The Official Beer Appreciation Thread

[Weave]

Interesting. The highest ranked IPA that Ive had is grapefruit sculpin, and I didn't particularly love it, regular sculpin is better IMO. For DIPA the highest I've had is FW Double Jack, and that's neck and neck with Pliny IMO.

 

Interesting methodology, but unless I missed it, I think it's somewhat flawed. Putting them in daily flights of 10 helps, but if all the judges got the same beers in the same order, the beer going 10th is at a pretty big disadvantage. I know they say the cleansed their palates, but IPAs wreak havoc on the palate no matter what you do. That's why I never entered an IPA in a homebrew competition.

 

I'm really digging grapefruit Sculpin.  I'll be disappointed when the keg kicks and it gets switched to something else.

[Sabel79]

Great Lakes Brewing Co. (At least 4 varieties) now available here in Roanoke. Saw it in a local store yesterday, asked the clerk behind the counter when this happened. She advised me it's been two weeks, they had some sort of event to mark it. Then I saw it in Kroger this morning. I love Great Lakes, had our wedding reception there.

 

Hopefully in the next month or so Christmas Ale makes it down here. I will buy any and all of it I can find.

 

On another note, anyone into Flying Dog Brewery? Half-decent beer, tried the imperial porter recently. Good stuff. Also, artwork by Ralph Stedman so you know it's good...

[MattPie]

Great Lakes Brewing Co. (At least 4 varieties) now available here in Roanoke. Saw it in a local store yesterday, asked the clerk behind the counter when this happened. She advised me it's been two weeks, they had some sort of event to mark it. Then I saw it in Kroger this morning. I love Great Lakes, had our wedding reception there.

 

Hopefully in the next month or so Christmas Ale makes it down here. I will buy any and all of it I can find.

 

On another note, anyone into Flying Dog Brewery? Half-decent beer, tried the imperial porter recently. Good stuff. Also, artwork by Ralph Stedman so you know it's good...

 

I've had a few Flying Dogs, and they're good but not something I seek out.

 

Currently in the fridge: the last few Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye (DIPA) from a case I bought a couple weeks ago. This is one of my wife's favorite beers, which is why it disappeared so quickly. I have most of a case of Victory Headwaters Pale Ale that I picked up on Saturday. I have a lot of yard work to do and I can't be downing 8% beers and expect to survive for long. Headwaters is rather hoppy but under 5% so I can have a couple without the headache of drinking strong beer in the sun.

[Weave]

Things that are awesome..... Oktoberfests on the shelves.

[LTS]

Interesting. The highest ranked IPA that Ive had is grapefruit sculpin, and I didn't particularly love it, regular sculpin is better IMO. For DIPA the highest I've had is FW Double Jack, and that's neck and neck with Pliny IMO.

 

Interesting methodology, but unless I missed it, I think it's somewhat flawed. Putting them in daily flights of 10 helps, but if all the judges got the same beers in the same order, the beer going 10th is at a pretty big disadvantage. I know they say the cleansed their palates, but IPAs wreak havoc on the palate no matter what you do. That's why I never entered an IPA in a homebrew competition.

 

It's tough to be certain. I can say that beer judges usually do a pretty good job of differentiating.  We have a few in our group and while we only do 6 IPA/DIPA in a session they are still able to go pretty strong whereas a few others tend to burn out by 6.

 

There's still a million factors that can impact the rating a beer gets so it remains highly subjective.

 

Great Lakes Brewing Co. (At least 4 varieties) now available here in Roanoke. Saw it in a local store yesterday, asked the clerk behind the counter when this happened. She advised me it's been two weeks, they had some sort of event to mark it. Then I saw it in Kroger this morning. I love Great Lakes, had our wedding reception there.

 

Hopefully in the next month or so Christmas Ale makes it down here. I will buy any and all of it I can find.

 

On another note, anyone into Flying Dog Brewery? Half-decent beer, tried the imperial porter recently. Good stuff. Also, artwork by Ralph Stedman so you know it's good...

 

I'm a fan. I don't go crazy for it. Used to really go for In Heat Wheat but found a few other wheat beers that I prefer. 

 

Things that are awesome..... Oktoberfests on the shelves.

 

Jack's Abby Copper Legend.  (there I go again telling you about them).

[shrader]

CV, are you doing the beer festival thing in town this month?  My mother-in-law has decided to visit that weekend of all weekends.  So I pretty much can't go now but will really need to.

[TrueBlueGED]

I've mentioned I do blind tastings with a group of people who are all in the beer industry (brewers, distributors, etc.)

 

This is not that group.. but I came across this the other day and figured I would post it given some recent discussion on DIPA / IPA.

 

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/08/blind-tasting-115-of-the-best-american-dipa-and-im.html

 

and here's the IPA blind tasting

 

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/04/blind-tasting-116-of-the-best-american-ipas-we-hav.html?p=3

 

Pliny at 18, Heady at 16... 

 

I think the list in the wheelhouse of what I would have expected.  I haven't had 3 of the top 4 (I'll seek out the Grimm soon).

 

The thing I've taken out of reading this list: I need to branch out and try more stuff.

 

 

Things that are awesome..... Oktoberfests on the shelves.

 

No, it's too early dammit! I'm not ready yet, it's still in the 80s out!

[Claude_Verret]

CV, are you doing the beer festival thing in town this month?  My mother-in-law has decided to visit that weekend of all weekends.  So I pretty much can't go now but will really need to.

 

I am indeed.  Wasn't planning on it but my wife ended up buying tickets for us.  There's no way you can get out of the house for a few hours?  You can always pull the "I'm going for a walk" and just stumble into the festival since it's practically in your backyard. 

[Claude_Verret]

All 50 states ranked by beer

 

The top three were exactly what I guessed, but I'd personally rank them differently.  I know that I'm biased but NC is criminally underrated at 15.  They don't even mention Oskar Blues, Sierra Nevada and New Belgium having their east coast breweries here, but give huge credit to Colorado and California for those very same breweries.  Also not mentioning Wicked Weed which is a top 10 brewery in the whole damn country is a huge omission. 

[shrader]

I am indeed.  Wasn't planning on it but my wife ended up buying tickets for us.  There's no way you can get out of the house for a few hours?  You can always pull the "I'm going for a walk" and just stumble into the festival since it's practically in your backyard. 

 

I'm more worried about having to shovel a few passed out drunks out of my front yard.

[LTS]

All 50 states ranked by beer

 

The top three were exactly what I guessed, but I'd personally rank them differently.  I know that I'm biased but NC is criminally underrated at 15.  They don't even mention Oskar Blues, Sierra Nevada and New Belgium having their east coast breweries here, but give huge credit to Colorado and California for those very same breweries.  Also not mentioning Wicked Weed which is a top 10 brewery in the whole damn country is a huge omission. 

 

I had a hard time even reading that list. It had a lot of pointless crap in it. Like dismissing Hawaii because it's Hawaii?  I think they demonstrate a solid lack of understanding of each state's real beer scene.

[MattPie]

I had a hard time even reading that list. It had a lot of pointless crap in it. Like dismissing Hawaii because it's Hawaii?  I think they demonstrate a solid lack of understanding of each state's real beer scene.

 

I didn't bother to read it after the first few, and looking up places that "matter" to me. New York is too high, NC is better. Maybe Wisconsin too high as well, but that could just be because I haven't had much from there. Lienenkugel isn't anything to be super-excited by, and macros are meh. I can't really argue with PA's place, even if there is a lot of good beer around here.

[Claude_Verret]

I had a hard time even reading that list. It had a lot of pointless crap in it. Like dismissing Hawaii because it's Hawaii?  I think they demonstrate a solid lack of understanding of each state's real beer scene.

 

 

Yeah, honestly I only scanned the list and only read maybe the top 20.  I guess it makes sense that with all the glaring omissions that they had with NC that there would also be a slew of other ridiculous statements in the rest of the list.

[darksabre]

If I had to live in a world without Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald porter, I wouldn't.

[inkman]

If I had to live in a world without Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald porter, I wouldn't.

Play a little gordie Lightfoot and you'll be all set.

[Claude_Verret]

Anyone picked up some Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest yet?  An outstanding beer they made in collaboration with a small 600 year old German brewery.  

 

http://www.eater.com/drinks-reviews/2015/9/24/9373951/sierra-nevadas-oktoberfest-collaboration-brew-is-perfect-for-fall

[SwampD]

Anyone picked up some Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest yet?  An outstanding beer they made in collaboration with a small 600 year old German brewery.  

 

http://www.eater.com/drinks-reviews/2015/9/24/9373951/sierra-nevadas-oktoberfest-collaboration-brew-is-perfect-for-fall

I want to eat that description it sounds so tasty.

[Sabel79]

Anyone picked up some Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest yet?  An outstanding beer they made in collaboration with a small 600 year old German brewery.  

 

http://www.eater.com/drinks-reviews/2015/9/24/9373951/sierra-nevadas-oktoberfest-collaboration-brew-is-perfect-for-fall

D'oh. I was in the store last night and almost picked some up, but went with something else instead. Shall have to remedy that on my next trip...

[Claude_Verret]

D'oh. I was in the store last night and almost picked some up, but went with something else instead. Shall have to remedy that on my next trip...

Definitely remedy that. Enjoying one at the man cave right now whilst enjoying a view of the sun and blue sky for the first time in two weeks. So good

[Claude_Verret]

For anyone on the Atlanta area, Wicked Weed announced today that they will begin distribution in your area. Look for bottles to begin appearing on store shelves within the next week.

[Claude_Verret]

So a local favorite NC watering hole has One Buffalo on tap, but not having an official handle they improvised over a Pumpking handle.

 

 

[darksabre]

So a local favorite NC watering hole has One Buffalo on tap, but not having an official handle they improvised over a Pumpking handle.

 

 

IMG_20151127_212817237.jpg

:lol:

[MattPie]

So a local favorite NC watering hole has One Buffalo on tap, but not having an official handle they improvised over a Pumpking handle.

 

 

IMG_20151127_212817237.jpg

 

I have a 6-pack of it; I'm sure it's a nice example of the style (yellow lager) it's not my cup of tea.

[Claude_Verret]

I have a 6-pack of it; I'm sure it's a nice example of the style (yellow lager) it's not my cup of tea.

 

 

I think it's actually a blonde ale, but I think the yellow lager / light ale profile is exactly what they were going for in terms of mass appeal.

[TrueBlueGED]

Well, my beer connection netted me a Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. I must say I'm looking forward to it. Probably saving it for the Bills game to help me cope if we lose.