The BEER thread

[pauls1150]

From the website, it looks pretty decent - I'll have to try it next time I'm up that way!

 

[skibum69]

I dig the barrel aged beers but I've recently been informed that the market for them has totally dropped off. Russian Rives has been famous for their barrel aged beers for a long time and they're getting out of it. I was blown away!

The Beer Cup went well, my group tasted 122 beers in 3 days. The only downside was getting Covid, at least I think I did and a couple of other judges did but my tests are giving me invalid results.

 

[lee]

Norfork Brewery and Lost Forty Brewing. Norfork and Little Rock Arkansas.





Rapp's Barren Brewery from Mountain Home and Norfork Brewing were at the Yellville festival Friday and Saturday.
Had a couple Bury Your Nuts from Norfork Friday while listening to music and a IPA from Rapp's last night.
Both were good. The music was only a few blocks from our motel.

 

[skibum69]

This is my namesake beer, I brought a vertical of 4 to share with other judges at the Beer Cup. 2018-2021. They were all holding very well, some better than others.

 

[kbasa]

We moved up to Santa Rosa about a month and a half ago. As the locals say, "it takes a lot of beer to make all that wine", so we have a pretty solid brewing scene here.

It's quite a list, but some of the beer enthusiasts here probably know Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, which are brewed here by Russian River Brewing. If you're ever out this way, here's your checklist for breweries to visit: https://www.visitsantarosa.com/breweries-pubs/ I'm still working on it.

Cruise by. Plenty of hotels available.

 

[skibum69]

I've had both the Pliny's. Sad to hear Russioan River is dropping most if not all of their barrel program as the market has pretty much died out for barrel aged beers.

 

[bluegrasspicker]

BarrieHaus Beer

Strongly recommended - in Ybor City.

https://barriehaus.com/flagship-beers/

 

[kbasa]

I've had both the Pliny's. Sad to hear Russioan River is dropping most if not all of their barrel program as the market has pretty much died out for barrel aged beers.

I've had a few of them and they were decent. Interesting, but not something I'd go pursue, to be honest.

If you get the chance, take a look at either Henhouse or Barrel Brothers. I'm a guy that likes a nice lager and Dad Pants is about the best lager I can find these days. Henhouse Best Life is also pretty terrific.

We're seeing increased growth in Kolsch out here over the last couple years. I think people are getting tired of DIPAs and other hop bombs with silly IBUs and 7% alcohol. Around here, Kolsch seems to be a rising alternative style. Are you seeing that where you are?

And I wish I could find a decent local brown ale. How come nobody sells a brown ale anymore?

 

[pauls1150]

Not local, but look for Newcastle Brown Ale, pretty tasty!

 

[kbasa]

Not local, but look for Newcastle Brown Ale, pretty tasty!

Kinda sugary for me, but Newkie Browns are decent, aren't they? North Coast Brewing, up in Ft. Bragg, used to make a super good brown ale, but I haven't seen it in forever.

If one likes barrel aged and are bummed about Russian River ending those, consider the ones from these folks: https://northcoastbrewing.com/beers/

Down at the bottom of the page.

And now I'm looking for the Berliner Weisse, one of my favorite styles. I think I've got a champagne goblet for it, as is traditional.

 

[skibum69]

There are good browns out there and good Berlinerweiss but you just need to find them. The fruited Berlinerweiss just piss me off.

 

[kbasa]

There are good browns out there and good Berlinerweiss but you just need to find them. The fruited Berlinerweiss just piss me off.

Not a fan. I like a lambic, just fine, thank you and the fruit is part of the deal, but not in a Berlinerweiss. Lemons in hefe? Yay or nay? I'm a yay guy, but it has to be summertime.

 

[skibum69]

Ha! Lambics as a whole are my favourite style! I have 200 or so in my cellar. I'm definitely a nay for lemons in my Weiss.

 

[powwow]

The 20" Brown by Cascade Lakes Brewing is the best brown ale I've found.

 

[kbasa]

The 20" Brown by Cascade Lakes Brewing is the best brown ale I've found.

Awesome. I'll keep an eye out for it.

 

[kbasa]

Ha! Lambics as a whole are my favourite style! I have 200 or so in my cellar. I'm definitely a nay for lemons in my Weiss.

Interesting. Do they cellar well?

 

[skibum69]

Many gueuzes have 20 year best before dates on the bottle, so that answer would be yes. The missus just gave me the idea of writing articles for magazines about cellar beers. I had a Duchesse du Borgogne Chocolate and Cherry last night just a few months past the best before date and it was awesome, much better than fresh.

 

[kbasa]

Like. Thank you. I learned something this morning.

 

[globalrider]

I don't drink local beer or beer readily available on this continent. I am sure there are some good ones out there, but like I said, beers that are readily available in most stores.

Having toured Europe for 27 years, I have had my favorites there, but locally I buy cases of 20 x half-liter beers in glass bottles from Poland at Walmart. I do not drink beer out of cans.

 

[skibum69]

I don't find most European lagers very interesting but I do drink the odd Pilsner Urquell or Czechvar. I am happy these beers come in cans because I know they are not light struck. You can never know what beer has been through shipping across the pond. I have seen more than one batch of beer totally ruined from being overheated etc in shipping, probably from being in a container on top deck in the hot sun I'm guessing. Green bottle no nothing to protect beer from UV light.

Back to cellaring lambics the fruited lambics are not necessarily set up to cellar as long as gueuze but I still cellar them and see what they turn into.

This one is an amazing blend using beer from 9 different breweries as shown on the front of the bottle. It's not called Mega Blend for nothing! I think I still have at least a case of these in the cellar from 2017.