Some of the beers I had in Wisconsin last week. I didn't always have a camera, but when I did, I got a shot. God, that was a good week.



Bell's Two Hearted on tap with breakfast


Spotted Cow, sailing on lake mendota


Cans of Leinie's Original camping on Rock Island, keeping them cool in the lake


Lake Louie Imperial Stout by the Capitol at The Old Fashioned (Neuro, that place is calling your name)


Sprecher Abbey Triple (good, but not as good as the real ones)


Sprecher Scotch-Style Ale (This was the best beer I had all week, maybe in years. I was quite frankly floored by it. I tried to find some to bring back but couldn't. It's $14 a bottle, but WORTH IT. Jebus. It was complex, thick, sweet and slightly hopped, and the oak was a nice compliment. Totally balanced, just amazing. I didn't know they were capable of making something at this level.)


Tyranena Bitter Woman IPA at concerts on the square, downtown Madison.


New Glarus Black Wheat at concerts. Like everything NG makes except Spotted Cow, it's ok but not great.


Victory Hop Devil at Busty's. Solid, VERY hoppy, excellent choice if you're in that mood.


Busty's war chest. It looks like this every single day... it wasn't just for my benefit. Man knows what the fuck he's doing.


Lagunitas Hop Stupid at Chez Busty. Really great over-hopped beer. Maybe the best of that type I've had, excepting dogfish's 120 minute.




So I stopped at my beer store in Madison on the way out and grabbed 3 full cases, mixed. I got 4 sixers of Spotted Cow, 2 or 3 sixers of Lake Louie Scotch Ale (I'm getting a liver boner right now thinking about them), and then 1 each of Capital Amber, Central Waters Mudpuppy Porter, Ale Asylum Scotch Ale, and shit I'm forgetting like 3 more. And I will hoard them like pirate gold.

Been drinking a lot of Smithwick's on draft lately.

[img][499:500]http://www.blueberrypie.ie/easyedit/pictures/productpictures/smithwicks-dripmats_final-1.jpg[/img]

Bell's Oberon has been pretty refreshing lately...

The sixers I forgot above were Bell's Oberon and Capitol Maibock.


FUH

I have Flying Dog Golden Ales in my fridge. I like 'em (as previously mentioned in this thread)




Apparently I'm a dolt, because I didn't know this was pronounced "Smiddick" until 2 years go.

I still kinda don't like pronouncing it like that. I mean, isn't that like an accented pronunciation? Do I have to speak in an accent every time I order anything foreign?

I had heard and used that, but I noticed most bartenders in Ireland pronounced it "Smith-icks" when I went earlier this year

that cisco brewers grey lady i had the other night was pretty good.

Awesome trip! On my recent trip to WI, I had the CW Bourbon Barrel Barleywine and the Ale Asylum Ambergeddon and both were exceptional. Also picked up New Glarus' Iced Barleywine and Apple Ale... so fucking good.

Also, got a shipment in from a recent trade... excuse this shitty cell pic:



Tröegs Flying Mouflan Barleywine, Weyerbacher Double Simcoe Reserve 750ml IPA, East End Brewing Toaster Impy Stout and Ithaca Brewing TEN Imperial Double Red Ale.

that's how I thought it is supposed to be pronounced too

This is the best brew in the north woods right now. Only available in unpasturized cans, as far as I know.

Odds - tell me how that Ithaca Brewing Co TEN is when you have it, please. One of them has been eyeballin' me everytime I go the store.

Most definitely but if I were you, I'd grab it. I think they're close to releasing ELEVEN, so these TEN's are getting a little long in the tooth. It's also a hoppy beer, so you don't want to wait too much longer as I hear the hop profile is evaporating fast.

I think I'm going to pop it open the weekend after next with some steaks!

I've been picking up a bunch of the shit not available on the East Coast now that I'm in California. I must say that Pliny doesn't quite live up to the hype, though.

If you can even find any of these on tap or bottle... try Alpine Pure Hoppiness, Alesmith Decadence and IPA, Ballast Point Sculpin, Moonlight's Reality Czech (tap only), Blind Pig... any TION Russian River (can't believe you don't like Pliny).

No shit. I've only had one, but I remember it.

Something's off about Bell's Two Hearted. I had two of them in madison at 2 dufferent bars, and both tasted less hoppy and amazing than memory says they should.

I brought a sixpack home, just cracked one open, and same thing. It's fine, but the hops are at like half-power. Anyone in the midwest confirm?

i've been drinking a lot of this lately.

Every Wachusset beer I've tried has been somewhere between Meh and GAH. Gave up on them.

If he doesn't like Pliny I don't think he'll like Blind Pig

I decided I'm going to put my feet up when I'm done studying tonight with one or two of these:


Fantastic beer. Name leaving something to be desired.

With a hard th, like the th in "that" as opposed to "smith".

Don't get me wrong, I never said I didn't like Pliny. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It was on par with other good IPAs I've had, though, and not the mindblowing experience some people make it out to be.

This, however, was incredible:

[img][252:500]http://www.gooseisland.com/filebin/images/products/full/bourbon-county-stout-2.jpg[/img][/img]

Busty bought (I wanna say) 2 or 3 of those special edition Goose Island beers 2 or 3 years ago, and we cracked them open and were not really impressed. I don't recall that one in particular, and maybe this year they're better, but both of us were let down. We could see what they were shooting for, but for the price the beer was just not there yet at all.

I had one of these yesterday:
[img][277:500]http://ridgeviewliquor.com/hairy%20eyeball.jpg[/img]

It was extremely tasty. And went down waayyyy too easily for a beer with more than 8% alcohol content.