The Craft Beer Thread

I don't remember there being a craft beer thread on here, so  I started one.

This is a Kung Pao from Stillwater that's described as an " imperial stout brewed with chili powder, ginger powder, Sichuan pepper, sea salt, and peanut extract". It's great, about $20 a 4 pack sadly though. 

What great beers have you guys had recently?

I generally only drink when I'm out with friends.  For the past year I've had two, maybe three beers.

My tolerance is probably super low right now.

Generally I like to stay local, though.  Funky Buddha, Big Storm, Two Henry's

My go to is Big Storm's Tropic Pressure

DETAILS

• ABV: 4.4%
• IBUs: 17

CATEGORY

Year-Round Beers

A highly drinkable Florida Ale steeped with hibiscus flowers for the perfect amount of natural sweetness.  The color of the Tropic Pressure has been kissed by the sun.  The nose smells of village lost is paradise: blossoming flowers, honeysuckle, and freshly baked island bread cooling on the windowsill. Close your eyes, and you can almost feel the breeze and hear the ocean.

FLAVOR PROFILES

• Hibiscus & Cinnamon
• Tropical

FOOD PAIRINGS

• Hog snapper
• Scallops
• Key lime pie

Last beer I had at home was Great Divide Grapefruit Radler. 

Last beer I had at a bar was Coors Banquet in a stubby bottle. Not craft but tasted good washing down chili.

From the county to the south of us, Humboldt, Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka, CA - Alleycat Amber

ABV 5.50% / IBUs: 12

Traditionally, nothing good happens in an alleyway. But then again, Lost Coast Brewery is anything but traditional. Our Alleycat Amber is a full-flavored amber brewed with roasted caramel malts. Rich in color and medium-bodied, it’s an assertive blend that will leave you refreshed and wanting more.

I'm the brewmaster at Endeavor Brewing and Spirits. https://endeavorbrewing.com/the-team/ Sorry to most of you, but we're only available in Columbus, OH.

So, I could expand at great length about all the beers I drink fairly regularly. I'm most proud of our flagship beers. That's really where I've poured the effort into my philosophy that "The best beers reward attention, but don't demand it."

Altura, Latin Lager (5%abv)

Just canned out another batch on Tuesday. This is my all-around favorite. It's the beer I'd been wanting to create since leaving Germany. Super drinkable hybrid pilsner style. Flavor profile is sort of more-flavorful Mexican lager with a twist of lime. Except that the lime is citrusy hops.

It's understated and nerdy, and is totally me flexing as a brewer. One of those beers that seems simpler than it is. If you know brewing, you realize how distinct and difficult to execute a beer this is. If not, it just reminds you of your favorite beer, but somehow how a bit better. I totally talk about it like that obnoxious musician who's all, "I could tell you about my influences, but you've never heard of them." It's sort of a hybrid of Modelo Especial, Schell's Deer Brand (classic American corn adjunct lager), Schell's Pilsner, and a bunch of small craft Pilsners from Berlin, with my own personal twist and flair.

Our latest wowwing beer that turned out so surprisingly good that it became a core beer:

Saga, Icelandic style ale (4.7% abv)

This beer has almost no hops (a token amount of bittering hops primarily as a preservative). Instead, it's flavored with sage and star anise. Which sounds like it should be weird or horrible, but is really really really good. The star anise isn't so much licorice as a subtle menthol-like cooling at the very end. This beer is stupidly good paired with steak.

We genuinely don't know how to describe this beer in any kind of concise manner. It literally tastes like nothing else any of us has ever had. To me, it tastes like chilling on the patio in early fall.

Story behind it is that the owner and his wife took a trip to Iceland. They tried some of the regional beers there. Hops are tough to get in Iceland, so they primarily used herbs instead. He wanted a pilot batch of a version of those beers. So I made my best attempt and we released it to coincide with an REI partnership event. It disappeared FAST. We made more. We blow people away whenever we bring it to local festivals. Everyone loves it but doesn't know what to make of it.

P.S. We hide a sasquatch on every can, because we're nerdy like that.

Doc's got me on the wagon at the moment so I've been trying out some of the recent craft brewed NA offerings. They aren't great beer, but they're a good replacement for the beer experience. Mostly big hop tastes, But there are some porters or stouts out there too. I haven't tried any yet. 
 

As far as real craft goes, I usually like local brewed red ales and lagers. Folks like Pretoria Fields, Fall Line Brewing, and Oconee Brewing. 

We've been on a bit of a dessert beer kick lately... 

.

...I blame COVID.

In reply to Beer Baron :

No offense to your labor of lager (lager of love?) but that icelandic ale has really piqued my interest!

That Icelandic ale sounds like something I'd like to try but I'm nowhere near you.

Can you ship beer?

Antihero (Forum Supporter) said:

That Icelandic ale sounds like something I'd like to try but I'm nowhere near you.

 

Can you ship beer?

Not at this time. We were talking with some companies that were working on doing that, but I'm not sure anything came of it. Unfortunately, that's something where the laws are weird. I can check on the situation though.

Antihero (Forum Supporter) said:

That Icelandic ale sounds like something I'd like to try but I'm nowhere near you.

 

Can you ship beer?

Seconded.

If you figure out how to get some down here, I'd like two or three sixers.

CJ (FS) said:

From the county to the south of us, Humboldt, Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka, CA - Alleycat Amber

ABV 5.50% / IBUs: 12

Traditionally, nothing good happens in an alleyway. But then again, Lost Coast Brewery is anything but traditional. Our Alleycat Amber is a full-flavored amber brewed with roasted caramel malts. Rich in color and medium-bodied, it’s an assertive blend that will leave you refreshed and wanting more.

I prefer their Downtown Brown.

I'm a very boring beer drinker. Lagers and Pilsners and Kolsches (which I consider to be the same category despite being an ale); an occasional stout. 
 

My local liquor store always has 4-packs of 16oz Okocim or Zywiec for $4; they also have Veltins 12 packs for $10. So more often than not, that's what's in my fridge. I've never had anyone turn their nose up at any of those offerings. 
 

For craft beer, I have kind of given up. Too few seem to realize that they need to have a decent lager on tap. That said, there is one that I really enjoy: Keeweenaw Brewing Widow Maker. It's a black ale, very light, a little... molasses(?) flavor, malty. I really enjoy it. I kind of compare it to Dr. Pepper, hard to describe what it tastes like. 
 

In reply to stafford1500 :

Downtown Brown is great as well

Edit - Are they really selling Downtown Brown in NC, or is there more to the story?

mtn (Forum Supporter) said:

For craft beer, I have kind of given up. Too few seem to realize that they need to have a decent lager on tap.

Agreed x 1million percent. It also shouldn't be a low percent bud/Miller/coots offering copy. I'm sick of drinking and tasting a pinecone because ipas suck. Gimme a good cold old rasputin from north coast or when I was in Phoenix, ohso or four peaks, or hell gimme a Schultz brau from here in Knoxville. 

mtn (Forum Supporter) said:

For craft beer, I have kind of given up. Too few seem to realize that they need to have a decent lager on tap.

Most aren't good enough brewers to do a good lager.

IPAs are way overdone, likely because it's easy to hide bad flavors and E36 M3ty brewing behind big hop flavors. I like a good IPA once in a while but good ones are rare and there are a LOT of other interesting styles. 

mtn (Forum Supporter) said:

I'm a very boring beer drinker. Lagers and Pilsners and Kolsches (which I consider to be the same category despite being an ale); an occasional stout.  

You reminded me.  Goose Island has a Kolsche I like for mowing the yard.  I haven't been able to find it down here for a couple years though.  Its called Summertime

ultraclyde (Forum Supporter) said:

IPAs are way overdone, likely because it's easy to hide bad flavors and E36 M3ty brewing behind big hop flavors. I like a good IPA once in a while but good ones are rare and there are a LOT of other interesting styles. 

I used to like IPAs about a decade or so back, but then everyone went to the cascade style hops that have that grapefruit taste and it just sucks.  I haven't been able to find one that doesn't taste like grapefruit in three or four years

Ninkasi outta Oregon does a fine, fine Pilsner.

In reply to ultraclyde (Forum Supporter) :

I agree although I have yet to drink an IPA I've liked

In reply to CJ (FS) :

I used to live out in CA, but one of the local wine/beer shops does get some limited supply of things from out there every now and then. I always check for Lost Coast.

My local favorite in LazyBird Brown from Birdsong Brewing.

In reply to mtn (Forum Supporter) :

That black ale sounds good, I'll keep a look out for it.

I'm not a huge lagers fan but Wallace Brewing 1910 Black Lager is pretty good

https://www.taphunter.com/beer/wallace-1910-black-lager/5304879263252480

Does this count as craft? Not sure how it ended up in my fridge, but it's cold, wet, and it tastes like it should.