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944play

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Only ones I've had before are Old Rasputin and Red Rocket. I'm a Northern Californian boy. Did I get any clunkers?

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Stone Ruinations is f'ing awesome and I have that Laguniats 40th Anniversary Ale in my fridge. I haven't tried it, but I've heard good things
 
Drinking a Ruination now. I don't love it, but I guess it achieves its goal. Smells awesome, finishes boldly, but almost a void in the flavor.
 
That's weird. I think there's plenty of flavor in Ruination. I do know that a lot of Stone beer can kill your palate before you can really get to enjoy it, but that's one of my favorites from them. I'd still rather have a Pliny, a Green Flash West Coast, or even a Racer 5/X.
 
I'm a Stone-er. Love Stone Brewing Co. I dig the ruination. I almost bought the Red Rocket Ale the other day, but passed over it at the last second. Definitely on my list for next week.

haven't tried any of the others.
 
I'm a Stone-er. Love Stone Brewing Co. I dig the ruination. I almost bought the Red Rocket Ale the other day, but passed over it at the last second. Definitely on my list for next week.

haven't tried any of the others.

It seems that Stone has a hardcore fan base. They definitely played a part in evolving me into the full-fledged beer nerd I am today, but I find their beer is typically limited. What they do, they do well though.
 
Stone IPA is one of my favorites. In fact, I had to comment via email:

Subject: IPA aroma



You sons of bitches.



I have a hellacious cold and I can't smell a thing. Except the lovely, sweet, floral, dank and grassy hops in this bordeaux glass of Stone IPA. I can't smell my food. I can only smell your stupid, no-good, delicious beer. ****ers.



I hate you, and keep it coming.

And the reply:

Why you miserable, discerning bastard. If there’s one thing we hate it’s our raving, virulent fans. If we have to read one more sniveling, ironic, encouraging email message like yours we’ll have no recourse but to take your worthless advice and continue saturating our brews with glorious, snot-busting hop aroma. That should put you in your place. Not that we do, or will feel any sense of satisfaction in catering to the pack of concave glassware using, aroma describing, sense of humor having, like-minded beer monkeys that swill the stuff of our pointless obsession.



“Cheers”

(eye contact)



Matt Steirnagle

[email protected]

“The beer geek in me bows

to the beer geek in you”
:fro:
 
I liked the Fuller's 1845 when I had it. I wouldn't say its awesome, but a pretty decent brew.
 
I liked the Fuller's 1845 when I had it. I wouldn't say its awesome, but a pretty decent brew.

I had Fuller's ESB at a bar about a week ago. I had the 1845 last night. It was a totally different animal - TONS of tropical fruity esters, bready in back. Belgium's got nothing on Fuller's yeast character.*

*I don't actually mean this.
 
I agree with the Ruination's lack of flavor....mine was almost too syrupy to enjoy. Their IPA and Smoked Porter on the other hand is awesome :D Can't wait until I get my smoked porter clone on tap! :ban:
 
Yeah Fuller's ESB is different than 1845. I love Fuller's ESB. That's a pretty solid beer IMO.
 
Yeah Fuller's ESB is different than 1845. I love Fuller's ESB. That's a pretty solid beer IMO.

Fuller's 1845 is a big hit in my book. The ESB? Not so much. Neither was Breckenridge's EESB (DESB?), just too much gas on that one. I was really taken with a local brewpub's ESB (Lovejoy's Hug ESB), so I really wanted to find something like it. Hug has this REALLY rough, intense, tongue-scraping thing going on that I THINK might be Northern Brewer hops - Anchor Steam has the same ouvre - that really does it for me.

Black Sheep? Meh.

Duchy? Very nice. Lots going on in there. Very fresh and floral.

Tonight I'm on the Lagunitas. It's pleasantly warming and drinkable, but would be a lot better with more head, and maybe less hops.
 
L-R:
Lagunitas Sirius High-Gravity Cream Ale
Avery IPA
Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen (could not find Altbairisch Dunkel...)
Young's Double Chocolate Stout
DuPont Foret, aka Moinette Biologique
Baltika #6 Porter
Lindeman's Cuvée René Gueuze
Verhaege Duchesse de Bourgogne
Avery Ale to the Chief
Stone Smoked Porter
Steamworks Lizard Head Red
Nethergate Old Growler Porter
Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale
Green Flash Hop Head Red Ale
North Coast Old Stock Ale

I've never tried any of these beers before. Half the styles are new to me, too.

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I haven't had Steamworks Lizard Head Red of the Nethergate Old Growler Porter.

My favorite of all those is the duchesse, but I'm afraid this year it just isn't the same as it was the last couple of years. Way more vinegar than I like in a sour now. Sort of disappointing. I had La Folie last night, and I remember what a good sour should be.

The Lindemans gueuze is also a good beer, but not my favorite gueuze. I wouldn't kick it out of bed.

The rest are all pretty good, overall. I had the Stone smoked porter with vanilla beans added last night. Holy crap was it awesome.
 
I just had the Duchesse de Bourgogne recently. Excellent Flemish.
You seem to have access to a pretty decent beer selection. Do you shop at a store locally? Or are these online purchases?
 
The Wells Bombardier in your first pic is a well made beer. I tried it the first time a week ago. Very tasty.
 
DFH IBA: I didn't care for it until I read the DFH site - IMHO, it's just not great as an American brown, but as a Scotch ale, I can dig it. It just doesn't have the huge hop character portended, but the molasses, roasty, and coffee notes of a Wee are there. I'd love to put one side-by-side with an Old Chub or McEwan's.

Edit: Baltika #6: retch! It's a BJCP commercial example of a Baltic porter. I dumped it after drinking half the pint. Old Growler? Awesomely huge esters. Like a maltier, deeper 1845! Thumbs up.
 
I'm a fan of the Avery IPA. I had the cask version over at the Flying Saucer. Tasty.

Avery Ale to the Chief is like a mouth full of cascade hops. It's awesome if you like cascade hops. I love 'em.

Stone Smoked Porter totally blew me away. I couldn't believe how good this beer was. It's the only smoked beer I've ever had I didn't want to spit out.

I haven't tried the Old Stock Ale yet, it's waiting in the fridge for me. That isn't one to be drinking on a weeknight. :drunk:
 
Avery Ale to the Chief is like a mouth full of cascade hops. It's awesome if you like cascade hops. I love 'em.

Are you sure about the cascade? I was going to say that the Chief is like the first English-style DIPA I've tried... could be that giant sugary, estery nose throwing me off. Or just the 8.7%.:cross:
 
Are you sure about the cascade? I was going to say that the Chief is like the first English-style DIPA I've tried... could be that giant sugary, estery nose throwing me off. Or just the 8.7%.:cross:

Yep. It's bittered with magnum, and they used cascade for flavor, aroma, and dry hop. I love cascade hops so this beer is right up my alley. :rockin: Oh yeah, and the research shows that this is the first Avery beer ever made with the Chico ale yeast (WLP001).
 
What did you think of the Lagunitas 40th?

I learned to like trippels in The Netherlands drinking Westmalle, but learned to love them drinking "were only in it for the money" :)
 
What did you think of the Lagunitas 40th?

Not great. Undercarbonated, mostly.

I liked the Sirius. Good balance, kinda caramelly.
Avery IPA was good but forgettable.
Ayinger Märzen was ok, but definitely not my favorite style.
I didn't like Young's DCS at all. Sulfur and plastic nose.
Lizard Head seems to have a bock grainbill. Huge malts. Nice.

I'm working on the Cuvée now. It's nice to try the base of my favorite fruit beers. Subtle leather and musty aromas, powerful underripe berry sourness. Glowing golden, lightly carbonated.
 
Not great. Undercarbonated, mostly.

Wow. Thats not been my experience at all. I have had a couple bottles of this, a few friends have picked up bottles because I cant stop talking about it :) and they all loved it. I have 2 left, and am going to save them for a while.

I wonder if you got a bad bottle, or do you just not like the style?
 
I popped open the Foret tonight. Appropriate, since I was brewing a beer with saison yeast. Whoa, it's FUNKY! Not sour funky, phenolic funky. Very dry, with just a little green apple and woody notes. I didn't really dig it at first, but I was sucking at the dregs after I clamped down the fermenter lid.
 
Only a few new ones this trip (I re-upped on Old Growler, 1845, Weihenstephaner Hef, and *drool* Red Seal):

St. Arnold Fancy Lawnmower
Wychwood Bah Humbug
Allagash Tripel
Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale (Edit: WOW. Open-bag-of-hops-in-your-face nose!)
Shiner Helles (drinking now - totally disappointing)

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Traquair House Ale
Mönschof Schwarz
The Bruery Orchard White
Cantillon Kriek
Deschutes The Dissident
Bridgeport IPA
Stone Pale Ale
21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon

I don't really like Stone PA, but I wanted to see if its Ahtanum finishing hops would give it the wicked cool rose and lychee thing I like so much in the Bridgeport.

EDIT: Stone PA is not as (insipid as) I remember. It's VERY caramel and sweet, and doesn't have that lychee thing I love about Bridgeport. Mönschof Schwarz is pretty heavy and malty for style with distinct lager sulfury notes. Traquair... I was not expecting so much dark/dried fruitiness, especially in the nose. Watermelon Wheat - first few sips are off-putting, but once the graininess is in the background, the subtle Jolly Rancher makes it kinda ok.

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