Is super close a lot closer than close?

Yeah, here's a pic of the line to get in a bar that had one keg of it last week:



I did end up buying a ticket to this but I may very well just skip the PtY madness and go straight to Chocosaurus and other good beers instead if there's that kind of line which I'm guessing there will be.

Oooh, fuck that sounds good. http://thefullpint.com/beer-reviews/the ... saurus-rye

I tried O'Fallon Wheach, a Peach Wheat Ale and BridgePort Kingpin Double Red Ale last night before I consumed one of my bottles of Hop Rod Rye.
The Peach Wheat was really refreshing and sessionable. It would be a nice, easy drinking beer on a Summer Day.
The Kingpin was a bit astringent and the hops overpowered the malt profile of the Red Ale.

So here's what I ended up tasting yesterday:

Drake's Hopocalypse
Eagle Rock Brewery’s Vanilla Bean Solidarity (nitro tap)
Ballast Point Tongue Buckler Imperial Red
Ballast Point Yellowtail Pale Ale (Kolsch)
Pliny the Younger
Ballast Point Sour Wench (Blackberry Sour Ale)
Deschutes The Abyss


They actually had 3 kegs of Pliny the Younger which they threw on randomly through out the day at different stations. I lucked into being near the front of one of the lines when one came on. That said, while it was very good, I really didn't notice a lot of difference between the PtY and the Elder. It would have been interesting to taste both back to back but I didn't do that. I was 3 people from the front of the line when the Chocosaurus Rye keg kicked.

I had an 8th beer but don't remember what it was. Everything was pretty good but nothing was truly spectacular. The Vanilla Bean Solidarity was probably the most unique and interesting beer I tried. It's a mild ale which is an english style, dark and malty yet light both in body in alcohol content (I think it was just under 4% ABV). Yet it packed a lot of complex flavors for a sessionable beer with notes of cocoa, vanilla and cream soda. The Hopocalypse seemed to be a lot of people's favorite and I liked it but very hoppy DIPAs are usually not my thing and I didn't think it was better than Pliny, Blind Pig or Hair of the Dog Blue Dot.

I would have liked to try more but most of the beers were full pours and 8 was a lot given that about half were around 10% ABV. I was pretty drunk when I decided to call it a day.

That vanillabrau sounds really good.

I'm not too into vanilla flavored beers myself, but Schlafly, the biggest local craft brewer around here has taken to making special beers for various bars around town and I was at a place over the weekend where they had a vanilla milk stout that I gave a try and really enjoyed.

Also, I do rather like this thing of making special beers for specific bars around town although sometimes this limited nature sucks. They've been selling a really good Schwarzbier all over town and in bottles since the fall but I think it's about to run out soon.

You guys heard of Beerjobber? http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/ ... lick-away/

I read about this the other day, pretty cool.

If you have an ipad and use Zite, making "Beer" one of your Sections gets you a pretty awesome variety of stuff everyday.

Yum

I'm drinking an Arcadia Ales Loch Down Scotch Ale right now and plan on trying Magic Hat Vinyl Lager and Schlafly Pilsner tonight. I have a home brew club meeting on Thursday Night, and plan on drinking a lot of craft beer Friday Night during First Friday Art walk as well.
I'll be sure to mention anything worthwhile I consume by Saturday morning.

It's obviously just a variation on the Elder, but i was definitely impressed. For me, everything was just way more intense...the piney aroma, the grapefruity bitterness, and just how f'ing smooth this was...i think that's what really blows me away. OB had a keg of Elder that just kicked too, otherwise i would have loved to do the back to back tasting as well.

I mean, it's not worth losing your shit over or waiting hours on line for (no beer is IMO)...but it's damn good. As long as they keep up this way of pouring their kegs, i'll grab a ticket every year.

Everything beer was coming in 3s last night. Triaed a few Trios Pistoles and a few Three Philosophers. Both were on draft and both are heavy, boozey beers that will knock you on your ass if you're not careful. I was not careful. Still, both were very enjoyable with my preference leaning toward the Trios Pistoles. Definitely not beers you can really just slam down even if you want to, but a few hours spent sipping on a few of these was plenty for a weeknight. My pool shooting may have suffered before all was said and done.

Don't get me wrong. It was very good but so is the Elder. I didn't notice a lot of difference really but it was the last of the 8 beers I had so I'll fully cop to not being in the best shape to judge as well as perhaps having unrealistic expectations.

Anyone tried this?:



It's got pretty bad reviews and smacks of a novelty beer but I can't help be curious and my shop just got some in stock.

They did everything in their power to scare me off with that shit-tastic label.

I do like their Dead Guy Ale OK. But they would have to try really hard to make something I was more repulsed by the thought of than that. It is actually a big pet peeve of mine that while I like porters quite a lot, it seems the majority of beer makers think you have to go and fuck them up by adding all sorts of extra flavors, maple, honey, vanilla, smoke or whatever else. I feel like if I see a porter offered at a bar the odds it is just a porter instead of a _____ porter is slim.

I'm certainly skeptical about it but intrigued at the same time. If it weren't a $10+ beer I'd buy it and just try it.

Restocked a bit last night:



The Hefe is the only one I've tried before.

Well done Beeg. I've eyed the Claymore and RED before but never had 'em.

I picked up a 2011 Oak Aged Yeti this week but haven't had it yet.

I finally sat down with Dogfish's 90 Minute IPA last night. I've had it before and it always left me flat when compared to other things I was drinking (ie- Hopslam, Double Trouble). I wanted to have this and only this.

This is a very good beer. Deep, rich, and complex but it's the malt that seperates it from other big IPA's. It really comes through. Once I got over the fact that this isn't one of those Hopslam juicy, green, piney hop bombs I started really appreciating it. 2 of these and I was downright buzzed.

Great beer and much more subtle than I initially gave it credit for.

I think 90 is pretty great; the 60 is just sorta average for me, like something is missing. I guess this is either out or coming out soon:



75 Minute IPA.

How is that Lagunitas Imperial Red? I've seen shiv and now BG mention buying it but havent pulled the trigger.

I'll let you know after I try it. I read a review of the WTF that claims it tastes like a less aggressive Lagunitas Sucks so I'm looking forward to that one.

Haven't tried that specific Great Divide, but everything they make is fantastic.

The Red was good. One of the better amber ales I've had.


The Dogfish Head website says you can make your own 75 Minute by just combining the 60 & 90 but I've never tried it. They had it on tap a few times around here but I've always missed it.

I picked up a bunch of beer over the last few days.
Allagash Curieux
Goose Island Pepe Nero
Maine Beer Company Mo Pale Ale
Cambridge Beer Company Sgt. Pepper
Boulevard Brewing Company The Sixth Glass
Four In Hand IPA

I finally had Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA last night at the Home Brew Club meeting. I was impressed by the malt profile being so prevalent in an extremely hopped up beer. It certainly wasn't a hop bomb, and was a well balanced beer. It is clearly worthy of the accolades and made me wish I could consume it on a regular basis.

I also tried Damiana liqueur and a home brew beer that had the Damiana herb as a substitute for hops. The beer was damn good, and had a citrusy green tea taste.

It's an abortion.