Support NeoGAF

[Leatherface]

This is a fine thread GAF. I have subscribed will support it. /salute

So i went to Epcot recently for the International Food and Wine Festival and samples what I found to be a truely amazing beer. In fact, it may just be one of my favorite beers ever. It's flavor is very crisp and light and very drinkable. What really struck me as unique however was the mild after taste of peppers! I'm talking fresh garden peppers here, not black pepper. I know this sounds weird, but believe it or not, it worked! Anyway, I thought it was a very unique flavor and tasted fantastic!

The problem is I can't find any businesses around that carry it (cry). GAF- help me get this beer at a reasonable price. I found a few European websites that will ship it but the shipping costs are through the roof and not worth it.
Help a brotha out!! Maybe I can do a beer trade with some of you Euro gaffers? PM me if interested. I live in the Northeast US (MA). There are a TON of micro breweries here and I have no problem trading. Not sure of the legalities though. I may have to look that up. lol



Exhibit A: VIRU

nomnomnomnomnomnomnom

 

[theinfinityissue]

@ the guy who likes blue moon, I'd give abita's purple haze a shot. kind of a vaguely similar concept with a very different execution. After that, you go straight to Rogue Dead Guy like a man would.

Ended up trying Budweiser's American Ale tonight, not shabby for the price. Is it supposed to be like a (slightly poorer) man's Sam Adams? It lacks the semi-bitter finish, seems a little less satisfying, but tastes like it for sure.

 

[HappyBivouac]

This is a fine thread GAF. I have subscribed will support it. /salute

So i went to Epcot recently for the International Food and Wine Festival and samples what I found to be a truely amazing beer. In fact, it may just be one of my favorite beers ever. It's flavor is very crisp and light and very drinkable. What really struck me as unique however was the mild after taste of peppers! I'm talking fresh garden peppers here, not black pepper. I know this sounds weird, but believe it or not, it worked! Anyway, I thought it was a very unique flavor and tasted fantastic!

The problem is I can't find any businesses around that carry it (cry). GAF- help me get this beer at a reasonable price. I found a few European websites that will ship it but the shipping costs are through the roof and not worth it.
Help a brotha out!! Maybe I can do a beer trade with some of you Euro gaffers? PM me if interested. I live in the Northeast US (MA). There are a TON of micro breweries here and I have no problem trading. Not sure of the legalities though. I may have to look that up. lol



Exhibit A:

nomnomnomnomnomnomnom

You didn't say what the beer is called and I can only see part of the label. Also that color bothers me for some reason.

 

[Leatherface]

You didn't say what the beer is called and I can only see part of the label. Also that color bothers me for some reason.

Whoops! Sorry about that. Viru is the beer name. I'll update my post.

Yeah the color has a Budweiser or some shitty beer look to it, doesn't it? lol. I thought it was great though. *shrug*

 

[forrest]

The Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale is easily the best session beer I've ever had. Available now!

I'm also on a stout kick, with Founders Breakfast Stout earning a very warm place in my heart.

I like the Sierra Nevada Celebration, but it's not really my favorite. Still hasn't stopped me from drinking the 6pack quite fast!

 

[sharkmuncher]

So the store didn't have any of the sours recommended, however, the gentleman at the counter directed me to these three. The Orval, which apparently has a little bit of sour tang although not generally considered a sour. The Ichtegem's, a Flemish red and The Castle Brewery Gueuze, a Lambic which the man at the store claimed he was quite partial to. Am drinking the Orval at the moment and it is quite a good beer, but not at all what I would consider a sour. I do get the tang, however. Will post impressions on the other 2 as I drink them.

Update #1: So that Orval was delicious! 6.9% never went down so easy. Would definitely get again, but NOT while looking for sours.

Update #2: The Ichtegem - This is definitely much more along the lines of what I was expecting for a sour beer. Very tasty, kind a red wine flavor and a sweet almost apple-like aroma. Very good and different from any beer I have ever had before. Would purchase again.

Update #3: Gueuze - Pucker the fuck up, THIS is a sour! I can't even begin to describe what I am tasting with this one. Maybe I'll add more when I finish it, hopefully I will have it more figured out by that point.
Update #3.5: So all done. That was an interesting experience. I want more, yet I cannot properly articulate why. The sourness wasn't exactly pleasant, yet there was something there that kept bringing me back. I will have to experiment further with these elusive "sour" beers...

 

[Clydefrog]

New Belgium's 2 Below Ale is now available. I think it's their best. It is their Winter seasonal.

 

[HappyBivouac]

Orval is great, but it almost seems no two bottles taste alike. Some I've had were really sour, others not so much. Always extremely tasty, though.

 

[gcubed]

What idea would that be? I've been thinking about doing an experimental brett beer for a while but haven't had the guts.

i made an ipa, friend made a porter, we took 2.5 gallons out of each, combined then put brett b in it and have it in the corner until march or so. The name, which we made the same night of drinking is What the Funk. The combination actually tasted pretty good.
I just picked up a used 5 gallon whiskey barrel that i'll be putting a porter into for a bit, but after its gets used a few times and starts to show some age i'll be using it specifically for brett beers.

as far as orval, if you didnt want to go out and get funky yeast a lot of people save the dregs from orval and use that as their yeast. Its a very mild funk, not neccessarily sour. The Brett B i used will do the same kind of flavor, not sour, but "funky" hard to describe... if you had orval you know.

Not sure where you are but if you can get Victory beers they make an excellent IPA - Hop Devil. If you can find a bottle of Wild Devil its their Hop Devil with brett yeast. Its quite good, but its hard to find even in its home area.

 

[sharkmuncher]

Not sure where you are but if you can get Victory beers they make an excellent IPA - Hop Devil. If you can find a bottle of Wild Devil its their Hop Devil with brett yeast. Its quite good, but its hard to find even in its home area.

Sounds interesting. Doesn't look like they distribute to NE, but next time I'm in CO I'll see if I can pick some up.

 

[distantmantra]

I've seen those at the Central Market in Shoreline. I've heard great things about Great Divide's beers. I really want to try their Imperial Stout, too. Too bad they cost around $10 or so per bottle. I'll definitely to pick one or two up sometime, though.

The Rogue John John Ale was $10 and totally worth it.

 

[facepalm007]

Just had a Stone Vertical Epic 10, and I enjoyed it. It reminded me of a banana bread with champagne, with a nice floral scent. I think I'm going to get another and see how it ages.

 

[KHarvey16]

19oz Sam Smith's Oatmeal and Imperial stouts for $3.99....at my local Stop and Shop. AWESOME

 

[Like the hat?]

Yesterday I picked up a 4 pack of 12oz Goose Island Matilda, a 4 pack of GI Bourbon County stout, and a 22oz GI Night stalker. Now to drink them in a couple years.

 

[Gav]

This is a fine thread GAF. I have subscribed will support it. /salute

So i went to Epcot recently for the International Food and Wine Festival and samples what I found to be a truely amazing beer. In fact, it may just be one of my favorite beers ever. It's flavor is very crisp and light and very drinkable. What really struck me as unique however was the mild after taste of peppers! I'm talking fresh garden peppers here, not black pepper. I know this sounds weird, but believe it or not, it worked! Anyway, I thought it was a very unique flavor and tasted fantastic!

The problem is I can't find any businesses around that carry it (cry). GAF- help me get this beer at a reasonable price. I found a few European websites that will ship it but the shipping costs are through the roof and not worth it.
Help a brotha out!! Maybe I can do a beer trade with some of you Euro gaffers? PM me if interested. I live in the Northeast US (MA). There are a TON of micro breweries here and I have no problem trading. Not sure of the legalities though. I may have to look that up. lol



Exhibit A: VIRU

http://www.bieradventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/20100314-IMG_3880.jpg[IMG]

nomnomnomnomnomnomnom

:D[/QUOTE]

Oh, nice one. I picked a bottle of this up not long ago amongst other things (photo of it on the last page!). Not had it yet, but it sounds great. Will be trying it asap thanks to your post.

Best of luck tracking some down!

 

[sharkmuncher]

holiday beer fest! Over 200 different beers! Sooo good. Will detail later when not on phone. Hooray beer!

 

[HappyBivouac]

i made an ipa, friend made a porter, we took 2.5 gallons out of each, combined then put brett b in it and have it in the corner until march or so. The name, which we made the same night of drinking is What the Funk. The combination actually tasted pretty good.
I just picked up a used 5 gallon whiskey barrel that i'll be putting a porter into for a bit, but after its gets used a few times and starts to show some age i'll be using it specifically for brett beers.

as far as orval, if you didnt want to go out and get funky yeast a lot of people save the dregs from orval and use that as their yeast. Its a very mild funk, not neccessarily sour. The Brett B i used will do the same kind of flavor, not sour, but "funky" hard to describe... if you had orval you know.

Not sure where you are but if you can get Victory beers they make an excellent IPA - Hop Devil. If you can find a bottle of Wild Devil its their Hop Devil with brett yeast. Its quite good, but its hard to find even in its home area.

Actually I've had Hop Wallop but not Hop Devil or Wild Devil. There's a place 3 hours north of here that gets a bunch of Victory (and any Surly beer I could want save Darkness obviously. wooo!) so next time I'm up there I'll check that out.

That brett IPA/porter also sounds incredibly intriguing.

 

[CrankyJay]

Enjoying some Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale right now. Love it.

 

[worldrunover]

Just had a Stone Vertical Epic 10, and I enjoyed it. It reminded me of a banana bread with champagne, with a nice floral scent. I think I'm going to get another and see how it ages.

Nice, I gotta get my hands on that. Between my friend and I, I think we have everything back from '05 on in storage somewhere waiting for 12.12.12. From '04 back the bottles get very hard to find and VERY expensive.

 

[worldrunover]

Currently drinking Mikkeller Black Tie;

Very strong dark chocolate, molasses, honey, and a hint of scotch. Deceptively smooth for such a big beer.

I don't try a lot of Danish beers, but I saw this one and had to give it a go.

 

[sharkmuncher]

So update for above post about Holiday Beerfest in Omaha.
First - Any day I get to try 43+ of over 200 beers is a great success.
My favorites being:
Lucky Bucket - Certified Evil (Dark Strong Ale)
Ridgeway - Bad Elf (English Pale Ale) [They have quite the series of these and I thought they got steadily worse as they went up in alcohol/price]
Goose Island - Bourbon County Stout (Imperial Stout) [What a great beer. I've had this a few times before and it is simply phenomenal every time]

Overall, anyone who is at all interested in beer would be wise to find a local event to taste as many beers as possible. It is absolutely one of the best ways to find what brands/styles you really like!...time to pass out

 

[Talon]

The only beer I'm actually a fan of is Blue Moon. Where do I go from here, Beer GAF?

Move on to other witbiers.

Goose Island 312 is a logical next step. So is Hoegaarden, although I find the citrus overwhelming.

Boston Lager's a good introductory beer as well. Newcastle Brown Ale's another one I recommend, although it's heavier. You should be able to find these beers just about anywhere.

Find a brewpub nearby and explore a bit.

 

[smokeymicpot]

Just bought some Sam Adams Cherry Wheat.

Anyone know where I can get some nice pint glasses.

 

[Nose Master]

I usually try out new beers based only on the sillyness of their name, or if there's a bear on the label.

Friend had some Fireside Nut Brown (Leinenkugels) at his house yesterday, gave it a shot. It was actually really good. The nut flavor is pretty awesome.

 

[distantmantra]

Can't wait to get back home to Seattle. Hopluia and Lucky Bucket were alright, but overall thhe tap beer scene in Omaha is not to my liking. :-( I had an incredible Osso Buco Vindaloo in Dundee last night, though.

 

[Numpt3]

Can any of you guys recommend a good, reliable website from which you can order imported beer? (in the UK)

 

[HiResDes]

Just picked this up on an impulse while coming back from a road trip...I had after seeing the oldest brewery in America tag

...So far it's decent, but as a guy that usually drink Smithwicks the taste is a little underwhelming as the after taste is a bit too bitter and it needs a little more chocolate and a little less steel in its palette.

 

[facepalm007]

Pickup these from a shop the other day.

I recently had the Temptation and it was a pretty good Sour Wild Ale.

 

[KHarvey16]

My local Stop and Shop is really bringing it. 750ml Three Philosophers for like $6.50.

 

[distantmantra]

Christmas Time, Christmas Time, Drinkin' on Christmas!

 

[HiResDes]

How is everyone getting this stuff from Rogue? Does everyone live close to it?

 

[HappyBivouac]

Pickup these from a shop the other day.

I recently had the Temptation and it was a pretty good Sour Wild Ale.

It would've been twice as good had you not served it in a frosted mug.

 

[distantmantra]

How is everyone getting this stuff from Rogue? Does everyone live close to it?

I'm in Seattle, so yeah, it's a proximity thing. I picked up the six-pack of Santa's Reserve Ale at Whole Foods while getting stuff for dinner tonight. Hell, Costco sells cases of Dead Guy during the summer.

 

[HiResDes]

FUCK! :lol

 

[distantmantra]

Not as cool as Oregon, but we've got a Rogue Ale House over on the east side in Issaquah. Probably the only thing I like about the east side.

 

[Manos: The Hans of Fate]

Enjoying a Guinness and some MST3K!

Perfect combo!

 

[KHarvey16]

Even out here on the east coast Rogue is pretty easy to find.

 

[Angry Grimace]

As much as I like trying new microbrews, I just come back to Sam Adams regular boston lager pretty much every time.

 

[facepalm007]

It would've been twice as good had you not served it in a frosted mug.

Yeah...that's the wonder of my impatience. I left all my glasses at my cousin's house, but I was too thirsty to resist.

I won't even touch the Belgium Strongs without my favorite tulip though, I definitely know better than that.

 

[scissorfight]

it's the holidays, which means it's time to grab some of my favorites:

:drool

As much as I like trying new microbrews, I just come back to Sam Adams regular boston lager pretty much every time.

this is pretty much my go-to beer on tap at home. i just love the stuff, it goes with almost anything. i usually have my other keg rotating various IPAs.

 

[sharkmuncher]

How is everyone getting this stuff from Rogue? Does everyone live close to it?

I'm pretty sure it depends on if there is a distributor in your area/state that carries it. If they ship to your area and if whole foods can sell beer there, I would check there. Whole Foods for whatever reason promotes the shit out of Rogue

 

[Leatherface]

Oh, nice one. I picked a bottle of this up not long ago amongst other things (photo of it on the last page!). Not had it yet, but it sounds great. Will be trying it asap thanks to your post.

Best of luck tracking some down!

Thanks bud. I'm still on the hunt. I'm determined though!

 

[Leatherface]

I have a winter beer recommendation for all of you. It's from one of my favorite breweries and is also among my favorite brews of all time. I give you:

Just a *hint* of smokiness to this crisp and smooth dark ale.

Step 1: Hunt one down

Step 2: Make sure it's ICE cold before drinking.

Step 3: Pour into your favorite beer glass and prepare yourself for an amazing treat.

 

[manofmandango]

I have a winter beer recommendation for all of you. It's from one of my favorite breweries and is also among my favorite brews of all time. I give you:

Just a *hint* of smokiness to this crisp and smooth dark ale.

Step 1: Hunt one down

Step 2: Make sure it's ICE cold before drinking.

Step 3: Pour into your favorite beer glass and prepare yourself for an amazing treat.

If it's anywhere near the quality of their Imperial Pumpkin Ale, I'm all over this.

 

[Raistlin]

Lol ... I'm talking to a guy in the lab right now ...

He just received a phone call from his reseller asking him if he wants to keep an order for a half of Flower Power IPA (Ithaca Beer Company). Why? Because they had never seen a price that high for a craft brew, at least not of one in the normal alcohol range, and was unsure he'd want to pay that.

The price? $240. That doesn't include the awesome NYS tax and deposit; 8.something% and $100+ respectively. He'd be fronting nearly $400 for a half.

wut :lol

Fuck that. Fantastic beer, but holy shit. Needless to say, he just called Middle Ages and is going to swing by and grab a keg of their ImPaled Ale. Was pretty cool of PartySource to call him and verify the order.

 

[Leatherface]

If it's anywhere near the quality of their Imperial Pumpkin Ale, I'm all over this.

You have exquisite taste my friend. Imperial Pumpkin happens to be one of my favorite beers as well! You will not be disappointed!

 

[GordonGecko]

Drank a Goose Island Vanilla Bourbon County for Thanksgiving.

Have a Stone Lucky Bastage in the fridge waiting for me to get home tonight.

 

[PBY]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbuk0TSWzqc

 

[Snuggles]

I'm drinking some Molson Canadian right now. It's not exquisite or anything but a solid mid-tier beer, I'm enjoying it.

 

[HappyBivouac]

Pah. There's nothing mid-tier about Molson. [/snobby douchebag]

Tonight is old reliable SNPA because the gas station had it, and at a normal price too!