Best (and worst) beers you’ve ever had - redux

[ShocksMyBrain 9,364]

On 10/27/2018 at 7:18 PM, Tiger Refuge said:

120 isn’t a barley wine? Geeze it tastes like one...

Almost everyone with a decent palate and opinion refers to it as an American barleywine. 

[Tiger Refuge 6,662]

34 minutes ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

Almost everyone with a decent palate and opinion refers to it as an American barleywine. 

I drank two the other night and was all like...

 

[ShocksMyBrain 9,364]

42 minutes ago, Tiger Refuge said:

I drank two the other night and was all like...

 

Oh yeah that’ll get you where you need to be quickly. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

5 hours ago, Tiger Refuge said:

I drank two the other night and was all like...

 

I think that equals like 2 cases of Bud Light alcohol wise. That's some Andre the Giant ish right there. 

[AUDub 11,147]

On 10/29/2018 at 3:20 PM, McLoofus said:

I think that equals like 2 cases of Bud Light alcohol wise. That's some Andre the Giant ish right there. 

Still illegal in Alabama. State law restrictions dictate 13.9% as the max ABV on beer lol. 

I can buy s***ty liquor all day though. 

Edited November 2, 2018 by AUDub

[McLoofus 35,182]

9 hours ago, AUDub said:

Still illegal in Alabama. State law restrictions dictate 13.9% as the max ABV on beer lol. 

I can buy s***ty liquor all day though. 

Same in GA. No such heartache in SC, but there aren't any particularly good bottle shoppes in my area. Especially since SC liquor stores can't sell beer, like in AL. So ****ing stupid. All of it. Some real heads-up-asses thinking. 

[ShocksMyBrain 9,364]

Founder’s CBS hit stores today. 

[Tiger Refuge 6,662]

21 minutes ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

Founder’s CBS hit stores today. 

It hit one of our stores two weeks ago...wondering if they didn’t a few cases of last years? 

Edited November 2, 2018 by Tiger Refuge

[ShocksMyBrain 9,364]

30 minutes ago, Tiger Refuge said:

It hit one of our stores two weeks ago...wondering if they didn’t a few cases of last years? 

Hmm. Your distributor may have released it early, I think it was supposed to go nationwide today. I picked up a bottle at another store, we’re supposed to be getting 4 cases next week. Gonna pop my bottle tonight I think. 

Edited November 2, 2018 by ShocksMyBrain

[ShocksMyBrain 9,364]

This thing is evolving as it warms up. Initial taste after opening from fridge is light maple and bourbon. 

And it’s kind of weird...no Mountie on the back of the horse this year. @Tiger Refuge, that might be an answer to whether or not they released 2017 or 18. 

[Tiger Refuge 6,662]

16 minutes ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

This thing is evolving as it warms up. Initial taste after opening from fridge is light maple and bourbon. 

And it’s kind of weird...no Mountie on the back of the horse this year. @Tiger Refuge, that might be an answer to whether or not they released 2017 or 18. 

Thanks for the review! I’ll be picking some up tomorrow.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,364]

Okay so the Canadian Mounties requested that their boys be taken off the label. Founders obliged. 

[Tiger Refuge 6,662]

Turns out, ours is ‘18. They got 4 cases. How in the hell? I have idea.

[McLoofus 35,182]

On 11/2/2018 at 10:42 PM, ShocksMyBrain said:

Okay so the Canadian Mounties requested that their boys be taken off the label. Founders obliged. 

Interesting. I wonder why? 

Founders been taking some heat lately for an unhealthy workplace environment, but I doubt that's the reason. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

Semi-OT, but anytime somebody asks for Atlanta recs, I tell them Wrecking Bar. I tell them that not just because the beer is good (it is), and not because the list of cocktails and spirits is good (it is), and not because it's all reasonably priced (it is), but also- and perhaps most importantly- the food is ridiculous. To wit, beef heart tartare- Bear Creek Farm beef heart, foraged umeboshi, bresaola, Wrecking Barn Farm egg yolk (they have their own farm) and pain au levain. Sorry, this picture just struck me and having eaten there a million times, I can guarantee you it tastes every bit as good as you think it would. 

 

 

[Tiger Refuge 6,662]

46 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Semi-OT, but anytime somebody asks for Atlanta recs, I tell them Wrecking Bar. I tell them that not just because the beer is good (it is), and not because the list of cocktails and spirits is good (it is), and not because it's all reasonably priced (it is), but also- and perhaps most importantly- the food is ridiculous. To wit, beef heart tartare- Bear Creek Farm beef heart, foraged umeboshi, bresaola, Wrecking Barn Farm egg yolk (they have their own farm) and pain au levain. Sorry, this picture just struck me and having eaten there a million times, I can guarantee you it tastes every bit as good as you think it would. 

 

 

Izjus’ bar fud.

 

Damn that looks/sounds amazing!

 

Jelly.

Edited November 8, 2018 by Tiger Refuge

[McLoofus 35,182]

15 minutes ago, Tiger Refuge said:

Jelly.

Me too, because I only reposted the pic from FB. I really just go overboard trying to get people from out of town to go there, lol. 

But also, I haven't been to a ton of great breweries, but Wrecking Bar is still the only brewery/restaurant combo ("brewpub" truly doesn't do it justice) that I've been to that performs at such a high level. 

[ShocksMyBrain 9,364]

On 11/2/2018 at 9:42 PM, ShocksMyBrain said:

Okay so the Canadian Mounties requested that their boys be taken off the label. Founders obliged. 

 

On 11/5/2018 at 8:49 AM, McLoofus said:

Interesting. I wonder why? 

Founders been taking some heat lately for an unhealthy workplace environment, but I doubt that's the reason. 

Bingo bango. Answered before you quoted. 

Hadn’t heard about a toxic work environment at Founders. Hard to believe being that they’re pretty huge now. Got any deets?

I’m still trying to decide if I ever want to drink Melvin again(if I even run into it again). Throw Scofflaw in that mix too.

It’s like the Kevin Spacey, Louis CK treatement. Do I try to separate the artist from the art or do I just bail on it altogether? 

Edited November 11, 2018 by ShocksMyBrain

[ShocksMyBrain 9,364]

And I would like to applaud a fellow Auburn beer drinker fan that came into work today. He was wearing an AU hoodie, I greeted him with a “War Eagle” and he obliged, and I walked back to our beer section with him making small talk. He was very knowledgeable, carried on with me, sold him some good stuff. He was the perfect example of my favorite beer buyer. 

[ShocksMyBrain 9,364]

Question: how involved do you like for a “clerk” to be in your beer buying?

[McLoofus 35,182]

6 hours ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

 

Bingo bango. Answered before you quoted. 

Hadn’t heard about a toxic work environment at Founders. Hard to believe being that they’re pretty huge now. Got any deets?

I’m still trying to decide if I ever want to drink Melvin again(if I even run into it again). Throw Scofflaw in that mix too.

It’s like the Kevin Spacey, Louis CK treatement. Do I try to separate the artist from the art or do I just bail on it altogether? 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.metrotimes.com/table-and-bar/archives/2018/10/04/now-founders-is-being-sued-for-racial-discrimination%3fmedia=AMP%2bHTML

I like the artist analogy but I struggle much more with the artists than the breweries. Fortunately we live in a time where we have lots and lots of options. Well, depending on where you live I guess. I am lucky with where I am even after leaving Atlanta. Anyway, there are almost no breweries that are doing something that nobody else can do or that somebody else isn't going to be doing soon. I don't have a hard boycott on Bells but I devalue them still after that trademark lawsuit or whatever it was a few years ago. And really they're a great example with Hopslam, as we've discussed here before. 

Of course, BCBS and KBS are examples of beers that actually maybe nobody else can do, LOL. I'm a big Backwoods Bastard fan, too.

[McLoofus 35,182]

6 hours ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

Question: how involved do you like for a “clerk” to be in your beer buying?

I love to geek out with my beer guy. No matter where I am. I've noticed that they tend to be honest about their knowledge. I would only have a problem if somebody tried to act like they knew more than they do and steer me into something they want me to buy instead of trying to help me buy what I really want.

And I love nothing more than for them to see what I have in my hand or my cart, acknowledge it, and make a recommendation based off of that. I think I told y'all a while back about my proudest moment as a beer consumer. I was in a bottle shop in Denver years ago and the dude looked at my cart and basically whispered, "Hey man, I've got one bottle of Pliny left in the back. You want it? I've been waiting for somebody who would truly appreciate it." We ended up talking for a good half-hour and he sold me some other really awesome stuff. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

Had the Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere wet hop last night. Really enjoyed it. Nice to revisit a classic, bitter, dry, clear west coast IPA from time to time. 

[Tiger Refuge 6,662]

11 hours ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

Question: how involved do you like for a “clerk” to be in your beer buying?

Basically everything that loof stated.  I guess I like casual direction. I definitely don’t like a hover’er. The bottle shop I go to caters to a higher end clientele, so I really feel like an annoying mosquito when I’m in there. I mean, the owner likes to talk beer, but he is a “name dropper” type of dude...if that makes sense. He will also quickly divert his attention if old money walks in the door...which I understand. 

[ShocksMyBrain 9,364]

Really pleased with SN Celebration this year. Although I think I say that every year.