The Beer Thread

[rincewind]

Just got back from Ommegang's Belgian festival up in Cooperstown. Awesome festival, though the lack of hops was tough. Luckily, someone stopped by our tent with a growler of Port Brewing's Double-IPA, Mongo. That is some damn fine beer.

[China]

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[cneil4]

No brainer...after being in Afghanistan for one year...Any Beer...Bottled or canned...but definetly COLD!!!

[Nate4789]

There's a Nicaraguan beer called "Tona" that everyone needs to try but nobody knows about

[Enforcer_FFX]

A couple of weekends ago, I went on the Port City Brewery tour in Alexandria, VA. http://www.portcitybrewing.com/ They have an EXCELLENT line. I got to sample all of their offerings. When it is exceptionally hot, like it has been – their refreshing, crisp Optimal Wit is a big winner. The tour is worth it for anyone in the area. In addition to learning about Port City and trying their samples, they drop some good nuggets like how they don’t put labels on their bottle necks – so the consumer can see that they are not skimping on the amount in each bottle. Haha, that’s something I never thought of. So, just my 2 cents for another line to throw in the rotation, if you haven’t had them already.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Oaked



Arrogant Bastard



Was tough to build the head on this one, had to pour from pretty far up directly in to the center. Still only got about an inch of thick creamy lacing. French vanilla colored. Beer is deep mahogany with a blood red tinge in the light. Heavy duty lacing for what the small head leaves. Looks like it sure will be yummy.

Smell is IPA-like with floral and citrus. Caramel backbone is massive and starts to dominate the more you smell it.

Flavor is an uppercut of caramel followed by a big right hook of hops. Bitter with a capital B on the finish. Long finish, alcohol warms up the throat. Body is a touch lighter than I'd like it, and the carbo is a little higher than I'd like it. The oak is more of a constant theme between the crazy transition from malt to hops. It adds a lot to the bitterness in my opinion. The main strength is the flavor transition, making this beer fun to drink on every sip. Like it!

92/100

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot WTF (American Strong)



Transparent, dark brown with a tan head, not much lacing at all. Aroma is big citrus with caramel, as expected. Flavor is heavy citrus, strength of bitterness is fairly high. Caramel, bread and nut flavors make up a strong malt backbone. Slightly lighter body for its style, more on the silky side. Really dry on the palate, and a long, bitter finish. Solid brewskie!

B+ (87/100)

*I also had the Samuel Smith's Organic Cherry Ale last night, and for a fruit beer it's definitely alright!

[skinsfan_1215]

First Sam Adams octoberfest of the year. Ahh it's been too long.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

First Sam Adams octoberfest of the year. Ahh it's been too long.

Just picked up my first Octoberfest of the year as well! It's been a tradition to scoop it up every year when I see it for the first time. Definitely makes me feel like football season is close!

[Skinsfan1311]

Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot WTF (American Strong)

Transparent, dark brown with a tan head, not much lacing at all. Aroma is big citrus with caramel, as expected. Flavor is heavy citrus, strength of bitterness is fairly high. Caramel, bread and nut flavors make up a strong malt backbone. Slightly lighter body for its style, more on the silky side. Really dry on the palate, and a long, bitter finish. Solid brewskie!

B+ (87/100)

I've had several beers from Lagunitas...and I've liked them all. I tried some Lagunitas "Lucky 13" on draft last night. I'm not sure what the style is supposed to be, but it had a nice, piney, hoppy, citrus flavor with some malt in the background. The whiteboard at the bar stated that the ABV is 8.5%, and you could definitely taste the alcohol. Not a session beer, but it's a solid beer and I'd definitely drink it again.

[sportjunkie07]

just got some pyramid brewery beers, never had them before. the box contains thunderhead ipa, a spring ipa, an apricot ale, and hefeweizen. the thunderhead ipa has a very bold and hoppy flavor. the rest ive still yet to try.

also stroker, what kind of beer do you recommend for spicy food. i love spicy food, but i havent found a good pairing between the two yet.

ok, just tried the spring IPA. you can tell it comes from the same company as the thunderhead IPA. its just a little less bold, though it has a lot of bite, and has a sweeter taste. i like it more than the thunderhead IPA.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

I've had the Apricot Ale. It's alright but pretty much all apricots, definitely a fruit beer.

Personally I like drinking heavy beers with spicy food, to make it a full-out intense experience. If you want the beer to take over the spiciness, kind of like milk does, get a dark malty beer. Stouts or brown ales. I love Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale/Palo Santo Marron with spicy grilled chicken. The bouncing back and forth between definitive flavors is great, and you'll generally get that if you get a malty ass beer.

Tonight I'm grilling some chicken with lemon pepper all over it, swirling it in Tiger Steak Sauce. The spices in the Sam Adams Octoberfest should compliment it well, and the fair amount of malt should sooth the spice just a bit. It's not a big beer, which is kind of sad, but like I said, when I see the Octoberfest I snatch it right away. Whatever, next time I'm getting a monster beer though.

I like Double IPAs, Strong Ales, and seriously high quality IPAs with this kind of dinner. When paired with spicy foods, big hops will make your tastebuds dance like James Brown.

[GoSkins561]

I had the 120 on tap today at RFD, I enjoyed it, however it's not better than the 90 minute.

I almost bought a shot of Brew Dog Sink the Bizmark just to say I tried it, 9 bucks for 1 oz seemed like a great deal and I probably should have taken advantage of the opportunity but I didn't. The local store that carries it is selling single bottles for $90.00.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

I had the 120 on tap today at RFD, I enjoyed it, however it's not better than the 90 minute.

I almost bought a shot of Brew Dog Sink the Bizmark just to say I tried it, 9 bucks for 1 oz seemed like a great deal and I probably should have taken advantage of the opportunity but I didn't. The local store that carries it is selling single bottles for $90.00.

If there was a gun held to my head, and I had to choose, I'd take the 90 over the 120. It's really close though. It's just that if you aren't seriously paying attention to the flavors, the 120 can come off as Amaretto-like. The 90 is a brew I don't think I'd ever get sick of. I'm still dying to get my hands on this year's 120, though.

There's a Sam Adams Utopia for $200 at my local beer store. If only I could afford to put that much down...the ceramic decanter it comes in is SHWEET.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Having a mixed bag tonight. Started with some typical dry brews...Tetley's English Ale and Guinness Draught, now moving on to a Flying Dog Double Dog and a Heavy Seas Loose Cannon. Can't wait to get my hands on some of the really strong autumn beers. Hope to see that Southern Tier Pumking sitting on a shelf.