The OFFICIAL Craft Beer Thread

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 11:55 am

and you thought Scott Walker was a dick before.

devilfluff · Post by **devilfluff** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 8:54 pm

The Sybian wrote:
devilfluff wrote: I grabbed a couple bottles of GS Rhapsody. I keep hearing excellent things, but haven't tried it yet.

120 is good, but it can be kind of sweet and syrupy. It's a side effect of trying to balance out the metric shit ton of hops...
Should I drink the 120 soon then? If it is just going to get more syrupy, I'd rather not hold onto it.

Totally up to you, but if you've never had it before I'd drink it fresh.

It actually is supposed to mellow out as it ages. Some people prefer it with several years on it.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 8:58 pm

Rush2112 wrote:and you thought Scott Walker was a dick before.

Before 2011 when that article was written?

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 9:56 pm

devilfluff wrote:
The Sybian wrote:
devilfluff wrote: I grabbed a couple bottles of GS Rhapsody. I keep hearing excellent things, but haven't tried it yet.

120 is good, but it can be kind of sweet and syrupy. It's a side effect of trying to balance out the metric shit ton of hops...
Should I drink the 120 soon then? If it is just going to get more syrupy, I'd rather not hold onto it.
Totally up to you, but if you've never had it before I'd drink it fresh.

It actually is supposed to mellow out as it ages. Some people prefer it with several years on it.

Good point. Except for a couple of recent hard to find and too expensive to buy more than one bottle purchases, I have always tried one fresh.

Just got an e-mail from Total Wines that the Spring Beers are almost here! Makes me sad, as I love the Winter seasonals. Nugget Nectar seems like a transitional beer from winter to spring, but after that, it is mostly light and wheat beers to come. On the plus side, I have been so overwhelmed with seasonal beers, I haven't bought any of my year round favorites. I'll just have to suffer through the spring and summer and pray for fall.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Sun Mar 15, 2015 10:22 am

So, Cigar City just announced that they have some Heady Topper leftover from Hunapu Day. Is it worth a special trip over?

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Sun Mar 15, 2015 10:35 am

Totally.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Sun Mar 15, 2015 10:40 am

$5 a can, and you have to drink it there. I'll probably take the baby with me on the way to shop for groceries.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Sun Mar 15, 2015 10:42 am

That's cool they're not letting people take them out to sell. Go early, don't miss this.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Sun Mar 15, 2015 10:44 am

I will probably get there around 3 or so. There's prob a ton of folks hung over from yesterday. I imagine there might be a bunch of other beers left over too.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Sun Mar 15, 2015 11:07 am

Spoken like a man about to miss out on Heady.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Sun Mar 15, 2015 1:14 pm

New Belgium's Rampant IPA is really good. Bought it on the recommendation of my uncle, and I'm impressed.

Also, if you get Boulevard in your area and want the perfect spring beer, go find the Spring Belle. It's a great saison.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Sun Mar 15, 2015 2:32 pm

Had I made it by three, I would have had some.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Sun Mar 15, 2015 7:28 pm

Biggest mistake of your life.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Sun Mar 15, 2015 8:06 pm

I've made many bigger, I promise you.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Sun Mar 15, 2015 10:19 pm

D you think Heady is that good? It's good yes, but I think over hyped.

I actually prefer Fiddlehead's IPA if we're talking VT IPAs.

(and I hear ya Bronto, Rampant is what I get if I'm bring some beer over to the beer drinking crowd, can't beet 3$ for a bomber of good DIPA.)

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Sun Mar 15, 2015 10:30 pm

Oh yeah. I'm not going to pretend I'd pick it if you put the 10 best DIPAs in the country in front of me blind, but it's easily one of the best I've had. Never had Fiddlehead, but Double Sunshine (also VT, Lawson's) is on par.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 9:03 am

Looks like you saved yourself some embarrassment, Ched. If you had bought a Heady, knowing that at best it was only the second-best beer from Vermont, I would have pointed and laughed. I don't know why you would even consider drinking that swill.

d wrote:Biggest mistake of your life.

chedda wrote:I've made many bigger, I promise you.

About five or six years ago, you were in Pittsburgh and didn't make time to see me. DSafetyGuy and I had a lovely (but loud) dinner that night.You could have been there. It would have been special. Does the memory of this night still haunt you?

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 9:33 am

Dsafe was there that night too? That was #5 on my worst decisions list, but it's at least #3 now.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 9:42 am

govmentchedda wrote:Dsafe was there that night too? That was #5 on my worst decisions list, but it's at least #3 now.

That Tila Tequila/Shawne Merriman story broke that day, and then you stood us up. It was an emotional night. I've never really gotten over it.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 9:59 am

bapo! wrote:
govmentchedda wrote:Dsafe was there that night too? That was #5 on my worst decisions list, but it's at least #3 now.
That Tila Tequila/Shawne Merriman story broke that day, and then you stood us up. It was an emotional night. I've never really gotten over it.

You should head down to Bradenton. I'll meet you and Coffee for Closers (or do I have that mixed up with another swamper?) for an A ball game and some craft beer. You can always stop by Cigar City in Tampa as well. Shit, you should do it this summer. The wife and kids are out of town for a month, and I've got zero commitments from 7/6-7/30, except for the weekend of the 18th. Let's go see if Tyler Glasnow is worth the hype!

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 10:43 am

Where the hell does your family go for a month?

(That's one of those things that sounds great in theory but by the 36th hour I'd be sad and miss them. Someone needs to invent like an 8th day for parents where the kids can't be around so you don't miss them or feel guilt for not being around?)

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 10:56 am

mister d wrote:Where the hell does your family go for a month?

(That's one of those things that sounds great in theory but by the 36th hour I'd be sad and miss them. Someone needs to invent like an 8th day for parents where the kids can't be around so you don't miss them or feel guilt for not being around?)

I'm going to miss the hell out of them, and am not looking forward to my month of loneliness. The first weekend will be nice, but after that, not so much.

Details - My wife and her mom are driving up to Richmond to see her aunt and uncle (they're kidless, and essentially our kids' third set of grandparents). They're taking their time getting there, then staying about a week or so before heading to Black Mountain, NC. I'm flying up there the weekend they arrive, and helping them unpack/hanging out with them for a few days. The kids will be in camp for 3 weeks, and I'm flying back up to spend the last week with them all in N.C. They are attending camp with another family from here that they love to hang out with. There will be 7 kids between the ages of 18 months and 11 years old in a house for 3 weeks with just the two moms, until the other dad and I join them for the last week. I plan on doing nothing but riding my bike to Pisgah Brewing every day while I'm there.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:10 am

govmentchedda wrote:You should head down to Bradenton. I'll meet you and Coffee for Closers (or do I have that mixed up with another swamper?) for an A ball game and some craft beer. You can always stop by Cigar City in Tampa as well. Shit, you should do it this summer. The wife and kids are out of town for a month, and I've got zero commitments from 7/6-7/30, except for the weekend of the 18th. Let's go see if Tyler Glasnow is worth the hype!

Two flaws in your plan. 1) I'm not drinking now, and I might still be dry in July. I don't want to visit a city with a really good brewery that doesn't distribute here and be tempted. 2) Glasnow will be starting the season in AA Altoona, not Bradenton. And yeah, I certainly hope that he's worth the hype. Looking forward to seeing him in Pittsburgh, hopefully by April 2016. (Overly optimistic time-frame. The Pirates really take their time with pitching prospects.)

I would like to take a trip this summer, but Florida seems a bit out of reach. I was thinking somewhere closer to home, like Akron. Could you meet me there? We could, like, visit the Goodyear plant or egg LeBron's house or something.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:15 am

bapo! wrote:
govmentchedda wrote:You should head down to Bradenton. I'll meet you and Coffee for Closers (or do I have that mixed up with another swamper?) for an A ball game and some craft beer. You can always stop by Cigar City in Tampa as well. Shit, you should do it this summer. The wife and kids are out of town for a month, and I've got zero commitments from 7/6-7/30, except for the weekend of the 18th. Let's go see if Tyler Glasnow is worth the hype!
Two flaws in your plan. 1) I'm not drinking now, and I might still be dry in July. I don't want to visit a city with a really good brewery that doesn't distribute here and be tempted. 2) Glasnow will be starting the season in AA Altoona, not Bradenton. And yeah, I certainly hope that he's worth the hype. Looking forward to seeing him in Pittsburgh, hopefully by April 2016. (Overly optimistic time-frame. The Pirates really take their time with pitching prospects.)

I would like to take a trip this summer, but Florida seems a bit out of reach. I was thinking somewhere closer to home, like Akron. Could you meet me there? We could, like, visit the Goodyear plant or egg LeBron's house or something.

Well, the family is out of town, maybe I'll make it a rust belt July.

DSafetyGuy · Post by **DSafetyGuy** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 12:00 pm

bapo! wrote:
govmentchedda wrote:Dsafe was there that night too? That was #5 on my worst decisions list, but it's at least #3 now.
That Tila Tequila/Shawne Merriman story broke that day, and then you stood us up. It was an emotional night. I've never really gotten over it.

My emotions were buoyed by the fact that I shared an elevator ride with Alan Trammell earlier that evening. There was no way in which to make small talk involving "my favorite player growing up" that would not have been awkward, so I kept my mouth shut.

And then bapo and burrito and Forbes Field "wall".

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 9:51 pm

KBYessss!

devilfluff · Post by **devilfluff** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 10:07 pm

The Sybian wrote:KBYessss!

Nice! I got skunked...

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 11:54 pm

devilfluff wrote:
The Sybian wrote:KBYessss!
Nice! I got skunked...

Last bottle. The guy was eyeing me really funny, wouldn't tell me if he was out for some reason. Asked if I called, which I did. Weird.

Total Wine in Union told me they got it in today, waiting until 9 am tomorrow, I guess today.

rass · Post by **rass** » Wed Apr 01, 2015 6:22 am

Been getting over a cold for weeks. Weeks! Ordered a Nugget Nectar over the weekend and couldn't taste a damn thing. Instead of giving up and just sticking with water, I followed that up with a Grapefruit Sculpin. Holy shit could I taste the grapefruit. It made my tongue feel young and alive again. I hope to try it at some point when I can smell and taste, and I hope it holds up.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Apr 01, 2015 7:10 am

DSafetyGuy wrote:
bapo! wrote:
govmentchedda wrote:Dsafe was there that night too? That was #5 on my worst decisions list, but it's at least #3 now.
That Tila Tequila/Shawne Merriman story broke that day, and then you stood us up. It was an emotional night. I've never really gotten over it.
My emotions were buoyed by the fact that I shared an elevator ride with Alan Trammell earlier that evening. There was no way in which to make small talk involving "my favorite player growing up" that would not have been awkward, so I kept my mouth shut.

And then bapo and burrito and Forbes Field "wall".

My go to move is a handshake and "I enjoy(ed) watching you play." Then pretty much back off.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Apr 01, 2015 7:59 am

Waiting for Total Wine to open. It is not out if my way to work, different route, but I'm not going out of my way to get 1 bottle. Line is forming, I am the only person without a beard. Not sure why people are lining up, there are only a handful of people.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Apr 01, 2015 8:00 am

The Sybian wrote:Waiting for Total Wine to open. It is not out if my way to work, different route, but I'm not going out of my way to get 1 bottle. Line is forming, I am the only person without a beard. Not sure why people are lining up, there are only a handful of people.

It's the new Apple iWine I think.

rass · Post by **rass** » Wed Apr 01, 2015 8:03 am

The Sybian wrote:Waiting for Total Wine to open. It is not out if my way to work, different route, but I'm not going out of my way to get 1 bottle. Line is forming, I am the only person without a beard. Not sure why people are lining up, there are only a handful of people.

Rt 22 represent! Good luck efficiently getting to wherever you're headed after this.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Apr 01, 2015 8:11 am

rass wrote:
The Sybian wrote:Waiting for Total Wine to open. It is not out if my way to work, different route, but I'm not going out of my way to get 1 bottle. Line is forming, I am the only person without a beard. Not sure why people are lining up, there are only a handful of people.
Rt 22 represent! Good luck efficiently getting to wherever you're headed after this.

I'm just trying to mitigate my douchiness, and I deserve to be called on it. This is one of those beers I never thought I'd be able to get. Only one case at Total Wine, no idea what Stew had.

They had a U-cart behind the service desk covered with a tarp, and the guy was all "what do you want?" They had maybe 6 cases of Enjoy By under the tarp as well as the KBS. Is Enjoy By hard to get? I've seen it on the shelves just about everywhere.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Apr 01, 2015 8:37 am

rass wrote:Ordered a Nugget Nectar over the weekend and couldn't taste a damn thing.

That's because Nugget Nectar is D-E-A-D. Maybe downhill after 3 weeks and straight up dead after 6 in bottles and on tap, still ok but not at peak in cans. Brutal if you got a case of it at the Allentown in Wegman's, especially if you bought it as a bright side 30 minutes after your team got eliminated from their conference tourney on a buzzer beater.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Apr 01, 2015 8:39 am

Enjoy By is, or was, a rotating shipment where every release wouldn't hit every state. Apparently now its ramping up big time and will be coming in 6 packs as well.

rass · Post by **rass** » Wed Apr 01, 2015 8:43 am

mister d wrote:
rass wrote:Ordered a Nugget Nectar over the weekend and couldn't taste a damn thing.
That's because Nugget Nectar is D-E-A-D. Maybe downhill after 3 weeks and straight up dead after 6 in bottles and on tap, still ok but not at peak in cans. Brutal if you got a case of it at the Allentown in Wegman's, especially if you bought it as a bright side 30 minutes after your team got eliminated from their conference tourney on a buzzer beater.

Yeah, it was on tap. And my tongue was/is definitely dead, with the mentioned exception.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Wed Apr 01, 2015 8:50 am

Found Boulevard's new IPA (The Calling) in Greensboro NC of all places this weekend. Haven't been able to get it in KC. Go figure.

It's really damn good.

ETA: The Calling is an Imperial IPA. They have a regular IPA, Heavy Lifting IPA, that was released yesterday in cans. That's brand new too.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Apr 01, 2015 9:30 am

Mr.D wrote:Enjoy By is, or was, a rotating shipment where every release wouldn't hit every state. Apparently now its ramping up big time and will be coming in 6 packs as well.

I know what Enjoy By is, actually had one this week. Berkeley Wines had cases of them sitting out, and I see them in just about every store, so I am confused why they had them behind the counter and would think anyone would wait for the store to open to pick up a bottle. Maybe they are trying to make sure people really want KBS before they give it out? A new Enjoy By comes out pretty frequently, so I didn't think they were that big a deal. It was really good, BTW. I had one of the previous releases, but don't remember if they were the same. Super fresh hops taste, very piney. It's a great DIPA, and I will buy a future release, but I wouldn't go out of my way to pick it up or get excited when the next release comes out. There are just so many great DIPAs now. I had an Avery Maharajah recently. Had no idea they were sending it to NJ now. I've heard from a couple of people it is one of the greatest beers ever. It is a great beer, but I'd put a lot of DIPAs on the same level. It was a great mix of super piney and super citrusy.

Brontoburglar wrote:Found Boulevard's new IPA (The Calling) in Greensboro NC of all places this weekend. Haven't been able to get it in KC. Go figure.

It's really damn good.

ETA: The Calling is an Imperial IPA. They have a regular IPA, Heavy Lifting IPA, that was released yesterday in cans. That's brand new too.

Are these special release, or Smokestack Series? I see the Single Wide and Double Wide everywhere, but haven't seen either of these. Finally found Double Wide sold as a single bottle, so I just bought one. Single Wide was good, I've really liked all of the Boulevard I've tried. Not a huge Saison fan, but their Tank 7 is the best I've had. A great summer beer.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Apr 01, 2015 9:34 am

Oh. I think the releases are still a thing, atleast in the "good" beer stores. Like you aren't ever going to find it sitting on the shelf at Wine Library but you might find a case at dumb ol' Berkeley Wines where they have no one who actually knows beer.