Had something new from Sierra Nevada last night, Hoptimum. Maybe the first time I've ever tasted a beer and thought "ok that might be too many hops." I had to back up off it.

oh and Weihenstephan won Best Beer In Teh Worlg

link

Who the hell hosts this thing?

Looks like Sam Adams won almost half of the "America's Best" categories.

Fail.

Craft Breweries probably don't have the funds to send their stuff over, or don't care to? I see Sam Adams and Rogue won a few.

Took a little trip out to middle of nowhere, WI, to Potosi Brewery. I think I've had some of their beers before, but it was nice to check out the brewery. I had the Gandy Dancer Porter, the Extra Special Bitter, and the Snake Hollow IPA. All were damn fine products, the Porter being my favorite. They also have the The National Brewery Museum there...all kinds of awesome beer memorabilia. Highly recommend it if you are into that kind of thing and in Western Wisconsin.

My girlfriend has the pics on her camera, so I stole these from the interwebs.

Fucking hell, that's a nice spread 'Tosi has.

Yeah, the bar is kick ass...you would love this place Cap'n.

Really mad I never went when I lived in Madison.

It really is the middle of nowhere, I probably wouldn't had gone there if my girlfriend didn't live out in Platteville.

Had been sitting on this for just under a year before opening it last night:



Russian River's Consecration Ale

It's a dark sour ale aged for 4-8 months in Cab Sauv barrels with black currants, brettanomyces, lactobacillus, and pediococcus added to each barrel. Very rich and complex with strong sour fruit and earthy tones from the brett and spice from the oak. Absolutely delicious. Possibly the best beer I've ever had. When I was searching for a picture to link to, I found it got a 100 overall score from Rate Beer. I'm glad I didn't realize how good this was or I'd probably never have had the patience to let it age. Must find more.

Want.

sweet jesus

Recents


Sierra Nevada - Hoptimum

At about $10 a 4-pack and with 100 IBU's and 10% alcohol, this is a good deal. But like I said earlier, this is not a beer you can have two of in one evening. It's on the more bitter side of "intense," even though the whole green spectrum is certainly covered. Other beers have bigger, more explosive floral hop flavors (but not many), but this one is also so damned bitter that it's a pretty intense 12 ounces. It also smells fantastic, due to the whole-cone dry hopping. Like a big rocket of plant oil right up your nostrils. A-


Pretty Things - X Ale 1838

As has been mentioned here before, PT got some old recipes from England and reproduced them exactly, with no tweaking. This is what X Ale (a "mild ale") used to look and taste like back then, very pale and strong in alcohol with a decent early/bitter hop kick but nothing overwhelming. I really liked it, in an everyday brittish sorta way. It's more exciting than the Milds and Bitters they serve now, for sure. B+


Pretty Things - X Ale 1945

And this is what the same beer had turned into by the end of the war. Browner, duller, less booze, less hops, and a roasted grain flavor courtesy of millet or some other adjunct they used to save money. It's also a decent beer, but really only worth buying for the story and the experience of having it in context. B-

I got this the other day and had it tonight. It tastes a lot like Allagash White to me, which is a good thing.

Restocked a bit again:

Sprecher Pub Brown Ale 16 Oz - 1
Avery/Russian River Brewing Collaboration Not Litigation Ale 22 OZ - 2
Lagunitas Sucks Holidays Ale 12OZ - 6
Goose Island "Matilda" Belgian Style Ale, Illinois 12oz - 3
Hair of the Dog "Blue Dot" DIPA, Oregon 22oz - 3
Victory Brewing "Yakima Glory" Black IPA, Pennsylvania 12oz - 1

First time I've come across Sprecher.

That's one brew that I CAN get in Nashville (along with Avery and Victory from your list above)

The Pub Brown ale isn't their best offering, but it's still good. I love their Black Bavarian, and the Mai Bock.

Sprecher can make some really, really solid everyday beers - their amber is quietly amazing, very creamy and refreshing. I fucking love it. And then they do these swingtop 25 oz bottles sometimes, including the "Scotch Style Ale" that is my personal favorite beer period, I think. I have had 3 over the past 3 or 4 years, and I have one stashed right now from about a year ago.

That was the only one they had and I've never seen any of the beers but had seen you and capn talking about them.

Ah, the beer calendar has turned and we're back to Bell's Oberon...picked up the first of what will likely be many sixers today.

I'll have to grab a lot of Oberon when I hit Madison in 3 weeks.

had some of this at the East Nashville beer fest

http://wildheavencraftbeers.com/announcing-eschaton/
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23651/73795



You Atlantans shouldn't take Wild Heaven for granted (they don't distribute to TN yet). They create some superior brew.

Still a real young brewery but in terms of quality, they're the best in the state IMO.

FYI, they also just released this about 2 months ago:



Let There Be Light. Had it in Athens back in February. It's only been available on draft at select places so far. They haven't released bottles yet. It's their new "session" and it's another solid addition to an already stellar lineup.

It is nigh on impossible to find Sorachi Ace hops anywhere anymore.