Best (and worst) beers you've ever had

[McLoofus 35,182]

8 minutes ago, Grumps said:

I agree with Shocks, to "drink what you like," but for a newbie like me, I have found that acquiring a taste for good beer opens up the "goodness" of other beer. For example, the first several IPAs I tried tasted like bitter grapefruit. I did not like them at all. Had I not kept trying things like Sculpin and Jai-Alai and "learning" to like them then I don't think I could ever appreciate SnakeHandler. A beer like Golden Monkey is very good, and easy to drink, but it does not have the complexity of a good IPA.

Because of you guys, I have been willing to drink good beer that I may not like. As a result, I am now liking good beer. Thanks!

Very well said!

About to watch Arsenal at local pub #2. It's more of a British style pub than local pub #1. They are Arsenal supporters, they have good dartboards and they keep Wells Bombardier on tap. I do my best to support that choice. Cheers and Happy Presidents Day, gents.

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

15 minutes ago, Grumps said:

I agree with Shocks, to "drink what you like," but for a newbie like me, I have found that acquiring a taste for good beer opens up the "goodness" of other beer. For example, the first several IPAs I tried tasted like bitter grapefruit. I did not like them at all. Had I not kept trying things like Sculpin and Jai-Alai and "learning" to like them then I don't think I could ever appreciate SnakeHandler. A beer like Golden Monkey is very good, and easy to drink, but it does not have the complexity of a good IPA.

Because of you guys, I have been willing to drink good beer that I may not like. As a result, I am now liking good beer. Thanks!

'Tis the secret!

The downside is worth it.

 

[AUDub 11,131]

38 minutes ago, Grumps said:

I agree with Shocks, to "drink what you like," but for a newbie like me, I have found that acquiring a taste for good beer opens up the "goodness" of other beer. For example, the first several IPAs I tried tasted like bitter grapefruit. I did not like them at all. Had I not kept trying things like Sculpin and Jai-Alai and "learning" to like them then I don't think I could ever appreciate SnakeHandler. A beer like Golden Monkey is very good, and easy to drink, but it does not have the complexity of a good IPA.

Because of you guys, I have been willing to drink good beer that I may not like. As a result, I am now liking good beer. Thanks!

There's a sour version of Golden Monkey you'll probably enjoy. In fact, I saw Sour Monkey in sixers for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Much more complex than stock Monkey. Maintains Golden Monkey's characteristic sweetness but with a nice fruity sour tang. 

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

24 minutes ago, Bigbens42 said:

There's a sour version of Golden Monkey you'll probably enjoy. In fact, I saw Sour Monkey in sixers for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Much more complex than stock Monkey. Maintains Golden Monkey's characteristic sweetness but with a nice fruity sour tang. 

Mr. 42, sir - My quest for your Ten-Fiddy continues unabated, but I again came up dry (Tloosa search). [Alas, Just outside of Bham, there's a place called Alabam']

Re: sour, however - I ran into and tried a Lagunitas "Aunt Sally" sour-mash brew. Has it been reviewed here? Not bad, but seems like summertime to me (at which time I will try again).

[Grumps 3,693]

19 minutes ago, AUinTLoosa said:

Mr. 42, sir - My quest for your Ten-Fiddy continues unabated, but I again came up dry (Tloosa search). [Alas, Just outside of Bham, there's a place called Alabam']

Re: sour, however - I ran into and tried a Lagunitas "Aunt Sally" sour-mash brew. Has it been reviewed here? Not bad, but seems like summertime to me (at which time I will try again).

Aunt Sally is the only sour I have had. Let's just say I haven't acquired a taste for it yet.

[AUDub 11,131]

12 minutes ago, AUinTLoosa said:

Mr. 42, sir - My quest for your Ten-Fiddy continues unabated, but I again came up dry (Tloosa search). [Alas, Just outside of Bham, there's a place called Alabam']

Sir? LOL.

Ten Fidy is going to start getting rare here relatively soon. It's a fall/winter release. Keep an eye out. If you can't find it but are still itching to give it a go, let me know and we'll work something out.

12 minutes ago, AUinTLoosa said:

Re: sour, however - I ran into and tried a Lagunitas "Aunt Sally" sour-mash brew. Has it been reviewed here? Not bad, but seems like summertime to me (at which time I will try again).

Aunt Sally has come up here before. I believe 78 brought it up. I've personally never had it. Passed it by a few times. Sour Monkey should be similar.

I tend to view sours as summer beers. There's nothing better than a Westbrook Gose after mowing the lawn or a gueuze on the seawall while watching the sunset. I love sours, but I'll warn you as Shocks warned me a few years back, "take heed, the path to sours is an expensive one."

[AUDub 11,131]

1 hour ago, Grumps said:

Aunt Sally is the only sour I have had. Let's just say I haven't acquired a taste for it yet.

They are definitely an acquired taste. First sour I ever tried was a Lindemans Gueuze Cuvée René. That initial wave of tartness knocked me on my ass, but I learned to appreciate it before finishing the glass, and came to love it before finishing the bottle.

Westbrook Gose        has become my go to summer beer. Nice and salty.

A good starting point would be the sweeter lambics. Lindemans pêche (peach) would be a wonderful Sunday brunch beer. They also make kriek (cherry) and framboise (raspberry) versions that are also very good. Boons marriage parfait is also excellent and there are several others out there. Have a look at the BA links in the next paragraph.

Gueuze is a type of lambic. Both tend to be very tart. Lambics are fermented in open barrels, and as a result wild bacteria get in there and impart that characteristic tartness. Gueuze is a blend of fresh and aged lambics. They tend to be "harsher."

Gose is a wheat beer made with salt and coriander. Westbrook has spoiled me on the style. Everything else just tastes like slightly funked wheat beer.

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

18 minutes ago, Bigbens42 said:

Sir? LOL.

Ten Fidy is going to start getting rare here relatively soon. It's a fall/winter release. Keep an eye out. If you can't find it but are still itching to give it a go, let me know and we'll work something out.

Aunt Sally has come up here before. I believe 78 brought it up. I've personally never had it. Passed it by a few times. Sour Monkey should be similar.

I tend to view sours as summer beers. There's nothing better than a Westbrook Gose after mowing the lawn or a gueuze on the seawall while watching the sunset. I love sours, but I'll warn you as Shocks warned me a few years back, "take heed, the path to sours is an expensive one."

Many Thanks, and 

I'll sustain my quest, and

I'll try the Monkey (have seen that one)

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

24 minutes ago, Grumps said:

Aunt Sally is the only sour I have had. Let's just say I haven't acquired a taste for it yet.

Then don't bother?

My point was, indeed, Try it!

but:

[Tiger Refuge 6,660]

I picked up some Westbrook Gose  for the first time at the beach this past summer...my dang mouth is watering right now.

[AUDub 11,131]

17 minutes ago, Tiger Refuge said:

I picked up some Westbrook Gose  for the first time at the beach this past summer...my dang mouth is watering right now.

There was a key lime pie version this past summer that was knock your socks off good. Hope it makes another appearance this year. 

[Tiger Refuge 6,660]

35 minutes ago, Bigbens42 said:

There was a key lime pie version this past summer that was knock your socks off good. Hope it makes another appearance this year. 

That sounds fanfreakingtastic!

[AUDub 11,131]

Trying to like a few of these posts, but the feature has gone haywire for me. Anyone else having that issue?

[Tiger Refuge 6,660]

Same issue for me @Bigbens42

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

2 hours ago, Bigbens42 said:

There was a key lime pie version this past summer that was knock your socks off good. Hope it makes another appearance this year. 

If you're a fan of key lime pie flavored things, Blue Chair Bay makes a key lime pie rum cream that is out of this world. 

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

10 hours ago, Bigbens42 said:

Trying to like a few of these posts, but the feature has gone haywire for me. Anyone else having that issue?

Still not fixed.

Also, note that Text Color palette is limited, and the Quote/Respond feature almost begs you to double post.

[AUDub 11,131]

12 hours ago, Bigbens42 said:

Trying to like a few of these posts, but the feature has gone haywire for me. Anyone else having that issue?

Seems like RIR got it rectified.

[McLoofus 35,182]

18 hours ago, Bigbens42 said:

Gose is a wheat beer made with salt and coriander. Westbrook has spoiled me on the style. Everything else just tastes like slightly funked wheat beer.

I'm a big fan of Anderson Valley's blood orange gose, and Terrapin's watermelon gose was surprisingly great. I'm told that none of them are particularly traditional, but I don't particularly care. 

[AUDub 11,131]

20 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

I'm a big fan of Anderson Valley's blood orange gose, and Terrapin's watermelon gose was surprisingly great. I'm told that none of them are particularly traditional, but I don't particularly care. 

Haven't seen Anderson Valley in the 'ham. Have seen the Terrapin but bypassed it. May give it a go. Watermelon is my favorite Jolly Rancher flavor, after all.

I've had Off Color's Troublesome Gose, which is a supposedly highly rated beer for the style. Was pretty good, but felt pretty subdued, as has pretty much everything else in the style with the exception of a few (cough Blue Pants cough)  that I simply didn't like. 

[Tiger Refuge 6,660]

Great Raft is releasing their barrel aged Old Mad Joy on Friday. They are releasing the standard and a Vietnamese cinnamon/coffee version as well. This is one of my top 3 beers. 

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

^If the beer is half as good as the label...

Is that one that disappears from the shelves pretty quickly? Probably not still available in NOLA in 2 months? 

[Tiger Refuge 6,660]

That's the one. Probably won't be available in NO by then. Limited release statewide in early March. I do know they had it  at Avenue Pub in one of the past releases.

If I can get my hands on it, I gotchoo taken care of.

[McLoofus 35,182]

4 minutes ago, Tiger Refuge said:

That's the one. Probably won't be available in NO by then. Limited release statewide in early March. I do know they had it  at Avenue Pub in one of the past releases.

If I can get my hands on it, I gotchoo taken care of.

You are a gentleman and a scholar, sir!

[AUDub 11,131]

On February 20, 2017 at 2:57 PM, AUinTLoosa said:

Many Thanks, and 

I'll sustain my quest, and

I'll try the Monkey (have seen that one)

I think the well has gone dry. Hop City had a few left but that's everything they've got. I'll send you a stock Ten Fidy and a Bourbon Barrel aged one so you can compare. PM me your shipping info.

Had my yearly review at work today. Celebrating with a Trappist dubbel. 

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

Picked up a bottle of that Stone/Odell/Marble collab yesterday. I'll pop it tonight and weigh in my meaningless opinion.