NT, What Beer Do You Drink?

[champcruthik]

Newbs: I switched to red wine myself.

 

[suberzat1]

First tried this at a popular pizza franchise (Mellow Mushroom) & have been drinking it ever since. Just one of those brews that isn't dense/bitter. Goes perfect with snacks, food, etc...

yea purple haze is always good choice when i go out 

 

[aph]

Let me preface this review by saying this: I do not enjoy pumpkin beer.  Overall, it just doesn't do it for me.  Something about a jazzed-up brown ale in a pint glass with cinnamon sugar around the rim just rubs me the wrong way.  However, I'd heard a lot of good things about this one so I figured I'd give it its day in court.  Pours a deep ruby color with a fizzy head that dissipates pretty quickly.  After I poured this beer the aroma took over the room.  I was sitting almost two feet away from the glass, but I got hit with overwhelming scents of pumpkin spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  The taste matched the aroma exactly.  Spiced generously, but not overly sweet and dangerously drinkable. This beer is 8%, and I'm just about to finish this one after having opened it roughly 15 minutes ago.  I could get myself into trouble with this.  All in all, this beer made me realize that I have to keep an open mind and not shut out an entire style based off of a few lackluster experiences.  This will probably be the only sixer of this that I buy this year, but I certainly don't regret it. 9.25/10

Outside of ST's Pumking, I'd agree, not really big on pumpkin-styled beers. I am, however, looking forward to trying that Schlafly. Your review just further solidified my interest.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

1366. Safe to say its the oldest beer in the world. But I'm a Guinness(stout not draught) guy when winter kicks in.

Weihenstephan is older:

The world's oldest continuously operating brewery

The Weihenstephan Brewery can trace its roots at the abbey to 768, as a document from that year refers to a hop garden in the area paying a tithe to the monastery. A brewery was licensed by the City of Freising in 1040, and that is the founding date claimed by the modern brewery. The brewery thus has a credible claim to being the oldest working brewery in the world. (Weltenburg Abbey, also in Bavaria, has had a brewery in operation since 1050, and also known as "Corn Beer" claims to be the oldest brewery in the world.) When the monastery and brewery were secularised under Napoleon Bonaparte in 1803, they became possessions of the State of Bavaria.

BTW, I've only had their Hefeweissbier, but it's absolutely fantastic. It's available everywhere year-round and it's dirt cheap. IDK why I haven't picked up their other offerings yet...

 

[wallyhopp]

Weihenstephaner is too LEGIT.. Let's just say that I haven't been disappointed once.. Their Hefe is their highest reviewed/rated easily available product. But it doesnt stop there.

Their Weizenbock VITUS, is essentially an amped up hefe. It's by far my favorite.
Their hefe dark is much like their normal hefe with some slight differences in taste (darker flavors, if that makes sense)
Their pilsner is way above par compared to the other pilsners available (not that many)
Their original is listed as a Munich Helles Lager. My comparison to this is that its the kobe USDA prime dry aged "bud light" of the lager world. Very crisp from carbonation and just a solid easy to drink offering. If mcdonalds is the cheapest, and the kobe beef is tops, the bud lights of the world would sit at the Mcdonalds table. Weihenstephaner would be among the 5 star restaurants.. Both are"beef" technically. But it's the little things that add up.
Their October fest bier is lighter in color than most octoberfests, as it takes on a yellow color. Taste is very similar to their original and pilsner, with slight hints of that biscuit flavor you associate with octoberfests...

I have not had their doppelbock or wheat beer yet. I just picked up their Vitus and Hefe for the weekend. More photos/reviews to follow
-----------------------

All this 6-9% pumpkin ale talk has piqued my interest. I never thought that the reason I tend to dislike many pumpkin beers is that they try to do sweet, but fail, and they try to add in some bitterness and ultimately fail as well.. If I could find a solid pumpkin sipping beer just full of ABV and flavor, I may actually like the style. The few mentioned on the last few pages appear to cover that.... Give me a tripel style offering with pumpkin spice and that may work.

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Sunday during Breaking Bad, I sipped on a Founder's breakfast stout ( I have two left ). Compared to the first time around, I let this one sit just a little bit longer getting it to near room temperature.. It's almost better warm than the 40-50 degrees I normally drink beer at.... Not much more can be said about its greatness. You taste all the things that makes it great, and then there is no weird aftertaste or anything in the swallow. A lot of stouts, the flavors just sneak in with weird notes as you are swallowing. It's tough to explain... I noticed on the bottle that the IBU (bitterness) rating is near 60... I was shocked.. I have tried a few other oatmeal stouts that went a bit too far with the hops.. Here again it was so subtle, it tasted like there wasn't any hops.

btw yeahitsRUST. I did get your PM. Somethings up with the PM system. Can't want to see what you think. You got some stuff that I dont even buy (not that it's terrible lol )

 

[TipsyMcStagga]

had this for the first time. this bear is flat out good. its got a great holiday taste to it that isn't too strong, but not too subtle, and its imperial so its packing 8%. its wayyy better than shipyard or dogfish head, although i don't really remember the dogfish pumkin ale so ill have to try that again.


anyways weyerbacher...go grab that. its

Just grabbed this and some shipyard to compare the two....

 

[shannonscrooks]

I have tried to enjoy that Abita Purple Haze, just can't

Couple brews I had while grabbing a bite on a day off:

 

[RickBlast]

Recently moved to New Haven CT so trying the local stuff. I highly recommend these two if anyone is in the New England area.

Gandhi bot

Sea Hag

 

[Comparison Ford]

Sunday during Breaking Bad, I sipped on a Founder's breakfast stout ( I have two left

). Compared to the first time around, I let this one sit just a little bit longer getting it to near room temperature.. It's almost better warm than the 40-50 degrees I normally drink beer at.... Not much more can be said about its greatness. You taste all the things that makes it great, and then there is no weird aftertaste or anything in the swallow. A lot of stouts, the flavors just sneak in with weird notes as you are swallowing. It's tough to explain... I noticed on the bottle that the IBU (bitterness) rating is near 60... I was shocked.. I have tried a few other oatmeal stouts that went a bit too far with the hops.. Here again it was so subtle, it tasted like there wasn't any hops.
 

I prefer FBS close to room temperature.  Hell...I prefer a lot of beers close to room temperature, come to think of it.

 

[Comparison Ford]

Since my weekends are virtually nonexistent these days, I figured I'd break out something special to celebrate the few hours of leisure time that I have.  I've had two 2012 bottles of this in the past, but this is my first time tasting the 2013.  Pours a deep brown (almost black) color with an effervescent head that dissipates quickly.  The scent of bourbon, vanilla, oak, toffee, and caramel fill the room.  The taste is even more pleasant. Decent amount of bitterness at the front of the tongue, giving way to the flavors that I listed in the aroma as well a decently sweet maltiness.  Almost detect a hint of chocolate and coconut in this one, maybe a little tobacco too.  For 13% ABV, this beer has very little heat to it.  Overall, this beer is a perfect example of why I love bourbon barrel-aged beers.  Really adds a level of complexity that just isn't there in most non-barrel-aged beers.  Drinking this has me excited for this year's versions of Backwoods Bastard and all of the Bourbon County variations. Just an outstanding beer that remains one of my all-time favorites. 10/10

 

[Chopper]

Decided to go with a few beers that I've seen y'all with lately, a Bell's I've never tried before and one of my all time favorites, Two Hearted.

Bell's Brown Ale, DFH Pumpkin Ale (never dug pumpkin's but going to give it another shot - it's been years), Trooper, Double Bastard and Two Hearted. 

 

[wallyhopp]

^nice,,, never had a barley wine but that looks like one to admire, based on what I've heard about it.

Sure beats out what I'm drinking.... A 9 month old Ten Fidy is even better with age. The dark fruit/plum raisin smell and flavor is even more present. I thank the local beer store for ceiling it on their own terms. It would not have lasted at my household. Alcohol heat/taste is present in first few sips. Then its smooth sailing. After reviewing this one numerous times now, it is simply the easiest to drink 8-12% beer I have ever had. Very well rounded. I read that this years release already had a few release parties. No where to be seen just yet. I'm guessing late October.

I swear it must just be where I live but we get nothing rare or reserve series status, and it doesnt seem like any breweries locally go that route of true "rarity". The best we can get is seasonals that "sell out" eventually.

Comparison ford, have you tried IPAs at room temp? I tend to only try it with heavier sipping beers. I have let an IPA sit out to about 55 degrees and the taste changed completely. For some IPAs, its for the better. For others, bad things happen. Off flavors that are usually hidden by the temp.

-------------

In the last of what appears to be of the summer beers, I finished off some Deschutes Twilight Summer Ale. This one is almost on the hop level of a pale ale. I enjoy that out of the beer. Citrus and lemon notes galore... Seek this one out to try come May of 2014. Not many summer ales are solid (wasatch's summerbrau I had two years back and loved it. But havent had it since sadly.. Sam adams summer ale is not to my liking but will drink if only thing available on draft. And New Belgiums summer ale is pretty horrid). So this one isn't too too bad
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In a quest to trying to find a solid Cream Ale to match up with a local breweries, I found a Anderson Valley Solstice summer Cream Ale..... This one was overall a very light offering. I tasted tiny hints of what appeared to be cream soda type taste, and then just light malt all around.. This to me is not what makes a cream ale great. The sweetness needed to be a bit higher.. Overall very disappointing to not find a solid canned or bottled cream ale in my area. As a standalone product, this one is a great substitute if you dont want much of any hop prescence in a session style summer setting.

I guess I know what to buy next May lol.. Homework is done on summer brews, october brews.. Winter beers next? YUP

 

[Rambo93940]

Brew my own. But I love Sierra Nevada and Bear Republic beers. Im a sucker for west coast IPA's.

 

[Comparison Ford]

^nice,,, never had a barley wine but that looks like one to admire, based on what I've heard about it.

Sure beats out what I'm drinking.... A 9 month old Ten Fidy is even better with age. The dark fruit/plum raisin smell and flavor is even more present. I thank the local beer store for ceiling it on their own terms. It would not have lasted at my household. Alcohol heat/taste is present in first few sips. Then its smooth sailing. After reviewing this one numerous times now, it is simply the easiest to drink 8-12% beer I have ever had. Very well rounded. I read that this years release already had a few release parties. No where to be seen just yet. I'm guessing late October.

I swear it must just be where I live but we get nothing rare or reserve series status, and it doesnt seem like any breweries locally go that route of true "rarity". The best we can get is seasonals that "sell out" eventually.

Comparison ford, have you tried IPAs at room temp? I tend to only try it with heavier sipping beers. I have let an IPA sit out to about 55 degrees and the taste changed completely. For some IPAs, its for the better. For others, bad things happen. Off flavors that are usually hidden by the temp.

---

In the last of what appears to be of the summer beers, I finished off some Deschutes Twilight Summer Ale. This one is almost on the hop level of a pale ale. I enjoy that out of the beer. Citrus and lemon notes galore... Seek this one out to try come May of 2014. Not many summer ales are solid (wasatch's summerbrau I had two years back and loved it. But havent had it since sadly.. Sam adams summer ale is not to my liking but will drink if only thing available on draft. And New Belgiums summer ale is pretty horrid). So this one isn't too too bad

---

In a quest to trying to find a solid Cream Ale to match up with a local breweries, I found a Anderson Valley Solstice summer Cream Ale..... This one was overall a very light offering. I tasted tiny hints of what appeared to be cream soda type taste, and then just light malt all around.. This to me is not what makes a cream ale great. The sweetness needed to be a bit higher.. Overall very disappointing to not find a solid canned or bottled cream ale in my area. As a standalone product, this one is a great substitute if you dont want much of any hop prescence in a session style summer setting.

I guess I know what to buy next May lol.. Homework is done on summer brews, october brews.. Winter beers next? YUP

I generally prefer IPAs on the cooler side, but closer to room temperature than fridge temperature.  I know what you mean, though.  The styles that I find work best at room temperature are Stouts, Porters, Old Ales, Scotch Ales, English Barleywines, and Beligian Quads/Tripels. My general rule of thumb is the hoppier the beer, the lower the temperature I drink it at.  ABV also plays a role.  I'll drink an Imperial IPA at a slightly higher temperature than a Single IPA, probably because I enjoy a little booziness on my beers.

Oh...and I currently have a 2010 and 2011 bottle of Parabola en route to my house at the moment.  Expect a review of the 2010 within the next week or so.

 

[TipsyMcStagga]

Man that Imperial Pumpkin Ale was great! Even my GF liked it. Wish they sold it in 6pks instead of 4pks though. Going back to get me some today!

 

[wallyhopp]

A lot depends on where you are regionally located, but I would really go with trying some Weihenstephaner beers. I believe they may be nationally distributed (out of some German/European distributor)

Hefeweissber
Original
Pilsner

If you dont mind disclosing where you are located, I can check the TW website and give some other suggestions.

btw, for all you TW shoppers, they give out monthly beer coupons via email

There is one that expires tomorrow that I can post here. $1 off 4 or 6 packs priced at $6.99 or more (4 quantity limit). So essentially a $4 coupon for already cheap beer. It appears to be valid only in Laurel, MD, VA, NC, SC, FL, NM, AZ, and Northern CA stores only

 

[blkrstr21]

ive come to sad realization that i may need to cut back on my beer spending. im dropping like 20, $30+ every time go to the liquor store, and thats just for like 2 six packs!! 

im gonna have to start a 'good beer' budgeting plan 

 

[shannonscrooks]

Gonna try and make a total wine run today

I'm into blondes / wheat beers, any suggestions I should look for?

See if they got Allagash White. **** is plentiful here in MA, probably one the more popular and enjoyed beers in the northeast

 

[tooeasy891]

Tried some 1664 on tap the other day, it was bomb!

 

[stillin729]

picked up the new Victory Double IPA

can't wait to try this one as well

 

[based mod]

Oktoberfest tonight at a buddy's house. 20 homebrews by amateurs to semi-pros on tap. I'll be bringing over parabola and velvet merkin for a side-by-side

 

[Chopper]

This Double Bastard is boozy delicious. 

 

[Aviator]

Got these yesterday, enjoyed the regular version, velvit merlin, a firestone barrel-aged beer really is something. If anybody wants to make a trade for one let me know. Really looking to try a bourbon county brand stout.

This recently just came out, deschutes doesnt usually make sours so I got a few to try, hopefully it matches the quality of their top notch offerings.

Had this a while back, really one of the stranger beers i've had. A little bitter, not really worth seeking out imo

Currently drinking, First time trying ten fidy. Stone's irs is one of my favorite beers and I always use it as a reference point when drinking other stouts. This one has a wonderful chocolate and coffee aroma. Chocolate, coffee, plum flavors abound, but ther's a little bit too much of an alcohol presence, so I have to give the nod to stone in this case.

 

[DeadsetAce]

JJ...what'd you think of those Sam Adams beers? especially the white lantern. interested to here what you think.

 

[da shoefreak]

Just got back from my trip in Europe and picked this up in Belgium

 

[raybanzo]

PURPLE HAZE!