Geoff wrote:Franziskaner weissbier. A very nice Bavarian weissbier without the huge premuim price. The local beverage place sells it for $22/case. It's pretty much all I buy.
Tried it (Hefe-Weisse) based on your raves when I saw it at a restaurant yesterday. Must be an acquired taste, or where you grew up. It had the sour tart note of most belgian styles that I don't enjoy, and an interesting background smokiness that added to its character. How does this compare to the weissbier?
So I had a bad day with Phillipine and Indian tech support, and Stop and Shop happened to have a sale on Porterhouse steaks (just learned Porterhouse is a NY strip/Filet combo) so we fired up the grill, sauted some mushrooms, Nuked an Idaho, and I opened up my first bottle of Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA.
Wow.
This is one thick beer. Think whipping cream rich, and you've been used to drinking 1%. It's quite sweet compared to most beers, and full bodied just doesn't describe it. The sweetness is a little like rasins, and the flavor is complex. Make that roasted slightly smoky-aged raisins. It has some hopiness, but really is quite different that the 60 or 90 minute.
This was one great dinner, simple, yet perfectly delicious. Well grilled steak and sauted mushrooms are hard to beat. The beer put all those incompetent "yes I understand your frustration, is there anything else I can do to help you" script reading menu driven non-tech tech support T-imbos well into the background.
21%ABV. That's 42 proof. Zing.
I think I'll one-up 2pinks avitar. Nah, that's the beer talking.
Was at the Loaf 2 weeks ago and had some Shipyard. They have a Stout that is most excellent and I recommend it to anyone heading to Maine. Be sure to get it on TAP. Not sure if it is in bottle, but the TAP was great.
i was just given one of these to try. They're from City Steam, a brew pub in downtown Hartford. It goes down like a fairly mid road amber ale, but the label is anything but.
Moose Hot looking shirt. My all grain home brews are tasting mighty fine. Micro brews from Berkshire brewing are very good. Had like seven different types from Berkshire and all very good. Any thing from Rockart and Rogue also very good.
Beer Advocate is a great web site for beer reviews.
Sparky
One of the kids your mothers wouldn't let you play with.
Just had my second Magic Hat Odd Notion winter 2010.
It very ... plain. It's a less than tasty amber ale, and it's supposed to be brewed with Hibiscus. I have no idea what Hibiscus does for beer, and drinking this didn't bring me any closer to understanding. Ms Moose said it's brilliant marketing, if you don't know, then you can't complain. I say pass it on by.
On the other hand, the IPA that comes with the winter variety pack, Encore IPA is excellent. Be sure you're a hops fan before tasting.
It pours a very golden yellow, and is Harpoon's 25th anniversary edition. The spicier rye notes are evident, and it is one big beer. No, not just the 22 ounces, it is a very thick and flavorful IPA. No heavy hop overtones for a Big IPA. I like it. Gives Dogfish a run for the money.
Here are the notes from my annual summer beer review.
Peak Organic Summer Session - Pale ale - 4/5
Spritzy carbonation, citrusy hop flavor, light sweetness, finishes with firm hop dryness. Could have been top notch but a little grassy, oxidized hop aroma/flavor held it back.
Berkshire Gold Spike - Kolsch - 4/5
Not advertised as a summer beer per se, but its the right style for warm weather refreshment. German noble hop aroma combines with hay like maltiness to make a very clean, refreshing, drinkable beer.
Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager - Pilsner - 4/5
Clean, crisp, drinkable. Moderate spicy/floral hop aroma and sweet bready malt with a touch of sulfur/mineral flavors from the lager yeast. Interesting enough to get me to buy a few 12 packs each year.
Wachusett Summer- American Wheat - 3.5/5
Brewed with lemon flavoring. Surprisingly refreshing, clean and well balanced - light lemony snap on the backend.
Narraganset Summer Ale - Pale Ale - 3.5/5
A pretty good pale ale with classic microbrew pale ale flavor (Cascades hops?)- a little sweet with light caramel malt flavor, but has decent balance and a clean finish.
Sam Adams Summer - American Wheat - 3.5/5
Brewed with lemon peel and grains of paradise. More refreshing and less cloying than I remember in the past - subdued spices when cold, but grains of paradise leaves an unclean finish when it warms.
Harpoon Summer Ale- Kolsch - 3/5
Doughy malt flavor, lightly carbed for smooth mouthfeel, clean when cold but hop/yeast aroma slightly pukey when warm.
Brooklyn Summer Ale- Pale ale - 3/5
Bready english pale malt flavor, grassy hops, but englishy hop/yeast profile becomes less clean and not as drinkable as it warms.
Otter Creek Summer Ale -Pale Ale/American Wheat - 3/5
Probably the most interesting summer beer flavorwise, but medium thick mouthfeel and excessive caramel malts make this not so refreshing after half a bottle.
Southern Tier Hop Sun - American Wheat - 2.5/5
There's no there, there. Very little flavor from hops or malt until it warms then there's a little froot loop fruitiness. Clean and drinkable, but not interesting enough for more than one.
Geary's Summer - Amber ale - 2/5
Advertised as a Kolsch but its not even close. Nutty, caramelly, clean up front, no buttery diacetyl flavor but finishes with classic diacetyl slickness and a slight astringency.
Goose Island Summertime - Kolsch - 1.5/5
Lemonaid like tartness, substantial sulfur aroma, vinegary malt flavor. Poorly homebrewed kolsch at best.
Mayflower Summer Rye - Rye Ale - 1/5
Looked and tasted like someone mixed 25% lemonade with 75% seltzer water. Light lemony flavor if anything - no spiciness from the yeast like last year which made it interesting. Lots of chalky yeast sediment - if poured will make it look like skim milk.
I'm not crazy about this year's summer ale from Sam Adams, I think the lemon flavor is too strong, but I have been really enjoying Shipyard's Summer Ale.
Every night at the Basher house is a microbrew festival. We have 2 brewers and Mtn Man as our spiritual leader.
I'd love to help organize a get together. It wouldn't take much to top the Kmart brewfest.
