Any serious beer drinkers in forum?

[Purple-Days]

I drink traditional Euro beers (from a German family). Heinies right now (enjoy Beck's and St. Pauli) and Stellas and some Peroni for later chilling in the fridge.

This place looks like it's right up that alley

Beer paradise? Maybe . . . Possibly !

Semi-NSFW
http://www.popgive.com/2011/03/beer-paradise.html

Don't count on the translation machine... "Chodovar Plan is 155 kilometers from Prague. about a half hour drive " (musical refrain) nana, nana, nana, nana . . . nana, nana, nana, nana . . . in the Batmobile maybe.

 

[Nuphile]

Wow! That looks like the coolest place ever! A beer bath, for real?

Thanks for sharing.

 

[charliedontsurf]

All this reading about beer; I need to get some.

I enjoy a good Trappist beer every now and again, but my favorite are Portland IPAs. Many of the breweries here do not bottle their beer at all. For the ones that do, I don't think they get distributed very far.

If any of you IPA lovers make it to Portland, you need to go to Lucky Labrador Brewery and Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB). Dechutes and Bridgeport are also pretty good. Steer clear of Mcmenamins and Widmer though; the beer isn't that great.

The Lucky Lab has anywhere between 2 and 6 excellent IPAs on draft always.
Hopworks has, what they call, their award winning IPA. It is possibly the best American style IPA in the world; no joke. HUB also bottles their IPA, and is in stores here.

I am possibly rambling here; super vaked and need a beer. Cool thread!

I've wanted to take a big Oregon beer-odysee for some time now, alot of my favorite breweries are from there, such as Deschuttes. Some of their big bottles are just amazing, like the Dissident this year, or hop in the dark.
Bridgeport single IPA was actually one of the beers which first slapped me in the face and made me think "wow, now that's good." It's a little too toned down for my taste now, but it's still very complex and wonderfully dense thanks to its bottle conditioning. Their Hop Czar DIPA is just okay, and their double red (godfather, I think it was called) was downright lousy. I hear they sold out to a big beer company a year back or so as well...

I would agree completely with the Widmer condemnation if it weren't for their Double IPA, called Deadlift. You can occasionally find it in four packs for well under 10 bucks, and at that price, it is a very, very solid DIPA.

As far as nominating the best production single IPA I've tried, I would vote for Blind Pig by Russian River brewing.

- Purple Days, not to be naysaying, but the beers you listed aren't terribly traditional. They don't even meet the Reinheitsgebot (German beer purity law) due their massive additions of corn and rice. The green bottles many of those beers are bottled in lead to hop-acid spoliage, which is responsible for their "skunky" flavor. If you like Pilsners, I think Radeberger is a great one, as are Czechvar, Steigel and Krusovice. Keep in mind I'm pointing out all-malt Pilsners and honestly, some people just prefer adjunct-heavy ones, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Also, I think the Dogfishhead founder was very wise when he deemed the Reinheitsgebot an early form of creative censorship...

-I have a nice stout fermenting right now with a 1.5 pound honey addition, curious how it's going to turn out... But it's bubbling downright aggressively right now, a air bubble every 2-3 seconds, easily the most active fermentation I've witness yet.

 

[Purple-Days]

Ahhh, checked the Rhiensgeboooooooo on St. Pauli hughhhh??? yes it is.... boobschell and alles ! I'' ldelete ina minute... when you look up the facts... THAT'S ALL ! wHERE IS DER MARCHENSTEIN !@!!

ps. jUST AHVING bAVARIAN fUNSTAG !!!

 

[charliedontsurf]

Lol, St Pauli is all malt?

Still has a green bottle, I stand by my mud slinging And this reminds me, I got to get my postcard in on your awesome contest. Thanks for being such a cool manufacturer and such a big part of the community.

In my brewing career I'm going to try and perfect a ridiculously hoppy pilsner as well as a "German" IPA, that is, one made with German/Czech varieties of hops. Mikkeler did one along these lines and it was very nice, despite being a bottle which was obviously dusty and old.

 

[Purple-Days]

Haven't read all this thread, every word, and things change, a couple years ago St. Pauli was Rhein . . . (wow I'm no expert) I bewt I look like a beer fool, I can learn. I still prefer beer that tastes like beer, not into Cherries or Dung Beetles or Bull Squat . . . It better taste like fuckiyngg Beer. Sorry, if that upsets some folks . . .

I think the rhieng. standard... is right for me. . . . you are welcome to your other opinions !

 

[Purple-Days]

ps. IPAs are my second choice. Bridgeport makes a good one IMO.

 

[charliedontsurf]

Haven't read all this thread, every word, and things change, a couple years ago St. Pauli was Rhein . . . (wow I'm no expert) I bewt I look like a beer fool, I can learn. I still prefer beer that tastes like beer, not into Cherries or Dung Beetles or Bull Squat . . . It better taste like fuckiyngg Beer. Sorry, if that upsets some folks . . .

I think the rhieng. standard... is right for me. . . . you are welcome to your other opinions !

I LOVE dung beetle and bull squat flavored beers! The wild beers of Belgium are some of my favorites and the whole "barnyard" funkiness is like candy to me - alot of people think one of my favorite beer styles, saison, smells like hops poured over an old leather saddle, which I can kind of see but can't help but love!

 

[Purple-Days]

Nobody has made me laugh like that in a while... "the whole "barnyard" funkiness is like candy to me" Candidate for the 'all time' best post on FC.

 

[hereatlast]

charlie keep us updated on the pilsner. I've been tasting as many pilsner's as I can but have taken a break to try different things...Victory's Prima Pils was a favorite. Anybody got general recommendations on good pils?

Drinking an Ommegang Abbey Ale (classified as an Abbey Dubbel by the brewer) right now...tastes nice with some vapors

 

[Carbon]

Broke open a Russian River Concecration from circa 2008 on Monday. Also had a Stone Imperial Russian Stout from spring 2008. Both were delicious.

 

[charliedontsurf]

Ommegang rocks, Russian river rocks, you guys rocks.

Consecrations is one of my favorite sours of all time, which is funny because I hate black currants unto themselves.

Ever try Cantillon's Rose De Gambrinus, the BA's here: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/388/2557 , tried it tonight and it was one of the most challenging and intensely tart/bretty sours I've ever tasted.

 

[Purple-Days]

charliedontsurf says, "- Purple Days, not to be naysaying, but the beers you listed aren't terribly traditional. They don't even meet the Reinheitsgebot (German beer purity law) due their massive additions of corn and rice." . . .
and "Lol, St Pauli is all malt? Still has a green bottle, I stand by my mud slinging"




Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Pauli_Girl

"St Pauli Girl brews all of their beers according to the Reinheitsgebot (German purity law) of 1516. The distinctive label depicting a woman wearing traditional outfits was introduced in the 19th century (that's the 1800s) with the advent of the bottled beer. The local artist commissioned for the label drew his inspiration from the waitresses at the time."


BTW Pammy calls it 'titty beer' because of the label.
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beck's_Brewery

"Although Beck's marketing material claims that it follows the strict Reinheitsgebot, the German Purity Law of 1516, as with virtually all modern beers, cultured yeast is an ingredient, which was later approved in an amendment to the original purity law. Beck's was the first German beer company to use green bottles.

The St. Pauli Girl Brewery is housed within the Brewery in Bremen. Although Beck's and St. Pauli Girl beers are very similar in nature, the latter only recently has been sold in Germany."

Of course they didn't know what yeast was back in 1516 so it wasn't on the purity list, but you can't deny that yeast was and always has been an ingredient in beer. When yeast was discovered and it's function understood the "strict Reinheitsgebot" rules were modified to include this vital ingredient. You can't make beer without it.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heineken
Heineken is "purified water, malted barley, hops, and yeast."

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peroni_Brewery
Peroni was aquired in 2005, by SabMiller in London. It is (water), "barley malt, corn grits, hop pellets and hop extract." But I like it. And enjoyed it when I was in Italy, so it has a sentimental value that you may not apreciate.

So what says you now? Had to show this (St. Pauli) article to another beer person who visited us in Oregon. He looked down on St. Pauli too, till the facts were shown. Maybe you are thinking of Lowenbrau (Miller Brewing) or something else but St. Pauli does not deserve the poor reputation (of inferior ingredients) you seem to be perpetuating. Right?

BTW Bridgepoprt IPA

 

[Nuphile]

Bridgeport single IPA was actually one of the beers which first slapped me in the face and made me think "wow, now that's good." It's a little too toned down for my taste now, but it's still very complex and wonderfully dense thanks to its bottle conditioning. Their Hop Czar DIPA is just okay, and their double red (godfather, I think it was called) was downright lousy. I hear they sold out to a big beer company a year back or so as well...

I would agree completely with the Widmer condemnation if it weren't for their Double IPA, called Deadlift. You can occasionally find it in four packs for well under 10 bucks, and at that price, it is a very, very solid DIPA.

As far as nominating the best production single IPA I've tried, I would vote for Blind Pig by Russian River brewing.

Bridgeport IPA is pretty good and is less expensive than many awesome IPA's here, so I buy it regularly. Is does have some complexity, but I agree, it's a bit toned downed with the hop profile. I don't like the Hop Czar at all, as I don't really like high ABV, high gravity IPAs; they are too sweet for me. I prefer the dryer IPA's.
I don't think Bridgeport sold out, but I could be wrong about that.

I do know that Widemer and Redhook joined forces and are now publicly traded as Craft Brewers Alliance Inc. I haven't tried the Deadlift because I just figured it would probably suck, but I'll give it a chance.

I have not tried Russian River's Blind Pig. Thanks for the suggestion! I love trying new super delicious IPAs.

 

[charliedontsurf]

Virtually anything but Russian River is guaranteed to be at least a 8. They're a fantastic brewery, I especially like Consecration (Currant-aged sour) and Redemption (Belgian single).

I forgot to mention Bridgeport's Ebenezer - a store near me had Ebenezer (very hoppy winter warmer) for super cheap because it was two years old, and instead of realizing that the beer benefited from it, they discounted it down to zip. I bought tons, and should of bought the whole stock. I bought some fresh ones recently and was disappointed - but those older ones were amazing. My beginning beer days were full of Brideport IPA and Ebenezer more than probably any other two beers.

Purple days, I'll need some hot sauce to go with my hat. It's a massive surprise that those beers (cept Peroni) are all malt. Still, they all suffer from light spoilage unless they were delivered in a can or off tap, because the green bottles still compromise the living hell out of them and make them taste like an angry skunk.

Some of my absolute favorite beers in the world are Belgians such as Fantome and Saison Dupont. These two companies put out every goddamn one of their products in 750ml green bottles. You have perhaps a 1 in 4 chance of getting a bottle which shows little to no signs of light spoilage - these beers come a very long way, go through many different hands, and then sit on a shelf for months or years sometimes waiting for someone to pick them up due to their eclectic nature. At least a Heineken alikes has a mass market following so it won't sit for too long, a Fantome De Hiver might sit for 9 months, easy, in broad sunlight.

Even if you had the most generous, kind, and understanding bottle shop owner, who took back the other 3 out of 4 bottles, you'd still feel like an ass for wasting his and your own time. So what do you do? Go to good beer locations and have them off tap, or purchase a case directly from a distributor. I loathe the whole green bottle trend, and welcome the new renaissance of canning, a medium which in some ways outshines the brown bottle.

But you are correct sir, and good sleuthing.

 

[Purple-Days]

I've got dozens of sauce selections from the variety of hats I've gnawed on over the years...


BTW, and this is just a question . . . What makes a green bottle bad? If it is delivered in a heavy cardboard container (ie. standard 12-24 pack) and light isn't a problem? I dig that sitting your green bottle (in an open 6 pack) in sunlight ain't good, but that's not really likely (except by poor marketers (handling), is it?), or is it something in the glass? Just curious.

I'm also not sure that 'aging' on a 'market shelf' (light, dark or other storage conditions-wise is the best for the best of bottled beers, IMO) That's why I liked living in Oregon, craft beers didn't sit in transit or on the shelf very long. Here I get Kroger Aged Beer.

 

[charliedontsurf]

Kroger aged beers, nice.

Brown bottles protects against 95% of light, green bottles do something like 10%, clear like 5% by the albedo of the glass surface itself. You don't need sunlight - you just need a 40 watt incandescent bulb. It's surprising how little light will turn a beer if it's in a clear or green bottle...

This is the precise point where I stopped typing and started googling:

"What does light-struck mean?
This is when the beer has been exposed to ultraviolet light for a period of time. Hop-derived molecules, called isohumulones, are basically ripped apart. Some of these parts bind with sulfur atoms to create that skunk character, which is similar in character to a skunk's natural defense and is such a potent compound that parts-per-trillion can be detected and even ruin a beer. Although brown bottles aid in protecting beer from being light-struck, it hardly makes the beer invincible. Green or clear bottles provide little to no protection. And it's been said that bottled beer can become light-struck in less than one minute in bright sun, after a few hours in diffuse daylight, and in a few days under normal fluorescent lighting. " - http://beeradvocate.com/articles/527

There's some other good info in there, too. They actually go to some length to point out that green bottles aren't solely to blame, but some of their points I kind of see fault in. I just know, given the information I've heard and read, that there is nothing to gain by having a green bottle except a bizarre, ill defined and meaningless product image, and there is much to lose. Just about the only thing Heineken and Saison Dupont have in common is that their companies need to rethink their packaging.

 

[tdavie]

I've got dozens of sauce selections from the variety of hats I've gnawed on over the years...


BTW, and this is just a question . . . What makes a green bottle bad? If it is delivered in a heavy cardboard container (ie. standard 12-24 pack) and light isn't a problem? I dig that sitting your green bottle in sunlight ain't good, but that's not really likely (is it), or is it something in the glass. Just curious.

I can actually answer this

In college I took a course called Industrial Microbiology (I took it to get a brewery pass and a stupid amount of free beer).

There are certain wavelengths of light that are damaging to compounds contained in the hops. Specifically, some of the Humulones and Lupulones undergo an isomerization and end up smelling skunky. In a clear bottle this can happen in under 45 minutes, with a green bottle taking from 45 minutes to a few hours. Depending upon lighting conditions.

The different colours of glass are optically opaque at different wavelengths. Add in a nice double or imperial IPA, and I would always want a brown bottle. Yup, very hoppy bottled beers can be damaged in factory as they await packaging.


If you homebrew (you do, right?), next time you bottle a nice hoppy IPA, bottle three test bottles; one each in clear, green and brown bottles. Wait until suitable drinking condition, and then place them all on a table outside at noon and then crack them all open at 5pm. One will stink really bad

I've seen beer sit unpackaged over a weekend under what I would consider harsh lighting conditions

Tom

 

[charliedontsurf]

Great insight Tdavie.

I actually have a hoppy saison with blood orange juice/zest thrown in fermenting, as well as a stout with 1.5 pounds of local honey fermenting with English yeast. I'm using all swingtops and should hopefully double my collection of them in a few days, thanks to a charitable soul on Craigslist. Some of the swingtops are green, so I should be able to experiment with this.

Again, I just know not even bother with some of my favorite beers when they're bottled, not unless I see them getting busted out the crate myself. It's like expecting your most beloved meal and getting a doggy-dish when you get a light struck world-class beer.

It's interesting that wine doesn't seem to suffer as much from light spoilage.

Edit: my interest in lower ABV is growing, partly because a delicious beer is that much more impressive if it has so little alcohol to convey those flavors and aromas. London Tavern ale from Valley Brewing out of Stockton is a great little beer at 3.5, a dark mild with tremendous flavor for how low the ABV is. 21st Amendments Bitter American is another great one.

 

[thepipesarecalling]

Home brewer here, I have a fine Belgian IPA and Dark Chocolate Coffee Stout fermenting at the moment, a caramel-sweet IPA, a blueberry wheat, and a tough-as-nails 9.7% Imperial IPA in bottles. Homebrewing is where it's at guys!

As far as breweries, I really have to give it up for Lagunitas, Dogfish, Green Flash, Avery, Southern Tier, Victory, and Rogue as of now, in no particular order of course. Someday I'll get my hands on something Russian River, someday.

 

[Purple-Days]

I grew up with brown bottles (returnables) and even those were always packaged in heavy cardboard to inhibit light. Grandpa, would store them in the north end of the garage (somewhat below grade) against the floor and cover the cases with a blanket or two, probably to keep them cool and stable, but possibly to restrict the light also. German to the core, he probably did things just the way his father and his grandfather did. They might have know a thing or two.

I do not brew my own, sounds like keeping a seawater aquarium... not for everybody... sure I could probably do it, just like I could probably grow orchids, but...

Enjoying a Heiny, from a green bottle . . . Kroger aged... Mmmm . . . cough, cough . . . in the middle of AZ you don't have much choice. Mexican products, Bud products, and a couple of green bottle beers from the EU.

 

[hereatlast]

Bump as I saw charlie reference this thread elsewhere. Also, drinking a Flying Dog 'Snake Dog' IPA right now. It's ok, it was a cold single at the beer store went I got off work.

Recent good ones for me have been Fegley's Hop'solutely. A triple IPA and something like 11.5% and it went down so easy. The name is nicely suggestive but the fruitiness of the hops really surprised me. Also had a Bell's Hop Slam on draft the other night and it was lovely, definitely a recent favorite. Bought a bottle of it at the store tonight after that good experience (brown bottle ). It was one of the beers that the owner keeps behind the counter for enquiring (repeat) customers, gonna have to see what else she has back there

Also picked up a Bailey's Blonde Ale, know nothing about it but looking forward to it tomorrow. Had a Centenial IPA on draft the other day with a friend and it was great.

I'm still largely just reaching out for random beers and finding what I like best. When I find something I really like I'm tempted to go buy more of it but then I get bogged down by the choices when I'm in the store.

Hope everyone's enjoying their beers and best of luck to the home-brewers in here.

 

[tdavie]

In the fridge at the moment are 3 750 ml bottles by Unibroue; one 'La Fin Du Monde' is a Belgian style trippel with fennel and a few other spices, the second 'Maudite' quite similar to Duvel and 'Trois Pistole'a darker Chimay Blue type of trappist ale. All are bottle conditioned and corked with wire cage. A massive $5.40 at the local store. Brewed in Quebec, and in my opinion the best brewery in Canada (no offense to the many fine craft breweries out there in Canada).

Tonight, the 'La Fin Du Monde' was paired with Cuban style Beans and Rice with fresh rye bread. A horrible bloody mismatch; the beer totally overpowered the food (was definitely underspiced).

There are other beers with more alcohol (these are 9, 8 and 9 %ABV in order as mentioned above), and there are other beers that are more bitter/malty; these are very simply some of the finest Belgian style beers produced in North America (large nod of appreciation to the New Belgium Brewing Company in Ft. Collins, Colorado....their 'Fat Tire' is one tasty brew). I think the only other NA beer company that is this good/capable with Belgian beers was Celis (I think their White/Wit was the best I've ever had).

And although I think this will go down in the 'I am going to rot in hell moment', when my fiancee left and took her stuff, she left 4 very dusty 10+ yr old 'Thomas Hardys' that are now sitting in the fridge I didn't touch a 5 yr old DIPA

Also have a 6 pack of 12 oz bottles of 'Little Scrapper' IPA from my home city. It's a 50 IBU beer, not terribly hoppy and about as normal as I would go for a session beer.

Rounding out the booze stash at the moment is an unopened 20 yr old Tawny Port that I had intended to use for a seafood stew.

Thats it.

Cheers.

Tom

 

[Silver420Surfer]

All I know is weekends were made for Michelob.
Happy weekend
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1xicVRrgCc&feature=related

Also fo rthe big spender, How can you resist this,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oUBaCyXWNk

Not much of a beer drinker, just like the commercials.

Heres to good friends,
Tonight is kind of special.
The beer well pour
must say something more, somehow.
So tonight (tonight),
Tonight,
Let it be Lwenbru (let it be Lwenbru).
Its been so long.
Hey, Im glad to see ya.
Raise your glass.
Heres to health and happiness.
So tonight (tonight),
Let it be all the best.

have a nice weekend

 

[hereatlast]

Nice rundown Tom, don't think I've tried any of those beers (that's not very surprising though ). It's fun to read about what people are drinking and stocked up with (and when the beer pairings don't go over well even).


Had a nice Avery Brewing Co. Maharaja IPA the other night: had a serious kick to it. Been dabbling with a lot of IPA's lately and really enjoyed this one but it may have been just a tad too malty for me.

Last night I cracked a bottle of Philadelphia Brewing Co.'s Pale Ale: it was ok, there's a very slight possibility it was (just slightly) skunky. Not sure if this is due to the way the (brown) bottle was kept but the head was firmer (to the touch, not taste...not that I'm poking the head of my beers) than usual and very off-putting for me. Either way, this is local to my state and will definitely try it again but probably not in a bottle.

Tonight I've got a Southern Tier Brewing Co. Extra Pale Ale "Hoppe." Very much looking forward to it.


Went to a couple tastings last week and was able to try out some of Long Trail's more recent 'big bottles.' The double IPA was very solid and I also enjoyed the Centennial Red. Coffee Stouts aren't up my alley but I was happy to try a little taster of theirs. Also got to try out a Rogue and some random Canadian brews (spacing on the company!) that seemed like good entry-level bottles. Will have to find out what Canadian company it was...apparently Budweiser is now distributing their stuff to the US, take that as you will.