Random Beers

[ctenidae]

Last night I had a Saranac Black Forest floating a scoop of Turkey Hill German Chocolate Cake ice cream. Seriously. :lol:

It was interesting.

You should try a Guinness float. With good vanilla ice cream, it's something to write home about.

Drinking my 2nd Harpoon Chocolate Stout. The chocolate taste is amazingly strong, without being overpowering. Extremely tasty, amazing beer. Not at all a session brew, but dang good. Might be awesome with some ice cream.

 

[roark]

have been wanting to try the harpoon choc stout, not in my local stores (yet I hope).

Smutty's Big A IPA is back. Delicious.

 

[frozencorn]

Picked up the annual Trader Joe's limited edition ($5) yesterday. Probably save the pair for Christmas or New Years. If they make it.

 

[ctenidae]

Picked up the annual Trader Joe's limited edition ($5) yesterday. Probably save the pair for Christmas or New Years. If they make it.

I was loving the deals on that stuff last year- bought a case at something like $2/per in February or so.

 

[wa-loaf]

A friend living Italy found this:

Think that could make it to market here? :lol:

 

[ctenidae]

With alcohol so low, you can pass a breathalyzer after having two bottles.
Or, according to the Google translation, "With an alcohol content so low, while the taste of beer remains intact, you can pass the test of the balloon by drinking two bottles of 33 cl. "

 

[Riverskier]

With alcohol so low, you can pass a breathalyzer after having two bottles.
Or, according to the Google translation, "With an alcohol content so low, while the taste of beer remains intact, you can pass the test of the balloon by drinking two bottles of 33 cl. "

Regardless of the laws, something like that would never fly here. Personally though, I have never understood why it is illegal to drink a beer while driving. The act itself is no more dangerous than drinking any beverage, and so long as you can pass a breathalizer I don't see the harm in it. I suppose it is considered deterrant to drunk driving, but I don't see how the law has any actual value.

 

[roark]

VT breweries that live up to the hype

For years I thought New England (and in particular VT) microbreweries didn't live up to the hype... growing up in Northern CA I was used to Russian River, Lagunitas, Bear Repuplic, North Coast, Anderson Valley, et al... I always felt NE brewpubs were 10-20 yrs behind, making standard stock british style brews... and most still are.

FINALLY made it to the Alchemist in Waterbury this weekend. WOW!!! Holy Cow puts lesser IPAs like Harpoon to shame, without going over the top into Double/IIPA territory... typically IPAs have a singular, dry malt behind a wall of hops... Holy Cow is fantastically balanced with a strong, complex malt backbone and incredible floral hop nose... usually you need a higher gravity brew to get as much going on but at just 5.2% I could drink this stuff all day! I hope Heady Topper is available on my next visit! Beezelebub was sen-farking-sational. Very good food as well... I will be stopping anytime I pass by in the future.

Unless you ski MRG you probably haven't seen Lawson's Finest Liquids offerings... I really wish the distribution of this sweet elixir extended beyond the MRV... not really my style but 'Honey I Love You' manages to bring the honey to the forefront without being cloyingly sweet. This is the kind of beer the masses would enjoy. Paradise Ale was a sensational amber, permagrin rye was great, and the maple imperial stout is out of this world deliciousness...

Seriously, the first time New England brews have really made this beer geek ecstatic... try these breweries out!

 

[HD333]

Give Magic Hat - Vinyl a shot. It is their spring beer and it is pretty good.:beer:

 

[drjeff]

Tried out a few (okay more like a case of them ) while I was in Utah last week

Not bad at all, especially as a post ski day, heading into semi-spring beer. What I would classify as a lightly hopped pale ale. Clean tasting start, slight floral aroma, mild/moderate hoppy finish.

On a pour from the tap (or bottle) this beer looks like a Sam Adams Boston Lager in terms of color or head.

 

[Chunk]

I once tried an oyster stout thats tag line was "made with real oysters" haha not very enjoyable

 

[Black Phantom]

I once tried an oyster stout thats tag line was "made with real oysters" haha not very enjoyable

Harpoon 100 Barrel Series. Island Creek Oyster Stout

This just came out a couple of weeks ago. An excellent brew.

http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/index.cfm?cdid=142531&pid=28516

 

[drjeff]

The Beer: Mountain Ale from The Shed Brewery out of Stowe

I picked up a growler of this brew at the Brattleboro food co-op a few weeks ago, and finally had a chance to sample it tonight. First impression - I'm drinking a Newcastle - in many ways. Very similar color, very similar taste, and very similar lack of lingering after taste. Not a bad brew by any means, but at the same time nothing that new and/or extravagent to the palate either. For on sale though for $10.99 for a growler, this beer drinker won't complain!

 

[severine]

Tonight: Kennebunkport Brewing Company Blueberry Wheat Ale (which, I understand, is a Trader Joe's rebranding of Sea Dog Bluepaw Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale, aka Shipyard Brewing Company). Not bad. Has a lot of blueberry aroma but not an overpowering blueberry flavor. Very drinkable and tasty.

 

[smitty77]

Tonight: Kennebunkport Brewing Company Blueberry Wheat Ale (which, I understand, is a Trader Joe's rebranding of Sea Dog Bluepaw Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale, aka Shipyard Brewing Company). Not bad. Has a lot of blueberry aroma but not an overpowering blueberry flavor. Very drinkable and tasty.

I'm not a beer drinker at all but I find a lot of the beers with the Sea Dog label to be very drinkable and quite easy on my unrefined beer palette. "Two thumbs up" to the food they serve at their Bangor restaurant. I have eaten there several times over the last 10 years while in Bangah on business, both for lunch and dinner, and the food has always been excellent. And enjoying the beer and vittles while sitting on the edge of the Penobscot doesn't hurt either.

 

[roark]

Just got back from a trip home to NorCal... so many great beers - Russian River's Pliny the Elder (I keep saying I'm going to try some of the Belgians but never get around to it!); Lagunitas IPA & WTF; Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye, Racer X (and 5), The Grizz; Anderson Valley Imperial IPA, Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, Boont Amber, Poleeko Gold Pale, North Coast's Old Rasputin, ... (there were others but memory fails...)

 

[BackLoafRiver]

Lagunitas IPA

Absolutely LOVE this brew! (and can't find it anywhere around here.) Lagunitas is an interesting brewery. I haven't met a beer of theirs I didn't like.

Tried the Red Hook Rope Swing Summer Pils today. Nothing great. I wish Sam was still putting out their Noble Pilsner. Far better.

 

[frozencorn]

Just got back from a trip home to NorCal... so many great beers - Russian River's Pliny the Elder (I keep saying I'm going to try some of the Belgians but never get around to it!); Lagunitas IPA & WTF; Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye, Racer X (and 5), The Grizz; Anderson Valley Imperial IPA, Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, Boont Amber, Poleeko Gold Pale, North Coast's Old Rasputin, ... (there were others but memory fails...)

The Plinys, Racer 5, and the Lagunitas IPA are 3 of my top brews. The Lagunitas Extreme IPA is liquid gold.

 

[Marc]

Just picked up a 6 of DFH Raison D'Etre, a six of Rogue Dead Guy Ale and a bottle of DFH World Wide Stout.

Had one of the Raison D'Etre's already. It was quite good, easy to pick out the raisin/grape flavor. Very light hop notes... sweet, to tart with a dry finish. Paired excellent with some Cabot sharp white cheddar.

Wish I had made it to the craft beer fest in Boston this weekend. Maybe next year.

 

[ctenidae]

Wish I had made it to the craft beer fest in Boston this weekend. Maybe next year.

I say that every year.