Go to another store. They shouldn't be around that long.

Some of them are worth it. Also if the alcohol % is high, they'll keep a lot longer and not be skunked.

Started off with a couple of Tanquerays last night at a late holiday party, but made my way over to Spitzer's Corner (NYC) and switched to:







That Maredsous 8 is still my favorite -- no contest.

What'd you think of that Hobgoblin Gordo? I found it sorta dull in that usual "made in england" kinda way. Not much goin' on.


RECENT BEERS UPLOAD:

Stone Ruination IPA
I was a little let down. If this were in a 12 oz bottle and cost regular 6 pack prices I would be singing its praises. But it's marketed as something exceptional, and fails that test. A perfectly tastey beer that underperforms for its marketing / price point.






Caracole Nostradamus
Best one in this bunch, for sure. I am a fanboy of these guys, because not only are they a good belgian maker, (and actually belgian, not canadian etc), but the prices are decent. I've had 2 varieties before and they've become regulars, but Shiv found this one somewhere else and got it for me for HIS birthday...? Anyway I had it last week, and it's the best of the 3 types I've had. It's coppery without being tannic and acidic. It's pleasantly hoppy (very hoppy for a traditional belgian, which isn't saying much... the belgians don't generally like a lotta hops), and has a nice kick without being overly alcoholic. It's nicely complex, but it's in balance. Great beer. It manages to stake out a somewhat unique flavor in a tightly controlled category, where tastes tend to be close to each other because of the brewing method and yeast dictations. I wish one would miracle itself into my fridge every friday afternoon.




Pike's Stout - Extra Stout

Serviceable, but not memorable. Tasted like a good homebrew my wife's uncle could (and has) made. Nothing wrong with it, but an hour later you'll forget you had it. If you're looking for a treat, look harder.

(image screwed up)



Widmer Brothers Reserve: Cherry Oak Doppelbock

These guys have talent, and good sources for ingredients, but sometimes they falter for my taste. They're capable of greatness but they're inconsistent, from what I've had. If you think of breweries like Bell's or Smuttynose, that almost never make a true misstep, then the faults of Widmer Bros become more apparent. Still, this was a decent beer. It definately tastes like something unusual, so if you like the coppery taste of cherries hinted at in a beer (which I can take or leave), plus the tannins of oak in there (which I do), this wouldn't be a waste of money. I don't think I'll buy another one, but I don't regret this one. Not perfect, but it's nice to have something a little exotic sometimes.




Molson Canadian

So then we did a budget, and I realized how much all these big nice beers cost, and decided to dial down the Beer Budget a little by exploring the Shitty aisle again. My love of canned beer is well-documented, mostly due to its minimal footprint in my recycling bin (and resulting decrease in clanky trips down the stairs to empty it), so I decided to stick to All Things Aluminum. Normally in this situation I go for Old Faithful and just grab a 30 pack of High Life cans. But I decided to keep trying new things, even when slumming it, so I eschewed the familiar haunts of the undergrad years and passed the PBR, High Life, and Natty Light and went for an import. It's, uh... not awful. It has about 1/2 the flavor "volume" of high life, if you will, and what flavor there is is not offensive. PBR, by way of comparison, is a louder flavor and much more metallic, whereas High Life is also louder and much more malty. This is textbook Lawnmowing beer. After a week or two of these, I expect to have an out of body experience the next time I dip a toe into something heavyweight.

Dull is right...but again, for me last night it followed the Maredsous 8 so it didn't have a chance anyway. Plus, I thought the finish was almost a bit medicine-y. Won't be having it again.

it was an xmas present, you just got it on my birthday. i have one in my fridge too.

HopSlam is starting to show up. Hurray!

Had this last week, a "flavored malt beverage brewed with crystallized ginger." A little expensive ($13) and not necessarily my bag, but not bad.

You Shook Me All Night Long Espresso Porter from the Misty's Steakhouse/Brewery restaurant here in Lincoln.
I'm not a fan of the name, but the beer was fucking good. It was one of the freebies during the First Friday Art Walk.

FYI -

I had a $6 bottle of 13th-anniversary HeBrew tonight... Unfortunately, 13 wheats + 13 hops + 1 bottle in 13% (26 Proof for a beer) = one skunky, bitter animal... If you're looking for a super cheap drunk, maybe. A nice beer, no dice, unless you're into a mid-heavy, super-acidic and very bitter drink...

Followed by some nice Red Stripe 16-oz cans and a few Fat Tire bottles...

There's a whole line of those Dogfish Head specialty beers. I nearly bought two the other night when I thought they were only $1.99/bottle. Too bad a clerk hadn't changed the price underneath them yet. Yeah, $13 is a bit much when there is so much out there at that price point, or even at $10. The thing those have going for them though, is the high alcohol content.

The Fort brew in that line sounds delicious though:



Squirg--I like slummin' sometimes, and I have no problem with Molson. We actually drank that quite regularly in college--though in bottles. It was either Molson Golden or Ice. Do they even make those anymore? Seems like I just see "M" and Canadian anymore.

Speaking of Canadian beers, I have no idea how it occurred, or how it found its way into his hands the first time but whenever my dad drinks a beer after mowing the lawn its Moosehead. Really weird for Maryland.

just opened it. first sip was great.

i had this too later saturday night. well worth the $17.

New Glarus - Spotted Cow
Old faithful. I still have about 3 sixpacks from the last trip back to Madison, and I break one out every now and then when I want to feel normal (Like I could go to the store and grab more, anytime I want, even though I can't). Still my favorite session beer.





Legacy - Dear Abbey Dubbel
I think I had this once before, don't know if I wrote it up. Nobody's going to mistake this for a real belgian. The sharpness is there, as is the booze, but all that magical flavor in the middle is sorta cored out, leaving an oddly clear, crisp, aggressive beer in its place. Ok, but never gonna compete with the real thing for my dollars.




Bear Republic - Big Bear Black Stout
Busty got me liking these guys for their Racer 5 beer, which is good as hell. So I tried their stout, and man is it good. Big, full, rich, balanced, and more hops than usual, but not too much. My wife kept stealing my glass. I'd get this again for sure. It's not better than Stone's Russian stout, but it's close.

Highland 15th Anniversary Auld Asheville Vintage Ale



9.5% ABV...just one of these gets me feeling nice

this is good.



this i'm not so sure about yet.

I think I had something by these guys over Christmas in NC...

I did! This thing:





And it was really good. It got me curious what else they make, and then sad that they don't make it up here.

Gaelic is their most popular beer, and is found on draft quite a bit in NC. Then they make the standards - pale ale, IPA, porter , and stout as well as seasonal ales. Definitely one of my favorite breweries.

http://highlandbrewing.com/beerstyles.htm

Good to know, if we ever move thattaway.

Highland makes some nice beers. I've met Kristin Orr, a Marketing Manager for some of the Southeast, a couple times here at my favorite bar. The owner arranged for her to bring a keg of the St. Terese's Pale Ale that was, ummm, I forget the technical term, but it's something along the lines of cask fermenting. When it's ready to drink, it's tapped straight from the keg with no additional bubbling injected into it. Good shit.

I will be attending this Beer Festival in 2 weeks. Several of the brewers mentioned in this thread will be in attendance (Rogue, Stone, Highland, the Dogs both Flying and Fish Head.) I've enjoyed reading your reviews. Just trying to perform my due diligence so that I can hit up some of the better Regional Brewers early in the day, before it turns into complete and utter debauchery. At which time, the length of line is more important than what they are serving up!

http://www.jupitercraftbrewersfestival.com/brewers.html

(Hope this link works, still new to the board)

Cool, brew fests are fun.

Tell me more, please!
Scottish? Nice roasted malt flavor?
Tell me, tell me, tell me!

If I had to describe it off the top of my head...I'd say it's a high gravity English Strong Ale that has a bold profile from fine British malts, woodsy and estery aromas from traditional British ale yeast, and bittering from Styrian Bobek hops. The addition of Sterling hops provides a hint of spiciness on the nose. These flavors combined with a bright cheery redolence create a savory "Auld Ale" that will warm the dreariest of winter nights.

...Ok, so I stink at describing beer other than "hoppy" or "dark" so I took that from this site:
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/rate/113316/