Quality Beer Thread

[Guy Incognito]

I had a Genny Cream Ale 40 last night

[adamtrask]

Two nights ago I had a Big Sky Dubbel and a Bell's Two Hearted Ale...

The dubbel was okay, nowhere near as good as the Belgian abbey style that it's aping, but it will do in a pinch. I'd drink it again, but I wouldn't seek it out specifically.

The Bell's Two Hearted was an interesting IPA. Good for one pint, but then the hoppy flavor really dominates. It's sort of a novelty, being that hoppy.

[grammatron]

I'm pretty jazzed cause a friend of mine who'd been living in Europe while in the army just moved to the town I live in now, and he's really into beer. He's been gone for like 5 year though, and during that time Georgia started allowing high ABV beers to be sold. So he's got a decent knowledge of German stuff, but is fairly new to American craft beer. We make a good team.

[CudNylon]

What do you do about friends who are afraid of hops but love stouts and porters?

[lights]

I'm rather upset because a brewery near me (New Albanian) is unveiling a keg of one of their winter beers this week at a bar I like, and I won't be able to partake because I'm flat broke till Friday and it'll surely be gone by then. I've never had it, but it's described as being the bastard child of a rauchbier and an IPA, which sounds pretty amazing.

[Render]

I had a few Green Flash IPAs at this new bar here, Big Star, the other night. It was pretty decent. I'd never seen any Green Flash stuff around here before.

[adamtrask]

I'm rather upset because a brewery near me (New Albanian) is unveiling a keg of one of their winter beers this week at a bar I like, and I won't be able to partake because I'm flat broke till Friday and it'll surely be gone by then. I've never had it, but it's described as being the bastard child of a rauchbier and an IPA, which sounds pretty amazing.

I cannot imagine what such a combination would taste like.

I've really only tried rauchbier as a novelty... I can't actually see myself drinking one for pleasure.

[kristop]

drank a growler of rogue's yellow snow on saturday, delicious.

[lights]

I'm rather upset because a brewery near me (New Albanian) is unveiling a keg of one of their winter beers this week at a bar I like, and I won't be able to partake because I'm flat broke till Friday and it'll surely be gone by then. I've never had it, but it's described as being the bastard child of a rauchbier and an IPA, which sounds pretty amazing.

I cannot imagine what such a combination would taste like.

I've really only tried rauchbier as a novelty... I can't actually see myself drinking one for pleasure.

I've never tried one myself, I'm pretty woefully ignorant of beer styles outside of American craft stuff and the very basics of European styles. However it definitely sounded worth a trip to a bar to sample.

[guidance]

this is the best time of year in the cleveland area with christmas ale on tap almost everywhere. i might be biased but it's my favorite winter beer.

[Guy Incognito]

this is the best time of year in the cleveland area with christmas ale on tap almost everywhere. i might be biased but it's my favorite winter beer.

my local has a really great christmas ale and i can't remember if i've already posted about this season's Anchor Christmas but oh man, try it at all costs

[fresh salad]

There is brewery here in Minneapolis called SURLY, Their Bender is the shizz.

[MRrrRrRrroooWwww]

The Bell's Two Hearted was an interesting IPA. Good for one pint, but then the hoppy flavor really dominates. It's sort of a novelty, being that hoppy.

shit and heck i wish i could get two hearted down here in texas. best beer ever imo.

[adamtrask]

There is brewery here in Minneapolis called SURLY, Their Bender is the shizz.

I really don't like the Bender much. Just too roasty for me... but if you're into heavy coffee taste in your beer, I can see how you would like it.

[Smerdyakov]

I had a Boulevard Long Strange Tripel the other day. Good stuff.

[brownlights]

Coffee Bender is truly great, and I'm not much of a coffee person. They somehow dialed in a great balance with the strong coffee presence up front that fades into malty deliciousness.

[bagwhat]

This crappy tex-mex bar near me had pliny the elder on tap. during happy hour it was $3.5/pint. such a great, great beer. i don't know if it's in my head or if this is really the case, but both times i've had it on tap (this bar, and at a pizza port in sd) it seemed just a little better than in the bottle.

[mike]

What do you do about friends who are afraid of hops but love stouts and porters?

you've gotta walk them over, step by step - so find a red, then a hoppy wheat, then a pale, then an ipa... or you can just serve them a hoppy stout - 3 floyds manages to make most of their dark beers finish at least a little hoppy.

i think for a lot of people, hoppy stuff just takes time to get a feel for. that's how it worked for me, anyway. if they're at least open to trying it, they'll come around with experience.

[shankly]

Had a bomber of this stuff the other day--really tasty.

I've yet to find a DFH beer that I can't at least find some merit in.

[bankhead]

some friends and i did a blind beer gift exchange on saturday

gifted a damnation46 and got a firestone12

not bad

anybody here tasted the firestone anniversaries

[Brevity]

I had a few Green Flash IPAs at this new bar here, Big Star, the other night. It was pretty decent. I'd never seen any Green Flash stuff around here before.

Drinking one now. I think it's new to the Chicago market. Pretty great.

[Brevity]

What do you do about friends who are afraid of hops but love stouts and porters?

A lot of Russian imperial stouts are hoppy as hell. I think the Founders one is like 90 IBUs. Or maybe, if they're into big beers, slip them a hoppy barleywine or something?

[andrei]

i'm drinking a stone bitter chocolate oatmeal stout and losing my shit

[fury]

i want to try that so badly but i never seen it anywhere despite living close to stone

[andrei]

they had a bunch of em at the store near me

just saw on ratebeer that they're discontinued, too, i might stock up

we don't get alesmith around here and this is the closest thing i've had to something on the level of the speedway stout

[CudNylon]

I guess I'll go the RIS route since I'm not well versed on reds/wheats etc. I tried a Bigfoot last year on my friends and the response was mostly negative. Rogue Chocolate Stout and Bell's Porter is the only unanimous praise I can get, and Old Rasputin gets a little love as well.

[vibracobra]

i'm drinking a stone bitter chocolate oatmeal stout and losing my shit

This stuff is incredible. Stock up if you can, I haven't seen it in my locals in far too long.

[skittish]

had these in a flying fish sampler. esb amber was my favorite

[apostrophe]

My girlfriend seems reassured when something has "light" in its name. I know this might be hard to ask in the quality beer thread, but anyone have any recommendations?
Right now I am drinking Sam Adams Light, which I like, but i feel like you guys would know more than i do.

[lobster]

Coffee Bender is truly great, and I'm not much of a coffee person. They somehow dialed in a great balance with the strong coffee presence up front that fades into malty deliciousness.

yeah the coffee bender and the surly wet are my favorite. i went on their brewery tour a couple weeks ago and it was awesome. six free beers but they let you drink as much as you want if you throw the bartender a couple bucks here and then