Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

[Chuff]

I went into the liquor store here with my dad. I can't actually buy any of the beer, but it looks like there's a good selection.
He did buy a six-pack of Magic Hat #9 though, which I really like, even if Beer Advocate doesn't.

[SurgicalSteel]

Magic Hat #9 though, which I really like, even if Beer Advocate doesn't.

Rest assured, you have grand taste in beer my son.

[mercutio_stencil]

Magic Hat #9 though, which I really like, even if Beer Advocate doesn't.

Rest assured, you have grand taste in beer my son.

Adorable as that exchange is, you are right. Nobody has the right to tell you what beer you think tastes good, not the folks at ABI, not the people at beer advocate, not anybody.

[SurgicalSteel]

Magic Hat #9 though, which I really like, even if Beer Advocate doesn't.

Rest assured, you have grand taste in beer my son.

Adorable as that exchange is

Haha, I'd forgotten that he mentioned his father bought it. I just always append "my son" whenever I recite sagely advice in my head, generally voiced by Simba's father/Darth Vader.

[mercutio_stencil]

Magic Hat #9 though, which I really like, even if Beer Advocate doesn't.

Rest assured, you have grand taste in beer my son.

Adorable as that exchange is

Haha, I'd forgotten that he mentioned his father bought it. I just always append "my son" whenever I recite sagely advice in my head, generally voiced by Simba's father/Darth Vader.

Damn, that spoiled an adorable image in my mind, genuine Hallmark kind of stuff. I'm actually kind of sad now...

[Dream]

I've just opened a Great Divide Titan IPA. It's pretty good beer. A bit cloying on the finish, like a lot of highly hopped, high gravity beers, but it's great so far.

[telcontar42]

... someone brought Natural Light? What the fuck?

Yeah, it was half as a joke and half to give people cheap swill to pound if they wanted to get more drunk after the tasting was over. It did give a nice contrast in flavor for comparison with other beers.

[Malconstant]

This is a delightful thread.

It was mentioned a bit ago, but I'd like to pick it up. What are your favorite bourbon/whiskey barrel aged beers? I only just got into them earlier this year, with a super fresh batch of 2010 Bourbon County Stout, and it just blew me away. Opened up a whole new regime of what beer could be for me.

Since then I've tried Widmer Brothers' Reserve Brrrbon Stout, The Lost Abby's Angel's Share, Founder's KBS, the Hoppin' Frog Doris, a Kentucky Barrel Ale (lighter, sharper character, one of these is not like the others) and I've got a Firestone Walker Parabola waiting for me this weekend. For my tastes, everything else is trying to imitate Bourbon County, and none have matched it (Hoppin frog gets the most points for trying a different direction, and makes for an excellent beer). Though I could drink KBS every night of my life and be a happy man. The Angel's Share I tried was a dud, no carbonation, I hear that's a common problem with it.

And I loves me my imperial stouts as well (for the record, my money's on Great Divide for best Imperial non-bourbon aged stout out there), but they just can't stand up to a comparable beer that's been aged in bourbon barrels. So how about it? Who can think of a beer that'll knock Bourbon County off its pedestal? Ideally one that's testable on t he East coast (someone mentioned Stone's version, but that looks quite rare. Also I'd love to get my hands on a Dark Lord, but that's just a pilgrimage).

Or just extreme beers in general. Anything with ABV > 14% that isn't an IPA.

[telcontar42]

You should try Port Older Viscosity. I don't know if it's better than BCS, but it's damn good. It might be hard to find on the east coast, but I did have it on tap in Massachusetts a couple of years ago, so maybe it's out there.

[Whitekiboko]

Founders is going to be releasing bottles of Canadian Breakfast Stout sometime soon. It's tasty stuff, but there's way too much hype around it. I still have a bottle of the 08 BCS...

At 14%, it's not going to be an IPA, hell maybe not even a DIPA. Some people make Triple IPAs, in name only though. Like Ned Flander's chili, they just want to look big in front of the children.

[TheAmazingRando]

I'm loving Stone's 15th anniversary. It's an "Escondidian Imperial Black IPA," which the name itself I love for the not-so-subtle mockery of the "Cascadian Black IPA" and for the shout-out to my hometown, but that wouldn't mean much if it wasn't any good. I've never been too impressed with the anniversary beers they've made in the past, and I thought their other black IPA, Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, was just alright. In general, I find most black IPAs just taste like regular DIPAs with a bit of lingering roasted malt at the end. This one isn't afraid to actually taste like a stout, it has a creamy mouthfeel that actually does justice to its color, and (in a pretty big surprise coming from Stone) the hops, while present and powerful, are actually well-balanced and restrained.

My only complaint is that the taste can be a bit boozy at times, which doesn't seem justified given its relatively low ABV (10.8%), but it's definitely the best they've put out this year. I usually get tired of drinking the same beer too frequently (except maybe Ballast Point's Sculpin), but this one is on tap at almost every beer bar in San Diego, and has shown up at almost every get-together I've been to lately, and still hasn't gotten old.

Unrelated, but I moved recently and just discovered that I live within a few miles of Green Flash, Ballast Point, and Alesmith, which makes me pretty excited. Haven't had a chance to visit any of them yet though.

[telcontar42]

At $6 a bomber here, I think the 15th anniversary is very reasonably priced too, for such a tasty beer. Do you really consider 11% to be a low abv though?

[TheAmazingRando]

Do you really consider 11% to be a low abv though?

I would consider it high, but low compared to similarly boozy-tasting beers. I've had stronger beers that have done a better job of masking the alcohol, or at least made it an important part of the flavor (like with bourbon barrel aged stouts), but with the 15th anniversary it just creeps in occasionally and doesn't really add much.

[Azrael]

The Angel's Share I tried was a dud, no carbonation, I hear that's a common problem with it.

So how about it? Who can think of a beer that'll knock Bourbon County off its pedestal?

You already found it, you just need one that's not a dud. I speak from experience, working my way through a case of '08 BCS.

Other options are World Wide Stout, or last year's Mikkeller barrel aged series. Both of those tend to be pretty hot unless you've got a year of age on them. Maybe Ola Dubh's -- the full vertical is astounding, although hard to find (or afford). Dig through Avery's line too -- start with Mephistopheles.

Also, I picked up a bottle of Old Viscosity yesterday, so it's on the east coast.

[Whitekiboko]

Of Avery's unholy trinity, Meph. is by far the least approachable unless it has a hyear or two of age on it.

Black and tans with WWS and 120min are dangerous but a fun novelty. Obviously not cheap.

Sorry I haven't read through X pages of replies, but what is the rough % of people on this thread that homebrew (beer in this case) also?

[Azrael]

Of Avery's unholy trinity, Meph. is by far the least approachable unless it has a hyear or two of age on it.

I agree that Meph is better with some age, but it seems a bit contradictory to bring up approachability when the topic of discussion is boozy imperial stouts like Bourbon County.

[gavin]

After a buddy of mine started brewing what tasted like the best beers on earth, I have acquired all the various components to beer making and am starting with a basic Irish Red.

[mercutio_stencil]

Other options are World Wide Stout, or last year's Mikkeller barrel aged series. Both of those tend to be pretty hot unless you've got a year of age on them. Maybe Ola Dubh's -- the full vertical is astounding, although hard to find (or afford). Dig through Avery's line too -- start with Mephistopheles.

I'm not a big fan of Mikkellers Barrel Aged Black Hole series, but I think I'm alone in all of my beer geek friends for saying that. If you can track down two bottles at the same time you can do a really interesting comparison.

The Ola Dubh series is pretty incredible; although I honestly think the 12 is the best tasting of the bunch. You should certainly try them all, watching the wood change over time gives great perspective on the aging of scotch. If you can get a few friends together and do a complete vertical you won't be disappointed. That being said, they don't really compare to Bourbon barrel aged beers though, the woods already been through a few cycles, so you get a lot less of that powerful oak, vanilla sweetness kind of stuff.

[Whitekiboko]

I agree that Meph is better with some age, but it seems a bit contradictory to bring up approachability when the topic of discussion is boozy imperial stouts like Bourbon County.

Ever had Meph Addict? Had it at Brewvival. I don't drink coffee, but was some tasty stuff. I don't think BCS is all that boozy, but that may be because I only had 2 4packs and was sitting on them for rationing purposes.

[Dark567]

Of Avery's unholy trinity, Meph. is by far the least approachable unless it has a hyear or two of age on it.

I agree that Meph is better with some age, but it seems a bit contradictory to bring up approachability when the topic of discussion is boozy imperial stouts like Bourbon County.

On that note, at a beer festival I recently had the Neapolitan Bourbon County Stout and it is probably better then any beer I have ever had. Better then Westvleteren, better then Pliny the Younger, better then Dark Lord. Orgasm in a bottle, I can't really get over it. If you see this anywhere, you must have it. It just sucks that its so damn rare because its so awesome.

[ArgonV]

Dunno if this is the proper topic, but here goes. I'm currently trying to make some ginger beer, it smells and looks good so far, but is there any way to tell the alcohol content when it's done brewing? Other then finishing the whole 1,5 litres and see how hammered I get?

[Azrael]

The typical method is to take a specific gravity measurement before and after fermentation using a hydrometer, and plugging the results (along with the initial and final temperatures) into an equation or calculator, both of which are readily found online.

However, it sounds like it might be a little late for an initial measurement? In which case, I think you may be out of luck unless you feel like doing some fractional distillation of a controlled volume.

[ArgonV]

Too late for that yeah. It's already been fermenting for a couple hours already. I've got a rotovapor and distillation column laying around somewhere though, if it turns out to be undrinkable, I can always use that to get an estimate

[netcrusher88]

Usually ginger beer recipes involve lots of ginger and not a lot of easily fermentable sugar (depending on the ginger beer it can be more there for flavor), so you're likely to get something more akin to soda with low ABV (nothing wrong with that).

Unless you mean beer with ginger in. That's a different beast.

[Ulc]

In that vein, to hijack the thread for a bit

I've been wondering about creating a home brewers thread, I don't really want to clog up this thread with endless talk about homebrewing - but on the other hand, I'd love to talk home brewing with some people that I already know aren't totally bonkers. Whenever I find somewhere to talk about this I have to spend a lot of time figuring out "do any of these people have a clue?" Here on the other hand, I generally trust people.

Would people use such a thread?

For the record, I'm finally restarting my home brewing after a prolonged break

[ArgonV]

Usually ginger beer recipes involve lots of ginger and not a lot of easily fermentable sugar (depending on the ginger beer it can be more there for flavor), so you're likely to get something more akin to soda with low ABV (nothing wrong with that).

Unless you mean beer with ginger in. That's a different beast.

Fair enough, I'm not expecting anything with 10% ABV or anything, but just to get an estimate would be nice.

In that vein, to hijack the thread for a bit

I've been wondering about creating a home brewers thread, I don't really want to clog up this thread with endless talk about homebrewing - but on the other hand, I'd love to talk home brewing with some people that I already know aren't totally bonkers. Whenever I find somewhere to talk about this I have to spend a lot of time figuring out "do any of these people have a clue?" Here on the other hand, I generally trust people.

Would people use such a thread?

For the record, I'm finally restarting my home brewing after a prolonged break

I'd use it. This ginger beer is just a sort of 'tutorial' on home brewing (something) beer (like), but I'd like to eventually brew some decent beers.

[netcrusher88]

Fair enough, I'm not expecting anything with 10% ABV or anything, but just to get an estimate would be nice.

If you know how much water you used, how much sugar you put in it, and what kind of yeast you used (I assume all are true) there's this thing, which might work for you.

In that vein, to hijack the thread for a bit

I've been wondering about creating a home brewers thread, I don't really want to clog up this thread with endless talk about homebrewing - but on the other hand, I'd love to talk home brewing with some people that I already know aren't totally bonkers. Whenever I find somewhere to talk about this I have to spend a lot of time figuring out "do any of these people have a clue?" Here on the other hand, I generally trust people.

Would people use such a thread?

For the record, I'm finally restarting my home brewing after a prolonged break

I would! I bottled my first batch a week ago and I'm thinking about trying to make a pumpkin ale this weekend.

[SurgicalSteel]

In that vein, to hijack the thread for a bit

I've been wondering about creating a home brewers thread, I don't really want to clog up this thread with endless talk about homebrewing - but on the other hand, I'd love to talk home brewing with some people that I already know aren't totally bonkers. Whenever I find somewhere to talk about this I have to spend a lot of time figuring out "do any of these people have a clue?" Here on the other hand, I generally trust people.

Would people use such a thread?

For the record, I'm finally restarting my home brewing after a prolonged break

I'm wanting to get into homebrewing now that I'm in a more permanent residential situation. I would definitely be a regular visitor to that thread.

[ArgonV]

Fair enough, I'm not expecting anything with 10% ABV or anything, but just to get an estimate would be nice.

If you know how much water you used, how much sugar you put in it, and what kind of yeast you used (I assume all are true) there's this thing, which might work for you.

Awesome site! I should get about 5,1 % ABV. Which is more than I expected, but hey, if it tastes good

[mercutio_stencil]

I just got a taste from a bottle of Sam Adams Utopias, something that's been on my list for a while. It was certainly a unique and interesting experience (two words I heard repeated by several people) but it wasn't really something I enjoyed drinking. To begin with, I don't believe for a moment that it has 'a strong hop character.' I think it's pretty incredible that the brewers can coax those flavors out of a beer, and they they could ferment is up to 27%, but the end result is just to oxidized tasting, sherried and sweet for my taste. It's exactly as described, more like a dessert wine than a beer, which is probably why I didn't like it; I didn't like it for all the same reasons I don't like dessert wines.

Has anyone else been lucky enough to try the Utopias, and were any non dessert wine drinkers more than a little disappointed?

[Azrael]

Has anyone else been lucky enough to try the Utopias, and were any non dessert wine drinkers more than a little disappointed?

I've had samples from two different batches, and both tasted surprisingly like Vin Santo.

While the technical achievement is impressive, I can go buy a $30 bottle of vin santo and have an experience so similar that it would be difficult to differentiate without side-by-side tastings.

[hendusoone]

Has anyone else been lucky enough to try the Utopias, and were any non dessert wine drinkers more than a little disappointed?

I had a taste of the 2007, and enjoyed it very much. I'm not a dessert wine drinker - I've never had a wine that I enjoyed.

In fact, I enjoyed it so much that when I spotted a bottle for sale about a year later, I bought it (the liquor store had it in storage and forgot about it. Once they found it, they put it out at the regular price). I haven't had an occasion for drinking it yet, so I hope it's aging nicely.

[Malconstant]

I haven't had an opportunity to enjoy Utopias, though I've had my eye on it for a while. But the way you describe it sound like how I'd describe The Lost Abbey's Angel's Share. Obviously I'd expect Utopias to be more boozy, which would be welcome, but the Angel's Share felt like a desert wine version of a bourbon stout. Would anyone who's tried both mind comparing the two?

[mercutio_stencil]

I haven't had an opportunity to enjoy Utopias, though I've had my eye on it for a while. But the way you describe it sound like how I'd describe The Lost Abbey's Angel's Share. Obviously I'd expect Utopias to be more boozy, which would be welcome, but the Angel's Share felt like a desert wine version of a bourbon stout. Would anyone who's tried both mind comparing the two?

I've had the Angel's Share, and rather liked it. I thought I even had a bottle in my cellar, but it seems I've drunk it. As I recall, it was very strongly influenced by the wood and the bourbon, with the same fiery nose and wood taste that you expect with a beer that's been aged in a barrel for that long. It didn't have the strong oxidized flavors that the Utopias had. The Lost Abbey was a very good beer, the Utopias was a lousy beer, but a pretty decent (or so I've heard) dessert wine.

[Azrael]

Would anyone who's tried both mind comparing the two?

They are entirely dissimilar, save for the fact that they are both highly flavorful intoxicating liquids.

[Dark567]

Having a Hel & Verdoemenis and it is quite excellent.

[telcontar42]

http://www.bayareacraftbeer.com/beer-ne ... wn-shugga/

Lagunitas isn't making Brown Shugga this year. So sad, it's one of my favorite beers.

[Whitekiboko]

Just came back from a cephalopod conference in DC... After pubs hours in one of the suites (over 2 nights) we cracked these:

11 Utopias (only myself and 1 friend)
08 De Molen SSS (bottle 002 out of 750)
10 COAST BA Blackbeard
11 COAST BA Blackbeard
COAST Old Nuptial
COAST Hot Art
COAST 32/50
05 Thomas Hardy
08 Imperial Stout Trooper
09 BA Imperial Stout Trooper
10 Kuhnhenn BA Old Ale
08 Bourbon County
08 Rodenbach Vintage
Southern Tier Pumking (2 bottles)
10 La Folie
Palmetto Aftershock (2 bottles)
Cigar City Guava Grove
Cascade Kriek
Anchorage Love Buzz

Oddly, my friend from Vlaardingen said he has a hard time finding De Molen at home even though it's only 20 miles away.

[GenericAnimeBoy]

The only beers I've found that I don't like so far have been the American *-lite swill. Shiner Bock was my introduction to beer, and since I live in Texas it continues to be my go-to standard beer (which is to say, it's the one I get when I'm on a beer run for people who don't like to experiment with new things.) I don't have much to add to this thread since most of the beers I've tried have already been mentioned many times, but I will say this: if ever you happen to be on a skiing trip in Whistler, British Columbia, give Whistler Brewing Company's "Black Tusk Ale" a go for sure.

[WarDaft]

I unfortunately seem to have weird taste in beer, in that I don't like any bitterness at all or, well, to me it seems like a burnt toast flavour, but other people seem to call it a bready flavour. So that's the sort of beer people tend to reccomend to me when I say I like the bready flavour in beers I've had... but I want bready, not burnt toasty =/

So far, the two beers I like most are Molsom M and Ricards Red. M more than Ricards, because Ricards has more bitterness, or at least non draught it does. Anyone have any suggestions?