picked up some Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale. It's pretty damn good, bold and pretty in depth. I get a little sweet, toasted grains and hoppyness throughout. Good stuff

dammit, founders is the beer i forget about every time i go the store....

Founders is my favorite brewery. They are pretty much consistently amazing across the board.

OK, minor hijack here.

Based on stuff I've read in several CP beer threads, I've tried some different beers. Near as I can tell, every ale I've tried, I haven't liked. Most recently I got the blvd single wide IPA, and it's just too bitter for my tastes.

I'm not a bud light guy. I do like beer with some flavor. I mostly drink blvd wheat now. Any suggestions for some stuff that's less bitter than an ale?

BLVD wheat is an ale. There is nothing about ale that necessitates bitterness. What is your understanding of "ale?" Are you using it as shorthand for Pale Ales and India Pale Ales?

Hell if I know. /shrug Maybe pales, yea

OK, so single wide IPA was too bitter. like the flavor but the bitterness at the end is too much. Tried several kinds of Sam Adams, found them to be too bitter. I guess maybe it's not about the ale part of it.

Bitterness comes from hops. So, you should check out beer styles that don't feature a lot of hop flavor. These styles include, but are not limited to: German Hefewiezens, Any English ales, American porter, Stouts, Belgian styles (Dubbel, Tripel, Quadrupel, blonde).

well I picked up a hefewiezen and something from a local (Ames, Old Main) brewery that's supposed to be mild on hops. We'll see if this gets me anywhere.

Thanks for suggestions.

I think the bitterness will come with time. I'm in the same boat just not to your extereme. A lot of PA and IPAs are way to hoppy and bitter for me. Slowly I'm realizing that isn't the case, but you just have to give it time.


As for my haul, I had Samael and Aventinus. I think I made a mistake though. I had the Samael first and being as strong as it was it did two things 1) got to me fast on my empty stomach and 2) had such a powerful flavor that I thin it overshadowed Aventinus. I'd heard Aventinus recommended by many here yet having it I thought "meh". There wasn't much special about it.

I think I'm going to have to give it another shot on a fresh(er) palette. Realizing my palette was somewhat compromised I decided not to try any others.

Since I wanted to try my hand at reviewing, I wrote the following on pintley. First time I've even contemplated the 5 aspects. Bear in mind I'm not a wordsmith.

Interesting, I always equated Belgian with hops. Maybe I was conflating that because of coriander often found in Belgian styles.

Do give Aventinus another shot. There is all sorts of things special about it. I think it is absolutely, without question, one of the finest beers on the planet.

Could be the coriander. But coriander should really only be showing through a lot in witbiers and some Tripels.

Had my first of four Founders' Breakfast Stout. Wonderfully scrumptious. Will drink more.

It's super-fantastic. One of the big reasons why Founders is my favorite brewery.

Picked up a BSS Bourbon Barrel Quad. First, it's labeled as #6732 of #11248 bottled and produced. Reminds me of my vinyl collection which will mark their pressings in the same way and even press to different color vinyl for different editions of a particular release, so that was cool too me.

That said, I'm not really digging the brew. I get the hint of bourbon barrel, and I like bourbon, but it tastes extremely sweet, like a syrup too me. My least favorite of the BSS.

You have much experience with Quadrupels before drinking the BBQ?