Random Beers

[ScottySkis]

Maine Beer Co.'s Lunch IPA is delicious. I've had few growlers (one more left in the fridge) of the Racer X, which is around this year in 22 oz bottles or on drought if you can find it. Also, a new, small Chester, NY (Orange County) brewery called Rushing Duck is making some really tasty brews. I had their Pale Ale but IMHO, the War Elephant, a DIPA, is just outstanding. 8.7% of Hoppy yumminess.

I've also really been enjoying the Victory Beer Co., Hop Wallop. Also a very good DIPA.

I live a few miles from Chester, I will have to try the place.:beer:

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2

 

[ctenidae]

Went to Church Brew Works in Pittsburgh last night. By all indications, it should have been awesome. It's a full on church, converted to a brew pub, with the equipment in the altar space. Menu looks like good stuff, beer list has all the right styles. Even has pretty good ratings on Beer Advocate.

Sadly, it did not manage to approach expections. I'm not sure it had a map showing even the general location of expectations. We had a flight of all 8 beers on tap, all brewed there. All were 1 dimensional, unbalanced, and wonky. A dunkel had a too heavy and sharp malt overload, with no other flavors. Hopmonster IPA tasted like chewing on grapefruit rinds, it was so hoppy, but there was no other beer flavor there. The pilsner was reminiscent of an undercarbonated Coors Light- a full pint would have been warm and foul by the end. The oatmeal stout had a chunk of chocolate malt flavor in it, with no body, no hops, and no other flavor. The British Mild had a strong burnt sugar smell in the nose, but then had no flavor whatsoever. The rest were no better.

The food was similar- wings were barely fried and doused with some Franks hot sauce. They weren't crispy, and 2 were still pink inside. I suspect the order of 8 originally ad 10 on the plate, but 2 flew away. Fries, cheesesteak,and pizza fared no better.

Sometimes places have an off night, but there was such a consistent lack of anything worthwhile in everthing that it was a little painful. Go check out the website, and you'll get all excited about what the place could be. Then, if you're in Pittsburgh, preserve the dream and don't go there.

 

[legalskier]

Goo check out the website, and you'll get all excited about what the place could be. Then, if you're in Pittsburgh, preserve the dream adn don't go there.

When I'm in/around Pittsburgh I usually stick with I.C. I know, I know- it's basically "Bud-local," but it is at least pretty fresh.

 

[marcski]

Had a Firestone Union Jack IPA last night at dinner. Quite tasty, full bodied and hoppy. I liked it better than Bear Republic's Racer 5....the Racer X would give it a run for the money though.

 

[kickstand]

Had a Firestone Union Jack IPA last night at dinner. Quite tasty, full bodied and hoppy. I liked it better than Bear Republic's Racer 5....the Racer X would give it a run for the money though.

I need to try one of those. I had the DIPA Firestone is brewing special for The Yard House restaurants and I thought it was outstanding. Have heard nothing but good things about that brewery.

 

[St. Bear]

This is a good place to vent.

So last weekend, I go to the store to get beer, and this is the craft brew section.

I'll save your eyes and tell you that 10 of the 15 beers are IPAs. Its frustrating that there are so many good darker beers that don't get the shelf space in favor of 10 different brands of the same style.

 

[St. Bear]

And this is not an isolated incident. Once you become aware of it, you can't help but notice how everything is an IPA.

I went to the Tap House in Hooksett, NH, which has like 50 beers on tap. At least 10-15 IPA or similar styles (Belgium Wheat, for example). Their dark beer section? 3 beers. Toss in the Red Section, and you're up to 5.

 

[drjeff]

This is a good place to vent.

So last weekend, I go to the store to get beer, and this is the craft brew section.

I'll save your eyes and tell you that 10 of the 15 beers are IPAs. Its frustrating that there are so many good darker beers that don't get the shelf space in favor of 10 different brands of the same style.

I hear you loud and clear! St. Bear!! Unfortunately though it is the time of year when for some reason (spring approaching maybe?? They're becoming in vogue amongst the "hipster" crowd who have become too hip for PBR already?? ) the flood of IPA's always seem to hit the shelves. Right now in particular where it seems like the IPA is surging in popularity as a style we're also seeing more and more offerings. Not that I don't enjoy a good IPA (or heck even trying many different IPA's for that matter), but I agree that far too many package stores don't give enough shelf space to dark(er) beers, and frankly many dark(er) beers often have a bad rap from the general public in that they're going to be some uber heavy, "tough" to drink beer when there are plenty of them out there aren't that at all.

Us dark beer lovers must take it upon ourselves to "educate" the masses on what they're missing and get us some more cooler shelf space! :beer:

 

[St. Bear]

Sadly, it's a year round phenomenom. I've talked to a brewer at White Birch Beer about this, and he said that pretty much every brewery makes an IPA, not only because of the popularity, but because it's one of the easiest beers to make. Darker beers are a bit more challenging to nail down.

 

[ctenidae]

Problem is, most breweries seem to only read half the desctiption of an IPA, and jack up the hops without boosting the ABV. It's an unfortunately easy style to get all Super Double XXXtreme! with.

 

[legalskier]

Sadly, it's a year round phenomenom....Darker beers are a bit more challenging to nail down.

If you're ever in the Valley Forge area west of Philly, here are two microbrewery/restaurants worth checking out:

Iron Hill- I've been to the one in West Chester which has an excellent array of brews (there are other locations as well; they brew on premises):
http://www.ironhillbrewery.com/westchester/
http://www.opentable.com/iron-bridge-wine-company-west-chester
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/956

Victory- never been but I hear it's very good:
http://victorybeer.com/
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/345

 

[kickstand]

If you're ever in the Valley Forge area west of Philly, here are two microbrewery/restaurants worth checking out:

Iron Hill- I've been to the one in West Chester which has an excellent array of brews (there are other locations as well; they brew on premises):
http://www.ironhillbrewery.com/westchester/
http://www.opentable.com/iron-bridge-wine-company-west-chester
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/956

Victory- never been but I hear it's very good:
http://victorybeer.com/
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/345

I go to the Iron Hill in North Wales a few times per year. My father-in-law lives in New Britain, maybe a 15-20 minute ride away. I always make sure I bring my growler with me and usually get a pint while I'm waiting.

I had a Victory in a bottle once (Golden Monkey, maybe or something like that?) and I did not care for it at all. The brewery has gotten good ratings on BA, so I think I may need to try something else from them.

 

[marcski]

If you're ever in the Valley Forge area west of Philly, here are two microbrewery/restaurants worth checking out:

Victory- never been but I hear it's very good:
http://victorybeer.com/
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/345

I had a Victory in a bottle once (Golden Monkey, maybe or something like that?) and I did not care for it at all. The brewery has gotten good ratings on BA, so I think I may need to try something else from them.

victory makes delicious beer. I'm a big fan of their Hop Wallop and just last night, while I was having the Firestone Union Jack, my wife enjoyed a Victory Headwaters Pale Ale.

 

[HD333]

victory makes delicious beer. I'm a big fan of their Hop Wallop and just last night, while I was having the Firestone Union Jack, my wife enjoyed a Victory Headwaters Pale Ale.

My buddy supplied a variety 12 pack from Victory a few weekends ago. Pretty good stuff. All varieties seemed very heavy on the hops, which was ok with me.

Enjoying my 2nd Tuckerman Pale Ale now, fire is roaring. The big decision now is what time to leave for the MT tomorrow.

 

[ctenidae]

Had a mix pack of Lake Placid brews over the weekend. Ubu was OK, but I thought a little aggressively malty, had an earthy bite to it. 46'er Pale Ale was tasty, but borderline hoppy. Milk Stout was rauchbier-y, surprisingly smokey. Also had a Great ADK Brewing Abbey Ale at the restaurant, which was really tasty. Nice and smooth, a touch of sweetness, and well balanced.

 

[ZYDECORICH]

My local place just got these beers from the Kona Brewing Co. I tried the "big wave golden ale" and was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me of the old Molson Golden Ale back in the 70's before they sold out to I believe Lowenbrau, which was Miller and ruined it. They have other brews,gonna check them out also...will report. Here's the site. konabrewingco.com/

 

[wa-loaf]

The question is does it really matter if you are adding water to water?

http://www.boston.com/business/news...chelob-beer/ay9lfk3KXfWjA0OEkFFONO/story.html

 

[marcski]

My local place just got these beers from the Kona Brewing Co. I tried the "big wave golden ale" and was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me of the old Molson Golden Ale back in the 70's before they sold out to I believe Lowenbrau, which was Miller and ruined it. They have other brews,gonna check them out also...will report. Here's the site. konabrewingco.com/

As far as I know, Molson was a family owned company and is now a huge brewery having merged with Coors. I also believe that some family members still have a roll within the company. I don't believe they ever "sold out" to anyone in the 70's.

 

[octopus]

i tried some beer named diesel the other day, pretty good, kinda like a guinness. made by a brewery in nyc. forget the name, tho.

 

[hippiechick]

Us dark beer lovers must take it upon ourselves to "educate" the masses on what they're missing and get us some more cooler shelf space! :beer:

I second that. I refuse to drink piss-water, and IPA's are too bite-y for me. Piss-water drinkers look at me funny when I order dark, like I"m some rugged lesbian broad trying to out-man them. (esp if I feel like a Guiness - crickets in a bar when a chick drinks a Guiness.) In reality, dark beers are usually smoother and tastier to drink. I didn't drink beer for the longest time b/c my beer drinking friends kept trying to give me piss-water "because it's the lightest, easiest stuff" to drink. Wasn't til someone shoved an amber in my face and forced me to take a sip about 5 years ago that I discovered beer.

Oh, and ever more rare than dark in general is the elusive amber beer. The first 2-3 bars I went to when I moved here a couple years ago actually had no idea what I was talking about when I asked if they had amber on tap. They asked me "is that a brand?" my mouth just dropped. tools.