Best (and worst) beers you've ever had

[ShocksMyBrain 9,389]

Probably took their IPA and threw some lacto or brett or some other wild yeast/bacteria in it.

No, I'm familiar with sours. I was just referring to my take on it and how I didn't detect any base IPA flavor. Kind of like comparing Victory Hop Devil and Wild Devil side by side. You can definitely pick out the underlying IPA and what the brett brings to it.

Interesting. Trinity has a similar beer with IPA thrown in the title--it has no resemblance whatsoever to a standard IPA.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,389]

Finally made it to Crooked Stave. Very cool place. It's inside a warehouse-type building with a couple restaurants, high end butcher shop, and a coffee shop.

The beer was top notch sours. We got a flight of 10 tasters that we split with another couple.

Nightmare on Brett was pretty much the consensus favorite.

[McLoofus 35,182]

Man, I'm jealous. I'd say Crooked Stave's beers live up to the hype.

What's the palate cleanser in the middle of the table?

Really enjoyed Boulevard's Bourbon Barrel Quad. It sits on shelves around here, not sure why.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,389]

It was coffee beans. Which is usually to cleanse the nose I thought. We bought some funky cheese and crackers from one of the shops in the building to use as a palate cleanser.

They had a pomegranate petite sour that was REALLY good.

I've got a Boulevard BBQ in my "cellar" now. Been in there for months. I've never had it, but $12.99 was too good of a price to pass on.

[McLoofus 35,182]

Ahhh, that makes sense. Nice call on the funky cheese. It's always a nice call, really.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,389]

Smells like gym socks, but tastes delicious. I can't remember what cheese he bought, but it was a variety of blue cheese. Wasn't quite as intense as Roquefort though.

We also had a super sharp white cheddar.

Both paired great with sour beers.

[WarEagle'04 4]

Having a Burnt Hickory - The Didjits Blood Orange IPA. This thing is a citrus bomb. Delicious flavors that all work well together. Tart citrus up front, slight malt in the middle and a nice bitter in the end (taste like a small bite out of an orange peel). I've had most of the refuted "top IPA's" and I have to say this belongs well on up the list. I would like to compare this to the Grapefruit Sculpin when I break down and spend the $18 for a six pack.

This brewery along with Orpheus is going to put a hurting on the old Atlanta standbys if they keep putting out beers like they have recently.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,389]

The Didjits is the only BH beer I've had. I was blown away by it. It's everything I look for in an IPA.

I would definitely put it in the same group of IPAs that is Pliny and Heady Topper and so on.

I'm still chasing Grapefruit and Habanero versions of Sculpin. BP is still fairly new to Colorado, so I assume it's just a matter of time before they pop up. I've seen a lot of people doing 50/50 blends of the two, which sounds interesting.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,389]

Not bad, not great. Didn't blow me away, but with porters, there's few that will. Totally serviceable, tasty.

That said, it is a very solid porter. For $4.99/22oz., it's a great price.

[McLoofus 35,182]

Not bad, not great. Didn't blow me away, but with porters, there's few that will. Totally serviceable, tasty.

That said, it is a very solid porter. For $4.99/22oz., it's a great price.

Very fair assessment. I wouldn't recommend it at a meaningfully higher price. I probably did oversell it a little _because_ of the price.

Grapefruit + habanero Sculpin... goodness, I hope I can find the habanero version and try this.

Glad to see the Burnt Hickory love. Huge fan of those guys. If you're in the Atlanta area and haven't already, make it a point to go to one of their open houses this spring. If you have trouble justifying the drive to Kennesaw, go over early, hike the mountain and earn your beers. It's a great party on a spring Saturday.

[WarEagle'04 4]

I've had the Big Shanty Graham Cracker Stout, Cannon Dragger IPA, Ezekiel's Wheel Pale Ale and now the Didjits. The Stout was good, I just have issues with beer that has cinnamon in it. It seems to completely takes over my palette unless there is something else to help counteract it (like the pepper does in the Stone Xocoveza Stout). The IPA was good, but nothing really distinguishing it from many others. The Pale Ale was fantastic for the style.

I cant wait to try their other seasonal releases like the barrel aged barlywine and the wild ale.

Also had a Bleeding Heart Ale from Second Self in Atlanta recently. They marketed it as a play on Velvet Cake. Its a amber ale with cocoa and vanilla added to it. I didn't really get any of the resemblance to a velvet cake, but it was a pretty tasty amber ale.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,389]

Amazing 57 degrees and sunny up here in Fort Collins. So of course we have to go to Odell and enjoy the patio. They had a blackberry gose on tap. It was ok, not nearly as good as their golden sour raspberry we had last week.

Their standard IPA:

[McLoofus 35,182]

We're taking baby steps with the laws here in GA, but we're still a long way from being able to hang out at breweries on a regular basis and having more than 4-5 beers to choose from when we do. So jealous.

Had a Hopslam last night. Still a good beer, but it's just not exciting anymore. Not sure if it's changed or if the market has just caught up to it.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,389]

It's my favorite thing to do, especially in the nice weather.

What are the GA laws hampering breweries?

[McLoofus 35,182]

It's my favorite thing to do, especially in the nice weather.

What are the GA laws hampering breweries?

They couldn't sell on site at all. You had to buy a tour and a tasting glass, and they could pour a limited amount as samples. No sales to go at all. This past week, though, they passed a bill that allows limited sales to go. Also, brewpubs couldn't package, but now they can.

Still ridiculous, really. The wholesalers in the state vote heavily with their checkbooks and make it very hard for brewers to gain any ground. It's crazy, though, because the brewers *want* the three-tier system. They're not trying to be full time retail. Also, wineries have no such restrictions.

But that's Georgia for ya. Sigh.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,389]

That is absurd, but not unbelievable especially for a southern state.

[Tiger Refuge 6,675]

It's my favorite thing to do, especially in the nice weather.

What are the GA laws hampering breweries?

They couldn't sell on site at all. You had to buy a tour and a tasting glass, and they could pour a limited amount as samples. No sales to go at all. This past week, though, they passed a bill that allows limited sales to go. Also, brewpubs couldn't package, but now they can.

Still ridiculous, really. The wholesalers in the state vote heavily with their checkbooks and make it very hard for brewers to gain any ground. It's crazy, though, because the brewers *want* the three-tier system. They're not trying to be full time retail. Also, wineries have no such restrictions.

But that's Georgia for ya. Sigh.

It's almost identical in Mississippi. There is a pretty big grass roots movement to change the law. Lots of cool breweries popping up helps, of course.

[McLoofus 35,182]

It's my favorite thing to do, especially in the nice weather.

What are the GA laws hampering breweries?

They couldn't sell on site at all. You had to buy a tour and a tasting glass, and they could pour a limited amount as samples. No sales to go at all. This past week, though, they passed a bill that allows limited sales to go. Also, brewpubs couldn't package, but now they can.

Still ridiculous, really. The wholesalers in the state vote heavily with their checkbooks and make it very hard for brewers to gain any ground. It's crazy, though, because the brewers *want* the three-tier system. They're not trying to be full time retail. Also, wineries have no such restrictions.

But that's Georgia for ya. Sigh.

It's almost identical in Mississippi. There is a pretty big grass roots movement to change the law. Lots of cool breweries popping up helps, of course.

Would love to try some more beer from Mississippi. Any recommendations if I get over that way?

[AUDub 11,204]

Really enjoyed Boulevard's Bourbon Barrel Quad. It sits on shelves around here, not sure why.

Got me a bomber of Boulevard BBQ for the Kentucky game today. If we somehow pull it out, it will be my basketball gameday beer.

[Tiger Refuge 6,675]

It's my favorite thing to do, especially in the nice weather.

What are the GA laws hampering breweries?

They couldn't sell on site at all. You had to buy a tour and a tasting glass, and they could pour a limited amount as samples. No sales to go at all. This past week, though, they passed a bill that allows limited sales to go. Also, brewpubs couldn't package, but now they can.

Still ridiculous, really. The wholesalers in the state vote heavily with their checkbooks and make it very hard for brewers to gain any ground. It's crazy, though, because the brewers *want* the three-tier system. They're not trying to be full time retail. Also, wineries have no such restrictions.

But that's Georgia for ya. Sigh.

It's almost identical in Mississippi. There is a pretty big grass roots movement to change the law. Lots of cool breweries popping up helps, of course.

Would love to try some more beer from Mississippi. Any recommendations if I get over that way?

Lazy Magnolia has been the staple for a while. They have a nice selection from their signature Southern Pecan to several seasonals and limited releases (my favorite is their Southern Gentlemen...pecan beer aged in bourbon barrels). Lucky Town Brewery is the shiny new one in the capitol city of Jackson. I hear good things, but can only attest to the self named English Pub Ale. Yalobusha Brewing is also popular but again, I'm behind on sampling.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,389]

Well I'm totally against St. Paddy's Day now. Got off work and went to grab a pint or two at Odell. The place was absolutely overrun with drunken idiots in green.

The main bar had a line out the door, so we went to a side bar in the back that had 12 taps. Unfortunately, they didn't have the Experimental Hop #2 on that draft system. So we just left due to not wanting to deal with the line. As we were walking out, some grown ass man belched right in my wife's face.

So today, I curse St. Paddy's Day.

We wound up at 1933 Brewing. A nice, quiet, out of the way place and we are much happier. Beer is good too.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,389]

I guess I'm just really dumb, or simply don't care. Yesterday wasn't even St. Patrick's Day...shows how out of touch I am.

[McLoofus 35,182]

I guess I'm just really dumb, or simply don't care. Yesterday wasn't even St. Patrick's Day...shows how out of touch I am.

All the more reason to curse it. It's one of my least favorite holidays- hell, I hesitate to even call it a holiday- but I'm fully aware that it's because I'm getting older and my priorities have changed.

We have a great neighborhood pub that we can walk to. They have a great, reasonably priced beer list and a huge patio, and yesterday was the unofficial beginning of patio season here in Atlanta. The patio was packed, but there was- thank God- not a hint of St. Paddy's celebration going on. Just folks relaxing and enjoying the weather. I had Burnt Hickory's Didjits, a really great blood orange IPA, and Coastal Empire's Dawn Patrol, a killer Mexican stout. They're a new brewery out of Savannah that I hadn't tried yet. Very impressed. Perfect use of the chilies in the stout. Also had Victory's Hop Ranch, which is 100% Citra this year. Very nice.

PS- Kilts are Scottish, you clowns.

[Tiger Refuge 6,675]

I was right there with you on it being St Paddy's Day, Shocks.

I scored some firsts for me in my beer list this weekend. All were singles that I picked up at a grocery store in my wife's hometown about an hour away. Two IPA's from Sweetwater, three from Lagunita's, a milk stout from Straight to Ale and a sixer of a new local.

I love beer.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,389]

Got to the store at just the right time. Bottled 3/2/15.