Blair Ridley
Wine Labeler
Posts:3980
 | | 10/12/2004 9:18 AM |
| | The past week and a half I've only had Tsing Tao (in Hong Kong) and plenty of Asahi or Kirin here in Japan. Good stuff when wine is absurdly priced! | | | |
|
Budman
Master of Wine
Posts:11834
| | 10/12/2004 9:19 AM |
| Sayonara!  | | | |
|
Fred
Wine Thief
Posts:2673
| | 10/12/2004 11:41 AM |
| Quote:
Drake's IPA (San Leandro).
Thanks Bob I'll see if I can get my hands on some. I'm turning into a real hop head.  | |
"It's better to have your enemies inside the tent pissing out, then outside the tent pissing in." -- Lyndon Johnson | |
|
Bradley Molzen
Bayonne, NJ
Wine Lover
Posts:4972
| | 10/12/2004 1:15 PM |
| | When I lived in Chicago, it was all about the Goose Island... Love that stuff. | |
If you drink wine, you get smarter.... | |
|
David Sullivan
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2276
| | 10/13/2004 6:32 AM |
| | Red Nectar - nectar ales is very nice. | | | |
|
ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:886
| | 10/13/2004 2:50 PM |
| Quote:
Red Nectar - nectar ales is very nice.
I almost picked up their IPA at Safeway last night. Got the Anderson Valley Hop Ottin IPA (7%alc) instead. The hop flavor was pretty weedy. Sort of a tomato leaf/sage thing. Not my style. Have to try the Nectar. | | | |
|
ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:886
| | 10/14/2004 6:25 AM |
| I guess I'm on an IPA kick right now. Monday night, with skwid, at Pacific Coast Brewing Company in Oakland, I had some of his Bear Republic "Racer 5". (`99 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal winner) This is very smooth and floral. At 69 IBU, not as agressively hopped as some of the ones I've been enjoying lately. A dangerous thirst quencher since it hides it's 7.0%alc very well.
Note to self: Try Bear Republic "Hop Rod Rye". With 20% rye malt, it's still IPA styled with a whopping 90+ IBU and 7.5%alc.
For myself, I had another GABF Gold winner (`03) ; the Hop Town Brewing Co IPA (Pleasanton, CA). Intensely hop flavored but not excessively bitter, the finish lasts forever. 6.2%alc.
I started tonight's visit to Toronado with my first Speakesay "Big Daddy" IPA. It was smooth and lacked the bite and sustained finish of the top IPA's. Good, but nothing fantastic.
Next was another first try. Oggi's "Hop Juice". This was a first rate Double IPA. Huge malty sweetness wrestling for attention with a salvo of bitter, fruity, and resiny hops. This comes from Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Company in San Clemente. Unfortunately I don't believe this is bottled so I'll just have to be jealous of the Southlanders who can enjoy this on a regular basis from tap.
Here are Beer Advocate's top ten Double IPA's
Three Floyds Dreadnaught IPA 4.47
Ale Smith YuleSmith 4.43
Victory Hop Wallop 4.39
Stone Ruination IPA 4.31
Pizza Port Frank Double IPA 4.30
Stone 5th Anniversary IPA 4.30
Pizza Port Hop 15 4.29
Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye 4.29
Rogue I2PA - Imperial India Pale Ale 4.28
Great Divide Hercules Double IPA 4.27
And Ratebeer.com's top Double IPA's
Three Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA 4.34 *
Nørrebro Bryghus North Bridge Extreme 4.31
AleSmith YuleSmith India Pale Ale 4.19 *
Stone Ruination IPA 4.12 *
Great Divide Hercules Double IPA 4.09 *
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA 4.09
Pizza Port Frank Double IPA 4.05 *
Goose Island Imperial IPA 4.01
Victory Hop Wallop 3.99 *
Oggis Ding Ding Double IPA 3.98
* made both lists
I'll have to be on the lookout for the Three Floyds Dreadnaught. Anyone tried this? Available in your area? | | | |
|
Winoman
Herndon VA
Grape Sorter
Posts:382
| | 10/19/2004 4:57 PM |
| Fred/Bob - yeah I hear yah! Big Hop head myself - and that Dogfishead 90 min IPA is awesome stuff (haven't tried the 120)....its got it all really - what a brew!
Yeah - love the hoppy stuff - Victory Hop Devil is a great one....and Stone Ruination (West Coast...and all their stuff is great...Arrogant Bastard, etc)...two faves....really local here in NVA is Dominion Hop Pocket...its a great fresh drink (growlers baby!) - but without the malt backbone of the Dogfishead or Victory...their Oak Barrel Stout is to die for though!
And anyone familiar with Ommeramagau? They are from upstate New York and produce some of the very best Belgian Style ales this side of the atlantic (and Duvel actually bought a controlling interest). Recently had some cask conditioned ale and a very nice Lambic infused ale (didn't remember the name - but compared favorably to some of the finest wine I've ever drunk...really...)...but some beautiful brews - yup yup!)... | | | |
|
Winoman
Herndon VA
Grape Sorter
Posts:382
| | 10/19/2004 5:03 PM |
| Lagunitas makes a great IPA as well if I recall - had one recently and it wise quite chewy (as well as hoppy)...don't remember the specific name of the brew however (maybe just IPA? lol)
And TJ - EKU 28 - yeah brings back some old (college) memories...mostly pleasent..I guess... | | | |
|
Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts:13660
| | 10/19/2004 5:05 PM |
| Quote:
Lagunitas makes a great IPA as well if I recall - had one recently and it wise quite chewy (as well as hoppy)...don't remember the specific name of the brew however (maybe just IPA? lol)
And TJ - EKU 28 - yeah brings back some old (college) memories...mostly pleasent..I guess...
exactly!
now...IPA, what the heck is that? | |
www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
|
Winoman
Herndon VA
Grape Sorter
Posts:382
| | 10/19/2004 5:08 PM |
| I'll second the rec of allgash - their belgian white is very nice/special...and their summer wheat (not sure if the name is right) is perhaps what your looking for Jaimi...BTW - Allagash is a featrued beer at Tscadora Mill out in Leesburg VA - a restaraunt - if your not familiar - that is worthwhile for its food - its wonderful (and mostly reasonable) wine list as well as its nice beer selection...(they serve sampler flights of both beer and wine BTW...)
Otherwise its pretty tough to get a good Heffweizen in the states IMO...of the imports (available here) I've found Ayinger the most consitent...(OK - but not great great...) | | | |
|
Fred
Wine Thief
Posts:2673
| | 10/19/2004 5:28 PM |
| Quote:
Quote:
Lagunitas makes a great IPA as well if I recall - had one recently and it wise quite chewy (as well as hoppy)...don't remember the specific name of the brew however (maybe just IPA? lol)
And TJ - EKU 28 - yeah brings back some old (college) memories...mostly pleasent..I guess...
exactly!
now...IPA, what the heck is that?
Are you serious TJ?? IPA - India Pale Ale? | |
"It's better to have your enemies inside the tent pissing out, then outside the tent pissing in." -- Lyndon Johnson | |
|
Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts:13660
| | 10/19/2004 5:32 PM |
| Seriously, I was clueless. I am not a beer monster like you, even if I am German.  | |
www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
|
Winoman
Herndon VA
Grape Sorter
Posts:382
| |
ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:886
| | 10/19/2004 7:11 PM |
| Just the other day, I was researching the Great American Beer Festival IPA gold medal winners. Two nights ago I spied one in my local liqour store; E. J. Phair. Looking closer, I noticed it was brewed in Concord, CA the city next to my town. I returned home and opened one with great anticipation. Lots of hops, for sure, but there was a cloying sweetness and very little carbonation. A real disappointment. Checking the user ratings at Ratebeer.com, I found that others felt the same way. What a disappointment. Oh well there's lots more beer out there.
I enjoy White Belgian Ales. On this side of the pond, I like the Blanche du Chambly from Canada's Unibroue. For an exteme brew, their Fin du Monde rocks.
Here's a simple and delicious recipe for mussels in White Belgian Ale I make all the time:
1 T olive oil
1 medium onion (sweet onion if available)
1 medium leek
1/2 tsp salt
12 oz White Belgian Ale
2 lbs mussels cleaned and debearded
Discard any open mussels that don't close when tapped or held under the faucet. Clean the leeks. ( I usually cut the white and light green part that I'm going to use away from the rest, quarter it lengtwise, rinse under water, then chop) Chop the onion, 1/4-1/3 in. dice. Heat the olive oil in an ample size pot or dutch oven over low heat. Sweat the onions and leeks in the pot until very tender, stirring once in a while, about 35 minutes. Keep the heat low enough so they don' t brown (patience). Add the White Belgian Ale and salt and bring to a boil. Add the mussels, cover and cook until openened, about 4 minutes. Serve in bowls with some nice crusty bread and White Belgian Ale. Discard any mussels that don't open. | | | |
|
ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:886
| | 10/23/2004 9:22 AM |
| A rare opportunity. Went with Skwid on a brewery tour at Anchor Brewery. If you are ever in SF give this a go. Appointment is neccessary, book at least two weeks in advance. After the tour, they give you an 8oz beer glass, you know, the ones that look like coke glasses that they give you with your pitcher at the pizza joints. They proceed to fill it to the brim with each of their brews including the super potent Old Foghorn Barleywine. If you haven't had enough by then, you can hang around for unlimited refills. Meanwhile the workers occasionally stop in for a brew. Evidently, after four hours of work, you're allowed to partake of the product. (Maybe not forklift drivers, but I don't know).
Anyway, the conversation got around to the Christmas Ale, which is vintage dated and ages well. Our guide said they have the stuff in the cellar going back to `86 or `87. Ken was raving about the `93 he'd had from magnums. We were able to purchase some of these. What a treat. I had the `87 and `93, and later, the `92. All were still in great shape, carmelly and complex with ample carbonation, these had been refrigerated from the day they had been brewed and had never left the cellar.
Wow, Wow, double Wow. | | | |
|
whiner
Second star to the right, and straight on till morning
Wine Thief
Posts:2869
| | 10/24/2004 10:33 AM |
| I had my favorite beer again tonight and... it is still my favorite. I'm not certain of its technical name. I call it Chimay White. It might also be called (Chimay...) "Tripel," "Peres Trappistes," or "Cinq Cents." In any case, I love the stuff.
a | |
I can't listen to that much Wagner. I start getting the urge to conquer Poland.
-- Woody Allen | |
|
Stephen D.
Grape Fermenter
Posts:678
| | 10/26/2004 6:47 PM |
| | Just got a delivery from a buddy who was on vacation in Maine: 1/2 case of Allagash White, 1/2 case of Gritty's Vacationland Ale, and 1/2 Case Gritty's Best Bitter. AHHH, real beer. | | | |
|
Fred
Wine Thief
Posts:2673
| | 10/26/2004 7:20 PM |
| | One of my favorites of all time is the Gritty's Hampshire Special Ale! I'm going to have a ton of this when I go home for Thanksgiving! | |
"It's better to have your enemies inside the tent pissing out, then outside the tent pissing in." -- Lyndon Johnson | |
|
Stephen D.
Grape Fermenter
Posts:678
| | 10/26/2004 8:53 PM |
| | I have Gritty's motto on a coffee mug: "Beer, it's not just for breakfast anymore!" | | | |
|