Random Beer Thoughts

[masterovkhaos]

Victory makes great lagers. Fresh Dirtwolf is nice too.

 

[tikk]

Victory makes great lagers. Fresh Dirtwolf is nice too.

My wife's favorite beer is Victory Lager, can't find it anywhere. Last time I bought a case for her at the brewery we found out she was pregnant 2 days after we brought it home. She hasn't had it since, my daughter is 2 years old now. I need to go visit the brewery again.

 

[shankly]

Went by Aslin to get crowlers to take back to Miami and they only had 1 beer on. Damn hype machine.

They're closed tomorrow because they ran out of beer.

Once they got a crowler machine it just became a race to trade as much of it as possible.

I get wanting to share beer, but what's the point of getting a great local brewery if you're just going to ship it all away?

 

[beerindex]

They're closed tomorrow because they ran out of beer.

Once they got a crowler machine it just became a race to trade as much of it as possible.

I get wanting to share beer, but what's the point of getting a great local brewery if you're just going to ship it all away?

I mean, it's a known fact that beer shipped across the coutry tastes better, especially if it is a less than fresh IPA shipped in a poorly sealed growler.

 

[sacrelicio]

Victory had a special place in my heart. First brewery I ever toured. Go there every year with the wife. Old horizontal was a huge favorite of mine.

That being said I don't remember the last time I had a regular beer from them.

Also I miss Hop Wallop

They're a solid workhorse brewery. Stone, Great Divide, that kind of thing.

 

[sacrelicio]

I fully buy into the idea that you should be able to judge a brewery by their pale and porter: beers that are harder to hide technique and process flaws with ingredients. For lagering breweries, pils is a necessary step as well.

I've been hyping them in the FIB thread but my local brewery- Kinslahger, who are lager centric- is currently brewing my favorite pils. Hops are more prevalent than the style guide might call for, but that counters the lager sweetness and makes an incredibly drinkable beer. Crowlers help.

I've been to places that have a pilsner that is fine, or a porter that is fine, not great but acceptable. Then I get their IPA or hoppy pale ale and it's dirty water. If a place is brand new and their IPA is solid, I figure they'll be pretty good overall.

 

[drgarage1]

I've been to places that have a pilsner that is fine, or a porter that is fine, not great but acceptable. Then I get their IPA or hoppy pale ale and it's dirty water. If a place is brand new and their IPA is solid, I figure they'll be pretty good overall.

Biggest exception I can think of is Social Kitchen in SF. Pilsner is fine. Everything else...

 

[jedwards]

Biggest exception I can think of is Social Kitchen in SF. Pilsner is fine. Everything else...

I won't hear this slander of Social Kitchen Nessie, the best smoked scotch ale ever made with seaweed.

 

[Shakedwnst]

I get wanting to share beer, but what's the point of getting a great local brewery if you're just going to ship it all away?

Pretty much feel that way about most beer.

1. What the hell are you doing wasting all your time acquiring this stuff if it isn't to drink? And 2. How many times do you actually get a beer back that's better than what you started with?

 

[trickytunadicky]

I mean, it's a known fact that beer shipped across the coutry tastes better, especially if it is a less than fresh IPA shipped in a poorly sealed growler.

Can't wait to pop this Arizona Wilderness Crowler!

 

[Snarf1]

I fully buy into the idea that you should be able to judge a brewery by their pale and porter

As in if a brewery's flaghsips are a pale and a porter there is no reason to try their beer?

 

[JulianB1]

As in if a brewery's flaghsips are a pale and a porter there is no reason to try their beer?

Is Hill Farmstead the exception here? You could probably make an argument that Edward and Everett are their "flagships", probably along with Arthur.

 

[austinbridges]

**** tekus.

 

[danbanana]

As in if a brewery's flaghsips are a pale and a porter there is no reason to try their beer?

Not at all. I'm saying that a brewery's pale ale and porter tell me a lot about the overall quality of the brewery because unlike an IPA or an imperial stout, they're forced to actually have brewing skill rather than just drop a ton of the current nouveau hops or a **** ton of dark malt. A bad brewery can hide behind styles that don't necessarily require finesse. A good pale and a good porter are hard to do if you're a bad brewer.

 

[BadJustin]

**** tekus.

Except the TB one, kind of.

 

[Snarf1]

Is Hill Farmstead the exception here? You could probably make an argument that Edward and Everett are their "flagships", probably along with Arthur.

JulianB, please. Hill Farmstead stouts are gross.

 

[Snarf1]

Not at all. I'm saying that a brewery's pale ale and porter tell me a lot about the overall quality of the brewery because unlike an IPA or an imperial stout, they're forced to actually have brewing skill rather than just drop a ton of the current nouveau hops or a **** ton of dark malt. A bad brewery can hide behind styles that don't necessarily require finesse. A good pale and a good porter are hard to do if you're a bad brewer.

So do you actually brew or are you just spitballing?

 

[drgarage1]

So do you actually brew or are you just spitballing?

There is literally no style of beer easier to make than a solid pale ale. Now, making a distinctive and stand-out pale ale (or porter, for that matter) is incredible hard.

 

[LukeAleTime]

Not at all. I'm saying that a brewery's pale ale and porter tell me a lot about the overall quality of the brewery because unlike an IPA or an imperial stout, they're forced to actually have brewing skill rather than just drop a ton of the current nouveau hops or a **** ton of dark malt. A bad brewery can hide behind styles that don't necessarily require finesse. A good pale and a good porter are hard to do if you're a bad brewer.

That's not really how it works though - it's a criticism I see often about IPAs etc. "oh anyone can do that but can you make a good lager". There are thousands of breweries with a decent lager and garbage IPA; and vice versa.

Going in to a brewery with the mindset of "oh I'm going to drink their lager to really see if they can brew" rather than "hey a brewery, let's drink beer" is bizarre to me.

 

[drgarage1]

That's not really how it works though - it's a criticism I see often about IPAs etc. "oh anyone can do that but can you make a good lager". There are thousands of breweries with a decent lager and garbage IPA; and vice versa.

Going in to a brewery with the mindset of "oh I'm going to drink their lager to really see if they can brew" rather than "hey a brewery, let's drink beer" mindset is bizarre to me.

Totally. And lots of good breweries suck at certain styles. There's basically no one who's good at everything.

 

[Beerontwowheels]

Totally. And lots of good breweries suck at certain styles. There's basically no one who's good at everything.

Oh really...

 

[drgarage1]

Well, if one brewery can actually claim that title...

Serious question, though: has Hill ever done a Belgian style that wasn't saison-inspired? Not that I don't think he could do a great job with them, but I don't know of a Golden, dubbel, tripel, etc. from HF.

 

[sacrelicio]

Well, if on ge brewery can actually claim that title...

Serious question, though: has Hill ever done a Belgian style that wasn't saison-inspired? Not that I don't think he could do a great job with them, but I don't know of a Golden, dubbel, tripel, etc. from HF.

I would drink that golden or tripel

 

[jivex5k1]

Just got home from the brewery. Breakfast time.

 

[LukeAleTime]

Nomad (Australia)/Jester King Collab. Has been out for a month or so.

The two breweries decided upon a smoked saison, using spices as well as the indigenous Texan yeast strain. After eight months spent in Chardonnay and Shiraz barrels before blending and packaging, it's fair to say that if you've got a thirst that needs slaking fast, this is not the beer for you. On the other hand, if you feel like approaching a beer like a final year student does their dissertation, dive in.

It's complex as hell; no doubt a room full of different people could pull it apart and come up with a dissertation's worth of descriptors. Here we were met with smoke first – both woody and sweetly aromatic – while there's also seaweed (like you'd find in some Islay whiskies), malt sweetness, lifted saison characteristics, lemon, a saltiness, spice, band aid, something herbal and a lot of oak. Like we said: complex.

http://craftypint.com/beer/3921/nomad-brewing--jester-king-cultural-exchange

I don't think I've had a beer from Nomad that I've enjoyed, but from memory I've only had two or three. One of the other aussies has probably ticked this by now.

 

[boogercrack]

Nomad (Australia)/Jester King Collab. Has been out for a month or so.





http://craftypint.com/beer/3921/nomad-brewing--jester-king-cultural-exchange

I don't think I've had a beer from Nomad that I've enjoyed, but from memory I've only had two or three. One of the other aussies has probably ticked this by now.

Jester King is making a lot of horribly ostentatious beer that sucks recently.

 

[lazerviking]

Jester King is making a lot of horribly ostentatious beer that sucks recently.

They've come a long way from their early days when they just made beers that sucked.

Edit: And before I start a **** storm from angry Texans, I'm talking OG Black Metal days. That beer, lol.

 

[nanobrew1]

Jester King is making a lot of horribly ostentatious beer that sucks recently.

FTFY


They have always had a bunch of weird beers that never worked. Their hits are just really good.

 

[stupac2]

Jester King has always made lot of horribly ostentatious beer that sucks.

I've never been fully on board the JK train. The early stuff was really bad, especially the "FARMHOUSE ALL THE THINGS!!!" beers. Basically the only beers from them that are consistently great are the fruited saisons.

(Apparently lots of other people think this too.)

 

[trickytunadicky]

Petit Prince is pretty good for what it is. I like other table beers more.