SMF

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA this evening. Not bad - Sierra Nevada does OK for itself.

maskaggs wrote:Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA this evening. Not bad - Sierra Nevada does OK for itself.

SN does an excellent job. I just had the Celebration ale and it is an excellent combination of malt and hops. That beautiful amber color and yeasty and hoppy nose just smell like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Not a hop monster but enough bitterness to satisfy an IPA lover.

My favourite is Jaipur, from Thornbridge Brewery (about 15 miles from me).

On to Bell's Pale Ale this evening. I highly recommend it - not too bitter but plenty of hoppy goodness. Maybe a little apricot, too.

SRD wrote:

maskaggs wrote:Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA this evening. Not bad - Sierra Nevada does OK for itself.

SN does an excellent job. I just had the Celebration ale and it is an excellent combination of malt and hops. That beautiful amber color and yeasty and hoppy nose just smell like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Not a hop monster but enough bitterness to satisfy an IPA lover.

I have the Bigfoot Barleywine from each year going back to 2005. Need to host a vertical tasting. Hop and malt overload, but perfectly in balance...

Regards,

I like beer of all styles, but was branded a hophead long ago.

A few notables available in the Chicago area and possibly elsewhere:

Goose Island - India Pale Ale (great example, but then again these folks know how to brew)
Three Floyds - Alpha King (listed as an American Pale Ale, but the line between the two styles can get fuzzy in my opinion)
Two Brothers - Resistance IPA (aged in giant French oak vats)

TRBeck wrote:I have the Bigfoot Barleywine from each year going back to 2005. Need to host a vertical tasting. Hop and malt overload, but perfectly in balance...

Sign Me Up!

Andy, if you can get to DFW, you're welcome! I don't have many friends in the area who'd be up for such a monumental tasting, so it keeps getting postponed. At this point, the 2005s are begging to be opened...

Goose Island is great stuff. I hope it stays so under new corporate direction. I have a brother in Chicago, and I'm always tempted to ask him for help obtaining this brew, since we can't get it here in Texas. However, he's a teetotaler, and asking him to buy on someone else's behalf is not a great idea.

Regards,

Tim that reminds me of an old judge I knew who once bought a half pint of whisky as a favor to a fraternity brother. Over a half century later the old boy still expressed regret over his lack of judgment in doing such a misdeed.

I've got my California recon team working on some "Pliny The Elder" and "Pliny The Younger." It's a surprise for a friend of mine, supposed to be fantastic. Anyone ever experienced it?

Dapper Dad wrote:I've got my California recon team working on some "Pliny The Elder" and "Pliny The Younger." It's a surprise for a friend of mine, supposed to be fantastic. Anyone ever experienced it?

Pliney the Younger is rated the #1 beer in the world by Beer Advocate magazine. Pliney the elder is rated number 6 I believe. Both should be fantastic.

I was able to try Pliny the Elder for the first time last night. Best I've had yet. Extremely balanced flavors. "Wow" would be an understatement. If you can get your hands on one, try it.

Just had a very good IPA today, Southern Tier 2X IPA. I highly recommend it if you are able to track some down in your area.

Still enjoy Ballantine IPA, even though it was around before the micro-brewery explosion. There's better, probably, but it's been around forever.

Just had my first Canadian-beer-that-actually-tastes-like-real-beer. The Red Racer IPA. Not bad!

changabang wrote:As in India Pale Ale? Discovered this heavenly ale at a local brew pub a few years back, and now, when I'm in the grocery store, I find myself seeking out new craft libations to try out. We have local favorites Long Trail, Magic Hat, Harpoon and Smuttynose, all pretty decent refreshments. What, if any, are your favorite IPA's from your neck of the woods?

I remember when IPA was the cheap beer we drank when we could afford nothing better as students! Enough change from a quid for a packet of crisps!

OK, last week my wife was kind enough to bring home some Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA. I usually have the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale but this Torpedo Extra was not disappointing.

This weekend she surprised me with some Smuttynose IPA from Portsmouth,NH, and once again I was not disappointed.

I just turned 60 and sippin' that Smuttynose and looking at those two ol' boys on the label made me feel like I was there laughing along with them. Very nice.

Cheers,

nteeman wrote:OK, last week my wife was kind enough to bring home some Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA. I usually have the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale but this Torpedo Extra was not disappointing.

This weekend she surprised me with some Smuttynose IPA from Portsmouth,NH, and once again I was not disappointed.

I just turned 60 and sippin' that Smuttynose and looking at those two ol' boys on the label made me feel like I was there laughing along with them. Very nice.

Cheers,

Were I to find another bottle of Sierra Nevada in my hand, I would undoubtedly run a hand over my 1 day stubble and imagine myself among the mountain men, beflanneled and toting an ax, looking forward to the beer awaiting me after a day's work. Then I'd remember I'm a pudgy grad student in Northern Indiana and grab another beer

maskaggs wrote:

nteeman wrote:OK, last week my wife was kind enough to bring home some Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA. I usually have the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale but this Torpedo Extra was not disappointing.

This weekend she surprised me with some Smuttynose IPA from Portsmouth,NH, and once again I was not disappointed.

I just turned 60 and sippin' that Smuttynose and looking at those two ol' boys on the label made me feel like I was there laughing along with them. Very nice.

Cheers,

Were I to find another bottle of Sierra Nevada in my hand, I would undoubtedly run a hand over my 1 day stubble and imagine myself among the mountain men, beflanneled and toting an ax, looking forward to the beer awaiting me after a day's work. Then I'd remember I'm a pudgy grad student in Northern Indiana and grab another beer

I love that lable.

By the way, I have noticed Bell's Two Hearted showing up on draught lately. Check the taps at your local, because it is a thing of beauty.

Quarterstick wrote: By the way, I have noticed Bell's Two Hearted showing up on draught lately. Check the taps at your local, because it is a thing of beauty.

I'm soooooooo envious! Two Hearted on tap must be awesome!

Where are you at in Iowa? I know they distribute in the state so you cannot be too far from some.