CAG Beer Drinkers Unite! Beer Snobs and Cheap Ass Drunks Welcome!

The Horn Dog is a decent barley wine. It's no where near Weyerbacher's Blithering Idiot or Hair of the Dog Fred which are my top barley wines, but still pretty decent.

Their Gonzo Imperial Porter is the best of their line up IMO.

On my front, I haven't had anything new recently. All I had this week was another sixer of the Sweetwater Happy Ending I posted about on the last page.
 
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Having a Great Divide Hibernation Ale (Old Ale) tonight. Really good and very drinkable - nay chug-able even! Really though - this beer is an easy drinker for me and at 8.7% even! Seems well balanced though not overly rich/comlpex (which is probably what helps with the potential for chugging - though I don't really participate in chugging beer much any more!) Very different drinking experience though compared to Old Stock or Ola Dubh.

Really hoping I can track down some Hopslam here soon - apparently going to be in super short supply here in AL.
 
Finally made it to Green's and picked up some beer. Was very happy to see they had a bunch of beers by Founder's. Have always heard great things about their beer, but never saw any before--guess they just started distributing here.

Picked up:

Founder's Breakfast Stout
Founders's Imperial Stout
Founders Double Trouble (Double IPA)
Founders Backwoods Bastard (Ale aged in bouron barrel--lucked into one of these as somone had stuck it in for one of the imperial stouts in the four pack--guess they wanted to try an Imperial)
Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour
Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel! Solstice d'hiver (Barleywine).

Had the Breakfast Stout and Double Trouble last night while catching up on this weeks 24 episodes. Breakfast Stout was fantastic. It's labeled as a double chocolate oatmeal coffee stout, and tastes pretty much what you would expect.

The Double Trouble was alright. Tasted more like an IPA than a DIPA though. It's good but not on par with my favorite DIPA like the Dogfish Head 90 minute, Stone Ruination IPA or Great Divide's DIPA etc.

Just opened an Imperial Stout to sip on while finishing up some work. It's damn good as well, probably even better than the Breakfast Stout. Reminds me a lot of Stone's Russian Imperial stout--which is probably my number 1 beer. This is probably just as good as it. Very impressed.
 
Co-worker told me to try a Steel Reserve. So bought a 24 oz can. Downing it as we speak...kind of gross but for a beer this is the fastest I've been buzzed in a long while.

Otherwise bough some Bud Light Golden Wheat. Will try that one a little later.
 
Awesome news about the Founder's. We picked up a couple 4 packs when in Asheville a while back because my wife had one at the Thirsty Monk and just loved it.

Looks like I may not be getting any hopslam this time around. We got a puny allotment (5 cases for only a select few stores) and many of the hardcore beer geeks here reserved like a case each... and I hear it's really good this year - like around 12% ABV!?! - oh well - maybe I'll get off my ass and reserve some next year if I must...
 
Tried the Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour as well last night. It was alright. I've never liked a Flemish sour (which is why I didn't try it while at Monk's in November as they had so much other good stuff on tap).

But it's not quite and sweet/sour as some others like the Duchess de Bourgogne.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Sweetwater Happy Ending Imperial Stout--really like this one. Basically it's a super hopped english style Imperial Stout. Get that hop blast up front that you'd get in an IPA or DIPA, but in the body of a IS with the chocolate malt flavor underneath.[/QUOTE]

:shock:

What's sweetwater's distribution like? This is something I must try.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']:shock:

What's sweetwater's distribution like? This is something I must try.[/QUOTE]

I'd never seen before coming to Atlanta.

And from the website, they only distribute in GA, AL, NC, TN, FL, and SC


If you haven't had Stone Sublimely Self Righteous Ale you should give it a try. It's distributed more widely, and is somewhat similar in being a dark, full bodied beer with a ton of hops. It's not the same since it's an Ale rather than an Imperial Stout so it lacks the chocolate/coffee taste under neath the hops compared to this one. But still a very complex and quite good beer.
 
I'll look into that for sure.

But the coffee/chocolate is the best part! I may have to hit up some folks in TN and see if they can grab some. It sounds absolutely stunning.
 
Yeah, it was quite good. If you just want the coffee chocolate part any good imperial stout will do--Old Rasputin, Founder's, Oskar Blues Ten Fidy, Stone Russian Imperial Stout, Victory Storm King etc. But the extra hoppyness of this one really does make it unique.

Hit up the folks soon as this is a seasonal/limited release, and not one of Sweetwater's usual lineup.
 
I'm really digging New Belgium's new Trippel. It's nice to be able to get a tripel in a sixer (for under $9 too).

I had a sixer of that, and Allegash's Tripel Reserve last night. Both are great, although the Allegash was definitely better.
Two of the Trippels and half of the Tripel Reserve had me trashed though, since the beers clock in at 7.8% and 9% ABV respectively. :lol:


Belgian brews are the best.
 
I had Founder's Centennial IPA at Scotty's Brewpub in Indianapolis. Very good beer with alot of hops.

The waitress suggested another IPA from Bell's that was a total mess. It was made with honey and just didn't do anything well.
 
Bells IPA means either Hopslam or Two-Hearted unless I'm that far out of the loop. Both are among my favorite IPAs. It was bad? Oh, my.
 
Looks like I've finally milked all the Christmas Seasonal Beers from the surrounding BevMo's all around LA... so I've moved on to other beers. Somehow slogged through an entire bottle of Hebrew Jewbelation... man, that thing's hoppy and strong. And it's 13% alc by vol. Strong stuff! :)
 
I'll have to keep my eye out for that Hopslam. Sounds good.

I like the Two Hearted as well, probably my favorite of the grapefruity, east coast style IPAs.
 
if youre ever in sac sunday mornings i say you go to hoppy brewing co. my gf and i drove past them randomly and decided to eat there. we had never had their beers but weve seen them around. i had the total eclipse black ale, which was decent. it had a very strong coffee taste, she had the stoney face red ale, which was quite tasty and smooth. but the best part is, when you get an entree on sunday, you get a free 22oz beer! so not only did we have a good brunch, but we went home with extra beer. everybody wins!
 
[quote name='bordjon']that's hopslam - it has the honey. It is a double IPA. Very highly regarded beer though.[/QUOTE]

I guess I just prefer western IPAs. I've tried a couple local Indiana IPAs and now a couple from Michigan and they just don't stack up to any of my faves from California, Colorado, or Oregon. I like the bite but I don't like that honey/grapefruit taste that comes with an Eastern IPA.
 
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Bell's actually made another double IPA without honey and supposedly with an even hoppier taste (super high IBUs) called Oracle. It was a very, very limited release though and was back nearly a year ago and I don't think there has been any word if they'll be doing it again or not.
 
[quote name='depascal22']I guess I just prefer western IPA I guess. I've tried a couple local Indiana IPAs and now a couple from Michigan and they just don't stack up to any of my faves from California, Colorado, or Oregon. I like the bite but I don't like that honey/grapefruit taste that comes with an Eastern IPA.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I'm with you there. Though I do like the grapefruity IPAs like the Two Hearted or Sweetwaters.

But I much prefer the west-coast IPA with the more resiny/piney hops--Stone IPA, Stone Ruination, Bear Republic Racer 5, Green Flash West Coast IPA etc.
 
I drank a couple of my North Coast Old Stock Ales and boy are these things delicious. Tastes like Unibroue's La Terrible, but a little better. An excellent choice for a winter beer that isn't coffee-flavored.
 
How many beers do the snobs here drink per day? I drink Keystone and mix in the occasional quality 6 pack. It's too expensive for me to be a beer snob.
 
I'll have 1-3 beers 2 or 3 nights a week usually. Occasionally more often, and the occasional night of having more than 3. But not often as most of the beer I drink regularly is in the 7-11% ABV range so that's already a lot of alcohol with 3 beers.

I spend $30-40 every couple of weeks on beer at the store. Not counting getting a beer with lunch or dinner here or there a few times a month. So it's a bit pricey, but not a problem now that I finally have a real job. It was much tougher the last few years through grad school though.
 
Tried Sam Adam's Noble Pils. Hated it. The after taste it left in my mouth was just awful.

Also tried Sierra Nevada's Glissade. Disappointing as well.
 
[quote name='deathmothon']How many beers do the snobs here drink per day? I drink Keystone and mix in the occasional quality 6 pack. It's too expensive for me to be a beer snob.[/QUOTE]

My view is that, if I can't afford to get a decent 4/6 pack, then my funds do not belong going to alcohol anyways. It's never a dilemma between 24 cheap beers or 6 expensive beers, for me, because I'll never choose the former.
 
[quote name='RAMSTORIA']thats too bad, i just saw the glissade in the store this weekend. what was wrong with it? i generally like SN>[/QUOTE]

I saw it in the grocery store the other day as well. Pulling a B on Beer Advocate currently.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/55243

Doesn't really sound like a beer I'd like it since I'm not much into lighter beers. But there's 92 reviews there if you want to go give a few a read and see if it sounds like something you'd dig.

[quote name='rabbitt']My view is that, if I can't afford to get a decent 4/6 pack, then my funds do not belong going to alcohol anyways. It's never a dilemma between 24 cheap beers or 6 expensive beers, for me, because I'll never choose the former.[/QUOTE]

Yep, same here. I'll drink a cheap beer if I'm out with friends and that's all that's available. But I've not bought a cheap beer to drink at home in proabably 6 or 7 years. Even if buying somewhere with a poor selection I can usually at least get Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada or Guinness or Newcastle.

And I agree on the budget logic as well. If someone can't afford $8-12 for a good 4/6 pack, they probably shouldn't be dropping $4-6 on a six pack of some crappy domestic either as they clearly have little to no discretionary income if a $4-6 price difference is a deal breaker. I mean it's fine if you're a poor college student just wanting to get slammed often etc, as it adds up if you're going through a ton of beer every week. But it matters less when you just want to enjoy a couple beers a couple times a week.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']I saw it in the grocery store the other day as well. Pulling a B on Beer Advocate currently.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/55243

Doesn't really sound like a beer I'd like it since I'm not much into lighter beers. But there's 92 reviews there if you want to go give a few a read and see if it sounds like something you'd dig.[/QUOTE]

i generally dig miabocks, so ill have to pick it up
 
[quote name='RAMSTORIA']i generally dig miabocks, so ill have to pick it up[/QUOTE]

Yep, definitely worth checking out if you're into the style it seems. I'll check it out if I see it on tap somewhere or can buy a single somewhere. Not willing to go for a six pack though as I'm skeptical I'll like it.
 
[quote name='Liquid 2']Tried Sam Adam's Noble Pils. Hated it. The after taste it left in my mouth was just awful.[/QUOTE]

We ordered a pitcher of this a few nights ago. It was okay, but I was fine with just one.
 
I typically have 1-2 beers a night - pretty much every night. Last night I had two - a Terrapin Hopsecutioner at 7% and a Saranac Ocktoberfest at 5.4%. I typically drink them while watching a movie or tv shows with my wife. I shudder to think how much I spend a month on beer but I can afford it - it's a hobby for me much like gaming is.
 
I had the Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel! Solstice d'hiver last night. It was about like all their beers I've had so far, good but not great.

This one is a barelywine. It was a bit bitter for the style and didn't have enough of the malty/alcohol sweetness to balance it compared to my favorite barleywines-i.e. Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot, Hair of the Dog Fred.
 
Ok so all our state's Hopslam allotment (not much at all) was gone in about two days. I didn't get any. Then I heard through the grapevine that Whole Foods would be getting a few more cases. I told my wife I'd be going by after class to pick up some. I went in around 2 and got a sixer (14.99 - very reasonable price from what I'm reading of other states prices on it.) They had 3 sixers left after that. When my wife gets home she says come out and help me get this surprise I got for you out of the trunk - it's two more sixers of Hopslam! So I'm pretty excited!

Had one last night and it is really good stuff. Well balanced citrus and pine and smooth for the high ABV (they are saying around 12.8% this year - though they didn't change the label to reflect it - label still says 10%.) My batch was bottled 9 days ago! I'll probably have a bit more to say after having one or two more. I will say it didn't blow me away. I want to pull out a DFH 90 and a Hercules and try those with a Hopslam one each a night successively to see what I think. I *think* I like DFH 90 better. I may pull out a Stone Ruination also around that time. I will say the Double Dog DIPA I've been drinking at nearly 12% is much harsher and not near as complex as the Hopslam. That's sorta the key for me - Hopslam having such a high ABV and masking it so well (DFH 90 is only 9% and Ruination 7.7%.)
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Yep, definitely worth checking out if you're into the style it seems. I'll check it out if I see it on tap somewhere or can buy a single somewhere. Not willing to go for a six pack though as I'm skeptical I'll like it.[/QUOTE]

picked up a 6 pack. not as good as i hoped. the main problem is it has an odd after taste that i couldnt put my finger on. after the 3rd or 4th it didnt bother me so much, but that will be the last one i buy. if someone else wants to buy me one, i wont turn them away though.
 
I also picked up a single of the 2010 Glissade - don't know when I'll have it though. Probably try it sooner than later.
 
Here is my current collection as of last night, with the Dogfish and Labatt being the newest, now although Labatt may be common in the north but since i moved to FL 9 years ago its crazy hard to find here and this lone 6-pack was calling out to me when i saw it at the store.

Sure makes me thirsty.
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[quote name='RAMSTORIA']thats too bad, i just saw the glissade in the store this weekend. what was wrong with it? i generally like SN>[/QUOTE]

It was utterly lacking in flavor and body, in the way Dos Equis and its ilk are. I might as well have been drinking carbonated water with some beer flavor drops in it.

The last SN brew I had was the Celebration Ale, which I loved, and I've enjoyed a few of SN's other brews, so I expected better than what it was.
It's only redeeming value is that its outrageously easy to drink (much like macrobrews), so you can get drunk off it, but that's not what I look for in a beer (although it can be a bonus).
 
Had the Glissade last night. It wasn't bad but didn't have that in-your-face-ness that all these american style (or american bastardized style) craft beers I've been drinking lately have. Seemed a bit more subtle but it really wasn't bad. The bitterness hit me real late in the tasting but it was pleasant. The sweetness I got in the aroma (candy corn?!?) wasn't really there at all for me in the taste. Don't know that I'll pick another one up though.

In other news, we found out my wife is pregnant yesterday!!!
 
Went to my favorite bar and had some damn good beers.

Breckenridge 471 IPA -- very hoppy but it has a little fruit undertone. Very good

Dogfish India Brown Ale -- hoppy with what seemed like chocolate undertones, it was like Guiness with a hoppier bite

Stone Double Bastard -- Really good hoppy and smooth but probably shouldn't have had it after the other 2.

It's a good thing I wasn't driving but a great time nonetheless. Probably doesn't help that the bartender was a hot blonde that knew her beer.
 
Had my first Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye last night - fell in love with it! Totally awesome - wish Bear Repub. was available here in AL.
 
[quote name='depascal22']

Dogfish India Brown Ale -- hoppy with what seemed like chocolate undertones, it was like Guiness with a hoppier bite

[/QUOTE]

sounds like id love this. im pretty sure ive seen it at my local bevmo, ill have to stop by there tonight and see if i can get some for the LOST premier tonight
 
Yeah, the Hop Rod Rye is pretty damn good, as is their Racer 5 IPA.

I also like the Dogfish Head Indian Brown, though I wouldn't describe it as a hoppy guinness. It's a hoppy brown ale as the name implies, not a stout. Has more off the caramel taste of a brown ale under the hops (think newcastle or Sam Smiths Nut Brown, Tommyknocker Imperial Nut Brown etc.) vs the coffee or chocolate taste of a stout.
 
I agree with you about it tasting like a caramel Newcastle but I swear it had more chocolate tones than caramel. The hoppy Breckenridge threw me off and after finishing the IBA, I was pretty toasty. I'll have to go back on Friday in the name of "research". Think my wife'll buy that story?
 
Just went to my local Discount Liquor, and they had samples of Glissade. I had only heard about it on this thread. Unfortunately, this was after a 5-hour lunch, so I wasn't really in a good position to rate it, but it seemed pretty boring to me. Solid, but not worth a purchase.
 
[quote name='Liquid 2']It's my friend's birthday on Monday, so I'm getting us a 4 pack of La Fin Du Monde for us to split. Super excited.

I
 
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