tomorrow i'm attending the tapping of "a one-of-a-kind cask of Terrapin's Wake-N-Bake that Spike added 20 pieces of bacon to..."


very excited and curious, never had beer straight from a cask nor with bacon

http://www.drunkenpolack.com/images/wakebake.JPG

Double-Wide or Double Wit would my choice of the group. The Fresh Hop is Ok but I like the other 2 better.

Tank 7 and Saison both kick ass. Tank 7 is one of my favorite beers.

Rye on Rye for sure. Collaboration #1 Imperial Pilsner would be my second choice.

I'm told by my hop loving friend that Fresh Hop is really good.

Interesting. I didn't think Rye on Rye was bitter at all. And I disliked Harvest Dance last I had it. I should try it now that my palette has morphed.

I wish they had the Saison-Brett, but they don't. I'd love to try it. I just wasn't sure if one of those was "rare" or whatever. The Collaboration and the Rye on Rye both look like they're more "limited" release than the others.

Saison-Brett is unbelievable, but I'm a bit biased, Saisons are a particular favorite of mine. My wife bought me a bunch of them the last time a batch came out. They age very well. PM me if you're ever in town; we can open one together!

The Saison Brett is really good but the regular Saison is very good as well if you can find it.

I can get the regular Saison here but not the Saison Brett any longer.

I am still waiting on the 4-packs too. Hurry up already!

By the "regular" Saison, are you talking about the Tank 7 Farmhouse... or something else?

Stock up on the Saison if you can; they're not making it anymore. I can't find it anymore at my regular spots like Gomer's in LS.

The original Smokestack lineup included Saison, now replaced by Tank 7.

Ahh, I see. I'd love to find some of that. I'm also intrigued by Saisons, now (possibly due to Reaper16's focus on it... but also because I've just really liked the complexity and surprising flavors I've found in the ones I've had).

I found Saisons after I had blown my palette on IPAs. The thick sweetness of all of the hoppy beers had just lost the luster. With Saisons, I found a nice combination of a nice high ABV and some really complex and delicious flavors.

And yes, the original Smokestack Saison is freakin' delicious. I used to have a bunch of those as well. Sadly, they are all gone from my fridge and beer storage in the basement now.

I would guess you have had Duvel if not get some. Great beer.

Saisons are my favorite beer overall. Pretty light compared to IPA or Quads and complex but pack a punch.

They still have Rye-on-Rye?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? HOLY SHIT.

That's been sold out in KC since the middle of March.

I had Dark Truth the other day for the first time. I'm not a Stout guy but the Belgian aroma really made it work for me. Won't be my last.

False. We had some at my liquor store for a while. Don't know if there's still some there.

What kind of backwater store was this?

Who has a recommendation on where to find some good/reasonably priced glassware? I am looking for a couple snifters and tulips. I looked on amazon and ebay w/o much luck. Amazon seems to have $70 brandy snifters and quite a few snifters of less than 12 oz. On ebay I can only seem to find glassware with gaudy logos on them.

Thanks for the help if you know a good spot to look.

I just go to Old Chicago on friday nights for their glassware specials.

I am in South Carolina. Can't believe they get Yuengling cheap at Walmart. Durn it all.

College and Antioch. Smitty's Wine and Spirits.

Go to your nearest Pier 1 Imports store. I buy my snifters there, and they only cost me like $4 a piece. They have many tulip glasses, snifters, and goblets for general beer use. Hell, you might even see a weissbier glass.

http://www.pier1.com/catalog/browse/...r/Default.aspx

Nice. I have been looking for some cheap brandy snifters for drinking cheap brandy.

I know from experience that better than standard whine glasses can make a notable difference but is it that way for beer? I typically just use a Chimay goblet for anything good.

Have you ever seen the glasses on Mad Men's Season 3 DVD cover anywhere?

Yeah, price/quality does come into play at some level. I have a pricey wine glass that I use for lambic and gueuze beer. The beers I use those inexpensive snifters for, though, are typically so assertive in aroma that it wouldn't matter what glass you use so long as it features a deep bowl (Imperial Stout, say, so basically any snifter or a goblet will work great).

Those Pier 1 snifters aren't durable, but they certainly do the job with beer.

No. Those would be cool to have, though.

Here is my glassware collection:
http://realbeer.com/edu/images/2007_sam-adams-glass.jpg
http://www.guinnesswebstore.com/imagesedp/p32947b.jpg
http://thumbs1.ebaystatic.com/m/mwmA...rljHSA/140.jpg
http://www.brewerygems.com/images/Chimay%20goblet.jpg
http://www.markenglas.de/images/prod...ges/3405_0.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_C3Lp0YRVhf...0/100_1033.JPG

TJ Maxx and Marshall's both have cheap glassware pretty often. Hit and miss on when and what is in stock, but if your wife goes there as frequently as mine, just tell her to keep an eye out.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have planned on stopping by bed bath and beyond or some store like that. There is a Pier 1 down the street from the office so I will at least grab a couple glasses there to enjoy my Chimay grand reserve this weekend.

fyi, the beer smelled exactly liked cooked bacon...and left a cooked bacon taste that coated your palette....interesting, but not something you'd want to drink more than once...bacon is neither crisp nor refreshing..lol

there was even a sheen of bacon oil/grease that settled on the top...super thin but visible in the right light...

I'll be honest. That sounds disgusting.

Ended up with the 21st Anniversary Fresh Hop, and I'm enjoying it very much. Also got a 4 of Dark Truth.

Was going to get this Saison which I can't remember the name of. Has a bird on the bottle and is from a brewery in the Northwest. It was cheaper than Tank 7, so I was curious to see how it held up. Will get it next time.

I'm guessing La Merle from North Coast. It's pretty average.

Yes. That was it. I figured with the price that it wasn't spectacular.

It isn't like you're going to hate it. It isn't poor by any means. It's a shame that it is a pretty average beer, though; North Coast makes two great beers (Old Rasputin Imperial Stout & Old Stock Ale) but Le Merle doesn't come close to ranking amongst them.

I remember this came up over on my whiskey forum...here's some info:

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2009/0...-touch-of.html

Enjoyed my virgin bottle of Harvest Dance tonight. Absolutely wonderful.

I'm only a little way in but I think Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Wild Ale may be the worst of the bunch I picked up. It's not undrinkable like others I've had but it's just meh. Maybe that'll change by the end of the bottle.

place close to me opened up selling growlers

picked up a terrapin wake-n-bake imperial stout...kind of like a lesser Yeti, but still very good and tasty, big flavor...

and to change it up, a Coney Island Mermaid Pilsner for some friends tomorrow...never tried it

Wake-n-Bake is pretty darn good. A lesser Founders Breakfast Stout. I'll be drinking the shit out of it once the bottles get into Alabama.

yeah, actually i am loving it

i found a bar today with founders on tap...$8 a pint...i'll pop sometime

got a 64 oz growler of wake-n-bake for $10

I enjoyed that one in bomber form but haven't had it in a 6er.

Had some Double Arrogant Bastard earlier and it was fairly nice.

It actually turned out decent. Better than the first fourth. It's not something I'd seek out to have but it's something I wouldn't turn down if presented it.

Can't say I have had anything from Lagunitas that was not at least decent.

picked up a growler of north coast old rasputin


time to warm up...

A friend of mine from San Diego has picked up as much Pliny the Elder that I could talk the store manager out of and it is on its way tomorrow. In the mean time I will have to enjoy either Chimay Grand Reserve or Dogfish Head's Bitches Brew this evening.

How ever will you survive? ;)

WOO HOOO!

For the first time in a long time, I have found some Delerium Tremens at the store! Haven't had this in years, but I remember it being delicious and it's like 9.0% abv.


http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/...mmens_gift.jpg

also grabbed some blvd pale ale

It's gonna be a good night

Samuel Smith Imperial Stout tonight. At 7% abv., it's too damn dark and tasty for its own good. I'm going to have to pace myself before this stuff kicks my arse in a royal fashion.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_E6UdVdgx1Q...0/100_0047.jpg

7% is nothing. I could drink the whole 4-pack and feel nothing, and I weigh only 145 lbs. That beer is super-impressive in how much flavor it delivers for such a low ABV% (for the style).

Problem is, I'm knocking them down pretty quickly, and I have a liquor store located within easy walking distance. True about the flavor...it's a helluva beer for a cold night. Salutations and thanks to Samuel Smith.

Drinking a bomber of Dry Dock - Seven Seas double IPA. They are a pretty small local brewery that has been winning a good amount of awards lately. Two of the beer guys at one of my favorite stores said it was up there with Pliney and I was a little skeptical. Surprisingly their praise was not unwarranted but it is very slightly on the sweeter side.

Fortunately I also picked up a bottle of 3 week old Pliny to compare it to.

Finally tried this. Damn good!

I followed it up with a sixer of Blvd. Pilsner. A good night indeed. :thumb:

So are you still brewing Bob? I kicked the USELESS flat top range to the curb and bought a nice duel fuel range. Gas on top, with an electric oven, the best of both worlds.

Bottom line, I knocked the dust off my equipment last week and I'm back in business. I cooked up a batch of my Belizean rum coffee last night and my four homemade brandies are now a year old, as of the 16th. It should be a season full of Holiday Cheer!

sounds like a fun hobby, I would like to learn how to do that. What would be the start up costs?

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._7606608_n.jpg

for those who know, this is striking gold.

Since it didnt ring up, I told them 9.99. Double gold

For beer, you could get a start for $125-$150. I would guess. With all the stainless steel 6 gallon posts and other crap, I have a solid $400 out there. You CAN make some kick ass beer though and any style you like. For the brandies, all you need is the ingredients and some gallon jugs.

Fresh, new Sculpin six-packs. You can't see it, but I'm rubbing the tip of my penis to this picture.

Picked up a 12 pack of Sam Adams Winter Lager at the grocery story today. I'm not a big Sam Adams fan, but I do like this beer and usually grab a 12 pack once or twice during the season.

Would anyone that has access to Dogfish Head brews be willing to ship me some?

Closest place to me is 5.5 hours away.

I have a lot of the stouts from my haul left to try (holiday weekend, FTW) but I keep coming back to Founder's Breakfast Stout. It's just so delicious.

Drinking one now. It hurts me that I can't buy Founders in AL.

Picked up some Samuel Smith Oatmeal stout and some Hoegarden. It will be a nice change of pace, going from dark to light. Of course I still have some nice pale ale's in the fridge, so it's gonna be a great night!

Was going through my Abyss and Dissident to fast so picked up 24 Deschutes Jubelale, nice and tasty ale, if you get a chance you should grab some to try.

Good stop at Total Wine tonight for the Xmas weekend beers:

Old Rasputin Imperial Stout
AleSmith Speedway Stout
Chimay Grand Reserve
Ommegang Hennepin
Saison Dupont
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Grand Teton Au Naturale (for the wife)

sounds pretty good! I love Chimay and Ommegang and also the celebration ale is very nice. Haven't had the other ones though

Whoops. That should have said Old Rasputin Imperial Stout. I would recommend giving it a try if you like imperial stouts. I have yet to try the Speedway but have heard only good things about it.

5 out of 7 ain't bad. ;)

Five minutes ago, I got the news that Ballast Point will begin distributing to Alabama starting early 2011.

24/7/365 Sculpin stay on my mind.

Had all three of those over the weekend. Very, very solid stouts. I could drink them many times. Did have the last of my Founder's Breakfast Stout which made a very big sad face appear.

I wish I'd have gotten the Weasel because i considered the Mikkeller regular to be the worst of the three (though that's not saying much).

Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast is the "worst" of the three, yes. It's good, but Peche Mortel and Black Albert are world-class.

so here's beers on tap at the growler store i'm stopping by later...what would you pick up? the terrapins are in abundance due to local...

Besides the terrapins, I've only had the Bells...have read good things about the Captain Sigs
--------------------

Southern Tier Pumking

Palm

Rogue Captain Sig's Northwestern Ale

Southern Tier 2xIPA

Wild Heaven Ode To Mercy

Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu

Rogue Old Crustacean

Rogue Double Chocolate Stout

Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale

Terrapin Moo Hoo

Terrapin Sound Czech

Terrapin Big Hoppy Monster

Terrapin Wake N Bake Coffee Oatmeal Stout

Terrapin Monks Revenge

Bells Two Hearted Ale

New Belgium Sahtea

Coney Island Czech Pilsner

Great Divide Tripel

Ayinger Brau-Weisse

Highland Oatmeal Porter

Pumking.

ended up with Stone Brewery’s Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, just tapped....a black ipa, i guess...once it warmed up a bit, delicious

Chateau Jiahu on-tap? I'd be all over that. Also, fresh Southern Tier 2xIPA on-tap would probably be great as well.

Popped open Boulevard's Bourbon Barrel Quad.

Nice, complex beer. Lighter than I anticipated. Cherries are a bit too forward for me, I'd like to see them a bit more balanced, but it's really coming along with the oak and bourbon as it warms.

I got some Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale and some Carlsberg lager for tonight! I also picked up this Mississippi Mud quart that they had, it's a black and tan basically, oh and some Jameson. Gonna be a grrrrreat night!

Give it 6 months. I opened a bottle of the 2010 batch earlier in the week and found the barrel flavors and tart cherries to be too dominant. It will settle down in half a year's time, I think.

This was me at 3:00 today.

Were you the one swallowing the meat or jumping up and down smiling?