I've recently been drinking blacksmith's (smithwicks and guiness).

Is it a beer you can get nationally, or a local beer that you get in your area?

 

 

 

I'm pretty sure I've seen it in whole foods market before, also if you have a total wine in your area, they might carry it, or any nice wine retailer for that matter.

Yankeefan21 probably has had it before, but if you ever see this in a store: BUY IT!!

SOAB! I had the bottle IN MY HAND and the guy at the beer store talked me out of that and into a Troubadour Blond. Here's my summary from ratebeer.com:

Bottle. Color was pleasant with a sweet yeasty aroma. The taste was VERY yeasty with an aftertaste almost like a soft pretzle - maybe slightly too yeasty? You can certainly taste something bread-like [maybe rye?] in a hearty belch! It was okay but not something I would go out of my way for. I would steer someone towards the Ommegang Ommegeddon first.

The belch part is no joke. I was burping up rye and pumpernickle flavors for the rest of the night. Nasty.

 

In other news, I need to be way less lazy about rating my beers. I should be in the 100 club by now but I just can't find the heart to drink a beer and immediately sit down and write about my experience.

Yankeefan21 probably has had it before, but if you ever see this in a store: BUY IT!!

SOAB! I had the bottle IN MY HAND and the guy at the beer store talked me out of that and into a Troubadour Blond. Here's my summary from ratebeer.com:

Bottle. Color was pleasant with a sweet yeasty aroma. The taste was VERY yeasty with an aftertaste almost like a soft pretzle - maybe slightly too yeasty? You can certainly taste something bread-like [maybe rye?] in a hearty belch! It was okay but not something I would go out of my way for. I would steer someone towards the Ommegang Ommegeddon first.

The belch part is no joke. I was burping up rye and pumpernickle flavors for the rest of the night. Nasty.

 

In other news, I need to be way less lazy about rating my beers. I should be in the 100 club by now but I just can't find the heart to drink a beer and immediately sit down and write about my experience.

 

 

I'd love to start taking tasting notes on all the great beers I've tried too, but like you I never get the chance to immediately write it down.

 

I drink 90% of these beers at the bar I mentioned in this thread; PRL. It's usually on a late weekend and I'm out with buddies, so the process of writing down what I am tasting isn't that practical. Plus I only drink once a week(at the most) and I know once I start taste tasting beers I'll want to retry all the bottles I've ever had and the temptation to do it every night will be too much. :lol (i'll only have just one tonight! YEA RIGHT!)

 

I really do like that ratebeer website though and they do a great job of giving step by step instructions on how to rate beers.

There is a huge liquor store near me that has a new thing where you can mix and match and 6 or 12 pack from over 200 beers. I will see if I can get the list and post it here so you guys can give me some recommendations.

 

 

found it (well this isnt the exact place, but the one I go to stole the idea from here. The lists are probably the same)

 

http://www.nikkisliquors.com/craftbeerlist.htm

There is a huge liquor store near me that has a new thing where you can mix and match and 6 or 12 pack from over 200 beers. I will see if I can get the list and post it here so you guys can give me some recommendations.

 

 

found it (well this isnt the exact place, but the one I go to stole the idea from here. The lists are probably the same)

 

http://www.nikkisliquors.com/craftbeerlist.htm

 

 

There are some great beers on that list. You should have a blast picking out a 6 pack. Just off a quick scan of that list, here would be my 6:

 

Val-Dieu - Triple

Thirsty Dog - Siberian Night Imperial Stout

St. Bernardus - Abt 12

Zywiec (this will be your "lite" beer of the group)

Rochefort - Trappistes Rochefort 6

Dogfish Head - 90 Minute IPA

 

 

I am sure I missed some really great beers, that is a nice list to choose from.

 

A warning though: be careful with these beers, with the exception of the Zywiec I think all of them are 10% Alcohol content or higher. These are not meant to be a quick drinking BBQ beer and if you drink them like a typical American beer, you'll get really drunk, really quick. So unless thats what you want, be careful! :lol

There is a huge liquor store near me that has a new thing where you can mix and match and 6 or 12 pack from over 200 beers. I will see if I can get the list and post it here so you guys can give me some recommendations.

 

 

found it (well this isnt the exact place, but the one I go to stole the idea from here. The lists are probably the same)

 

http://www.nikkisliquors.com/craftbeerlist.htm

 

 

There are some great beers on that list. You should have a blast picking out a 6 pack. Just off a quick scan of that list, here would be my 6:

 

Val-Dieu - Triple

Thirsty Dog - Siberian Night Imperial Stout

St. Bernardus - Abt 12

Zywiec (this will be your "lite" beer of the group)

Rochefort - Trappistes Rochefort 6

Dogfish Head - 90 Minute IPA

 

 

I am sure I missed some really great beers, that is a nice list to choose from.

 

A warning though: be careful with these beers, with the exception of the Zywiec I think all of them are 10% Alcohol content or higher. These are not meant to be a quick drinking BBQ beer and if you drink them like a typical American beer, you'll get really drunk, really quick. So unless thats what you want, be careful! :lol

 

haha thanks. I will write them down and take it to the store.

There is a huge liquor store near me that has a new thing where you can mix and match and 6 or 12 pack from over 200 beers. I will see if I can get the list and post it here so you guys can give me some recommendations.

 

 

found it (well this isnt the exact place, but the one I go to stole the idea from here. The lists are probably the same)

 

http://www.nikkisliquors.com/craftbeerlist.htm

GF has given you some great ideas but I'd want to know what you look for in a beer before giving you my thoughts. What are [currently - because i WILL change your mind] your three favorite beers and what draws you to them?

 

FWIW: Dogfish Head - World Wide Stout is probably the most amazing beer you will be happy to shell out $8 per 12 oz bottle for.

There is a huge liquor store near me that has a new thing where you can mix and match and 6 or 12 pack from over 200 beers. I will see if I can get the list and post it here so you guys can give me some recommendations.

 

 

found it (well this isnt the exact place, but the one I go to stole the idea from here. The lists are probably the same)

 

http://www.nikkisliquors.com/craftbeerlist.htm

GF has given you some great ideas but I'd want to know what you look for in a beer before giving you my thoughts. What are [currently - because i WILL change your mind] your three favorite beers and what draws you to them?

 

FWIW: Dogfish Head - World Wide Stout is probably the most amazing beer you will be happy to shell out $8 per 12 oz bottle for.

 

my favorite three beers are:

 

UFO

Spaten Oktoberfest

Yuengling

 

I think the three of them taste awesome. Unlike IPA's that have a nasty bitter after taste, those dont. In general I dont like the taste of Ipa. Besides that I am open to try anything and I hope that you do change my mind.

my favorite three beers are:

 

UFO

Spaten Oktoberfest

Yuengling

 

I think the three of them taste awesome. Unlike IPA's that have a nasty bitter after taste, those dont. In general I dont like the taste of Ipa. Besides that I am open to try anything and I hope that you do change my mind.

UFO is an excellent beer on tap. If you can find Paulaner Hefeweissbier on tap, I think you will be in love. Going by the list on your site, beer #230 - Unibroue - La Fin du Monde is an excellent alternative to the UFO that will get you drinking monk beer.

 

Lagers and Pilsners are my two least favorite beer styles, so maybe someone else can help you here.

 

Since you decided you don't like the IPA style, I CHALLENGE you to try the Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale [#45]. There is a huge difference in the finish between and Imperial and a Brown and your palate is telling me you would lean towards Browns. If you honestly do not enjoy that beer, I will mail you your money back! [i made a similar guarentee to GF re: Three Philosophers - he rates at the top of this page and also to HelmsE re: Sweet George's Brown] :thumbup

 

If you can handle a REALLY strong beer and are willing to be SUPER adventurous, try the Dogfish Head - World Wide Stout. It is delicious and the finish is so sweet it's like you just ate a rock candy.

my favorite three beers are:

 

UFO

Spaten Oktoberfest

Yuengling

 

I think the three of them taste awesome. Unlike IPA's that have a nasty bitter after taste, those dont. In general I dont like the taste of Ipa. Besides that I am open to try anything and I hope that you do change my mind.

UFO is an excellent beer on tap. If you can find Paulaner Hefeweissen on tap, I think you will be in love. Going by the list on your site, beer #230 - Unibroue - La Fin du Monde is an excellent alternative to the UFO that will get you drinking monk beer.

 

Lagers and Pilsners are my two least favorite beer styles, so maybe someone else can help you here.

 

Since you decided you don't like the IPA style, I CHALLENGE you to try the Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale [#45]. There is a huge difference in the finish between and Imperial and a Brown and your palate is telling me you would lean towards Browns. If you honestly do not enjoy that beer, I will mail you your money back! [i made a similar guarentee to GF re: Three Philosophers - he rates at the top of this page] :thumbup

 

If you can handle a REALLY strong beer and are willing to be SUPER adventurous, try the Dogfish Head - World Wide Stout. It is delicious and the finish is so sweet it's like you just ate a rock candy.

 

Your're on with indian brown ale

 

I love Paulener. Its just not the same in the US as it is when you get it at oktoberfest.

 

 

 

BTW I am going to get a 12 pack. The 6 that godfather said, DFH Indian Brown, and 5 more. I am going to go through that list and narrow it down (based on name I guess) and I'll post it here. If anyone has tried them let me know. My goal is not not get any beers I have ever tried.

my favorite three beers are:

 

UFO

Spaten Oktoberfest

Yuengling

 

I think the three of them taste awesome. Unlike IPA's that have a nasty bitter after taste, those dont. In general I dont like the taste of Ipa. Besides that I am open to try anything and I hope that you do change my mind.

UFO is an excellent beer on tap. If you can find Paulaner Hefeweissen on tap, I think you will be in love. Going by the list on your site, beer #230 - Unibroue - La Fin du Monde is an excellent alternative to the UFO that will get you drinking monk beer.

 

Lagers and Pilsners are my two least favorite beer styles, so maybe someone else can help you here.

 

Since you decided you don't like the IPA style, I CHALLENGE you to try the Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale [#45]. There is a huge difference in the finish between and Imperial and a Brown and your palate is telling me you would lean towards Browns. If you honestly do not enjoy that beer, I will mail you your money back! [i made a similar guarentee to GF re: Three Philosophers - he rates at the top of this page and also to HelmsE re: Sweet George's Brown] :thumbup

 

If you can handle a REALLY strong beer and are willing to be SUPER adventurous, try the Dogfish Head - World Wide Stout. It is delicious and the finish is so sweet it's like you just ate a rock candy.

 

The master has spoken! :notworthy :notworthy

 

My personal favorite Pilsner is just a good ole simple Sierra Nevada which is fairly easy to find and on that list.

231 Budweiser

 

just kidding

 

 

 

431 Schneider - Weisen Edel-Weisse

438 Southern Tier - Heavy Weizen

443 Daleside - Morocco Ale

516 Ommegang - Three Philosophers

604 Victory - Moonglow Weizenbock

615 Southampton - Double White Ale

13 Rogue - Santa's Private Reserve Ale

22 Mendocino - Red Tail Ale

33 Thomas Hooker - Olde Marley Barleywine

40 Cisco - Bailey's Blonde Ale

268 Otter Creek - Vermont Lager

403 Sea Dog - Blue Paw Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale

 

 

Anyone heard of or tried any of those suckers?

431 Schneider - Weisen Edel-Weisse

438 Southern Tier - Heavy Weizen

443 Daleside - Morocco Ale

516 Ommegang - Three Philosophers

604 Victory - Moonglow Weizenbock

615 Southampton - Double White Ale

13 Rogue - Santa's Private Reserve Ale

22 Mendocino - Red Tail Ale

33 Thomas Hooker - Olde Marley Barleywine

40 Cisco - Bailey's Blonde Ale

268 Otter Creek - Vermont Lager

403 Sea Dog - Blue Paw Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale

 

 

Anyone heard of or tried any of those suckers?

#516 - Three Philosophers is an amazing beer but you need to know what you are getting yourself into! This is a very strong beer and may be harder to finish than you think. Also bear in mind that this is a Quadrupel Trappist ale with a Lambic mixed in for taste. That lambic may leave a bit of a bitter aftertaste - so you've been warned. I really like the beers out of the Ommegang brewery. In fact, if you like UFO that much, I suspect you would really enjoy the Ommegang Witte. I might steer you towards the Witte first if you have the option.

 

#13 - Santa's Private Reserve Ale is a little on the bitter side. If you don't like bitters, try something a little smoother like Rogue's Dead Guy Ale.

 

#22 - I think you'll like the Red Tail Ale.

 

#268 - Otter Creek does not brew very good beers. Their lager is okay but I'd rather steer you towards a Sierra Nevada Summerfest. In all honesty, Sam Adams Boston Lager is better than the Vermont Lager.

 

#403 - Not a fan of fruited wheats, but that's your call. If you like it, give the Sam Adams Cherry Wheat a try. As far as fruity wheats go, it's actually pretty good.

 

I think you should shake things up a bit and get yourself a bottle of a good stout. Pour yourself a glass of Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout and I think you might enjoy it. It pours black as night and is an easy drinker miles away from Guinness.

 

I haven't had the Victory or Schneider in a long time and I don't have drinking notes on them so good luck. These are some very bold choices and a LEAP out of your shell. I tried to suggest a couple of beers a little closer to your comfort zone [Witte, Dead Guy Ale, Sierra Nevada, Sam Cherry] so you don't come home with a 12 pack of beers you don't like.

So, what's the verdict JetsMania? Did you get a chance to pick up some choice swill?

Just finished a bottle of Flying Dog Tire Bite Golden Ale. Good stuff. Really goes down well on a hot day.

 

I love beer.

So, what's the verdict JetsMania? Did you get a chance to pick up some choice swill?

 

Good news and bad news. The badnews (well good for me) is that one of my friends came to visit last weekend and brought me two cases of yuengling. So I didnt get any this time. However I went to the liquor store on sunday to get him some UFO and Narraganset (from RI) to return the favor, I had a chance to look around and saw most of the ones on the list.

I will go this weekend and pick up a few of them. I will just leave a case of yuengling on the side since it will probably be good for about 3 months.

Well, after having my ass chewed out by Santa Clause today, I needed to get some beer, so I picked up this.

 

 

 

Samuel Adams being my favorite of the national beers, I decided it would be jolly fun to pick up a mix pack.

 

It contains 2 of each:

 

Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat

 

 

 

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

 

 

Samuel Adams Boston Ale

 

 

 

Samuel Adams Hefeweizen

 

 

Samuel Adams Pale Ale

 

 

Samuel Adams Summer Ale

Well, after having my ass chewed out by Santa Clause today, I needed to get some beer, so I picked up this.

 

 

 

Samuel Adams being my favorite of the national beers, I decided it would be jolly fun to pick up a mix pack.

 

It contains 2 of each:

 

Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat

 

 

 

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

 

 

Samuel Adams Boston Ale

 

 

 

Samuel Adams Hefeweizen

 

 

Samuel Adams Pale Ale

 

 

Samuel Adams Summer Ale

 

 

Sounds tasty. :thumbup That is a pretty cool promotion by Sam. How much is it?

I bought that a few weeks ago. I liked all but the IPA. I also thought they could have done a better job with the hefeweizen as it pales in comparison to it's city neighborgh, UFO.

Well, after having my ass chewed out by Santa Clause today, I needed to get some beer, so I picked up this.

 

 

 

Samuel Adams being my favorite of the national beers, I decided it would be jolly fun to pick up a mix pack.

 

It contains 2 of each:

 

Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat

 

 

 

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

 

 

Samuel Adams Boston Ale

 

 

 

Samuel Adams Hefeweizen

 

 

Samuel Adams Pale Ale

 

 

Samuel Adams Summer Ale

 

 

Sounds tasty. :thumbup That is a pretty cool promotion by Sam. How much is it?

 

 

 

 

Like $12. They do it for every season.

Read this in the miami herald today, thought it was pretty good...

 

Under the old German Purity Law of 1516, beer could be made only of water, barley, hops and yeast.

 

Those old Germans must be rolling in their graves.

 

These days, U.S. microbrewers are adding everything from chocolate to licorice to chipotle peppers to their beers -- and sometimes doubling the alcohol content or tripling the amount of bitter hops to boot.

 

You've heard of extreme sports? Welcome to the world of extreme beer.

 

There are a dozen or more of them in a refrigerator case near you, from Milam's Markets to Crown Wine & Spirits to Whole Foods to Total Wines. They're being made in brewpubs and microbreweries in South Florida and across the country.

 

At Titanic Brewery in Coral Gables, brewmaster Steve Copeland makes a Double India Pale Ale that is extreme, not for its ingredients, but for their amounts.

 

''The hops are insane,'' he says -- all he could cram in the vat. His ale hits 100 on the International Bitterness Unit scale, compared with 20 or so for your average Bud Light.

 

Oh, and it has twice the usual alcohol at nearly 10 percent.

 

''Some people are looking for more flavor,'' he says.

 

At Big Bear Brewing in Coral Springs, brewmaster Matthew Cox makes a Chocolate Stout with imported Belgian chocolate.

 

''Some of the beers are kind of jovial,'' Cox says. ``But there are so many beers on the market you have to find your own niche. And you can put just about anything in beer -- chamomile, vanilla, lemon peel.''

 

The father of America's extreme beer movement is Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Del., and author of 2006's Extreme Brewing: An Enthusiast's Guide to Brewing Craft Beer at Home (Quarry, $24.95).

 

While working on a master's degree in English at Columbia University, Calagione took a job at an Upper West Side brewpub -- and ended up dropping English in favor of ale.

 

Today, 12 years after founding Dogfish Head, he courts eccentricity (his motto: ''Off-center beers for off-center people'') and talks about his craft like an academic:

 

``The extreme movement is a reaction to our culture's relegation of beer to a single style that dominates the landscape.''

 

Since America's great breweries -- Anheuser Busch, Miller, Coors -- were founded by German immigrants, Calagione says, most U.S. beer is made in only one style: light, German lager.

 

``Out in the world, this is only one style out of hundreds. Our idea is to challenge norms and establish our own thumbprint, rejecting the old and establishing independence.''

 

The iconoclastic brewers of Belgium, for example, have long flavored their ales with fruit and honey.

 

In the same way, Dogfish Head's Red & White, a full-bodied wheat beer, is infused with coriander and orange peel -- and then given an American twist with pinot noir juice and aging in barrels previously used for Oregon pinot noir wines.

 

Rogue's Ales in Newport, Ore., makes a Chipotle Ale that is ''delicately spiced'' with smoked jalape?o chile peppers.

 

North Coast Brewing in Fort Bragg, Calif., makes an Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout aged nine months in barrels previously used for bourbon.

 

And a dozen U.S. microbreweries make dessert ales infused with blueberries, raspberries, apricots -- brews that exist in Europe, but are just now gaining popularity here.

 

Made mostly by tiny breweries, extreme beers depend on word-of-mouth advertising.

 

''I didn't know these existed until a friend told me last week,'' said Miriam Nieves, a Coconut Grove office manager, after picking up a bottle of Lost Coast Brewery's Great White Ale at the Milam's Market on South Dixie Highway.

 

Extreme beers haven't replaced the regular lineup at brewpubs and microbreweries. Titanic brewmaster Copeland says his biggest seller is a Triple Screw Light Beer that's only 5 percent alcohol and just a little hoppier than the norm.

 

And extreme beers still are a small part of a small segment of American brewing, says Adam Fine, who creates beer recipes that are brewed at the Florida Brewing Co. in Melbourne and distributed throughout South Florida.

 

Craft breweries like Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada -- defined as those making fewer than 2 million 31-gallon barrels a year -- tend to be highly traditional. Brewpubs and microbreweries -- craft brewing's under-15,000-barrel set -- are where the extreme beers bubble up.

 

''Some of them are very experimental,'' Fine says.

 

Small as their niche might be, Calagione argues that extreme beers are one of the best bargains in hedonism.

 

``You can go into any liquor store and access the world's best beer and still get change from a 20-dollar bill. To do that with wine would cost thousands.

 

``In that context, you're at the pinnacle of the world.''

Good article.

here is a local beer that is rather unique

Man. How does that taste?