The Beer Thread: 2013 –

[logan82]

Double post 2 months apart. I have been drinking a lot of ambar beers lately. Got a little burned out on the hoppy beers. Didn't stop me from making a couple of hop bursted beers a few weeks ago for the Supoer Bowl(go Niners) or making a couple more mañana. Brewing for Opening Day. Snoweshoe ale is good. I tried a Louie's Demise, also good.

 

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Continued from:

 

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Original Lead:

 

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[Kelbysdaddy]

eternal flame from capital is really good. its a little heavy maibock. try it.

[Funketown]

Serendipity is really good.

[logan82]

Just had Bigfoot. Not impressed. Not sure why they bother calling it a Barleywine. Seems like just a darker IIPA. Yeah I know"American" Barleywine.

[TooLiveBrew]

Ale Asylum is 2/2 for me. Had Hopalicious a few months back, and picked up a 6-pack of Ambergeddon this weekend. Sticky McDoogle will be my next 6-pack... can't wait to try it.

[logan82]

Didn't like the Sticky McDoogle. Had a strong black licorice taste. New Glarus Winter Warmer was much much better. I am looking forward to Bedlam and New Garus IIPA.

 

Edit: licorice not liquorish

[theavrock]

Didn't like the Sticky McDoogle. Had a strong black licorice taste. New Glarus Winter Warmer was much much better. I am looking forward to Bedlam and New Garus IIPA.

 

Edit: licorice not liquorish

 

Yes. So much yes. We just tapped it at the bar I'm at. Bedlam season is a wonderful thing.

[TooLiveBrew]

This review at BeerAdvocate seems to agree...

 

Pours a MASSIVE< dense, resiny, white head that has fantastic persistence and leaves lacing like Spiderman falling down a well. OH! THE SMELL! YES! THIS IS THE SMELL OF ANGELS! A brilliant, robust citrus hop aroma. Light, burnt umber color is lustrious. Starts with a bitter burst of citrus fruit. Bright, fresh oranges dominate as the bitterness wells to a pleasant medium level. Then, the malt develops well and everything smooths into a biscuity flavor. As the finish comes, the citrus flavors blend well with the malt.

 

This is a perennial favorite of mine. Always a winner.

Seriously, this defines a GREAT smelling brew!

[logan82]

I have had a few Belgian IPA's and I like the style. Hops mixed with fruity esters.

[jjkoestler]

I'm slightly terrified to post in this thread since I have a penchant for defending drunks. /blue

 

I decided to treat myself and I picked up the following bombers:

3 Floyds

Dreadnaught

Arctic Panzer

Behemoth

Rye'da Tiger

 

As always 3 Floyd's delivered in a huge, hoppy way.

[TooLiveBrew]

I have had a few Belgian IPA's and I like the style. Hops mixed with fruity esters.

I love hops, and obviously therefore IPAs, but I really am not a fan of Belgian-style. I think the only Belgian IPA I've had is Flying Dog's, and I wasn't a big fan. Belgian-style tastes too much like bubble gum for me (I've sampled several Belgian, not just referring to Belgian-IPA hybrid).

[logan82]

Recent IPA's I have had are Rampant(awesome) and Capitol's Mutiny(sucked). The Rampant had a lot of hop flavor. The Mutiny was bitter and flavorless.

 

I am looking forward to trying the Karben4 Silk Scorpion. American Black Ale(I am not calling it black IPA because that is stupid) is a really hit and miss style. I like Black Top but most other ones don't balance the hops and dark grains well.

[TooLiveBrew]

I had Mutiny recently as well, and thought it was ok. I didn't hate it, I didn't love it.

[logan82]

I had Mutiny recently as well, and thought it was ok. I didn't hate it, I didn't love it.

With all the beer choices available it is 100% not a re-buy.

[LouisEly]

Leinie's Orange Shandy, here I come...

 

... decent, just a hint of orange flavor. Wish it had a little more orange to it, like a raddler (beer and orange soda).

[LouisEly]

Don't know if it made it out here, but Kona Brewery's Koko Brown made my top 5.

 

1) Leinie's Berry Weiss

2) Miller Chill

3) Kona Koko Brown

4) Leinie's Snowdrift Vanilla Porter

5) Shocktop Raspberry Wheat

[logan82]

My top 5 has made a drastic shift over the last couple years.

 

1. Bedlam

2. Little Sumpin Sumpin

3. Gumballhead

4. Black Top(more in the cooler months though)

5. D-Man

[valpocrewsader]

Wish it had a little more orange to it, like a raddler (beer and orange soda).

 

This has me intrigued. What goes best in a raddler?

 

Had a few Horny Goat Watermelon Wheats this evening and enjoyed them thoroughly. The wife had Lakefront's Wisconsinite hefeweizen and a MKE's Louie's Resurrection -- loved the latter, very bourbon-y.

 

I ought to post in this thread more often since I'm sampling multiple micro brews every week. Gotta give props to my local watering hole -- if anyone is ever in the southwest metro area, the Denoon Saloon in southern Muskego has a fantastic beer selection -- 24 craft beers on tap and always rotating. Restaurant has great food, bar is large and casual-classy, staff is professional, establishment is CLEAN. We're they're nearly twice a week to socialize, watch a little sports (it's not a sports bar), and imbibe. Other recent brews we've enjoyed include Summit's Maibock, Chameleon's Witty, MKE's O Gii, New Holland's Dragons Milk, Three Floyds' Gumballhead (mentioned above) and Three Floyds' Zombie Dust.

 

I'm suddenly thirsty...

[TooLiveBrew]

Picked up a sixer of New Glarus Edel Pils. I definitely recommend it for anyone who likes a German-or Czech-style Pilsner. Not mind-blowingly great, but another good brew from New Glarus.

[logan82]

New Glarus is always solid in every beer they make. The only thing that really seems to matter with them is if you like the style they make.

 

I really want to get my hands on a few bottles of their 20th anniversary ale. It's a Belgian strong ale.

 

I am looking to make a Belgian dark strong ale in a few weeks. Once a fermenter frees up.

[Funketown]

Okay folks, my parents are driving down to NC to help us move in a few weeks and I'm looking to have them bring us down some beer. I've already got them bringing a couple of sixers of Dancing Man and a bunch of NG Berliner Weiss (love that style, had theirs first time around and remember it being great). Anyway, does anybody have any recs for really really good Wisconsin beers that are relatively new or limited release? I'd like to have them grab a couple of variety sixers so I can keep up to date with the beer of my homeland!

[LouisEly]

This has me intrigued. What goes best in a raddler?

 

I'm suddenly thirsty...

A raddler is best with a simple lager beer (a weiss might work) with orange soda. Do NOT use orange juice - does not work. About 75% beer, 25% soda. You could also use a lemon-lime soda, which is more like a shandy.

 

My favorite summer drink is a limeade shandy. Take any run-of-the-mill light beer, mix about 2/3rds beer and 1/3rd limeade (my favorite is Simply Limeade). Top off with a handful of ice cubes. As a friend of mine said last 4th of July, "that is ridiculously refreshing".

[logan82]

Okay folks, my parents are driving down to NC to help us move in a few weeks and I'm looking to have them bring us down some beer. I've already got them bringing a couple of sixers of Dancing Man and a bunch of NG Berliner Weiss (love that style, had theirs first time around and remember it being great). Anyway, does anybody have any recs for really really good Wisconsin beers that are relatively new or limited release? I'd like to have them grab a couple of variety sixers so I can keep up to date with the beer of my homeland!

Good luck with the Berliner Weisse. New Glarus has a 20th anniversary beer out right now. One batch limited quantities. Not sure what else to recommend without a better idea what you like. I would say Wisconsinite from since you mentioned D-Man. It is an all Wisconsin beer(the only one, even has Wisconsin yeast) very similar to a hefe.

[Funketown]

I'm pretty much just interested in good beers that are new to the past year or so. Basically anything good which isn't an IPA variant, Stout/Porter variant, preferably something good for the 90+ degree July heat down here (hence why I'd kill for a Berliner Weiss).

 

I bought a Sam Adams summer pack because it was cheap and I'd only tried the Boston Lager. Probably not a good purchase. Usually their samplers have one stinker and the rest is solid, but their shandy tastes like Lemon Gatorade (I've had two prepackaged Shandys now, Leinie's taste like RealLemon). Their blueberry fruit beer was just cloyingly sweet and sticky.

[gypcasino]

MKE's O Gii

 

Tried this for the first time last week and absolutely loved it.