Booze The recommend-a-beer thread

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Had Russian River Suplication today for the first time ever on tap. Not everyone is into sours, but have to say it is one of my favorites. For a change of pace, some time this week I will be opening a bottle of the Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Maple Bacon Ale. Right now I think I have almost as much beer selection as the local BevMo.
 
Finally popped open my bottle of KRBC Pumpkin Ale. Seriously one of the better pumpkin beers I've ever had. Very balanced, smooth, and subtle. Most beers of this style tend to over do the spices but this is so well balanced between spices and pumpkin that it goes goes down very smoothly with a short finish. Gonna have to wait a while for another bottle, I suppose.
 
Again I am visiting the Hangar 24 Columbus IPA. Probably my favorite available IPA as of now. I don't know if i'm lucking out on always hitting it fresh, or if its just seriously this good. Beer Advocate ranks it low, but that is typical because it is a young brewery and little hype. It kicks the **** out of most IPAs except Ballast Point's Big Eye which is consistently fabulous. Hangar 24's barrel aged Russian Imperial Stout Pugachev's Cobra at 16.5% ABV was pretty damn good too. Definitely excited to see where this small project ends up!
 
Two things from last night. Lagunitas Sucks is quite good. The first time I had it I was dealing with a small head cold and I'm pretty sure my tastebuds were off. But having multiple bottles last night....it's quite excellent.

Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale. Unique brew. Smells like breakfast liquified. You get the subtle smokiness of the bacon and essence of maple syrup on pancakes (or doughnuts). Doesn't taste a whole heck of a lot like a beer, but it was enjoyable. Pretty sweet, though, so I might come down with the diabetus soon.
 
Black Xantus, Nectar Ales

xantus.jpg


I picked up 3 bottles of this pre-Christmas and had the self control, miraculously, to not imbibe when I had visitors. They only made 400 cases of this angel of a brew. I'm normally a big share my beer kinda guy, but having had last year's Black Xantus, this was one that I kept all for myself.

I just opened the first bottle after having let the bottle sit out of the fridge for the last 30 minutes - so that it's not so cold as to suppress all the aroma and flavor. I should preface this by saying that Russian Imperial Stout is probably my favorite beer style. Having already had my share of Old Rasputin the last month or so along with that bottle of bourbon barrel aged Old Rasputin I had a week or so ago, I was prepared to possibly have a slight let down from my memories of last year's Black Xantus. That is not the case at all. In fact, my mind has been blown, ONCE AGAIN, by the team at Firestone. All I can say to you fellow beer travellers - go and get as many bottles of this are you can get your hopppy hands on. This beer easily makes my (ever changing) Top 5 list of best beers I have ever had/in the world.

I'm having a "**** yea" moment drinking this, thanking my lucky stars to be living smack dab in the GOLDEN AGE of brewing right here in California. It is beers like Black Xantus that bring me to my knees in awe. There is SOOOOOO much going on in this. The aroma is coffee, chocolate, a slight, slight hint of bourbon. 3 magical things on their own - but put together here - it's like unicorns, rainbows, and pots of gold all rolled up into one beautiful ball. Brilliantly perfect. The mouth-feel is just velvety. Like drinking the darkest summer sky you can imagine. The taste is like the nose - coffee, chocolate, vanilla, dark roasted malt, another small hint of bourbon. Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! I'm in heaven right now folks.

I know I'll be cracking a second bottle of this tonight. At 11% ABV, that's probably not a smart thing to do what with the kids starting school tomorrow! But what the hell? This is transcendent. This is beer meant to be celebrated, used in religious ceremonies, fit for a king, to cheer the end of wars. If I were some sort of weirdo, I'd seriously believe that this beer is making love to me. OK, I think this beer is making love to me (keep it clean you filthy minded punters!). But I'm not a weirdo - ok, maybe just a little.....

Highly, highly recommended. A 9.7, because I can't give a 10 to anything and I fully expect something to come along that will blow my mind even more. I'm still waiting for the beer equivalent of the first time I heard When Doves Cry. This is close, but more along the lines of the first time I heard Paranoid Android.
 
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BeerMan said:
a good read. hehe (someone's been whining)

Sam Calagione Gives Beer Geeks An Earful. And It’s Awesome. | Beer Street Journal
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Just curious if Sam began slamming Metallica for selling out once the Black Album was released, heh.

He raises a good point, but a lot of hype that leads to bashing or being over critical is often due to marketing techniques. Sometimes I am glad to know that a beer has received a plethora of negative reviews if it saves me money. I took that approach with the Lost Abbey until word was out that their beers had carbonation again. I see no harm in that.
 
Azagthoth said:
Just curious if Sam began slamming Metallica for selling out once the Black Album was released, heh.

He raises a good point, but a lot of hype that leads to bashing or being over critical is often due to marketing techniques. Sometimes I am glad to know that a beer has received a plethora of negative reviews if it saves me money. I took that approach with the Lost Abbey until word was out that their beers had carbonation again. I see no harm in that.
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Unfortunately, he's confusing those who honestly criticize his beers and those who criticize DFH b/c of their size. I'm not a fan of DFH beer and I am in that crowd of those who think that 90% of the beers he puts out are complete crap. And I don't care how big he is. After all, Sierra Nevada, one of my favorite breweries puts out beers far superior to DFH on a consistent basis and they're pretty damn big - though they are starting to produce more "different" beers than I think they should. From DFH, 90 Minute is great, Bitch's Brew is pretty darn good. 60 Minute is a decent session IPA. Beyond that, it's a bunch of marketing crap - "look what ccccrrrraaaazzzzyyyy guys we are using cow patty roasted malt, gorgonzola, and orange juice in our ale" - which I find a waste. Half that stuff he puts on the shelves should have never made it out of the lab.
 
I don't even think 90 minute is that great. Overly sweet in my opinion. Still, I think it's a good thing that DFH exists, and I don't bash their beers. The stuff that does get my goat a bit is the artificial inflation and hype that some breweries create. Case in point, Dark Lord. Good beer, but not nearly worth jumping through those hoops to get, IMO. Limited release, one bottle per customer, armbands, standing in line, drawings, eff all that. Give me some Class V or Green Flash Double Stout that's usually readily available.
 
UnholyGoalie said:
I don't even think 90 minute is that great. Overly sweet in my opinion. Still, I think it's a good thing that DFH exists, and I don't bash their beers. The stuff that does get my goat a bit is the artificial inflation and hype that some breweries create. Case in point, Dark Lord. Good beer, but not nearly worth jumping through those hoops to get, IMO. Limited release, one bottle per customer, armbands, standing in line, drawings, eff all that. Give me some Class V or Green Flash Double Stout that's usually readily available.
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Class V kicks the **** out of most hyped up Imperial Stouts. I'd take it over Dark Lord anyday!
 
Just bought two bottles of Sam Adams Infinium, and I'm a little bummed that the recommend it should be consumed by July 2012. It sucks that I'm not supposed to age them.
Anybody try one these yet?
 
Yeah, I had a bottle maybe 6 months ago. Not really my thing. It was a lot of money to pay for a beer that didn't blow my socks off. YMMV.
 
$23 is too high for my liking. I really want to try one of those Nebraska Brewing beers. or those Bruery ones til my wench caved in. I didn't particularly like it.
 
Two friends and I shared my bottle of Rogue's Voodoo Donut Bacon Maple Ale last night. I was prepared not to like it because I'm not wild about smoky beers, but it was not too bad. It smelled strongly of maple syrup, but when I sipped it, I tasted smoky pork and almost no sweetness. It was strange that the smell was so different from the taste. I was glad I got to experience it, but it's not really my cup of tea. My friend, who is not a beer drinker but LOVES bacon, enjoyed it.
 
My local 7-11 has a sign up saying "now selling craft beer" but they only had 4 or 5 bottles from Ballast Point, Firestone and one Stone....not a bad start I guess.
 
Someone talk to me about rauchbier.

Specifically, give me an idea of where to find them and which are the best.

Thanks.
 
my local liquor store has a whole bunch of Marzens. no Urbocks though. try your Bevmo. they have some Marzens listed online.
 
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