GRM beer tasting

Agreed on Scrimshaw. Wife loves it. Are you working for North Coast?

Had several drain pours this week :( The only saving grace was a white wine barrel aged Mikkeller "Black Hole." berkeleying world class.

Suggestions for beer I should drink in Denmark?

poopshovel wrote: Agreed on Scrimshaw. Wife loves it. Are you working for North Coast?

Yup. And we have more demand for Scrimshaw and Old Rasputin tham we can currently produce.

fritzsch wrote: Suggestions for beer I should drink in Denmark?

MIKKELLER/To øl! Open your ears!

Beer Baron wrote:

poopshovel wrote: Agreed on Scrimshaw. Wife loves it. Are you working for North Coast?

Yup. And we have more demand for Scrimshaw and Old Rasputin tham we can currently produce.

Trying to get my spot to order some bombers of BA Old Raspy. Nothin yet :(

fritzsch wrote: Suggestions for beer I should drink in Denmark?

Depends on your usual beer preference. There are a number of good craft and micro breweries but I have not tried them, primarily just because I havent seen them.

Dragon's Milk Bourbon Barrel Stout.

I wept one tear of unmitigated joy as I drank this beer for the first time today.

It was like my palate had been sucker punched by awesome and it took a minute for my brain to catch up.

It is malty and strong, with a strong bourbon and vanilla flavor. For an Imperial stout, it was pretty mild and sweet, without too much hopping. Think of it more like a port wine in terms of how to enjoy it, and you won't be disappointed.

I highly suggest trying this beer if you can find it.

I've been having some fun getting to taste test the occasional beer at North Coast that hasn't been released yet. Has a coworker trying to dial in the carbonation/nitrogenation just right on an Old Rasputin. He didn't get it quite to spec... he made it better. More nitro and less carbo made it smoother and creamier. Took a bit of the bite out. But it did not meat our profile standards for the beer, so it got changed.

We're also doing a collaboration Barley with Deschutes, Rogue, and us at North Coast. We're bottling and releasing ours next week. It is seriously good stuff. I can't speak to the final product that will be released because we didn't hit our targets quite right and... wait for it... it's too high alcohol. Dear lord was it good though. Rich roasted caramel and toasted bread start, giving way to strong but not aggressively punchy hopping, and finishing up with a nice alcohol warming finish. The final will get blended with a bit of another batch to bring it back down into style guidelines; toning down the alcohol, but kicking up the hop flavor just a touch. Can't wait to have bottles of that sitting around the brewery.

We've also got some special edition Bock beer that is getting barrel aged for a couple months. Haven't had any yet. I'm eagerly anticipating it though.

I had a Big Boss "Big Operator" last night. It was a draught pour.

It is a Belgian black ale with rasberries. The beer was dark and malty, with minimum head. The fruit was more of an accent vs. an overwhelming flavor. I'm not sure how well the beer would hold up in a bottle, but I certainly enjoyed it with my fish and chips.

Had a Third Shift Golden Lager, or something like that last night. 12 pack bottles.

I would describe it best as "Meh". I got it because it was on sale. If I see it on sale again, I might get it again. I won't be pouring any down the drain, but I don't want to get home right now to drink another.

I was at home over the weekend and had some Zywiec again at my uncles. I have to call into the local liquor stores and see if any of them can get me a case of it about once a month. I love that stuff.

Tracked down some Red Hook Ben Harris Cream Ale. I give it a 4 out of 5. SWMBO really likes it though.

Ale flavor but with more body than I'm accustomed to.

The we split a pounder of Stone's Ruination IPA. Dear god I love that stuff. It's like being beaten with a sack full of hops (with a few rocks thrown in for good measure).

Nothing too exciting to report. I was kind of disappointed at the lack of NEW Imperial Stouts this year. That said:

21st Amendment "Brew Free or Die" is my new DD IPA. 8% alcohol, easy to drink, and I <3 cans. At $9.99/6-pack, I've had a hard time finding anything that's as well rounded for the price.

Stone IRS on tap at Taco Mac for the last couple months. Sadly(?) out of the billion beers they have on the menu, there was nothing else worth even trying. I'd like to think I drank the majority of that keg - and again, while it's pretty close to being the nectar of the berkeleying Gods, nothing new.

Dogfish Head Burton Baton - Still reigns supreme as the best IPA I've had, with Founders Devil Dancer a close 2nd. DFH claims they age well. Seems weird from an IPA, but I'm giving it a shot.

Weyerbacher Insanity - No discernible difference from last year's, but berkeleying amazing nonetheless, if you like the style. A little pricey, but worth every penny IMHO.

Heady Topper IPA - I just don't get the hype. Maybe my tastebuds just aren't there yet? Maybe I just prefer the super-malty IPA's? A buddy cracked a bottle for me, and I had to pretend it was the best thing since sliced bread. It was not.

AND HOLY berkeley, I JUST REALIZED KBS IS SUPPOSED TO BE OUT THIS WEEK!!!

Every night, I am allowed to take home a 6-pack of "low fills". These are beers that for one reason or another can't be sold. Usually they aren't filled high enough (hence the name), although some are over-filled, others have the wrong cap, or some error in labels. A few are the unsellable mixtures when the bottling line switches from one produce to another.

Some of these are really good. Rasputin and Red Seal is awesome. Great combo.

Some are really bad. Opened a bottle of what was supposed to be IPA, and it is definitely mixed with Brother Thelonious. Abbey Ale and IPA do not mix!

Interesting. Have you done Raspy with an IPA?

Totally in let's get this done!

poopshovel wrote: Interesting. Have you done Raspy with an IPA?

Not yet. Should be good. I'd be sure to do it with an IPA with a bit more body to it. Should blend well though. Sort of like a black-and-tan turned to 11.

Smuttynose Baltic Porter is out, had my first bomber of the season last night. Always one of my favorites. Best $6 bomber in the world IMO.

Beer Baron wrote:

poopshovel wrote: Interesting. Have you done Raspy with an IPA?

Not yet. Should be good. I'd be sure to do it with an IPA with a bit more body to it. Should blend well though. Sort of like a black-and-tan turned to 11.

That was kind of my thinking. I'd love to do a BA stout with a BA IPA. Like Burton Baton and...ooooh, I dunno....muthaberkeleyin BA Raspy? Seriously. I'm dyin here, man. Missed the boat on this year's release.

Firestone Walker Wookey Jack

I feel slightly ashamed that it took me so long to try this beer. Actually, not terribly considering how much I've been moving around.

Once I did, it was one of the few beers in a good long while that I have been really genuinely surprised by, in a very good way. I guess they call it a Black Rye IPA. It was much less bitter than I expected. It is definitely there to balance everything else going on, but not slap you in the face. The hops come out far more in the aroma and flavor than in the back of the throat. The malts add a nice flavor to compliment all the hops.

The whole effect is a beer that succeeds in being complex and flavorful without being busy.

Had some beer with the wife the other night. Has Samuel Smith ever brewed a bad beer? Chocolate Stout was amazing, Nut Brown Ale was great.

I like it. Its got a good roasted flavor. 6% alcohol

This thread just drives in the point that none of the beer places within a 100 mile radius of me carry anything more than the boring domestic light beers. I'm über jealous of the stuff I'm seeing in this thread.

In reply to Spoolpigeon:

Really? I can usually buy some craft beer at good gas stations, not to mention the liquor stores or high end supermarkets.

Southern Tier Imperial Choklat stout. Typical for these guys it seems. Over the berkeleying top. I liked it.

Stopped in at Portsmouth Brewery last night and had a glass of their new Imperial Stout (the first one since Tod Mott left the brewery taking the recipe for Kate the Great with him). It's not Kate, and it doesn't seem like it's trying to be. It's hoppier, boozier and less rich than I remember Kate to be (I've only had taster pours though). It is a damn fine Imperial Stout though. If anything, it reminded me of a boozier Raspy and that can't be wrong.