Just went and looked for it, and saw that it's Adams.
Oops.
Not interested in a sampler 12, nor in a bomber.
Keeping eyes open.

Schwartzbiers (black lagers) are some of my favorites. Dark and malty but not heavy so you can drink them all night long. If you're into more hoppy beers I could see them coming across too sweet and if you want something you can stick a fork in when you go with a malty beer they could disappoint. For me, they strike a good balance. Lately I've been drinking the Schlafly ones since they just started selling them around here and they're pretty good and fairly cheap locally, but I have been settling into drinking a couple other kinds as well, like Dixie's Blackened Voodoo, Shiner Bohemian Black Lager and a few different imports like the Einbecker Schwarzbier or the Köstritzer Schwarzbier (maybe my favorite but the most expensive of the bunch around here).

Been switching these out off and on with Fuller's London Porter when I want something a bit heavier.

I'm on it

Delirium Noel

Drinking this right now. I like it. It's strong, spicy, warming(?)--seems fitting for a winter beer. Plus, I really like the elephants on the label.

Yeah Köstritzer was our beer over there, and for some reason I did NOT like it. I mean, I was 22 so maybe I just didn't like it then but I would now. I donno. And I always loved Dixie BV back then, so... ? I guess I have no idea if I like them.

I think there's a good chance they're just not your thing. I really like them, but I can see where they wouldn't work for a lot of people.

Had some of this over the weekend.
It's a collab between the Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head folks.
High-alcohol (10.2 ABV), thick, and syrupy, as you would imagine a beer brewed with maple and birch syrups would be. The sweetness kinda blends in with the alcohol taste and makes this one a little bit of a slow drinking beer. I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped that I would, but I'm glad that I gave it a shot.
I think that those of you who are into the higher-alcohol brews might dig this one.

I think I reviewed it a few pages back and felt more or less the same as you, PT--good (maybe even very good), but not great.

Three new ones from the weekend:

Dogfish Head Immort Ale: Boozy (11%) and complex, this one will definitely grab you and shake you around a little bit. I really like the mix of flavors and overall "oakiness". Drank two and cellared two.

Bell's Special Double Cream Stout: Maybe I've been spoiled by some of the stouts I've had lately, but this didn't really do a whole lot for me. It actually me reminded more of a porter, a little thin and maybe too sweet. I thought maybe the first one I had was unfairly colored by the Immort Ale but I had one the next night as my first beer after dinner and felt exactly the same way. I dunno. *shrug*

Founders Harvest Ale: It would have been great if I could have bought this as a four or six pack instead of just a single but alas, that's all they had. A really fucking fresh and delicious ale, all the piney, hoppy deliciousness one would expect, etc etc. Just good. Period.

I made the mistake of opening a 22 oz Alesmith Speedway Stout on Friday night after I'd already had two martinis and a couple of glasses of wine. I had a nice buzz going already but the Speedway at 12% completely put me over the edge. I woke up in the morning and couldn't remember having gone to bed. That said, it was pretty tasty even if it was an ill-advised beer to open at that point. I think I still prefer the Yeti though.

awesome.

So, we're doing Thanksgiving at FemDerris' dad's place this year in North Carolina. Best parts about that are 1) her step mom can throw down in the kitchen and 2) her dad it the ultimate host and there will be no shortage of bloody mary's, mimosas, fine wines, and quality bourbons and scotches.

He also has a seperate fridge for beer only but it usually consists of various domestics (of which I'm happy to drink).

Still, I thought I'd bring a few items for people (and myself) to try on Turkey Day.

Picked these up last night:

6 pack Lazy Magnolia's Souther Pecan Nut Brown Ale - figured this would be light and tasty pre-feast.
Dogfish Head - My Antonia - figured an Imperial Pilsner would work well with the cacophony of flavors going on.
Ommegang - BPA (Belgian Pale Ale) - Another option for dinner and maybe my favorite from Ommegang.
Allagash - Curieux - post dinner drinking. Thought the bourbon flavors would be pretty nice sitting in my food coma.
Founder's KBS - taking ONE of these. If anyone truly gets enthused in trying any of this stuff, I may break it out (or just drink it myself)
Great Divide - Hibernation Ale - "Old Style Ale" that I thought would be a good for when the temps drop at night. (never tried it though)

I'm loaded for bear.

local Nashville restaurant/brewery Blackstone makes a seriously solid and balanced Porter. I've been enjoying it a lot lately. It's won a Gold and Bronze at the World Beer Cup and is the most decorated Brown Porter ever at the Great American Beer Festival. In fact, Nashville has two seriously solid Porters, one being the aforementioned St. Charles and the 2nd being Yazoo's Sly Rye Porter

Impressive work, Mr. Derris. Impressive work. I've had the last bottle out of a four pack of BPA hanging out in my beer fridge for so long I've forgotten what it tastes like.

Somehow I missed this but I guess Fairburn (where GAWOB is), didn't do the Sunday sale vote yet. They had a sign on the door informing their customers. Speaking of places you CAN buy beer on Sunday's, I noticed that Kroger is now selling both Wild Heaven beers. Good for them and good for Kroger.

That Rye Porter has me intrigued.

read more about it here: http://yazoobrew.com/our-beers/sly-rye-porter.php

I don't know that they distribute to STL, but if you hit me on PM with your address I'll try to track some bottles down (they only release it in bottles seasonally in their "Brewmaster Reserve" 4-packs) and mail you a couple.



Also, from the Yazoo brew store: the growler koozie

I'll take a look around locally and see what I can find, but if I come up empty I may just take you up on that. I'm sure I can find something to send back your way in return. Thanks.

So, when I went to Hop City last week for supplies, they told be the Breakfast Stout was gone in a day and the CBS was gone in 15 minutes. So, I figured I'd have to wait until next year.

Well, lo and behold, I went to a Taco Mac near Lake Norman, NC for the UGA game and they had it on tap.

I was just going to go light for the game but when I saw this I jumped at it.

Really is amazing. Founder's continues to kill it.

Yeah, the regular Breakfast Stout is apparently widely available from Sept.-Dec.; it's basically the Winter version of their Double Trouble; After the initial run being gobbled up, I noticed that it's back at my local store.

Or to simplify:

Well that's cool.

Recents


Allagash - Black Belgian Style Stout

Ok this was good. It is what it sounds like, a nice tight heavy black stout but with belgian yeast, so it has some of the bubblegum / banana flavors they impart. It is a mashup, and if you know that you like those two kinds of beer, and you know Allagash's usual quality level, you know exactly what to expect. Goes great with the fireplace. Shit is WARMING. A-


Red Hook - Winter Warmer

Poor red hook. I swear they only know how to make one beer. This is a pale ale, borderline IPA, with some christmas spices thrown in. It's not bad but it's not the 12 pack I was looking for. C+


Sam Adams - Imperial White

Still trying to find some common ground with SA, digging into the 3 or 4 varieties of upscale 4 packs they have. I liked the imperial stout quite a bit, and this was ok but not as good. It isn't very belgian - it's too acidic and caramel-y to be belgian. It's almost Scotch Ale chewy, like they used their usual malts but roasted them less, instead of going for more traditional blonde ingredients. Still, it's around 10% I think, and not crazy expensive for a 4 pack. And I like having 4x 12oz bottles, all for the price of a single 22oz. So I will probably keep trying them all, and continue buying one or 2 types. B


Pretty Things - Our Finest Regards (Barleywine Ale)

Hoooo man. This is a heavy hitter. Not only is it high alcohol, but like most barleywines it doesn't try to hide it. Gigantic, malty, hoppy without being too hoppy, and a ton of esther flavors smacking your nostrils. It's an event. I'd like to compare it to Smuttynose's barleywine, which tasted a lot like it. Once again the little brewery in western Mass that could keeps on turning out unique, high-grade product. Probably my #1 regional brewery at this point. There's so much to love and root for. A


Harpoon - Chocolate Stout (limited release)

This came in a mixed winter sampler 12 pack. I know what happened - some guys at Harpoon were sitting around scheming, and someone said "we should try to make Young's Double Chocolate." Because it tastes soooo much like it. Maybe not quite as good but very close. It's 50/50 between "chocolate malt" (which is just malt roasted to a dark dark brown) and actual chocolate flavor. Not quite candy-sweet, but very much a desert beer. Too sweet for some folks here, for sure. Derris would love it though. B

Your rampant dislike of Sam Adams yet insistence on continuing to buy their beers is one of the most humorous subplots of this thread, Ky.

Ya know how ya know a beer is good? It's a strongly hoppy beer with hop in the title and I still really like it. I'm usually way more a fan of malty stuff and don't go in for the hoppy ones, but this one has a nice enough bit of malt and an interesting enough flavor with the rye and some nice spiciness that it totally won me over. Drank way too many of these for a weeknight last night.


Bear Republic's Hop Rod Rye

You like that, try the Founder's Red's Rye..Same style I believe, but a better all round beer..Hop Rod is good, but I like Red's Rye a little bit better..

Next shit show beer is on the shelves!!!

Be on the lookout for Goose's King Henry Barleywine. Aged in the same barrels that Bourbon County Rare (23yr Pappy) was. $13/bottle and most places have a 1 bottle limit.

got a sixer of this today. haven't tried it yet but hopefully later on tonight.