The Beer Thread

[Henry Sugar]

Mostly thanks to this thread, I've been inspired to drink better beer.  I started with a run on anything sold by Three Floyds at local establishments, and have then branched out.  Usually, my beer request is for either "something new and/or preferably local".

From Three Floyds - everything from Three Floyds has been delicious.  Really, really good beer.

Dreadnaught
Blackheart Ale
Gumball head
Alpha King
Rabid Rabbit Saison Ale - Evidently, one of the items they include while brewing are pop rocks.
Barley Wine - This comes with a wax covering.  I thought the first taste was repulsive.  The second taste was much better.  Halfway through I found it delicious.  Weird experience.

London Pride English Pale Ale - I have a friend from England that talks this beer up.  It was okay, but I had it the same weekend as the Blackheart English Pale Ale and it didn't compare.

Goose Island Naughty Goose Brown Ale - For a brown ale, I wasn't expecting this beer to be as dark as it was.  It was pretty good after I got over the surprise.

Bells Two-Hearted Ale - I couldn't stop drinking this beer.  It was so good. 

Great Lakes Burning River - Evidently, this beer has won a few gold medals.  It was smooth and potent, but not as hoppy as the Two-Hearted Ale.  It's the kind of beer one could easily drink a six-pack of without even realizing it.  I don't know if that's a compliment or not.

[mupbp09]

For some really good beer one should look to the Pacific Northwest and more specifically Oregon.  There is a brewery in Bend, OR called "Deschutes Brewery".  Their most popular beer is the Mirror Pond Pale Ale.  You can order it online at bottletrek.com.

More locally - Lakefront Brewery's IPA is amazing!!!

YAY BEER!!!!

[rocky_warrior]

For some really good beer one should look to the Pacific Northwest and more specifically Oregon.  There is a brewery in Bend, OR called "Deschutes Brewery".  Their most popular beer is the Mirror Pond Pale Ale.  You can order it online at bottletrek.com.

Deschutes does make some good stuff.  I guess I'm lucky it's sold locally here in CO. 

Also, a reminder, the Great American Beer Fest will be in Denver this coming weekend (starting Thursday).  2100 beers in one convention hall can't be beat!
http://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/
So, if you're not busy next weekend, and are up for a trip to CO, it's at least a once-in-a-lifetime must for any beer lover.  Tickets are sold out, but I'm sure you can scrounge some up.  Unfortunately I'm traveling out of the country next weekend, otherwise I would have made plans to go too 

[MUfan12]

I have to sing the praises of New Glarus Staghorn Oktoberfest. It's absolutely fantastic. Smooth, malty, without being overly sweet. I'm not a huge Oktoberfest guy, but I could drink this one all day. Definitely recommend it!

[madtownwarrior]

Wife wanted to hit a good fish fry tonight - we went to Nite Cap in Palmyra (excellent fish fry) and the bonus - Central Waters Mud Puppy Porter on tap.    Rare a little hole in the wall place has a beer this good....

[madtownwarrior]

just saw this - http://coedmagazine.com/2009/09/25/7-beers-to-try-before-you-die/

Of the 7 - Founders Breakfast Stout, great beer

[Spotcheck Billy]

just saw this - http://coedmagazine.com/2009/09/25/7-beers-to-try-before-you-die/

Of the 7 - Founders Breakfast Stout, great beer

that's kind of funny to me because Founders makes an even better version of that same beer, the Kentucky Breakfast Stout or shortened to just KBS in 2009

[tower912]

Founders is my local beer.   Made about 10 minutes from my house.    They really don't make a bad one.   

[MUfan12]

Tried some new ones recently. First, I toured the Schlafly Brewery in St. Louis this weekend. They make a bunch of different styles, and their beers were pretty solid on the whole. Really enjoyed the Oatmeal Stout and their APA. The one complaint I had is they definitely took some liberties with classifying their beers. For instance, their Hefeweizen was a 4%, and lacked much of the spice and depth of a traditional hef. Their Saison was more of a Belgian Double than a Saison, had very little fruit notes to it.

Also had Hop Hazard from Riverhorse Brewery in NJ. It's a dry-hopped APA, pours a cloudy amber with a fluffy head. Light citrus notes, more of a toasted malt taste. Nicely bittered with light caramel notes. I enjoyed it, the hopheads on here would probably want more hops.

[madtownwarrior]

On the way for Sushi tonight, stopped into the Wine Cellar in Elm Grove (on Bluemound).  They have added a very nice beer section.   The finds...

Alpha King in 6 packs (guess they started shipping in Wis 2 weeks ago)

and

Central Waters - all 6 packs for 6.49 - I went with the Mud Puppy Porter and the Imperial Stout....

nice place, nice owners...

[Chili]

On the way for Sushi tonight, stopped into the Wine Cellar in Elm Grove (on Bluemound).  They have added a very nice beer section.   The finds...

Alpha King in 6 packs (guess they started shipping in Wis 2 weeks ago)

and

Central Waters - all 6 packs for 6.49 - I went with the Mud Puppy Porter and the Imperial Stout....

nice place, nice owners...

Alpha King and Gumball Head 6pk's are both now distributed in SE Wisconsin.

[yellow chickens]

So i went and picked up some Gumballhead due to some of the posts on this board... and i hated it. First of all, i really don't like any wheat beers, they are much to sweet i think, and this one was no better. I was super sweet and citrus-y, with an almost sour-mango aftertaste... not what i want in a beer.

all of my roommates agree this tastes pretty terrible. as far as wheat beers go, i would ever prefer a new glarus crack'd wheat to this. give me a spotted cow/high life/banquet beer over Gumballhead any day

[MUfan12]

Picked up Capital Brewery's Autumnal Fire this weekend. For a chilly fall night, it is the perfect beer. A little spice, heavy malt presence, with a sweet finish. They took an Oktoberfest, put it on steroids, and made it bock strength. At roughly 7.5% its got something behind it. Really wonderful stuff.

[Chili]

So i went and picked up some Gumballhead due to some of the posts on this board... and i hated it. First of all, i really don't like any wheat beers, they are much to sweet i think, and this one was no better. I was super sweet and citrus-y, with an almost sour-mango aftertaste... not what i want in a beer.

all of my roommates agree this tastes pretty terrible. as far as wheat beers go, i would ever prefer a new glarus crack'd wheat to this. give me a spotted cow/high life/banquet beer over Gumballhead any day

That is because Gumball Head is an American PALE Wheat Ale and it has a ton of hops in it. It is pretty much a wheat base beer that is then turned into am American Pale Ale. So, am I guessing you are not a big hop fan either. And with Gumball you need like hops as that is what those little chunks were floating in the glass - hops.

[🏀]

I found Lakefront's Wheat Monkey this weekend, and I'm generally a big fan of American Wheats, but Wheat Monkey didn't quite do it for me. I haven't found the Gumball Head yet, but I'm a big fan of Goose's 312 and Sam Adams' Summer Ale. The Lakefront effort just seemed too heavy, and the trademark Lakefront taste did not translate well into a Wheat.

Anyone know where to get Gumball Head around Kenosha/Far Northern Illinois?

[MU B2002]

Anyone try the new Bud Light Wheat yet?  I am guessing it is so-so, but that is simply based on 75% of their product line falling into that category.

[Henry Sugar]

Founders Breakfast Stout was delicious.  DELICIOUS!  This weekend I was really, really disappointed that it wasn't in stock at the grocery store.

Have also tried the Southern Tier Pumking Beer.  It has been my favorite pumpkin beer so far, enough to go back for seconds (after realizing there was no Breakfast Stout dammit).  However, I saw that Dogfish Head has a pumpkin ale out now.  Hooray October!

A few weeks ago I was back in Milwaukee.  Had a bomber of Lakefront's Bridge Burner.  It was pretty tasty (I liked it more than Riverwest Stein), and a fun excuse to dig into a little bit of MKE history.

Also tried a beer from a brewery in the third ward (I think).  Buffalo Water Brewery's Autumn Beer.  This brewery is so small they didn't even make a new label for their autumn beer.  They just put a small yellow sticker on the top that said "Autumn".  It was /okay/. 

[MU B2002]

Founders Breakfast Stout was delicious.  DELICIOUS! 

Eagerly awaiting my first taste of this beer.  Had to pull some strings to get it to TN, but will be arriving next week along with some 3 floyds.  I really they are both as good as this thread has built them up to be...


On a cheap note, I got a 6 pack of Black Toad dark ale from trader joes last week.  It tastes a lot like 1554, only a fraction of the price.

[Hards Alumni]

Eagerly awaiting my first taste of this beer.  Had to pull some strings to get it to TN, but will be arriving next week along with some 3 floyds.  I really they are both as good as this thread has built them up to be...


On a cheap note, I got a 6 pack of Black Toad dark ale from trader joes last week.  It tastes a lot like 1554, only a fraction of the price.

get some Kolstritzer.  Its schwarzbier (black beer) from Germany, and about 100x better than the 1554 crap.

[muphan]

There is a really good beer out the west called fat tire. I am not sure if this has been posted yet but it is worth trying out if your looking for a good new beer. Also bells brewrey out of michigan makes some pretty solid beers

[drewm88]

Recently had a bottle of Sweet George's Brown Ale from Dillon Dam Brewery in CO. Quite good. Nice and creamy with a decent amount of hops and a nice, full flavor without getting too heavy.

[MU B2002]

There is a really good beer out the west called fat tire. I am not sure if this has been posted yet but it is worth trying out if your looking for a good new beer.

Never heard of it.  Hards, you ever had Fat Tire beer? 

[rocky_warrior]

Never heard of it.  Hards, you ever had Fat Tire beer? 

Too funny.  muphan - thanks for the input, but Fat Tire, and New Belgium beers in general have been discussed a lot in this thread.  It's a long thread, but worth the read if you like beer!

[madtownwarrior]

I need to try out that Fat Tire sometime.....   

nah, just had an Alpha King to wash down a great Ribeye.  IMHO, best of the hoppy ales - just slightly ahead of Bells Two Hearted Ale.

[Hards Alumni]

too good... too good