Pittsburgh

[PSUMike]

La Pienture is the only Draai Laag beer that I've had that was not only good, but borderline excellent.

I'm not surprised Fou Foune didn't perform well in a blind tasting. I've had one batch that was spectacular (2012 or 2013), and several others that were just downright disappointing. Out of the "basic" Cantillon lineup, I think Fou Foune is the most overrated.

I would agree about La Pienture.

I've only had Fou once previously. I'm not sure if it was a 14 or a 15 but I thought it was fantastic, albeit not blind. The 16 was still pretty good if a bit over-sour. 15 was borderline awful.

 

[dadavat]

I think the other guys summed up the tasting well. I'd just like to add that I really liked the Casey beers in addition to the weldworks. All of the fruit that both of these breweries use comes from the same region, so I think fruit quality and freshness have arguably the biggest influence on the final product.

The bruery beer was excellent as well, and I think the fruit in that one comes from a notable grower too.

 

[preluderl]

I think all of us recognize that they have put out good beer on occasion but those occasions are very few and far between. The major lack of consistency is also a ding against them. I've said many times that I'd put La Pienture up against many cherry wilds. In the OG Briar batches, there was a gem in there but I can't recall which. But it doesn't erase their many follies.

When we did the blind geueze share, one of the best beers there was Lindeman's Cuvee Rene Geueze. That turds up the shelves everywhere. They get **** for sweetening their lambic but their Cuvee Rene's are quite good (the Kriek is also great if you've never tried it).

I think on the whole, when you have a beer that fairs very well in a tough field from a largely unheralded brewery, we view it more as an outlier in the statistical sample if we've had beers from them previously. Conversely, I've heard about Weldwerks for a while now but this was the first beer I've gotten to try from them. They are now on my radar.

The very first batch of Red Briar was straight fire. I would have put it up against Atrial Rubicite and all the other red raspberry wilds that get so much pub. I'm with you on La Pienture, but again, it's the consistency thing.

I really enjoy Geestilijke when it's on, but it's a total crap shoot. I've had at least three or four batches of that beer and none of them have been the same... And we're not talking about variables within a reasonable margin, we're talking so much deviation that they're not even recognizable as the same beer.

 

[OneDropSoup]

Unfortunately it doesn't change my opinion of them. They make like 100 different beers, they can't all be bad. The majority are though and that's too discouraging for me to roll the dice on their releases.

I think all of us recognize that they have put out good beer on occasion but those occasions are very few and far between. The major lack of consistency is also a ding against them. I've said many times that I'd put La Pienture up against many cherry wilds. In the OG Briar batches, there was a gem in there but I can't recall which. But it doesn't erase their many follies.

When we did the blind geueze share, one of the best beers there was Lindeman's Cuvee Rene Geueze. That turds up the shelves everywhere. They get **** for sweetening their lambic but their Cuvee Rene's are quite good (the Kriek is also great if you've never tried it).

I think on the whole, when you have a beer that fairs very well in a tough field from a largely unheralded brewery, we view it more as an outlier in the statistical sample if we've had beers from them previously. Conversely, I've heard about Weldwerks for a while now but this was the first beer I've gotten to try from them. They are now on my radar.

Right, that makes sense. Begs the question of whether it would've been given proper credit if everyone had known what it was. Never know.

 

[nhindian1]

Right, that makes sense. Begs the question of whether it would've been given proper credit if everyone had known what it was. Never know.

Improper use of 'begging the question'. -5 points for Gryffindor.

 

[preluderl]

Improper use of 'begging the question'. -5 points for Gryffindor.

 

[london1o11]

I guess this would also apply to anti-hype, in the case of the DL. Do you think this changed anyone's opinion of them, or was it just attributed to being a high point in their overall ebb & flow?

I also really liked Grand Blu - I don't have their stuff that often, but it's been a while since I had something from them that really turned me off.

The problem with DL has never been inability to make a good or even great beer. It's always been inconsistency. I can't even say X DL beer is great, I can only say it was great that one specific time I had it. Next time it might be a completely different beer by the same name.

 

[preluderl]

The problem with DL has never been inability to make a good or even great beer. It's always been inconsistency. I can't even say X DL beer is great, I can only say it was great that one specific time I had it. Next time it might be a completely different beer by the same name.

Exactly this.

 

[PSUMike]

Right, that makes sense. Begs the question of whether it would've been given proper credit if everyone had known what it was. Never know.

In this immediate circle, I would probably say yes. I think we can usually be pretty objective. Hell, we may have even thought higher of it had we'd known prior to drinking it because it was such a surprise. When we drank the WW abomination, nhindian let the cat out of the bag that he brought the Grand Blu and all of us were sure that's what it was because it so was strikingly awful. He brought it thinking it was going to be a kind of a "ha ha" beer. But it was pretty tasty and I would absolutely buy it even being a pretty steadfast Draai Laag detractor. I won't call it great but it's very good.

 

[preluderl]

In this immediate circle, I would probably say yes. I think we can usually be pretty objective. Hell, we may have even thought higher of it had we'd known prior to drinking it because it was such a surprise. When we drank the WW abomination, nhindian let the cat out of the bag that he brought the Grand Blu and all of us were sure that's what it was because it so was strikingly awful. He brought it thinking it was going to be a kind of a "ha ha" beer. But it was pretty tasty and I would absolutely buy it even being a pretty steadfast Draai Laag detractor. I won't call it great but it's very good.

That raspberry Berliner they just did, Razmata, was really tasty too IMO.

 

[kbuzz1]

That raspberry Berliner they just did, Razmata, was really tasty too IMO.

 

[preluderl]

You know nothing.

 

[kbuzz1]

You know nothing.

 

[preluderl]

This is likely correct. I maintain that beer is pretty good though.

 

[tommyguz]

La Pienture is the only Draai Laag beer that I've had that was not only good, but borderline excellent.

I'm not surprised Fou Foune didn't perform well in a blind tasting. I've had one batch that was spectacular (2012 or 2013), and several others that were just downright disappointing. Out of the "basic" Cantillon lineup, I think Fou Foune is the most overrated.

I think that belongs to Blaeber but

 

[tommyguz]

I'm for one shocked there's an actual decent in depth conversation about beer that I wanted to read on here. Really shocked. Thanks guys.

 

[MooseLang]

I think that belongs to Blaeber but

Whoa, didn't know Blabaer was part of the "basic" lineup. Here, I think you dropped your monocle, Mr. T. Guz.


(when I say "basic" I pretty much mean any Cantillon distributed to the US)

 

[tommyguz]

Whoa, didn't know Blabaer was part of the "basic" lineup. Here, I think you dropped your monocle, Mr. T. Guz.


(when I say "basic" I pretty much mean any Cantillon distributed to the US)

My bad! I didn't realize fou was distributed around the US. I just thought you meant all of cantillon

 

[shuggy1]

I would also happily buy Grand Blu. It was very enjoyable. Can't help but wonder if it being good was just dumb luck though. Typically whatever DL decides to do to a beer shows up in spades. Problem is they usually have a very bad idea to begin with. The idea for Grand Blu was no different however they thankfully(luckily?) whiffed on any kind of blue cheese presence. Had it followed the usual DL path it would've been a blue cheese bomb and likely the only beer that could've made Garcon de Ferme seem good in comparison. Congrats DL on missing the intended mark for this one.

I'm for one shocked there's an actual decent in depth conversation about beer that I wanted to read on here. Really shocked. Thanks guys.

You're welcome.

 

[brother rebus]

can someone send me a copy of their studyguide on these "blind tasting" things. still struggling with the concept.

 

[PSUMike]

can someone send me a copy of their studyguide on these "blind tasting" things. still struggling with the concept.

Pretty straight forward.

shuggy gets most of the beers and let's us know the overarching theme.
If we have beers to contribute in the same vein, we bring them. I did not so I brought a bunch of stouts and tums. I knew exactly 0 of the beers that were in the field. nhindian only knew the beers he brought, dadavat only knew the beers he brought, and shuggy only knew the beers he brought but no one knew when they'd show up.
No one says what they brought so it's as unbiased as possible.
Shuggy's friend Conrad pours the beers in order and everyone is given the same order. Due to the number, we had this go around, I wanted to do 3 groups of 5.
Once we try all of them, order them, and form an opinion, it's revealed what each beer is, generally to the surprise of the masses.

There has not been one blind share we've done where that hasn't been at least one pretty big shocker. In this instance, it's 2015 Fou being so bad and Grand Blu actually being quite good. When we did the geueze share, Cuvee Rene and '13 DDG doing so well was a big surprise to me. Armand & Gaston not blowing everything out of the water was also a big surprise (was still top 5 though). I was also pretty surprised that a Cantillon gueuze was my highest rated as I generally much prefer 3F to Cantillon. I wasn't a part of the IPA share but Julius was in the bottom 3 (where it belongs...beer is as mediocre as it gets). A few Other Half beers performed really well as did Hoof Hearted. Pliny scored very well as well.

 

[preluderl]

Pretty straight forward.

shuggy gets most of the beers and let's us know the overarching theme.
If we have beers to contribute in the same vein, we bring them. I did not so I brought a bunch of stouts and tums. I knew exactly 0 of the beers that were in the field. nhindian only knew the beers he brought, dadavat only knew the beers he brought, and shuggy only knew the beers he brought but no one knew when they'd show up.
No one says what they brought so it's as unbiased as possible.
Shuggy's friend Conrad pours the beers in order and everyone is given the same order. Due to the number, we had this go around, I wanted to do 3 groups of 5.
Once we try all of them, order them, and form an opinion, it's revealed what each beer is, generally to the surprise of the masses.

There has not been one blind share we've done where that hasn't been at least one pretty big shocker. In this instance, it's 2015 Fou being so bad and Grand Blu actually being quite good. When we did the geueze share, Cuvee Rene and '13 DDG doing so well was a big surprise to me. Armand & Gaston not blowing everything out of the water was also a big surprise (was still top 5 though). I was also pretty surprised that a Cantillon gueuze was my highest rated as I generally much prefer 3F to Cantillon. I wasn't a part of the IPA share but Julius was in the bottom 3 (where it belongs...beer is as mediocre as it gets). A few Other Half beers performed really well as did Hoof Hearted. Pliny scored very well as well.

I COULD be wrong... But, I think he was being a smart ass.

 

[PSUMike]

Eh, I drink a lot. Brain doesn't always fire on all cylinders

 

[kbuzz1]

New BG beer - Lucille - just on tap right? No bottles?

 

[preluderl]

New BG beer - Lucille - just on tap right? No bottles?

Correct.

It's a SAISON though. Since when do you indulge in such things?

 

[kbuzz1]

Correct.

It's a SAISON though. Since when do you indulge in such things?

Since one was named after my daughter.

In all fairness though, I'd have probably bought it in an attempt to keep it around until she was 21.

 

[psbhockey12]

New BG beer - Lucille - just on tap right? No bottles?

I would love to see this one have it's own tap handle different than their others ... looking like a barb-wired baseball bat

 

[kbuzz1]

I would love to see this one have it's own tap handle different than their others ... looking like a barb-wired baseball bat

I wouldn't get this reference at all if not for this beer already being on shelves...

 

[beerman6686]

In case anyone missed it, Jungle Juiced Head Hunter is being tapped at Fat Heads tonight.

 

[chekyo4]

Birthday bomb on at Piper's.