Yeah. Seems like carbonated, heavy, dark, hopped liquid is just so far from wine that it's more like 80/20 than 50/50, but I'm just imagining. Never had the dogfish head.

The dogfish head is more similar to a fruit beer than a dark, heavy porter. Don't know what that would be like. I am kinda surprised that more people aren't aging in used wine barrels though...almost everything is bourbon barrels. I have had a few sours aged in wine barrels but not that many.

Goose Island is the only one I can immediately think of (ageing in wine barrels). Night Shift here in town does their quad with somewhere around 20% unfermented shiraz grape juice at the fermentor, which isn't exactly the same thing as a hybrid, but I guess it's close. And fuck all is it good.

Edit: Their product page for it only says it's aged in red wine barrels for 10 months, so I'm wrong on that count, but I KNOW they told me about the juice in person. -shrug-

One of my bottle shops just posted to facebook that they got in 4 different sours from Cascade Brewing, one of which is "The Vine":

The Vine
8.3% ABV
This NW style sour blends soured tripel, blonde and golden ales that were then fermented with the juice of white wine grapes. It's a delicious offering that appeals to both beer and wine drinkers.

I've been meaning to try out their sours. Can anyone direct me to which is their best one? I think that in addition to The Vine, they have a Kriek, an Apricot and a Strawberry. By that, I mean my bottle shop has those. Cascade makes a bunch more.

I forgot to mention that I had a Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout last night. Was decent, to be fair probably above average quality, but nothing exciting or that special. That's starting to become my opinion about most of their beers.

Lagunitas is a solid above-average big "micro" in my book. No real duds, better at the hoppy stuff than most everything else. What passes for "an easy choice at TGI McScratchy's" for me. If it's around and I'm lazy, it always works.

I mostly agree about Lagunitas as well in terms of them having no real duds. I've enjoyed pretty much everything I've had by them and have been occasionally wowed.

They sponsored the public radio station I listened to as I cooked dinner last night. In Boston. Big plans, I guess, with that massive expansion they're doing. Them, New Belgium, and Boulevard seem to be aiming for Sam Adams territory with both guns blazing.

Its not that I dislike Lagunitas or think they make bad beer. They make mostly above average beer. I don't like Daytime, their sessionable IPA, or Brown Shugga, a holiday winter warmer but just about everything else they make is above average. I don't think they make anything though that I'd feel any great urge to drink again though, with the possible exception of Lagunitas Sucks, which was pretty great a couple of years ago but last year's batch didn't do much for me.

Firestone Walker is available everywhere out here and is a much better brewery. I prefer Victory almost across the board for six pack beers. In terms of the hoppy stuff, its not my favorite category, and I'm pretty spoiled with being able to buy great West Coast IPAs like Sculpin almost anywhere including the supermarket.

Like here and ciders. Some amazing stuff in New England that I take for granted til I go elsewhere.

I just bought a 6 of Lagunitas Sucks--I'm with you Beeg in hoping that its as good as 2012: That shit was fire.

Sucks is outstanding, and as a complete shocker, is almost impossible to find in Chicago. Should be easier with the second batch.

I got a bottle of westlevernyn and chugged it in front of everyone waiting in line. bought a 40 of steel reserve on the way home.

Update: The bottle I had last night was fantastic.

that beer's shit and you're wrong.

It was the annual Lincoln Lagers Pot Luck event tonight, and the beers did not disappoint. I had some stellar home brewed beers and the commercial list is full of heavy hitters.

Surly Abrasive Ale
Firestone XVI Anniversary Ale
Funkwerks Oud Bruin
Funkwerks Deceit
Revolver Blood and Honey
Dark Horse Tres Blue Berry Stout
Dogfish Head Tweason'Ale
Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA
Boulevard Dark Truth Stout
Alchemist Heady Topper
Russian River Pliny the Elder
Ballast Point Sculpin



I'm sure the Heady Topper wasn't truly fresh, but I still have a hard time seeing what the fuss is about. It's great, but it certainly isn't head and shoulders above a lot of Double IPA's out there. I thought Sculpin was a better overall beer and something I'd definitely want to drink again real soon.

What the fuck was Tweason Ale doing in that group?!

As for Heady, it isn't made of magic but it is (to my mind) the best of those, having had all of them super fresh. All phenomenal, but heady is just a teeny but different.

Geuze Boon last night at my sister's bar! Haven't had it since I lived in Brussels when I was 20. YUM. Definitely one I can't see pulling off in my basement.

It was just one of the many beers I opted to try that was brought by one of my fellow home brew club members, I also drank a bunch of Flanders Red from a barrel project the club did a few years ago and some decent lambics and meads.

Just found Sculpin at the grocery store.

So there's that.

I tried Ballast Point's pale ale brewed with Serrano peppers the other day. It was alright, as was their Sculpin Habanero. I don't really like spicy anyways so I'm not sure my opinion is the best here. They also apparently have a version of Sculpin with ghost peppers. I did make the mistake of getting a growler of Night Shift's Viva for xmas and then brought it to Xmas dinner. No one wanted more than a sip. I ended up giving the rest away.

I really want to try Ballast Point's Indra Kunindra though.

Haa ha ha, Viva is not a Christmas beer, much less a "share a growler" beer, with any but the most beer-centric crowd. Shit is pretty fiery.

Yeah, it arrived in Atlanta yesterday. And later this week its Hopslam time.

Hopslam will not be coming to the grocery store, sadly. But I gladly grabbed a 22 of Sculpin. Between the pale I have going in the closet, and the Doublish I'll be brewing after it (I have available a pound and a half of cascade, and a pound of amarillo!), it's gonna continue to be hoppy times at the Ramsey household.

So I ended up picking up one of the above last weekend along with:

Hanger 24 - Pugachev's Cobra
Ale Industries - Uncle Jessie's Ale
Bell's Kalamazoo Stout
Bell's Java Stout
Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel Stout

Two local bottle shops had posted to their facebook page that they got Kern River's Just Outstanding in stock but both were sold out of it by the time I got there. Still a pretty good score, especially that Pugachev's Cobra. I'm not sure how I'm able to get Bell's now. I went to their website and confirmed that they have no distribution in CA. I'm not going to complain though.

Had a few things that were new to me this weekend:

Drake's -1500 Pale Ale

A pretty good pale ale with bright bready notes and light piney hops. I liked it.

Almanac - Biere de Mars with Fennel

From what I understand Biere de Mars is a french beer style somewhat akin to a Belgian Saison intended from spring drinking. This beer was a special release for Almanac from spring 2012 which I bought last year after my store marked it down from $16.99 to $5.99 when trying to clear out their inventory. Almanac makes pretty good beer but it's not consistently great and I'm often reluctant to buy it at full price but jumped at the chance to try this at a steep discount. Very cool and complex beer. I love farmhouse styles and this one was a good one but with some more maltiness and good spice/anise flavors from the baby fennel. I really wish I'd bought more.

The Bruery - Five Golden Rings

Part of their seasonal collection from 2012/3, this is a golden ale with cinnamon, allspice, ginger and pineapple added. Bruery is hit or miss for me and this one was a miss - too lightly carbonated and overly sweet. Not a fan.

I've got a buddy who lives up in the Bay Area who posted a pic of Two Hearted he bought from his local store...sounds like its getting there somehow. FWIW, I'm not a big fan of either of those Bell's beers: I much prefer the Expedition Stout.