All Things Beer ...

[BZ770 2]

I'm sorry...PBR is like drinking Ole Mulewater...Can, bottle, draft are all crap.

In a few Texas bars I've been in, Rolling Rock is on the "import" list. So not sure if it's a domestic; but I like it.

SNPA is good as all call out...I like Coors, Miller Lite..it seems Bud is actually one of the most popular imports now in the UK. Not sure if that happened before or after they were bought by InBev.

Anyone here ever drink Drummon Brothers Beer? Used to be available in Southeastern Tennessee.

I visited Scottland in 97, and you could find Budweiser in any corner store and most pubs there. Bud is like McDonalds's and Coca Cola, in being a world brand. That's one of the main reasons I hated Inbev buying them out.

[dallaswareagle01 2]

I'm sorry...PBR is like drinking Ole Mulewater...Can, bottle, draft are all crap.

In a few Texas bars I've been in, Rolling Rock is on the "import" list. So not sure if it's a domestic; but I like it.

SNPA is good as all call out...I like Coors, Miller Lite..it seems Bud is actually one of the most popular imports now in the UK. Not sure if that happened before or after they were bought by InBev.

Anyone here ever drink Drummon Brothers Beer? Used to be available in Southeastern Tennessee.

I visited Scottland in 97, and you could find Budweiser in any corner store and most pubs there. Bud is like McDonalds's and Coca Cola, in being a world brand. That's one of the main reasons I hated Inbev buying them out.

I I was in Ireland late 90's, Every pub I went in they told me they sold more Bud than GGuinness-but I was also told they made their own bud there, so it was stronger.

[bellefay1 1]

Hey folks. I know my friends in Alabama are getting inundated with all sorts of new beers, breweries and tastings on a weekly basis and we all want to share what's going on in our neck of the woods so I thought I'd start this thread on AUNation. I started a "let's talk about beer" thread on the board I own for folks to post anything and everything about beer two years ago and it now has over 2600 post with 18000+ views and it's all about glorious, glorious, beer.

Anyway, I noticed we have a few beer threads popping up so I thought we could centralize and have everyone post in this thread all the new beers you've tried, new bars, tastings and just thoughts on beer.

Cheers!

Ohh well...I tried but I guess my idea fell upon deaf ears.

[RunInRed 16,438]

Hey folks. I know my friends in Alabama are getting inundated with all sorts of new beers, breweries and tastings on a weekly basis and we all want to share what's going on in our neck of the woods so I thought I'd start this thread on AUNation. I started a "let's talk about beer" thread on the board I own for folks to post anything and everything about beer two years ago and it now has over 2600 post with 18000+ views and it's all about glorious, glorious, beer.

Anyway, I noticed we have a few beer threads popping up so I thought we could centralize and have everyone post in this thread all the new beers you've tried, new bars, tastings and just thoughts on beer.

Cheers!

Ohh well...I tried but I guess my idea fell upon deaf ears.

Huh? I've "centralized" the three threads we had going about beer into this one. What more do you want besides a cold Bud Light?

[WarEagle'04 4]

Tried several new beers this past week/weekend. Some good...Some not so good.

1. Ommegang Ommegeddon - Saison style beer with a somewhat fruity (citrus) start then finishing to a more bitter taste with lots of tiny bubbles. Poured a huge head that took quite a while to receed. Nice effervescence effect when drinking. This is definitely one of my new favorites.

2. Ommegang Hennepin - Another saison style beer but much lighter than the Ommegeddon (in taste and in price). Didn't enjoy this one quite as much. Not much spice and way too sweet. Very dry. Probably will not buy this one again.

3. New Belgium 2 Below Winter Ale - ESB style beer. Good spicy hops at first then finishing with caramel malts. Pretty good balanced beer for those who don't care for a really hoppy or really malty beer.

4. Sweetwater Festive Ale - Seasonal Spiced Ale (8.6% alcohol). Poured black with a hint of red. Fruity tasting with strong flavors of raisons and molasses (but not too sweet) up front and a spicy cinnamon aftertaste. Drinking this beer, you do not realize it has such a high alcohol content. Very good seasonal beer.

5. Sam Adams Light - Bought to drink during the game (not much selection back home in Lower AL.) First though...Crap. Second though...Crap. Conclusion...Crap. Tasted like a Bud Light to me. Not much flavor at all and too much carbonation. Next time I will save $5 bucks and buy PBR.

[bellefay1 1]

Bells expedition stout. My mouth feels violated but in a good way. I drank one of a six pack and plan on letting the other 5 age for a good, long while. Extremly malty, chocolatey and a bit of coffee/alochol taste. The beer was incredibly dark, thick and released more and more carbonation as I worked my way through it. If you can get your hands on this brew, try one and stick some in your closet. Damn good stuff.

[WarEagle'04 4]

I had Bells Kallamazoo Stout a couple of weeks ago. Its a traditional stout with pretty good flavor as well. I haven't had the Expedition yet, but when I'm in the mood for an imperial I'll definitely look for it. Sounds like it would be a good one for a cold night.

[BZ770 2]

I told my neighbor to get me a 6 pack of Moosehead for repayment. It's a Holiday thing I have with Moosehead. I really like Moosehead chilli. Not the best beer in the world, but what I am getting at is that I haven't seen it at Winn Dixie and Foodworld and Walmart for sometime, and I haven't given it much thought, but he had to go to a specialty liquor store to get a 6 pack and it was about 9bucks. This stuff used to be like 5 bucks.

[WarEagle'04 4]

Had a bottle of Three Philosophers tonight for the first time. Probably will tick off some with my review (Titan I saw it was one of your favorites), but I had mixed emotions with it. The first smell was of rotten fruit...figs maybe, as well as a hint of alcohol. First taste was overtaken by the sweetness. I admit I am not a fan of sweet beers, but I have yet had one of this magnitude. Overall I tasted cherries, hints of chocolate and an aroma of wood/tobacco. I will admit that the second glass was much better than the first, but with the last sip the sweetness was almost overwhelming. Doubt I would buy this again. As far as the brewery though, I am still a big fan of Ommegeddon.

[AU-Dave 7]

So, I'm a budlight, Corona, landshark drinker. I have decided to come over to the dark side and try some "real beer"

Last night I had a Terrapin Golden Ale. It was good. I wasn't crazy about it though. Was that a good first choice?

I would like to hear some suggestions on what to drink to work my way in.

[WarEagle'04 4]

So, I'm a budlight, Corona, landshark drinker. I have decided to come over to the dark side and try some "real beer"

Last night I had a Terrapin Golden Ale. It was good. I wasn't crazy about it though. Was that a good first choice?

I would like to hear some suggestions on what to drink to work my way in.

Terrapin makes some pretty good beer. I really like their Rye Pale Ale and Brown Ale. Their beers are usually pretty hoppy, so if you tasted some bitterness, that is were it came from. As far as working your way in, it depends on what taste you prefer. Do you like sweet, bitter, malty and so on? Just be careful with the alcohol content with many of the micro-brews. They are not like drinking bud light. My suggestion would be to go somewhere that lets you mix and match a 6-pack, and just pick out several different varieties and go from there.

[TitanTiger 20,499]

I just picked up some Rogue Dead Guy Ale at the grocery store this week and love it.

[AU-Dave 7]

So, I'm a budlight, Corona, landshark drinker. I have decided to come over to the dark side and try some "real beer"

Last night I had a Terrapin Golden Ale. It was good. I wasn't crazy about it though. Was that a good first choice?

I would like to hear some suggestions on what to drink to work my way in.

Terrapin makes some pretty good beer. I really like their Rye Pale Ale and Brown Ale. Their beers are usually pretty hoppy, so if you tasted some bitterness, that is were it came from. As far as working your way in, it depends on what taste you prefer. Do you like sweet, bitter, malty and so on? Just be careful with the alcohol content with many of the micro-brews. They are not like drinking bud light. My suggestion would be to go somewhere that lets you mix and match a 6-pack, and just pick out several different varieties and go from there.

The bitterness is the main thing I noticed. Maybe a little too bitter for my taste right now. Something a little less bitter and a little more sweet?

I hear good things about Blue Moon and Octoberfest. I may try them next.

[TitanTiger 20,499]

If you're gonna try Blue Moon, see if you can find Sam Adams White Ale first. Not the Imperial White as that one is a big strong both in taste and in alcohol content. Just the regular Samuel Adams White Ale. Much better Belgian White than Blue Moon or Hoegaarden, IMO.

[WarEagle'04 4]

I agree with Titan on that one. Blue Moon is still a macro-brew, and is not very good IMO. The Sam Adams would be good choice, and they are relatively easy to find. I would also suggest trying a brown ale. Have you ever seen any beers by Bells Brewery in your area? They make a very good brown ale, Bells Best Brown Ale. Brown ales tend to be a little on the sweeter side and are also good to drink in cold weather. Samuel Smiths (not Sam Adams) Nut Brown Ale is also a very good one.

[TitanTiger 20,499]

If you can find it (might need to seek out a store the specializes in beer), get Tommyknocker Imperial Nut Brown Ale. A-maz-ing.

[AU-Dave 7]

I agree with Titan on that one. Blue Moon is still a macro-brew, and is not very good IMO. The Sam Adams would be good choice, and they are relatively easy to find. I would also suggest trying a brown ale. Have you ever seen any beers by Bells Brewery in your area? They make a very good brown ale, Bells Best Brown Ale. Brown ales tend to be a little on the sweeter side and are also good to drink in cold weather. Samuel Smiths (not Sam Adams) Nut Brown Ale is also a very good one.

Cool. Sam Adams White Ale is at the top of the list now. I will have to look for Bells Brewery. I usually grab the case of bud light and go about my way, so I don't pay much attention to anything else.

I'll also keep any eye out for the brown ales.

[WarEagle'04 4]

I agree with Titan on that one. Blue Moon is still a macro-brew, and is not very good IMO. The Sam Adams would be good choice, and they are relatively easy to find. I would also suggest trying a brown ale. Have you ever seen any beers by Bells Brewery in your area? They make a very good brown ale, Bells Best Brown Ale. Brown ales tend to be a little on the sweeter side and are also good to drink in cold weather. Samuel Smiths (not Sam Adams) Nut Brown Ale is also a very good one.

Cool. Sam Adams White Ale is at the top of the list now. I will have to look for Bells Brewery. I usually grab the case of bud light and go about my way, so I don't pay much attention to anything else.

I'll also keep any eye out for the brown ales.

Just remember, quality over quantity. Some six packs of quality beer will cost more that an 12-pack of bud, but most are well worth it. Don't gulp them down, sip and try to distinguish the flavors you are sensing. You will enjoy them more. It takes me a week sometimes to finish off a six pack. Let us know what you try and how they faired.

[WarEagle'04 4]

Tried the most unique beer I have ever had tonight...New Belgium La Folie Sour Brown Ale. The beer is aged 1 to 3 years in oak barrels, like wine. First Sour Ale, and the name is not a hoax. Poured a dark reddish brown with little head. Smelled of wood and apples. The taste explodes in the mouth with hints of sour apple, cherries, vinegar and finished with a sour, acidic oak flavor. Very dry beer. Definitely a sipper, but for those adventurous types I would highly recommend it.

[bellefay1 1]

If you're looking to try "real" beer, see if you can find a package store that lets you do a mix 6 pack so you can get a variety of different styles. Most, bigger liquor stores will have a beer guy that can hopefully point you in the right direction of getting different brads that represent the different styles well.

Pour your beer into a glass as well. You got to start somewhere.

[bellefay1 1]

Tried the most unique beer I have ever had tonight...New Belgium La Folie Sour Brown Ale. The beer is aged 1 to 3 years in oak barrels, like wine. First Sour Ale, and the name is not a hoax. Poured a dark reddish brown with little head. Smelled of wood and apples. The taste explodes in the mouth with hints of sour apple, cherries, vinegar and finished with a sour, acidic oak flavor. Very dry beer. Definitely a sipper, but for those adventurous types I would highly recommend it.

I haven't really cared for anything New Belgium has put out to be honest. I got really turned off by their ad campaign when they were coming to Atlanta. They had this whole "THE MOST REQUESTED BEER IN GEORGIA HISTORY" complete with an e-mail asking me how many cases I wanted to order. I tried a few of their staple beers and wasn't really impressed.

If you like beer aged in different types of barrels, look at some of the Allagash brews. They have a plethora of different ales stored in different kinds of barrels but they're not cheap. I'm not a huge fan of the styles but they do make one called Curieux which is tripel aged in Jim beam barrels. I have some from 07 that i'm cellaring. I can't wait to pop one open next year. Ohh, in terms of the storing of beer in barrels, one of the coolest brews I've had was a Terrain "Big Hoppy Monster" that was aged in whiskey barrels for a few months. It was like a hopless boilermaker with hints of vanilla. Ahh...God bless the brick store.

[WarEagle'04 4]

Tried the most unique beer I have ever had tonight...New Belgium La Folie Sour Brown Ale. The beer is aged 1 to 3 years in oak barrels, like wine. First Sour Ale, and the name is not a hoax. Poured a dark reddish brown with little head. Smelled of wood and apples. The taste explodes in the mouth with hints of sour apple, cherries, vinegar and finished with a sour, acidic oak flavor. Very dry beer. Definitely a sipper, but for those adventurous types I would highly recommend it.

I haven't really cared for anything New Belgium has put out to be honest. I got really turned off by their ad campaign when they were coming to Atlanta. They had this whole "THE MOST REQUESTED BEER IN GEORGIA HISTORY" complete with an e-mail asking me how many cases I wanted to order. I tried a few of their staple beers and wasn't really impressed.

If you like beer aged in different types of barrels, look at some of the Allagash brews. They have a plethora of different ales stored in different kinds of barrels but they're not cheap. I'm not a huge fan of the styles but they do make one called Curieux which is tripel aged in Jim beam barrels. I have some from 07 that i'm cellaring. I can't wait to pop one open next year. Ohh, in terms of the storing of beer in barrels, one of the coolest brews I've had was a Terrain "Big Hoppy Monster" that was aged in whiskey barrels for a few months. It was like a hopless boilermaker with hints of vanilla. Ahh...God bless the brick store.

I'm not a huge fan of New Belgiums staple beers either. They all are somewhat bland to me. However, this one was not bland by any means of the imagination. They have that Lips of Faith series out so I decided to try one. Don't know if I would buy the Sour Ale again, but I am glad I tried it.

I've had the Big Hoppy Monster before...Not the Oak Aged though. It was good. I was hoping for more hops, but it was really sweet and malty to me. It was a very drinkable beer though, hince the headache I still remember from drinking too many.

[bellefay1 1]

Tried the most unique beer I have ever had tonight...New Belgium La Folie Sour Brown Ale. The beer is aged 1 to 3 years in oak barrels, like wine. First Sour Ale, and the name is not a hoax. Poured a dark reddish brown with little head. Smelled of wood and apples. The taste explodes in the mouth with hints of sour apple, cherries, vinegar and finished with a sour, acidic oak flavor. Very dry beer. Definitely a sipper, but for those adventurous types I would highly recommend it.

I haven't really cared for anything New Belgium has put out to be honest. I got really turned off by their ad campaign when they were coming to Atlanta. They had this whole "THE MOST REQUESTED BEER IN GEORGIA HISTORY" complete with an e-mail asking me how many cases I wanted to order. I tried a few of their staple beers and wasn't really impressed.

If you like beer aged in different types of barrels, look at some of the Allagash brews. They have a plethora of different ales stored in different kinds of barrels but they're not cheap. I'm not a huge fan of the styles but they do make one called Curieux which is tripel aged in Jim beam barrels. I have some from 07 that i'm cellaring. I can't wait to pop one open next year. Ohh, in terms of the storing of beer in barrels, one of the coolest brews I've had was a Terrain "Big Hoppy Monster" that was aged in whiskey barrels for a few months. It was like a hopless boilermaker with hints of vanilla. Ahh...God bless the brick store.

I'm not a huge fan of New Belgiums staple beers either. They all are somewhat bland to me. However, this one was not bland by any means of the imagination. They have that Lips of Faith series out so I decided to try one. Don't know if I would buy the Sour Ale again, but I am glad I tried it.

I've had the Big Hoppy Monster before...Not the Oak Aged though. It was good. I was hoping for more hops, but it was really sweet and malty to me. It was a very drinkable beer though, hince the headache I still remember from drinking too many.

I'm not following the comment in bold.

[BZ770 2]

I found a Beer Messageboard based here in Alabama.

http://www.freethehops.org/community/

[WarEagle'04 4]

I just picked up some Rogue Dead Guy Ale at the grocery store this week and love it.

Try their Imperial Stout. It's something to call home to Mama about.