the floral notes of the hops really come out when you pour it in a glass. I have some glasses from New Belgium (the Fat Tire peeps) and hey are like brandy glasses, kinda like wine glasses but big open mouths for that big aroma experience. really changes the flavor.
I heard today that no bottle beer is intended to be had straight from the bottle, you're supposed to pour it straight down the middle of the glass to let the carbonation out. Anybody else hear this - seems like blasphemy not to pour down the side.
I will almost NEVER drink a beer from the bottle. Half the experience of drinking a beer is the feel and aroma, and there is no way to get any of that form a bottle. As far as pour technique, it really depends on the beer. An IPA or a Pale Ale can be poured, slowly, straight in the bottom of the glass. Most Stouts and Porters tend to have a lot of head so I always tilt the glass. A general rule of thumb, you want about a half inch of head on your beer, so pour accordingly... AND!! ***This is important*** NEVER pour beer in to a chilled glass. I always use a pint glass stored at room temperature, and I always rinse it out with ust a little bit of cool, not cold, water to coat the inside of the glass.
Tx, as to DKs comment on his glasses - same guy said the heavier the beer,the wider the rim should be. Love getting the most flavor so really appreciate your responses.
Drinking some Sierre Nevada Pale Ale right now. On bottle number 2 so far... This stuff is pretty good. I bought a 12 pack so we will see how the night goes from here........
Drinking some Sierre Nevada Pale Ale right now. On bottle number 2 so far... This stuff is pretty good. I bought a 12 pack so we will see how the night goes from here........
Drinking some Sierre Nevada Pale Ale right now. On bottle number 2 so far... This stuff is pretty good. I bought a 12 pack so we will see how the night goes from here........
one of my favorite IPA's to have around ^ ^
Not to be too picky, but it's a Pale Ale. I'm not sure as to the exact diference, but there is a difference between Pale Ale's and IPA's. I think it has something to do with the fermentation and when/how much of the hops are added. Anybody feel free to chime in here....
Went to BevMo and resupplied. Got more Old Rasputin Stout, Moylans Imperial Stout an a seasonal called Buffalo Bills Orange Blossom, it's an orange cream ale brewed with orange peel and honey, good stuff. Cant wait to try the Moylans, it says "...the perfect cigar stout...", i think i'll do just that! Also have som Brother Thelonious, dark abbey ale, same people who make Old Rasputin, i'll investigate tonight!
Continuing my stout kick i bought some Samuel Smiths Oatmeal Stout. Not as viscous as Imperial but incredibly balanced! Going in its a hint sweet and has just enough hops to give it a slightly bittesweet finish. Lots or carmelized flavors and the nose isnt quite as coffee/mocha as an imperial but its still there. Awesome brew!
It has been my experience that Samuel Smith's is one of, if not the best breweries EVER. I have never been let down by one of their brews. They continue to impress me with each new beer I try. I am slowly making my way through their offerings, but they are hard to come by here in NC.
I am still working on finishing my 12-pack of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I'll finish that off today and then maybe I can go grab some more rare stuff to enjoy. I'll be heading to Poland in a couple weeks for about a month and wont be able to enjoy any beer while I am there. I am going to try to prepare by spoiling myself these next 2 weeks!
I am slowly making my way through their offerings, but they are hard to come by here in NC.
Which ones are you having problems finding?
HA pretty much all of them. The Imperial Stout is absolutely fantastic! I have had a couple more, I don't remember exactly which ones right now but I remember them blowing me away. It's tough to get it around here, but when I travel I always check around for it.
Closer to me than you (sadly) EJ is a place called Frugal MacDougal's it's a booze n beer superstore and my favorite place to get my Scotch and beer supply as their selection is top knotch and they do have NC's microbrews as well, it's on the SC/NC border over by Carowinds if you're ever in that neighborhood, if you are lemme know we can get together and have a mini-herf
I heard today that no bottle beer is intended to be had straight from the bottle, you're supposed to pour it straight down the middle of the glass to let the carbonation out. Anybody else hear this - seems like blasphemy not to pour down the side.
I will almost NEVER drink a beer from the bottle. Half the experience of drinking a beer is the feel and aroma, and there is no way to get any of that form a bottle. As far as pour technique, it really depends on the beer. An IPA or a Pale Ale can be poured, slowly, straight in the bottom of the glass. Most Stouts and Porters tend to have a lot of head so I always tilt the glass. A general rule of thumb, you want about a half inch of head on your beer, so pour accordingly... AND!! ***This is important*** NEVER pour beer in to a chilled glass. I always use a pint glass stored at room temperature, and I always rinse it out with ust a little bit of cool, not cold, water to coat the inside of the glass.
Ok, due to this input from EJ, I decided on an experiment recently: Guiness Extra Stout is one of my go-to bottled beers (as I think I've mentioned), and I've always only drank it straight from the bottle. So, the other night, I opened it up beautifully into a big mug......wow, this made a HUGE difference! Couldn't believe it was so much better.
Jetmech - definitely let me know if you'll be around my friend...I'd love to get together and treat ya to a stick.
On a third note, I have had Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout, and found it quite delicious...I'll be keeping an eye out for that Imperial next time I'm at BevMo.
Drinking some Sierre Nevada Pale Ale right now. On bottle number 2 so far... This stuff is pretty good. I bought a 12 pack so we will see how the night goes from here........
one of my favorite IPA's to have around ^ ^
Not to be too picky, but it's a Pale Ale. I'm not sure as to the exact diference, but there is a difference between Pale Ale's and IPA's. I think it has something to do with the fermentation and when/how much of the hops are added. Anybody feel free to chime in here....
I'm new to cigars and the site, but beer is my wheelhouse and essentially what I do for a living. As such:
Both Pale Ales and IPA's have their roots in England. Classically, and English Pale Ale, is made with a harder water which will help to emphasize hop bitterness. They are typically well balanced, clean beers. The English IPA came about when the beer the British were sending to India during their occupation spoiled during the journey. To combat this brewers began to brew a pale ale with a bigger hop load, as hops are a natural preservative. To keep things in balance required more malt, and in turn higher ABV which also helped with preservation. Once it reached India, the officers would keep a stash of the full strength beer and pass a watered down version to the troops.
Here in the states we took this and ran with it. These styles, more than any other, showcase our fantastic hops. As such the IPA and in particular the Double/Imperial IPA have become egregiously popular in the craft beer movement.
Basic summary, take a pale ale recipe, up the malt and hop payload and you get an IPA, up the malt and hop payload again and you get an Imperial IPA. Then there are countless other conditions to consider for tweaking the final product(Mash temperture, Alpha Acids % of the hops, length of boil, size and timing of hop additions) but that is the basic breakdown.
So, I finished the last botle of that Sierra Nevada Pale Ale the other day... I am currently out of stock on all things beer. I guess it's time to go pick up a 6-pack of something nice........ Any suggestions? (something that I cna get here in NC or course, which is a bit limiting, sorry)
Arrogant B astard is a good one, I can find it at the SC/NC border but it is on the SC side... ooh! if you like brown ale's I would highly suggest Nostrodomus, flippin awesome beer there yo
(had to edit since it put astericks where the 2nd word was...)
Just took my first foamy delicious sip of some Ston Sublimely Self-rightous Ale and it is yet another winner made by the boys at Stone Brewing! This stuff is pretty heavy, and pretty fantastic! I have a bottle of Arrogant Basterd Ale waiting for the end of this one. I love mt some Tone, and the Arrogant Basterd Ale is phenominal!
If any of you guys are hop-heads like I am, try Stones IPA and Ruination IPA. They are the two best beers I have had as far as anything hoppy goes. The Ruination IPA is my favorite beer ever. Also check out Dogfish Head 60 and 90 Minute IPAs. They are both really amazing.
So, I finished the last botle of that Sierra Nevada Pale Ale the other day... I am currently out of stock on all things beer. I guess it's time to go pick up a 6-pack of something nice........ Any suggestions? (something that I cna get here in NC or course, which is a bit limiting, sorry)
So it is a day late, but here is some great stuff for hop-heads that is available year round, though I am unsure about NC availability:
Bell's Two Hearted Ale
Oskar Blue's Dale's Pale Ale
Oskar Blue's Gordon IPA
Oskar Blue's Gubna DIPA
Founder's Red's Rye
Southern Tier Unearthly(22oz)
Southern Tier Hoppe(22oz)
Clipper City Loose Cannon
Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA
Bear Republic Racer 5
North Coast Red Seal Ale
Anchor Liberty Ale
21st Amendment Live Free or Die
Victory Hop Devil
Victory Hop Wallop
Troeg's Hopback Amber Ale
Smuttynose Finest Kind IPA
Brooklyn East India Pale Ale
Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA
That is all I can think of of the top of my head. There are plenty more, not even factoring in a number of seasonals available right now. Hopefully some of that stuff is available down your way. If all that fails, I brew a pretty mean IPA. I am coming down for vacation in August, I can meet you at the state line with growler of homebrew ;P
Furthermore, should you choose to venture from the hop for a change of pace, Duck Rabbit is over in Farmville. They label themselves dark beer specialist and do a find job with them. Their Milk Stout is ridiculous, Imperial Stout is good, Amber and Brown are solid.
Just poped the top to that bottle of Arrogant Basterd Ale. It's pretty great, as I knew it would be. This stuff is a regular for me as I can get it for a decent price.
I have had about half of the beers on that list, Squatchito, but thanks for the suggestions. I often venture outside the world of hoppy deliciousness, just not this weekend unfortunately. Duckrabbit is some pretty great stuff! They have it all over the place here and I get their chocolate or milk stouts regularly. I am a stout and porter fan as well as a hop-head. Any suggestions on some off-the-wall stouts and porters?? Or anything that you consider a must-try??
Hmmm. As far as everyday availability the best in my opinion would be Old Rasputin from North Coast. Fantastic Imperial Stout at an incredibly good price. For crazy stuff all of the Southern Tier Blackwater series is pretty nuts. They have a bunch of different ones. The wildest is easily Creme Brulee, which tastes almost exactly like its namesake. If you feel like breaking the bank you can always grab a bottle of Dogfish World Wide Stout. I don't care for it, but if you have 10ish bucks to blow and want a beer that is 500 calories it is worth a shot. Storm King from Victory is fabulous as is Smuttynose Robust Porter. Should you ever see Smuttynose Baltic Porter buy every bottle you can afford, absolutely outstanding stuff. Stone Russian Imperial Stout should be released soon, it is always fantastic. For a less expensive option Lagunitas Imperial Stout runs about 4 bucks a bomber and is nice, as is their Cappuccino Stout.
As for must tries, mercy, I could go on for hours. Nugget Nectar is sadly out of season at this point, but is my favorite beer. Bell's Hopslam, again out of season and pricey, but a beer any hop fan should try. Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Kaizer Blue is a great Strong Belgian Dark that I think everyone should try at least once. Westmalle Tripel represents everything right and good about the style. Soonish Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest ale should be out and is out of control good. If you dug Arrogant *** you will love Double ***, which will be out after their Russian Imperial Stout. Oaked Arrogant *** is fabulous as well. If Brooklyn is distributed down there and you can find it any bars, ask the bartenders if they are ever get Brooklyn Blast, outlandish keg only DIPA. Again, there are plenty more but that is what popped into my head.
On a side note, I tried Duck Rabbits Barleywine tonight, very solid.
I bought a bomber (?right term?) of Marin Brewing Breakout Stout the other day... Poured it in the glass, and the first drink officially whooped my @ss!!! That was some heavy stuff - so heavy that I just couldn't drink it anymore past a few more sips. Seemed like something I might enjoy another time, but that night I had just overestimated how much I really wanted a stout. Fortunately it had only cost me $2.99, so I wasn't overly concerned about dumping it.
Hmmm. As far as everyday availability the best in my opinion would be Old Rasputin from North Coast. Fantastic Imperial Stout at an incredibly good price.
I Friggin love that stuff! Try Moylans Imperial Stout as well!
Comments
Tx, as to DKs comment on his glasses - same guy said the heavier the beer,the wider the rim should be. Love getting the most flavor so really appreciate your responses.
I am still working on finishing my 12-pack of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I'll finish that off today and then maybe I can go grab some more rare stuff to enjoy. I'll be heading to Poland in a couple weeks for about a month and wont be able to enjoy any beer while I am there. I am going to try to prepare by spoiling myself these next 2 weeks!
Which ones are you having problems finding?
Jetmech - definitely let me know if you'll be around my friend...I'd love to get together and treat ya to a stick.
On a third note, I have had Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout, and found it quite delicious...I'll be keeping an eye out for that Imperial next time I'm at BevMo.
If any of you guys are hop-heads like I am, try Stones IPA and Ruination IPA. They are the two best beers I have had as far as anything hoppy goes. The Ruination IPA is my favorite beer ever. Also check out Dogfish Head 60 and 90 Minute IPAs. They are both really amazing.
Bell's Two Hearted Ale
Oskar Blue's Dale's Pale Ale
Oskar Blue's Gordon IPA
Oskar Blue's Gubna DIPA
Founder's Red's Rye
Southern Tier Unearthly(22oz)
Southern Tier Hoppe(22oz)
Clipper City Loose Cannon
Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA
Bear Republic Racer 5
North Coast Red Seal Ale
Anchor Liberty Ale
21st Amendment Live Free or Die
Victory Hop Devil
Victory Hop Wallop
Troeg's Hopback Amber Ale
Smuttynose Finest Kind IPA
Brooklyn East India Pale Ale
Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA
That is all I can think of of the top of my head. There are plenty more, not even factoring in a number of seasonals available right now. Hopefully some of that stuff is available down your way. If all that fails, I brew a pretty mean IPA. I am coming down for vacation in August, I can meet you at the state line with growler of homebrew ;P
I have had about half of the beers on that list, Squatchito, but thanks for the suggestions. I often venture outside the world of hoppy deliciousness, just not this weekend unfortunately. Duckrabbit is some pretty great stuff! They have it all over the place here and I get their chocolate or milk stouts regularly. I am a stout and porter fan as well as a hop-head. Any suggestions on some off-the-wall stouts and porters?? Or anything that you consider a must-try??
As for must tries, mercy, I could go on for hours. Nugget Nectar is sadly out of season at this point, but is my favorite beer. Bell's Hopslam, again out of season and pricey, but a beer any hop fan should try. Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Kaizer Blue is a great Strong Belgian Dark that I think everyone should try at least once. Westmalle Tripel represents everything right and good about the style. Soonish Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest ale should be out and is out of control good. If you dug Arrogant *** you will love Double ***, which will be out after their Russian Imperial Stout. Oaked Arrogant *** is fabulous as well. If Brooklyn is distributed down there and you can find it any bars, ask the bartenders if they are ever get Brooklyn Blast, outlandish keg only DIPA. Again, there are plenty more but that is what popped into my head.
On a side note, I tried Duck Rabbits Barleywine tonight, very solid.
I Friggin love that stuff! Try Moylans Imperial Stout as well!