I am not as knowledgeable as most but enjoy a lot of different beers.

At the office right now and finally had a Mojo IPA my friend brought me from Colorado. Really enjoying it a lot.

If I am out and about I am drinking Boulevard because I like to support the company. Singlewide IPA if they have it or Pale Ale.

Tired most the smoke stack series and have enjoyed it. I lost a bet to my business partner and there is a Tank 7 for him sitting in the fridge for him that I am hoping he cracks open and shares with me. :D

Some random beer thoughts from the past few months.

My roomie let me try a hoegarden or whatever it is...the one DaKCman posted. Not impressed. I also heard everyone falling over themselves for Hopslam. Tried it at Foundry in Westport and it just was not for me. I am not there yet, couldn't even finish it.

I still love love love Bell's (except for Hopslam) beers so much. Big fan of their Amber Ale. I also love having the occasional Blue Moon...reminds me of college. I feel like the only person that doesn't mind having a Boulevard Lunar Ale.

HopSlam is the bessssssssst. Well, not the very best. But nearly.

I likes me a BLVD Lunar Ale. It isn't the best beer in the American Dark Wheat Ale style; it isn't even the best American Dark Wheat Ale in the state of MO (Schlafly No. 15 is probably the best beer of its style in the world). But it is darn fine beer to have at lunch with a nice sandwich or at dinner with some pork loin. It is one of those beers that improves with food.

i knew san diego was up there

http://www.mensjournal.com/top-five-beer-towns


theyre right about toronado's and hamiltons, their bar/lists always come through. Im surprised my watering hole isnt mentioned, obriens.

If I am picking best beer towns in the U.S. then I am starting with San Diego, too. I disagree with that list only in having Chicago there. I'd put Minneapolis ahead of Chicago. Why? Surly and Town Hall, that's why.

Sipping on a bottle of 2009 Founders Nemesis. The 2009 vintage of this annual one-time-only recipe release is a wheatwine aged in maple bourbon barrels.

It needs more time in the cellar. It is still too hot and too sweet.

Saw a Boulevard Tank 7 for the first time in Minneapolis today, and picked up a bottle, based on it being mentioned around here all the time. Hope it's tasty.

Also grabbed a bottle of Boulevard's Imperial Pilsner collaboration beer, which I'm excited to try...

Both are really good. Tank 7 is great, even. I've only had one Saison from America that is better than Tank 7.

Which saison is that?

Boulevard's Saison-Brett.

Boulevard have mastered the Saison style. Their brewmaster, Stephen Pauwels, is from Belgium.

Is that distributed outside of MO? I'll have to keep an eye out for it, if it is...

It is a limited-release beer. But Minneapolis gets some of all the Boulevard limited-release beers. You should be able to find some right now.

Awesome, I'll have to keep an eye out for it. Wish I could find Bully Porter up here - I'm having a hard time imagining it being better than the Edmund Fitzgerald I'm drinking right now, but I'd like to find out first hand...

Its basically a wash. I'm just enamored with the contrasting bitternesses in Bully! Porter. It is super-roasty and pretty damn hoppy, and you perceive both of those bitternesses as distinct, playing off of each other.

Picked up the last bottle in stock at my local liquor superstore today.

Can't wait to try it. Might save it for my FF draft next month, though.

I've been suffering from major allergy bullcrap lately, prohibiting me from enjoying beer. I feel fine tonight, and as a result I'm decently intoxicated.

I had a bottle of Boulevard [Smokestack Series - Limited Release] Collaboration No. 1 (the Imperial Pilsner w/ Jon-Marie Rock of Orval). It is holding up very well; it is less fruity now but more pils-like than it was when fresh. The Saaz hops are really coming out right now.

I'm moving in two weeks and I have a 100+ bottle beer cellar. I'm thinking I should drink some of those beers so as to make moving easier. Right now I'm attempting to polish off my stash of Great Lakes Blackout Stout.

You could always make that move easier by shipping some of that beer to the Eastern part of the state...

I know someone that would enjoy some.

:D

Irishjayhawk tried the same rhetorical tactic via Twitter not fifteen minutes ago. As I told him, that doesn't seem like the proper play from my perspective. :D But if you find yourself in Excelsior Springs in the next two weeks then I'd gladly open up some nice bottles for you.

For the quality stuff you keep around on a regular basis, it would almost be worth the trip.

I know I'm way behind on this, but did you decide on Alabama?

Yup. I've got a house lined up and a housemate who has already graduated from the MFA program there & is working as an instructor for the university; he writes nonfiction too and will daily be a source of inspiration. I'm pretty excited about the whole thing.

The only thing I'm not excited about is Alabama's draconian beer laws. Until last year you couldn't sell any beer over 6% ABV in AL. Until the last legislative session this year breweries couldn't sell growlers of draught beer. Both of those things were overturned thanks to the work of the grassroots organization Free The Hops. AL still has bullshit - for example, it is still against AL law to sell beer in any size greater than 16oz (no bombers or 750mL bottles) - but I think that will be overturned too in the time that I am in AL. I look forward to working with that organization and educating the people of Alabama about beer and advocating for craft beer.

Very cool. Best of luck to you, and Roll Tide.

I really want to try the Odell Woodcut #4 (I love Oktoberfest beers), but found out it's $25/bottle. Insane. Probably won't pick one up at that price...

I did find a 6er of Bully! Porter last night, though. Haven't had a chance to try it yet...

I have a bottle of that Imperial Pilsner in my fridge. Should probably crack that fairly soon - been looking forward to trying it...

I just got 4x Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale in the mail. I don't know why I got them. I didn't trade for or order them. Totally strange.

Tried the Dead Guy Ale. Pretty good. So...1 down 49 to go.

Oh crap, did I have those shipped to your address?

I'll PM you mine so you can send them on.

Heading to the bar in an hour to drink a Tank 7.

Sipping on a 2008 bottle of De Struise Pannepot (Old Fisherman's Ale). I haven't had the venerable Westvleteren 12 but I've had nearly ever other significant Quadrupel - this bottle of Pannepot is the best Quad I've ever tasted.

Two beers tonight: both split with a friend, both over 10% ABV, both costing over $20 retail.

Odell Woodcut No. 3 is totally not worth the price. It is a pretty typical barleywine/strong ale. It tastes pretty good but fails to measure up to standards set by much cheaper beers in the style.

Russian River Consecration, a sour beer made with red currants and a whole lot of wild yeasts and bacteria, is tremendous. A true joy to drink.

Picked up a few on the way home from work:

Pliney the Elder (wasn't expecting that)
Great Divide - 16th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA
Ommegang - Tripel Perfection

Dwamn! Wow. Russian River Temptation is worth the price of admission. This is even better than the Consecration I had last night.

Trade for Temptation, peoples (or buy it, you ****s that live in CA). You will not regret it.

Much earlier in the day I had a bottle of Schlafly Irish-Style Export Stout. A store had a few six-packs broken down into 99 cent a piece bottles. It is a very good export stout; totally worth one dollar. Nice and roasty.

p.s. note that I have begun to hyperlink my reviews on BeerAdvocate on the titles of the beers I mention in this thread (when appropriate). Give 'em a read for more detailed information.

I have seen Temptation a few places around here but the $20 price tag has kept me away. Their Supplication sounds interesting.

Most people think the Supplication is the best of the Russian River "-ation" series of American Wild Ales. I haven't been able to try the Supplication yet.

I might need to try it sometime. It's also pretty steep for a beer at around $13 for a 375 ml but sounds like it would be worth trying at least once.

I think the other one I have seen a few times without really looking is Damnation.

I love supplication I also like the consecration. I had consecration on tap and it is very very different then anything i have had before, good but strange.

Damnation, despite the "-ation" suffix, is not a sour beer. It is a Belgian Strong Pale Ale ala Duvel.

YAY for sour beers!

Thanks. I like Duvel so I will give it a shot. Really wasn't familiar with Russian River until recently so I look forward to trying a few of them.

Decided to pop the bottle of Tank 7 tonight.

Damn solid beer.

Shame I can't get anymore.

Why not?

I've called 4 different liquor superstores in town and they've told me they won't get anymore until next spring.

Same with Sam Adams Noble Pils.

Up for tonight:

Avery Brewing - The Reverend Quad
Ska Brewing - Decadent Imperial IPA

That doesn't make sense. Tank 7 is not a seasonal beer. Now, Noble Pils is a seasonal release. But Tank 7 is a year-round beer.

Interesting.

I was told it was a limited release outside of KC.

Matter of fact, the stores I regularly buy from had 10+ bottles of other Smokestack varieties in stock, and I was lucky enough to find one store that had a bottle left of T7.

That is a little odd. It is just as easy to find as most of the Smokestack series around here.

I guess I'll make some calls, then.

After the 3rd store said the same thing, I just assumed these jackholes knew what they were talking about.

Hell, I'd like to buy a case of it, if I could find it.

I'm definitely grabbing some while I'm in town for the Bash, but I want more NOW.

Tonight I have had a revelation of a beer. De Struise Black Damnation II: Mocha Bomb. De Struise has this series of beers called Black Damnation. Each of them are crazy imperial stouts based on their already world class imperial stout Black Albert. Black Damnation II: Mocha Bomb is an insane blend of 50% Black Albert that has had a lot of Columbian craft coffee beans added, 25% De Struise Cuvee Delphine (Black Albert aged in Four Roses bourbon barrels) and 25% Hel & Verdoemenis (an imperial stout from De Molen brewery that was aged on Jack Daniels barrels for half a year).

Read my review on the hyperlink. This is the best blend of a coffee-forward stout & a barrel-aged stout that I've ever had, and that includes Founders famed Kentucky Breakfast Stout and Canadian Breakfast Stout. Canadian Breakfast Stout is really ****ing rare - never bottled but offered on-tap in major cities at least one time. KC and STL are going to get it in for a second time really soon). Black Damnation II is better and rarer. The Black Damnation series is not, and will not be, available for retail anywhere in America. I got mine straight from the brewery because I know a guy who knows a guy. And I still have one more bottle left of this elixir.

Tomorrow: De Struise Black Damnation III!

Both were of the good but not great variety. The Ska IPA was pretty balanced but a bit sweet on the front end.

The Reverend Quad was a solid quad that I bought instead as of my usual Boulevard Quad and it didn't hold up to that standard.

Drank the Great Divide - 16th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA last night. Fairly unique wood flavor up front but not overdone. Really enjoyed that one and might need to buy another before the local supply is completely cached.

Saving the two others for later since I didn't quite appreciate that they were hard to get when I bought them. The beer guy at the store near my office said he dove into his stash after I talked to him a bit.

Pliny should be consumed ASAP. It is a beer that literally gets worse by the day.

If you're looking to try a new quad, look for the St. Bernardus Abt 12, which should be relatively easy to find. Fantastic quad, and one of my favorite beers.

And, as Reaper said, drink the Pliny ASAP - it even says so on the bottle. Check out the bottling date on it, too - the fresher, the better. The only Pliny i was ever able to get my hands on was 2 mos old, which is apparently past its prime, but was still absolutely delicious.

We need like a CP wiki of beers to try.

I gotta make a list and I gotta reinstate my Sunday TV + Beer exercise.

That would be a huge list, lol. And why limit it to Sunday? :)

This

Mostly because without my ritual, I'm not trying anything new, which is severely disappointing. I need to go over to Missouri.

Will probably have an Orval tonight.

New Belgium Eric's Ale
Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout

Big fan of Abt 12.

Thanks to you and Reaper on the Pliny heads up. The bottle in my fridge is about 40 days old and I might have kept it in there for a couple of weeks if I hadn't known that freshness was key. Probably will drink it this afternoon.

Orval! **** yes.

Creme Brulee is a ****ing experience, ain't it? It is so sweet as to elicit laughter.

Just bought a bottle of Consecration. $11 for a small bottle hurt a bit but sounds like it will be well worth it.

continuing my southern IPA tour from last week: Terrapin's Hopsecutioner
(loved it)

i'm moving a whole hour away to the ATL for Sweetwater's IPA (no link, they have one of the worst web sites ever)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3001/...363705.jpg?v=0

So that Pliny stuff is pretty ****ing good. Really loved the long hoppy finish that was the opposite of obnoxious.

Had the Shipyard XXXX IPA last night. Tasted more like a barley wine than an IPA which makes sense since it's nearly 10% ABV and uses Caramel malts. The primary hops were cascade which I typically like, but they were light enough that they couldn't compete with the malt. Overall it was just OK IMO. I might have liked it more if I hadn't expected a much hoppier experience.

Anyone tried any others from the "Pugsley Signature Series" Shipyard puts out?

Now imagine how good a bottle that's two weeks old (or less!) would taste. There's a reason why a certain bottle of Pliny the Elder recieved my highest review score ever.

That sounds exactly what I expected XXXX IPA to taste like. I've had the imperial porter from the Shipyard Pugsley Signature Series; I found it pretty blah.

I am definitely going to keep an eye out for it now. A beer guy at the best liquor store near downtown Denver said the get a decent amount of cases in somewhat regularly but it sells out in a day.

**** you bastards with access to Pliny. I love IPA's and it's nowhere to be found in Texas.

Did have Ommegang's Hennepin at the gingerman in Fort Worth last night. Very tasty.

Also tried Bear Republic's Crazy Ivan IPA which was pretty middling of all the IPA's I've had.

Had a third IPA but don't remember the name. It was sort of like Twisted Thistle which is IPA lite IMO.

I liked Hennepin. Surprised since I didn't like Three Philosophers, but I'm giving the latter another try soon.

Orval may just be the best on this list. Of the ones I've had, of course.

Man, I forgot Old Engine Oil is on the list. Damn good one too. Tough call.

Elder is good but wait till you have a younger on tap, friggen fantastic.

Orval is an all-time classic. One of the great treasures of the beverage world.

I hope to one day be in San Diego for PtY. I heard that Russian River is not allowing growler fills of Pliny the Younger next year, seeing as how the beer ran out at RR in like 8 hours.

Orval is definitely awesome and unique. I actually visited that monastery last year, which was pretty cool. Unfortunately, they didn't allow tours of the brewery... :(

Has Specs made its way up to DFW yet? No idea if thy can get Pliny but it is a good liquor store.

Re-tried Three Philosophers. Much preferred it the second time. I'm not sure why.

No, we have Central Market and Goody Goody if you want good craft beer. Some other liquor stores have decent selections but Goody Goody is the largest and consistently has Blvd.

I feel like a dick talking about De Struise Black Damnation II: Mocha Bomb last week and, now, Black Damnation III: Black Mes because it is nearly impossible for any of you to get them outside of trading. They are not sold in the U.S.; only Belgium gets them. I got them straight from De Struise because I'm lucky enough to have a connection.

Black Damnation III: Black Mes is 100% Black Albert aged on Caol Ila 1995 Distiller's Choice scotch whiskey barrels. It is really, really delicious, as you can tell from my review that I linked to.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._6555842_n.jpg

this was like finding gold. For those who've had the younger, the sculpin is almost comparable to it. Its also a very limited release and I luckily found it in albertsons backdoor alcohol fridge

Had tonight:

Goose Island's Demolition Ale - Very delicious. At first, I wasn't sure I'd like it as I found it to be a spiced Belgian Ale but, if it was, it was very mild. I liked it, overall.

Hoppin' Frog's BORIS The Crusher Oatmeal-Imperial Stout - Seriously tasty. Has the bite of Avery's Mephistopheles, which is to say it has an incredible and addictive bite. Makes me keep grabbing for more sips.

Good People Snake Handler IIPA on-tap. Bama beer doin' it big.

Fresh Sculpin is one of my very favorite beer experiences.

Russian River and Dogfish Head are obvious but what others should I hit up early at the GABF next month?

Good god. I don't think i'll ever have a chocolate stout as good as Southern Tier Chocolate Stout.

Oh - had a Delerium Tremens this week as well. :)

i got tired of IPAs

http://www.beeraday.net/wp-content/u...al-porter2.jpg

http://bhamweekly.com/birmingham/art...al-porter.html