The Official Beer Lovers Thread

[broncocalijohn]

Anyone try the Kona Brewing Company beer that has coconut flavor in it? If you like a little sweetness in your beer, then try it. Bronco Biv, I think Blue Moon is a great beer for the price. Just glad Coors didnt screw it up when the acquired it.

[elsid13]

Originally Posted by broncocalijohn

Anyone try the Kona Brewing Company beer that has coconut flavor in it? If you like a little sweetness in your beer, then try it. Bronco Biv, I think Blue Moon is a great beer for the price. Just glad Coors didnt screw it up when the acquired it.

Kona is pretty good, the coconut porter is better then one would believe it to be.

[elsid13]

My last couple ~

Dominion Millennium a barley wine style brew with hint of honey and it was awful. I truly had to force myself to finish it because it was that bad.

Just opened Harpoon's Leviathan Quad. It's a Quadrupel, which i just discovered is

"Inspired by the Trappist brewers of Belgium, a Quadrupel is a Belgian style ale of great strength with bolder flavor compared to its Dubbel and Tripel sister styles. Typically a dark creation that ranges within the deep red, brown and garnet hues. Full bodied with a rich malty palate. Phenols are usually at a moderate level. Sweet with a low bitterness yet a well perceived alcohol. " Source BA.

Pours a Ruby brown and boy can you taste the ACL (11.75%) on this one. If you like Belgium with kick a this might be the one for you, if not it is a hard beer to drink. Over all a B level grade for me on this. To many will result in you setting fire to your neighbor and acting like Raider fan.
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[Broncobiv]

Originally Posted by Al Wilson 4 Mayor

Have you tried the Blue Moon with Honey Ale (can't remember the exact name, but that's it essentially)?

It's on sale at my local Albersons for $11 a 12 pack, and I'm considering trying it.

I know I replied to your PM, but I still say try it! It's good and not too sweet, and at $11 for a 12-pack, you can't pass it up!

Originally Posted by Al Wilson 4 Mayor

Bridgeport makes a coffee flavored porter that is really good. It's one of the best dark beers I've ever had. I actually saw a review of it in a brewer's magazine at the mall. It was rated a 98 out of 100. There were only 1 or 2 beers they had rated that high, and they were all high dollar beers that go for $10 a 22 oz bottle.

If you like dark beers you'll love it.

I tried the Bridgeport Cafe Negro. I just thought it was O.K. For my taste, the coffee flavor was just too strong (and I like coffee flavor in beer). It just seemed like they were trying too hard to pack as much coffee flavor in there as possible. It did not have very good balance, IMO.

To me, a much better coffee porter was the Big Sky Cowboy Coffee Porter. The coffee flavor was definitely in there, but it was far smoother than the Cafe Negro. Too bad it was a limited release seasonal and already gone though!

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

Originally Posted by Broncobiv

I know I replied to your PM, but I still say try it! It's good and not too sweet, and at $11 for a 12-pack, you can't pass it up!



I tried the Bridgeport Cafe Negro. I just thought it was O.K. For my taste, the coffee flavor was just too strong (and I like coffee flavor in beer). It just seemed like they were trying too hard to pack as much coffee flavor in there as possible. It did not have very good balance, IMO.

To me, a much better coffee porter was the Big Sky Cowboy Coffee Porter. The coffee flavor was definitely in there, but it was far smoother than the Cafe Negro. Too bad it was a limited release seasonal and already gone though!

Well, I think the sale ended the next day.

I'd love to try the Big Sky Coffee Porter. We get a lot of Big Sky brews around here because Montana is so close to Idaho, I guess. Moosedrool is a pretty good beer.

I tried there Honey Ale, and I thought it was barely a step above Budweiser.

I'm surprised you didn't like Bridgeport's Cafe Porter. It's easily one of my favorites now.

I finally found Sam Adams Cream Stout again, and I was a little disappointed. It pours well, with a nice cream colored head. It goes down pretty smooth, but the after-taste isn't as good as I remember, lacking a little flavor.

Going down it's still pretty good though, with the chocolate and caramel malts adding a nice flavor. It's still a good beer, but I don't know if I would consider it my favorite dark anymore. Maybe I liked it so much because it was the first palatable dark beer I tried, but as I tried more of them my tastes changed.

[Broncobiv]

Double-digits! Keg #10 was tapped-in today!

I love wheats and whites, but I have already had 3 in a row from that style. So, it was definitely time to go back to my #1 MOST favorite style, the stout!

The one I chose is regularly mentioned as one of the best stouts that our nation has to offer. From the Left Hand Brewery out of Longmont, CO, I have purchased a 1/2 barrel of Milk Stout!



So delicious. I'm just happy to have a stout in there again! If you like dark beers, this is one that you should definitely not miss! I've had it plenty of times in bottles, but it tastes better on draft. And if you can find a bar that carries it on a Nitrogen tap, then it's even better!

[Mediator12]

Been drinking local beers here to INDY, but the best this summer has been Bee Creek Brewery's Hoosier Honey Wheat. Best American made Wheat beer I have ever tasted by far and in the same class with Weihenstephaner and Ayinger's World class Hefeweizen's IMHO.

Other incredible brews are the Three Floyds monthly releases over the spring and their Moloko Milk Stout. I gave it to a friend as a gift, and his favorite beer is stout's. He liked the Left hand Milk stout as a go to beer until he tried the Moloko. Now, it's his favorite bottled beer available in INDY.

The other Three Floyds offerings were Dreadnaught Double IPA, Rabbid Rabbit Saison, BlackHeart English IPA, and Apocalypse Cow Double IPA. Really solid with none less than an A-.

[Mediator12]

Man, I wish I could get Yuengling in INDIANA! Great beer, for cheap out east. Americas oldest brewery still makes a great Amber.

[elsid13]

Originally Posted by Mediator12

Man, I wish I could get Yuengling in INDIANA! Great beer, for cheap out east. Americas oldest brewery still makes a great Amber.

I have always found Yuengling overrated. Maybe because I have access to it all the time, but there are better craft brews out there.

[Broncobiv]

Originally Posted by elsid13

I have always found Yuengling overrated. Maybe because I have access to it all the time, but there are better craft brews out there.

Disclaimer: I have never tasted Yuengling.

But somehow I agree with you anyway! lol

To me, everyone out here (in Arizona) who speaks so highly of Yuengling only does so because we can't get it here! I can't imagine it being better than the dozens of craft brews that we have available from Colorado, California, Michigan, etc etc etc. But ask someone who actually HAS tried Yuengling? It's the best beer EVER!

Sure...maybe it's great, or decent, or just O.K. But I agree that it is probably blown way out of proportion.

[ghwk]

Not sure if it is available outside Ca but Racer 5 IPA is kick ass on a hot day or with spicy food.

[Broncobiv]

And what a fantastically timely bump that this thread was replied to earlier today. Why? Because today I tapped beer #11 into my kegerator!

After 2 months (to the day) of having Left Hand Milk Stout on tap, I was still in the mood for something dark and flavorful. I finally settled on:



Oskar Blues Old Chub Scotch Ale.

This beer is FANTASTIC! If you have followed my "kegerator" posts closely (which I assume approximately 0 of you have), then you'll know that I prefer stouts #1 and then wheats/whites mixed in to break up the monotony of stout after stout. I am LOVING this choice.

The simplest way I can describe this beer is, it has the flavor of a stout without the weight. A few pints of a nice stout really weighs you down. It's really hard to drink a hearty stout back to back to back. That is what I love about the Old Chub. It has a FANTASTIC, COMPLEX flavor without being heavy! I've had 3 already tonight, and I'm not full like I would be with one of the stouts I've featured in earlier posts.

This beer is nowhere near as dark (in color) as a standard stout. It's like a mix of an amber and a porter (in color). Red hues really show through, but VERY dark. The taste is wonderful. But again, what amazes me is that for a beer with so much FLAVOR, it does NOT fill you up and bog you down.

But be CAREFUL! Old Chub is 8% alcohol, so while you're sure to enjoy the drinkability and flavor of this brew, it will really sneak up on you as far as the "drunk" factor goes. Overall...this beer immediately (and quite easily) climbs into my top-5 favorite beers.

[ghwk]

Beautiful Biv. I would love to try it. I love Guiness but it has to be out of the tap and I don't find it filling at all. Boont Farms makes a great oatmeal stout if you get a chance to try it.

My go to beer in the fridge is Sierra Nevada and they make great seasonal brews.

[Broncobiv]

Originally Posted by ghwk

Not sure if it is available outside Ca but Racer 5 IPA is kick ass on a hot day or with spicy food.

Just wanted to say that yes, it is available outside of CA. I don't know in exactly how many states Bear Republic is available, but it most certainly IS next door in AZ.

Racer 5 is one of our (my company's - a local distributor) better moving IPA's. It is not a super-strong IPA, not ridiculously hoppy like some of them can be. So being on the more mild side (for an IPA), it's good for people just getting into the category. Now I'm not saying that experienced IPA drinkers won't enjoy it! But for people wanting to give it a go, Racer 5 is a pretty good choice to start with.

Personally, I just can't get into IPA's. And believe me, I would LOVE to love IPA's! Tucson is a very IPA-leaning craft beer town. That category has really blown up here over the past few years. My life would be a lot easier, and full of more choices, if I liked IPA's. I've tried a couple dozen and I just can't get into them. That hoppy, bitter flavor just doesn't do it for me, no matter how much I wish it did.

[Mediator12]

Originally Posted by Broncobiv

Just wanted to say that yes, it is available outside of CA. I don't know in exactly how many states Bear Republic is available, but it most certainly IS next door in AZ.

Racer 5 is one of our (my company's - a local distributor) better moving IPA's. It is not a super-strong IPA, not ridiculously hoppy like some of them can be. So being on the more mild side (for an IPA), it's good for people just getting into the category. Now I'm not saying that experienced IPA drinkers won't enjoy it! But for people wanting to give it a go, Racer 5 is a pretty good choice to start with.

Personally, I just can't get into IPA's. And believe me, I would LOVE to love IPA's! Tucson is a very IPA-leaning craft beer town. That category has really blown up here over the past few years. My life would be a lot easier, and full of more choices, if I liked IPA's. I've tried a couple dozen and I just can't get into them. That hoppy, bitter flavor just doesn't do it for me, no matter how much I wish it did.

The best IPA's IMHO do not have the bitterness of the standard IPA, but retain the great hopiness. Now, there are very few of them out there, but Dreadnaught from 3 Floyd's, Hopslam from Bell's, and Two-Hearted from Bell's are excellent choices. I am not a Hop head by any means but I like one of those occasionally to mix things up and they are good local choices in Indiana.

As for the Yuengling debate, it is nowhere near the best beer out there. I think it's a solid B for an Amber, which I really like the style. However, at 9 bucks for a 12 pack of bottles it is one of the best Value beers I have ever had. Most value beers suck like dishwater out of an old bucket. That is why I like Yuengling. I usually drink much more craft styles, but its my favorite bang for "less than" the buck a beer.

[Ray Finkle]

Originally Posted by Mediator12

The best IPA's IMHO do not have the bitterness of the standard IPA, but retain the great hopiness. Now, there are very few of them out there, but Dreadnaught from 3 Floyd's, Hopslam from Bell's, and Two-Hearted from Bell's are excellent choices. I am not a Hop head by any means but I like one of those occasionally to mix things up and they are good local choices in Indiana.

As for the Yuengling debate, it is nowhere near the best beer out there. I think it's a solid B for an Amber, which I really like the style. However, at 9 bucks for a 12 pack of bottles it is one of the best Value beers I have ever had. Most value beers suck like dishwater out of an old bucket. That is why I like Yuengling. I usually drink much more craft styles, but its my favorite bang for "less than" the buck a beer.

I've been big into Terrapin Hopsecutioner IPA...I put on par with Bell's

[elsid13]

Originally Posted by Ray Finkle

I've been big into Terrapin Hopsecutioner IPA...I put on par with Bell's

Terrapin has done some really nice stuff lately. Their imperial stout is above par too.

[oubronco]

Tried some of this per recommendation from the lady at the liqour store and it was pretty damn good

[Broncobiv]

If you liked that one, you should try Stiegl Radler. It is a VERY good lemon beer from Austria.

[oubronco]

Just got back from the store picked up a mixed 6

Left Hand Brewery Milk Stout
Sam Adams Cream stout
Sam Adams Cherry Wheat
Leinenliugel Red Lager
Leinenliugel Cremy stout
Guiness Draught

Guess i should've checked here before I went thanks Biv

[Broncobiv]

Alright...beer #12 has gone into the kegerator. We wanted to stick with something dark now that it's starting to cool off and get closer to the winter months. So I decided on:



Firestone Walker Walker's Reserve. It is a porter (well, their website calls it a "robust porter"). It's available in 22oz bombers and also on draft. Here is the description from their website:

A singularly distinctive beer that represents our finest brewing efforts, Walker’s Reserve is a elegant dark ale featuring robust flavors of toffee, caramel and bittersweet chocolate. This brew employs five specialty malts, as well as oat and barley flakes, for added complexity and flavor.

Sounds delicious, right? Well, it's pretty dang good! Definitely feels right for the colder months. I had one beer from the Firestone Walker brewery last year - Velvet Merlin, their winter seasonal. It was fantastic, but I didn't want to repeat, so I went with this one.

It's funny, this brewery's motto is "Passion for the Pale". But since I do not like pales or IPAs, I try everything that is not in their wheelhouse. So far, I have not been disappointed!

[Broncobiv]

I tapped beer #13 into my kegerator today. Nectar Ales Red Nectar:



This beer is (now) brewed by Firestone Walker, the same brewery that gave me Velvet Merlin and the Walker's Reserve (posted above). Red Nectar was Nectar Ales first beer after being founded in 1987, and Firestone Walker acquired the brewery in 2003.

This is a red/amber ale. We wanted something a little lighter after having 3 highly dark, heavy beers in a row. This is a little hoppier than I normally like, but it is still very good. Not gonna weigh you down but definitely has a lot of flavor. Again, not my favorite beer ever, but something different for now. I can't just repeat the same 3 or 4 beers over and over!

[Pony Boy]

Whitness the Chickness ....

chick.jpg

[Ray Finkle]

Originally Posted by Broncobiv

I tapped beer #13 into my kegerator today. Nectar Ales Red Nectar:



This beer is (now) brewed by Firestone Walker, the same brewery that gave me Velvet Merlin and the Walker's Reserve (posted above). Red Nectar was Nectar Ales first beer after being founded in 1987, and Firestone Walker acquired the brewery in 2003.

This is a red/amber ale. We wanted something a little lighter after having 3 highly dark, heavy beers in a row. This is a little hoppier than I normally like, but it is still very good. Not gonna weigh you down but definitely has a lot of flavor. Again, not my favorite beer ever, but something different for now. I can't just repeat the same 3 or 4 beers over and over!

This one is great, I love their IPA but I'm a HOP head....

[Ray Finkle]

For anyone near the NoVA area, check this place out:

http://www.portcitybrewing.com/