Tried 2 new beers tonight

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BrewProject

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Probably not new to most of you all, but I have been primarily a BMC drinker for many years. Just started homebrewing, so I plan on putting that behind me. :D

Anyway I tried my first New Belgium Sunshine Wheat Beer. I was pleasantly surprised. It had a definite citrus taste which I do not believe is common with wheat beer. This would be a real thirst quencer in the heat... rating on a scale from 1 to 10, i rate it an 8 or 9.

Second, I tried a Sierra Nevada Stout. i am not as much of a stout fan as some others, but it was too bad. a little bitter, but that was to be expected. my biggest concern about stout/big beers is they weigh heavy on my stomach after more than a few. Real nice head and retention on this beer however. rating on this beer (at least for me) about a 6 or 7. i understand some of you will disagree with me on this.

And actually now that I am posting, I tried a New Castle Brown Ale the other night, which I thought was delicious. I have had one before but it was a few years ago and I had already been drinking Miller all night. rating on this beer about a 7 or 8.

really just interested on some of you guys comments regarding these 2 beers, errr, 3 beers....

since i started to home brew and see all my options out there, i have taken a new interest in trying some different beers.

please let me hear your comments...

thanks :mug:
 
I like Newcastle, too. It's one of our easy drinking brown ales around here. I made an English Brown Ale that closely resembles it and my husband loved it!

I don't like wheat beers or other "flavors" in my beer, so I'm not a good judge of the other. I do like stouts and porters, but never had the Sierra Nevada version.

Lorena
 
after sampling more of each of the 2 new brews tonight, i must say, i prefer the sunshine wheat for sure.

however, the stout has a kick.... :drunk: :tank:
 
I've become more of a fan of Porters and Stouts in my old age. I'm more about malt than hops tho, but there was a time when I really enjoyed a beefy IPA...

That being said, I do enjoy, VERY MUCH, Bear Republic's Hop Rod Rye. But I'm also a huge fan of their Black Bear Stout as well.

Newcastle I like. I just like something a little heavier.

As far as the citrus in the wheat, I notice that a lot. But I like it. Especially during a meal. (my own personal taste mind you) But I also like a hefe during a warm summer day after long chores around the house... As far as the hefe fans here on the boards? I'll let them speak for themselves. But I do like the different styles.

:off: (sidebar, twice I've been to this restaurant here in town for dinner, decent beer selection but Blue Moon on tap for 2 bucks in my situation right now is hard to pass up... I'm fine with it, but I'll be damned if they didn't bring it to me with that friggin orange slice in it.... excuse me, leave sliced fruit <limes included> OUT of my beer) :off:

Congrats on branching out! The more you try, the more you'll love. AND the more you'll brew! :rockin:


Ize
 
Ize said:
I've become more of a fan of Porters and Stouts in my old age. I'm more about malt than hops tho, but there was a time when I really enjoyed a beefy IPA...

That being said, I do enjoy, VERY MUCH, Bear Republic's Hop Rod Rye. But I'm also a huge fan of their Black Bear Stout as well.

Newcastle I like. I just like something a little heavier.

As far as the citrus in the wheat, I notice that a lot. But I like it. Especially during a meal. (my own personal taste mind you) But I also like a hefe during a warm summer day after long chores around the house... As far as the hefe fans here on the boards? I'll let them speak for themselves. But I do like the different styles.

:off: (sidebar, twice I've been to this restaurant here in town for dinner, decent beer selection but Blue Moon on tap for 2 bucks in my situation right now is hard to pass up... I'm fine with it, but I'll be damned if they didn't bring it to me with that friggin orange slice in it.... excuse me, leave sliced fruit <limes included> OUT of my beer) :off:

Congrats on branching out! The more you try, the more you'll love. AND the more you'll brew! :rockin:


Ize


i got so much too learn about these different brews.... i agree man, here's to branching out and brewing :mug:
 
I tried the Sunshine wheat a few weeks ago and still have 2 left in the fridge. It is citrusy, but in my opinion has too much of the spices. They are good, but IMO just a little too much.

And Ize, the first time I tried Blue Moon, they also put the orange in it. I tasted sweet orange the whole pint. :( I need to just remember to order every hefe, or wit without a wedge of anything.
 
well in addition to enjoying the Sunshine Wheat, i got six new bottles :D

no keggin yet, til after i get a house and a kegerator next year ;)
 
New bottles. ;) Once you homebrew you never look at store bought beer the same. Just wait till you pass up micros with twist tops because you can't re-use them. :D That's probaly the only reason I don't keep more Sierra Nevada around...
 
actually the more i drink, the more the sweetness, citrus flavor of the Sunshine Wheat becomes over powering.

after 4 of each, i think the rating of the stout goes up a point and the wheat drops a point, equally them out.

they each have their pro's...

beer is good... :rockin: :ban: :mug:
 
The best part of this hobby, as I think the OP is finding, is learning to have a much greater appreciation and enjoyment of all the beers that are out there. I'm still new at this, and to be honest most of beers I drank pre-brewing were Canadian lagers. Occassionally some Guiness, some Sam Adams, I've always loved Magic Hat, some Heinekin, but a lot of Molson. We'd occassionally go out to brewpubs, but outside of knowing that I preferred red ales over IPAs I didn't really know what I was drinking.

But, that's changing. I'm getting a much greater appreciation for hops - although my God, that Hop Rod Rye takes some freakin' getting used to. I'm trying beers I've never had, like Newcastle. I'm always looking for something that I haven't had, I think since I started brewing I've only purchased a beer I've already had once, everything else has been something new. So, it's not just the hobby itself, the very enjoyable process of making beer and talking about making beer and thinking about making beer, it's the much greater understanding and appreciation of the beer that's already made!
 
the_bird said:
I'm getting a much greater appreciation for hops - although my God, that Hop Rod Rye takes some freakin' getting used to.


LOL! :mug: Yeah, it's different. But when I do pick up a bottle I'll usually let it warm for about 10 or 15 minutes in the glass before even taking that first drink... I get more of the underlying flavor that's there when it's warmer as opposed to straight from the fridge. I really like it, but still have kind of lost my taste for IPA's... I still have that DFH 90 Minute in my fridge because I just can't bring myself to drink it... :eek: It's kind of painful to look at even! ;)


Ize
 
Well, when I tried it last month, I had a little taste right out of the fridge. Another little taste after five minutes or so. Another after it had warmed up for ten or fifteen. It wasn't intentional, it just took me a while to nurse that thing!

Of course, I couldn't keep my nose out of the hops when I was brewing Walker's IPA last weekend. And MAN, that smells good in the primary. I love it when you have your face right next to the airlock as it bubbles, taking in the scent, feeling the little puffs of CO2 on your lips as it bubbles. It's like rocking my baby to sleep, feeling her little breaths on my lips as I gently "shhh" her!

It's something that I know I'm developing a taste for, I'll be a hophead before all is said and done - I'm just not quite there yet!
 
the_bird said:
The best part of this hobby, as I think the OP is finding, is learning to have a much greater appreciation and enjoyment of all the beers that are out there.

True...

I will continue trying some new beers in search of those flavors i enjoy most (in order to plan for some future homebrews).
 
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