What are you drinking RIGHT NOW?

[David]

Sam Adams Irish Red. It's ok. I bought a variety pack of Sam Adams to try. I'm not noticing much difference between this and the Alpine Spring, but maybe I don't have a very refined palate.

[just brew it!]

Sam Adams Irish Red. It's ok. I bought a variety pack of Sam Adams to try. I'm not noticing much difference between this and the Alpine Spring, but maybe I don't have a very refined palate.

Many of their ales tend to have a "house yeast" character as one of the primary flavors, which does indeed make them kind of similar. I've always felt that they do a better job on their lagers...

[Welch]

Maybe its just me, but I don't find any of the Samuel Adams beers to be inspiring AT ALL. I've also tried one of their variety packs with I think 6 different kinds (12 pack) and all seemed very similar, nothing exciting.

[Ethyriel]

I aim to try everything Sam Adams does that's not fruity, because those tend to be pretty medicinal. But they do every style they attempt well. They don't push the boundaries, or do anything exceptional, but they brew honest beers that are accessible. I think it's a good thing, because they're a good avenue for people to get into craft beers, and they've done a lot of good for the community/industry.

That said, it was an IPA night with Delta 9 and Sculpin. The Sculpin seemed to have an odd toasted malt character I'm not used to from it, I'm not sure if it was me or the beer. Maybe the Delta 9 leading into it brought out some toastiness I don't normally catch under the grapefruit.

[just brew it!]

Maybe its just me, but I don't find any of the Samuel Adams beers to be inspiring AT ALL. I've also tried one of their variety packs with I think 6 different kinds (12 pack) and all seemed very similar, nothing exciting.

The Boston Lager is good if it is decently fresh. The Noble Pils is nice. The Oktoberfest can be very good... again, if fresh; last fall I did encounter one bar where the keg had obviously gone badly off -- tasted like liquid butterscotch, we got them to change the keg! The Winter Lager is generally solid. They've also been doing some interesting stuff lately; I recently had their Smoked Bock and it was decent. They also promote homebrewing through their annual Longshot competition.

So while their beers may not be the most exciting, they do know how to make good beer, and also do a decent job of raising public awareness that there is more to life than "Lite".

I aim to try everything Sam Adams does that's not fruity, because those tend to be pretty medicinal. But they do every style they attempt well. They don't push the boundaries, or do anything exceptional, but they brew honest beers that are accessible. I think it's a good thing, because they're a good avenue for people to get into craft beers, and they've done a lot of good for the community/industry.

I mostly agree with all of that but would probably qualify "every style" as "every lager style". To me their ales seem rather hit-or-miss, though the misses are at least drinkable.

[Ethyriel]

It was Shipyard night tonight, which is pretty interesting out here in the west. Apparently there was a bit of a road trip involved for the reps, carrying some kegs personally out for our special enjoyment. I was hoping for a barleywine, or something that's generally well done on the east coast but that we struggle with out here. I was even excited when an ESB and an English IPA showed up on the menu. Instead we ended up with an ESB and winter warmer which both seemed odd, and I'll have to try again later to get it all straight. The English IPA ended up being the XXXX double IPA instead, and they mislabeled that and the imperial porter. So when I ordered the XXXX I ended up with the porter, and then a free pint of the XXXX after we figured it out a few sips in.

The imperial porter was a really good english brown ale. It had a bit of toastiness of a porter, some licoricy stout flavors, but overall it was a nice, dark brown but far from black english ale with just a hint of bitter. I liked it, but hell if it was a porter much less an imperial. The XXXX seemed to have a nice malt character, and it was strong, but we're used to super fresh IPA's out here, and this had lost all it's hop character into bitterness. I'd really like to try this one fresher when I'm out east, but in this case it just wasn't worth it.

The highlights of the night (aside from glassware and free beer!) ended up being samples of Ryedenity Crysis from Knee Deep (new brewery for me), and a strong Belgian pale from a Belgian brewer I can't remember the name of, and who isn't on the menu yet for me to reference. There will probably be more on those in the next couple days, since I held out and only had a couple ounces of each.

[Jambe]

I had Swiss clear absinthe last night (La Clandestine) which was good. Thin and velvety, not overly bitter. Two glasses louched 3:1, one with a sugar cube and one without. Better without sugar.

All this talk of hearty ales makes me wish I knew more beer people.

[Ethyriel]

So like most nights, I went back to 1702 tonight. I started off with the strong Belgian pale I mentioned yesterday, which is Rince Cachon from Brouwerij Roman. I swear it's relabeled Delirium Tremens. Maybe I could tell them apart if I tasted them side by side, but it has the same awesome yeast and malt character. If it isn't just a relabel, there must be some tie between the two.

Then I had a Knee Deep Citra. It must be the night for dead ringers, because even though this is said to be an American pale ale at 6%, it tastes mostly like Sculpin. With Sculpin at 7%, I wonder if Knee Deep's goal was to make a slightly more sessionable Sculpin. Either way, it was well done, and I can't wait to try some of their IPA and IIPA. Hopefully tomorrow my head cold will have subsided enough to properly taste their Ryedentity Crysis saison.

[todd]

I'm drinking New Belgium's Ranger IPA right now. It is outstanding if you like your IPA hoppy. They also make two other IPA's, Dig, and my personal fave Belgo. I think New Belgium really fleshes out the IPA range like no other brewery.
The Ranger I'm drinking tonight has a best buy before date of July, 2012, so this 12 pack is extremely fresh.
I got a sampler last week from New Belgium. Ranger, Dig, Fat Tire, and 1554. That is a pretty great sampler pack.

Last fall I was into Sam Adams. They have some great tasting beers. The octoberfest, bonfire, several others are very tasty when fresh.

Around here, though, a guy really has to check the dates.

[thegleek]

I'm drinking New Belgium's --- I got a sampler last week from New Belgium. Ranger, Dig, Fat Tire, and 1554. That is a pretty great sampler pack.

Out of every (and all) NB beers I've tried, the only one I would die for would be the 1554. The rest can die in a fire.

And i'm behind on my beer updates, so the past 1-2 weeks I've drank this stuff:

Sierra Nevada Estate Homegrown Ale (organic)
Sierra Nevada Hoptinum
Dark Horse Bourbon Barrel Plead the 5th Imperial Stout 2011 (rare as holy hell)
Dogfish Head Tweason'ale (gluten-free crap beer for the celiac folk) - "beer" made with OUT grains? feh. it's NOT beer, it's ZIMA then. sorghum & buckwheat honey DON'T DO IT!
Dogfish Head Immort Ale 2011
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
Gulden Draak
Short's Publican Porter
Hoppin' Frog Mean Manalishi Double IPA
Dieu Du Ciel's Route Des Épices (rye pepper ale)

[JustAnEngineer]

Sam Adams Irish Red

[paulWTAMU]

tequila sunrise. mom came up this weekend, and she taught me how to make them tonight. Then I made some...3 shots tequila, 1 cup OJ, 1.5 shots grenadine, 1 maraschino cherry. soooooooo good, why didn't I learn about these earlier in life? oh so good.

[Captain Ned]

tequila sunrise. mom came up this weekend, and she taught me how to make them tonight. Then I made some...3 shots tequila, 1 cup OJ, 1.5 shots grenadine, 1 maraschino cherry. soooooooo good, why didn't I learn about these earlier in life? oh so good.

You obviously don't listen to enough Eagles records.

[paulWTAMU]

oh, I know the sun by heart. I thought it meant drinking through to the morning (slamming tequila until the sun came up).

[thegleek]

got that 6-pack of samuel adams' longshot contest winner series.... only got to the 1st bottle of Five Crown Imperial Stout (8.9%/abv). not bad!

Also got -real- lucky and acquired 2 bottles of Founder's latest 2012 KBS! woot

[Ethyriel]

Sculpin, Hop Henge Experimental, Palate Wrecker, and Jewbelation 15. I smelled some Aktien Zwick'l Kellerbier from Bayreuther, but I couldn't taste a damned thing by that time.

This was the second night in a row I had Hop Henge. The first night I had a 5oz of both that and Gubna, and made the mistake of drinking the Hop Henge first. It really isn't that hoppy, but for some reason I could hardly taste the Gubna at all after that. I do love the Hop Henge, though, it has a really nice combination of pine and citrus notes. The malt is really laid back, but that's ok becuase it's so fresh the hops are far from bitter, and it's just enough to support some of the fruitier undertones.

By the time I got to the Palate Wrecker, it almost seemed like an even hoppier version of Hop Henge. It seemed like the balance was pretty similar, but I can't wait to try it first of the night on Monday. I know people talk a lot about caramel malts with it, so I was hoping for something like Ska Decadent underneath, but it was totally lost on me by that point.

The Jewbelation 15, though. I had it once before last December, and this has to be the most malt forward sipper I've had. It's amazing that I can drink a 5oz after Sculpin, Hop Henge, and Palate Wrecker, and it doesn't even skip a beat.

[JustAnEngineer]

Sam Adams Coastal Wheat. Not great.

[JustAnEngineer]

OBP.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22433/16431

[thegleek]

OBP.

that Toasted Coconut Porter sounds delish...

[JustAnEngineer]

The pilsner tastes very much like Coors.

[just brew it!]

OBP.

that Toasted Coconut Porter sounds delish...

Mmm... Toasted Coconut Porter. PM me if you'd like a recipe. (Took a ribbon at the DMC a couple of years back, and another UKG club member using my recipe took a medal at the AHA Nationals last year.)

[thegleek]

Mmm... Toasted Coconut Porter. PM me if you'd like a recipe. (Took a ribbon at the DMC a couple of years back, and another UKG club member using my recipe took a medal at the AHA Nationals last year.)

PM'd.

Also, it's 3:15am and I just cracked open a fresh bottle of Derf's Secret Alt (samuel adams longshot series) - 9.3%/abv.

[Ethyriel]

If anyone ever sees Aktien Zwick'l, get that s***. It's like an excellent saison meets a märzen. It's a cellar aged lager, that's stored in barrels with the bungs left open. All I know is it's this minerally, yeasty awesomeness that's totally exposed by the fact that it's a damned lager. I don't think I can imagine a more flavorful beer at 5.3%, and I've never tasted anything like it.

Also, Cellar Door is like a sage soda pop in the best possible way. And Palate Wrecker is in fact an awesome balance of pine and citrus in the hops, with an absolute bare minimum of malt, yet really boozy at the same time. But it's ok because the hops are absolutely top notch, and aren't heavy or overly bitter at all.

Yeap, I'm pretty sure I'm an alcoholic.

[JustAnEngineer]

I'm currently drinking Pale Moon. It's pleasant enough, if somewhat bland.

I tried the end of the world last night. The spice was overpowering. At $11 per 4-pack, I won't be buying that one again. I liked the spiced beers that I've recently tried from Blue Moon and Sam Adams better than this, and they were less than half the price.

[NeelyCam]

About to open a Total Domination IPA.

[paulWTAMU]

Tennessee Honey. Sooooo good. Just over ice, no garnish, nothing.

[Jambe]

Tennessee Honey. Sooooo good. Just over ice, no garnish, nothing.

It is good. I just keep the bottle in a little beverage fridge as opposed to ice, though.

RIGHT NOW there's a Barritts ginger beer half-gone on the desk. Refreshing.

[paulWTAMU]

I tried it that way, but I like it over ice more for some reason. I don't suppose it makes much sense.

[just brew it!]

I tried it that way, but I like it over ice more for some reason. I don't suppose it makes much sense.

Well, it'll be diluted slightly due to the melting ice, and it'll also be a few degrees colder. So it'll certainly be *different*, and if you like it better that way there's nothing wrong with that.

I am currently drinking two small glasses of warm, flat homebrew straight from the fermenters (an all-Simcoe hops IPA, and an experimental ale made with fermented maple syrup and aged on toasted Hungarian oak chips). I needed to draw some off to force-carbonate for a homebrew competition. Whenever I steal some out of a fermenter like this I run the first few ounces off into a glass to ensure there are no traces of residual sanitizer (from the hoses) in the beer that could potentially react with it and cause off flavors. Can't waste it! (I drink my hydrometer samples too...)

The maple/oak thing is rather strong and sweet... almost more of a liqueur.

I plan to follow up with a glass of Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron.

[Captain Ned]

Toasted Hungarian oak chips, eh?

Are you sure your phrase-book is legit?