We have it in Nashville. It's good, drinkable swill, but nothing essential.

Drinkable swill has its place, fwiw.

And, it's what I prefer. My point was it's not the best beer to ever come out of a can, as you know how Sen. GAR hates hype of all kind. I was bringing the brew down to it's proper level of enthusiasm.

What is the best beer to ever come out of a can? Ten Fidy?

I dunno man, I agree that it's not one of these world class beers the beer geeks shit themselves over but I also get pretty excited over tasty beers that I can actually drink a few without being hammered. Pork Slap and Stone's Levitation Ale have been pretty great discoveries for me.

I think it's one of the harder things to do (make a tasty, low ABV beer). I at least haven't had many. Have we ever done a "best session beer" thread?

No but we should, and when we do, Spotted Cow will destroy all comers if I can find a way to get some and mail it out. Then we will all weep knowing that New Glarus doesn't sell it outside Wisconsin. Shit is TIGHT in an all-day-long kinda way.

Not officially, anyway. I recall reading of a UW bar in New York City getting busted for selling Spotted Cow under the counter.

Yeah I saw 'bout that. If I had a bar around here that was smuggling it in I would be glued to the barstool up til the cops busted in.

It's doubtful New Glarus would've ever found out about this had someone not ratted the bar out to them.

Seems like a dick move IMO.

And it's not NG that "busted" anybody, I don't think, just state laws. I think I read they've managed to become the 37th largest US brewery, all while still distributing only in WI. ...Which should tell you 2 things:

1. There's a sweet spot to growth for breweries here, because of how big the country is and how much it costs to truck your beer all over the place. Adding new states does move more bottles, but it also decreases your margins. Dominate locally, or dominate nationally. Anything in between means you're paying a lot per bottle shipped.
2. Never underestimate the ability of Wisconsites to make a lot of mother fucking beer disappear.

Well, I like all kinds of beers, and I think from this thread and 100 years of friendship, the Cap has a good grasp of what I like.

Porkslap is also pretty much in the wheelhouse of how I buy beer, wine and whiskey I don't know about - by the label and packaging.

It's malty, surprisingly creamy, mellow (but nor boring), and doesn't really taste like anything else. I see no reason why Dave wouldn't really enjoy it, especially given the can art.

I'd go with Dale's or Brew Free Or Die.

That reminds me... I have some beers to review, some unfavorably.

oh oh.

Dale's is awesome. So awesome in fact that not 5 years ago, Derris made fun of me for bringing it to the lake for the weekend (where you can only have cans). Our little baby is all growns up!

Haaaaa ha ha ha ha ha ha

There are a couple of inaccuracies here.

1) You can bring whatever you want. Just cans only on the boat and this is only precautionary. They also can be tossed into the lake at great length and found easier to those out floating.
2) "Made fun of" is an overstatement


Still, while I have no problem with Dale's, at 6.5% ABV, they're still too much for the amount of marathon drinking that goes on up there.

I was checking facebook last night while filling my car with gas and saw that a gourmet shop that I'd just driven by had just posted that they had Pliny the Elder back in stock. Pulled a U-turn and bought 3 bottles which is the max they'd sell to anyone. I think that they are already out of stock again.

As far as cans go, I had this recently:



Good not great. A little disappointing based on how I'd overheard some people raving about it. I probably wouldn't have even noticed any coconut flavor if I hadn't been looking for it. I'd drink Deschutes Black Butte over it any day of the week. That said, it's not bad.

Pliny... damn.

Recents


21st Amendment - Hell Or High Watermelon



I recall a time about a year ago when Joey Crack (Chase) texted me asking if I'd had this. I had not. I *think* he bought it. If he did, and failed to subsequently warn as to how fucking awful this is, we are no longer friends. This was the worst 6 pack I have ever bought. I'm not sure why exactly I finished it, slowly and painfully, but I did. I suspect I may have a completist / drinking problem, but when I got home every day and wanted (neeeeeeded) a beer, I would grab one of these grudgingly. It tastes like bitter beer with sweet watermelon bubblegum on top of it. This is not a case of marketing influence, or of catching a good beer on a bad day. There is no good day for this beer. It should never have been made, and the fact that I paid for and drank six of them is to my eternal shame. I don't do this often, but F- ... goddamn this was awful.

Do not buy this beer, or accept one from a stranger under any circumstances. I am going on record as saying "I would rather drink Iron City than drink this," which should horrify any sensible beer drinker. This is only a few notches above Austrian "punishment" liquoer Stroh 80. 21st Amendment owes me a massage with happy ending after this clusterfuck. I am ill-pleased.


Pretty Things - EIP

East India style Porter, from a recipe dug up by some dude from 1855. This was really damned good. Fitting of a beer shipped overseas before pasteurization, it has a good amount of hoppage, but it's still crisp and sweet and malty. This was a very nice surprise. Apparently IPA was for officers mostly, and Porter was more of the enlisted man's brew. I dug this, quite a bit... another notch on the headboard for Pretty Things. A-

Oh and this one

Wachusett Brewing Company - Larry

This is one of those beers that's on the periphery every time I got to the store, bashfully eyeballing its toes and hoping I'll pick it, when I almost never do. It's a local brewery that makes some crappy beers. Sure, it's cheap, but the beer probably isn't gonna be all that great either. I finally caved on this one, and was surprised not one iota. It was a bigged-up IPA with 7-ish ABV, and was mid-late pack for that crowd. Plenty of other offerings from ANY coast (ours, left, canada, europe, asia) blow its doors off. If I were sitting in a bumblefuck pub with 6 taps, and this were one of them, I would be really happy to have it. It's not bad. But it is in literally THE most crowded field in beer right now, and doesn't shake its ass hard enough to get my attention. The definition of "also ran." B-

haha. yeah i haven't bought those since i first saw them a couple summers ago and can't really recall whether they were good or bad but i'll take your word for it. i think the opa opa watermelon beer is better but i'm not sure there is any good watermelon beer.

i want to try that pretty things.

have you seen this? i just read about it the other day.



168 ibus.

i think you are VASTLY overstating how bad it is, but I wouldn't drink more than one or two while sitting outside on a hot Virginia day. but for those one or two, it's good! but it is very different and I think i had them after the 10k last year while sitting in my backyard, so everything's gravy at that point.

Drinking a blue moon at the moment. about to go out for more beer! good day.

I am not overstating how bad this sixpack was. Perhaps mine was different than yours, but this was six cans of straight bubblegum garbage. I'm a pretty tolerant guy - I just bought a 30 pack of rolling rock cans - and this was juuuuuust about undrinkable. I really, honestly considered just dumping them out.

As for the Hopping Frog, I've seen the regular one but not that version.