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

Dogfish. Any flavor.

And Duvel.

You should feel blessed if a box of this ends up on your doorstep.

It is known to happen.
 
[quote name='marten']Dogfish. Any flavor.

And Duvel.

You should feel blessed if a box of this ends up on your doorstep.

It is known to happen.[/quote]

Oh I know, I had one sip of this to start and I knew I found a new love... Now if only she weren't a $3.50 a bottle whore. Oh well, I guess I will just have to save. So far I really haven't found anywhere near me that carries it. I am fairly sure my brother either picked it up at Binny's in Chicago or Trader Joe's down there when visiting his in-laws.
 
[quote name='rabbitt']Had Budweiser American Ale tonight. Not bad.[/quote]

It's really pretty good. I wish it were a little cheaper to make it more competitive with Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada. I don't see many people leaving those brands for Bud if it's the same price.
 
[quote name='depascal22']It's really pretty good. I wish it were a little cheaper to make it more competitive with Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada. I don't see many people leaving those brands for Bud if it's the same price.[/QUOTE]

Also because American Ale sucks compared to Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada. It's better than Bud or Bud Light, but still too watery and bland for my liking. But again I like really strong, high alcohol dark beers (imperial stouts etc.) and very hoppy beers so my palette has become to snobby for a lot of beers. :D
 
dmaul1114 - Do you like Russian Imperial Stouts? I'm the only one I know who drinks it. Everyone that tries it says it's too bitter.
 
Yes, my absolute favorite type of beer.

My favorites are the North Coast Brewing Co. Old Rasputin, Stone Imperial Russian Stout and the Osakar Blues Ten Fidy.
 
OK, I had the Weyerbacher Raspberry Imperial Stout tonight (watching the Titans lose to the Ravens :cry:). At first opening and pour I could definitely smell some raspberry, but once you start drinking it, you don't really notice it much at all. It takes a little bit of the "bite" out of what you get from a typical Imperial Stout, but it's not like having a Chocolate Truffle (Young's Double Chocolate Stout mixed with Framboise) which is kind of what I was expecting.

I'll probably stick with more traditional Imperial Stouts in the future, but it isn't bad if you want to try something just a little bit different.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Yes, my absolute favorite type of beer.

My favorites are the North Coast Brewing Co. Old Rasputin, Stone Imperial Russian Stout and the Osakar Blues Ten Fidy.[/quote]

I love all of North Coast Brewing Co. beers. I also like their Prankster & Old Stock. Old Stock is like 12% so a few of those will get me buzzed fast. Another Russian Stout I recently found was called Old Heathen. It's not as good as Old Rasputin but it is cheaper. A 6-pack will run you about $8 - $10. Not bad.
 
Had a Singha tonight with Thai Food, good stuff, a decent Lager.
Kona Pipeline Porter-Had that last night, strong coffee taste but not an overly bitter Porter taste at the end. I think I'll have to make this one a regular.

I know beer that tastes terrible, any of the Dead Guy Ales....gag!
 
[quote name='Rodimus']I love all of North Coast Brewing Co. beers. I also like their Prankster & Old Stock. Old Stock is like 12% so a few of those will get me buzzed fast. Another Russian Stout I recently found was called Old Heathen. It's not as good as Old Rasputin but it is cheaper. A 6-pack will run you about $8 - $10. Not bad.[/QUOTE]

Old Stock is damn good.

Old Heathen isn't bad. The Clipper City/Heavy Sea's Peg Leg Imperial stout isn't bad for a cheapr one as well.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Old Stock is damn good.

Old Heathen isn't bad. The Clipper City/Heavy Sea's Peg Leg Imperial stout isn't bad for a cheapr one as well.[/quote]


You really can't go wrong with any of the Heavy Seas IMO. That "sunken chest" 12 pack you can buy is always worth it.
 
Those imperial stouts put me on my ass. One beer and I'm done. It's like really good homegrown.

Went to a country ass bar on Saturday. Band played "Sweet Home Indiana (Alabama)" and the best beer they had on tap was Killian's. I was one and done in that joint.
 
It takes 2 or 3 imperial stouts (or other-8-10% beers) to put me on my ass.

But I prefer stonger ones. Mailnly for the taste, but it's nice to drink 1 for a good buzz and 2 or 3 and be done vs. having to drink several weaker beers for the same effect. Doesn't save money since the good imperials cost so much more, but saves calories, bloating and feeling too full!
 
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[quote name='wubb']Here's the beer list of the place semi-close to me that stocks a lot of singles: http://www.wineaccess.com/file/store/totalwine/beer-totalwine-alexandria-landmark.pdf

Feel free to make some suggestions if you have some time on your hands and I'll probably give them a taste.[/QUOTE]

Lots of good beers there, I'll skim through and paste a "few" of my faves here (to help some more I bolded a few abolute favorites--though I highly recommend trying everything listed):

Microbrews
Avery Ellie's Brown Ale
Avery Hog Heaven Barleywine
Bear Republic Racer 5
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA
Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale
Heavy Seas Hang Ten
Heavy Seas Peg Leg
Lagunitas Olde GnarlyWine
Lakefront Fuel Cafe Stout
North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial Stout
Noth Coast Old Stock Ale
Rogue Chocolate Stout
Rogue Dead Guy
Rogue Double Dead Guy Ale
Rogue Shakespeare Stout
Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale
Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale
Stone IPA
Stone Ruination IPA
Stone Smoked Porter
Tommyknocker Imperial Nut Brown
Troegs Hopback Amber Ale
Troegs Nugget Nectar Ale
Troegs Troegenator Double Bock
Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot
Weyerbacher Old Heathen Stout

Imports

Belgium
Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale
Delirium Nocturnum
Delirium Tremens
Kasteel Brown *
McChouffe (assuming it's their "Artisanal Belgian Brown Ale")
Westmalle Tripel Trappist Ale *

Canada
Unibroue - Maudite
Unibroue - La Fin Du Monde

England

Fuller's ESB
Meantime London Porter
Old Speckled Hen
Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale
Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout
St Peter's Cream Stout
St Peter's Old Style Porter
Youngs Double Chocolate Stout

Germany
Paulaner Hefe Weizen
Spaten Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse
Weihenstephaner HefeWeissbier Dark


Those should keep you busy for a while. :D If the prices listed are correct, I may have to check that out. A lot of beers are much cheaper than singles sell for up here in the MD suburbs.
 
Funny, me and dmaul must have been scanning the list at the same time.

My tastes trend towards Belgian Strong Ales, Stouts, Bocks and Dopplebocks. These are all beers that I have personally had and remember liking:

Belgium
Chimay - Red (then work your way up to Blue then White - not in one night!)
Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale
Delirium Nocturnim
Delirium Tremens
Duvel
Gouden Carolus Triple
St. Bernardus Abt 12

Canada
Anything by Unibroue - seriously. If you can find Terrible, definitely pick it up

England
Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout
Youngs Double Chocolate Stout (can)

Germany
Aecht Schlenkerla Raucherbier - this is a smoked beer so it is VERY different. I've had the Urbock and I have a Marzen in the frige I'm saving for when I have some smoked meat for dinner some night. You definitely taste the smoke, you almost get a beef jerky type taste from it.

Ayinger Celebrator Dopplebock
Einbecker Mai Ur Bock
Einbecker Ur Bock Dunkle
Paulaner Salvator Dopple Bock
Schneider Aventinus Wheat Dopple (do you see a pattern here?)
Spaten Optimator

US
Oscar Blues Old Chub Ale
Oscar Blues Dale's Pale Ale
Magic Hat #9
Heavy Seas (Clipper City) - anything, they are all good
Bell's Java Stout
Bell's Kalamazoo Stout
Bell's Two Hearted Ale
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
 
[quote name='ArthurDigbySellers']
Canada
Anything by Unibroue - seriously. If you can find Terrible, definitely pick it up
[/QUOTE]

I'll second that one. I like the couple I listed, but the Terrible is their best that I've tried.

I'd also add Oscar Blues Ten Fidy imperial stout if you can find it. They have some of the other Oscar Blues there, so there's a decent chance they'll have it soon when it comes out (it's a late winter seasonal).
 
That looks like a list of beers from Total Wine. That's were I go for my "hard to find beers." They have some decent prices too. There's so many to pick from but dmaul put togther a good list and I can vouche for most of them. Here's a few more:

Anything Dogfish Head. I haven't tried them all but I've never gone wrong with their beers.

Belguim:
Gulden Draak
Chimay
St. Bernardus

English:
Boddington's
Old Speckled Hen

German:
Spaten

Scottish:
Belhaven

There so many more, but these are off the top of my head. What kinda beers do you like, dark, light, bitter, smooth, something good with food, fruity, etc.
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'll copy them out and definitely give some a try. I've had some of the suggestions, of course, but most I haven't.

And you are correct Rodimus, that is a list from a Total Wine. There is supposedly a non-chain place in Vienna VA with an even better selection of singles but I haven't made it there.

You guys each mentioned several I really like - Rogue Dead Guy, Troegs Hopback, Old Speckled Hen, Bell's Kalamazoo Stout, Bell's Two Hearted Ale, Boddington's etc

I've wanted to try Troegs Nugget Nectar but it's apparently seasonal and the TW was out last I checked. Maybe they have it now...
 
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Yeah, I've not seen the Nugget Nectar anywhere this year. It was all over the place around here last fall/winter. I hope they didn't not make it this year or not distribute it in the DC areas etc.

It's one of the best super hoppy beers I've had.
 
Has anyone tried this?

1014.jpg


I may have some this week.
 
I'd actually recommend Rogue and Stone Ruination. Chimay is good also, wubb.

As for Great Lakes Nosferatu, I haven't had that. I tried their Elliot Ness and I wasn't really impressed. They love Great Lakes in Ohio and I felt obligated to try it but I ended up sticking with Sierra Nevada when I was working in Dayton.
 
[quote name='rabbitt']Has anyone tried this?

1014.jpg


I may have some this week.[/QUOTE]

Great Lakes makes some really good beers. Nothing bad, but little that's memorable. Their Holy Moses Belgian White Ale is pretty tasty; lacks that "hot dog water" aftertaste that Blue Moon has.

The Burning River IPA is also passable, but if better IPAs are available, do it.

[quote name='kube00']No Wubb stay away from Rogue Dead Guy it's terrible....[/QUOTE]

You give bad advice. Buy extra Dead Guy.

[quote name='depascal22']I'd actually recommend Rogue and Stone Ruination. Chimay is good also, wubb.[/QUOTE]

Which Chimay?
 
I've had a handful of Rogues - well Dead Guy and their holiday seasonal at least. Good stuff.

So Chimay is worth the steep price? Maybe I'll give the "cheap" one a shot.
 
Eh. I stay away from Belgians generally speaking, but I'll have one on occasion. I simply don't have the time to research stuff about the beer (where it's made, what it contains, etc.). Not that I would do that with, say, High Life (;)), but "Belgian" is such an overgeneralization, it's like trying to classify the flavor of "beer" in a few sentences. Where in Belgium? What style? What technique? Ingredients?

I feel like I should know what I'm diving into if I'm spending money on a nice beer.

Rogue makes spirits now, too, FWIW. Their gin puts hair on yer eyeballs.
 
I like Belgians, but was never overly impressed by any of the Chimay's I've tried. They're good but I've had others that I've liked better. My favorite Beligians are probably Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale and McChouffe Artisan Beligan Brown Ale--both I listed above from your Total Wine selection.

So the Abbey Brown ales are the ones I dig the most, and I like some Tripels. Not big on the Belgian Whites (Wittes) or golden ales, or the Frambois since I don't dig fruity beer generally.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']Great Lakes makes some really good beers. Nothing bad, but little that's memorable. Their Holy Moses Belgian White Ale is pretty tasty; lacks that "hot dog water" aftertaste that Blue Moon has.

The Burning River IPA is also passable, but if better IPAs are available, do it.
[/QUOTE]

Thanks. I'll pick up some of that White Ale if I see it around here.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']
I feel like I should know what I'm diving into if I'm spending money on a nice beer.
[/QUOTE]

I don't have the time to research much either, but my buddy and I just blind buy beers all the time.

I've had plenty of times I've dropped $12-16 on a single beer and hated it, but plenty more times I've done so and found a new favorite. But I know the styles of beer I like so that helps--I just sometimes spend money on one that ends up being a poor example of the style which maybe I could avoid by doing some research.

I wish the stores I frequent had a list like that total wine site, as I'd be more likely to look up a few that I hadn't had and at least glance at the aggregate rating on Beer Advocate every once in a while.
 
I'll have to check out total wine; I look at reviews on ratebeer, but some of 'em are just pretentious assholes who make shit up. If you can make a sentence with the words "mouthfeel," "biscuit," "toffee," and "lacing," you can fool anyone into thinking you know about beer.

I get your blind buy philosophy. I do that with wine more than beer by a long shot. My old neighbors (a UC criminologist and her husband) told me "it's not a great joy to spend $50 on a bottle of wine and find out it's great; the adventure is in finding that just-as-amazing $10 bottle."

And they were totally right. Wade through the muck, find a gem, and buy a case of it. :)
 
[quote name='mykevermin']I'll have to check out total wine[/QUOTE]

Hell, the Total Wine near me has one aisle of beer and a dozen of wine. So I'm sure it's even better for vinophiles (is that even a word?)
 
[quote name='rabbitt']Has anyone tried this?

1014.jpg


I may have some this week.[/quote]

I haven't had that one but I did have Great Lakes Burning River last year and I really liked it. It compared pretty well to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']I'll have to check out total wine; I look at reviews on ratebeer, but some of 'em are just pretentious assholes who make shit up. If you can make a sentence with the words "mouthfeel," "biscuit," "toffee," and "lacing," you can fool anyone into thinking you know about beer.

I get your blind buy philosophy. I do that with wine more than beer by a long shot. My old neighbors (a UC criminologist and her husband) told me "it's not a great joy to spend $50 on a bottle of wine and find out it's great; the adventure is in finding that just-as-amazing $10 bottle."

And they were totally right. Wade through the muck, find a gem, and buy a case of it. :)[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I don't read individual reviews, just see what the aggregate score is. If it's high and it's a style of beer I enjoy I tend to like it.

I don't mind the "technical" beer jargon so much. For instance mouthfeel and lacing are pretty easy. For the first its either watery or thicker, and for the second the glass either has lace or not. I don't mind those words so much, it's all the fucking adjectives they put around words like mouthfeel that drive me nuts! :D

And with the blind buying I'm just that way with beer rather than wine. I like taking chances and finding a great beer, and like you say its even better when it's a cheaper microbrew vs. some expensive import. I like Wine ok, but I much prefer a good beer any day of the week. Just a different palette I guess. I prefer the bitter flavor of beer to the sour, fruitiness of wines. But I still enjoy a cabernet or pinot noir everyonce in a while, but I don't have refined tastes or a list of favorites there like I do for beer.
 
I'm with you, dmaul. There are sometimes that wine goes well with a meal but a good beer will go with any meal.

I'm more of an IPA guy because I like to have a little bite to a beer. That being said, I will go with PBR when I'm being really cheap. That and Heineken are my favorite "watery" beers.
 
Yeah PRB is ok as far as watery beers go, but I'll generally not drink at all before drinking one.

I also like beers with bite--be it the hops of an IPA or the alcohol and bitterness of an imperial stout or the alcohol of a nice strong Barleywine.
 
I got into Porters last fall but I haven't found a good one in the area. I had a superb one in Fredericksburg, Texas last October but they don't ship distribute outside of Texas and Colorado.
 
Stone Smoked Porter is solid. As is the Meantime Porter. The Holiday Porter in the Sam Adams winter sampler 12 pack isn't bad either.
 
Does the Sam Winter Sampler have Cherry Wheat in it? If so, I swore I won't buy it anymore since it just ends up sitting in my fridge. If I could pick and choose, I'd be much happier with the samplers that you can find in stores.

Target allows you to pick four beers for $6 and I find that to be a great value when I'm not in the mood for one particular beer. Unfortunately, it's the usual import selection that you find in most grocery stores.
 
No, it's much worse than that. It has two Cranberry Lambic's which are much fruitier and suck much worse than the Cherry Wheat. They suck, but its the only place to get the Holiday Porter and the Old Fezziwig's Ale which are both good. The other three bears are standard ones--Boston Lager, Winter Lager and Cream Stout.

There are plenty of stores around here that sell singles, but usually no cheap specials like that (generally $2 a bottle and up--but of course it's micro brews and what not , rather than just the usual suspects). Just liquor stores and beer/wine stores though. Grocery stores, gas stations etc. can't get liquor licenses around here. Well I take that back, there was one Shopper's Food Warehouse that got one in the past couple of years, as it was a big controversy over whether they should be allowed. But that's the only one I'm aware of in any of the counties around where I live and work.
 
My favorite beer to drink while eating is Kirin. It goes great with anything fried, burgers, etc.

Has anyone tried this smoked beer? I love it but it's kinda hard to find around me. It's got such an odd taste. It's like food.

rauch.JPG
 
Yeah, I've had it. My buddy hated it, but I though it was ok. Think I rated it a 3 out of 5. Definitely smokey. Kind of tastely like Bacon grease or something.

Interesting and worth trying (and I did like it ok) but not something I'd drink very often. Kind of a novelty beer to have every once in a while I guess.
 
Has anyone tried Hitachino Nest? $9 a bottle (24.3 oz) but it's one of the white ales out there.

They also have a Red Rice Ale but I've never been able to find it.
 
[quote name='rabbitt']Has anyone tried this?

1014.jpg


I may have some this week.[/QUOTE]

OH GOD THE HORRIBLE IMAGES BURNT INTO MY LIFE FROM THAT BEER!!!

I just could not stand the aftertaste on that damn beer. But before I was getting ready to go out, my dad actually MADE me drink an entire bottle of this. The after taste that it left was just horrid, I had to eat almost an entire can of Lay's Stax chips to get the taste out. Granted it was when I drank nothing but cheap beer, but I still have not to this day drank one of those. And my dad also can't stand it, and he's an avid "weird beer drinker".

MississippiMud.jpg


I actually enjoyed Mississippi Mud. It was definitely different, and you've gotta love the bottle.
 
Ha. That's probably why he made you drink it. He was trying to unload it. I'm just not a big fan of Great Lakes beer. It must be that people in Cleveland don't have great taste or just don't care because it's local.

It's kind of like people from Milwaukee. They all swear by their beers. PBR is a decent lager but Old Milwaukee and Old Style are like piss in a can.
 
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