Thread O' Beer!

[Our Aurora]

I have experienced Hopslam (thanks to Bac0n), and I am now a better person.

On a side note: I am headed out to Southern California tomorrow morning. I will be there for 3 weeks and am looking forward to sampling as many brews as possible.

Not sure if I'll remember to post in here but if you guys are on Untappd my username is caravalhor.

[Ezee E]

I absolutely love the Summer Shandy.

[bac0n]

So I was enjoying a Pinot Gris with dinner, and afterward felt like a beer, so I went to the fridge for a halcyon wheat by Tallgrass. On autopilot, I, not thinking about what I was doing, poured the beer into the wine glass. I noticed what I was doing about halfway through the pour and by that point had decided, fuck it, the die had been cast so I went ahead and poured the rest in.

All I can say is this: a good ridel wine glass, what with it's bulbous shape and wide lip is a GREAT vessel for beer. Holy shit you get so much on the nose, it informs so much more of the flavor. This is nothing short of a revelation.

[D_Davis]

All I can say is this: a good ridel wine glass, what with it's bulbous shape and wide lip is a GREAT vessel for beer. Holy shit you get so much on the nose, it informs so much more of the flavor. This is nothing short of a revelation.

I usually drink beer out of my Chimay chalice because of that very reason.




I swear 90% of a beer's taste is in the nose. I don't understand how people drink good beer from the bottle or can.

[Raiders]

Just got my own Chimay glass after buying the little box set. I feel so cool now.

Actually, I only drink beer from the bulbous glasses. I have a set of four New Belgium ones that I have been using exclusively before now.

[Our Aurora]

Hey Bacon--

Did you ever get around to trying the Double Bag that I sent in the swap?

I may have missed your thoughts. It has a been a staple in my fridge for years. It's not necessarily a summer beer, so you may want to save it for later, but I'm interested in what you think.

Also, some great beers are coming out soon for the cooler months. I would definitely be down to do another swap. If you (or anyone on here) would like to do a trade just send me a PM.

Had a great time on the West Coast, and had some great beers. San Diego county is putting out some amazing brew. Would love to have gone further North... but at least I got my hands on some Pliny the Elder!

Cheers everyone!

[bac0n]

Eek, I thought I had posted all my thoughts of Double Bag at least in unTappd... Here's what I recall of Double Bag from my notes:

Nose: bread, caramel, brown sugar, alcohol
Taste: strong, assertive (I wrote down "holy shit"), not much bitterness, and tart up front, which lingers towards the middle, and ends on a bitter note. I recall liking it a lot! Recall it being the kinda beer I would enjoy in the Fall.

And yeah, I'd be down for doing another beer exchange, especially as the fall beers start rolling out. There were some glaring omissions this last one we did: Surly and Steel Toe to name a few.

[Morris Schæffer]

Glasses I own for two pretty tasty Belgian beers, Duvel and Karmeliet:





I guess there's a similarity with Chimay in that these are among the stronger ones of the Belgian beers. Good to see the Belgian beer love endures in this thread.

[bac0n]

Hey Gang - we're about two weeks from September, which will see a shitload of awesome beers being released from craft breweries.

Just wanted to throw out a shout-out to see if anybody wanted to do another beer exchange. They're awesome. Ask Our Aurora. In fact, the two of us are for sure going to do another one. Anyone else game?

[Ezee E]

I'd like to participate... And really want to try this Oberon that you all rave about.

[Gizmo]

I would love to, but I'm not gonna have any extra cash to spend buying/mailing beers until the spring probably. Working on moving and trying to pay off these damn credit cards. Hopefully next time.

In other news, this weekend I'm bottling my first all grain attempt. It's a wheat that came out low in starting gravity since I over estimated water losses and efficiency. It tastes great, just low on alcohol/body, so actually works real well for an easy drinking session to finish the summer. Can't wait for it to be carbinated and ready to drink.

This weekend will be my second all grain attempt, and I'm going with an IPA, this way if I underestimate efficiency it'll just be a little maltier and less hoppy, which could just make it a very high alcohol Pale Ale, or less hoppy IPA.

[bac0n]

Awesome. As much as I love IPAs (they're basically my favorite beers) I've never actually brewed one. I have an Imperial IPA I've brewed several times that I'm getting closer and closer to where I like it, but never a straight up IPA. I'll be interested in hearing how your batch turns out.

[Gizmo]

I actually don't care for IPAs much. I mostly did this and the wheat in order to try and figure out my equipment so I can start doing beers I do enjoy more. I figure if I go wrong I'd rather do it on something I already don't care much for than something I really like. Plus wheats and IPAs have relatively quick turnaround so I can both enjoy them sooner and get quicker feedback.

[Scar]

On my flight back from Denver, I sat next to a 6' Natalie Portman look-alike MMA fighter chef who brews beer. She promised she'd send me her recipe for her awesome Cherry Vanilla Belgian beer.

Bac0n, lets hope she keeps her promise....

[Gizmo]

that already sounds amazing.

[bac0n]

On my flight back from Denver, I sat next to a 6' Natalie Portman look-alike MMA fighter chef who brews beer. She promised she'd send me her recipe for her awesome Cherry Vanilla Belgian beer.

Bac0n, lets hope she keeps her promise....

If you bring it, we'll make it.

[Morris Schæffer]

I decided to plunge headfirst into some of the more hardcore Belgian beers tonight. So first I had a Westmalle Tripel (9.5%):



Then an Orval (6.2%):



Finale a blonde Chimay (8.5%):



Am I hammered? Well, I'm ok because it was a long evening, but I love beers that give you a buzz rather than the ones you can guzzle down as if they were lemonade.

[Spun Lepton]

http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3qmmw4/

[Gizmo]

So heard lots of good things about this beer. It's not bad, per say, but not my style. Too much spice and alcohol content. I much prefer thicker smoother drinking beers. Glad to have tried it, but at $5 a bottle I think I'm done buying it.

[Spun Lepton]

So heard lots of good things about this beer. It's not bad, per say, but not my style. Too much spice and alcohol content. I much prefer thicker smoother drinking beers. Glad to have tried it, but at $5 a bottle I think I'm done buying it.

Agreed. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything I was going to purchase again.

[bac0n]

Same here. I don't get the "best beer in the world" hoopla that DT gets, especially when I can name three or four beers in the same style that I think are much better.

[D_Davis]

So much wrong in this thread. The love for IPAs and the meh's towards DT....wow. So, so, so much wrong.

Best beer in the world? Probably not. Especially when The Stoic exists, but it is damn good.

[Spun Lepton]

Well ... IPAs are fantastic. Dunno what's got your panties in a bunch.

[Gizmo]

So much wrong in this thread. The love for IPAs and the meh's towards DT....wow. So, so, so much wrong.

The bottle is outstanding. I'm not an IPA fan, but working on at least drinking them more readily.


is still my favorite beer.

[D_Davis]

Well ... IPAs are fantastic. Dunno what's got your panties in a bunch.

All they care about in IPAs here in the Pacific Northwest, which is considered the place to be for IPAs, is to cram in as much hops as humanly and super-humanly possible. WE"VE GOT MORE HOPS IN THIS ONE BOTTLE THAN 500 OTHER BATCHES COMBINED!

It's ridiculous - it's like liking hot sauce that is only hot, and no flavor.

Black/Dark IPAs are good because they still strive for a balance of malts and hops.