Beer

maskaggs · Post by **maskaggs** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:21 pm

Wondering what everyone's thoughts are regarding beer. There have been some good threads on various spirits, but I'd like to get some input on beer. Styles? Breweries? I'm fortunate enough to live within 10 minutes of a world-class brewpub, but would like to see what you all enjoy.

jww · Post by **jww** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:24 pm

Unlike the British TV series thread, I am poorly qualified to provide any input as I am a teetotaler. Nevertheless, I am confident that there are plenty of members who will be quite competent at responding.

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:25 pm

Thick, dark and sweet hoppy beers are my favourites. Young's Winter Warmer (in London), Wadworth's Old Timer (in Wiltshire), Picaroons' Winter Warmer (in New Brunswick) and McEwan's Scotch Ale everywhere else.
These brews are nutritious!

Chris

maskaggs · Post by **maskaggs** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:39 pm

For some reason I've been on a mega-IPA kick lately - we're talking hop bombs here. Bell's Two-Hearted IPA is fantastic, as an example.

SRD · Post by **SRD** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:05 pm

I love those IPA's as well. I much prefer ales to lagers though I do have to admit to consuming large quantities of Sam Adams Boston Lager. Some others that I enjoy are Rogue Chocolate Stout and Shakespeare Stout, Anchor Steam Liberty Ale, and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I buy a lot of "growlers" of the local ale made at the brew pub as well. Yeah, I like beer.

The Seeker · Post by **The Seeker** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:20 pm

My all-time favourite is Coopers Sparkling Ale, from my hometown of Adelaide, South Australia. (Biased I know, but it IS bloody good!)

desertbadger · Post by **desertbadger** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:23 pm

I don't drink much, but when I do have a beer it's Guiness.

Regards,
David

rsp1202 · Post by **rsp1202** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:55 pm

desertbadger wrote:I don't drink much, but when I do have a beer it's Guiness.

function · Post by **function** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:03 pm

For me it's anything but an IPA, and never anything from the monoliths that are attempting to thwart Americans from experiencing the plethora of great microbrews. I respect the craft behind IPAs, but I just don't get past the hops.
If I can pick any beer, I lean for Belgian ales and trappists, Corsendonk, Maredsous, Ommegang, Leffe, Chimay, Delerium, Petrus . . . oh man I am getting drunk just thinking about drinking two of these. Of course that is the limit if you are driving home.

Season is often how I choose my beers if all else fails. Winter brings you a Bock, spring brings you a Marzen, summer a Witbier or Hefeweizen, fall brings the Marzen aged for six months and called an Oktoberfest.

Americans are very lick as in the past 25 years or so we have gained the best diversity in locally brewed beers of any country, and many compete with the best beers from every country. A far cry from the watered down garbage lagers that America became known for under the dominance of Bud, Miller and Coors.

I am now learning my local beers here in Houston, St Arnold and Spoetzl breweries producing reliable beers that are never bad and always a good choice.

If there was one beer I would recommend over any other it is a very short run seasonal beer that sells out fast, is loaded with alcohol and some fruit flavors and it drinks almost like a wine.
That beer is called Mad Elf(not to be confused with Bad Elf which does not hold a candle) and it is from Troeg's brewing in PA. It is a Christmas beer that goes out for sale just after Thanksgiving and disappears from the shelves before Dec 20. Should you ever see it, try one, but just one, unless you aren't driving.

Now this thread is making my fatty liver twitch.n

marsos52 · Post by **marsos52** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:26 pm

i am not a regular drinker

and when i do have a beer,,,i always enjoy a corona or a heine

but it is so cold here now i would be most happy with a cup of hot tea

marc

maskaggs · Post by **maskaggs** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:44 pm

rsp1202 wrote:
desertbadger wrote:I don't drink much, but when I do have a beer it's Guiness.

Try to get hold of their Foreign Extra Stout, which I believe just became available in the US in October.

kronos9 · Post by **kronos9** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 3:45 pm

Edit: Seemed more interesting when I wrote it.

aircraft_electrician · Sat Jan 29, 2011 3:54 pm

My favorite is Guinness Extra Stout, but lately I've been really enjoying 1554, from The New Belgium Brewing Co., the makers of Fat Tire. It's an "enlightened black ale" according to the label, but it's really a good old fashioned abbey-style black ale. Great stuff.

There is a beer that caught my attention the last time I was in Bucharest, but it's not available outside of Romania. It's called Ursus Dark, another black ale that I thought was really good at the time, but I'd really like to have it again to be sure. It's too bad it's not available here.

I may have to locate some of the Foreign Extra Stout. Alas, even the regular Extra Stout is hard to find locally. It seems all the locals drink is crappy American-style pale lagers. Every grocery store and gas station has oodles of Budweiser, Miller and Coors, but try to find a decent stout or dark ale and you'll be on a search that should be led by a St. Bernard with a flask around its neck.

DEF · Post by **DEF** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:56 pm

I have had no beer (nor other alcohol) this month, as I instituted some New Year's beverage reforms for myself, but I have a fair amount of experience in the beer department. I'd recommend trying a variety of styles; some of my favorites are as follows:

First, some of the heartier stouts and ales...

Fuller's 1845, a delicious "old ale" style with flavors of brown bread and dark fruit

Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout, a beer that, IMO, easily bests Guinness

Fuller's ESB (extra special bitter), a hearty English ale

Smithwick's, a balanced Irish ale by the brewers of Guinness, a great "utility beer" for drinking by itself or with pub food

Sam Adams Irish Red, another Irish style that I think is underrated by Beer Advocate, flavorful and well constructed

Full Sail Pale -- This is the one with the light blue caps. This ale is as hoppy as I like them to get; many American styles are obscenely over-hopped. Full Sail also offers an IPA, which is even hoppier, but not for me.

Wheat beers...

Franziskaner (wheat beer) -- A refreshing beer with pronounced phenolic qualities, cloudy as per style

Marshall's Sundown Wheat -- From Tulsa's Marshall Brewery, probably very limited distribution, but a really nice Belgian-style wheat beer (with orange and coriander) if you can get it

Lagers...

James Boag's Premium Lager -- A very clean and flavorful lager from Tasmania; I would choose this one over Foster's when available

Sapporo Premium Draft -- The one in the 22 oz silver can. Brewed with rice to be crisp and clean. Don't bother with the Sapporo Special Reserve, which is more expensive and, in my view, not as good.

Good luck discovering your favorites!

function · Post by **function** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 6:08 pm

aircraft_electrician wrote:My favorite is Guinness Extra Stout, but lately I've been really enjoying 1554, from The New Belgium Brewing Co., the makers of Fat Tire. It's an "enlightened black ale" according to the label, but it's really a good old fashioned abbey-style black ale. Great stuff.

I may have to locate some of the Foreign Extra Stout. Alas, even the regular Extra Stout is hard to find locally. It seems all the locals drink is crappy American-style pale lagers. Every grocery store and gas station has oodles of Budweiser, Miller and Coors, but try to find a decent stout or dark ale and you'll be on a search that should be led by a St. Bernard with a flask around its neck.

New Belgium makes some damn good beers. I found Fat Tire 11 years ago when a former SWMBO was going to school in CO, and I was ecstatic to find it's increased availability West of the Mississippi as opposed to my old home in PA.

Regarding the grocery stores you are falling victim to a system that Gillette would be jealous of in terms of marketing, with an even more questionable product quality. I'll again make a pitch for the documentary for Beer Wars and stop my rant.

One way to decide how yo feel about a beer: Pour yourself one at room temperature and drink it. All of it. If it tastes like crap and you think to yourself "it would be better really cold" just toss it and do your tastebuds a favor and buy better beer.

maskaggs · Post by **maskaggs** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:02 pm

DEF wrote:many American styles are obscenely over-hopped.

What is this "obscenely over-hopped" of which you speak?

maskaggs · Post by **maskaggs** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:03 pm

+1 to the New Belgium recommendation. I would also mention Bell's, a company whose wares I discovered that seems to make some pretty good stuff all around. A good regional (for here) brew is Moerlein, but I don't know what sort of distribution they have outside the Ohio Valley region.

Pureslab · Post by **Pureslab** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:25 pm

I seldom drink alcohol but always remember as a teenager my friends Dad
who was direct from Ireland , would pour a glass half full of room temperature Guinness Stout and then fill the rest of the glass with a cold brew of any sort.

He'd raise his glass and tell us - Best Piss in World Lads !

fallingwickets · Post by **fallingwickets** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 3:19 am

Doug, what happened to your beer making operation?

clive

The Seeker · Post by **The Seeker** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:02 am

DEF wrote:James Boag's Premium Lager -- A very clean and flavorful lager from Tasmania; I would choose this one over Foster's when available.

Ah yes, the James Boag's is a great drop. Clean, crisp and refreshing. Miles better than Fosters.