Whale Hunter

[Lefty Hyzer]

Top 10 Rar. Beers from taste not rarity. Please and thank you

 

[GrumpyOldTroll]

My favorites, no particular order:

Loerik
Blauw
MMM
M
Pinot d' anuis
Apple Brandy Huna (fresh only)
Millennium Gueuze
Reed Gueuze Pinot Noir
Kersengeuze
1999 Framboos

Edit: SNR 2000 would have to make this list over M or Pinot.

 

[MarkIntihar]

My favorites, no particular order:

Loerik
Blauw
MMM
M
Pinot d' anuis
Apple Brandy Huna (fresh only)
Millennium Gueuze
Reed Gueuze Pinot Noir
Kersengeuze
1999 Framboos

M, but no Don Q??? You're fired as my resident whale expert.

 

[GrumpyOldTroll]

M, but no Don Q??? You're fired as my resident whale expert.

I'd rather drink St Lam than DQ. It's a fine beer, I just don't love it like others do. I do wonder what it was like in 2009 though. Good thing I'm on the list for the next batch.

 

[MarkIntihar]

I'd rather drink St Lam than DQ.

Well yeah, so would I. It costs far less

 

[GrumpyOldTroll]

Here's a list of bad whales. These are just my opinions, please do not take offense if you disagree with me (or have these in your cellar).

- Feestbier -- tastes like bathwater that has been used multiple times and then barrel aged.
- the 15 year old + geuzes. 1998 50th gets some hate, but in my experience it's bottle variation. Strangely, the one I had at Akkurat was one of the worst bottles of this beer I've had.
- cuvée du florian (intensely sour, not my thing)
- pretty much every old American wild ale and stout. Looking at you Darkness 2007 and Depuration.
- Dirty Horse tasted well past it's prime. Only has this once though.
- brabantiae
- JJ Roze (it's ok, but compared to Blauw, not so much)
- the Stormaksporter beers -- they're ok but I don't find them to be spectacular.

 

[Arbitrator]

Here's a list of bad whales.

- pretty much every old American wild ale and stout. Looking at you Darkness 2007 and Depuration.
- Dirty Horse tasted well past it's prime. Only has this once though.
- brabantiae
- the Stormaksporter beers -- they're ok but I don't find them to be spectacular.

:fist bump:

Never got the love.

 

[stupac2]

Good thing I'm on the list for the next batch.

Wait, what?

 

[Lefty Hyzer]

Wait, what?

Bet u it won't be as good as first batch. Haha

 

[Lefty Hyzer]

I'd rather drink St Lam than DQ. It's a fine beer, I just don't love it like others do. I do wonder what it was like in 2009 though. Good thing I'm on the list for the next batch.

Our bottle of DQ was really really good. Consensus was DQ was better than our bottle of Loerik. So much bottle variations due to storage with lambics and gueuzessss. Crazy

 

[stupac2]

Our bottle of DQ was really really good. Consensus was DQ was better than our bottle of Loerik. So much bottle variations due to storage with lambics and gueuzessss. Crazy

I'm actually not sure it's due to storage. Lambic is also the sort of thing that should have lots of inherent bottle variation, especially through aging, even in similar conditions.

 

[cfrances33]

Our bottle of DQ was really really good. Consensus was DQ was better than our bottle of Loerik. So much bottle variations due to storage with lambics and gueuzessss. Crazy

I disagree good sir

 

[Lefty Hyzer]

I disagree good sir

Hmmm I don't remember u saying that. Speak up good sir

 

[cfrances33]

Hmmm I don't remember u saying that. Speak up good sir

I think in retrospect it made a greater impression on me, and I'd rather have Loerik again than DQ.

 

[tacosandbeer]

I'd rather drink St Lam than DQ. It's a fine beer, I just don't love it like others do. I do wonder what it was like in 2009 though. Good thing I'm on the list for the next batch.

Preach!

 

[cosmicevan]

Reasonable idea! Also I think we need a criteria for answering here, some % of the whale list?

definitely don't agree with this. drinking more whales than the next guy doesn't make you any cooler...your urine will probably contain rarer beer for a day or so, but that's about it. these pissing contests of entitlement is what deteriorates community in my opinion.

kind of like the guy who missed out on the bottle that hit their local distro, but some n00b to the beer scene got it and the vet thinks he deserved it more. the vet is no more entitled to the beer than the n00b, the n00bs girlfriend or whomever was at the right place and the right time and had the right amount of money in hand. you see this kind of stuff with concert tickets too...i'm a bigger fan than you, give me your ticket. puh-leeze

...and while i'm on my soapbox, i think stores that use lists for limited stuff that comes to town are also missing the point. i understand the concept of wanting to reward your locals/regulars/people who support your business, but with your lists of old timers getting all your limited releases, you are turning off potential new customers. when i first got into beer, i loaded up on all sorts of BS that i dug at the time to see how it aged and was all about trying anything/everything i could get my hands on and would drop significant cash week after week on BS. now, with more beer than i need i've become way more picky about where my $ goes and if i'm spending north of $100, it is likely going to some overseas order as opposed to stocking up on shelfies (yeah, that's right, i just coined a new term...or maybe just a new term for me?). i never understand why a store would turn off a potential new regular who will spend tons of money there in favor of an old timer who rarely buys anything beyond the new and shiny thing anymore.

/rant.

so, what is the criteria to answering questions about relationships...i'm curious if my beer peen is long enough

 

[Lefty Hyzer]

I think in retrospect it made a greater impression on me, and I'd rather have Loerik again than DQ.

The reason DQ did it for me was the subtle(maybe faded idk) hint of a green grape right off the vine. Reminded me of my childhood. Neighbor had green grape vine on her back fence. Used to eat em all the time. So it may have been the reason why it made a greater impression on me.

 

[Lefty Hyzer]

Not taking anything for Loerik. That **** tasted so Rar. Jk It was an amazing beer and was very thankful to try both. Just DQ had that lil added pop that I wasn't expecting.

 

[stupac2]

definitely don't agree with this. drinking more whales than the next guy doesn't make you any cooler...your urine will probably contain rarer beer for a day or so, but that's about it. these pissing contests of entitlement is what deteriorates community in my opinion.

kind of like the guy who missed out on the bottle that hit their local distro, but some n00b to the beer scene got it and the vet thinks he deserved it more. the vet is no more entitled to the beer than the n00b, the n00bs girlfriend or whomever was at the right place and the right time and had the right amount of money in hand. you see this kind of stuff with concert tickets too...i'm a bigger fan than you, give me your ticket. puh-leeze

...and while i'm on my soapbox, i think stores that use lists for limited stuff that comes to town are also missing the point. i understand the concept of wanting to reward your locals/regulars/people who support your business, but with your lists of old timers getting all your limited releases, you are turning off potential new customers. when i first got into beer, i loaded up on all sorts of BS that i dug at the time to see how it aged and was all about trying anything/everything i could get my hands on and would drop significant cash week after week on BS. now, with more beer than i need i've become way more picky about where my $ goes and if i'm spending north of $100, it is likely going to some overseas order as opposed to stocking up on shelfies (yeah, that's right, i just coined a new term...or maybe just a new term for me?). i never understand why a store would turn off a potential new regular who will spend tons of money there in favor of an old timer who rarely buys anything beyond the new and shiny thing anymore.

/rant.

so, what is the criteria to answering questions about relationships...i'm curious if my beer peen is long enough

First, going on a rant toward a two-week-old post is kinda weird. Second, nothing that you said was at all related to what I said. The point of this AMA is to ask questions of whale hunters, the guy who thinks Proprietor's is a whale shouldn't be answering questions. That's all I was getting at.

Finally, I have absolutely no idea how any of that rant pertains to anything here. I don't think anyone actually disagrees with you, though I'm not sure of what you were actually trying to say.

 

[drgarage1]

Has anyone had the original flip top BA Dark Lord recently (or ever)? Seems to be one of the very rarest top-tier American beers in actual quantity, and its current state might suggest something about the long-term aging potential of BA Dark Lord in general.

 

[Lefty Hyzer]

Has anyone had the original flip top BA Dark Lord recently (or ever)? Seems to be one of the very rarest top-tier American beers in actual quantity, and its current state might suggest something about the long-term aging potential of BA Dark Lord in general.

I had it fresh. At DLD in 05'. I was young and didn't know what I was really drinking. All I remember was drinking a very thick roasty motor oil. Tons of molasses. I had to go home and brush my teeth cause it coated them. Haha

 

[jdhende]

Maybe this question as already been asked maybe it hasn't.

When you first started to be interested in the hunt of whales how did you go about the process? Did you meet people on your travels to Europe? Were the owners found on message boards from beer sites? Also as you continued to acquire more and more did you use those same people again? I ask because as it was mentioned many of these transactions involve cash and it would be hard to send someone a large sum of money without having a certain trust built up from previous dealings.

Second question what was the beer that officially turned you into a whale hunter?

 

[GrumpyOldTroll]

Has anyone had the original flip top BA Dark Lord recently (or ever)? Seems to be one of the very rarest top-tier American beers in actual quantity, and its current state might suggest something about the long-term aging potential of BA Dark Lord in general.

The long term potential is nil. Seriously. It's ok a few years but not much more.

 

[sacrelicio]

First, going on a rant toward a two-week-old post is kinda weird. Second, nothing that you said was at all related to what I said. The point of this AMA is to ask questions of whale hunters, the guy who thinks Proprietor's is a whale shouldn't be answering questions. That's all I was getting at.

Finally, I have absolutely no idea how any of that rant pertains to anything here. I don't think anyone actually disagrees with you, though I'm not sure of what you were actually trying to say.

BAs gonna BA.

 

[sacrelicio]

How would you respond to the following sentence?

'Whale hunting (and the associated activity), is the antithesis of the relaxed, non-event based beer culture that is actually, truly at the heart of a sustainable beer culture'.

You might not be the guy to talk about a relaxed beer culture.

 

[TheeWalrusHunter]

Hi Gang. First time listener, first time caller, no time whale hunter.

I'll post an intro post in the right thread in a bit, but got lost in this thread so I thought I would ask a few questions.

1. When you got into whale hunting, was it nerve-racking to open up the first few bottles? Did you feel like you had to save that bottle for a special occasion?
2. In your younger years, did you ever think, "I am nowhere near the right place in my beer life to appreciate this beer right now."
3. How big is your harpoon?

 

[MordorMongo]

Hi Gang. First time listener, first time caller, no time whale hunter.

I'll post an intro post in the right thread in a bit, but got lost in this thread so I thought I would ask a few questions.

1. When you got into whale hunting, was it nerve-racking to open up the first few bottles? Did you feel like you had to save that bottle for a special occasion?
2. In your younger years, did you ever think, "I am nowhere near the right place in my beer life to appreciate this beer right now."
3. How big is your harpoon?

Since nobody else has responded, I will take a shot...even though I am only a junior whale hunter compared to some of these dudes

1. I actually first hunted a whale FOR a special occasion/tasting, so was no nerves, it was exciting and addictive in a way. For a while I saved whales for special tastings/events only, but as the years went by I started to just open what I wanted, when I wanted.....hence me not having many *whales* left.

2. No, but I am old man strong so doesn't really apply to me. (I am a tad outside the bell curve for average craft beer whale persons)

3. It is fat, and heavy.

 

[Forgetfu]

Maybe this question as already been asked maybe it hasn't.

When you first started to be interested in the hunt of whales how did you go about the process? Did you meet people on your travels to Europe? Were the owners found on message boards from beer sites? Also as you continued to acquire more and more did you use those same people again? I ask because as it was mentioned many of these transactions involve cash and it would be hard to send someone a large sum of money without having a certain trust built up from previous dealings.

Second question what was the beer that officially turned you into a whale hunter?

I found my first whales through non-beer traders. I had coworkers and friends around the country who liked beer. I chased down my first whale (07 Darkness) through one of those guys. I traded with those guys for new releases that were sought after as well to build up some ammo.

After that, i went looking for trading partners through the regular forums. There are plenty of whale cellars in these forums. The key is to never 'lose' a trade with them. Be generous, share whales, visit them in person, and make this all about friendship and not about whaling or trading. I'd like to believe my friends around the world want to help me find the whales i'm looking for. And when they do, i try to make sure everyone is happy.

I still do buy beers, but usually from people i know, friends of friends, or people with a great reputation. it's a very small world in the stupid expensive beer buying space. We all know each other, at least by reptuation.

Hi Gang. First time listener, first time caller, no time whale hunter.

I'll post an intro post in the right thread in a bit, but got lost in this thread so I thought I would ask a few questions.

1. When you got into whale hunting, was it nerve-racking to open up the first few bottles? Did you feel like you had to save that bottle for a special occasion?
2. In your younger years, did you ever think, "I am nowhere near the right place in my beer life to appreciate this beer right now."
3. How big is your harpoon?

1. Not at all. in my first whale tastings, i was at tastings where others were opening much more sought after beers. I was just happy that I could kind of keep up. I learned how generous people can be at those tastings. I've tried to do the same, sharing the great beers that i've been able to track down.
2. Not at the time, but i have since looked back to memories like the first time that I had Loerik, and realized that I had no idea what i was drinking. It made me appreciate it that much more the second time.
3. It's not nearly as big as it used to be.

 

[GrumpyOldTroll]

Hi Gang. First time listener, first time caller, no time whale hunter.

I'll post an intro post in the right thread in a bit, but got lost in this thread so I thought I would ask a few questions.

1. When you got into whale hunting, was it nerve-racking to open up the first few bottles? Did you feel like you had to save that bottle for a special occasion?
2. In your younger years, did you ever think, "I am nowhere near the right place in my beer life to appreciate this beer right now."
3. How big is your harpoon?

1. I've never been much of a collector. If I have a bottle that isn't promised to be shared with others, it's all fair game. The crazy experiences with good friends are worth a lot more than staring at ridiculous bottles in a wine fridge.

2. I don't think so. I've been lucky in that I've had most of this stuff a few times at least. There are probably only 2-3 things I've had that I knew I'd never see again... And most of that has been recent. It's just beer and over-thinking it or taking it too seriously is a mistake. Don't talk yourself out of opening things ASAP. Very few beers are doing anything other than deteriorating as time passes.

3. At this point I'm not really looking for rarities other than thing I know certain people haven't had or beers that are truly worth seeking out again. There are 5 bottles on the 2014 committee white whale list (to be published shortly) that I haven't had. I suppose I'm still looking for those.

TL;DR: drink your beers with your friends and don't worry about special occasions or whether you know enough about the beer to enjoy it.

 

[stupac2]

Very few beers are doing anything other than deteriorating as time passes.