Big score!!!

Just got back from my vacation to Milwaukee. What a trip!
I drank so much good beer.
I brought back a good variety--most of it from Discount Liquor on Oklahoma. This place was amazing. Its a HUGE liquor store, and one complete aisle about 30 feet long is stocked with beers from all over the place, mostly foreign and craft beers. I have never even heard of 3/4 of them, and I swear there was 500+ different beers in that one aisle alone. Anyway, I included pics of everything I brought home. I had an entire suitcase full of beer. Its great!

Here are some of the ones I got:
1. I finally got to try Hop Rod Rye. Holy freaking amazing beer, man!!!! WOW. Brought back two 22 oz. bottles, and one of Bear Republic's others, Racer 5 IPA, which I haven't tried.
2. Got a sixer of Bigfoot Ale by Sierra Nevada. I've been wanting to try it forever but we can't ever get it here and it supposedly sells fast every year.
3. An 8 beer variety pack from Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee. At a bar I tried the Cream City Pale Ale and was blown away, so I picked up the variety pack. I had thier Cattail Ale too and it was great. Also picked up one bottle of limited edition 10th anniversary barleywine. Can't wait to try it!
4. Sprecher. I was kind of bummed about the selection at Discount Liquor, but I got most of the ones I wanted. Missed out on the Maibock. Tried the Stout and it wasn't the best I've had. Didn't even bring one home. The Amber is great, and of course the soda is great. I had to get a 4-pack each of Cream Soda and Puma Kola cause its such a treat!
Had a TON of other beers spanned throughout the rest of the weekend as well. I'll mention some of those down lthe line, I'm sure. Wow.
Sorry for the long post, but had to share my score!!!!

Full reviews coming on all the ones I got. Of course my buddy Sam will have to try them all too!!!

Bigfoot, Lakefront variety pack (box behind the rest), and a few odds and ends, including Hop Rod Rye...

Sprecher varieties...

I absoluty love the New Galrus Apple Ale. (saw it in your pics) You defininatly got some really good beers.

Man, the best I can get here is Redhook ESB.

If you've still got one, I'd love to try that Hop Rod. Sounds awesome! Glad you had a good trip.

Sam

Hop Rod Rye is one of my all time favorites. I usually go through a couple bombers every weekend.

sause said:

I absoluty love the New Galrus Apple Ale. (saw it in your pics) You defininatly got some really good beers.

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You know, it is pretty damn good. I'm not a big fan of the beers like that either. Leinie's Berry Weiss is the grossest thing I've ever drank, but this one is decent. I'd have to be in the right mood to drink alot of it though.

Also, as predicted, Leinie's Creamy draft is no longer my favorite beer. I've just had way too many better beers since I've started brewing and buying different styles/brands as my tastes develop. Creamy Draft is still okay, and I drank it almost all last weekend (mainly because I bought a 12 pack of it and the rest of my family wouldn't touch a "dark beer" with a ten foot pole), but I'm more in love with Liberty Ale and Anchor Steam, and SNPA to say Creamy Draft is still my favorite. Not by a longshot anymore.

You cannot go wrong with Bear Republic.
g
Looking forward to meeting you Mutant Dan on the 7th of May, National Homebrewing Day. Don't forget I've got that 1/2 waiting for you.

I got a few sample brews for tonight--3 I've never had, and I'm chilling them right now...
1. La Fin du Monde
2. Sierra Nevada Stout
3. Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde

Full reviews to come....

La Fin - freak'n great!
never had sierra stout, but if it's anything like the other's they brew, it'll be good
pete's strawberry blonde - not as good as it used to be, but an olkay brew

DeRoux's Broux said:

La Fin - freak'n great!
never had sierra stout, but if it's anything like the other's they brew, it'll be good
pete's strawberry blonde - not as good as it used to be, but an olkay brew

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1. Strawberry Blonde--I went into this one not expecting much. Very pleasantly surprised. You can taste the fruit, and its a top notch ale as well. I'd definitely buy this again. Its a great summer brew, IMHO. Funny, cause I'm not a huge Pete's Wicked Ale fan.

2. Sierra Nevada Stout--Nahhh. It didn't blow me away. Pretty good, chocolatey, but nothing spectacular.

3. La Fin du Monde--Holy crap, pretty steenkin' good! Its smoother than its 9% alcohol, that's for sure. I'd like to try to brew this someday.

La Fin is a cool beer. try the maudete(?) too by unibraue (or how ever it's spelled?). they make some might big beers up there in Canada...... plus they have cool labels and stories for all the names oftheir beers. get culture and a helluva buzz!

DeRoux's Broux

Where in Oklahoma is this place? I will be in OK next week and would like to stop by and pick-up some good brew while I am there.

He was in Milwaukee, on Oklahoma Street.

Where you headed in OK? I'm from Tulsa. I honestly couldn't tell you any good places to get good beer. I haven't lived there for almost 12 years. I know there used to be a place in Tulsa called Cherry Street Brewery, but I know nothing of the quality, nor if it even still exists. Oklahoma isn't known for being beer or alcohol friendly.

If you're going to be in the OKC area, your best bet would probably be in Norman. It's a college town (OU), and has some good bars from what I hear.

Sam

Sam75 said:

He was in Milwaukee, on Oklahoma Street.

Where you headed in OK? I'm from Tulsa. I honestly couldn't tell you any good places to get good beer. I haven't lived there for almost 12 years. I know there used to be a place in Tulsa called Cherry Street Brewery, but I know nothing of the quality, nor if it even still exists. Oklahoma isn't known for being beer or alcohol friendly.

If you're going to be in the OKC area, your best bet would probably be in Norman. It's a college town (OU), and has some good bars from what I hear.

Sam

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DOH! Oh well. Shoulda known.
I will be in the Lawton area. I have heard that Tapwerks in OKC is good but I have not been there yet.

Sounds to me like you're probably in the best possible area for beer. For OK, I mean.

Oh well, best of luck.....I'd be interested in a trip report!

DeRoux's Broux said:

La Fin is a cool beer. try the maudete(?) too by unibraue (or how ever it's spelled?). they make some might big beers up there in Canada...... plus they have cool labels and stories for all the names oftheir beers. get culture and a helluva buzz!

DeRoux's Broux

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Unibroue's Assortment is what got me started on beer- specifically La Fin and Ephemere. God bless those people.

And God Bless Wisconsin! Whenever I am up there I go to Flanagans on College Avenue in Appleton Wisconsin and get New Glarus and everything else I can't get here (Southern Indiana). I have never seen NG apple, and am intensly jealous. Time for another nine hour drive.

Nice to see some Micro-brews being enjoyed.


My modest collection. I had a pair of Westy 12s once- had em on my wedding night.

Oahu said:

My modest collection. I had a pair of Westy 12s once- had em on my wedding night.

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I opened a magnum of Leffe's Blonde on my grandaughter's wedding night. Cost me $25.00.

Great stuff!

Strawberry Blonde: Yech. Tastes like someone had a glass of strawberry soda, dumped it out and put some beer in it.

I'm lucky enough to have a good variety of micro's to choose through around here. Back in my college days, I tried every new Micro I could find, and most of them either tasted too similar, tasted too crappy, or too similarly crappy. Occasionally I'd find some winners.

I used to hang out at a bar that had a 200 beer club. I did some damage to the list, but some of the beers (like the Rogue that has liquid smoke in it) were just brutal.

Problem with most micros is that they sit on the shelf way too long. I know some of them were up there for months before anyone would try them, and by then they were a little skunked.

I'm sipping on another Blue Moon tonight. Still one of my fave's. Wish I could get the Wieckse Wit here, that beer is simply fan-freaking-tastic. There's a bar by my office that has a couple hundred on tap. Again - it scares me because they obviously can't go through it quick enough for it to not get tainted or nasty.

Cheesefood said:

Strawberry Blonde: Yech. Tastes like someone had a glass of strawberry soda, dumped it out and put some beer in it.

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Man, I didn't think that at all. I was trying to imagine some strawberry flavor. For a lager, that one still strikes my fancy.

Here's my score for the day:

1) Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar--I'm a brown ale fan so I'm glad I found this. Can't wait to try it cause I don't think I've met a Rogue beer I didn't like.
2) Rogue American Amber--the famous flag label that got banned. I'm not expecting much with this but I wanted the bottle for a keepsake.
3) Rogue Dead Guy Ale--I've had it before, but I'm revisiting it.
4) Stone IPA--had it before, got this one again for "research" purposes....

I'd give my left ahhhh....I'd love to be able to get the Rogue Chipotle and Brutal Bitter, but no luck here. That sucks.

ORRELSE said:

Man, I didn't think that at all. I was trying to imagine some strawberry flavor. For a lager, that one still strikes my fancy.

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I'll reassert my Blech. Blech. To each his own, right? I think I used to like fruit beer. A sammy's Cherry Wheat used to hit the spot, but I think it was the Zima fest of the mid-90's that killed fruity beers for me. I don't understand the point of garnishing beer with fruit either. Don't they know that you're supposed to eat peanuts with beer?

Although I have to admit that the plastic muddlers they use in the Wit beers in Amsterdam were pretty darn cool. And that Wieckse Wit...please, someone tell me that it's available in the U.S. and tastes as good!!!

I just finished my first bottle of "La Fin" - excellent! Although I can barely see straight to type
I'm planning on starting my first business. A bar with a special theme. I think I could easily serve all of the beers this brewery makes.

I just got a sixxer of Victory Hop Devil, one of Weyerbacher Hop Infustion, and one of Lancaster Hop Hog. See a trend here? Not to mention a 4 pack of DFH 90 Minute IPA.

In singles I got a Rogue Imperial IPA, Victory Golden Monkey (already drank it.....awesome), Lancaster Milk Stout, DFH Raison D'etre, and a big ass Chimay Grand Reserve.

I'm gonna be so wasted.

You people that can buy liquor on sunday just make me sick and very jealous.

El Pistolero said:

You people that can buy liquor on sunday just make me sick and very jealous.

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Yep, it's nice! Where I live, it's home rule and we can buy beginning 7am everyday - including Sundays! You can buy beer without missing the 12 noon kick-off!

uh........guy's, HOMEBREW'S ON TAP 24/7 @ MY PAD!!!!! :~) no need to rush out @ 12 pm kick-off on Sunday.......

Orrelse, they didn't call us the nation's beer capital for nothing. Too bad there is only one major brewery left here. I guess we probably take for granted here how easy it is to buy lots and lots of varieties of beer almost anywhere. Discount Liquor is excellent, but you can find quite a selection of brews from smaller breweries, both domestic and imported, at almost any store-- even supermarket liquor stores.

Have you tried Point Special? It is made by Point Brewery in Stevens Point, WI.

mmditter said:

Orrelse, they didn't call us the nation's beer capital for nothing. Too bad there is only one major brewery left here. I guess we probably take for granted here how easy it is to buy lots and lots of varieties of beer almost anywhere. Discount Liquor is excellent, but you can find quite a selection of brews from smaller breweries, both domestic and imported, at almost any store-- even supermarket liquor stores.

Have you tried Point Special? It is made by Point Brewery in Stevens Point, WI.

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I've had all the Point beers, but last time I bought some I thought the price was grossly inflated for the quality. I could get something I really like for the extra money.
Right now I'm so in love with hops that it makes other beers just not worth it.

On another note--I was on an IPA/APA kick for a LONG time....now that its starting to switch to cooler weather--for some reason I can't get enough stout. Thank goodness I have 2 batches of stout almost ready. I'm buying a crapload of Guinness lately too.