really good but wish i'd found out it was $18 for a 4pk before i was at the register though.



shitty pic but decent beer for $7. i bet it'd be even better if i was drinking this in the middle of a hot day.

Belgo IPA is a Belgian twist on India Pale Ale made with Cascade, Amarillo, Willamette and Chinook hops. Belgo opens with citrus and floral tones from generous hopping, then gives way to soft fruit tones implied by the authentic Trappist yeast strain. Medium-bodied with just above 7% abv, Belgo IPA finishes clean with a touch of hop linger.



The famous Bear Gates guarding the approach to Traquair House, near Pebbles, have been closed since 1745 - when the last person to pass through them was Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Now, 250 years later, the ancient Traquair Brew House celebrates the Jacobite cause by producing this potent spiced ale to a traditional fine recipe. Sip slowly and remember the old toast to the "King O'er the Water."

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24/652

That is a beautiful-looking pour.

Been in Burlington for a couple days, so made a visit to the Magic Hat Brewery, mainly because it was a block from the hotel and my business associate welded the seatbelt shut in the rental car. Released in the parking lot, I was assaulted by the odor of highly soured yeast and badger shit. The smell wasn't quite as strong inside, and quickly was overwhelmed by the odors of the individual brews I had. I already knew that Magic #9 was not to my liking (euphemism for "nasty"). Best I can remember, I tried:

Circus Boy- billed as some sort of American Hefeweizen, it took me back to my youth in wet hay fields. Not a good memory.

Wacko- some swill made with beets. Next they'll be trying Brussels sprouts, no doubt. Absolutely undrinkable.

Blind Faith- an IPA that should never have been.

Blind 9- according to the guy behind the bar, this is what the locals drink: a mixture of Blind Faith and #9. It was so bad, I found myself craving a Bud Light Lime, which in turn, brought me close to uncontrollable weeping.

There was some abomination full of blueberries that tasted like the dumpsters behind Denny's on Sunday morning, with a lingering coating on the gullet of cherry Nyquil. Someone should be chained to a truck bumper and dragged up and down Shelburne Street for that shit.

They had a test batch of an Oktoberfest called Hex that was actually drinkable. It wasn't overwhelmed with hops, kind of a smoky finish on it. Between now and the time they actually release it, I'm confident they'll find a way to fuck it up totally.

At least the people were friendly, except for the snooty little bitch at the gift shop cash register.

They just can't get out of their own damned way.

I finished the last of the beer I purchased during my beer run to Omaha a few weeks ago.
I over chilled it initially, but once it warmed to its natural serving temperature it was a delicious Barley Wine.


Nøgne Ø Andhrímnir Barley Wine
COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Andhrimnir is the chef of the Æsir and einherjat in Norse Mythology. Every day in Valhallo, he slaughters the beast Sæhrímnir and cooks it in Eldhrimnir, his cauldron. It is also the winner of Norwegian national championship for homebrewers. We at Nøgne Ø want to make this great barley wine available commercially, so beer drinkers will have an opportunity to experience the best Norwegian homebrew. Though made in Nøgne Ø brewery, this beer was brewed by its creator, Gahr Smith-Gahrsen. Ingredients: Grimstad water, malted barley, hops, yeast. 65 IBU 10% ABV

Magic Hat could be so much better. It makes me sad sometimes.

Seems like a lot of norweigian beers are making it over now... wierd.
Where's the ginormous oil cans of FAXE?

hmmm.. how was that?

it was good, kind of heavy like a stout. and it was only $9 for a six pk of cans.

you should ride your bike over to Marty's on n. beacon in brighton. excellent selection.

Good beer naming.

I just got a mixed 12er from Victory again... there's nothing around here that touches it. I need to develope some cheaper habits though, I blow through a surprising amount of money of beer every week. Maybe some cheap 24 pack...?

I'm not sure if I already posted this in this thread. But I had Bells Two Hearted a month or two ago. One of the best beers I've ever had. I wish they distributed it here.

There are people who don't like that beer I guess, but I don't understand them.

Have any Chicago folks had this yet, I'm going to a tapping party for it tonight.

The Goose Island Fulton & Wood series presents:: White City

Named for the cross streets (Fulton & Wood) where our brewery resides, the Fulton & Wood draft series is the intersection of brewing and imagination for Goose Island. This series of extremely limited release offerings push the boundaries of the everyday and provide new and ever changing beers for our brewers and beer drinkers to explore.

An imperial white ale spiced with coriander, green coriander, crushed roasted fennel seed, rosemary, bitter orange peel and fresh orange zest.

Alcohol by Volume: 7.5%
International Bitterness Units: 28
Preferred Glass: Willi
Availability: Limited Release
Draft: 1/6 bbl

I grabbed a few of these tonight:



I had higher hopes for it since I like Stone's brews a lot, but it was just "ok". I drank a southern Tier 2 x ipa before I drank this and I liked that better. Not something I would grab again..Not hoppy enough, and the taste is kind of bland.

Had this the other week, and almost dumped it out..Glad I only grabbed 1 12oz bottle:



Again, I love Stone Brews and Victory is local and have great beers..Dogfish, I appreciate what they do, but am not a fan of their stuff overall..Usually too malty for me or it's the malts they use, because they use the same malt in a lot of their beers..

Just drank a case of this over the weekend, and it is a very solid beer..Hoppy, but not too hoppy. Overall I think it's better than Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and I think that is a solid beer.



Sorry the pics are huge..All I could find.

My take on last night and the Goose Island Willow Street White Ale.
The beer was full on citrus after the initial pour and while cold, then it became more spicy and heavy on anise flavor. It has a strong floral bouquet and seemed much more like a Spice Ale or Saison than it did an Imperial White Ale.
Highlights from my discussion with the Goose Island rep.
More versions of the Bourbon County stout line are coming out including a Vanilla Bean stout and one called "Urban County" stout that is a mixture of the Vanilla and Espresso stouts.
Also for those of you willing to pay $35-50 for a bottle of beer, they are releasing a rare series of Bourbon County stout from the untapped bourbon barrels not used for the 2009 edition.
They have been selling a shit ton of 312 since Obama settled his bet with the British PM, and allegedly Cameron came out recently and said he enjoyed the beer.
After our discussion, I am definitely interested in the King Henry Barley Wine coming out in November.

Goose Island King Henry description:

“A hybrid English/American barleywine hopped with several American hops and brewed with over 2 tons of malt.

Alcohol by Volume: 11%
International Bitterness Units: 100
Preferred Glass: Snifter
Availability: Limited Release
Draft: 1/6 bbl”

Before I left for the night I had one of these:

Tonight:

Crabtree Brewing Co. Dearfield Ale, a strawberry blonde ale from Greeley, Co named in honor of a once thriving African American Farming community in Colorado. It was dirt cheap, something like $3.50 for a 22oz bottle and highly rated for what is still a small batch beer. It was a great session beer that wasn't that heavy on the Strawberry flavor. Nothing spectacular, but worth the price.


Abita Restoration Pale Ale
It was probably the best Abita product I have consumed, although not quite as drinkable as Jockamo overall. It was initially brewed to make money after Hurricane Katrina, so I will give them a pass on the general quality of their beers this time around. If they weren't relatively cheap here, I wouldn't waste my time trying their products anymore.


The best beer of the night. I'm glad they used amarillo hops to dry hop it, because simcoe or something similar to it would have made this one a bit too pungent for my pallet. It has an 8.6% ABV and is more maltier than most Imperial/Double IPA's.

No shit, you and Promethium both must blow through $200 - $300 a month on the expensive brews you drink.

Bell's Oberon was $11 per six pack in Florida (not sold in Nashville). I couldn't bring myself to buy it, even when I was in full-on beach splurge mode.

I finally saw Beer Wars the other night. Some of it was enlightening, but overall pretty meh-fully made.

Had a Sculpin IPA on tap tonight...

and a dogfish head summer, allagash & michelada

Yeah, it's probably close to $300, but I tend to separate what I buy to drink at home from what I buy when I go out with friends and drink at a brew pub.
I haven't spent more than $150 combined at beer stores in the past two months, but usually drop $15-30 when I go to a tapping party. It is certainly an expensive hobby, but I attend fewer shows these days, and don't buy a ton of music now that there are limited record store options in Lincoln, so that has all basically become beer money.

Just had this last night — on draught.

A truly wonderful Belgian-style ale. Reminds me of a (far) less-complex St. Bernardus, but some of the same flavor profile. Lots of raisin and fig in the finish. A surprisingly easy to drink in the summertime.

Avery Mahajara IPA

Had this on draft last night. Very very hoppy and very spicy (apparently its grapefruit and pine according to beeradvocate). 10.3% abv. Decent beer to knock off my UFO club list at the Flying Saucer, but I probably won't go racing back to this one.