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

Got brewgrass tickets! Man it was a clusterfuck on their website - so many people bitching about not getting in after trying for several hours. I got lucky. They said 20k plus people trying for 2500 tickets!

Had some Victory Hop Devil and some Lagunitas IPA back to back the other day. I'm just not real impressed with Hop Devil. The Lagunitas seemed more complex and the flavors more crisp and distinct.
 
I actually like the Hop Devil quite a bit. Probably more than the Lagunitas.

I like the Lagunitas IPA ok, but it's not among my favorites. Tastes kind of like it's probably made with hop extract rather than actual hops or something. So I don't like it nearly as much as say Stone IPA or Dale's Pale Ale or some of my other favorites. Just has an odd kind of bitter to it. Maybe I'm just not a fan some of the hops they use or something compared to some other IPAs.
 
It had been probably a couple of years since I'd had either. May be a couple more before I have them again! I want to participate in a blind IPA tasting at some point - may have to stage my own. On deck in the fridge I have one of the newish Rogue Dad's Little Helper Black IPAs. A new recipe this year I believe as they use to be malt liquor. It gets pretty piss poor reviews on BA but I wanna try it. Also a couple of Brewdog beers Punk IPA and Rip Tide RIS - I've never had anything from Brewdog so I'm eager to try them out.
 
Only thing I had of Brewdog was that Punk IPA a couple years back. I recall hating it, and see that indeed I gave it a 1.5/5 in the google doc beer rating spreadsheet I have with a fellow beer snob friend! Currently up to 434 beers rated between the two of us. :D

Always possible I just got a bad bottle though. My comments said it was a bit bland, more like a pale ale than an IPA and the little bitterness there was, was a bit funky. :D
 
Decided to branch out a bit recently (still love my Great Lakes though!). Tried some of Sierra Nevada's offerings. Really liked the Pale Ale. Their Torpedo IPA was good too, but not as hoppy as I would expect for something billed as an "extra" IPA. The Porter was good, and I really liked the Kellerweis.

Also tried some more from Bells (their Hopslam was awesome). I really liked their Pale Ale despite some mixed reviews at beeradvocate. I'll definitely be picking up some more of that soon, as well as their Amber Ale.

On tap are a couple from Dogfish Head. Got a bottle of the 60 Minute IPA and the Palo Santo Marron ($4.20 a bottle! hope it's worth it).
 
Yeah I got a 4 pack of that Palo Santo Marron not long ago but haven't had any yet - real curious - 12% brown ale - yum! It's pricey - the 4 pack was around 16 bux.
 
[quote name='depascal22']Sam Adams Noble Pils is horrible. 5 types of hops but you can't taste any of them.[/QUOTE]
I think as far as Spring Seasonal offerings go, it's probably one of my favorites. It's definitely up there in terms of flavor as far as a regular Pilsner goes - very crisp and refreshing. I can see how people wouldn't care for it though.

[quote name='bordjon']Yeah I got a 4 pack of that Palo Santo Marron not long ago but haven't had any yet - real curious - 12% brown ale - yum! It's pricey - the 4 pack was around 16 bux.[/QUOTE]
It's absolutely incredible. There's just so much flavor going on. It's very smooth but is definitely a sipper. I bought a 4-pk earlier this year and still have one in the back of the fridge.
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Speaking of Dogfish, I had the new Hellhound on My Ale last week during American Craft Beer Week at my local beer bar. Kind of what you would expect from a DFH 2xIPA with a lot of citrus hop, except you also get a lot of lemon flavor. Very interesting beer.
 
Will have to keep an eye out for that. Having a Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA at the moment, which is possibly my favorite double IPA. Toss up between that and Stone Ruination IPA.
 
Had the new Dad's Little Helper - It wasn't good (like most all the reviewers said!) not much going on with it and a funky bad almost chemical bitterness at the end.

The Punk IPA wasn't bad but it seemed more like a hoppy/bitter wheat beer from the cloudy golden appearance to the light freshness/floral-ness that seemed to have a hint of some spice even. My wife really liked it - I though it was just ok - doubt I'll pick it up again for a while if ever though.

Oh yeah - I've got a 2010 and 2011 90 min in the fridge to try back to back at some point - will see how the hop character mellows after a year.
 
Having a Southern Tier 422 pale wheat ale. Very drinkable and nice after doing some house painting prep work and grilling out. Not anything special though. And I had a Phil and Matt's Extraordinary Ale from Southern Tier the other day and it was so un-extraordinary that I forgot I had it.

Also remembered I had some Cigar City Jai Alai IPA and Maduro Oatmeal Brown Ale the other day - both really nice beers. The Jai Alai was a bit pricey on the 12ish side for a sixer but it is 7.5% so near the top for a single IPA I'd say.

I need to keep me a spreadsheet or something dmaul - that's a good idea. I'm not really active on BA with the reviews and I was doing video reviews just for myself for a while (probably accumulated close to 100) but that has sorta stopped.
 
hehe, I've become a beer snob. I asked a co-worker what he drank and he said with pride "Bud Light." I shook my head and told him to drink a real beer some time.
 
Best Beer there is!

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Ugh, Beast Ice. Last time I had it was during a Power Hour. Beast Ice, Keystone Ice, and Natty Ice. Puked last out of the foursome and the night turned into something straight out of Fear and Loathing.

Let's just say we flooded a SECOND story dorm room in a building that opens to the outside...
 
Well, Dogfish Head's 60 Minute IPA was very tasty (looking forward to trying the 90 Minute), but their Palo Santo Marron was awful. Like downing a bottle of NyQuil...blech.
 
[quote name='depascal22']Sam Adams Noble Pils is horrible. 5 types of hops but you can't taste any of them.[/QUOTE]
I thought it was pretty good. However, being a cheapass, buying it at $4 a six pack for a couple weeks might have influenced my opinion.
 
Picked up some beers for the weekend.

Stone Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout
Stone Imperial Russian Stout
Stone IPA
Heavy Seas - Siren Noire Imperial Chocolate Stout

Still have a couple Dale's Pale Ale in the fridge as well.
 
I had the brewdog rip tide stout a few days ago and I really liked it - had a nice chocolate taste. I'm gonna pick up something I've never had this weekend as I've been drinking mostly good people lately.
 
Oh lawdy - my wife just busted out that she wants some good beer tonight and started talking about Sexual Chocolate (which is a season from Foothills brewing which we don't have any of.) She was actually thinking of the Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence we've had for a while - it's a 2007 - should be fun!
 
Got some Tanners Jack and Juniper Pale Ale waiting for me at home. Going to drink that while playing some Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3 listening to some Dragonforce. It's gonna be a hardcore night.
 
Well, unless you're be at a beer snob bar with a huge selection any kind of beer would do as most people outside of those places just drink the Bud/Miller/Coors piss water anyway.

Just stay away from "girlie" drinks like daiquiris etc. if you opt for hard liquor instead of beer. So things like scotch or bourbon on the rocks, or something like a Jack and Coke or Vodka Tonic etc. if you can't drink straight liquor.
 
I love IPAs, but their not a good choice if you're not an experience beer drinker.

I HATED them when I first had them. They're full of hops, so they're WAY more bitter than the standard beers like Bud Light, Miller Light etc.--or even the more bitter lagers like Sam Adams.

Sam Adams is actually a pretty good choice if you want something that's not Bud/Coors/Miller as it's carried most places and has a lot more flavor than those without being nearly as bitter as an IPA.

Getting into IPAs, at least for me was a gradual thing from slowly moving up from crap like Bug Light to stronger things like Sam Adams and then onto less hoppy IPAs like Sierra Nevada etc. and then on to the uber hoppy ones from micro brewers.

Pretty much the definition of acquired taste as I love them now and often dislike some for not being bitter enough! :D
 
Sierra Nevade is technically just a pale ale rather than IPA, but it's as hoppy as a lot of IPAs so pretty much the same thing. IPA is just a particular style of pale ale basically, and honestly I'm not sure what the specific difference in ingredients or brewing method is that makes something an India Pale Ale vs. a Pale Ale. :D

But yeah, if you like Sierra Nevade, then check out some other IPAs for sure since you're already acclimated to one medium hoppy beer.
 
We had the 2007 Chocolate Indulgence the other night. I only had a couple of sampler glasses full - probably less than 12oz total. Wasn't my thing. It had plenty of carbonation but I'm not sure the Belgian chocolate aged well or something - it had a sweet funk to it that I didn't care for. My wife liked it a bit better than I did. Had some Harpoon Leviathan afterwards.
 
Yeah, that chocolate indulgence is pretty mediocre. Southern Tier Imperial Choklat Stout is probably the best I've had.

The Heavy Seas Siren Noire I had the other day was just ok as well.

The Stone Belgo Anise Russian Imperial Stout was damn good. Even better than the already outstanding regular version.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Sierra Nevade is technically just a pale ale rather than IPA, but it's as hoppy as a lot of IPAs so pretty much the same thing.[/QUOTE]
Sierra Nevada is more than just their Pale Ale. They offer five year-round brews after all (including an IPA).

Frankly I find their Pale Ale to be a bit light on hops compared to some brands (still tasty though), and their IPA isn't especially hoppy either imo. I suppose that makes it a good starting point for those that aren't used to the style.

Strangely, though I like IPAs, I've found that when I'm in the mood for hops I'd much rather have a double/imperial over a regular. Otherwise I stick to APAs and lagers.
 
Oh I know Sierra Nevada makes more than just the Pale Ale. That's just their most common one, and you can find it most places, so I'm pretty sure that's he had in the past. :D

And yep, they're stuff is all pretty lightly hopped other than the Anniversary and Celebration ales which are usually pretty hoppy.

I'm with you and I tend to prefer the DIPAs/imperials. Dogfish Head 90 Minute and Stone Ruination are probably my 2 Favorite. I do like plenty of IPAs though like Stone IPA, Victory Hop Devil etc. as well as some pale ales like Bells Two Hearted and Sweetwater 420.

Lagers I'm not big on and will usually only get one if I'm somewhere that doesn't have much of a selection beyond Sam Adams.
 
Two Hearted is actually an IPA and at 7% near the top of the regular (not dipa) ipa abv range. One of my fav beers period right now!
 
Yeah, I like it but not as much as the stuff like Stone as I prefer those west coast style of hops more than the citrusy hops in Two hearted and a lot of east coast IPAs.

Anyway, do you know what makes a beer an IPA rather than a pale ale? I have no idea and just only call things an IPA if it's in the name of the beer! :D Even the style guides on sites like Beer Advocate and Rate Beer and very clear on the specific differences in styles other than noting American Pale Ales are characterized by use of American hops.
 
Not really sure. Probably goes back to old European trading - sorta like the "Russian" imperial stout which many "big" beers have stolen the imperial from. I prefer double over imperial since that specific style beer was for the Russian imperial court and that Harpoon Leviathan "Imperial" IPA I had last night was not...

That being said it "seems" IPAs tend to have higher IBUs than just regular pale ales and "seem" to have slightly higher ABVs also - just marginally and not always across the board. Just from my very casual observation and my less than perfect memory ;)

On another note - we've book our hotel for Brewgrass! We should be getting our tix in the mail sometime this month. Really looking forward to it. Should be interesting with a one year old in tow. I'll be doing a bit less drinking probably. I noticed I didn't drink as much there our second trip in '09. Our first trip I consumed an insane amount of beer - I was like a kid in a candy store - free candy (well with purchase of a ticket) - as much as you want - for 7 hours...
 
[quote name='panzerfaust']i think i've had sierra nevada quite a few times, just didn't know it was an IPA lol. that and 312 is much of what we drink at school.[/QUOTE]

Just out of curiosity, what school do you go to? (I'm assuming you go to school in Illinois like your location says.) I'm at U of I in Champaign and we drink quite a bit of 312 down there as well.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']I'm with you and I tend to prefer the DIPAs/imperials. Dogfish Head 90 Minute and Stone Ruination are probably my 2 Favorite. I do like plenty of IPAs though like Stone IPA, Victory Hop Devil etc. as well as some pale ales like Bells Two Hearted and Sweetwater 420.[/QUOTE]
I tried Stone's Ruination the other day. Good stuff with a powerful flavor, but not my favorite representative of the style. Great Lakes' Lake Erie Monster is my favorite of those I've tried, with Bells' Hopslam a close second. Too bad they're both seasonal.

I have a bottle of Dogfish Head's 90 minute in the fridge. I'm hoping that'll make a good year-round substitute (their 60 is very good).

When it comes to IPAs and DIPAs, I find myself leaning toward the citrusy eastern varieties. APAs I prefer western. Go figure. :)
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']
The Stone Belgo Anise Russian Imperial Stout was damn good. Even better than the already outstanding regular version.[/QUOTE]
Didn't realize they were doing two versions of the IRS this year. I know they were doing it with Old Guardian. Is this in place or in addition to the original? I have a bottle of last year's IRS that I haven't opened yet.

Last night I picked up Harpoon's Rich & Dan's Rye IPA (100 Barrel series) & DFH Burton Baton. Can't wait to try either one!
 
I picked up some cheap-ish (6.99 sixer) Whole Foods brand beer (though it doesn't actually say Whole Foods anywhere on there) Four In Hand IPA 6.3% says it is brewed by world brews in somewhere (maybe Rochester) NY. Contract brewed I'm sure - looking it up online some say it's brewed in CA - I'm guessing it's sorta like Costco craft beer - they contract on east coast and on west coast. I'm curious if it's actually done by Matt Brewing (same as east coast Costco beer) which is in Utica, NY (they are best known for brewing Saranac.)

Anyway - it was ok - not bad at all for the price really but I doubt I'll get it again. Also picked up another six each of Good People Brown and IPA - they are 8.99 a six and I just can't get enough of them lately.

Whole Foods also had another house beer - I can't remember the name but I *think* it was a Belgian-style white.
 
[quote name='bordjon']I picked up some cheap-ish (6.99 sixer) Whole Foods brand beer (though it doesn't actually say Whole Foods anywhere on there) Four In Hand IPA 6.3% says it is brewed by world brews in somewhere (maybe Rochester) NY. Contract brewed I'm sure - looking it up online some say it's brewed in CA - I'm guessing it's sorta like Costco craft beer - they contract on east coast and on west coast. I'm curious if it's actually done by Matt Brewing (same as east coast Costco beer) which is in Utica, NY (they are best known for brewing Saranac.)

Anyway - it was ok - not bad at all for the price really but I doubt I'll get it again. Also picked up another six each of Good People Brown and IPA - they are 8.99 a six and I just can't get enough of them lately.

Whole Foods also had another house beer - I can't remember the name but I *think* it was a Belgian-style white.[/QUOTE]

I wish I wasn't in Maryland (or at least, my part of MD) since grocery stores can't sell beer/wine. I would love to try some whole foods beer. I have a whole foods not 15 minutes from me.

I don't know if it's a common beer, but if you're looking for a very "IPA-like" Pale Ale (a la Sierra Nevada) like some of the previous posters, try Dale's Pale Ale, it's one of the more hoppy Pale Ales I've ever had, and it comes on the cheap side, which is always a good quality for a decent beer to have.

Also, randomly saw some Sam Adams "Blackberry Whitbier" at the store the other day, and had to try it. I'm not normally a fruity-beer guy, but the blackberry taste was very subtle and it was really refreshing on a summer afternoon. Good times :)
 
Yeah, I drink a lot of Dale's Pale Ale as it's one of the better beers the grocery store I go to (a Kroger's) carries. :D

Victory Hop Devil is another good one that's pretty easy to find around here (and in MD as I lived there before moving to Atlanta a couple years ago).
 
[quote name='Access_Denied']Just out of curiosity, what school do you go to? (I'm assuming you go to school in Illinois like your location says.) I'm at U of I in Champaign and we drink quite a bit of 312 down there as well.[/QUOTE]

NIU

312 is pretty common in the chicago area i suppose.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Yeah, I drink a lot of Dale's Pale Ale as it's one of the better beers the grocery store I go to (a Kroger's) carries. :D

Victory Hop Devil is another good one that's pretty easy to find around here (and in MD as I lived there before moving to Atlanta a couple years ago).[/QUOTE]

I tried a Victory 12-pack mixer last week as a present for a friend, including Hop Devil, Golden Monkey, and a third who's name I was too buzzed to remember. Hop Devil lived up to its name! Good stuff.
 
[quote name='sublime90']i havent drank in about a month and im really feeling like some malt liquor tonight.[/QUOTE]

Colt .45 45 ounce wide mouth?
 
and now for something completely different... Me and my wife picked up a box of wine (well "sangria" actually because it was the cheapest - because of a slightly lower alc. content) for harvesting the bladder - I figured the wine wouldn't be so bad but she wanted to get the "sangria" and I knew we were in for fun... It's a freakin' 5(+) liter bag so we've got lots of it to drink. I want the bag for a camping (grey) water container and I just wanted to get some normal red of some sort (they had Big House Red in a 3L for a reasonable price - that was my choice.) This stuff is pretty funky for sure - I had 3 or 4 glasses last night with an orange slice. I have had a fair bit of 10-20 dollar a bottle wines in recent years but I haven't gone quite this low in many, many years!
 
[quote name='depascal22']Colt .45 45 ounce wide mouth?[/QUOTE]

i do love colt 45 but i grabbed an OE and enjoyed it. i havent seen any 45 ounce bottles here unless i havent been looking hard enough or else id have grabbed one. i just wish i was old enough to drink back when they were selling 64oz bottles.
 
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So much yum contained in this bottle. VERY Hoppy like a dry IPA but it doesn't hit you over the head with it either. All in all very balanced and doesn't make you feel full while drinking. Good for hot weather.

I haven't tried the Buffalo Sweat yet. I grabbed the Oasis last time I was at the place that has those brands and was floating on the moon midway through the second can on an empty stomach.
 
Anyone seen this Ty-Ku stuff? It's a kind of souju and I guess it was meant to be the cool new hip drink to have with sushi or other Asian cuisines. I've been tempted to try it since I like sake and souju but haven't jump on it since it's a little expensive. I think a bottle sells for $40. Anyways this local place had it for sale for $10. I asked the guy why it's so cheap, he said nobody bought the stuff. So I tried it and it's alright, kind of a girly citrus sweet drink, pinky up kinda stuff. I still prefer hot cheap sake but for $10 it's not bad.

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Was just given some homebrew from a friend of a friend - robust porter, esb and a pale ale. Had the porter last night and it was sorta surprisingly really nice! My wife really liked it too. Gonna give the esb a try tonight.
 
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