Had a new release from ranger creek, a Belgian golden ale, lucky ol sun. Unique in that it's only 5.5% abv, so almost a session beer as far as Belgians are concerned. Really good. Nice and fruity. Also had their oatmeal pale ale for the second time, I'm a bit of a fan now.

Had my first Endeavour the other night and... I might get internet punched in the face for saying this, but I wasn't that much of a fan.

The hops were nice, but the finish was all wacky to me. Seemed to have a lot of alcohol at the end. Also a pretty sweet syrupy taste at the end that didn't seem to go well with the hops. Maybe my bottle wasn't the freshest...?

Don't get me wrong, it was good... just not as great as I was expecting.

strat, at a pub or retail bottled?

It was on tap at Rockwell. Can't say I've seen much ranger creek in bottles.
They are a 'brewstillary'. They have bourbon too.

City Acre Chai Porter. Decent, but chai is a little overwhelming.

Never seen this one before. Pretty dang good, 7.5%. And only 6.99 a sizer to boot. Bout the cheapest craft sixer I've ever seen, specially for a strong one.





[This message has been edited by 62strat (edited 3/24/2012 8:58p).]

Racer 5 IPA tonight

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Never seen this one before. Pretty dang good, 7.5%. And only 6.99 a sizer to boot. Bout the cheapest craft sixer I've ever seen, specially for a strong one.

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Oregon strikes again!

Tonight:
Pliny
Cigar City Jai Alai
Founders Breakfast Stout x2

Too lazy (buzzed) to post pics tonight. Cheers!

Edit for late night sour craving



[This message has been edited by NColoradoAG (edited 3/25/2012 12:58a).]

So Im regretting putting back a lips of faith sour brown.....


Couldn't pull the trigger....I've been craving a good sour....

Rahr Pecker Wrecker. The best Rahr that I've had so far.


Sidenote: I enjoy reading beer reviews because of the things that (in my opinion) seem so ridiculous. Such as tasting pine resin and all other sorts of weird stuff. I guess I'm not as refined because I just say it's either good, meh, or bad, and either bitter or not.

It's BEER TIME!



I've not tried many brown ales so to make up for that here's a Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale. Very dark on the pour. The taste is excellent on this one, nice roasty sweet malt and just a little hop. The label says "A clean, well-hopped brown ale brewed with caramelized sugar and hopped liberally and often".

I agree on the caramel sugar but the hop is well under control. It reminds me a bit of Real Ale's Brewhouse Brown. I give this DFH a thumbs up.

Of course, Ba loves it. The listing says IBU of 50 but I just don't taste it. Perhaps my bitter tasters are out of commission tonight.

DFH Indian brown ale is one of my favorites. Just polished off the last of a sixer yesterday.

While watching the ags lose this morning, while eating breakfast, I had: Killian, ninkasi renewable, rogue dead guy ale, and Boneyard ipa.

So I brought back only 3 bottles from my nor-cal trip:

Pliny the elder
Rogue John-john ale aged in whiskey barrels
High water brewing Baltic porter aged in whiskey barrels

I also should have grabbed Old Rasputin aged in bourbon barrels.... Too late now

Currently in "clean out the beer fridge of all the stuff that got left from poker night" mode. Having a shiner wild hare at the moment... Meh.

[This message has been edited by jah003 (edited 3/25/2012 7:33p).]

Edit: the dreaded double post

[This message has been edited by jah003 (edited 3/25/2012 7:30p).]

quote:

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Sidenote: I enjoy reading beer reviews because of the things that (in my opinion) seem so ridiculous. Such as tasting pine resin and all other sorts of weird stuff. I guess I'm not as refined because I just say it's either good, meh, or bad, and either bitter or not.

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I'm like you, I just say it's good or meh. I can pick out the flavors.. after I read it or here someone say it.

But there's nothing 'ridiculous' about it. Certain yeasts, grains and hops have certain flavors, and someone with a refined and/or trained palate can pick em out easy. After you read a review, do you sip the beer and see if you agree with what others are tasting? that's a good way to start recognizing some of the flavors in beer, if you have any interest at all.

But the ultimate brew reviewer is the dogfish head guy sam caliogne (sp).. he had his show brewmasters on tv.. that guy would sip a beer and spout off a novel.

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On my way to the adelbert's grand opening party!

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How'd it go? I haven't been, but my cousin works there and when my parents went to Austin last weekend they toured the brewery and brought back a few bottles. One was Scrathin' Hippo (strong pale) and the other wasn't labeled but I'm guessing it was the Rambler (blonde ale). Both were good beers, but really liked the Hippo.

A buddy of mine brought back all of these from his trip to Minneapolis. The Summit and Southern Tier were good. The Bender from Surly is awesome. I'm axious about the Double Trouble since I've never had a bad beer from Founder's.

dave - the opening was good. $10 for a glass, 3 beers, and a tour was completely worth it. lots of people. we got the quick "crash" tour of the brewery. I'd had all but one of the beers that were being offered already, but Adelberts might be my favorite right now, simply b/c they only do Beglians (and i'm huge fan of belgian beers) and they bottle/keg condition.

anyone else hitting up the austin beer fest this weekend?


[This message has been edited by AggieOO (edited 3/26/2012 2:14p).]

Brazos Bombers Beerfest is this weekend as well.

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anyone else hitting up the austin beer fest this weekend?

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Wish I could... but I'll be chaperoning 9 7th graders around Downtown San Antonio.

It's BEER TIME!



Yes, you all have seen this can in your favorite retailer. Well, I have this back of the brain assumption that beer in a can is always sub par. I fought that notion back and added this CAN to my other 5 singles in a make your own 6er.

Am I ever glad I did, WoW this stuff is Greeeeeeat! Somehow Scottish Ales have escaped me until this month. I've had 3 of them and loved all. Perhaps Rahr's Iron Thistle fits here, not sure.

Ok, visually the beer pours a dark copper with not a lot in the way of a head. Bubbles pull to the side and remain. The nose if full of malt.

Taste wise the beer starts pretty sweet and quite mellow. Hops are well, well subdued here. This is a great dark beer for those that don't like bitterness. The taste is just divine and this is at the top of my short list in this category. It is so good I will put it very close to the top of my dark beers in general list.

Old Chub has earned a place in my "Go To" list with a taste like this. Don't let the can mystique scare you away.

I'm generally MORE inclined to try a beer if it's canned. Shows they really care about their product.

quote:

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Well, I have this back of the brain assumption that beer in a can is always sub par.

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def. throw that crap thinking out the window. Some fantastic brews are in cans, and mark my words in 5-10 years, it's going to be flip flopped. You go to the store and you'll see a handful of beers that come in bottles. I wouldn't be surprised if bombers start coming in 24oz. cans.

So many breweries are in CO, NOCAL, WA and OR, and those states love to be 'green', so canning is the way to go.

I've been slow to switch to cans as well....seems so "Natty Light".

I know the absence of light is good, but how well do beers age in cans?

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but how well do beers age in cans?

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glass is inert and impermeable.. the glass has nothing to do with the aging process.
Al. cans are lined with a resin which I assume acts the same way..

So I think they're pretty equal.

[This message has been edited by 62strat (edited 3/27/2012 10:24a).]

yet another example on why the Baby Boomers and their parents (convenience culture) screwed American flavor! Beer cant be in the best environment because you fools have some preconceived notion that good beer comes in a bottle - GIVE ME A BREAK!

Judge by the product - not by what you THINK the product will be. Who flipping cares what the packaging is? Why does it matter? You are not buying it for dang packaging. You are buying what is INSIDE the package.

"Oh your drinking a beer out of a can, you must have bad taste" No, you moron shut up and try it, it tastes better, fresher, more flavorful!


Similar reason why wine is going to screw caps.



"So young toddler, do you like Pizza?"
NO!
"Have you ever tried it?"
No!
"Then how do you know you dont like it?"
I dunno!
"Here, try it."
Oh, that's great!



[This message has been edited by bonfirewillburn (edited 3/27/2012 10:22a).]

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Beer cant be in the best environment because you fools have some preconceived notion that good beer comes in a bottle - GIVE ME A BREAK!

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The reason why craft beers are showing up in cans has nothing to do with what you've ranted about.

The way I heard it (from a brewery owner), is that the makers of the aluminum cans used to only sell in huge quantities, and canning lines were only made for large scale production. Why? well their biggest customers were macro beer and soda, canning millions upon millions of drinks. so why not? They didn't bother with the little guy. Seems like I remember hearing or reading the min. can order was like 1 million units.

Well apparently that changed in the last 10 years, and now it is economically feasible for a small time brewery to get into canning, so that's why you're seeing it pop up now. It has nothing to do with preconceived notions that good beer can't come in a can.

Add in the huge green benefits of cans.. lighter, easily recyclable, better environment for beer, accepted use at more locations, etc.. and that's why it's going to take off now. Yes, customers have the preconceived notions of beer in cans.. but the breweries didn't hold out this long because of that, IMO.. it was the canning industry itself that had to change and go small scale.

so I wanan get one of these

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheCanHattery



maybe a custom one of texas breweries (are there enough cans in texas?)

62 im not ranting AT YOU or anyone in particular. Sorry if come across that way(it does read that way.)


Its the mentality I am frustrated with. I understand the mentality and where it comes from. Everyone else be damned because the general public still thinks this way and there is more money there than those of us that are willing to pay.


The way it has been explained to me:

A) Its a tradition thing - first and foremost. This is due to the preconceived notions of can = worse. Same thing with wine. The "show" of opening a bottle of wine and pulling the cork.

C)Light Oxidizes the beer. Can allows in 0 Light. There for less oxidation = better product

c) if it was manufacturing cost -then why can I not buy a Coke in a glass bottle anymore? Sodas produce the same number of units if not more (maybe because they produce more they receive a discount?)

e) Likely it is cheaper to purchase an old bottling machine rather than a new can machine - could be?


Preconceived notions = bad
Looking at something objectively and with the products best intention = good






Anyways - I love the Oskar Blues guys - they are doing some good stuff. Glad you tried/liked it. Have you tried the Kona Brewery stuff yet? Its all pretty good too!

Now, now.  Don't blame the consumers for the preconceived notions regarding canned beer.  It isn't their fault.

Let's play out the scenario we've seen since the craft beer scene came on strong:  I walk into a store and see awesome beers available by the bottle or ****ty beers available in cans.  Repeat this over and over and over for years and I am now a Pavlov dog.

Now after years of training, let's get to the present.  A very limited numbers of craft brewers are putting out beers in cans.  Up until Karbach came last month (along with Sierra Nevada and now I see Oskar Blues in stores) , I'd be hard pressed to think of one craft brewery to have cans in Texas.  There may have been some and I missed them but all the cans you saw were the macro, piss poor, tasteless beers that I just don't care for.  So due to the lack of supply of quality beer in a can, we can't blame the consumer for any preconceived notions.  

Now, like Bonfire said, if the trained consumer is not willing to objectively try canned beer, well that's just idiotic at best.  I can't tell you how excited I was to blind taste Sierra Nevada Pale Ale out of a bottle and can when I was in SF earlier this year.  I didn't even care what the result was going to be, I wanted to see if there was a difference and was finally able to do so in a controlled setting.  And guess what?  No difference in quality!  And as far as Heady Topper goes...holy ****...I want to stick my dick in it!

So yes, canned beers are not subject to loss of quality as long as the beer itself is good, but don't blame a consumer for being skeptical...at first.

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as long as the beer itself is good

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EXACTLY - I based my argument on this assumption.

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if the trained consumer is not willing to objectively try canned beer,well that's just idiotic at best.

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What I was trying to get across but said MUCH better than I put it.

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I wanted to see if there was a difference and was finally able to do so in a controlled setting

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Was it all with fresh beer or stuff that had been sitting for a while?


Hell, also keep the bottles in a dark room/fridge/etc and the case is dropped.
I would also like to see how different lights will play one the quality.


Yes, years of conditioning is hard to change. Blanket statements that all beer in a can is bad is a big mistake - as is the reverse. There is nothing inherently wrong with being "skeptical" but dont miss out on some great stuff because of it!



Question: Can good beer come from a keg? After all it is just a big can, no?





And as I often say: Eat(or drink) what you like and screw the rest of us!

_______________________________________________________
"Food should be fun." -Thomas Keller

[This message has been edited by bonfirewillburn (edited 3/27/2012 12:58p).]