn something. A well structured malt forward IPA can work.

 

[GreenNGold89]

Pretty solid

 

[youngtriz]

yeah wally it is the mr beer kit... maybe ill look into it more to see if i wanna try it...

 

[jbug88]

yeah wally it is the mr beer kit... maybe ill look into it more to see if i wanna try it...

Don't get a Mr. Beer kit.
As an example, at my local brew shop, we got:
1 - 6 ½ GALLON FERMENTING BUCKET
1 - 6 ½ GALLON BOTTLING BUCKET
1 - DRILLED LID W/GROMMET
1 - AIRLOCK
2 - 3/8 SPIGOT
1 - 3 FT VINYL HOSE
1 - BOTTLE FILLER
4 - C BRITE (1 PACKET MAKES 2 GAL)
1 - LEVER BOTTLE CAPPER
1 - PACKAGE 60 BOTTLE CAPS
1 - BREWING BOOK
1 - BAG BOTTLING CORN SUGAR
1 - PALE ALE, HEFEWEIZEN, OR BELGIAN BLONDE EXTRACT KIT (we got the pale ale)

$100.
and we bought a 6 gallon brew kettle for $50.
$150 and we split it 3 ways.
my advice is to make the investment.

-J-

 

[salazaro44]

Where?

-J-

Check events on gooseislands website.
Multiple Orange County locations will have the tap takeover. Vanilla, coffee, barley wine, and proprietors are confirmed at out of the park pizza

 

[Final Bosa]

Goose Island and New Belgium will be at my local Nugget Market from 5-7 PM. They will have beer tastings, and I am hoping they will will have the Illinois or Bourbon County coffee stout as well.

 

[jbug88]

Goose Island and New Belgium will be at my local Nugget Market from 5-7 PM. They will have beer tastings, and I am hoping they will will have the Illinois or Bourbon County coffee stout as well.

Check your local Total Wine for the Illinois. Mine had a huge display last night. Picked up a 4 pack.

-J-

 

[Final Bosa]

Hmm. I am out here in Cali. And I don't have a total wine near my city. I believe the closest one is 15 miles out. Did you happen to get that Illinois in Norcal?

 

[jbug88]

Hmm. I am out here in Cali. And I don't have a total wine near my city. I believe the closest one is 15 miles out. Did you happen to get that Illinois in Norcal?

Redondo Beach Total WIne. SoCal.
15 miles ain't that far to drive for beer.

-J-

 

[Final Bosa]

You sir... Are correct. Haha I'll call the total wine. I definitely want to check out the Illinois. Heck I wanna try everything it's Friday. The Capital Beer Festival is this Sunday too, in Sac.

 

[neosole89]

BevMo has the Illinois.

 

[Final Bosa]

Nothing at total wine. The guy said only in SoCal, but I will check with BevMo for sure.

 

[pftjordans]

No Founders Breakfast Stout :-/
but people at Whole Foods Beer Section recommended this Bells Special Double Cream Stout.
I'll try it out tonight.

Was close to trying Founders Porter Stout beer as well.....

 

[wallyhopp]

After buying a case in November, then proceeding to drink 8-9 in a months time, I took about 10 weeks off from drinking one of these.. After giving 6 away, and with about 6 left, I may go with a "drink a month club" method rounding me towards the eventual release in November again.

I forgot how complex and boozy and AMAZING this is. I'm smelling less coffee in the nose this time around. It's about 3 months old. I had them sitting in a nice cool spot in my house. I guess I could have kept them in the fridge. But I doubt the flavor loss is too too much Big coffee flavor in the taste though. The after effects are HUGE.. I had plans to try some pliny and blind pig tonight. But I think that will have to wait one more day. Today will be all about stouts. This oily bourbon mess in my mouth wont go away for a long while. For those few I helped, what did yall think of BCBCS? worth the hype?

There's absolutely zero lacing. The head dissapates quickly.. Signs that usually lead to a lower rated beer. Here the flavor is where it all goes.. Bourbon up front, then I get hit with some coffee in the swallow and aftertaste.. Pretty fantastic stuff. BCBS and the barleywine suffer from that lack of that second component imho. The Coffee makes the BRAND imho

 

[Chopper]

It's going to be a low key night at the crib with Sucks and Hopslam. 

Tomorrow - Cigar City 

 

[hurley34]

Had a sculpin on draft after work today. Great beer, I don't know why I haven't tried this before

 

[notoriouslar]

What's up, fellas.

I really need to start paying more attention to this thread. I've turned into a big IPA head over the last year and have been taking pics (most of them crappy) of what I have sampled.

I'll try to post some this weekend as I catch up on whats been going on in here.

Have Rogue Brutal and Green Flash West Coast waiting for me in the fridge...

 

[neosole89]

Today's pickup. Newest offering from Stone Brewery, Stone Go To IPA. I'm a fan of Stone so I'm excited to see what this IPA has to offer.

Tonight's pour. At 13.5% ABV, this was very easy to drink.

 

[Comparison Ford]

Contemplating trading off my bottle of Westy 12 if someone can come at me with something good.  Not too sure if I'd go through with it, but I'm curious to see what my options are looking like.

Just sayin'.

 

[salazaro44]

Ending my night with this. I've said it before. Favorite double ipa out right now. They just started bottling this weekend. They also had an amazing cask of their milkstout. Cherry mocha milkstout.

 

[jjs]

sleeman silver creek lager for tonight