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Beer |OT|

Doomsayer

Member
big eye > sculpin

Anyone have recommendations on sour style beers? I've only tried a monk's cafe, but I think I might really like the style.

Sours?

The Bruery - Sour in the Rye, Tart of Darkness, Windowsill, Rueze, Oude Tart (Regular and Cherries)
Cascade - Elderberry, Strawberry, Apricot, Krieke.

Start with those.
 
Best beer shops or places to scope out small brewery goods in NYC or Westchester County, NY? I only know of Beer Tavern in Grand Central Terminal. I've been jonesing for some German style wheat ale.
 
Its pricey too! also forgot about Dogfish Head Namaste. Maybe my favorite Belgian white so far.

What is the next type of beer up from whites to start getting a taste for? I like me a good beer. I had some stouts over the holiday and though tasty- a little heavy for me. After 1-2 I start feeling bloated. Just had Belching Beaver Milk Stout last pm.

Maybe nut browns or Belgian Triples? IPA's are just too bitter to me so far. (ducks flames)
I think just about everybody can be brought aboard the IPA train. It's such a broad style. The heavy bitterness of many of them will turn a lot of people away at first, though. I'm a little interested in what you may have tried. It might just not be the right one.

If you're willing to try, the right fruity, aromatic pale could turn you onto the flavors that hops can bring. Maybe check out Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Sumpin'. It's a wheat beer, but has a good dose of hop character, sweet and citrusy without being terribly bitter. Or maybe if you're feeling adventurous, check out Three Floyds Zombie Dust. It's fairly bitter, but that's rounded out by lots of fruity flavors from the huge dose of Citra hops in it. Think mangoes.
 

PG2G

Member
Its pricey too! also forgot about Dogfish Head Namaste. Maybe my favorite Belgian white so far.

What is the next type of beer up from whites to start getting a taste for? I like me a good beer. I had some stouts over the holiday and though tasty- a little heavy for me. After 1-2 I start feeling bloated. Just had Belching Beaver Milk Stout last pm.

Maybe nut browns or Belgian Triples? IPA's are just too bitter to me so far. (ducks flames)

The Allagash you had is actually a barrel aged Tripel, so if you like that you might want to consider going down that road.

I think a pretty good progression into beer-dom is to start with the Belgians (not too much crazy experimentation, good solid styles, and affordable) and then work your way back into American craft.
 

dekline

Member
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Can't remember if I've had either of these - four pack of Monk's flemish sour and a lips of faith/cigar city collaboration brew. Didn't have time to fiddle with beer advocate in the liquor store. I feel like some of these beers with chilies and fruits that people never eat or heard of are hit or miss. Still, they should make for a good night.
 

PG2G

Member
Not sure about Jacobins, have had the others though. Caractère Rouge has been my favorite. Not saying I dislike the style, just much prefer gueuze and a lot of your wine barrel aged American wild ales.

Flanders Red typically can't be beat for the money or availability though.
 
Having Two Roads Rye 95 tonight. Meh. Glad I only got a single 12 oz instead of a six pack. This is the first knock against the guy at one of my local stores. He raved about this, and everything else he talked me into was fantastic, but this is the first recommendation I will not be getting again.
 
Not sure about Jacobins, have had the others though. Caractère Rouge has been my favorite. Not saying I dislike the style, just much prefer gueuze and a lot of your wine barrel aged American wild ales.

Flanders Red typically can't be beat for the money or availability though.

Yeah Monk's Cafe was my first sour so I'm fond of it and I love Rodenbach Grand Cru but regular Rodenbach and Duchesse de Bourgogne are just way too sweet for my liking, Duchesse especially. Not sure if it's backsweetened or what but I can't stand it the past couple times I've had it. The more extreme American versions I've had recently (La Folie, Eagle Rock's Yearling) have been great and I'd love to try Caractere Rouge if it weren't 25 dollars but as far as budget sours go Petrus Aged Pale is still definitely the winner for me.

Right now I'm drinking a pint of Pizza Port PONTO Session IPA. Pizza Port is killing it with these cans! 10 bucks for 6 pint cans and it's damn good.
 
WHAT? WHY? Have you had Duchesse De Bourgogne? Rodenbach Grand Cru? Cuvée Des Jacobins Rouge?

Monks and Duchesse both taste like bile to me. Something about the sugar in them just makes them awful for my taste buds. 10 Barrel's Swill (Berlinerweisse with grapefruit soda added) has the same taste to me. I love the base beer, German Sparkle Party, but that added sugar just makes it terrible in my opinion. My wife loves Swill and ive tried it multiple times, but it honest to God tastes like vomit. Same with the other two beers. There's something in them that my body hates...

[shrug]
 
I've been trying not to buy any sours (or much beer in general) since I'm blowing a lot of money on going to Europe late next month. I did cave and try Almanac's Valley of the Heart's Delight (which was just lovely) though. I'm giddy with excitement at the thought of going back to Cantillon. Gonna be traveling around too much to bring any back so I guess I'll just have to drink enough there to burn a hole through my stomach lining.
 

PG2G

Member
I've been trying not to buy any sours (or much beer in general) since I'm blowing a lot of money on going to Europe late next month. I did cave and try Almanac's Valley of the Heart's Delight (which was just lovely) though. I'm giddy with excitement at the thought of going back to Cantillon. Gonna be traveling around too much to bring any back so I guess I'll just have to drink enough there to burn a hole through my stomach lining.

You should just ship it to yourself lol
 
You should just ship it to yourself lol

Sensing some ulterior motives here lol. From what I understand the more desirable bottles (Fou Foune, Lou Pepe stuff) are only available for onsite consumption. Maybe if I sweet talk them with my very rusty French...

Are you going to the Feral One release btw?
 

PG2G

Member
Sensing some ulterior motives here lol. From what I understand the more desirable bottles (Fou Foune, Lou Pepe stuff) are only available for onsite consumption. Maybe if I sweet talk them with my very rusty French...

Are you going to the Feral One release btw?

Hahaha. You'll have to let me know how it is. I'm planning to go in a year or so, maybe plan it around the time of one if the releases. If you want to bring bottles back you'd probably need to arrange a trade with a local. I hear some US craft stuff like Black Tuesday goes for upwards of $90 there lol.

Yeah I am gonna try and make it out there, you?
 
Hahaha. You'll have to let me know how it is. I'm planning to go in a year or so, maybe plan it around the time of one if the releases. If you want to bring bottles back you'd probably need to arrange a trade with a local. I hear some US craft stuff like Black Tuesday goes for upwards of $90 there lol.

Yeah I am gonna try and make it out there, you?

Yeah it's crazy how expensive some US brews get there. I remember seeing a bottle of Dark Lord for like 250 euro at a bar in Amsterdam.

I'd love to go to the Feral One release but I don't have a car at the moment :( . The fact that Parabola's being released that day too makes it even more tempting!
 

PG2G

Member
Yeah it's crazy how expensive some US brews get there. I remember seeing a bottle of Dark Lord for like 250 euro at a bar in Amsterdam.

I'd love to go to the Feral One release but I don't have a car at the moment :( . The fact that Parabola's being released that day too makes it even more tempting!

Can bring you some back if you want, it is a 12 bottle limit and I have no intention of spending that much lol.
 
Can bring you some back if you want, it is a 12 bottle limit and I have no intention of spending that much lol.

That'd be amazing, just one would be fine since it's like 12 bucks a bottle right? I'll be in LA until March 18ish so I can meet you closer to where you are whenever since I know the Valley's pretty far away haha
 

PG2G

Member
That'd be amazing, just one would be fine since it's like 12 bucks a bottle right? I'll be in LA until March 18ish so I can meet you closer to where you are whenever since I know the Valley's pretty far away haha

Yeah, its $13.99 for a 375ml. Kinda pricy, but I guess $30 for 750ml isn't completely unheard of.

I'm in Playa Del Rey, so pretty much right next to LAX.
 

Jarnet87

Member
Total Wine by me had 4 Sam Adams Double Bock bombers, grabbed all of them off the shelf. I love their take on the double bock, so good.
 

op_ivy

Fallen Xbot (cannot continue gaining levels in this class)
was down in chico yesterday and picked up two 12ers of sierra nevada's 4-way IPA (torpedo, black ipa, white ipa, and a session ipa). enjoying those while i brew my pliny clone today.
 

terrible

Banned
You can. I know I've seen it at JJ before (and a few other places).

Beer Advocate claims the version we've been getting here in Toronto the last several years isn't exported to the USA so who knows. I didn't know that until I read it now. Have you been seeing the purple label one or this one (which we get):

I've personally never had the purple label version.
 
Yeah, its $13.99 for a 375ml. Kinda pricy, but I guess $30 for 750ml isn't completely unheard of.

I'm in Playa Del Rey, so pretty much right next to LAX.

I guess that's around the same as Russian River and cheaper than Allagash, not expecting quite that level from their first effort but if anyone knows how to use barrels well it's FW. Hopefully I'd be able to make it down before I leave but worst-case I'll be back in late April.

My corner store had bottles of the 2012 Stone/Stillwater/Evil Twin The Perfect Crime for a couple bucks so I figured it couldn't hurt to try it. I'm normally not too fond of smoked beers and dark saisons and especially smoked saisons (still trying to forget the taste of Matt's Burning Rosids) so I expected this to be a mess but it's actually pretty good. Mostly tastes like a saison but with some smoke and a nice body so I'm pleasantly surprised!

To be honest I kind of miss the smaller format for these Stone collaborations/one-offs. It was nice to pay a few dollars for stuff like the Mint Chocolate Stout and Green Tea IPA and Cherry Chocolate Stout and more often than not 12oz was enough. The bombers can be a little too much. That said, I'm really looking forward to their black rye kolsch coming out soon.
 
Beer Advocate claims the version we've been getting here in Toronto the last several years isn't exported to the USA so who knows. I didn't know that until I read it now. Have you been seeing the purple label one or this one (which we get):

I've personally never had the purple label version.

We get the purple label.
panil-barriquee.jpg
 
Palate Wrecker lives up to its name. Damn. Glad I had it early in the afternoon so my taste buds have time to recover before dinner.

That is not a knock against it. It does exactly what it says. Those who want a bitter IPA, this is it.
 

fenners

Member
Headed to Texas next week, anything good out there that I can't get in NY?

Jester King is by far the best brewer in Austin (where you're going). 512 is also a great popular Austin brewery they don't bottle. I'm a big fan of Black Star too, especially their irrational series.

Karbauch from Houston just started to distribute around here too and are worth a taste so far.
 
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